Time T1 Research Articles

A three-year prospective cohort study evaluating implant stability utilising the Osstell® and Periotest™ devices

ObjectivesTo investigate implant stability measurements from two different devices and at three different time points in order to determine their level of correlation. To also evaluate the influence of a range of clinical characteristics on the values produced by the devices at these three time points.Materials & MethodsMeasurements were recorded at implant placement (T1), implant exposure (T2) and at 3 years from implant placement (T3). A range of clinical data was collected including patient demographics and site characteristics. Stability measurements and clinical characteristics were recorded for 29 patients and 68 dental implants at T1, subsequent stability measurements were recorded for 67 implants at T2 and 58 implants at T3. Correlation testing between the Osstell® and Periotest™ devices was carried out utilising Spearman's rank correlation for each time point. Analysis of the difference between clinical factors and stability measurements was compared using Kruskal-Wallis test for each variable and time point.ResultsA single dental implant failed shortly after second stage surgery for an overall survival rate of 98% during the study timeline. The median ISQ value was 73.25 (IQR 67–75) at T1 and 74 (IQR 70.5–77) at T3. The median Periotest value was −4 (IQR −6, −2) at T1 and −6 (IQR −7, −5) at T3. The range of ISQ values observed was 50 (39–89) ISQ at T1 and decreased to 21 (61–82) ISQ at T3. The Periotest values ranged from 37 (29 to −8) at T1 and decreased to 6 (−2 to −8) at T3. A weak to moderate correlation was observed between mean ISQ and Periotest values across time points T1, T2 and T3, (r = −0.26, p = 0.05), (r = −0.35, p < 0.01) and (r = −0.28, p = 0.04) respectively.ConclusionsBased on the results of this study there was a weak to moderate level of correlation between values recorded between the two measurement devices at implant placement, implant exposure and three years following placement. For both the Osstell® and Periotest™ a narrowing of the range of stability values was observed from T1 to T3. In general, Periotest™ seemed to be more sensitive in highlighting differences in measurements affected by local conditions.

Effect of remote ischemic preconditioning on postoperative gastrointestinal function in patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection.

Patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection have a high incidence of postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction (POGD). Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) is an organ protection measure. The study investigated the effect of RIPC on postoperative gastrointestinal function. In this single-center, prospective, double-blinded, randomized, parallel-controlled trial, 100 patients undergoing elective laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive RIPC or sham RIPC (control). Three cycles of 5-min ischemia/5-min reperfusion induced by a blood pressure cuff placed on the right upper arm served as RIPC stimulus. Patients were followed up continuously for 7 days after surgery. The I-FEED score was used to evaluate the patient's gastrointestinal function after the surgery. The primary outcome of the study was the I-FEED score on POD3. Secondary outcomes include the daily I-FEED scores, the highest I-FEED score, the incidence of POGD, the changes in I-FABP and the inflammatory markers (IL-6 and TNF-α), and the time to first postoperative flatus. A total of 100 patients were enrolled in the study, of which 13 patients were excluded. Finally, 87 patients were included in the analysis, 44 patients in the RIPC group and 43 patients in the sham-RIPC group. Patients assigned to the RIPC group had a lower I-FEED score on POD3 compared with the sham-RIPC group (mean difference 0.86; 95% CI: 0.06 to 1.65; P = 0.035). And patients in the RIPC group were also associated with a lower I-FEED score on POD4 vs the sham-RIPC group (mean difference 0.81; 95% CI: 0.03 to 1.60; P = 0.043). Compared with the sham-RIPC group, the incidence of POGD within 7days after surgery was lower in the RIPC group (P = 0.040). At T1, T2, and T3 time points, inflammatory factors and I-FABP were considerably less in the RIPC group compared to the sham-RIPC group. The time to the first flatus and the first feces was similar in both groups. RIPC reduced I-FEED scores, decreased the incidence of postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction, and lowered concentrations of I-FABP and inflammatory factors.

