Evaluation of PLA-Based Composite Films Filled with Cu2(OH)3NO3 Nanoparticles as an Active Material for the Food Industry: Biocidal Properties and Environmental Sustainability.

The globalization of markets has diversified the food supply, but it has also made the distribution chain more difficult, increasing the risk of microbial contamination. One strategy to obtain safer food and extend its shelf life is to develop active packaging with antimicrobial properties that prevent the growth of pathogenic microorganisms or spoilage in food products. In this context, and in line with the growing social awareness about the environmental impact generated by plastic waste, this work evaluated the effectiveness of polylactic acid (PLA) films loaded with different concentrations of copper (II) hydroxynitrate nanoparticles (CuHS) against the microbiota of fresh foods (chicken, fish and cheese). The results showed that the developed films containing 1, 3 and 5% w/w of CuHS in the polymeric matrix caused a decrease in the microbial abundance equal to or higher than 3 logarithmic units in all foods tested. Moreover, the mechanical and thermal properties of the formulated composites showed that the added CuHS concentrations did not substantially modify these properties compared to the PLA films. Taking into account the results obtained for antimicrobial activity, Cu (II) migration levels and the cytotoxicity of the films formulated, the PLA composite loaded with 1% CuHS (w/w) was the most suitable for its potential use as food packaging material. In addition, the biodegradation of this composite film was studied under conditions simulating intensive aerobic composting, demonstrating that almost 100% disintegration after 14 days of testing was achieved. Therefore, the innovative PLA-based films developed represent a promising strategy for the fabrication of packaging and active surfaces to increase food shelf life while maintaining food safety. Moreover, their biodegradable character will contribute to efficient waste management, turning plastic residues into a valuable resource.

Life space assessment and falls in older adults with multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Falls research in older adults with MS (OAMS) is scarce, and no studies have reported on the association between life-space mobility and falls in this group. Herein, we hypothesized that higher baseline life-space scores would be associated with reduced odds of reporting falls during follow-up, and explored whether the association differed by MS subtype (progressive vs. relapsing-remitting). METHODS: OAMS (n = 91, mean age = 64.7 ± 4.3ys, %female = 66.9,%progressive MS = 30.7) completed the University of Alabama at Birmingham Life-Space-Assessment (UAB-LSA) scale and reported falls during a structured monthly telephone interview during follow-up (mean = 16.39 ± 11.44 months). General Estimated Equations (GEE) models were utilized to determine whether UAB-LSA scores predicted falls during follow-up. RESULTS: GEE models revealed that higher UAB-LSA scores were associated with a significant reduction in the odds of falling during follow-up (OR = 0.69, p = 0.012, 95 %CI = 0.51 to 0.92). Stratified analyses revealed that this association was significant in progressive (OR = 0.57, p = 0.004, 95 %CI = 0.39 to 0.84), but not relapsing-remitting (OR = 0.93, p = 0.779, 95 %CI = 0.57 to 1.53) MS. CONCLUSION: Higher life-space mobility was associated with lower odds of falling among OAMS with progressive subtype. The UAB-LSA may complement existing mobility measures for predicting fall risk.

