Good Correlation Research Articles

Fluorescence-Based Lateral Flow Immunoassay for Quantification of Infliximab: Analytical and Clinical Performance Evaluation.

Therapeutic drug monitoring of infliximab (IFX) can improve treatment outcomes; however, the temporal gap between drug concentration monitoring and subsequent availability restricts its practical application. To address this issue, an automated monitoring method, AFIAS IFX, was developed to rapidly and accurately analyze IFX concentration in blood. The analytical and clinical performances of this method were assessed to establish its clinical utility. The analytical performance of AFIAS IFX was evaluated according to Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute guidelines. For clinical validation, AFIAS IFX was compared with 3 established enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits (LISA TRACKER, RIDASCREEN, and ImmunoGuide) using 100 consecutive samples from 28 patients treated with IFX. Passing-Bablok regression and Bland-Altman analyses were performed to compare the methods. The detection and quantification limits of AFIAS IFX were 0.12 and 0.20 mcg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, AFIAS IFX analyzed samples within 10 minutes for concentrations up to 50 mcg/mL, exhibiting reproducibility (coefficient of variation [CV] ≤7.8%) and accuracy (recovery 98%-101%) with serum, plasma, and whole blood samples. Clinically, it exhibited a good correlation with the 3 established enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. For patients treated with Remicade (IFX), the Passing-Bablok regression slope was 1.001-1.259, with a mean difference of -1.48 to 0.28 mcg/mL. For patients treated with CT-P13, the Passing-Bablok regression slope was 0.974-1.254, with a mean difference of -2.44 to 0.15 mcg/mL. AFIAS IFX, a novel fluorescence-based lateral flow assay, exhibited excellent performance in analyzing IFX trough levels and is a potentially powerful tool for therapeutic drug monitoring in clinical settings, with opportunities for further development.

Tree barriers height information extraction under power line based on watershed segmentation and local maximum algorithm

ABSTRACT In view of the problem that the traditional power line inspection cannot accurately obtain the height of the tree barriers under the power line, this study takes a forest area in Guilin City and a power line corridor in Yinchuan City as the research object, and combines watershed segmentation algorithm and local maximum algorithm to study the height of the tree barriers under power line. The results show that the watershed segmentation algorithm and the local maximum algorithm can accurately extract the height of tree barriers in power lines. In the Guilin experiment, there is a good correlation between the extracted height of different trees and the measured height, The correlation coefficients (R2) for osmanthus, eucalyptus, and pine trees are 0.9368, 0.8923, and 0.8227, respectively. In the experiment in Yinchuan, the tree height extracted by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and LiDAR also has a good correlation with the measured height, with correlation coefficients (R2) of 0.926 and 0.952, respectively. These two experiments have verified the feasibility of watershed segmentation algorithm and local maximum algorithm in extracting the height of tree barriers under power lines, which is of great significance for monitoring and warning of tree barriers under power lines.

A combined cyclic viscoplasticity and entropy generation approach for modelling fatigue crack growth behavior of a nickel-based superalloy at high temperature

This paper developed an entropy-based approach to estimate the fatigue crack growth (FCG) behavior of GH4169 at high temperature. Firstly, systematic FCG experiments of GH4169 at 650 °C were conducted to obtain the experimental data. Then, a finite element analysis combined with Chaboche viscoplasticity and node release technology was developed to obtain cyclic stress–strain responses and entropy generation fields. Based on thermodynamic analysis, numerous discrete material elements as sub-systems were divided along the crack growth direction in simplified representative 2D middle section. Fracture process zone (FPZ) was defined equal to the size of discrete material elements (ρ) which can be determined by distribution of normal stress perpendicular to the crack plane. Subsequently, an effective cyclic entropy generation related to ρ was defined as the crack driving force. Effective cumulative entropy generation was calculated when crack increment was ρ and the results indicated that effective cumulative entropy generation float within a certain range. The average of all effective cumulative entropy generation values was defined as crack growth entropy. Finally, an entropy-based FCG rate model was established to estimate the FCG behavior of GH4169, and a good correlation between experimental results and model predictions are achieved for all the high temperature FCG tests.

