bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Survey on the Role of Beam-Column Connections in the Progressive Collapse Resistance of Steel Frame Buildings
Authors: Stylianidis Panagiotis , Bellos John
Published: July 2023

The behavior of steel frame buildings under progressive collapse conditions depends on a combination of several parameters, including the interplay between different collapse resistance mechanisms that are mobilized in different structural components. Previous studies have shown that the extent to which these mechanisms may contribute to progressive collapse resistance depends on the ability of the beam-column connections to undergo large inelastic deformations prior to reaching their deformation capacity limits. For this reason, and due to the important role of their flexural strength and tying capacity in the development of essential collapse resistance mechanisms, the response of beam-column connections is one of the most important features of progressive collapse performance. Based on the knowledge gained through previous studies on the mechanics of this problem, the role of these connections are critically reviewed in this paper by examining the results of several experimental studies that have been conducted during the past decade. The factors that may adversely affect progressive collapse resistance–such as the failure modes of certain connection types–are evaluated, and novel approaches to limiting these factors, which are currently under development, are reviewed. The assessment of these parameters leads to useful conclusions of practical significance while highlighting the aspects of these problems that need further study and understanding.
Progesterone Receptor Expression Level Predicts Prognosis of Estrogen Receptor-Positive/HER2-Negative Young Breast Cancer: A Single-Center Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Kwak Youngji , Jang Sung Yoon , Choi Joon Young , Lee Hyunjun , Shin Dong Seung , Park Yeon Hee , Kim Ji-Yeon , Ahn Jin-Seok , Chae Byung Joo , Yu Jonghan , Lee Jeong Eon , Kim Seok Won , Nam Seok Jin , Ryu Jai Min
Published: July 2023

Background: Although estrogen receptor (ER) expression levels affect the prognosis of breast cancer, studies about progesterone receptor (PR) expression levels are insufficient, especially in young breast cancer (YBC). The purpose of this study was to compare clinical characteristics and prognosis according to PR expression levels in invasive breast cancer patients. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted to identify YBC patients with invasive carcinoma diagnosed at an age of less than 40 years old between 2013 and 2018. Clinicopathologic features and prognosis of ER-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative patients were investigated. Patients were stratified into strong PR (PR-positive cell proportion > 10%), low PR (PR-positive cell proportion = 1~10%), and PR-negative (PR-positive cell proportion < 1%). Results: Among 458 patients enrolled, 386 (84.3%), 26 (5.7%), and 46 (10.0%) were categorized into strong PR, low PR, and PR-negative groups, respectively. The median follow-up duration was 58.6 months. Compared with the strong PR group, low PR and PR-negative groups were more likely to have high Ki-67 and a high nuclear grade. Low R and PR-negative groups had significantly worse disease-free survival (DFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) than the strong PR group (p = 0.0033, p = 0007). Low PR group had an even higher risk of distant metastasis than PR-negative patients. Low PR patients and PR-negative had significantly lower overall survival (OS) rates than strong PR. Conclusion: Low PR might be a prognostic factor of ER-positive/HER2-negative in YBC.
An Investigation of Social Status among Adolescents and Young Adults Who Have Been Diagnosed with Cancer in Canada
Authors: Schulte Fiona S. M. , Hou Sharon H. J. , Bender Jacqueline L. , Tulk Joshua , Wurz Amanda , Petrella Anika , Sabiston Catherine M. , D’Agostino Norma , Chalifour Karine , Eaton Geoff , Garland Sheila N.
Published: July 2023

Background: Aims were to: (1) compare social status among AYAs diagnosed with cancer to a community population; (2) describe AYAs’ change in employment/education status; and (3) examine predictors of social status. Method: Social status (i.e., education, employment, relationship status, and living arrangement) was captured from young adults diagnosed with cancer recruited via social media through a community-based organization from across Canada and randomly matched to a community sample by sex, age, province of residence, total household income and race/ethnicity at a ratio of 1:3. Results: AYAs with cancer (N = 622) were an average of 4.45 (SD = 5.42) years from the completion of treatment and were less likely to be employed (χ2 = 96.35, p < 0.001) and more likely to be living at home with parents (χ2 = 17.00, p < 0.001). There were no differences in education or relationship status. Overall, 41% and 45% of AYAs reported quitting school or work, respectively. Non-metastatic disease (AOR 3.23, 95% CI 1.08–9.62), and better physical (AOR 1.07 95% CI 1.04–1.10) and mental quality of life (QOL)(AOR 1.06 95% CI 1.03–1.09), were associated with employment. Worse mental QOL (AOR 1.04 95% CI 1.01–1.07), less post-traumatic growth (AOR 1.01 95% CI 1.00–1.03), and social support (AOR 0.27, 95% CI 0.18–0.41) were associated with being single. Non-White race (AOR 3.19 95% CI 1.02–9.97) and less post-traumatic growth (AOR 0.97 95% CI 0.95–0.99) were associated with living with parents. Conclusions: AYAs diagnosed with cancer experience differences in attainment of employment and independent living compared to a community sample. These challenges may have implications for physical and mental QOL.
Co-Expression of Immunohistochemical Markers MRP2, CXCR4, and PD-L1 in Gallbladder Tumors Is Associated with Prolonged Patient Survival
Authors: Tittarelli Andrés , Barría Omar , Sanders Evy , Bergqvist Anna , Brange Daniel Uribe , Vidal Mabel , Gleisner María Alejandra , Vergara Jorge Ramón , Niechi Ignacio , Flores Iván , Pereda Cristián , Carrasco Cristian , Quezada-Monrás Claudia , Salazar-Onfray Flavio
Published: July 2023

