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The need to urgently find alternative plant-based biodegradable fibres is not just important, it is a pressing necessity. The severe environmental damage caused by plastic packaging materials demands immediate action. It is a responsibility that everybody should share to reduce the global plastic pollution rate and environmental footprint. Biodegradable films from natural and waste products have gained considerable consideration for their ability to guarantee optimal product conservation while avoiding any risk of contamination or intoxication. Therefore, this overview addresses recent developments in food packaging and the application of sensors to indicate possible packed food spoilage. The new role of food packaging was discussed widely, from traditional to bio-based, active and intelligent packaging. Until a few years ago, food packaging had the sole purpose of protecting food from external contamination. However, the barrier effect is no longer enough: the packaging should act directly on the food and the surrounding space. The interesting innovation that responds to this need is active and intelligent packaging, a market with solid growth in recent years. It allows the enhancement of food conservation and the detection of pathogens while maintaining good monitoring of the environment inside the package, continuously recording the food conditions. This more complete and interactive information is recorded thanks to special analytical devices: sensors. They can detect and transmit a message to the consumer about food quality, freshness and safety, thanks to the ability to record internal and external changes in the product’s environment. However, these devices are not free from limitations, such as costs and performance, which limit their wider use.

Madeleine Dring Lady Composer by Wanda Brister and Jay Rosenblatt Clemson University Press, 2020 www.clemson.edu/press; 256 pp., $130.00 Madeleine Dring: Lady Composer is a biography that thoroughly examines the composer's [...]

High-nitrogen (high-N) austenitic stainless steels (ASS) are used in orthopedic implants due to their mechanical properties, human biocompatibility, and affordable cost. However, the high content of (Ni–Nb–N)-rich precipitates can cause allergic reactions and significant challenges in the manufacturing of prostheses. This study investigates the competition between work hardening (WH), dynamic recovery (DRV), and dynamic recrystallization (DRX) during the physical simulation of an ASTM F-1586 steel by thermomechanical processing, using the Kocks-Mecking and Avrami constitutive models. The parameters were obtained through continuous isothermal torsion tests at the temperature range of 900–1200 °C, strain rates between 0.01 and 10 s−1and a total deformation of 4.0. Determined by compositional-analytical methods, the stacking fault energy (γsfe) was correlated with the stress level (σi) according to the Uesugi and Dai models. Results indicated a high activation energy for hot deformation (Qdef = 587 kJ/mol), affecting the shape of the curves. The γsfevalue varied along the curves, delaying the onset of the DRX (σc = 0.928σp). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses revealed a direct competition between work-hardened and recrystallized grains in the early part of the curves, due to WH-DRV synergy. After the peak stress (σp), the progress of DRX was slow, with the Avrami exponent (n) between 1.1 and 1.9, completing only after large deformations (σss = 0.714σp). The moderate γsfevalue (69 mJ/m2) and fine precipitates of the Z-phase (CrNbN) (<20 nm) influence the grain boundary mobility during the DRV-DRX competition, delineating the stress-strain curve shape.

The nitrogen isotopic composition of sedimentary rocks (δ15N) can trace redox-dependent biological pathways and early Earth oxygenation1,2. However, there is no substantial change in the sedimentary δ15N record across the Great Oxidation Event about 2.45 billion years ago (Ga)3, a prominent redox change. This argues for a temporal decoupling between the emergence of the first oxygen-based oxidative pathways of the nitrogen cycle and the accumulation of atmospheric oxygen after 2.45 Ga (ref. 3). The transition between both states shows strongly positive δ15N values (10–50‰) in rocks deposited between 2.8 Ga and 2.6 Ga, but their origin and spatial extent remain uncertain4,5. Here we report strongly positive δ15N values (>30‰) in the 2.68-Gyr-old shallow to deep marine sedimentary deposit of the Serra Sul Formation6, Amazonian Craton, Brazil. Our findings are best explained by regionally variable extents of ammonium oxidation to N2or N2O tied to a cryptic oxygen cycle, implying that oxygenic photosynthesis was operating at 2.7 Ga. Molecular oxygen production probably shifted the redox potential so that an intermediate N cycle based on ammonium oxidation developed before nitrate accumulation in surface waters. We propose to name this period, when strongly positive nitrogen isotopic compositions are superimposed on the usual range of Precambrian δ15N values, the Nitrogen Isotope Event. We suggest that it marks the earliest steps of the biogeochemical reorganizations that led to the Great Oxidation Event.

