A solar still is used to convert saline water into potable water by means of the distillation process. In order to improve the productivity of conventional solar still, various modifications are ...implemented by researchers. In the present study, multiple V-shaped floating wicks are used to enhance heat absorption and thereby increase productivity. The experiments are performed during the summer and winter seasons in Rewa, India (Latitude: 24.5373° N; Longitude: 81.3042° E). These multiple floating wicks are made from black jute cloth wrapped in V-shaped pieces of thermocol. Because of their V-shaped profile, the evaporative surface area of modified solar still is 26% larger than that of conventional solar still. The maximum daily productivity in one of the clear days is found to be approximately 6.20 kg/m2 in summer and 3.23 kg/m2 in winter with daily efficiencies of 56.62% and 47.75%, respectively. A theoretical thermal model is formulated by using the energy balance equations of the modified solar still. Reasonable agreement was seen between the theoretical and experimental results of modified solar still. An economic analysis is also performed for the modified solar still and conventional solar still; in a 10-year life cycle, the annual cost of distilled water is estimated at Rs. 1.81/kg for the former and Rs. 2.24/kg for the latter.
In recent decades, variability in the incidence and mortality of kidney cancer (KC) has been reported. This study aimed to compare trends in incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years ...(DALY) of KC between the European Union (EU) 15 + countries and 6 World Health Organization (WHO) regions. The data of KC Age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs), age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs), and age-standardized DALYs were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease database. Joinpoint regression was employed to examine trends. From 1990 to 2019, the ASIR increased in most countries except for Luxembourg (males), the USA (females) and Austria and Sweden (both sexes). ASIR increased across all 6 WHO regions for both sexes except for females in Americas. The ASMR increased in 10/19 countries for males and 9/19 for females as well across most WHO regions. The mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) decreased in all countries and WHO regions. Trends in DALYs were variable across countries and WHO regions. While the incidence and mortality from KC rose in most EU15 + countries and WHO regions from 1990 to 2019, the universal drop in MIR suggests an overall improvement in KC outcomes. This is likely multifactorial, including earlier detection of KC and improved treatments.
In this paper we study Lorentz-violation (LV) effects on the thermodynamics properties of a real scalar field theory due to the presence of a constant background tensor field. In particular, we ...analyse and compute explicitly the deviations of the internal energy, pressure, and entropy of the system at thermal equilibrium due to the LV contributions. For the free massless scalar field we obtain exact results, whereas for the massive case we perform approximated calculations. Finally, we consider the self interacting
ϕ
4
theory, and perform perturbative expansions in the coupling constant for obtaining relevant thermodynamics quantities.
Cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy remains the standard of care for locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer (la/mUC); however, toxicity is substantial, responses are rarely durable, ...and many patients with la/mUC are ineligible. Each enfortumab vedotin and pembrolizumab have shown a survival benefit versus chemotherapy in UC, are not restricted by cisplatin eligibility, and warrant investigation as a first-line (1L) combination therapy in patients ineligible for cisplatin.
In this ongoing phase Ib/II, multicenter, open-label study, 1L cisplatin-ineligible patients with la/mUC received enfortumab vedotin 1.25 mg/kg once daily on days 1 and 8 and pembrolizumab 200 mg (day 1) intravenously once daily in 3-week cycles. The primary end point was safety. Key secondary end points included confirmed objective response rate, duration of response (DOR), and overall survival (OS).
Forty-five patients received enfortumab vedotin plus pembrolizumab. The most common treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were peripheral sensory neuropathy (55.6%), fatigue (51.1%), and alopecia (48.9%). Twenty-nine patients (64.4%) had grade 3 or higher TRAEs; the most common were increased lipase (17.8%), maculopapular rash (11.1%), and fatigue (11.1%). One death (2.2%) was classified as a TRAE. The confirmed objective response rate after a median of nine cycles was 73.3% with a complete response rate of 15.6%. The median DOR and median OS were 25.6 months and 26.1 months, respectively.
Enfortumab vedotin plus pembrolizumab showed a manageable safety profile. Most patients experienced tumor shrinkage. The median DOR and median OS exceeding 2 years in a cisplatin-ineligible patient population make this a promising combination currently under investigation in a phase III study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04223856).
