bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intradural lumbar disc herniation of L2–L3: A case report and literature review
Authors: Chen Xipeng , Cheng Yuanpei , Wu Han
Published: January 2023

Background

Intradural lumbar disc herniation (ILDH), especially upper lumbar intradural disc herniation, is a rare type of lumbar disc herniation (LDH). However, it may have severe and complex symptoms, causing serious impact on the patients. Additionally, it is difficult to be diagnosed with limited experience. Few studies on L2–L3 ILDH have been reported in the literature. This study presents such a case and reviews the incidence, etiology, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of this disease, so as to provide guidance and experience for clinicians.

Case presentation

A 27-year-old male patient had a one-month history of severe lower back pain and left lower extremity weakness after lumbar sprain. He could not walk due to progressive symptoms. Physical examination revealed that straight leg raising and femoral nerve stretch tests on the left side were positive. Magnetic resonance imaging of lumbar showed an intradural disc protruding into the ventral dural sac at the L2–L3 level. He was diagnosed ILDH of L2–L3, finally. An urgent operation was performed to remove the intradural disc fragment. The patient's symptoms improved significantly, postoperatively. After eight months of follow-up, he returned to normal life with only slight lower back pain.

Conclusions

ILDH at the L2–L3 level is an extremely rare type of LDH. Its diagnosis often requires a combination of symptom, physical examination, and imaging examination due to no typical symptoms or imaging features. A detailed preoperative plan including the definition of the position, calcification, migration, and adhesion of intradural intervertebral discs to decrease the risk of surgery, prevent the occurrence of complications, and promote postoperative prognosis of patients.
Copenhagen index (CPH-I) is more favorable than CA125, HE4, and risk of ovarian malignancy algorithm (ROMA): Nomogram prediction models with clinical-ultrasonographic feature for diagnosing ovarian neoplasms
Authors: Song Zixuan , Wang Xiaoxue , Fu Jiajun , Wang Pengyuan , Chen Xueting , Zhang Dandan
Published: January 2023

Background

We aimed to analyze the benign and malignant identification efficiency of CA125, HE4, risk of ovarian malignancy algorithm (ROMA), Copenhagen Index (CPH-I) in ovarian neoplasms and establish a nomogram to improve the preoperative evaluation value of ovarian neoplasms.

Methods

A total of 3,042 patients with ovarian neoplasms were retrospectively classified according to postoperative pathological diagnosis [benign, n = 2389; epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), n = 653]. The patients were randomly divided into training and test cohorts at a ratio of 7:3. Using CA125, HE4, ROMA, and CPH-I, Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves corresponding to different truncation values were calculated and compared, and optimal truncation values were selected. Clinical and imaging risk factors were calculated using univariate regression, and significant variables were selected for multivariate regression analysis combined with ROMA and CPH-I. Nomograms were constructed to predict the occurrence of EOC, and the accuracy was assessed by external validation.

Results

When the cutoff value of CA125, HE4, ROMA, and CPH-I was 100 U/ml, 70 pmol/L, 12.5/14.4% (premenopausal/postmenopausal) and 5%, respectively, the AUC was 0.674, 0.721, 0.750 and 0.769, respectively. From univariate regression, the clinical risk factors were older age, menopausal status, higher birth rate, hypertension, and diabetes; imaging risk factors were multilocular tumors, solid nodules, bilateral tumors, larger tumor diameter, and ascites. The AUC of the nomogram containing ROMA and CPH-I was 0.8914 and 0.9114, respectively, which was better than the prediction accuracies of CA125, HE4, ROMA, and CPH-I alone. The nomogram with CPH-I was significantly better than that with ROMA (P < 0.001), and a nomogram decision curve analysis (DCA) containing CPH-I seemed to have better clinical benefits than ROMA. For external validation of this nomogram containing ROMA and CPH-I, the C-indices were 0.889 and 0.900, and the calibration curves were close to 45°, showing good agreement with the predicted values.

Conclusion

We conclude that CPH-I and ROMA have higher diagnostic values in the preoperative diagnosis of EOC than other single tumor markers like CA125 or HE4. A nomogram based on CPH-I and ROMA with clinical and ultrasonic indicators had a better diagnostic value, and the CPH-I nomogram had the highest diagnostic efficacy.
Comparison of arthroscopic debridement and microfracture in the treatment of osteochondral lesion of talus
Authors: Zhang Minghua , Chen Daohua , Wang Qiang , Li Ying , Huang Shiming , Zhan Peng , Lai Jiajing , Jiang Jianqing , Chen Dongfeng
Published: January 2023

Objective

This study was performed to compare the clinical effect of arthroscopic debridement vs. arthroscopic microfracture in the treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed patients with osteochondral lesion of talus who were admitted to our hospital from April 2020 to April 2021. The patients were divided into Group A (arthroscopic debridement group, n = 39) and Group B (arthroscopic microfracture group, n = 42), and the intraoperative details in the two groups were analyzed. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score and visual analogue scale (VAS) score were compared between the two groups before surgery and at the last follow-up.

