Search Results (1,392,062)

Giant cell tumor of soft tissue (GCTST) is a locally aggressive mesenchymal neoplasm of intermediate malignancy that predominantly occurs in the superficial soft tissue of the extremities. It is histologically similar to a giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) and shows a mixture of round to oval mononuclear cells and osteoclast-like multinucleated giant cells. Currently, immunohistochemistry plays a very limited role in the diagnosis of GCTST. Primary or secondary malignant GCTST has recently been described and tumors exhibiting high-grade histological features demonstrate higher rates of distant metastasis. GCTST lacks the H3-3A gene mutations that are identified in the vast majority of GCTBs, suggesting a different pathogenesis. Surgery is the standard treatment for localized GCTST. Incomplete surgical resection is usually followed by local recurrence. Radiation therapy may be considered when the close proximity of critical structures prevents microscopically negative surgical margins. The systemic treatment options for advanced or metastatic disease are very limited. This review provides an updated overview of the clinicoradiological features, pathogenesis, histopathology, and treatment for GCTST. In addition, we will discuss the differential diagnosis of this peculiar neoplasm. Full article

This paper simulates a hypothetical pan-coronavirus vaccine that confers immediate sterilizing immunity against all SARS-CoV-2 variants. Simulations used a SEIIS (susceptible, exposed, infective, immune, susceptible) spreadsheet model that ran two parallel subpopulations: one that accepted vaccination and another that refused it. The two subpopulations could transmit infections to one another. Using data from the United States (US), the simulated vaccine was tested against limiting factors such as vaccine hesitancy, slow vaccination distribution, and the development of high-transmission variants. The vaccine was often successful at reducing cases, but high-transmission variants and discontinuation of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as masking greatly elevated cases. A puzzling outcome was that if NPIs were discontinued and high-transmission variants became common, the model predicted consistently higher rates of disease than are actually observed in the US in 2024. However, if cumulative exposure to virus antigens increased the duration of immunity or decreased the infectivity of the virus, the model predictions were brought back into a more realistic range. The major finding was that even when a COVID-19 vaccine always produces sterilizing immunity against every SARS-CoV-2 variant, its ability to control the epidemic can be compromised by multiple common conditions. Full article

Turbulent water jets remain a critical study area, particularly the relation of the water flow with air entrainment and its role in energy dissipation at different hydraulic structures. Plunge pools, formed by the impact of jets on water cushions, play a pivotal role in energy dissipation. Understanding the complex flow dynamics within these pools is essential for designing efficient hydraulic structures. In this research, we present a comprehensive investigation of different numerical simulations, defining two-phase (air-water) in different ways, and them compare with experimental measurements. The primary objective is to analyze the pressure distribution at the bottom of a plunge pool induced by a vertical jet and understand the importance of accurately defining air-water flow in the dynamics of the jet into the pool. Our study bridges the gap between empirical data and computational modeling, shedding light on the intricate behavior of such flows with different method-based solvers: VOF, sub-grid, and multi-phase Euler. Various computational domains, mesh configurations, and analyses spanning different time periods, frequencies, and scales were considered. Full article

In countries like Japan, Australia, France, Denmark, and South Korea, the numbers of single-person households and older adults living alone have been steadily increasing each year, leading to the social issue of lonely deaths among older adults. Against this backdrop, this study proposes a method to develop a system for preventing lonely deaths based on information technology, including the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT sensor data, which include nine environmental variables such as indoor temperature, relative humidity, CO₂ concentration, fine dust particle levels, illuminance, total volatile organic compound levels, and occupancy data collected from passive infrared sensors, provide empirical evidence so that anomalies can be detected in the behavior patterns of older adults when they remain in one place for an unusually long time. Detecting such risky situations for older adults living alone involves anomaly detection through occupancy monitoring. The data from occupancy monitoring were analyzed using four classification models, namely Logistic Regression, k-Nearest Neighbor, Decision Tree, and Random Forest, with the performance of occupancy detection being compared across these models. Furthermore, the method proposed in this study includes data processing for environmental variables to improve the performance of occupancy detection. Full article