Multi-scale study on penetration performance of steel fiber reinforced ultra-high performance concrete

This paper not only studies the influence of fiber content on the mechanical properties of steel fiber ultra-high performance concrete (SFRUHPC), but also conducts high-speed impact tests and simulations on high-volume fiber targets with varying thicknesses to evaluate the damage characteristics of the SFRUHPC targets, such as residual velocity and penetration depth of the projectile. The results indicate that compared with ordinary concrete and low fiber content targets, the flexural strength and compressive strength of the target incorporated with 7% steel fiber reach the maximum values of 87.9 MPa and 362.9 MPa, respectively, which are significantly improved. On the other hand, the 7% steel fiber reinforced target demonstrates excellent anti-penetration performance which is evidenced by a 51.9% lower residual velocity compared to ordinary concrete targets in thin target tests, as well as a 37.4% reduction in penetration depth in thick target tests. Additionally, the rebound phenomenon of the projectile is observed during the tests. Furthermore, the three-dimensional mesoscopic numerical model established exhibits a good correlation with the experimental results. Finally, the model adopted in this paper can better predict the residual velocity and depth of penetration of the projectile.

A solid-liquid microextraction approach from a spot in an adsorbent layer of a chromatographic plate

A new approach to extracting substances from a spot on a chromatographic plate for subsequent liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis is described. This method involves extraction in a solid phase (an adsorbent layer of a chromatographic plate) - a liquid system using a simple device. For a single extraction of six selected coccidiostats from the adsorbent layer on the chromatographic plate with silica gel, 50 µL of methanol was used for 5 min. The data from the extraction experiments and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry measurements demonstrated a good correlation between the ratio of the peak areas of the coccidiostats to the internal standard and the concentration of the substances in the range of two orders of magnitude. The coefficients of determination for the mentioned correlations range from 0.962 to 0.999. Moreover, the repeatability and reproducibility, expressed as the percentage values of relative standard deviation, do not exceed 7.5 % for any of the coccidiostats.

Bridging Geospatial and Semantic Worlds: Enhancing Analysis of Place-Based Concepts in GIS

People’s actions and behaviours contribute to the diversity and personality of a space, transforming it into a vibrant and thriving living environment. The main goal of this research is to present a GIS-based framework for assessing places. The framework is constructed based on the idea of conceptual spaces, integrating spatial and semantic concepts inside a geometric structure. The explanation of place-related concepts is achieved via the use of linear programming and convex polytopes. By projecting these concepts into the spatial domain, a strong connection between geographical and semantic space is established. This connection allows a wide range of analytical calculations using geographic information systems to be carried out. The study focuses on the sense of city centre in Tehran, Iran, by employing questionnaires administrated on-site to evaluate the correlation between identified city centres and the participants’ responses. The findings demonstrate a good correlation, as shown by a Pearson correlation value of 0.74 and a rank correlation coefficient of 0.8. Interestingly, the city centres that were selected did not always align with the geographic centre. However, participants still perceived them as city centres. This framework serves as a valuable tool for planners and policymakers, providing a comprehensive understanding of the built environment. By considering both semantic and geographical aspects, the framework emphasises the importance of emotions, memories, and meanings in creating an inclusive environment.

Neural network and thermodynamic optimization of magnetized hybrid nanofluid dissipative radiative convective flow with energy activation