Effects of a respiratory and neurological rehabilitation treatment plan in post Covid-19 affected university students. Randomized clinical study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 demonstrated the possibility of neurological complications such as loss of sense of smell and taste, together with respiratory problems. Respiratory training and rehabilitation of neurological sequelae are essential to improve respiratory function and thus quality of life, and the aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a pulmonary and neurological rehabilitation program. OBJECTIVES: To apply a treatment to reduce dyspnea, increase exertional capacity, increase vital capacity and respiratory muscle strength, together with an increase in olfactory and gustatory sensitivity in post-SARS-CoV-2 patients. METHODS: A randomised controlled experimental study was conducted in 220 patients with a medical diagnosis of COVID-19 and more than 5 months of evolution, dyspnoea or perceived fatigue, including olfactory and gustatory perception problems, of whom 200 patients completed the study. 100 patients were randomly assigned to the intervention group, consisting of an inspiratory training treatment plan (Powerbreathe Plus®) combined with aerobic exercise and olfactory gustatory treatment for 31 days, and 100 patients to the control group, for 31 days without any type of therapy. RESULTS: The study was conducted in post-Covid-19 patients for 5 months. Two hundred patients were divided into an intervention group (n = 100) and a control group (n = 100). The comparison between the groups showed significant differences in spirometric variables; forced vital capacity (p < .001; Eta2 (0.439); Mean: 0,6135), the ratio between both FEV1/FVC (p < 0.01; Eta2 (0.728); Mean:9,313), peak inspiratory pressure (p < 0.01; Eta2 (0.906); Mean:4,526); changes were observed in dyspnoea measured with the modified Borg scale (p < 0.01; Eta2 (0.811); Mean:1,481) and the modified Medical Research Council scale (p < 0.01; Eta2 (0.881); Mean: 0.777); finally, changes were found in neurological variables, in the questions of the Singapore Smell and Taste Questionnaire, How was your sense of smell after treatment? (p < 0.01; Eta2 (0.813); Mean: 1,721) and How is your sense of taste after treatment? (p < 0.01; Eta2 (0.898); Mean: 1,088). CONCLUSION: The implementation of a respiratory rehabilitation treatment plan with the Powerbreathe Plus® device, aerobic exercise and neurorehabilitation with olfactory and gustatory training, is a therapeutic option against respiratory and neurological sequelae in patients who have suffered such sequelae due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05195099. First posted 18/01/2022; Last Update Posted 29/06/2022.

Application of near-infrared spectroscopy to assess the effect of the cupping size on the spatial hemodynamic response from the area inside and outside the cup of the biceps.

Cupping therapy is a popular intervention for improving muscle recovery after exercise although clinical evidence is weak. Previous studies demonstrated that cupping therapy may improve microcirculation of the soft tissue to accelerate tissue healing. However, it is unclear whether the cupping size could affect the spatial hemodynamic response of the treated muscle. The objective of this study was to use 8-channel near-infrared spectroscopy to assess this clinical question by assessing the effect of 3 cupping sizes (35, 40, and 45 mm in inner diameter of the circular cup) under -300 mmHg for 5 min on the muscle hemodynamic response from the area inside and outside the cup, including oxyhemoglobin and deoxy-hemoglobin in 18 healthy adults. Two-way factorial design was used to assess the interaction between the cupping size (35, 40, and 45 mm) and the location (inside and outside the cup) and the main effects of the cupping size and the location. The two-way repeated measures ANOVA demonstrated an interaction between the cupping size and the location in deoxy-hemoglobin (P = 0.039) but no interaction in oxyhemoglobin (P = 0.100), and a main effect of the cup size (P = 0.001) and location (P = 0.023) factors in oxyhemoglobin. For the cupping size factor, the 45-mm cup resulted in a significant increase in oxyhemoglobin (5.738±0.760 µM) compared to the 40-mm (2.095±0.312 µM, P<0.001) and 35-mm (3.134±0.515 µM, P<0.01) cup. Our findings demonstrate that the cupping size and location factors affect the muscle hemodynamic response, and the use of multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy may help understand benefits of cupping therapy on managing musculoskeletal impairment.

Comparison of Gas Treatments of High Oxygen, Carbon Monoxide, and Nitric Oxide on Ground Beef Color in Modified Atmosphere Packaging.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the viability and performance of nitric oxide modified-atmosphere packaging (MAP) as a novel alternative to high oxygen and carbon monoxide MAP for ground beef. Packages of ground beef under high oxygen (HI-OX), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitric oxide (NO) atmospheres were evaluated for descriptive and instrumental color every 12 h during a 120 h display period. Surface myoglobin percentages, internal cooked color, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and residual nitrite and nitrate were also evaluated. There were gas × time interactions for descriptive color, discoloration, a* values, b* values, deoxymyoglobin percentages, and metmyoglobin percentages (p < 0.05). There were also gas-type main effects for cooked color and TBARS (p < 0.05). Carbon monoxide maintained the most redness and least discoloration throughout the display period, while HI-OX started with a bright red color but rapidly browned (p < 0.05). Nitric oxide started as dark red to tannish-red but transitioned to a dull red (p < 0.05). However, NO had increased redness and a* values for internal cooked color (p < 0.05). Although CO outperformed NO packages, NO exhibited a unique color cycle warranting further research to optimize its use.

Brain control of dual-task walking can be improved in aging and neurological disease.

