Search Results (33)

Background: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a major vascular condition often overlooked in prevention strategies. We aimed to evaluate the association between cardiovascular health, measured by Life’s Simple 7 (LS7), and the risk of PAD in a high-risk Mediterranean population. Methods: This prospective analysis included 7122 participants from the PREDIMED study (Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea) at high cardiovascular risk but free of cardiovascular disease at baseline. LS7 scores (0–14 points) were calculated using seven metrics: smoking status, body mass index, physical activity, blood pressure, total cholesterol, glucose metabolism, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Participants were categorized into inadequate (0–5), average (6–8), and optimal (9–14) cardiovascular health. Multivariable Cox regression models and Nelson–Aalen curves assessed the association between LS7 and PAD incidence over a median 4.8-year follow-up. A meta-analysis combining these results with three prior studies was also performed. Results: A total of 87 incident PAD cases were identified. Compared to participants with inadequate cardiovascular health, those with average and optimal LS7 scores exhibited significantly lower PAD risk (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.37; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.22–0.61, and HR 0.25; 95% CI: 0.10–0.65, respectively). Each one-point increase in the LS7 score (range 0 to 14) was associated with an 22% lower PAD risk (HR 0.78; 95% CI: 0.68–0.90). The meta-analysis yielded a pooled HR of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.76–0.87), confirming consistent inverse associations across populations. Conclusions: Greater adherence to LS7 metrics is associated with a significantly reduced risk of PAD in high-risk Mediterranean individuals. Promoting LS7 adherence may represent an effective strategy for preventing both cardiovascular disease and PAD. Full article

In the continuous pursuit of minimally invasive interventions while ensuring a radical excision of lesions, Radio-Guided Surgery (RGS) has been for years the standard for image-guided surgery procedures, such as the Sentinel Lymph Node biopsy (SLN), Radio-guided Seed Localization (RSL), etc. In RGS, the lesion has to be identified precisely, in terms of position and extension. In such a context, going beyond the current one-point probes, introducing portable but high-resolution cameras, handholdable by the surgeon, would be highly beneficial. We developed and tested a novel compact, low-power, handheld gamma camera for radio-guided surgery. This is based on a particular position-sensitive Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) technology—the FBK linearly graded SiPM (LG-SiPM). Within the camera, the photodetector is made up of a 3 × 3 array of 10 × 10 mm² SiPM chips having a total area of more than 30 × 30 mm². This is coupled with a pixelated scintillator and a parallel-hole collimator. With the LG-SiPM technology, it is possible to significantly reduce the number of readout channels to just eight, simplifying the complexity and lowering the power consumption of the readout electronics while still preserving a good position resolution. The novel gamma camera is light (weight), and it is made to be a fully stand-alone system, therefore featuring wireless communication, battery power, and wireless recharge capabilities. We designed, simulated (electrically), and tested (functionally) the first prototypes of the novel gamma camera. We characterized the intrinsic position resolution (tested with pulsed light) as being ~200 µm, and the sensitivity and resolution when detecting gamma rays from Tc-99m source measured between 134 and 481 cps/MBq and as good as 1.4–1.9 mm, respectively. Full article

Background: The Mediterranean diet (MD) has been shown to have cardioprotective effects, as demonstrated in adults, but data on hyperlipidemic children are scanty. This study assessed the impact of MD adherence, evaluated with the updated KIDMED score, on the lipid profiles of pediatric patients affected by primary hyperlipidemias. Methods: This retrospective study included data on 157 children (mean age: 10.01 ± 3.54 years) dating from 2016 to 2020. Dietary adherence and lipid levels were assessed at baseline (T₀) and after 6 months (T₁) of dietary counseling. Adherence was categorized using the KIDMED score: ≥8 (optimal), 4–7 (improvement needed), and ≤3 (very low). Results: KIDMED scores improved for 65% of patients, with adherence classes increasing for 33.8%. Significant reductions in LDL-C and non-HDL-C (p < 0.0001) levels were associated with even a one-point score increase, beyond which no additional benefits were observed. Conclusions: MD adherence, as measured using the updated KIDMED score, significantly improved the lipid profiles of children with dyslipidemia. These findings will support the performance of early dietary interventions to reduce cardiovascular risk factors. Full article

