Evaluation of Fatigue Behavior of Asphalt Field Cores Using Discrete Element Modeling.

Fatigue cracking is one of the primary distresses of asphalt pavements, which significantly affects the asphalt pavement performance. The fatigue behavior of the asphalt mixture observed in the laboratory test can vary depending on the type of fatigue test and the dimension and shape of the test specimen. The variations can make it difficult to accurately evaluate the fatigue properties of the field asphalt concrete. Accordingly, this study proposed a reliable method to evaluate the fatigue behavior of the asphalt field cores based on discrete element modeling (DEM). The mesoscopic geometric model was built using discrete element software PFC (Particle Flow Code) and CT scan images of the asphalt field cores. The virtual fatigue test was simulated in accordance with the semi-circular bending (SCB) test. The mesoscopic parameters of the contacting model in the virtual test were determined through the uniaxial compression dynamic modulus test and SCB test. Based on the virtual SCB test, the displacement, contact forces, and crack growth were analyzed. The test results show that the fatigue life simulated in the virtual test was consistent with that of the SCB fatigue test. The fatigue cracks in the asphalt mixture were observed in three stages, i.e., crack initiation, crack propagation, and failure. It was found that the crack propagation stage consumes a significant portion of the fatigue life since the tensile contact forces mainly increase in this stage.

Comparing Two Targeted Biopsy Schemes for Detecting Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer in Magnetic Resonance Index Lesions: Two- to Four-Core versus Saturated Transperineal Targeted Biopsy.

Since the optimal scheme for targeted biopsies of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suspicious lesions remains unclear, we compare the efficacy of two schemes for these index lesions. A prospective trial was conducted in 1161 men with Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System v 2.1 3-5 undergoing targeted and 12-core systematic biopsy in four centers between 2021 and 2023. Two- to four-core MRI-transrectal ultrasound fusion-targeted biopsies via the transperineal route were conducted in 900 men in three centers, while a mapping per 0.5 mm core method (saturated scheme) was employed in 261 men biopsied in another center. A propensity-matched 261 paired cases were selected for avoiding confounders other than the targeted biopsy scheme. CsPCa (grade group ≥ 2) was identified in 125 index lesions (41.1%) when the two- to four-core scheme was employed, while in 187 (71.9%) when the saturated biopsy (p < 0.001) was used. Insignificant PCa (iPCa) was detected in 18 and 11.1%, respectively (p = 0.019). Rates of csPCa and iPCa remained similar in systematic biopsies. CsPCa detected only in systematic biopsies were 5 and 1.5%, respectively (p = 0.035) in each group. The saturated scheme for targeted biopsies detected more csPCa and less iPCa than did the two- to four-core scheme in the index lesions. The rate of csPCa detected only in the systematic biopsies decreased when the saturated scheme was employed.

MRI-guided in-bore biopsy of the prostate - defining the optimal number of cores needed.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have shown that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-targeted biopsy approaches are superior to traditional systematic transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy (TRUS-Bx). The optimal number of biopsy cores to be obtained per lesion identified on multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) images, however, remains a matter of debate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incremental value of additional biopsy cores in an MRI-targeted "in-bore"-biopsy (MRI-Bx) setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two hundred and forty-five patients, who underwent MRI-Bx between June 2014 and September 2021, were included in this retrospective single-center analysis. All lesions were biopsied with at least five biopsy cores and cumulative detection rates for any cancer (PCa) as well as detection rates of clinically significant cancers (csPCa) were calculated for each sequentially labeled biopsy core. The cumulative per-core detection rates are presented as whole numbers and as proportion of the maximum detection rate reached, when all biopsy cores were considered. CsPCa was defined as Gleason Score (GS) ≥ 7 (3 + 4). RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-two of 245 Patients (53.9%) were diagnosed with prostate cancer and csPCa was found in 64 (26.1%) patients. The first biopsy core revealed csPCa/ PCa in 76.6% (49/64)/ 81.8% (108/132) of cases. The second, third and fourth core found csPCa/ PCa not detected by previous cores in 10.9% (7/64)/ 8.3% (11/132), 7.8% (5/64)/ 5.3% (7/132) and 3.1% (2/64)/ 3% (4/132) of cases, respectively. Obtaining one or more cores beyond the fourth biopsy core resulted in an increase in detection rate of 1.6% (1/64)/ 1.5% (2/132). CONCLUSION: We found that obtaining five cores per lesion maximized detection rates. If, however, future research should establish a clear link between the incidence of serious complications and the number of biopsy cores obtained, a three-core biopsy might suffice as our results suggest that about 95% of all csPCa are detected by the first three cores.

