Different forest types based on different tree species composition may have similar spectral signatures if observed with traditional multispectral satellite sensors. Hyperspectral imagery, with a more continuous representation of their spectral behavior may instead be used for their classification. The new hyperspectral Precursore IperSpettrale della Missione Applicativa (PRISMA) sensor, developed by the Italian Space Agency, is able to capture images in a continuum of 240 spectral bands ranging between 400 and 2500 nm, with a spectral resolution smaller than 12 nm. The new sensor can be employed for a large number of remote sensing applications, including forest types discrimination. In this study, we compared the capabilities of the new PRISMA sensor against the well-known Sentinel-2 Multi-Spectral Instrument (MSI) in recognition of different forest types through a pairwise separability analysis carried out in two study areas in Italy, using two different nomenclature systems and four separability metrics. The PRISMA hyperspectral sensor, compared to Sentinel-2 MSI, allowed for a better discrimination in all forest types, increasing the performance when the complexity of the nomenclature system also increased. PRISMA achieved an average improvement of 40% for the discrimination between two forest categories (coniferous vs. broadleaves) and of 102% in the discrimination between five forest types based on main tree species groups. Hyperspectral sensors observe the earth’s surface by simultaneously sampling hundreds of fine narrow contiguous spectral bands with a resolution of up to 0.01 μm in the visible and infrared spectrum. Each pixel in hyperspectral imagery (HSI) corresponds to a spectral vector, which reflects the characteristics of the land cover, making it possible to derive the reflectance behavior of the pixels in the image . HyperspThe ongoing spaceborne hyperspectral missions were joined in March 2019 by PRISMA , developed and operated by the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The purpose of the mission is to evaluate if the PRISMA sensor can be successfully used for monitoring natural resources and atmospheric characteristics and to evaluate possible new applications for environmental risk management and land observation . The newA detailed description of hyperspectral sensors from various platforms can be already found in several publications ,13,14,15Several feature selection, spectral feature extraction, and classification methods were developed to cope with the challenging intrinsic nature of hyperspectral data. Some of the traditional approaches for classification include spectral mixture analysis (SMA), multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis (MESMA), and spectral angle mapper (SAM). These methods are based on the assumption that a mixed pixel can be resolved into a group of spectral endmembers, modeled as a linear or a nonlinear combination of these endmembers weighted by their sub-pixel fractional cover ,16,17. MBefore starting with classification activities, it is essential to have a better comprehension of the spectral behavior of the different land covers through a discriminatory analysis based on spectral separability criteria. These criteria can be grouped into two categories: probabilistic distance and divergence. Some of the most common probabilistic distances are the Chernoff, Bhattacharyya, and Jeffreys–Matusita (JM) distances, based on the conditional density functions of two given land cover classes. The most common divergence measures are the Kullback–Leibler (KL) and the transformed divergence (TD). These are asymmetrical measures of difference between two probability distributions . All theIn vegetation studies, and more specifically in forestry applications, several studies have used such criteria to discriminate different tree species or groups of species on a band-by-band basis. Roberts et al.  evaluateThe degree of separability was also useful in feature selection problems. The bands-selection methods based on separability metrics have shown competitiveness with other methodologies, having the advantages of easy implementation and preservation of the physical interpretation ,23,29.This study was aimed at investigating the capabilities of the new PRISMA satellite hyperspectral sensor for the recognition of forest categories through a pairwise separability analysis in two study areas in Italy, on a band-by-band basis. This study was aimed at determining the separability based on two levels of the nomenclature system. First, we tried to separate coniferous vs. broadleaves because such wide forest categories are adopted in the official third level of the European Corine Land Cover (CLC)  and are In order to understand the improvement of the separability capability of the new PRISMA sensor, we compared the result against the spectral separability of the same classes with the Sentinel-2’s Multi-Spectral Instrument (MSI) that can be considered for the moment a reference benchmark for forest mapping. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first study aimed at investigating the potential of the new hyperspectral sensor PRISMA in forestry.The PRISMA satellite, launched on the 22 March 2019, has a relook time of approximately 29 days. The satellite is in the small size class (830 kg), with an operational lifetime of 5 years. The instruments onboard the platform include a Hyperspectral Imager, able to capture images in a continuum of 239 spectral bands ranging between 400 and 2500 nm, 66 in the Visible Near Infra Red (VNIR) and 173 in the Short Wave Infra Red (SWIR) spectrum, with a spectral resolution smaller than 12 nm, and a spatial resolution of 30 m. Nine bands are acquired in a wavelength overlapping region between the VNIR and the SWIR cube. The spacecraft also carries a 5 m resolution Panchromatic Camera . The imaIn addition, the platform carried a payload data handling and transmission subsystem (PDHT). This unit provides the memory for the temporary storage of the images and ancillary data and oversees the data transmission to the dedicated ground segment station.The main characteristics of the sensor are listed in PRISMA acquires images on demand, in specific individual locations requested by the users, in a “standard” mode, resulting in a 30 × 30 km scene and a “strip” mode, generating an image 30 km width, and having a maximum length of 1800 km. The combination of hyperspectral and panchromatic products gives the ability to recognize the physical-chemical and geometric characteristics of the target of interest within a scene and can potentially provide major contributions in the field of forest analysis, precision agriculture, water quality assessment, and climate change research ,37.To date, the PRISMA mission has acquired 64,504 images around the globe, of which 58,479 were acquired in 2020 and the remaining in 2019. Searching for images with cloud cover lower than 10% and acquisition during the vegetative period (1 April–30 September) we resulted in only 23 images available in Italy, all acquired in 2019 in 15 different areas .http://prisma-i.it/index.php/en/ (accessed on 5 February 2021) ;L2C: Atmospheric correction and geolocation of the L1 product ;L2D: Geocoding (orthorectification) of L2C.Level2: The L2 product is divided in:PRISMA images can be freely downloaded after registration at ry 2021) . They caLevels 1 and 2 are generated on demand and released in the Hierarchical Data Format Release 5 (HDF5). The Level 2 products can be georeferenced with or without ground control points (GCP) according to user preference and GCP availability .2, just as the PRISMA tiles do. The areas were selected based on the availability of reference data and PRISMA images with a cloud cover < 10% and an acquisition period during the leaf-on vegetation phase.This study was conducted in two areas located in central Italy  , each onQuercus ilex L., Quercus suber L.) and mesophilic deciduous forests . Other tree species include domestic pine (Pinus pinea L.), maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aito), and Aleppo Pine . The broadleaves part of the forest was actively managed with coppice clearcut for firewood production.The first area is in the Province of Grosseto, Tuscany, in the Colline Metallifere, the main and most extensive hilly and mountainous system of the Tuscan Anti-Apennines which includes the city of Grosseto. The area is characterized by gentle slopes (mean slope = 8%) and large altitude differences (from sea level up to 1000 m a.s.l.). The area is dominated by Mediterranean evergreen oaks  and evergreen oaks (mainly Quercus ilex L.). Other tree species include Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aito) and Black pine (Pinus nigra A.). The management is less active than in Area 1, but still dominated by coppice for firewood production.The second area is in the provinces of Arezzo and Perugia, between the regions of Tuscany and Umbria. The area includes the Trasimeno lake, the fourth largest lake in Italy, and the city of Perugia. The altitude ranges between 170 and 1100 m above sea level, with a steep slope, up to 140%. Broadleaves formations characterized the area, dominated by mesophilic deciduous oaks  and 220 ha (83 polygons) were acquired in Area 1 and Area 2, respectively .To test the spectral separability of the forest types, we used two PRISMA L2D cloud free scenes acquired on 16 June 2019 and the 4 June 2019, respectively. Each image consists of 239 spectral bands at 30 m spatial resolution ranging between 402 and 2497 nm, with a footprint of 30 × 30 km, atmospherically corrected and orthorectified, provided in he5 format. From the overlapping wavelength region, we retained only the bands from the VNIR cube, for a total of 230 considered spectral bands.For comparison purposes, we also downloaded for the same areas the Sentinel-2A L2A scenes. The Sentinel-2 images were acquired on the 18 June 2019 and on the 13 June 2019, respectively. All the S2 scenes from the Multi-Spectral Instrument (MSI) have cloud cover <5% and are composed of 13 spectral bands with a spatial resolution of 10, 20, and 60 m depending on the wavelength, ranging between 440 and 2190 nm, with a footprint of 100 × 100 km. S2 images were atmospherically corrected and orthorectified. For this study, the bands b1, b9, and b10 were not used due to their coarse