Search Results (7)

Recent advancements highlight the intricate interplay between the extracellular matrix (ECM) and immune responses, notably in respiratory diseases such as asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The ECM, a dynamic structural framework within tissues, orches-trates a plethora of cellular processes, including immune cell behavior and tissue repair mecha-nisms. WNT1-inducible-signaling pathway protein 1 (WISP1), a key ECM regulator, controls immune cell behavior, cytokine production, and tissue repair by modulating integrins, PI3K, Akt, β-catenin, and mTOR signaling pathways. WISP1 also induces macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) expression via Src kinases and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation. MIF, through its wide range of activities, enhances inflammation and tissue restructuring. Rec-ognized for its versatile roles in regulating the immune system, MIF interacts with multiple immune components, such as the NLRP3 inflammasome, thereby sustaining inflammatory pro-cesses. The WISP1–MIF axis potentially unveils complex molecular mechanisms governing im-mune responses and inflammation. Understanding the intricate roles of WISP1 and MIF in the pathogenesis of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD could lead to the identi-fication of novel targets for therapeutic intervention to alleviate disease severity and enhance patient outcomes. Full article

The long and large-diameter uncharged hole-boring (LLB) method is a cut-blasting method used to reduce vibration induced by blasting. This method typically involves creating an uncharged hole with a 382 mm diameter and drilling 50 m in the tunnel excavation direction at a time. This method is reported to provide relatively good vibration reduction and with high blasting efficiency through short hole blasting compared to traditional cut methods. In this study, an advanced LLB method incorporating deck charge blasting was investigated to improve the blasting efficiency during long hole blasting. Numerical analysis was performed via ANSYS LS-DYNA to investigate the effectiveness of the deck charge technique. In the original LLB method, explosives were used to break the rocks more finely, and the fragmented rocks were concen trated at the end of the blast holes. On the contrary, the modified LLB, in which two-part explosives were loaded into the blast holes, is expected to push the fragmented rocks to the tunnel face more effectively than the original LLB method. Therefore, it is expected that the proposed LLB method combined with a deck charge technique can achieve superior blasting efficiency. Full article

In this paper, the authors investigated changes in mass concentrations of particulate matter (PM) during the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown. Daily samples of PM₁, PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ fractions were measured at an urban background sampling site in Zagreb, Croatia from 2009 to late 2020. For the purpose of meteorological normalization, the mass concentrations were fed alongside meteorological and temporal data to Random Forest (RF) and LightGBM (LGB) models tuned by Bayesian optimization. The models’ predictions were subsequently de-weathered by meteorological normalization using repeated random resampling of all predictive variables except the trend variable. Three pollution periods in 2020 were examined in detail: January and February, as pre-lockdown, the month of April as the lockdown period, as well as June and July as the “new normal”. An evaluation using normalized mass concentrations of particulate matter and Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted. The results showed that no significant differences were observed for PM₁, PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ in April 2020—compared to the same period in 2018 and 2019. No significant changes were observed for the “new normal” as well. The results thus indicate that a reduction in mobility during COVID-19 lockdown in Zagreb, Croatia, did not significantly affect particulate matter concentration in the long-term.. Full article

In the paper, a compact complex impedance transformer (CIT) composed of the cascading of three varactors loaded coupled lines and two variable shunt susceptances was proposed. Highly flexible tunability functions including only frequency tunable, only impedance tunable, and both frequency and impedance tunable can be achieved by tuning the capacitance of two types of varactors and the value of the susceptance. Design equations were derived using the even–odd mode analysis and examples are given for descripting the design procedures. For validation, a prototype was designed and fabricated. During measurement, three cases were exhibited. When the termination impedance was fixed, the measured center frequency can be tuned in the range of 1.1–2.1 GHz (62.5%). When the frequency was determined, different terminal impedances can be matched by the prototype. The function of frequency tunable at different terminal impedances is also trated by the measured results. After comparison, the potential of the proposed CIT for applications in radio frequency front-end were demonstrated. Full article

