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Frontiers in Chemistry 2024Ancient glass products have suffered from the baptism of time and experienced changes in the burial environment and weathering, resulting in a change in the proportions...
Ancient glass products have suffered from the baptism of time and experienced changes in the burial environment and weathering, resulting in a change in the proportions of their chemical composition and interfering with their accurate identification by later generations. In this paper, the chemical composition of ancient glass products is predicted and identified. First, the multivariate statistical ANOVA test is applied to explore the relationship between whether the cultural relics samples are weathered or not and the glass type, decoration, and color to derive a law of chemical composition of the cultural relics and to analyze the correlation and difference among the four factors. Second, compared with the relevant data of the existing glass products, the missing values are processed by using the method of filling in the plurality. The weathering condition of the sampling points of the samples whose surfaces are not weathered is judged by the "distance discrimination method." Combined with the characteristics of the lead-barium glass and the high-potassium glass, the law of the chemical composition content on the surface of the samples, weathered or not, is explored. The modeling of the gray prediction method was applied again to predict the chemical composition content before weathering. Finally, the generalized Shapley function of fuzzy measurement was used to analyze the correlation between indicators and the chemical compositions and their differences. The scheme proposed in this paper can solve the difficult problem of category judgment in archeology, which is of great significance in promoting the smooth progress of archaeological work.
PubMed: 38757113
DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2024.1351143 -
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... May 2024Despite the profound behavioral effects of the striatal dopamine (DA) activity and the inwardly rectifying potassium channel ( ) being a key determinant of striatal...
Despite the profound behavioral effects of the striatal dopamine (DA) activity and the inwardly rectifying potassium channel ( ) being a key determinant of striatal medium spiny neuron (MSN) activity that also profoundly affects behavior, previously reported DA regulations of Kir are conflicting and incompatible with MSN function in behavior. Here we show that in normal mice with an intact striatal DA system, the predominant effect of DA activation of D1Rs in D1-MSNs is to cause a modest depolarization and increase in input resistance by inhibiting Kir, thus moderately increasing the spike outputs from behavior-promoting D1-MSNs. In parkinsonian (DA-depleted) striatum, DA increases D1-MSN intrinsic excitability more strongly than in normal striatum, consequently strongly increasing D1-MSN spike firing that is behavior-promoting; this DA excitation of D1-MSNs is stronger when the DA depletion is more severe. The DA inhibition of Kir is occluded by the Kir blocker barium chloride (BaCl ). In behaving parkinsonian mice, BaCl microinjection into the dorsal striatum stimulates movement but occludes the motor stimulation of D1R agonism. Taken together, our results resolve the long-standing question about what D1R agonism does to D1-MSN excitability in normal and parkinsonian striatum and strongly indicate that D1R inhibition of Kir is a key ion channel mechanism that mediates D1R agonistic behavioral stimulation in normal and parkinsonian animals.
PubMed: 38746264
DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.29.590632 -
Laryngoscope Investigative... Jun 2024The purpose of this study is to report a case of iatrogenic pharyngoesophageal diverticulum post-anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery, its management... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study is to report a case of iatrogenic pharyngoesophageal diverticulum post-anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery, its management and management of postoperative complications. We also did a thorough review of literature about iatrogenic pharyngoesophageal diverticulum which is a rarely encountered complication occurring after a commonly performed surgery; ACDF.
METHODS
Here we describe a case of iatrogenic pharyngoesophageal diverticulum post-ACDF surgery. In this paper we also make comparisons to the 23 cases reported in the literature in terms of: presentations, clinical findings, management courses, and complications. This study was approved by the Institution Review Board of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. (Ref. no.: IRB-2023-01-473). The reported subject provided written informed consent before initiation of this study.
