Synthesis of Multifunctional Magnetic NanoFlakes for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Hyperthermia, and Targeting.

Cervadoro, Antonio,Cho, Minjung,Key, Jaehong,Cooper, Christy,Stigliano, Cinzia,Aryal, Santosh,Brazdeikis, Audrius,Leary, James F.,Decuzzi, Paolo American Chemical Society 2014 ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES Vol.6 No.15

<P/><P>Iron oxide nanoparticles (IOs) are intrinsically theranostic agents that could be used for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and local hyperthermia or tissue thermal ablation. Yet, effective hyperthermia and high MR contrast have not been demonstrated within the same nanoparticle configuration. Here, magnetic nanoconstructs are obtained by confining multiple, ∼ 20 nm nanocubes (NCs) within a deoxy-chitosan core. The resulting nanoconstructs—magnetic nanoflakes (MNFs)—exhibit a hydrodynamic diameter of 156 ± 3.6 nm, with a polydispersity index of ∼0.2, and are stable in PBS up to 7 days. Upon exposure to an alternating magnetic field of 512 kHz and 10 kA m<SUP>–1</SUP>, MNFs provide a specific absorption rate (SAR) of ∼75 W g<SUB>Fe</SUB><SUP>–1</SUP>, which is 4–15 times larger than that measured for conventional IOs. Moreover, the same nanoconstructs provide a remarkably high transverse relaxivity of ∼500 (mM s)<SUP>−1</SUP>, at 1.41T. MNFs represent a first step toward the realization of nanoconstructs with superior relaxometric and ablation properties for more effective theranostics.</P>

Genetic evaluation of sheep for resistance to gastrointestinal nematodes and body size including genomic information

Torres Tatiana Saraiva,Sena Luciano Silva,Santos Gleyson Vieira dos,Figueiredo Filho Luiz Antonio Silva,Barbosa Bruna Lima,Júnior Antônio de Sousa,Britto Fábio Barros,Sarmento José Lindenberg Rocha 아세아·태평양축산학회 2021 Animal Bioscience Vol.34 No.4

Objective: The genetic evaluation of Santa Inês sheep was performed for resistance to gastrointestinal nematode infection (RGNI) and body size using different relationship matrices to assess the efficiency of including genomic information in the analyses. Methods: There were 1,637 animals in the pedigree and 500, 980, and 980 records of RGNI, thoracic depth (TD), and rump height (RH), respectively. The genomic data consisted of 42,748 SNPs and 388 samples genotyped with the OvineSNP50 BeadChip. The (co)variance components were estimated in single- and multi-trait analyses using the numerator relationship matrix (A) and the hybrid matrix H, which blends A with the genomic relationship matrix (G). The BLUP and single-step genomic BLUP methods were used. The accuracies of estimated breeding values and Spearman rank correlation were also used to assess the feasibility of incorporating genomic information in the analyses. Results: The heritability estimates ranged from 0.11±0.07, for TD (in single-trait analysis using the A matrix), to 0.38±0.08, for RH (using the H matrix in multi-trait analysis). The estimates of genetic correlation ranged from –0.65±0.31 to 0.59±0.19, using A, and from –0.42±0.30 to 0.57±0.16 using H. The gains in accuracy of estimated breeding values ranged from 2.22% to 75.00% with the inclusion of genomic information in the analyses. Conclusion: The inclusion of genomic information will benefit the direct selection for the traits in this study, especially RGNI and TD. More information is necessary to improve the understanding on the genetic relationship between resistance to nematode infection and body size in Santa Inês sheep. The genetic evaluation for the evaluated traits was more efficient when genomic information was included in the analyses. Objective: The genetic evaluation of Santa Inês sheep was performed for resistance to gastrointestinal nematode infection (RGNI) and body size using different relationship matrices to assess the efficiency of including genomic information in the analyses.Methods: There were 1,637 animals in the pedigree and 500, 980, and 980 records of RGNI, thoracic depth (TD), and rump height (RH), respectively. The genomic data consisted of 42,748 SNPs and 388 samples genotyped with the OvineSNP50 BeadChip. The (co)variance components were estimated in single- and multi-trait analyses using the numerator relationship matrix (A) and the hybrid matrix H, which blends A with the genomic relationship matrix (G). The BLUP and single-step genomic BLUP methods were used. The accuracies of estimated breeding values and Spearman rank correlation were also used to assess the feasibility of incorporating genomic information in the analyses.Results: The heritability estimates ranged from 0.11±0.07, for TD (in single-trait analysis using the A matrix), to 0.38±0.08, for RH (using the H matrix in multi-trait analysis). The estimates of genetic correlation ranged from –0.65±0.31 to 0.59±0.19, using A, and from –0.42±0.30 to 0.57±0.16 using H. The gains in accuracy of estimated breeding values ranged from 2.22% to 75.00% with the inclusion of genomic information in the analyses.Conclusion: The inclusion of genomic information will benefit the direct selection for the traits in this study, especially RGNI and TD. More information is necessary to improve the understanding on the genetic relationship between resistance to nematode infection and body size in Santa Inês sheep. The genetic evaluation for the evaluated traits was more efficient when genomic information was included in the analyses.

