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In the last decade, new algorithmic positioning techniques have been developed for Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). These have brought a new focus on high accuracy applications which do not combine multiple frequencies to remove ionospheric errors (i.e. PPP-RTK, Fast-PPP). Not only do these algorithms focus on improvements in the position domain but also in acquiring the positioning solution as fast as possible. In this work, capabilities of different global ionospheric models are assessed, analyzing both the Ionospheric delay accuracy and the associated model uncertainty. Accurate model uncertainties are crucial for reducing the convergence time in uncombined filters, and to guarantee unbiased convergence in the first place. The assessment is done using an uncombined navigation filter with different ionospheric models: GPS ICA, IGS vTEC (vertical Total Electron Content) maps (IGSG, CODG and UQRG), two realizations of the ESA-UGI (Voxel and Multi-Layer), the Madrigal TEC, and the Spire Global vTEC maps. To quantify the model uncertainties without the use of a reference ionospheric model, global maps of an uncertainty inflation factor are computed to show the inflation required to produce optimal filter convergence. These maps demonstrate that some models are too optimistic in the reporting of their own uncertainty estimates, requiring an uncertainty factor up to 10 times the quoted value. • Testing of ionospheric model using uncombined navigation filter. • Using single frequency PPP for estimating the error of the Ionospheric delay in each model. • Novel methodology using convergence time on PPP to estimate the quality of the uncertainty reported by each model. • Ionopsheric models presented different quality on uncertainties, some of them were too optimistic, degrading the solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Photon and proton treatment of sinonasal cancer patient have different strengths regarding OAR sparing. • Photon and proton treatment of sinonasal cancer is robust towards anatomical variations for both treatment modalities. • Patient selection for either proton or photon treatment of sinonasal cancer should be based on a case-by-case comparison. The aim was to evaluate and compare the dosimetric effect and robustness towards day-to-day anatomical and setup variations in the delivered dose for photon and proton treatments of sinonasal cancer (SNC) patients. Photon (VMAT) and proton (IMPT) plans were optimized retrospectively for 24 SNC patients. Synthetic CTs (synCT) were obtained by deforming the planning CT (pCT) to the anatomy of every daily cone-beam CT. Both VMAT and IMPT plans were recalculated on the synCTs. The recalculated daily dose was accumulated over the whole treatment on the pCT. Target coverage and dose to organs and risk (OARs) were evaluated for all patients for the nominal, daily and accumulated dose distribution. In general, dose to OARs farther away from the target, including brain, chiasm and contralateral optic nerve, was lower for proton plans than photon plans. Whereas, OARs in proximity of the target received a lower dose for photon plans. For proton plans, the target coverage (volume of CTV receiving 95% of prescribed dose), V95%, fell below 99% for 9/24 patients in one or more fractions. For photon plans, 4/24 patients had one or more fractions where V95% fell below 99%. For accumulated doses, V95% was below 99% only in two cases, but above 98% for all patients. Photon and proton treatment have different strengths regarding OAR sparing. The robustness was high for both treatment modalities. Patient selection for either proton or photon radiation therapy of SNC patients should be based on a case-by-case comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionospheric estimation is becoming more and more important for the new multifrequency positioning algorithms, since they can help to improve greatly the convergence time for acquiring a good positioning error. In this paper, an open source tool to estimate precise ionospheric estimates is presented, namely ESA UGI (Unified-GNSS-Ionosphere). The presentation is done jointly with a methodology to test ionospheric model using a modified NeQuick to generate synthetic data. The results with different option of the ESA UGI shows that it has a good performance below 1 TECU (Total Electron Content Units) in vTEC (vertical Total Electron Content) RMS (Root Mean Squared) for European networks, around 2 TECU in a well-covered African region and between 1 and 6 TECU globally with this synthetic data. It shows as well the capability of changing between different ionosphere models (voxel, multilayer and spherical harmonics) and configuration options. Finally, a test with uncombined PPP actual data is presented showing that instantaneous convergence below 30 cm in 3D RMS position error are achievable in a well sounded area in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferromagnetic wires are widely used in microwave technologies. In this work, impedance studies were carried out in a wide range of microwave frequencies (from 0.1 to 20 GHz). By compensating the parameter $\boldsymbol S_{11}$ for the length of the adapter and the holder, it was possible to ensure the inductive nature of the wire impedance up to the frequency of 14 GHz. As a result, the wire response was described as a lossy inductance, and the inductive resistance of which changes by the $\Delta {X}$ value and the active resistance by $\Delta $ R value under the influence of an external constant magnetic field. We were able to approximate $\Delta $ X and $\Delta $ R changes with the real and imaginary parts of the diagonal component of the magnetic susceptibility tensor, obtained from the Landau–Lifshitz equation with a Gilbert damping term for ferromagnetic resonance (FMR), and determine the FMR parameters in the microwave region. It was also possible to separate the FMR region from the region of such microwave absorption phenomena as magnetoimpedance. An optimized system based on the vector network analyzer ZVA-67 was designed and tested. It allowed to determine experimentally the parameters of magnetoimpedance and FMR of the electroplated FeCoNi/CuBe and rapidly quenched CoFeSiB amorphous wires measured by the same device and in the same configuration in a single-frequency scan. A prototype of the magnetic field sensor has been proposed and tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To analyse changes in post-neoadjuvant follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) staging accuracy for malignant adenopathies in rectal cancer, by comparing size criteria with morphological criteria using high-resolution T2-weighted sequences, as well as variations when adding diffusion-weighted imaging.Methods and Materials: The present study was a cross-sectional study of a database including 46 1.5-T MRI examinations (2011-2016) from patients with biopsy-proven rectal cancer and chemoradiotherapy treatment before surgery. All cases were reviewed by three radiologists individually, who were blinded to any clinical information. The radiologists were experienced in rectal cancer (3-6 years) and evaluated the presence of malignant nodes in each patient. Malignancy was determined using morphological, size (5 mm), and diffusion criteria separately, as well as morphology plus diffusion. Each