Results

The postoperative AOFAS score (Group A, 40.9–82.26; Group B, 38.12–87.38), VAS score (Group A, 6.44–3.92; Group B, 6.38–2.05) significantly improved in both groups, but the improvement was significantly greater in Group B than in Group A (P < 0.05). Among all patients, the AOFAS and VAS scores of men aged ≤30 years and patients with a low body mass index (BMI) improved more significantly (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The arthroscopic microfracture for the treatment of osteochondral lesion of talus is superior to joint debridement in terms of improving ankle function, especially in relatively young men with a relatively low BMI.
Study of double button plate and cannulated screw fixation for posterior cruciate ligament avulsion fracture
Authors: Sun Kai , Fan Meng
Published: January 2023

Background

The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) plays an important role in maintaining the stability of the knee joint. To date, researchers have not reached agreement on which type of ﬁxation material should be used to treat PCL tibial avulsion fractures. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of double button plate and cannulated screw fixation in the treatment of PCL avulsion fractures.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed our database, which was collected prospectively. From January 2019 to January 2020, 46 patients with posterior cruciate ligament avulsion fractures who were treated with double button plate and cannulated screw fixation. The primary outcomes of this study were surgical complications (fixation failure/displacement, implant breakage, nonunion, infection), radiological parameters, and knee function and secondary outcomes included reoperation rates for the fixation methods and the prevalence of symptomatic hardware causing soft tissue irritation outcomes were included. Values were analysed using multiple comparisons, where P-values of 0.05 or less were considered significant.

Results

Double button plate fixation had significantly higher values than cannulated screw fixation. The results showed that double button plate fixation was related to greater decreases in the length of surgery, intraoperative blood loss, hospital days, full weight bearing time, and incidence of complications, as well as greater increases in postoperative range of motion and Knee Society Score function and Lysholm scores.

Conclusion

Compared with cannulated screw fixation, the use of double button plate fixation technology has the following advantages: less trauma, shorter operation time, convenient use of instruments and fixtures, and it does not need to be removed, thus avoiding secondary trauma. Moreover, double button plate fixation under direct vision is safe and reliable without the need for additional equipment.
Integrated Vehicle Controller for Path Tracking with Rollover Prevention of Autonomous Articulated Electric Vehicle Based on Model Predictive Control
Authors: Jeong Yonghwan
Published: January 2023

This paper presents an integrated controller for an autonomous articulated electric vehicle (AAEV) for path tracking and rollover prevention. The AAEV is vulnerable to rollover due to the characteristics of the articulated frame steering (AFS) mechanism, which shows improved maneuverability and agility but not front wheel steering. In addition, the ratio between height and track width is high, so the AAEV is prone to rolling over. Therefore, the proposed controller was designed to achieve the two goals, following the reference path and managing the velocity to improve the safety of the AAEV. Vehicle behavior was modeled by a kinematic model with actuation delay. A local linearization was used to improve the accuracy of the vehicle model and reduce the computational load. Reference states of the position and heading were determined to follow the reference path and prevent the rollover. A model predictive control (MPC)-based reference state tracker was designed to optimize the articulation angle rate and longitudinal acceleration commands. The simulation study was conducted to evaluate the proposed algorithm with a comparison of the base algorithms. The reference path for the simulation was an S-shaped path with discontinuous curvature. Simulation results showed that the proposed algorithm reduces the path tracking error and load-transfer ratio.
Application of Jeevamrit Improves Soil Properties in Zero Budget Natural Farming Fields
Authors: Saharan Baljeet Singh , Tyagi Swati , Kumar Robin , Vijay  , Om Hari , Mandal Balwan Singh , Duhan Joginder Singh
Published: January 2023

Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), utilizing natural resources, multiple cropping systems, and cow-dung- and urine-based products to improve soil biology, has been practiced by thousands of farmers in India. However, without any scientific proof, this traditional and ancient technique is mocked as a bugged theory in the scientific community. In the current study, we have investigated the effect of Jeevamrit—cow-dung- and urine-based formulation—on soil chemical and microbial properties of the ZBNF field coupled with metagenomic analysis and the economics of ZBNF. The percentage increase in soil properties, such as organic carbon, available phosphorus, and available potassium, was recorded up to 46%, 439%, and 142%, respectively, while micronutrients, such as Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn, also increased up to 98%, 23%, 62%, and 55%, respectively, from 2017 to 2019. Whole genome metagenomic analysis revealed that Proteobacteria were dominantly present, and bacterial phyla including Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, and Panibacillus. On the other hand, Ascomycota was the dominating fungal phyla present in the soil sample. Further, functional analysis showed a high representation of genes/enzymes involved in amino acids and carbohydrate metabolism contributing to soil fertility, plant growth, defense, and development. Additionally, the cost–benefit ratio of ZBNF was double the farmer’s practice when tested with the rice and wheat cropping system. The results from this study provide a new proof of concept and understanding of the potential of the ZBNF component, i.e., Jeevamrit, in improving soil properties.
Determining Optimal Levels of Pruning in Hylocereus undatus [(Haw.) Britton and Rose] in Trellis Systems
Authors: Chiamolera Fernando M. , Parra Laura , Sánchez Elisabet , Casas Marina , Hueso Juan J. , Cuevas Julián
Published: January 2023

