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Ammonia (NH3) can be used as a fertilizer, a chemical or a new generation of fuel and has important agricultural and industrial value. Electrochemical NO3–-to-NH3 (NITRR) can realize the conversion of waste into treasure and waste resources, which is a promising method for ammonia synthesis. However, the process of NITRR is very complicated, resulting in product diversification and poor selectivity. In this work, an iron modified cerium oxide in rod form (Fe/CeO2-rod) catalysts was designed and used for the NITRR. The Fe/CeO2-rod catalyst showed excellent activity, and achieves high Faradaic efficiency (FE 95%) and NH3 yield rate (4.04 mg h–1 cm–2) in 0.1 M KOH electrolyte at – 0.52 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode. Furthermore, this catalyst exhibits a negligible activity decay during continuous electrolysis for 25 h. Further experiments provide the important role of Fe, which promote the formation of hydrogen radicals (H*). This study may provide new pathways to improve the activity of inexpensive catalysts for NITRR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reports a novel TiO2/g-C3N4 photoanode-based photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) designed to convert chemical energy from simulated wastewater. The g-C3N4 modified TiO2 nanorod was successfully synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. The results indicated that the maximum photocurrent density reached 2.44 mA cm-2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE by 1.167 g L-1 g-C3N4 loaded TiO2 composite. On the basis of analysis, the photoelectrochemical mechanism of the composite photoanode was proposed. This mainly demonstrated that the composite photoanode increases the electron donor density and boosts charge separation efficiency. In addition, the power density and hydrogen production of the proposed PFC were enhanced by 5.37 and 1.49 times compared to TiO2 photoanode-based PFC. To find the origins of the excellent performance of PFC, the influence of the organic compounds were investigated. The ESR measurement results indicated that the organic matter was captured by the photoexcited holes directly to facilitate the charge separation. The achieved power density and hydrogen production of 0.14 mW cm-2 and 21.60 μmol h-1 cm-2 were measured using RhB as the model pollutant, which was 2.42 and 1.23 times higher than the experiments with PBS electrolyte. This study proposed a novel PFC system converts the organic pollutant to the hydrogen and the electricity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The associations of muscle mass and strength with new-onset Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remain controversial. We aimed to longitudinally evaluate muscle mass and strength in predicting T2DM among Chinese middle-aged and older adults. Methods: We enrolled 6033 participants aged ≥ 45 years from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), a cohort survey, between 2011 and 2012. The appendicular skeletal muscle mass (normalized by weight, ASM/BW%), relative hand grip strength (normalized by weight, HGS/BW), and five-repetition chair stand test (5CST). were all categorized into tertiles (lowest, middle, and highest groups) at baseline, respectively. Individuals were followed up until the occurrence of diabetes or the end of CHARLS 2018, whichever happened first. Cox proportional hazards models to calculate hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and mediation analysis were used. Results: During follow-up, 815 (13.5%) participants developed T2DM. After adjusting for covariates, lower ASW/BW% was not associated with a higher risk of diabetes. Compared with individuals in the highest tertile of HGS/BW, those in the lowest tertile had 1.296 (95%CI 1.073–1.567) higher risk of diabetes. Compared with individuals in the lowest tertile of 5CST, those in the highest tertile had 1.329 times (95%CI 1.106–1.596) higher risk of diabetes. By subgroup, both the lowest HGS/BW and highest 5CST were risk factors for diabetes among obesity. The mediation analysis revealed that the effect of HGS/BW on the risk of diabetes is mainly mediated by insulin resistance. Conclusions: Lower muscle strength is associated with an increased risk of diabetes, especially in obese populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lamin A/C gene (LMNA) mutations contribute to severe striated muscle laminopathies, affecting cardiac and skeletal muscles, with limited treatment options. In this study, we delve into the investigations of five distinct LMNA mutations, including three novel variants and two pathogenic variants identified in patients with muscular laminopathy. Our approach employs zebrafish models to comprehensively study these variants. Transgenic zebrafish expressing wild-type LMNA and each mutation undergo extensive morphological profiling, swimming behavior assessments, muscle endurance evaluations, heartbeat measurement, and histopathological analysis of skeletal muscles. Additionally, these models serve as platform for focused drug screening. We explore the transcriptomic landscape through qPCR and RNAseq to unveil altered gene expression profiles in muscle tissues. Larvae of LMNA(L35P), LMNA(E358K), and LMNA(R453W) transgenic fish exhibit reduced swim speed compared to LMNA(WT) measured by DanioVision. All LMNA transgenic adult fish exhibit reduced swim speed compared to LMNA(WT) in T-maze. Moreover, all LMNA transgenic adult fish, except LMNA(E358K), display weaker muscle endurance than LMNA(WT) measured by swimming tunnel. Histochemical staining reveals decreased fiber size in all LMNA mutations transgenic fish, excluding LMNA(WT) fish. Interestingly, LMNA(A539V) and LMNA(E358K) exhibited elevated heartbeats. We recognize potential limitations with transgene overexpression and conducted association calculations to explore its effects on zebrafish phenotypes. Our results suggest lamin A/C overexpression may not directly impact mutant phenotypes, such as impaired swim speed, increased heart rates, or decreased muscle fiber diameter. Utilizing LMNA zebrafish models for drug screening, we identify l-carnitine treatment rescuing muscle endurance in LMNA(L35P) and creatine treatment reversing muscle endurance in LMNA(R453W) zebrafish models. Creatine activates AMPK and mTOR pathways, improving muscle endurance and swim speed in LMNA(R453W) fish. Transcriptomic profiling reveals upstream regulators and affected genes contributing to motor dysfunction, cardiac anomalies, and ion flux dysregulation in LMNA mutant transgenic fish. These findings faithfully mimic clinical manifestations of muscular laminopathies, including dysmorphism, early mortality, decreased fiber size, and muscle dysfunction in zebrafish. Furthermore, our drug screening results suggest l-carnitine and creatine treatments as potential rescuers of muscle endurance in LMNA(L35P) and LMNA(R453W) zebrafish models. Our study offers valuable insights into the future development of potential treatments for LMNA-related muscular laminopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess whether the diagnostic performance of Sonazoid contrast-enhanced ultrasound (SZUS) is non-inferior to that of SonoVue contrast-enhanced ultrasound (SVUS) in diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in individuals with high risk. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was conducted from October 2020 to May 2022 and included participants with a high risk of HCC who underwent SZUS and SVUS. All lesions were confirmed by clinical or pathological diagnosis. Each nodule was classified according to the Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2017 (CEUS LI-RADS v2017) for SVUS and SZUS and the modified CEUS LI-RADS (using Kupffer phase defect instead of late and mild washout) for SZUS. The diagnostic performance of both two modalities for all observations was compared. Analysis of the vascular phase and Kupffer phase imaging characteristics of CEUS was performed. Results: One hundred and fifteen focal liver lesions from 113 patients (94 HCCs, 12 non-HCC malignancies, and 9 benign lesions) were analysed. According to CEUS LI-RADS (v2017), SVUS and SZUS showed similar sensitivity (71.3% vs. 72.3%) and specificity (85.7% vs. 81.0%) in HCC diagnosis. However, the modified CEUS LI-RADS did not significantly improve the diagnostic efficacy of Sonazoid compared to CEUS LI-RADS v2017, having equivalent sensitivity (73.4% vs. 72.3%) and specificity (81.0% vs. 81.0%). The agreement between SVUS and SZUS for all observations was 0.610 (95% CI 0.475, 0.745), while for HCCs it was 0.452 (95% CI 0.257, 0.647). Conclusion: Using LI-RADS v2017, SZUS and SVUS showed non-inferior efficacy in evaluating HCC lesions. In addition, adding Kupffer phase defects to SZUS does not notably improve its diagnostic efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key summary points: Aim: To investigate the correlations of sarcopenia and its components with peak expiratory flow (PEF) among Chinese community-dwelling elderly people. Findings: The baseline sarcopenia status was related to PEF and PEF decline in Chinese community-dwelling elderly population by cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis. Also, the changes in physical performance were associated with changes in PEF during a 4-year follow-up. Message: Improving sarcopenia, especially physical performance may contribute to the increase of PEF. Purpose: To cross-sectionally and longitudinally investigate the correlations of sarcopenia and its components with peak expiratory flow (PEF) among Chinese community-dwelling elderly people. Methods: The data were extracted from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). A total of 4053 participants aged ≥ 60 years were enrolled from CHARLS 2011, and 2810 were followed up until 2015. Participants were classified into no-sarcopenia, non-severe sarcopenia, and severe sarcopenia groups based on skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), hand grip strength (HGS), and physical performance [gait speed, five-repetition chair stand test (5CST) and short physical performance battery (SPPB)]. Multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the associations of sarcopenia and its components with PEF cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Results: In the cross-sectional analysis, the prevalence of non-severe sarcopenia was 14.6% and severe sarcopenia was 4.9%. The results of linear regression analysis revealed that sarcopenia and its components were all correlated with PEF and PEF%pred. In the longitudinal analysis, compared with non-sarcopenia, subjects with severe sarcopenia were associated with a higher risk of PEF (OR = 2.05, 95%CI = 1.30–3.26) and PEF%pred (OR = 1.83, 95%CI = 1.17–2.86) decline. The changes in physical performance were correlated with changes in PEF and PEF%pred. No associations were observed between changes in SMI and PEF as well as PEF%pred. Conclusions: We demonstrated the associations of baseline sarcopenia status with PEF and longitudinal PEF decline. Also, the changes in physical performance were associated with changes in PEF during a 4-year follow-up. It indicates that improving sarcopenia, especially physical performance may increase PEF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimony (Sb) is a toxic environmental pollutant. Due to the human activities, the antimony pollution in soil is increasingly serious, and the soil antimony content is much higher than the normal background concentration in some antimony-contaminated areas. Humic substance plays an important role in soil improvement and contaminated remediation, but the selection of suitable humic substances application for remediation in Sb-contaminated soil is still limited. In order to investigate whether humic substances can be used to remediate Sb-contaminated soil, the humic substances including fulvic acid, humin, and humic acid were introduced into Sb-contaminated soil for 90 days of soil cultivation experiment. And changes in soil physicochemical properties and Sb forms were observed every 30 days. In the Sb-contaminated soil group with the addition of the three humic substances, the pH, soil organic matter, dissolved organic matter, available potassium, and effective phosphorus of Sb-contaminated soil increased in comparison with the blank group. In the experimental groups of humin and humic acid, the concentration of non-bioavailable states such the Sb residue state was raised with exogenous humic substance. Still the soluble state was more dramatically enhanced in the experimental group of fulvic acid. The results showed that in the fulvic acid experimental group, although the soil fertility was improved, the Sb in the soil was also activated, and the humin and humic acid experimental groups were able to blunt the active Sb in the soil. Therefore, this study could have important implications for the use of humic substance in the remediation of Sb-contaminated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tilapia skin is a byproduct of tilapia processing and can be used as a potential resource to produce antioxidant peptides. In this study, the process conditions for the extraction of antioxidant peptides were optimized by response surface methodology, followed by amino acid and structural characterization of different antioxidant active fractions, and finally, the oxidative free radical scavenging mechanism was predicted. The enzymolysis process conditions are: enzyme dosage: 2.51% (w/w), temperature: 51 °C, solid‒liquid ratio: 1:50 (mg/mL), time: 9 h, and pH 10. Under these conditions, the IC50 values of the DPPH, ABTS and hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity of peptides were 6.81 ± 0.06, 9.69 ± 0.04 and 14.35 ± 0.04 mg/mL, respectively. Six fractions with different antioxidant activities were obtained after separation and purification. Amino acid analysis indicated that high proportions of hydrophobic amino acids (Val, Leu and Pro) and aromatic amino acids (Phe and Tyr) played an important role in enhancing the free radical scavenging activity of the peptides. FTIR and CD spectroscopy analysis showed that the higher proportion of α-helices and lower proportion of random coils in the peptide structure were the main reasons for the excellent antioxidant activity. The analysis of the free radical scavenging mechanism suggested that the OH and SH groups contained in Pro, Tyr and Met play an important role in free radical scavenging. These findings not only provide theoretical