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This action research study investigated first-graders' attitudes toward being a community of learners as a result of their involvement in constructing their classroom environment. The children's attitudes throughout the year were measured through student surveys, parent surveys, student reflections, teacher reflective journal entries, and informal reading inventories. Even though the experimental group's perceptions of helping, closeness, collaboration, and student influence decreased after their involvement in the intervention, these perceptions were still higher than those measured at the beginning of the year. These students' attitudes pertaining to positive interpersonal relationships never lessened but grew steadily stronger throughout the year. The results also indicated that the experimental group perceived itself more as a community of learners at the end of the year than did the control group. Involvement in making decisions with classmates, collaborating in learning with peers, and engaging in multi-age activities prompted feelings of community among the children. Authentic opportunities for student-driven learning, decision making, boosting self-confidence, and collaborating emerged. Notable gains in the experimental group's reading achievement were observed. The conclusions paralleled the transactive model of teaching and supported the belief that encouraging students to socially and physically create their learning environment promotes learning while building a sense of community. Limitations of the study, such as student test anxiety, were addressed. Concluding thoughts highlighted insights into how to allow the construction process to flow more smoothly and be more effective for all involved. (Contains 2 figures and 4 tables.)

Background and Objectives: Cementless total hip arthroplasty leads to an early periprosthetic bone loss, which can impair the osseointegration process and lead to a femoral implant migration during early weight-bearing. An altered osseointegration process can lead to aseptic loosening, which is the most frequent late complication in these surgical procedures. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of alendronate and simvastatin in the prevention of early periprosthetic bone loss found in osteoporotic patients. This can lead to earlier weight-bearing in patients, as well as reduce the rate of aseptic loosening. Materials and Methods: Forty-five patients undergoing cementless total hip arthroplasty were equally distributed into three groups: group I (alendronate), group II (simvastatin), and group III (control). The alendronate group received 5 mg of alendronate postoperatively, daily for 8 weeks, and the simvastatin group received 20 mg daily for 4 weeks postoperatively, followed by 40 mg daily for 4 weeks. We determined bone mineral density (BMD), as well as bone serum markers beta cross-laps (β-CTx) and alkaline phosphatase (ALPL) preoperatively, 4 weeks postoperatively, and 8 weeks postoperatively. All patients were not allowed to fully bear weight for 6 weeks postoperatively. Results: Alendronate statistically significantly increases the BMD at one month postoperatively compared to the control group in Gruen zones 5 and 6 (p = 0.042 and p = 0.039). Overall, the BMD was higher in the alendronate group compared to the control group at one month postoperatively (p = 0.043). Alendronate decreased β-CTx bone serum marker compared to control at one month and two months (p = 0.024 and p = 0.012). Moreover, alendronate showed a higher decrease in β-CTx compared to simvastatin at both timelines (p = 0.028 and p = 0.03, respectively). Conclusions: The study shows that alendronate administration following cementless total hip arthroplasty offers better protection against periprosthetic bone loss compared to simvastatin.

Noise pollution is one of the most relevant problems in urban area. The main source of noise pollution is the number and type of motor vehicles, but other parameters depending on street configuration yield to a system hardly to be exactly modelled by classical mathematical methods. Smart cities are expected to dynamically control the urban traffic to reduce not just traffic jams, but also to ensure a comfortable noise level for inhabitants. This article gives a design method for efficient genetic fuzzy modelling of traffic generated smart cities noise pollution based on fuzzy logic, multi objective genetic algorithm, gradient descent optimisation and singular value decomposition in the MATLAB environment. Genetic algorithms with objectives to minimise the maximum absolute identification error, the root mean square of the identification error, reduce model complexity and ensure maximal numerical robustness are applied to Zadeh type fuzzy partition membership function parameters preliminary identification, and then gradient descent method is used for their fine-tuning optimization, while the fuzzy rule consequence linear parameters are calculated by singular value decomposition method to find the least squares optimal training data fitting of the model. The training data set is built from measured data, combined with carefully selected simulation data to ensure the completeness of the model and its numerical robustness. Detailed analysis of the method and results by computer simulation of the identification process show the validity of the proposed method.

