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Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS) techniques seem to be effective in treating tobacco use disorder. We aimed to analyze what kinds of protocols are used to treat nicotine addiction in term of cessation and/or reduction and to evaluate the long-term effects of NIBS techniques.We searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for papers published, with combinations of the following search terms: “Non-invasive brain stimulation OR TMS OR transcranial magnetic stimulation OR tDCS OR transcranial direct current stimulation OR transcranial electrical stimulation OR TES AND Nicotine addiction”.We conducted a preliminary search, which revealed papers on the topic. Articles were included in the review according to the following inclusion criteria: English language, publication in peer reviewed journals, articles about studies performed on non-invasive brain stimulations techniques, and RCT studies. Studies involving clinical populations with organic or psychiatric diseases were excluded. We found 280 articles. Of these, at the first screening and conducted by title and abstract, 63 studies were excluded after duplicates were removed (118). After the second screening conducted by full-text examination, 45 articles were excluded. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review.The clinical benefits of NIBS, including the fast onset and minor side effects, showed that this kind of treatment could be helpful in patients with a long history of smoking in terms of cessation and abstinence rates.

Infrared spectroscopy is a standard method in analytical chemistry that transforms the vibration of atoms in a compound into images. In the mid-infrared (MIR) spectral region extending from 4,000-400 cm-1, the chemical, structural, and compositional information of a molecule, regarded as its fingerprint region, in the solid, liquid, and gas phases can be deduced. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers are predominantly used over conventional dispersive instruments because modern computer technology allows real-time, fast Fourier transform algorithms. This study explored the utility of gas-phase Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for the chemometric differentiation of aromatic rice. The seven cultivars Basmati, Dinorado, Jasmine, Milagrosa, NSICs Rc148, Rc342, and Rc344 were characterized by different infrared patterns. Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC) generated clusters that define the rice's similar characteristics. Correspondingly, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was able to precisely classify the samples into different varieties (?99%). The results demonstrated that chemometric analysis of FTIR spectrograms can be a reliable technique and has a high potential to discriminate aromatic rice samples based on their infrared fingerprints. The study provided a possible inexpensive and nondestructive alternative that has not been explored before to assess the authenticity of rice varieties through an existing analytical platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionPsychiatric comorbidity is frequent in bariatric surgery candidates. This study aimed to classify bariatric surgery patients according to patterns of preoperative measures of the severity of the eating disorder (ED), depression, and personality traits.MethodsIn the present cross-sectional study, 115 adult candidates for bariatric surgery (75 females, 65.22% of sample; mean age 37) were considered for analysis. Patients’ sociodemographic and psychopathological variables were collected. K-Means clustering analysis was adopted to classify bariatric surgery candidates according to their preoperative Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2) scores. In addition, we assessed depression and personality traits using the Beck Depression Inventory-2 (BDI-2) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2).ResultsCluster analysis based on EDI-2 revealed two preoperative patterns: higher severity (n = 39), and low severity (n = 76). The more severe EDI-2 group had higher scores on the BDI-2 and presented higher scores on several MMPI-2 dimensions, particularly those related to anxiety (Psychasthenia, Anxiety, Fears, Obsessiveness), depression (Depression, including both content and clinical MMPI-2 subscales), externalizing symptoms (Anger, Cynicism, Type A Behavior), and social functioning (Social Introversion, Family Problems, Work Interference).DiscussionEating disorders symptoms in candidates for bariatric surgery are closely related to depression and different psychological conditions assessed with MMPI-2. These psychological variables should be evaluated preoperatively and targeted with more specific psychological interventions.

Background/Objectives: The diagnosis of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) represent a significant challenge in oral medicine. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) shows promise for evaluating oral tissue microstructure but lacks standardized diagnostic protocols tailored to the structural variability and lesions of oral mucosa. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of targeted biopsy-based and site-coded OCT protocols for common OPMDs and OSCC. Adult patients clinically diagnosed with OPMDs, including oral leukoplakia (OL), oral lichen planus (OLP), and OSCC were enrolled. Clinical and OCT evaluation before and after punch scalpel-site registration preceding diagnostic biopsy on the target site was performed. Blinded observers analyzed the OCT scans for OCT-based diagnoses. Sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy for OCT evaluations before and after punch scalpel-site registration were statistically compared with histological findings. Results: A dataset of 2520 OCT scans and 210 selected images from 21 patients was obtained. Sensitivity and specificity post-target site registration were high for OSCC (98.57%, 100.00%), OL (98.57%, 98.57%), and OLP (97.14%, 98.57%). The positive predictive values ranged from 97.14% to 100.00%, while negative predictive values ranged from 98.57% to 99.29%. Inter-observer agreements were strong for OSCC (0.84) and moderate for OL (0.54) and OLP (0.47–0.49). Targeted OCT scans significantly improved diagnostic accuracy for all conditions (p < 0.001). Conclusions: This preliminary study supports using site-targeted OCT scans followed by a site-targeted punch biopsy, enhancing precision in oral diagnostics. This approach is foundational for developing pioneering automated algorithms guiding oral cancer and pre-cancer diagnosis via OCT imaging.

