Absolute Surface Research Articles

Normal Tissue Complication Probability Model for Acute Radiation Dermatitis in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Treated With Carbon Ion Radiation Therapy

This study aimed to explore the prognostic factors associated with acute radiation dermatitis (ARD). A normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) model for ARD in patients with head and neck cancer treated with carbon ion radiation therapy was developed. A total of 187 patients were included in the analysis, and the endpoint was ≥grade 2 ARD. The biological and physical dose-surface parameters associated with ARD were used in the logistic regression model. The mean areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve in the internal cross-validation and Akaike's corrected Information Criterion were examined for model evaluation and selection. The multivariate logistic regression NTCP models were established based on factors with weak correlation. Tumor volume, planning target volume to the skin, radiation technique and all dose-surface parameters were significantly associated with ARD (P < .05). Models with high performance for grade 2 to 3 ARD were constructed. The most significant prognostic predictors were S40Gy(relative biological effectiveness,RBE) and S20Gy (absolute surface area receiving RBE-weighted dose of 40 Gy (RBE) or physical dose of 20 Gy). The internal cross-validation-based areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for models with S40Gy(RBE) and S20Gy were 0.78 and 0.77, respectively. The biological and physical dose-surface parameters had similar performance at various dose levels. However, the performance of the multivariate NTCP models based on 2 factors was not better than that of the univariate models. NTCP models for ARD may provide a basis for the development of individualized treatment strategies and reduce the incidence of severe ARD in patients with head and neck cancer receiving carbon ion radiation therapy. Furthermore, biological and physical dose-surface parameter-based models are comparable. However, further validation with more evaluation parameters is warranted.

Comparison of surface- and voxel-based registration on the mandibular ramus for long-term three-dimensional assessment of condylar remodelling following orthognathic surgery.

The purpose of the present study was to validate and compare the accuracy and reliability of surface- and voxel-based registration on the mandibular rami for long-term three-dimensional (3D) evaluation of condylar remodelling following Orthognathic Surgery. The mandible was 3D reconstructed from a pair of superimposed pre- and postoperative (two years) cone-beam computerized tomography scans and divided into the condyle, and 21 ramal regions. The accuracy of surface- and voxel-based registration was measured by the absolute mean surface distance of each region after alignment of the pre- and postoperative rami. To evaluate the reliability, mean absolute differences and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated at a 95% confidence interval on volumetric and surface distance measurements of two observers. Paired t-tests were applied to statistically evaluate whether the accuracy and reliability of surface- and voxel-based registration were significantly different (p < 0.05). A total of twenty subjects (sixteen female; four male; mean age 27.6 years) with class II malocclusion and maxillomandibular retrognathia, who underwent bimaxillary surgery, were included. Surface-based registration was more accurate and reliable than voxel-based registration on the mandibular ramus two years post-surgery (p < 0.05). The interobserver reliability of using surface-based registration was excellent, ICC range [0.82-1.00]. For voxel-based registration, the interobserver reliability ranged from poor to excellent [0.00-0.98]. The measurement error introduced by applying surface-based registration for assessment of condylar remodelling was considered clinical irrelevant (1.83% and 0.18 mm), while the measurement error introduced by voxel-based registration was considered clinical relevant (5.44% and 0.52 mm). Surface-based registration was proven more accurate and reliable compared to voxel-based registration on the mandibular ramus for long-term 3D assessment of condylar remodelling following Orthognathic Surgery. However, importantly, the performance difference may be caused by an inappropriate reference structure, proposed in the literature, and applied in this study.