ABSTRACT Background : The II Brazilian Consensus on Gastric Cancer of the Brazilian Gastric Cancer Association BGCA (Part 1) was recently published. On this occasion, countless specialists working in the treatment of this disease expressed their opinion in the face of the statements presented. Aim : To present the BGCA Guidelines (Part 2) regarding indications for surgical treatment, operative techniques, extension of resection and multimodal treatment. Methods: To formulate these guidelines, the authors carried out an extensive and current review regarding each declaration present in the II Consensus, using the Medline/PubMed, Cochrane Library and SciELO databases initially with the following descriptors: gastric cancer, gastrectomy, lymphadenectomy, multimodal treatment. In addition, each statement was classified according to the level of evidence and degree of recommendation. Results : Of the 43 statements present in this study, 11 (25,6%) were classified with level of evidence A, 20 (46,5%) B and 12 (27,9%) C. Regarding the degree of recommendation, 18 (41,9%) statements obtained grade of recommendation 1, 14 (32,6%) 2a, 10 (23,3%) 2b e one (2,3%) 3. Conclusion : The guidelines complement of the guidelines presented here allows surgeons and oncologists who work to combat gastric cancer to offer the best possible treatment, according to the local conditions available.

Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is a reliable screening method of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). CCTA is capable to assess both coronary stenosis and plaque morphology, but does not provide hemodynamic characterization of the coronary lesions. However, the severity of coronary stenosis does not always reflect the hemodynamic significance of the plaque. Invasive fractional flow reserve (FFR) is considered the gold standard for the functional evaluation of a potential ischemia-causing stenosis. FFR derived from CCTA (FFR-CT) is a new noninvasive diagnostic tool, using a typically acquired CCTA, without the need for any further radiation or medication. Additional functional assessment of the coronary lesions permits a more complex characterization of CAD patients. Based on the FFR-CT examination, patients who need invasive coronary intervention can be selected more precisely, and a more personalized and optimized treatment can be provided.

Subjective indicators of chest pain in this article describe a system based on devices for measuring ECG (Electrocardiogram) and SPO2 (Saturation of peripheral Oxygen) signals with PPG (Photoplethysmograph). The development system used for ECG detection signals is created in the SMT technology technique. Preparing for ECG (Electrocardiogram) signal analysis is realized on the coordinator side of the WSN (Wireless Sensor Network) node and LabView application interface. Existing model RPC-50E, as SPO2 detector is used for a measurement device. SPO2 performance upgrade was realized by installing hardware module XBee PRO S2B in the function of router-end device working mode. Except for ZigBee wireless transmission technology, it leaves a possibility to expand with Bluetooth module. The technical description is strictly related to the location of the patients using the GPS signal when it comes to undesirable measuring sizes of each decentralized measuring device. Possibilities to measure beats per second (bps) is also included in the measurement device for saturation of peripheral oxygen. Smart city integration is part of upgraded hardware which operates on the level of hospital cloud. With existing smart city infrastructure, it is easier to connect mobile IoT (Internet of Things) logger of ECG and SPO2 measurements. This article describes only the main reasons for chest pain. Acute and chronic chest pain is defined with ECG signal waveforms in certain cases. Measuring graphs are based on 12 measurement points that lead to the electrocardiogram device.

This article will show an overview of the model and simulations of general cardio pediatrics cases. To avoid simulated interference, Kalman and lowpass filter blocks are placed. In pediatric cases normal ECG (Electrocardiogram) curve is a bit different in relation to the middle-age persons. In cardio pediatric is represented especially the ECG curve with higher beats/min. Depending on the age of the child's heart rate is variable. Therefore, identifying irregularities of the heart rate in children should be implemented a particular type of filter to eliminate rough measurement error on measurement signals. The model is obtained computationally shown in the examples of simulation in LabView and Java application programming interfaces. The model realization of the ECG signal is based on a few methods. Therefore, it selected only one method to display a simulated ECG signal. Installation of additional software filters allows us for realistic expectations after hardware integration. The real practical case is provided by a developed system with compiled firmware in the microcontroller. Firmware defines the behavior of the ECG signal after the integration of Kalman and the lowpass filter. Some cardio pediatric cases are processed with the method which can be applied Kalman or lowpass filter.

