Search Results (19)

There are scarce data comparing inpatient mortality, length of stay (LOS) and all-cause hospital costs in disseminated coccidioidomycosis (DCM) vs. isolated pulmonary coccidioidomycosis (IPCM). We assessed the burden of hospital illness associated with DCM versus IPCM. This study was performed using National Inpatient Sample data from 2019 to 2021. DCM was defined as having a primary International Classification of Diseases—Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code for coccidioidal meningitis, a non-primary code for coccidioidal meningitis in the presence of a primary code for a meningitis complication or a procedure code depicting the need for a meningitis-related procedure, or a primary code for DCM without a code for unspecified disease. IPCM was defined as a primary code for pulmonary coccidioidomycosis without codes for DCM or unspecified disease. Multivariable regression was used to compare the odds of in-hospital mortality, LOS and all-cause hospital costs (2023 US$) for DCM versus IPCM, after covariate adjustment. A total of 6195 hospitalizations were identified, 2305 for DCM and 3890 for IPCM. Patients experiencing a DCM hospitalization had a 19.7% incidence of concomitant pulmonary coccidioidomycosis. Coccidioidal meningitis constituted 81.3% of all DCM hospitalizations, of which 78.1% received a meningitis-related procedure or were admitted for a meningitis complication. DCM was associated with an increased odds of death (odds ratio = 2.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.26–6.04) versus IPCM. DCM was associated with a longer mean hospital LOS (4.51 days, 95%CI = 3.39–5.63) and higher mean all-cause costs ($20,008, 95%CI = $15,313–$24,704) versus IPCM. DCM hospitalizations were associated with higher odds of inpatient mortality, longer LOS, and higher costs versus IPCM. Full article

A systematic study on the dissolution in concentrated alkali of two volcanic ashes from Cameroon, denoted as DAR and VN, is presented here. One volcanic ash, DAR, was 2 wt% richer in Fe and Ca and 4 wt% lower in Si than the other, designated as VN. Such natural raw materials are complex mixtures of aluminosilicate minerals (kaersutite, plagioclase, magnetite, diopside, thenardite, forsterite, hematite, and goethite) with a good proportion of amorphous phase (52 and 74 wt% for DAR and VN, respectively), which is more reactive than the crystalline phase in alkaline environments. Dissolution in NaOH + sodium silicate solution is the first step in the geopolymerisation process, which, after hardening at room temperature, results in solid and resistant building blocks. According to XRD, the VN finer ash powders showed a higher reactivity of Al-bearing soluble amorphous phases, releasing Al cations in NaOH, as indicated by IPC-MS. In general, dissolution in a strong alkaline environment did not seem to be affected by the NaOH concentration, provided that it was kept higher than 8 M, or by the powder size, remaining below 75 µm, while it was affected by time. However, in the time range studied, 1–120 min, the maximum element release was reached at about 100 min, when an equilibrium was reached. The hardened alkali activated materials show a good reticulation, as indicated by the low weight loss in water (10 wt%) when a hardening temperature of 25 °C was assumed. The same advantage was found for of the room-temperature consolidated specimens’ mechanical performance in terms of resistance to compression (4–6 MPa). The study of the alkaline dissolution of volcanic ash is, therefore, an interesting way of predicting and optimising the reactivity of the phases of which it is composed, especially the amorphous ones. Full article

This study presents an advanced methodology for improving electronic assembly quality through real-time, inline inspection utilizing state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning technologies. The primary goal is to ensure compliance with stringent manufacturing standards, notably IPC-A-610 and IPC-J-STD-001. Employing the existing infrastructure of pick-and-place machines, this system captures high-resolution images of electronic components during the assembly process. These images are analyzed instantly by AI algorithms capable of detecting a variety of defects, including damage, corrosion, counterfeit, and structural irregularities in components and their leads. This proactive approach shifts from conventional reactive quality assurance methods by integrating real-time defect detection and strict adherence to industry standards into the assembly process. With an accuracy rate exceeding 99.5% and processing speeds of about 5 ms per component, this system enables manufacturers to identify and address defects promptly, thereby significantly enhancing manufacturing quality and reliability. The implementation leverages big data analytics, analyzing over a billion components to refine detection algorithms and ensure robust performance. By pre-empting and resolving defects before they escalate, the methodology minimizes production disruptions and fosters a more efficient workflow, ultimately resulting in considerable cost reductions. This paper showcases multiple case studies of component defects, highlighting the diverse types of defects identified through AI and deep learning. These examples, combined with detailed performance metrics, provide insights into optimizing electronic component assembly processes, contributing to elevated production efficiency and quality. Full article

