Fp Values Research Articles

Enhanced flux pinning properties of Ga2O3: YBCO nanocomposite superconductor

The effect of adding various concentrations (0.1–0.5 wt%) of Ga2O3 nanorods (NRs) on structural, electrical, magnetic, and flux pinning properties of the YBa2Cu O7-δ (YBCO) superconductor is studied. The critical current density (Jc) and flux pinning force (Fp) values are found to enhance significantly, and the nanocomposite sample with x = 0.2 wt% shows the maximum enhancement among the samples under study. At 4 K, the maximum value of Jc (Jcmax) and Fp (Fpmax) for the 0.2 wt% sample are ∼ 2.87 and 3 times higher and at 65 K, these increments are ∼ 3.54 and 3.4 times, as compared to pure YBCO respectively. Moreover, the Jc value for the composite samples has a lower decay with increasing temperature than the pure YBCO samples. The enhanced superconducting properties of the xGa2O3: YBCO can be attributed to the lattice defects induced by Ga2O3 NRs, which act as effective pinning centers.

Suppressing-accelerating effect of Nitrotetrazolium Blue chloride in boosting superconformal cobalt filling

Achieving cobalt superconformal (bottom-up) growth is significantly important. Electrochemical methods, including cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectra and EQCM-derived Coulomb-voltage curves, were used to confirm the suppressing influence of new suppressor Nitrotetrazolium Blue chloride (NBT). In situ Raman spectroscopy was used confirm that NBT can effectively adsorb on cobalt surface. Besides, EQCM-derived Coulomb-voltage illustrates that it is more beneficial for cobalt electrodeposition at high pH. The NBT effect on hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was studied by LSV and chronoamperometry. Finite element simulation is used to investigate the accelerating effect of NBT on HER and convection. Suppressing-accelerating effect is proposed to illustrate effect of NBT. NBT can not only suppress the cobalt deposition but also can accelerate local convection by intensifying HER, which can in turn strengthen NBT adsorption. SEM analysis demonstrates that convection and NBT can refine grain. High-quality cobalt is achieved with low SDT values ranging from 24 μm to 45 μm and high FP values (75.4 % for 150 μm, 88.9 % for 100 μm and 87.2 % for 50 μm).

Determining anterior hip coverage in patients with hip dysplasia using the anterior center-edge angle on Lequesne's false-profile radiograph and on computed tomography.

Anterior hip coverage is important for hip stability. As a parameter of anterior hip coverage, the anterior center-edge angle on false-profile radiograph (ACEA FP) is associated with clinical outcomes. With the widespread application of computed tomography (CT), the anterior center-edge angle on CT (ACEA CT) has also been used to measure anterior hip coverage. Little is known about the reproducibility of the ACEA FP and ACEA CT in patients with hip dysplasia or the correlation between the ACEA CT and ACEA FP. In total, 49 hips of 49 patients who underwent periacetabular osteotomy in our center were included. The lateral center-edge angle, Tönnis angle, ACEA FP and ACEA CT were determined. We assessed the intraobserver and interobserver reliability of the ACEA FP and ACEA CT, the effect of the Tönnis angle on the reliability of the ACEA FP and ACEA CT and the correlation between the ACEA CT and ACEA FP. The intraobserver and interobserver interclass correlation coefficients of the ACEA FP were good, and those of the ACEA CT were very good. The Tönnis angle was weakly correlated with inconsistent ACEA FP measurements (P = 0.008) but not with inconsistent ACEA CT measurements (P = 0.600). No correlation between ACEA FP and ACEA CT measurements was observed (P = 0.213-0.665). The reproducibility of the ACEA CT is more consistent than that of the ACEA FP. The oblique acetabular roof had an effect on determining the ACEA FP but not on determining the ACEA CT. No correlation was observed between the measured ACEA FP and ACEA CT values, so the clinical evidence obtained from the ACEA FP cannot be directly applied to the ACEA CT.