spatial resolution (60 m) and because they are specific to atmospheric characterization and not for land monitoring applications. The remaining bands were resampled to the PRISMA tiles resolution of 30 × 30 m with the nearest-neighbor algorithm.All the remotely sensed images resulted cloud-free for the forest part of the study areas.prismaread [The PRISMA scenes were first converted in a suitable format by the R package ismaread , especiaismaread . These cThe same procedure was repeated for the Sentinel-2A scenes.spatialEco [xμ is the mean value for class x and xσ the standard deviation of class x. A high M-statistic indicates a good separation between the two classes as the within-class variance is minimized and the between-class variance maximized. The limitation of the M-statistic is that when the means of two classes are equal, the M-statistic will always be zero and cannot accurately reflect the separability.M-Statistic  (M): meaxμ is the mean value for class x and Σx are the covariances. The advantage with respect to the M-statistic is that the Bhattacharyya distance takes into account the class separability due to the covariance difference, expressed in the second term of the equation.Bhattacharyya distance  (B): meaB is the Bhattacharyya distance.The Jeffries–Matusita distance  :fication .mI is the percentage increment in separability for the metric m, PmMax and SmMax are, respectively, the maximum value of separability reached by PRISMA and Sentinel-2 for metric m.Lastly, we calculated the percentage variation of the above four metrics obtained by PRISMA with respect to Sentinel-2, for both study areas and the two levels of the nomenclature system. The increment was calculated based on the maximum separability reached in each class pair by the two sensors with the formula:The spectral signatures derived from PRISMA and Sentinel-2A data are shown in Based on the spectral signatures extracted within the 161 polygons, the four separability metrics between each pair of classes for each of the 230 bands were calculated for both levels of the nomenclature system, and for both the study areas. The results are shown in In Area 2, the coniferous and broadleaf were distinguished only in two small portions of the spectrum, near 1380 and 1830 nm, that are not sensed by the Sentinel-2 MSI. In these wavelengths, the PRISMA sensor achieved a mean separability value of 0.75, against 0.43 of Sentinel-2, reached in bands 7, 8, and 11.The results of the separability analysis on the fourth level of the nomenclature system are shown in In both the study areas, the hyperspectral sensor outperformed Sentinel-2 in the differentiation of all the forest type combinations. In red edge for the vegetation spectrum) for Sentinel-2 MSI and in the blue for the SWIR for the PRISMA sensor.In the third level, the two sensors reached the maximum separability at different wavelengths, in the red–NIR transition zone  and SWIR (1841 nm) bands in Areas 1 and 2, respectively. The differences between the two study areas were most probably due to the characteristics of the terrain. Area 2 presents a more complex topography, with steep slopes and a wide range of elevation, which influence the backscatter of the sensors  nm and S. TherefoIn addition, the effects of varying atmospheric and illumination conditions, due to the time lag between the scene acquisitions, may be of considerable impact. It is worth noticing that the separability was higher in the SWIR channel of PRISMA than in Sentinel-2. Thanks to its spectral resolution and band numbers, hyperspectral images have many advantages in distinguishing the different forest types.For the fourth level of the nomenclature system, the performance of PRISMA data was even better when compared to Sentinel-2. We found that the separability of forest types was higher in a narrow range of wavelength in the blue channel (430–440 nm) for Area 1, in the NIR-plateau (approximately at 1370 nm), and in the SWIR spectrum at 1822 nm in Area 2. These wavelengths were not sensed by the Sentinel-2 MSI, which primarily relies on the red-edge bands  to discriminate the forest types, because of their high sensitivity to pigment concentration in most leaves and canopies . Our stuThe low number of field references, observer bias, and time differences between field observation and image acquisition could also influence the results.Regarding the spatial resolution, it does not appear that the coarser resolution of PRISMA has negatively affected the separability of the classes. As found by Ghosh et al.  and Liu Hyperspectral data were effective in discriminating forest types in both study areas and nomenclature system levels . Only in Area 1 for the third level of nomenclature system the Sentinel-2 MSI was comparable with the PRISMA sensor.The SWIR spectral zone resulted as the most suitable for forest type discrimination. Other remarkable zones were the blue channel (in Area 1) for the broadleaf–coniferous class pair, the red-edge and the NIR-plateau (in Area 2) for most of the considered class pairs. Sentinel-2 relies primarily on the red-edge region  in separating the forest classes.The PRISMA sensor improved the separation between coniferous and broadleaves by 50% in Area 1 and 30% in Area 2. At the fourth level, the average separability of was 120% higher in Area 1 and 84% in Area 2.In this paper, we evaluated the spectral separability of forest types in two study areas in Italy using the new hyperspectral satellite PRISMA, contrasted against the well-known Sentinel-2 multispectral sensor. The analysis was carried out in the spectral range between 400 and 2500 nm, and with two levels for forest type nomenclature systems. The main findings of this study are:This study showed that in the two investigated study areas, the PRISMA hyperspectral sensor had the capability to better discriminate forest types than Sentinel-2 MSI. This was true when the classification requested is for differentiating different forest types, while when aggregated forest classes are used (broadleaves/coniferous). Sentinel-2 MSI can still compete with the hyperspectral sensor. This study also demonstrated that where PRISMA images were not available, Sentinel-2 MSI can be used to separate simple forest classes.In the future, as the PRISMA data will increase in availability, the new hyperspectral time series can pave the path for more accurate research in plant phenology, forest species classification, the recognition of forest disturbances and change detection studies, making these data very attractive for the forestry sector and beyond. Other fields of expected benefits can be precision agriculture , inland and coastal waters , as well as climate change and environmental research .However, further investigations were needed to explore the full capabilities of the new hyperspectral sensor, for example, testing new algorithms for feature selection and band extraction, the use of vegetation indices, the possibility of automatic segmentation, and object-based classification.


In basketball, the end of the ball possession has been described as one of the most important determinants of successful offensive play by a team. The present study aimed to: (i) investigate outcomes according to the play types of ends of the ball possession; (ii) find the most efficient ball possessions during the game; (iii) predict most efficient ends of the ball possession by time in an elite basketball competition. The sample was composed of 38,640 situations of ends of the ball possession from 240 games of the 2017–2018 regular season of the men’s Euroleague that were quantitatively analyzed. According to the results, the predictive model can be used in modern basketball. The most efficient ends of the ball possession are the 2-point field goals on the fast break (78.2%), cuts (64.8%), pick and roll (P&R) screener (61.5%), and transition and offensive rebound (57.4%) situations. This information allows a better collective understanding of basketball, and it could be a great tool to use for coaches to prove which tactical solutions are to be considered when improving offense and defense strategies. It also contributes to the design of precise practice tasks of the coach that improve the game. Nowadays coaches and basketball scientists search for the best way to predict the offensive plays of the opponent’s team for the upcoming game ,2. HowevThrough the categorization of player interactions in matches, research studies have indentified actions used in the offense: handoff , post upThe prediction of set plays is important to the coach’s game preparation . Set plaSignificant studies of performance analysis in basketball are trying to find which factors are the key determinants on the outcome of the game . TherefoThis study aims to: (i) investigate outcomes according to the play types of ends of the ball possession; (ii) find the most efficient ball possessions during the game; (iii) predict the most efficient ends of the ball possession by time in an elite basketball competition.n = 16; games n = 240) season were obtained from a publicly-accessed Euroleague website (http://tv.euroleague.net/). All ends of possession of the Euroleague’s regular-season games n = 38,640, efficient n = 17,742 , and inefficient, n = 20,898  were analyzed. Every single end of the ball possession was arranged based on the following outcomes: 2-point field goals (both efficient and inefficient), 3-point field goals (both efficient and inefficient), received fouls (efficient), and turnovers (inefficient).Game data of the ends of the ball possession from the 2017–2018 Euroleague , based in Kaunas (Lithuania) and conformed to the recommendation of the Declaration of Helsinki adopted by the Word Medical Association .The variables examined included independent variables . DefinitThe effectiveness of ball possession was transformed into a dichotomous dependent variable: the successful ball possessions , and the unsuccessful ball possessions  .We collected data from 240 games and they were analyzed through systematic observation by two experienced analysts . The reliability of the data was assessed regarding to the actual agreement and Cohen’s kappa . Intra-rA total of 38,640 samples of distribution of the ends of the ball possession from 240 games were analyzed. The duration of every possession was calculated according to the shot clock. The descriptive