Little is known about health professions students’ awareness and attitudes regarding public health in the United States. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess medical and pharmacy students’ knowledge and interest in the Healthy People initiative as well as perceptions of public health content in their curricula. An electronic survey was distributed in March 2021 in seven schools across Ohio; participation was incentivized through a USD 5 donation to the Ohio Association of Foodbanks to aid in COVID-19 relief efforts (maximum USD 1000) for each completed survey. A total of 182 medical students and 233 pharmacy students participated (12% response rate). Less than one-third of respondents reported familiarity with Healthy People and correctly identified the latest edition. However, nearly all respondents agreed public health initiatives are valuable to the American healthcare system. Almost all students expressed a desire to practice interprofessionally to attain public health goals. Both medical and pharmacy students recognized core public health topics in their curricula, and nearly 90% wanted more information. These findings indicate that the majority of medical and pharmacy students in Ohio believe public health initiatives to be important, yet knowledge gaps exist regarding Healthy People. This information can guide curricular efforts and inform future studies of health professions students. Full article

(1) Background: This work characterizes the sensitivity of magnetic resonance-based Relaxivity Contrast Imaging (RCI) to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)-induced changes in myofiber microstructure. Transverse Relaxivity at Tracer Equilibrium (TRATE), an RCI-based parameter, was evaluated in the lower extremities of ALS patients and healthy subjects. (2) Methods: In this IRB-approved study, 23 subjects (12 ALS patients and 11 healthy controls) were scanned at 3T (Philips, The Netherlands). RCI data were obtained during injection of a gadolinium-based contrast agent. TRATE, fat fraction and T₂ measures, were compared in five muscle groups of the calf muscle, between ALS and control populations. TRATE was also evaluated longitudinally (baseline and 6 months) and was compared to clinical measures, namely ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R) and Hand-Held Dynamometry (HHD), in a subset of the ALS population. (3) Results: TRATE was significantly lower (p < 0.001) in ALS-affected muscle than in healthy muscle in all muscle groups. Fat fraction differences between ALS and healthy muscle were statistically significant for the tibialis anterior (p = 0.01), tibialis posterior (p = 0.004), and peroneus longus (p = 0.02) muscle groups but were not statistically significant for the medial (p = 0.07) and lateral gastrocnemius (p = 0.06) muscles. T₂ differences between ALS and healthy muscle were statistically significant for the tibialis anterior (p = 0.004), peroneus longus (p = 0.004) and lateral gastrocnemius (p = 0.03) muscle groups but were not statistically significant for the tibialis posterior (p = 0.06) and medial gastrocnemius (p = 0.07) muscles. Longitudinally, TRATE, averaged over all patients, decreased by 28 ± 16% in the tibialis anterior, 47 ± 18% in the peroneus longus, 25 ± 19% in the tibialis posterior, 29 ± 14% in the medial gastrocnemius and 35 ± 18% in the lateral gastrocnemius muscles between two timepoints. ALSFRS-R scores were stable in two of four ALS patients. HHD scores decreased in three of four ALS patients. (4) Conclusion: RCI-based TRATE was shown to consistently differentiate ALS-affected muscle from healthy muscle and also provide a quantitative measure of longitudinal muscle degeneration. Full article

In the past, the study of old age often focused on the losses and problems associated with ageing. In recent times, the focus has been on the positive aspects, such as quality of life, inner strength, and enjoying life. The aims of this study were to highlight the ways in which chronically ill older persons experience the meaning of daily life and to understand what it means to live at home with chronic dis- ease. In-depth interviews were used to illus- trate individual experiences. The sample con- sisted of 13 chronically ill persons, aged 80 to 94 years, living at home and receiving assis- tance in the form of home nursing care. Data were analyzed using the phenomenological hermeneutical method. After a naïve reading and a structural analysis of the text, we identi- fied three themes: being insufficient, becoming dependent , and enjoying life . The comprehen- sive understanding suggested that daily life involved bad days , described as illness with dysfunctions, limited energy, and dependency on others. Daily life also had its positive aspects, described as enjoying life . Dignity was threatened by feelings of being a burden to others and was affirmed by experiencing a will to live. It was concluded that bad days with experiences of suffering and good days that provided the older with experiences of enjoy- ing life could help them meet adversity through qualities of resilience that gave mean- ing to daily life and helped them to think posi- tively in times of greater difficulty Full article