Periodic Intervals Research Articles

Skin Anatomy, Bone Histology and Taphonomy of a Toarcian (Lower Jurassic) Ichthyosaur (Reptilia: Ichthyopterygia) from Luxembourg, with Implications for Paleobiology

A partial ichthyosaur skeleton from the Toarcian (Lower Jurassic) bituminous shales of the ‘Schistes Carton’ unit of southern Luxembourg is described and illustrated. In addition, associated remnant soft tissues are analyzed using a combination of imaging and molecular techniques. The fossil (MNHNL TV344) comprises scattered appendicular elements, together with a consecutive series of semi-articulated vertebrae surrounded by extensive soft-tissue remains. We conclude that TV344 represents a skeletally immature individual (possibly of the genus Stenopterygius) and that the soft parts primarily consist of fossilized skin, including the epidermis (with embedded melanophore pigment cells and melanosome organelles) and dermis. Ground sections of dorsal ribs display cortical microstructures reminiscent of lines of arrested growth (LAGs), providing an opportunity for a tentative age determination of the animal at the time of death (>3 years). It is further inferred that the exceptional preservation of TV344 was facilitated by seafloor dysoxia/anoxia with periodical intervals of oxygenation, which triggered phosphatization and the subsequent formation of a carbonate concretion.

Investigations into optimum non‐periodic bursts scheme in radar pulse train designed for fixed‐wing drone detections by multi‐function radar

AbstractDrone surveillance with multi‐function radar (MFR) can benefit a lot from the careful radar pulse train organisation into dedicated sub‐RPTs serving particular needs of tasks. In contemporary scenarios of MFR applications, where navigation, search and rescue, and natural environment safeguarding are to be shared, of particular importance is a case where airborne small drone detection radar performs other tasks concurrently. Resource sharing within the radar unit is based on variables and unpredictable circumstances, leading to strains in resources in MFR. Consequently, such constraints limit MFR functioning with optimal drone sensitivity for its own sake. To ensure a high quality of radar services performed quickly, with a low DC power consumption, the task sharing approach by the common MFR platform, non‐periodic bursts emission of radar pulse energy has gained our major attention. At the same time, it was assumed that bursts feature periodic time intervals between radar pulses, which is a favourable circumstance in the control and implementation of signal processing. Each sub‐RPTs is designed to cope with particular detection tasks. One to four linear polarisations (VV, VH, HV, HH) are activated. The focus of the investigation was on the radar emitting a few thousand pulses per second, but only a few 10 pulses per second were expected to be required to detect small airborne drones. The core of the research study was the optimisation process of the scheme operating with 4 to 16 pulse bursts optimised for drone detection with a modest use of resources at MFR. While performing several activities, the X‐band MFR platform called ENAVI was developed in‐house. The proposed non‐periodic burst scheme optimisation approach was validated with in‐field tests with the ENAVI radar model. The in‐air target was a 3‐metre fixed‐wing drone having low RCS and flying at different altitudes with a speed close to 200 km/h. The radar antenna was a 26 dBi low‐profile dual‐polarisation array making it feasible to detect drones remaining a few degrees off the antenna breadboard direction. A very high likelihood of detection of drones from a few kilometres distance was demonstrated within one second. The authors present the effectiveness of the cell‐averaging technique which proved to correctly detect drones within a 7‐km range, and how MFR radar echoes can be used for basic weather surveillance. One vertical VV polarisation was used for drone detection and two VV and VH polarisations for weather observation. Weather radar capabilities were examined against heavy rain clouds imposing a hazard to the safety of drone flights.

Effects of Aureobasidium Pullulans produced β-1,3-1,6-glucan on CA19-9, sCD44, IgA and sCD209 in patients undergoing surgical resection of malignant pancreatic tumors.

