Patient-specific outcome simulation after surgical correction of Pectus Excavatum: a preliminary study

Although minimally invasive Nuss procedure is frequently performed to correct Pectus Excavatum, the successful aesthetical outcome is not always ensured. Using the computed tomography (CT) data of six patients, high-quality surfaces of the anterior chest wall were generated, alongside with a personalized corrective-bar. Through finite element method (FEM), replicating the surgical procedure, a simulation of the anterior chest wall correction was conducted. The assessment of this methodology was verified by comparing the metrics from the real meshes (3D scanned before and after surgery) and simulated meshes (obtained before and after FEM). Results show a mean difference of 2.85 +/- 5.77 mm on the point of maximum correction between simulated and real outcomes. No statistical differences were found (p = 0.281). High aesthetical similarity was observed concerning simulated and real outcomes. The proposed methodology presents a patient-specific simulation that may be used to plan, predict and improve the surgical outcome of the Nuss procedure. Further studies should continue to improve the presented methodology.This work has been funded by FEDER funds, through the Competitiveness Factors Operational Programme (COMPETE), and by National funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the scope of the projects POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007038; NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000013; and NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-024300, supported by the Northern Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). Joao Gomes-Fonseca was funded by FCT under the Ph.D. grant PD/BDE/113597/2015

Separation system and efficient capture of contaminants using magnetic nanoparticles

Methods are disclosed for the capture, detection, separation, isolation and quantification of contaminants in a starting material. Also disclosed are competitive assay methods for the detection and quantification of contaminants in a starting material and kits for use with the method. A system for capturing, separating and/or concentrating contaminants from a material is also presented. The system captures, separates and/or concentrates contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, other microorganisms, and/or larger items, such as insects, from a variety of materials, such as food, and environmental and clinical materials. In general, the system uses a rotating magnetic field to mix the material with magnetic particles to capture the target contaminants, and a fixed magnetic field to separate and concentrate the captured target contaminants

Algorithmic formulation of clay and sand pipe–soil interaction models for on-bottom stability analysis

This paper presents a new algorithmic formulation of the clay and sand pipe–soil interaction models recommended by the DNV-RP-F109 code for dynamic on-bottom stability analysis of submarine pipelines. The pipe–soil force update algorithm is formulated within the framework of computational elasto-plasticity and applies Backward-Euler integration to ensure stability and robustness for large time step sizes. Algorithmic optimization techniques are developed by utilizing a closed-form solution and subincrementation. A numerical verification study covering full cyclic displacement ranges of a 12 inch pipeline is presented. The new formulation is shown to increase the time step size by a factor of up to 50 compared to commercial software tools for on-bottom stability analysis. This achievement will be particularly beneficial for long-duration 3D nonlinear time domain on-bottom stability analysis.publishedVersio

Versatile multichannel capillary biosensor system

The multichannel capillary biosensor system describe includes a selecting valve system for selection of the sample or a reagent. The selecting valve system is connected to a second valve system accommodating a sensing channel and a first bypass channel. The second valve system is connected to a directing valve system having at least two positions, with a first position being connected to a second bypass channel and a second position being connected to a detector for detecting the analyte. The device has a pump connected at one end to the second bypass channel and the detector and at a second end to a waste vessel. The device also has a control system for controlling the device. The analyte can be selected from the group of microorganisms, macromolecules, and small molecules

Constructing a robust protein-protein interaction network by integrating multiple public databases

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are a critical component for many underlying biological processes. A PPI network can provide insight into the mechanisms of these processes, as well as the relationships among different proteins and toxicants that are potentially involved in the processes. There are many PPI databases publicly available, each with a specific focus. The challenge is how to effectively combine their contents to generate a robust and biologically relevant PPI network.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this study, seven public PPI databases, BioGRID, DIP, HPRD, IntAct, MINT, REACTOME, and SPIKE, were used to explore a powerful approach to combine multiple PPI databases for an integrated PPI network. We developed a novel method called <it>k</it>-votes to create seven different integrated networks by using values of <it>k</it> ranging from 1-7. Functional modules were mined by using SCAN, a Structural Clustering Algorithm for Networks. Overall module qualities were evaluated for each integrated network using the following statistical and biological measures: (1) modularity, (2) similarity-based modularity, (3) clustering score, and (4) enrichment.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Each integrated human PPI network was constructed based on the number of votes (<it>k</it>) for a particular interaction from the committee of the original seven PPI databases. The performance of functional modules obtained by SCAN from each integrated network was evaluated. The optimal value for <it>k</it> was determined by the functional module analysis. Our results demonstrate that the <it>k</it>-votes method outperforms the traditional union approach in terms of both statistical significance and biological meaning. The best network is achieved at <it>k</it>=2, which is composed of interactions that are confirmed in at least two PPI databases. In contrast, the traditional union approach yields an integrated network that consists of all interactions of seven PPI databases, which might be subject to high false positives.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We determined that the k-votes method for constructing a robust PPI network by integrating multiple public databases outperforms previously reported approaches and that a value of k=2 provides the best results. The developed strategies for combining databases show promise in the advancement of network construction and modeling.</p