case was assessed four times: (1) evaluation of morphological criteria; (2) size criteria; (3) evaluation only using diffusion (b-values 50, 400, and 800); and (4) diffusion plus morphological criteria. Histological staging of surgical specimens was the reference standard. Statistical analysis included accuracy (area under the receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curve [AUC]), sensitivity, specificity, and positive/negative predictive values (PPV/NPV) for each radiologist, and group agreement (Fleiss' kappa).Results: Mean values using morphological criteria were: AUC 0.78, sensitivity 77.7%, specificity 73.8%, PPV 66.1%, NPV 85.2%. Using size criterion: AUC 0.75, sensitivity 62.9%, specificity 83.2%, PPV 74.1%, NPV 80%. Added diffusion yielded no improvement, and yielded worse results by itself.Conclusions: Although morphological criteria showed better results in accuracy, sensitivity, and NPV, size criterion yielded the best specificity and PPV. Adding diffusion did not demonstrate a clear advantage over the criteria by themselves. Thus, mixed size-morphology criteria could have the greatest diagnostic value for follow-up N-staging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, Bi 4 Ge 3 O 12 doped with Eu3+ was investigated experimentally and theoretically. The synthesis of several samples with different Eu3+ concentrations was carried out by the polymeric precursor method. Photoluminescence spectroscopy was performed, and it shows the typical electronic transitions of Eu3+. FTIR interpretation of samples allows us to infer that Eu3+ substitutes not only Bi3+ but also Ge4+. This interpretation was corroborated by ab initio calculations as both substitutions were found to be thermodynamically stable. Eu3+ naturally takes on the Bi3+ sites, producing ferromagnetic alignment; but when Eu3+ takes on the Ge4+ sites the alignment becomes antiferromagnetic. Since rare earth elements are particularly important in modifying the magnetic and luminescent properties of host materials, our findings open a new way to give a bi-functionality to the Bi 4 Ge 3 O 12 material through selective doping. [Display omitted] • The Eu3+ can be incorporated into Bi3+ and Ge4+ sites. • A ferromagnetic alignment was found at all Eu3+ percentages. • When Ge4+ is substituted by Eu3+, the magnetic alignment becomes antiferromagnetic. • Eu3+ in Bi3+ or Ge4+ sites control optical and magnetic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During embryonic development, spatial and temporal patterns of mechanical forces help to transform unstructured groups of cells into complex, functional tissue architectures. Here, we review emerging approaches to manipulate these patterns of forces to investigate the mechanical mechanisms that shape multicellular tissues, with a focus on recent experimental studies of epithelial tissue sheets in the embryo of the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Masa was prepared by mixing 63.0 g of commercial nixtamalized corn flour and 37.0 g of water, and subjected to large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) for assessing nonlinear viscoelasticity. Fourier decomposition of the stress time response was conducted to extract information on nonlinearities. The results showed that nonlinearities were expressed for large deformations higher than 1%. In contrast, the mechanical response was essentially harmonic for small amplitude values, indicating the absence of nonlinearities and hence the dominance of linear viscoelastic response. In particular, nonlinearities quantified in terms of the harmonic contributions were stronger for the elastic response (about 75–100%) than for the viscous response (less than 70%). The results illustrated the viability of LAOS method for characterizing the nonlinear mechanical response of masa made with nixtamalized corn flour. • Large-amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) was used for characterizing corn masa. • Masa exhibited nonlinear viscoelasticity for deformations larger than 1%. • Nonlinear resonance leads to strain stiffness for moderate amplitudes of 20–30%. • Harmonic deformations accounted for about 50% of the masa viscoelasticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new circuit-field coupling methodology for a single-phase transformer connected to a half-wave rectifier is presented. The rectifier is composed of switched electronic devices (EDs) which can be modeled through a piecewise-linear approximation technique. The modified nodal analysis (MNA) is used to solve the circuit where the EDs are represented with stamps that are systematically incorporated into the system of differential equations. The transformer is modeled using a 2-D finite-element (FE) approach, leading to a coupled circuit-field system, which is solved using proprietary software. The system is also implemented experimentally using an xPC-Target data acquisition system, showing close correspondence with simulation results. Thus, this paper provides the basis for implementing multi-level power converters connected to transformers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this work chili seeds (Capsicum annuum) were used as raw material in the synthesis of biochar at temperatures between 400 and 600 °C. The samples were chemically, texturally and morphologically characterized and their properties were correlated with the calcination temperature. The adsorption mechanism of IBP was elucidated by analyzing the effect of solution pH, ionic strength and temperature, whereas that, the intraparticle diffusion mechanism was clarified through the application of a 3D diffusional model. The results evidenced that raising the pyrolysis temperature promotes a greater content of disordered graphitic carbon (51.6–85.02%) with small surface area (0.52–0.18 m2/g) and low quantity of functional groups. The adsorption study demonstrated that the biochar synthesized at 600 °C (C600) enhances the adsorption capacity >50 folds compared with chili seeds. Moreover, at pH = 7 the adsorption mechanism is governed by π-acceptor and attractive electrostatic interactions, whereas at basic pH the main adsorption mechanism is π-acceptor. Additionally, hydrophobic interactions become important by increasing the presence of NaCl. The application of 3D diffusional model based on surface diffusion interpreted clearly the kinetic curves obtaining values of D s ranging from 2.31 × 10−8–2.51 × 10−8 cm2 s−1. Besides, it was determined that intraparticle mass flux is larger along the shortest axis of the seed, and always directed toward the particle center. The maximum mass flux takes place in the center of particle, and it advances like a moving front as time was increased. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Biochar derived from chili seeds was obtained at several calcination temperatures. • Biochar presented an adsorption capacity 50 folds greater than chili seed to remove IBP. • The overall adsorption rate f IBP on biochar is controlled by intraparticle diffusion. • Surface diffusion coefficient of IBP on biochar ranged from 2.31 × 10−8-2.51 × 10−8 cm2 s−1. • Electrostatic forces and π-acceptor interactions are involved during IBP adsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which investigated an aluminum compound intrinsic epitaxial layers in the indirect band gap region using low-temperature photoluminescence. Methods; Results; Discussion.

