Longitudinal Gait Analysis of a Transfemoral Amputee Patient: Single-Case Report from Socket-Type to Osseointegrated Prosthesis

2023

The aim of the present case report was to provide a longitudinal functional assessment of a patient with transfemoral amputation from the preoperative status with socket-type prosthesis to one year after the osseointegration surgery. A 44 years-old male patient was scheduled for osseointegration surgery 17 years after transfemoral amputation. Gait analysis was performed through 15 wearable inertial sensors (MTw Awinda, Xsens) before surgery (patient wearing his standard socket-type prosthesis) and at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups after osseointegration. ANOVA in Statistical Parametric Mapping was used to assess the changes in amputee and sound limb hip and pelvis kinematics. The gait symm…

Myomectomy in infertile women: More harm than good?

2023

Adhesion formation following gynecological surgery remains a challenge. The adoption of minimally invasive surgical approaches, such as conventional or robotic-assisted laparoscopy combined with meticulous microsurgical principles and the application of adhesion–reducing substances, is able to reduce the risk of de novo adhesion formation but do not eliminate it entirely. Myomectomy is the most adhesiogenic surgical procedure and postoperative adhesions can have a significant impact on the ability to conceive. Therefore, when surgery is performed as infertility treatment, attention should be paid to whether the benefits outweigh the risks. Among several factors, the size and the location of…

Acne vulgaris and the most popular and new cosmetological treatments

2023

Introduction: Acne vulgaris is a disease that has an enormous impact on appearance of the skin of the patients and also on their quality of life. Long-term dermatological treatment, which often lasts years, and disease relapses contribute to the occurrence of low self-esteem and depression. Acne is one of the 10 most common diseases in the world and the most common inflammatory skin disease. Many methods of dermatological treatment that bring very good results are available. However, educating people with acne on how to take care of their skin on a daily basis to minimize the bleak effects of the disease is an extremely important element. Contemporary cosmetology creates an environment for …

Optimized morphology and tuning the Mn3+ content of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode material for li-ion batteries

2023

The advantages of cobalt-free, high specific capacity, high operating voltage, low cost, and environmental friendliness of spinel LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO) material make it one of the most promising cathode materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries. The disproportionation reaction of Mn3+ leads to Jahn–Teller distortion, which is the key issue in reducing the crystal structure stability and limiting the electrochemical stability of the material. In this work, single-crystal LNMO was synthesized successfully by the sol-gel method. The morphology and the Mn3+ content of the as-prepared LNMO were tuned by altering the synthesis temperature. The results demonstrated that the LNMO_11…

THE CHAPERONE SYSTEM IN SALIVARY GLAND DEVELOPMENT

2023

The chaperone system (CS) canonical function is to maintain protein homeostasis. Proper folding of nascent peptides is crucial in developing tissue. The chief components of the CS are 95th National Congress of the Italian Society for Experimental Biology | Trieste, Italy, 12-15 April 2023Non-commercial use only the molecular chaperones, which play key roles in development as indicated by their presence in embryonic tissue as early as at two-cell stage. However, scarce information on the CS in developing tissues is available, especially at advanced stages of embryogenesis and its role is not fully understood. In our previous study, we reported the presence of molecular chaperones in the duct…

A Noxious Weed Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. (Ragweed) as Sustainable Feedstock for Methane Production and Metals Immobilization

2023

Plants of the Ambrosia genus are invasive and cause many ecological problems, including the oppression of the growth of agricultural crops and native plants, land depletion, and the production of strong allergens. The use of weeds as a sustainable feedstock for biogas production, either methane or hydrogen, is a promising way to fulfill the energy needs of the current generation, eliminate the depletion of non-renewable carbon resources, and preserve the ecosystem degradation caused by invasive species impacts. A diversified microbial community was used as inoculum and Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. biomass as a substrate for anaerobic degradation and methane production. In this regard, the dev…

