The implementation of sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is changing the scenario in the surgical treatment of early-stage cervical cancer and the oncologic safety of replacing bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy with SLN biopsy is currently under investigation. One of the undisputed values of SLN biopsy is its diagnostic accuracy in detecting low-volume metastases (LVM) via pathologic ultrastaging. In early-stage cervical cancer, the reported incidence of LVM ranges from 4 to 20%. The prognostic impact and the role of adjuvant treatment in patients with LVM is still unclear. Some non-prespecified analyses in prospective studies showed no impact on the oncologic outcomes compared to node-negative disease. However, the heterogeneity of the studies, the differences in the disease stage and the use of adjuvant treatment, and the concomitant pelvic lymphadenectomy (PLND) make any conclusion on this topic hard. Current guidelines suggest considering micrometastasis (MIC) as a node-positive disease, while isolated tumor cells (ITC) as a node-negative disease, with a low level of evidence. This review aims to highlight the unanswered questions about the definition, identification, prognostic and therapeutic role of LVM and underline the present and future challenges we are facing. We hope this review will guide further research, giving robust evidence on LVM and their impact on clinical practice.

Visualization of volumetric data holds great importance, particularly in medical and biomedical applications. Various imaging techniques, such as FMRI and 3D microscopy, are employed to generate volumetric data, used in medical practice, research, and teaching. Commonly utilized tools like 3D Slicer, Fiji, and MATLAB ® aid in rendering and analyzing 3D images. However, these tools may lack comprehensive rendering functionality and face challenges in handling computational demands as data sizes grow. To address these limitations, this work introduces a GPU-supported renderer with a MATLAB ® interface. This solution gives the user flexible control over rendering parameters and optimizes data transfer through a memory management system. By leveraging the computational power of NVIDIA GPUs, the renderer enables complex and high-quality renderings, enhancing speed and efficiency. It therefore facilitates the analysis and visualization of volumetric data within an integrated environment, namely MATLAB ®, streamlining their workflows. This advancement provides valuable opportunities for researchers and medical professionals to explore and comprehend volumetric data effectively.

This study aimed to determine a nutritionally adequate feeding protocol for Hippocampus hippocampus juveniles. In the experimental trial, seahorses were fed copepods from 0-7 days post-parturition (DPP) and, from 8-28 DPP, four dietary treatments: (copepods (control diet), microalgae-enriched Artemia with a DHA/EPA ratio of 2:1, microalgae-enriched Artemia with a DHA/EPA ratio of 2:1 along with 5% copepods, and with 10% copepods) were tested. Results showed that juvenile seahorses fed on copepods attained a significantly higher (P<0.05) growth performance (5.1 mg d-1) than fish-fed diets with 5% and 10% copepod inclusion, (3.09 and 3.07 mg d-1, respectively), and fish-fed enriched Artemia (1.83 mg d-1) which performed poorly. Data suggests that feeding copepods during the first 7 DPP promotes maturation of the digestive tract of juvenile seahorses, and the addition of a limited amount of copepods to the diet improves H. hippocampus juvenile growth performance when compared to the use of Artemia as a single diet due to the improvement of the essential fatty acid profile in the diets.

Kynurenic acid (KYNA), a tryptophan metabolite, is believed to exert neuromodulatory and neuroprotective effects in the brain. The study aimed to examine the KYNA’s capacity to modify gene expression and the activity of cellular antioxidant enzymes in specific structures of the sheep brain. Anestrous sheep were infused intracerebroventricularly with two KYNA doses: lower (4×5 μg/60 μL/30 min, KYNA20) and higher (4×25 μg/60 μL/30 min, KYNA100) at 30min intervals. The abundance of superoxide dismutase (SOD2), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx1) mRNA, as well as enzyme activities (µM/µg of protein), were determined in the hypothalamic medial-basal (MBH) and preoptic (POA) areas, and in the hippocampal CA1 field. Both doses of KYNA caused a decrease (P<0.01) in the expression of SOD2 and CAT mRNA in all structures examined compared to the control group (except for CAT in the POA at the KYNA100 dose). Furthermore, lower levels of SOD2 mRNA (P<0.05) and CAT mRNA (P<0.01) were found in the MBH and POA and in the POA and CA, respectively, in sheep administered with the KYNA20 dose. Different stimulatory effects on GPx1 mRNA expression were observed for both doses (P<0.05-P<0.01). KYNA exerted stimulatory, but dose-dependent effects on SOD2, CAT and GPx1 activities (P<0.05-P<0.01) in all brain tissues examined. The results indicate that KYNA may influence the level of oxidative stress in individual brain structures in sheep by modulating the expression of genes and activity of at least SOD2, CAT and GPx1. The present findings also expand the general knowledge about the potential neuroprotective properties of KYNA in the central nervous system.

This paper introduces a novel method for accurately calculating the upper biomass of single trees using Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) point cloud data. The proposed algorithm involves classifying the tree point cloud into two distinct ones: the trunk point cloud and the crown point cloud. Each part is then processed using specific techniques to create a 3D model and determine its volume. The trunk point cloud is segmented based on individual stems, with each stem further divided into slices that are modeled as cylinders. On the other hand, the crown point cloud is analyzed by calculating its footprint and gravity center. The footprint is further divided into angular sectors, with each being used to create a rotating surface around the vertical line passing through the gravity center. All models are represented in a matrix format, simplifying the process of minimizing and calculating the tree’s upper biomass, consisting of crown biomass and trunk biomass. To validate the proposed approach, both terrestrial and airborne datasets are utilized. A comparison with existing algorithms in the literature confirms the effectiveness of the new method. The study shows that the proposed algorithm achieves an average fit between 0.01 m and 0.49 m for individual trees.

Digital photogrammetry has attracted widespread attention in the field of geotechnical and geological survey due to its low-cost, ease of use and contactless mode. In this work, with the purpose of studying the progressive block surficial detachments of a landslide we developed a monitoring system based on fixed multi-view time-lapse cameras. Thanks to a new-developed photogrammetric algorithm based on the comparison of photo sequences through a structural similarity metric and the computation of the disparity map of two convergent views we can quickly detect the occurrence of collapse events, determine their location and calculate the collapse volume. With the field data obtained at the Perarolo landslide site (Belluno Province, Italy), we have preliminary tested the effectiveness of the algorithm and its accuracy in the volume calculation. The method of quickly and automatically obtaining collapse information proposed in this paper can extend the potentials of landslide monitoring system based on videos or photo sequence and it will be of great significance for further research on the link between the frequency of collapse events and the driving factors.

Epilepsy is known to cause alterations in neural networks. However, many details of these changes remain poorly understood. The objective of this study was to investigate changes in the properties of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons and their synaptic inputs in a rat lithium-pilocarpine model of epilepsy. In the chronic phase of the model, we found a marked loss of pyramidal neurons in the CA1 area. However, the membrane properties of the neurons remained essentially unal-tered. The results of the electrophysiological and morphological studies indicate that the direct pathway from the entorhinal cortex to CA1 neurons is reinforced in epileptic animals, whereas the inputs to them from CA3 are either unaltered or even diminished. In particular, the dendritic spine density in the str. lacunosum moleculare, where the direct pathway from the entorhinal cortex ter-minates, was found to be 2.5 times higher in epileptic rats than in control rats. Furthermore, the summation of responses upon stimulation of the temporoammonic pathway was enhanced by approximately twofold in epileptic rats. This enhancement is believed to be a significant con-tributing factor to the heightened epileptic activity observed in the entorhinal cortex of epileptic rats using an ex vivo 4-aminopyridine model.

This article explores the intricate dynamics of complexity and emergence through the lens of a graphical model representing hippocampal functions. Utilizing a series of overlapping curves that intersect at varying degrees and frequencies, we create a visual metaphor for the sophisticated processes to store information observed in the hippocampus. This model not only depicts the spatial and frequency-related interactions of these curves but also illustrates the emergent patterns that arise from these interactions. These patterns exemplify the principles of complexity and emergence, where the collective behavior of simple elements results in intricate and unexpected outcomes. This graphical representation serves as a bridge between the abstract mathematical concepts of complexity theory and the tangible biological processes observed in neuroscience. By drawing parallels to the hippocampus, known for its role in memory formation and spatial navigation, the article sheds light on how complex systems, such as neural networks, exhibit properties that are more than just the sum of their parts. The model thus offers a unique perspective on understanding complex systems, not only in neuroscience but in broader scientific inquiries where complexity and emergent phenomena are pivotal.

Residual stress (RS) is the most challenging problem in metal additive manufacturing (AM) since the build-up of high tensile RS may influence the fatigue life, corrosion resistance, crack initiation, and failure of the additively manufactured components. While tensile RS is inherent in all the AM processes, fast and accurate prediction of stress state within the part is extremely valuable and would result in optimization of the process parameters in achieving a desired RS and control of the build process. This paper proposes a physics-based analytical model to rapidly and accurately predict the RS within the additively manufactured part. In this model, a transient moving point heat source (HS) is utilized to determine the temperature field. Due to the high temperature gradient within the proximity of the melt pool area, material experience high thermal stress. Thermal stress is calculated by combining three sources of stresses known as stresses due to the body forces, normal tension, and hydrostatic stress in a homogeneous semi-infinite medium. The thermal stress determines the RS state within the part. Consequently, by taking the thermal stress history as an input, both the in-plane and out of plane RS distributions are found from incremental plasticity and kinematic hardening behavior of the metal by considering volume conservation in plastic deformation in coupling with the equilibrium and compatibility conditions. In this modeling, material properties are temperature-sensitive since the steep temperature gradient varies the properties significantly. Moreover, the energy needed for the solid-state phase transition is reflected by modifying the specific heat employing the latent heat of fusion. Furthermore, the multi-layer and multi-scan aspects of metal AM are considered by including the temperature history from previous layers and scans. Results from the analytical RS model presented excellent agreement with XRD measurements employed to determine the RS in the Ti-6Al-4V specimens.

Background: Assessing the impact of bone health clinical management in breast cancer (BC) patients receiving adjuvant endocrine therapy and designing a personalized clinical pathway to reduce bone loss, in an Italian research hospital. Methods: The primary endpoint was to assess (through the process improvement organizational method) the clinical pathway that post-surgical BC patients prescribed with endocrine therapy undergo to prevent bone loss. The secondary endpoint was to design a personalized clinical pathway for a prompt implementation of guidelines, to assess and possibly prescribe antiresorptive therapy. Results: During the first year of the new diagnostic therapeutic assistance pathway execution, an 60% increase in Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry evaluations within 30 days and a 39.5% increase in antiresorptive therapy prescription within 90 days (since prescription of endocrine therapy) were shown, thus increasing patients’ compliance. Conclusion: Case managers and bone health specialists in this context can improve patients’ adherence to therapies and bone health, helping physicians to expand their collaboration.

Loss of function of the hippocampus or frontal cortex is associated with reduced performance on memory tasks in which subjects are incidentally exposed to cues at specific places in the environment and are subsequently asked to recollect the location at which the cue was experienced. Here, we examined the roles of the rodent hippocampus and frontal cortex in cue-directed attention during encoding of memory for the location of a single incidentally experienced cue. During a spatial sensory preconditioning task, rats explored an elevated platform while an auditory cue was incidentally presented at one corner. The opposite corner acted as an unpaired control location. The rats demonstrated recollection of location by avoiding the paired corner after the auditory cue was in turn paired with shock. Damage to either the dorsal hippocampus or the frontal cortex impaired this memory ability. However, we also found that hippocampal lesions enhanced attention directed towards the cue during the encoding phase while frontal cortical lesions reduced cue-directed attention. These results suggest that the deficit in spatial sensory preconditioning caused by frontal cortical damage may be mediated by inattention to the location of cues during the latent encoding phase, while deficits following hippocampal damage must be related to other mechanisms such as generation of neural plasticity.

In this study on volume determination in waste sorting facilities, we evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasonic sensors and address waste-material-specific challenges. Although ultrasonic sensors offer a cost-effective automation solution, their accuracy is affected by irregular waste shapes, varied compositions, and environmental factors. Notable inconsistencies in volume measurements between storage bunkers and conveyor belts underscore the need for a comprehensive approach to standardize bale production. With prediction reliability being constrained by limited data sets, undocumented modifications to machine-settings and sensor failures, this task renders a challenging application area for Machine Learning. We explore related research and present dataset analyses from three distinct waste sorting facilities in Europe, addressing issues as sensor usability, data quality and material specifics. Our analysis suggests promising strategies and future directions for enhancing waste volume measurement accuracy, ultimately aiming to advance sustainable waste management.

The pathophysiology of many mood disorders is closely related with abnormal stress response associated with the dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and cortisol overproduction. The hippocampus, key structure of the limbic system responsible for both cognitive and emotional spheres, is selectively vulnerable to excess of glucocorticoids (GCs) inducing neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. The antiGC therapy of psychiatric diseases, in particular depressive disorders, may be a useful additional treatment. Among other approaches, targeting glucocorticoid receptors, abounded in the hippocampus, is regarded as highly promising. However, though the preclinical data provide firm evidence to the concept of antiGC therapy for stress-related diseases, clinical studies still are at the proof-of-concept stage. Noteworthy, chronic GC excess is associated not only with mood diseases, but also with cognitive decline, metabolic disorders, diabetes. Potentially, antiGC (HPA axis modifying) therapy may alleviate affective symptoms, cognitive disturbances, GC and insulin resistance and adverse side effects of conventional drugs through beneficial effects on hippocampal dysfunction and neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation, and neurogenesis. Since stress/GC-associated neuroinflammation-mediated pathology of the limbic system and, specifically, the hippocampus, is a general feature typical for many brain diseases, the concept of antiGC therapy may be extended, tested and validated in a wider spectrum of cerebral pathologies.

Theta oscillations generated in hippocampal (HPC) and cortical neuronal networks are involved in various aspects of brain function, including sensorimotor integration, movement planning, memory formation and attention. Disruptions of theta rhythms are present in individuals with various disorders, including epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease. Theta rhythm generation involves a specific interplay between cellular (ionic) and network (synaptic) mechanisms. HCN channels are theta modulators, and several medications are known to enhance their activity. We investigated how different doses of lamotrigine (LTG), an HCN channel activator, and antiepileptic and neuroprotective agent, would affect hippocampal theta rhythms in acute HPC slices (in vitro) and anaesthetized rats (in vivo). Whole-cell patch clamp recordings revealed that LTG decreased GABAA-fast transmission in CA3 and CA1 cells, in vitro. In addition, LTG directly depressed CA3 and CA1 pyramidal neuron excitability. These effects were partially blocked by ZD 7288, a selective HCN blocker, and are consistent with decreased excitability associated with antiepileptic actions. Lamotrigine also depressed hippocampal theta oscillations in vitro, also consistent with its neuronal depressant effects. In contrast, it exerted an opposite, enhancing effect, on theta recorded in vivo. The contradictory in vivo and in vitro results indicate that LTG increases ascending theta activating medial septum/entorhinal synaptic inputs that over-power the depressant effects seen in hippocampal neurons. These results provide new insights into LTG actions and indicate an opportunity to develop more precise therapeutics for the treatment of dementias, memory disorders and epilepsy.

