PS Group Research Articles

The mechanical complications of platform switching connection on implant supported restorations: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim Platform implant abutment connection proved success in preserving crestal bone around implants, but the increased stress concentration on the prosthetic components is still a question.The primary aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the available evidence on the mechanical effect of implant platform switching concept on implant prosthetic components. Methods A protocol of electronic and hand research was performed for English based researches comparing one or more PS groups with one or more PM groups to develop an answer for the following question: “Will the platform switching technique affect the amount of stresses generated within implant prosthetic components causing mechanical complications? A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of implant-abutment platform mismatch on implant prosthetic components. Results Eleven publications from twenty research studies were included. Results from the meta-analysis demonstrated the odds of survival in the Platform matching connection arm are 2.13 times more compared to the Platform switching arm. (P-value= 0.0316) For the random effects model, the odds of survival in the PS arm is not statistically significantly different compared to the PM arm (p-value= 0.2224) due to substantial heterogeneity of the included studies results in regards to implant prosthetic components mechanical complications. Conclusion This systematic review showed higher stress concentration in the implant prosthetic components regarding using platform switched implants, more randomized controlled clinical trials with bigger samples are needed to confirm our findings, but the current evidence demonstrates that non-significant differences between platform switching concept and platform matching. It is recommended to further investigate the mechanical complications that might arise when platform switching concept is used.

Ischemic Stroke in Pontine and Corona Radiata: Location Specific Impairment of Neural Network Investigated With Resting State fMRI.

Objective: This study aims to investigate location-specific functional remodeling following ischemic stroke in pons and corona radiata.Methods: This study was approved by the local Institutional Review Board. Written consent was obtained from each of the participants prior to the MRI examination. Thirty six subjects with first ever acute ischemic stroke in pons (PS, n = 15, aged 62.8 ± 11.01 years) or corona radiata (CRS, n = 21, aged 59.33 ± 13.84 years) as well as 30 age and sex matched healthy controls (HC, n = 30, aged 60 ± 6.43 years) were examined with resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Regional homogeneity (ReHo) and degree centrality (DC) were calculated using a voxel-based approach. Intergroup differences in ReHo and DC were explored using a permutation test with a threshold-free cluster enhancement (PT TFCE, number of permutations = 1,000, family-wise error rate (FWER) < 0.05).Results: ReHo and DC alterations were identified in distributed anatomies for both PS and CRS groups. DC mainly increased in the bilateral anterior and posterior cingulate cortex, the inferior frontal-orbital gyrus, and decreased in the bilateral cuneus, calcarine, and the precuneus, while ReHo mainly decreased in the precentral and the postcentral gyri, inferior parietal lobules, precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex, and the superior occipital gyrus. PS and CRS groups were not significantly different in ReHo or DC (FWER > 0.05).Conclusions: Focal ischemic stroke in pons or corona radiata leads to extensive alterations in the functional network centrality. IS-induced network remodeling is more anatomy-specific than pathway-specific, which may underpin the clinicotopographical profiles during the disease dynamic. Approaches targeting neural pathway and functional connectivity may shed light on a better characterization and management innovation of ischemic stroke.

Association Between Sleep Quality and Recovery Following Sport-Related Concussion in Pediatrics.

Our objective was to determine the association between sleep quality, symptom severity, and recovery following sport-related concussion in pediatric athletes. A review of data from the North Texas Concussion Network Prospective Registry (ConTex) was performed. Participants were diagnosed with a sport-related concussion and were ≤18 years old. Participants were categorized based on their initial clinic visit Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index composite score (0-21) into good sleep quality (GS≤5) and poor sleep quality (PS>5) groups. The PS group reported higher median total symptom scores at 3-month follow-up (3.0 vs 0.0, P < .01) and took more than a median of 2 weeks longer to recover compared to the GS group (35.0 days vs 20.0 days, P < .01). Poor sleep quality was strongly associated with greater symptom severity and longer time to recovery following sport-related concussion. Early recognition of concussed athletes with poor sleep quality at initial clinic visit may help predict prolonged recovery.

