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Introduction: The evidence basis for therapy selection in women who have failed primary stress urinary incontinence (SUI) surgery is limited. The ICI‐RS group discussed the available data at its meeting in June 2023, particularly the anatomical characteristics as assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound (US) modalities, functional characteristics associated with storage and voiding urodynamic assessment, as well as the patient characteristics that might influence outcomes. This paper summarizes the evidence base that supported these discussions and offers the basis for research proposals for future groups. Methods: A literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was performed, and the data is presented. Research questions are based on the knowledge gaps highlighted. Results: Possible MRI parameters that may influence outcomes were striated urethral sphincter volume, bladder and proximal urethral funneling, pubo‐urethral ligament integrity, distance of the bladder neck below the pubococcygeal line, posterior urethra‐vesical angle, and bladder neck to levator ani distance. US parameters included sling distance to the urethral lumen and pubis, sling position, bladder neck mobility, and lateral arm asymmetry, twisting, or curling. Urodynamic parameters included detrusor overactivity, Valsalva leak point pressure, maximum urethral closure pressure, and bladder outlet obstruction. Important patient parameters included body mass index, age, and previous interventions. Conclusions: Identifying and quantifying causative factors in patients with recurrent SUI, that allow clinicians to modify subsequent treatment choices and techniques may help reduce treatment failure and complications. Formulating algorithms is the next step in optimizing patient counseling, surgical selection, and healthcare allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A "Think Tank" at the International Consultation on Incontinence‐Research Society meeting held in Bristol, United Kingdom in June 2023 considered the progress and promise of machine learning (ML) applied to urodynamic data. Methods: Examples of the use of ML applied to data from uroflowmetry, pressure flow studies and imaging were presented. The advantages and limitations of ML were considered. Recommendations made during the subsequent debate for research studies were recorded. Results: ML analysis holds great promise for the kind of data generated in urodynamic studies. To date, ML techniques have not yet achieved sufficient accuracy for routine diagnostic application. Potential approaches that can improve the use of ML were agreed and research questions were proposed. Conclusions: ML is well suited to the analysis of urodynamic data, but results to date have not achieved clinical utility. It is considered likely that further research can improve the analysis of the large, multifactorial data sets generated by urodynamic clinics, and improve to some extent data pattern recognition that is currently subject to observer error and artefactual noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Oncologic mastectomy in the setting of obesity poses challenges in achieving a flat closure that includes the lateral adiposity. The angel wing (AW) technique was developed to address this issue. We aim to demonstrate the safety of AW by evaluating incidence of arm lymphedema (AL) and decreased range of motion (dROM) in patients postmastectomy with and without the AW closure. Methods. We performed a single-center retrospective cohort study at an academic referral center of patients who underwent mastectomy with and without the AW technique from May 2014 to October 2022. Those who received breast reconstruction (immediate or delayed), partial mastectomy, and male patients were excluded. The presence of postoperative AL and dROM was evaluated. Subgroup analysis was performed for patient factors including BMI, extent of axillary surgery, PMRT, and pathologic stage. Results. A total of 390 patients met inclusion criteria. Of those, 173 (44.4%) underwent AW and 217 (55.6%) had non-AW mastectomy. Expectedly, the average BMI was significantly higher in the AW cohort (p < 0.0001). The overall rate of AL was 51/390 (13.1%), seen in 27 (15.6%) undergoing AW and 24 (11.1%) non-AW (p value = 0.18). While the rate of dROM within the cohort was 52/390 (13.1%), 27 (15.6%) underwent AW vs. 24 (11.1%) non-AW (p value = 0.22), resulting in no statistical significance between AW and non-AW mastectomy upon subsequent development of AL or dROM. Conclusion. Our study demonstrates the AW technique does not convey an increased risk of overall AL or dROM, even when considering known risk factors such as obesity, PMRT, and extent of axillary surgery. As we strive to provide our patients with improved surgical techniques for oncologic resection, we submit that this technique is a viable and safe option for achieving the goals of cosmesis with oncologic safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes and analyzes a low-cost fixed microstrip beamforming system based on a uniform linear array with four rectangular patch antennas controlled by a Butler matrix that operates in the 2.4 GHz ISM band. A 4×4 Butler matrix consisting of four hybrid quadrature directional couplers, two crossovers, and two 45° phase shifters was designed and implemented to control the beam direction of the entire system. Similarly, a comparative study is performed between two different antenna arrays, the first consisting of a conventional linear antenna array and the