The partitioning and distribution of neonicotinoid insecticides in human blood

The burden of neonicotinoid insecticides (neonics) in humans has attracted widespread attention in recent years due to the potential adverse effects. Nonetheless, information on the partitioning behavior and distribution in human blood is still limited. Herein, we obtained 115 adult whole blood and plasma specimens for analysis of eight neonics to better understand neonics’ partitioning and distribution in human blood. At least one neonic was detected in 49.6% of the red blood cells and 55.7% of the plasma. In red blood cells, the highest detection rate and concentration was thiamethoxam (THI) with 19.1% and 3832 ng/L, respectively. Imidacloprid had the highest detection rate with 26.1% in the plasma. The mass fraction (Fp) of neonics detected indicates that thiacloprid, imidacloprid, and dinotefuran are mostly resided in plasma upon entering into human blood, while thiamethoxam is mostly present in red blood cells. The distribution of clothianidin and acetamiprid between plasma and red blood cells is similar. The mass fraction (Fp) values for THI were significantly different compared to other neonics, and the effect of age and gender on THI partitioning concluded that there may not be significant variability in the distribution of THI in the sampled population. Overall, this study was the first to investigate neonics residuals in red blood cells and provided fundamental information on the partitioning and distribution of neonics in human blood.

Detecting Prosthetic Restorations Using Artificial Intelligence on Panoramic Radiographs

Aim. This study applied a CNN (convolutional neural network) algorithm to detect prosthetic restorations on panoramic radiographs and to automatically detect these restorations using deep learning systems. Materials and Methods. This study collected a total of 5126 panoramic radiographs of adult patients. During model training, .bmp, .jpeg, and .png files for images and .txt files containing five different types of information are required for the labels. Herein, 10% of panoramic radiographs were used as a test dataset. Owing to labeling, 2988 crowns and 2969 bridges were formed in the dataset. Results. The mAP and mAR values were obtained when the confidence threshold was set at 0.1. TP, FP, FN, precision, recall, and F1 score values were obtained when the confidence threshold was 0.25. The YOLOv4 model demonstrated that accurate results could be obtained quickly. Bridge results were found to be more successful than crown results. Conclusion. The detection of prosthetic restorations with artificial intelligence on panoramic radiography, which is widely preferred in clinical applications, provides convenience to physicians in terms of diagnosis and time management.

A three-component multi-b-value diffusion-weighted imaging might be a useful biomarker for detecting microstructural features in gliomas with differences in malignancy and IDH-1 mutation status.

The purpose of the study was to explore the performance of a three-component diffusion model in evaluating the degree of malignancy and isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH-1) gene type of gliomas. Overall, 60 patients with gliomas were enrolled. The intermediate and perfusion-related diffusion coefficients (Dint and Dp) and fractions of strictly limited, intermediate, and perfusion-related diffusion (Fvery-slow, Fint, and Fp) were obtained with a three-component diffusion model. Parameters were also obtained from a diffusion kurtosis model and mono- and biexponential models. All parameters were compared between different tumor grades and IDH-1 gene types. Diagnostic performance and logistic regression analyses were performed. High-grade gliomas (HGGs) had significantly higher Fint, Fvery-slow, and Dp values but significantly lower Fp and Dint values than low-grade gliomas (LGGs), and Fint and Fp differed significantly among grade II, III, and IV gliomas (p < 0.05 for all). Fint achieved the highest AUC of 0.872 in differentiating between LGGs and HGGs. Logistic regression analysis revealed that in each model, Fint, diffusion coefficient (D), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), mean diffusivity (MD), and mean kurtosis (MK) were associated with glioma grading. After multiple regression analysis, Fint remained the only differentiator. Additionally, Fint and Fp showed significant differences between IDH-1 mutated and IDH-1 wild-type gliomas (p = 0.007 and 0.01, respectively). The three-component DWI model served as a useful biomarker for detecting microstructural features in gliomas with different grades and IDH-1 mutation statuses. • The three-component model enables the estimation of an intermediate diffusion component. • The three-component model performed better than the other models in glioma grading and genotyping. • Fint was useful in evaluating the grade and genotype of gliomas.