Iron is an essential mineral that supports biological functions like growth, oxygen transport, cellular function, and hormone synthesis. Insufficient dietary iron can lead to anemia and cause fatigue, cognitive impairment, and poor immune function. Animal-based foods provide heme iron, which is more bioavailable to humans, while plant-based foods typically contain less bioavailable non-heme iron. Edible insects vary in their iron content and may have heme or non-heme forms, depending on their diet. Edible insects have been proposed as a protein source that could address issues of food insecurity and malnutrition in low resource contexts; therefore, it is important to understand the bioavailability of iron from insect-based foods. In this study, we used Inductively Coupled Plasma and Mass Spectrometry (IPC-MS) and Caco-2 cell culture models to compare the soluble and bioavailable iron among five different lab-produced tempeh formulations featuring Tenebrio molitor (mealworm) with their non-fermented raw ingredient combinations. Finally, we compared the iron bioavailability of a mealworm tempeh with two sources of conventional beef (ground beef and sirloin steaks) and two commercially available plant-based meat alternatives. The results show that while plant-based meat alternatives had higher amounts of soluble iron, particularly in the Beyond Burger samples, the fermented mealworm-based tempeh had greater amounts of bioavailable iron than the other samples within the set. While all the samples presented varying degrees of iron bioavailability, all products within the sample set would be considered good sources of dietary iron. Full article

In the process of paper recycling, certain amounts of metals can be found in the cellulose suspension, the source of which is mainly printing inks. The paper industry often uses different technologies to reduce heavy metal emissions. The recycling of laminated packaging contributes to the formation of sticky particles, which affects the concentration of heavy metals. This study aimed to determine the mass fraction of metals in the different phases of the deinking process to optimize the cellulose pulp’s quality and design healthy correct packaging products. In this research, the deinking flotation of laminated and non-laminated samples was carried out by the Ingede 11 method. As a result of the study, the mass fractions of metals in cellulose pulp were divided into four groups according to the mass fraction’s increasing value and the metals’ increasing electronegativity. The quantities of metals were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The separation of metals from cellulose pulp is influenced by the presence of adhesives and the electronegativity of the metal. The results of the study show that the recycling process removes certain heavy metals very well, which indicates the good recycling potential of pharmaceutical cardboard samples. Full article

Understanding the infiltration and solidification processes of liquid 5083Al alloy into Al₂O₃ three-dimensional reticulated porous ceramic (Al₂O_3(3D) RPC) is essential for optimizing the microstructure and properties of Al₂O_3(3D)/5083Al interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs) prepared by low-pressure infiltration process (LPIP). This study employs ProCAST software to simulate the infiltration and solidification processes of liquid 5083Al with pouring velocities (PV) of 0.4 m/s infiltrating into Al₂O_3(3D) RPC preforms with varying porosities at different pouring temperatures (PT) to prepare Al₂O_3(3D)/5083Al IPCs using LPIP. The results demonstrate that pore diameter of Al₂O_3(3D) RPC preforms and PT of liquid 5083Al significantly influence the of the infiltration. Solidification process analysis reveals that the Al₂O_3(3D) RPC preform with smaller pore diameters allows the lower pouring velocity of 5083Al to solidify faster compared to the preform with larger pore diameters. Al₂O_3(3D)/5083Al IPCs were prepared successfully from Al₂O_3(3D) RPC porosity of 15 PPI with liquid 5083Al at PV 0.4 m/s and PT 800 °C using LPIP, resulting in nearly fully dense composites, where both Al₂O_3(3D) RPCs and 5083Al interpenetrate throughout the microstructure. The infiltration and solidification defects were reduced under air pressure of 0.3 MPa (corresponding to PV of 0.4 m/s) during LPIP. Finite volume method simulations are in good agreement with experimental data, validating the suitability of the simplified model for Al₂O_3(3D) RPCs in the infiltration simulation. Full article