Role of TLR4-p38MAPK-NF-κB signaling pathway in sevoflurane-induced decrease in cognitive function of aged rats

Objective To evaluate the role of Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)-p38 mitogen-assoliated protein kinase (p38MAPK)-nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB) signaling pathway in sevoflurane-induced decrease in cognitive function of aged rats. Methods Sixty SPF healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 20 months, weighing 550-750 g, were divided into 5 groups (n=12 each) using a random number table method: control group(C group), sevoflurane group (S group), TAK242 plus sevoflurane group (TS group), SB202190 plus sevoflurane group (SS group), and PDTC plus sevoflurane group (PS group). All the rats were intubated after anesthesia and connected to an animal ventilator.TAK242, SB202190 and PDTC 10 μl were injected into the lateral cerebral ventricle in TS, SS and PS groups, respectively, and normal saline containing the equal volume of DMSO was given in C and S groups.Starting from 10 min after lateral cerebral ventricle injection, 4% sevoflurane was inhaled for 6 h via the tracheal tube, with the inhaled oxygen concentration 30% and oxygen flow rate 2 L/min.The mixture of air and oxygen was inhaled in C group.The learning and memory ability was assessed by Morris water maze test at 7 days after the end of sevoflurane anesthesia, and the escape latency and swimming distance were recorded.Animals were sacrificed after the end of Morris water maze test, and brains were removed and hippocampi were isolated for determination of neural apoptosis (by TUNEL), contents of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) in hippocampal tissues (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), and expression of caspase-3, phosphorylated p38MAPK (p-p38MAPK), total p38MAPK (t-p38MAPK) and NF-κB in nucleus (by Western blot). The apoptosis rate and p-p38MAPK/t-p38MAPK ratio were calculated. Results Compared with C group, the escape latency and swimming distance were significantly prolonged at each time point, the apoptosis rate and contents of TNF-α and IL-1β were increased, the expression of caspase-3, p-p38MAPK and NF-κB was up-regulated, and p-p38MAPK/t-p38MAPK ratio was increased in the other four groups (P<0.05). Compared with S group, the escape latency and swimming distance were significantly shortened at each time point, the apoptosis rate and contents of TNF-α and IL-1β were decreased, and the expression of caspase-3 was down-regulated in TS, SS and PS groups, the expression of NF-κB was significantly down-regulated in TS and SS groups, and the expression of p-p38MAPK was significantly down-regulated, and p-p38MAPK/t-p38MAPK ratio was decreased in TS group (P<0.05). Compared with TS group, the escape latency and swimming distance were significantly prolonged at each time point, the apoptosis rate and contents of TNF-α and IL-1β were increased, the expression of caspase-3 and p-p38MAPK was up-regulated, and p-p38MAPK/t-p38MAPK ratio was increased in SS and PS groups, and the expression of NF-κB was significantly up-regulated in PS group (P<0.05). The expression of NF-κB was significantly up-regulated in PS group when compared with SS group (P<0.05). Conclusion TLR4-p38MAPK-NF-κB signaling pathway is involved in sevoflurane-induced decrease in cognitive function of aged rats. Key words: Toll-like receptor 4; p38 Mitogen-activated protein kinases; NF-κB; Anesthetics, inhalation; Aged; Cognition disorders

