bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of HNF1B, KLK3, ELAC2, TMPRSS2‐ERG, and CTNNB1 polymorphisms associated with prostate cancer in samples of patients from HUPE‐UERJ
Authors: Menezes Raphaela dos Santos , Dornas Maria Cristina , Campos Carlos Frederico Ferreira , Rodeiro Daniela Bouzas , Carrerette Fabricio Borges , Oliveira Romulo Vianna , de Souza Brenda Amaral , Alves de Souza Carvalho Gabriele , Brito Ingrid Alexandre de Abreu , Silva Dayse Aparecida , Damião Ronaldo , Porto Luís Cristóvão
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the leading cause of death among men in 48 countries. Genetic alterations play a significant role in PCa carcinogenesis. For the hypothesis of this research, five unique polymorphisms (SNP) were investigated in different genes that showed to be associated in different ways with PCa: rs4430796, rs2735839, rs4792311, rs12329760, and rs28931588, respectively for the genes HNF1B, KLK3, ELAC2, TMPRSS2‐ERG, and CTNNB1.

Patients and Methods

Blood samples from 426 subjects were evaluated: 290 controls (161 females and 129 males) and 136 PCa patients. SNP were determined by real‐time polymerase chain reaction. TaqMan SNP genotyping assay. In the control samples, the SNPs were defined in association with the self‐reported ethnicity, and in 218 control samples with markers with ancestry indicators. The genes were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. One hundred and seventy control samples were matched by ethnicity for comparison with the PCa samples.

Results

The G allele at rs28931588 was monomorphic in both patients and controls studied. Significant differences were observed in allelic and genotypic frequencies between the control and Pca samples in rs2735839 (KLK3; p = 0.002 and χ2 = 8.73 and p = 0.01, respectively), by the global frequency and in the dominant model rs2735839_GG (odds ratio [OR] = 0.51, p = 0.02). AA and GA genotypes at rs4792311 (ELAC2) were more frequent in patients with Gleason 7(4 + 3), 8, and 9 (n = 37%–59.7%) compared to patients with Gleason 6 and 7(3 + 4) (n = 26%–40.0%) conferring a protective effect on the GG genotype (OR = 0.45, p = 0.02). The same genotype showed an OR = 2.71 (p = 0.01) for patients with low severity. The HNF1B–KLK3–ELAC2–TMPRSS2‐ERG haplotypes: GAAT, AAAT, GAGT, and AAGT were more frequent in patients with Pca with OR ranging from 4.65 to 2.48.

Conclusions

Higher frequencies of risk alleles were confirmed in the SNPs, KLK3 rs2735839_A, ELAC2 rs4792311_A, and TMPRSS2 rs12329760_T in patients with Pca. Rs2735839_A was associated with risk of Pca and rs4792311_A with severity and Gleason score of 7(4 + 3) or greater. There is a need for careful observation of rs2735839 and rs4792311 in association with the prostatic biopsy due to the increased risk of Pca.
Organic Solar Cell with an Active Area > 1 cm2 Achieving 15.8% Certified Efficiency using Optimized VIS‐NIR Antireflection Coating
Authors: Faisst Jared , Jiang Ershuai , Bogati Shankar , Pap Leonie , Zimmermann Birger , Kroyer Tom , Würfel Uli , List Mathias
Published: October 2023

Organic solar cells are on the verge of reaching 20% power conversion efficiency (PCE) on small device areas (< 0.1 cm2). Herein, an improved efficiency of organic solar cells based on the donor polymer D18 combined with the non‐fullerene acceptor Y6 with an active area of ≥1 cm2 reaching a certified PCE of 15.8% is reported. This is achieved due to an increase in photogenerated current enabled by a fully magnetron sputtered multilayer antireflection coating (ARC) custom designed for the absorption profile of the photoactive layer. The influence of this ARC in the visible to near infrared range is quantified by means of full optical device simulations predicting a photogenerated current gain of 3.9%. With the advanced device architecture, the best solar cell is measured independently by Fraunhofer ISE calibration lab obtaining the following values: open‐circuit voltage = 851.3 mV, short‐circuit current density = 25.11  mA cm−2, fill factor = 73.89% on an active area of 1.0645 cm2 thus yielding the improved world record efficiency in the category of cell areas ≥1 cm2.
Extremophilic microbial metabolism and radioactive waste disposal
Authors: Butterworth Sarah Jane , Barton Franky , Lloyd Jonathan Richard
Published: October 2023

Decades of nuclear activities have left a legacy of hazardous radioactive waste, which must be isolated from the biosphere for over 100,000 years. The preferred option for safe waste disposal is a deep subsurface geological disposal facility (GDF). Due to the very long geological timescales required, and the complexity of materials to be disposed of (including a wide range of nutrients and electron donors/acceptors) microbial activity will likely play a pivotal role in the safe operation of these mega-facilities. A GDF environment provides many metabolic challenges to microbes that may inhabit the facility, including high temperature, pressure, radiation, alkalinity, and salinity, depending on the specific disposal concept employed. However, as our understanding of the boundaries of life is continuously challenged and expanded by the discovery of novel extremophiles in Earth’s most inhospitable environments, it is becoming clear that microorganisms must be considered in GDF safety cases to ensure accurate predictions of long-term performance. This review explores extremophilic adaptations and how this knowledge can be applied to challenge our current assumptions on microbial activity in GDF environments. We conclude that regardless of concept, a GDF will consist of multiple extremes and it is of high importance to understand the limits of polyextremophiles under realistic environmental conditions.
A methodology to characterize energy consumption in small and medium-sized enterprises at national level in European countries
Authors: Herce Carlos , Biele Enrico , Martini Chiara , Salvio Marcello , Toro Claudia , Brandl Gabriele , Lackner Petra , Reuter Stefan
Published: October 2023