RESULTS
Our case is a 45-year-old male with a history of ACDF surgery 8 years ago. He presented with dysphagia and regurgitations which started 1 year after ACDF. He was labeled as a case of Zenker's diverticulum and underwent multiple failed open and endoscopic surgeries prior to presenting to us. Upon presenting to our center, barium swallow showed the pharyngoesophageal diverticulum. Patient definitive diagnosis of iatrogenic rather than Zenker's diverticulum was established intra-operatively with esophagoscopy which revealed exposed hardware inside the diverticulum. He underwent open diverticulectomy and diverticulopexy. Postoperatively he developed pharyngocutanous fistula and right vocal fold palsy, both successfully managed conservatively.
CONCLUSION
Iatrogenic Pharyngoesophageal diverticulum is a rare complication following ACDF, however prolonged dysphagia shall warrant further investigation by contrast studies. Open diverticulectomy with muscle reinforcement is a good management modality. Due to the complicated anatomy secondary to previous operations, we recommend conservative management for patients with postoperative pharyngocutaneous fistula.
PubMed: 38736940
DOI: 10.1002/lio2.1253 -
Case Reports in Medicine 2024Duodenal atresia or stenosis are different degrees of the same abnormality. They usually occur at the level of the ampulla of Vater and are thought to be an embryologic...
BACKGROUND
Duodenal atresia or stenosis are different degrees of the same abnormality. They usually occur at the level of the ampulla of Vater and are thought to be an embryologic defect during the development of the foregut, leading to abnormal recanalization. Complete duodenal atresia is usually symptomatic in the early neonatal period, while partial obstruction (web, stenosis) may have a late presentation and a more challenging diagnosis such as in our case. . The patient, a 16-year-old girl, presented with abdominal pain, recurrent vomiting, and growth failure. An upper GI study with barium showed an image compatible with gastroptosis. Further diagnostic procedures confirmed a rare finding such as congenital duodenal stenosis. She underwent surgical intervention, and the recovery period was uneventful.
CONCLUSION
Gastroptosis is not diagnostic for a particular disease. This rare radiological finding in children may obscure uncommon diagnosis, such as congenital duodenal stenosis, which can present a diagnostic challenge beyond early childhood.
PubMed: 38736458
DOI: 10.1155/2024/1070253 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Nitrogen oxides (NO), primarily generated from combustion processes, pose significant health and environmental risks. To improve the coordination of measures against...
Nitrogen oxides (NO), primarily generated from combustion processes, pose significant health and environmental risks. To improve the coordination of measures against excessive NO emissions, it is necessary to effectively monitor ambient NO concentrations, which requires the development of precise and cost-efficient detection methods. This study focuses on developing a microwave- or radio frequency (RF)-based gas dosimeter for NO detection and addresses the optimization of the dosimeter design by examining the dielectric properties of LTCC-based (Low-Temperature Co-fired Ceramics) sensor substrates and barium-based NO storage materials. The measurements taken utilizing the Microwave Cavity Perturbation (MCP) method revealed that these materials exhibit more pronounced changes in dielectric losses when storing NO at elevated temperatures. Consequently, operating such a dosimeter at high temperatures (above 300 °C) is recommended to maximize the sensor signal. To evaluate their high-temperature applicability, LTCC substrates were analyzed by measuring their dielectric losses at temperatures up to 600 °C. In terms of NO storage materials, coating barium on high-surface-area alumina resolved issues related to limited NO adsorption in pure barium carbonate powders. Additionally, the adsorption of both NO and NO was enabled by the application of a platinum catalyst. The change in dielectric losses, which provides the main signal for an RF-based gas dosimeter, only depends on the stored amount of NO and not on the specific type of nitrogen oxide. Although the change in dielectric losses increases with the temperature, the maximum storage capacity of the material decreases significantly. In addition, at temperatures above 350 °C, NO is mostly weakly bound, so it will desorb in the absence of NO. Therefore, in the future development of a reliable RF-based NO dosimeter, the trade-off between the sensor signal strength and adsorption behavior must be addressed.
