Search Results (2,259)

Background: Oncological surgery of the parotid gland or of the temporal bone may require the contemporary sacrifice of the facial nerve (FN). In such cases, the immediate repair of the sacrificed FN is recommended. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of facial rehabilitation (FR) and, secondarily, of post-operative radiotherapy (PORT) on the FN outcome after FN sacrifice and reconstruction via cable graft. Methods: This is a multicentric retrospective study including patients affected by malignant tumors whose surgical excision required FN sacrifice and contextual FN reconstruction with a cable graft. Other FN reconstruction techniques were excluded. FN function was assessed using both House–Brackmann and Sunnybrook grading systems. Results: A total of 28 patients were included. Most of the patients underwent a total parotidectomy. The greater auricular nerve was the main donor for cable graft. FR and PORT were performed in 22 and 15 patients, respectively. In particular, 20 patients underwent neuro-muscular retraining (NMR). Patients who underwent FR had better FN outcomes compared to those who did not (p = 0.02 at 12 months and p = 0.0002 at 24 months). In contrast, there was no statistically significant difference between patients who underwent PORT and those who did not (p > 0.05). Pre-operative FN palsy is a risk factor of worse FN function outcomes after cable graft. Conclusions: Our study, even though it was limited to only 28 cases, may demonstrate that cable graft failure is not due to PORT, as widely believed among clinicians, but to the absence of a rehabilitation program. Moreover, we suggest that the key to obtaining the best possible FN function results after FN sacrifice is the association of a technically correct FN reconstruction with a proper and targeted FR. Full article

Myocardial bridging (MB), a congenital variant where a coronary artery segment is tunneled within the myocardium, is increasingly recognized as a contributor to coronary endothelial and vasomotor dysfunction. Beyond the hallmark systolic compression observed on angiography, MB disrupts endothelial integrity, impairs the release of vasoactive substances, and induces vasomotor abnormalities. These effects exacerbate ischemic symptoms and predispose to atherosclerosis in the proximal segment, particularly in conditions such as ischemia/myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries. Recent studies underscore MB’s association with coronary vasospasm, microvascular endothelial dysfunction, and adverse cardiovascular outcomes, including sudden cardiac death. These findings highlight the interplay between MB’s structural anomalies and functional impairments, with factors such as the bridge’s length, depth, and orientation influencing its hemodynamic significance. Advances in imaging and coronary physiology assessment, including acetylcholine testing and stress diastolic fractional flow reserve/iFR/RFR, have enhanced diagnostic precision. This review explores the multifaceted impact of MB on coronary physiology, emphasizing its role in endothelial dysfunction and vasomotor regulation. Recognizing MB’s contribution to cardiovascular disease is essential for accurate diagnosis and tailored management strategies aimed at mitigating ischemic risk and improving patient outcomes. Full article

This study quantitatively assesses the impact of seismic design strategies on the performance of reinforced concrete (RC) dual wall–frame office buildings by comparing direct and indirect economic losses and downtime in life-cycle terms. A high-rise archetype building located in Santiago, Chile, on stiff soil was evaluated as a benchmark case study. Three design strategies to potentially enhance the seismic performance of a building designed conventionally were explored: (i) incorporating fluid viscous dampers (FVDs) in the lateral load-resisting structure; (ii) replacing conventional non-structural components with enhanced ones (ENCs); and (iii) a combination of the previous two strategies. First, probabilistic structural responses were estimated through incremental dynamic analyses using three-dimensional nonlinear models of the archetypes subjected to a set of hazard-consistent Chilean ground motions. Second, FEMA P-58 time-based assessment was conducted to estimate expected annual losses (EALs) for economic loss estimation. Finally, for downtime assessment, a novel probabilistic framework, built on the FEMA P-58 methodology and the REDi guidelines, was employed to estimate the expected annual downtimes (EADs) to achieve specific target recovery states, such as reoccupancy (RO) and functional recovery (FR). Results revealed that seismically enhancing RC dual wall–frame buildings with FVDs significantly improves resilience by reducing loss and downtime. For example, the enhanced building with FVDs achieved an EAL of 0.093% and EAL of 8.6 days for FR, compared to the archetype base building without design improvements, which exhibited an EAL of 0.125% and an EAD of 9.5 days for FR. In contrast, the impact of ENCs alone was minor, compared to the effect of FVDs, with an EAL of 0.106% and an EAD of 9.1 days for FR. With this detailed recovery modeling, probabilistic methods, and a focus on intermediate recovery states, this framework represents a significant advancement in resilience-based seismic design and recovery planning. Full article