The 25 million of European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) represent 99% of businesses and account for the two thirds of total employment and a half of Gross Domestic Product. Thus, SMEs are considered as the backbone of European’ economy. The crucial importance of energy efficiency and its potential in SMEs is worldwide recognized. However, the energy use and consumption information of SMEs are very limited, and the disaggregated data between SMEs and large enterprises are often not available at national or European level. The aim of this work is to present a methodology for the energy consumption characterization of European SMEs at national level. The proposed methodology, based on the combination of official national energy statistics and energy consumption data according to the European Energy Efficiency Directive Article 8, has been developed and applied to Italy and Austria. Preliminary results show significant differences in the relative weight of SMEs’ energy consumption between the two countries mainly due to their specific productive structures. The application of this methodology to the available data on further five European countries provides useful insights on the impact of different national approaches to comply with Art.8. This methodology shows that harmonizing the different strategies to monitor energy audits obligation would significantly help to characterize the energy consumption of SMEs in Europe. Additionally, the knowledge of the distribution of energy consumption between large enterprises and SMEs would help in assessing the impact of mandatory and voluntary energy audits on potential savings in industrial and tertiary sectors.

Graphical abstract
Polymer-based porous carbon doped with iron nanoparticles for enhanced organic compounds removal
Authors: Lorenc-Grabowska Ewa , Stasiak Olga , Kordek-Khalil Karolina
Published: October 2023

This work shows that magnetic adsorbents with different porosity characteristics can be produced by carbonization and steam activation of a mixture of a furfuryl alcohol and iron-containing compound, such as ferrocene (PFA/ferrocene), FeCl3 (PFA/FeCl3) and FeSO4 (PFA/FeSO4). The materials obtained in this work possess magnetic properties that are revealed in the neodymium magnet balance test as an increase in weight loss with an increase in iron content in the material. In order to verify whether the magnetic properties facilitate the removal of the used adsorbent, the sedimentation test was carried out. The porous texture characteristics obtained from the N2 adsorption isotherms at 77 K show a huge differences in porosities depending on the type of iron compound used. The presence of ferrocene promotes the formation of mesoporosity, whereas the presence of iron(II) sulphate induces microporosity. XRD measurements reveal the presence of magnetite and hematite in all magnetic adsorbents. The intensity of the XRD peak designated to magnetite increases with an increase in the saturation magnetization. Adsorption of Congo red (CR), phenol (P), atrazine (A) and isoproturon (I) from aqueous solutions was carried out at a temperature of 24 °C in a static system. The magnetic properties accelerated the sedimentation processes and materials demonstrated a high adsorption ability toward organic contamination. The adsorption capacity on PFA-based MAC is strongly related to adsorbent porosity.
RoLoMa: robust loco-manipulation for quadruped robots with arms
Authors: Ferrolho Henrique , Ivan Vladimir , Merkt Wolfgang , Havoutis Ioannis , Vijayakumar Sethu
Published: October 2023

Deployment of robotic systems in the real world requires a certain level of robustness in order to deal with uncertainty factors, such as mismatches in the dynamics model, noise in sensor readings, and communication delays. Some approaches tackle these issues reactively at the control stage. However, regardless of the controller, online motion execution can only be as robust as the system capabilities allow at any given state. This is why it is important to have good motion plans to begin with, where robustness is considered proactively. To this end, we propose a metric (derived from first principles) for representing robustness against external disturbances. We then use this metric within our trajectory optimization framework for solving complex loco-manipulation tasks. Through our experiments, we show that trajectories generated using our approach can resist a greater range of forces originating from any possible direction. By using our method, we can compute trajectories that solve tasks as effectively as before, with the added benefit of being able to counteract stronger disturbances in worst-case scenarios.
Global observation gaps of peatland greenhouse gas balances: needs and obstacles
Authors: Zhao Junbin , Weldon Simon , Barthelmes Alexandra , Swails Erin , Hergoualc’h Kristell , Mander Ülo , Qiu Chunjing , Connolly John , Silver Whendee L. , Campbell David I.
Published: October 2023

Greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions from peatlands contribute significantly to ongoing climate change because of human land use. To develop reliable and comprehensive estimates and predictions of GHG emissions from peatlands, it is necessary to have GHG observations, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), that cover different peatland types globally. We synthesize published peatland studies with field GHG flux measurements to identify gaps in observations and suggest directions for future research. Although GHG flux measurements have been conducted at numerous sites globally, substantial gaps remain in current observations, encompassing various peatland types, regions and GHGs. Generally, there is a pressing need for additional GHG observations in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean regions. Despite widespread measurements of CO2 and CH4, studies quantifying N2O emissions from peatlands are scarce, particularly in natural ecosystems. To expand the global coverage of peatland data, it is crucial to conduct more eddy covariance observations for long-term monitoring. Automated chambers are preferable for plot-scale observations to produce high temporal resolution data; however, traditional field campaigns with manual chamber measurements remain necessary, particularly in remote areas. To ensure that the data can be further used for modeling purposes, we suggest that chamber campaigns should be conducted at least monthly for a minimum duration of one year with no fewer than three replicates and measure key environmental variables. In addition, further studies are needed in restored peatlands, focusing on identifying the most effective restoration approaches for different ecosystem types, conditions, climates, and land use histories.
Charged dust in Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet models
Authors: Naicker Shavani , Maharaj Sunil D. , Brassel Byron P.
Published: October 2023