Tilfeldigheter styrer undervisningspraksis i mat og helse på 1.-4. trinn

2023

Artikkelen kartlegger hvordan undervisning i skolefaget mat og helse blir gjennomført på 1.–4. trinn og belyser variasjoner og utfordringer i dagens undervisningspraksis. Datagrunnlaget består av 24 kvalitative intervjuer, 15 med mat- og helselærere og ni med skoleledere. Intervjuene ble gjennomført på 12 utvalgte praksisskoler fra alle landsdeler i Norge. Datagrunnlaget viser lærerne som underviser på 1. – 4. trinn sin kjennskap til kompetansemålene, grunnleggende ferdigheter og bruk av vurdering, samt tilgjengelighet og bruk av læremidler i faget mat og helse. Lærernes kjennskap til kompetansemålene i mat og helse etter 4. trinn varierte. Timetallet for undervisningen, elevenes kompetanse…

Climate targets in European timber-producing countries conflict with goals on forest ecosystem services and biodiversity

2023

The role of increased timber harvests in reaching climate mitigation targets for European countries will be limited if the protection of forest ecosystem services and biodiversity is to be achieved, suggests an empirical forest model driven by future scenarios to limit warming to 1.5 degrees C in 2100.The European Union (EU) set clear climate change mitigation targets to reach climate neutrality, accounting for forests and their woody biomass resources. We investigated the consequences of increased harvest demands resulting from EU climate targets. We analysed the impacts on national policy objectives for forest ecosystem services and biodiversity through empirical forest simulation and mul…

Trophic niche influences ingestion of micro- and mesoplastics in pelagic and demersal fish from the Western Mediterranean Sea.

2023

Plastic pollution has been extensively documented in the marine food web, but targeted studies focusing on the relationship between microplastic ingestion and fish trophic niches are still limited. In this study we investigated the frequency of occurrence and the abundance of micro- and mesoplastics (MMPs) in eight fish species with different feeding habits from the western Mediterranean Sea. Stable isotope analysis (δ13C and δ15N) was used to describe the trophic niche and its metrics for each species. A total of 139 plastic items were found in 98 out of the 396 fish analysed (25%). The bogue revealed the highest occurrence with 37% of individuals with MMPs in their gastrointestinal tract,…

Relationship between deep and superficial sensitivity assessments and gait analysis in diabetic foot patients

2023

: Peripheral neuropathy is a prevalent complication of diabetes that can lead to gait impairment and its adverse consequences. This study explored the potential utility of different parameters of gait analysis using a single sensor unit as a simple tool to detect peripheral neuropathy in 85 diabetic patients (DP) with diabetic foot in whom different somato-sensitivity tests in the feet were performed. Gait spatiotemporal parameters were examined by sensor inertial measurement placed in the lumbar area, while the superficial sensitivity pathway was assessed by nociception tests and deep sensitivity was examined by light touch-pressure and vibration sensitivity tests. Correlations between eac…

Kuinka mitata yliopiston vuorovaikutusta, vaikuttavuutta ja kolmatta tehtävää?

2023

Käsittelemme tässä artikkelissa yhteiskunnallista vuorovaikutusta ja sen mittaamiseen liittyviä haasteita erityisesti humanistis-yhteiskuntatieteellisellä kentällä. nonPeerReviewed

Arginine-Rich Peptidomimetic Ampicillin/Gentamicin Conjugate To Tackle Nosocomial Biofilms: A Promising Strategy To Repurpose First-Line Antibiotics

2023

: Combined therapy with penicillins and aminoglycosides has been proved beneficial to address many persistent bacterial infections with possible synergistic effects. However, the different pharmacokinetic profiles of these two antibiotic classes may not guarantee a concerted spatio-temporal delivery at the site of action, decreasing the efficacy of this combination and promoting resistance. Herein, we propose a multifunctional antibiotic-polymer conjugate, designed to colocalize ampicillin and gentamicin to tackle persistent biofilm infections. The two antibacterial molecules were grafted along with the amino acid l-arginine to a biocompatible polymer backbone with peptidomimetic hydrophili…