RedCap technology is set to become a critical component in the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT), enabling sensors and wearable devices for medical, industrial, and commercial applications. However, because RedCap primarily operates in non-public networks and does not synchronize its time-division duplexing (TDD) mode with 5G NR networks, interference risks arise. This is particularly concerning as traditional 5G NR networks prioritize downlink communication, whereas RedCap is designed for uplink. This study investigates the potential interference between RedCap non-public networks and 5G NR in TDD FR1 and FR2 frequency bands using Monte Carlo simulation techniques. The results illustrate how RedCap deployments may impact 5G NR performance in urban and suburban environments. Key insights are provided to inform strategies for minimizing interference and ensuring coexistence between these technologies. Full article

Space particle radiation induces charging and discharging phenomena in spacecraft dielectric materials, leading to electrostatic discharge (ESD) and electromagnetic pulses (EMP), which pose significant risks to spacecraft electronic systems by causing interference and potential damage. Accurate and timely monitoring of these phenomena, combined with a comprehensive understanding of their underlying mechanisms, is critical for developing effective protection strategies against satellite charging effects. Addressing in-orbit monitoring requirements, this study proposes the design of a compact sleeve monopole antenna. Through simulations, the relationships between the antenna’s design parameters and its voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) are analyzed alongside its critical performance characteristics, including frequency band, gain, radiation pattern, and matching circuit. The proposed antenna demonstrates operation within a frequency range of (28.73–31.25) MHz (VSWR < 2), with a center frequency of 30 MHz and a relative bandwidth of 8.4%. Performance evaluations and simulation-based experiments reveal that the antenna can measure pulse signals with electric field strengths ranging from (−1000 to −80) V/m and (80 to 1000) V/m, centered at 25.47 MHz. It reliably monitors discharge pulses generated by electron irradiation on spacecraft-grade FR4 (Flame-Retardant 4) dielectric materials, providing technical support for the engineering application of discharge research in space environments. Full article

As people spend the majority of their time indoors, maintaining a comfortable and suitable thermal environment within buildings is essential for improving quality of life. Previous studies in Japan have investigated the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) in indoor environments; however, studies primarily focused on residential buildings are lacking. Therefore, a field survey of 17 Japanese dwellings was carried out during the summer, for which a total of 1166 thermal sensation votes (TSVs) were collected from 23 respondents. The results show that the average indoor air temperature is 26.4 °C, which is 1.6 °C lower than the recommendation for summer temperature by the Japanese government. The variation in globe temperature and WBGT indicates that there are significant differences in cooling usage behavior, with a strong correlation between WBGT and indoor globe temperature. The acceptable indoor globe temperature exhibits a wider range in free-running (FR) mode than in cooling (CL) mode. The mean comfort temperature was 26.9 °C in FR mode, while it was 27.0 °C in CL mode. These findings indicate that the occupants felt comfortable at the high indoor temperature, suggesting there is a possibility to reduce the energy used for cooling. Full article

Dendrobium officinale is an economically important orchid species that is sensitive to cold stress. Understanding the molecular and metabolic mechanisms underlying its response to cold is crucial for developing strategies to improve its cold tolerance. In this study, we constructed a comprehensive cold stress response dataset for D. officinale and characterized its regulatory landscape in response to varying cold stress conditions. The glycine metabolism-related genes Dca003913 and Dca022726 play pivotal roles in both cold and drought stress adaptation, and their expression is not upregulated by hormones or fungi infection. Carbohydrate metabolism showed specific dynamic changes in freezing injury cells, which involved a variety of hormonal responses. The abundance of sphingolipids was notably higher in the freezing treatment (FT) compared to the freezing recovery (FR) plants, indicating specialized metabolic adaptations at different cold intensities. An alternative splicing (AS) analysis identified 368 DAS genes, with spliceosome pathways significantly enriched. Three key ubiquitination proteins (PKU64802, XP_020672210, and PKU75555) were found to regulate splicing factors, which showed increased abundance in cold stress. This study highlights the roles of metabolic reprogramming and RNA splicing in cold adaptation, revealing a complex molecular network activated in response to cold stress. Full article