We investigate the influence of the higher order curvature terms on the static configuration of a charged dust distribution in EGB gravity. The EGB field equations for such a fluid are generated in higher dimensions. The governing equation can be written as an Abel differential equation of the second kind, or a second order linear differential equation. Exact solutions are found to these equations in terms of special functions, series and polynomials. The Abel differential equation of the second kind is reducible to a canonical differential equation; three new families of solutions are found by constraining the coefficients of the canonical equation. The charged dust model is shown to be physically well behaved in a region at the centre, and dust spheres can be generated. The higher order curvature terms influence the dynamics of charged dust and the gravitational behaviour which is distinct from general relativity.
Thermographic Estimation of the Area and Depth of Buried Heat Sources for Nondestructive Characterization of Horizontal Defects
Authors: Mendioroz Arantza , Salazar Agustín , Lasserre Paul , Oswald-Tranta Beate , Tuschl Christoph
Published: October 2023

We present a methodology to estimate quantitatively the area and depth of horizontal defects that generate heat in non-destructive tests such as burst vibrothermography or inductive thermography, without previous knowledge of the shape of the heat source. The method is based on extracting the temporal evolution of the temperature at the centre of the heated region, together with the thermogram obtained at the end of the excitation. The temperature displayed in this thermogram is averaged in circumferences concentric with the centre of the heated region to obtain an averaged radial profile which is fitted, together with the temporal evolution of the temperature, to a circular heat source model. By fitting synthetic data corresponding to rectangular heat sources with added noise, we analyse the accuracy of the method to retrieve the area and depth of the heat source for different depths and aspect ratios. Experimental results show that the method is able to estimate the area and depth of heat sources with aspect ratios below 1/1.5 with accuracy of about 10%.
Digital dashboards for direct oral anticoagulant surveillance, intervention and operational efficiency: uptake, obstacles, and opportunities
Authors: Triller Darren M. , Wilson Aaron S. , Allen Arthur L. , Burnett Allison E. , Gouveia-Pisano Julie Ann , Brenner Allison , Pritchard Barbara K. , Medico Charles , Barnes Geoffrey D.
Published: October 2023

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) are the most widely prescribed oral anticoagulants in the United States. Despite advantages over warfarin, system-level improvements are needed to optimize outcomes. While Veterans Health Administration and others have described successful DOAC management dashboard implementation, the extent of use nationally is unknown. A survey of Anticoagulation Forum’s members was conducted to assess access to digital tools available within a dashboard and to describe implementation models. An Expert Forum was subsequently convened to identify barriers to dashboard development and adoption. Responses were received from 340 targeted recipients (8.5% of invitees). Only a minority of inpatient (25/52, 48.1%) and outpatient (47/133, 35.3%) respondents outside of Veterans Health Administration were able to generate rosters of DOAC users on-demand, and fewer had the ability to digitally display key clinical data elements, identify drug-related problems, document interventions, or generate reports. The lack of regulatory requirements regarding Anticoagulation Stewardship was identified by the Expert Forum as the major barrier to widespread development of digital tools for improved anticoagulation management. While some health systems have demonstrated the feasibility of DOAC dashboards and described their impact on quality and efficiency, these tools do not appear to be widely available in the United States apart from Veterans Health Administration. The lack of regulatory requirements for Anticoagulation Stewardship may be the primary barrier to the development of digital resources to better manage anticoagulants. Efforts to secure regulatory requirements for Anticoagulation Stewardship are needed, and evidence of improvements in clinical and financial outcomes through DOAC dashboard use will likely bolster such efforts.
Possible effect of the early administration of tranexamic acid on myocardial injury in patients with severe trauma
Authors: Stroda Alexandra , Thelen Simon , M’Pembele René , Tenge Theresa , Jaekel Carina , Schiffner Erik , Bieler Dan , Bernhard Michael , Huhn Ragnar , Lurati Buse Giovanna , Roth Sebastian
Published: October 2023

