Does Impaired O2 Delivery During Exercise Accentuate Central and Peripheral Fatigue in Patients with Coexistent COPD-CHF?

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Mayron F. Oliveira

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Impairment in oxygen (O2 delivery to the central nervous system (brain and skeletal locomotor muscle during exercise has been associated with central and peripheral neuromuscular fatigue in healthy humans. From a clinical perspective, impaired tissue O2 transport is a key pathophysiological mechanism shared by cardiopulmonary diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD and chronic heart failure (CHF. In addition to arterial hypoxemic conditions in COPD, there is growing evidence that cerebral and muscle blood flow and oxygenation can be reduced during exercise in both isolated COPD and CHF. Compromised cardiac output due to impaired cardiopulmonary function/interactions and blood flow redistribution to the overloaded respiratory muscles (i.e., ↑work of breathing may underpin these abnormalities. Unfortunately, COPD and CHF coexist in almost a third of elderly patients making these mechanisms potentially more relevant to exercise intolerance. In this context, it remains unknown whether decreased O2 delivery accentuates neuromuscular manifestations of central and peripheral fatigue in coexistent COPD-CHF. If this holds true, it is conceivable that delivering a low-density gas mixture (heliox through non-invasive positive pressure ventilation could ameliorate cardiopulmonary function/interactions and reduce the work of breathing during exercise in these patients. The major consequence would be increased O2 delivery to the brain and active muscles with potential benefits to exercise capacity (i.e., ↓central and peripheral neuromuscular fatigue, respectively. We therefore hypothesize that patients with coexistent COPD-CHF stop exercising prematurely due to impaired central motor drive and muscle contractility as the cardiorespiratory system fails to deliver sufficient O2 to simultaneously attend the metabolic demands of the brain and the active limb muscles.

Severe hypoxia affects exercise performance independently of afferent feedback and peripheral fatigue.

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Millet, Guillaume Y; Muthalib, Makii; Jubeau, Marc; Laursen, Paul B; Nosaka, Kazunori

2012-04-01

To test the hypothesis that hypoxia centrally affects performance independently of afferent feedback and peripheral fatigue, we conducted two experiments under complete vascular occlusion of the exercising muscle under different systemic O(2) environmental conditions. In experiment 1, 12 subjects performed repeated submaximal isometric contractions of the elbow flexor to exhaustion (RCTE) with inspired O(2) fraction fixed at 9% (severe hypoxia, SevHyp), 14% (moderate hypoxia, ModHyp), 21% (normoxia, Norm), or 30% (hyperoxia, Hyper). The number of contractions (performance), muscle (biceps brachii), and prefrontal near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) parameters and high-frequency paired-pulse (PS100) evoked responses to electrical muscle stimulation were monitored. In experiment 2, 10 subjects performed another RCTE in SevHyp and Norm conditions in which the number of contractions, biceps brachii electromyography responses to electrical nerve stimulation (M wave), and transcranial magnetic stimulation responses (motor-evoked potentials, MEP, and cortical silent period, CSP) were recorded. Performance during RCTE was significantly reduced by 10-15% in SevHyp (arterial O(2) saturation, SpO(2) = ∼75%) compared with ModHyp (SpO(2) = ∼90%) or Norm/Hyper (SpO(2) > 97%). Performance reduction in SevHyp occurred despite similar 1) metabolic (muscle NIRS parameters) and functional (changes in PS100 and M wave) muscle states and 2) MEP and CSP responses, suggesting comparable corticospinal excitability and spinal and cortical inhibition between SevHyp and Norm. It is concluded that, in SevHyp, performance and central drive can be altered independently of afferent feedback and peripheral fatigue. It is concluded that submaximal performance in SevHyp is partly reduced by a mechanism related directly to brain oxygenation.

Verification of anti-fatigue effect of anserine by angle fatigue indicator based on median frequency changes of electromyograms

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Hirohisa Kishi

2013-10-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Objective: Anserine, which is abundant in avian species and in a wide range of fish such as bonito and tuna, is reported to have anti-fatigue effect. Although chicken soup and bonito soup is traditionally used to recover from physical fatigue, it is generally difficult to verify the effect in humans. This study was to directly demonstrate the anti-fatigue effect of oceanic anserine in humans. Methods: Edible-grade anserine was purified from fish extract with food-grade reagents. Subjects were 17 healthy male volunteers (35.5 ± 5 yr., 75.5 ± 5.0 kg. Each subject performed the isometric exercise tolerance test (ETT on the rectus femoris muscle twice (Ex_1, Ex_2 both for anserine and water conditions on a different day. Median frequency changes (MDF during Functional Foods in Health and Disease 2013; 3(10 389-399 ETTs were calculated and regression curves were calculated over a frequency range of 21-214 Hz. The difference, or angle, between the slopes of Ex_1 and Ex_2 MDF regression curves, which corresponds to the degree of fatigue, was defined as an angle fatigue index and compared between anserine and water intake conditions. Results: MDF decreased during ETTs in most patients and the slopes of regression curves were larger in Ex_2 than in Ex_1. Angle fatigue index for water (control was significantly larger than that for anserine (p<0.01, paired t-test, n=17. The result indicates that anserine have an anti-fatigue effect on skeletal muscle in humans. Conclusions: We proposed the angle fatigue index as a touchstone of the muscle fatigue. The index indicates that anserine is effective to reduce the muscle fatigue in humans.

Individual Patterns in Blood-Borne Indicators of Fatigue-Trait or Chance.

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Julian, Ross; Meyer, Tim; Fullagar, Hugh H K; Skorski, Sabrina; Pfeiffer, Mark; Kellmann, Michael; Ferrauti, Alexander; Hecksteden, Anne

2017-03-01

Julian, R, Meyer, T, Fullagar, HHK, Skorski, S, Pfeiffer, M, Kellmann, M, Ferrauti, A, and Hecksteden, A. Individual patterns in blood-borne indicators of fatigue-trait or chance. J Strength Cond Res 31(3): 608-619, 2017-Blood-borne markers of fatigue such as creatine kinase (CK) and urea (U) are widely used to fine-tune training recommendations. However, predictive accuracy is low. A possible explanation for this dissatisfactory characteristic is the propensity of athletes to react to different patterns of fatigue indicators (e.g., predominantly muscular [CK] or metabolic [U]). The aim of the present trial was to explore this hypothesis by using repetitive fatigue-recovery cycles. A total of 22 elite junior swimmers and triathletes (18 ± 3 years) were monitored for 9 weeks throughout 2 training phases (low-intensity, high-volume [LIHV] and high-intensity, low-volume [HILV] phases). Blood samples were collected each Monday (recovered) and Friday (fatigued) morning. From measured values of CK, U, free-testosterone (FT), and cortisol (C) as determined in the rested and fatigued state, respectively, Monday-Friday differences (Δ) were calculated and classified by magnitude before calculation of ratios (ΔCK/ΔU and ΔFT/ΔC). Coefficient of variation (CV) was calculated as group-based estimates of reproducibility. Linear mixed modeling was used to differentiate inter- and intraindividual variability. Consistency of patterns was analyzed by comparing with threshold values (1.1 for all weeks). Reproducibility was very low for fatigue-induced changes (CV ≥ 100%) with interindividual variation accounting for 45-60% of overall variability. Case-wise analysis indicated consistent ΔCK/ΔU patterns for 7 individuals in LIHV and 7 in HILV; 5 responded consistently throughout. For ΔFT/ΔC the number of consistent patterns was 2 in LIHV and 3 in HILV. These findings highlight the potential value of an individualized and multivariate approach in the assessment of fatigue.

Myoelectrical manifestation of fatigue less prominent in patients with cancer related fatigue.

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Katarzyna Kisiel-Sajewicz

Full Text Available PURPOSE: A lack of fatigue-related muscle contractile property changes at time of perceived physical exhaustion and greater central than peripheral fatigue detected by twitch interpolation technique have recently been reported in cancer survivors with fatigue symptoms. Based on these observations, it was hypothesized that compared to healthy people, myoelectrical manifestation of fatigue in the performing muscles would be less significant in these individuals while sustaining a prolonged motor task to self-perceived exhaustion (SPE since their central fatigue was more prominent. The purpose of this study was to test this hypothesis by examining electromyographic (EMG signal changes during fatiguing muscle performance. METHODS: Twelve individuals who had advanced solid cancer and cancer-related fatigue (CRF, and 12 age- and gender-matched healthy controls performed a sustained elbow flexion at 30% maximal voluntary contraction till SPE. Amplitude and mean power frequency (MPF of EMG signals of the biceps brachii, brachioradialis, and triceps brachii muscles were evaluated when the individuals experienced minimal, moderate, and severe fatigue. RESULTS: CRF patients perceived physical "exhaustion" significantly sooner than the controls. The myoelectrical manifestation of muscular fatigue assessed by EMG amplitude and MPF was less significant in CRF than controls. The lower MPF even at minimal fatigue stage in CRF may indicate pathophysiologic condition of the muscle. CONCLUSIONS: CRF patients experience less myoelectrical manifestation of muscle fatigue than healthy individuals near the time of SPE. The data suggest that central nervous system fatigue plays a more important role in limiting endurance-type of motor performance in patients with CRF.

Translating Fatigue to Human Performance

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Enoka, Roger M.; Duchateau, Jacques

2016-01-01

Despite flourishing interest in the topic of fatigue—as indicated by the many presentations on fatigue at the 2015 annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine—surprisingly little is known about its impact on human performance. There are two main reasons for this dilemma: (1) the inability of current terminology to accommodate the scope of the conditions ascribed to fatigue, and (2) a paucity of validated experimental models. In contrast to current practice, a case is made for a unified definition of fatigue to facilitate its management in health and disease. Based on the classic two-domain concept of Mosso, fatigue is defined as a disabling symptom in which physical and cognitive function is limited by interactions between performance fatigability and perceived fatigability. As a symptom, fatigue can only be measured by self-report, quantified as either a trait characteristic or a state variable. One consequence of such a definition is that the word fatigue should not be preceded by an adjective (e.g., central, mental, muscle, peripheral, and supraspinal) to suggest the locus of the changes responsible for an observed level of fatigue. Rather, mechanistic studies should be performed with validated experimental models to identify the changes responsible for the reported fatigue. As indicated by three examples (walking endurance in old adults, time trials by endurance athletes, and fatigue in persons with multiple sclerosis) discussed in the review, however, it has proven challenging to develop valid experimental models of fatigue. The proposed framework provides a foundation to address the many gaps in knowledge of how laboratory measures of fatigue and fatigability impact real-world performance. PMID:27015386

Characterization of the Effects of Fatigue on the Central Nervous System (CNS) and Drug Therapies

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Mery, Laura

2007-01-01

.... The model focused on central fatigue. Central fatigue associated with sleep disruption may precede peripheral fatigue, and therefore may predict impaired performance earlier than peripheral fatigue...

Myoeletric indices of fatigue adopting different rest intervals during leg press sets.

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Miranda, Humberto; Maia, Marianna; de Oliveira, Carlos G; Farias, Déborah; da Silva, Jurandir B; Lima, Vicente P; Willardson, Jeffrey M; Paz, Gabriel A

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effect of different rest intervals between multiple sets of the 45° angled leg press exercise (LP45) on surface electromyographic (SEMG) spectral and amplitude indices of fatigue. Fifteen recreationally trained females performed three protocols in a randomized crossover design; each consisting of four sets of 10 repetitions with 1 (P1), 3 (P3), or 5 (P5) minute rest intervals between sets. Each set was performed with 70% of the LP45 ten-repetition maximum load. The SEMG data for biceps femoris (BF), vastus lateralis (VL), vastus medialis (VM), and rectus femoris (RF) muscles was then evaluated. The SEMG amplitude change in the time coefficient (CRMS) and spectral fatigue index (Cf5) indicated higher levels of fatigue for all muscles evaluated during the P3 protocol versus the P1 and P5 protocols (p ≤ 0.05), respectively. The RF and VL muscles showed greater fatigue levels by the second and third sets; whereas, greater fatigue was shown in the VM and BF muscles by the fourth set (p ≤ 0.05). A three-minute rest interval between sets might represent a neuromuscular window between a fatigue stated and fully recovered state in the context of neural activation. Moreover, a three minute rest interval between sets might allow for consistent recruitment of high threshold motor units over multiple sets, and thus promote a more effective stimulus for strength gains. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Peripheral markers of central fatigue in trained and untrained during uncompensable heat stress.

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Wright, Heather E; Selkirk, Glen A; Rhind, Shawn G; McLellan, Tom M

2012-03-01

The development of fatigue is more pronounced in the heat than thermoneutral environments; however, it is unclear whether biomarkers of central fatigue are consistent with the higher core temperature (T (c)) tolerated by endurance trained (TR) versus untrained (UT) during exertional heat stress (EHS). The purpose of this study was to examine the indicators of central fatigue during EHS in TR versus UT. Twelve TR and 11 UT males (mean ± SE [Formula: see text] = 70 ± 2 and 50 ± 1 mL kg LBM(-1) min(-1), respectively) walked on a treadmill to exhaustion (EXH) in 40°C (dry) wearing protective clothing. Venous blood was obtained at PRE and 0.5°C T (c) increments from 38 to 40°C/EXH. Free tryptophan (f-TRP) decreased dramatically at 39.5°C for the TR. Branch chain amino acids decreased with T (c) and were greater for UT than TR at EXH. Tyrosine and phenylalanine remained unchanged. Serum S100β was undetectable (fatigue.

Hyperthermia and fatigue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nybo, Lars

2008-01-01

The present review addresses mechanisms of importance for hyperthermia-induced fatigue during short intense activities and prolonged exercise in the heat. Inferior performance during physical activities with intensities that elicit maximal oxygen uptake is to a large extent related to perturbation...... of the cardiovascular function, which eventually reduces arterial oxygen delivery to the exercising muscles. Accordingly, aerobic energy turnover is impaired and anaerobic metabolism provokes peripheral fatigue. In contrast, metabolic disturbances of muscle homeostasis are less important during prolonged exercise...... in the heat, because increased oxygen extraction compensates for the reduction in systemic blood flow. The decrease in endurance seems to involve changes in the function of the central nervous system (CNS) that lead to fatigue. The CNS fatigue appears to be influenced by neurotransmitter activity...

Extrapulmonary features of bronchiectasis: muscle function, exercise capacity, fatigue, and health status

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Ozalp Ozge

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There are limited number of studies investigating extrapulmonary manifestations of bronchiectasis. The purpose of this study was to compare peripheral muscle function, exercise capacity, fatigue, and health status between patients with bronchiectasis and healthy subjects in order to provide documented differences in these characteristics for individuals with and without bronchiectasis. Methods Twenty patients with bronchiectasis (43.5 ± 14.1 years and 20 healthy subjects (43.0 ± 10.9 years participated in the study. Pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength (maximal expiratory pressure – MIP - and maximal expiratory pressure - MEP, and dyspnea perception using the Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (MMRC were determined. A six-minute walk test (6MWT was performed. Quadriceps muscle, shoulder abductor, and hand grip strength (QMS, SAS, and HGS, respectively using a hand held dynamometer and peripheral muscle endurance by a squat test were measured. Fatigue perception and health status were determined using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS and the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ, respectively. Results Number of squats, 6MWT distance, and LCQ scores as well as lung function testing values and respiratory muscle strength were significantly lower and MMRC and FSS scores were significantly higher in patients with bronchiectasis than those of healthy subjects (p p p p p  Conclusions Peripheral muscle endurance, exercise capacity, fatigue and health status were adversely affected by the presence of bronchiectasis. Fatigue was associated with dyspnea and health status. Respiratory muscle strength was related to peripheral muscle strength and health status, but not to fatigue, peripheral muscle endurance or exercise capacity. These findings may provide insight for outcome measures for pulmonary rehabilitation programs for patients with bronchiectasis.

Fatigue diminishes motoneuronal excitability during cycling exercise.

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Weavil, Joshua C; Sidhu, Simranjit K; Mangum, Tyler S; Richardson, Russell S; Amann, Markus

2016-10-01

Exercise-induced fatigue influences the excitability of the motor pathway during single-joint isometric contractions. This study sought to investigate the influence of fatigue on corticospinal excitability during cycling exercise. Eight men performed fatiguing constant-load (80% W peak ; 241 ± 13 W) cycling to exhaustion during which the percent increase in quadriceps electromyography (ΔEMG; vastus lateralis and rectus femoris) was quantified. During a separate trial, subjects performed two brief (∼45 s) nonfatiguing cycling bouts (244 ± 15 and 331 ± 23W) individually chosen to match the ΔEMG across bouts to that observed during fatiguing cycling. Corticospinal excitability during exercise was quantified by transcranial magnetic, electric transmastoid, and femoral nerve stimulation to elicit motor-evoked potentials (MEP), cervicomedullary evoked potentials (CMEP), and M waves in the quadriceps. Peripheral and central fatigue were expressed as pre- to postexercise reductions in quadriceps twitch force (ΔQ tw ) and voluntary quadriceps activation (ΔVA). Whereas nonfatiguing cycling caused no measureable fatigue, fatiguing cycling resulted in significant peripheral (ΔQ tw : 42 ± 6%) and central (ΔVA: 4 ± 1%) fatigue. During nonfatiguing cycling, the area of MEPs and CMEPs, normalized to M waves, similarly increased in the quadriceps (∼40%; P fatiguing cycling. As a consequence, the ratio of MEP to CMEP was unchanged during both trials (P > 0.5). Therefore, although increases in muscle activation promote corticospinal excitability via motoneuronal facilitation during nonfatiguing cycling, this effect is abolished during fatigue. We conclude that the unaltered excitability of the corticospinal pathway from start of intense cycling exercise to exhaustion is, in part, determined by inhibitory influences on spinal motoneurons obscuring the facilitating effects of muscle activation.

Role of carbohydrate in central fatigue: a systematic review.

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Khong, T K; Selvanayagam, V S; Sidhu, S K; Yusof, A

2017-04-01

Carbohydrate (CHO) depletion is linked to neuromuscular fatigue during exercise. While its role at peripheral level is relatively well understood, less is known about its impact centrally. The aim of this systematic review was to critically analyze the effects of CHO on central fatigue (CF) assessed by various neurophysiological techniques. Four databases were searched using PRISMA guidelines through February 2016. The inclusion criteria were: CHO as intervention against a placebo control, fatigue induced by prolonged exercise and assessed using neurophysiological measures [voluntary activation (VA), superimposed twitch (SIT), M-wave, electromyography], alongside maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Seven papers were reviewed, where exercise duration lasted between 115 and 180 min. CHO improved exercise performance in three studies, whereby two of them attributed it to CF via attenuation of VA and SIT reductions, while the other indicated peripheral involvement via attenuation of M-wave reduction. Although a few studies suggest that CHO attenuates CF, data on its direct effects on neurophysiological outcome measures are limited and mixed. Generally, measures employed in these studies were inadequate to conclude central contribution to fatigue. Factors including the techniques used and the lack of controls render additional confounding factors to make definitive deductions. Future studies should employ consistent techniques and appropriate neurophysiological controls to distinguish CHO effect at central level. The use of pharmacological intervention should be incorporated to elucidate involvement of central mechanisms. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Muscle fatigue in women with primary biliary cirrhosis: Spectral analysis of surface electromyography

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Biagini, Maria Rosa; Tozzi, Alessandro; Grippo, Antonello; Galli, Andrea; Milani, Stefano; Amantini, Aldo

2006-01-01

AIM: To evaluate the myoelectric manifestations of peripheral fatigability in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis in comparison to healthy subjects. METHODS: Sixteen women with primary biliary cirrhosis without comorbidity and 13 healthy women matched for age and body mass index (BMI) completed the self-reported questionnaire fatigue impact scale. All subjects underwent surface electromyography assessment of peripheral fatigability. Anterior tibial muscle isometric voluntary contraction was executed for 20 s at 80% of maximal voluntary isometric contraction. During the exercise electromyographic signal series were recorded and root mean square (expression of central drive) as well as mean and median of electromyographic signal frequency spectrum (estimates of muscle fatigability) were computed. Each subject executed the trial two times. EMG parameters were normalized, then linear regression was applied and slopes were calculated. RESULTS: Seven patients were fatigued (median fatigue impact scale score: 38, range: 26-66) and 9 were not fatigued (median fatigue impact scale score: 7, range: 0-17). The maximal voluntary isometric contraction was similar in patients (82, 54-115 N) and controls (87, 74-101 N), and in patients with high (81, 54-115 N) and low fatigue impact scale scores (86, 65-106 N). Root mean square as well as mean and median of frequency spectrum slopes were compared with the Mann-Whitney U test, and no significant difference was found between fatigued and non-fatigued patients and controls. CONCLUSION: No instrumental evidence of peripheral fatigability can be found in women with primary biliary cirrhosis but no comorbidity, suggesting that fatigue in such patients may be of central origin. PMID:16937530

Evidence of inflammatory immune signaling in chronic fatigue syndrome: A pilot study of gene expression in peripheral blood

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Vernon Suzanne D

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Genomic profiling of peripheral blood reveals altered immunity in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS however interpretation remains challenging without immune demographic context. The object of this work is to identify modulation of specific immune functional components and restructuring of co-expression networks characteristic of CFS using the quantitative genomics of peripheral blood. Methods Gene sets were constructed a priori for CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, CD19+ B cells, CD14+ monocytes and CD16+ neutrophils from published data. A group of 111 women were classified using empiric case definition (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and unsupervised latent cluster analysis (LCA. Microarray profiles of peripheral blood were analyzed for expression of leukocyte-specific gene sets and characteristic changes in co-expression identified from topological evaluation of linear correlation networks. Results Median expression for a set of 6 genes preferentially up-regulated in CD19+ B cells was significantly lower in CFS (p = 0.01 due mainly to PTPRK and TSPAN3 expression. Although no other gene set was differentially expressed at p Conclusion Dissection of blood microarray profiles points to B cell dysfunction with coordinated immune activation supporting persistent inflammation and antibody-mediated NK cell modulation of T cell activity. This has clinical implications as the CD19+ genes identified could provide robust and biologically meaningful basis for the early detection and unambiguous phenotyping of CFS.

Motor Unit Activity during Fatiguing Isometric Muscle Contraction in Hemispheric Stroke Survivors

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Lara McManus

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Enhanced muscle weakness is commonly experienced following stroke and may be accompanied by increased susceptibility to fatigue. To examine the contributions of central and peripheral factors to isometric muscle fatigue in stroke survivors, this study investigates changes in motor unit (MU mean firing rate, and action potential duration during, and directly following, a sustained submaximal fatiguing contraction at 30% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC. A series of short contractions of the first dorsal interosseous muscle were performed pre- and post-fatigue at 20% MVC, and again following a 10-min recovery period, by 12 chronic stroke survivors. Individual MU firing times were extracted using surface EMG decomposition and used to obtain the spike-triggered average MU action potential waveforms. During the sustained fatiguing contraction, the mean rate of change in firing rate across all detected MUs was greater on the affected side (-0.02 ± 0.03 Hz/s than on the less-affected side (-0.004 ± 0.003 Hz/s, p = 0.045. The change in firing rate immediately post-fatigue was also greater on the affected side than less-affected side (-13.5 ± 20 and 0.1 ± 19%, p = 0.04. Mean MU firing rates increased following the recovery period on the less-affected side when compared to the affected side (19.3 ± 17 and 0.5 ± 20%, respectively, p = 0.03. MU action potential duration increased post-fatigue on both sides (10.3 ± 1.2 to 11.2 ± 1.3 ms on the affected side and 9.9 ± 1.7 to 11.2 ± 1.9 ms on the less-affected side, p = 0.001 and p = 0.02, respectively, and changes in action potential duration tended to be smaller in subjects with greater impairment (p = 0.04. This study presents evidence of both central and peripheral fatigue at the MU level during isometric fatiguing contraction for the first time in stroke survivors. Together, these preliminary observations indicate that the response to an isometric fatiguing contraction differs between the

Neuromuscular fatigue during exercise: Methodological considerations, etiology and potential role in chronic fatigue.

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Twomey, Rosie; Aboodarda, Saied Jalal; Kruger, Renata; Culos-Reed, Susan Nicole; Temesi, John; Millet, Guillaume Y

2017-04-01

The term fatigue is used to describe a distressing and persistent symptom of physical and/or mental tiredness in certain clinical populations, with distinct but ultimately complex, multifactorial and heterogenous pathophysiology. Chronic fatigue impacts on quality of life, reduces the capacity to perform activities of daily living, and is typically measured using subjective self-report tools. Fatigue also refers to an acute reduction in the ability to produce maximal force or power due to exercise. The classical measurement of exercise-induced fatigue involves neuromuscular assessments before and after a fatiguing task. The limitations and alternatives to this approach are reviewed in this paper in relation to the lower limb and whole-body exercise, given the functional relevance to locomotion, rehabilitation and activities of daily living. It is suggested that under some circumstances, alterations in the central and/or peripheral mechanisms of fatigue during exercise may be related to the sensations of chronic fatigue. As such, the neurophysiological correlates of exercise-induced fatigue are briefly examined in two clinical examples where chronic fatigue is common: cancer survivors and people with multiple sclerosis. This review highlights the relationship between objective measures of fatigability with whole-body exercise and perceptions of fatigue as a priority for future research, given the importance of exercise in relieving symptoms of chronic fatigue and/or overall disease management. As chronic fatigue is likely to be specific to the individual and unlikely to be due to a simple biological or psychosocial explanation, tailored exercise programmes are a potential target for therapeutic intervention. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Exploring the Relationship of Task Performance and Physical and Cognitive Fatigue During a Daylong Light Precision Task.

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Yung, Marcus; Manji, Rahim; Wells, Richard P

2017-11-01

Our aim was to explore the relationship between fatigue and operation system performance during a simulated light precision task over an 8-hr period using a battery of physical (central and peripheral) and cognitive measures. Fatigue may play an important role in the relationship between poor ergonomics and deficits in quality and productivity. However, well-controlled laboratory studies in this area have several limitations, including the lack of work relevance of fatigue exposures and lack of both physical and cognitive measures. There remains a need to understand the relationship between physical and cognitive fatigue and task performance at exposure levels relevant to realistic production or light precision work. Errors and fatigue measures were tracked over the course of a micropipetting task. Fatigue responses from 10 measures and errors in pipetting technique, precision, and targeting were submitted to principal component analysis to descriptively analyze features and patterns. Fatigue responses and error rates contributed to three principal components (PCs), accounting for 50.9% of total variance. Fatigue responses grouped within the three PCs reflected central and peripheral upper extremity fatigue, postural sway, and changes in oculomotor behavior. In an 8-hr light precision task, error rates shared similar patterns to both physical and cognitive fatigue responses, and/or increases in arousal level. The findings provide insight toward the relationship between fatigue and operation system performance (e.g., errors). This study contributes to a body of literature documenting task errors and fatigue, reflecting physical (both central and peripheral) and cognitive processes.

Risk indicators in coronary cardiac disease and occlusive disease of the peripheral arteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roth, H.

1982-01-01

In 160 patients with clinically confirmed coronary heart diseases, angiograms of the coronary vessels, the left ventricle, the abdominal aorta, the pelvic and femoral arteries and the supra-aortic vessels were taken. At the same time the incidence of the risk indicators overweight, hypercholesterinaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, hyperuricaemia, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cigarette smoking was established and compared with the angiograms. Hypercholesterinaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, diabetes mellitus and hypertension are found to be in a clearly positive correlation with the frequency and severity of coronary and peripheral vascular diseases. For hyperuricaemia and overweight a relation to the frequency and severity of peripheral but not coronary vascular stenoses is outlined. Cigarette smoking, again, proves to be a clear risk indicator. (orig./MG) [de

Measurement of fatigue in industries.

Science.gov (United States)

Saito, K

1999-04-01

Fatigue of workers is a complex phenomenon resulting from various factors in technically innovated modern industries, and it appears as a feeling of exhaustion, lowering of physiological functions, breakdown of autonomic nervous balance, and decrease in work efficiency. On the other hand industrial fatigue is caused by excessive workload, remarkable alteration in working posture and diurnal and nocturnal rhythms in daily life. Working modes in modern industries have changed from work with the whole body into that with the hands, arms, legs and/or eyes which are parts of the body, and from physical work to mental work. Visual display terminal (VDT) work is one of the most characteristic jobs in the various kinds of workplaces. A large number of fatigue tests have already been adopted, but it is still hard to draw a generalized conclusion as to the method of selecting the most appropriate test battery for a given work load. As apparatus for fatigue measurement of VDT work we have developed VRT (Visual Reaction Test) and the Portable Fatigue Meter. Furthermore, we have presented immune parameters of peripheral blood and splenic T cells for physical fatigue.

Fatigue: Is it all neurochemistry?

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Meeusen, Romain; Roelands, Bart

2018-02-01

Fatigue during exercise can be approached from different angles. Peripheral fatigue is usually described as an impairment located in the muscle and characterized by a metabolic end point, while central fatigue is defined as a failure of the central nervous system to adequately drive the muscle. The aim of the present narrative review paper is to look at the mechanisms involved in the occurrence of fatigue during prolonged exercise, predominantly from a brain neurochemical point of view. From studies in rodents it is clear that exercise increases the release of several neurotransmitters in different brain regions, and that the onset of fatigue can be manipulated when dopaminergic influx in the preoptic and anterior hypothalamus is increased, interfering with thermoregulation. This is however not as straightforward in humans, in which most studies manipulating brain neurotransmission failed to change the onset of fatigue in normal ambient temperatures. When the ambient temperature was increased, dopaminergic and combined dopaminergic and noradrenergic reuptake inhibition appeared to override a safety switch, allowing subjects to push harder and become much warmer, without changing their perception. In general, we can conclude that brain neurochemistry is clearly involved in the complex regulation of fatigue, but many other mediators also play a role.

Patient-Reported Outcomes and Fatigue in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Infection.

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Golabi, Pegah; Sayiner, Mehmet; Bush, Haley; Gerber, Lynn H; Younossi, Zobair M

2017-08-01

Fatigue is a common symptom. Diagnosis is difficult. Fatigue is often a complex symptom. In the recent years, fatigue has gained considerable amount of attention. It has 2 major types, central and peripheral, which may occur together or alone. Although fatigue has many strong relations with depression and sleep disorders, it is a separate entity. For the diagnosis of fatigue, self-reports and patient-reported outcomes are highly valuable tools because these methods can reflect patients' perceptions. Treating the underlying disease with newly developed direct-acting antivirals often improves the perceived fatigue. Healthy lifestyle changes are the cornerstone of the treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimization of fatigue damage indication in ferromagnetic low carbon steel

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Tomáš, Ivan; Kovářík, O.; Kadlecová, Jana; Vértesy, G.

2015-01-01

Roč. 26, č. 9 (2015), 095603 ISSN 0957-0233 R&D Projects: GA ČR GB14-36566G Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : fatigue * residual lifetime * magnetic non-destructive evaluation * ferromagnetic construction materials Subject RIV: JL - Materials Fatigue, Friction Mechanics Impact factor: 1.492, year: 2015

[Subjective sensations indicating simulator sickness and fatigue after exposure to virtual reality].

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Malińska, Marzena; Zuzewicz, Krystyna; Bugajska, Joanna; Grabowski, Andrzej

2014-01-01

The study assessed the incidence and intensity of subjective symptoms indicating simulator sickness among the persons with no inclination to motion sickness, immersed in virtual reality (VR) by watching an hour long movie in the stereoscopic (three-dimensional - 3D) and non-stereoscopic (two-dimensional - 2D) versions and after an hour long training using virtual reality, called sVR. The sample comprised 20 healthy young men with no inclination to motion sickness. The participants' subjective sensations, indicating symptoms of simulator sickness were assessed using the questionnaire completed by the participants immediately, 20 min and 24 h following the test. Grandjean's scale was used to assess fatigue and mood. The symptoms were observed immediately after the exposure to sVR. Their intensity was higher than after watching the 2D and 3D movies. A significant relationship was found between the eye pain and the type of exposure (2D, 3D and sVR) (Chi2)(2) = 6.225, p < or = 0.05); the relationship between excessive perspiration and the exposure to 31) movie and sVR was also noted (Chi2(1) = 9.173, p < or = 0.01). Some symptoms were still observed 20 min after exposure to sVR. The comparison of Grandjean's scale results before and after the training in sVR handing showed significant differences in 11 out of 14 subscales. Before and after exposure to 3D movie, the differences were significant only for the "tired-fatigued" subscale (Z = 2.501, p < or = 0.012) in favor of "fatigued". Based on the subjective sensation of discomfort after watching 2D and 3D movies it is impossible to predict symptoms of simulator sickness after training using sVR.

Increased Th17/Treg Ratio in Poststroke Fatigue

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Xinjing Liu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Fatigue is a major debilitating symptom after stroke. The biological mechanisms underlying poststroke fatigue (PFS are unknown. We hypothesized that PSF is associated with an alteration in the balance between Th17 and Treg cells. To test this hypothesis we assessed fatigue in 30 stroke survivors using the Fatigue Scale for Motor and Cognitive Functions (FSMC. Peripheral blood was collected for assessment of Th17 and Treg cell populations and measurement of interleukin-10 (IL-10. Participants were dichotomized into severe fatigue n=14 and low-moderate fatigue n=16 groups by K-mean cluster analysis of FSMC scores. There were no group differences in age, gender, stroke type, stroke severity, or time since stroke. Stroke survivors in the severe fatigue group reported greater anxiety p=0.004 and depression p=0.001 than in the low-moderate fatigue group. The ratio of Th17 to Treg cells was significantly increased in the severe fatigue group relative to the mild-moderate fatigue group p=0.035. Serum levels of IL-10 negatively correlated withTh17/Treg ratio (r=-0.408,  p=0.025. Our preliminary findings suggest that an imbalance in the Th17/Treg ratio is associated with the severity of PSF.

Experiences of Fatigue at Sea

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhao, Zhiwei; Jepsen, Jørgen Riis; Chen, Zhonglong

2016-01-01

Fatigue has negative impacts on the general working population as well as on seafarers. In order to study seafarers’ fatigue, a questionnaire-base survey was conducted to gain information about potential risk factors for fatigue and construct indexes indicating fatigue. The study applies T-test t......-test to compare strata of seafarers to analyse work and sleep patterns in global seafaring. Qualitative analysis are also employed to explore the impacts of fatigue on seafarer’s occupational health and safety.......Fatigue has negative impacts on the general working population as well as on seafarers. In order to study seafarers’ fatigue, a questionnaire-base survey was conducted to gain information about potential risk factors for fatigue and construct indexes indicating fatigue. The study applies T...

Effect of the Fatigue Induced by a 110-km Ultramarathon on Tibial Impact Acceleration and Lower Leg Kinematics.

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Marlene Giandolini

Full Text Available Ultramarathon runners are exposed to a high number of impact shocks and to severe neuromuscular fatigue. Runners may manage mechanical stress and muscle fatigue by changing their running kinematics. Our purposes were to study (i the effects of a 110-km mountain ultramarathon (MUM on tibial shock acceleration and lower limb kinematics, and (ii whether kinematic changes are modulated according to the severity of neuromuscular fatigue. Twenty-three runners participated in the study. Pre- and post-MUM, neuromuscular tests were performed to assess knee extensor (KE and plantar flexor (PF central and peripheral fatigue, and a treadmill running bouts was completed during which step frequency, peak acceleration, median frequency and impact frequency content were measured from tibial acceleration, as well as foot-to-treadmill, tibia-to-treadmill, and ankle flexion angles at initial contact, and ankle range of motion using video analysis. Large neuromuscular fatigue, including peripheral changes and deficits in voluntary activation, was observed in KE and PF. MVC decrements of ~35% for KE and of ~28% for PF were noted. Among biomechanical variables, step frequency increased by ~2.7% and the ankle range of motion decreased by ~4.1% post-MUM. Runners adopting a non rearfoot strike pre-MUM adopted a less plantarflexed foot strike pattern post-MUM while those adopting a rearfoot strike pre-MUM tended to adopt a less dorsiflexed foot strike pattern post-MUM. Positive correlations were observed between percent changes in peripheral PF fatigue and the ankle range of motion. Peripheral PF fatigue was also significantly correlated to both percent changes in step frequency and the ankle angle at contact. This study suggests that in a fatigued state, ultratrail runners use compensatory/protective adjustments leading to a flatter foot landing and this is done in a fatigue dose-dependent manner. This strategy may aim at minimizing the overall load applied to the

Evaluating fatigue in lupus-prone mice: preliminary assessments.

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Meeks, Allison; Larson, Susan J

2012-01-01

Fatigue is a debilitating condition suffered by many as the result of chronic disease, yet relatively little is known about its biological basis or how to effectively manage its effects. This study sought to evaluate chronic fatigue by using lupus-prone mice and testing them at three different time periods. Lupus-prone mice were chosen because fatigue affects over half of patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Eleven MLR⁺/(+) (genetic controls) and twelve MLR/MpJ-Fas/J (MRL/lpr; lupus-prone) mice were tested three times: once at 12, 16 and 20 weeks of age. All mice were subjected to a variety of behavioral tests including: forced swim, post-swim grooming, running wheel, and sucrose consumption; five of the MLR⁺/(+) and five of the MLR/lpr mice were also tested on a fixed ratio-25 operant conditioning task. MRL/lpr mice showed more peripheral symptoms of lupus than controls, particularly lymphadenopathy and proteinuria. Lupus mice spent more time floating during the forced swim test and traveled less distance in the running wheel at each testing period. There were no differences between groups in post-swim grooming or in number of reinforcers earned in the operant conditioning task indicating the behavioral changes were not likely due simply to muscle weakness or motivation. Correlations between performance in the running wheel, forced swim test and sucrose consumption were conducted and distance traveled in the running wheel was consistently negatively correlated with time spent floating. Based on these data, we conclude that the lupus-prone mice were experiencing chronic fatigue and that running wheel activity and floating during a forced swim test can be used to evaluate fatigue, although these data cannot rule out the possibility that both fatigue and a depressive-like state were mediating these effects. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Muscle injections with lidocaine improve resting fatigue and pain in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome

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Staud R

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Roland Staud,1 Taylor Kizer,1 Michael E Robinson2 1Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, 2Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA Objective: Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS complain of long-lasting fatigue and pain which are not relieved by rest and worsened by physical exertion. Previous research has implicated metaboreceptors of muscles to play an important role for chronic fatigue and pain. Therefore, we hypothesized that blocking impulse input from deep tissues with intramuscular lidocaine injections would improve not only the pain but also fatigue of CFS patients. Methods: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 58 CFS patients received 20 mL of 1% lidocaine (200 mg or normal saline once into both trapezius and gluteal muscles. Study outcomes included clinical fatigue and pain, depression, and anxiety. In addition, mechanical and heat hyperalgesia were assessed and serum levels of lidocaine were obtained after the injections. Results: Fatigue ratings of CFS patients decreased significantly more after lidocaine compared to saline injections (p = 0.03. In contrast, muscle injections reduced pain, depression, and anxiety (p < 0.001, but these changes were not statistically different between lidocaine and saline (p > 0.05. Lidocaine injections increased mechanical pain thresholds of CFS patients (p = 0.04 but did not affect their heat hyperalgesia. Importantly, mood changes or lidocaine serum levels did not significantly predict fatigue reductions. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that lidocaine injections reduce clinical fatigue of CFS patients significantly more than placebo, suggesting an important role of peripheral tissues for chronic fatigue. Future investigations will be necessary to evaluate the clinical benefits of such interventions. Keywords: muscle injections, lidocaine, metaboreceptor, chronic fatigue 

Interactive processes link the multiple symptoms of fatigue in sport competition.

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Knicker, Axel J; Renshaw, Ian; Oldham, Anthony R H; Cairns, Simeon P

2011-04-01

Muscle physiologists often describe fatigue simply as a decline of muscle force and infer this causes an athlete to slow down. In contrast, exercise scientists describe fatigue during sport competition more holistically as an exercise-induced impairment of performance. The aim of this review is to reconcile the different views by evaluating the many performance symptoms/measures and mechanisms of fatigue. We describe how fatigue is assessed with muscle, exercise or competition performance measures. Muscle performance (single muscle test measures) declines due to peripheral fatigue (reduced muscle cell force) and/or central fatigue (reduced motor drive from the CNS). Peak muscle force seldom falls by >30% during sport but is often exacerbated during electrical stimulation and laboratory exercise tasks. Exercise performance (whole-body exercise test measures) reveals impaired physical/technical abilities and subjective fatigue sensations. Exercise intensity is initially sustained by recruitment of new motor units and help from synergistic muscles before it declines. Technique/motor skill execution deviates as exercise proceeds to maintain outcomes before they deteriorate, e.g. reduced accuracy or velocity. The sensation of fatigue incorporates an elevated rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during submaximal tasks, due to a combination of peripheral and higher CNS inputs. Competition performance (sport symptoms) is affected more by decision-making and psychological aspects, since there are opponents and a greater importance on the result. Laboratory based decision making is generally faster or unimpaired. Motivation, self-efficacy and anxiety can change during exercise to modify RPE and, hence, alter physical performance. Symptoms of fatigue during racing, team-game or racquet sports are largely anecdotal, but sometimes assessed with time-motion analysis. Fatigue during brief all-out racing is described biomechanically as a decline of peak velocity, along with altered

Tryptophan circuit in fatigue: From blood to brain and cognition.

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Yamashita, Masatoshi; Yamamoto, Takanobu

2017-11-15

Brain tryptophan and its neuroactive metabolites play key roles in central fatigue. However, previous brain function analysis targets may have included both glia and neurons together. Here, we clarified the fatigue-cognitive circuit of the central-peripheral linkage, including the role of glial-neuronal interaction in cognition. Using a rat model of central fatigue induced by chronic sleep disorder (CFSD), we isolated presynaptic terminals and oligodendrocytes. Results showed that compared to control group, presynaptic levels of tryptophan, kynurenine, and kynurenic acid, but not serotonin, in the CFSD group were higher in the hypothalamus and hippocampus. Moreover, CFSD group had higher oligodendrocytic levels of tryptophan, and impaired spatial cognitive memory accuracy and increased hyperactivity and impulsivity. These findings suggest that dynamic change in glial-neuronal interactions within the hypothalamus-hippocampal circuit causes central fatigue, and increased tryptophan-kynurenic acid pathway activity in this circuit causes reduced cognitive function. Additionally, CFSD group had 1.5 times higher plasma levels of tryptophan and kynurenine. Furthermore, in rats undergoing intraperitoneal administration of kynurenine (100mg/kg) versus vehicle, kynurenine-treated rats showed enhanced production of kynurenic acid in the hippocampus, with suppressed recall of retained spatial cognitive memory. The study revealed that uptake of periphery-derived kynurenine and tryptophan into the brain enhances kynurenic acid production in the brain, and the three factors produce amplification effect involved in the role of central-peripheral linkage in central fatigue, triggering cognitive dysfunction. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Understanding Muscle Dysfunction in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

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Gina Rutherford

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME is a debilitating disorder of unknown aetiology, characterised by severe disabling fatigue in the absence of alternative diagnosis. Historically, there has been a tendency to draw psychological explanations for the origin of fatigue; however, this model is at odds with findings that fatigue and accompanying symptoms may be explained by central and peripheral pathophysiological mechanisms, including effects of the immune, oxidative, mitochondrial, and neuronal pathways. For example, patient descriptions of their fatigue regularly cite difficulty in maintaining muscle activity due to perceived lack of energy. This narrative review examined the literature for evidence of biochemical dysfunction in CFS/ME at the skeletal muscle level. Methods. Literature was examined following searches of PUB MED, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar, using key words such as CFS/ME, immune, autoimmune, mitochondria, muscle, and acidosis. Results. Studies show evidence for skeletal muscle biochemical abnormality in CFS/ME patients, particularly in relation to bioenergetic dysfunction. Discussion. Bioenergetic muscle dysfunction is evident in CFS/ME, with a tendency towards an overutilisation of the lactate dehydrogenase pathway following low-level exercise, in addition to slowed acid clearance after exercise. Potentially, these abnormalities may lead to the perception of severe fatigue in CFS/ME.

SI:FatiguePro 4 Advanced Approach for Fatigue Monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evon, Keith; Gilman, Tim; Carney, Curt

2012-01-01

Many nuclear plants are making commitments to implement fatigue monitoring systems in support of license renewal. Current fatigue monitoring systems use the methodology of ASME Code Subarticle NB-3200, which is a design code intended to compute a bounding cumulative usage factor (CUF). The first generation of fatigue monitoring software utilized a simplified, single stress term assumption and classical stress cycle-counting methods that take order into account such as Rainflow or Ordered Overall Range counting. Recently, the NRC has indicated in Regulatory Issue Summary 2008-30 that any fatigue analyses in support of License Renewal should use ASME Code Section III methodologies considering all six stress components. In addition, fatigue calculations for the license renewal term are required to consider the effects of environment. The implementation of a six stress term NB-3200 fatigue calculation to a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) feedwater nozzle, including environmental effects, is the topic of this paper. Differences in results between the advanced methodology and the simplified methodology are discussed. (author)

Seafarer fatigue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jepsen, Jørgen Riis; Zhao, Zhiwei; van Leeuwen, Wessel M. A.

2015-01-01

Background: The consequences of fatigue for the health and safety of seafarers has caused concern in the industry and among academics, and indicates the importance of further research into risk factors and preventive interventions at sea. This review gives an overview of the key issues relating...... to seafarer fatigue. Materials and methods: A literature study was conducted aiming to collect publications that address risk factors for fatigue, short-term and long-term consequences for health and safety, and options for fatigue mitigation at sea. Due to the limited number of publications that deals...... with seafarers, experiences from other populations sharing the same exposures (e.g. shift work) were also included when appropriate. Results: Work at sea involves multiple risk factors for fatigue, which in addition to acute effects (e.g., impaired cognition, accidents) contributes through autonomic, immunologic...

The effect of sustained low-intensity contractions on supraspinal fatigue in human elbow flexor muscles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søgaard, Karen; Gandevia, Simon C; Todd, Gabrielle

2006-01-01

Subjects quickly fatigue when they perform maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs). Much of the loss of force is from processes within muscle (peripheral fatigue) but some occurs because voluntary activation of the muscle declines (central fatigue). The role of central fatigue during submaximal...... contractions is not clear. This study investigated whether central fatigue developed during prolonged low-force voluntary contractions. Subjects (n=9) held isometric elbow flexions of 15% MVC for 43 min. Voluntary activation was measured during brief MVCs every 3 min. During each MVC, transcranial magnetic...... several minutes while MVC torque only returned to approximately 85% baseline. The resting twitch showed no recovery. Thus, as well as fatigue in the muscle, the prolonged low-force contraction produced progressive central fatigue, and some of this impairment of the subjects' ability to drive the muscle...

Serotonergic dysfunctions and abnormal iron metabolism: Relevant to mental fatigue of Parkinson disease.

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Zuo, Li-Jun; Yu, Shu-Yang; Hu, Yang; Wang, Fang; Piao, Ying-Shan; Lian, Teng-Hong; Yu, Qiu-Jin; Wang, Rui-Dan; Li, Li-Xia; Guo, Peng; Du, Yang; Zhu, Rong-Yan; Jin, Zhao; Wang, Ya-Jie; Wang, Xiao-Min; Chan, Piu; Chen, Sheng-Di; Wang, Yong-Jun; Zhang, Wei

2016-12-21

Fatigue is a very common non-motor symptom in Parkinson disease (PD) patients. It included physical fatigue and mental fatigue. The potential mechanisms of mental fatigue involving serotonergic dysfunction and abnormal iron metabolism are still unknown. Therefore, we evaluated the fatigue symptoms, classified PD patients into fatigue group and non-fatigue group, and detected the levels of serotonin, iron and related proteins in CSF and serum. In CSF, 5-HT level is significantly decreased and the levels of iron and transferrin are dramatically increased in fatigue group. In fatigue group, mental fatigue score is negatively correlated with 5-HT level in CSF, and positively correlated with the scores of depression and excessive daytime sleepiness, and disease duration, also, mental fatigue is positively correlated with the levels of iron and transferrin in CSF. Transferrin level is negatively correlated with 5-HT level in CSF. In serum, the levels of 5-HT and transferrin are markedly decreased in fatigue group; mental fatigue score exhibits a negative correlation with 5-HT level. Thus serotonin dysfunction in both central and peripheral systems may be correlated with mental fatigue through abnormal iron metabolism. Depression, excessive daytime sleepiness and disease duration were the risk factors for mental fatigue of PD.

Inflammatory fatigue and sickness behaviour - lessons for the diagnosis and management of chronic fatigue syndrome.

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Arnett, S V; Clark, I A

2012-12-10

Persistent and severe fatigue is a common part of the presentation of a diverse range of disease processes. There is a growing body of evidence indicating a common inflammatory pathophysiology underlying many conditions where fatigue is a primary patient concern, including chronic fatigue syndrome. This review explores current models of how inflammatory mediators act on the central nervous system to produce fatigue and sickness behaviour, and the commonality of these processes in conditions as diverse as surgical trauma, infection, various cancers, inflammatory bowel disease, connective tissue diseases and autoimmune diseases. We also discuss evidence indicating chronic fatigue syndrome may have important pathophysiological similarities with cytokine mediated sickness behaviour, and what lessons can be applied from sickness behaviour to chronic fatigue syndrome with regards to the diagnosis and management. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Immunophenotyping in post-giardiasis functional gastrointestinal disease and chronic fatigue syndrome

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Hanevik Kurt

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A Giardia outbreak was associated with development of post-infectious functional gastrointestinal disorders (PI-FGID and chronic fatigue syndrome (PI-CFS. Markers of immune dysfunction have given conflicting results in CFS and FGID patient populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate a wide selection of markers of immune dysfunction in these two co-occurring post-infectious syndromes. Methods 48 patients, reporting chronic fatigue in a questionnaire study, were clinically evaluated five years after the outbreak and grouped according to Fukuda criteria for CFS (n=19 and idiopathic chronic fatigue (n=5 and Rome II criteria for FGIDs (n=54. 22 Giardia exposed non-fatigued individuals and 10 healthy unexposed individuals were recruited as controls. Peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry. Results In peripheral blood we found significantly higher CD8 T-cell levels in PI-FGID, and significantly lower NK-cell levels in PI-CFS patients. Severity of abdominal and fatigue symptoms correlated negatively with NK-cell levels. A tendency towards lower T-cell CD26 expression in FGID was seen. Conclusion Patients with PI-CFS and/or PI-FGID 5 years after Giardia lamblia infection showed alterations in NK-cell and CD8-cell populations suggesting a possible immunological abnormality in these conditions. We found no significant changes in other markers examined in this well-defined group of PI-CFS and PI-FGID elicited by a gastrointestinal infection. Controlling for co-morbid conditions is important in evaluation of CFS-biomarkers.

Multi-purpose fatigue sensor. Part 1. Uniaxial and multiaxial fatigue

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M.V. Karuskevich

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The paper describes the key principles and results of preliminary experiments aimed at the development of new technique for the fatigue life prediction under conditions of biaxial cyclic tension. The foundations of the method were developed early by the numerous tests with monitoring the process of surface deformation relief formation, which is proved to be an indicator of accumulated fatigue damage under uniaxial fatigue. The employed phenomenon was early applied for the development of a family of uniaxial loading fatigue sensors. The formation of strain induced relief has been recently taken into consideration as a part of damage accumulation criteria under biaxial fatigue as well. The home-made testing machine has been designed to implement combined bending and torsion loading that simulates loads experienced by an aircraft wing skin. The experimental evidences on formation and evolution of the deformation relief revealed under conditions of combined loading, supports the proposed concept of biaxial fatigue sensor

Electrophysiological studies in the post-viral fatigue syndrome.

OpenAIRE

Jamal, G A; Hansen, S

1985-01-01

Single fibre electromyography (SFEMG) was studied in 40 patients with the post-viral fatigue syndrome. These patients were also assessed clinically, serologically, virologically and immunologically. About 75% of the patients had definitely abnormal SFEMG results. This was regarded as evidence of abnormality in the peripheral part of the motor unit. The muscle fibre was the likely site of involvement.

CHANGES OF INDICATORS OF THE PERIPHERAL BLOOD AND HAEMOPOIESIS AT INKORPORATION OF THE DEPLETED URANIUM IN THE EXPERIMENT

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D. V. Gerasimov

2011-01-01

Full Text Available In article is considered the experiment with incorporation of the solution of the mixed oxides of the depleted uranium to laboratory animals (the rats and following the cytological study of the peripheral blood and marrow after influence. The changes of indicators of the peripheral blood and haemopoiesis of experimental animals are indicative of the effort processes of indemnification, that shows depleted uranium’s radioactive and toxicological effects and insolvency of natural protective mechanisms of the organism. The results of the research have shown that changes of the haemopoiesis were ambiguous. There was shown the oppression myeloid haemopoiesis and leukopenia to the third month of the experiment. In same time existed the increase an erythroid parts of hemopoiesis. The parameters of the peripheral blood and haemopoiesis to completion of the experiment did not reach checking importances that points to practicability of the long observation for animal after one-shot influence with DU.

Failure of activation of spinal motoneurones after muscle fatigue in healthy subjects studied by transcranial magnetic stimulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Birgit; Westlund, Barbro; Krarup, Christian

2003-01-01

. This points to increased probability of repetitive spinal MN activation during fatigue even if some MNs in the pool failed to discharge. Silent period duration following cortical stimulation lengthened by an average of 55 ms after the contraction and recovered within a time course similar to that of the TST......During a sustained maximal effort a progressive decline in the ability to drive motoneurones (MNs) develops. We used the recently developed triple stimulation technique (TST) to study corticospinal conduction after fatiguing exercise in healthy subjects. This method employs a collision technique...... conventional transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and responses to peripheral nerve stimulation were recorded following the same fatigue protocol. The size of both the MEPs and the peripheral responses increased after the contraction and were in direct contrast to the decrease in size of the TST response...

Perceived exertion during muscle fatigue as reflected in movement-related cortical potentials: an event-related potential study.

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Guo, Feng; Sun, Yong-Jun; Zhang, Ri-Hui

2017-02-08

The aim of this study was to explore the mechanism on perceived exertion during muscle fatigue. A total of 15 individuals in the fatigue group and 13 individuals in the nonfatigue group were recruited into this study, performing 200 intermittent handgrip contractions with 30% maximal voluntary contraction. The force, surface electromyography (sEMG), movement-related cortical potentials (MRCPs), and rating perception of effort (RPE) were combined to evaluate the perceived exertion during muscle fatigue. The maximal handgrip force significantly decreased (Pfatigue. The RPE scores reported by the individuals and the motor potential amplitude of MRCPs in the fatigue group significantly increased (Pfatigue but could also reflect the peripheral local muscle fatigue.

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MUSCLE FATIGUE CHARACTERISTICS AND MARKERS OF ENDURANCE PERFORMANCE

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Martyn G. Morris

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of a range of in-vivo whole muscle characteristics to determinants of endurance performance. Eleven healthy males completed a cycle ergometer step test to exhaustion for the determination of the lactate threshold, gross mechanical efficiency, peak power and VO2max. On two separate occasions, contractile and fatigue characteristics of the quadriceps femoris were collected using a specially designed isometric strength-testing chair. Muscle fatigue was then assessed by stimulating the muscle for 3 minutes. Force, rate of force development and rates of relaxation were calculated at the beginning and end of the 3 minute protocol and examined for reliability and in relation to lactate threshold, VO2max, gross mechanical efficiency and peak power. Muscle characteristics, rate of force development and relaxation rate were demonstrated to be reliable measures. Force drop off over the 3 minutes (fatigue index was related to lactate threshold (r = -0.72 p < 0.01 but not to VO2max. The rate of force development related to the peak power at the end of the cycle ergometer test (r = -0.75 p < 0.01. Rates of relaxation did not relate to any of the performance markers. We found in-vivo whole muscle characteristics, such as the fatigue index and rate of force development, relate to specific markers of peripheral, but not to central, fitness components. Our investigation suggests that muscle characteristics assessed in this way is reliable and could be feasibly utilised to further our understanding of the peripheral factors underpinning performance

Differential response of peripheral arterial compliance-related indices to a vasoconstrictive stimulus.

