Search Results (29)

This study evaluated the effects of dietary hydroxytyrosol (HT) addition on piglets during the nursery phase across two experiments. In the first, 72 weaned male piglets (~26 days old, 7.3 ± 0.5 kg) were assigned to one of four diets containing 0, 5, 10, or 50 mg HT/kg feed. Growth performance, serum biochemistry, histological and behavioral parameters, and meat lipid profiles were assessed. In the second study, the apparent digestibility of diets containing 0, 25, or 50 mg HT/kg feed was evaluated using 15 male piglets (21.5 ± 1.5 kg) through total excreta collection. Results revealed that HT influenced serum glucose and gamma-glutamyl transferase, histological inflammation, and active behaviors. HT modified lipid profiles, reduced capric, lauric, linolenic, arachidonic, cis-5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic fatty acid concentrations, and increased the nervonic acid profile. The digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, energy, and protein increased with HT use up to 50 mg/kg of feed. These findings demonstrate that HT positively impacts piglet efficiency, changing the fatty acid profile with increased nervonic acid, highlighting its potential as a dietary additive for improving nursery pig production. Full article

To investigate the real-world effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in a large cohort of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), we analyzed all >18-year-old patients with COVID-19 registered in a Brazilian nationwide surveillance database between February 2020 and February 2023. The primary outcome of interest was vaccine effectiveness against death, evaluated using multivariate logistic regression models. Among the 2,131,089 patients registered in the SIVEP-Gripe, 482,677 (22.6%) had DM. After adjusting for covariates, patients with DM had a higher risk of death than those without comorbidities (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.43, 95% CI, 1.39–1.47). For patients without comorbidities (72.7%, 95% CI, 70.5–74.7) and those with DM (73.4%, 95% CI, 68.2–76.7), vaccine effectiveness was similar after the booster dose. However, it was reduced in patients with DM associated with other comorbidities (60.5%; 95% CI, 57.5–63.2). The strongest factor associated with booster failure was the omicron variant (aOR = 27.8, 95% CI, 19.9–40.1). Our study revealed that COVID-19 vaccines provided robust protection against death in individuals with DM. However, our findings underscore the need to update vaccines and develop tailored strategies for individuals with diabetes, especially those with additional underlying conditions. Full article

The synthesis of CaKFe₄As₄ superconducting compounds either requires the adoption of high-temperature synthesis or implies the intimate mixing of the precursors via mechanochemical routes before the thermal step in order to avoid chemical inhomogeneities that lead to thermodynamically stable unwanted phases. High Energy Ball Milling (HEBM) represents a useful tool to ensure the comminution of the elements and their dispersion to obtain the target phase. The adoption of mechanochemical treatments is, however, known to lead to the formation of aggregates of small crystals, leading to a powder morphology not optimal for practical applications. In this work, we report our findings in the synthesis of CaKFe₄As₄ polycrystalline compounds showing the effect of milling energy on the morphology and phase composition of the powders. To overcome the limits of conventional synthesis, we report the results of a novel synthesis approach for CaKFe₄As₄ materials, highlighting how the choice of the proper precursors and the adoption of milder treatments can represent the key to optimizing the powder morphology. Full article

Objectives: To determine whether a closed dressing protocol reduces the surgical site infections (SSI) rate compared to conventional closing techniques. Methods: Patients who underwent lumbar spine surgery at two neurosurgical centers were retrospectively included from June 2015 to December 2019. Data on patients, general risk factors, and surgical risk factors for SSI were collected. Patients were subdivided into two groups: a Closed Protocol where the Dermabond^® ± Prineo^® dressing system was used, and a Conventional Protocol, namely sutures or staples. Statistical analysis was undertaken to compare the infection rates among the different closure techniques. Results: Altogether, 672 patients were included. In the whole cohort, 157 (23.36%) underwent skin closure with staples, 122 (18.15%) with sutures, 98 (14.58%) with intracutaneous sutures, 78 (11.61%) with Dermabond^®, and 217 (32.29%) with Demabond^® + Prineo^®. The overall infection rate was 2.23% (n = 15). Skin suture had the highest infection rate (4.10%), while the lowest was Dermabond^® (1.28%) and Dermabond^® + Prineo^® (1.4%), though the difference was not significant. Risk factors for SSI included higher BMI (29.46 kg/m² vs. 26.96 kg/m², p = 0.044), other sites infection (20.00% vs. 2.38%, p = 0.004), and a higher national nosocomial infections surveillance score (p = 0.003). Conclusions: This study showed that a closed protocol with the use of adhesive dressing with or without mesh had a slight tendency to lower infection rates compared to conventional protocol with sutures or staples, although no statistically significant difference was found between the closure techniques. Larger randomized studies are needed to investigate this potential benefit avoiding selection bias. Full article