The main objective of this work was to determine the optimum level of pruning in pitaya. In addition, we want to establish the relationship between pruning levels and the intensity of flowering, and between flowering levels and heavy flower bud drop that affects this species. With these aims, two experiments were performed on Hylocereus undatus [(Haw.) Britton and Rose] cultivated in greenhouses and trained in a trellis system. Our results conclude that cane pruning leaving 15 cladodes per meter in a trellis system is the most productive, as it yielded more fruit of similar weight. Positive relationships between flowering and setting, regardless of pruning levels, justify less severe pruning. Fruit set and size did not depend on pruning levels, although we found a fruit weight reduction when a single cladode developed more than one fruit. Flower buds drop was proportionally higher in cladodes forming more flowers, suggesting that bud competition plays a role in their drop. However, flower bud thinning seems unnecessary, although if a flower is to be chosen, it is better to select those formed at the apex of the cladode since they produce larger fruits.
GSEYOLOX-s: An Improved Lightweight Network for Identifying the Severity of Wheat Fusarium Head Blight
Authors: Mao Rui , Wang Zhengchao , Li Feilong , Zhou Jia , Chen Yinbing , Hu Xiaoping
Published: January 2023

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most detrimental wheat diseases. The accurate identification of FHB severity is significant to the sustainable management of FHB and the guarantee of food production and security. A total of 2752 images with five infection levels were collected to establish an FHB severity grading dataset (FHBSGD), and a novel lightweight GSEYOLOX-s was proposed to automatically recognize the severity of FHB. The simple, parameter-free attention module (SimAM) was fused into the CSPDarknet feature extraction network to obtain more representative disease features while avoiding additional parameters. Meanwhile, the ghost convolution of the model head (G-head) was designed to achieve lightweight and speed improvements. Furthermore, the efficient intersection over union (EIoU) loss was employed to accelerate the convergence speed and improve positioning precision. The results indicate that the GSEYOLOX-s model with only 8.06 MB parameters achieved a mean average precision (mAP) of 99.23% and a detection speed of 47 frames per second (FPS), which is the best performance compared with other lightweight models, such as EfficientDet, Mobilenet-YOLOV4, YOLOV7, YOLOX series. The proposed GSEYOLOX-s was deployed on mobile terminals to assist farmers in the real-time identification of the severity of FHB and facilitate the precise management of crop diseases.
Prevalence and Antibiogram Pattern of Klebsiella pneumoniae in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Makkah, Saudi Arabia: An 11-Year Experience
Authors: Jalal Naif A. , Al-Ghamdi Abdulrahman M. , Momenah Aiman M. , Ashgar Sami S. , Bantun Farkad , Bahwerth Fayez Saeed , Hariri Sumyya H. , Johargy Ayman K. , Barhameen Abeer A. , Al-Said Hamdi M. , Faidah Hani
Published: January 2023

Infectious disease is one of the greatest causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and with the emergence of antimicrobial resistance, the situation is worsening. In order to prevent this crisis, antimicrobial resistance needs to be monitored carefully to control the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of infection caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae and investigate the antimicrobial profile pattern of K. pneumoniae in the last eleven years. This retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from January 2011 to December 2021. From 2011 to 2021, a total of 61,027 bacterial isolates were collected from clinical samples, among which 14.7% (n = 9014) were K. pneumoniae. The antibiotic susceptibility pattern of K. pneumoniae revealed a significant increase in the resistance rate in most tested antibiotics during the study period. A marked jump in the resistance rate was seen in amoxicillin/clavulanate and piperacillin/tazobactam, from 33.6% and 13.6% in 2011 to 71.4% and 84.9% in 2021, respectively. Ceftazidime, cefotaxime, and cefepime resistance rates increased from 29.9%, 26.2%, and 53.9%, respectively, in 2011 to become 84.9%, 85.1%, and 85.8% in 2021. Moreover, a significant increase in the resistance rate was seen in both imipenem and amikacin, with an average resistance rate rise from 6.6% for imipenem and 11.9% for amikacin in 2011 to 59.9% and 62.2% in 2021, respectively. The present study showed that the prevalence and drug resistance of K. pneumoniae increased over the study period. Thus, preventing hospital-acquired infection and the reasonable use of antibiotics must be implemented to control and reduce antimicrobial resistance.
Hospital Antibiotic Use during COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy
Authors: Perrella Alessandro , Fortinguerra Filomena , Pierantozzi Andrea , Capoluongo Nicolina , Carannante Novella , Lo Vecchio Andrea , Bernardi Francesca Futura , Trotta Francesco , Cangini Agnese
Published: January 2023