This article, motivated by hybrid magnetic coating manufacturing developments, utilizes a neural network-based computational program to study the dynamics of hybrid magnetic nanofluids with entropy generation. A new physico-chemo-mathematical model has been presented to simulate the hybrid magnetic nano-coating flow along a stretching surface to a porous medium with viscous heating. A Rosseland flux model is used for radiation heat transfer and Darcy’s model for the isotropic porous medium. The stretching sheet is porous, and wall suction or injection are possible. A robust neural network has been deployed to optimize the physical parameters controlling the transport characteristics of hybrid nanofluids. Specifically, two hybrid nanoparticle combinations are addressed, namely graphite oxide (GO)-molybdenum disulfide ( Mo S 2 ) and copper (Cu)-silicon dioxide ( Si O 2 ), both with engine oil as the base fluid. The dimensional boundary layer model is transformed via suitable scaling variables from a partial differential system into a dimensionless non-linear coupled ordinary differential system. The transformed boundary value problem is solved numerically with the BVP4C subroutine in the symbolic software MATLAB, which achieves exceptional accuracy. Validation with previous simpler studies is conducted and a good correlation is obtained. The neural network optimization analysis incorporates Bayesian regularization as the training algorithm. The Bejan entropy generation minimization (EGM) analysis shows that with increasing radiation parameter R d , both entropy generation rate and Bejan number are increased. Furthermore, an elevation in Brinkman number Br leads to an upsurge in entropy generation rate and a downtrend in the Bejan number. The numerical solution of the boundary value problem reveals that with an increment in nanoparticle solid volume fraction φ 2 , magnetic parameter M , inverse permeability parameter ϵ , surface injection parameter ( s < 0 ) , Eckert number Ec and radiation parameter R d and with a decrement in suction parameter ( s > 0 ) and Prandtl number Pr , there is a strong enhancement in temperature magnitude and thermal boundary layer thickness. With greater nanoparticle solid volume fraction φ 2 , magnetic parameter M , inverse permeability parameter ϵ , suction parameter s and a reduction in thermal buoyancy parameter λ , strong flow deceleration is induced, and momentum boundary layer thickness is increased. The skin friction coefficient is substantially boosted with lower values of magnetic parameter M , inverse permeability parameter ϵ , suction parameter s and higher values of thermal buoyancy parameter λ . There is a significant decrement also computed in Nusselt number with a greater radiation parameter R d . The simulations provide a good benchmark for future extensions that may consider non-Newtonian behavior.

Synthesis and docking of new 4-(2-((1-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methoxy)phenyl)thiazol-2-amine derivatives as an antimicrobial agent

The novel series of 4-(2-((1-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methoxy)phenyl)thiazol-2-amine 5a-h have been synthesized by oxidation reaction of acetophenone tethered 1,4-disubstituted triazole derivatives with thiourea in the presence of iodine. All newly synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, HRMS, and elemental analysis techniques. The antibacterial activity of novel compounds were evaluated against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, E. coli and S. pyogenes bacterial strains whereas antifungal activity were screened against A. niger, C. albicans and A. clavatus pathogen of fungi. The compounds 5a, 5b, 5f and 5h showed excellent antibacterial activity, whereas 5f and 5g showed excellent antifungal activity. This may be attributed due to the presence of 4-CH3, 3-F, 4-F and 4-CF3 functional groups in benzene ring. The all results were compared with standard Ampicillin and Griseofulvin antibacterial and antifungal drugs, respectively. The molecular docking studies of compounds were carried out to measure effective bindings and molecular interactions. The experimentally observed values of antifungal activity and binding affinities values of molecular docking showed good correlation.

Which Lipid Nanoparticle (LNP) Designs Work? A Simple Kinetic Model Linking LNP Chemical Structure to In Vivo Delivery Performance.

Although lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are the predominant nanocarriers for short-interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery, most therapies use nearly identical formulations that have taken 30 years to design but lack the diverse property ranges necessary for versatile application. This dearth in variety and the extended timeline for implementation are attributed to a limited understanding of how LNP properties facilitate overcoming biological barriers. Herein, a simple kinetic model was developed by using major rate-limiting steps for siRNA delivery, and this model enabled the identification of a critical parameter to predict LNP efficacy without extensive experimental testing. A volume-averaged log D, the "solubility" of charged molecules as a function of pH weighted by component volume fractions, resulted in a good correlation between LNP composition and siRNA delivery. Both the effects of modifying the structures of ionizable lipids and LNP composition on gene silencing were easily captured in the model predictions. Thus, this approach provides a robust LNP structure-activity relationship to dramatically accelerate the realization of effective LNP formulations.

Characteristics of microplastics in the atmosphere of Anyang City.