PubMed: 38733056
DOI: 10.3390/s24092951 -
Polymers Apr 2024A passive cooling method with great potential to lower space-cooling costs, counteract the urban heat island effect, and slow down worldwide warming is radiant cooling....
A passive cooling method with great potential to lower space-cooling costs, counteract the urban heat island effect, and slow down worldwide warming is radiant cooling. The solutions available frequently require complex layered structures, costly products, or a reflective layer of metal to accomplish daytime radiative cooling, which restricts their applications in many avenues. Furthermore, single-layer paints have been used in attempts to accomplish passive daytime radiative cooling, but these usually require a compact coating or only exhibit limited cooling in daytime. In our study, we investigated and evaluated in daytime the surrounding cooling outcome with aid of one layer coating composed of BaSO/TiO microparticles in various concentrations implanted in the PVDF-HF polymers on a concrete substrate. The 30% BaSO/TiO microparticle in the PVDF-HF coating shows less solar absorbance and excessive emissivity. The value of solar reflectance is improved by employing micro-pores in the structure of PVDF polymers without noticeable effect on thermal emissivity. The 30% BaSO/TiO/PVDF coating is accountable for the hydrophobicity and proportionate solar reflection in the UV band, resulting in efficient solar reflectivity of about 95.0%, with emissivity of 95.1% and hydrophobicity exhibiting a 117.1° water contact angle. Also, the developed coating could cool to about 5.1 °C and 3.9 °C below the surrounding temperature beneath the average solar irradiance of 900 W/m. Finally, the results demonstrate that the 30% BaSO/TiO/PVDF-HF microparticle coating illustrates a typical figure of merit of 0.60 and is also capable of delivering outstanding dependability and harmony with the manufacturing process.
PubMed: 38732670
DOI: 10.3390/polym16091201 -
International Journal of Molecular... Apr 2024X-ray fluorescence imaging (XFI) can localize diagnostic or theranostic entities utilizing nanoparticle (NP)-based probes at high resolution in vivo, in vitro, and ex...
X-ray fluorescence imaging (XFI) can localize diagnostic or theranostic entities utilizing nanoparticle (NP)-based probes at high resolution in vivo, in vitro, and ex vivo. However, small-animal benchtop XFI systems demonstrating high spatial resolution (variable from sub-millimeter to millimeter range) in vivo are still limited to lighter elements (i.e., atomic number Z≤45). This study investigates the feasibility of focusing hard X-rays from solid-target tubes using ellipsoidal lens systems composed of mosaic graphite crystals with the aim of enabling high-resolution in vivo XFI applications with mid-Z (42≤Z≤64) elements. Monte Carlo simulations are performed to characterize the proposed focusing-optics concept and provide quantitative predictions of the XFI sensitivity, in silico tumor-bearing mice models loaded with palladium (Pd) and barium (Ba) NPs. Based on simulation results, the minimum detectable total mass of PdNPs per scan position is expected to be on the order of a few hundred nanograms under in vivo conform conditions. PdNP masses as low as 150 ng to 50 ng could be detectable with a resolution of 600 μm when imaging abdominal tumor lesions across a range of (0.8 μGy) to (8 μGy) exposure scenarios. The proposed focusing-optics concept presents a potential step toward realizing XFI with conventional X-ray tubes for high-resolution applications involving interesting NP formulations.
Topics: Graphite; Animals; Mice; Optical Imaging; Monte Carlo Method; Nanoparticles; Palladium; Computer Simulation; Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission
PubMed: 38731956
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094733 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2024An experimental study is presented on the possibility of using the fluorescence from organic dyes as a broadband light source together with a monochromator for...
