Fixture knowledge model development and implementation based on a functional design approach

The development of a knowledge model applied to fixture design is a complex task. The main purpose of such model is the development of a knowledge-based application to assist fixture designers. It comprises a detailed specification of the types and structures of data involved in the execution of the inference process needed to create a fixture solution for machining a raw part. A development method together with a knowledge model for automating fixture design is proposed. The development was divided into three parts: Design Process Model, definition of Top-level functional functions and Product Knowledge Model. Adopting a functional design approach, the fixture design solution was created in two levels: functional and detailed. The functional level is based on fixture functional elements and the detailed one is based on fixture commercial elements. The definitions and concepts used in the application are specified in several Units of Knowledge (UoK) that comprises the Fixture Knowledge Model. Common Knowledge Analysis and Design Structuring (CommonKADS), Methodology and software tools Oriented to KBE Applications (MOKA), Integrated DEFinition for Function Modelling (IDEF0) and Unified Modelling Language (UML) are the methodologies and techniques used in the proposed method. Finally, a prototype KBE application for fixture design was developed

An Intestinal Type Gastric Neuroendocrine Tumor: A Case Report

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) represent a diverse set of malignancies, originating from the neuroendocrine cells dispersed throughout the body. Their symptoms are associated with the secretion of bioactive peptides by tumor cells. Five-year survival rates depend on the disease stage: 93% for local, 74% for regional, and 19% for metastatic disease. This report describes a case involving a 64-year-old male patient, who was enduring high blood pressure and anemia. His symptomatology included frequent fainting and bloody vomiting without prior bleeding, coupled with persistent abdominal pain and weight loss. A complete blood count revealed microcytic anemia. His condition improved postoperatively after the transfusion of two units of packed red blood cells, normalizing all parameters. Further biochemistry and serology tests did not provide significant insights. However, an upper endoscopy unveiled a deep ulcer below the gastroesophageal junction with ulcer desquamation. A combination of clinical, laboratory, and radiographic data initially indicated a gastric carcinoma of the intestinal type, characterized by extensive extracellular mucin secretion. The surgical intervention led to the extraction of multiple tumors from lymph nodes, culminating in a postoperative diagnosis of a gastrointestinal (GI) mesenchymal tumor. NETs predominantly manifest in the GI tract, initiating primarily in the small intestine but can also originate in the stomach, appendix, colon, and other parts of the GI tract. Their development from neuroendocrine cells enables them to produce high concentrations of hormone-like substances such as neuropeptides and amines

International Consensus Statement on Rhinology and Allergy: Rhinosinusitis

Background: The 5 years since the publication of the first International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis (ICAR‐RS) has witnessed foundational progress in our understanding and treatment of rhinologic disease. These advances are reflected within the more than 40 new topics covered within the ICAR‐RS‐2021 as well as updates to the original 140 topics. This executive summary consolidates the evidence‐based findings of the document. Methods: ICAR‐RS presents over 180 topics in the forms of evidence‐based reviews with recommendations (EBRRs), evidence‐based reviews, and literature reviews. The highest grade structured recommendations of the EBRR sections are summarized in this executive summary. Results: ICAR‐RS‐2021 covers 22 topics regarding the medical management of RS, which are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Additionally, 4 topics regarding the surgical management of RS are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Finally, a comprehensive evidence‐based management algorithm is provided. Conclusion: This ICAR‐RS‐2021 executive summary provides a compilation of the evidence‐based recommendations for medical and surgical treatment of the most common forms of RS

Ipsilateral Femoral Neck and Shaft Fractures with a Floating Knee Injury: A Case Report

Isolated ipsilateral fractures of the femoral neck and shaft are rare injuries. Similarly, a floating knee (ie, ipsilateral fractures of the femur and tibia) is uncommon. We describe a 34-year-old man with ipsilateral fractures of the femoral neck and shaft with an ipsilateral floating knee after a motorcycle collision. He was treated with operative fixation, and was walking without assistive devices at his most recent follow-up appointment in February 2019. We believe this to be a unique combination of injuries not yet described in studies

Novel Dimer Compounds That Bind α‑Synuclein Can Rescue Cell Growth in a Yeast Model Overexpressing α‑Synuclein. A Possible Prevention Strategy for Parkinson’s Disease

The misfolding of α-synuclein is a critical event in the death of dopaminergic neurons and the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Previously, it was suggested that drugs, which bind to α-synuclein and form a loop structure between the N- and C-termini, tend to be neuroprotective, whereas others, which cause a more compact structure, tend to be neurotoxic. To improve the binding to α-synuclein, eight novel compounds were synthesized from a caffeine scaffold attached to (<i>R</i>,<i>S</i>)-1-aminoindan, (<i>R</i>,<i>S</i>)-nicotine, and metformin, and their binding to α-synuclein determined through nanopore analysis and isothermal titration calorimetry. The ability of the dimers to interact with α-synuclein in a cell system was assayed in a yeast model of PD which expresses an AS-GFP (α-synuclein-Green Fluorescent Protein) construct under the control of a galactose promoter. In 5 mM galactose this yeast strain will not grow and large cytoplasmic foci are observed by fluorescent microscopy. Two of the dimers, C₈-6-I and C₈-6-N, at a concentration of 0.1 μM allowed the yeast to grow normally in 5 mM galactose and the AS-GFP became localized to the periphery of the cell. Both dimers were superior when compared to the monomeric compounds. The presence of the dimers also caused the disappearance of preformed cytoplasmic foci. Nanopore analysis of C₈-6-I and C₈-6-N were consistent with simultaneous binding to both the N- and C-terminus of α-synuclein but the binding constants were only 10⁵ M^–1