Search

Abstract Background Exercise‐based swallowing training (EBST) and transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation (TNMES) are common modalities used to treat late dysphagia after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We aimed to investigate and compare the efficacies of EBST and TNMES as proactive treatments administered early after radiotherapy. Methods Patients with early post‐radiotherapy NPC (n = 120) underwent either TNMES or EBST. Flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES), quality of life (QOL), and swallowing function questionnaires were completed before the intervention as well as immediately, 6, and 12 months after the intervention. Outcome measures included the scores for the swallowing function score (SFS), penetration and aspiration scale (PAS), dynamic imaging grade of swallowing toxicity (DIGEST), functional oral intake scale (FOIS), swallowing performance status scale (SPSS), pharyngeal motor impairment (PMI), pharyngeal function impairment (PFI), and functional assessment after cancer therapy–nasopharyngeal (FACT‐NP) questionnaire. Results Three months after radiotherapy, 31 and 34 patients underwent TNMES and EBST, respectively, and completed swallowing assessments at all four assessment timepoints. All patients showed post‐radiotherapy impairments in the SFS, PAS, DIGEST, PMI, and PFI. Compared with the EBST group, the TNMES group showed significant improvements in the PFI and PMI scores, with small‐to‐medium effect sizes. Additionally, compared with the EBST group, the TNMES group demonstrated a trend toward slightly better improvements in the PAS, DIGEST, FOIS, and SPSS scores immediately and 6 months after the intervention. The SFS scores improved from baseline in both groups; however, the TNMES group showed an earlier improvement. Finally, the TNMES group showed better QOL according to the FACT‐NP than the EBST group. Conclusion Proactive TMNES and EBST are safe and feasible modalities for improving swallowing in patients with NPC when administered early after radiotherapy. Although TNMES showed better results than EBST, these results should be interpreted with caution given the study limitations. Level of evidence 1B.

Superconductivity in the cuprates is known to be intertwined with charge and spin density waves. Here, the authors study the prototypical cuprate La1.885Sr0.115CuO4 via x-ray scattering and discover a sudden increase in the charge-density-wave amplitude upon entering the superconducting-vortex-liquid state at high magnetic field.

AbstractAnti-histone antibodies (AHAs) make their appearance in a number of systemic autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and drug-induced lupus erythematosus (DILE). Although being known for over 50 years, they are poorly studied and understood. There is emerging evidence for their use in predicting clinical features of SLE, diversifying their clinical use. AHAs, however, are probably less prevalent in DILE than once thought owing to a move away from older DILE drugs to modern biological agents which do not appear to elicit AHAs. This review examines the historical studies that have defined AHAs and looks at some of the recent work with these autoantibodies.

Abstract This paper presents an analysis of the impact of various dielectric properties material’s effects on broadband pyramidal microwave absorbers (PMA). The Computer Simulation Technology (CST) studio software simulates and analyzes the PMA over 0.7 GHz to 30 GHz frequency range. To achieve the best reflectivity performance of the PMA, different types of dielectric materials and the thickness of the base layers were analyzed and investigated. The average of four types of sample materials studied, the reflectivity level is between -50 dB and -27 dB for the desired range of frequency, 0.7 GHz to 30 GHz. The sample-4 material has a dielectric constant of 3.83, and a loss tangent of 1.52 has the best microwave absorption, absorbing microwaves above -48 dB over the frequency range of 0.7 GHz to 30 GHz. Because of its microwave absorption capability, sample-4 could be used in a microwave pyramidal absorber.