Discusses the preparation of highly piezoelectric films of poly (α-isobutyl-L-aspartate) from a solution in chloroform which was allowed to evaporate in a 2600-V/cm electric field, with the field direction parallel to the casting surface. Description of the resulting oriented film; Materials and method; Characteristic of liquid crystals.

Summary: A novel controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) using FibroScan® has been developed for assessment of liver steatosis. The aim was to evaluate the frequency and associated factors for moderate/severe steatosis evaluated by CAP in CHC patients submitted to transient elastography (TE) by FibroScan®. CHC patients underwent TE with CAP evaluation. The classification of steatosis was defined as: CAP < 222 dB/m  =  S0; CAP ≥ 222 dB/m and <233dB/m  =  S1; ≥233 dB/m < 290dB/m  =  S2 and >= 290 dB/m  =  S3. The prevalence of moderate/severe steatosis (CAP ≥ S2) and the related independent factors were identified by a logistic regression analysis. A significance level of 5% was adopted. 1104 CHC patients, 85% genotype‐1 were included (mean age 55 ± 11 years; 46% male, mean BMI 25 ± 4 Kg/m2). Systemic arterial hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus prevalences were 39% and 17%, respectively. Liver stiffness measurement ≥ 9.5 kPa was observed in 39% of patients and steatosis was identified in 50% (S1 = 7%, S2 = 28% and S3 = 15%). The variables independently associated with moderate/severe steatosis were: male gender (OR=1.35; P = .037; 95% CI:1.01‐1.81); systemic arterial hypertension (OR=1.57; P = .002; 95% CI:1.17‐2.10) and BMI (OR=1.17; P < .01;95% CI:1.12‐1.22). In conclusion, when CAP was adopted as a tool to detect steatosis, genotype 1 CHC patients presented a high prevalence of moderate/advanced steatosis. In these patients, liver steatosis was associated mostly to metabolic factors (arterial hypertension and high BMI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Onychomycosis is the most common nail disease caused by dermatophytic fungus, non-dermatophytic molds or yeasts. It is an infection that continues to increase due to various factors such as chronic degenerative diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the etiologic diversity of onychomycosis in Mexican patients with chronic-degenerative diseases. The research was performed in 51 adult outpatient of a second level hospital in the city of Puebla, Mexico. Isolation and fungal identification were executed by using conventional methods (Microculture, Auxacolor, CHROMagar-Candida). All patients had onychomycosis on the toenails. Type 2 diabetes mellitus was the most common chronic degenerative disease. According to the richness and abundance of organisms, we found: Candida albicans 17% (9), Candida glabrata 6% (3), Trichophyton mentagrophytes 8% (4), Trichophyton rubrum 4% (2), Trychophyton tonsurans 6% (3), Microsporum canis 6% (3), Scopulariopsis brevicaulis 12% (6), Fusarium solani 19% (10), Penicillium sp. 8% (4) and Aspergillus flavus 14% (7). A high percentage of non-dermatophyte filamentous fungi isolates was obtained indicating the importance of these fungi as causal agents of onychomycosis in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epithelial cell rearrangements and cell shape changes are fundamental mechanisms by which cells build and shape elaborate and diverse tissue architectures from simple tissue sheets. These cell behaviors are regulated by a complex interplay between physical and biochemical mechanisms, many of which have been uncovered in recent studies in Drosophila. While the regulation of these cell behaviors is still under investigation, emerging technologies are being used to gain experimental control over these behaviors, opening new possibilities for designing and engineering tissue structures. Analysis of the biophysical mechanisms governing cell shape and movement will be crucial for understanding morphogenesis and for harnessing this knowledge to build tissues of precise shapes and structures for basic science and engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The surgical management of rectal cancer has evolved from a disease without any possibility of cure in the early 1700s where surgical management consisted of the palliative drainage of disease related abscesses to the present day where surgical cure is not only possible but also possible with sphincter or even organ preservation. Prof Habr‐Gama's lecture describes the evolution of the surgical management of rectal cancer and the current focus on organ preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim: The study aim was to evaluate the potential of 405‐nm light as a virus intervention for blueberries. Methods and Results: Tulane virus (TV)‐inoculated blueberries were treated with 4·2 mW cm−2 of 405‐nm light for 5–30 min. To mitigate thermal heating due to the intense light, a dry ice‐chilled, nitrogen‐based cooling system was utilized. Blueberries were rotated to ensure exposure of all surfaces to 405‐nm light. Five‐, 15‐ and 30‐min treatments resulted in little or no inactivation of TV on blueberries (average log reductions of −0·18; −0·02; and +0·06 respectively). Since 405‐nm light's inactivation mechanism may involve singlet oxygen, two singlet oxygen enhancers, riboflavin and rose bengal, were used to coat the blueberries prior to 405‐nm light treatment. When 0·1% riboflavin or rose bengal was added, resulting in an average PFU reduction of −0·51 and −1·01 logs respectively. However, it was noted that the addition of riboflavin and rose bengal in the absence of 405‐nm light treatment produced some inactivation. Average untreated log reductions for riboflavin and rose bengal were −0·13 and −0·66 respectively. Also, 60–30‐s 405‐nm light pulses with 2‐min ambient cooling periods without the dry ice nitrogen cooling system did not inactivate TV, suggesting that oxygen limitation by the nitrogen CO2 mixture was not the cause of limited inactivation. Conclusions: Overall results indicate that 405‐nm light has some potential to inactivate viruses if singlet oxygen enhancers are present. Significance and Impact of the Study: The potential of visible monochromatic violet/blue light (405 nm) as a nonthermal intervention for viruses on foods, such as berries that are prone to norovirus contamination, had not been previously evaluated. Use of food‐grade singlet oxygen enhancer compounds in combination with visible spectra light may offer a means to inactivate foodborne viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increasingly recognized importance of the tumor microenvironment (TME) as a regulator of tumor progression, only few in