Initial Time Research Articles

Analysis on Rotation Timing of Dynamic Rotating Latent-Energy-Storage Envelope

The application efficiency of the Dynamic Rotating Latent-Energy-Storage Envelope (DRLESE) system is highly contingent upon dynamic rotation timings. To gain the optimal rotation timings, six different timings were examined by employing the liquid fraction, thermal storage and release, surface temperature and heat flow. The numerical heat transfer method was employed and verified an experiment. Results indicated that the optimal initial rotation occurs in the forenoon, when the inner surface temperature aligns with the sol-air temperature. Subsequently, achieving optimal secondary rotation is possible in the afternoon when the sol-air temperature equals the liquid temperature of PCM (Phase Change Material). Under these optimized initial and secondary rotation timings, the significant enhancements in thermal performance of the DRLESE system were observed. By optimizing rotation timings, indoor effective heat release can reach up to 3182.9 kJ/Day with an effectiveness percentage exceeding 99.99%, and inner surface heat flow was increased by 5.86%∼12.26%.

DON’T FORGET ABOUT CARDIAC AMYLOIDOSIS: WHEN RED FLAGS MATTER

Abstract Case Report A 78–year–old man came to our attention for worsening dyspnea, asthenia and frequent lipothymic episodes in the last few weeks. Nothing remarkable was reported in anamnesis except for periodic cardiological check–ups ascribed to hypertensive heart disease and moderate aortic stenosis. Other cardiovascular risk factors were obesity, previous smoking habits and dyslipidemia. A recent 24–hours ECG monitoring revealed slow permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) with 3–seconds pauses, frequent premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) and some PVCs couplets. On arrival, NT–proBNP was elevated (2952 pg/mL), while ECG showed AF with a heart rate of 50/m and low voltages in peripheral leads. Transthoracic echocardiogram revealed a biatrial dilatation, a severe left ventricular (LV) concentric hypertrophy with a preserved LV ejection fraction (EF) and a moderate aortic stenosis. In addition, a restrictive LV filling pattern, a decreased longitudinal myocardial contraction and an apical sparing of longitudinal strain were reported. Invasive coronary angiography was performed with evidence of normal coronary arteries. Given the echocardiographic suspicion of amyloidosis, a 99mTc–Hydroxymethylene diphosphonate (HMDP) scintigraphy was performed, showing a moderate cardiac uptake and an attenuated bone uptake (Perugini Score 2). Serum and urine immunofixation resulted negative. Genetic testing did not find any mutations in Transthyretin (TTR) gene. Therefore, the diagnosis of TTR wild–type amyloidosis was made. Before discharge, putting it all together, we opted to implant a leadless pacemaker in order to protect the patient from life–threatening bradyarrhythmias. Discussion Although it is currently considered rare, there is growing evidence that cardiac amyloidosis may be more common than once thought. First of all, it should be investigated in HFpEF–patients (heart failure with preserved EF) with LV hypertrophy. Despite several red flags (low QRS voltages, conduction disorders, elevated NT–proBNP, severe LV hypertrophy and aortic stenosis) and various medical consultations, our patient had to wait 4 years or more to be diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis. Inevitably, a diagnostic delay means loss of time in treatment initiation. Earlier diagnosis would enable us to improve our patients’ survival and heart failure hospitalization. Awareness alone is not enough, we must be right on target too.

Online Piecewise Convex-Optimization Interpretable Weight Learning for Machine Life Cycle Performance Assessment.

