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Introduction: Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder that affects an extremely concerning percentage of teenagers (ca. 85%), gathering serious negative impacts on the social life and...

In many countries, the wood industry is a crucial sector and has a significant economic impact. In this sense, illegal logging is a way to reduce costs, avoiding taxes, or having access to more valuable wood species. To combat the latter, the recognition of wood species is crucial. However, this task is usually performed by experts through visual inspection, a process that requires sanding and cleaning the wood surface, and an impractical task for use in the field. In this paper, the acquisition process was simplified and a new wood dataset was introduced, where a simple pocket knife cut is used to expose the timber section for inspection. Four deep learning models with transfer learning were investigated and compared with traditional pre-designed feature methods. Additionally, the models were evaluated with a cross-validation scheme to avoid any bias. The experimental results show that deep learning outperforms pre-design features for wood classification. DenseNet achieved 98.13% of accuracy, indicating that it could be applied to assist untrained agents in wood classification.

Objective: Obesity is characterized by a state of chronic, low-intensity systemic inflammation frequently associated with insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. Materials and methods: Given that chronic inflammation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of mood disorders, we investigated if chronic obesity that was initiated early in life – lasting through adulthood – could be more harmful to memory impairment and mood fluctuations such as depression. Results: Here we show that pre-pubertal male rats (30 days old) treated with a high-fat diet (40%) for 8-months gained ~50% more weight when compared to controls, exhibited depression and anxiety-like behaviors but no memory impairment. The prefrontal cortex of the obese rats exhibited an increase in the expression of genes related to inflammatory response, such as NFKb, MMP9, CCl2, PPARb, and PPARg. There were no alterations in genes known to be related to depression. Conclusion: Long-lasting obesity with onset in prepuberal age led to depression and neuroinflammation but not to memory impairment.

This work addresses the lateral stabilisation problem of four-wheels ground vehicles. The objective is to estimate the largest state-space region such that the closed-loop vehicle lateral stability...

The wood species classification is an essential field of investigation that can help to combat illegal logging, then providing the timber certification and allowing the application of correct timber taxing. Today, the wood classification relies on highly qualified professionals that analyze texture patterns on timber sections. However, these professionals are scarce, costly, and subject to failure. Therefore, the automation of this task using computational methods is promising. Deep learning has proven to be the ultimate technique in computer vision tasks, but it has not been much exploited to perform timber classification due to the difficulty of building large databases to train such networks. In this study, we introduced the biggest data set of wood timber microscope images to the date, with 281 species, having three types of timber sections: transverse, radial, and tangential. We investigated the use of transfer learning from pre-trained deep neural networks for wood species classification and compared their results with a state-of-art pre-designed feature method. The experimental results show that traverse section images using a densely connected network achieved 98.7% of correct classification against 85.9% of standard pre-designed features.

Monolithic aerogels composed of crystalline nanoparticles enable photocatalysis in three dimensions, but they suffer from low mechanical stability and it is difficult to produce them with complex geometries. Here, an approach to control the geometry of the photocatalysts to optimize their photocatalytic performance by introducing carefully designed 3D printed polymeric scaffolds into the aerogel monoliths is reported. This allows to systematically study and improve fundamental parameters in gas phase photocatalysis, such as the gas flow through and the ultraviolet light penetration into the aerogel and to customize its geometric shape to a continuous gas flow reactor. Using photocatalytic methanol reforming as a model reaction, it is shown that the optimization of these parameters leads to an increase of the hydrogen production rate by a factor of three from 400 to 1200 µmol g−1 h−1. The rigid scaffolds also enhance the mechanical stability of the aerogels, lowering the number of rejects during synthesis and facilitating handling during operation. The combination of nanoparticle-based aerogels with 3D printed polymeric scaffolds opens up new opportunities to tailor the geometry of the photocatalysts for the photocatalytic reaction and for the reactor to maximize overall performance without necessarily changing the material composition. ISSN:1613-6810 ISSN:1613-6829

OBJECTIVE: In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a work and stress overload to healthcare workers, increasing their vulnerability to mental health impairments. In response, the authors created the COMVC-19 program. The program offered preventive actions and mental health treatment for the 22,000 workers of The Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMUSP). This paper aims to describe its implementation and share what we have learned from this experience. METHODS: Workers were able to easily access the program through a 24/7 hotline. Additionally, a mobile phone app that screened for signs and symptoms of emotional distress and offered psychoeducation and/or referral to treatment was made available. Data from both these sources as well as any subsequent psychiatric evaluations were collected. RESULTS: The first 20 weeks of our project revealed that most participants were female, and part of the nursing staff working directly with COVID-19 patients. The most frequently reported symptoms were: anxiety, depression and sleep disturbances. The most common diagnoses were Adjustment, Anxiety, and Mood disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing a mental health program in a multimodal intervention was feasible in a major quaternary public hospital. Our data also suggests that preventive actions should primarily be aimed at anxiety and depression symptoms, with a particular focus on the nursing staff.

The use of intramedullary nail fixation remains the operation of choice for managing unstable and displaced tibia diaphyseal fractures. The literature shows that although commonly performed, there is not a standard approach when performing intramedullary nailing of the tibia; it could be hypothesised that this lack of standardisation may be contributing to the noted complications. This systematic review will look into intramedullary nailing of the tibia in all its parts, from identification of patients through to the surgical procedure techniques and finally the intra- and post-operative complications. A systematic review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Search terms included "tibial intramedullary nail" OR "tibial intramedullary rod" OR "tibial IM nail" OR "tibial interlock" AND "malrotation", and "tibial intramedullary nailing" OR "tibial im nail" OR "tibial interlock" OR "tibial rod" AND "malrotation". Two independent reviewers conducted searches in PubMed, OvidSP for Medline and Embase as well as Cochrane Library using the same search strategy. Searches were conducted on 20 January 2021. Any disagreements were resolved by discussion with a third independent reviewer. This systematic review revealed there are gaps in the literature and in the management process of these patients, and suggested that a systematic approach using 'Get It Right First Time' (GIRFT), intraoperative assessment, validated assessment tools, and imaging postoperatively should be used to improve outcomes. Following the use of this framework, it is hoped that the incidence of malrotation post tibia intramedullary nailing will be reduced, however, it is acknowledged that more high evidence studies need to be carried out and further done to optimise the care of these patients.