Cure Kinetics of Commercial Epoxy-Amine Products with Iso-Conversional Methods

The dependence of the apparent activation energy for the epoxy-amine reaction on the degree of conversion can be obtained by applying iso-conversional methods to the non-isothermal cure data obtained by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The application of three iso-conversional methods has been utilized for the analysis of non-isothermal DSC cure data for three commercial high solids epoxy-amine coatings. The average apparent activation energy for cure of the fully formulated commercial product(s) is very similar to that previously reported for the epoxy-amine clear coats, indicating that the presence of additives does not influence the epoxy-amine apparent activation energy. Among the methods tested, Friedman’s method performed the best in fitting the experimental DSC data. In addition, all three methods underpredict the experimental isothermal cure data for three commercial products at two different cure conditions (i.e., 23 °C/50% RH and 40 °C/70% RH), showing that the non-isothermal DSC experiments cannot capture the catalytic effect of water on the curing reaction of epoxy-amine coatings. Furthermore, for high-solids epoxy-amine products, at least 60% conversion is required to achieve the time when the applied coating will not show any tackiness (i.e., the T2 time measured using the Beck Koller method).

The treatment effect of Infliximab on Spondyarthritis patients

Background: Biologic drugs, especially anti TNF-α drugs, are revolutionary in the treatment of Spondyloarthritis when the conventional DMARDs have proved ineffective. Research objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of Infliximab treatment on Spondyloarthritis patients. Materials and method: Longitudinal follow-up study with Infliximab treatment on 27 patients with Spondyloarthritis. Results: The effectiveness of Infliximab on patients with Spondyloarthritis is demonstrated by clinical indicators; inflammatory markers: CRP, ESR in the first hour and the disease activity level according to ASDAS-CRP and ASDAS-ESR in the first hour at the time of T2, T6 compared to T0 were statistically significant (p < 0.05)). After excluding the data of 2 patients with flare at T14, all the above-mentioned indicators improved, the difference was statistically significant with p < 0.05. Conclusion: Infliximab is effective in improving clinical symptoms, inflammatory markers and disease activity score in patients with Spondyloarthritis. Key words: spondyloarthritis, Infliximab.

Mechanokinetics of the spontaneous contractions of smooth muscles in the stomach and large intestine of rats under chronic effect of ТiО2 nanoparticles

Background. Currently, nano-sized materials of titanium dioxide (TiО2) have wide industrial uses, particularly in the food industry and pharmacology. Therefore, the problem of TiО2 toxicity to living organisms in case of their chronic in vivo intake needs thorough investigation. As nanoparticles enter the internal environment of the body, they spread with the bloodstream to tissues and organs, where they partially accumulate. Thus studying the state of the pacemaker mechanisms of regulation of smooth muscle spontaneous contractions in the stomach and large intestine under chronic exposure to TiО2 nanoparticles is relevant and interesting. The purpose of this research work was to study the spontaneous contractile activity of the gastric and large intestine smooth muscles of rats under chronic (for 6 months) intake of an aqueous suspension of TiО2 nanoparticles. Materials and Methods. Wistar rats were used in the experiments. Rats of the experimental group were daily intragastrically administered an aqueous suspension of ТіО2 nanoparticles for six months at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg. The study of the mechanokinetics of the contraction-relaxation process of muscle preparations was carried out according to the method (Kosterin et al., 2021) with the calculation of the mechanokinetic parameters of the contraction-relaxation cycle: force (Fmax, FC and FR), time (τ0, τC and τR), impulse (Іmax, ІC and ІR) and velocity (VC and VR). Results. A comprehensive mechanokinetic analysis of spontaneous contractions of the antrum and caecum circular smooth muscles was carried out in control and under chronic in vivo exposure to ТіО2 nanocolloids (0.1 mg/kg/day) for 6 months. It was found that the chronic action of ТіО2 nanocolloids significantly inhibits the contractile activity of the antrum smooth muscles accompanied by a decrease in all mechanokinetic parameters of time, force, velocity and impulse. Under the same conditions, inhibition of the spontaneous contractions of the large intestine smooth muscles was observed. However, the time (τ0, τC and τR) and impulse (Іmax, ІC and ІR) parameters increased for these muscles against the background of the decrease in the force and velocity mechanokinetic parameters. Conclusions. Modulation of the mechanokinetic parameters of the spontaneous contractile activity of the stomach and large intestine smooth muscles of rats under chronic intragastric administration of ТіО2 nanocolloids suggests that the functioning of pacemakers changes significantly under these conditions. Since the parameters of the contraction and relaxation phases of both the stomach and the large intestine smooth muscles do not differ by the magnitude of the inhibitory effects, it can be assumed that the effects of ТіО2 are not specific for particular Са2+ transport systems involved in contractile responses.

