Search Results (11,668)

Background and Objectives: We studied the clinical significance of an amplitude decrement and disappearance alarm criteria in transcranial motor-evoked potential (MEP) monitoring during surgeries on extramedullary tumors at the cervical spine with reference to postoperative morbidity. Material and Methods: We diagnosed and surgically treated fourteen patients with intradural extramedullary ventral or ventrolateral lesions to the cervical spinal cord in the Clinic of Neurosurgery at the University Hospital St Ivan Rilski from January 2018 to July 2022. Eight cases were diagnosed with schwannoma, and the remaining six had meningiomas. The follow-up period for neurological assessment was six months. Results: A decrease in the intraoperative transcranial MEPs of 50% or more compared to baseline in two cases (14.3%) resulted in an immediate postoperative motor deficit. One patient demonstrated full neurological recovery within six months, while the other exhibited only partial improvement. In six cases (42.9%) with preoperative motor deficits, tumor resection and decompression of the cervical spinal cord led directly to an increment of the transcranial MEPs by more than 20%. Postoperatively and at the 6-month follow-up, these patients showed recovery from the preoperative deficits. In the remaining cases, MEPs were stable during surgery with no clinical deterioration of the motor function. Conclusions: The decremented MEP criteria corresponded to postoperative motor deficit, whereas the improvement of the same parameters after decompression implied future recovery of preoperative motor deficits. The combination of different MEP criteria is likely to be helpful when tailored to a specific case of ventral or ventrolateral extramedullary lesions in the cervical spine. Full article

This article intends to highlight and reconstruct the relationships between humans (harvesters, woodworkers and master artisans) and non-humans (raw materials, tools, places, products, etc.) in the Barniz de Pasto mopa-mopa tradition. These relationships were lost when the focus came to be primarily on the objects, as happens in most popular art forms worldwide. This text is organised in ethnographic overviews: the home workshops of masters of Barniz de Pasto; woodworker workshops; montañas-selvas (Andean rainforest highlands) and mopa-mopa harvesters; until we reach the objects. Unlike a conventional article, it does not end with firm and immutable conclusions. Our reflections from our eleven years (2013–2024) of accompanying men and women artisans and collectors, during the process of including the traditional knowledge and techniques associated with Barniz de Pasto mopa-mopa as Intangible Cultural Heritage (patrimonialización) and its safeguarding, are always open for discussion. Full article

The aim of this study is to reveal in an interpretive way how computer-mediated communication, the Internet, and social media can be grasped by authority models and how these new types of authority influence religious communities that are (also) present on online platforms. In some cases, computer-mediated communication weakened and made traditional church authorities porous, but in other cases, it specifically helped and strengthened them. In other words, the impact of digital media is not uniform or unidirectional in this respect. Although there is no doubt that the Internet has multiplied it, made it optional, and personalized it from the user’s point of view, it has made religious authority customizable. The power of choice means that, in the digital sphere, the user decides when, what form of network authority they will submit to, for how long, and why they do so. In the classics of the sociology of religion, the concept of authority appears in a hierarchical representation under the concepts of (social) order and rationality. In other words, it cannot be thought of in a way that is contrary to rationality and contrary to social order. In network communication, the concept of authority is subordinated to technology, or as Castells puts it, power can only be interpreted with the logic of the network. Of course, the technological network and its contents are under external (legal) control, but it is precisely the power of the symbolic struggles taking place here that shows how important this issue is in the 21st century. The concept of authority classified under technology will no longer be linked to order or rationality, but to the processes of control, datafication, and attention management on the part of the owners of the platforms, while from the users’ side to concepts such as identity, authenticity, choice, and voluntariness. Its boundaries will be malleable, and the phenomenon itself will multiply. In summary, we cannot talk about one single online religious authority but more types of religious authorities, which are continuously and discursively formed, change, and occasionally hybridize. Full article

