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Background and purpose: Pigmented macrophage aggregates (PMAs) are a part of the immune system of fish and are considered as valuable biomarkers of the impact of water pollution on fish health.Materials and methods: Immunomodulatory effect of water contaminated with high levels of metals on spleen and splenic PMAs of Vardar chub (Squalius vardarensis) (n=129) was examined in two seasons, spring, and autumn 2012. For this purpose, three rivers were chosen: the Zletovska River, heavily contaminated with metals, the Kriva River, moderately contaminated with metals combined with high level of organic matter, and the Bregalnica River, without heavy metal contamination. Spleen masses and splenosomatic indices (SSI) were used for determining the general impact of water contamination on the immune system of Vardar chub. Moreover, volumes and numbers of PMAs within spleen tissue were determined stereologically.Results: The isolated effect of high exposure to metals caused the reduction of spleen mass and/or SSI in the fish from the Zletovska River. The combined effect of exposure to metals and high levels of nutrients in the fish from the Kriva River referred to stimulation of PMAs response, namely increased volumes of splenic PMAs. The existence of seasonally dependent differences was noted since the observed variability in PMAs between rivers occurred only in the autumn.Conclusions: Splenic PMAs in the Vardar chub can be used as an additional biomarker of metal pollution, but with caution, since enhancement of the volumes and numbers of MACs depends on the exposure level of heavy metals, on the presence of the other contaminants, as well as on the physiological condition of the fish.

Mummified remains pose an issue for forensic scientists as identification of the deceased can be difficult due to extreme shriveling of dermal tissue and a resulting lack of quality fingerprint features. The typical protocols used to address this problem include corrosive chemicals that may further damage the already susceptible tissues. An alternative approach is found in the juice of two fruit species known to contain proteolytically active enzymes that tenderize soft tissues, thereby promoting water uptake. In this study, we saturated mummified fingers in papaya and pineapple juice treatments, followed by syringe-facilitated finger volume distension. After juice saturation, the data showed statistically significant increases in mass and volume of the samples, (papaya: relative mass p < 0.02833, relative volume p < 0.008466; pineapple: relative mass p < 0.01426, relative volume p < 0.04182). The post-treatment tissues were then rehydrated through a hydraulic mechanism that exerted the required turgor for effective fingerprint capture. This novel protocol utilizes fruit-based reagents to rehydrate mummified fingers without risk of corrosive damage, allowing for the restoration of accurate fingerprints and the positive identification of decedents. The value of this protocol lies in its simple implementation, affordability, instrument availability, and time effectiveness.

Studies surrounding the evolution of sensory system anatomy in cetaceans over the last ~100 years have shed light on aspects of the early evolution of hearing sensitivities, the small relative size of the organ of balance (semicircular canals and vestibule), brain (endocast) shape and relative volume changes, and ontogenetic development of sensory-related structures. Here, I review advances in our knowledge of sensory system anatomy as informed by the use of nondestructive imaging techniques, with a focus on applied methods in computed tomography (CT and μCT), and identify the key questions that remain to be addressed. Of these, the most important are: Is lower frequency hearing sensitivity the ancestral condition for whales? Did echolocation evolve more than once in odontocetes; and if so, when and why? How has the structure of the cetacean brain changed, through the evolution of whales, and does this correspond to changes in hearing sensitivities? Finally, what are the general pathways of ontogenetic development of sensory systems in odontocetes and mysticetes? Answering these questions will allow us to understand important macroevolutionary patterns in a fully aquatic mammalian group and provides baseline data on species for which we have limited biological information because of logistical limitations.

Background. The grain coat plays a major role in the development of rye cultivars with low levels of water-soluble pentosans (WSP). Grain coat thinness is a diagnostic trait for low WSP (arabinoxylans) content. To improve the technology of low-pentosan rye breeding, it becomes important to study the effect of changes in the anatomy of low-pentosan grains on morphological characteristics.Materials and methods. Grains with thin coats (transparent) were identified with the LFS-1 diaphanoscope in the populations of 7 commercial winter rye cultivars grown in Russian Federation. Anatomical and morphological features of seed coats were studied on thick- and thin-coated grains identified in the rye cultivars ‘Era’ and ‘Vyatka’. The thickness of grain coats and the aleurone layer were assessed according to L. N. Lyubarsky.Results and conclusions. In thin-coated rye grains, we found a reduction in the thickness of the pericarp and seed coats by 50–70% and in the aleurone layer by 32.1–39.6%, compared to thick-coated grains. With a constant cell size in “transparent” grains, a decrease in the thickness of the aleurone layer and coat occurs at the expense of the reduction in not only the cell walls, but also the intercellular space. The pericarp in the tissues of the second multicellular layer contains the bulk of the protective biologically passive WSP. It was proved that there were no significant changes in grain parameters, such as length, width and relative volume, depending on coat thinness. Significant differences were found in the 1000 grain weight. In “transparent” grains the index increased by 5.2–19.7%, compared with “nontransparent” ones.

In this paper we derive a relative volume comparison of Ricci flow under a certain local curvature condition. It is a refinement of Perelman’s no local collapsing theorem in Perelman (2002).

In this research, we used a high-speed video-recording system to experimentally study the surface transformation of droplets of water and water-based slurries, solutions, and emulsions exposed to the incoming air flow. The experimental parameters were varied in the following ranges: 0.3–3 mm for the initial droplet radius; 0.5–50 m/s for the air flow velocity; 10 vol% for the relative volume concentration of liquid additives to water; 10 wt% for the relative mass fraction of solid particles to water; 80–140 μm for the size of solid particles; 5–50 °C for the droplet temperature. Three regimes were identified: surface transformation without breakup; taking the bag shape followed by destruction; breakup into a cloud of small droplets. The novelty of the research lies in the maximum ratios of child droplet surface areas to the parent droplet surface area determined for the conditions typical of liquid discharge from various heights for fire suppression.

The swelling of the cyclochain copolymer of N,N-dimethyl-N,N-diallylammonium chloride with acrylic acid in water was studied. For the first time, an increase in the maximum possible moisture capacity of the copolymer with increasing relative volume of the water used was shown. The results obtained were interpreted on the basis of the two-stage equilibrium water absorption scheme: water + hydrogel ↔ hydrated associates of linear macromolecules ↔ insoluble microparticles with absorbed water.