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a rare pathology in Western countries. However, it constitutes a relevant health problem in Asia and Latin America, with a high mortality in middle-aged Chilean women. The limited therapeutic options for GBC require the identification of targetable proteins with prognostic value for improving clinical management support. We evaluated the expression of targetable proteins, including three epithelial tumor markers, four proteins associated with multidrug and apoptosis resistance, and eleven immunological markers in 241 primary gallbladder adenocarcinomas. We investigated correlations between tumor marker expression, the primary tumor staging, and GBC patients’ survival using automated immunohistochemistry, a semi-automatic method for image analysis, univariate and multivariate statistical analyses, and machine learning algorithms. Our data show a significant association between the expression of MRP2 (p = 0.0028), CXCR4 (p = 0.0423), and PD-L1 (p = 0.0264), and a better prognosis for patients with late-stage primary tumors. The expression of the MRP2/CXCR4/PD-L1 cluster of markers discriminates among short-, medium-, and long-term patient survival, with an ROC of significant prognostic value (AUC = 0.85, p = 0.0012). Moreover, a high MRP2/CXCR4/PD-L1 co-expression is associated with increased survival time (30 vs. 6 months, p = 0.0025) in GBC patients, regardless of tumor stage. Hence, our results suggest that the MRP2/CXCR4/PD-L1 cluster could potentially be a prognostic marker for GBC.
Development of the NOGGO GIS v1 Assay, a Comprehensive Hybrid-Capture-Based NGS Assay for Therapeutic Stratification of Homologous Repair Deficiency Driven Tumors and Clinical Validation
Authors: Willing Eva-Maria , Vollbrecht Claudia , Vössing Christine , Weist Peggy , Schallenberg Simon , Herbst Johanna M. , Schatz Stefanie , Jóri Balázs , Bataillon Guillaume , Harter Philipp , Salutari Vanda , Martin Antonio Gonzáles , Vergote Ignace , Colombo Nicoletta , Roeper Julia , Berg Tobias , Berger Regina , Kah Bettina , Noettrup Trine Jakobi , Falk Markus , Arndt Kathrin , Polten Andreas , Ray-Coquard Isabelle , Selzam Franziska , Pirngruber Judith , Schmidt Stefanie , Hummel Michael , Tiemann Markus , Horst David , Sehouli Jalid , Pujade-Lauraine Eric , Tiemann Katharina , Braicu Elena Ioana , Heukamp Lukas C.
Published: July 2023

The worldwide approval of the combination maintenance therapy of olaparib and bevacizumab in advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer requires complex molecular diagnostic assays that are sufficiently robust for the routine detection of driver mutations in homologous recombination repair (HRR) genes and genomic instability (GI), employing formalin-fixed (FFPE) paraffin-embedded tumor samples without matched normal tissue. We therefore established a DNA-based hybrid capture NGS assay and an associated bioinformatic pipeline that fulfils our institution’s specific needs. The assay´s target regions cover the full exonic territory of relevant cancer-related genes and HRR genes and more than 20,000 evenly distributed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci to allow for the detection of genome-wide allele specific copy number alterations (CNA). To determine GI status, we implemented an %CNA score that is robust across a broad range of tumor cell content (25–85%) often found in routine FFPE samples. The assay was established using high-grade serous ovarian cancer samples for which BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation status as well as Myriad MyChoice homologous repair deficiency (HRD) status was known. The NOGGO (Northeastern German Society for Gynecologic Oncology) GIS (GI-Score) v1 assay was clinically validated on more than 400 samples of the ENGOT PAOLA-1 clinical trial as part of the European Network for Gynaecological Oncological Trial groups (ENGOT) HRD European Initiative. The “NOGGO GIS v1 assay” performed using highly robust hazard ratios for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), as well a significantly lower dropout rate than the Myriad MyChoice clinical trial assay supporting the clinical utility of the assay. We also provide proof of a modular and scalable routine diagnostic method, that can be flexibly adapted and adjusted to meet future clinical needs, emerging biomarkers, and further tumor entities.
Rectal Cancer: Are 12 Lymph Nodes the Limit?
Authors: Mroczkowski Paweł , Dziki Łukasz , Vosikova Tereza , Otto Ronny , Merecz-Sadowska Anna , Zajdel Radosław , Zajdel Karolina , Lippert Hans , Jannasch Olof
Published: July 2023