Variable structure control systems are known to provide a high level of robustness to external disturbances and modeling uncertainties with comparably low computational complexity. Thanks to these features, they have found applications in various fields, such as power engineering, electronics, robotics, and aviation. In recent decades, the field of sliding mode control has developed significantly. Therefore, this study aims to discuss the basic concepts and design methodology of such strategies. Although in the 20th century, continuous-time sliding mode control has been the center of the control engineering society’s attention, it has certain major shortcomings. In particular, such control schemes result in undesirable high-frequency oscillations when applied digitally. Therefore, the more recent discrete-time approach to sliding mode control has gained recognition in the 21st century. Since the introduction of discrete-time sliding mode control strategies, the reaching law-based controller design method has been designed, within which two main paradigms may be named: the switching type and the nonswitching type quasi-sliding mode. This paper presents a broad review of the discrete-time sliding mode control strategies, starting from the definition of sliding mode through the controller design procedures and up to potential applications. The aim of this study is to provide an up-to-date state of the art and introduce readers to the newest trends and achievements in the field of sliding mode control. Full article

Early revascularization for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is of outmost importance in limiting infarct size and associated complications, as well as for improving long-term survival and outcomes. However, reperfusion itself may further damage the myocardium and increase the infarct size, a condition commonly recognized as myocardial reperfusion injury. Several strategies have been developed for limiting the associated with reperfusion myocardial damage, including hypothermia. Hypothermia has been shown to limit the degree of infarct size increase, when started before reperfusion, in several animal models. Systemic hypothermia, however, failed to show any benefit, due to adverse events and potentially insufficient myocardial cooling. Recently, the novel technique of intracoronary selective hypothermia is being tested, with preclinical and clinical results being of particular interest. Therefore, in this review, we will describe the pathophysiology of myocardial reperfusion injury and the cardioprotective mechanics of hypothermia, report the animal and clinical evidence in both systemic and selective hypothermia and discuss the potential future directions and clinical perspectives in the context of cardioprotection for myocardial reperfusion injury. Full article

In the Industry 4.0 scenario, human–robot collaboration (HRC) plays a key role in factories to reduce costs, increase production, and help aged and/or sick workers maintain their job. The approaches of the ISO 11228 series commonly used for biomechanical risk assessments cannot be applied in Industry 4.0, as they do not involve interactions between workers and HRC technologies. The use of wearable sensor networks and software for biomechanical risk assessments could help us develop a more reliable idea about the effectiveness of collaborative robots (coBots) in reducing the biomechanical load for workers. The aim of the present study was to investigate some biomechanical parameters with the 3D Static Strength Prediction Program (3DSSPP) software v.7.1.3, on workers executing a practical manual material-handling task, by comparing a dual-arm coBot-assisted scenario with a no-coBot scenario. In this study, we calculated the mean and the standard deviation (SD) values from eleven participants for some 3DSSPP parameters. We considered the following parameters: the percentage of maximum voluntary contraction (%MVC), the maximum allowed static exertion time (MaxST), the low-back spine compression forces at the L4/L5 level (L4Ort), and the strength percent capable value (SPC). The advantages of introducing the coBot, according to our statistics, concerned trunk flexion (SPC from 85.8% without coBot to 95.2%; %MVC from 63.5% without coBot to 43.4%; MaxST from 33.9 s without coBot to 86.2 s), left shoulder abdo-adduction (%MVC from 46.1% without coBot to 32.6%; MaxST from 32.7 s without coBot to 65 s), and right shoulder abdo-adduction (%MVC from 43.9% without coBot to 30.0%; MaxST from 37.2 s without coBot to 70.7 s) in Phase 1, and right shoulder humeral rotation (%MVC from 68.4% without coBot to 7.4%; MaxST from 873.0 s without coBot to 125.2 s), right shoulder abdo-adduction (%MVC from 31.0% without coBot to 18.3%; MaxST from 60.3 s without coBot to 183.6 s), and right wrist flexion/extension rotation (%MVC from 50.2% without coBot to 3.0%; MaxST from 58.8 s without coBot to 1200.0 s) in Phase 2. Moreover, Phase 3, which consisted of another manual handling task, would be removed by using a coBot. In summary, using a coBot in this industrial scenario would reduce the biomechanical risk for workers, particularly for the trunk, both shoulders, and the right wrist. Finally, the 3DSSPP software could be an easy, fast, and costless tool for biomechanical risk assessments in an Industry 4.0 scenario where ISO 11228 series cannot be applied; it could be used by occupational medicine physicians and health and safety technicians, and could also help employers to justify a long-term investment. Full article

