Total Volume Research Articles

Dynamic response optimization of the multistage sandwich structures imperiled to explosive loading

Explosive attacks are increasing day by day in the present era, and the design optimization of protective structures without increasing their weight is mainly a critical task for vehicles. Assessment of the dynamic response of the structures under explosive loading through experimentation is costly, with many restrictions, and highly harmful for both people and the environment. Hence, the present study deals with an explicit numerical investigation of the protective sandwich structures’ blast performance. The influence of the number of stages of honeycomb on the sandwich structures’ blast mitigation capacity was evaluated with the effective utilization of face sheets’ material as their intermediate sheets while maintaining the total volumes as well as masses of the structure's constant. The explosive loads of 1 to 3 kg of trinitrotoluene were used for the stand-off distance of 100 mm. The rate-dependent Johnson-Cook plasticity model was implemented on the designed sandwich models to discover their damage behaviors. The sandwiches’ face deflection, energy absorption, kinetic energy variation, and crushing behaviors were considered to characterize their blast mitigation capacity. The obtained results showed that increasing the number of stages of core in the sandwich structure by using a fraction of the back face sheet materials for intermediate sheets significantly improved their blast performance without increasing their volume occupancies and masses. For the two-stage and three-stage sandwich designs, 50% and 20%, respectively, utilization of their back face material for their intermediate sheet was found to be optimal.

Longitudinal changes in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) but not cytokines contribute to hippocampal recovery in anorexia nervosa above increases in body mass index.

Physical sequelae of anorexia nervosa (AN) include a marked reduction in whole brain volume and subcortical structures such as the hippocampus. Previous research has indicated aberrant levels of inflammatory markers and growth factors in AN, which in other populations have been shown to influence hippocampal integrity. Here we investigated the influence of concentrations of two pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α] and interleukin-6 [IL-6]) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on the whole hippocampal volume, as well as the volumes of three regions (the hippocampal body, head, and tail) and 18 subfields bilaterally. Investigations occurred both cross-sectionally between acutely underweight adolescent/young adult females with AN (acAN; n = 82) and people recovered from AN (recAN; n = 20), each independently pairwise age-matched with healthy controls (HC), and longitudinally in acAN after partial renourishment (n = 58). Hippocampal subfield volumes were quantified using FreeSurfer. Concentrations of molecular factors were analyzed in linear models with hippocampal (subfield) volumes as the dependent variable. Cross-sectionally, there was no evidence for an association between IL-6, TNF-α, or BDNF and between-group differences in hippocampal subfield volumes. Longitudinally, increasing concentrations of BDNF were positively associated with longitudinal increases in bilateral global hippocampal volumes after controlling for age, age2, estimated total intracranial volume, and increases in body mass index (BMI). These findings suggest that increases in BDNF may contribute to global hippocampal recovery over and above increases in BMI during renourishment. Investigations into treatments targeted toward increasing BDNF in AN may be warranted.

Thermal runaway propagation behavior and gas production characteristics of NCM622 battery modules at different state of charge

Due to the complex thermal runaway propagation behavior of lithium-ion battery modules and the generation of a substantial amount of combustible mixed gases during the process, their safety performance is compromised, hindering their large-scale application in the fields of energy storage and automotive industries. Therefore, in this paper, the thermal runaway propagation behavior and gas production characteristics of Li (Ni0.6Co0.2Mn0.2) O2 battery modules with different state of charge were investigated in closed space. The results show that no thermal runaway occurred in the battery module when the state of charge was below 25% in closed space. With the decrease of the state of charge, both the internal thermal propagation speed and the surface temperature of the lithium-ion battery were reduced. The total gas production volume from 17.48 mol to 6.17 mol when the state of charge was reduced from 100% to 50%. The main gases produced during thermal runaway were CO2, CO, H2, CH4, and C2H4. With the decrease of the state of charge, the content of CO2 increased, the content of C2H4 and CO decreased, and the content of H2 and CH4 remained unchanged with the state of charge. The results contribute to safety measures for preventing thermal runaway accidents in lithium-ion batteries, offering guidance for the secure design of lithium-ion battery packs, and thus enhancing the overall safety of lithium-ion batteries.