Phosphorus (P) fertilizers promote soil petroleum‐hydrocarbon (PHC) bioremediation by correcting carbon‐to‐P ratio imbalances. While these inputs create conditions favorable to microbial growth, areas of a site or an entire site with low degradation rates (i.e., “stalled”) occur for unknown reasons. We hypothesized that soil conditions limit P bioavailability, leading to stalls in PHC bioremediation, and adding the correct P amendment restarts microbial activity. Soils were collected and characterized from four cold calcareous PHC‐impacted sites in Saskatchewan, Canada, undergoing bioremediation. A generalized linear mixed model identified that regions with lower degradation rates possessed a neutral pH with high magnetic and salinity values. In a subsequent laboratory experiment, the proportion of benzene degraded at greater rates within active (i.e., higher degradation rates) than stalled soils, thereby following model predictions (p‐value = 0.19, Kruskal–Wallis). The PHC degradation efficiency of different P amendments was tested by doping stalled soils (n= 3) with one of five treatments: 0 (control), 0 (autoclaved control), or 50 mg phosphate kg−1soil as sodium diphosphate, triethyl phosphate, or tripolyphosphate. Tripolyphosphate accelerated benzene degradation (75.5 ± 5.4%) in one stalled soil (Outlook 323) and increased degradation non‐significantly (43.9 ± 9.4%) in another (Allan 917). Alternatively, the final sample (Davidson 421) possessed the greatest benzene removal with no amendments. This implies that soil P bioavailability may not be the sole cause of decreased microbial activity. Accordingly, combining model outputs with mineralogy and microbiology investigations could enhance PHC biodegradation rates in these cold calcareous soils. Soil phosphorus bioavailability may limit petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation rates.A mixed model identified preferred soil geophysical conditions during petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation.Phosphorus amendments did not consistently restart PHC degradation activity.

•BL with granulomatous reaction was characterized by an M1 signature and INFG in CD8+ cells, whereas BL with starry sky showed M2 genes.•Tumor-associated macrophages repolarization and epigenetic regulators may open new therapeutic options for the fight against BL lymphoma.

•SOX11 expression and EBV infection occur in alternative subsets of BL with different profiles of somatic mutations.•Among EBV−BL, IG∷MYCtranslocation is generated by class switch recombination in SOX11+BL and somatic hypermutation in SOX11−tumors.

Exposure to industrial contaminants has been implicated in neurobehavioral toxicity in humans. To explore this potential risk, we investigated the neurotoxic effects of oral exposure to a complex groundwater mixture containing petroleum hydrocarbons, pesticides, heavy metals, and unknown parent and breakdown products using male and female Sprague Dawley rats. Rats were randomly divided into six groups and orally exposed daily via drinking water to: (i) tap water, (ii) 10 % v/v low impact groundwater, and (iii) 0.01 %, 0.1 %, 1 %, and 10 % high-impact groundwater for 60 days. Medium- and long-term memory (measured using the novel object recognition task) were impaired. However, no gross motor or coordination deficits were observed by the end of the study period (rotarod test). Doppler ultrasound of the middle cerebral and common carotid arteries was performed to examine the hemodynamic changes. The common carotid blood flow decreased in the groundwater-exposed rats compared to that in the control. However, no significant differences in cerebral blood velocity were observed between the exposed and control groups. A significant reduction in hippocampal serotonin levels was observed in groundwater-exposed rats relative to that in the control group. Collectively, these results indicate that impaired recognition memory in rats exposed to groundwater is accompanied by reduced cranial blood flow and hippocampal neurotoxicity, characterized by altered serotonergic signalling. The levels of detected contaminants known to cause neural or vascular damage were of magnitudes lower than the concentrations of contaminants found in the groundwater mixture, meaning the culprit chemical identity remains unknown. This study emphasizes the need to use whole mixture in exposures when dealing with complex contaminated sites rather than the use of individual compounds.

My first inkling of call came when I was 12 years old. Initially, I didn't tell many people about it. The one friend who I told assured me that being [...]

It is known that dynamic transformation can occur in the austenite field above the Ae3temperature in a rapidly displacive way and after diffusionally under stress. This phenomenon influences industrial thermomechanical processes by changing the expected applied loads during forging or rolling. In this investigation, laboratory-scale physical simulation of tensile test in a customized Gleeble thermomechanical simulator system equipped with a synchrotron light X-ray beam (12 keV) was carried out on a linepipe steel at 50 °C above the Ae3. The obtained stress-strain curves indicate that dynamic transformation took place during deformation. The X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed the formation of ferrite inside the austenite field during strain. The results confirm the direct evidence of the onset of ferrite formation due to the applied strain and its increase in volume fraction as the deformation continues. The main ferrite-phase peaks detected by the in-situ X-ray diffraction were the ones related to the (110) and (221) planes. Both peaks increased their intensity with the increasing strain, leading to a decrease in the gamma-phase peak intensities of the (111) and (220) planes. The total volume fraction of all ferrite peaks increased to approximately 50% when the strain reached a maximum value, while the fraction of all austenite peaks decreased proportionally. Microscopic measurements of the presented phases have shown excellent agreement with the results obtained from direct X-ray diffraction results. A comprehensive understanding of the dynamic transformation phenomenon mechanism is important to the industry sector in designing improved manufacturing parameters for products with good quality.