Lymph node dissection is a crucial element of oncologic rectal surgery. Many guidelines regard the removal of at least 12 lymph nodes as the quality criterion in rectal cancer. However, this recommendation remains controversial. This study examines the factors influencing the lymph node yield and the validity of the 12-lymph node limit. Patients with rectal cancer who underwent low anterior resection or abdominoperineal amputation between 2000 and 2010 were analyzed. In total, 20,966 patients from 381 hospitals were included. Less than 12 lymph nodes were found in 20.53% of men and 19.31% of women (p = 0.03). The number of lymph nodes yielded increased significantly from 2000, 2005 and 2010 within the quality assurance program for all procedures. The univariate analysis indicated a significant (p < 0.001) correlation between lymph node yield and gender, age, pre-therapeutic T-stage, risk factors and neoadjuvant therapy. The multivariate analyses found T3 stage, female sex, the presence of at least one risk factor and neoadjuvant therapy to have a significant influence on yield. The probability of finding a positive lymph node was proportional to the number of examined nodes with no plateau. There is a proportional relationship between the number of examined lymph nodes and the probability of finding an infiltrated node. Optimal surgical technique and pathological evaluation of the specimen cannot be replaced by a numeric cut-off value.
Analysis of the Peritumoral Tissue Unveils Cellular Changes Associated with a High Risk of Recurrence
Authors: Michot Audrey , Lagarde Pauline , Lesluyes Tom , Darbo Elodie , Neuville Agnès , Baud Jessica , Perot Gaëlle , Bonomo Iris , Maire Mathilde , Michot Maxime , Coindre Jean-Michel , Le Loarer François , Chibon Frédéric
Published: July 2023

Background: The management of soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) relies on a multidisciplinary approach involving specialized oncological surgery combined with other adjuvant therapies to achieve optimal local disease control. Purpose and Results: Genomic and transcriptomic pseudocapsules of 20 prospective sarcomas were analyzed and revealed to be correlated with a higher risk of recurrence after surgery. Conclusions: A peritumoral environment that has been remodeled and infiltrated by M2 macrophages, and is less expressive of healthy tissue, would pose a significant risk of relapse and require more aggressive treatment strategies.
Beyond the Knife in Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review—To Ablate or Not to Ablate?
Authors: Green Harshani , Taylor Alexandra , Khoo Vincent
Published: July 2023

Intensified systemic therapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) has led to improved patient outcomes. Patients commonly require local control of one or a few metastases. The aim was to evaluate metastasis-directed ablative therapies in extracranial mRCC. Two databases and one registry were searched, using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach, for all prospective and matched-pair case–control mRCC studies of radiofrequency ablation (RFA), cryotherapy, microwave ablation (MWA), and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). Eighteen studies were identified. Fourteen investigated SBRT in 424 patients. Four thermal ablation studies were identified: two cryotherapy (56 patients) and two RFA studies (90 patients). The median participant number was 30 (range 12–69). The combined median follow-up was 17.3 months (range 8–52). Four SBRT studies reported local control (LC) at 12 months, median 84.4% (range 82.5–93). Seven studies (six SBRT and one cryotherapy) reported an LC rate of median 87% (79–100%). Median overall survival (OS) was reported in eight studies (five SBRT, two cryotherapy, and one RFA) with a median of 22.7 months (range 6.7–not reached). Median progression-free survival was reported in seven studies (five SBRT, one cryotherapy, and one RFA); the median was 9.3 months (range 3.0–22.7 months). Grade ≥ 3 toxicity ranged from 1.7% to 10%. SBRT has excellent local control outcomes and acceptable toxicity. Only four eligible thermal ablative studies were identified and could not be compared with SBRT. Translationally rich definitive studies are warranted.
MIRACUM-Pipe: An Adaptable Pipeline for Next-Generation Sequencing Analysis, Reporting, and Visualization for Clinical Decision Making
Authors: Metzger Patrick , Hess Maria Elena , Blaumeiser Andreas , Pauli Thomas , Schipperges Vincent , Mertes Ralf , Christoph Jan , Unberath Philipp , Reimer Niklas , Scheible Raphael , Illert Anna L. , Busch Hauke , Andrieux Geoffroy , Boerries Melanie
Published: July 2023

(1) Background: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) of patients with advanced tumors is becoming an established method in Molecular Tumor Boards. However, somatic variant detection, interpretation, and report generation, require in-depth knowledge of both bioinformatics and oncology. (2) Methods: MIRACUM-Pipe combines many individual tools into a seamless workflow for comprehensive analyses and annotation of NGS data including quality control, alignment, variant calling, copy number variation estimation, evaluation of complex biomarkers, and RNA fusion detection. (3) Results: MIRACUM-Pipe offers an easy-to-use, one-prompt standardized solution to analyze NGS data, including quality control, variant calling, copy number estimation, annotation, visualization, and report generation. (4) Conclusions: MIRACUM-Pipe, a versatile pipeline for NGS, can be customized according to bioinformatics and clinical needs and to support clinical decision-making with visual processing and interactive reporting.
Emerging Role of Glioma Stem Cells in Mechanisms of Therapy Resistance
Authors: Eckerdt Frank , Platanias Leonidas C.
Published: July 2023

