Direct Component Research Articles

Increasing the Energy Efficiency of Traction Electric Drives of Direct Current

Purpose. The work is aimed at improving the energy efficiency of direct current traction electric drives of electric transport by introducing transistor pulse width converters (PWC) with an optimal switching frequency to minimize total electrical losses in the electric drive. The electrical losses of traction electric drives consist of electrical losses in the armature winding and in the PWC transistors. Methodology. To study the dependence on the switching frequency of transistors, the electrical losses in the armature winding and PWC transistors are divided into two parts: static losses from the direct current component of the current and dynamic losses, i.e., losses in the armature winding from harmonic current components and losses in the transistors from transient switching currents. Since the dynamic electrical losses in transistors increase with increasing frequency and decrease in the armature winding, it is necessary to find the optimal PWC co-mutation frequency at which the total dynamic losses in the traction electric drive will be minimal. The goal of increasing energy efficiency in a traction electric drive is achieved by determining the dependence of dynamic electrical losses in the armature winding on the switching frequency of the PWC and computer modeling of the transistor electric drive. Findings. It is found that the relative dynamic electrical losses in the armature winding in the case of polyharmonic power supply are equal to the square of the armature current ripple coefficient. An algorithm for determining the optimal switching frequency of the PWC is developed: 1) the dependence of dynamic electrical losses on the switching frequency of transistors is determined experimentally on computer models of the motor and PWC; 2) the graph of the dependence of total dynamic electrical losses of the transistor electric drive on the time-tothe point of minimum losses, which corresponds to the optimal frequency value, is determined. Originality. For the first time, the authors obtained an analytical expression for the relative dynamic electrical losses in the armature windings, which are equal to the square of the armature current ripple factor. Practical value. Establishing the optimal switching frequency of the PWC according to the developed methodology reduces electrical losses in traction electric drives, i.e., increases their energy efficiency.

Abstract 4998: Pralsetinib induces opportunistic infection in RET fusion-positive NSCLC patients via inhibition of IL-2 production by blocking Jak3-Stat5 activation

Abstract Background: Oncogenic alteration in RET, representing 1-2% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), is one of the important targets. Pralsetinib is a selective RET inhibitor that targets RET fusions. We present a case series on opportunistic infections and the mechanism of immunosuppression. Methods: From October 2021 to March 2022, we administered pralsetinib to a total of 15 patients with NSCLC harboring RET fusion. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical efficacy and adverse event related to pralsetinib. To investigate the potential impact of pralsetinib on T-cells, we examined cytokine release from Jurkat T (JT) cells after pralsetinib treatment. To test if Stat5 bind to IL-2 promotor, we conducted Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Results: Out of a total of 18 patients with measurable disease, 14 patients (93%) achieved a partial response. With the median follow-up duration of 8.7 months, four cases of opportunistic infections were occurred. Notably, three patients (16.6%) experienced invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, and one patient (5.5%) experienced cytomegalovirus pneumonia. To mimic conditions akin to activated T cells, we treated JT cells with PMA and ionomycin, inducing IL-2 release through the binding of NFAT, AP-1, and NF-κB to the IL-2 promoter. Following approximately two weeks of pralsetinib treatment, a decrease of IL-2 releases, the inhibition of Jak3 and the reduced-expression of JunB and c-Jun was observed. Additionally, to investigate the direct correlation between Jak3 and IL-2 release, JT cells were treated with ritlecitinib, the Jak3-selective inhibitor, for approximately two weeks. Like pralsetinib, a reduction in IL-2 release was observed. Furthermore, based on the evidence that Stat5 inhibition leads to reduced IL-2 release, we also showed that the transcription factor Stat5, a direct downstream signaling component of Jak3, binds to the IL-2 promoter during the activation of Jurkat T cells. Conclusion: Pralsetinib inhibits additional IL-2 production by blocking Jak3/Stat5 activation triggered by IL-2 released during early T cell activation. As a result, the Jak3 inhibition induced by pralsetinib leads to a decrease in JunB/c-Jun expression and blocking Stat5 activation by reducing IL-2 release. Consequently, Pralsetinib-related opportunistic infections may be caused by inhibition of the JAK3 pathway and IL-2 release. Citation Format: Shinkyo Yoon, Hyun-Min Ryu, Sang-We Kim, Kang-Seo Park, Dae Ho Lee. Pralsetinib induces opportunistic infection in RET fusion-positive NSCLC patients via inhibition of IL-2 production by blocking Jak3-Stat5 activation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 4998.