Daniel Oltean-Dan,1 Gabriela-Bombonica Dogaru,2 Maria Tomoaia-Cotisel,3,4 Dragos Apostu,1 Alexandru Mester,5 Horea-Rares-Ciprian Benea,1 Mihai-Gheorghe Paiusan,1 Elena-Mihaela Jianu,6 Aurora Mocanu,3 Reka Balint,3 Catalin-Ovidiu Popa,7 Cristian Berce,8 Gyorgy-Istvan Bodizs,9 Alina-Mihaela Toader,10 Gheorghe Tomoaia1,41Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, 400132 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; 2Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Medical Rehabilitation, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; 3Babes Bolyai University, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Research Center of Physical Chemistry, 400028 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; 4Academy of Romanian Scientists, 050085 Bucharest, Romania; 5Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Oral Health and Management, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; 6Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Histology, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; 7Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 400641 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; 8Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Center for Experimental Medicine, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; 9Rehabilitation Clinic, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; 10Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Physiology, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaPurpose: Bone consolidation after severe trauma is the most challenging task in orthopedic surgery. This study aimed to develop biomimetic composite for coating Ti implants. Afterwards, these implants were tested in vivo to assess bone consolidation in the absence or the presence of high-frequency pulsed electromagnetic short-waves (HF-PESW).Materials: Biomimetic coating was successfully developed using multi-substituted hydroxyapatite (ms-HAP) functionalized with collagen (ms-HAP/COL), embedded into poly-lactic acid (PLA) matrix (ms-HAP/COL@PLA), and subsequently covered with self-assembled COL layer (ms-HAP/COL@PLA/COL, named HAPc).Methods: For in vivo evaluation, 32 Wistar albino rats were used in four groups: control group (CG) with Ti implant; PESW group with Ti implant+HF-PESW; HAPc group with Ti implant coated with HAPc; HAPc+PESW group with Ti implant coated with HAPc+HF-PESW. Left femoral diaphysis was fractured and fixed intramedullary. From the first post-operative day, PESW and HAPc+PESW groups underwent HF-PESW stimulation for 14 consecutive days. Biomimetic coating was characterized by XRD, HR-TEM, SEM, EDX and AFM.Results: Osteogenic markers (ALP and osteocalcin) and micro-computed tomography (CT) analysis (especially bone volume/tissue volume ratio results) indicated at 2 weeks the following group order: HAPc+PESW>HAPc≈PESW (P>0.05) and HAPc+PESW>control (P

The present paper aims to make a short presentation of the relation between Romania and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes – ICSID, whit special focus on the damages that Romania was ordered to pay to the claimants, by the ICSID Tribunal. ICSID was founded by the World Bank as a special organism to protect the foreign investors and their properties in the host state. After the recognition of ICSID by the states, the foreign investment flow grew and the number of disputes starts growing as well. Romania ratified the ICSID Convention in 1975. If one party is in breach of the Bilateral Investment Treaty or some other legal provision stated in international law, it will have to pay damages to the other party. The first arbitration request filled against Romania at ICSID was registered in November 2001 by Noble Ventures and the last one registered until now is in August 2018 by Alverley Investments Limited and German Properties Ltd. Until now, there were 15 cases registered at ICSID, in which Romania is the respondent. Ten of them were concluded and five are still pending. Until now, the proportion is in Romania favour, only in 30% of the cases Romania was ordered to pay damages, in 70% of the cases the claims were dismissed or the proceedings discontinued. The 3 cases where Romania had to pay damages were about some commitments that Romania undertook when the investments were made and then did not succeed to keep the commitments. In one of the cases, Romania granted some incentives for disfavoured areas and insured the investors that will maintain those incentives for a period of 10 years, but revoked prematurely them. In other case Romania made an agreement for 49-years concession over a land but, again, prematurely revoked the agreement. And, in the last case were Romania was ordered to pay damages, Romania promised to restructure the debts of Socomet, but failed to do so. The present paper is briefly describing those cases in which Romania was the Respondent.

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) with no obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) is a special form of the acute coronary syndrome. The heterogeneous pathophysiology of MINOCA is not well elucidated and includes cardiac and non-cardiac causes. Slow flow phenomenon on coronary angiography can be associated with several possible causes of MINOCA confirmed by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the underlying mechanism of the delayed washout phenomenon on coronary angiography and the potential role of subintimal coronary artery dissection (SD) in the setting of an acute MI.

Man does the studying of systems by modelling it. Examining parameters which are describing the operation of the system is important when creating the model. The parameters required for the test are retained and the irrelevant parameters are discarded. The remainder of the model determines the aspect system of the examination. The system can be tested according to many of the disciplines. These aspect systems are not uniform. For this reason, the product of the examinations by different disciplines is difficult to compare. Placing examination on uniform basis could provide common foundation for a single modelling process. In this article an aspect search algorithm is created which is based on the philosophical topics. All disciplines can be derived from philosophy. Because of these examinations based on philosophy can be uniform. The results of the tests are comparable. The requirements for the examination can be standardized. In addition, this method makes easier to adapt the operation. For example, the operating principles of energetic, mechanical, IT and social organizations can be adapted to each other.

