• Book : 13(01)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.163-172
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• Pub. Date : 2025
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The cement-based materials widely used in infrastructure construction, such as bridges and ports, are subjected to seawater erosion and medium erosion during their service life, and their durability has always been a concern. The diffusion coefficient of chloride ions is an important indicator in the research of cement-based materials’ durability, and the pore structure is one of the most fundamental reasons affecting the diffusion behavior of chloride ions. In this paper, Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and Nitrogen adsorption method (NAD) were used to analyze the pore structures of mortars with different volume fractions of sands. The relationship between mortar pore structure and chloride ion diffusion coefficient was established to predict its chloride ion diffusion coefficient. It may provide a new idea for studying the durability of cement-based materials. Results indicated that similar to cement paste, the pore structure of mortar satisfied the fractal characteristics of solid phase within a certain range of pores. The most probable gel pore diameter of mortars with different sand volume fractions was about 4 nm, while the most probable capillary pore diameter was approximately 46 nm, and the critical pore diameter was ranging from 50 to 60 nm. MIP results indicated that with the increase in sand volume fraction (ϕagg), the total porosity (fmip) of the mortar decreased, satisfying the relationship of fmip = 0.1859 − 0.0789ϕagg. However, the porosity of the matrix (fbase) increased with the increase in sand volume fraction, which was due to the introduction of more interfaces by the addition of aggregates. The effective chloride ion diffusion coefficient (Dcp,base) of the matrix can be obtained by fitting. Based on this, the interface transition zone (ITZ) and the cement matrix were comprehensively considered as a whole fractal phase. The predicted value of the chloride ion diffusion coefficient obtained by the Mori–Tanaka homogenization method was in good agreement with the results obtained from rapid chloride migration (RCM) experiments, and the maximum error between the simulated and experimental values did not exceed 11%. This finding can provide new ideas for accurately predicting the chloride ion diffusion coefficient of mortar and even concrete.

• Book : 15(3)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.383-383
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Abstract Background A wide range of congenital and acquired abnormalities can impact the superior vena cava (SVC), with some remaining asymptomatic. The most common anomaly is the persistent left SVC draining into the coronary sinus or right atrium, while the right SVC draining into the left atrium is rarely found. These two conditions may coexist, which is an extremely rare phenomenon. Case presentation A 38-year-old man with a history of resected astrocytoma presented with seizures and cardiac arrest. Laboratory investigations revealed leukocytosis, hyperglycemia, severe acidosis, and elevated cardiac enzymes. Transthoracic echocardiogram was performed and was unremarkable. However, a bubble study was not performed at the time. Brain imaging confirmed a diagnosis of brain micro-abscesses/embolic infarctions, while cardiac computed tomography revealed a right-sided superior vena cava draining into the left atrium with a right-to-left shunt and a persistent left superior vena cava draining into the coronary sinus. Following the discovery of right-to-left shunt on cardiac CT, a transesophageal echocardiogram and a cardiac MRI were booked. However, the patient left against medical advice to go back to his home country and seek medical care there. Conclusion In conclusion, the coexistence of dual drainage of the superior vena cava, with the right SVC draining into the left atrium and the persistent left SVC draining into the right atrium, is an extremely rare congenital anomaly. The right-to-left shunt may result in significant cerebrovascular complications requiring surgical correction, while the persistent left SVC draining into the coronary sinus may require ablation if resulted in arrhythmias.