The influence of leveler Brilliant Green on copper superconformal electroplating based on electrochemical and theoretical study

Finding proper additive to achieve copper superconformal electrodeposition is significantly important. Brilliant Green exhibits excellent suppressing ability to the copper electrodeposition according to electrochemical analysis. Meanwhile, 100 mg/L was selected as the optimum value based on the convection-dependent adsorption behavior analysis of Brilliant Green. The interaction among three different additives was also investigated by applying chronopotentiometry as well as Brilliant Green compete to absorb on the cathode surface with SPS. Besides, the introduction of Brilliant Green can improve the transport of cupric ions (Cu2+). The nucleation and growth of copper deposition is 3D diffusion-controlled instantaneous growth process at high overpotential but 3D diffusion-controlled mixing growth process at low overpotential. The synergistic suppressing mechanism was proposed to explain strong suppressing effect of BG on reduction of Cu2+ and the reaction pathways was studied theoretically. Copper interconnect layer with high FP values (80.52 % to 84.38 %) was obtained with low SDT (about 28 μm) after electroplating process was optimized. The surface morphology under the influence of Brilliant Green is compact and uniform and the grain size is reduced by Brilliant Green.

Distribution of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances and their precursors in human blood

Many studies have examined per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in human blood. However, the distribution of PFASs in human blood remains not well known, especially for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) precursors. In this study, human blood samples (n = 162) were collected from general Chinese population, and then the isomer-specific partitioning of PFASs between human plasma and red blood cells (RBCs) were investigated. Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and PFOS were consistently the predominant PFASs in both human plasma and RBCs. In human blood, among C4–C7 perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs), the calculated mean mass fraction in plasma (Fp) values increased from 0.76 to 0.82 with the increasing chain length. C7–C13 PFCAs exhibited a trend of gradually decreasing mean Fp with chain length. Among PFAS precursors, 6:2 fluorotelomer phosphate diester had the highest mean Fp value (0.87 ± 0.11). Calculated Fp values of N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamide (N-MeFOSA) and N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamide (N-EtFOSA) were 0.66 ± 0.13 and 0.70 ± 0.12, respectively. Individual branched isomers consistently had greater Fp values than their corresponding linear isomers for PFOA, PFHxS, and perfluoroctane sulfonamide. To our knowledge, this study first reports the distribution of N-MeFOSA and N-EtFOSA in human blood, contributing to the better understanding of the occurrence and fate of PFASs in humans.

Investigation of ball milling effect on superconducting properties of oleic acid added bulk MgB2 superconductors produced by two different methods

The effect of ball milling on the microstructure and some superconducting parameters such as flux pinning force (Fp) and critical current density (Jc) of the oleic acid (C18H34O2) added MgB2 bulk samples produced by two different methods, was analysed in this article. In the first method, ball milling was applied to the samples produced by using boron (B) powders coated with carbon (C) released from oleic acid. In the second method, oleic acid was mixed with magnesium (Mg) and B powders at the same time and then the same ball milling process used in the first method was applied to the powder mixture. The structural, magnetic and electrical properties of the produced samples were analysed. The results showed that ball milling process enhances the homogeneity of the structure, decreases the grain size and improves the grain connectivity of MgB2. Also, C substitution into MgB2 lattice resulting in an increase in electron scattering and disorders, enhances after ball milling process. It supplies a significant increase in Jc at high fields and causes a slightly decrease in transition temperature (Tc), especially for the samples produced by using the first method. Because the first method supports the ball milling effect on the homogenous dispersion of oleic acid addition in the MgB2 structure and the C entrance to MgB2 lattice, acting as pinning centres, the best Jc and Fp values at high fields was obtained for the produced samples with second method.

Doppler trans-thoracic echocardiography for detection of pulmonary hypertension in adults.

Doppler trans-thoracic echocardiography for detection of pulmonary hypertension in adults.

Diagnostic accuracy of vesical imaging-reporting and data system (VI-RADS) in suspected muscle invasive bladder cancer: A systematic review and diagnostic meta-analysis.

