The 2023 MDPI Annual Report has
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13 pages, 3416 KiB  
Article
Long-Term Clinical Outcomes of 3D-Printed Subperiosteal Titanium Implants: A 6-Year Follow-Up
by Neculai Onică, Dana Gabriela Budală, Elena-Raluca Baciu, Cezara Andreea Onică, Gabriela Luminița Gelețu, Alice Murariu, Mihail Balan, Mihaela Pertea and Carmen Stelea
J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14(5), 541; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14050541 (registering DOI) - 18 May 2024
Abstract
As an alternative to regenerative therapies, numerous authors have recently proposed bringing back subperiosteal implants. The aim of the study was to present our clinical experience with a subperiosteal jaw implant that needs minimal bone preparation and enables the rapid implantation of prosthetic [...] Read more.
As an alternative to regenerative therapies, numerous authors have recently proposed bringing back subperiosteal implants. The aim of the study was to present our clinical experience with a subperiosteal jaw implant that needs minimal bone preparation and enables the rapid implantation of prosthetic teeth in edentulous, atrophic alveolar bone. The research included 36 complete or partial edentulous patients (61 subperiostal implants) over a period of 6 years. To create the patient-specific subperiostal implants design, DentalCAD 3.0 Galway software (exocad GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany) was used and fabricated with a Mysint 100 (Sisma S.p.A., Piovene Rocchette, Italy) by titanium alloy powder. The results showed that only 9 of the 36 cases were successful at 6-year follow-up, while 27 cases had complications, including exposure of the metal frame (early or delayed), mobility of the device prior to the first 4–6 months, and late mobility due to recurrent infections and progressive structure exposure; 1 case failed for reasons unrelated to the device. This study indicated that the prudent application of fully customized subperiosteal jaw implants is a dependable alternative for the dental rehabilitation of atrophic edentulous cases that necessitate bone grafts for traditional fixed dental implant solutions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Updates in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery)
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11 pages, 2270 KiB  
Article
Competitive Mechanism of Alloying Elements on the Physical Properties of Al10Ti15Nix1Crx2Cox3 Alloys through Single-Element and Multi-Element Analysis Methods
by Yu Liu, Lijun Wang, Juangang Zhao, Zhipeng Wang, Ruizhi Zhang, Yuanzhi Wu, Touwen Fan and Pingying Tang
Coatings 2024, 14(5), 639; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14050639 (registering DOI) - 18 May 2024
Abstract
Altering the content of an alloying element in alloy materials will inevitably affect the content of other elements, while the effect is frequently disregarded, leading to subsequent negligence of the common influence on the physical properties of alloys. Therefore, the correlation between alloying [...] Read more.
Altering the content of an alloying element in alloy materials will inevitably affect the content of other elements, while the effect is frequently disregarded, leading to subsequent negligence of the common influence on the physical properties of alloys. Therefore, the correlation between alloying elements and physical properties has not been adequately addressed in the existing studies. In response to this problem, the present study focuses on the Al10Ti15Nix1Crx2Cox3 alloys and investigates the competitive interplay among Ni, Cr, and Co elements in the formation of physical properties through a single-element (SE) analysis and a multi-element (ME) analysis based on the first principles calculations and the partial least squares (PLS) regression. The values of C11 and C44 generally increase with the incorporation of Ni or Cr content in light of SE analysis, which is contrary to the inclination of ME analysis in predicting the impact of Ni and Cr elements, and the Ni element demonstrates a pronounced negative competitive ability. The overall competitive relationship among the three alloying elements suggests that increasing the content of Ni and Cr does not contribute to enhancing the elastic constants of alloys, and the phenomenon is also observed in the analysis of elastic moduli. The reason is that the SE analysis fails to account for the aforementioned common influence of multiple alloying elements on the physical properties of alloys. Therefore, the integration of SE analysis and ME analysis is more advantageous in elucidating the hidden competitive mechanism among multiple alloying elements, and offering a more robust theoretical framework for the design of alloy materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructure, Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Alloys)
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12 pages, 928 KiB  
Communication
Unlocking New Avenues: Solid-State Synthesis of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers
by Bogdan-Cezar Iacob, Andreea Elena Bodoki, Diogo Filipe Da Costa Carvalho, Antonio Augusto Serpa Paulino, Lucian Barbu-Tudoran and Ede Bodoki
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(10), 5504; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25105504 (registering DOI) - 18 May 2024
Abstract
Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are established artificial molecular recognition platforms with tailored selectivity towards a target molecule, whose synthesis and functionality are highly influenced by the nature of the solvent employed in their synthesis. Steps towards the “greenification” of molecular imprinting technology (MIT) [...] Read more.
Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are established artificial molecular recognition platforms with tailored selectivity towards a target molecule, whose synthesis and functionality are highly influenced by the nature of the solvent employed in their synthesis. Steps towards the “greenification” of molecular imprinting technology (MIT) has already been initiated by the elaboration of green MIT principles; developing MIPs in a solvent-free environment may not only offer an eco-friendly alternative, but could also significantly influence the affinity and expected selectivity of the resulting binding sites. In the current study the first solvent-free mechanochemical synthesis of MIPs via liquid-assisted grinding (LAG) is reported. The successful synthesis of the imprinted polymer was functionally demonstrated by measuring its template rebinding capacity and the selectivity of the molecular recognition process in comparison with the ones obtained by the conventional, non-covalent molecular imprinting process in liquid media. The results demonstrated similar binding capacities towards the template molecule and superior chemoselectivity compared to the solution-based MIP synthesis method. The adoption of green chemistry principles with all their inherent advantages in the synthesis of MIPs may not only be able to alleviate the potential environmental and health concerns associated with their analytical (e.g., selective adsorbents) and biomedical (e.g., drug carriers or reservoirs) applications, but might also offer a conceptual change in molecular imprinting technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomimetic Materials Applied in the Analytical and Biomedical Fields)
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13 pages, 276 KiB  
Article
Risk Factors for Therapeutic Failure and One-Year Mortality in Patients with Intramedullary Nail-Associated Infection after Trochanteric and Subtrochanteric Hip Fracture Repair
by Bernadette Pfang, Marco A. Villegas García, Antonio Blanco García, Álvaro Auñón Rubio, Jaime Esteban and Joaquín García Cañete
Antibiotics 2024, 13(5), 463; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13050463 (registering DOI) - 18 May 2024
Abstract
Despite the implications of trochanteric and subtrochanteric intramedullary (IM) nail infection for patients with hip fracture, little is known about risk factors for therapeutic failure and mortality in this population. We performed a retrospective observational analysis including patients diagnosed with trochanteric and subtrochanteric [...] Read more.
Despite the implications of trochanteric and subtrochanteric intramedullary (IM) nail infection for patients with hip fracture, little is known about risk factors for therapeutic failure and mortality in this population. We performed a retrospective observational analysis including patients diagnosed with trochanteric and subtrochanteric IM nail infection at a Spanish academic hospital during a 10-year period, with a minimum follow-up of 22 months. Of 4044 trochanteric and subtrochanteric IM nail implants, we identified 35 cases of infection during the study period (0.87%), 17 of which were chronic infections. Patients with therapeutic failure (n = 10) presented a higher average Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) (5.40 vs. 4.21, p 0.015, CI 0.26–2.13) and higher rates of polymicrobial (OR 5.70, p 0.033, CI 1.14–28.33) and multidrug-resistant (OR 7.00, p 0.027, CI 1.24–39.57) infections. Upon multivariate analysis, polymicrobial infection and the presence of multidrug-resistant pathogens were identified as independent risk factors for therapeutic failure. Implant retention was associated with an increased risk of failure in chronic infection and was found to be an independent risk factor for overall one-year mortality in the multivariate analysis. Our study highlights the importance of broad-spectrum empirical antibiotics as initial treatment of trochanteric and subtrochanteric IM nail-associated infection while awaiting microbiological results. It also provides initial evidence for the importance of implant removal in chronic IM-nail infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antibiotic Therapy in Implant Related Orthopedic Infections)
15 pages, 4067 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Effectiveness of Eslicarbazepine Acetate in Reducing Audiogenic Reflex Seizures in the GASH/Sal Model of Epilepsy
by Jaime Gonçalves-Sánchez, Thomas Ramírez-Santos, Dolores E. López, Jesús M. Gonçalves-Estella and Consuelo Sancho
Biomedicines 2024, 12(5), 1121; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12051121 (registering DOI) - 18 May 2024
Abstract
Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) is a third-generation antiepileptic drug indicated as monotherapy for adults with newly diagnosed epilepsy and as adjunctive therapy for the treatment of partial seizures. Our aim was to assess the effectiveness and safety of both acute and repeated ESL administration [...] Read more.
Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) is a third-generation antiepileptic drug indicated as monotherapy for adults with newly diagnosed epilepsy and as adjunctive therapy for the treatment of partial seizures. Our aim was to assess the effectiveness and safety of both acute and repeated ESL administration against reflex audiogenic seizures, as shown by the Genetic Audiogenic Seizures Hamster from Salamanca (GASH/Sal). Animals were subject to the intraperitoneal administration of ESL, applying doses of 100, 150 and 200 mg/kg for the acute study, whereas a daily dose of 100 mg/kg was selected for the subchronic study, which lasted 14 days. In both studies, the anticonvulsant effect of the therapy was evaluated using neuroethological methods. To assess the safety of the treatment, behavioral tests were performed, hematological and biochemical liver profiles were obtained, and body weight was monitored. In addition, the ESL levels in blood were measured after the acute administration of a 200 mg/kg dose. Treatment with ESL caused a reduction in seizure severity. No statistically significant differences were detected between the selected doses or between the acute or repeated administration of the drug. To summarize, the intraperitoneal administration of ESL is safe and shows an anticonvulsant effect in the GASH/Sal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Antiepileptic Drugs)
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12 pages, 3210 KiB  
Article
Improving Ammonia Emission Model of Urea Fertilizer Fluidized Bed Granulation System Using Particle Swarm Optimization for Sustainable Fertilizer Manufacturing Practice
by Norhidayah Mohamad, Nor Azlina Ab. Aziz, Anith Khairunnisa Ghazali and Mohd Rizal Salleh
Processes 2024, 12(5), 1025; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12051025 (registering DOI) - 18 May 2024
Abstract
Granulation is an important class of production processes in food, chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries. In urea fertilizer manufacturing, fluidized beds are often used for the granulation system. However, the granulation processes release ammonia to the environment. Ammonia gas can contribute to eutrophication, [...] Read more.
