Magnesium alloys as extremely promising alternatives for temporary orthopedic implants-A review

Mg alloys are emerging as potential and very promising alternatives for replacing permanent metallic implant materials such as steels and titanium in applications where the implants need to be removed following healing through revision surgery.Use of Mg alloys for implant application is seen as a game changer and Mg alloys are almost perfect materials for the future in both engineering and biomedical applications.Present review therefore focuses on highlighting significance of Mg alloys in biomedical field and risks of using permanent metallic implants particularly when the implants are no longer required after the injury is healed.In this review,importance of orthopedic implants in present scenario,serious concern related to accidents that are causing permanent disabilities,demand in orthopedic implant market worldwide,potential applications of Mg based materials and their compatibility in biological environment is presented and discussed.In addition,degradation rate,major reactions associated with Mg based materials and effect of alloying elements on implant performance are also discussed based on in-vivo results.Recent advances in development of Mg alloys through various techniques and their performance in in-vitro conditions are also outlined.Possible ways to eliminate the limitations of Mg alloys include alloying,melt purification,surface alterations,surface modifications,chemical treatment,secondary processing etc.are discussed.Challenges and opportunities for Mg alloys to become ideal implant material is also addressed.

Pitfalls and promises of bile duct alternatives:There is plenty of room in the regenerative surgery

Current abdominal surgery has several approaches for biliary reconstruction.However,the creation of functional and clinically applicable bile duct substitutes still represents an unmet need.In the paper by Miyazawa and colleagues,approaches to the creation of bile duct alternatives were summarized,and the reasons for the lack of development in this area were explained.The history of bile duct surgery since the nineteenth century was also traced,leading to the conclusion that the use of bioabsorbable materials holds promise for the creation of bile duct substitutes in the future.We suggest three ideas that may stimulate progress in the field of bile duct substitute creation.First,a systematic analysis of the causative factors leading to failure or success in the creation of bile duct substitutes may help to develop more effective approaches.Second,the regeneration of a bile duct is delicately balanced between epithelialization and subsequent submucosal maturation within limited time frames,which may be more apparent when using quantitative models to estimate outcomes.Third,the utilization of the organism’s endogenous regeneration abilities may enhance the creation of bile duct substitutes.We are convinced that an interdisciplinary approach,including quantitative methods,machine learning,and deep retrospective analysis of the causes that led to success and failure in studies on the creation of bile duct substitutes,holds great value.Additionally,more attention should be directed towards the balance of epithelialization and submucosal maturation rates,as well as induced angiogenesis.These ideas deserve further investigation to pave the way for bile duct restoration with physiologically relevant outcomes.

Hazard Assessment of Alternatives to Dicofol

Dicofol was listed by International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) as requiring immediate and urgent considera-tion and thus was considered as a new candidate by Persistent Organic Pollutant Review Committee (POPRC) as a possible persistent organic pollutant (POP). Dicofol is structurally similar to DDT. It is persistent in food and water, highly toxic to aquatic life and causes egg-shell thinning in some bird species. High concern, due to the lack of dicofol measurements in the Arctic, proving long range transport and bioaccumulation in wild life species, supports further impact assessment of this product. Under Stockholm Convention, substances identified as POPs are regulated with the objective to protect the environment and the human health. According to this objective, the search of environmental and healthy alternatives is helpful. This paper discusses the use of three groups of chemicals currently applied as alternatives to dicofol. An exhaustive review of the synthesis of dicofol, starting from DDT, and compared to possible substitutes is presented: 1) active principle with fluoralkenyl are proposed as an environmental and healthy alternative to dicofol, 2) inhibitor agents of mitochondrial electron transport as chlorfenapyr, hydramethylnon and pyridaben and 3) pesticides commonly applied in agricultural practices as oxythioquinox, fenbutatin-oxide and formetanate hydrochloride.

Study on Rank Reversal and Independence of Irrelevant Alternatives

Rank reversals appearing in AHP are discussed. It is proved with examples that they are in certain degree universal in the process of decision making. The mechanism of rank reversal is expounded. It is believed that rank reversal can not deny the reasonableness of AHP and the axioms of independences of irrelevant alternatives.

