In this paper, we examine prospects for the manufacture of patient-specific biomedical implants replacing hard tissues (bone), particularly knee and hip stems and large bone (femoral) intramedullary ...rods, using additive manufacturing (AM) by electron beam melting (EBM). Of particular interest is the fabrication of complex functional (biocompatible) mesh arrays. Mesh elements or unit cells can be divided into different regions in order to use different cell designs in different areas of the component to produce various or continually varying (functionally graded) mesh densities. Numerous design elements have been used to fabricate prototypes by AM using EBM of Ti-6Al-4V powders, where the densities have been compared with the elastic (Young) moduli determined by resonant frequency and damping analysis. Density optimization at the boneimplant interface can allow for bone ingrowth and cementless implant components. Computerized tomography (CT) scans of metal (aluminium alloy) foam have also allowed for the building of Ti-6Al-4V foams by embedding the digital-layered scans in computer-aided design or software models for EBM. Variations in mesh complexity and especially strut (or truss) dimensions alter the cooling and solidification rate, which alters the -phase (hexagonal close-packed) microstructure by creating mixtures of / (martensite) observed by optical and electron metallography. Microindentation hardness measurements are characteristic of these microstructures and microstructure mixtures (/) and sizes.
As quantum coherence times of superconducting circuits have increased from nanoseconds to hundreds of microseconds, they are currently one of the leading platforms for quantum information processing. ...However, coherence needs to further improve by orders of magnitude to reduce the prohibitive hardware overhead of current error correction schemes. Reaching this goal hinges on reducing the density of broken Cooper pairs, so-called quasiparticles. Here, we show that environmental radioactivity is a significant source of nonequilibrium quasiparticles. Moreover, ionizing radiation introduces time-correlated quasiparticle bursts in resonators on the same chip, further complicating quantum error correction. Operating in a deep-underground lead-shielded cryostat decreases the quasiparticle burst rate by a factor thirty and reduces dissipation up to a factor four, showcasing the importance of radiation abatement in future solid-state quantum hardware.
The rising costs of fishmeal worldwide promote great research effort aimed to find alternative and renewable ingredients for aquafeeds. In the last years considerable attention has been paid to the ...use of algae as a potential ingredient for fish feeds. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of the microalgae Scenedesmus almeriensis incorporated to diets intended to feed sea bream (Sparus aurata) juveniles in a 45-day trial. Growth, body composition, and intestinal functionality of fish were studied. Microalgae meal was tested in triplicate at different inclusion levels (0%, 12%, 20%, 25% and 39%). At the end of the trial, individual body weight was recorded for evaluation of growth and nutrient utilization, and biological samples were obtained for proximate analysis, determination of digestive enzyme activities, intestinal histology, and microvilli morphological evaluation. Results indicated that S. almeriensis did not cause negative effects on fish growth or nutrient utilization efficiency. Growth rate and protein utilization in fish fed on a diet with 20% Scenedesmus meal tended to be higher, although not significantly different from those fed on control diet. None of the treatments caused adverse effects on body composition. Fish fed 12% S. almeriensis showed higher trypsin than animals fed on control diet. Leucine-aminopeptidase and alkaline phosphatase activities showed a quadratic response with increasing levels of Scenedesmus biomass. Ultrastructural study revealed that the dietary inclusion of algal biomass, especially at 20% level, significantly increased the absorptive capacity of intestinal mucosa in both the anterior and posterior intestinal regions. This study confirmed the usefulness of S. almeriensis to partially replace fishmeal in practical diets for gilthead sea bream juveniles.
•The use of Scenedesmus meal did not affect fish growth and nutrient utilization.•The dietary inclusion of Scenedesmus biomass did not affect muscle composition.•The level of intestinal enzyme activities was increased in Scenedesmus-fed sea bream.•Scenedesmus almeriensis biomass may be useful to enhance gut functionality in fish.•S. almeriensis can partially replace fishmeal in diets for sea bream juveniles.
Smart facemask for wireless CO2 monitoring Escobedo, P.; Fernández-Ramos, M. D.; López-Ruiz, N. ...
Nature communications,
01/2022, Letnik:
13, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Abstract
The use of facemasks by the general population is recommended worldwide to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Despite the evidence in favour of facemasks to reduce community transmission, ...there is also agreement on the potential adverse effects of their prolonged usage, mainly caused by CO
2
rebreathing. Herein we report the development of a sensing platform for gaseous CO
2
real-time determination inside FFP2 facemasks. The system consists of an opto-chemical sensor combined with a flexible, battery-less, near-field-enabled tag with resolution and limit of detection of 103 and 140 ppm respectively, and sensor lifetime of 8 h, which is comparable with recommended FFP2 facemask usage times. We include a custom smartphone application for wireless powering, data processing, alert management, results displaying and sharing. Through performance tests during daily activity and exercise monitoring, we demonstrate its utility for non-invasive, wearable health assessment and its potential applicability for preclinical research and diagnostics.
We analyze the complete set of in-situ meteorological data obtained from the Viking landers in the 1970s to todays Curiosity rover to review our understanding of the modern near-surface climate of ...Mars, with focus on the dust, CO2 and H2O cycles and their impact on the radiative and thermodynamic conditions near the surface. In particular, we provide values of the highest confidence possible for atmospheric opacity, atmospheric pressure, near-surface air temperature, ground temperature, near-surface wind speed and direction, and near-surface air relative humidity and water vapor content. Then, we study the diurnal, seasonal and interannual variability of these quantities over a span of more than twenty Martian years. Finally, we propose measurements to improve our understanding of the Martian dust and H2O cycles, and discuss the potential for liquid water formation under Mars present day conditions and its implications for future Mars missions.
