Index Increment Research Articles

Predicting the emergence of disruptive technologies by comparing with references via soft prompt-aware shared BERT

The exponential increase in the annual volume of publications places a significant challenge in assessing the disruptive potential of technologies in new papers. Prior approaches to identifying disruptive technologies based on the accumulation of paper citations are characterized by their limited prospective and time-consuming nature. Moreover, the total citation count fails to capture the intricate network of citations associated with the focal papers. Consequently, we advocate for the utilization of the disruption index instead of depending on citation counts. Particularly, we devise a novel neural network, called Soft Prompt-aware Shared BERT (SPS-BERT), to predict the potential technological disruption index of immediately published papers. It incorporates separate soft prompts to enable BERT examining comparative details within a paper's abstract and its references. Additionally, a tailored attention mechanism is employed to intensify the semantic comparison. Based on the enhanced representation derived from BERT, we utilize a linear layer to estimate potential disruption index. Experimental results demonstrate that SPS-BERT outperforms existing state-of-the-art methods in predicting five-year disruption index across the DBLP and PubMed datasets. Additionally, we conduct an evaluation of our model to predict the ten-year disruption index and five-year citation increments, demonstrating its robustness and scalability. Notably, our model's predictions of disruptive technologies, based on papers published in 2022, align with the expert assessments released by MIT, highlighting its practical significance. The code is available at https://github.com/ECNU-Text-Computing/SPS-BERT.

Early Improvement in Interstitial Fluid Flow in Patients With Severe Carotid Stenosis After Angioplasty and Stenting.

This study aimed to investigate early changes in interstitial fluid (ISF) flow in patients with severe carotid stenosis after carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS). We prospectively recruited participants with carotid stenosis ≥80% undergoing CAS at our institute between October 2019 and March 2023. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were performed 3 days before CAS. MRI with DTI and MMSE were conducted within 24 hours and 2 months after CAS, respectively. The diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) index was calculated from the DTI data to determine the ISF status. Increments were defined as the ratio of the difference between post- and preprocedural values to preprocedural values. In total, 102 participants (age: 67.1±8.9 years; stenosis: 89.5%±5.7%) with longitudinal data were evaluated. The DTI-ALPS index increased after CAS (0.85±0.15; 0.85 [0.22] vs. 0.86±0.14; 0.86 [0.21]; P=0.022), as did the MMSE score (25.9±3.7; 24.0 [4.0] vs. 26.9±3.4; 26.0 [3.0]; P<0.001). Positive correlations between increments in the DTI-ALPS index and MMSE score were found in all patients (rs=0.468; P<0.001). An increased 24-hour post-CAS DTI-ALPS index suggests early improvement in ISF flow efficiency. The positive correlation between the 24-hour DTI-ALPS index and 2-month MMSE score increments suggests that early ISF flow improvement may contribute to long-term cognitive improvement after CAS.

Triglyceride-glucose index as a predictor of cardiac adverse events in acute coronary syndrome patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: role of diabetes

BackgroundTriglyceride-glucose index (TyG), a surrogate marker of insulin resistance (IR), could be a potential prognostic marker in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). We evaluated the effect of the TyG index on major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) in patients with ACS undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).MethodsThis registry-based cohort study was conducted at Tehran Heart Center from 2015 to 2021 and the median follow-up duration was 378 days. The primary outcome was MACCE and the secondary outcomes were MACCE components: all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, target vessel revascularization, target lesion revascularization, and coronary artery bypass grafting. For comparison among TyG quartiles (Q), the log-rank test was used. Unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to describe the association between TyG quartiles and MACCE. A subgroup of euglycemic patients was also evaluated.ResultsA total of 13,542 patients were included. Patients in the fourth TyG quartile (Q4) were younger, had higher mean BMI, and higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. The adjusted Cox model showed that a 1-unit increment of the TyG index was associated with a significantly higher risk of MACCE (aHR 1.18, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.30, p < 0.001). Among TyG quartiles, there was a higher MACCE incidence in Q4 compared to Q1 (aHR 1.29, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.53, p = 0.005). In the euglycemic subgroup of the population, there was no significant association between MACCE incidence and a 1-unit increase in TyG or among TyG quartiles.ConclusionBased on our findings, while higher TyG levels and quartiles were associated with higher rates of MACCE in ACS, there was no such effect in the euglycemic population. If confirmed in future studies, these results can be beneficial for clinicians to risk stratify these patients with an easy-to-use index and determine clinical plans based on their risk.Graphical abstract