Science.gov (United States)

Guerrisi, Maria; Vannucci, Italo; Toschi, Nicola

2009-01-01

Peripheral arterial elastic properties are greatly affected by cardiovascular as well as other pathologies, and their assessment can provide useful diagnostic indicators. The photoplethysmographic technique can provide finger blood volume and pressure waveforms non-invasively, which can then be processed statically or beat-to-beat to characterize parameters of the vessel wall mechanics. We employ an occlusion-deflation protocol in 48 healthy volunteers to study peripheral artery compliance-related indices over positive and negative transmural pressure values as well as under the influence of a valid vasoconstrictor (cigarette smoking). We calculate beat-to-beat indices (compliance index CI, distensibility index DI, three viscoelastic model parameters (compliance C, viscosity R and inertia L), pressure-volume loop areas A and damping factor DF as well as symmetrical (C(max)) and asymmetrical (C(A)(max)) static compliance estimates, and their distributions over transmural pressure. All distributions are bell-shaped and centred on negative transmural pressure values. Distribution heights were significantly lower in the smoking group (w.r.t. the non-smoking group) for C, CI, DI and significantly higher in R and DF. The estimated volume signal time lag was also significantly lower in the smoking group. Left and right distribution widths were significantly different in all parameters/groups but DI (both groups), C(A)(max), A (smoking group) and L (non-smoking group), and positions of maxima/minima were significantly altered in C(A)(max), R and DF. C, DF and CI are seen to be most sensitive under this protocol, while C(max) and C(A)(max) are seen to be insensitive. These quantities provide complementary, time- and transmural pressure-dependent information about arterial wall mechanics, and the choice of index should depend on the physiological conditions at hand as well as relevant time resolution and transmural pressure range.

Differential response of peripheral arterial compliance-related indices to a vasoconstrictive stimulus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerrisi, Maria; Vannucci, Italo; Toschi, Nicola

2009-01-01

Peripheral arterial elastic properties are greatly affected by cardiovascular as well as other pathologies, and their assessment can provide useful diagnostic indicators. The photoplethysmographic technique can provide finger blood volume and pressure waveforms non-invasively, which can then be processed statically or beat-to-beat to characterize parameters of the vessel wall mechanics. We employ an occlusion–deflation protocol in 48 healthy volunteers to study peripheral artery compliance-related indices over positive and negative transmural pressure values as well as under the influence of a valid vasoconstrictor (cigarette smoking). We calculate beat-to-beat indices (compliance index CI, distensibility index DI, three viscoelastic model parameters (compliance C, viscosity R and inertia L), pressure–volume loop areas A and damping factor DF as well as symmetrical (C max ) and asymmetrical (C A max ) static compliance estimates, and their distributions over transmural pressure. All distributions are bell-shaped and centred on negative transmural pressure values. Distribution heights were significantly lower in the smoking group (w.r.t. the non-smoking group) for C, CI, DI and significantly higher in R and DF. The estimated volume signal time lag was also significantly lower in the smoking group. Left and right distribution widths were significantly different in all parameters/groups but DI (both groups), C A max , A (smoking group) and L (non-smoking group), and positions of maxima/minima were significantly altered in C A max , R and DF. C, DF and CI are seen to be most sensitive under this protocol, while C max and C A max are seen to be insensitive. These quantities provide complementary, time- and transmural pressure-dependent information about arterial wall mechanics, and the choice of index should depend on the physiological conditions at hand as well as relevant time resolution and transmural pressure range

[Analysis of fatigue associated to periodic limb movement during sleep in former poliomyelitis patients].

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, A R; Correa, F I; Correa, J C F; Oliveira, L V F

2012-01-01

Following poliomyelitis, patients may experience sleep disorders stemming from periodic limb movement, leading to fatigue and compromised muscle function the following day. To establish the presence or absence of muscle fatigue in these patients using electromyography and relating the data to polysomnographic findings. An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out involving 19 individuals with motor sequelae in the lower limbs stemming from poliomyelitis. Quantitative tests for the assessment of neurophysiological aspects (knee-jerk/Achilles reflexes and peripheral muscle strength of rectus femoris) and a sleep study (standard, level I polysomnography) were administered. A statistically significant difference was detected (p fatigue associated to sleep disorder. Individuals with sequelae from poliomyelitis exhibit sleep disorders that may lead to muscle fatigue. Periodic limb movement may contribute to this phenomenon.

The effect of a single dose of morphine on muscle fatigue indices in male rats

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Sedigheh Amiresmaili

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background and Aim: Endogenous opioids and addictive opiate drugs change many body functions. . Previous studies have referred to the effects of morphine on smooth and pulmonary muscles ., but the  effects of opioids on skeletal muscles is not known well. Thus, the current study aimed at assessing the effect of a single dose of morphine on muscle fatigue in male rats. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 40 male Wistar rats weighing 220-270 g were randomly divided into four equal groups: control (the mice were kept in their cages and received food and water, morphine receiving group, fatigue group (the mice in this group were kept running on  a treadmill . for120 minutes at a rate of 20 meters per minute, and morphine plus fatigue group. At the end of the experiments, blood samples were obtained from the corner of their eyes and were sent to the laboratory for measurement of muscle fatigue indexes including lactate dehydrogenase (LDH and creatine phosphokinase (CPK. Results: Administration of morphine to the fatigue group decreased running time compared with the control group (P=0.009. Furthermore, administration of morphine to the fatigue group significantly increased serum levels of LDH (P=0.009 and CPK (P=0.008. Conclusion: The present study showed that administration of a single dose of morphine in rats increases muscle fatigue biomarkers (LDH, CPK.

Longitudinal peripheral blood transcriptional analysis of a patient with severe Ebola virus disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Kash, John C; Walters, Kathie-Anne; Kindrachuk, Jason; Baxter, David; Scherler, Kelsey; Janosko, Krisztina B; Adams, Rick D; Herbert, Andrew S; James, Rebekah M; Stonier, Spencer W; Memoli, Matthew J; Dye, John M; Davey, Richard T; Chertow, Daniel S; Taubenberger, Jeffery K

2017-04-12

The 2013-2015 outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone was unprecedented in the number of documented cases, but there have been few published reports on immune responses in clinical cases and their relationships with the course of illness and severity of Ebola virus disease. Symptoms of Ebola virus disease can include severe headache, myalgia, asthenia, fever, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and hemorrhage. Although experimental treatments are in development, there are no current U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccines or therapies. We report a detailed study of host gene expression as measured by microarray in daily peripheral blood samples collected from a patient with severe Ebola virus disease. This individual was provided with supportive care without experimental therapies at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center from before onset of critical illness to recovery. Pearson analysis of daily gene expression signatures revealed marked gene expression changes in peripheral blood leukocytes that correlated with changes in serum and peripheral blood leukocytes, viral load, antibody responses, coagulopathy, multiple organ dysfunction, and then recovery. This study revealed marked shifts in immune and antiviral responses that preceded changes in medical condition, indicating that clearance of replicating Ebola virus from peripheral blood leukocytes is likely important for systemic viral clearance. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Fatigue Analysis of Large-scale Wind turbine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhu Yongli

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper does research on top flange fatigue damage of large-scale wind turbine generator. It establishes finite element model of top flange connection system with finite element analysis software MSC. Marc/Mentat, analyzes its fatigue strain, implements load simulation of flange fatigue working condition with Bladed software, acquires flange fatigue load spectrum with rain-flow counting method, finally, it realizes fatigue analysis of top flange with fatigue analysis software MSC. Fatigue and Palmgren-Miner linear cumulative damage theory. The analysis result indicates that its result provides new thinking for flange fatigue analysis of large-scale wind turbine generator, and possesses some practical engineering value.

Estimating the Contact Endurance of the AISI 321 Stainless Steel Under Contact Gigacycle Fatigue Tests

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Savrai, R. A.; Makarov, A. V.; Osintseva, A. L.; Malygina, I. Yu.

2018-02-01

Mechanical testing of the AISI 321 corrosion resistant austenitic steel for contact gigacycle fatigue has been conducted with the application of a new method of contact fatigue testing with ultrasonic frequency of loading according to a pulsing impact "plane-to-plane" contact scheme. It has been found that the contact endurance (the ability to resist the fatigue spalling) of the AISI 321 steel under contact gigacycle fatigue loading is determined by its plasticity margin and the possibility of additional hardening under contact loading. It is demonstrated that the appearance of localized deep and long areas of spalling on a material surface can serve as a qualitative characteristic for the loss of the fatigue strength of the AISI 321 steel under impact contact fatigue loading. The value of surface microhardness measured within contact spots and the maximum depth of contact damages in the peripheral zone of contact spots can serve as quantitative criteria for that purpose.

Investigating real-time monitoring of fatigue indicators of New Zealand forestry workers.

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Bowen, Judy; Hinze, Annika; Griffiths, Christopher

2017-12-27

The New Zealand forestry industry has one of the highest fatality and injury rates of any industrial sector in the country. Worker fatigue has been identified as one of the main contributing factors. Currently no independent and objective large data source is available that might support an analysis of this, or provide the basis for ongoing monitoring to further investigate. In order to successfully manage fatigue in the forestry workplace, we must identify suitable ways of detecting it. Industry partners are increasingly looking at monitoring solutions (particularly lightweight, wearable technology) that aim to measure worker activities and physiological metrics in order to determine if they are fatigued. In this article we present the results of studies which investigate whether or not such technology can capture meaningful data in a reliable way that is both practical and usable within the forestry domain. Two series of studies were undertaken with in-situ forestry workers using reaction and decision-making times as a measure of potential impairment, while considering activity levels (via step count and heart rate) and job-roles. We present the results of these studies and further provide a comparison of results across different ambient temperatures (winter vs. summer periods). The results of our studies suggest that it may not be possible to identify correlations between workloads (based on both physical and cognitive stresses) and fatigue measures using in-situ measurements as results are highly personalised to individual workers and can be misleading if the wider context is not also taken into consideration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fatigue and Depressive Symptoms in Older People

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mänty, Minna; Rantanen, Taina; Era, Pertti

2014-01-01

Fatigue is considered an important indicator of aging-related declines in health and functional abilities. Previous studies have indicated strong associations between fatigue and depressive symptoms among younger populations and in patient groups with specific diseases. However, it is not known h...

Basic psychological need experiences, fatigue, and sleep in individuals with unexplained chronic fatigue.

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Rachel; Tobback, Els; Delesie, Liesbeth; Vogelaers, Dirk; Mariman, An; Vansteenkiste, Maarten

2017-12-01

Grounded in self-determination theory, this study tested the hypothesis that the satisfaction and frustration of the psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness would relate to fatigue and subjective and objective sleep parameters, with stress and negative sleep cognitions playing an explanatory role in these associations. During a stay at a sleep laboratory in Belgium, individuals with unexplained chronic fatigue (N = 160; 78% female) underwent polysomnography and completed a questionnaire at 3 different points in time (i.e., after arrival in the sleep lab, before bedtime, and the following morning) that assessed their need-based experiences and stress during the previous week, fatigue during the preceding day, and sleep-related cognitions and sleep during the previous night. Results indicated that need frustration related to higher stress, which in turn, related to higher evening fatigue. Need frustration also related to poorer subjective sleep quality and shorter sleep duration, as indicated by both subjective and objective shorter total sleep time and subjective (but not objective) longer sleep latency. These associations were accounted for by stress and negative sleep cognitions. These findings suggest that health care professionals working with individuals with unexplained chronic fatigue may consider focusing on basic psychological needs within their therapeutic approach. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cytokine Genetic Variations and Fatigue Among Patients With Breast Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Bower, Julienne E.; Ganz, Patricia A.; Irwin, Michael R.; Castellon, Steven; Arevalo, Jesusa; Cole, Steven W.

2013-01-01

Purpose Fatigue is a common adverse effect of cancer treatment and may persist for years after treatment completion. However, risk factors for post-treatment fatigue have not been determined. On the basis of studies suggesting an inflammatory basis for fatigue, this study tested the hypothesis that expression-regulating polymorphisms in proinflammatory cytokine genes would predict post-treatment fatigue in breast cancer survivors. Patients and Methods Women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer (n = 171) completed questionnaires to assess fatigue and other behavioral symptoms (ie, depressive symptoms, memory complaints, sleep disturbance) and provided blood for genotyping within 3 months after primary treatment. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral-blood leukocytes and assayed for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter regions of three cytokine genes: ILB −511 C>T (rs16944), IL6 −174 G>C (rs1800795), and TNF −308 G>A (rs1800629). An additive genetic risk score was computed by summing the number of high-expression alleles (zero, one, or two) across all three polymorphisms. Results The genetic risk index was significantly associated with fatigue; as the number of high-expression alleles increased, so did self-reported fatigue severity (P = .002). Analyses of individual SNPs showed that TNF −308 and IL6 −174 were independently associated with fatigue (P = .032). The genetic risk index was also associated with depressive symptoms (P = .007) and memory complaints (P = .016). Conclusion These findings further implicate inflammatory processes as contributors to cancer-related fatigue and suggest a new strategy for identifying and treating patients at risk for this symptom based on genetic variants in proinflammatory cytokine genes. PMID:23530106

Crew Factors in Flight Operations. 8; A Survey of Fatigue Factors in Corporate/Executive A Viation Operations

Science.gov (United States)

Rosekind, Mark R.; Co, Elizabeth L.; Gregory, Kevin B.; Miller, Donna L.

2000-01-01

Corporate flight crews face unique challenges including unscheduled flights, quickly changing schedules, extended duty days, long waits, time zone changes, and peripheral tasks. Most corporate operations are regulated by Part 91 FARs which set no flight or duty time limits. The objective of this study was to identify operationally significant factors that may influence fatigue, alertness, and performance in corporate operations. In collaboration with the National Business Aircraft Association and the Flight Safety Foundation, NASA developed and distributed a retrospective survey comprising 107 questions addressing demographics, home sleep habits, flight experience, duty schedules, fatigue during operations, and work environment. Corporate crewmembers returned 1,488 surveys. Respondents averaged 45.2 years of age, had 14.9 years of corporate flying experience, and 9,750 total flight hours. The majority (89%) rated themselves as 'good' or 'very good' sleepers at home. Most (82%) indicated they are subject to call for duty and described an average duty day of 9.9 h. About two-thirds reported having a daily duty time limit and over half (57%) reported a daily flight time limit. Nearly three-quarters (71%) acknowledged having 'nodded off' during a flight. Only 21% reported that their flight departments offer training on fatigue issues. Almost three-quarters (74%) described fatigue as a 'moderate' or 'serious' concern, and a majority (61%) characterized it as a common occurrence. Most (85%) identified fatigue as a 'moderate' or 'serious' safety issue.

Creep-fatigue damage in austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rezgui, Brahim.

1980-06-01

This is a study of hold time effects on the low cycle fatigue (L.C.F.) properties of 316L austenitic stainless steel at 600 0 C in air. Results obtained for different plastic strain levels indicate that a tension hold time at peak strain lead to a reduction in fatigue life. The importance of this effect depend on the length of hold period, and also on the strain amplitude. No saturation had been observed. Metallographic and microstructural analysis of failed specimens indicates mechanisms by which failure is produced. For continuous cycling the fractures occurs by the initiation and the propagation of a trans-granular crack. Creep damage in the bulk of material is formed during periods of tensile stress relaxation; it causes a change in the failure mode which became intergranular. It is the interaction between this creep-damage and fatigue cracks which is partly responsable for the reduction in the fatigue life. Predictions based upon linear cumulative damage method indicate that virgin material properties may be irrelevant in creep-fatigue interactions [fr

Hamstring Muscle Fatigue and Central Motor Output during a Simulated Soccer Match

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Marshall, Paul W. M.; Lovell, Ric; Jeppesen, Gitte K.; Andersen, Kristoffer; Siegler, Jason C.

2014-01-01

Purpose To examine changes in hamstring muscle fatigue and central motor output during a 90-minute simulated soccer match, and the concomitant changes in hamstring maximal torque and rate of torque development. Method Eight amateur male soccer players performed a 90-minute simulated soccer match, with measures performed at the start of and every 15-minutes during each half. Maximal torque (Nm) and rate of torque development (RTD; Nm.s–1) were calculated from maximal isometric knee flexor contractions performed at 10° of flexion. Hamstring peripheral fatigue was assessed from changes in the size and shape of the resting twitch (RT). Hamstring central motor output was quantified from voluntary activation (%) and normalized biceps femoris (BF) and medial hamstrings (MH) electromyographic amplitudes (EMG/M). Results Maximal torque was reduced at 45-minutes by 7.6±9.4% (phamstring peripheral fatigue. Conclusion Centrally mediated reductions in maximal torque and rate of torque development provide insight into factors that may explain hamstring injury risk during soccer. Of particular interest were early reductions during the first-half of hamstring rate of torque development, and the decline in maximal EMG/M of biceps femoris in the latter stages of the half. These are important findings that may help explain why the hamstrings are particularly vulnerable to strain injury during soccer. PMID:25047547

Fatigue and fatigue-related symptoms in patients treated for different causes of hypothyroidism.

Science.gov (United States)

Louwerens, Marloes; Appelhof, Bente C; Verloop, Herman; Medici, Marco; Peeters, Robin P; Visser, Theo J; Boelen, Anita; Fliers, Eric; Smit, Johannes W A; Dekkers, Olaf M

2012-12-01

Research on determinants of well-being in patients on thyroid hormone replacement therapy is warranted, as persistent fatigue-related complaints are common in this population. In this study, we evaluated the impact of different states of hypothyroidism on fatigue and fatigue-related symptoms. Furthermore, the relationship between fatigue and the TSH receptor (TSHR)-Asp727Glu polymorphism, a common genetic variant of the TSHR, was analyzed. A cross-sectional study was performed in 278 patients (140 patients treated for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) and 138 with autoimmune hypothyroidism (AIH)) genotyped for the TSHR-Asp727Glu polymorphism. The multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-20) was used to assess fatigue, with higher MFI-20 scores indicating more fatigue-related complaints. MFI-20 scores were related to disease status and Asp727Glu polymorphism status. AIH patients scored significantly higher than DTC patients on all five MFI-20 subscales (P<0.001), independent of clinical and thyroid hormone parameters. The frequency of the TSHR-Glu727 allele was 7.2%. Heterozygous DTC patients had more favorable MFI-20 scores than wild-type DTC patients on four of five subscales. The modest effect of the TSHR-Asp727Glu polymorphism on fatigue was found in DTC patients only. AIH patients had significantly higher levels of fatigue compared with DTC patients, which could not be attributed to clinical or thyroid hormone parameters. The modest effect of the TSHR-Asp727Glu polymorphism on fatigue in DTC patients should be confirmed in other cohorts.

Vascular access in neonatology: peripherally inserted central catheter and peripheral venous catheter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcia Lienemann

2014-04-01

The objective of this paper is to present aspects of peripherally inserted central catheter and peripheral venous catheter, highlighting important points in choosing the type of access. For the passage of peripherally inserted central catheter is previously performing specific course necessary, while the primary indication occurs when it is necessary to access the patient's stay for a long period of time. Whereas peripheral venipuncture is the most appropriate in cases of needing an IV line quickly and safely, for the administration of fluids, blood collection, blood transfusion and other.

Nonlinear smooth orthogonal decomposition of kinematic features of sawing reconstructs muscle fatigue evolution as indicated by electromyography.

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Segala, David B; Gates, Deanna H; Dingwell, Jonathan B; Chelidze, David

2011-03-01

Tracking or predicting physiological fatigue is important for developing more robust training protocols and better energy supplements and/or reducing muscle injuries. Current methodologies are usually impractical and/or invasive and may not be realizable outside of laboratory settings. It was recently demonstrated that smooth orthogonal decomposition (SOD) of phase space warping (PSW) features of motion kinematics can identify fatigue in individual muscle groups. We hypothesize that a nonlinear extension of SOD will identify more optimal fatigue coordinates and provide a lower-dimensional reconstruction of local fatigue dynamics than the linear SOD. Both linear and nonlinear SODs were applied to PSW features estimated from measured kinematics to reconstruct muscle fatigue dynamics in subjects performing a sawing motion. Ten healthy young right-handed subjects pushed a weighted handle back and forth until voluntary exhaustion. Three sets of joint kinematic angles were measured from the right upper extremity in addition to surface electromyography (EMG) recordings. The SOD coordinates of kinematic PSW features were compared against independently measured fatigue markers (i.e., mean and median EMG spectrum frequencies of individual muscle groups). This comparison was based on a least-squares linear fit of a fixed number of the dominant SOD coordinates to the appropriate local fatigue markers. Between subject variability showed that at most four to five nonlinear SOD coordinates were needed to reconstruct fatigue in local muscle groups, while on average 15 coordinates were needed for the linear SOD. Thus, the nonlinear coordinates provided a one-order-of-magnitude improvement over the linear ones.

Research on driver fatigue detection

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ting; Chen, Zhong; Ouyang, Chao

2018-03-01

Driver fatigue is one of the main causes of frequent traffic accidents. In this case, driver fatigue detection system has very important significance in avoiding traffic accidents. This paper presents a real-time method based on fusion of multiple facial features, including eye closure, yawn and head movement. The eye state is classified as being open or closed by a linear SVM classifier trained using HOG features of the detected eye. The mouth state is determined according to the width-height ratio of the mouth. The head movement is detected by head pitch angle calculated by facial landmark. The driver's fatigue state can be reasoned by the model trained by above features. According to experimental results, drive fatigue detection obtains an excellent performance. It indicates that the developed method is valuable for the application of avoiding traffic accidents caused by driver's fatigue.

Cognitive and Physical Fatigue Tasks Enhance Pain, Cognitive Fatigue and Physical Fatigue in People with Fibromyalgia

Science.gov (United States)

Dailey, Dana L; Keffala, Valerie J; Sluka, Kathleen A

2014-01-01

Objective Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by chronic widespread muscle pain and fatigue. The primary objective of this study was to determine if pain, perceived cognitive fatigue, and perceived physical fatigue were enhanced in participants with fibromyalgia compared to healthy controls during a cognitive fatigue task, a physical fatigue task and a dual fatigue task. Methods Twenty four people with fibromyalgia and 33 healthy controls completed pain, fatigue and function measures. A cognitive fatigue task (Controlled Oral Word Association Test) and physical fatigue task (Valpar peg test) were done individually and combined for a dual fatigue task. Resting pain, perceived cognitive fatigue and perceived physical fatigue were assessed during each task using visual analogue scales. Function was assessed with shoulder range of motion and grip. Results People with fibromyalgia had significantly higher increases in pain, cognitive fatigue and physical fatigue when compared to healthy controls after completion of a cognitive fatigue task, a physical fatigue task, or a dual fatigue task (pfatigue tasks, respectively. Conclusions These data show that people with fibromyalgia show larger increases in pain, perceived cognitive fatigue and perceived physical fatigue to both cognitive and physical fatigue tasks compared to healthy controls. The increases in pain and fatigue during cognitive and physical fatigue tasks could influence subject participation in daily activities and rehabilitation. PMID:25074583

The effect of local skin cooling before a sustained, submaximal isometric contraction on fatigue and isometric quadriceps femoris performance: A randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Hohenauer, Erich; Cescon, Corrado; Deliens, Tom; Clarys, Peter; Clijsen, Ron

2017-04-01

The central- and peripheral mechanisms by which heat strain limits physical performance are not fully elucidated. Nevertheless, pre-cooling is often used in an attempt to improve subsequent performance. This study compared the effects of pre-cooling vs. a pre-thermoneutral application on central- and peripheral fatigue during 60% of isometric maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) of the right quadriceps femoris muscle. Furthermore, the effects between a pre-cooling and a pre-thermoneutral application on isometric MVC of the right quadriceps femoris muscle and subjective ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were investigated. In this randomized controlled trial, 18 healthy adults voluntarily participated. The participants received either a cold (experimental) application (+8°C) or a thermoneutral (control) application (+32°C) for 20min on their right thigh (one cuff). After the application, central (fractal dimension - FD) and peripheral (muscle fiber conduction velocity - CV) fatigue was estimated using sEMG parameters during 60% of isometric MVC. Surface EMG signals were detected from the vastus medialis and lateralis using bidimensional arrays. Immediately after the submaximal contraction, isometric MVC and RPE were assessed. Participants receiving the cold application were able to maintain a 60% isometric MVC significantly longer when compared to the thermoneutral group (mean time: 78 vs. 46s; p=0.04). The thermoneutral application had no significant impact on central fatigue (p>0.05) compared to the cold application (p=0.03). However, signs of peripheral fatigue were significantly higher in the cold group compared to the thermoneutral group (p=0.008). Pre-cooling had no effect on isometric MVC of the right quadriceps muscle and ratings of perceived exertion. Pre-cooling attenuated central fatigue and led to significantly longer submaximal contraction times compared to the pre-thermoneutral application. These findings support the use of pre-cooling procedures

Temperament vs. chronic fatigue in police officers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ewa Stępka

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Chronic fatigue is a problem affecting a still growing number of people. Among them there are representatives of different professions who are forced to cope not only with occupational stress, but also with the problem of fatigue. The police is one of such occupational groups, in which exposure to stressful and often traumatic situations, contact with those who violate the law, shift work and contact with superiors can play a key role in the development of chronic fatigue. However, chronic fatigue, induced by the above mentioned factors, does not affect all police officers since its occurrence also depends on many personal traits, including temperament. Material and methods: We studied a group of 61 police officers of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian garrison. The study was conducted using the Buss and Plomin EAS (emotionality, activity, sociability Temperament Questionnaire, CIS-20R (community, innovation, survey Questionnaire, developed by Vercoulen et al. and a questionnaire on socio-demographic data. Results: The results indicated the relationship between chronic fatigue and emotionality. Statistical analyses showed a negative correlation between the nature of emotional components, distress, fear, anger, and the general rate of chronic fatigue. There was no statistically significant correlation between age, and service experience and the level of chronic fatigue. Conclusions: The results indicate that the officers of the study group show dramatically high levels of chronic fatigue. The results also revealed that temperament characteristics, such as sociability and activity, reported in the literature as factors reducing fatigue and stress, did not show relevance to chronic fatigue in the study group. Med Pr 2015;66(6:793–801

Visual perception of fatigued lifting actions.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Steven L; Albert, Wayne J; McGarry, Tim

2012-12-01

Fatigue-related changes in lifting kinematics may expose workers to undue injury risks. Early detection of accumulating fatigue offers the prospect of intervention strategies to mitigate such fatigue-related risks. In a first step towards this objective, this study investigated whether fatigue detection was accessible to visual perception and, if so, what was the key visual information required for successful fatigue discrimination. Eighteen participants were tasked with identifying fatigued lifts when viewing 24 trials presented using both video and point-light representations. Each trial comprised a pair of lifting actions containing a fresh and a fatigued lift from the same individual presented in counter-balanced sequence. Confidence intervals demonstrated that the frequency of correct responses for both sexes exceeded chance expectations (50%) for both video (68%±12%) and point-light representations (67%±10%), demonstrating that fatigued lifting kinematics are open to visual perception. There were no significant differences between sexes or viewing condition, the latter result indicating kinematic dynamics as providing sufficient information for successful fatigue discrimination. Moreover, results from single viewer investigation reported fatigue detection (75%) from point-light information describing only the kinematics of the box lifted. These preliminary findings may have important workplace applications if fatigue discrimination rates can be improved upon through future research. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Somatic mutation in peripheral blood lymphocytes among Metro Manila residents: indicator of exposure to environmental pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yulo-Nazarea, Teresa; Cobar, Ma. Lucia C.; Nato, Alejandro Q.; Nazarea, Apolinario D.

2001-01-01

Results of a four-year study on somatic mutation in peripheral blood lymphocytes among Metro Manila residents as an indicator of exposure to environmental pollution conducted by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) is presented. The study which involves mutation indexing of 200 blood donors demonstrated very strong correlation between high levels of ambient air pollution and increase incidence of mutation at the specific gene locus in peripheral blood lymphocytes among residents of specific areas in Metro Manila. Using the PNRI adapted protocol to determine incidence of mutation at a specific gene marker, hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT), our database analysis indicated a statistically significant difference between mean mutation index of blood donors residing in an area with lower level of pollution (Las Pinas) compared to those residents living in areas with the highest estimated pollution level (Valenzuela). The results of the statistical analyses should provide regulators the direction in incorporating the data into their pollution abatement program to maximize health impact. Biomarker analysis should play a greater role in the future in the formulation of national environment policies. The temporal variation of these ''aseline data'' as the Philippine moves forward through the next several years in its industrialization program should in itself be a very valuable source of environmental policy instruments. (Author)

Relationship between sensorimotor peripheral nerve function and indicators of cardiovascular autonomic function in older adults from the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lange-Maia, Brittney S; Newman, Anne B; Jakicic, John M; Cauley, Jane A; Boudreau, Robert M; Schwartz, Ann V; Simonsick, Eleanor M; Satterfield, Suzanne; Vinik, Aaron I; Zivkovic, Sasa; Harris, Tamara B; Strotmeyer, Elsa S

2017-10-01

Age-related peripheral nervous system (PNS) impairments are highly prevalent in older adults. Although sensorimotor and cardiovascular autonomic function have been shown to be related in persons with diabetes, the nature of the relationship in general community-dwelling older adult populations is unknown. Health, Aging and Body Composition participants (n=2399, age=76.5±2.9years, 52% women, 38% black) underwent peripheral nerve testing at the 2000/01 clinic visit. Nerve conduction amplitude and velocity were measured at the peroneal motor nerve. Sensory nerve function was assessed with vibration detection threshold and monofilament (1.4-g/10-g) testing at the big toe. Symptoms of lower-extremity peripheral neuropathy were collected by self-report. Cardiovascular autonomic function indicators included postural hypotension, resting heart rate (HR), as well as HR response to and recovery from submaximal exercise testing (400m walk). Multivariable modeling adjusted for demographic/lifestyle factors, medication use and comorbid conditions. In fully adjusted models, poor motor nerve conduction velocity (function or symptoms of peripheral neuropathy and indicators of cardiovascular autonomic function. Motor nerve function and indicators of cardiovascular autonomic function remained significantly related even after considering many potentially shared risk factors. Future studies should investigate common underlying processes for developing multiple PNS impairments in older adults. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The diagnostic value of endothelial function as a potential sensor of fatigue in health

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshiko Ohno

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Yoshiko Ohno1,2, Teruto Hashiguchi1, Ryuichi Maenosono1, Hidetoshi Yamashita3, Yukio Taira3, Kazufumi Minowa3, Yoshihito Yamashita3, Yuko Kato3, Ko-ichi Kawahara1, Ikuro Maruyama11Department of Laboratory and Vascular Medicine, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan; 2Department of Community Health Nursing/Nursing Informatics, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan; 3Kagoshima Seikyo General Hospital, Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture, JapanPurpose: Many epidemiological research studies have shown that vital exhaustion and psychosocial factors are associated with the occurrence of cerebrocardiovascular disease (CCVD. Fatigue is thought to induce endothelial dysfunction and may be linked to the occurrence of CCVD; however, no studies have investigated this potential link. We studied to determine the effect of fatigue on endothelial function in healthy subjects with no traditional CCVD risk factors or potential confounding factors to be controlled.Subjects and methods: Peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT was used to evaluate endothelial function. The influence of the following parameters on endothelial function was analyzed in 74 office workers without traditional CCVD risk factors at health check-ups: endothelial function before and after work, subjective fatigue, lifestyle factors such as sleeping time, and psychosocial factors such as depression and social support.Results: Twenty-five subjects (33.8% had low endothelial function; reactive hyperemia (RH-PAT index <1.67, even though no abnormalities were reported in the health check-ups. There was no significant difference in endothelial function before versus after labor. Of note, endothelial function was associated with the individual’s level of subjective fatigue (t = 2.98, P = 0.008 and showed a daily fluctuation, sometimes to a pathological

Beyond pain in fibromyalgia: insights into the symptom of fatigue

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Fatigue is a disabling, multifaceted symptom that is highly prevalent and stubbornly persistent. Although fatigue is a frequent complaint among patients with fibromyalgia, it has not received the same attention as pain. Reasons for this include lack of standardized nomenclature to communicate about fatigue, lack of evidence-based guidelines for fatigue assessment, and a deficiency in effective treatment strategies. Fatigue does not occur in isolation; rather, it is present concurrently in varying severity with other fibromyalgia symptoms such as chronic widespread pain, unrefreshing sleep, anxiety, depression, cognitive difficulties, and so on. Survey-based and preliminary mechanistic studies indicate that multiple symptoms feed into fatigue and it may be associated with a variety of physiological mechanisms. Therefore, fatigue assessment in clinical and research settings must consider this multi-dimensionality. While no clinical trial to date has specifically targeted fatigue, randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses indicate that treatment modalities studied in the context of other fibromyalgia symptoms could also improve fatigue. The Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Fibromyalgia Working Group and the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) have been instrumental in propelling the study of fatigue in fibromyalgia to the forefront. The ongoing efforts by PROMIS to develop a brief fibromyalgia-specific fatigue measure for use in clinical and research settings will help define fatigue, allow for better assessment, and advance our understanding of fatigue. PMID:24289848

Pacing Strategy, Muscle Fatigue and Technique in 1500m Speed Skating and Cycling Time-Trials

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stoter, Inge K; MacIntosh, Brian R; Fletcher, Jared R; Pootz, Spencer; Zijdewind, Inge; Hettinga, Florentina J

2016-01-01

PURPOSE: To evaluate pacing behavior and peripheral and central contributions to muscle fatigue in 1500m speed skating and cycling time-trials, when a faster or slower start is instructed. METHODS: Nine speed skaters and nine cyclists, all competing at regional or national level, performed two 1500m

Areva fatigue concept. Fast fatigue evaluation, a new method for fatigue analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heinz, Benedikt; Bergholz, Steffen; Rudolph, Juergen

2011-01-01

Within the discussions on the long term operation (LTO) of nuclear power plants the ageing management is on the focus of that analysis. The knowledge of the operational thermal cyclic load data on components of the power plants and their evaluation in the fatigue analysis is a central concern. The changes in fatigue requirements (e.g. the consideration of environmentally assisted fatigue - EAF) recently discussed and LTO efforts are a strong motivation for the identification of margins in the existing fatigue analysis approaches. These margins should be considered within new approaches in order to obtain realistic (or more accurate) analysis results. Of course, these new analysis approaches have to be manageable and efficient. The Areva Fatigue Concept (AFC) offers the comprehensive conceptual basis for the consideration of fatigue on different levels and depths. The combination of data logging and automated fatigue evaluation are important modules of the AFC. Besides the established simplified stress based fatigue estimation Areva develops a further automated fatigue analysis method called Fast Fatigue Evaluation (FFE). This method comprises highly automated stress analyses at the fatigue relevant locations of the component. Hence, a component specific course of stress as a function of time is determined based on FAMOS or similar temperature measurement systems. The subsequent application of the rain flow cycle counting algorithm allows for the determination of the usage factor following the rules of the design code requirements. The new FFE approach constitutes a cycle counting method based on the real stresses in the component, and determined as result a rule-conformity cumulative usage factor. (orig.)

Fatigue management considering LWR coolant environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Heung Bae; Jin, Tae eun

2000-01-01

Design fatigue curve for structural material in the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code do not explicitly address the effects of reactor coolant environments on fatigue life. Environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) of low-alloy steels in light water reactor (LWR) coolant environments has been a concern ever since the early 1970's. And, recent fatigue test data indicate a significant decrease in fatigue lives of carbon steels, low-alloy steels and austenitic stainless steels in LWR coolant environments. For these reasons, fatigue of major components has been identified as a technical issue remaining to be resolved for life management and license renewal of nuclear power plants. In the present paper, results of recent investigations by many organizations are reviewed to provide technical justification to support the development of utility approach regarding the management of fatigue considering LWR coolant environments for the purpose of life management and license renewal of nuclear power plants. (author)

Peripheral inflammation/immune indicators of chemosensitivity and prognosis in breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qian Y

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Yi Qian,1,* Jing Tao,1,2,* Xiuqing Li,3 Hua Chen,1 Qi Lu,1 Junzhe Yang,1 Hong Pan,1 Cong Wang,4 Wenbin Zhou,1 Xiaoan Liu1 1Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; 2Department of General Surgery, Nanjing Pukou Hospital, Nanjing, China; 3Department of Pathology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China; 4Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Introduction: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC has become a standard treatment for locally advanced breast cancer. The present study was designed to investigate the predictive value of different peripheral inflammation/immune biomarker responses to NAC and prognosis in breast cancer patients. Materials and methods: A total of 180 breast cancer patients treated with NAC in the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University between January 2008 and March 2015 were enrolled in the study. The associations between inflammation/immune indicators and pathological complete response (pCR were determined, and the prognostic value of inflammation/immune indicators was also evaluated. Results: In the univariate analysis, patients with a high pretreatment peripheral lymphocyte count (>2.06×109/L showed a higher pCR rate than those with a low lymphocyte count (23.9% vs 10.4%, P=0.023. The pCR rate of patients with a neutrophil: lymphocyte ratio ≤2.15 was significantly higher than that of patients with a high neutrophil: lymphocyte ratio (20% vs 7.8%; P=0.03. However, multivariate analysis revealed that only the high lymphocyte count was predictive for pCR (odds ratio: 4.375, 95% CI: 1.429–13.392, P=0.010. In the survival analysis, patients with a higher neutrophil count (>2.65×109/L were confirmed to have a shorter disease-free survival (hazard ratio: 4.322, 95% CI: 1.028–18.174, P=0.046, and the

Preliminary evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction associated with post-infective fatigue after acute infection with Epstein Barr Virus

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Hickie Ian B

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Acute infectious diseases are typically accompanied by non-specific symptoms including fever, malaise, irritability and somnolence that usually resolve on recovery. However, in some individuals these symptoms persist in what is commonly termed post-infective fatigue. The objective of this pilot study was to determine the gene expression correlates of post-infective fatigue following acute Epstein Barr virus (EBV infection. Methods We followed 5 people with acute mononucleosis who developed post-infective fatigue of more than 6 months duration and 5 HLA-matched control subjects who recovered within 3 months. Subjects had peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC samples collected at varying time points including at diagnosis, then every 2 weeks for 3 months, then every 3 months for a year. Total RNA was extracted from the PBMC samples and hybridized to microarrays spotted with 3,800 oligonucleotides. Results Those who developed post-infective fatigue had gene expression profiles indicative of an altered host response during acute mononucleosis compared to those who recovered uneventfully. Several genes including ISG20 (interferon stimulated gene, DNAJB2 (DnaJ [Hsp40] homolog and CD99, CDK8 (cyclin-dependent kinase 8, E2F2 (E2F transcription factor 2, CDK8 (cyclin-dependent kinase 8, and ACTN2 (actinin, alpha 2, known to be regulated during EBV infection, were differentially expressed in post-infective fatigue cases. Several of the differentially expressed genes affect mitochondrial functions including fatty acid metabolism and the cell cycle. Conclusion These preliminary data provide insights into alterations in gene transcripts associated with the varied clinical outcomes from acute infectious mononucleosis.

Assessing marine biotechnology research centres in peripheral regions: developing global and local STI indicators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robinson, D.K.R.; Schoen, A.; Laurens, P.; Horellou, S.; Colas, P.; Larédo, P.

2016-07-01

Our study tackles the challenge of developing STI indicators for assessing marine biotechnology (Blue Bio) research institutes that are geographically located in peripheral regions, far from major metropolitan areas. The promise of Blue Bio couples (a) the promise of new sources of knowledge and innovation with (b) the promise to stimulate jobs and growth in regions which struggle to prosper due to a number of factors (such as economic migration from peripheries to large cities, decline of traditional coastal economic activity etc.). In this paper we outline the context of Marine Biotechnology assessment, the framework that is being used, and the first results of its application. (Author)

Effects of photobiomodulation on the fatigue level in elderly women: an isokinetic dynamometry evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Vassão, P G; Toma, R L; Antunes, H K M; Tucci, H T; Renno, A C M

2016-02-01

Aging is responsible by a series of morphological and functional modifications that lead to a decline of muscle function, particularly in females. Muscle tissue in elderly people is more susceptible to fatigue and, consequently, to an increased inability to maintain strength and motor control. In this context, therapeutic approaches able of attenuating muscle fatigue have been investigated. Among these, the photobiomodulation demonstrate positive results to interacts with biological tissues, promoting the increase in cell energy production. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of photobiomodulation (808 nm, 250 J/cm(2), 100 mW, 7 J each point) in the fatigue level and muscle performance in elderly women. Thirty subjects entered a crossover randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trial. Photobiomodulation was delivered on the rectus femoris muscle of the dominant limb immediately before the fatigue protocol. In both sessions, peripheral muscle fatigue was analyzed by surface electromyography (EMG) and blood lactate analysis. Muscle performance was evaluated using an isokinetic dynamometer. The results showed that photobiomodulation was able of reducing muscle fatigue by a significant increase of electromyographic fatigue index (EFI) (p = 0.047) and decreasing significantly lactate concentration 6 min after the performance of the fatigue protocol (p = 0. 0006) compared the placebo laser session. However, the photobiomodulation was not able of increasing muscle performance measured by the isokinetic dynamometer. Thus, it can be conclude that the photobiomodulation was effective in reducing fatigue levels. However, no effects of photobiomodulation on muscle performance was observed.

Effects of Fatigue on Throwing Performance in Experienced Team Handball Players

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Nuño, Alberto; van den Tillaar, Roland; Guisado, Rafael; Martín, Ignacio; Martinez, Isidoro; Chirosa, Luis J.

2016-01-01

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of central and peripheral physiological fatigue on throwing accuracy and ball release velocity in team handball. Twenty male subjects (age 24.7 ± 3.9 yrs, body mass 88.5 ± 5.0 kg, body height 1.86 ± 0.05 m, training experience 12.7 ± 3.8 yrs) from one handball team participated in this study. The participants completed four sets of eight laps of a circuit that consisted of specific team handball drills/exercises, with decreasing recovery times between the laps in each set in order to induce physiological fatigue. Duration of the recovery intervals determined the description of the effort made in each set: “light" (80 s recovery between laps), “moderate" (40 s), “hard" (20 s) and “very hard" (10 s). A heart rate, concentration of lactate in blood and the rate of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded. Ball velocity and accuracy were measured after each set and they both decreased during a fatigue protocol. However, accuracy only decreased significantly in the end of the protocol, while ball release was already affected after the first round of the protocol. The results substantiate the initial hypothesis and confirm that both throwing accuracy and ball release velocity decrease significantly as physiological fatigue increases. These variables began to decrease when the fatigue quantification values were high or very high. The findings can be used by coaches to develop training programs to teach players how to identify fatigue thresholds and combat the effects of fatigue through decision-making skills at critical game moments. PMID:28031762

Gender Differences in the Reporting of Vocal Fatigue in Teachers as Quantified by the Vocal Fatigue Index.

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Hunter, Eric J; Banks, Russell E

2017-12-01

Occupational voice users report higher instances of vocal health problems. Women, who are more likely than men to report voice problems, are the largest members of some occupational voice users, such as teachers. While a common complaint among this population is vocal fatigue, it has been difficult to quantify. Therefore, the goal of this study is to quantify vocal fatigue generally in school teachers and investigate any related gender differences. Six hundred forty (518 female, 122 male) teachers were surveyed using an online questionnaire consisting in part of the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI), an index specifically designed to quantify vocal fatigue. Compared to vocally healthy adults, the teachers surveyed were 3 times as likely to report vocal tiredness or vocal avoidance and over 3 times as likely to report physical voice discomfort. Additionally, female teachers were more likely to have scores approaching those with dysphonia. The VFI quantified elevated levels of vocal fatigue in teachers, with a significant prevalence of symptoms reported among females compared to males. Further, because the VFI indicated elevated complaints (between normal and dysphonic) in a population likely to be elevated, the VFI might be used to identify early indications of voice problems and/or track recovery.

Clinical indications for high-resolution MRI diagnostics of the peripheral nervous system; Klinische Indikationen hochaufloesender MRT-Diagnostik des peripheren Nervensystems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Godel, T. [Universitaetsklinikum Heidelberg, Abteilung fuer Neuroradiologie, Heidelberg (Germany); Weiler, M. [Universitaetsklinikum Heidelberg, Neurologische Klinik, Heidelberg (Germany)

2017-03-15

Peripheral neuropathies are common and diagnostically often challenging disorders. Difficulties particularly exist in lesion localization and recognition of complex spatial lesion patterns. Medical history taking, neurological examination, neurophysiological tests and nerve ultrasonography represent the gold standard in the diagnosis of peripheral nerve lesions but have known methodical limitations. The use of 3 Tesla magnetic resonance neurography (MRN) is an additional diagnostic imaging tool recently developed for the high-resolution visualization of long segments of peripheral nerves. Reasonable clinical indications for MRN are exemplarily presented. Using MRN a direct visualization and thus precise localization of focal and non-focal peripheral nerve lesions of various origins can be achieved with high spatial resolution down to the anatomical level of nerve fascicles. Using MRN large anatomical areas of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) can be covered in a single examination session, spatial nerve lesion patterns can be evaluated and the underlying causes can often be detected. The MRN is a valuable supplement to the diagnostic work-up of the PNS, especially in cases that cannot be clarified with standard diagnostic methods. Evaluation of the spatial nerve lesion pattern gives additional information on the origin of the underlying disease. Reasonable indications for MRN are the assessment of proximal nerve structures including the brachial and lumbosacral nerve plexi, the clarification of inconclusive diagnostic results, preoperative, postoperative and posttraumatic assessments, the identification of fascicular nerve lesions and the differential diagnosis of an alleged somatoform disorder. (orig.) [German] Periphere Neuropathien sind haeufige und diagnostisch mitunter anspruchsvolle Erkrankungen. Schwierigkeiten bestehen v. a. bei der Laesionslokalisation und Erkennung komplexer Laesionsmuster. Anamnese, klinisch-neurologische Untersuchung

Postpartum fatigue in the active-duty military woman.

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Rychnovsky, Jacqueline D

2007-01-01

(a) To describe fatigue levels in military active-duty women, (b) to describe the relationship among selected predictor variables of fatigue, and (c) to examine the relationship between predictor variables, fatigue levels, and performance (as measured by functional status) after childbirth. Based on the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms, a longitudinal, prospective design. A large military medical facility in the southwest United States. A convenience sample of 109 military active-duty women. Postpartum fatigue. Women were found to be moderately fatigued across time, with no change in fatigue levels from 2 to 6 weeks after delivery. All variables correlated with fatigue during hospitalization and at 2 weeks after delivery, and depression, anxiety, maternal sleep, and functional status correlated with fatigue at 6 weeks after delivery. Regression analyses indicated that maternal anxiety predicted fatigue at 6 weeks after delivery. Over half the women had not regained full functional status when they returned to work, and 40% still displayed symptoms of postpartum depression and anxiety. Military women continue to experiencing postpartum fatigue when they return to the workplace. Future research is needed to examine issues surrounding fatigue and its associated variables during the first year after delivery.

The Fatigue Behavior of Steel Structures under Random Loading

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Agerskov, Henning

2008-01-01

Fatigue damage accumulation in steel structures under random loading has been studied in a number of investigations at the Technical University of Denmark. The fatigue life of welded joints has been determined both experimentally and from a fracture mechanics analysis. In the experimental part...... and variable amplitude fatigue test results. Both the fracture mechanics analysis and the fatigue test results indicate that Miner’s rule, which is normally used in the design against fatigue in steel structures, may give results, which are unconservative, and that the validity of the results obtained from...

Effects of exercise-induced fatigue on postural balance: a comparison of treadmill versus cycle fatiguing protocols.

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Wright, Katherine E; Lyons, Thomas S; Navalta, James W

2013-05-01

The authors of this study examined the effects of muscle fatigue on balance indices and recovery time in recreationally trained individuals after incremental tests on a treadmill and a cycle ergometer. Sixteen participants (male N = 11, female N = 5) (mean age = 21.2 ± 2 years) completed this study. Balance measures were performed on a Biodex Balance System via the Dynamic Balance Test. Balance was measured pre-exercise, immediately post-exercise, and at 3-, 6-, 9-, 12-, 15-, 18-, and 21-min post-exercise. Immediately following the fatiguing treadmill test, balance increased significantly in the overall stability index (SI) (from 4.38 ± 2.48 to 6.09 ± 1.80) and the anterior/posterior index (API) (from 3.49 ± 2.18 to 5.28 ± 1.81) (p balance was not altered significantly in SI or API. Balance was not altered significantly for the medial/lateral index for either exercise test at any time point. Additionally, there were no significant differences in time to recovery. At 12-min post-exercise, all indices were below pre-exercise values, indicating that fatiguing exercise has a positive effect on balance over time. These results are consistent with previous research, suggesting that any effects of fatigue on balance are seen immediately and are diminished as time after exercise increases.

Fatiguing exercise intensity influences the relationship between parameters reflecting neuromuscular function and postural control variables.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sébastien Boyas

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of fatiguing exercise intensity on the nature and extent of fatigue-induced changes in neuromuscular function and postural stability in quiet standing. We also explored the contribution of selected neuromuscular mechanisms involved in force production to postural stability impairment observed following fatigue using an approach based on multivariate regressions. Eighteen young subjects performed 30-s postural trials on one leg with their eyes closed. Postural trials were performed before and after fatiguing exercises of different intensities: 25, 50 and 75% of maximal isometric plantarflexor torque. Fatiguing exercises consisted of sustaining a plantarflexor isometric contraction at the target intensity until task failure. Maximal isometric plantarflexor torque, electromyographic activity of plantarflexor and dorsiflexor muscles, activation level (twitch interpolation technique and twitch contractile properties of plantarflexors were used to characterize neuromuscular function. The 25% exercise was associated with greater central fatigue whereas the 50 and 75% exercises involved mostly peripheral fatigue. However, all fatiguing exercises induced similar alterations in postural stability, which was unexpected considering previous literature. Stepwise multiple regression analyses showed that fatigue-related changes in selected parameters related to neuromuscular function could explain more than half (0.51≤R(2≤0.82 of the changes in postural variables for the 25% exercise. On the other hand, regression models were less predictive (0.17≤R(2≤0.73 for the 50 and 75% exercises. This study suggests that fatiguing exercise intensity does not influence the extent of postural stability impairment, but does influence the type of fatigue induced and the neuromuscular function predictors explaining changes in postural variables.

Medial Orbitofrontal Cortex Is Associated with Fatigue Sensation

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Seiki Tajima

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Fatigue is an indispensable bioalarm to avoid exhaustive state caused by overwork or stresses. It is necessary to elucidate the neural mechanism of fatigue sensation for managing fatigue properly. We performed H2O  15 positron emission tomography scans to indicate neural activations while subjects were performing 35-min fatigue-inducing task trials twice. During the positron emission tomography experiment, subjects performed advanced trail-making tests, touching the target circles in sequence located on the display of a touch-panel screen. In order to identify the brain regions associated with fatigue sensation, correlation analysis was performed using statistical parametric mapping method. The brain region exhibiting a positive correlation in activity with subjective sensation of fatigue, measured immediately after each positron emission tomography scan, was located in medial orbitofrontal cortex (Brodmann's area 10/11. Hence, the medial orbitofrontal cortex is a brain region associated with mental fatigue sensation. Our findings provide a new perspective on the neural basis of fatigue.

Rotating bending fatigue strength evaluation of ceramic materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Govila, R.K.; Swank, L.R.

1995-01-01

Cyclic fatigue under rotary bending tests were conducted on partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ) from NGK and Nilsen, and silicon nitride from NGK and Norton. Fractography was performed on the failed specimens to determine the fracture structure and morphology. The results showed that the cyclic fatigue fracture was the same as the fracture structure previously observed in bending tests. The cyclic fatigue data indicated that structural ceramic could function in fatigue stress levels at a higher percentage of their average fast fracture strength than the fifty percent of ultimate strength used for wrought steels

Effect of ratchet strain on fatigue and creep–fatigue strength of Mod.9Cr–1Mo steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ando, Masanori; Isobe, Nobuhiro; Kikuchi, Koichi; Enuma, Yasuhiro

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Uniaxial fatigue and creep–fatigue tests with superimposed strain were performed. ► Variety of superimposed strain were applied as ratchet strain in the tests. ► Effect of superimposed strain on fatigue and creep–fatigue life is negligible. ► A cyclic softening character reducing the effect of superimposed strain. - Abstract: The effect of ratcheting deformation on fatigue and creep–fatigue life in Mod.9Cr–1Mo steel was investigated. Uniaxial fatigue and creep–fatigue testing with superimposed strain were performed to evaluate the effect of ratcheting deformation on the failure cycle. In a series of tests, a specific amount of superimposed strain was accumulated in each cycle. The accumulated strain as ratcheting deformation, cycles to reach the accumulated strain, and test temperatures were varied in the tests. In the fatigue tests with superimposed strain at 550 °C, slight reductions of failure lives were observed. All of the numbers of cycles to failure in the fatigue tests with superimposed strain were within a factor of 1.5 of that of the fatigue test without superimposed strain at 550 °C. The apparent relationship between failure cycles and testing parameters was not observed. In fatigue tests with superimposed strain at 550 °C, maximum mean stress was insignificant and generated in early cycles because Mod.9Cr–1Mo steel exhibits cyclic softening characteristics. It was assumed that suppression of mean stress generation by cyclic softening reduces the effect of ratcheting strain. Conversely, failure lives were increased by accumulated strain in the test conducted at 450 °C because of stress–strain hysteresis loop shrinkage caused by cyclic softening induced by the accumulated strain. In the creep–fatigue tests with superimposed strain, test results indicated that the accumulated stain was negligible. It was concluded that the effect of ratcheting deformation on fatigue and creep–fatigue life is negligible as long

Pacing Strategy, Muscle Fatigue, and Technique in 1500-m Speed-Skating and Cycling Time Trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Stoter, Inge K; MacIntosh, Brian R; Fletcher, Jared R; Pootz, Spencer; Zijdewind, Inge; Hettinga, Florentina J

2016-04-01

To evaluate pacing behavior and peripheral and central contributions to muscle fatigue in 1500-m speed-skating and cycling time trials when a faster or slower start is instructed. Nine speed skaters and 9 cyclists, all competing at regional or national level, performed two 1500-m time trials in their sport. Athletes were instructed to start faster than usual in 1 trial and slower in the other. Mean velocity was measured per 100 m. Blood lactate concentrations were measured. Maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), voluntary activation (VA), and potentiated twitch (PT) of the quadriceps muscles were measured to estimate central and peripheral contributions to muscle fatigue. In speed skating, knee, hip, and trunk angles were measured to evaluate technique. Cyclists showed a more explosive start than speed skaters in the fast-start time trial (cyclists performed first 300 m in 24.70 ± 1.73 s, speed skaters in 26.18 ± 0.79 s). Both trials resulted in reduced MVC (12.0% ± 14.5%), VA (2.4% ± 5.0%), and PT (25.4% ± 15.2%). Blood lactate concentrations after the time trial and the decrease in PT were greater in the fast-start than in the slow-start trial. Speed skaters showed higher trunk angles in the fast-start than in the slow-start trial, while knee angles remained similar. Despite similar instructions, behavioral adaptations in pacing differed between the 2 sports, resulting in equal central and peripheral contributions to muscle fatigue in both sports. This provides evidence for the importance of neurophysiological aspects in the regulation of pacing. It also stresses the notion that optimal pacing needs to be studied sport specifically, and coaches should be aware of this.

