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Real scale evaluation of geothermal heat exchanger performances integrated to poultry house
No full textThere is a growing body of literature that recognizes the importance of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning systems (HVAC) based on ground to air heat exchangers (GAHEs). In the present experimental work, real field experimental setup of GAHEs to study the air quality of GAHE outlet inside a poultry house compared with air ambient and the conventional poultry house (CPH). Results showed that mean air temperature of heat exchanger at the outlet is stable, which remains closer than 24.2 °C, and the average GAHE efficiency is reached 92 % during the experiment period. GAHE maintains an average relative humidity of around 32 % due to the movement and rotation of air stream caused by the fan. GAHE plays a positive role in the ventilation process of the poultry house, as it renews the amount of air inside the poultry room during the study period. One of the more significant findings to emerge from this study is that the Carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration inside the poultry house integrated with geothermal heat exchangers is less than the concentration that exists in conventional one by 400 parts per million (ppm). The application of geothermal energy systems in buildings holds great potential due to its availability, being considered naturally free and sustainability contributions
Strategic Innovation for Sustainable Aviation Management
No full textDescription: Strategic innovation is critical when advancing sustainable aviation management, enabling the industry to balance growth with environmental responsibility. As global air travel demand rises and regulatory pressures increase, aviation organizations turn to innovative technologies, data-driven decision-making, and forward-thinking operational strategies to reduce emissions, optimize resource use, and enhance efficiency. By integrating sustainability goals into long-term planning, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, strategic innovation paves the way for a more resilient, eco-friendly, and future-focused aviation sector. Strategic Innovation for Sustainable Aviation Management explores the intersection of technological advancement, environmental sustainability, operational resilience, and human capital development within the aviation ecosystem. It examines how airports, airlines, and aviation authorities respond to challenges such as digitalization, cybersecurity threats, regulatory complexity, and climate-related obligations. This book covers topics such as circular economy, airport infrastructure, and green business, and is a useful resource for business owners, engineers, academicians, researchers, and environmental scientists. Coverage: The many academic areas covered in this publication include, but are not limited to: Airport Infrastructure Artificial Intelligence (AI) Aviation Maintenance and Manufacturing Aviation Management Blockchain Business Strategy Circular Economy Climate Change Data Analysis Decarbonization Digital Technology Green Business Internet of Things (IoT) Smart Energy Sustainable Development Transportation Management
Defect-modulated nanolayered TiN/AlSiN coating with exceptional durability against marine corrosion
No full textCorrosion of components exposed to marine environment results in significant economic losses, underscoring the urgent need for development of durable coatings to resist chloride-induced degradation. In this work, a ∼ 3 μm-thick nanolayered TiN/AlSiN coating was deposited on Ti-6Al-4 V alloy by cathodic arc ion plating through alternating TiN and AlSiN layers, and its performance was systematically compared with single-layer TiN and AlSiN coatings and the corrosion protection and failure mechanisms in marine environments are elucidated. Results show that the multilayer architecture transforms detrimental three-dimensional (3D) droplet defects in AlSiN into less harmful two-dimensional (2D) interlayer defects, thereby mitigates their role in corrosion initiation. Electrochemical testing demonstrates that the multilayer achieves the highest corrosion potential (−0.33 V) and reduces corrosion current density by ∼93% relative to TiN, evidencing superior chloride resistance in seawater. Long-term salt spray testing (960 h) further confirms sustained protection in a marine atmosphere, where a unique three-layered degradation structure retards coating failure. These findings establish a new paradigm in defect modulation, suggesting that multilayer design not only enhances mechanical robustness but also reconfigures unavoidable deposition defects into controllable lateral forms, thereby extending service durability under marine atmospheric exposure
Segmentation-Based Multi-Class Detection and Radiographic Charting of Periodontal and Restorative Conditions on Bitewing Radiographs Using Deep Learning