We analysed all-sky camera images observed at Mt. Bohyun observatory (36.2∘ N, 128.9∘ E) for the period 2017–2019. The image data were acquired with a narrowband filter centred at 557.7 nm for the OI airglow emission at ∼ 96 km altitude. A total of 150 wave events were identified in the images of 144 clear nights. The interquartile ranges of wavelength, phase speed and periods of the identified waves are 20.5–35.5 km, 27.4–45.0 m s−1 and 10.8–13.7 min with the median values of 27.8 km, 36.3 m s−1 and 11.7 min, respectively. The summer and spring bias of propagation directions of north-eastward and northward, respectively, can be interpreted as the effect of filtering by the prevailing winds in the lower atmosphere. In winter the subdominant north-westward waves may be observed due to a nullified filtering effect by slow northward background wind or secondary waves generated in the upper atmosphere. Intrinsic phase speeds and periods of the waves were also derived by using the wind data simultaneously observed by a nearly co-located meteor radar. The nature of vertical propagation was evaluated in each season. The majority of observed waves are found to be freely propagating and thus can be attributed to wave sources in the lower or upper atmosphere.

A dual thermistor radiosonde (DTR) comprising two (aluminium-coated and black) sensors with different emissivities was developed to correct the effects of solar radiation on temperature probes based on in situ radiation measurements. Herein, the DTR performance is characterised in terms of the uncertainty via a series of ground-based facilities and an intercomparison radiosounding test. The DTR characterisation procedure using laboratory facilities is as follows: individually calibrate the temperature of the thermistors in a climate chamber from −70 to 30 ∘C to evaluate the uncertainty of raw temperature measurement before radiation correction; test the effect of temperature on the resistance reading using radiosonde boards in the climate chamber from −70 to 20 ∘C to identify a potential source of errors owing to the boards, especially at cold temperatures; individually perform radiation tests on thermistors at room temperature to investigate the degree of heating of aluminium-coated and black sensors (the average ratio = 1 : 2.4) and use the result for obtaining unit-specific radiation correction formulas; and perform parameterisation of the radiation measurement and correction formulas with five representative pairs of sensors in terms of temperature, pressure, ventilation speed, and irradiance using an upper air simulator. These results are combined and applied to the DTR sounding test conducted in July 2021. Thereafter, the effective irradiance is measured using the temperature difference between the aluminium-coated and black sensors of the DTR. The measured irradiance is then used for the radiation correction of the DTR aluminium-coated sensor. The radiation-corrected temperature of the DTR is mostly consistent with that of a commercial radiosonde (Vaisala, RS41) within the expanded uncertainty (∼ 0.35 ∘C) of the DTR at the coverage factor k = 2. Furthermore, the components contributing to the uncertainty of the radiation measurement and correction are analysed. The DTR methodology can improve the accuracy of temperature measurement in the upper air within the framework of the traceability to the International System of Units.

An upper-air simulator (UAS) has been developed at the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) to study the effects of solar irradiation of commercial radiosondes. In this study, the uncertainty in the radiation correction of a Vaisala RS41 temperature sensor is evaluated using the UAS at KRISS. First, the effects of environmental parameters including the temperature (T), pressure (P), ventilation speed (v), and irradiance (S) are formulated in the context of the radiation correction. The considered ranges of T, P, and v are −67 to 20 ∘C, 5–500 hPa, and 4–7 m s−1, respectively, with a fixed S0=980 W m−2. Second, the uncertainties in the environmental parameters determined using the UAS are evaluated to calculate their contribution to the uncertainty in the radiation correction. In addition, the effects of rotation and tilting of the sensor boom with respect to the irradiation direction are investigated. The uncertainty in the radiation correction is obtained by combining the contributions of all uncertainty factors. The expanded uncertainty associated with the radiation-corrected temperature of the RS41 is 0.17 ∘C at the coverage factor k=2 (approximately 95 % confidence level). The findings obtained by reproducing the environment of the upper air by using the ground-based facility can provide a basis to increase the measurement accuracy of radiosondes within the framework of traceability to the International System of Units.

