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Structured Abstract Background Sexual health and functioning are significant, yet often overlooked, components of psychosocial well-being of adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD). Prior research reports inconsistent findings, limited data on older adults with CHD, and few studies have compared patients with controls from the general population. This study investigated sexual functioning in m
The main aim of this study was to apply and compare two GIS-based data mining models, namely support vector machine (SVM) by four kernel functions (linear-SVM, polynomial-SVM, radial basic function-SVM, and sigmoidal-SVM) and entropy models in landslide susceptibility mapping, in Shangzhou District, China. Initially, 145 landslide locations were mapped using early reports, aerial photographs, and
Groundwater resources are facing a high pressure due to drought and overexploitation. The main aim of this research is to apply rotation forest (RTF) with decision trees as base classifiers and an improved ensemble methodology based on evidential belief function and tree-based models (EBFTM) for preparing groundwater potential maps (GPM). The performance of these new models is then compared with t
This study reports carbon and water fluxes between the land surface and atmosphere in eleven different ecosystems types in Sub-Saharan Africa, as measured using eddy covariance (EC) technology in the first two years of the CarboAfrica network operation. The ecosystems for which data were available ranged in mean annual rainfall from 320 mm (Sudan) to 1150 mm (Republic of Congo) and include a spect
Objective: To estimate direct and indirect costs associated with neuropsychiatric (NP) events in the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics inception cohort. Methods: NP events were documented annually using American College of Rheumatology definitions for NP events and attributed to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or non-SLE causes. Patients were stratified into 1 of 3 NP states (n
Quantum annealing has shown promise for finding solutions to difficult optimization problems, including protein folding. Recently, we used the D-Wave Advantage quantum annealer to explore the folding problem in a coarse-grained lattice model, the HP model, in which amino acids are classified into two broad groups: hydrophobic (H) and polar (P). Using a set of 22 HP sequences with up to 64 amino ac
Wetland bird species have been declining in population size worldwide as climate warming and land-use change affect their suitable habitats. We used species distribution models (SDMs) to predict changes in range dynamics for 64 non-passerine wetland birds breeding in Europe, including range size, position of centroid, and margins. We fitted the SDMs with data collected for the first European Breed
BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) specific T-cells are known to provide long-term control of CMV reactivation, which is a frequent complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We have studied 58 pediatric patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation who suffered from CMV reactivation to reveal which functional T cell subset is best correlating with successful reactivation res
Purpose: Ultra-high-dose-rate FLASH radiation therapy has been shown to minimize side effects of irradiation in various organs while keeping antitumor efficacy. This property, called the FLASH effect, has caused enthusiasm in the radiation oncology community because it opens opportunities for safe dose escalation and improved radiation therapy outcome. Here, we investigated the impact of ultra-hig
Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) have shown a great potential to be used in several applications, e.g., portable, mobile and stationary systems. Each of the mentioned applications demands from PEFCs different operating conditions to perform in the best possible manner. Knowing in detail the behavior of their internal components will help to improve the mechanical and thermal properties of th
In the search for risk factors involved in the etiology of lymphoproliferative malignancies there is still inconsistent evidence regarding effects of smoking tobacco, and the role of smokeless tobacco is poorly investigated. New evidence indicates that excess body weight increases the risk of NHL and HD. To determine if tobacco use of various forms and high Body Mass Index (BMI) affect the occurre
Indoor combustion processes associated with cooking, heating, and smoking are a major source of aerosols in Jordanian dwellings. To evaluate human exposure to combustion-generated aerosols in Jordanian indoor environments, regional inhaled deposited dose rates of indoor aerosols (10 nm to 25 µm) were determined for different scenarios for adult occupants. The inhaled deposited dose rate provides a
Lignin, the world's most abundant biopolymer with high aromaticity, has huge potential as a renewable feedstock replacing petroleum for the production of chemicals, fuels and functional materials. The enhanced utilization of lignin would improve the economic viability of existing pulp and paper mills, as well as lignocellulosic biorefineries, where lignin is highly available, but mostly incinerate
Purpose We validate the usefulness of laser-induced autofluorescence for the detection of bladder carcinoma. Materials and Methods We obtained and analyzed fluorescence spectra from 75 patients in whom bladder cancer was suspected. Tissue fluorescence was excited by a nitrogen laser using a quartz optical fiber placed in gentle contact with the area of interest. The laser-induced autofluorescence
The aim of this study was to identify molecules that trigger complement activation in rheumatic joints. C4d, the final cleavage product of C4 activation, is found in the diseased joint and can bind covalently to complement-activating molecules. By using a highly specific Ab against a cleavage neoepitope in C4d, several molecules that were specifically bound to C4d were identified from pooled synov
Background The oestrogen receptor beta (ERβ) is the predominant oestrogen receptor in the normal colon mucosa and has been reported to exert anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects. However, the role of ERβ in colorectal cancer (CRC) progression remains unclear. Aim To investigate the role of ERβ and its association with hormone status and lifestyle indicators in a female cohort of patients w
Introduction: The adequate use of compression in venous leg ulcer treatment is equally important to patients as well as clinicians. Currently, there is a lack of clarity on contraindications, risk factors, adverse events and complications, when applying compression therapy for venous leg ulcer patients. Methods: The project aimed to optimize prevention, treatment and maintenance approaches by reco
Background: Due to the lack of detailed clinical information, existed evidence regarding a link between psychiatric factors and adverse cancer prognosis was inclusive. Results: We identified 1,340 patients (48.8%) with perioperative psychiatric morbidity. Preoperative psychiatric morbidity was significantly associated with both general and surgical complications within 30 days (RR = 1.3, 95% confi