Implementing an Information System Strategy: A Cost, Benefit, and Risk Analysis Framework for Evaluating Viable IT Alternatives in the US Federal Government

In the US Federal government, an analysis of alternatives (AoA) is required for a significant investment of resources. The AoA yields the recommended alternative from a set of viable alternatives for the investment decision. This paper presents an integrated AoA and project management framework for analyzing new or emerging alternatives (e.g., Cloud computing), as may be driven by an information system strategy that incorporates a methodology for analyzing the costs, benefits, and risks of each viable alternative. The case study in this paper, about a business improvement project to provide public health and safety services to citizens in a US Federal agency, is a practical application of this integrated framework and reveals the benefits of this integrated approach for an investment decision. The decision making process in the framework—as an integrated, organized, and adaptable set of management and control practices—offers a defensible recommendation and provides accountability to stakeholders.

Using Chemical Release Surveillance Data to Evaluate the Public Health Impacts of Chlorine and Its Alternatives

Background: More than 80 million Americans may be at risk of a chemical exposure because they live near one of the 101 most hazardous chemical facilities or near routes used to transport hazardous chemicals. One approach to hazard reduction is to use less toxic alternatives. Chlorine, one of the chemicals posing the greatest public health danger, has several alternatives depending on the application. Methods: We analyzed data collected during 1993-2008 by 17 state health departments participating in the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s (ATSDR) active chemical incident surveillance program. We conducted descriptive analyses to evaluate whether five chlorine alternatives (calcium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, sodium chlorate, sodium hydrosulfite, and sodium hypochlorite) resulted in less severe incidents. We used chi square and z-score analyses to test significance, where appropriate. Results: During 1993-2008, 2040 incidents involved chlorine, and 1246 incidents involved chlorine alternatives. Nearly 30% of chlorine releases resulted in injured persons, as compared to 13% of chlorine alternatives that resulted in injury. Although similar proportions of persons injured in chlorine or chlorine alternative releases were treated on scene (18% and 14%, respectively) and at a hospital (58% and 60%, respectively), there was a greater proportion of hospital admissions following chlorine releases than there was following releases of chlorine alternatives (10 % vs. 4%) (p Conclusion: Exposures to these five potential chlorine alternatives resulted in a lower proportion of exposed persons requiring hospital admission. To reduce acute public health injuries associated with chemical exposures, users should consider a chlorine alternative when such a substitution is reasonable.

Eigenvector Method for Ranking Alternatives with Vague Value Measurements

An eigenvector method for ranking alternatives whose measurements are given as vague values is provided. Firstly, a positive matrix is constructed which is defined as evaluation information matrix （EIM）. Based on four assumptions for evaluating alternatives, a ranking eigenvector is defined. And then it is proved, based on positive matrix theory, that the EIM＇s eigenvector corresponding to the maximal eigenvalue is the ranking vector. For alternatives whose characteristics are presented by vague sets, the proposed techniques can evaluate the degree of suitability to which an alternative satisfies the decision-maker＇ s requirement efficiently.

Frontiers in antibiotic alternatives for Clostridioides difficile infection

Clostridioides difficile(C.difficile)is a gram-positive,anaerobic spore-forming bacterium and a major cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea.Humans are naturally resistant to C.difficile infection(CDI)owing to the protection provided by healthy gut microbiota.When the gut microbiota is disturbed,C.difficile can colonize,produce toxins,and manifest clinical symptoms,ranging from asymptomatic diarrhea and colitis to death.Despite the steady-if not risingprevalence of CDI,it will certainly become more problematic in a world of antibiotic overuse and the post-antibiotic era.C.difficile is naturally resistant to most of the currently used antibiotics as it uses multiple resistance mechanisms.Therefore,current CDI treatment regimens are extremely limited to only a few antibiotics,which include vancomycin,fidaxomicin,and metronidazole.Therefore,one of the main challenges experienced by the scientific community is the development of alternative approaches to control and treat CDI.In this Frontier article,we collectively summarize recent advances in alternative treatment approaches for CDI.Over the past few years,several studies have reported on natural product-derived compounds,drug repurposing,highthroughput library screening,phage therapy,and fecal microbiota transplantation.We also include an update on vaccine development,pre-and probiotics for CDI,and toxin antidote approaches.These measures tackle CDI at every stage of disease pathology via multiple mechanisms.We also discuss the gaps and concerns in these developments.The next epidemic of CDI is not a matter of if but a matter of when.Therefore,being well-equipped with a collection of alternative therapeutics is necessary and should be prioritized.

