The isohydric strategy of Platanus × hispanica tree shapes its response to drought in an urban environment.

Urban vegetation provides many ecosystem services like heat island mitigation. However, urban trees are subjected to the stresses that they are meant to alleviate, with drought being a main constraint. We investigated the drought response strategy of plane trees (Platanus × hispanica), focusing on stomatal regulation and metabolic remodelling.

Effects of improved amino acid balance diet on lysine mammary utilization, whole body protein turnover and muscle protein breakdown on lactating sows.

Background: The study objective was to test the hypothesis that low crude protein (CP) diet with crystalline amino acids (CAA) supplementation improves Lys utilization efficiency for milk production and reduces protein turnover and muscle protein breakdown. Eighteen lactating multiparous Yorkshire sows were allotted to 1 of 2 isocaloric diets (10.80 MJ/kg net energy): control (CON; 19.

Lessons Learnt from Monitoring the Etna Volcano Using an IoT Sensor Network through a Period of Intense Eruptive Activity.

This paper describes the successes and failures after 4 years of continuous operation of a network of sensors, communicating nodes, and gateways deployed on the Etna Volcano in Sicily since 2019, including a period of Etna intense volcanic activity that occurred in 2021 and resulted in over 60 paroxysms. It documents how the installation of gateways at medium altitude allowed for data collection from sensors up to the summit craters. Most of the sensors left on the volcanic edifice during winters and during this period of intense volcanic activity were destroyed, but the whole gateway infrastructure remained fully operational, allowing for a very fruitful new field campaign two years later, in August 2023.

Starting the Discussion: A Call to Enhance Care for People With Stimulant Use Disorder.

Stimulant use disorder (StUD) significantly contributes to substance-related morbidity and mortality in the United States. Overshadowed by the country's focus on opioid-related overdose deaths, stimulant and stimulant/opioid overdose deaths have increased dramatically over the last decade. Many individuals who use stimulants illicitly or have StUD have multiple, intersecting stigmatized characteristics which exacerbate existing barriers and create new obstacles to attaining addiction treatment.

ConnecSenS, a Versatile IoT Platform for Environment Monitoring: Bring Water to Cloud.

Climate change is having an increasingly rapid impact on ecosystems and particularly on the issue of water resources. The Internet of Things and communication technologies have now reached a level of maturity that allows sensors to be deployed more easily on sites to monitor them. The communicating node based on LoRaWAN technology presented in this article is open and allows the interfacing of numerous sensors for designing long-term environmental monitoring systems of isolated sites.

Investigating the Transient Regenerative Potential of Cardiac Muscle Using a Neonatal Pig Partial Apical Resection Model.

Researchers have shown that adult zebrafish have the potential to regenerate 20% of the ventricular muscle within two months of apex resection, and neonatal mice have the capacity to regenerate their heart after apex resection up until day 7 after birth. The goal of this study was to determine if large mammals (porcine heart model) have the capability to fully regenerate a resected portion of the left ventricular apex during the neonatal stage, and if so, how long the regenerative potential persists. A total of 36 piglets were divided into the following groups: 0-day control and surgical groups and seven-day control and surgical groups.

CEBA: A Data Lake for Data Sharing and Environmental Monitoring.

This article presents a platform for environmental data named "Environmental Cloud for the Benefit of Agriculture" (CEBA). The CEBA should fill the gap of a regional institutional platform to share, search, store and visualize heterogeneous scientific data related to the environment and agricultural researches. One of the main features of this tool is its ease of use and the accessibility of all types of data.

Open approach to the ventral transversus abdominis plane in the dog: evaluation and injectate dispersion in cadavers.

Objective: To evaluate a direct intra-abdominal approach to injection of the ventral transversus abdominis plane (TAP) and compare the dispersion of two volumes of injectate.

Study Design: Prospective anatomic and feasibility study.

Animals: A total of 10 canine cadavers weighing 9 ± 4 kg.

Biomechanical properties of acellular scar ECM during the acute to chronic stages of myocardial infarction.

After myocardial infarction (MI), the infarcted tissue undergoes dynamic and time-dependent changes. Previous knowledge on MI biomechanical alterations has been obtained by studying the explanted scar tissues. In this study, we decellularized MI scar tissue and characterized the biomechanics of the obtained pure scar ECM.

From Sensor to Cloud: An IoT Network of Radon Outdoor Probes to Monitor Active Volcanoes.

While radon in soil gases has been identified for decades as a potential precursor of volcanic eruptions, there has been a recent interest for monitoring radon in air on active volcanoes. We present here the first network of outdoor air radon sensors that was installed successfully on Mt. Etna volcano, Sicily, Italy in September 2019.

Recording of bruxism events in sleeping humans at home with a smart instrumented splint.

: The aim of this paper is to report quantitative and qualitative characteristics of bruxism events recorded in sleeping humans with a new smart ambulatory system specifically designed to measure dental clenching and grinding forces. The device is wireless and rechargeable, which enables its use over extended periods.: Thirty recordings were obtained from volunteer subjects who wore the device at home during 10 consecutive nights (Clinicaltrials.

[Peripheral giant-cell granuloma in peri-implant tissues].

Peripheral giant cell granuloma (PRZG) is a locally reactive, non-neoplastic oral tissue proliferation. Histologically, the peripheral form is indistinguishable from the rarer central form of RCC in the jaw area. PRZG usually occur on the gingiva, but are occasionally also found on the palate and the alveolar ridge of the edentulous jaw, very rarely also in the peri-implant tissue.

Expansin genes expression in growing ovaries and grains of sunflower are tissue-specific and associate with final grain weight.

