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1.
Designs (Basel) ; 8(2)2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39286448

ABSTRACT

A significant number of individuals in the United States use assistive devices to enhance their mobility, and a considerable portion of those who depend on such aids require assistance from another individual in performing daily living activities. The introduction of robotic grippers has emerged as a transformative intervention, significantly contributing to the cultivation of independence. However, there are few grippers in the fields, which help with mimicking human hand-like movements (mostly grasping and pinching, with adoptive force control) to grasp and carry objects. Additionally, the data are not available even on how many Activities of Daily Living (ADL) objects they can handle. The goal of the research is to offer a new three-fingered gripper for daily living assistance, which can both grasp and pinch with adaptive force, enabling the capabilities of handling wide-ranging ADL objects with a minimal footprint. It is designed to handle 90 selective essential ADL objects of different shapes (cylindrical, irregular, rectangular, and round), sizes, weights, and textures (smooth, rough, bumpy, and rubbery). The gripper boasts a meticulously engineered yet simple design, facilitating seamless manufacturing through 3D printing technology without compromising its operational efficacy. The gripper extends its functionality beyond conventional grasping, featuring the capability to pinch (such as holding a credit card) and securely hold lightweight objects. Moreover, the gripper is adaptable to grasping various objects with different shapes and weights with controlled forces. In evaluation, the developed gripper went through rigorous load tests and usability tests. The results demonstrated that the users picked and placed 75 objects out of 90 daily objects. The gripper held and manipulated objects with dimensions from 25 mm to 80 mm and up to 2.9 kg. For heavy-weight objects (like books) where the centroid is far apart from the grasping areas, it is difficult to hold them due to high torque. However, objects' textures have no significant effect on grasping performance. Users perceived the simplicity of the gripper. Further investigation is required to assess the utility and longevity of grippers. This study contributes to developing assistive robots designed to enhance object manipulation, thereby improving individuals' independence and overall quality of life.

2.
Chem Commun (Camb) ; 2024 Sep 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39235285

ABSTRACT

Nanowires and other high aspect ratio nanoparticles are building blocks to form network materials in formats such as films, sheets, fibres and electrodes that thus bridge the nano and macro scales. The assembly of nanowire network materials is enabled by a new floating catalyst chemical vapour deposition synthesis method that produces crystalline silicon nanowires (SiNW) on a scale of grams per day. Here, we produce SiNW dispersions in water by sonication through steric and electrostatic stabilisation of the negatively charged particles in basic pH or with cationic surfactants. Negative charge arises from the 1.3 nm-thin native oxide layer. Some permanent aggregates are found as a consequence of cross-links between the thin oxide at the surface of adjacent SiNWs. Removing them by centrifugation yields SiNW dispersions of 52 µg mL-1. Processing into macroscopic materials is demonstrated as transparent films and as freestanding sheets. In the sheets, the SiNWs are predominately aligned parallel to the sheet thickness, as a paper-like SiNW solid with tensile strength above 10 MPa, modulus above 1 GPa and toughness of 0.5 J g-1.

3.
Lasers Surg Med ; 2024 Sep 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39245876

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The advent of ablative fractional photothermolysis has revolutionized laser dermatology by providing a method to produce well-standardized, precise, and repeatable microscopic lesions. These wounds typically heal within 1-3 weeks, depending on the body site, with a minimal risk of permanent scarring. This positions ablative fractional photothermolysis as an exemplary in vivo model for studying the skin's wound healing processes. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of two noninvasive imaging techniques, reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) and line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT), in assessing skin wound healing following microscopic injuries induced by ablative fractional photothermolysis. METHODS: The forearms of participating volunteers were treated and ablated with a CO2-Laser in a fractional pattern using varying power settings (2.5-10 mJ/MTZ). In vivo RCM and LC-OCT images were obtained at predefined time intervals post-laser treatment, ranging from 6 h to 14 days. RESULTS: Vertical visualization of the lesions through both imaging modalities revealed a healing process characterized by the upward and outward movement of microscopic epidermal necrotic debris, thereby reducing the depth of the injury while forming an external crust. LC-OCT imaging demonstrated more comprehensive results with fewer movement artifacts. Conversely, horizontal visualization with both techniques highlighted a gathering of keratinocytes around the wounds, indicating the initiation of the regenerative process. RCM provided superior image clarity in this horizontal plane. CONCLUSIONS: RCM and LC-OCT offer valuable and complementary noninvasive alternatives to conventional biopsy methods for the assessment and characterization of the skin's wound healing process post-ablative fractional photothermolysis. These findings underscore the potential of such imaging techniques in enhancing our understanding of the wound healing process. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05614557.