Detection of Individual Microbubbles by Burst-Wave-Aided Contrast-Enhanced Active Doppler Ultrasonography.

We propose burst-wave-aided, contrast-enhanced, active Doppler ultrasonography for visualizing lymph vessels. This technique forces ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) to move using the acoustic radiation force induced by burst waves with low amplitude while suppressing their destruction. Using a flow phantom, we measured the average, decrease rate of echo intensity [i.e., pulse intensity integral (PII)], and the velocity of individual contrast agents, which directly affects the performance of imaging and tracking contrast agents under stationary flow conditions. Comparison with pulse-inversion Doppler without exposure to the burst wave demonstrated that the velocity of the contrast agents could be enhanced up to several tens of millimeters per second by the effect of the burst wave, maximizing the echo intensity extracted by a clutter filter. The contrast ratio (CR), defined as the ratio of the contrast echo to the phantom echo outside the channel, did not change appreciably, even when the lower cut-off velocity of the clutter filter was increased up to 10 mm/s. This implies a better robustness against the motion of the tissue. In addition, the performance for detecting contrast agents (i.e., echo intensity) was superior or similar to that of pulse-inversion Doppler, even in undesirable conditions where the flow had a velocity component in the opposite direction to that of the acoustic radiation force. The echo intensity was lower or the same as that in pulse-inversion Doppler, demonstrating the potential for suppressing the destruction of contrast agents and enabling long-term observations. From these results, we expect that the proposed method will be beneficial for visualizing lymph vessels.

Spontaneous Alignment of Myotubes Through Myogenic Progenitor Cell Migration.

In large-volume muscle injuries, widespread damage to muscle fibers and the surrounding connective tissue prevents myogenic progenitor cells (MPCs) from initiating repair. There is a clinical need to rapidly fabricate large muscle tissue constructs for integration at the site of large volume muscle injuries. Most strategies for myotube alignment require microfabricated structures or prolonged orientation times. We utilize the MPC's natural propensity to close gaps across an injury site to guide alignment on collagen I. When MPCs are exposed to an open boundary free of cells, they migrate unidirectionally into the cell-free region and align perpendicular to the original boundary direction. We study the utility of this phenomenon with biotin-streptavidin adhesion to position the cells on the substrate, and then demonstrate the robustness of this strategy with unmodified cells, creating a promising tool for MPC patterning without interrupting their natural function. We preposition MPCs in straight-line patterns separated with small gaps. This temporary positioning initiates the migratory nature of the MPCs to align and form myotubes across the gaps, similar to how they migrate and align with a single open boundary. There is a directional component to the MPC migration perpendicular (90°) to the original biotin-streptavidin surface patterns. The expression of myosin heavy chain, the motor protein of muscle thick filaments, is confirmed through immunocytochemistry in myotubes generated from MPCs in our patterning process, acting as a marker of skeletal muscle differentiation. The rapid and highly specific binding of biotin-streptavidin allows for quick formation of temporary patterns, with MPC alignment based on natural regenerative behavior rather than complex fabrication techniques.

The Role of (Co)variation in Shaping the Response to Selection in New World Leaf-Nosed Bats.

AbstractUnderstanding and predicting the evolutionary responses of complex morphological traits to selection remains a major challenge in evolutionary biology. Because traits are genetically correlated, selection on a particular trait produces both direct effects on the distribution of that trait and indirect effects on other traits in the population. The correlations between traits can strongly impact evolutionary responses to selection and may thus impose constraints on adaptation. Here, we used museum specimens and comparative quantitative genetic approaches to investigate whether the covariation among cranial traits facilitated or constrained the response to selection during the major dietary transitions in one of the world's most ecologically diverse mammalian families-the phyllostomid bats. We reconstructed the set of net selection gradients that would have acted on each cranial trait during the major transitions to feeding specializations and decomposed the selection responses into their direct and indirect components. We found that for all transitions, most traits capturing craniofacial length evolved toward adaptive directions owing to direct selection. Additionally, we showed instances of dietary transitions in which the complex interaction between the patterns of covariation among traits and the strength and direction of selection either constrained or facilitated evolution. Our work highlights the importance of considering the within-species covariation estimates to quantify evolvability and to disentangle the relative contribution of variational constraints versus selective causes for observed patterns.