Water absorption characteristics and rate of strength development of mortar with slag-based alkali-activated binder and 25% fly ash replacement

This article presents some of the results of an experimental study that evaluated water absorption characteristics and rate of strength development of geopolymer mortar where the binder consists of alkali-activated slag or slag with 25% fly ash replacement. Samples were cured in air at 22 ± 2 °C and 70% RH. From 1 to 7 days of curing, the increase in compressive strength was higher in mortar with 75%slag + 25% fly ash (S75F25) compared to samples with 100 slag binder (S100). After one day, fly ash begins to develop more N-A-S-H gel and contributes noticeably to strength development. Furthermore, the percentage change in strength development decreased continuously from 7 to 28 days of curing and became negative from 28 to 90 days. Ultimately, the 90-day strength decreased below the 28-day strength in all geopolymer samples. The decrease in strength may be due to loss of moisture causing precipitation of reactants rather than the formation of polymerization products. It was found that a strong linear relationship exists between water absorption of geopolymer mortar samples and the square root of immersion time (t0.5). Water absorption in S100 mortars decreased with an increase in the alkaline activator ratio of Na2SiO3/NaOH. This is because the free silicates from Na2SiO3 react with calcium dissolving from GBS and develop calcium-based hydrate C-(A)-S-H gel, which is typically dense and compact. When S100 mortar samples were cured for 90 days, the relationship between water absorption and t0.5 deviated from linearity, which indicates a coarser pore system and/or cracking, and is consistent with an observed decrease in compressive strength. Water absorption of S75F25 mortar exhibits a stronger correlation with t0.5 and a lower initial rate of water absorption, compared to S100, indicating a finer pore system and lower water absorption. Compressive strength at NaOH molarities of 10 mol/L was higher for S75F25 compared to S100. There is a strong correlation between the initial rate of water absorption and the compressive strength of geopolymer mortar.

Abstract PD16-08: Title: Characterizing Changes in Tumor Heterogeneity via Radiomic Phenotyping for Predicting Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Locally Advanced Breast Cancer: Preliminary Results from the ACRIN 6698/I-SPY 2 trial

Abstract Purpose: To predict pathologic complete response (pCR) in breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), from baseline and early-treatment DCE-MRI scans, in the context of the ACRIN 6698/I-SPY 2 BMMR2 challenge. Materials and Methods: The BMMR2 dataset consists of 191 patients undergoing NAC for locally advanced breast cancer as part of the ACRIN 6698/I-SPY 2 trial. DCE-MRI was obtained at time points T0 (pre-NAC), T1 (3 weeks), and T2 (12 weeks). The BMMR2 challenge provided the MRI scans, tumor annotations, and limited clinical and demographic information. The data were split 60/40; using the 60% training data, the task was to develop models to predict pCR; the competition was for best area under the curve (AUC) when applied to the 40% unseen test data. Using the publicly available CaPTk software we calculated 3 types of radiomic features within the segmented tumor volume: 1) texture of the signal enhancement ratio (SER) kinetic map of T0 images; 2) texture of the difference between the T1 kinetic maps (PE, WIS, WOS, and SER) and corresponding T0 maps; 3) texture of the difference between the T1 kinetic maps and the corresponding T0 maps, with T1 scans deformably registered to T0 scans. ComBat harmonization was applied to the extracted features to account for MRI acquisition differences. We computed the tumor longest diameter, functional tumor volume (FTV), and clinical tumor size each at T0 and T1. We modeled pCR via logistic regression. Using the training data alone, with the criteria of performance in univariable modeling and low collinearity, we selected radiomic features and clinical, demographic, and size covariates. We then performed PCA on the combined set of selected radiomic features and size covariates. We evaluated multivariable models including the selected clinical covariates in combination with the first few PCs via cross-validated AUC (5-fold, 200 repetitions) on the training data. The best models were submitted for independent evaluation on the unseen test data of the BMMR2 challenge. Results: Of the available clinical covariates, only hormone receptor (HR)± and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)± had any association with pCR. We retained these in all models, and performed PCA on the set combining the best-performing features and the size variables FTV at T0, FTV at T1, and longest diameter at T1. Models based on the first few PCs, HR, and HER2, had training AUCs in 0.78–0.81. Our best-performing model had an AUC on test data of 0.84, using the covariates PCs 1–5, HR, and HER2 (Table 1). Conclusions: Our preliminary results suggest that radiomic phenotyping of changes in tumor heterogeneity can accurately predict pCR early in the course of NAC. Future analysis with larger samples from ISPY-2 could also examine the effect of different therapies, including targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Table 1: Performance of candidate logistic regression models on training and test data. AUC: Area under receiver operating characteristic curve. * Mean 5-fold cross-validated AUC across 200 replicates. † Competition best-performing predictions. Citation Format: Eric A. Cohen, Rhea D. Chitalia, Snekha Thakran, Walter C. Mankowski, Alex Anh-Tu Nguyen, Hannah Horng, Elizabeth S. McDonald, Michael Feldman, Angela DeMichele, Despina Kontos. Title: Characterizing Changes in Tumor Heterogeneity via Radiomic Phenotyping for Predicting Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Locally Advanced Breast Cancer: Preliminary Results from the ACRIN 6698/I-SPY 2 trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr PD16-08.

