Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (Switzerland)
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing InstituteNot a member yet
1861300 research outputs found
Sort by
Comparative Analysis of Annealing–Dissolution Techniques for Hollow Submicron Metal Oxide Fiber Synthesis
No full textDouble-shell ZnO/Al2O3 submicron hollow fibers were successfully fabricated through a combined electrospinning and atomic layer deposition (ALD) approach. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers were first produced by electrospinning and subsequently coated with a conformal Al2O3 barrier layer via low-temperature ALD employing trimethylaluminum (TMA) and deionized (DI) H2O to preserve the integrity of the temperature-sensitive polymer core. The inner polymer was then removed using two different techniques—thermal annealing and water dissolution—to compare their effects on the fiber morphology. Finally, a functional ZnO layer was deposited by thermal ALD with diethylzinc (DEZ) and DI H2O. It was found that the polymer removal method critically determined the final structural and morphological characteristics of the fibers. Thermal annealing resulted in smooth, shrunken fibers, while water dissolution led to diameter expansion and the formation of a highly rough, bubble-like surface structure due to swelling-induced micro-cracking. The selection of the polymer removal method offers a precise and controllable route for tailoring the fiber morphology. The resulting high-aspect-ratio (HAR) structures, particularly the rough and expanded fibers, exhibit enhanced specific surface area, making them highly promising for applications in sensing, catalysis, and filtration
Diagnostic Performance of Cardiac CT and Transthoracic Echocardiography in Congenital Heart Disease: A Surgical Correlation Study
No full textBackground: This study evaluated the diagnostic efficacy of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and 128-slice multislice computed tomography (MSCT) angiography in congenital heart disease (CHD). Methods: Between January 2018 and August 2022, 50 patients diagnosed with CHD underwent both TTE and ECG-gated 128-MSCT. The imaging findings were compared with intraoperative observations, categorizing pathologies into cardiac, heart–great vessel, and great vessel malformations. Results: The median age of the patients was 0.45 months, and the median weight was 5 kg. Echocardiography showed a sensitivity of 89.8% and specificity of 99.12%, with an overall accuracy of 98%. MSCT had a sensitivity of 87.9%, specificity of 98.95%, and accuracy of 97.62%. There was no significant difference in diagnostic accuracy between the two modalities (χ2 = 31.796, p = 0.215), with substantial agreement (kappa = 0.901). For surgically confirmed cardiac malformations (n = 69), echocardiography had a 100% sensitivity, whereas MSCT had an 88.41% sensitivity (χ2 = 20.633, p = 0.039), with high concordance (kappa = 0.931). For heart–great vessel connection anomalies (n = 27), both modalities had an 81.48% sensitivity (χ2 = 14.115, p = 0.481), with substantial agreement (kappa = 0.887). For great vessel malformations (n = 61), the echocardiography and MSCT sensitivities were 81.97% and 88.52%, respectively, with no significant difference in performance (χ2 = 30.303, p = 0.063), indicating substantial concordance (kappa = 0.863). Conclusions: Both TTE and MSCT are highly accurate for CHD diagnosis, each with unique advantages. Their complementary use, especially where one modality is limited, enables a more comprehensive assessment, supporting clinical decision-making and surgical planning
Beyond the Bottleneck: Predicting Regeneration Potential in Sunflower Through Integrated Morphological and Statistical Profiling
No full textThis study presents the first integrated analysis of genotype–medium interactions and temporal morphogenesis profiling in sunflower regeneration. It aims to characterize genotype-specific responses, identify predictive morphological markers, and develop a scalable framework for breeding and transformation. Eighteen sunflower genotypes were evaluated to assess organogenic performance. The model genotype Ha-26-PR was used for a complementary experiment, testing varying sucrose concentrations to examine their influence on morphogenic outcomes. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA), guided by the Elbow method, identified four optimal clusters (K = 4). These aligned with three biologically meaningful categories: High Regenerators (Cluster 1), Moderate/Specific Regenerators (Clusters 2 and 3), and Non-Regenerators (Cluster 4). On S1 medium, NO-SU-12 and AS-1-PR showed superior shoot regeneration, while on R4 medium, HA-26-PR-SU and NO-SU-12 performed best. Genotypes such as NO-SU-12 and AS-1-PR consistently excelled across both media, whereas AB-OR-8 and FE-7 remained non-regenerators. Medium R4 supported superior regeneration, primarily through root formation, while S1 failed to induce roots in any genotype, highlighting the importance of hormonal composition. Although sucrose promoted callus induction, it did not trigger organogenesis. Callus was consistently present across media and time points, but its correlations with shoot and root formation were weak and temporally unstable, limiting its predictive value. Root formation at 14 days (Root 14D) emerged as a robust early predictor of organogenic success. This integration of morphological, temporal, and statistical analyses offers a genotype-tailored regeneration framework with direct applications in molecular breeding and CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing
How the Vestibular Labyrinth Encodes Air-Conducted Sound: From Pressure Waves to Jerk-Sensitive Afferent Pathways
No full textBackground/Objectives: The vestibular labyrinth is classically viewed as a sensor of low-frequency head motion—linear acceleration for the otoliths and angular velocity/acceleration for the semicircular canals. However, there is now substantial evidence that air-conducted sound (ACS) can also activate vestibular receptors and afferents in mammals and other vertebrates. This sound sensitivity underlies sound-evoked vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs), sound-induced eye movements, and several clinical phenomena in third-window pathologies. The cellular and biophysical mechanisms by which a pressure wave in the cochlear fluids is transformed into a vestibular neural signal remain incompletely integrated into a single framework. This study aimed to provide a narrative synthesis of how ACS activates the vestibular labyrinth, with emphasis on (1) the anatomical and biophysical specializations of the maculae and cristae, (2) the dual-channel organization of vestibular hair cells and afferents, and (3) the encoding of fast, jerk-rich acoustic transients by irregular, striolar/central afferents. Methods: We integrate experimental evidence from single-unit recordings in animals, in vitro hair cell and calyx physiology, anatomical studies of macular structure, and human clinical data on sound-evoked VEMPs and sound-induced eye movements. Key concepts from vestibular cellular neurophysiology and from the physics of sinusoidal motion (displacement, velocity, acceleration, jerk) are combined into a unified interpretative scheme. Results: ACS transmitted through the middle ear generates pressure waves in the perilymph and endolymph not only in the cochlea but also in vestibular compartments. These waves produce local fluid particle motions and pressure gradients that can deflect hair bundles in selected regions of the otolith maculae and canal cristae. Irregular afferents innervating type I hair cells in the striola (maculae) and central zones (cristae) exhibit phase locking to ACS up to at least 1–2 kHz, with much lower thresholds than regular afferents. Cellular and synaptic specializations—transducer adaptation, low-voltage-activated K+ conductances (KLV), fast quantal and non-quantal transmission, and afferent spike-generator properties—implement effective high-pass filtering and phase lead, making these pathways particularly sensitive to rapid changes in acceleration, i.e., mechanical jerk, rather than to slowly varying displacement or acceleration. Clinically, short-rise-time ACS stimuli (clicks and brief tone bursts) elicit robust cervical and ocular VEMPs with clear thresholds and input–output relationships, reflecting the recruitment of these jerk-sensitive utricular and saccular pathways. Sound-induced eye movements and nystagmus in third-window syndromes similarly reflect abnormally enhanced access of ACS-generated pressure waves to canal and otolith receptors. Conclusions: The vestibular labyrinth does not merely “tolerate” air-conducted sound as a spill-over from cochlear mechanics; it contains a dedicated high-frequency, transient-sensitive channel—dominated by type I hair cells and irregular afferents—that is well suited to encoding jerk-rich acoustic events. We propose that ACS-evoked vestibular responses, including VEMPs, are best interpreted within a dual-channel framework in which (1) regular, extrastriolar/peripheral pathways encode sustained head motion and low-frequency acceleration, while (2) irregular, striolar/central pathways encode fast, sound-driven transients distinguished by high jerk, steep onset, and precise spike timing
New Advances in Palliative Care—State of the Field, Its Challenges and Advances at the End of the Year 2025
No full textIn recent decades, palliative care has become an essential component of modern healthcare systems [...