Fatigue in adults with traumatic brain injury

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mollayeva, Tatyana; Kendzerska, Tetyana; Mollayeva, Shirin

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND: Despite strong indications that fatigue is the most common and debilitating symptom after traumatic brain injury, little is known about its frequency, natural history, or relation to other factors. The current protocol outlines a strategy for a systematic review that will identify......, assess, and critically appraise studies that assessed predictors for fatigue and the consequences of fatigue on at least two separate time points following traumatic brain injury. METHODS/DESIGN: MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CINAHL, and PsycINFO will be systematically...... searched for relevant peer-reviewed studies. Reference lists of eligible papers will also be searched. All English language studies with a longitudinal design that focus on fatigue in adults with primary-impact traumatic brain injury will be included. Studies on fatigue following brain injury due...

Assessment of muscle fatigue using electromygraphm sensing

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Helmi, Muhammad Hazimin Bin; Ping, Chew Sue; Ishak, Nur Elliza Binti; Saad, Mohd Alimi Bin Mohd; Mokhtar, Anis Shahida Niza Binti

2017-08-01

Muscle fatigue is condition of muscle decline in ability after undergoing any physical activity. Observation of the muscle condition of an athlete during training is crucial to prevent or minimize injury and able to achieve optimum performance in actual competition. The aim of this project is to develop a muscle monitoring system to detect muscle fatigue in swimming athlete. This device is capable to measure muscle stress level of the swimmer and at the same time provide indication of muscle fatigue level to trainer. Electromyography signal was recorded from the muscle movement while practicing the front crawl stroke repetitively. The time domain data was processed to frequency spectra in order to study the effect of muscle fatigue. The results show that the recorded EMG signal is able to sense muscle fatigue.

On the Fatigue Analysis of Wind Turbines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sutherland, Herbert J.

1999-06-01

Modern wind turbines are fatigue critical machines that are typically used to produce electrical power from the wind. Operational experiences with these large rotating machines indicated that their components (primarily blades and blade joints) were failing at unexpectedly high rates, which led the wind turbine community to develop fatigue analysis capabilities for wind turbines. Our ability to analyze the fatigue behavior of wind turbine components has matured to the point that the prediction of service lifetime is becoming an essential part of the design process. In this review paper, I summarize the technology and describe the ''best practices'' for the fatigue analysis of a wind turbine component. The paper focuses on U.S. technology, but cites European references that provide important insights into the fatigue analysis of wind turbines.

Blood pressure and calf muscle oxygen extraction during plantar flexion exercise in peripheral artery disease.

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Luck, J Carter; Miller, Amanda J; Aziz, Faisal; Radtka, John F; Proctor, David N; Leuenberger, Urs A; Sinoway, Lawrence I; Muller, Matthew D

2017-07-01

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is an atherosclerotic vascular disease that affects 200 million people worldwide. Although PAD primarily affects large arteries, it is also associated with microvascular dysfunction, an exaggerated blood pressure (BP) response to exercise, and high cardiovascular mortality. We hypothesized that fatiguing plantar flexion exercise that evokes claudication elicits a greater reduction in skeletal muscle oxygenation (SmO 2 ) and a higher rise in BP in PAD compared with age-matched healthy subjects, but low-intensity steady-state plantar flexion elicits similar responses between groups. In the first experiment, eight patients with PAD and eight healthy controls performed fatiguing plantar flexion exercise (from 0.5 to 7 kg for up to 14 min). In the second experiment, seven patients with PAD and seven healthy controls performed low-intensity plantar flexion exercise (2.0 kg for 14 min). BP, heart rate (HR), and SmO 2 were measured continuously using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). SmO 2 is the ratio of oxygenated hemoglobin to total hemoglobin, expressed as a percent. At fatigue, patients with PAD had a greater increase in mean arterial BP (18 ± 2 vs. vs. 10 ± 2 mmHg, P = 0.029) and HR (14 ± 2 vs. 6 ± 2 beats/min, P = 0.033) and a greater reduction in SmO 2 (-54 ± 10 vs. -12 ± 4%, P = 0.001). However, both groups had similar physiological responses to low-intensity, nonpainful plantar flexion exercise. These data suggest that patients with PAD have altered oxygen uptake and/or utilization during fatiguing exercise coincident with an augmented BP response. NEW & NOTEWORTHY In this laboratory study, patients with peripheral artery disease performed plantar flexion exercise in the supine posture until symptoms of claudication occurred. Relative to age- and sex-matched healthy subjects we found that patients had a higher blood pressure response, a higher heart rate response, and a greater reduction in skeletal muscle oxygenation as

Fatigue

Science.gov (United States)

... to help you find out what's causing your fatigue and recommend ways to relieve it. Fatigue itself is not a disease. Medical problems, treatments, and personal habits can add to fatigue. These include Taking certain medicines, such as antidepressants, ...

Thermal fatigue evaluation of piping system Tee-connections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metzner, K.J.; Braillard, O.; Faidy, C.; Marcelles, I.; Solin, J.; Stumpfrock, L.

2004-01-01

Thermal fatigue is one significant long-term degradation mechanism nuclear power plants (NPP), in particular, as operating plants become older and life time extension activities have been initiated. In general, the common thermal fatigue issues are understood and controlled by plant instrumentation systems. However, incidents in some plants indicate that certain piping system Tees are susceptible to turbulent temperature mixing effects that cannot be adequately monitored by common thermocouple instrumentation. The THERFAT project has been initiated to advance the accuracy and reliability of thermal fatigue load determination in engineering tools and research oriented approaches to outline a science based practical methodology for managing thermal fatigue risks in Tee-connections susceptible to high cyclic thermal fatigue. (orig.)

Residual Fatigue Properties of Asphalt Pavement after Long-Term Field Service

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Peide Cui

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Asphalt pavement is widely used for expressways due to its advantages of flexibility, low cost, and easy maintenance. However, pavement failures, including cracking, raveling, and potholes, will appear after long-term service. This research evaluated the residual fatigue properties of asphalt pavement after long-term field service. Fatigue behavior of specimens with different pavement failure types, traffic load, service time, and layers were collected and characterized. Results indicate that after long-term field service, surface layer has a longer fatigue life under small stress levels, but shorter fatigue life under large stress levels. Longer service time results in greater sensitivity to loading stress, while heavier traffic results in shorter fatigue life. Surface and underneath layers present very close fatigue trend lines in some areas, indicating that the fatigue behavior of asphalt mixture in surface and underneath layers are aged to the same extent after eight to ten years of field service.

Fatigue and thermal fatigue of Pb-Sn solder joints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frear, D.; Grivas, D.; McCormack, M.; Tribula, D.; Morris, J.W. Jr.

1987-01-01

This paper presents a fundamental investigation of the fatigue and thermal fatigue characteristics, with an emphasis on the microstructural development during fatigue, of Sn-Pb solder joints. Fatigue tests were performed in simple shear on both 60Sn-40Pb and 5Sn-95Pb solder joints. Isothermal fatigue tests show increasing fatigue life of 60Sn-40Pb solder joints with decreasing strain and temperature. In contrast, such behavior was not observed in the isothermal fatigue of 5Sn-95Pb solder joints. Thermal fatigue results on 60Sn-40Pb solder cycled between -55 0 C and 125 0 C show that a coarsened region develops in the center of the joint. Both Pb-rich and Sn-rich phases coarsen, and cracks form within these coarsened regions. The failure mode 60Sn-40Pb solder joints in thermal and isothermal fatigue is similar: cracks form intergranularly through the Sn-rich phase or along Sn/Pb interphase boundaries. Extensive cracking is found throughout the 5Sn-95Pb joint for both thermal and isothermal fatigue. In thermal fatigue the 5Sn-95Pb solder joints failed after fewer cycles than 60Sn-40Pb

Associations among human papillomavirus, inflammation, and fatigue in patients with head and neck cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Canhua; Beitler, Jonathan J; Higgins, Kristin A; Glazer, Toby; Huynh, Linh Kha; Paul, Sudeshna; Felger, Jennifer C; Wommack, Evanthia C; Saba, Nabil F; Shin, Dong M; Bruner, Deborah W; Miller, Andrew H

2018-05-09

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has contributed to an increased incidence of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Fatigue is a major side effect of SCCHN and its treatment. However, to the authors' knowledge, the association between HPV and fatigue has not been examined to date, nor is it known whether HPV influences biological mechanisms of fatigue, including inflammation. Patients with SCCHN who were without distant metastasis were assessed at baseline (pre-radiotherapy) and 1 month and 3 months postradiotherapy. Fatigue was measured using the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory. Peripheral inflammation was assessed by plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (sTNFR2), and IL-6. Mixed effect models were used to examine associations. A total of 94 patients who were newly diagnosed were enrolled; 53% had HPV-related tumors. Patients with HPV-unrelated tumors had higher fatigue and higher plasma CRP, sTNFR2, and IL-6 over time, especially at baseline and 3 months after intensity-modulated radiotherapy compared with those with HPV-related tumors (all P < .05). However, fatigue and plasma sTNFR2 increased more significantly from baseline to 1 month after radiotherapy in the HPV-related group compared with the HPV-unrelated group (both P < .01). Controlling for significant covariates, HPV status and inflammation were found to be independent predictors of fatigue over time. HPV status is an important marker of vulnerability to the behavioral and immune consequences of SCCHN and its treatment, providing support for different symptom management strategies. Special emphasis should be placed on addressing marked persistent fatigue in patients with HPV-unrelated tumors, whereas attention should be paid to the large increases in fatigue during treatment among patients with HPV-related tumors. Cancer 2018. © 2018 American Cancer Society. © 2018 American Cancer Society.

Are stamina and fatigue polar opposites? A case study.

Science.gov (United States)

So, Suzanna; Evans, Meredyth; Jason, Leonard A; Brown, Abigail

2015-01-01

Most individuals with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) (Carruthers et al., 2003 ), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) (Carruthers et al., 2011 ), and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) (Fukuda et al., 1994 ) indicate that they experience fatigue and sharp decreases in energy levels, which hinder the ability to engage in physical activities (Friedberg & Jason, 1998 ). However, there are some individuals who reduce activity engagement in order to avoid a worsening of symptoms; thus these individuals may endorse lower levels of fatigue. Accordingly, those with low levels of fatigue but low endurance/stamina might be inadvertently excluded from some criteria based on the fatigue requirement. The current study serves as an exploration of the relationship between fatigue and stamina and the effects of these constructs on illness symptomology and their implications for assessment and diagnosis.

Fatigue Performance of Composite Laminates After Low-velocity Impact

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LIANG Xiao-lin

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Compression-compression fatigue tests were carried out on T300/5405 composite laminates after low-velocity impact, compression performance of the laminates with different impact damages was studied together with its fatigue life and damage propagation under different stress levels, then the effects of impact energy, stress level and damage propagation on fatigue life of laminates were discussed. The results indicate that impact damage can greatly reduce the residual strength of laminates; under low fatigue load levels, the higher impact energy is, the shorter the fatigue life of laminates with impact damage will be; damage propagation undergoes two stages during the fatigue test, namely the steady propagation and the rapid propagation, accounting for 80% and 20% of the overall fatigue life, respectively; damage propagation rate decreases with the reduction of stress level.

Influence of anaerobic physical effort in the horizontal and vertical peripheral view INFLUENCIA DEL ESFUERZO FÍSICO ANAERÓBICO EN LA VISIÓN PERIFÉRICA VERTICAL Y HORIZONTAL

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M. Arteaga

2010-09-01

Full Text Available

There now seems to be a generalized tendency to consider that sporting performance declines as the sportsperson becomes fatigued. However, there is little empirical evidence to show that this adversely affects visual function. In some sports it is necessary to see stimuli in zones peripheral to central vision. The aim of this study is to analyze the influence of anaerobic exertion on vertical and horizontal Peripheral Vision. An intra-subject design was used with 14 replications. The visual parameters of Vertical Peripheral Vision and Horizontal Peripheral Vision were measured in different fatigue conditions to analyze the possible negative influence which this could exert on the subject’s visual capacity. The results show that fatigue due to anaerobic effort does not harm the visual abilities studied.
KEY WORDS: Peripheral Vision, Fatigue, Anaerobic exertion, Visual abilities

Parece haber una tendencia generalizada a considerar que el rendimiento deportivo disminuye en la medida en que los deportistas acumulan fatiga; sin embargo existen pocas evidencias empíricas que indiquen que la función visual se vea perjudicada por este motivo. En algunos deportes es necesario observar estímulos en zonas periféricas a la visión central. En el presente estudio se pretende analizar la influencia de los esfuerzos anaeeróbicos sobre la Visión Periférica (vertical y horizontal. Se utilizó un diseño intrasujeto A-(B1,B2-A con catorce replicaciones. Se realizaron mediciones de los parámetros visuales: Visión Periférica Vertical y Visión Periférica Horizontal en diferentes condiciones de fatiga para analizar la posible influencia negativa que pudiera ejercer ésta sobre la capacidad visual de los sujetos. Los resultados permiten afirmar que la fatiga debida a esfuerzos de tipo anaeróbico no producen un perjuicio sobre las habilidades visuales estudiadas.
PALABRAS CLAVE: Visi

An intriguing design concept to enhance the pulsatile fatigue life of self-expanding stents.

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Hsiao, Hao-Ming; Yin, Ming-Ting

2014-02-01

Intravascular stenting has emerged as the primary treatment for vascular diseases and has received great attention from the medical community since its introduction two decades ago. The endovascular self-expanding stent is used to treat peripheral artery diseases; however, once implanted, these stents suffer from various cyclic motions caused by pulsatile blood pressure and daily activities. Due to this challenging environment, fatigue performance has become a critical issue for stent design. In this paper, a simple yet intriguing concept of stent design aimed at enhancing pulsatile fatigue life is investigated. The concept of this design is to shift the highly concentrated stresses/strains away from the crown and re-distribute them along the stress-free bar arm by tapering its strut width. Finite element models were developed to evaluate the mechanical integrity and pulsatile fatigue resistance of the stent to various loading conditions. Results show that the fatigue safety factor jumped to 2.5-3.0 times that of the standard stent with constant strut width. This is astonishing considering that the stent profile and scaffolding were not compromised. The findings of this paper provide an excellent approach to the optimization of future stent design to greatly improve stent fatigue performance.

Shock Transmission and Fatigue in Human Running.

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Verbitsky, Oleg; Mizrahi, Joseph; Voloshin, Arkady; Treiger, July; Isakov, Eli

1998-08-01

The goal of this research was to analyze the effects of fatigue on the shock waves generated by foot strike. Twenty-two subjects were instrumented with an externally attached, lightweight accelerometer placed over the tibial tuberosity. The subjects ran on a treadmill for 30 min at a speed near their anaerobic threshold. Fatigue was established when the end-tidal CO 2 pressure decreased. The results indicated that approximately half of the subjects reached the fatigue state toward the end of the test. Whenever fatigue occurred, the peak acceleration was found to increase. It was thus concluded that there is a clear association between fatigue and increased heel strike-induced shock waves. These results have a significant implication for the etiology of running injuries, since shock wave attenuation has been previously reported to play an important role in preventing such injuries.

Prevalence of operator fatigue in winter maintenance operations.

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Camden, Matthew C; Medina-Flintsch, Alejandra; Hickman, Jeffrey S; Bryce, James; Flintsch, Gerardo; Hanowski, Richard J

2018-02-02

Similar to commercial motor vehicle drivers, winter maintenance operators are likely to be at an increased risk of becoming fatigued while driving due to long, inconsistent shifts, environmental stressors, and limited opportunities for sleep. Despite this risk, there is little research concerning the prevalence of winter maintenance operator fatigue during winter emergencies. The purpose of this research was to investigate the prevalence, sources, and countermeasures of fatigue in winter maintenance operations. Questionnaires from 1043 winter maintenance operators and 453 managers were received from 29 Clear Road member states. Results confirmed that fatigue was prevalent in winter maintenance operations. Over 70% of the operators and managers believed that fatigue has a moderate to significant impact on winter maintenance operations. Approximately 75% of winter maintenance operators reported to at least sometimes drive while fatigued, and 96% of managers believed their winter maintenance operators drove while fatigued at least some of the time. Furthermore, winter maintenance operators and managers identified fatigue countermeasures and sources of fatigue related to winter maintenance equipment. However, the countermeasures believed to be the most effective at reducing fatigue during winter emergencies (i.e., naps) were underutilized. For example, winter maintenance operators reported to never use naps to eliminate fatigue. These results indicated winter maintenance operations are impacted by operator fatigue. These results support the increased need for research and effective countermeasures targeting winter maintenance operator fatigue. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Selective effect of physical fatigue on motor imagery accuracy.

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Franck Di Rienzo

Full Text Available While the use of motor imagery (the mental representation of an action without overt execution during actual training sessions is usually recommended, experimental studies examining the effect of physical fatigue on subsequent motor imagery performance are sparse and yielded divergent findings. Here, we investigated whether physical fatigue occurring during an intense sport training session affected motor imagery ability. Twelve swimmers (nine males, mean age 15.5 years conducted a 45 min physically-fatiguing protocol where they swam from 70% to 100% of their maximal aerobic speed. We tested motor imagery ability immediately before and after fatigue state. Participants randomly imagined performing a swim turn using internal and external visual imagery. Self-reports ratings, imagery times and electrodermal responses, an index of alertness from the autonomic nervous system, were the dependent variables. Self-reports ratings indicated that participants did not encounter difficulty when performing motor imagery after fatigue. However, motor imagery times were significantly shortened during posttest compared to both pretest and actual turn times, thus indicating reduced timing accuracy. Looking at the selective effect of physical fatigue on external visual imagery did not reveal any difference before and after fatigue, whereas significantly shorter imagined times and electrodermal responses (respectively 15% and 48% decrease, p<0.001 were observed during the posttest for internal visual imagery. A significant correlation (r=0.64; p<0.05 was observed between motor imagery vividness (estimated through imagery questionnaire and autonomic responses during motor imagery after fatigue. These data support that unlike local muscle fatigue, physical fatigue occurring during intense sport training sessions is likely to affect motor imagery accuracy. These results might be explained by the updating of the internal representation of the motor sequence, due to

The Nature of Fatigue in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

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Olson, Karin; Zimka, Oksana; Stein, Eleanor

2015-10-01

In this article, we report the findings of our study on the nature of fatigue in patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. Using ethnoscience as a design, we conducted a series of unstructured interviews and card sorts to learn more about how people with chronic fatigue syndrome describe fatigue. Participants (N = 14) described three distinct domains: tiredness, fatigue, and exhaustion. Most participants experienced tiredness prior to diagnosis, fatigue during daily life, and exhaustion after overexertion. We also discuss participants' ability to adapt to a variety of stressors and prevent shifts to exhaustion, and relate our findings to stress theory and other current research. Primary strategies that promoted adaptation to stressors included pacing and extended rest periods. These findings can aid health care professionals in detecting impending shifts between tiredness, fatigue, and exhaustion and in improving adaptive strategies, thereby improving quality of life. © The Author(s) 2015.

Fatigue and gene expression in human leukocytes: Increased NF-κB and decreased glucocorticoid signaling in breast cancer survivors with persistent fatigue

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Bower, Julienne E.; Ganz, Patricia A.; Irwin, Michael R.; Arevalo, Jesusa M.G.; Cole, Steve W.

2013-01-01

Fatigue is highly prevalent in the general population and is one of the most common side effects of cancer treatment. There is growing evidence that pro-inflammatory cytokines play a role in cancer-related fatigue, although the molecular mechanisms for chronic inflammation and fatigue have not been determined. The current study utilized genome-wide expression microarrays to identify differences in gene expression and associated alterations in transcriptional activity in leukocytes from breast cancer survivors with persistent fatigue (n = 11) and non-fatigued controls (n = 10). We focused on transcription of inflammation-related genes, particularly those responsive to the pro-inflammatory NF-κB transcription control pathway. Further, given the role of glucocorticoids as key regulators of inflammatory processes, we examined transcription of glucocorticoid-responsive genes indicative of potential glucocorticoid receptor (GR) desensitization. Plasma levels of cortisol were also assessed. Consistent with hypotheses, results showed increased expression of transcripts with response elements for NF-κB, and reduced expression of transcripts with response elements for glucocorticoids (p < .05) in fatigued breast cancer survivors. No differences in plasma levels of cortisol were observed. These data indicate that increased activity of pro-inflammatory transcription factors may contribute to persistent cancer-related fatigue and provide insight into potential mechanisms for tonic increases in NF-κB activity, specifically decreased expression of GR anti-inflammatory transcription factors. PMID:20854893

Cyclic mechanical fatigue in ceramic-ceramic composites: an update

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, D. III

1983-01-01

Attention is given to cyclic mechanical fatigue effects in a number of ceramics and ceramic composites, including several monolithic ceramics in which significant residual stresses should be present as a result of thermal expansion mismatches and anisotropy. Fatigue is also noted in several BN-containing ceramic matrix-particulate composites and in SiC fiber-ceramic matrix composites. These results suggest that fatigue testing is imperative for ceramics and ceramic composites that are to be used in applications subject to cyclic loading. Fatigue process models are proposed which provide a rationale for fatigue effect observations, but do not as yet provide quantitative results. Fiber composite fatigue damage models indicate that design stresses in these materials may have to be maintained below the level at which fiber pullout occurs

Fatigue is associated with inflammation in patients with head and neck cancer before and after intensity-modulated radiation therapy

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Beitler, Jonathan J.; Higgins, Kristin A.; Conneely, Karen; Dwivedi, Bhakti; Felger, Jennifer; Wommack, Evanthia C.; Shin, Dong M.; Saba, Nabil F.; Ong, Luke Yeeloo; Kowalski, Jeanne; Bruner, Deborah W.; Miller, Andrew H.

2016-01-01

Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) receiving intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) have particularly high rates of fatigue, and pre- and post-radiotherapy fatigue are prognostic factors for pathologic tumor responses and poor survival. Although inflammation has been proposed as one of the potential mechanisms of fatigue in cancer patients, findings have not been consistent, and there is a dearth of longitudinal studies. Accordingly, we conducted a prospective study in 46 HNC patients pre- and one-month post-IMRT. Fatigue was measured by the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI)-20 at both time points along with the assessment of peripheral blood inflammatory markers including interleukin (IL)-6, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 2, and C-reactive protein (CRP) and gene expression. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine the association between inflammatory markers and fatigue. Gene enrichment analysis using MetaCore software was performed using up-regulated genes that were significantly associated with IMRT and fatigue. Significant associations between fatigue and IL-6 as well as CRP, which were independent of time, were observed. In addition the change in fatigue from pre- to post-IMRT was positively associated with the change in IL-6 and CRP. Analysis of up-regulated gene transcripts as a function of IMRT and fatigue revealed overrepresentation of transcripts related to the defense response and nuclear factor kappa B. In conclusion, our findings support the hypotheses that inflammation is associated with fatigue over time in HNC patients. Future studies on how inflammation contributes to fatigue as well as strategies targeting inflammation to reduce fatigue are warranted. PMID:26515035

Neurophysiological Correlates of Central Fatigue in Healthy Subjects and Multiple Sclerosis Patients before and after Treatment with Amantadine

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Emiliano Santarnecchi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In ten healthy subjects and in ten patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS, we investigated the cortical functional changes induced by a standard fatiguing repetitive tapping task. The Cortical Silent Period (CSP, an intracortical, mainly GABAB-mediated inhibitory phenomenon, was recorded by two different hand muscles, one acting as prime mover of the fatiguing index-thumb tapping task (First Dorsal Interosseous, FDI and the other one not involved in the task but sharing largely overlapping central, spinal, and peripheral innervation (Abductor Digiti Minimi, ADM. At baseline, the CSP was shorter in patients than in controls. As fatigue developed, CSP changes involved both the “fatigued” FDI and the “unfatigued” ADM muscles, suggesting a cortical spread of central fatigue mechanisms. Chronic therapy with amantadine annulled differences in CSP duration between controls and patients, possibly through restoration of more physiological levels of intracortical inhibition in the motor cortex. These inhibitory changes correlated with the improvement of fatigue scales. The CSP may represent a suitable marker of neurophysiological mechanisms accounting for central fatigue generation either in controls or in MS patients, involving corticospinal neural pools supplying not only the fatigued muscle but also adjacent muscles sharing an overlapping cortical representation.

Work fatigue in urban bus drivers

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Teresa Makowiec-Dąbrowska

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Bus drivers are a special group of professional drivers who are at a very high risk of fatigue. The aim of the study was to examine whether the driver’s subjective assessment of fatigue allows for the determination of its level and identification of its causes. Material and Methods: The study group comprised 45 randomly selected bus drivers (mean age – 43.7±7.9 years, period of employment as drivers – 14.7±8.6 years. Examinations were performed in all subjects four times – before and after work on the “easy” route (outside the city center, small traffic intensity and before and after work on the “difficult” route (city center, heavy traffic. The fatigue test questionnaire, based on the list of symptoms of fatigue prepared by the Japan Research Committee of Fatigue, was used in the study. Results: The rating of fatigue after the work was significantly higher than that before the work. The profile of fatigue after work was not influenced by the type of route, but the assessment of most symptoms of fatigue reached a higher level after the “difficult” routes and the differences were statistically significant for 7 symptoms. Only the ratings of leg fatigue, feeling of heaviness, and the necessity to squint eyes and gaze with effort reached the higher levels after driving the “easy” routes. It has been found that the level of fatigue was significantly correlated with the job characteristics (driving time, the length of the route, number of stops, etc. and with the abundance of food ingested and type of beverage (coffee vs. others drunk prior to driving. Conclusions: The questionnaire used in our study to assess the subjective feeling of fatigue has proved to be a sensitive and useful tool for indicating the level and causes of fatigue. The relationship between the symptoms of fatigue and the characteristics of job and lifestyle shows that actions must be taken by both the employers and employees to prevent fatigue

Polyphasic Temporal Behavior of Finger-Tapping Performance: A Measure of Motor Skills and Fatigue.

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Aydin, Leyla; Kiziltan, Erhan; Gundogan, Nimet Unay

2016-01-01

Successive voluntary motor movement involves a number of physiological mechanisms and may reflect motor skill development and neuromuscular fatigue. In this study, the temporal behavior of finger tapping was investigated in relation to motor skills and fatigue by using a long-term computer-based test. The finger-tapping performances of 29 healthy male volunteers were analyzed using linear and nonlinear regression models established for inter-tapping interval. The results suggest that finger-tapping performance exhibits a polyphasic nature, and has several characteristic time points, which may be directly related to muscle dynamics and energy consumption. In conclusion, we believe that future studies evaluating the polyphasic nature of the maximal voluntary movement will lead to the definition of objective scales that can be used in the follow up of some neuromuscular diseases, as well as, the determination of motor skills, individual ability, and peripheral fatigue through the use of a low cost, easy-to-use computer-based finger-tapping test.

Interconnect fatigue design for terrestrial photovoltaic modules

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Mon, G. R.; Moore, D. M.; Ross, R. G., Jr.

1982-03-01

The results of comprehensive investigation of interconnect fatigue that has led to the definition of useful reliability-design and life-prediction algorithms are presented. Experimental data indicate that the classical strain-cycle (fatigue) curve for the interconnect material is a good model of mean interconnect fatigue performance, but it fails to account for the broad statistical scatter, which is critical to reliability prediction. To fill this shortcoming the classical fatigue curve is combined with experimental cumulative interconnect failure rate data to yield statistical fatigue curves (having failure probability as a parameter) which enable (1) the prediction of cumulative interconnect failures during the design life of an array field, and (2) the unambiguous--ie., quantitative--interpretation of data from field-service qualification (accelerated thermal cycling) tests. Optimal interconnect cost-reliability design algorithms are derived based on minimizing the cost of energy over the design life of the array field.

Fatigue mechanisms during physical exercise

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Monique Gevaerd

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Fatigue can be defined as incapacity to maintain the required power output, with concomitant impairment of exercise performance, and it can be divided into chronic or acute. In acute fatigue a subdivision has been used to delimitate experimental studies. Thus, acute fatigue can be central or peripheral. We began the review process with a search on the Pubmed database, followed by selection of classical and more recent articles. As the fatigue mechanisms are linked to the predominant energy metabolism in the activity, the purpose of this paper was to review the main acute fatigue theories in activities with different metabolic demands. From this literature review, it was possible to infer that important metabolic alterations occurring during exercise, impair normal cellular activities,therefore, decreasing the speed of contraction and as well as energy replenishment. Many of those alterations give information to the central nervous system, limiting the time length of exercise. Theoretically, the elongation of exercise beyond biological limits can cause irreversible damages to the organism. RESUMO Fadiga pode ser definida como uma incapacidade na manutenção de uma determinada potência, com conseqüente redução no desempenho, podendo ser considerada como crônica ou aguda. Na fadiga aguda, uma subdivisão vem sendo utilizada para maior delimitação dos estudos experimentais. Nesse sentido, fadiga aguda pode ser descrita como central ou periférica. Nós iniciamos o processo de revisão sobre o assunto com uma busca no banco de dados Pubmed, seguido da seleção dos artigos clássicos e mais recentes. Como os mecanismos de fadiga estão intimamente ligados ao metabolismo energético predominante da atividade, a presente revisão destinou-se a levantar as principais teorias sobre fadiga aguda em atividades com diferentes exigências metabólicas. A partir desse apanhado bibliográfico podemos inferir que importantes alterações metab

Development of a sirolimus-eluting poly (L-lactide)/poly(4-hydroxybutyrate) absorbable stent for peripheral vascular intervention.

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Grabow, Niels; Bünger, Carsten M; Kischkel, Sabine; Timmermann, J Hinrich; Reske, Thomas; Martin, David P; Williams, Simon F; Schareck, Wolfgang; Sternberg, Katrin; Schmitz, Klaus-Peter

2013-10-01

Fully absorbable drug-eluting stent platforms are currently entering the clinical arena for the interventional treatment of coronary artery disease. This new technology also holds potential for application in peripheral vascular settings. Our study reports on the development of a sirolimus- (SIR) eluting absorbable polymer stent made from a blend of poly(l-lactide) and poly(4-hydroxybutyrate) (PLLA/P4HB) for peripheral vascular intervention. Stent prototypes were laser-cut from PLLA/P4HB tubes (I.D.=2.2 mm, t=250 µm), spray-coated with different PLLA/P4HB/SIR solutions, and bench-tested to determine expansion properties, fatigue, trackability and in vitro drug release kinetics. The stent prototypes were expanded with a 5.0 × 20 mm balloon catheter, and exhibited a recoil of 3.6% upon balloon deflation. Stent collapse pressure of 0.4 bar (300 mm Hg) was measured under external pressure load. Sustained scaffolding properties were observed in vitro over 14 weeks of radial fatigue loading (50 ± 25 mm Hg at 1.2 Hz). Trackability was demonstrated in bench tests with an 8 French contralateral introducer sheath. SIR release kinetics were adjusted over a broad range by varying the PLLA/P4HB ratio of the coating matrix. The newly developed absorbable SIR-eluting PLLA/P4HB stent successfully fulfilled the requirements for peripheral vascular intervention under in vitro conditions.

Altered resting brain connectivity in persistent cancer related fatigue

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Johnson P. Hampson

2015-01-01

Full Text Available There is an estimated 3 million women in the US living as breast cancer survivors and persistent cancer related fatigue (PCRF disrupts the lives of an estimated 30% of these women. PCRF is associated with decreased quality of life, decreased sleep quality, impaired cognition and depression. The mechanisms of cancer related fatigue are not well understood; however, preliminary findings indicate dysfunctional activity in the brain as a potential factor. Here we investigate the relationship between PCRF on intrinsic resting state connectivity in this population. Twenty-three age matched breast cancer survivors (15 fatigued and 8 non-fatigued who completed all cancer-related treatments at least 12 weeks prior to the study, were recruited to undergo functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI. Intrinsic resting state networks were examined with both seed based and independent component analysis methods. Comparisons of brain connectivity patterns between groups as well as correlations with self-reported fatigue symptoms were performed. Fatigued patients displayed greater left inferior parietal lobule to superior frontal gyrus connectivity as compared to non-fatigued patients (P < 0.05 FDR corrected. This enhanced connectivity was associated with increased physical fatigue (P = 0.04, r = 0.52 and poor sleep quality (P = 0.04, r = 0.52 in the fatigued group. In contrast greater connectivity in the non-fatigued group was found between the right precuneus to the periaqueductal gray as well as the left IPL to subgenual cortex (P < 0.05 FDR corrected. Mental fatigue scores were associated with greater default mode network (DMN connectivity to the superior frontal gyrus (P = 0.05 FDR corrected among fatigued subjects (r = 0.82 and less connectivity in the non-fatigued group (r = −0.88. These findings indicate that there is enhanced intrinsic DMN connectivity to the frontal gyrus in breast cancer survivors with persistent

Fatigue proofing: The role of protective behaviours in mediating fatigue-related risk in a defence aviation environment.

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Dawson, Drew; Cleggett, Courtney; Thompson, Kirrilly; Thomas, Matthew J W

2017-02-01

In the military or emergency services, operational requirements and/or community expectations often preclude formal prescriptive working time arrangements as a practical means of reducing fatigue-related risk. In these environments, workers sometimes employ adaptive or protective behaviours informally to reduce the risk (i.e. likelihood or consequence) associated with a fatigue-related error. These informal behaviours enable employees to reduce risk while continuing to work while fatigued. In this study, we documented the use of informal protective behaviours in a group of defence aviation personnel including flight crews. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to determine whether and which protective behaviours were used to mitigate fatigue-related error. The 18 participants were from aviation-specific trades and included aircrew (pilots and air-crewman) and aviation maintenance personnel (aeronautical engineers and maintenance personnel). Participants identified 147 ways in which they and/or others act to reduce the likelihood or consequence of a fatigue-related error. These formed seven categories of fatigue-reduction strategies. The two most novel categories are discussed in this paper: task-related and behaviour-based strategies. Broadly speaking, these results indicate that fatigued military flight and maintenance crews use protective 'fatigue-proofing' behaviours to reduce the likelihood and/or consequence of fatigue-related error and were aware of the potential benefits. It is also important to note that these behaviours are not typically part of the formal safety management system. Rather, they have evolved spontaneously as part of the culture around protecting team performance under adverse operating conditions. When compared with previous similar studies, aviation personnel were more readily able to understand the idea of fatigue proofing than those from a fire-fighting background. These differences were thought to reflect different cultural

Evaluation of Fatigue Behavior and Surface Characteristics of Aluminum Alloy 2024 T6 After Electric Discharge Machining

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Mehmood, Shahid; Shah, Masood; Pasha, Riffat Asim; Sultan, Amir

2017-10-01

The effect of electric discharge machining (EDM) on surface quality and consequently on the fatigue performance of Al 2024 T6 is investigated. Five levels of discharge current are analyzed, while all other electrical and nonelectrical parameters are kept constant. At each discharge current level, dog-bone specimens are machined by generating a peripheral notch at the center. The fatigue tests are performed on four-point rotating bending machine at room temperature. For comparison purposes, fatigue tests are also performed on the conventionally machined specimens. Linearized SN curves for 95% failure probability and with four different confidence levels (75, 90, 95 and 99%) are plotted for each discharge current level as well as for conventionally machined specimens. These plots show that the electric discharge machined (EDMed) specimens give inferior fatigue behavior as compared to conventionally machined specimen. Moreover, discharge current inversely affects the fatigue life, and this influence is highly pronounced at lower stresses. The EDMed surfaces are characterized by surface properties that could be responsible for change in fatigue life such as surface morphology, surface roughness, white layer thickness, microhardness and residual stresses. It is found that all these surface properties are affected by changing discharge current level. However, change in fatigue life by discharge current could not be associated independently to any single surface property.

Sodium bicarbonate supplementation delays neuromuscular fatigue without changes in performance outcomes during a basketball match simulation protocol.

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Ansdell, Paul; Dekerle, Jeanne

2017-10-10

To investigate the development of neuromuscular fatigue during a basketball game simulation and ascertain whether sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) supplementation attenuates any neuromuscular fatigue that persists. Ten participants ingested 0.2 g.kg of NaHCO3 (or an equimolar placebo dosage of sodium chloride [NaCl]) 90 and 60 minutes prior to commencing a basketball game simulation (ALK-T vs PLA-T). Isometric maximal voluntary contractions of the knee extensors (MVIC) and potentiated high (100 Hz) and low (10 Hz) frequency doublet twitches were recorded before and after each match quarter for both trials. In addition, 15 m sprint times and layup completion (%) were recorded during each quarter. MVIC, 100 and 10 Hz twitch forces declined progressively in both trials (P0.05). A basketball simulation protocol induces a substantial amount of neuromuscular (reduction in knee extensor MVICs) and peripheral fatigue with a concomitant increase in 15 m sprint time over the protocol. NaHCO3 supplementation attenuated the rate of fatigue development by protecting contractile elements of the muscle fibres. This study provides coaches with information about the magnitude of fatigue induced by a simulated basketball game, and provides evidence of the efficacy of NaHCO3 in attenuating fatigue.

The Effect of Fatigue in Proxmal and Distal Muscles of Lower Extremity on Postural Control

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Mozhgan Moghadam

2003-07-01

Full Text Available Objective: Several studies have shown the effects of muscular fatigue on proprioception and neuromuscular control. However all available researches have studied just the effect of local fatigue in ankle joint muscles on postural control, and no study have found about the effect of fatigue in proximal muscles of the lower extremity on postural control. To compare changes in postural control parameters after isokinetic fatigue of proximal and distal muscles of lower extremity. Materials & Methods: Subjects were twenty healthy men (age: 22.6±2.4 years, height: 173.7± 3.6 cm, weight: 63.3±7.9kg. There were 4 test sessions, with a randomized order according to site and plane of fatigue. During each session one of these muscle groups was fatigued using a Biodex isokinetic dynamometer: ankle plantar / dorsi flexors, ankle evertor / inventors, hip flexor / extensors and hip abductor/adductors. The biodex stability system was used to perform dynamic balance test before and after muscle fatigue in each session. Overall, anterior / posterior, and medial/lateral stability indices were recorded. The higher the stability indices, the lower the balancing skill. Results: Analysis of pre-and post fatigue balance results of all sessions, demonstrated significant increase (P<0.05 in all stability indices. Repeated measures ANOVA performed on the rate of changes in stability indices during each session revealed that hip muscle fatigue caused much more increase in stability indices than ankle muscle fatigue (P<0.05. Conclusion: Isokinetic fatigue of both ankle and hip muscles significantly decreases postural control ability in healthy young men. In addition, our findings suggest that the hip joint musculature plays a more prominent role in postural control.

Caffeine, fatigue, and cognition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lorist, M.M.; Tops, M.

2003-01-01

Effects of caffeine and fatigue are discussed with special attention to adenosine-dopamine interactions. Effects of caffeine on human cognition are diverse. Behavioural measurements indicate a general improvement in the efficiency of information processing after caffeine, while the EEG data support

Chronic fatigue syndrome and impaired peripheral pulse characteristics on orthostasis–a new potential diagnostic biomarker

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, John; Murray, Alan; Di Maria, Costanzo; Newton, Julia L

2012-01-01

Autonomic nervous system dysfunction is frequently reported in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) with orthostatic intolerance, a common symptom that can be objectively assessed. The frequent finding of autonomic dysfunction and symptoms on standing has the potential to provide a diagnostic biomarker in chronic fatigue. In this study we explored the clinical value of non-invasive optical multi-site photoplethysmography (PPG) technology to assess cardiovascular responses to standing. Multi-site PPG pulses were collected from tissue pads of the ears, fingers and toes of 14 patients with CFS and 14 age-matched sedentary subjects using a measurement protocol of a 10 min baseline (subject supine) followed by 3 min of tilting on a tilt table (head-up to 70°). Percentage change in pulse timing (pulse transit time, PTTf) and pulse amplitude (AMP) at each site were calculated using beat-to-beat pulse wave analysis. A significant reduction in the overall pulse timing response to controlled standing was found for the CFS group (using summed absolute percentage change in PTTf for ear, finger and toe sites, median change of 26% for CFS and 37% for control with p = 0.002). There were no significant differences between subject groups for the AMP measure at any site. Changes in AMP with tilt were, however, weakly significantly and negatively correlated with fatigue severity (p < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of timing measures produced an area under the curve of 0.81. Experimental linear discriminant classification analysis comparing both timing and amplitude measures produced an overall diagnostic accuracy of 82%. Pulse wave abnormalities have been observed in CFS and represent a potential objective measure to help differentiate between CFS patients and healthy controls. (paper)

Experimental investigation on low cycle fatigue and creep-fatigue interaction of DZ125 in different dwell time at elevated temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Duoqi; Liu Jinlong; Yang Xiaoguang; Qi Hongyu; Wang Jingke

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → This paper has researched creep-fatigue interaction of directionally solidified superalloy DZ125 with different dwell time at high temperature combined with micro-mechanism by experiment. → The results indicated that the life of creep-fatigue decreases as dwell time increases, but the life of this alloy was almost unchanged when dwell time exceeds a critical value at 850 deg. C. - Abstract: The low cycle fatigue (LCF) and creep-fatigue tests have been conducted with directionally solidified nickel-based superalloy DZ125 at 850 and 980 deg. C to study the creep-fatigue interaction behavior of alloy with different dwell time. On the average, the life of creep-fatigue tests are about 70% less than the life of LCF tests under the same strain range at 850 deg. C. The life of creep-fatigue decreases as dwell time increases, but the life of this alloy was almost unchanged when dwell time exceeds a critical value at 850 deg. C. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses of the fracture revealed that the fracture modes were influenced by different way of loading. In case of LCF, the primary fracture mode was transgranular, while in case of creep-fatigue, the primary fracture mode was mixed with transgranular and intergranular. There were also obvious different morphologies of surface crack between LCF and creep-fatigue.

X-ray diffraction study of microstructural changes during fatigue damage initiation in steel pipes

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Pinheiro, B., E-mail: bianca@lts.coppe.ufrj.br [Laboratory of Mechanics of Lille (LML), UMR CNRS 8107, University of Lille 1, Boulevard Paul Langevin, Cite Scientifique, 59655 Villeneuve d' Ascq (France); Lesage, J. [Laboratory of Mechanics of Lille (LML), UMR CNRS 8107, University of Lille 1, Boulevard Paul Langevin, Cite Scientifique, 59655 Villeneuve d' Ascq (France); Pasqualino, I. [Subsea Technology Laboratory (LTS), Ocean Engineering Department, COPPE/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, PO Box 68508, Cidade Universitaria, CEP 21945-970, Rio de Janeiro/RJ (Brazil); Benseddiq, N. [Laboratory of Mechanics of Lille (LML), UMR CNRS 8107, University of Lille 1, Boulevard Paul Langevin, Cite Scientifique, 59655 Villeneuve d' Ascq (France); Bemporad, E. [Interdepartmental Laboratory of Electron Microscopy (LIME), University of Rome TRE, Via Della Vasca Navale 79, 00146 Rome (Italy)

2012-01-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer In this work we study the fatigue damage evolution in an API 5L X60 steel. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Microstructural changes and residual stresses are evaluated during fatigue tests. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Microdeformations and macro residual stresses are estimated by X-ray diffraction. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Results are discussed in view of an indicator of fatigue damage initiation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This indicator could allow the prediction of residual life before macrocracking. - Abstract: Steel pipes used in the oil and gas industry undergo the action of cyclic loads that can cause their failure by fatigue. A consistent evaluation of the fatigue damage during the initiation phase should fundamentally be based on a nanoscale approach, i.e., at the scale of the dislocation network, in order to take into account the micromechanisms of fatigue damage that precede macrocrack initiation and propagation until the final fracture. In this work, microstructural changes related to fatigue damage initiation are investigated in the API 5L X60 grade steel, used in pipe manufacturing. Microdeformations and macro residual stress are evaluated using X-ray diffraction in real time during alternating bending fatigue tests performed on samples cut off from an X60 steel pipe. The aim of this ongoing work is to provide ground for further development of an indicator of fatigue damage initiation in X60 steel. This damage indicator could allow a good residual life prediction of steel pipes previously submitted to fatigue loading, before macroscopic cracking, and help to increase the reliability of these structures.

Fatigue, serum cytokine levels, and blood cell counts during radiotherapy of patients with breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geinitz, Hans; Zimmermann, Frank B.; Stoll, Peter; Thamm, Reinhard; Kaffenberger, Walter; Ansorg, Kai; Keller, Monika; Busch, Raymonde; Beuningen, Dirk van; Molls, Michael

2001-01-01

Purpose: To assess the level of fatigue during the course of adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) of breast cancer patients and its relation to anxiety, depression, serum cytokines, and blood count levels. Methods and Materials: Forty-one patients who received adjuvant RT after breast-conserving surgery were prospectively studied. All patients underwent RT without concomitant chemotherapy. Patients rated their fatigue with two standardized self-assessment instruments, the Fatigue Assessment Questionnaire and a visual analog scale on fatigue intensity, before RT, during weeks 1-5 of RT, and 2 months after RT completion. In addition, the anxiety and depression levels were assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. A differential blood cell count and the serum levels of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α were determined in parallel to the fatigue assessments. Results: Fatigue intensity as assessed with the visual analog scale increased (p<0.001) until treatment week 4 and remained elevated until week 5. Two months after RT, the values had fallen to the pretreatment levels. Fatigue measured with the Fatigue Assessment Questionnaire did not increase significantly during treatment, but the subscores on physical (p=0.035) and cognitive (p=0.015) fatigue were elevated during treatment weeks 4 and 5. Affective fatigue did not change significantly. Anxiety, as rated with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, declined during RT (p=0.002), but the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale depression score did not change significantly. IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α levels did not change during therapy and did not correlate with fatigue. Peripheral blood cell levels declined significantly during therapy and were still low 2 months after treatment. Until treatment week 5, lymphocytes were reduced to almost 50% of their initial values. Hemoglobin levels did not correlate with fatigue. Conclusions: We observed an increase in

An Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Vacuum Environment on the Fatigue Life, Fatigue-Crack-Growth Behavior, and Fracture Toughness of 7075-T6 Aluminum Alloy. Ph.D. Thesis - North Carolina State Univ.

Science.gov (United States)

Hudson, C. M.

1972-01-01

Axial load fatigue life, fatigue-crack propagation, and fracture toughness tests were conducted on 0.090-inch thick specimens made of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy. The fatigue life and fatigue-crack propagation experiments were conducted at a stress ratio of 0.02. Maximum stresses ranged from 33 to 60 ksi in the fatigue life experiments, and from 10 to 40 ksi in the fatigue-crack propagation experiments, and fatigue life experiments were conducted at gas pressures of 760, 0.5, 0.05, and 0.00000005 torr. Fatigue-crack-growth and fracture toughness experiments were conducted at gas pressures of 760 and 5 x 10 to the minus 8th power torr. Residual stress measurements were made on selected fatigue life specimens to determine the effect of such stresses on fatigue life. Analysis of the results from the fatigue life experiments indicated that fatigue life progressively increased as the gas pressure decreased. Analysis of the results from the fatigue-crack-growth experiments indicates that at low values of stress-intensity range, the fatigue crack growth rates were approximately twice as high in air as in vacuum. Fracture toughness data showed there was essentially no difference in the fracture toughness of 7075-T6 in vacuum and in air.

Etiology and Recovery of Neuromuscular Fatigue following Competitive Soccer Match-Play

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Callum G. Brownstein

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Aim: Previous research into the etiology of neuromuscular fatigue following competitive soccer match-play has primarily focused on peripheral perturbations, with limited research assessing central nervous system function in the days post-match. The aim of the present study was to examine the contribution and time-course of recovery of central and peripheral factors toward neuromuscular fatigue following competitive soccer match-play.Methods: Sixteen male semi-professional soccer players completed a 90-min soccer match. Pre-, post- and at 24, 48, and 72 h participants completed a battery of neuromuscular, physical, and perceptual tests. Maximal voluntary contraction force (MVC and twitch responses to electrical (femoral nerve and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS of the motor cortex during isometric knee-extension and at rest were measured to assess central nervous system (voluntary activation, VA and muscle contractile (potentiated twitch force, Qtw, pot function. Electromyography responses of the rectus femoris to single- and paired-pulse TMS were used to assess corticospinal excitability and short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI, respectively. Fatigue and perceptions of muscle soreness were assessed via visual analog scales, and physical function was assessed through measures of jump (countermovement jump height and reactive strength index and sprint performance.Results: Competitive match-play elicited significant post-match declines in MVC force (−14%, P < 0.001 that persisted for 48 h (−4%, P = 0.01, before recovering by 72 h post-exercise. VA (motor point stimulation was reduced immediately post-match (−8%, P < 0.001, and remained depressed at 24 h (−5%, P = 0.01 before recovering by 48 h post-exercise. Qtw,pot was reduced post-match (−14%, P < 0.001, remained depressed at 24 h (−6%, P = 0.01, before recovering by 48 h post-exercise. No changes were evident in corticospinal excitability or SICI. Jump performance

Naturally-occurring fatigue and cardiovascular response to a simple memory challenge.

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Mlynski, Christopher; Wright, Rex A; Agtarap, Stephanie D; Rojas, Juan

2017-09-01

Participants first completed a state affect checklist that included a fatigue (energy-tiredness) index and a measure of mental sharpness. They then were presented a simple memory challenge. In the first minute of the two-minute work period, heart rate responses (1) rose with values on the fatigue index, and (2) fell with values on the measure of mental sharpness. In the second minute of the work period, the responses were unrelated to fatigue index and mental sharpness values. Follow-up analysis indicated mental sharpness mediation of fatigue influence on heart rate in Minute 1. First minute findings add substantively to the body of evidence supporting recent suggestions that fatigue can lead people to try harder and experience stronger cardiovascular responses when confronted with simple challenges. They also support the suggestion that fatigue might exert its influence on cardiovascular responses to a mental challenge by diminishing cognitive clarity, that is, by obscuring thought. Second minute findings are contrary to the fatigue suggestions, but could indicate that memorization was accomplished in the first minute. A practical implication of the first minute results is that real-world fatigue could elevate health risk by enhancing CV responses to mundane daily tasks. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cognitive fatigue in patients with myasthenia gravis.

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Jordan, Berit; Schweden, Tabea L K; Mehl, Theresa; Menge, Uwe; Zierz, Stephan

2017-09-01

Cognitive fatigue has frequently been reported in myasthenia gravis (MG). However, objective assessment of cognitive fatigability has never been evaluated. Thirty-three MG patients with stable generalized disease and 17 healthy controls underwent a test battery including repeated testing of attention and concentration (d2-R) and Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test. Fatigability was based on calculation of linear trend (LT) reflecting dynamic performance within subsequent constant time intervals. Additionally, fatigue questionnaires were used. MG patients showed a negative LT in second d2-R testing, indicating cognitive fatigability. This finding significantly differed from stable cognitive performance in controls (P fatigue was significantly higher in MG patients compared with controls (P fatigue is not correlated with objective findings. Muscle Nerve 56: 449-457, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A two-parameter model to predict fatigue life of high-strength steels in a very high cycle fatigue regime

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Sun, Chengqi; Liu, Xiaolong; Hong, Youshi

2015-06-01

In this paper, ultrasonic (20 kHz) fatigue tests were performed on specimens of a high-strength steel in very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) regime. Experimental results showed that for most tested specimens failed in a VHCF regime, a fatigue crack originated from the interior of specimen with a fish-eye pattern, which contained a fine granular area (FGA) centered by an inclusion as the crack origin. Then, a two-parameter model is proposed to predict the fatigue life of high-strength steels with fish-eye mode failure in a VHCF regime, which takes into account the inclusion size and the FGA size. The model was verified by the data of present experiments and those in the literature. Furthermore, an analytic formula was obtained for estimating the equivalent crack growth rate within the FGA. The results also indicated that the stress intensity factor range at the front of the FGA varies within a small range, which is irrespective of stress amplitude and fatigue life.

Developing a fatigue questionnaire for Chinese civil aviation pilots.

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Jing; Luo, Min; Hu, Wendong; Ma, Jin; Wen, Zhihong

2018-03-23

To assess the fatigue risk is an important challenge in improving flight safety in aviation industry. The aim of this study was to develop a comprehensive fatigue risk management indicators system and a fatigue questionnaire for Chinese civil aviation pilots. Participants included 74 (all males) civil aviation pilots. They finished the questionnaire in 20 minutes before a flight mission. The estimation of internal consistency with Cronbach's α and Student's t test as well as Pearson's correlation analysis were the main statistical methods. The results revealed that the fatigue questionnaire had acceptable internal consistency reliability and construct validity; there were significant differences on fatigue scores between international and domestic flight pilots. And some international flight pilots, who had taken medications as a sleep aid, had worse sleep quality than those had not. The long-endurance flight across time zones caused significant differences in circadian rhythm. The fatigue questionnaire can be used to measure Chinese civil aviation pilots' fatigue, which provided a reference for fatigue risk management system to civil aviation pilots.

Perceived Fatigue Interference and Depressed Mood: Comparison of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Patients with Fatigued Breast Cancer Survivors.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Daniel L; Antoni, Michael H; Lattie, Emily G; Jutagir, Devika R; Czaja, Sara J; Perdomo, Dolores; Lechner, Suzanne C; Stagl, Jamie M; Bouchard, Laura C; Gudenkauf, Lisa M; Traeger, Lara; Fletcher, MaryAnn; Klimas, Nancy G

Persistent fatigue and depressive symptoms are both highly prevalent among patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) as well as breast cancer survivors. This study aimed to assess and directly compare perceptions of fatigue as highly interfering in one's daily functioning in both patient populations to better understand their relationships with depressed mood. Participants were 95 female CFS/ME patients and 67 females who were approximately 5 years post-treatment for stage 0-III breast cancer presenting with clinically elevated fatigue severity. Self-report measures were obtained on participants' fatigue-related interference in daily functioning and fatigue severity as well as depressed mood. Hierarchical regression was used to test effects controlling for relevant demographic, psychosocial, and medical covariates. CFS/ME patients endorsed greater depressed mood and fatigue interference than did fatigued breast cancer survivors, p's fatigued breast cancer survivors (β=.18, p =.19). CFS/ME patients reported elevated fatigue symptoms and depression relative to fatigued breast cancer survivors. In the former group, greater depressed mood was highly and significantly associated with greater fatigue-related inference in daily activities. Potential targets for cognitive behavioral interventions are discussed.

The Identification of Fatigue Resistant and Fatigue Susceptible Individuals

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Harrison, Richard; Chaiken, Scott; Harville, Donald; Fischer, Joseph; Fisher, Dion; Whitmore, Jeff

2008-01-01

The present study was designed to target two specific areas regarding fatigue. The primary purpose was to begin investigations into possible genetic markers linked to fatigue resistance and fatigue susceptibility...

Symptoms of fatigue and coping strategies in maritime pilotage.