The peak prevalence of multiple sclerosis has shifted into older age groups, but co-occurring and possibly synergistic motoric and cognitive declines in this patient population are poorly understood. Dual-task-walking performance, subserved by the prefrontal cortex, and compromised in multiple sclerosis and aging, predicts health outcomes. Whether acute practice can improve dual-task walking performance and prefrontal cortex hemodynamic response efficiency in multiple sclerosis has not been reported. To address this gap in the literature, the current study examined task- and practice-related effects on dual-task-walking and associated brain activation in older adults with multiple sclerosis and controls. Multiple sclerosis (n = 94, mean age = 64.76 ± 4.19 years) and control (n = 104, mean age = 68.18 ± 7.01 years) participants were tested under three experimental conditions (dual-task-walk, single-task-walk, and single-task-alpha) administered over three repeated counterbalanced trials. Functional near-infrared-spectroscopy was used to evaluate task- and practice-related changes in prefrontal cortex oxygenated hemoglobin. Gait and cognitive performances declined, and prefrontal cortex oxygenated hemoglobin was higher in dual compared to both single task conditions in both groups. Gait and cognitive performances improved over trials in both groups. There were greater declines over trials in oxygenated hemoglobin in dual-task-walk compared to single-task-walk in both groups. Among controls, but not multiple sclerosis participants, declines over trials in oxygenated hemoglobin were greater in dual-task-walk compared to single-task-alpha. Dual-task walking and associated prefrontal cortex activation efficiency improved during a single session, but improvement in neural resource utilization, although significant, was attenuated in multiple sclerosis participants. These findings suggest encouraging brain adaptability in aging and neurological disease.

Induction of Extracellular Hydroxyl Radicals Production in the White-Rot Fungus Pleurotus eryngii for Dyes Degradation: An Advanced Bio-oxidation Process.

Among pollution remediation technologies, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are genuinely efficient since they are based on the production of strong, non-selective oxidants, mainly hydroxyl radicals (·OH), by a set of physicochemical methods. The biological counterparts of AOPs, which may be referred to as advanced bio-oxidation processes (ABOPs), have begun to be investigated since the mechanisms of induction of ·OH production in fungi are known. To contribute to the development of ABOPs, advanced oxidation of a wide number of dyes by the white-rot fungus Pleurotus eryngii, via a quinone redox cycling (QRC) process based on Fenton's reagent formation, has been described for the first time. The fungus was incubated with 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (DBQ) and Fe3+-oxalate, with and without Mn2+, leading to different ·OH production rates, around twice higher with Mn2+. Thanks to this process, the degradative capacity of the fungus increased, not only oxidising dyes it was not otherwise able to, but also increasing the decolorization rate of 20 dyes by more than 7 times in Mn2+ incubations. In terms of process efficacy, it is noteworthy that with Mn2+ the degradation of the dyes reached values of 90-100% in 2-4 h, which are like those described in some AOPs based on the Fenton reaction.

Association of polypharmacy scores with the long-term survival of patients with intact aortoiliac aneurysms and indication for repair.

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: Our study analyzed the relationship between two polypharmacy scores (addition of chronic prescribed drugs [ACPDs] and Rx-Risk Comorbidity Index) and survival in patients with an intact abdominal aortic and/or common iliac aneurysm (AAA). METHODS: Consecutive retrospective, single-center cohort of patients attended for an intact AAA with indication for repair from 2008 to 2021. Demographic data, Charlson Comorbidity Index, AAA treatment, ACPD, and Rx-Risk polypharmacy scores were recorded at baseline. Main outcomes were the 5-year and long-term survival rates. The statistical analysis included Cox regression, area under the curve, and continuous net reclassification index. RESULTS: A total of 424 patients with AAA were evaluated (median age: 76 years; 92.2% male, median Charlson index 2), of whom 314 (74.1%) underwent intervention (80% endovascular and 20% open) and 110 (25.9%) did not. During follow-up (mean 4.6 years), 245 patients (57.8%) died, with 1-month, 1-year, and 5-year survival rates of 98.1%, 86.3%, and 52.7%, respectively. ACPD and Rx-Risk indices (median [interquartile range]: 6 [4-9] and 3 [0-5], respectively) were significantly and linearly associated (P < .001) with survival, with the best cutoff points at 5 and 0, respectively. An ACPD >5 (patients with >5 chronically prescribed drugs at baseline) and an Rx-Risk >0 were associated with a 45.2% (P = .038) and 102% (P = .002) increase in 5-year mortality, respectively, after adjustment for age, sex, Charlson index, and type of AAA treatment. Both polypharmacy indices improved significantly the discriminative power of the Charlson Comorbidity Index in predicting survival. CONCLUSIONS: Both ACPD and Rx-Risk polypharmacy scores are independently related to survival among patients with an intact AAA and indication for repair. Their behavior is similar, so the simple ACPD >5 appears to be sufficient to identify patients with lower survival rates.