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a major issue in healthcare being correlated to global inappropriate use of antibiotics. The aim of this study was to compare the data on hospital antibiotic consumption in 2020–2021 with those related to 2019 in order to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on antibiotic prescriptions and appropriate use at national level and in the different geographical areas. To estimate the consumption of antibiotics, two indicators were calculated: “number of DDD per 1000 inhabitants per day” and “number of DDD per 100 hospitalisation days”. Consumption data on antibiotics dispensed in public health facilities were based on the Italian “traceability of medicines” information flow. Data on hospitalisation days were extracted from the Italian “hospital discharge form” flow. Pearson correlation analysis was performed between the number of patients hospitalised for COVID-19 and the consumption of antibiotics in public healthcare facilities. During 2020, about 1.7 DDD/1000 inhabitants per day (12.3% of the overall consumption of reimbursed antibiotics) were dispensed exclusively in Italian hospitals (+0.8% compared to 2019). Considering the number of DDD per 100 hospitalisation days, consumption increased by 19.3% in 2020 compared to 2019. Comparing the first semester of 2020 and 2019, a decrease of DDD/1000 inhabitants per day was observed (−1.6%) at national level, with opposite trends in the different geographical areas; an increase in the use of azithromycin and carbapenems was also observed, with a stable consumption of third-generation cephalosporins. The use of antibiotics in the second semester of 2020 compared to the same period of 2019 showed a clear reduction at national level (−8.5%), appreciable to a similar extent in all geographic areas. In the first semester of 2021 compared to the same period of 2020, there was a huge reduction (−31.4%) in consumption at national level. However, the variations were heterogeneous between different geographical areas. To our knowledge, this study represents the most comprehensive analysis performed on antibiotic consumption data in hospital settings in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic to date. Despite international and national guideline recommendations, a substantial overall increase in antibiotic prescriptions was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with variability in terms of geographical distribution and prescription strategies. These findings may be related to the dichotomy between perceived and real significance of guidelines, expert panels, or consensus. Therefore, new approaches or strategies to antimicrobial stewardship should be proposed.
Identification of Lipocalin 2 as a Ferroptosis-Related Key Gene Associated with Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Damage via STAT3/NF-κB Signaling Pathway
Authors: Luo Lianxiang , Deng Liyan , Chen Yongtong , Ding Rui , Li Xiaoling
Published: January 2023

Hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) is a common cause of death or mental retardation in newborns. Ferroptosis is a novel form of iron-dependent cell death driven by lipid peroxidation, and recent studies have confirmed that ferroptosis plays an important role in the development of HIBD. However, HIBD ferroptosis-related biomarkers remain to be discovered. An artificial neural network (ANN) was established base on differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to HIBD and ferroptosis and validated by external dataset. The protein–protein interaction (PPI) network, support vector machine-recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) algorithms, and random forest (RF) algorithm were utilized to identify core genes of HIBD. An in vitro model of glutamate-stimulated HT22 cell HIBD was constructed, and glutamate-induced ferroptosis and mitochondrial structure and function in HT22 cells were examined by propidium iodide (PI) staining, flow cytometry, Fe2+ assay, Western blot, JC-1 kit, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In addition, Western blot and immunofluorescence assays were used to detect the NF-κB/STAT3 pathway. An HIBD classification model was constructed and presented excellent performance. The PPI network and two machine learning algorithms indicated two hub genes in HIBD. Lipocalin 2 (LCN2) was the core gene correlated with the risk of HIBD according to the results of differential expression analysis and logistic regression diagnostics. Subsequently, we verified in an in vitro model that LCN2 is highly expressed in glutamate-induced ferroptosis in HT22 cells. More importantly, LCN2 silencing significantly inhibited glutamate-stimulated ferroptosis in HT22 cells. We also found that glutamate-stimulated HT22 cells produced mitochondrial dysfunction. Furthermore, in vitro experiments confirmed that NF-κB and STAT3 were activated and that silencing LCN2 could have the effect of inhibiting their activation. In short, our findings reveal a molecular mechanism by which LCN2 may promote ferroptosis in HIBD through activation of the NF-κB/STAT3 pathway, providing new and unique insights into LCN2 as a biomarker for HIBD and suggesting new preventive and therapeutic strategies for HIBD.
The Therapeutic Alliance between Pomegranate and Health Emphasizing on Anticancer Properties
Authors: Pantiora Panagiota D. , Balaouras Alexandros I. , Mina Ioanna K. , Freris Christoforos I. , Pappas Athanasios C. , Danezis Georgios P. , Zoidis Evangelos , Georgiou Constantinos A.
Published: January 2023

Pomegranate is a fruit bearing-plant that is well known for its medicinal properties. Pomegranate is a good source of phenolic acids, tannins, and flavonoids. Pomegranate juice and by-products have attracted the scientific interest due to their potential health benefits. Currently, the medical community has showed great interest in exploiting pomegranate potential as a protective agent against several human diseases including cancer. This is demonstrated by the fact that there are more than 800 reports in the literature reporting pomegranate’s anticancer properties. This review is an update on the research outcomes of pomegranate’s potential against different types of human diseases, emphasizing on cancer. In addition, perspectives of potential applications of pomegranate, as a natural additive aiming to improve the quality of animal products, are discussed.
Effect of Encapsulation Material on Lipid Bioaccessibility and Oxidation during In Vitro Digestion of Black Seed Oil
Authors: Alberdi-Cedeño Jon , Aichner Martha , Mistlberger-Reiner Agnes , Shi Aimin , Pignitter Marc
Published: January 2023