Background: Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) is a dystrophinopathy due to in-frame mutations in the dystrophin gene (DMD) which determines a reduction of dystrophin at muscle level. BMD has a wide spectrum of clinical variability with different degrees of disability. Studies of natural history are needed also in view of up-coming clinical trials.Objectives: From an initial cohort of 32 BMD adult subjects, we present a detailed phenotypic characterization of 28 patients, then providing a description of their clinical natural history over the course of 12 months for 18 and 24 months for 13 of them.Methods: Each patient has been genetically characterized. Baseline, and 1-year and 2 years assessments included North Star Ambulatory Assessment (NSAA), timed function tests (time to climb and descend four stairs), 6-minute walk test (6MWT), Walton and Gardner-Medwin Scale and Medical Research Council (MRC) scale. Muscle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was acquired at baseline and in a subgroup of 9 patients after 24 months. Data on cardiac function (electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, and cardiac MRI) were also collected.Results and conclusions: Among the clinical heterogeneity, a more severe involvement is often observed in patients with 45-X del, with a disease progression over two years. The 6MWT appears sensitive to detect modification from baseline during follow up while no variation was observed by MRC testing. Muscle MRI of the lower limbs correlates with clinical parameters. Our study further highlights how the phenotypic variability of BMD adult patients makes it difficult to describe an uniform course and substantiates the need to identify predictive parameters and biomarkers to stratify patients.

Records concerning marine megafauna (e.g., cetaceans, pinnipeds, seabirds, and sea turtles) predation and scavenging events by sharks are scarce along the Brazilian coast. Although Brazil is noteworthy as one of the main global hotspots regarding elasmobranch functional diversity, endemism and diversity, studies on the food biology of this group have been carried out for less than a third of this taxonomic group, even though biology and feeding ecology assessments for shark species from the Brazilian coast are extremely valuable from a global perspective and should be encouraged. In this context, this study records unprecedented ecological predation and necrophagy interactions between sharks and different zoological vertebrate groups through the analysis of several marine megafauna carcasses found stranded on the beaches of the southern coast of Bahia, in northeastern Brazil, between 2005 and 2020. The implications of these records in furthering knowledge concerning the life history of the species involved in each interaction are discussed in a context of scarcity of scientific marine ecology data for this Brazilian coast area.

Dewatering of digestate is an important post-anaerobic digestion treatment of full-scale plants useful to reduce storage volumes, transportation costs and facilitate subsequent agricultural management or other recovery and disposal processes. Dewatering process is particularly challenging for digestate from high-solid anaerobic digestion due to its peculiar characteristics. In this study, high-solid food waste digestate was subjected to ultrasound treatment at a laboratory scale to evaluate for the first time the effects both on dewaterability and agronomic properties. Digestate was ultrasonicated (100 W, 30 kHz) at different time (1, 2.5, 5, 10, 15 and 25 min) and temperature (25 and 60 °C). Capillary suction time and time to filter tests showed better digestate dewaterability with increasing sonication time for both temperatures. Centrifugal dewatering coefficient reached the maximum value of 1.19 at 15 min of sonication and 25 °C. Viscosity, total chemical oxygen demand, extracellular polymeric substances, total solid and volatile solid contents generally decreased with increasing sonication time, while soluble chemical oxygen demand to total chemical oxygen demand ratio increased. The amount of macronutrients (N, P, K) and microelements (Mg, Ca, Fe, Zn) increased in the solid phase recovered after centrifugation of the sonicated digestate, which gained a higher agronomic value. The results of this study demonstrate that sonication notably improves the digestate properties and, thus, can be considered as a useful post-anaerobic digestion treatment for possible large-scale applications.

Docetaxel (DX) serves as a palliative treatment option for metastatic prostate cancer (PCa). Despite initial remission, acquired DX resistance is inevitable. The mechanisms behind DX resistance have not yet been deciphered, but a mesenchymal phenotype is associated with DX resistance. Mesenchymal phenotypes have been linked to metabolic rewiring, obtaining most ATP production by oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) powered substantially by glutamine (Gln). Likewise, Gln is known to play an essential role in modulating bioenergetic, redox homeostasis and autophagy. Herein, investigations of Gln deprivation on DX-sensitive and -resistant (DR) PCa cells revealed that the DR cell sub-lines were susceptible to Gln deprivation. Mechanistically, Gln deprivation reduced OXPHOS and ATP levels, causing a disturbance in cell cycle progression. Genetic and chemical inhibition of the Gln-metabolism key protein GLS1 could validate the Gln deprivation results, thereby representing a valid therapeutic target. Moreover, immunohistological investigation of GLS1 revealed a high-expressing GLS1 subgroup post-docetaxel failure, exhibiting low overall survival. This subgroup presents an intriguing opportunity for targeted therapy focusing on glutamine metabolism. Thus, these findings highlight a possible clinical rationale for the chemical inhibition of GLS1 as a therapeutic strategy to target mesenchymal DR PCa cells, thereby delaying accelerated tumour progression.