The development and calibration of a measurement system designed for assessing the performance of the avalanche photodiodes (APDs) used in the Compton scattering polarimeter of the CUSP project is discussed in this work. The designed system is able to characterize the APD gain $G_{APD}$ and energy resolution across a wide range of temperatures T (from −20 °C to +60 °C) and bias voltages $V_{bias}$ (from 260 V to 410 V). The primary goal was to experimentally determine the $G_{APD}$ dependence on the T and $V_{bias}$ in order to establish a strategy for stabilizing $G_{APD}$ by compensating for T fluctuations, acting on $V_{bias}$. The results demonstrate the system capability to accurately characterize APD behavior and develop feedback mechanisms to ensure its stable operation. This work provides a robust framework for calibrating APDs for space environments. It is essential for the successful implementation of spaceborne polarimeters such as the Compton scattering polarimeter foreseen aboard the CUbeSat Solar Polarimeter (CUSP) mission under development to perform solar flare X-ray polarimetry. Full article

Human-driven changes in land cover and use can significantly impact species ants community structures, often leading to a decline in taxonomic diversity or species homogenization. Ant morphology, used as a proxy for ecological function, offers a valuable framework for understanding the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on ant diversity. This study explored the morphological diversity of ant assemblages in agricultural ecosystems and secondary forests in Italy and the Brazilian Amazon, analyzing how these communities are structured and adapted to different environments. The research aims to understand the ecological interactions and the role of ants in maintaining biodiversity in these contexts. The study was conducted in the Ticino River Natural Park, Italy, and the Paragominas mosaic in Pará, Brazil. The ants were sampled using epigean pitfall traps at 15 agricultural and 13 forest sites. In the secondary forests, the species richness was significantly higher in both countries compared to agricultural areas. In general, the Community Weighted Mean (CWM) of the selected traits (head length, head width, interocular distance, mandible length, eye width, Weber’s length, and tibia length) of Brazilian ants was higher than those of Italian. However, the CWM of agricultural areas of the two countries was more similar. We noticed the convex hull (i.e., the volume of an assemblage in the morphological space) of Brazilian secondary forests was still larger than Italian secondary forests when both assemblages have the same number of species. Morphological homogenization was more pronounced in agricultural settings, whereas secondary forests showed more variability, highlighting the role of environmental filtering in shaping ant communities across land use types. Full article

A higher incidence of primary congenital hypothyroidism (CH) has been related to increased sensitivity in neonatal screening tests. The benefit of treatment in mild cases remains a topic of debate. We evaluated the impact of reducing the blood-spot TSH cut-off (b-TSH) from 10 (Group 2) to 6 mIU/L (Group 1) in a public neonatal screening program. During the study period, 40% of 123 newborns with CH (n = 162,729; incidence = 1:1323) had b-TSH between 6 and 10 mIU/L. Group 1 patients had fewer clinical signs (p = 0.02), lower serum TSH (p < 0.01), and higher free T4 (p < 0.01) compared to those in Group 2 at diagnosis. Reducing the b-TSH cut-off from 10 to 6 mIU/L increased screening sensitivity, allowing a third of diagnoses, mainly mild cases, not being missed. However, when evaluating the performances of b-TSH cut-offs (6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 mIU/L), the lower values were associated with low positive predictive values (PPVs) and unacceptable increased recall rates (0.57%) for a public health care program. A proposed strategy is to adopt a higher b-TSH cut-off in the first sample and a lower one in the subsequent samples from the same child, which yields a greater number of diagnoses with an acceptable PPV. Full article