To investigate the accuracy of Vesical Imaging-Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS) in detection of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the available literature. Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and EMBASE were searched up to 8 March 2021 for the studies evaluating the diagnostic performance of VI-RADS for the detection of MIBC. Inclusion criteria were patients with bladder cancer; index test of VI-RADS based on multiparametric MRI; reference test of histopathological findings from TURBT, re-TURBT, or cystectomy and study design of cohort. Case reports, review articles, and editorials were eliminated, as well as studies with insufficient knowledge to acquire TP, FP, FN, and TN values of VI-RADS. The MIDAS module of STATA was for statistical analysis. The heterogeneity was explored using subgroup analysis and meta-regression analysis. Overall, 22 eligible studies, consisting of 2,576 participants and 5,414 MRI reports, were included in this meta-analysis. The area under curve (AUC) of VI-RADS at cut-point values of 3 and 4 were 0.93 (95%CI: 0.91, 0.95), 0.93 (95%CI: 0.90, 0.95), respectively. Based on Youden's J statistic, the optimal VI-RADS cutoff value for predicting MIBC was determined as 3 which granted a pooled sensitivity of 89% (95%CI: 87%, 91%; I2=48%) and a specificity of 84% (95%CI: 80%, 87%; I2=90%). Based on meta-regression, the sources of inter-study heterogeneity for VI-RADS ≥ 3 were the sample size > 70, study design, single-center vs multi-center, patient population characteristics (i.e., gender, age), reference standard, histology, magnetic strength, T2WI slice thickness, and the number of radiologists reporting the MRI results (P value ≤ 0.01). The VI-RADS demonstrates consistently high diagnostic accuracy to predict MIBC. This scoring system could be applied in standard staging MRI reports of bladder cancer and can be incorporated into future MIBC work up guidelines.

Lower prefrontal cortical synaptic vesicle binding in cocaine use disorder: An exploratory 11 C-UCB-J positron emission tomography study in humans.

Preclinical studies have revealed robust and long-lasting alterations in dendritic spines in the brain following cocaine exposure. Such alterations are hypothesized to underlie enduring maladaptive behaviours observed in cocaine use disorder (CUD). The current study explored whether synaptic density is altered in CUD. Fifteen individuals with DSM-5 CUD and 15 demographically matched healthy control (HC) subjects participated in a single 11 C-UCB-J positron emission tomography scan to assess density of synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A). The volume of distribution (VT ) and the plasma-free fraction-corrected form of the total volume of distribution (VT /fP ) were analysed in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), dorsomedial and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (PFC), lateral and medial orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and ventral striatum. A significant diagnostic-group-by-region interaction was observed for VT and VT /fP . Post hoc analyses revealed no differences on VT , while for VT /fP showed lower values in CUD as compared with HC subjects in the ACC (-10.9%, p = 0.02), ventromedial PFC (-9.9%, p = 0.02) and medial OFC (-9.9%, p = 0.04). Regional VT /fP values in CUD, though unrelated to measures of lifetime cocaine use, were positively correlated with the frequency of recent cocaine use (p = 0.02-0.03) and negatively correlated with cocaine abstinence (p = 0.008-0.03). These findings provide initial preliminary in vivo evidence of altered (lower) synaptic density in the PFC of humans with CUD. Cross-sectional variation in SV2A availability as a function of recent cocaine use and abstinence suggests that synaptic density may be dynamically and plastically regulated by acute cocaine, an observation that merits direct testing by studies using more definitive longitudinal designs.

Noninvasive assessment of kidney dysfunction in children by using blood oxygenation level-dependent MRI and intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging

ObjectivesTo explore whether multiparametric approach including blood oxygenation level-dependent MRI (BOLD-MRI) and intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI) can be applied in the assessment of renal function in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD).Materials and methodsThis prospective study included 74 children (CKD stage 1–3, 51; CKD stage 4–5, 12; healthy volunteers, 11) for renal MRI examinations including coronal T2WI, axial T1WI and T2WI, BOLD-MRI, and DWI sequences. We measured the renal cortex and medulla T2*, ADC, Dt, Dp, and fp values on BOLD and DWI images. Appropriate statistical methods were applied for comparing MRI-derived parameters among the three groups and calculating the correlation coefficients between MRI-derived parameters and clinical data. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the diagnostic performance of MRI-derived parameters.ResultsThere were significant differences in cortex T2*, ADC, Dt, fp and medulla T2*, ADC, Dt among the three groups. Cortex T2*, ADC, Dt, fp and medulla T2*, ADC, Dt had a trend: CKD stage 4–5 < CKD stage 1–3 < healthy volunteers. Cortex and medulla T2*, ADC, Dt were significantly correlated with eGFR, serum creatinine (Scr), cystatin C. In addition, cortex T2* and eGFR showed the highest correlation coefficient (r = 0.824, p < 0.001). Cortex Dt and medulla T2* were optimal parameters for differentiating healthy volunteers and CKD stage 1–3 or CKD stage 4–5 and CKD stage 1–3, respectively.ConclusionsBOLD-MRI and IVIM-DWI might be used as a feasible method for noninvasive assessment of renal function in children with CKD.