A Vortex Relocation Method for Improving Initial Conditions and Subsequent Predictions of Tornadoes

Abstract A time–space shift method is developed for relocating model-predicted tornado vortices to radar-observed locations to improve the model initial conditions and subsequent predictions of tornadoes. The method consists of the following three steps. (i) Use the vortex center location estimated from radar observations to sample the best ensemble member from tornado-resolving ensemble predictions. Here, the best member is defined in terms of the predicted vortex center track that has a closest point, say at the time of t = t*, to the estimated vortex center at the initial time t0 (when the tornado vortex signature is first detected in radar observations). (ii) Create a time-shifted field from the best ensemble member in which the field within a circular area of about 10-km radius around the vortex center is taken from t = t*, while the field outside this circular area is transformed smoothly via temporal interpolation to the best ensemble member at t0. (iii) Create a time–space-shifted field in which the above time-shifted circular area is further shifted horizontally to co-center with the estimated vortex center at t0, while the field outside this circular area is transformed smoothly via spatial interpolation to the non-shifted field at t0 from the best ensemble member. The method is applied to the 20 May 2013 Oklahoma Newcastle–Moore tornado case, and is shown to be very effective in improving the tornado track and intensity predictions. Significance Statement The time–space shift method developed in this paper can smoothly relocate tornado vortices in model-predicted fields to match radar-observed locations. The method is found to be very effective in improving not only model initial condition but also the subsequent tornado track and intensity predictions. The method is also not sensitive to small errors in radar-estimated vortex center location at the initial time. The method should be useful for future real-time or even operational applications although further tests and improvements are needed (and are planned).

Permeability modeling of Upper Cretaceous Bahariya Formation rocks, Abu Sennan field, Western Desert, Egypt

The present work aims to describe in detail the petrophysical properties of the Bahariya Formation (Abu Sennan field) through processing the core sample data and finding out the possible relations between permeability and other reservoir parameters such as porosity, specific internal surface, formation factor, and nuclear magnetic resonance to obtain reliable permeability prediction model of the Upper Cretaceous formation. The core samples have a length range of 2–4 cm with a diameter of 2.54 cm. Many petrophysical reservoir parameters were measured, such as permeability, porosity, density, formation factor, and special measurements such as spectral induced polarization, nuclear magnetic resonance, and specific internal surface. The samples cover a wide range of porosity (11.82–23.68 %) and permeability (0.06–133.65 mD). The porosity-permeability relationship indicates the increase of the permeability with porosity increase for the studied samples. The reservoir quality index ranges from 0.02 to 0.78 μm. The flow zone indicator ranges from 0.09 to 3.39 μm where pore throat radius (R35) ranges from 0.10 to 7.40 μm. The reservoir quality index (RQI) and flow zone indicator (FZI) cross-plot show a better understanding of the formation evaluation. The hydraulic flow units are (0.09 μm < FZI ≤ 3.39 μm) and RQI < (1 μm). NMR longitudinal relaxation time T1 range is 1.21–175 ms, NMR transversal relaxation time T2(100) range is 0.70–91.77 ms, and T2(600) range is 0.74–75.86 ms. Models that incorporate porosity and NMR relaxation times will be more accurate and suitable for permeability prediction. Using multiple regression to determine the exponents of the power-law equation and replacing the porosity with the formation factor can improve the permeability prediction for the samples under investigation. The utilizing of NMR in predicting the permeability through a robust model considers an additional value for the Upper Cretaceous rocks in Egypt.