Aims: To investigate whether kidney injury, determined by albumin creatinine ratio, was associated with current non-healing foot wounds in type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods: Eighty–nine Barbadians with diabetes were recruited. Cases had a current foot wound and controls had no current foot wound and no history of a non-healing foot wound. Cases were matched to controls using sex, age and duration of diabetes. Participants were from wound dressing and diabetes clinics at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Polyclinics, and from private healthcare practitioners. The relationship between albumin creatinine ratio and foot ulceration, adjusting for selected potential risk factors, was analyzed using logistic regression and presented as odds ratios. Results: Forty–four cases and 45 controls were matched, with no statistically significant difference in matching criteria. There were statistically important differences in measures of neuropathy, blood glucose, HbA1c and Albumin:creatinine ratio between cases and controls. Cases were 3 times more likely than controls to have microalbuminuria (95% CI 0.9 – 10.2; p=0.08). Cases were 7.4 times more likely than controls to have macroalbuminuria (95% CI 1.2 – 47.5; p=0.04). Conclusions: The possible association of albumin:creatinine ratio with diabetic foot wounds raises the possibility of its use in earlier identification of persons on the pathway to developing diabetic foot.

The fidelity of climate projections is often undermined by biases in climate models due to their simplification or misrepresentation of unresolved climate processes. While various bias correction methods have been developed to post‐process model outputs to match observations, existing approaches usually focus on limited, low‐order statistics, or break either the spatiotemporal consistency of the target variable, or its dependency upon model resolved dynamics. We develop a Regularized Adversarial Domain Adaptation (RADA) methodology to overcome these deficiencies, and enhance efficient identification and correction of climate model biases. Instead of pre‐assuming the spatiotemporal characteristics of model biases, we apply discriminative neural networks to distinguish historical climate simulation samples and observation samples. The evidences based on which the discriminative neural networks make distinctions are applied to train the domain adaptation neural networks to bias correct climate simulations. We regularize the domain adaptation neural networks using cycle‐consistent statistical and dynamical constraints. An application to daily precipitation projection over the contiguous United States shows that our methodology can correct all the considered moments of daily precipitation at approximately 1° resolution, ensures spatiotemporal consistency and inter‐field correlations, and can discriminate between different dynamical conditions. Our methodology offers a powerful tool for disentangling model parameterization biases from their interactions with the chaotic evolution of climate dynamics, opening a novel avenue toward big‐data enhanced climate predictions.

The Transactional Memory model was proposed as a mechanism offering a higher-level programming interface to abstract some of the complexities associated with simultaneous access to shared data. Although modern tools for multithreaded programming offer resources, such as programming interface and scheduling facilities, for efficient hardware exploitation, the support for shared data synchronization still reflects classic critical section-based models. This work proposes an extension to the OpenMP, a de facto standard for multithread programming, offering the Transaction Memory model. Different from other approaches found in literature to extend OpenMP with Transaction Memory, we propose an interface that not only promotes the access to a Transaction Memory but also reflects the OpenMP programming style. A specification of the OpenMP extension is presented, and a prototype implementation is evaluated with the help of transactional memory tools in software: the TinySTM library and the TM support offered by the GNU C Compiler (GCC). The proposed interface and its prototype are presented, in the form of an intermediate language, Vanilla-TM, and the interface validation was performed based on the analysis of the results obtained. These results point to the viability of incorporate the proposed extension in an OpenMP dialect, as well as the analysis of the experiments allowed us to conclude that the policies applied for TM management are decisive for a good performance of the programs.

Background: There are several potential advantages in optimizing the initial events of osseointegration in the benefit of clinical outcome. Objective: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the behavior of osteoblastic cells on surfaces treated by double acid etching using HNO3 and H2SO4. Methods: Commercially pure titanium (grade 4) discs measuring 6 mm in diameter and 2 mm in thickness were used. The discs were divided into two groups: machined group and double acid-etched discs (HNO3 and H2SO4). Surface characteristics were assessed using Scanning Electron Microscopy. Pre-osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells were used for cell culture on the tested surfaces to assess proliferation, viability (MTT), as well as secretion (ELISA) and cytoplasmic expression (Western blot) of type I collagen. Results: The data obtained were analyzed using t-test or two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s test at 95% significance. The titanium surfaces showed average roughness values for the machined and treated surfaces of 0.29 and 1.16, respectively (pp Conclusion: Implant surfaces treated by double acid etching positively affected the early events of the interaction between titanium and osteoblastic cells, suggesting optimization of osseintegration.

Introduction Liver cirrhosis (LC) is a heterogeneous liver disease, the last stage of liver fibrosis, and the major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our study aimed to evaluate the expression of microRNAs and the endothelial vascular growth factor (VEGFA) gene in LC and HCC. Material and methods The sample group consisted of 46 tissue samples: 21 of LC, 15 of HCC, and 10 of non-tumoural and non-cirrhotic liver tissue (control group). MiRNAs were chosen based on a mirDIP prediction database as regulators of the VEGFA gene. Gene expression of VEGF and miRNAs was quantified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. VEGFA protein expression was evaluated by ELISA. Results VEGFA gene expression was significantly overexpressed in LC compared to the control group (p < 0.0001). Hsa-miR-206 (p = 0.0313) and hsa-miR-637 (p = 0.0156) were down-expressed in LC. In HCC, hsa-miR-15b (p = 0.0010), hsa-miR-125b (p = 0.0010), hsa-miR-423-3p (p = 0.0010), hsa-miR-424 (p = 0.0313), hsa-miR-494 (p < 0.0001), hsa-miR-497 (p < 0.0001), hsa-miR-612 (p = 0.0078), hsa-miR-637 (p < 0.0001), and hsa-miR-1255b (p = 0.0156) presented down-expression. Conclusions Overexpression of VEGFA in LC suggests impairment of angiogenesis in this tissue. The differential expression of microRNAs in LC and HCC observed in our study can lead to the evaluation of possible biomarkers for these diseases.

Thermal insulators are crucial to reduce the high energy demands and greenhouse emissions in the construction sector. However, the fabrication of insulating materials that are cost-effective, fire ...