96 Background: Pancreatic cancer is a highly refractory tumor with poor prognosis, which aggressively progresses by suppressing the immunity. Surgical procedure related stress further weakens the immunity and aids cancer stem cell metastases, warranting immune enhancement strategies. AFO-202 strain of Aureobasidium Pullulans produced β-1,3-1,6 glucan (Nichi BRITE), having yielded immune enhancement in earlier studies, we evaluated its effects in patients undergoing surgical resection of malignant pancreatic tumors. Methods: 30 subjects in two groups were enrolled; control arm (n=15, "P" group) received a placebo, and treatment arm (n=15, "G" group) received Nichi BRITE 250mg/day, in three divided doses, for 22 days from the pre-operative day. Serum beta glucan specific IgA2 (BG-IgA), total IgA (IgA), sCD209, Serum Amyloid A (SAA), sCD44 and CA19-9 were evaluated at base line and at periodic intervals. Results: sCD44 significantly decreased 48.94% in “G” group and only 4.58% in “P” group (p = < 0.0001) on day 21. sCD209 on day 21 in “G” group increased by 54.68% (p = 0.04) against 15.03% in “P”. BG-IgA at day 10 increased around 150% in “G”, and only by 6% in “P”. Total IgA, increased by 20.60% in “G” and only 5.73% in “P”. SAA increased to 251.32% in “G” on day 21 and in “P” it decreased by 6.11%. Decreased sCD44 when correlated against Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), a significant positive correlation was in “G” (r statistic= 0.758; p-value =0.006; 95% CI= 0.2907~0.9335), but a negative correlation in “P”. Pancreatic cancer marker CA19-9 decreased significantly in three months follow up in “G” (-86.02 U/ml) whereas it increased in “P” by +5.91 U/ml. Mean survival of Nichi BRITE group was 25.9 months against 22.3 months in “P” group. Conclusions: Administration of Nichi BRITE glucans to patients undergoing surgical resection of malignant pancreatic tumor was safe and it enhanced biomarkers of innate and adaptive immunity. Nichi BRITE significantly decreased the circulating cancer stem cell marker sCD44 implying a lesser recurrence risk, especially in patients with high NLR ratio who have a poor prognosis, and significantly reduced the CA 19-9 levels implying a better prognosis, making us recommend it as an adjuvant to patients undergoing surgeries for malignant tumors, and be included in the guidelines of clinical nutrition.

DETERMINATION OF GREENHOUSE GAS CONCENTRATION IN THE ATMOSPHERE BY EARTH REMOTE SENSING MEANS. CARTOGRAPHIC AND ANALYTICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE GEOSPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF ITS VALUES

This article covers the issue of improving the methodology of remote determination of the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere using the Copernicus Program — Sentinel-5P and MOD11A2.061 Terra satellite systems, as well as the cartographic-analytical assessment of its geospatial distribution. The specified methodology provided for remote determination of the concentration of greenhouse gases CH4, CO, and NO2, development of maps of the distribution of the determined concentration on the territory of Ukraine, localization of areas of formation of the intensity of emission and sequestration of greenhouse gases taking into account data on the soil cover, abiotic conditions of the territory and anthropogenic influences, in particular, military activities. A set of maps of the geospatial distribution of CH4, CO, and NO2, greenhouse gas concentrations, the temperature of the Earth’s surface within the warm period (01.05—30.10) during 2019—2022, as well as a map of the geospatial localization of the maximum concentrations of greenhouse gases within the warm period of the research time interval developed according to the results of emissions from soils, landscapes, production facilities, and combat zones. It was determined that for the warm period of the year, on average for 2019—2022, the optimal temperature range within which the intensity of nitrogen dioxide emission on the territory of Ukraine reaches maximum values is from 13 to 19 °C. If the temperature of the Earth’s surface exceeds the value of 20 °C, the volume of emission emissions is significantly reduced. It is shown that soils with different emission and assessment status are widespread in Ukraine during the warm period. In the South and Southwest of the state, soils with the highest emission capacity of methane to the atmosphere prevail, in particular Jc49-1/3a — Calcaric Fluvisols, Lg54-1a — Gleyic Luvisols, Kh31-2a — Haplic Kastanozems, Gh23-3a — Humic Gleysols. In large cities, as well as in the territories of the South-East of Ukraine, where normal chernozems (Ch22-2a) / (normal chernozems) are common, the maximum concentration of NO2 in the atmosphere is formed, which is caused by the influence of the high temperature of the earth’s surface and the localized consequences of Russia’s military aggression. It was revealed that over the past 4 years, there has been a trend of decreasing CO concentration, which indirectly indicates the negative impact of Russia’s military aggression, a decrease in industrial production, and the relocation of production facilities to the west of the country.

