Subsequent Maintenance Research Articles

Design and Numerical-Method-Aided Optimization of a Novel Attachment System for Implant-Retained Dental Prostheses Using NiTi Shape Memory Alloys

While nickel-titanium (NiTi) is the primary shape memory alloy (SMA) used in endodontic instruments, restorative dental components so far have not been fabricated from SMAs. The flexibility of these materials may solve problems in implant prosthodontics resulting from non-parallel implant positions and transfer inaccuracies. Based on a prototype of a novel attachment system for implant overdentures, a finite element model was created and used for studying different loading situations and design parameters followed by numerical analysis aided design optimization. The results revealed that the basic design of the attachment is capable of compensating misalignments of supporting implants as well as transfer inaccuracies of a clinically relevant magnitude by accommodating the large deformations induced under masticatory loading upon martensitic phase transformation at almost constant stress. The application of NiTi resulted in the reduction of the reaction forces recorded in the surrounding of the supporting implant, as well, the reaction forces between male and female parts of the attachment system could be reduced which will minimize wear phenomena and subsequent maintenance costs. These effects were seen to be enhanced in the optimized design.

Target concentration achievement for efficacy and safety of patients with osteosarcoma treated with high-dose methotrexate based on individual pharmacokinetics: A retrospective study.

In the high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) treatment of patients with osteosarcoma, a dose-adjustment method using individual pharmacokinetic parameters (PK method) to optimize the concentration was developed in 2010. However, to the best of our knowledge, the clinical usefulness of the PK method has not been verified until now. In the present retrospective study, to assess the usefulness of the PK method, the achievement rate of an effective and safe concentration range was evaluated. A total of 43 patients with osteosarcoma who were administered HD-MTX therapy (43 first courses and 200 subsequent courses) were enrolled. The MTX dose in the first course was determined using a common method based on body surface area (BSA method); a total of 8-12 g/m2 was administered as an initial dose for 1 h and a maintenance dose for 5 h. In the subsequent courses, loading and maintenance doses were calculated by the PK method based on the serum MTX concentration profile of the previous course. The effective target concentration during 1-6 h after the start of MTX administration was 700-1,000 µmol/l, whereas the target safe MTX level was less than 10, 1 and 0.1 µmol/l at 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. Notably, the rate of achieving the effective target concentration was significantly higher when using the PK method as compared to that when using the BSA method. The achievement rate of the safe target concentration at 24, 48 and 72 h when using the PK method was significantly higher. Additionally, the incidence of abnormal laboratory values of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase was significantly lower when using the PK method. Therefore, the PK method was suggested to be very useful in HD-MTX therapy for patients with osteosarcoma.

Substituting sedentary time with sleep or physical activity and subsequent weight-loss maintenance.

In this study, the associations between the substitution of sedentary time with sleep or physical activity at different intensities and subsequent weight-loss maintenance were examined. This prospective study included 1152 adults from the NoHoW trial who had achieved a successful weight loss of ≥5% during the 12 months prior to baseline and had BMI ≥25 kg/m2 before losing weight. Physical activity and sleep were objectively measured during a 14-day period at baseline. Change in body weight was included as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were changes in body fat percentage and waist circumference. Cardiometabolic variables were included as exploratory outcomes. Using isotemporal substitution models, no associations were found between activity substitutions and changes in body weight or waist circumference. However, the substitution of sedentary behavior with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was associated with a decrease in body fat percentage during the first 6 months of the trial (-0.33% per 30 minutes higher moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [95% CI: -0.60% to -0.07%], p=0.013). Sedentary behavior had little or no influence on subsequent weight-loss maintenance, but during the early stages of a weight-loss maintenance program, substituting sedentary behavior with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity may prevent a gain in body fat percentage.