4.
Sci Immunol ; 9(99): eads7640, 2024 Sep 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39241056

ABSTRACT

Multi-omic analysis deciphers the impact of cell-intrinsic and systemic metabolomes on dengue vaccination immunogenicity.


Subject(s)
Dengue Vaccines , Dengue Virus , Dengue , Dengue Vaccines/immunology , Humans , Dengue/prevention & control , Dengue/immunology , Dengue Virus/immunology , Vaccination , Animals , Metabolome/immunology
5.
Pediatrics ; 2024 Sep 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39257372

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In the 2023-2024 respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season, Spain became one of the first countries to introduce universal RSV prophylaxis, during which all infants born at this time were eligible to receive nirsevimab. Locally, most Spanish regions also immunized infants younger than age 6 months at the start of the season (extended catch-up). The aim of this study was to assess how RSV prophylaxis affected the number of infants presenting to pediatric emergency departments with acute respiratory infections. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in 15 Spanish pediatric emergency departments from 9 different regions between the 2018 and 2024 epidemic seasons (November-January). We compared the seasons occurring in 2018-2023 and the 2023-2024 season regarding the number of episodes of lower respiratory tract infection and acute bronchiolitis, acute bronchiolitis-related hospital admissions, and PICU admissions. RESULTS: A comparison with the average rates for the previous epidemic seasons revealed a 57.7% decrease in episodes of lower respiratory tract infection in 2023-2024 (95% CI, 56.5-58.8; P < .001; range among hospitals, 4.8-82.8), a 59.2% decrease in episodes of acute bronchiolitis (95% CI, 57.9-60.4; P < .001; range, 6.9-84.1), a 63.1% reduction in acute bronchiolitis-related hospital admissions (95% CI, 60.9-65.2; P < .001; range, 31.4-86.8), and a 63.1% reduction in PICU admissions (95% CI, 58.1-67.9; P < .001; range, 18.2-81.8). Hospitals in regions applying extended catch-up showed better results. CONCLUSIONS: Nirsevimab can protect a broad infant population against RSV infection with high effectiveness. Approaches including extended catch-up are the most effective, although cost- effectiveness must be considered.

6.
Behav Res Methods ; 2024 Aug 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39112741

ABSTRACT

Story recall is an episodic memory paradigm that is popular among researchers interested in the effects of aging, disease, and/or injury on memory functioning; it is less popular among individual-differences researchers studying neurotypical young adults. One reason differential psychologists may favor other episodic memory paradigms is that the prospect of scoring story recall is daunting, as it typically requires manually scoring hundreds or thousands of freely recalled narratives. In this study, I investigated two questions related to scoring story recall for individual differences research. First, whether there is anything to gain by scoring story recall for memory of central and peripheral details or if a single score is sufficient. Second, I investigated whether scoring can be automated using computational methods - namely, BERTScore and GPT-4. A total of 235 individuals participated in this study. At the latent variable level, central and peripheral factors were highly correlated (r = .99), and the two factors correlated with external factors (viz., fluid intelligence, crystallized intelligence, and working memory capacity) similarly. Regarding automated scoring, both BERTScore and GPT-4 derived scores were strongly correlated with manually derived scores (r ≥ .97); additionally, factors estimated from the various scoring methods all showed a similar pattern of correlations with the external factors. Thus, differential psychologists may be able to streamline scoring by disregarding detail type and by using automated approaches. Further research is needed, particularly of the automated approaches, as both BERTScore and GPT-4 derived scores were occasionally leptokurtic while manual scores were not.