An experimental study is presented on the possibility of using the fluorescence from organic dyes as a broadband light source together with a monochromator for applications in excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy. A high-power single-chip light-emitting diode (LED) was chosen as an excitation source with a central output wavelength at 365 nm to excite a fluorescent solution of Coumarin 1 dye dissolved in ethanol. Two excitation configurations were investigated: direct excitation from the LED and excitation through an optical-fiber-coupled LED. A Czerny-Turner monochromator with a diffraction grating was used for the spectral tuning of the fluorescence. A simple method was investigated for increasing the efficiency of the excitation as well as the fluorescence signal collection by using a diffuse reflector composed of barium sulfate (BaSO) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). As research objects, extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), Coumarin 6 dye, and Perylene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), were used. The results showed that the light-emitting-diode-induced fluorescence was sufficient to cover the losses on the optical path to the monochromator output, where a detectable signal could be obtained. The obtained results reveal the practical possibility of applying the fluorescence from dyes as a light source for food system analysis by EEM fluorescence spectroscopy.
PubMed: 38731700
DOI: 10.3390/foods13091329 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2024This investigation is motivated by an interest in multiferroic BaFeO (BFO), which combines advanced ferrimagnetic and ferroelectric properties at room temperature and...
This investigation is motivated by an interest in multiferroic BaFeO (BFO), which combines advanced ferrimagnetic and ferroelectric properties at room temperature and exhibits interesting magnetoelectric phenomena. The ferroelectric charge storage properties of BFO are limited due to high coercivity, low dielectric constant, and high dielectric losses. We report the pseudocapacitive behavior of BFO, which allows superior charge storage compared to the ferroelectric charge storage mechanism. The BFO electrodes show a remarkably high capacitance of 1.34 F cm in a neutral NaSO electrolyte. The charging mechanism is discussed. The capacitive behavior is linked to the beneficial effect of high-energy ball milling (HEBM) and the use of an efficient dispersant, which facilitates charge transfer. Another approach is based on the use of conductive polypyrrole (PPy) for the fabrication of PPy-BFO composites. The choice of new polyaromatic dopants with a high charge-to-mass ratio plays a crucial role in achieving a high capacitance of 4.66 F cm for pure PPy electrodes. The composite PPy-BFO (50/50) electrodes show a capacitance of 3.39 F cm, low impedance, reduced charge transfer resistance, enhanced capacitance retention at fast charging rates, and good cyclic stability due to the beneficial effect of advanced dopants, HEBM, and synergy of the contribution of PPy and BFO.
PubMed: 38731470
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29091979 -
Internal Medicine (Tokyo, Japan) May 2024Objective In recent years, there has been a growing focus on health risks associated with alcohol consumption. The present study investigated whether or not the genetic...
Objective In recent years, there has been a growing focus on health risks associated with alcohol consumption. The present study investigated whether or not the genetic variant of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) influences the risk of gastric cancer among individuals identified as hazardous drinkers using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), which provides a comprehensive assessment of hazardous drinking behavior. Patients We enrolled men with hazardous drinking behavior (AUDIT score ≥ 8) who had undergone gastric cancer screening (either endoscopy or a barium X-ray examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract) between April 2013 and March 2020 within 1 year from entry and who had subsequently undergone at least one more gastric cancer screening up to March 2021. Functional single-nucleotide polymorphisms of ALDH2 (rs671) were measured using a direct TaqMan PCR method with unprocessed saliva. Results A total of 246 men were enrolled, comprising 193 individuals with active ALDH2 (ALDH2*1/*1) and 53 with less-active ALDH2 (ALDH2*1/*2). The cumulative incidence of gastric cancer in the less-active group was higher than in the active ALDH2 group (p=0.01, hazard ratio: 4.6, 95% confidence interval: 1.2-16.7). Alcohol consumption was lower in the less-active ALDH2 group than in the active ALDH2 group, although no marked difference was observed in the AUDIT score. Conclusion In individuals with hazardous drinking behavior, a heightened risk of gastric cancer was observed among those with less-active ALDH2 variants, even when their alcohol consumption was comparatively lower than in those with active ALDH2 variants.
PubMed: 38719602
DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.3159-23