Longitudinal Changes in Ki-67 Indices in Small-Intestinal Neuroendocrine Tumours and Their Impact on Survival

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate longitudinal changes in Ki-67 indices of SI-NETs and assess the impact of these in overall survival (OS). Methods: We screened 551 patients with SI-NETs diagnosed from 1993, through 2021, identified using the SI-NET databases from five European referral centres. Only patients with well-differentiated tumours and available baseline tumour samples and follow-up re-biopsies were included. For tumour grading, apart from 2017 WHO classification system, we applied a recently proposed SI-NET site-specific modified histopathological grading system with Ki-67 cut-offs of 5 and 10%. Uni- and multivariable regression analyses were used to determine whether there was a difference between OS in SI-NET patients stratified by increment of Ki-67 indices over time and/or progression to a higher grade. Results: We included 45 patients. Median Ki-67 index at SI-NET diagnosis was 2% (range: 0.5–15%). Thirty-three patients had Ki-67 indices <5% (70.2%), 6 had Ki-67: 5–10% (12.8%), and 8 had Ki-67 ≥10% (17%). Mean time to re-biopsy was 48.8 months (SD: ±162.5). At re-biopsy, the median change in Ki-67 index (absolute value; follow-up minus time of diagnosis) was 1% (range: −10 to +38%). An increase in Ki-67 occurred in 20 patients (42.6%); in 14 patients, the change in Ki-67 resulted in progression to higher tumour grade following the modified grading system. Patients with an increment in Ki-67 ≥1% had a median OS of 32.9 months versus 80.5 months in patients without (HR = 5.6, 95% CI: 1.42–22.02; p = 0.014). When applying the novel modified histopathological grading system for SI-NETs, patients with grade progression had a median OS of 32.9 months versus 53.7 months in those without (HR = 4.61, 95% CI: 1.22–13.54; p = 0.022). At multivariable analysis, grade progression was confirmed as an independent predictor for death (HR = 7.2, 95% CI: 1.58–32.82; p = 0.011). Conclusions: Metachronous increment in Ki-67 indices and related grade progression over time following a site-specific modified histopathological grading system with Ki-67 cut-offs of 5 and 10% is observed in approximately 1/3 of SI-NETs subjected to re-biopsy and it is associated with worse survival outcomes.

Silver nanoparticles: Elicitor of anticancer metabolite biosynthesis and growth-metabolites parameters in Tanacetum parthenium L.

Nanoparticles in appropriate dose can used as an eco-friendly abiotic elicitor to induce specific and novel secondary metabolites with high performance. The present study was conducted to investigate the silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) at 0, 200, 400, and 600 ppm on morpho-physiological, yield, and phytochemical parameters of feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium L.). The essential oil was obtained by hydro-distillation and analyzed by using GC-FID and GC/MS. The HPLC was used to quantifying the parthenolide content. The results showed that the effect of Ag-NPs application on studied traits were in dose depended manner. The Ag-NPs treatment at 200 ppm increased the fresh weight, biological yield, dry weight, and flower yield up to 29.12 %, 31.61 %, 28.71 %, and 44.93 % respectively. However, the growth of treated plants with higher concentrations of Ag-NPs (400 and 600 ppm) was decreased compared with untreated plants. All Ag-NPs treatments caused a significant increment of the chlorophyll index, parthenolide content (as a valuable anticancer compound) and essential oil content. The highest content of chlorophyll index (49.90), parthenolide content (0.96 mg g−1 DW) and essential oil content (0.84 %) was measured in spayed plants with 600 ppm Ag-NPs. Also, the Ag-NPs application considerably affected the essential oil quality. With increasing the Ag-NPs concentration the oxygenated monoterpenes represented by camphor and trans-chrysanthenyl acetate were increased so that the highest content of camphor (45.13 %) and trans-chrysanthenyl acetate (32.04 %) was obtained at 600 ppm. Generally, it can be concluded that Ag-NPs could act as an elicitor to induce the more production of favorable secondary metabolites.