Diagnosis of the main forest hubs in Paraná to mitigate climate change

In order to fulfill Brazil’s climate change mitigation goals and uphold its environmental commitments, it is crucial to have knowledge of volume, biomass, and carbon stocks of its native forests. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of the forest hubs from the state of Paraná, Brazil, towards climate change mitigation efforts. The Guarapuava hub possesses the largest area of native forests and the largest stored stock of volume, biomass, carbon, and carbon dioxide equivalent, while Sengés has the smallest area and the lowest stocks. Apart from Telêmaco Borba, which has only 12% of its native forests within Conservation Units, all the other hubs have more than 35% of their native area inside these locations. This emphasizes the significance of establishing and maintaining these Units. The total wood volume found was 276,136,486 m³, the total biomass 367,233,059 Mg, the total carbon 173,652,842 Mg, and the carbon dioxide equivalent 636,727,087 Mg. These values indicate that native forests can help mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Mobile phone applications for 3-dimensional scanning and digital anthropometry: a precision comparison with traditional scanners.

The precision of digital anthropometry through 3-dimensional (3D) scanning has been established for relatively large, expensive, non-portable systems. The comparative performance of modern mobile applications is unclear. Forty-six adults (age: 23.3 ± 5.3 y; BMI: 24.4 ± 4.1 kg/m2) were assessed in duplicate using: (1) a mobile phone application capturing two individual 2D images, (2) a mobile phone application capturing serial images collected during a subject's complete rotation, (3) a traditional scanner with a time of flight infrared sensor collecting visual data from a subject being rotated on a mechanical turntable, and (4) a commercial measuring booth with structured light technology using 20 infrared depth sensors positioned in the booth. The absolute and relative technical error of measurement (TEM) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for each method were established. Averaged across circumferences, the absolute TEM, relative TEM, and ICC were (1) 0.9 cm, 1.5%, and 0.975; (2) 0.5 cm, 0.9%, and 0.986; (3) 0.8 cm, 1.5%, and 0.974; and (4) 0.6 cm, 1.1%, and 0.985. For total body volume, these values were (1) 2.2 L, 3.0%, and 0.978; (2) 0.8 L, 1.1%, and 0.997; (3) 0.7 L, 0.9%, and 0.998; and (4) 0.8 L, 1.1%, and 0.996, with segmental volumes demonstrating higher relative errors. A 3D scanning mobile phone application involving full rotation of subjects in front of a smartphone camera exhibited similar reliability to larger, less portable, more expensive 3D scanners. In contrast, larger errors were observed for a mobile scanning application utilizing two 2D images, although the technical errors were acceptable for some applications.

Morphologic Adjustment of a River Reach with Groynes to Channel Bypassing

AbstractThis article is focused on the investigation of the spatio-temporal variability of the Danube River reach’s vertical accretion thickness due to the response of the Danube River reach to bypassing. Five groyne-induced benches (GIBs) of the bypassed channel developed after water diversion in 1992 was studied by changes in topography for three-time spans (for the original gravel surface, for the surface before the 2013 flood and for the surface after the 2013 flood). The allostratigraphic approach was applied to 548 drilling probes at all GIBs and toptop, supra-platform, tail and backchannel geomorphic units have been identified at each GIB. The main to side-channel system connectivity increase sedimentation rates and the accretion was controlled by large flood events. The 100-year flood in 2013 contributed to the total volume by almost 26%. During study period 1992–2017, totally 1,146,589 m3 was accreted on five GIBs, of this 209,752 m3 during flood event in 2013 and 267,700 m3 in post flood period 2014–2017. The top geomorphic unit exhibits the highest median values of vertical accretion and for all GIBs accretion thickness are not related to the height above the mean channel water level. The thickness of accretion varied, likely because the variability of the vegetation cover caused variable hydraulic conditions and accretion rate span from 3.8 cm.year−1 to 5.3 cm.year−1. The investigation of the sediment thickness over long time spans 24 years and a large flood event) allowed us to conclude that the thickness is spatially variable for individual GIBs; however, its trend over time remains constants depending on the intake of sediments during large floodsd events. This article also provides a methodological template for the detailed investigation of river channel adjustment due to bypassing.

Identification and transcriptomic profiling of salinity stress response genes in colored wheat mutant.