7.
J Oral Sci ; 2024 Aug 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39168603

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To determine and compare the cytotoxicity, odontoblast-like differentiation, shear bond strength (SBS) and Vickers microhardness of four commercial light-cured orthodontic adhesives. METHODS: The orthodontic resins selected were Transbond XT - GI, Transbond Plus Color Change - GII (both from 3M Unitek), Enlight - GIII and Blugloo - GIV (both from Ormco). Samples were prepared, and leached monomers were obtained. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and deposited calcium was analyzed using Alizarin red staining (ARS). SBS and the adhesive remnant index (ARI) were determined using 120 human premolars. The Vickers microhardness test was performed on the resin discs. RESULTS: All adhesives showed moderate to severe cytotoxicity (21-37%) and promoted similar formation of calcium deposits. A SBS of 6-8 MPa was achieved only by Blugloo (7.1 ± 2.4 MPa), and Enlight showed the lowest Vickers hardness score (40 ± 2.5 HV). Transbond Plus Color Change (score 0 = 42.9%) and Blugloo (score 0 = 46.4%) showed better ARI scores than Transbond XT (score 0 = 7.1%) and Enlight (score 0 = 3.6%). CONCLUSION: On the basis of the properties evaluated, Blugloo seems to be the best option.

8.
Life Sci ; : 122975, 2024 Aug 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39142508

ABSTRACT

Animal models, mainly murine, stay as a fundamental resource in diverse research pursuits, notably contributing to significant strides in discovering novel treatments for therapeutic applications. Preclinical assays must consider the existence of self-recovery mechanisms in the murine species to achieve a well-designed control group. This study focuses on unveiling the innate rapid regenerative capacity of rat liver by utilizing the thioacetamide-induced sub-chronic liver injury model. Employing histopathological, biochemical, and molecular liver function tests, we assessed the recovery of liver tissue functionality. Moreover, animals were housed with voluntary running wheels and locomotory activity was recorded and employed as an indirect index of overall animal recuperation. Remarkably, basal locomotory activity reestablished to normal levels only two weeks post-thioacetamide exposure. Our results raise vital considerations about the importance of temporal synchronicity in comparative assays to validate the real action of treatments, emphasizing the role of the rapid rat liver endogenous self-recovery.

9.
J Mol Biol ; : 168735, 2024 Aug 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39098594

ABSTRACT

RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) is responsible for the synthesis of a diverse set of RNA molecules, including protein-coding messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and many short non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). For this purpose, RNAPII relies on a multitude of factors that regulate the transcription cycle, from initiation and promoter-proximal pausing, through elongation and finally termination. RNAPII transcription termination at the end of genes ensures the release of RNAPII from the DNA template and its efficient recycling for further rounds of transcription. Termination of RNAPII is tightly coupled to 3'-end mRNA processing, which constitutes an important trigger for the subsequent transcription termination event. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of RNAPII termination mechanisms, focusing on 'canonical' termination at the 3'-end of genes. We also integrate the allosteric and 'torpedo' models into a unified model of termination, and describe the different termination factors that have been identified to date, paying special attention to the human factors and their mechanism of action at the molecular level. Indeed, in recent years the development of novel approaches in structural biology, biochemistry and cell biology have together led to a more detailed comprehension of the different mechanisms of RNAPII termination, and a better understanding of their importance in regulating gene expression, especially under cellular stress and pathological situations.

