ABSTRACT The collection of metal resources from seawater desalination brine is a promising technology to achieve a sustainable developing society. The production of freshwater from groundwater polluted by arsenic (As) has potential to satisfy huge water demand. However, conventional methods require large energy consumption and treatment of contaminated wastes. The present study proposes the application of liquid metal tin (Sn) for collecting metallic elements such as sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and As from the brine and polluted groundwater, in which any waste is not released. The metallic elements were accumulated in liquid Sn pool in the direct contact distillation process of the brine. Each metallic element possessed own solubility in liquid Sn, which was functioned with the liquid temperature in the range of 505–573 K. K started to precipitate at the early stage and the growth immediately stopped. In the same time, Na started to precipitate and gradually grew. Ca started to precipitate and the growth immediately stopped after K did. Mg could gradually grow. The purification of the polluted water was performed by direct contact reaction between As-polluted water and liquid Sn. The polluted water was efficiently distilled since As was captured by liquid Sn.

• Book : ()
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page :
• Keyword :

Realistic 3D rendering and viewpoint synthesis have become essential in industries such as robotics, healthcare. The development of techniques like NeRF and Gaussian Splatting has greatly advanced rendering capabilities. However, their performance is satisfactory only under ideal conditions, such as perfect lighting and the absence of occlusions, which are rarely encountered in real-world scenarios. To address this limitation, we propose the integration of thermal imaging sensors into Gaussian Splatting. Thermal imaging, which captures infrared radiation emitted by objects, offers robustness in low-light and occluded environments. Additionally, we introduce a thermal mapping process combined with a keyframe selection method that accounts for non-uniformity correction, effectively extracting feature points from low-texture and noisy thermal images, thereby enhancing structure-from-motion outcomes. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed approach outperforms existing methods under challenging lighting conditions, improving the accuracy of 3D rendering across various techniques.

• Book : 20(1)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.104-111
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To study effect of micro-coaxial phacoemulsification on endothelial cell count in noncomplicated cataract surgery. This was a prospective study, conducted on 150 eyes of cataract patients who underwent microcoaxial phacoemulsification. Clear corneal phacoemulsification was performed using Ozil torsional Technique. Phacoemulsification parameters after cataract surgery as well as pre and post-op endothelial cell count was recorded. The study included 150 cases of senile cataract with mean age of 64.5 years, 52% being male and 48% being females. Endothelial cell loss of 65-1675 cells/mm with (P < 0.001) was noted, which was of high statistical significance. The postoperative EC Loss% ranged from 3.63% to 16.42% with a median of 10.24% (4.32% to 14.67%). A significant +ve correlation (p<0.001) was found between the EC Loss% and different phacoemulsification parameters including CDE, tortional time and volume. Also, EC Loss% was significantly correlated with the grade of nuclear sclerosis (P = 0.045).: Higher grades of cataracts require more phacoemulsification power resulting in increased CDE and EC Loss. Increased aspiration time and the use of excessive amounts of irrigating fluid during phacoemulsification also ends with increased endothelial cell damage.

• Book : 11(1)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.142-147
• Keyword :

• Book : ()
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page :
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Background: Primary intrathoracic synovial sarcoma (SS) is a rare entity. The objective of this study was to evaluate survival outcomes for patients with intrathoracic SS presenting with localized disease at diagnosis. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 63 patients diagnosed with intrathoracic SS between 1997 and 2020. The Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank test were used to estimate the progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), and metastasis-free survival (MFS). The hazard ratios were estimated by using Cox proportional hazards regression. Median follow-up time, age-at-diagnosis, and primary tumor size were 31 months (range: 4–218 months), 43 years (range: 18–77), and 7 cm (range: 1–23), respectively. Results: Sixty-two of sixty-three (98%) patients had their primary tumor resected, from whom eighteen (29%) and forty-three (69%) had received neo/adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy, respectively. Median PFS, OS, and MFS were 1.2, 3.0, and 1.1 years, respectively. Based on multivariable analyses, patients with ≥5 cm tumor size had poorer OS (versus < 5 cm; HR: 2.66; 95% CI: 1.16, 6.11; LR-p = 0.014). Importantly, the receipt of neo/adjuvant chemotherapy was the only factor associated with both a more favorable PFS (HR: 0.33; 95% CI: 0.17, 0.65; LR-p = 0.0002) and a more favorable MFS (median 1.33 years versus no chemo 0.5 years; HR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.17, 0.73; LR-p = 0.005). Conclusions: Outcomes associated with intrathoracic SS remain poor. Factors associated with poorer outcomes include larger tumors and omission of chemotherapy in the management of localized disease. We recommend providing perioperative chemotherapy to all patients with ≥5 cm tumor size to improve progression and metastasis-free survival.

