Wide Space Research Articles

Cone-beam computed tomography imaging and three-dimensional analysis of midfoot joints during non-weightbearing and weightbearing in 11 healthy feet.

Studies report that Lisfranc injury is more common than thought. Several imaging methods for assessing the stability of Lisfranc injury have been described but many are impossible to standardize and not accurate enough. To present a three-dimensional (3D) method for analyzing the changes in the joint space width of the midfoot joint and the joints of the medial part of the Lisfranc complex in healthy individuals. Non-weightbearing and weightbearing cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of 11 healthy feet were acquired and analyzed with 3D software. The mean range of joint space width changes of each joint was computed from the changes in individual image pairs. 3D analysis software was used to analyze the medial part of the Lisfranc complex. In this sample of healthy feet, the changes in the joint spaces in the medial part of Lisfranc complex, calculated with 3D analysis software, was less than 0.6 mm. The distance between bones increased or decreased, depending on which part of the joint surface the measurements were taken. In this study, we present a 3D analysis method to evaluate midfoot joint space width changes. Our analysis revealed that in healthy feet there are only minimal changes in the joint space width between weightbearing and non-weightbearing indicating minimal movement of the midtarsal joints. The 3D analysis of weightbearing CBCT data provides a promising tool for analyzing the small midfoot joints in a variety of conditions.

Patient Factors Influencing Outcomes at 12-Year Follow-up of Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement

Background: Arthroscopic treatment of femoroacetabular impingement has increased in popularity since the early 2000s when it was first described, although only a few midterm follow-up studies have been published. Purpose: To describe the outcomes of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement at a mean 12-year follow-up and to determine the risk factors for failure. Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: The Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS) and a radiographic evaluation were completed preoperatively and at midterm follow-up. Participants were divided into 2 groups according to their clinical evolution. The success group consisted of patients whose NAHS at the final follow-up was above the established Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) threshold of 81.9, whereas patients who underwent a second surgical intervention or did not reach the PASS threshold at final follow-up were assigned to the failure group. These groups were compared to identify preoperative differences in demographic, pathological, and surgical factors. Results: A total of 95 hips were included, after 23 were lost to follow-up (80.5% follow-up). At a mean follow-up of 12.1 years (range, 9.2-16.0 years), 9 hips required total hip arthroplasty (9.5%), 5 required revision hip arthroscopy (5.3%), 29 did not achieve the NAHS PASS threshold (30.5%), and 52 achieved the NAHS PASS threshold (54.7%). The mean NAHS was 82.4 at final follow-up compared with 66.9 preoperatively (mean difference = 15.5; P < .001). Higher mean body mass index (24.9 vs 23.0; P = .030), older age (30.0 vs 27.2; P = .035), and inferior preoperative lateral joint space width (3.9 vs 4.4; P = .019) were associated with inferior prognosis in the failure group versus success group. Osteoarthritis progression was observed in 69.2% of the failure group and in 34.8% of the success group (P = .082). Labral ossification was observed in 78.3% of all patients, and its lateral projection length was statistically associated with failure (P = .015). Conclusion: At a mean 12-year follow-up, hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement led to significant clinical improvement, with 55% PASS achievement. In total, 31% of patients were below the PASS threshold, 5% had revision arthroscopy, and only 9% had conversion to total hip arthroplasty for a 45% global failure rate. Increased body mass index, older age, and smaller preoperative lateral joint space width were significant negative prognostic factors. Postoperative degenerative changes were highly prevalent and demonstrated association with failure.

