Standard Type Research Articles

Patient-specific cutting guides in corrective osteotomy near to the knee joint

Patient-specific cutting guides (PSCG) are used in osteotomy near to the knee joint to simplify the operative technique, shorten the duration of surgery, reduce radiation exposure and to exactly realize the preoperative planning during surgery, especially when complex deformities are corrected simultaneously in multiple planes. The application of PSCG is in principle possible in all osteotomies near to the knee joint but is especially useful in multidimensional, complex osteotomy. No specific contraindications. After multidimensional 3D analysis and planning using apreoperative computed tomography (CT) protocol, a3D-printed patient-specific cutting guide is produced. This PSCG is used during standard osteotomy near to the knee. Using this PSCG the guided sawcut and predrilling of the screw positions inside the bone for the screws of the planned angle stable osteotomy plate are performed. The amount of the deformity correction needed is "stored" in the PSCG and is converted to the bony geometry during placement of the screws in the predrilled holes through the plate after opening or closing the osteotomy. Apart from that, the surgical approach and technique are equivalent to the standard osteotomy types near to the knee. The application of PSCG in osteotomy near to the knee does not change the postoperative management of the specific osteotomy. The use of patient-specific cutting guides leads to a higher accuracy in the implementation of the preoperative planning and the desired target axis is achieved with greater accuracy. Multidimensional complex corrections can also be exactly planned and implemented. In addition, the intraoperative radiation exposure for the operation team can possibly be reduced.

The Effect of Welding Process Parameters on the nilon-6 Plate Friction Stir Welded Joint

Nylon-6 is one of the most extensively used engineering thermoplastics. Due to its durability, reduced weight, low coefficient of friction, and abrasion resistance, this polymer is an excellent substitute for various materials, including metals and rubber. Despite being those, nylon-6 materials are joined together utilizing multiple welding processes. The current work examined the viability of the friction stir welding (FSW) method on nylon 6 plates that were 4 mm thick to investigate the effect of tool diameter ratio and feed rate on nylon-6 sheets with the FSW method on the tensile properties of the joints. The 4 mm thickness of the nylon-6 plate was cut into the dimensions of 115 mm x 100 mm. The sliced plates were then joined through the FSW process using ST80-based tools with various parameters in the shoulder to pin diameter ratio (D/r ratio) of 10/3, 15/3, and 20/3 and feed rates (FR) of 4 mm/minute, 6 mm/minute, and 8 mm/minute at a rotational speed (RS) of 5800 RPM. Afterward, the weld joint is cut using water jet cutting according to the tensile testing standard ASTM D638 type IV. Following this, characterization of the speci-mens, including macrograph examination, hardness testing, and tensile testing, was carried out. The results show that the highest tensile strength was obtained at a tool diameter ratio of 10/3 mm with a feed rate of 6 mm/minute, with a tensile strength value of 19 MPa reaching up to circa 90% of joint efficiency. The strength of the welded joint then decreases as the diameter ratio of the tool increases with each feed rate. Some defects appeared at the higher tool diameter ratios welded joint, including incomplete fusion, flash, thinning, and lack of bonding. In conclusision the combination of a D/d ratio of 10/3 and a FR of 6 mm/min at RS 5800 RPM can provide the optimal conditions for a strong nylon-6 friction stir welded joint.

Constraining dark energy cosmologies with spatial curvature using Supernovae JWST forecasting

Recent cosmological tensions, in particular, to infer the local value of the Hubble constant H 0, have developed new independent techniques to constrain cosmological parameters in several cosmologies. Moreover, even when the concordance Cosmological Constant Cold Dark Matter (ΛCDM) model has been well constrained with local observables, its physics has shown deviations from a flat background. Therefore, to explore a possible deviation from a flat ΛCDM model that could explain the H 0 value in tension with other techniques, in this paper we study new cosmological constraints in spatial curvature dark energy models. Additionally, to standard current Supernovae Type Ia (SNIa) catalogs, we extend the empirical distance ladder method through an SNIa sample using the capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to forecast SNIa up to z ∼ 6, with information on the star formation rates at high redshift. Furthermore, we found that our constraints provide an improvement in the statistics associated with Ω m when combining SNIa Pantheon and SNIa Pantheon+ catalogs with JW forecasting data.

