Self-Powered Traffic Lights Through Wind Energy Harvesting Based on High-Performance Fur-Brush Dish Triboelectric Nanogenerators.

Traffic lights play vital roles in urban traffic management systems, providing clear directional guidance for vehicles and pedestrians while ensuring traffic safety. However, the vast quantity of traffic lights widely distributed in the transportation system aggravates energy consumption. Here, a self-powered traffic light system is proposed through wind energy harvesting based on a high-performance fur-brush dish triboelectric nanogenerator (FD-TENG). The FD-TENG harvests wind energy to power the traffic light system continuously without needing an external power supply. Natural rabbit furs are applied to dish structures, due to their outstanding characteristics of shallow wear, high performance, and resistance to humidity. Also, the grid pattern of the dish structure significantly impacts the TENG outputs. Additionally, the internal electric field and the influences of mechanical and structural parameters on the outputs are analyzed by finite element simulations. After optimization, the FD-TENG can achieve a peak power density of 3.275 W m-3. The portable and miniature features of FD-TENG make it suitable for other natural environment systems such as forests, oceans, and mountains, besides the traffic light systems. This study presents a viable strategy for self-powered traffic lights, establishing a basis for efficient environmental energy harvesting toward big data and Internet of Things applications.

Unveiling the distinctive ossification patterns of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis and ankylosing spondylitis using computed tomography three-dimensional reconstruction.

OBJECTIVE: To quantitatively analyze the morphological characteristics of osteophytes in DISH and syndesmophytes in AS, and summarize different ossification patterns to help identify the two diseases. Associated factors for new bone formation would be investigated. METHODS: Fifty patients with DISH and 50 age-, sex-, CT examination site- matched patients with AS were enrolled. Radiographic and clinical data were reviewed. Osteophytes (syndesmophytes) in front of each vertebral body and the corresponding intervertebral disc space were defined as vertebral osteophytes unit (VOU). The volume, angle and location (contralateral, ipsilateral, bilateral) of osteophytes in each VOU were measured and compared between DISH and AS groups. RESULTS: In each VOU, the volume and angle of osteophytes in DISH were significantly larger. The best osteophytes volume and angle cutoff value in predicting DISH was 0.59 cm3 and 40.15°. Contralateral, bilateral, ipsilateral osteophytes were recorded in 59.32%, 36.38%, 4.3% of assessed VOUs in patients with DISH and 64.78%, 29.31%, 5.91% in AS (p<0.001), respectively. As to ipsilateral osteophytes, the volume was inversely correlated with the center of the vertebral body to the center of the descending aorta (DISH: r = -0.45, p= 0.01; AS: r = -0.83, p<0.001). Advanced age, disease duration, smoking and overweight contribute to the progression of osteophytes and syndesmophytes. CONCLUSION: Morphological features of osteophytes are helpful to distinguish DISH with AS. Aortic pulsations inhibit or hinder new bone formation in both DISH and AS. Maintaining normal BMI could postpone osteophytes formation.

Prevalence of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) and early-phase DISH across the lifespan of an American population.

OBJECTIVES: DISH is a common musculoskeletal disorder; however, the imaging features and disease continuum from early to advanced stages is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of DISH and early-phase DISH in an American population and to assess the extent and pattern of ectopic mineralization across the thoracic spine. METHODS: Data were retrieved in collaboration with the Rochester Epidemiology Project. We conducted a retrospective image evaluation of a sample of individuals over 19 years of age with CT of the thoracic spine from a Northern US catchment area. Stratified random sampling by age and sex was used to populate the study. We examined the prevalence and extent of ectopic mineralization along the thoracic spine using previously established criteria. RESULTS: A total of 1536 unique images (766 female and 770 male individuals) including 16 710 motion segments were evaluated for imaging features of the continuum of DISH. Collectively, 40.5% of all motion segments evaluated displayed evidence of ectopic mineralization in the thoracic spine. The prevalence of early-phase DISH was 13.2% (10.4% of female and 15.8% of male individuals). The prevalence of established DISH was 14.2% (7.4% of female and 20.9% of male individuals). Remarkable heterogeneity was detected in individuals within each disease classification, based on the extent of the thoracic spine affected and degree of mineralization. CONCLUSIONS: The continuum of imaging features associated with DISH is detected in more than one in four adults and both sexes in an American population.