10.
Materials (Basel) ; 17(15)2024 Jul 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39124297

ABSTRACT

The development of devices for the in situ resource utilization (ISRU) of lunar surface powder (regolith) by means of microwaves needs regolith simulants with electromagnetic properties similar to the lunar regolith. This document deals with the measurement of complex permittivity and dielectric loss tangent of the aforementioned simulants at ambient temperature from 400 MHz to 20 GHz, performing measurements using two lunar dust simulants, EAC-1A and JSC-2A, resulting, on the one hand, in permittivity values of ε'=-0.0432f+4.0397 for the EAC-1A lunar dust simulant and ε'=-0.0432f+4.0397 for the JSC-2A simulant, and on the other hand, in loss tangent values of tanδe=-0.0015f+0.0659 for the EAC-1A powder and tanδe=-0.0039f+0.1429 for the JSC-2A powder. In addition, further studies are carried out taking into account the humidity of the samples and their densities at room temperature. The obtained results are applicable for comparing the measured values of EAC-1A and JSC-2A between them and with other previously measured simulants and real samples. The measurements are carried out by applying two different nonresonant techniques: Open-Ended Coaxial Probe (OECP) and transmission line. For this purpose, the DAK and EpsiMu commercial kits are used, respectively.

11.
Rev Esp Enferm Dig ; 1162024 Aug 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39087668

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Large clinical trials and small real-world studies show that a 1L polyethylene glycol and ascorbic acid solution (1L PEG-ASC) is an effective and safe bowel preparation for colonoscopy. Here, the effectiveness and safety of 1L PEG-ASC was evaluated in a large cohort of patients in routine clinical practice in Spain. METHODS: A sub-analysis was performed in an observational, multicenter, retrospective study assessing the effectiveness and safety of 1L PEG-ASC in adult patients undergoing a colonoscopy at 10 centers in Spain. Cleansing quality was assessed with the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale, scores ≥6 with all segmental scores ≥2 was considered adequate colon cleansing, high-quality was considered as cleansing ≥8 or =3 in the right colon. Polyp and adenoma detection rates, and adverse events were also assessed. RESULTS: Data was collected from 7160 patients: 48.3% males; mean age 58.0, 33.6% ≥65 years old. Adequate overall bowel cleansing was achieved in 95.6% of patients (95% CI 95.1%-96.0%), high quality cleansing in 74.4% (95% CI 73.4%-75.4%) and high-quality right colon cleansing in 66.0% (95% CI 64.9-67.1). The adequate overall cleansing rate was 97.0% with a split-dose and 94.0% with same-day regimen (P<0.0001), and high-quality right colon cleansing was 69.0% and 62.5% (P<0.0001), respectively. Colonoscopy was completed in 97.2% of cases. A multivariate regression analysis revealed that an overnight split-dose regimen and age <65 years were independent predictors of adequate bowel cleansing of the overall colon, age <65 years and female gender were independent predictors of HQ cleansing of the overall colon, and the three covariates were independent predictors of HQ cleansing of the right colon. At least one adverse event was experienced by 3.3% of participants, with nausea (1.5%) and vomiting (1.2%) being the most frequent. CONCLUSION: This sub-analysis confirmed 1L PEG-ASC to be an effective and safe bowel cleansing preparation in a real world setting in Spain.

12.
Comput Biol Med ; 181: 109049, 2024 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39180854

ABSTRACT

Crotamine (Ctm) is a peptide isolated from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom. This molecule has been demonstrated to diminish body weight gain and enhance browning in adipose tissue, glucose tolerance, and insulin sensitivity; hence, it has been postulated as an anti-obesogenic peptide. However, the mechanism to elicit the anti-obesogenic effects has yet to be elucidated. Thus, we investigated the possible interaction of Ctm with receptors involved in obesity-related metabolic pathways through protein-protein docking and molecular dynamics refinement. To test the anti-obesogenic mechanism of Ctm, we selected and retrieved 18 targets involved in obesity-related drug discovery from Protein Data Bank. Then, we performed protein-protein dockings. The best three Ctm-target models were selected and refined by molecular dynamics simulations. Molecular docking demonstrated that Ctm was able to interact with 13 of the 18 targets tested. Having a better docking score with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) (-1430.2 kcal/mol), DPP-IV (dipeptidyl peptidase-IV) (-1781.7 kcal/mol) and α-glucosidase (-1232.3 kcal/mol). These three models were refined by molecular dynamics. Ctm demonstrated a higher affinity for GLP-1R (ΔG: -41.886 ± 2.289 kcal/mol). However, Ctm interaction was more stable with DPP-IV (RMSD: 0.360 ± 0.015 nm, Radius of gyration: 2.781 ± 0.009 nm). Moreover, the number of interactions and the molecular mechanics energies of Ctm residues suggest that the interaction of Ctm with these receptors is mainly mediated by basic-hydrophobic dyads Y1-K2, W31-R32, and W33-R34. Together, all these results allow elucidating a possible molecular mechanism behind the previously described anti-obesogenic effects.