vitro models have been developed to systematically study the effects of TME on tumor behavior in a controlled manner. Here we developed a three-dimensional (3D) in vitro model that recapitulates the physical and compositional characteristics of Glioblastoma (GBM) extracellular matrix (ECM) and incorporates brain stromal cells such as astrocytes and endothelial cell precursors. The model was used to evaluate the effect of TME components on migration and survival of various patient-derived GBM cell lines (GBM10, GBM43 and GBAM1) in the context of STAT3 inhibition. Migration analysis of GBM within the 3D in vitro model demonstrated that the presence of astrocytes significantly increases the migration of GBM, while presence of endothelial precursors has varied effects on the migration of different GBM cell lines. Given the role of the tumor microenvironment as a regulator of STAT3 activity, we tested the effect of the STAT3 inhibitor SH-4-54 on GBM migration and survival. SH-4-54 inhibited STAT3 activity and reduced 3D migration and survival of GBM43 but had no effect on GBM10. SH-4-54 treatment drastically reduced the viability of the stem-like line GBAM1 in liquid culture, but its effect lessened in presence of a 3D ECM and stromal cells. Our results highlight the interplay between the ECM and stromal cells in the microenvironment with the cancer cells and indicate that the impact of these relationships may differ for GBM cells of varying genetic and clinical histories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work the overall adsorption rate of acetaminophen on activated carbon pellets (ACP) was analyzed in deep. The concentration decay curves were interpreted by a 3D diffusional model because the intraparticle diffusion of acetaminophen inside ACP in radial and axial directions are important in this form of activated carbon. The 3D diffusional model considers the external mass transfer, intraparticle diffusion (pore volume and surface diffusion) and the adsorption on an active site. The results demonstrated that the application of 3D diffusional model based on pore volume diffusion interprets clearly the kinetic curves, however values of effective diffusion coefficient (D ep ) higher than molecular diffusivity are obtained indicating superdiffusion phenomenon. On the other hand, the application of a general diffusion model evidenced that during the whole time interval, the acetaminophen diffuses consecutively by surface diffusion followed by pore volume diffusion. In short times the surface flux is higher than the pore volume flux, but at higher intervals of time, the relevance of both fluxes reverts. Finally, from 3D simulation it is clear that at longer times, the solute mainly enters from the solution through the pellet borders, and acetaminophen desorption signs are even evident at the center of the pellet covers, due to the inverse concentration gradient established between the pellet and the solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To evaluate the effect of depth of insertion of an irrigation needle tip on the removal of hard-tissue debris using micro-computed tomographic (micro- CT) imaging. Methodology Twenty isthmus-containing mesial roots of mandibular molars were anatomically matched based on similar morphological dimensions using micro- CT evaluation and assigned to two groups ( n = 10), according to the depth of the irrigation needle tip during biomechanical preparation: 1 or 5 mm short of the working length ( WL). The preparation was performed with Reciproc R25 file (tip size 25, .08 taper) and 5.25% Na OCl as irrigant. The final rinse was 17% EDTA followed by bidistilled water. Then, specimens were scanned again, and the matched images of the canals, before and after preparation, were examined to quantify the amount of hard-tissue debris, expressed as the percentage volume of the initial root canal volume. Data were compared statistically using the Mann-Whitney U-test. Results None of the tested needle insertion depths yielded root canals completely free from hard-tissue debris. The insertion depth exerted a significant influence on debris removal, with a significant reduction in the percentage volume of hard-tissue debris when the needle was inserted 1 mm short of the WL ( P < 0.05). Conclusions The insertion depth of irrigation needles significantly influenced the removal of hard-tissue debris. A needle tip positioned 1 mm short of the WL resulted in percentage levels of hard-tissue debris removal almost three times higher than when positioned 5 mm from the WL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A strong circuit-field coupling technique that can analyze multiple magnetic field systems (2-D Cartesian and axisymmetric) is adapted to study power transformers. The technique is based on finite-element (FE) and modified nodal analyses, leading to a multi-field system approach that can effectively take account of the 3-D magnetic field existing inside and outside the transformer core. Hence, cumbersome 3-D FE simulations are circumvented, overcoming high computational costs. A 2-D Cartesian FE model is set up to represent the cross section of the transformer core and its three-phase winding, whereas an axisymmetric representation is employed for the end sections of each set of windings (one per phase). All models and their associated circuit systems are simultaneously solved, providing a circuit-field method that is easy to implement at low computational cost, keeping the well-known advantages of 2-D FE modeling. Electrical currents and local values of magnetic flux density are calculated for two limiting conditions: rated load and short-circuit operation. Our approach shows a remarkably small difference (no higher than 1%) with a full 3-D FE model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To evaluate, using a novel micro- CT approach, the solubility and dimensional changes of an MTA-based sealer inside the root canal system after a solubility challenge. The MTA-based material ( MTA Fillapex) was compared to a gold standard epoxy-based endodontic sealer ( AH Plus). Methodology Ten human mandibular premolars with a single canal were divided randomly into two groups ( n = 5) according to the sealer used. The canals were instrumented using the Reciproc System ( VDW) with a R40 file and filled with R40 gutta-percha cones and one of the sealers. The filled canals were immediately scanned in a micro- CT, and after that, the teeth were immersed in 20 mL phosphate-buffered saline ( PBS) at 37 °C for 7 days, when they were removed and rescanned. Final image stacks were registered against the initial stacks and the numerical difference between