Machine life cycle performance assessment is of great significance to use a health index to inform the time of incipient fault initiation in a normal stage and realize fault identification and fault trending in a performance degradation stage. However, most existing works consider using unexplainable model parameters and historical data to build models and infer their off-line parameters for machine life cycle performance assessment. To overcome these limitations, an online piecewise convex-optimization interpretable weight learning framework without needing any historical abnormal and faulty data is proposed in this article to generate a piecewise health index to practically implement machine life cycle performance assessment. Firstly, based on a separation criterion, the first submodel in the proposed framework is built to detect the time of incipient fault initiation. Here, the piecewise health index generated by the first submodel is continuously updated by on-line monitoring data to timely detect the occurrence of any abnormal health conditions. Secondly, once the time of incipient fault initiation is informed, online updated model weights are highly correlated with fault characteristic frequencies and informative frequency bands for immediate fault identification. Simultaneously, the second submodel integrated with monotonicity and fitness properties in the proposed framework is triggered to generate the piecewise health index to realize overall monotonic fault trending. The significance of this article is that only online monitoring data are used to continuously update interpretable model weights as fault frequencies and informative frequency bands to generate the proposed piecewise health index so as to practically realize machine life cycle performance assessment. Two run-to-failure cases are studied to show the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed framework.

Timing bombs and the temporal dynamics of Iranian nuclear security

Abstract For more than two decades, Iran’s nuclear programme has concerned policymakers and scholars alike. Whether speeding up uranium enrichment, slowing down international negotiations, or disrupting the timing of key initiatives, actions around Iran’s nuclear programme bear a clear time signature. Yet systematic accounts of the importance of time in shaping foreign and security policymaking have been largely neglected. Through foreign policy timing theory’s (FP4D) reconceptualisation of time we show how actors both constructed and then used time to pursue their strategic interests, creating, altering, and sabotaging the timing mechanism linking Iranian nuclear technology and international sanctions. These manipulations of time by both domestic and international actors resulted in prolonged international negotiations and fluctuating periods of crisis and produced a temporally flawed agreement frozen in time. We consider time’s impact on the current challenges and future direction of nuclear diplomacy with Iran as well as its importance for broader nuclear security issues.

Demographic Variations and Time to Initiation of Adjunct Treatment following Surgical Resection of Anaplastic Astrocytoma in the United States—A National Cancer Database Analysis

INTRODUCTION: Anaplastic Astrocytoma (AA) is a rare primary brain tumor with a significant variation in the type and timing of adjunct treatment (AT) following the surgical resection. METHODS: The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried for patients diagnosed with AA from 2004 to 2016. Cox proportional hazards and modeling was used to determine factors influencing survival, including the impact of time to initiation (TTI) of adjuvant therapy. RESULTS: Overall, 5890 patients were identified from the database. The use of combined RT+CT temporally increased from 66.3% (2004-2007) to 79% (2014-2016), p < 0001. Patients more likely to receive no treatment following surgical resection included elderly (>60 years old), hispanic patients, those with either no or government insurance, those living >20 miles from the cancer facility, those treated at low volume centers (<2 cases/year). AT was received following surgical resection within 0-4 weeks, 4.1-8 weeks, and >8 weeks in 41%, 48%, and 3%, respectively. Compared to patients who received RT + CT, patients were likely to receive RT only as AT either at 4-8 weeks or >8 weeks after the surgical procedure. Patients who received AT within 0-4 weeks had the 3-year OS of 46% compared to 56.7% for patients who received treatment at 4.1-8 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Across the cohort, nearly 15% of patients received no AT following surgery, with the proportion of patients receiving no AT generally decreasing over time. This decrease corresponds to increased utilization of combined modality AT during the same time span. The highest utilization of combined AT within this cohort was between 4.1-8 weeks following the surgery.