Two-level optimization model of hybrid energy storage system in wind/solar distributed generation system

Hybrid energy storage system (HESS) composed of battery and supercapacitor can effectively compensate the power deviation between supply and demand in distributed generation system (DGs). However, the popularization application of which is limited by the high cost of capacity configuration and subsequent maintenance. Hence, considering dynamic change of frequency characteristics of power deviation, a two-level optimization model for power programming and capacity configuration of HESS is established. In the outer layer, aiming at minimizing the allocation of the capacity, power allocation strategy of HESS based on adaptive filtering is proposed, which adaptively adjusts the sliding window of moving average filter (MAF), and decomposes the supply–demand power deviation sequence into the scope of battery and supercapacitor. In the inner layer, considering grid-connected power fluctuations, a full life cycle HESS capacity optimization model is proposed. The model aims at the total cost of HESS and the renewable energy utilization (REU), and uses non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) to solve the model. Furthermore, a case is introduced to verify the feasibility of the proposed strategy and the effectiveness of the model solution.

Interleukin-3 stabilizes CD124/IL-4α surface expression in mast cells via Tyk2 and STAT6.

Interleukin (IL)-4 signals can modulate mast cells, which express the IL-4Rα chain. The IL-4Rα can heterodimerise with the common γ-chain and utilizes JAK1 and JAK2 for signal transduction, while complexes of IL-4Rα with IL-13Rα1 subunit mediates signals via JAK2 and Tyk2. Here, we report that IL-3 is an essential factor for the continuous expression of the IL-4Rα chain on mast cells, which did not express the IL-13Rα1 chain. We demonstrate that the signals induced by IL-3 important for IL-4Rα expression are mediated by Tyk2 and STAT6 activation and the subsequent maintenance of HSP90 levels. In line with that, inhibition of either Tyk2, STAT6 or HSP90 impaired the IL-3-induced IL-4Rα upregulation. Consequently, the IL-3 maintained IL-4Rα surface expression via Tyk2 is essential for the costimulatory effect of IL-4 on the IL-33-induced production of IL-6 and IL-13.

Investigating economic replacement policy under uncertainty for managerial application based on grey-reliability approach using QCC

PurposeThe main purpose of present study is to model the replacement policy under uncertainty for managerial application based on grey-reliability approach by considering the subjective views of quality control circle (QCC). The study objectively links the optimality between individual replacement and group replacement policies for determining the minimum operational costs. The integrated framework between QCC, replacement theory, grey set theory and supply chain management is presented to plan replacement actions under uncertainty.Design/methodology/approachThe study proposes the concept of grey-reliability index and built a decision support model, which can deal with the imprecise information for determining the minimum operational costs to plan subsequent maintenance efforts.FindingsThe findings of the study establish the synergy between individual replacement and group replacement policies. The computations related to the numbers of failures, operational costs, reliability index and failure probabilities are presented under developed framework. An integrated framework to facilitate the managers in deciding the replacement policy based on operational time towards concerning replacement of assets that do not deteriorate, but fails suddenly over time is presented. The conceptual model is explained with a numerical procedure to illustrate the significance of the proposed approach.Originality/valueA conceptual model under the framework of such items, whose failures cannot be corrected by repair actions, but can only be set by replacement is presented. The study provides an important knowledge based decision support framework for crafting a replacement model using grey set theory. The study captured subjective information to build decision model in the ambit of replacement.

Investigations on the shearing performance of ballastless CRTS II slab based on quasi-distributed optical fiber sensing

With the continuous development of high-speed railway technology, there are higher expectations for train operation and running safety. Shear failure is the main form of damage to the ballastless CRTS II slab as an essential part of the ballastless track system, and its interlayer shearing performance and damage mechanism play an important role in ensuring railroad safety. This paper employs quasi-distributed optical fiber technology to investigate the force characteristics, ductility performance, and damage mechanism of ballastless CRTS II plate in shear failure. The influences of shear reinforcement on the shear bearing capacity of ballastless track structure are also investigated. It is concluded that shearing force in each layer of the CRTS II ballastless track exhibits obvious nonlinear characteristics, and the introduction of shear reinforcement can improve the seismic performance. The quasi-distributed optical fiber sensing has good performance in the field of ballastless track monitoring, which compensates for the limitation that traditional monitoring methods are difficult to be used in concealed CA mortar layer in long-term service and provides reasonable recommendations for ballastless track design and subsequent maintenance.