A test method for evaluating the thermal environment of underground coal mine refuge alternatives

Since 2009,the Mine Safety and Health Administration(MSHA)has required mines to install refuge alternatives(RAs)in underground coal mines.One of the biggest concerns with occupied RAs is the possible severity of the resulting thermal environment.In 30 CFR 7.504,the maximum allowable apparent temperature(AT)for an occupied RA is specified as 35℃(95°F).Manufacturers must conduct heat/humidity tests to demonstrate that their RAs meet the 35℃(95°F)AT limit.For these tests,heat input devices are used to input the metabolic heat of actual miners.A wide variety of test methods,sensors,and heat input devices could be used when conducting such tests.Since 2012,the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH)has conducted over thirty 96-hour heat/humidity tests on four different RAs.This paper discusses the test equipment and procedures used during these investigations.This information is useful for RA manufacturers conducting RA heat/humidity tests,for other researchers investigating RA heat/humidity buildup,and for those who need to assess the thermal environment of any confined space where people may be trapped or are seeking refuge.

Pitfalls and promises of bile duct alternatives:A narrative review

Biliodigestive anastomosis between the extrahepatic bile duct and the intestine for bile duct disease is a gastrointestinal reconstruction that abolishes duodenal papilla function and frequently causes retrograde cholangitis.This chronic inflammation can cause liver dysfunction,liver abscess,and even bile duct cancer.Although research has been conducted for over 100 years to directly repair bile duct defects with alternatives,no bile duct substitute(BDS)has been developed.This narrative review confirms our understanding of why bile duct alternatives have not been developed and explains the clinical applicability of BDSs in the near future.We searched the PubMed electronic database to identify studies conducted to develop BDSs until December 2021 and identified studies in English.Two independent reviewers reviewed studies on large animals with 8 or more cases.Four types of BDSs prevail:Autologous tissue,non-bioabsorbable material,bioabsorbable material,and others(decellularized tissue,3D-printed structures,etc.).In most studies,BDSs failed due to obstruction of the lumen or stenosis of the anastomosis with the native bile duct.BDS has not been developed primarily because control of bile duct wound healing and regeneration has not been elucidated.A BDS expected to be clinically applied in the near future incorporates a bioabsorbable material that allows for regeneration of the bile duct outside the BDS.

Discussion about the Side Effect of Error Corrective Feedback and Possible Alternatives to Error Correction

Feedbacks given by teachers is possibly a common instruction in second language writing classes, to help students makeprogress in writing. At one time, feedback was almost entirely at a superficial level--identifying the grammatical errors and givingthe correct form. However, recently, this type of feedback has begun to be challenged by some researchers(eg.,Krashen, 1984, Trus-cott, 1996),who argue that teachers should be more concerned with the content of essay instead of grammatical errors. This essaywill discuss some research surrounding feedback to students' writing and will try to find the answer to the question whether the er-ror corrective feedback should be abandoned. In order to find the answer, the essay will elaborate on two parts: some literary reviewabout the issue and some suggested solutions to the issue.

Critical assessment of R410A alternatives for mini-split air conditioners in the Egyptian market

In this study,the potential implementation of three different low-GWP refrigerants(R32,R452B,and R454B)as replacements for R410A was investigated.The study was performed using a simulation tool developed by the authors called RACHP-Lab,which is a vapor compression system simulation tool developed based on physics-based simulation for typical mini-split air conditioners.The simulation study was carried out and validated using experimental performance data of 10 different air conditioning units available in the Egyptian market.The units included fixed-speed or variable-speed compressors and operated in cooling or heating modes.Drop-in replace-ment with the new refrigerants was carried out.For R32,the capacity increased between 4.9%and 13%for cooling cases,and 6.3%and 12.4%for heating cases.However,COP did not improve in all cases.For R452B and R454B with direct replacement,the capacity nearly remained the same,with an increase of COP between 1.6%and 8.0%.Soft optimization was also conducted on cooling cases where compressor suction superheat,condenser subcooling,and compressor volumetric speed were optimized to maximize COP while maintaining the original capacity of R410A.R32 showed an improvement of COP over R410A between 4.6%and 15.5%,while for R452B and R454B between 2.2%and 13.2%.