Coronary Angiography, Intravascular Ultrasound, and Optical Coherence Tomography for Guiding of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Results from multiple randomized clinical trials comparing outcomes after intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)- and optical coherence tomography (OCT)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with invasive coronary angiography (ICA)-guided PCI as well as a pivotal trial comparing the 2 intravascular imaging (IVI) techniques have provided mixed results. Major electronic databases were searched to identify eligible trials evaluating at least 2 PCI guidance strategies among ICA, IVUS, and OCT. The 2 coprimary outcomes were target lesion revascularization and myocardial infarction. The secondary outcomes included ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization, target vessel myocardial infarction, death, cardiac death, target vessel revascularization, stent thrombosis, and major adverse cardiac events. Frequentist random-effects network meta-analyses were conducted. The results were replicated by Bayesian random-effects models. Pairwise meta-analyses of the direct components, multiple sensitivity analyses, and pairwise meta-analyses IVI versus ICA were supplemented. The results from 24 randomized trials (15 489 patients: IVUS versus ICA, 46.4%, 7189 patients; OCT versus ICA, 32.1%, 4976 patients; OCT versus IVUS, 21.4%, 3324 patients) were included in the network meta-analyses. IVUS was associated with reduced target lesion revascularization compared with ICA (odds ratio [OR], 0.69 [95% CI, 0.54-0.87]), whereas no significant differences were observed between OCT and ICA (OR, 0.83 [95% CI, 0.63-1.09]) and OCT and IVUS (OR, 1.21 [95% CI, 0.88-1.66]). Myocardial infarction did not significantly differ between guidance strategies (IVUS versus ICA: OR, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.70-1.19]; OCT versus ICA: OR, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.68-1.11]; OCT versus IVUS: OR, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.69-1.33]). These results were consistent with the secondary outcomes of ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization, target vessel myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization, and sensitivity analyses generally did not reveal inconsistency. OCT was associated with a significant reduction of stent thrombosis compared with ICA (OR, 0.49 [95% CI, 0.26-0.92]) but only in the frequentist analysis. Similarly, the results in terms of survival between IVUS or OCT and ICA were uncertain across analyses. A total of 25 randomized trials (17 128 patients) were included in the pairwise meta-analyses IVI versus ICA where IVI guidance was associated with reduced target lesion revascularization, cardiac death, and stent thrombosis. IVI-guided PCI was associated with a reduction in ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization compared with ICA-guided PCI, with the difference most evident for IVUS. In contrast, no significant differences in myocardial infarction were observed between guidance strategies.

An efficient numerical method for the quasi-static behaviour of micropolar viscoelastic Timoshenko beams for couple stress problems

A viscoelastic Timoshenko micro-beam is investigated using micropolar viscoelasticity theory. The governing equations are derived by applying the principle of virtual displacements, and can be used in a variety of problems. The equations are then reduced to the special case of a homogeneous uniform beam and solved for quasi-static elastic and viscoelastic cases. The viscoelastic material is modeled via standard linear solid model. For the elastic case, a closed-form solution is reached, but for the viscoelastic case, the inverse Laplace transform is calculated numerically by utilizing De Hoog's algorithm. It is shown that the proposed model can capture the size effects, and converges to the classical Timoshenko beam if the beam is thick enough. The model also converges to the micropolar Euler-Bernoulli model if the thickness of the beam is small. The role of distributed couple stress is also investigated in this paper. The results indicate that in a cantilever beam, the distributed couple stress has a high influence on the deflection of the beam, micro-rotation, stress components and couple stress. However, in a beam resting on three supports, it only affects the micro-rotation and the shear stress component in transverse direction (σxz). Further investigation shows an extremum in some of the results over time, illustrating the importance of taking viscoelastic behaviour into account.