Subject(s)
Crotalid Venoms , Molecular Docking Simulation , Molecular Dynamics Simulation , Obesity , Obesity/metabolism , Obesity/drug therapy , Crotalid Venoms/chemistry , Crotalid Venoms/metabolism , Animals , Humans , Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor/metabolism , Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor/chemistry , Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4/metabolism , Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4/chemistry , Metabolic Networks and Pathways , alpha-Glucosidases/metabolism , alpha-Glucosidases/chemistry
13.
J Cosmet Dermatol ; 2024 Aug 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39205505

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Dysbiosis of the skin microbiota has been identified as a key factor in the development of acne. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of a facial cream gel containing a biotechnological phytocomplex, niacinamide and succinic acid on the bacterial diversity of subjects with mild-moderate acne and its clinical benefits due to microbiota changes. METHODS: Open-label, clinical study in 44 subjects with mild-moderate acne treated with a facial cream gel for 8 weeks. Bacterial diversity was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing of skin samples. Clinical effects were evaluated using the IGA acne severity scale, biometric measurements, and safety. RESULTS: After 56 days of product's use, an increase in alpha and beta diversity was found (p < 0.01), with a decrease in the relative abundance of C. acnes (48.99% vs. 38.83%, p < 0.001). Regarding clinical results, a decrease in acne severity on the IGA scale (27.33%, p < 0.001), number of non-inflammatory and inflammatory lesions (respectively: 31.12%, p = 0.05; 42.27%, p < 0.001), amount of sebum (89.00%, p < 0.01) and erythema (15.35%, p < 0.01), was found. Responder analysis of the IGA score showed that 61.36% of patients improved by at least one point at day 56. The product was well tolerated throughout the study. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the facial cream gel on skin was effective in rebalancing the microbiota, inhibiting biofilm formation and other virulence factors, reducing the number of mild-moderate acne lesions and sebum secretion, and consequently improving acne's severity.

14.
Nat Microbiol ; 9(8): 2038-2050, 2024 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39075235

ABSTRACT

Circulating bat coronaviruses represent a pandemic threat. However, our understanding of bat coronavirus pathogenesis and transmission potential is limited by the lack of phenotypically characterized strains. We created molecular clones for the two closest known relatives of SARS-CoV-2, BANAL-52 and BANAL-236. We demonstrated that BANAL-CoVs and SARS-CoV-2 have similar replication kinetics in human bronchial epithelial cells. However, BANAL-CoVs have impaired replication in human nasal epithelial cells and in the upper airway of mice. We also observed reduced pathogenesis in mice and diminished transmission in hamsters. Further, we observed that diverse bat coronaviruses evade interferon and downregulate major histocompatibility complex class I. Collectively, our study demonstrates that despite high genetic similarity across bat coronaviruses, prediction of pandemic potential of a virus necessitates functional characterization. Finally, the restriction of bat coronavirus replication in the upper airway highlights that transmission potential and innate immune restriction can be uncoupled in this high-risk family of emerging viruses.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Chiroptera , Immunity, Innate , SARS-CoV-2 , Virus Replication , Animals , Humans , SARS-CoV-2/immunology , SARS-CoV-2/genetics , SARS-CoV-2/physiology , Chiroptera/virology , Chiroptera/immunology , COVID-19/transmission , COVID-19/virology , COVID-19/immunology , Mice , Cricetinae , Immune Evasion , Epithelial Cells/virology , Epithelial Cells/immunology , Coronavirus Infections/transmission , Coronavirus Infections/immunology , Coronavirus Infections/virology , Coronavirus/immunology , Coronavirus/genetics , Coronavirus/classification , Coronavirus/physiology , Coronavirus/pathogenicity , Cell Line , Female
15.
Sci Rep ; 14(1): 17177, 2024 07 26.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39060415