second antenna array consisting of four patch antennas loaded with metamaterial structures on the ground plane. Finally, the electrical performance of both smart beamforming systems was evaluated, and their potential application as a wireless power transmitter was evaluated. Four beams with distinct orientations were created in each situation. The smart antenna based on a conventional array has a higher gain, while the smart antenna based on metamaterial structures has a higher HPBW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient long-term storage of cryogenic propellants is a challenge for future space exploration missions. The vapour bubbles formed as a result of boil-off in the tank walls can generate foam structures, which could be hazardous in different operations in orbit. A recently proposed approach to control the dynamics of bubbles is based on the generation of an acoustic field by means of a piezoelectric transducer. This technology needs to be validated at cryogenic temperatures in order to be applicable in space. In this perspective, different piezoelectric elements and matching layer materials have been tested at cryogenic temperatures to assess their performance at such environmental conditions. We consider the use of soft PZT piezoceramics coupled with an epoxy resin as the matching layer. Experimental data reveal that epoxy resin-based acoustic matching layers exhibit a linear increase in the transmittance of the acoustic amplitude at cryogenic conditions. The peak-to-peak amplitude increases as temperature decreases up to a factor of 1.6. This result opens the possibility of generating and transmitting acoustic waves at cryogenic temperatures, which could be used in the recently proposed technology to control the dynamics of vapour bubbles in cryogenic fuel tanks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We isolated and compared three tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) isolates from lettuce (TSWV-Let), pepper (TSWV-Pep), and tomato (TSWV-Tom) from central Mexico to determine their ability to infect a set of eighteen differential plant species from seven families. TWSV-Let was an aggressive isolate with the ability to infect up to 52% of the differential plants, including maize, under greenhouse conditions. The nucleotide (nt) sequences of the three isolates are more than 90% similar in the M and S RNA segments. In the M segment of the TSWV-Let isolate, we detected nt changes in their intergenic region (IGR) and, in the Gc gene, a region containing a recombination site, as well as a synapomorphy associated with one of three sites under positive selection with a change in one aa residue (a cysteine-to-valine mutation). We speculate on the association of these features in the Gc gene with host selection, adaptation, aggressiveness, and ability to infect maize plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric and direct piezoelectric responses in non-doped and Mn-doped Pb0.91La0.09(Zr0.65,Ti0.35)O3 ceramics are experimentally studied. The permittivity and the direct piezoelectric coefficient were measured by applying an ac electric field or a mechanical stress, respectively. The results show that the dielectric response is mainly due to an extrinsic contribution at room temperature. A notable reduction in room temperature dielectric losses by Mn-doping is verified. The temperature of the minimum of the losses depends on the Mn-content, enabling the Pb0.91La0.09(Zr0.65,Ti0.35)O3 properties to be tuned from soft to hard. A significant stabilization of the dielectric and piezoelectric responses, related to domain wall motion reduction, is confirmed in Mn-doped materials, so these materials become good candidates for transducer applications. The correlation between the dielectric constant and dielectric losses is discussed in terms of the Rayleigh model. Results show that Mn-doped PLZT response does not fit this model. This fact could be explained by taking into account the nature of the defects created by manganese addition. These complex defects act as pinning centers, and the reversible movement of domain walls provide a significant contribution to the response of these materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonlinear response of pure and doped Pb(Zr1-xTix)O3 ceramics, with different compositions, has been analyzed in order to evaluate the domain wall motion in these materials. The study of dielectric and converse piezoelectric response shows a clear dependence of the domain wall mobility on the ferroelectric phase. Large lattice distortion in tetragonal samples produces a low mobility of the ferroelectric-ferroelastic domain walls. The influence of the type of defects on the nonlinear response has been explored. The results show that the relative increase of the domain walls mobility in donor-doped materials is greater than the decrease in acceptor-doped materials due to the pinning produced by complex defects. Rayleigh law has been used to evaluate the irreversible contribution of the domain walls movement to the nonlinear dielectric response. The analysis reveals that in presence of oxygen vacancies, the dielectric response cannot be attributed exclusively to the contribution of the irreversible domain wall motion. Furthermore, dielectric constant perpendicular to poling direction has been measured in rhombohedral donor-doped and acceptor-doped samples. The nonlinear response in the perpendicular direction is higher than in the poling direction, and this effect can be enlarged by the presence of complex defects. Dielectric nonlinear response has also