Late Mesozoic–Cenozoic geoheritage resources of the Kharga Oasis (Egypt): Novel assessment, exploitation perspectives, and policy implications

Geoheritage resources are valuable to countries and regions, which make urgent their exploration. Particularly, Egyptian geoheritage has been examined only partly, and it has not been reported from many areas. New field investigations in the Kharga Oasis in the southern Western Desert of Egypt permit to report a new portion of geoheritage resources. The collected materials are used to propose six geosites, describe them (particularly, standardized geoheritage types are established), and assess semi-quantitatively. The approach is the same as already used for some other areas of Egypt, and the semi-quantitative assessment is based on scoring of various geosite properties with the different weight. It is established that these geosites exhibit lithologies and depositional environments of Upper Cretaceous–Eocene terrestrial and marine sedimentary rocks, Quaternary terrestrial carbonates (tufa deposits), and residual desert landforms. The geosites are attributed to the sedimentary, palaeogeographical, stratigraphical, palaeontological, and geomorphological geoheritage types. Scoring them by several criteria implies that two geosites (Naqb El-Rufuf and Naqb Bulaq) are national and four geosites (Naqb Assiut, Wadi El-Midawara, Gebel Taref, and Kharga Stadium) are regional in rank. The accessibility of some geosites is limited, and the Kharga Stadium geosite demonstrates significant vulnerability due to its location in the urban area. Generally, the analyses imply the presence of a valuable geoheritage resource in the Kharga Oasis. The outcomes of the present study also indicate the perspectives of scientific, educational, and touristic exploitation of the established geoheritage resources and the need in the development of the optimal policy for their effective management. Geopark creation seems to be a plausible instrument for the implementation of this policy, and its proposal requires further investigations of geological and cultural heritage of the Kharga Oasis.

Profile likelihoods for parameters in trans-Gaussian geostatistical models

Profile likelihoods are rarely used in geostatistical models due to the computational burden imposed by repeated decompositions of large variance matrices. Accounting for uncertainty in covariance parameters can be highly consequential in geostatistical models as some covariance parameters are poorly identified, the problem is severe enough that the differentiability parameter of the Matern correlation function is typically treated as fixed. The problem is compounded with anisotropic spatial models as there are two additional parameters to consider. In this paper, we make the following contributions: Firstly, a methodology is created for profile likelihoods for Gaussian spatial models with Matérn family of correlation functions, including anisotropic models. This methodology adopts a novel reparameterization for generation of representative points, and uses GPUs for parallel profile likelihoods computation in software implementation. Then, we show the profile likelihood of the Matérn shape parameter is often quite flat but still identifiable, it can usually rule out very small values. Finally, simulation studies and applications on real data examples show that profile-based confidence intervals of covariance parameters and regression parameters have superior coverage to the traditional standard Wald type confidence intervals.

Selection of Catechin Biosynthesis-Related Genes and Functional Analysis from Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly in C. sinensis L. Variety 'Sangmok'.