A comprehensive review on natural phenolic compounds as alternatives to in-feed antibiotics

Intensive livestock and poultry farming in China largely relied on the use of in-feed antibiotics until July 2020.The consequences of antibiotic overuse in animal feed include accumulation in animal products and the development of bacterial antibiotic resistance,both of which threaten food safety and human health.China has now completely banned the circulation of commercial feed containing growth-promoting drug additives(except Chinese herbal medicine).Therefore,alternatives to in-feed antibiotics in animal production are greatly needed.Natural phenolic compounds(NPCs)exist widely in plants and are non-toxic,nonpolluting,highly reproducible,and leave little residue.Many natural flavonoids,phenolic acids,lignans,and stilbenes have polyphenol chemical structures and exhibit great potential as alternatives to antibiotics.In this review we delineate the characteristics of plant-derived NPCs and summarize their current applications as alternatives to in-feed antibiotics,aiming to provide new strategies for antibiotic-free feeding and promote the development of more sustainable animal husbandry practices.

Preference levels for clusters of alternatives

In the decision-making tasks for ranking the alternatives and choosing the best ones,procedures on the digraphs are often used.A digraph of the aggregated relation on a set of alternatives for information of experts or criteria is preconstructed.If the digraph does not contain any cycles,then the Demukron algorithm for partitioning the digraph into levels can be used to order the alternatives by preference.This algorithm cannot be applied if there are clusters consisting of equivalent alternatives.In the paper the algorithm for partitioning an arbitrary digraph of into preference levels is proposed.In contrast to the standard procedure,the digraph of the aggregated relation admits the presence of cycles,and,consequently,of equivalent vertexes-alternatives.The vertexes in any cycle of digraph belong to one level of preference.

Scalar Alternatives and Scalar Inference Involving Adjectives:A Comment on van Tiel,et al.(2016)

Doran, et al.(2009, 2012) and van Tiel, et al.(2016) have presented experimental evidence that gradable adjectives (e.g.cool) yield scalar inferences (e.g.to not cold) significantly less often than do numerals, quantifiers and modals;their data also reveal considerable variability within the class of adjectives in the frequency with which inferences are likely to be generated.Van Tiel, et al.consider two main explanations for this variation:differences among pairs of adjectives in what they call scale distinctness (how easy or difficult it is to differentiate the adjectives), and differences in scale availability (how salient the stronger scalar alternative is).They argue that only scale distinctness plays a role, and a rather small one at that;they leave most of the variation unexplained.In this comment, I argue that their measures of scale availability were too crude to detect a role for contextual variation in the scalar alternatives that subjects consider, but that this latter variation is, in fact, a very plausible part of the explanation for the results.I discuss some specific ways adjectives might yield different scalar alternatives in different contexts, under sufficiently sophisticated assumptions about their lexical semantics and about the rhetorical structure of discourse.

Alternative splicing of the PECTINESTERASE gene encoding a cell wall-degrading enzyme affects postharvest softening in grape

The firmness of table grape berries is a crucial quality parameter. Despite extensive research on postharvest fruit softening, its precise molecular mechanisms remain elusive. To enhance our comprehension of the underlying molecular factors, we initially identified differentially expressed genes(DEGs) by comparing the transcriptomes of folic acid(FA)-treated and water-treated(CK) berries at different time points. We then analyzed the sequences to detect alternatively spliced(AS) genes associated with postharvest softening. A total of 2,559 DEGs were identified and categorized into four subclusters based on their expression patterns, with subcluster-4 genes exhibiting higher expression in the CK group compared with the FA treatment group. There were 1,045 AS-associated genes specific to FA-treated berries and 1,042 in the CK-treated berries, respectively. Gene Ontology(GO) annotation indicated that the AS-associated genes in CK-treated berries were predominantly enriched in cell wall metabolic processes,particularly cell wall degradation processes. Through a comparison between treatment-associated AS genes and subcluster-4 DEGs, we identified eight genes, including Pectinesterase 2(VvPE2, Vitvi15g00704), which encodes a cell wall-degrading enzyme and was predicted to undergo an A3SS event. The reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction further confirmed the presence of a truncated transcript variant of VvPE2 in the FA-treated berries.Our study provides a comprehensive analysis of AS events in postharvest grape berries using transcriptome sequencing and underscores the pivotal role of VvPE2 during the postharvest storage of grape berries.