Different encapsulation materials might not only affect lipid hydrolysis but also lipid oxidation during in vitro digestion. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of two commonly used shell materials, starch and gelatin, on the extent of lipolysis and bioaccessibility of the main and some minor lipid compounds, as well as on the oxidative status in encapsulated black seed oil (Nigella sativa) during in vitro digestion. The study was carried out using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography-UV. It was shown that starch increased the level of lipid hydrolysis in black seed oil during gastric in vitro digestion, while no differences were observed in the intestinal digestates between starch-encapsulated oil and gelatin-encapsulated oil. Similarly, the bioaccessibility of minor compounds (tocopherols, sterols and thymoquinone) was not influenced by the shell materials. However, regarding lipid oxidation, a 20- and 10-fold rise of free oxylipins was obtained in oils encapsulated by starch and gelatin, respectively, after intestinal in vitro digestion. This study evidenced that gelatin rather than starch should be used for the encapsulation of oils to minimize the digestion-induced formation of bioactive oxylipins.
Trajectory Tracking Control of a Manipulator Based on an Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System
Authors: Han Jiangyi , Wang Fan , Sun Chenxi
Published: January 2023

Taking an intelligent trimming device hydraulic manipulator as the research object, aiming at the uncertainty, nonlinearity and complexity of its system, a trajectory tracking control scheme is studied in this paper. In light of the virtual work principle, a coupling dynamic model of the hydraulic system and manipulator system is established. In order to improve the anti-interference and adaptive abilities of the manipulator system, a compound control strategy combining the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and proportional integral derivative (PID) controller is proposed. The neural adaptive learning algorithm is utilized to train the given input and output data to adjust the membership functions of the fuzzy inference system, then the PID parameters can be adjusted adaptively to accomplish trajectory tracking. Based on MATLAB/Simulink, the simulation model is established. In addition, to prove the effectiveness of the ANFIS-based PID controller (ANFIS-PID), its performance is compared with PID and fuzzy PID (FPID) controllers. The simulation results indicate that the ANFIS-PID controller is superior to the other controllers in control effect and control precision, and provides a more accurate and effective method for the control of agriculture.
Green Synthetized Selenium Nanoparticles Using Syzygium aromaticum (Clove) Extract Reduce Pentylenetetrazol-Induced Epilepsy and Associated Cortical Damage in Rats
Authors: Othman Mohamed S. , Obeidat Sofian T. , Aleid Ghada M. , Al-Bagawi Amal H. , Fareid Mohamed A. , Hameed Reda Abdel , Mohamed Kareem M. , Abdelfattah Mohamed S. , Fehaid Alaa , Hussein Manal M. , Aboelnaga Shimaa M. H. , Abdel Moneim Ahmed E.
Published: January 2023

We aimed to investigate the potential anticonvulsant effect of green synthetized selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) using Syzygium aromaticum extract (SAE) (SAE-SeNPs) against epileptic seizures and cortical damage induced by pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) injection in rats and its mechanism. A total of 84 rats were divided into six groups; control, PTZ-exposed group, SAE + PTZ-treated group, sodium selenite (Na2SeO3) + PTZ-treated group, SAE-SeNPs + PTZ-treated group, and diazepam + PTZ-treated group. SAE-SeNPs significantly increase (p < 0.05) the latency time to seizures and reduce both the seizure duration and death rate, which were enhanced by the PTZ injection. SAE-SeNPs counteracted the PTZ-induced changes in the oxidants and antioxidants. Furthermore, SAE-SeNPs significantly restored (p < 0.05) the pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α) to their normal levels and suppressed the activity of the glial fibrillary acidic protein showing their inhibitory effect on the epilepsy-associated inflammation. In addition, SAE-SeNPs significantly reduced (p < 0.05) PTZ-induced cortical cell apoptosis, as revealed by a reduction in the pro-apoptotic Bax and caspase-3 levels, and an elevation of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 level. Moreover, SAE-SeNPs significantly modulate (p < 0.05) the PTZ-induced changes in the neurotransmitter norepinephrine level and acetylcholinesterase enzymatic activity. These data concluded the anticonvulsant activity of SAE-SeNPs via their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects, along with their ability to modulate neurotransmitters.
Investigating a Workflow for Obtaining Physical Models from Digital Twins Obtained through Photogrammetry and TLS: New Ways for a Sustainable Dissemination of Heritage
Authors: Cruz Franco Pablo Alejandro , Rueda Márquez de la Plata Adela , Pérez Sendín María
Published: January 2023