Daily Pad Usage Versus the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form for Continence Assessment Following Radical Prostatectomy

Antonio Tienza,Petra L. Graham,Jose E. Roble,Fernando Diez-Caballero,David Rosell,Juan I. Pascual,Manish I. Patel,Sean F. Mungovan 대한배뇨장애요실금학회 2020 International Neurourology Journal Vol.24 No.2

Purpose: Continence assessment is an essential component of follow-up after radical prostatectomy (RP). Several methods exist to assess the severity of urinary incontinence (UI). Our study examined the relationship and degree of agreement between International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form (ICIQ-SF) scores and the number of pads used in a 24-hour period in the assessment of UI following RP. Methods: Continence was prospectively assessed in 746 men from a Spanish urology clinic 12 months after RP using the ICIQ-SF and pad usage. The relationship between ICIQ-SF scores and pad usage was assessed using Spearman rank correlation coefficients. The Jonckheere-Terpstra trend test was used to determine whether the ICIQ-SF score and the component question scores increased with increasing pad usage. The Bonferroni-corrected pairwise Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to determine which pairs of pad usage levels differed. The weighted kappa was used to evaluate the agreement between pad usage levels and ICIQ-SF questions. Results: The continence rate was 82% using the “no pad usage” definition of continence versus 78% using the definition of an ICIQ-SF score of 0 (P<0.001). Strong positive correlations were observed between the number of pads and the ICIQ-SF total and component question scores (rs>0.85, P<0.001). The ICIQ-SF total and component question scores increased significantly with increasing pad usage (P<0.001). The ICIQ-SF scores (P<0.018) for all pairs of pad usage levels (0, 1, 2, or 3 or more) differed significantly. The agreement between the ICIQ-SF leakage amount question and pad usage was very good (rs=0.861, P<0.001). Conclusions: At 12 months post-RP, 24-hour pad usage was closely correlated with ICIQ-SF, although the continence rate differed depending on the definition used. Higher levels of pad usage were associated with higher questionnaire scores, more leakage, and poor quality of life (interference with everyday life).

FE simulation of S-N curves for a riveted connection using two-stage fatigue models

Correia, Jose A.F.O.,de Jesus, Abilio M.P.,Silva, Antonio L.L.,Pedrosa, Bruno,Rebelo, Carlos,Calcada, Rui A.B. Techno-Press 2017 Advances in computational design Vol.2 No.4

Inspections of ancient metallic bridges have illustrated fatigue cracking in riveted connections. This paper presents a comparison between two alternative finite element (FE) models proposed to predict the fatigue strength of a single shear and single rivet connection. The first model is based on solid finite elements as well as on contact elements, to simulate contact between the components of the connection. The second model is built using shell finite elements in order to model the plates of the riveted connection. Fatigue life predictions are carried out for the shear splice, integrating both crack initiation and crack propagation lives, resulting from the two alternative FE models. Global fatigue results, taking into account several clamping stresses on rivet, are compared with available experimental results. Proposed comparisons between predictions and experimental data illustrated that the proposed two-stage model yields consistent results.