Salinity is a major abiotic stress that prevents normal plant growth and development, ultimately reducing crop productivity. This study investigated the effects of salinity stress on two wheat lines: PL1 (wild type) and PL6 (mutant line generated through gamma irradiation of PL1). The salinity treatment was carried out with a solution consisting of a total volume of 200 mL containing 150 mM NaCl. Salinity stress negatively impacted germination and plant growth in both lines, but PL6 exhibited higher tolerance. PL6 showed lower Na+ accumulation and higher K+ levels, indicating better ion homeostasis. Genome-wide transcriptomic analysis revealed distinct gene expression patterns between PL1 and PL6 under salt stress, resulting in notable phenotypic differences. Gene ontology analysis revealed positive correlations between salt stress and defense response, glutathione metabolism, peroxidase activity, and reactive oxygen species metabolic processes, highlighting the importance of antioxidant activities in salt tolerance. Additionally, hormone-related genes, transcription factors, and protein kinases showed differential expression, suggesting their roles in the differential salt stress response. Enrichment of pathways related to flavonoid biosynthesis and secondary metabolite biosynthesis in PL6 may contribute to its enhanced antioxidant activities. Furthermore, differentially expressed genes associated with the circadian clock system, cytoskeleton organization, and cell wall organization shed light on the plant's response to salt stress. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for developing stress-tolerant crop varieties, improving agricultural practices, and breeding salt-resistant crops to enhance global food production and address food security challenges.

Investigating the epidemiological relevance of secretory otitis media and neighboring organ diseases through an Internet search.

This study examined the epidemiological correlations between secretory otitis media (SOM) and diseases of neighboring organs. We measured changes in disease incidences during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic using Internet big data spanning from 2011 to 2021. This study used the Baidu Index (BI) to determine the search volume for the terms "secretory otitis media (SOM)", "tonsillitis", "pharyngolaryngitis", "adenoid hypertrophy (AH)", "nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC)", "nasal septum deviation (NSD)", "rhinosinusitis", "allergic rhinitis (AR)", and "gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)" in Mandarin from January 2011 to December 2021. The correlations between these terms were analyzed using Spearman's correlation coefficients. The results were compared search data from 2019 and 2021 to assess the effects of isolation on SOM in 2020. The seasonal variations trends of SOM and other diseases coincided well (P<0.05), except for AR. During the 11-year timeframe, the monthly searches for rhinosinusitis, NSD, tonsillitis, pharyngolaryngitis, and NPC were statistically correlated with SOM (R=0.825, 0.594, 0.650, 0.636, 0.664, respectively; P<0.05). No correlation was found between SOM and AR, SOM and AH, or SOM and GERD (R=-0.028, R=0.259, R=0.014, respectively, P>0.05). The total search volumes for SOM, rhinosinusitis, NPC, and AH decreased in 2020 compared to 2019. SOM exhibited a discernible epidemiological connection with rhinosinusitis, nasal septal deviation (NSD), tonsillitis, pharyngolaryngitis, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). A decrease in public gatherings was observed to effectively reduce the incidences of SOM. This underscores the pivotal role of social measures in influencing the prevalence of SOM and emphasizes the intricate interplay between SOM and various associated health factors, with implications for public health strategies.

Synergistic Effect of Manually Assisted Cough During Mechanical Insufflation-Exsufflation in Patients With Spinal Cord Injury.

Mechanical insufflation-exsufflation (MI-E) and manually assisted cough are frequently employed cough augmentation methods for enhancing cough efficiency in individuals with cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI). This study aimed to evaluate the synergistic impact of combining manually assisted cough and MI-E on cough peak flow in subjects with CSCI and identify their related factors. Fifteen subjects with CSCI with cough peak flow > -270 L/min underwent 5 consecutive days of 5 cough augmentation sessions; cough peak flow during exsufflation and the total insufflation volume (TIV) during insufflation were measured. Only MI-E was administered on days 1 and 5, whereas on days 2-4 one MI-E-only session followed by 3 MI-E and manually assisted cough sessions was implemented followed by a fifth MI-E-only session. The cumulative and carry-over effects of increasing treatment sessions and any associated factor on cough peak flow during MI-E-assisted coughing were assessed using a linear mixed model (LMM) with repetitive air-flow measurements within the same participants. No cumulative or carry-over effects of manually assisted cough and MI-E were shown with the accumulation of treatment days or sessions. The LMM confirmed that using manually assisted cough (-0.283 L/s, P < .001), TIV (-0.045 L/s, P = .002), and the individual manually assisted cough variance (-0.022 L/s, P = .01) significantly influenced cough peak flow. Estimated mean cough peak flows for MI-E with manually assisted cough and MI-E alone were -4.006 L/s (95% CI -4.237 to -3.775) and -3.723 L/s (95% CI -3.953 to -3.492), respectively, surpassing the initial voluntary cough peak flow without MI-E assistance (-1.65 ± 0.53 L/s). The use of manually assisted cough and amount of TIV correlated with improved cough peak flow, emphasizing the importance of adequate in-expiratory support. No carry-over effect was associated with using manually assisted cough, highlighting the need to combine MI-E with manually assisted cough for each MI-E treatment to achieve optimal cough effectiveness.