Postoperative Pain after Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in a Tertiary Care Center: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, being minimally invasive, is widely accepted in comparison to open cholecystectomy. The major benefits are small incision, less wound pain, rapid recovery, shorter hospital stay and earlier return to activities. Although, trauma and injury are limited in laparoscopic cholecystectomy; it is not a pain free surgery. Hence, we aimed to find the prevalence of pain at wound site after laparoscopic cholecystectomy at various time intervals in post-operative period. The descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 125 patients who belonged to American Society of Anesthesiologists grade I & II patients, with diagnosis of symptomatic gallstone disease from October, 2022 to September, 2023 in a tertiary care hospital after ethical approval was obtained from Institutional Review Board (Reference number: MEMG/483/IRC). Total sampling was done in this study. The post-operative pain at wound site was measured at 12, 24, 36 and 48 hours. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package of Social Sciences 21.0. At 12 hours postoperatively, 2 (1.60%) patients complained of severe pain, 120 (96%) patients reported moderate pain and 3 (2.40%) patients expressed their pain as being mild. Likewise, at 24, 36 and 48 hours postoperatively, none of the patients suffered from severe pain. At 24 hours post-operative, 105 (84%) patients reported moderate pain which gradually declined over 48 hours. At 36 and 48 hours post-operative mild pain was reported by 85 (68%) and 117 (93.60%) patients. The moderate pain was complained by 40 (32%) and 8 (6.40%) patients. The majority of patients suffered from mild to moderate pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the intensity of which decreased over 48 hours.

Recurrence Rate during 5-Year Period after Suspension of Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Treatment for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Purpose: To determine the recurrence rate of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) during a 5-year period after the suspension of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatments. Methods: Thirty-four eyes of 34 nAMD patients who met the inclusion criteria and were treated by anti-VEGF drugs were studied. All met the treatment suspension criteria and were followed for 5 years after the suspension of the anti-VEGF treatment. Patients with a recurrence within one year were placed in Group A, and patients with a recurrence between 1 and 5 years were placed in Group B. The rate and time of a recurrence were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. We also examined whether there were differences in the baseline factors of age, sex, subtype, treatment period, and treatment interval between Groups A and B. Results: Twenty-five of 34 eyes (73.5%) had a recurrence within 5 years of stopping the anti-VEGF treatments. Thirteen (52.0%) of the 25 eyes had a recurrence within 1 year, 4 (16.0%) eyes between 1 and 2 years, 4 (16.0%) eyes between 2 and 3 years, 2 (8%) between 3 and 4 years, and 2 eyes (8%) between 4 and 5 years. The baseline factors were not significantly different between Groups A and B. Conclusions: The results showed that the recurrence rate was highest within one year after the suspension of the anti-VEGF treatments, with a number of recurrences one year after the suspension. Clinicians should remember that nAMD may recur several years after the suspension of anti-VEGF treatments.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure versus Differential Lung Ventilation during One Lung Ventilation for Thoracic Surgery.

One lung ventilation (OLV) is a technique used during lung resection surgery to facilitate optimal surgical conditions. However, this may result in severe hypoxemia due to the right-to-left shunt created in the collapsed lung. Several techniques are used to overcome hypoxemia, one of which is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to the non-dependent lung. Another technique is ventilating the non-dependent lung with a minimal volume, thus creating differential lung ventilation (DLV) or split lung ventilation (SLV). In this study, we compared the efficacy of CPAP to DLV during video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) lung resection. In this single-center randomized controlled, cross-over study, each patient acted as his control as well as the study. Patients crossed over from SLV to CPAP (or vice versa) with an interval period during which only OLV was used (control period). The primary objective of the study was to observe the changes in oxygenation, ventilation, and the surgeons' perception of the surgical field using CPAP or SLV to the non-ventilated lung during the period of OLV in patients undergoing thoracic surgery. The study revealed that oxygenation was significantly better when using SLV to the non-ventilated lung during the period of OLV (P = 0.03). However, the surgeon found a significantly better surgical field when applying CPAP to the surgical field. The study showed that using SLV to the non-ventilated lung during the period of OLV was superior in terms of oxygenation, although it interfered more with the surgical field.