Autochthonous organic matter input in reservoirs: Limited methane oxidation in sediments fails to suppress methane emission.

The interception of rivers leads to the accumulation of substantial organic matter in reservoirs, exerting a significant influence on greenhouse gas emissions. The diverse imported organic matter, coupled with sedimentary heterogeneity and intricate microbial processes, gives rise to seasonal variations in methane emissions from reservoirs. In this study, sediment cores were supplemented with terrestrial or autochthonous carbon to emulate reservoir carbon input across different seasons, thereby investigating methane emission potential and associated microbial mechanisms within the sediment cores. Results demonstrated that autochthonous organic matter enhanced sediment organic content, thereby providing more substrates for the methanogenic process and fostering the proliferation of methanogens (with a relative abundance of 47.17 % to 60.66 %). Notably, the dominant genera of Methanosaeta, Methanosarcina, and Candidatus Methanomethylicus were boost on the surface layer of sediment. Concurrently, the introduction of autochthonous organic carbon spurred an increase in methane-oxidizing microbe, reaching up to 5.59 %, with Methylobacter and Candidatus Methanoperedens as the predominant species, which led to a downward migration of the functional microbial group in the sediment. Under the priming impact of autochthonous carbon, however, the methane oxidation probably doesn't consume the substantial methane produced in sediment. Consequently, the sediment functions as a hotspot for methane release into the overlying water, highlighting the necessity to include summer as critical periods for integrated assessments, particularly during algae bloom.

Centennial Records of Microplastics in Lake Cores in Huguangyan Maar Lake, China.

Microplastic records from lake cores can reconstruct the plastic pollution history. However, the associations between anthropogenic activities and microplastic accumulation are not well understood. Huguangyan Maar Lake (HML) is a deep-enclosed lake without inlets and outlets, where the sedimentary environment is ideal for preserving a stable and historical microplastic record. Microplastic (size: 10-500 µm) characteristics in the HML core were identified using the Laser Direct Infrared Imaging system. The earliest detectable microplastics appeared unit in 1955 (1.1 items g-1). The microplastic abundance ranged from n.d. to 615.2 items g-1 in 1955-2019 with an average of 134.9 items g-1. The abundance declined slightly during the 1970s and then increased rapidly after China's Reform and Opening Up in 1978. Sixteen polymer types were detectable, with polyethylene and polypropylene dominating, accounting for 23.5 and 23.3% of the total abundance, and the size at 10-100 µm accounted for 80%. Socioeconomic factors dominated the microplastic accumulation based on the random forest modeling, and the contributions of GDP per capita, plastic-related industry yield, and total crop yield were, respectively, 13.9, 35.1, and 9.3% between 1955-2019. The total crop yield contribution further increased by 1.7% after 1978. Coarse sediment particles increased with soil erosion exacerbated microplastics discharging into the sediment.

Temporal trajectories of artificial radiocaesium 137Cs in French rivers over the nuclear era reconstructed from sediment cores.