IntroductionSerum autoantibodies targeting the SSA/Ro proteins are a key component of the classification criteria for the diagnosis of Sjögren’s syndrome (SS). Most patients' serum reacts with both Ro60 and Ro52 proteins. Here we compare the molecular and clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with SS with anti-Ro52 in the presence or absence of anti-Ro60/La autoantibodies.MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed. Patients in the SS biobank at Westmead Hospital (Sydney, Australia) that were positive for anti-Ro52 were included and stratified based on the absence (isolated) or presence (combined) of anti-Ro60/La, measured by line immunoassay. We examined clinical associations and the serological and molecular characteristics of anti-Ro52 using ELISA and mass spectrometry in serological groups.ResultsA total of 123 SS patients were included for study. SS patients with isolated anti-Ro52 (12%) identified a severe serological subset characterised by higher disease activity, vasculitis, pulmonary involvement, rheumatoid factor (RhF) and cryoglobulinaemia. Serum antibodies reacting with Ro52 in the isolated anti-Ro52 subset displayed less isotype switching, less immunoglobulin variable region subfamily usage and a lower degree of somatic hypermutation than the combined anti-Ro52 subset.ConclusionsIn our cohort of SS patients, isolated anti-Ro52 represents a severe subset of SS, and is associated with the presence of cryoglobulinaemia. We therefore provide clinical relevance to the stratification of SS patients by their sero-reactivities. It is possible that the autoantibody patterns may be immunological epiphenomena of the underlying disease process, and further work is required to unearth the mechanisms of the differential clinical phenotypes.

The continuing transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains a world-wide 21st-century public health emergency of concern. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused greater than 600 million cases of COVID-19 and over 6 million deaths globally. COVID-19 continues to be a highly transmissible disease despite efforts by public health officials and healthcare providers to manage and control the disease. Variants identified in selected worldwide epicenters add to the complexity of vaccine efficacy, overage, and antibody titer maintenance and bioactivity. The identification of the SARS-CoV-2 variants is described with respect to evading protective efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and breakthrough infections. Vaccines and other therapeutics have prevented millions of SARS-CoV-2 infections and thousands of deaths in the United States. We explore aspects of the immune response in a condensed discussion to understand B and T cell lymphocyte regulatory mechanisms and antibody effectiveness and senescence. Finally, COVID-19 therapies including Paxlovid, Remdisivir, Molnupiravir and convalescent plasma in non-hospitalized patients are presented with limitations for identification, collection, and distribution to infected patients.

Abstract In this study, the upconversion (UC) emissions of Er3+ and Yb3+ co-doped SrZrO3 nanocrystals (NCs) were investigated in terms of the thermal annealing temperature and concentration of Er3+ ions and compared with the emissions under a near-ultraviolet (near-UV) excitation. The NCs were synthesized by the combustion method, and the as-synthesized NCs were post-annealed at high temperatures. The X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the grain sizes and crystallinity degrees of the samples increased with increasing annealing temperatures. The photoluminescence spectra of our samples exhibited strong green and very weak red emissions with the near-UV excitation, originating from the f-f transitions in the Er3+ ions. Interestingly, under near-infrared (near-IR) excitation, we identified sizable visible emissions at 525, 547, and 660 nm in our NCs, which indicated that the UC process successfully occurred in our NCs. These UC emissions were maximized in the NCs with an Er3+ concentration of 0.02 and thermal annealing at 1000 °C. We found that the intensity ratios of red to green emissions increased with increasing annealing temperatures. We discussed the differences in the emissions between near-UV and near-IR excitations.

Understanding the formation of start-up runaway electrons (REs) is essential to ensure successful plasma initiation in ITER. The design of ITER start-up scenarios requires not only predictive simulations but also a validation of assumptions. The objective of this study is to strengthen the physical background required for predictive simulations aimed at ITER plasma start-up design, by validating the model assumptions. Through kinetic simulations, this study examines the validity of steady-state models for Dreicer generation under slowly-varying time scales relevant to plasma start-up and investigates the finite energy effect, commonly neglected, on the runaway avalanche growth rate. The research findings provide insights into situations where kinetic simulations are necessary. To secure a margin-of-control scheme without kinetic simulation, we suggest a strategy of scanning the Coulomb logarithm in fluid simulations as an alternative to predict runaway current takeover and avoid RE dominant scenarios. Ultimately, this paper seeks to offer a robust physical background, practically supporting the successful design of ITER start-up scenarios.