Postcephalic segmentation and spines of the Siluro-Devonian odontopleurine trilobites Leonaspis Richter &amp; Richter and Kettneraspis Prantl &amp; Přibyl, with description of Bruthansovaspis gen. nov. from the Wenlock to Ludlow of the Prague Basin

Species of the odontopleurine trilobites Leonaspis Richter &amp; Richter, 1917 and Kettneraspis Prantl &amp; Přibyl, 1949 from the Silurian and the Devonian have been studied. Dorsal tubercle and spine patterns are highly variable and deemed of restricted use. The pygidial segmentation of Leonaspis is consistent among species in the development of a rudimentary inner pleural ridge or wide space between the pleural ridge and the axis. In Kettneraspis, an inner pleural ridge is never developed but the primitive condition is to have a space here. The formation of this ridge and an auxiliary interior border spine pair was arrested prematurely during ontogeny in species assigned to Kettneraspis at present. The type species of the monotypic Rupbachella Alberti, 2021 is regarded as a juvenile Leonaspis. Bruthansovaspis gen. nov. (type species: Acidaspis roemeri Barrande, 1852) is proposed for a Silurian clade of former Kettneraspis species from peri-Gondwana, that are principally distinct in lacking the combination of stunted anterior and macropleural posterior, thoracic segments synapomorphic of Kettneraspis and Leonaspis. The types of Bruthansovaspis roemeri, Bruthansovaspis dormitzeri (Hawle &amp; Corda, 1847), Bruthansovaspis dumortieri (Hawle &amp; Corda, 1847), Kettneraspis propinqua (Barrande, 1852), Kettneraspis lindackeri (Hawle &amp; Corda, 1847) and Bruthansovaspis zenkeri (Hawle &amp; Corda, 1847) (= B. dormitzeri) from the Silurian of the Barrandian, all of which had previously been lumped as dormitzeri, are figured and their classifications revisited. Exceptionally well-preserved odontopleurine material from the Devonian in the Tafilalt (southern Morocco) is described as Kettneraspis freitagi sp. nov. Leonaspis? strix Lütke, 1965 from the Devonian of the Harz Mountains is in need of revision; a previously tentatively assigned pygidium does not belong in that genus.

Sensitivity of rainfed okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) to mulch material and plant spacing in drought-prone tropical soils

Mulch regulates soil hydrothermal regime while suppressing weed growth, effects of which may depend on mulch material and/or similar to that of closed crop canopy. Combined use of organic or inorganic material as surface mulch and appropriate plant spacing may produce synergistic agronomic effects in water-stressed environments. This study evaluated the sensitivity of rainfed okra to mulch-spacing variants in droughty derived-savannah soils. With dry-grass mulch (DGM) and sawdust mulch (SDM) representing organic mulch material and black polythene (BPM) as inorganic/plastic, treatments were factorial combinations of surface-applied DGM, SDM and BPM with close (60 cm × 30 cm), intermediate (60 cm × 45 cm) and wide (60 cm × 60 cm) spacings. Crop growth/performance and fruit yield data were collected. Mulch material affected okra growth (with overall better results in BPM than SDM), but not flowering/fruiting and fruit yield. For plant spacing, sum of weights of pods and fruit yield were higher in close than intermediate and wide spacings, with fruit yields as 2.42, 1.21 and 0.76 t ha-1, respectively. Mulch-spacing interaction effects showed that BPM with close spacing gave the highest values for stem girth 8 weeks after sowing (SDM treatments gave the lowest), sum of weights of pods and fruit yield (2.93 t ha-1). Fruit yield, however, depended not on stem girth but on certain okra yield attributes. The BPM or, where not feasible, either of DGM and SDM, could be effectively combined with close spacing to improve okra productivity in droughty soils of the derived savannah.

György Ligeti: hamburgisches Konzert für Horn und Kammerorchester mit 4 obligaten Naturhörnern. Aspects of a Crystalline Microtonality