Unravelling 3D growth in the moss Physcomitrium patens.

The colonization of land by plants, and the greening of the terrestrial biosphere, was one of the most important events in the history of life on Earth. The transition of plants from water to land was accompanied, and largely facilitated, by the acquisition of apical cells with three or more cutting faces (3D growth). This enabled plants to develop the morphological characteristics required to survive and reproduce effectively on land and to colonize progressively drier habitats. Most plants develop in such a way that makes genetic studies of 3D growth difficult as the onset of 3D growth is established early during embryo development. On the other hand, in the moss Physcomitrium patens, the onset of 3D growth is preceded by a protracted 2D filamentous phase of the life cycle that can be continuously propagated. P. patens is an ideal model system in which to identify the genetic toolkit underpinning the 2D to 3D growth transition, and this is because 3D growth is not a pre-requisite for survival. Thus, insights into the mechanisms underpinning the formation of apical cells and the subsequent establishment and maintenance of 3D growth have largely been gained through studies in P. patens. This review summarizes the most recently published articles that have provided new and important insights into the mechanisms underpinning 3D growth in P. patens.

Optimal timing of liver transplantation for liver cirrhosis caused by sclerosing cholangitis in a patient with Langerhans cell histiocytosis: a case report.

Liver cirrhosis due to secondary sclerosing cholangitis caused by Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) has a poor prognosis, and liver transplantation is the definitive treatment. However, the optimal timing has not been established. We report a 2-year-old girl with LCH-related liver cirrhosis who successfully underwent liver transplantation before progressing to severe liver dysfunction. Physical examination revealed a tumor on her palate. Biopsy was performed, and a diagnosis of LCH was established, together with hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, and rashes. Percutaneous liver biopsy before treatment revealed extreme fibrosis and absence of LCH cells. After beginning chemotherapy, she experienced several delays in treatment and dose reductions because of unacceptable bone marrow suppression, worsening liver dysfunction, and cholangitis. However, tumor shrinkage was observed in both magnetic resonance imaging and BRAF V600E mutant allele titers in her plasma. Given the good treatment response, liver transplantation was conducted. The postoperative course was uneventful, and chemotherapy was resumed 34days after liver transplantation. Subsequent maintenance treatment was completed with no severe adverse effects. To prevent perioperative complications due to exacerbation of liver dysfunction and possible discontinuation of chemotherapy, liver transplantation should be considered before development of end-stage liver failure, provided that the original disease is well controlled.

Application of artificial intelligence in early fault detection of transmission line-a case study in India

<span lang="EN-US">Reliable energy is ensured by the power quality, safety and security. For reliability and economic growth of transmission utilities, it is necessary to maintain continuity of supply, which is challenging under deregulated system. It is essential for utilities to conduct regular maintenance of transmission lines before supply interrupts. To protect line from fault, it is necessary to detect fault on line, its classification and location at the earliest. Various smart techniques along with application of artificial intelligence (AI) in power system are under investigation. This paper tries to find solution by identifying practical common faults occurred on transmission lines, and also suggests the suitable maintenance methodology. It uses the artificial neural network (ANN) method and live line maintenance technique (LLMT) for pre identification of a fault and subsequent predictive maintenance. Paper compares results of combination of ANN with LLMT and cold line maintenance technique (CLMT). Comparison of statistical analysis shows combine model of ANN and LLMT results in minimize outage time, failure rate which can improve system availability and increases revenue.</span>

Icing Detection Method of Transmission Line Based on Machine Vision

The conventional icing detection method is mainly based on the manual detection of icing status. The texture correlation characteristics of icing are variables, which lead to large errors in the icing edge detection and affect the subsequent maintenance of transmission lines. Therefore, the transmission line icing detection method based on machine vision is designed in this paper. The method comprises the following steps of extracting the icing texture feature of the transmission line, namely extracting the correlation feature of an icing image, identifying an icing area by using machine vision technology, carrying out edge detection on the transmission line and finally obtaining the icing thickness of the transmission line to realize the accurate detection on the icing of the power transmission line. The comparative experimental results show that the detection error of this method is small, the detection accuracy is high, and it can be applied to real life.