In the context of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), total kidney volume (TKV) plays a key role as biomarker of disease progression and response to therapy and has been recently recognized as enrichment biomarker and possible surrogate endpoint. Several imaging modalities and methods are available to calculate TKV, and the choice depends on the purpose of use. Technological advancements have made it possible to accurately assess cyst burden, that can be crucial to assess the disease state and help identifying rapid progressors. Moreover, the development of automated algorithms has increased the efficiency of total kidney and cyst volume measurements. Beyond total kidney and cyst volume, the quantification and characterization of non-cystic kidney tissue show potential to early stratify ADPKD patients, monitor disease progression, and possibly predict renal function loss. A broad spectrum of kid-ney MRI techniques are available to characterize kidney tissue, showing promise to non-invasively pick up early signs of ADPKD progression. Radiomics has been used to extract tex-tural features from ADPKD images, providing valuable information about the heterogeneity of the cystic and non-cystic components. This review provides an overview of ADPKD imaging bi-omarkers, focusing on quantification methods, potential, and necessary steps towards successful translation to clinical practice.

There are some controversies about 2G bioethanol and it is in need of a reliable test data in order to make a further analysis and proof. In collecting basic data from three classes of typical raw materials, such as wheat, maize stalk juice, and straw, it was found that 4.32 tons straw or 3.358 tons wheat is needed to produce 1-ton bioethanol. Using the coefficient of variation calculation and analysis method, it is able to obtain the C.V. value of straw fermentation efficiency 0.08932<0.15, indicating the fermentation technology and process of 2G bioethanol is already quite mature and reliable, without risk, and also with a raw material cost advantage. There is a problem in that the C.V. value of straw volume is 1.2648>0.95, indicating 2G bioethanol is in an extremely high-risk area. Using the straw volume calculation method, building and its costs – capital expenditure of 2G bioethanol plant is approximately seven times that of a wheat ethanol plant. This should be some of the important reasons why it is noncompetitive, extremely high price, and requiring government subsidies. Straw volume data study has caused the 2G bioethanol plant to require more cement, steel, equipment, and other materials. Thus, there are ample reasons to question the CO2 emissions and its carbon footprint of 2G bioethanol plant. Actually, the volume is not the only existing problem, it is necessary to re-evaluate and discuss the definition of 2G bioethanol and its future.

Antibiotic-loaded bone cement (ALBC) plays a pivotal role in infection prevention and treatment related to musculoskeletal surgery. The release efficacy of antibiotics from ALBC is closely tied to its surface area, yet little is known about the effective release depth. To investigate the relationship between surface area, volume, and antibiotic elution, spheric ALBC specimens with consistent outer diameters but different internal metal sphere diameters were prepared. Two vancomycin doses were utilized in ALBC specimens with an outer diameter of 35 mm: high (4 g) and low (1 g). Each dosage group included five specimens containing embedded metal spheres with diameters of 15, 25, 29, 32, or 33 mm. The resulting shell-like ALBC specimens had thicknesses of 10 mm, 5 mm, 3 mm, 1.5 mm, or 1 mm, respectively. The specimens were immersed in sterile phosphate buffer solution, and antibiotic elution was measured at designated sampling times (1, 3, 6, 10, 24, 48, 72, and 168 hours). Methylene blue was employed to visualize penetration depth. Vancomycin elution did not display statistically significant differences between high- and low-dose groups. In both groups, specimens with 1 mm thickness exhibited a higher vancomycin release efficiency (high-dose group: 18560±5474 μg, 6.7%; low-dose group: 2017±419 μg, 2.6%), decreasing sharply in thicker ALBC specimens. Methylene blue penetration depth showed no apparent difference between high-dose and low-dose groups. ALBC thickness does not significantly impact antibiotic elution, while surface area and antibiotic dose exert notable effects. These in vitro findings offer potential applications in clinical treatments for musculoskeletal infections.

The authors of the article analyze the existing methods and models of technological preparation of machine-building industries. The structure of a three-level simulation model with network-centric control, the structures of individual elements of the simulation model and the process of simulation modeling are described. The criteria for choosing a rational option for the processing technological route have been determined. During the research, a simulation program was implemented in C++. It allows you to select the optimal scenario for the operation of a production site based on two criteria: time and cost. The volume of implementation is about 2x103 lines of code. A diagram of the modeling algorithm for the implemented program, a description of the classes and their interactions are given in the article. The developed simulation model was tested at a machine-building enterprise using the example of the “Pusher” part, manufactured under single-unit production condi-tions. The technological equipment used for the manufacture of this part was formed in the form of input data of the simulation model. The results of simulation modeling for the selected part are described. For each variant of the technological processing route, the values of variable costs and the duration of the production cycle were determined.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant training disruptions during the 2020-21 season due to lockdowns, quarantines, and strict adherence to pandemic protocols. The main purpose of this study was to determine how pandemic training restrictions affected training volume and performance in one collegiate swim team. Cumulative training volume data, across a 28-week season, were compared between a pandemic (2020-2021) versus non-pandemic (2019-2020) season. Swimmers were categorized into three groups (Sprinters, Mid-Distance, and Long-Distance) based on training group. Performance times in 25 swimmers who competed in Regional Championships, during both the non-pandemic and pandemic year, were compared via 1-way ANOVA. 26 male and 22 female swimmers commenced the 2020-21 (pandemic) season, with 23% of swimmers voluntarily opting out. Three COVID-19 cases were confirmed (2%) by the medical staff with no long-term effects. Significant reductions in average swim volume were verified in Sprinters (32,867±10,135 vs.14,800±7,995yards;p<0.001), Mid-Distance (26,457±10,692 vs.17,054±9.923yards;p<0.001), and Long-Distance (37,600±14,430 vs.22,254±14,418yards;p<0.001) swimmers (non-pandemic vs. pandemic season, respectively). In the Regional performance analyses, the Sprinters swam faster (n=8;-0.5±0.6secs), while Mid-Distance (n=10;0.17±2.1secs) and Long-Distance (n=7;6.0±4.9secs) swimmers swam slower (F=11.76;p=0.0003;r²=0.52). Thus, the pandemic caused significant reductions in swim training volume, with Sprinters performing better and Long-Distance swimmers performing worse at Regional Championships.

Automation of forest field reference data collection has been an intensive research objective for laser scanning scientists ever since the invention of terrestrial laser scanning more than two decades ago. Recently, it has been proposed that such automated data collection providing both the tree heights and stem curves would require a combination of above-canopy UAV point clouds and terrestrial point clouds. In this study, we demonstrate that an under-canopy UAV laser scanning system utilizing a rotating laser scanner can alone provide accurate estimates of the canopy height and the stem volume for the majority of the trees in a boreal forest. To this end, we mounted a rotating laser scanner based on a Velodyne VLP-16 sensor onboard a manually piloted UAV. The UAV was commanded with the help of a live video feed from the onboard camera of the UAV. Since the system was based on a rotating laser scanner providing varying view angles, all important elements such as treetops, branches, trunks, and ground could be recorded with laser hits. In an experiment including two different forest structures, namely sparse and obstructed canopy, we showed that our system can measure the heights of individual trees with a bias of -20 cm and a standard error of 40 cm in the sparse forest and with a bias of -65 cm and a standard error of 1 m in the obstructed forest. The accuracy of the obtained tree height estimates was equivalent to airborne above-canopy UAV surveys conducted in similar forest conditions. The higher underestimation and higher inaccuracy in the obstructed site can be attributed to three trees with a height exceeding 25 m and the applied laser scanning system VLP-16 that had a limited height measurement capacity when it comes to trees taller than 25 m. Additionally, we used our system to estimate the stem volumes of individual trees with a standard error at the level of 10%. This level of error is equivalent to the error obtained when merging above-canopy UAV laser scanner data with terrestrial point cloud data. Future research is needed for testing new sensors, for implementing autonomous operation inside canopies through collision avoidance and navigation through canopies, and for developing robust methods that work also with more complex forest structure. The results show that we do not necessarily need a combination of terrestrial point clouds and point clouds collected using above-canopy UAV systems in order to accurately estimate the heights and the volumes of individual trees.

Reelin depletion and stress seem to affect similar pathways including GABAergic and glutamatergic signaling and both are implicated in psychiatric disorders in late adolescence/early adulthood. The interaction between reelin depletion and stress, however, remains unclear. To investigate this, male and female heterozygous reelin mice (HRM) and wildtype (WT) controls were treated with the stress hormone, corticosterone (CORT), during late adolescence to simulate chronic stress. Glucocorticoid receptors (GR), N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAr) subunits, glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67) and parvalbumin (PV) were measured in the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in adulthood. While no changes were seen in male mice, female HRM showed a significant reduction in GR expression in the dorsal hippocampus. In addition, CORT reduced GR levels as well as GluN2B and GluN2C subunits of NMDAr in the dorsal hippocampus in female mice only. CORT furthermore reduced GluN1 levels in the PFC of female mice. The combined effect of HRM and CORT treatment appeared to be additive in terms of GR expression in the dorsal hippocampus. Female-specific CORT-induced changes were associated with overall higher circulating CORT levels in female compared to male mice. This study shows differential effects of reelin depletion and CORT treatment on GR and NMDAr protein expression in male and female mice, suggesting that females are more susceptible to reelin haploinsufficiency as well as late-adolescent stress. These findings shed more light on female-specific vulnerability to stress and have implications for stress-associated mental illnesses with a female bias including anxiety and major depression.

In the current study, we assessed the effects of conventional and Ultra High Dose Rate (UHDR) irradiation on behavioral and cognitive performance one month following exposure and assessed whether these effects were associated with alterations in the number of immune cells in the hippocampus using flow cytometry. Conventional- and UHDR-irradiated mice showed impaired novel object recognition. During fear learning, conventional- and UHDR-irradiated mice moved less during the inter-stimulus-interval (ISI) and UHDR-irradiated mice also moved less during the baseline period (prior to the first tone). In irradiated mice, reduced activity levels were also seen in the home cage; conventional- and UHDR-irradiated mice moved less during the light period and UHDR-irradiated mice moved less during the dark period. Following behavioral and cognitive testing, infiltrating immune cells in the hippocampus were analyzed by flow cytometry. The percent Ly6G+ CD45+ cells in the hippocampus was lower in conventional- and UHDR-irradiated than sham-irradiated mice, suggesting that neutrophils might be particularly sensitive to radiation. The percent of Ly6G+ CD45+ cells in the hippocampus was positively correlated with the time spent exploring the novel object in the object recognition test, suggesting that the reduced percent Ly6G+ CD45+ cells in the hippocampus might mediate some of the detrimental radiation-induced cognitive effects.

Methionine oxidation to the sulfoxide form (MSox) is a poorly understood post-translational modification of proteins associated with nonspecific chemical oxidation from reactive oxygen species (ROS) whose chemistries are linked to various disease pathologies including neurodegeneration. Emerging evidence shows MSox site occupancy is in some cases under enzymatic regulatory control mediating cellular signaling including phosphorylation and/or calcium signaling, raising questions as to the speciation and functional nature of MSox across the proteome. The 5XFAD lineage of the C57BL/6 mouse has well-defined Alzheimer’s and aging states. Using this model, we analyzed age, sex and disease dependent MSox speciation in mouse hippocampus. In addition, we explore chemical stability and statistical variance of oxidized peptide signals to understand needed power for MSox based proteome studies. Our results identify mitochondrial and glycolytic pathway targets with increases in MSox with age as well as neuroinflammatory targets accumulating MSox with AD in proteome studies of mouse hippocampus. Further, the paper establishes a foundation for reproducible and rigorous experimental MSox-omics appropriate for biological discovery novel target identification, and biomarker analysis in ROS and other oxidation linked diseases.

This paper proposes a new method for network screening on rural low-volume roads. These roads are important as they provide critical access to agricultural land and tourist attractions. Most low-volume roads belong to the lowest functional class (local rural roads) and thus are built to lower design standards. The conventional hot spot network screening techniques may not be appropriate for low-volume roads due to the sporadic nature of crashes occurring on these roads. Contrarily sophisticated network screening approaches require extensive roadway and traffic data that are often unavailable to local agencies for lack of resources, and/or lack of technical expertise. This research attempts to address these obstacles in low-volume roads network screening which aims to identify candidate sites for safety improvements. The research used an extensive low-volume road sample from the state of Oregon and the Empirical Bayes expected number of crashes in developing the proposed models for network screening. The proposed models do not require exact measurement of roadway geometric features as all geometric variables were classified into categories that are easy to compile by local agencies. Further, the method could be used with and without traffic data, without compromising the effectiveness of the network screening process.

The sensitivity of DNBR(Departure from Nucleate Boiling Ratio) values to approaches of subchannel control volume selection has been investigated for the TS01 and TS03 out of HIPER17 CHF(Critical Heat Flux) tests. In general, the coolant-centered subchannel method is applied to subchanel analyses for fuel bundle. When it comes to predicting for CHF of high quality region, however, the rod-centered subchannel method was better over high quality region. As a result, the rod-centered subchannel method were more suitable at a conservative point of view than the coolant-centered subchannel method comparing major properties. Also, it was confirmed that the radial subchannel locations at the minimum DNBR were similar when comparing both analysis results by two kind of methods.

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) has no cure. Earlier, we showed that partial inhibition of mitochondrial complex I (MCI) with small molecule CP2 induces adaptive stress response activating multiple neuroprotective mechanisms. Chronic treatment reduced inflammation, improved synaptic and mitochondrial functions, and blocked neurodegeneration in symptomatic APP/PS1 mice, a translational model of AD. Here, using serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBFSEM) and three-dimensional (3D) EM reconstructions combined with Western blot analysis and next-generation RNA sequencing, we demonstrate that CP2 treatment also restores mitochondrial morphology and mitochondria-endoplasmic reticulum (ER) communication in the APP/PS1 mouse brain. Using 3D EM volume reconstructions, we show that mitochondria in AD dendrites exist primarily as mitochondria-on-a-string (MOAS). Compared to other morphological phenotypes, MOAS are extensively enveloped in the ER membranes forming multiple mitochondria-ER contact sites (MERCS) known to contribute to abnormal lipid and calcium homeostasis. CP2 treatment specifically reduced MOAS formation, consistent with improved energy homeostasis in the brain, with concomitant reduction in MERCS, ER stress, and improved lipid homeostasis. These data provide novel information on the role MOAS play in AD and additional support for further development of partial MCI inhibitors as disease modifying strategy for AD.