Since their discovery at the beginning of this millennium, glioma stem cells (GSCs) have sparked extensive research and an energetic scientific debate about their contribution to glioblastoma (GBM) initiation, progression, relapse, and resistance. Different molecular subtypes of GBM coexist within the same tumor, and they display differential sensitivity to chemotherapy. GSCs contribute to tumor heterogeneity and recapitulate pathway alterations described for the three GBM subtypes found in patients. GSCs show a high degree of plasticity, allowing for interconversion between different molecular GBM subtypes, with distinct proliferative potential, and different degrees of self-renewal and differentiation. This high degree of plasticity permits adaptation to the environmental changes introduced by chemo- and radiation therapy. Evidence from mouse models indicates that GSCs repopulate brain tumors after therapeutic intervention, and due to GSC plasticity, they reconstitute heterogeneity in recurrent tumors. GSCs are also inherently resilient to standard-of-care therapy, and mechanisms of resistance include enhanced DNA damage repair, MGMT promoter demethylation, autophagy, impaired induction of apoptosis, metabolic adaptation, chemoresistance, and immune evasion. The remarkable oncogenic properties of GSCs have inspired considerable interest in better understanding GSC biology and functions, as they might represent attractive targets to advance the currently limited therapeutic options for GBM patients. This has raised expectations for the development of novel targeted therapeutic approaches, including targeting GSC plasticity, chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T) cells, and oncolytic viruses. In this review, we focus on the role of GSCs as drivers of GBM and therapy resistance, and we discuss how insights into GSC biology and plasticity might advance GSC-directed curative approaches.
Dual-Modification Engineering of CoNi Alloy Realizing Robust Performance for Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Production
Authors: Ye Yutong , Zhou Guorong , Li Kaixun , Tong Yun
Published: July 2023

Anion modification and trace metal doping have been widely demonstrated to have unique advantages in regulating both electrocatalytic activity and the electronic structure of non-precious metal materials. Developing a simple and practical preparation strategy is critical, but it still faces challenges. In this paper, a novel type of dual-modification approach is put forward to rationally design the S, Pt-CoNi material, which can be grown directly on the nickel foam (NF) in a one-step electrodeposition process. The multiple advantages of having plenty of active sites, high conductivity, and a faster charge transfer endow the optimized reaction kinetic for HER. The prepared S, Pt-CoNi/NF catalyst displays excellent catalytic performance, and a low overpotential of 116 mV at 50 mA cm−2 and a small Tafel slope of 75 mV dec−1 are achieved. The coupled S, Pt-CoNi/NF||FeOOH/NF electrolyzer delivers a high current density of 100 mA cm−2 at the potential of 1.61 V as well as superior stability under alkaline conditions. Our work experimentally confirms the feasibility of constructing a dual-regulation strategy via one-step electrodeposition, and it also provides ideas for the controllable design of other high-performance electrodes for electrocatalysis.
Enhancing the Activity of Cu-MOR by Water for Oxidation of Methane to Methanol
Authors: Guan Xi’an , Wang Yehong , Liu Xiumei , Du Hong , Guo Xinwen , Zhang Zongchao
Published: July 2023

As clean energy, methane has huge reserves and great development potential in the future. Copper zeolites are efficient in the oxidation of methane to methanol. Water has been confirmed as a source of oxygen to regenerate the copper-zeolite active sites to enable selective anaerobic oxidation of methane to methanol. In this work, we report that the methanol yield increased from 36 μmol/g (Cu-MOR1) to 92 μmol/g (Cu-MOR1-water) as a result of water enhancing the activity of copper ion-exchange mordenite catalyst. We show for the first time that water could convert inactive copper species into active copper species during catalyst activation. A combination of the XPS, FTIR, and NMR results indicates that water dissociates and then converts ZCuIIZ into ZCuII(OH) (where Z indicates framework O (Ofw) bonded to one isolated Al in a framework T-site, i.e., 1Al) and simultaneously produces a Brönsted acid site during catalyst activation. This finding can be used to tune the state of copper species and design highly active copper-zeolite catalysts for methane oxidation to methanol.
Adenovirus-Based Gene Therapy for Bone Regeneration: A Comparative Analysis of In Vivo and Ex Vivo BMP2 Gene Delivery
Authors: Bukharova Tatiana Borisovna , Nedorubova Irina Alekseevna , Mokrousova Viktoria Olegovna , Meglei Anastasiia Yurevna , Basina Viktoriia Pavlovna , Nedorubov Andrey Anatolevich , Vasilyev Andrey Vyacheslavovich , Grigoriev Timofei Evgenevich , Zagoskin Yuriy Dmitrievich , Chvalun Sergei Nicolaevich , Kutsev Sergey Ivanovich , Goldshtein Dmitry Vadimovich
Published: July 2023

Adenovirus-mediated gene therapy is a promising tool in bone regenerative medicine. In this work, gene-activated matrices (GAMs) composed of (1) polylactide granules (PLA), which serve as a depot for genetic constructs or matrices for cell attachment, (2) a PRP-based fibrin clot, which is a source of growth factors and a binding gel, and (3) a BMP2 gene providing osteoinductive properties were studied. The study aims to compare the effectiveness of in vivo and ex vivo gene therapy based on adenoviral constructs with the BMP2 gene, PLA particles, and a fibrin clot for bone defect healing. GAMs with Ad-BMP2 and MSC(Ad-BMP2) show osteoinductive properties both in vitro and in vivo. However, MSCs incubated with GAMs containing transduced cells showed a more significant increase in osteopontin gene expression, protein production, Alpl activity, and matrix mineralization. Implantation of the studied matrices into critical-size calvarial defects after 56 days promotes the formation of young bone. The efficiency of neoosteogenesis and the volume fraction of newly formed bone tissue are higher with PLA/PRP-MSC(Ad-BMP2) implantation (33%) than PLA/PRP-Ad-BMP2 (28%). Thus, ex vivo adenoviral gene therapy with the BMP2 gene has proven to be a more effective approach than the in vivo delivery of gene constructs for bone regeneration.
Recent Advances in Extracellular Vesicles in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Emergent Perspectives
Authors: Afonso Gonçalo J. M. , Cavaleiro Carla , Valero Jorge , Mota Sandra I. , Ferreiro Elisabete
Published: July 2023