This paper describes the integration of Particle filter data earlier recorded in simulation and tested in real-time scenario. Those data are parsed from beacon listener using TDOA-RSS inverse method. Drone SLAM has nonlinear behavior and for the better precision its applied EKF. IMU and camera odometry with optical flow presents input parameters for EKF block. Initial conditions are focused on KF of drone IMU. Monovision camera odometry is used for optical flow on overall odometry covariance of insecurity.To improve optical flow in covariance of insecurity, it used landmarks on the ground. Specific case scenario of EKF is presented in the paper with drone/listener and beacon positions, which belongs to research area of Range-Only SLAM. Mathematical non-linear expressions are presented between previous position of drone and controlling signal.Initial conditions are arbitrary,while drone elevation is constant.Energy function has been considered to implement in energy optimizing scenario.

Background and objectives: The purpose of the present systematic review was to analyze the effectiveness of erythritol-based air-polishing in non-surgical periodontal therapy. Materials and methods: The protocol details were registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42021267261). This review was conducted under the PRISMA guidelines. The electronic search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases to find relevant clinical trials published until January 2022. The inclusion criteria consisted of human clinical trials which reported the use of non-surgical periodontal treatment and erythritol air-polishing compared to non-surgical periodontal treatment alone in patients with good systemic health requiring treatment for periodontal disease. Results: 810 studies were imported into the Covidence Platform. Of these, seven clinical trials met the inclusion criteria. In active periodontal therapy, for PD (probing depth), CAL (clinical attachment level), and BOP (bleeding on probing), no statistical significance was achieved at 6 months follow-up. In supportive periodontal therapy for PD, CAL, and BOP, no statistical significance was achieved at 3 months follow-up. Conclusions: The findings suggest that erythritol air-polishing powder did not determine superior improvements of periodontal parameters compared to other non-surgical periodontal therapies. Future randomized clinical trials (RCTs) with calibrated protocols for diagnosis, therapeutic approaches, and longer follow-up are needed to draw a clear conclusion about the efficiency of erythritol air-polishing powder.

Background and objectives: The aim of this systematic review with meta-analysis is to assess the available evidence from human clinical studies of using self-ligating brackets compared to conventional brackets in maintaining periodontal health. Materials and methods: The protocol details were registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42022302689). This review was performed under the PRISMA guidelines. The electronic search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and grey literature databases, as well as manual searches to find relevant articles published until January 2022. The inclusion criteria consisted of human clinical studies which reported the use of fixed orthodontic treatment with self-ligating brackets (SLBs) or conventional brackets (CBs) in maintaining periodontal health. Results: A total of 453 studies were imported into the Covidence Platform from the databases. Of these, six articles met the inclusion criteria. For plaque index, statistical significance was achieved for SLBs compared to CBs (0.31 (95% CI (0.15 to 0.48), p = 0.0001). For gingival index, probing depth and bleeding on probing no statistical significance was achieved. None of the included studies assessed clinical attachment level. Conclusions: The present systematic review with meta-analysis was considered to provide relevant data on periodontal health during orthodontic treatment in patients with SLBs in comparison with patients wearing CBs. Our findings indicated that SLBs are not superior to CBs in terms of periodontal health.

Data measured using electromagnetic induction (EMI) systems are known to be susceptible to measurement influences associated with time-varying external ambient factors. Temperature variation is one of the most prominent factors causing drift in EMI data, leading to non-reproducible measurement results. Typical approaches to mitigate drift effects in EMI instruments rely on a temperature drift calibration, where the instrument is heated up to specific temperatures in a controlled environment and the observed drift is determined to derive a static thermal apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) drift correction. In this study, a novel correction method is presented that models the dynamic characteristics of drift using a low-pass filter (LPF) and uses it for correction. The method is developed and tested using a customized EMI device with an intercoil spacing of 1.2 m, optimized for low drift and equipped with ten temperature sensors that simultaneously measure the internal ambient temperature across the device. The device is used to perform outdoor calibration measurements over a period of 16 days for a wide range of temperatures. The measured temperature-dependent ECa drift of the system without corrections is approximately 2.27 mSm−1K−1, with a standard deviation (std) of only 30 μSm−1K−1 for a temperature variation of around 30 K. The use of the novel correction method reduces the overall root mean square error (RMSE) for all datasets from 15.7 mSm−1 to a value of only 0.48 mSm−1. In comparison, a method using a purely static characterization of drift could only reduce the error to an RMSE of 1.97 mSm−1. The results show that modeling the dynamic thermal characteristics of the drift helps to improve the accuracy by a factor of four compared to a purely static characterization. It is concluded that the modeling of the dynamic thermal characteristics of EMI systems is relevant for improved drift correction.