No full textBackground/Objective: Bitewing radiographs are widely used for evaluating dental caries, restorations, and periodontal status due to their low radiation dose and high image quality. While artificial intelligence–based studies are common for other dental imaging modalities, multi-class diagnostic charting on bitewing radiographs remains limited. This study aimed to simultaneously detect eight periodontal and restorative parameters using a YOLOv8x-seg–based deep learning model and to assess its diagnostic performance. Materials and Methods: A total of 1197 digital bitewing radiographs were retrospectively analyzed and annotated by experts, resulting in 7860 labels across eight conditions. Periodontal conditions included alveolar bone loss, dental calculus, and furcation defects, while restorative and dental conditions comprised caries, cervical marginal gaps, open contacts, overhanging fillings, and secondary caries. The dataset was divided on a patient basis into training (80%), validation (10%), and test (10%) sets. The YOLOv8x-seg model was trained for 800 epochs with extensive data augmentation, and performance was evaluated using precision, recall, and F1-score, along with confusion matrices. Results: The model showed the highest accuracy in the alveolar bone loss class (precision: 0.84, recall: 0.93, F1: 0.88). While moderate performance was achieved for dental calculus (F1: 0.58) and caries (F1: 0.57) detection, lower scores were recorded in low-frequency classes such as cervical marginal gap (F1: 0.23), secondary caries (F1: 0.29), overhanging filling (F1: 0.35), furcation defect (F1: 0.40), and open contact (F1: 0.41). The overall segmentation performance achieved an [email protected] of 0.30 and an [email protected]:0.95 of 0.10, indicating an acceptable performance level for segmentation-based multi-class models. Conclusions: The obtained findings demonstrate that the YOLOv8x-seg architecture can detect and segment periodontal conditions with high success and restorative parameters with moderate success in automation processes in bitewing radiographs. Accordingly, the model presents a methodologically feasible framework for the multiple and simultaneous radiographic evaluation of periodontal and restorative findings on bitewing radiographs, with performance varying across classes and lower sensitivity observed in low-frequency conditions
Peripheral inflammation ratios mirror high-risk anatomic sites in basal cell carcinoma: a matched case-control study
No full textBackgroundBasal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer, with increasing incidence worldwide. Although anatomical site-based risk stratification is commonly used in clinical practice, the potential role of systemic inflammatory markers in predicting tumor behavior remains unclear.ObjectiveTo compare the systemic inflammatory markers between patients with BCC and healthy controls, and to assess their association with histopathological subtypes and anatomical risk groups.MethodsThis retrospective analytical study included 55 patients with histopathologically confirmed BCC and 55 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Hematological parameters, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), and systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), were calculated from complete blood counts. Subgroup analyses were performed based on BCC subtype and anatomical risk classification. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and logistic regression were used to evaluate predictive performance.ResultsHemoglobin levels were significantly lower in BCC patients than controls (p = 0.048), but inflammatory indices did not differ between groups. Among BCC subtypes, only hemoglobin varied significantly, with higher levels in the superficial subtype. NLR and SIRI were significantly elevated in patients with high-risk tumors compared to those with low/moderate-risk lesions (p = 0.024 and p = 0.046, respectively). ROC analysis showed modest discriminatory power for NLR (AUC = 0.689) and SIRI (AUC = 0.667), but neither marker was a significant predictor of high-risk status in multivariate logistic regression.ConclusionNLR and SIRI were found to be associated with high-risk tumor localization in BCC, indicating their potential utility as supportive tools in preoperative risk assessment
Armut Üreticilerinin Pestisit Kullanımına İlişkin Bilinç Düzeylerini Etkileyen Faktörlerin Belirlenmesi: Bursa İli Örneği
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Membrane-engineered Wharton's Jelly derived mesenchymal stem cells with anti-CD2 antibody coating modulate activated CD3+ T-cell responses
No full textObjective: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) regulate immunity through paracrine signaling and direct interactions by secreting cytokines and biological factors, yet effective therapy requires large numbers of MSCs. This study aimed to improve the interaction between human Wharton's Jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hWJ-MSCs) and activated CD2⁺/CD3⁺ T lymphocytes by incorporating anti-CD2 antibodies into their cell membranes. This strategy was grounded in the recognition that MSC immunoregulatory efficacy depends on both soluble mediators and receptor-mediated cell-cell contact, and that strengthening this interface enhances their functional engagement with activated T-cells. Methods: In this study, hWJ-MSCs were coated with a palmitic acid-conjugated protein G (PPG) system to anchor anti-CD2 antibodies onto the cell membrane. Cytocompatibility of coating was evaluated using WST-8 assay, and 20 µg/mL was identified as optimal concentration. After coating and T-cell isolation, a 48-hour co-culture was established with phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated CD2⁺/CD3⁺ T lymphocytes and β-cells. Cellular responses were evaluated using WST-8, Live/Dead staining, CFSE proliferation assay, DCFDA-based ROS analysis, and CD3 flow cytometry to assess viability, proliferation, and oxidative activity of PBMCs. β-cell function was assessed by measuring insulin secretion using a single ELISA assay as a functional outcome indicator, without further mechanistic analysis. Results: The WST-8 assay demonstrated that 20 µg/mL PPG maintained approximately 80 % cell viability, and this concentration was selected as the optimal dose for subsequent experiments. Anti-CD2 and anti-PPG antibodies were purified using the FPLC method. CD25 and CD2 marker expression increased following PHA stimulation. CFSE staining showed higher fluorescence intensity in