Emulating the interstellar medium chemistry with neural operators

Context. The study of galaxy formation and evolution critically depends on our understanding of the complex photo-chemical processes that govern the evolution and thermodynamics of the interstellar medium (ISM). In a computational sense, resolving the chemistry is among the weightiest tasks in cosmological and astrophysical simulations. Aims. Astrophysical simulations can include photo-chemical models that allow for a wide range of densities (n), abundances of different species (ni/n) and temperature (T), and plausible evolution scenarios of the ISM under the action of a radiation field (F) with different spectral shapes and intensities. The evolution of such a non-equilibrium photo-chemical network relies on implicit, precise, computationally costly, ordinary differential equations (ODE) solvers. Here, we aim to substitute such procedural solvers with fast, pre-trained emulators based on neural operators. Methods. We emulated a non-equilibrium chemical network up to H2 formation (9 species, 52 reactions) by adopting the DeepONet formalism, namely: by splitting the ODE solver operator that maps the initial conditions and time evolution into a tensor product of two neural networks (named branch and trunk). We used KROME to generate a training set, spanning −2 < log(n/cm−3) ≤ 3.5, log(20) ≤ log(T/K) ≤ 5.5, −6 ≤ log(ni/n) < 0, and adopting an incident radiation field, F, sampled in 10 energy bins with a continuity prior. We separately trained the solver for T and each ni for ≃4.34 GPUhrs. Results. Compared with the reference solutions obtained by KROME for single-zone models, the typical precision obtained is of the order of 10−2, that is, it is 10 times better when using a training that is 40 times less costly, with respect to previous emulators that only considered a fixed F. DeepONet also performs well for T and ni outside the range of the training sample. Furthermore, the emulator aptly reproduces the ion and temperature profiles of photo dissociation regions as well; namely, by giving errors that are comparable to the typical difference between various photo-ionization codes. The present model achieves a speed-up of a factor of 128× with respect to stiff ODE solvers. Conclusions. Our neural emulator represents a significant leap forward in the modelling of ISM chemistry, offering a good balance of precision, versatility, and computational efficiency. Nevertheless, further work is required to address the challenges represented by the extrapolation beyond the training time domain and the removal of potential outliers.

Moment-to-moment within-person associations between maternal autonomy support and child defeat predicting child behavioral adjustment.

This study examines mother-child mutual regulation processes during a challenging puzzle task as predictors of preschoolers' behavioral adjustment 6 months later in a Chinese sample (N = 101, 46 boys, Mage = 57.41 months, SD = 6.58). Mother-child mutual regulation was measured by the moment-to-moment bidirectional within-person associations between maternal autonomy support and child defeat (i.e., expression of frustration, incapacity to complete the task, or giving up). Children whose mother provided more autonomy support after increases of child defeat showed lower levels of externalizing problems 6 months later, and children who showed less defeat after increases of maternal autonomy support showed higher levels of prosocial behaviors 6 months later. These predictive effects were significant after controlling for child behavioral adjustment at the initial time point, and mean levels of mother's autonomy support and child's defeat throughout the task. The mutual regulation processes did not significantly predict child internalizing problems. The findings suggest that the coordinated mother-child mutual regulation patterns in real time may have positive implications for preschoolers' behavioral adjustment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Investigation and Optimization of Biosorbent Capacities of Some Plants Used in Daily Life

In this study, sage, chamomile, and tarragon leaves, which are used as spices and consumed as beverages in daily life, were considered as different biosorbents that can be used in water purification by biosorption. At the same time, the effects of the parameters of initial dye concentration (10-200 mg/L), temperature (20-50 ⁰C) and contact time (0-120 min) on biosorption capacity were investigated. The biosorption processes were found to follow Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-second order (PSO) reaction kinetics. In the study, the process was also modeled using multi-tree evolutionary computation based automatic programming (AP) methods. The methods used initial dye concentration, temperature, and contact time as variables. According to the simulation results, these methods obtained nonlinear mathematical models of the processes with R^2 values as high as 0.99 for each biosorbent. By providing the most accurate models to accurately predict biosorption capacity, this study will make a significant contribution to the field of water treatment using experimental and AP methods.