Recent research in the field of cognitive motor action decoding focuses on data acquired from Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) and its analysis. This research aims to classify two different motor activities, namely, mental drawing (MD) and spatial navigation (SN), using fNIRS data from non-motor baseline data and other motor activities. Accurate activity detection in non-stationary signals like fNIRS is challenging and requires complex feature descriptors. As a novel framework, a new feature generation by fusion of wavelet feature, Hilbert, symlet, and Hjorth parameters is proposed for improving the accuracy of the classification. This new fused feature has statistical descriptor elements, time-localization in the frequency domain, edge feature, texture features, and phase information to detect and locate the activity accurately. Three types of independent component analysis, including FastICA, Picard, and Infomax were implemented for preprocessing which removes noises and motion artifacts. Two independent binary classifiers are designed to handle the complexity of classification in which one is responsible for mental drawing (MD) detection and the other one is spatial navigation (SN). Four different types of algorithms including nearest neighbors (KNN), Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), light gradient-boosting machine (LGBM), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBOOST) were implemented. It has been identified that the LGBM classifier gives high accuracies—98% for mental drawing and 97% for spatial navigation. Comparison with existing research proves that the proposed method gives the highest classification accuracies. Statistical validation of the proposed new feature generation by the Kruskal–Wallis H-test and Mann–Whitney U non-parametric test proves the reliability of the proposed mechanism. Full article

Taxus, as a globally prevalent evergreen tree, contains a wealth of bioactive components that play a crucial role in the pharmaceutical field. Taxus extracts, defined as a collection of one or more bioactive compounds extracted from the genus Taxus spp., have become a significant focus of modern cancer treatment research. This review article aims to delve into the scientific background of Taxus extracts and their considerable value in pharmaceutical research. It meticulously sifts through and compares various advanced extraction techniques such as supercritical extraction, ultrasound extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, solid-phase extraction, high-pressure pulsed electric field extraction, and enzymatic extraction, assessing each technology’s advantages and limitations across dimensions such as extraction efficiency, extraction purity, economic cost, operational time, and environmental impact, with comprehensive analysis results presented in table form. In the area of drug formulation design, this paper systematically discusses the development strategies for solid, liquid, and semi-solid dosage forms based on the unique physicochemical properties of Taxus extracts, their intended medical uses, and specific release characteristics, delving deeply into the selection of excipients and the critical technical issues in the drug preparation process. Moreover, the article looks forward to the potential directions of Taxus extracts in future research and medical applications, emphasizing the urgency and importance of continuously optimizing extraction methods and formulation design to enhance treatment efficacy, reduce production costs, and decrease environmental burdens. It provides a comprehensive set of preparation techniques and formulation optimization schemes for researchers in cancer treatment and other medical fields, promoting the application and development of Taxus extracts in pharmaceutical sciences. Full article

This work aims to demonstrate that the Fe₂O₃ nanocrystals’ adsorptive and photocatalytic properties can be adjusted by exposing the crystal facets that are functionalized. To this end, cube- and disc-like structures were synthesized using a metal ion-mediated hydrothermal route. Thereafter, some of the samples were annealed at 500 °C for 3 h. Our paper combines the experimental part with theoretical calculations of the obtained materials’ band edge positions. The results reveal that—aside from hematite—the as-synthesized discs also contain γ-FeOOH and β-Fe₂O₃ phases, which transform into α-Fe₂O₃ during annealing. The hydrodynamic diameter, zeta potential, and adsorption kinetics measurements show that the cube-like samples exhibit the highest affinity for cationic, whereas the discs have an affinity for anionic dye. Measurements of the wall zeta potential also reveal that annealing the discs modifies their surface state and ability to adsorb molecules. Photocatalytic tests show that the as-synthesized powders have better photocatalytic performance toward methylene blue decomposition than the annealed ones. The observed small changes in the concentration of the MO during illumination result from the energy band structure of the cube-like crystal orientation. Full article

Millimeter-Wave Radar is one promising sensor to achieve robust perception against challenging observing conditions. In this paper, we propose a Radar Inertial Odometry (RIO) pipeline utilizing a long-range 4D millimeter-wave radar for autonomous vehicle navigation. Initially, we develop a perception frontend based on radar point cloud filtering and registration to estimate the relative transformations between frames reliably. Then an optimization-based backbone is formulated, which fuses IMU data, relative poses, and point cloud velocities from radar Doppler measurements. The proposed method is extensively tested in challenging on-road environments and in-the-air environments. The results indicate that the proposed RIO can provide a reliable localization function for mobile platforms, such as automotive vehicles and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), in various operation conditions. Full article