Highlights • Adapt-to-Shape (ATS) workflows enable high-precision MR-guided radiotherapy. • Online, manual contour adaptation is a time-consuming step in the ATS workflow. • Trained radiation therapists adapt contours for prostate cancer treatment. • CTV contours by radiation therapists are well-suited for MR-Linac prostate cancer treatment., Background and purpose Magnetic resonance (MR)-guided linear accelerator (MR-Linac) systems have changed radiotherapy workflows. The addition of daily online contour adaptation allows for higher precision treatment, but also increases the workload of those involved. We train radiation therapists (RTTs) to perform daily online contour adaptation for MR-Linac treatment of prostate cancer (PCa) patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate these prostate contours by performing an interfraction and interobserver analysis. Materials and methods Clinical target volume (CTV) contours generated online by RTTs from 30 low-intermediate risk PCa patients, treated with 5x7.25 Gy, were used. Two physicians (Observers) judged the RTTs contours and performed adaptations when necessary. Interfraction relative volume differences between the first and the subsequent fractions were calculated for the RTTs, Observer 1, and Observer 2. Additionally, interobserver dice’s similarity coefficient (DSC) for fraction 2–5 was calculated with the RTTs- and physician-adapted contours. Clinical acceptability of the RTTs contours was judged by a third observer. Results Mean (SD) online contour adaptation time was 12.6 (±3.8) minutes and overall median (interquartile range [IQR]) relative volume difference was 9.3% (4.4–13.0). Adaptations by the observers were mostly performed at the apex and base of the prostate. Median (IQR) interobserver DSC between RTTs and Observer 1, RTTs and Observer 2, and Observer 1 and 2 was 0.99 (0.98–1.00), 1.00 (0.98–1.00), and 1.00 (0.99–1.00), respectively. Contours were acceptable for clinical use in 113 (94.2%) fractions. Dose-volume histogram (DVH) analysis showed significant CTV underdosage for one of the seven identified outliers. Conclusion Daily online contour adaptation by RTTs is clinically feasible for MR-Linac treatment of PCa.

Pollen and honey resources composing the diet of Tetragonisca angustula fiebrigi Schwarz were assessed using pollen analysis of wild colonies sampled in two kinds of native dry forests of the Chaco...

The severity, course, and outcomes of thrombosis are determined mainly by the size and location of the thrombus, but studying thrombus structure and composition has been an important but challenging task. The substantial progress in determination of thrombus morphology has become possible due to new intravital imaging methodologies in combination with mechanical thrombectomy, which allows extraction of a fresh thrombus from a patient followed by microscopy. Thrombi have been found to contain various structural forms of fibrin along with platelet aggregates, leukocytes, and red blood cells, many of which acquire a polyhedral shape (polyhedrocytes) as a result of intravital platelet‐driven contraction. The relative volume fractions of thrombus components and their structural forms vary substantially, depending on the clinical and pathogenic characteristics. This review summarizes recent research that describes quantitative and qualitative morphologic characteristics of arterial and venous thrombi that are relevant for the pathogenesis, prophylaxis, diagnosis, and treatment of thrombosis.

High entropy alloy (HEA)-based alloy design is experiencing a conceptual broadening from equiatomic alloys to non-equiatomic alloys. To provide experimental basis for designing Cu-rich non-equiatomic HEAs, in the current study, a dual phase (Cu-rich and CoCrFeNi-rich phases) face-centered cubic CoCrFeNiCu4 alloy was systematically investigated. We provided initial and experiment-based understanding of the behavioral change of the alloy during a variety of thermal cycles and thermomechanical processing. The current results indicate that, during heating, preferred precipitation of Cu-rich particles occurs, leading to more pronounced compositional differences between the two constituent FCC phases and increased relative volume fraction of the Cu-rich phase. The Alloy exhibits a continuous melting and discontinuous solidification of the Cu-rich and CoCrFeNi-rich phases. After being cold-rolled to ∼90% thickness reduction, the alloy exhibits a recrystallization temperature higher than 800 °C. Annealing at 300 and 500 °C led to strength reduction and/or ductility decrease; further increasing annealing temperature monotonically caused softening and ductilization due to decreased density of pre-existing dislocations. The yield-drop phenomena observed for the 900 °C- and 1000 °C-annealed specimens are associated with the locking of pre-existing dislocations by some “atmosphere”, the nature of which warrants further elucidation.

The predicted service temperatures and eutectic compositions of the polycomponent sections of the CaO—Al2O3—Fe2O3—Cr2O3 system were calculated and evaluated. According to the results of geometrical topological studies of this system, the CaAl2O4—CaFe2O4—CaCr2O4—Ca4Al2Fe2O10 tetrahedron has the largest relative volume and the smallest degree of asymmetry. However, the composition of this tetrahedron includes two compounds that do not have hydraulic activity; this will adversely affect the cement strength. Presence of CaFe2O4 will significantly reduce the composition melting point, that why the CaAl2O4—Ca12Al7O33—CaCr2O4—Ca4Al2F2O10 tetrahedron is of more interest. The calculations result of temperatures and eutectic compositions of triple and tetra-component sections of the CaAl2O4—Ca12Al7O33—CaCr2O4—Ca4Al2F2O10 region of the CaO—Al2O3—Fe2O3—Cr2O3 system are presented. The phases that make up this tetrahedron are highly likely to exist in the CaO—Al2O3—Fe2O3—Cr2O3 system, which will allow us to develop a stable technology for the oil-well cementing materials based on calcium-ferro-alumina chromate cement without special techniques for ensuring high accuracy of the starting components dosage. The paper presents graphic images of the liquidus surface of polycomponent sections of optimal region of system. Selected areas are the most suitable for producing oil-well binding materials with an elevated temperature in application. It was found that, composite materials based on this system can be used at temperatures above 1350 °C. Based on the analysis of temperatures and eutectics compositions of polycomponent section, the use of rational area compositions for producing high-temperature resisting oil-well cement has been proved.