137Cs is a long-lived man-made radionuclide introduced in the environment worldwide at the early beginning of the nuclear Era during atmospheric nuclear testing's followed by the civil use of nuclear energy. Atmospheric fallout deposition of this major artificial radionuclide was reconstructed at the scale of French large river basins since 1945, and trajectories in French nuclearized rivers were established using sediment coring. Our results show that 137Cs contents in sediments of the studied rivers display a large spatial and temporal variability in response to the various anthropogenic pressures exerted on their catchment. The Loire, Rhone, and Rhine rivers were the most affected by atmospheric fallout from the global deposition from nuclear tests. Rhine and Rhone also received significant fallout from the Chernobyl accident in 1986 and recorded significant 137Cs concentrations in their sediments over the 1970-1985 period due to the regulatory releases from the nuclear industries. The Meuse River was notably impacted in the early 1970s by industrial releases. In contrast, the Seine River display the lowest 137Cs concentrations regardless of the period. All the rivers responded similarly over time to atmospheric fallout on their catchment, underlying a rather homogeneous resilience capacity of these river systems to this source of contamination.

The effect of ferrule and core material on fracture resistance of endodontically treated anterior teeth restored with ceramic crowns after artificial aging.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the influence of ferrule and core type on the fracture strength of endodontically treated anterior teeth (ETAT) and identify the failure mode type and distribution across different core types and ferrule conditions. METHODS: Sixty extracted human central incisors were endodontically treated, decoronated and divided into two main groups (F=with ferrule, NF=no ferrule). Each main group was further subdivided into three subgroups according to the core material used: direct composite cores (DC), Ribbond fibre-reinforced composite cores (RIB-DC), and glass fibre post (GFP) with direct composite cores (GFP-DC). All specimens received E.max crowns and underwent thermal cycling and cyclic loading. Subsequently, the fracture resistance was tested with static loads applied to the crown restoration. Two-Way ANOVA and Chi square tests identified significant differences among the groups (p < 0.05). RESULTS: The means and standard deviations (SD) of fracture loads in Newtons (N) for specimens in the F subgroups were RIB-DC: 465.0 (104.20), GFP-DC: 367.6 (79.59), DC: 275.8 (68.48), and in NF subgroups were RIB-DC: 110.8 (24.33), GFP-DC: 95.6 (25.47), DC: 67.4 (7.46). Specimens with ferrule yielded significantly higher fracture loads than those without ferrule (p = 0.0054). In the F groups, fracture loads of specimens with RIB-DC cores were significantly higher than those with GFP-DC (p = 0.0019) and those with DC (p = 0.0001). Moreover, fracture loads for the GFP-DC were significantly higher than those for the DC (p = 0.0026). The GFP-DC specimens showed the highest incidence of catastrophic failures (p = 0.0420). CONCLUSIONS: Using fibre-reinforced composite (FRC) cores significantly increased fracture resistance in ETAT with ferrule. The failure modes repairable and possibly repairable were dominant in most specimens. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: When restoring ETAT with insufficient coronal tooth structure, preserving 2 mm of tooth structure ferrule and preparing cores with FRC can increase fracture resistance and reduce the incidence of non-repairable catastrophic fractures of teeth.

Hydrophobic core evolution of major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related protein A for dramatic enhancing binding affinity.

Interface residues at sites of protein-protein interaction (PPI) are the focus for affinity optimisation. However, protein hydrophobic cores (HCs) play critical roles and shape the protein surface. We hypothesise that manipulating protein HCs can enhance PPI interaction affinities. A cell stress molecule, major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related protein A (MICA), binds to the natural killer group 2D (NKG2D) homodimer to form three molecule interactions. MICA was used as a study subject to support our hypothesis. We redesigned MICA HCs by directed mutagenesis and isolated high-affinity variants through a newly designed partial-denature panning (PDP) method. A few mutations in MICA HCs increased the NKG2D-MICA interaction affinity by 325-5613-fold. Crystal structures of the NKG2D-MICA variant complexes indicated that mutagenesis of MICA HCs stabilised helical elements for decreasing intermolecular interactive free energy (ΔG) of the NKG2D-MICA heterotrimer. The repacking of MICA HC mutants maintained overall surface residues and the authentic binding specificity of MICA. In conclusion, this study provides a new method for MICA redesign and affinity optimisation through HC manipulation without mutating PPI interface residues. Our study introduces a novel approach to protein manipulation, potentially expanding the toolkit for protein affinity optimisation.

Taste-Masked Pellets of Warfarin Sodium: Formulation towards the Dose Personalisation.