Investigations into Variations in Meso- and Macro-Physicomechanical Properties of Black Sandstone under High-Temperature Conditions Based on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

The high-temperature environment has a significant deterioration effect on the meso- and macro-physicomechanical properties of rocks. Black sandstone in Chuxiong Yunnan was chosen as the test sample to perform a high-temperature test, a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) test, and a uniaxial compressive test (UCT). After high-temperature heating (25°C–1,200°C), the thermally damaged samples were subjected to NMR tests in both saturated and centrifugal states. The transverse relaxation time T2 spectrum distribution and T2 spectrum area were subsequently obtained. The temperature effect of the mesopore structure was investigated by analyzing the changes in porosity. The T2 spectrum cutoff value was determined, and the temperature effect of the movable fluid migration law for rocks was evaluated. The thermal damage constitutive relationship with porosity as the damage variable was determined, and the evolution law of mesopore structure parameters and macroscopic mechanical parameters was discussed. UCT results showed that the mechanical characteristics of black sandstone were obviously degraded by high temperature, and especially the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) decreased sharply after the temperature exceeded 900°C. NMR results identified 900°C as an inflection point for the mesostructure change. For temperatures lower than 900°C, the improvement of pore connectivity was not obvious. For temperatures exceeding 900°C, the porosity increased rapidly. The porosity had a great influence on UCS, and there was a clear exponential function relationship between the two. The larger the porosity, the smaller the UCS. It showed that it was an effective angle to study the mesopore characteristics and mechanical properties of high-temperature rocks based on the NMR technique.

Formation and investigation of the biology of nanocomposite coated with chitosan-modified oleic acid

Gold nanoparticles have a high potential for detection. High viability, selective accumulation in cancer cells, and low toxicity are advantages of these particles.The present study investigates the characteristics of one of the new processes prepared with (Fe3O4/Ag3VO4/Au NPs) modified with oleyl chitosan and how to use these characteristics in diagnostic fields. The obtained nanoparticle has been used as an imaging contrast-enhancing agent. Surface coating with the chitosan alkyl group has improved solubility in therapeutic and imaging applications. MTT assay shows. In addition, the release of MTX at pH 4.7 and 7.4. MTX release obtained an investigation slower and more favorable profile at pH 4.7. The results showed targeted, slow, stable, and pH-sensitive release of MTX due to chitosan-modified nanocomposites. Detailed evaluation of magnetic resonance imaging/computed tomography scan (for nanocomposite production) showed that synergistic properties of nanoparticle structure improved signal strength and T2 time. Cytotoxicity of nanocomposite coated with chitosan-oleic acid was investigated using the MTT method. The results clearly showed its non-toxicity.The novelty between the prepared nanocomposite and the previous report is that the modified form in the last word was Caerophyllum macropodum. The role of C. macropodum was for modified nanocomposite in prior published. The compound had only an antibacterial effect. This article used chitosan and oleic acid, which have mechanical, physicochemical, and functional properties that can be used in advanced biomedical imaging applications. The present nanocomposite obtained can be discussed the strengths and challenges of molecular imaging and the applications of chitosan-modified nanoparticles in molecular imaging.

Surveying the changes in serum ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 levels in severe traumatic brain injury patients

Objective: To investigate the change in serum ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 protein (UCH-L1) levels in severe traumatic brain injury patients. Subject and method: Thirty-nine patients with severe traumatic brain injury were treated at the surgical critical care department, 103 Military Hospital. The patients were treated to the protocol, and information was collected in the medical records for research and testing. UCH-L1 at time T0, T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5. A prospective cohort study. Result: Serum UCH-L1 concentration gradually increased from T0 (9.18ng/mL) to T1 (11.59ng/mL) and peaked at T2 (19.9ng/mL), then gradually decreased over time. The median serum UCH-L1 concentration in the surviving group was constantly lower than in the death group. The biggest difference observed at T1 (10.47ng/mL and 46.76ng/mL), however, was not statistically significant with p=0.063, while the difference was statistically significant at T3, T4, and T5. Conclusion: Serum UCH-L1 levels in patients with severe TBI increased gradually from T0 to T1 and peaked at T2, then gradually decreased at T5. Serum UCH-L1 levels in the surviving group were constantly lower than those in the death group, but there was no significant difference between T0, T1, and T2, whereas at points between T3, T4, and T5, the difference was statistically significant.