Abstract 2237: Determinants of time to cancer treatment initiation at a comprehensive cancer center

Abstract Background: Delays in treatment initiation adversely impact cancer mortality and survival. To inform potential enhancements and targets for our existing oncology patient navigation program, we examined characteristics associated with timely treatment initiation among patients at a tertiary comprehensive cancer center that serves four diverse counties in Southern California. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients newly diagnosed with non-hematological cancers between January 2020 and June 2023. Using electronic medical record data, we used a multivariable Cox proportional model to examine the association between patient demographic and clinical characteristics and time to treatment initiation (time between first encounter and start of definitive treatment) within a clinical benchmark of 3 months. A hazard ratio (HR)>1 indicates shorter (faster) time to treatment initiation while a HR<1 indicates a longer (slower) time. Results: Our sample included 9,148 patients, who were predominantly <65 years (57%), female (61%), married or with a partner (64%), and retired or unemployed (56%); 50% were non-White. In multivariable analyses, patient’s age, primary language, employment status, cancer diagnosis type, and first treatment type were significant determinants of time to treatment initiation. Faster treatment initiation was observed among patients ages >=75 vs <65 years (HR=1.36, 95% CI 1.23 - 1.52). Among the primary languages spoken in our sample (Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, among others), patients who spoke Armenian vs English also had shorter time to treatment (HR=1.64, 95% CI 1.32 - 2.04). By contrast, longer time to treatment initiation was associated with patients who were retired or disabled vs employed full-time (HR=0.85, 95% CI 0.78 - 0.94, and HR=0.70, 95% CI 0.59 - 0.83, respectively) and underwent radiation or oral chemotherapy vs chemo-infusion (HR=0.65, 95% CI 0.57 - 0.74, and HR=0.82, 95% CI 0.76 - 0.89, respectively). With the exception of melanoma, all diagnoses had a longer time to treatment compared with neuro-oncology. In our multivariable model, sex, marital status, race and ethnicity, and receipt of at least one navigation encounter were not significant determinants. Conclusions: In our study, which overlapped the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, findings highlight opportunities to enhance navigation delivery, especially for certain subpopulations, diagnoses, and treatment types with complex scheduling and coordination needs. Future research will explore navigation intensity and other process and clinical outcomes modifiable through navigation. Citation Format: Narissa J. Nonzee, Marianne Razavi, William Dale, Lauren Cai, Annette Mercurio, Lorena Gaytan, Deborah Lefkowitz, Chrissy Kim, Terry Hernandez, Steven Morales, Danilo Duque, Ana I. Tergas. Determinants of time to cancer treatment initiation at a comprehensive cancer center [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2237.

Using superabsorbent polymer to mitigate the fast setting and high autogenous shrinkage of carbide slag and sodium silicate activated ultrafine GGBS based composites

Alkali-activated GGBS based composite is a low carbon engineering material, but limited by some unavoidable disadvantages, such as fast setting and high autogenous shrinkage. In present work, superabsorbent polymer (SAP), which was synthesized by copolymerizing acrylic acid and acrylamide, was used to control the setting time and autogenous shrinkage of carbide slag and sodium silicate activated ultrafine GGBS based composites (CSGC). Results indicated that the fast setting of CSGC was effectively controlled by the addition of SAP. The initial and final setting time were delayed by more than 30 min and 60 min respectively, which provides the possibility to ensure the on-site construction operation. Although SAP mitigated the fast setting of CSGC, it had a negligible effect on the heat release during hydration. Autogenous shrinkage was reduced by 27% when only 0.1% SAP was added, and the compensation of autogenous shrinkage became more pronounced with the increased SAP dosage. The amount of large capillary pores above 100 nm was significantly increased in CSGC incorporating high SAP dosage, which leads to a decline in compressive strength. However, the compressive strength of CSGC with low SAP dosage can match that of reference group at 28 d, due to the internal curing effect of released water from SAP.

Abstract 2560: Genomic biomarkers of survival in patients (pts) with metastatic castrate-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC) undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) intensification (ADTi)

