Latest Improvements Research Articles

Right Hepatectomy (Réglée) for Liver Metastasis Post Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma – Case Report

Background Metastatic tumors of the liver are the most common hepatic malignant disease, responsible for more than 95% of the total. The size and number of metastases of the liver varies considerably. They maintain the anatomo-pathologic features of the primary cancer, but often are complicated by central necrosis. Pancreatic tumors often metastasize to the liver because of venous drainage to the portal vein. In cases of this occurrence, the disease is considered to be at stage IV with minimal to no consideration for a surgical approach despite the late improvements in liver resection and more efficient chemotherapy. There is a severely limited number of studies for patients undergoing liver resection for liver metastases that arise after a surgical treatment of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. However, these studies, which take in consideration the surgical liver resection versus chemotherapy alone in patients with metachronous metastases of pancreatic cancer demonstrate a significantly longer survival rate. Case presentation The 65 y/o male patient­­­­­­ was diagnosed one year prior to the current events with an adenocarcinoma of the pancreas tail, for which he underwent the surgical procedure of pancreatic tail resection and splenectomy. Ten months after the surgery he complains of fever and body temperature of 38 - 39°C. Despite taking antibiotics for over a month and a half he has no improvement. He is hospitalized in a febrile state, asthenic and pale skin and mucosa. Following an MRI the diagnosis leans towards a liver metastasis. A right réglée hepatectomy is performed. The patient tolerated the procedure well and was discharged in good health. Discussion Determining the amount of liver parenchyma to be removed is an important decision. Anatomic resections mostly include two or more hepatic segments, whereas non-anatomic resection involves the resection of the metastases with a margin of healthy tissue (segmentectomy). The decision concerning the extent of resection is more relevant for the post-operative chemotherapy in colorectal metastasis, where an effort is made to conserve as much as possible remnant liver tissue. A preoperative chemotherapy allows more patients to be considered resectable, but may damage hepatic function and increase the risk of post-operative liver insufficiency. Conclusion In conclusion, hepatic resection for metastatic non-colorectal non-neuroendocrine tumors is safe and is linked to better outcomes in chosen patients. However primary tumour type and disease-free intervals seem to be important variables. Sometimes, hepatic resection may be the only option offering a potential cure, so it should be considered in some patients with liver metastases of non-colorectal non-neuroendocrine tumors. Keywords: General Surgery, Right Hepatectomy, Liver Metastasis, Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-9-07 Publication date: March 31 st 2023

Geochemical Characterization of Insoluble Particle Clusters in Ice Cores Using Two‐Dimensional Impurity Imaging

AbstractUnderstanding post‐depositional processes altering the layer sequence in ice cores is especially needed to avoid misinterpretation of the oldest and most highly thinned layers. The record of soluble and insoluble impurities represents an important part of the paleoclimate proxies in ice cores but is known to be affected through interaction with the ice matrix, diffusion, and chemical reactions. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) has been recognized for its micron‐scale resolution and micro‐destructiveness in ice core impurity analysis. Employing LA‐ICP‐MS for 2D chemical imaging has already revealed a close relationship between the ice grain boundary network and impurity signals with a significant soluble component, such as Na and Mg. Here we show the latest improvements in chemical imaging with LA‐ICP‐MS, by increasing the spatial resolution to 20 μm and extending the simultaneous analysis to also mostly insoluble impurities, such as Al and Fe. All analytes reveal signals of dispersed spots in a sample of an East Greenland ice core. Based on their average size around 50–60 times larger than an average particle and their heterogeneous elemental ratios these spots are interpreted as particle clusters. To distinguish their origin, a simple colocalization classification reveals elemental ratios consistent with marine and mineral dust aerosol. Based on already existing data from cryo‐Raman spectroscopy, we discuss potential ways to integrate the two methods in a future comparison. Such a combined approach may help constraining post‐depositional changes to the dust‐related insoluble impurity components, such as cluster formation and chemical reactions at grain boundaries.