Traditionally, tenderness has been assessed through shear force testing, which is inherently destructive, the accuracy is easily affected, and it results in considerable sample wastage. Although this technology has some drawbacks, it is still the most effective detection method currently available. In light of these drawbacks, non-destructive testing techniques have emerged as a preferred alternative, promising greater accuracy, efficiency, and convenience without compromising the integrity of the samples. This paper delves into applying five advanced non-destructive testing technologies in the realm of meat tenderness assessment. These include near-infrared spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging, Raman spectroscopy, airflow optical fusion detection, and nuclear magnetic resonance detection. Each technology is scrutinized for its respective strengths and limitations, providing a comprehensive overview of their current utility and potential for future development. Moreover, the integration of these techniques with the latest advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology is explored. The fusion of AI with non-destructive testing offers a promising avenue for the development of more sophisticated, rapid, and intelligent systems for meat tenderness evaluation. This integration is anticipated to significantly enhance the efficiency and accuracy of the quality assessment in the meat industry, ensuring a higher standard of safety and nutritional value for consumers. The paper concludes with a set of technical recommendations to guide the future direction of non-destructive, AI-enhanced meat tenderness detection. Full article

Previous studies have documented that FOLFOX and XELOX therapies negatively impact the metabolism of skeletal muscle and extra-muscle districts. This pilot study tested whether three-month FOLFOX or XELOX therapy produced changes in plasma amino acid levels (PAAL) (an estimation of whole-body amino acid metabolism) and in plasma levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid hyper oxidation. Fourteen ambulatory, resected patients with colorectal cancer scheduled to receive FOLFOX (n = 9) or XELOX (n = 5) therapy, after overnight fasting, underwent peripheral venous blood sampling, to determine PAAL and MDA before, during, and at the end of three-month therapy. Fifteen healthy matched subjects (controls) only underwent measures of PAAL at baseline. The results showed changes in 87.5% of plasma essential amino acids (EAAs) and 38.4% of non-EAAs in patients treated with FOLFOX or XELOX. These changes in EAAs occurred in two opposite directions: EAAs decreased with FOLFOX and increased or did not decrease with XELOX (interactions: from p = 0.034 to p = 0.003). Baseline plasma MDA levels in both FOLFOX and XELOX patients were above the normal range of values, and increased, albeit not significantly, during therapy. In conclusion, three-month FOLFOX or XELOX therapy affected plasma EAAs differently but not the baseline MDA levels, which were already high. Full article

Purpose: To investigate the molecular characteristics of and potential for precision medicine in KRAS wildtype pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Patients and Methods: We investigated 27 patients with KRAS^WT PDAC at our institution. Clinical data were obtained via chart review. Tumor specimens for each subject were interrogated for somatic single nucleotide variants, insertion and deletions, and copy number variants by DNA sequencing. Gene fusions were detected from RNA-seq. A patient-derived organoid (PDO) was developed from a patient with a MET translocation and expanded ex vivo to predict therapeutic sensitivity prior to enrollment in a phase 2 clinical trial. Results: Transcriptomic analysis showed our cohort may be stratified by the relative gene expression of the KRAS signaling cascade. The PDO derived from our patient harboring a TFG-MET rearrangement was found to have in vitro sensitivity to the multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor crizotinib. The patient was enrolled in the phase 2 SPARTA clinical trial and received monotherapy with vebrelitinib, a c-MET inhibitor, and achieved a partial and durable response. Conclusions: KRAS^WT PDAC is molecularly distinct from KRAS^MUT and enriched with potentially actionable genetic variants. In our study, transcriptomic profiling revealed that the KRAS signaling cascade may play a key role in KRAS^WT PDAC. Our report of a KRAS^WT PDAC patient with TFG-MET rearrangement who responded to a cMET inhibitor further supports the pursuit of precision oncology in this sub-population. Identification of targetable mutations, perhaps through approaches like RNA-seq, can help enable precision-driven approaches to select optimal treatment based on tumor characteristics. Full article

Kazakhstan’s government has launched many policy reforms to enhance the well-being of its underrepresented citizens and develop human capital by providing education to all. Therefore, the government has adopted a policy on inclusive education and recognised the rights to education of all learners, including those with disabilities, based on equal opportunity, without any discrimination. This aims to facilitate equal access to lifelong education opportunities, including in Technical Vocational Education Training Institutes (TVETIs). Thus, inclusive education in TVET settings and lifelong learning, especially for adults with special needs, has become an educational priority in Kazakhstan. Therefore, this collaborative action research study intended to explore classroom practices promoting the inclusion of adult students with disabilities at Kazakhstani Technical Vocational Education and Training Institutions (TVETIs). Qualitative data were collected through reflective journals, student focus-group interviews, documentary analysis, and reflective meetings of the professional learning group of selected teachers and students during the four stages of collaborative action research (CAR). Data were analysed through group interpretative meetings by the research team and inductive thematic content analysis by the researcher. Among the findings is that the educative process in TVETIs does not sufficiently provide reasonable inclusive support for adult students with disabilities. As a result, a comprehensive review of inclusive practices in these institutions was critical. This paper discusses some practices that could promote inclusion in TVET classrooms. Full article