Granulation is an important class of production processes in food, chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries. In urea fertilizer manufacturing, fluidized beds are often used for the granulation system. However, the granulation processes release ammonia to the environment. Ammonia gas can contribute to eutrophication, which is an oversupply of nitrogen and acidification to the ecosystems. Eutrophication may cause major disruptions of aquatic ecosystems. It is estimated that global ammonia emissions from urea fertilizer processes are approximately at 10 to 12 Tg N/year, which represents 23% of overall ammonia released globally. Therefore, accurate modeling of the ammonia emission by the urea fertilizer fluidized bed granulation system is important. It allows for the system to be operated efficiently and within sustainable condition. This research attempts to optimize the model of the system using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The model takes pressure (Mpa), binder feed rate (rpm) and inlet temperature (°C) as the manipulated variables. The PSO searches for the model’s optimal coefficients. The accuracy of the model is measured using mean square error (MSE) between the model’s simulated value and the actual data of ammonia released which is collected from an experiment. The proposed method reduces the MSE to 0.09727, indicating that the model can accurately simulate the actual system. Full article
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12 pages, 749 KiB  
Article
Inhibitory Effects on Staphylococcus aureus Sortase A by Aesculus sp. Extracts and Their Toxicity Evaluation
by Octavian Tudorel Olaru, George Mihai Nitulescu, Andreea Miruna Codreanu, Valentina-Andreea Calmuc, Luanne Venables, Maryna van de Venter, Cerasela Elena Gird, Cosmina-Gabriela Duta-Bratu and Georgiana Nitulescu
Plants 2024, 13(10), 1405; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13101405 (registering DOI) - 18 May 2024
Abstract
A promising strategy for combating bacterial infections involves the development of agents that disarm the virulence factors of pathogenic bacteria, thereby reducing their pathogenicity without inducing direct lethality. Sortase A, a crucial enzyme responsible for anchoring virulence factors to the cell surface of [...] Read more.
A promising strategy for combating bacterial infections involves the development of agents that disarm the virulence factors of pathogenic bacteria, thereby reducing their pathogenicity without inducing direct lethality. Sortase A, a crucial enzyme responsible for anchoring virulence factors to the cell surface of several pathogenic bacteria, has emerged as a possible target for antivirulence strategies. A series of hippocastanum species (Aesculus pavia, A. parviflora, Aesculus x carnea, and A. hippocastanum) were used to prepare ethanol- and water-based extracts for assessing their effect on Staphylococcus aureus sortase A. The extracts were characterized through HPLC analysis, and their polyphenols content was determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu method. The specific toxicity profile was evaluated in Daphnia magna using the median lethal concentration (LC50) and against the fibroblast MRHF cell line. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values on sortase A, determined after 30 min of incubation, ranged from 82.70 to 304.31 µg/mL, with the A. pavia water extract exhibiting the highest inhibitory effect. The assessment of the A. pavia water extract on human fibroblasts revealed no significant signs of toxicity, even at a concentration of 500 µg/mL. This reduced toxicity was further validated through the Daphnia assay. These findings highlight the low toxicity and the potential of this extract as a promising source of future development of bacteria antivirulence solutions. Full article
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16 pages, 4590 KiB  
Article
Among Other Tissues, Short-Term Garlic Oral Treatment Incrementally Improves Indicants of Only Pancreatic Islets of Langerhans Histology and Insulin mRNA Transcription and Synthesis in Diabetic Rats
by Amani M. Al-Adsani and Khaled K. Al-Qattan
Biology 2024, 13(5), 355; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13050355 (registering DOI) - 18 May 2024
Abstract
Background: The source, mRNA transcription, and synthesis of insulin in the pancreas, in addition to the bile duct and liver, in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats (DR) in response to garlic oral treatment are not yet clear. Objective: This study investigated the accumulative effects [...] Read more.
Background: The source, mRNA transcription, and synthesis of insulin in the pancreas, in addition to the bile duct and liver, in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats (DR) in response to garlic oral treatment are not yet clear. Objective: This study investigated the accumulative effects of continued garlic oral treatment on changes in the pancreas, bile duct, and liver with regards to: 1—Insulin mRNA transcription, synthesis, and concentration in relation to changes in serum insulin (SI); 2—Insulinogenic cells insulin intensity and distribution, proliferation, and morphology. Method: Fasting blood glucose (FBG) and insulin concentration in serum and pancreas (PI) and sources and mRNA transcription in the pancreas, bile duct, and liver in normal rats given normal saline (NR-NS) and DR given either NS (DR-NS) or garlic extract (DR-GE) before and after 1, 4, and 8 weeks of oral treatment were examined. Results: Compared to NR-NS, DR-NS showed a significant increase in FBG and reductions in SI and PI and deterioration in islets histology, associated pancreatic insulin numerical intensities, and mRNA transcription. However, compared to DR-NS, the targeted biochemical, histological, and genetic variables of DR-GE were significantly and incrementally improved as garlic treatment continued. Insulin or its indicators were not detected either in the bile duct or the liver in DR-GE. Conclusions: 8 weeks of garlic oral treatment is enough to incrementally restore only pancreatic islets of Langerhans insulin intensity and insulinogenic cells proliferation, morphology, and distribution. These indices were associated with enhanced pancreatic insulin mRNA transcription and synthesis. Eight weeks of garlic treatment were not enough to stimulate insulinogenesis in either the bile duct or the liver. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Models of Pancreatic Diseases)
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8 pages, 3304 KiB  
Article
Novel Highly Efficient Buried Gratings for Selective Coupling of SPP Waves onto Single Interfaces
by Arif Nabizada, Hamed Tari, Alessandro Bile and Eugenio Fazio
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(10), 878; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14100878 (registering DOI) - 18 May 2024
Abstract
Diffraction gratings have always been used to effectively couple optical radiation within integrated waveguides. This is also valid for plasmonic structures that support Surface Plasmon Polariton (SPP) waves. Traditional gratings usually excite SPP waves at the interface where they are located or, for [...] Read more.