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common glomerulonephritis and one of the most common causes of chronic kidney disease worldwide. Although IgAN has been classically linked with respiratory tract infections (RTIs), little studies have examined the epidemiology of this condition in terms of seasonal variations in presentations. We present the first study in one of Australia’s largest hospitals looking at the seasonality of this common condition. In summary, we surprisingly do not find any seasonal variations in the biopsy-proven presentation of this condition across 6 years of data.

To fully elucidate the relationship between density wave orders and superconductivity in high-T c cuprates remains difficult. Here, the authors reveal two types of charge-density-wave orders and their intertwined relationship with spin-density-wave order and superconductivity in La2-x Sr x CuO4.

Background: When patients have multiple blastocysts following IVF/ICSI, selection of the most viable blastocyst for transfer can reduce time taken for patients to conceive. An artificial intelligence system, Ivy, has been developed to predict pregnancy from embryo images. Aim: To determine the frequency that Ivy selects the same embryo for transfer as morphological assessment or time-lapse algorithm (KIDScore™D5v2). Method: Data was collected from 100 patients that had [Formula: see text] 2 blastocysts for day 5 fresh single embryo transfer (total n=1319 embryos, cultured in EmbryoScope+). The blastocyst transferred was selected by clinic protocol: a combination of morphology and morphokinetics. Ivy analysed time-lapse images to generate an IVYScore. Four embryologists assessed morphology of one image per embryo using different focal planes. Morphokinetics parameters were annotated to calculate KIDScore. Results: Embryologists chose the same blastocyst for transfer in 51 out of 100 patients, and only 35.3% of these embryos had the highest IVYscore compared to sibling blastocysts. Compared to KIDScore, Ivy would have chosen the same blastocyst in 61% of the cases. Agreement between all methods was lower when patients had morphologically similar blastocysts (18.2% vs. 50.0%, p[Formula: see text]0.001). Clinical pregnancy rate was 48.0% (n=100), which was similar for blastocysts selected by Ivy (50.0%, n=64), morphology (n=29, 41.4%) or KIDScore (n=74, 45.9%). Further, 44 frozen blastocyst transfers resulted in 14 pregnancies. If IvyScore were to be used instead of clinic protocol, 11 cases would have resulted in an equal or shorter time to pregnancy. Conclusion: There is limited agreement between methods when patients have multiple blastocysts available for transfer, especially when morphology is similar. Pregnancy rates of Ivy-selected blastocysts were similar to other methods, indicating that Ivy could be used with comparable success, and could even lead to reduction in time to pregnancy. This study is limited by its retrospective nature, and unknown pregnancy potential of blastocysts that were not transferred.

Background: Cleavage stage multinucleation is a morphological assessment IVF labs may use to rank embryos for transfer, as blastocysts that were multinucleated at the 2-cell or 4-cell stage have a lower live birth rate (LBR) compared to blastocysts that were mononucleated1. However, when these blastocysts are PGT-A tested, the euploidy rate is similar2, indicating that the poorer pregnancy outcomes may not be due to aneuploidy. It is unknown if multinucleation is indicative of a lower likelihood of pregnancy for euploid blastocysts. Aim: To determine if LBR following transfer of euploid blastocysts is lower when blastocysts were multinucleated at the 2-cell or 4-cell stages. Method: Retrospective study on 360 euploid blastocysts cultured in the EmbryoScope or EmbryoScope+ between March 2018 and October 2019, and individually transferred. Time-lapse images were retrospectively assessed for multinucleation at the 2-cell and 4-cell stage. A multinucleated embryo was defined as having [Formula: see text] 1 cell with [Formula: see text] 2 nuclei. Results: Blastocysts that were multinucleated at the 2-cell stage (n=139) had a similar LBR to mononucleated embryos (40.3% vs 41.6%). Multinucleation at the 4-cell stage (n=43) also did not significantly affect LBR (37.2% vs 43.6%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis found no significant effect of multinucleation on LBR. Biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy (fetal heart), and miscarriage rates were also similar between multinucleated and mononucleated embryos. Conclusion: This study found no evidence that multinucleation at the 2-cell or 4-cell stage influences pregnancy rate in euploid blastocysts. As such, the assessment of cleavage stage multinucleation for PGT-A tested embryos may not be useful in ranking PGT-A tested embryos for transfer. Further work is required with larger numbers of embryos to confirm how the degree of multinucleation may influence LBR.