the initial and final volume of the filling material was obtained. Calculations were performed to identify dimensional changes of the filling material. All image stacks were 3D rendered to disclose areas of dislocation of the filling material inside or outside the root canal. The Shapiro-Wilk's test revealed that data were normally distributed; thus, the Student's t-test was used to detect statistically significant changes, assuming a 5% α-error. Results No significant changes were seen for the percentage volume of material lost after the solubility challenge for both AH Plus and MTA Fillapex groups (1.44% and 1.16%, respectively). A significant difference was, however, found for the volume of filling material which revealed dimensional changes after the solubility test (6.68% for MTA Fillapex and 1.09% for AH Plus). In fact, observation of 3D models disclosed that MTA Fillapex was associated with material extrusion through the foramen in all but one sample. In AH Plus filled samples, no material extrusion was detected. Conclusions Although the solubility of both sealers was similar using this novel micro- CT approach, MTA Fillapex was associated with significant dimensional changes related to material extrusion through the apex after PBS storage compared to AH Plus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural response of hypersonic aircraft panels is a multi-disciplinary problem, where the nonlinear structural dynamics, aerodynamics, and heat transfer models are coupled. A clear understanding of the impact of high-speed flow effects on the structural response, and the potential influence of the structure on the local environment, is needed in order to prevent the design of overly-conservative structures, a common problem in past hypersonic programs. The current work investigates these challenges from a structures perspective. To this end, the first part of this investigation looks at the modeling of the response of a rectangular panel to an external heating source (thermo-structural coupling) where the temperature effect on the structure is obtained from forward looking infrared (FLIR) measurements and the displacement via 3D-digital image correlation (DIC). The second part of the study uses data from a previous series of wind-tunnel experiments, performed to investigate the response of a compliant panel to the effects of high-speed flow, to train a pressure surrogate model. In this case, the panel aero-loading is obtained from fast-response pressure sensitive paint (PSP) measurements, both directly and from the pressure surrogate model. The result of this investigation is the use of full-field experimental measurements to update the structural model and train a computational efficient model of the loading environment. The use of reduced order models, informed by these full-field physical measurements, is a significant step toward the development of accurate simulation models of complex structures that are computationally tractable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnTiO 3 and CdS + ZnTiO 3 nanoparticulate composite films were deposited at room temperature onto glass substrates using the radio frequency sputtering process. The composite films were grown by employing a target prepared with commercial high purity CdS powder and ZnTiO 3 nanopowder at CdS/ZnTiO 3 ratio of 1/4. Subsequently, annealing of the as-deposited layers was performed at 300 °C and 500 °C in open atmosphere. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and UV–Vis, Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopies. Results show that the zinc titanate nanoparticles in ZnTiO 3 and CdS + ZnTiO 3 films exhibit mainly cubic phase of ZnTiO 3 , where the hexagonal phase is also present in a minor proportion. The observed CdS quantum dots grow in hexagonal phase. The photocatalytic activity (PA) was tested by means of the degradation of methylene blue (MB) measurements. The bi-component CdS-ZnTiO 3 nanocomposite film annealed at 300 °C exhibits superior MB degradation than CdS + ZnTiO 3 annealed at 500 °C and pure ZnTiO 3 , which is due to an adequate coupling of the energy band gap of both materials. This coupling promotes an efficient separation of photo-generated electron-hole pairs between CdS + ZnTiO 3 . A discussion about the different PA in the composites studied is included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fractional-order controller with a P I α structure is proposed for controlling the position of the electrodes of an electric arc furnace (EAF). The dynamics of one of the electrodes of an industrial EAF process was experimentally identified yielding an equivalent fourth order plus time delay transfer function which showed strong plant parameter variations and measured and unmeasured disturbances. A new methodology for the design of fractional-order robust controllers for this system has been proposed. It was shown that the attained controllers significantly outperformed the robustness achieved with PI and PID controllers while adding only moderate complexity to the control structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: As part of an approach to improve tumour regression and increase the proportion of patients with complete clinical and radiological response, Dr Perez reviews the methods and evidence base for augmenting therapy and thus augmenting response rates preoperatively. Much of the data reviewed were in the context of patients undergoing a watch‐and‐wait approach for rectal cancer after initial treatment with chemoradiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human leukocyte antigen ( HLA)- A1 is one of the most common Caucasian HLA-A alleles. Here, we describe the comprehensive analysis of the HLA-A*01:01 ligand repertoire with the identification of 4735 naturally processed and presented peptides derived from 2477 source proteins. We found HLA-A*01:01 bound an equivalent number of ligands of 9 or 10 amino acids in length as well as being remarkably tolerant of even longer peptides. Indeed close to half of the HLA-A1 bound peptides identified ranged between 11 and 13 amino acids in length. These longer peptides contained the strong canonical motif of and acidic E/D residue at position 3 ( P3) and Y at the C-terminus (CΩ), a motif that was still apparent in peptides of up to 18 amino acids in length. The identification of this large database of natural ligands will facilitate the refinement of predictive algorithms particularly with respect to longer peptide ligands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents design improvements to lower the temperature in the clamping bolt (CB), in a single-phase extra-high-voltage (EHV) shunt reactor. Laboratory temperature measurements, under overload and nominal load conditions, were performed in the middle of the two top main air gaps inside one of the slots drilled in the CB using commercial fiber-optic temperature sensors. 