UCO Physical Rehabilitation: New Dataset and Study of Human Pose Estimation Methods on Physical Rehabilitation Exercises.

Physical rehabilitation plays a crucial role in restoring motor function following injuries or surgeries. However, the challenge of overcrowded waiting lists often hampers doctors' ability to monitor patients' recovery progress in person. Deep Learning methods offer a solution by enabling doctors to optimize their time with each patient and distinguish between those requiring specific attention and those making positive progress. Doctors use the flexion angle of limbs as a cue to assess a patient's mobility level during rehabilitation. From a Computer Vision perspective, this task can be framed as automatically estimating the pose of the target body limbs in an image. The objectives of this study can be summarized as follows: (i) evaluating and comparing multiple pose estimation methods; (ii) analyzing how the subject's position and camera viewpoint impact the estimation; and (iii) determining whether 3D estimation methods are necessary or if 2D estimation suffices for this purpose. To conduct this technical study, and due to the limited availability of public datasets related to physical rehabilitation exercises, we introduced a new dataset featuring 27 individuals performing eight diverse physical rehabilitation exercises focusing on various limbs and body positions. Each exercise was recorded using five RGB cameras capturing different viewpoints of the person. An infrared tracking system named OptiTrack was utilized to establish the ground truth positions of the joints in the limbs under study. The results, supported by statistical tests, show that not all state-of-the-art pose estimators perform equally in the presented situations (e.g., patient lying on the stretcher vs. standing). Statistical differences exist between camera viewpoints, with the frontal view being the most convenient. Additionally, the study concludes that 2D pose estimators are adequate for estimating joint angles given the selected camera viewpoints.

Impacts of pineapple peel powder on growth performance, innate immunity, disease resistance, and relative immune gene expression of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus.

An 8-week growth trial was conducted to examine the efficacy of pineapple peel powder (PAPP) on growth rate and immunity of Nile tilapia, O. niloticus. Three hundred Nile tilapia (20.91 ± 0.11 g) were fed five diets containing different levels of PAPP at 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 g kg-1 PAPP, respectively. After four and eight weeks of the feeding trial, growth rates, and immune responses were tested. A challenge test using Streptococcus agalactiae and relative immune gene expression were performed after eight weeks of PAPP feeding. It was found that skin mucus and serum lysozyme, skin mucus and serum peroxidase, alternative complement, phagocytosis, and respiratory burst activities were significantly increased with the addition of PAPP. The maximum (P ≤ 0.05) innate immune values were noted in fish fed 10 g kg-1 PAPP. Similarly, the up-regulation of IL1, IL8, and LBP gene expressions were also detected in fish fed PAPP diets, with the maximum value was found in 10 g kg-1 PAPP fed fish. The relative percentage of survival (RPS) of Oreochromis niloticus after the challenge test were (56.00%, 72.00%, 60.00%, and 44.00%) for the 5, 10, 20 and 40 g kg-1 PAPP diets, respectively. Fish fed the 10 g kg-1 PAPP supplemented diet achieved the highest (P < 0.05) survival rate against S. agalactiae. Growth and feed efficiency were outstandingly (P < 0.05) enhanced in the PAPP groups. In conclusion, PAPP can be potentially used as a feed additive in Nile tilapia culture under Biofloc system.

Applications of Thermochemical Modeling in Molten Salt Reactors.

The extensively evaluated and consistent thermodynamic database, the Molten Salt Thermal Properties Database-Thermochemical (MSTDB-TC), was used along with additional thermodynamic values from other sources as examples of ways to examine molten salt reactor (MSR) fuel behavior. Relative stability with respect to halide potential and temperature for likely fuel and fission product components were mapped in Ellingham diagrams for the chloride and fluoride systems. The Ellingham diagrams provide a rich, visual means for identifying halide-forming components in proposed fuel/solvent salt systems. Thermochemical models and values from MSTDB-TC and ancillary sources were used in global equilibrium calculations to provide compositions for a close analysis of the behavior of a possible Molten Chloride Salt Fast Reactor and a Molten Salt Reactor Experiment-type system at high burnup (100 GWd/t). The results illustrated the oxidative nature of burnup in MSRs and provided information about redox behavior and possible control.

