Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ervi, the intraspecific Barbera x Croatina crossbreed: first growing and winemaking experiences in Lombardia (northwest of Italy)

Barbera and Croatina are the two most important grapevine varieties characterizing wines from several districts in North-West of Italy; they coexist on the hilly territories sited south of the Po river (historically known as “western-cispadana” area) where they are also blended together to obtain local wines such as Buttafuoco and Rosso Oltrepo Pavese in Lombardia, and Gutturnio in Emilia Romagna. Ervi is an intraspecific crossbreed between Barbera and Croatina performed in the ‘70s and selected over the last decades in order to improve some agronomical traits of both parents. The present study represents the first characterization of development, production and enological performance of the cv. Ervi in Lombardia and, more specifically, in the Oltrepo Pavese wine district. Long-term results related to a field-based assessment as well as the sensory profiling of wines produced at a micro scale are reported. When compared to Barbera and Croatina, Ervi shows improved productivity respect to Croatina and a better composition as compared to both its parents. Results recommend the introduction of the cv. Ervi in Lombardia for the production of high quality red wines.
The effectiveness of neurodynamic techniques in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy: Study protocol for a randomized sham-controlled trial

Abstract Background: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus (DM). DPN is the primary risk factor for diabetic foot ulcers that can cause amputation. Although several observational studies have investigated the morphological and biomechanical characteristics of peripheral nerves in DPN, interventional studies regarding the effectiveness of neurodynamic techniques (NDT) in DPN patients are confined to a handful. The effects of NDT on neuropathy severity, nerve conduction parameters, quality of life (QoL), and mechanosensitivity have not been explored yet in this population. Materials and Methods: Forty type 2 DPN (T2DPN) patients, diagnosed based on an electrodiagnosis study, will be recruited into two groups. The experimental group will receive the tibial nerve’s real proximal and distal slider techniques in addition to DPN standard treatment as a basic treatment, and the control group will receive the tibial nerve’s sham proximal and distal slider techniques along with the basic treatment for eight sessions twice a week. Baseline and post-intervention assessments will be based on the Michigan diabetic neuropathy score (MDNS) (primary outcome), tibial nerve conduction parameters, neuropathy-specific quality of life (Neuro QoL) questionnaire, and straight leg raising range of motion (SLR ROM) (secondary outcomes). Results: This study is expected to last approximately seven months, depending on recruitment. The results of the study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Conclusions: The present study will evaluate the efficacy of NDT on the primary and secondary outcome measurements in DPN patients.
Inter-Rater and Test-Retest Reliability of an Innovative Evaluation Tool: CrossFit Functional Assessment Battery of Tests for the Shoulder Joint

Background and objectives This study aims to introduce an innovative functional assessment tool designed for CrossFit athletes, to identify a high risk of injury at the shoulder joint. Additionally, the study seeks to examine both inter-rater reliability, which was tested in 40 CrossFit participants, and test-retest reliability, which was assessed in twenty subjects. Methodology CrossFit Functional Assessment Battery for the Shoulder Joint (CrossFit FABS) is a newly created instrument presented for the first time. The evaluation of the performance of its six items aimed to reveal deficits that could contribute to incidents of shoulder injuries. For this purpose, 40 healthy CrossFit participants were concurrently but independently examined by two raters, and twenty healthy adults active in sports were assessed by the main investigator at two different time points. Cohen’s kappa coefficient was used to analyze categorical data with an ordinal structure. Results Inter-rater reliability ranged from 0.824 to 1 (P = 0.000) and test-retest reliability was 0.661 to 0.906 (P < 0.001) for each test of CrossFit FABS. A strong to almost perfect correlation was demonstrated for all the variables between the two examiners. Moderate to almost perfect correlation was shown through test-retest procedures. Conclusions The proposed test battery was established as a reliable tool for evaluating performance routines that represent high injury-risk elements for the shoulder joint in CrossFit athletes.
Association between Sociodemographic Factors with Nutritional Status among Primary School Children in Setiu, Terengganu, Malaysia

