IYTE GCRIS Database (Izmir Institute of Technology)
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Phase Transition Behavior in Ferroelectric BaTi0.8Zr0.2O3: Evidence of Polar Cluster Reorientation Above Curie Temperature
No full textWe study the phase transition behavior of the ferroelectric BaTi0.8Zr0.2O3 in the paraelectric region above the Curie temperature. The investigation of the phase transition using caloric, dielectric, and elastic measurements indicates that the ferroelectric transition at T-c = 292 K is continuous and displays weakly relaxor characteristics. The nonlinear scaling of entropy and polarization, as well as the temperature dependencies of dielectric and elastic properties, indicates the presence of local structures in the paraelectric phase. The non-zero remnant polarization is measured up to a characteristic temperature T* similar to 350 K. This temperature coincides with the temperature where the dielectric constant deviates from the Curie-Weiss law and is identified as the coherence temperature T*, associated with the formation of static polar nanostructures. Finally, direct current field cooling in the paraelectric phase using fields smaller than the coercive field leads to an elastic response and remnant piezoelectricity below T*, attributed to the re-orientation of polar nanostructures. The observed remnant effect, along with the temperature dependence of the piezoelectric effect and its time dependence below and above T*, is consistent with increased coherence and slower dynamics of these structures on cooling, leading to symmetry-disallowed remnant piezoelectricity due to glassy behavior below T*
Biologically Informed Decision-Making for Pmrt in Pt3n0m0 Luminal Breast Cancers (Protocol Mf22-02): International Multicenter Real-World Data
No full textBackground: Current guidelines do not list definitive recommendations for postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) in patients with luminal pT3N0M0 breast cancer (BC). Increased data suggests de-escalation of radiation therapy (RT) in genomically defined biologically favorable luminal BCs. The goal of this study is to determine whether PMRT can be safely omitted for this specific subgroup of patients. Methods and materials: Two hundred and 2 women from 16 centers with pT3N0M0 hormone receptor (HR) positive, HER2 negative BC who underwent mastectomy were retrospectively analyzed. No patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Three patients were excluded because of positive surgical margins. Patients were divided into 2 groups: PMRT (n = 130) and no PMRT (n = 69). Groups were compared in terms of overall survival (OS), loco-regional recurrence (LRR) rate, and distant metastases (DM) in light of the Magee Equations Score (MS), menopausal status/age, axillary surgery, pathology, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), adjuvant chemotherapy, and adjuvant endocrine therapy. Results: The majority of the patients had invasive ductal carcinoma (49%, n = 98). There was no significant difference regarding tumor size, axillary surgery, and adjuvant endocrine therapy between the 2 groups (P = .82, P = .28, P = .12, respectively). LVI was 19% (n = 39), and it was greater in the PMRT group (25% vs. 10%; P = .01). Patients in the PMRT group received more chemotherapy (66% vs. 30%; P .001), had more grade 3 tumors (28% vs. 9%, P = .005), and were more premenopausal (49% vs. 22%; P = .0001). At a median follow-up of 51.3 months for the no PMRT group and 65.9 months for the PMRT group (P = .041), 9% (n = 6) of patients from the no PMRT group and 2% (n = 3) from the PMRT group developed LRR (P = .047). There was no difference in local recurrence (1% in no PMRT group vs. 2% in PMRT group; P = .7) and distant recurrence (7% in no PMRT group vs. 3% in PMRT group; P = .16) in patients who received PMRT and no PMRT. Further comparison of the LRR in the no PMRT and PMRT groups in patients with an MS 18 did not show a significant difference (3% vs. 4%; P = .64). However, among patients with an MS ≥ 18, no PMRT group had a higher LRR rate compared to the PMRT group (11% vs. 2%; P = .01). In patients with an MS ≥ 18, the administration of PMRT correlates with statistically significantly better LRR-free survival (HR 0.19; 95% CI 0.05-0.79; P = .02). Conclusions: Our findings imply that when considering PMRT for patients with pT3N0M0, HR-positive, and HER2-negative BC, clinicians can benefit from a combination of pathological risk factors and recurrence prediction models. Patients with MS 18 experience a comparable rate of recurrence irrespective of PMRT, while those with MS ≥ 18 have higher rates of LRR and thus should not omit PMRT. © 2025 Elsevier Inc
Estimating Groundwater Recharge Through Multiple Methods: Southern Sections of the Western Afar Rift Margin and Associated Rift Floor