basis for the study of the structure–activity relationship of antioxidant peptides, but also provide technical support for relevant processing enterprises to improve the production and utilization efficiency of tilapia skin peptides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Poor Bell's phenomenon is often considered a relative contraindication for ptosis surgery, as it increases the risk of corneal exposure and dry eye symptoms after surgery. However, the Bell's phenomenon may vary in different individuals and sleep stages, making it inaccurate to predict the position of the eye during sleep based on awake examination. This study aimed to investigate the role of Bell's phenomenon in ptosis surgery and the management of nocturnal lagophthalmos. Methods: We conducted a retrospective case series of 23 patients with ptosis and poor Bell's phenomenon who underwent different surgical techniques at Xijing Hospital from April 2020 to June 2021. We assessed Bell's phenomenon at different stages of sleep and collected data on ptosis degree, surgical approach, lagophthalmos, complications, and outcomes. Results: Of the total 23 patients originally considered for study, 9 with frontalis muscle advancement technique, 8 with conjoint fascial sheath suspension, 4 with levator resection technique, and 2 with levator aponeurosis plication technique. All patients achieved satisfactory correction of ptosis. One patient had prolonged lagophthalmos and underwent reoperation to lower the eyelid height. Other complications were minor and resolved with conservative treatment. Conclusion: We conclude that poor Bell's phenomenon is not a relative contraindication for ptosis surgery. Nocturnal lagophthalmos should be monitored after ptosis surgery regardless of the Bell's phenomenon results. Tape eyelid closure can be an effective solution to protect the corneal surface during nocturnal lagophthalmos. Level of Evidence IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to determine the optimum sectioning depth for the extraction of low-level horizontally impacted mandibular third molar (LHIM3M) using mechanical and finite element analysis. One hundred and fifty extracted mandibular third molars were randomly divided into three groups: 1, 2 or 3 mm of tooth tissue was retained at the bottom of the crown. The breaking force of teeth was tested in a universal strength testing machine. The fracture surface was observed and the type of tooth breakage was recorded. According to the three groups, corresponding 3D finite element models were created. The breaking force obtained in the mechanical study was, respectively, applied and the stress and strain of the teeth and surrounding tissues were analysed. Breaking force decreased as sectioning depth increased. The 2 mm group produced the lowest rate of incomplete breakage (10%). In the 2 mm model, the stresses were evenly distributed in the tooth tissue at the bottom of the fissure, and the maximal stress was located in the tissue close to the root segment. The maximum values of stresses in the bone and of strains in the periodontal ligament of the second molar and bone were lower in the 1 mm model than in other models. Their distribution was similar in the three models. A sectioning depth of 1 mm group saves labour during the extraction of LHIM3M, compared to 2 and 3 mm; 2 mm might be the appropriate sectioning depth in terms of breakage shapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The high proportion of HCC in CEUS LR-M decreases the sensitivity of LR-5 for the diagnosis of HCC. However, when modifying LR-M criteria to further improve the sensitivity of LR-5, it is also important not to compromise the diagnostic performance (especially sensitivity) of LR-M for non-hepatocellular carcinoma malignancies (non-HCCMs). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of CEUS LI-RADS (2017 version) for non-HCCMs and to explore the impact of modified CEUS LI-RADS on the diagnostic performance of LR-M. Methods: In this retrospective study, patients with pathologically confirmed non-HCCMs were evaluated. Two radiologists independently interpreted the major CEUS features and categorized the liver lesions. New LR-M criteria were applied: early washout (< 45 s) or marked washout (< 5 min). The sensitivity values of the current and modified CEUS LR-M were assessed and then compared using a paired χ2 test. Cohen's κ was used to compare the inter-reader agreement of the LI-RADS categories. Results: A total of 131 non-HCCMs were ultimately selected, including 71 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas, 26 combined hepatocellular cholangiocarcinomas, 29 metastases, and 5 other non-HCCMs. The numbers of LR-M, LR-5, LR-4, and LR-3 in liver lesions were 111, 18, 1, and 1, respectively. The inter-reader agreement of the LI-RADS categories for non-HCCMs was 0.59. The sensitivity of the current CEUS LR-M in diagnosing non-HCCMs was 84.7%. By adjusting the early washout time to < 45 s, the sensitivity of LR-M was 80.9%. By adjusting the marked washout time within 5 min, the sensitivity of LR-M was 72.5%. Conclusion: CEUS LR-M has high sensitivity in diagnosing non-HCCMs. For LR-M nodules with nonrim arterial phase hyperenhancement and early washout, advancing the time of early washout to < 45 s has a minimal impact on the sensitivity of LR-M in diagnosing non-HCCMs compared to the condition of increasing the marked washout within 5 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial peptides are promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Herein, we report a class of "tadpole-like" peptides consisting of an amphipathic α-helical head and an aromatic tail. A structure-activity relationship (SAR) study of "tadpole-like" temporin-SHf and its analogs revealed that increasing the number of aromatic residues in the tail, introducing Arg to the α-helical head and rearranging the peptide topology dramatically increased antimicrobial activity. Through progressive structural optimization, we obtained two peptides, HT2 and RI-HT2, which exhibited potent antimicrobial activity, no hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity, and no propensity to induce resistance. NMR and molecular dynamics simulations revealed that both peptides indeed adopted "tadpole-like" conformations. Fluorescence experiments and electron microscopy confirmed the membrane targeting mechanisms of the peptides. Our studies not only lead to the discovery of a series of ultrashort peptides with potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities, but also provide a new strategy for rational design of novel "tadpole-like" antimicrobial peptides. Here, through progressive structural optimization, two "tadpole-like" antimicrobial peptides are constructed with an amphipathic α-helical head and an aromatic tail activity. These exhibit potent antimicrobial activity, no hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity, and no propensity to induce resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this study, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA-1, a manganese-oxidizing bacterium screened from the soil at a manganese mining area, was found to be tolerated to Sb(III) stress during the Mn(II) oxidation, and the generated biological manganese oxide (BMO) outperformed