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Chambers, Timothy P; Main, Luana C

2015-01-01

Little is known regarding the symptoms of fatigue that maritime pilots experience during shift work. Moreover, the strategies these individuals use to cope with the onset of fatigue are also unknown. The current study explored the symptoms of fatigue and coping strategies experienced by maritime pilots when on-shift. Fifty maritime pilots were recruited via an advertisement in the national association's quarterly newsletter (Mage = 51.42; SD = 9.81). Participants responded to a modified version of the questionnaire used with aviation pilots that assessed overall fatigue, and the symptoms pilots associated with fatigue on duty. Methods pilots used to cope with fatigue before shift and when on the bridge were also assessed. There were significant effects for pilot vitality on 4 categories of fatigue: cognitive dysfunction; emotional disturbance; mean physical effects; and sleepiness. There were no significant effects for vitality on any of the self-reported coping strategy factors. The findings indicated that maritime pilots experience a variety of physical, behavioural, and cognitive fatigue symptoms when on shift. Some of these symptoms are similar to those reported by aviation pilots. However, unlike aviation pilots, maritime pilots reported utilising self-sufficient coping strategies to deal with the experience of fatigue.

Orthostatic intolerance and fatigue in the hypermobility type of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

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De Wandele, Inge; Rombaut, Lies; De Backer, Tine; Peersman, Wim; Da Silva, Hellen; De Mits, Sophie; De Paepe, Anne; Calders, Patrick; Malfait, Fransiska

2016-08-01

To investigate whether orthostatic intolerance (OI) is a significant predictor for fatigue in Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, hypermobility type (EDS-HT). Eighty patients with EDS-HT and 52 controls participated in the first part of the study, which consisted of questionnaires. Fatigue was evaluated using the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS). As possible fatigue determinants OI [Autonomic Symptom Profile (ASP)], habitual physical activity (Baecke), affective distress [Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)], pain (SF36), medication use and generalized hypermobility (5-point score of Grahame and Hakim regarding generalized joint hypermobility) were studied. Next, a 20 min head-up tilt (70°) was performed in a subsample of 39 patients and 35 controls, while beat-to-beat heart rate and blood pressure were monitored (Holter, Finometer Pro). Before and after tilt, fatigue severity was assessed using a numeric rating scale. Patients scored significantly higher on the CIS [total score: EDS: 98.2 (18.63) vs controls: 45.8 (16.62), P < 0.001] and on the OI domain of the ASP [EDS: 22.78 (7.16) vs controls: 6.5 (7.78)]. OI was prevalent in EDS-HT (EDS: 74.4%, controls: 34.3%, P = 0.001), and frequently expressed as postural orthostatic tachycardia (41.0% of the EDS group). Patients responded to tilt with a higher heart rate and lower total peripheral resistance (p < 0.001; p = 0.032). This altered response correlated with fatigue in daily life (CIS). In the EDS-HT group, tilt provoked significantly more fatigue [numeric rating scale increase: EDS: +3.1 (1.90), controls: +0.5 (1.24), P < 0.001]. Furthermore, the factors OI, pain, affective distress, decreased physical activity and sedative use explained 47.7% of the variance in fatigue severity. OI is an important determinant of fatigue in EDS-HT. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Beauty and cuteness in peripheral vision

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Kuraguchi, Kana; Ashida, Hiroshi

2015-01-01

Guo et al. (2011) showed that attractiveness was detectable in peripheral vision. Since there are different types of attractiveness (Rhodes, 2006), we investigated how beauty and cuteness are detected in peripheral vision with a brief presentation. Participants (n = 45) observed two Japanese female faces for 100 ms, then were asked to respond which face was more beautiful (or cuter). The results indicated that both beauty and cuteness were detectable in peripheral vision, but not in the same manner. Discrimination rates for judging beauty were invariant in peripheral and central vision, while discrimination rates for judging cuteness declined in peripheral vision as compared with central vision. This was not explained by lower resolution in peripheral vision. In addition, for male participants, it was more difficult to judge cuteness than beauty in peripheral vision, thus suggesting that gender differences can have a certain effect when judging cuteness. Therefore, central vision might be suitable for judging cuteness while judging beauty might not be affected by either central or peripheral vision. This might be related with the functional difference between beauty and cuteness. PMID:25999883

Fatigue testing of wood composites for aerogenerator blades. Pt. 11: Assessment of fatigue damage accumulation using a fatigue modulus approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hacker, C L; Ansell, M P [Bath Univ. (United Kingdom)

1996-12-31

Stress-strain hysteresis loops have been captured during fatigue tests performed at R=10 (compression-compression) and R=0.1 (tension-tension) on Khaya epoxy wood composites. A fatigue modulus approach, proposed by Hwang and Han in 1989, has been applied to the data and a relationship established between the initial change in fatigue modulus and fatigue life. By following changes in fatigue modulus during the first 100 test cycles it is possible to predict the life of the sample allowing rapid evaluation of the fatigue performance of wood composites. Fatigue modulus values have also been calculated for hysteresis loops captured during complex load - time history tests. Similar trends in change in fatigue modulus suggest that this approach could be used in complex loading conditions to evaluate fatigue damage accumulation and predict fatigue life. (Author)

Fatigue assessment of the ITER TF coil case based on JJ1 fatigue tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamada, K.; Nakajima, H.; Takano, K.; Kudo, Y.; Tsutsumi, F.; Okuno, K.; Jong, C.

2005-01-01

The material of the TF coil case in the ITER requires to withstand cyclic electromagnetic forces applied up to 3 x 10 4 cycles at 4.2 K. A cryogenic stainless steel, JJ1, is used in high stress region of TF coil case. The fatigue characteristics (S-N curve) of JJ1 base metal and welded joint at 4.2 K has been measured. The fatigue strength of base metal and welded joint at 3 x 10 4 cycles are measured as 1032 and 848 MPa, respectively. The design S-N curve is derived from the measured data taking account of the safety factor of 20 for cycle-to-failure and 2 for fatigue strength, and it indicates that an equivalent alternating stress of the case should be kept less than 516 MPa for the base metal and 424 MPa for the welded joint at 3 x 10 4 cycles. It is demonstrated that the TF coil case has enough margins for the cyclic operation. It is also shown the welded joint should be located in low cyclic stress region because a residual stress affects the fatigue life

Muscle-Cooling Intervention to Reduce Fatigue and Fatigue-Induced Tremor in Novice and Experienced Surgeons: A Preliminary Investigation.

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Jensen, Lauren; Dancisak, Michael; Korndorffer, James

2016-10-01

A localized, intermittent muscle-cooling protocol was implemented to determine cooling garment efficacy in reducing upper extremity muscular fatigue and tremor in novice ( n  = 10) and experienced surgeons ( n  = 9). Subjects wore a muscle-cooling garment while performing multiple trials of a forearm exercise and paired suturing task to induce muscular fatigue and exercise-induced tremor. A reduction in tremor amplitude and an extension in time to fatigue were expected with muscle cooling as compared with control trials. Each subject completed an intervention session (5°C cooling condition) and a control session (32°C or thermal neutral condition). A paired samples t test indicated that tremor amplitude was significantly reduced ( t [8] = 1.89458; p  effect was not significant. Time to fatigue and suture time improved in both cohorts with muscle cooling, but the effect did not reach significance. Results from the pilot work suggest muscle cooling as an intervention for reduction of fatigue and tremor is very promising, warranting further investigation. Surgical specialties that require prolonged procedures might benefit more from this intervention.

Alterations of morphology of lymphoid organs and peripheral blood indicators under the influence of gold nanoparticles in rats

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Alla B. Bucharskaya

2016-01-01

Full Text Available At present, gold nanoparticles (GNPs are widely used in biomedical applications such as cancer diagnostics and therapy. Accordingly, the potential toxicity hazards of these nanomaterials and human safety concerns are gaining significant attention. Here, we report the effects of prolonged peroral administration of GNPs with different sizes (2, 15 and 50nm on morphological changes in lymphoid organs and indicators of peripheral blood of laboratory animals. The experiment was conducted on 24 white mongrel male rats weighing 180–220g, gold nanospheres sizes 2, 15 and 50nm were administered orally for 15 days at a dosage of 190μg/kg of animal body weight. The GNPs were conjugated with polyethylene glycol to increase their biocompatibility and bioavailability. The size-dependent decrease of the number of neutrophils and lymphocytes was noted in the study of peripheral blood, especially pronounced after administration of GNPs with size of 50nm. The stimulation of myelocytic germ of hematopoiesis was recorded at morphological study of the bone marrow. The signs of strengthening of the processes of differentiation and maturation of cellular elements were found in lymph nodes, which were showed as the increasing number of immunoblasts and large lymphocytes. The quantitative changes of cellular component morphology of lymphoid organs due to activation of migration, proliferation and differentiation of immune cells indicate the presence of immunostimulation effect of GNPs.

Nondestructive indication of fatigue damage and residual lifetime in ferromagnetic construction materials

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Tomáš, Ivan; Kovářík, O.; Vértesy, G.; Kadlecová, Jana

2014-01-01

Roč. 25, č. 6 (2014), "065601-1"-"065601-10" ISSN 0957-0233. [International Symposium on Measurement Technology and Intelligent Instruments /11./ (ISMTII). Aachen, 01.07.2013-03.07.2013] R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP108/12/1872 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : fatigue * residual lifetime * magnetic nondestructive evaluation * ferromagnetic construction materials Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.433, year: 2014

Inhibition of muscle spindle afferent activity during masseter muscle fatigue in the rat.

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Brunetti, Orazio; Della Torre, Giovannella; Lucchi, Maria Luisa; Chiocchetti, Roberto; Bortolami, Ruggero; Pettorossi, Vito Enrico

2003-09-01

The influence of muscle fatigue on the jaw-closing muscle spindle activity has been investigated by analyzing: (1) the field potentials evoked in the trigeminal motor nucleus (Vmot) by trigeminal mesencephalic nucleus (Vmes) stimulation, (2) the orthodromic and antidromic responses evoked in the Vmes by stimulation of the peripheral and central axons of the muscle proprioceptive afferents, and (3) the extracellular unitary discharge of masseter muscle spindles recorded in the Vmes. The masseter muscle was fatigued by prolonged tetanic masseter nerve electrical stimulation. Pre- and postsynaptic components of the potentials evoked in the Vmot showed a significant reduction in amplitude following muscle fatigue. Orthodromic and antidromic potentials recorded in the Vmes also showed a similar amplitude decrease. Furthermore, muscle fatigue caused a decrease of the discharge frequency of masseter muscle spindle afferents in most of the examined units. The inhibition of the potential amplitude and discharge frequency was strictly correlated with the extent of muscle fatigue and was mediated by the group III and IV afferent muscle fibers activated by fatigue. In fact, the inhibitory effect was abolished by capsaicin injection in the masseter muscle that provokes selective degeneration of small afferent muscle fibers containing neurokinins. We concluded that fatigue signals originating from the muscle and traveling through capsaicin-sensitive fibers are able to diminish the proprioceptive input by a central presynaptic influence. In the second part of the study, we examined the central projection of the masseter small afferents sensitive to capsaicin at the electron-microscopic level. Fiber degeneration was induced by injecting capsaicin into the masseter muscle. Degenerating terminals were found on the soma and stem process in Vmes and on the dendritic tree of neurons in Vmot. This suggests that small muscle afferents may influence the muscle spindle activity through

Perceived Fatigue Interference and Depressed Mood: Comparison of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Patients with Fatigued Breast Cancer Survivors

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Daniel L.; Antoni, Michael H.; Lattie, Emily G.; Jutagir, Devika R.; Czaja, Sara J.; Perdomo, Dolores; Lechner, Suzanne C.; Stagl, Jamie M.; Bouchard, Laura C.; Gudenkauf, Lisa M.; Traeger, Lara; Fletcher, MaryAnn; Klimas, Nancy G.

2015-01-01

Objective Persistent fatigue and depressive symptoms are both highly prevalent among patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) as well as breast cancer survivors. This study aimed to assess and directly compare perceptions of fatigue as highly interfering in one’s daily functioning in both patient populations to better understand their relationships with depressed mood. Methods Participants were 95 female CFS/ME patients and 67 females who were approximately 5 years post-treatment for stage 0-III breast cancer presenting with clinically elevated fatigue severity. Self-report measures were obtained on participants’ fatigue-related interference in daily functioning and fatigue severity as well as depressed mood. Hierarchical regression was used to test effects controlling for relevant demographic, psychosocial, and medical covariates. Results CFS/ME patients endorsed greater depressed mood and fatigue interference than did fatigued breast cancer survivors, p’sfatigued breast cancer survivors (β=.18, p=.19). Conclusions CFS/ME patients reported elevated fatigue symptoms and depression relative to fatigued breast cancer survivors. In the former group, greater depressed mood was highly and significantly associated with greater fatigue-related inference in daily activities. Potential targets for cognitive behavioral interventions are discussed. PMID:26180660

Effect of size of alpha phases on cyclic deformation and fatigue crack initiation during fatigue of an alpha-beta titanium alloy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sun Qiaoyan

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Alpha phase exhibits equiaxed or lamellar morphologies with size from submicron to microns in an alpha-beta titanium alloy. Cyclic deformation, slip characteristics and crack nucleation during fatigue in different microstructures of TC21 alloy (Ti-6Al-2Sn-2Zr-3Mo-1Cr-2Nb-0.1Si were systematically investigated and analyzed. During low-cycle fatigue, equiaxed microstructure (EM in TC21 alloy exhibits higher strength, ductility and longer low-cycle fatigue life than those of the lamellar microstructure (LM. There are more voids in the single lamellar alpha than the equiaxed alpha grains. As a result, voids more easily link up to form crack in the lamellar alpha phase than the equiaxed alpha phase. However, during high-cycle fatigue, the fine lamellar microstructure (FLM shows higher fatigue limit than bimodal microstructure (BM. The localized plastic deformation can be induced during high-cycle fatigue. The slip bands or twins are observed in the equiaxed and lamellar alpha phases(>1micron, which tends to form strain concentration and initiate fatigue crack. The localized slip within nanoscale alpha plates is seldom observed and extrusion/intrusion dispersedly distributed on the sample surface in FLM. This indicates that FLM show super resistance to fatigue crack which bring about higher fatigue limit than BM.

A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial of duloxetine in the treatment of general fatigue in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, Lesley M; Blom, Thomas J; Welge, Jeffrey A; Mariutto, Elizabeth; Heller, Alicia

2015-01-01

To assess the efficacy and safety of duloxetine in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. A 12-week, randomized, double-blind study was designed to compare duloxetine 60-120 mg/d (n = 30) with placebo (n = 30) for efficacy and safety in the treatment of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. The primary outcome measure was the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory general fatigue subscale (range: 4-20, with higher scores indicating greater fatigue). Secondary measures were the remaining Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory subscales, Brief Pain Inventory, Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Symptom Inventory, Patient Global Impression of Improvement, and Clinical Global Impression of Severity. The primary analysis of efficacy for continuous variables was a longitudinal analysis of the intent-to-treat sample, with treatment-by-time interaction as the measure of effect. The improvement in the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory general fatigue scores for the duloxetine group was not significantly greater than for the placebo group (P = 0.23; estimated difference between groups at week 12 = -1.0 [95% CI: -2.8, 0.7]). The duloxetine group was significantly superior to the placebo group on the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory mental fatigue score, Brief Pain Inventory average pain severity and interference scores, Short Form-36 bodily pain domain, and Clinical Global Impression of Severity score. Duloxetine was generally well tolerated. The primary efficacy measure of general fatigue did not significantly improve with duloxetine when compared with placebo. Significant improvement in secondary measures of mental fatigue, pain, and global measure of severity suggests that duloxetine may be efficacious for some chronic fatigue syndrome symptom domains, but larger controlled trials are needed to confirm these results. Copyright © 2015 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Published by

Routine resite of peripheral intravenous devices every 3 days did not reduce complications compared with clinically indicated resite: a randomised controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rickard Claire M

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Peripheral intravenous device (IVD complications were traditionally thought to be reduced by limiting dwell time. Current recommendations are to resite IVDs by 96 hours with the exception of children and patients with poor veins. Recent evidence suggests routine resite is unnecessary, at least if devices are inserted by a specialised IV team. The aim of this study was to compare the impact of peripheral IVD 'routine resite' with 'removal on clinical indication' on IVD complications in a general hospital without an IV team. Methods A randomised, controlled trial was conducted in a regional teaching hospital. After ethics approval, 362 patients (603 IVDs were randomised to have IVDs replaced on clinical indication (185 patients or routine change every 3 days (177 patients. IVDs were inserted and managed by the general hospital medical and nursing staff; there was no IV team. The primary endpoint was a composite of IVD complications: phlebitis, infiltration, occlusion, accidental removal, local infection, and device-related bloodstream infection. Results IVD complication rates were 68 per 1,000 IVD days (clinically indicated and 66 per 1,000 IVD days (routine replacement (P = 0.86; HR 1.03; 95% CI, 0.74-1.43. Time to first complication per patient did not differ between groups (KM with log rank, P = 0.53. There were no local infections or IVD-related bloodstream infections in either group. IV therapy duration did not differ between groups (P = 0.22, but more (P = 0.004 IVDs were placed per patient in the routine replacement (mean, 1.8 than the clinical indication group (mean, 1.5, with significantly higher hospital costs per patient (P Conclusions Resite on clinical indication would allow one in two patients to have a single cannula per course of IV treatment, as opposed to one in five patients managed with routine resite; overall complication rates appear similar. Clinically indicated resite would achieve savings in equipment

Fatigue data compilation and evaluation of fatigue on design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nyilas, A.

1985-05-01

The aim of this report is a review of the available fatigue data of various materials necessary for the design of large superconducting magnets for fusion. One of the primary objectives of this work is to present a broad outline of the low temperature fatigue data of relevant materials within the scope of available data. Besides the classical fatigue data of materials the fatigue crack propagation measurements are outlined widely. The existing recommendations for the design of cryogenic structures are described. A brief introduction of fracture mechanics as well as a historical background of the development of our present day understanding of fatigue has been done. (orig.) [de

Investigation into fatigue crack growth and kinetic diagrams of fatigue failure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yarema, S.Ya.

1977-01-01

Studies on fatigue failure are discussed in terms of fatigue failure kinetic diagrams (FFKD), in which the fatigue crack growth rate is plotted against the stress intensity coefficient (SIC). The physical sense of the crack growth rate and SIC is discussed and their applicability for description of the material in the destruction zone, particularly in presence of various media. Variation of experimental parameters (loading and environment) is followed by a transition period during which the results of the experiment may depend on its history, so that FFKD would remain invariant. Advantages of tests under constant experimental conditions are shown. The ways to stabilize SIC are indicated and requirements to the samples are given. As an example, the tests of disc samples made of plate materials are given, where SIC does not depend on the crack length. The question of controlling the experimental conditions such as asymmetry and shape of the loading cycle, loading frequency, fluctuations of temperature and air composition is considered. The analytical functions describing FFKD are discussed. It is shown, that in appropriate dimensionless coordinates the FFKD of different materials merge into one curve

CNS fatigue provoked by prolonged exercise in the heat

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nybo, Lars

2010-01-01

to the brain. However, exercise with superimposed hyperthermia is not only a challenge to the brain it also provides an excellent model for studying factors of importance for central fatigue. Excessive heat storage within the brain appears to be the primary cause for the central fatigue during exercise......Exercise-induced hyperthermia is associated with central fatigue as indicated by an impaired ability to sustain maximal motor activation during prolonged voluntary efforts. Therefore, exercise in hot environments challenges not only to the cardiorespiratory and locomotive systems but also...... to aggravate central fatigue and degrade exercise performance. Hyperthermia mediated central fatigue may include other cerebral perturbations such as reduced perfusion of the brain, accumulation of ammonia or depletion of neuronal energy stores, but further research is needed to elucidate their possible...

Effect of high pressure hydrogen on low-cycle fatigue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rie, K.T.; Kohler, W.

1979-01-01

It has been shown that the fatigue life can be influenced in low-cycle range by high pressure hydrogen while the effect of high pressure hydrogen on high-cycle fatigue will not be as significant. The paper reports the details and the results of the investigations of the effect of high pressure hydrogen on the low-cycle endurance of commercially pure titanium. The results of this study indicate that: 1. The degradation of the fatigue life in low-cycle region for commercially pure titanium under high pressure hydrogen can be described by Nsub(cr)sup(α x Δepsilon)sub(pl)sup(=c) 2. The fatigue life decreases with decreasing strain rate. 3. The fatigue life decreases with increasing hydrogen pressure. It was found that the semilogarithmic plot of the fatigue life versus the hydrogen pressure gives a linear relationship. The Sievert's law does not hold in low-cycle fatigue region. 4. HAC in titanium in low-cycle fatigue region is the result of the disolution of hydrogen at the crack tip and of the strain-induced hybride formation. (orig.) 891 RW/orig. 892 RKD [de

Seismic ratchet-fatigue failure of piping systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Severud, L.K.; Anderson, M.J.; Lindquist, M.R.; Weiner, E.O.

1986-01-01

Failures of piping systems during earthquakes have been rare. Those that have failed were either made of brittle material such as cast iron, were rigid systems between major components where component relative seismic motions tore the pipe out of the component, or were high pressure systems where a ratchet-fatigue fracture followed a local bulging of the pipe diameter. Tests to failure of an unpressurized 3-in. and a pressurized 6-in. diameter carbon steel nuclear pipe systems subjected to high level shaking have been accomplished. Failure analyses of these tests are presented and correlated to the test results. It was found that failure of the unpressurized system could be correlated well with standard ASME type fatigue analysis predictions. Moreover, the pressurized system failure occurred in significantly less load cycles than predicted by standard fatigue analysis. However, a ratchet-fatigue and ductility exhaustion analysis of the pressurized system did correlate very well. These findings indicate modifications to design analysis methods and the present ASME Code piping design rules may be appropriate to cover the ratchet-fatigue failure mode

Impact of obesity and exercise on chemotherapy-related fatigue.

Science.gov (United States)

Herath, Kanchana; Peswani, Namrata; Chitambar, Christopher R

2016-10-01

Breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy often develop fatigue from their treatment that may persist for months. While the positive effects of physical activity in cancer patients are increasingly recognized, the impact of obesity on chemotherapy-induced fatigue has not been well studied. Female age 35-75 years with stage I-III breast cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy were enrolled in an IRB-approved study. Patient fatigue was self-reported using a 14-question fatigue symptom inventory. Patients were queried about fatigue and their level of exercise before, during, and after completion of chemotherapy. BMI was measured prior to their first cycle of chemotherapy. Of the 47 evaluable patients, 37 reported performing exercise on a regular basis. Following chemotherapy, 53 % of the exercise group and 80 % of the non-exercise group displayed a worsening of their FS. In patients with a BMI exercise group versus 40.5 in the non-exercise group. In patients with a BMI > 25, the FS after chemotherapy was 25.96 in the exercise group versus 32.6 in the non-exercise group. Our study indicates a trend towards fatigue reduction with exercise even in patients who are overweight. Thus, an elevated BMI at diagnosis does not preclude a breast cancer patient from experiencing the same positive effects from exercise on chemotherapy-related fatigue as patients with normal BMIs. This indicates an important role of physicians in the primary care setting to encourage patients to initiate physical activity when offering cancer-screening services.

Fatigue approach for addressing environmental effects in fatigue usage calculation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilhelm, Paul; Rudolph, Juergen [AREVA GmbH, Erlangen (Germany); Steinmann, Paul [Erlangen-Nuremberg Univ., erlangen (Germany). Chair of Applied Mechanics

2015-04-15

Laboratory tests consider simple trapezoidal, triangle, and sinusoidal signals. However, actual plant components are characterized by complex loading patterns and periods of holds. Fatigue tests in water environment show, that the damage from a realistic strain variation or the presence of hold-times within cyclic loading results in an environmental reduction factor (Fen) only half that of a simple waveform. This study proposes a new fatigue approach for addressing environmental effects in fatigue usage calculation for class 1 boiler and pressure vessel reactor components. The currently accepted method of fatigue assessment has been used as a base model and all cycles, which have been comparable with realistic fatigue tests, have been excluded from the code-based fatigue calculation and evaluated directly with the test data. The results presented show that the engineering approach can successfully be integrated in the code-based fatigue assessment. The cumulative usage factor can be reduced considerably.

Fatigue approach for addressing environmental effects in fatigue usage calculation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilhelm, Paul; Rudolph, Juergen; Steinmann, Paul

2015-01-01

Laboratory tests consider simple trapezoidal, triangle, and sinusoidal signals. However, actual plant components are characterized by complex loading patterns and periods of holds. Fatigue tests in water environment show, that the damage from a realistic strain variation or the presence of hold-times within cyclic loading results in an environmental reduction factor (Fen) only half that of a simple waveform. This study proposes a new fatigue approach for addressing environmental effects in fatigue usage calculation for class 1 boiler and pressure vessel reactor components. The currently accepted method of fatigue assessment has been used as a base model and all cycles, which have been comparable with realistic fatigue tests, have been excluded from the code-based fatigue calculation and evaluated directly with the test data. The results presented show that the engineering approach can successfully be integrated in the code-based fatigue assessment. The cumulative usage factor can be reduced considerably.

Fatigue in patients with inflammatory bowel disease is associated with distinct differences in immune parameters

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Vogelaar L

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Lauran Vogelaar, 1,* Colin de Haar,2,* Bas RJ Aerts,1 Maikel P Peppelenbosch,1 Reinier Timman,3 Bettina E Hanssen,1 C Janneke van der Woude1 1Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, 2Applied Tumor Immunology, Laboratory of Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, 3Department of Psychiatry, Section of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Although it is well recognized that fatigue is an important problem in many of the quiescent inflammatory bowel disease (IBD patients, it is unknown whether the immune status is different in fatigued versus non-fatigued patients. In this study, we contrasted various characteristics of the immune system in fatigued against non-fatigued patients with IBD in clinical remission.Patients and methods: Patients with IBD in clinical remission were phenotyped according to the Montreal classification, and the checklist individual strength-fatigue (CIS-fatigue was used to assess fatigue (CIS-fatigue ≥ 35. Flow cytometry on peripheral blood samples was used to investigate differences in leukocyte subsets. The expression of various cytokines was determined in stimulated whole blood and serum samples using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Differences between fatigued and non-fatigued patients with IBD were assessed.Results: In total, 55 patients were included in the fatigue group (FG and 29 patients in the non-fatigue group (NFG. No differences in demographic and clinical characteristics were observed between the groups. Flow cytometry data showed a significantly lower percentage of monocytes (p = 0.011 and a higher percentage of memory T-cells (p = 0.005 and neutrophils (p = 0.033 in the FG compared with the NFG. Whole blood stimulation showed increased TNF-α (p = 0.022 and IFN-γ (p = 0.047 in the FG. The median serum level was significantly higher for IL-12 (p < 0.001 and IL-10 (p

Aging Influence on Fatigue Characteristics of RAC Mixtures Containing Warm Asphalt Additives

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Feipeng Xiao

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Aging is an important factor to affect the long-term performance of asphalt pavement. The fatigue life of a typical warm mix asphalt (WMA is generally related to various factors of rheological and mechanical properties of the mixture. The study of the fatigue behavior of the specific rubberized WMA is helpful in recycling the scrap tires and saving energy in terms of the conventional laboratory aging process. This study explores the utilization of the conventional fatigue analysis approach in investigating the cumulative dissipated, stiffness, and fatigue life of rubberized asphalt concrete mixtures containing the WMA additive after a long-term aging process. The aged beams were made with one rubber type (−40 mesh ambient crumb rubber, two aggregate sources, two WMA additives (Asphamin and Sasobit, and tested at 5 and 20ºC. A total of 55 aged fatigue beams were tested in this study. The test results indicated that the addition of crumb rubber extends the fatigue resistance of asphalt binder while WMA additive exhibits a negative effect. The study indicated that the WMA additive generally has an important influence on fatigue life. In addition, test temperature and aggregate source play an important role in determining the cumulative dissipated energy, stiffness, and fatigue life of an aged mixture.

The influence of fatigue on decision-making in athletes: a systematic review.

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Almonroeder, Thomas Gus; Tighe, Sarah Marie; Miller, Taylor Matthew; Lanning, Christopher Ray

2018-06-14

A potential challenge associated with sports is that athletes must often perform the cognitive processing associated with decision-making (i.e., movement selection) when fatigued. The purpose of this systematic review was to summarise studies that have analysed the extent to which fatigue influences the effects of decision-making on lower extremity mechanics during execution of common sports manoeuvres. We specifically focused on mechanics associated with ACL injury risk. Reviewers searched the PubMed, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL and Web of Science databases. The search identified 183 unique articles. Five of these articles met our eligibility criteria. Two of the studies incorporated fatigue protocols where athletes progressed to exhaustion and found that the effects of decision-making on mechanics were more pronounced with fatigue. The nature of the results appears to indicate that fatigue may compromise an athlete's cognitive processing in a manner that diminishes their ability to control movement when rapid decision-making is required. However, three subsequent studies utilised fatigue protocols designed to mimic sports participation and found that fatigue did not influence the effects of decision-making on mechanics. In general, these findings appear to indicate that fatigue may only affect the cognitive processing associated with decision-making when athletes approach a state of exhaustion.

Predictors and Trajectories of Morning Fatigue Are Distinct from Evening Fatigue

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Fay; Melkus, Gail D’Eramo; Hammer, Marilyn; Schmidt, Brian L.; Knobf, M. Tish; Paul, Steven M.; Cartwright, Frances; Mastick, Judy; Cooper, Bruce A.; Chen, Lee-May; Melisko, Michelle; Levine, Jon D.; Kober, Kord; Aouizerat, Bradley E.; Miaskowski, Christine

2015-01-01

Context Fatigue is the most common symptom in oncology patients during chemotherapy (CTX). Little is known about the predictors of interindividual variability in initial levels and trajectories of morning fatigue severity in these patients. Objectives An evaluation was done to determine which demographic, clinical, and symptom characteristics were associated with initial levels as well as the trajectories of morning fatigue and to compare findings with our companion paper on evening fatigue. Methods A sample of outpatients with breast, gastrointestinal, gynecological, and lung cancer (N=586) completed demographic and symptom questionnaires a total of six times over two cycles of CTX. Fatigue severity was evaluated using the Lee Fatigue Scale. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to answer the study objectives. Results A large amount of interindividual variability was found in the morning fatigue trajectories. A piecewise model fit the data best. Patients with higher body mass index (BMI), who did not exercise regularly, with a lower functional status, and who had higher levels of state anxiety, sleep disturbance and depressive symptoms, reported higher levels of morning fatigue at enrollment. Variations in the trajectories of morning fatigue were predicted by the patients’ ethnicity and younger age. Conclusion The modifiable risk factors that were associated with only morning fatigue were BMI, exercise, and state anxiety. Modifiable risk factors that were associated with both morning and evening fatigue included functional status, depressive symptoms, and sleep disturbance. Using this information, clinicians can identify patients at higher risk for more severe morning fatigue and evening fatigue, provide individualized patient education, and tailor interventions to address the modifiable risk factors. PMID:25828559

Loss of knee extensor torque complexity during fatiguing isometric muscle contractions occurs exclusively above the critical torque.

Science.gov (United States)

Pethick, Jamie; Winter, Samantha L; Burnley, Mark

2016-06-01

The complexity of knee extensor torque time series decreases during fatiguing isometric muscle contractions. We hypothesized that because of peripheral fatigue, this loss of torque complexity would occur exclusively during contractions above the critical torque (CT). Nine healthy participants performed isometric knee extension exercise (6 s of contraction, 4 s of rest) on six occasions for 30 min or to task failure, whichever occurred sooner. Four trials were performed above CT (trials S1-S4, S1 being the lowest intensity), and two were performed below CT (at 50% and 90% of CT). Global, central, and peripheral fatigue were quantified using maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) with femoral nerve stimulation. The complexity of torque output was determined using approximate entropy (ApEn) and the detrended fluctuation analysis-α scaling exponent (DFA-α). The MVC torque was reduced in trials below CT [by 19 ± 4% (means ± SE) in 90%CT], but complexity did not decrease [ApEn for 90%CT: from 0.82 ± 0.03 to 0.75 ± 0.06, 95% paired-samples confidence intervals (CIs), 95% CI = -0.23, 0.10; DFA-α from 1.36 ± 0.01 to 1.32 ± 0.03, 95% CI -0.12, 0.04]. Above CT, substantial reductions in MVC torque occurred (of 49 ± 8% in S1), and torque complexity was reduced (ApEn for S1: from 0.67 ± 0.06 to 0.14 ± 0.01, 95% CI = -0.72, -0.33; DFA-α from 1.38 ± 0.03 to 1.58 ± 0.01, 95% CI 0.12, 0.29). Thus, in these experiments, the fatigue-induced loss of torque complexity occurred exclusively during contractions performed above the CT. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Assessing reliability of fatigue indicator parameters for small crack growth via a probabilistic framework

Science.gov (United States)

Rovinelli, Andrea; Guilhem, Yoann; Proudhon, Henry; Lebensohn, Ricardo A.; Ludwig, Wolfgang; Sangid, Michael D.

2017-06-01

Microstructurally small cracks exhibit large variability in their fatigue crack growth rate. It is accepted that the inherent variability in microstructural features is related to the uncertainty in the growth rate. However, due to (i) the lack of cycle-by-cycle experimental data, (ii) the complexity of the short crack growth phenomenon, and (iii) the incomplete physics of constitutive relationships, only empirical damage metrics have been postulated to describe the short crack driving force metric (SCDFM) at the mesoscale level. The identification of the SCDFM of polycrystalline engineering alloys is a critical need, in order to achieve more reliable fatigue life prediction and improve material design. In this work, the first steps in the development of a general probabilistic framework are presented, which uses experimental result as an input, retrieves missing experimental data through crystal plasticity (CP) simulations, and extracts correlations utilizing machine learning and Bayesian networks (BNs). More precisely, experimental results representing cycle-by-cycle data of a short crack growing through a beta-metastable titanium alloy, VST-55531, have been acquired via phase and diffraction contrast tomography. These results serve as an input for FFT-based CP simulations, which provide the micromechanical fields influenced by the presence of the crack, complementing the information available from the experiment. In order to assess the correlation between postulated SCDFM and experimental observations, the data is mined and analyzed utilizing BNs. Results show the ability of the framework to autonomously capture relevant correlations and the equivalence in the prediction capability of different postulated SCDFMs for the high cycle fatigue regime.

In situ fatigue-crack-propagation experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ermi, A.M.; Chin, B.A.

1981-01-01

An in-reactor fatigue experiment was conducted in the Oak Ridge Research Reactor to determine the effects of dynamic irradiation on fatigue crack propagation. Eight 20% cold-worked 316 stainless steel specimens were precracked to various initial crack lengths, linked together to form a chain, and inserted into a specially designed in-reactor fatigue machine. Test conditions included a maximum temperature of 460 0 C, an environment of sodium, a frequency of 1 cycle/min, and a stress ratio of 0.10. Results indicated that (1) no effects of dynamic irradiation were observed for a fluence of 1.5 x 10 21 n/cm 2 (E > 0.1 MeV); and (2) crack growth rates in elevated temperature sodium were a factor of 3 to 4 lower than in room temperature air

Are nurses able to assess fatigue, exertion fatigue and types of fatigue in residential home patients?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tiesinga, L.J.; Dijkstra, Ate; Dassen, T.W.N.; Halfens, R.J.G.; van den Heuvel, W.J.A.

Although fatigue is recognized as a subjective, generalized, extensive and disabling health care problem with a relatively high prevalence among the chronically ill, there have been no studies to show whether nurses caring for fatigued subjects are able to accurately assess the level of fatigue that

Testicular Cell Indices and Peripheral Blood Testosterone Concentrations in Relation to Age and Semen Quality in Crossbred (Holstein Friesian×Tharparkar Bulls

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S. K. Rajak

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Present study analyzed the changes in peripheral blood testosterone concentrations and testicular cytogram in relation to age and semen quality in crossbred males. Three different age groups of crossbred males viz. bull calves (6 months, n = 5, young bulls (15 months, n = 5 and adult bulls (4 to 6 years, n = 8 were utilized for the study. Testicular fine needle aspiration cytology technique was used to quantify testicular cytology and their indices. Peripheral blood testosterone concentrations were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Semen samples collected from adult bulls were microscopically evaluated for quality parameters. Mean peripheral blood testosterone concentrations in bull calves, young bulls and adult bulls were 2.28±0.09 ng/mL, 1.42±0.22 ng/mL and 5.66±1.08 ng/mL respectively, and that in adult bulls were significantly different (p<0.01 from young bulls and bull calves. There was no significant difference between the proportion of different testicular cells in bull calves and young bulls. Between young and adult bulls, significant differences (p<0.01 were observed in the proportion of spermatocytes, spermatozoa, and sperm: Sertoli cell ratio. The proportions of Sertoli cells showed a significant difference (p<0.01 between the three age groups. The number of primary spermatocytes had a positive correlation with peripheral blood testosterone concentrations in bull calves (r = 0.719, p<0.01. Number of Sertoli cells per 100 germ cells was negatively correlated with blood testosterone concentration in young bulls (r = −0.713, p<0.01. Among different semen parameters in adult bulls, ejaculate volume (r = 0.790, p<0.05 had positive relationship, and sperm motility had significant negative correlation (r = −0.711, p<0.05 with testosterone concentrations. The number of Sertoli cells and Sertoli cell index had a positive correlation with various semen quality parameters (p<0.001. Results of the present study

How Many Peripheral Solder Joints in a Surface Mounted Design Experience Inelastic Strains?

Science.gov (United States)

Suhir, E.; Yi, S.; Ghaffarian, R.

2017-03-01

It has been established that it is the peripheral solder joints that are the most vulnerable in the ball-grid-array (BGA) and column-grid-array (CGA) designs and most often fail. As far as the long-term reliability of a soldered microelectronics assembly as a whole is concerned, it makes a difference, if just one or more peripheral joints experience inelastic strains. It is clear that the low cycle fatigue lifetime of the solder system is inversely proportional to the number of joints that simultaneously experience inelastic strains. A simple and physically meaningful analytical expression (formula) is obtained for the prediction, at the design stage, of the number of such joints, if any, for the given effective thermal expansion (contraction) mismatch of the package and PCB; materials and geometrical characteristics of the package/PCB assembly; package size; and, of course, the level of the yield stress in the solder material. The suggested formula can be used to determine if the inelastic strains in the solder material could be avoided by the proper selection of the above characteristics and, if not, how many peripheral joints are expected to simultaneously experience inelastic strains. The general concept is illustrated by a numerical example carried out for a typical BGA package. The suggested analytical model (formula) is applicable to any soldered microelectronics assembly. The roles of other important factors, such as, e.g., solder material anisotropy, grain size, and their random orientation within a joint, are viewed in this analysis as less important factors than the level of the interfacial stress. The roles of these factors will be accounted for in future work and considered, in addition to the location of the joint, in a more complicated, more sophisticated, and more comprehensive reliability/fatigue model.

EFFECT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF LOCALIZED MUSCLE FATIGUE ON KNEE POSITION SENSE

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William S. Gear

2011-12-01

Full Text Available There is little information available regarding how proprioceptive abilities decline as the amount of exertion increases during exercise. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of different levels of fatigue on knee joint position sense. A repeated measures design was used to examine changes in active joint reposition sense (AJRS prior to and following three levels of fatigue. Eighteen participants performed knee extension and flexion isokinetic exercise until torque output was 90%, 70%, or 50% of the peak hamstring torque for three consecutive repetitions. Active joint reposition sense at 15, 30, or 45 degrees was tested following the isokinetic exercise session. Following testing of the first independent measure, participants were given a 20 minute rest period. Testing procedures were repeated for two more exercise sessions following the other levels of fatigue. Testing of each AJRS test angle was conducted on three separate days with 48 hours between test days. Significant main effect for fatigue was indicated (p = 0.001. Pairwise comparisons indicated a significant difference between the pre-test and following 90% of peak hamstring torque (p = 0.02 and between the pre-test and following 50% of peak hamstring torque (p = 0.02. Fatigue has long been theorized to be a contributing factor in decreased proprioceptive acuity, and therefore a contributing factor to joint injury. The findings of the present study indicate that fatigue may have an effect on proprioception following mild and maximum fatigue.

An evaluation on fatigue crack growth in a fine-grained isotropic graphite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Hongtao; Sun Libin; Li Chenfeng; Shi Li; Wang Haitao

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The propagation of micro- and macro-fatigue cracks in IG-11 graphite was studied. ► The curves of the fatigue crack growth rate versus the SIF range show three stages. ► The fatigue microcrack propagation is very sensitive to graphite's microstructures. ► Graphite's microstructures have no significant impact on fatigue macrocrack growth. ► The fatigue fracture surface indicates the fracture mechanism of the IG-11 graphite. - Abstract: The aim of this paper is to investigate the mechanism of fatigue crack propagation in IG-11 graphite, and determine the crack growth rate in relation to the stress level. Experimental studies were performed at both micro and macro scales. For fatigue microcrack propagation, single-edge-notch specimens were chosen for testing and the fatigue crack growth was measured in situ with a scanning electron microscope. For fatigue macrocrack propagation, CT specimens were used and the fatigue crack growth was measured with a high-accuracy optic microscope. Combining the two groups of experimental results, the following conclusions are derived: (1) The heterogeneous microstructures of the graphite material have significant impact on the fatigue microcrack growth, while their influence on fatigue macrocrack growth is very limited. (2) The relationship between the fatigue crack growth rate and the crack-tip stress intensity factor range can be expressed in the form of Paris formulae, which contains three stages: an initial rising part with a small slope, an abrupt rise with a very large acceleration, and a short final part with a small slope. (3) The fatigue fracture surface of the graphite material contains considerable sliding of leaf-shape graphite flakes combined with small cotton-shape plastic deformations. These sliding traces are approximately aligned at 45°, showing the main cause of the fatigue fracture is the shear stress. There are also a large amount of secondary cracks inside unit cells and on cell walls

Evaluation of Fatigue Life of CRM-Reinforced SMA and Its Relationship to Dynamic Stiffness

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Nuha Salim Mashaan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Fatigue cracking is an essential problem of asphalt concrete that contributes to pavement damage. Although stone matrix asphalt (SMA has significantly provided resistance to rutting failure, its resistance to fatigue failure is yet to be fully addressed. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of crumb rubber modifier (CRM on stiffness and fatigue properties of SMA mixtures at optimum binder content, using four different modification levels, namely, 6%, 8%, 10%, and 12% CRM by weight of the bitumen. The testing undertaken on the asphalt mix comprises the dynamic stiffness (indirect tensile test, dynamic creep (repeated load creep, and fatigue test (indirect tensile fatigue test at temperature of 25°C. The indirect tensile fatigue test was conducted at three different stress levels (200, 300, and 400 kPa. Experimental results indicate that CRM-reinforced SMA mixtures exhibit significantly higher fatigue life compared to the mixtures without CRM. Further, higher correlation coefficient was obtained between the fatigue life and resilient modulus as compared to permanent strain; thus resilient modulus might be a more reliable indicator in evaluating the fatigue life of asphalt mixture.

Evaluation of fatigue life of CRM-reinforced SMA and its relationship to dynamic stiffness.

Science.gov (United States)

Mashaan, Nuha Salim; Karim, Mohamed Rehan; Abdel Aziz, Mahrez; Ibrahim, Mohd Rasdan; Katman, Herda Yati; Koting, Suhana

2014-01-01

Fatigue cracking is an essential problem of asphalt concrete that contributes to pavement damage. Although stone matrix asphalt (SMA) has significantly provided resistance to rutting failure, its resistance to fatigue failure is yet to be fully addressed. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of crumb rubber modifier (CRM) on stiffness and fatigue properties of SMA mixtures at optimum binder content, using four different modification levels, namely, 6%, 8%, 10%, and 12% CRM by weight of the bitumen. The testing undertaken on the asphalt mix comprises the dynamic stiffness (indirect tensile test), dynamic creep (repeated load creep), and fatigue test (indirect tensile fatigue test) at temperature of 25°C. The indirect tensile fatigue test was conducted at three different stress levels (200, 300, and 400 kPa). Experimental results indicate that CRM-reinforced SMA mixtures exhibit significantly higher fatigue life compared to the mixtures without CRM. Further, higher correlation coefficient was obtained between the fatigue life and resilient modulus as compared to permanent strain; thus resilient modulus might be a more reliable indicator in evaluating the fatigue life of asphalt mixture.

Blood-Borne Markers of Fatigue in Competitive Athletes - Results from Simulated Training Camps.

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Anne Hecksteden

Full Text Available Assessing current fatigue of athletes to fine-tune training prescriptions is a critical task in competitive sports. Blood-borne surrogate markers are widely used despite the scarcity of validation trials with representative subjects and interventions. Moreover, differences between training modes and disciplines (e.g. due to differences in eccentric force production or calorie turnover have rarely been studied within a consistent design. Therefore, we investigated blood-borne fatigue markers during and after discipline-specific simulated training camps. A comprehensive panel of blood-born indicators was measured in 73 competitive athletes (28 cyclists, 22 team sports, 23 strength at 3 time-points: after a run-in resting phase (d 1, after a 6-day induction of fatigue (d 8 and following a subsequent 2-day recovery period (d 11. Venous blood samples were collected between 8 and 10 a.m. Courses of blood-borne indicators are considered as fatigue dependent if a significant deviation from baseline is present at day 8 (Δfatigue which significantly regresses towards baseline until day 11 (Δrecovery. With cycling, a fatigue dependent course was observed for creatine kinase (CK; Δfatigue 54±84 U/l; Δrecovery -60±83 U/l, urea (Δfatigue 11±9 mg/dl; Δrecovery -10±10 mg/dl, free testosterone (Δfatigue -1.3±2.1 pg/ml; Δrecovery 0.8±1.5 pg/ml and insulin linke growth factor 1 (IGF-1; Δfatigue -56±28 ng/ml; Δrecovery 53±29 ng/ml. For urea and IGF-1 95% confidence intervals for days 1 and 11 did not overlap with day 8. With strength and high-intensity interval training, respectively, fatigue-dependent courses and separated 95% confidence intervals were present for CK (strength: Δfatigue 582±649 U/l; Δrecovery -618±419 U/l; HIIT: Δfatigue 863±952 U/l; Δrecovery -741±842 U/l only. These results indicate that, within a comprehensive panel of blood-borne markers, changes in fatigue are most accurately reflected by urea and IGF-1 for cycling

Linking asphalt binder fatigue to asphalt mixture fatigue performance using viscoelastic continuum damage modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Safaei, Farinaz; Castorena, Cassie; Kim, Y. Richard

2016-08-01

Fatigue cracking is a major form of distress in asphalt pavements. Asphalt binder is the weakest asphalt concrete constituent and, thus, plays a critical role in determining the fatigue resistance of pavements. Therefore, the ability to characterize and model the inherent fatigue performance of an asphalt binder is a necessary first step to design mixtures and pavements that are not susceptible to premature fatigue failure. The simplified viscoelastic continuum damage (S-VECD) model has been used successfully by researchers to predict the damage evolution in asphalt mixtures for various traffic and climatic conditions using limited uniaxial test data. In this study, the S-VECD model, developed for asphalt mixtures, is adapted for asphalt binders tested under cyclic torsion in a dynamic shear rheometer. Derivation of the model framework is presented. The model is verified by producing damage characteristic curves that are both temperature- and loading history-independent based on time sweep tests, given that the effects of plasticity and adhesion loss on the material behavior are minimal. The applicability of the S-VECD model to the accelerated loading that is inherent of the linear amplitude sweep test is demonstrated, which reveals reasonable performance predictions, but with some loss in accuracy compared to time sweep tests due to the confounding effects of nonlinearity imposed by the high strain amplitudes included in the test. The asphalt binder S-VECD model is validated through comparisons to asphalt mixture S-VECD model results derived from cyclic direct tension tests and Accelerated Loading Facility performance tests. The results demonstrate good agreement between the asphalt binder and mixture test results and pavement performance, indicating that the developed model framework is able to capture the asphalt binder's contribution to mixture fatigue and pavement fatigue cracking performance.

High-cycle fatigue properties of small-bore socket-welded pipe joint

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maekawa, Akira; Noda, Michiyasu; Suzuki, Michiaki

2009-01-01

Piping and equipment in nuclear power plants are structures including many welded joints. Reliability of welded joints is one of high-priority issues to improve the safety of nuclear power plants. However, occurrence of fatigue failures in small-bore socket-welded pipe joints by high-cycle vibrations is still reported. In this study, fatigue experiments on a socket-welded joint of austenitic stainless steel pipe was conducted under excitation conditions similar to those in actual plants to investigate vibration characteristics and fatigue strength. It was found that the natural frequency of pipe with socket-welded joint gradually decreased as fatigue damage developed, according to the Miner rule for fatigue life evaluation. The results indicate that the fatigue life of the welded pipe joint could be estimated by monitoring the decreasing ratio of the natural frequency of the pipe. The evaluation of decreasing ratio of the natural frequency in addition to fatigue damage evaluation by the Miner rule could enhance the accuracy of fatigue life evaluation. (author)

Duloxetine in the management of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boomershine CS

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Michelle J Ormseth, Beth A Sholz, Chad S BoomershineDivision of Rheumatology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USAAbstract: Diabetic neuropathy affects up to 70% of diabetics, and diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP is the most common and debilitating of the diabetic neuropathies. DPNP significantly reduces quality of life and increases management costs in affected patients. Despite the impact of DPNP, management is poor with one-quarter of patients receiving no treatment and many treated with medications having little or no efficacy in managing DPNP. Duloxetine is one of two drugs approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for DPNP management. Duloxetine is a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI proven safe, effective, and cost-saving in reducing DPNP symptoms at a dose of 60 mg/day. Duloxetine doses greater than 60 mg/day for DPNP management are not recommended since they are no more efficacious and associated with more side effects; addition of pregabalin or gabapentin for these patients may be beneficial. Side effects of duloxetine are generally mild and typical for the SNRI class including nausea, dizziness, somnolence, fatigue, sweating, dry mouth, constipation, and diarrhea. Given its other indications, duloxetine is a particularly good choice for DPNP treatment in patients with coexisting depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia, or chronic musculoskeletal pain. Duloxetine treatment had no clinically significant effect on glycemic control and did not increase the risk of cardiovascular events in diabetes patients. However, duloxetine use should be avoided in patients with hepatic disease or severe renal impairment. Given its safety, efficacy, and tolerability, duloxetine is an excellent choice for DPNP treatment in many patients.Keywords: duloxetine, diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain, review, treatment

[Factors related to subjective fatigue symptoms of adolescent girls].

Science.gov (United States)

Ikeda, Junko; Fukuda, Sayuri; Murakami, Toshio; Kawamoto, Naoki

2011-09-01

To assess changes in subjective fatigue symptoms of adolescent girls over a 15-year period and investigate factors related to these symptoms. A total of 86 items on physical health (including subjective fatigue symptoms), dietary life, and daily living were investigated and five items on physical activity were measured for approximately 100 female first-year dietetic students at a junior college each October over the 15-year period from 1994 to 2008. A total of 1,547 students (mean age, 19.2 +/- 0.3 years) were studied. Subjects were first divided into two groups using the median subjective fatigue score as the cutoff point, and annual changes in the proportion of students in the high subjective fatigue group were investigated by simple regression analysis. In addition, relationships between the two subjective fatigue groups and each item were investigated. 1) The proportion of students with many subjective fatigue symptoms showed a significantly increasing trend over the 15-year period. 2) Investigation of relationships between subjective fatigue symptoms and each factor revealed significance for many items, including dietary habits, life satisfaction, amount of sleep, and desire for a positive body image. 3) In order to determine which of the items were most strongly related to subjective fatigue symptoms, multiple logistic regression analysis was performed for the 15-year period as well as three 5-year periods into which it was divided. The results showed that the dietary habits score (an indicator of dietary habits) and life satisfaction were related to subjective fatigue symptoms during all four periods. As for other items, relationships were observed for amount of sleep in three, diet and salt intake score in two, and liking for coffee/tea, juice drinks, and oily food, bedtime snack, desire for body image, self-assessment of body type, and health consciousness in one. These findings indicate that perspectives in education for promoting the health of

Some questions regarding the interaction of creep and fatigue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

James, L.A.

1975-04-01

Data are presented from fatigue-crack growth tests conducted on Type 304 S.S. in inert environments at elevated temperatures which show that the thermal-activation noted in similar tests run in air environments is not present in the inert environment. Similar observations from the literature are reviewed, including the observation that the time-dependency noted in tests conducted in elevated temperature air environments is also greatly suppressed in inert environments. These findings suggest that an interaction between the fatigue process and the corrosive air environments is responsible for the thermally activated time-dependent behavior often attributed to creep-fatigue interaction. Data are also presented which show that the fatigue-crack growth behavior of Type 304 S.S. subjected to significant creep damage prior to fatigue testing does not differ appreciably from the behavior of material not subjected to prior creep damage, again indicating minimal interaction between creep and fatigue. It is suggested that in the temperature range where pressure vessels and piping are generally designed to operate (i.e. below about one-half the absolute melting temperature of the alloy), the interaction between creep and fatigue is far less significant than once supposed, and that the major parameter interacting with the fatigue process is that of high-temperature corrosion. (39 references, 12 fig) (auth)

Irregular working hours and fatigue of cabin crew.

Science.gov (United States)

Castro, Marta; Carvalhais, José; Teles, Júlia

2015-01-01

Beyond workload and specific environmental factors, flight attendants can be exposed to irregular working hours, conflicting with their circadian rhythms and having a negative impact in sleep, fatigue, health, social and family life, and performance which is critical to both safety and security in flight operations. This study focuses on the irregular schedules of cabin crew as a trigger of fatigue symptoms in a wet lease Portuguese airline. The aim was to analyze: what are the requirements of the cabin crew work; whether the schedules being observed and effective resting timeouts are triggering factors of fatigue; and the existence of fatigue symptoms in the cabin crew. A questionnaire has been adapted and applied to a sample of 73 cabin crew-members (representing 61.9% of the population), 39 females and 34 males, with an average age of 27.68 ± 4.27 years. Our data indicate the presence of fatigue and corresponding health symptoms among the airline cabin crew, despite of the sample favorable characteristics. Senior workers and women are more affected. Countermeasures are required. Recommendations can be made regarding the fatigue risk management, including work organization, education and awareness training programmes and specific countermeasures.

Fatigue load reductions in co-located wind-wave arrays

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clark, Caitlyn; Velarde, Joey; Nielsen, Jannie Sønderkær

2018-01-01

As offshore wind turbines (OWTs) increase in size and are placed farther offshore, hydrodynamic loads have increased contribution to total load, resulting in fatigue limit states becoming more important to consider in structural design. Previous literature shows that placing wave energy converters...... is investigated. A method for quantifying relative sea state reductions from WECs are applied, and fully-coupled time-domain fatigue analyses are performed for a 10 MW reference offshore wind turbine. Results indicate that a single WEC and a WEC array can lead to 8% and 10% fatigue load reduction, respectively....