The objective of this article is to generate and validate a workflow that allows us to print physical twins (models) from digital twins obtained from unique buildings of our architectural heritage. These physical twins will guarantee the preservation and diffusion of the cultural asset, and will promote new pedagogical ways to spread the heritage. In addition, these physical cufflinks are an interesting tool to guarantee universal accessibility through low-cost and rapid distribution typological models. We can overcome physical barriers and reach many more users, regardless of their economic, physical, or location conditions. To obtain this workflow, digital twins of architectural elements of high cultural value obtained by photogrammetry or terrestrial laser scanner will be used. The digital twin will be optimized through different platforms, and an optimized exchange file will be generated for its dissemination and printing. A digital platform will be proposed that guarantees the free distribution of these digital twins to any user. Finally, the physical twins will be obtained. For the development of this work, we have chosen to use 3D resin printers with SLA technology (selective laser exposure to light by laser) due to their performance and high quality in the models obtained.
Specificity of 3D Printing and AI-Based Optimization of Medical Devices Using the Example of a Group of Exoskeletons
Authors: Rojek Izabela , Mikołajewski Dariusz , Dostatni Ewa , Kopowski Jakub
Published: January 2023

Three-dimensional-printed medical devices are a separate group of medical devices necessary for the development of personalized medicine. The present article discusses a modern and specific group of medical devices and exoskeletons, which aims to present our own experiences in the selection of materials, design, artificial-intelligence optimization, production, and testing of several generations of various upper limb exoskeletons when considering the Medical Devices Regulation (MDR) and the ISO 13485 and ISO 10993 standards. Work is underway to maintain the methodological rigor inherent in medical devices and to develop new business models to achieve cost-effectiveness so that inadequate legislation does not stop the development of this group of technologies (3D scanning, 3D printing, and reverse engineering) in the healthcare system. The gap between research and engineering practice and clinical 3D printing should be bridged as quickly and as carefully as possible. This measure will ensure the transfer of proven solutions into clinical practice. The growing maturity of 3D printing technology will increasingly impact everyday clinical practice, so it is necessary to prepare medical specialists and strategic and organizational changes to realize the correct implementation based on the needs of patients and clinicians.
Evaluation of the Effect of Stearyl Alcohol and Span-60 Tuned Sunflower Wax/Sunflower Oil Oleogel on Butter Replacement in Whole Wheat Cake
Authors: Bharti Deepti , Banerjee Indranil , Makowska Agnieszka , Jarzębski Maciej , Kowalczewski Przemysław Łukasz , Pal Kunal
Published: January 2023

Scientists are concerned about the health risks associated with consuming a diet high in saturated fats. In this regard, oleogels have been used as a shortening substitute by researchers. This present study evaluated the role of stearyl alcohol (SA)-, and Span-60 (SP)-tailored sunflower wax/sunflower oil oleogels upon butter replacement in whole wheat batter and cake. The evaluation of the cake batter under PLM microscopy revealed that a complete replacement of butter with SA-containing oleogels, i.e., Sa-C, showed homogenously distributed smaller gas cells. A uniform distribution of gas cells assists in stabilization and contributes to the porosity of the cake. The DSC and FTIR studies confirmed the prominent melting of amylose-lipid complexes in batter Sa-C. The baked cake Sa-C showed the existence of large pores in the cake matrix, which may have assisted in softening the cake. Further, low starch–lipid interactions were also observed in the FTIR spectra of Sa-C cake crumbs. The SR studies of cake crumbs revealed a higher stress-relaxing ability in Sa-C from the control. Although there were no observed variations in the cake hardness values, Sa-C showed a reduction in the chewiness from the control. This current study suggests the possibility of using emulsifier-tailored oleogels as a potential substitute for butter in the baking formulation.
Determination of Arsenic Species Distribution in Arsenide Tailings and Leakage Using Geochemical and Geophysical Methods
Authors: Volynkin Sergey , Bortnikova Svetlana , Yurkevich Nataliya , Shuvaeva Olga , Kohanova Sofia
Published: January 2023

This study describes the distribution of arsenic mobile species in the tailings of Cu–Co–Ni–arsenide using the sequential extraction and determining the contents of arsenate (AsV) and arsenite (AsIII). The object of this study is the tailings ponds of the Tuvakobalt plant, which contains waste from the hydrometallurgical arsenide ore processing of the Khovu-Aksy deposit (Republic of Tuva, Russia). A procedure of sequential extraction for arsenic was applied, and it includes the extraction of the following forms: water-soluble, potentially water-soluble and exchangeable, easily sorbed on the surface of carbonates, associated with Fe/Mn oxides/hydroxides, associated with easily oxidized minerals, and accounted for by non-oxidized arsenic minerals. This procedure, which takes into account the peculiarities of the physical and chemical composition of the waste, was supplemented by the analytical determination of the arsenite and arsenate content by using the methods of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) combined with the hydride generation technique (HG-ICP-AES). The content of the most mobile forms of arsenic, which are water-soluble, potentially water-soluble, and exchangeable species, is equal to 56% of the total arsenic content, 23% and 33% of which are arsenite and arsenate, respectively. Unlike arsenic, the mobile forms of metals have been determined in small quantities. The largest proportion of water-soluble and exchangeable forms is formed by Mg, Ca, and Sr at 11, 9.4, and 20%, respectively (residual and redeposited carbonates). The proportion of water-soluble forms of other metals (Cu, Zn, Co, and Ni) is < 1% or 0. The main part of the metals is adsorbed on the surface of Fe and Mn hydroxides, enclosed in easily and hardly oxidized minerals. In addition to geochemical studies, the presence of leaks from the tailing ponds into ground waters was determined by using electrical resistivity tomography. The data obtained indicate a high environmental hazard of tailings and the possibility of water-soluble and highly toxic arsenic compounds entering ground waters and aquifers.
Negative Differential Resistance and Long-Lived Changes in the Electrical Conductivity of Carbon Composites Induced by Electrothermal Effects
Authors: Ahmed Wrida , Chouiref Lotfi , Dahman Hassen , El Mir Lassaad , Gomes Henrique L.
Published: January 2023