been measured at different frequencies in rhombohedral donor-doped sample. A logarithmic dependence on frequency has been observed, which can be explained by the pinning effect on the ferroelectric domain walls by randomly distributed defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies indicate that marine seismic activity is vast. Actually, about 90% of all natural earthquakes have epicenters in o_shore areas and may cause damage to subsea and floating structures. In this numerical study the indirect boundary element method is used to analyze the influence that some parameters, involved in this kind of problems, have on the dynamic response of marine waters under the incidence of theoretical seismic events. According with the results, the seismic amplifications depend on the seabed configuration and produce displacements which can be a serious concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current wealth of genomic variation data identified at nucleotide level presents the challenge of understanding by which mechanisms amino acid variation affects cellular processes. These effects may manifest as distinct phenotypic differences between individuals or result in the development of disease. Physical interactions between molecules are the linking steps underlying most, if not all, cellular processes. Understanding the effects that sequence variation has on a molecule’s interactions is a key step towards connecting mechanistic characterization of nonsynonymous variation to phenotype. We present an open access resource created over 14 years by IMEx database curators, featuring 28,000 annotations describing the effect of small sequence changes on physical protein interactions. We describe how this resource was built, the formats in which the data is provided and offer a descriptive analysis of the data set. The data set is publicly available through the IntAct website and is enhanced with every monthly release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which showed that the efficiency of a microcavity light-emitting diode (MCLED) is directly related to its detuning. Advantages of LED compared to laser diodes; Approximation of Fabry-Perot wavelength on the dependence of the efficiency of a MCLED; Methods to measure the parameters on chip; Conclusions.

Background/Aims: To evaluate the incidence rate of relapse in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) undergoing chondroitin sulphate (CS) treatment and its effect on the concentrations of several pro-inflammatory proteins. Methods: Prospective, observational, 12-month follow-up study in patients with IBD in remission, starting CS (Condrosan®, Bioiberica S.A.) treatment for osteoarthritis (OA). Crohn's Disease Activity Index and modified Truelove-Witts severity index were calculated for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (UC) respectively. Levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFA), -C, fibroblast growth factor 2, hepatocyte growth factor, angiopoietin (Ang)-1, Ang-2, transforming growth factor beta, tumour necrosis factor alpha, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-12, IL-17, IL-23, intracellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular adhesion molecule-1, matrix metalloproteinase-3 and PGE2 were quantified by ELISA. OA joint pain was evaluated using a visual analogue scale. Results: A total of 37 patients (19 UC and 18 Crohn's disease) were included. The mean values for OA joint pain decreased after 12 months from 5.9 ± 2.8 to 3.0 ± 2.3 (p < 0.05). Only 1 patient (with UC) flared during follow-up. The incidence rate of relapse was 3.4% per patient-year of follow-up. Mean serum VEGFA levels increased between baseline (492 pg/ml) and 12-month treatment (799 pg/ml; p < 0.05). Conclusion: The incidence of IBD relapse in patients under CS treatment was lower than that generally reported. This treatment might modulate VEGFA. CS decreases OA-related pain in patients with IBD. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crumpled metal foils are a new type of lightweight cellular materials. The engineering applications of crumpled foils require a deep understanding of their response to mechanical loads. In order to establish a comprehensive understanding of the mechanical behavior of crumpled foils, in the present study, the uniaxial compression experiments were performed on cylindrical samples of different packing densities manufactured by die compaction of randomly crumpled aluminum foils. This has allowed us to deduce the constitutive stress-strain relationship and quantify the relaxation behavior of crumpled foils. Consequently, we determine the mechanical properties (apparent Young modulus, yield stress, and longitudinal stiffness modulus) that govern the deformation behavior of crumpled samples in the whole range of relative deformation. The power-law dependence of mechanical properties on the initial packing density is revealed. The stress and strain relaxation behavior of crumpled foils is also elucidated. These findings provide further insight into the deformation behavior and relaxation mechanisms of crumpled aluminum foils. The knowledge of the mechanical and relaxation characteristics of crumpled aluminum foils is useful for their engineering application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the association between 192 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis. It tackles the recruitment of research participants, the method used in the study, and calculation of the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, allele and genotype frequencies.