Abstract Background: ADTi with androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPI) with or without docetaxel improves survival outcomes in pts with mCSPC. Even with ADTi, 20% of these pts progress within a year and experience poor overall survival (OS). Identifying baseline genomic biomarkers predicting poor survival outcomes in pts receiving ADTi remains an unmet need. Methods: In this IRB-approved retrospective study, pts with a new diagnosis of mCSPC who underwent comprehensive genomic profiling of primary prostate tissue or metastatic site or cell-free DNA and treated with ADTi (ADT with ARPI or docetaxel) were included. Genomic alterations with an incidence > 5% were included in the analysis. Study endpoints: progression-free survival (PFS) was defined from the start of therapy for mCSPC to progression (per PCWG-2) or death from any cause. OS was defined from the start of therapy for mCSPC to the date of death from any cause or censored at the last follow-up. A multivariable analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model was used, adjusting for age at mCSPC diagnosis, disease volume (high vs. low), Gleason score (≥ 8 vs. < 8), Log2PSA at baseline, and initial timing of metastasis (de novo vs. non de novo). A subgroup analysis by intensification treatment received (ARPI vs. docetaxel) was also performed. Missing baseline characteristics such as volume of disease, Gleason score, and Log2PSA were multiply imputed on 50 chained equations using “mice” package in R. All the analyses were done using R version 4.3.1. Results: A total of 289 pts were included in the study. The baseline characteristics of the cohort will be presented in the meeting. The alterations included in the analysis were TP53 (31.8%), TMPRSS2 (30.4%), PTEN (17%), APC (10.4%), SPOP (9%), RB1 (6.2%), BRCA2 (5.2%), and CDK12 (5.2%). In the multivariable analysis, TP53 (HR 1.87, 95% CI 1.29-2.72, p = 0.001), RB1 (HR 2.56, 95% CI 1.45-4.53, p = 0.001), PTEN (HR 1.77, 95% CI 1.15-2.72, p = 0.009), and BRCA2 (HR 2.68, 95% CI 1.47-4.89, p = 0.002) were associated with significantly shorter PFS while TP53 (HR 1.78, 95% CI 1.1-2.88, p = 0.019), RB1 (HR 4.78, 95% CI 2.53-9.02, p < 0.001), and PTEN (HR 2.37, 95% CI 1.37-4.1, p = 0.003) were associated with significantly worse OS. Results of the subgroup analysis by intensification treatment (ARPI vs. docetaxel) will also be presented in the meeting. Conclusions: In this real-world study, we identified genomic biomarkers that could be associated with shorter PFS and OS in pts with mCSPC treated with ADTi. Upon external validation, these results may aid in developing a clinical-genomic risk stratification model, patient counseling, and treatment selection. Citation Format: Arshit Narang, Georges Gebrael, Chadi Hage Chehade, Nicolas Sayegh, Yeonjung Jo, Beverly Chigarira, Nishita Tripathi, Ayana Srivastava, Clara Tandar, Benjamin L. Maughan, Umang Swami, Neeraj Agarwal. Genomic biomarkers of survival in patients (pts) with metastatic castrate-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC) undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) intensification (ADTi) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2560.

Removal of Methyl Violet 2B and Direct Black 22 from Single and Binary System Using a Magnetic Zeolite/MgO/Starch/Fe3O4 Nanocomposite

This study focuses on the preparation and characterization of magnetic zeolite (FSM-Zeo) using starch, magnesium oxide, and Fe3O4. Various analyses, including BET, FTIR, SEM, EDS, XRD, Zeta potential, and VSM, were conducted to assess the properties of FSM-Zeo. The adsorption capacity of FSM-Zeo was investigated for methyl violet (MV-2B) and direct black 22 (DB-22) in both single and binary dye solutions. Key parameters such as adsorbent amount, initial dye concentration, contact time, temperature, initial pH, and ionic strength were examined in the single system. Kinetic and isotherm studies revealed that DB-22 and MV-2B adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order model. Moreover, Freundlich and Langmuir models were confirmed for MV-2B and DB-22 adsorption on FSM-Zeo, respectively. In the binary system, the presence of MV-2B enhanced the adsorption of DB-22, resulting in higher removal compared to the single dye solution. A synergistic effect was observed due to the interaction between DB-22 and MV-2B, promoting the adsorption of DB-22 on FSM-Zeo.