Co-ordination between leaf biomechanical resistance and hydraulic safety across 30 sub-tropical woody species.

Leaf biomechanical resistance protects leaves from biotic and abiotic damage. Previous studies have revealed that enhancing leaf biomechanical resistance is costly for plant species and leads to an increase in leaf drought tolerance. We thus predicted that there is a functional correlation between leaf hydraulic safety and biomechanical characteristics. We measured leaf morphological and anatomical traits, pressure-volume parameters, maximum leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf-max), leaf water potential at 50 % loss of hydraulic conductance (P50leaf), leaf hydraulic safety margin (SMleaf), and leaf force to tear (Ft) and punch (Fp) of 30 co-occurring woody species in a sub-tropical evergreen broadleaved forest. Linear regression analysis was performed to examine the relationships between biomechanical resistance and other leaf hydraulic traits. We found that higher Ft and Fp values were significantly associated with a lower (more negative) P50leaf and a larger SMleaf, thereby confirming the correlation between leaf biomechanical resistance and hydraulic safety. However, leaf biomechanical resistance showed no correlation with Kleaf-max, although it was significantly and negatively correlated with leaf outside-xylem hydraulic conductance. In addition, we also found that there was a significant correlation between biomechanical resistance and the modulus of elasticity by excluding an outlier. The findings of this study reveal leaf biomechanical-hydraulic safety correlation in sub-tropical woody species.

Classification based on K-Nearest Neighbor and Logistic Regression method of coffee using Electronic Nose

Coffee has its own scent of identity which can be felt directly with the ability of the human sense of smell. With a specific coffee aroma that can be used to identify the type of coffee. In this study we propose that E-Nose (Electronic Nose) can be used to identify coffee based on the aroma of coffee converted into value data used for the classification process. The initial step is the data validation process using the calculation of the average value, standard deviation, Minmax. After conducting the dataset validation process, the next step is to implement the Logistic Regression (LR) and K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) classification methods. The accuracy value is derived from the Confusion Matrix evaluation method, TP, TN, FP and FN values. This study focuses on finding the best classification accuracy value with the criteria having the highest accuracy value. This system can be used to classify types of coffee with a mixture of coffee and milk. This study will compare the results of classification using the two classification methods. Based on the results of the accuracy of the two methods presented the best results using the KNN method with a statistical calculation is 97.7%.

Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Model of Diffusion Weighted Imaging and Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging in Differentiating of Local Colorectal Cancer Recurrence from Scar/Fibrosis Tissue by Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis

Purpose: The aim of the study is to evaluate the potential of Intravoxel incoherent motion model of diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) in the differentiation of local colorectal cancer recurrence (LCR) from scar/fibrosis tissue in patients that underwent chemo-radiation therapy followed by the total mesorectal excision (TME) for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Methods: Fifty-six patients were retrospectively included for the image analysis. Diffusion and perfusion parameters were extracted by DWI data (apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (Dp), perfusion fraction (fp), and tissue diffusivity (Dt)) and DKI data (mean of diffusion coefficient (MD) and mean of diffusional Kurtosis). Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney U test, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses, and area under ROC curve (AUC) were used in a univariate statistical analysis. Backward stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis was also performed. Results: LCR was found in 34 patients and treatment related changes such as scar/fibrosis tissue in 22 patients. At univariate analysis, low performance was reached by the mean value of Kurtosis with and AUC of 0.72 and an accuracy of 75%, respectively. Considering a regression model obtained as weighted sum of the ADC, Kurtosis, fp and Dp mean values, reached an AUC of 0.82 with a sensitivity of 72%, a specificity of 93%, and an accuracy of 81%. Conclusions: DWI derived parameters combined with DKI derived metrics in a multivariate model could allow differentiating of local colorectal recurrence from scar/fibrosis tissue after TME of LARC.