Camellia is an important plant genus that includes well-known species such as C. sinensis, C. oleifera, and C. japonica. The C. sinensis cultivar 'Sangmok', one of Korea's standard types of tea landraces, is a small evergreen tree or shrub. Genome annotation has shown that Korean tea plants have special and unique benefits and superior components, such as catechin. The genome of Camellia sinensis cultivar 'Sangmok' was assembled on the chromosome level, with a length of 2678.62 Mbp and GC content of 38.16%. Further, 15 chromosome-scale scaffolds comprising 82.43% of the assembly (BUSCO completeness, 94.3%) were identified. Analysis of 68,151 protein-coding genes showed an average of 5.003 exons per gene. Among 82,481 coding sequences, the majority (99.06%) were annotated by Uniprot/Swiss-Prot. Further analysis revealed that 'Sangmok' is closely related to C. sinensis, with a divergence time of 60 million years ago. A total of 3336 exclusive gene families in 'Sangmok' were revealed by gene ontology analysis to play roles in auxin transport and cellular response mechanisms. By comparing these exclusive genes with 551 similar catechin genes, 17 'Sangmok'-specific catechin genes were identified by qRT-PCR, including those involved in phytoalexin biosynthesis and related to cytochrome P450. The 'Sangmok' genome exhibited distinctive genes compared to those of related species. This comprehensive genomic investigation enhances our understanding of the genetic architecture of 'Sangmok' and its specialized functions. The findings contribute valuable insights into the evolutionary and functional aspects of this plant species.

Design and optimization of a bionic-lotus root inspired shell-and-tube latent heat thermal energy storage unit

Thermal energy storage (TES) is crucial in the efficient utilization and stable supply of renewable energy. This study aims to enhance the performance of shell-and-tube latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) units, particularly addressing the issue of the significant melting dead zones at the bottom, which are responsible for the long charging time. This paper proposed a new heat transfer enhancement technique inspired by the air channel distribution inside the root of the lotus. Numerical simulations are used to explore its melting behavior and heat storage performance, and a comparison is made with conventional shell-and-tube TES units. The results indicate that compared to the single-tube type, the bionic-lotus root type reduced the total melting time by 89.1 %, increased the average temperature by 13.2 °C, and enhanced the average effective power density by 7.6 times. Subsequently, multi-objective optimization was conducted based on response surface methodology, and an industrial standard type was constructed according to existing pipeline products to meet the manufacturing standards for mass production. The melting time was further decreased by 5.8 %, and the average effective power density increased by 6.6 %. The results of this study provide a promising and prospective solution for enhancing shell-and-tube LHTES units, with the potential to increase the efficiency, reduce the footprint and manufacturing costs of energy systems equipped with TES.

Abstract 7393: Tumor model to tumor treatment: Applying deep learning approaches to map multimodal data from cancer model systems to patients

Abstract Despite large-scale efforts to measure the effect of drug screens in cancer cell lines, mapping the effects of drugs to patient samples has been a challenge. Biological differences between cell lines and patients, such as lack of immune system or microbiome, in-vitro survival adaptations, and biases in measurement technologies create differences across sample modalities that can confound analysis including prediction with machine learning. In this work, we propose a multiway batch correction strategy to enable algorithmic prediction of tumor drug response across model systems and patient data.Recent advances in batch correction algorithms have been motivated by the need to correct for batch effects in single-cell omics and include diverse approaches such as variational autoencoders (VAEs) and generative adversarial networks (GANs). Given the successes of these generative deep learning methods in single cell sequencing analysis, we worked to employ similar approaches to correct large omics measurements across various cancer datasets. Here, we describe mapping of datasets from diverse data sources and model systems to the same space, so that a predictive model of drug response built in a system such as cell lines can be used in biologically relevant models such as organoids, patient derived xenografts, and tumor data. Specifically, we introduce a modified loss function in a VAE using cosine similarity distance to minimize the effect of different cancer model systems in predicting cancer types. We evaluate the method on standard data types for drug response prediction - gene expression, copy number variation, and protein abundance. For this method, the cosine similarity is added as an additional term to the VAE reconstruction and Kullback-Leibler divergence loss terms. This injects a quantification of the dissimilarity between the tumor and tumor model distributions into the backpropagation and gradient descent for updating the model parameters resulting in an encoded representation of the data where the effect of data source has been attenuated while preserving the phenotypic signal. We evaluate our approach for biological signal preservation while reducing model system-specific noise with logistic regression and Euclidean distance. Our results show that the proposed VAE can effectively correct for platform effects and improve the accuracy of downstream integrative analyses. This study has the potential to improve the accuracy and translatability of proteogenomic drug response studies. The proposed modified VAE could be used to correct for platform effects in a variety of datasets, including those from different studies, different platforms, and different cancer types. This could lead to new insights into cancer biology, calibration of cancer patient digital twins, and the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Citation Format: Brian Karlberg, Raphael Kirchgaessner, Jeremy R. Jacobson, Kyle Ellrott, Sara J. Gosline. Tumor model to tumor treatment: Applying deep learning approaches to map multimodal data from cancer model systems to patients [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 7393.