In this study, the negative differential resistance (NDR) phenomenon in two-terminal devices composed of pyrogallol-formaldehyde/ZrO2 composite materials is investigated. It is demonstrated that the NDR is caused by electrothermal effects, which can be observed through the dependence of the NDR on both voltage and temperature. Additionally, it is showed that the NDR peak current and peak/valley voltages can be effectively modulated using electrical pulses that produce mild Joule heating. This modulation arises from the formation of a conductive metastable state, which decays to equilibrium according to power law kinetics. It is suggested that this metastable state is generated through a reversible structural rearrangement induced by heat. The ability to electronically tune the NDR characteristics of carbon composites may have potential applications in electronically controlled oscillators and neuromorphic circuits.
Characterization and Joint Control Study of Pneumatic Artificial Muscles
Authors: Mi Juncheng , Huang Guoqin , Yu Jin
Published: January 2023

Physical dynamic characteristics and control studies were conducted for pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM), the core component of the drive of lower limb rehabilitation robots. Firstly, a static model and a dynamic model of the pneumatic artificial muscle were established. Then a test bench was designed to perform dynamic characteristic test simulations and experiments. After that, the pneumatic artificial muscle test bench was designed to simulate and test its dynamic characteristics. Finally, a typical PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) controller was built to perform control simulations and step control experiments for the pneumatic artificial muscle. Experiments show that the PID can achieve stable and accurate tracking of the signal and meet the application requirements of PAM.
DLALoc: Deep-Learning Accelerated Visual Localization Based on Mesh Representation
Authors: Zhang Peng , Liu Wenfen
Published: January 2023

Visual localization, i.e., the camera pose localization within a known three-dimensional (3D) model, is a basic component for numerous applications such as autonomous driving cars and augmented reality systems. The most widely used methods from the literature are based on local feature matching between a query image that needs to be localized and database images with known camera poses and local features. However, this method still struggles with different illumination conditions and seasonal changes. Additionally, the scene is normally presented by a sparse structure-from-motion point cloud that has corresponding local features to match. This scene representation depends heavily on different local feature types, and changing the different local feature types requires an expensive feature-matching step to generate the 3D model. Moreover, the state-of-the-art matching strategies are too resource intensive for some real-time applications. Therefore, in this paper, we introduce a novel framework called deep-learning accelerated visual localization (DLALoc) based on mesh representation. In detail, we employ a dense 3D model, i.e., mesh, to represent a scene that can provide more robust 2D-3D matches than 3D point clouds and database images. We can obtain their corresponding 3D points from the depth map rendered from the mesh. Under this scene representation, we use a pretrained multilayer perceptron combined with homotopy continuation to calculate the relative pose of the query and database images. We also use the scale consistency of 2D-3D matches to perform the efficient random sample consensus to find the best 2D inlier set for the subsequential perspective-n-point localization step. Furthermore, we evaluate the proposed visual localization pipeline experimentally on Aachen DayNight v1.1 and RobotCar Seasons datasets. The results show that the proposed approach can achieve state-of-the-art accuracy and shorten the localization time about five times.
Performance Tests and Improvements on the rmcdhf and rci Programs of GRASP
Authors: Li Yanting , Li Jinqing , Song Changxian , Zhang Chunyu , Si Ran , Wang Kai , Godefroid Michel , Gaigalas Gediminas , Jönsson Per , Chen Chongyang
Published: January 2023

The latest published version of GRASP (General-purpose Relativistic Atomic Structure Package), i.e., GRASP2018, retains a few suboptimal subroutines/algorithms, which reflect the limited memory and file storage of computers available in the 1980s. Here we show how the efficiency of the relativistic self-consistent-field (SCF) procedure of the multiconfiguration-Dirac–Hartree–Fock (MCDHF) method and the relativistic configuration-interaction (RCI) calculations can be improved significantly. Compared with the original GRASP codes, the present modified version reduces the CPU times by factors of a few tens or more. The MPI performances for all the original and modified codes are carefully analyzed. Except for diagonalization, all computational processes show good MPI scaling.
Histological Characterization of Class I HLA Molecules in Whole Umbilical Cord Tissue Towards an Inexhaustible Graft Alternative for Reconstructive Surgery
Authors: Yao Yue Ying , Lee Dennis K. , Jarvi Stephanie , Farshadi Marjan , Sheng Minzhi , Mar Sara , Nevo Ori , Leong Hon S.
Published: January 2023