In this work, we report a graphene field-effect transistor (GFET) biosensor platform able to sense the SARS-CoV-2 contamination in blood plasma and saliva. The GFET was fabricated on a Si/SiO2 wafer with thin metallic films deposited by sputtering. The gate structure is formed by Ti/Au and the source/drain structure are formed by TiN layer. The dielectric gate is formed by 10 nm TiO2. The transistor channel is formed by ten parallel ribbons of monolayer graphene defined by photolithography and O2 plasma etching. The virus sensing tests were performed with contaminated and non-contaminate SARS-CoV-2 plasma and saliva as analytes on the channel region. The channel shape allows the analyte to contact the ten graphene ribbons and the TiO2 gate dielectric. The sensitivity of the GFET biosensor to SARS-CoV-2 was evidenced by drain-source current versus gate-source voltage ( ${I}_{\text {DS}} \times {V}_{\text {GS}}$ ) and normalized transconductance ( ${G}_{M}$ ) curves, where these measurements with the infected samples showed higher electric currents. The Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) technique was used to extract the graphene ribbons and TiO2 characteristics. These analyses indicate that the TiO2 film promotes the interaction of the two hydroxyl groups at their atomic terminations with the viral proteins in contaminated solutions. Indeed, sensing occurs when the viral particles or induced molecules meet the TiO2 surface, injecting carriers into the graphene channel. Therefore, the main contribution of this work is the presentation of a GFET transistor platform for BioFET to detect the SARS-CoV-2, with no need to functionalize the graphene surface on the channel.

Neuromuscular diseases (NMDs), in their phenotypic heterogeneity, share quite invariably common issues that involve several clinical and socio-economical aspects, needing a deep critical analysis to develop better management strategies. From diagnosis to treatment and follow-up, the development of technological solutions can improve the detection of several critical aspects related to the diseases, addressing both the met and unmet needs of clinicians and patients. Among several aspects of the digital transformation of health and care, this congress expands what has been learned from previous congresses editions on applicability and usefulness of technological solutions in NMDs. In particular the focus on new solutions for remote monitoring provide valuable insights to increase disease-specific knowledge and trigger prompt decision-making. In doing that, several perspectives from different areas of expertise were shared and discussed, pointing out strengths and weaknesses on the current state of the art on topic, suggesting new research lines to advance technology in this specific clinical field.

This paper reports the description of a multi-sensor platform able to automatically assess the level of physical activity and sedentary time of older adults. The platform has a hierarchical network topology, compound by N detector nodes managing several ambient sensor nodes and one detector node that manages a wearable sensor node. The system provides also one coordinator node that receives high-level reports from detector nodes. The idea of using heterogeneous sensors is motivated by the fact that in this way we expands the number of end-users, as they may accept only a type of sensor technology. The objective assessment was conducted through two main algorithmic steps: (1) recognition of well-defined set of human activities, detected by a 3D vision sensor (ambient node) and a smart garment (wearable sensor node), and (2) estimation of a physiological measure, that is (MET)-minutes. Results obtained in terms of activity recognition (and subsequent physical activity/sedentary time assessment) showed that the integrated version of the platform performs better than each single sensor technology with an overall accuracy obtained using simultaneously data provided from both sensory technologies that is about 5% higher of single sub-system, thus confirming the advantage in using a coordinator node. Finally, an added value of this work is the capability of the platform in providing a sensing invariant interface (i.e., abstracted from any specific sensing technology), since the use of the activities enables the integration of a wide set of devices, providing that they are able to reproduce the same set of features.

N‐terminal portion of the B‐type natriuretic propeptide (NT‐proBNP) has potentially been shown to play an important role in the development of periodontitis and cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study evaluated the efficacy of periodontal treatment on NT‐proBNP and related CVD biomarkers and explored whether subjects harboring high NT‐proBNP at baseline showed increased clinical benefits with the non‐surgical periodontal treatment performed with full‐mouth scaling and root planing (FM‐SRP) at 6‐month follow‐up. Forty‐eight patients with stage III periodontitis were randomized to receive minimal standard oral care (SOC) (n= 24) or FM‐SRP (n= 24) protocol. Clinical periodontal parameters (probing depth, clinical attachment loss, bleeding on probing), serum NT‐proBNP, α1‐antitrypsin, C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP), endothelial cell‐specific molecule‐1 (ECM‐1), and neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin (NGAL) concentrations were assessed at baseline and at 1‐, 3‐, and 6‐ month follow‐up. At 6 months, FM‐SRP was more effective than SOC in reducing periodontal parameters and mean proportions of NT‐proBNP (p= 0.004), hs‐CRP (p= 0.003), α1‐antitrypsin (p= 0.012), ECM‐1 (p= 0.014), and NGAL (p= 0.045). At 6‐month follow‐up, the reduced NT‐proBNP, α1‐antitrypsin, hs‐CRP, ECM‐1, and NGAL levels were significantly correlated with the extent of periodontitis (p< 0.05). Furthermore, the analysis of variance analysis evidenced that, at 6‐month follow‐up, FM‐SRP significantly impacted the reduction of NT‐proBNP, hs‐CRP, ECM‐1, and NGAL. Moreover, high levels of NT‐proBNP, hs‐CRP, ECM‐1, and NGAL at baseline significantly influenced the efficacy of periodontal treatment positively. In this study, FM‐SRP was more effective than SOC in reducing clinical variables and NT‐proBNP levels, although subjects who harbored high NT‐proBNP concentrations at baseline showed greater clinical benefits of periodontal treatment at 6‐month follow‐up.