This study aims to determine the association between sociodemographic aspects and nutritional status among rural Setiu, Terengganu schoolchildren. A cross-sectional study using convenience sampling was conducted among 269 primary school children. Sociodemographic information was obtained from parents or guardians through face-to-face interviews, and standardized techniques and calibration were adopted for anthropometric measurements. The World Health Organization Anthro Plus was used to generate the z-scores for Weight-for-Age (WAZ), Height-for-Age (HAZ), and Body Mass Index-for- Age (BAZ) to indicate underweight, stunting, and obesity among the children. Chi-squared test was used to determine the association between sociodemographic factors and nutritional status. The children exhibited mean WAZ, HAZ, and BAZ scores of -0.66, -0.82, and -0.00, respectively. Approximately 13.8% of schoolchildren in this study were stunted, 16.7% were underweight, 8.9% were overweight, and 11.5% were obese. Age and the father's education level were significantly associated with WAZ (p=0.02 and p=0.001), household size was associated with HAZ (p=0.029), and BAZ was found to be associated with the father's income factor (p=0.03). This study discovered that the majority of results from the measurement of WAZ, HAZ and BAZ were in normal growth with 81 (79.4%), 230 (85.5%) and 196 (72.9%), respectively. In conclusion, this study indicates that most of the sociodemographic factors were not associated with nutritional status and the prevalence of malnutrition among primary school children in the rural areas of Setiu, Terengganu was lower than in the other rural areas.
Comparison of Intravenous Administration of Remifentanil with Fentanyl for Increased Blood Sugar Levels in Post Cardiac Surgery Patients

Introduction: The incidence of hyperglycemia in patients with heart disease undergoing cardiac surgery reaches 50% in patients without a history of Diabetes Mellitus. This condition of hyperglycemia can increase morbidity and mortality. Objective: This study aims to assess the effect of using the agent remifentanil intravenously 0.5-1 µg/kgBW bolus followed by maintenance at a dose of 0.05-0.1 µg/kgBW/minute intravenously compared to the use of fentanyl 3-10 µg/kgBW followed by a maintenance dose of 0.03-0.1 µg/kgBW/minute for increased blood sugar levels in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with the Cardiopulmonary Bypass (CPB) procedure. Materials and Methods: This study is an experimental study with a single-blind randomized controlled design. Patients will be divided into 2 groups consisting of 12 patients each, namely group R (remifentanil) received remifentanil, and group F (fentanyl) received fentanyl. Blood sugar levels will be checked before and after surgery. Results: The research has been conducted at Dr. Hasan Sadikin Hospital Bandung from February 2023 to May 2023. The average increase in blood sugar levels in the remifentanil group was 74 mg/dl, while in the fentanyl group, it was 90 mg/dl. The p-value given is 0.214. Statistical test results showed that the value of p> 0.05. Conclusion: This study concludes that there is no significant difference in the increase in blood sugar levels between the two groups (remifentanil and fentanyl). This can be caused by the use of opioid doses in the lower range and more complex surgical procedures in our research.
Novel Weft-Knitted Strain Sensors for Motion Capture

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) aims to improve the gait pattern in cases of weak foot dorsiflexion (foot lifter weakness) and, therefore, increase the liveability of people suffering from chronic diseases of the central nervous system, e.g., multiple sclerosis. One important component of FES is the detection of the knee angle in order to enable the situational triggering of dorsiflexion in the right gait phase by electrical impulses. This paper presents an alternative approach to sensors for motion capture in the form of weft-knitted strain sensors. The use of textile-based strain sensors instead of conventional strain gauges offers the major advantage of direct integration during the knitting process and therefore a very discreet integration into garments. This in turn contributes to the fact that the FES system can be implemented in the form of functional leggings that are suitable for inconspicuous daily use without disturbing the wearer unnecessarily. Different designs of the weft-knitted strain sensor and the influence on its measurement behavior were investigated. The designs differed in terms of the integration direction of the sensor (wale- or course-wise) and the width of the sensor (number of loops) in a weft-knitted textile structure.
Adaptive control for shape memory alloy actuated systems with applications to human–robot interaction