analysis was performed using means of a count of the event and standard deviation. Also, the confidence interval (CI) is used, which shows the range (lower and upper) in which, with a slight probability, the real indicators exist.p < 0.05. The effect sizes (ESs) were calculated using Cramer’s V test, and their interpretation was based on the following criteria: 0.10 = small effect, 0.30 = medium effect, and 0.50 = large effect [In order to compare the differences between effective and ineffective types of ends of the ball possession, nonparametric Pearson’s Chi-squared and Mann–Whitney U tests were applied, and the statistical significance level was set at e effect .We used Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) decision tree model method to try and create a predictive Euroleague’s efficient end of the ball possession model that shows a multilevel interaction among factors. The model consists of 27 nodes, 19 of them are terminal nodes, and depth of the model—3 levels. Insignificant variables were deleted from the final model, but all inspected variables were included in the final model. The CHAID decision tree model distinguishes the most important attributes out of many independent attributes and allows us to find out how independent attributes ) affect dependent attributes (efficient end of possession). The model was validated using the Split-sample validation method and classified forming parent nodes from no less than 500 cases (Minimum Cases in Parent Node in case) and subsidiary nodes out of no less than 250 cases (Minimum Cases in Child Node in case). Such a method allows us to efficiently analyze a large number of denominative factors that are difficult to analyze using only associative analysis (Chi-Square test). Classification trees model non-linear phenomena, and also provide visual data easily interpreted by non-analysts ,32,33. AComparisons in variables among different ends of the ball possession from four outcomes according to twelve ends of the ball possessions are presented in p < 0.001): fast break , cut , P&R screener , and offensive rebound .The results show that significant differences were determined using the Mann–Whitney U test by analyzing the differences and by comparing all ends of possession based on all outcomes in general, both efficient and inefficient. It was found that some ends of possession are way more efficient and the mean rank of those ends of possession was higher than of those that ended inefficiently (p < 0.001). So the outcomes of different ends of possession in a 2-point field goal matched the mean rank and it was higher than of inefficient ends of ball possession in a 2- point field goals: fast break , cuts , P&R screener , transition , and offensive rebound . However, ends of the ball possession from spot-up, P&R ball handler, isolation, and off-screen situations more often ended up inefficiently rather that efficiently.Significantly different results were determined using the Mann–Whitney U test by comparing the distribution of different ends of possession that ended in a 2-point field goal (p < 0.001). The ends of the ball possession that are most often chosen by the players to finish actions during team-tactical plays should be noted: spot-up , isolation , and P&R ball handler . Therefore, regardless of the end of the ball possession, possessions in 3-point field goals more often ended inefficiently rather than efficiently.Another important result is that ends of the ball possession that ended in the 3-point field goal area much more often ended in shots missed rather than shots made. Its mean rank was higher than of efficient ends of ball possession (n = 11592), and the response makes up for 75.4%. These four attributes  occur during 49.3% of all efficient ends of ball possession.The ratio of ends of team-tactical plays and uncontested shots were the independent variables included in the CHAID model , explainThe predictive model enlisted four Parent Nodes—2 pts field goals, 3 pts field goals, fouls received, and turnovers. It makes sense from the perspective of the efficient end of possession that fouls received (Node 4) is the most efficient (response 100%), and 10.1% of all inspected cases are classified as this node. The second most efficient end of the ball possession is possessions in the 2 pts field goals (Node 1) terminal node fast break (Node 11), which has a response of 78.2%. Another efficient end of ball possession—cuts (Node 5). When analyzing terminal nodes, we can see that the probability of an efficient end of the ball possession increases if a cut happens in a shortest possible time. For cuts that happen in under 11 s, the level of response is 71.2% (Node 15). Response level of P&R screener (Node 9) is 61.5%, and the level of response of transition and offensive rebound (Node 8)—57.4%; however, the impact of time to these ends of the ball possession was not determined.The present study aimed to analyze the efficiency of the ends of the ball possession during team-tactical plays according to the outcomes of the end of the ball possession during team-tactical plays and possession duration of all the teams of an elite male Euroleague. Our findings indicated that ends of possession in the 2-point field goals were used more frequently—47.9% of the total, (successful 52.9%), than ends of possession in the 3-point field goals—28.2% of the total (successful 37.3%). In elite level competition, ends of possession during team-tactical plays have a big impact on the result of the game ,34. The Our research found that elite Euroleague teams usually end the ball possessions in 2-point field goals. The most efficient ends of the ball possession are fast break, transition, off rebound, cuts, and P&R screener situations. The higher efficiency of ends of the ball possession after a cut occurs until the 11th second of the possession. Our study confirms the fact that it is efficient to move without the ball: cut towards or away from the basket, change of direction, and different fake moves. On offense, the teamwork of two players when cuts is used has the highest efficiency (ES = 0.53 large). The player’s actions previously passing the ball were further successful if combined and synchronized with the receivers’ displacements, especially when cutting to the basket ,10,36. BThe ends of the ball possessions are very effective after an offensive rebound . A doublOur results showed that teams usually choose to end the ball possession in P&R in different ways. The researchers specify that the on-ball screen is the most frequently performed finishing action ,35,39. IWe found that the players that choose Isolation as an end of the ball possession and attack either from the 2-point or the 3-point field goal area are usually inefficient. Finishing skills of the players are not suitable for important tactical plays, but the effectiveness of individual finishing actions determine the game more and more often . PlayersIn our study, it was determined that the most frequently used finishing action of 3-point field goals in men’s Euroleague is a spot up (51%). The most shots were taken after a pass and that shows that the teams look to exploit the defensive mistakes using team-tactical plays. The most efficiently used end of possession from the 3-point field goal area was P&R ball handler (16%). The players with the ball efficiently exploit P&R situations and can attack from the range themselves.The fouls received is an important tactical part of the game and we determined that during offense, 10.1% of all the ball possessions are stopped by a foul by the defender. P&R ball handler, post up, and spot-up situations were the ones the defending team stopped the most. Fouls are an effective way to recover ball possession . EuropeaThe current results show that men’s teams mostly turn the ball over on offense (25.0%) when using P&R ball handler as an end other ball possession. Therefore, the analysts and the coaches have to perform deeper analysis and find out why their players turn the ball over so much in this possession . Claims Our predictive model of efficient ends of the ball possession showed that the most effective ends of ball possessions in elite men’s basketball teams are fast break, cuts, P&R screener, transition, and offensive rebound. This study provides new information about the efficiency of the ball possessions of individual and team-tactical plays by playing in the 2-point field goal area. It also states that offensive efficiency depends on the balance between the outside game and the post-game ,2,8. HowMoreover, results reported in this study showed that the duration of the ball possession is a significant factor to the efficiency of the entire possession. Our findings revealed that certain ends of the ball possession are most likely to be efficient if completed in a certain amount of time: cuts are recommended to be played , handoff , spot-up, P&R ball handler, off-screen , and isolation . Therefore, in elite men’s basketball, the most efficient ball possessions are those that last no more than 10 s. In the first half of the possession, the players are trying to decide on a tactical play to try to create space for open players ; thus, the use of screens is a group-tactical strategy used at the end of the ball possession ,19.This study showed the most common and the most efficient ends of the ball possession from the 2-point field goal area. Moreover, the most efficient types of the ends of the ball possession were showed: fast break, cuts, pick and roll screener, transition, and offensive rebound. A predictive model distinguished the most effective amount of time during which the end of the ball possession is executed: cuts (≤11 s), handoff (≤14 s), spot up, pick and roll ball handler, off-screen (≤9 s), and isolation (≤21 s).The determined practical implications for coaches and researchers can be used to establish the demands of the game and to create training plans that can improve the player’s understanding of play types. Tactical training can be oriented towards the strict execution of technical elements, player decision making, coordinated offense results, and greater effectiveness of ends of the ball possession. Information of the study can be used by the analysts to predict and project play types regarding the duration of the possession and efficiency of ends of the ball possession.


The effects of the Ag loading position and deposition thickness, and the morphology, structure and composition of Ag-deposited TNC arrays on its optical and photocatalytic properties were studied. The Ag-filled TiO2 (AFT) nanocolumn arrays exhibited higher removal efficiency of methylene blue (MB) compared with Ag-coated TiO2 (ACT) nanocolumn arrays and pure TiO2 nanocolumns arrays. Both experimental and theoretical simulation results demonstrated that the enhanced photocatalytic performance of AFT nanocolumn arrays was attributed to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Ag and the absorption of light by TiO2. These results represent a promising step forward to the development of high-performance photocatalysts for energy conversion and storage.Plasmonic metal/semiconductor composites have attracted great attention for efficient solar energy harvesting in photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications owing to their extremely high visible-light absorption and tuned effective band gap. In this work, Ag-loaded TiO Compareve sites –12. In amaterial . When exmaterial . Among tmaterial –16. At pdization , hydrothdization  and tempdization  methods.dization  and physdization .2 films affords specimens with different electron transfer characteristics than those of rutile and anatase TiO2, and the as-prepared films fit the template well. When Ag particles are combined with TiO2, the photocatalytic performance of the film can be significantly enhanced by hot electron injection [2 nanocolumn (TNC) structure by using AAO in combination with ALD, in which Ag particles could be selectively supported separately outside and inside the nanocolumns.The development of anodized aluminum oxide template (AAO) has constituted an important advance in the field of film preparation, since it allows the formation of nanostructured films with a high degree of morphology control . Furthernjection , localiznjection , and planjection –27. Cushnjection  used the2–Ag nanostructures prepared to date are Ag-nanoparticle-coated TiO2 (ACT), in which the catalytic efficiency of the catalyst is greatly decreased when the Ag loading is increased to a certain extent. Wang et al. [2 nanocolumns whose outside surface was then coated with Ag particles by chemical deposition. After seven deposition cycles, the catalytic efficiency of the as-prepared TiO2–Ag film decreased significantly. A similar decline in the catalytic efficiency was observed in a TiO2 nanocolumn array fabricated by photolithography and the template method by Sung et al. [2 nanotube arrays by anodization, and Ag particles were loaded on the inside and the outside of the nanotubes by chemical deposition. The catalysis of this composite was carried out at a concentration of 1100 mM in AgNO3 solution. It was found that the loading position of precious metal particles in the TiO2 structure could not be regulated, which had a negative effect on the catalytic efficiency. For these reasons, we considered it worthwhile to study the effect that the position of the Ag loading may have on the catalytic efficiency of the newly prepared Ag-loaded TiO2 nanocolumn (Ag-TNC) arrays.Most of the 1D TiOg et al.  used theg et al. . In thisg et al.  studied 2CrO4), and methylene blue (MB) were purchased from Alfa Aesar. Alcohol, perchloric acid (HClO4), and sulfuric acid (H2SO4) were purchased from Beijing Chemical Works. All the chemicals used in the experiments were of analytical grade and used without further purification.Aluminum sheets, chromic acid  were subjected to secondary anodization to prepare highly ordered AAO templates. Thus, each aluminum sheet was annealed prior to oxidation and then electrochemically polished using a 1:4 volume ratio of HClO4 and alcohol. The anodized electrolyte solution was 0.2 M H2SO4, the oxidation voltage was 20 V, the ambient temperature was maintained at 0 °C, and the oxidation time was 6 h. After the oxidation was completed, the aluminum sheet was immersed in 1.8 wt % H2CrO4 to remove the first oxide layer. The sample was then subjected to a second oxidation treatment under the same conditions as the first oxidation step. After an oxidation time of 60 s, a single-pass AAO template with a pore diameter of 40 nm, a pore pitch of 65 nm, and a pore depth of 150 nm was obtained.Ag-TNC array preparation: An array of TiO2 nanocolumns was deposited (300 cycles) on the AAO template using ALD (home-built) with TiCl4 as the precursor.2 nanocolumns (AFT) was as follows: A sample deposited with TiO2 was placed in a vacuum evaporation apparatus  and subjected to Ag deposition at a deposition pressure of 10−4 Pa, an evaporation source current of 44 A, and an evaporation rate of 0.08 nm/s. The sample was then transferred onto a crystal adhesive, and the AAO was removed by immersing the sample in 0.2 M NaOH solution for 2 h to obtain the Ag–TiO2 array.The preparation of Ag-filled TiO2 nanocolumns (ACT), the Ag deposition was performed after removal of the AAO template as follows. The sample deposited with TiO2 was supported onto crystal adhesive and then immersed in 0.2 M NaOH solution to remove residual Al and AAO. Then, the sample was cleaned, dried, and placed in a vacuum evaporation apparatus for deposition of Ag particles under the same conditions described above. We made samples with different parameters by changing the deposition time of Ag. Samples of all parameters are shown in For the preparation process of Ag-coated TiOThe surface and cross-sectional morphology of the Ag-TNC structures were observed using a field emission scanning electron microscope . The elemental composition and valence distribution of the film were measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy . The photoluminescence (PL) intensity of the array was measured using a laser of 325 nm excitation wavelength and a grating spectrometer . The diffuse reflectance absorption spectrum of the array was measured using an ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer .Photocatalytic experiments. The photocatalysis was performed under 300 W Xe light using 15 mL of a 5 ppm MB aqueous solution. Before starting the photocatalysis, the sample was immersed in the MB solution and allowed to remain in the dark for 30 min to reach the adsorption–desorption balance. Then, the solution was placed under a light source to start the photocatalysis. Every 10 min, an aliquot of 2 mL was transferred into a UV–vis cuvette, and the change in absorbance was measured using a UV–vis spectrophotometer . After the measurement was completed, the solution was poured back into the beaker to keep the total volume unchanged.2 nanocolumn structure (2) is obtained. On the other hand, the Ag-coated structure (1) is formed without the hindrance of the bottom structure, in which the Ag nanoparticles deposit more densely and form larger nanoparticles. The structural differences between the ACT and AFT arrays depicted in (1) and (2) can be invoked as the main reason for the differences observed in their physical and catalytic properties, which will be discussed later.2 nanocolumn array prior to the Ag deposition, respectively. As can be seen, ALD perfectly replicates the template structure. 2, and the array of nanocolumns is well preserved and consistent with the deposition. Meanwhile, 2 is gradually covered until the nanocolumn structure disappears.2 perfectly covers the surface of AAO, the nanocolumn is a hollow structure, and the top hole still exists. As can be seen from To observe the distribution of Ag nanoparticles in the AFT nanocolumn array, the AAO template was broken by bending the samples prior to removal of Al and AAO, exposing the internal structure of the nanocolumn as shown in 2 nanocolumns. 2 nanocolumns without Ag. It can be seen from the figure that the size of the nanocolumns conforms to the structural parameters of the AAO template. 2 nanocolumns. According to diffraction spot analysis, it can be found that the prepared TiO2 has a polycrystalline structure. 2 columns. 2, and the fringe spacing in the bottom right illustration is 0.25 nm, which corresponds to the (004) crystal of Ag surface. From the comprehensive TEM results, the silver-loaded TiO2 array is composed of Ag particles and TiO2 with anatase configuration.The fine structure of nanocolumns and the distribution of Ag particles inside the nanocolumn array were observed by TEM. We also studied the crystal structure of the TiO2 and Ag. The appearance of the C element is attributable to contamination from the cavity of the XPS device and/or from the adhesive substrate. The high-resolution spectra of Ag, Ti, and O are shown in 3/2 and Ti 2p1/2, which indicates that Ti is in the +4 valence state in the sample. The spacing between the two peaks of 5.7 eV is also consistent with the +4 oxidation state [5/2 and Ag 3d3/2, with a spacing of 6 eV. This indicates that the structure of Ag in the sample is simple. Therefore, the results of the XPS analysis confirm that the sample is composed of TiO2 and Ag.Next, sample AFT3 was subjected to XPS analysis to characterize the elemental composition and chemical state of the Ag-TNC film, and the result is shown in on state . Figure 2 is located at 276 nm and the absorption of the samples in the visible light portion increase as the thickness of Ag increases. Moreover, the increase of the Ag thickness does not hinder the absorption of TiO2 in the ultraviolet region. 2 at 276 nm decreases obviously. The absorption peak of ACT3 at 317 nm is the characteristic absorption peak of Ag prepared by vacuum evaporation, and the absorption peak at 364 nm is generated by the LSPR [In order to investigate the absorption properties of the different arrays, the optical absorption tests of all samples were carried out, as shown in the LSPR .h is Plank’s constant (6.626 × 10−34 J s), ν is the frequency of light, and Eg represents the bandgap energy. For the calculation of Eg by the Tauc plot absorbance the value of the absorption  [2 specimens prepared by ALD exhibit higher Eg (3.8 eV) than that obtained using the conventional method (3.20 eV). This is attributed to the quantum size effect, according to which the Eg value of a semiconductor depends on physicochemical properties such as size, surface area, and crystalline phase [2, the band gap of the resulting Ag-TNC film is narrowed under the action of LSPR and hot electron injection, and the samples have absorption peaks in the visible part. In 2, the light absorption of ACT3 is substantially generated by Ag, so the sample has no bandgap.In  Abs. in  can be une phase . When Ag2 is usually negatively charged and has a good adsorption capacity for cationic dye molecules [The photocatalytic reaction takes place on the surface of the catalyst, so the catalyst needs to have a certain adsorption capacity for dye molecules. Due to the presence of oxygen vacancies, the surface of TiOolecules . Commonla is the solution absorbance coefficient, b is the optical path, C is the solution concentration, C0 is the initial concentration, and Kα is the apparent ﬁrst-order rate constant.where Abs. is the solution absorbance, 2 results in a great improvement of the MB degradation efficiency. The Ag–TiO2 specimens can achieve a decomposition rate of 96.9% after 60 min illumination, whereas TNC only reaches a decomposition rate of 71.4%. This is because the absorption spectrum of the sample is broadened in the presence of Ag particles. Under the same illumination conditions, more photogenerated carriers are generated in the Ag-TNC sample, and the transfer of the photogenerated electrons to the Ag particles reduces the recombination of electrons and holes, thereby increasing the number of electrons and holes involved in the catalytic reaction. From the comparison of the Ag-loaded structures, it can be seen that AFT1 and ACT1 have very close catalytic efficiencies, indicating that the loading position does not affect the catalytic efficiency of the sample at low deposition thickness. In contrast, when the Ag deposition thickness increases, the catalytic efficiency of AFT remains unaltered, whereas that of ACT undergoes a significant decrease. This decrease is further evidenced in Kα from Kα values are shown in 2 arrays with different structures. 2 arrays is stronger under 320 nm illumination, and there is a strong electric field distribution between the nanocolumns at the height of 50–120 nm. 2, and the electric field intensity between nanocolumns decreases obviously. Only under 457 nm light can a strong electric field distribution at the top of the array be observed, which is attributed to the absorption of visible light by the LSPR resonance of Ag. 2, so the electric field intensity at the interface between Ag and TiO2 is the highest.In order to elucidate the mechanism of the influence of Ag loading position and deposition thickness on the photocatalytic reaction, we used a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation to study the electromagnetic field distribution of Ag-loaded TiO2 structure. The contact between Ag and the n-type semiconductor TiO2 will form a Schottky barrier at the interface, which results in the bending of the energy band of TiO2 [2, or directly participate in the catalytic reaction [2 can only absorb UV light. After the valence band electron absorbs the photon energy, it transitions from the valence band to the conduction band, and it takes part in the catalytic reaction with the electrons transferred from Ag. In the recombination process, the conduction band electrons that are not involved in the catalytic reaction can occupy the impurity level near the Fermi level and transfer to Ag to participate in the energy conversion process again. At the same time, the light and heat generated by the recombination process can also be absorbed by Ag, thus increasing the concentration of photogenerated electrons and the rate of catalytic reaction [2, the Ag blocked the absorption of ultraviolet light by TiO2, resulting in the absence of photogenerated carriers. Only the energetic electrons produced by Ag could participate in the catalytic reaction, as shown in + and H2O to active free radicals, and active free radicals can mineralize pollutants [ of TiO2 . Due to  of TiO2 . When threaction . Becausereaction . Howeverllutants , where tTherefore, the increase of carrier concentration promotes the generation of active radicals, which increases the catalytic reaction rate and the catalytic efficiency ,43.2 to visible light ensures that the absorption of visible light by Ag will not be hindered. Conversely, in the ACT structure, Ag will over occupy the active site of TiO2 [2 and the contact with MB molecules [2 interface, Ag is more easily oxidized, which damages the long-term stability of the Ag–TiO2 heterojunctions [In  of TiO2 , which holecules , affectiunctions . Taken t2 nanocolumn (Ag-TNC) arrays has been evaluated. According to the results of the photocatalytic experiments, the presence of Ag particles can improve the catalytic efficiency of the TNC structure, but the increase of the Ag deposition thickness reduces the catalytic efficiency of the Ag-coated TNC structure, evidencing the influence of loading location. The morphological analysis of ACT and AFT revealed that the size and distribution density of Ag particles in the ACT structure increase significantly with the deposition thickness, which weakens the LSPR effect. At the same time, the coating Ag particles hinder the absorption of light by TiO2 and the contact with reactants, negatively affecting the catalytic reaction. In contrast, the excessive Ag deposition is limited by the special structure of the AFT samples, in which the absorption of visible light is not hindered. This can also be observed from the simulation results. Therefore, the catalytic efficiency of the AFT structure is not affected by the Ag deposition thickness and can always be maintained at a high level. In summary, the Ag-filled TiO2 structure has more relaxed preparation parameters and stable catalytic efficiency than its Ag-coated counterpart, which renders it more applicable as a pollutant treatment material.By combining the interaction mechanism between noble metal particles and semiconductor materials using a template method, the effect of different loading positions of Ag particles on the catalytic efficiency of Ag-loaded TiO


The propose was to compare this new implant macrogeometry with a control implant with a conventional macrogeometry.Eighty-six conical implants were divided in two groups (n = 43 per group): group control (group CON) that were used conical implants with a conventional macrogeometry and, group test (group TEST) that were used implants with the new macrogeometry. The new implant macrogeometry show several circular healing cambers between the threads, distributed in the implant body. Three implants of each group were used to scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) analysis and, other eighty samples (n = 40 per group) were inserted the tibia of ten rabbit (n = 2 per tibia), determined by randomization. The animals were sacrificed (n = 5 per time) at 3-weeks (Time 1) and at 4-weeks after the implantations (Time 2). The biomechanical evaluation proposed was the measurement of the implant stability quotient (ISQ) and the removal torque values (RTv). The microscopical analysis was a histomorphometric measurement of the bone to implant contact (%BIC) and the SEM evaluation of the bone adhered on the removed implants.p = 0.0103 and in Time 2 p < 0.0003).The results showed that the implants of the group TEST produced a significant enhancement in the osseointegration in comparison with the group CON. The ISQ and RTv tests showed superior values for the group TEST in the both measured times (3- and 4-weeks), with significant differences (p < 0.05). More residual bone in quantity and quality was observed in the samples of the group TEST on the surface of the removed implants. Moreover, the %BIC demonstrated an important increasing for the group TEST in both times, with statistical differences (in Time 1 Then, we can conclude that the alterations in the implant macrogeometry promote several benefits on the osseointegration process. Osseointegrated titanium implant is frequently used for rehabilitation of loss organs due different causes, mainly trauma or diseases. It has been shown that titanium has properties that stimulate its interaction with bone tissue ,2, preseEven with the high success rates achieved by implants, studies have been made to accelerate the osseointegration with different technologies and manufactures methods. In this sense, alterations in the micro- and macrogeometry of the implant design are presented –8. New sThe surgical technique used to elaborate the osteotomy and the macrogeometry of the implant are also factors considered of great importance in the process of osseointegration . CurrentTaking these concepts into account, recent new studies have proposed changes in the relationship between the size of the osteotomy for implant placement, ie, a drilling where the bed size is closer to the outside diameter of the implant threads, thus, decreasing the insertion torque of the implant and, consequently, the compression of bone tissue around of the implant ,26. ReceThe new implant macrogeometry was developed with a healing chambers on their body in order to decrease the compression on the bone tissue without changing the drilling system sequence. Then, the propose of this preclinical study was to evaluate and compare, thought biomechanical and microscopical analysis, the behavior of this new implant macrogeometry using conventional commercialized implant macrogeometry as a control. The hypothesis was that this changes in the implant macrogeometry can accelerate the osseointegration process.Eighty-six titanium implants manufactured in commercially grade IV titanium were used in the present study. Forty-three implants with the conventional macrogeometry (Due Cone Implant) and 43 implants with a new macrogeometry (Maestro Implant), both manufactured by Implacil De Bortoli Ltda  with 9-mm in length and 4-mm in diameter, forming the group CON and group TEST, respectively. The conventional macrogeometry (group CON) showed a conical implant body and trapezoidal threads design; whereas, the new implant macrogeometry (group TEST) showed a similar conical body and trapezoidal threads plus the creation of circular healing chambers between the threads. All implants presented surface treatment (rugosities) made by blasting with microparticles of titanium oxide (~150 μm) plus acid conditioning . All implant samples were prepared to commercialization. The Three samples of each group were evaluated using a scanning electronic microscopy  to describe some morphological characteristics.n = 40 per group) were implanted in the rabbit tibias (n = 2 per tibia). The localization of the implants in each tibia  was made using a website (www.randomization.com). Moreover, due to the difference between the proximal portion of the joint, where the bone tissue is much more medullary and of lower density, all implants were installed in a more central area of the tibia, which is schematically shown in the For this experimental animal study, twenty laboratorial rabbits , with weight between 4 and 5 Kg, were used. Previously, the study protocol was analyzed and approved by the animal committee of the University of Rio Verde  with the number 02-17/UnRV. All animals were care and management in accordance with our traditional protocol applied in other studies ,15. Inte®; Agener União Ltda., São Paulo, Brazil) plus 0.5 mg/kg of xylazine . The incision was made at ~10 mm from the proximal articulation to distal direction, totalizing of ~30 mm. The bone was acceded, and the perforations were proceed using a drilling sequence preconized for this implant system . All osteotomies were performed under irrigation with distillate water at 20 ± 2 °C.For the intramuscular anesthesia were used 0.35 mg/kg of ketamine . After the implantation, all animals received an intramuscularly injection with a single dose of 0.1 ml/kg of Benzetacil  plus three doses (one per day) of 3 mg/kg of ketoprofen . The sacrifice was made with an overdose of anesthesia at 3- and 4-weeks after the implantations. Both tibias with the implant samples were removed and immediately immersed in a 4% formaldehyde solution.The measurement of the implant stability was performed thought the Osstell device . The smartpeg magnetic sensor was positioned, screwed and torqued for each implant at 10 Ncm, as preconized in a recent study . The meaTen implants of each group at each proposal period (3- and 4-weeks) were used to measure the removal torque value (RTv). The analysis was performed in a computed torquimeter machine . All block samples (bone and implant) were positioned