Fodder scarcity, inadequate nutritional quality, and lack of degradation kinetics research are among the serious concerns hindering sustainable development of livestock globally. Rumen degradation kinetics data on neutral detergent fibre (NDF) in buffaloes are lacking for most tropical forage species. This study evaluated the effect of forage species, family, and growing location on NDF concentration and in situ degradability of six tropical cereal and four legume fodder crops. The fodder crops were grown following uniform recommended agronomic practices at three different agroecological locations and harvested at the appropriate growth stage: cereals at booting and legumes at 50% flowering. Later, the dried ground forage samples were incubated in the four rumen-cannulated Nili-Ravi buffalo cows in a four × two × three split-plot design for 0, 4, 8, 16, 24, 48, 96, and 168 h. The degradation fractions and degradability, expressed either on an NDF or dry matter basis, were considerably affected by forage family (cereal vs. legume) and growing locations and their interaction. Legume fodders degraded more rapidly but to a lesser extent than cereal fodders. The chemical components, notably the NDF, showed a significant but moderate negative relationship with the effective NDF degradability. Among studied fodders, the legumes had a significantly lower NDF concentration and subsequent degradability than the cereals. Although the cereals showed a slower rate of NDF degradation, their overall degradability was higher. The agro-climatic variability among three locations strongly impacted the NDF concentrations and fractions in the tropical forages. Effective NDF degradability was also correlated with the fodders’ NDF concentration, especially in cereals where the nature of the correlation was negative. In conclusion, the nutritional composition and NDF degradation parameters of the fodders were significantly affected by the species, family, and location of growth and their interactions. These results will help to improve agronomy and usage of these important fodder crops. Full article

Accurate and continuous estimation of surface albedo is vital for assessing and understanding land–surface–atmosphere interactions. We developed a method for estimating instantaneous all-sky at-surface shortwave upwelling radiance and albedo over the Tibetan Plateau. The method accounts for the complex interplay of topography and atmospheric interactions and aims to mitigate the occurrence of data gaps. Employing an RTLSR-kernel-driven model, we retrieved surface shortwave albedo with a 1 km resolution, incorporating direct, isotropic diffuse; circumsolar diffuse; and surrounding terrain irradiance into the all-sky solar surface irradiance. The at-surface upwelling radiance and surface shortwave albedo estimates were in satisfactory agreement with ground observations at four stations in the Tibetan Plateau, with RMSE values of 56.5 W/m² and 0.0422, 67.6 W/m² and 0.0545, 98.6 W/m² and 0.0992, and 78.0 98.6 W/m² and 0.639. This comparison indicated an improved accuracy of at-surface upwelling radiance and surface albedo and significantly reduced data gaps. Valid observations increased substantially in comparison to the MCD43A2 data product, with the new method achieving an increase ranging from 40% to 200% at the four stations. Our study demonstrates that by integrating terrain, cloud properties, and radiative transfer modeling, the accuracy and completeness of retrieved surface albedo and radiance in complex terrains can be effectively improved. Full article

A recent study the detection of coseismic ionospheric disturbances or ionoquakes less than 400 s from the earthquake’s onset. The study also associates these rapid ionoquakes with the seismo-atmosphere–ionosphere (SAI) coupling mechanism energized by acoustic-gravity waves (AGWs) and the subsequent formation of coseismic thermospheric disturbances (CSTDs). The present study outlines a new analytical simulation code for AGWs that resolves the governing equations in the time–altitude and wavenumber domain and confirms the rapid arrival of AGWs in the thermosphere (earlier than the estimated arrival time from the ray-tracing simulation). The rapid arrivals of AGWs are associated with long wavelengths that connect to thermospheric altitudes and propagate with thermospheric sound speeds, avoiding averaging effects from the lower atmosphere. The fast simulation traces the rapid arrival of AGWs in the thermosphere and produces rapid CSTDs within 250–300 s from the earthquake’s onset. The simulation time is much shorter than the formation time of near-field CSTDs, a scenario favorable for the forecasting of CSTDs before observations of ionoquakes. In essence, the fast simulation offers an alternative tool for tracking the evolution of CSTDs. Full article