Assessment of metastatic lymph nodes in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas using simultaneous 18F-FDG-PET and MRI

In this study, we investigate the feasibility of using dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI), diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), and dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) for detection of metastatic lymph nodes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cases. Twenty HNSCC patients scheduled for lymph node dissection underwent DCE-MRI, dynamic PET, and DWI using a PET-MR scanner within one week prior to their planned surgery. During surgery, resected nodes were labeled to identify their nodal levels and sent for routine clinical pathology evaluation. Quantitative parameters of metastatic and normal nodes were calculated from DCE-MRI (ve, vp, PS, Fp, Ktrans), DWI (ADC) and PET (Ki, K1, k2, k3) to assess if an individual or a combination of parameters can classify normal and metastatic lymph nodes accurately. There were 38 normal and 11 metastatic nodes covered by all three imaging methods and confirmed by pathology. 34% of all normal nodes had volumes greater than or equal to the smallest metastatic node while 4 normal nodes had SUV > 4.5. Among the MRI parameters, the median vp, Fp, PS, and Ktrans values of the metastatic lymph nodes were significantly lower (p = <0.05) than those of normal nodes. ve and ADC did not show any statistical significance. For the dynamic PET parameters, the metastatic nodes had significantly higher k3 (p value = 8.8 × 10−8) and Ki (p value = 5.3 × 10−8) than normal nodes. K1 and k2 did not show any statistically significant difference. Ki had the best separation with accuracy = 0.96 (sensitivity = 1, specificity = 0.95) using a cutoff of Ki = 5.3 × 10−3 mL/cm3/min, while k3 and volume had accuracy of 0.94 (sensitivity = 0.82, specificity = 0.97) and 0.90 (sensitivity = 0.64, specificity = 0.97) respectively. 100% accuracy can be achieved using a multivariate logistic regression model of MRI parameters after thresholding the data with Ki < 5.3 × 10−3 mL/cm3/min. The results of this preliminary study suggest that quantitative MRI may provide additional value in distinguishing metastatic nodes, particularly among small nodes, when used together with FDG-PET.

Interspecific variation in tree- and stand-scale stemflow funneling ratios in a subtropical deciduous forest in eastern China

Stemflow is an important water flux in forested ecosystems, which is influenced by both biotic and abiotic factors. The stemflow funneling ratio, FP, is a straightforward parameter to express the funneling efficiency of individual trees,FP,Bt, or at the stand-scale, FP,Bs. Nevertheless, no known studies have compared the FP and its influencing factors between tree- and stand-scales in a subtropical deciduous forest. In this study, FP values from Q. acutissima and B. papyrifera trees were computed for a subtropical area of eastern China, and examined in relation to five biotic variables and ten abiotic variables. The relative contribution ratio (RCR) of each biotic and abiotic variable to FP,Bt and FP,Bs were evaluated by relative importance analysis. The median FP,Bs of B. papyrifera (104.2) was significantly higher than that of Q. acutissima (62.2), with the median FP,Bt of Q. acutissima and B. papyrifera both varying greatly among individual trees. Projected crown area (RCR = 29.2%) and diameter at breast height (RCR = 21.4%) were the two most important biotic factors governing FP,Bt of Q. acutissima, while the two critical biotic factors affecting FP,Bt of B. papyrifera were trunk lean (RCR = 62.2%) and tree height (RCR = 15.1%), respectively. At the stand scale, gross precipitation (GP), rainfall duration (DE) and vapor pressure deficit (D) were the three most critical factors affecting FP,Bs of Q. acutissima and B. papyrifera. GP and DE exerted positive effects but D a negative effect on stemflow generation. These findings provide new insights into the FP at both tree- and stand-scales within subtropical ecosystems.

Flammability parameters of lithium-ion battery electrolytes

Analysis of literature values of electrolyte flammability parameters does not show any correlation. This can be interpreted as a result of electrolyte flame risk being characterized by different research teams applying incomparable experimental methods. Therefore, in order to obtain a consistent set of data five different safety (flammability) parameters, i.e. flash point Fp (the open cup method), self-extinguishing time SET, flame propagation time FPT, flame propagation velocity FPV and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) peak temperature, were measured in the same way for 33 electrolytes or solvents applied in lithium-ion batteries. No correlation was found between SET and FPV, SET and FPT, SET and Fp as well as DSC data with all the other parameters. However, on the FPT vs Fp and FPV vs Fp plots two electrolyte groups were seen. The first group consists of liquids based on dimethyl carbonate and diethyl carbonate, characterized by the lowest Fp values (Fp ≤ 29 °C). The other systems belong to the second group of liquid systems (58 °C ≤ Fp ≤ 91 °C). A general conclusion is that determination of flammability parameters in a standardized way can lead to a correlation between at least three of them: flash point, flame propagation velocity and flash propagation time.