Mother-to-child Chagas disease transmission: The challenge of detection and prevention in areas without the risk of vectorial transmission.

Chagas disease (CD) is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Although it is endemic in many Latin American (LA) countries, mother-to-child transmission has caused it to expand to other countries and continents. In places where vector transmission is controlled or absent, the epidemiological importance of T. cruzi transmission of the infected mother to her child during pregnancy or childbirth (i.e., perinatal CD) increases. In countries where CD is not endemic, CD screening should be performed in pregnant or fertile women who are native to LA countries or whose mothers are native to LA countries. Diagnosis is established by detecting anti-T. cruzi IgG antibodies in a serum or plasma sample. Antiparasitic treatment cannot be offered during pregnancy, and since the majority of infected newborns are asymptomatic at birth, a diagnosis is made by direct observation or concentration (microhematocrit) or by using molecular testing techniques. Once the infected child receives a diagnosis, it is essential to offer treatment (benznidazole/nifurtimox) as soon as possible, with good tolerance and effectiveness in the first year of life. Even if the diagnosis is negative at birth, the newborn must be followed up for at least the first 9 months of life.

Initial validation of the university of Alabama Birmingham study of aging life-space assessment in older adults with multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Older adults with multiple sclerosis (OAMS) have declines in walking and physical performance that may erode community mobility defined as the spatial extent of mobility in one's daily life and environment. OBJECTIVE: This study provided the first application and validation of the University of Alabama Birmingham Study of Aging Life-Space Assessment (UAB LSA) as a measure of community mobility in OAMS. METHODS: The sample included 97 OAMS and 108 healthy controls (HCs) who completed baseline assessments as part of an ongoing, longitudinal study. The primary assessments included the UAB LSA and timed 25-foot walk (T25FW), short physical performance battery (SPPB), global health score (GHS), and geriatric depression scale (GDS) in both OAMS and HCs, and patient determined disease steps (PDDS) scale in only OAMS. RESULTS: OAMS had significantly lower UAB LSA scores than HCs (p < .001). UAB LSA scores had strong correlations with T25FW(rs = -.641) and SPPB(rs = 0.507) in OAMS, and moderate correlations in HCs (rs = -.300 & rs = 0.384). The correlations between UAB LSA and GHS and GDS scores were significant, but small in OAMS (rs = -.239 & rs = -.231), and not statistically significant in HCs (rs = -.009 & rs = -.166). There was a strong correlation between UAB LSA and PDDS scores in the OAMS sample (rs = -.605). CONCLUSION: We provided initial evidence for UAB LSA scores as a measure of community mobility in OAMS.

Classification of fall risk across the lifespan using gait derived features from a wearable device.

Falls are one of the leading factors of injury and fatality in older adults. Given the importance of early detection of adults at higher risk of falls, we evaluated the ability of machine learning to classify fall risk in adults across the lifespan using wearable sensors embedded in a smartshirt. We evaluated the classification performance of binary and multiclass fall risk classifier models using SciKit Digital Health in adults across the lifespan. Using a k-fold and group k-fold cross-validation strategy, we demonstrate the feasibility of fall risk classification using accelerometer data from 10 second epochs of treadmill walking data from adults across the lifespan. We achieved an 88% accuracy in a binary clasifier of fallers vs. non-fallers, and an 86% accuracy in a multiclass classifier comparing non-fallers, fallers, and recurrent fallers using retrospective fall histories. Comparing group k-fold vs. k-fold cross-validation strategies, we find a 22-27% drop-off in accuracy performance. Furthering the evaluation framework presented in this study would be valuable to the development of more robust and clinically relevant models used in the prediction of fall risk. These models could one day be applied in clinical settings to help better diagnose and monitor fall risk among older adults, improving the care of at-risk individuals and reducing the injury and associated cost of falls.