Numerical investigation on the viscoelastic polymer flow in material extrusion additive manufacturing

In this paper, high-fidelity direct numerical simulations (DNSs) are carried out to explore the behavior of viscoelastic polymer flow in direct ink writing (DIW) additive manufacturing. The impact of ink elasticity on the stress for the strand deposition process has been examined. The exponential Phan-Thien Tanner (PTT) model is used to characterize the shear-thinning viscoelastic rheological behavior of polymeric fluids, and the gas-polymer interface is captured by the volume of fluid (VOF) method. Focusing on the extrusion and deposition of polymer, the effects of ink elasticity represented by the Weissenberg number (Wi), normalized printing speed and gap height on the formation of the printed strand have been studied. The results indicate that the polymer flow out of the nozzle is quite stable with time, and the polymeric stress balance is disturbed in the middle of the printed strand. For high Wi, the strand has significant deformation and an obvious large head (the earliest printed bulge in the deposited strand), whereas a larger normalized printing speed leads to a large stress region. In particular, a small normalized gap height has a squeezing effect on the deposited strand, and a visible depression in the middle of the strand can be obtained for large heights. Additionally, the degree of polymer deformation exhibits a major monotonic dependence on the normalized printing speed and gap height. The nonlinear relationships between the maximum stress components and process parameters show that the maximum stress decreases with Wi, but different printing speeds and gap heights have almost no effect on the stress components in the build platform-normal direction. The above analysis contributes to the inference of the deformation effects in different flow states, which can provide guidance to DIW additive manufacturing.

Energy efficiency optimization in a parallel relay-assisted UWOC system with simultaneous lightwave information and power transfer.

In this paper, we investigate the energy efficiency optimization for a parallel relay-assisted underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) system with simultaneous lightwave information and power transfer (SLIPT) over an aggregate channel. In this system, relay nodes are equipped with energy harvesting devices, getting energy from the direct current component of the received signal transmitted by the source node. These nodes utilize the harvested energy to transmit the signal to the destination node with the decoding and forwarding strategy. The harvested energy for each relay node is derived by the Gauss-Laguerre quadrature formula and the outage probability is deduced by the Meijer-G function. Then, the system's energy efficiency can be calculated and an energy efficiency maximization problem is built up with respect to the bias current. We propose a three-level-iteration algorithm to solve this problem. In the first level, the Dinkelbach method is used to represent energy efficiency in a parametric subtractive form. In the second level, we use the penalty function method to convert the object function and constraint. In the third level, the objective function is transformed into a quadratic function by using a successive convex approximate method, thereby solving for the bias current. The effects of system parameters on energy efficiency are also analyzed. Theoretical results and Monte Carlo simulations suggest that employing the solved bias current can significantly improve the system's energy efficiency.

Failure Probability and Economic Loss Assessment of a High-Rise Frame Structure under Synthetic Multi-Dimensional Long-Period Ground Motions

Multiple research studies and seismic data analyses have shown that multi-directional long-period ground motion affects crucial and intricate large-scale structures like oil storage containers, long-span bridges, and high-rise buildings. Seismic damage data show a 3–55% chance of long-period ground motion. To clarify, the chance of occurrence is 3% in hard soil and 83% in soft soil. Due of the above characteristics, the aseismic engineering field requires a realistic stochastic model that accounts for long-period multi-directional ground motion. A weighted average seismic amplification coefficient selected NGA database multi-directional long-period ground motion recordings for this study. Due to the significant low-frequency component in the long-period ground motion, this research uses empirical mode decomposition (EMD) to efficiently decompose it into a composite structure with high- and low-frequency components. Given the above, further investigation is needed on the evolutionary power spectrum density (EPSD) functions of high- and low-frequency components. Analyzing the recorded data will reveal these functions and their corresponding parameters. Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is needed to simulate samples of high- and low-frequency components in different directions. These samples can be combined to illustrate multi-directional long-period ground motion. Representative samples exhibit the seismic characteristics of long-period multi-directional ground motion, as shown by numerical examples. This proves the method’s engineering accuracy and usefulness. Moreover, this study used incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) to apply seismic vulnerability theory. This study investigated whether long-period ground motions in both x and multi-directional directions could enhance the seismic response of a high-rise frame structure. By using this method, a comprehensive seismic economic loss rate curve was created, making economic loss assessment clearer. This study shows that multi-directional impacts should be included when studying seismic events and calculating structure economic damages.