the identical type of Abiotic-MnOX in terms of oxidation and adsorption of Sb(III). Adsorption kinetics and isotherm experiments indicated that Sb(III) was primarily adsorbed through chemisorption and multilayer adsorption on BMO; the maximum adsorption capacity of BMO was 143.15 mg·g−1. Removal kinetic studies showed that the Sb(III) removal efficiency by BMO was 72.38–95.71% after 15 min, and it could be up to 96.32–98.31% after 480 min. The removal procedure could be divided into two stages, fast (within 15 min) and slow (15 ~ 480 min), both of which exhibited first-order kinetic behavior. Dynamic fitting in two steps revealed that the removal speed correlated to the level of dissolved Sb(III) with low Sb(III) concentrations, but with the initial concentration being high, the removal speed rate was independent of dissolved Sb(III). During the whole process, the Sb(III) removal speed by BMO was also higher than that by the Abiotic-MnOX. Combining multiple spectroscopic techniques revealed that Sb(V) was generated through the Sb(III) oxidation by BMO and replacing surface metal hydroxyl groups to form the complex internal Mn–O(H)-Sb(V) or generating stable Mn(II)-antimonate precipitates on the surface. In addition, microbial metabolites, including tryptophan and humus, in BMO may be complex with Sb(III) and Sb(V) to achieve the treatment of Sb(III). This research investigates the factors and mechanisms influencing the adsorption and removal of Sb(III) by BMO, which could aid in its future engineering applications for the BMO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni-based catalysts are used in a wide range of biomass catalytic reactions. To further improve the catalytic performance and anti-deactivation ability of the catalyst, a Ni/CaZnAl catalyst was synthesized by using the sol–gel method. N2 adsorption–desorption, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), temperature programmed reduction (TPR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to determine the activity of the catalyst. In addition, the impacts of various conditions on the catalytic performance were assessed in terms of gas composition and production and syngas generation (especially H2). The experimental results show that 15% Ni/CaZnAl catalyst calcined at 500 ℃ and pyrolyzed at 800 ℃ for 20 min has the best effect on producing hydrogen-rich syngas. Compared with the catalyst calcined at 400 ℃, calcined at 500 ℃ has stronger stability and metal-support interaction, but its carbon resistance is slightly weaker. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the syngas output of 15% Ni/CaZnAl is 424.8 ml/g, which is 2.30 times higher than that of non-nickel (184.8 ml/g). After six times of use, the syngas output remains at 247.6 ml/g, which is more elevated than that without Ni by 33.98vol%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to prevent and mitigate disasters, it is crucial to immediately and properly assess the spatial distribution of landslide hazards in the earthquake-affected area. Currently, there are primarily two categories of assessment techniques: the physical mechanism-based method (PMBM), which considers the landslide dynamics and has the advantages of effectiveness and proactivity; the environmental factor-based method (EFBM), which integrates the environmental conditions and has high accuracy. In order to obtain the spatial distribution of landslide hazards in the affected area with near real-time and high accuracy, this study proposed to combine the PMBM based on Newmark method with EFBM to form Newmark-Information value model (N-IV), Newmark-Logic regression model (N-LR) and Newmark- Support Vector Machine model (N- SVM) for seismic landslide hazard assessment on the Ludian Mw 6.2 earthquake in Yunnan. The predicted spatial hazard distribution was compared with the actual cataloged landslide inventory, and frequency ratio (FR), and area under the curve (AUC) metrics were used to verify the model's plausibility, performance, and accuracy. According to the findings, the model's accuracy is ranked as follows: N-SVM>N-LR>N-IV>Newmark. With an AUC value of 0.937, the linked N-SVM was discovered to have the best performance. The research results indicate that the physics-environmental coupled model (PECM) exhibits accuracy gains of 46.406% (N-SVM), 30.625% (N-LR), and 22.816% (N-IV) when compared to the conventional Newmark technique. It shows varied degrees of improvement from 2.577% to 12.446% when compared to the single EFBM. The study also uses the Ms 6.8 Luding earthquake to evaluate the model, showcasing its trustworthy in forecasting power and steady generalization. Since the suggested PECM in this study can adapt to complicated earthquake-induced landslides situations, it aims to serve as a reference for future research in a similar field, as well as to help with emergency planning and response in earthquake-prone regions with landslides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess whether integrative radiomics and transcriptomics analyses could provide novel insights for radiomic features' molecular annotation and effective risk stratification in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: A total of 627 NSCLC patients from three datasets were included. Radiomics features were extracted from segmented 3-dimensional tumour volumes and were z-score normalized for further analysis. In transcriptomics level, 186 pathways and 28 types of immune cells were assessed by using the Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA) algorithm. NSCLC patients were categorized into subgroups based on their radiomic features and pathways enrichment scores using consensus clustering. Subgroup-specific radiomics features were used to validate clustering performance and prognostic value. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis with the log-rank test and univariable and multivariable Cox analyses were conducted to explore survival differences among the subgroups. Results: Three radiotranscriptomics subtypes (RTSs) were identified based on the radiomics and pathways enrichment profiles. The three RTSs were characterized as having specific molecular hallmarks: RTS1 (proliferation subtype), RTS2 (metabolism subtype), and RTS3 (immune activation subtype). RTS3 showed increased infiltration of most immune cells. The RTS stratification strategy was validated in a validation cohort and showed significant prognostic value. Survival analysis demonstrated that the RTS strategy could stratify NSCLC patients according to prognosis (p = 0.009), and the RTS strategy remained an independent prognostic indicator after adjusting for other clinical parameters. Conclusions: This radiotranscriptomics study provides a stratification strategy for NSCLC that could provide information for radiomics feature molecular annotation and prognostic prediction. Key Points: • Radiotranscriptomics subtypes (RTSs) could be used to stratify molecularly heterogeneous patients. • RTSs showed relationships between molecular phenotypes and radiomics features. • The RTS algorithm could be used to identify patients with poor prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) is a worldwide migratory invasive and polyphagous pest. S. frugiperda posed a severe threat to food security and