Fatigue in adults with post-infectious fatigue syndrome: a qualitative content analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Stormorken, Eva; Jason, Leonard A; Kirkevold, Marit

2015-01-01

Fatigue is a major problem among individuals with post-infectious fatigue syndrome (PIFS), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalomyelitis. It is a complex phenomenon that varies across illnesses. From a nursing perspective, knowledge and understanding of fatigue in this illness is limited. Nurses lack confidence in caring for these patients and devalue their professional role. The aim of this study was to explore in-depth the experiences of fatigue among individuals with PIFS. A detailed description of the phenomenon of fatigue is presented. Increased knowledge would likely contribute to more confident nurses and improved nursing care. A qualitative study with open interviews was employed. In-depth interviews with patients were fully transcribed and underwent a qualitative content analysis. A maximum variation sample of 26 affected adults between 26-59 years old was recruited from a population diagnosed at a fatigue outpatient clinic. The fatigue was a post-exertional, multidimensional, fluctuating phenomenon with varying degrees of severity and several distinct characteristics and was accompanied by concomitant symptoms. Fatigue was perceived to be an all-pervasive complex experience that substantially reduced the ability to function personally or professionally. A range of trigger mechanisms evoked or worsened the fatigue, but the affected were not always aware of what triggered it. There was an excessive increase in fatigue in response to even minor activities. An increase in fatigue resulted in the exacerbation of other concomitant symptoms. The term fatigue does not capture the participants' experiences, which are accompanied by a considerable symptom burden that contributes to the illness experience and the severe disability. Although some aspects of the fatigue experience have been reported previously, more were added in our study, such as the dimension of awakening fatigue and the characteristic beyond time, when time passes unnoticed

The Association of IFI27 Expression and Fatigue Intensification during Localized Radiation Therapy: Implication of a Para-Inflammatory Bystander Response

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Leorey N. Saligan

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The mechanisms behind fatigue intensification during cancer therapy remain elusive. The interferon alpha-inducible protein 27 (IFI27 was the most up-regulated gene based on our previous microarray data in fatigued men with non-metastatic prostate cancer receiving localized external beam radiation therapy (EBRT. The purpose of this study was to confirm the IFI27 up-regulation and determine its association with fatigue intensification during EBRT. Peripheral blood samples and fatigue scores were collected at three time points—prior to EBRT, at midpoint, and at completion of EBRT. Confirmatory quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA were utilized to verify the microarray results. Subjects were a total of 40 Caucasian men with prostate cancer; 20 scheduled for EBRT (65.6 ± 7.5 years old, and 20 on active surveillance as controls (62.8 ± 6.1 years old. Significant IFI27 expression overtime during EBRT was confirmed by qPCR (p < 0.5, which correlated with fatigue scores during EBRT (R = −0.90, p = 0.006. Alterations in mechanisms associated with immune response and mitochondrial function that explain the up-regulation of IFI27 may provide an understanding of the pathways related to the intensification of fatigue during localized radiation therapy.

Study of Driving Fatigue Alleviation by Transcutaneous Acupoints Electrical Stimulations

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Fuwang Wang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Driving fatigue is more likely to bring serious safety trouble to traffic. Therefore, accurately and rapidly detecting driving fatigue state and alleviating fatigue are particularly important. In the present work, the electrical stimulation method stimulating the Láogóng point (劳宫PC8 of human body is proposed, which is used to alleviate the mental fatigue of drivers. The wavelet packet decomposition (WPD is used to extract θ, α, and β subbands of drivers’ electroencephalogram (EEG signals. Performances of the two algorithms (θ+α/(α+β and θ/β are also assessed as possible indicators for fatigue detection. Finally, the differences between the drivers with electrical stimulation and normal driving are discussed. It is shown that stimulating the Láogóng point (劳宫PC8 using electrical stimulation method can alleviate driver fatigue effectively during longtime driving.

Study on the effect of prior fatigue and creep-fatigue damage on the fatigue and creep characteristics of 316 FR stainless steel. 2nd report. The effect of prior creep-fatigue damage on the creep and fatigue characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamauchi, Masafumi; Chuman, Yasuharu; Otani, Tomomi; Takahashi, Yukio

2001-01-01

The effect of prior creep-fatigue damage on the creep and the fatigue characteristics was studied to investigate the creep-fatigue life evaluation procedure of 316FR stainless steel. Creep and fatigue tests were conducted at 550degC by using the specimen exposed to prior creep-fatigue cycles at the same temperature and interrupted at 1/4 Nf, 1/2 Nf and 3/4 Nf cycle. The creep and fatigue strength of the pre-damaged material showed monotonic reduction with the prior creep-fatigue damage compared with the virgin material. The creep ductility also showed monotonic reduction with the prior creep-fatigue damage. These results were evaluated by the stress-based Time Fraction Rule and the strain-based Ductility Exhaustion Method. The result showed that the application of the Ductility Exhaustion Method to the creep-fatigue damage evaluation is more promising than the Time Fraction Rule. (author)

The study of indicators of bone marrow and peripheral blood of rats with diabetes and transplanted liver tumor after intravenous injection of gold nanorods

Science.gov (United States)

Dikht, Nataliya I.; Bucharskaya, Alla B.; Maslyakova, Galina N.; Terentyuk, Georgy S.; Matveeva, Olga V.; Navolokin, Nikita A.; Khlebtsov, Boris N.; Khlebtsov, Nikolai G.

2015-03-01

In study the evaluation of the influence of gold nanorods on morphological indicators of red bone marrow and peripheral blood of rats with diabetes and transplanted liver tumor after intravenous administration of gold nanorods was conducted. We used gold nanorods with length 41 ± 8 nm and diameter of 10.2±2 nm, synthesized in the laboratory of nanobiotechnology IBPPM RAS (Saratov). After intravenous administration of gold nanorods the decrease of leukocytes, platelets and lymphocytes was observed in animals of control group in blood. It was marked the decrease of the number of mature cellular elements of the leukocyte germ in bone marrow - stab neutrophils and segmented leukocytes, and the increase of immature elements- metamyelocytes, indicating the activation of leukocyte germ after nanoparticle administration. The decrease of leukocyte amount was noted in blood and the increase of cellular elements of the leukocyte germ was revealed in bone marrow, indicating the activation of leukocyte germ in rats with alloxan diabetes and transplanted tumors. The changes of morphological indicators of blood and bone marrow testify about stimulation of myelocytic sprouts of hemopoiesis in bone marrow as a result of reduction of mature cells in peripheral blood after gold nanoparticle administration.

Investigation of the effects of vanilloids in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarvaiya, Kuldeep; Goswami, Sunita

2016-10-01

To assess the effectiveness of TRPV1 modulators in animal model of Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). To assess central and peripheral behavioral activity of TRPV1 modulators. CFS was induced by forcing the rats to swim for 10min for 21 consecutive days. The rats were treated with capsaicin (TRPV1 agonist, 2.5mg/kg) and n-tert-butylcyclohexanol (TRPV1 antagonist, 10mg/kg) for 21days 30min before the exposure to stress procedure. The behavioral consequence of CFS was measured in terms of immobility time, grip strength, locomotor activity, and anxiety level using Rota rod, Actophotometer, and Elevated plus maze model respectively. The other parameters include Plasma corticosterone, adrenal gland and spleen weight, complete blood count, blood urea niterogen (BUN), Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Lipid peroxidation, catalase and reduced glutathione (GSH). TRPV1 modulators reversed (pchronic fatigue syndrome. The mechanism of action can be attributed to inhibition of TRPV1 channel and thereby modulating pain perception, neuroendocrine function, oxidative stress and immune function. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fatigue processes in thermoplastic fibres; Les mecanismes de fatigue dans les fibres thermoplastiques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herrera Ramirez, J.M.

2004-09-15

The present study examines and compares the behaviour of the two types of PA66 fibres and two types of PET fibres under fatigue loading up to failure, and the correlation between the fibres (nano)structures and their structural heterogeneities, with fatigue lifetimes. Several techniques have been used to analyze the materials, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), microanalysis (EDS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and micro-Raman spectroscopy. A meticulous analysis by scanning electron microscopy of the fracture morphology of fibres broken in tension and in fatigue, as well as a study of the fatigue life, were undertaken. The fatigue process occurs when the cyclic load amplitude is sufficiently large, however a condition for fatigue failure is that the minimum load each cycle must be lower than a threshold stress level. Failure under fatigue conditions leads to distinctive fracture morphologies which are very different from those seen after tensile or creep failure and this allows easy identification of the fatigue process. The fibres have been analyzed in the as received state and after fatigue failure in order to observe the microstructural changes resulting from the fatigue loading. The results will be compared with those obtained for fibres loaded under conditions where the fatigue process was hindered. The role of the microstructure of the fibres in determining fatigue will be discussed in this work and the possibility of improving their resistance to fatigue or eliminating the fatigue process will be discussed. (author)

[Chronic fatigue syndrome--exercise and physical activity].

Science.gov (United States)

Greenberg, Shai; Frid, Mordechai

2006-04-01

One of the major symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is reduced exercise and functional capacity and increased fatigue symptoms following physical effort. A review of the literature indicates that patients that suffer from CFS are characterized by: low aerobic capacity, higher heart rate during sub-maximal exercise, higher subjective effort prescription, reduced muscle strength, and prolonged recovery period. Although several symptoms are a result of lack of physical activity, several mechanisms were suggested to explain those symptoms: pathological heart rate control, reduced aerobic metabolic capacity, reduced blood supply to the working muscles and nerve system dysfunction. Participating in guided exercise programs was found to be the most effective treatment in improving exercise and functional capacity, reducing fatigue syndromes and improving patients' daily function.

Very high cycle fatigue testing of concrete using ultrasonic cycling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karr, Ulrike; Schuller, Reinhard; Fitzka, Michael; Mayer, Herwig [Univ. of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (Austria). Inst. of Physics and Materials Science; Denk, Andreas; Strauss, Alfred [Univ. of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (Austria)

2017-06-01

The ultrasonic fatigue testing method has been further developed to perform cyclic compression tests with concrete. Cylindrical specimens vibrate in resonance at a frequency of approximately 20 kHz with superimposed compressive static loads. The high testing frequency allows time-saving investigations in the very high cycle fatigue regime. Fatigue tests were carried out on ''Concrete 1'' (compressive strength f{sub c} = 80 MPa) and ''Concrete 2'' (f{sub c} = 107 MPa) under purely compressive loading conditions. Experiments at maximum compressive stresses of 0.44 f{sub c} (Concrete 1) and 0.38 f{sub c} (Concrete 2) delivered specimen failures above 109 cycles, indicating that no fatigue limit exists for concrete below one billion load cycles. Resonance frequency, power required to resonate the specimen and second order harmonics of the vibration are used to monitor fatigue damage in situ. Specimens were scanned by X-ray computed tomography prior to and after testing. Fatigue cracks were produced by ultrasonic cycling in the very high cycle fatigue regime at interfaces of grains as well as in cement. The possibilities as well as limitations of ultrasonic fatigue testing of concrete are discussed.

Digital interface for bi-directional communication between a computer and a peripheral device

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, H. H., Jr. (Inventor); Franklin, C. R.

1984-01-01

For transmission of data from the computer to the peripheral, the computer initially clears a flipflop which provides a select signal to a multiplexer. A data available signal or data strobe signal is produced while tht data is being provided to the interface. Setting of the flipflop causes a gate to provide to the peripherial a signal indicating that the interface has data available for transmission. The peripheral provides an acknowledge or strobe signal to transfer the data to the peripheral. For transmission of data from the peripheral to the computer, the computer presents the initially cleared flipflop. A data request signal from the peripheral indicates that the peripheral has data available for transmission to the computer. An acknowledge signal indicates that the interface is ready to receive data from the peripheral and to strobe that data into the interface.

Side Effects: Fatigue

Science.gov (United States)

Fatigue is a common side effect of many cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and surgery. Anemia and pain can also cause fatigue. Learn about symptoms and way to manage fatigue.

A review on fatigue life prediction methods for anti-vibration rubber materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoli WANG

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Anti-vibration rubber, because of its superior elasticity, plasticity, waterproof and trapping characteristics, is widely used in the automotive industry, national defense, construction and other fields. The theory and technology of predicting fatigue life is of great significance to improve the durability design and manufacturing of anti-vibration rubber products. According to the characteristics of the anti-vibration rubber products in service, the technical difficulties for analyzing fatigue properties of anti-vibration rubber materials are pointed out. The research progress of the fatigue properties of rubber materials is reviewed from three angles including methods of fatigue crack initiation, fatigue crack propagation and fatigue damage accumulation. It is put forward that some nonlinear characteristics of rubber under fatigue loading, including the Mullins effect, permanent deformation and cyclic stress softening, should be considered in the further study of rubber materials. Meanwhile, it is indicated that the fatigue damage accumulation method based on continuum damage mechanics might be more appropriate to solve fatigue damage and life prediction problems for complex rubber materials and structures under fatigue loading.

A randomized controlled trial of qigong exercise on fatigue symptoms, functioning, and telomerase activity in persons with chronic fatigue or chronic fatigue syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Rainbow T H; Chan, Jessie S M; Wang, Chong-Wen; Lau, Benson W M; So, Kwok Fai; Yuen, Li Ping; Sham, Jonathan S T; Chan, Cecilia L W

2012-10-01

Chronic fatigue is common in the general population. Complementary therapies are often used by patients with chronic fatigue or chronic fatigue syndrome to manage their symptoms. This study aimed to assess the effect of a 4-month qigong intervention program among patients with chronic fatigue or chronic fatigue syndrome. Sixty-four participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a wait list control group. Outcome measures included fatigue symptoms, physical functioning, mental functioning, and telomerase activity. Fatigue symptoms and mental functioning were significantly improved in the qigong group compared to controls. Telomerase activity increased in the qigong group from 0.102 to 0.178 arbitrary units (p chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Random non-proportional fatigue tests with planar tri-axial fatigue testing machine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Inoue

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Complex stresses, which occur on the mechanical surfaces of transport machinery in service, bring a drastic degradation in fatigue life. However, it is hard to reproduce such complex stress states for evaluating the fatigue life with conventional multiaxial fatigue machines. We have developed a fatigue testing machine that enables reproduction of such complex stresses. The testing machine can reproduce arbitrary in-plane stress states by applying three independent loads to the test specimen using actuators which apply loads in the 0, 45, and 90 degree directions. The reproduction was tested with complex stress data obtained from the actual operation of transport machinery. As a result, it was found that the reproduced stress corresponded to the measured stress with an error range of less than 10 %. Then, we made a comparison between measured fatigue lives under random non-proportional loading conditions and predicted fatigue lives. It was found that predicted fatigue lives with cr, stress on critical plane, were over a factor of 10 against measured fatigue lives. On the other hand, predicted fatigue lives with ma, stress in consideration of a non-proportional level evaluated by using amplitude and direction of principal stress, were within a factor of 3 against measured fatigue lives

An overview of fatigue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mc Evily, A.J.

1987-01-01

Four topics are briefly discussed in this paper: fatigue crack initiation and growth in a nickel-base superalloy single crystal, the environment effect on near-threshold fatigue crack growth behaviour, the role of crack closure in load-interaction effects in fatigue crack growth, and the nature of creep-fatigue interactions, if any, during fatigue crack growth. (Author)

Psychiatric caregiver stress: clinical implications of compassion fatigue.

Science.gov (United States)

Franza, Francesco; Del Buono, Gianfranco; Pellegrino, Ferdinando

2015-09-01

The capacity to work productively is a key component of health and emotional well-being. People who work in health care can be exposed to the fatigue of care. Compassion fatigue has been described as an occupational hazard specific to clinical work related severe emotional distress. In our study, we have evaluated compassion fatigue in a mental health group (47 psychiatric staff) and its relationship with inpatients (237 inpatients) affected by some psychiatric disorders. At baseline, the more significant data indicate a high percentage of Job Burnout and Compassion Fatigue in psychiatric nurses (respectively, 39.28%, 28.57%). Significant Compassion Fatigue percentage is present also in psychologist group (36.36%). Finally, in psychiatrists, the exposure to patients increased vicarious trauma (28.57%), but not job burnout. After a year of participation in Balint Groups, the psychiatric staff presented an overall reduction in total mean score in any administered scale (CBI: pfatigue causes concern among mental health professionals, and Balint Groups may represent a therapeutic strategy to help health professionals to face difficulties in challenging work environments.

Fatigue with HIV/AIDS

Science.gov (United States)

... 21, 2014 Select a Language: Fact Sheet 551 Fatigue WHAT IS FATIGUE? IS FATIGUE IMPORTANT? HOW DO ... It can be physical or psychological. With physical fatigue , your muscles cannot do things as easily as ...

Enhancing nuclear power plant safety via on-site mental fatigue management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tsai Ming-Kuan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Nuclear incidents and accidents have occurred at various nuclear power plants. Since some of these incidents and accidents caused by human errors might be preventable, numerous researchers argue that fatigue management for on-site workers is the key, especially for mental fatigue. Thus, this study proposes an approach consisting of two mechanisms. A fatigue monitor could identify the mentally fatigued workers by detecting their brain wave rhythms through a brain-computer interface. For such workers, a fatigue alert would awaken them. If the status of the mentally fatigued workers becomes worse, based on a positioning technique (i.e., wireless networks, this mechanism would alert the nearby workers and managers to deal with this condition. The test results indicate that the proposed approach enhanced the capacity to examine the mentally fatigued workers, ensured the accuracy in locating these workers, and avoided possible nuclear incidents. This study is a useful reference for similar applications in the nuclear industry.

Evidence for sensitized fatigue pathways in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Staud, Roland; Mokthech, Meriem; Price, Donald D; Robinson, Michael E

2015-04-01

Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) frequently demonstrate intolerance to physical exertion that is often reported as increased and long-lasting fatigue. Because no specific metabolic alterations have been identified in CFS patients, we hypothesized that sensitized fatigue pathways become activated during exercise corresponding with increased fatigue. After exhausting handgrip exercise, muscle metabolites were trapped in the forearm tissues of 39 CFS patients and 29 normal control (NC) by sudden occlusion for up to 5 minutes. A nonocclusive condition of similar duration was used as control. Repeated fatigue and pain ratings were obtained before and after exercise. Mechanical and heat hyperalgesia were assessed by quantitative sensory testing. All subjects fulfilled the 1994 Fukuda Criteria for CFS. Normal control and CFS subjects exercised for 6.6 (2.4) and 7.0 (2.7) minutes (P > 0.05). Forearm occlusion lasted for 4.7 (1.3) and 4.9 (1.8) minutes in NC and CFS subjects, respectively (P > 0.05). Although fatigue ratings of CFS subjects increased from 4.8 (2.0) to 5.6 (2.1) visual analogue scale (VAS) units during forearm occlusion, they decreased from 5.0 (1.8) to 4.8 (2.0) VAS units during the control condition without occlusion (P = 0.04). A similar time course of fatigue ratings was observed in NC (P > 0.05), although their ratings were significantly lower than those of CFS subjects (P fatigue in CFS patients consistent with sensitization of fatigue pathways. Future interventions that reduce sensitization of fatigue pathways in CFS patients may be of therapeutic benefit.

[Analysis of the Muscle Fatigue Based on Band Spectrum Entropy of Multi-channel Surface Electromyography].

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jian; Zou, Renling; Zhang, Dongheng; Xu, Xiulin; Hu, Xiufang

2016-06-01

Exercise-induced muscle fatigue is a phenomenon that the maximum voluntary contraction force or power output of muscle is temporarily reduced due to muscular movement.If the fatigue is not treated properly,it will bring about a severe injury to the human body.With multi-channel collection of lower limb surface electromyography signals,this article analyzes the muscle fatigue by adoption of band spectrum entropy method which combined electromyographic signal spectral analysis and nonlinear dynamics.The experimental result indicated that with the increase of muscle fatigue,muscle signal spectrum began to move to low frequency,the energy concentrated,the system complexity came down,and the band spectrum entropy which reflected the complexity was also reduced.By monitoring the entropy,we can measure the degree of muscle fatigue,and provide an indicator to judge fatigue degree for the sports training and clinical rehabilitation training.

Peripheral T-cell lymphoma with unusual clinical presentation of rhabdomyolysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhiyu; Medeiros, L Jeffrey; Young, Ken H

2017-03-01

Primary extranodal lymphoma is known to occur in nose, gastrointestinal tract, skin, bone, and central nervous system. However, it is extremely rare for primary lymphoma to arise in skeletal muscle. We report a case of a 32-year-old man who presented initially with fever and fatigue. He had a history of alcohol abuse. Laboratory studies and computerized tomography scan showed results consistent with rhabdomyolysis, but the cause of the rhabdomyolysis was undetermined. After biopsy of abdominal skeletal muscle with histologic examination and T-cell receptor gamma chain gene rearrangement analysis, the diagnosis of peripheral T-cell lymphoma was established. After two cycles of the cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone, and etoposide regimen, the patient's symptoms greatly improved. This is the third reported case of peripheral T-cell lymphoma arising in skeletal muscle reported in the literature and which presented clinically with rhabdomyolysis. The alcohol abuse during the clinical course likely worsens the pathologic process of the rhabdomyolysis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Investigation of the effect of vacuum environment on the fatigue and fracture behavior of 7075-T6.

Science.gov (United States)

Hudson, C. M.

1972-01-01

Axial-load fatigue-life, fatigue-crack propagation, and fracture-toughness experiments were conducted on sheet specimens made of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy. These experiments were conducted at air pressures ranging from 101 kN/sq m to 7 micronewtons/sq m to determine the effect of air pressure on fatigue behavior. Analysis of the results from the fatigue-life experiments indicated that for a given stress level, the lower the air pressure was the longer the fatigue life. At a pressure of 7 micronewtons/sq m, fatigue lives were 15 to 30 times longer than at 101 kN/sq m. Analysis of the results from the fatigue-crack-growth experiments indicates that at low values of stress-intensity range, the fatigue-crack-growth rates were approximately twice as high at atmospheric pressure as in vacuum. However, at higher values of stress-intensity range, the fatigue-crack-growth rates were nominally the same in vacuum and at atmospheric pressure.

An evaluation on fatigue crack growth in a fine-grained isotropic graphite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Hongtao; Sun Libin [Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Li Chenfeng [College of Engineering, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP (United Kingdom); Shi Li [Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Wang Haitao, E-mail: wanght@tsinghua.edu.cn [Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2012-09-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The propagation of micro- and macro-fatigue cracks in IG-11 graphite was studied. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The curves of the fatigue crack growth rate versus the SIF range show three stages. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The fatigue microcrack propagation is very sensitive to graphite's microstructures. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Graphite's microstructures have no significant impact on fatigue macrocrack growth. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The fatigue fracture surface indicates the fracture mechanism of the IG-11 graphite. - Abstract: The aim of this paper is to investigate the mechanism of fatigue crack propagation in IG-11 graphite, and determine the crack growth rate in relation to the stress level. Experimental studies were performed at both micro and macro scales. For fatigue microcrack propagation, single-edge-notch specimens were chosen for testing and the fatigue crack growth was measured in situ with a scanning electron microscope. For fatigue macrocrack propagation, CT specimens were used and the fatigue crack growth was measured with a high-accuracy optic microscope. Combining the two groups of experimental results, the following conclusions are derived: (1) The heterogeneous microstructures of the graphite material have significant impact on the fatigue microcrack growth, while their influence on fatigue macrocrack growth is very limited. (2) The relationship between the fatigue crack growth rate and the crack-tip stress intensity factor range can be expressed in the form of Paris formulae, which contains three stages: an initial rising part with a small slope, an abrupt rise with a very large acceleration, and a short final part with a small slope. (3) The fatigue fracture surface of the graphite material contains considerable sliding of leaf-shape graphite flakes combined with small cotton-shape plastic deformations. These sliding traces are approximately aligned at 45 Degree-Sign , showing the

Blood-Borne Markers of Fatigue in Competitive Athletes – Results from Simulated Training Camps

Science.gov (United States)

Hecksteden, Anne; Skorski, Sabrina; Schwindling, Sascha; Hammes, Daniel; Pfeiffer, Mark; Kellmann, Michael; Ferrauti, Alexander; Meyer, Tim

2016-01-01

Assessing current fatigue of athletes to fine-tune training prescriptions is a critical task in competitive sports. Blood-borne surrogate markers are widely used despite the scarcity of validation trials with representative subjects and interventions. Moreover, differences between training modes and disciplines (e.g. due to differences in eccentric force production or calorie turnover) have rarely been studied within a consistent design. Therefore, we investigated blood-borne fatigue markers during and after discipline-specific simulated training camps. A comprehensive panel of blood-born indicators was measured in 73 competitive athletes (28 cyclists, 22 team sports, 23 strength) at 3 time-points: after a run-in resting phase (d 1), after a 6-day induction of fatigue (d 8) and following a subsequent 2-day recovery period (d 11). Venous blood samples were collected between 8 and 10 a.m. Courses of blood-borne indicators are considered as fatigue dependent if a significant deviation from baseline is present at day 8 (Δfatigue) which significantly regresses towards baseline until day 11 (Δrecovery). With cycling, a fatigue dependent course was observed for creatine kinase (CK; Δfatigue 54±84 U/l; Δrecovery -60±83 U/l), urea (Δfatigue 11±9 mg/dl; Δrecovery -10±10 mg/dl), free testosterone (Δfatigue -1.3±2.1 pg/ml; Δrecovery 0.8±1.5 pg/ml) and insulin linke growth factor 1 (IGF-1; Δfatigue -56±28 ng/ml; Δrecovery 53±29 ng/ml). For urea and IGF-1 95% confidence intervals for days 1 and 11 did not overlap with day 8. With strength and high-intensity interval training, respectively, fatigue-dependent courses and separated 95% confidence intervals were present for CK (strength: Δfatigue 582±649 U/l; Δrecovery -618±419 U/l; HIIT: Δfatigue 863±952 U/l; Δrecovery -741±842 U/l) only. These results indicate that, within a comprehensive panel of blood-borne markers, changes in fatigue are most accurately reflected by urea and IGF-1 for cycling and by CK

Peripheral neuropathy

Science.gov (United States)

... peripheral; Neuritis - peripheral; Nerve disease; Polyneuropathy; Chronic pain - peripheral neuropathy ... Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 107. Shy ME. Peripheral neuropathies. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman's Cecil ...

Experimental study on visual detection for fatigue of fixed-position staff.

Science.gov (United States)

Nie, Baisheng; Huang, Xin; Chen, Yang; Li, Anjin; Zhang, Ruming; Huang, Jinxin

2017-11-01

Fatigue can lead to decreased work performance and poorer safety and health condition. Fatigue is ubiquitous in production and in life, while the research on it is mainly concentrated in the automotive driving, aircraft piloting and other fields, and it is insufficient to study on the fatigue of fixed-position staff. This paper puts forward a non-contact visual image method, which can monitor the extent of fatigue of fixed-position staff. Fatigue threshold used in judgment is obtained by processing the recorded data of visual images of the experimental subjects when fatiguing and by analyzing eye closure time, percentage of eyelid closure (PERCLOS) value, frequency and number of blinks. The results show that there is significant difference among the four indicators before and after experiment subjects undergo fatigue. The fatigue of experimental subjects is obvious when eye closure time is 3.5 s/min, PERCLOS value 6%, and blink frequency 0.4 times/s. This provides a reference for a wider range of detection of fatigue and a method for avoiding mistakes and accidents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reduced Electromyographic Fatigue Threshold after Performing a Cognitive Fatiguing Task.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferris, Justine R; Tomlinson, Mary A; Ward, Tayler N; Pepin, Marie E; Malek, Moh H

2018-02-22

Cognitive fatigue tasks performed prior to exercise may reduce exercise capacity. The electromyographic fatigue threshold (EMGFT) is the highest exercise intensity that can be maintained without significant increase in the EMG amplitude versus time relationship. To date, no studies have examined the effect of cognitive fatigue on the estimation of the EMGFT. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to determine whether or not cognitive fatigue prior to performing exercise reduces the estimated EMGFT. Eight healthy college-aged men were recruited from a university student population and visited the laboratory on multiple occasions. In a randomized order, subjects performed either the cognitive fatigue task (AX Continuous Performance Test; AX-CPT) for 60 min on one visit (experimental condition) or watched a video on trains for 60 min on the other visit (control condition). After each condition, subjects performed the incremental single-leg knee-extensor ergometry test while the EMG amplitude was recorded from the rectus femoris muscle and heart rate was monitored throughout. Thereafter, the EMGFT was calculated for each participant for each visit and compared using paired samples t-test. For exercise outcomes, there were no significant mean differences for maximal power output between the two conditions (control: 51 ± 5 vs. fatigue: 50 ± 3 W), but a significant decrease in EMGFT between the two conditions (control: 31 ± 3 vs. fatigue: 24 ± 2 W; p = 0.013). Moreover, maximal heart rate was significantly different between the two conditions (control: 151 ± 5 vs. fatigue: 132 ± 6; p = 0.027). These results suggest that performing the cognitive fatiguing task reduces the EMGFT with a corresponding reduction in maximal heart rate response.

The role of peripheral vision in implicit contextual cuing.

Science.gov (United States)

van Asselen, Marieke; Castelo-Branco, Miguel

2009-01-01

Implicit contextual cuing refers to the ability to learn the association between contextual information of our environment and a specific target, which can be used to guide attention during visual search. It was recently suggested that the storage of a snapshot image of the local context of a target underlies implicit contextual cuing. To make such a snapshot, it is necessary to use peripheral vision. In order to test whether peripheral vision can underlie implicit contextual cuing, we used a covert visual search task, in which participants were required to indicate the orientation of a target stimulus while foveating a fixation cross. The response times were shorter when the configuration of the stimuli was repeated than when the configuration was new. Importantly, this effect was still found after 10 days, indicating that peripherally perceived spatial context information can be stored in memory for long periods of time. These results indicate that peripheral vision can be used to make a snapshot of the local context of a target.

Investigation of mental fatigue through EEG signal processing based on nonlinear analysis: Symbolic dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azarnoosh, Mahdi; Motie Nasrabadi, Ali; Mohammadi, Mohammad Reza; Firoozabadi, Mohammad

2011-01-01

Highlights: Mental fatigue indices’ variation discussed during simple long-term attentive task. Symbolic dynamics of reaction time and EEG signal determine mental state variation. Nonlinear quantifiers such as entropy can display chaotic behaviors of the brain. Frontal and central lobes of the brain are effective in attention investigations. Mental fatigue causes a reduction in the complexity of the brain’s activity. Abstract: To investigate nonlinear analysis of attention physiological indices this study used a simple repetitive attentive task in four consecutive trials that resulted in mental fatigue. Traditional performance indices, such as reaction time, error responses, and EEG signals, were simultaneously recorded to evaluate differences between the trials. Performance indices analysis demonstrated that a selected task leads to mental fatigue. In addition, the study aimed to find a method to determine mental fatigue based on nonlinear analysis of EEG signals. Symbolic dynamics was selected as a qualitative method used to extract some quantitative qualifiers such as entropy. This method was executed on the reaction time of responses, and EEG signals to distinguish mental states. The results revealed that nonlinear analysis of reaction time, and EEG signals of the frontal and central lobes of the brain could differentiate between attention, and occurrence of mental fatigue in trials. In addition, the trend of entropy variation displayed a reduction in the complexity of mental activity as fatigue occurred.

The Nature of Self-Regulatory Fatigue and "Ego Depletion": Lessons From Physical Fatigue.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Daniel R; Boggero, Ian A; Segerstrom, Suzanne C

2015-07-30

Self-regulation requires overriding a dominant response and leads to temporary self-regulatory fatigue. Existing theories of the nature and causes of self-regulatory fatigue highlight physiological substrates such as glucose, or psychological processes such as motivation, but these explanations are incomplete on their own. Historically, theories of physical fatigue demonstrate a similar pattern of useful but incomplete explanations, as recent views of physical fatigue emphasize the roles of both physiological and psychological factors. In addition to accounting for multiple inputs, these newer views also explain how fatigue can occur even in the presence of sufficient resources. Examining these newer theories of physical fatigue can serve as a foundation on which to build a more comprehensive understanding of self-regulatory fatigue that integrates possible neurobiological underpinnings of physical and self-regulatory fatigue, and suggests the possible function of self-regulatory fatigue. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Attentional and visual demands for sprint performance in non-fatigued and fatigued conditions: reliability of a repeated sprint test

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diercks Ron L

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Physical performance measures are widely used to assess physical function, providing information about physiological and biomechanical aspects of motor performance. However they do not provide insight into the attentional and visual demands for motor performance. A figure-of-eight sprint test was therefore developed to measure the attentional and visual demands for repeated-sprint performance. The aims of the study were: 1 to assess test-retest reliability of the figure-of-eight sprint test, and 2 to study the attentional and visual demands for sprint performance in a non-fatigued and fatigued condition. Methods Twenty-seven healthy athletes were included in the study. To determine test-retest reliability, a subgroup of 19 athletes performed the figure-of-eight sprint test twice. The figure-of-eight sprint test consisted of nine 30-second sprints. The sprint test consisted of three test parts: sprinting without any restriction, with an attention-demanding task, and with restricted vision. Increases in sprint times with the attention-demanding task or restricted vision are reflective of the attentional and visual demands for sprinting. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs and mean difference between test and retest with 95% confidence limits (CL were used to assess test-retest reliability. Repeated-measures ANOVA were used for comparisons between the sprint times and fatigue measurements of the test parts in both a non-fatigued and fatigued condition. Results The figure-of-eight sprint test showed good test-retest reliability, with ICCs ranging from 0.75 to 0.94 (95% CL: 0.40-0.98. Zero lay within the 95% CL of the mean differences, indicating that no bias existed between sprint performance at test and retest. Sprint times during the test parts with attention-demanding task (P = 0.01 and restricted vision (P Conclusions High ICCs and the absence of systematic variation indicate good test-retest reliability of the figure

Devices for fatigue testing of electroplated nickel (MEMS)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Kristian Pontoppidan; Ravnkilde, J. T.; Ginnerup, Morten

2002-01-01

μm and an effective length from 4μm to 27μm. Maximum stresses of the test beam were calculated to be 500MPa to 2100MPa by use of FEM tools. The test results indicate very promising fatigue properties of nano-nickel, as none of the test devices have shown fatigue failure or even initiation of cracks......In-situ fatigue test devices with integrated electrostatic actuator were fabricated in electroplated nanocrystalline nickel (nano-nickel). The devices feature in-plane approximately pure bending with fixed displacement of the test specimen of the dimensions: widths from 2μm to 3.7μm, a height of 7...... after 108 cycles. The combination of high strength and toughness, which is known for nanocrystalline materials, together with very small test specimens and low surface roughness could be the explanation for the good fatigue properties....

An exploration of the relationship between fatigue and physical functioning in patients with end stage renal disease receiving haemodialysis.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Sullivan, Dawn; McCarthy, Geraldine

2007-11-01

To measure fatigue and physical functioning in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) receiving haemodialysis and to investigate the relationships between fatigue and physical functioning. Fatigue and reduced physical functioning are among the most bothersome symptoms experienced by individuals receiving haemodialysis for ESRD. Research has shown that increasing activity levels has resulted in decreased fatigue levels and improved physical functioning in individuals with cancer. Establishing whether or not a relationship exists between both concepts in haemodialysis patients is a preliminary step in identifying potential fatigue reducing strategies necessary for improved wellbeing. A quantitative exploratory correlational design was used with 46 individuals completing the Multi-dimensional Fatigue Inventory, the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36-item questionnaire and a Demographic Questionnaire. Results indicated fatigue was prevalent with highest scores achieved for physical fatigue; reduced activity and general fatigue. Substantial limitations in physical functioning were found. A significant moderate negative relationship between general fatigue and physical functioning indicated that, as physical functioning levels increased, fatigue levels decreased. A significant difference was also found between general fatigue scores for males and females. Significant relationships were found between overall physical functioning, older age and employment status. The research indicates the prevalence of fatigue and limitations in physical functioning in individuals with ESRD. However, as physical functioning increased fatigue decreased; a finding relevant to clinical nursing. Understanding the levels of fatigue and the value of exercise is of relevance to clinical practice thus assessment of fatigue and physical functioning ability in the clinical setting is necessary.

Anti-hypotensive treatment and endothelin blockade synergistically antagonize exercise fatigue in rats under simulated high altitude.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Radiloff

Full Text Available Rapid ascent to high altitude causes illness and fatigue, and there is a demand for effective acute treatments to alleviate such effects. We hypothesized that increased oxygen delivery to the tissue using a combination of a hypertensive agent and an endothelin receptor A antagonist drugs would limit exercise-induced fatigue at simulated high altitude. Our data showed that the combination of 0.1 mg/kg ambrisentan with either 20 mg/kg ephedrine or 10 mg/kg methylphenidate significantly improved exercise duration in rats at simulated altitude of 4,267 m, whereas the individual compounds did not. In normoxic, anesthetized rats, ephedrine alone and in combination with ambrisentan increased heart rate, peripheral blood flow, carotid and pulmonary arterial pressures, breathing rate, and vastus lateralis muscle oxygenation, but under inspired hypoxia, only the combination treatment significantly enhanced muscle oxygenation. Our results suggest that sympathomimetic agents combined with endothelin-A receptor blockers offset altitude-induced fatigue in rats by synergistically increasing the delivery rate of oxygen to hypoxic muscle by concomitantly augmenting perfusion pressure and improving capillary conductance in the skeletal muscle. Our findings might therefore serve as a basis to develop an effective treatment to prevent high-altitude illness and fatigue in humans.

Continuous fatigue crack monitoring of bridges: Long-Term Electrochemical Fatigue Sensor (LTEFS)

Science.gov (United States)

Moshier, Monty A.; Nelson, Levi; Brinkerhoff, Ryan; Miceli, Marybeth

2016-04-01

Fatigue cracks in steel bridges degrade the load-carrying capacity of these structures. Fatigue damage accumulation caused by the repetitive loading of everyday truck traffic can cause small fatigue cracks initiate. Understanding the growth of these fatigue cracks is critical to the safety and reliability of our transportation infrastructure. However, modeling fatigue in bridges is difficult due to the nature of the loading and variations in connection integrity. When fatigue cracks reach critical lengths failures occur causing partial or full closures, emergency repairs, and even full structural failure. Given the aging US highway and the trend towards asset management and life extension, the need for reliable, cost effective sensors and monitoring technologies to alert bridge owners when fatigue cracks are growing is higher than ever. In this study, an innovative Long-Term Electrochemical Fatigue Sensor (LTEFS) has been developed and introduced to meet the growing NDT marketplace demand for sensors that have the ability to continuously monitor fatigue cracks. The performance of the LTEFS has been studied in the laboratory and in the field. Data was collected using machined specimens with different lengths of naturally initiated fatigue cracks, applied stress levels, applied stress ratios, and for both sinusoidal and real-life bridge spectrum type loading. The laboratory data was evaluated and used to develop an empirically based algorithm used for crack detection. Additionally, beta-tests on a real bridge structure has been completed. These studies have conclusively demonstrated that LTEFS holds great potential for long-term monitoring of fatigue cracks in steel structures

Fatigue Perceived by Multiple Sclerosis Patients Is Associated With Muscle Fatigue

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steens, Anneke; de Vries, Astrid; Hemmen, Jolien; Heersema, Thea; Heerings, Marco; Maurits, Natasha; Zijdewind, Inge

Background. Fatigue is a debilitating symptom in multiple sclerosis (MS). Previous studies showed no association between fatigue as perceived by the patient and physiological measures of fatigability. Objective. The authors investigated associations between perceived fatigue and measures of

Cumulative fatigue and creep-fatigue damage at 3500C on recrystallized zircaloy 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brun, G.; Pelchat, J.; Floze, J.C.; Galimberti, M.

1985-06-01

An experimental programme undertaken by C.E.A., E.D.F. and FRAGEMA with the aim of characterizing the fatigue and creep fatigue behaviour of zircaloy-4 following annealing treatments (recrystallized, stress-delived) is in progress. The results given below concern only recrystallized material. Cyclic properties, low-cycle fatigue curves and creep behaviour laws under stresses have been established. Sequential tests of pure fatigue and creep-fatigue were performed. The cumulative life fractions at fracture depend on the sequence of leading, stress history and number of cycles of prestressing. The MINER's rule appears to be conservative with regard to a low-high loading sequence whereas it is not for the reverse high-low loading sequences. Fatigue and creep damage are not interchangeable. Pre-creep improves the fatigue resistance. Pre-fatigue improves the creep strength as long as the beneficial effect of cyclic hardening overcomes the damaging effect of surface cracking. The introduction of a tension hold time into the fatigue cycle slightly increases cyclic hardening and reduces the number of cycles to failure. For hold times of less than one hour, the sum of fatigue and creep life fractions is closed to one

Fecal metagenomic profiles in subgroups of patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagy-Szakal, Dorottya; Williams, Brent L; Mishra, Nischay; Che, Xiaoyu; Lee, Bohyun; Bateman, Lucinda; Klimas, Nancy G; Komaroff, Anthony L; Levine, Susan; Montoya, Jose G; Peterson, Daniel L; Ramanan, Devi; Jain, Komal; Eddy, Meredith L; Hornig, Mady; Lipkin, W Ian

2017-04-26

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is characterized by unexplained persistent fatigue, commonly accompanied by cognitive dysfunction, sleeping disturbances, orthostatic intolerance, fever, lymphadenopathy, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The extent to which the gastrointestinal microbiome and peripheral inflammation are associated with ME/CFS remains unclear. We pursued rigorous clinical characterization, fecal bacterial metagenomics, and plasma immune molecule analyses in 50 ME/CFS patients and 50 healthy controls frequency-matched for age, sex, race/ethnicity, geographic site, and season of sampling. Topological analysis revealed associations between IBS co-morbidity, body mass index, fecal bacterial composition, and bacterial metabolic pathways but not plasma immune molecules. IBS co-morbidity was the strongest driving factor in the separation of topological networks based on bacterial profiles and metabolic pathways. Predictive selection models based on bacterial profiles supported findings from topological analyses indicating that ME/CFS subgroups, defined by IBS status, could be distinguished from control subjects with high predictive accuracy. Bacterial taxa predictive of ME/CFS patients with IBS were distinct from taxa associated with ME/CFS patients without IBS. Increased abundance of unclassified Alistipes and decreased Faecalibacterium emerged as the top biomarkers of ME/CFS with IBS; while increased unclassified Bacteroides abundance and decreased Bacteroides vulgatus were the top biomarkers of ME/CFS without IBS. Despite findings of differences in bacterial taxa and metabolic pathways defining ME/CFS subgroups, decreased metabolic pathways associated with unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis and increased atrazine degradation pathways were independent of IBS co-morbidity. Increased vitamin B6 biosynthesis/salvage and pyrimidine ribonucleoside degradation were the top metabolic pathways in ME/CFS without IBS as well as in the

Fatigue and creep-fatigue in sodium of 316 L stainless-steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ardellier, A.

1981-03-01

The present paper describes test-facility developed to perform low-cycle fatigue and creep-fatigue interaction in sodium on stainless steel - 316 L . Fatigue life in sodium and in air are compared. A beneficial effect in sodium is noted

Multi-scale analysis of the fatigue of shape memory alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, Lin

2016-01-01

Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) is a typical smart material having many applications from aerospace industry, mechanical and civil engineering, to biomedical devices, where the material's fatigue is a big concern. One of the challenging issues in studying the fatigue behaviors of SMA polycrystals is the interaction between the material damage and the martensitic phase transformation which takes place in a macroscopic homogeneous mode or a heterogeneous mode (forming macroscopic patterns (Luders-like bands) due to the localized deformations and localized heating/cooling). Such pattern formation and evolution imply the governing physical mechanisms in the material system such as the fatigue process, but there is still no fatigue study of SMAs by tracing the macro-band patterns and the local material responses. To bridge this gap, systematic tensile fatigue experiments are conducted on pseudo-elastic NiTi polycrystalline strips by in-situ optical observation on the band-pattern evolutions and by tracing the deformation history of the cyclic phase transformation zones where fatigue failure occurs. These experimental results help to better understand the stress- and frequency-dependent fatigue behaviors. Particularly, it is found that the local residual strain rather than the structural nominal/global residual strain is a good indicator on the material's damage leading to the fatigue failure, which is important for understanding and modeling the fatigue process in SMAs. (author)

Seismic ratchet-fatigue failure of piping systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Severud, L.K.; Anderson, M.J.; Lindquist, M.R.; Weiner, E.O.

1987-01-01

Failures of piping systems during earthquakes have been rare. Those that have failed were either made of brittle material such as cast iron, were rigid systems between major components where component relative seismic motions tore the pipe out of the component, or were high pressure systems where a ratchet-fatigue fracture followed a local bulging of the pipe diameter. Tests to failure of an unpressurized 3-inch and a pressurized 6-inch diameter carbon steel nuclear pipe systems subjected to high-level shaking have been accomplished. The high-level shaking loads needed to cause failure were much higher than ASME Code rules would permit with present design limits. Failure analyses of these tests are presented and correlated to the test results. It was found that failure of the unpressurized system could be correlated well with standard ASME type fatigue analysis predictions. Moreover, the pressurized system failure occured in significantly less load cycles than predicted by standard fatigue analysis. However, a ratchet-fatigue and ductility exhaustion analysis of the pressurized system did correlate reasonably well. These findings indicate modifications to design analysis methods and the present ASME Code piping design rules to reduce unneeded conservatisms and to cover the ratchet-fatigue failure mode may be appropriate

Taltirelin alleviates fatigue-like behavior in mouse models of cancer-related fatigue.

Science.gov (United States)

Dougherty, John P; Wolff, Brian S; Cullen, Mary J; Saligan, Leorey N; Gershengorn, Marvin C

2017-10-01

Fatigue affects most cancer patients and has numerous potential causes, including cancer itself and cancer treatment. Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is not relieved by rest, can decrease quality of life, and has no FDA-approved therapy. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) has been proposed as a potential novel treatment for CRF, but its efficacy against CRF remains largely untested. Thus, we tested the TRH analog, taltirelin (TAL), in mouse models of CRF. To model fatigue, we used a mouse model of chemotherapy, a mouse model of radiation therapy, and mice bearing colon 26 carcinoma tumors. We used the treadmill fatigue test to assess fatigue-like behavior after treatment with TAL. Additionally, we used wild-type and TRH receptor knockout mice to determine which TRH receptor was necessary for the actions of TAL. Tumor-bearing mice displayed muscle wasting and all models caused fatigue-like behavior, with mice running a shorter distance in the treadmill fatigue test than controls. TAL reversed fatigue-like behavior in all three models and the mouse TRH 1 receptor was necessary for the effects of TAL. These data suggest that TAL may be useful in alleviating fatigue in all cancer patients and provide further support for evaluating TAL as a potential therapy for CRF in humans. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Three-point bending fatigue behavior of WC–Co cemented carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Anhai; Zhao, Jun; Wang, Dong; Gao, Xinliang; Tang, Hongwei

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Mechanical fatigue tests were conducted on a specific designed jig. ► Three-point bending fatigue behavior of WC–Co cemented carbides was studied. ► Fatigue mechanisms of WC–Co cemented carbides with different WC grain sizes and Co binder contents were revealed. -- Abstract: WC–Co cemented carbides with different WC grain sizes and Co binder contents were sintered and fabricated. The three-point bending specimens with a single edge notch were prepared for tests. In the experiments, the mechanical properties of materials were investigated under static and cyclic loads (20 Hz) in air at room temperature. The fatigue behaviors of the materials under the same applied loading conditions are presented and discussed. Optical microscope and scanning electron microscopy were used to investigate the micro-mechanisms of damage during fatigue, and the results were used to correlate with the mechanical fatigue behavior of WC–Co cemented carbides. Experimental results indicated that the fatigue fracture surfaces exhibited more fracture origins and diversification of crack propagation paths than the static strength fracture surfaces. The fatigue fracture typically originates from inhomogeneities or defects such as micropores or aggregates of WC grains near the notch tip. Moreover, due to the diversity and complexity of the fatigue mechanisms, together with the evolution of the crack tip and the ductile deformation zone, the fatigue properties of WC–Co cemented carbides were largely relevant with the combination of transverse rupture strength and fracture toughness, rather than only one of them. Transverse rupture strength dominated the fatigue behavior of carbides with low Co content, whilst the fatigue behavior of carbides with high Co content was determined by fracture toughness.

Skeletal muscle bioenergetics during all-out exercise: mechanistic insight into the oxygen uptake slow component and neuromuscular fatigue.

Science.gov (United States)

Broxterman, Ryan M; Layec, Gwenael; Hureau, Thomas J; Amann, Markus; Richardson, Russell S

2017-05-01

Although all-out exercise protocols are commonly used, the physiological mechanisms underlying all-out exercise performance are still unclear, and an in-depth assessment of skeletal muscle bioenergetics is lacking. Therefore, phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 31 P-MRS) was utilized to assess skeletal muscle bioenergetics during a 5-min all-out intermittent isometric knee-extensor protocol in eight healthy men. Metabolic perturbation, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis rates, ATP cost of contraction, and mitochondrial capacity were determined from intramuscular concentrations of phosphocreatine (PCr), inorganic phosphate (P i ), diprotonated phosphate ([Formula: see text]), and pH. Peripheral fatigue was determined by exercise-induced alterations in potentiated quadriceps twitch force (Q tw ) evoked by supramaximal electrical femoral nerve stimulation. The oxidative ATP synthesis rate (ATP OX ) attained and then maintained peak values throughout the protocol, despite an ~63% decrease in quadriceps maximal force production. ThusATP OX normalized to force production (ATP OX gain) significantly increased throughout the exercise (1st min: 0.02 ± 0.01, 5th min: 0.04 ± 0.01 mM·min -1 ·N -1 ), as did the ATP cost of contraction (1st min: 0.048 ± 0.019, 5th min: 0.052 ± 0.015 mM·min -1 ·N -1 ). Additionally, the pre- to postexercise change in Q tw (-52 ± 26%) was significantly correlated with the exercise-induced change in intramuscular pH ( r = 0.75) and [Formula: see text] concentration ( r = 0.77). In conclusion, the all-out exercise protocol utilized in the present study elicited a "slow component-like" increase in intramuscular ATP OX gain as well as a progressive increase in the phosphate cost of contraction. Furthermore, the development of peripheral fatigue was closely related to the perturbation of specific fatigue-inducing intramuscular factors (i.e., pH and [Formula: see text] concentration). NEW & NOTEWORTHY The physiological mechanisms

Monitoring Low-Cycle Fatigue Material-Degradation by Ultrasonic Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Himawan

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Any system consisting of structural material often undergoes fatigue, which is caused by dynamic load cycle. As a structural system, nuclear power plant is very likely to have low-cycle fatigue at many of its components. Taking into account the importance of monitoring low-cycle fatigue on structural components to prevent them from getting failure, the authors have conducted a work to monitor material degradation caused by low-cycle fatigue by using ultrasonic method. An alloy of Cu-40Zn was used as a test specimen. Ultrasonic water immersion procedure was employed in this ultrasonic test. The probe used is a focusing type and has frequency as high as 15 MHz. The specimen area tested is in the middle part divided into 14 points × 23 points. The results, which were frequency spectrums, were analyzed using two parameters: frequency spectrum peak intensity and attenuation function gradient. The analysis indicates that peak intensity increases at the beginning of load cycle and then decreases. Meanwhile, gradient of attenuation function is lower at the beginning of fatigue process, and then consistently gets higher. It concludes that low-fatigue material degradation can be monitored by using ultrasonic method.

Effects of mental fatigue on the development of physical fatigue: a neuroergonomic approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Mehta, Ranjana K; Parasuraman, Raja

2014-06-01

The present study used a neuroergonomic approach to examine the interaction of mental and physical fatigue by assessing prefrontal cortex activation during submaximal fatiguing handgrip exercises. Mental fatigue is known to influence muscle function and motor performance, but its contribution to the development of voluntary physical fatigue is not well understood. A total of 12 participants performed separate physical (control) and physical and mental fatigue (concurrent) conditions at 30% of their maximal handgrip strength until exhaustion. Functional near infrared spectroscopy was employed to measure prefrontal cortex activation, whereas electromyography and joint steadiness were used simultaneously to quantify muscular effort. Compared to the control condition, blood oxygenation in the bilateral prefrontal cortex was significantly lower during submaximal fatiguing contractions associated with mental fatigue at exhaustion, despite comparable muscular responses. The findings suggest that interference in the prefrontal cortex may influence motor output during tasks that require both physical and cognitive processing. A neuroergonomic approach involving simultaneous monitoring of brain and body functions can provide critical information on fatigue development that may be overlooked during traditional fatigue assessments.

Modelling fatigue and the use of fatigue models in work settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Dawson, Drew; Ian Noy, Y; Härmä, Mikko; Akerstedt, Torbjorn; Belenky, Gregory

2011-03-01

In recent years, theoretical models of the sleep and circadian system developed in laboratory settings have been adapted to predict fatigue and, by inference, performance. This is typically done using the timing of prior sleep and waking or working hours as the primary input and the time course of the predicted variables as the primary output. The aim of these models is to provide employers, unions and regulators with quantitative information on the likely average level of fatigue, or risk, associated with a given pattern of work and sleep with the goal of better managing the risk of fatigue-related errors and accidents/incidents. The first part of this review summarises the variables known to influence workplace fatigue and draws attention to the considerable variability attributable to individual and task variables not included in current models. The second part reviews the current fatigue models described in the scientific and technical literature and classifies them according to whether they predict fatigue directly by using the timing of prior sleep and wake (one-step models) or indirectly by using work schedules to infer an average sleep-wake pattern that is then used to predict fatigue (two-step models). The third part of the review looks at the current use of fatigue models in field settings by organizations and regulators. Given their limitations it is suggested that the current generation of models may be appropriate for use as one element in a fatigue risk management system. The final section of the review looks at the future of these models and recommends a standardised approach for their use as an element of the 'defenses-in-depth' approach to fatigue risk management. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The nature of self-regulatory fatigue and “ego depletion”: Lessons from physical fatigue

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Daniel R.; Boggero, Ian A.; Segerstrom, Suzanne C.

2016-01-01

Self-regulation requires overriding a dominant response, and leads to temporary self-regulatory fatigue. Existing theories of the nature and causes of self-regulatory fatigue highlight physiological substrates such as glucose or psychological processes such as motivation, but these explanations are incomplete on their own. Historically, theories of physical fatigue demonstrate a similar pattern of useful but incomplete explanations, as recent views of physical fatigue emphasize the roles of both physiological and psychological factors. In addition to accounting for multiple inputs, these newer views also explain how fatigue can occur even in the presence of sufficient resources. Examining these newer theories of physical fatigue can serve as a foundation on which to build a more comprehensive understanding of self-regulatory fatigue that integrates possible neurobiological underpinnings of physical and self-regulatory fatigue, and suggests the possible function of self-regulatory fatigue. PMID:26228914

Clinical Indicators of Psychosocial Distress Predict for Acute Radiation-Induced Fatigue in Patients Receiving Adjuvant Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer: An Analysis of Patient-Reported Outcomes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kishan, Amar U.; Wang, Pin-Chieh; Sharif, Jamal; Kupelian, Patrick A.; Steinberg, Michael L.; McCloskey, Susan A., E-mail: smccloskey@mednet.ucla.edu

2016-07-01

Purpose: To assess the magnitude and predictors of patient-reported fatigue among breast cancer patients receiving radiation therapy (RT). Methods and Materials: Patients receiving breast RT completed a survey querying fatigue at each weekly on-treatment visit. Patient-reported fatigue severity and interference was assessed on an ordinal scale of 0 to 4, using a validated scoring system. Baseline anxiety and depression scores were also obtained. The kinetics of mean fatigue scores per week and the maximum fatigue scores over the course of the entire treatment were assessed, and clinical predictors were identified by univariate and multivariate regression. Results: The average fatigue severity and interference scores were 0.6 and 0.46. The average fatigue scores increased to an equivalent extent from week to week, with expected increases of 0.99 in fatigue severity and 0.85 in interference over 7 weeks. Patients treated with hypofractionated RT (HF-RT) versus conventionally fractionated RT (CF-RT) had significantly fewer maximum fatigue severity or interference scores that were >2 (ie, severe or very severe; 29% vs 10% for severity, and 26% vs 8% for interference, P<.01). Age ≤45 years, presence of psychiatric/pain-related comorbidities, and baseline sadness and anxiety severity were predictive of average and maximum fatigue scores (P<.05), but variables related to treatment intensity (eg, mastectomy vs lumpectomy, chemotherapy use, radiation target volumes) and other host factors (working, children, marital status, proximity to RT facility) were not. Conclusion: Patient-reported fatigue modestly increases over RT courses, with less maximum fatigue reported with HF-RT. Younger age and baseline sadness, anxiety, and psychiatric/pain-related comorbidities are powerful predictors of fatigue, whereas other factors, such as treatment intensity, are not. Future studies will investigate interventions for patients at high risk for fatigue.