AI-3000K Infrared line list for hot CO2

AI-3000K is a semi-empirical IR line list constructed for hot CO2 spectra analysis and simulation up to 3000 – 4000 K. Compared to previously published Ames-1000K and UCL-4000, it represents a major upgrade, utilizing a new algorithm for optimization and including the latest improvements in potential energy surface (PES), dipole moment surface (DMS), and room temperature IR line list (Ames-2021 296K). To maximize the success of introducing experimental based accurate line positions, a new PES (X01d) was refined with respect to >800 selected CDSD2019 [Tashkun et al. JQSRT (2019) 228, 124] energy levels in the range of 0 – 24,000 cm−1, with σrms = 0.5 – 0.7 cm−1. Most differences between the X01d PES based levels and CDSD2019 energies are within ± 2 cm−1. A new DMS is fitted from extrapolated CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pV(T,Q,5)Z dipole calculations, with σrms = 5.1 × 10−6 au for 11,155 geometries up to 40,000 cm−1, denoted Ames-2021–40K. Compared to the best available Ames-2021 DMS and room temperature IR line list [Huang et al J. Phys. Chem. A (2022) 126, 5940], the relative intensity differences are expected to be ∼ 1 ‰. The line position accuracy of ''X01d + Ames-2021–40K'' IR line list is significantly improved by adopting CDSD2019 energy levels up to 24,000 cm−1 (J ≤ 150). The Einstein A21 coefficients for E' < 15,000 cm−1 transitions are replaced by more accurate values from the Ames-2021 296K IR line list. In short, the AI-3000K is the X01d PES and Ames-2021–40K DMS based line list enhanced with the A21 of Ames-2021 296K line list and CDSD energy levels. It provides continuous coverage from 0 to 20,000 cm−1 for the four most abundant isotopologues: 12C16O2 (626), 13C16O2 (636), 16O12C18O (628), and 16O12C17O (627). The impacts of isotopologue and E'/E'' cutoffs have been examined. Intensity convergence (not accuracy) of AI-3000K line list is quantitatively estimated in 1 cm−1 bins. It is better than 99% in the whole range of 0 – 20,000 (or 10,000) cm−1 at 1000 K (or 2000 K), or better than 90% in the whole range of 0 – 15,000 (or 9000) cm−1 at 2000 K (or 3000 K), respectively. Convergence beyond 3000 K will require a new PES and DMS for E' > 40,000 cm−1. The AI-3000K and HITEMP based IR simulations are compared to high resolution shock tube experiments for CO2-Ar mixture up to 2000 K. With line position accuracy comparable to that of HITEMP, AI-3000K IR line list yields better agreements at more frequencies. Potential sources of discrepancies with experiment are discussed.

A Review on different ML Techniques used for Disease Detection in Sugarcane Crop

Latest improvements in precision agriculture through machine learning, deep learning, remote sensing has helped to come up with different methods to detect crop diseases. One of the main reasons for yield loss of a crop is non detection of disease early in time. This paper reviews the various methods and techniques that can be used to detect diseases in sugarcane crop. Firstly, we provide a review on the different types of input data w.r.t imagery -RGB, multispectral and hyperspectral. Then we highlight the different techniques applied for disease detection-machine learning, deep learning, transfer learning and spectral information divergence. We also give an overview of the results achieved by using the different techniques.

Latest Improvements and Expanding Applications of Solid-Phase Microextraction.

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVReviewNEXTLatest Improvements and Expanding Applications of Solid-Phase MicroextractionJuan ZhengJuan ZhengMinistry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry/School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaMore by Juan ZhengView Biography, Yixin KuangYixin KuangMinistry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry/School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaMore by Yixin KuangView Biography, Suxin ZhouSuxin ZhouMinistry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry/School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaMore by Suxin ZhouView Biography, Xinying GongXinying GongMinistry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry/School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaMore by Xinying GongView Biography, and Gangfeng Ouyang*Gangfeng OuyangMinistry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry/School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China*[email protected]More by Gangfeng OuyangView Biographyhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0797-6036Cite this: Anal. Chem. 2023, 95, 1, 218–237Publication Date (Web):January 10, 2023Publication History Received26 July 2022Published online10 January 2023Published inissue 10 January 2023https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.2c03246Copyright © 2023 American Chemical SocietyRIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views321Altmetric-Citations-LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit Read OnlinePDF (9 MB) Get e-AlertsSUBJECTS:Adsorption,Coating materials,Extraction,Fibers,Food Get e-Alerts

Trajectories of health-related quality of life and fatigue during vedolizumab therapy in inflammatory bowel disease.