Screening of BCL-2 associated X protein gene polymorphism associated with scrotal hernia in domesticated swine using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism

Manalaysay, Jessica G.,Antonio, Nathaniel D.,Apilado, Ralph Lorenz R.,Bambico, Joseph F.,Mingala, Claro N. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2017 Animal Bioscience Vol.30 No.2

Objective: This study was conducted to screen scrotal hernia in domesticated swine from selected breeders in the Philippines. This defect is associated with a cytosine to thymine mutation in the BCL-2 associated X protein (BAX) gene of swine. Methods: Genetic screening was done by DNA extraction followed by amplification and digestion using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism, amplifying the 416 bp region of the BAX gene that was subjected to digestion using the Ear I enzyme. Sequencing was also conducted to validate the results. Results: Results revealed that out of 538 samples tested, 411 (76.4%) of the samples were found to be normal whereas the remaining were carriers of the mutation in which 80 (14.9%) were heterozygous mutants and 47 (8.7%) were homozygous mutants. Pietrain breed was found to have the highest incidence. Conclusion: Having a scrotal hernia eliminates the chances of using the boar as a breeder stock because the following generations arising from it would most likely exhibit herniation. It is therefore advised to establish a genetic screening method for Scrotal Hernia in the Philippines to eliminate the negative gene from the herd.

A pH/Temperature-Sensitive s-IPN Based on Poly(vinyl alcohol), Poly(vinyl methyl ether-alt-maleic acid) and Poly(vinyl methyl ether) Prepared by Autoclaving

Karla F. García-Verdugo,Andya J. Ramírez-Irigoyen,Mónica Castillo-Ortega,Dora E. Rodríguez-Félix,Jesús M. Quiroz-Castillo,Judith Tánori-Córdova,Francisco Rodríguez-Félix,Antonio Ledezma-Pérez,Teresa d 한국고분자학회 2022 Macromolecular Research Vol.30 No.6

A novel semi-interpenetrating polymer network (s-IPN) based on the entrapment of a thermosensitive polymer, the poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME), within a crosslinked 3D structure of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(vinyl methyl etheralt- maleic acid) (COP) was synthesized by an autoclaving process. The preparation method avoids the use of toxic crosslinkers and allows the simultaneous sterilization of material. The PVA/COP/PVME hydrogel were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal techniques, swelling kinetic measurements, scanning electron microscopy, and rheological analysis. The entrapment of PVME within the hydrated polymer framework significantly modified its transition temperature at pH 7.4 and pH 3 conditions. The swelling kinetics of the s-IPN were dependent on pH (7.4, 3 and 1), and temperature (25 and 37℃). The interpenetrated polymer chains reduced the internal pore sizes of crosslinked network without altering its elastic, solid-like behavior. The loading and in vitro release of 5-fluorouracil, a chemotherapeutic agent, from hydrogel systems were studied at different temperature and pH values. The hydrogels showed a sustained drug release up to 5 h at 37℃, in different pH media. The s-IPN exhibited a promising performance for a range of biomedical applications, in particular, for the controlled drug delivery in response to the pH and temperature conditions.

Facial and occlusal esthetic improvements of an adult skeletal Class III malocclusion using surgical, orthodontic, and implant treatment

Mauricio de Almeida Cardoso,Rafael Scaf de Molon,Erica Dorigatti de Avila,Fabio Pinto Guedes,Valter Antonio Ban Battilani F,Leopoldino Capelozza Filho,Marcio Aurelio Correa,Hugo Nary Filho 대한치과교정학회 2016 대한치과교정학회지 Vol.46 No.1