Application of deep learning for structural health monitoring of a composite overwrapped pressure vessel undergoing cyclic loading

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) using ultrasonic-guided waves (UGWs) enables continuous monitoring of components with complex geometries and provides extensive information about their structural integrity and their overall condition. Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPVs) used for storing hydrogen gases at very high pressures are an example of a critical infrastructure that could benefit significantly from SHM. This can be used to increase the periodic inspection intervals, ensure safe operating conditions by early detection of anomalies, and ultimately estimate the remaining lifetime of COPVs. Therefore, in the Digital Quality Infrastructure Initiative (QI-Digital) in Germany, an SHM system is being developed for COPVs used in a hydrogen refueling station. In this study, the results of a lifetime fatigue test on a Type IV COPV subjected to many thousands of load cycles under different temperatures and pressures are presented to demonstrate the strengths and challenges associated with such an SHM system. During the cyclic testing up to the final material failure of the COPV, a sensor network of fifteen surface-mounted piezoelectric (PZT) wafers was used to collect the UGW data. However, the pressure variations, the aging process of the COPV, the environmental parameters, and possible damages simultaneously have an impact on the recorded signals. This issue and the lack of labeled data make signal processing and analysis even more demanding. Thus, in this study, semi-supervised, and unsupervised deep learning approaches are utilized to separate the influence of different variables on the UGW data with the final aim of detecting and localizing the damage before critical failure.

Influence of additive and maternal effects on production and reproduction traits in Murrah buffaloes: Insights from Bayesian analysis.

The aim of this research was to assess genetic parameters for first lactation production and reproduction traits in Murrah buffaloes by employing additive and maternal effects. Data on pedigree and specific traits of 640 Murrah buffaloes were gathered from 1997 to 2020. These traits encompassed first lactation milk yield (FLMY), 305-day first lactation milk yield (305FLMY), first lactation length (FLL), first lactation peak yield (FPY), first service period (FSP), first calving interval (FCI) and first dry period (FDP). Genetic evaluations employed six univariate animal models, accounting for both direct and maternal effects, facilitated by THRGIBBS1F90 and POSTGIBBSF90 programs. Fixed factors included in the analysis were period of calving, season of calving and age at first calving. The Bayesian estimates for direct heritability, derived from the most suitable model, were as follows: FLMY: 0.28 ± 0.01, 305FLMY: 0.30 ± 0.01, FLL: 0.19 ± 0.01, FPY: 0.18 ± 0.01, FSP: 0.12 ± 0.01, FCI: 0.14 ± 0.01 and FDP: 0.12 ± 0.01. Maternal effects were found significant, ranging from 5% to 10%, in first lactation traits under Model 2 and Model 5. Additionally, positive and significant genetic and phenotypic correlations were observed among the studied traits. In conclusion, selection based on 305-day first lactation milk yield suggests potential for genetic enhancement in Murrah buffaloes, advocating its inclusion in breeding programmes to bolster early performance. Also, consideration of maternal influences is necessary for genetic progress of animals.

Analytical study of Restricted Access Window with short slots for fast and reliable data delivery from energy-harvesting sensors

To address the peculiarities of various Internet of Things applications and improve the performance of Wi-Fi-based sensor stations, a recent Wi-Fi HaLow standard introduces a mechanism called Periodic Restricted Access Window (PRAW). PRAW allows mapping groups of stations to periodic time intervals during which only these stations can transmit while the others cannot. This approach reduces contention and saves energy. However, the standard does not provide any recommendations on how to select the PRAW parameters according to scenario-specific requirements, leaving room for the research. A typical IoT scenario considers low-intensity traffic and requires fast and reliable data delivery from energy-harvesting devices while using the channel efficiently: there shall be still time for transmissions of other stations in the network. This paper develops an analytical model of PRAW that evaluates the probability of delivering data in time from every sensor station that harvests energy, accumulates it in small capacitors, and, thus, may not have enough energy for multiple retries. The model allows selecting such parameters of PRAW that minimize the channel resource consumption of a Wi-Fi HaLow network, provided that the delay and energy requirements are satisfied.

Immediate Implant Placement with Different Interradicular Osteotomies in the Mandible: A Randomized Clinical Study.