Extensive gene loss parallels kidney aglomerulism in Syngnathidae.

The eccentric seahorses, seadragons, pipehorses and pipefishes (Syngnathidae) have an aglomerular kidney1. Here, we show that nephron genes2 conserved in Bilateria are secondarily eroded/deleted in Syngnathidae genomes. A transcriptome enrichment analysis suggests the predominance of excretion processes in the Syngnathidae kidney. In a lineage where crypsis and idleness are tightly associated, we propose that aglomerulism evolved as an energy-saving strategy.

The paradox of retained genetic diversity of Hippocampus guttulatus in the face of demographic decline.

Genetic diversity is the raw foundation for evolutionary potential. When genetic diversity is significantly reduced, the risk of extinction is heightened considerably. The long-snouted seahorse (Hippocampus guttulatus) is one of two seahorse species occurring in the North-East Atlantic. The population living in the Ria Formosa (South Portugal) declined dramatically between 2001 and 2008, prompting fears of greatly reduced genetic diversity and reduced effective population size, hallmarks of a genetic bottleneck. This study tests these hypotheses using samples from eight microsatellite loci taken from 2001 and 2013, on either side of the 2008 decline. The data suggest that the population has not lost its genetic diversity, and a genetic bottleneck was not detectable. However, overall relatedness increased between 2001 to 2013, leading to questions of future inbreeding. The effective population size has seemingly increased close to the threshold necessary for the population to retain its evolutionary potential, but whether these results have been affected by sample size is not clear. Several explanations are discussed for these unexpected results, such as gene flow, local decline due to dispersal to other areas of the Ria Formosa, and the potential that the duration of the demographic decline too short to record changes in the genetic diversity. Given the results presented here and recent evidence of a second population decline, the precise estimation of both gene flow and effective population size via more extensive genetic screening will be critical to effective population management.

Successful Use of Geochemical Tools to Trace the Geographic Origin of Long-Snouted Seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus Raised in Captivity.

The global market of dried seahorses mainly supplies Traditional Chinese Medicine and still relies on blurry trade chains that often cover less sustainable practices targeting these pricey and endangered fish. As such, reliable tools that allow the enforcement of traceability, namely to confirm the geographic origin of traded seahorses, are urgently needed. The present study evaluated the use of elemental fingerprints (EF) in the bony structures of long-snouted seahorses Hippocampus guttulatus raised in captivity in two different locations (southern Portugal and Northern Spain) to discriminate their geographic origin. The EF of different body parts of H. guttulatus were also evaluated as potential proxies for the EF of the whole body, in order to allow the analysis of damaged specimens and avoid the use of whole specimens for analysis. The contrasting EF of H. guttulatus raised in the two locations allowed their reliable discrimination. Although no single body part exactly mimicked the EF of the whole body, seahorse trunks, as well as damaged specimens, could still be correctly allocated to their geographic origin. This promising forensic approach to discriminate the geographic origin of seahorses raised in captivity should now be validated for wild conspecifics originating from different locations, as well as for other species within genus Hippocampus.

3D Bioprinted Multicellular Vascular Models.

3D bioprinting is an emerging additive manufacturing technique to fabricate constructs for human disease modeling. However, current cell-laden bioinks lack sufficient biocompatibility, printability, and structural stability needed to translate this technology to preclinical and clinical trials. Here, a new class of nanoengineered hydrogel-based cell-laden bioinks is introduced, that can be printed into 3D, anatomically accurate, multicellular blood vessels to recapitulate both the physical and chemical microenvironments of native human vasculature. A remarkably unique characteristic of this bioink is that regardless of cell density, it demonstrates a high printability and ability to protect encapsulated cells against high shear forces in the bioprinting process. 3D bioprinted cells maintain a healthy phenotype and remain viable for nearly one-month post-fabrication. Leveraging these properties, the nanoengineered bioink is printed into 3D cylindrical blood vessels, consisting of living co-culture of endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells, providing the opportunity to model vascular function and pathophysiology. Upon cytokine stimulation and blood perfusion, this 3D bioprinted vessel is able to recapitulate thromboinflammatory responses observed only in advanced in vitro preclinical models or in vivo. Therefore, this 3D bioprinted vessel provides a potential tool to understand vascular disease pathophysiology and assess therapeutics, toxins, or other chemicals.