Normalizing health-related quality of life (QoL) and fatigue are important long-term treatment targets in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We examined their evolution in relation to changes in disease activity during vedolizumab therapy. Cohort study of biologically refractory IBD patients treated with vedolizumab. Patients were prospectively evaluated at all infusions by Short Health Scale (SHS) (QoL questionnaire covering four health dimensions) (n=79), visual analogous scale for fatigue (VAS-F) (n=30), and clinical disease activity. Objective disease assessment was carried out after 1year or at treatment failure. Patients in steroid-free clinical remission at end of induction improved significantly in all SHS items already from week 2 with full implementation by week 14 ("Symptoms" 59% improvement, P<0.001; "Function" 63%, P<0.001; "Worries" 59%, P<0.001; "Well-being" 40%, P<0.01). Then, SHS remained stable at background levels (<20) for 1year (improvements 67%; 65%; 62%; 57%; P<0.001). Combined clinical-objective remission at 1year was associated with highest SHS improvements (64-72%; P<0.001). Of note, early SHS improvements preceded manifestation of clinical remission in most patients (22 of 33; 67%). Clinical response materialized into late (week 6 or later) and minor SHS improvements (31-46%, P<0.001). Fatigue improved steadily over 6months to background levels (VAS-F<4) among patients in clinical remission (45% decrease) or clinical-objective remission (41%). SHS and VAS-F impairment remained elevated in patients without effect of therapy. QoL rapidly improves and predicts later significant clinical-objective efficacies of vedolizumab at end of induction and 1year. Fatigue improves slowly after remission is attained.

Data Augmentation and Random Multi-Model Deep Learning for Data Classification

In the machine learning (ML) paradigm, data augmentation serves as a regularization approach for creating ML models. The increase in the diversification of training samples increases the generalization capabilities, which enhances the prediction performance of classifiers when tested on unseen examples. Deep learning (DL) models have a lot of parameters, and they frequently overfit. Effectively, to avoid overfitting, data plays a major role to augment the latest improvements in DL. Nevertheless, reliable data collection is a major limiting factor. Frequently, this problem is undertaken by combining augmentation of data, transfer learning, dropout, and methods of normalization in batches. In this paper, we introduce the application of data augmentation in the field of image classification using Random Multi-model Deep Learning (RMDL) which uses the association approaches of multiDL to yield random models for classification. We present a methodology for using Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) to generate images for data augmenting. Through experiments, we discover that samples generated by GANs when fed into RMDL improve both accuracy and model efficiency. Experimenting across both MNIST and CIAFAR-10 datasets show that, error rate with proposed approach has been decreased with different random models.

Neural network potentials for chemistry: concepts, applications and prospects.

Artificial Neural Networks (NN) are already heavily involved in methods and applications for frequent tasks in the field of computational chemistry such as representation of potential energy surfaces (PES) and spectroscopic predictions. This perspective provides an overview of the foundations of neural network-based full-dimensional potential energy surfaces, their architectures, underlying concepts, their representation and applications to chemical systems. Methods for data generation and training procedures for PES construction are discussed and means for error assessment and refinement through transfer learning are presented. A selection of recent results illustrates the latest improvements regarding accuracy of PES representations and system size limitations in dynamics simulations, but also NN application enabling direct prediction of physical results without dynamics simulations. The aim is to provide an overview for the current state-of-the-art NN approaches in computational chemistry and also to point out the current challenges in enhancing reliability and applicability of NN methods on a larger scale.

Temporal relationships between changes in depression and suicidal ideation: A mediation analysis in a randomized double-blinded clinical trial.

There is a considerable debate regarding the possible dependence between depression and suicidal ideation treatments. The present study used a novel mediation approach in a randomized comparison of pharmacotherapy and combined therapy to explore whether depressive symptoms mediate the association between treatment and suicidal ideation and whether it depends on the treatment condition. This study is a randomized, controlled, parallel group (1:1), clinical trial using a novel mediation approach for longitudinal data. Latent difference score modelling was utilized to investigate whether changes in depressive symptoms drive subsequent changes in suicide ideation. Participants were 94 depressive suicidal outpatients who were assessed regarding depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation over the course of an experiment (0-2-7months). Direct and indirect associations between (change in) depressive symptoms and (change in) suicidal ideation were explored using Pearson's correlations and latent difference score model. The results showed that depression treatment affects not only suicidal ideation directly but also its influence on suicidal ideation occurs via improvement in depressive symptoms. It was found a more significant effect of combining pharmacotherapy and PPT (in comparison with the pharmacotherapy alone) on the early and late improvements of suicidal ideation (Δ 0-2 and Δ 2-7) via the early improvement of depressive symptoms (Δ 0-2). The findings indicate that changes in depressive symptoms preceded changes in suicidal ideation. Our results highlighted that improving depressive symptoms could be a primary target in treating patients with depression experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Diffusion behavior of water molecules in binary mixed vegetable oils under the synergistic effect of temperature and nano-TiO2