Clinical Indicators of Psychosocial Distress Predict for Acute Radiation-Induced Fatigue in Patients Receiving Adjuvant Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer: An Analysis of Patient-Reported Outcomes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kishan, Amar U.; Wang, Pin-Chieh; Sharif, Jamal; Kupelian, Patrick A.; Steinberg, Michael L.; McCloskey, Susan A.

2016-01-01

Purpose: To assess the magnitude and predictors of patient-reported fatigue among breast cancer patients receiving radiation therapy (RT). Methods and Materials: Patients receiving breast RT completed a survey querying fatigue at each weekly on-treatment visit. Patient-reported fatigue severity and interference was assessed on an ordinal scale of 0 to 4, using a validated scoring system. Baseline anxiety and depression scores were also obtained. The kinetics of mean fatigue scores per week and the maximum fatigue scores over the course of the entire treatment were assessed, and clinical predictors were identified by univariate and multivariate regression. Results: The average fatigue severity and interference scores were 0.6 and 0.46. The average fatigue scores increased to an equivalent extent from week to week, with expected increases of 0.99 in fatigue severity and 0.85 in interference over 7 weeks. Patients treated with hypofractionated RT (HF-RT) versus conventionally fractionated RT (CF-RT) had significantly fewer maximum fatigue severity or interference scores that were >2 (ie, severe or very severe; 29% vs 10% for severity, and 26% vs 8% for interference, P<.01). Age ≤45 years, presence of psychiatric/pain-related comorbidities, and baseline sadness and anxiety severity were predictive of average and maximum fatigue scores (P<.05), but variables related to treatment intensity (eg, mastectomy vs lumpectomy, chemotherapy use, radiation target volumes) and other host factors (working, children, marital status, proximity to RT facility) were not. Conclusion: Patient-reported fatigue modestly increases over RT courses, with less maximum fatigue reported with HF-RT. Younger age and baseline sadness, anxiety, and psychiatric/pain-related comorbidities are powerful predictors of fatigue, whereas other factors, such as treatment intensity, are not. Future studies will investigate interventions for patients at high risk for fatigue.

Research on fatigue behavior and residual stress of large-scale cruciform welding joint with groove

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Xiaohui; Liu, Yu; Liu, Yong; Gao, Yuan

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The fatigue behavior of the large-scale cruciform welding joint with groove was studied. • The longitudinal residual stress of the large-scale cruciform welding joint was tested by contour method. • The fatigue fracture mechanism of the large-scale cruciform welding joint with groove was analyzed. - Abstract: Fatigue fracture behavior of the 30 mm thick Q460C-Z steel cruciform welded joint with groove was investigated. The fatigue test results indicated that fatigue strength of 30 mm thick Q460C-Z steel cruciform welded joint with groove can reach fatigue level of 80 MPa (FAT80). Fatigue crack source of the failure specimen initiated from weld toe. Meanwhile, the microcrack was also found in the fusion zones of the fatigue failure specimen, which was caused by weld quality and weld metal integrity resulting from the multi-pass welds. Two-dimensional map of the longitudinal residual stress of 30 mm thick Q460C-Z steel cruciform welded joint with groove was obtained by using the contour method. The stress nephogram of Two-dimensional map indicated that longitudinal residual stress in the welding center is the largest

Effect of Chlorella Ingestion on Oxidative Stress and Fatigue Symptoms in Healthy Men.

Science.gov (United States)

Okada, Hirotaka; Yoshida, Noriko; Kakuma, Tatsuyuki; Toyomasu, Kouji

2018-05-21

We examined the effects of dietary chlorella ingestion on oxidative stress and fatigue symptoms in healthy men under resting and fatigue conditions. We conducted a double-blind, parallel-arm controlled study. Twenty-seven healthy male volunteers (mean age, 35.4±10.4 years) were randomly divided into the chlorella and placebo groups, and received chlorella (6 g/day) and lactose as placebo (7.2 g/day), respectively, for 4 weeks. To simulate mild fatigue, subjects underwent exercise (40% of the heart rate reserve) for 30 minutes. Fatigue was measured using the visual analog scale of fatigue (F-VAS) pre- and post-exercise. Serum antioxidant capacity (AC), malondialdehyde levels, and other indices of oxidative stress were measured pre- and post-exercise. All measurements were repeated after the intervention period and the results were compared with baseline measurements. Under resting conditions, AC significantly increased after the intervention period in the chlorella group, but not in the placebo group. Malondialdehyde levels after the intervention period were significantly lower in the chlorella group than in the placebo group. There were no significant differences in any of the oxidative-stress indices measured pre- and post-exercise, either before or after intervention, in either group. F-VAS significantly increased after exercise at all measurement time-points in both groups, except after the intervention period in the chlorella group. Under fatigue conditions, there were no significant differences in oxidative stress indices between the groups. Our results suggest that chlorella ingestion has the potential to relieve oxidative stress and enhance tolerance for fatigue under resting conditions.

Manifestations of shoulder fatigue in prolonged activities involving low-force contractions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Looze, M.P. de; Bosch, T.; Dieën, J. van

2009-01-01

Shoulder fatigue has been suggested to be a useful risk indicator for shoulder disorders in repetitive, low-force work tasks. In contrast to high-force or purely isometric tasks, it is unclear whether measurable fatigue develops in realistic low-force work. The question addressed in this review was:

The concept of fatigue fracture toughness in fatigue delamination growth behavior

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yao, L.; Alderliesten, R.C.; Benedictus, R.

2015-01-01

This paper provides a study on mode I fatigue delamination growth in composite laminates using energy principles. Experimental data has been obtained from fatigue tests conducted on Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) specimens at various stress ratios. A concept of fatigue fracture toughness is proposed

Nonlinear ultrasonic fatigue crack detection using a single piezoelectric transducer

Science.gov (United States)

An, Yun-Kyu; Lee, Dong Jun

2016-04-01

This paper proposes a new nonlinear ultrasonic technique for fatigue crack detection using a single piezoelectric transducer (PZT). The proposed technique identifies a fatigue crack using linear (α) and nonlinear (β) parameters obtained from only a single PZT mounted on a target structure. Based on the different physical characteristics of α and β, a fatigue crack-induced feature is able to be effectively isolated from the inherent nonlinearity of a target structure and data acquisition system. The proposed technique requires much simpler test setup and less processing costs than the existing nonlinear ultrasonic techniques, but fast and powerful. To validate the proposed technique, a real fatigue crack is created in an aluminum plate, and then false positive and negative tests are carried out under varying temperature conditions. The experimental results reveal that the fatigue crack is successfully detected, and no positive false alarm is indicated.

Chronic fatigue in patients with unexplained self-reported food hypersensitivity and irritable bowel syndrome: validation of a Norwegian translation of the Fatigue Impact Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Lind, Ragna; Berstad, Arnold; Hatlebakk, Jan; Valeur, Jørgen

2013-01-01

Patients with unexplained self-reported food hypersensitivity and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) suffer from several health complaints, including fatigue. The aim of the present study was to validate a Norwegian translation of the Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS), and to assess the impact of fatigue in patients with self-reported food hypersensitivity and IBS, as compared with healthy controls. Thirty-eight patients with unexplained self-reported food hypersensitivity and IBS, who participated in the validation of the FIS completed the following additional questionnaires: the Short Form of Nepean Dyspepsia Index for assessment of quality of life, the Subjective Health Complaint Inventory, and questionnaires for diagnosis and severity of IBS. Impact of fatigue was studied in 43 patients with unexplained self-reported food hypersensitivity, 70% diagnosed with IBS, and 42 healthy controls. Cronbach's α for the FIS was 0.98, indicating excellent agreement between individual items. Scores on the FIS correlated with scores on the Short Form of Nepean Dyspepsia Index (r = 0.50, P = 0.001), indicating good convergent validity, and were higher in patients (median 85.0, interquartile range 36.8-105.3) than in controls (median 14.0, interquartile range 3.0-29.0, P ≤ 0.0001). The Norwegian translation of the FIS performed excellently in patients with unexplained self-reported food hypersensitivity and IBS, with patients reporting significantly more impact of chronic fatigue than healthy controls.

Weibull statistical analysis of Krouse type bending fatigue of nuclear materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haidyrah, Ahmed S., E-mail: ashdz2@mst.edu [Nuclear Engineering, Missouri University of Science & Technology, 301 W. 14th, Rolla, MO 65409 (United States); Nuclear Science Research Institute, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), P.O. Box 6086, Riyadh 11442 (Saudi Arabia); Newkirk, Joseph W. [Materials Science & Engineering, Missouri University of Science & Technology, 1440 N. Bishop Ave, Rolla, MO 65409 (United States); Castaño, Carlos H. [Nuclear Engineering, Missouri University of Science & Technology, 301 W. 14th, Rolla, MO 65409 (United States)

2016-03-15

A bending fatigue mini-specimen (Krouse-type) was used to study the fatigue properties of nuclear materials. The objective of this paper is to study fatigue for Grade 91 ferritic-martensitic steel using a mini-specimen (Krouse-type) suitable for reactor irradiation studies. These mini-specimens are similar in design (but smaller) to those described in the ASTM B593 standard. The mini specimen was machined by waterjet and tested as-received. The bending fatigue machine was modified to test the mini-specimen with a specially designed adapter. The cycle bending fatigue behavior of Grade 91 was studied under constant deflection. The S–N curve was created and mean fatigue life was analyzed using mean fatigue life. In this study, the Weibull function was predicted probably for high stress to low stress at 563, 310 and 265 MPa. The commercial software Minitab 17 was used to calculate the distribution of fatigue life under different stress levels. We have used 2 and 3- parameters Weibull analysis to introduce the probability of failure. The plots indicated that the 3- parameter Weibull distribution fits the data well.

Weibull statistical analysis of Krouse type bending fatigue of nuclear materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haidyrah, Ahmed S.; Newkirk, Joseph W.; Castaño, Carlos H.

2016-01-01

A bending fatigue mini-specimen (Krouse-type) was used to study the fatigue properties of nuclear materials. The objective of this paper is to study fatigue for Grade 91 ferritic-martensitic steel using a mini-specimen (Krouse-type) suitable for reactor irradiation studies. These mini-specimens are similar in design (but smaller) to those described in the ASTM B593 standard. The mini specimen was machined by waterjet and tested as-received. The bending fatigue machine was modified to test the mini-specimen with a specially designed adapter. The cycle bending fatigue behavior of Grade 91 was studied under constant deflection. The S–N curve was created and mean fatigue life was analyzed using mean fatigue life. In this study, the Weibull function was predicted probably for high stress to low stress at 563, 310 and 265 MPa. The commercial software Minitab 17 was used to calculate the distribution of fatigue life under different stress levels. We have used 2 and 3- parameters Weibull analysis to introduce the probability of failure. The plots indicated that the 3- parameter Weibull distribution fits the data well.

Experimental Investigation and Finite Element Analysis on Fatigue Behavior of Aluminum Alloy 7050 Single-Lap Joints

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Bing; Cui, Hao; Liu, Haibo; Li, Yang; Liu, Gaofeng; Li, Shujun; Zhang, Shangzhou

2018-03-01

The fatigue behavior of single-lap four-riveted aluminum alloy 7050 joints was investigated by using high-frequency fatigue test and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Stress distributions obtained by finite element (FE) analysis help explain the fatigue performance. The fatigue test results showed that the fatigue lives of the joints depend on cold expansion and applied cyclic loads. FE analysis and fractography indicated that the improved fatigue lives can be attributed to the reduction in maximum stress and evolution of fatigue damage at the critical location. The beneficial effects of strengthening techniques result in tearing ridges or lamellar structure on fracture surface, decrease in fatigue striations spacing, delay of fatigue crack initiation, crack deflection in fatigue crack propagation and plasticity-induced crack closure.

The neural mechanisms of re-experiencing mental fatigue sensation: a magnetoencephalography study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akira Ishii

Full Text Available There have been several studies which have tried to clarify the neural mechanisms of fatigue sensation; however fatigue sensation has multiple aspects. We hypothesized that past experience related to fatigue sensation is an important factor which contributes to future formation of fatigue sensation through the transfer to memories that are located within specific brain structures. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the neural mechanisms of fatigue sensation related to memory. In the present study, we investigated the neural activity caused by re-experiencing the fatigue sensation that had been experienced during a fatigue-inducing session. Thirteen healthy volunteers participated in fatigue and non-fatigue experiments in a crossover fashion. In the fatigue experiment, they performed a 2-back test session for 40 min to induce fatigue sensation, a rest session for 15 min to recover from fatigue, and a magnetoencephalography (MEG session in which they were asked to re-experience the state of their body with fatigue that they had experienced in the 2-back test session. In the non-fatigue experiment, the participants performed a free session for 15 min, a rest session for 15 min, and an MEG session in which they were asked to re-experience the state of their body without fatigue that they had experienced in the free session. Spatial filtering analyses of oscillatory brain activity showed that the delta band power in the left Brodmann's area (BA 39, alpha band power in the right pulvinar nucleus and the left BA 40, and beta band power in the left BA 40 were lower when they re-experienced the fatigue sensation than when they re-experienced the fatigue-free sensation, indicating that these brain regions are related to re-experiencing the fatigue sensation. Our findings may help clarify the neural mechanisms underlying fatigue sensation.

The neural mechanisms of re-experiencing mental fatigue sensation: a magnetoencephalography study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishii, Akira; Karasuyama, Takuma; Kikuchi, Taiki; Tanaka, Masaaki; Yamano, Emi; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi

2015-01-01

There have been several studies which have tried to clarify the neural mechanisms of fatigue sensation; however fatigue sensation has multiple aspects. We hypothesized that past experience related to fatigue sensation is an important factor which contributes to future formation of fatigue sensation through the transfer to memories that are located within specific brain structures. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the neural mechanisms of fatigue sensation related to memory. In the present study, we investigated the neural activity caused by re-experiencing the fatigue sensation that had been experienced during a fatigue-inducing session. Thirteen healthy volunteers participated in fatigue and non-fatigue experiments in a crossover fashion. In the fatigue experiment, they performed a 2-back test session for 40 min to induce fatigue sensation, a rest session for 15 min to recover from fatigue, and a magnetoencephalography (MEG) session in which they were asked to re-experience the state of their body with fatigue that they had experienced in the 2-back test session. In the non-fatigue experiment, the participants performed a free session for 15 min, a rest session for 15 min, and an MEG session in which they were asked to re-experience the state of their body without fatigue that they had experienced in the free session. Spatial filtering analyses of oscillatory brain activity showed that the delta band power in the left Brodmann's area (BA) 39, alpha band power in the right pulvinar nucleus and the left BA 40, and beta band power in the left BA 40 were lower when they re-experienced the fatigue sensation than when they re-experienced the fatigue-free sensation, indicating that these brain regions are related to re-experiencing the fatigue sensation. Our findings may help clarify the neural mechanisms underlying fatigue sensation.

Nondestructive evaluation of creep-fatigue damage: an interim report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nickell, R.E.

1977-02-01

In view of the uncertainties involved in designing against creep-fatigue failure and the consequences of such failures in Class 1 nuclear components that operate at elevated temperature, the possibility of intermittent or even continuous non-destructive examination of these components has been considered. In this interim report some preliminary results on magnetic force and ultrasonic evaluation of creep-fatigue damage in an LMFBR steam generator material are presented. These results indicate that the non-destructive evaluation of pure creep damage will be extremely difficult. A set of biaxial creep-fatigue tests that are designed to discriminate between various failure theories is also described

Ankle and knee biomechanics during normal walking following ankle plantarflexor fatigue.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, Michael A; Hatfield, Gillian L

2017-08-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the immediate effects of unilateral ankle plantarflexor fatigue on bilateral knee and ankle biomechanics during gait. Lower leg kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activation were assessed before and after an ankle plantarflexor fatiguing protocol in 31 healthy individuals. Fatigue (defined as >10% reduction in maximal isometric ankle plantarflexor torque production and a downward shift in the median power frequency of both heads of the gastrocnemius muscle of the fatigued limb) was achieved in 18 individuals, and only their data were used for analysis purposes. Compared to pre-fatigue walking trials, medial gastrocnemius activity was significantly reduced in the study (fatigued) limb. Other main changes following fatigue included significantly more knee flexion during loading, and an associated larger external knee flexion moment in the study limb. At the ankle joint, participants exhibited significantly less peak plantarflexion (occurring at toe-off) with fatigue. No significant differences were observed in the contralateral (non-fatigued) limb. Findings from this study indicate that fatigue of the ankle plantarflexor muscle does not produce widespread changes in gait biomechanics, suggesting that small to moderate changes in maximal ankle plantarflexor force production capacity (either an increase or decrease) will not have a substantial impact on normal lower limb functioning during gait. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mean stress and the exhaustion of fatigue-damage resistance

Science.gov (United States)

Berkovits, Avraham

1989-01-01

Mean-stress effects on fatigue life are critical in isothermal and thermomechanically loaded materials and composites. Unfortunately, existing mean-stress life-prediction methods do not incorporate physical fatigue damage mechanisms. An objective is to examine the relation between mean-stress induced damage (as measured by acoustic emission) and existing life-prediction methods. Acoustic emission instrumentation has indicated that, as with static yielding, fatigue damage results from dislocation buildup and motion until dislocation saturation is reached, after which void formation and coalescence predominate. Correlation of damage processes with similar mechanisms under monotonic loading led to a reinterpretation of Goodman diagrams for 40 alloys and a modification of Morrow's formulation for life prediction under mean stresses. Further testing, using acoustic emission to monitor dislocation dynamics, can generate data for developing a more general model for fatigue under mean stress.

Adrenal Fatigue

Science.gov (United States)

... Search Featured Resource New Mobile App DOWNLOAD Adrenal Fatigue October 2017 Download PDFs English Editors Irina Bancos, MD Additional Resources Mayo Clinic What is adrenal fatigue? The term “adrenal fatigue” has been used to ...

Optimal Fatigue Testing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Faber, Michael Havbro; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard; Kroon, I. B.

1993-01-01

life experiments for the same purpose. The methodology is basedon modern probabilistic concepts amd classical decision theory. The special case where the fatigue life experiments are given in terms of SN curves is considered in Particular. The proposed techniques are illustrated by an example.......This paper considers the reassessment of the reliability of tubular joints subjected to fatigue load. The reassessment is considered in two parts namely the task of utilizing new experimental data on fatigue life to update the reliability of the tubular joint ant the task of planning new fatigue...

Fatigue-Arrestor Bolts

Science.gov (United States)

Onstott, Joseph W.; Gilster, Mark; Rodriguez, Sergio; Larson, John E.; Wickham, Mark D.; Schoonover, Kevin E.

1995-01-01

Bolts that arrest (or, more precisely, retard) onset of fatigue cracking caused by inelastic strains developed. Specifically developed to be installed in flange holes of unrestrained rocket engine nozzle. Fanges sometimes used to bolt nozzle to test stand; however, when rocket engine operated without this restraint, region around bolt holes experience severe inelastic strains causing fatigue cracking. Interference fits introduce compressive preloads that retard fatigue by reducing ranges of strains. Principle of these fatigue-arrestor bolts also applicable to holes in plates made of other materials and/or used for different purposes.

Development of a Very High Cycle Fatigue (VHCF multiaxial testing device

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Vieira

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The very high cycle region of the S-N fatigue curve has been the subject of intensive research on the last years, with special focus on axial, bending, torsional and fretting fatigue tests. Very high cycle fatigue can be achieved using ultrasonic exciters which allow for frequency testing of up to 30 kHz. Still, the multiaxial fatigue analysis is not yet developed for this type of fatigue analyses, mainly due to conceptual limitations of these testing devices. In this paper, a device designed to produce biaxial fatigue testing using a single piezoelectric axial exciter is presented, as well as the preliminary testing of this device. The device is comprised of a horn and a specimen, which are both attached to the piezoelectric exciter. The steps taken towards the final geometry of the device are presented. Preliminary experimental testing of the developed device is made using thermographic imaging, strain measurements and vibration speeds and indicates good behaviour of the tested specimen.

Fatigue crack growth in welded joints in seawater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lambert, S.B.

1988-01-01

A pipe-to-plate specimen has been developed to study the influence of seawater on the fatigue behaviour of welded tubular joints. DC potential drop techniques have been used to detect fatigue crack initiation, and to monitor the subsequent growth of fatigue cracks. Results for three specimens, tested in air are compared with similar data for tubular and T-plate joints. These comparisons indicate that the pipe/plate is a reasonable model of a tubular joint. Testing was performed on a further six specimens in artificial seawater; two each with free corrosion, optimum cathodic protection, and cathodic overprotection. Fatigue life reduction factors compared with corresponding tests in air were 1.8 and 2.8 for free corrosion, 1.7 and 1.1 with cathodic protection, and 4.2 and 3.3 with cathodic over-protection. These fatigue life reduction factors were comparable to results on T-plate specimens, and were strongly dependent on crack shape development. Linear elastic fracture mechanics techniques appear suitable for the calculation of fatigue crack propagation life. Three approximate solution techniques for crack tip stress intensity factors show reasonable agreement with experimentally derived values. It is recommended that forcing functions be used to model crack aspect ratio development in welded joints. Such forcing functions are influenced by the initial stress distribution and the environment. 207 refs., 192 figs., 22 tabs.

Effects of caffeine on neuromuscular fatigue and performance during high-intensity cycling exercise in moderate hypoxia.

Science.gov (United States)

Smirmaul, Bruno P C; de Moraes, Antonio Carlos; Angius, Luca; Marcora, Samuele M

2017-01-01

To investigate the effects of caffeine on performance, neuromuscular fatigue and perception of effort during high-intensity cycling exercise in moderate hypoxia. Seven adult male participants firstly underwent an incremental exercise test on a cycle ergometer in conditions of acute normobaric hypoxia (fraction inspired oxygen = 0.15) to establish peak power output (PPO). In the following two visits, they performed a time to exhaustion test (78 ± 3% PPO) in the same hypoxic conditions after caffeine ingestion (4 mg kg -1 ) and one after placebo ingestion in a double-blind, randomized, counterbalanced cross-over design. Caffeine significantly improved time to exhaustion by 12%. A significant decrease in subjective fatigue was found after caffeine consumption. Perception of effort and surface electromyographic signal amplitude of the vastus lateralis were lower and heart rate was higher in the caffeine condition when compared to placebo. However, caffeine did not reduce the peripheral and central fatigue induced by high-intensity cycling exercise in moderate hypoxia. The caffeine-induced improvement in time to exhaustion during high-intensity cycling exercise in moderate hypoxia seems to be mediated by a reduction in perception of effort, which occurs despite no reduction in neuromuscular fatigue.

Spine Trabecular Bone Score as an Indicator of Bone Microarchitecture at the Peripheral Skeleton in Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Science.gov (United States)

Luckman, Matthew; Hans, Didier; Cortez, Natalia; Nishiyama, Kyle K; Agarawal, Sanchita; Zhang, Chengchen; Nikkel, Lucas; Iyer, Sapna; Fusaro, Maria; Guo, Edward X; McMahon, Donald J; Shane, Elizabeth; Nickolas, Thomas L

2017-04-03

Studies using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography showed progressive abnormalities in cortical and trabecular microarchitecture and biomechanical competence over the first year after kidney transplantation. However, high-resolution peripheral computed tomography is a research tool lacking wide availability. In contrast, the trabecular bone score is a novel and widely available tool that uses gray-scale variograms of the spine image from dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry to assess trabecular quality. There are no studies assessing whether trabecular bone score characterizes bone quality in kidney transplant recipients. Between 2009 and 2010, we conducted a study to assess changes in peripheral skeletal microarchitecture, measured by high-resolution peripheral computed tomography, during the first year after transplantation in 47 patients managed with early corticosteroid-withdrawal immunosuppression. All adult first-time transplant candidates were eligible. Patients underwent imaging with high-resolution peripheral computed tomography and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry pretransplantation and 3, 6, and 12 months post-transplantation. We now test if, during the first year after transplantation, trabecular bone score assesses the evolution of bone microarchitecture and biomechanical competence as determined by high-resolution peripheral computed tomography. At baseline and follow-up, among the 72% and 78%, respectively, of patients having normal bone mineral density by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, 53% and 50%, respectively, were classified by trabecular bone score as having high fracture risk. At baseline, trabecular bone score correlated with spine, hip, and ultradistal radius bone mineral density by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and cortical area, density, thickness, and porosity; trabecular density, thickness, separation, and heterogeneity; and stiffness and failure load by high-resolution peripheral computed tomography

Multiple Surveys of Students and Survey Fatigue

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, Stephen R.; Whitcomb, Michael E.; Weitzer, William H.

2004-01-01

This chapter reviews the literature on survey fatigue and summarizes a research project that indicates that administering multiple surveys in one academic year can significantly suppress response rates in later surveys. (Contains 4 tables.)

Application of a unified fatigue modelling to some thermomechanical fatigue problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dang, K. van; Maitournam, H.; Moumni, Z.

2005-01-01

Fatigue under thermomechanical loadings is an important topic for nuclear industries. For instance, thermal fatigue cracking is observed in the mixing zones of the nuclear reactor. Classical computations using existing methods based on strain amplitude or fracture mechanics are not sufficiently predictive. In this paper an alternative approach is proposed based on a multiscale modelling thanks to shakedown hypothesis. Examples of predictive results are presented. Finally an application to the RHR problem is discussed. Main ideas of the fatigue modelling: Following an idea of Professor D. Drucker who wrote in 1963 'when applied to the microstructure there is a hope that the concept of endurance limit and shakedown are related, and that fatigue failure can be related to energy dissipated in idealized material when shakedown does not occur.' we have developed a theory of fatigue based on this concept which is different from classical fatigue approaches. Many predictive applications have been already done particularly for the automotive industry. Fatigue resistance of structures undergoing thermomechanical loadings in the high cycle regime as well as in the low cycle regime are calculated using this modelling. However, this fatigue theory is until now rarely used in nuclear engineering. After recalling the main points of the theory, we shall present some relevant applications which were done in different industrial sectors. We shall apply this modelling to the prediction of thermal cracking observed in the mixing zones of RHR. (authors)

Mechanomyogram for identifying muscle activity and fatigue.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zhao Feng; Kumar, Dinesh Kant; Arjunan, Sridhar Poosapadi

2009-01-01

Mechanomyogram is the recording of the acoustic activity associated with the muscle contraction. While discovered nearly a decade ago with the intention of providing an alternate to the surface electromyogram, it has not yet been investigated thoroughly and there are no current applications associated with MMG. This paper reports an experimental study of MMG against force of contraction and muscle fatigue during cyclic contraction. The results indicate that there is a relationship between the intensity of the MMG recording and force of contraction. A change in the intensity of MMG is also observed with the onset of muscle fatigue. However, the inter-subject variation is very large. The results also indicate that the spectrum of the MMG is very inconsistent and not a useful feature of the signal.

Exploring the patient perspective of fatigue in adults with visual impairment: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Schakel, Wouter; Bode, Christina; van der Aa, Hilde P A; Hulshof, Carel T J; Bosmans, Judith E; van Rens, Gerardus H M B; van Nispen, Ruth M A

2017-08-03

Fatigue is an often mentioned symptom by patients with irreversible visual impairment. This study explored the patient perspective of fatigue in visually impaired adults with a focus on symptoms of fatigue, causes, consequences and coping strategies. Two large Dutch low vision multidisciplinary rehabilitation organisations. 16 visually impaired adults with severe symptoms of fatigue selected by purposive sampling. A qualitative study involving semistructured interviews. A total of four first-level codes were top-down predetermined in correspondence with the topics of the research question. Verbatim transcribed interviews were analysed with a combination of a deductive and inductive approach using open and axial coding. Participants often described the symptoms of fatigue as a mental, daily and physical experience. The most often mentioned causes of fatigue were a high cognitive load, the intensity and amount of activities, the high effort necessary to establish visual perception, difficulty with light intensity and negative cognitions. Fatigue had the greatest impact on the ability to carry out social roles and participation, emotional functioning and cognitive functioning. The most common coping strategies were relaxation, external support, socialising and physical exercise and the acceptance of fatigue. Our results indicate that low vision-related fatigue is mainly caused by population specific determinants that seem different from the fatigue experience described in studies with other patient populations. Fatigue may be central to the way patients react, adapt and compensate to the consequences of vision loss. These findings indicate a need for future research aimed at interventions specifically tailored to the unique aspects of fatigue related to vision loss. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Fatigue Reliability and Calibration of Fatigue Design Factors for Offshore Wind Turbines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio Márquez-Domínguez

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Consequences of failure of offshore wind turbines (OWTs is in general lower than consequences of failure of, e.g., oil & gas platforms. It is reasonable that lower fatigue design factors can be applied for fatigue design of OWTs when compared to other fixed offshore structures. Calibration of appropriate partial safety factors/Fatigue Design Factors (FDF for steel substructures for OWTs is the scope of this paper. A reliability-based approach is used and a probabilistic model has been developed, where design and limit state equations are established for fatigue failure. The strength and load uncertainties are described by stochastic variables. SN and fracture mechanics approaches are considered for to model the fatigue life. Further, both linear and bi-linear SN-curves are formulated and various approximations are investigated. The acceptable reliability level for fatigue failure of OWTs is discussed and results are presented for calibrated optimal fatigue design factors. Further, the influence of inspections is considered in order to extend and maintain a given target safety level.

Low cycle fatigue and creep fatigue behavior of alloy 617 at high temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cabet, Celine; Carroll, Laura; Wright, Richard

2013-01-01

Alloy 617 is the leading candidate material for an intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) application of the very high temperature nuclear reactor (VHTR), expected to have an outlet temperature as high as 950 C. Acceptance of Alloy 617 in Section III of the ASME Code for nuclear construction requires a detailed understanding of the creep-fatigue behavior. Initial creep-fatigue work on Alloy 617 suggests a more dominant role of environment with increasing temperature and/or hold times evidenced through changes in creep-fatigue crack growth mechanisms and failure life. Continuous cycle fatigue and creep-fatigue testing of Alloy 617 was conducted at 950 C and 0.3% and 0.6% total strain in air to simulate damage modes expected in a VHTR application. Continuous cycle fatigue specimens exhibited transgranular cracking. Intergranular cracking was observed in the creep-fatigue specimens and the addition of a hold time at peak tensile strain degraded the cycle life. This suggests that creep-fatigue interaction occurs and that the environment may be partially responsible for accelerating failure. (authors)

Radiology reading-caused fatigue and measurement of eye strain with critical flicker fusion frequency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maeda, Eriko; Yoshikawa, Takeharu; Hayashi, Naoto; Akai, Hiroyuki; Hanaoka, Shouhei; Sasaki, Hiroki; Matsuda, Izuru; Yoshioka, Naoki; Ohtomo, Kuni

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate eye fatigue that could impair diagnostic accuracy by measuring the critical flicker fusion frequency (CFFF) before and after reading. CFFF was measured before and after about 4 h of health checkup reading in seven healthy volunteer radiologists. A questionnaire was also completed on duration of sleep the night before the experiment, average duration of sleep, and subjective fatigue using a visual analog scale (corrected to a 0-1 scale, 0 indicating the worst fatigue ever experienced). After-reading subjective fatigue was significantly greater (before 0.52±0.15, after 0.42±0.15), and CFFF was significantly lower (before 40.9±2.4, after 39.9±2.0). There was no significant correlation between subjective fatigue and CFFF, either before or after or between before- and after-reading differences in subjective fatigue and CFFF. Shorter duration of sleep the night before significantly correlated with lower CFFF (Pearson's correlation coefficient): before 0.42, P=0.0047; after 0.52, P=0.0003. CFFF declines after reading and can be considered useful as an indicator of fatigue induced by radiology reading. CFFF declines significantly when sleep is reduced the day before reading without correlation with subjective fatigue, meaning that sleep deprivation can cause an unaware decline in visual function. (author)

Random non-proportional fatigue tests with planar tri-axial fatigue testing machine

OpenAIRE

Inoue, T.; Nagao, R.; Takeda, N.

2016-01-01

Complex stresses, which occur on the mechanical surfaces of transport machinery in service, bring a drastic degradation in fatigue life. However, it is hard to reproduce such complex stress states for evaluating the fatigue life with conventional multiaxial fatigue machines. We have developed a fatigue testing machine that enables reproduction of such complex stresses. The testing machine can reproduce arbitrary in-plane stress states by applying three independent loads to the test specimen u...

Velocity loss as an indicator of neuromuscular fatigue during resistance training.

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez-Medina, Luis; González-Badillo, Juan José

2011-09-01

This study aimed to analyze the acute mechanical and metabolic response to resistance exercise protocols (REP) differing in the number of repetitions (R) performed in each set (S) with respect to the maximum predicted number (P). Over 21 exercise sessions separated by 48-72 h, 18 strength-trained males (10 in bench press (BP) and 8 in squat (SQ)) performed 1) a progressive test for one-repetition maximum (1RM) and load-velocity profile determination, 2) tests of maximal number of repetitions to failure (12RM, 10RM, 8RM, 6RM, and 4RM), and 3) 15 REP (S × R[P]: 3 × 6[12], 3 × 8[12], 3 × 10[12], 3 × 12[12], 3 × 6[10], 3 × 8[10], 3 × 10[10], 3 × 4[8], 3 × 6[8], 3 × 8[8], 3 × 3[6], 3 × 4[6], 3 × 6[6], 3 × 2[4], 3 × 4[4]), with 5-min interset rests. Kinematic data were registered by a linear velocity transducer. Blood lactate and ammonia were measured before and after exercise. Mean repetition velocity loss after three sets, loss of velocity pre-post exercise against the 1-m·s load, and countermovement jump height loss (SQ group) were significant for all REP and were highly correlated to each other (r = 0.91-0.97). Velocity loss was significantly greater for BP compared with SQ and strongly correlated to peak postexercise lactate (r = 0.93-0.97) for both SQ and BP. Unlike lactate, ammonia showed a curvilinear response to loss of velocity, only increasing above resting levels when R was at least two repetitions higher than 50% of P. Velocity loss and metabolic stress clearly differs when manipulating the number of repetitions actually performed in each training set. The high correlations found between mechanical (velocity and countermovement jump height losses) and metabolic (lactate, ammonia) measures of fatigue support the validity of using velocity loss to objectively quantify neuromuscular fatigue during resistance training.

Effects of LWR coolant environments on fatigue lives of austenitic stainless steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chopra, O.K.; Gavenda, D.J.

1997-01-01

The ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code fatigue design curves for structural materials do not explicitly address the effects of reactor coolant environments on fatigue life. Recent test data indicate a significant decrease in fatigue life of pressure vessel and piping materials in light water reactor (LWR) environments. Fatigue tests have been conducted on Types 304 and 316NG stainless steel in air and LWR environments to evaluate the effects of various material and loading variables, e.g., steel type, strain rate, dissolved oxygen (DO) in water, and strain range, on fatigue lives of these steels. The results confirm the significant decrease in fatigue life in water. The environmentally assisted decrease in fatigue life depends both on strain rate and DO content in water. A decrease in strain rate from 0.4 to 0.004%/s decreases fatigue life by a factor of ∼ 8. However, unlike carbon and low-alloy steels, environmental effects are more pronounced in low-DO than in high-DO water. At ∼ 0.004%/s strain rate, reduction in fatigue life in water containing <10 ppb D is greater by a factor of ∼ 2 than in water containing ≥ 200 ppb DO. Experimental results have been compared with estimates of fatigue life based on the statistical model. The formation and growth of fatigue cracks in austenitic stainless steels in air and LWR environments are discussed

Mediators of the effects on fatigue of pragmatic rehabilitation for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Wearden, Alison J; Emsley, Richard

2013-10-01

To examine potential mediators of the effect of pragmatic rehabilitation on improvements in fatigue following a randomized controlled trial for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME) in primary care (IRCTN 74156610). Patients fulfilled the Oxford criteria for CFS. Ninety-five patients were randomized to pragmatic rehabilitation and 100 to general practitioner (GP) treatment as usual. The outcome was the Chalder fatigue scale score (0123 scoring) at end of treatment (20 weeks) and 1-year follow up (70 weeks). First, the effect of treatment on potential mediators was assessed. Then fatigue was regressed on significant mediators, treatment allocation, and baseline measures of fatigue and significant mediators. Reduction in limiting activities at 20 weeks mediated the positive effect of pragmatic rehabilitation on fatigue at 70 weeks (mediated effect size = -2.64, SE = 0.81, p = .001, proportion of effect mediated = 82.0%). Reduction in catastrophizing at 20 weeks mediated the positive effect of pragmatic rehabilitation on fatigue at 70 weeks (mediated effect size = -1.39, SE = 0.61, p = .023, proportion of effect mediated = 43.2%). Reductions in 70-week measures of fear avoidance, embarrassment avoidance, limiting activities, and all-or-nothing behavior all mediated improvement in fatigue at 70 weeks, although the causal direction of these cross-sectional effects cannot be determined. There were no between-group differences on measures of exercise capacity (a timed step test). Improvements in fatigue following pragmatic rehabilitation are related to changes in behavioral responses to and beliefs about fatigue.

MODELS OF FATIGUE LIFE CURVES IN FATIGUE LIFE CALCULATIONS OF MACHINE ELEMENTS – EXAMPLES OF RESEARCH

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Grzegorz SZALA

2014-03-01

Full Text Available In the paper there was attempted to analyse models of fatigue life curves possible to apply in calculations of fatigue life of machine elements. The analysis was limited to fatigue life curves in stress approach enabling cyclic stresses from the range of low cycle fatigue (LCF, high cycle fatigue (HCF, fatigue limit (FL and giga cycle fatigue (GCF appearing in the loading spectrum at the same time. Chosen models of the analysed fatigue live curves will be illustrated with test results of steel and aluminium alloys.

[Research Progress on the Interaction Effects and Its Neural Mechanisms between Physical Fatigue and Mental Fatigue].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lixin; Zhang, Chuncui; He, Feng; Zhao, Xin; Qi, Hongzhi; Wan, Baikun; Ming, Dong

2015-10-01

Fatigue is an exhaustion state caused by prolonged physical work and mental work, which can reduce working efficiency and even cause industrial accidents. Fatigue is a complex concept involving both physiological and psychological factors. Fatigue can cause a decline of concentration and work performance and induce chronic diseases. Prolonged fatigue may endanger life safety. In most of the scenarios, physical and mental workloads co-lead operator into fatigue state. Thus, it is very important to study the interaction influence and its neural mechanisms between physical and mental fatigues. This paper introduces recent progresses on the interaction effects and discusses some research challenges and future development directions. It is believed that mutual influence between physical fatigue and mental fatigue may occur in the central nervous system. Revealing the basal ganglia function and dopamine release may be important to explore the neural mechanisms between physical fatigue and mental fatigue. Future effort is to optimize fatigue models, to evaluate parameters and to explore the neural mechanisms so as to provide scientific basis and theoretical guidance for complex task designs and fatigue monitoring.

Fatigue Damage in Wood

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clorius, Christian Odin; Pedersen, Martin Bo Uhre; Hoffmeyer, Preben

1996-01-01

An investigation of fatigue failure in wood subjected to load cycles in compression parallel to grain is presented. Fatigue failure is found to depend both on the total time under load and on the number of cycles.Recent accelerated fatigue research on wood is reviewed, and a discrepancy between...... to 10 Hz are used. The number of cycles to failure is found to be a poor measure of the fatigue performance of wood. Creep, maximum strain, stiffness and work are monitored throughout the fatigue tests. Accumulated creep is suggested identified with damage and a correlation between stiffness reduction...

[Peripheral retinal degenerations--treatment recommendations].

Science.gov (United States)

Joussen, A M; Kirchhof, B

2004-10-01

This report reviews the clinical appearance of degenerative diseases of the peripheral retina in relationship to the risk of developing a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. We present recommendations for preventive treatment in eyes at increased risk of developing retinal detachment. Retinal degenerations are common lesions involving the peripheral retina but most of them are clinically insignificant. Lattice degeneration, degenerative retinoschisis, cystic retinal tufts, and very rarely zonular traction tufts can result in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Therefore, these lesions have been considered for prophylactic treatment; however, adequate studies have not been performed to date. Most of the peripheral retinal degenerations may not require treatment except in rare, high-risk situations. According to current knowledge there is no higher incidence of secondary pucker or other side effects after laser coagulation. Therefore, generous laser indication is recommended if risk factors apply.

Chemotherapy-Induced Fatigue Correlates With Higher Fatigue Scores Before Treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Araújo, José Klerton Luz; Giglio, Adriana Del; Munhoz, Bruna Antenusse; Fonseca, Fernando Luiz Affonso; Cruz, Felipe Melo; Giglio, Auro Del

2017-06-01

Cancer chemotherapy can induce fatigue in about 20% to 30% of patients. So far, there is very little information as to the predictors of chemotherapy-induced fatigue (CIF). We evaluated potential predictors of CIF in a sample of patients with cancer with several types of solid tumors scheduled to receive chemotherapy according to institutional protocols. Before their first and second chemotherapy cycles, patients answered to the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), Chalder, Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Stress thermometer, and HADS questionnaires as well as provided blood samples for inflammatory markers. We evaluated 52 patients, 37 (71%) were female and mean age was 53 years. The most common tumors were breast cancer 21 (40%) and gastrointestinal tumors 12 (23%). Although 14 (25.2%) patients had an increase in their fatigue BFI scores equal or above 3 points from baseline, we observed no significant overall differences between BFI scores before and after chemotherapy. The only 2 factors associated with an increase of 3 points in the BFI scores after chemotherapy were race and higher baseline BFI levels. By multivariate analysis, overall BFI and Chalder scores after chemotherapy also correlated significantly with their respective baseline scores before treatment. HADS scores before treatment correlated with overall BFI scores postchemotherapy, whereas MNA scores before chemotherapy and female sex correlated with higher Chalder scores after treatment. We conclude that fatigue induced by chemotherapy is common and consistently associated with higher fatigue scores before treatment. Screening for fatigue before chemotherapy may help to identify patients who are prone to develop CIF.

Modafinil May Alleviate Poststroke Fatigue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Mai Bang; Damgaard, Bodil; Zerahn, Bo

2015-01-01

was randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled. Patients were treated with 400-mg modafinil or placebo for 90 days. Assessments were done at inclusion, 30, 90, and 180 days. The primary end point was fatigue at 90 days measured by the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 general fatigue domain......BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Poststroke fatigue is common and reduces quality of life. Current evidence for intervention is limited, and this is the first placebo-controlled trial to investigate treatment of poststroke fatigue with the wakefulness promoting drug modafinil. METHODS: The trial....... Secondary end points included the Fatigue Severity Scale, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the modified Rankin Scale and the Stroke-specific quality of Life questionnaire. Adult patients with a recent stroke achieving a score of ≥12 on the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 general fatigue domain were...

Electrophysiological measurements of diabetic peripheral neuropathy: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Shabeeb, Dheyauldeen; Najafi, Masoud; Hasanzadeh, Gholamreza; Hadian, Mohammed Reza; Musa, Ahmed Eleojio; Shirazi, Alireza

2018-03-28

Peripheral neuropathy is one of the main complications of diabetes mellitus. One of the features of diabetic nerve damage is abnormality of sensory and motor nerve conduction study. An electrophysiological examination can be reproduced and is also a non-invasive approach in the assessment of peripheral nerve function. Population-based and clinical studies have been conducted to validate the sensitivity of these methods. When the diagnosis was based on clinical electrophysiological examination, abnormalities were observed in all patients. In this research, using a review design, we reviewed the issue of clinical electrophysiological examination of diabetic peripheral neuropathy in articles from 2008 to 2017. For this purpose, PubMed, Scopus and Embase databases of journals were used for searching articles. The researchers indicated that diabetes (both types) is a very disturbing health issue in the modern world and should be given serious attention. Based on conducted studies, it was demonstrated that there are different procedures for prevention and treatment of diabetes-related health problems such as diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN). The first objective quantitative indication of the peripheral neuropathy is abnormality of sensory and motor nerve conduction tests. Electrophysiology is accurate, reliable and sensitive. It can be reproduced and also is a noninvasive approach in the assessment of peripheral nerve function. The methodological review has found that the best method for quantitative indication of the peripheral neuropathy compared with all other methods is clinical electrophysiological examination. For best results, standard protocols such as temperature control and equipment calibration are recommended. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Application of environmentally-corrected fatigue curves to nuclear power plant components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ware, A.G.; Morton, D.K.; Nitzel, M.E.

1996-01-01

Recent test data indicate that the effects of the light water reactor (LWR) environment could significantly reduce the fatigue resistance of materials used in the reactor coolant pressure boundary components of operating nuclear power plants. Argonne National Laboratory has developed interim fatigue curves based on test data simulating LWR conditions, and published them in NUREG/CR-5999. In order to assess the significance of these interim fatigue curves, fatigue evaluations of a sample of the components in the reactor coolant pressure boundary of LWRs were performed. The sample consists of components from facilities designed by each of the four US nuclear steam supply system vendors. For each facility, six locations were studied including two locations on the reactor pressure vessel. In addition, there are older vintage plants where components of the reactor coolant pressure boundary were designed to codes that did not require an explicit fatigue analysis of the components. In order to assess the fatigue resistance of the older vintage plants, an evaluation was also conducted on selected components of three of these plants. This paper discusses the insights gained from the application of the interim fatigue curves to components of seven operating nuclear power plants

The effect of creep cavitation on the fatigue life under creep-fatigue interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nam, S.W.

1995-01-01

Low cycle fatigue tests have been carried out with three different materials (1Cr-Mo-V steel, 12Cr-Mo-V steel and 304 stainless steel) for the investigation of the effect of surface roughness on the fatigue life. To see the effect systematically, we have chosen those materials which may or may not form grain boundary cavities.Test results show that the continuous fatigue life of 1Cr-Mo-V steel and aged 304 stainless steel with a rough surface is decreased compared with that of the specimens with a smooth surface. These two alloys are found to have no grain boundary cavities formed under creep-fatigue test conditions. On the contrary, the fatigue life of 12Cr-Mo-V steel and solutionized 304 stainless steel in which grain boundary cavities are formed under creep-fatigue test conditions is not influenced by the states of surface roughness.The characteristic test results strongly confirm that the fatigue life of the specimen under creep-fatigue interaction, during which creep cavities are forming, may be controlled by the cavity nucleation and growth processes rather than the process of surface crack initiation. ((orig.))

Epigenetic modifications and glucocorticoid sensitivity in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Science.gov (United States)

de Vega, Wilfred C; Herrera, Santiago; Vernon, Suzanne D; McGowan, Patrick O

2017-02-23

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating idiopathic disease characterized by unexplained fatigue that fails to resolve with sufficient rest. Diagnosis is based on a list of symptoms and exclusion of other fatigue-related health conditions. Despite a heterogeneous patient population, immune and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function differences, such as enhanced negative feedback to glucocorticoids, are recurring findings in ME/CFS studies. Epigenetic modifications, such as CpG methylation, are known to regulate long-term phenotypic differences and previous work by our group found DNA methylome differences in ME/CFS, however the relationship between DNA methylome modifications, clinical and functional characteristics associated with ME/CFS has not been examined. We examined the DNA methylome in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of a larger cohort of female ME/CFS patients using the Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChip Array. In parallel to the DNA methylome analysis, we investigated in vitro glucocorticoid sensitivity differences by stimulating PBMCs with phytohaemagglutinin and suppressed growth with dexamethasone. We explored DNA methylation differences using bisulfite pyrosequencing and statistical permutation. Linear regression was implemented to discover epigenomic regions associated with self-reported quality of life and network analysis of gene ontology terms to biologically contextualize results. We detected 12,608 differentially methylated sites between ME/CFS patients and healthy controls predominantly localized to cellular metabolism genes, some of which were also related to self-reported quality of life health scores. Among ME/CFS patients, glucocorticoid sensitivity was associated with differential methylation at 13 loci. Our results indicate DNA methylation modifications in cellular metabolism in ME/CFS despite a heterogeneous patient population, implicating these processes in immune and HPA

Fatigue is a brain-derived emotion that regulates the exercise behavior to ensure the protection of whole body homeostasis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timothy David Noakes

2012-04-01

Full Text Available An influential book written by A. Mosso in the late 19th century proposed that fatigue that at first sight might appear an imperfection of our body, is on the contrary one of its most marvellous perfections. The fatigue increasing more rapidly than the amount of work done saves us from the injury which lesser sensibility would involve for the organism so that muscular fatigue also is at bottom an exhaustion of the nervous system.It has taken more than a century to confirm Mosso’s idea that both the brain and the muscles alter their function during exercise and that fatigue is predominantly an emotion, part of a complex regulation, the goal of which is to protect the body from harm. Mosso’s ideas were supplanted in the English literature by those of A.V. Hill who believed that fatigue was the result of biochemical changes in the exercising limb muscles - peripheral fatigue - to which the central nervous system makes no contribution. The past decade has witnessed the growing realization that this brainless model cannot explain exercise performance. This article traces the evolution of our modern understanding of how the CNS regulates exercise specifically to insure that each exercise bout terminates whilst homeostasis is retained in all bodily systems. The brain uses the symptoms of fatigue as key regulators to insure that the exercise is completed before harm develops. These sensations of fatigue are unique to each individual and are illusionary since their generation is largely independent of the real biological state of the athlete at the time they develop. The model predicts that attempts to understand fatigue and to explain superior human athletic performance purely on the basis of the body’s known physiological and metabolic responses to exercise must fail since subconscious and conscious mental decisions made by winners and losers, in both training and competition, are the ultimate determinants of both fatigue and athletic performance.

Modeling the effects of control systems of wind turbine fatigue life

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pierce, K.G.; Laino, D.J. [Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)

1996-12-31

In this study we look at the effect on fatigue life of two types of control systems. First, we investigate the Micon 65, an upwind, three bladed turbine with a simple yaw control system. Results indicate that increased fatigue damage to the blade root can be attributed to continuous operation at significant yaw error allowed by the control system. Next, we model a two-bladed teetered rotor turbine using three different control systems to adjust flap deflections. The first two limit peak power output, the third limits peak power and cyclic power output over the entire range of operation. Results for simulations conducted both with and without active control are compared to determine how active control affects fatigue life. Improvement in fatigue lifetimes were seen for all control schemes, with increasing fatigue lifetime corresponding to increased flap deflection activity. 13 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs.

Cross-cultural differences in the epidemiology of unexplained fatigue syndromes in primary care.

Science.gov (United States)

Skapinakis, Petros; Lewis, Glyn; Mavreas, Venetsanos

2003-03-01

Unexplained fatigue has been extensively studied but most of the samples used were from Western countries. To present international data on the prevalence of unexplained fatigue and fatigue as a presenting complaint in primary care. Method Secondary analysis of the World Health Organization study of psychological problems in general health care. A total of 5438 primary care attenders from 14 countries were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. The prevalence of unexplained fatigue of 1-month duration differed across centres, with a range between 2.26 (95% CI 1.17-4.33) and 15.05 (95% CI 10.85-20.49). Subjects from more-developed countries were more likely to report unexplained fatigue but less likely to present with fatigue to physicians compared with subjects from less developed countries. In less-developed countries fatigue might be an indicator of unmet psychiatric need, but in more-developed countries it is probably a symbol of psychosocial distress.

Development of regenerative peripheral nerve interfaces for motor control of neuroprosthetic devices

Science.gov (United States)

Kemp, Stephen W. P.; Urbanchek, Melanie G.; Irwin, Zachary T.; Chestek, Cynthia A.; Cederna, Paul S.

2017-05-01

Traumatic peripheral nerve injuries suffered during amputation commonly results in debilitating neuropathic pain in the affected limb. Modern prosthetic technologies allow for intuitive, simultaneous control of multiple degrees of freedom. However, these state-of-the-art devices require separate, independent control signals for each degree of freedom, which is currently not possible. As a result, amputees reject up to 75% of myoelectric devices preferring instead to use body-powered artificial limbs which offer subtle sensory feedback. Without meaningful and intuitive sensory feedback, even the most advanced myoelectric prostheses remain insensate, burdensome, and are associated with enormous cognitive demand and mental fatigue. The ideal prosthetic device is one which is capable of providing intuitive somatosensory feedback essential for interaction with the environment. Critical to the design of such a bioprosthetic device is the development of a reliable biologic interface between human and machine. This ideal patient-prosthetic interface allows for transmission of both afferent somatosensory information and efferent motor signals for a closed-loop feedback system of neural control. Our lab has developed the Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interface (RPNI) as a biologic nerve interface designed for stable integration of a prosthetic device with transected peripheral nerves in a residual limb. The RPNI is constructed by surgically implanting the distal end of a transected peripheral nerve into an autogenous muscle graft. Animal experiments in our lab have shown recording of motor signals from RPNI's implanted into both rodents and monkeys. Here, we achieve high amplitude EMG signals with a high signal to noise (SNR) ratio.

Parental fatigue and parenting practices during early childhood: an Australian community survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooklin, A R; Giallo, R; Rose, N

2012-09-01

Parenting behaviours are influenced by a range of factors, including parental functioning. Although common, the influence of parental fatigue on parenting practices is not known. The first aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between fatigue and parenting practices. The second aim was to identify parental psychosocial factors significantly associated with fatigue. A sample of 1276 Australian parents, of at least one child aged 0-5 years, completed a survey. Demographic, psychosocial (social support, coping responses) and parental sleep and self-care information was collected. Hierarchical regression was performed to assess the contribution of fatigue (modified Fatigue Assessment Scale) to parental practices (warmth, irritability and involvement), and parenting experiences (Parenting Stress Index, Parenting Sense of Competence Scale). Hierarchical multiple regression assessed the contribution of a range of parental sleep, psychosocial (social support, coping responses) and self-care variables to fatigue when demographic characteristics were held constant. Higher fatigue was significantly associated with lower parental competence (β=-0.17, P parenting stress (β= 0.21, P parent-child interactions (β= 0.11, P parental fatigue, including inadequate social support, poorer diet, poorer sleep quality and ineffective coping styles including self-blame and behaviour disengagement. Fatigue is common, and results suggest that fatigue contributes to adverse parental practices and experiences. However, possible risk factors for higher fatigue were identified in this study, indicating opportunities for intervention, management and support for parents. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Comparative study of a muscle stiffness sensor and electromyography and mechanomyography under fatigue conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Hyonyoung; Jo, Sungho; Kim, Jung

2015-07-01

This paper proposes the feasibility of a stiffness measurement for muscle contraction force estimation under muscle fatigue conditions. Bioelectric signals have been widely studied for the estimation of the contraction force for physical human-robot interactions, but the correlation between the biosignal and actual motion is decreased under fatigue conditions. Muscle stiffness could be a useful contraction force estimator under fatigue conditions because it measures the same physical quantity as the muscle contraction that generates the force. Electromyography (EMG), mechanomyography (MMG), and a piezoelectric resonance-based active muscle stiffness sensor were used to analyze the biceps brachii under isometric muscle fatigue conditions with reference force sensors at the end of the joint. Compared to EMG and MMG, the change in the stiffness signal was smaller (p fatigue condition changed fatigue conditions. This result indicates that the muscle stiffness signal is less sensitive to muscle fatigue than other biosignals. This investigation provides insights into methods of monitoring and compensating for muscle fatigue.