Introduction Shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators are attractive options for robotic applications due to their salient features. So far, achieving precise control of SMA actuators and applying them to human-robot interaction scenarios remains a challenge. Methods This paper proposes a novel approach to deal with the control problem of a SMA actuator. Departing from conventional mechanism models, we attempt to describe this nonlinear plant using a gray-box model, in which only the input current and the output displacement are measured. The control scheme consists of the model parameters updating and the control law calculation. The adaptation algorithm is founded on the multi-innovation concept and incorporates a dead-zone weighted factor, aiming to concurrently reduce computational complexities and enhance robustness properties. The control law is based on a PI controller, the gains of which are designed by the pole assignment technique. Theoretical analysis proves that the closed-loop performance can be ensured under mild conditions. Results The experiments are first conducted through the Beckhoff controller. The comparative results suggest that the proposed adaptive PI control strategy exhibits broad applicability, particularly under load variations. Subsequently, the SMA actuator is designed and incorporated into the hand rehabilitation robot. System position tracking experiments and passive rehabilitation training experiments for various gestures are then conducted. The experimental outcomes demonstrate that the hand rehabilitation robot, utilizing the SMA actuator, achieves higher position tracking accuracy and a more stable system under the adaptive control strategy proposed in this paper. Simultaneously, it successfully accommodates hand rehabilitation movements for multiple gestures. Discussion The adaptive controller proposed in this paper takes into account both the computational complexity of the model and the accuracy of the control results, Experimental results not only demonstrate the practicality and reliability of the controller but also attest to its potential application in human-machine interaction within the field of neural rehabilitation.
Expression of SOCS1 in Rats of Sciatic Nerve Injury after EA Treatment

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and mechanism of electroacupuncture treatment in rats of sciatic nerve injury. Methods: Seventy five male SD rats were randomly divided into control group, model group and electro-acupuncture (EA) group. In the EA group, “Zusanli” points and “Yanglingquan” points of the left lower extremity were selected. The frequency of EA was 5 Hz, and EA performed for 15 minutes a day. The sciatic nerves were collected at 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks and 6 weeks, respectively, and the expression of SOCS1 protein was detected by Western blot. Results: The results of gait analysis showed that the electro-acupuncture group tended to be more in the control group than in the model group. The wet weight of triceps surae in rats was closer to 1 than that in EA group and model group. Nissl staining showed that the number of Nissl bodies in EA group was significantly higher than that in model group. The expression of SOCS1 protein in the model group was significantly higher than that in the EA group and the control group. Conclusion: EA may repair peripheral nerve injury by inhibiting the expression of SOCS1 in sciatic nerve.
Effects of chronic fluorosis on the expression of VEGF/PI3K/AKT/eNOS in the gingival tissue of rats with orthodontic tooth movement