Floquet engineering of magnetism in topological insulator thin films

2023

Dynamic manipulation of magnetism in topological materials is demonstrated here via a Floquet engineering approach using circularly polarized light. Increasing the strength of the laser field, besides the expected topological phase transition, the magnetically doped topological insulator thin film also undergoes a magnetic phase transition from ferromagnetism to paramagnetism, whose critical behavior strongly depends on the quantum quenching. In sharp contrast to the equilibrium case, the non-equilibrium Curie temperatures vary for different time scale and experimental setup, not all relying on change of topology. Our discoveries deepen the understanding of the relationship between topology…

Modeling and designing a robotic swarm: A quantum computing approach

2023

Nature is a neverending source of inspiration for technology. Quantum physics suggests applications to- ward quantum computing. Swarms’ self-organization leads to robotic swarm developments. Here, quantum computing is applied to swarm robotics. We model local interactions with a quantum circuit, testing it on simulators and quantum computers. To relate local with global behavior, we develop a block matrix-based model. Diagonal sub-matrices contain information on single robots; off-diagonal sub-matrices are the pairwise interaction terms. Comparing different swarms means comparing different block matrices. Choosing initial values and computation rules for off-diagonal blocks (with a particul…

Gjøre det beste ut av det: Norsklæreres fagkonstruksjoner i grunnskole for voksne

2023

Artikkelen undersøker hvordan tre norsklærere fortolker eller konstruerer ulike versjoner av norskfaget innenfor en spesifikk undervisningskontekst, nærmere bestemt grunnskoletilbud for voksne innvandrere. De voksne elevene har forholdsvis nylig innvandret til Norge, noe som blant annet innebærer at de fortsatt er underveis i sin språkinnlæring. Læreplan og eksamensordninger er imidlertid de samme som for ordinær grunnskole, selv om nye læreplaner, mer tilpasset voksne andrespråkbrukere, planlegges implementert i løpet av 2024. Det empiriske datamaterialet artikkelen bygger på er først og fremst verbaldata fra forskningsintervjuer med de tre norsklærerne. Analysedelen innleder med en kontek…

Endometrial biopsy: Indications, techniques and recommendations. An evidence-based guideline for clinical practice

2023

This practice guideline provides updated evidence for the gynecologist who performs endometrial biopsy (EB) in gynecologic clinical practice. An international committee of gynecology experts developed the recommendations according to AGREE Reporting Guideline. An adequate tissue sampling is mandatory when performing an EB. Blind methods should not be first choice in patients with suspected endometrial malignancy. Hysteroscopy is the targeted-biopsy method with highest diagnostic accuracy and cost-effectiveness. Blind suction techniques are not reliable for the diagnosis of endometrial polyps. In low resources settings, and in absence of the capacity to perform office hysteroscopy, blind tec…

Contrasting associations between maternal feeding styles and different dimensions of pre-schoolers' eating behaviours

2023

International audience

Landis-type conjecture for the half-Laplacian

2023

In this paper, we study the Landis-type conjecture, i.e., unique continuation property from infinity, of the fractional Schrödinger equation with drift and potential terms. We show that if any solution of the equation decays at a certain exponential rate, then it must be trivial. The main ingredients of our proof are the Caffarelli-Silvestre extension and Armitage’s Liouville-type theorem. peerReviewed

Study of a constrained finite element elbow prosthesis: the influence of the implant placement

2023

Abstract Background The functional results of total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) are controversial and the medium- to long-term revision rates are relatively high. The aim of the present study was to analyze the stresses of TEA in its classic configuration, identify the areas of greatest stress in the prosthesis–bone–cement interface, and evaluate the most wearing working conditions. Materials and methods By means of a reverse engineering process and using a 3D laser scanner, CAD (computer-aided drafting) models of a constrained elbow prosthesis were acquired. These CAD models were developed and their elastic properties, resistance, and stresses were studied through finite element analysis (fin…