In order to clarify the characteristics of microplastics in the atmosphere of Anyang city, TSP, PM10, and PM2.5 samples are collected when the ambient air quality is good, slightly polluted, and severely polluted. After pretreatment, the physical and chemical characteristics are observed and identified by using stereomicroscope and micro-infrared spectrometer. The results show that the average abundance of microplastics is 0.19 items/m3, 0.26 items/m3, and 0.42 items/m3, respectively, when the ambient air quality is good, light pollution, and heavy pollution in Anyang City. It can be seen that with the decline of ambient air quality, the average abundance of microplastics in TSP, PM2.5, and PM10 gradually increases. The black fiber strip microplastics account for about 80% of the total TSP, PM2.5, and PM10 in the ambient air of Anyang City, followed by yellow flake and black granular microplastics and a small amount of green, red, and blue fiber strip microplastics. AQI has a good correlation with the abundance of microplastics in TSP, PM10, and PM2.5, and the maximum microplastic trapping effect could be obtained according to the sampling method of PM2.5 in the ambient air. The main components of microplastics are cellophane, followed by PET and EVA. The explorations of human respiratory exposure risk assessment show that with the increase of AQI, the daily intake of microplastics in adults also increased. At high levels of pollution, the human body breathes an average of 222 ± 5 microplastics per day.

Semi-automatic proximal humeral trabecular bone density assessment tool: technique application and clinical validation.

This study aimed to apply a newly developed semi-automatic phantom-less QCT (PL-QCT) to measure proximal humerus trabecular bone density based on chest CT and verify its accuracy and precision. Subcutaneous fat of the shoulder joint and trapezius muscle were used as calibration references for PL-QCT BMD measurement. A self-developed algorithm based on a convolution map was utilized in PL-QCT for semi-automatic BMD measurements. CT values of ROIs used in PL-QCT measurements were directly used for phantom-based quantitative computed tomography (PB-QCT) BMD assessment. The study included 376 proximal humerus for comparison between PB-QCT and PL-QCT. Two sports medicine doctors measured the proximal humerus with PB-QCT and PL-QCT without knowing each other's results. Among them, 100 proximal humerus were included in the inter-operative and intra-operative BMD measurements for evaluating the repeatability and reproducibility of PL-QCT and PB-QCT. A total of 188 patients with 376 shoulders were involved in this study. The consistency analysis indicated that the average bias between proximal humerus BMDs measured by PB-QCT and PL-QCT was 1.0 mg/cc (agreement range - 9.4 to 11.4; P > 0.05, no significant difference). Regression analysis between PB-QCT and PL-QCT indicated a good correlation (R-square is 0.9723). Short-term repeatability and reproducibility of proximal humerus BMDs measured by PB-QCT (CV: 5.10% and 3.41%) were slightly better than those of PL-QCT (CV: 6.17% and 5.64%). We evaluated the bone quality of the proximal humeral using chest CT through the semi-automatic PL-QCT system for the first time. Comparison between it and PB-QCT indicated that it could be a reliable shoulder BMD assessment tool with acceptable accuracy and precision. This study developed and verify a semi-automatic PL-QCT for assessment of proximal humeral bone density based on CT to assist in the assessment of proximal humeral osteoporosis and development of individualized treatment plans for shoulders.

Synthesized MgFe&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; nanoparticles to remove Pb&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt; from aqueous solution

In the present paper, nanosized magnesium ferrite (MgFe2O4) material is synthesized by the hydrothermal method. The size and microstructure of magnesium ferrite were analyzed based on X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The nitrogen adsorption-desorption was used for determination of surface area (Brunauer – Emmett – Teller (BET)) and porosity of the fabricated material. The adsorption behavior of Pb2+ using a new magnetic adsorbent is investigated. The adsorption characteristic and Pb2+ removal efficiency of the adsorbent have been determined by investigating the influence of operating variables such as dosage of manganese ferrite. The maximum Pb2+ sorption capacity was found to be 16,08 (mg/g) and obtained using 0,1 g/L MgFe2O4 when pH equals 5, a temperature of 25 °C, and contact time as 24 h. The Langmuir and Freundlich models were used to fit the experimental data and these showed good correlations.