Inhibitory effect of 5-hydroxy-6,7-dimethoxyflavone on H1N1 influenza virus-induced ferroptosis and inflammation in A549 cells and its possible mechanisms

To investigate the protective effect of 5-hydroxy-6,7-dimethoxyflavone (5-HDF), a compound extracted from Elsholtzia blanda Benth., against lung injury induced by H1N1 influenza virus and explore its possible mechanism of action. 5-HDF was extracted from Elsholtzia blanda Benth. using ethanol reflux extraction and silica gel chromatography and characterized using NMR and MS analyses. In an A549 cell model of H1N1 influenza virus infection (MOI=0.1), the cytotoxicity of 5-HDF was assessed using MTT assay, and its effect on TRAIL and IL-8 expressions was examined using flow cytometry; Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of inflammatory, apoptosis, and ferroptosis-related proteins. In a mouse model of H1N1 influenza virus infection established by nasal instillation of 50 μL H1N1 virus at the median lethal dose, the effects of 30 and 60 mg/kg 5-HDF by gavage on body weight, lung index, gross lung anatomy and lung histopathology were observed. 5-HDF exhibited no significant cytotoxicity in A549 cells within the concentration range of 0-200 μg/mL. In H1N1-infected A549 cells, treatment with 5-HDF effectively inhibited the activation of phospho-p38 MAPK and phospho-NF-κB p65, lowered the expressions of IL-8, enhanced the expression of anti-ferroptosis proteins (SLC7A11 and GPX4), and inhibited the expressions of apoptosis markers PARP and caspase-3 and the apoptotic factor TRAIL. In H1N1-infected mice, treatment with 5-HDF for 7 days significantly suppressed body weight loss and increment of lung index and obviously alleviated lung tissue pathologies. 5-HDF offers protection against H1N1 influenza virus infection in mice possibly by suppressing H1N1-induced ferroptosis, inflammatory responses, and apoptosis via upregulating SLC7A11 and GPX4, inhibiting the activation of phospho-NF-κB p65 and phospho-p38 MAPK, and decreasing the expression of cleaved caspase3 and cleaved PARP.

Soil-based assessment of site productivity for southern pine plantations in the coastal plain of the southeastern US: (II) slash pine

Non-industrial private forest landowners and foresters often rely on outdated site index models for forest productivity predictions, which hinders accurate assessment. To address this issue, 157 slash pine plots were established in the coastal plain of Georgia, USA, to collect tree and soil data. Using regression tree and linear regression models, we identified modified Cooperative Research in Forest Fertilization soil groups and surface soil extractable phosphorus as significant predictors of site index. The optimal regression tree model (R2 = 0.490, RMSE = 1.72 m) outperformed the linear regression model. Updated site index and simulated mean annual increments for slash pine were compared with long-term experimental study data, as well as with previous findings for loblolly pine in the same region (Zhao et al., 2024a). The new predictive models will help non-industrial private forest landowners evaluate slash pine productivity in the Coastal Plain region, applicable across diverse sites.

Increasing growth sensitivity of Pinus wallichiana to summer season maximum temperature – evidence from central Bhutan Himalaya

The impacts of global warming are pervasive across different forest biomes and are most pro­nounced in high mountain ecosystems such as the Himalayas. This study examines the growth response of Blue pine (Pinus wallichiana) to climate from Bumthang district in the central Bhutan Himalaya. Tree radial growth parameters (ring width index and basal area increment) were correlated with monthly and daily climate. Temporal changes in significant climate response were assessed using running correlations. Irrespective of tree growth parameters or temporal resolution of climatic variables, growth-climate re­sponse revealed maximum temperature during summer as the most significant climatic factor regulating the growth of P. wallichiana in central Bhutan. The strength and stability of the climate response improved when using daily climate, which is not restricted by non-biological calendar months. Around the turn of the 21st century, we observed a rapid rise in radial growth. Over the last ~30 years, blue pine from central Bhutan has benefited from warming summer season maximum temperatures. This study highlights the importance of considering daily climate variables for more accurate assessments of tree growth responses to climate. These findings have significant implications for understanding the impact of climate change on forests in the Himalayan region.

Corticogenesis and folding process of the neopallium in the South American plains vizcacha, Lagostomus maximus.