Type Label Framework for Bonded Force Fields in LAMMPS.

New functionality is added to the LAMMPS molecular simulation package, which increases the versatility with which LAMMPS can interface with supporting software and manipulate information associated with bonded force fields. We introduce the "type label" framework that allows atom types and their higher-order interactions (bonds, angles, dihedrals, and impropers) to be represented in terms of the standard atom type strings of a bonded force field. Type labels increase the human readability of input files, enable bonded force fields to be supported by the OpenKIM repository, simplify the creation of reaction templates for the REACTER protocol, and increase compatibility with external visualization tools, such as VMD and OVITO. An introductory primer on the forms and use of bonded force fields is provided to motivate this new functionality and serve as an entry point for LAMMPS and OpenKIM users unfamiliar with bonded force fields. The type label framework has the potential to streamline modeling workflows that use LAMMPS by increasing the portability of software, files, and scripts for preprocessing, running, and postprocessing a molecular simulation.

Design and Simulation of a Solar Powered House in Muğla: Roof Decorated with Half Cut Cells

In this article, the performance, design and efficiency calculation of photovoltaic systems were made using PvSol program. For roof type panel design close to standard installations, panel position and panel type were designed based on Muğla province sun hour data and roof shading factor. In this study, the data obtained for the roof type installation designed in Muğla city using monocrystalline, polycrystalline and half-cut monocrystalline cells were compared. When yield, area and price parameters were compared, it was found that the best cell type was half-section monocrystalline. As a result of the simulations, it was found that the average daily energy need of the house is 6.4kWh, fed by 14 half-section monocrystalline panels. The results obtained are consistent with the data in the literature.

Exploring diverse maintenance and repair standards in the container industry: a comparative analysis of criteria and practices

The maintenance and repair standards have always been a problem in the container industry. Due to different preferences of criterias of different parties caused many conflicts. This paper examines the different types of criterias and standards for general purpose containers, and different areas of use of these criterias. The main reason of this paper is to be an explanatory element to define the differences of these criterias. The fundamental structural dimensional basis for an intermodal container is ISO container standards which defines the main structural features. Although it presents dimensional tolerances to a certain degree, it is nearly impossible to use these criterias for the operators and owners in day to day operations. As a result there have been various published maintenance and repair criterias, used by different parties partaking in the container industry. The different organizations and associations published standards suiting their own needs. Although there are lesser implemented criterias like Wind and Water Tight and Cargo Worth, the most known and most implemented criterias around the world are Unified Container Inspection and Repair Criteria, Common Interchange Criteria and IICL publications. While the Wind and Water Tight criteria is generally used for containers which are used as storage, the Cargo Worthy is used for the containers meet the minimum requirements for transport. The Unified Container Inspection Criteria is preferred by the shipping lines and operators, and the Common Interchange Criteria and IICL – 6 are preferred by lessors.

Granular activated carbon sound absorption predictions made using measured material parameters

Granular activated carbon (GAC) is hierarchical porosity material that yields better in low frequency sound absorption performance compared with many traditional porous materials due to the sorption effect created by nanometer-scale pores within the particles. In 2017, a triple porosity model accounting for the sorption effect in the micropores was proposed by Venegas et al. In the proposed model, some of input parameters (i.e., mesopore size and micropore effective diffusion coefficient) were fitted by matching the model to measured the surface impedance of a GAC stack; however, some fitted values are questionable from an inorganic material perspective. In the present work, the GAC material parameters, such as micro- and meso-pore sizes, were estimated from a standard isotherm measurement. The measurement results showed a standard Langmuir type isotherm behavior at different temperatures: i.e., 273.15 and 293.15 K. Thus, if the isotherms can be described with the Langmuir model, then the Langmuir constant and heat of adsorption can be estimated based on the isotherms. Finally, these parameters were used as the input to the GAC model and the absorption coefficient was calculated. The calculated result was also compared with the absorption coefficient measured following the E1050 standard.

