Furuno (Japan)

We investigated whether rice protein ameliorates the osteoporosis associated with type 2 diabetes in Zucker diabetic fatty rats. Diets containing rice endosperm protein, rice bran protein, or casein were fed for 10 weeks. The rats exhibited an early stage of diabetic nephropathy and chronic kidney disease–mineral and bone disorder, and parameters reflecting mineral and bone metabolism and bone structure and strength were evaluated. Feeding casein to Zucker Diabetic Fatty rats increased their serum fibroblast growth factor 23 and parathyroid hormone concentrations, suggesting relative excess phosphorus intake, a low serum osteocalcin concentration, and a slightly elevated serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b concentration, indicating bone catabolism. In addition, the microarchitecture and strength of the femur were impaired. However, feeding rice endosperm protein and rice bran protein improved these parameters to near normal. These results imply that feeding these rice proteins causes an amelioration of diabetic osteoporosis.

The dynamics of fishing nets can be estimated by modeling and numerically computing the forces acting on them. However, the dynamic models of fishing nets are highly nonlinear owing to the significant influence of hydrodynamic forces acting on the net. Therefore, if there are unknown parameters that define the state of motion in the model, it is often difficult to achieve high accuracy in the numerical simulations of fishing gear and evaluate its dynamics. To address this issue, a method is proposed for estimating these unknown parameters by integrating a nonlinear Kalman filter into a fishing net dynamics model. This study aimed to estimate the hauling velocity of large- and medium-sized purse seine fishing nets, which can be a challenging parameter to measure. The calculations are based on the data obtained from a research operation conducted by the Marine Fisheries Research and Development Center in 2019 using the purse seine fishing vessel “Taikei Maru No. 1”. The time series of the hauling-net velocity was estimated based on the results of the estimation experiment. These results allowed the estimation of the hauling velocity and calculation of the net dynamics during the hauling process. This shows that net dynamics simulation is possible even with unknown parameters.

O estudo concentrou-se na análise da proficiência em matemática de 189 alunos do 9° ano do Ensino Fundamental em duas Escolas Públicas de Referência Estaduais de Pernambuco, situadas em Abreu e Lima. Essas escolas adotam uma jornada diária estendida de ensino com 35 horas semanais, e os alunos enfrentaram um período significativo de ensino remoto, híbrido ou semipresencial devido à pandemia de COVID-19. A pesquisa utilizou dados de uma avaliação diagnóstica do Projeto Reconquista da Secretaria de Educação e Esportes, composta por 10 questões de múltipla escolha, aplicada em 04 de agosto de 2023. O estudo investigou o entendimento dos alunos sobre os principais descritores de matemática e examinou como a precariedade do ensino remoto durante a pandemia afetou a compreensão dos conteúdos necessários para estarem aptos ao 9° ano. Os resultados revelaram um baixo desempenho geral, com uma média de aproveitamento de apenas 25,66%. Apenas um dos descritores alcançou uma taxa de acerto superior a 50%. Esses dados sinalizam a necessidade urgente de ações para reverter esse cenário e desenvolver estratégias de acompanhamento diferenciado durante o Ensino Médio. O estudo indica que o período de ensino remoto teve um impacto negativo no domínio dos conteúdos de matemática pelos alunos. Isso ressalta a importância de medidas corretivas para mitigar os efeitos dessas interrupções no aprendizado e garantir um desenvolvimento educacional adequado. É essencial implementar intervenções específicas para fortalecer as habilidades matemáticas dos estudantes e promover um ambiente educacional mais resiliente no futuro.