The bitter drug, warfarin, has a narrow therapeutic index (NTI) and is used in paediatrics and geriatrics. The aim of this feasibility study was to formulate the taste-masked warfarin-containing pellets to be applicable for dose personalisation and to improve patient compliance, as well as to investigate the effect of the core type (PharSQ® Spheres M, CELPHERE™ CP-507, and NaCl) on the warfarin release from the Kollicoat® Smartseal taste-masking-coated pellets. The cores were successfully drug-loaded and coated in a fluid-bed coater with a Wurster insert. An increase in particle size and particle size distribution was observed by optical microscopy. In saliva-simulated pH, at the Kollicoat® Smartseal level of 2 mg/cm2, none of the pellets demonstrated drug release, confirming their efficient taste-masking. However, in a stomach-simulated pH, a faster drug release was observed from PharSQ® Spheres M- and CELPHERE™ CP-507-coated pellets in comparison with NaCl cores. Additional experiments allowed us to explain the slower drug release from NaCl-containing pellets because of the salting-out effect. Despite the successful taste masking, the drug release from pellets was relatively slow (not more than 91% per 60 min), allowing for further formulation improvements.

Insight into environmental adaptability of antibiotic resistome from surface water to deep sediments in anthropogenic lakes by metagenomics.

The escalating antibiotic resistance threatens the long-term global health. Lake sediment is a vital hotpot in transmitting antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs); however, their vertical distribution pattern and driving mechanisms in sediment cores remain unclear. This study first utilized metagenomics to reveal how resistome is distributed from surface water to 45 cm sediments in four representative lakes, central China. Significant vertical variations in ARG profiles were observed (R2 = 0.421, p < 0.001), with significant reductions in numbers, abundance, and Shannon index from the surface water to deep sediment (all p-values < 0.05). ARGs also has interconnections within the vertical profile of the lakes: twelve ARGs persistently exist all sites and depths, and shared ARGs (e.g., vanS and mexF) were assembled by diverse hosts at varying depths. The 0-18 cm sediment had the highest mobility and health risk of ARGs, followed by the 18-45 cm sediment and water. The drivers of ARGs transformed along the profile of lakes: microbial communities and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) dominated in water, whereas environmental variables gradually become the primary through regulating microbial communities and MGEs with increasing sediment depth. Interestingly, the stochastic process governed ARG assembly, while the stochasticity diminished under the mediation of Chloroflexi, Candidatus Bathyarcaeota and oxidation-reduction potential with increasing depth. Overall, we formulated a conceptual framework to elucidate the vertical environmental adaptability of resistome in anthropogenic lakes. This study shed on the resistance risks and their environmental adaptability from sediment cores, which could reinforce the governance of public health issues.

Exploring organic and inorganic contaminant histories in sediment cores across the anthropocene: Accounting for site/area dependent factors.

Sedimentary records help chronologically identify anthropogenic contamination in environmental systems. This study analysed dated sediment cores from L'Albufera Lake (Valencia, Spain), to assess the occurrence of heavy metals (HMs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs), pesticides and pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). The results evidence the continuing vertical presence of all types of contaminants in this location. The sediment age was difficult to establish. However, the presence of shells together with an historical estimation and the knowledge of sedimentary rates could help. HMs contents are higher in the upper layer reflecting the most recent increase of the industrial and agricultural practices in the area since the middle 20th century. Higher availability index of these HMs in the upper sediment layers is associated with point and diffuse contamination sources in the area. PAHs and OPFRs were homogeneous distributed through the sediments with few exceptions such as phenanthrene in the North and fluoranthene in the South. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) were detected throughout the sediment core while short-chain PFASs (except perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)) were detected only in the top layer. Pesticides and PPCPs showed appreciable down-core mobility. The vertical concentration profiles of organic contaminants did not exhibit a clear trend with depth, then, it is difficult to develop a direct relationship between sediment age and contaminant concentrations, and to elucidate the historical trend of contamination based on dated sediment core. Consequently, linking contaminant occurrence in sediments directly to their historical use is somewhat speculative at least in the conditions of L'Albufera Lake.

