bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patients with paradoxical low-flow, low-gradient aortic stenosis gain the least benefit from TAVI among all hemodynamic subtypes
Authors: Puls Miriam , Beuthner Bo Eric , Topci Rodi , Jacob Christoph Friedemann , Steinhaus Kristin Elisabeth , Paul Niels , Beißbarth Tim , Toischer Karl , Jacobshagen Claudius , Hasenfuß Gerd
Published: July 2024

Background

Substantial controversy exists regarding the clinical benefit of patients with severe paradoxical low-flow, low-gradient aortic stenosis (PLF-LG AS) from TAVI. Therefore, we compared post-TAVI benefit by long-term mortality (all-cause, CV and SCD), clinical improvement of heart failure symptoms, and cardiac reverse remodelling in guideline-defined AS subtypes.

Methods

We prospectively included 250 consecutive TAVI patients. TTE, 6mwt, MLHFQ, NYHA status and NT-proBNP were recorded at baseline and 6 months. Long-term mortality and causes of death were assessed.

Results

107 individuals suffered from normal EF, high gradient AS (NEF-HG AS), 36 from low EF, high gradient AS (LEF-HG), 52 from “classic” low-flow, low-gradient AS (LEF-LG AS), and 38 from paradoxical low-flow, low-gradient AS (PLF-LG AS).

TAVI lead to a significant decrease in MLHFQ score and NT-proBNP levels in all subtypes except for PLF-LG. Regarding reverse remodelling, a significant increase in EF and decrease in LVEDV was present only in subtypes with reduced baseline EF, whereas a significant decrease in LVMI and LAVI could be observed in all subtypes except for PLF-LG. During a follow-up of 3–5 years, PLF-LG patients exhibited the poorest survival among all subtypes (HR 4.2, P = 0.0002 for CV mortality; HR 7.3, P = 0.004 for SCD, in comparison with NEF-HG). Importantly, PLF-LG was independently predictive for CV mortality (HR 2.9 [1.3–6.9], P = 0.009).

Conclusions

PLF-LG patients exhibit the highest mortality (particularly CV and SCD), the poorest symptomatic benefit and the least reverse cardiac remodelling after TAVI among all subtypes. Thus, this cohort seems to gain the least benefit.

Graphical abstract
The effects of different levels of sports activity on health-related quality of life and lifestyle habits in high school Italian students
Authors: Lodovica Lazzeri Maria Francesca , Francesca Mastorci , Paolo Piaggi , Gabriele Trivellini , Anselmo Casu , Caleb Devine , Cristina Doveri , Irene Marinaro , Alessandro Pingitore
Published: July 2024

Physical activity (PA) is an important predictor of physical and mental health preventing chronic degenerative diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate in a group of Italian high school students whether health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and lifestyle habits (diet) are associated with the level of physical activity performed (low, moderate, high). Data were collected from 2819 adolescents (n = 951 males). HRQoL was analyzed using the Italian version of the KIDSCREEN-52. Physical activity level was analyzed using the PAQ-A, while eating habits with KIDMED. Practicing physical activity in general improves HRQoL. Specifically, adolescents practicing moderate or high PA, in single dimensions of HRQoL, showed better mood (p < 0.001), self-perception (p < 0.001), family relationships (p < 0.001), reported a higher perception of socioeconomic status (p < 0.05), relationship with peers (p < 0.001), and social acceptance (p < 0.001). High PA subjects reported increased physical (p < 0.001) and mental health (p < 0.001), increased autonomy (p < 0.001), and school learning (p < 0.001). For lifestyle habits, practicing moderate PA showed higher adherence tox the Mediterranean diet (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Our results highlighted a positive association between the frequency of PA levels, some dimensions of HRQoL, and risk behaviors. These findings demonstrated the protective role of sports not only as a preventive strategy for the onset of chronic degenerative diseases, but also as an educator of healthy lifestyle habits, thus suggesting the importance and need to implement strategies to promote sports practice.
Monitoring the risk of a tailings dam collapse through spectral analysis of satellite InSAR time-series data
Authors: Das Sourav , Priyadarshana Anuradha , Grebby Stephen
Published: July 2024

Slope failures possess destructive power that can cause significant damage to both life and infrastructure. Monitoring slopes prone to instabilities is therefore critical in mitigating the risk posed by their failure. The purpose of slope monitoring is to detect precursory signs of stability issues, such as changes in the rate of displacement with which a slope is deforming. This information can then be used to predict the timing or probability of an imminent failure in order to provide an early warning. Most approaches to predicting slope failures, such as the inverse velocity method, focus on predicting the timing of a potential failure. However, such approaches are deterministic and require some subjective analysis of displacement monitoring data to generate reliable timing predictions. In this study, a more objective, probabilistic-learning algorithm is proposed to detect and characterise the risk of a slope failure, based on spectral analysis of serially correlated displacement time-series data. The algorithm is applied to satellite-based interferometric synthetic radar (InSAR) displacement time-series data to retrospectively analyse the risk of the 2019 Brumadinho tailings dam collapse in Brazil. Two potential risk milestones are identified and signs of a definitive but emergent risk (27 February 2018-26 August 2018) and imminent risk of collapse of the tailings dam (27 June 2018-24 December 2018) are detected by the algorithm as the empirical points of inflection and maximum on a risk trajectory, respectively. Importantly, this precursory indication of risk of failure is detected as early as at least five months prior to the dam collapse on 25 January 2019. The results of this study demonstrate that the combination of spectral methods and second order statistical properties of InSAR displacement time-series data can reveal signs of a transition into an unstable deformation regime, and that this algorithm can provide sufficient early-warning that could help mitigate catastrophic slope failures.
Lyapunov-guided representation of recurrent neural network performance
Authors: Vogt Ryan , Zheng Yang , Shlizerman Eli
Published: July 2024