The plains vizcacha, Lagostomus maximus, is a precocial hystricomorph rodent with a gyrencephalic brain. This work aimed to perform a time-lapse analysis of the embryonic brain cortical development in the plains vizcacha to establish a species-specific temporal window for corticogenesis and the gyrencephaly onset. Additionally, a comparative examination with evolutionarily related rodents was conducted. Embryos from 40embryonic days (ED) until the end of pregnancy ( 154 ED) were evaluated. The neuroanatomical examination determined transverse sulci at 80ED and rostral lateral and caudal intraparietal sulci around 95ED. Histological examination of corticogenesis showed emergence of the subplate at 43ED and expansion of the subventricular zone (SVZ) and its division into inner and outer SVZs around 54ED. The neocortical layers formation followed an inside-to-outside spatiotemporal gradient beginning with the emergence of layers VI and V at 68ED and establishing the final six neocortical layers around 100ED. A progressive increment of gyrencephalization index (GI) from 1.005±0.003 around 70ED, which reflects a smooth cortex, up to 1.07±0.009 at the end of gestation, reflecting a gyrencephalic neuroanatomy, was determined. Contrarily, the minimum cortical thickness (MCT) progressively decreased from 61ED up to the end of gestation. These results show that the decrease in the cortical thickness, which enables the onset of neocortical invaginations, occurs together with the expansion and subdivision of the SVZ. The temporal comparison of corticogenesis in plains vizcacha with that in relative species reflects a prenatal long process compared with other rodents that may give an evolutionary advantage to L. maximus as a precocial species.

Increment in KI-67 proliferation indices over time is associated with worse survival outcomes in small-intestinal neuroendocrine tumours

Increment in KI-67 proliferation indices over time is associated with worse survival outcomes in small-intestinal neuroendocrine tumours

Association Between Triglyceride-Glucose Index and Diabetic Retinopathy: A Meta-Analysis.

The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, a recently proposed marker of insulin resistance, and the occurrence of diabetic retinopathy (DR), a complication associated with cardiovascular risk. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between the TyG index and DR. To achieve the objective of the meta-analysis, an extensive search was conducted on databases such as PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science to identify observational studies with longitudinal follow-up. Random-effects models were employed to combine the findings, taking into account the potential influence of heterogeneity. Twelve observational studies from 11 reports were included in the meta-analysis, which involved 16 259 patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Among them, 4302 (26.5%) were diagnosed as DR. Pooled results showed that a higher TyG index was associated with a higher risk of DR [odds ratio (OR) for the fourth versus the first quartile of TyG index: 1.91, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.44 to 2.53, p<0.001; I2=72%]. Meta-analysis of TyG index analyzed in continuous variable showed consistent results (OR for per 1 unit increment of TyG index: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.08 to 1.86, p=0.01; I2=82%). Subgroup analysis showed that adjustment of HbA1c or the duration of diabetes did not significantly affect the results (p for subgroup difference all>0.05). In conclusion, a high TyG index was associated with the risk of DR in T2D patients.

Utility of in situ ion‐exchange membranes to assess nutrient availability, productivity, and fertilizer response of coastal Douglas‐fir of the Pacific Northwest

AbstractDouglas‐fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] is the predominant forest plantation species in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), with site productivity and fertilizer response influenced by climate and soil variations. This study investigates the utility of in situ 12‐week supply measurements of nitrogen (N), calcium (Ca), and phosphorus (P) to ion‐exchange resins (specifically Plant Root Simulator [PRS] probes) to estimate carbon (C):N ratios, soil nutrient contents (0–1 m), foliar nutrient concentrations, Douglas‐fir productivity (site index and basal area mean annual increment), and fertilizer volume response. PRS nutrient supply rates were correlated with N, Ca, and P soil nutrient contents (0–1 m), C:N ratios, and foliar nutrient concentrations. Low PRS NO3 supply rates (&lt;25 mg N·m−2·burial period−1) were correlated with lower Douglas‐fir productivity and greater fertilizer volume response. PRS NO3 supply rates performed as well as total soil N contents and foliar N concentrations at estimating volume growth response to fertilizer. Twelve weeks after fertilization, PRS NO3, NH4, and Ca supply rates were significantly elevated compared to the unfertilized treatment. This research found that PRS probes were an effective in situ tool and are recommended for understanding N, Ca, and P nutrient availabilities, site productivity, and fertilizer response in Douglas‐fir plantations and for developing fertilizer prescriptions.

