Surgical outcomes and etiological considerations in intermittent exotropia: a systematic narrative review.

: Is Intermittent Exotropia being conceived and treated as an ocular-mechanical problem? Is etiology taken into account when planning for intervention? Which success criteria are used? Are they based on alignment or do they also consider visual function? In order to answer these questions, a review of studies assessing the outcomes of strabismus surgery in Intermittent Exotropia has been conducted. : published between January 2003 and December 2023 were included. The database searched was MEDLINE following a predefined protocol.

Supramolecular modification of sustainable high-molar-mass polymers for improved processing and performance.

The plastic waste crisis is among humanity's most urgent challenges. However, widespread adoption of sustainable plastics is hindered by their often inadequate processing characteristics and performance. Here, we introduce a bio-inspired strategy for the modification of a representative high molar mass, biodegradable aliphatic polyester that helps overcome these limitations and remains effective at molar masses far greater than the entanglement molar mass.

Rapid, systematic updating of movement by accumulated decision evidence.

Acting in the natural world requires not only deciding among multiple options but also converting decisions into motor commands. How the dynamics of decision formation influence the fine kinematics of response movement remains, however, poorly understood. Here we investigate how the accumulation of decision evidence shapes the response orienting trajectories in a task where freely-moving rats combine prior expectations and auditory information to select between two possible options.

Organoleptic characteristics of high-protein snacks with novel and sustainable ingredients: Cricket flour and carob powder.

To fulfill consumer trends in sustainable and healthy food choices, this study explored the application of edible insects and carob powder as sustainable and nutritious ingredients in developing a high-protein snack, known as a protein ball. Four formulations were developed and characterized in terms of moisture content, water activity, color, texture, microbial count, and nutritional profile. Finally, the sensory profile was determined using the flash profile method, and the developed product was compared to a commercial product.

Effect of an 18-Month Meditation Training on Telomeres in Older Adults: A Secondary Analysis of the Age-Well Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Shorter telomeres are associated with increased risk of cognitive decline and age-related diseases. Developing interventions to promote healthy aging by preserving telomere integrity is of paramount importance. Here, we investigated the effect of an 18-month meditation intervention on telomere length (TL) measures in older people without cognitive impairment.

Enhancement of the Elastocaloric Performance of Natural Rubber by Forced Air Convection.

We study the enhancement of the elastocaloric effect in natural rubber by using forced air convection to favour heat extraction during the elongation stage of a stretching-unstretching cycle. Elastocaloric performance is quantified by means of the adiabatic undercooling that occurs after fast removal of the stress, measured by infrared thermography. To ensure accuracy, spatial averaging on thermal maps of the sample surface is performed since undercooled samples display heterogeneities caused by various factors.

Performance of Recycled Opaque PET Modified by Reactive Extrusion.

A comparative study of the structural integrity of an opaque recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (rPET-O) has been carried out with two types of modified rPET-O by applying reactive extrusion techniques, namely (a) using a multi-epoxide reactive agent (REx-rPET-O) and (b) a 90/10 (wt/wt) rPET-O/polycarbonate (PC) blend. The chemical modifications introduced during reactive extrusion were confirmed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and rheological dynamic analysis (RDA). For the quantification of the fracture parameters, an instrumented pendulum impact testing machine was used using specimens in SENB configuration.

Tensile and Elastocaloric Properties of Natural/Devulcanized Waste Rubber Blends.

The need for eco-friendly cooling materials and material recycling are two urgent challenges to address. In this paper, the role of the ground tyre rubber treatment (cryo-grinding and devulcanization) is investigated on the tensile and elastocaloric properties of Natural rubber (NR)/ ground tyre rubber (GTR). The GTR particles that are sieved (<63µm) and devulcanized by microwave irradiation (1 min at 800Watts) exhibit a low network chain density (0.

Microparticle dynamics in upper-ocean turbulence: Dataset for analysis, modeling & prediction.

Plastic particle pollution has threatened the well-being of seawater ecosystems over the past decades. Therefore, understanding, modeling and (potentially) predicting the dynamics of microplastics and biogenic particles in ocean turbulence is of utmost importance to help develop mitigation strategies and propose technological solutions ultimately aimed at safeguarding global water systems. This is particularly significant for microplastics in the upper-ocean layer.

Does the subjective response during the measurement of fusional reserves affect the clinical diagnosis?

Introduction: Fusional reserves differ with the method of measurement. The goal of this study was to compare the subjective and objective responses during the measurement of positive and negative fusional reserves using both step and ramp methods.

Methods: A haploscopic system was used to measure fusional reserves.

Microconfined High-Pressure Transcritical Channel Flow Database: Laminar, Transitional & Turbulent Regimes.

The potential of comprehending and managing microscale flows to enhance energy processes, especially in heat transfer and propulsion applications, remains largely untapped particularly for supercritical fluids, which have gained increased interest over the past years due to the higher power and thermodynamic efficiencies they provide. This work, therefore, presents the first comprehensive, open-source dataset carefully curated and structured for studying microconfined high-pressure transcritical fluid channel flows under various regimes. Particularly, the dataset contains 18 direct numerical simulations of carbon dioxide at different bulk pressures and velocities confined between differentially-heated walls.