Among burrowing rodents, forelimb morphology frequently shares an intricate relationship with soil substrates. Soils vary widely in texture and density, leading to differences in friability (e.g., the relative ability of particles to be broken apart), which often requires forelimb specializations in digging animals. Kangaroo rats (Dipodomysspp.) dig and occupy burrows, a trait that is essential to their survival. Some Dipodomysspecies are restricted to particular substrates that presumably require species-specific forelimb traits. Here we examined the forelimb morphology and soil substrates inhabited by range-restricted and widely ranging Dipodomysspecies to explore the variation in soil usage, forelimb specializations, and the relationship between these traits. We assessed size and shape traits of preserved specimen forelimb bones using traditional and geometric morphometric techniques and extracted soil data associated with the collecting locality of each specimen. We expected species that inhabit dense soil substrates to display specialized forelimb morphology typified by an elongated scapula and robust humerus, radius, and ulna. The species differed substantially in their soil associations and forelimb morphologies. In particular, forelimb traits that enhance mechanical digging ability were detected in D. elator, a range-restricted species that inhabits dense clay-rich soils. These findings suggest that Dipodomysspecies that inhabit dense substrates may require correspondingly specialized forelimb morphology and that these traits may limit the desirable geographic ranges inhabited by these species. This may provide important information when making conservation decisions given that unlike other habitat features, soil substrates cannot be easily modified to suit the needs of the organism.Kangaroo rat species display morphological variation associated with their forelimbs. Species that construct burrows in dense soils have correspondingly robust forelimb features, which suggests that these animals are morphologically specialized to their substrate and may help to explain their limited geographic range. Appreciating the role of soil specialization in habitat occupancy may provide important information as conservation decisions are made on behalf of these animals.

A haptic device (HD) is used to simulate a virtual object (VO) for its operator. Since most real objects can be simulated with a spring and damper, the VO is also implemented as a spring and damper in the discrete domain. On one side, the HD should have a small effective mass and friction so that its dynamics can be neglected in contrast to the dynamics of the VO. On the other side, even the small dynamics of the HD or the operator’s hand affect the stability and performance of the robot. So the dynamic model of the HD and the operator’s hand should be determined accurately. In this research, the mentioned dynamics have been identified on a HD using different artificial intelligence methods of ray optimization method, jaya optimization algorithm, crow search algorithm, Big-Bang Big-Crunch, adaptive dimensional search algorithm, and artificial bee colony optimization (ABCO). To this purpose, the theoretical stability boundary is presented as a function of the HD and the hand’s dynamic parameters, the stiffness and the damping coefficient of the VO, sampling time, and time delay. Simultaneously, with some experiments on the KUKA light weight robot IV (LWR IV), the boundary of experimental stability has been achieved in different situations. Then, using the mentioned methods the values of the HD and the hand’s dynamic parameters are obtained in such a way that the error between the theoretical and the experimental stability boundaries is minimal. Studies show that for predicting the HD parameters all mentioned methods have somehow the same and good accuracy, while the BBBC method has the minimum runtime. For predicting the HD and the operator’s hand dynamic parameters, the BBBC method has the minimum error and runtime.

Manipulation in contrast to grasping is a trajectorial task that needs to use dexterous hands. Improving the dexterity of robot hands increases the controller complexity and thus requires to use the concept of postural synergies. Inspired from postural synergies, this research proposes a new framework called kernelized synergies that focuses on the reusability of the same subspace for precision grasping and dexterous manipulation. In this work, the computed subspace of postural synergies is parameterized by kernelized movement primitives (KMPs) to preserve its grasping and manipulation characteristics and allows its reuse for new objects. The grasp stability of the proposed framework is assessed with the force closure quality index, as a cost function. For performance evaluation, the proposed framework is initially tested on two different simulated robot hand models using the Syngrasp toolbox and experimentally, four complex grasping and manipulation tasks are performed and reported. Results confirm the hand agnostic approach of the proposed framework and its generalization to distinct objects irrespective of their dimensions.