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a severe and incurable neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive death of motor neurons, leading to paralysis and death. It is a rare disease characterized by high patient-to-patient heterogeneity, which makes its study arduous and complex. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as important players in the development of ALS. Thus, ALS phenotype-expressing cells can spread their abnormal bioactive cargo through the secretion of EVs, even in distant tissues. Importantly, owing to their nature and composition, EVs’ formation and cargo can be exploited for better comprehension of this elusive disease and identification of novel biomarkers, as well as for potential therapeutic applications, such as those based on stem cell-derived exosomes. This review highlights recent advances in the identification of the role of EVs in ALS etiopathology and how EVs can be promising new therapeutic strategies.
An Anode-Supported Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) Half-Cell Fabricated by Hybrid 3D Inkjet Printing and Laser Treatment
Authors: Malbakhova Inna , Bagishev Artem , Vorobyev Alexander , Borisenko Tatiana , Logutenko Olga , Lapushkina Elizaveta , Titkov Alexander
Published: July 2023

A NiO-10YSZ/10YSZ half-cell for anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) was fabricated using 3D inkjet printing and layer-by-layer laser treatment of printing compositions followed by thermal sintering by a co-firing method. The optimal granulometric composition and rheological characteristics of the printing compositions to fabricate the NiO-10YSZ (60:40 wt.%) anode support, NiO-10YSZ (40:60 wt.%) anode functional layer (AFL), and 10YSZ electrolyte were determined. Effects of the pore former and laser post-treatment on the morphology of the as-prepared anodes for the manufacture of SOFC anode supports were studied, and the optimum laser exposure for hybrid 3D printing was determined. A mechanism of influence of the exposure of laser post-treatment on the morphology of the NiO-10YSZ anode supports has been proposed. The mass content of 10YSZ and the number of layers were shown to affect the surface microstructure and the thickness of the thin-film electrolytes deposited on the surface of the anode supports. The hybrid inkjet 3D printing offers great opportunities as it allows a one-pot procedure to fabricate a NiO-10YSZ/10YSZ SOFC half-cell for SOFC anode supports.
Structure and Properties of NbMoCrTiAl High-Entropy Alloy Coatings Formed by Plasma-Assisted Vacuum Arc Deposition
Authors: Ivanov Yurii , Akhmadeev Yuriy , Prokopenko Nikita , Krysina Olga , Koval Nikolai , Petrikova Elizaveta , Tolkachev Oleg , Shugurov Vladimir , Uglov Vladimir , Shmakov Alexander
Published: July 2023

The paper analyzes the structure and properties of metal, cermet, and ceramic NbMoCrTiAl high-entropy alloy (HEA) coatings formed on solid substrates by plasma-assisted vacuum arc deposition (from multicomponent gas-metal plasma through Nb, Mo, Cr, and TiAl cathode evaporation in argon and/or a mixture of argon and nitrogen). The analysis shows that all coatings represent a nanocrystalline (3–5 nm) multilayer film. The metal coating has a bcc lattice (a = 0.3146 nm). The ceramic coating has an fcc lattice (an uncertain lattice parameter due to highly smeared diffraction peaks). The coating hardness increases in the order of metal, cermet, and then ceramic, reaching 43 GPa at Young’s modulus equal to 326 GPa. When heated in air, the metal and cermet coatings start to oxidize at 630–640 °C, and the ceramic coating at 770–780 °C.
Structural and Mechanical Properties of DLC/TiN Coatings on Carbide for Wood-Cutting Applications
Authors: Chayeuski Vadzim , Zhylinski Valery , Kazachenko Victor , Tarasevich Aleksandr , Taleb Abdelhafed
Published: July 2023

In this work, the diamond-like carbon and titanium nitride (DLC/TiN) multilayer coatings were prepared on a cemented tungsten carbide substrate (WC—3 wt.% Co) using the cathodic vacuum arc physical vapor deposition (Arc-PVD) method and pulsed Arc-PVD method with a graphite cathode for the deposition of TiN and carbon layers, respectively. The structural and mechanical properties of the prepared coatings were studied, and different techniques, such as scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and microindentation techniques investigated their microstructure, composition, and phases. The prepared coatings had a multilayer structure with distinct phases of DLC, TiN, and carbide substrate. The potentiodynamic polarization method (PDP) was performed for the DLC/TiN multilayer coatings in 3% NaCl solution to evaluate the corrosion resistance of the prepared coatings. It has been shown that the DLC layer provided the coating with a polarization resistance of 564.46 kΩ. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that the DLC/TiN coatings had a high hardness of 38.7–40.4 GPa, which can help to extend the wood-cutting tools’ life.
Technologies Supporting Screening Oculomotor Problems: Challenges for Virtual Reality
Authors: Dæhlen Are , Heldal Ilona , Ali Qasim
Published: July 2023