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the features of endometrial restructuring when infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. Materials and methods: The study involved sectional material taken from 60 women of reproductive age from 20 to 40 years. Group 1 (30 women) consisted of women who were diagnosed with HIV infection. The control group comprised women (30) without concomitant HIV infection. Results. An average diameter of the endometrial glands (proliferative type) was 8% smaller in HIV infection than in the comparison group. The minimum diameter of the endometrial glands (proliferative type) decreased by 1.73%, the maximum was 5.24% less in the HIV-infected group than in the comparison group. The wall thickness was reduced by 0.5% in HIV infection. The relative volume of the epithelium decreased by 2.4% (proliferative type). There were also significant changes in the structure of the glands and endometrium in secretory phase, as in the proliferative type. Thus, the average diameter of the glands decreased by 5%, the minimum volume of the glands by 5.01%, the maximum by 11.2%, the wall thickness by 1.5%, the relative volume of the epithelium by 9.5%, less in the group HIV-infected than in the comparison group. The thickness of the epithelium increased by 4.5% in the HIV-infected group compared with the comparison group. Conclusion. The study evaluated features of endometrial restructuring in the presence of concomitant HIV infection in women.

Given an ample line bundle $L$ on a geometrically reduced projective scheme defined over an arbitrary non-Archimedean field, we establish a differentiability property for the relative volume of two continuous metrics on the Berkovich analytification of $L$, extending previously known results in the discretely valued case. As applications, we provide fundamental solutions to certain non-Archimedean Monge--Amp\`ere equations, and generalize an equidistribution result for Fekete points. Our main technical input comes from determinant of cohomology and Deligne pairings., Comment: 17 pages

Revealing scaling rules is necessary for understanding the morphology, physiology and evolution of living systems. Studies of animal brains have revealed both general patterns, such as Haller's rule, and patterns specific for certain animal taxa. However, large-scale studies aimed at studying the ratio of the entire neuropil and the cell body rind in the insect brain have never been performed. Here we performed morphometric study of the adult brain in 37 insect species of 26 families and ten orders, ranging in volume from the smallest to the largest by a factor of more than 4,000,000, and show that all studied insects display a similar ratio of the volume of the neuropil to the cell body rind, 3:2. Allometric analysis for all insects shows that the ratio of the volume of the neuropil to the volume of the brain changes strictly isometrically. Analyses within particular taxa, size groups, and metamorphosis types also reveal no significant differences in the relative volume of the neuropil; isometry is observed in all cases. Thus, we establish a new scaling rule, according to which the relative volume of the entire neuropil in insect brain averages 60% and remains constant.

Miniaturization is a widespread trend in animal evolution. In insects, the effects of miniaturization have been described at all the levels of body organization, from major rearrangements of organ systems to fundamental changes at the cellular level. The results of studies on the anatomy of tiny beetles, wasps, booklice, thrips, and strepsipterans have contributed significantly to understanding the process of miniaturization in animals. However, not all the orders of microinsects have been sufficiently well investigated so far. In this paper, the internal structure of the adult male of one of the smallest nematocerans, the midge Corynoneura scutellata Winnertz, 1846 (Diptera: Chironomidae), is described in detail for the first time using 3D computer reconstructions based on serial histological sections. Despite the tiny body size, most organ systems retain the ground plan typical of the larger representatives of related groups. The tracheal system of C. scutellata has not lost its high level of organization, being represented by large tracheal trunks and a branching system of tracheae. The ganglia of the central nervous system are concentrated, while the head muscles and those associated with the intestine are reduced. The changes in the relative volumes of the organ systems in tiny dipterans are analyzed in comparison with microinsects from other orders. The previously revealed general patterns of organ allometry are valid for tiny dipterans as well, but the reproductive system of C. scutellata has a considerably smaller relative volume, as compared with that of microinsects from other orders.

The progressive course of diseases of the veins of the lower extremities leads to the development of complications in more than 80% of patients with post-thrombotic disease. Purpose of the work: to study the morphometric features of remodeling of the venous bed of the extremities in experimental trophic ulcer and its correction. A complex of morphological methods was used to examine the veins of the lover limbs of 18 adult male Vietnamese pigs, which were divided into 3 groups. 1 group consisted of 6 intact practically healthy animals, the 2 group – 6 pigs with simulated trophic ulcer, the 3 group – 6 animals with Lidocaine-corrected ulcer. The area of the trophic ulcer was measured. The trophic ulcer was taken together with the surrounding tissues, from which histological micropreparations were made, which determined the diameters of capillary venules, venules, outer and inner diameters of venous vessels, the height of endothelial cells, the diameter of their nuclei, nuclear-cytoplasmic ratios in these cells, volume of damaged endotheliocytes. A correlation analysis was performed between the ulcer area and morphometric parameters. Quantitative values were processed statistically. Strong positive correlations have been established between nuclear-cytoplasmic relation in endothelial cells, the relative volume of damaged endotheliocytes, and the area of the ulcer defect (r=+0,84±0,03), at correction of an ulcer by Lidocaine they weakened a little. It was found that the correction of trophic ulcers with Lidocaine led to a decrease in its area by 25.8%. It is established that the experimental trophic ulcer leads to pronounced remodeling of the venous bed of the lower extremities, which is characterized by significant dilation of venous vessels, venous plethora complicated by hypoxia, atrophic, dystrophic, necrobiotic, infiltrative processes and sclerosis. The use of Lidocaine in experimental trophic ulcer improves the adaptive-compensatory and regenerative processes of the modeled pathology, reduces the relative volume of damaged endothelial cells in the venous vessels of the lower extremity by 18.8% (p

—Improved methods and devices for nondestructive control of the degree of unipolarity of large LiNbO3 crystals are described. These methods are based on measurements of the static and dynamic piezoelectric characteristics of crystals and are applicable to other ferroelectric materials. These methods allow assessment of the degree of unipolarity and the relative volume of antiparallel domains in crystals.