Utility of MRI-based vertebral bone quality scores and CT-based Hounsfield unit values in vertebral bone mineral density assessment for patients with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis.

This study investigated bone mineral density assessment for patients with DISH. DXA-based T-scores overestimated bone quality, while MRI-based VBQ scores and CT-based HU values provided accurate assessments, particularly for advanced degenerative cases. This enhances accurate evaluation of BMD, crucial for clinical decision-making. PURPOSE: To investigate the diagnostic effectiveness of DXA, MRI, and CT in assessing bone mineral density (BMD) for diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) patients. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 105 DISH patients and 116 age-matched controls with lumbar spinal stenosis was conducted. BMD was evaluated using DXA-based T-scores, MRI-based vertebral bone quality (VBQ) scores, and CT-based Hounsfield unit (HU) values. Patients were categorized into three BMD subgroups. Lumbar osteophyte categories were determined by Mata score. Demographics, clinical data, T-scores, VBQ scores, and HU values were collected. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis identified VBQ and HU thresholds for diagnosing normal BMD using DXA in controls. Correlations between VBQ, HU, and lumbar T-score were analyzed. RESULTS: Age, gender, and BMI showed no significant differences between DISH and control groups. DISH patients had higher T-score (L1-4), the lowest T-score, and Mata scores. VBQ and HU did not significantly differ between groups. In controls, VBQ and HU effectively diagnosed normal BMD (AUC = 0.857 and 0.910, respectively) with cutoffs of 3.0 for VBQ and 104.3 for HU. DISH had higher normal BMD prevalence using T-scores (69.5% vs. 58.6%, P < 0.05), but no significant differences using VBQ (57.1% vs. 56.2%, P > 0.05) and HU (58.1% vs. 57.8%, P > 0.05). Correlations revealed moderate correlations between HU and T-scores (L1-4) in DISH (r = 0.642, P < 0.001) and strong in controls (r = 0.846, P < 0.001). Moderate negative correlations were observed between VBQ and T-scores (L1-4) in DISH (r = - 0.450, P < 0.001) and strong in controls (r = - 0.813, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: DXA-based T-scores may overestimate BMD in DISH. VBQ scores and HU values could effectively complement BMD assessment, particularly in DISH patients or those with advanced lumbar degeneration.

Determination of Cyanide and Cyanoglycosides in Sweetened Bean Paste by HPLC with Fluorescence Detection.

It is necessary to evaluate the efficiency of reduction for cyanide and cyanoglycosides during the manufacturing process from raw material beans to sweetened bean paste in a food hygiene control system from the viewpoint of food safety. Analytical methods for cyanide and cyanoglycoside determination in sweetened bean paste by HPLC with fluorescence detection were developed. In analysis of collection time of free cyanide in the free cyanide assay, the recovery was improved by extending the collection time, the recovery rate was >80% by 2 h. The accuracy, repeatability and intra-laboratory precision of the free cyanide assay were 82.3, 2.0, and 2.4%, respectively. The method for cyanoglycoside analysis was evaluated by 5 repeated spiked recovery experiments at a concentration of 10 ppm. The accuracy, repeatability and intra-laboratory precision of the cyanoglycoside method were 82.2, 1.9, and 3.4%, respectively. These analytical methods will enable the analysis of cyanide and cyanoglycosides in sweetened bean paste without using steam distillation method in the pretreatment.

Electrically stimulated in vitro heart cell mimic of acute exercise reveals novel immediate cellular responses to exercise: Reduced contractility and metabolism, but maintained calcium cycling and increased myofilament calcium sensitivity.