3-D finite-element (FE) simulations were performed to calculate fringing losses in the CB. Subsequently, the fringing losses were employed as a heat source for static-steady thermal analysis using 3-D FE simulations. Convective heat-transfer coefficients were selected with a methodology that leads to a close match between measured and simulated temperatures. Two practical design enhancements to diminish temperatures in the CB are analyzed using measured and simulated data. These alternatives improve design and reduce potential failures and, hence, increase the EHV shunt reactor lifetime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients "capable" of dealing with extra costs associated with the experimental prophylactic HIPEC arm are more likely to have been "better" candidates (clinically, nutritionally, etc.) than patients in whom such financial burden was significant, and therefore declined such treatment alternative. Cytoreductive surgery with or without hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy has become a valid alternative for the treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis in selected patients with colorectal cancer. [Extracted from the article]

The proton detector (PD) measures 3 MeV proton yield distributions from deuterium-deuterium fusion reactions within the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak (MAST). The PD's compact four-channel system of collimated and individually oriented silicon detectors probes different regions of the plasma, detecting protons (with gyro radii large enough to be unconfined) leaving the plasma on curved trajectories during neutral beam injection. From first PD data obtained during plasma operation in 2013, proton production rates (up to several hundred kHz and 1 ms time resolution) during sawtooth events were compared to the corresponding MAST neutron camera data. Fitted proton emission profiles in the poloidal plane demonstrate the capabilities of this new system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Molecular imaging using positron emission tomography/computerized tomography (PET/CT) may add relevant incremental diagnostic information to standard structural cross-sectional imaging. Such information may allow identification of patients with rectal cancer that are more likely to develop complete tumor regression after neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (CRT). The objective of this report was to identify PET/CT features that are associated with a complete response after CRT. Methods: 99 cT2-4N0-2M0 distal rectal cancer patients (≤7 cm from anal verge) were included in this prospective single center trial (NCT 00254683). Patients underwent baseline PET/CT followed by 54 Gy and 5-fluorouracil-based neoadjuvant CRT. After completion of therapy, patients underwent 6- and 12-week PET/CT. Clinical assessment of tumor response was performed at 12 weeks and was blinded to radiological information. Patients were treated according to clinical assessment. Results: There were seven patients with a complete pathological response (pCR) and 16 with a complete clinical response (cCR) (23 complete responders). Comparison of pCR exclusively and non-pCR revealed that only baseline primary tumor standard uptake value (SUV) was a significant predictor of response. Comparison of complete responders (pCR or cCR) and non-complete responders showed that depth of rectal wall uptake at baseline PET/CT ( p = 0.002) and variation between baseline and 12-week maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) of primary tumor ( p = 0.001) were independent predictors for complete response at multivariate analysis. A decrease >67 % between baseline and 6-week or 76 % between baseline and 12-week SUVmax were associated with complete response (pCR or cCR; p = 0.02 and p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Positron emission tomography/computerized tomography at baseline, 6 and 12 weeks, may provide information regarding patients with a higher likelihood of developing complete tumor regression following neoadjuvant CRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper describes the formulation and development of a mathematical model for high-performance robust controller design techniques, based on a complete identification for control procedure, of an irrigation main canal pool (true plant), which is characterized by the exhibition of large variations in its dynamic parameters when the discharge regime changes in the operating range [Q min , Q max ]. Real-time field data has been used. Four basic steps of the proposed procedure have been defined in which all the stages, from the design of the experiments to the model validation, are considered. This procedure not only delivers a nominal model of the true plant, but also a reliable estimate of its model uncertainty region bounded by the true plant models under minimum and maximum operating discharge regimes (limit operating models). The model uncertainty set, defined by the nominal model and its uncertainty region, is characterized by its being as tight as possible to the true irrigation main canal pool. The obtained results are very promising since this kind of models facilitates the design of robust controllers, which allow improving the operability of irrigation main canal pools and also substantially reduce water losses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We read with great interest the systematic review with meta-analysis about the role of albumin administration in cirrhotic patients with infections unrelated to spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) by Leao I et al i .1 The authors evaluated the results of three studies and concluded that there was no evidence to support the administration of albumin to non-SBP infections in cirrhotic patients. Probably, severe non-SBP infections are as deleterious to circulatory function as SPB, and the severity of the infection could be a more important trigger to circulatory dysfunction than the type of infection. [Extracted from the article]