Diffraction gratings have always been used to effectively couple optical radiation within integrated waveguides. This is also valid for plasmonic structures that support Surface Plasmon Polariton (SPP) waves. Traditional gratings usually excite SPP waves at the interface where they are located or, for thin metal nanostrips, at both interfaces. But reducing the thickness of the metal layer in the presence of a grating has the handicap of increasing the tunnelling of light towards the substrate, which means higher losses and reduced coupling efficiency. In this paper, we design and optimize novel gratings buried within the metallic thin films for selective coupling of SPP waves onto individual interfaces. Compared with traditional superficial gratings, the novel buried ones demonstrate higher efficiency and much lower residual tunnelling of light through the coupling structures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Theory and Simulation of Nanostructures)
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13 pages, 1163 KiB  
Article
Clinical Characteristics, Patterns of Care, and Treatment Outcomes of Radiation-Associated Sarcomas
by Rohit Raj, Han Gil Kim, Menglin Xu, Tyler Roach, David Liebner, David Konieczkowski and Gabriel Tinoco
Cancers 2024, 16(10), 1918; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16101918 (registering DOI) - 18 May 2024
Abstract
Radiation-associated sarcomas (RASs) are rare tumors with limited contemporary data to inform prognostication and management. We sought to identify the clinical presentation, patterns of care, and prognostic factors of RASs. RAS patients treated at a single institution from 2015 to 2021 were retrospectively [...] Read more.
Radiation-associated sarcomas (RASs) are rare tumors with limited contemporary data to inform prognostication and management. We sought to identify the clinical presentation, patterns of care, and prognostic factors of RASs. RAS patients treated at a single institution from 2015 to 2021 were retrospectively reviewed for clinicopathologic variables, treatment strategies, and outcomes. Thirty-eight patients were identified with a median follow-up of 30.5 months. The median age at RAS diagnosis was 68.4 years (27.9–85.4), with a median latency from index radiotherapy (RT) of 9.1 years (3.7–46.3). RAS histologies included angiosarcoma (26%), undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (21%), and osteosarcoma (18%). Most were high-grade (76%). Genomic profiling revealed low tumor mutational burden, frequent inactivating TP53 mutations (44%), CDKN2A deletions (26%), and MYC amplifications (22%), particularly in breast angiosarcomas. Of 38 patients, 33 presented with localized disease, 26 of whom were treated with curative intent. Overall, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 9.5 months (1.4–34.7), and the overall survival (OS) was 11.1 months (0.6–31.6). Patients with localized vs. metastatic RASs had a longer PFS (HR 3.0 [1.1–8.5]; p = 0.03) and OS (HR, 3.0 [1.04–8.68]; p = 0.03). Among localized RAS patients, high grade was associated with shorter OS (HR, 4.6 [1.04–20.30]; p = 0.03) and resection with longer OS (mean 58.8 vs. 6.1 months, HR, 0.1 [0.03–0.28]; p < 0.001). Among patients undergoing resection, negative margins were associated with improved OS (mean 71.0 vs. 15.5 months, HR, 5.1 [1.4–18.2]; p = 0.006). Patients with localized disease, particularly those undergoing R0 resection, demonstrated significantly better outcomes. Novel strategies are urgently needed to improve treatment outcomes in this challenging group of diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Clinical Research of Cancer)
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7 pages, 2144 KiB  
Case Report
Anterior Esthetic Restorations with the Stratified Stamp Technique: A Case Report
by Camillo D’Arcangelo, Matteo Buonvivere and Francesco De Angelis
Biomimetics 2024, 9(5), 299; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9050299 (registering DOI) - 18 May 2024
Abstract
Anterior teeth restoration represents a challenge for dentists, who often rely on the dental technician’s wax-up. The proposed Stratified Stamp Technique (SST) allows for clinically reproducing the wax-up in a quick and easy way. A patient with fractures and discoloration on the upper [...] Read more.