Streamlining Telecommunications Center and Interfacility Patient Throughput to a Pediatric Emergency Department by Utilizing an Electronic Handoff: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

Effective handoffs are critical for patient safety and high-quality care. The pediatric emergency department serves as the initial reception for patients where optimal communication is crucial. The complexities of interfacility handoffs can result in information loss due to lack of standardization. The aim of our project was a 50% reduction in monthly calls routed through the communication center from 157 to 78, for interfacility transfers to the emergency department from outpatient sites within our organization over a 1-year period, through utilization of an electronic handoff activity. We designed a quality improvement project in a tertiary care pediatric hospital to improve the process of interfacility transfer. The initiative aimed to streamline the transfer of patients from ambulatory, urgent care, and nurse triage encounters to the pediatric emergency department by using the electronic health record. The primary outcome measure was number of monthly calls received by the telecommunications center for these transfers.Our process measure was tracked by measuring the utilization of the electronic handoff. In addition, the number of safety events reported because of information lost through using the electronic handoff served as a balancing measure. One year after the enterprise-wide rollout of the handoff, the telecommunications center was receiving an average of 29 calls per month versus 157 at time of study initiation, a decrease of 81.5%. Monthly usage increased from zero to an average of 544 during the same period. The project was continued after the initial 12-month data collection and demonstrated stability. Our initiative facilitated the safe and efficient transfer of patients and streamlined workflows without sacrificing quality of patient care. Our telecommunications center has been freed up for other tasks with fewer interruptions during patient throughput. Next steps will analyze the encounters of transferred patients to further optimize patient flow at our organization.

Efficient removal of Rhodamine B dye using biochar as an adsorbent: Study the performance, kinetics, thermodynamics, adsorption isotherms and its reusability

Removal of toxic dyes such as Rhodamine B is essential as it pollutes aqueous and soil streams as well. This comprehensive study explores the potential of Calophyllum inophyllum seed char as an efficient bio-adsorbent based on their characteristic properties and a comparative study between various carbon-based adsorbents on the adsorption capacity of Rhodamine B dye. In this study, the char was prepared from Calophyllum inophyllum seed using a slow pyrolysis process (298 K/min) at an optimum temperature of 823 K and used as an adsorbent for the removal of Rhodamine B from water. The resulting char was mesoporous and had 155.389 m2/g surface areas (BET) and 0.628 cc/g pore volume. The formation of pores was observed from the SEM analysis. The adsorption studies were tested and optimized through various parameters such as solution pH, adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration, stirring speed, contact time, and solution temperature. Maximum 95.5 % removal of Rhodamine B was possible at the pH: 2, stirring speed: 100 rpm, time: 25 min, temperature 308 K, and dose: 1.2 g/L. The highest adsorption capacity at equilibrium was determined to be 169.5 (mg/g) through Langmuir adsorption isotherm studies and followed pseudo 2nd order kinetics. The thermodynamics study confirmed the adsorption processes were spontaneous (ΔG°=−0.735 kJ/mol) and endothermic (ΔH° = 4.1 kJ/mol) processes. The reusability study confirmed that the mesoporous char can be reused as an efficient adsorbent for up to 3 cycles for environmental remediation.

Application of TiH2 dehydrogenation for vapour layer formation under boiling crisis conditions

This study explores TiH2 dehydrogenation for vapor layer formation under boiling crisis [1] conditions, aiming to reduce friction in the maritime sector. Despite the rise of electric vehicles for urban transport, marine vessels lack alternatives to fossil fuels. The research aims to combine compliant surfaces with two-phase flow generation, focusing on testing TiH2 (TH-2). Moreover, the study highlights the need for hydrogen-generating materials and suggests that material choices influence two-phase flow initiation conditions. After conducting experiments, it was determined that TiH2 affects the cooling dynamics: at the initial time moment, the cooling of the samples coated in TiH2 was more intense compared to polished aluminum samples (AL-1) due to the hydrophilic properties of the surface. When the TiH2-coated sample temperature dropped to approx. 200 °C, the cooling process would slow down, or the process would temporarily become isothermic (in some cases, a slight increase in temperature was observed as well) due to the formation of TiO2 or Al2O3, both of which are exothermic reactions. Dehydrogenation likely only takes place at the initial time moment and when the conditions for the Leidenfrost effect are favorable, which would serve to sustain the high temperature of the sample. It was concluded that the amount of accumulated hydrogen gas in cases of TH-2 samples was insufficient to cause a significant effect on critical Leidenfrost temperature. Nevertheless, a significant difference in heat transfer coefficient between AL-1 samples and TH-2 was observed due to physical–chemical processes on the TiH2 film.