Evaluating the potential of bioacoustics in avian migration research by citizen science and weather radar observations.

The study of nocturnal bird migration brings observational challenges because of reduced visibility and observability of birds at night. Remote sensing tools, especially radars, have long been the preferred choice of scientists to study nocturnal migrations. A major downside of these remote sensing tools is the lack of species-level information. With technological advances in recent decades and with improved accessibility and affordability of acoustic tools, sound recordings have steeply increased in popularity. In Europe, there is no exhaustive qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the content of such acoustic databases and therefore the value for migration science and migration-related applications, such as bird collision hazard assessments, is mostly unknown. In the present work we compared migration schedules estimated from citizen science data with quantitative temporal occurrence of species in four years of acoustic recordings. Furthermore, we contrasted acoustic recordings with citizen science observations and weather radar data from one spring and one autumn season to assess the qualitative and quantitative yield of acoustic recordings for migration-related research and applications. Migration intensity estimated from weather radar data correlated best at low levels with acoustic records including all species in spring while in autumn passerine species showed stronger correlation than the entire species composition. Our findings identify a minor number of species whose call records may be eligible for applications derived from acoustics. Especially the highly vocal species Song thrush and Redwing showed relatively good correlations with radar and citizen science migration schedules. Most long-distance passerine migrants and many other migrants were not captured by acoustics and an estimated seasonal average of about 50% of nocturnally migrating passerine populations remained undetected. Overall, the ability of acoustic records to act as a proxy of overall migration dynamics is highly dependent on the migration period and species involved.

Pearls and Pitfalls in the Measurement of Direct Oral Anticoagulants.

Due to their widespread use, testing for direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) has become urgent in certain clinical situations. Screening based on widely available, rapid, and simple hemostasis assays such as prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, or even diluted Russel Viper venom time may provide sufficient evidence of "over-coagulation" and could be used "in small/peripheral/spoke laboratories" as an emergency strategy, but is not thought to be reliable for driving clinical decision making. Given their good correlation with plasma concentration, urine dipsticks may be considered a valuable alternative for emergency screening, although their performance is dependent on renal function, may vary depending on the time since the last urination, and there may be problems of interfacing with the laboratory/hospital information system. Separation methods based on liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry may be clinically questionable, since they measure the concentration rather than the actual inhibitory effect of DOACs, are relatively expensive, cumbersome and time consuming, and therefore seem unsuitable for most conditions requiring urgent clinical decision making. A proposed approach therefore involves establishing a network of routine clinical laboratories, designating a reference center where DOAC tests could be available 24/7, establishing a clear diagnostic care pathway for ordering the tests from the laboratory and standard operating procedures for performing them, the use of the diluted thrombin time for dabigatran and anti-FXa assays (drug-calibrated) for rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban, as well as providing expert advice throughout the testing process, from ordering to interpretation of results.

Characteristics and Source Analysis of Carbonaceous Aerosols in PM2.5 in Huaxi District, Guiyang