The Emerging Technology in Cybercrime of Cyberspace: An Overview

Cyber criminology and Cyberspace are closely related aspects; hence, Cyberspace provides an environment where Cyberspace occurs. Cyberspace is a domain that in the rapid increase in technology signifies how digital platforms are vulnerable for securing data and privacy of an individual, which causes various crimes in the world. Cyberspace is known as organized criminal attacks on Cybersecurity and Cyberspace through attacks, Hacking, Bullying, etc. Cybersecurity and information security are essential and unavoidable components of using the internet or digital places. Numerous types of standards, protocols, policies, technologies, and antiviruses have been developed to protect data and privacy. To ensure that technology is increasing as security, privacy, and data taken as a liability, which is the main cause of Cybercrime.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy in lung cancer: a contemporary review.

The treatment of early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has improved enormously in the last two decades. Although surgery is not the only choice, lobectomy is still the gold standard treatment type for operable patients. For inoperable patients stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) should be offered, reaching very high local control and overall survival rates. With SBRT we can precisely irradiate small, well-defined lesions with high doses. To select the appropriate fractionation schedule it is important to determine the size, localization and extent of the lung tumor. The introduction of novel and further developed planning (contouring guidelines, diagnostic image application, planning systems) and delivery techniques (motion management, image guided radiotherapy) led to lower rates of side effects and more conformal target volume coverage. The purpose of this study is to summarize the current developments, randomised studies, guidelines about lung SBRT, with emphasis on the possibility of increasing local control and overall rates in "fit," operable patients as well, so SBRT would be eligible in place of surgery.

Genetic Diversity of Brucella melitensis Isolated from Domestic Ruminants in Iraq.

The control and eradication of brucellosis represents a critical objective for Veterinary and Health Authorities across several countries globally. Efficient surveillance programs play a pivotal role in detecting and managing outbreaks. Epidemiological investigations significantly benefit from standardized and efficient molecular typing techniques and analytical tools, enabling public health laboratories to identify the origin of outbreaks. This study aimed to sequence Brucella spp. strains isolated in Iraq from different ruminant species to verify their molecular epidemiological correlations and, above all, to shed a light on how these Iraqi isolates are positioned in the phylogenetic context of Brucella spp. The 35 isolates under study were from abortion, milk, placenta, and the fetal membranes of sheep, cattle, and buffalo. Genotyping involved various techniques: MLVA-16, Whole Genome Sequencing, MLST, and cgMLST. All the Iraqi isolates from our study clustered in MLVA-16 within the East Mediterranean clade, and all but one grouped together in the same branch of the MST tree. MST analysis showed the minimum distance of one allele between the studied isolates, except for one strain from buffalo, which was positioned farther away from the rest of the isolates. In cgMLST, the majority of strains grouped within a large cluster predominantly comprising genotypes from the Middle East. The application of different control measures in different territories based on molecular epidemiological studies would increase the chances of maximizing public health benefits and minimizing the spread of infection to disease-free or lower prevalence areas.