To assess the implant stability and amount of marginal bone loss in immediate implant placement (IIP) in mandibular molars by using pre-extractive interradicular implant bed preparation vs conventional post-extractive interradicular implant bed preparation. This randomized clinical trial was conducted on fourteen patients who had an immediate dental implant at the mandibular molar area by two different techniques. All patients were divided randomly into two equal groups: Group I (control) was treated with conventional post-extractive interradicular implant bed preparation, and group II (test) was treated by pre-extractive interradicular implant bed preparation All surgeries were performed by the same surgeon. All patients were followed up clinically at immediate post-surgery (T0), 7 days (T1), 3 weeks (T2), 90 days (T3), and 3 months after loading (T6) for healing and to evaluate the marginal bone loss radiographically at T0, T3 and T6. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed using the SPSS version (SPSS, IBM Inc., Chicago, IL), and p ≤ 0.05 was considered an indicator of statistical significance. A total of 7 female and 7 male patients with a mean age of 32.07 ± 5.87 years. Radiographically, there is no significant statistical difference in comparing between two groups for the marginal bone loss. However, there was a highly significant statistical difference (p < 0.001) in each group between different interval periods (T0, T3, T6) with mean start 5.27 ± 0.53, and 5.19 ± 0.72 at (T0) reaching 7.60 ± 0.89 and 7.09 ± 0.96 at (T3) and slightly decrease of 7.52 ± 0.79 and 7.02 ± 0.79 in (T6) with radiographic evaluation, and it represented clinically in each group with mean 3.57 ± 0.313 and 4.0 ± 0.58 at (T0) increase to 6.55 ± 0.395 and 6.52 ± 0.45 at (T6) for both group respectively. There is no statistically significant difference in soft tissue healing with an average mean of 4.57 ± 0.24 and 3.57 ± 0.509 (p = 0.001) when comparing between both groups respectively. Both techniques seem useful for dental implant placement in badly decayed mandibular molars. However, pre-extracted interradicular implant bed preparation for IIP might offer advantages in terms of primary implant stability and bone preservation. However, further studies are needed to confirm these findings. Both techniques are alternative methods for the treatment of badly decayed mandibular molars by immediate dental implant except for minor complications that do not interfere with dental implant placement. How to cite this article: Alzaibak LMA, Abdel-Monem TM, Elgohary NM, et al. Immediate Implant Placement with Different Interradicular Osteotomies in the Mandible: A Randomized Clinical Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2024;25(4):303-312.

Effect of Local Simvastatin on the Healing of Surgically Created Critical-Sized Bone Defects: An experimental Study on sheep.

Background and objective: the role of simvastatin in lowering serum cholesterol levels is well described. However, recent findings suggest they have a role in bone formation as well. The study aims to determine the effect of local simvastatin application on bone defect healing and compare the amount of new bone produced by a simvastatin-treated defect with that produced by a bone graft (biphasic calcium phosphate) and non-treated defects (left empty) histologically. Methods: Forty-five critical-size defects were created (8mm in diameter and depth) in the iliac bone of 6 sheep. For the first three sheep (5 defects/ilium), the five defects on the right ilium were left empty as a Control group, while the five defects on the left ilium were filled with biphasic calcium phosphate as Test 1 group. For the other three sheep, 5 defects were created on the right ilium, the defects were filled with 10mg crushed simvastatin tablet with gelfoam (as a carrier) as Test 2 group. The animals were sacrificed over periods of 1, 2, and 3 months. Histopathological studies were done for all the samples. SPSS version 28 was used to analyze the results. The numerical variables were checked for normality using Smirnov – Kolmogorov test, then analyzed using ANOVA and unpaired t-test (p–values ≤ 0.05 were considered statistically significant). Results: All 6 adult male sheep passed the scheduled periods uneventfully. During the wound healing period, there was no complication such as infection, excessive hematoma, or wound dehiscence. All 45 standardized iliac bone defects were included in the final analysis (n= 45). The histologic results showed that Test 2 group (defect filled with simvastatin) in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd months had significantly higher bone formation at the surface and depth of the defects than Test 1 and Control group with P values (&lt;0.0001) at all period intervals. Conclusion: Simvastatin enhances bone formation and accelerates the healing process of the bony defect. Keywords: Bone formation, Bone graft, Bone healing, Simvastatin, Statin.

Incubation Period and Serial Interval of Mpox in 2022 Global Outbreak Compared with Historical Estimates.

Understanding changes in the transmission dynamics of mpox requires comparing recent estimates of key epidemiologic parameters with historical data. We derived historical estimates for the incubation period and serial interval for mpox and contrasted them with pooled estimates from the 2022 outbreak. Our findings show the pooled mean infection-to-onset incubation period was 8.1 days for the 2022 outbreak and 8.2 days historically, indicating the incubation periods remained relatively consistent over time, despite a shift in the major mode of transmission. However, we estimated the onset-to-onset serial interval at 8.7 days using 2022 data, compared with 14.2 days using historical data. Although the reason for this shortening of the serial interval is unclear, it may be because of increased public health interventions or a shift in the mode of transmission. Recognizing such temporal shifts is essential for informed response strategies, and public health measures remain crucial for controlling mpox and similar future outbreaks.