Re-evaluation of purse string suture in laparoscopic appendectomy

PurposeThe aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) using purse string invaginating sutures (PS) with those using intracorporeal knotting (IK) or Hem-o-lock polymeric clips (HL).MethodsA total of 882 patients who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy from January 2015 to December 2017 were studied retrospectively. Of these, 538 patients used PS, 229 patients used IK and 115 patients used HL to close the appendiceal stump. Their demographic characteristics, intraoperative findings and postoperative complications were analysed retrospectively.ResultsThere were similar percentages of complicated cases in all the groups (21.7% in PS vs. 21.4% in IK vs. 24.3% in HL, p = 0.803). The mean length of hospital stay was shorter in PS group when compared to IK or HL group (3.72 + 2.35 in PS vs. 4.41 + 2.40 in IK, 4.43 + 2.66 in HL, p < 0.05) as well as lower ASA scores (1.7 + 0.6 in PS vs. 1.8 + 0.6 in IK vs. 1.7 + 0.6 in HL, p < 0.05). The overall complication rates for the PS, the HL and the IK groups were 12.1, 8.7 and 9.2%, respectively. The rate of wound infection was higher in PS group for uncomplicated appendicitis (5.0% in PS vs. 2.8% in IK and 1.1% in HL, p = 0.129). Furthermore, there were no differences in the rate of intra-abdominal infection among the groups in both uncomplicated and complicated cases.ConclusionsBased on our results, purse string suture failed to demonstrate better postoperative outcome in laparoscopic appendectomy and is no longer recommended by our institution as initial approach.

Terahertz electromagnetically-induced transparency of self-complementary meta-molecules on Croatian checkerboard

A terahertz (THz) electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) phenomenon is observed from two types of self-complementary meta-molecules (MMs) based on rectangular shaped electric split-ring resonators (eSRR) on Croatian checkerboard. Each MM contains a couple of identical size eSRRs and a couple of structural inversed eSRRs twisted π/2 in checkerboard pattern. In the first type of MM (type-I), the gap is in the middle line of eSRR. In the second type of MM (type-II), the gap is on the two arms of eSRR. Both types of MMs exhibit EIT effect. A maximum 20 ps group delay is observed at the transparency window of 0.63 THz in type-I MM; while a maximum 6.0 ps group delay is observed at the transparent window of 0.60 THz in type-II MM. The distribution of surface currents and electrical energy reveals that only CeSRR contribute to the transparency window as well as the side-modes in type-I MM, where the current leakage via contact point contributes to the low-frequency side-mode, and the coupled local inductive-capacitive (LC) oscillation in CeSRRs contributes to the high-frequency side-mode. In type-II MM, however, the localized dipolar oscillator of CeSRR contributes to the low-frequency side-mode; while the hybridization of dipole oscillation on eSRR and LC resonance on CeSRR contributes to the high-frequency side-modes. Our experimental findings manifest a new approach to develop THz slow-light devices.

Saccadic eye movements in different dimensions of schizophrenia and in clinical high-risk state for psychosis

BackgroundOculomotor dysfunction is one of the most replicated findings in schizophrenia. However the association between saccadic abnormalities and particular clinical syndromes remains unclear. The assessment of saccadic movements in schizophrenia patients as well as in clinical high-risk state for psychosis individuals (CHR) as a part of schizophrenia continuum may be useful in validation of saccadic movements as a possible biomarker.MethodsThe study included 156 patients who met the ICD-10 criteria for schizophrenia: 42 individuals at clinical high-risk-state for psychosis and 61 healthy controls. The schizophrenia patients had three subgroups based on the sum of the global SAPS and SANS scores: (1) patients with predominantly negative symptoms (NS, n = 62); (2) patients with predominantly positive symptoms (PS, n = 54) (3) patients with predominantly disorganization symptoms (DS, n = 40). CHR subjects were characterized by the presence of one of the groups of criteria: (1) Ultra High Risk criteria, (2) Basic Symptoms criteria or (3) negative symptoms and formal thought disorders. Horizontal eye movements were recorded by using videonystagmograph. We measured peak velocity, latency and accuracy in prosaccade, antisaccade and predictive saccade tasks as well as error rates in the antisaccade task.ResultsSchizophrenia patients performed worse than controls in predictive, reflexive and antisaccade tasks. Oculomotor parameters of NS were different from the other groups of patients. Latencies of predictive and reflexive saccades were significantly longer than in controls only in the NS group. The accuracy of predictive saccades was also different from controls only in the NS schizophrenia group. More prominent loss of accuracy of reflexive saccades was found in the DS group and it significantly differed from the one in other groups. Participants from DS group made more errors in antisaccade task compared to NS and PS groups. CHR subjects performed worse than controls as measured by the accuracy of reflexive saccades and antisaccades.ConclusionsThe study confirms the existence of different relations between the symptom dimensions of schizophrenia and saccades tasks performances. Saccadic abnormalities were revealed in the clinical (schizophrenia) and pre-clinical (clinical high risk) populations that provide further evidence for assessing saccadic abnormalities as a possible neurobiological marker for schizophrenia.