Surface fires are often prescribed to favor oak (Quercus) regeneration in eastern forests, but there is potential for fire to damage residual overstory timber. This study evaluated the potential economic effects of prescribed fire on sawtimber volume and value across 139 stands, each with a known history of one to six prescribed fires, on the Hoosier, Mark Twain, Wayne, and Daniel Boone National Forests. Sawtimber volume and value losses were highly variable, ranging from 0 to 2,269 bd ft ac–1 and from US$0 to US$272.95 ac–1, respectively, for stands that had received at least one prescribed fire. Volume and value losses increased linearly by +0.9 percent and +1.5 percent per burn, respectively, that a stand received over the past 25 years. Stands with south-facing aspects had greater relative volume and value losses (+1.4 to +1.5 percent, respectively), but this influence was statistically less important than the number of burns in predictive models. The eastern national forests had much lower average relative volume and value losses

A martensitic transformation (MT) with paramagnetic behavior has been developed in Co50Fe2.5V31.5Ga16 quaternary Heusler alloy near room temperature. Accompanying the transformation, this alloy shows a good two-way shape memory effect, which results in a considerable relative volume change between two phases. Because of this, it has been also found that the MT is strongly sensitive to the applied hydrostatic pressure. By utilizing an indirectly estimated method, the obtained maximum reversible isothermal entropy (ΔST) and adiabatic temperature change (ΔTad) resulted from hydrostatic pressure induced MT, respectively, achieve ∼31 J/kg K and 6 K under 5 kbar, performing a large barocaloric effect.

Background Neurocognitive function of adult patients with brain tumours may deteriorate after radiotherapy. Proton beam therapy (PBT) reduces the volume of irradiated healthy brain tissue and could potentially preserve neurocognition and quality of life (QoL). As present data are still limited, the impact of clinical factors and dosimetric parameters on neurocognitive function and QoL during recurrence-free follow-up after PBT is investigated. Methods The current study includes 62 brain tumour patients treated with PBT between 2015 and 2017. Neurocognition and QoL were assessed at baseline and every 3 months after PBT using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test together with EORTC-QLQ-C30 and BN20 questionnaires, respectively. Objective and self-reported measures of neurocognitive functions were correlated. During two years of follow-up, the impact of clinical co-factors as well as dosimetric parameters of several brain structures were analysed using a mixed-model approach. Results At baseline, mean MoCA total score was 24.8/30 and self-reported cognitive function was 68.9/100. Both remained stable over time. Patients with impaired neurocognition on the MoCA test reported significantly lower global health status, cognitive, physical and role function as well as more fatigue, pain, headache and communication deficits compared to normal performing patients. For most follow-up time points, the majority of MoCA subitems correlated significantly to QoL items regarding neurocognition. Slight deterioration of the MoCA score was associated with tumours located in the left hemisphere and with an increase in relative volume of the anterior cerebellum that received doses of 30–40 Gy(RBE). Conclusion Self-reported and objectively measured neurocognition and most other QoL domains remained largely stable over time during recurrence-free follow-up for brain tumour patients treated with PBT. The association between reduced cognitive function and irradiated volume of the anterior cerebellum requires validation in larger studies and comparison to patients treated with photon therapy.

In birds, the brain (especially the telencephalon) is remarkably developed, both in relative volume and complexity. Unlike in most early-branching sauropsids, the adults of birds and other archosaurs have a well-ossified neurocranium. In contrast to the situation in most of their reptilian relatives but similar to what can be seen in mammals, the brains of birds fit closely to the endocranial cavity so that their major external features are reflected in the endocasts. This makes birds a highly suitable group for palaeoneurological investigations. The first observation about the brain in a long-extinct bird was made in the first quarter of the 19th century. However, it was not until the 2000s and the application of modern imaging technologies that avian palaeoneurology really took off. Understanding how the mode of life is reflected in the external morphology of the brains of birds is but one of several future directions in which avian palaeoneurological research may extend. Although the number of fossil specimens suitable for palaeoneurological explorations is considerably smaller in birds than in mammals and will very likely remain so, the coming years will certainly witness a momentous strengthening of this rapidly growing field of research at the overlap between ornithology, palaeontology, evolutionary biology and neurosciences., This is a contribution to the research project CGL2017-89123-P funded by FEDER/Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation State Research Agency. F. Knoll is an ARAID Senior Researcher and a member of the research group E04_17R FOCONTUR co-founded by the Government of Aragon Department of Innovation, Research and University and FEDER Aragon 2014-2020 ‘Building Europe from Aragon’.

The great interest of modern scientifi c society in architectural bionics is due to the signifi cant practical orientation of this science, which studies the principles of construction and functioning of biological systems, primarily with the aim of creating new bionic objects whose characteristics would be as perfect and highly effective as in living systems. Architectural-bionic practice gave rise to unusual forms, suitable in a functional and utilitarian sense. The architectural bionics family can off er a lot of cereals, which have the property of elasticity and resistance to bending and fracture with a few materials. In wheat, as in a number of other grain crops, the strength of the stem is determined by a set of features of the anatomical structure. The structure of the article reveals the concept of sustainable architecture, referring to antiquity. The basis of the study is a bionic object displayed in the form of a stalk of wheat, the properties of which allow wheat to undergo atmospheric infl uences under the existing load of ears, which greatly exceeds the own weight of the straw. The properties of the elasticity of the stem of the wheat are examined through the Young’s modulus (E), which provides resistance to lodging. In the experimental part, an explanation is given of the mechanical strength of the wheat stalk, characteristic of most cereals, due to: height, diameter of the stem, their ratio, the thickness of the walls of the straw, the development of mechanical tissues. For an illustrative example, the predominant properties of the stalk of wheat, the calculations of the relative volume using standard materials in the construction industry of uplifting buildings and structures are given.

