LSDA+U approximation-based analysis of the electronic estructure of CeFeGe3

We perform ab initio electronic structure calculations of the intermetallic compound CeFeGe3 by means of the Tight Binding Linear Muffin-Tin Orbitals-Atomic Sphere Approximation (TB-LMTO-ASA) within the Local Spin Density Approximation containing the so-called Hubbard correction term (LSDA+U^SIC), using the Sttutgart's TB (Tight Binding)-LMTO-ASA code in the framework of the Density Funcional Theory (DFT).Comment: 12 pages 8 figures, submitted to Int. J. Modern Phys.

FITUR AUTO SANITIZER MODUL CONVEYOR PADA SMART CAGE

Kebersihan kandang ayam sangat mempengaruhi ayam dan lingkungan sekitarnya. Para peternak harus selalu mengecek dan menjaga kebersihan kandang tersebut karena kalau tidak dibersihkan akan menimbulkan gas amonia. Gas amonia tidak bisa dilihat oleh mata langsung, tetapi memiliki dampak yang sangat buruk pada ayam. Dampak yang terjadi pada hewan yaitu terjadinya kerusakan pada saluran pernapasan ayam, kerusakan pada membran mata, pertumbuhan dan turunnya produksi telur pada ayam. Pada proyek akhir kali ini dibuat prototipe smart cage kandang cerdas yang memiliki modul automatisasi dengan menggunakan penjadwalan Real Time Clock (RTC). Kandang ayam ini dapat membersihkan kandang secara otomatis berbasis mikrokontoler dengan menggunakan conveyor berjalan yang dapat mempermudah dalam membersihkan kotoran ayam di dalam ruangan kandang dan untuk meratakan kotoran ayam yang jatuh di atas wiper agar tidak menumpuk menggunakan wiper. Pada pengujian, sistem berjalan dengan baik. Hal ini dapat di tunjukan bahwa sistem conveyor dan wiper dapat berjalan secara otomatis setiap penjadwalan yang sudah diatur dan conveyor dapat berhenti secara otomatis dengan mengatur durasi berputarnya setengah conveyor selama 14 detik dan mengatur kecepatan Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) yang berkisar antara 120- 150 agar abu yang ada di atas conveyor dapat rata dengan sempurna. Kata kunci : mikrokontroler, conveyor, Real Time Clock (RTC), Pulse Width Modulation (PWM), Gas Amonia

Evaluating methodological quality of Prognostic models Including Patient-reported HeAlth outcomes in oncologY (EPIPHANY): A systematic review protocol

Introduction While there is mounting evidence of the independent prognostic value of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) for overall survival (OS) in patients with cancer, it is known that the conduct of these studies may hold a number of methodological challenges. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the quality of published studies in this research area, in order to identify methodological and statistical issues deserving special attention and to also possibly provide evidence-based recommendations. Methods and analysis An electronic search strategy will be performed in PubMed to identify studies developing or validating a prognostic model which includes PROs as predictors. Two reviewers will independently be involved in data collection using a predefined and standardised data extraction form including information related to study characteristics, PROs measures used and multivariable prognostic models. Studies selection will be reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, with data extraction form using fields from the Critical Appraisal and Data Extraction for Systematic Reviews of Prediction Modelling Studies (CHARMS) checklist for multivariable models. Methodological quality assessment will also be performed and will be based on prespecified domains of the CHARMS checklist. As a substantial heterogeneity of included studies is expected, a narrative evidence synthesis will also be provided. Ethics and dissemination Given that this systematic review will use only published data, ethical permissions will not be required. Findings from this review will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and presented at major international conferences. We anticipate that this review will contribute to identify key areas of improvement for conducting and reporting prognostic factor analyses with PROs in oncology and will lay the groundwork for developing future evidence-based recommendations in this area of research. Prospero registration number CRD42018099160