Impact of Previous Sternotomy on Outcome after Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation

Purpose To investigate the impact of previous sternotomy after cardiac surgery on the outcome of three different continuous flow left ventricular assist devices (cfLVAD): HeartMate II (HMII), HeartMate III (HMIII) and HeartWare (HVAD). There are only a few studies with a small number of patients available, aimed at this topic. Methods Between June 2007 and February 2018, a total of 121 patients received HMII, n = 73 (60.3%), HVAD, n = 15 (12.4%), or HM III, n = 33 (27.3%), with or without previous sternotomy (PS and non-PS groups, respectively). Propensity matching resulted in 44 patient pairs. The primary endpoint was overall survival at 30 days, one year, two and five years after device implantation. Secondary endpoints were adverse events and other postoperative characteristics during the follow-up period. Results The overall cumulative survival rates for the two study groups at 30 days, one year, two and five years were significantly different (77%, 63%, 54% and 38% for non-PS group vs. 64%, 39%, 27% and 24% for PS group, p = 0.036). In the PS group there was a higher need for intraoperative implantation of short-term right ventricular assist device (22.7% vs. 6.8%, p = 0.034) and a higher incidence of hepatic dysfunction (20.5 vs. 4.5%, p = 0.025) and acute kidney dysfunction (40.9% vs. 20.5%, p = 0.032). Previous sternotomy was a reliable predictor of in-hospital (OR = 2.580, 95%CI = 1.306 - 6.218) and overall mortality (OR = 1.879, 95%CI = 1.172 - 3.013). Conclusion Previous sternotomy is a reliable predictor of mortality after cfLVAD implantation and represents an independent risk factor for other major and minor complications.

Development of Novel Murine Antibody Mediated Rejection Model after Orthotopic Lung Transplant

Purpose Antibody mediated rejection (AMR) has been playing an important role in organ transplantation inducing acute or chronic graft failure, which directly influence the survival of graft. There is little knowledge about AMR in lung transplant compared with other organ. Animal disease model is warranted to elucidate mechanism and development of novel drug for AMR, hence our purpose of this study is to establish murine AMR model of lung transplant. Methods As allograft model, BALB/c (Major histocompatibility complex; MHC H2b) and C57BL/6 (MHC H2b) were used for donor and recipient in order to detect and enhance AMR. Study groups were divided into two groups, including pre-sensitized by skin transplant (PS) group (n=10) and non-sensitized (NS) group (n=10). Skin transplant was performed 14days before lung transplant only in PS group, and orthotopic left lung transplant were performed in both groups. They were sacrificed at 2day or 7day post lung transplant, and evaluated for histopathology including acute rejection score, C4d immunostaining, and donor specific antibody (DSA) in serum. Isograft model (IS) using C57/BL6 murine was used for control. Results NS group showed only localized rejection features on their graft and rejection score (0.36±0.13, p=0.13; Fig a, b) at day 2 after lung transplant, on the other hand, PS group showed clinical features of AMR, including high rejection score (2.19±0.27, p=0.003), C4d deposition on vascular endothelium, and DSA in serum at day 2 after lung transplant. On day 7 after lung transplant, the both groups showed extensive destruction of alveolar wall in graft, high acute rejection score (NS 3.25±0.18, p Conclusion The murine orthotopic allograft lung transplant model satisfied criteria of AMR. The allograft model pre-sensitized by skin transplant showed enhanced AMR at early period post lung transplant; therefore this model could be useful to examine pathogenesis of AMR and development of new therapy for AMR.