in the apparatus and the maximum RTv was measured and registered.All removed implants in the torque removal test were care packaged, dried and prepared for the SEM analysis. Initially the samples were metalized by a sputtering machine . Then, a sequence of image with different increases were obtained using a SEM apparatus . The characteristic of the residual bone founds on the implant surface was analyzed and described.After one week, all samples that were fixed in the formaldehyde solution were subjected to treatment with an alcohol sequence for dehydration of these pieces, which followed a progressive increase from 50 to 100% ethanol. After the dehydration, the sample blocks with the bone plus implant, were inserted in historesin . After the polymerization, the pieces were cut on the centre of the implants using a metallographic machine . Then, the slices obtained were fixed and submitted to a polishing treatment with a sequence of abrasive paper (180 to 1200 mesh) in a polishing machine . All slices were stained with picrosirus hematoxylin staining technique . A sequeDescriptive analysis of the findings found in the histological sections was performed separately from the cortical and medullary portion of the bone, as shown schematically in the 2 (1 mm from the implant towards the bone and 2 mm on the long axis of the implant) of the tissues around of the implant in the cortical and medullar portion separately  analysis was used the t-test to evaluate the statistical differences between the groups in each time. Moreover, a descriptive analysis using the percentual of ISQ and RT values increase between the groups and inside of each group between each time of evaluation was calculated. All analyzes were made in the GraphPad Prism program in the version 5.01 . In all analysis was considered significative when p < 0.05.The ANOVA one-way statistical test was used to determine difference among three times of the ISQ in the same group. Moreover, the The SEM analysis of both implant macrogeometry showed the differences made in the TEST group, that present circular healing chambers made between the threads. The sequence of images in different increases of the n = 40 implants per group).In both times proposed for the evaluation (3- and 4-weeks after the implantations), all implants presented clinically good signal of osseointegration, without mobility. Moreover, no inflammation or infection signals were observed in any sample. Then, the 80 implant samples could be analyzed  for 3 weeks and 48.3 ± 3.43 N for 4 weeks, whereas in the TEST group was 45.3 ± 3.80 N for 3 weeks and 65.1 ± 3.45 N for 4 weeks, with a statistical difference between them (p <0.05). The bar graph of SEM images of both groups clearly showed residual bone adherence on the implants examined. In the samples evaluated after 3 weeks, the group CON showed the presence of a thin layer of bone tissue present on the surface in some areas of the implant , while iIn the samples evaluated after 4 weeks, the group CON showed the presence of a more uniform and consistent thin layer (in comparison with the samples of this same group with 3 weeks) of bone tissue present on the surface in all areas of the implant . While iAfter the period predeterminate at 3- and 4-weeks, all implants showed a good stability and all signals of osseointegration. Ten implants of each groups and times were analyzed regards to the bone-to-implant contact (%BIC). In the group CON, the images demonstrate an initial process of neoformation of the bone, showing no signs of formation within the medullar portion. Representative histological section images of the implant after 3- and 4-weeks for both groups are showed in the However, in the group TEST, the images demonstrate a more advanced healing process and some areas in the medullar bone portion showing a new bone formation. Representative histological section images of the implant after 3- and 4-weeks for both groups are showed in the Significant difference in the %BIC were observed between the both groups in the two times analyzed at 3- and 4-weeks after the implantations. The mean, standard deviation and statistical analysis of measured values are summarized in the The morphological parameters measured of the organization of the healing bone tissue showed a different quantities of new bone formation, osteoid matrix and medullary spaces for the both groups in the two times proposed, are present in the graphs of the Figs In the present study a new implant macrogeometry was evaluated and compared with a conventional commercialized implant regarding its osseointegration potential in early healing periods (3- and 4-weeks). The results demonstrated that this new implant promotes an acceleration in the osseointegration process compared to the conventional implant. The development of this new macrogeometry was based on recent studies that demonstrated that the presence of healing chamber and non-compression of bone tissue during implant installation benefit and accelerate the osseointegration ,26. HoweThe search for reduction in lead times for osseointegration of implants has received much attention from researchers and industry worldwide. In this sense, different micro- and macro-changes in implant design were studied and proposed. On the other hand, there is the patient, with his biology and physiological individualities, which are a fundamental part of obtaining osseointegration of implants. When implants are inserted using high torque values, the physiological limit to absorb this excessive trauma may be exceeded and may cause a higher than expected inflammatory reaction, which may lead to necrosis of the bone tissue ,32,33. OEvents related to implant installation, such as milling and implant insertion, promote different intensities of bone tissue trauma, which affect the inflammatory reaction. This intensity of the inflammatory response, promoted during the implant implantation surgery, was measured by the expression of the transcription factor NF-kB in previous studies performed by our group . Other sSeveral studies had proposed that the morphological alterations on the implant surface characteristics can improving and accelerating the osseointegration process  –10. ThusMoreover, the results obtained of the secondary stability measured showed that the new implant macrogeometry (group TEST) presented higher values in the two times (3- and 4-weeks) after the implantation, in comparison with the control group (group CON). Regarding implant stability (ISQ) measured by the Osstell device, the TEST group showed a significant increase in relation to the implants of the CON group, ie, at 3 weeks in the general average 13.5% higher and at 4 weeks 14.3% bigger. When the evolution within the same group was evaluated, the implants of the TEST group increased the ISQ values by 12.5% of the time T1 to T2 and, on average 35% of the time T1 to T3, while in the CON group, it was 1% and 20% of ISQ increase respectively for the same comparison parameters. These results clearly demonstrate the benefit of the new implant macrogeometry with healing chambers.Another biomechanical assay to assess implant osseointegration is the removal torque value (RTv), which provides values on the joint force between bone and implant ,12,13. AInitially, it was hypothesized that the new implant design presented would not alter the initial stability values, as evidenced by the results obtained. Moreover, we observed an increase in torque removal and %BIC values for samples of the group TEST, showing that this new macrogeometry promotes a positive effect for osseointegration, especially in the initial tested period of 3 and 4 weeks after implantation and, in comparison with the group CON. The efficiency of elaborating healing chambers has been demonstrated in other previous studies, which reported a lower primary implant stability due to the technique used for the elaboration of these free spaces, ie, an oversized perforation that creates these spaces  between the implant and the bone tissue ,26. In oAs reported in other studies –13, chanThere are some limitations to the present animal study. First of all, the results of studies with animal models cannot be directly translated to human models, because even among rodent species, correlations of only 70% are generally found . On the Within the limitations of the present study, the results found showed that changes in implant macro-design can produce a significant increase for the acceleration of the bone healing process around the implants (osseointegration). Higher bone-to-implant contact, primary stability and torque removal values, as well as greater quantity and quality in bone adhered to the surface of the implants with new macro-design, corroborate the importance of implant macrogeometry in the osseointegration process.


The paper explores the influence of planetary milling on the temperature and velocity of Al-Ti-B powder mixture combustion and also on the structure and phase composition of the reaction products. It is found that the time increase of planetary milling modifies the structure of the powder particles, improves the density of compacted specimens, and increases the temperature and velocity of their combustion. These time dependences are extreme, with maximum values during 180 s planetary milling. Experiments show that the reaction products consist of an aluminum matrix with uniformly distributed particles of titanium diboride of not over 1 µm in size. The average particle size changes with the increase in the time of the planetary milling of the initial powder mixture.  Mortructure ,7,8,9,102 composites assists in modifying their physical and mechanical properties and the structure and properties of aluminum (Al) alloys when using them as master alloys.A control for the structure and phase composition of Al-TiB2 particle size reduction in the obtained materials. Self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) is synthesis which occurs through the exothermic reaction of two or more components with the release of more heat, which allows the synthesis reaction in autowave mode to be maintained. In the process of this reaction, new materials are formed with fundamentally new properties. It is well known that a change in the SHS parameters, viz. the combustion temperature and velocity, modifies the structure of obtained materials . It is sIn ,12,13,14The planetary milling of Al-Ti-B powder mixture can therefore be expected to change the combustion temperature and velocity as well as the structure and phase composition of the reaction products.The aim of this work is to study how the time of the planetary milling of Al-Ti-B powder mixture (60 wt.% Al + 40 wt.% (Ti + 2B)) changes the combustion temperature and velocity and the structure and phase composition of the reaction products. The composite specimens were produced from a mixture of aluminum, titanium, and boron powders, the average particle sizes of which are given in These components were mixed in ethanol in the following proportion: 60 wt.% Al; 27.6 wt.% Ti; 12.4 wt.