A Deep Learning Approach for Grading of Motor Impairment Severity in Parkinson's Disease.

Objective and quantitative monitoring of movement impairments is crucial for detecting progression in neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease (PD). This study examined the ability of deep learning approaches to grade motor impairment severity in a modified version of the Movement Disorders Society-sponsored revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) using low-cost wearable sensors. A convolutional neural network architecture, XceptionTime, was used to classify lower and higher levels of motor impairment in persons with PD, across five distinct rhythmic tasks: finger tapping, hand movements, pronation-supination movements of the hands, toe tapping, and leg agility. In addition, an aggregate model was trained on data from all tasks together for evaluating bradykinesia symptom severity in PD. The model performance was highest in the hand movement tasks with an accuracy of 82.6% in the hold-out test dataset; the accuracy for the aggregate model was 79.7%, however, it demonstrated the lowest variability. Overall, these findings suggest the feasibility of integrating low-cost wearable technology and deep learning approaches to automatically and objectively quantify motor impairment in persons with PD. This approach may provide a viable solution for a widely deployable telemedicine solution.

Impacto del sexo del donante y del receptor en los niveles de hemoglobina de los receptores de riñón al año de seguimiento / Impact of donor and recipient sex on hemoglobin levels of kidney recipients at one-year follow-up

Introdución:El trasplante renal es la mejor terapia de reemplazo renal, el cual depende de múltiples factores para un funcionamiento como condiciones del donador, del receptor y sociodemográficas.Objetivo: Evaluar el efecto del sexo de los donadores y receptores durante el primer año después del trasplante en los valores de hemoglobina. Material y Método: Estudio de cohorte retrospectiva de receptores renales del 2014 al 2019, realizado en el Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI (Ciudad de México). Se incluyeron a todos los trasplantados, excluyendo fallecidos, pérdida del injerto y pérdida de seguimiento en la institución. Se estudiaron sexo y edad del donante y receptor, tipo de donante renal (vivo o fallecido), hemoglobina antes del trasplante renal y la hemoglobina al año del trasplante, y creatinina sérica.Resultados: Se analizaron 914 pacientes, se excluyeron 109 por diversos motivos, quedando 805 pacientes que completaron los 12 meses de seguimiento. En el caso de donaciones de masculino a femenino, la mediana de hemoglobina del receptor a los 12 meses fue de 15,2 g/dL (Percentil 25-Percentil 75: 13,7-16,0 g/dL), de masculino a masculino de 15,2 g/dL (Percentil 25-Percentil 75: 13,4-16,6 g/dL), de femenino a femenino de 14,0 g/dL (Percentil 25-Percentil 75: 12,4-15,3 g/dL) y femenino de masculino de 13,5 g/dL (Percentil 25-Percentil 75: 12,5-14,8 g/dL).Conclusiones: Los niveles de hemoglogina no parecen estar influenciados por la masa nefronal, como sí otras funciones del injerto (depuración de creatinina). La regulación de la hemoglobina guarda relación con el sexo del receptor (AU)

Introduction: Kidney transplantation is the optimal renal replacement therapy, dependent on various factors such as donor, recipient, and sociodemographic conditions for optimal functioning. Objective: To assess the effect of donor and recipient sex during the first year post-transplant on hemoglobin values.Material and Method: A retrospective cohort study of kidney recipients from 2014 to 2019 was conducted at the Hospital de Especialidades of Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI (Mexico City). All transplant recipients were included, excluding those who died, experienced graft loss, or were lost to follow-up at the institution. Donor and recipient sex and age, type of renal donor (living or deceased), hemoglobin before renal transplant, hemoglobin at one-year post-transplant, and serum creatinine were studied.Results: A total of 914 patients were analyzed, with 109 excluded for various reasons, resulting in 805 patients who completed the 12-month follow-up. In cases of male-to-female donations, the median recipient hemoglobin at 12 months was 15.2 g/dL with an interquartile range (IQR 25-75) of 13.7-16.0 g/dL; male-to-male donations had a median of 15.2 g/dL (IQR 25-75 13.4-16.6 g/dL); female-to-female donations had a median of 14.0 g/dL (IQR 25-75 12.4-15.3 g/dL), and female-to-male donations had a median of 13.5 g/dL (IQR 25-75 12.5-14.8 g/dL).Conclusions: Hemoglobin levels do not appear to be influenced by nephron mass, as with other graft functions (creatinine clearance). Hemoglobin regulation is associated with the recipient’s sex (AU)