Pastes based on copper (Cu) nanoparticles (NPs) are promising electronic-packaging materials for the attachment of high-power devices. However, the rapid oxidation of nanostructured Cu requires the use of reducing agents during processing, which makes it less suitable for attaching large-area dies (> 4 mm2). Recently, the functionalization of Cu-NP surfaces with a mixture of amines prevented oxidation, allowing for sintering without the need for reducing agents. Here we investigate the sintering mechanisms involved during die attachment using pastes of passivated Cu NPs, with particular focus on the critical role of the carrier solvents. Using 1-nonanol or 1-decanol as solvents, we first demonstrate the absence of Cu-oxide phases in the pastes after fabrication and the stability of the resulting nanostructured copper for as much as 30 min in air. By measuring the evolution of the electrical characteristics of the paste during drying and sintering, we show that electrically conductive agglomerates form among the NPs between 141°C and 144°C, independent of the carrier solvent used. The carrier solvent was found to affect mainly the densification temperature of the copper agglomerates. Because they lead to uniform sintering of the material, Cu pastes based on solvents with a low boiling point and high vapor pressure are preferable for attaching dies with area greater than 25 mm2. We show that dies with an area as large as 100 mm2 can be attached using a Cu paste based on 1-nonanol. These pastes enables the formation of temperature-resistant bonding for high-power devices using a simple and cost-effective approach.

An Automatic Calibration of Fertilizers (ACFert) system was developed, for use with centrifugal, pendulum or other types of broadcast spreaders which distribute dry granular agricultural materials on the top of the soil. The ACfert is based on image processing techniques and includes a specially designed mat, which should be placed in the ground for spreaders calibration. A set of images acquired outdoor by a standard device (simple camera) is used to extract information about the spreader distribution pattern. Each image is processed independently, providing as output two numerical values for each grid element present in the image – the number of fertilizers/seeds counted, and its numerical label. The performance of ACFert was evaluated for automatic granules detection using a set of manual counting measurements of nitrate fertilizer and wheat seeds. A total of 185 images acquired with two mobiles devices were used with a total of 498 quadrilateral elements observed and analysed. The overall mean absolute relative error between counting and computed by the ACFert system, were 0.75 ± 0.75% for fertilizer and 2.12 ± 1.68% for wheat. This near real-time calibration tool is a very low cost system that can be easily used on field, providing results to support accurate spreader calibration in near real time for different types of fertilizers or seeds.

Interest in web-based human-robot interaction (HRI) has grown since it was initially introduced. Similarly, interest in social signals such as voice and facial expressions continues to expand. More recently, researchers have also gained interest in the feasibility of using neurophysiological information to enhance HRI. While both social signals and web-based HRI have seen growing interest, there is limited work exploring potential advances at the intersection of these two areas. This paper describes our efforts to investigate this intersection by integrating: 1) web-based social signal interpretation, 2) hybrid block/text scripting interfaces, and 3) ROS integration via rosbridge. We further discuss potential advantages and current challenges concerning web-based platforms for prototyping social robotic applications.

Atherosclerosis is a progressive insidious chronic disease that underlies most of the cardiovascular pathologies, including myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. The malfunctioning of the lysosomal compartment has a central role in the etiology and pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Lysosomes are the degradative organelles of mammalian cells and process endogenous and exogenous substrates in a very efficient manner. Dysfunction of these organelles and consequent inefficient degradation of modified low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and apoptotic cells in atherosclerotic lesions have, therefore, numerous deleterious consequences for cellular homeostasis and disease progression. Lysosome dysfunction has been mostly studied in the context of the inherited lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs). However, over the last years it has become increasingly evident that the consequences of this phenomenon are more far-reaching, also influencing the progression of multiple acquired human pathologies, such as neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). During the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, the lysosomal compartment of the various cells constituting the arterial wall is under severe stress, due to the tremendous amounts of lipoproteins being processed by these cells. The uncontrolled uptake of modified lipoproteins by arterial phagocytic cells, namely macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), is the initial step that triggers the pathogenic cascade culminating in the formation of atheroma. These cells become pathogenic “foam cells,” which are characterized by dysfunctional lipid-laden lysosomes. Here, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the origin and impact of the malfunctioning of the lysosomal compartment in plaque cells. We further analyze how the field of LSD research may contribute with some insights to the study of CVDs, particularly how therapeutic approaches that target the lysosomes in LSDs could be applied to hamper atherosclerosis progression and associated mortality.

Background: The association between heart rate variability (HRV), training load (TL), and performance is poorly understood. Methods: A middle-aged recreational female runner was monitored during a competitive 20-wk macrocycle divided into first (M1) and second mesocycle (M2) in which best performances over 10 km and 21 km were recorded. Volume (km), session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE), TL, and monotony (mean TL/SD TL) were the workload parameters recorded. The root mean square of the successive differences in R-R intervals (RMSSD), its coefficient of variation (RMSSDcv), and the RMSSD:RR ratio were the HRV parameters monitored. Results: During M2, RMSSD (p = 0.006) and RMSSD:RR (p = 0.002) were significantly increased, while RR was significantly reduced (p = 0.017). Significant correlations were identified between monotony and volume (r = 0.552; p = 0.012), RR (r = 0.447; p = 0.048), and RMSSD:RR (r = −0.458; p = 0.042). A sudden reduction in RMSSD (from 40.31 to 24.34 ms) was observed the day before the first symptoms of an influenza. Conclusions: The current results confirm the practicality of concurrent HRV and sRPE monitoring in recreational runners, with the RMSSD:RR ratio indicative of specific adaptations. Excessive training volume may be associated to both elevated monotony and reduced RMSSD:RR. Identification of mesocycle patterns is recommended for better individualization of the periodization used.

OBJECTIVE. Subpial hemorrhages, typically seen in neonates, are rare but can harm the adjacent brain parenchyma. The purpose of this review is to summarize the anatomy and pathophysiology of subpial hemorrhage and highlight its characteristic neuro-imaging pattern. CONCLUSION. The distinctive neuroimaging pattern of subpial hemorrhage is best appreciated on brain MRI, which shows the morphology over the cortex and injury to adjacent cortex and subcortical white matter. These findings do not occur in subarachnoid and subdural hemorrhages. Recognizing the pattern of subpial hemorrhages should guide prognostic precision, prognostication, and counseling.