Hemodynamic stabilization plays a crucial role in the treatment of patients suffering from severe trauma. Current guidelines recommend the early administration of tranexamic acid (TXA) for bleeding control. While less blood loss can result in less end-organ damage, including myocardial injury, TXA also exhibits prothrombotic effects with potentially adverse myocardial effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the administration of TXA and myocardial injury in patients with severe trauma. We conducted a monocentric cohort study including severely injured patients ≥ 18 years [defined by Injury severity score (ISS) ≥ 16], who were admitted to a tertiary care hospital between 2016 and 2019. Primary outcome measure was myocardial injury according to the fourth Universal Definition (= high sensitive troponin T ≥ 14 ng/l). Secondary endpoints were in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and mortality. Main exposure was defined as administration of TXA during prehospital period. We conducted multivariate logistic regression models including predefined covariables. A total of 368 patients were screened. Among the 297 included patients (72% male, age. 55?21 years), 119 (40%) presented myocardial injury at hospital arrival. TXA was administered to 20/297 (7%) patients in the prehospital setting, and in 96/297 (32%) patients during pre-or in-hospital period. MACE incidence was 9% (26/297) and in-hospital mortality was 26% (76/297). The adjusted odds ratios (OR) for prehospital TXA and myocardial injury, MACE and mortality were 0.75 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.25–2.23], 0.51 [95%CI: 0.06–4.30] and 0.84 [0.21–3.33], respectively. In the present cohort of patients suffering from severe trauma, prehospital TXA did not affect the incidence of myocardial injury.
Norm inflation for a non-linear heat equation with gaussian initial conditions
Authors: Chevyrev Ilya
Published: October 2023

We consider a non-linear heat equation $$\partial _t u = \Delta u + B(u,Du)+P(u)$$

∂
t

u
=
Δ
u
+
B

(
u
,
D
u
)

+
P

(
u
)

posed on the d-dimensional torus, where P is a polynomial of degree at most 3 and B is a bilinear map that is not a total derivative. We show that, if the initial condition $$u_0$$

u
0

is taken from a sequence of smooth Gaussian fields with a specified covariance, then u exhibits norm inflation with high probability. A consequence of this result is that there exists no Banach space of distributions which carries the Gaussian free field on the 3D torus and to which the DeTurck–Yang–Mills heat flow extends continuously, which complements recent well-posedness results of Cao–Chatterjee and the author with Chandra–Hairer–Shen. Another consequence is that the (deterministic) non-linear heat equation exhibits norm inflation, and is thus locally ill-posed, at every point in the Besov space $$B^{-1/2}_{\infty ,\infty }$$

B

∞
,
∞

-
1
/
2

; the space $$B^{-1/2}_{\infty ,\infty }$$

B

∞
,
∞

-
1
/
2

is an endpoint since the equation is locally well-posed for $$B^{\eta }_{\infty ,\infty }$$

B

∞
,
∞

η

for every $$\eta >-\frac{1}{2}$$

η
>
-

1
2

.
Palaeobiodiversity of Sauropoda in the Blesa Formation (Lower Cretaceous) at northeast Spain
Authors: Medrano-Aguado E. , Parrilla-Bel J. , Canudo J. I.
Published: October 2023

The Blesa Formation is one of the richest formations of the Barremian of the Iberian Peninsula in terms of vertebrate biodiversity. In the La Cantalera-1 site more than 32 vertebrate taxa have been identified, but the only sauropod remains are three isolated teeth related to Euhelopodidae. In this paper, all the sauropod material studied so far in this formation is reviewed and new remains are described. The material comes from different sites in all three depositional sequences of the Blesa Formation. A new tooth, a fragmented cervical vertebra and a caudal vertebra are described in the La Cantalera-1 site and assigned tentatively to Euhelopodidae. One left tibia, one left ischium and one caudal vertebra have been recovered in different fossils sites in the Lower, Middle and Upper Blesa sequences respectively. These new sauropod remains are assigned to Titanosauriformes, the most common group of dinosaurs in the Barremian of the Iberian Peninsula. The isolated character of the fossils precludes more precise taxonomic attributions.
Antenna Placement Optimization for Distributed MIMO Radar Based on a Reinforcement Learning Algorithm
Authors: Zhu Jin , Liu Wenxu , Zhang Xiangrong , Lyu Feifei , Guo Zhengqiang
Published: October 2023

This paper studies an optimization problem of antenna placement for multiple heading angles of the target in a distributed multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar system. An improved method to calculate the system’s coverage area in light of the changing target heading is presented. The antenna placement optimization problem is mathematically modelled as a sequential decision problem for compatibility with reinforcement learning solutions. A reinforcement learning agent is established, which uses the long short-term memory (LSTM)-based proximal policy optimization (PPO) method as the core algorithm to solve the antenna placement problem. Finally, the experimental findings demonstrate that the method can enhance the coverage area of antenna placement and thus has reference value for providing new ideas for the antenna placement optimization of distributed MIMO radar.
The effect of quaternary ammonium polyethylenimine nanoparticles on bacterial adherence, cytotoxicity, and physical and mechanical properties of experimental dental composites
Authors: Chladek Grzegorz , Barszczewska-Rybarek Izabela , Chrószcz-Porębska Marta , Mertas Anna
Published: October 2023