P1782INFLUENCE OF IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE REGIMEN ON OXYGENATION AND DIFFUSIVITY OF KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS - ANALYSIS OF FUNCTIONAL MRI DATA FROM THE RANDOMIZED ZEUS STUDY

Abstract Background and Aims The ZEUS study was a multi-center open-label randomized controlled trial designed to investigate the effect of an early conversion from a calcineurin-inhibitor-based immunosuppression to a mammalian-target-of-rapamycin inhibitor-based regimen on graft function twelve months post-transplantation. Persistent improvement of renal function up to five years together with albeit higher rejection rates were found in the intervention group. In the context of an investigator-initiated local sub-study, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was prospectively performed in a subset of the study population in order to non-invasively assess differences in renal graft oxygenation, diffusion and perfusion between groups and time-points using blood-oxygen level-dependent (BOLD)- and diffusion-weighted (DWI) MRI respectively. Method In the ZEUS trial, 300 de novo kidney graft recipients were randomized to continue ciclosporin (CsA) or be converted to everolimus (EVE) at 4.5 months post-transplant. Concomitant immunosuppression contained enteric-coated mycophenolic acid, steroids and basiliximab. From the 36 subjects included in the ZEUS study at our study center, sixteen were enrolled in the MRI sub-study. FMRI including BOLD-MRI and DWI was prospectively performed at month 4.5 and 12 post-transplantation on a 3 Tesla and 1.5 Tesla (n=3) MR scanner. Blinded image analysis was done by placing up to 24 regions of interest in cortex and medulla. BOLD-MRI yielded the relaxation rate R2*, a parameter indirectly proportional to tissue oxygen content, DWI yielded the perfusion-cleared apparent diffusion coefficient ADCD, a marker of tissue diffusivity, and the perfusion fraction FP, a marker of microperfusion. All data were analyzed using in-house custom-scripts written in IDL® and MATLAB®. Results After exclusion of subjects due to image quality, outlier values or missing data, BOLD data was analyzed in eight, DWI in ten subjects. Mean absolute values and standard deviations corresponded to published values. A clear cortico-medullary gradient was shown for R2* and FP values, but not for ADCD, corresponding to previous results. For all fMRI parameters, there was no change for the whole population from 4.5 to 12 months post-transplantation in cortex and medulla. FMRI parameters did not differ significantly between both medication groups at month 4.5. In BOLD, R2* values increased (decreased tissue oxygen) over time in the CsA-treated and decreased in the EVE-treated group in cortex and medulla. Similarly, R2* values at month 12 were higher in the CsA- vs. EVE-treated group; the low number of subjects having completed BOLD-MRI at month 12 precluded formal statistical testing. In DWI, ADCD decreased in the CsA-group over time, whereas it increased in the EVE-group in cortex and medulla (p=0.046). Likewise, ADCD at month 12 was lower by trend in the CsA- vs. EVE-treated group in both medulla and cortex. The change in ADCD from month 4.5 to month 12 significantly differed in cortex (p=0.033) and medulla (p=0.019) between treatment groups. There was no significant difference for FP between medication groups nor over time. Baseline renal function and blood pressure were comparable in both groups. Conclusion The R2* values obtained by BOLD point to reduced graft oxygenation on CsA and ameliorated graft oxygenation on EVE, possibly due to the known vasoconstrictor effect of calcineurin inhibitors. The observed decreased diffusivity by DWI on CsA might be due to increased tissue density in the context of beginning calcineurin inhibitor-induced interstitial fibrosis. There was no clear trend for microperfusion as assessed by FP. Limitations of this study are the low number of subjects available for analysis. In conclusion, this prospective sub-study of the ZEUS trial suggests an impact of immunosuppressive regimen on fMRI parameters of the renal graft.