Anterior teeth restoration represents a challenge for dentists, who often rely on the dental technician’s wax-up. The proposed Stratified Stamp Technique (SST) allows for clinically reproducing the wax-up in a quick and easy way. A patient with fractures and discoloration on the upper central incisors was treated with resin-based composite direct restorations. Using SST, a 1 mm thick thermoformed polyethylene-terephthalate-glycol (PETG) template, based on the technician’s wax-up, was produced. Enamel Selective Area Reduction (SAR) was performed to guarantee adequate space for the restorations, and the fracture margins were rounded and finished. Traditional layering procedures according to the five color dimensions of teeth were performed, except for the final labial layer, which was realized with warm composite loaded inside the template and polymerized through it, in order to ensure accurate tooth morphology reproduction. SST offers a reliable method for transferring technician’s wax-up morphology to direct composite restorations in anterior teeth. Compared with other methods, SST allows for better isolation with a rubber dam and permits traditional layering with multiple composite shades, thus leading to satisfactory esthetic outcomes. Full article
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16 pages, 971 KiB  
Review
Therapeutic Effects of Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Oxidant Nutritional Supplementation in Retinal Ischemic Diseases
by Deokho Lee, Zhongjie Fu, Ann Hellstrom and Lois E. H. Smith
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(10), 5503; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25105503 (registering DOI) - 18 May 2024
Abstract
Appropriate nutrients are essential for cellular function. Dietary components can alter the risk of systemic metabolic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and obesity, and can also affect retinal diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma. Dietary nutrients have been assessed [...] Read more.
Appropriate nutrients are essential for cellular function. Dietary components can alter the risk of systemic metabolic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and obesity, and can also affect retinal diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma. Dietary nutrients have been assessed for the prevention or treatment of retinal ischemic diseases and the diseases of aging. In this article, we review clinical and experimental evidence concerning the potential of some nutritional supplements to prevent or treat retinal ischemic diseases and provide further insights into the therapeutic effects of nutritional supplementation on retinopathies. We will review the roles of nutrients in preventing or protecting against retinal ischemic diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Roles of Inflammation in Retinal and Optic Nerve Pathologies)
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11 pages, 421 KiB  
Article
Use of Different Iron Preparations for Prophylaxis and Effects on Iron Status in Infancy
by Merve Tosyalı, Yavuz Demirçelik, Özlem Bağ, Utku Karaarslan, Şule Gökçe and Feyza Koç
Healthcare 2024, 12(10), 1043; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12101043 (registering DOI) - 18 May 2024
Abstract
Aim: To evaluate using different iron preparations for iron deficiency and/or iron deficiency anemia prophylaxis in infants and their iron status. Methods: In this study, we retrospectively evaluated the electronic patient records of 651 healthy children aged 9 to 13 months who met [...] Read more.
Aim: To evaluate using different iron preparations for iron deficiency and/or iron deficiency anemia prophylaxis in infants and their iron status. Methods: In this study, we retrospectively evaluated the electronic patient records of 651 healthy children aged 9 to 13 months who met the inclusion criteria and who were followed up in pediatric follow-up outpatient clinics between January 2023 and June 2023. Results: A total of 651 children with a mean age of 11.2 ± 1.4 months, 54.7% of whom were boys, who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study; 56.5% of the children were using Fe + 3 salt and the others were using Fe + 2 salt, microencapsulated iron, or sucrosomial iron drops. After the fifth month of prophylaxis, when the effects of the iron preparations used on the mean laboratory values were evaluated, it was found that hemoglobin, serum iron, and ferritin levels were lower in sucrosomial iron and microencapsulated iron users compared to other preparations (p = 0.001). When statistically pairwise comparisons were made between the groups, hemoglobin and serum iron values were found to be lower in the group using sucrosomial iron compared to the groups using Fe + 2 and Fe + 3 salts (p < 0.0001). Hemoglobin and ferritin levels were higher in the group using Fe + 2 salt compared to both sucrosomial iron and microencapsulated iron groups (p < 0.0001). When the infants were evaluated according to iron status, it was found that 208 (31.9%) had iron deficiency. Iron deficiency was found to be less in infants of families who defined their economic status as rich and in infants who used iron regularly (p-values 0.044 and 0.001, respectively). Iron deficiency/iron deficiency anemia was observed at a higher rate in the group using sucrosomial iron and microencapsulated iron prophylaxis (p = 0.001). Conclusions: To prevent iron deficiency, it is very important to use appropriate iron preparations for prophylaxis and to feed foods with high iron content. Although we found that families were willing to use different iron preparations other than iron salts for their infants, the results presented herein indicate that the rate of iron deficiency was lower in patients using iron salts. However, randomized controlled studies are needed to determine whether these preparations are effective in iron prophylaxis in infants. Full article
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16 pages, 1502 KiB  
Article
Modeling the Electrical Activity of the Heart via Transfer Functions and Genetic Algorithms
by Omar Rodríguez-Abreo, Mayra Cruz-Fernandez, Carlos Fuentes-Silva, Mario A. Quiroz-Juárez and José L. Aragón
Biomimetics 2024, 9(5), 300; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9050300 (registering DOI) - 18 May 2024
Abstract
Although healthcare and medical technology have advanced significantly over the past few decades, heart disease continues to be a major cause of mortality globally. Electrocardiography (ECG) is one of the most widely used tools for the detection of heart diseases. This study presents [...] Read more.
Although healthcare and medical technology have advanced significantly over the past few decades, heart disease continues to be a major cause of mortality globally. Electrocardiography (ECG) is one of the most widely used tools for the detection of heart diseases. This study presents a mathematical model based on transfer functions that allows for the exploration and optimization of heart dynamics in Laplace space using a genetic algorithm (GA). The transfer function parameters were fine-tuned using the GA, with clinical ECG records serving as reference signals. The proposed model, which is based on polynomials and delays, approximates a real ECG with a root-mean-square error of 4.7% and an R2 value of 0.72. The model achieves the periodic nature of an ECG signal by using a single periodic impulse input. Its simplicity makes it possible to adjust waveform parameters with a predetermined understanding of their effects, which can be used to generate both arrhythmic patterns and healthy signals. This is a notable advantage over other models that are burdened by a large number of differential equations and many parameters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nature-Inspired Metaheuristic Optimization Algorithms 2024)
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24 pages, 4907 KiB  
Article
Advances in Deep Learning Recognition of Landslides Based on Remote Sensing Images
by Gong Cheng, Zixuan Wang, Cheng Huang, Yingdong Yang, Jun Hu, Xiangsheng Yan, Yilun Tan, Lingyi Liao, Xingwang Zhou, Yufang Li, Syed Hussain, Mohamed Faisal and Huan Li
Remote Sens. 2024, 16(10), 1787; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16101787 (registering DOI) - 18 May 2024
Abstract
Against the backdrop of global warming and increased rainfall, the hazards and potential risks of landslides are increasing. The rapid generation of a landslide inventory is of great significance for landslide disaster prevention and reduction. Deep learning has been widely applied in landslide [...] Read more.
Against the backdrop of global warming and increased rainfall, the hazards and potential risks of landslides are increasing. The rapid generation of a landslide inventory is of great significance for landslide disaster prevention and reduction. Deep learning has been widely applied in landslide identification due to its advantages in terms of its deeper model structure, high efficiency, and high accuracy. This article first provides an overview of deep learning technology and its basic principles, as well as the current status of landslide remote sensing databases. Then, classic landslide deep learning recognition models such as AlexNet, ResNet, YOLO, Mask R-CNN, U-Net, Transformer, EfficientNet, DeeplabV3+ and PSPNet were introduced, and the advantages and limitations of each model were extensively analyzed. Finally, the current constraints of deep learning in landslide identification were summarized, and the development direction of deep learning in landslide identification was analyzed. The purpose of this article is to promote the in-depth development of landslide identification research in order to provide academic references for the prevention and mitigation of landslide disasters and post-disaster rescue work. The research results indicate that deep learning methods have the characteristics of high efficiency and accuracy in automatic landslide recognition, and more attention should be paid to the development of emerging deep learning models in landslide recognition in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Earth Observation for Emergency Management)
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4 pages, 154 KiB  
Editorial
Recent Advances in Robotics and Intelligent Robots Applications
by Qi Song and Qinglei Zhao
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(10), 4279; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14104279 (registering DOI) - 18 May 2024
Abstract
Robotics research has a unique allure for both academia and the industry due to its potential for groundbreaking innovation and real-world applications [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Robotics and Intelligent Robots Applications)
12 pages, 4077 KiB  
Article
First-Principles Study of Discharge Products and Their Stability for Lithium-Nitrogen Batteries
by Guoxiong Qu, Xudong Zhao, Chengdong Wei, Hongyi Zhang, Yutong Yang, Hongtao Xue and Fuling Tang
Materials 2024, 17(10), 2429; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17102429 (registering DOI) - 18 May 2024
Abstract
Li-N2 batteries present a relatively novel approach to N2 immobilization, and an advanced N2/Li3N cycling method is introduced in this study. The low operating overpotential of metal–air batteries is quite favorable to their stable cycling performance, providing [...] Read more.
Li-N2 batteries present a relatively novel approach to N2 immobilization, and an advanced N2/Li3N cycling method is introduced in this study. The low operating overpotential of metal–air batteries is quite favorable to their stable cycling performance, providing a prospect for the development of a new type of battery with extreme voltage. The battery system of Li-N2 uses N2 as the positive electrode, lithium metal as the negative electrode, and a conductive medium containing soluble lithium salts as the electrolyte. In accordance with its voltage-distribution trend, a variety of lithium-nitrogen molecule intermediates are produced during the discharge process. There is a lack of theoretical description of material changes at the microscopic level during the discharge process. In this paper, the first-principles approach is used to simulate and analyze possible material changes during the discharge process of Li-N2 batteries. The discharge process is simulated on a 4N-graphene anode substrate model, and simulations of its electrostatic potential, Density of States (DOS), HOMO (Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital) and LUMO (Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital) aspects confirm that the experimentally found Li3N becomes the final stabilized product of the Li-N2 battery. It can also be seen in the density of states that graphene with adsorption of 4N transforms from semiconducting to metallic properties. In addition, the differential charge also indicates that the Li-N2 material has a strong adsorption effect on the substrate, which can play the dual role of electricity storage and nitrogen fixation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Electrode Materials for Batteries)
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16 pages, 1674 KiB  
Article
Novel Automatic Classification of Human Adult Lung Alveolar Type II Cells Infected with SARS-CoV-2 through the Deep Transfer Learning Approach
by Turki Turki, Sarah Al Habib and Y-h. Taguchi
Mathematics 2024, 12(10), 1573; https://doi.org/10.3390/math12101573 - 17 May 2024
Abstract
Transmission electron microscopy imaging provides a unique opportunity to inspect the detailed structure of infected lung cells with SARS-CoV-2. Unlike previous studies, this novel study aims to investigate COVID-19 classification at the lung cellular level in response to SARS-CoV-2. Particularly, differentiating between healthy [...] Read more.