Duration after Macular Hole Surgery for Stabilisation of Visual Acuity: A Long-term Retrospective Review

The purpose of the study is to determine the median duration for visual recovery to achieve visual stability and visual acuity gain after macular hole surgery in our local population. This was a retrospective study. Patients with full-thickness macular holes (FTMH) from surgical logs were included between January 2009 and December 2019. The patients' medical records were reviewed for pre-, intra-, and post-operative data collection. Patients who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited and analysed. Data collected from the medical record pre-operatively, which included baseline best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), interval of symptoms development to surgery, any ocular co-morbidities, optical coherence tomography (OCT) for size and stage of macular hole and central subfield thickness (CST). Intra-operative notes included whether vitrectomy with or without phacoemulsification and with the internal limiting membrane (ILM) peel or ILM flaps, types of dye, and tamponade agent used. Post-operative data included BCVA and CST on each visit, types of macular hole closure, or any complications. Data were analysed using SPSS.Thirty-one patients were diagnosed with FTMH. Sixteen patients who underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) were included and analysed. Fifteen patients (93.75%) achieved successful macular hole closure after the primary operation. The median duration BCVA reached at stability was 19.5 months (IQR 9 – 26.25), and visual acuity gained by 0.44 LogMAR (IQR 0.165 – 0.565). Ten patients (62.5%) underwent combined PPV with phacoemulsification. CST showed improvement from baseline, 444 (IQR 347.5 – 519.75) to 273 (IQR 232 -285.5), 230 (IQR 221.5-255), and 270 (IQR 254-322) at the period interval of 0 to 3 months, 3 to 6 months, and 6 to 12 months respectively. Gas C3F8 and membrane blue were commonly used as tamponade agents and dyes, and PPV with ILM peel was the common surgery performed. Six patients (40%) achieved type 1 macular hole closure within 12 months of follow-up. Despite the small sample size, our study provided practical information regarding patient’s expectations of when their vision can become stable after macula hole surgery in our local population.

Sgr A*, M87* and OJ287 as Extreme Central Binaries of Supermassive Black Holes- -Confirmation and extension of decameter radio wave observation results through VLBI data comparison

Based on a deduced 2153±5 s orbiting period of the extreme central binary of the supermassive black hole (ECB-SMBH), at Sgr A*,that is confirmed being based on the decameter radio wave pulse observations compared with 1.3 mm wavelength very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) data from the event horizon telescope (EHT-Data), we depict moving images of Sgr A* from EHT-Data, confirming further the existence of ECB-SMBH. The results show that radio wave images of the two members of ECB-SMBH are radio-bright objects due to emissions caused by source agents accreting from a thick disk toward ECB-SMBH. We extend the confirmed concept of ECB-SMBH to the interpretation of M87*, based on two images released by Miyoshi et al. in 2022 using EHT-Data and by Lu et al. in 2023 using the 3.5 mm wavelength data from the Global Millimeter VLBI Arrays as core telescopes. For the double brilliant spots displayed in two different images of M87*, we consider them the same two objects that shift locations during the 369-day interval of the observation periods of the two images. It is concluded that M87* A and M87* B (temporarily named) are orbiting with a period of 168.8 d at velocities of (6.28±0.54)% and (16.7±1.5)% of the speed of light, respectively. For the existence of ECB-SMBH, the condition of “no gravitational wave radiation” from the SMBH is essential. Regarding the secondary BH of blazar OJ 287, we find around 58~60-year period oscillation of the orbiting period, which is recently in a shortening phase. By applying the concept of ECB-SMBH to the OJ287 primary BH, whose orbiting period is approximately 1.6 yr, we interpret that the orbital period variation of the secondary BH is not due to the radiation of gravitational waves but is caused by the orbital motions of ECB-SMBH

The Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Cholecystitis: A Comprehensive Narrative Review for a Practical Approach.