Hydrochemistry and trace metals in water and sediments in forest coastal wetlands influenced by tidal regime in the middle Río de la Plata estuary, Argentina.

Coastal wetland ecosystems are of utmost importance in regulating the mobility and distribution of elements in water and sediments, being the flooding by tidal events a recurrent process that strongly controls the hydrodynamics of the system. The aim of this work is to assess the control of the tidal regime and anthropogenic influence on the dynamics of some trace metals in water and sediments in the Punta Lara Natural Reserve situated in the Río de la Plata littoral. For that purpose, relationship between tidal flows, surface water and groundwater was evaluated. Also, hydrochemistry was analyzed based on the study of major ions and trace metals, being the presence of high concentrations of elements in groundwater, such as Fe and Mn, probably favoured by redox processes associated with organic matter decomposition in the water - sediment interaction. Sediments in the wetland register deficient to minimal enrichment in most of the studied trace metals despite the numerous contributions that the Río de la Plata receives in relation to dissolved and particulate trace metals from diverse anthropogenic contributions. Despite that, there is a moderate enrichment in Pb and Cr in the surface sediments of the wetland. The data analyzed within the natural reserve in relation to the chemical composition of the water and sediments of the coastal wetland showed the strong influence of the tidal regime over the area.

Internal phosphorus loading in a chain of eutrophic hardwater lakes in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Sediments can act as a source or sink of phosphorus (P) for the water column of lakes. In iron (Fe)-rich softwater lakes, redox processes are important contributors to sediment P flux. However, the contribution of redox processes to P flux in hardwater lakes, with high pH and high concentrations of redox-insensitive calcium (Ca) is unknown. Intact sediment cores, collected in different seasons (summer or fall) from a chain of eutrophic hardwater lakes in southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada, were used to quantify sediment P fluxes in laboratory incubations under hypoxic or oxic conditions at temperatures consistent with the season of sample collection. Geochemical analyses determined concentrations of sediment total (TP) and organic P (TPo), organic matter (OM), total Ca and magnesium, and total and extractable manganese, Fe and aluminum. Sediment P pools were determined using sequential fractionation and solution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Sediment P fluxes were significantly higher in sediment cores incubated under hypoxic conditions (-24.4 to 28.5 mg P m-2 d-1) than oxic conditions (-60.3 to 14.2 mg P m-2 d-1). There were significant seasonal and lake differences for TP, TPo and cation concentrations, with Ca the dominant cation in all but one lake. Phosphate bound in the redox-sensitive pool was the only sediment P fraction that significantly differed among the lakes (0.10 to 0.18 mg P g-1 d.w.; 9 to 16 % of TP), with an inverse relationship to sediment P flux. Principal component analysis suggests that high concentrations of internally-generated TPo forms and OM in surface sediments play a key role in internal P loading in these lakes. However, sediment Ca appears to have an overriding effect on sediment P, partially masking the impact of redox control on internal P loading in these hardwater prairie lakes.

Potentially toxic elements fluxes in 210Pb-dated sediment cores from a large coastal lagoon (southern Gulf of Mexico) under environmental stress.

Terminos Lagoon (TL), in the southern Gulf of Mexico, has been under intensive anthropogenic pressure (e.g., oil-industry development) since the 1970s. Historical changes in flux ratios of potentially toxic elements (PTEs; As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V, Zn) were, for the first time, assessed inside TL by using 210Pb-dated sediment cores. Sediments showed minor enrichments for Cd, Ni, Pb, and V. However, according to international benchmarks, the As, Cr, Cu, and Ni concentrations could pose a risk for benthic biota. Sedimentary processes involved in the accumulation of PTEs were identified through a chemometric approach. Increments in PTEs flux ratios concur with the recent (⁓50 years) and extensive land-use changes, particularly the transport and deposit of materials delivered by rivers. These findings are expected to be used in managing this crucial natural resource, the larger Mexican coastal lagoon ecosystem, to mitigate the effects of global change.

Photoactivated Circularly Polarized Luminescent Organic Radicals in Doped Amorphous Polymer.