RNA m6A dynamic modification mediated by nucleuslocalized FTO is involved in follicular reserve

In eukaryotic organisms,the most common internal modification of messenger RNA(m RNA)is N6-methyladenosine(m6A).This modification can be dynamically and reversibly controlled by specific enzymes known as m6A writers and erasers.The fat-mass and obesity-associated protein(FTO)catalyzes RNA demethylation and plays a critical role in various physiological and pathological processes.Our research identified dynamic alterations in both m6A and FTO during the assembly of primordial follicles,with an inverse relationship observed for m6A levels and nuclear-localized FTO expression.Application of Fto small interfering RNA(si RNA)altered the expression of genes related to cell proliferation,hormone regulation,and cell chemotaxis,and affected RNA alternative splicing.Overexpression of the full-length Fto gene led to changes in m6A levels,alternative splicing of Cdk5,cell proliferation,cell cycle progression,and proportion of primordial follicles.Conversely,overexpression of Fto lacking a nuclear localization signal(NLS)did not significantly alter m6A levels or primordial follicle assembly.These findings suggest that FTO,localized in the nucleus but not in the cytoplasm,regulates RNA m6A demethylation and plays a role in cell proliferation,cell cycle progression,and primordial follicle assembly.These results highlight the potential of m6A and its eraser FTO as possible biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Pig H3K4me3,H3K27ac,and gene expression profiles reveal reproductive tissue-specific activity of transposable elements

Regulatory sequences and transposable elements(TEs)account for a large proportion of the genomic sequences of species;however,their roles in gene transcription,especially tissue-specific expression,remain largely unknown.Pigs serve as an excellent animal model for studying genomic sequence biology due to the extensive diversity among their wild and domesticated populations.Here,we conducted an integrated analysis using H3K27ac ChIP-seq,H3K4me3 ChIP-seq,and RNA-seq data from 10 different tissues of seven fetuses and eight closely related adult pigs.We aimed to annotate the regulatory elements and TEs to elucidate their associations with histone modifications and mRNA expression across different tissues and developmental stages.Based on correlation analysis between mRNA expression and H3K27ac and H3K4me3 peak activity,results indicated that H3K27ac exhibited stronger associations with gene expression than H3K4me3.Furthermore,1.45%of TEs overlapped with either the H3K27ac or H3K4me3 peaks,with the majority displaying tissue-specific activity.Notably,a TE subfamily(LTR4C_SS),containing binding motifs for SIX1 and SIX4,showed specific enrichment in the H3K27ac peaks of the adult and fetal ovaries.RNA-seq analysis also revealed widespread expression of TEs in the exons or promoters of genes,including 4688 TE-containing transcripts with distinct development stage-specific and tissue-specific expression.Of note,1967 TE-containing transcripts were enriched in the testes.We identified a long terminal repeat(LTR),MLT1F1,acting as a testis-specific alternative promoter in SRPK2(a cell cycle-related protein kinase)in our pig dataset.This element was also conserved in humans and mice,suggesting either an ancient integration of TEs in genes specifically expressed in the testes or parallel evolutionary patterns.Collectively,our findings demonstrate that TEs are deeply embedded in the genome and exhibit important tissue-specific biological functions,particularly in the reproductive organs.

Pile foundation in alternate layered liquefiable and non-liquefiable soil deposits subjected to earthquake loading

Pile foundations are still the preferred foundation system for high-rise structures in earthquake-prone regions.Pile foundations have experienced failures in past earthquakes due to liquefaction.Research on pile foundations in liquefiable soils has primarily focused on the pile foundation behavior in two or three-layered soil profiles.However,in natural occurrence,it may occur in alternative layers of liquefiable and non-liquefiable soil.However,the experimental and/or numerical studies on the layered effect on pile foundations have not been widely addressed in the literature.Most of the design codes across the world do not explicitly mention the effect of sandwiched non-liquefiable soil layers on the pile response.In the present study,the behavior of an end-bearing pile in layered liquefiable and non-liquefiable soil deposit is studied numerically.This study found that the kinematic bending moment is higher and governs the design when the effect of the sandwiched non-liquefied layer is considered in the analysis as opposed to when its effect is ignored.Therefore,ignoring the effect of the sandwiched non-liquefied layer in a liquefiable soil deposit might be a nonconservative design approach.