This is a study on the microtonal aspects of György Ligeti’s Hamburgisches Konzert für Horn und Kammerorchester mit 4 obligaten Naturhörnern, with special reference to its relationship with the American composer Harry Partch. The special mixture of equal temperament versus just intonation is analyzed for longer passages and adhoc chords in the concept of Ligeti. The movement “Choral” is confronted with Harry Partch’s idea of “tonality flux”. The “Hamburgisches Konzert für Horn und Kammerorchester mit 4 obligaten Naturhörnern” by György Ligeti, composed in 1998-2002, joins a long chain of exploratory forms of thought in his compositional work long years before he had pondered meloharmonics that would illuminate the great theme of tonality in a novel, personal way. In the Horn Trio (1982), melodies containing natural tones appear for the first time in the movement “Alla Marcia.” Previously, in the same work, Ligeti used the 11th harmonic as a precise quarter tone. Yet in the Horn Trio, these microtonal events are transverse to the other voices of violin and piano. Ligeti spoke of three “autists,” each living in his world of moods/tunings. In the works that followed, microtones take up an ever wider space, up to the Piano Concerto (1985-88) with 5th, 7th or 11th harmonics in trumpet, horn and trombone, and then to the Violin Concerto (1990-92), where two solo satellite strings from the orchestra, violin and viola, are retuned in natural interval relationships. The Viola Solo Sonata (1991-94) contains in the first movement “Hora lungă” a sign world new to Ligeti for natural thirds, natural sevenths and the 11th natural tone. He adopts these signs for the Hamburgisches Konzert, on which we will now focus. Keywords: Ligeti, microtonality, Hamburgisches Konzert

Quantification of First Metatarsal Joint Surface Interactions in Hallux Rigidus Using Distance and Coverage Mapping: A Case-Control Study.

Weightbearing cone-beam computed tomography (WBCT) has proven useful for analysis of structural changes of the foot and ankle when compared to conventional radiographs. WBCT allows for extraction of distance and coverage mapping metrics, which may provide novel insight into hallux rigidus (HR). This study retrospectively assessed HR joint space using distance and coverage mapping in a case-control study. WBCT images of the foot and ankle for 20 symptomatic HR and 20 control patients were obtained. Three-dimensional models were created and analyzed using a custom semiautomatic measurement algorithm. Distance and coverage mapping metrics for the first metatarsophalangeal and metatarsosesamoid joints were extracted from the models and compared between cohorts. Relationships between these metrics and visual analog scale (VAS) scores, a patient-reported outcome of pain, were assessed in HR patients. Overall first metatarsophalangeal joint space narrowing was noted in HR patients when compared to controls by an average of 11.8% (P = .02). However, no significant changes in the overall coverage of the joint were noted. Decreased joint space width and increased surface-to-surface coverage were only and particularly observed at the plantar medial quadrant of the first metatarsal head in HR patients relative to controls. VAS score was significantly but weakly correlated with dorsolateral quadrant coverage (R2 = 0.26, P = .03). Distance and coverage mapping serve as a complementary option to current techniques of quantifying HR changes. These metrics can expand the scope of future work investigating joint articulation changes in HR.

Decoupling beam power and beam energy on ASDEX Upgrade NBI with an in-situ variable extraction gap system

In early 2022 one source of ASDEX Upgrade’s (AUG) neutral beam injector 2 was equipped with a first-of-its-kind beam extraction grid system with in-situ variable extraction/acceleration gap that allows one to choose beam energy and beam power independently in a wide operational space, greatly enhancing experimental flexibility. The gap can be changed from one AUG discharge to the next. The extended operational space makes it possible to reduce beam energy and shine through while maintaining high heating power, or to reduce NBI power at high beam energy, e.g. to stay in L mode. Furthermore, the feature opens the door for advanced control of heat and torque deposition, such as to change torque and ion-to-electron heating ratio at constant power. The prototype system was successfully tested in 2022 and already found first applications in AUG’s physics programme. The remaining three sources of the same injector will also be equipped with variable gaps during the 2022–24 opening of AUG and installation of this new system on all sources of NBI 1 is also under discussion in order to exploit the full potential of the new feature.