Luminescent organic radicals, especially those with photoactivated circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) features, hold great significance for cutting-edge optoelectronic applications, but their development still remains a challenge. In this study, we propose a novel strategy to achieve photoactivated CPL radicals by bonding two phosphine centers within an axial chiral system, yielding a compound of R/S-5,5-bis(diphenylphosphino)-4,4'-bibenzo[d][1,3]dioxole (R/S-BDP). The photoactivated R/S-BDP molecules in polymer matrix display a robust quantum yield of 19.8 % and a dissymmetry factor (glum) of 1.2×10-4, marking this work as the first example of photoactivated CPL radicals. Furthermore, the glum is improved to 1.0×10-2 by using a liquid crystal as host. Experimental and theoretical analyses reveal that R/S-BDP molecules, endowed with double phosphine cores in axial chirality, offer a direct way for intramolecular electron transfer upon photoirradiation. This leads to the generation of radical ionic pairs, which subsequently trigger the donor-acceptor arrangement through intermolecular electron transfer, thereby resulting in stable radical emission. The extended photoactivated BDP-F exhibits a remarkably high quantum efficiency of 57.8%. Ultimately, the distinctive photo-responsive CPL radical luminescence has been successfully used for information displays and anti-counterfeiting.

Prognostic factors among patients with pathological Grade Group 5 prostate cancer based on robot-associated radical prostatectomy specimens from a large Japanese cohort (MSUG94).

PURPOSE: There are no definitive prognostic factors for patients with pathological Grade Group 5 (pGG 5) prostate cancer (PCa) undergoing robot-associated radical prostatectomy (RARP). This study aimed to explore the prognostic factors among patients with pGG 5 PCa in a large Japanese cohort (MSUG94). METHODS: This retrospective, multi-institutional cohort study was conducted between 2012 and 2021 at ten centers in Japan and included 3195 patients. Patients with clinically metastatic PCa (cN1 or cM1) and those receiving neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant therapy were excluded. Finally, 217 patients with pGG5 PCa were analyzed. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 28.0 months. The 3- and 5-year biochemical recurrence-free survival (BCRFS) rates of the overall population were 66.1% and 57.7%, respectively. The optimal threshold value (47.2%) for the percentage of positive cancer cores (PPCC) with any GG by systematic biopsy was chosen based on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Univariate analysis revealed that the prostate-specific antigen level at diagnosis, pT, pN, positive surgical margins (PSMs), lymphovascular invasion, and PPCC were independent prognostic factors for BCRFS. A multivariate analysis revealed that PSMs and PPCC were independent prognostic factors for BCRFS. Using these two predictors, we stratified BCRFS, metastasis-free survival (MFS), and castration-resistant PCa-free survival (CRPC-FS) among patients with pGG 5 PCa. CONCLUSION: The combination of PSMs and PPCC may be an important predictor of BCRFS, MFS, and CRPC-FS in patients with pGG 5 PCa undergoing RARP.

Regional assessment of the historical trends of mercury in sediment cores from Wider Caribbean coastal environments.

Spatial and temporal variations of mercury (Hg) concentrations, enrichment, and potential ecological risks were studied in a suite of lead-210 (210Pb) dated sediment cores from 13 Wider Caribbean Region coastal environments. Broad variability of Hg concentrations (19-18761 ng g-1) was observed, encompassing even background levels (38-100 ng g-1). Most Hg concentration profiles exhibited a characteristic upward trend, reaching their peak values in the past two decades. Most of the sediment sections, showing from moderately to very severe Hg enrichment, were found in cores from Havana Bay and Sagua River Estuary (Cuba), Port-au-Prince Bay (Haiti), and Cartagena Bay (Colombia). These were also the most seriously contaminated sites, which can be considered regional Hg 'hotspots'. Both Havana Bay and Port-au-Prince Bay reportedly receive waste from large cities with populations exceeding 2 million inhabitants, and watersheds affected by high erosion rates. The records from the Sagua River Estuary and Cartagena Bay reflected historical Hg contamination associated with chloralkali plants, and these sites are of very high ecological risk. These results constitute a major contribution to the scarce regional data on contaminants in the Wider Caribbean Region and provide reference information to support the evaluation of the effectiveness of the Minamata Convention.