Time Accounting: Continuity and Novelty

The work considers the issue of continuity and novelty of the norms on time accounting. It is noted that the educational literature quite correctly presents an understanding of the standard types of time accounting: daily, weekly, at which the norm of hours per day, the week provided by the legislator, is unchanged. The features of consolidation in the Labor Code of the Russian Federation and previous codes of summed time accounting, which is used in nonstandard distribution of working time, are shown. Attention was paid to the specifics of fixing certain norms on the accounting of working time in the previously existing KZoT and the modern Labor Code of the Russian Federation. Certain inaccuracies made by the legislator during the fourth codification of labor legislation were revealed. In order to eliminate them, it was proposed to allocate a special chapter 17 «Time Accounting» as part of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation with the corresponding content. Conclusions were formulated on the need to improve certain articles of the current Labor Code of the Russian Federation.

Residue fluidized catalytic cracking in lightweight polystyrene concrete: A sustainable construction solution

This study explores the potential of Polystyrene concrete, a globally recognized lightweight concrete, in the context of Vietnam's construction industry. The research incorporates non-hazardous industrial waste, specifically Residue Fluidized Catalytic Cracking (RFCC), as a novel additive in the production of lightweight concrete. The systematic approach involves evaluating different cement types and gradually replacing cement with RFCC to identify an optimal formula for lightweight Polystyrene concrete. The study aligns with global sustainability goals and addresses local gaps by contributing practical insights and solutions to challenges in traditional brick production. The experimental setup utilizes Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) granules, standard cement types (PCB50, PCB40, and PCB30), and super foaming additives. Results indicate the feasibility of replacing up to 10% of cement with RFCC, offering a promising avenue for effective industrial waste management. This research aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and contributes to a more environmentally conscious scientific community.

Assessing Amounts of Genetic Variability in Key Horticultural Traits Underlying Core Korean Breeding Lines of Cut Chrysanthemums.

The cut chrysanthemum holds one of the most substantial segments of the global floriculture market, particularly in Korea. We conducted a detailed assessment of the genetic structures across the cut chrysanthemum breeding lines in Korea. Using standard and spray chrysanthemum breeding lines from leading Korean research institutes, we first compared the variability of 12 horticultural traits, revealing a wide range of variation for most traits. We found that the overall flower diameter (OFD) and ray floret length (RFL) showed a solid positive relationship, regardless of the type. From a multivariate approach, OFD, RFL, and ray floret width (RFW) show consistently high association. Genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation analyses further indicated the significant genetic control over most traits. However, certain traits, like the volume of flowers (VF) in standard types, are more influenced by environments. Lastly, our analysis demonstrated substantial variability in broad-sense heritability (H); plant height (PH) consistently showed high H in both types. But the number of side branches (NOSB) and VF exhibited inconsistent H scores. These findings highlight the need for type-specific breeding strategies and modulating environmental management to optimize the trait expressions depending on the H scores, which offers significant implications for future breeding strategies.

Comparison standards shape everyday judgments of low and high wellbeing in individuals with and without psychopathology: a diary-based investigation.

People can easily rate and express their current levels of wellbeing, but the cognitive foundations for such judgments are poorly understood. We examined whether comparisons to varying standards underlie fluctuating wellbeing judgments within-person (i.e., throughout daily episodes) and between-person (i.e., high vs. low levels of psychopathology). Clinical and non-clinical participants recorded subjective affect for each distinct episode for one week. Participants briefly described current, best, and worst daily episodes, which we coded for presence and type of comparison standard (social, past temporal, criteria-based, counterfactual, prospective temporal, and dimensional). Participants also rated their engagement with these standards and the respective affective impact. During best episodes, participants reported more downward (vs. upward) comparisons that resulted in positive affective impact. In worst episodes, upward (vs. downward) comparisons were more frequent. In best and worst episodes, we most frequently identified past-temporal and criteria-based comparisons, respectively. The clinical group engaged more often with all potential standard types during worst daily episodes and was more negatively affected by comparative thoughts, amid consistently more negative affect levels across all episode types. Our data suggest that judgments of affect and wellbeing may indeed rely on comparative thinking, whereby certain standards may characterize states of negative affect and poor mental health.

International and national service standardization systems

The article provides an overview of the issues of service standardization. The features of international certification are covered. The author examines the types of standardization, as well as what advantages this type of certification provides.