A significant problem related to the functioning of resin-based composites for dental fillings is secondary or recurrent caries, which is the reason for the need for repeated treatment. The cross-linked quaternary ammonium polyethylenimine nanoparticles (QA-PEI-NPs) have been shown to be a promising antibacterial agent against different bacteria, including cariogenic ones. However, little is known about the properties of dental dimethacrylate polymer-based composites enriched with QA-PEI-NPs. This research was carried out on experimental composites based on bis-GMA/UDMA/TEGDMA matrix enriched with 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 and 3 (wt%) QA-PEI-NPs and reinforced with two glass fillers. The cured composites were tested for their adherence ofStreptococcus Mutansbacteria, cell viability (MTT assay) with 48 h and 10-days extracts , degree of conversion (DC), water sorption (WSO), and solubility (WSL), water contact angle (CA), flexural modulus (E), flexural strength (FS), compressive strength (CS), and Vickers microhardness (HV). The investigated materials have shown a complete reduction in bacteria adherence and satisfactory biocompatibility. The QA-PEI-NPs additive has no effect on the DC, VH, and E values. QA-PEI-NPs increased the CA (a favorable change), the WSO and WSL (unfavorable changes) and decreased flexural strength, and compressive strength (unfavorable changes). The changes mentioned were insignificant and acceptable for most composites, excluding the highest antibacterial filler content. Probably the reason for the deterioration of some properties was low compatibility between filler particles and the matrix; therefore, it is worth extending the research by surface modification of QA-PEI-NPs to achieve the optimum performance characteristics.
The salvage role of allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation in relapsed/refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma
Authors: Min Gi-June , Jeon Young-Woo , Kim Tong Yoon , Kwag Daehun , Kim Byung-Su , Lee Joonyeop , Lee Jong Hyuk , Park Sung-Soo , Park Silvia , Yoon Jae-Ho , Lee Sung-Eun , Cho Byung-Sik , Eom Ki-Seong , Kim Yoo-Jin , Lee Seok , Kim Hee-Je , Min Chang-Ki , Lee Jong Wook , Cho Seok-Goo
Published: October 2023

To clarify the role of allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in the chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy era, we analyzed the clinical characteristics and outcomes of 52 patients treated with allo-HSCT with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Most enrolled patients had previously undergone intensive treatments, the median number of chemotherapy lines was 4, and the median time from diagnosis to allo-HSCT was 27.1 months. Patients were divided into remission-achieved (n = 30) and active-disease (n = 22) groups before allo-HSCT. Over a median follow-up period of 38.3 months, overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) rates were 38.4% and 30.6%, respectively. The cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) and the non-relapsed mortality (NRM) were 36.7% and 32.7%, respectively. OS, EFS, and graft-versus-host disease-free, relapse-free survival (GRFS) outcomes were significantly superior in the remission-achieved group with lower CIR. In a multivariate analysis, a shorter interval from diagnosis to allo-HSCT reflected relatively rapid disease progression and showed significantly poor OS and EFS with higher CIR. Patients with active disease had significantly lower EFS, GRFS, and higher CIR. Previous autologous stem-cell transplantation was associated with better GRFS. Allo-HSCT is an established modality with a prominent group of cured patients and still has a role in the CAR T-cell era, particularly given its acceptable clinical outcomes in young patients with chemo-susceptible disease.
Highly nonlinear optic nucleic acid thin-solid film to generate short pulse laser
Authors: Ghasemi Marjan , Debnath Pulak Chandra , Kim Byungjoo , Pournoury Marzieh , Khazaeinezhad Reza , Hosseinzadeh Kassani Sahar , Yeom Dong-Il , Oh Kyunghwan
Published: October 2023

Using aqueous precursors, we report successfully fabricating thin-solid films of two nucleic acids, ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). We investigated the potential of these films deposited on a fiber optic platform as all-fiber integrated saturable absorbers (SAs) for ultrafast nonlinear optics. RNA-SA performances were comparable to those of DNA-SA in terms of its nonlinear transmission, modulation depth, and saturation intensity. Upon insertion of these devices into an Erbium-doped fiber ring-laser cavity, both RNA and DNA SAs enabled efficient passive Q-switching operation. RNA-SA application further facilitated robust mode-locking and generated a transform-limited soliton pulse, exhibiting a pulse duration of 633 femtoseconds. A detailed analysis of these pulsed laser characteristics compared RNA and DNA fiber optic SAs with other nonlinear optic materials. The findings of this research establish the feasibility of utilizing RNA as a saturable absorber in ultrafast laser systems with an equal or higher potential as DNA, which presents novel possibilities for the nonlinear photonic applications of nucleic acid thin solid films.
Design and fabrication of 3D-printed patient-specific soft tissue and bone phantoms for CT imaging
Authors: Mei Kai , Pasyar Pouyan , Geagan Michael , Liu Leening P. , Shapira Nadav , Gang Grace J. , Stayman J. Webster , Noël Peter B.
Published: October 2023

The objective of this study is to create patient-specific phantoms for computed tomography (CT) that possess accurate densities and exhibit visually realistic image textures. These qualities are crucial for evaluating CT performance in clinical settings. The study builds upon a previously presented 3D printing method (PixelPrint) by incorporating soft tissue and bone structures. We converted patient DICOM images directly into 3D printer instructions using PixelPrint and utilized calcium-doped filament to increase the Hounsfield unit (HU) range. Density was modeled by controlling printing speed according to volumetric filament ratio to emulate attenuation profiles. We designed micro-CT phantoms to demonstrate the reproducibility, and to determine mapping between filament ratios and HU values on clinical CT systems. Patient phantoms based on clinical cervical spine and knee examinations were manufactured and scanned with a clinical spectral CT scanner. The CT images of the patient-based phantom closely resembled original CT images in visual texture and contrast. Micro-CT analysis revealed minimal variations between prints, with an overall deviation of ± 0.8% in filament line spacing and ± 0.022 mm in line width. Measured differences between patient and phantom were less than 12 HU for soft tissue and 15 HU for bone marrow, and 514 HU for cortical bone. The calcium-doped filament accurately represented bony tissue structures across different X-ray energies in spectral CT (RMSE ranging from ± 3 to ± 28 HU, compared to 400 mg/ml hydroxyapatite). In conclusion, this study demonstrated the possibility of extending 3D-printed patient-based phantoms to soft tissue and bone structures while maintaining accurate organ geometry, image texture, and attenuation profiles.
Assessment of biomechanical behavior of immature non-vital incisors with various treatment modalities by means of three-dimensional quasi–static finite element analysis
Authors: Hassouneh Layla , Matoug-Elwerfelli Manal , Al-Omari Taher , Setzer Frank C. , Nagendrababu Venkateshbabu
Published: October 2023