The dentate gyrus (DG) is part of the hippocampal formation and is essential for important cognitive processes such as navigation and memory. The oscillatory activity of the DG network is believed to play a critical role in cognition. DG circuits generate three main rhythms: theta, beta, and gamma, which participate in the specific information processing performed by DG neurons. In the temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), cognitive abilities are impaired, which may be due to drastic alterations in the DG structure and network activity during epileptogenesis. The theta rhythm and theta coherence are especially vulnerable in dentate circuits; disturbances in DG theta oscillations and their coherence may be responsible for general cognitive impairments observed during epileptogenesis. Some researchers suggested that the vulnerability of DG mossy cells is a key factor in the genesis of TLE, but others did not support this hypothesis. The aim of the review is not only to present the current state of the art in this field of research but to help pave the way for future investigations by highlighting the gaps in our knowledge to completely appreciate the role of DG rhythms in brain functions. Disturbances in oscillatory activity of the DG during TLE development are described in detail that may be a diagnostic marker in the treatment of this disease.

In the paper, we develop some numerical schemes including finite difference scheme and finite volume scheme for the fractional Laplacian operator, and apply the resulted numerical schemes to solve some fractional diffusion equations. First, the fractional Laplacian operator can be characterized as the weak singular integral by a integral operator with zero boundary condition. Second, because of the solution of fractional diffusion equation is usually singular near the boundary, we apply finite difference scheme to discrete fractional Laplacian operator and fractional diffusion equation by fractional interpolation function. Moreover, it is find that the differential matrix of the above scheme is symmetric matrix, and strictly row-wise diagonally dominant in special fractional interpolation function. Third, we show finite volume scheme to discrete fractional diffusion equation by fractional interpolation function, and analyze the properties of differential matrix. Finally, the numerical experiments are given, and verify the correctness of theoretical results and the efficiency of the schemes.

This study evaluated the mechanical strengths of three types of orthodontic micro-implants by analyzing their structural configurations. Thirty micro-implants of three types (diameter 1.5 mm, Types A, B, C) were assessed. All micro-implants were manually driven into artificial bones at an 8-mm depth. The insertion torque (IT), pullout strength (PS), and gripping volume (GV) of each type were measured. Intergroup comparisons and intragroup correlation were investigated by statistical analysis. Type B had the greatest inner–outer diameter ratio (0.67), and Type A had the smallest (0.53). The IT of Type A (5.26 Ncm) was significantly (p = 0.038) lower than that of Type C (8.8 Ncm). There was no significant difference in the pullout strength (p = 0.868). The GV of Type A (9.7 mm3) was significant (p < 0.01) greater than Type C (8.4 mm3). Type C was significant (p < 0.01) greater than Type B (7.2 mm3). Spearman’s rho rank correlation test showed that PS of Type B was correlated significantly with GV. In conclusion, the design of thread and its GV were the important factors on the mechanical strengths of micro-implant.

In the present paper, Co-B/SiC composite coatings were obtained via electrodeposition from colloidal suspensions with different concentrations of SiC particles and subsequent heat treatments at 350 °C. The composition, morphology and structure of the Co-B/SiC composite coatings were analyzed using glow discharge spectrometry (GDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Hardness and tribological properties were also studied. The results showed that an increase in the SiC concentration in the colloidal suspensions resulted in both an increase in the SiC content and a decrease in the B content in the obtained Co-B/SiC coatings. The Co-B/SiC coatings were adherent, glossy and soft and exhibited a homogeneous composition in all thicknesses. By contrast, an increase in the SiC particle content of the Co-B/SiC composite coating from 0 to 2.56 at.% SiC reduced the hardness of the film from 680 to 360 HV and decreased the wear volume values from 1180 to 23 mm³ N^-1 m^-1, respectively (that is, the wear resistance increased). Moreover, when the Co-B/SiC coatings with SiC content ranging from 0 to 2.56 at.% SiC were subjected to a heat treatment process, the obtained coating hardness values were in the range of 1200 to 1500 HV and the wear volume values were in the range of 382 to 19 mm³ N^-1 m^-1.

The HSP70 and HSP90 family members belong to molecular chaperones that exhibit protective functions during the cellular response to stressful agents. We investigated whether the exposure of rats to chronic mild stress (CMS), a validated model of depression, affects the expression of HSP70 and HSP90 in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus (HIP) and thalamus (Thal). Male Wistar rats were exposed to CMS for 3 or 8 weeks. The antidepressant imipramine (IMI, 10 mg/kg, i.p., daily) was introduced in the last five weeks of the long-term CMS procedure. Depressive-like behavior was verified by the sucrose consumption test. The expression of mRNA and protein was quantified by real-time PCR and Western blot, respectively. In the 8-week CMS model, stress alone elevated HSP72 and HSP90B mRNA expression in the HIP. HSP72 mRNA was increased in the PFC and HIP of rats not responding to IMI treatment vs. IMI responders. The CMS exposure increased HSP72 protein expression in the cytosolic fraction of the PFC and HIP, and this effect was diminished by IMI treatment. Our results suggest that elevated levels of HSP72 may serve as an important indicator of neuronal stress reactions accompanying depression pathology and could be a potential target for antidepressant strategy.

Accurate prostate volume estimation is crucial for effective prostate disease management. Ultrasound (US) imaging, particularly transrectal ultrasound, offers a cost-effective and rapid assessment. However, US images often suffer from artifacts and poor contrast, making prostate volume estimation challenging. This review explores recent advancements in deep learning (DL) techniques for automatic prostate segmentation in US images as a primary step for prostate volume estimation. We examine various DL architectures, including traditional U-Net modifications and innovative designs incorporating residual connections, multi-directional image data, and attention mechanisms. Additionally, we discuss pre-processing methods to enhance image quality, the integration of shape information, and strategies to improve the consistency and robustness of DL models. The effectiveness of these techniques is evaluated through metrics such as Dice Similarity Coefficient, Jaccard Index, and Hausdorff Distance. The review highlights the potential of DL in improving prostate volume estimation accuracy and reducing clinical workload, while also identifying areas for future research to enhance model performance and generalizability.

As the coproduct of steelmaking, steelmaking slag, volumetrically expansive-prone without treatment, has been satisfactorily used as an aggregate base course material in highway construction. Although numerous technical reports and papers have revealed that steel slag aggreged using in rigid matrixes, the end product, paving block, non-structural concrete, for example, possesses superb strength and durability properties, the application of steel slag aggregate as a concrete aggregate is currently prohibited in highway construction. Naturally, researchers explore the practicality of use of steel slag, how to connect the laboratory experiment results to the end-product behavior, and further convert the research results into real construction? For all nontraditional or secondary materials utilization, the procedure of laboratory material examination, lab and field trial test are critical. To generalize the utilization, usability criteria establishment is necessary. This paper tries to use step-by-step method and plain language to explain how the volumetrically expansion can be simulated in lab testing apparatus, and based on the model, the mathematical deduction can result in a numerical usability criterion for steel slag use as a coarse aggregate in concrete (a rigid material). Therefore the paper is composed four main parts, laboratory test methods to examine the expansion force resulted from steel slag; converting the measured expansion force in a given volume of mass aggregate to the expansion (body) force of a single particle; modeling of slag and end material disruption; and a usability criterion from numerical deduction for the use of expansive-prone coarse slag in concrete or other rigid matrices. The paper provides the solutions to answer the above questions. Through the mathematical and mechanical modeling, provides the potential criteria that could result in specifications and guidance establishment for broad volumetric expansive-prone slags.

Global degradation of coral reefs is reflected in the destruction of shelters in various environments and threatens the stability of marine ecosystems. Artificial shelters offer an alternative, but their design is challenging due to limited knowledge regarding the shelter characteristics preferences of desired inhabitants. Investigating these preferences is resource-intensive, particularly regarding small shelters that mimic natural reef condition. Further, fish abundance may be too low for statistical analysis in small shelters. We propose a method to characterize the species-specific shelter preferences using low-volume data. During a study conducted from January 2021 to April 2022, round clay artificial shelters (RAS) were deployed on an abandoned oil pier to examine a coral reef fish community. We recorded 92 species from 30 families; grouped them to systematically (families) and functionally (dietary group) classes. Grouping enabled examining each group’s preference while crossing these group preferences revealed species- specific preferences, that matched field observations. This approach proved effective in profiling the shelter preferences of 17 species while having limited resources. These profiles may latter allow the establishment of ecological-oriented artificial reefs.

Although the Slicing Method (SM) is effective for calculating the volume of point cloud objects (PCOs), it is restricted in terms of applicability and practicability because of a certain contingency and directional defects. The Co-Opposite-Direction Slicing Method (CODSM) proposed in this paper is an improved method for calculating PCO volume by increasing parallel (co-opposite-direction) observation and considering the two-way mean as the result. This method takes full advantage of the mutual offsetting of random errors and the compensation of systematic directional errors, which can effectively overcome (or mitigate) the effect of random errors and reduce the effect of systematic errors in SM. In this paper, two typical objects, a cone model and a stone lion base, are the examples for calculating PCO volume using CODSM. The results show that CODSM has all the inherent advantages of SM and effectively weakens the volatility of random errors and the directionality of systematic errors from SM. Therefore, CODSM is a robust configuration upgrade of SM.

Abstract: Characterization the 3-D structure of clouds is needed for a more complete understanding of the Earth's radiative and latent heat fluxes. Here we develop and explore a “ray casting” algorithm applied to the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) on board the Terra satellite, to reconstruct 3-D cloud volumes for observed clouds. The ray casting algorithm is first applied to geometrically simple synthetic clouds to show that, under the assumption of perfect, clear-conservative cloud masks, the reconstruction method yields overestimation whose magnitude depends on the cloud geometry and the resolution of the reconstruction grid relative to the image pixel resolution. The method is then applied to two select MISR scenes, fully accounting for MISR’s viewing geometry for reconstructions over the Earth’s ellipsoidal surface. The MISR Radiometric Camera-by-camera Cloud Masks at 1.1 km resolution and custom cloud masks at 275 m resolution independently derived from MISR RGB channels are used as input cloud masks. A wind correction method, termed “cloud spreading”, is devised and applied to the cloud masks to offset potential cloud movements over short time intervals (around 7 minutes at maximum) between the cameras. The MISR cloud top height product is used as a constraint to reduce the overestimation at the cloud top. The reconstruction results show that their uncertainty is significant when the wind correction is applied, and that they have more refined structures when the input cloud mask has a higher resolution. Recommendations for improving the presented cloud volume reconstructions as well as for future passive remote sensing satellite missions are discussed.

Keywords: apoptosis; arbutus unedo L; formaldehyde; hippocampus; oxidative stress

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease, and typical pathologic findings include abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau aggregation and neurofibrillary tangles. Insulin resistance and hyperglycemia have been assessed as risk factors for AD development. As the maintenance of optimal blood glucose levels is an important indicator of diabetes mellitus (DM) treatment, diet control is essential. AMPK is a crucial sensor of cellular bioenergetics for controlling anabolic and catabolic metabolism. Diet restriction to achieve euglycemia can increase AMPK activity in the liver and heart. Since AMPK is a direct regulator of tau phosphorylation, we hypothesized that strict diet control to achieve euglycemia affects tau protein phosphorylation through increased AMPK activity in the hippocampus of DM rats. To confirm this hypothesis, we generated insulin-deficient DM rats by subtotal pancreatectomy. Animals were categorized into the restriction (R) group, control (C) group and ad libitum (AL) group according to the diet. We found that tau phosphorylation was significantly increased in the R group compared with the C or AL group. AMPK activity in the R group significantly increased compared to that of the C group or AL group, as expected. Furthermore, the R group showed more critical tau pathology in the hippocampus than the other groups. These results suggest that diet control to achieve euglycemia in insulin-deficient DM conditions is harmful because of the increased possibility of AD development through increased tau phosphorylation by AMPK activation in the hippocampus. We propose that not only hyperglycemia but also euglycemia, which is beneficial in DM patients, must be considered a potential risk factor for AD development, especially when euglycemia is achieved by diet control during insulin deficiency.

Pulmonary aspiration is a serious anaesthetic complication with morbidity and up to 9% of all anaesthesia-related mortality. Aspiration risk is especially focused on fastening time. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of 'risky stomach' defined by ultrasound imagine of solid contents and/or calculated gastric fluid volume >1.25 mL/kg in elective surgery also comparing this definition with the 0-2 qualitative rating scale used for "empty/risky stomach". This prospective study has 97 patients aged 2-18. Ultrasonographic evaluations of the gastric antrum content is scaled with qualitative assessment in supine and right lateral decubitus (RLD) position. Gastric volume was calculated. In our study, stomach content and volume were evaluated by ultrasound in 97% of children and 5.2% had Grade 2 antrum. In RLD position, antral CSA was 2.36 cm², and the median gastric volume was 0.46 mL/kg. In patients with grade 0 antrum has moderate and positive correlation between antral CSA and BMI, and strong and positive correlation between antral CSA and age like grade 1 antrum. We showed that 0.1%-4.7% of elective children had gastric fluid volumes of >1.25 mL/kg as "risky stomach". Ultrasound for gastric contents could be used routine practice to determine pulmonary aspiration risk in emergency and elective procedures.

Concerning the hippocampal mechanisms that simultaneously function to map environmental position and to generate episodic memories, a developing consensus emerged by the early 21st century. The hippocampus was recognized as embodying the primary location of personal narrative development, with the ability to create stable and coherent narrative largely representing the mental health of individuals. Determining recent advances regarding the relationship among the hippocampus, narrative, and mental health, a limited, six-database review was conducted for peer reviewed articles published since 2019. Of the 127 records located, 14 reports were included for study. The results support the necessity of creating and maintaining a stable and coherent narrative as fundamental to human mental health such that facts will be distorted in personal accounts, sleep will be disrupted, and DNA altered to retain one’s personal narratives. With narrative development fundamental to human mental health, a goal of interventions concerning hippocampal function and positive health outcomes is enhancing personal narratives in providing individuals with the ability to construct and recall those that are robust and effective. One such intervention that has proven successful in this regard, the Health Narratives Research Process, is outlined with its most recent results presented, offering opportunity for further such research.