Risk Factors for Tissue Expander-Related Infections in Pediatric Scar Reconstruction: A 10-Year Retrospective Study.

Tissue expansion addresses limited soft tissue availability and provides natural-looking skin for scar reconstruction. However, infection is a common complication in expander surgeries. This 10-year retrospective cohort study aims to investigate the infection risk factors in pediatric scar reconstruction. This single-center observational cohort study was conducted at the Central Hospital Affiliated with Shandong First Medical University, China, and analyzed data from pediatric patients undergoing tissue expander surgeries for scar reconstruction from January 2012 to June 2022. Patients were carefully selected, and after grouping into infection and non-infection categories, their demographic and clinical data were analyzed. Propensity score matching (PSM) ensured balanced comparisons, and logistic regression identified infection risk factors. Among the 4,539 patient records, 1,756 eligible pediatric patients were included (142 with infections, 1,614 without). Multivariate analysis revealed that factors increasing infection risk included having three or more expanders (OR: 2.39, P < 0.05), a total expander volume of 300 cc or more (OR: 2.33, P < 0.05), back or gluteal implants (OR: 1.33, P < 0.05), lack of antibiotic prophylaxis (OR: 0.65, P < 0.05), and absence of hematoma evacuation (OR: 3.29, P < 0.05). Microbiological analysis found no significant bacterial differences among antibiotic prophylaxis groups, with Staphylococcus aureus being the predominant bacterium in infections. Patients with multiple expanders, larger expander volumes, back or gluteal implants, lack of antibiotic prophylaxis, and hematoma evacuation absence have higher infection risks. Short-term (< 24h) use of Staphylococcus aureus-sensitive antibiotics post-surgery may benefit pediatric infection risk reduction.

Corrosion Resistance and Thermal Stability Enhancement of Green Layered Clay/Epoxy Coating

A layered clay/epoxy coating was fabricated to investigate the effects of montmorillonite (MMT) and halloysite nanotube (HNT) loading at 0.5, 1.5, and 2.5 parts per hundred resin (phr) on the corrosion resistance and thermal stability of coated mild steel plates. The corrosion study was carried out by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and Tafel polarization. The |Z|0.1Hz value, Rct, and Rp of the layered/clay epoxy coatings containing 1.5 phr of HNT and MMT exhibited the best anticorrosion performance compared to other clay content levels. The |Z|0.1Hz value for the epoxy coating filled with 1.5 phr of MMT (M1.5) is 2.132 × 109 Ω·cm², while it is slightly higher for H1.5 coatings, i.e., 2.629 × 109 Ω·cm². Water absorption trends were consistent with EIS and Tafel polarization studies. The presence of highly compatible nanocontainers clay reduced the total free volume and promoted cross-linking, enhancing anticorrosion performance. Thermal Gravimetry Analysis (TGA) showed that a 1.5 phr loading of MMT in layered/clay epoxy coating demonstrated better thermal stability than a coating embedded with HNT. This improvement can be attributed to the barrier effect of MMT, which retards the diffusion of oxygen molecules into the coating.