Temperature and water are two important factors affecting the insulating properties of power insulating oil. Meanwhile, nanoparticles have received attention from researchers as the latest improvement method for the electrical performance and insulation properties of insulating oil. Therefore, in this study, we constructed models of pure binary mixed vegetable insulating oils and mixed insulating oils modified with nano-TiO2. The diffusion behaviour of water in the binary mixed vegetable insulating oil under the synergistic effect of temperature and nanoparticles was investigated. Results indicate that the diffusion coefficient of water molecules in the nano-TiO2 modified vegetable insulating oil decreased up to 30.7 % compared to the unmodified vegetable insulating oil. With the introduction of nanoparticles, the free volume of the oil model is reduced by 18.23 % on average, and the space for water molecules to move is greatly reduced. The average interaction energy of oil and water molecules decreased by 9.53 %, and a large number of water molecules formed hydrogen bonds with O atoms on the nanoparticles. The nano-TiO2 particles have a negative electrostatic potential distributed on the surface and have a strong electrostatic attraction to the free H3O+ in the oil. Compared with pure oil, water molecules in modified oil need higher temperature and higher kinetic energy to get rid of hydrogen bond with nanoparticles. Therefore, the introduction of nanoparticles has largely reduced the influence of temperature on the diffusion of water molecules.

Considerations regarding PV systems

The integration of renewable power supplies in urban areas and their integration in everyday life is the new trend for the latest research. By using renewable power supplies combined with the latest improvements regarding energy efficiency can help reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas effect and toxic emissions. This paper presents the latest research in PV systems integration within cities. Urban areas have an unexplored potential for decentralized power production. PV systems are affordable and require minimal maintenance, thus making them suitable for such applications.

IoT Development Board for Engineering Applications

Technology developments in engineering applications has made life easier. Nowadays, Internet based computations and control are more popular. Internet of Things (IoT) is the latest improvements in industrial domain. This technology revolution satisfies the industrial requirements and societal needs. In the present scenario, most of society related research are carried out in the IoT domain. In this project, how the different sensors are being connected to the microcontroller and how the real-time data is collected and used as required by the application, have been discussed. It shows the advantages of the graphical view of the data output by which, the changes can be understood easily and in a more convenient way. This paper briefs about the IoT development board and the peripheral components. The methodology for interfacing the sensor and the communication with the cloud has also been detailed.

Evolution of a GDE setup: Beyond ambient conditions

Gas diffusion electrode (GDE) setups recently and increasingly received attention as testing platforms for fuel cell catalysts. GDE setups provide realistic reaction conditions while remaining simple and efficient to use. Therefore, GDE setups bridge the gap between rotating disk electrode (RDE) measurements and membrane electrode assembly (MEA) testing. Here, we describe our initial GDE design development to its latest improvements that allow application of high temperatures. We point out experimental challenges we overcame, yet also discuss properly applying our new technique to avoid wrongful use. In particular, we advocate for implementing GDE setups in catalyst stability investigations where the technique so far has been used infrequently.

Lipid-based Nanoparticles for the Targeted Delivery of Anticancer Drugs: A Review

Cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Although chemotherapeutic agents have been effectively designed to increase the survival rates of some patients, the designed chemotherapeutic agents necessarily deliver toxic chemotherapeutic drugs to healthy tissues, resulting in serious side effects. Cancer cells can often acquire drug resistance after repeatedly administering current chemotherapeutic agents, restricting their efficacy. Given such obstacles, investigators have attempted to distribute chemotherapeutic agents using targeted drug delivery systems (DDSs), especially nanotechnology-based DDSs. The lipid-based nanoparticles (LBNPs) are a large and complex class of substances utilized to manage various diseases, especially cancers. Liposomes seem to be the most frequently employed LBNPs, owing to their high biocompatibility, bioactivity, stability, and flexibility. Solid lipid NPs and non-structured lipid carriers have lately received a lot of interest. In addition, several reports focused on novel therapies via LBNPs to manage various forms of cancer. In the present research, the latest improvements in applying LBNPs have been shown to deliver different therapeutic agents to cancerous cells and be a quite successful candidate in cancer therapy.