Background/Objectives: The development of HIV drug resistance to current antiretrovirals, and the antiretrovirals’ inability to cure HIV, provides the need of developing novel drugs that inhibit HIV-1 subtypes and drug-resistance strains. Fungal endophytes, including Alternaria alternata, stand out for their potentially antiviral secondary metabolites. Hence, this study investigates the anti-HIV activities and mechanism of action of the A. alternata crude extract against different HIV-1 subtypes and integrase-resistant mutant strains. Methods: Cytotoxicity of the A. alternata crude extract on TZM-bl cells using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was performed. The crude extract antiviral activity against subtypes A, B, C, and D and integrase drug-resistant strain T66K and S230R was determined using a luciferase-based antiviral assay. Luciferase and p24 ELISA-based time-of-addition assays were used to determine the mechanism of action of the crude extract. Docking scores and protein ligand interactions of integrase T66K and S230R strains against the identified bioactive compounds were determined. Results: The crude extract CC₅₀ was 300 μg/mL and not cytotoxic to the TZM-bl cell lines. In HIV-1 subtypes A, B, C, and D, the crude extract exhibited 100% inhibition and therapeutic potential. The A. alternata crude extract had strong anti-HIV-1 activity against integrase strand transfer drug-resistant strains T66K and S230R, with a 0.7265- and 0. 8751-fold increase in susceptibility. The crude extract had antiviral activity during attachment, reverse transcription, integration, and proteolysis. In silico calculations showed compounds 2,3-2H-Benzofuran-2-one, 3,3,4,6-tetramethyl-, 3-Methyl-1,4-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]nonan-2,5-dione, N-acetyl, Coumarin, 3,4-dihydro-4,5,7-trimethyl-, Cyclopropanecarboxamide, N-cycloheptyl, Pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione, and hexahydro-3-(2-methylpropyl)- crude extract bioactive compounds had strong docking scores and diverse binding mechanisms with integrase. Conclusions: The A. alternata crude extract demonstrates strong antiviral activity against different HIV-1 subtypes and integrase drug-resistance strains. The extract inhibited various stages of the HIV-1 life cycle. The bioactive compounds 2,3-2H-Benzofuran-2-one, 3,3,4,6-tetramethyl-, 3-Methyl-1,4-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]nonan-2,5-dione, N-acetyl, Coumarin, 3,4-dihydro-4,5,7-trimethyl-, Cyclopropanecarboxamide, N-cycloheptyl, Pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione, and hexahydro-3-(2-methylpropyl)- may be responsible for the antiviral activity of A. alternata. Full article

Biomaterials interact with biological systems, influencing their responses. Different types of polymers—both natural and synthetic—are widely used in biomedical engineering, among a plethora of healthcare applications, to promote tissue regeneration. The natural rubber latex extracted from Hevea brasiliensis is a biopolymer that whose biocompatibility makes it a valuable study object. Its great regenerative properties are largely associated with the fraction FrHB1, which has demonstrated angiogenic and wound-healing potential by inducing blood vessel formation, collagen synthesis, and fibroblast migration—crucial factors for tissue repair. This study aimed to develop scalable methods for extracting and purifying the F1 protein fraction from industrialized natural latex for biomedical applications. We tested two types of industrial latex, bi-centrifuged and pre-vulcanized latex as well as 60% centrifuged natural latex to determine the most effective composition used in subsequent extractions and fractionation steps. Then, we isolated FrHB1 from the pre-vulcanized latex using selective precipitation, ultrafiltration, and affinity chromatography. The yield of the first batch of this serum was 40.62% with protein concentration of 1.52 ± 0.06 mg/mL. The second batch had a yield of 49.74%; however, due to results lying outside the analytical curve, its protein concentration could not be calculated. The yield of the third batch was 57.19%, and its protein concentration was 1.8477 ± 0.033 mg/mL. This approach facilitates large-scale therapeutic applications utilizing a commercially viable and accessible resource. Moreover, these findings highlight industrialized natural latex as a sustainable source of bioactive molecules, contributing to advancements in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Full article