Background: The goal of this systematic study and meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of hard and/or soft tissue grafts associated with type-1 implants on healing and treatment outcomes. The primary outcomes studied were implant survival rate, pocket depth, marginal peri-implant recession, bone loss, bone thickness (volumetric change), interproximal bone level, mesial and distal papilla migration, and radiographic evaluation; and the secondary parameters were Pink Esthetic Score (PES), vertical distance from implant shoulder and bone, Visual Analogue Score (VAS), Implant Stability Quotient (ISQ), and biological complications (fistulas, pain, mucositis, and peri-implantitis). Methods: The PICO strategy was used to formulate the hypothesis under study: “For patients who underwent extraction and immediate implant placement, what is the efficacy of using any type of graft (bone or soft tissue) compared to non-grafting regarding the peri-implant parameters?” The electronic search process was performed on the MedLine/PubMed and Cochrane databases. It included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from the last 11 years (from 2012 to November 2023), which were identified and analyzed. Results: Nine RCTs (κ = 0.98) were selected (403 patients and 425 implants); they were divided into three groups: bone graft (75 patients and 75 implants inserted), bone graft and membrane (213 patients and 235 implants inserted), and without bone graft (115 patients and 115 implants inserted). Three studies calculated the mid-facial mucosa level and two reported better results when a connective tissue graft was combined with the xenograft, whereas another study found better results in the combination of a dual-zone technique with a xenograft. Three studies evaluated the total Pink Esthetic Score (PES) at 12 months, where the authors found no significant difference in using a xenogeneic graft with or without a membrane. In the same period, the facial bone thickness was assessed in two articles; the authors reported better results in graft-treated and flapless groups. The risk-of-bias assessment found four studies with low risk, four with moderate risk, and one with a high risk of bias. The meta-analysis showed a medium level of heterogeneity for the mid-facial mucosa level analysis (I² = 46%) and an overall effect size of 0.79 (95% CI [0.18; 1.40]), a statistically significant results (p = 0.01), with a tendency to favor the experimental group. Also, there was a medium level of heterogeneity among studies regarding total PES (I² = 45%), with no significant differences between studies (p = 0.91). Homogeneous results (I² = 0%) were found among studies analyzing facial bone thickness, favoring the experimental group; the forest plot showed an effect of 0.37 (95% CI [0.25; 0.50]), which was statistically significant (p < 0.00001) for this parameter. Conclusions: Then, it was possible to conclude that using bone and soft tissue grafting techniques associated with immediate implant placement (IIP), even though they are not fundamental, was a valuable resource to prevent significant tissue reduction, reaching greater bone stability and higher levels in the Pink Esthetic Score (PES) and Visual Analogue Score (VAS). Full article

In this work, a detailed parametric study assessing the impact of low-conductivity coatings on the radio-frequency accelerating cavity quality factor and resonance frequency shift is presented. In particular, this study is aimed at proving the feasibility of molybdenum oxides deposited on copper to reduce the dark current in high-gradient applications due to its intrinsically high work function. In order to compute the effective surface impedance of the resulting layered structure, a transmission line-based approach is adopted. The present analysis demonstrates the potential effectiveness of molybdenum thin-films, which only slightly affects the accelerating cavity quality factor, with very low sensitivity to thickness and resistivity inhomogeneities. Full article

Microwave transducers are widely used for sensing applications in areas such as gas sensing and microfluidics. Inkjet printing technology has been proposed as a promising method for fabricating such devices due to its capability to produce complex patterns and geometries with high precision. In this work, the temperature-dependent electrical properties of an inkjet-printed single-port interdigitated capacitor (IDC) were investigated at cryogenic temperatures down to 20 K. The IDC was designed and fabricated using inkjet printing technology, while its reflection coefficient was measured using a vector network analyzer in a cryogenic measurement setup and then transformed into the corresponding admittance. The resonant frequency and quality factor (Q-factor) of the IDC were extracted as functions of the temperature and their sensitivity was evaluated. The results showed that the resonant frequency shifted to higher frequencies as the temperature was reduced, while the Q-factor increased as the temperature decreased. The trends and observations in the temperature-dependent electrical properties of the IDC are discussed and analyzed in this paper, and are expected to be useful in future advancement of the design and optimization of inkjet-printed microwave transducers for sensing applications and cryogenic electronics. Full article

The ability to correctly identify specimens at the species level is crucial for assessing and conserving biodiversity. Despite this, species-specific data are lacking for many of South Africa’s catsharks due to a high level of morphological stasis. As comprehensive and curated DNA reference libraries are required for the reliable identification of specimens from morphologically similar species, this study reviewed and contributed to the availability of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and nicotinamide adenine dehydrogenase subunit 2 (NADH2) sequences for South Africa’s catsharks. A molecular taxonomic approach, implementing species delimitation and specimen assignment methods, was used to assess and highlight any taxonomic uncertainties and/or errors in public databases. The investigated species were summarised into 47 molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs), with some conflicting specimen assignments. Two Apristurus specimens sampled in this study remained unidentified, revealing the presence of previously undocumented genetic diversity. In contrast, haplotype sharing within Haploblepharus—attributed to nucleotide ambiguities—resulted in the delimitation of three congeners into a single MOTU. This study reveals that molecular taxonomy has the potential to flag undocumented species and/or misidentified specimens, and further highlights the need to implement integrated taxonomic assessments on catsharks that represent an irreplaceable component of biodiversity in the region. Full article

