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While large enterprises are actively preparing for digital transformation by leveraging technologies such as digital twins, smaller companies face challenges due to economic constraints and market uncertainties, leading to a relative lack of awareness and readiness. To address this situation, this study proposes a digital twin development framework tailored for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This framework utilizes attachable IoT devices for real-time collection of manufacturing data and leverages public server systems for data management. Moreover, it enables the refinement and optimization of digital twins by training machine learning models on collected data. Additionally, the framework includes the integration of simulation models and machine learning models for comprehensive digital twin modelling. Finally, the paper suggests a process for applying and validating this framework in real manufacturing companies, demonstrating the effects of digital twin implementation on productivity enhancement in the production lines of two SMEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prurigo nodularis (PN) is characterized by intensely itchy nodules/lesions and skin pain, which can have a substantial impact on health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). Treatment benefits on such symptoms and impacts are best assessed in trials using patient‐reported outcome (PROs) instruments such as Skin Pain Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), Sleep‐NRS and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). However, no guidance exists for interpreting meaningful changes in scores using these PROs in patients with PN. Objectives: The main objective was to derive within‐patient (responder definition) and between‐group improvement thresholds for interpreting Skin Pain‐NRS, Sleep‐NRS and DLQI total scores in patients with PN. The measurement properties of the three PROs were also evaluated. Methods: Intention‐to‐treat (ITT), blinded and pooled data were used from the Phase 3 PRIME (NCT04183335) and PRIME2 (NCT04202679) studies evaluating the efficacy of dupilumab in adult patients with PN. Anchor‐ and distribution‐based methods were applied to derive responder definition and between‐group thresholds for Skin Pain‐NRS, Sleep‐NRS and DLQI. Data were additionally used to examine the instrument measurement properties, including reliability, validity and responsiveness. Results: A total of 311 patients (mean age 49.5 years, 65.3% female) were included in the pooled ITT population. The within‐patient improvement threshold for Skin Pain‐NRS was estimated as 4.0 points, 2.0 points for Sleep‐NRS and 9.0 points for DLQI total score. A 1.5‐point improvement in Skin Pain‐NRS scores, 1.0‐point in Sleep‐NRS and 4.0‐point in DLQI indicated a between‐group meaningful change. Adequate to good psychometric properties were demonstrated for all three instruments. Conclusions: The results of this study can aid interpretation of Skin Pain‐NRS, Sleep‐NRS and DLQI scores in patients with PN in both clinical trials and clinical practice to better understand and treat PN‐related skin pain and the impact of PN on sleep quality and HRQoL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-step sintering route was applied for the densification SiC by promoting the role of liquid phase. The specimen contained 8 vol% of liquid phase composed of Al2O3 and Y2O3. The heating schedule consisted with initial rapid heating to 2000°C and immediate quenching to 1700 or 1750°C. By heating at elevated temperature, even distribution of the liquid phase was intended. The heat treatment at reduced temperature was to suppress the evaporative loss of the liquid and to secure the time for densification. The two-step sintering effectively suppressed loss of mass and coarsening. The resultant SiC was thus dense and was composed of fine grains exhibiting hardness of 2321 kgf/mm2.

Porous metallic materials have been widely used in many fields including aerospace, atomic energy, electro chemistry and environmental protection. Their unique structures make them very useful as lightweight structural materials, fluid filters, porous electrodes and catalyst supports. In this study, we fabricated Ni-based porous metallic glasses having uniformly dispersed micro meter pores by the sequential processes of ball-milling and chemical dissolution method. We investigated the application of our porous metal supported for Pt catalyst. The oxidation test was performed in an atmosphere of 1% CO and 3% O2. Microstructure observation was performed by using a scanning electron microscope. Oxidation properties and BET (Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller) were analyzed to understand porous structure developments. The results indicated that CO Oxidation reaction was dependent on the specific surface area.

Sarcomas are defined as a group of mesenchymal malignancies with over 100 heterogeneous subtypes. As a rare and difficult to diagnose entity, micrometastasis is already present at the time of diagnosis in many cases. Current treatment practice of sarcomas consists mainly of surgery, (neo)adjuvant chemo- and/or radiotherapy. Although the past decade has shown that particular genetic abnormalities can promote the development of sarcomas, such as translocations, gain-of-function mutations, amplifications or tumor suppressor gene losses, these insights have not led to established alternative treatment strategies so far. Novel therapeutic concepts with immunotherapy at its forefront have experienced some remarkable success in different solid tumors while their impact in sarcoma remains limited. In this review, the most common immunotherapy strategies in sarcomas, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, targeted therapy and cytokine therapy are concisely discussed. The programmed cell death (PD)-1/PD-1L axis and apoptosis-inducing cytokines, such as TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), have not yielded the same success like in other solid tumors. However, in certain sarcoma subtypes, e.g. liposarcoma or undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, encouraging results in some cases when employing immune checkpoint inhibitors in combination with other treatment options were found. Moreover, newer strategies such as the targeted therapy against the ancient cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) may represent an interesting approach worth investigation in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Onychopapilloma is a benign tumour of the nail bed and distal matrix and commonly presents as longitudinal erythronychia, longitudinal leukonychia or longitudinal melanonychia. Because onychopapilloma is rare, its clinical characteristics and dermoscopic findings have not been well investigated in Asia. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and dermoscopic and pathologic findings of onychopapilloma in Korea. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and clinical/dermoscopic photographs of 39 patients diagnosed with onychopapilloma in the Pusan National University Hospitals (Busan and Yangsan) for 11 years (2010–2021). Results: Among 39 patients, 23 (59.0%) were men, and 16 (41.0%) were women. The mean age was 46.1 (16–77) years. All lesions were single, and most of them were located on the fingers (92.3%), especially the thumb (66.7%). The most common clinical feature was longitudinal erythronychia (56.4%), and the most common dermoscopic finding was distal subungual hyperkeratosis (100%). We found two new dermoscopic features: macrolunula and trailing lunula along the longitudinal band. Among 18 patients who underwent surgical excision, only 6 (33.3%) showed typical acanthosis and papillomatosis on the nail bed. Conclusions: We found that Asian onychopapilloma has similar clinicodermoscopic findings to the Caucasian one, that is to say, longitudinal erythronychia and distal subungual hyperkeratosis were the most common nail change and dermoscopic finding, respectively. We propose two new dermoscopic features of onychopapilloma: macrolunula and trailing lunula along the longitudinal band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]