Automated 3D U‐net based segmentation of neonatal cerebral ventricles from 3D ultrasound images

Intraventricular hemorrhaging (IVH) within cerebral lateral ventricles affects 20-30% of very low birth weight infants (<1500g). As the ventricles increase in size, the intracranial pressure increases, leading to post-hemorrhagic ventricle dilatation (PHVD), an abnormal enlargement of the head. The most widely used imaging tool for measuring IVH and PHVD is cranial two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound (US). Estimating volumetric changes over time with 2D US is unreliable due to high user variability when locating the same anatomical location at different scanning sessions. Compared to 2D US, three-dimensional (3D) US is more sensitive to volumetric changes in the ventricles and does not suffer from variability in slice acquisition. However, 3D US images require segmentation of the ventricular surface, which is tedious and time-consuming when done manually. A fast, automated ventricle segmentation method for 3D US would provide quantitative information in a timely manner when monitoring IVH and PHVD in pre-term neonates. To this end, we developed a fast and fully automated segmentation method to segment neonatal cerebral lateral ventricles from 3D US images using deep learning. Our method consists of a 3D U-Net ensemble model composed of three U-Net variants, each highlighting various aspects of the segmentation task such as the shape and boundary of the ventricles. The ensemble is made of a U-Net++, attention U-Net, and U-Net with a deep learning-based shape prior combined using a mean voting strategy. We used a dataset consisting of 190 3D US images, which was separated into two subsets, one set of 87 images contained both ventricles, and one set of 103 images contained only one ventricle (caused by limited field-of-view during acquisition). We conducted fivefold cross-validation to evaluate the performance of the models on a larger amount of test data; 165 test images of which 75 have two ventricles (two-ventricle images) and 90 have one ventricle (one-ventricle images). We compared these results to each stand-alone model and to previous works including, 2D multiplane U-Net and 2D SegNet models. Using fivefold cross-validation, the ensemble method reported a Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 0.720 ± 0.074, absolute volumetric difference (VD) of 3.7 ± 4.1 cm3 , and a mean absolute surface distance (MAD) of 1.14 ± 0.41mm on 75 two-ventricle test images. Using 90 test images with a single ventricle, the model after cross-validation reported DSC, VD, and MAD values of 0.806 ± 0.111, 3.5 ± 2.9 cm3 , and 1.37 ± 1.70mm, respectively. Compared to alternatives, the proposed ensemble yielded a higher accuracy in segmentation on both test data sets. Our method required approximately 5 s to segment one image and was substantially faster than the state-of-the-art conventional methods. Compared to the state-of-the-art non-deep learning methods, our method based on deep learning was more efficient in segmenting neonatal cerebral lateral ventricles from 3D US images with comparable or better DSC, VD, and MAD performance. Our dataset was the largest to date (190 images) for this segmentation problem and the first to segment images that show only one lateral cerebral ventricle.

CubeSat Altimeter Constellation Systems: Performance Analysis and Methodology

Multiple CubeSat altimeters can work independently or corporately to form altimeter constellations. Different configurations of the constellations can acquire distinguished advantages: improved spatial/temporal sampling and high cross-track resolution, which will be helpful for observations of oceanic small-scale structures and weather forecasting. Compared to single conventional altimeters, CubeSat altimeter constellations may achieve better performances with lower costs. To fully understand these systems, this article focuses on the performance analysis and methodology for CubeSat altimeter constellations. Besides the typical analyses of the resolution, revisit, and absolute sea surface height (SSH) accuracy, the performance analysis was conducted by considering the characteristics of multiple measurements provided by CubeSat altimeter constellations. Local and global spatial sampling performances are investigated for various constellations and compared by sampling density and swath size. Moreover, relative SSH accuracy is introduced and evaluated based on the spatial structure functions of errors to effectively evaluate the measurement performance. Related system requirements on power, delta-v, etc., to achieve the performance are also discussed, which ensures that the analysis fits the boundary conditions of implementation. Finally, different concepts of the CubeSat altimeter constellations are compared, where their limitations and possible solutions are also discussed.