Environmental Assessment of Toxic Gases and Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Monitoring During Fireworks Episodes (Diwali Festival) in Chennai Metropolitan, Southern India

The Indian celebration of lights, Diwali, is very important. This yearly event in October or November involves spectacular fireworks. Sparklers increase PM and harmful chemicals in the environment. It’s no surprise that events affect air quality. This study measured Total Gaseous Mercury (TGM), Particulate Matter (such as PM2.5), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Nitric Oxide (NO), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx), and Ozone (O3) in Chennai, a densely populated metropolitan area in Tamil Nadu, India, before, on, and after Diwali. It was to determine how firecrackers affect air quality. Southwest (SW) and south-southwest winds predominate before Diwali. During Diwali, west-northwest and south-southwest wind speeds were highest. The average wind speed is 0.2-2.0 m/s. The average gaseous component concentration decreased pre- and post-Diwali. Wind direction and gaseous component distribution show Diwali sparklers were the main source of toxicity. A novel method measures wind patterns and velocities before, during and after Diwali to determine air quality dynamics. Gaseous component levels dropped significantly after Diwali, exceeding expectations. Firework emissions, meteorology and pollution dispersion were assessed. Public awareness efforts are needed since sparklers with lighting characteristics are the main source of Diwali pollution, according to the report. This new idea encourages sustainable, health-focused cultural events and urban environmental protection through data-driven decision-making.

239Pu[sbnd]Be neutron reference field: Physical and dosimetric parameters

This paper presents the establishment of a 239PuBe neutron reference field at the Military Institute for Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Hanoi, Viet Nam. The evaluation of the field parameters due to neutrons of the total component was performed using an in-house developed Bonner sphere spectrometer in combination with the output data from the FRUIT unfolding code. As results, these following field parameters were obtained for neutrons of the total component, at several points of interest: (i) neutron fluence spectrum; (ii) integral neutron fluence rate - ϕ, unit in cm−2s−1; (iii) neutron ambient dose rate (a new operational quantity) - Ḣ∗, unit in μSvh−1; (iv) neutron ambient dose equivalent rate (an old operational quantity) - Ḣ∗(10), unit in μSvh−1; (v) neutron fluence-to-ambient dose conversion coefficient - h∗, unit in pSvcm2; (vi) fluence-averaged neutron energy - E¯, unit in MeV; and (vii) ambient dose-averaged neutron energy - E˜, unit in MeV. The standard combined uncertainties of Ḣ∗ and Ḣ∗(10) due to the total neutron component were estimated within 10%, considered as acceptable for measurements of Ḣ∗ and/or Ḣ∗(10) less than 50 μSvh−1. In addition, the fluence-to-ambient dose equivalent conversion coefficient (h) for the direct neutron component was also deduced. The standard deviation of h between those obtained from this work and from published data was calculated as within 5.7%, acceptable for radiation protection purpose.

PIDKG: Propagating Interaction Influence on the Dynamic Knowledge Graph for Recommendation

Modeling the dynamic interactions between users and items on knowledge graphs is crucial for improving the accuracy of recommendation. Although existing methods have made great progress in modeling the dynamic knowledge graphs for recommendation, they usually only consider the mutual influence between users and items involved in the interactions, and ignore the influence propagation from the interacting nodes (i.e., users and items) on dynamic knowledge graphs. In this article, we propose an influence propagation-enhanced deep co-evolutionary method for recommendation, which can capture not only the direct mutual influence between interacting users and items but also influence propagation from multiple interacting nodes to their high-order neighbors at the same time on the dynamic knowledge graph. Specifically, the proposed model consists of two main components: the direct mutual influence component and the influence propagation component. The former captures direct interaction influence between the interacting users and items to generate the effective representations for them. The latter refines their representations via aggregating the interaction influence propagated from multiple interacting nodes. In this process, a neighbor selection mechanism is designed for selecting more effective propagation influence, which can significantly reduce the computational cost and accelerate the training. Finally, the refined representations of users and items are used to predict which item the user is most likely to interact with. The experimental results on three real-world datasets illustrate that the effectiveness and robustness of PIDKG outperform all state-of-the-art baselines and the efficiency of it is faster than most comparative baselines.