The use of low-cost sensors has dramatically increased in recent years in all engineering sectors. In the buildings and automotive field, low-cost sensors open very interesting perspectives, because they allow one to monitor temperature and humidity distributions together with air quality in a widespread and punctual way and allow for the control of all energy parameters. The main issue remains the validation of the measurements. In this work, we propose an innovative approach to verify the measurements given by some low-cost systems built ad hoc for automotive applications. Two independent low-cost measurement systems were set to measure Particulate Air Matter (PM) concentration, TVOC concentration, CO₂ concentration, formaldehyde concentration, air temperature, relative humidity, pressure, air flow velocity, and GPS position. These systems were calibrated for PM concentration measurement by comparison with standard and certified sensors used by the regional authority of the Emilia-Romagna region (ARPAE, Italy) for characterizing air quality. The duration of the analysis, three days, is not representative of the diverse environmental conditions that occur across different seasons. However, the innovation of this approach lies in both the in-field comparison of low-cost and high-quality sensors and the use of proper conversion approaches for mass concentration measurements. A quantitative analysis of the sensors’ performance is given, with a focus on the effects of time granularity, relative humidity, mass conversion from particle counts, and size detection response. The results show that the low-cost sensors’ measurements of air temperature, relative humidity, and particle number concentration are in good agreement with high-quality sensors’ measurements, with a strong impact of relative humidity on performance indicators. Overall, good quality and consistency of the data among the sensors were achieved. Full article

Background/Objectives: Food prices are a crucial factor in food choices, especially for more vulnerable populations. To estimate the association between diet cost and quality, as measured by the EAT-Lancet score, across demographic groups in Brazil. Methods: Data from the 2017/18 Household Budget Survey were used to calculate the EAT-Lancet score, comprising 14 components. Scores ranged from 0 (low adherence) to 42 (high adherence), with emphasized components (e.g., vegetables, fruits, legumes) and limited components (e.g., red meat, sugar, eggs). Results were stratified by per capita income, geographic region, and area of residence and compared using linear regression adjusted for high and low costs. In addition, the association between the EAT-Lancet score (and its emphasized and limited components) and diet cost (continuous) was analyzed for the total population and for income tertiles. Results: The mean EAT-Lancet score was 18.65 points (range: 7 to 25) and the mean diet cost was BRL$0.65/100 kcal. Total scores showed no significant difference between low- and high-cost diets. However, limited intake was more pronounced in low-cost diets, while high-cost diets featured emphasized foods such as fruits, vegetables, and seafood. High-cost diets also included sugars and red meat, while unsaturated fats scored higher in low-cost diets. Each one-point increase in the EAT-Lancet score was associated with a BRL$0.38 reduction in cost, driven by lower costs in the Limited component, especially among the lowest-income strata (reductions of BRL$1.58 and BRL$1.55 in the lowest income and middle income tertiles, respectively). However, higher scores for emphasized foods increased costs (BRL$0.89) in the lowest tertile. Conclusions: Higher EAT-Lancet scores were associated with reduced diet costs, likely influenced by the lower Limited component costs in low-income groups. Emphasized foods, however, tended to increase costs, particularly among the lowest-income group. These findings suggest that the role of diet composition plays a significant role in cost differences and underscore the challenges that low-income groups face in accessing affordable, healthy diets. Full article

As a promising polymer for the production of biomaterials and drug delivery systems, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is characterized by its relative hydrophobicity, as well as its chemical and biological inertness. Here, we aimed to improve the biological properties of PLA-based materials via the covalent attachment of a hydrophilic biocompatible glycopolymer, namely poly(2-deoxy-N-methacrylamido-D-glucose) (PMAG) on their surface. PMAG is a water-soluble polymer that contains glucose units in its side chains, which are responsible for good biocompatibility and the ability to attach bioactive molecules. In the developed protocol, PMAG was synthesized by controlled radical polymerization in the presence of a reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agent, followed by the conversion of glycopolymer terminal dithiobenzoate functionality into a primary amino group (PMAG-NH₂). PLA-based films served as model aliphatic polyester materials for developing the surface biofunctionalization protocol. According to that, PMAG-NH₂ covalent immobilization was carried out after alkali treatment, allowing the generation of the surface-located carboxyl groups and their activation. The developed modification method provided a one-point attachment of hydrophilic PMAG to the hydrophobic PLA surface. PMAG samples, which differed by the degree of polymerization, and the variation of polymer concentration in the reaction medium were applied to investigate the modification efficacy and grafting density. The developed single-point polymer grafting approach provided the efficient functionalization with a grafting density in the range of 5–23 nmol/cm². The neat and modified polymer films were characterized by a number of methods, namely atomic force microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, ellipsometry, and contact angle measurements. In addition, an ArgGlyAsp-containing peptide (RGD peptide) was conjugated to the PMAG macromolecules grafted on the surface of PLA films. It was shown that both surface modification with PMAG and with PMAG-RGD peptide enhanced the adhesion and growth of mesenchymal stem cells as compared to a neat PLA surface. Full article