Central airway obstruction is a life-threatening disorder causing a high physical and psychological burden to patients. Standard-of-care airway stents are silicone tubes, which provide immediate relief but are prone to migration. Thus, they require additional surgeries to be removed, which may cause tissue damage. Customized bioresorbable airway stents produced by 3D printing would be highly needed in the management of this disorder. However, biocompatible and biodegradable materials for 3D printing of elastic medical implants are still lacking. Here, we report dual-polymer photoinks for digital light 3D printing of customized and bioresorbable airway stents. These stents exhibit tunable elastomeric properties with suitable biodegradability. In vivo study in healthy rabbits confirmed biocompatibility and showed that the stents stayed in place for 7 weeks after which they became radiographically invisible. This work opens promising perspectives for the rapid manufacturing of the customized medical devices for which high precision, elasticity, and degradability are sought., Science Advances, 7 (6), ISSN:2375-2548

Psychotic-like Experiences (PE) in early adolescence may increase the risk for later psychotic and non-psychotic disorders. Common psychiatric disorders may also increase the risk of PE later in life. We aim to explore bidirectional associations of PE and common mental disorders among 1712 youth from a 3-year follow-up community-based study. At baseline, we evaluated 6–12 years old subjects using dimensional and categorical measures of PE by self-reports and clinician ratings. Common mental disorders were assessed by structured interviews grouped into DSM-based categories (Depressive, Anxiety, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Disruptive Behavior Disorders) and Common Adolescent Behaviors (Substance Use and Self-harm). Subjects were reassessed with the same instruments after 3 years. Our study suggests an association between PE variables over time. A total of 15.9% (n = 272) participants scored above cutoff values at baseline and an increased proportion of 20.9% (n = 358) remained positive after follow-up. We also found bidirectional associations between PE and Common Mental Disorders. Baseline PE increased the risk of Depressive Disorders, Substance Use, and Self-harm, whereas baseline ADHD was associated with later PE. Comorbidity analyses showed significant relationships in both directions, with increased risk of PE according to the number of comorbid psychiatric disorders. We showed that subthreshold psychotic symptoms predict subsequent Depressive Disorders and that, reciprocally, other comorbid psychiatric disorders, such as ADHD, can predict its future expression. These findings suggest PE might be a part of a shared psychiatric vulnerability continuum, with distinct phenotypes over development.

Fiber-reinforced polymers are widely used as lightweight materials in aircraft, automobiles, wind turbine blades, and sports products. Despite the beneficial weight reduction achieved in such applications, these composites often suffer from poor recyclability and limited geometries. 3D printing of liquid crystal polymers into complex-shaped all-fiber materials is a promising approach to tackle these issues and thus increase the sustainability of current lightweight structures. Here, we report a spin-printing technology for the manufacturing of recyclable and strong all-fiber lightweight materials. All-fiber architectures are created by combining thick print lines and thin spun fibers as reinforcing elements in bespoke orientations. Through controlled extrusion experiments and theoretical analyses, we systematically study the spinning process and establish criteria for the generation of thin fibers and laminates with unprecedented mechanical properties. The potential of the technology is further illustrated by creating complex structures with unique all-fiber architectures and mechanical performance., Advanced Functional Materials, 31 (52), ISSN:1616-3028, ISSN:1616-301X

Background The European Atherosclerosis Society Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Studies Collaboration (FHSC) global registry provides a platform for the global surveillance of familial hypercholesterolaemia through harmonisation and pooling of multinational data. In this study, we aimed to characterise the adult population with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia and described how it is detected and managed globally. Methods Using FHSC global registry data, we did a cross-sectional assessment of adults (aged 18 years or older) with a clinical or genetic diagnosis of probable or definite heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia at the time they were entered into the registries. Data were assessed overall and by WHO regions, sex, and index versus non-index cases. Findings Of the 61 612 individuals in the registry, 42 167 adults (21 999 [53.6%] women) from 56 countries were included in the study. Of these, 31 798 (75.4%) were diagnosed with the Dutch Lipid Clinic Network criteria, and 35 490 (84.2%) were from the WHO region of Europe. Median age of participants at entry in the registry was 46.2 years (IQR 34.3-58.0); median age at diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolaemia was 44.4 years (32.5-56.5), with 40.2% of participants younger than 40 years when diagnosed. Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors increased progressively with age and varied by WHO region. Prevalence of coronary disease was 17.4% (2.1% for stroke and 5.2% for peripheral artery disease), increasing with concentrations of untreated LDL cholesterol, and was about two times lower in women than in men. Among patients receiving lipid-lowering medications, 16 803 (81.1%) were receiving statins and 3691 (21.2%) were on combination therapy, with greater use of more potent lipid-lowering medication in men than in women. Median LDL cholesterol was 5.43 mmol/L (IQR 4.32-6.72) among patients not taking lipid-lowering medications and 4.23 mmol/L (3.20-5.66) among those taking them. Among patients taking lipid-lowering medications, 2.7% had LDL cholesterol lower than 1.8 mmol/L; the use of combination therapy, particularly with three drugs and with proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 inhibitors, was associated with a higher proportion and greater odds of having LDL cholesterol lower than 1.8 mmol/L. Compared with index cases, patients who were non-index cases were younger, with lower LDL cholesterol and lower prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular diseases (all p, Pfizer Independent Grant for Learning Change [16157823]; Amgen; Merck Sharp Dohme; Sanofi-Aventis; Daiichi Sankyo; Regeneron; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, UK; NIHR; Czech Ministry of Health [NU20-02-00261]; Canadian Institutes of Health Research; Austrian Heart Foundation; Tyrolean Regional Government; Gulf Heart Association, The EAS FHSC is an academic initiative that has received funding from a Pfizer Independent Grant for Learning & Change 2014 (16157823) and from investigator-initiated research grants to the European Atherosclerosis Society-Imperial College London from Amgen, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Sanofi-Aventis, Daiichi Sankyo, and Regeneron. KKR acknowledges support from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, UK. KID acknowledges support from a PhD Studentship from NIHR under the Applied Health Research programme for Northwest London, UK (the views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Health Service, the NIHR, or the Department of Health). TF was supported by a grant from the Czech Ministry of Health (NU20-02-00261). JG receives support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The Austrian Familial Hypercholesterolaemia registry has been supported by funds from the Austrian Heart Foundation and the Tyrolean Regional Government. The Gulf Familial Hypercholesterolaemia registry was done under the auspices of the Gulf Heart Association.