• Book : 56(1)
• Pub. Date : 2025
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Abstract Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging plays a pivotal role in oncology for the early detection of metastatic tumors and response to therapy assessment due to its high sensitivity compared to anatomical imaging modalities. The balance between image quality and radiation exposure is critical, as reducing the administered dose results in a lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and information loss, which may significantly affect clinical diagnosis. Deep learning (DL) algorithms have recently made significant progress in low-dose (LD) PET reconstruction. Nevertheless, a successful clinical application requires a thorough evaluation of uncertainty to ensure informed clinical judgment. We propose NPB-LDPET, a DL-based non-parametric Bayesian framework for LD PET reconstruction and uncertainty assessment. Our framework utilizes an Adam optimizer with stochastic gradient Langevin dynamics (SGLD) to sample from the underlying posterior distribution. We employed the Ultra-low-dose PET Challenge dataset to assess our framework’s performance relative to the Monte Carlo dropout benchmark. We evaluated global reconstruction accuracy utilizing SSIM, PSNR, and NRMSE, local lesion conspicuity using mean absolute error (MAE) and local contrast, and the clinical relevance of uncertainty maps employing correlation between the uncertainty measures and the dose reduction factor (DRF). Our NPB-LDPET reconstruction method exhibits a significantly superior global reconstruction accuracy for various DRFs (paired t-test, $$p<0.0001$$ p < 0.0001 , N=10, 631). Moreover, we demonstrate a 21% reduction in MAE (573.54 vs. 723.70, paired t-test, $$p<0.0001$$ p < 0.0001 , N=28) and an 8.3% improvement in local lesion contrast (2.077 vs. 1.916, paired t-test, $$p<0.0001$$ p < 0.0001 , N=28). Furthermore, our framework exhibits a stronger correlation between the predicted uncertainty 95th percentile score and the DRF ( $$r^2=0.9174$$ r 2 = 0.9174 vs. $$r^2=0.6144$$ r 2 = 0.6144 , N=10, 631). The proposed framework has the potential to improve clinical decision-making for LD PET imaging by providing a more accurate and informative reconstruction while reducing radiation exposure. Graphical abstract

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• Pub. Date : 2025
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• Pub. Date : 2025
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• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.111853-111853
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• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.1-1
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ABSTRACTBackgroundNearly 20% of US cancer survivors develop cardiovascular disease (CVD) from cardiotoxic cancer treatments. Patients and providers may consider alternative treatments to lower cardiotoxicity risk, but these may be less effective at preventing relapse/recurrence, presenting a difficult tradeoff.AimsThis study explored survivors' cancer treatment decision‐making when weighing this tradeoff.MethodsUsing adjusted multivariable logistic regression, we examined 443 US survivors' risk perceptions (deliberative, affective, and intuitive) about cancer and CVD and associations of these with their selection between two hypothetical cancer treatments: Treatment A: 5% chance of cancer recurrence and 10% chance of CVD; Treatment B: 10% chance of recurrence and 5% chance of CVD. We explored the effects of delay discounting by randomizing to a condition describing cancer recurrence/CVD as either immediate or delayed.ResultsMore survivors (Mage = 48, range = 18–93; M = 10.8 years post‐diagnosis) selected Treatment A than Treatment B (72% v. 28%). Timing of onset was not associated with treatment selection. Greater affective risk perception (worry) about cancer was associated with increased odds of choosing Treatment A, whereas greater CVD worry was associated with decreased odds (OR‐cancer = 1.33, p = 0.006; OR‐CVD = 0.72, p = 0.007). Neither deliberative nor experiential risk perceptions were associated with treatment choice.ConclusionsSurvivors were more likely to select the treatment that minimized recurrence rather than CVD—regardless of the timing of onset. Treatment decision was linked to both cancer‐ and CVD‐related worry but not deliberative or experiential risk perceptions. During treatment discussions, clinicians should open conversations about the risks of treatment‐associated cardiotoxicity, the probabilities, and patients' relative worries about cancer and cardiotoxicity.

• Book : 34(1)
• Pub. Date : 2025
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Abstract. Shifting phosphorus (P) dynamics after wildfires can have cascading impacts from terrestrial to aquatic environments. However, it is unclear if post-fire responses are primarily driven by changes to the molecular composition of the charred material or from the transport of P-containing compounds. We used laboratory leaching experiments of Douglas-fir forest and sagebrush shrubland chars to examine how the potential mobility of P compounds is influenced by different burn severities. Burning produced a 6.9- and 29- fold increase in particulate P mobilization, but a 3.8- and 30.5- fold decrease in aqueous P released for Douglas-fir forest and sagebrush shrubland, respectively. P compound mobilization in the particulate phase was controlled by solid char total P concentrations while the aqueous phase was driven by solubility changes of molecular species. Nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray absorption near edge structure on the solid chars indicated that organic orthophosphate monoester and diester species were thermally mineralized to inorganic P moieties with burning in both vegetation types. This coincided with the production of calcium- and magnesium-bound inorganic P compounds. With increasing burn severity there were systematic shifts in P concentration and composition— higher severity chars mobilized P compounds in the particulate phase, although the magnitude of change was vegetation specific. Our results indicate a post-fire transformation to both the composition of the solid charred material and to how P compounds are mobilized, which may influence its environmental cycling and fate.

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• Pub. Date : 2025
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