No full textThis study quantifies groundwater recharge in the southern sections of the western Afar Rift margin and associated rift floor by employing multiple methods, including Water balance, Chloride Mass Balance, WetSpass modeling, and Baseflow separation controlled by radon measurement. The mean annual groundwater recharge rates obtained from the first two methods are 114.39 mm/year, and 92.37 mm/year respectively. The spatially distributed recharge determined from the WetSpass model shows the rift margin has higher values than the rift floor, and results in a mean recharge of 100.88 mm/year. The baseflow separation method calculates 136.7 mm/year and 17.86 mm/year at the outlets of the marginal grabens and inside the rift floor respectively. The higher value suggests additional groundwater flows from the adjacent plateau to the rift margin, driven by the extended columnar basalt and transverse structures. In contrast, the presence of highly faulted Dalha basalt along the Arcuate Accommodation Zones (AAZ) promotes groundwater seepage, leading to lower values in the rift floor. However, from the previous hydrochemical and isotope analysis, groundwater flows from the rift margin to the rift floor, due to the presence of transverse structures create preferential pathways that connect these areas. Hence, the rift floor can have moderate recharge. Therefore, the WetSpass model and Base-flow separation methods, supported by other techniques, provide reliable results in tectonically active areas like the Afar Triangle and arid to semi-arid regions. Last but not least, the study underscores the importance of using multiple techniques for accurate assessments of recharge rates and mechanisms in similar areas
The Curvature Perturbation Generated by Thermal Fluctuations During Thermal Inflation
No full textDuring thermal inflation, the temperature determines the number of e-folds of expansion of the universe and so thermal fluctuations are magnified into curvature perturbations. We use classical thermodynamics to calculate the subhorizon thermal fluctuations and trace their evolution into superhorizon temperature perturbations. We convert the temperature perturbations into curvature perturbations using the delta N-formalism, or equivalently the junction condition of curvature perturbations at the end of thermal inflation, denoted by subscript c, and show that the late-time power spectrum is PR= 15 Hc 3 k3 4 pi 4 g ; lowast;T 3 kc 3 .
Comparative Analysis of Ahp and Swara Methods for Prioritizing Conservation Projects Supported by Heritage Funds: a Case Study From Turkey
No full textEffective budget allocation and financial management are vital for preserving cultural heritage, particularly in countries with limited resources. This study focuses on Turkey's Contribution to the Conservation of Built Heritage (CCBH) fund, which supports heritage preservation through government funding. Despite the fund's importance, a structured method for prioritizing project applications is lacking. This research proposes a decision-making framework for assessing and ranking conservation funding requests using Multiple-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methods. The study applies and compares the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Step-Wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) to assign weights to assessment criteria. The findings demonstrate that SWARA provides a more efficient and practical approach to prioritizing conservation projects. The proposed framework aims to assist decision-makers and conservation practitioners in optimizing the allocation of funds to safeguard cultural heritage effectively. (c) 2025 The Authors. Published by IASE. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Digital Sensing Technologies in Cancer Care: a New Era in Early Detection and Personalized Diagnosis
No full textDigital sensor platforms are systems that integrate sensors with digital technology, which revolutionize data collection, processing, and transmission for enabling real-time, high-precision and automated diagnostics. These platforms often serve as the backbone of modern monitoring systems, enabling real-time data acquisition and analysis for a wide range of applications. Recent advancements in digital sensor platforms have paved the way for transformative innovations in cancer diagnosis. These cutting-edge technologies offer unprecedented opportunities to facilitate early detection, improve diagnostic accuracy, and personalize treatment methods. This review explores the landscape of digital sensor platforms in the context of cancer diagnosis, providing an overview of their principles, functionalities, and clinical applications. The review further illustrates that biosensors, lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices and wearable sensors have leveraged on nanotechnology, biorecognition materials and artificial intelligence (AI) for revolutionizing cancer diagnosis. It consolidates the recent advances in digital sensor platforms for cancer diagnosis and the associated critical challenges, such as regulatory concerns, standardization, and ethical considerations. Further, the review summarizes the feasibility for the integration of digital sensor platforms with routine clinical practices for the development of efficient cancer diagnosis and treatment methods. © 2025 The Author