Rethinking children’s physical activity interventions at school: A new context-specific approach

2023

Physical activity is important for children’s health. However, evidence suggests that many children and adults do not meet international physical activity recommendations. Current school-based interventions have had limited effect on physical activity and alternative approaches are needed. Context, which includes school setting, ethos, staff, and sociodemographic factors, is a key and largely ignored contributing factor to school-based physical activity intervention effectiveness, impacting in several interacting ways.ConceptualizationCurrent programs focus on tightly-constructed content that ignores the context in which the program will be delivered, thereby limiting effectiveness. We prop…

Multi-fidelity Gaussian Process Emulation for Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Models

2023

This repository contains several datasets of spectral atmospheric transfer functions (i.e. path radiance, transmittances, spherical albedo) simulated with MODTRAN6 atmospheric radiative transfer model. The simulations are stored in hdf5 files using the Atmospheric Look-up table Generator (ALG) toolbox (https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-1945-2020). Each dataset has an associated .xml file that includes the configuration of ALG/MODTRAN6 executions. All datasets include the input atmospheric/geometric variables that are summarized in the following table. Each dataset file has a random distribution (based on latin hypercube sampling) these input variables with varying number of points (e.g. train5…

Bean goose migration shows a long-term temporal shift to earlier spring, but not to later autumn migration in Finland

2023

Ilmastonmuutos vaatii eliöitä mukauttamaan perinnöllisiä tai opittuja käyttäytymismallejaan muuttuviin ympäristöolosuhteisiin. Erityisen alttiita muutoksille voi olla erilaisten habitaattien välillä muuttavat linnut, joiden selviytyminen on yhteydessä muuton onnistuneeseen ajoittamiseen. Tässä tutkimuksessa käytimme metsähanhesta (Anser fabalis) avoimeen lintutietopalveluun, Tiiraan (tiira.fi – BirdLife Suomi), kerättyjä havaintoja selvittääksemme, onko lajin muuton ajoituksessa tapahtunut muutosta viimeisten 40 vuoden aikana. Lisäksi selvitimme ajoituksen yhteyttä muuton aikaiseen suursäätilaan käyttämällä Pohjois-Atlantin suursäätilaa kuvaavaa NAO-indeksiä. Tutkitulla ajanjaksolla 1978–20…

Heading-Error-Free Optical Atomic Magnetometry in the Earth-Field Range

2023

Alkali-metal atomic magnetometry is widely used due to its high sensitivity and cryogen-free operation. However, when operating in geomagnetic field, it suffers from heading errors originating from nonlinear Zeeman (NLZ) splittings and magnetic resonance asymmetries, which lead to difficulties in mobile-platform measurements. We demonstrate an alignment based $^{87}$Rb magnetometer, which, with only a single magnetic resonance peak and well-separated hyperfine transition frequencies, is insensitive or even immune to NLZ-related heading errors. It is shown that the magnetometer can be implemented for practical measurements in the geomagnetic environments and the photon-shot-noise-limited sen…

“Äänestin jaloillani!” Ammatin vaihtaneiden varhaiskasvatuksen opettajien näkökulmia työn ja toimintakulttuuriin muutokseen

2023

Huoli ammatinvaihtajien määrästä opetus- ja kasvatusalalla on yleistynyt Suomessa kuluneen vuosikymmenen aikana. Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastelemme ammatista poistuneiden varhaiskasvatuksen opettajien (n = 164) kokemuksia ammatinvaihtoon johtaneista tekijöistä sekä ammatinvaihdon asemoitumista työuran eri vaiheisiin. Monimenetelmällisen tutkimuksen analyysitapoina olivat laadullinen sisällönanalyysi sekä tilastollinen vertailu. Paikansimme ammatinvaihtoon johtaneita tekijöitä neljälle tasolle: yhteiskunnalliselle, organisaation, relationaaliselle sekä yksilölliselle tasolle. Tuloksemme osoittavat ammatinvaihtopäätöksen muodostuvan useista eri tekijöistä, emmekä voineet paikantaa yksittäistä …