The results of systematic (2003–2017) measurements of the total content and height-averaged relative volume concentration of CO at st. Novolazarevskaya with a spectrometer with a resolution of 0.2 cm–1 are presented. The inverse problem of determining the total content of CO as well as interfering gases (H2O and N2O) was solved using the SFIT4 software package. A data analysis indicated that during the measurements the average total CO content at st. Novolazarevskaya was (8 ± 2) 1017 molecules/cm2 and the height-averaged volume concentration was (37 ± 8) ppb. The resulting data were compared with variations in the total CO content at st. Arrival-Heights, MOPITT satellite data, and CO surface concentrations at st. Syowa. The maximum and minimum values of CO were observed in September and January–February, respectively. For all the data series considered, the trends are insignificant; in this case, an increased CO content was observed in 2010, and an increasing trend of the minimum values of CO was observed in recent years (2014–2017). Both stations (Novolazarevskaya and Arrival-Heights) are characterized by an excess of satellite data over ground-based measurement data (19% and 14%, respectively); here, a seasonal dependence of the deviation was observed with minimal deviations in December–January. Data of surface measurements of the total content at st. Novolazarevskaya and Arrival-Heights are rather well consistent, and the average deviation since 2010 was 2.4%. The average concentration of CO at st. Syowa (51 ppb) is higher than the height-averaged concentration at st. Novolazarevskaya. According to spectral, wavelet, and composite analyzes, all data series considered include oscillations in the range of 6–45 months with almost identical periods and phase relationships.

The results of experimental investigations of puffing, micro-explosions and autoignition of composite fuel/water droplets free falling in a high temperature air are presented. The measurements were performed for non-mixed and premixed Diesel fuel/water and rapeseed oil/water droplets. Air temperature was in the range 850–1100 °C, initial droplet radii were in the range 0.62–1.34 mm, and relative volume fractions of fuel (Diesel fuel or rapeseed oil) were in the range 3–97%. It is shown that the time to micro-explosion decreases with increasing temperature, weakly depends on the volume fraction of fuel, and increases with increasing droplet sizes. The latter trend is shown to be consistent with the prediction of the previously developed simple model for droplet puffing/micro-explosion based on the assumption that the water component forms a spherical sub-droplet located in the centre of a fuel droplet. It is shown that the autoignition delay time for composite droplets, close to the time to micro-explosion for both fuels under consideration, is almost an order of magnitude less than that for pure fuel droplets.

The marketable value of potato tubers is affected by damage caused by Diabrotica speciosa, whose larvae create holes on the tubers’ skin and internal feeding tunnels. The estimation of potato tuber damage is usually performed by assessing the external damage to the detriment of feeding tunnels caused by larvae. Thus, we propose a method to estimate the damage caused by D. speciosa larvae, considering the external and internal aspects of the tubers separately. For that, potato plants cv. Agata were grown under different infestations of larvae, measuring the area occupied by the holes and the volume of internal feeding tunnels, relating these data to the total area and volume of the tuber. The methodology used allowed us to characterize an increase in damage in tubers with the highest infestation of larvae. The correlation between internal and external damage caused by D. speciosa larvae was not significant, indicating that external damage alone is not an adequate parameter for the diagnosis of overall tuber quality. However, the method proposed here provides information regarding the volume of pulp consumed by the larvae, the extent of the galleries formed, and the relative volume of damage concerning the total tuber. Moreover, the method proposed here contemplates a more precise analysis of the external area damaged by herbivory relative to the total area of the tuber, which is not commonly considered in studies of underground plant structures. RESUMO O valor comercial dos tubérculos de batata é afetado pelos danos causados por Diabrotica speciosa, cujas larvas fazem orifícios na casca dos tubérculos e túneis internos. A estimativa dos danos aos tubérculos de batata é geralmente realizada avaliando os danos externos, em detrimento dos túneis de alimentação causados por larvas. Assim, propomos um método para estimar os danos de D. speciosa, considerando os aspectos externos e internos dos tubérculos separadamente. Para tanto, plantas de batata cv. Ágata foram cultivadas sob diferentes infestações de larvas, medindo-se a área ocupada pelos buracos e o volume dos túneis de alimentação internamente, relacionando esses dados com a área total e o volume do tubérculo. A metodologia utilizada permitiu caracterizar o aumento dos danos nos tubérculos com maior infestação de larvas. A correlação entre os danos internos e externos causados por larvas de D. speciosa não foi significativa, indicando que o dano externo por si só não é um parâmetro adequado para o diagnóstico da qualidade geral do tubérculo. No entanto, o método aqui proposto fornece informações sobre o volume de polpa consumido pelas larvas, a extensão das galerias formadas e o volume relativo de danos em relação ao tubérculo total. Além disso, o método aqui proposto contempla uma análise mais precisa da área externa danificada pela herbivoria em relação à área total do tubérculo, o que não é comumente considerado em estudos de estruturas de plantas subterrâneas.

Purpose: To evaluate dose-volume histogram (DVH) prediction from prior radiation therapy data. Methods and Materials: An Oncospace radiation therapy database was constructed including images, structures, and dose distributions for patients with advanced lung cancer. DVH data was queried for total lungs, esophagus, heart, and external body contours. Each query returned DVH data for the N-most similar organs at risk (OARs) based on OAR-to-planning-target-volume (PTV) geometry via the overlap volume histogram (OVH). The DVHs for 5, 20, and 50 of the most similar OVHs were returned for each OAR for each patient. The OVH(0cm) is the relative volume of the OAR overlapping with the PTV, and the OVH(2cm) is the relative volume of the OAR 2 cm away from the PTV. The OVH(cm) and DVH(%) queried from the database were separated into interquartile ranges (IQRs), nonoutlier ranges (NORs) (equal to 3 × IQR), and the average database DVH (DVH-DB) computed from the NOR data. The ability to predict the clinically delivered DVH was evaluated based on percentiles and differences between the DVH-DB and the clinical DVH (DVH-CL) for a varying number of returned patient DVHs for a subset of patients. Results: The ability to predict the clinically delivered DVH was excellent in the lungs and body; the IQR and NOR were 10% for 12/23 esophagi and 10/23 hearts. In esophagus and heart queries, the NOR was often 10% to 100% volume in dose ranges between 0% and 50% of prescription, independent of the number of patients queried. Conclusions: Using prior data to predict clinical dosimetry is increasingly of interest, but model- and data-driven methods have limitations if based on limited data sets. This study's results showed that prediction may be reasonable in organs containing tumors with known overlap, but for nonoverlapped OARs, planning preference and plan design may dominate the clinical dose.