Efficacy and safety of polymyxin E sulfate in the treatment of critically ill patients with carbapenem-resistant organism infections

ObjectivePolymyxins are currently the last line of defense in the treatment of carbapenem-resistant organisms (CRO). As a kind of polymyxin available for clinical use in China, we aim to explore the efficacy and safety of colistin sulfate (Polymyxin E sulfate, PES) in this study.MethodsThis real-world retrospective study included 119 patients diagnosed with CRO infection and treated with PES for more than 72 h, from May 2020 to July 2022 at West China Hospital. The primary outcome was clinical efficacy at the end of treatment, and secondary outcomes included microbial response, in-hospital mortality and incidence of nephrotoxicity.ResultsThe effective clinical and microbiological responses were 53.8% and 49.1%, respectively. And the in-hospital mortality was 27.7%. Only 9.2% of patients occurred with PES-related nephrotoxicity. Multivariate analysis revealed that duration of PES was an independent predictor of effective therapy, while age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (aCCI) and post-treatment PCT(p-PCT) were independent risk factors for poor outcome.ConclusionsPES can be a salvage treatment for CRO-induced infections with favorable efficacy and low nephrotoxicity. The treatment duration of PES, aCCI and p-PCT were factors related to the clinical effectiveness of PES

B cells Using Calcium Signaling for Specific and Rapid Detection of Escherichia coli O-157:H-7

A rapid and sensitive detection technology is highly desirable for specific detection of E. coli O-157:H-7, one of the leading bacterial pathogens causing foodborne illness. In this study, we reported the rapid detection of E. coli O-157: H-7 by using calcium signaling of the B cell upon cellular membrane anchors anti-E. coli O-157: H-7 IgM. The binding of E. coli O-157:H-7 to the IgM on B cell surface activates the B cell receptor (BCR)-induced Ca2+ signaling pathway and results in the release of Ca2+ within seconds. The elevated intracellular Ca2+ triggers Fura-2, a fluorescent Ca2+ indicator, for reporting the presence of pathogens. The Fura-2 is transferred to B cells before detection. The study demonstrated that the developed B cell based biosensor was able to specifically detect E. coli O-157:H-7 at the low concentration within 10 min in pure culture samples. Finally, the B cell based biosensor was used for the detection of E. coli O-157:H-7 in ground beef samples. With its short detection time and high sensitivity at the low concentration of the target bacteria, this B cell biosensor shows promise in future application of the high throughput and rapid food detection, biosafety and environmental monitoring

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of adolescent depression among parents of children diagnosed with depression in Ningbo City, eastern China

ObjectiveTo investigate parental knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward adolescent depression.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted between October 2022 and October 2023 at The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University among parents of adolescents diagnosed with depression. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the parents’ demographic characteristics and KAP toward adolescent depression.ResultsA total of 522 questionnaires were collected from parents of depressed adolescents. Among the participants, 383 (73.37%) were female. In addition, 426 participants (81.61%) had children aged 14–18. The mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 9.09 ± 2.37 (possible range: 0–12), 37.04 ± 4.11 (possible range: 11–55), and 31.53 ± 3.84 (possible range: 8–40), respectively. There were significant positive correlations between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.225, p &lt; 0.001), knowledge and practice (r = 0.240, p &lt; 0.001), and attitude and practice (r = 0.381, p &lt; 0.001). The path analysis showed significant direct effects of knowledge on attitude (β = 0.422, p &lt; 0.001) and practice (β = 0.283, p &lt; 0.001). There was an indirect effect of knowledge on practice through attitude (β = 0.131, p = 0.004). Attitude directly impacted practice (β = 0.311, p &lt; 0.001).ConclusionParents of adolescents diagnosed with depression exhibited moderate KAP regarding adolescent depression. The study underscored the importance of targeted interventions to improve parental KAP in supporting adolescents with depression. Moreover, future research should explore additional factors influencing parental attitudes and behaviors toward adolescent depression to develop more effective interventions