The initial development of seahorse juveniles is characterized by low digestion capabilities. Stable isotope analysis is an effective tool in studies of trophic food webs and animal feeding patterns. The present study provides new insights for the understanding of growth and food assimilation in early developing seahorses following a laboratory diet switch. The study was performed in early life stages of the seahorse Hippocampus reidi by assessing the influence of diet shift on changes and turnovers in carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope in juveniles. Newborn seahorses were fed for 60 days following two feeding schedules (A6 and A11) based initially on copepods Acartia tonsa and subsequently on Artemia nauplii (since days 6 and 11, respectively). After prey shift, we determined δ13C and δ15N turnover rates as functions of change in either body mass (fitting model G) and days of development (fitting model D), contributions of metabolism and growth to those turnover rates, and diet-tissue discrimination factors. Survival, final dry weight and final standard length for diet A11 were higher compared to diet A6. The shift from copepods to Artemia lead to fast initial enrichments in δ13C and δ15N. Afterwards, the enrichment was gradually reduced until reaching the isotopic equilibrium with diet. In most cases, both fitting models performed similarly. The isotopic analysis revealed that 100% of tissue turnover was attributed to growth in diet A11, whereas 19-25% was endorsed to metabolism in diet A6. Diet-tissue discrimination factors were estimated for the first time in seahorse juveniles, resulting in higher estimates for diet A11 (2.9 ± 0.7‰ for δ13C; 2.5 ± 0.2‰ for δ15N) than in diet A6 (1.8 ± 0.1‰ for δ13C; 1.9 ± 0.1‰ for δ15N). This study highlights the relevance of feeding on copepods and their effect on isotopic patterns and discrimination factors in seahorse juveniles after a dietary shift. Regarding the application of the results achieved to feeding schedules in the rearing of H. reidi, a long period of feeding on copepods during the first days of development is highly recommended.

Crop phenotyping data collection is the basis for precision agriculture and smart decisionmaking applications. In this study, a dynamic slicing and reconstruction canopy volume (DR) algorithm is proposed to accurately estimate citrus canopy volume. The algorithm dynamically slices nearby slices based on their proportional area change and density difference, subsequently conducting AS reconstruction and volume calculation for each slice using an iterative mean point spacing as the α-value. Compared with six point cloud-based reconstruction algorithms, the DR approach achieved the best results in removing perforations and lacunae (0.84) and exhibited volumetric consistency (1.53) that closely aligned with the growth pattern of citrus trees. The DR algorithm effectively addresses the challenges of adapting the thickness and number of canopy point cloud slices to the shape and size of the canopy in the ASBS and CHBS algorithms, as well as overcoming inaccuracies and incompleteness in reconstructed canopy models caused by limitations in capturing detailed features using the PCH algorithm. It offers improved adaptive ability, finer volume computations, better noise reduction, and anomaly removal. In conclusion, we recommend selecting appropriate operating environments for each algorithm based on their principles, geometric properties, volumetric values, running time, and linear relationships with one another to guide orchard mechanization and intelligent operation.

Single particle analysis with cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) can determine high resolution structures of macromolecular assemblies. To reconstruct final three-dimension(3D) density map, a reliable initial model is essential and ab-initio reconstruction usually can avoid model bias. The grand challenge for ab-initio reconstruction is to alignment two-dimension(2D) low signal-to-noise ratio(SNR) of particle images with random and unknown parameters. Here we formulate a fast ab initio reconstruction method(named AlignFM) based on Fourier Mellin transform and particle-swarm intelligence optimization(PSO) algorithm. It enables simultaneous 2D alignment and 3D refinement, which can fast generate a reliable 3D map. After experiments on several real datasets. AlignFM shows high performance on fast ab initio reconstruction with a small amount of data.

Terrestrial algae are the group of photosynthetic organisms, which can survive in extreme conditions. pH is one of the most important factor, influencing on distribution of algae, both in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The influence of different pH levels on cell volume and other morphological characters of authentic and reference strains of Chlorella vulgaris, Bracteacoccus minor, Pseudoccomyxa simplex, Chlorococcum infusionum, and Vischeria magna were studied. Chlorella vulgaris and Pseudoccomyxa simplex were the most resistant species, retaining its morphology in range of pH 4-11,5. The change of pH towards acidic and alkaline levels caused the increase of volume of Pseudoccomixa simplex and Vischeria magna cells according to polynomial regression model. Volume of Chlorella vulgaris cells increased from low to high pH according to linear regression model. Changes of pH levels did not have a significant impact on volume of Bracteacoccus minor and Chlorococcum infusionum cells. Low and high levels of pH caused thickening of cell walls of Chlorococcum infusionum and increase of oil containing substances in Vischeria magna and Bracteacoccus minor cells. Our study revealed a high resistance of studied species to extreme level of pH, which allow recommend these strains for broader use in biotechnology and natures protection.

Assuming a geometrically closed universe, we predict a value for the cosmic curvature, , a value within current observational bounds. We also propose a thermodynamic heat engine model for the universe, which bypasses the need for an inflaton field. Our model is based on a Carnot Cycle where we have isothermal expansion, followed by adiabatic expansion, followed by isothermal contraction, followed by adiabatic contraction, bringing us back to our original starting point. For the working substance, we focus specifically on the CMB radiation filling the collective voids in the universe. Using this construct, we identify cosmic inflation as the isothermal expansion phase, which lasts just under, . The collective CMB volume we see today only increases by a factor of 5.65 times during this process, and homogeneity and perturbations in the CMB are explained. The singularity problem is avoided and we have a clear mechanism for the work done by the cosmos in causing expansion, and later contraction. For scaling laws with respect to the density parameters in Friedmann’s equations, we will assume a susceptibility model for space, where, , the smeared cosmic susceptibility, decreases with increasing cosmic scale parameter, . Within this framework, we can predict a maximum Hubble volume with minimum CMB temperature for the voids before contraction begins, as well as a minimum volume with maximum CMB temperature when expansion starts. The thermodynamic heat cycle deviates from efficiency in converting heat energy into mechanical energy (expansion) by a minuscule amount, namely, . The significance of this number is not known.

In this study, a new approach for estimating volume variations of lakes and reservoirs using water levels from satellite altimetry and surface areas from optical imagery is presented. Both input data sets, namely water level time series and surface area time series, are provided by DGFI-TUM‘s Database of Hydrological Time Series of Inland Waters (DAHITI). The approach is divided into three parts. In the first part, a hypsometry model based on the new modified Strahler approach is computed by combining water levels and surface areas. The hypsometry model describes the dependency between water levels and surface areas of lakes and reservoirs. In the second part, a bathymetry between minimum and maximum surface area is computed. For this purpose, DAHITI land-water masks are stacked using water levels derived from the hypsometry model. Finally, water levels and surface areas are intersected with the bathymetry to estimate a time series of volume variations in relation to the minimum observed surface area. The results are validated with volume time series derived from in-situ water levels in combination with bathymetric surveys. In this study, 28 lakes and reservoirs located in Texas are investigated. The absolute volumes of the investigated lakes and reservoirs vary between 0.099 km³ and 6.448 km³. The correlation coefficients of the resulting volume variation time series with validation data vary between 0.80 and 0.99. Overall, the relative errors with respect to volume variations vary between 2.8% and 14.9% with an average of 8.3% for all 28 investigated lakes and reservoirs. When comparing the resulting RMSE with absolute volumes, the absolute errors vary between 1.5% and 6.4% with an average of 3.1%. This study shows that volume variations can be calculated with a high accuracy which depends essentially on the quality of the used water levels and surface areas. In addition, this study provides a hypsometry model, high-resolution bathymetry and water level time series derived from surface areas based on the hypsometry model. All data sets are publicly available on the Database of Hydrological Time Series of Inland Waters (DAHITI, https://dahiti.dgfi.tum.de).

This computational research study analyzes the increase of the specific charge capacity that comes with the reduction of the anisotropic volume expansion during lithium ion insertion within silicon nanowires. This research paper is a continuation from previous work that studied the expansion rate and volume increase. It has been determined that when the lithium ion concentration is decreased by regulating the amount of Li ion flux, the lithium ions to silicon atoms ratio, represented by x, decreases within the amorphous lithiated silicon (a-LixSi) material. This results in a decrease in the volumetric strain of the lithiated silicon nanowire as well as a reduction in Maxwell stress that was calculated and Young’s elastic module that was measured experimentally using nanoindentation. The conclusion as will be seen is that as there is a decrease in lithium ion concentration there is a corresponding decrease in anisotropic volume and a resulting increase in specific charge capacity. In fact the amplification of the electromagnetic field due to the electron flux that created detrimental effects for a fully lithiated silicon nanowire at x = 3.75 which resulted in over a 300% volume expansion becomes beneficial with the decrease in lithium ion flux as x approaches 0.75 which leads to a marginal volume increase of ~25 percent. This could lead to the use of crystalline silicon, c-Si, as an anode material that has been demonstrated in many previous research work to be ten times greater charge capacity than carbon base anode material for lithium ion batteries.

Objective: The aim of the current study was to examine whether and to what extent mood disorders, comprising major depression and bipolar disorder, are accompanied by structural changes in the brain as measured using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Methods: We have performed a VBM study using a 3Т MRI system (GE Discovery 750w) in patients with mood disorders (n=50), namely 39 with major depression and 11 with bipolar disorder, compared to 42 age, sex and education matched healthy controls. Results: Our results show that depression was associated with significant decreases in grey matter (GM) volume restricted to regions located in medial frontal and anterior cingulate cortex on the left side and middle frontal gyrus, medial orbital gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus (triangular and orbital parts), and middle temporal gyrus (extending to the superior temporal gyrus) on the right side. When the patient group was separated into bipolar disorder and major depression the reductions remained significant only for the patients with major depressive disorder. Conclusions: Using VBM the present study was able to replicate decreases in GM volume restricted to frontal and temporal regions in patients with mood disorders mainly major depression, as compared with healthy controls.

Abstract: This computational research study analyzes the increase of the specific charge capacity that comes with the reduction of the anisotropic volume expansion during lithium ion insertion within silicon nanowires. This research paper is a continuation from previous work that studied the expansion rate and volume increase. It has been determined that when the lithium ion concentration is decreased by regulating the amount of Li ion flux, the lithium ions to silicon atoms ratio, represented x, decreases within the amorphous lithiated silicon (a-LixSi) material. This results in a decrease in the volumetric strain of the lithiated silicon nanowire as well as a reduction in Maxwell stress that was calculated and Young’s elastic module that was measured experimentally using nanoindentation. The conclusion as will be seen is that as there is a decrease in lithium ion concentration there is a corresponding decrease in anisotropic volume and a resulting increase in specific charge capacity. In fact the amplification of the electromagnetic field due to the electron flux that created detrimental effects for a fully lithiated silicon nanowire at x=3.75 which resulted in over a 300% volume expansion becomes beneficial with the decrease in lithium ion flux as x approaches 0.75 which leads to a marginal volume increase of ~25 percent. This could lead to the use of crystalline silicon, c-Si, as an anode material that has been demonstrated in many previous research work to be ten times greater charge capacity than carbon base anode material for lithium ion batteries.

The difference of smoker’s topography has been found to be a function of sex, personality, nicotine yield, cigarette type (i.e., flavored versus non-flavored) ethnicity and etc. We evaluated the puffing behaviors of Korean smokers and its association with smoking-related biomarker levels. A sample of 300 participants was randomly recruited from metropolitan areas, South Korea. Topography measures during a 24-hour period were obtained using a CReSS pocket device. Korean male smokers smoked two puffs less per cigarette, compared to female smokers [15.0 (13.0–19.0) vs. 17.5 (15.0–21.0) as median (Interquartile range)], but had a significantly larger puff volume [62.7 (52.7–75.5) mL vs. 53.5 (42.0–64.2) mL); p = 0.012]. The interpuff interval was similar between men and women [8.9 (6.5–11.2) s vs. 8.3 (6.2–11.0) s; p = 0.122] but much shorter than other study results. A dose-response association (p = 0.0011) was observed between daily total puff volumes and urinary cotinine concentrations, after controlling for sex, age, household income level, nicotine addiction level. Understanding of the difference of topography measures, especially, larger puff volume and shorter interpuff interval of Korean smokers may help to overcome potential underestimation of internal dose of hazardous substitutes of smoking or corresponding its health effect.

Based on a constant volume combustion chamber, the initial ambient pressure effect on combustion performance and flame propagation of the active and passive pre-chamber ignition systems were studied. Compared with the passive pre-chamber, the active pre-chamber can significantly expand the lean combustion limit, enhance the ignition and combustion performance, and speed up the combustion of the main combustion chamber. At slightly lean combustion conditions, the heat release performance has a positive correlation with the initial ambient pressure. As the premixed λ increases, the heat release performance and the initial ambient pressure begin to become negatively correlated. Ignition delay can be minimized by controlling the excess air coefficient in the pre-chamber close to the stoichiometric ratio. The high ambient pressure in the constant volume chamber greatly reduces the mixture entrainment ability of the jet flame at lean combustion conditions, thereby reducing the combustion speed and peak heat release rate.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is an intellectual developmental disorder characterized, inter alia, by deficits in short-term processing of neural information such as sensory processing and working memory. The primary cause of FXS is the loss of fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein (FMRP), which is profoundly involved in synaptic function and plasticity. Short-term synaptic plasticity (STSP) may play important roles in functions that are affected by FXS. Recent evidence points to a crucial involvement of presynaptic calcium sensor synaptotagmin-7 in STSP. However, how the loss of FMRP affects STSP and synaptotagmin-7 have been insufficiently studied. Further-more, males and females are affected differently by FXS, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. The aim of the present study is to investigate possible changes in STSP and the expres-sion of synaptotagmin-7 along the hippocampus of adult males and females in the Fmr1 knock-out (KO) rat model of FXS. We found that paired-pulse ratio and frequency facilita-tion/depression, two forms of STSP, as well as the expression of synaptotagmin-7, are normal in adult KO males, but paired-pulse ratio is increased in the ventral hippocampus of KO females. Furthermore, we found no gender-related but robust region-dependent difference in STSP. AM-PA receptors are similarly expressed in the two hippocampal segments of the two genotypes and in both genders. Also, basal excitatory synaptic transmission is higher in males compared with females. Interestingly, we found more than twofold higher levels of synaptotagmin-7, not syn-aptotagmin-1, in the dorsal compared with the ventral hippocampus in males of both genotypes and in wild type females. These results point to the susceptibility of the female ventral hippo-campus to FMRP loss. Importantly, the different levels of synaptotagmin-7 that parallel the higher score of synaptic facilitation in the dorsal vs ventral hippocampus suggest that synapto-tagmin-7 may play a pivotal role in defining the striking difference in STSP along the long axis of the hippocampus.