Visceral organs (VO) are essential for their role in the metabolism and distribution of consumed nutrients as well as other life functions in animals. Two experiments were conducted to assess the natural longitudinal changes that the VO undergo from birth through 150 kg body weight (BW). In Experiment 1, a total of 96 crossbred pigs were euthanized at birth (pre-suckle), d 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21 (weaning), 22, 23, 24, 26, 28, 42, 49, and 63 of age. In Experiment 2, a total of 48 crossbred pigs were euthanized at 30, 50, 75, 100, 125, and 150 kg of BW. The absolute weight of VO, and the volume and length of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) were measured. In both experiments, the absolute weight of VO, GIT length, and their volume increased (linear, quadratic, and/or cubic, P < 0.05) as BW and age increased. In Experiment 1, the relative weight of VO (liver, kidney, heart, and lung) decreased after initially increasing within the first week of life (linear, quadratic, and/or cubic, P < 0.05), whereas the relative weight of all VO decreased as BW increased in Experiment 2 (linear and/or quadratic, P < 0.05). The relative length of small intestine decreased and that of large intestine increased as age increased in Experiment 1 (linear and quadratic, P < 0.05), whereas the relative length of the small and large intestine in Experiment 2 were relatively constant at 80% and 20% of the total length of the intestine, respectively. As age and BW increased, the relative volume of the large intestine to the total volume of the GIT increased (linear and/or quadratic, P < 0.05), while the relative volume of the small intestine decreased (linear and/or quadratic, P < 0.05). In conclusion, results showed that both absolute and relative measurements (weight, volume, and length) of VO were dependent on the BW (age) of the pig.

According to experimental results, a comparison of sizes of child droplets after micro-explosion fragmentation of water–Diesel droplets is conducted. Convective, conductive, or radiative heat exchange dominated in each experiment. The temperature of the medium and the relative volume concentration of the flammable liquid are varied in the ranges from 100–450°С and from 10–90 vol %. The ratios of the sizes of the droplets formed to the sizes of the original ones are established. The conditions are shown under which it is possible to increase the total surface area of evaporation of a liquid by tenfold or more using the micro-explosion of droplets.

We evaluated the air quality by the content of fluorine-containing compounds according to monitoring studies, chemical and analytical determination of fluoride ion in urine and performed proteomic analysis of blood plasma in children of the observation and comparison group. The increased content of fluoride ion in the urine was found in children of the observation group relative to the same indicator in children of the comparison group and the reference level in conditions of poor air quality for the hydrofluoride content due to the economic activity of aluminum production facilities. The concentration of fluoride ion in the urine is justified as a marker of inhalation exposure. A comparative analysis revealed the presence of significant differences in the relative volume of protein spots. Mass spectra were obtained that contain information about the peptides included in the composition of the studied protein set and the genes encoding identifiable proteins were established.

Approaching the critical region of hydrocarbon + water mixtures will lead to an unusual increment in miscibility. In this research, CPA EoS is satisfactorily applied to predict the properties of three hydrocarbon + water mixtures at near/supercritical temperatures. First, CPA EoS is applied to evaluate the density of pure water and hydrocarbons in a range of pressure at various temperatures. To make a comparison on CPA models, both SRK and PR are accounted in the physical term of the model. In the case of pure hydrocarbons, the effect of volume shift correction (VS) on modeling results is also investigated. Afterwards, CPA EoS is used to predict the density of mixtures and relative volume change of mixing for hydrocarbon rich phase of mixtures at various temperatures. The results revealed that CPA EoS would be a reliable choice to predict complex behavior of hydrocarbon + water mixtures in a wide range of pressures and temperatures.

Low-intensity surface fire is prescribed in eastern North American hardwood stands prior to overstory harvest in order to improve regeneration and recruitment of oak and other fire-tolerant and fire-adapted species. However, this use of prescribed fire potentially can reduce timber value. We inventoried overstory trees (>10 in. diameter at breast height) in 54 oak-dominated stands with varied prescribed fire histories and aspects in southern Indiana. We then documented the extent of prescribed fire damage (i.e., wounds) to overstory trees and quantified both the relative stand volume of timber loss and the proportion of trees that had tree grade reductions because of prescribed fire. Generally, as a stand received more prescribed fires, more trees were scarred, the relative volume lost increased, and a higher proportion of trees declined in grade. Overall, burned stands experienced less than 10 percent sawtimber volume loss, regardless of the number of prescribed fires and aspect. Less than 3 percent of trees, study-wide, had reduced grade because of prescribed fire. Grade and volume reductions varied by species, however. Our results suggest that prescribed fire has a minor economic impact on standing timber, particularly when timber is harvested within two decades of the first fire.

Introduction The volume of adverse events (AEs) collected, analysed, and reported has been increasing at a rapid rate for over the past 10 years, largely due to the growth of solicited programmes. The proportion of various forms of solicited case data has evolved over time, with the main relative volume increase coming from Patient Support Programmes. In this study, we sought to examine the impact of the pooling of AE report data from solicited sources with data from spontaneous sources to safety signal detection using disproportionality analysis methods. Methods Two conditions were explored in which disproportionality scores from hypothetical drugs were evaluated in a simulated safety database. The first condition held occurrence of events constant and varied solicited case volume, while the second condition varied both proportion of occurrence of events and solicited case volume. Results In the first setting, where all AE terms have the same probability to occur with any drug, increasing volumes of solicited cases while keeping occurrence of events constant leads to reduced variability in disproportionality scores, consequently reducing or eliminating identified signals of disproportionate reporting. In the second setting, varying both case volume and reporting rates can mask true safety signals and falsely identify signals where there are none. Conclusions This analysis of simulated data suggests that pooling AE data from solicited sources with spontaneous case data may impact the results of disproportionality analyses, masking true safety signals and identifying false positives. Therefore, increased volumes of safety data do not necessarily correlate with improved safety signal detection.