DEVELOPMENT OF A VORTEX CHAMBER MODEL TO ESTIMATE THE VALUES OF THE LIQUID AND GASEOUS PHASES

When preparing well products from gas fields at complex gas treatment plants, dry stripped gas and unstable condensate are separated. During the exploitation of a field, development indicators (flow rate, reservoir pressure, composition of extracted products, etc.) change. At the same time, the efficiency of the apparatus for separating the gas and liquid phases decreases, which is accompanied by an increase in the entrainment of the liquid phase from the gaseous phase and can reach about 30–40 % of the total volume. This affects economic efficiency indicators, since the volume of unstable condensate decreases, and, consequently, the profit from its sale.The article is devoted to studying the effectiveness of using vortex chambers to reduce the entrainment of the liquid phase from the gaseous phase during the preparation of well products. The results of the research analysis are presented, methods for assessing phase transitions in vortex chambers and the mathematical models used are described.The work defines the basic equations that describe the process of entrainment of the liquid phase from the gaseous phase. Thus, to describe the phase boundaries, the volume of fluid model is used, and the standard k – ε is used as a flow turbulence model. A model of a vortex chamber is being developed in ANSYS FLUENT, the mesh model is built using elements – tetrahedrons. The size of the mesh elements was determined from the condition of stability of the resulting solution and amounted to 10 mm.The influence of chamber geometry, liquid mass velocity and other parameters on the process of phase entrainment is considered.A comparison of the results of experimental studies and modeling results shows the possibility of reducing the entrainment of the liquid phase as a result of the use of vortex chambers and justify the selected parameters for developing the model.

Effects of Hemorrhage on Hematopoietic Cell Depletion after a Combined Injury with Radiation: Role of White Blood Cells and Red Blood Cells as Biomarkers.

Combined radiation with hemorrhage (combined injury, CI) exacerbates hematopoietic acute radiation syndrome and mortality compared to radiation alone (RI). We evaluated the effects of RI or CI on blood cell depletion as a biomarker to differentiate the two. Male CD2F1 mice were exposed to 8.75 Gy γ-radiation (60Co). Within 2 h of RI, animals were bled under anesthesia 0% (RI) or 20% (CI) of total blood volume. Blood samples were collected at 4-5 h and days 1, 2, 3, 7, and 15 after RI. CI decreased WBC at 4-5 h and continued to decrease it until day 3; counts then stayed at the nadir up to day 15. CI decreased neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils more than RI on day 1 or day 2. CI decreased RBCs, hemoglobin, and hematocrit on days 7 and 15 more than RI, whereas hemorrhage alone returned to the baseline on days 7 and 15. RBCs depleted after CI faster than post-RI. Hemorrhage alone increased platelet counts on days 2, 3, and 7, which returned to the baseline on day 15. Our data suggest that WBC depletion may be a potential biomarker within 2 days post-RI and post-CI and RBC depletion after 3 days post-RI and post-CI. For hemorrhage alone, neutrophil counts at 4-5 h and platelets for day 2 through day 7 can be used as a tool for confirmation.

Effects of the CADW in low-metamorphic coal and analyse on its action mechanism

The CO2-alkaline-water two-phase displacing gas and wetting coal (CADW) measure can effectively prevent coal and gas outburst and reduce mine dust concentration, while relevant research on its effects and action mechanism is insufficient. In this work, effects of the CADW in low-metamorphic bituminous coal and its action mechanism were investigated deeply. The experimental results revealed that, after using the CADW, the risk of gas outburst was reduced evidently compared with conventional water injection. The residual methane and mixed gas in JZ coal reduced by -79.50% and -33.39% severally. The water-injection effect was also enhanced obviously. During injecting water, the maximum pore pressure at 20, 40, 60 mm away from the drilling increased by 10.80%, 5.96%, 1.80%, respectively. The water-injection rate, total volume and radial moisture content of JZ coal all increased distinctly, with the increment of 4.45%∼28.14%, 10.30% and 3.45%∼15.82% respectively. The increment of moisture content rose with distancing the drilling. In addition, the CADW could notably improve the water-lock effect, the permeability of JZ coal was reduced by 88%. As a result, the methane migration, from deeper coal seam to the exposed working face, was inhibited effectively. The results can provide significative guidance for the application of the CADW technique, gas outburst prevention and dust concentration reduction.

Design of a multi-scale cylindrical porous fin based on constructal theory

Porous fin (PF) has obvious advantages in heat dissipation, so it is necessary to analyze and optimize its performance. In this paper, a multi-scale cylindrical porous fin (PF) model is built. Firstly, the fin length and height ratio are chosen as the optimization variables, constructal design is conducted with the objective of complex function (CF) composed of maximum temperature difference (MTD) and pumping power consumption (PPC). Then, an artificial neural network (ANN) model is established by using data samples, and multi-objective optimization (MOO) is performed using the NSGA-II method. The findings indicated that the optimal length and height ratio of the fin are 4.763 mm and 1.017 under the conditions that the total PF envelope volume and PF-material volume are fixed. The CF is reduced by 51.0% compared with that before optimization. The multi-scale cylindrical porous fin with different heights is superior to the single-scale one with equal height. For MOO, the lowest deviation index obtained by TOPSIS or LINMAP decision-making strategy (DMS) is 0.258. For this case, the MTD is reduced by 81.9%, and the PPC is reduced by 18.7%. Therefore, the relevant optimal structure herein can be used as the optimal design solution for the multi-scale cylindrical porous fin.