Outcomes of Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma (RRMM) Who Responded to Daratumumab, Pomalidomide and Dexamethasone (DPd), Followed By High Dose Chemotherapy/Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation (HDCT/ASCT) Versus (DPd) Alone

Background: Despite the many advances in the treatment landscape of relapsed refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), survival outcomes remain poor for patients with triple class refractory disease (refractory to proteasome inhibitors (PIs), immunomodulatory agents (IMiDs) and anti-CD-38 monoclonal antibodies). While the role of autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) in the first line therapy is well established, efficacy of ASCT for patients with RRMM in the era of novel therapeutic agents remains unknown. In this single center retrospective analysis, we compared the efficacy and safety outcomes of patients with RRMM treated with daratumumab, pomalidomide, and dexamethasone (DPd) alone versus (vs) DPd followed by ASCT. Methods: A total of 83 patients with RRMM who were treated and achieved at least partial response (PR) with DPd alone vs DPd followed by ASCT were evaluated by electronic medical records (EMR). DPd was given as daratumumab 16 mg/kg IV or 1800 mg SQ weekly for cycles 1 and 2, every 2 weeks for cycles 3-6, and then every 4 weeks; pomalidomide at 4 mg orally on days 1-21 of a 28-day cycle; and dexamethasone 20 or 40 mg weekly. Twenty-one patients who responded to DPd proceeded with melphalan 140 or 200 mg/m2 followed by ASCT and subsequent maintenance therapy. Responses were evaluated using the international myeloma working group (IMWG) response criteria. Patient and disease characteristics, as well as efficacy and safety outcomes were summarized using descriptive statistics. Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to estimate progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: A total of 21/83 (25%) pts with RRMM who achieved at least PR to DPd underwent ASCT (DPd/ASCT) while the remaining 62/83 (75%) continued DPd without ASCT (DPd alone). For the entire patient population, median age was 66 years [IQR 42-81]; 49 (59%) patients were male, 54 (65%) patients had IgG isotype, 21 (25%) patients had R- ISS stage III disease, 51 (61%) patients had high-risk cytogenetics, and 17 (20%) patients had extramedullary disease (Table 1). Patient age, disease stage, and cytogenetic risk profile was balanced between two groups. However, more patients in the DPd/ASCT group when compared to the DPd alone group had not received a prior ASCT (29% vs 15%) or had double refractory disease (67% vs 40%). All patients in this study had achieved at least a PR, though very good partial response (VGPR) or better was observed in 37 (60%) and 18 (86%) patients in the DPd alone and the DPd/ASCT group, respectively. Median PFS was 17.5 months (95%CI 10.3-32.1) with DPd alone vs 42.2 months (95%CI 36.4-NA) in the DPd/ASCT group (p=0.006). Median OS was 38.1 months (95%CI 25.0-NA) for DPd alone group vs not reached in the DPD/ASCT group (p=0.009, Figure 1,2). The most common grade 3 or 4 treatment related adverse events (TRAE) were neutropenia [49 (79%) vs 21 (100%)], anemia [11 (18%) vs 7 (33%)], thrombocytopenia [4 (96%) vs 7 (17%)], neutropenic fever [4 (6%) vs 11 (52%)], hospitalization secondary to TRAE [20 (32%) vs 14 (67%)] with the DPd vs DPd/ASCT groups, respectively. There was no treatment-related mortality in either group. Conclusion: Our retrospective analysis demonstrates patients who responded to DPd and underwent ASCT afterwards have superior PFS and OS compared to those who received DPd alone. Although DPd followed by ASCT is associated with more cytopenias and its related complications, this treatment appears to be overall safe for many patients with RRMM. These findings should not only be compared with larger multicenter collaborative registry-based data sets but also be tested in a prospective, randomized trial to ascertain the benefit of ASCT beyond the benefit observed by DPd alone. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