Editorial on the Research Topic Microplastics in the Marine Environment: Sources, Distribution, Biological Effects, and Socio-Economic Impacts Introduction From all the synthetic materials ever produced, plastic is the most versatile, overthrowing both glass and metal in many applications, due to its low weight and cost Plastic pollution is intrinsically linked to consumption habits and waste management practices globally [ ]recommendations need to be aligned with regulations and with the adequate use of market-based instruments, so that solving this problem is addressed holistically Mater 400:123110 doi: 10 1016/j jhazmat 2020 123110 Joao P Frias1*†, Juliana A Ivar do Sul2*†, Cristina Panti3*† and Andre R Lima4*† * 1Marine and Freshwater Research Centre (MFRC), Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT), Galway, Ireland * 2Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, Rostock, Germany * 3Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy * 4Department of Biosciences, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), University Institute of Psychological, Social and Life Sciences (ISPA), Lisbon, Portugal

This paper addresses the problem of estimating the tire cornering stiffness coecient and the yaw moment of inertia of a scaled car-like vehicle. The method merges measurements information of the vehicle lateral response along with its nonlinear planar model. Aiming effective and accurate results, we propose solving an optimization problem based on a representative dataset obtained experimentally using a persistently exciting input. The validation of the proposed method is shown by comparing the agreement between numerical simulations, evaluated with the estimated parameters, with experimental data. Three representative maneuvers are considered for this purpose, including indoor and outdoor experiments.

Vat photopolymerization 3D printing provides newopportunities for the fabrication of tissue scaffolds and medicaldevices. However, it usually requires the use of organic solvents ordiluents to dissolve the solid photoinitators, making this processenvironmentally unfriendly, and not optimal for biomedicalapplications. Here, we report biodegradable liquid polymericphotoinitiators for solvent-free 3D printing of biodegradable polymericmaterials by digital light processing. These photoinitiators enablesystematic investigation of structure-property relationship of 3Dprinting polymeric materials without the interference from the reactivediluents and offer new perspectives for the solvent-free 3D additivemanufacturing of bioresorbable medical implants as well as otherfunctional devices.

In article number 2001955, André R. Studart, Andres F. Arrieta, and co‐workers demonstrate a family of mechanical metamaterials exploiting sheets patterned with locally bistable domes. The metamaterial's strong hierarchical response enables tunable mechanical properties and programmed geometry adaptation. The strain energy stored by local dome inversion simplifies soft robotics grippers' actuation and enables memory and computation of spatially‐distributed mechanical signals in thin skins. [Image: see text]

Background: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) affects more than 264 million people worldwide. Current treatments include the use of psychotherapy and/or drugs, however similar to 30% of patients either do not respond to these treatments, or do not tolerate the side effects associated to the use of pharmacological interventions. Thus, it is important to study non-pharmacological interventions targeting mechanisms not directly involved with the regulation of neurotransmitters. Several studies demonstrated that transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) can be effective for symptoms relief in MDD. However, tDCS seems to have a better effect when used as an add-on treatment to other interventions.Methods/Design: This is a study protocol for a parallel, randomized, triple-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial in which a total of 90 drug-naive, first-episode MDD patients (45 per arm) will be randomized to one of two groups to receive a 6-weeks of CBT combined with either active or sham tDCS to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The primary outcome will depressive symptoms improvement as assessed by the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) at 6-weeks. The secondary aim is to test whether CBT combined with tDCS can engage the proposed mechanistic target of restoring the prefrontal imbalance and connectivity through the bilateral modulation of the DLPFC, as assessed by changes over resting-state and emotional task eliciting EEG.Discussion: This study evaluates the synergetic clinical effects of CBT and tDCS in the first episode, drug-naive, patients with MDD. First episode MDD patients provide an interesting opportunity, as their brains were not changed by the pharmacological treatments, by the time course, or by the recurrence of MDD episodes (and other comorbidities)., This work was partially supported by FEDER funds through the Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade-COMPETE and by national funds through FCT-Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia through the calls IF/00091/2015 and PTDC/PSI-ESP/29701/2017. The sponsors had no role in the study design, implementation, data analysis or publication.

The extraction of accurate geometric measurements from images normally requires the use of metric cameras and stereoscopic observations. However, as good-quality digital cameras are widely available in mobile devices (smartphones, tablets), there is great interest to develop alternative approaches, suitable for these devices. This paper presents a methodology to compute the surface area and volume of a spheroid-shaped object, such as many types of fruit, from a single image acquired by a standard (non-metric) camera and a basic calibration target. An iterative process is used to establish a 3D spheroid out of the observed 2D ellipse, after which auxiliary images of height, resolution and surface area of each pixel on the 3D object surface are created. The method was tested with a data set of 2400 images, of 10 different objects, 2 calibration targets, 2 cameras and 2 mark types. The average relative errors ( $$ $$ ) in establishing the 3D object semi-diameters were 0.863% and 0.791%. The semi-diameters are used to compute the object’s surface area ( $$ $$ = 1.557%) and volume ( $$ $$ = 2.365%). The estimation of the sub-region (mark) surface area over the modelled 3D object resulted in $$ $$ = 2.985%, much lower that what is obtained ignoring the fact that the mark is not on the reference (calibration) plane ( $$ $$ = 50.7%), thus proving the effectiveness of the proposed iterative process to model the 3D object (spheroid).

A long-term well control strategy is frequently selected using optimization methods applied to reservoir simulations. However, this approach usually requires a large number of simulations that can be computationally demanding. In this paper, we evaluated several machine learning (ML) techniques to reduce the number of simulations for optimizing long-term well control strategy while preserving the quality of the solution. We proposed a methodology, denoted as IDLHC–ML, which combines many ML techniques with iterative discrete Latin hypercube (IDLHC) – a gradient-free optimization algorithm that was successfully applied in previous work – to optimize the coefficients of the logistic equation that guides the well's bottom-hole pressure along the time horizon. In IDLHC-ML, we used a set of simulation runs from the first iteration to train the initial ML models. From the second iteration onwards, we employed the trained ML models to predict the net present value (NPV) and only a percentage of the scenarios, which were expected to have the best NPV, were then simulated. As we simulated new scenarios, we updated our ML models to further improve predictions. For a fair comparison, we set the same values for the optimization parameters of IDLHC to the IDLHC–ML and, then, we compared the NPV and the number of simulation runs considering different configurations of IDLHC parameters. In this paper, we evaluated a total of twelve ML regression techniques, such as Bayesian Ridge, Random Forest, and stacked ensemble learning, which consists in using the predictions from multiple ML algorithms as input to a second-level learning model. To minimize random effects, we repeatedly applied IDLHC and IDLHC–ML five times in a single reservoir model (nominal optimization). The results showed that, depending on the IDLHC optimization parameters, IDLHC-ML reduced at least 27% of simulations while keeping the equivalent NPV statistical metrics calculated in all five repetitions, when compared to IDLHC. Moreover, the best ML technique for IDLHC–ML varied with the IDLHC set of optimization parameters. To conclude, the method proposed here was able to reduce a significant amount of computational time by curtailing the total number of full-physics expensive reservoir simulations, with the help of fast and low-cost ML models. There are many published studies in well control optimization, but these generally involve high computational demand. In this sense, ML methods revealed to be an adequate and inexpensive alternative in reducing the number of simulation runs in well control optimization. The methodology is generic and it can be applied under uncertainties, and for more complex cases.