Recurrent neural networks (RNN) are ubiquitous computing systems for sequences and multivariate time-series data. While several robust RNN architectures are known, it is unclear how to relate RNN initialization, architecture, and other hyperparameters with accuracy for a given task. In this work, we propose treating RNN as dynamical systems and correlating hyperparameters with accuracy through Lyapunov spectral analysis, a methodology designed explicitly for nonlinear dynamical systems. To address the fact that RNN features go beyond the existing Lyapunov spectral analysis, we propose to infer relevant features from the Lyapunov spectrum with an Autoencoder and an embedding of its Latent representation (AeLLE). Our studies of various RNN architectures show that AeLLE successfully correlates RNN Lyapunov spectrum with accuracy. Furthermore, the Latent representation learned by AeLLE is generalizable to novel inputs from the same task and is formed early in the process of RNN training. The latter property allows for predicting the accuracy to which RNN would converge when training is complete. We conclude that the representation of RNN through the Lyapunov spectrum, along with AeLLE, provides a novel method for the organization and interpretation of variants of RNN architectures.
Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy on Magnetic van der Waals Compounds
Authors: Kataev Vladislav , Büchner Bernd , Alfonsov Alexey
Published: July 2024

The field of research on magnetic van der Waals compounds—a special subclass of quasi-two-dimensional materials—is currently rapidly expanding due to the relevance of these compounds to fundamental research where they serve as a playground for the investigation of different models of quantum magnetism and also in view of their unique magneto-electronic and magneto-optical properties pertinent to novel technological applications. The electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy plays an important role in the exploration of the rich magnetic behavior of van der Waals compounds due to its high sensitivity to magnetic anisotropies and unprecedentedly high energy resolution that altogether enable one to obtain thorough insights into the details of the spin structure in the magnetically ordered state and the low-energy spin dynamics in the ordered and paramagnetic phases. This article provides an overview of the recent achievements in this field made by the ESR spectroscopic techniques encompassing representatives of antiferro- and ferromagnetic van der Waals compounds of different crystal structures and chemical composition as well as of a special category of these materials termed magnetic topological insulators.
Performance of ChatGPT in classifying periodontitis according to the 2018 classification of periodontal diseases
Authors: Tastan Eroglu Zeynep , Babayigit Osman , Ozkan Sen Dilek , Ucan Yarkac Fatma
Published: July 2024

Objectives

This study assessed the ability of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence(AI) language model, to determine the stage, grade, and extent of periodontitis based on the 2018 classification.

Materials and methods

This study used baseline digital data of 200 untreated periodontitis patients to compare standardized reference diagnoses (RDs) with ChatGPT findings and determine the best criteria for assessing stage and grade. RDs were provided by four experts who examined each case. Standardized texts containing the relevant information for each situation were constructed to query ChatGPT. RDs were compared to ChatGPT's responses. Variables influencing the responses of ChatGPT were evaluated.

Results

ChatGPT successfully identified the periodontitis stage, grade, and extent in 59.5%, 50.5%, and 84.0% of cases, respectively. Cohen’s kappa values for stage, grade and extent were respectively 0.447, 0.284, and 0.652. A multiple correspondence analysis showed high variance between ChatGPT’s staging and the variables affecting the stage (64.08%) and low variance between ChatGPT’s grading and the variables affecting the grade (42.71%).

Conclusions

The present performance of ChatGPT in the classification of periodontitis exhibited a reasonable level. However, it is expected that additional improvements would increase its effectiveness and broaden its range of functionalities (NCT05926999).

Clinical relevance

Despite ChatGPT's current limitations in accurately classifying periodontitis, it is important to note that the model has not been specifically trained for this task. However, it is expected that with additional improvements, the effectiveness and capabilities of ChatGPT might be enhanced.
An approach for the design of dewatering systems: the case of an excavation for the construction of the assembly shaft of a tunnel boring machine
Authors: Pujades-Garnes Estanislao , Badiella Guillem , Jurado Anna , Carrera Jesus , Vazquez-Suñe Enric
Published: July 2024

