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Background: Alterations in the cerebral venous system have been increasingly recognized as a significant component of the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS). This study aimed to explore the relationship between venous sinus diameter and MS to understand potential vascular alterations in MS patients compared with controls. We sought to determine whether these alterations were correlated with disease characteristics such as duration, lesion type, and disability score. Methods: This study included 79 MS patients diagnosed according to the 2017 McDonald criteria and 67 healthy individuals. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans via a 1.5 Tesla system provided measurements of the superior sagittal sinus, right and left transverse sinus, sinus rectus, and venous structures. Statistical analysis was conducted via SPSS, employing independent sample t tests, ANOVA, chi-square tests, and Pearson correlation analysis, with the significance level set at p < 0.05. Results: This study revealed significant differences in venous sinus diameter between MS patients and controls, with MS patients exhibiting larger diameters. Specifically, patients with brainstem and spinal lesions had larger diameters in certain sinus regions. No significant correlations were found between venous sinus diameter and demographic factors, expanded disability status scale scores, or lesion counts. However, a significant increase in perivenular lesions was noted in patients with longer disease durations. Conclusions: The findings indicate notable vascular alterations in MS patients, particularly in venous sinus diameters, suggesting a potential vascular component in MS pathology. The lack of correlation with conventional clinical and MRI metrics highlights the complexity of MS pathology. These insights underscore the need for further research, particularly longitudinal studies, to elucidate the role of venous changes in MS progression and their potential as therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an experimental study was carried out on a heat pipe, whose evaporator is located between the compressor outlet and the condenser inlet of an industrial cooler on a vapor compression cycle (VCC). It absorbs heat from the new generation refrigerant fluid of 515B and transfers it to the outdoor air. The heat pipe is a looped thermosiphon-type heat pipe. R134a refrigerant is used as a working fluid in the heat pipe. By changing the condenser air inlet temperatures, the contribution of the heat pipe to the cooling cycle has been determined experimentally. While the evaporation pressure of the refrigeration cycle with the heat pipe remains approximately constant, the condensation pressure decreases, and the sub-cool temperature increases. For condenser air inlet temperatures of 30, 40, and 50°C, the COP of the cooler with heat pipe increases by 1.8%, 2.6%, and 2.76%, respectively. As the air temperature at the condenser inlet increases, the ratio of heat pipe power to the cooling capacity of the cycle also increases. In addition, the compressor outlet temperature is reduced by 1.5%–2.8% using of the heat pipe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 1950s, the concept of artificial intelligence emerged, suggesting that machines could possess the ability to think and learn. In the 21st century, with advancements in GPUs and CPUs, deep learning has become an integral part of human life. Proximal femoral fractures are known to be one of the leading causes of mortality and injuries among the elderly population. This study aims to detect proximal femoral fractures in X-ray images and compare the success of using the YOLOv4 algorithm and provide decision support system within the diagnosis. To retrain the algorithm, more than 500 patients' X-ray images were examined. Through data augmentation techniques, the initial set of 410 patients' femur proximal fracture X-ray images was expanded to 820 images. After retraining the YOLO algorithm, two different groups were included for comparing the algorithm's performance: orthopedic specialists and general practitioners. The results from these three groups were evaluated using specific criteria. The YOLOv4 model demonstrated an accuracy of 90.33%. In comparison, orthopedic and traumatology resident doctors achieved an accuracy of 91.42%, while the general practitioner group achieved an accuracy of 81.30%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Lemmel syndrome occurs when the primarily intrapancreatic portion of the common bile duct is compressed or obstructed by a duodenal diverticulum. This can cause jaundice due to the pressure. Case Presentation: A 65-year-old female patient was admitted to the emergency room with Lemmel syndrome. The patient underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), confirming the diagnosis of a diverticulum. The papilla was located in the diverticulum, and despite various attempts and maneuvers, it could not be cannulated. Subsequently, percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) was performed, and an 8F drainage catheter was successfully placed in the duodenum. Conclusion: Lemmel syndrome is a rare condition that may cause acute abdomen with obstructive jaundice. Increased awareness and familiarity with imaging can help distinguish the diverticulum from tumors, potentially saving the patient from unnecessary surgeries. If ERCP fails, PTC may be a successful alternative for the treatment of jaundice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Battery is one of the largest contributors to the weight of electric vehicles, and its location directly affects the performance of the suspension system. The aim of this article is to determine the optimal battery locations for ride comfort of in-wheel-motor electric automobiles using a nonlinear vehicle suspension model. In the analyses, a seven-degree-of-freedom half-vehicle suspension model was used, in which cubic nonlinearities of all springs and dampers are taken into account in addition to their linear characteristics. In addition to spring and damper nonlinearities, all trigonometric nonlinearities are also considered in the model. Totally 144 different driving scenarios were generated with 48 different sinusoidal road profiles and 3 different travel speeds, and for each scenario by testing 36 battery locations along the vehicle's longitudinal axis, the optimal one was found. The optimization criterion is the minimization of the root-mean-square of the vertical acceleration of the driver and seat. As a result of the 5184 analyses carried out, it has been seen that the optimal battery location is the middle of the vehicle for road profiles with wavelengths between 0.2 and 5 m, whereas the rear of the vehicle for road profiles with wavelengths between 10 and 30 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Parallel robots have many remarkable advantages over their conventional serial counterparts. Highly accurate positioning capability and high payload-to-weight ratio are among the main ones. The main factor underlying all these advantages is their closed-loop construction. However, this constructional feature also causes a special singularity problem, which constitutes their biggest disadvantage. Characteristic singularities classified as Type II exist inside their workspace, around which the magnitude of the inverse dynamic solution grows unboundedly. This naturally yields the saturation of the actuators and eventually in uncontrollability of the robot. Consequently, the whole workspace becomes impossible to be used. In order to pass through a Type II singularity, the consistency of the motion equations of the robot must be maintained at that singularity. However, any Type II singular configuration can transform into a high-order singularity, which, in order to be passed through, requires additional conditions other than the consistency. Therefore, full utilization of the whole workspace with a minimum number of conditions requires to avoid high-order singularities. The present article contributes to the literature by developing path and trajectory planning principles for preventing a two-degree-of-freedom planar parallel robot with RPRPR structure from experiencing high-order singularities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]