Francis turbine are ideal turbines for Himalayan and Andes region where both low and high-altitude mountains are located. Turbines operating in such regions face operational and maintenance problems ...due to the sediment erosion. In order to reduce the erosion effects on these components the design of components for higher sediment handling is essence. This paper presents performance analysis of Francis runner and prediction of sediment erosion on the runner blades for different operating conditions with different guide vane profiles. The simulations were carried out for 11 guide vane opening angles using Tabakoff erosion model. At full load and best efficiency point the erosion was localized at pressure side of runner blades outlet due to higher relative velocity. On the other hand, at part load condition, erosion was observed at suction side of the blades. Application of asymmetric guide vane profile NACA 4412 showed higher efficiency for all operating conditions with minimum erosion on runner blades in compare to symmetric guide vane profile NACA 0012.
A complete range of indium-doped (In:SnO
2
) thin films prepared by spray-pyrolysis technique have been studied and characterized by different techniques to get information about structure, surface ...and electrical properties. The influence of indium filler concentration (i.e., 0–15 wt%) on the properties of SnO
2
has been explored. Structural study reveals that the inclusion of indium after a certain optimum value leads structural distortion which causes the films’ expansion along c-axis direction. The extract of electrical study helps to understand that what should be the optimum value to switch from n- to p-type, which is further confirmed by Hall measurement. A deep analysis of electrical data confirms that the solid solution of indium into SnO
2
should not be completely excluded and its range should not be >12 wt% as we got saturation in the electrical behaviour after it. Variable range hopping mechanism has been found to be best fitted for low temperature range and comes out with valuable information that increase in density of states near Fermi level are responsible for decrease in resistivity in case of higher doping and also confirms that 6 wt% is the optimum value to switch from n- to p-type conductivity.
We report the growth of ZnO nanocrystallites doped with impurities such as B, N and S by green chemistry route using ultrasound. The effect of intrinsic defects and impurity doping on the structural ...and optical properties of ZnO nanostructures has been studied and discussed. Characterization studies carried out using x-ray diffraction (XRD) reveal the change in lattice parameters and crystallinity of ZnO in the presence of dopant. This has been explained on the basis of the dopant substitution at regular anion and interstitial sites. Study on surface morphology by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) shows a change from particle-like structure to aligned nanorods nucleated at definite sites. Elemental analysis such as x-ray photon electron spectroscopy (XPS) has been carried out to ascertain the dopant configuration in ZnO. This has been corroborated by the results obtained from FTIR and Raman studies. UV-vis light absorption and PL studies show an expansion of the band gap which has been explained on the basis of Moss-Burstein shift in the electronic band gap of ZnO by impurity incorporation. The optical emissions corresponding to excitonic transition and defect centres present in the band gap of ZnO is found to shift towards lower higher wavelength sides. New PL bands observed have been assigned to the transitions related to the impurity states present in the band gap of ZnO along with intrinsic defects.
Abstract Purpose Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in combination with immunotherapy (IMT) or targeted therapy is increasingly being used in the setting of melanoma brain metastases (MBMs). The ...synergistic properties of combination therapy are not well understood. We compared the distant intracranial failure rates of intact MBMs treated with SRS, SRS + IMT, and SRS + targeted therapy. Methods and materials Combination therapy was defined as delivery of SRS within 3 months of IMT (anti-CTLA-4 /anti-PD-1 therapy) or targeted therapy (BRAF/MEK inhibitors). The primary endpoint was distant intracranial failure after SRS, which was defined as any new MBM identified on brain magnetic resonance imaging. Outcomes were evaluated using the Kaplan Meier method and Cox proportional hazards. Results A total of 72 patients with melanoma with 233 MBMs were treated between April 2006 and April 2016. The number of MBMs within each treatment group was as follows: SRS: 121; SRS + IMT: 48; and SRS + targeted therapy: 64. The median follow-up was 8.9 months. One-year distant intracranial control rates for SRS, SRS + IMT, and SRS + targeted therapy were 11.5%, 60%, and 10%, respectively ( P < .001). On multivariate analysis, after adjusting for steroid use and number of MBMs, SRS + IMT remained associated with a significant reduction in distant intracranial failure compared with SRS (hazard ratio HR, 0.48; 95% confidence interval CI, 0.29-0.80; P = .003) and compared with SRS + targeted therapy (HR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.25-0.68; P = .001).One-year local control for SRS, SRS + IMT, and SRS + targeted therapy was 66%, 85%, and 72%, respectively ( P = .044). On multivariate analysis, after adjusting for dose, SRS + IMT remained associated with a significant reduction in local failure compared with SRS alone (HR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.14-0.95; P = .04). Conclusions SRS with immunotherapy is associated with decreased distant and local intracranial failure compared with SRS alone. Prospective studies are warranted to validate this result.