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the stress distribution and risk of fracture of a non-vital immature maxillary central incisor subjected to various clinical procedures using finite element analysis (FEA). A three-dimensional model of an immature central incisor was developed, from which six main models were designed: untreated immature tooth (C), standard apical plug (AP), resin composite (RC), glass-fibre post (GFP), regeneration procedure (RET), and regeneration with induced root maturation (RRM). Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) or Biodentine®were used as an apical or coronal plug. All models simulated masticatory forces in a quasi–static approach with an oblique force of 240 Newton at a 120° to the longitudinal tooth axis. The maximum principal stress, maximum shear stress, risk of fracture, and the strengthening percentage were evaluated. The mean maximum principal stress values were highest in model C [90.3 MPa (SD = 4.4)] and lowest in the GFP models treated with either MTA and Biodentine®; 64.1 (SD = 1.7) and 64.0 (SD = 1.6) MPa, respectively. Regarding the shear stress values, the dentine tooth structure in model C [14.4 MPa (SD = 0.8)] and GFP models [15.4 MPa (SD = 1.1)] reported significantly higher maximum shear stress values compared to other tested models (p < 0.001), while no significant differences were reported between the other models (p > 0.05). No significant differences between MTA and Biodentine®regarding maximum principal stress and maximum shear stress values for each tested model (p > 0.05). A maximum strain value of 4.07E−03 and maximum displacement magnitude of 0.128 mm was recorded in model C. In terms of strengthening percentage, the GFP models were associated with the highest increase (22%). The use of a GFP improved the biomechanical performance and resulted in a lower risk of fracture of a non-vital immature maxillary central incisor in a FEA model.
The suppression of MAPK/NOX/MMP signaling prompts renoprotection conferred by prenatal naproxen in weaning preeclamptic rats
Authors: Abdelhady Sherien A. , Ali Mennatallah A. , Yacout Dalia M. , Essawy Marwa M. , Kandil Lamia S. , El-Mas Mahmoud M.
Published: October 2023

Although nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are frequently used for fever and pain during pregnancy, their possible interaction with perinatal renal injury induced by preeclampsia (PE) has not been addressed. Here, studies were undertaken in the N(gamma)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) PE model to assess the influence of gestational NSAIDs on renal damage in weaning dams. PE-evoked increments and decrements in urine protein and creatinine clearance, respectively, were intensified by celecoxib and weakened by diclofenac or naproxen. Naproxen also improved renal cloudy swelling, necrosis, and reduced glomerular area evoked by PE. The concomitant rises in renal expression of markers of oxidative stress (NOX2/4), extracellular matrix metaloproteinase deposition (MMP9), and prostanoids (PGE2, PGF2α, TXA2) were all more effectively reduced by naproxen compared with celecoxib or diclofenac. Western blotting showed tripled expression of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs; p-p38, p-JNK1, p-ERK1, p-ERK2) in PE kidneys that was overturned by all NSAIDs, with naproxen producing the largest drop in p-ERK2 expression. The PE-provoked elevation in renal expression of autophagic marker LC3 was reduced by naproxen and diclofenac, but not celecoxib. The data suggests superior effect for naproxen over other NSAIDs in rectifying preeclamptic renal injury and predisposing inflammatory, oxidative, autophagic, and fibrotic signals.
Alleviation role of exogenous cadaverine on cell cycle, endogenous polyamines amounts and biochemical enzyme changes in barley seedlings under drought stress
Authors: Ozmen Serkan , Tabur Selma , Oney-Birol Signem
Published: October 2023

Cadaverine (Cad), which has an independent synthesis pathway compared to other polyamine (PA) types, contributes to the health of plants by regulating plant growth and development, abiotic stress tolerance and antioxidant defense mechanisms. In this work, experiments were carried out to understand the effects of exogenous Cad (10 µM) application under drought stress (%22 PEG 6000) and without stress on cell cycle, total protein content, endogenous PA levels, and biochemical enzyme activities in barley (Hordeum vulgare cv. Burakbey) considering the potential of Cad to stimulate the drought-related tolerance system. Cad application in a stress-free environment showed an effect almost like low-impact drought stress, causing changes in all parameters examined compared to samples grown in distilled water environment (Control). The results clearly show that Cad applied against the negative effects of drought stress on all parameters creates a drought resistance mechanism of the plant. Accordingly, Cad applied together with drought stress increased the density of cells in the cell cycle (G1–S and S–G2 phases) and the amount of endogenous (spermidine 10% and spermine 40%) PAs. In addition, while superoxide dismutase (SOD) (5%), (CAT) (55%) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) (18%) enzyme levels increased, a stress response mechanism occurred due to the decrease in total protein content (20%) and malondialdehyde (MDA) (80%). As a result, exogenous application of 10 µM Cad showed that it reduced the negative effects of drought stress on endogenous PA amounts, cell division and biochemical activities in barley.
Color-controlled nonstoichiometric spinel-type cobalt gallate nanopigments prepared by supercritical hydrothermal synthesis
Authors: Xie Bo , Numako Chiya , Naka Takashi , Takami Seiichi
Published: October 2023

For the first time, the color manipulation of nonstoichiometric spinel-type cobalt gallate nanoparticles (Co–Ga NPs) was realized by supercritical hydrothermal synthesis at 400 °C using different precursor solution pH and without calcination.
The application of a combined stimulation with CRH and desmopressin during bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling in patients with Cushing's syndrome
Authors: Tsagarakis S. , Kaskarelis I. S. , Kokkoris P. , Malagari C. , Thalassinos N.
Published: October 2023

BACKGROUND Bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling (BIPSS) is a useful investigative technique in the differential diagnosis of ACTH‐dependent Cushing's syndrome (CS). The diagnostic sensitivity of this procedure is improved by the administration of CRH to stimulate ACTH secretion. It has been reported recently that the combined administration of CRH and desmopressin is a more potent stimulus for ACTH release from corticotroph adenomas. We therefore hypothesized that the combined stimulation of ACTH secretion with CRH plus desmopressin may further improve the diagnostic outcome of this procedure.

AIMS To report our experience of the application of combined stimulation with CRH and desmopressin during BIPSS in patients with ACTH‐dependent Cushing's syndrome, and to compare these results to those obtained in patients who have undergone BIPSS with CRH stimulation alone.

PATIENTS We studied 34 patients with ACTH‐dependent CS: 30 with Cushing's disease (CD) and four with occult ectopic ACTH syndrome (oEAS). A combined stimulation with CRH (100 μg i.v.) plus desmopressin (10 μg i.v.) during BIPSS was performed in 15 patients with CD, while in a different group of 15 patients with CD, BIPSS was performed with CRH stimulation alone (100 μg i.v.). In the patients with oEAS, BIPSS was performed with CRH stimulation in three and CRH plus desmopressin in one patient.

RESULTS In patients with CD the mean peak ACTH levels from the dominant petrosal sinus samples were significantly higher in the group given a combined stimulus than in the group who had only CRH stimulation (mean ± SD: 1649 ± 938 vs. 692 ± 561 ng/l, P < 0·05). Dominant inferior petrosal sinus/peripheral (IPS/P) ACTH ratios greater than 2 were observed in 15/15 (100%) patients following the combined stimulation with CRH and desmopressin and 13/15 (87%) patients undergoing stimulation with CRH alone. No patient with oEAS had an IPS/P ratio greater than 2. It is of note that the single patient with oEAS studied following a combined stimulation during BIPSS had a IPS/P ratio of less than 2, despite a significant peripheral ACTH and Cortisol response.

CONCLUSIONS A combined stimulus using CRH and desmopressin appears to induce a higher ACTH output from pituitary corticotroph adenomas during BIPSS, which may improve the diagnostic sensitivity of this procedure.
The time invariant beamformer for Doppler spread suppression in high‐mobility transmission
Authors: Hu Zhinan
Published: October 2023

Beamforming network with the Doppler suppression scheme reducing the channel time‐varying effects has attracted much research interests in high‐mobility massive MIMO communications. However, the current time‐varying beamforming network still suffers from high volatility peak‐to‐average power ratio (PAPR) fluctuations. For this reason, a time invariant compensation optimized beamformer is proposed to mitigate the peak‐to‐average power ratio high volatility and the channel time variation in the high‐mobility uplink transmission. To attain the Doppler spread and implement the Doppler spread suppression scheme, a time‐varying spectrum (TVS) is proposed and its statistical properties of time‐varying spectrum is analyzed. The simulation results are provided to verify the proposed studies.
Generation of random sea clutter amplitude sequence with quantitative control on distribution tail
Authors: Liao Xingxing , Zhou Jie , Xie Junhao
Published: October 2023

This letter proposes a data‐driven method to simulate random sea clutter amplitude sequence with distribution and correlation characteristics directly inherited from the measured clutter. First, a generation model is developed to simulate clutter amplitude sequence with desired distribution. By multiplying the measured amplitudes with random disturbance coefficients, the model introduces sample diversity between the simulated and measured sequences. Meanwhile, to quantitatively control the difference of the distribution tails between the simulated and measured sequences (i.e. to ensure their distributions are similar), the threshold error metric is introduced to set the disturbance variance. Second, a scheme combining the generation model with the correlation transfer technique is presented, which allows to simulate clutter amplitude sequence with both desired distribution and correlation for engineering purpose. Experiments based on different measured clutter sets indicate the proposed method works very well.
Integer codes correcting single errors and double adjacent errors
Authors: Miletic Miljan , Radonjic Aleksandar
Published: October 2023