agricultural production. In this study, we examined the biological parameters of S. frugiperda on five host plants: maize, wheat, rice, honeysuckle, and Chinese yam. Furthermore, the effect of different host plants on SfVg/SfVgR expression was investigated, and then, the correlations between SfVg/SfVgR expression and key population proliferation parameters of S. frugiperda were clarified. The results showed that the larval stage of S. frugiperda was shortest on wheat, and longest on Chinese yam. Pupal weight was highest on honeysuckle and lowest on rice. Fecundity on honeysuckle, maize, and wheat was significantly higher than that on rice and Chinese yam. The SfVg/SfVgR expression levels of S. frugiperda fed on honeysuckle, maize, and wheat were also significantly higher than that on rice and Chinese yam. Meanwhile, significant linear regression correlations existed between SfVg/SfVgR expression level with key parameters (pupal weight and oviposition number per female) of S. frugiperda. Our results confirmed that S. frugiperda had a potentially harmful risk to two Chinese herbs (honeysuckle and Chinese yam). The expression level of Vg/VgR could be used as a molecular marker of S. frugiperda reproductive potential and forecasting the outbreak potential of S. frugiperda on different host plants. This study provided the foundation for further assessment of S. frugiperda risk to crops in China and formulating management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For moderate ptosis associated with fair levator function (LF), the levator resection is the most commonly used procedure. However, the levator resection technique still has some disadvantages, such as residual lagophthalmos (RL), undercorrection, conjunctival prolapse, and eyelid contour abnormality. To solve the above problems, our team have made modifications to the levator resection technique in three aspects: releasing the levator muscle sufficiently, preserving the supporting structure of the conjunctiva, and placing multiple suture sites. Methods: Fifty-seven patients (81 eyes) underwent the modified levator resection technique and were enrolled in the study. Preoperative data collected included age, sex, margin reflex distance 1 (MRD1), and LF. Postoperative data collected included MRD1, RL, patient satisfaction, complications, and length of follow-up. Results: Mean MRD1 significantly increased from 1.45 ± 0.65 mm preoperatively to 3.57 ± 0.51 mm postoperatively. Mean LF significantly increased from 6.49 ± 1.12 mm preoperatively to 9.48 ± 1.39 mm postoperatively. Successful correction was obtained in 77 eyes (95.1%). Mean RL was 1.09 ± 0.57 and 72 eyes (88.9%) showed excellent or good eyelid closure function. Fifty-four patients (94.7%) were completely satisfied with the final result. Complications such as hematoma, infection, conjunctival prolapse, suture exposure, corneal abrasion, and keratitis were not found in any cases during follow-up. Conclusion: This modified levator resection technique introduced in this study is effective in correcting moderate congenital blepharoptosis, while minimizing RL, undercorrection, conjunctival prolapse, eyelid contour abnormality by releasing the levator muscle sufficiently, preserving the supporting structure of the conjunctiva, and placing multiple suture sites. Level of Evidence IV: This journal requires that authors 42 assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full 43 description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, 44 please refer to the Table of Contents or the online 45 Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Sediment internal nutrient loading plays an important role in algal blooms. Thus, understanding the specific characteristics of nutrient (nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)) recycling from sediment is important for clarifying the processes and mechanisms of cyanobacterial growth and succession. Materials and methods: Sediments and water samples were collected monthly from five sampling sites in Lake Chaohu for 1 year. N and P concentrations in surface and interstitial water were determined, and fractions of sediment organic matter, P, and iron were quantified. P adsorption characteristics were modeled with adsorption isotherms. Results and discussion: Dolichospermum was the dominant bloom species in the western lake in April, followed by Microcystis from May to September in the whole lake. The impulsive regeneration and release mode from iron-bound P and ammonium (NH4+-N) regeneration from sediment in spring triggered the Dolichospermum bloom. In early summer, continuous P release potential as well as nitrate accumulation and NH4+-N deficiency due to NH4+-N prior assimilation by Dolichospermum jointly drove the transition from Dolichospermum to Microcystis due to the energy saving and competitive advantage of rapid uptake and storage of inorganic P as well as a wide range of N utilization forms for Microcystis. All these facts put the Dolichospermum towards common N and P stress. Furthermore, in summer, NH4+-N rapid regeneration from organic algal detritus remineralization due to the decline of Dolichospermum developed Microcystis blooms. Conclusions: The specific mode and pathway of N and P recycling from sediment determined the dominant algal species based on the particular N and P utilization strategies of the algae. Pulsed and a vast amount of P release facilitated the Dolichospermum growth, while continuous and a small quantity of P release was in favor of Microcystis growth. Organic N hydrolysis from Dolichospermum detritus further supported the development of a Microcystis bloom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The slope stability of Ya'an expressway in Sichuan dominated by mudstone strata, is influenced greatly by both the mechanical properties and stressstrain relationship of mudstone. In this paper, the mechanical properties of the Ya'an mudstone samples under triaxial compression conditions were studied, based on an established constitutive model under the framework of breakage mechanics to simulate the mechanical properties of mudstone. Firstly, triaxial compression tests and SEM tests at the confining pressures of 0.5 MPa, 1.0 MPa, and 2.0 MPa were carried out on the mudstone samples, and it was found that the mudstone sample undergoes strain softening and dilatancy followed by the volumetric compaction. Then, based on analysis on the breakage mechanism of the above test results, we idealized the mudstone sample as a binary medium material consisting of the bonded elements and frictional elements, of which the bonded elements are composed of solid matrix and pores, and the frictional elements are composed of broken aggregates. During the loading process, the cementation between clay minerals and non-clay minerals in the mudstone sample is first destroyed, leading to the formation of micro-cracks within the particle aggregate, that is, the bonded elements are gradually damaged during the loading process and gradually turned into the frictional elements, and the two jointly bear the external load. The bonded elements are composed of mudstone matrix and pores, which have the cementitious characteristics of mudstone, and the frictional elements are composed of the broken aggregate with the frictional characteristics