Transmission electron microscopy imaging provides a unique opportunity to inspect the detailed structure of infected lung cells with SARS-CoV-2. Unlike previous studies, this novel study aims to investigate COVID-19 classification at the lung cellular level in response to SARS-CoV-2. Particularly, differentiating between healthy and infected human alveolar type II (hAT2) cells with SARS-CoV-2. Hence, we explore the feasibility of deep transfer learning (DTL) and introduce a highly accurate approach that works as follows: First, we downloaded and processed 286 images pertaining to healthy and infected hAT2 cells obtained from the electron microscopy public image archive. Second, we provided processed images to two DTL computations to induce ten DTL models. The first DTL computation employs five pre-trained models (including DenseNet201 and ResNet152V2) trained on more than one million images from the ImageNet database to extract features from hAT2 images. Then, it flattens and provides the output feature vectors to a trained, densely connected classifier with the Adam optimizer. The second DTL computation works in a similar manner, with a minor difference in that we freeze the first layers for feature extraction in pre-trained models while unfreezing and jointly training the next layers. The results using five-fold cross-validation demonstrated that TFeDenseNet201 is 12.37× faster and superior, yielding the highest average ACC of 0.993 (F1 of 0.992 and MCC of 0.986) with statistical significance ( from a t-test) compared to an average ACC of 0.937 (F1 of 0.938 and MCC of 0.877) for the counterpart (TFtDenseNet201), showing no significance results ( from a t-test). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Applications of Deep Learning Methods in Medical Diagnosis)
20 pages, 2512 KiB  
Article
Passive Shunted Piezoelectric Systems for Vibration Control of Wind Turbine Towers: A Feasibility Study
by Maria-Styliani Daraki, Konstantinos Marakakis, Panagiotis Alevras, Georgia A. Foutsitzi and Georgios E. Stavroulakis
Energies 2024, 17(10), 2420; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17102420 - 17 May 2024
Abstract
Many countries have a variety of offshore and onshore wind turbines that face extreme aging challenges. Issues with harmful vibrations that must be minimized are addressed in this paper. A new method of wind turbine tower vibration control using piezoelectricity and shunt circuits [...] Read more.
Many countries have a variety of offshore and onshore wind turbines that face extreme aging challenges. Issues with harmful vibrations that must be minimized are addressed in this paper. A new method of wind turbine tower vibration control using piezoelectricity and shunt circuits is proposed in this paper. The passive vibration control method is shown to improve the tower’s structural performance under various environmental loads, like wind and seismic excitations. To examine the effectiveness of the suggested shunted piezoelectric system, a simple surrogate finite element model of a wind turbine tower is considered, and various investigations at the second eigenfrequency are carried out. An alternative way of modeling the studied structure is considered and the results demonstrate better performance. The advantages of setting up structural damping systems for decreasing tower vibrational loads and boosting their structural stability and resilience against extreme events are highlighted throughout this work. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Energy Artificial Islands)
15 pages, 1855 KiB  
Article
Study on the Flow Field Distribution in Microfluidic Cells for Surface Plasmon Resonance Array Detection
by Wanwan Chen, Jing Li, Peng Wang, Shuai Ma and Bin Li
Materials 2024, 17(10), 2426; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17102426 - 17 May 2024
Abstract
This research is dedicated to optimizing the design of microfluidic cells to minimize mass transfer effects and ensure a uniform flow field distribution, which is essential for accurate SPR array detection. Employing finite element simulations, this study methodically explored the internal flow dynamics [...] Read more.
This research is dedicated to optimizing the design of microfluidic cells to minimize mass transfer effects and ensure a uniform flow field distribution, which is essential for accurate SPR array detection. Employing finite element simulations, this study methodically explored the internal flow dynamics within various microfluidic cell designs to assess the impact of different contact angles on flow uniformity. The cells, constructed from Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), were subjected to micro-particle image velocimetry to measure flow velocities in targeted sections. The results demonstrate that a contact angle of 135° achieves the most uniform flow distribution, significantly enhancing the capability for high-throughput array detection. While the experimental results generally corroborated the simulations, minor deviations were observed, likely due to fabrication inaccuracies. The microfluidic cells, evaluated using a custom-built SPR system, showed consistent repeatability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Materials Physics)
12 pages, 3112 KiB  
Article
Rapid Waste Motor Oil Conversion into Diesel-Range Hydrocarbons Using Hydrochar as Catalyst: Kinetic Study and Product Characterization
by Herman A. Murillo, Evelyn Juiña, Karla Vizuete, Alexis Debut, Daniel Echeverría, Sebastian Taco-Vasquez and Sebastian Ponce
Recycling 2024, 9(3), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling9030039 - 17 May 2024
Abstract
Herein, raw and alkali-treated hydrochars from biomass waste are prepared as a highly active catalyst for the conversion of waste motor oil into diesel-like fuels. Among all materials, hydrochar obtained at 250 °C and subsequent alkali activation with KOH showed a 600% improvement [...] Read more.