Remote sensing study of cloud top absolute temperature with surface rainfall over Lahore (Pakistan) during monsoon

The study attempts to build a relationship between clouds top absolute temperature and rainfall during monsoon period over Lahore during 2019. For this purpose, meteorological data was taken from Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) of few parameters (temperature and rainfall) for Lahore during monsoon period, i.e., from July to September, 2019. The study revealed interesting results for the observed three months. In July and August, the rainfall and temperature trend showed an inverse relation, whereas a decreased trend was observed for both temperature and rainfall during September, 2019. In Pakistan, most of the rainfall is a result of the depressions created over Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. High temperatures cause lower pressure that becomes a reason for originating of low pressures/depressions resulting in monsoon rainfall. During September, the average temperature of the study area was lower comparatively that ultimately resulted in low rainfall, and only 54 mm of total rainfall was recorded over Lahore during September, 2019 which was quite less than in July and August. Satellite cloud top temperatures were also taken from EUMETSAT to establish a relation between cloud top absolute temperature and surface rainfall over Lahore.

Modelling and Response Surface Optimisation of Methyl Violet Removal by a Mixture of Titaniferous Sand and Non-Activated Attapulgite

In recent years, the discharge of dye-laden effluents from the textile industries into the aquatic environment has increased considerably. These industries are among the largest consumers of water. They generate huge amounts of pollutants from their huge discharge of toxic effluents and pose serious public health problems. So, this study focuses on the use of the mixture of titaniferous sand and attapulgite for the removal of methyl violet by adsorption in discontinuous mode. The different adsorbents were characterized by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and their different physico-chemical properties such as pH, zero charge potential, bulk and absolute density, porosity and specific surface area were determined. The response surfaces, through the Box-Behnken model, were used to model and optimize the operating conditions. The different factors studied were the ratio of titaniferous sand and attapulgite, the initial concentration of methyl violet and the pH. These vary between 1.25 and 8, 20 and 100 mg/L, 4 and 10 respectively. The results obtained after statistical analysis of the data show that the optimum mixture ratio is 2, the optimum concentration is 99.92 mg/L and the optimum pH is 9.88 corresponding to a maximum capacity of 5.52 mg/g and a maximum removal efficiency of 99.56%. The study of the effects of the different factors showed that the initial concentration of methyl violet and the pH significantly influence the adsorption capacity and the removal efficiency of the dye.

Analysis of the Key Factors of Ecological Environment Protection in the National Economic Sustainable Development Goals.

Urbanization helps people to create comfortable and convenient living conditions and meets the needs of people survival, enjoyment, and development. At the same time, the surge in population has also caused great disturbance and damage to the urban natural environment. Humans continue to utilize and transform nature by increasing the absolute surface area of the natural environment, but at the same time, rapid population growth and scarcity of resources exacerbate the absurd development and utilization of resources, leading to ecological destruction. The development of green plants, animals, and other creatures is hindered, and the imbalance of urban ecology aggravates the contradiction between man and the ecological environment. Based on this, the paper first expounds on the theoretical framework of sustainable economic development, draws the analysis of the elements of sustainable economic development, and then studies the coupling relationship model between economic development and ecological environmental protection as an example of the regional economy. GM (1.1) principle was used to test the practicability of the model and found that the model is very accurate in predicting the coordinated development between economic development and ecological environmental protection. It provides a comprehensive index of the sustainable capacity of the ecological environment in urban areas, analyses the indicators of Leshan City, and draws a conclusion: the main factors affecting the sustainable development of Leshan's ecological environment are the economic environment and the natural environment; it is necessary to further adjust the industrial structure. In order to maintain sustained and stable economic development, it is very important to strengthen urban environmental protection, develop circular economy, and continuously improve the level of ecologically sustainable development.