We investigated the biochemical profile of greater rheas (Rhea americana) in captivity and correlated these values according to the birds’ sex. A total of 69 serum samples were collected from a breeding site in Mossoró, northeastern Brazil, and analyzed to quantify serum biochemical parameters (total protein, albumin, cholesterol, calcium, phosphorus, uric acid, urea, creatinine, ALP, AST, and CK). The birds had levels of urea, creatinine, total cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase, calcium, and phosphorus similar to the values reported for ratite and ostrich species. By sex, females showed higher values (p < 0.05) of calcium (3.5 mmol/L), total cholesterol (7.5 mmol/L), and uric acid (435.3 μmol/L) than males, which had 3.1 mmol/L, 3.8 mmol/L, and 390.7 μmol/L, respectively. This can be attributed to the difference in diet, the productive phase of females, or stress at the time of sampling. The data present a wide spectrum of biochemical results regarding the health of greater rheas, contributing to the veterinary clinical practice of this species. Full article

One of the main challenges in the development of a plasma diagnostic and control system for DEMO is the need to cope with unprecedented radiation levels in a tokamak during long operation periods. A list of diagnostics required for plasma control has been developed during the pre-conceptual design phase. Different approaches are proposed for the integration of these diagnostics in DEMO: in equatorial and upper ports, in the divertor cassette, on the inner and outer surfaces of the vacuum vessel and in diagnostic slim cassettes, a modular approach developed for diagnostics requiring access to the plasma from several poloidal positions. According to each integration approach, diagnostics will be exposed to different radiation levels, with a considerable impact on their design. This paper provides a broad overview of the radiation environment that diagnostics in DEMO are expected to face. Using the water-cooled lithium lead blanket configuration as a reference, neutronics simulations were performed for pre-conceptual designs of in-vessel, ex-vessel and equatorial port diagnostics representative of each integration approach. Flux and nuclear load calculations are provided for several sub-systems, along with estimations of radiation streaming to the ex-vessel for alternative design configurations. The results can be used as a reference by diagnostic designers. Full article

Multiple myeloma (MM) arises following malignant proliferation of plasma cells in the bone marrow, that secrete high amounts of specific monoclonal immunoglobulins or light chains, resulting in the massive production of unfolded or misfolded proteins. Autophagy can have a dual role in tumorigenesis, by eliminating these abnormal proteins to avoid cancer development, but also ensuring MM cell survival and promoting resistance to treatments. To date no studies have determined the impact of genetic variation in autophagy-related genes on MM risk. We performed meta-analysis of germline genetic data on 234 autophagy-related genes from three independent study populations including 13,387 subjects of European ancestry (6863 MM patients and 6524 controls) and examined correlations of statistically significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; p < 1 × 10⁻⁹) with immune responses in whole blood, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) from a large population of healthy donors from the Human Functional Genomic Project (HFGP). We identified SNPs in six loci, CD46, IKBKE, PARK2, ULK4, ATG5, and CDKN2A associated with MM risk (p = 4.47 × 10⁻⁴−5.79 × 10⁻¹⁴). Mechanistically, we found that the ULK4_rs6599175 SNP correlated with circulating concentrations of vitamin D3 (p = 4.0 × 10⁻⁴), whereas the IKBKE_rs17433804 SNP correlated with the number of transitional CD24⁺CD38⁺ B cells (p = 4.8 × 10⁻⁴) and circulating serum concentrations of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein (MCP)-2 (p = 3.6 × 10⁻⁴). We also found that the CD46_rs1142469 SNP correlated with numbers of CD19⁺ B cells, CD19⁺CD3⁻ B cells, CD5⁺IgD⁻ cells, IgM⁻ cells, IgD⁻IgM⁻ cells, and CD4⁻CD8⁻ PBMCs (p = 4.9 × 10⁻⁴−8.6 × 10⁻⁴) and circulating concentrations of interleukin (IL)-20 (p = 0.00082). Finally, we observed that the CDKN2A_rs2811710 SNP correlated with levels of CD4⁺EMCD45RO⁺CD27⁻ cells (p = 9.3 × 10⁻⁴). These results suggest that genetic variants within these six loci influence MM risk through the modulation of specific subsets of immune cells, as well as vitamin D3⁻, MCP-2⁻, and IL20-dependent pathways. Full article

The spread of additive manufacturing techniques in the prototyping and realization of high-frequency applications renewed the interest in the characterization of the electromagnetic properties of both dielectric and conductive materials, as well as the design of new versatile measurement techniques. In this framework, a new configuration of a dielectric-loaded resonator is presented. Its optimization, realization, and use are presented. A measurement repeatability of about one order of magnitude lower than the commonly found values (${10}^{-3}$ on the Q-factor and $15\times {10}^{-6}$ on the resonance frequency, given in terms of the relative standard deviations of repeated measurements) was reached thanks to the design of a closed resonator in which the samples can be loaded without disassembling the whole measurement fixture. The uncertainty levels, the ease of use, and the versatility of the realized system make its use of potential interest in numerous scenarios. Full article