Improvements in embryo culture systems, based on the dynamic metabolic requirements of the embryo have facilitated the extension of embryo culture to the blastocyst stage. In the last 20 years, there has been a shift to blastocyst culture and single blastocyst transfer around the world, especially in Australia and New Zealand. Notably, this practice has led to significantly increased implantation and pregnancy rates, by improving embryo selection and embryo-uterine environment synchrony. Interestingly, the time taken for a human embryo to develop into a blastocyst can vary. Blastocysts are typically selected for transfer, biopsy or vitrification on days 5 and 6 of embryo development, and embryos which do not reach a suitable developmental stage and/or quality are typically discarded. Over the last decade, multiple groups have challenged this ‘norm’. It has been determined that slow-growing embryos that only reach the blastocyst stage on day 7 have the ability to attain a good morphological grade, successively undergo biopsy and vitrification, and most importantly, can result in healthy live births following transfer. With the advent of time-lapse microscopy, we can now closely examine the timings of embryo development. Here, the development and incidence of day 7 blastocysts, metabolic requirements, rate of euploidy, reproductive potential and laboratory experience of extending embryo culture to day 7 are considered.

A new plasma diagnostic tool called the planar cutoff probe (PCP), recently developed by Kim et al. [Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 28, 015004(2019)], can be embedded into a chamber wall or wafer chuck electrode for non-invasive electron density measurements. The application feasibility of the probe has so far been demonstrated in terms of signal-to-noise ratio; however, for the successful application of the PCP to real plasma processing, its design should first be optimized based on a comprehensive investigation of its characteristics. Therefore, in this paper, the effects of various parameters on the measurement characteristics of the PCP are investigated and analyzed via 3D full electromagnetic wave simulation. Results show that PCP measurement discrepancies vary by numerous controllable parameters, namely, wafer thickness and relative dielectric constant, antenna distance, input electron density, and chamber pressure. Based on these findings, the condition with the smallest measurement discrepancy and where PCP measurement performance is least affected by the parameters is found and discussed.

This paper proposes an updated transformer model for solenoidal inductively coupled plasma sources that can be applied even in low electron density regions. The proposed model can handle plasma in a finite geometry where the electric fields propagating from each boundary overlap, employing a simple analytic expression of the electric field, a one-dimensional (1D) sine hyperbolic function. Based on this field expression, all circuit elements of the transformer model that depend on the electron density, namely, plasma resistance, magnetic inductance, and mutual inductance, can now be obtained. Comparison of absorbed power as well as the circuit elements calculated using the proposed model, named here as the 1D transformer model, shows good agreement with the electromagnetic model, which is known for being quite accurate for cold plasma not only in high but also in low electron density regions. Results also indicate that the 1D transformer model is not limited to a specific setup but rather can be applied in a wide range of discharge conditions.