Electroflotation extraction of carbon material powders in the presence of metal ions

Investigations of extraction process for carbon materials after sorption purification of aqueous solutions via electroflotation method with removal of ions of heavy and non-ferrous metals are presented in this work. The data on adsorption of some organic compounds on &ldquo;OU-B&rdquo; carbon material powders and aluminium hydroxides are observed. The research results of Fe (III) cations (coagulant) influence on extraction efficiency of &ldquo;OU-A&rdquo; carbon materials from aqueous solutions are observed. The effect of metal pH and cation nature on surface parameters of carbon material particles, specifically on electrokinetic potential is studied. It is shown that extraction completeness and efficiency depend directly on the value of electrokinetic potential of coal particles; the particles with minimal absolute surface charge value are extracted mostly completely and effectively, if Fe3+ ions are presented in solution. It was determined that size of particles also has the effect on their extraction efficiency. Based on the obtained data of electrokinetic potential of particles, a flocculant was selected; if it is added to the solution, the range of carbon material extracting concentrations expands to 1 g/l. Based on the obtained data on the electrokinetic potential of the particles, a flocculant was selected, which, when adding it to the solution, expands the range of recoverable concentrations of carbon material to 1 g/l. The technological scheme of carbon materials use for purification of waste water using various extraction technologies for dispersed phase is presented. The research was conducted under financial support of&nbsp;Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia&nbsp;(project No. З-2020-003).

Improved hemocompatibility of polysulfone hemodialyzers with Endexo® surface modifying molecules.

Anticoagulation therapy is widely used to reduce clotting during hemodialysis (HD), but may cause adverse effects in end-stage kidney disease patients. A new hemodialyzer with a membrane modified by surface modifying molecule was developed to improve hemocompatibility that aimed to reduce the need for anticoagulation during dialysis treatments. We compared membrane surface characteristics and in vitro hemocompatibility of the new hemodialyzer to the standard polysulfone (PSF) hemodialyzer membrane. Scanning electron microscopy, contact angle measurement (68° ± 3° test vs. 41.6° ± 6° control), and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry measurement for fluorine atomic % (7.4% ± 0.4% test vs. not detectable control), showed that the membrane surface was modified with surface modifying macromolecule (SMM1) but maintained membrane structure and surface hydrophilicity. Zeta potential of the blood-contacting surface showed that the absolute surface charge was reduced at neutral pH (-3.3mV ± 1.1mV test vs. -15.6mV ± 1.0mV control). Platelet count reduction was significantly less for the SMM1-modified dialyzer (40.88% ± 21.89%) compared to the standard PSF dialyzer (62.62% ± 34.13%), along with Platelet Factor 4 (1824.10ng/ml ± 436.26 ng/ml test vs. 2479.00 ng/ml ± 852.96 ng/ml control). These studies demonstrate the successful incorporation of SMM1 into the new hemodialyzer with the expected results. Our in vitro experiments indicate that the SMM1-modified hemodialyzers could improve hemocompatibility compared to standard PSF hemodialyzers and have the potential to minimize the patient's anticoagulant requirements during HD. Additional research with SMM1 additives incorporated into the entire dialysis circuit and use in a clinical settings are required to confirm these promising findings.

The influence of size and comminution of the posterior malleolus fragment on gait in trimalleolar ankle fractures

BackgroundAnkle fractures involving the posterior malleolus generally lead to worse outcome. However, no studies on gait in trimalleolar ankle fractures have evaluated the influence of size and comminution of the posterior malleolar fragment. MethodsWe expected patients with more severely comminuted posterior malleolus, more severe fracture type and larger posterior fragment to have reduced gait kinematics and poorer patient-reported outcomes. 26 trimalleolar ankle fracture patients were compared with 14 healthy controls and kinematically analyzed using the Oxford Foot Model. Functional outcome was based on 4 patient reported outcome questionnaires. Effects of posterior fragment size, comminution and Haraguchi fracture classification were determined on conventional and 3D CT-scans. FindingsTrimalleolar patients had lower walking speed and reduced range of motion between the hindfoot and tibia in both loading and push-off phases in the sagittal and transverse planes. The range between the hindfoot and tibia in the sagittal plane in the push-off phase correlated significantly with patient reported outcomes. The absolute and relative surface area of the posterior fragment on conventional CT-scans and 3D CT-scans, correlated significantly with range of motion. Patients with a posterior malleolus size >10% of the posterior malleolus had lower flexion-extension between forefoot and hindfoot during loading phase than patients with a size ≤10%. InterpretationTrimalleolar fractures reduce walking speed and range of motion in the talocrural joint. Reduced range in the talocrural joint is associated with poorer outcomes. Posterior fragment size correlated significantly with range of motion in talocrural and midfoot joints and with patient reported outcomes.Level of evidence: Level 3, retrospective study.