Multiline study of the radial extent of SiO, CS, and SiS in asymptotic giant branch envelopes

Circumstellar envelopes around asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars contain a rich diversity of molecules, whose spatial distribution is regulated by different chemical and physical processes. In the outer circumstellar layers, all molecules are efficiently destroyed due to interactions with interstellar ultraviolet photons. Here we aim to carry out a coherent and uniform characterization of the radial extent of three molecules (SiO, CS, and SiS) in envelopes around O- and C-rich AGB stars, and to study their dependence on mass-loss rate. To this end, we observed a reduced sample of seven M-type and seven C-type AGB envelopes in multiple lines of SiO, CS, and SiS with the Yebes 40 m and IRAM 30 m telescopes. The selected sources cover a wide range of mass-loss rates, from ~10−7 M⊙ yr−1 to a few times 10−5 M⊙ yr−1, and the observed lines cover a wide range of upper-level energies, from 2 K to 130 K. We carried out excitation and radiative transfer calculations over a wide parameter space in order to characterize the abundance and radial extent of each molecule. A χ2 analysis indicates that the abundance is usually well constrained while the radial extent is in some cases more difficult to constrain. Our results indicate that the radial extent of the molecules considered here increases with increasing envelope density, in agreement with previous observational findings. At high envelope densities of Ṁ/υ∞ &gt; 10−6 M⊙ yr−1 km−1 s, SiO, CS, and SiS show a similar radial extent, while at low envelope densities of Ṁ/υ∞ &lt; 10−7 M⊙ yr−1 km−1 s, differences in radial extent appear among the three molecules, in agreement with theoretical expectations based on destruction due to photodissociation. At low envelope densities, we find a sequence of increasing radial extent, SiS → CS → SiO. We also find a tentative dependence of the radial extent on the chemical type (O- or C-rich) of the star for SiO and CS. Interferometric observations and further investigation of the photodissociation of SiO, CS, and SiS should provide clarification of the situation in regards to the relative photodissociation radii of SiO, CS, and SiS in AGB envelopes and their dependence on envelope density and C/O ratio.

Design of a compact MOSFET model suitable for geometric programming

ABSTRACT The design of analog integrated circuits is a demanding task that involves many constraints and objectives. Also, the transistor models employed must consider high-order physics effects to achieve accurate solutions. Geometric Programming (GP) allows finding the global minimum in optimisation problems, but requires design equations to be in monomial or posynomial form. This work proposes a simplified model inspired on the Advanced Compact MOSFET model tailored to be used in GP problems. The proposed model considers short-channel effects and it is valid in the saturation region with all inversion levels. The equations are presented, first showing the transistor current-voltage characteristic and then the associated capacitances. The validity of the equations is proven by their capacity to fit to the simulated data, achieving a mean error of 0.4% for the main NMOS characteristic. After that, the optimal design of two basic amplifier stages is performed to demonstrate the model usability with GP. The predicted voltage gain and bandwidth of the designed amplifiers are compared with simulations, presenting mean errors of 24.7% and 31.7%, respectively. These errors are low when viewed from a logarithmic perspective and considering the wide design space covered. As GP optimisation guarantees the global minimum location and does not require the usage of a circuit simulator in the loop, the proposed GP-friendly compact model can enable fast and accurate optimisation of analog integrated circuits.

A novel approach to identify the microclimatic edge effect width of urban green spaces at the landscape level: A case study of Changsha, China

Microclimate (e.g., temperature and humidity) in urban green space (UGS) patches changes nonlinearly from the edge to the interior, displaying a microclimatic edge effect (MEE). Reducing the MEE width is an effective and practical strategy for UGS planning and management to enhance climatic benefits (e.g., cooling). However, cost-effective approaches are not available to quantify the MEE width, let alone explore its driving factors. This study proposes a novel and cost-effective method to quantify the MEE width, based on the relationship between climatic variables (e.g., temperature and humidity) and the percentage of remaining UGS after successive edge removals. The method was tested in the subtropical city of Changsha, China, considering air temperature (AT) and humidity. Its effectiveness was also tested using widely available land surface temperature (LST) datasets while considering different spatial resolutions of the UGS map (i.e., 1–10 m) and different analytical units (i.e., 1 km2 grid and township census tract). Finally, the generalizability of this method was validated with data on six other representative Chinese cities. The results show that: (1) The estimated MEE widths for temperature and humidity in Changsha are about 8 m and 6 m, respectively. (2) The approach obtains consistent MEE widths irrespective of temperature types and analytical units. (3) A high spatial resolution UGS map (i.e., 1 m) is recommended for higher accuracy. (4) This approach effectively identifies MEE width in six other representative Chinese cities (Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Shenyang, Wuhan, Xi’an), demonstrating its generalizability. This novel approach provides an easy and fast method to identify the MEE width at the landscape scale, which can help (1) better understand the relationship between UGS fragmentation and the urban microclimate, and (2) better plan and manage UGS to improve the urban microclimate.