Robust approaches are needed for designing efficient dewatering systems of deep excavations below the water table to avoid unforeseen incidents (e.g., bottom instabilities in deep excavations and flooding, among others). This paper proposes a methodology, which integrates existing experiences, that was adopted to design the dewatering system of an excavation in the city of Barcelona (Spain). The approach consists of combining: (i) detailed geological and hydrogeological characterizations, (ii) numerical modelling for parameter estimation and drawdown predictions, and (iii) analytical assessment for stability evaluation and soil deformation predictions. The idea is that by combining a set of relatively easy to apply methods, it is possible to successfully solve a complex and risky problem. The methodology allows designing efficient dewatering systems, increasing safety and mitigating potential impacts of groundwater pumping. The most significant conclusion is that the most important step of the proposed approach is the hydrogeological characterization because it allows building realistic and representative numerical models to address most of the challenges associated to dewatering.
Innovation in coastal governance: management and expectations of the UK’s first sandscaping scheme
Authors: Lorenzoni Irene , Day Sophie A. , Mahony Martin , Tolhurst Trevor J. , Bark Rosalind H.
Published: July 2024

Many coastal places around the UK face change, with impacts on communities, livelihoods, and landscapes. A tidal surge in 2013 caused significant erosion and flooding on the east coast of England (UK). This was the catalyst for the innovative Bacton to Walcott Coastal Management Scheme, also known as the Sandscaping Scheme, implemented in summer 2019. It is a one-off, large-scale beach nourishment scheme with a design prediction of 15–20 years functional life, the first of its kind in the UK and worldwide outside of the Netherlands. Through stakeholder interviews and a household questionnaire survey, this paper examines the institutional and political challenges, expectations, and hopes associated with this Scheme just before its implementation. The findings indicate that a combination of factors enabled technical and institutional experimentation and innovation at this location: critical erosion risk at a site of strategic infrastructure adjacent to two highly vulnerable villages, extensive stakeholder collaboration across scales, resolute leadership, and recognition of co-benefits. Although most interviewees and local residents foresaw significant benefit from the Scheme—not least respite from the deep anxiety caused by the threat of flooding and erosion risk—tensions were expressed around uncertainty beyond the Scheme’s lifetime and the need to start effective conversations about future adaptation options for the area. This study provides reflections for similar nature-based coastal management schemes elsewhere. It highlights the fundamental challenges facing the governance of natural and social coastal systems for adapting to current and future coastal change and the importance of articulating local and sometimes intangible understandings and expectations of adaptive coastal management interventions.
Incidence of anastomotic leakage using powered circular staplers versus manual circular staplers for left colorectal anastomosis: a cost-effectiveness analysis
Authors: Pla-Martí V. , Martín-Arévalo J. , Moro-Valdezate D. , García-Botello S. , Pérez-Santiago L. , Barrachina-Martinez I. , González-de-Julián S. , Vivas-Consuelo D. , Espí-Macías A.
Published: July 2024

Background

Colorectal anastomotic leakage causes severe consequences for patients and healthcare system as it will lead to increased consumption of hospital resources and costs. Technological improvements in anastomotic devices could reduce the incidence of leakage and its economic impact. The aim of the present study was to assess if the use of a new powered circular stapler is cost-effective.

Method

This observational study included patients undergoing left-sided circular stapled colorectal anastomosis between January 2018 and December 2021. Propensity score matching was carried out to create two comparable groups depending on whether the anastomosis was performed using a manual or powered circular device. The rate of anastomotic leakage, its severity, the consumption of hospital resources, and its cost were the main outcome measures. A cost-effectiveness analysis comparing the powered circular stapler versus manual circular staplers was performed.

Results

A total of 330 patients were included in the study, 165 in each group. Anastomotic leakage rates were significantly different (p = 0.012): 22 patients (13.3%) in the manual group versus 8 patients (4.8%) in the powered group. The effectiveness of the powered stapler and manual stapler was 98.27% and 93.69%, respectively. The average cost per patient in the powered group was €6238.38, compared with €9700.12 in the manual group. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was − €74,915.28 per patient without anastomotic complications.

Conclusion

The incremental cost of powered circular stapler compared with manual devices was offset by the savings from lowered incidence and cost of management of anastomotic leaks.
Targeting S100A12 to Improve Angiogenesis and Accelerate Diabetic Wound Healing
Authors: Qin Shitian , Bie Fan , Chen Shuying , Xu Yingbin , Chen Lei , Shu Bin , Yang Fan , Lu Yangzhou , Li Jialin , Zhao Jingling
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Long-term inflammation and impaired angiogenesis are thought to be the causes of delayed healing or nonhealing of diabetic wounds. S100A12 is an essential pro-inflammatory factor involved in inflammatory reactions and serves as a biomarker for various inflammatory diseases. However, whether high level of S100A12 exists in and affects the healing of diabetic wounds, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms, remain unclear. In this study, we found that the serum concentration of S100A12 is significantly elevated in patients with type 2 diabetes. Exposure of stratified epidermal cells to high glucose environment led to increased expression and secretion of S100A12, resulting in impaired endothelial function by binding to the advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE) or Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) on endothelial cell. The transcription factor Krüpple-like Factor 5 (KLF5) is highly expressed in the epidermis under high glucose conditions, activating the transcriptional activity of the S100A12 and boost its expression. By establishing diabetic wounds model in alloxan-induced diabetic rabbit, we found that local inhibition of S100A12 significantly accelerated diabetic wound healing by promoting angiogenesis. Our results illustrated the novel endothelial-specific injury function of S100A12 in diabetic wounds and suggest that S100A12 is a potential target for the treatment of diabetic wounds.
Iranian Immigrant Women’s Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence: A Literature Review
Authors: Niroomand Soudabeh , Gholizadeh Leila , Baird Kathleen
Published: July 2024