The Effectiveness of Local Application of Melatonin in the Original Dermal Film in Experimental Thermal Trauma

Background: The development and pathogenetic substantiation of the new agents used for local therapy of thermal trauma (TT) is an urgent problem in medicine. Melatonin (MT) is an endogenous factor of homeostasis regulation with pleiotropic potential. The aim of our study was to assess the morphology, expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), indicators of repair, oxidative destruction of lipids in the skin lesion focus in the dynamics of experimental TT under the conditions of using the original dermal film (DF) with MT. Methods and Results: The experiment was performed on 104 male Wistar rats weighing 200-240 g. For modeling TT II degree according to ICD-10 a relative area of 3.5% of the body surface, an interscapular region isolated from the surrounding tissues, was immersed in distilled water at 98-99 °C for 12 sec. DF based on sodium carboxymethylcellulose with an area of 12 cm2 with MT at a concentration of 5 mg/g was applied daily for five days. The wound area and epithelialization rate were calculated. The content of MMP-9 and VEGF in the burn wound was assessed by an immunohistochemical method. In the homogenate of the burn wound, the content of LPO products was assessed. Morphological and biochemical studies were performed on Days 5, 10 and 20 after TT induction. With experimental TT from Day 5 to Day 20, the absolute area of the burn wound decreases by 35%, the rate of epithelialization increases, the number of neutrophils in the focus of thermal damage decreases, while the representation of lymphocytes, histiocytes, and fibroblasts increases; the expression of MMP-9 and VEGF increases; predominantly secondary and final LPO products in the heptane phase accumulate, the final products of LPO in the isopropanol phase of the lipid extract. The use of MT in the composition of DF daily for 5 days with experimental TT leads to a decrease in the area of the wound defect (by 46% of the original area on Day 20), an increase in the rate of its epithelialization, an increase in the content of lymphocytes and fibroblasts in the burn wound on Days 5, 10 and 20 of TT, a decrease in the representation of neutrophils and macrophages on Days 5 and 10, as well as an increase in VEGF expression on Days 5 and 10, MMP-9 - on Day 5 and a decrease in MMP-9 expression on Days 10 and 20 of TT. In addition, the use of MT in the composition of DF leads to a decrease in the content of predominantly secondary and end products of LPO in the heptane and isopropanol phases of the burn wound on Days 10 and 20 of TT. Correlation analysis revealed that a decrease in the burn surface area under a local application of MT occurs with an increase in the content of VEGF in the wound area and a decrease in the content of MMP-9 and secondary and final LPO products in the heptane phase and the isopropanol phase. On Day 20, there were direct moderate correlations between the absolute burn surface area, on one hand, and secondary and final LPO products, on the other, in the heptane phase (R=0.51, R=0,68; P&lt;0.05) and the isopropanol phase (R=0.44, R=0.46; P&lt;0.05), respectively. Conclusion: The results obtained expand the existing understanding of the role of changes in the expression of MMP-9 and VEGF in the pathogenesis of TT. We believe that the repair-stimulating effect of MT in the DF, which we established during TT at the preclinical stage, is associated with the LPO-limiting effect of MT and a change in the expression of MMP-9 and VEGF in the burn wound and is a prerequisite for further study of the mechanism of action and the effectiveness of MT application in clinical conditions in TT.