of the broken particles. Based on the homogenization theory, the constitutive model for the mudstone is established, and the determining method for model parameters is also given. Finally, the results of the triaxial compression tests of the mudstone samples are predicted by the constitutive model proposed here, which can reflect the main mechanical properties of the mudstone samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The applicability of statistics-based landslide susceptibility assessment methods is affected by the number of historical landslides. Previous studies have proposed support vector machine (SVM) as a small-sample learning method. However, those studies demonstrated that different parameters can affect model performance. We optimized the SVM and obtained models as 5-fold cross validation (5-CV) SVM, genetic algorithm (GA) SVM, and particle swarm optimization (PSO) SVM. This study compared the prediction performances of logistic regression (LR), 5-CV SVM, GA SVM, and PSO SVM on landslide susceptibility mapping, to explore the spatial distribution of landslide susceptibility in the study area in Tibetan Plateau, China. A geospatial database was established based on 392 historical landslides and 392 non-landslides in the study area. We used 11 influencing factors of altitude, slope, aspect, curvature, lithology, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), distance to road, distance to river, distance to fault, peak ground acceleration (PGA), and rainfall to construct an influencing factor evaluation system. To evaluate the models, four susceptibility maps were compared via receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve and the results showed that prediction rates for the models are 84% (LR), 87% (5-CV SVM), 85% (GA SVM), and 90% (PSO SVM). We also used precision, recall, F1-score and accuracy to assess the quality performance of these models. The results showed that the PSO SVM had greater potential for future implementation in the Tibetan Plateau area because of its superior performance in the landslide susceptibility assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare PET/CT, MRI and ultrasonography in detecting recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and identify their benefit in staging, contouring and overall survival (OS). Methods: Cohort A included 1453 patients with or without histopathology-confirmed local recurrence, while cohort B consisted of 316 patients with 606 histopathology-confirmed lymph nodes to compare the sensitivities and specificities of PET/CT, MRI and ultrasonography using McNemar test. Cohorts C and D consisted of 273 patients from cohort A and 267 patients from cohort B, respectively, to compare the distribution of PET/CT-based and MRI-based rT-stage and rN-stage and the accuracy of rN-stage using McNemar test. Cohort E included 30 random patients from cohort A to evaluate the changes in contouring with or without PET/CT by related-samples T test or Wilcoxon rank test. The OS of 61 rT3-4N0M0 patients staged by PET/CT plus MRI (cohort F) and 67 MRI-staged rT3-4N0M0 patients (cohort G) who underwent similar salvage treatment were compared by log-rank test and Cox regression. Results: PET/CT had similar specificity to MRI but higher sensitivity (93.9% vs. 79.3%, P < 0.001) in detecting local recurrence. PET/CT, MRI and ultrasonography had comparable specificities, but PET/CT had greater sensitivity than MRI (90.9% vs. 67.6%, P < 0.001) and similar sensitivity to ultrasonography in diagnosing lymph nodes. According to PET/CT, more patients were staged rT3-4 (82.8% vs. 68.1%, P < 0.001) or rN + (89.9% vs. 69.3%, P < 0.001), and the rN-stage was more accurate (90.6% vs. 73.8%, P < 0.001). Accordingly, the contours of local recurrence were more precise (median Dice similarity coefficient 0.41 vs. 0.62, P < 0.001) when aided by PET/CT plus MRI. Patients staged by PET/CT plus MRI had a higher 3-year OS than patients staged by MRI alone (85.5% vs. 60.4%, P = 0.006; adjusted HR = 0.34, P = 0.005). Conclusion: PET/CT more accurately detected and staged recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and accordingly complemented MRI, providing benefit in contouring and OS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infantile hemangioma (IH) is the most common vascular tumor in infancy. Although IHs can regress spontaneously, some problematic IHs still need treatment. However, either treated or untreated IHs may leave skin sequelae which can cause permanent disfigurement. Many studies evaluated the short-term efficacy of different kinds of treatment, but now, few studies are focusing on long-term skin sequelae. The objectives of our systemic review were to identify skin sequelae of IH thoroughly, determine specific factors associated with long-term IH sequelae, and learn how to improve these sequelae. We searched the following electronic databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Clinicaltrials.gov. Three independent authors assessed the articles, and we reported this systemic review following PRISMA guidelines. Of 4448 articles initially identified, 62 underwent full-text review, and 17 met inclusion criteria. The overall rate of sequelae ranged from 5.3 to 93.5%. Factors associated with skin sequelae included patients' demographics, hemangioma characteristics, and treatment factors. What is Known: • Infantile hemangioma is the most common vascular tumor during infancy. • Infantile hemangiomas can regress spontaneously but either treated or untreated patients may leave permanent skin sequelae. What is New: • Skin sequelae in involuted Infantile hemangiomas are very common. • It is significant to prevent, recognize, and improve skin sequelae of infantile hemangiomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To identify molecular basis of four parameters obtained from dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, including functional tumor volume (FTV), longest diameter (LD), sphericity, and contralateral background parenchymal enhancement (BPE). Material and methods: Pretreatment-available gene expression profiling and different treatment timepoints MRI features were integrated for Spearman correlation analysis. MRI feature-related genes were submitted to hypergeometric distribution-based gene functional enrichment analysis to identify related Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes annotation. Gene set variation analysis was utilized to assess the infiltration of distinct immune cells, which were used to determine relationships between immune phenotypes and medical imaging phenotypes. The clinical significance of MRI and relevant molecular features were analyzed to identify their prediction performance of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and prognostic impact. Results: Three hundred and eighty-three patients were included for integrative analysis of MRI features and molecular information. FTV, LD, and sphericity measurements were most positively significantly correlated with proliferation-, signal transmission-, and immune-related pathways, respectively. However, BPE did not show marked correlation relationships with gene expression alteration status. FTV, LD and sphericity all showed significant positively or negatively correlated with some