Background and objectives: The aim of this systematic review was to assess the electronic literature about the benefits of using hyaluronic acid (HA) in the surgical periodontal treatment of infrabony defects. Materials and methods: This review was conducted under the PRISMA guidelines. The electronic search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases until February 2022. The inclusion criteria consisted of human clinical trials that reported the use of HA in open-flap debridement (OFD) for infrabony defects. The assessment of risk of bias was performed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Statistical analysis was performed using Review Manager. Results: Overall, three RCTs were found eligible for the statistical analysis. Probing depth (PD) reduction and clinical attachment level (CAL) gain in the HA test group presented WMs of −1.11 mm (95% CI −2.38 to 0.16 mm; p = 0.09) and −1.38 mm (95% CI −2.26 to −0.49 mm; p = 0.002), respectively. However, the heterogeneity of the RCTs was high, and the risk of bias, in general, was low. Conclusions: The use of hyaluronic acid seems to have beneficial effects in periodontal surgery using OFD, in terms of PD and CAL. To draw a clear conclusion, more adapted and well-designed clinical trials are needed to assess the advantage of this product in comparison with other products.

Since the beginning of the 1980s, several regions in the northern Sahara of Algeria have been confronting the rising groundwater. Among all these regions, Oued Souf Valley represented one of the most acute affected by this phenomenon. Due to the natural topography and the insufficient/weakness of water management and miscoordination between different sectors that are represented by intensive exploitation of deep groundwater reservoirs which returns to the shallow aquifer, absence of sewage and drainage network, leakage from drinking water supply system, the groundwater has raised to the surface or near to the surface, affecting the traditional cultural environment and urban areas and degrading all socio-economic aspects of the Oued Souf habitants. To preserve the Oued Souf environment, a vertical drainage system has been constructed. Consequently, in this research, an evaluation of the vertical drainage system performance and its impact on groundwater level stabilization has been performed by mapping the water table of the phreatic groundwater level using geostatistical modeling using ordinary kriging (OK) interpolation method, which has been applied to analyze the spatial and temporal structure of groundwater level fluctuation. Meanwhile, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was applied for grouping the wells based on the groundwater fluctuations for 2008, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2021. However, the vertical drainage system reflected a significant decline of groundwater from 2009 to 2018 due to the important drained volumes through it but another rising phenomenon might be threatening the region in the near future and this is what was indicated in the 2021 groundwater level data. Cluster analysis has generated four groups based on their fluctuation means that are increasing from the first group to the fourth group ascendingly. The first cluster grouped the drains that have a shallow depth (average mean of 5.91 mbgl) and declined over the clusters. The clusters are spatially combined with significant separation of the fourth cluster which represents the deepest group (12.89 mbgl). Based on this research, several factors are influencing the stability of the phreatic groundwater level and even the performance of the drainage system, the most important of which is the overexploitation from deep groundwater reservoirs such as complex terminal and continental intercalary (in drinking and irrigation) and even the illegal use of the phreatic groundwater with important quantities for irrigation and illegal industries.

The topic of the present article is the destruction of the common sense tradition linked to the urbanity of philosophy, which had deep roots both in the European and Hungarian traditions. This destruction was based on Hegelian ideas by János Erdélyi as an argument of the greatest philosophical controversy of the Hungarian philosophical life in the 1850s. In Erdélyi’s argumentation, the turn from the supposed urbanity to the supposed rurality of the common sense has a fundamental role. The idea of the rurality of the common sense has an influence on the Hungarian intellectual history of the next centuries, as well.

Abstract Effective monitoring of microbial pathogens is essential for a successful preventive food safety and hygiene strategy. However, as most monitoring strategies are growth-based, these tests fail to detect pathogenic bacteria that have entered the viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state. The present study reports the induction of the VBNC state in five human pathogens by commercially available household cleaners in combination with inorganic salts. We determined that non-ionic surfactants, a common ingredient in household cleaners, can induce the VBNC state, when combined with salts. A screening study with 630 surfactant/salt combinations indicates a correlation between the hydrophobicity of the surfactant and VBNC induction in L. monocytogenes, E. coli, S. enterica serovar Typhimurium, S. aureus and toxin-producing enteropathogenic E. coli. Cells that were exposed to combinations of surfactants and salts for 5 min and up to 1 h lost their culturability on standard growth media while retaining their ATP production, fermentation of sugars and membrane integrity, which suggests intact and active metabolism. Screening also revealed major differences between Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria; the latter being more susceptible to VBNC induction. Combinations of such detergents and salts are found in many different environments and reflect realistic conditions in industrial and domestic surroundings. VBNC cells present in industrial environments, food-processing plants and even our daily routine represent a serious health risk due to possible resuscitation, unknown spreading, production of toxins and especially their invisibility to routine detection methods, which rely on culturability of cells and fail to detect VBNC pathogens.