Combining a data-driven approach with seasonal forecast data to predict reservoir water volume in the Mediterranean area

2023

Prolonged droughts and water scarcity have become more frequent in recent years, exacerbating the problem of the artificial reservoirs management in the Mediterranean area. This study proposes a methodology which combines a Nonlinear AutoRegressive network with eXogenous input (NARX) data-driven model with Seasonal Forecasts (SFs) data, with the aim to predict the water volume stored in reservoirs at a mid-term scale, as requested by the local authority. The methodology is applied to four Sicilian reservoirs that experienced water scarcity in the recent past. SFs produced at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting are used to force the NARX models. Also, the reservoirs are …

The impact of wildlife and environmental factors on hantavirus infection in the host and its translation into human risk

2023

Identifying factors that drive infection dynamics in reservoir host populations is essential in understanding human risk from wildlife-originated zoonoses. We studied zoonotic Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV) in the host, the bank vole ( Myodes glareolus ), populations in relation to the host population, rodent and predator community and environment-related factors and whether these processes are translated into human infection incidence. We used 5-year rodent trapping and bank vole PUUV serology data collected from 30 sites located in 24 municipalities in Finland. We found that PUUV seroprevalence in the host was negatively associated with the abundance of red foxes, but this process did no…

Useless and limits of Postmortem CT (PMCT) in a complex case of preterm infant murder

2023

The present case-report empathizes the usefulness of post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) in the detection of live birth signs in a baby found dead, comparing the results with standard autoptic, histologic and immunohistochemical examinations.The report describes the case of a new-born who was thrown out on the footpath from a window of the fifth floor according to the investigative police, whilst the mother has hidden herself immediately after childbirth.PMCT showed diffusely aerated lung parenchyma with signs of severe lung distress, air in the airways with no fluid inside, and air in the upper gastro-intestinal tract, in absence any resuscitation manoeuvres performed on the baby at del…

The Added Value of Remote Technology in Cardiac Rehabilitation on Physical Function, Anthropometrics, and Quality of Life: Cluster Randomized Control…

2023

Background Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) cause most deaths globally and can reduce quality of life (QoL) of rehabilitees with cardiac disease. The risk factors of CVDs are physical inactivity and increased BMI. With physical activity, it is possible to prevent CVDs, improve QoL, and help maintain a healthy body mass. Current literature shows the possibilities of digitalization and advanced technology in supporting independent self-rehabilitation. However, the interpretation of the results is complicated owing to the studies’ high heterogeneity. In addition, the added value of this technology has not been studied well, especially in cardiac rehabilitation. Objective We aimed to examine the…

Lengthening the time intervals between doses of dupilumab in remission atopic dermatitis

2023

Stability and physical properties of spherical excited scalar boson stars

2023

We study the time evolution of spherical, excited -- with $n$ radial nodes -- scalar boson stars in General Relativity minimally coupled to a complex massive scalar field with quartic self-interactions. We report that these stars, with up to $n=10$, can be made dynamically stable, up to timescales of $t\sim\frac{10^{4}}{c\mu}$, where $\mu$ is the inverse Compton wavelength of the scalar particle, for sufficiently large values of the self-interactions coupling constant $\lambda$, which depend on $n$. We observe that the compactness of these solutions is rather insensitive to $n$, for large $\lambda$ and fixed frequency. Generically, along the branches where stability was studied, these excit…

A New Method of Investigation of the Orientation of Galaxies in Clusters in the Absence of Information on Their Morphological Types