Many non-traditional isotopes, such as chlorine, magnesium, calcium, etc., are widely used as groundwater tracers. A new sample processing protocol of purification and concentration for isotopic analysis is presented to overcome many of the major drawbacks of existing methods. Contemporary sample preparation often requires several laborious off-line procedures in a ultra clean laboratory prior to instrumental determination; additionally, interference ions in real samples are difficult to completely remove, especially when the concentration of those ions is equal to that of the target ions. The new protocol includes the following steps: (i) one-step purification using a newly developed isotopic preparative chromatograph (IPC) with a background suppressed mode to obtain extremely pure components that only have target ions and H₂O; (ii) enrichment of the collected pure solution from the previous step using a newly developed ultra clean concentrator filled with high purity nitrogen; (iii) transforming the enriched target ion into suitable speciation inside the ultra clean concentrator; (iv) finally, sending the enriched solutions to a multi-collector inductively coupled-plasma mass-spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS) or thermal ionization mass spectrometer (TIMS). The present method was validated using certified reference materials and real samples for both chlorine and magnesium; the precision of chlorine ratio value was generally below 0.22‰ and that of Mg was below 0.12‰. This processing protocol provides a potential method for isotope sample preparation and analysis in a small number of geological samples with low concentrations of many other elements or compounds such as nitrate, sulfate, lithium, calcium, strontium, etc. Full article

Native T1, extracellular volume fraction (ECV), and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) characterize myocardial tissue and relate to patient prognosis in a variety of diseases, including pulmonary hypertension. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if left ventricle (LV) fibrosis measurements have prognostic value for cardiac outcomes in pulmonary hypertension subgroups. 54 patients with suspected pulmonary hypertension underwent right-heart catheterization and were classified into pulmonary hypertension subgroups: pre-capillary component (PreCompPH) and isolated post-capillary (IpcPH). Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were performed with the acquisition of balanced cine steady-state free precession, native T1, and LGE pulse sequences to measure cardiac volumes and myocardial fibrosis. Associations between cardiac events and cardiac MRI measurements were analyzed within PreCompPH and IpcPH patients. IpcPH: LV native T1 was higher in patients who experienced a cardiac event within two years vs. those who did not. In patients with LV native T1 > 1050 ms, the rate of cardiac events was higher. ECV and quantitative LGE did not differ between groups. PreCompPH: native T1, ECV, and quantitative/qualitative LGE did not differ between patients who experienced a cardiac event within two years vs. those who did not. LV native T1 may have potential value for forecasting cardiac events in IpcPH, but not in PreCompPH, patients. Full article

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is emerging as an alternative to right heart catheterization for the evaluation of pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients. The aim of this study was to compare cardiac MRI-derived left ventricle fibrosis indices between pre-capillary PH (PrePH) and isolated post-capillary PH (IpcPH) patients and assess their associations with measures of ventricle function. Global and segmental late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), longitudinal relaxation time (native T1) maps, and extracellular volume fraction (ECV) were compared among healthy controls (N = 25; 37% female; 52 ± 13 years), PH patients (N = 48; 60% female; 60 ± 14 years), and PH subgroups (PrePH: N = 29; 65% female; 55 ± 12 years, IpcPH: N = 19; 53% female; 66 ± 13 years). Cardiac cine measured ejection fraction, end diastolic, and end systolic volumes and were assessed for correlations with fibrosis. LGE mural location was qualitatively assessed on a segmental basis for all subjects. PrePH patients had elevated (apical-, mid-antero-, and mid-infero) septal left ventricle native T1 values (1080 ± 74 ms, 1077 ± 39 ms, and 1082 ± 47 ms) compared to IpcPH patients (1028 ± 53 ms, 1046 ± 36 ms, 1051 ± 44 ms) (p < 0.05). PrePH had a higher amount of insertional point LGE (69%) and LGE patterns characteristic of non-vascular fibrosis (77%) compared to IpcPH (37% and 46%, respectively) (p < 0.05; p < 0.05). Assessment of global LGE, native T1, and ECV burdens did not show a statistically significant difference between PrePH (1.9 ± 2.7%, 1056.2 ± 36.3 ms, 31.2 ± 3.7%) and IpcPH (2.7 ± 2.7%, 1042.4 ± 28.1 ms, 30.7 ± 4.7%) (p = 0.102; p = 0.229 p = 0.756). Global native T1 and ECV were higher in patients (1050.9 ± 33.8 and 31.0 ± 4.1%) than controls (28.2 ± 3.7% and 1012.9 ± 29.4 ms) (p < 0.05). Cardiac MRI-based tissue characterization may augment understanding of cardiac involvement and become a tool to facilitate PH patient classification. Full article

