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17 pages, 26680 KiB

Open AccessArticle

On the Statistics of Mechanical Failure in Flame-Sprayed Self-Supporting Components

by Florian Kerber, Magda Hollenbach, Marc Neumann, Tony Wetzig, Thomas Schemmel, Helge Jansen and Christos G. Aneziris

Ceramics 2023, 6(2), 1050-1066; https://doi.org/10.3390/ceramics6020062 - 25 Apr 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2091

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the variability of flexural strength for flame-sprayed ceramic components and to determine which two-parametric distribution function was best suited to represent the experimental data. Moreover, the influence of the number of tested specimens was addressed. The stochastic nature of the flame-spraying process causes a pronounced variation in the properties of potential components, making it crucial to characterise the fracture statistics. To achieve this, this study used two large data sets consisting of 1000 flame-sprayed specimens each. In addition to the standard Weibull approach, the study examined the quality of representing the experimental data using other two-parametric distribution functions (Normal, Log-Normal, and Gamma). To evaluate the accuracy of the distribution functions and their characteristic parameters, random subsamples were generated by resampling of the experimental data, and the results were assessed based on the sampling size. It was found that the experimental data were best represented by either the Weibull or Gamma distribution, and the quality of the fit was correlated with the number of positive and negative outliers. The Weibull fit was more sensitive to positive outliers, whereas the Gamma fit was more sensitive to negative outliers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ceramic Coatings for High-Temperature Applications)

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12 pages, 857 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Combined miR-486 and GP88 (Progranulin) Serum Levels Are Suggested as Supportive Biomarkers for Therapy Decision in Elderly Prostate Cancer Patients

by Alexander Fichte, Angela Neumann, Katrin Weigelt, Juan Guzman, Thilo Jansen, Julia Keinert, Ginette Serrero, Binbin Yue, Robert Stöhr, Thomas Greither, Arndt Hartmann, Bernd Wullich, Helge Taubert, Sven Wach and Verena Lieb

Life 2022, 12(5), 732; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12050732 - 13 May 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2436

Abstract

Our study aimed to assess the applicability of miR-486 in combination with soluble GP88 protein as a diagnostic and/or predictive biomarker for prostate cancer (PCa) patients. miR-486 and GP88 levels in serum samples from 136 patients undergoing MRI-guided biopsy of the prostate were assessed by qRT–PCR and ELISA, respectively. Of these, 86 patients received a histologically confirmed diagnosis of PCa. Neither marker showed an association with the diagnosis of cancer. PCa patients were separated based on (i) treatment into patients with active surveillance or patients with any type of curative treatment and (ii) age into elderly (>68 years) patients and younger patients (≤68 years). In elderly patients (N = 41) with the intention of curative treatment at optimized cut-off values, significantly higher GP88 levels (p = 0.018) and lower miR-486 levels (p = 0.014) were observed. The total PSA level and ISUP biopsy grade were used in a baseline model for predicting definitive therapy. The baseline model exhibited an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.783 (p = 0.005). The addition of the serum biomarkers miR-486 and GP88 to the baseline model yielded an improved model with an AUC of 0.808 (p = 0.002). Altogether, combined miR-486 and GP88 serum levels are associated with and are therefore suggested as supportive biomarkers for therapy decisions, particularly in elderly PCa patients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experimental Urooncology—New Insights from Basic and Translational Research)

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9 pages, 478 KiB

Open AccessArticle

APOE Polymorphism and Endocrine Functions in Subjects with Morbid Obesity Undergoing Bariatric Surgery

by Per G. Farup, Aina Jansen, Knut Hestad, Jan O. Aaseth and Helge Rootwelt

Genes 2022, 13(2), 222; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes13020222 - 25 Jan 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3210

Abstract

Background: Obesity is an interplay between genes and the environment, including lifestyle. The genetics of obesity is insufficiently understood. Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genetic polymorphism has been associated with a wide range of disorders. Knowing that some APOE alleles are associated with obesity and endocrine disorders that are common in obesity, the present study aimed at exploring associations between APOE polymorphisms and endocrine functions in subjects with obesity undergoing bariatric surgery. Methods: Analyses of hormones in blood collected before and one year after bariatric surgery were examined. The APOE alleles were grouped as follows: E2 = ε2ε2 + ε2ε3; E3 = ε3ε3 + ε2ε4; E4 = ε3ε4 + ε4ε4. The APOE groups were analysed as nominal and ordered groups (E2-E3-E4) with a linear mixed model to predict the hormonal effects of the groups. Results: Forty-nine women (79%) and thirteen (21%) men with a mean age of 47.7 (SD 8.5) years were included in the study. The adiponectin level was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the E2 group compared with the E4 group. Adiponectin and cortisol were positively and negatively associated, respectively, with the ordered APOE groups. Conclusions: The ordered APOE groups E2-E3-E4 were significantly associated with high and low levels of adiponectin and cortisol, respectively. The findings indicate APOE-mediated effects on body weight and metabolic functions in subjects with morbid obesity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetics and Epigenetics in Endocrine Disorders)

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11 pages, 682 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Serum miRNAs Support the Indication for MRI-Ultrasound Fusion-Guided Biopsy of the Prostate in Patients with Low-PI-RADS Lesions

by Bastian Keck, Angelika Borkowetz, Julia Poellmann, Thilo Jansen, Moritz Fischer, Susanne Fuessel, Andreas Kahlmeyer, Manfred Wirth, Johannes Huber, Alexander Cavallaro, Matthias Hammon, Ivan Platzek, Arndt Hartmann, Gustavo Baretton, Frank Kunath, Danijel Sikic, Helge Taubert, Bernd Wullich, Kati Erdmann and Sven Wach

Cells 2021, 10(6), 1315; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10061315 - 25 May 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2773

Abstract

Multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) and targeted biopsy of the prostate enhance the tumor detection rate. However, the prediction of clinically significant prostate cancer (PCa) is still limited. Our study tested the additional value of serum levels of selected miRNAs in combination with clinical and mpMRI information for PCa prediction and classification. A total of 289 patients underwent targeted mpMRI-ultrasound fusion-guided prostate biopsy complemented by systematic biopsy. Serum miRNA levels of miRNAs (miR-141, miR-375, miR-21-5p, miR-320b, miR-210-3p, let-7c, and miR-486) were determined by quantitative PCR. Detection of any PCa and of significant PCa were the outcome variables. The patient age, pre-biopsy PSA level, previous biopsy procedure, PI-RADS score, and serum miRNA levels were covariates for regularized binary logistic regression models. The addition of miRNA expression of miR-486 and let-7c to the baseline model, containing only clinical parameters, increased the predictive accuracy. Particularly in patients with PI-RADS ≤3, we determined a sensitivity for detecting significant PCa (Gleason score ≥ 7a corresponding to Grade group ≥2) of 95.2%, and an NPV for absence of significant PCa of 97.1%. This accuracy could be useful to support patient counseling in selected cases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 10th Anniversary of Cells—Advances in Cell Nuclei: Function, Transport and Receptors)

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