Background: Information is limited regarding the role of impulse oscillometry (IOS) for the detection of preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm). Therefore, we aimed to study the diagnostic ability of IOS in differentiating between PRISm and healthy subjects. Methods: This retrospective data collection was done at the Lung Health Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Thailand between July 2019 and April 2022. The potential diagnostic possibilities of difference in resistance at 5 Hz (R5) and resistance at 20 Hz (R20) (R5-R20) for PRISm detection were analyzed. Results: The prevalence of PRISm was higher when using the fixed ratio (FR) criteria (FEV₁/FVC ≥0.7 with FEV₁ < 80% of predicted value) compared to the lower limit of normal (LLN) criteria (FEV₁/FVC ≥ LLN and FEV₁ < LLN) (10.0% vs. 4.2%). The %prediction for R5-R20 provided an acceptable area under the curve (AUC) for PRISm, defined by the LLN and the FR criteria (AuROC = 0.75 (95%CI; 0.64, 0.85) and 0.72 (95%CI; 0.63, 0.81), respectively). The cut-off value of %predicted R5-R20 ≥120% resulted in the highest sensitivity and specificity for detecting PRISm. Conclusions: The %predicted of R5-R20 ≥ 120% showed an acceptable performance for PRISm detection and PRISm may be detected by IOS. Full article

This study aimed to compare sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) levels between ejaculate and testicular sperm and evaluate clinical outcomes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles using testicular sperm (T-ICSI) versus ejaculate sperm (E-ICSI) in males with high ejaculate SDF, prior ICSI failures, or severe male infertility. A systematic review of major databases and a subsequent meta-analysis were performed to compare clinical outcomes in men with high SDF, oligozoospermia, or prior ICSI failures undergoing T-ICSI or E-ICSI. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Outcomes analyzed included SDF levels, fertilization rate (FR), clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), live birth rate (LBR) per embryo transfer (ET), and miscarriage rate (MR) per pregnancy. The mean difference (MD) and odds ratio (OR) were calculated for each outcome. Paired assessments of SDF showed significantly lower levels in testicular sperm compared to ejaculated sperm (MD = −25.42 [−31.47, −17.30], p < 0.00001). While no significant difference in FR was observed in T-ICSI cycles overall (OR = 0.94 [0.74, 1.20]), a subgroup analysis revealed significantly higher FR with E-ICSI in men with oligozoospermia and no prior ICSI failures (OR = 0.61 [0.52, 0.71], p < 0.00001). CPR was significantly higher in T-ICSI cycles (OR = 2.13 [1.35, 3.36], p < 0.001; n = 540 ET), along with a significantly lower MR (OR = 0.31 [0.14, 0.70], p = 0.004; n = 35) and increased LBR (OR = 2.40 [1.32, 4.36], p = 0.004; n = 446 ET). In conclusion, using testicular sperm in cases of elevated ejaculate SDF, oligozoospermia, or prior failed ICSI cycles enhances the selection of sperm with lower DNA damage, leading to improved pregnancy rates, reduced miscarriage rates, and higher live birth rates. However, the studies included were rated as having a moderate to serious risk of bias. Further well-designed randomized controlled trials are necessary to confirm these findings with stronger evidence. Full article

This paper presents PCB design solutions for implementing a radiative-field RF energy harvester with an ASK-PWM decoding communication scheme using available commercial components. The paper provides the design approach and tackles key challenges such as the impact of inductive parasitic effects at the output of the harvester, how to maintain the PCE at a constant value regardless of the time constant at the output of the communication path’s rectifier, and the difficulty of changing the aspect ratio of the discrete inverter used for PWM decoding. These challenges are addressed by using multiple capacitors connected in parallel at the output of the rectifier to reduce inductive parasitic effects, adding a series resistor in the communication path’s rectifier to isolate its loading from impacting the PCE, and utilizing a potentiometer in the inverter to realize PWM decoding on PCB. The system was manufactured using FR-4 substrate material with a size of 5 cm × 4 cm × 0.6 cm, harvesting energy at the ISM frequency of 924 MHz with a PCE of 42.12% at a bit rate of 15 Kbps. Moreover, the system consumes only 355 μW of power and maintains correct harvesting and decoding operation in the antenna separation range of 6–12 cm. This work aims to provide an alternative to IC realization by implementing the system entirely using commercial discrete components, reducing costs, adding flexibility, reducing development time, and allowing for simple debugging. Full article