It has been reported that the force of orthodontic correction triggers periodontal tissue remodeling by affecting angiogenesis. However, the manifestation of the vascular response to orthodontic tooth movement in the setting of chronic fluorosis is unclear. The aim of the present study was to preliminarily explore the effect of orthodontic treatment on the angiogenesis of gingival tissue in rats with chronic fluorosis by monitoring changes in the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K), AKT (or protein kinase B) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in the gingival tissue. A total of 60 rats were randomly divided equally into the orthodontic group (O group; n=30) and fluorosis orthodontic group (FO group; n=30). Each of these groups was divided into 0-, 3-, 7-, 14- and 21-day groups (n=6/group). Fluorosis and orthodontic tooth movement models were established, and rats in each group were sacrificed for tissue sampling at the corresponding time points. Tissue morphology was observed via hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. The protein and mRNA expression levels of VEGF, PI3K, AKT and eNOS in gingival tissue were detected by western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively. The H&E staining images showed that the FO group had smaller blood vessels and reduced vascular proliferation compared with the O group. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein expression levels of VEGF, PI3K, AKT and eNOS were reduced in the gingiva of rats in the FO group compared with the O group, and certain reductions were significant during the delayed tooth movement period. In addition, with the extension of the application of orthodontic stress, the mRNA and protein expression levels of VEGF, PI3K, AKT and eNOS in the gingiva of the O and FO groups showed a trend of increasing at first and subsequently decreasing, which corresponds with the tooth movement cycle. In conclusion, chronic fluorosis may inhibit the angiogenesis and the expression of the VEGF/PI3K/AKT/eNOS pathway in gingival tissue of orthodontic tooth movement.
Comparison of Invasive and Non-Invasive Mechanical Ventilation in COVID-19 Patients Followed with Respiratory Failure

Objective: The most important complication associated with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is respiratory failure, which requires mechanical ventilation. The aim of our study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) on oxygenation in patients with COVID-19 who had respiratory failure and needed ventilation support. Materials and Methods: According to the ventilation support used, the patients were divided into two groups: Those for whom NIV was initially preferred (n=48) and those who were initially intubated and received invasive mechanical ventilation (n=50). Arterial blood gas analyzes of the patients were evaluated. The changes in oxygenation and ventilation, the incidence of complications such as hypotension and hypertension, and mortality rates were compared. Results: The partial arterial oxygen pressure (PaO 2 ) values were similar during the follow-up of the patients who were initiated on treatment with NIV and those who were initiated on treatment with invasive mechanical ventilation. However, the survival rate was higher in the patients who were initiated on treatment with non-invasive mechanical ventilation. It was remarkable that the partial arterial carbon dioxide pressure value was higher in the invasive mechanical ventilation group than in the NIV group. The incidence of complications such as hypotension or hypertension was less in the non-invasive mechanical ventilation group. Conclusion: Although PaO 2 values are similar, it was found that the survival rate was higher and the complication rate was lower in the patients for whom NIV was preferred. Therefore, we think that NIV should be preferred as much as possible.
Biohybrid Robotic Hand to Investigate Tactile Encoding and Sensorimotor Integration

For people who have experienced a spinal cord injury or an amputation, the recovery of sensation and motor control could be incomplete despite noteworthy advances with invasive neural interfaces. Our objective is to explore the feasibility of a novel biohybrid robotic hand model to investigate aspects of tactile sensation and sensorimotor integration with a pre-clinical research platform. Our new biohybrid model couples an artificial hand with biological neural networks (BNN) cultured in a multichannel microelectrode array (MEA). We decoded neural activity to control a finger of the artificial hand that was outfitted with a tactile sensor. The fingertip sensations were encoded into rapidly adapting (RA) or slowly adapting (SA) mechanoreceptor firing patterns that were used to electrically stimulate the BNN. We classified the coherence between afferent and efferent electrodes in the MEA with a convolutional neural network (CNN) using a transfer learning approach. The BNN exhibited the capacity for functional specialization with the RA and SA patterns, represented by significantly different robotic behavior of the biohybrid hand with respect to the tactile encoding method. Furthermore, the CNN was able to distinguish between RA and SA encoding methods with 97.84% ± 0.65% accuracy when the BNN was provided tactile feedback, averaged across three days in vitro (DIV). This novel biohybrid research platform demonstrates that BNNs are sensitive to tactile encoding methods and can integrate robotic tactile sensations with the motor control of an artificial hand. This opens the possibility of using biohybrid research platforms in the future to study aspects of neural interfaces with minimal human risk.
Reconsidering “Critical” Bone Loss in Shoulder Instability: 17-Year Follow-Up Study following Arthroscopic Bankart Repair