Oculomotor dysfunctions (OMDs) are problems relating to coordination and accuracy of eye movements for processing visual information. Eye-tracking (ET) technologies show great promise in the identification of OMDs. However, current computer technologies for vision screening are specialized devices with limited screen size and the inability to measure depth, while visual field and depth are important information for detecting OMDs. In this experimental study, we examine the possibilities of immersive virtual reality (VR) technologies compared with laptop technologies for increased user experiences, presence, immersiveness, and the use of serious games for identifying OMDs. The results present increased interest in VR-based screening, motivating users to focus better using VR applications free from outside distractions. These limitations currently include lower performance and confidence in results of identifying OMDs with the used HMDs. Using serious games for screening in VR is also estimated to have great potential for developing a more robust vision screening tool, especially for younger children.
Phase-Field Simulation of the Microstructure Evolution in the Eutectic Alloy NiAl-31Cr-3Mo
Authors: Kellner Michael , Schulz Camelia , Kauffmann Alexander , Heilmaier Martin , Nestler Britta
Published: July 2023

The directionally solidified eutectic alloy NiAl-(Cr,Mo) is a promising candidate for structural applications at high temperatures, due to its increased creep resistance compared to its single phase B2ordered NiAl counterpart. This system yields an eutectic trough connecting the invariant reactions of the ternary alloys NiAl-Cr and NiAl-Mo. During directional solidification (DS) along this trough the evolved microstructures of the two-phase eutectic is changing from fibrous to lamellar and back to fibrous morphology while increasing and decreasing the amounts of Mo and Cr, respectively. To investigate these effects in the morphology, the phase-field method has proven to be predestined in the last decades. However, as the modeling of quaternary systems is challenging for the simulation with a grand potential based phase-field model, the focus of this work is on the generation of a material model for one defined compound namely NiAl-31Cr-3Mo. The modeling is validated by investigating the microstructure evolution in two- and three-dimensional simulations of the DS process for two different growth velocities and by investigating their undercooling spacing relationships. The evolving microstructures obtained from three-dimensional large-scale simulations are presented and validated with corresponding micrographs from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of directionally solidified samples with the same growth velocities. The simulation results show the theoretically expected behaviors and are in qualitative and quantitative accordance with DS experiments. The study of NiAl-31Cr-3Mo serves as the basis for a comprehensive data-driven analysis of microstructure properties and system quantities of the entire quaternary material NiAl-(Cr,Mo). With this, an accelerated design of advanced materials is promoted.
Head-to-Head Comparison of [18F]F-choline and Imaging of Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen, Using [18F]DCFPyL PET/CT, in Patients with Biochemical Recurrence of Prostate Cancer
Authors: García-Zoghby Laura , Lucas-Lucas Cristina , Amo-Salas Mariano , Soriano-Castrejón Ángel María , García-Vicente Ana María
Published: July 2023

Purpose: To analyse diagnostic and therapeutic impact of molecular imaging TNM (miTNM) stage obtained with [18F]DCFPyL versus [18F]F-choline in head-to-head comparison in biochemical recurrence (BCR) of prostate cancer (PCa). Material and methods: Patients with BCR of PCa after radical treatment with previous [18F]F-choline-PET/CT (negative or oligometastatic disease) were recruited to [18F]DCFPyL-PET/CT. Patients were classified according to: grade group, European Association of Urology classification, PSA, PSA doubling time (PSAdt) and PSA velocity (PSAvel). The overall detection rate (DR) and miTNM stage according to PROMISE criteria were assessed for both radiotracers and also correlated (Kappa). The influence of PSA and kinetics on both PET/CT (DR and miTNM) and predictive value of unfavourable kinetics on miTNM were determined. Cut-off PSA, PSAdt and PSAvel values able to predict PET/CT results were determined. Change in miTNM and treatment derived from [18F]DCFPyL information compared with [18F]F-choline were also evaluated. Results: We studied 138 patients. [18F]DCFPyL showed a higher DR than [18F]F-choline (64.5% versus 33.3%) with a fair agreement. [18F]DCFPyL and [18F]F-choline detected T in 33.3% versus 19.6%, N in 27.5% versus 13.8%, and M in 30.4% versus 8.7%. Both tracers’ DR showed significant associations with PSA and PSAvel. Significant association was only found between miTNM and PSA on [18F]F-choline-PET/CT (p = 0.033). For [18F]F-choline and [18F]DCFPyL-PET/CT, a PSAdt cut-off of 4.09 and 5.59 months, respectively, were able to predict M stage. [18F]DCFPyL changed therapeutic management in 40/138 patients. Conclusions: [18F]DCFPyL provides a higher DR and superior miTNM staging than [18F]F-choline in restaging BCR, especially with high PSA and unfavourable PSA kinetics, showing a fair agreement to [18F]F-choline.
Canadian Consensus Recommendations on the Management of Extensive-Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Melosky Barbara L. , Leighl Natasha B. , Dawe David , Blais Normand , Wheatley-Price Paul F. , Chu Quincy S.-C. , Juergens Rosalyn A. , Ellis Peter M. , Sun Alexander , Schellenberg Devin , Ionescu Diana N. , Cheema Parneet K.
Published: July 2023