% B . The mixture was dried at 80 °C in a vacuum chamber and then placed in a drum with steel balls for planetary milling in a planetary mill. The mass ratio of the steel balls and the mixture was 20:1. The diameter of steel balls was 0.5 сm. Planetary milling was performed with a 50 g (840 rpm) load; its duration was varied from 60 to 2400 s. The obtained powder mixture was compressed to produce specimens with a diameter of 2.3 cm and 25 g weight. Compression was conducted under a pressure of 215 MPa. Further density was measured on these compressed pellets. The SHS procedure was described in our previous research ,15. TungThe phase composition of specimens was obtained using a Shimadzu XRD-6000 diffractometer , equipped with Ni filtered Cu Kα as the X-ray source. The Powder Diffraction File (PDF-4) database of the International Centre for Diffraction Data, Denver, USA was used to compare the diffraction peaks of the obtained X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns.A Philips SEM 515 scanning electron microscope  and an EDAX Genesis microanalyzer, Netherlands was used to investigate the structure of the SHS products, which were processed on a polishing machine. The polished specimen surface was then etched in a 10% HCl solution. Elemental analysis was performed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.The medium sizes of the ceramic particles in the SHS products were determined from SEM images in a 300 Image Tool program using the secant method ,18.SEM images of the initial structure of the Al-Ti-B mixture are presented in The average particle size, obtained after the planetary milling of the mixture, is larger compared to the average particle size of the original mixture . An incrWe assumed that the particle deformation affected the compaction process of the powder mixture. Actually, when changing the time of planetary milling, the specimen density also changed, and this dependence is extreme; it is given in The combustion of the initial (not planetary milled) Al-Ti-B powder mixture failed. After planetary milling for a period from 60 to 900 s, the combustion process was initiated. A spin combustion wave propagated over the whole specimen ,20, withA typical SHS process is illustrated in The initial specimen, a photograph of which is presented in A typical XRD pattern of the planetary milling combustion product obtained from the powder mixture is presented in 2, Al, and traces of the Al3Ti phase. The lattice parameters in all the specimens differ insignificantly. One can see a change in the phase composition and the size of the coherent scattering region with an increasing time of planetary milling. The coherent scattering region in titanium diboride and aluminum is extreme; viz. 97 and 100 nm, respectively. The coherent scattering region is a characterized region of crystallite that scatters X-rays coherently and independently of other similar regions. The CSR size is used to analyze the size of crystallites in polycrystals and is measured experimentally with the help of diffraction reflection attenuation.According to 2 particles in the SHS product depending on the time of the planetary milling of the Al-Ti-B powder mixture. It is found that when the time of planetary milling is increased from 60 to 180 s, the average particle size grows from 0.26 to 0.29 µm in the obtained SHS products. After the further planetary milling of the powder mixture within the range from 180 to 240 s, the average particle size decreases from 0.29 to 0.15 µm. Finally, the increase in planetary milling from 240 to 900 s provides a growth in the average particle size up to 0.4 µm.After planetary milling of the Al-Ti-B powder mixture, Al and Ti particles become smaller, flatten, and, combining with B particles, form composites with Al, Ti, and B inclusions ,14. As t2O3, O2, and others) from the specimen bulk during the combusion process.The formation of pores, defects, and cracks on the specimen surface as well as the change in the specimen size result from the release of various impurities  [2 phase starts to form with the release of particles ranging between 0.01 and 1 µm in size. The obtained composites uniformly distribute in the Al matrix  . Boron dl matrix c. The pr2 particles and the time of planetary milling is in agreement with the dependence between the duration of planetary milling and the size of the coherent scattering region in the TiB2 phase, and this is an extreme dependence. From the work of Merzhanov and Mukas’yan [The dependence between the average size of TiBukas’yan , it is kThe influence of planetary milling on the temperature and combustion velocity of the Al-Ti-B powder mixture, as well as on the structure and phase composition of the reaction products was investigated.Lamellar composites were formed after planetary milling of the Al-Ti-B mixture. These composites were composed of Al, Ti, and B particles less than 1 µm. An increase in the planetary milling time from 180 to 2400 s led to an increase in the average size of the lamellar composite from 33.9 to 51.2 μm.An increase in the time of planetary milling led to a change in the density of the compacted samples, as well as the temperature and their combustion velocity. These time dependences were extreme, with maximum values during 180 s of planetary milling. An increase in the planetary milling time of more than 180 s led to a decrease in the density of compacted samples, as well as the temperature and their combustion velocity. A change in the combustion rate and temperature was associated with a change in the particles structure of the mixture after its planetary milling. The combustion of samples obtained after planetary milling of the mixture was carried out in the spin combustion mode.2 particles. The Al3Ti layer was discovered between the TiB2 and the aluminum matrix. The TiB2 particle size was less than 1 μm in all samples. The dependence of the average size of TiB2 particles in SHS products on the duration of planetary milling of the initial mixture was established. The increasing planetary milling time from 60 to 180 s, the average particle size in the obtained SHS products increased from 0.26 to 0.29 μm. After further planetary milling of the powder mixture in the range from 180 to 240 s, the average particle size decreased from 0.29 to 0.15 µm. Finally, an increasing in planetary milling from 240 to 900 s ensured an increase in the average particle size to 0.4 μm.The structure of SHS-materials obtained from Al-Ti-B powder systems after planetary milling was a metal matrix Al with inclusions of TiB3Ti-TiB2 composites during combustion of the Al-Ti-B powder mixture in the mode of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis was established.The formation mechanism of Al-Al


BIRC2, BIRC3, and BIRC5 genes at the level of transcription in mesenchymal stem cells derived from the umbilical cord Wharton's jelly. The study examined the relationship between the expression level of the studied genes and selected biophysical parameters of umbilical blood: pH, pCO2, pO2, and cHCO3. Moreover, the relationship between the pregnant age, the type of delivery , and the level of expression of the BIRC2, BIRC3, and BIRC5 genes was assessed. The research was carried out on mesenchymal stem cells derived from the umbilical cord Wharton's jelly (WJSC) taken from 55 women immediately after delivery. Expression of the examined genes was assessed with the qPCR method using commercially available reagent kits. On the basis of the conducted research, it was demonstrated that WJSCs collected from younger women giving birth naturally, and in the acidic environment of the umbilical cord blood, are characterized by a higher expression of the BIRC2, BIRC3, and BIRC5 genes. It was shown that the expression of the BIRC2 and BIRC3 genes in Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells declines with the mother's age. Our research suggests that stem cells collected from younger women giving birth naturally can be more resistant to apoptosis and show a more stem cell-like character, which can increase their therapeutic potential and clinical utility, but this conclusion needs to be approved in the next studies.The knowledge of factors affecting the viability as well as proliferation and therapeutic potential of perinatal stem cells is of great importance for the decisions concerning their collection, multiplication, and storing. The aim of this work is to evaluate the expression of the  Perinatal tissues are a valuable source of mesenchymal, hematopoietic, and fetal stem cells. Perinatal stem cells are characterized by greater plasticity and greater proliferative potential; they have lower immunogenic properties –4. Due tThe influence of various factors on the umbilical cord blood quality has been repeatedly studied –18. HoweThe use of umbilical cord blood gas results to assess the condition of the newborn is crucial to evaluate their well-being after birth. Many authors agree that the threshold pH value below which fetal hypoxia is diagnosed is pH < 7.1 . ScientiThe impact of the method of delivery and the pregnant age on the expression of genes from the IAP family in the mesenchymal stem cells of Wharton's jelly has not been evaluated so far.IAP apoptosis inhibitors are a family of eight proteins  that have the ability to regulate and inhibit the apoptosis process, inter alia through the ability to interact with caspases , 22. IAPκB pathway in an E3-dependent manner, which promotes the expression of many molecules affecting survival, including cIAP1 and cIAP2. cIAP proteins can contribute to the activation of the NFκB pathway also in the mechanism of degradation of IκB inhibitors. The effect of cIAP proteins on TNF receptors (TNFR1) mediating the activation of NFκB is also known. In addition, cIAPs protect cells from death by regulating the activity of receptor-interacting protein kinases 1 and 3 (RIPK) [κB, MAPK, TNFR, and IRF pathways, and they are also involved in the control of inflammasome activation [The role of cIAPs in stem cells has not been explained so far. Peng et al. noted the high expression of cIAP1 protein in fetal neural progenitor cells (NPCs). The authors suggest that the cIAP1 protein plays an important role in protecting progenitor cells against TRAIL-induced apoptosis by inhibiting caspase 3 activation . The fun3 (RIPK) –32. In a3 (RIPK) . It was tivation . cIAP1 ativation .BIRC2, BIRC3, and BIRC5 genes at the level of transcription in mesenchymal stem cells derived from the umbilical cord Wharton's jelly. The study evaluated the relationship between the level of expression of the examined genes and selected biophysical parameters of the umbilical cord blood: pH, pCO2, pO2, cHCO3. Moreover, the relationship between the pregnant age, the method of delivery, and the level of expression of the BIRC2, BIRC3, and BIRC5 genes was assessed.The aim of the current work is to evaluate the expression of the The research was carried out on stem cells isolated from umbilical cord fragments collected from 55 patients hospitalized in the Department of Obstetrics and Pathology of Pregnancy, Independent Public Clinical Hospital No. 1 in Lublin.The recruitment criteria included healthy women in the normal course of pregnancy free from drugs, smoking, and diseases.n = 25) and male (n = 30).Sex of the newborns are as follows: female ; PC5-labeled Mouse anti-Human CD90 ; FITC-labeled Rabbit anti-Human cIAP1 ; and A350-labeled Rabbit anti-Human cIAP2 .To assess the phenotype of the stem cells and expression of cIAP1 and cIAP2 proteins, the following fluorescently labelled antibodies were used: PE-labeled Due to the fact that cIAP1 and cIAP2 proteins have intracellular localization, before proceeding with cytometric analysis, a permeation reaction of the cell membrane of the tested cells was carried out using the FIX & PERM reagent consisting of Reagent A and Reagent B , according to the manufacturer's protocol. Then, the cytometric analysis was carried out according to the protocol presented in .SOX2 [POU5F1 [SOX9 gene, characteristic of cell differentiation towards chondrocytes, was examined in cells (unpublished own study).During cell culture, the fibroblast-like shape of the cells and their ability to adhere to plastic walls were confirmed. The expression of SOX2  and POU5 [POU5F1  genes waCell culture and cytometric analysis were performed according to the protocol presented in our work .