Estimation of muscle fatigue by ratio of mean frequency to average rectified value from surface electromyography.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernando, Jeffry Bonar; Yoshioka, Mototaka; Ozawa, Jun

2016-08-01

A new method to estimate muscle fatigue quantitatively from surface electromyography (EMG) is proposed. The ratio of mean frequency (MNF) to average rectified value (ARV) is used as the index of muscle fatigue, and muscle fatigue is detected when MNF/ARV falls below a pre-determined or pre-calculated baseline. MNF/ARV gives larger distinction between fatigued muscle and non-fatigued muscle. Experiment results show the effectiveness of our method in estimating muscle fatigue more correctly compared to conventional methods. An early evaluation based on the initial value of MNF/ARV and the subjective time when the subjects start feeling the fatigue also indicates the possibility of calculating baseline from the initial value of MNF/ARV.

Comparison of Fatigue Properties and Fatigue Crack Growth Rates of Various Implantable Metals

Science.gov (United States)

Okazaki, Yoshimitsu

2012-01-01

The fatigue strength, effects of a notch on the fatigue strength, and fatigue crack growth rate of Ti-15Zr-4Nb-4Ta alloy were compared with those of other implantable metals. Zr, Nb, and Ta are important alloying elements for Ti alloys for attaining superior long-term corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. The highly biocompatible Ti-15Zr-4Nb-4Ta alloy exhibited an excellent balance between strength and ductility. Its notched tensile strength was much higher than that of a smooth specimen. The strength of 20% cold-worked commercially pure (C.P.) grade 4 Ti was close to that of Ti alloy. The tension-to-tension fatigue strength of an annealed Ti-15Zr-4Nb-4Ta rod at 107 cycles was approximately 740 MPa. The fatigue strength of this alloy was much improved by aging treatment after solution treatment. The fatigue strengths of C.P. grade 4 Ti and stainless steel were markedly improved by 20% cold working. The fatigue strength of Co-Cr-Mo alloy was markedly increased by hot forging. The notch fatigue strengths of 20% cold-worked C.P. grade 4 Ti, and annealed and aged Ti-15Zr-4Nb-4Ta, and annealed Ti-6Al-4V alloys were less than those of the smooth specimens. The fatigue crack growth rate of Ti-15Zr-4Nb-4Ta was the same as that of Ti-6Al-4V. The fatigue crack growth rate in 0.9% NaCl was the same as that in air. Stainless steel and Co-Cr-Mo-Ni-Fe alloy had a larger stress-intensity factor range (ΔK) than Ti alloy.

[Epidemiology of fatigue in general practice].

Science.gov (United States)

Fuhrer, R

1994-11-01

The epidemiology of fatigue is not well known in France, and this study reports on factors associated with fatigue in a sample of 3,784 general practice patients. Prevalence rates according to several definitions of fatigue are presented and factors are examined that have been reported to be associated with fatigue. Although 41.2% of the sample report having experienced symptoms of fatigue for at least three days, only 7.6% declare fatigue as a reason for consulting a doctor. Women report more symptoms of fatigue, but they do not consult more often than men for this reason. Age is strongly correlated with fatigue, but this is found only for men. Socioprofessional category bears no relationship to fatigue as a reason for consultation, however, the diagnosis of fatigue is more often attributed to professionals and upper management than it is to office staff or skilled and unskilled workers. We do find a strong relationship between depressive symptomatology as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies (CES-D) and fatigue; nonetheless, fatigue is neither sensitive nor specific to the diagnosis of depression.

The Dopamine Imbalance Hypothesis of Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis and Other Neurological Disorders.

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Ekaterina eDobryakova

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Fatigue is one of the most pervasive symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS, and has engendered hundreds of investigations on the topic. While there is a growing literature using various methods to study fatigue, a unified theory of fatigue in MS is yet to emerge. In the current review, we synthesize findings from neuroimaging, pharmacological, neuropsychological and immunological studies of fatigue in MS, which point to a specific hypothesis of fatigue in MS: the dopamine imbalance hypothesis. The communication between the striatum and prefrontal cortex is reliant on dopamine, a modulatory neurotransmitter. Neuroimaging findings suggest that fatigue results from the disruption of communication between these regions. Supporting the dopamine imbalance hypothesis, structural and functional neuroimaging studies show abnormalities in the frontal and striatal regions that are heavily innervated by dopamine neurons. Further, dopaminergic psychostimulant medication has been shown to alleviate fatigue in individuals with traumatic brain injury, chronic fatigue syndrome and in cancer patients, also indicating that dopamine might play an important role in fatigue perception. This paper reviews the structural and functional neuroimaging evidence as well as pharmacological studies that suggest that dopamine plays a critical role in the phenomenon of fatigue. We conclude with how specific aspects of the dopamine imbalance hypothesis can be tested in future research.

Chronic fatigue in patients with unexplained self-reported food hypersensitivity and irritable bowel syndrome: validation of a Norwegian translation of the Fatigue Impact Scale

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Lind R

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Ragna Lind,1 Arnold Berstad,2 Jan Hatlebakk,1,3 Jørgen Valeur21Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, 2Unger-Vetlesen Institute, Department of Medicine, Lovisenberg Diakonale Hospital, Oslo, 3Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, NorwayBackground: Patients with unexplained self-reported food hypersensitivity and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS suffer from several health complaints, including fatigue. The aim of the present study was to validate a Norwegian translation of the Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS, and to assess the impact of fatigue in patients with self-reported food hypersensitivity and IBS, as compared with healthy controls.Methods: Thirty-eight patients with unexplained self-reported food hypersensitivity and IBS, who participated in the validation of the FIS completed the following additional questionnaires: the Short Form of Nepean Dyspepsia Index for assessment of quality of life, the Subjective Health Complaint Inventory, and questionnaires for diagnosis and severity of IBS. Impact of fatigue was studied in 43 patients with unexplained self-reported food hypersensitivity, 70% diagnosed with IBS, and 42 healthy controls.Results: Cronbach's α for the FIS was 0.98, indicating excellent agreement between individual items. Scores on the FIS correlated with scores on the Short Form of Nepean Dyspepsia Index (r = 0.50, P = 0.001, indicating good convergent validity, and were higher in patients (median 85.0, interquartile range 36.8–105.3 than in controls (median 14.0, interquartile range 3.0–29.0, P ≤0.0001.Conclusion: The Norwegian translation of the FIS performed excellently in patients with unexplained self-reported food hypersensitivity and IBS, with patients reporting significantly more impact of chronic fatigue than healthy controls.Keywords: irritable bowel syndrome, fatigue, food hypersensitivity, quality of life

Structural characterization and magnetic properties of steels subjected to fatigue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lo, C.C.H.; Tang, F.; Biner, S.B.; Jiles, D.C.

2000-01-01

Studies have been made on the effects of residual stress and microstructure on the variations of magnetic properties of steels during fatigue. Strain-controlled fatigue tests have been conducted on 0.2wt% C steel samples which were (1) cold-worked (2) cold-worked and annealed at 500 deg. C to relieve residual stress, and (3) annealed at 905 deg. C to produce a ferrite/pearlite structure. The changes of surface microstructure were studied by SEM replica technique. The dislocation structures of samples fatigued for different numbers of cycle were studied by TEM. In the initial stage of fatigue coercivity was found to behave differently for samples which have different residual stress levels. In the intermediate stage the magnetic hysteresis parameters became stable as the dislocation cell structure developed in the samples. In the final stage the magnetic parameters decreased dramatically. The decrease rate is related to the propagation rate of fatigue cracks observed in the SEM study, which was found to be dependent on the sample microstructure. The present results indicate that the magnetic inspection technique is able to differentiate the residual stress effects from the fatigue damage induced by cyclic loading, and therefore it is possible to detect the onset of fatigue failure in steel components via measurements of the changes in magnetic properties.--This work was sponsored by the National Science Foundation, under grant number CMS-9532056

Supervised exercise reduces cancer-related fatigue: a systematic review

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José F Meneses-Echávez

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Question: Does supervised physical activity reduce cancer-related fatigue? Design: Systematic review with meta-analysis of randomised trials. Participants: People diagnosed with any type of cancer, without restriction to a particular stage of diagnosis or treatment. Intervention: Supervised physical activity interventions (eg, aerobic, resistance and stretching exercise, defined as any planned or structured body movement causing an increase in energy expenditure, designed to maintain or enhance health-related outcomes, and performed with systematic frequency, intensity and duration. Outcome measures: The primary outcome measure was fatigue. Secondary outcomes were physical and functional wellbeing assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Fatigue Scale, European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire, Piper Fatigue Scale, Schwartz Cancer Fatigue Scale and the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory. Methodological quality, including risk of bias of the studies, was evaluated using the PEDro Scale. Results: Eleven studies involving 1530 participants were included in the review. The assessment of quality showed a mean score of 6.5 (SD 1.1, indicating a low overall risk of bias. The pooled effect on fatigue, calculated as a standardised mean difference (SMD using a random-effects model, was –1.69 (95% CI –2.99 to –0.39. Beneficial reductions in fatigue were also found with combined aerobic and resistance training with supervision (SMD = –0.41, 95% CI –0.70 to –0.13 and with combined aerobic, resistance and stretching training with supervision (SMD = –0.67, 95% CI –1.17 to –0.17. Conclusion: Supervised physical activity interventions reduce cancer-related fatigue. These findings suggest that combined aerobic and resistance exercise regimens with or without stretching should be included as part of rehabilitation programs for people who have been diagnosed with cancer

Fibromyalgia is Associated With Altered Skeletal Muscle Characteristics Which May Contribute to Post-Exertional Fatigue in Post-Menopausal Women

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Srikuea, Ratchakrit; Symons, T. Brock; Long, Douglas E.; Lee, Jonah D.; Shang, Yu; Chomentowski, Peter J.; Yu, Guoqiang; Crofford, Leslie J.; Peterson, Charlotte A.

2012-01-01

Objective To identify muscle physiological properties that may contribute to post-exertional fatigue and malaise in women with fibromyalgia (FM). Methods Healthy postmenopausal women with (n=11) and without (n=11) fibromyalgia, age 51–70 years, participated in this study. Physical characteristics along with self-reported questionnaires were evaluated. Strength loss and tissue oxygenation in response to a fatiguing exercise protocol were used to quantify fatigability and the local muscle hemodynamic profile. Muscle biopsies were obtained to assess between-group differences in baseline muscle properties using histochemical, immunohistochemical and electron microscopic analyses. Results No significant difference in muscle fatigue in response to exercise was apparent between healthy controls and subjects with FM. However, self-reported fatigue and pain were correlated to prolonged loss of strength following 12-min of recovery in subjects with FM. Although there was no difference in percent SDH positive (type I) and SDH negative (type II) fibers or in mean fiber cross-sectional area between groups, subjects with FM showed greater size variability and altered fiber size distribution. Only in healthy controls, fatigue-resistance was strongly correlated with the size of SDH positive fibers and hemoglobin oxygenation. By contrast, subjects with FM with the highest percentage of SDH positive fibers recovered strength most effectively, which was correlated to capillary density. However, overall, capillary density was lower in subjects with FM. Conclusion Peripheral mechanisms i.e. altered muscle fiber size distribution and decreased capillary density may contribute to post-exertional fatigue in subjects with FM. Understanding these defects in fibromyalgic muscle may provide valuable insight for treatment. PMID:23124535

Lower heart rate variability is associated with cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer survivors

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Alexandra Dupont

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Background : Fatigue is the most common and distressing symptom reported by breast cancer survivors and yet the pathophysiology of cancer-related fatigue remains largely unknown. Fatigue is associated with lower parasympathetic and higher sympathetic nervous system activity in non-cancer samples, but only one study has demonstrated this same relationship in breast cancer survivors. This study evaluates the relationship between fatigue and basal autonomic nervous system activity as measured by heart rate variability (HRV in a sample of breast cancer survivors. Methods : Women who had been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer before the age of 50 were recruited from the UCLA tumor registry and completed psychological questionnaires, including measures of fatigue. A subset of these women (n=30 participated in a follow-up study in which they completed measures of fatigue, energy and mood four times per day for 5 days using electronic diaries, provided 3 days of saliva samples for cortisol assessment and underwent physiological assessment including electrocardiogram (ECG. HRV was assessed via ECG R-R wave spectral and time sequence analysis. Results : Questionnaire measures of fatigue were negatively associated with indices of parasympathetic nervous system activity, B= − 3.85, p = 0.04 for RMSSD (root of the mean squared difference of successive normal to normal waves and B= − 76.97, p = 0.04 for LF power % (low-frequency wave power percentage. Daily fatigue was also associated with lower basal HRV, B= − 15.1, p = 0.04 for RMSSD. However, fatigue indices were not associated with sympathetic nervous system activity as measured by low- to high-frequency wave ratio. Of note, fatigue was not associated with average daily cortisol output (AUC. Conclusions : Lower HRV has been associated with increased chronic inflammation, which is elevated in cancer survivors reporting persistent fatigue, thus providing insight into

Relationships between compassion fatigue, burnout, and turnover intention in Korean hospital nurses.

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Sung, Kiwol; Seo, Youngsook; Kim, Jee Hee

2012-12-01

This study aimed to identify relationships between compassion fatigue, burnout, and turnover intention in Korean hospital nurses. In total, 142 hospital nurses were surveyed as part of data collection. Data related to compassion fatigue, burnout, and turnover intention were collected using a questionnaire between May 2011 and September 2011. The data analysis was performed using PASW 19.0 program, which included one-way ANOVA, independent t-tests, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and hierarchical regression analysis. This study detected a positive correlation between compassion fatigue and burnout(r=.37, pturnover intention(r=.55, pturnover intention among Korean hospital nurses. The results indicate that it is necessary to reduce compassion fatigue, and turnover intention among Korean hospital nurses.

Study on Fatigue Performance of Composite Bolted Joints with Bolt-Hole Delamination

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Liu, M. J.; Yu, S.; Zhao, Q. Y.

2018-03-01

Fatigue performance of composite structure with imperfections is a challenging subject at present. Based on cohesive zone method and multi-continuum theory, delamination evolution response and fatigue life prediction of a 3D composite single-lap joint with a bolt-hole have been investigated through computer codes Abaqus and Fe-safe. Results from the comparison of a perfect composite bolted joint with another defect one indicates that a relatively small delamination damage around the bolt hole brings about significant degradation of local material performance. More notably, fatigue life of stress concentration region of composite bolted joints is highly sensitive to external loads, as an increase of 67% cyclic load amplitude leads to an decrease of 99.5% local fatigue life in this study. However, the numerical strategy for solving composite fatigue problems is meaningful to engineering works.

A neuro-immune model of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic fatigue syndrome.

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Morris, Gerwyn; Maes, Michael

2013-12-01

This paper proposes a neuro-immune model for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). A wide range of immunological and neurological abnormalities have been reported in people suffering from ME/CFS. They include abnormalities in proinflammatory cytokines, raised production of nuclear factor-κB, mitochondrial dysfunctions, autoimmune responses, autonomic disturbances and brain pathology. Raised levels of oxidative and nitrosative stress (O&NS), together with reduced levels of antioxidants are indicative of an immuno-inflammatory pathology. A number of different pathogens have been reported either as triggering or maintaining factors. Our model proposes that initial infection and immune activation caused by a number of possible pathogens leads to a state of chronic peripheral immune activation driven by activated O&NS pathways that lead to progressive damage of self epitopes even when the initial infection has been cleared. Subsequent activation of autoreactive T cells conspiring with O&NS pathways cause further damage and provoke chronic activation of immuno-inflammatory pathways. The subsequent upregulation of proinflammatory compounds may activate microglia via the vagus nerve. Elevated proinflammatory cytokines together with raised O&NS conspire to produce mitochondrial damage. The subsequent ATP deficit together with inflammation and O&NS are responsible for the landmark symptoms of ME/CFS, including post-exertional malaise. Raised levels of O&NS subsequently cause progressive elevation of autoimmune activity facilitated by molecular mimicry, bystander activation or epitope spreading. These processes provoke central nervous system (CNS) activation in an attempt to restore immune homeostatsis. This model proposes that the antagonistic activities of the CNS response to peripheral inflammation, O&NS and chronic immune activation are responsible for the remitting-relapsing nature of ME/CFS. Leads for future research are suggested based on this

Fatigue Properties of Layered Double Hydroxides Modified Asphalt and Its Mixture

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Xing Liu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the influence of layered double hydroxides (LDHs on the fatigue properties of asphalt mixture. In this paper, different aging levels (thin film oven test (TFOT and ultraviolet radiation aging (UV aging for short of bitumen modified with various mass ratios of the LDHs were investigated. The TFOT and UV aging process were used to simulate short-term field thermal-oxidative aging and long-term field light UV aging of bitumen, respectively. The influences of LDHs on the fatigue properties of LDHs were evaluated by dynamic shear rheometer (DSR and indirect tensile fatigue test. Results indicated that the introduction of LDHs could change the fatigue properties of bitumen under a stress control mode. The mixture with modified bitumen showed better fatigue resistance than the mixture with base bitumen. The results illustrated that the LDHs would be alternative modifiers used in the bitumen to improve the lifetime of asphalt pavements.

Prolonged unexplained fatigue in paediatrics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bakker, R.J.

2010-01-01

Prolonged Unexplained Fatigue in Paediatrics. Fatigue, as the result of mental or physical exertion, will disappear after rest, drinks and food. Fatigue as a symptom of illness will recover with the recovering of the illness. But when fatigue is ongoing for a long time, and not the result of

Assessment of early onset of driver fatigue using multimodal fatigue measures in a static simulator.

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Jagannath, M; Balasubramanian, Venkatesh

2014-07-01

Driver fatigue is an important contributor to road accidents. This paper reports a study that evaluated driver fatigue using multimodal fatigue measures, i.e., surface electromyography (sEMG), electroencephalography (EEG), seat interface pressure, blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen saturation level. Twenty male participants volunteered in this study by performing 60 min of driving on a static simulator. Results from sEMG showed significant physical fatigue (ρ fatigue. This will help us understand the influence of physical and mental fatigue on driver during monotonous driving. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Fatigue and fatigue-related symptoms in patients treated for different causes of hypothyroidism

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Louwerens, M.; Appelhof, B.C.; Verloop, H.; Medici, M.; Peeters, R.P.; Visser, T.J.; Boelen, A.; Fliers, E.; Smit, J.W.A.; Dekkers, O.M.

2012-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Research on determinants of well-being in patients on thyroid hormone replacement therapy is warranted, as persistent fatigue-related complaints are common in this population. In this study, we evaluated the impact of different states of hypothyroidism on fatigue and fatigue-related

Fatigue and fatigue-related symptoms in patients treated for different causes of hypothyroidism

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Louwerens, Marloes; Appelhof, Bente C.; Verloop, Herman; Medici, Marco; Peeters, Robin P.; Visser, Theo J.; Boelen, Anita; Fliers, Eric; Smit, Johannes W. A.; Dekkers, Olaf M.

2012-01-01

Objective: Research on determinants of well-being in patients on thyroid hormone replacement therapy is warranted, as persistent fatigue-related complaints are common in this population. In this study, we evaluated the impact of different states of hypothyroidism on fatigue and fatigue-related

Whole-body hypothermia has central and peripheral influences on elbow flexor performance.

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Cahill, Farrell; Kalmar, Jayne M; Pretorius, Thea; Gardiner, Phillip F; Giesbrecht, Gordon G

2011-05-01

The superimposed twitch technique was used to study the effect of whole-body hypothermia on maximal voluntary activation of elbow flexors. Seven subjects [26.4 ± 4 years old (mean ± SD)] were exposed to 60 min of either immersion in 8°C water (hypothermia) or sitting in 22°C air (control). Voluntary activation was assessed during brief (3 s) maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) and then during a 2 min fatiguing sustained MVC. Hypothermia (core temperature 34.8 ± 0.9°C) decreased maximal voluntary torque from 98.2 ± 1.0 to 82.8 ± 5.8% MVC (P < 0.001) and increased central conduction time from 7.9 ± 0.4 to 9.1 ± 0.7 ms (P < 0.05). Hypothermia also decreased maximal resting twitch amplitude from 17.6 ± 4.0 to 10.0 ± 1.7% MVC (P < 0.005) and increased the time-to-peak twitch tension from 55.4 ± 4.0 to 79.0 ± 11.7 ms (P < 0.001). During the 2 min contraction, hypothermia decreased initial torque (P < 0.01) but attenuated the subsequent rate of torque decline (control from 95.5 ± 4 to 29.4 ± 8% MVC; and hypothermia from 85.3 ± 8 to 37.3 ± 5% MVC; P < 0.01). Cortical superimposed twitches increased as fatigue developed but were always lower in the hypothermic conditions. Cortical superimposed twitches increased from a value of 0.4 ± 0.3% MVC prefatigue to 3.9 ± 1.4% MVC postfatigue (P < 0.001) in the hypothermic conditions and from 1.7 ± 0.9 to 5.5 ± 2.3% MVC in control conditions. Our results suggest that hypothermia decreases MVCs primarily via peripheral mechanisms and attenuates the rate of fatigue development by reducing central fatigue.

Force Sense of the Knee Not Affected by Fatiguing the Knee Extensors and Flexors

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Allison, Katelyn F.; Sell, Timothy C.; Benjaminse, Anne; Lephart, Scott M.

Context: Knee injuries commonly occur in later stages of competition, indicating that fatigue may influence dynamic knee stability. Force sense (FS) is a submodality of proprioception influenced by muscle mechanoreceptors, which, if negatively affected by fatigue, may result in less-effective

Fatigue Experiences Among OCD Outpatients.

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Pasquini, Massimo; Piacentino, Daria; Berardelli, Isabella; Roselli, Valentina; Maraone, Annalisa; Tarsitani, Lorenzo; Biondi, Massimo

2015-12-01

Patients with OCD are impaired in multiple domains of functioning and quality of life. While associated psychopathology complaints and neuropsychological deficits were reported, the subjective experience of general fatigue and mental fatigue was scarcely investigated. In this single-center case-control study we compared 50 non-depressed OCD outpatients consecutively recruited and 50 panic disorder (PD) outpatients, to determine whether they experienced fatigue differently. Assessment consisted of structured clinical interview for DSM-IV criteria by using the SCID-I and the SCID-II. Symptom severity was assessed using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Clinical Global Impressions Scale, severity and the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale. Fatigue was assessed by using the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI). Regarding MFI physical fatigue, an OR of 0.196 (95 % CI 0.080-0.478) was found, suggesting that its presence is associated with lower odds of OCD compared to PD. The same can be said for MFI mental fatigue, as an OR of 0.138 (95 % CI 0.049-0.326) was found, suggesting that its presence is associated with lower odds of OCD. Notably, OCD patients with OCDP co-morbidity reported higher scores of mental fatigue. In this study fatigue, including mental fatigue, seems not to be a prominent experience among adult non-depressed OCD patients.

Fatigue Crack Topography.

Science.gov (United States)

1984-01-01

alloys (2). [--I Fig. 6. Fatigue fracture in Nitrile- butadien rubber ( NBR ). Fig. 7. The characteristic features of fatigue fracture in press moulded...in plastics and even in rubber . It follows therefore, that fatigue fractures must also occur in the mineral layers of our earth or in the rock on...effective until the weakest point yields and forms a crack. To get a feeling for this process, you can imagine that the stressed article is made of rubber

Stress management skills, neuroimmune processes and fatigue levels in persons with chronic fatigue syndrome.

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Lattie, Emily G; Antoni, Michael H; Fletcher, Mary Ann; Penedo, Frank; Czaja, Sara; Lopez, Corina; Perdomo, Dolores; Sala, Andreina; Nair, Sankaran; Fu, Shih Hua; Klimas, Nancy

2012-08-01

Stressors and emotional distress responses impact chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) symptoms, including fatigue. Having better stress management skills might mitigate fatigue by decreasing emotional distress. Because CFS patients comprise a heterogeneous population, we hypothesized that the role of stress management skills in decreasing fatigue may be most pronounced in the subgroup manifesting the greatest neuroimmune dysfunction. In total, 117 individuals with CFS provided blood and saliva samples, and self-report measures of emotional distress, perceived stress management skills (PSMS), and fatigue. Plasma interleukin-1-beta (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and diurnal salivary cortisol were analyzed. We examined relations among PSMS, emotional distress, and fatigue in CFS patients who did and did not evidence neuroimmune abnormalities. Having greater PSMS related to less fatigue (p=.019) and emotional distress (pfatigue levels most strongly in CFS patients in the top tercile of IL-6, and emotional distress mediated the relationship between PSMS and fatigue most strongly in patients with the greatest circulating levels of IL-6 and a greater inflammatory (IL-6):anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokine ratio. CFS patients having greater PSMS show less emotional distress and fatigue, and the influence of stress management skills on distress and fatigue appear greatest among patients who have elevated IL-6 levels. These findings support the need for research examining the impact of stress management interventions in subgroups of CFS patients showing neuroimmune dysfunction. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fatigue states after cancer treatment occur both in association with, and independent of, mood disorder: a longitudinal study

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Davenport Tracey

2006-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Persistent fatigue is recognised as one of the most common, ongoing symptoms reported by patients following cancer treatment and may have profound effects on the quality of life. However, recent cross-sectional studies also highlight the close relationship between cancer related fatigue (CRF and diagnoses of depression or anxiety disorder. There is currently limited information about the relationships between these conditions over time. We sought to examine the longitudinal relationships between fatigue and mood disorder in women treated with adjuvant therapy for early stage breast cancer. Methods Women who had recently completed adjuvant therapy for Stage I or II breast cancer (n = 212 were sent a questionnaire with established case thresholds for clinically-significant fatigue and psychological disorder, as well as a questionnaire assessing disability. Potentially relevant variables linked to fatigue states, including age, treatment modality, menopausal status, and hematological indices were recorded. The illness outcomes were assessed over 48 months of follow-up. Results The 176 women who responded to the questionnaire (84% had a mean age of 55 (range 24–83 years and had completed adjuvant treatment on average 10 (range 4.7 – 16.3 months previously. Radiotherapy had been administered, either alone (50% of women or in combination with chemotherapy (36%. Responses from 87 women (48% indicated a significant fatigue state (termed here post-cancer fatigue; PCF, and from 59 women (33% responses indicated significant psychological distress. Thirty-four women (19% were cases of fatigue alone (i.e. unaccompanied by psychological disorder, whereas 52 (30% were cases of both disorders. Multivariate analysis did not reveal any association between demographic, clinical or laboratory variables, and caseness for PCF. Self-reported functional disability was significantly associated with fatigue. Follow-up at 24, 36 and 48 months

Thermal fatigue appears to be more damaging than uniaxial isothermal fatigue for the austentic stainless steels, and application of multiaxial fatigue criteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fissolo, Antoine; Gourdin, Cedric [DM2S/SEMT/LISN, Gif sur Yvette (France); Vincent, Ludovic [DMN/SRMA/LCD, Gif sur Yvette (France)

2009-07-01

For nuclear reactor components, uniaxial isothermal fatigue curves are used to estimate the crack initiation under thermal fatigue. However, such approach would be not sufficient in some cases where cracking was observed. To investigate differences between uniaxial and thermal fatigue damage, tests have been carried out at CEA using the thermal fatigue devices SPLASH and FAT3D: a bi-dimensional (2-D) loading status is obtained in SPLASH, whereas a tri-dimensional (3-D) loading status is obtained in FAT3D. All the analysed tests clearly show that crack initiation in thermal fatigue is faster than in uniaxial isothermal fatigue conditions: for identical levels of strain, the number of cycles required to achieve crack initiation is significantly lower. The enhanced damaging effect probably results from a pure mechanical origin: a nearly perfect biaxial state corresponds to an increased hydrostatic stress. Consequently, multiaxial fatigue criteria must be applied. The Zamrik's strain criterion and the energy criterion proposed by Ecole Polytechnique provide the best estimations. In that framework, the proposed new method coupling both RCC-MR strain estimations and Zamrik's criterion appears to be more promising for the designer. (orig.)

Thermal fatigue appears to be more damaging than uniaxial isothermal fatigue for the austentic stainless steels, and application of multiaxial fatigue criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fissolo, Antoine; Gourdin, Cedric; Vincent, Ludovic

2009-01-01

For nuclear reactor components, uniaxial isothermal fatigue curves are used to estimate the crack initiation under thermal fatigue. However, such approach would be not sufficient in some cases where cracking was observed. To investigate differences between uniaxial and thermal fatigue damage, tests have been carried out at CEA using the thermal fatigue devices SPLASH and FAT3D: a bi-dimensional (2-D) loading status is obtained in SPLASH, whereas a tri-dimensional (3-D) loading status is obtained in FAT3D. All the analysed tests clearly show that crack initiation in thermal fatigue is faster than in uniaxial isothermal fatigue conditions: for identical levels of strain, the number of cycles required to achieve crack initiation is significantly lower. The enhanced damaging effect probably results from a pure mechanical origin: a nearly perfect biaxial state corresponds to an increased hydrostatic stress. Consequently, multiaxial fatigue criteria must be applied. The Zamrik's strain criterion and the energy criterion proposed by Ecole Polytechnique provide the best estimations. In that framework, the proposed new method coupling both RCC-MR strain estimations and Zamrik's criterion appears to be more promising for the designer. (orig.)

Shed a light in fatigue detection with near-infrared spectroscopy during long-lasting driving

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Yuan; Pan, Boan; Li, Kai; Li, Ting

2016-03-01

Fatigue driving is one of the leading roles to induce traffic accident and injury, which urgently desires a novel technique to monitor the fatigue level at driving. Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is capable of noninvasive monitoring brain-activities-related hemodynamic responses. Here, we developed a fINRS imager and setup a classic psychological experiment to trigger visual divided attention which varied responding to driving fatigue, and attempted to record the drive-fatigue-level correlated hemodynamic response in the prefrontal cortex. 7 volunteers were recruited to take 7 hours driving and the experimental test was repeated every 1 hour and 8 times in total. The hemodynamic response were extracted and graphed with pseudo image. The analysis on the relationship between the fNIRS-measured hemodynamic response and fatigue level finally displayed that the oxyhemoglobin concentration in one channel of left prefrontal lobe increased with driving duration in significant correlation. And the spatial pattern of hemodynamic response in the prefrontal lobe varied with driving duration as well. The findings indicated the potential of fNIRSmeasured hemodynamic index in some sensitive spot of prefrontal lobe as a driving fatigue indicator and the promising use of fNIRS in traffic safety field.

Effect of Fatigue Protocols on Lower Limb Neuromuscular Function and Implications for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Prevention Training: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Barber-Westin, Sue D; Noyes, Frank R

2017-12-01

Approximately two-thirds of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are sustained during noncontact situations when an athlete is cutting, pivoting, decelerating, or landing from a jump. Some investigators have postulated that fatigue may result in deleterious alterations in lower limb biomechanics during these activities that could increase the risk of noncontact ACL injuries. However, prior studies have noted a wide variation in fatigue protocols, athletic tasks studied, and effects of fatigue on lower limb kinetics and kinematics. First, to determine if fatigue uniformly alters lower limb biomechanics during athletic tasks that are associated with noncontact ACL injuries. Second, to determine if changes should be made in ACL injury prevention training programs to alter the deleterious effects of fatigue on lower limb kinetics and kinematics. Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. A systematic review of the literature using MEDLINE was performed. Key terms were fatigue, neuromuscular, exercise, hop test, and single-legged function tests. Inclusion criteria were original research studies involving healthy participants, use of a fatigue protocol, study of at least 1 lower limb task that involved landing from a hop or jump or cutting, and analysis of at least 1 biomechanical variable. Thirty-seven studies involving 806 athletes (485 female, 321 male; mean age, 22.7 years) met the inclusion criteria. General fatigue protocols were used in 20 investigations, peripheral protocols were used in 17 studies, and 21 different athletic tasks were studied (13 single-legged, 8 double-legged). There was no consistency among investigations regarding the effects of fatigue on hip, knee, or ankle joint angles and moments or surface electromyography muscle activation patterns. The fatigue protocols typically did not produce statistically significant changes in ground-reaction forces. Published fatigue protocols did not uniformly produce alterations in lower limb neuromuscular

Evaluation of peripheral vasodilative indices in skin tissue of type 1 diabetic rats by use of RGB images

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Tanaka, Noriyuki; Nishidate, Izumi; Nakano, Kazuya; Aizu, Yoshihisa; Niizeki, Kyuichi

2016-04-01

We investigated a method to evaluate the arterial inflow and the venous capacitance in the skin tissue of streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetic rats from RGB digital color images. The arterial inflow and the venous capacitance in the dorsal reversed McFarlane skin flap are calculated based on the responses of change in the total blood concentration to occlusion of blood flow to and from the flap tissues at a pressure of 50 mmHg. The arterial inflow and the venous capacitance in the skin flap tissue were significantly reduced in type 1 diabetic rat group compared with the non-diabetic rat group. The results of the present study indicate the possibility of using the proposed method for evaluating the peripheral vascular dysfunctions in diabetes mellitus.

Electromyographical manifestations of muscle fatigue during different levels of simulated light manual assembly work

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bosch, T.; Looze, M.P. de; Kingma, I.; Visser, B.; Dieën, J.H. van

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether objective electromyographical manifestations of muscle fatigue develop in the upper trapezius muscle in two assembly tasks involving contractions of different low-intensity levels (8% and 12% MVC) and whether these indications of fatigue are

Theoretical modeling and experimental study on fatigue initiation life of 16MnR notched components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xiaogui; Gao Zengliang; Qiu Baoxiang; Jiang Yanrao

2010-01-01

In order to investigate the effects of notch geometry and loading conditions on the fatigue initiation life and fatigue fracture life of 16MnR material, fatigue experiments were conducted for both smooth rod specimens and notched rod specimens. The detailed elastic-plastic stress and strain responses were computed by the finite element software (ABAQUS) incorporating a robust cyclic plasticity model via a user subroutine UMAT. The obtained stresses and strains were applied to the multiaxial fatigue damage criterion to compute the fatigue damage induced by a loading cycle on the critical material plane. The fatigue initiation life was then obtained by the proposed theoretical model. The well agreement between the predicted results and the experiment data indicated that the fatigue initiation of notched components in the multiaxial stress state related to all the nonzero stress and strain quantities. (authors)

How Fatigue Is Experienced and Handled by Female Outpatients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

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Anne Beck

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Fatigue is a significant aspect of everyday life for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, and it influences their health-related quality of life. Little is known about fatigue from the patient’s perspective. Aim. To investigate how female IBD patients experience and handle fatigue. Methods. The study included 11 female outpatients. These patients were 40–59 years old and had IBD ≥ one year and a significantly increased fatigue score. Patients with severe active IBD, anaemia, comorbidity, or pregnancy were excluded. The included patients agreed to participate in a semistructured interview. The interviews were analysed using Malterud’s principles of systematic text condensation. Results. The patients described physical and mental symptoms of fatigue that led to social-, physical-, and work-related limitations with emotional consequences. To handle fatigue, the patients used planning, priority, acceptance, exercise, and support. Two of the eleven patients used exercise on a regular basis. Surprisingly, some patients indicated that they did not need to talk with professionals about their fatigue unless a cure was available. Conclusion. Fatigue in IBD includes physical and mental symptoms that limit the patients’ social-, physical-, and work-related lives. Despite this, some patients expressed that they had chosen to accept their fatigue.

The influence of lumbar extensor muscle fatigue on lumbar-pelvic coordination during weightlifting.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Boyi; Ning, Xiaopeng

2015-01-01

Lumbar muscle fatigue is a potential risk factor for the development of low back pain. In this study, we investigated the influence of lumbar extensor muscle fatigue on lumbar-pelvic coordination patterns during weightlifting. Each of the 15 male subjects performed five repetitions of weightlifting tasks both before and after a lumbar extensor muscle fatiguing protocol. Lumbar muscle electromyography was collected to assess fatigue. Trunk kinematics was recorded to calculate lumbar-pelvic continuous relative phase (CRP) and CRP variability. Results showed that fatigue significantly reduced the average lumbar-pelvic CRP value (from 0.33 to 0.29 rad) during weightlifting. The average CRP variability reduced from 0.17 to 0.15 rad, yet this change ws statistically not significant. Further analyses also discovered elevated spinal loading during weightlifting after the development of lumbar extensor muscle fatigue. Our results suggest that frequently experienced lumbar extensor muscle fatigue should be avoided in an occupational environment. Lumbar extensor muscle fatigue generates more in-phase lumbar-pelvic coordination patterns and elevated spinal loading during lifting. Such increase in spinal loading may indicate higher risk of back injury. Our results suggest that frequently experienced lumbar muscle fatigue should be avoided to reduce the risk of LBP.

Heath risk among pesticide sellers in Bamenda (Cameroon) and peripheral areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Sonchieu, Jean; Akono, Edouard Nantia; Ngwamitang, Cheche Tanwi; Ngassoum, Benoït Martin

2018-04-01

In Bamenda and peripheral zones, studies have been focused on the effects of pesticides on farmers (pesticide users) while nothing has been done to assess the exposure of sellers to pesticides. This study aimed at evaluating the exposure of pesticide sellers in the same area. Thirty-two questionnaires were administered to 32 pesticide sellers systematically selected, and chi-square was used for statistical analysis. From each shop, a respondent was chosen among the workers according to its daily time spent in the workplace. The results showed that there is similarity between sellers in Bamenda and peripheral area; one active ingredient (metalaxyl) and one formulation (beauchamp) sold are not registered; throat irritation, headaches, fatigue, skin irritation, eye irritation, and difficulty in breathing with more cases of nose irritation were symptoms observed; pesticides are stored either in the shops or in warehouses; safety measures generally applied are sitting outside the shop, taking medicated charcoal and the use of protective clothing; 56% have less than 5 years experience. Permanent pesticide sellers are then exposed to chronic intoxication in Bamenda and neighboring zones. Employers should make use of protective clothing in their shops when manipulating pesticides in the application of safety measures.

A literature review and inventory of the effects of environment on the fatigue behavior of metals

Science.gov (United States)

Hudson, C. M.; Seward, S. K.

1976-01-01

The current state of knowledge of the effects of gas environments (at atmospheric pressure and below) on the fatigue behavior of metals is reviewed. Among the topics considered are the mechanisms proposed to explain the differences observed in the fatigue behavior of vacuum- and air-tested specimens, the effects of environment on the surface topography of fatigue cycled specimens, the effect of environment on the various phases of the fatigue phenomenon, the effect of prolonged exposure to vacuum on fatigue life, the variation of fatigue life with decreasing gas pressure, and gas evolution during fatigue cycling. Analysis of the findings of this review indicates that hydrogen embrittlement is primarily responsible for decreased fatigue resistance in humid environments, and that dislocations move more easily during tests in vacuum than during test in air. It was found that fatigue cracks generally initiated and propagated more rapidly in air than in vacuum. Prolonged exposure to vacuum does not adversely affect fatigue resistance. The variation of fatigue life with decreasing gas pressure is sometimes stepped and sometimes continuous.

Fatigue evaluation algorithms: Review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Passipoularidis, V.A.; Broendsted, P.

2009-11-15

A progressive damage fatigue simulator for variable amplitude loads named FADAS is discussed in this work. FADAS (Fatigue Damage Simulator) performs ply by ply stress analysis using classical lamination theory and implements adequate stiffness discount tactics based on the failure criterion of Puck, to model the degradation caused by failure events in ply level. Residual strength is incorporated as fatigue damage accumulation metric. Once the typical fatigue and static properties of the constitutive ply are determined,the performance of an arbitrary lay-up under uniaxial and/or multiaxial load time series can be simulated. The predictions are validated against fatigue life data both from repeated block tests at a single stress ratio as well as against spectral fatigue using the WISPER, WISPERX and NEW WISPER load sequences on a Glass/Epoxy multidirectional laminate typical of a wind turbine rotor blade construction. Two versions of the algorithm, the one using single-step and the other using incremental application of each load cycle (in case of ply failure) are implemented and compared. Simulation results confirm the ability of the algorithm to take into account load sequence effects. In general, FADAS performs well in predicting life under both spectral and block loading fatigue. (author)

Fatigue properties of X80 pipeline steels with ferrite/bainite dual-phase microstructure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Zuo-peng [Key Lab of Metastable Materials Science & Technology and College of Materials Science & Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Qiao, Gui-ying [Key Lab of Metastable Materials Science & Technology and College of Materials Science & Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Key Lab of Applied Chemistry of Hebei Province and School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Tang, Lei [Key Lab of Applied Chemistry of Hebei Province and School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Zhu, Hong-wei; Liao, Bo [Key Lab of Metastable Materials Science & Technology and College of Materials Science & Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Xiao, Fu-ren, E-mail: frxiao@ysu.edu.cn [Key Lab of Metastable Materials Science & Technology and College of Materials Science & Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China)

2016-03-07

Fatigue properties are important parameters for the safety design and security evaluation of gas transmission pipelines. In this work, the fatigue life at different stresses of full-thickness X80 pipeline steel plates with a ferrite/bainite dual-phase microstructure was investigated using a MTS servo-hydraulic universal testing machine; the fatigue crack propagation rate was examined with CT specimens by using an INSTRON 8874 testing machine. Results indicate that fatigue life increases as maximum stress decreases; as the maximum stress decreases to the maximum operating stress (440 MPa), the fatigue life is approximately 4.2×10{sup 5} cycles. The fatigue crack of the full-thickness fatigue life specimens is generated at the surface of rolled steel plates and then the crack propagates and grows inward until a fracture is formed. During fatigue crack growth, a transitional turning point appears in the curve of da/dN with ΔK in the Paris region. The transitional turning point that divides the Paris region to two stages is approximately ΔK≅30 MPa m{sup 1/2}. The change in the growth rate (da/dN) is related to the variation of the crack path and in the fracture mode because of the possible microstructural sensitivity of fatigue crack propagation behavior. This study also discussed the effect of duple phase ferrite/bainite microstructure on fatigue crack initiation and propagation.

Fatigue properties of X80 pipeline steels with ferrite/bainite dual-phase microstructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Zuo-peng; Qiao, Gui-ying; Tang, Lei; Zhu, Hong-wei; Liao, Bo; Xiao, Fu-ren

2016-01-01

Fatigue properties are important parameters for the safety design and security evaluation of gas transmission pipelines. In this work, the fatigue life at different stresses of full-thickness X80 pipeline steel plates with a ferrite/bainite dual-phase microstructure was investigated using a MTS servo-hydraulic universal testing machine; the fatigue crack propagation rate was examined with CT specimens by using an INSTRON 8874 testing machine. Results indicate that fatigue life increases as maximum stress decreases; as the maximum stress decreases to the maximum operating stress (440 MPa), the fatigue life is approximately 4.2×10"5 cycles. The fatigue crack of the full-thickness fatigue life specimens is generated at the surface of rolled steel plates and then the crack propagates and grows inward until a fracture is formed. During fatigue crack growth, a transitional turning point appears in the curve of da/dN with ΔK in the Paris region. The transitional turning point that divides the Paris region to two stages is approximately ΔK≅30 MPa m"1"/"2. The change in the growth rate (da/dN) is related to the variation of the crack path and in the fracture mode because of the possible microstructural sensitivity of fatigue crack propagation behavior. This study also discussed the effect of duple phase ferrite/bainite microstructure on fatigue crack initiation and propagation.

Real-time Alarm Monitoring System for Detecting Driver Fatigue in Wireless Areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rongrong Fu

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper was to develop a real-time alarm monitoring system that can detect the fatigue driving state through wireless communication. The drivers’ electroencephalogram (EEG signals were recorded from occipital electrodes. Seven EEG rhythms with different frequency bands as gamma, hbeta, beta, sigma, alpha, theta and delta waves were extracted. They were simultaneously assessed using relative operating characteristic (ROC curves and grey relational analysis to select one as the fatigue feature. The research results showed that the performance of theta wave was the best one. Therefore, theta wave was used as fatigue feature in the following alarm device. The real-time alarm monitoring system based on the result has been developed, once the threshold was settled by using the data of the first ten minutes driving period. The developed system can detect driver fatigue and give alarm to indicate the onset of fatigue automatically.

Mechanism of fatigue crack initiation in austenitic stainless steels in light water reactor environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chopra, O.K.; Shack, W.J.; Muscara, J.

2003-01-01

This paper examines the mechanism of fatigue crack initiation in austenitic stainless steels (SSs) in light water reactor (LWR) coolant environments. The effects of key material and loading variables on the fatigue lives of wrought and cast austenitic SSs in air and LWR environments have been evaluated. The influence of reactor coolant environments on the formation and growth of fatigue cracks in polished smooth SS specimens is discussed. The results indicate that the fatigue lives of these steels are decreased primarily by the effects of the environment on the growth of cracks <200 μm and, to a lesser extent, on enhanced growth rates of longer cracks. The fracture morphology in the specimens has been characterized. Exploratory fatigue tests were conducted to study the effects of surface micropits or minor differences in the surface oxide on fatigue crack initiation. (author)

Quantification of damage and fatigue life under random loading

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Sahnoun ZENGAH

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The fatigue of components and structures under real stress is a very complex process that appears at the grain scale. The present work is to highlight a variable loading fatigue life prediction process using the Rain-flow cycle count method and cumulative damage models. Four damage cumulative models are retained and used to estimate the lifetime and to evaluate the indicator of the damage (D namely: the model Miner, the model of the damaged stress "DSM", the theory unified and finally Henry's law.

Examining fatigue in COPD

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Al-Shair, Khaled; Muellerova, Hana; Yorke, Janelle

2012-01-01

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Fatigue is a disruptive symptom that inhibits normal functional performance of COPD patients in daily activities. The availability of a short, simple, reliable and valid scale would improve assessment of the characteristics and influence of fatigue in COPD. METHODS......: At baseline, 2107 COPD patients from the ECLIPSE cohort completed the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Fatigue (FACIT-F) scale. We used well-structured classic method, the principal components analysis (PCA) and Rasch analysis for structurally examining the 13-item FACIT-F. RESULTS: Four items...... were less able to capture fatigue characteristics in COPD and were deleted. PCA was applied to the remaining 9 items of the modified FACIT-F and resulted in three interpretable dimensions: i) general (5 items); ii) functional ability (2 items); and iii) psychosocial fatigue (2 items). The modified...

Energy-rich therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome

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M. T. Baedilova

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The study included 84 children aged 12—16 years with chronic fatigue syndrome in the presence of mitral valve prolapse (MVP, who were treated with L-carnitine (Elcar 30% and Coenzyme Q10 (Kudevita. L-carnitine is involved in metabolic processes as a carrier of long-chain fatty acids from the cytoplasm to the mitochondria to produce ATP and acetyl-CoA. Coenzyme Q10 stimulates tissue respiration (aerobic processes and participates in electron transfer in the mitochondrial electron transport chain. The clinical efficacy of energy-rich drugs was investigated before and after their treatment. The therapy was based on the data of an investigation by M. Trivellato et al. on carnitine deficiency and on those of our trials: the children with MVP were observed to have a significant increase in malondialdehyde levels and conjugated diene oxidation indices, which underlie mitochondrial insufficiency. The investigation indicated that prior to their treatment 100% of the children had been observed to have fatigue after exercise, as well as headache, memory and attention focusing impairments, and idiopathic hypersomnia, 34% of the patients complained of palpitation, and 43% had stabbing cardialgia. Three months later, the children who had received combined energy-rich therapy were noted to have a pronounced positive effect: 82% of them had no clinical symptoms of chronic fatigue. 

High temperature creep-fatigue design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tavassoli, A. A. F.; Fournier, B.; Sauzay, M.

2010-01-01

Generation IV fission and future fusion reactors envisage development of more efficient high temperature concepts where materials performances are key to their success. This paper examines different types of high temperature creep-fatigue interactions and their implications on design rules for the structural materials retained in both programmes. More precisely, the paper examines current status of design rules for the stainless steel type 316L(N), the conventional Modified 9Cr-1Mo martensitic steel and the low activation Eurofer steel. Results obtained from extensive high temperature creep, fatigue and creep-fatigue tests performed on these materials and their welded joints are presented. These include sequential creep-fatigue and relaxation creep-fatigue tests with hold times in tension, in compression or in both. Effects of larger plastic deformations on fatigue properties are studied through cyclic creep tests or fatigue tests with extended hold time in creep. In most cases, mechanical test results are accompanied with microstructural and fractographic observations. In the case of martensitic steels, the effect of oxidation is examined by performing creep-fatigue tests on identical specimens in vacuum. Results obtained are analyzed and their implications on design allowable and creep-fatigue interaction diagrams are presented. While reasonable confidence is found in predicting creep-fatigue damage through existing code procedures for austenitic stainless steels, effects of cyclic softening and coarsening of microstructure of martensitic steels throughout the fatigue life on materials properties need to be taken into account for more precise damage calculations. In the long-term, development of ferritic/martensitic steels with stable microstructure, such as ODS steels, is proposed. (authors)

High temperature creep-fatigue design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tavassoli, A. A. F.; Fournier, B.; Sauzay, M. [CEA Saclay, DEN DMN, F-91191 Gif Sur Yvette (France)

2010-07-01

Generation IV fission and future fusion reactors envisage development of more efficient high temperature concepts where materials performances are key to their success. This paper examines different types of high temperature creep-fatigue interactions and their implications on design rules for the structural materials retained in both programmes. More precisely, the paper examines current status of design rules for the stainless steel type 316L(N), the conventional Modified 9Cr-1Mo martensitic steel and the low activation Eurofer steel. Results obtained from extensive high temperature creep, fatigue and creep-fatigue tests performed on these materials and their welded joints are presented. These include sequential creep-fatigue and relaxation creep-fatigue tests with hold times in tension, in compression or in both. Effects of larger plastic deformations on fatigue properties are studied through cyclic creep tests or fatigue tests with extended hold time in creep. In most cases, mechanical test results are accompanied with microstructural and fractographic observations. In the case of martensitic steels, the effect of oxidation is examined by performing creep-fatigue tests on identical specimens in vacuum. Results obtained are analyzed and their implications on design allowable and creep-fatigue interaction diagrams are presented. While reasonable confidence is found in predicting creep-fatigue damage through existing code procedures for austenitic stainless steels, effects of cyclic softening and coarsening of microstructure of martensitic steels throughout the fatigue life on materials properties need to be taken into account for more precise damage calculations. In the long-term, development of ferritic/martensitic steels with stable microstructure, such as ODS steels, is proposed. (authors)

Determinants of seafarers’ fatigue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bøggild Dohrmann, Solveig; Leppin, Anja

2017-01-01

in the review. The main reason for exclusion was fatigue not being the outcome variable. Results: Most evidence was available for work time-related factors suggesting that working nights was most fatiguing, that fatigue levels were higher toward the end of watch or shift, and that the 6-h on–6-h off watch...

Are There Any Natural Remedies That Reduce Chronic Fatigue Associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Science.gov (United States)

... natural remedies that reduce chronic fatigue associated with chronic fatigue syndrome? Answers from Brent A. Bauer, M.D. Researchers ... a variety of natural products for effectiveness against chronic fatigue syndrome. Most results have been disappointing. A few remedies — ...

Peripheral neuropathy of dietary riboflavin deficiency in racing pigeons.

Science.gov (United States)

Wada, Y; Kondo, H; Itakura, C

1996-02-01

An occurrence of peripheral neuropathy in nine 14- to 55-day-old racing pigeons was documented. The predominant clinical signs were diarrhea, and leg and wing paralysis. Grossly, there was discoloration and swelling of all the peripheral nerve trunks. Microscopic lesions comprising swelling, fragmentation and demyelination of myelin sheaths, and proliferation of Schwann cells, were seen in the peripheral nerves of all birds examined. These changes were associated with moderate to severe swelling, fragmentation, atrophy and loss of axons. The peripheral nerve lesions in these cases were similar to those of dietary riboflavin deficiency in chickens. An analysis of the diet given to the pigeons indicated that the riboflavin concentration was only 0.9 mg/kg feed.

Tensile and superelastic fatigue characterization of NiTi shape memory cables

Science.gov (United States)

Sherif, Muhammad M.; Ozbulut, Osman E.

2018-01-01

This paper discusses the tensile response and functional fatigue characteristics of a NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) cable with an outer diameter of 5.5 mm. The cable composed of multiple strands arranged as one inner core and two outer layers. The results of the tensile tests revealed that the SMA cable exhibits good superelastic behavior up to 10% strain. Fatigue characteristics were investigated under strain amplitudes ranging from 3% to 7% and a minimum of 2500 loading cycles. The evolutions of maximum tensile stress, residual strains, energy dissipation, and equivalent viscous damping under a number of loading cycles were analyzed. The fracture surface of a specimen subjected to 5000 loading cycles and 7% strain was discussed. Functional fatigue test results indicated a very high superelastic fatigue life cycle for the tested NiTi SMA cable.

Peripheral facial weakness (Bell's palsy).

Science.gov (United States)

Basić-Kes, Vanja; Dobrota, Vesna Dermanović; Cesarik, Marijan; Matovina, Lucija Zadro; Madzar, Zrinko; Zavoreo, Iris; Demarin, Vida

2013-06-01

Peripheral facial weakness is a facial nerve damage that results in muscle weakness on one side of the face. It may be idiopathic (Bell's palsy) or may have a detectable cause. Almost 80% of peripheral facial weakness cases are primary and the rest of them are secondary. The most frequent causes of secondary peripheral facial weakness are systemic viral infections, trauma, surgery, diabetes, local infections, tumor, immune disorders, drugs, degenerative diseases of the central nervous system, etc. The diagnosis relies upon the presence of typical signs and symptoms, blood chemistry tests, cerebrospinal fluid investigations, nerve conduction studies and neuroimaging methods (cerebral MRI, x-ray of the skull and mastoid). Treatment of secondary peripheral facial weakness is based on therapy for the underlying disorder, unlike the treatment of Bell's palsy that is controversial due to the lack of large, randomized, controlled, prospective studies. There are some indications that steroids or antiviral agents are beneficial but there are also studies that show no beneficial effect. Additional treatments include eye protection, physiotherapy, acupuncture, botulinum toxin, or surgery. Bell's palsy has a benign prognosis with complete recovery in about 80% of patients, 15% experience some mode of permanent nerve damage and severe consequences remain in 5% of patients.

Compressive Fatigue in Wood

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clorius, Christian Odin; Pedersen, Martin Bo Uhre; Hoffmeyer, Preben

1999-01-01

An investigation of fatigue failure in wood subjected to load cycles in compression parallel to grain is presented. Small clear specimens of spruce are taken to failure in square wave formed fatigue loading at a stress excitation level corresponding to 80% of the short term strength. Four...... frequencies ranging from 0.01 Hz to 10 Hz are used. The number of cycles to failure is found to be a poor measure of the fatigue performance of wood. Creep, maximum strain, stiffness and work are monitored throughout the fatigue tests. Accumulated creep is suggested identified with damage and a correlation...