Comparative Clinical Study of the Effect of Nigella Sativa Oil on Soft Tissue Healing and Inflammation Reduction Compared to Eugenol in the Context of Dry Socket.

Research background Dry socket is one of the most common complications occurring after the extraction of a permanent tooth, but despiteits high incidence, there is noestablished treatment for this condition. Nigella sativa oil has anti-inflammatory propertiesand enhances woundhealing. Thus, we have decided to conduct a study to evaluate the efficacy of Nigella sativa oil in the context of dry sockets. Aim of the study This study aims to evaluate the effect of a Nigella Sativa oil dressing compared with an Eugenol dressing for the treatment of dry sockets in terms of accelerating soft tissuehealing and reducing the intensity of inflammation. Materials and methods A total of 36 patients (19 males, 17 females), ranging between 20 and 50 years, 40 sockets with Alveolar osteitis randomized into 20 sockets for each group. In the first group, Eugenol with a Gelfoam carrier was used, in the second group, Nigella Sativa oil with a Gelfoam carrier was usedand after copious irrigation with normal saline in both groups. Soft tissue healing and the degree of inflammation were monitored on the third (T1) and seventh (T2) days. Results The results of our study showed clinicaland statisticalsuperiority in favor of the Nigella Sativa oil group compared to the Eugenol group at time T2, where the P-value was less than 0.05. Conclusions Within the limits of our study, we found that Nigella Sativa oil led to better healing of soft tissues and reduced the intensity of inflammation in the context of dry socket, and was superior in effectiveness to Eugenol, and we recommend its use for the treatment of dry socket.

Diffuse Myocardial Fibrosis on Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Is Related to Galectin-3 and Predicts Outcome in Heart Failure.

Ongoing adverse remodeling is a hallmark of heart failure (HF), which might be reflected by either focal or diffuse myocardial fibrosis. Therefore, in (pre)clinical settings, we used immunohistochemistry or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) to investigate the association of (focal or diffuse) fibrosis with cardiac biomarkers and adverse events in HF. In C57Bl/6J mice, we determined the presence and extent of myocardial fibrosis 6 weeks post-myocardial infarction (MI). Furthermore, we studied 159 outpatient HF patients who underwent CMR, and determined focal and diffuse fibrosis by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and post-contrast T1 time of the non-LGE myocardium, respectively. HF patients were categorized based on the presence of LGE, and by the median post-contrast T1 time. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to determine the association of fibrosis with HF hospitalization and all-cause mortality. LGE was detected in 61 (38%) patients. Cardiac biomarker levels were comparable between LGE-positive and LGE-negative patients. LGE-positive patients with a short T1 time had elevated levels of both NT-proBNP and galectin-3 (1611 vs. 453 ng/L, p = 0.026 and 20 vs. 15 μg/L, p = 0.004, respectively). This was not observed in LGE-negative patients. Furthermore, a short T1 time in LGE-positive patients was associated with a higher risk of adverse events (log-rank p = 0.01). This study implies that cardiac biomarkers reflect active remodeling of the non-infarcted myocardium of patients with focal myocardial scarring. Diffuse fibrosis, in contrast to focal scarring, might have a higher prognostic value regarding adverse outcomes in HF patients.