Graphical AbstractPatients with acute myocardial infarction were randomized in 1:1 arm in ODS vs. STD ticagrelor. Potential morphine-ticagrelor interaction was assessed by stratified randomization according to morphine use. Platelet reactivity units was assessed by VerifyNow at baseline and after 1, 2, 4, and 6 h from ticagrelor loading dose. STEMI: ST elevation myocardial infarction; NSTEMI: Non-ST elevation myocardial infarction; ODS: Orodispersible; STD: Standard; PRU: Platelet reactivity units; NS: Not significant

Physical simulation is a well-known tool for cloning industrial rolling conditions and generating large quantities of useful data. Physical simulation allows not only considerable time and resources savings in the development process but also product quality improvement. Additionally, physical simulation enables risk-free experiments and at negligible cost when compared to full-scale trials. In this paper, three physical simulation cases are presented. All cases are applicable to steel hot rolling or post cold rolling: (1) a strip rolling simulation where the roll forces are predicted, (2) a plate rolling simulation aiming improvement in mechanical properties and (3) a continuous annealing line case where the increase in the line speed generated a large raise in profit and productivity.

This article proposes a model predictive non-sliding manipulation (MPNSM) control approach to safely transport an object on a tray-like end-effector of a robotic manipulator. For the considered non-prehensile transportation task to succeed, both non-sliding manipulation and the robotic system constraints must always be satisfied. To tackle this problem, we devise a model predictive controller enforcing sticking contacts, i.e., preventing sliding between the object and the tray, and assuring that physical limits such as extreme joint positions, velocities, and input torques are never exceeded. The combined dynamic model of the physical system, comprising the manipulator and the object in contact, is derived in a compact form. The associated non-sliding manipulation constraint is formulated such that the parametrized contact forces belong to a conservatively approximated friction cone space. This constraint is enforced by the proposed MPNSM controller, formulated as an optimal control problem that optimizes the objective of tracking the desired trajectory while always satisfying both manipulation and robotic system constraints. We validate our approach by showing extensive dynamic simulations using a torque-controlled 7-degree-of-freedom (DoF) KUKA LBR IIWA robotic manipulator. Finally, demonstrative results from real experiments conducted on a 21-DoF humanoid robotic platform are shown.

Telemedicine (TM) contributes to bridge the gap between healthcare facilities and patients’ homes with neuromuscular disease (NMD) because of mobility issues. However, its deployment is limited due to difficulties evaluating subtle neurological signs such as mild weakness or sensory deficits. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted healthcare delivery worldwide, necessitating rapid measures implementation by health care providers (HCPs) to protect patients from acquiring SARS-CoV-2 while maintaining the best care and treatment. Given the challenges faced by remote healthcare assistance of NMD patients, we aim to evaluate the use of TM in NMD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the Model for Assessment-of-Telemedicine-Applications (MAST), we conducted a survey amongst clinicians of the ERN EURO NMD (European-Reference-Network-for-Rare-Neuromuscular-Diseases). Based on 42 responses over 76 expected ones, our results show that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased the number of HCPs using TM (from 60% to 100%). The TM types most used during the COVID-19 period are teleconsultation and consultation by phone, particularly in the context of symptoms worsening in NMD patients with COVID-19 infection. Most European HCPs were satisfied when using TM but as a complementary option to physical consultations. Many responses addressed the issue of technical aspects needing improvement, particularly for elderly patients who need caregivers’ assistance for accessing the TM platform. TM has been essential during COVID-19, but its use still presents some limitations for NMD patients with cognitive deficits or for first-time diagnosis. Thus, TM should be used as complement to, rather than substitute, for face-to-face consultations.

ABSTRACTIntroductionMigraine is a leading cause of years lived with disability and preventive strategies represent a mainstay to reduce health-related disability and improve quality of life of migraine patients. Until a few years ago, migraine prevention was based on drugs developed for other clinical indications and relocated in the migraine therapeutic armamentarium, characterized by unfavorable tolerability profiles. The advent of monoclonal antibodies against Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) and gepants, CGRP receptor antagonists, has been a turning point in migraine prevention owing to advantageous efficacy, safety and tolerability profiles.Nevertheless, while in an ideal scenario a drug characterized by significant greater efficacy and tolerability compared to existing therapeutic strategies should be adopted as a first-line treatment, cost-effectiveness analyses available for monoclonal antibodies against CGRP pathway tend to limit their administration to more severe migraine phenotypes.Areas coveredThe present narrative review aims to provide a critical appraisal of phase II and III CGRP-mAbs and gepants trials to analyze their use in clinical practice.Expert opinionDespite monoclonal antibodies against CGRP pathway and gepants can be undoubtedly considered top-of-the-range treatments, there are still issues deserving to be addressed in the coming years as the risk of off-target effects as well as their economic sustainability based on the considerable migraine burden.