Comparative evaluation of knee osteoarthritis: radiography vs. ultrasonography in Nepalese population: a cross-sectional study.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative and long-term debilitating disease with rising prevalence, predominantly involving larger joints including the knee joint. While radiography has traditionally been the primary modality for joint evaluation, there is a growing trend towards using ultrasonography (USG) for musculoskeletal disorders, including joint assessment. This study aimed to find the role of USG in the evaluation of OA of knee joints with comparison to the radiographs. This was a cross-sectional study done on patients with signs and symptoms of OA of the knee who visited the radiology department for knee radiographs. Kellgren and Lawrence system was used for grading OA in radiographs. USG of knee joints was done with high-frequency probes and searched for joint space width, articular cartilage thickness, marginal osteophytes, meniscal extrusion, and other articular/ extra-articular abnormalities. The USG findings were correlated with findings in anteroposterior and lateral radiographs. The mean number of osteophytes was higher in USG compared to the radiographs (P<0.001). Mean joint spaces were comparable in both modalities. Meniscal extrusion was seen with USG, which significantly correlated with joint space width and cartilage thickness (P<0.005). USG also detected synovial changes, effusion, and Baker's cyst. Although radiography is the standard first-line radiological investigation for the diagnosis of OA of the knee joint, USG can be an adjunct as it well correlates with the radiograph findings and can provide more useful information.

Morphometric characteristics of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and finfish bycatch in the krill fishery in the waters of South Orkney Islands during the 2022/23 fishing season

Determination of bar spacing of bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) should consider species composition and morphometric characteristics (particularly width) of target species krill and bycatch. This study conducted a scientific investigation of the finfish bycatch in the Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) trawl fishery by the fishing vessel SHEN LAN in the waters surrounding the South Orkney Islands from December 24, 2022, to February 20, 2023. The results show that scientific observers sampled 676 individuals of finfish bycatch. Of these, 665 were identified to species (17 species from 8 families), while the remaining 11 specimen were juveniles of the Nototheniidae family that could not be identified to the species level. IRI (index of relative importance) calculations showed three dominant (IRI value greater than 1,000) finfish bycatch species (Champsocephalus gunnari, Pseudochaenichthys georgianus, and C. aceratus from the Channichthyidae family) and four important (IRI value between 1,000 and 100) finfish bycatch species (Electrona carlsbergi and Gymnoscopelus nicholsi from the Myctophidae family, Gobionotothen gibberifrons from the Nototheniidae family, and Notolepis coatsi from the Paralepididae family). Our study provides morphometric data (particularly body width) that is crucial to model the potential for bycatch reduction by use of bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) and to determine the appropriate candidate bar spacings for BRD sea trials. Predictions suggest that a 10 mm (the maximum body width of krill) bar spacing releases a significant amount of dominant and important bycatch species (93.94% of C. gunnari, 53.99% of P. georgianus, 76.25% of C. aceratus, and 100% of G. gibberifrons). Reduced fishing pressure would reduce the risks to dominant and important bycatch species to make the krill fishery sustainable. We recommend that future BRD sea trials should initially test a 10 mm bar spacing. If marked loss of krill is observed, wider spacings (e.g. 15 mm) must be tested.

Plaque cleaning efficacy of waist-shaped interdental brushes among individuals with open interproximal spaces: a systematic review.