Background: Grain weight (GW) is a key component of sunflower yield and quality, but may be limited by maternal tissues. Cell growth is influenced by expansin proteins that loosen the plant cell wall. This study aimed to identify spatio-temporal expression of EXPN genes in sunflower reproductive organ tissues (ovary, pericarp, and embryo) and evaluate correlations between reproductive organ growth and expansin genes expression.

Ambulatory sensor for circumference monitoring of lower limbs.

The continuous monitoring of edema in the lower limbs of the human body is presently not possible as suitable devices are not available. This paper presents the characterization and the testing of a novel ambulatory device dedicated to the monitoring of circumference variations in the lower limb. The sensor, based on an inductive loop integrated into a textile band, is connected to a miniaturized electronic system which wirelessly sends the calculated perimeter value of the leg to a smart mobile device.

Radioactive iodine uptake in hyperthyroid cats after administration of recombinant human thyroid stimulating hormone.

Background: Radioactive iodine therapy is considered the treatment of choice for hyperthyroidism in cats, but the availability of this modality is limited by costs and hospitalization requirements. Administration of recombinant human thyroid stimulating hormone (rh-TSH) to humans with thyroid neoplasia or nodular goiter can increase thyroidal iodine uptake, thereby allowing the use of lower radioactive iodine doses for treatment. Veterinary studies of this subject are limited, and results are conflicting.

Evaluation of a modified infraorbital approach for a maxillary nerve block for rhinoscopy with nasal biopsy of dogs.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether a maxillary nerve block via a modified infraorbital approach, applied before rhinoscopy and nasal biopsy of dogs, would decrease procedural nociception, minimize cardiorespiratory anesthetic effects, and improve recovery quality. ANIMALS 8 healthy adult hound-type dogs PROCEDURES In a crossover study, dogs received 0.5% bupivacaine (0.

Influence of Microtextured Implant Surfaces on Peri-implantitis and Its Treatment: A Preclinical Trial.

Purpose: The prevalence of peri-implantitis has increased significantly, forcing clinicians to search for ways to prevent it. Laser-microtextured surfaces promote soft tissue attachment and provide a tight seal around implants. Hence, the aim of this study was to examine the clinical, radiographic, and histologic features of ligature-induced peri-implantitis, as well as the effect of surgical treatment of these induced peri-implantitis lesions on laser-microtextured implants in a controlled animal model.

Comparison of Morphine, Morphine-Lidocaine, and Morphine-Lidocaine-Ketamine Infusions in Dogs Using an Incision-Induced Pain Model.

We aimed to compare antinociceptive effects of IV infusions of morphine (M), morphine-lidocaine (ML), or morphine-lidocaine-ketamine (MLK) combined, in a mild-to-moderate pain model in dogs. Eighteen adult hounds were heavily sedated with IV morphine (0.2 mg/kg) and dexmedetomidine to undergo thoracic skin incisions.

Infarcted rat myocardium: Data from biaxial tensile and uniaxial compressive testing and analysis of collagen fibre orientation.

Myocardial infarction was experimentally induced in rat hearts and harvested immediately, 7, 14 and 28 days after the infarction induction. Anterior wall infarct samples underwent biaxial tensile and uniaxial compressive testing. Orientation of collagen fibres was analysed following mechanical testing.

Characterisation of the mechanical properties of infarcted myocardium in the rat under biaxial tension and uniaxial compression.

Understanding the passive mechanical properties of infarcted tissue at different healing stages is essential to explore the emerging biomaterial injection-based therapy for myocardial infarction (MI). Although rats have been widely used as animal models in such investigations, the data in literature that quantify the passive mechanical properties of rat heart infarcts is very limited. MI was induced in rats and hearts were harvested immediately (0 day), 7, 14 and 28 days after infarction onset.

Integration of Stem Cell to Chondrocyte-Derived Cartilage Matrix in Healthy and Osteoarthritic States in the Presence of Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles.

We investigated the effectiveness of integrating tissue engineered cartilage derived from human bone marrow derived stem cells (HBMSCs) to healthy as well as osteoarthritic cartilage mimics using hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles immersed within a hydrogel substrate. Healthy and diseased engineered cartilage from human chondrocytes (cultured in agar gels) were integrated with human bone marrow stem cell (HBMSC)-derived cartilaginous engineered matrix with and without HA, and evaluated after 28 days of growth. HBMSCs were seeded within photopolymerizable poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogels.

Anticoagulant effects of inhaled unfractionated heparin in the dog as determined by partial thromboplastin time and factor Xa activity.

Objective: To evaluate the anticoagulant effects of inhaled heparin in dogs.

Design: This study was conducted in 3 phases. In phase 1, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALf) was collected to generate an in vitro calibration curve to relate heparin concentration to the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT).

Investigating the Potential of Amnion-Based Scaffolds as a Barrier Membrane for Guided Bone Regeneration.

Guided bone regeneration is a new concept of large bone defect therapy, which employs a barrier membrane to afford a protected room for osteogenesis and prevent the invasion of fibroblasts. In this study, we developed a novel barrier membrane made from lyophilized multilayered acellular human amnion membranes (AHAM). After decellularization, the AHAM preserved the structural and biomechanical integrity of the amnion extracellular matrix (ECM).

On the bending properties of porcine mitral, tricuspid, aortic, and pulmonary valve leaflets.

The atrioventricular valve leaflets (mitral and tricuspid) are different from the semilunar valve leaflets (aortic and pulmonary) in layered structure, ultrastructural constitution and organization, and leaflet thickness. These differences warrant a comparative look at the bending properties of the four types of leaflets. We found that the moment-curvature relationships in atrioventricular valves were stiffer than in semilunar valves, and the moment-curvature relationships of the left-side valve leaflets were stiffer than their morphological analog of the right side.