Herein, raw and alkali-treated hydrochars from biomass waste are prepared as a highly active catalyst for the conversion of waste motor oil into diesel-like fuels. Among all materials, hydrochar obtained at 250 °C and subsequent alkali activation with KOH showed a 600% improvement of the kinetic constant from 0.0088 to 0.0614 m−1. Conversion values at the same conditions were also improved from 66 to 80% regarding thermal and catalytic cracking, respectively. Moreover, the activation energy was also reduced from 293 to 246 kJ mol−1 for thermal and catalytic cracking, respectively. After characterization, the enhanced catalytic activity was correlated to an increased surface area and functionalization due to the alkali activation. Finally, the liquid product characterization demonstrated that catalytic cracking is more effective than thermal cracking for producing hydrocarbons in the diesel range. In particular, hydrochar-based catalysts are suggested to promote the formation of specific hydrocarbons so that the carbon distribution can be tailored by modifying the hydrothermal treatment temperature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Resource Recovery from Waste Biomass)
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38 pages, 6677 KiB  
Article
Modeling of Cooperative Robotic Systems and Predictive Control Applied to Biped Robots and UAV-UGV Docking with Task Prioritization
by Baris Taner  and Kamesh Subbarao
Sensors 2024, 24(10), 3189; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24103189 - 17 May 2024
Abstract
This paper studies a cooperative modeling framework to reduce the complexity in deriving the governing dynamical equations of complex systems composed of multiple bodies such as biped robots and unmanned aerial and ground vehicles. The approach also allows for an optimization-based trajectory generation [...] Read more.
This paper studies a cooperative modeling framework to reduce the complexity in deriving the governing dynamical equations of complex systems composed of multiple bodies such as biped robots and unmanned aerial and ground vehicles. The approach also allows for an optimization-based trajectory generation for the complex system. This work also studies a fast–slow model predictive control strategy with task prioritization to perform docking maneuvers on cooperative systems. The method allows agents and a single agent to perform a docking maneuver. In addition, agents give different priorities to a specific subset of shared states. In this way, overall degrees of freedom to achieve the docking task are distributed among various subsets of the task space. The fast–slow model predictive control strategy uses non-linear and linear model predictive control formulations such that docking is handled as a non-linear problem until agents are close enough, where direct transcription is calculated using the Euler discretization method. During this phase, the trajectory generated is tracked with a linear model predictive controller and addresses the close proximity motion to complete docking. The trajectory generation and modeling is demonstrated on a biped robot, and the proposed MPC framework is illustrated in a case study, where a quadcopter docks on a non-holonomic rover using a leader–follower topology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Sensors and Robotics)
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25 pages, 454 KiB  
Article
Impacts of Crop-Specific Agricultural Practices on the Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Soil in Kvemo Kartli Region (Georgia): A Preliminary Assessment
by Giorgi Gventsadze, Giorgi Ghambashidze, Zaur Chankseliani, Ioseb Sarjveladze and Winfried E. H. Blum
Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 4244; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104244 (registering DOI) - 17 May 2024
Abstract
Maintaining sufficient levels of plant nutrients in the soil and controlling certain heavy metals, which can be toxic to the environment, are critical to ensure sustainable agricultural production. The study aimed to assess the linkage of crop-specific agricultural practices established by farmers in [...] Read more.
Maintaining sufficient levels of plant nutrients in the soil and controlling certain heavy metals, which can be toxic to the environment, are critical to ensure sustainable agricultural production. The study aimed to assess the linkage of crop-specific agricultural practices established by farmers in the Kvemo Kartli region (Georgia) with metal accumulation in soils of agricultural lands being subject to influence from polluted irrigation water in the past. In particular, we tried to identify the primary sources of micro-nutrients, including iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn), and toxic elements such as cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), and the share of the contaminated irrigation water and other factors related to agricultural practices under different land uses, such as intensive and extensive arable farming, vineyards, orchards, and permanent pastures having the least disturbed soil. Based on principal component analysis, five primary sources were identified and categorized according to farmer interviews and previous studies conducted in the region. The results showed that increased concentrations of plant-available Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb were mainly associated with irrigation water and intensive use of fungicides; Fe, Mn, and Ni were closely linked to several factors, such as the mineralogical composition of soils, minerals, and organic fertilizers inputs; and atmospheric deposition from diffuse sources, where exhausts from transport are probably the primary source. During our study, we attempted to differentiate irrigation water inputs from fungicides using simulation based on irrigation patterns and irrigation water quality on the one hand and fungicide application rates and their metal contents on the other. The simulation revealed that the intensive application of fungicides, especially in vineyards, is more significant in enriching soils with Cu and Zn than irrigation water. Identification of factorial dependences was supported by statistical analysis and application of several contamination assessment methods: contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI), single-factor pollution index (PI), Nemerow’s comprehensive pollution index (PIN), enrichment factor (EF), and geo-accumulation index (Igeo). Applied environmental indices indicate that the soils under the former and existing vineyards are the most enriched with Cu and Zn, highlighting the significance of agricultural practices on heavy metal accumulations in the soils of agricultural lands. Full article

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