Towards Precision Oncology: How Advances in Cancer Genomics, Immunobiology and Artificial Intelligence Will Change Molecular Diagnostics
No full textOver the last decades, a significant improvement in cancer patient outcomes has occurred due to advances in cancer cell biology, systemic immunity, tumor-immune microenvironment (TIME) and precision cancer therapy. Despite this explosion of knowledge, its usefulness in clinical practice has been limited by the ability to translate multidimensional data into clinical care. Progress in artificial intelligence (AI) opens up a new frontier, with the promise of achieving synergistic and comprehensive integration. The classification of cancer biology and immunobiology into hallmarks of cancer by Hanahan and Weinberg provides a framework for organizing this information. This systematic classification has enabled the understanding of the interplay and cross-talk between its parts. Targeted cancer therapies and immunotherapies have achieved considerable success, yet their combinatorial potential is still being uncovered. Molecular diagnostics has worked hand-in-hand with precision oncology in deploying new therapies in a cancer-informed and patient-specific way. Harnessing the full power of the advances in these three fields with the aid of AI promises a transformation of molecular diagnostics. This review conceptualizes molecular diagnostics in the context of cancer hallmarks using nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as a template, highlighting the potential of a new diagnostic science through the integrative power of AI
Predicting Smart Tablet Preferences in Turkish E-Commerce Platforms Using Artificial Neural Networks and Machine Learning Techniques
No full textThis study aims to predict Turkish consumer preferences for smart tablets on e-commerce platforms, focusing on consumer behavior in a developing country context. Key product attributes—such as processor speed, screen size, internal storage capacity, display resolution, RAM, processor core count, and battery capacity—were collected from major e-commerce websites in Turkey. Data analysis indicated that consumers predominantly prefer tablets with processor speeds between 1–3 GHz, internal storage capacities of 32–64 GB, 2–3 GB of RAM, screen sizes of 7–11 inches, and battery capacities between 5001–8000 mAh. To predict the most preferred tablet configurations, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), Deep Neural Networks (DNNs), and Random Forest (RF) models were developed and evaluated. Among these, the ANN model achieved the highest prediction accuracy, particularly regarding RAM preferences. The findings contribute to the growing body of research on consumer behavior modeling in emerging markets and may assist manufacturers and marketers in shaping strategic decisions related to product development and online retail strategies
Review on Gas Production Patterns, Flammability, and Detection Methods of Hydrogen-Containing Flammable Gases During Thermal Runaway Process in Lithium-Ion Batteries
No full textAs the core technology of the new energy revolution, lithium-ion batteries have broad development prospects and significant strategic importance. With continuous improvements in energy density, enhanced safety, and breakthroughs in fast-charging technology, lithium-ion batteries will play a more substantial role in fields such as new energy vehicles and energy storage. Nevertheless, the development of the lithium-ion battery industry still faces safety issues related to thermal runaway risks. The intense exothermic reactions during thermal runaway can release flammable gases, potentially leading to uncontrolled combustion or explosions, thereby posing major safety threats. This paper reviews the analysis of gas composition and patterns during lithium-ion battery thermal runaway under different conditions, as well as research on gas explosion characteristics. It introduces advanced methods for gas detection and suppression during thermal runaway and summarizes studies on the chemical kinetic mechanisms and predictive models of gas generation during thermal runaway. These studies provide a scientific basis for improving the reliability of renewable energy storage systems and formulating and refining battery safety standards
γ-Cyclodextrin/Genistein Inclusion Complex Catalyzes GPx4-Mediated Reduction of Organic/Inorganic Peroxides: Based on SERS and In Silico Research
No full textOrganic and inorganic peroxides can induce intracellular redox homeostasis. In this study, a γ-cyclodextrin/genistein inclusion complex (γ-CD/GEN) was constructed to systematically elucidate the molecular mechanism by which it catalyzes GPx4-mediated peroxide reduction. The results indicate that the incorporation of γ-CD effectively disrupts the aggregated state of GEN, achieving an encapsulation efficiency (EE) exceeding 40%. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) analysis reveals significant differences in the catalytic behavior of γ-CD/GEN toward cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2): the reduction efficiency of CHP depends on both the concentration of γ-CD/GEN and GPx4, whereas the reduction of H2O2 is primarily regulated by the concentration of γ-CD/GEN. Isotope effect studies demonstrate that the reduction of CHP relies more on radical-initiated reactions, while the reduction of H2O2 involves proton transfer, with the differences in reduction rates correlating with their respective redox mechanisms. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations further confirm that γ-CD/GEN can stably bind to the Sec (Cys)-46 site in the active center of GPx4, thereby enhancing its catalytic activity. This study provides a theoretical basis for the development of antioxidant strategies based on the precise regulation of enzyme activity
Short-Chain Fatty Acids as Functional Postbiotics in Colorectal Cancer Management
No full textShort-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as butyrate, acetate, and propionate, are the result of microbial fermentation and have been demonstrated to exert anticancer effects in different experimental models. We systematically reviewed 27 studies on postbiotics in colorectal cancer models, enclosing a range of study types including cell lines, animal models, and organoids. Eight studies that focused specifically on SCFAs were identified and analyzed. SCFAs promoted apoptosis through caspase activation, influenced NF-κB and MAPK signaling, increased mucin expression, and strengthened barrier function. Butyrate has also been demonstrated to induce autophagy via LKB1–AMPK signaling. Studies using SCFA-containing supernatants showed similar effects, although the presence of multiple biomolecules limited attribution. Overall, these findings provide a robust foundation for further research, particularly in the context of translational studies that can bridge the gap between preclinical and clinical research