Still, there is the problem of the plunger pumps failures due to pollution of the working fluid with mechanical impurities in civil aviation. The article deals with experimental research the change of relative volume flow rate of plunger pump model NP-72M which depends on the working fluid purity. In particular, the negative effect of increasing the particle size of impurities (electrocorundum about 3 μm, 10 μm, 20 μm) and increasing particles concentration (about 25–150 mg/L) with the constant particle size on pump operation has presented. This has manifested in increased wear of rubbing parts and reduced the relative volume flow rate. A visual inspection of the pump parts has carried out, and the most damaged areas have identified

Scientists from the National University of Food Technologies (Ukraine) developed the integrated bread baking improver "Mineral Freshness Super" whose formulation includes nutritional supplements with the GRAS status. The integrated bread baking improver is composed of a functional base, white pharmacopoeial clay, and an active part ‒ the enzymatic preparations Alphamalt VC 5000 and Novamil 1500MG, maltodextrin, sunflower-derived fat-free lecithin, apple pectin, dry wheat gluten and ascorbic acid. Technological efficiency has been proven to use the integrated bread baking improver "Mineral Freshness Super" in the amount of 1.5 % by weight of flour in order to slow the staling of wheat bread, baked according to the accelerated technology. We have determined regularities in the influence of the integrated bread baking improver "Mineral Freshness Super" on quality of wheat bread. It was established that introducing it to dough results in an increase in the relative volume of products, improves shape formation, porosity, and reduces the duration of fermentation by three times, specifically to 20 min. It has been proven that products with the addition of the integrated bread baking improver "Mineral Freshness Super" retain freshness better, which is confirmed by the increase in the overall deformation of crumb, by a smaller layer under the crust, and by fewer layers of air in the products' crumb. We have observed more accumulation of dextrins and bisulfite binding substances in products when using integrated bread baking improver "Mineral Freshness Super", indicating the inhibition of staling and improvement in consumer properties. Results of our study prove the expediency of using the integrated bread baking improver "Mineral Freshness Super" in the technology of wheat bread to prolong its freshness up to 72 h when storing unpacked.

Introduction. Liver resection is widely used in modern surgical departments. Resections of large volumes of liver parenchyma are complicated by postresection portal hypertension, which leads to structural and functional changes in the organs of the basin portal hepatic vein. The features of the structural reconstruction of jejunum muscle at postresection portal hypertension have not been adequately investigated. The aim of the study. Morphometrical methods to study the features of remodeling of the structures of jejunum musclе at postresection portal hypertension. Materials and methods. The complex of morphological methods examined the jejunum of 45 sexuale mature white male rats, which were divided into 3 groups. The first group consisted of 15 intact animals, second-15 rats, in which 31.5% of the liver parenchyma was removed, third-15 animals after resection of 58, 1% of liver parenchyma. Euthanasia of rats was carried out by bloodletting in conditions of thiopental anesthesia 1 month after from the beginning of the experiment. From the jejunum histological preparations were made. The thickness of the circular and longitudinal muscle layers, the diameters of smooth myocytes and their nuclei, the nuclear-cytoplasmic relations in these cells, the stromal-myocytal relations, and the relative volumes of damaged myocytes were measured. Quantitative indicators were processed statistically. Results and discussion. It was established that one month after resection of 31.5% of liver parenchyma, morphometric indices were slightly changed. Removal of 58.1% of liver parenchyma leads to the development of postresection portal hypertension. The morphometric parameters of the structures of the circular and longitudinal layers of the muscle cover of the jejunum were manifested by altered ones. The thickness of the circular layer of the muscle membrane a month after the resection of 58.1 % of the liver parenchyma statistically significantly decreased by 4,1 %, the diameter of myocytes – by 6.1 %, the nuclear-cytoplasmic relation of them increased by 35.4 %, stromally -miocytal relation – by 14,3 %, relative the number of damaged myocytes – by 14.4 times. Quantitative morphological indices of the structures of the longitudinal layer of the jejunum muscle a month after the resection of 58.1% of the liver parenchyma changed in a similar manner, but the degree of their expression was smaller compared with the structures of the circular layer. Thus, the diameter of myocytes in the given experimental conditions was reduced by only 1,6 %, the diameter of the nuclei increased by 4.6 % (p

The FeCoNi(CuAl)0.8Ga0.06 high-entropy alloy (HEA) was prepared by the vacuum arc melt casting method, then annealed at different temperatures for 1 h. The microstructure, phase constitution, and magnetic and mechanical properties of the FeCoNi(CuAl)0.8Ga0.06 HEA during the phase transition were investigated. The experimental results showed that the as-cast alloy consisted of FCC and BCC duplex phases, and there were numerous nano-precipitates uniformly distributed in the BCC matrix. After annealing at different temperatures, the phase transformed from FCC to BCC. The relative volume fraction of the BCC phase increased, and the size of the nano-precipitates in the BCC matrix were larger after annealing than that of the as-cast sample. STEM-EDS images showed that there was a Cu-rich zone in the phase boundary region between FCC and BCC phases, and annealing may have significant influence on this region. Based on XRD, SEM, TEM and STEM-EDS results, a phase transition mechanism was proposed, which may have a close relationship with the Cu-rich nano-precipitates in the BCC matrix and the Cu-rich zone in the phase boundary region. In addition, it was found that the volume fraction of BCC (or FCC) phase can govern the magnetic properties. This study may help to deepen the fundamental understanding of the phase transition mechanism in HEAs.

Виявлено негативний вплив розчину ацетату свинцю на процес ровитку плаценти щурів, що проявляється в затримці її розвитку та наявності дисциркуляторних порушень. При введенні ацетату свинцю комбіновано з цитратом срібла виявлено наближення показників до контрольних значень (діаметр, маса, співвідношення шарів, відносний об’єм лакун та ін.) Study was conducted on 120 white mature pregnant female rats Wistar. All animals were divided into 3 groups: 1st group – animals injected with solution of lead acetate at a dose of 0.05 mg/kg; 2nd group – animals injected with solution of lead acetate at a dose of 0.05 mg/kg and solution of silver citrate at a dose of 2 mcg/kg, n = 8; 3th subgroup –control, animals injected with distilled water. Solutions of heavy metals and nanometals were injected to pregnant female through a tube once a day, at one and the same time. Operative slaughter was performed on 16th and 20th day of pregnancy. The animals were taken out of the experiment by an overdose of ether anesthesia. The study showed negative effect of lead acetate on the process of development of the placenta in rats, which is manifested in the delay of its development and the presence of dyscirculatory violations. In case of the injection of lead acetate in combination with silver citrate found the approach to the indicators of control values (diameter, weight, value layers, the relative volume of the gaps, etc.).