We present a novel approach to produce a composite of the HKUST-1 metal–organic framework (MOF) and graphene, which is suited for the fabrication of monolithic coatings of solid substrates. In order ...to avoid the degradation of graphene electrical properties resulting from chemical functionalization (e.g., oxidation yielding graphene oxide, GO), commercial, nonmodified graphene was utilized. The one-pot synthesis of the moldable composite material allows for a controllable loading of graphene and the tuning of porosity. Potentially, this facile synthesis can be transferred to other MOF systems. The monolithic coatings reported here exhibit high surface areas (1156–1078 m2/g). The electrical conductivity was high (a range of 7.6 × 10–6 S m–1to 6.4 × 10–1 S m–1) and was found to be proportional to the graphene content. The ability to readily attain different forms and shapes of the conductive, microporous composites indicates that the MOF@G system can provide a compelling approach to access various applications of MOFs, specifically in electrochemical catalysis, supercapacitors, and sensors.
Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) is associated with good oncological outcomes and a favourable toxicity profile in patients with localised renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Intriguing ...multimodality approaches, which include SABR in the operable setting, are emerging. In the context of metastatic RCC, SABR alone or in combination with systemic treatment has shown promising clinical outcomes with minimal toxicity. Other investigational applications of SABR, including cytoreduction and neoadjuvant SABR, for primary RCC, oligometastatic RCC in deferring systemic therapy, and oligoprogressive RCC concurrent with systemic therapy are evolving and should be tested in clinical trials.
Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) is an emerging treatment modality for primary and metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
To review and summarise the evidence on the use of SABR in RCC in a narrative review.
We performed an online search of the PubMed database from January 2000 through December 2021. Studies of SABR/stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) targeting primary, extracranial, or intracranial metastatic RCC were included.
Two meta-analyses (including 54 studies), and 13 prospective and 20 retrospective studies were included in this review. In aggregate, SABR for 589 primary RCCs in 575 patients resulted in a local control rate of above 90% with grade 3–4 toxicity of 0–9%. Similarly, the local control rate ranged between 90% and 97% with SRS in 1225 patients with intracranial metastatic RCC. SABR was able to delay systemic therapy for at least 1 yr in 70–90% of oligometastatic RCC patients with grade 3–4 toxicity of <10%. As per the early data, the combination of SABR with systemic therapy for metastatic RCC, such as targeted therapy or immunotherapy, appears safe, feasible, and tolerable.
We outlined data supporting SABR in the key clinical scenarios of primary and metastatic, including oligometastatic, RCC in lieu of systemic therapy, in combination with systemic therapy, and palliation of brain and spinal metastases.
Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) is a relatively new treatment option in kidney cancer. Here, we review the published literature on the experience of using SABR in kidney cancer. The accumulated evidence demonstrates that SABR can be used safely and effectively to treat selected cases of primary or secondary kidney cancer.
In order to realize rapid and real temperature measurement for high temperature targets by multi-wavelength pyrometer (MWP), emissivity range constraints to optimize data processing algorithm without ...effect from emissivity has been developed. Through exploring the relation between emissivity deviation and true temperature by fitting of large number of data from different emissivity distribution target models, the effective search range of emissivity for every time iteration is obtained, so data processing time is greatly reduced. Simulation and experimental results indicate that calculation time is less by 0.2 seconds with 25K absolute error at 1800K true temperature, and the efficiency is improved by more than 90% compared with the previous algorithm. The method has advantages of simplicity, rapidity, and suitability for in-line high temperature measurement.
Linear ubiquitin chains are important regulators of cellular signalling pathways that control innate immunity and inflammation through nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation and protection against tumour ...necrosis factor-α-induced apoptosis. They are synthesized by HOIP, which belongs to the RBR (RING-between-RING) family of E3 ligases and is the catalytic component of LUBAC (linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex), a multisubunit E3 ligase. RBR family members act as RING/HECT hybrids, employing RING1 to recognize ubiquitin-loaded E2 while a conserved cysteine in RING2 subsequently forms a thioester intermediate with the transferred or 'donor' ubiquitin. Here we report the crystal structure of the catalytic core of HOIP in its apo form and in complex with ubiquitin. The carboxy-terminal portion of HOIP adopts a novel fold that, together with a zinc-finger, forms a ubiquitin-binding platform that orients the acceptor ubiquitin and positions its α-amino group for nucleophilic attack on the E3∼ubiquitin thioester. The C-terminal tail of a second ubiquitin molecule is located in close proximity to the catalytic cysteine, providing a unique snapshot of the ubiquitin transfer complex containing both donor and acceptor ubiquitin. These interactions are required for activation of the NF-κB pathway in vivo, and they explain the determinants of linear ubiquitin chain specificity by LUBAC.
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