Background: The aim was to investigate the noise and bias properties of quantitative 177Lu-SPECT with respect to the number of projection angles, and the number of subsets and iterations in the OS-EM reconstruction, for different total acquisition times. Methods: Experimental SPECT acquisition of six spheres in a NEMA body phantom filled with 177Lu was performed, using medium-energy collimators an

Background: Despite accumulating evidence of an association between air pollution and renal disease, studies on the association between long-term exposure to air pollution and renal function are still contradictory. This study aimed to investigate this association in a large population with relatively low exposure and with improved estimation of renal function as well as renal injury biomarkers. M

We provide an overview of the status of Monte-Carlo event generators for high-energy particle physics. Guided by the experimental needs and requirements, we highlight areas of active development, and opportunities for future improvements. Particular emphasis is given to physics models and algorithms that are employed across a variety of experiments. These common themes in event generator developme

Endometriosis is a condition that can cause significant pain and discomfort for women, and the clinical and surgical treatments available have variable efficacy and can have adverse effects. These drawbacks often lead to poor adherence and therapeutic failure. Consequently, there has been increasing interest in the use of nutritional supplements as an adjuvant therapy for endometriosis. To facilit

Ecological drought is a complex process in terrestrial ecosystems where vegetation's eco-physiological functions are impaired due to water stress. However, there is currently a lack of long-term assessment of ecological drought from an eco-physiological perspective. In this study, the standardized ecological drought index (SESNDI) was developed using actual evaporation, root soil moisture, and ker

The investigation of triggers causing the onset and intensification of Northern Hemisphere Glaciation (NHG) during the late Pliocene is essential for understanding the global climate system, with important implications for projecting future climate changes. Despite their critical roles in the global climate system, influences of land-ocean interactions on high-latitude ice sheets remain largely un

Hyperbolic paraboloids, “hypars,” are special types of ruled surfaces. Their geometric properties provide them with loadbearing and stabilizing capacities, as well as distinct esthetic qualities. These attributes become evident in numerous applications in buildings, in many of which concrete or timber is used for the construction of the hypars. Hypars could also be relevant in the context of circu

A major difficulty in assessing road traffic safety is the scarcity of historical accident data. xxThis is a common problem in contexts where a certain level of safety has been reached or where exposure is low, such as mixed traffic conditions with different levels of transport automation. Recent studies have demonstrated how severe interactions between road users and/or road users and infrastruct

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion and/or insulin action. Increasing evidence suggests that inflammation played an important role in the pathogenesis of T2DM. Prospective studies on the link between immunoglobulins concentrations and the risk of T2DM in adults are limited. We developed a cohort study in

Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) is a score that includes modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Four health behaviors (diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure and sleep health) and four health factors (non-HDL cholesterol, blood glucose, blood pressure and body mass index) are included. These modifiable risk factors promote inflammation, and inflammation is one of the biological mechanism

The former Spanish Netherlands experienced a period of social, cultural and economic prosperity in the seventeenth century, with Antwerp as its most important commercial and artistic centre. The era’s vibrant art scene, once pivotal culturally, economically, and diplomatically, now offers invaluable insights for scientific studies on art, trade, and craftsmanship. In a study on 294 panel paintings

Precise epitope determination of therapeutic antibodies is of great value as it allows for further comprehension of mechanism of action, therapeutic responsiveness prediction, avoidance of unwanted cross reactivity, and vaccine design. The golden standard for discontinuous epitope determination is the laborious X-ray crystallography method. Here, we present a combinatorial method for rapid mapping

Effects of pilot H2 injection on the thermoacoustic instability of premixed CH4/air flames were experimentally investigated with varied hydrogen injection rates and different injection strategies. The flames were stabilized on a swirl burner with a central pilot-fuel injection tube. The flame structure was captured using high-speed OH* chemiluminescence and OH-PLIF methods, while the CO and NOx em

Source-separated sanitation and greywater treatment have become an increasingly attractive alternative to traditional waste-water management systems in recent years due to their potential to combat water scarcity, ease resource recovery, and meet tightening effluent demands. In Helsingborg, Sweden, source-separated wastewater from the new city district of Oceanhamnen is being collected and treated

The removal of organic micropollutants in granular activated carbon (GAC) filters can be attributed to adsorption and biological degradation. These two processes can interact with each other or proceed independently. To illustrate the differences in their interaction, three 14C-labeled organic micropollutants with varying potentials for adsorption and biodegradation were selected to study their ad

Background: Digital speech assessment has potential relevance in the earliest, preclinical stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We evaluated the feasibility, test-retest reliability, and association with AD-related amyloid-beta (Aβ) pathology of speech acoustics measured over multiple assessments in a remote setting. Methods: Fifty cognitively unimpaired adults (Age 68 ± 6.2 years, 58% female, 46%

Background: The PI*S variant is one of the most prevalent mutations within alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD). The risk of developing AATD-related lung disease in individuals with the PI*SS genotype is poorly defined despite its substantial prevalence. Our study aimed to characterize this genotype and its risk for lung disease and compare it with the PI*ZZ and PI*SZ genotypes using data from th

The ring-like peripheral light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2) expressed by many phototrophic purple bacteria is a popular model system in biological light-harvesting research due to its robustness, small size, and known crystal structure. Furthermore, the availability of structural variants with distinct electronic structures and optical properties has made this group of light harvesters an attractive