The complete blood cell count (CBC) was screened in a group of 15 donkeys, of which 8 were of Asinara breed (oculocutaneous albinism type 1, OCA1) and 7 of Sardo breed (gray coat). All donkeys were kept under same management and dietary conditions and underwent periodic health monitoring in the month of June 2024, at the peak of the positive photoperiod, at Mediterranean latitudes. One aliquot of whole blood, drawn from each individual into K₂-EDTA containing tubes, was analyzed for the complete blood cell count through an automatic analyzer, within two hours of sampling. Data were analyzed and compared by one-way ANOVA, where the breed was an independent variable. All animals appeared clinically healthy, though mild eosinophilia was observed in Sardo donkeys. The red blood cell line showed peculiar traits for Asinara donkeys, which displayed significantly higher circulating red blood cell numbers than gray coat Sardo donkeys (RBC, 5.19 vs. 3.80 10¹²/mL ± 0.98 pooled-St. Dev, respectively; p = 0.017). RBCs also exhibited a smaller diameter and higher degree of anisocytosis in Asinara donkeys, along with lower hematocrit value, albeit within physiological ranges. Taken all together, such hematological profile depicts a peculiar trait of the red blood cell line in albino donkeys during the positive photoperiod. Full article

Illness is a significant global societal issue in the 21st century. Forest, as an important part of terrestrial ecosystem, holds substantial health and well-being benefits. People can gain health benefits from interacting with forests, even for short periods. Unfortunately, there is a lack of systematic concern regarding the beneficial elements that forest provides to humans. In this study, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following established guidelines, comprehensively evaluating the beneficial elements of the forest environment. The results indicated that the beneficial forest elements relevant to human health include beneficial substances (clean air, high-quality freshwater, CO₂/O₂ balance, negative air ions, and phytoncides) and beneficial factors (moderate thermal environment and biodiversity). These beneficial forest elements are products of plant’s physiological processes. While their production pathways are relatively well understood, the mechanisms by which these elements impact health are unclear. This review provided the foundational data and theoretical insights for future research on the health benefits of forest elements. Full article

In this paper, we present two different ways for computing the Kauffman bracket skein module of S1×S2, KBSMS1×S2, via braids. We first extend the universal Kauffman bracket type invariant V for knots and links in the Solid Torus ST, which is obtained via a unique Markov trace constructed on the generalized Temperley–Lieb algebra of type B, to an invariant for knots and links in S1×S2. We do that by imposing on V relations coming from the braid band moves. These moves reflect isotopy in S1×S2 and they are similar to the second Kirby move. We obtain an infinite system of equations, a solution of which is equivalent to computing KBSMS1×S2. We show that KBSMS1×S2 is not torsion free and that its free part is generated by the unknot (or the empty knot). We then present a diagrammatic method for computing KBSMS1×S2 via braids. Using this diagrammatic method, we also obtain a closed formula for the torsion part of KBSMS1×S2. Full article

Side-channel analysis is a type of cryptanalysis that utilizes the physical leakage of a cryptographic device. An adversary exploits the relationship between a physical leakage and the secret intermediate value of an encryption algorithm. In order to prevent side-channel analysis, the masking method was proposed. Several masking methods of the ISO/IEC 18033-3 standard encryption algorithm SEED have been proposed, as the Korean financial IC (integrated circuit) card standard (CFIP.ST.FINIC-01-2021) mandates using a robust implementation of SEED as an encryption algorithm against side-channel analyses. However, vulnerabilities were reported, except for with only one masking method. This study proposes the first-order vulnerability of that masking method. That is, an adversary is able to perform a side-channel analysis with the same complexity as an unprotected implementation. In order to fix this vulnerability, we revise the masking method with negligible additional overhead. Its vulnerability and security are theoretically verified and experimentally demonstrated. The round key of the existing masking method is revealed with only 210 power consumption traces, while that of the proposed masking method is not disclosed with 10,000 traces. Full article