Perceived stress as a predictor of eating behavior during the 3-year PREVIEW lifestyle intervention

BackgroundTo better support participants to achieve long-lasting results within interventions aiming for weight loss and maintenance, more information is needed about the maintenance of behavioral changes. Therefore, we examined whether perceived stress predicts the maintenance of changes in eating behavior (flexible and rigid restraint of eating, disinhibition, and hunger).MethodsThe present study was a secondary analysis of the PREVIEW intervention including participants with overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) at baseline and high risk of type 2 diabetes (n = 1311). Intervention included a 2-month low-energy diet phase and a 34-month subsequent weight maintenance phase. The first 6 months were considered an active behavior change stage and the remaining 2.5 years were considered a behavior maintenance stage. Eating behavior was measured using the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire and stress using the Perceived Stress Scale. The associations between stress and eating behavior were analyzed using linear mixed effects models for repeated measurements.ResultsPerceived stress measured after the active behavior change stage (at 6 months) did not predict changes in eating behavior during the behavior maintenance stage. However, frequent high stress during this period was associated with greater lapse of improved flexible restraint (p = 0.026). The mean (SD) change in flexible restraint from 6 to 36 months was −1.1 (2.1) in participants with frequent stress and −0.7 (1.8) in participants without frequent stress (Cohen’s ds (95% CI) = 0.24 (0.04–0.43)). Higher perceived stress at 6 months was associated with less flexible restraint and more disinhibition and hunger throughout the behavior maintenance stage (all p < 0.001).ConclusionsPerceived stress was associated with features of eating behavior that may impair successful weight loss maintenance. Future interventions should investigate, whether incorporating stress reduction techniques results in more effective treatment, particularly for participants experiencing a high stress level.

Inclisiran: A New Pharmacological Approach for Hypercholesterolemia.

Therapeutic approaches based on gene silencing technologies represent a new opportunity to manage hypercholesterolemia. Inclisiran is a small interfering RNA that targets proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) mRNA. Clinical studies have demonstrated that inclisiran is effective, safe, and well-tolerated in reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk equivalents. A meta-analysis of phase 3 trials demonstrated a 51% reduction in LDL-C levels at 18 months as compared with placebo. Adverse event incidence was found to be comparable in individuals treated with inclisiran and those receiving placebo, though the reactions at the site of injection were more common in patients receiving inclisiran as compared with those receiving placebo. The recommended inclisiran dose is 284 mg administered as a subcutaneous injection to be repeated after three months with a subsequent 6-month maintenance regimen. Overall, since the pharmacological efficacy of inclisiran in LDL-C reduction is comparable to that of monoclonal antibodies against PCSK9, the longer effect duration and the favorable safety profile may favor this newer approach for hypercholesterolemia management.

Road damage detection using UAV images based on multi-level attention mechanism

Pavement damage detection is essential for subsequent road maintenance decisions. However, recent detection networks have low accuracy and fail to detect most diseases on the road, which means that testing is very inefficient. Therefore, this study uses the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) road damage database and describes a multi-level attention mechanism called Multi-level Attention Block (MLAB) to strengthen the utilization of essential features by the You Only Look Once version 3 (YOLO v3). Adding MLAB between the backbone and feature fusion parts effectively increases the mAP value of the proposed network to 68.75%, while the accuracy of the original network is only 61.09%. The network is able to detect longitudinal cracks, transverse cracks, repairs, and potholes with high accuracy, and significantly improves the accuracy of alligator cracks and oblique cracks. The findings of this study will accelerate the application of non-destructive automatic road damage detection.