Copyright of Revista Mexicana de Ingeniería Biomédica is the property of Sociedad Mexicana de Ingenieria Biomedica, A.C. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the present communication, scattering of elastic waves in fluid-layered solid interfaces is studied. The indirect boundary element method is used to deal with this wave propagation phenomenon in 2D fluid-layered solid models. The source is represented by Hankel's function of second kind and this is always applied in the fluid. Our method is an approximate boundary integral technique which is based upon an integral representation for scattered elastic waves using single-layer boundary sources. This approach is typically called indirect because the sources' strengths are calculated as an intermediate step. In addition, this formulation is regarded as a realization of Huygens' principle. The results are presented in frequency and time domains. Various aspects related to the different wave types that emerge from this kind of problems are emphasized. A near interface pulse generates changes in the pressure field and can be registered by receivers located in the fluid. In order to show the accuracy of our method, we validated the results with those obtained by the discrete wave number applied to a fluid-solid interface joining two half-spaces, one fluid and the other an elastic solid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric and piezoelectric responses are investigated in relaxor-like lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) ceramics, for a La/Zr/Ti ratio of x/60/40 ( x = 8 and 10 at.%), obtained by the conventional ceramic method. No significant differences were observed from the room temperature ferroelectric properties, for both PLZT compositions. On the other hand, from evaluation of the nonlinear dielectric response in terms of the Rayleigh's model, a typical 'soft' behaviour is achieved in both materials, although the increments of the dielectric losses are slightly higher than the predicted by this model. The piezoelectric coefficient shows a remarkable increment with the applied dynamics stress, nevertheless without noticeable differences as a function of the lanthanum concentration. However, a significant difference is displayed in the weak-field direct longitudinal piezoelectric response. The dielectric properties revealed a higher diffuseness degree of the phase transition for the highest lanthanum content composition (PLZT 10/60/40). Thus, the observed difference in the piezoelectric response is discussed based on the nature of the phase transition in the studied relaxor materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments on model organisms are used to extend the understanding of complex biological processes. In Caenorhabditis elegans studies, populations of specimens are sampled to measure certain morphological properties and a population is characterized based on statistics extracted from such samples. Automatic detection of C. elegans in such culture images is a difficult problem. The images are affected by clutter, overlap and image degradations. In this paper, we exploit shape and appearance differences between C. elegans and non- C. elegans segmentations. Shape information is captured by optimizing a parametric open contour model on training data. Features derived from the contour energies are proposed as shape descriptors and integrated in a probabilistic framework. These descriptors are evaluated for C. elegans detection in culture images. Our experiments show that measurements extracted from these samples correlate well with ground truth data. These positive results indicate that the proposed approach can be used for quantitative analysis of complex nematode images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Alergia de Mexico is the property of Coleg. Mexicano de Inmunologia Clinica y Alergia A.C.; Soc. Lat. de Alergia, Asma e Inmunologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This work presents a study of the domain wall dynamics in Pb(Zr1-xTix)O3 (PZT)-based piezoceramics by means of the temperature dependence non-linear dielectric response and hysteresis loop measurements. In soft PZT, non-linear response gradually increases as the temperature is raised. A similar response is displayed by hard PZT at low temperatures. However, rather more complex behavior is detected at temperatures above 200 K. The anomalous response, which is very marked at room temperature, becomes even greater when the electric field is increased. The