A Novel Enzymatic Delamination Method for Sustainable Recycling of Crystal Silicon Photovoltaic (c-Si Pv) Modules
No full textDue to the growing effects of global warming, there has been a surge in the demand for renewable energy sources. In particular, the most important player in this increase is the installation of photovoltaic (PV) modules. At this critical stage, it has become a priority to identify strategic approaches for the recycling of end-of-life PV panels with a strong focus on environmental protection. This study examined the impact of enzymatic delamination on the separation of the EVA (Ethylne Viniyl Aceate Co polymer) layer, a crucial stage in the recycling process of PV panels. Notably, this investigation is the first of its kind in the existing literature. To investigate this, delamination effects of lipase, laccase, and lecitase enzymes were analyzed according to experimental design methods. Furthermore, sunflower oil was employed for the first time in the existing body of literature to facilitate delamination, resulting in a delamination rate of 100 %. The environmental impacts of these biotechnological techniques, which serve as alternatives to the commonly used toluene, were also comparatively assessed by life cycle assessment (LCA) method to analyze the environmental impact. LCA methodology was performed from gate to gate and the Recipe impact methodology was used. Oil assisted enzymatic delamination method was shown to be an alternative from environmental point of view to solvent based method such as toluene
Unveiling Bone and Dental Regeneration Potential of Quince Seed Mucilage-Nanohydroxyapatite Scaffolds in Rabbit Mandibles
No full textDonor-side morbidity of autografting for maxillofacial region defect regeneration has directed attention to bioengineered scaffolds. Composite scaffolds that mimic the bone extracellular matrix (ECM) are the potential candidates for defect reconstruction. Herein, a plant-based regenerative hydrogel, quince seed mucilage (QSM), was enriched with the nanohydroxyapatite (nHAp) particles to construct composite scaffolds (QSM/nHAp). The emerging scaffold is able to induce cellular spheroid formation and regenerate the critical-sized bilateral mandibular defects in rabbits. The macroscopic observations, histochemical (HC) and immunohistochemical (IHC) stainings, mu-computer tomography (CT) scanning, quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analyses, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging revealed that all QSM/nHAp scaffolds were swelled with host blood, filled the whole cavity, and sustained cellular infiltration without adverse reactions. The gradual biodegradation profile of the scaffolds improved bone regeneration by releasing nHAp particles from the scaffold. Strikingly, co-development of dental and bone regeneration was observed for all QSM/nHAp groups beginning after day 21. Moreover, QSM/nHAp scaffolds induced expression (> 2-fold) of bone and dental-related gene and protein expressions at the grafted area and sustained a proper platform for maxillofacial remodeling. Therefore, we strongly believe that such biocompatible plant-based constructs, compared with conventional medical devices used in maxillofacial surgery, could support and induce simultaneous bone and dental regeneration due to the intrinsic dynamics of the material
Exploration of Electrostatics Effect on Dispersion and Coating Mechanisms in Dry Powder Inhalers by Discrete Element Method
No full textImproving drug delivery in the respiratory system relies on the effective coating and dispersion of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in dry powder inhalers (DPIs) and the respiratory system's airways. This study aims to explore the impact of different factors on coating APIs on carrier particles, considering electrostatic and van der Waals forces using the discrete element method (DEM). This study focuses on the critical elements of API dispersion, specifically collisions between API-coated carrier particles with each other and DPI walls. The factors influencing the dispersion ratio in these collisions, such as impact velocity, contact angle, and particle charge, are examined. Additionally, a reduced-scale shaking DPI with three frequencies is used to investigate the API coating mechanism on carriers, which was not explored in previous studies. The difference in work function between carrier particles and APIs generates charge in the shaking DPI due to collisions. This causes electrostatic force to dominate over van der Waals force, breaking agglomerates and attaching APIs to carrier particles. This study shows that the amount of generated charge increases with particle collisions and that charge distribution becomes more balanced over time through charge exchange between particles. By elucidating the relationships among impact velocity, dispersion ratio, shaking frequency, and contact angles, this study paves the way for future research on more efficient DPI designs