Cardiac cellular responses to acute exercise remain undescribed. We present a model for mimicking acute aerobic endurance exercise to freshly isolated cardiomyocytes by evoking exercise-like contractions over prolonged periods of time with trains of electrical twitch stimulations. We then investigated immediate contractile, Ca2+ , and metabolic responses to acute exercise in perfused freshly isolated left ventricular rat cardiomyocytes, after a matrix-design optimized protocol and induced a mimic for acute aerobic endurance exercise by trains of prolonged field twitch stimulations. Acute exercise decreased cardiomyocyte fractional shortening 50%-80% (p < .01). This was not explained by changes to intracellular Ca2+ handling (p > .05); rather, we observed a weak insignificant Ca2+ transient increase (p = .11), while myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity increased 20%-70% (p < .05). Acidic pH 6.8 decreased fractional shortening 20%-70% (p < .05) because of 20%-30% decreased Ca2+ transients (p < .05), but no difference occurred between control and acute exercise (p > .05). Addition of 1 or 10 mM La- increased fractional shortening in control (1 mM La- : no difference, p > .05; 10 mM La- : 20%-30%, p < .05) and acute exercise (1 mM La- : 40%-90%, p < .01; 10 mM La- : 50%-100%, p < .01) and rendered acute exercise indifferent from control (p > .05). Intrinsic autofluorescence showed a resting NADstate of 0.59 ± 0.04 and FADstate of 0.17 ± 0.03, while acute exercise decreased NADH/FAD ratio 8% (p < .01), indicating intracellular oxidation. In conclusion, we show a novel approach for studying immediate acute cardiomyocyte responses to aerobic endurance exercise. We find that acute exercise in cardiomyocytes decreases contraction, but Ca2+ handling and myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity compensate for this, while acidosis and reduced energy substrate and mitochondrial ATP generation explain this.

Serine biosynthesis as a novel therapeutic target for dilated cardiomyopathy.

AIMS: Genetic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a leading cause of heart failure. Despite significant progress in understanding the genetic aetiologies of DCM, the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of familial DCM remain unknown, translating to a lack of disease-specific therapies. The discovery of novel targets for the treatment of DCM was sought using phenotypic sceening assays in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) that recapitulate the disease phenotypes in vitro. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using patient-specific iPSCs carrying a pathogenic TNNT2 gene mutation (p.R183W) and CRISPR-based genome editing, a faithful DCM model in vitro was developed. An unbiased phenotypic screening in TNNT2 mutant iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) with small molecule kinase inhibitors (SMKIs) was performed to identify novel therapeutic targets. Two SMKIs, Gö 6976 and SB 203580, were discovered whose combinatorial treatment rescued contractile dysfunction in DCM iPSC-CMs carrying gene mutations of various ontologies (TNNT2, TTN, LMNA, PLN, TPM1, LAMA2). The combinatorial SMKI treatment upregulated the expression of genes that encode serine, glycine, and one-carbon metabolism enzymes and significantly increased the intracellular levels of glucose-derived serine and glycine in DCM iPSC-CMs. Furthermore, the treatment rescued the mitochondrial respiration defects and increased the levels of the tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolites and ATP in DCM iPSC-CMs. Finally, the rescue of the DCM phenotypes was mediated by the activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) and its downstream effector genes, phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH), which encodes a critical enzyme of the serine biosynthesis pathway, and Tribbles 3 (TRIB3), a pseudokinase with pleiotropic cellular functions. CONCLUSIONS: A phenotypic screening platform using DCM iPSC-CMs was established for therapeutic target discovery. A combination of SMKIs ameliorated contractile and metabolic dysfunction in DCM iPSC-CMs mediated via the ATF4-dependent serine biosynthesis pathway. Together, these findings suggest that modulation of serine biosynthesis signalling may represent a novel genotype-agnostic therapeutic strategy for genetic DCM.