Background and Objectives: Our objectives were to examine the association between balance confidence, functional mobility measures, and the presence of disability in older adults in Saudi Arabia and to identify the optimal cutoff scores for these measures that predict disability. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 324 community-dwelling older adults (65 ± 7 years, 59% women). Disability was assessed using the Arabic version of the basic activities of daily living (ADLs) scale. Balance confidence was evaluated using the Arabic version of the Activities -Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale, and functional mobility was assessed using the 30-Second Chair Stand Test (30s-CST). Results: The prevalence of disability was 33.6% among the participants. Logistic regression revealed a 6% increase in disability odds for each one-unit decrease in the 30s-CST (OR: 0.94) and a 3% increase per one-point decrease in the ABC score (OR: 0.97). The optimal cutoff scores were ≤5 repetitions for the 30s-CST (sensitivity: 74.4%; specificity: 51.4%; AUC: 0.64) and ≤40 for the ABC scale (sensitivity: 80.8%; specificity: 61.4%; AUC: 0.75). Conclusions: Impaired balance and functional mobility are significantly associated with disability among older adults. The 30s-CST and the ABC scale can be used as effective screening tools, but the cross-sectional design of the current study limits its generalizability. Longitudinal research is needed to validate these findings. Full article

The aim of this study was to describe one-point (preiliac approach) and two-point (preiliac and retrocostal approach) blocks of the Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) on a cadaveric model. For this purpose, ultrasound-guided infiltration of the plane between the internal oblique and transversus abdominis muscles was performed and, after dissection of tissues, the areas and percentage of nerve fibers involved were analyzed. Injection into the TAP plexus of a 1 mL/kg solution of 2% lidocaine and 1% methylene blue (1:1) was performed in 30 rabbit cadavers. In fifteen rabbits (group S), the solution was inoculated at the preiliac level. In the other 15 rabbits (group D), the solution was divided into two inoculations (0.5 mL/kg at the retrocostal level and 0.5 mL/kg at the preiliac level). All cadavers were then dissected and stained spinal nerve branches were measured. Moreover, the percentage of length, height and the total area of the stained tissue were calculated. In the S group, T10, T11 and T12 nerve eminences were successfully stained in 18%, 52% and 75% of cases, respectively. Furthermore, L1, L2, L3 and L4 were stained in 95%, 100%, 60% and 40% of cases, respectively. In group D, the ventromedial eminence of T10, T11 and T12 were stained in 68.1%, 100% and 98% of cases, respectively, and L1, L2, L3 and L4 were stained in 88%, 100%, 62% and 31% of cases, respectively. In conclusion, a two-point TAP block is more effective in covering the nerve eminences of the cranial abdomen than the preiliac approach alone. Full article

Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs keep being the main therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Possible predictive parameters (demographic, biochemical and/or inflammatory) could anticipate short-term treatment response with ranibizumab. 46 treatment-naive patients were included in a prospective observational study. They underwent three monthly injections of intravitreal ranibizumab for neovascular AMD and the clinical examination was made at baseline and one month after the third injection. Demographic characteristics, co-morbidities and concomitant treatments were recorded at the baseline visit. Biochemical parameters, complete blood count and inflammation biomarkers were also measured at these times. Uric Acid was found to be statistically significant with a one-point difference between good and poor responders in both basal and treated patients, but only in basal parameters was statistical significance reached (p = 0.007 vs. p = 0.071 in treated patients). Cholesterol and inflammatory parameters such as white blood cell count and neutrophils were significantly reduced over time when treated with intravitreal ranibizumab. On the other hand, women seemed to have a worse prognosis for short-term response to intravitreal ranibizumab treatment. Uric acid may help identify possible non-responders before initial treatment with ranibizumab, and cholesterol and white blood cells could be good candidates to monitor short-term response to ranibizumab treatment. Full article