Producing cherry tomatoes became interesting to know watering volume and growing design on growth, yield, and quality of cherry tomatoes. The research aimed to intend the best treatment for each treatment of watering volume and Growing design on the productivity and quality of cherry tomato cultivar Ruby. The study is an experimental exploration using RCBD factorial. The treatment factors include: Growing Design (greenhouse, Rain shelter, Screen house) and Watering Volume (100% Etc, 75% ETc, 50% ETc). The result showed that root dry weight and root-shoot ratio were found higher in the screen house design, while fruit firmness was higher in the rain shelter design. Considering the effect of watering volume, higher fruit diameter, heavier fruit, fruits per plant, ultimate fruit &amp; biological yield per plant, higher root &amp; shoot biomass, root-shoot ratio, leaf chlorophyll content, greater fruit skin firmness and elasticity was noted in the 100% ETc treatment. In contrast, the growth rate was higher in 50% ETc treatment. Cultivating cherry tomatoes in a greenhouse using a watering volume of 100% ETc under the results is recommended. These conditions have led to better growth, higher fruit yield, and improved fruit quality, making them favorable options for successful cherry tomato production.

1) Background: We analyzed, by PET-SCAN, how growth hormone (GH) could act on the brain of an older woman, not GH-deficient, which was beginning to show some cognitive deficiencies and presented an ApoE genotype 4/3; 2) Methods: After performing a first psychometric study (TAVEC verbal learning test), the metabolic activity of brain structures related to knowledge, memory, and behavior was analyzed using 18-F Fluorodeoxyglucose PET-SCAN. The patient was then treated with GH (0.4 mg/day) for three weeks and on the last day under this treatment, a new PET-SCAN was performed. One month after beginning treatment with GH, a new TAVEC test was performed; 3) Results: GH administration normalized the cognitive deficits observed in the first psychometric test and increased significantly (P < 0.025) the metabolic activity in practically all brain cortical areas, specifically in the left hippocampus and left amygdala, although not in the left parahippocampus; and 4) Conclusions: This is the first study in which the positive effects of GH on cerebral metabolism have been visualized in a human patient. Our data confirm the positive effects of this hormone on cognition, memory and behavior in patients affected by mild cognitive impairments.

Memory decline is considered a normal part of aging, while the relationship between melatonin deficiency and cognitive function is complex and not fully understood. The present study investigated the role of melatonin deficiency functioning as a hormone at different ages on working and short-term recognition and spatial memory in rats. An age-related decline in memory function was tested in the Y-maze, the object recognition test, and the radial arm maze. Aging was associated with reduced expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) throughout the hippocampus, whereas pinealectomy exacerbated this process specifically in the CA3 region of 3- and 14-month-old rats. The region-specific reduced expression of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 and pERK1/2 was observed in young adult rats with pinealectomy. However, in middle-aged rats, the expression of these signaling molecules was either downregulated or upregulated in different hippocampal regions. The reduced ratio of pCREB/CREB in the frontal cortex and hippocampus was associated with memory impairment in young adult and middle-aged melatonin-deficient rats, whereas old rats were unaffected. Our study provides insights into the molecular pathways involved in age-related memory changes associated with melatonin deficiency, highlighting the importance of the BDNF / ERK1/2 / CREB pathway in the hippocampus and suggesting a critical period for intervention.

The fruits and leaves of the black currant (BC, Ribes nigrum) contain phytochemicals with thera-peutic benefits. The current paper reports on a standardized BC gemmotherapy extract (BC-GTE) prepared from fresh buds, and details the extract specific flavonoid content, antioxidant, and an-ti-inflammatory properties, respectively. The main HPLC identified aglyka flavonoids were lute-olin, quercetin, apigenin and kaempferol, while all together, at about 133 phytonutrients could be detected in the reported BC-GTE, so that the BC specific presence of many compounds was re-ported for the first time. We also demonstrated that in adult male Wistar rats pretreated with BC-GTE, and assessed after the LPS injection, the body size modifications of the activated microglial cells in the hippocampal CA1 region were not apparent, and no elevated serum specific TNF-α levels were seen under such LPS induced inflammatory conditions. The specific flavonoid content, and the LPS induced in-flammatory model based experimental data are all suggesting that the assessed BC-GTE seems to feature anti-neuroinflammatory property, holding the promise of a novel GTE based comple-mentary therapeutic approach.

In this work we introduce an end-to-end multi-modal neural network to segment the Gross Tumor Volume (GTV) from 3D-CBCT’s during radiotherapy. We improve the tumor segmentation by using a U-net which takes additional information such as the tumor mask generated at the planning phase along with the CBCT volume. The mask contains relevant information about the tumor’s location and can guide the model to use this knowledge appropriately to give a better prediction. This technique could become an alternative to produce segmentation masks of GTV in CBCT automatically during radiotherapy as in the traditional RT-pipeline, they are not segmented. We have evaluated our model on a dataset of 82 patients who have undergone radiotherapy. We compare the results of registered target volumes from planning CT as mask seed with 2 different types of multi-modal architectures. Our model shows a DSC of 0.706±0.002 with Late Fusion and 0.702±0.015 with Early Fusion using the GTV Mask. The performance of the two models on this mask is similar, so we perform further experiments with different types of masks which suggest that Late Fusion model produces a better segmentation of the tumor than the Early Fusion model. We also provide an ablation study consisting of a single modality U-net and a metric based on the Planning CT mask registration. It indicates a clear advantage of using our model to produce segmentation for this type of imaging.

Despite extensively investigating the impact of social media on fashion products’ marketing, little evidence is available on how the platforms influence sales prediction. Focusing on Lolita fashion, this study investigates the impact of social media marketing on the sales volume prediction of fashion products. Essentially, we analyzed marketing data, including comments, likes, and shares from the Weibo social platform, to forecast future sales, examine how to enhance profit performance, and make production decisions. Using a quantitative approach, we tested three different prediction models, including multiple regression, decision tree, and XGBoost. The results revealed that increasing comments and decreasing the number of likes could significantly improve the sales volumes of Lolita products. In contrast, shares exerted a less significant impact on sales. Regarding prediction models, XGBoost was found to be the best method. In the fashion industry, social media is a useful tool for forecasting market trend. A limitation of this study is that only one social media platform was used to extract data, which might limit the generalization of the findings.

Dental pulp chamber volume is a fundamental measurement in the field of endodontics, but also in forensic sciences, teaching and training, or tissue engineering. This study evaluates the precision of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in comparison with computed micro-tomography (micro-CT) in evaluating pulp chamber volume of upper central incisors ex vivo. The intra-operator and inter-operator error were evaluated, and the results for the two techniques were compared with a T-test for paired samples. Intra-operator and inter-operator errors were >0.05, indicating an adequate reproducibility in each operator and no significant differences between their meas-urements. On the other hand, no significant differences between the two measurement techniques. The present results demonstrate that CBCT is a precise, feasible and reproducible technique for evaluation of dental pulp chamber volume ex vivo. Results provided with this method are suitable for different medical branches but also for teaching and training of undergraduate and post-graduate students. Furthermore, the findings of this study carry significant clinical implications, as accurate assessment of pulp chamber volume is critical in the diagnosis and treatment of various endodontic conditions. The ability of CBCT to provide reliable 3D dental anatomy measurements can enhance the planning of endodontic treatments by allowing for a better understanding of internal tooth morphology. Additionally, the precision and reproducibility of CBCT in assessing pulp chamber volume can contribute to improved clinical outcomes and reduced complications during endodontic procedures. These findings further support the increasingly vital role of CBCT in modern clinical practice and underscore its value as an indispensable tool in the field of dentistry.

The akimotoite--majorite--bridgmanite (Ak--Mj--Bm) triple point in MgSiO3 has been measured in large-volume press (LVP; COMPRES 8/3 assembly) and laser-heated diamond anvil cell (LHDAC). For the LVP data, we calculated pressures from the calibration by Leinenweber (2012). For the LHDAC data, we conducted \textit{in situ} determination of pressure at high temperature using the Pt scale by Dorogokupets and Dewaele (2007) at synchrotron. The measured temperatures of the triple point are in good agreement between LVP and LHDAC at 1990-2000 K. However, the pressure for the triple point determined from the LVP is 3.9+/-0.6~GPa lower than that from the LHDAC dataset. The triple point determined through these experiments will provide an important reference point in the pressure-temperature space for future high-pressure experiments and allow mineral physicists to compare the pressure--temperature conditions measured in these two different experimental methods.

Background: Evaluating muscle mass and function among stroke patients is important. However, evaluating muscle volume and function is not easy due to the disturbance of consciousness and paresis. Temporal muscle thickness (TMT) has been introduced as a novel surrogate marker for muscle mass, function, and nutritional status. We herein performed a narrative literature review on temporal muscle and stroke to understand the current meaning of the TMT in the clinical stroke practice. Methods: The search was performed in PubMed, last updated in October 2021. Report on temporal muscle morphomics and stroke-related diseases or clinical entities were collected. Results: Four studies reported on TMT and subarachnoid hemorrhage, 2 intracerebral hemorrhage, 2 ischemic stroke, 2 standard TMT values, and 2 nutritional status. TMT was reported as a prognostic factor for several diseases, surrogate markers for skeletal muscle mass, and an indicator of nutritional status. Computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasonography were used to measure TMT. Conclusions: TMT is gradually used as a prognostic factor of stroke or surrogate marker for skeletal muscle mass and nutritional status. Establishing standard methods to measure TMT and large prospective studies to investigate the further relationship between TMT and diseases are needed.

The purpose of the present study was to compare heart rate (HR), blood lactate and training load between different CrossFit® workouts, with equalized total volume in men and women. The study included 23 individuals (13 men and 10 women) experienced in CrossFit® training, who performed two workouts with different training types (as many reps as possible - AMRAP and for time) but equalized volume. Measurements of lactate, HR and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were performed. The results showed that there was no HR interaction between workout time and sex (p = 0.822; η2 = 0.006] and between workout type and sex (p = 0.064, η2 = 0.803). HR significantly differed during each workout type (p <0.001, η2 = 0.621), but not between the two workout types (p = 0.552, η2 = 0.017). Lactate showed no difference between the workout types (p = 0.474, η2 = 0.768), although the training load was higher (p = 0.033, η2 = 0.199) in women when they performed AMRAP. Altogether, HR was not significantly different between training types or sex, while RPE, lactate and training load showed small differences depending on the group (women or men) or workout type (AMRAP or 'for time').

This study aims to investigate the hydration and strength characteristics of green cementitious mortars with ultrahigh-volume limestone-calcined clay as well as two kinds of Class F fly ash. Using the ASTM C311 strength activity index test method, the effect of different pozzolan replacement levels of cement (0%, 20%, 50%, and 80%, by weight) were investigated. Compressive strength at 3, 7, 14, 28 and 90 days under standard curing was recorded, and hydration heat of the 20% and 80% replacement mixes was studied using iso-thermal calorimetry. It was observed that the effectiveness of the pozzolan in mortars depends on particle size distribution, glassy or amorphous nature, surface area and replacement level. The sum of all these effects can be captured by the strength activity test only if the standard recommended 20% pozzolan mix is substituted with the actual mix composition. The results in this study provide insights into the mix design and applications of ultrahigh-volume pozzolanic cementitious materials specifically made with limestone-calcined clay, and promote greener cement and concrete in construction industry.

This article aims to carry out experiments on water absorption by husked red rice, at constant temperatures of 28, 40 and 50 °C. The description of the absorption kinetics, as well as the analyses of water distribution and volumetric expansion of each grain, at a given instant, was done using a diffusion model. In order for the model to be as close as possible to the real physical situation, the mesh necessary to numerically solve the diffusion equation was generated from the photograph of a grain. Thus, the diffusion equation was written in Boundary-Fitted Coordinates (BFC). The solution of the diffusion equation written in generalized coordinates was then discretized in space and time, using the Finite Volume method, with a fully implicit formulation, considering variable volume and also variable mass diffusivity as a function of local moisture content. Optimizations based on Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm make it possible to determine the parameters of an exponential function relating mass diffusivity and the local moisture content for each temperature. Statistical indicators (chi-square, determination coefficient and Student’s t-test) allowed concluding that the model proposed was very satisfactory for all temperatures, making it possible to simulate water absorption, water distribution and volumetric expansion of the grain over time.

In the field of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for rotorcraft, two significant challenges are resolving the complex vortex structures in rotor wakes, and representing the moving rotor blades in the ambient airflow. This study addresses the first challenge by using a third-order unstructured finite volume solver, which, compared to its second-order counterpart, has substantially lower dissipation. Consequently, even relatively coarse meshes are capable of resolving small vortices. With this background flow field solver, the second challenge is addressed by modeling each rotor as an Actuator Disk Model (ADM), or describing individual rotor blades as actuator lines, designated as the Actuator Line Model (ALM). Both of these models are equipped with an improved correction for aerodynamic losses at blade tips, which is thoroughly presented in the methodology section. The numerical experiments section centers on analyzing errors linked to various sampling approaches. Additionally, the article discusses comparisons between vortex theory and ALM, specifically regarding calculations for fixed-wing aircraft. Furthermore, high-order precision and parallel efficiency are exemplified in scenarios encompassing rotors engaged in both hovering and forward flight rotors. The results in this paper demonstrate that the combination of the ALM/ADM with the improved tip loss correction and the third-order finite volume solver presents a new way of developing efficient tools for the aerodynamic analysis of helicopter rotors.

Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between the type of conization, the volume and dimensions of the cone, with the persistence/recurrence of CIN 2-3, presence of affected margins and post-cone HR-HPV positivity. Methods: 227 women treated with LLETZ and histologically confirmed CIN2-3 were evaluated between 1996 and 2006 and followed up until June 2016. Age, type of resection according to IFCPC 2011, volume, cone dimensions, margins were studied. of resection, post-cone high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) status and viral load. Determinants of HR-HPV positivity were estimated using unconditional logistic regression and time to recurrence was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves. Results: Persistent/recurrent CIN2-3 was found in 12 cases (5.2%), type 1 conization was performed in 81 patients, with 5 recurrences (6.1%), type 2 in 101 patients, with 6 recurrences (5 .9%) and type 3 resection in 45 women, with 1 recurrence (2.2%). Volume and dimensions were not associated with recurrence. The Log-Rank Test did not show a significant difference between the 3 treatments (p= 0.18). The free margins in type 1 were 37%, in type 2 resection 61% and in type 3 71% (p=0.001). Resection type 1 had 15% HR-HPV post positive cone, type 2 reached 16% and type 3 had 9%, this difference being non-significant (p=0.58). The incidence of recurrence at 36 months in type 1 resection was 0.08%, in type 2 treatment it was 0.04% and in type 3 resection it was 0.0%. Conclusions : Type 3 resection had a higher proportion of free margins and lower post-cone HR-HPV positivity, with a lower incidence of persistence/recurrence.

The development of technology that combines supercapacitors and lithium-ion batteries by externally connecting them in parallel is ongoing. This study examines the correlation between the volume ratio and electrical characteristics of a cell made by internally connecting a battery capacitor with Li4Ti5O12 as the anode active material and a supercapacitor in parallel. It was found that increasing the volume occupied by the battery capacitor in the cell led to increased cell energy and resistance, resulting in decreased output characteristics. Conversely, increasing the volume occupied by the supercapacitor in the cell led to a decrease in the IR drop during discharge and cell temperature when evaluating cycle characteristics with a current of 20C. The study also examined the behavior of the current distributed during the charging and discharging process based on the volume ratio of the supercapacitor and the battery capacitor. Analyzing the correlation between the volume ratio and electrical characteristics of supercapacitors and battery capacitors could potentially lead to the development of a new type of energy storage device.

This paper develops a chemical model for a closed constant volume combustion of gaseous mixtures of methane and hydrogen. Since the combustion is strongly depending on temperature, pressure and fuel composition, they were chosen the actual corresponding thermodynamic systems using this kind of combustion, respectively the spark ignition reciprocating engines in order to evaluate the combustion parameters and exhaust flue gases composition. The actual cycles impose extra restrictive operational conditions through the engine volumetric compression ratio, the geometry of combustion volume, the mode to prepare the mixture of methane and hydrogen, the cooling system and the delivered power. The chemical model avoided the unknown influences in order to explain accurately the influence of hydrogen upon the constant volume combustion and flue gases composition. The model adopted simplifying hypotheses, respectively isentropic compression and expansion processes, closed constant volume combustion developed by two successive steps obeying to the energy and mass conservation laws and, flue gases exhaust described also by two steps, i.e. an isentropic expansion through the flow section of exhaust valves followed by a constant pressure stagnation (this succession is corresponding in fact to a throttling direct process). The chemical model supposed the homogeneous mixtures of gases with variable heat capacities function of temperatures, the Mendeleev - Clapeyron ideal gas state equation and, the variable chemical equilibrium constants for chosen chemical reactions. It was assumed that the flue gases chemistry is prevailing during the isentropic expansion and flue gases exhaust and has mainly a thermal ground. The chemical model allowed evaluation of flue gasses composition and of noxious emissions.

BACKGROUND: It has been shown that obesity and higher body mass index (BMI) are associated with higher recurrence rate of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful catheter ablation (CA). The same has been proven for left atrial volume index (LAVI). It has also been shown that there is a correlation between LAVI and BMI. However, whether LAVI prognostic impact on AF recurrence is BMI independent, remains unclear. METHODS: We prospectively included 62 patients with paroxysmal AF who were referred to our institution for CA. All patients underwent radiofrequency CA with standard pulmonary veins isolation. Transthoracic 2-D echocardiography was performed one day after CA to obtain standard measures of cardiac function and morphology. Recurrence was defined as documented AF within 6 months of follow-up period. Patients were also instructed to visit outpatient clinic earlier in case of symptoms suggesting AF recurrence. RESULTS: We observed AF recurrence in 27% of patients after 6 months. The mean BMI in our cohort was 29.65 ± 5.08 kg/cm2 and the mean LAVI was 38.04 ±11.38 ml/m2. We further divided patients into 2 groups according to BMI. Even though LAVI was similar in both groups, we found it to be significant predictor of AF recurrence only in obese patients (BMI ≥ 30), but not in the non-obese group (BMI < 30). There was also no significant difference in AF recurrence between both cohorts. The significance of LAVI as AF recurrence predictor in obesity group was also confirmed in multivariate model. CONCLUSION: According to our results LAVI tends to be significant predictor of AF recurrence after successful catheter ablation in obese patients, but not in normal-weight and overweight patients. This would suggest different mechanisms of AF in non-obese patients in comparison to the obese. Further studies are needed in this regard.

Quantum amplitude estimation is a numerical integration technique and a candidate for the first operationally used quantum algorithm providing a quantum advantage in the NISQ era. Its main metric is the generated Fisher information per second, as it describes the accuracy of the numerical integration. The development of this metric can be coupled to the quantum volume of the used quantum processor with a phenomenological noise model. Since the increase of the quantum volume seems to follow an exponential pattern, insight in the integration power of quantum amplitude estimation for the upcoming years can be obtained. This shows that quantum amplitude estimation as a numerical integration technique will not provide an advantage for functions without significant improvements to the connectivity, reliability and speed of quantum processors. Beyond that, this method may be used the estimate the development of many more NISQ era algorithms.

Inorganic nanoparticles are utilized for therapeutic, diagnostic, or in combination, theranostic purposes. The latter involves simultaneous sensing, imaging, or tracking of drug delivery. Furthermore, these nanoparticles can differ in their morphologies, which affect outcomes such as the effectiveness of hyperthermia, induction, drug loading, circulation time by escaping the body's immune system, imaging modality clarity, and biosensing. However, design of these theranostics is limited by the lack of a method to predict their therapeutic efficacy. Herein, we report a simple and novel computational approach via algebraic and geometric calculations of surface area (SA) to volume (V) ratios (SA:V) which can help predict the efficacy of the inorganic nanoparticles of the investigated morphologies. The approach comprises a coding platform for the program and uses Python 3 on a Windows 10 operating system. Analyses of 29 polyhedral morphologies that inorganic nanoparticles could assume ex silico showed that only particular concave and convex morphologies in this size regime are more productive over the standard sizes as well as a few noted in literature for baseline comparison. Our results provide a method that can aid in predicting the efficacy of inorganic nanoparticles with certain morphology giving rise to their fundamental basis and eventual implementation ex silico.

Tarsal tunnel syndrome is a focal compressive neuropathy of the posterior tibial nerve or one of its associated branches. Brief mention is made in the literature of the use of corticosteroid injections for this condition. The basic technique of hydrodissection is used for other nerve entrapments and includes identifying the region of nerve compression, and the injection of a fluid medium to dissect between structures or fascial planes. We introduce our treatment protocol using a methylprednisolone/sterile water/ropivacaine hydrochloride injectate mix and peripheral nerve stimulation to a perform hydrodissection technique for tarsal tunnel syndrome.

In this study, a parameter of volume stability was proposed for the first time to design polymorph zirconia ceramics used for special components. A series of heterogeneous polymorph zirconia ceramics with various amounts of monoclinic (M) phase were fabricated by two-step sintering. Samples with about 27%, 31%, and 51% M phase content were selected to study the properties. The thermal shock durability was found to be associated with thermal expansion behavior and noncritical micro cracks, which both based on M phase initial content. In good agreement with experimental results, the correlation of normalized K versus M phase initial content was established. It could provide a repeatable reference to prepare special zirconia components without loss of density.

Background and objectives: due to the neurotoxic effect caused by high levels of cortisol, studies suggest that stress and certain psychiatric disorders, such as mood disorders, have influences under the hippocampus, causing a decrease in volume and consequent memory changes. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between hippocampal volume in patients with mood disorders under therapy. Materials and Methods: the PRISMA protocol for systematic reviews was followed. Pubmed, Cochraine and Scielo databases were searched by terms “Hippocampus”, “Mood Disorders” and “MRI”, and variants in other languages, in human, from January 2011 to September 2016. The individual quality of the articles was analyzed using the Cochraine modified scale for clinical trials and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality scale for observational studies. Results: all studies showed reduction of hippocampal volume in depressive patients. Change in hippocampal volume is not related to the use of antidepressant. Particularly the sub-region of the subculum is more reduced, without lateralizations. Significant relationship between stress and right hippocampal reduction. The findings seem to point out: a common pathway of hippocampus reduction, mediated by stress, explaining memory deficits due to depression, where the cortisol pathway seems to act; alteration in the prefrontal cortex; reduction in the subiculum related to inhibition of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, corroborating the hypothesis of cortisol. Conclusions: the papers suggest: association between global hippocampal atrophy with mood disorders; reduction of hippocampal subiculum; refractoriness to clinical treatment among patients with lower hippocampal volume.

Current stock market forecasting methods encompass fundamental, technical, emotional, and bargaining factors. Predominantly, price prediction hinges on order volume and price, although correlating these two within existing models proves challenging. This study employs Cycle Generative Adversarial Network (Cycle GAN) to unravel the intricate price-volume relationship, combining it with Bollinger Bands for trading signal analysis, overcoming hurdles in short-term forecasting prevalent in numerical analysis and AI. Focusing on TSMC (2330.TW) stock price, the research leverages Cycle GAN in deep learning to master the price-volume nexus, juxtaposed with LSTM and RNN. Historical TSMC closing prices and transaction counts are model inputs, scrutinizing their interconnectedness for predictions. This innovative approach aligns stock price, volume, market value, taxes, and prior changes via system engineering. By intertwining Bollinger Bands with stock price forecasts, trading signals are distilled, factoring in extended index %b for a comprehensive market picture.

Seizure-mediated oxidative stress is a crucial mechanism in the pathophysiology of epilepsy. This study evaluated the antioxidant effects of daytime-restricted feeding (DRF) and the role of the Nrf2 signaling pathway in a lithium-pilocarpine model seizure model that induces status epilepticus (SE). We performed a lipoperoxidation assay and dihydroethidium fluorescence to measure oxidative stress markers in the hippocampus (malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species). The protein content of Nrf2 and its downstream protein SOD2 was evaluated by Western blot. Cellular distribution of the Nrf2 and SOD2 proteins in the pyramidal cell layer of both CA1 and CA3 hippocampal subfields and astrocytes (GFAP marker) were quantified by immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry respectively. Our results indicate that DRF reduced malondialdehyde levels and the production of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, a significant increase in Nrf2 and SOD2 protein content was observed in animals subjected to restrictive diet. In addition, DRF increased the relative intensity of the Nfr2 fluorescence in the perinuclear and nuclear compartments of pyramidal neurons in the CA1 subfield. Nfr2 immunoreactivity and the astrocyte marker GFAP also increased their colocalization in DRF conditions. Also, SOD 2 immunoreactivity was increased in CA1 pyramidal neurons but not in CA3 region. Our findings suggest that DRF partially prevents oxidative stress by increasing the Nrf2 transcriptional factor and the SOD2 enzyme during the development of SE.

The functional and neurophysiological distinction between dorsal and ventral hippocampus affects also GABAergic inhibition. In line with his notion, ventral CA1 pyramidal cells displayed a more dynamic and effective response to inhibitory input compared to their dorsal counterparts. We posit that this difference is effected by the dorsal-ventral gradient of activin A, a member of the transforming growth factor-β family, which is increasingly recognized for its modulatory role in brain regions involved in cognitive functions and affective behavior. Lending credence to this hypothesis, we found that in slices from transgenic mice expressing a dominant-negative mutant of activin receptor IB (dnActRIB), inhibitory transmission was enhanced only in CA1 neurons of dorsal hippocampus, where basal activin A level is much higher than in ventral hippocampus. We next asked how a rise in endogenous activin A would affect GABAergic inhibition along the longitudinal axis of the hippocampus. We performed ex vivo recordings from wild type and dnActRIB mice after overnight exposure to an enriched environment (EE), which engenders a robust increase in activing A levels in both dorsal and ventral hippocampi. Compared to control mice from standard cages, the behaviorally induced surge in activin A produced a decline in ventral inhibition, an effect that was absent in slices from dnActRIB mice. Underscoring the essential role of activin in the EE-associated modulation of ventral inhibition, this effect was mimicked by acute application of recombinant activin A in control slices. In summary, both genetic and behavioral manipulations of activin receptor signaling affected the dorsal-ventral difference in synaptic inhibition, suggesting that activin A regulates the strength of GABAergic inhibition in a region-specific fashion.

A novel compressible real gas 1D finite volume thermofluid network modelling methodology is proposed that can be applied in the analysis of supercritical CO₂ (sCO2) power cycles. It is applied to simulate centrifugal compressor performance via a mean line approach that directly solves the mass, energy, and momentum balance equations for the discretized flow channels within the machine along with the associated loss models, component characteristics, and applicable compressible real gas equation of state. This can be integrated seamlessly with the rest of the power cycle components like pipes, valves, heat exchangers, etc., thereby eliminating the need for static performance maps and the associated difficulties to ensure similarity over the whole range of operation. This direct simulation of the internal flows also makes it possible to do integrated cycle design optimization that includes the geometry of the compressors, and to simulate fast transients for dynamic analysis. The methodology was applied to simulate well-documented air and sCO2 centrifugal compressors and compared the generated results with that of conventional thermofluid network incompressible and compressible ideal gas approaches. The results indicate that the proposed compressible real gas approach can capture the stagnation pressure changes and isentropic efficiencies with good accuracy for both cases over the whole range of mass flow rates and shaft rotational speeds. In contrast, the conventional thermofluid network incompressible and compressible ideal gas approaches are only applicable in selected regions of the fluid property regime and suffer from discretization errors and inappropriate treatment of the relationship between stagnation and static pressures. Furthermore, comparative analyses between the newly proposed approach and the traditional mechanical energy balance method are performed, showing that the latter approach needs to be discretized more finely through the compression process to correctly capture the polytropic compression path shape, whereas the former more accurately captures the stagnation pressure changes through the analyzed compressors with only a single increment per compressor component.