immune-related processes and immune cell infiltration levels. Sphericity decreased at 3 cycles after treatment initiation was also markedly negatively related to baseline sphericity measurements and immune signatures. Its decreased status could act as a predictor for prediction of response to NAC. Conclusion: Different MRI features capture different tumor molecular characteristics that could explain their corresponding clinical significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquake-induced strong near-fault ground motion is typically accompanied by large-velocity pulse-like component, which causes serious damage to slopes and buildings. Although not all near-fault ground motions contain a pulse-like component, it is important to consider this factor in regional earthquake-induced landslide susceptibility assessment. In the present study, we considered the probability of the observed pulse-like ground motion at each site (PP) in the region of an earthquake as one of the conditioning factors for landslide susceptibility assessment. A subset of the area affected by the 1994 Mw6.7 Northridge earthquake in California was examined. To explore and verify the effects of PP on landslide susceptibility assessment, seven models were established, consisting of six identical influencing factors (elevation, slope gradient, aspect, distance to drainage, distance to roads, and geology) and one or two factors characterizing the intensity of the earthquake (distance to fault, peak ground acceleration, peak ground velocity, and PP) in logistic regression analysis. The results showed that the model considering PP performed better in susceptibility assessment, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve value of 0.956. Based on the results of relative importance analysis, the contribution of the PP value to earthquake-induced landslide susceptibility was ranked fourth after the slope gradient, elevation, and lithology. The prediction performance of the model considering the pulse-like effect was better than that reported previously. A logistic regression model that considers the pulse-like effect can be applied in disaster prevention, mitigation, and construction planning in near-fault areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism of electron density and temperature being influenced by a magnetic field and a grid is studied through inductively coupled Ar plasma discharge simulations and experiments. The electron density, electron temperature, ion density, plasma potential and electron energy distribution function are measured by an Impendans Langmuir probe. The conditions for all experiments are an argon gas pressure of 0.5 Pa and an RF power supply of 3.0 kW to discharge. Simulations and experiments reveal that the magnetic field constrains the mass of electrons, thus reducing the mean-free path and increasing the chance of collisions with gas. Therefore, the ionization rate will increase in the source region, which causes a low electron temperature. Coupled with plasma expansion, the magnetic field could cool the electron temperature and reduce the electron density in the diffusion region. When applying a magnetic field to the plasma, the electron density is controlled from 9.50 × 1010 to 7.30 × 1010 cm−3, while the electron temperature decreases from 4.04 to 3.80 eV. For the grid (ground bias) influence, the electron density sharply decreases to 1.98 × 1010 cm−3, and the electron temperature decreases to 3.30 eV. A mass of electrons is absorbed by the grid. Changes in other plasma parameters, such as the plasma potential and ion density, are also shown in the results. Compared with the magnetic field effect, the influence of the ground bias grid is more obvious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cirrus clouds related to transported dust layers were identified on 22 occasions with ground-based polarization lidar from December 2012 to February 2018 over Wuhan (30.5°N, 114.4°E), China. All the events occurred in spring and winter. Cirrus clouds were mostly located above 7.6 km on top of the aloft dust layers. In-cloud relative humidity with respect to ice (RHi) derived from water vapor Raman lidar as well as from ERA5 reanalysis data were used as criteria to determine the possible ice nucleation regimes. Corresponding to the two typical cases shown, the observed events can be classified into two categories: (1) category A (3 cases), in-cloud peak RHi ⩾ 150%, indicating competition between heterogeneous nucleation and homogeneous nucleation; and (2) category B (19 cases), in-cloud peak RHi < 150%, revealing that only heterogeneous nucleation was involved. Heterogeneous nucleation generally took place during instances of cirrus cloud formation in the upper troposphere when advected dust particles were present. Although accompanying cloud-top temperatures ranged from −51.9°C to −30.4°C, dust-related heterogeneous nucleation contributed to primary ice nucleation in cirrus clouds by providing ice nucleating particle concentrations on the order of 10−3 L−1 to 102 L−1. Heterogeneous nucleation and subsequent crystal growth reduced the ambient RHi to be less than 150% by consuming water vapor and thus completely inhibited homogeneous nucleation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As periorbital aesthetic commonly improved in blepharoptosis patients after correction surgery, the aim of this study was to elaborate the brow-eyelid continuum changes in moderate–severe ptosis patients who underwent conjoint fascial sheath suspension systematically. Methods: Patients with moderate–severe ptosis who underwent conjoint fascial sheath suspension were assessed by using pre- and post-operative digital photographs in the primary gaze position of the eye. The main outcome measurements included marginal reflex distance1 (MRD1), palpebral fissure height (PFH), eyebrow position, the symmetry of face and the horizontal forehead lines condition. Results: There were 43 patients (53 eyelids) in our study, including 33 unilateral and 10 bilateral patients. The mean levator function was 3.00 ± 1.07 mm. Before surgery, the mean MRD1 and PFH were 0.60 ± 1.14 mm and 6.75 ± 1.71 mm, respectively. The mean eyebrow height at medial, center, lateral position was 33.16 ± 3.95 mm, 35.99 ± 4.02 mm and 34.35 ± 4.80 mm, respectively. It was found that MRD1 and PFH symmetry both were 23.26% and eyebrow symmetry was 62.79%. For forehead wrinkles, 48.84% of the patients was mild, 34.88% was moderate, and 16.28% was severe. The average follow-up was 12.78 months (ranged from 12 to 18 months). One month after surgery, the mean MRD1 and PFH were 5.68 ± 0.86 mm, 11.61 ± 0.97 mm, respectively, both of which improved significantly (P < 0.0001). The mean eyebrow height at medial, center, lateral position descended to 28.22 ± 4.77 mm (P = 0.017), 31.41 ± 4.58 mm (P = 0.033) and 30.28 ± 3.41 mm (P = 0.018), respectively. The result showed that the rate of patients with MRD1 symmetry was 32.56%, PFH symmetry was 30.23%, and eyebrow symmetry was 90.7%. For forehead wrinkles, 69.77% was mild and 30.23% was moderate. Then, patients' eyebrow gradually elevated, while their upper eyelid dropped. At the last follow-up, the mean MRD1 and PFH were 3.83 ± 0.98 mm and 9.84 ± 1.56 mm, respectively. The mean eyebrow height at