Derivates of 1,6-dihyadroazaazulenes as inhibitors of tyrosine kinases BCR-ABL1 wild type and mutant T315I: a molecular dynamics approach.

The protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) produced by the BCR-ABL1 gene has generated significant interest in the development of inhibitors since the presence of punctual mutations causes resistance to currently approved drugs, mainly the T315I mutation has been the most difficult to address. In this work, derivatives of 1,6-dihydroazaazulenes are studied as possible inhibitors of this PTK in its wild form and the mutant T315I. The recognition of the ligands was explored through molecular docking, and the stability of the complexes and their evolution over time was studied using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Our results show that complexes are energetically stable and reside on the ATP binding site in all cases during the MD experiments. Interestingly, a few of our proposed ligands presented greater affinity for T315I, finding more favorable binding free energies (ΔG) than the reference drug axitinib. Furthermore, they may act as inhibitors for both isoforms. Our findings are promising because mutation of T315I does not prevent ligand recognition, as detailed in this work, which is very important to conduct further experimental research.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

A Deep Learning Approach for Automatic and Objective Grading of the Motor Impairment Severity in Parkinson's Disease for Use in Tele-Assessments.

Wearable sensors provide a tool for at-home monitoring of motor impairment progression in neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease (PD). This study examined the ability of deep learning approaches to grade the motor impairment severity in a modified version of the Movement Disorders Society-sponsored revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) using low-cost wearable sensors. We hypothesized that expanding training datasets with motion data from healthy older adults (HOAs) and initializing classifiers with weights learned from unsupervised pre-training would lead to an improvement in performance when classifying lower vs. higher motor impairment relative to a baseline deep learning model (XceptionTime). This study evaluated the change in classification performance after using expanded training datasets with HOAs and transferring weights from unsupervised pre-training compared to a baseline deep learning model (XceptionTime) using both upper extremity (finger tapping, hand movements, and pronation-supination movements of the hands) and lower extremity (toe tapping and leg agility) tasks consistent with the MDS-UPDRS. Overall, we found a 12.2% improvement in accuracy after expanding the training dataset and pre-training using max-vote inference on hand movement tasks. Moreover, we found that the classification performance improves for every task except toe tapping after the addition of HOA training data. These findings suggest that learning from HOA motion data can implicitly improve the representations of PD motion data for the purposes of motor impairment classification. Further, our results suggest that unsupervised pre-training can improve the performance of motor impairment classifiers without any additional annotated PD data, which may provide a viable solution for a widely deployable telemedicine solution.

Using cross-correlation analysis of multi-channel near infrared spectroscopy to assess the hemodynamic response to cupping therapy.

Cupping therapy is a common intervention for the management of musculoskeletal impairment. Previous studies have demonstrated that cupping therapy can improve muscle hemodynamic responses using single-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). However, the effects of cupping therapy on spatial hemodynamic responses as well as the correlation between oxyhemoglobin and deoxy-hemoglobin are largely unknown. The cross-correlation function (CCF) algorithm was used to determine the correlation between time-series NIRS signals from inside and outside the cup as well as time-series oxyhemoglobin and deoxy-hemoglobin under 4 cupping intensities, including -225 and -300 mmHg for 5 and 10 min. The main finding was that the maximum CCF values of oxyhemoglobin was significantly higher than those in deoxy-hemoglobin (p < 0.05). Furthermore, it was found that there was a correlation between deoxy-hemoglobin with a longer duration and a larger magnitude of negative pressure. This is the first study investigating time-series hemodynamic responses after cupping therapy using cross-correlation function analysis of multi-channel NIRS signals.

Deep Learning for Multiple Sclerosis Differentiation Using Multi-Stride Dynamics in Gait.

OBJECTIVE: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological condition of the central nervous system leading to various physical, mental and psychiatric complexities. Mobility limitations are amongst the most frequent and early markers of MS. We evaluated the effectiveness of a DeepMS2G (deep learning (DL) for MS differentiation using multistride dynamics in gait) framework, which is a DL-based methodology to classify multi-stride sequences of persons with MS (PwMS) from healthy controls (HC), in order to generalize over newer walking tasks and subjects. METHODS: We collected single-task Walking and dual-task Walking-while-Talking gait data using an instrumented treadmill from a balanced collection of 20 HC and 20 PwMS. We utilized domain knowledge-based spatiotemporal and kinetic gait features along with two normalization schemes, namely standard size-based and multiple regression normalization strategies. To differentiate between multi-stride sequences of HC and PwMS, we compared 16 traditional machine learning and DL algorithms. Further, we studied the interpretability of our highest-performing models; and discussed the association between the lower extremity function of participants and our model predictions. RESULTS: We observed that residual neural network (ResNet) based models with regression-based normalization were the top performers across both task and subject generalization classification designs. Considering regression-based normalization, a multi-scale ResNet attained a subject classification accuracy and F 1-score of 1.0 when generalizing from single-task Walking to dual-task Walking-while-Talking; and a ResNet resulted in the top subject-wise accuracy and F 1 of 0.83 and 0.81 (resp.), when generalizing over unseen participants. CONCLUSION: We used advanced DL and dynamics across domain knowledge-based spatiotemporal and kinetic gait parameters to successfully classify MS gait across distinct walking trials and unseen participants. SIGNIFICANCE: Our proposed DL algorithms might contribute to efforts to automate MS diagnoses.

Corrigendum to "Feasibility of virtual low-cost quantitative continuous measurement of movements in the extremities of people with Parkinson's disease" [MethodsX 11 (2023) 102230].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2023.102230.].

Dataset of quality assurance measurements of rhythmic movements.

A low-cost quantitative structured office measurement of movements in the extremities of people with Parkinson's disease [1,2] was performed on participants with Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy as well as age- and sex-matched healthy participants with typical development. Participants underwent twelve videotaped procedures rated by a trained examiner while connected to four accelerometers [1,2] generating a trace of the three location dimensions expressed as spreadsheets [3,4]. The signals of the five repetitive motion items (3.4 Finger tapping, 3.5 Hand movements, 3.6 Pronation-supination movements of hands, 3.7 Toe tapping, and 3.8 Leg agility) [1] underwent processing to fast Fourier [5] and amor and bump continuous wavelet transforms [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13]. Images of the signals and their transforms [4], [5], [6] of the five repetitive tasks of each participant were randomly expressed as panels on an electronic framework for rating by 35 trained examiners who did not know the source of the original output [14]. The team of international raters completed ratings of the signals and their transforms independently using criteria like the scoring systems for live assessments of movements in human participants [1,2]. The raters scored signals and transforms for deficits in the sustained performance of rhythmic movements (interruptions, slowing, and amplitude decrements) often observed in people with Parkinson's disease [15], [16], [17], [18], [19], [20]. Raters were first presented the images of the signals and transforms of a man with multiple system atrophy as a test and a retest in a different random order. After the raters completed the assessments of the man with multiple system atrophy, they were presented random test and retest panels of the images of signals and transforms of ten participants with Parkinson's disease who completed a single rating session. After the raters completed the assessments of the participants with Parkinson's disease who completed one set of ratings, they were presented random test and retest panels of the images of signals and transforms of (A) ten participants with Parkinson's disease and (B) eight age- and sex-match healthy participants with typical development who completed two rating session separated by a month or more [15], [16], [17], [18], [19], [20]. The data provide a framework for further analysis of the acquired information. Additionally, the data provide a template for the construction of electronic frameworks for the remote analysis by trained raters of signals and transforms of rhythmic processes to verify that the systems are operating smoothly without interruptions or changes in frequency and amplitude. Thus, the data provide the foundations to construct electronic frameworks for the virtual quality assurance of a vast spectrum of rhythmic processes. The dataset is a suitable template for solving unsupervised and supervised machine learning algorithms. Readers may utilize this procedure to assure the quality of rhythmic processes by confirming the absence of deviations in rate and rhythm. Thus, this procedure provides the means to confirm the quality of the vast spectrum of rhythmic processes.