Effects of different thawing methods on physical and physicochemical properties of frozen dough and quality of corresponding steamed bread

The thawing method is critical for the final quality of products based on the frozen dough. The effects of ultrasound thawing, proofer thawing, refrigerator thawing, water bath thawing, ambient thawing, and microwave thawing on the rheology, texture, water distribution, fermentation characteristics, and microstructure of frozen dough and the properties of steamed bread were investigated. The results indicated that the ultrasound thawing dough had better physicochemical properties than other doughs. It was found that ultrasound thawing restrained the water migration of dough, improved its rheological properties and fermentation capacity. The total gas volume value of the ultrasound thawing dough was reduced by 21.35% compared with that of unfrozen dough. The ultrasound thawing dough displayed a thoroughly uniform starch-gluten network, and an enhanced the specific volume and internal structure of the steamed bread. In conclusion, ultrasound thawing effectively mitigated the degradation of the frozen dough and enhanced the quality of steamed bread.

Auto-segmentation of neck nodal metastases using self-distilled masked image transformer on longitudinal MR images.

Auto-segmentation promises greater speed and lower inter-reader variability than manual segmentations in radiation oncology clinical practice. This study aims to implement and evaluate the accuracy of the auto-segmentation algorithm, "Masked Image modeling using the vision Transformers (SMIT)," for neck nodal metastases on longitudinal T2-weighted (T2w) MR images in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) patients. This prospective clinical trial study included 123 human papillomaviruses (HPV-positive [+]) related OSPCC patients who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy. T2w MR images were acquired on 3 T at pre-treatment (Tx), week 0, and intra-Tx weeks (1-3). Manual delineations of metastatic neck nodes from 123 OPSCC patients were used for the SMIT auto-segmentation, and total tumor volumes were calculated. Standard statistical analyses compared contour volumes from SMIT vs manual segmentation (Wilcoxon signed-rank test [WSRT]), and Spearman's rank correlation coefficients (ρ) were computed. Segmentation accuracy was evaluated on the test data set using the dice similarity coefficient (DSC) metric value. P-values <0.05 were considered significant. No significant difference in manual and SMIT delineated tumor volume at pre-Tx (8.68 ± 7.15 vs 8.38 ± 7.01 cm3, P = 0.26 [WSRT]), and the Bland-Altman method established the limits of agreement as -1.71 to 2.31 cm3, with a mean difference of 0.30 cm3. SMIT model and manually delineated tumor volume estimates were highly correlated (ρ = 0.84-0.96, P < 0.001). The mean DSC metric values were 0.86, 0.85, 0.77, and 0.79 at the pre-Tx and intra-Tx weeks (1-3), respectively. The SMIT algorithm provides sufficient segmentation accuracy for oncological applications in HPV+ OPSCC. First evaluation of auto-segmentation with SMIT using longitudinal T2w MRI in HPV+ OPSCC.

Thyroid volume and its correlation with thyroid function in Central India

Objectives Due to its strong correlation with age, gender, anthropometric parameters, and geographic location, thyroid gland volume varies widely. Finding the reference range of a healthy individual’s normal thyroid gland volume has become crucial for every community. Thus, the public will be better able to grade goiter, and large-scale iodine monitoring initiatives will be guided by this. Ultrasound (US) eliminates the issues of overestimation of goiter prevalence and significant interobserver variability associated with palpation estimates, as it is more accurate than clinical examination in diagnosing enlarged thyroid glands. This research aimed to use ultrasonography to determine reference ranges for total thyroid volume in the normal adult population in central India and to connect the results with thyroid function tests. Material and Methods A tertiary-care hospital hosted a prospective cross-sectional study. There were 410 healthy subjects in total. B-Grey scale imaging US was utilized to assess the overall thyroid volume by adding the volume of both lobes, which was calculated using the ellipsoid formula. In order to examine thyroid function, blood samples were obtained. Age-appropriate thyroid volume reference values were found. Results The average thyroid gland volume across all research participants was 6.90 ± 1.74 ml. The gland volume of males was considerably greater (7.30 ± 1.86 ml) than that of females (6.63 ± 1.61 ml) (P&lt;0.001). In both genders, the right lobe’s volume was considerably higher than the left lobe’s (3.76 ± 0.96 ml vs. 3.14 ± 0.89 ml, P &lt; 0.001). There was no discernible relationship between thyroid function tests and gland volume. Conclusion We made an effort to help set the reference values for our community, but more extensive research is needed to set the thyroid gland volume reference values for the entire country.