AC Loss and Thickness Dependence of Critical Currents in Coated Conductors

This program of research is directed toward understanding the physical properties of certain materials in superconductive “coated conductors.” Specifically investigated were Ni1−xWx alloys for use as substrate and thin films of YBa 2Cu3O7, a high- Tc superconductor with many attractive features. A study has been conducted on the magnetic properties of a series of biaxially textured Ni1−xWx materials with compositions x = 0, 3, 5, 6, and 9 at.% W. These materials are important as substrates for “RABiTS”-type coated conductors that incorporate high temperature superconductors for current transport. The quasi-static dc and ac hysteretic loss W was determined to support estimates of the ferromagnetic contribution to the overall ac loss in potential ac applications. The alloys were prepared by either vacuum casting or powder metallurgy methods, and the hysteretic loss tended to be lower in materials that were recrystallized at higher temperatures. Some samples were progressively deformed to simulate winding operations; this increased the hysteretic loss, as did sample cutting operations that create localized damage. In ac magnetization measurements, the effects of ac frequency and dc bias field on the ferromagnetic loss were determined. Furthermore, in order to better understand the complex problem of vortex pinning and the identification of defects that support the critical current density Jc in these “RABiTS”-type coated conductors, we have made magnetometric studies of the Jc flowing in thin YBa2Cu3O7−d (YBCO) films of various thicknesses d, both as a function of applied field and temperature T. The films, grown by a BaF2 ex - situ process and deposited on buffered“RABiTS” substrates of Ni-5%W, have thicknesses d ranging from 28 nm to1.5μm. Isothermal magnetization loops M(H; T) and remanent magnetization Mrem(T) in zero applied field H = 0, were measured with H c-axis (i.e., normal to film plane). The Jc(d) values, which were obtained from a modified critical state model, increase with thickness, peak near a particular thickness, and thereafter decrease as the films get thicker. For a wide range of temperatures and intermediate fields, we find a power law falloff Jc ∝ H−β with β ∼ (0.56 - 0.69) for all materials. This feature compares well with the power-law exponent β = 5/8 obtained theoretically by Ovchinnikov and Ivlev for pinning by large random defects, as are observed by TEM. Comparison of the theoretical predictions with experimental Jc(H, T, d) yields a mostly consistent picture, using values for the size and density of defects that are comparable with those deduced from TEM images. Finally, for higher temperatures approaching the irreversibility line, we find J(T, sf) ∝ (1 − T/Tc)n with n ∼ 1.1 - 1.3. This points to “δTc inning” (pinning that suppresses Tc locally) in all of these YBCO materials, as expected for the observed large, non-superconducting defects

Analyse longitudinale de la qualité de vie relative à la santé en cancérologie

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has become one of the major objectives of oncology clinical trials to ensure the clinical benefit of new treatment strategies for the patient. However, the results of HRQoL data remain poorly used in clinical practice due to the subjective and dynamic nature of HRQoL. Moreover, statistical methods for its longitudinal analysis hâve to take into account the occurrence of missing data and the potential Response Shift effect reflecting patient’s adaptation of the disease and treatment toxicities. Finally, these methods should also propose some results easy understandable for clinicians.In this context, this work aimed to review these limiting factors and to propose some suitable methods for a robust interprétation of longitudinal HRQoL data. This work is focused on both the Time to HRQoL score détérioration (TTD) as a modality of longitudinal analysis and the characterization of the occurrence of the Response Shift effect.This work has resulted in the création of an R package for the longitudinal HRQoL analysis according to the TTD with an easy to use interface. Some recommendations were proposed on the définitions of the TTD to apply according to the therapeutic settings and the potential occurrence of the Response Shift effect. This attractive method was applied in two early stage I and II trials. The inverse probability weighting method of the propensity score was investigated in conjunction with the TTD method to take into account the occurrence of missing data depending on patients’ characteristics. A comparison between three statistical approaches for the longitudinal analysis showed the performance of the linear mixed model and allows to give some recommendations for the longitudinal analysis according to the study design. This study also highlighted the impact of the occurrence of informative missing data on the longitudinal statistical methods. Factor analyses and Item Response Theory models showed their ability to characterize the occurrence of the Response Shift in conjunction with the Then- test method. Finally, although the structural équations modeling are often used to characterize this effect on the SF-36 generic questionnaire, they seem not appropriated to the particular structure of the HRQoL cancer spécifie questionnaires of the European Organization of Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) HRQoL groupLa qualité de vie relative à la santé (QdV) est désormais un des objectifs majeurs des essais cliniques en cancérologie pour pouvoir s’assurer du bénéfice clinique de nouvelles stratégies thérapeutiques pour le patient. Cependant, les résultats des données de QdV restent encore peu pris en compte en pratique clinique en raison de la nature subjective et dynamique de la QdV. De plus, les méthodes statistiques pour son analyse longitudinale doivent être capables de tenir compte de l’occurrence des données manquantes et d’un potentiel effet Response Shift reflétant l’adaptation du patient vis-à-vis de la maladie et de la toxicité du traitement. Ces méthodes doivent enfin proposer des résultats facilement compréhensibles par les cliniciens.Dans cette optique, les objectifs de ce travail ont été de faire le point sur ces facteurs limitants et de proposer des méthodes adéquates pour une interprétation robuste des données de QdV longitudinales. Ces travaux sont centrés sur la méthode du temps jusqu’à détérioration d’un score de QdV (TJD), en tant que modalité d’analyse longitudinale, ainsi que sur la caractérisation de l’occurrence de l’effet Response Shift.Les travaux menés ont donné lieu à la création d’un package R pour l’analyse longitudinale de la QdV selon la méthode du TJD avec une interface facile d’utilisation. Certaines recommandations ont été proposées sur les définitions de TJD à appliquer selon les situations thérapeutiques et l’occurrence ou non d’un effet Response Shift. Cette méthode attractive pour les cliniciens a été appliquée dans le cadre de deux essais de phase précoces I et IL La méthode de pondération par probabilité inversée du score de propension a été investiguée conjointement avec la méthode du TJD afin de tenir compte de l’occurrence de données manquantes dépendant des caractéristiques des patients. Une comparaison de trois approches statistiques pour l’analyse longitudinale a montré la performance du modèle linéaire mixte et permet de donner quelques recommandations pour l’analyse longitudinale selon le design de l’étude. Cette étude a également montré l’impact de l’occurrence de données manquantes informatives sur les méthodes d’analyse longitudinale. Des analyses factorielles et modèles issus de la théorie de réponse à l’item ont montré leur capacité à caractériser la Response Shift conjointement avec la méthode Then-test. Enfin, bien que les modèles à équation structurelles soient régulièrement appliqués pour caractériser cet effet sur le questionnaire de QdV générique SF-36, ils semblent peu adaptés à la structure des questionnaires spécifiques du cancer du groupe « European Organization of Research and Treatment of Cancer » (EORT

QoLR: An R Package for the Longitudinal Analysis of Health-Related Quality of Life in Oncology

Health-related quality of life has become increasingly important in clinical trials over the past two decades. The R package QoLR is a recently developed package for the longitudinal analysis of health-related quality of life in oncology. This package contains the scoring of most of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaires and some programs to analyze the time to a health-related quality of life score deterioration as a modality of longitudinal analysis in oncology

Análisis del mecanismo de muerte celular inducido por nanopartículas de oro recubiertas con quitosano en células leucémicas K562 y CEM: implicación de las especies reactivas de oxígeno.