A radiological study of the natural history of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH): a story of incomplete fusion.

Introduction: DISH is an ankylosing disease, when fractured can be challenging to manage. A retrospective radiological study was conducted to evaluate the natural history and radiological characteristics of DISH on Computed tomography (CT).Methods: Paired CT scans with DISH that are separated at least two years apart were used to perform the following radiological measurements: Degree of disc space fusion, Osteophyte and vertebral body linear attenuation coefficients (LAC), and Osteophyte axial area size and location.Results: 164 patients were analysed with a mean duration of 4.49 years between scans. 38.14% (442/1159) of disc spaces had at least partial calcification. Most osteophytes were right sided before becoming more circumferential over time. The average fusion score was 54.17. Most of the changes in fusion occurred in the upper and lower thoracic regions. The thoracic region when compared to the lumbar region had a greater proportion of its disc spaced being fully fused. Disc level osteophyte areas were larger than Body level osteophytes. Disc osteophytes size growth rate drops over time from 10.89mm2/year in Stage 1 to 3.56mm2/year in Stage 3. Stage 3 disc spaces (-11.01HU/year) was also found to have had a reduction in their LAC over time when compared to Stage 1 disc spaces (17.04HU/year). This change in osteophyte LAC was not mirrored in the change in vertebral body LAC. We predict that the age of onset and complete thoracolumbar ankylosis of DISH to be 17.96 years and 100.59 years, respectively.Conclusion: DISH ankylosis of the spine a slow process that starts in the mid to lower thoracic region before extending cranially and caudally. After the bridging osteophyte has fully formed, remodelling of the osteophyte occurs.

A Microfluidic Experimental Method for Studying Cell-to-Cell Exosome Delivery-Taking Stem Cell-Tumor Cell Interaction as a Case.

Cell-to-cell communication must occur through molecular transport in the intercellular fluid space. Nanoparticles, such as exosomes, diffuse or move more slowly in fluids than small molecules. To find a microfluidic technology for real-time exosome experiments on intercellular communication between living cells, we use the microfluidic culture dish's quaternary ultra-slow microcirculation flow field to accumulate nanoparticles in a specific area. Taking stem cell-tumor cell interaction as an example, the ultra-slow microcirculatory flow field controls stem cell exosomes to interfere with tumor cells remotely. Under static coculture conditions (without microfluidics), the tumor cells near stem cells (<200 µm) show quick breaking through from its Matrigel drop to meet stem cells, but this 'breaking through' quickly disappears with increasing distance. In programmed ultra-slow microcirculation, stem cells induce tumor cells 5000 µm far at the site of exosome deposition (according to nanoparticle simulations). After 14 days of programmed coculture, the glomeration and migration of tumor cells were observed in the exosome deposition area. This example shows that the ultra-slow microcirculation of the microfluidic culture dish has good prospects in quantitative experiments to study exosome communication between living cells and drug development of cancer metastasis.