This paper details the development and validation of a temperature sensing methodology using an un-trimmed oscillator-based integrated sensor implemented in the 0.18-$\mathsf{\mu }$m SOI XFAB process, with a focus on thermal monitoring in system-on-chip (SoC) based DC-DC converters. Our study identifies a quadratic relationship between the oscillator output frequency and temperature, which forms the basis of our proposed calibration mechanism. This mechanism aims at mitigating process variation effects, enabling accurate temperature-to-frequency mapping. Our research proposes and characterizes several trimming-free calibration techniques, covering a spectrum from zero to thirty-one frequency-temperature measurement points. Notably, the Corrected One-Point calibration method, requiring only a single ambient temperature measurement, emerges as a practical solution that removes the need for a temperature chamber. This method, after adjustment, successfully reduces the maximum error to within $\pm 2.95$ °C. Additionally, the Two-Point calibration method demonstrates improved precision with a maximum positive error of +1.56 °C at −15 °C and a maximum negative error of −3.13 °C at +10 °C ($R^2$ value of 0.9958). The Three-Point calibration method performed similarly, yielding an $R^2$ value of 0.9956. The findings of this study indicate that competitive results in temperature sensor calibration can be achieved without circuit trimming, offering a viable alternative or a complementary approach to traditional trimming techniques. Full article

Coordinating and controlling carbon and atmospheric pollutant emissions in industrial cities poses challenges, making it difficult to formulate effective environmental governance strategies in China. This study used the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) and Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) models, with a typical industrial city in the Sichuan Basin as the case study. Five emission reduction scenarios, one integration scenario, and one baseline scenario were set to quantitatively analyze the synergistic effect between carbon emissions and atmospheric pollutant emissions. The results indicate a high synergy between sulfur dioxide and greenhouse gases. For every one-point decrease in the Air Quality Composite Index (AQCI), the Industrial Restructuring Scenario (IR), Other Source Management Scenario (OSM), Transportation Energy Efficiency Improvement Scenario (TEEI), Industrial Energy Efficiency Improvement Scenario (IEEI), and Transportation Restructuring (TR) scenarios would require a reduction in carbon emissions by 56,492.79 kilotons, 39,850.45 kilotons, 34,027.5 kilotons, 22,356.58 kilotons, and 3243.33 kilotons, respectively. The results indicate that governance measures, such as improving transportation structure and upgrading industrial technologies, provide stronger support for simultaneous carbon emissions reductions and air quality improvement. Full article

Biological aging is a relevant risk factor for chronic diseases, and several indicators for measuring this factor have been proposed, with telomere length (TL) among the most studied. Oxidative stress may regulate telomere shortening, which is implicated in the increased risk. Using a novel estimator for TL, we examined whether adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), a highly antioxidant-rich dietary pattern, is associated with longer TL. We determined TL using DNA methylation algorithms (DNAmTL) in 414 subjects at high cardiovascular risk from Spain. Adherence to the MedDiet was assessed by a validated score, and genetic variants in candidate genes and at the genome-wide level were analyzed. We observed several significant associations (p < 0.05) between DNAmTL and candidate genes (TERT, TERF2, RTEL1, and DCAF4), contributing to the validity of DNAmTL as a biomarker in this population. Higher adherence to the MedDiet was associated with lower odds of having a shorter TL in the whole sample (OR = 0.93; 95% CI: 0.85–0.99; p = 0.049 after fully multivariate adjustment). Nevertheless, this association was stronger in women than in men. Likewise, in women, we observed a direct association between adherence to the MedDiet score and DNAmTL as a continuous variable (beta = 0.015; SE: 0.005; p = 0.003), indicating that a one-point increase in adherence was related to an average increase of 0.015 ± 0.005 kb in TL. Upon examination of specific dietary items within the global score, we found that fruits, fish, “sofrito”, and whole grains exhibited the strongest associations in women. The novel score combining these items was significantly associated in the whole population. In the genome-wide association study (GWAS), we identified ten polymorphisms at the suggestive level of significance (p < 1 × 10⁻⁵) for DNAmTL (intergenics, in the IQSEC1, NCAPG2, and ABI3BP genes) and detected some gene–MedDiet modulations on DNAmTL. As this is the first study analyzing the DNAmTL estimator, genetics, and modulation by the MedDiet, more studies are needed to confirm these findings. Full article