ABSTRACT

Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) is a promising technique for enhancing cognitive performance and skill acquisition. Yet, its efficacy for enhancing learning rate and long-term retention in an ecologically valid learning environment has not been demonstrated. We conducted two double-blind sham-controlled experiments examining the efficacy of auricular tVNS (taVNS: Experiment (1) and cervical tVNS (tcVNS: Experiment (2), on a 5 day second-language vocabulary acquisition protocol among highly selected career linguists at the US Department of Defense's premier language school. tcVNS produced accelerated recall performance during training (Day 2-4), benefits of which were maintained across a 24 h retention interval with no stimulation at the final test. Consistent with prior work, tcVNS also produced fatigue-mitigating and focus-promoting effects as measured by the Air Force Research Laboratory Mood Questionnaire. Based on the current and the previous findings supporting tVNS' efficacy on performance, training enhancement, and fatigue mitigation, we believe tcVNS to be an effective learning acceleration tool that can be utilized at language-teaching and other institutions focused on intensive training of cognitive skills.


Subject(s)
Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation , Vagus Nerve Stimulation , Humans , Vagus Nerve Stimulation/methods , Female , Male , Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation/methods , Fatigue , Vocabulary , Double-Blind Method , Adult , Language , Young Adult , Learning/physiology
16.
Skin Res Technol ; 30(7): e13806, 2024 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39044362

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The disruption of the microbial community or dysbiosis alters the functional composition, metabolic activity, and local distribution of the microbiota leading the development of acne. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of a lotion containing a biotechnological phytocomplex, niacinamide, and succinic acid in the bacterial diversity of subjects with truncal mild-moderate acne and its clinical benefits due to microbiota changes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Open, clinical study in 43 subjects with truncal mild-moderate acne treated with a lotion for 8 weeks. Bacterial diversity was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing of skin samples. Clinical effects were evaluated through IGA acne severity scale, biometric measurements, and safety. RESULTS: After 56 days of product's use, an increase in richness alpha diversity was found (p = 0.005), with a decrease in Cutibacterium acnes relative abundance (66.43% vs. 58.11%, p = 0.009). The clinical results showed a decrease in IGA score (27.59% decrease; p = 0.001), the inflammatory lesions (52.12% decrease, p = 0.006) and erythema (18.33% decrease, p = 0.007), and desquamation index (63.83% decrease, p = 0.02). The responder analysis of the IGA score showed that 60.47% of patients improved by at least one point at day 56. The product was well tolerated along the study. CONCLUSION: The use of the lotion on acneic skin was effective on rebalancing the microbiota, inhibiting biofilm formation and other virulence factors, reducing erythema and desquamation, and improving acne's severity.


Subject(s)
Acne Vulgaris , Microbiota , Skin , Humans , Acne Vulgaris/microbiology , Acne Vulgaris/drug therapy , Male , Microbiota/drug effects , Female , Young Adult , Skin/microbiology , Skin/pathology , Adult , Adolescent , Skin Cream , Severity of Illness Index
17.
Sensors (Basel) ; 24(14)2024 Jul 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39066062

ABSTRACT

Marker-less hand-eye calibration permits the acquisition of an accurate transformation between an optical sensor and a robot in unstructured environments. Single monocular cameras, despite their low cost and modest computation requirements, present difficulties for this purpose due to their incomplete correspondence of projected coordinates. In this work, we introduce a hand-eye calibration procedure based on the rotation representations inferred by an augmented autoencoder neural network. Learning-based models that attempt to directly regress the spatial transform of objects such as the links of robotic manipulators perform poorly in the orientation domain, but this can be overcome through the analysis of the latent space vectors constructed in the autoencoding process. This technique is computationally inexpensive and can be run in real time in markedly varied lighting and occlusion conditions. To evaluate the procedure, we use a color-depth camera and perform a registration step between the predicted and the captured point clouds to measure translation and orientation errors and compare the results to a baseline based on traditional checkerboard markers.