Aging Model for Analyzing Drug-Induced Proarrhythmia Risks Using Cardiomyocytes Differentiated from Progeria-Patient-Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Among various cardiac safety concerns, proarrhythmia risks, including QT prolongation leading to Torsade de Pointes, is one of major cause for drugs being withdrawn (~45% 1975-2007). Preclinical study requires the evaluation of proarrhythmia using in silico, in vitro, and/or animal models. Considering that the primary consumers of prescription drugs are elderly patients, applications of "aging-in-a-dish" models would be appropriate for screening proarrhythmia risks. However, acquiring such models, including cardiomyocytes (CMs) derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), presents extensive challenges. We proposed the hypothesis that CMs differentiated from iPSCs derived from Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS, progeria) patients, an ultra-rare premature aging syndrome, can mimic the phenotypes of aging CMs. Our objective, therefore, was to examine this hypothesis by analyzing the response of 11 reference compounds utilized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s Comprehensive in vitro Proarrhythmia Assay (CiPA) using progeria and control CMs. As a sensitive surrogate marker of modulating cardiac excitation-contraction coupling, we evaluated drug-induced changes in calcium transient (CaT). We observed that the 80% CaT peak duration in the progeria CMs (0.98 ± 0.04 s) was significantly longer than that of control CMs (0.70 ± 0.05 s). Furthermore, when the progeria CMs were subjected to four doses of 11 compounds from low-, intermediate-, and high-risk categories, they demonstrated greater arrhythmia susceptibility than control cells, as shown through six-parameter CaT profile analyses. We also employed the regression analysis established by CiPA to classify the 11 reference compounds and compared proarrhythmia susceptibilities between the progeria and control CMs. This analysis revealed a greater proarrhythmia susceptibility in the progeria CMs compared to the control CMs. Interestingly, in both CMs, the compounds categorized as low risk did not exceed the safety risk threshold of 0.8. In conclusion, our study demonstrates increased proarrhythmia sensitivity in progeria CMs when tested with reference compounds. Future studies are needed to analyze underlying mechanisms and further validate our findings using a larger array of reference compounds.

Topology Optimization Method of a Cavity Receiver and Built-In Net-Based Flow Channels for a Solar Parabolic Dish Collector.

The design of a thermal cavity receiver and the arrangement of the fluid flow layout within it are critical in the construction of solar parabolic dish collectors, involving the prediction of the thermal-fluid physical field of the receiver and optimization design. However, the thermal-fluid analysis coupled with a heat loss model of the receiver is a non-linear and computationally intensive solving process that incurs high computational costs in the optimization procedure. To address this, we implement a net-based thermal-fluid model that incorporates heat loss analysis to describe the receiver's flow and heat transfer processes, reducing computational costs. The physical field results of the net-based thermal-fluid model are compared with those of the numerical simulation, enabling us to verify the accuracy of the established thermal-fluid model. Additionally, based on the developed thermal-fluid model, a topology optimization method that employs a genetic algorithm (GA) is developed to design the cavity receiver and its built-in net-based flow channels. Using the established optimization method, single-objective and multi-objective optimization experiments are conducted under inhomogeneous heat flux conditions, with objectives including maximizing temperature uniformity and thermal efficiency, as well as minimizing the pressure drop. The results reveal varying topological characteristics for different optimization objectives. In comparison with the reference design (spiral channel) under the same conditions, the multi-objective optimization results exhibit superior comprehensive performance.

Osteophytes' position in subjects with DISH and right-sided aorta: verification of the 'aortic pulsation protective effect' theory.

OBJECTIVES: To validate in a large cohort with right-sided aorta the theory that thoracic right-sided flowing osteophytes in DISH results from a 'protective' effect of the pulsating descending left-sided thoracic aorta. METHODS: Chest CTs of patients with DISH and right-sided aorta and controls with DISH and left-sided aorta were evaluated and compared on each intervertebral space (IS) for the location of the aorta (right, left, centre) and the location of the osteophyte relative to the aorta (contralateral, ipsilateral, bilateral). RESULTS: The study and control cohorts included 31 and 35 subjects, respectively (male 22/9 and female 27/8; median age 64.8/65.3 years; P = 0.86). Osteophytes contralateral to the aorta's location were recorded in the majority of ISs in both the study and control groups (47% and 60%, respectively; P > 0.05), while ipsilateral osteophytes were recorded in 6.9% and 7.7%, respectively (P = 0.002). Bilateral osteophytes located to the right and the left of the aorta were significantly more prevalent in the study group compared with the controls (17.2% and 5.4%, respectively; P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Aortic pulsation plays an important role in inhibiting the development of osteophytes and results in the majority of contralateral osteophytes on both right-sided and left-sided aortas. However, since both ipsilateral and bilateral osteophytes were not at all rare in both groups, other parameters, which are yet to be established, probably contribute to the location of osteophytes.

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis is associated with incident stroke in patients with increased cardiovascular risk.