Dual terahertz slow light plateaus in bilayer asymmetric metasurfaces

This work theoretically proposed dual terahertz (THz) slow light plateaus by tuning the destructive interference between a toroidal magnetic momentum and magnetic dipole momentum. The metasurfaces are in a sandwich structure. A metallic cut-wire is patterned on one side of polyimide thin-film, and a rectangular split-ring resonator (SRR) on the other side with asymmetric layout. By translating the SRR along the cut-wire from the top terminal to the bottom terminal of the cut-wire, dual slow light plateaus are found in the transparency window at a certain range of displacement. A maximum of 40.4 ps group delay is achieved as the displacement achieves 9 μm. The numerical mapping of electromagnetic field indicates that the electrical dipole on metallic cut-wire results in a localized toroidal magnetic momentum, while the inductive-capacitor oscillation of SRR results in a magnetic dipole momentum. These two momentums have opposite directions, which will repel each other at certain displacement, creating the transparency windows. Furthermore, an electrical coupling takes place in between the bilayer metasurface so that the slow light achieves a maximum, with the aforementioned two mechanisms working in coincidence.

Acute Kidney Injury Induced by Pneumoperitoneum Pressure Via a Mitochondrial Injury-dependent Mechanism in a Rabbit Model of Different Degrees of Hydronephrosis

OBJECTIVETo clarify the effect of mitochondrial injury during laparoscopic surgery of the kidney in different degrees of hydronephrosis in rabbit model. METHODSA total of 90 rabbits were randomly allocated into 3 groups (groups PN, PM, and PS, ie, rabbits without, with mild and with severe hydronephrosis, respectively). The rabbits in the PM group (n = 30) and PS group (n = 30) underwent surgical procedures that induced mild and severe left hydronephrosis, respectively. The rabbits in all the groups were then allocated into 5 subgroups and were subjected to intra-abdominal pressures of 0, 6, 9, 12, and 15 mmHg. Changes in the mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial electron microstructure were observed. The apoptosis proteins cytochrome C, apoptosis-inducing factor, caspase-3, and caspase-9 were measured by western blot analysis. RESULTSAs the degrees of hydronephrosis increased, histopathological changes such as the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial vacuolization along with increased expression of apoptosis proteins, cytochrome C, apoptosis-inducing factor, caspase-3 gained statistically significance at lower intra-abdominal pressures (In PN and PM groups at 15 mmHg, and in PS group at 9 mmHg; for all P <.01). CONCLUSIONMitochondrial injury plays an important role during acute kidney injury induced by pneumoperitoneal pressure in different degrees of hydronephrosis in the rabbit model.

Self-regulatory efficacy and sources of efficacy in elementary school pupils: Self-regulatory experiences in a population sample and pupils with attention and executive function difficulties

In this study, we examined self-regulatory efficacy and sources of self-efficacy (mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, social persuasion and physiological/emotional states) and the relationships between self-efficacy and its sources among elementary school pupils. Two groups were compared: a population sample (PS, N = 1284) and pupils with difficulties in attention and executive functions (AED, N = 61). Data gathered from self-report questionnaires indicated that pupils in the PS group had more positive efficacy beliefs and mastery experiences and fewer negative physiological/emotional states than the AED group. Analyses showed strong connections between sources and self-regulatory efficacy. In the PS group, the sources had small unique influences on self-regulatory efficacy, indicating that most of the variance was shared between the sources. In the AED group, sources had less shared variance compared to the PS group. Mastery experiences alone had a strong effect on self-regulatory efficacy, while vicarious experiences had a negative effect on self-efficacy.