Ion current rectification in asymmetric charged bilayer nanochannels

At present, little attention has been paid to the ion current rectification (ICR) performance in the bilayer nanochannel with non-uniform charge distribution, which has the similar asymmetrical property with the conical nanochannel. In this work, we have established the ions transport model in the bilayer nanochannel with the coupled Poisson-Nernst-Planck (PNP) equations. Four configuration types bilayer nanochannel are compared on the ion rectification performance. The results show that asymmetrical geometry without the surface charge cannot induce ICR and the existence of surface charge is necessary. Besides, the config.3 has the best ICR performance and the physical mechanisms are discussed in detail. It is found that the ICR performance can be enhanced by regulating the surface charge density, geometry parameters and ion concentration. The ICR ratio increases as the absolute surface charge density increases and the effect is more significant to the change of left nanopore. When the total length of the bilayer nanochannel is fixed, the ICR ratio increases first and then decreases with the increasing length of the left nanopore. In addition, the forward current is more sensitive to the change of diameter of left nanopore and the reverse current is more sensitive to the change of diameter of right nanopore. When the bulk concentration varies, the ICR ratio decreases with the increasing concentration. The research results provide useful information for ions transport control and optimization of micro/nano fluidic devices.

Absolute surface energies of wurtzite (101¯1) surfaces and the instability of the cation-adsorbed surfaces of II–VI semiconductors

We have investigated the wurtzite (101¯1) planes of five semiconductors, AlN, GaN, GaAs, ZnO, and ZnS. The absolute surface energies are obtained by using a series of wedge nanowire structures. A cation-adsorbed surface reconstruction, (1 × 1)X (X is the electropositive element of the semiconductor) adlayer, is found to have dramatically low energy under the cation-rich condition for AlN and GaN. A p electron draining mechanism is proposed to explain these results. We also developed a framework to analyze the stabilization mechanism of the unneutral surfaces. It suggests that the cation-adsorbed surfaces of II–VI semiconductors should be more unstable than the anion-adsorbed surfaces.

Multiposition Rotation Interference Absolute Measurement Method for High-Precision Optical Component Surfaces

Modern optical engineering requires increasingly sophisticated interferometry methods capable of conducting subnanometer scale measurements of the large aperture, high-precision optical component surfaces. However, the accuracy of interferometry measurement is limited to the accuracy with which the surface of the reference mirror employed in the interferometer system is known, and the influence of gravity-induced deformation cannot be ignored. This is addressed in the present work by proposing a three-flat testing method based on multiposition rotation interference absolute surface measurement technology that combines the basic theory of N-position rotation with the separability of surface wavefront functions into sums of even and odd functions. These functions provide the rotational symmetric components of the wavefront, which then enables the absolute surface to be reconstructed based on the N-position rotation measurements. In addition, we propose a mechanical clamping combined with computational method to compensate for the gravity-induced deformations of the flats in the multiposition rotation absolute measurements. The high precision of the proposed absolute surface measurement method is demonstrated via simulations. The results of laboratory experiments indicate that the combination compensation method provides the high-precision surface reconstruction outcomes. The present work provides an important contribution for supporting the interferometry measurement of large aperture, high-precision optical component surfaces.

The Role of Eyewall Turbulent Transport in the Pathway to Intensification of Tropical Cyclones

AbstractIn a tropical cyclone (TC), turbulence not only exists in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) but also can be generated above the PBL by the cloud processes in the eyewall and rainbands. It is found that the Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System (HAFS), a new multi‐scale operational model for TC prediction, fails to capture the intense turbulent mixing in eyewall and rainband clouds due to a poor estimation of static stability in clouds. The problem is fixed by including the effects of multi‐phase water in the stability calculation. Simulations of 21 TCs and tropical storms in the North Atlantic basin of 2016–2019 hurricane seasons totaling 118 forecast cycles show that the stability correction substantially improves HAFS's skill in predicting storm track and intensity. Analyses of HAFS's simulations of Hurricane Michael (2018) show that the positive tendency of vortex's tangential wind resulting from the radially inward transport of absolute vorticity dominates the eddy correlation tendencies induced by the model‐resolved asymmetric eddies and serves as a main mechanism for the rapid intensification of Michael. The sub‐grid scale (SGS) turbulent transport above the PBL in the eyewall plays a pivotal role in initiating a positive feedback among the eyewall convection, mean secondary overturning circulation, vortex acceleration via the inward transport of absolute vorticity, surface evaporation, and radial convergence of moisture in the PBL. Without the SGS transport above the PBL, the model‐resolved vertical transport alone may not be sufficient in initiating the positive feedback underlying the rapid intensification of TCs.