Synergistic enhancement: Ammonium Polyphosphate's impact on hybrid coating performance against corrosion and fire

AbstractThis research demonstrated the impact of ammonium polyphosphate (APP) content on corrosion resistance and flame retardancy properties of hybrid graphene oxide/halloysite/intumescent flame retardant (GO‐HNT‐IFR) coatings. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studied indicates that the GO0.6‐H0.3 coating exhibited superior corrosion resistance (Rct = 2.490 × 109 Ω·cm) compared with hybrid GO‐HNT‐IFR coatings. Tafel polarization data revealed a decrease in polarization resistance, Rp simultaneously increases the corrosion rate, Rcorr of the epoxy coatings containing APP compare with GO0.6‐H0.3 coating. Salt spray test result demonstrated that all epoxy coating filled with hybrid nanofillers maintained excellent surface integrity, preventing corrosion for up to 500 h under controlled accelerated corrosive conditions. A reasonable increment of limited oxygen index up to 12.5% was reported by the addition of 1 phr APP, indicating its best flame retardancy and thermal stability properties among coating samples. The appropriate addition of APP (1 phr) enhanced the flame retardancy and thermal stability properties of hybrid GO‐HNT‐IFR coatings to a certain extent but it is impaired by increasing the APP loading. Transmission electron microscopy results validated the formation of aggregation at high APP loading, consequently affecting coating performances as well as its adhesion strength.

Abstract P377: Association Between Area Deprivation and Premature Cardiovascular Mortality in South Korea

Background: The underlying factors for regional disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) have yet to be fully understood. There is limited research on the effect of regional-level socioeconomic conditions on CVD mortality. This ecological study aims to investigate the association between area deprivation and premature death from CVD. Methods: The deprivation index was formulated with 10 socioeconomic indicators across all the 250 municipalities in Korea. Mortality rates from total CVD, ischemic heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease in adults &lt;65 years were directly standardized for sex and age using the total population structure. Municipalities are stratified by urbanicity, and the number of hospitals and the size of an area were adjusted in log-linear regression models. Results: The most deprived municipalities showed 41.6% excess mortality for total CVD, 30.3% for ischemic heart disease, and 36.9% for cerebrovascular disease, compared to the least deprived ones. Even after adjusting for the number of hospitals per unit area, the association of area deprivation was more significant in metropolitan areas than in other provinces. As one increment of the deprivation index increased, the adjusted rate ratios for total CVD were 1.031 (1.020-1.043) in metropolitans and 1.009 (1.000-1.019) in other provinces. Additional multilevel analyses showed consistent findings of higher risks in deprived areas. Conclusions: This study highlights a higher risk of premature cardiovascular death in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. The CVD prevention strategies should reflect regional characteristics, with a particular focus on reducing the burden in deprived metropolitan areas.

Exposure to particulate matter and ozone, locations of regulatory monitors, and sociodemographic disparities in the city of Rio de Janeiro: Based on local air pollution estimates generated from machine learning models

South America is underrepresented in research on air pollution exposure disparities by sociodemographic factors, although such disparities have been observed in other parts of the world. We investigated whether exposure to and information about air pollution differs by sociodemographic factors in the city of Rio de Janeiro, the second most populous city in Brazil with dense urban areas, for 2012–2017. We developed machine learning-based models to estimate daily levels of O3, PM10, and PM2.5 using high-dimensional datasets from satellite remote sensing, atmospheric and land variables, and land use information. Cross-validations demonstrated good agreement between the estimated levels and measurements from ground-based monitoring stations: overall R2 of 76.8 %, 63.9 %, and 69.1 % for O3, PM2.5, and PM10, respectively. We conducted univariate regression analyses to investigate whether long-term exposure to O3, PM2.5, PM10 and distance to regulatory monitors differs by socioeconomic indicators, the percentages of residents who were children (0-17 years) or age 65+ years in 154 neighborhoods. We also examined the number of days exceeding the Brazilian National Air Quality Standard (BNAQS). Long-term exposures to O3 and PM2.5 were higher in more socially deprived neighborhoods. An interquartile range (IQR) increment of the social development index (SDI) was associated with a 3.6 μg/m3 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 2.9, 4.4; p-value≤0.001) decrease in O3, and 0.3 μg/m3 (95 % CI: 0.2, 0.5; p-value = 0.010) decrease in PM2.5. An IQR increase in the percentage of residents who are children was associated with a 4.1 μg/m3 (95 % CI: 3.1, 5.0; p-value≤0.001) increase in O3, and 0.4 μg/m3 (95 % CI: 0.3, 0.6; p-value = 0.009) increase in PM2.5. An IQR increase in the percentage of residents age ≥65was associated with a 3.3 μg/m3 (95 % CI: 2.4, 4.3; p-value=<0.001) decrease in O3, and 0.3 μg/m3 (95 % CI: 0.1, 0.5; p-value = 0.058) decrease in PM2.5. There were no apparent associations for PM10. The association for daily O3 levels exceeding the BNAQS daily standard was 0.4 %p–0.8 %p different by the IQR of variables, indicating a 7–15 days difference in the six-year period. The association for daily PM2.5 levels exceeding the BNAQS daily standard showed a 0.7–1.5 %p difference by the IQR, meaning a 13–27 days difference in the period. We did not find statistically significant associations between the distance to monitors and neighborhood characteristics but some indication regarding SDI. We found that O3 levels were higher in neighborhoods situated farther from monitoring stations, suggesting that elevated levels of air pollution may not be routinely measured. Exposure disparity patterns may vary by pollutants, suggesting a complex interplay between environmental and socioeconomic factors in environmental justice.