Acute cholecystitis (AC), generally associated with the presence of gallstones, is a relatively frequent disease that can lead to serious complications. For these reasons, AC warrants prompt clinical diagnosis and management. There is general agreement in terms of considering early laparoscopic cholecystectomy (ELC) to be the best treatment for AC. The optimal timeframe to perform ELC is within 72 h from diagnosis, with a possible extension of up to 7-10 days from symptom onset. In the first hours or days after hospital admission, before an ELC procedure, the patient's medical management comprises fasting, intravenous fluid infusion, antimicrobial therapy, and possible administration of analgesics. Additionally, concomitant conditions such as choledocholithiasis, cholangitis, biliary pancreatitis, or systemic complications must be recognized and adequately treated. The importance of ELC is related to the frequent recurrence of symptoms and complications of gallstone disease in the interval period between the onset of AC and surgical intervention. In patients who are not eligible for ELC, it is suggested to delay surgery at least 6 weeks after the clinical presentation. Critically ill patients, who are unfit for surgery, may require rescue treatments, such as percutaneous or endoscopic gallbladder drainage (GBD). A particular treatment approach should be applied to special populations such as pregnant women, cirrhotic, and elderly patients. In this review, we provide a practical diagnostic and therapeutic approach to AC, even in specific clinical situations, based on evidence from the literature.

Short-period flow oscillation during eruptions of Onikobe geyser, NE Japan: Insights from thermal infrared observation and acoustic measurements

Geysers are episodic features with variable eruption intervals that range from minutes to years. Although many previous studies on geysers have focused on subsurface properties and processes such as plumbing geometry and recharge process, it is known that erupting fluid column exhibits short-term behaviors such as individual water jets from the vent. In the present study, we conducted observations at Onikobe geyser, NE Japan, a relatively small geyser (geysering well) erupting water up to ∼6–8 m every ∼10 min and observed the erupting fluid column using a thermal infrared camera and an acoustic sensor. We succeed in tracking the water jets by analyzing spatio-temporal temperature map obtained from the thermal infrared observation, which clearly shows the eruptions at Onikobe geyser are not completely stationary but rather a series of intermittent jets with a short period interval of <1 s. We estimate the exit velocity by fitting a ballistic model under the air drag condition of inertial resistance to the jet trajectory. The exit velocity and the averaged gas volume fraction of the erupting fluid are estimated to be ∼4–79 m/s and ∼0.93–0.96, respectively. The exit velocity is ∼30 m/s during the first bursts, then it rapidly increases to ∼50–80 m/s for ∼15 s, and then decreases to ∼20–30 m/s until ∼10 s before the eruption ends. Time series analyses of the thermal infrared and acoustic signals during an eruption indicate harmonic spectra with integer multiple peaks. The fundamental frequency showing ∼4 Hz at the beginning gradually decreases to ∼2 Hz for ∼15 s, keeps almost constant in the following 30 s, and then slightly increases near the end of the eruption. These harmonic spectra may be caused by a resonance mechanism, non-linear fluid motion, and/or subsurface two-phase flow. We discuss the case of a closed organ-pipe resonance in a subsurface crack and attribute the frequency decrease to a decrease in the water level in the crack (an increase in the length of the resonating liquid-vapor column) and/or a decrease in the gas volume fraction of the liquid-vapor mixture in the crack. Since such harmonic characteristics are observed at other geysers, further simultaneous observation of the short-period oscillations on the erupting column proposed in this study with seismic observations of harmonic tremor may provide an improved understanding of geyser subsurface phenomena.

A scoping review on associations between paratuberculosis and productivity in cattle.

Paratuberculosis (PTB), or Johne's disease, is a disease with worldwide distribution caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) that leads to chronic enteritis, primarily in ruminants. Even subclinical infection significantly reduces the animals' performance, and consequences of the disease lead to high economic losses for the cattle industry. To estimate the economic burden of bovine PTB and to evaluate the benefits of a potential control program, accurate estimates of the production effects associated with the disease are required. Therefore, the aim of this scoping review was to provide a comprehensive overview of associations between MAP infection and production parameters in cattle. The studies were collected from three electronic databases. Of the total 1,605 identified studies, 1,432 did not meet the set criteria in the title and abstract screening and a further 106 were excluded during full-text review. Finally, data on 34 different production parameters were extracted from 67 publications. Results show that the magnitude of reported performance losses varies depending on several factors, such as the type of diagnostic test applied, disease status or number of lactations. Studies reported a reduction in milk yield, changes in milk quality (e.g., higher somatic cell count, lower amount of produced milk fat and protein), reduced fertility (e.g., prolonged calving interval and service period, higher abortion rate and calving difficulties), reduced weaning weight, slaughter weight and slaughter value, or a higher risk for mastitis. Results from the studies included in our review show a median decrease of milk yield per infected cow of -452 kg/lactation for raw and -405 kg/lactation for modeled data. Similarly, the amount of produced milk protein fell by a median of -14.41 kg/lactation for modeled data and the amount of produced milk fat by a median of -13.13 kg/lactation. The reviewed studies revealed a prolonged calving interval by around 30 days and a 1.5 to 3 times higher likeliness of culling per lactation in PTB positive animals. Results from this scoping review provide evidence-based inputs for the development of economic models aiming at the estimation of the costs and benefits associated with different disease control scenarios for PTB.