Introduction: Increasing interest has been seen in understanding the anatomy and biomechanics involved in the Deep Gluteal Syndrome, therefore the main objective of our paper was to define the anatomy of the deep gluteal space concerning the important osseous, muscular and neurological structures. Methods: 12 cadaveric models (24 hemipelvises) were used. We proceeded with classical anatomic dissection and evaluated numerous osseous, musculotendinous and neurologic structures and their relationships. We also determined the femoral anteversion and neck-shaft angles. Results: We found that 15.4% of lower limbs examined presented variations in the sciatic nerve (SN) emergence, and this was significantly longer in men. The distance from the SN to the trochanteric region was also significantly lower in males. The average ischiofemoral distance (IFD) was 2.5 ± 1.3 cm, at the same time that the structures comprised in that space showed superior areas, such as the quadratus femoris (QF) with 5.0 ± 1.1 cm and the SN with 1.4 ± 0.3 cm widths. Besides that, we also evaluated the distance from the SN to the lesser trochanter (LT) and the ischial tuberosity (IT), in the ischiofemoral space, reaching average values of 1.1 ± 0.7 cm and 1.5 ± 0.6 cm respectively. Regarding the relationship between the proximal hamstring insertion, we verified that the LT was at an average distance of 1.6 ± 1.1 cm, that the SN was only 0.2 ± 0.3 cm lateral to it, and the PN is just 2.6 ± 1.2 cm proximal to it. Conclusions: Our study confirmed the extreme variation in the SN origin that can contribute to the Piriformis syndrome. The IFD obtained in our study showed that this distance was small for the structures contained in this space. The proximal hamstring insertion showed a significantly more extended footprint in males, which puts the pudendal nerve (PN) at higher risk of iatrogenic injury.

Background Allergic rhinitis represents a public health problem that is significantly prevalent in the global population and has been associated with asthma, a strong desire to sleep and a low quality of life. Objective This study aims to evaluate the prevalence, symptoms, control strategies and treatment, as well as the control of this condition and its impact on the quality of life of customers of community pharmacies with allergic rhinitis. Setting A questionnaire survey was carried out in nine community pharmacies in the city of Guarda, Portugal. Method In this cross-sectional study, data was collected by an interview between May 2014 and December 2014. The control of the illness and the impact of allergic rhinitis on the quality of life were assessed through a CARAT10 test and a WHOQOL-BREF instrument, respectively. Main outcome measure The impact of allergic rhinitis on the patient’s quality of life. Results The estimated prevalence of allergic rhinitis was between 10.8% and 15.4%, from which 63 and 42 individuals were medically and symptomatically diagnosed, respectively, from a study population of 804 respondents. The majority of participants (57.1%) suffered from the symptoms more than twice a year. The symptoms, such as difficulty in falling asleep, repeated and continuous sneezing and bilateral nasal obstruction, were severe. There were patients with uncontrolled allergic rhinitis symptoms after the CARAT10 test, even when the individual’s perception of the quality of life was good according to the WHOQOL-BREF score, with gender differences in the psychological domain. It should also be emphasized that there was a significant association between higher education levels with better control of the illness/quality of life. Additionally, most participants used pharmacological treatment (not alternative therapies) and the adoption of self-management measures to relieve their symptoms. Conclusions The findings of this study showed that the estimated prevalence of allergic rhinitis seems to be apparently lower in Guarda than that found in the general Portuguese population. From the data, some patients showed uncontrolled allergic rhinitis symptoms, strengthening the importance of the role of intervention by a health professional.

Central airway obstruction is a life-threatening disorder causing a high physical and psychological burden to patients due to severe breathlessness and impaired quality of life. Standard-of-care airway stents are silicone tubes, which cause immediate relief, but are prone to migration, especially in growing patients, and require additional surgeries to be removed, which may cause further tissue damage. Customized airway stents with tailorable bioresorbability that can be produced in a reasonable time frame would be highly needed in the management of this disorder. Here, we report poly(D,L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) methacrylate blends-based biomedical inks and their use for the rapid fabrication of customized and bioresorbable airway stents. The 3D printed materials are cytocompatible and exhibit silicone-like mechanical properties with suitable biodegradability. In vivo studies in healthy rabbits confirmed biocompatibility and showed that the stents stayed in place for 7 weeks after which they became radiographically invisible. The developed biomedical inks open promising perspectives for the rapid manufacturing of the customized medical devices for which high precision, tuneable elasticity and predictable degradation are sought-after.

There are evidences about the involvement of systemic factors, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), on functional exercise effects. Although aerobic exercise can impact circulating extracellular vesicles and particles (EVPs) cargo, other exercise modalities were not studied. Taken that BDNF and anti-inflammatory effects have been related to functional outcomes, and BDNF and IL-1β have been detected in circulating EVPs, our aim was to evaluate circulating total EVPs profile from adult and aged Wistar rats submitted to exercise modalities, namely aerobic, acrobatic, resistance or combined for 20 min, 3 times a week, during 12 weeks. A modality- and age-dependent effect on total EVPs cargo was observed; aerobic exercise induced an augment in BDNF and IL-1β in EVPs from aged rats, while acrobatic and combined exercise modalities reduced IL-1β content in EVPs from adult ones. Besides, all exercise modalities attenuated aging-induced CD63 changes in circulating total EVPs; this finding can be involved with reduced mortality rate and improved memory performance previously observed. Changes on EVPs profile, such as increased CD63 levels can be related, at least in part, to an exercise-induced healthier global status. Additionally, aerobic exercise-induced effects on BDNF and IL-1β levels might indicate additional benefits in aged individuals.

The adoption of new technologies, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), image processing, and machine learning, is disrupting traditional concepts in agriculture, with a new range of possibilities opening in its fields of research. Plant density is one of the most important corn (Zea mays L.) yield factors, yet its precise measurement after the emergence of plants is impractical in large-scale production fields due to the amount of labor required. This letter aims to develop techniques that enable corn plant counting and the automation of this process through deep learning and computational vision, using images of several corn crops obtained using a low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform assembled with an RGB sensor.