non-linear dielectric response is analyzed in the framework of the Rayleigh model. The results suggest a clear change in the domain wall dynamics in hard PZT, which is not observed in soft PZT. Observation of the hysteresis loops confirms that a strong effect of domain wall pinning emerges near room temperature. The change in domain wall dynamics appears as the main cause of the dielectric response difference between both kinds of materials at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results on molecular beam epitaxy-grown microcavity light-emitting diodes with InGaAs/GaAs quantum wells and a hybrid top mirror are presented. An external quantum efficiency of 14.8% is achieved for a 400 μm diam light-emitting diode. The strong influence of the spectral overlap between the spontaneous emission spectrum and the cavity resonance mode on the radiation pattern is shown. The angular emission profile is compared with model predictions for different detunings, and a very good agreement is obtained when the asymmetric spectral broadening of the intrinsic spontaneous emission is taken into account. © 1998 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Controversial findings regarding the association between pro-inflammatory cytokines and depression have been reported in pregnant subjects. Scarce data about anxiety and its relationships with cytokines are available in pregnant women. To understand the association between anxiety and cytokines during pregnancy, we conducted the present study in women with or without depression. Methods: Women exhibiting severe depression (SD) and severe anxiety (SA) during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy (n = 139) and control subjects exhibiting neither depression nor anxiety (n = 40) were assessed through the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS). Serum cytokines were measured by a multiplex bead-based assay. Correlation tests were used to analyze the data and comparisons between groups were performed. A general linear model of analysis of variance was constructed using the group as a dependent variable, interleukin concentrations as independent variables, and HDRS/HARS scores and gestational weeks as covariables. Results: The highest levels of Th1- (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-2, IFN-γ), Th17- (IL-17A, IL-22), and Th2- (IL-9, IL-10, and IL-13) related cytokines were observed in women with SD + SA. The SA group showed higher concentrations of Th1- (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-2, IFN-γ) and Th2- (IL-4, and IL-10) related cytokines than the controls. Positive correlations were found between HDRS and IL-2, IL-6, and TNF-α in the SA group (p < 0.03), and between HDRS and Th1- (IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α), Th2- (IL-9, IL-10, IL-13) and Th17- (IL-17A) cytokines (p < 0.05) in the SD + SA group. After controlling the correlation analysis by gestational weeks, the correlations that remained significant were: HDRS and IL-2, IL-6, IL-9, and IL-17A in the SD + SA group (p < 0.03). HARS scores correlated with IL-17A in the SA group and with IL-17A, IL-17F, and IL-2 in the SD + SA group (p < 0.02). The linear model of analysis of variance showed that HDRS and HARS scores influenced cytokine concentrations; only IL-6 and TNF-α could be explained by the group. Conclusions: We found that the cytokine profiles differ when comparing pregnant subjects exhibiting SA with comorbid SD against those showing only SA without depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the original HTML version of this Article, the order of authors within the author list was incorrect. The IMEx Consortium contributing authors were incorrectly listed as the last author and should have been listed as the first author. This error has been corrected in the HTML version of the Article; the PDF version was correct at the time of publication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the extraction of light from semiconductor light-emitting diodes made of dielectric multilayer stacks with quantum-well sources. The model is a combination of a rigorous vertical model of dipole emission and an in-plane ray-tracing model. The vertical model is shown to conveniently provide the relevant horizontal decay length of the various kinds of in-plane propagating modes. The proposed combination of the two models accounts for the lateral extraction as well as light recycling in the active layers. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]