Robust thermal error estimation for machine tools based on in-process multi-point temperature measurement of a single axis actuated by a ball screw feed drive system

In machine tools, thermal errors account for 70 % of the total machining errors. The latest improvements in sensor technology have enabled the robust estimation of thermal displacement using the multi-point temperature data of an entire structure. The complex geometry and constant motion of a feed drive system make the direct measurement of temperature difficult because of the sensor power supply and data transmission. In this study, a wireless multi-point temperature sensor system was developed, and the temperature of a ball screw was measured. The ball screw was developed with a built-in temperature sensor array and was installed in an actual machining center. Thermal error measurement tests were conducted, wherein the temperatures of 277 points on the structure and 25 points on the Z-axis ball screw were measured during machine operation. Using finite element analysis (FEA) with multi-point temperature mapping of the drive system, the difference between the relative displacement of the tool center point (TCP) along the Z-axis, measured by an eddy current sensor, and the value estimated by the FEA was calculated to be less than 10 μm. However, the Z-axis ball screw temperature distribution contributed little to the accuracy of thermal displacement estimation along other axes. Therefore, a superposition of the thermal displacements of the structure and drive system provided TCP relative displacement, suggesting the effect of temperature-dependent geometric errors on the volumetric error model of machine tools.

CRISPR-Cas9 Technology for the Creation of Biological Avatars Capable of Modeling and Treating Pathologies: From Discovery to the Latest Improvements.

This is a spectacular moment for genetics to evolve in genome editing, which encompasses the precise alteration of the cellular DNA sequences within various species. One of the most fascinating genome-editing technologies currently available is Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and its associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9), which have integrated deeply into the research field within a short period due to its effectiveness. It became a standard tool utilized in a broad spectrum of biological and therapeutic applications. Furthermore, reliable disease models are required to improve the quality of healthcare. CRISPR-Cas9 has the potential to diversify our knowledge in genetics by generating cellular models, which can mimic various human diseases to better understand the disease consequences and develop new treatments. Precision in genome editing offered by CRISPR-Cas9 is now paving the way for gene therapy to expand in clinical trials to treat several genetic diseases in a wide range of species. This review article will discuss genome-editing tools: CRISPR-Cas9, Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFNs), and Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases (TALENs). It will also encompass the importance of CRISPR-Cas9 technology in generating cellular disease models for novel therapeutics, its applications in gene therapy, and challenges with novel strategies to enhance its specificity.

The advancement of adhesive dentistry with the endocrown technique and its diffusion among professionals: a literature review

Introduction: In the decades with the advancement of materials fabrication, such as restorations with the latest improvements in their dental fabrication process, or as restorations with improvements in their dental fabrication process, or as the latest restorations in their dental fabrication process, dentistry, or as the latest restorations in their restorative materials manufacturing process. Objective: This work aims to demonstrate through a literature review the use of the endocrown technique. Methods: The research was carried out from January to May 2022 and was developed based on PubMed, Scielo, and Google Scholar. Results: There were 11 a total of 13 articles on Endocrowns. In total, 47 articles were complete and 19 were included in this study. Dentistry, contributing to a better resolution of cases, presents little interocclusal space, so the indirect endocrown restoration technique becomes an excellent option, presenting a good alternative and less dental wear for making. Conclusion: It was concluded that the use of the endocrown technique has shown, for the most part, employing clinical results that it is an excellent restorative option for the restoration of molars with great coronary destruction, and its clinical survival rate was comparable to the use of intraradicular posts of fiber.

