Background/Objectives: Radiotherapy is one of the various treatment options for patients with metastatic spinal tumors (MST). However, it is difficult to say that this is definitely an optimal treatment for MST, and there are several patients who need surgical treatment because pain or neurologic deficits occur even after radiotherapy. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze which patients received early operative treatment after radiotherapy. Methods: We included 81 patients who underwent decompression and fusion surgery after radiotherapy for MST. Patients who underwent surgery within 6 months after radiotherapy were classified as the early operation group (group E, n = 47), while surgery cases after 6 months after radiotherapy were assigned to the late operation group (group L, n = 34). Risk factor analysis using multivariate regression analysis for early operative treatment after radiotherapy was performed. Also, we analyzed the period from radiotherapy to surgery according to the Bilsky grade. Results: In multivariate analysis, pathologic fractures and semirigid (thoracic) lesions were more frequent in group E than group L (adjusted odds ratio, 4.282, 10.524; p = 0.001, 0.039). In subgroup analysis, there was a difference in the period from radiotherapy to surgery in Bilsky grades above 2 than Bilsky grade 1 (grade 1, 13.6 ± 11.4 months, grade 2, 6.9 ± 6.8 months, grade 3, 6.6 ± 7.5 months; grade 1 vs. 2, p = 0.049, grade 1 vs. 3, p = 0.047). Conclusions: Although the information in this study may only be limited to patients who underwent surgery, early operative treatment after radiotherapy is highly likely for patients with MST accompanied by a Bilsky grade above 2, pathologic fracture and thoracic lesion. In these patients, surgical treatment could be considered as the primary treatment.

• Book : 14(3)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.1032-1032
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The OMA-seq method allows for accurate and quantitative detection of 5hmC at single-nucleotide resolution by leveraging natural deaminases. The use of orthologous enzymes for 5hmC detection enhances the toolkit available for epigenetic study.

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• Pub. Date : 2025
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Mixed transition metal sulfides are promising materials for positive electrodes of asymmetric supercapacitors because they have a large potential for increasing the electrical characteristics of these devices. The paper presents the results of a study of a material based on spinel CuCoNiSxO4−x with both sulfide and oxide sublattices, prepared by a one-step hydrothermal method directly on nickel foam, forming an array of whiskers. Electrochemical studies showed that a positive electrode, CuCoNiS2O2, exhibited a high specific capacitance of 3612 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1. The assembled asymmetric supercapacitor with activated carbon as a negative electrode achieved a specific capacitance of 133.5 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and a potential window of 1.7 V. Its energy density was 53.6 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 805 W kg−1 and the power density reached 17,000 W kg−1 at an energy density of 18.9 W h kg−1. The assembled device exhibits 52% of capacitance retention after the 20,000 cycles at a current density of 10 A g−1 with 97% coulombic efficiency. These results demonstrate that the CuCoNiSxO4−x system is competitive with other quaternary transition metal sulfides, and this type of spinel is a perspective electrode material for high-performance supercapacitors.

• Book : 18(3)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.561-561
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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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The domains of lightning electromagnetic pulse (LEMP) fields are classified as “near-field,” “intermediate-field,” and “far-field” based on qualitative descriptions. However, the systematic quantitative classification of LEMP fields is yet to be reported. This study characterized the wave impedance of lightning electromagnetic pulse (WILEMP) to solve this problem. The components and field domain distribution ranges of LEMP were analyzed by varying the WILEMP and the distance between the observation point and radiation source (r). The changes in the WILEMP with r under the influence of different factors were calculated using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The results indicated that the LEMP field has high impedance. the WILEMP decreased rapidly with the increase in r when r ≤ 10 km, consistent with the characteristics of the electrostatic and induction fields (near field). The WILEMP gradually decreased and stabilized with the increase in r when r ≥ 20 km, and the value was roughly the same as the impedance of free space (377 Ω) when r = 100 km, consistent with the characteristics of radiation field (far field). The decay rate of the WILEMP was lower than that when r ≤ 10 km but higher than that when r ≥ 20 km. Finally, when 10 km < r < 20 km, the apparent transitivity was consistent with intermediate-field characteristics.