Sex-specific normal values and determinants of infrarenal abdominal aortic diameter among non-aneurysmal elderly population

To establish age- and sex-specific distribution of the infrarenal abdominal aortic diameters (IAD) among non-aneurysmal elderly population and to investigate the associations between traditional cardiovascular risk factors and IAD in men and women. We included 4032 participants (mean age 67.2 years; 60.4% women) from the population-based Rotterdam Study, free of cardiovascular disease, who underwent IAD ultrasound assessment between 2009–2014. Linear regression analysis was used to identify determinants of IAD. The medians (inter-quartile range) of absolute IAD and body surface area (BSA)-adjusted IAD were 17.0 (15.0–18.0) mm and 9.3 (8.5–10.2) mm for women and 19.0 (18.0–21.0) mm and 9.4 (8.6–10.3) mm for men, respectively. There was a non-linear relationship between age and IAD. IAD increased steeply with advancing age and up to 70 years. After around 75 years of age, the diameter values reached a plateau. Waist circumference and diastolic blood pressure were associated with larger diameters in both sexes. Body mass index [Effect estimate (95% CI): 0.04 (0.00 to 0.08)], systolic blood pressure [− 0.01(− 0.02 to 0.00)], current smoking [0.35 (0.06 to 0.65)], total cholesterol levels [− 0.21 (− 0.31 to − 0.11)], and lipid-lowering medication [− 0.43 (− 0.67 to − 0.19)] were significantly associated with IAD in women. Sex differences in IAD values diminished after taking BSA into account. The increase in diameters was attenuated after 70 years. Differences were observed in the associations of several cardiovascular risk factors with IAD among men and women.

CT to MR registration of complex deformations in the knee joint through dual quaternion interpolation of rigid transforms

Purpose. To develop a method that enables computed tomography (CT) to magnetic resonance (MR) image registration of complex deformations typically encountered in rotating joints such as the knee joint. Methods. We propose a workflow, denoted quaternion interpolated registration (QIR), consisting of three steps, which makes use of prior knowledge of tissue properties to initialise deformable registration. In the first step, the rigid skeletal components were individually registered. Next, the deformation of soft tissue was estimated using a dual quaternion-based interpolation method. In the final step, the registration was fine-tuned with a rigidity-constrained deformable registration step. The method was applied to paired, unregistered CT and MR images of the knee of 92 patients. It was compared to registration using B-Splines (BS) and B-Splines with a rigidity penalty (BSRP). Registration accuracy was evaluated using mutual information, and by calculating Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), mean absolute surface distance (MASD) and 95th percentile Hausdorff distance (HD95) on bone, and DSC on water and fat dominated tissue. To evaluate the rigidity of bone in the registration, the Jacobian determinant (JD) was calculated. Results. QIR achieved improved results with 0.93, 0.76 mm and 1.88 mm on the DSC, MASD and HD95 metrics on bone, compared to 0.87, 1.40 mm and 4.99 mm for method and 0.87, 1.40 mm and 3.56 mm for the BSRP method. The average DSC of water and fat was 0.77 and 0.86 for the QIR, 0.75 and 0.84 for BS and 0.74 and 0.84 for BSRP. Comparison of the median JD and median interquartile (IQR) ranges of the JD indicated that the QIR (1.00 median, 0.03 IQR) resulted in higher rigidity in the rigid skeletal tissues compared to the BS (0.98 median, 0.19 IQR) and BSRP (1.00 median, 0.05 IQR) methods. Conclusion. This study showed that QIR could improve the outcome of complex registration problems, encountered in joints involving rigid and non-rigid bodies such as occur in the knee, as compared to a conventional registration approach.