2023

The analysis of the orientation of galaxies is one of the most widely used tools in the fields of extragalactic astronomy and cosmology, enabling the verification of structure formation scenarios in the universe. It is based on the statistical analysis of the distribution of angles, giving the spatial orientation of galaxies in space. In order to obtain the correct analysis results, one is obliged to take into account the Holmberg effect and the fact that galaxies are oblate spheroids, with the real axis ratio depending on the morphological type. However, most of the astronomical data available today do not contain information about the morphological types of galaxies. The analysis of suffi…

Nanoparticles coated by chloramphenicol in hydrogels as a useful tool to increase the antibiotic release and antibacterial activity in dermal drug de…

2023

Abstract Background Nanocarriers for antibacterial drugs became hopeful tools against the increasing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics. This work focuses on a comprehensive study of the applicability and therapeutic suitability of dermal carbopol-based hydrogels containing chloramphenicol carried by various nanoparticles (AuNPs and SiNPs). Methods The different forms of carbopol-based drugs for dermal use were obtained. Five different concentrations of chloramphenicol and two types of nanoparticles (silica and gold) in carbopol-based ointments were tested. The influence of different carbopol formulations with nanocarriers on the rheological properties as well as the release profile of a…

Hadronic light-by-light scattering contribution to the muon $g-2$ from lattice QCD: semi-analytical calculation of the QED kernel

2023

Hadronic light-by-light scattering is one of the virtual processes that causes the gyromagnetic factor $g$ of the muon to deviate from the value of two predicted by Dirac's theory. This process makes one of the largest contributions to the uncertainty of the Standard Model prediction for the muon $(g-2)$. Lattice QCD allows for a first-principles approach to computing this non-perturbative effect. In order to avoid power-law finite-size artifacts generated by virtual photons in lattice simulations, we follow a coordinate-space approach involving a weighted integral over the vertices of the QCD four-point function of the electromagnetic current carried by the quarks. Here we present in detai…

Metaphysics of cosmological models

2023

This article aims to address the metaphysical dimension of cosmological models, be they mythological, philosophical, religious or modern scientific models, using multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary methodology. Such an approach is a novelty, both in the theological field and in the philosophical field and secular sciences, which studies the origin of humans and the universe. Contribution: The originality of this article consists in introducing the concept of transcendental cosmology, which, along with spiritual cosmology, can be a serious theological and philosophical reply to the Bing Bang theory.

Radiofrequency Ablation for Chronic Lumbar Zygapophyseal Joint Pain Using a V-Shaped Active Tip Needle: An Observational Retrospective Study

2023

Giuliano Lo Bianco,1,2 Giovanni Misseri,2 Agnes R Stogicza,3 Gregoretti Cesare,2,4 Sean Li,5 Miles Day,6 David J Kennedy,7 Michael E Schatman8,9 1Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy; 2Anesthesiology and Pain Department, Fondazione Istituto “G. Giglio”, Cefalù, Palermo, Italy; 3Anesthesia and Pain, Saint Magdolna Private Hospital, Budapest, Hungary; 4Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Science (Di.Chir.On.S.), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; 5National Spine and Pain Centers, Shrewsbury, NJ, USA; 6Pain Research, The Pain Center at Grace Clinic, Texas Tech University HSC, Lubbock, TX, USA; 7Department of PM&R, V…

Visualization of Moiré Magnons in Monolayer Ferromagnet

2023

| openaire: EC/H2020/788185/EU//E-DESIGN Two-dimensional magnetic materials provide an ideal platform to explore collective many-body excitations associated with spin fluctuations. In particular, it should be feasible to explore, manipulate, and ultimately design magnonic excitations in two-dimensional van der Waals magnets in a controllable way. Here we demonstrate the emergence of moiré magnon excitations, stemming from the interplay of spin-excitations in monolayer CrBr3 and the moiré pattern arising from the lattice mismatch with the underlying substrate. The existence of moiré magnons is further confirmed via inelastic quasiparticle interference, showing the appearance of a dispersion …