Immigrant and refugee women are vulnerable to experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) due to a range of factors associated with immigration. This study aims to consolidate existing research concerning IPV among Iranian immigrant women and examine its impact on their lives. A comprehensive literature search for articles of any design published in the English language in the past 15 years was performed using Medline, Embase, CINAHL, International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (ProQuest) and PsycINFO databases. The topic of IPV among Iranian immigrant women has been underexplored in research, and only 11 studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria for this topic. The findings from these studies indicate that Iranian immigrant women have experienced different forms of IPV, with psychological IPV being prominent and replacing physical violence. These experiences have had adverse effects on the women’s physical and mental health. The women's experiences of IPV were influenced by various cultural, religious, and individual factors. They predominantly sought informal help rather than accessing formal resources to address their situations. There is a need for rigorous studies to thoroughly investigate IPV among Iranian immigrant and refugee women. Such research is essential for establishing effective strategies that are culturally sensitive to reduce IPV incidents within this population. Moreover, it is essential to enhance IPV awareness among these women and ensure their access to formal resources that are proficient in addressing IPV. This comprehensive approach not only tackles the immediate issue but also fosters a safer environment and promotes long-term wellbeing within this community.
Beyond for-better-and-for-worse: expanding environmental sensitivity into a post-traumatic growth perspective
Authors: Sperati Alessandra , Spinelli Maria , Fasolo Mirco , Moscardino Ughetta , Passaquindici Ilenia , Straziuso Domenico , Gigliotti Gilberto , D’Urso Giulio , Pluess Michael , Lionetti Francesca
Published: July 2024

People differ in their responses to experiences with some showing a heightened Environmental Sensitivity (ES) for better and for worse. Highly sensitive people tend to get easily overwhelmed in adverse conditions but also to flourish in enriched environments. Yet, no studies have investigated whether people with a heightened ES may experience a positive outcome as well, in terms of Post-traumatic Growth (PTG), when a traumatic event occurs. This study provided a first empirical evidence regarding the relationship between ES and PTG on a general population of 2387 adults (age range: 18-88yy) surveyed online during the first Covid-19 lockdown. Correlations showed that ES was positively associated with PTG, though with a small effect size. Interaction effects from regression analyses provided evidence that the ES-PTG association was stronger when the individuals experienced anxiety to some extent, and not too much depression. To conclude, findings suggested highly sensitive people as not only more susceptible to adversities, but also more open to experience a growth when faced with challenging events. Identifying potential paths of growth in individuals who are more prone to negative feelings can have important implications for clinical practice as well as for theory by broadening our understanding of the concept of environmental sensitivity.
Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Heat Transfer in the Porous Media of an Additively Manufactured Evaporator of a Two-Phase Mechanically Pumped Loop for Space Applications
Authors: Valdarno Luca , Dhir Vijay K. , Furst Benjamin , Sunada Eric
Published: July 2024

Two-phase pumped cooling systems are applied when it is required to maintain a very stable temperature for heat dissipation in a system. A novel additively manufactured evaporator for two-phase thermal control was developed at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The Two-Phase Mechanically Pumped Loop (2PMPL) allows to manage the heat transfer with much wider breadth of control authority compared to capillary-based systems, while alleviating the system's sensitivity to pressure drops. The focus of this work is the understanding and capturing the micro-scale evaporation occurring in the porous structure of the evaporator. The Boiling and Phase Change Heat Transfer Laboratory at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) developed an all-encompassing numerical simulation tool to predict the operational thermal behavior of the evaporator considering the effect of the liquid-vapor interface at the wick-to-vapor boundary. The numerical model incorporated the behaviour of the liquid-vapor meniscus at particle level located along the evaporative boundary between the wick structure and the vapor chamber. The numerical model allowed to study the effect of different parameters, such as boundary conditions, geometry, wick and fluid properties. An experimental setup was built at UCLA in order to characterize the heat transfer within an additively manufactured porous sample fabricated at JPL and in particular its evaporative heat load under certain heat inputs. The experimental efforts served as validation for the numerical results and aided in the characterization of the transient phenomena, such as dry-out.
Relative Importance of Macroalgae and Phytoplankton to Nearshore Consumers and Growth Across Climatic Conditions in the Northern Gulf of Alaska
Authors: Corliss Katherine , von Biela Vanessa , Coletti Heather , Bodkin James , Esler Daniel , Iken Katrin
Published: July 2024

Macroalgae and phytoplankton support the base of highly productive nearshore ecosystems in cold-temperate regions. To better understand their relative importance to nearshore food webs, this study considered four regions in the northern Gulf of Alaska where three indicator consumers were collected, filter-feeding mussels (Mytilus trossulus), pelagic-feeding Black Rockfish (Sebastes melanops), and benthic-feeding Kelp Greenling (Hexagrammos decagrammus). The study objectives were to (1) estimate the proportional contributions of macroalgal and phytoplankton organic matter using carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes, (2) determine if macroalgal use affected consumer growth using annual growth rings in shells or otoliths, and (3) describe changes in organic matter use and growth during the Pacific Marine Heatwave (PMH; 2014–2016) in one consumer, mussels. Macroalgae were the major organic matter source (> 60%) to the diet for all three consumers. The relationships between macroalgal contribution and growth were neutral for both fish species and significantly positive for mussels. During the PMH, mussels had a drop (> 10%) in macroalgal contributions and grew 45% less than in other time periods. Simultaneously, the relationship between macroalgal contribution and mussel growth was strongest during the PMH, explaining 48% variation compared to 3–12% before or after the PMH. Collectively, the results suggest that macroalgae is likely more important to cold-temperate nearshore food webs than phytoplankton. Management actions aimed at conserving and expanding macroalgae are likely to benefit nearshore food webs under all climate scenarios and especially during marine heatwaves.
An investigation of the structural and optical properties of modified barium magnesium fluoroborate glasses with hafnium oxide (HfO2)
Authors: Abdelghany A. M. , Abdel Aal M. S. , Seoudi R.
Published: July 2024

Glasses of nominal composition xHfO2–(35-x)B2O3–15MgF2–35BaO, where x ranged from 0 to 0.2 mol% were fabricated using a melt-quenching technique. Structural characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, were employed to elucidate the glass network structure. The XRD patterns confirmed the amorphous nature of the studied glasses, while the FTIR and Raman spectra revealed that the incorporation of HfO2 may led to a transformation of trigonal BO3 units to tetrahedral BO4 units in the borate glass network. Deconvolution analysis of the FTIR and Raman bands provided quantitative insights into the extent of this structural rearrangement as a function of HfO2 content. UV–Vis absorption studies demonstrated that the optical bandgap of the glasses was widened with increasing HfO2 additions. This blue shift in the absorption edge was attributed to the increased formation of bridging oxygen bonds and reduced non-bridging oxygen content in the glass network. The results indicate that the studied glasses exhibit excellent compositional tunability through the incorporation of HfO2. The structural modifications and concomitant optical property enhancements suggest the potential of this glass system for various integrated photonic applications where low phonon energy and tailored transparency are highly desirable. The present work introduces a comprehensive investigation of the structural and optical property modifications in barium magnesium fluoroborate glasses induced by the addition of hafnium oxide (HfO2).
TCBIR/CD320: a potential therapeutic target upregulated in endothelial cells and associated with immune cell infiltration in liver hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Shubin , Jiang Zhongyi , Wang Pusen , Jiang Weihao , Ding Wei , Zhong Lin
Published: July 2024

CD320, which is a transmembrane protein responsible for facilitating the absorption of vitamin B12, plays a key role in this process. However, the relationships between CD320 and immune cell infiltration levels remain unclear, with limited studies investigating the diagnostic and prognostic significance of CD320 in hepatocellular carcinoma. We used various databases, including the TIMER, GEPIA, UALCAN and TCGA databases to investigate the expression levels of CD320 in hepatocellular carcinoma. Subsequently, we analyzed the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients with different expression levels of CD320. Furthermore, we also performed Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence analyses to validate the results of the database analysis. Finally, the functions of CD320 in hepatocellular carcinoma were also confirmed via relevant cell experiments and angiogenesis assays. We found that CD320 expression was significantly upregulated in tumor vascular endothelial cells. Moreover, the knockdown of CD320 led to a reduction in angiogenesis in endothelial cells. Increased expression of CD320 was also correlated with a poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, which suggested that CD320 may be a potential prognostic marker. Finally, TIMER analysis demonstrated that the infiltration of six immune cell types was significantly associated with high expression levels of CD320 in hepatocellular carcinoma. Herein, we demonstrated that CD320 may play an important role in angiogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma. These findings suggested that CD320 may be a potential clinical prognostic marker and immunotherapy target for hepatocellular carcinoma.
The value of 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT in the diagnosis of intracapsular prostate cancer with a poor prognosis
Authors: Wang Yajing , Song Jieping , Yang Lulu , Li Wencheng , Wang Wei , Ji Aiqing , Wang Liwei , Wang Feng
Published: July 2024

Objective

To evaluate the diagnostic value of 68Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for intracapsular prostate cancer with a poor prognosis (PPC) and no extracapsular invasion or distant metastasis.

Methods

The PET/CT images and clinical data of 221 patients were retrospectively analyzed. These patients all had clear pathological results. The maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) of the main lesions was measured at the postprocessing workstation and was tested for correlation with the pathological score. The diagnostic accuracy was calculated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and the best diagnostic threshold was calculated. The correlation between SUVmax and the International Society of Urological Pathology Grade Group (GG) was also analyzed.