Hepatitis E virus infection (HEV) is a major cause of acute viral hepatitis in the developing world. The immunopathology of HEV infections has not yet been elucidated. The virus is noncytopathic, and ...therefore, liver injury may be attributed to immune‐mediated damage by cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells. Therefore, we studied the nature of immune cells involved in HEV‐induced liver damage using immunohistochemistry in liver biopsies taken from patients with HEV‐induced acute liver failure and demonstrated a significant infiltration of activated CD8+ T cells containing granzymes. These findings suggest the possible involvement of cytotoxic T cells in disease pathogenesis during HEV infection.
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Modern lifestyle has led to an increase in the age at conception. Advanced age is one of the critical risk factors for female-related infertility. It is well known that maternal ...age positively correlates with the deterioration of oocyte quality and chromosomal abnormalities in oocytes and embryos. The effect of age on endometrial function may be an equally important factor influencing implantation rate, pregnancy rate, and overall female fertility. However, there are only a few published studies on this topic, suggesting that this area has been under-explored. Improving our knowledge of endometrial aging from the biological (cellular, molecular, histological) and clinical perspectives would broaden our understanding of the risks of age-related female infertility.
OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE
The objective of this narrative review is to critically evaluate the existing literature on endometrial aging with a focus on synthesizing the evidence for the impact of endometrial aging on conception and pregnancy success. This would provide insights into existing gaps in the clinical application of research findings and promote the development of treatment options in this field.
SEARCH METHODS
The review was prepared using PubMed (Medline) until February 2023 with the keywords such as ‘endometrial aging’, ‘receptivity’, ‘decidualization’, ‘hormone’, ‘senescence’, ‘cellular’, ‘molecular’, ‘methylation’, ‘biological age’, ‘epigenetic’, ‘oocyte recipient’, ‘oocyte donation’, ‘embryo transfer’, and ‘pregnancy rate’. Articles in a language other than English were excluded.
OUTCOMES
In the aging endometrium, alterations occur at the molecular, cellular, and histological levels suggesting that aging has a negative effect on endometrial biology and may impair endometrial receptivity. Additionally, advanced age influences cellular senescence, which plays an important role during the initial phase of implantation and is a major obstacle in the development of suitable senolytic agents for endometrial aging. Aging is also accountable for chronic conditions associated with inflammaging, which eventually can lead to increased pro-inflammation and tissue fibrosis. Furthermore, advanced age influences epigenetic regulation in the endometrium, thus altering the relation between its epigenetic and chronological age. The studies in oocyte donation cycles to determine the effect of age on endometrial receptivity with respect to the rates of implantation, clinical pregnancy, miscarriage, and live birth have revealed contradictory inferences indicating the need for future research on the mechanisms and corresponding causal effects of women’s age on endometrial receptivity.