Influence of Ambient Temperature on Radiative and Convective Heat Dissipation Ratio in Polymer Heat Sinks.

Miniaturization of electronic devices leads to new heat dissipation challenges and traditional cooling methods need to be replaced by new better ones. Polymer heat sinks may, thanks to their unique properties, replace standardly used heat sink materials in certain applications, especially in applications with high ambient temperature. Polymers natively dispose of high surface emissivity in comparison with glossy metals. This high emissivity allows a larger amount of heat to be dissipated to the ambient with the fourth power of its absolute surface temperature. This paper shows the change in radiative and convective heat transfer from polymer heat sinks used in different ambient temperatures. Furthermore, the observed polymer heat sinks have differently oriented graphite filler caused by their molding process differences, therefore their thermal conductivity anisotropies and overall cooling efficiencies also differ. Furthermore, it is also shown that a high radiative heat transfer leads to minimizing these cooling efficiency differences between these polymer heat sinks of the same geometry. The measurements were conducted at HEATLAB, Brno University of Technology.

CMIP5 Intermodel Relationships in the Baseline Southern Ocean Climate System and With Future Projections

AbstractClimate models exhibit a broad range in the simulated properties of the climate system. In the early historical period, the absolute global mean surface air temperature in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, Phase 5 (CMIP5) models spans a range of ∼12°C – 15°C. Other climate variables may be linked to global mean temperature, and so accurate representation of the baseline climate state is crucial for meaningful future climate projections. In CMIP5 baseline climate states, statistically significant intermodel correlations between Southern Ocean surface temperature, outgoing shortwave radiation, cloudiness, the position of the mid‐latitude eddy‐driven jet, and Antarctic sea ice area are found. The baseline temperature relationships extend to projected future changes in the same set of variables, impacting on the projected global mean surface temperature change. Models with initially cooler Southern Ocean tend to exhibit more global warming, and vice versa for initially warmer models. These relationships arise due to a “capacity for change”. For example, cold‐biased models tend to have more cloud cover, sea ice, and equatorward jet initially, and thus a greater capacity to lose cloud cover and sea ice, and for the jet to shift poleward under global warming. A first look at emerging data from CMIP6 reveals a shift of the relationship from the Southern Ocean towards the Antarctic region, possibly due to reductions in Southern Ocean biases, such as in westerly wind representation.

Mars' surface is not universally biocidal.

The Mars surface/near-surface is often considered to be biocidal. Here, diverse lines of evidence are presented indicating that some terrestrial microbes can survive the in-situ conditions albeit in an inactive state. For the purposes of planetary protection, it is important to consider what we mean by a planetary 'surface'; this term has qualitatively distinct definitions fordifferent scientific disciplines, and can also have different meanings from a humanviewpoint versus that of a microbial cell. Most microbial cells spores or other cells deposited on Mars, even those that initially fall on the outward-facing part of the absolute surface, will fall within pores of the regolith or become covered by its dust. They are, therefore, protected from ultra-violet radiation. Desiccating conditions and low temperatures (-40 to -70°C) can act to preserve rather than kill all microbes, potentially maintaining cellular viability - especially for certain extremophiles - over geological timescales. Whereas salts are ubiquitous on Mars, many terrestrial microbes are highly tolerant to NaCl and other salts, and these substances (including potentially inhibitory chaotropes such as MgCl2 and perchlorates) cannot access cells in the absence of a liquid milieu. Whereas the Mars regolith is nutrient-deplete and conditions may be acidic in places, oligotrophic conditions per se are not biocidal and many terrestrial microbes can thrive in acidic conditions (some acidophiles can proliferate at or below pH0). The low temperatures of Mars' surface are not conducive to metabolic activity, but the biophysical sophistication and robust stress biology of many terrestrial microbes, and the protection afforded by Martian conditions, are likely to ensure the long-term viability of some extremophilic microbes if transported to Mars.