Although proper exercise training induces positive physiological effects, improper exercise can lead to injury, fatigue, and poor performance. The frequency, intensity, time/duration, type, volume, and progression (FITT-VP) are the essential components of exercise training to maintain or improve physical fitness and health. The purpose of this study was to develop specific exercise programs by applying the FITT-VP principle and to examine the effects on heart rate (HR) and hematological and biochemical parameters in dogs. The healthy male Beagles (n = 4) included in this study performed continuous and interval exercises, comprising 12 protocols. The HR monitoring elicited an affirmative response to activities but varied depending on the protocols. The hematologic parameters (e.g., red blood cell count, white blood cell count, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration) were within the reference ranges both before and after exercise. The creatine kinase level significantly increased, and the cholesterol level decreased after exercises. In conclusion, the continuous and interval exercise program elicits an appropriate HR reaction, has no adverse effects on the serum parameters, and provides valuable insight for healthcare in dogs.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a greenhouse gas and an ozone depletion agent. Estuaries that are subject to seasonal anoxia are generally regarded as N2O sources. However, insufficient understanding of the environmental controls on N2O production results in large uncertainty about the estuarine contribution to the global N2O budget. Incubation experiments with nitrogen stable isotope tracer were used to investigate the geochemical factors controlling N2O production from denitrification in the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in North America. The highest potential rates of water column N2O production via denitrification (7.5±1.2 nmol-N L−1 h−1) were detected during summer anoxia, during which oxidized nitrogen species (nitrate and nitrite) were absent from the water column. At the top of the anoxic layer, N2O production from denitrification was stimulated by addition of nitrate and nitrite. The relative contribution of nitrate and nitrite to N2O production was positively correlated with the ratio of nitrate to nitrite concentrations. Increased oxygen availability, up to 7 µmol L−1 oxygen, inhibited both N2O production and the reduction of nitrate to nitrite. In spring, high oxygen and low abundance of denitrifying microbes resulted in undetectable N2O production from denitrification. Thus, decreasing the nitrogen input into the Chesapeake Bay has two potential impacts on the N2O production: a lower availability of nitrogen substrates may mitigate short-term N2O emissions during summer anoxia; and, in the long-run (timescale of years), eutrophication will be alleviated and subsequent reoxygenation of the bay will further inhibit N2O production.

This paper presents the investigation influence of the common metallic loop like accessory on Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) averaged over 10g and 1 g tissue.The simulations were made by means CST Microwave Studio software at frequencies 2.45GHz and 2.6GHz. Numerical analysis conducted using broadband textile monopole antenna (TM) with variations of orientation and distance showed that the SAR value increased when the antenna horizontally polarized.This is up to 80% more than vertically polarized TM placed closest item to 2mm.

This paper presents the electromagnetic wave (EW) absorption properties in terms of complex permittivity and permeability of novel green composites coconut fiber coir and charcoal powder materials. The samples were fabricated using the raw agricultural waste coconut fiber coir, charcoal powder, epoxy resin and hardener with varied composition. The dielectric properties of the materials were characterized using two-port waveguide measurement method over the X-band frequency (8.2 – 12.4GHz). The average permittivity value measured is approximately 3.00 with 10wt% charcoal has the highest permittivity of 3.59. Apart from that, all samples exhibit good reflection loss of better than -25dB which means more than 99% absorption rate. The result shows the composite material is a promising organic material for electromagnetic absorber applications.

A small, 54 MHz wind-profiler radar, MARA, was operated at Troll, Antarctica (72° S, 2.5° E), continuously from November 2011 to January 2014, covering two complete Antarctic winters. Despite very low power, MARA observed echoes from heights of 55–80 km (polar mesosphere winter echoes, PMWE) on 60% of all winter days (from March to October). This contrasts with previous reports from radars at high northern latitudes, where PWME have been reported only by very high power radars or during rare periods of unusually high electron density at PMWE heights, such as during solar proton events. Analysis shows that PWME at Troll were not related to solar proton events but were often closely related to the arrival of high-speed solar wind streams (HSS) at the Earth, with PWME appearing at heights as low as 56 km and persisting for up to 15 days following HSS arrival. This demonstrates that HSS effects penetrate directly to below 60 km height in the polar atmosphere. Using local observations of cosmic-noise absorption (CNA), a theoretical ionization/ion-chemistry model and a statistical model of precipitating energetic electrons associated with HSS, the electron density conditions during the HSS events are estimated. We find that PMWE detectability cannot be explained by these variations in electron density and molecular-ion chemistry alone. PWME become detectable at different thresholds depending on solar illumination and height. In darkness, PWME are detected only when the modelled electron density is above a threshold of about 1000 cm−3, and only above 75 km height, where negative ions are few. In daylight, the electron density threshold falls by at least 2 orders of magnitude and PWME are found primarily below 75 km height, even in conditions when a large proportion of negative ions is expected. There is also a strong dawn–dusk asymmetry with PWME detected very rarely during morning twilight but often during evening twilight. This behaviour cannot be explained if PMWE are caused by small-scale structure in the neutral/molecular-ion gas alone but may be explained by the presence of charged meteoric dust.