A software toolset for processing and visualization of single and multi-offset GPR data

Processing Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) data is essential to assist with interpretation, the reduction of unwanted noise, and to highlight information relating to the purpose of a survey. Currently, the majority of GPR data processing software is coupled together with GPR hardware systems from the manufacturers, and often at an additional cost. These software packages often incorporate simplified or limited processing methods, and they do not allow the processing of data generated by GPR systems of different manufacturers. We present a MATLAB-based software with a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) for the visualization and processing of GPR data. The software supports file formats from a wide variety of GPR manufacturers, and can handle both single-fold (SF) and multi-fold (MF) GPR data. The software is capable of applying standard workflows, but one of its key features is novel processing algorithms for MF GPR data, especially from the new multi-concurrent sampling receiver GPR systems. These algorithms are more commonly used in seismic data processing and have not previously been applied to GPR data from these systems

Photobiomodulation by Near-Infrared 980-nm Wavelengths Regulates Pre-Osteoblast Proliferation and Viability through the PI3K/Akt/Bcl-2 Pathway

Background: bone tissue regeneration remains a current challenge. A growing body of evidence shows that mitochondrial dysfunction impairs osteogenesis and that this organelle may be the target for new therapeutic options. Current literature illustrates that red and near-infrared light can affect the key cellular pathways of all life forms through interactions with photoacceptors within the cells' mitochondria. The current study aims to provide an understanding of the mechanisms by which photobiomodulation (PBM) by 900-nm wavelengths can induce in vitro molecular changes in pre-osteoblasts. Methods: The PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Scholar databases were used. The manuscripts included in the narrative review were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The new experimental set-up was based on irradiation with a 980-nm laser and a hand-piece with a standard Gaussian and flat-top beam profile. MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts were irradiated at 0.75, 0.45, and 0.20 W in continuous-wave emission mode for 60 s (spot-size 1 cm2) and allowed to generate a power density of 0.75, 0.45, and 0.20 W/cm2 and a fluence of 45, 27, and 12 J/cm2, respectively. The frequency of irradiation was once, three times (alternate days), or five times (every day) per week for two consecutive weeks. Differentiation, proliferation, and cell viability and their markers were investigated by immunoblotting, immunolabelling, fluorescein-FragELTM-DNA, Hoechst staining, and metabolic activity assays. Results and conclusions: The 980-nm wavelength can photobiomodulate the pre-osteoblasts, regulating their metabolic schedule. The cellular signal activated by 45 J/cm2, 0.75 W and 0.75 W/cm2 consist of the PI3K/Akt/Bcl-2 pathway; differentiation markers were not affected, nor do other parameters seem to stimulate the cells. Our previous and present data consistently support the window effect of 980 nm, which has also been described in extracted mitochondria, through activation of signalling PI3K/Akt/Bcl-2 and cyclin family, while the Wnt and Smads 2/3-β-catenin pathway was induced by 55 J/cm2, 0.9 W and 0.9 W/cm

Tackling Inequalities in Oral Health: Bone Augmentation in Dental Surgery through the 3D Printing of Poly(ε-caprolactone) Combined with 20% Tricalcium Phosphate

Personalized medicine and overcoming healthcare inequalities have gained significant popularity in recent years. Polymers offer an ideal solution due to their cost-effectiveness, ease of customized 3D printing, and potential for wide-scale expansion. Poly- mers blended with β-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) have been found to synergize with the environ- mental tissues of maxillary bones and promote osteoconductivity. However, little is known about their properties after printing and their ability to maintain their biological role; additionally, limi- tations exist in 3D printing when high TPC concentrations are added. Our study demonstrated that poly ε-caprolactone (PCL)+β-TCP 20% composite can be successfully printed and is a suitable ma- terial for commercial 3D printing. The material also demonstrated biocompatibility, supporting osteoblast adhesion and promoting cell proliferation and differentiation. The composite can also sustain ISO14937:200935 sterilization procedures, which makes it an ideal material for printing medical devices that can be used by clinicians worldwide

Challenges and opportunities from large volume, multi-offset Ground Penetrating Radar data

The most frequently used survey mode for acquiring Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) data is common offset (CO) – where a single transmitter and receiver pair move along a survey line at a constant (offset) separation distance. This allows rapid and dense data acquisition, and therefore high-resolution large-scale investigations, to be carried out with relative ease, and at relatively low cost. However, it has long been known that multi-offset survey methods, such as common mid-point (CMP) and wide-angle reflection-refraction (WARR), can offer many benefits over CO: detailed subsurface EM wave velocity models; enhanced reflection sections with higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR); the potential to adapt well-established advanced seismic processing schemes for GPR data [1-2]. Despite the advantages of multi-offset GPR data, these methods have seen limited adoption as, in the past, they required significantly more time, effort, and hence cost, to collect. However, recent advances in GPR hardware, particularly in timing and control technology, have enabled the development of multi-concurrent sampling receiver GPR systems such as the “WARR Machine” manufactured by Sensors & Software Inc. [3-4]. These newly developed GPR systems have the potential to provide all the aforementioned benefits with considerably less effort and therefore reduced survey cost, as they allow for the fast acquisition of multi-offset WARR soundings. In this work, we look at the challenges and opportunities from collecting and processing multi-offset GPR data. We demonstrate a processing workflow that combines standard GPR processing approaches, with methods adapted from seismic processing, as well as our own algorithms. This processing framework has been implemented into a GUI-based software written in MATLAB [5], and has been tested using both synthetic [6] and real multi-offset GPR data. Some of the specific challenges with multi-offset GPR that we investigate are time zero misalignments, CMP balancing, velocity analysis, and automated velocity picking. We show how addressing these issues can result in improved velocity analysis, and ultimately in improved subsurface velocity models, and stacked sections