OBJECTIVES: Earlier retrospective studies have suggested a relation between DISH and cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction. The present study assessed the association between DISH and incidence of cardiovascular events and mortality in patients with high cardiovascular risk. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, we included 4624 patients (mean age 58.4 years, 69.6% male) from the Second Manifestations of ARTerial disease cohort. The main end point was major cardiovascular events (MACE: stroke, myocardial infarction and vascular death). Secondary endpoints included all-cause mortality and separate vascular events. Cause-specific proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the risk of DISH on all outcomes, and subdistribution hazard models were used to evaluate the effect of DISH on the cumulative incidence. All models were adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, blood pressure, diabetes, non-HDL cholesterol, packyears, renal function and C-reactive protein. RESULTS: DISH was present in 435 (9.4%) patients. After a median follow-up of 8.7 (IQR 5.0-12.0) years, 864 patients had died and 728 patients developed a MACE event. DISH was associated with an increased cumulative incidence of ischaemic stroke. After adjustment in cause-specific modelling, DISH remained significantly associated with ischaemic stroke (HR 1.55; 95% CI: 1.01, 2.38), but not with MACE (HR 0.99; 95% CI: 0.79, 1.24), myocardial infarction (HR 0.88; 95% CI: 0.59, 1.31), vascular death (HR 0.94; 95% CI: 0.68, 1.27) or all-cause mortality (HR 0.94; 95% CI: 0.77, 1.16). CONCLUSION: The presence of DISH is independently associated with an increased incidence and risk for ischaemic stroke, but not with MACE, myocardial infarction, vascular death or all-cause mortality.

Efficacy and patient acceptability of the continence dish.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The continence dish has been a treatment option since 2002 for women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) who decline surgery, but few quantitative objective efficacy data are published. We aimed to determine the efficacy and acceptability of this device for pure SUI or mixed incontinence (MUI). METHODS: Prospective interventional cohort study of 100 women with SUI or stress-predominant MUI who were interested to use the device; International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ) was primary outcome measure; 24-h pad test and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ) were secondary outcomes. Acceptability was determined by device retention for 4 weeks, adverse events and ability to self-insert the device. RESULTS: Of 100 suitable women, 9 were not actually fitted, and 27 did not complete (acceptability: 64/100). The rate of adverse events was 7.7%, with 62.5% of users able to self-insert the device: 22 (34%) had pure SUI; 66% had MUI. In SUI, 68% were 'dry' on ICIQ median value 4.0 (IQR 2.5-8.5); 88% were dry on 24-h pad test (median 0.0, IQR 0.0-8.5). The "dry rate" was lower in MUI: 36% for ICIQ (median 9.0, IQR 5.0-15.0) and 62% for 24-h pad test (median 6.2, IQR 0.95-19.7). A "good" response on IIQ occurred in 88% of SUI and 69% of MUI. CONCLUSION: These new data showing strong objective benefits of the continence dish should be further validated by randomized trials, but this information should be made available to women seeking treatment options for SUI/MUI (particularly in view of concerns regarding mesh mid-urethral slings).