The injudicious use of water and fertilizer to maximize crop yield not only leads to environmental pollution, but also causes enormous economic losses. For this reason, we investigated the effect of nitrogen (N) (N0 (0), N60 (60 kg ha⁻¹), and N120 (120 kg ha⁻¹)) at different irrigation levels (I0 (0), I1200 (budding 600 m³ ha⁻¹ + kernel 600 m³ ha⁻¹), and I1800 (budding 900 m³ ha⁻¹ + kernel 900 m³ ha⁻¹)) on oilseed flax in the Loess Plateau of China in 2019 and 2020. The objective was to establish appropriate irrigation and fertilizer management strategies that enhance the grain yield (GY) of oilseed flax and maximize water and N productivity. The results demonstrated that irrigation and N application and their coupling effects promoted dry matter accumulation (DMA) and non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) synthesis, and increased the GY of oilseed flax. The contents of NSC in various organs of flax were closely related to grain yield and yield components. Higher NSC in stems was conducive to increased sink capacity (effective capsule number per plant (EC) and thousand kernel weight (TKW)), and the coupling of irrigation and N affected GY by promoting NSC synthesis. Higher GY was obtained by the interaction of irrigation and N fertilizer, with the increase rate ranging from 15.84% to 35.40%. Additionally, in the increased yield of oilseed flax, 39.70–78.06%, 14.49–54.11%, and −10.6–24.93% were contributed by the application of irrigation and nitrogen and the interaction of irrigation and nitrogen (I × N), respectively. Irrigation was the main factor for increasing the GY of oilseed flax. In addition, different climatic conditions changed the contribution of irrigation and N and their interaction to yield increase in oilseed flax. Drought and low temperature induced soluble sugar (SS) and starch (ST) synthesis to resist an unfavorable environment, respectively. The structural equation model showed that the key factors to increasing the GY of oilseed flax by irrigation and nitrogen fertilization were the differential increases in DMA, EC, and TKW. The increases in EC and TKW were attributed to the promotion of DMA and NSC synthesis in oilseed flax organs by irrigation, nitrogen fertilization, and their coupling effects. The I1200N60 treatment obtained higher water use efficiency (WUE) and N partial factor productivity (NPFP) due to lower actual evapotranspiration (ETa) and lower N application rate. Therefore, the strategy of 1200 m³ ha⁻¹ irrigation and 60 kg ha⁻¹ N application is recommended for oilseed flax in semi-arid and similar areas to achieve high grain yield and efficient use of resources. Full article

A carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) outbreak in an intensive care unit (ICU) was contained by an improved infection-control measure that included a disinfectant policy. In our retrospective cohort study, we describe the epidemiological investigations and infection-control measures during this outbreak. Descriptive analysis was used to summarize patient demographics, neurological diseases, surgical treatment, underlying diseases, infection, and outcomes. In December 2023, two CARB-positive patients were observed in the ICU, and four more patients became CRAB-positive in January. During this outbreak, there was an overlap of hospitalization periods among the CRAB-positive patients, and CRAB was isolated from the environment; the isolated CRAB strain was identical. Infection-control measures, including hand hygiene, contact precautions and isolation, surveillance, decolonization, environmental cleaning, and disinfection, were reviewed and modified. The aim of this study was to examine the molecular background of the effectiveness of the disinfectant shift used during successful outbreak control. Experiments were carried out to study the phenotypic sensitivity and genetic background of different disinfectant agents. A thorough analysis of the detected CRAB strain included whole-genome sequencing (WGS), investigation of the qacE and qacEΔ1 genes’ relative expression by qPCR after exposure to different disinfectant solutions, as well as an analysis of biofilm formation. WGS analysis of the CRAB strain identified that an ST2 high-risk clone was responsible for the outbreak, which produced OXA-83 and ADC-30 beta-lactamases; in addition, qacE and qacEΔ1 genes were also detected, which confer resistance to disinfectants containing quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs). A qPCR analysis demonstrated that after exposure to different disinfectants, the gene expression levels of qacE and qacEΔ1 increased and correlated with concentrations of QACs of disinfectants. During the outbreak, the standard-of-care QAC-based disinfectant was changed to a mainly alcohol-based agent in the ICU, which contributed to the successful control of this outbreak, and no additional patients were identified with CRAB. We conclude that continuous surveillance and hand hygiene training combined with fast identification and reaction to new cases, as well as an in-depth analysis of multidrug-resistant outbreak strains and investigation of their disinfectant tolerance/resistance during an outbreak, are essential to effectively control the spread of nosocomial pathogens. The smart policy of disinfectant agent selection played a crucial role in controlling the outbreak and ensuring patient safety in the ICU. Full article