Fungal rhinosinusitis (FRS) can be classified into invasive and non-invasive forms, with the fungal ball (FB) representing a common non-invasive type with generally favorable outcomes post-operatively. The clinical presentation of FB can vary and be non-specific, and it is important to consider a wide differential diagnosis for sinonasal masses, including malignancy. We present the case of a 74-year-old female presenting with a two-year history of nasal obstruction and drainage. She has a history of breast cancer and prior maxillomandibular surgery, and imaging showed a poorly defined mass in the right maxillary sinus with possible hemorrhagic and/or proteinaceous content. Rigid nasal endoscopy revealed a friable mass, and endoscopic sinus surgery findings were consistent with FB. This case exemplifies the need to consider a broad set of differential diagnoses when evaluating sinonasal masses, especially if the patient has a prior malignancy or maxillomandibular surgical history, including FB and metastases to the paranasal sinuses. Given the presence of non-specific symptoms, it is important to consider early imaging for patients with distorted anatomy and a history of malignancy. Endoscopic sinus surgery, with high success rates, is the gold-standard treatment for FB. Full article

With the advancement of intelligent power generation and consumption technologies, an increasing number of renewable energy sources (RESs), smart loads, and electric vehicles (EVs) are being integrated into smart grids. This paper proposes a coordinated frequency control strategy for hybrid power systems with RESs, smart loads, EVs, and a thermal power unit (TPU), in which EVs and the TPU participate in short-term frequency regulation (FR) jointly. All EVs provide FR auxiliary services as controllable loads; specifically, the EV aggregations operate in charging mode when participating in FR. The proposed coordinated frequency control strategy is implemented by an improved recurrent neural network (IRNN), which combines a recurrent neural network with a functional-link layer. The weights and biases of the IRNN are trained by an improved backpropagation through time (BPTT) algorithm, in which a chaotic competitive swarm optimizer (CCSO) is proposed to optimize the learning rates. Finally, the simulation results verify the superiority of the coordinated frequency control strategy. Full article

In this paper, we propose an optimization approach using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) to enhance reservoir separability in Liquid State Machines (LSMs) for spatio-temporal classification in neuromorphic systems. By leveraging PSO, our method fine-tunes reservoir parameters, neuron dynamics, and connectivity patterns, maximizing separability while aligning with the resource constraints typical of neuromorphic hardware. This approach was validated in both software (NEST) and on neuromorphic hardware (SpiNNaker), demonstrating notable results in terms of accuracy and low energy consumption when using SpiNNaker. Specifically, our approach addresses two problems: Frequency Recognition (FR) with five classes and Pattern Recognition (PR) with four, eight, and twelve classes. For instance, in the Mono-objective approach running in NEST, accuracies ranged from 81.09% to 95.52% across the benchmarks under study. The Multi-objective approach outperformed the Mono-objective approach, delivering accuracies ranging from 90.23% to 98.77%, demonstrating its superior scalability for LSM implementations. On the SpiNNaker platform, the mono-objective approach achieved accuracies ranging from 86.20% to 97.70% across the same benchmarks, with the Multi-objective approach further improving accuracies, ranging from 94.42% to 99.52%. These results show that, in addition to slight accuracy improvements, hardware-based implementations offer superior energy efficiency with a lower execution time. For example, SpiNNaker operates at around 1–5 watts per chip, while traditional systems can require 50–100 watts for similar tasks, highlighting the significant energy savings of neuromorphic hardware. These results underscore the scalability and effectiveness of PSO-optimized LSMs on resource-limited neuromorphic platforms, showcasing both improved classification performance and the advantages of energy-efficient processing. Full article