The Buoyancy of the Tunnel Segmental Lining in the Surrounding Filling Material and its Effects on the Concrete Stress State

Segmental lining is subject to significant upward buoyancy forces when a grouting material (slurry), initially fluid, is adopted to fill the gap between its external profile and the wall of a tunnel excavated with a TBM machine. The analysis of the effects of these forces is important in order to correctly dimension the segmental lining and avoid damage to the lining and subsequent costly maintenance and restoration actions. Given the complexity of the behavior of a segmental lining consisting of segmental rings and circular joints that alternate in the longitudinal direction of the tunnel, a specific numerical model has been implemented, adopting the Finite Element Method (FEM). This model is able to obtain the development of the vertical displacements of the segmental lining starting from the TBM tail, together with the bending moments and the shear forces induced inside it. The developed model is able to assess the risks of breaking and damaging the concrete and steel bolts that are used to connect the segmental rings at the circular joints; therefore, it represents a useful design tool for being able to correctly dimension the segmental lining also in relation to the risks produced by the appearance of considerable buoyancy forces around it, due to the presence of the initially fluid filling material. The proposed numerical model was applied to a real case (Ningbo metro tunnel) and allowed to obtain satisfactory results from the comparison of the calculated displacements with in situ measurements. Some sensitivity analyzes developed on the studied case have made it possible to detect which are the influencing parameters that have the greatest impact on the behavior of segmental lining in the presence of the studied buoyancy forces.

Effect of freeze-thaw damage at curing time on mechanical properties of polyurethane concrete

PurposePolyurethane concrete has a high strength-to-weight ratio in the short term, and the strength-to-weight ratio stage during the maintenance period is critical. Freeze-thaw cycles have a noticeable damaging effect on the durability of polyurethane concrete. The engineering specification of polyurethane concrete with incomplete hydration reaction must be studied, as well as the development of internal structure during curing. In this paper, the polyurethane concrete tests were set up under eight distinct maintenance settings based on the climate features of the northern area and the service environment. The test results were evaluated to determine the effect of the number of early freeze-thaw cycles and the time node of early freeze-thaw cycles on the mechanical characteristics of polyurethane concrete, which revealed that the time node of freeze-thaw damage impacted the freeze-thaw resistance of polyurethane concrete susceptible to early freeze-thaw damage.Design/methodology/approachThe early-age freeze-thaw damage polyurethane concrete was experimentally studied by controlling the time node of the freeze-thaw cycle and the curing environment. The test considered the time node, frequency of freeze-thaw damage of polyurethane concrete and the influence of subsequent curing environment and observed the mass change, relative dynamic elastic modulus, relative durability index, compressive strength and apparent damage of polyurethane concrete. The early mechanical properties of polyurethane concrete were studied by analyzing the change of numerical value. The microscopic mechanism of strength formation of polyurethane concrete was analyzed by XRD, FTIR and SEM image.FindingsThe closer the time of freeze-thaw damage was to the specimen hardening, the worse the mechanical properties and structure were, according to SEM photographs. For specimens with serial number of 12-groups, its compressive strength is only 82.39% of that of the standard group, even if the curing process continues after 20 times thawing, which increased early environment exacerbate strength loss in polyurethane concrete and also reduced freeze-thaw resistance. The findings of the tests reveal that curing can restore the freeze-thaw resistance of damaged polyurethane concrete. Curing in water has a better recovery impact than curing in air; the mechanical properties can be restored by sufficient re-curing time and good re-curing conditions.Originality/valueBy studying the freeze-thaw cycle test and test results of polyurethane concrete in different curing time nodes, the relationship between the mechanical properties of polyurethane concrete and the time node, number of freeze-thaw cycles, and subsequent maintenance environment was explored. Considering the special mechanism of strength formation of polyurethane concrete, the polyurethane concrete damaged by freeze-thaw has the ability to continue to form strength under subsequent maintenance. This experimental study can provide an analytical basis for the strength formation and reconditioning of polyurethane concrete structures subjected to freeze-thaw environments during the curing time under extreme natural conditions in fall and winter in actual projects.