Assessment of Electromyographic Changes in Masseter and Temporalis Muscles for Patients Undergoing Lower Third Molar Surgery: A Prospective Study.

Introduction Lower third molar impaction surgery is one of the most common minor oral surgical procedures done. Trismus has been one of the most common and disturbing postoperative sequelae for patients. The study aimed to evaluate the electrical activity of the masseter and temporalis muscles after mandibular third molar surgery. Materials and methods The research was conducted at Saveetha Dental College and hospitals in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. The study consisted of 20 individuals. The EMG (electromyography) activities of both masseter muscles in each patient were measured before the tooth extraction surgery, postoperatively after 72 hours, and after seven days. The inter-incisal distance was also measured at similar follow-up intervals. Data were analyzed using IBM Corp. Released2015. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp., with p-values less than 0.05 considered statistically significant. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for the comparison of electrical activity between masseter and temporalis on both the operated and non-operated sides during preoperative, postoperative, 72-hour, and postoperative seven-day periods. Results It has been found that the electrical activity of the temporalis is higher than that of the masseter muscle measured at all the intervals of the follow-up period, with statistically significant values (p=0.001). It was noted that all the patients have reduced mouth opening when compared with preoperative (mean mouth opening = 45.6 mm), postoperative 72 hours (mean mouth opening = 31.2 mm), and postoperative seven days (mean mouth opening =35.6 mm). When a comparison was done between temporalis and masseter, themasseter took longer to return to pre-operative electrical activity, which might also imply that for prolonged trismus seen in patients after lower third molar surgery, it is the masseter that is affected and needs recovery for trismus to be resolved. Conclusion Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that there was a reduction in the electrical activity of both the masseter and temporalis post-third molar impaction surgery. It was also found that there was a reduction in mouth opening in patients who underwent lower third molar extraction surgery. Masseter muscle took longer to return to its preoperative electrical activity than temporalis muscle, implying that targeted therapies to accelerate the healing of masseter muscle may prevent prolonged trismus in patients who undergo lower third molar impaction surgery.

Study of hydrodynamic characteristics in oscillating wave surge converter

In the realm of renewable energy, researchers worldwide have been paying close attention to developing the Oscillating Wave Surge Converter (OWSC) device. This device has the potential to harness the power of ocean waves and convert it into a reliable source of clean energy. Hydrodynamic characteristics are essential parameters in developing OWSC devices. Therefore, this research conducted a hydrodynamic study on the OWSC device with variations in ocean wave periods, including T= 1.5, 1.7, 1.9, 2.1, and 2.3. The Boundary Element Method (BEM) describes the interaction between sea waves and floating body structures. This method assumes incompressible, inviscid, and irrotational flow. A numerical approach is used as a calculation method followed by verification and validation to support the level of actualization. The research results showed that the incident wave caused the OWSC device to experience a deviation from its equilibrium position in the form of an oscillating flap inclination angle as a form of hydrodynamic characteristics. The sea wave period correlatedwith the rate of change in flap position over time, including the maximum deviation in the flap angle. As a power plant, the performance of the OWSC device can work at reasonably short-wave period intervals based on the device's ability to produce mechanical power. The highest average mechanical power was achieved in the T= 1.5 period of 34.49 Watts with an efficiency of up to 52.43%. The OWSC device requires a high intensity of wave energy in a short duration to generate optimal mechanical power. It is important to note that optimal mechanical power generation is crucial for the OWSC device to function effectively. Therefore, the device should be placed in a location where the wave energy intensity is consistently high.