18.
Obes Surg ; 34(8): 2766-2777, 2024 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39023675

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Intragastric balloon (IGB) is a minimally invasive and reversible option for obesity treatment. There is a worldwide growing number of different IGB models. The efficacy and safety profile for each model must be demonstrated. We aim to evaluate IGB safety profile according to the experience of the Spanish Bariatric Endoscopy Group (GETTEMO). METHODS: A survey of 37 IGBs safety-related questions was sent to all GETTEMO members, to retrospectively collect a multicenter Spanish registry. Incidence, causes, and resolution of both major and minor complications and adverse events (AEs), including legal consequences, differentiated for each balloon model were evaluated. Secondary outcome was weight loss data to confirm efficacy. RESULTS: Twenty-one Spanish hospitals experienced in IGBs responded. The overall data encompassed 20,680 IGBs, including 12 different models. Mean %TBWL of 17.66 ± 2.5% was observed. Early removal rate due to intolerance was 3.62%. Mean major complications rate was 0.70% (> 1% in Spatz2, HB, and Spatz3 models), mainly complicated gastric ulcer. Minor AEs rate was 6.37%, mainly esophagitis. Nine cases (0.04%) required surgery. A single case of mortality (0.0048%) occurred. Seven lawsuits (0.0034%) were received, all with favorable resolution. CONCLUSIONS: In the Spanish experience accumulating 20,680 IGBs and including 12 different balloon models, a low incidence rate of major complications and minor AEs are observed (0.70% and 6.37%, respectively), mostly resolved with medical/endoscopic management. IGB shows good tolerance and efficacy profile. These safety data are within the accepted quality standards.


Subject(s)
Gastric Balloon , Obesity, Morbid , Weight Loss , Humans , Spain/epidemiology , Retrospective Studies , Female , Obesity, Morbid/surgery , Male , Adult , Middle Aged , Treatment Outcome , Postoperative Complications/epidemiology , Registries
20.
Nat Commun ; 15(1): 5808, 2024 Jul 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38987546

ABSTRACT

Recently, targeted degradation has emerged as a powerful therapeutic modality. Relying on "event-driven" pharmacology, proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) can degrade targets and are superior to conventional inhibitors against undruggable proteins. Unfortunately, PROTAC discovery is limited by warhead scarcity and laborious optimization campaigns. To address these shortcomings, analogous protein-based heterobifunctional degraders, known as bioPROTACs, have been developed. Compared to small-molecule PROTACs, bioPROTACs have higher success rates and are subject to fewer design constraints. However, the membrane impermeability of proteins severely restricts bioPROTAC deployment as a generalized therapeutic modality. Here, we present an engineered bioPROTAC template able to complex with cationic and ionizable lipids via electrostatic interactions for cytosolic delivery. When delivered by biocompatible lipid nanoparticles, these modified bioPROTACs can rapidly degrade intracellular proteins, exhibiting near-complete elimination (up to 95% clearance) of targets within hours of treatment. Our bioPROTAC format can degrade proteins localized to various subcellular compartments including the mitochondria, nucleus, cytosol, and membrane. Moreover, substrate specificity can be easily reprogrammed, allowing modular design and targeting of clinically-relevant proteins such as Ras, Jnk, and Erk. In summary, this work introduces an inexpensive, flexible, and scalable platform for efficient intracellular degradation of proteins that may elude chemical inhibition.


Subject(s)
Lipids , Proteolysis , Humans , Proteolysis/drug effects , Lipids/chemistry , Nanoparticles/chemistry , Animals , Cytosol/metabolism , Drug Delivery Systems , Recombinant Proteins/metabolism , Mice , Liposomes
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