Background Glenoid bone loss is a risk factor leading to the failure of arthroscopic Bankart repair. While 20–25% glenoid bone loss has long been considered the level to necessitate bony augmentation, recent studies indicate that 13.5% has a “subcritical” glenoid bone loss level, which is associated with decreased short- and medium-term functional scores. Few researchers worked on the long-term effect of “subcritical” or even less severe degrees of glenoid bone loss on redislocation rates and functional outcomes after arthroscopic Bankart repair. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of subcritical or less severe glenoid bone loss on redislocation rates and function after arthroscopic Bankart repair. Methods A patient cohort who had undergone computed tomography (CT) of glenoid bone loss and arthroscopic Bankart repair over 15 years ago was reviewed. Western Ontario Shoulder Instability (WOSI) score, Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) score, redislocation after operation, mechanism of recurrence, and revision details were reviewed. Results Seventy-five patients were reassessed 17.6 ± 1.9 years following initial surgery. The age at enrolment was 26.8 ± 8.3 years. Twenty-two (29%) patients of the 75 patients had a redislocation on long-term follow-up, though this was not related to glenoid bone loss severity. The impaired functional score was found in patients with initial glenoid bone loss of 7% or more on long-term follow-up: WOSI (physical symptoms): 0.98 ± 2.00 vs 2.25 ± 4.01, p=0.04 and WOSI (total): 0.79 ± 1.43 vs 1.88 ± 3.56, p=0.04. Conclusions At a mean of 17.5 years following arthroscopic Bankart repair, redislocation occurs in over a quarter of 75 patients, and they are not related to initial glenoid bone loss severity. Impaired functional outcome is apparent in patients with initial glenoid bone loss of >7%, though this impairment does not seem sufficiently severe to warrant an alternative treatment approach.
Application of Machine Vision Techniques in Low-Cost Devices to Improve Efficiency in Precision Farming

In the context of recent technological advancements driven by distributed work and open-source resources, computer vision stands out as an innovative force, transforming how machines interact with and comprehend the visual world around us. This work conceives, designs, implements, and operates a computer vision and artificial intelligence method for object detection with integrated depth estimation. With applications ranging from autonomous fruit-harvesting systems to phenotyping tasks, the proposed Depth Object Detector (DOD) is trained and evaluated using the Microsoft Common Objects in Context dataset and the MinneApple dataset for object and fruit detection, respectively. The DOD is benchmarked against current state-of-the-art models. The results demonstrate the proposed method’s efficiency for operation on embedded systems, with a favorable balance between accuracy and speed, making it well suited for real-time applications on edge devices in the context of the Internet of things.
Integrated Transcriptomics and Metabolomics Analysis of Two Maize Hybrids (ZD309 and XY335) under Heat Stress at the Flowering Stage

High temperature around flowering has a serious impact on the growth and development of maize. However, few maize genes related to flowering under heat stress have been confirmed, and the regulatory mechanism is unclear. To reveal the molecular mechanism of heat tolerance in maize, two maize hybrids, ZD309 and XY335, with different heat resistance, were selected to perform transcriptome and metabolomics analysis at the flowering stage under heat stress. In ZD309, 314 up-regulated and 463 down-regulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected, while 168 up-regulated and 119 down-regulated DEGs were identified in XY335. By comparing the differential gene expression patterns of ZD309 and XY335, we found the “frontloaded” genes which were less up-regulated in heat-tolerant maize during high temperature stress. They included heat tolerance genes, which may react faster at the protein level to provide resilience to instantaneous heat stress. A total of 1062 metabolites were identified via metabolomics analysis. Lipids, saccharides, and flavonoids were found to be differentially expressed under heat stress, indicating these metabolites’ response to high temperature. Our study will contribute to the identification of heat tolerance genes in maize, therefore contributing to the breeding of heat-tolerant maize varieties.