A simple but efficient computational approach to calculate pK_a in acetonitrile for a set of phosphorus, nitrogen, and carbon bases was established. A linear function that describes relations between the calculated ΔG’_a.sol(BH⁺) and pK_a values was determined for each group of bases. The best model was obtained through the variations in the basis set, in the level of theory (density functionals or MP2), and in the continuum solvation model (IPCM, CPCM, or SMD). The combination of the IPCM/B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) solvation approach with MP2/6-311+G(2df,p)//B3LYP/6-31G(d) gas-phase energies provided very good results for all three groups of bases with R² values close to or above 0.99. Interestingly, the slopes and the intercepts of the obtained linear functions showed significant deviations from the theoretical values. We made a linear plot utilizing all the conducted calculations and all the structural variations and employed methods to prove the systematic nature of the intercept/slope dependence. The interpolation of the intercept to the ideal slope value enabled us to determine the Gibbs energy of the proton in acetonitrile, which amounted to −258.8 kcal mol⁻¹. The obtained value was in excellent agreement with previously published results. Full article

Flavonoids are famous for their diverse sources, strong biological activity, and low toxicity and could be used as a natural antioxidant in animal husbandry. In this study, the purification process and antioxidant activity of flavonoids from fermented dandelion were investigated. The adsorption and desorption characterizations of AB-8 macroporous resin for flavonoids from fermented dandelion (FD) were determined and purification parameters were optimized. Qualitative analysis using UPLC-MS/MS analysis was explored to identify the components of the purified flavonoids of FD (PFDF). The antioxidant activity of PFDF in vitro and in vivo was analyzed. The optimum purification parameters were as follows: a sample concentration of 2 mg/mL, 120 mL of the sample volume, a pH of 2.0, and eluted with 90 mL of 70% ethanol (pH 5). After purification, the concentration of the flavonoids in PFDF was 356.08 mg/mL. By comparison with reference standards or the literature data, 135 kinds of flavonoids in PFDF were identified. Furthermore, PFDF had a strong reducing power and scavenging ability against 8-hydroxy radical and DPPH radical. PFDF can effectively reduce the oxidative stress of zebrafish embryos and IPCE-J2 cells by modulating antioxidant enzyme activities. In summary, the purified flavonoids from fermented dandelion have good antioxidant activity and display superior potential as a natural antioxidant in animal husbandry. Full article

This study aims to calculate the ultimate loads through integrated load analysis under aerodynamic imbalance by individual pitch movement of offshore wind turbines, and based on this, to identify the allowable region of the individual pitch angle of the blade. For this, 5 MW offshore wind turbines were modeled using GH-Bladed^TM based on jacket type substructure data of the NREL-5 MW generic model and Upwind reports. For integrated load analysis, wind speeds were selected: 11 m/s, 14 m/s, 17 m/s, 20 m/s, 22 m/s, and 24 m/s. Ultimate load analysis was performed through the fixed pitch control mode with the individual pitch angles at an interval of 2°, ranging from 0° to 30°. Analysis was performed for the collective pitch control under the same environmental conditions as IPC. Through the comparison of loads at hub for CPC and the individual pitch movement states calculated through integrated load analysis, we identified the allowable pitch angle region where the ultimate loads of the individual pitch movement conditions were less than those of the CPC conditions. Furthermore, pattern analysis was performed using the artificial neural network for numerical modeling of the allowable pitch angle region. The results confirmed a high success rate of over 99%. Based on these results, this study suggested a new model according to the wind speed for the allowable pitch angle region. Full article