The shape and design of interdental brushes are crucial for appropriate adaptation to the interproximal areas, despite their excellent cleaning efficacy. The aim of this review is to assess and compare the available data on the plaque cleaning efficacy of waist-shaped interdental brushes with any other shaped-interdental brushes among patients with wide interdental spaces. Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane, Science Direct, EBSCO Host, Lilacs, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched from the earliest available year (2011) till May 15, 2024. PICO Strategy: P: Individuals with open interproximal spaces; I: Waist-shaped interdental brushes; C: Any other shaped interdental brushes; O: Interproximal plaque cleaning efficacy. The review only comprised randomized controlled trials. The risk of bias assessment and quality of evidence was assessed using the RoB-2 Tool and GRADE Tool respectively. Three full-text publications that met the requirements for eligibility underwent additional processing for data extraction. The overall results of the review suggest that the plaque cleaning efficacy of waist-shaped interdental brushes is better than straight/cylindrical-shaped interdental brushes in patients with open interdental spaces; especially on the buccal and lingual line angles. However, the pooling of data was not possible due to the high heterogeneity between the studies. The current review suggests that the plaque cleaning efficacy of waist-shaped interdental brushes could be better than straight or cylindrical shaped-interdental brushes in patients with open interproximal spaces, especially in buccal and lingual line angles. However, further research should focus on appropriate methodological techniques to increase overall reporting quality and limit the possibility of bias.

Uranus and Neptune as methane planets: Producing icy giants from refractory planetesimals

Uranus and Neptune are commonly considered ice giants, and it is often assumed that, in addition to a solar mix of hydrogen and helium, they contain roughly twice as much water as rock. This classical picture has led to successful models of their internal structure and has been understood to be compatible with the composition of the solar nebula during their formation (Reynolds and Summers, 1965; Podolak and Cameron, 1974; Podolak and Reynolds, 1984; Podolak et al., 1995). However, the dominance of water has been recently questioned (Teanby et al., 2020; Helled and Fortney, 2020; Podolak et al., 2022). Planetesimals in the outer solar system are composed mainly of refractory materials, leading to an inconsistency between the icy composition of Uranus and Neptune and the ice-poor planetesimals they accreted during formation (Podolak et al., 2022). Here we elaborate on this problem, and propose a new potential solution. We show that chemical reactions between planetesimals dominated by organic-rich refractory materials and the hydrogen in gaseous atmospheres of protoplanets can form large amounts of methane ‘ice’. Uranus and Neptune could thus be compatible with having accreted refractory-dominated planetesimals, while still remaining icy. Using random statistical computer models for a wide parameter space, we show that the resulting methane-rich internal composition could be a natural solution, giving a good match to the size, mass and moment of inertia of Uranus and Neptune, whereas rock-rich models appear to only work if a rocky interior is heavily mixed with hydrogen. Our model predicts a lower than solar hydrogen to helium ratio, which can be tested. We conclude that Uranus, Neptune and similar exoplanets could be methane-rich, and discuss why Jupiter and Saturn cannot.

Testing times: disentangling admixture histories in recent and complex demographies using ancient DNA.

Our knowledge of human evolutionary history has been greatly advanced by paleogenomics. Since the 2020s, the study of ancient DNA has increasingly focused on reconstructing the recent past. However, the accuracy of paleogenomic methods in resolving questions of historical and archaeological importance amidst the increased demographic complexity and decreased genetic differentiation remains an open question. We evaluated the performance and behavior of two commonly used methods, qpAdm and the f3-statistic, on admixture inference under a diversity of demographic models and data conditions. We performed two complementary simulation approaches-firstly exploring a wide demographic parameter space under four simple demographic models of varying complexities and configurations using branch-length data from two chromosomes-and secondly, we analyzed a model of Eurasian history composed of 59 populations using whole-genome data modified with ancient DNA conditions such as SNP ascertainment, data missingness, and pseudohaploidization. We observe that population differentiation is the primary factor driving qpAdm performance. Notably, while complex gene flow histories influence which models are classified as plausible, they do not reduce overall performance. Under conditions reflective of the historical period, qpAdm most frequently identifies the true model as plausible among a small candidate set of closely related populations. To increase the utility for resolving fine-scaled hypotheses, we provide a heuristic for further distinguishing between candidate models that incorporates qpAdm model P-values and f3-statistics. Finally, we demonstrate a significant performance increase for qpAdm using whole-genome branch-length f2-statistics, highlighting the potential for improved demographic inference that could be achieved with future advancements in f-statistic estimations.

Hip and pelvic geometry as predictors of knee osteoarthritis severity.

Malalignment is one of the most critical risk factors for knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Biomechanical factors such as knee varus or valgus, hip-knee-ankle angle, and femoral anteversion affect KOA severity. In this study, we aimed to investigate KOA severity predictive factors based on hip and pelvic radiographic geometry. In this cross-sectional study, 125 patients with idiopathic KOA were enrolled. Two investigators evaluated the knee and pelvic radiographs of 125 patients, and 16 radiological parameters were measured separately. KOA severity was categorized based on the medial tibiofemoral joint space widths (JSW). Based on JSW measurements, 16% (n = 40), 8.8% (n = 22), 16.4% (n = 41), and 56.8% (n = 147) were defined as grades 0, 1, 2, 3, respectively. There were significant differences between the JSW groups with respect to hip axis length, femoral neck-axis length, acetabular width, neck shaft angle (NSA), outer pelvic diameter, midpelvis-caput distance, acetabular-acetabular distance, and femoral head to femoral head length (P < .05). Two different functions were obtained using machine learning classification and logistic regression, and the accuracy of predicting was 74.4% by using 1 and 89.6% by using both functions. Our findings revealed that some hip and pelvic geometry measurements could affect the severity of KOA. Furthermore, logistic functions using predictive factors of hip and pelvic geometry can predict the severity of KOA with acceptable accuracy, and it could be used in clinical decisions.

A three-step, "brute-force" approach toward optimized affine spatial normalization.

The first step in spatial normalization of magnetic resonance (MR) images commonly is an affine transformation, which may be vulnerable to image imperfections (such as inhomogeneities or "unusual" heads). Additionally, common software solutions use internal starting estimates to allow for a more efficient computation, which may pose a problem in datasets not conforming to these assumptions (such as those from children). In this technical note, three main questions were addressed: one, does the affine spatial normalization step implemented in SPM12 benefit from an initial inhomogeneity correction. Two, does using a complexity-reduced image version improve robustness when matching "unusual" images. And three, can a blind "brute-force" application of a wide range of parameter combinations improve the affine fit for unusual datasets in particular. A large database of 2081 image datasets was used, covering the full age range from birth to old age. All analyses were performed in Matlab. Results demonstrate that an initial removal of image inhomogeneities improved the affine fit particularly when more inhomogeneity was present. Further, using a complexity-reduced input image also improved the affine fit and was beneficial in younger children in particular. Finally, blindly exploring a very wide parameter space resulted in a better fit for the vast majority of subjects, but again particularly so in infants and young children. In summary, the suggested modifications were shown to improve the affine transformation in the large majority of datasets in general, and in children in particular. The changes can easily be implemented into SPM12.

Quantifying heterogeneity of hominin environments in and out of Africa using herbivore dental traits

Our own species, Homo sapiens, has been able to invade near-all global ecosystems through a unique form of ecological plasticity. To understand how Homo sapiens have been able to disperse to such a wide range of environments, we need to understand the origins of the characteristic which enabled this, plasticity. Growing evidence indicates that Homo species were already able to occupy a diverse set of environments in the Early Pleistocene, suggesting that the origins of human ecological plasticity have deeper roots than previously anticipated. We analysed the distribution of two dental traits, mean ordinated hypsodonty of large herbivores and proboscidean mesowear, across the mammalian communities at Early Pleistocene hominin sites, to infer the vegetation and climate contexts of these locations. The global distribution of community-level dental traits suggests that, while open grassy vegetation made up a large proportion of the sites, mixed and wooded vegetation was also represented. From our analysis we conclude that Early Pleistocene Homo species were able to exploit habitats with different vegetation types and occupied a range of different environments. In addition to this we found that the distribution of dental traits of mammalian communities in the Eurasian sample was notably different from that of the African sample, suggesting that Homo's dispersal into Eurasia resulted in a niche expansion. Together these findings suggest that Homo in the Early Pleistocene was ecologically plastic and occupied a wide environmental niche space.

Effect of Consumption of Caffeinated Energy Drinks on the Myocardium of the Adult Male Albino Rat (A Histological and Morphometric Study)

Abstract Background Energy drinks are non-alcoholic beverages containing mainly caffeine. Chronic consumption of energy drinks may be associated with increased blood pressure, and cardiac work load, as well as, increased heart rate. Energy drinks consumption has been related to myocardial infarction in healthy young adult. Aim of the Work The aim of the present work was to study the harmful effect of energy drinks histologically and morphometrically, on the myocardium of the adult male albino rats. Material and Methods 20 Adult male albino rats aging 4-6 moths were divided randomly into two groups; Group I (Control group) which consisted of 10 male albino rats with free access to food (rat chew) and water and Group II (Experimental group): 10 male albino rats which received 3.75 ml/kg body weight red bull through oral gavage daily for 4 weeks with free access to food (rat chew) and water. At the end of experiment, rats werescarificed, and cardiac muscle was extracted and processed into paraffin blocks for light microscopic examination. Morphometric study and statistical analysis were done. Results The present work demonstrated that Red Bull induced several histopathological changes of the cardiac muscle. The results showed the cardiac muscle of rats with irregularities in the arrangement of fibers and wide spaces in between. Some cardiomyocytes showed areas of pale stained sarcoplasm, partial loss of the cross striations and ill-defined intercalated discs. Localized areas of hyaline degeneration and areas of tissue disruption were also noticed with less frequently localized coalesced cytoplasmic vacuoles. The nuclei of the cardiomyocytes appeared small, darkly stained, and pyknotic. Others were flattened and deeply stained. Congested, and thick walled blood vessels were also observed, with mononuclear cellular infiltrations. In Masson’s Trichrome sections, relative increase in collagen deposition between the cardiac muscle fibers was observed which was associated with focal fibrous degeneration. Examination of the semithin sections showed partial disruption of the cardiomyocytes. The nuclei of the cardiomyocytes were small, darkly stained with perinuclear degeneration. Some nuclei were eccentric, or with an irregular outline, and peripheral chromatin condensation. The characteristic finding was the presence of longitudinal wavy cardiac muscle fibers with relatively wide spaces in between and localized areas of partially lost cross striations and intercalated discs. Dilated, thick walled blood vessels was noticed between the bundles of cardiac muscle. Mononuclear inflammatory cellular infiltrations were also detected. Conclusion The present study demonstrated the degenerative and cardiotoxic effects of Red Bull as an example of energy drinks on the histological structure of the cardiac muscle.

Morphometric Study of the Intracranial Fluid Spaces in Schizophrenia.

The intracranial fluid spaces (IFS), also known as "the extra-axial spaces," consist of the superficial cerebral sulci, the Sylvian fissures, the basal cisterns, the third ventricle, the fourth ventricle, and the two lateral ventricles. In diseases such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and especially hydrocephalus, IFS' enlargements are observed. Our study aimed to determine the mean values of IFS measurements in patients with schizophrenia and compare them with healthy controls. This work has been carried out on 188 cases, out of which 88 schizophrenia patients (56 men and 32 women) met the diagnostic criteria according to DSM-5 for schizophrenia and 100 healthy controls (50 men and 50 women). The 10 parameters have been used to evaluate IFS on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. The parameters showing statistically significant differences were higher in favor of the individual with schizophrenia. Except for the bifrontal index and Evan's index, most parameters (the bicaudate index, the fourth ventricle width, the fourth ventricle index, the maximum width of the anterior interhemispheric fissure, the maximum width of the right frontal subarachnoid space, the maximum width of the left frontal subarachnoid space, the maximum width of the right Sylvian fissure, and the maximum width of the left Sylvian fissure) were obtained statistically highly significant differences between the examined and control groups. In schizophrenia, it is more practical to evaluate brain atrophy using some parameters, especially the width of the Sylvian fissure and the bicaudate index.