Remotely sensed indicators and open-access biodiversity data to assess bird diversity patterns in Mediterranean rural landscapes.

Biodiversity monitoring at simultaneously fine spatial resolutions and large spatial extents is needed but limited by operational trade-offs and costs. Open-access data may be cost-effective to address those limitations. We test the use of open-access satellite imagery (NDVI texture variables) and biodiversity data, assembled from GBIF, to investigate the relative importance of variables of habitat extent and structure as indicators of bird community richness and dissimilarity in the Alentejo region (Portugal). Results show that, at the landscape scale, forest bird richness is better indicated by the availability of tree cover in the overall landscape than by the extent or structure of the forest habitats. Open-land birds also respond to landscape structure, namely to the spectral homogeneity and size of open-land patches and to the presence of perennial vegetation amid herbaceous habitats. Moreover, structure variables were more important than climate variables or geographic distance to explain community dissimilarity patterns at the regional scale. Overall, summer imagery, when perennial vegetation is more discernible, is particularly suited to inform indicators of forest and open-land bird community richness and dissimilarity, while spring imagery appears to be also useful to inform indicators of open-land bird richness.

Invasion genetics of the mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus): recent anthropogenic introduction in Iberia.

Human activities such as trade and transport have increased considerably in the last decades, greatly facilitating the introduction and spread of non-native species at a global level. In the Iberian Peninsula, Fundulus heteroclitus, a small euryhaline coastal fish with short dispersal, was found for the first time in the mid-1970s. Since then, F. heteroclitus has undergone range expansions, colonizing the southern region of Portugal, southwestern coast of Spain and the Ebro Delta in the Mediterranean Sea. Cytochrome b sequences were used to elucidate the species invasion pathway in Iberia. Three Iberian locations (Faro, Cádiz and Ebro Delta) and 13 other locations along the native range of F. heteroclitus in North America were sampled. Results revealed a single haplotype, common to all invasive populations, which can be traced to the northern region of the species' native range. We posit that the origin of the founder individuals is between New York and Nova Scotia. Additionally, the lack of genetic structure within Iberia is consistent with a recent invasion scenario and a strong founder effect. We suggest the most probable introduction vector is associated with the aquarium trade. We further discuss the hypothesis of a second human-mediated introduction responsible for the establishment of individuals in the Ebro Delta supported by the absence of adequate muddy habitats linking Cádiz and the Ebro Delta. Although the species has a high tolerance to salinity and temperature, ecological niche modelling indicates that benthic habitat constraints prevent along-shore colonisation suggesting that such expansions would need to be aided by human release.

Frequency of diabetes, impaired fasting glucose, and glucose intolerance in high-risk groups identified by a FINDRISC survey in Puebla City, Mexico.