The effects of receiver arrangement on velocity analysis with multi‐concurrent receiver GPR data

Determining subsurface electromagnetic (EM) wave velocity is critical for Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data analysis, as velocity is used for the time-to-depth conversion, and hence leads to obtaining the precise location of the objects of interest. Currently, the way to acquire detailed subsurface EM wave velocity models involves employing multi-offset GPR surveys, such as wide-angle reflection-refraction (WARR), in conjunction with normal moveout (NMO) based velocity analysis. Traditionally, these surveys are carried out using two separate transducers and were therefore time-consuming and had limited uptake. Recent advances in GPR hardware have allowed the development of novel systems with multi-concurrent sampling receivers, which enable rapid and dense acquisition of WARR data. These additional receivers increase the overall size, weight, and cost of the system. Therefore, we investigated the effects of receiver arrangement on NMO-based velocity analysis, and considered reducing the overall number of transducers, whilst maintaining satisfactory velocity spectra resolution, and hence, obtaining detailed stacking velocity models as well as improved stacked reflection sections. We used both simulated data from complex three-dimensional (3D) models as well as field data and examined different numbers and positions of receivers in different environments. Our results show that velocity spectra resolution can be maintained within acceptable limits whilst reducing the number of receivers from a configuration with seven equally spaced receivers, to a sparse configuration of four receivers. Thus, being able to decrease the number of receivers used by these new GPR systems will reduce both the total system weight and cost, and hopefully, increase their adoption for GPR surveys

Development of a workflow for processing ground-penetrating radar data from multiconcurrent receivers

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) systems with multi-concurrent sampling receivers can rapidly acquire dense multi-offset GPR data, which is not feasible using typical common offset (CO) GPR systems with a single, fixed offset transmitter-receiver pair. Multi-offset GPR data from these new multi-concurrent receiver systems have the potential to be used to create detailed subsurface velocity models and enhanced reflection sections. These are important features that can improve qualitative and quantitative interpretation of GPR data. In order to realize these benefits and to deal with the large amount of multi-offset data generated by these new systems, we have developed an automated and customized data processing workflow. There are three key algorithms that we have developed as part of our workflow, which are crucial for processing large volume, multi-offset GPR data so as: firstly, to efficiently correct and manage time misalignments from multi-concurrent receivers; secondly, to carry out trace balancing of common mid-point (CMP) data for semblance analysis; and thirdly, to automate the velocity analysis step. We showcase our processing workflow using two field datasets acquired using a multi-concurrent sampling receiver GPR system consisting of one transmitter and seven receivers. The field data were collected at two different locations: a site using a system with a 500 MHz center frequency and another site using a system with a 1000 MHz center frequency. We demonstrated, with both datasets, that our processing workflow could produce automated stacking velocity fields and enhanced zero-offset reflection cross-sections. These benefits increase the information that can be used for interpretation (compared to conventional CO data) and can form the basis of further processing steps such as migration. As the cost of these multi-concurrent sampling receiver systems decreases over time, we anticipate their use, and the acquisition of dense multi-offset GPR data, to become much more commonplace

Septins Recognize and Entrap Dividing Bacterial Cells for Delivery to Lysosomes.

The cytoskeleton occupies a central role in cellular immunity by promoting bacterial sensing and antibacterial functions. Septins are cytoskeletal proteins implicated in various cellular processes, including cell division. Septins also assemble into cage-like structures that entrap cytosolic Shigella, yet how septins recognize bacteria is poorly understood. Here, we discover that septins are recruited to regions of micron-scale membrane curvature upon invasion and division by a variety of bacterial species. Cardiolipin, a curvature-specific phospholipid, promotes septin recruitment to highly curved membranes of Shigella, and bacterial mutants lacking cardiolipin exhibit less septin cage entrapment. Chemically inhibiting cell separation to prolong membrane curvature or reducing Shigella cell growth respectively increases and decreases septin cage formation. Once formed, septin cages inhibit Shigella cell division upon recruitment of autophagic and lysosomal machinery. Thus, recognition of dividing bacterial cells by the septin cytoskeleton is a powerful mechanism to restrict the proliferation of intracellular bacterial pathogens

Operative management of acute abdomen after bariatric surgery in the emergency setting: the OBA guidelines

Background: Patients presenting with acute abdominal pain that occurs after months or years following bariatric surgery may present for assessment and management in the local emergency units. Due to the large variety of surgical bariatric techniques, emergency surgeons have to be aware of the main functional outcomes and long-term surgical complications following the most performed bariatric surgical procedures. The purpose of these evidence-based guidelines is to present a consensus position from members of the WSES in collaboration with IFSO bariatric experienced surgeons, on the management of acute abdomen after bariatric surgery focusing on long-term complications in patients who have undergone laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Method: A working group of experienced general, acute care, and bariatric surgeons was created to carry out a systematic review of the literature following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) and to answer the PICO questions formulated after the Operative management in bariatric acute abdomen survey. The literature search was limited to late/long-term complications following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Conclusions: The acute abdomen after bariatric surgery is a common cause of admission in emergency departments. Knowledge of the most common late/long-term complications (> 4 weeks after surgical procedure) following sleeve gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and their anatomy leads to a focused management in the emergency setting with good outcomes and decreased morbidity and mortality rates. A close collaboration between emergency surgeons, radiologists, endoscopists, and anesthesiologists is mandatory in the management of this group of patients in the emergency setting

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely