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Capturing fast transient spray phenomena, such as droplet breakup and secondary atomization, requires both high temporal and spatial resolution over extended durations, which is difficult to achieve with existing imaging methods. Burst imaging on one hand offers ultra-high frame rates but for short windows in time, while conventional high-speed cameras extend duration but are currently unable to t
Modern solid-state klystron modulators generate high-voltage, high-power pulses by discharging energy stored in a capacitor bank. Such modulators require at least one capacitor charging unit supplying the energy released in pulsing. Traditional capacitor charging structures rely on AC/DC front-end units based on passive diode rectifiers in conjunction with high-frequency resonant converters. Howev
To generate the required antiproton beam intensity for the FAIR PANDA experiment, a dedicated proton LINAC (pLINAC) for the FAIR accelerator chain is being constructed. Klystron modulators are power converters within the high-power RF system of the pLINAC. Here, seven modulator systems with a nominal pulse power amplitude of 115 kV / 54 A, an effective pulse width of 360 µs and a pulse repetition
Non-exhaust emissions from the wear of brakes, tyres, and roads have become an increasing concern in recent years, already surpassing exhaust emissions by mass in many countries. However, there is a lack of studies in the scientific literature on test methods that include both real tyre and road materials. This is crucial for accurately replicating the tribological mechanisms and resulting emissio
Background: Asthma characterization using blood eosinophil count (BEC) (among other biomarkers and clinical indices) is recommended in severe asthma (SA), but the masking effect of oral corticosteroids (OCS), makes this challenging. Aim: Our aim was to explore the effect of OCS use (both intermittent [iOCS] and long-term [LTOCS]) prior to biologic initiation on SA phenotype and biomarker profile i
Kidney paired donation (KPD) programs are organized in various countries to facilitate the donation of kidneys from willing but incompatible donors by matching them with pairs in similar situations. These programs often struggle with an accumulation of difficult-to-match recipients and small pools of incompatible pairs. To address this, several international collaborations have emerged to expand t
Humanitarian aid has long been characterized as a top-down, centrally driven enterprise. Recently, this has begun to change through the broad concept of localization, which commonly describes the empowerment of national and local actors. This chapter showcases the range of localization views within humanitarian aid, focusing on terminology, various definitions and three main interpretations. It al
This study presents the first measurement of the f1(1285) resonance using the ALICE detector in inelastic proton–proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The resonance is reconstructed at midrapidity (|y|< 0.5) through the hadronic decay channel f1(1285)→KS0K±π∓. Key measurements include the determination of its mass, transverse-momentum integrated yield, and average transverse mome
This study examines disaster risk perception and communication in Albania, focusing on two districts in the cities of Tirana and Fier and the villages of Novosela and Dajç, all affected by severe flooding in recent years. The research highlights how dimensions of national culture - particularly fatalism and attachment to home and hearth - interact with contextual, psychological, and demographic ch
Chronic care manages long-term, progressive conditions, while acute care addresses short-term conditions. Chronic conditions increasingly strain health systems, which are often unprepared for these demands. This study examines the burden of conditions requiring acute versus chronic care, including sequelae. Conditions and sequelae from the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2019 were classified into
The shift toward battery electric vehicles (EVs) represents the most profound disruption in the automotive industry in over a century, with far-reaching consequences for European automotive regions. For decades, incremental improvements in internal combustion engine (ICE) technologies have served as the dominant decarbonization pathway, and many regions have built strong innovation systems around
Although Global Digital Elevation Models (GDEMs) are widely used, their spatial error distributions over extensive regions remain insufficiently understood. Using ICESat-2 Reference Control Points (RCPs) (~ 30 points/km²), this paper not only evaluates GDEMs with point-based metrics such as Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Mean Error (ME), but also proposes a novel raster-independent Spatial Erro
BACKGROUND: Since the first national guideline for managing obesity in adults and children in Canada was published in 2007, new evidence has emerged and guideline standards have evolved. Our purpose is to describe the protocol used to update the Canadian clinical practice guideline for managing pediatric obesity. METHODS: This guideline will update the pediatric components of the 2007 Canadian cli
Complement factor C3 is one of the most abundant proteins in the bloodstream and a central part of the complement system. Upon activation, C3 facilitates bacterial recognition and clearance in the extracellular environment. Initially regarded as a serum effector component, C3 is also emerging as an intracellular protein regulating basic cellular processes. Previously, we reported that intracellula
Kin recognition, the ability to identify genetic relatives, relies on familiarisation for the creation of recognition templates. During development, parent and embryo(s) are exposed to chemical, auditory, and tactile cues that can communicate reliable genetic information. We discuss how these cues can have organisational effects during a time of heightened phenotypic sensitivity, creating postnata
Purpose: Boys with genetic syndromes have an increased risk of undescended testes (UDT), but laparoscopic findings and outcomes after two-stage Fowler-Stephens orchiopexy (FS2) are rarely reported. This study aims to compare laparoscopic findings and results after FS2 between syndromic and non-syndromic boys. Methods: A retrospective cohort study on boys with UDT who underwent laparoscopy between
Sensor degradation poses a significant challenge in autonomous driving. During heavy rainfall, interference from raindrops can adversely affect the quality of LiDAR point clouds, resulting in, for instance, inaccurate point measurements. This, in turn, can potentially lead to safety concerns if autonomous driving systems are not weather-aware, i.e., if they are unable to discern such changes. In t
An autonomous service robot should be able to interact with its environment safely and robustly without requiring human assistance. Unstructured environments are challenging for robots since the exact prediction of outcomes is not always possible. Even when the robot behaviors are well-designed, the unpredictable nature of the physical robot-object interaction may lead to failures in object manipu
Multidimensional diffusion MRI is a promising new MRI approach that has the potential to non-invasively give information about brain microstructure at an unprecedented level of detail. The present contribution briefly reviews the salient features of the novel method, its historical background and differences with conventional methods, as well as the remaining challenges that have to be overcome in