The aim of this clinical report is to describe the complex treatment of an adult Class III malocclusion patient who was disappointed with the outcome of a previous oral rehabilitation. Interdisciplinary treatment planning was performed with a primary indication for implant removal because of marginal bone loss and gingival recession, followed by orthodontic and surgical procedures to correct the esthetics and skeletal malocclusion. The comprehensive treatment approach included: (1) implant removal in the area of the central incisors; (2) combined orthodontic decompensation with mesial displacement and forced extrusion of the lateral incisors; (3) extraction of the lateral incisors and placement of new implants corresponding to the central incisors, which received provisional crowns; (4) orthognathic surgery for maxillary advancement to improve occlusal and facial relationships; and finally, (5) orthodontic refinement followed by definitive prosthetic rehabilitation of the maxillary central incisors and reshaping of the adjacent teeth. At the three-year follow-up, clinical and radiographic examinations showed successful replacement of the central incisors and improved skeletal and esthetic appearances. Moreover, a Class II molar relationship was obtained with an ideal overbite, overjet, and intercuspation. In conclusion, we report the successful esthetic anterior rehabilitation of a complex case in which interdisciplinary treatment planning improved facial harmony, provided gingival architecture with sufficient width and thickness, and improved smile esthetics, resulting in enhanced patient comfort and satisfaction. This clinical case report might be useful to improve facial esthetics and occlusion in patients with dentoalveolar and skeletal defects.

Mobility-Aware Mesh Construction Algorithm for Low Data-Overhead Multicast Ad Hoc Routing

Ruiz, Pedro M.,Antonio F., Gomez-Skarmeta The Korea Institute of Information and Commucation 2004 Journal of communications and networks Vol.6 No.4

We study the problem of controlling data overhead of mesh-based multicast ad hoc routing protocols by adaptively adding redundancy to the minimal data overhead multicast mesh as required by the network conditions. We show that the computation of the minimal data overhead multicast mesh is NP-complete, and we propose an heuristic approximation algorithm inspired on epidemic algorithms. In addition, we propose a mobility-aware and adaptive mesh construction algorithm based on a probabilistic path selection being able to adapt the reliability of the multicast mesh to the mobility of the network. Our simulation results show that the proposed approach, when implemented into ODMRP, is able to offer similar performance results and a lower average latency while reducing data overhead between 25 to 50% compared to the original ODMRP.

Towards automatic EEG cyclic alternating pattern analysis: a systematic review analysis: a systematic review

Fábio Mendonça,Sheikh Shanawaz Mostafa,Fernando Morgado-Dias,Antonio G. Ravelo-García,Ivana Rosenzweig 대한의용생체공학회 2023 Biomedical Engineering Letters (BMEL) Vol.13 No.3

This study conducted a systematic review to determine the feasibility of automatic Cyclic Alternating Pattern (CAP)analysis. Specifically, this review followed the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses(PRISMA) guidelines to address the formulated research question: is automatic CAP analysis viable for clinical application?From the identified 1,280 articles, the review included 35 studies that proposed various methods for examining CAP,including the classification of A phase, their subtypes, or the CAP cycles. Three main trends were observed over timeregarding A phase classification, starting with mathematical models or features classified with a tuned threshold, followedby using conventional machine learning models and, recently, deep learning models. Regarding the CAP cycle detection,it was observed that most studies employed a finite state machine to implement the CAP scoring rules, which depended onan initial A phase classifier, stressing the importance of developing suitable A phase detection models. The assessment ofA-phase subtypes has proven challenging due to various approaches used in the state-of-the-art for their detection, rangingfrom multiclass models to creating a model for each subtype. The review provided a positive answer to the main researchquestion, concluding that automatic CAP analysis can be reliably performed. The main recommended research agendainvolves validating the proposed methodologies on larger datasets, including more subjects with sleep-related disorders,and providing the source code for independent confirmation.

Mediterranean Diet and Physical Activity Protect from Silent Brain Infarcts in a Cohort of Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Irene Escudero-Martínez,Fernando Mancha,Ángela Vega-Salvatierra,María Irene Ayuso,Rafael F. Ocete,Pilar Algaba,Antonio López-Rueda,Pilar Piñero,Elena Fajardo,José Román Fernández-Engo,Eva María Martín 대한뇌졸중학회 2019 Journal of stroke Vol.21 No.3

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