Developing an Open-Source, User-Friendly, OWASP-Compliant Architecture for Healthcare Web Application Testing.

Nowadays, web applications are fundamental in the healthcare sector. However, with the widespread use of this technology, risks related to cybersecurity attacks also increase. To mitigate this phenomenon, every 3-4 years, the nonprofit foundation Open Worldwide Application Security Project (OWASP) compiles a top 10 ranking of the most critical web application security risks.

Deventilation Syndrome in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Using Nocturnal Noninvasive Ventilation: What Are the Underlying Mechanisms?

Introduction: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) commonly experience severe dyspnea after discontinuation of nocturnal noninvasive ventilation (NIV), known as deventilation syndrome (DVS), which negatively affects quality of life. Despite various hypotheses, the precise mechanisms of DVS remain unknown.

Methods: An observational pilot study was performed monitoring 16 stable COPD patients before, during, and after an afternoon nap on NIV.

Dynamo action driven by precessional turbulence.

We reveal and analyze an efficient magnetic dynamo action due to precession-driven hydrodynamic turbulence in the local model of a precessional flow, focusing on the kinematic stage of this dynamo. The growth rate of the magnetic field monotonically increases with the Poincaré number Po, characterizing precession strength, and the magnetic Prandtl number Pm, equal to the ratio of viscosity to resistivity, for the considered ranges of these parameters. The critical Po_{c} for the dynamo onset decreases with increasing Pm.

Stochastic computer experiments of the thermodynamic irreversibility of bulk nanobubbles in supersaturated and weak gas-liquid solutions.

Spontaneous gas-bubble nucleation in weak gas-liquid solutions has been a challenging topic in theory, experimentation, and computer simulations. In analogy with recent advances in crystallization and droplet formation studies, the diffusive-shielding stabilization and thermodynamic irreversibility of bulk nanobubble (bNB) mechanisms are revisited and deployed to characterize nucleation processes in a stochastic framework of computer experiments using the large-scale atomic/molecular massively parallel simulator code. Theoretical bases, assumptions, and limitations underlying the irreversibility hypothesis of bNBs, and their computational counterparts, are extensively described and illustrated.

Individualized time windows enhance TMS-EEG signal characterization and improve assessment of cortical function in schizophrenia.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) recordings are crucial to directly assess cortical excitability and inhibition in a non-invasive and task-free manner. TMS-EEG signals are characterized by TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs), which are employed to evaluate cortical function. Nonetheless, different time windows (TW) have been used to compute them over the years.

Influence of a changing wave climate on the quality and morphometry of the stalked barnacle (Gmelin, 1789), along the coasts of NW Iberia.

Unlabelled: Wave climate is shifting over the last decades along the Atlantic coasts of Europe ultimately driven by large-scale patterns of atmospheric variability forced by anthropogenic global warming. Changes in wave height and surf zone orbital currents are hypothesized to drive marked shifts in the shape of intertidal organisms such as the stalked barnacle , whose quality and market price are known to decrease non linearly with the peduncle length: width ratio S. This study evaluates wave trends in NW Iberian Peninsula, using the Spanish Port System 2006-2020 SIMAR wave hindcast.

COVID-19 patient profiles over four waves in Barcelona metropolitan area: A clustering approach.

Objectives: Identifying profiles of hospitalized COVID-19 patients and explore their association with different degrees of severity of COVID-19 outcomes (i.e. in-hospital mortality, ICU assistance, and invasive mechanical ventilation).

Three-Dimensional Printed Patient-Specific Vestibular Augmentation: A Case Report.

: The anterior maxilla is challenging regarding aesthetic rehabilitation. Current bone augmentation techniques are complex and 3D-printed bioceramic bone grafts can simplify the intervention. Aim: A four-teeth defect in the anterior maxilla was reconstructed with a 3D-printed synthetic patient-specific bone graft in a staged approach for dental implant delivery.

Tetralogy of Fallot regurgitation energetics and kinetics: an intracardiac flow analysis of the right ventricle using computational fluid dynamics.

Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF) patients suffer from pulmonary regurgitation and may require pulmonary valve replacement (PVR). Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) guides therapy, but conventional measurements do not quantify the intracardiac flow effects from pulmonary regurgitation or PVR. This study investigates intracardiac flow parameters of the right ventricle (RV) of rTOF by computational fluid dynamics (CFD).

Physical and 3D numerical modelling of reinforcements pullout test.

This paper reports results of laboratory and 3D numerical modeled pull-out tests with steel ladders and polymeric strip reinforcements. These types of reinforcement are commonly used in reinforced soil walls constructed with concrete facing elements. Laboratory pull-out tests are required to determine accurate and realistic pull-out strength values considering the interaction of specific reinforcement and backfill materials under different confining pressures (i.

Effectiveness of one and two doses of acellular pertussis vaccines against laboratory-confirmed pertussis requiring hospitalisation in infants: Results of the PERTINENT sentinel surveillance system in six EU/EEA countries, December 2015 - December 2019.

Background: Monitoring effectiveness of pertussis vaccines is necessary to adapt vaccination strategies. PERTINENT, Pertussis in Infants European Network, is an active sentinel surveillance system implemented in 35 hospitals across six EU/EEA countries. We aim to measure pertussis vaccines effectiveness (VE) by dose against hospitalisation in infants aged <1 year.