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive, neuroendocrine tumour with high relapse rates, and significant morbidity and mortality. Apart from advances in radiation therapy, progress in the systemic treatment of SCLC had been stagnant for over three decades despite multiple attempts to develop alternative therapeutic options that could improve responses and survival. Recent promising developments in first-line and subsequent therapeutic approaches prompted a Canadian Expert Panel to convene to review evidence, discuss practice patterns, and reach a consensus on the treatment of extensive-stage SCLC (ES-SCLC). The literature search included guidelines, systematic reviews, and randomized controlled trials. Regular meetings were held from September 2022 to March 2023 to discuss the available evidence to propose and agree upon specific recommendations. The panel addressed biomarkers and histological features that distinguish SCLC from non-SCLC and other neuroendocrine tumours. Evidence for initial and subsequent systemic therapies was reviewed with consideration for patient performance status, comorbidities, and the involvement and function of other organs. The resulting consensus recommendations herein will help clarify evidence-based management of ES-SCLC in routine practice, help clinician decision-making, and facilitate the best patient outcomes.
An Effective Primary Treatment Using Radiotherapy in Patients with Eyelid Merkel Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Boileau Marie , Dubois Manon , Abi Rached Henry , Escande Alexandre , Mirabel Xavier , Mortier Laurent
Published: July 2023

Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare type of neuroendocrine tumor. Palpebral localization represents 2.5% of MCCs. Surgery is not always possible due to the localization or comorbidities of elderly patients. We hypothesized that radiotherapy (RT) alone could be a curative treatment in patients contraindicated for oncological surgery. Methods: We performed a retrospective monocentric study of patients with localized eyelid MCC treated with curative intent using curative radiotherapy. Results: Overall, 11 patients with histologically confirmed eyelid MCC were treated with curative radiotherapy. The median age was 77 years old (range: 53–94). Curative RT was decided mainly due to difficult localization and significant co-morbidities. The median lesion dose was 57 Gy (range: 47–70). Most patients had adjuvant lymph nodes irradiation with a median dose of 50 Gy (n = 9; 82%). The median follow-up was 62 months (6–152 months). None of the seven deaths were MCC-related. None of our patients relapsed during follow-up. Side effects related to radiotherapy were mild (no grade ≥ 2) and rare (n = 3, 21%). Conclusion: Our data suggest that curative radiotherapy is an effective and safe treatment for Merkel cell carcinoma of the eyelid and periocular region. Radiotherapy alone allows limiting the aesthetic and functional sequelae in elderly and comorbid patients who are contraindicated for oncological surgery.
Recurrent Nevus Phenomenon Developing within a Keloid
Authors: Rasner Cody J. , Zhou Yan , Giubellino Alessio
Published: July 2023

The recurrent nevus phenomenon represents the persistence of a nevus within a scar from a prior biopsy site, with the acquisition of clinical and histologic features frequently overlapping with those of melanoma, posing relevant diagnostic challenges. Similar features are recognized in nevi that have undergone recent or chronic trauma and in sclerosing nevi. Any type of nevus may be subject to this phenomenon. Keloids are exuberant scars with an exaggerated accumulation of dense dermal collagen. Here we report a case of a 42-year-old woman with the incidental finding of an atypical melanocytic proliferation developing within a keloidal scar. The patient presented with a progressively enlarging auricular lesion three years after a piercing procedure. Upon histological examination, attentive scrutiny of the margin revealed an atypical compound melanocytic proliferation, predominantly single-celled at the junction but occasionally nested, with cytologic atypia and architectural disorder. This atypical proliferation was found emerging above a keloid. We interpreted the lesion as an atypical melanocytic lesion with features resembling the recurrent nevus phenomenon. This case raises awareness in recognizing these melanocytic lesions as benign, thereby avoiding overdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment.
Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Prognosis after Ischemic Stroke: It Is Not Apnea-Hypopnea Index That Matters
Authors: Korostovtseva Lyudmila , Bochkarev Mikhail , Amelina Valeria , Nikishkina Uliana , Osipenko Sofia , Vasilieva Anastasia , Zheleznyakov Vladislav , Zabroda Ekaterina , Gordeev Alexey , Golovkova-Kucheryavaia Maria , Yanishevskiy Stanislav , Sviryaev Yurii , Konradi Aleksandra
Published: July 2023

Background: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is highly prevalent after stroke and is considered to be a risk factor for poor post-stroke outcomes. The aim of this observational study was to evaluate the effect of nocturnal respiratory-related indices based on nocturnal respiratory polygraphy on clinical outcomes (including mortality and non-fatal events) in patients with ischemic stroke. Methods: A total of 328 consecutive patients (181 (55%) males, mean age 65.8 ± 11.2 years old) with confirmed ischemic stroke admitted to a stroke unit within 24 h after stroke onset were included in the analysis. All patients underwent standard diagnostic and treatment procedures, and sleep polygraphy was performed within the clinical routine in the first 72 h after admission. The long-term outcomes were assessed by cumulative endpoint (death of any cause, new non-fatal myocardial infarction, new non-fatal stroke/transient ischemic attack, emergency revascularization, emergency hospitalization due to the worsening of cardiovascular disease). A Cox-regression analysis was applied to evaluate the effects of nocturnal respiratory indices on survival. Results: The mean follow-up period comprised 12 months (maximal—48 months). Patients with unfavourable outcomes demonstrated a higher obstructive apnea-hypopnea index, a higher hypoxemia burden assessed as a percent of the time with SpO2 < 90%, a higher average desaturation drop, and a higher respiratory rate at night. Survival time was significantly lower (30.6 (26.5; 34.7) versus 37.9 (34.2; 41.6) months (Log Rank 6.857, p = 0.009)) in patients with higher hypoxemia burden (SpO2 < 90% during ≥2.1% versus <2.1% of total analyzed time). However, survival time did not differ depending on the SDB presence assessed by AHI thresholds (either ≥5 or ≥15/h). The multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression (backward stepwise analysis) model demonstrated that the parameters of hypoxemia burden were significantly associated with survival time, independent of age, stroke severity, stroke-related medical interventions, comorbidities, and laboratory tests. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that the indices of hypoxemia burden have additional independent predictive value for long-term outcomes (mortality and non-fatal cardiovascular events) after ischemic stroke.
Open Set Vehicle Detection for UAV-Based Images Using an Out-of-Distribution Detector
Authors: Zhao Fei , Lou Wenzhong , Sun Yi , Zhang Zihao , Ma Wenlong , Li Chenglong
Published: July 2023