Modelo animal para la evaluación del sellado de colaterales venosas con dispositivos liberadores de energía en cirugía de revascularización / Animal model to assess collateral vein sealing with energy-based devices in revascularization surgery

Introducción: los dispositivos liberadores de energía permiten la hemostasia de los vasos mediante generación de calor y la coagulación de las proteínas de la pared. Sin embargo, se desconoce su comportamiento a medio plazo en la cirugía arterial con injertos venosos. Objetivos: desarrollar un modelo animal que permita evaluar la eficacia y seguridad del sellado a medio plazo tras el proceso de cicatrización. Comparar y evaluar qué modelo in vivo presenta menor morbilidad y mayor supervivencia a las 4 semanas. Material y métodos: estudio experimental animal de 16 conejos New Zealand a los que se interpuso un fragmento de vena safena humana (VS) con una colateral. Se desarrollaron dos modelos arteriales: bypass termino-terminal de VS en aorta infrarrenal (n = 5) y plastia de aorta con parche de VS (n = 11). La colateral venosa fue sellada, previa aleatorización, con electrocoagulación bipolar controlada por temperatura (EB) o bisturí armónico (BA). Todos los animales recibieron inmunosupresión y profilaxis antitrombótica. Se registró la tasa de paraplejia, de infección, de hemorragia y de supervivencia. Resultados: la supervivencia a los 7 días fue del 50 % (2/4) en el modelo de injerto de interposición. Sin embargo, ningún animal sobrevivió a las 4 semanas de seguimiento en este modelo. En el grupo de plastia de aorta, la supervivencia a los 7 días fue del 55,56 % (5/9) y del 44,44 % (4/9) a las 4 semanas (p = 0,5). La tasa de paraplejia en el grupo de interposición fue del 100 % e inferior en el modelo de plastia de aorta (25 %) (p = 0,03). El tiempo medio de isquemia en el modelo de plastia de aorta (37,11 ± 8,1 min) fue inferior al del grupo del bypass (42 ± 10,61 min) (p = 0,414). En ningún caso se objetivó hemorragia intraabdominal ni reacción adversa a la inmunosupresión. Conclusiones: el modelo arterial de plastia de aorta con parche de VS presentó menor tasa de paraplejia, así como menor mortalidad posoperatoria a los 7 días...(AU)

Introduction: energy sealing devices achieve hemostasis of the vessels through the heat generated and coagula-tion of the vascular wall proteins. However, the mid-term efficacy profile for venous graft sealing in arterial bypasssurgery remains unknown.Objectives: to create an animal model to compare the mid-term efficacy and safety profile at the sealing areaafter the healing process. To compare and assess which in vivo arterial models show lower morbidity and highersurvival rates after 4 weeks.Material and methods: this was an in vivo experimental study of 16 New Zealand rabbits. In each rabbit a humansaphenous vein (SV) with, at least, 1 venous collateral was implanted. Two arterial models were developed: infrarre-nal aorta bypass with SV (n = 5) and aortoplasty with SV patch (n = 11). In both models the collateral was randomizedand sealed with either 1 these 2 energy sealing devices: electrothermal bipolar vessel sealing (EBVS) or Harmonicscalpel (HS). Every animal was treated with antithrombotic prophylaxis and immunosuppressive medication. Therates of intraoperative mortality, paraplegia, infection, bleeding, and survival were all studied.Results: two animals (50 %) survive 7 days after surgery in the bypass model. However, no animal survived 4 daysafter surgery in this model. In the aortoplasty group, the 7-day survival rate was 55.56 % (5/9) while the 4-weeksurvival rate was 44.44 % (4/9) (p = 0.05). The rate of paraplegia was 100 % for the bypass model and much lowerfor the patch group (25 %) (p = 0.03). The mean ischemic time was lower for the aortoplasty model (37.11 ± 8.1 min)compared to the bypass group (42 ± 10.61 min) (p = 0.414). No animal showed intrabdominal hemorrhages oradverse drug reactions associated with the immunosuppressive medication.Conclusion: aortoplasty with the SV patch model showed lower rates of paraplegia and 7-day mortality in theanimal model...(AU)