Effects of surface geometry on light exposure, photoacclimation and photosynthetic energy acquisition in zooxanthellate corals.

Symbiotic corals display a great array of morphologies, each of which has unique effects on light interception and the photosynthetic performance of in hospite zooxanthellae. Changes in light availability elicit photoacclimation responses to optimize the energy balances in primary producers, extensively documented for corals exposed to contrasting light regimes along depth gradients. Yet, response variation driven by coral colony geometry and its energetic implications on colonies with contrasting morphologies remain largely unknown. In this study, we assessed the effect of the inclination angle of coral surface on light availability, short- and long-term photoacclimation responses, and potential photosynthetic usable energy. Increasing surface inclination angle resulted in an order of magnitude reduction of light availability, following a linear relationship explained by the cosine law and relative changes in the direct and diffuse components of irradiance. The light gradient induced by surface geometry triggered photoacclimation responses comparable to those observed along depth gradients: changes in the quantum yield of photosystem II, photosynthetic parameters, and optical properties and pigmentation of the coral tissue. Differences in light availability and photoacclimation driven by surface inclination led to contrasting energetic performance. Horizontally and vertically oriented coral surfaces experienced the largest reductions in photosynthetic usable energy as a result of excessive irradiance and light-limiting conditions, respectively. This pattern is predicted to change with depth or local water optical properties. Our study concludes that colony geometry plays an essential role in shaping the energy balance and determining the light niche of zooxanthellate corals.

Beef marbling assessment by structured-illumination reflectance imaging with deep learning

Beef marbling is primarily assessed in terms of the abundance and spatial distribution of visible fat flecks within Longissimus Dorsi (LD) muscle. Visual appraisal by trained professionals is the currently prevailing practice in beef marbling assessment, but it is subjective, labor-intensive, and time-consuming. Structured-Illumination Reflectance Imaging (SIRI) offers a potentially useful approach to meat quality assessment as opposed to conventional imaging techniques using uniform illumination. This study presents a new evaluation of a custom-assembled, broadband SIRI system, combined with Deep Learning (DL) approaches, for beef marbling assessment. Beef samples of varying marbling degrees were imaged under sinusoidal illumination at spatial frequencies of 0.05–0.40 cycles/mm. The acquired images were demodulated into Direct Component (DC) and Amplitude Component (AC) images at each spatial frequency. Three DL-based segmentation models, including Unet++, DeepLabv3+, and SegFormer, were built using DC and AC (0.05–0.40 cycles/mm) images for segmenting the LD muscle from the surrounding backfat. Two scenarios of image input, i.e., 1) original beef images without backfat removal and 2) segmented LD muscle images, were examined for feature extraction using a pre-trained ResNeXt-101 model, followed by discriminant modeling to classify beef samples of three marbling categories. SegFormer achieved better LD segmentation than Unet++ and DeepLabv3+ for both DC and AC images, with the best IoU (Intersection over Union) of 96.8% obtained at 0.10 cycles/mm. For marbling classification, the models based on LD segments (scenario 1) consistently produced higher accuracies than those using the original beef images (scenario 2). With the deep features extracted from LD segments, DC images yielded an overall classification accuracy of 83.19%, while the AC images resulted in better accuracies of 85.96%–88.72% (P<0.05), with the greatest improvement of 5.53% (P<0.01) at 0.40 cycles/mm. A further improved accuracy of 90.85% in the marbling classification was achieved by modeling a reduced set of relevant features identified based on MRMR (Minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevance). This study has shown the effectiveness of SIRI for beef marbling assessment.