The user datagram protocol is the most widely used protocol for streaming multimedia data over the Internet. Like other protocols at the network and transport layers, it uses the Internet Checksum (IC) to detect channel errors. The consequence of this is that each corrupted packet is dropped, which can degrade the quality of service perceived by a user. In this paper, the authors present a solution to this problem based on integer codes capable of correcting single and double adjacent errors. The presented codes are a generalization of the IC, which makes them easy to implement in software.
Multi‐level cross‐modality learning framework for text‐based person re‐identification
Authors: Wu Tinghui , Zhang Shuhe , Chen Dihu , Hu Haifeng
Published: October 2023

The target of text‐based person re‐identification (Re‐ID) is to retrieve the corresponding image of a person through the given text information. However, due to the homogeneous variety and modality heterogeneity, it is challenging to simultaneously learn both global‐level and local‐level cross‐modal features and align them in the same embedding space without additional networks. To address these problems, an effective multi‐level cross‐modality learning (MCL) framework for language and vision person Re‐ID is proposed. More specifically, a multi‐branch feature extraction (MFE) module is designed to comprehensively map both global and partial semantic information for the visual and textual embedding at the same time, capturing the intra‐class semantic relationships in multi‐granularities. Besides, a cross‐modal alignment (CA) module is devised to match the multi‐grained representations and reduce the inter‐class gap from global‐level to partial‐level. Extensive experiments conducted on the CUHK‐PEDES and ICFG‐PEDES datasets suggest that this method outperforms the state‐of‐the‐art models.
Source positions of an interplanetary type III radio burst and anisotropic radio-wave scattering
Authors: Chen Xingyao , Kontar Eduard P. , Chrysaphi Nicolina , Zhang Peijin , Krupar Vratislav , Musset Sophie , Maksimovic Milan , Jeffrey Natasha L. S. , Azzollini Francesco , Vecchio Antonio
Published: October 2023

Interplanetary solar radio type III bursts provide the means to remotely study and track energetic electrons propagating in the interplanetary medium. Due to the lack of direct radio source imaging, several methods have been developed to determine the source positions from space-based observations. Moreover, none of the methods consider the propagation effects of anisotropic radio-wave scattering, which would strongly distort the trajectory of radio waves, delay their arrival times, and affect their apparent characteristics. We investigate the source positions and directivity of an interplanetary type III burst simultaneously observed by Parker Solar Probe, Solar Orbiter, STEREO, and Wind and we compare the results of applying the intensity fit and timing methods with ray-tracing simulations of radio-wave propagation with anisotropic density fluctuations. The simulation calculates the trajectories of the rays, their time profiles at different viewing sites, and the apparent characteristics for various density fluctuation parameters. The results indicate that the observed source positions are displaced away from the locations where emission is produced, and their deduced radial distances are larger than expected from density models. This suggests that the apparent position is affected by anisotropic radio-wave scattering, which leads to an apparent position at a larger heliocentric distance from the Sun. The methods to determine the source positions may underestimate the apparent positions if they do not consider the path of radio-wave propagation and incomplete scattering at a viewing site close to the intrinsic source position.
Serie: Digitalisierung in Beschaffung und Logistik Teil 5/6: Großküchen: Optimierungspotenziale in der Gemeinschaftsverpflegung
Authors: Niewiadomsky Jörn
Published: October 2023

Prozesse nachhaltiger zu gestalten, ist nicht nur gut für die Umwelt, sondern auch für das Budget. Denn Ressourcen einsparen, bedeutet Kosten einsparen. Dieser Grundsatz findet besonders in Großküchen Anwendung, wo der effiziente Umgang mit Energie, Wasser und Lebensmitteln eine große Bedeutung hat.
Balance: Soll der Einkauf effizient oder effektiv sein oder geht auch beides
Authors: Schlüchtermann Jörg
Published: October 2023

Ein erfolgreiches Effizienz- und Effektivitätsmanagement im Einkauf führt zu einer optimierten Kostenstruktur, besseren Lieferantenbeziehungen, Risikominimierung und schnelleren Reaktionszeiten auf Marktveränderungen.
Kriterien: Vergleich von Transporttechniken im Krankenhaus
Authors: Rauch Christian , Wibbeling Sebastian
Published: October 2023

Mit den Diskussionen um die Krankenhausreform sind viele Unabwägbarkeiten verbunden, aber auch Hoffnungen und Chancen. Die Auswirkungen auf die Logistik sind aktuell nur in einigen Bereichen erkennbar. So werden sich beispielsweise mit einer zunehmenden Ambulantisierung auch einige Anforderungen an die Versorgungsstrukturen und damit auch an die Transporttechniken in den Krankenhäusern verändern.
Pflegelogistik: Service Robotics und Logistik auf Station
Authors: Kriegel Johannes
Published: October 2023

Die stationäre Versorgung wird dominiert durch die Patientenbetreuung auf Bettenstationen. Die Pflegelogistik bildet das prozessbezogene Rückgrat der Patientenversorgung auf Pflegestationen. Zukünftig gilt es, durch Technologieeinsatz bisherige personalgetriebene Aktivitäten zu kompensieren, logistische Prozesse zu erweitern und die Pflege von professionsfremden Tätigkeiten zu entlasten.
Nachhaltigkeit: Klimafreundlicher Einkauf im Vergaberecht
Authors: Kühn Matthias
Published: October 2023

Es wird heißer. Das gilt nicht nur für die Durchschnittstemperaturen der erdnahen Atmosphäre und der Meere, sondern auch für den Wettbewerb um Maßnahmen, die gegen den Anstieg helfen sollen.