Characterizing Styrene Monomer and Oligomers by SEC/MALS/VISC/DRI

Worldwide polystyrene (PS) production in 2020 was approximately 27 million metric tons, distributed among many nations, making it one of the most heavily imported and exported chemicals. Commercially produced PS usually possesses a broad molar mass distribution, often with a substantial oligomeric component. The latter can significantly affect processing and end-use, in addition to having potentially hazardous health effects and to impacting the polymer’s export classification by regulatory agencies. Quantitation of the oligomeric region of polymers by size-exclusion chromatography with concentration-sensitive and/or static light scattering detection is complicated by the non-constancy of the specific refractive index increment (∂n/∂c) in this region, which affects the calculated amount (mass fraction) of oligomer in a polymer, molar mass averages, and related conclusions regarding macromolecular properties. Here, a multi-detector SEC approach including differential refractometry, multi-angle static light scattering, and differential viscometry has been applied to determining the ∂n/∂c of n-butyl terminated styrene oligomers at each degree of polymerization from monomer to hexamer, and also of a hexadecamer. Large changes in this parameter from one degree of polymerization to the next are observed, including but not restricted to the fact that the ∂n/∂c of the monomer is less than half that of PS polymer at identical experimental conditions. As part of this study, the individual effects of injection volume, flow rate, and temperature on chromatographic resolution were examined. Incorporation of the on-line viscometer allowed for accurate determination of the intrinsic viscosity and viscometric radius of the monomer and oligomers.

Segregation of binary particles in pulsed gas-solid fluidized bed

Pulsating airflow-driven gas-solid fluidization is an effective method to segregate particles of different densities. The current article presents an elaborate computational study on the development of simulation methodology, and parametric trend identification of pulsating airflow-driven granular segregation for the first time using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), discrete element modeling (DEM) coupled analysis. The rigorous validation of the computational prediction has been produced against the experimental result reported by Li et al. (2021) and an excellent agreement has been observed. Segregation behavior for different density ratios of particles, different patterns of pulsation, and different particle shapes is presented in the current article. The segregation index improves with the density ratio of the binary mixture of particles, but the rate of increment of the segregation index is highly dependent on the airflow rate. Near the optimal value of airflow rate, the rate of increment of the segregation index reduces with the density ratio. Keeping the bed height and material property constant, different patterns of pulsation namely—sinusoidal, triangular, and exponential have been adopted. The segregation index is higher for sinusoidal patterns, whereas it reduces when the pattern is changed to triangular and exponential. Particles of constant volume with different shapes are also considered to understand the effect of particle shape on segregation. The segregation index deteriorates with the increasing surface area of the particle at constant volume.