BackgroundThe onset of locomotive syndrome (LS) precedes that of frailty. Therefore, the first step in extending healthy life expectancy is to implement measures against LS in young adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of LS and its associated factors in young adults for early detection and prevention of LS.MethodsThe participants of this study comprised 413 university students specializing in health sciences (192 males and 221 females) with an average age of 19.1 ± 1.2 years. All participants voluntarily participated in the study and reported no serious health problems. The presence or absence of LS was evaluated using the stand-up test, two-step test, and the 25-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale. Additionally, musculoskeletal assessment (one-leg standing, squatting, shoulder elevation, and standing forward bend), body composition analysis (weight, body mass index, body fat mass, body fat percentage, skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), and phase angle), handgrip strength test, physical activity assessment, and nutritional assessment were conducted. Sex-stratified analyses were performed, comparing groups with and without LS. Factors associated with LS were explored using binomial logistic regression.ResultsOf the 413 young adults studied, 86 individuals (20.8%) were found to have LS. When stratified by sex, LS was observed to have a considerably higher prevalence in females (55, 24.9%) than in males (31, 16.1%). In males, the notable differences between the groups with and without LS were observed in one-leg standing and phase angle, whereas in females, differences were identified in body fat mass, body fat percentage, SMI, musculoskeletal pain, and handgrip strength. Two types of binomial logistic regression analysis revealed that the inability to perform one-leg standing was associated with LS in males, while the presence of musculoskeletal pain and a high body fat percentage were identified as factors associated with LS in females.ConclusionsOne in five young adults were found to have LS in this study, underscoring the necessity for early intervention and LS health education. Furthermore, effective management of musculoskeletal pain is also crucial.

For the systems working in unknown environments, the number and quality of measurements may vary depending on the environment. In the Kalman filter, it is common to add fictitious noises to the nominal process and measurement noises to avoid the filter divergence caused by inaccurate system modeling. However, it is difficult to choose an appropriate fictitious noise, especially for the systems whose environment varies with respect to the measurements. A naively chosen fictitious noise often leads to unexpectedly large inflation of state estimation error covariance and even degradation of estimation accuracy, when the number of measurements is less than the number of states. This article proposes a novel method for adding a fictitious noise to the nominal process noise using the measurement matrix at each time step. First, we analyze theoretically the variations of state estimation error covariance and Kalman gain due to a fictitious noise. Next, based on the results, we seek a fictitious noise that minimizes the expected values of measurement residuals at each time step and show that unnecessary inflation of state estimation error covariance can be avoided by choosing the fictitious noise based on the measurement matrix. Experiments on positioning of actual automobiles using global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and inertial navigation system (INS) demonstrate that the proposed method improves the positioning accuracy compared to conventional methods. The proposed method has a novel feature in that it is not adaptive to the measurements themselves, but to the measurement matrix, and can be applied in a computationally effective manner to practical applications.

To assess the efficacy and safety of intra-arterial injection of imipenem/cilastatin sodium (IPM/CS) via a needle placed into the radial artery or ulnar artery (RA/UA) for distal interphalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joint osteoarthritis (DIP/PIP-OA). This is a retrospective single-arm cohort study. Ninety-two patients [92% women, mean (SD) age 55(8.3) years] with a primary DIP/PIP-OA meet the American College of Rheumatology criteria for hand osteoarthritis with pain ≥ 4 on the 0-10 numeric rating scale (NRS) were enrolled. All procedures were performed by injecting IPM/CS through a 24-gauge needle percutaneously inserted into the RA/UA. Two procedures were planned; the second procedure was scheduled 1-2months after the first. NRS, Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QuickDASH) score, Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) scale, and procedure-related adverse events were evaluated. Technical success, defined as injection of IPM/CS into the RA/UA, was achieved in all patients. Clinical success, defined as a reduction of 2 points or more in the NRS at 12months, was 77% (95% confidence interval 68-85%). The NRS improved from the baseline to 3, 6, and 12months (7.8 ± 1.6 vs. 3.8 ± 2.6, 3.9 ± 2.7, and 4.0 ± 2.8, respectively, all p < 0.001). The QuickDASH score improved from the baseline to 12months (27 ± 15 vs. 19 ± 17, p < 0.001) respectively. No major adverse events were observed. Intra-arterial injection of IPM/CS is a feasible treatment option for DIP/PIP-OA.