Clinical outcome of a nonvalved Aurolab aqueous drainage implant in posterior segment versus anterior chamber.

Purpose:To evaluate the outcome of a nonvalved Aurolab aqueous drainage implant (AADI) in the management of refractory glaucoma.Methods:Retrospective case series of patients with refractory glaucoma underwent AADI implantation in posterior segment (PS group) or anterior chamber (AC group) with minimum follow-up of 1 year. Primary outcome criterion was success, defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) <18 or >6 mm Hg or IOP reduced to <20% from baseline, for two consecutive visits after 3 months. Failure was defined as inability to meet IOP criteria, any additional glaucoma surgery, loss of light perception, and implant explantation. Secondary outcome criteria compared groups based on mean IOP, mean glaucoma medication use, best-corrected visual acuity, and complications at each postoperative visit.Results:In the AC and PS group of 64 patients, 32 tubes each were placed. Preoperative mean IOP was 37.41 ± 8.6 and 43.38 ± 10.3 mm Hg in AC and PS, respectively. Postoperatively IOP reduced to 14.22 ± 4.9 and 15.21 ± 8.1 mm Hg in AC and PS groups, respectively (P < 0.001). Preoperative mean antiglaucoma medication changed from 2.56 ± 0.9 and 3.44 ± 0.5 to 1.03 ± 0.9 and 1.67 ± 0.5 in AC and PS, respectively, postoperatively (P < 0.001). No significant change in VA was noted in either group. At 12 months, success rate was 84% in AC group and 72% in PS group, with PS group having 2.63 times higher hazard (risk) of failure than AC group.Conclusion:AADI implantation in PS or AC is a safe and effective method for IOP control in refractory glaucoma with its low cost being of significance in developing countries.

The effect of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) vaccination of male piglets on sperm quality at the age of puberty

The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) vaccination in piglets on sperm quality of young boars. A total of 136 sows were divided in four groups of 34 animals each (17 vaccinated with Circovac®, Merial and 17 unvaccinated in each group). A total of 1 200 piglets were selected, half of which were vaccinated against PCV2 on the 21st day (Porcilis® PCV, MSD) and the other half was left unvaccinated. Four groups of 300 pigs each were formed as follows: PS group (vaccinated sows + piglets), S group (vaccinated sows + unvaccinated piglets), P group (unvaccinated sows + vaccinated piglets), C group (unvaccinated sows + piglets). Furthermore, 80 boars (20 piglets per group) were selected and slaughtered at the age of 5.5 months and weight of 95 ± 5.5 kg and their epididymal sperm was collected and evaluated for motility and kinetics, concentration and morphology. Additionally, 10 pigs from each group were used for blood sampling and serological testing for PCV2 IgM and IgG antibodies at the age of 21, 70, 110 and 150 days. The IgG and IgM patterns suggested that the piglets were coming into contact with PCV2 early in life. The S group demonstrated significantly lower curvilinear velocity (VCL, μm/s), amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH, μm) and significantly higher head abnormalities (%) compared to other groups (P&lt; 0.05). In conclusion, vaccinated young boars showed some improved epididymal sperm kinetic indices and head morphology.