WIDER IMPLICATIONS
Increasing age can be accountable for female infertility and IVF failures. Based on the complied observations and synthesized conclusions in this review, advanced age has been shown to have a negative impact on endometrial functioning. This information can provide recommendations for future research focusing on molecular mechanisms of age-related cellular senescence, cellular composition, and transcriptomic changes in relation to endometrial aging. Additionally, further prospective research is needed to explore newly emerging therapeutic options, such as the senolytic agents that can target endometrial aging without affecting decidualization. Moreover, clinical trial protocols, focusing on oocyte donation cycles, would be beneficial in understanding the direct clinical implications of endometrial aging on pregnancy outcomes.
Graphical Abstract
Advanced age may negatively affect the endometrial functioning, therefore further research is needed to understand the exact mechanisms involved and impact on receptivity and pregnancy outcomes Created with BioRender.com (https://biorender.com/).
Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the most frequently used palliative therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is a safe and effective procedure with few major and minor ...complications. Rarely, biliary complications are also encountered following TACE. The goal of our study was to investigate the incidence and the presentation of biliary complications following TACE in patients with HCC.
In this retrospective study, data of patients with HCC who underwent TACE between June 2002 to December 2014 were obtained from the records. Their detailed information about the procedure of TACE, diagnosis of biliary complications and subsequent management details were reviewed.
One hundred and sixty-eight patients with HCC underwent 305 procedures of TACE. Of these, biliary complications of various severities developed in 6 (3.6%) patients leading to an incidence of 1.9% (6/305). Minimal intrahepatic biliary dilatation (IHBD) occurred in three, biliary stricture in one and intrahepatic biloma in two patients. Supportive management was undertaken for IHBD patients while percutaneous aspiration and naso-biliary drainage was performed for the infected bilomas.
Biliary complications following TACE are infrequent. Diagnosis should be suspected clinically and confirmed with imaging. Treatment depends on the severity. Enforcing specific measures can minimize its frequency.
We present the final combination of CDF and D0 measurements of cross sections for single-top-quark production in proton-antiproton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV. The data ...correspond to total integrated luminosities of up to 9.7 fb−1 per experiment. The t-channel cross section is measured to be σt=2.25+0.29−0.31 pb. We also present the combinations of the two-dimensional measurements of the s- vs. t-channel cross sections and of the s+t channel cross section measurement resulting in σs+t=3.30+0.52−0.40 pb, without assuming the standard-model value for the ratio σs/σt. The resulting value of the magnitude of the top-to-bottom quark coupling is |Vtb| = 1.02+0.06−0.05, corresponding to |Vtb|>0.92 at the 95% C.L.
Growth of ZnO nano and microstructures were carried out by low temperature hydrothermal method on glass and silicon substrates without seed layer. Crystallographic orientation and morphology of the ...samples were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The transmittance measurements were done by Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and a Raman spectrometer was also deployed to understand the vibrational properties of ZnO nanocrystals. XRD and Raman studies showed the formation of hexagonal wurtzite phase of ZnO on both the substrates. Cactus and needle like nanostructures forming rosette superstructure were observed for ZnO on glass substrate. On Si(100), nanorods, tetrapods and multipodes were found with smaller crystallite size. More preferential growth and crystalline nature of ZnO on silicon substrate is discussed on the basis of lattice compatibility between ZnO and Si. The role of interface SiO2 layer, the effective growth mechanism and properties of these nanostructures are also discussed.
Here, the inclusive cross section of top quark-antiquark pairs produced in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV is measured in the lepton+jets and dilepton decay channels. The data sample ...corresponds to 9.7 fb-1 of integrated luminosity recorded with the D0 detector during Run II of the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. Employing multivariate analysis techniques we measure the cross section in the two decay channels and we perform a combined cross section measurement. For a top quark mass of 172.5 GeV, we measure a combined inclusive top quark-antiquark pair production cross section of σ$t\bar{t}$=7.26±0.13(stat)$+0.57\atop{-0.50}$(syst) pb which is consistent with standard model predictions. We also perform a likelihood fit to the measured and predicted top quark mass dependence of the inclusive cross section, which yields a measurement of the pole mass of the top quark. The extracted value is mt=172.8±1.1(theo)$+3.3\atop{-3.1}$(exp) GeV.
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