Detection of solid and subsolid pulmonary nodules with lung MRI: performance of UTE, T1 gradient-echo, and single-shot T2 fast spin echo

BackgroundAlthough MRI is a radiation-free imaging modality, it has historically been limited in lung imaging due to inherent technical restrictions. The aim of this study is to explore the performance of lung MRI in detecting solid and subsolid pulmonary nodules using T1 gradient-echo (GRE) (VIBE, Volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination), ultrashort time echo (UTE) and T2 Fast Spin Echo (HASTE, Half fourier Single-shot Turbo spin-Echo).MethodsPatients underwent a lung MRI in a 3 T scanner as part of a prospective research project. A baseline Chest CT was obtained as part of their standard of care. Nodules were identified and measured on the baseline CT and categorized according to their density (solid and subsolid) and size (> 4 mm/ ≤ 4 mm). Nodules seen on the baseline CT were classified as present or absent on the different MRI sequences by two thoracic radiologists independently. Interobserver agreement was determined using the simple Kappa coefficient. Paired differences were compared using nonparametric Mann-Whitney U tests. The McNemar test was used to evaluate paired differences in nodule detection between MRI sequences.ResultsThirty-six patients were prospectively enrolled. One hundred forty-nine nodules (100 solid/49 subsolid) with mean size 10.8 mm (SD = 9.4) were included in the analysis. There was substantial interobserver agreement (k = 0.7, p = 0.05).Detection for all nodules, solid and subsolid nodules was respectively; UTE: 71.8%/71.0%/73.5%; VIBE: 61.6%/65%/55.1%; HASTE 72.4%/72.2%/72.7%. Detection rate was higher for nodules > 4 mm in all groups: UTE 90.2%/93.4%/85.4%, VIBE 78.4%/88.5%/63.4%, HASTE 89.4%/93.8%/83.8%. Detection of lesions ≤4 mm was low for all sequences. UTE and HASTE performed significantly better than VIBE for detection of all nodules and subsolid nodules (diff = 18.4 and 17.6%, p = < 0.01 and p = 0.03, respectively). There was no significant difference between UTE and HASTE. There were no significant differences amongst MRI sequences for solid nodules.ConclusionsLung MRI shows adequate performance for the detection of solid and subsolid pulmonary nodules larger than 4 mm and can serve as a promising radiation-free alternative to CT.

The Physical and Psychosocial Outcomes of a Psychosocial Home-Based end-of-Life Care Intervention in Hong Kong.

Living the final days of life being cared for at home is a preference expressed by many. The data on the effectiveness of home-based end-of-life care (EoLC) intervention to improve the holistic conditions of terminally ill patients are scanty. This study sought to evaluate a psychosocial home-based EoLC intervention for terminally ill patients in Hong Kong. A prospective cohort study was conducted, applying the Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale (IPOS) at 3 timepoints (service intake, 1-month, and 3-months after enrollment). A total of 485 eligible, consenting terminally ill people (mean age = 75.48, SD = 11.39) were enrolled, with 40.21% (n = 195) providing data at all 3 timepoints for this study. Decreasing symptom severity scores were observed for all IPOS psychosocial symptoms, and most physical symptoms, over the 3 timepoints. Improvements in depression and practical concerns had the highest omnibus time effects (F > 31.92, P < .01) and T0 to T2 paired comparison effects (Cohen's d > 0.54, P < .01). Physical symptoms of weakness/lack of energy, poor mobility, and poor appetite also showed significant improvements at T1 and T2 (Cohen's d: 0.22-0.46, P < .05). Bivariate regression analyses showed that improvements in anxiety, depression, and family anxiety were associated with improvements in physical symptoms of pain, shortness of breath, weakness/lack of energy, nausea, poor appetite, and poor mobility. Patients' demographic and clinical characteristics were not associated with changes in symptoms. The psychosocial home-based EoLC intervention effectively improved the psychosocial and physical status of terminally ill patients, irrespective of their clinical characteristics or demographics.

Dephasing of ultracold cesium 80D5/2-Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency.

We study Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) of a cascade three-level atom involving 80D5/2 state in a strong interaction regime employing a cesium ultracold cloud. In our experiment, a strong coupling laser couples 6P3/2 to 80D5/2 transition, while a weak probe, driving 6S1/2 to 6P3/2 transition, probes the coupling induced EIT signal. At the two-photon resonance, we observe that the EIT transmission decreases slowly with time, which is a signature of interaction induced metastability. The dephasing rate γOD is extracted with optical depth OD = γODt. We find that the optical depth linearly increases with time at onset for a fixed probe incident photon number Rin before saturation. The dephasing rate shows a nonlinear dependence on Rin. The dephasing mechanism is mainly attributed to the strong dipole-dipole interactions, which leads to state transfer from nD5/2 to other Rydberg states. We demonstrate that the typical transfer time τ0(80D) obtained by the state selective field ionization technique is comparable with the decay time of EIT transmission τ0(EIT). The presented experiment provides a useful tool for investigating the strong nonlinear optical effects and metastable state in Rydberg many-body systems.