Successful radiofrequency ablation strategies for benign thyroid nodules.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasound (US)-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) treatment of benign thyroid nodules in consecutive large number series. To find out whether there is any difference according to the nature of the nodules, nodules were subdivided into two groups of predominantly solid vs. predominantly cystic lesions. We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of thyroid nodules receiving percutaneous RFA treatment in our institution. We subdivided data into two groups according to the nodule's sonographic characteristics. We defined therapeutic success as a volume reduction rate >50% at 6 months post-RFA. The second ablation was performed in case where <50% VRR was achieved at 6 months. The primary endpoint was to identify factors prognosticating response to RFA treatment. A total of 1000 patients with 1619 thyroid nodules received US-guided RFA treatment. A volume reduction of >50% (therapeutic success) after the first ablation was 78.9% vs. 78.2% (p = 0.439) and 91.4% vs. 93.4% (p = 0.148) after the final ablation for predominantly cystic vs. predominantly solid lesions, respectively, with comparable post-interventional morbidity. RFA sessions were more frequent in the solid group than in the cystic group. Small volume of thyroid nodule (<4 mL) was the only factor significantly associated with therapeutic success in the multivariate analysis (OR 1.848; 95% CI 1.537-2.789, p = 0.030). RFA was effective in reducing the volume of benign thyroid nodules volume with non-inferior result in PS group comparing to PC group and can be considered a principal treatment method for treating benign thyroid nodules, including cystic nodules.

Electrical Control of Electromagnetically Induced Transparency by Terahertz Metamaterial Funneling

AbstractElectromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) analogs using metamaterials have diverse applications, including nonlinear optics, telecommunications, and biochemical sensors. These EIT analogs can be actively controlled by embedding semiconducting materials into metamaterial structures, but most active EIT metamaterials require complex optical setups and complicated fabrication processes. Graphene‐based EIT metamaterials are some of the most promising active EIT systems because of their simple controllability by electrical bias, but related researches have so far been limited to theoretical or numerical studies. Here, experimentally verified graphene EIT metamaterials are provided by controlling the terahertz funneling of the unique metaatom structures. The proposed active EIT metamaterials are fabricated on flexible and ultrathin polyimide films to acquire the lowest substrate insertion losses and achieve a 1 ps group delay change at the transmission peak of the EIT analog. Moreover, because the proposed metamaterials exhibit resonance properties that vary depending on the polarization direction, the phase delay can be controlled up to 80° from the proposed metamaterials by rotating the incident polarization to the orthogonal direction. Overall, by controlling the group and phase delay of incident waves in a single metamaterial device simultaneously, a multifunctional active tuning system can be realized in the terahertz range.

Pulmonary and muscle profile in pneumosepsis: A temporal analysis of inflammatory markers

In sepsis, greater understanding of the inflammatory mechanism involved would provide insights into the condition and into its extension to the muscular apparatus in critically ill patients. Therefore, this study evaluates the inflammatory profile of pneumosepsis induced by Klebsiella pneumoniae (K.p.) in lungs and skeletal muscles during the first 72 h. Male BALB/c mice were divided into 4 groups, submitted to intratracheal inoculation of K.p. at a concentration of 2 × 108 (PS) or PBS, and assessed after 24 (PS24), 48 (PS48) and 72 (PS72) hours. The Maximum Physical Capacity Test (MPCT) was performed before and after induction. Pulmonary inflammation was assessed by total cell number, nitric oxide levels (NOx), IL-1β and TNF-α levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF); inflammation and muscle trophism were evaluated by the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, TGF-β and BDNF by ELISA and NF-κB by western blotting in muscle tissue. Cells and colony forming units (CFU) were also analyzed in blood samples. The PS groups showed an increase in total cells in the BALF (p < 0.05), as well in the number of granulocytes in the blood (p < 0.05) and a decrease in performance in the MPCT (p < 0.05). NOx levels showed significant increase in PS72, when compared to Control group (p = 0.03). The PS24 showed a significant increase lung in TNF-α levels (p < 0.001) and in CFU (p = 0.013). We observed an increase in muscular IL-6 and nuclear NF-κB levels in PS24 group, when compared to PS48 and Control groups (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, mild signs of injury in the skeletal muscle tissue does not support the idea of an early muscular injury in this experimental model, suggesting that the low performance of the animals during the MPCT may be related to lung inflammation.