Albumin has a serum half-life of 3 weeks in humans. This feature can be used to improve the pharmacokinetics of shorter-lived biologics. For instance, an albumin-binding domain (ABD) can be used to recruit albumin. A prerequisite for such design is that the ABD-albumin interaction does not interfere with pH-dependent binding of albumin to the human neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn), as FcRn acts as the principal regulator of the half-life of albumin. Thus, there is a need to know how ABDs act in the context of fusion partners and human FcRn. Here, we studied the binding and transport properties of human immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1), fused to a Streptococcus protein G-derived engineered ABD, in in vitro and in vivo systems harboring human FcRn. IgA has great potential as a therapeutic protein, but its short half-life is a major drawback. We demonstrate that ABD-fused IgA1 binds human FcRn pH-dependently and is rescued from cellular degradation in a receptor-specific manner in the presence of albumin. This occurs when ABD is fused to either the light or the heavy chain. In human FcRn transgenic mice, IgA1-ABD in complex with human albumin, gave 4-6-fold extended half-life compared to unmodified IgA1, where the light chain fusion showed the longest half-life. When the heavy chain-fused protein was pre-incubated with an engineered human albumin with improved FcRn binding, cellular rescue and half-life was further enhanced. Our study reveals how an ABD, which does not interfere with albumin binding to human FcRn, may be used to extend the half-life of IgA.Abbreviations: ABD - Albumin binding domain, ADA – anti-drug-antibodies, ADCC - Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, ELISA - Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent assay, FcαRI - Fcα receptor, FcγR - Fcγ receptor, FcRn - The neonatal Fc receptor, GST - Glutathione S-transferase, HC - Heavy chain, HERA - Human endothelial cell-based recycling assay, Her2 - Human epidermal growth factor 2, HMEC - Human microvascular endothelial cells, IgG - Immunoglobulin G, IgA - Immunoglobulin A, LC - Light chain, QMP - E505Q/T527M/K573P, WT - Wild type

Abstract Introduction The aim of this study was to examine white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and fractional anisotropy (FA) in empirically derived incident mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subtypes. Methods We evaluated 188 participants with incident MCI in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging (MCSA) identified as having one of four cluster‐derived subtypes: subtle cognitive impairment, amnestic, dysnomic, and dysexecutive. We used linear regression models to evaluate whole brain and regional WMH volumes. We examined fractional anisotropy (FA) on a subset of 63 participants with diffusion tensor imaging. Results Amnestic and dysexecutive subtypes had higher WMH volumes in differing patterns than cognitively unimpaired; the dysexecutive subtype had higher WMH than subtle cognitive impairment. There was widespread WM degeneration in long association and commissural fibers in the amnestic, dysnomic, and dysexecutive subtypes, and corpus callosum FA accounted for significant variability in global cognition. Discussion White matter changes likely contribute to cognitive symptoms in incident MCI.

ABSTRACT Background: The II Brazilian Consensus on Gastric Cancer by the Brazilian Gastric Cancer Association (ABCG) was recently published. On this occasion, several experts in gastric cancer expressed their opinion before the statements presented. Aim: To present the ABCG Guidelines (part 1) regarding the diagnosis, staging, endoscopic treatment and follow-up of gastric cancer patients. Methods: To forge these Guidelines, the authors carried out an extensive and current review regarding each statement present in the II Consensus, using the Medline/PubMed, Cochrane Library and SciELO databases with the following descriptors: gastric cancer, staging, endoscopic treatment and follow-up. In addition, each statement was classified according to the level of evidence and degree of recommendation. Results: Of the 24 statements, two (8.3%) were classified with level of evidence A, 11 (45.8%) with B and 11 (45.8%) with C. As for the degree of recommendation, six (25%) statements obtained grade of recommendation 1, nine (37.5%) recommendation 2a, six (25%) 2b and three (12.5%) grade 3. Conclusion: The guidelines presented here are intended to assist professionals working in the fight against gastric cancer with relevant and current information, granting them to be applied in the daily medical practice.