Relatively little research exists on the use of experiences with EEG devices to support brain-computer interface (BCI) education. In this paper, we draw on techniques from BCI, visual programming languages, and computer science education to design a web-based environment for BCI education. We conducted a study with 14 10th and 11th grade high school students to investigate the effects of EEG experiences on students' BCI self-efficacy. We also explored the usability of a hybrid block-flow based visual interface for students new to BCI. Our results suggest that experiences with EEG devices may increase high school students' BCI self-efficacy. Furthermore, our findings offer insights for engaging high school students in BCI.

International audience; Spectral unmixing was investigated for fast spectroscopic identification in γ-emitter mixtures at low-statistics in the case of measurements performed to prevent illegal nuclear material trafficking or for in situ environmental analysis following a radiological or nuclear accident. For that purpose, a multiplicative update algorithm based on full-spectrum analysis was tested in the case of a 3″x3″ NaI(Tl) detector. Automatic decision-making was addressed using Monte Carlo calculations of decision thresholds and detection limits. The first results obtained with a portable instrument equipped with a 3″x3″ NaI(Tl) detector designed for the control of food samples by non-expert users following a radiological or nuclear accident, are also presented.

Polysaccharides are attractive sustainable resources for the fabrication of advanced materials, but the assembly of these building blocks into complex-shaped structures combining the high strength ...

Objectives A microemulsion-based delivery system was designed to improve vitamin E (VE) properties, and its antinociceptive, antioxidant, antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like activities in mice were evaluated. Methods Male Swiss mice received, by intragastric route, canola oil (20 ml/kg), blank microemulsion (B-ME) (20 ml/kg), VE free (VE-F) (200 mg/kg) or VE microemulsion (VE-ME) (200 mg/kg). In acute treatment, a single dose of treatments was administrated and 30 min after behavioural tests were performed. In the subchronic treatment, mice received such treatments, once a day, for 8 days. On the eighth day, behavioural tests were performed. Key findings In the subchronic treatment, VE-ME increased entries and spent time in the open arms in the elevated plus-maze test and decreased the immobility time in the tail suspension test, but no change was found after acute treatment. Acute and subchronic treatments with VE-ME increased response latency to thermal stimulus in the hot-plate test. VE-ME decreased the thiobarbituric acid reactive species levels in the acute and subchronic protocols. Additionally, in subchronic treatment, VE-ME increased renal catalase activity, but VE-F reduced its activity. Conclusions Vitamin E-microemulsions showed antioxidant, antinociceptive, antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like actions; thus, ME-based delivery improved pharmacological properties of VE.

Background Although generic drugs are pharmacologically equivalent to their brand-name counterparts, prejudices against them remain strong. We assess the extent to which generic (versus brand-name) labels affect patients' consumption of and adherence to medication. Methods One hundred one patients who received dental implants agreed to participate in a study. In a pre-surgery survey, most patients reported a positive view about generic drugs. After dental surgery, the patients were prescribed a once-daily analgesic regimen (50 mg tramadol hydrochloride) for up to 7 days. All the patients received at no cost the same brand-name medication with either a brand-name label (n = 51) or a generic label (n = 50) and were informed of the retail prices associated with both labels. Telephone follow-up was conducted 24 hours, four days, and seven days after surgery to assess the number of prescribed pills consumed and when their use was discontinued, the number of non-prescribed pills consumed, pain levels throughout the follow-up period, the perceived efficacy of the analgesic, and the willingness to recommend it to a friend. Results The label manipulation impacted the participants' behaviour and subjective assessments. Discontinuation before the end of the 7-day period was more frequent under the generic (vs. brand-name) label condition. The patients in the generic label group were also more likely to consume non-prescribed pills (non-adherence). Additionally, the patients in the generic label group reported higher levels of pain. Conclusion Generic labels may negatively affect adherence to treatment even if patients report ex ante positive evaluations of the quality of generics drugs.

Fibre-reinforced polymer structures are often used when stiff lightweight materials are required, such as in aircraft, vehicles and biomedical implants. Despite their very high stiffness and strength1, such lightweight materials require energy- and labour-intensive fabrication processes2, exhibit typically brittle fracture and are difficult to shape and recycle3,4. This is in stark contrast to lightweight biological materials such as bone, silk and wood, which form by directed self-assembly into complex, hierarchically structured shapes with outstanding mechanical properties5–11, and are circularly integrated into the environment. Here we demonstrate a three-dimensional (3D) printing approach to generate recyclable lightweight structures with hierarchical architectures, complex geometries and unprecedented stiffness and toughness. Their features arise from the self-assembly of liquid-crystal polymer molecules into highly oriented domains during extrusion of the molten feedstock material. By orienting the molecular domains with the print path, we are able to reinforce the polymer structure according to the expected mechanical stresses, leading to stiffness, strength and toughness that outperform state-of-the-art 3D-printed polymers by an order of magnitude and are comparable with the highest-performance lightweight composites1,12. The ability to combine the top-down shaping freedom of 3D printing with bottom-up molecular control over polymer orientation opens up the possibility to freely design and realize structures without the typical restrictions of current manufacturing processes.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common type of dementia, not only imposes a huge financial burden on the health care system, but also a psychological and emotional burden on patients and their families. There is thus an urgent need to infer trajectories of cognitive performance over time and identify biomarkers predictive of the progression. In this article, we propose the multi-task learning with fused Laplacian sparse group lasso model, which can identify biomarkers closely related to cognitive measures due to its sparsity-inducing property, and model the disease progression with a general weighted (undirected) dependency graphs among the tasks. An efficient alternative directions method of multipliers based optimization algorithm is derived to solve the proposed non-smooth objective formulation. The effectiveness of the proposed model is demonstrated by its superior prediction performance over multiple state-of-the-art methods and accurate identification of compact sets of cognition-relevant imaging biomarkers that are consistent with prior medical studies.

The thermal and electrical transport capabilities of materials in electronic packaging are key to supporting high-performance microelectronic systems. In composite and hybrid materials, both of these transport capabilities are limited by contact resistances. We propose a directed nanoparticle assembly method to reduce contact resistances by transforming point contacts between micrometer-sized objects into quasi-areal contacts. The nanoparticle assembly is directed by the formation of liquid bridges in contact points during the evaporation of a colloidal suspension. In this work, we experimentally study the evaporation of colloidal suspensions in confined porous media to yield uniform nanoparticle assembly, as required for electronic packaging. The evaporation pattern of liquids in confined pillar arrays is either branched or straight, depending on the surface tension of the liquid and on the pore size defined by the pillar size and spacing. Stable evaporation fronts result in uniform nanoparticle deposition above a bond number threshold of 10 $$^{-3}$$ . However, at reduced evaporation dynamics, liquid pinning results from colloidal particle accumulations at the liquid–vapor interface, ultimately leading to undesired colloidal bridging between pillars.