Appealing dish names to nudge diners to more sustainable food choices: a quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Promoting plant-rich diets, i.e., diets with significantly reduced amounts of animal products, including vegan and vegetarian, is a promising strategy to help address the dual environmental and health crises that we currently face. Appealing dish names could boost interest in plant-rich dishes by attracting diners' attention to them. In this study, a systematic approach to naming plant-rich dishes with appealing descriptors was tested with a quasi-experimental design in four workplace, self-service, buffet-style cafeterias in Chicago, Sydney, São Paulo and Singapore. METHODS: Three different plant-rich dishes were tested at each site. Appealing names were generated systematically through a workshop and emphasized the dish ingredients, origin, flavor and/or the eating experience. Each test dish appeared once in a four-week menu cycle where menu options changed on a daily basis. The cycle was then repeated four times (six times in Chicago) with the total number of showings for each dish to be four (six in Chicago). The dish names alternated between basic and appealing across dish repetitions. For each dish, the food taken per plate was estimated by weighing the overall food taken and dividing it by the plate count in the cafeteria. Data was analysed as percentage change from baseline (i.e., the first showing of each dish that always had a basic name) with linear mixed effects analysis using the lme4 package in R. RESULTS: Overall, appealing dish names significantly increased the amount of food taken per plate by 43.9% relative to baseline compared to basic dish names (54.5% vs. 10.6% increase for appealing vs. basic names, respectively, p = .002). This increase corresponded to a 7% increase in actual grams of food taken per plate. Secondary analysis showed that the effect was site-specific to English-speaking countries only and that there was no substitution effect between plant-rich and meat dishes. CONCLUSIONS: The study tested an approach to creating appealing dish names in a systematic way and indicates that, in some settings, appealing dish titles are a relatively easy, scalable, cost-effective strategy that the food services sector can adopt to shift food choices towards more plant-rich, sustainable ones.

Methods for rapid prototyping novel labware: using CAD and desktop 3D printing in the microbiology laboratory.

Although the microbiology laboratory paradigm has increasingly changed from manual to automated procedures, and from functional to molecular methods, traditional culture methods remain vital. Using inexpensive desktop fused filament fabrication 3D printing, we designed, produced and tested rapid prototypes of customised labware for microbial culture namely frames to make dip slides, inoculation loops, multi-pin replicators, and multi-well culture plates for solid medium. These customised components were used to plate out samples onto solid media in various formats, and we illustrate how they can be suitable for many microbiological methods such as minimum inhibitory concentration tests, or for directly detecting pathogens from mastitis samples, illustrating the flexibility of rapid-prototyped culture consumable parts for streamlining microbiological methods. We describe the methodology needed for microbiologists to develop their own novel and unique tools, or to fabricate and customise existing consumables. A workflow is presented for designing and 3D printing labware and quickly producing easy-to-sterilise and re-useable plastic parts of great utility in the microbiology laboratory.

Prevalence and characteristics of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) in Italy.

PURPOSE: Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is a benign condition characterized by ossification of the spine and prominent enthesopathies. Highly heterogeneous epidemiological figures have been reported in the literature, while in Italy the largest study has been conducted in 1992. The aim of our research is to contribute updated information about prevalence of DISH in Italy and to describe the clinical and radiographic characteristics associated with the disorder. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective review of lumbosacral spine, thoracic spine and pelvis radiographs was performed. Consecutive patients visiting the emergency department of our Institution over 3 years were enrolled. Presence of DISH was evaluated applying the Resnick and Niwayama criteria. Clinical and radiological features were also assessed. RESULTS: We included 1012 individuals (60.6% women), and DISH was present in 130 cases. The overall prevalence of DISH was 12.8% (95% CI 10.8-15.1), with higher figures in the male sample (16.8%) than in females (10.3%). In binary logistic regression adjusted for age, BMI (OR 1.50, p < 0.001) diabetes (OR 1.85, p = 0.003), hypertension (OR 2.04, p = 0.007) ischiopubic enthesopathy (OR 7.08, p < 0.001), iliac crest enthesopathy (OR 4.63, p < 0.001) and greater trochanter enthesopathy (OR 3.51, p < 0.001), were significantly associated with the condition. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of DISH observed in our study is consistent with previous literature, and we confirm that the disorder is more frequently retrieved in men and that it is associated with the presence of metabolic disorders and pelvic enthesopathy. Knowledge about the epidemiology and characteristics of DISH is needed to properly identify the condition.

Hyperextension-distraction fractures in ankylosing and spondylotic spines: injury profile and treatment results.