Cerebral blood flow features in chronic subcortical stroke: Lesion location-dependent study

We investigated the influence of lesion location on cerebral blood flow (CBF) in chronic subcortical stroke patients. Three-dimensional pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling was employed to obtain CBF images in normal controls (NC) and patients with left hemisphere subcortical infarctions involving motor pathways. Stroke patients were divided into two subgroups based on the infarction location (basal ganglia (BS) or pontine (PS). We mapped CBF alterations in a voxel-wise manner and compared them to detect differences among groups with height-level false discovery rate correction. Regions with significant group differences were extracted to perform post hoc analyses among the BS, PS and NC groups using a general linear model with age, gender, years of education, and interval after stroke as covariates. The BS group displayed significantly increased CBF in the contralesional putamen relative to NC and significantly decreased CBF in the ipsilesional sensorimotor cortex, ipsilesional thalamus and contralesional cerebellum. The PS group displayed significantly increased CBF in the contralesional inferior frontal gyrus relative to both the NC and BS groups. Nevertheless, the PS group showed significantly decreased CBF mainly in the cerebellum. Our results suggest different alteration patterns of CBF in chronic stroke patients with different infarct locations within subcortical motor pathways, potentially providing important information for the initiation of individualized rehabilitation strategies for subcortical stroke patients involving different infarct types.

The Axiomatic Rank of Levi Classes

A Levi class L(ℳ) generated by a class ℳ of groups is a class of all groups in which the normal closure of each element belongs to ℳ. It is stated that there exist finite groups G such that a Levi class L(qG), where qG is a quasivariety generated by a group G, has infinite axiomatic rank. This is a solution for [The Kourovka Notebook, Quest. 15.36]. Moreover, it is proved that a Levi class L(ℳ), where ℳ is a quasivariety generated by a relatively free 2-step nilpotent group of exponent ps with a commutator subgroup of order p, p is a prime, p ≠ 2, s ≥ 2, is finitely axiomatizable.

Shoulder Arthroplasty Outcomes After Prior Non-Arthroplasty Shoulder Surgery.

Background:The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare outcomes and complications in patients with and patients without a history of non-arthroplasty surgery on the ipsilateral shoulder who later underwent total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) or reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA). We hypothesized that patients who had undergone prior surgery would have more complications and worse clinical outcomes.Methods:Consecutive patients who had undergone shoulder arthroplasty and had been followed for a minimum of 2 years were evaluated with the American Shoulder and Elbow Society scoring system (ASES), Simple Shoulder Test (SST), and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) assessments and with physical examination, including range-of motion assessments. Complications and outcomes in patients who had undergone prior surgery on the ipsilateral shoulder (PS group) were compared with those in patients without such a history (NPS group).Results:Data on 506 shoulder arthroplasties (263 TSA and 243 RTSA) were available for analysis. A total of 144 patients (28%) had an average of 1.9 ± 1.0 surgical procedures on the ipsilateral shoulder before arthroplasty. The average age in the PS group was significantly younger at the time of arthroplasty compared with the NPS group (61.6 ± 10.2 years compared with 68.2 ± 8.6 years, p = 0.035). At an average follow-up of 42.8 ± 16.4 months, both groups had significant improvements in ASES, SST, VAS, and range-of-motion values (p < 0.05 for all). All outcome scores in the PS group were significantly lower than those in the NPS group (p < 0.001 for all). The PS group also had a significantly higher complication rate than the NPS group (19.4% compared with 4.4%, p < 0.001), and multivariate regression analysis revealed that prior surgery was a significant independent predictor of postoperative complications. There were no differences between the PS and NPS groups in the number of postoperative infections (p = 0.679), reoperations (p = 0.553), or transfusions (p = 0.220).Conclusions:Patients who have a history of prior surgery on the ipsilateral shoulder derive benefit from shoulder arthroplasty, but their magnitude of improvement and final scores are lower than those of patients who do not have such a history. This information can be used to counsel this challenging patient population on expected outcomes following shoulder arthroplasty.Level of Evidence:Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.