U.S. live cattle markets have experienced dramatic shifts in marketing methods over the past two decades, changing the way live cattle prices are discovered. We identify relationships between prices of the five major live cattle marketing regions using Granger causality and directed graph analysis. The two approaches complement each other and reveal that interweek and intraweek price discovery roles for given markets differ. Evidence indicates that Colorado, though a minor market in terms of relative volume, has become an important source of interweek price information to other markets.

The structural and functional features of the tongue attract the attention of researchers who are often interested in the peculiarities of the structural organization of its arterial bed, which plays an important role in blood supply and morphogenesis of the organ in various injuries. The aim of the research was to study the age-specific features of remodeling of tongue arteries in the experimental animals. The materials of the study were the arterial vessels of the tongue of 30 laboratory albino male rats, which were under normal vivarium conditions. The test animals were divided into two groups. The 1st group consisted of 15 intact, practically healthy animals at the age of 8 months, the 2nd -15 intact rats at the age of 24 months. The euthanasia of experimental animals was carried out by bloodletting under conditions of thiopental-sodium anesthesia. The pieces were cut from the middle part of the tongue and fixed in a 10% neutral solution of formalin. The indicated pieces of tongue were carried out through the ethyl alcohol of increasing concentration and placed in paraffin blocks. After deparaffinization microtome sections 5-7 microns thick were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, by van Gizon, Mallory, Weigert, and toluidine blue. The morphometry of the arteries of the middle (external diameter 51-125 microns) and small calibers (outer diameter – 26-50 microns) of the tongue was carried out. The morphometry of the arteries of the tongue was determined by their external and internal diameters, the thickness of the mediums and adventitia, the height of the endothelial cells, their nuclei, the nuclear-cytoplasmic relations in the endothelial cells, the Kernogan index, and the relative volume of the damaged endothelial cells. Quantitative indicators were processed statistically. The analysis of the obtained morphometric parameters revealed that with the age the arteries of the small caliber have changed more. The outer diameter of arteries of small caliber tongue of the 24-month-old albino rats has increased only for 1.2% and the clearance has decreased by 4.4%. An increase in the outer diameter of the examined vessels and a decrease in their lumen led to a change in the Kernogan index, which with a statistically significant difference (p

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been applied with considerable success in the fields of radiology, pathology, and neurosurgery. It is expected that AI will soon be used to optimize strategies for the clinical management of patients based on intensive imaging follow-up. Our objective in this study was to establish an algorithm by which to automate the volumetric measurement of vestibular schwannoma (VS) using a series of parametric MR images following radiosurgery. Based on a sample of 861 consecutive patients who underwent Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) between 1993 and 2008, the proposed end-to-end deep-learning scheme with automated pre-processing pipeline was applied to a series of 1290 MR examinations (T1W+C, and T2W parametric MR images). All of which were performed under consistent imaging acquisition protocols. The relative volume difference (RVD) between AI-based volumetric measurements and clinical measurements performed by expert radiologists were + 1.74%, − 0.31%, − 0.44%, − 0.19%, − 0.01%, and + 0.26% at each follow-up time point, regardless of the state of the tumor (progressed, pseudo-progressed, or regressed). This study outlines an approach to the evaluation of treatment responses via novel volumetric measurement algorithm, and can be used longitudinally following GKRS for VS. The proposed deep learning AI scheme is applicable to longitudinal follow-up assessments following a variety of therapeutic interventions.

Contains fulltext : 231683.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Measurement of intracranial aneurysm wall motion may refine the current rupture risk estimation. A golden standard for measuring aneurysm pulsation is lacking. The aim is to evaluate magnitudes of aneurysm pulsation as published in current literature. Embase and PubMed were searched for publications containing quantitative measures of cardiac-cycle related cerebral aneurysm pulsation (no date or language restrictions). Eleven studies were included, covering 197 unruptured and untreated cerebral aneurysms. Quantitative pulsation measurements were extracted from the studies. Characteristics of the study population and aneurysms were taken into account, as well as the imaging modality, scanning technique and data processing methods used. A meta-analysis was performed of studies with similar methodologies and individual IA measures and locations. The magnitude of the absolute volume pulsations varied between 14 ± 9 mm(3) and 106 ± 123 mm(3) and the mean relative volume change varied between 5 and 36%. The meta-analysis revealed a positive correlation between size and absolute volume change. The relative volume change in Basilar artery aneurysms seems smaller. No authors were contacted for original study data and articles only describing visual pulsations were excluded. The variation in methodologies impedes an accurate estimation of the magnitude of IA pulsations. Validation of aneurysm pulsation measurement is crucial prior to clinical studies evaluating IA pulsatility in relation to IA rupture risk. Prerequisite is a reliable and robust imaging method with high spatial and temporal resolution and standardization of the image analysis methods.

Background and purpose: Pigmented macrophage aggregates (PMAs) are a part of the immune system of fish and are considered as valuable biomarkers of the impact of water pollution on fish health. Materials and methods: Immunomodulatory effect of water contaminated with high levels of metals on spleen and splenic PMAs of Vardar chub (Squalius vardarensis) (n=129) was examined in two seasons, spring, and autumn 2012. For this purpose, three rivers were chosen: the Zletovska River, heavily contaminated with metals, the Kriva River, moderately contaminated with metals combined with high level of organic matter, and the Bregalnica River, without heavy metal contamination. Spleen masses and splenosomatic indices (SSI) were used for determining the general impact of water contamination on the immune system of Vardar chub. Moreover, volumes and numbers of PMAs within spleen tissue were determined stereologically. Results: The isolated effect of high exposure to metals caused the reduction of spleen mass and/or SSI in the fish from the Zletovska River. The combined effect of exposure to metals and high levels of nutrients in the fish from the Kriva River referred to stimulation of PMAs response, namely increased volumes of splenic PMAs. The existence of seasonally dependent differences was noted since the observed variability in PMAs between rivers occurred only in the autumn. Conclusions: Splenic PMAs in the Vardar chub can be used as an additional biomarker of metal pollution, but with caution, since enhancement of the volumes and numbers of PMAs depends on the exposure level of metals, on the presence of the other contaminants, as well as on the physiological condition of the fish.