STUDY DESIGN: Case series study. PURPOSE: To describe demographic metrics, and clinical and radiographical outcomes of surgical treatment in patients with ankylosed spine (ASP) such as diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) or ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and non-ankylosed spines (NAS) suffering from hyperextension-distraction spine fractures. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with hyperextension-distraction fractures between 2012 and 2020 were identified. A retrospective analysis of clinical and surgical data was performed. Similarities between patients with ASP and NAS were evaluated by Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Of the 22 patients, 13 had ASP (10 patients with DISH, 3 AS) and nine NAS. Most of these injuries involved the thoracolumbar spine (45.4%). All patients with NAS presented some sign of spondylosis: facet joint degeneration, intervertebral osteochondrosis, and anterolateral osteophytes. None of the patients with NAS and 30.7% with ASP suffered low-energy mechanisms (p = .11). All the patients with NAS and 61% of the patients with ASP had associated injuries (p = .04). On average, the instrumented levels were four (range, 2-6), achieving a fusion rate of 94.7% in all groups. Most of the ASP and NAS presented post-operative complications respectively (p = .65). CONCLUSION: Hyperextension-distraction spine fractures are not unique in ASP. In patients with spondylosis and high-energy accidents, we should suspect those fractures and rule out associated injuries, fractures in other vertebral segments, and acute spinal cord injury. The four-level instrumentation achieved an effective fusion rate in all patients.

Dissolved Oxygen Concentration Prediction Model Based on WT-MIC-GRU-A Case Study in Dish-Shaped Lakes of Poyang Lake.

Dissolved oxygen concentration has the characteristics of nonlinearity, time series and instability, which increase the difficulty of accurate prediction. In order to accurately predict the dissolved oxygen concentration in the dish-shaped lakes in Poyang Lake of Jiangxi Province, China, a dissolved oxygen concentration prediction model, based on wavelet transform (WT)-based denoising, maximal information coefficient (MIC)-based feature selection, and the gated recurrent unit (GRU), was proposed for this study. In experiments, the proposed model showed good prediction performance, achieving a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 0.087 mg/L, a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 0.723%, and a coefficient of determination (R2) as high as 0.998. It shows that the prediction model based on the combination of the wavelet transform and the GRU has a relatively high prediction accuracy and a better fitting effect. The model proposed in this study can provide a reference for protecting this type of lake-water body and the restoration of missing values in lake water quality monitoring data.

Relationship between diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis and fragility vertebral fracture: a prospective study in older men.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the risk of incident vertebral and non-vertebral fracture in men with DISH. METHODS: In 782 men ages 50-85 years, DISH was diagnosed using Resnick's criteria. In men followed prospectively for 7.5 years, a radiographic incident vertebral fracture was defined by a decrease of ≥20% or ≥4mm in any vertebral height vs baseline. Self-reported incident non-vertebral fractures were confirmed by medical records. RESULTS: Men with DISH had higher BMD at the lumbar spine (P < 0.05), but not at other skeletal sites. After adjustment for confounders including disc space narrowing (DSN) and endplate irregularity, the risk of vertebral fracture was higher in men with DISH vs men without DISH [10/164 (6.1%) vs 16/597 (2.7%), P < 0.05; odds ratio (OR) 2.89 (95% CI 1.15, 7.28), P < 0.05]. DISH and low spine BMD were each associated with a higher vertebral fracture risk. The vertebral fracture risk was higher in men who had both DISH and severe DSN. DISH and endplate irregularities (EIs) were each associated with higher vertebral fracture risk. DISH, DSN and EIs define the intervertebral space dysfunction, which was associated with higher vertebral fracture risk [OR 3.99 (95% CI 1.45, 10.98), P < 0.01]. Intervertebral space dysfunction improved the vertebral fracture prediction (ΔAUC = +0.111, P < 0.05), mainly in men with higher spine BMD (>0.9 g/cm2; ΔAUC = +0.189, P < 0.001). DISH was not associated with the risk of non-vertebral fracture. CONCLUSION: DISH is associated with higher vertebral fracture risk, independently of other risk factors. Assessment of the intervertebral space dysfunction components may improve the vertebral fracture prediction in older men.