Inpatient palliative care consultation has been demonstrated to improve quality of life as well as decrease hospital readmissions, intensive care unit transfers, and hospital costs for people with a life limiting illness. The clinical teaching units (CTUs) at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) routinely admit patients with noncurable cancer as well as end-stage heart, lung, liver, or kidney disease. However, the use of inpatient palliative care consultations for CTU patients remains unexamined. We conducted a descriptive study of all patients referred from LHSC CTU from both University and Victoria hospital to inpatient palliative care over a 1-year period from August 2013 to July 2014. The purpose of this study was to characterize the population and identify possible areas for quality improvement. In a 1-year period, 638 patients were referred from CTU to the inpatient palliative care consultation service. Of referrals, 55% died during their admission. Based on data collected, we conclude that many patients are referred early in their admission to CTU and patients are referred for a variety of noncancer diseases, suggesting knowledge and appreciation of the benefit of early palliative care consultation for malignant and nonmalignant disease. However, when further analyzed, there is indication that patients with noncancer diagnoses are referred statistically significantly later than those with a cancer diagnosis. The CTUs are sites of core medical training, and therefore, it is imperative that we model early integration of palliative care in order to continue to improve care of patients at end of life.

Background: Exercise helps many aspects of cognition, but at this time no review has summarized the literature on the association of exercise and physical fitness with attention. Method: A systemat...

Surfactin, a biosurfactant, has the potential to replace synthetic surfactants in froth flotation. This research investigates the surface interactions between surfactin and coal which determine whether surfactin has collecting or depressant characteristics on coal using electrokinetic, FTIR, and micro-flotation experiments. At concentrations of 5 mg/L, surfactin removes species on the surface of coal, especially in the alkaline pH range. At surfactin concentration of 15 mg/L adsorption of surfactin onto coal surfaces are indicated and likely to be due to hydrophobic physisorption between aliphatic groups of surfactin and the hydrophobic carbonaceous surface functional groups of coal. Hydrophobicity of coal was observed to be enhanced at pH 3,6 and 10 except the intermediate pH of 8. Micro-flotation tests showed that hydrophobicity of coal was most significantly enhanced by surfactin presence at pH 3 and 15 mg/L from 42.9% to 74%, and least impacted when surfactin concentration was 5 mg/L at a pH of 10. The collecting or depressant characteristics of surfactin on coal as a function of pH and surfactin concentration have been demonstrated for the potential use of this novel biosurfactant as a Green Chemistry substitute for synthetic surfactants.

Infection is one of the most serious complications that can occur in wounds. Biomarkers can be used as a tool directly related to infection. So, herein current methods and new approaches for the determination of wound infection, based on biomarkers, were compared and discussed. In this review, it is highlighted the different enzymatic biomarkers related to wound infection, and how they can be used for early detection of the same. It also aims to compile the different analytical methods and describe the potential of each one. The global and critical analysis research made it possible to perceive that of all the biomarkers studied, the enzymes demonstrated great potential, through the comparison with all biomarkers, since they allow the detection of infection in very early stages, and so a previous diagnostic and treatment.

The cellular recycling of glycosphingolipids (GSLs) is mediated by specific lysosomal glycosidases. Inherited deficiencies in these enzymes cause lysosomal storage disorders. Some of the common disorders are Gaucher disease (GD) and Fabry disease (FD) resulting from the defects in lysosomal glucocerebrosidase (GBA) degrading glucosylceramide and α‐galactosidase A (GLA) degrading globotriaosylceramide. Here, GSL accumulation in tissues slows down with age despite ongoing lysosomal turnover of endogenous and endocytosed GSLs. Biochemical adaptations might explain this phenomenon. One crucial adaptation is the deacylation of accumulating GSLs in lysosomes by acid ceramidase. The soluble bases glucosylsphingosine in GD and globotriaosylsphingosine in FD are capable of leaving lysosomes and cells. In the case of GD, a further adaptation involves the cytosol‐faced enzyme GBA2. This enzyme allows extra‐lysosomal degradation of GlcCer while possibly generating glucosylated cholesterol. The beneficial and harmful effects of these adaptations are discussed. Key concepts: Glycosphingolipids (GSLs) are membrane constituents composed of a ceramide with one or more sugars. The simplest GSL is glucosylceramide (GlcCer). Ongoing recycling of GSLs in cells includes lysosomal degradation by the sequential action of glycosidases and acid ceramidase. Deficiency of lysosomal glycosidase leads to lysosomal storage diseases caused by accumulation of the corresponding substrate in lysosomes. The most common glycosphingolipidoses are Gaucher disease (GD) and Fabry disease (FD). GD is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by deficient activity of the lysosomal enzyme acid β‐glucosidase (glucocerebrosidase; GBA) resulting in lysosomal accumulation of GlcCer. FD is an X‐linked disorder caused by deficient activity of the lysosomal enzyme α‐galactosidase A (GLA) resulting in lysosomal accumulation of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3). Accumulation of storage lipids during GBA and GLA tends to slow down with age, likely partly due to poorly appreciated biochemical adaptations. Active conversion of accumulating GlcCer in lysosomes of GBA‐deficient cells is mediated by acid ceramidase, resulting in the formation of water‐soluble glucosylsphingosine (GlcSph). Likewise, globotriaosylsphingosine (lysoGb3) is formed from accumulating in lysosomes of GLA‐deficient cells. Elevated plasma GlcSph and lysoGb3 levels can be sensitively measured LC–MS and may assist in diagnosing and monitoring of the disease and response to treatment in GD and FD patients, respectively. Increased GlcSph level in GD patients acts as an autoantigen, causing ongoing B‐cell proliferation, leading to multiple myeloma. Increased lysoGb3 level in FD patients is thought to cause damage to nociceptive neurons and podocytes, thus contributing to pain and renal failure. In GD, the cytosol‐faced enzyme β‐glucosidase GBA2 allows degradation of GlcCer outside lysosomes. Through transglycosylation, GBA2 may generate glucosylcholesterol and ceramide from GlcCer and cholesterol. The toxic effects of secondary metabolites such as glycosphingoid bases (GlcSph in GD and lysoGb3 in FD) and glucosylated metabolites (GlcChol in GD) warrant further investigations. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion