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PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases May 2024
Topics: Humans; Trypanosomiasis, African; Disease Eradication; Animals; Africa; Neglected Diseases
PubMed: 38691551
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012091 -
Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and... May 2024A combined injury of the patellar tendon and both the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments is disabling. It directly affects knee kinematics and biomechanics,... (Review)
Review
A combined injury of the patellar tendon and both the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments is disabling. It directly affects knee kinematics and biomechanics, presenting a considerable surgical challenge. In this complex and uncommon injury, decision-making should take into account the surgeon's experience and consider one- or two-stage surgery, tendon graft, graft fixation, and rehabilitation protocol. This manuscript discusses the surgical approach based on a comprehensive understanding of the patellar tendon and bicruciate biomechanics to guide which structures should be reconstructed first, especially when a two-stage procedure is chosen.
Topics: Humans; Patellar Ligament; Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; Biomechanical Phenomena; Knee Injuries; Posterior Cruciate Ligament; Chronic Disease
PubMed: 38807155
DOI: 10.1186/s13018-024-04724-w -
Scientific Reports Oct 2023The logistics and delivery industry is undergoing a technology-driven transformation, with robotics, drones, and autonomous vehicles expected to play a key role in...
The logistics and delivery industry is undergoing a technology-driven transformation, with robotics, drones, and autonomous vehicles expected to play a key role in meeting the growing challenges of last-mile delivery. To understand the public acceptability of automated parcel delivery options, this U.S. study explores customer preferences for four innovations: autonomous vehicles, aerial drones, sidewalk robots, and bipedal robots. We use an Integrated Nested Choice and Correlated Latent Variable (INCLV) model to reveal substitution effects among automated delivery modes in a sample of U.S. respondents. The study finds that acceptance of automated delivery modes is strongly tied to shipment price and time, underscoring the importance of careful planning and incentives to maximize the trialability of innovative logistics options. Older individuals and those with concerns about package handling exhibit a lower preference for automated modes, while individuals with higher education and technology affinity exhibit greater acceptance. These findings provide valuable insights for logistics companies and retailers looking to introduce automation technologies in their last-mile delivery operations, emphasizing the need to tailor marketing and communication strategies to meet customer preferences. Additionally, providing information about appropriate package handling by automated technologies may alleviate concerns and increase the acceptance of these modes among all customer groups.
Topics: Humans; Robotics; Automation; Technology; Autonomous Vehicles
PubMed: 37899375
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45371-1 -
Metabolites Dec 2023Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. The precise mechanisms of HD... (Review)
Review
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. The precise mechanisms of HD progression are poorly understood; however, it is known that there is an expansion of the trinucleotide cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeat in the Huntingtin gene. Important new strategies are of paramount importance to identify early biomarkers with predictive value for intervening in disease progression at a stage when cellular dysfunction has not progressed irreversibly. Metabolomics is the study of global metabolite profiles in a system (cell, tissue, or organism) under certain conditions and is becoming an essential tool for the systemic characterization of metabolites to provide a snapshot of the functional and pathophysiological states of an organism and support disease diagnosis and biomarker discovery. This review briefly highlights the historical progress of metabolomic methodologies, followed by a more detailed review of the use of metabolomics in HD research to enable a greater understanding of the pathogenesis, its early prediction, and finally the main technical platforms in the field of metabolomics.
PubMed: 38132886
DOI: 10.3390/metabo13121203 -
Materials Today. Bio Dec 2023This work highlights the development of a conductive elastomer (CE) based electrophoretic platform that enables the transfer of charged molecules from a solid-state CE...
This work highlights the development of a conductive elastomer (CE) based electrophoretic platform that enables the transfer of charged molecules from a solid-state CE electrode directly to targeted tissues. Using an elastomer-based electrode containing poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) nanowires, controlled electrophoretic delivery of methylene blue (MB) and fluorescein (FLSC) was achieved with applied voltage. Electroactive release of positively charged MB and negatively charged FLSC achieved 33.19 ± 6.47 μg release of MB and 22.36 ± 3.05 μg release of FLSC, a 24 and 20-fold increase in comparison to inhibitory voltages over 1 h. Additionally, selective, and sequential release of the two oppositely charged molecules from a single CE device was demonstrated, showing the potential of this device to be used in multi-drug treatments.
PubMed: 38144517
DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2023.100883 -
Scientific Reports Sep 2023Fluidity, the ability of liquids to flow, is the key property distinguishing liquids from solids. This fluidity is set by the mobile transit atoms moving from one...
Fluidity, the ability of liquids to flow, is the key property distinguishing liquids from solids. This fluidity is set by the mobile transit atoms moving from one quasi-equilibrium point to the next. The nature of this transit motion is unknown. Here, we show that flow-enabling transits form a dynamically distinct sub-ensemble where atoms move on average faster than the overall system, with a manifestly non-Maxwellian velocity distribution. This is in contrast to solids and gases where no distinction of different ensembles can be made and where the distribution is always Maxwellian. The non-Maxwellian distribution is described by an exponent [Formula: see text] corresponding to high dimensionality of space. This is generally similar to extra synthetic dimensions in topological quantum matter, albeit higher dimensionality in liquids is not integer but is fractional. The dimensionality is close to 4 at melting and exceeds 4 at high temperature. [Formula: see text] has a maximum as a function of temperature and pressure in liquid and supercritical states, returning to its Maxwell value in the solid and gas states.
PubMed: 37730726
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41931-7 -
Proceedings. Biological Sciences Jul 2023Pterosaurs evolved a broad range of body sizes, from small-bodied early forms with wingspans of mostly 1-2 m to the last-surviving giants with sizes of small airplanes....
Pterosaurs evolved a broad range of body sizes, from small-bodied early forms with wingspans of mostly 1-2 m to the last-surviving giants with sizes of small airplanes. Since all pterosaurs began life as small hatchlings, giant forms must have attained large adult sizes through new growth strategies, which remain largely unknown. Here we assess wing ontogeny and performance in the giant and the smaller-bodied anurognathids , and . We show that most smaller-bodied pterosaurs shared negative allometry or isometry in the proximal elements of the fore- and hindlimbs, which were critical elements for powering both flight and terrestrial locomotion, whereas these show positive allometry in . Such divergent growth allometry typically signals different strategies in the precocial-altricial spectrum, suggesting more altricial development in . Using a biophysical model of powered and gliding flight, we test and reject the hypothesis that an aerodynamically superior wing planform could have enabled to attain its larger body size. We therefore propose that a shift from a plesiomorphic precocial state towards a derived state of enhanced parental care may have relaxed the constraints of small body sizes and allowed the evolution of derived flight anatomies critical for the flying giants.
Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Fossils; Wings, Animal; Locomotion; Body Size; Flight, Animal
PubMed: 37464754
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1102 -
Data in Brief Oct 2023Regarding climate change and energy resource problems, cargo movement in the urban environment is essential to shift to a more sustainable mode. As cities seek to slash...
Regarding climate change and energy resource problems, cargo movement in the urban environment is essential to shift to a more sustainable mode. As cities seek to slash transport-related emissions and tackle traffic congestion, the cargo bike is showing itself to be an attractive and versatile last-mile delivery alternative. To this end, this article presents a series of datasets for the Electric Capacitated Travelling Salesman Problem (EC-TSP). This problem has been built for modeling and solving the e-cargo bike parcel distribution problem in urban environments. For the design of these datasets, real geographical data have been used that are in the city centers of Athens, Thessaloniki, Patra, and Larisa in Greece. These datasets have been used for the assessment of e-cargo bikes versus typical delivery vans in terms of operational efficiency and COe emissions. The entire benchmark is composed of 9 instances comprised of 14-29 nodes each. The datasets are publicly available for use and modification.
PubMed: 37593182
DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2023.109464 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... May 2024Prevention of obesity in children is an international public health priority given the prevalence of the condition (and its significant impact on health, development and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Prevention of obesity in children is an international public health priority given the prevalence of the condition (and its significant impact on health, development and well-being). Interventions that aim to prevent obesity involve behavioural change strategies that promote healthy eating or 'activity' levels (physical activity, sedentary behaviour and/or sleep) or both, and work by reducing energy intake and/or increasing energy expenditure, respectively. There is uncertainty over which approaches are more effective and numerous new studies have been published over the last five years, since the previous version of this Cochrane review.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the effects of interventions that aim to prevent obesity in children by modifying dietary intake or 'activity' levels, or a combination of both, on changes in BMI, zBMI score and serious adverse events.
SEARCH METHODS
We used standard, extensive Cochrane search methods. The latest search date was February 2023.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised controlled trials in children (mean age 5 years and above but less than 12 years), comparing diet or 'activity' interventions (or both) to prevent obesity with no intervention, usual care, or with another eligible intervention, in any setting. Studies had to measure outcomes at a minimum of 12 weeks post baseline. We excluded interventions designed primarily to improve sporting performance.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We used standard Cochrane methods. Our outcomes were body mass index (BMI), zBMI score and serious adverse events, assessed at short- (12 weeks to < 9 months from baseline), medium- (9 months to < 15 months) and long-term (≥ 15 months) follow-up. We used GRADE to assess the certainty of the evidence for each outcome.
MAIN RESULTS
This review includes 172 studies (189,707 participants); 149 studies (160,267 participants) were included in meta-analyses. One hundred forty-six studies were based in high-income countries. The main setting for intervention delivery was schools (111 studies), followed by the community (15 studies), the home (eight studies) and a clinical setting (seven studies); one intervention was conducted by telehealth and 31 studies were conducted in more than one setting. Eighty-six interventions were implemented for less than nine months; the shortest was conducted over one visit and the longest over four years. Non-industry funding was declared by 132 studies; 24 studies were funded in part or wholly by industry. Dietary interventions versus control Dietary interventions, compared with control, may have little to no effect on BMI at short-term follow-up (mean difference (MD) 0, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.10 to 0.10; 5 studies, 2107 participants; low-certainty evidence) and at medium-term follow-up (MD -0.01, 95% CI -0.15 to 0.12; 9 studies, 6815 participants; low-certainty evidence) or zBMI at long-term follow-up (MD -0.05, 95% CI -0.10 to 0.01; 7 studies, 5285 participants; low-certainty evidence). Dietary interventions, compared with control, probably have little to no effect on BMI at long-term follow-up (MD -0.17, 95% CI -0.48 to 0.13; 2 studies, 945 participants; moderate-certainty evidence) and zBMI at short- or medium-term follow-up (MD -0.06, 95% CI -0.13 to 0.01; 8 studies, 3695 participants; MD -0.04, 95% CI -0.10 to 0.02; 9 studies, 7048 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). Five studies (1913 participants; very low-certainty evidence) reported data on serious adverse events: one reported serious adverse events (e.g. allergy, behavioural problems and abdominal discomfort) that may have occurred as a result of the intervention; four reported no effect. Activity interventions versus control Activity interventions, compared with control, may have little to no effect on BMI and zBMI at short-term or long-term follow-up (BMI short-term: MD -0.02, 95% CI -0.17 to 0.13; 14 studies, 4069 participants; zBMI short-term: MD -0.02, 95% CI -0.07 to 0.02; 6 studies, 3580 participants; low-certainty evidence; BMI long-term: MD -0.07, 95% CI -0.24 to 0.10; 8 studies, 8302 participants; zBMI long-term: MD -0.02, 95% CI -0.09 to 0.04; 6 studies, 6940 participants; low-certainty evidence). Activity interventions likely result in a slight reduction of BMI and zBMI at medium-term follow-up (BMI: MD -0.11, 95% CI -0.18 to -0.05; 16 studies, 21,286 participants; zBMI: MD -0.05, 95% CI -0.09 to -0.02; 13 studies, 20,600 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). Eleven studies (21,278 participants; low-certainty evidence) reported data on serious adverse events; one study reported two minor ankle sprains and one study reported the incident rate of adverse events (e.g. musculoskeletal injuries) that may have occurred as a result of the intervention; nine studies reported no effect. Dietary and activity interventions versus control Dietary and activity interventions, compared with control, may result in a slight reduction in BMI and zBMI at short-term follow-up (BMI: MD -0.11, 95% CI -0.21 to -0.01; 27 studies, 16,066 participants; zBMI: MD -0.03, 95% CI -0.06 to 0.00; 26 studies, 12,784 participants; low-certainty evidence) and likely result in a reduction of BMI and zBMI at medium-term follow-up (BMI: MD -0.11, 95% CI -0.21 to 0.00; 21 studies, 17,547 participants; zBMI: MD -0.05, 95% CI -0.07 to -0.02; 24 studies, 20,998 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). Dietary and activity interventions compared with control may result in little to no difference in BMI and zBMI at long-term follow-up (BMI: MD 0.03, 95% CI -0.11 to 0.16; 16 studies, 22,098 participants; zBMI: MD -0.02, 95% CI -0.06 to 0.01; 22 studies, 23,594 participants; low-certainty evidence). Nineteen studies (27,882 participants; low-certainty evidence) reported data on serious adverse events: four studies reported occurrence of serious adverse events (e.g. injuries, low levels of extreme dieting behaviour); 15 studies reported no effect. Heterogeneity was apparent in the results for all outcomes at the three follow-up times, which could not be explained by the main setting of the interventions (school, home, school and home, other), country income status (high-income versus non-high-income), participants' socioeconomic status (low versus mixed) and duration of the intervention. Most studies excluded children with a mental or physical disability.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
The body of evidence in this review demonstrates that a range of school-based 'activity' interventions, alone or in combination with dietary interventions, may have a modest beneficial effect on obesity in childhood at short- and medium-term, but not at long-term follow-up. Dietary interventions alone may result in little to no difference. Limited evidence of low quality was identified on the effect of dietary and/or activity interventions on severe adverse events and health inequalities; exploratory analyses of these data suggest no meaningful impact. We identified a dearth of evidence for home and community-based settings (e.g. delivered through local youth groups), for children living with disabilities and indicators of health inequities.
Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Male; Bias; Body Mass Index; Diet, Healthy; Energy Intake; Exercise; Pediatric Obesity; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Sedentary Behavior; Sleep
PubMed: 38763517
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD015328.pub2 -
Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and... Feb 2024Chronic Achilles tendon ruptures (CATR) often require surgical intervention to restore function. Despite numerous treatment modalities available, the optimal management...
BACKGROUND
Chronic Achilles tendon ruptures (CATR) often require surgical intervention to restore function. Despite numerous treatment modalities available, the optimal management strategy remains controversial given the limited high-quality evidence available. This article aims to provide evidence-based guidelines for the surgical management of CATR through a comprehensive systematic review of the available data. The consensus reached by synthesizing the findings will assist clinicians in making informed decisions and improving patient outcomes.
METHODS
A group of 9 foot surgeons in three continents was consulted to gather their expertise on guidelines regarding the surgical management of CATR. Following the proposal of 9 clinical topics, a thorough and comprehensive search of relevant literature published since 1980 was conducted for each topic using electronic databases, including PubMed, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library, to identify relevant studies published until 1 October 2023. All authors collaborated in drafting, discussing, and finalizing the recommendations and statements. The recommendations were then categorized into two grades: grade a (strong) and grade b (weak), following the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) concept. Additionally, feedback from 21 external specialists, who were independent from the authors, was taken into account to further refine and finalize the clinical guidelines.
RESULTS
Nine statements and guidelines were completed regarding surgical indications, surgical strategies, and postoperative rehabilitation protocol.
CONCLUSION
Based on the findings of the systematic review, this guideline provides recommendations for the surgical management of CATR. We are confident that this guideline will serve as a valuable resource for physicians when making decisions regarding the surgical treatment of patients with CATR.
Topics: Humans; Achilles Tendon; Orthopedic Procedures; Ankle Injuries; Tendon Injuries; Consensus; Rupture
PubMed: 38341569
DOI: 10.1186/s13018-024-04559-5