Impact of preschool attendance, parental stress, and parental mental health on internalizing and externalizing problems during COVID-19 lockdown measures in preschool children.

Internalizing problems are common in young children, often persist into adulthood, and increase the likelihood for subsequent psychiatric disorders. Problematic attachment, parental mental health problems, and stress are risk factors for the development of internalizing problems. COVID-19 lockdown measures have resulted in additional parental burden and especially their impact on preschool children has rarely been investigated as of now. The current study examined the impact of sustained preschool attendance, parental stress, and parental mental health on internalizing and externalizing problems during COVID-19 lockdown measures in a sample of preschool children in Germany. N = 128 parents of preschool children filled out a one-time online survey about children's internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and attachment for three time points: before a nation-wide lockdown (T1), during the most difficult time of the lockdown (T2) and after the lockdown (T3). Additionally, parents answered questions about their own depressive and anxious symptomatology for the three time points and parental stress for T1 and T2. Linear-mixed effect models were computed to predict children's internalizing / externalizing behavior. Preschool children showed a significant increase in internalizing and externalizing problems over time, highest at T2 with small decreases at T3. Parental depressive and anxious symptomatology increased significantly from T1 to T2, but also remained high at T3. Parental stress levels were comparable to community samples at T1, but attained average values reported for at-risk families at T2. Linear-mixed effect models identified higher parental stress, parental anxiety, attachment problems, parental education, and less preschool attendance as significant predictors for internalizing and externalizing problems in preschoolers with more specific associations shown in separate models. A limitation is the retrospective assessment for the times T1 and T2. Preschool children's mental health is strongly and negatively influenced by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its lockdown measures. Sustained preschool attendance may serve as a protective factor.

Sustainable and energy-efficient photocatalytic degradation of textile dye assisted by ecofriendly synthesized silver nanoparticles

In this study, we have touched on two goals of sustainable development, namely, the provision of clean water and sanitation and clean energy at acceptable prices, hoping for good health for all ages. A green economical method was used to prepare silver nanoparticles from chitosan biopolymer. AgNPs were fully characterized using UV–Vis, FTIR, XRD, HR-TEM, and EDX analysis. Different concentrations (0.02–0.18 g/L) of the nanoparticles were integrated into a mixture of heterogeneous nano photocatalysts TiO2 and ZnO (1:1 weight ratio) under UV irradiation for the photocatalytic degradation of Acid Red 37 textile dye to obtain clean water. The kinetic description of the performed photocatalytic process was presented assuming a pseudo-first-order reaction. The data revealed that increasing the concentration of AgNPs in the catalytic mixture showed a high apparent rate constant (kapp) accompanied by an increase in the apparent quantum yield (%Qapp), followed by dye destruction after a very short time (t0.5 = 3 min). Since the photocatalytic degradation process consumes electrical energy, the electrical energy per order (EE/O) was calculated, showing a low value of 20 kWh/m3/order, using 0.18 g/L AgNPs, indicating that the elicited photocatalytic degradation method is a sustainable one for the mineralization of the targeted dye.

Helping Others Results in Helping Yourself: How Well-Being Is Shaped by Agreeableness and Perceived Team Cohesion

This longitudinal research explores team cohesion as a potential mediator explaining the associations between agreeableness as a personality trait and well-being. Additionally, the study examines whether the leader offering support moderates the mediating role of perceived group cohesion. The sample consists of male military personnel (N = 648) from six different units. The longitudinal design examined two time points, T1 and T2, during the soldiers' training period. The PROCESS macro for SPSS was utilized to determine the significance of the moderator and the mediation effect. The results indicate that an agreeable personality and team cohesion at T1 predicted increased well-being at T2 (two months later). In addition, the moderated mediation hypothesis was significant, indicating that when leaders offered more support, the indirect link between an agreeable personality and well-being via team cohesion was stronger than when they offered less. The findings suggest that an agreeable personality and leader support are important in the organizational domain, and these variables promote well-being. By understanding the contribution of both external and internal sources of support to soldiers' well-being, intervention plans can be developed to lessen the stressors of their mental well-being and help them reach their maximum potential.