'Gold' lost in restoration: Evaluation of core morphology of custom metal posts and cores, and analysis of precious metal debris.

1 Objectives: To investigate the deviations between the morphological dimensions of finished cores and desired dimensions made by three available fabricating techniques. To assess the precious metal loss in custom precious metal post and core restorative treatment in the dental clinic. 2 Methods: Titanium posts and cores were fabricated using three different techniques: digital scanning impression technology, digital scanning wax-pattern technology, and the traditional lost-wax casting method. Geomagic Studio was used to fit the scanned model data to the digital design data of the expected preparation and to analyze the 3D deviations between the two. Precious metal debris from the precious metal post and core was collected, processed, weighed and analyzed for precious metal elements by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy layered images. 3 Results: In all 48 pairs of models, there were positive and negative deviations, with the largest mean positive deviation of (0.752 ± 0.037 mm) for models made by the semi-digital scanning wax-pattern technique. A total of 7001.3 mg of metals was recovered from the waste streams collected, which contained precious metals-mainly gold, silver, and platinum. 4 Conclusions: There were discrepancies between the custom core and the expected preparation regardless of the fabrication process used. The digital scanning impression technology showed better dimensional rationality of crown cores. Custom precious metal posts and cores can have an average precious metal loss of 129.7 mg per case in the dental clinic.

Memristor-Based Neuromorphic Chips.

In the era of information, characterized by an exponential growth in data volume and an escalating level of data abstraction, there has been a substantial focus on brain-like chips, which are known for their robust processing power and energy-efficient operation. Memristors are widely acknowledged as the optimal electronic devices for the realization of neuromorphic computing, due to their innate ability to emulate the interconnection and information transfer processes witnessed among neurons. This review paper focuses on memristor-based neuromorphic chips, which provide an extensive description of the working principle and characteristic features of memristors, along with their applications in the realm of neuromorphic chips. Subsequently, a thorough discussion of the memristor array, which serves as the pivotal component of the neuromorphic chip, as well as an examination of the present mainstream neural networks, is delved. Furthermore, the design of the neuromorphic chip is categorized into three crucial sections, including synapse-neuron cores, networks on chip (NoC), and neural network design. Finally, the key performance metrics of the chip is highlighted, as well as the key metrics related to the memristor devices are employed to realize both the synaptic and neuronal components.

Positive independent association between preoperative endogenous testosterone density and tumor load density in surgical specimen of patients undergoing radical prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of endogenous testosterone density (ETD) and tumor load density (TLD) in the surgical specimen of prostate cancer (PCa) patients. METHODS: ETD was assessed as the ratio of endogenous testosterone (ET) to prostate volume (PV). TLD was calculated as the ratio of tumor load (TL) to prostate weight. Preoperative prostate-specific antigen relative densities (PSAD) and percentage of biopsy-positive cores (BPCD) were also assessed. The association of high TLD (above the first quartile) with clinical and pathological factors was assessed by the logistic regression model (univariate and multivariate analysis). RESULTS: Between November 2014 and December 2019, ET was measured in 805 cases treated with radical prostatectomy (RP). Median (IQR) of ET and ETD was 412 (321.4-519 ng/dL) and 9.8 (6.8-14.4 ng/(dLxmL)) as well as for TL and TLD was 20 (10-30%) and 0.33 (0.17-0.58%/gr), respectively. As a result, high TLD was detected in 75% of cases. A positive independent association was found between high TLD and ETD. Accordingly, as ETD levels increased, the risk of detecting high TLD in the surgical specimen increased, regardless of PSAD and BPCD. CONCLUSIONS: At diagnosis of PCa, a positive independent association was found between ETD and risk of high TLD. Subjects with increasing ETD levels were more likely to have high TLD, associated with unfavorable pathology features. The positive association between ETD and TLD in the prostate microenvironment might adversely influence PCa's natural history.