• Book : 17(5)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.745-745
• Keyword :

본 연구에서는 소나무 새싹 추출물(PBE)이 대식세포 활성화에 미치는 영향과 관련 메커니즘을 조사하였다. PBE는 RAW 264.7 대식세포로부터 NO를 비롯하여 다양한 cytokines (TNF-α 및 IL-6)과 chemokines (MIP-2 및 MCP-1)을 유도하였다. 대식세포로부터 cytokines와 chemokines를 유도하는 PBE의 활성은 mRNA 발현에서도 확인되었다. 또한 PBE는 대식세포의 활성화 조절하는 주요 신호전달 체계인 MAPK (ERK, JNK 및 p38)와 IκB의 인산화를 유도하는 것으로 나타났다. 이러한 결과는 PBE가 MAPK 및 NF-κB 경로를 통해 대식세포를 활성화하여 면역조절과 관련된 cytokines 및 chemokines의 분비를 유도한다는 것을 의미한다. TLR2 또는 TLR4 녹아웃 마우스의 골수 유래 대식세포(BMDM)에 PBE를 처리하는 실험에서, PBE의 cytokines 활성은 주로 TLR4 경로를 통해 매개되고, 또한 TLR2 경로도 부분적으로 매개하는 것으로 나타났다. 대식세포의 기능과 관련하여 PBE는 세포 표면에서 MHC-I 및 MHC-II 분자의 발현을 크게 상향 조절하였으며, 세포 내 활성 산소종(ROS)의 생성을 유도하였다. 또한 PBE는 대식세포의 식세포(phagocytosis) 기능도 높이는 것으로 확인되었다. 암전이 억제실험에 있어서, PBE를 경구 투여할 경우, B16-BL6 흑색종에 의해 생성되는 폐 전이를 유의하게 억제하고, 또한 종양의 증식과 종양에 의해 형성되는 혈관신생을 유의하게 억제하는 것으로 나타났다. 이상의 결과는 PBE가 대식세포를 활성화하는 면역증강 작용을 가지며, 또한 암의 전이와 증식을 억제하는 항암활성도 보유한다는 것을 시사한다.

• Book : 35(2)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.144-154
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Addressing the black hole information paradox necessitates the exploration of various hypotheses and theoretical frameworks. Among these, the proposition to utilize quantum entanglement, as introduced by Don N. Page, shows great promise. This study builds upon Page’s theoretical foundation and proposes a simplified model for elucidating the evolution of black hole von Neumann entropy. This model simulates the process of Hawking radiation using entangled photon pairs. Our experiment suggests that quantum entanglement may offer a plausible avenue for resolving the paradox, thereby lending support to Page’s proposal. The results suggest that this model may contribution to the exploration of one of the most profound puzzles in theoretical physics.

• Book : 27(3)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.236-236
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Background: Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) due to variants of hepatocyte nuclear factor 1-beta (HNF1β) (MODY5) has not been well studied in the Chinese population. This study aimed to estimate its prevalence and evaluate the application of a clinical screening method (Faguer score) in Chinese early-onset diabetes (EOD) patients.Methods: Among 679 EOD patients clinically diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (age at diagnosis ≤40 years), the exons of HNF1β were sequenced. Functional impact of rare variants was evaluated using a dual-luciferase reporter system. Faguer scores ≥8 prompted multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) for large deletions. Pathogenicity of HNF1β variants was assessed following the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidelines.Results: Two rare HNF1β missense mutations (E105K and G454R) were identified by sequencing in five patients, showing functional impact in vitro. Another patient was found to have a whole-gene deletion by MLPA in 22 patients with the Faguer score above 8. Following ACMG guidelines, six patients carrying pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant were diagnosed with MODY5. The estimated prevalence of MODY5 in Chinese EOD patients was approximately 0.9% or higher.Conclusion: MODY5 is not uncommon in China. The Faguer score is helpful in deciding whether to perform MLPA analysis on patients with negative sequencing results.

• Book : 49(2)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.321-330
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Background: The growing prevalence of skin cancer worldwide can be understood as the result of increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Fitzpatrick skin type 1 and 2  are at higher risk. They are poorly studied in Asians. Skin cancers accounts for 20%-30% of neoplasms in Caucasians and 2%-4% in Asians. Three million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer and 132 thousand melanomas are diagnosed worldwide every year. The aim of the study is to study the profile of patients with premalignant and malignant skin lesions visiting the dermatology OPD in Puducherry for a period of 3 years. Methods: Case records of 57,316 patients were studied. 82 case records of premalignant and malignant skin lesions were reviewed and analysed using SPSS software. The prevalence was calculated and also their distribution among age, gender and race was analysed. Results: 82 cases with 93 premalignant and malignant skin lesions were recorded. 77.4% (n=72) were premalignant lesions and 22.5% (n=21) were malignant lesions. The commonest premalignant lesion was leukoplakia (n=38, 52.78%) followed by actinic Keratosis (n=31, 43.05%), keratoacanthoma (n=2, 2.78%) and Bowens disease (n=1, 1.39%). The commonest malignant tumor in the study was basal cell carcinoma (n=12, 57.14%), followed by squamous cell carcinoma (n=9, 42.86%). There were no melanomas or lymphomas reported during the study period. Conclusions: The index of suspicion for the atypical presentations and earlier identification of the premalignant and malignant skin lesions can aid in the selection of appropriate treatment modality and thereby reducing their associated morbidity and mortality.

• Book : 11(2)
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.120-125
• Keyword :

• Book : 18()
• Pub. Date : 2025
• Page : pp.100468-100468
• Keyword :