Results

The pathological results of the 221 patients were 48 benign lesions and 173 malignant lesions, including 81 PPC. Low-, intermediate-, and high-risk prostate cancers made up 21.97% (38/173), 54.33% (94/173), and 23.70% (41/173) of the malignant lesions, respectively. SUVmax and GG were positively correlated (r = 0.54, P < 0.01). The best SUVmax thresholds for 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT for the diagnosis of intracapsular PC and PPC were 7.95 and 13.94, respectively; the specificities were 0.83 and 0.85, the negative predictive values were 0.55 and 0.87, and the areas under the ROC curves were 0.88 and 0.88, respectively.

Conclusion

68Ga-PSMA PET/CT has high specificity and NPV in the diagnosis of intracapsular PPC, but the sensitivity for the diagnosis of intracapsular low-risk PC is low, which may cause some cases to be undetected.
Data-driven confidence bound for structural response using segmented least squares: a mixed-integer programming approach
Authors: Kanno Yoshihiro
Published: July 2024

As one of data-driven approaches to computational mechanics in elasticity, this paper presents a method finding a bound for structural response, taking uncertainty in a material data set into account. For construction of an uncertainty set, we adopt the segmented least squares so that a data set that is not fitted well by the linear regression model can be dealt with. Since the obtained uncertainty set is nonconvex, the optimization problem solved for the uncertainty analysis is nonconvex. We recast this optimization problem as a mixed-integer programming problem to find a global optimal solution. This global optimality, together with a fundamental property of the order statistics, guarantees that the obtained bound for the structural response is conservative, in the sense that, at least a specified confidence level, probability that the structural response is in this bound is no smaller than a specified target value. We present numerical examples for three different types of skeletal structures.
Existence and stability of a quasi-periodic two-dimensional motion of a self-propelled particle
Authors: Ikeda Kota , Kitahata Hiroyuki , Koyano Yuki
Published: July 2024

The mechanism of self-propelled particle motion has attracted much interest in mathematical and physical understanding of the locomotion of living organisms. In a top-down approach, simple time-evolution equations are suitable for qualitatively analyzing the transition between the different types of solutions and the influence of the intrinsic symmetry of systems despite failing to quantitatively reproduce the phenomena. We aim to rigorously show the existence of the rotational, oscillatory, and quasi-periodic solutions and determine their stabilities regarding a canonical equation proposed by Koyano et al. (J Chem Phys 143(1):014117, 2015) for a self-propelled particle confined by a parabolic potential. In the proof, the original equation is reduced to a lower dimensional dynamical system by applying Fenichel’s theorem on the persistence of normally hyperbolic invariant manifolds and the averaging method. Furthermore, the averaged system is identified with essentially a one-dimensional equation because the original equation is O(2)-symmetric.
Molecular selection of soybean towards adaptation to Central European agroclimatic conditions
Authors: Rychel-Bielska Sandra , Książkiewicz Michał , Kurasiak-Popowska Danuta , Tomkowiak Agnieszka , Bielski Wojciech , Weigt Dorota , Niemann Janetta , Surma Anna , Kozak Bartosz , Nawracała Jerzy
Published: July 2024

Europe is highly dependent on soybean meal imports and anticipates an increase of domestic plant protein production. Ongoing climate change resulted in northward shift of plant hardiness zones, enabling spring-sowing of freezing-sensitive crops, including soybean. However, it requires efficient reselection of germplasm adapted to relatively short growing season and long-day photoperiod. In the present study, a PCR array has been implemented, targeting early maturity (E1–E4, E7, E9, and E10), pod shattering (qPHD1), and growth determination (Dt1) genes. This array was optimized for routine screening of soybean diversity panel (204 accessions), subjected to the 2018–2020 survey of phenology, morphology, and yield-related traits in a potential cultivation region in Poland. High broad-sense heritability (0.84–0.88) was observed for plant height, thousand grain weight, maturity date, and the first pod height. Significant positive correlations were identified between the number of seeds and pods per plant, between these two traits and seed yield per plant as well as between flowering, maturity, plant height, and first pod height. PCR array genotyping revealed high genetic diversity, yielding 98 allelic combinations. The most remarkable correlations were identified between flowering and E7 or E1, between maturity and E4 or E7 and between plant height and Dt1 or E4. The study demonstrated high applicability of this PCR array for molecular selection of soybean towards adaptation to Central Europe, designating recessive qPHD1 and dominant Dt1, E3, and E4 alleles as major targets to align soybean growth season requirements with the length of the frost-free period, improve plant performance, and increase yield.
The Seismic Response Evaluation of an Existing Multi-span Reinforced Concrete Highway Bridge in the Presence of Linear and Nonlinear Viscous Dampers
Authors: Kiral Adnan , Gurbuz Ali , Ustabas Ilker
Published: July 2024