Financial sector and outbreak of the economic crisis in 2008: IFRS versus US GAAP

PurposeTesting a total of five hypotheses, the paper contributes to overall comparison of the two regimes, as it scrutinises whether these improvements have helped regulate this sector. Although it appears that, for the first time, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) had a more timely effect than US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), multiple parameters must be taken into consideration. The banking system has additional rules that may affect financial statements, such as the Basel Accord which sets many policies closely related to the IFRS, such as deferred tax credits. In this way, this paper aim to enrich the results of these decisions, and illuminate aspects of amendments to IFRS and US GAAP in light of the crisis. Focussing on the financial sector, the author sought to critically evaluate their reactions, and to question some of their fundamental rules in practice. This is vital for accounting researchers and analysts, allowing for the first time to compare IFRS performance between Europe and the US, and make better investment evaluations.Design/methodology/approachThe study sought to detect whether IFRS and US GAAP protected firms from abnormal sales arising from the outbreak of the crisis, whether the reclassification option under IFRS was an answer to the crisis, and whether IFRS and US GAAP succeeded in regulating shadow banking through their amendments. Therefore, it processes five hypotheses. In order to detect the effects of the crisis on accounting regimes, the analysis focused only on companies from the financial sector composed of the banking industry, insurance companies and shadow banking. The author included firms from Australia, Germany, Greece, the UK and the US, and collected information on 679 financial institutions for the period 2009–2013. The author settled on these time frames because the author aimed to capture IFRS performance surrounding the crisis effects in 2008 and the amendments that followed. In this way, the author applied quantitative methods using only numerical data over a given period.FindingsThe results suggest that the reclassification option was successful, helping firms to perform better amid the crisis, indicating that the manipulation of the crisis was appropriate. It seems therefore that US GAAP should have activated this option for US firms. However, the US may not have hurried to act because its banking sector seemed to recover more quickly than in Australia and Europe. Either way, both regimes need to consider speculative market cases that might have appeared during the crisis, as the author have detected cases of abnormal returns. Finally, concerning regulation of the shadow banking sector, the results seem to be encouraging only with regard to the latest improvements and only for all countries examined.Originality/valueThe project contributes to debate on the reactions of both IFRS and US GAAP during and after the economic crisis. For this, it addresses several questions to investigate the performance of the financial sector under both regimes, identifying possible additional effects and considerations. More specifically, it answers if the fair value orientation actually contributes to the financial crisis through contagion effects, while it addresses additional questions. Have these two global accounting regimes succeeded in overcoming the consequences of the crisis? Have amendments and the introduction of new standards to IFRS and US GAAP achieved regulation of shadow banking? Which of the two has performed better? As aforementioned, the analysis focused only on companies from the financial sector composed of the banking industry, insurance companies and shadow banking firms from Australia, Germany, Greece, the UK and the US, for the period 2009–2013.

Recycling of plastic waste concrete to prepare an effective additive for early strength and late permeability improvement of cement paste

Plastic waste concrete is an alkaline solid–liquid mixed waste generated in the concrete production process. The recycling of plastic waste concrete in building materials can help reduce environmental pollution. In present work, wet-grinding process was utilized to set up a high-value added wet-grinding plastic waste concrete (WPWC) based specific additive with a D50 of 1.07 μm. The physical and chemical properties of WPWC based additive and its effects on the rheological property, hydration process, compressive strength, microstructure and permeability of Portland cement were investigated. The results showed that after adding WPWC additive, the compressive strength of 12 h was increased by 356 %, and more hydration products were produced. Different from common early-strength agents, the addition of WPWC additive can provide combined effects of nucleation induction and physical filling, which optimized the pore structure and improved the compactness of matrix. In addition, the resistance to chloride ion penetration at the later stage was also enhanced. This indicated that the incorporation of WPWC additive is an effective method to improve both the early strength and late permeability of cement.

Central Nervous System Gene Therapy: Present Developments and Emerging Trends Accelerating Industry-Academia Pathways.

The recent success of first central nervous system gene therapies has reinvigorated the growing community of gene therapy researchers and strengthened the field's market position. We are witnessing an increase of clinical trials with long-term efficiency mainly for neurometabolic, neurodegenerative, and neurodevelopmental diseases caused by loss-of-function mutations. The ever-expanding knowledge and accessibility to the most advanced tools allow enrichment of applications to more complex diseases. This gradually contributes toward sealing the gap between top diseases impacting current global health and those toward which gene therapy development is currently aimed. In this study, we highlight innovative therapeutic approaches that have reached the clinics and outline the latest improvements of vector design and targeting. Finally, we address the pressing challenges faced by clinical trials and the direction they are heading.