Vehicle target detection is a key technology for reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). However, in order to obtain a larger reconnaissance field of view, this type of UAV generally flies at a higher altitude, resulting in a relatively small proportion of vehicle targets in its imaging images. Moreover, due to the unique nature of the mission, previously unseen vehicle types are prone to appearing in the surveillance area. Additionally, it is challenging for large-scale detectors based on deep learning to achieve real-time performance on UAV computing equipment. To address these problems, we propose a vehicle object detector specifically designed for UAVs in this paper. We have made modifications to the backbone of Faster R-CNN based on the target and scene characteristics. We have improved the positioning accuracy of small-scale imaging targets by adjusting the size and ratio of anchors. Furthermore, we have introduced a postprocessing method for out-of-distribution detection, enabling the designed detector to detect and distinguish untrained vehicle types. Additionally, to tackle the scarcity of reconnaissance images, we have constructed two datasets using modeling and image rendering techniques. We have evaluated our method on these constructed datasets. The proposed method achieves a 96% mean Average Precision at IoU threshold 0.5 (mAP50) on trained objects and a 71% mAP50 on untrained objects. Equivalent flight experiments demonstrate that our model, trained on synthetic data, can achieve satisfactory detection performance and computational efficiency in practical applications.
Partition-Based Point Cloud Completion Network with Density Refinement
Authors: Li Jianxin , Si Guannan , Liang Xinyu , An Zhaoliang , Tian Pengxin , Zhou Fengyu
Published: July 2023

In this paper, we propose a novel method for point cloud complementation called PADPNet. Our approach uses a combination of global and local information to infer missing elements in the point cloud. We achieve this by dividing the input point cloud into uniform local regions, called perceptual fields, which are abstractly understood as special convolution kernels. The set of point clouds in each local region is represented as a feature vector and transformed into N uniform perceptual fields as the input to our transformer model. We also designed a geometric density-aware block to better exploit the inductive bias of the point cloud’s 3D geometric structure. Our method preserves sharp edges and detailed structures that are often lost in voxel-based or point-based approaches. Experimental results demonstrate that our approach outperforms other methods in reducing the ambiguity of output results. Our proposed method has important applications in 3D computer vision and can efficiently recover complete 3D object shapes from missing point clouds.
Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Key Water Quality Parameters in a Thermal Stratified Lake Ecosystem: The Case Study of Lake Mead
Authors: Adjovu Godson Ebenezer , Stephen Haroon , Ahmad Sajjad
Published: July 2023

Lake Mead located in the Arizona–Nevada region of the Mohave Dessert is a unique and complex water system whose flow follows that of a warm monomictic lake. Although monomictic lakes experience thermal stratification for almost the entire year with a period of complete mixing, the lake on occasion deviates from this phenomenon, undergoing incomplete turnovers categorized with light stratifications every other year. The prolonged drought and growing anthropogenic activities have the potential to considerably impact the quality of the lake. Lake Mead and by extension the Boulder Basin receive cooler flow from the Colorado River and flow with varying temperatures from the Las Vegas Wash (LVW), which impacts its stratification and complete turnovers. This study analyzes four key water quality parameters (WQPs), namely, total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), temperature, and dissolved oxygen (DO), using statistical and spatial analyses to understand their variations in light of the lake stratifications and turnovers to further maintain its overall quality and sustainability. The study also evaluates the impacts of hydrological variables including in and out flows, storage, evaporation, and water surface elevation on the WQPs. The results produced from the analysis show significant levels of TDS, TSS, and temperature from the LVW and Las Vegas Bay regions compared with the Boulder Basin. LVW is the main channel for conveying effluents from several wastewater treatment facilities into the lake. We observed an increase in the levels of TDS, TSS, and temperature water quality in the epilimnion compared with the other layers of the lake. The metalimnion and the hypolimnion layer, however, showed reduced DO due to depletion by algal blooms. We observed statistically significant differences in the WQPs throughout various months, but not in the case for season and year, an indication of relatively consistent variability throughout each season and year. We also observed a no clear trend of influence of outflows and inflows on TDS, temperature, and DO. TSS concentrations in the lake, however, remained constant, irrespective of the inflows and outflows, possibly due to the settling of the sediments and the reservoir capacity.