If sufficient historical failure life data exist, the failure distribution of the system can be estimated to identify the system initial hazard function. The conventional proportional covariate model (PCM) can reveal the dynamic relationship between the response covariates and the system hazard rate. The system hazard rate function can be constantly updated by the response covariates through the basic covariate function (BCF). Under the circumstances of sparse or zero failure data, the key point of the PCM reliability assessment method is to determine the proportional factor between covariates and the hazard rate for getting BCF. Being devoid of experiments or abundant experience of the experts, it is very hard to determine the proportional factor accurately. In this paper, an improved PCM (IPCM) is put forward based on the logistic regression model (LRM). The salient features reflecting the equipment degradation process are extracted from the existing monitoring signals, which are considered as the input of the LRM. The equipment state data defined by the failure threshold are considered as the output of the LRM. The initial reliability can be first estimated by LRM. Combined with the responding covariates, the initial hazard function can be calculated. Then, it can be incorporated into conventional PCM to implement the reliability estimation process on other equipment. The conventional PCM and the IPCM methods are respectively applied to aero-engine rotor bearing reliability assessment. The comparative results show that the assessing accuracy of IPCM is superior to the conventional PCM for small failure sample. It provides a new method for reliability estimation under sparse or zero failure data conditions. Full article

Corresponding to the principles of biological synapses, an essential prerequisite for hardware neural networks using electronics devices is the continuous regulation of conductance. We implemented artificial synaptic characteristics in a (GeTe/Sb₂Te₃)₁₆ iPCM with a superlattice structure under optimized identical pulse trains. By atomically controlling the Ge switch in the phase transition that appears in the GeTe/Sb₂Te₃ superlattice structure, multiple conductance states were implemented by applying the appropriate electrical pulses. Furthermore, we found that the bidirectional switching behavior of a (GeTe/Sb₂Te₃)₁₆ iPCM can achieve a desired resistance level by using the pulse width. Therefore, we fabricated a Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ PCM and designed a pulse scheme, which was based on the phase transition mechanism, to compare to the (GeTe/Sb₂Te₃)₁₆ iPCM. We also designed an identical pulse scheme that implements both linear and symmetrical LTP and LTD, based on the iPCM mechanism. As a result, the (GeTe/Sb₂Te₃)₁₆ iPCM showed relatively excellent synaptic characteristics by implementing a gradual conductance modulation, a nonlinearity value of 0.32, and 40 LTP/LTD conductance states by using identical pulse trains. Our results demonstrate the general applicability of the artificial synaptic device for potential use in neuro-inspired computing and next-generation, non-volatile memory. Full article

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disease of the central nervous system mainly of adults ranging from 20 to 45 years of age. The risk of developing MS is 50% higher in women than in men. Most people with MS (PwMS) experience a spectrum of symptoms such as spasticity, continence dysfunctions, fatigue, or neurobehavioral manifestations. Due to the complexity of MS and the variety of patient-centered needs, a comprehensive approach of interprofessional collaboration (IPC) of multiple health care professionals (HCP) is necessary. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the meaning of IPC in the comprehensive care of PwMS from a HCP perspective. Focus groups (FG) with HCP were conducted, recorded, and transcribed verbatim. The sample contained HCP from three MS clinics in different phases of care and rehabilitation. Four main categories emerged: (a) experience with IPC, (b) relevant aspects for IPC in patients’ treatment, (c) differences in in- and outpatient settings, and (d) influence of patient perspective. IPC plays a crucial role in HCP perspective when treating PwMS, which can benefit from an IPC therapeutic approach because HCP work together in a patient-centered way. The inpatient setting of HCP strongly supports the implementation of IPC. This prerequisite does not exist in outpatient settings. Full article