A high-fidelity real-time simulation code based on a lumped, nonlinear representation of gas turbine components is presented. The code is a general-purpose simulation software environment useful for setting up and testing control equipments. The mathematical model and the numerical procedure are specially developed in order to efficiently solve the set of algebraic and ordinary differential equations that describe the dynamic behavior of gas turbine engines. For high-fidelity purposes, the mathematical model takes into account the actual composition of the working gases and the variation of the specific heats with the temperature, including a stage-by-stage model of the air-cooled expansion. The paper presents the model and the adopted solver procedure. The code, developed in Matlab-Simulink using an object-oriented approach, is flexible and can be easily adapted to any kind of plant configuration. Simulation tests of the transients after load rejection have been carried out for a single-shaft heavy-duty gas turbine and a double-shaft aeroderivative industrial engine. Time plots of the main variables that describe the gas turbine dynamic behavior are shown and the results regarding the computational time per time step are discussed. [DOI: 10.1115/1.2132383]

The feasibility of the application of One-Step-Ahead Adaptive (OSAA) Control technique to a gas turbine power plant is investigated. The OSAA technique is a control algorithm especially suitable for nonlinear and time-varying systems. This technique uses the least square algorithm to estimate in real-time a linear model of the controlled system and uses the estimated linear model to evaluate the feedback control variables. The proposed technique allows to control the gas turbine power plant in a wide range of electric loads due to its intrinsic adaptive capabilities. Moreover, the OSAA control does not require the knowledge of the dynamic characteristics (e.g., state space systems or transfer functions) in order to design the control system. The OSAA control system has been applied to a single shaft gas turbine power plant, which is numerically simulated. The proposed control technique has been tested both in Single-Input Single Output (SISO) mode and in Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) mode. Starting from a steady-state condition, the power plant has been supposed to undergo a step reduction of the electric load. The results show that the OSAA control technique effectively counteracts the load reduction with limited overshoots in the controlled variables and, introducing an integral correction with a negligible static error. [DOI: 10.1115/1.1470178]

An innovative electronic system for testing the performance of wind turbines is presented. The main goal of the system is to increase the accuracy in the measurements of torque and speed for each steady-state point of the turbine characteristic power curve. Another useful advantage provided by the electronic control is given by the possibility of fine tuning the load in order to obtain a large number of steady state experimental points describing the characteristic curve of the turbine. Moreover, the system is suitable for integration into an automatic data acquisition and control system. In the paper the main characteristics of the electronic system are described and compared with a traditional system. This electronic control system is used for testing a small Vertical Axis Wind Turbine in a wind tunnel. The wind turbine is directly coupled to a direct current electric generator, and a chopper, electronically controlled by means of a Pulse Width Modulator, is used to supply the circuit. The electric generator is used for braking the wind turbine at various speeds during the performance test. The experimental results obtained through the proposed system are presented and discussed. [DOI: 10.1115/1.1404432]

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) represent a significant threat to patients’ safety in dentistry, necessitating proactive measures for prevention and treatment. However, identifying ADRs of dental and oral interest can be challenging, and underreporting remains a persistent issue globally. This paper illustrates a smart system to help Italian healthcare personnel, including dentists, in identifying and reporting dental and oral ADRs. This educational program is within a larger multi-regional project financed by the Italian Agency of Drugs (AIFA). The proposed system comprises a free online questionnaire on ADRs of dental interest (including specific items about awareness and attitudes), and after the free consultation of an atlas of clinical images of dental and oral ADRs linked with a digital synopsis of drugs potentially related to ADRs. This section of the project was presented in April 2023 at the 30th National Congress of the Italian College of University Professors of Dental Disciplines, and the system appears to hold tremendous potential to improve the knowledge of healthcare professionals on oral and dental ADRs.

The regular monitoring of iodized salt available in the household and marketplace is necessary for the effective implementation of the national program of salt iodization to control iodine deficiency and its associated diseases. This study describes a colorimetric measurement of iodate in table salt using a smartphone equipped with applications for color analysis and direct readout of iodate levels. The method involved the measurement of the blue component of the colored solution under controlled lighting conditions. The parameters for colorimetric reactions were optimized using a univariate approach – including KI concentration, pH, type and volume of acid, and order of addition of reagents. The effect of NaCl and sample size on the B signal was also investigated. Under optimum conditions, a linear response was observed from 10 to 175 mg iodate per kg of salt (r = 0.9959) with a coefficient of variation of 1.9% over this range and a detection limit of 2.7 mg kg–1 salt. The method was applied for real samples, and the results agreed well with the reference method at the 95% confidence level. The simplicity of operation, compactness, and wide availability of smartphones offer a convenient colorimetric platform for the iodate assessment in table salt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper provides a review of the more important results obtained by the author, sometimes with co-authors, solving inviscid and viscous compressible flows by means of a lambda methodology. In particular, an implicit numerical algorithm, called fast solver, has always been applied. This methodology separately integrates the compatibility conditions, written in terms of generalized Riemann variables, along appropriate bicharacteristic lines. The multi-dimensional flow problem is, thus, reduced to a sequence of simple quasi one-dimensional problems. The merits of this approach are demonstrated by means of the application of the method to the solution of three dimensional (3-D) subsonic and transonic inviscid flows, of two-dimensional (2-D) and 3-D viscous flows and of the 2-D flow around a vertical axis wind turbine. In the transonic case the shock wave is computed by means of a shock fitting technique, which enforces the proper shock jumps by an explicit use of the Rankine-Hugoniot equations; in the wind turbine case the blades are represented in a time-averaged sense by means of an actuator porous cylinder, having the turbine radius. The results are then compared with other numerical results and with experimental results.

An accurate two-dimensional methodology, the COIN Lambda Fast Solver, for the computation of the flow field about a vertical axis wind turbine is presented. Such a technique determines the smooth flow field by integrating the compatibility conditions along the bicharacteristic lines. The time-averaged wind turbine effects are introduced by means of an actuator porous cylinder having the same radius of the wind turbine. A time-averaged flow field is determined. The computed vertical axis wind turbine performances are compared with other numerical results. A qualitative comparison with experimental data is also shown. Such comparisons prove the merits of the proposed methodology.