It’s crucial to keep bridges safe and operational all the time. Before or after an earthquake, they may require immediate seismic retrofitting. In this situation, adopting both isolation systems and viscous dampers could be used as a solution. Therefore, the seismic performance of a RC bridge with linear and nonlinear viscous dampers at both pier tops and abutments is investigated. The selected bridge model is the Incesu Bridge in Artvin province in north–eastern Turkiye. In the bridge model, elastomer bearings (EBs) and viscous dampers (VDs) are added to the abutments and the tops of the piers (i.e., the bridge deck connection points). The results revealed that the maximum bending moment of two piers could be significantly reduced compared with the case where the pier’s tops are fixed to its deck. However, a large level of a viscous damper coefficient added to a bridge could cause structural damage to its deck under a strong design earthquake.
Bioconversion of organic wastes: treatment sludges, animal manures, and agricultural wastes
Authors: Ucaroglu Selnur , Ozbek Busra
Published: July 2024

This study aimed to investigate the compostability of treatment sludge and to determine the effects of adding different animal manures (cattle, pig, horse, and chicken) and agricultural waste (sunflower stalks) on the composting process. Five different compost reactors (M1, M2, M3, M4, and M5) were operated. Sunflower stalks were added to all reactors as a bulking agent at the rate of 20%. Treatment sludge (80%) and bulking agent were added to the M1 reactor, where animal manure was not added, while 40% treatment sludge and 40% animal manure were added to the other reactors. In the reactors where animal manure was added, cattle (M2), pig (M3), horse (M4), and chicken (M5) manure were used, respectively. The temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter (OM), carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N), total Kjeldahl nitrogen, and total phosphorus were monitored during the 21-day process. The highest OM loss (64.8%) occurred in the M2 reactor, and the maximum temperature (62.7 °C) was achieved. The high temperatures reached in the reactor increased microbial activity, resulting in rapid decomposition of OM and elimination of pathogens. With a maximum reduction in the C/N ratio (40%), carbon and nitrogen balance was achieved, thus obtaining a more stable and higher quality compost for plants in this reactor. In the M1 reactor, where only treatment sludge was composted, lower microbiological activity occurred compared to the other mixtures due to the lack of substrate. It can be said that composting treatment sludge together with animal manures will provide higher quality end products.
Automated photo filtering for tourism domain using deep and active learning: the case of Israeli and worldwide cities on instagram
Authors: Paradise-Vit Abigail , Elyashar Aviad , Aronson Yarden
Published: July 2024

Social media platforms like Instagram significantly influence tourists’ travel decisions by providing them with valuable insights, recommendations, authentic information, and points of interest. However, photos shared with location-specific hashtags, even those related to tourist attractions, do not always reflect the actual destination, creating challenges for potential visitors seeking accurate information. To assist tourists in finding pertinent tourism information for specific destinations, we propose VISTA: Visual Identification of Significant Travel Attractions. The proposed method employs deep learning and active learning techniques to automatically classify photos into: ‘Tourism-Related’ photos (i.e., photos related to tourism) and ‘Non-Tourism-Related’ photos (i.e., photos unrelated to tourism). To train our machine learning classifier, we created a dataset containing photos of the 10 most popular Israeli cities on Instagram. The classifier obtained an accuracy score of 0.965 and a weighted F1 score of 0.964. Evaluating our classifier’s global generalization on the InstaCities100K dataset, derived from InstaCities1M, yielded an accuracy score of 0.958 and a weighted F1 score of 0.959. The effectiveness of VISTA was demonstrated by comparing tourism-related and non-tourism-related photos in terms of photo proportion, user engagement, and object comparison. We found that most photos published on Instagram associated with cities are irrelevant to tourists and that tourism-related photos received more likes than non-tourism-related photos. Finally, there was a low overlap between objects in the two photo collections. Based on these results, we conclude that VISTA can help tourists tackle the problem of finding relevant tourism-related photos among the high volume of photos available on Instagram.
Repetitorium Sonographie der Nieren Teil 2: klinische Anwendung und Krankheitsbilder
Authors: Tsarov Dimitar , Furrer Marc A.
Published: July 2024

Die transabdominale Sonographie spielt bei der Beurteilung von benignen und malignen Befunden des oberen Harntraktes eine wichtige Rolle, nicht nur in der elektiven ambulanten Sprechstunde, sondern auch in der Notfallsituation (z. B. zur Beurteilung einer Nierenstauung bei Flankenkoliken und Verdacht auf Urosepsis oder als E‑FAST [„extended focused assessment with sonography in trauma“] als bettseitiges Ultraschallprotokoll zum Nachweis von freier Flüssigkeit als Indiz für ein Urinom oder Hämatom beim Nierentraumapatienten).

Die konventionelle Sonographie ist nicht nur essenziell für die Erstbeurteilung von benignen und pathologischen Befunden, sondern auch für die Indikationsstellung von weiteren diagnostischen und therapeutischen Massnahmen.

Zu den benignen Befunden gehören u. a. anatomische Anomalien (z. B. Hufeisenniere), entzündliche Veränderungen (Nephritis, Abszess), vaskuläre Pathologien (Nierenarterienstenose), Steinleiden (Urolithiasis), Traumafolgen oder postoperative Komplikationen (Urinom, Blutung), Sekundärmanifestationen einer anderen Pathologie (Harnstauung oder vesikoureterorenaler Reflux) sowie Nierenzysten oder -divertikel sowie benigne Tumoren (Angiomyolipom, Onkozytom).