• Book : 15(2)
• Pub. Date : 2025
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Abstract Background Amino acid PET using the tracer O-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (FET) is one of the most reliable imaging methods for detecting glioma recurrence. Here, we hypothesized that functional MR connectivity between the metabolic active recurrent tumor region and resting-state networks of the brain could serve as a prognostic imaging biomarker for overall survival (OS). Methods The study included 82 patients (26-81 years; median ECOG performance score, 0) with recurrent gliomas following therapy (WHO-CNS 2021 grade 4 glioblastoma, n=57; grade 3 or 4 astrocytoma, n=12; grade 2 or 3 oligodendroglioma, n=13) diagnosed by FET PET simultaneously acquired with functional resting-state MR. Functional connectivity (FC) was assessed between tumor regions and seven canonical resting-state networks. Results WHO tumor grade and IDH mutation status were strong predictors of OS after recurrence (p<0.001). Overall FC between tumor regions and networks was highest in oligodendrogliomas and was inversely related to tumor grade (p=0.031). FC between the tumor region and the dorsal attention network was associated with longer OS (HR, 0.88; 95%CI, 0.80-0.97; p=0.007), and showed an independent association with OS (HR, 0.90; 95%CI, 0.81-0.99; p=0.033) in a model including clinical factors, tumor volume and MGMT. In the glioblastoma subgroup, tumor volume and FC between tumor and the visual network (HR, 0.90; 95%CI, 0.82-0.99, p=0.031) were independent predictors of survival. Conclusion Recurrent gliomas exhibit significant FC to resting-state networks of the brain. Besides tumor type and grade, high FC between the tumor and distinct networks could serve as independent prognostic factors for improved OS in these patients.

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• Pub. Date : 2025
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• Pub. Date : 2025
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Abstract The ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi is native to the Atlantic coasts of the Americas and is considered a threat to biodiversity and food webs in recipient ecosystems. Most of these invasive ctenophores perish during the cold winter in temperate northern European waters (North and Baltic Seas) but spread again every summer/autumn. We collected ctenophores from the southern North Sea, inner Danish waters, and western Baltic Sea in 2017 and 2018, and sequenced genomic DNA obtained from tissue samples. We obtained sequences of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1 and 2, and the intervening 5.8S fragment and partial fragments of the flanking 18S rRNA and 28S rRNA genes from nuclear DNA. Excluding the rRNA regions and focussing on only the two ITS sequences, we compared with ITS sequences archived in databases from specimens in its native (Northwest Atlantic) and other invaded habitats (Caspian Sea, Mediterranean Sea, central-western Atlantic Ocean). The comparison revealed no significant difference in genetic variation among temperate northern European sampling locations but showed variation when compared with native and other invaded habitats. No significant genetic difference was identified between specimens collected in the temperate northern European waters for two consecutive years. The very low interregional and interannual genetic variations in M. leidyi specimens in the Northeast Atlantic are consistent with the presence of one single panmictic population in northern European waters and with the hypothesis, also suggested in previous studies, that annual dispersal from the southeastern North Sea into the western Baltic Sea can be traced back to the same population, which most likely originates every spring from the Dutch Wadden Sea and the English Channel.

• Book : 27(2)
• Pub. Date : 2025
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• Pub. Date : 2025
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AbstractAs the severity of climate change and its associated impacts continue to worsen, schemes for artificially cooling surface temperatures via planetary albedo modification are being studied. The method with the most attention in the literature is stratospheric sulfate aerosol intervention (SAI). Placing reflective aerosols in the stratosphere would have profound impacts on the entire Earth system, with potentially far‐reaching societal impacts. How global crop productivity would be affected by such an intervention strategy is still uncertain, and existing evidence is based on theoretical experiments or isolated modeling studies that use crop models missing key processes associated with SAI that affect plant growth, development, and ultimately yield. Here, we utilize three global gridded process‐based crop models to better understand the potential impacts of one SAI scenario on global maize productivity. Two of the crop models that simulate diffuse radiation fertilization show similar, yet small increases in global maize productivity from increased diffuse radiation. Three crop models show diverse responses to the same climate perturbation from SAI relative to the reference future climate change scenario. We find that future SAI implementation relative to a climate change scenario benefits global maize productivity ranging between 0% and 11% depending on the crop model. These production increases are attributed to reduced surface temperatures and higher fractions of diffuse radiation. The range across model outcomes highlights the need for more systematic multi‐model ensemble assessments using multiple climate model forcings under different SAI scenarios.

• Book : 13(2)
• Pub. Date : 2025
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