Spent Automotive Catalytic Converters (SACC) are comprised of a support (a honeycomb ceramic structure) coated with a catalytic layer, where Platinum Group Elements (PGE), especially Pt and Pd, facilitate oxidation and reduction reactions to reduce hazardous emissions from car engines. This study provided information about various measurement procedures and principles for characterising SACC, revealing that SACC can release Potentially Toxic Elements (PTE) under environmental conditions. The SACC samples used primarily contain cordierite and moissanite, likely distinguishable upon visual inspection of waste piles. Unlike geological samples, the SACCs samples, considered as a homogeneous matrix, exhibit major elements such as Al, Si, Mg, and Ba, with minor elements including P, Na, Ca, Fe, Ti, Ce, and Zr, posing challenges for geoanalysts and environmental managers. Sequential extraction demonstrated high concentrations of PGE in the residual phase, especially Pt, Pd, and Rh. All other fractions, oxidisable, reducible and exchangeable, showed significant analytical recoveries of PTE such as Zn, Cu, and other trace elements. Watering bulk samples resulted in exceeded reference thresholds, with high Cd, Ni, and Zn, identifying SACC as a potentially hazardous materials. Toxicity tests on three aquatic species (A. fischeri, R. subcapitata, and D. magna) indicated both acute and chronic effects, further highlighting the need for proper waste management. The characterisation approach suggested here can help define the most appropriate SACC treatment demonstrating economic profit and ecological benefits.

Total ankle total talus replacement (TATTR) is gaining popularity in the foot and ankle surgery world in patients with end-stage ankle arthritis with concomitant pathology to the talus. What we typically do not consider is metal hypersensitivity when it comes to these complex reconstructive procedures with a substantial amount of hardware. Future research should aim to gain a greater understanding of metal components in varying company materials to determine compatibility. We report a case of a healthy 62-year-old female who underwent TAR with numerous complications and revisions ultimately leading to a TATTR and suspected hypersensitivity reaction.

ChatGPT has played a prominent role in the media narrative on artificial intelligence over the past year. However, the potential applications of this popular chatbot have also been studied from a medical-health perspective. There are more than 600 papers published on this topic in 2023. The undisputed qualities of this form of AI, which is one of the deep-learning machines, are due to its ability to simulate conversation that is almost indistinguishable from that with another human being. We know how important communication is in medicine. That is why the many studies presented investigate ChatGPT's ability to answer public health questions or assist patients with certain diseases. We can say that communication is a therapeutic intervention, but can AI do it better than doctors?

Mitochondrial tRNA (MTT) genes are hotspot for mitochondrial DNA mutation and are responsible of half mitochondrial disease. MTT mutations are associated with a broad spectrum of phenotype often with complex multisystem involvement and complex genotype-phenotype correlations. MT-TL1mutations, among which the m.3243A>G mutation is the most frequent, are associated with myopathy, maternal inherited diabetes and deafness, MELAS, cardiomyopathy, and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Here we report the case of an Italian 49-years old female presenting with encephalomyopathy, chronic proteinuric kidney disease and a new heteroplasmic m.3274_3275delAC MT-TL1gene mutation. Our case demonstrates a systemic mitochondrial disease caused by the heteroplasmic m.3274_3275delAC MT-TL1gene mutation, not yet described in the literature. A mitochondrial disease should be suspected in case of complex multisystem phenotypes, including steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome with multisystemic involvement.

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BackgroundTo assess the ability of the 2021 European Academy of Neurology/Peripheral Nerve Society (EAN/PNS) clinical criteria for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) to include within their classification the whole spectrum of clinical heterogeneity of the disease and to define the clinical characteristics of the unclassifiable clinical forms.MethodsThe 2021 EAN/PNS clinical criteria for CIDP were applied to 329 patients fulfilling the electrodiagnostic (and in some cases also the supportive) criteria for the diagnosis of CIDP. Clinical characteristics were reviewed for each patient not strictly fulfilling the clinical criteria (‘unclassifiable’).ResultsAt study inclusion, 124 (37.5%) patients had an unclassifiable clinical presentation, including 110 (89%) with a typical CIDP-like clinical phenotype in whom some segments of the four limbs were unaffected by weakness (‘incomplete typical CIDP’), 10 (8%) with a mild distal, symmetric, sensory or sensorimotor polyneuropathy confined to the lower limbs with cranial nerve involvement (‘cranial nerve predominant CIDP’) and 4 (1%) with a symmetric sensorimotor polyneuropathy limited to the proximal and distal areas of the lower limbs (‘paraparetic CIDP’). Eighty-one (65%) patients maintained an unclassifiable presentation during the entire disease follow-up while 13 patients progressed to typical CIDP. Patients with the unclassifiable clinical forms compared with patients with typical CIDP had a milder form of CIDP, while there was no difference in the distribution patterns of demyelination.ConclusionsA proportion of patients with CIDP do not strictly fulfil the 2021 EAN/PNS clinical criteria for diagnosis. These unclassifiable clinical phenotypes may pose diagnostic challenges and thus deserve more attention in clinical practice and research.

Electricity market liberalization initiatives have swept the world since they were first proposed and thoroughly studied in the 1980s, finding significant buy-in from middle-income countries. Many of these countries embarked in the wave of electricity liberalization in the 1990s following the United Kingdom’s market reform and have, as of today, successfully implemented wholesale competition. Generally speaking, most middle-income countries have interrupted the process before reaching full retail liberalization, and thus consumer choice is still mostly restricted to industries. The technological and social advances of decarbonization, decentralization, and digitalization have brought back the full retail liberalization agenda so that consumers can be empowered to freely select their own supplier, type of energy, and hence be active players in the power market.