An in-silico planning study of stereotactic body radiation therapy for polymetastatic patients with more than ten extra-cranial lesions

Background and purposeLimited data is available about the feasibility of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for treating more than five extra-cranial metastases, and almost no data for treating more than ten. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of SBRT in this polymetatstatic setting. Materials and methodsConsecutive metastatic melanoma patients with more than ten extra-cranial metastases and a maximum lesion diameter below 11 cm were selected from a single-center prospective registry for this in-silico planning study. For each patient, SBRT plans were generated to treat all metastases with a prescribed dose of 5x7Gy, and dose-limiting organs (OARs) were analyzed. A cell-kill based inverse planning approach was used to automatically determine the maximum deliverable dose to each lesion individually, while respecting all OARs constraints. ResultsA total of 23 polymetastatic patients with a medium of 17 metastases (range, 11–51) per patient were selected. SBRT plans with sufficient target coverage and respected OARs dose constraints were achieved in 16 out of 23 patients. In the remaining seven patients, the lungs V5Gy < 80 % and the liver D700 cm3 < 15Gy were most frequently the dose-limiting constraints. The cell-kill based planning approach allowed optimizing the dose administration depending on metastases total volume and location. ConclusionThis retrospective planning study shows the feasibility of definitive SBRT for 70% of polymetastatic patients with more than ten extra-cranial lesions and proposes the cell-killing planning approach as an approach to individualize treatment planning in polymetastatic patients’.

Exogenous betaine enhances salt tolerance of Glycyrrhiza uralensis through multiple pathways

BackgroundGlycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., a valuable medicinal plant, shows contrasting salt tolerance between seedlings and perennial individuals, and salt tolerance at seedling stage is very weak. Understanding this difference is crucial for optimizing cultivation practices and maximizing the plant’s economic potential. Salt stress resistance at the seedling stage is the key to the cultivation of the plant using salinized land. This study investigated the physiological mechanism of the application of glycine betaine (0, 10, 20, 40, 80 mM) to seedling stages of G. uralensis under salt stress (160 mM NaCl).ResultsG. uralensis seedlings’ growth was severely inhibited under NaCl stress conditions, but the addition of GB effectively mitigated its effects, with 20 mM GB had showing most significant alleviating effect. The application of 20 mM GB under NaCl stress conditions significantly increased total root length (80.38%), total root surface area (93.28%), and total root volume (175.61%), and significantly increased the GB content in its roots, stems, and leaves by 36.88%, 107.05%, and 21.63%, respectively. The activity of betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (BADH2) was increased by 74.10%, 249.38%, and 150.60%, respectively. The 20 mM GB-addition treatment significantly increased content of osmoregulatory substances (the contents of soluble protein, soluble sugar and proline increased by 7.05%, 70.52% and 661.06% in roots, and also increased by 30.74%, 47.11% and 26.88% in leaves, respectively.). Furthermore, it markedly enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the content of antioxidants (SOD, CAT, POD, APX and activities and ASA contents were elevated by 59.55%, 413.07%, 225.91%, 300.00% and 73.33% in the root, and increased by 877.51%, 359.89%, 199.15%, 144.35%, and 108.11% in leaves, respectively.), and obviously promoted salt secretion capacity of the leaves, which especially promoted the secretion of Na+ (1.37 times).ConclusionsIn summary, the exogenous addition of GB significantly enhances the salt tolerance of G. uralensis seedlings, promoting osmoregulatory substances, antioxidant enzyme activities, excess salt discharge especially the significant promotion of the secretion of Na+Future studies should aim to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that operate when GB regulates saline stress tolerance.