the MSC-coated group than in the non-coated group, indicating suppressed T-cell proliferation. DCFDA staining revealed reduced ROS levels in the coated group, while the WST-8 test indicated lower viability in MSC-coated groups relative to controls. ELISA analysis showed the highest insulin secretion in the MSC-coated group. Conclusion: Anti-CD2 antibody-conjugated PPG-coated hWJ-MSCs reduced T-cell viability, proliferation, and WST-8-based metabolic activity while also attenuating DCFDA-detected ROS compared with uncoated cells. ROS levels remained elevated in CD2-only group. Coated MSCs therefore produced a more controlled and less inflammatory T-cell response within co-culture system. These findings suggest that surface-engineered hWJ-MSCs may enhance immunoregulatory performance of MSC-based approaches for T-cell-mediated autoimmune disorders, including Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM)
Effectiveness of Gilteritinib Beyond Second-Line Therapy in Relapsed/Refractory FLT3-Mutated Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Real-World Multicenter Study of 171 Patients
No full textGilteritinib is a selective FLT3 inhibitor approved for the treatment of relapsed or refractory (R/R) FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) following ≥ 1 prior line of therapy. However, data on its effectiveness in later-line settings is limited. We conducted a multicenter, retrospective study including 171 adult patients with R/R FLT3-mutated AML who received gilteritinib as third-line or beyond between August 2017 and March 2024 across centers in Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Turkey. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints included overall response rate (ORR), composite complete remission (cCR), duration of response. Among the 171 patients, 84% carried FLT3-ITD mutations and 26% had received ≥ 3 prior lines of therapy. The cCR rate was 28%, and ORR was 47%. Patients who were younger and presented with relapsed (vs. refractory) disease had better outcomes. Prior exposure to venetoclax or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) was associated with inferior response. Gilteritinib enabled HSCT in 12% of patients. Median OS was 7.1 months (95% CI, 5.9–10.1), and in Cox-regression analysis was significantly improved among responders and those who underwent HSCT (median OS: 21.5 months; 95% CI, 12.8–NR). Prior venetoclax exposure was associated with shorter survival (5.7 months; 95% CI, 5.1–8.8). On multivariate analysis, previous exposure to venetoclax and FLT3 inhibitors was the strongest predictor of reduced response rates. Despite heavy pretreatment, gilteritinib retained clinically relevant activity in later-line R/R FLT3-mutated AML. Its use beyond second-line may serve as a bridge to HSCT in selected patients. Resistance mechanisms, particularly following venetoclax, remain a therapeutic challenge. These data support the continued use of gilteritinib beyond second-line and highlight the need for prospective studies to optimize sequencing strategies
Morphologic diversity of the epididymis in orchiectomy specimens: a multi-institutional study
No full textThe epididymis frequently exhibits a broad spectrum of non-neoplastic epithelial and stromal alterations that may mimic neoplastic or obstructive processes in orchiectomy specimens. Existing data are mostly derived from single-institution series. This multi-institutional study aimed to provide a comprehensive, contemporary, multi-institutional analysis of the prevalence, spectrum, and clinicopathological associations of epididymal morphological variations in a large orchiectomy cohort. This retrospective study included 1,528 orchiectomy specimens from multiple academic centers. All hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides containing epididymal tissue were systematically reviewed using a standardized protocol. Morphological features assessed included atrophy, intranuclear inclusions, lipofuscin pigment, cribriform hyperplasia, Paneth cell-like metaplasia, nuclear atypia, clear cell change, smooth-muscle proliferation, vascular and duct ectasia, myxoid change, calcification, hematoma, and inflammation. Associations with underlying testicular pathologies were analyzed statistically. 66% (1004/1528) were performed for testicular neoplasms, which were predominantly germ cell tumors derived from germ cell neoplasia in situ (87.5%, 878/1004). The most common epididymal alterations were lipofuscin pigment (49.9%, 762/1528), intranuclear inclusions (40.3%, 616/1528), atrophy (35.4%, 541/1528), and duct ectasia (35.3%, 539/1528). Non-tumoral cases more frequently exhibited atrophy (58.4%, 306/524 vs. 23.4%, 235/1004), duct ectasia (45.2%, 237/524 vs. 30.1%, 302/1004), inflammation (21.9%, 115/524 vs. 2.7%, 27/1004), and hematoma (5.9%, 31/524 vs. 0.2%, 2/1004) (p < 0.0001 for all). Tumoral cases showed higher rates of cribriform hyperplasia (28.5%, 286/1004 vs. 16.4%, 86/524), Paneth cell-like metaplasia (12.4%, 124/1004 vs. 1.9%, 10/524), nuclear atypia (21.9%, 220/1004 vs. 17.2%, 90/524), and clear cell change (21.7%, 218/1004 vs. 14.3%, 75/524) (all p <= 0.03). Several features, including atrophy, lipofuscin pigment, cribriform hyperplasia, clear cell change, and calcification, showed significant variation across tumor subtypes. Non-neoplastic epithelial and stromal alterations of the epididymis are common and histologically diverse, often co-occurring and varying by underlying testicular pathology. Awareness of these patterns is essential to avoid misinterpretation, especially in oncologic settings. This study provides the largest contemporary dataset to date, offering a robust histopathological framework for epididymal assessment in routine surgical pathology practice