Exploring a new vanadophosphate Li(C4N2H12)2[(HPO4)(VO)3(PO4)3]: Synthesis, Characterization, and catalytic behavior

Li(C4N2H12)2[(HPO4)(VO)3(PO4)3], a new vanadophosphate (VPO) material we synthesized using a hydrothermal route, crystallizes in the orthorhombic system (S.G.: Pna21), with the cell parameters: a = 14.6207(7) Å, b = 8.7090(3) Å, c = 17.6208(7) Å, V = 2243.69(16) (Å3), Z = 4. The crystal structure consists of bc-parallel layers of alternating polyhedra VO5, VO6 combined with PO4 or HPO4 tetrahedra. The layers stack provides cavities hosting Li+ cations. Within the interlayer space, protonated organic molecules act as a template and create hydrogen bonding interactions with the inorganic network. To assess its properties, the hybrid material’s thermal stability and reactivity were investigated using the IR spectroscopy and thermal analysis (TG/DTA). The potential of the title compound was investigated on the adsorptive removal of methylene blue (MB) dye by studying various parameters like pH, temperature, initial dye concentrations and contact time. The kinetic study revealed a gradual process of the dyés adsorption, with a removal efficiency of 99 % for initial MB concentrations of 50 ppm at pH = 7. The degradation MB continues even after three hours of oxidative reaction.

Injection rate, scanning position, and values of parameters on pulmonary computed tomography perfusion in normal Beagles.

This study evaluated the effects of scanning position and contrast medium injection rate on pulmonary CT perfusion (CTP) images in healthy dogs. 7 healthy Beagles. Experiments involved 4 conditions: dorsal and sternal recumbency at 2.5 mL/s (first) and sternal recumbency with additional rates of 1.5 and 3.5 mL/s (second). Various parameters, including the initial time of venous enhancement (Tv), peak time of arterial enhancement (PTa), and peak enhancement values of the artery, were measured. The PTa to Tv interval was calculated. Perfusion mapping parameters (pulmonary blood flow, pulmonary blood volume, mean transit time, time to maximum, and time to peak) were determined in different lung regions (left and right dorsal, middle, and ventral). There are significant variations in most perfusion mapping parameters based on the pulmonary parenchymal location. Dorsal recumbency had a lower peak value of arterial enhancement than sternal recumbency. Pulmonary blood flow in the dorsal region and mean transit time and time to maximum in all regions showed no significant differences based on position. Pulmonary blood volume and time to peak varied with scanning position. The PTa to Tv interval did not differ based on the injection rate, but the injection time at 1.5 mL/s was longer than at other rates. All perfusion mapping parameters of the ventral region increased with higher injection rates. The recommended CTP imaging approach in dogs is a low injection rate of 1.5 mL/s in the sternal recumbency. This study provides reference ranges for perfusion parameters based on the pulmonary parenchymal location, contributing to the acquisition and application of pulmonary CTP images for differential diagnosis in small-breed dogs.

