A bibliometric analysis and comprehensive review of magnetized water effects on concrete properties

This study is a critical review to assess the feasibility of using magnetic water to boost the overall performance of concrete. This is specifically conducted by evaluating the improvements of mechanical properties (split tensile strength, compressive strength, and flexural strength), cement particle water absorption, and cement hydration of concrete as a result of adding magnetic water if compared to concrete made with regular tap water. The benefits and associated challenges of utilising magnetic water in concrete are thoroughly discussed based on the most recent experimental and numerical studies published in the open literature between 2019 and 2023. According to the findings, the tensile strength, compressive strength, flexural strength, and electrical conductivity increase by 6.1%, 24.4%, 3.9%, and 0.5%, respectively, in concretes created with MW compared to regular tap water. Also, the magnetic field intensity of 1.3 Tesla yields the greatest improvement in the slump by 5–13 mm. However, the magnetic water shows the highest sorptivity at a magnetic field intensity of 0.9 Tesla. Also, using magnetic water makes concrete block pavers less absorbent of water and more resistant to assault by sulfuric acid. This review would encourage future research and widespread use of magnetic water in concrete production

Recent Advances and Developments in Phase Change Materials in High-Temperature Building Envelopes: A Review of Solutions and Challenges

The use of phase change materials (PCMs) has become an increasingly common way to reduce a building’s energy usage when added to the building envelope. This developing technology has demonstrated improvements in thermal comfort and energy efficiency, making it a viable building energy solution. The current study intends to provide a comprehensive review of the published studies on the utilization of PCMs in various constructions of energy-efficient roofs, walls, and ceilings. The research question holds massive potential to unlock pioneering solutions for maximizing the usefulness of PCMs in reducing cooling demands, especially in challenging high-temperature environments. Several issues with PCMs have been revealed, the most significant of which is their reduced effectiveness during the day due to high summer temperatures, preventing them from crystallizing at night. However, this review investigates how PCMs can delay the peak temperature time, reducing the number of hours during which the indoor temperature exceeds the thermal comfort range. Additionally, the utilization of PCMs can improve the building’s energy efficiency by mitigating the need for cooling systems during peak hours. Thus, selecting the right PCM for high temperatures is both critical and challenging. Insulation density, specific heat, and thermal conductivity all play a role in heat transfer under extreme conditions. This study introduces several quantification techniques and paves the way for future advancements to accommodate practical and technical solutions related to PCM usage in building materials

Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models in basic and translational breast cancer research

Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of a growing spectrum of cancers are rapidly supplanting long-established traditional cell lines as preferred models for conducting basic and translational preclinical research. In breast cancer, to complement the now curated collection of approximately 45 long-established human breast cancer cell lines, a newly formed consortium of academic laboratories, currently from Europe, Australia, and North America, herein summarizes data on over 500 stably transplantable PDX models representing all three clinical subtypes of breast cancer (ER+, HER2+, and "Triple-negative" (TNBC)). Many of these models are well-characterized with respect to genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic features, metastatic behavior, and treatment response to a variety of standard-of-care and experimental therapeutics. These stably transplantable PDX lines are generally available for dissemination to laboratories conducting translational research, and contact information for each collection is provided. This review summarizes current experiences related to PDX generation across participating groups, efforts to develop data standards for annotation and dissemination of patient clinical information that does not compromise patient privacy, efforts to develop complementary data standards for annotation of PDX characteristics and biology, and progress toward "credentialing" of PDX models as surrogates to represent individual patients for use in preclinical and co-clinical translational research. In addition, this review highlights important unresolved questions, as well as current limitations, that have hampered more efficient generation of PDX lines and more rapid adoption of PDX use in translational breast cancer research

Low-dose CT of the lung: potential value of iterative reconstructions

OBJECTIVES: To prospectively assess the impact of sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction (SAFIRE) on image quality of nonenhanced low-dose lung CT as compared to filtered back projection (FBP). METHODS: Nonenhanced low-dose chest CT (tube current-time product: 30 mAs) was performed on 30 patients at 100 kVp and on 30 patients at 80 kVp. Images were reconstructed with FBP and SAFIRE. Two blinded, independent readers measured image noise; two readers assessed image quality of normal anatomic lung structures on a five-point scale. Radiation dose parameters were recorded. RESULTS: Image noise in datasets reconstructed with FBP (57.4 ± 15.9) was significantly higher than with SAFIRE (31.7 ± 9.8, P < 0.001). Image quality was significantly superior with SAFIRE than with FBP (P < 0.01), without significant difference between FBP at 100 kVp and SAFIRE at 80 kVp (P = 0.68). Diagnostic image quality was present with FBP in 96% of images at 100 kVp and 88% at 80 kVp, and with SAFIRE in 100% at 100 kVp and 98% at 80 kVp. There were significantly more datasets with diagnostic image quality with SAFIRE than with FBP (P < 0.01). Mean CTDI(vol) and effective doses were 1.5 ± 0.7 mGy·cm and 0.7 ± 0.2 mSv at 100 kVp, and 1.4 ± 2.8 mGy·cm and 0.5 ± 0.2 mSv at 80 kVp (P < 0.001, both). CONCLUSIONS: Use of SAFIRE in low-dose lung CT reduces noise, improves image quality, and renders more studies diagnostic as compared to FBP. KEY POINTS : • Low-dose computed tomography is an important thoracic investigation tool. • Radiation dose can be less than 1 mSv with iterative reconstructions. • Iterative reconstructions render more low-dose lung CTs diagnostic compared to conventional reconstructions

Radiation dose values for various coronary calcium scoring protocols in dual-source CT

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess the radiation dose and associated image noise of previously suggested calcium scoring protocols using dual-source CT. Methods One hundred consecutive patients underwent coronary calcium scoring using dual-source CT. Patients were randomly assigned to five different protocols: retrospective ECG-gating and tube current reduction to 4% outside the pulsing window at 120 (protocol A) and 100 kV (B), prospective ECG-triggering at 120 (C) and 100 kV (D), and prospective ECG-triggering at 100 kV with attenuation-based tube current modulation (E). Radiation dose parameters and image noise were determined and compared. Results Protocol A resulted in an effective dose of 1.3 +/- 0.2 mSv, protocol B in 0.8 +/- 0.2 mSv, protocol C in 1.0 +/- 0.2 mSv, protocol D in 0.6 +/- 0.1 mSv, and protocol E in 0.7 +/- 0.1 mSv. Effective doses were significantly lower (P < 0.001) with 100 kV when compared to 120 kV protocols, and were significantly lower (P < 0.001) for prospective versus retrospective ECG-gating. No significant difference was found between protocol D and E. Significant negative correlations were found between the CTDI(vol) and heart rate for both retrospective ECG-gating protocols (protocol A: r = -0.98, P < 0.001; protocol B: r = -0.83, P < 0.001). The mean image noise was 29.0 +/- 6.7 HU, with no significant differences between the five protocols. The image noise was significantly correlated with the body weight (r = 0.21, P < 0.05) and BMI (r = 0.31, P < 0.01). Conclusions Effective dose of calcium scoring using dual-source CT ranges from 0.6 to 1.3 mSv. Prospective triggering and lower tube voltage significantly reduces the radiation but yield similar image noise