Carbonaceous aerosol, as an important component of atmospheric aerosol, has a significant impact on atmospheric environmental quality, human health, and global climate change. To investigate the characteristics and sources of carbonaceous aerosol in atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in Huaxi District of Guiyang, an in-situ observational study was conducted during different seasons in 2020, and the carbonaceous components of PM2.5 were measured using a thermal-optical carbon analyzer (DRI Model 2015). The results of the study showed that the average concentrations of PM2.5, total carbonaceous aerosol (TCA), organic carbon (OC), secondary organic carbon (SOC), and elemental carbon (EC) concentrations during the observation period were (39.7±22.3), (14.1±7.2), (7.6±3.9), (4.4±2.6), and (2.0±1.0) μg·m-3, respectively, and the mean value of OC/EC was (3.9±0.8). ρ(PM2.5), ρ(TCA), ρ(OC), ρ(SOC), and ρ(EC) showed a seasonal variation pattern with the highest in winter [(52.6±28.6), (17.0±9.6), (9.1±5.2), (6.1±3.9), and (2.4±1.2) μg·m-3, respectively] and the lowest in summer [(25.1±7.1), (11.6±3.6), (6.3±1.9), (3.7±1.2), and (1.6±0.6) μg·m-3, respectively]. The seasonal variation in OC/EC showed summer (4.2±0.8) > winter (3.8±0.9) > autumn (3.8±0.5) > spring (3.7±0.9), indicating the presence of SOC generation in all seasons in Huaxi District. SOC showed a significant correlation with OC (R2 =0.9), and the SOC concentration tended to increase with the increase in atmospheric oxidation. OC showed a good correlation with EC in all seasons, with the highest in autumn (R2 =0.9) and lower correlations in the other three seasons (R2 ranged from 0.74 to 0.75), indicating a common source. According to OC/EC ratio range, it was preliminarily determined that carbonaceous aerosol came from vehicle exhaust emissions, coal burning emissions, and biomass combustion emissions. In order to further quantify the contribution of major emission sources to carbonaceous aerosol, the results of this study using PMF to analyze the sources of carbonaceous aerosol showed that the main sources of carbonaceous aerosol in Huaxi District of Guiyang were coal combustion sources (29.3%), motor vehicle emission sources (21.5%), and biomass combustion sources (49.2%).

Investigation of Phase Segregation Dynamics in Ge‐rich GST Thin Films by In‐situ X‐ray Fluorescence Mapping

Ge‐rich Ge‐Sb‐Te alloy is a good candidate for future automotive applications due to its high crystallisation temperature, which allows good data retention at elevated temperatures. Crystallization in this material is governed by elemental segregation which is key to thermal stability and device performance. In this work elemental (Ge, Sb, Te) segregation is studied in situ during thermal annealing of Ge‐rich Ge‐Sb‐Te thin films using X‐ray fluorescence microscopy at ID16B beamline of ESRF with a beam size of 50 nm. Spatially resolved maps of Ge, Te and Sb fluorescence yield are monitored and statistically analysed as function of temperature/time. In all investigated samples Sb appears to segregate much less than Te and Ge, indicating a lower mobility of this element. In situ fluorescence mapping of samples doped with different amounts of carbon by ion implantation shows that carbon delays Ge and Te segregation to higher temperatures. Comparison with crystallization kinetics monitored by X‐ray diffraction shows a good correlation between the occurrence of spatially resolved chemical inhomogeneities and the appearance of crystallised phases.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

A Study on the Mediating Effect of Knowledge Management Capability between HRM Practices and Radical Innovation Capability in Malaysia SME-ICT

Increasingly, executives understand the value of information as a source of new ideas for their companies. Only a small number of research examine the role of HR management in increasing knowledge competency, which leads to enhanced creativity inside firms. Because of this, this research examines how human resource management policies and practices affect the link between knowledge management competency and innovation. Consequently, The research is based on primary data collected from 200 SMEs in Malaysia's Klang Valley in the ICT sector. The study's goals necessitate a quantitative methodology. ICT small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) owners, CEOs, and managers are surveyed utilizing a survey method. More than 200 responses were received and analysed in the course of this study. The study models and hypotheses were evaluated using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method. Research is scarce in the domains of HRM and innovation, as well as the interaction between HRM and knowledge management in the context of innovation. Research indicates a good correlation between Human Resource Management (HRM) Capabilities and Knowledge Management.

Revealing Strong Flexoelectricity and Optoelectronic Coupling in 2D Ferroelectric CuInP2S6 Via Large Strain Gradient.