Does Early Initiation of Labor Epidural Analgesia Affect Labor Outcomes? A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Although epidural analgesia (EA) is a popular and effective method for pain relief during labor, significant controversy exists in terms of the impact of EA on labor outcomes and the best time for initiation of EA. Here, we aim to explore the effects of early initiation EA on the labor process in nulliparous at-term pregnant women.
 Methods: A total of 240 nulliparous women enrolled in this study. The early epidural (EE) group (n=120) consisted of women in the latent phase of labor and the late epidural (LE) group (n=120) were in the active phase of labor. Each group received 16 ml of 0.125% preservative-free isobaric bupivacaine with 50 µg fentanyl (total: 17 ml) as a primary bolus dose in the epidural space for labor analgesia and an intermittent bolus of 5-10 ml of the primary solution was administered via a catheter. The length of labor, rate of cesarean section (CS), neonatal well-being, and infant Apgar scores were recorded.
 Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding the duration of the first (p=.43) and second (p=.54) phases of labor. No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of the rate of CS (p=.21), causes for CS (p=.24), and neonatal Apgar scores (p=0.84).
 Conclusion: Initiation of EA during early labor did not result in increased CS or instrumental vaginal deliveries, and did not prolong labor duration.

Traceable Attribute-Based Encryption Scheme Using BIM Collaborative Design

BIM collaborative design involves numerous participants from various specialties who create and share vast amounts of design data at different design stages to ensure the efficient transmission of design data between these specialties. It is imperative for the BIM collaborative design platform to guarantee the security of design data and effectively trace any instances of malicious leakage or tampering. Therefore, this paper proposes a traceable ciphertext-policy attribute-based encryption scheme (TCP-ABE) that formulates a dynamic data access control mechanism based on different participants and effectively tracks malicious users in the event of risks such as tampering, theft, and unauthorized access to BIM data. In this scheme, the user’s identity information is embedded into their private key as a key component, ensuring that only users who satisfy the access policy can decrypt it. The compromised private key allows for tracing of the user’s identity. Additionally, Linear Secret Sharing Scheme (LSSS) is employed as the access structure with the user’s attribute set divided into an attribute name set and an attribute value set to protect privacy by concealing the latter within the access policy. Furthermore, the scheme integrates blockchain with cloud storage as a trusted third-party storage mechanism to ensure data integrity. Finally, the TCP-ABE scheme is comprehensively evaluated by comparing its strengths and weaknesses with other algorithms. This evaluation includes a theoretical analysis of functional and computational time overhead aspects, as well as an experimental analysis of initialization time, data encryption time, and data decryption time. The scheme exhibits excellent performance across all stages and encompasses the most comprehensive functionalities, as demonstrated by the comparative analysis and experimental results.

Humanistic burden of mucopolysaccharidoses: a systematic literature review

Objective To systematically review the literature and summarize the health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) of patients undergoing treatment for mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS), a rare, hereditary lysosomal storage disorder. Methods A systematic review was performed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines to identify research studies that describe the humanistic burden of MPS. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in EMBASE, MEDLINE, and eligible conferences were screened to include applicable abstracts. Results Of 870 identified articles, 15 studies reported the HRQoL burden of patients with MPS undergoing or with a history of ERT and/or HSCT. These studies include patients of MPS I (n = 2), MPS II (n = 4), MPS IV (n = 6), MPS VI (n = 1), and subtype not mentioned (n = 2). Although the quality-of-life of MPS patients is influenced by time of diagnosis, pain, cognitive involvement, severity of disease, mobility, dependence, and time of treatment initiation, the HRQoL scores of MPS patients across all the scales were below the median reference population scores across all dimensions. This is seen in comparison to healthy participants but also in comparison to patients with other chronic illnesses. The multi-organ involvement, neurological impairment, pain, and morbidity associated with the condition not only affects activity of daily living but also affects social functioning, emotional status, employment status among adults, and school functioning among children. Conclusions This systematic literature review revealed the substantial humanistic burden of individuals affected by MPS as well as caregivers. Significant variation in HRQoL scores was observed, however studies indicate that the quality-of-life of MPS patients is influenced primarily by severity of disease (MPS type and phenotype), and then by time of diagnosis, pain, cognitive involvement, mobility, dependence, and time of treatment initiation. Further studies are needed to assess the global humanistic burden of MPS, particularly in MPS III, VI, VII, and IX subtypes, in adults, and for a longer follow-up period. Considering the vast array of HRQoL assessment tools available and used in this study, researchers should also consider using scales with condition-specific measures to ensure appropriate estimates of effectiveness.