ON STYLISTIC DIFFERENTIATION IN UKRAINIAN POETIC SPEECH BASED ON THE SYNTACTIC STRUCTURE OF SENTENCES

Background. The article is devoted to the stylistic differentiation of syntactic structures of Ukrainian-language poetic texts of the Ukrainian language corpus. The goal is to study the idiostyle on models of syntactic structures, graphically presented in the form of dependency trees, with the establishment of parameters for characterizing the author's style. The properties of the linear structure of 7,752 Ukrainian-language sentences in the verse style were studied. An "averaged" dependency graph was built for each author as a generalization of the syntactic parameters of dependency trees. Methods. Applied methods of structural linguistics included quantitative methods and modeling methods, distributive analysis, direct component method, method of constructing dependency trees (DT) and direct components in linguistic analysis modules: automatic morphological (distributive) and automatic syntactic (direct component and dependency tree method). Results. As a result of the study, it was established that the architecture of the phrase is important, that is, a scheme in the form of a graph that reflects the real sequence of syntactic elements of the statement. If the author has developed his individual writing style, this will inevitably affect the originality of the graphic drawings for the structures of his typical phrases. It is in syntactic stylistics that dependence graphs as a research method will find an unlimited field of application. Eight graph parameters are proposed, the choice of which is determined by the fact that they have stylistic distinguishing power. Conclusions. To justify the applied method of statistical analysis, it can be said that in stylistics each analysis gives only what it can give; the overall research picture consists of a comprehensive review of the results of all analyses. Qualitative methods can describe what is perceived from the text through its symbolic character, but only quantitative methods can explain why the text is constructed in the way it is. Qualitative characteristics consist of precisely those quantitative characteristics that cannot be seen by the average reader, and their detection is the task of science.

Study of the 20Ne(p,γ)21Na reaction at LUNA

The NeNa-MgAl cycles are involved in the synthesis of Ne, Na, Mg, and Al isotopes. The 20Ne(p,γ)21Na (Q = 2431.68 keV) reaction is the first and slowest reaction of the NeNa cycle and it controls the speed at which the entire cycle proceeds. At the state of the art, the uncertainty on the 20Ne(p,γ)21Na reaction rate affects the production of the elements in the NeNa cycle. In particular, in the temperature range from 0.1 GK to 1 GK, the rate is dominated by the 366 keV resonance corresponding to the excited state of EX = 2797.5 keV and by the direct capture component. The present study focus on the study of the 366 keV resonance and the direct capture below 400 keV. At LUNA (Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics) the 20Ne(p,γ)21Na reaction has been measured using the intense proton beam delivered by the LUNA 400 kV accelerator and a windowless differential-pumping gas target. The products of the reaction are detected with two high-purity germanium detectors. The experimental details and preliminary results on the 366 keV resonance and on the direct capture component at very low energies will be shown, together with their possible impact on the 20Ne(p,γ)21Na reaction rate.

Retinal response to two commercially available contact lenses for myopia control

Aims/Purpose: Myopia control contact lenses (CLs) have shown optimistic results in eye growth retention in children. However, it is still unknown the retinal mechanisms of defocus detection. This study evaluated the electrophysiological response of the retina with two myopia control CLs, compared to single‐vision CLs.Methods: High‐contrast visual acuity (VA) and the retinal activity of 16 eyes (16 subjects, 27.5 ± 5.7 years, 12 female) with myopia (from −0.75 to −6.00 D, astigmatism &gt;1.00 D) were assessed with two single‐vision CLs (Omafilcon A – SVo – and Filcon 5B – SVf) and two myopia control CLs (dual‐focus – DF, Omafilcon A – and extended‐depth‐of‐focus – EDOF, Filcon 5B). The global‐flash multifocal electroretinogram (gf‐mfERG) was recorded with the Reti‐port/scan21 (Roland Consult) with a 61‐hexagons stimulus in physiological pupil conditions. The implicit time (milliseconds) and response density (nV/deg2) of the direct (DC) and induced (IC) components were compared between CLs of matching material.Results: All CLs showed similar VA (p &gt; 0.050). The implicit times did not show statistically significant differences. DF showed higher response density of both DC and IC components at all retinal areas, with a statistically significant difference in the parafoveal DC component (difference of 2.77 [6.23–1.44] nV/deg2, p = 0.038), compared with the SVo. EDOF showed a higher response density of about 13.31 [23.88–3.85] nV/deg2 (p = 0.032) in the foveal IC component, compared with the SVf. The remaining retinal areas did not show statistically significant differences.Conclusions: The retina seems to respond differently to distinct CL's optical designs. The two myopia control CLs increased the electrophysiological response of the retina, but with different effects, without affecting the implicit time of the response. Multifocal contact lenses with peripheral defocus induce different foveal and parafoveal activities that might be involved in the mechanism of myopia control.