BACKGROUND: As a first step in the prevention of diabetes, the International Diabetes Federation recommends identification of persons at risk using the Finnish type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment (FINDRISC) survey. The frequency of diabetes mellitus, impaired fasting glucose, and glucose intolerance in high-risk groups identified by FINDRISC is unknown in our country. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of diabetes mellitus, impaired fasting glucose, and glucose intolerance in higher-risk groups using a FINDRISC survey in an urban population. METHODS: We used a television program to invite interested adults to fill out a survey at a television station. An oral glucose tolerance test was performed in all persons with a FINDRISC score ≥ 15 points (high-risk and very high-risk groups). Patients were classified as normal (fasting glucose < 100 mg/dL and 2-hour glucose < 140 mg/dL), or having impaired fasting glucose (fasting glucose 100-125 mg/dL and 2-hour glucose < 140 mg/dL), glucose intolerance (fasting glucose < 126 mg/dL and 2-hour glucose 140-199 mg/dL), and diabetes mellitus (fasting glucose ≥ 126 mg/dL or 2-hour glucose ≥ 200 mg/dL). We describe the frequency of each diagnostic category in this selected population according to gender and age. RESULTS: A total of 186 patients had a score ≥ 15. The frequencies of diabetes mellitus, impaired fasting glucose, glucose intolerance, and normal glucose levels were 28.6%, 25.9%, 29.2%, and 16.2%, respectively. We found a higher frequency of diabetes mellitus and impaired fasting glucose in men than in women (33% versus 27% and 40% versus 21%, respectively) and more glucose intolerance in women than in men (34% versus 16%, P < 0.05). Patients with diabetes mellitus (52.55 ± 9.2 years) were older than those with impaired fasting glucose (46.19 ± 8.89 years), glucose intolerance (46.15 ± 10.9 years), and normal levels (41.9 ± 10.45 years, P < 0.05). We found a higher frequency of diabetes mellitus in those aged over 50 years than in younger subjects (46.15% versus 15.88%, respectively). CONCLUSION: The FINDRISC survey is a very useful tool for identifying individuals at high risk of developing diabetes and prediabetic states, especially in those older than 50 years.

Hidrocéfalo normotensivo comunicante del adulto: correlación cisternográfico terapéutica / Communicant normotensive hydrocephalus of the adult: cistermographic and therapeutic correlation

Se correlacionan las diferentes alteraciones radiocisternográficas encontradas en 17 pacientes estudiados por hidrocefalia comunicante normotensiva del adulto y el resultado obtenido con la intervención derivativa de líquido céfalo-raquídeo. Se destacan como hechos útiles en la predicción del resultado de la intervención derivativa, la existencia de bloqueo total de la circulación epicortical de líquido cefalorraquídeo y la mayor precocidad posible de la intervención respecto al comienzo de la enfermedad

Infecciones nosocomiales en los paccientes del departamento de medicina interna y en la unidad de cuidados intensivos del hospital Escuela Dr. Oscar Danilo Rosales Argüello de la Ciudad de León en el 2004 / Infections nosocomiales in the paccientes of the department of internal medicine and in the unit of intensive cares of the hospital School Dr. Oscar Danilo Rosebushes Argüello of the City of León in the 2004

Presenta un estudio de serie de casos, realizado en el Departamento de Medicina Interna, del Hospital Oscar Danilo Rosales Argüello de la Ciudad de León. durante el período de enero a diciembre del 2004. El universo de estudio fue de 57 pacientes admitidos en el departamento de Medicina Interna y en la Unidad de Cuidados intensivos con más de 48 horas de haber sido ingresados y que presentaron alguna infección nosocomial. El sexo que se afectói con más frecuencia por enfermedades nosocomiales fue el masculino con 65 por ciento (37). El grupo etáreo afectado con más frecuencia resultó ser el de mayores de 50 años con el 50.4 por ciento (29), seguido por el grupo comprendido entre los 31 y 40 años con 11 casos para un 19.3 por ciento. La mayoría de los pacientes ingresados que adquirieron infecciones nosocomiales procedían de la región urbana con 41 (72 por ciento). Un total de 26 (46 por ciento) pacientes del estudio presentaban alguna enfermedad o padecimiento crónico, siendo las de mayor frecuencia la hipertensión arterial con 19 casos seguoido por las cardiopatías con 17 casos. Cabe señalkar que 9 pacientes presentaron más de una enfermedad crónica asociada, en los cuales, la insuficiencia Renal Crónica se presentó con más frecuencia con 5 casos. La cirrosis hepática se presentó en 4 pacientes, tres de los cuales presentaron otra enfermedad crónica asociada. El procedimiento invasivo más frecuente utilizado fue el catéter intravascular central con 29 casos paraq un 50.9 por ciento, seguido por el sello de solución salina con 28 casos para un 49.1 por ciento de los pacientes con infecciones nosocomiales. También es de señalar que 33 pacientes fueron sometidos a más de un procedimiento a la vez.