The low-grade inflammation observed in obesity has been associated with a high-fat diet, though this relation is not fully understood. Bacterial endotoxin, produced by gut microbiota, may be the ...linking factor. However, this has not been confirmed in obese patients. To study the relationship between a high-fat diet and bacterial endotoxin, we analyzed postprandial endotoxemia in morbidly obese patients after a fat overload. The endotoxin levels were determined in serum and the chylomicron fraction at baseline and 3 h after a fat overload in 40 morbidly obese patients and their levels related with the degree of insulin resistance and postprandial hypertriglyceridemia. The morbidly obese patients with the highest postprandial hypertriglyceridemia showed a significant increase in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels in serum and the chylomicron fraction after the fat overload. Postprandial chylomicron LPS levels correlated positively with the difference between postprandial triglycerides and baseline triglycerides. There were no significant correlations between C-reactive protein (CRP) and LPS levels. The main variables contributing to serum LPS levels after fat overload were baseline and postprandial triglyceride levels but not glucose or insulin resistance. Additionally, superoxide dismutase activity decreased significantly after the fat overload. Postprandial LPS increase after a fat overload is related to postprandial hypertriglyceridemia but not to degree of insulin resistance in morbidly obese patients.
Summary
Background
Limited published evidence shows oral desensitization to be a potential intervention option for cow's milk protein (CMPs) allergy.
Objective
The aim of this study was to evaluate ...the safety and efficacy of oral desensitization in 2‐year‐old children with cow's milk allergy, as a treatment alternative to elimination diet.
Methods
A total of 60 children aged 24–36 months with IgE‐mediated allergy to CMPs were included in this multi‐center study and were randomized into two groups. Thirty children (group A: treatment group) began oral desensitization immediately, whereas the remaining 30 (group B: control group) were kept on a milk‐free diet and followed‐up for 1 year.
Results
After 1‐year follow‐up period, 90% of the children in group A had become completely tolerant vs. 23% of the children in group B. In group A, cow's milk skin reactivity and serum‐specific IgE to milk and casein decreased significantly from the initial assessment, whereas group B showed no significant change after 1 year of follow‐up. Twenty‐four patients (80%) developed some reaction during the treatment period: 14 children developed moderate reaction (47%) and 10 mild reaction (33%). The most common manifestations were urticaria‐angioedema, followed by cough.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance
In this study, oral desensitization was found to be effective in a significant percentage of 2‐year‐old children with cow's milk allergy. Oral desensitization appears to be efficacious as an alternative to elimination diet in the treatment of 2‐year‐old children with cow's milk allergy. The side‐effect profile appears acceptable but requires further study.
Cite this as: A. Martorell, B. De la Hoz, M. D. Ibáñez, J. Bone, M. S. Terrados, A. Michavila, A. M. Plaza, E. Alonso, J. Garde, S. Nevot, L. Echeverria, C. Santana, J. C. Cerdá, C. Escudero, I. Guallar, M. Piquer, L. Zapatero, L. Ferré, T. Bracamonte, A. Muriel, M. I. Martínez and R. Félix, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2011 (41) 1297–1304.
The azimuthal correlation,
Δ
ϕ
12
, of high transverse momentum jets in pp collisions at
s
=
13
TeV is studied by applying PB-TMD distributions to NLO calculations via MCatNLO together with the ...PB-TMD parton shower. A very good description of the cross section as a function of
Δ
ϕ
12
is observed. In the back-to-back region of
Δ
ϕ
12
→
π
, a very good agreement is observed with the PB-TMD Set 2 distributions while significant deviations are obtained with the PB-TMD Set 1 distributions. Set 1 uses the evolution scale while Set 2 uses transverse momentum as an argument in
α
s
, and the above observation therefore confirms the importance of an appropriate soft-gluon coupling in angular ordered parton evolution. The total uncertainties of the predictions are dominated by the scale uncertainties of the matrix element, while the uncertainties coming from the PB-TMDs and the corresponding PB-TMD shower are very small. The
Δ
ϕ
12
measurements are also compared with predictions using MCatNLO together
Pythia
8, illustrating the importance of details of the parton shower evolution.
Nonimmediate allergic reactions (NIR) to aminopenicillin include several entities, the most common of which are urticaria-like and maculopapular exanthemas. To evaluate a group of children who ...developed one or more episodes of skin reactions suggestive of NIR after aminopenicillin administration. The inclusion criteria required negative immediate skin tests and absence of specific IgE antibodies to different penicillins. Intradermal and patch tests were carried out with delayed readings and, if negative, a drug-provocation test including a full therapeutic course of the drug was given. Two different groups were compared: A) children with positive skin testing or a positive drug-provocation test and B) children with negative skin testing and good tolerance after a drug-provocation test. Group A was composed of 20 patients. Positive intradermal/patch tests were found in one patient and in the remaining 19, a positive response to a drug-provocation test confirmed the diagnosis. Group B (the control group) consisted of 19 patients with similar symptoms after aminopenicillin intake but good tolerance. No differences in age, dose or number of previous treatments were observed between the groups. The clinical entities were also similar in both groups. Reproducible nonimmediate skin reactions to aminopenicillins may occur in children in spite of negative skin testing. The value of this diagnostic procedure seems to be limited in this type of reaction, with drug-provocation tests (DPT) being a reasonable and safe alternative if the diagnosis has to be confirmed.
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