Research progress of exercise-induced fatigue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peng-yi DAI

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Exercise-induced fatigue is a comprehensive response to a variety of physiological and biochemical changes in the body, and can affect people's quality of life to different extents. If no timely recovery after occurrence of fatigue, accumulated gradually, it can lead to "burnout", a "overtraining syndrome", "chronic fatigue syndrome", etc., which will cause endocrine disturbance, immune suppression, even physical illness. Exercise-induced fatigue becomes an important factor endangering human health. In recent years, many experts and scholars at home and abroad are committed to the research of exercise-induced fatigue, and have put forward a variety of hypothesis to explain the cause of exercise-induced fatigue. They expect to find out the methods for preventing and eliminating exercise-induced fatigue. This article discusses mainly the pathogenesis, model building, elimination/ relief, etc. of exercise-induced fatigue to point out the research achievements of exercise-induced fatigue and its existing problems. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2016.11.14

Fatigue after Stroke: The Patient's Perspective

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Victoria Louise Barbour

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Fatigue after stroke is common and distressing to patients. Aims. Our aims were to explore patients' perceptions of post-stroke fatigue, including the causes of fatigue and the factors that alleviate fatigue, in a mixed methods study. Results. We interviewed 15 patients who had had a stroke and were inpatients on stroke rehabilitation wards. A substantial proportion of patients reported that their fatigue started at the time of their stroke. Various different factors were reported to improve fatigue, including exercise, good sleep, rehabilitation and rest. Fatigue influences patients' sense of “control” after their stroke. Conclusion. Our results are consistent with the possibility that poststroke fatigue might be triggered by factors that occur at the time of the stroke (e.g., the stroke lesion itself, or admission to hospital and then exacerbated by poor sleep and boredom. These factors should be considered when developing complex interventions to improve post-stroke fatigue.

The Effect of Fatigued External Rotator Muscles of the Shoulder on the Shoulder Position Sense

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Naoya Iida

2011-10-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to investigate the effect of fatigue in shoulder external rotator muscles on position sense of shoulder abduction, internal rotation, and external rotation. The study included 10 healthy subjects. Shoulder position sense was measured before and after a fatigue task involving shoulder external rotator muscles. The fatigue task was performed using an isokinetic machine. To confirm the muscle fatigue, electromyography (EMG was recorded, and an integrated EMG and median power frequency (MDF during 3 sec performed target torque were calculated. After the fatigue task, the MDF of the infraspinatus muscle significantly decreased. This indicates that the infraspinatus muscle was involved in the fatigue task. In addition, the shoulder position sense of internal and external rotation significantly decreased after the fatigue task. These results suggest that the fatigue reduced the accuracy of sensory input from muscle spindles. However, no significant difference was observed in shoulder position sense of abduction before and after the fatigue task. This may be due to the fact that infraspinatus muscle did not act as prime movers in shoulder abduction. These results suggest that muscle fatigue decreased position sense during movements in which the affected muscles acted as prime movers.

Fretting fatigue life estimation using fatigue damage gradient correction factor in various contact configurations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, Dong Hyeon; Cho, Sung-San [Hongik University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-03-15

A fretting fatigue life estimation method that takes into account the stress gradient effect was developed by the authors [Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, 28 (2014) 2153-2159]. In the developed method, fatigue damage value at the cracking location is corrected with fatigue damage gradient and the corrected value is compared directly with the plain fatigue data for life estimation. In other words, the correction factor is the ratio of plain fatigue damage to fretting fatigue damage at the same life and a function of fatigue damage gradient. Since reliability of the method was verified only for cylinder-on-flat contact configuration in the previous study, the present study extends application of the method to flat-on-flat contact configurations by developing the correction factor for both the contact configuration. Fretting fatigue experiments were conducted to obtain fatigue life data for various fretting pads. Finite element analyses were conducted to evaluate the Smith-Watson-Topper (SWT) fatigue damage parameter in the cracking region. It is revealed that the SWT parameter in fat-on-flat contact configuration decreases exponentially away from the surface as in cylinder-on-flat contact configuration, and thus the SWT gradient at the surface can be evaluated reliably. Moreover, it is found that decrease in the SWT parameter around the cracking location can be expressed by piecewise exponential curves. If the gradient of SWT at the surface is used as a representative value of SWT gradient, it is impossible to establish functional relationship between the SWT gradient and the correction factor for both the contact configurations although it was possible for cylinder-on-flat contact configuration. However, if weighted average of the SWT gradient values obtained from each exponential curve in the piecewise exponential curve is used as a representative value, the correction factor for both the contact configurations becomes a function of the SWT gradient

Fatigue in soccer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mohr, Magni; Krustrup, Peter; Bangsbo, Jens

2005-01-01

This review describes when fatigue may develop during soccer games and the potential physiological mechanisms that cause fatigue in soccer. According to time?-?motion analyses and performance measures during match-play, fatigue or reduced performance seems to occur at three different stages......, acidity or the breakdown of creatine phosphate. Instead, it may be related to disturbances in muscle ion homeostasis and an impaired excitation of the sarcolemma. Soccer players' ability to perform maximally is inhibited in the initial phase of the second half, which may be due to lower muscle...... concentrations in a considerable number of individual muscle fibres. In a hot and humid environment, dehydration and a reduced cerebral function may also contribute to the deterioration in performance. In conclusion, fatigue or impaired performance in soccer occurs during various phases in a game, and different...

Fatigue in children and adolescents with cancer from the perspective of health professionals

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Michele Cristina Miyauti da Silva

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: to investigate health professionals' knowledge about the concept, assessment and intervention in fatigue in children and adolescents with cancer. Method: exploratory study with qualitative approach, with 53 health professionals (10 nurses, 33 assistant nurses, 3 physicians, 3 nutritionists, 2 psychologists and 2 physical therapists. Semi structured interviews were held, which were recorded and analyzed by means of inductive thematic content analysis. Results: the data were organized around three themes: knowledge of health professionals about fatigue; identification of fatigue and interventions to relieve fatigue. Conclusion: the results indicate the health professionals' limited knowledge about fatigue, as well as the lack of investment in their training and continuing education. Most of all, the lack of research on the theme in the Brazilian context remains a barrier to support improvements in care for this symptom in children and adolescents with cancer.

Detection of thermal fatigue in composites by second harmonic Lamb waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Weibin; Cho, Younho; Achenbach, Jan D

2012-01-01

Composite materials which are widely used in the aerospace industry, are usually subjected to frequent variation of temperature. Thermal cyclic loading may induce material degradation. Considering the long-term service of aircraft composites and the importance of safety in the aircraft industry, even a little damage that may be accumulative via thermal fatigue is often of great concern. Therefore, there is a demand to develop non-destructive approaches to evaluate thermal fatigue damage in an early stage. Due to the sensitivity of acoustic nonlinearity to micro-damage, the nonlinear ultrasonic technique has been explored as a promising tool for early detection of micro-damage. This paper investigates an experimental scheme for characterizing thermal fatigue damage in composite laminates using second harmonic Lamb waves. The present results show a monotonic increase of acoustic nonlinearity with respect to thermal fatigue cycles. The experimental observation of the correlation between the acoustic nonlinearity and thermal fatigue cycles in carbon/epoxy laminates verifies that nonlinear Lamb waves can be used to assess thermal fatigue damage rendering improved sensitivity over conventional linear feature based non-destructive evaluation techniques. Velocity and attenuation based ultrasonic studies are carried out for comparison with the nonlinear ultrasonic approach and it is found that nonlinear acoustic parameters are more promising indicators of thermal fatigue damage than linear ones. (paper)

Factors Affecting Quality of Life and Fatigue in Gynaecologic Cancer Patients

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Güngör İ

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF is the most commonly reported and most distressing symptom in cancer patients. Health-related quality of life (QOL is an important outcome in cancer management, the authors sought to better understand its determinants. Aim: This study aims to identify quality of life and fatigue levels and the affecting factors in gynaecologic cancer patients. Method: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 154 volunteer women with gynaecologic cancer. The data were collected through the interview form, functional assessment of cancer therapy-general (FACT-G Quality of Life Scale, and Piper Fatigue Scale. Results: The mean score of total quality of life in gynaecologic cancer patients was low, 53.4 ± 15.4. Physical and emotional states were found to be the mostly affected states in the quality of life. According to the Piper Fatigue Scale, the total fatigue score was mild, 3.5 ± 2.4. Total fatigue scores were found to be high in metastatic cancers. Multivariate analyses indicate that the most important factor affecting the quality of life is economic condition, and the most important variables affecting fatigue are the level of activity and use of medicine. Conclusion: This study found that quality of life dimensions in women with gynaecologic cancer was affected by factors such as cancer type, time of diagnosis, and stage and spread of the cancer.

Fatigue and sleep quality in rheumatoid arthritis patients during hospital admission.

Science.gov (United States)

Szady, Paulina; Bączyk, Grażyna; Kozłowska, Katarzyna

2017-01-01

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic disease of connective tissue characterised by chronic course with periods of exacerbation and remission. Even in the early stages of the disease patients report the occurrence of fatigue and sleep disorders. Reduced sleep quality and chronic fatigue are common among patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The aim of the research was to evaluate the severity of fatigue and sleep quality assessment among patients hospitalised with rheumatoid arthritis and to determine the relation between the level of symptoms of fatigue and sleep quality and variables such as: age, gender, disease duration, marital status, applied pharmacological treatment, and pain intensity. The study involved 38 patients (12 men and 26 women) hospitalised in the Rheumatologic Ward of the Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Hospital of the University of Medical Sciences. The average age of the entire group was 56.26 years. Fatigue was evaluated with use of Polish version of Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F), while in order to evaluate sleep quality within the examined group of patients the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis in the analysed group have lower sleep quality, and within subjects with such a diagnosis the fatigue is present. The relation was found between fatigue and such variables as: age, illness duration, marital status, applied pharmacological treatment, and severity of pain. Sleep quality within patients with RA is correlated by such variables as: age, gender, applied pharmaceutical treatment, and severity of pain. It was identified that patients with lower sleep quality experience increased levels of fatigue. There is a need to clarify which factors determine the level of fatigue and sleep quality in patients suffering from RA in future population-based research and to indicate to doctors, nurses, psychologists, and physiotherapists the significance and importance of

Low cycle fatigue: high cycle fatigue damage accumulation in a 304L austenitic stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehericy, Y.

2007-05-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the consequences of a Low Cycle Fatigue pre-damage on the subsequent fatigue limit of a 304L stainless steel. The effects of hardening and severe roughness (grinding) have also been investigated. In a first set of tests, the evolution of the surface damage induced by the different LCF pre-cycling was characterized. This has permitted to identify mechanisms and kinetics of damage in the plastic domain for different surface conditions. Then, pre-damaged samples were tested in the High Cycle Fatigue domain in order to establish the fatigue limits associated with each level of pre-damage. Results evidence that, in the case of polished samples, an important number of cycles is required to initiate surface cracks ant then to affect the fatigue limit of the material but, in the case of ground samples, a few number of cycles is sufficient to initiate cracks and to critically decrease the fatigue limit. The fatigue limit of pre-damaged samples can be estimated using the stress intensity factor threshold. Moreover, this detrimental effect of severe surface conditions is enhanced when fatigue tests are performed under a positive mean stress (author)

Concurrent fatigue and postactivation potentiation during extended interval training in long-distance runners

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Pedro Ángel Latorre-Román

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to analyze acute effect of running extended interval training(EIT on vertical jump (VJ and handgrip strength (HS performance in experienced endurance athletes. In order to analyze mechanical parameters of the VJ and HS between runs, sixteen experienced male athletes performed an EIT (4x3x400m. The results show that fatigue induced by EIT does not impair handgrip strength or VJ performance. A significant improvement (p< .05 was noted for VJ due to the postactivation potentiation (PAP phenomenon. A positive correlation (r= .619, p= .011 was found between VJ and lactate. The results suggest that experienced long-distance runners can maintain their strength levels and, consequently, work capacity, despite the induced fatigue by the field training demand. Therefore, VJ performance during EIT can be used as an indicator of muscular adaptations to training and, together, with handgrip strength, become indicators of fatigue. These indicators allow proper prescription training routines.

Microstructural influence on fatigue properties of a high-strength spring steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, C.S.; Lee, K.A.; Li, D.M. [Pohang Univ. of Sci. and Technol. (Korea, Republic of). Center for Adv. Aerospace Mater.; Yoo, S.J.; Nam, W.J. [Technical Research Laboratory, Pohang Iron and Steel Co. Ltd, Pohang 790-785 (Korea, Republic of)

1998-01-30

A study has been made to investigate the fatigue properties of a high-strength spring steel in relation to the microstructural variation via different heat treatments. Rotating-bending fatigue and fatigue crack growth (FCG) tests were conducted to evaluate the fatigue properties, and a transmission electron microscope (TEM) equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) unit was used to characterize the tempered microstructure. The results indicate that the fatigue endurance {sigma}{sub f} increases with increasing tempering temperature, reaching a maximum at 450 C, then decreases. The increase of {sigma}{sub f} is mainly attributed to the refined distribution of precipitation, together with the structural uniformity of tempered martensite. The softening of tempered martensite due to excessive precipitation accounts for the decrease of {sigma}{sub f}. By contrast, the FCG results show an insensitivity of the stage-II growth behavior to the microstructural changes for the whole range of tempering temperature tested. The insensitivity is interpreted in terms of the counterbalancing microstructure-dependent contributions to the FCG behavior. (orig.) 30 refs.

The Decrease of Peripheral Blood CD4+ T Cells Indicates Abdominal Compartment Syndrome in Severe Acute Pancreatitis.

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Yao Liu

Full Text Available Few data are available on the role of T lymphocytes and inflammatory cytokines in abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS in severe acute pancreatitis (SAP. We conducted a retrospective study to assess the risk factors associated with ACS in SAP.A total of 76 SAP patients who were admitted within 24 hours after symptom onset in our study. There were 36 patients suffering from ACS and 40 from intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH. On the 1st, 3rd and 7th days after hospital admission, the following variables were assessed: serum value of C-reactive protein (CRP, and the proportions of peripheral CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II score, and computed tomography severity index (CTSI score were assessed on days 1 and 7 after hospitalization.Compared with the patients with IAH, ACS patients showed statistically higher CRP value on 7th day after hospital admission, proportions of CD4+ T cells on days 1, 3, 7 and CD4+/CD8+ ratio on day 1 were significantly lower (P < 0.05, respectively. A CD4+ T cell proportion of 30.3% on the 1st day indicated ACS with an area under the curve (AUC of 0.774, a sensitivity with 82.5% and specificity with 72.0%, respectively. Sensitivity/specificity for predicting ACS in SAP patients on day 1 was 70.0%/68.0% for CD4+/CD8+ ratio, 72.2%/65.0% for APACHE II score.The reduction of peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocytes is associated with ACS in SAP, and may act as a potential predictor of ACS in SAP.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia in Canada: prevalence and associations with six health status indicators

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C. Rusu

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Few studies have considered the factors independently associated with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS and/or fibromyalgia (FM or considered the impact of these conditions on health status using population-based data. Methods: We used data from the nationally representative 2010 Canadian Community Health Survey (n= 59 101 to describe self-reported health professional-diagnosed CFS and/or FM, and their associations with 6 health status indicators. Results: In 2010, diagnosed CFS and FM are reported by 1.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3%–1.6% and 1.5% (1.4%–1.7%, respectively, of the Canadian household population aged 12 years and over, with comorbid CFS and FM affecting 0.3% (0.3%–0.4% of that population. Prevalent CFS and/or FM were more common among women, adults aged 40 years and over, those with lowest income, and those with certain risk factors for chronic disease (i.e. obesity, physical inactivity and smoking. After controlling for differences between the groups, people with CFS and/or FM reported poorer health status than those with neither condition on 5 indicators of health status, but not on the measure of fair/poor mental health. Having both CFS and FM and having multiple comorbid conditions was associated with poorer health status. Conclusion: Co-occurrence of CFS and FM and having other chronic conditions were strongly related to poorer health status and accounted for much of the differences in health status. Understanding factors contributing to improved quality of life in people with CFS and/or FM, particularly in those with both conditions and other comorbidities, may be an important area for future research.

The dynamics of stress and fatigue across menopause: attractors, coupling, and resilience.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor-Swanson, Lisa; Wong, Alexander E; Pincus, David; Butner, Jonathan E; Hahn-Holbrook, Jennifer; Koithan, Mary; Wann, Kathryn; Woods, Nancy F

2018-04-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the regulatory dynamics between stress and fatigue experienced by women during the menopausal transition (MT) and early postmenopause (EPM). Fatigue and perceived stress are commonly experienced by women during the MT and EPM. We sought to discover relationships between these symptoms and to employ these symptoms as possible markers for resilience. Participants were drawn from the longitudinal Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study. Eligible women completed questionnaires on 60+ occasions (annual health reports and monthly health diaries) (n = 56 women). The total number of observations across the sample was 4,224. STRAW+10 criteria were used to stage women in either in late reproductive, early or late transition, or EPM stage. Change values were generated for fatigue and stress and analyzed with a multilevel structural equation model; slopes indicate how quickly a person returns to homeostasis after a perturbation. Coupling of stress and fatigue was modeled to evaluate resilience, the notion of maintaining stability during change. Eligible women were on average 35 years old (SD = 4.71), well educated, employed, married or partnered, and white. Fit indices suggested the model depicts the relationships of stress and fatigue (χ(9 df) = 7.638, P = 0.57, correction factor = 4.9244; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) 90% CI = 0.000 ≤ 0.000 ≤ 0.032; comparative fit index (CFI) = 1.00). A loss in model fit across stages suggests that the four stages differed in their dynamics (χΔ(12 df) = 21.181, P = .048). All stages showed fixed-point attractor dynamics: fatigue became less stable over time; stress generally became more stable over time. Coupling relationships of stress on fatigue show evidence for shifts in regulatory relationships with one another across the MT. Results are suggestive of general dysregulation via disruptions to coupling relationships of stress and

DNA methylation modifications associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.

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Wilfred C de Vega

Full Text Available Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis, is a complex multifactorial disease that is characterized by the persistent presence of fatigue and other particular symptoms for a minimum of 6 months. Symptoms fail to dissipate after sufficient rest and have major effects on the daily functioning of CFS sufferers. CFS is a multi-system disease with a heterogeneous patient population showing a wide variety of functional disabilities and its biological basis remains poorly understood. Stable alterations in gene function in the immune system have been reported in several studies of CFS. Epigenetic modifications have been implicated in long-term effects on gene function, however, to our knowledge, genome-wide epigenetic modifications associated with CFS have not been explored. We examined the DNA methylome in peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from CFS patients and healthy controls using the Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array, controlling for invariant probes and probes overlapping polymorphic sequences. Gene ontology (GO and network analysis of differentially methylated genes was performed to determine potential biological pathways showing changes in DNA methylation in CFS. We found an increased abundance of differentially methylated genes related to the immune response, cellular metabolism, and kinase activity. Genes associated with immune cell regulation, the largest coordinated enrichment of differentially methylated pathways, showed hypomethylation within promoters and other gene regulatory elements in CFS. These data are consistent with evidence of multisystem dysregulation in CFS and implicate the involvement of DNA modifications in CFS pathology.

Peripheral doses of cranial pediatric IMRT performed with attenuator blocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soboll, Danyel Scheidegger; Schitz, Ivette; Schelin, Hugo Reuters; Silva, Ricardo Goulart da; Viamonte, Alfredo

2011-01-01

This paper presents values of peripheral doses measured at six vital points of simulator objects which represent the ages of 2, 5 and 10 years old, submitted to a cranial IMRT procedure that applied compensator blocks interposed to 6 MV beams. The found values indicate that there is independence of dose with position of measurements and age of the patient, as the peripheral dose at the points nearest and the 2 year old simulator object where larger. The doses in thyroid reached the range of 1.4 to 2.9% of the dose prescribed in the isocenter, indicating that the peripheral doses for IMRT that employ compensator blocks can be greater than for the IMRT produced with sliding window technique

I've lost the person I used to be—Experiences of the consequences of fatigue following myocardial infarction

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Ulla Fredriksson-Larsson

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Fatigue has been found to be the most frequent and bothersome symptom after myocardial infarction (MI, influencing health-related quality of life negatively. Moreover, fatigue after MI has been described as incomprehensible due to its unpredictable occurrence and lack of relationship to physical effort. The aim of this study is therefore to explore persons’ experiences of consequences of fatigue and their strategies for dealing with it 2 months after MI. In total, 18 informants, aged 42–75 years, participated in the study. Interviews were conducted and analysed using constructivist grounded theory methodology. Grounded in the data, the main consequence of fatigue, as illustrated in the core category, was: I've lost the person I used to be. It indicates a sense of reduced ability to manage daily life due to experiences of fatigue. The core category was developed from the four categories: involuntary thoughts, certainties replaced with question marks, driving with the handbrake on and just being is enough. Furthermore, attempts to relieve fatigue were limited. These findings indicate that patients with symptoms of fatigue should be supported in developing relief strategies, for example, rest and sleep hygiene as well as physical activity. In conclusion, the results show that fatigue can be understood in light of the concepts “comprehensibility” and “manageability.” They also indicate that, working from a person-centered perspective, health-care professionals can support patients experiencing post-MI fatigue by giving them opportunities to straighten out the question marks and by inviting them to discuss involuntary thoughts and feelings of being restricted in their daily life functioning.

THE EFFECT OF MODERATE AND HIGH-INTENSITY FATIGUE ON GROUNDSTROKE ACCURACY IN EXPERT AND NON-EXPERT TENNIS PLAYERS

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Mark Lyons

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Exploring the effects of fatigue on skilled performance in tennis presents a significant challenge to the researcher with respect to ecological validity. This study examined the effects of moderate and high-intensity fatigue on groundstroke accuracy in expert and non-expert tennis players. The research also explored whether the effects of fatigue are the same regardless of gender and player's achievement motivation characteristics. 13 expert (7 male, 6 female and 17 non-expert (13 male, 4 female tennis players participated in the study. Groundstroke accuracy was assessed using the modified Loughborough Tennis Skills Test. Fatigue was induced using the Loughborough Intermittent Tennis Test with moderate (70% and high-intensities (90% set as a percentage of peak heart rate (attained during a tennis-specific maximal hitting sprint test. Ratings of perceived exertion were used as an adjunct to the monitoring of heart rate. Achievement goal indicators for each player were assessed using the 2 x 2 Achievement Goals Questionnaire for Sport in an effort to examine if this personality characteristic provides insight into how players perform under moderate and high-intensity fatigue conditions. A series of mixed ANOVA's revealed significant fatigue effects on groundstroke accuracy regardless of expertise. The expert players however, maintained better groundstroke accuracy across all conditions compared to the novice players. Nevertheless, in both groups, performance following high-intensity fatigue deteriorated compared to performance at rest and performance while moderately fatigued. Groundstroke accuracy under moderate levels of fatigue was equivalent to that at rest. Fatigue effects were also similar regardless of gender. No fatigue by expertise, or fatigue by gender interactions were found. Fatigue effects were also equivalent regardless of player's achievement goal indicators. Future research is required to explore the effects of fatigue on

Corrosion fatigue of steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spaehn, H.; Wagner, G.H.

1976-01-01

Corrosion fatigue phenomena can be classified into two main groups according to the electrochemical state of the metal surface in the presence of electrolytes: the active and the passive state with an important sub-group of corrosion fatigue in the unstable passive state. The allowable stress for structures exposed to the conjoint action of corrosion and fatigue is influenced by many factors: kind of media, number of cycles, frequency, mean stress, size, notches, loading mode, alloy composition and mechanical strength. A critical literature review shows contradictory results if a classification by the electrochemical surface state is not applied. Case histories and counter measures illustrate the practical importance of corrosion fatigue in many branches of industry as well as the urgent need for a better knowledge about the mutual influence of the phenomena to get rules by which the engineer can appraise the risk of corrosion fatigue. (orig.) [de

Numerical simulation of the fatigue behavior of additive manufactured titanium porous lattice structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Zargarian, A; Esfahanian, M; Kadkhodapour, J; Ziaei-Rad, S

2016-03-01

In this paper, the effects of cell geometry and relative density on the high-cycle fatigue behavior of Titanium scaffolds produced by selective laser melting and electron beam melting techniques were numerically investigated by finite element analysis. The regular titanium lattice samples with three different unit cell geometries, namely, diamond, rhombic dodecahedron and truncated cuboctahedron, and the relative density range of 0.1-0.3 were analyzed under uniaxial cyclic compressive loading. A failure event based algorithm was employed to simulate fatigue failure in the cellular material. Stress-life approach was used to model fatigue failure of both bulk (struts) and cellular material. The predicted fatigue life and the damage pattern of all three structures were found to be in good agreement with the experimental fatigue investigations published in the literature. The results also showed that the relationship between fatigue strength and cycles to failure obeyed the power law. The coefficient of power function was shown to depend on relative density, geometry and fatigue properties of the bulk material while the exponent was only dependent on the fatigue behavior of the bulk material. The results also indicated the failure surface at an angle of 45° to the loading direction. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Housebound versus nonhousebound patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome.

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Pendergrast, Tricia; Brown, Abigail; Sunnquist, Madison; Jantke, Rachel; Newton, Julia L; Strand, Elin Bolle; Jason, Leonard A

2016-12-01

The objective of this study was to examine individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome who are confined to their homes due to severe symptomatology. The existing literature fails to address differences between this group, and less severe, nonhousebound patient populations. Participants completed the DePaul Symptom Questionnaire, a measure of myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome symptomology, and the SF-36, a measure of health impact on physical/mental functioning. ANOVAs and, where appropriate, MANCOVAS were used to compare housebound and nonhousebound patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome across areas of functioning, symptomatology, and illness onset characteristics. Findings indicated that the housebound group represented one quarter of the sample, and were significantly more impaired with regards to physical functioning, bodily pain, vitality, social functioning, fatigue, postexertional malaise, sleep, pain, neurocognitive, autonomic, neuroendocrine, and immune functioning compared to individuals who were not housebound. Findings indicated that housebound patients have more impairment on functional and symptom outcomes compared to those who were not housebound. Understanding the differences between housebound and not housebound groups holds implications for physicians and researchers as they develop interventions intended for patients who are most severely affected by this chronic illness. © The Author(s) 2016.

Residual stress relief due to fatigue in tetragonal lead zirconate titanate ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, D. A.; Mori, T.; Comyn, T. P.; Ringgaard, E.; Wright, J. P.

2013-01-01

High energy synchrotron XRD was employed to determine the lattice strain ε{111}and diffraction peak intensity ratio R{200}in tetragonal PZT ceramics, both in the virgin poled state and after a bipolar fatigue experiment. It was shown that the occurrence of microstructural damage during fatigue was accompanied by a reduction in the gradient of the ε{111}–cos 2 ψ plot, indicating a reduction in the level of residual stress due to poling. In contrast, the fraction of oriented 90° ferroelectric domains, quantified in terms of R{200}, was not affected significantly by fatigue. The change in residual stress due to fatigue is interpreted in terms of a change in the average elastic stiffness of the polycrystalline matrix due to the presence of inter-granular microcracks

Residual stress relief due to fatigue in tetragonal lead zirconate titanate ceramics

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, D. A.; Mori, T.; Comyn, T. P.; Ringgaard, E.; Wright, J. P.

2013-07-01

High energy synchrotron XRD was employed to determine the lattice strain ɛ{111} and diffraction peak intensity ratio R{200} in tetragonal PZT ceramics, both in the virgin poled state and after a bipolar fatigue experiment. It was shown that the occurrence of microstructural damage during fatigue was accompanied by a reduction in the gradient of the ɛ{111}-cos2 ψ plot, indicating a reduction in the level of residual stress due to poling. In contrast, the fraction of oriented 90° ferroelectric domains, quantified in terms of R{200}, was not affected significantly by fatigue. The change in residual stress due to fatigue is interpreted in terms of a change in the average elastic stiffness of the polycrystalline matrix due to the presence of inter-granular microcracks.

Muscle Deoxygenation Causes Muscle Fatigue

Science.gov (United States)

Murthy, G.; Hargens, A. R.; Lehman, S.; Rempel, D.

1999-01-01

Muscle fatigue is a common musculoskeletal disorder in the work place, and may be a harbinger for more disabling cumulative trauma disorders. Although the cause of fatigue is multifactorial, reduced blood flow and muscle oxygenation may be the primary factor in causing muscle fatigue during low intensity muscle exertion. Muscle fatigue is defined as a reduction in muscle force production, and also occurs among astronauts who are subjected to postural constraints while performing lengthy, repetitive tasks. The objectives of this research are to: 1) develop an objective tool to study the role of decreased muscle oxygenation on muscle force production, and 2) to evaluate muscle fatigue during prolonged glovebox work.

Damage evolution during actuation fatigue in shape memory alloys (SPIE Best Student Paper Award)

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Francis R.; Wheeler, Robert; Lagoudas, Dimitris C.

2018-03-01

Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) are unique materials able to undergo a thermomechanically induced, reversible phase transformation. Additionally, SMA are subject to two types of fatigue, that is structural fatigue due to cyclic loading as experienced by most materials, as well as actuation fatigue due to repeated thermally induced phase transformation. The evolution of multiple material characteristics is presented over the actuation fatigue lifetime of NiTiHf actuators, including the accumulation of irrecoverable strain, the evolution of internal voids, and the evolution of the effective modulus of the actuator. The results indicate that all three of these material characteristics are clearly interconnected and careful analysis of each of these characteristics can help to understand the evolution of the others, as well as help to understand how actuation fatigue leads to ultimate failure of the actuator.

Altered joint moment strategy during stair walking in diabetes patients with and without peripheral neuropathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Steven J; Handsaker, Joseph C; Maganaris, Constantinos N; Bowling, Frank L; Boulton, Andrew J M; Reeves, Neil D

2016-05-01

To investigate lower limb biomechanical strategy during stair walking in patients with diabetes and patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, a population known to exhibit lower limb muscular weakness. The peak lower limb joint moments of twenty-two patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy and thirty-nine patients with diabetes and no neuropathy were compared during ascent and descent of a staircase to thirty-two healthy controls. Fifty-nine of the ninety-four participants also performed assessment of their maximum isokinetic ankle and knee joint moment (muscle strength) to assess the level of peak joint moments during the stair task relative to their maximal joint moment-generating capabilities (operating strengths). Both patient groups ascended and descended stairs slower than controls (pperipheral neuropathy were lower (pperipheral neuropathy compared to controls, and lower at knee only in patients without neuropathy. Operating strengths were higher (pneuropathy during stair descent compared to the controls, but not during stair ascent. Patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy walk slower to alter gait strategy during stair walking and account for lower-limb muscular weakness, but still exhibit heightened operating strengths during stair descent, which may impact upon fatigue and the ability to recover a safe stance following postural instability. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On the role of the amygdala for experiencing fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanken, Katrin; Francis, Yoselin; Kastrup, Andreas; Eling, Paul; Klein, Jan; Hildebrandt, Helmut

2018-02-01

Recently, we proposed a model explaining the origin of fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. This model assumes that the feeling of fatigue results from inflammation-induced information processing within interoceptive brain areas. To investigate the association between self-reported cognitive fatigue and structural integrity of interoceptive brain areas in MS patients. 95 MS patients and 28 healthy controls participated in this study. All participants underwent diffusion tensor MRI and fractional anisotropy data were calculated for the amygdala, the stria terminalis and the corpus callosum, a non-interoceptive brain area. Based on the cognitive fatigue score of the Fatigue Scale for Motor and Cognition, patients were divided into moderately cognitively fatigued (cognitive fatigue score ≥ 28) and cognitively non-fatigued (cognitive fatigue score < 28) MS patients. Healthy controls were recruited as a third group. Repeated measures analyses of covariance, controlling for age, depression and brain atrophy, were performed to investigate whether the factor Group had a significant effect on the fractional anisotropy data. A significant effect of Group was observed for the amygdala (F = 3.389, p = 0.037). MS patients without cognitive fatigue presented lower values of the amygdala than MS patients with cognitive fatigue and healthy controls. For the stria terminalis and the corpus callosum, no main effect of Group was observed. The structural integrity of the amygdala in non-fatigued MS patients appears to be reduced. According to our model this might indicate that the absence of fatigue in non-fatigued MS patients might result from disturbed inflammation-induced information processing in the amygdala. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fatigue Tests on Welded Joints Improved by Grinding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Agerskov, Henning; Bjørnbak-Hansen, Jørgen; Olesen, John Forbes

The present project is a part of an investigation on the fatigue life of the welded structure of large two-stroke diesel engines. Of special interest has been a study of the improvement in fatigue life, due to grinding of the weld toes. The test series carried through showed a significant increase...... without grinding to approx. 6.4 for the test series with grinding. In one of the test series (No. 7), the crack initiation in most tests moved from the weld toe to the non-ground surface between the ground areas at the weld toes, due to the grinding....... in fatigue life due to the grinding, ranging from a factor of approx. 2.8 to infinity, depending on the load level. With the limited number of tests carried out, S-N lines have not been determined. However, the results obtained indicate a change in slope of the S-N line from approx. 3.0 for the test series...

All Fatigue is Not Created Equal: The Association of Fatigue and Its Subtypes on Pain Interference in Orofacial Pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Boggero, Ian A; Rojas-Ramirez, Marcia V; Carlson, Charles R

2017-03-01

Fatigue is known to be a pathway through which depression, psychological distress, pain intensity, and sleep disturbance influence pain interference, but the independent effects of fatigue on pain interference after controlling for these variables remains unknown. In addition, no study to date has tested whether fatigue subtypes of general fatigue, mental fatigue, emotional fatigue, physical fatigue, or vigor differentially predict pain interference. The current study tested these associations using archival medical data of 2133 chronic orofacial pain patients, who completed a battery of psychological questionnaires at the time of their first appointment at an orofacial pain clinic. Hierarchical linear regression analysis revealed that after controlling for depression, psychological distress, sleep disturbance, pain intensity, and demographic variables, fatigue predicted higher pain interference (B=0.70, SE=0.17, Ppain interference after controlling for the aforementioned variables. The findings suggest that fatigue is an important independent predictor of pain interference and not merely a mediator. These findings also suggest that not all fatigue is created equal. Interventions aimed at reducing pain interference should target specific fatigue symptoms of physical fatigue and vigor. Future research investigating the independent associations of fatigue subtypes on pain outcomes may help clarify the nature of the interrelationships between pain and fatigue.

The research of axial corrosion fatigue on 10Ni3CrMoV steel

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Xing; Yi, Hong; Xu, Jian; Xie, Kun

2017-09-01

Fatigue life had been studied with 10CrNi3MoV steel at different load ratios and in different environmental medias. The microstructure and micro-topography had been observed and analyzed by means of SEM, EDS and TEM. Our findings indicated that, the fatigue life of 10Ni3CrMoV steel in seawater was shorter than in air, the difference in longevity was larger with the decreasing of axis stress. Corrosion pits had a great influence on corrosion fatigue life.

CONTRIBUTION OF HAMSTRING FATIGUE TO QUADRICEPS INHIBITION FOLLOWING LUMBAR EXTENSION EXERCISE

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Joseph M. Hart

2006-03-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to determine the contribution of hamstrings and quadriceps fatigue to quadriceps inhibition following lumbar extension exercise. Regression models were calculated consisting of the outcome variable: quadriceps inhibition and predictor variables: change in EMG median frequency in the quadriceps and hamstrings during lumbar fatiguing exercise. Twenty-five subjects with a history of low back pain were matched by gender, height and mass to 25 healthy controls. Subjects performed two sets of fatiguing isometric lumbar extension exercise until mild (set 1 and moderate (set 2 fatigue of the lumbar paraspinals. Quadriceps and hamstring EMG median frequency were measured while subjects performed fatiguing exercise. A burst of electrical stimuli was superimposed while subjects performed an isometric maximal quadriceps contraction to estimate quadriceps inhibition after each exercise set. Results indicate the change in hamstring median frequency explained variance in quadriceps inhibition following the exercise sets in the history of low back pain group only. Change in quadriceps median frequency explained variance in quadriceps inhibition following the first exercise set in the control group only. In conclusion, persons with a history of low back pain whose quadriceps become inhibited following lumbar paraspinal exercise may be adapting to the fatigue by using their hamstring muscles more than controls

Tensile and compressive failure modes of laminated composites loaded by fatigue with different mean stress

Science.gov (United States)

Rotem, Assa

1990-01-01

Laminated composite materials tend to fail differently under tensile or compressive load. Under tension, the material accumulates cracks and fiber fractures, while under compression, the material delaminates and buckles. Tensile-compressive fatigue may cause either of these failure modes depending on the specific damage occurring in the laminate. This damage depends on the stress ratio of the fatigue loading. Analysis of the fatigue behavior of the composite laminate under tension-tension, compression-compression, and tension-compression had led to the development of a fatigue envelope presentation of the failure behavior. This envelope indicates the specific failure mode for any stress ratio and number of loading cycles. The construction of the fatigue envelope is based on the applied stress-cycles to failure (S-N) curves of both tensile-tensile and compressive-compressive fatigue. Test results are presented to verify the theoretical analysis.

Thermal fatigue strength estimation of 2.25Cr-1Mo steel under creep-fatigue interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuwahara, Kazuo; Nitta, Akihito; Kitamura, Takayuki

1980-01-01

A 2-1/4Cr-1Mo steel is one of principal materials for high temperature equipments in nuclear and thermal power plants. The authors experimentally analyzed the high temperature fatigue strength and creep strength of a 2-1/4 Cr-1Mo steel main steam pipe which had been used in a thermal plant for operation up to 130,000 hours, and pointed out that the strain-range vs. life curves crossed each other due to the difference of temperature-strain phase in thermal fatigue. This suggests that it is difficult to estimate thermal fatigue life of steel materials having been subjected to different temperature-strain phase on the basis of isothermal low-cycle fatigue life at the upper limit temperature of thermal fatigue, and that it is urgently required to establish an appropriate method of evaluating thermal fatigue life. The authors attempted to prove that the strain range partitioning method used for the evaluation of thermal fatigue life in SUS 304 steels is applicable to this 2-1/4Cr-1Mo steel. Consequently, it was found that the thermal fatigue life could be estimated within a factor of 2.5 by the application of this method. (author)

Long-term assessment of fatigue in patients with culture-confirmed Lyme disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Wormser, Gary P; Weitzner, Erica; McKenna, Donna; Nadelman, Robert B; Scavarda, Carol; Nowakowski, John

2015-02-01

Fatigue is a common symptom with numerous causes. Severe fatigue is thought to be an important manifestation of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome. The frequency with which severe fatigue occurs as a long-term sequela in prospectively followed patients with Lyme disease is unknown. Patients with culture-confirmed Lyme disease who originally presented with erythema migrans have been evaluated annually in a prospective study to determine their long-term outcome. In 2011-2013, subjects were evaluated for fatigue using an 11-item Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS-11) that has been used in studies of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome. An FSS-11 score of ≥4.0 is indicative of severe fatigue. A total of 100 subjects were assessed, 52% of whom were male; the mean age was 64.9 years (range, 42-86 years). The mean duration of follow-up was 15.4 years (range, 11-20 years). Nine subjects had severe fatigue but in none as a consequence of Lyme disease. Only 3 subjects were thought to possibly have persistent fatigue from Lyme disease. The FSS-11 value for these 3 individuals was less than 4, averaging 2.27, and none had functional impairment. Severe fatigue was found in 9 patients (9%) with culture-confirmed early Lyme disease at 11 to 20 years after presentation, but was due to causes other than Lyme disease. Fatigue of lesser severity was possibly due to Lyme disease, but was found in only 3% of 100 patients, and therefore is rarely a long-term complication of this infection. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fatigue and radiotherapy. A literature review; Fatigue et radiotherapie. Revue de la litterature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dilhuydy, J.M.; Ouhtatou, F.; Laporte, C.; Nguyen, T.V.F.; Vendrely, V. [Institut Bergonie Centre Regional de Lutte Contre le Cancer, 33 - Bordeaux (France); Dilhuydy, J.M. [Federation Nationale des Centres de Lutte Contre le Cancer, FNCLCC, Groupe Rehabilitation, 75 - Paris (France); Dilhuydy, M.S. [Hopital Saint-Andre, Service de Medecine Interne, 33 - Bordeaux (France)

2001-11-01

Fatigue is a common complaint for the cancer patient during and after radiotherapy, according to the published studies. Fatigue is a subjective symptom mostly underestimated by oncologists and other care givers. Etiology is complex, poorly understood in spite of obvious causes like insomnia, nausea, pain, depression, psychological distress, anemia, hypothyroidism, menopause disturbances, treatment adverse effects. Fatigue presents multi-factorial and multidimensional aspects. To evaluate it, many tools can be used as single-item, unidimensional and multidimensional instruments. Practically, the open discussion with the patient throughout radiotherapy is essential to define it. Taking charge fatigue requires its acknowledgement by radiotherapist, treatment of associated symptoms with a multidisciplinary approach. (authors)

Development and characterization of fatigue resistant aramid reinforced aluminium laminates (ARALL) for fatigue critical aircraft components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qaiser, M. H.; Umar, S.; Nauman, S.

2013-01-01

The structural weight of an aircraft has always been a controlling parameter that governs its fuel efficiency and transport capacity. In pursuit of achieving light-weight aircraft structures, high design stress levels have to be adopted and materials with high specific strength such as Aluminum etc. are to be deployed. However, an extensive spectrum of fatigue load exists at the aircraft wings and other aerodynamic components that may cause initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks and concludes in a catastrophic rupture. Fatigue is therefore the limiting design parameter in such cases and materials with high fatigue resistance are then required. A major improvement in the fatigue behavior was observed by laminating Kevlar fibers with Aluminum using epoxy. ARALL (Aramid Reinforced Aluminum Laminates) is a fatigue resistant hybrid composite that consists of layers of thin high strength aluminum alloy sheets surface bonded with aramid fibers. The intact aramid fibers tie up the fatigue cracks, thus reducing the stress intensity factor at the crack tip as a result of which the fatigue properties of can be enhanced with orders of magnitude as compared to monolithic high strength Aluminum alloy sheets. Significant amount of weight savings can be achieved in fatigue critical components in comparison with the traditional materials used in aircraft. (author)

Development and characterization of fatigue resistant Aramid reinforced aluminium laminates (ARALL) for fatigue Critical aircraft components

Science.gov (United States)

Qaiser, M. H.; Umar, S.; Nauman, S.

2014-06-01

The structural weight of an aircraft has always been a controlling parameter that governs its fuel efficiency and transport capacity. In pursuit of achieving light-weight aircraft structures, high design stress levels have to be adopted and materials with high specific strength such as Aluminum etc. are to be deployed. However, an extensive spectrum of fatigue load exists at the aircraft wings and other aerodynamic components that may cause initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks and concludes in a catastrophic rupture. Fatigue is therefore the limiting design parameter in such cases and materials with high fatigue resistance are then required. A major improvement in the fatigue behavior was observed by laminating Kevlar fibers with Aluminum using epoxy. ARALL (Aramid Reinforced ALuminum Laminates) is a fatigue resistant hybrid composite that consists of layers of thin high strength aluminum alloy sheets surface bonded with aramid fibers. The intact aramid fibers tie up the fatigue cracks, thus reducing the stress intensity factor at the crack tip as a result of which the fatigue properties of can be enhanced with orders of magnitude as compared to monolithic high strength Aluminum alloy sheets. Significant amount of weight savings can be achieved in fatigue critical components in comparison with the traditional materials used in aircraft.

Development and characterization of fatigue resistant Aramid reinforced aluminium laminates (ARALL) for fatigue Critical aircraft components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qaiser, M H; Umar, S; Nauman, S

2014-01-01

The structural weight of an aircraft has always been a controlling parameter that governs its fuel efficiency and transport capacity. In pursuit of achieving light-weight aircraft structures, high design stress levels have to be adopted and materials with high specific strength such as Aluminum etc. are to be deployed. However, an extensive spectrum of fatigue load exists at the aircraft wings and other aerodynamic components that may cause initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks and concludes in a catastrophic rupture. Fatigue is therefore the limiting design parameter in such cases and materials with high fatigue resistance are then required. A major improvement in the fatigue behavior was observed by laminating Kevlar fibers with Aluminum using epoxy. ARALL (Aramid Reinforced ALuminum Laminates) is a fatigue resistant hybrid composite that consists of layers of thin high strength aluminum alloy sheets surface bonded with aramid fibers. The intact aramid fibers tie up the fatigue cracks, thus reducing the stress intensity factor at the crack tip as a result of which the fatigue properties of can be enhanced with orders of magnitude as compared to monolithic high strength Aluminum alloy sheets. Significant amount of weight savings can be achieved in fatigue critical components in comparison with the traditional materials used in aircraft

MEGACARYOCYTES IN THE PERIPHERAL CIRCULATION

Science.gov (United States)

Minot, George R.

1922-01-01

A megacaryocyte is seen commonly as an occasional cell in the peripheral blood of patients with myelogenous leucemia. Less commonly they appear in relatively large numbers. These giant cells also may occur in the blood under other conditions. Their presence is indicative of a bone marrow under intense strain. PMID:19868650

Asleep at the automated wheel-Sleepiness and fatigue during highly automated driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogelpohl, Tobias; Kühn, Matthias; Hummel, Thomas; Vollrath, Mark

2018-03-20

Due to the lack of active involvement in the driving situation and due to monotonous driving environments drivers with automation may be prone to become fatigued faster than manual drivers (e.g. Schömig et al., 2015). However, little is known about the progression of fatigue during automated driving and its effects on the ability to take back manual control after a take-over request. In this driving simulator study with Nö=ö60 drivers we used a three factorial 2ö×ö2ö×ö12 mixed design to analyze the progression (12ö×ö5ömin; within subjects) of driver fatigue in drivers with automation compared to manual drivers (between subjects). Driver fatigue was induced as either mainly sleep related or mainly task related fatigue (between subjects). Additionally, we investigated the drivers' reactions to a take-over request in a critical driving scenario to gain insights into the ability of fatigued drivers to regain manual control and situation awareness after automated driving. Drivers in the automated driving condition exhibited facial indicators of fatigue after 15 to 35ömin of driving. Manual drivers only showed similar indicators of fatigue if they suffered from a lack of sleep and then only after a longer period of driving (approx. 40ömin). Several drivers in the automated condition closed their eyes for extended periods of time. In the driving with automation condition mean automation deactivation times after a take-over request were slower for a certain percentage (about 30%) of the drivers with a lack of sleep (Mö=ö3.2; SDö=ö2.1ös) compared to the reaction times after a long drive (Mö=ö2.4; SDö=ö0.9ös). Drivers with automation also took longer than manual drivers to first glance at the speed display after a take-over request and were more likely to stay behind a braking lead vehicle instead of overtaking it. Drivers are unable to stay alert during extended periods of automated driving without non-driving related tasks. Fatigued drivers could

Mental Fatigue Affects Visual Selective Attention

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Faber, Leon G.; Maurits, Natasha M.; Lorist, Monicque M.

2012-01-01

Mental fatigue is a form of fatigue, induced by continuous task performance. Mentally fatigued people often report having a hard time keeping their attention focussed and being easily distracted. In this study, we examined the relation between mental fatigue, as induced by time on task, and

Standard guide for fretting fatigue testing

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2010-01-01

1.1 This guide defines terminology and covers general requirements for conducting fretting fatigue tests and reporting the results. It describes the general types of fretting fatigue tests and provides some suggestions on developing and conducting fretting fatigue test programs. 1.2 Fretting fatigue tests are designed to determine the effects of mechanical and environmental parameters on the fretting fatigue behavior of metallic materials. This guide is not intended to establish preference of one apparatus or specimen design over others, but will establish guidelines for adherence in the design, calibration, and use of fretting fatigue apparatus and recommend the means to collect, record, and reporting of the data. 1.3 The number of cycles to form a fretting fatigue crack is dependent on both the material of the fatigue specimen and fretting pad, the geometry of contact between the two, and the method by which the loading and displacement are imposed. Similar to wear behavior of materials, it is important t...

Probabilistic Fatigue Damage Program (FATIG)

Science.gov (United States)

Michalopoulos, Constantine

2012-01-01

FATIG computes fatigue damage/fatigue life using the stress rms (root mean square) value, the total number of cycles, and S-N curve parameters. The damage is computed by the following methods: (a) traditional method using Miner s rule with stress cycles determined from a Rayleigh distribution up to 3*sigma; and (b) classical fatigue damage formula involving the Gamma function, which is derived from the integral version of Miner's rule. The integration is carried out over all stress amplitudes. This software solves the problem of probabilistic fatigue damage using the integral form of the Palmgren-Miner rule. The software computes fatigue life using an approach involving all stress amplitudes, up to N*sigma, as specified by the user. It can be used in the design of structural components subjected to random dynamic loading, or by any stress analyst with minimal training for fatigue life estimates of structural components.

Cross-Cultural Validation of the Korean Version of the Chalder Fatigue Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Ha, Hyeju; Jeong, Donghee; Hahm, Bong-Jin; Shim, Eun-Jung

2018-06-01

University students are vulnerable to fatigue. If not adequately dealt with, fatigue might develop into various health problems and negatively affect quality of life (QOL). The present study examined psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Chalder Fatigue Scale (K-CFQ) in university students. Data were obtained from two samples of undergraduate students in Korea. The first dataset (N = 557) was collected in a cross-sectional survey in 2015 and the second dataset (N = 338) from a longitudinal survey with three time points over a semester period in 2016. Participants completed measures of fatigue, QOL, depression, anxiety, and sleep quality. Three-factor model (physical fatigue, low energy, and mental fatigue) rather than the original two-factor model (physical and mental fatigue) provided a better goodness of fit indices to the data. Internal consistency of the K-CFQ was satisfactory, with Cronbach's α value of 0.88 for the total scale and those of subscales ranging from 0.73 to 0.87. Its convergent validity was supported by its significant association with anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and QOL. Significant association between T1 K-CFQ with physical QOL at T2 and T3 supported its predictive validity. Its known-group validity was proven with higher K-CFQ scores observed in the participants with depression and those with poor sleep quality. Current results suggest that K-CFQ is a valid and reliable measure of fatigue, and a better model fit of the three-factor structure of the K-CFQ implies potential cross-cultural differences in the dimensionality of fatigue.

Fatigue following Acute Q-Fever: A Systematic Literature Review

Science.gov (United States)

Delsing, Corine E.; Bleijenberg, Gijs; Langendam, Miranda; Timen, Aura; Bleeker-Rovers, Chantal P.

2016-01-01

Background Long-term fatigue with detrimental effects on daily functioning often occurs following acute Q-fever. Following the 2007–2010 Q-fever outbreak in the Netherlands with over 4000 notified cases, the emphasis on long-term consequences of Q-fever increased. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of all relevant available literature, and to identify knowledge gaps regarding the definition, diagnosis, background, description, aetiology, prevention, therapy, and prognosis, of fatigue following acute Q-fever. Design A systematic review was conducted through searching Pubmed, Embase, and PsycInfo for relevant literature up to 26th May 2015. References of included articles were hand searched for additional documents, and included articles were quality assessed. Results Fifty-seven articles were included and four documents classified as grey literature. The quality of most studies was low. The studies suggest that although most patients recover from fatigue within 6–12 months after acute Q-fever, approximately 20% remain chronically fatigued. Several names are used indicating fatigue following acute Q-fever, of which Q-fever fatigue syndrome (QFS) is most customary. Although QFS is described to occur frequently in many countries, a uniform definition is lacking. The studies report major health and work-related consequences, and is frequently accompanied by nonspecific complaints. There is no consensus with regard to aetiology, prevention, treatment, and prognosis. Conclusions Long-term fatigue following acute Q-fever, generally referred to as QFS, has major health-related consequences. However, information on aetiology, prevention, treatment, and prognosis of QFS is underrepresented in the international literature. In order to facilitate comparison of findings, and as platform for future studies, a uniform definition and diagnostic work-up and uniform measurement tools for QFS are proposed. PMID:27223465

Classifying post-stroke fatigue: Optimal cut-off on the Fatigue Assessment Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Cumming, Toby B; Mead, Gillian

2017-12-01

Post-stroke fatigue is common and has debilitating effects on independence and quality of life. The Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS) is a valid screening tool for fatigue after stroke, but there is no established cut-off. We sought to identify the optimal cut-off for classifying post-stroke fatigue on the FAS. In retrospective analysis of two independent datasets (the '2015' and '2007' studies), we evaluated the predictive validity of FAS score against a case definition of fatigue (the criterion standard). Area under the curve (AUC) and sensitivity and specificity at the optimal cut-off were established in the larger 2015 dataset (n=126), and then independently validated in the 2007 dataset (n=52). In the 2015 dataset, AUC was 0.78 (95% CI 0.70-0.86), with the optimal ≥24 cut-off giving a sensitivity of 0.82 and specificity of 0.66. The 2007 dataset had an AUC of 0.83 (95% CI 0.71-0.94), and applying the ≥24 cut-off gave a sensitivity of 0.84 and specificity of 0.67. Post-hoc analysis of the 2015 dataset revealed that using only the 3 most predictive FAS items together ('FAS-3') also yielded good validity: AUC 0.81 (95% CI 0.73-0.89), with sensitivity of 0.83 and specificity of 0.75 at the optimal ≥8 cut-off. We propose ≥24 as a cut-off for classifying post-stroke fatigue on the FAS. While further validation work is needed, this is a positive step towards a coherent approach to reporting fatigue prevalence using the FAS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fatigue analysis of aluminum drill pipes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

João Carlos Ribeiro Plácido

2005-12-01

Full Text Available An experimental program was performed to investigate the fundamental fatigue mechanisms of aluminum drill pipes. Initially, the fatigue properties were determined through small-scale tests performed in an optic-mechanical fatigue apparatus. Additionally, full-scale fatigue tests were carried out with three aluminum drill pipe specimens under combined loading of cyclic bending and constant axial tension. Finally, a finite element model was developed to simulate the stress field along the aluminum drill pipe during the fatigue tests and to estimate the stress concentration factors inside the tool joints. By this way, it was possible to estimate the stress values in regions not monitored during the fatigue tests.

Flexural fatigue life prediction of closed hat-section using materially nonlinear axial fatigue characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Razzaq, Zia

1989-01-01

Straight or curved hat-section members are often used as structural stiffeners in aircraft. For instance, they are employed as stiffeners for the dorsal skin as well as in the aerial refueling adjacent area structure in F-106 aircraft. The flanges of the hat-section are connected to the aircraft skin. Thus, the portion of the skin closing the hat-section interacts with the section itself when resisting the stresses due to service loads. The flexural fatigue life of such a closed section is estimated using materially nonlinear axial fatigue characteristics. It should be recognized that when a structural shape is subjected to bending, the fatigue life at the neutral axis is infinity since the normal stresses are zero at that location. Conversely, the fatigue life at the extreme fibers where the normal bending stresses are maximum can be expected to be finite. Thus, different fatigue life estimates can be visualized at various distances from the neural axis. The problem becomes compounded further when significant portions away from the neutral axis are stressed into plastic range. A theoretical analysis of the closed hat-section subjected to flexural cyclic loading is first conducted. The axial fatigue characteristics together with the related axial fatigue life formula and its inverted form given by Manson and Muralidharan are adopted for an aluminum alloy used in aircraft construction. A closed-form expression for predicting the flexural fatigue life is then derived for the closed hat-section including materially nonlinear action. A computer program is written to conduct a study of the variables such as the thicknesses of the hat-section and the skin, and the type of alloy used. The study has provided a fundamental understanding of the flexural fatigue life characteristics of a practical structural component used in aircraft when materially nonlinear action is present.