The increasing interest in autonomous robots with a high number of degrees of freedom for industrial applications and service robotics demands control algorithms to handle multiple tasks as well as hard constraints efficiently. This article presents a general framework in which both kinematic (velocity- or acceleration-based) and dynamic (torque-based) control of redundant robots are handled in a unified fashion. The framework allows for the specification of redundancy resolution problems featuring a hierarchy of arbitrary (equality and inequality) constraints, arbitrary weighting of the control effort in the cost function and an additional input used to optimize possibly remaining redundancy. To solve such problems, a generalization of the saturation in the null space algorithm is introduced, which extends the original method according to the features required by our general control framework. Variants of the developed algorithm are presented, which ensure both efficient computation and optimality of the solution. Experiments on a KUKA LBRiiwa robotic arm, as well as simulations with a highly redundant mobile manipulator are reported.

Selective inhibition of kappa opioid receptors (KORs) is highly anticipated as a pharmacotherapeutic intervention for substance use disorders and depression. The accepted explanation for KOR antagonist-induced amelioration of aberrant behaviors posits that KORs globally function as a negative valence system; antagonism thereby blunts the behavioral influence of negative internal states such as anhedonia and negative affect. While effects of systemic KOR manipulations have been widely reproduced, explicit evaluation of negative valence as an explanatory construct is lacking. Here, we tested a series of falsifiable hypotheses generated a priori based on the negative valence model by pairing reinforcement learning tasks with systemic pharmacological KOR blockade in male C57BL/6J mice. The negative valence model failed to predict multiple experimental outcomes: KOR blockade accelerated contingency learning during both positive and negative reinforcement without altering innate responses to appetitive or aversive stimuli. We next proposed novelty processing, which influences learning independent of valence, as an alternative explanatory construct. Hypotheses based on novelty processing predicted subsequent observations: KOR blockade increased exploration of a novel, but not habituated, environment and augmented the reinforcing efficacy of novel visual stimuli in a sensory reinforcement task. Together, these results revise and extend long-standing theories of KOR system function.

There is inherent tension between methodologies developed to address basic research questions in model species and those intended for preclinical to clinical translation: basic investigations require flexibility of experimental design as hypotheses are rapidly tested and revised, whereas preclinical models emphasize standardized protocols and specific outcome measures. This dichotomy is particularly relevant in alcohol research, which spans a diverse range of basic sciences in addition to intensive efforts towards understanding the pathophysiology of alcohol use disorder (AUD). To advance these goals there is a great need for approaches that facilitate synergy across basic and translational areas of nonhuman alcohol research. In male and female mice, we establish a modular alcohol reinforcement paradigm: Structured Tracking of Alcohol Reinforcement (STAR). STAR provides a robust platform for quantitative assessment of AUD-relevant behavioral domains within a flexible framework that allows direct crosstalk between translational and mechanistically oriented studies. To achieve cross-study integration, despite disparate task parameters, a straightforward multivariate phenotyping analysis is used to classify subjects based on propensity for heightened alcohol consumption and insensitivity to punishment. Combining STAR with extant preclinical alcohol models, we delineate longitudinal phenotype dynamics and reveal putative neuro-biomarkers of heightened alcohol use vulnerability via neurochemical profiling of cortical and brainstem tissues. Together, STAR allows quantification of time-resolved biobehavioral processes essential for basic research questions simultaneous with longitudinal phenotyping of clinically relevant outcomes, thereby providing a framework to facilitate cohesion and translation in alcohol research.

The taxonomy of the South American river dolphins of the genus Iniahas been a focus of intense debate. While traditionally it is thought to be composed of a single species with three geographically structured subspecies (Inia geoffrensis geoffrensis, I. g. humboldtiana, and I. g. boliviensis), recent molecular studies have highlighted substantial differentiation, suggesting the existence of two species (I. geoffrensisand I. araguaiaensis). Despite this evidence, the recognition of the specific status of these taxa has been hindered by inconsistent morphological diagnoses. Here, we aim to provide evidence for the morphological differentiation (or lack thereof) between subspecies and putative species. We employ geometrics and traditional morphometrics to measure skull variation to support efforts of integrative taxonomy. Our results show that morphometric diversity within the group is inconsistent with a single taxon. Morphometric evidence supports the traditional differentiation of three distinct morphotypes within the analyzed sample. These morphotypes largely correspond to described subspecies I. g. geoffrensis, I. g. humboldtiana—the latter differing from the former by size—and I. g. boliviensis, which differs from the remaining groups by shape. Furthermore, morphometric data show no differences between I. g. geoffrensisand a newly proposed species, I. araguaiaensis. Given the conservation importance of this genus and the different threats they are subject to, we strongly suggest an urgent integrative taxonomic treatment of the group to better protect these singular cetaceans.