Abstract:This study aimed to explore the effects of supplementary feeding on milk yield, blood biochemical indexes, milk components, and fecal microflora diversity of Yili horses under grazing condition.18 grazing Yili mare horses with physiological condition consistent were randomly assigned to three groups with six mare horses each. The control group normal grazing, whereas the test group I and II were provided with supplemented with 1 kg/d of concentrate and 1 kg/d of concentrate + 0.4 kg/d coated fatty acids, respectively. After 3 days of pre-feeding, begin the experiment.Horse milk was collected every 7 days, and 10% of the milk yield of each horse was mixed in 100 mL milk sample bottles and stored in -20℃ refrigerator.Which blood samples were collected from the jugular vein before morning feeding (0 h) and at 1,2,3,4,6,9 and 12 h after morning feeding on day 40, and the plasma were centrifuged at 4000 rpm for 15 min and conservation at-20℃. Excrement was collected within 8 h on days 45 and 46 of the test, mixed with 5g of fresh fecal samples in a 5 mL frozen storage tubes and stored in liquid nitrogen. Compared with the control group, the lactation volume of Yili horses in test groups I and II was significantly higher throughout the trial period (P <0.05), and the late test group II was significantly higher than test group I (P <0.05). The yield of milk fat, lactose, and milk protein in test group II was significantly higher than that in test group I and control group (P <0.05); the urea nitrogen content in test group I was significantly lower than the control group (P <0.01). The lauric acid, tetradecanoic acid, cis-11,14,17-eicosotrienic acid, total saturated fatty acid, and total saturated fatty acid/total unsaturated fatty acid in test group II were significantly higher than those in the control group and test group I (P <0.05); The plasma glucose concentration of mares in test group II was significantly higher than that of control group and test group I at 1, 2 and 9 h after feeding (P <0.05), and significantly higher at 4 h after feeding (P <0.05); At 3 h and 6 h after feeding, test group II mares had significantly higher plasma free fatty acids and triglycerides concentrations than the control and test group I (P <0.05), at 4 h after feeding, the plasma triglyceride concentrations were significantly higher than the control and test I groups (P <0.05). Plasma low density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein concentrations were significantly higher in mares at 3 h and 9 h after feeding than in control and group I (P <0.05). The total number of OTUs was 3483, and the number of OTUs was 4984,5487, and 5158 in the control and test I and II, respectively. At the phylum level, the total abundance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes was more than 75%, and the test group Verrucomicrobia was significantly higher than the control group (P <0.05), and the test group II was significantly higher than the test group I (P <0.05). The Treponema_saccharophilum was significant difference in the feces of the control group (P <0.05); WCHB 1_41, kiritimatiellae, and Verrucomicrobia were significant difference of the test group II (P <0.05) and the fecal flora was mainly related to lipid synthesis, metabolism, and energy metabolism (P <0.05). Supplemental feeding can improve lactation volume of grazing Yili horses, improve the absorption and utilization of fatty acids, and improve the composition and diversity of horse milk and fecal flora to a certain extent.

Conducting an accurate hydrological water balance at the regional and country-wide scales is paramount to assessing available water resources and adequately allocating them. One of the main components of these balances is the anthropogenic recharge of groundwater either intentionally, through managed aquifer recharge (MAR), or unintentionally, where infiltration from dams and dykes can play a significant role. In Spain, proper management of water resources is critical due to the arid to semiarid conditions prevalent in most of the territory and the relevance of water resources for maintaining a robust agricultural sector. Spanish Previous work has estimated country-wide recharge from MAR at 150-280 Mm3/year. Recently, water authorities have pointed out that, according to hydrological water balances, the total volume from "unintentional recharge" from water courses may exceed 500 Mm3/year. The present research aims to present a new inventory of transverse structures in Spain and use it to estimate country-wide unintentional recharge. The inventory, compiled by the Spanish Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, has more than 26,000 structures and includes construction characteristics, which allow for estimating the wet perimeter and the infiltration area. Structural data from the inventory was crossed through map algebra with thematic layers, such as lithology, permeability, the digital elevation model, the average groundwater levels, etc., in a GIS environment to arrive at the objective. Different analytical formulas to compute infiltration from small dams and dykes were also employed. The resulting volume of unintentional recharge from transverse structures in Spain is about 800 Mm3/year. This quantity can help close the hydrological balance at the national and river basin levels. Furthermore, this figure provides an order of magnitude for anthropogenic recharge at a national scale, which is difficult to obtain.

Wireline Formation Testing is an important technique in the oil field of exploration and development. Not only it can make real fluid samples of the formation directly obtained to know exactly oil existed in formation or not; but it can also show flowing pressure change to see the production capacity of the formation. So it is important measurement for formation evaluation during the drilling process and supports for activities of the exploration and development in the oil field. A numerical simulation model in this article is researched and established based on the Finite Volume Method with considering the influence of sensitive parameters such as reservoir heterogeneity, probe suction area, and mud-filtrate invasion depth during the drilling. The model is capable to design and evaluate for formation fluid sampling operations with calculating hydrocarbon content and flowing pressure. Furthermore, through case application, the performance and effect in the process of Wireline Formation Testing was demonstrated. The results indicate that this technology can be served as an effective auxiliary tool for fluid sampling operations with the function of optimizing fluid sampling measures. It can improve the accuracy of predicting indicators such as hydrocarbon content and breakthrough time during the sampling process. This study provides important backups and technical guidance for professionals in geological exploration and oilfield development.

Background: Parathyroid imaging techniques are used in patients with biochemically confirmed primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) to detect the localization of enlarged parathyroid gland(s) (PTG) and thereby to allow more focused, unilateral or minimally invasive parathyreoidectomy (PTX), instead of classical bilateral neck exploration (BNE). Although the preferred sequence of imaging continues to evolve, ultrasonography (US) is usually the first line modality, followed by 99mTc sestamibi parathyroid scan (SPS). However, both tests may have suboptimal localizing accuracy with considerable rate of non-localized cases. Therefore, more accurate four-dimensional computed tomography scan (4D-CT) has been employed for PTG imaging. Currently, there is a paucity of data evaluating the utility of 4D-CT in low case-load settings. Aim: To evaluate the impact of PTG imaging, using 4D-CT in conjunction with it’s intraoperatively displayed results, on the outcomes of surgical PTX. Our primary outcome was sensitivity of 4D-CT in comparison to US and SPS for preoperative PTG adenoma localization. The secondary outcomes were the need for redo surgery and morbidity. Additionally, the characteristics of surgical PTX, i.e. operative time, number of removed parathyroid glands, and rate of simultaneous thyroid surgery, were assessed. Methods: A single-center retrospective analysis of surgically treated patients with pHPT from 01/2010 to 01/2021 was conducted. Evaluation of impact of the preoperative imaging modalities on the results of surgical treatment was carried out. Results: During the study period 290 PTX were performed, 45 cases were excluded due to surgery for secondary, tertiary or recurrent HPT, or due to use of alternative imaging techniques; the remaining 245 patients were included in the study. US was carried out for PTG imaging in 236 (96.3%), SPS in 93 (38.0%), and 4D-CT in 52 patients (21.2%). The use of 4D-CT was associated with a significantly higher rate of successful localization of enlarged PTG (49 cases, 94.2%) compared to US and SPS (74 cases, 31.4%, and 54 cases, 58.1%, respectively). We distinguished between three groups of patients based on preoperative imaging: 1) PTG lateralization via US or SPS in 106 (43.3%) cases, 2) precise localization of PTG via 4D-CT in 49 (20.0%) patients, and 3) in 90 cases (36.7%) PTG imaging failed to localize enlarged gland. The group of 4D-CT localization had significantly shorter operative time, lower rate of simultaneous thyroid resections, as well as lower rate of removal of ≥2 PTG, compared to the other groups. The 4D-CT imaging was also associated with the lowest perioperative morbidity and with the lowest median PTH in one month follow-up; however, compared to the other groups, these differences were statistically not significant. Implementation of 4D-CT (since 01/2018) decreased the need for redo surgery (from 11.5% to 7.3%), and significantly increased the annual case load of PTX at our institution (from 15.3 to 41.0), compared to the period before 4D-CT diagnostics. Conclusions: 4D-CT imaging enabled to precisely locate almost 95% of enlarged PTG in patients with pHPT. Accurate localization and intraoperatively displayed imaging results are useful guides for surgeons in making PTX a faster and safer procedure in a low volume center.

Residual stress (RS) is the most challenging problem in metal additive manufacturing (AM) since the build-up of high tensile RS may influence the fatigue life, corrosion resistance, crack initiation, and failure of the additively manufactured components. While tensile RS is inherent in all the AM processes, fast and accurate prediction of stress state within the part is extremely valuable and would result in optimization of the process parameters in achieving a desired RS and control of the build process. This paper proposes a physics-based analytical model to rapidly and accurately predict the RS within the additively manufactured part. In this model, a transient moving point heat source (HS) is utilized to determine the temperature field. Due to the high temperature gradient within the proximity of the melt pool area, material experience high thermal stress. Thermal stress is calculated by combining three sources of stresses known as stresses due to the body forces, normal tension, and hydrostatic stress in a homogeneous semi-infinite medium. The thermal stress determines the RS state within the part. Consequently, by taking the thermal stress history as an input, both the in-plane and out of plane RS distributions are found from incremental plasticity and kinematic hardening behavior of the metal by considering volume conservation in plastic deformation in coupling with the equilibrium and compatibility conditions. In this modeling, material properties are temperature-sensitive since the steep temperature gradient varies the properties significantly. Moreover, the energy needed for the solid-state phase transition is reflected by modifying the specific heat employing the latent heat of fusion. Furthermore, the multi-layer and multi-scan aspects of metal AM are considered by including the temperature history from previous layers and scans. Results from the analytical RS model presented excellent agreement with XRD measurements employed to determine the RS in the Ti-6Al-4V specimens.

Background: Video assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has become the recommended approach for treatment of resectable lung cancer. However, no large randomized clinical trial has been conducted formally comparing surgical resections completed by VATS to those done by open thoracotomy (OT) in low volume centers. The current study sought to assess differences in recurrence-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), positive margins and postoperative length of stay (LOS) between VATS and OT lobectomies in our center. Method: A single institution retrospective chart review from May 2005 through May 2015 was conducted. All patients diagnosed with stage I through III lung cancer who underwent surgical resection were selected. Patient and tumor characteristics recorded included age at diagnosis, sex, tobacco use, tumor location (side and lobe), stage, size and receipt of chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Chis-square and Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests were used to compare demographics, tumor characteristics and LOS. Multiple logistic and Cox regression analyses were used to compute relative risk (RR) for positive margins and mortality hazard ratios along with 95 percent confidence intervals (95%CI), respectively. Results: Of the 235 patients, 101 subjects had VATS while OT was performed in 134 patients. Age at diagnosis, sex, tobacco use, tumor location, and size were comparable for VATS and OT. No significant difference was observed in the relative risk of positive margins for VATS versus OT, RR = 0.56 (95%CI = 0.26, 1.05). However, VATS had shorter median LOS compared to OT (4 vs. 6 days, respectively), p = 0.002. A comparison of VATS versus OT showed no significant difference in the risk of recurrence, HR = 1.21 (95%CI = 0.74, 2.00), or death, HR = 1.34 (95%CI = 0.88, 2.06), in the intent-to-treat population. Similarly, no significant differences in recurrence or mortality risk were observed between VATS versus OT for analyses conducted separately for each cancer stage group or those limited to patients with negative margins. Conclusion: Our study indicates that compared to OT, VATS leads to shorter LOS while achieving comparable margins status, recurrence-free and overall survival regardless of tumor stage at diagnosis.

With increasing interest in the use of additive manufacturing techniques in the construction industry, static rheological properties of fresh concrete have necessarily come into focus. In particular, the knowledge and control of static yield stress (SYS) and its development over time are crucial for mastering formwork-free construction, e.g. by means of layered extrusion. Furthermore, solid understanding of the influences of various concrete constituents on the initial SYS of the mixture and the structural build-up rate is required for purposeful material design. This contribution is concentrated on the effect of aggregates on these rheological parameters. The volume fraction of aggregates was varied in the range of 35 to 55 % by volume under condition of constant total surface area of the particles. The total surface area per unit volume of cement paste was equal to 5.00, 7.25 and 10.00 m²/l, conditioned on the constant volume fraction of aggregates. Both variations were enabled by changing the particle size distributions of the aggregates while holding the cement paste composition constant for all concrete mixtures. To characterise the SYS and the structural build-up, constant shear rate tests with a vane-geometry rotational rheometer were performed. It was found that in the ranges under investigation the variation in volume fraction had a more pronounced effect on the static rheological properties of concrete than did the variation in surface area. An accurate mathematical description of the relationship between the initial SYS of concrete and the relative volume fraction of aggregate based on the Chateau-Ovarlez-Trung model was proposed. Challenges in deriving a similar relationship for the structural build-up rate of concrete were highlighted.

Febrile seizures (FS) are a relatively common early-life condition that can cause CNS developmental disorders, but the specific mechanisms of action of FS are poorly understood. In this work, we used hyperthermia-induced FS in 10-day-old rats. By recording local field potentials, we showed that the efficiency of glutamatergic synaptic transmission decreased 15 min after FS. This effect was transient, and after 2 days there were no differences between control and post-FS groups. During early ontogeny, the proportion of calcium-permeable (CP)-AMPA receptors in the synapses of principal cortical and hippocampal neurons is high. Therefore, rapid internalization of CP-AMPA receptors may be one of the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. Using the whole-cell patch clamp method and the selective CP-AMPA receptor blocker IEM-1460, we tested whether the proportion of CP-AMPA receptors changes. We have demonstrated that FS rapidly reduces synaptic CP-AMPA receptors in both the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex. This process was accompanied by a sharp decrease in calcium permeability of the membrane of principal neurons, which we revealed in experiments with kainate-induced cobalt uptake. Our experiments show that FSs cause rapid changes in the function of the glutamatergic system, which may have compensatory effects that prevent excessive excitotoxicity and neuronal death.

Incident rates of neurodegenerative diseases have steadily increased globally, but there is no therapeutic access available. We newly prescribed medicinal herbal remedy including five different herbal plants called, Chen-Ma-Dan-Sam-Ga-Mi-Bang (CMST), purposed to prove for pharmacological properties and corresponded actions on hippocampus neuronal cell injury by hypoxia-induced mice model. Mice were adapted to normoxia or hypoxia with or without CMST for 5 days. We gathered pharmacological effects of CMST on cell injury by enhancement of dihydroethidium and 4-hydroxynonenal signals which were correlated with abnormal redox status in the protein or gene expression levels (abnormal elevations of nitric oxide, reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation and deteriorations of total glutathione, total antioxidant capacity, and activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase) due to hypoxia. CMST also notably exerted to attenuates molecules for neuronal cell injury markers such as p-tau, cleaved caspase-3 due to DNA oxidations (53bp1and phosphor-histone H2AX), inflammatory cytokines, and hemeoxigenase-1. We further figured out the underlying actions of CMST by in vitro experiment through inactivation of microglial cell which can mediate neuronal cell injury. Collectively, CMST prevented from hippocampal neuronal cells via inactivation of microglial cell with normalization of redox status on hypoxia-induced hippocampus neuronal cell injury.