The 16th century AD St. Barbara’s Church in Paternò, a town located at the SW foot of Mt. Etna volcano (Sicily, Italy), has since 2009 showed evident signs of structural instability and collapse. This is causing great concern among the local population and poses a growing hazard to the attendees to the masses. After precautionary closure of the church, we carried out geological, seismic, geophysical and geochemical surveys in order to shed light on the possible causes of the phenomenon. From the results of all surveys above, the presence of a hidden fault was hypothesized. The fault would prove to cross the west side of the church, parallel to its front portal, and continue both to the north and to the south of the edifice. It is part of a more complex system of faults that crosses the whole town of Paternò and is likely a result of the complex dynamics of Mt. Etna. This fault seems to also be a pathway for the upward flow of saline hydrothermal fluids, similar in composition to those emitted in nearby areas and whose corrosive action possibly contributed to the weakening of the rocks beneath the church. Temporal monitoring of several hydrological parameters (water temperature, water level and CO₂ content) in some sites in and around the church allowed a better understanding both of the fault dynamics and of the extent of hydrothermal influence in the studied area. Full article

Background: Over the last three years, many studies have explored the effect of pandemic closures on learning. However, in Israel, the perspectives of parents on the short- and long-term effects of the lockdowns on students with mathematical learning disabilities (MD), have rarely been examined. Method: To fill this gap, MD (n = 33) or typically developing (n = 50) children were selected. They were in the 1st and 2nd grades during the closures, and we tested them and their surroundings, two years later. Results and Conclusions: First, according to the parent’s survey, children with MD had physical conditions similar to the TD group, the two groups had similar stable connections to the internet, computer, and a quiet environment. However, MD children (1) needed more help and (2) had a harder time concentrating during virtual math classes compared to TD children. Moreover, the coronavirus closures resulted in a greater learning gap in the MD children compared to the TD children. We found positive associations between difficulties reported by the parents and actual weakness in performances in complex multiplication and division and verbal working memory. Full article

Recently, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in Sphynx cats has been associated with a variant in the gene encoding Alström syndrome protein 1 (ALMS1). The primary aims of this study were to describe the prevalence of HCM in Sphynx cats in New Zealand, and to assess the association between HCM and the ALMS1 variant in this population. In this prospective study, 55 apparently healthy Sphynx cats from registered Sphynx breeders and pet owners in New Zealand were screened by a cardiologist. A total of 42 of these cats had a repeat cardiac examination after median 1.8 years (range: 1.6–2.2). The frequency of the ALMS1 variant was 70.9% (11 homozygous and 28 heterozygous). At the median age of 5.8 years (range: 2.4–13.1), the prevalence of HCM was 40% (20 out of 55 cats). Three cats with HCM died during the study with congestive heart failure. All three cats had focal but extensive myocardial ischemia or infarction at necropsy. The ALMS1 variant was not associated with the HCM diagnosis. In summary, HCM was common in the studied cohort, suggesting Sphynx cats are predisposed to this disease. While the ALMS1 variant was also frequently detected, it was not associated with HCM in this population. Full article