Peripheral refraction and retinal activity with dual focus contact lenses for myopia control

Aims/Purpose: Contact lenses (CLs) for myopia control have shown optimistic eye growth retention in children but, the retinal mechanisms of defocus still unclear. This work evaluated the retinal response and peripheral refraction with a soft CL for myopia management in myopic eyes.Methods: The visual acuity (VA), peripheral refraction and the retinal electrical activity were obtained from sixteen myopic (between −0.75 D and − 6.00 D, astigmatism &gt;1.00 D) subjects (27.5 ± 5.7 years, 12 female), with two material‐matched CLs (Omafilcon A): a single‐vision CL (SV) and a myopia management dual‐focus CL (DF). Peripheral refraction was assessed with an open‐field autorefractometer (WAM‐5500, GrandSeiko Co. Lt) in four meridians separated by 45° at 2.50 meters distance. The global‐flash multifocal electroretinogram (gf‐mfERG) was recorded with the Reti‐port/scan21 (Roland Consult) using a stimulus of 61‐hexagons. The implicit time and response density (in nV/deg2) of the direct (DC) and induced (IC) components were analysed. Only the data of a single eye per subject was randomly used for analysis.Results: The two CLs designs showed similar VA (p &gt; 0.050). The DF induced a myopic shift of the SV peripheral refraction in most retinal eccentricities (p &lt; 0.050). There were no differences in the implicit times of the retinal response between CLs designs. The DF increased the response density of both DC and IC components at all retinal areas, with a statistically significant difference in the parafoveal DC component (median difference of 2.77 [6.23–1.44] nV/deg2, p = 0.038).Conclusions: The results showed that the retina responds differently to a SV and a DF CLs. The myopia management CL increased the electrophysiological response of the retina without affecting the time domain of the response. Besides other mechanisms potentially involved, the foveal and parafoveal retinal activities might be involved in the mechanism of myopia control with these lenses.

Economic and Humanistic Burden of Moderate and Severe Hemophilia A and B in Spain: Real-World Evidence Insights from the CHESS II Study.

Background: Hemophilia is a congenital disorder characterized by deficiency or absence of clotting factor VIII in hemophilia A (HA) or clotting factor IX in hemophilia B (HB), resulting in frequent, repeated, and prolonged spontaneous or traumatic bleeding into joints or soft tissue. Severity is classified by the patient's baseline level of clotting factor activity as mild (>5%-40%), moderate (1%-5%), or severe (<1%). In Spain, there is limited information on the societal economic burden of disease. Objective: To estimate the economic and humanistic burden of disease in adult patients with non-inhibitor moderate and severe HA and HB in Spain. Methods: Spanish data from the CHESS II study (2018-2020) on patients' clinical characteristics, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and hemophilia-related healthcare resource utilization were analyzed. Economic burden was determined by estimating condition-related annual per-patient direct (medical and nonmedical) and indirect costs, stratified according to hemophilia type and severity and presented as 2022 Euros. HRQoL was assessed via the EQ-5D-5L. Results: Of 341 patients in the Spanish CHESS II cohort, 288 patients met the inclusion criteria: 181 had HA (37% [n = 66] moderate and 63% [n=115] severe) and 107 had HB (26% [n = 28] moderate and 74% [n = 79] severe). Mean annual direct cost was higher in HB than in HA, and higher in severe than in moderate patients, resulting in an annual cost/patient of €17 251 (moderate HA), €17 796 (moderate HB), €116 767 (severe HA) and €206 996 (severe HB). The main direct cost component in all groups except moderate HA was factor replacement therapy. Mean per-patient indirect cost was €4089 (moderate HA), €797 (moderate HB), €8633 (severe HA) and €8049 (severe HB). Finally, the mean total cost (direct and indirect) for moderate and severe patients were €91 017 (HA) and €163 924 (HB). EQ-5D-5L [SD] scores were lower in patients with severe HA (0.77 [0.18]) and severe HB (0.70 [0.22]) compared with patients with moderate HA (0.81 [0.15]) and moderate HB (0.86 [0.17]). Conclusions: Independently of the type of hemophilia, greater condition severity was associated with increased costs and a decrease in HRQoL.