Evaluation of Knee Radiograph and its Interrelation between Body Mass Index and Range of Motion in Osteoarthritic Knee

Abstract Context: Assessing knee osteoarthritis (OA) radiologically is a well-recognised investigation technique. Range of motion (ROM) measurement gives an idea about the functional status of the joint. Body mass index (BMI) increment is one of the risk factors of worsening knee OA. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate OA radiologically and to search the status of BMI, ROM and Kellgren–Lawrence (KL) score of osteoarthritic knee patients and find their interrelations. Settings: This study was conducted at the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation in a tertiary hospital of Bangladesh. Designs: This was a cross-sectional study. Methodology: Purposive selection of 66 primary OA knees was done. Compartmental distribution of osteoarthritic knee was determined. Radiographics were determined by KL score system. BMI was calculated conventionally. Maximum flexion, extension and total excursion were measured by a universal goniometer. Results: Fifty per cent of participants had tricompartmental OA. Patients with maximum KL score 2 had significantly more total excursion (127.44 ± 2.89) compared to maximum KL score 3 (121.51 ± 3.14) and 4 (110.00 ± 3.58). Subjects with normal BMI had significantly more total excursion (125.00 ± 4.21) compared to overweight (121.03 ± 6.84) and obese patients (122.54 ± 4.31) (P = 0.044). 60.9% of subjects with normal BMI had significantly more maximum KL score 2 compared to overweight (33.3%) and obese patients (7.7%). A positive correlation was present between BMI and maximal KL score (r = 0.345, P = 0.005). A significant strong negative correlation was found between maximal KL score and total excursion (r = −0.825, P &lt; 0.001). Conclusion: Different percentages of unicompartmental, bicompartmental and tricompartmental knee OA were found. Osteoarthritic patients with higher BMI had lower ROM and increased KL radiographic scores.

Association of soluble transferrin receptor/log ferritin index with all-cause and cause-specific mortality: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR)/log ferritin index (sTfR Index) can be used to assess the entire spectrum of iron status, and is valuable in evaluating iron status in population studies. There is still a lack of evidence on the association between sTfR index and all-cause mortality. To explore the association between sTfR index and all-cause mortality, as well as mortality due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. Data were from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2003 to 2020. Participants aged 16 years and older who had complete data of serum ferritin and sTfR were included. Pregnant individuals or those with ineligible data on death or follow-up were excluded from the analysis. Baseline sTfR index was calculated by baseline sTfR/log (ferritin) and classified as three tertile. We performed the Cox proportional hazard regression to assess the association of sTfR index (both continuous and categorical scale) with all-cause and cause-specific mortality and further assess the non-linear relationship between sTfR index and the outcomes with restricted cubic spline. In this study, 11,525 participants, a total of 231 (2.0%) all-cause deaths occurred during a median follow-up of 51 months. The risk of all-cause mortality, CVD-related mortality, and cancer-related mortality was higher in participants with highest tertile of sTfR index. After confounding factors adjustment, participants with highest tertile of sTfR index were associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.71, 95% CI: 1.14-2.57) as compared with lowest tertile. Additionally, sTfR index per SD increment was associated with a 25% increasing risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.08-1.45, p = 0.003) and a 38% cancer-related mortality (HR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.07-1.77, p = 0.018). These associations remained robust after adjusting for the serum ferritin as well as in various subgroups stratified by age, sex, smoking statue, hypertension, diabetes, and CVD. Spline analysis showed that there is approximately linear relationship between sTfR index with all-cause mortality (p for non-linear = 0.481). Moreover, ferritin was not a predictor of all-cause death after adjustment for confounding factors. This cohort study demonstrated a significant association between sTfR index increment and an increased risk of all-cause and cancer-related mortality, independent of ferritin levels.

Polymer Characterization by Size-Exclusion Chromatography with Multi-Angle Light Scattering (SEC-MALS): A Tutorial Review.

This tutorial review presents the theory and application of SEC-MALS with minimal equations and a focus on synthetic polymer characterization, serving as an entry point for polymer scientists who want to learn more about SEC-MALS. We discuss the principles of static light scattering, outline its capability to generate absolute weight-average molar mass values, and extend its application to SEC-MALS. Practical elements are emphasized, enabling researchers to appreciate how values for , and are determined in an SEC-MALS experiment and how experimental conditions and input values, such as the specific refractive index increment ( ), influence the results. Several illustrative SEC-MALS experiments demonstrate the impact of separation quality on (as opposed to ), the appearance of contaminants in SEC chromatograms from sample preparation, the influence of concentration on data quality, and how polymer topology affects molecular weight characterization in SEC. Finally, we address practical considerations, common issues, and persistent misconceptions.