Aim Inguinal nodes may be a possible route for lymphatic spread in patients with distal rectal cancer. The outcome was examined for patients with distal rectal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiation ( CRT) and having 2-fluorine-18-fluoro-2-deoxy- d-glucose ( FDG)-avid inguinal nodes using positron emission tomography/computed tomography ( PET/ CT) imaging. Method Ninety-nine consecutive patients with cT2-4N0-2M0 distal rectal adenocarcinoma were enrolled in a clinical trial ( NCT00254683) and underwent baseline PET/ CT followed by 54 Gy and 5-fluorouracil-based CRT. After CRT, patients underwent 6- and 12-week PET/ CT. Patients with positive inguinal node uptake were compared with patients with negative uptake. The inguinal region was not included in the field of radiation therapy. Results Seventeen (17%) patients had baseline positive inguinal node FDG uptake. They were more likely to have the tumour closer to the anal verge (2.0 vs 4.2 cm; P = 0.001). Of these, eight (47%) demonstrated a positive inguinal uptake at PET/ CT after 12 weeks from CRT. Patients with inguinal node FDG uptake after CRT (positive PET at baseline and 12 weeks) had a significantly worse 3-year overall and disease-free survival ( P = 0.02 and P = 0.03). After a median follow-up period of 22 months, none of these patients had developed inguinal recurrence. Conclusion Uptake of inguinal nodes at PET/ CT may be present in up to 17% of patients with distal rectal cancer, particularly with ultra-low tumours. Nearly half of these nodes no longer show uptake after CRT despite the groin area not being included in the radiation field. Persistence of inguinal node uptake 12 weeks after CRT completion may be a marker for worse oncological outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: By means of the sol–gel growth technique undoped (CdO)1−x –(InO3/2) x thin films were prepared in the entire 0≤x≤1 range. The values of x studied were 0.0, 0.16, 0.33, 0.50, 0.67, 0.84 and 1. X-ray diffraction measurements showed that the films were mainly composed of CdO, In2O3, and CdIn2O4. CdO and In2O3 were obtained for x=0 and 1, respectively, and for x=0.67, which is the stoichiometric composition of the CdIn2O4 compound, only this oxide was formed. CdO and CdIn2O4 crystals were obtained in the Cd-rich region, whereas In2O3 and CdIn2O4 crystals were formed in the In-rich region. X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, UV–vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) measurements were carried out at room temperature for the material characterization. At x=0, i.e. for CdO, PL showed the presence of three main emission bands centered at energies 2.0, and 2.3 and 2.9eV. Even with the fact that films do not form a continuous solid solution of CdO and In2O3 in all the 0≤x≤1 range studied, the material seems to have a graded evolution of these three bands observed in CdO as x moves from 0 to 1, that is from CdO to In2O3. The band at 2.0eV has a red shift when x increases; on the contrary, a blue-shift of the bands at 2.3 and 2.9eV takes place for increasing In concentration, which is related to the increase in the band-gap energy of the mixed system. Actually, this work is a continuation of a previous report of PL at low temperatures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aim The study aimed to determine the value of postchemoradiation biopsies, performed after significant tumour downsizing following neoadjuvant therapy, in predicting complete tumour regression in patients with distal rectal cancer. Method A retrospective comparative study was performed in patients with rectal cancer who achieved an incomplete clinical response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Patients with significant tumour downsizing (> 30% of the initial tumour size) were compared with controls (< 30% reduction of the initial tumour size). During flexible proctoscopy carried out postchemoradiation, biopsies were performed using 3-mm biopsy forceps. The biopsy results were compared with the histopathological findings of the resected specimen. UICC (Union for International Cancer Control) ypTNM classification, tumour differentiation and regression grade were evaluated. The main outcome measures were sensitivity and specificity, negative and positive predictive values, and accuracy of a simple forceps biopsy for predicting pathological response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Results Of the 172 patients, 112 were considered to have had an incomplete clinical response and were included in the study. Thirty-nine patients achieved significant tumour downsizing and underwent postchemoradiation biopsies. Overall, 53 biopsies were carried out. Of the 39 patients who achieved significant tumour downsizing, the biopsy result was positive in 25 and negative in 14. Only three of the patients with a negative biopsy result were found to have had a complete pathological response (giving a negative predictive value of 21%). Considering all biopsies performed, only three of 28 negative biopsies were true negatives, giving a negative predictive value of 11%. Conclusion In patients with distal rectal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiation, post-treatment biopsies are of limited clinical value in ruling out persisting cancer. A negative biopsy result after a near-complete clinical response should not be considered sufficient for avoiding a radical resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the synthesis of radiation patterns using antenna arrays with thousands of elements, the combination of direct methods with non-stochastic optimization can be more efficient than stochastic optimization. Here we describe an efficient method for the synthesis of footprint patterns that combines Hankel transformation with Fourier analysis following angle-dependent homothesis (i.e., radial stretching and/or shrinking) of an axisymmetric Elliott-Stern pattern for a circular aperture. The new method can in principle be applied to arrays of radiating elements with arbitrary locations and element patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Background The increasing incidence of Clostridium difficile ( C. difficile) infection ( CDI) among patients with inflammatory bowel disease is well recognised. However, most studies have focused on demonstrating that CDI is associated with adverse outcomes in IBD patients. Few have attempted to identify predictors of severe outcomes associated with CDI among IBD patients. Aim To identify clinical and laboratory factors that predict severe outcomes associated with CDI in IBD patients. Methods From a multi-institution EMR database, we identified all hospitalised patients with at least one diagnosis code for C. difficile from among those with a diagnosis of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Our primary outcome was time to total colectomy or death with follow-up censored at 180 days after CDI. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify predictors of the primary outcome from among demographic, disease-related, laboratory and medication variables. Results A total of 294 patients with CDI- IBD were included in our study. Of these, 58 patients (20%) met our primary outcome (45 deaths, 13 colectomy) at a median of 31 days. On multivariate analysis, serum albumin <3 g/dL ( HR 5.75, 95% CI 1.34-24.56), haemoglobin below 9 g/dL ( HR 5.29, 95% CI 1.58-17.69) and creatinine above 1.5 mg/dL ( HR 1.98, 95% CI 1.04-3.79) were independent predictors of our primary outcome. Examining laboratory parameters as continuous variables or shortening our primary outcome to include events within 90 days yielded similar results. Conclusion Serum albumin below 3 g/dL, haemoglobin below 9 g/dL and serum creatinine above 1.5 mg/dL were independent predictors of severe outcomes in hospitalised IBD patients with Clostridium difficile infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new method is proposed with which to design a class of robust fractional order controllers – which we denote as FPI controllers since they can be regarded as a generalization of standard PI controllers – for the effective control of water distribution in irrigation main canal pools characterized by time-varying dynamical parameters. The closed loop behavior of the nominal plant is defined by using frequency specifications, which are combined with an optimization procedure that minimizes the IAE (Integral of Absolute Error) – a cost related to the closed loop time response specifications – in the whole range of plant parameter variations. Interest in such robust fractional order controllers is justified by the fact that dynamical parameters of irrigation main canal pools may change drastically according to their operational regimes. Equivalent FPI, PI and PID controllers – in the sense of their exhibiting the same closed loop dynamics for the nominal plant specifications – were simulated for several working conditions, and their behaviors were compared. Additional issues, such as noise rejection or robustness to unmodelled high frequency dynamics have also been considered. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The focus of this investigation is on the development and validation of thermoelastic reduced-order models for the geometrically nonlinear response and temperature of heated structures. The reduced-order modeling approach is based on a modal-type expansion of both displacements and temperatures in the undeformed, unheated configuration. A set of coupled nonlinear differential equations governing the time-varying generalized coordinates of the response and temperature expansion are derived from finite thermoelasticity using a Galerkin approach. Furthermore, the selection of the basis functions to be used in these reduced-order models is discussed, and the numerical evaluation of the model coefficients is addressed. This approach is first validated on an isotropic beam subjected to both thermal effects and external loads. The thermal effects are large enough to induce a significant buckling of the panel, while the time-varying loads lead to snap-throughs ranging in frequency from infrequent to continuous. Validation to a functionally graded material panel in similar conditions is then performed. In both cases, the reduced-order modeling predicted temperatures and responses are found to very closely match their full finite element counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Management of rectal cancer has become increasingly complex and a multidisciplinary approach is considered of key importance for improving outcomes. A national survey among specialists involved in this multidisciplinary setting was performed. Methods: A web-based survey containing 11 questions regarding rectal cancer management was sent to surgeons and medical oncologists registered by their corresponding societies as members. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square and Fisher's exact tests for all categorical variables according to response to individual questions. Multivariate analysis was performed using Cox's logistic regression. Results: Overall, 418 email recipients responded the survey. Local staging was performed without either magnetic resonance imaging or endorectal ultrasound by 64% of responders. Seventy-two percent considered that final management decision should be made after neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy. Additionally, 46% considered that an alternative procedure (local excision or observation) was appropriate in a patient with a complete clinical response. Colorectal surgeons were more frequently in favor of longer intervals after completion of chemoradiation therapy ( P = 0.001) and of alternative management procedures after a complete clinical response ( P = 0.02). After multivariate analysis, the choice of a watch and wait approach after a complete clinical response following neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy was significantly more frequent among surgeons (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.8-7.1). Conclusions: Surgeons seem to be more in favor of tailoring management of rectal cancer according to tumor response after neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy, with longer intervals after chemoradiation therapy, decisions about treatment strategy being made after chemoradiation therapy instead of before, and the use of alternative surgical procedures after a complete clinical response following neoadjuvant therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: (CdO)1−x –(InO3/2) x thin films were deposited on glass substrates by the sol–gel method. The precursor solutions for the mixed oxide films were obtained from the mixture of the precursor solutions for CdO and In2O3 prepared separately. The investigated In atomic concentrations in the solution, x, were 0.0, 0.16, 0.33, 0.50, 0.67, 0.84, and 1. X-ray diffraction measurements showed that the films were mainly constituted of CdO, In2O3, and CdIn2O4. CdO and In2O3 were obtained for x=0 and 1, respectively. For x=0.67, which is the stoichiometric composition of the CdIn2O4 compound, only this oxide was formed. CdO and CdIn2O4 crystals were obtained in the Cd-rich region, whereas In2O3 and CdIn2O4 crystals were formed in the In-rich region. The PL spectra at 15K for CdO showed the presence of two main emission bands at energies close to 2.2 and 3.0eV. A blue-shift of these bands took place for increasing In concentration, which is related to the increase in the band gap energy of the mixed system in going from CdO, with a band gap energy of 2.46eV, to CdIn2O4, with 3.2eV, to In2O3, with 3.6eV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]