Implementation of a Distributed Framework for Permissioned Blockchain-Based Secure Automotive Supply Chain Management.

An automotive supply chain includes a range of activities from the concept of the product to its final transfer to a customer and subsequent vehicle maintenance. The three distinct stages of this chain are production, sales, and maintenance. In many countries, automobile records are not available to the public and anyone who has access to the central database or government systems can tamper with these records. In addition, used vehicle maintenance and transfer histories remain unavailable or inaccessible. These issues can be overcome by incorporating state-of-the-art blockchain technology into automotive supply chain management. Blockchain technology uses a chain of blocks for distributed transfer and storage of information, creating a decentralized data register that makes records of any digital asset tamper-proof and transparent. In this paper, we implement a permissioned blockchain-based framework for secure and efficient supply chain management of the automobile industry. We employed Hyperledger Fabric; an enterprise-grade distributed ledger platform for developing solutions. In our solution, the blockchain is customized and private in order to ensure system security. We evaluated our system in terms of memory cost, monetary cost, and speed of execution. Our results demonstrate that only 346 MB of extra memory space is required for storing the automotive data of 1 million users, thus rendering the memory cost negligible. The monetary cost is insignificant as all open source blockchain resources are employed, and the speed of record update is also fast. Our results also show that the decentralization of the automotive supply chain using blockchain can implement system security with minor modifications in the established configuration of the web application database.

Sensorimotor and Frontoparietal Network Connectivity Are Associated With Subsequent Maintenance of Gait Speed and Episodic Memory in Older Adults.

Slow gait is predictive of functional impairments in older adults, while concomitant slow gait and cognitive complaints are associated with a greater risk for cognitive decline and dementia. However, functional neural correlates for gait speed maintenance are unclear. As the sensorimotor network (SMN) and frontoparietal network (FPN) are integral components of these functions, this study investigated differences in SMN and FPN in older adults with/without gait speed decline over 24 months; and whether these networks were associated with the maintenance of cognitive function. We included 42 community-dwelling older adults aged >70 years from the MOBILIZE Boston Study. Resting-state fMRI was performed at the study baseline. Participant characteristics, gait speed, Mini-Mental State Examination, and Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) were assessed at baseline and at 24-month follow-up. Decliners were identified as individuals with >0.05 meters/second decline in gait speed from baseline to 24 months. Of the 26 decliners and 16 maintainers, decliners exhibited a significant decline in delayed-recall performance on the HVLT over 24 months. Controlling for baseline age and multiple comparisons, contrary to initial hypothesis, maintainers exhibited lower baseline primary motor and premotor connectivity (p = .01) within the SMN, and greater baseline ventral visual-supramarginal gyrus connectivity within the FPN (p = .02) compared to decliners. Lower primary motor-premotor connectivity was correlated with maintenance of delayed-recall performance on the HVLT (p = .04). These findings demonstrated a potential compensatory mechanism involved in the link between the decline in gait speed and episodic memory, whereby baseline connectivity of the SMN and FPN may underlie subsequent maintenance of gait speed and cognitive function in old age.

Adipose Tissue Development Relies on Coordinated Extracellular Matrix Remodeling, Angiogenesis, and Adipogenesis.

Despite developing prenatally, the adipose tissue is unique in its ability to undergo drastic growth even after reaching its mature size. This development and subsequent maintenance rely on the proper coordination between the vascular niche and the adipose compartment. In this review, the process of adipose tissue development is broken down to explain (1) the ultrastructural matrix remodeling that is undertaken during simultaneous adipogenesis and angiogenesis, (2) the paracrine crosstalk involved during adipose development, (3) the mechanical regulators involved in adipose growth, and (4) the proteolytic and paracrine oversight for matrix remodeling during adipose development. It is crucial to gain a better understanding of the complex relationships that exist between adipose tissue and the vasculature during tissue development to provide insights into the pathological tissue expansion of obesity and to develop improved soft-tissue reconstruction techniques.