The interplay between flexoelectric and optoelectronic characteristics provides a paradigm for studying emerging phenomena in various 2D materials. However, an effective way to induce a large and tunable strain gradient in 2D devices remains to be exploited. Herein, we propose a strategy to induce large flexoelectric effect in 2D ferroelectric CuInP2S6 by constructing a 1D-2D mixed-dimensional heterostructure. The strong flexoelectric effect is induced by enormous strain gradient up to 4.2 × 106 m-1 resulting from the underlying ZnO nanowires, which is further confirmed by the asymmetric coercive field and the red-shift in the absorption edge. The induced flexoelectric polarization efficiently boosts the self-powered photodetection performance. In addition, the improved photoresponse has a good correlation with the induced strain gradient, showing a consistent size-dependent flexoelectric effect. The mechanism of flexoelectric and optoelectronic coupling is proposed based on the Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire double-well model, supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. This work provides a brand-new method to induce a strong flexoelectric effect in 2D materials, which is not restricted to crystal symmetry and thus offers unprecedented opportunities for state-of-the-art 2D devices.

Comparison of the SLE Risk Probability Index (SLERPI) scale against the European League Against Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology (ACR/EULAR) and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) criteria.

Timely diagnosis and proper recognition of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is essential to establish early management in inpatients and outpatients. There are different classification scales to identify SLE, which include various clinical and serological aspects. In 2021, the SLE Risk Probability Index (SLERPI) was published, which focuses predominantly on the clinical characteristics of patients with suspected SLE and uses a simple algorithm for early recognition of the disease. The aim of this study is to compare the European League Against Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology (ACR/EULAR) classification criteria, the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) criteria, and the SLERPI criteria in a cohort of Colombian patients with SLE and to analyze the correlations observed between their absolute scores. A registry of SLE patients from two referral hospitals in Bogotá, Colombia, was used. 2021 SLERPI, 2019 ACR/EULAR, and 2012 SLICC scores were calculated for each patient and the correlations found between the scales were analyzed. The sensitivities of each were compared, and frequency analyses were conducted among different clinical and laboratory variables. Between 2016 and 2019, 146 patients diagnosed with SLE were registered, including inpatients and outpatients. The median age was 36years (interquartile range 26-51), and 82.2% were women. According to the SLERPI criteria, a high prevalence of antinuclear antibodies (92%), immunological disorders (71%), and arthritis (64%) were observed. The most used treatments were corticosteroids (87.6%) and chloroquine (67.8%). A Spearman evaluation analysis was performed, with a moderately strong correlation of 0.76 (p = .000) between the SLERPI and ACR/EULAR scales and very strong correlation of 0.80 (p = .000) between the SLERPI and SLICC. Patients classified with SLE according to the SLERPI scale exhibited a higher incidence of hematological compromise, along with elevated levels of serological markers such as anti-DNA antibodies. Additionally, this group more commonly received treatments involving corticosteroids and azathioprine, and displayed a higher prevalence of hypertension. The SLERPI scale could be useful in the diagnosis of SLE, especially in early stages, given its good correlation with other classification scales and its good sensitivity.

The GUAPOS project – V: The chemical ingredients of a massive stellar protocluster in the making

ABSTRACT Most stars, including the Sun, are born in rich stellar clusters containing massive stars. Therefore, the study of the chemical reservoir of massive star-forming regions is crucial to understand the basic chemical ingredients available at the dawn of planetary systems. We present a detailed study of the molecular inventory of the hot molecular core G31.41+0.31 from the project GUAPOS (G31.41+0.31 Unbiased ALMA sPectral Observational Survey). We analyse 34 species for the first time plus 20 species analysed in previous GUAPOS works, including oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, and chlorine species. We compare the abundances derived in G31.41+0.31 with those observed in other chemically-rich sources that represent the initial and last stages of the formation of stars and planets: the hot corino in the Solar-like protostar IRAS 16293-2422 B, and the comets 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and 46P/Wirtanen. The comparative analysis reveals that the chemical feedstock of the two star-forming regions are similar. The abundances of oxygen- and nitrogen-bearing molecules exhibit a good correlation for all pair of sources, including the two comets, suggesting a chemical heritage of these species during the process of star formation, and hence an early phase formation of the molecules. However, sulfur- and phosphorus-bearing species present worse correlations, being more abundant in comets. This suggests that while sulfur- and phosphorus-bearing species are pre-dominantly trapped on the surface of icy grains in the hot close surroundings of protostars, they could be more easily released into gas phase in comets, allowing their cosmic abundances to be almost recovered.