La leucemia es un serio problema de salud a nivel mundial. Actualmente, las terapias convencionales afectan a células normales causando resistencia al tratamiento; por lo tanto, es necesario el desarrollo de nuevas terapias que puedan ser específicas para las células cancerosas y evitar la resistencia a la muerte celular por la inducción simultánea de diversas vías de muerte. Estudios recientes demuestran que tanto las nanopartículas de oro (AuNPs) como el quitosano tienen actividades biológicas interesantes que incluyen posibles efectos antitumorales. En este estudio, se analizó el mecanismo de muerte celular regulada (MCR), que inducen las nanopartículas de oro recubiertas con quitosano (AuNPs-Qts) en células leucémicas (K562 y CEM). Para ello, se sintetizaron AuNPs-Qts por el método de Turkevich. La muerte celular se evaluó por citometría de flujo, midiendo la exposición de fosfatidilserina y la permeabilidad de la membrana plasmática en células leucémicas y células mononucleares de sangre periférica (PBMC), como control sano no tumoral. La generación de ROS se midió utilizando DCFDA y en presencia del antioxidante N-acetilcisteína (NAC) como un inhibidor de ROS. Para analizar el daño mitocondrial se midió la pérdida del potencial de membrana mitocondrial mediante TMRE y el daño nuclear mediante el estudio de ϒ-H2AX, p53 y el análisis del ciclo celular. Para evaluar el efecto de las ROS en diferentes mecanismos de MCR, primero se analizó la formación de autofagosomas y se utilizó la spautina-1 para analizar la dependencia de autofagia; la activación de la caspasa efectora 3 y el Q-VD-OPH para analizar la dependencia de la apoptosis; y a la necrostatina-1 para analizar la dependencia de necroptosis. Los resultados obtenidos indican que las AuNPs-Qts inducen MCR dependiente de concentración en células leucémicas, mientras que muestran baja toxicidad en PBMC. Además, inducen la producción de ROS que generan daño mitocondrial y nuclear; induciendo MCR dependiente de ROS. Finalmente, los resultados demuestran que la MCR inducida por AuNPs-Qts en líneas celulares leucémicas es dependiente de la línea celular; induciendo apoptosis en células CEM y necroptosis en células K562. Estos resultados abren las puertas a próximos estudios que permitan probar su efectividad in vivo, además de la posibilidad de acoplar a las AuNPs-Qts con agentes que permitan abarcar más tipos de MCR, evitando así la resistencia de las células cancerosas al tratamiento. ABSTRACT Leukemia represent a serious health problem around the world. Currently, the available treatments present the disadvantages of affecting normal cells, and promoting treatment resistance. Therefore, the development of new therapies that can be specific to cancer cells and capable to avoid cell death resistance is needed. Recent studies show that both gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and chitosan have interesting biological activities including potential antitumor effects. For this thesis, I synthetized chitosan-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs-Qts) by a chemical method (Turkevich), and analyzed their capacity to induce cell death in leukemic (K562 and CEM) and non-cancerous cells (PBMC). Cell death was measurement by the analysis of phosphatidylserine exposure, and plasma membrane permeabilization. ROS generation was measured using DCFDA and the antioxidant N-Acetyl Cystein (NAC) as a ROS inhibitor. Mitochondrial and nuclear damage were measured using TMRE and ϒ-H2AX, p53 and the cell cycle, respectively. Finally, to evaluate the effect of ROS in different mechanisms of regulated cell death, the role of autophagy, apoptosis and necroptosis was measured using spautin-1, Q-VD-OPH and necrostatin-1,respectively. Results show that AuNPs- Qts are cytotoxic in a dose-dependent manner in leukemia cells lines, while they showed low toxicity on PBMC. Additionally, they induced ROS production, which generated mitochondrial and nuclear damage and ROS dependent cell death. Finally, the results also show that cell death induced by AuNPs-Qts is dependent in the type of leukemic cell line, as they induce apoptosis in CEM and necroptosis in K562. These results open the doors to future studies to test efficiency in vivo, in addition to the possibility of coupling the AuNPs-Qts with other agents aiming at the simultaneous activation of different cell death pathways to overcome cell death resistance