μg of isolated RNA according to the recommendations by the manufacturer using the High-Capacity cDNA Transcription Kits .The total cellular RNA was isolated from the obtained cells by means of the modified Chomczyński and Sacchi method , using TBIRC2, BIRC3, and BIRC5 genes was assessed using the qPCR method. For the study, synthesized cDNA (1 μL per sample) was used, as well as reagents from Applied Biosystems: the Gene Expression Master Mix buffer and TaqMan probes .Our study demonstrated the presence of the The relationships between the expression level of the examined genes and the pregnant age, method of delivery, selected physicochemical parameters of the umbilical cord blood, and basic parameters of the patient's blood morphology were analyzed.BIRC2 (p = 0.002), BIRC3 (p = 0.0003), and BIRC5 (p = 0.047) in WJSC collected from patients up to 34 years of age compared to patients over 34 years old  and BIRC3  genes  genes .BIRC2 (p = 0.009) and BIRC5 (p = 0.048) genes in WJSC is statistically significantly higher, and the expression of the BIRC3 gene (p = 0.07) tends to be higher in comparison with patients giving birth by cesarean section  and BIRC5 (p = 0.001) genes in WJSC and the tendency of a higher level of the BIRC3 gene expression (p = 0.07) at an umbilical cord blood pH less than or equal to 7.3 compared to pH higher than 7.3  and BIRC3  genes, and the concentration of bicarbonate cHCO3 was demonstrated, whereas the expression level of the BIRC5 gene  correlates positively with the concentration of cHCO3. A moderate statistically significant negative correlation was found between the expression level of the BIRC3 gene and partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2)  and between the expression level of the BIRC5 gene and partial oxygen pressure (pO2)   .BIRC5 negatively correlates with the number of leukocytes (WBC) , while BIRC3 shows a negative relationship with platelet count (PLT)   .BIRC2 gene  and the expression level of the BIRC3 gene, while the expression of the BIRC5 gene showed a statistically significant moderate negative correlation with the expression of BIRC2  and BIRC3   .BIRC2, BIRC3, and BIRC5 genes in stem cells and the week of pregnancy in which the child was born, the number of pregnancies and deliveries, the use of oxytocin during labor, birth weight, and the sex of the infant. In the case of the sex of the infant, we observed the tendency to have over twice higher values of the BIRC2 and BIRC3 gene expression in stem cells in Wharton's jelly collected from women who gave birth to a son, compared with women who gave birth to a daughter. There were no differences in the BIRC5 gene expression depending on the sex of the newborn. , while BIRC3 shows a negative relationship with the number of platelets (PLT). Molloy et al. demonstrated an increased resistance of white blood cells to apoptosis in women after natural childbirth, stressing that leukocytes from blood collected after cesarean section do not react to liposaccharides, which indicates their reduced activity [An analysis of the effect of pH on the expression of the activity . IncreasThe accumulation of reactive oxygen species can damage certain genes involved in cell growth or differentiation .The obtained results confirm the hypothesis that labor contractions that generate oxidative stress have a direct impact on stem cells in the umbilical cord blood and in the umbilical cord.BIRC2, BIRC3, and BIRC5, and statistically significant differences were observed. It was shown that in the group of patients giving birth naturally, the expression of the BIRC2 gene is almost 3 times statistically significantly higher, the expression of the BIRC5 gene is more than 3.5 times higher, and the expression of the BIRC3 gene tends to have higher values in WJSC compared to patients giving birth by cesarean section. Moreover, in our previous studies, we have shown that the expression of the POU5F1 gene, which is responsible for cell stemness, is significantly higher in Wharton's jelly stem cells from women after natural delivery, in comparison with women giving birth by caesarean section [Our study also compared the method of delivery with the expression of  section .It can be suggested that the increased expression of genes examined after deliveries with longer exposure to oxidative stress (prolonged contractions) may be the result of the mobilization of stem cells from the pool of spare cells , 44.2 values also have an effect on the transplantation properties of the tested material. A weak negative correlation between the expression level of BIRC2 and the concentration of bicarbonate cHCO3 was demonstrated, whereas the expression level of the BIRC5 gene correlates positively with the concentration of cHCO3. Moreover, a moderate statistically significant negative correlation was observed between the expression level of the BIRC3 gene and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) and between the expression level of the BIRC5 gene and partial oxygen pressure (pO2).At the subsequent stage, it was assumed that pCOThe studies comparing the methods of delivery were to assess differences in the umbilical cord blood gas test and red blood cell response as an exponent determining fetal well-being.In their studies, Pomorski et al. did not obtain a significant difference in the pH of blood obtained perinatally and during the cesarean section. In earlier studies, Mancinelli et al. demonstrated a significantly higher RBC in the umbilical cord blood after natural childbirth .BIRC2 and BIRC3 genes and the pregnant age was observed. It was demonstrated that in the group of women ≤34 years of age, the expression of the BIRC2 gene is over 4.5 times higher and the expression of the BIRC3 gene is more than 14 times higher, while the expression of the BIRC5 gene is almost 2 times higher compared to patients over 34 years of age.The conducted analysis of the relationship between the expressions of the studied genes on the gestational age did not show significant differences. However, a negative relationship between the expression of the Research carried out by Bielec-Berek et al. demonstrated that the older the woman giving birth, the lower the average count of hematopoietic stem cells in the umbilical cord blood unit . NakagawBIRC2, BIRC3, and BIRC5 genes in mesenchymal stem cells derived from Wharton's jelly.The research carried out so far did not assess the effect of the pregnant age on the expression of the BIRC2, BIRC3, and BIRC5 genes in human mesenchymal stem cells, which justifies the role of IAPs in the regulation of cell survival and their protection against apoptosis. Due to the main function of IAPs, which is the inhibition of the apoptosis process, the higher expression of the BIRC2, BIRC3, and BIRC5 genes we have demonstrated suggests that stem cells collected from younger women giving birth naturally probably are more resistant to apoptosis.Our study confirms the expression of the BIRC2 and BIRC3 in the examined stem cells may also affect the immunomodulatory properties of stem cells, as well as their adhesion and migration ability. Literature studies suggest that IAP E3 ligase activity also has an effect on the regulation of cell shape, their migration, activity, and differentiation [κB, which in turn leads to the activation of gene expression and fibronectin secretion. In addition, cIAP1 and cIAP2 are able to activate the cytoskeleton, as well as to control activation and stabilization of Rho protein, a GTPase responsible for signaling within a cell and regulation of F-actin organization [The demonstrated expression of ntiation . IAPs conization .BIRC5 is involved in maintaining the state of pluripotency and stem cell differentiation, the higher BIRC5 expression demonstrated in the current study may indicate a more stem cell-like character of the isolated cells, their greater potential for differentiation, and thus better clinical utility of stem cells obtained from the umbilical cord from women after a natural childbirth.Moreover, in the light of our previous research  in whichBIRC2 and BIRC3 indicates similar functions performed by these genes in the studied material. In turn, the observed negative relationship between the expression of BIRC2 and BIRC3 and the expression of BIRC5 suggests that BIRC5, although it belongs to the IAP family like BIRC2 and BIRC3, is involved in different mechanisms in the mesenchymal stem cells of Wharton's jelly. Furthermore, it was observed that the higher the concentration of cHCO3, the lower the expression of BIRC2 and BIRC3. However, with BIRC5, a reverse correlation was observed: the expression of BIRC5 increases proportionally with the bicarbonate concentration, confirming that this gene plays a different role in WJSC as compared to BIRC2 and BIRC3.The demonstrated strong positive relationship between the expression of BIRC2 and BIRC3 gene expression values in Wharton's jelly stem cells from male newborns. Perhaps stem cells taken from Wharton's jelly from male births have a different sensitivity to apoptosis, but this requires more research.In recent years in literature, gender-specific differences in differentiation potential, expansion capacity, and secretome of mesenchymal stem cell derived from bone marrow have been reported. Sammour et al. demonstrated in vitro that female bone marrow MSCs secrete more anti-inflammatory and proangiogenic factors compared to male MSCs. In vivo, using the animal model, they also showed that female MSCs have greater anti-inflammatory and proangiogenic effects compared to male MSCs in newborns . BalzanoBIRC2, BIRC3, and BIRC5 genes in mesenchymal stem cells obtained from the umbilical cord Wharton's jelly depends on the age of the woman, the method of delivery, and physicochemical parameters of the umbilical cord blood.Our study demonstrated that the expression of the BIRC2, BIRC3, and BIRC5 genes. Taking into consideration the possible functions of the proteins encoded by the studied genes, we speculate that mesenchymal stem cells collected from the umbilical cord Wharton's jelly in younger women giving birth naturally probably show greater clinical utility and higher therapeutic potential due to their more stem cell-like character, greater potential for differentiation, greater adhesion and migration ability, and greater resistance to apoptosis.It was demonstrated that WJSCs collected from younger women giving birth naturally and in the acidic environment of the umbilical cord blood are characterized by a higher expression of the Our research may be crucial for decisions concerning the collection, multiplication, and storing of the umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells. But further research is needed to confirm these speculations.