IntroductionDespite major leaps in regenerative medicine, the regeneration of cardiomyocytes after ischemic conditions remains to elucidate. It is crucial to understand hypoxia induced cellular mechanisms to provide advanced treatment options, including the use of stem cell paracrine factors for myocardial regeneration.Materials and MethodsIn this study, the regenerative potential of hypoxic human cardiomyocytes (group Hyp-CMC) in vitro was evaluated when co-cultured with human bone-marrow derived MSC (group Hyp-CMC-MSC) or stimulated with the secretome of MSC (group Hyp-CMC-SMSC). The secretome of normoxic MSC and CMC, and the hypoxic CMC was analyzed with a cytokine panel. Gene expression changes of HIF-1α, proliferation marker Ki-67 and cytokinesis marker RhoA over different reoxygenation time periods of 4, 8, 24, 48, and 72 h were analyzed in comparison to normoxic CMC and MSC. Further, the proinflammatory cytokine IL-18 protein expression change, metabolic activity and proliferation was assessed in all experimental setups.Results and ConclusionHIF-1α was persistently overexpressed in Hyp-CMC-SMSC as compared to Hyp-CMC (except at 72 h). Hyp-CMC-MSC showed a weaker HIF-1α expression than Hyp-CMC-SMSC in most tested time points, except after 8 h. The Ki-67 expression showed the strongest upregulation in Hyp-CMC after 24 and 48 h incubation, then returned to baseline level, while a temporary increase in Ki-67 expression in Hyp-CMC-MSC at 4 and 8 h and at 48 h in Hyp-CMC-SMSC could be observed. RhoA was increased in normoxic MSCs and in Hyp-CMC-SMSC over time, but not in Hyp-CMC-MSC. A temporary increase in IL-18 protein expression was detected in Hyp-CMC-SMSC and Hyp-CMC. Our study demonstrates timely dynamic changes in expression of different ischemia and regeneration-related genes of CMCs, depending from the culture condition, with stronger expression of HIF-1α, RhoA and IL-18 if the hypoxic CMC were subjected to the secretome of MSCs.

Aseptic loosening is the main late postoperative complication of cementless total hip arthroplasties (THAs), leading to pain and functional impairment. This article aims to update the orthopedic surgeon on the various methods by which the aseptic loosening rate can be reduced. We performed a systematic review by searching the PubMed database for hip aseptic loosening. We included meta-analysis, randomized controlled trials, reviews, and systematic reviews in the last 10 years, which provided information on techniques that can prevent aseptic loosening in total hip arthroplasty. From a total of 3205 articles identified, 69 articles (2%) met the inclusion criteria, leading to a total of 36 recommendations. A lot of research has been conducted in terms of septic loosening in the last decade. Currently, we have various techniques by which we can reduce the rate of aseptic loosening. Nevertheless, further randomized clinical trials are needed to expand the recommendations for aseptic loosening prevention.

The provision of webGIS-based water quality data services has become a priority area for both the public and administrative sectors in the context of the pandemic emergency associated with the global spread of COVID-19. Current geographic, monitoring and decision supporting systems, typically based on web-based geospatial information, greatly facilitate the sharing of spatial and temporal data from environmental databases and real-time analyses. In the present study, different water quality indices are determined, compared and geovisualized, during which the changes in the quality of the shallow groundwater resources of a settlement are examined in the period (2011–2019) in an eastern Hungarian settlement. Another objective of the research is to determine three water quality indices (Water Quality Index, CCME Water Quality Index, Contamination degree) and categorize water samples based on the same input spatial and temporal data using self-developed freely available geovisualization tools. Groundwater quality was assessed by using different water quality indices. Significant pollution of the groundwater in the time period before the installation of a sewage network was shown. Regarding water quality, significant positive changes were shown based on all three water quality indices in the years after installing a sewage network (2015–2019). The presence of pollution apart from the positive changes suggests that the purification processes will last for a long time.

(1) Background: The inflammatory response following MI plays an important role in the healing, scar formation, and left ventricle (LV) remodeling. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging can accurately quantify the extent of myocardial scarring. The study aimed to investigate: (a) the relationship between acute inflammatory response and the CMR parameters of the scarring extent, and (b) the predictive power of inflammatory biomarkers and myocardial scarring for 2-year mortality. (2) Methods: The study included 202 STEMI patients, who underwent pPCI. Serum hs-CRP, IL-6, P-selectin, E-selectin, I-CAM, and V-CAM levels were determined at admission, and hs-CRP on the fifth day. Patients underwent LGE-CMR after 1 month, for LV volumes, ejection fraction (EF), infarct size (IS), and transmurality. Subjects were divided into tertiles according to the IS, and 2-year all-cause mortality was determined. (3) Results: IL-6 was associated with IS (r = 0.324, p = 0.01), increased transmurality index (r = 0.3, p = 0.01), and lower LVEF (r = −0.3, p = 0.02). Admission hs-CRP levels were not associated with IS, transmurality, or mortality, while hs-CRP at day 5 was a significant predictor for IS (AUC = 0.635, p = 0.05) as well as IL-6 levels (AUC = 0.685, p < 0.001). Mortality was significantly higher in the upper IS tertiles (6% vs. 8.7% vs. 24.52%, p = 0.005). IS was a significant predictor of 2-year mortality (AUC = 0.673, p = 0.002), with a cut-off value of 28.81 g, as well as high transmurality (AUC = 0.641, p = 0.013), with a cut off value of 18.38 g. (4) Conclusions: The serum levels of IL-6 and day-5 hs-CRP predict IS and transmurality, and day-5 hs-CRP levels are independent predictors of 2-year mortality in STEMI patients treated with pPCI. The CMR pattern of myocardial scarring after 1 month, as expressed by the magnitude of IS and transmurality, is a significant predictor for 2-year mortality after revascularized STEMI.