Background: Endometriosis affects approximately 10% of women and is associated with a range of symptoms including pelvic pain, abnormal bleeding, and painful sexual intercourse. However, very little is known about the relationship between endometriosis-related symptoms and sex. Methods: Women with a diagnosis of endometriosis (n = 2060; mean age = 30 years) completed a questionnaire measuring the frequency of endometriosis symptoms, dyspareunia, sexual distress, avoidance of sex, and the perceived negative impact of endometriosis symptoms on sex life. Results: In bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models with avoidance of sex and perceived negative impact of endometriosis symptoms on sex life as DVs, higher endometriosis symptom frequency, dyspareunia, and sexual distress were associated with greater avoidance of sex and higher perceived negative impact of endometriosis symptoms on sex life. With a two- and three-fold increase in the odds of avoiding sex and reporting a negative impact of endometriosis on sex lives, respectively, for each point increase in dyspareunia. Similarly, there was a 7% to 11% increase in avoidance of sex and the negative impact of endometriosis on sex lives, per one-point increase in symptom frequency and sexual distress. Conclusions: The results highlight the considerable impacts of endometriosis symptomatology on women’s sex lives and wellbeing. Better medical and counselling services may be needed to ameliorate the negative impact of endometriosis on women’s sex lives. Full article

In view of the uncertainty in the calibration process of two-color plane laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) temperature measurement, a new calibration method is proposed, in which the influence of fluorescence yield is considered. The calibration process was carried out at high and low temperature region, respectively. Then, the bias of thermometry results origin from quenching is restrained. This new calibration method is validated in a jet flame with temperature range of 1300–1800 K. Here, the temperature results from Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS), single-point calibrated PLIF, and two-point calibrated PLIF are all acquired with the maximum standard errors of 13 K, 36 K, and 37 K, respectively. The temperature deviation between the average results from PLIF and Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) is 120 K and 10 K, when the two-point and one-point calibration methods are used. Therefore, the two-point calibrated PLIF is preferred in the combustion field, especially with a large temperature range and strong quenching coefficient. Full article

The discharge of natural rivers is one of the important hydrological factors that are considered when responding to ice-flood disasters during ice periods. Traditionally, holes need to be dug along the cross-section on the ice cover to gauge velocity distributions along the flow depth at each hole, and to calculate the cross-sectional flow discharge by integrating velocity profiles over the entire area. This method is time consuming, costly, and inefficient. The discharge measurement can be improved using the sectional flow-depth distribution and stream-tube methods. However, the selection of both the depth-averaged–velocity-estimation method and the typical survey-point position in the cross-section affects the estimation accuracy. This study first compared the estimation methods of the depth-averaged velocity, such as the one-, two-, three-, and six-point methods, and their estimation accuracy. Furthermore, the variations in relative-unit discharge distributions in common channels with cross-sectional topographies were analyzed, and the effects of the cross-section characteristic coefficient and typical survey-point position on the flow-discharge estimation accuracy were compared. The results show that the average errors of the depth-averaged velocity estimated by the one-point method at 0.5H, new three-point method, and six-point method were 1.96%, 1.22%, and 0.45%, respectively. The new three-point method is recommended if measurement workload and accuracy are key considerations. The cross-section characteristic coefficient is considered to be 0.5 and 0.25 for the natural river and artificial channel, respectively, and the maximum-flow-depth position in the mainstream area of the cross-section is selected as the typical survey-point position. Thus, the flow-discharge estimation accuracy can be improved. In conclusion, this study provides an improved stream-tube method for the measurement of flow discharge and velocity distribution in ice periods, which can be used as a reference during practical applications. Full article