Volumetric models are a crucial tool for forest management. The study aimed to adjust the mixed model by Schumacher and Hall for estimating commercial volume in a dense ombrophilous forest situated in Ferreira Gomes, Amapá, Brazil. Cubage data from 100 sample trees of 5 species were used to adjust the Schumacher and Hall model in fixed and mixed non-linear forms with the diameter class as a random effect. In addition, the same model was also adjusted for each class to verify whether good equations will be generated by stratifying by diameter class. After analysis, it was found that most of the equations by diameter class do not present all significant parameters. On the other hand, the mixed models using class as a random effect showed good results. Finally, it can be seen that mixed models are a much better alternative than stratification by diameter class for volume estimation.

Background and Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of balloon pulmonary angio-plasty in patients with inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension in Vilnius Pulmonary Hypertension Referral centre and provide comparative analysis with other centres. Materials and Methods. This study included all balloon pulmonary angioplasty procedures per-formed between 2019 and 2024 in a single tertiary centre. Invasive haemodynamic parameters and clinical variables were assessed at baseline, at the end of invasive treatment, and at the con-clusion of follow-up (average 8.6 months) following the last balloon pulmonary angioplasty. Ad-ditionally, respective literature review was performed. Results. Twenty-six patients with inoper-able chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension were enrolled. The mean age of the pa-tients was 61.6 (40-80) years. Each patient underwent an average of 4.2 (1-9) procedures. Fol-low-up data were available for 12 patients. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure decreased by 38.8% (p

Despite the fact that strong routine separation methodologies can give reliable specificity and validity at usual working pharmaceuticals concentrations, they may fail at very low concentration levels. This poses considerable challenges for researchers inves-tigating product purity and therapeutic drug monitoring. Sensitivity enhancement pro-cedures are thus required to maximize the performance of separation techniques. Large volume injection, solid phase extraction/solid phase enrichment (SPE/SPEn), pre-, post-, and in-column derivatization, as well as the use of sensitive detection devices are the simplest strategies for improving sensitivity of the separation-based analytical techniques. Large volume injection of samples with online SPE/SPEn coupled with separation techniques increased sensitivity and improved detection as well as quantification limits without affecting peak shape and system performance. Although the primary purpose of derivatization is to improve sensitivity and selectivity, greener derivatization is growing in popularity and should be considered in analytical chemistry. In general, two strategies are essential for accomplishing greener derivatization goals. The first is the search for and use of ecologically acceptable derivatizing reagents, solvents, and reaction conditions. The second is miniaturization and automation of analytical methods. This review discusses significant advances in separation-based analytical techniques, specifically enrichment approaches and detector signal improvement for pharmaceutical quantification in various matrices at very low concentration levels. As a result of improved analytical systems setup in drug assays, the possibility of high-throughput analyses was also highlighted.

Background: At altitudes beyond 2500 m the risk of developing high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) grows with the increases in pulmonary arterial pressure. HAPE is characterized by severe pulmonary hypertension, though the incidence and relevance of individual risk factors are not yet predictable. However, the systolic pulmonary pressure (SPAP) and peak in tricuspid regurgitation velocity (TVR) are crucial factors when diagnosing pulmonary hypertension by echocardiography. Methods: The SPAP and TVR of 27 trekkers aged 20-65 years en route in the Solu Khumbu region of Nepal was assessed. Echocardiograph measurements were performed at Lukla (2,860 m), Gorak Shep (5170 m), and the summit of Kala Patthar (5,675 m). The altitude profile and the participant’s characteristics were also compiled for correlation with the measured data. Results: The results showed a highly significant increase of SPAP and TVR after ascending Kala Patthar. The study revealed a lower increase of SPAP and TVR in the group of older participants, although the initial respective measurements in Gorak Shep were significantly higher for this group. A similar finding occurred in those using Diamox® as prophylaxis. There was an inverse relationship between TVR and SPAP, the peripheral capillary oxygen saturation and heart rate. Conclusions: The echocardiograph results indicate that older people are a risk group for developing a HAPE. The prophylactic use of acetazolamid led to higher initial SPAP values in Gorak Shep, and a lower increase of SPAP as well as TRV after ascending Kala Patthar. Arterial oxygen saturation measurements can provide an indicator for the self-assessment for the risk of developing HAPE and provide a rule of thumb for the altitude profile but does not replace a HAPE diagnosis. The collected data variables concerning backpack weight, sex, workload (actual ascent speed), and pre-existing diseases were not statistically significant factors related to SPAP and TVR (p=<0.05).

In this work, we conducted a numerical study on the cavitation flow around a circular cylinder through the implementation of a porous coating. The primary objective addressed the effectiveness of utilizing a porous surface to control cavitation. We analyzed the cavitation dynamics around the cylinder and the hydrodynamic performance at different permeability levels of the porous surfaces. The flow was governed by the density based homogeneous mixture model and the volume penalization method was used to deal with the porous layer. A high-order accurate numerical method was adopted for the simulation of the cavitating flow through solving the preconditioned multiphase equations. The results revealed that the application of porous layer led to effective suppression of the cavitation vortex shedding. In addition, a reduction of the shedding frequency was obtained which accompanied by thinner and elongated vortices in the wake region of the cylinder. With the proper porous layer, the inception of the cavitation on the cylinder was suppressed and the amplitude of pressure pulsations due to the cavitation shedding mechanism was mitigated.

Cavitation resulting from underwater explosions in compressible multiphase or multicomp-onent flows presents significant challenges due to the dynamic nature of shock-cavitation-structure interactions, as well as the complex and discontinuous nature of the involved interfaces. Achieving accurate resolution of interfaces between different phases or components, in the presence of shocks, cavitating regions, and structural interactions, is crucial for modeling such problems. Furthermore, pressure convergence in simulations involving shock-cavitation-structure interactions requires accurate algorithms. In this research paper, we employ the diffuse interface method, also known as the interface capturing scheme, to investigate cavitation in various underwater explosion test cases near different surfaces; free surface and a rigid surface. The simulations are conducted using the Unstructured Compressible Navier-Stokes (UCNS3D) finite volume framework employing central-weighted essentially non-oscillatory (CWENO) reconstruction schemes, utilising the five-equation diffuse interface family of methods. Quantitative comparisons are made between the performance of both models. Additionally, we examine the effects of cavitation as a secondary loading source on structures, and evaluate the ability of the CWENO schemes to accurately capture and resolve material interfaces between fluids with minimal numerical dissipation or smearing. The results are compared with existing high-order methods and experimental data, where possible, to demonstrate the robustness of the CWENO schemes in simulating cavitation bubble dynamics, as well as their limitations within the current implementation of interface capturing.

The human gut microbiome (GM) plays an important role in human health and diseases. However, while substantial progress has been made in understanding the role of bacterial inhabitants of the gut, much less is known regarding the viral component of the GM. Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses attacking specific host bacteria and likely play important roles in shaping the GM. Although metagenomic approaches have led to the discoveries of many new viruses, they largely remain uncultured as their hosts have not been identified, which hampers our understanding of their biological roles. Existing protocols for isolation of viromes generally require relatively high input volumes and are generally more focused on extracting nucleic acids of good quality and purity for down-stream analysis and less on purification of still infective viruses. Here we report the development of an efficient protocol requiring low sample input yielding purified viromes containing still infective phages which also are of sufficient purity for genome sequencing. We validated the method through spiking of known phages followed by plaque assays, qPCR and metagenomic sequencing. The protocol should facilitate the culturing of novel viruses from the gut as well as large scale studies on gut viromes.

Even brief epileptic seizures can lead to activity-dependent structural remodeling of neural circuitry. Animal models show that the functional plasticity of synapses and changes in the intrinsic excitability of neurons can be crucial for epileptogenesis. However, the exact mechanisms underlying epileptogenesis remain unclear. We induced epileptiform activity in rat hippocampal slices for 15 min using a 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) in vitro model and observed hippocampal hyperexcitability for at least 1 hour. We tested several possible mechanisms of this hyperexcitability, including changes in intrinsic membrane properties of neurons, presynaptic and postsynaptic alterations. Neither input resistance nor other essential biophysical properties of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons were affected by epileptiform activity. The glutamate release probability also remained unchanged, as the frequency of miniature EPSCs and the paired amplitude ratio of evoked responses did not change after epileptiform activity. However, we found an increase in the AMPA/NMDA ratio, suggesting alterations in the properties of postsynaptic glutamatergic receptors. Thus, the increase in excitability of hippocampal neural networks is realized through postsynaptic mechanisms. In contrast, the intrinsic membrane properties of neurons and the probability of glutamate release from presynaptic terminals are not affected in a 4-AP model.

Magnetic permeability (μ), dielectric permittivity (ε) and electrical conductivity (σ) of the six elastomer samples obtained by mixing silicone rubber (RTV-530) with a kerosene-based ferrofluid in different volume fractions, φ: 1.31%, 2.59% and 3.84%, were determined using the complex impedance measurements, over the frequency range (500 Hz-2 MHz). Three samples (A0, B0 and C0) were manufactured in the absence of a magnetic field and the other three samples (Ah, Bh and Ch) in the presence of the magnetic field, H=43 kA/m. The component μ″ of the complex magnetic permeability of all samples presents a maximum, at a frequency fmax, which moves to higher values by increasing, φ, this maximum being attributed to Brownian relaxation processes. The conductivity spectrum, σ(f) for all samples, follows the Jonscher universal law, which allows both the determination of the static conductivity σDC, and the barrier energy of electrical conduction process, Wm. For the same φ, Wm is lower and σDC is higher in the samples Ah, Bh and Ch than in the samples A0, B0 and C0. The performed study is useful in manufacturing elastomers with predetermined properties and for possible applications, such as magneto-dielectric flexible electronic devices, which can be controlled by the volume fraction of particles or by an external magnetic field.

The role of volume hydrogel holographic gratings as optical transducers in sensor devices for point-of-care applications is increasing due to their ability to be functionalized for achieving enhanced selectivity. The first step in the development of these transducers is the optimization of the holographic recording process. The optimization aims at achieving gratings with reproducible diffraction efficiency, which remains stable after reiterative washings, typically required when working with analytes of biological nature or several step tests. The recording process of volume phase transmission gratings within acrylamide/propargyl acrylate hydrogel layers reported in this work was successfully performed and the obtained diffraction gratings were optically characterized. Unslanted volume transmission gratings were recorded in the hydrogel layers and using the optimized conditions, diffraction efficiencies of up to 80% were achieved. Additionally, the recorded gratings demonstrated to be stable in water after multiple washings. The hydrogels, after functionalization with oligonucleotide probes yields specific hybridization response, recognizing the complementary strand as demonstrated by fluorescence. Analyte-sensitive hydrogel layers with holographic structures are a promising candidate for the next generation of in vitro diagnostic tests.

Assessment of the percentage of disease infected lung volume using computed tomography (CT) images can play an important role to detect lung diseases and predict disease severity. However, manual segmentation of disease infected regions from many CT image slices is tedious and not feasible in clinical practice. To help solve this clinical challenge, this study aims to investigate a new strategy to automatically segment disease infected regions and predict disease severity. We employed a public dataset acquired from 20 COVID-19 patients, which includes manually annotated lung and infections masks, to train a new ensembled deep learning (DL) model that combines the five customized residual attention UNet models to segment disease infected regions followed by a Feature Pyramid Network (FPN) model to classify severity stage of COVID-19 infection. To test potentially clinical utility of new model, we first gathered and processed another set of CT images acquired from 80 Covid-19 patients. Next, we asked two chest radiologists to read CT images of each patient and report the estimated percentage of infected lung volume and disease severity level. Additionally, we asked radiologists to rate acceptance of DL model-generated segmentation results using a 5-scale rating method. Data analysis results show that agreement between disease severity classification is &gt;90% in 45 testing cases. Furthermore, &gt;73% of cases received the high rating score from two radiologists (scored more than 4). This study demonstrates feasibility of developing a new DL-model to efficiently provide quantitative assessment of disease severity based on the automated segmentation of the disease infected regions to support improving efficacy of radiologists in disease diagnosis.

Cognitive rehabilitation is useful for many after traumatic brain injury (TBI), but we lack critical knowledge about which patients benefit the most from different approaches. Advanced neuroimaging techniques have provided important insight into brain pathology and systems plasticity after TBI and have potential to inform new practices in cognitive rehabilitation. In this study, we aimed to identify candidate structural brain measures with relevance for rehabilitation of cognitive control (executive) function after TBI. Twenty-eight patients (9 female, mean age 40.5 (SD = 13.04) years) with moderate/severe TBI (>21 months since injury) that participated in a randomized controlled cognitive rehabilitation trial (NCT02692352) were included in the analyses. Regional brain volume was extracted from T1-weighted MRI scans before treatment using tensor-based morphometry. Both positive and negative associations between treatment outcome (everyday cognitive control function) and regional brain volume were observed. The most robust structural brain measures with relevance for improvement in function were observed in midline fronto-parietal regions, including the anterior and posterior cingulate cortices. The study pro-vides proof of concept and valuable insight for planning future studies focusing on neuroimaging in cognitive rehabilitation after TBI.

Background: Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) has a high lethality. About two-thirds of the severe cases may be rescued by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). However, about half of the patients supported by ECMO suffer major complications. High volume hemofiltration (HVHF) is a depurative extracorporeal support that provides homeostatic balance allowing hemodynamic stabilization in some critically ill patients. Methods: We implemented HVHF prior to ECMO consideration in the last five severe HCPS patients requiring mechanical ventilation and vasoactive drugs admitted to our intensive care unit. Patients were considered HVHF-responders if ECMO was avoided and nonresponders if ECMO support was needed. Results: The first two patients required ECMO, while the last three did not. Patients had a maximum serum lactate of 8.4 [4.3-14] mMol/L and a lowest cardiac index of 1.76 [1.45-2.9] L/min/m2. Nonresponders were connected later to HVHF, displayed progressive tachycardia and decreasing stroke volume. The opposite was true for HVHF-responders who also received targeted-HVHF compounded by aggressive hyperoncotic albumin, sodium bicarbonate and calcium supplementation plus ultrafiltration to avoid fluid overload. All patients survived, but one of the ECMO patients suffered a vascular complication. Conclusion: HVHF may contribute to support severe HCPS patients avoiding the need for ECMO in some of them. Early connection and targeted-HVHF may increase the chance of success.