Background and objectives: The aim was to evaluate the current literature on the influence of inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis/Crohn’s disease) in dental implant osseointegration in human clinical studies. Materials and methods: This review was conducted under the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were electronic screened to find relevant articles published until October 2021. The inclusion criteria consisted of human clinical studies that reported the use of dental implant in patients diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease. Risk of bias was assessed according to The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology criteria. Results: A total of 786 studies were identified from databases. Of these, six studies were included in the review and reported the use of implants in patients with Crohn’s disease. No articles were available for ulcerative colitis. Included articles indicated that Crohn’s disease may determine early and late implant failure. Besides Crohn’s disease, several patients presented associated risk factors and systemic disease that determined implant failure. Conclusions: The presence of clinical studies on the influence of IBD in implant therapy is low. When recommending an implant therapy to IBD patients, the multidisciplinary team should be aware of side effects and a close collaboration between members of this team is necessary. More data are needed to sustain the effect of IBD on implant therapy.

Disposal sites without adequate engineering controls pose a significant risk to the environment. In the present study, the environmental hazards of an abandoned and unrecultivated liquid waste disposal are investigated with a special focus on soil and shallow groundwater contamination. After a period of operation from 1994 to 2010, when the wastewater collection of the municipality was regulated, the disposal site was subsequently decommissioned without further action. Eight monitoring wells have been established in the disposal basins and in the surrounding area to determine the contamination of the site. Sampling took place in the summers of 2020 and 2021. The results of the analysis of the soil and water samples collected showed a high level of contamination in the area. In the borehole profile of the infiltration basin, a well-developed leachate nitrate profile was observed, with a concentration above 3000 mg/kg NO3−. The soil phosphate content was also significant, with a value of over 1900 mg/kg in the upper 40 cm layer. Extremely high concentrations of ammonium (>45 mg/L) and organic matter (>90 mg/L) were detected in the groundwater of the basins, indicating that contaminated soil remains a major source of pollutants more than 10 years after closure. For all micro- and macroelements present in detectable concentrations, a significant increase was observed in the infiltration basin. Our results have revealed that the surroundings are also heavily contaminated. NO3− concentrations above the contamination limit were measured outside the basins. Recultivation of liquid waste disposal sites of similar characteristics is therefore strongly recommended.

Background: The aim of this in vitro study was to assess the morphological characteristics and stability of dental composites immersed in saliva collected from patients with leukemia. Material and Methods: A total number of five patients without systemic disease and 20 patients with leukemia (acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)) were included for saliva sampling. Composite disks were immersed in the leukemia, control, and artificial environments for 7 days. At the end of the experiment, atomic force microscopy (AFM), color stability (ΔE), and saliva elements analysis were performed. Statistical significance was considered for a p-value under 0.05. Results: The most changed surface resulted for ALL with a roughness that was almost double that of the untreated sample and was significantly increased compared to the healthy saliva. The effect of CLL was not as intense as observed for acute leukemia, but was significantly over the control. ALL seemed to modify structural components of the saliva, which were able to deteriorate the surface of the composite. ALL saliva promoted a significant dissolution of the initial feature of the samples and promoted nano-particle clusterization. All dental composites showed clinically acceptable color change values (ΔE < 3.3) in all four-leukemia salivas; CLL and CML showed large color differences for all composites. The total concentrations of P, Na, and K showed wide ranges of variations, while the coefficient of variation in Fe, Cu, and Mg showed narrow variations between the salvias’ investigated. The salivary concentration of zinc decreased considerably in the CLL and CML environments compared to the ALL and AML environments. Fe and Cu were significantly increased in the CML environment. Conclusions: Control and artificial salivas have a mild erosive effect on the surface of dental composites. The acute stage of the disease seems to deteriorate the surface roughness rather than its morphology, however, in the chronic stage, it is the surface morphology that mostly deteriorates.