Die häufigsten malignen Nierentumoren sind das Nierenzellkarzinom, bei den pädiatrischen Patienten das Nephroblastom (Wilms-Tumor) sowie weniger häufig Nierenmetastasen und Nierenlymphome.

Erschwerend kommt bei der Unterscheidung zwischen benignen und malignen Befunden der Nieren dazu, dass gewisse sonomorphologische Eigenschaften sowohl bei benignen als auch malignen Veränderungen vorkommen. Zur besseren Differenzierung und Charakterisierung der Befunde wird der kontrastmittelverstärkte Ultraschall (CEUS) wird bei der Abklärung von pathologischen Befunden der Nieren immer häufiger durchgeführt. Als weitere diagnostische Mittel werden die Computertomographie des Abdomens (CT) sowie die Magnetresonanztomographie (MRT) eingesetzt.

Diese Übersichtsarbeit soll als praxisorientiertes Repetitorium der Nierensonographie dienen und stellt einen Überblick über benigne und pathologische Befunde des oberen Harntrakts mit Fokus auf die Nieren bereit.
Damage detection of frame structure using a novel time-domain regression method
Authors: Ji Xingle , Xu Xueyong , Huang Kun
Published: July 2024

Shear structure model is the most frequently used to model for the damage detection of frame building structures. However, due to the existence of modelling error, using a shear structure model to perform damage detection of a complex frame structure often results in inaccurate detection results. In this paper, a novel reduced model for the frame is proposed, which converts a multi-story multi-bay plane frame into a beam-like model, having one translational and two rotational degrees-of-freedom for each floor. Based on the new model, a novel time-domain regression method (TDRM) was established using the spectral density function between the horizontal acceleration of the frame floor and the reference response to identify the equivalent layer stiffness and damping parameters. Finally, a five-story two-bay frame structure is used to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed time-domain regression method of estimating structural parameters and identifying structural damage.The results show that this method can identify, locate, and quantify the structural stiffness changes accurately.
Prediction of Helicopter Rotor Loads and Fatigue Damage Evaluation with Neural Networks
Authors: Graziani Alberto , Prederi Davide , Trezzini Alberto Angelo , Favale Marco , Masarati Pierangelo
Published: July 2024

In recent years, machine learning algorithms have experienced rapid advancement, driven by the exponential growth of data availability and computational capabilities. Among these algorithms, artificial neural networks stand out as one of the most renowned and effective classes, possessing the ability to discern relationships within data. In this study, we harness neural networks to deduce the relationship between flight mechanics parameters and resulting loads in an articulated rotor configuration. The accuracy of these algorithms hinges closely on the quality of the dataset used for training. Given that rotor loads manifest as time-periodic signals with precise harmonic content, we train dedicated neural networks to predict each harmonic individually. Subsequently, the load time history is reconstructed post hoc by amalgamating predictions from each individual network. Various network architectures are explored, and a sensitivity analysis is conducted on hyper-parameters to determine the optimal configuration for this specific application. Moreover, these predictions serve as input for a fatigue damage calculation algorithm.
Seasonal Dynamic of NO3− and K+ in a Citrus Crop Irrigated by Different Water Qualities
Authors: Mira-García Ana Belén , Romero-Trigueros Cristina , Bayona José María , Nicolás-Nicolás Emilio
Published: July 2024

This study evaluated the effect of (i) irrigation water source: transfer (TW) and reclaimed water (RW), and (ii) crop phenological stage: winter rest (WR), flowering-sprouting (FS), and fruit growth (FG), on NO3− and K+ dynamics in soil and leaf of a citrus crop. The experiment was carried out during the 2018 and 2019 growing seasons on adult ‘Star Ruby’ grapefruit trees (Citrus paradisi Macf.). The concentration of both nutrients was periodically measured in soil and leaf samples and continuously monitored in the soil soluble fraction with nutrient sensors. Moreover, soil NO3− leaching was indirectly estimated by the periodic measurement of the leaf enrichment in 15N isotope (15Nleaf). The two water sources showed a different nutrient loading. Thus, NO3− and K+, were approximately 5 and 7 times higher, respectively, in the RW. Furthermore, the average contents of NO3− and K+ in the soil samples from the RW treatment were 10.1 and 19.7%, respectively, higher than in TW, with the highest soil NO3− leaching observed in RW treatment. In line with this, the mean contents of NO3− and K+ in the leaves from the RW treatment were 106.9 and 30.4% higher than the TW ones. As for the different phenological stages, in the FG stage, the lowest concentrations of NO3− in the soil samples and the highest in the leaf tissue were observed after a high soil leaching event. In this study the nutrient sensors measurements varied according to the dynamic of NO3− and K+ in the soil samples. The use of RW promoted an accumulation of NO3− and K+ in the soil and leaves of grapefruit trees, but also enhanced soil NO3− leaching, indicating that the proper management of this water source is necessary to avoid soil contamination. The mobilization of NO3− and K+ from soil to leaf was the highest in the FG stage, to ensure fruit development and vegetative growth.