Background: Limited graft availability is a constant clinical concern. Hence, the umbilical cord (UC) is an attractive alternative to autologous grafts. The UC is an inexhaustible tissue source, and its removal is harmless and part of standard of care after the birth of the baby. Minimal information exists regarding the immunological profile of a whole UC when it is considered to be used as a tissue graft. We aimed to characterize the localization and levels of class I human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) to understand the allogenicity of the UC. Additionally, HLA-E and HLA-G are putative immunosuppressive antigens that are abundant in placenta, but their profiles in UC whole tissue are unclear. Hypothesis: The UC as a whole expresses a relatively low but ubiquitous level of HLA-ABC and significant levels of HLA-G and HLA-E. Methods: Healthy patients with no known pregnancy-related complications were approached for informed consent. UCs at term and between 12 and 19 weeks were collected to compare HLA profiles by gestational age. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues were sectioned to 5 µm and immunohistochemically stained with a pan-HLA-ABC, two HLA-G-specific, or an HLA-E-specific antibody. Results: HLA-ABC was consistently found present in UCs. HLA-ABC was most concentrated in the UC vessel walls and amniotic epithelium but more dispersed in the Wharton’s Jelly. HLA-E had a similar localization pattern to HLA-ABC in whole UC tissues at both gestational ages, but its protein level was lower. HLA-G localization and intensity were poor in all UC tissues analyzed, but additional analyses by Western immunoblot and mass spectrometry revealed a low level of HLA-G in the UC. Conclusion: The UC may address limitations of graft availability. Rather than the presence of HLA-G, the immunosuppressive properties of the UC are more likely due to the abundance of HLA-E and the interaction known to occur between HLA-E and HLA–ABC. The co-localization of HLA-E and HLA-ABC suggests that HLA-E is likely presenting HLA-ABC leader peptides to immune cells, which is known to have a primarily inhibitory effect.
Heart Rate Variability at Rest Predicts Heart Response to Simulated Diving
Authors: Malinowski Krzysztof , Wierzba Tomasz , Neary J. , Winklewski Paweł , Wszędybył-Winklewska Magdalena
Published: January 2023

A characteristic feature of the cardiac response to diving is the uncertainty in predicting individual course. The aim of the study was to determine whether resting regulatory heart rate determinants assessed before diving may be predictors of cardiac response in a simulated diving test. The research was conducted with 65 healthy volunteers (37 women and 28 men) with an average age of 21.13 years (20–27 years) and a BMI of 21.49 kg/m2 (16.60–28.98). The simulated diving test consisted of stopping breathing after maximum inhaling and voluntarily immersing the face in water (8–10 °C) for as long as possible. The measurements included heart rate variability (HRV) analysis before diving and determination of the course of the cardiac response to diving—minimum and maximum heart rate (HR). The results indicate that minimum HR during diving (MIN_div) is dependent on the short-term HRV measures, which proves the strong influence of the parasympathetic system on the MIN_div. The lack of dependence of MIN_div on short-term HRV in women may be associated with differences in neurogenic HR regulation in women and men. In conclusion, cardiac response to simulated diving is strictly dependent on the autonomic regulation of the heart rhythm under resting conditions. The course of the cardiac response to diving and its relationship with resting HRV appears to be gender dependent.
Protein Conformational Dynamics Underlie Selective Recognition of Thermophilic over Mesophilic Enzyme I by a Substrate Analogue
Authors: Singh Aayushi , Burns Daniel , Sedinkin Sergey L. , Van Veller Brett , Potoyan Davit A. , Venditti Vincenzo
Published: January 2023

Substrate selectivity is an important preventive measure to decrease the possibility of cross interactions between enzymes and metabolites that share structural similarities. In addition, understanding the mechanisms that determine selectivity towards a particular substrate increases the knowledge base for designing specific inhibitors for target enzymes. Here, we combine NMR, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and protein engineering to investigate how two substrate analogues, allylicphosphonate (cPEP) and sulfoenolpyruvate (SEP), recognize the mesophilic (eEIC) and thermophilic (tEIC) homologues of the receptor domain of bacterial Enzyme I, which has been proposed as a target for antimicrobial research. Chemical Shift Perturbation (CSP) experiments show that cPEP and SEP recognize tEIC over the mesophilic homologue. Combined Principal Component Analysis of half-microsecond-long MD simulations reveals that incomplete quenching of a breathing motion in the eEIC–ligand complex destabilizes the interaction and makes the investigated substrate analogues selective toward the thermophilic enzyme. Our results indicate that residual protein motions need to be considered carefully when optimizing small molecule inhibitors of EI. In general, our work demonstrates that protein conformational dynamics can be exploited in the rational design and optimization of inhibitors with subfamily selectivity.