medial, center, lateral position improved to 30.52 ± 4.59 mm (P = 0.031), 32.40 ± 4.68 mm (P = 0.033), 31.19 ± 4.16 mm (P = 0.028), respectively. The patients with MRD1 symmetry accounted for 86.05%, PFH symmetry 86.05%, and eyebrow symmetry 90.7%. For forehead wrinkles, 67.44% was mild and 32.56% was moderate. Conclusion: CFS suspension can effectively reconstruct moderate–severe ptosis patients' aesthetics of the brow-eyelid continuum by descending elevated eyebrow, improving facial symmetry and reducing forehead rhytids. Level of Evidence IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) refer to infections involving the skin, subcutaneous tissue, fascia, and muscle. In transplant populations with hematological malignancies, an immunocompromised status and the routine use of immunosuppressants increase the risk of SSTIs greatly. However, to date, the profiles and clinical outcomes of SSTIs in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) patients remain unclear. This study included 228 patients (3.67%) who developed SSTIs within 180 days after allogeneic HSCT from January 2004 to December 2019 in Peking University People's Hospital. The overall annual survival rate was 71.5%. We compared the differences between survivors and non-survivors a year after transplant and found that primary platelet graft failure (PPGF), comorbidities of acute kidney injury (AKI), and hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) were independent risk factors for death in the study population. A PPGF-AKI-HAP risk stratification system was established with a mortality risk score of 1×PPGF+1×AKI+1×HAP. The areas under the curves of internal and external validation were 0.833 (95% CI 0.760–0.906) and 0.826 (95% CI 0.715–0.937), respectively. The calibration plot revealed the high consistency of the estimated risks, and decision curve analysis showed considerable net benefits for patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparisons on the bioleaching and sterile oxidation of pyrite were performed at controlled redox potential of 900 mV (vs. SHE) and different temperatures of 30 and 60 °C. For sterile experiments, the redox potential of irrigation solution was controlled by adding hydrogen peroxide solution (15 wt%), while the redox potential of irrigation solution for bioleaching was elevated by flowing through the packed bed in which bacteria were activated and colonized. The rate of pyrite bioleaching is faster than that of sterile oxidation at temperature of 30 °C. The reason is that the potential gradient of leaching solution in bioleaching column is much smaller than that in sterile column. The redox potentials of irrigation solution and leaching solution are similar for bioleaching; however, the redox potential difference of irrigation solution and leaching solution for sterile oxidation is about 150 mV. When temperature increases to 60 °C for sterile oxidation, the rate of pyrite leaching is faster than that of bioleaching at temperature of 30 °C, even though the redox potential gradient of leaching solution is great. The mineralogy analyses of pyrite residue were performed by scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM–EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. The results confirm that pyrite oxidation might only occur at specific sites with high surface energy on surface and obeys the "indirect mechanism" whether there are bacteria or not. The pyrite oxidation rate is not inhibited by inert sulfur on residue surface at elevated redox potential. According to the conclusions, the way to accelerate pyrite oxidation is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Successful application of deep machine learning could reduce time-consuming and labor-intensive clinical work of calculating the amount of radiographic bone loss (RBL) in diagnosing and treatment planning for periodontitis. This study aimed to test the accuracy of RBL classification by machine learning. Materials and methods: A total of 236 patients with standardized full mouth radiographs were included. Each tooth from the periapical films was evaluated by three calibrated periodontists for categorization of RBL and radiographic defect morphology. Each image was pre-processed and augmented to ensure proper data balancing without data pollution, then a novel multitasking InceptionV3 model was applied. Results: The model demonstrated an average accuracy of 0.87 ± 0.01 in the categorization of mild (< 15%) or severe (≥ 15%) bone loss with fivefold cross-validation. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive, and negative predictive values of the model were 0.86 ± 0.03, 0.88 ± 0.03, 0.88 ± 0.03, and 0.86 ± 0.02, respectively. Conclusions: Application of deep machine learning for the detection of alveolar bone loss yielded promising results in this study. Additional data would be beneficial to enhance model construction and enable better machine learning performance for clinical implementation. Clinical relevance: Higher accuracy of radiographic bone loss classification by machine learning can be achieved with more clinical data and proper model construction for valuable clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of Kaiser score (KS) adjusted with the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) (KS+) and machine learning (ML) modeling. Methods: A dataset of 402 malignant and 257 benign lesions was identified. Two radiologists assigned the KS. If a lesion with KS > 4 had ADC > 1.4 × 10−3 mm2/s, the KS was reduced by 4 to become KS+. In order to consider the full spectrum of ADC as a continuous variable, the KS and ADC values were used to train diagnostic models using 5 ML algorithms. The performance was evaluated using the ROC analysis, compared by the DeLong test. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy achieved using the threshold of KS > 4, KS+ > 4, and ADC ≤ 1.4 × 10−3 mm2/s were obtained and compared by the McNemar test. Results: The ROC curves of KS, KS+, and all ML models had comparable AUC in the range of 0.883–0.921, significantly higher than that of ADC (0.837, p < 0.0001). The KS had sensitivity = 97.3% and specificity = 59.1%; and the KS+ had sensitivity = 95.5% with significantly improved specificity to 68.5% (p < 0.0001). However, when setting at the same sensitivity of 97.3%, KS+ could not improve specificity. In ML analysis, the logistic regression model had the best performance. At sensitivity = 97.3% and specificity = 65.3%, i.e., compared to KS, 16 false-positives may be avoided without affecting true cancer diagnosis (p = 0.0015). Conclusion: Using dichotomized ADC to modify KS to KS+ can improve specificity, but at the price of lowered sensitivity. Machine learning algorithms may be applied to consider the ADC as a continuous variable to build more accurate diagnostic models. Key Points: • When using ADC to modify the Kaiser score to KS+, the diagnostic specificity according to the results of two independent readers was improved by 9.4–9.7%, at the price of slightly degraded sensitivity by 1.5–1.8%, and overall had improved accuracy by 2.6–2.9%. • When the KS and the continuous ADC values were combined to train models by machine learning algorithms, the diagnostic specificity achieved by the logistic regression model could be significantly improved from 59.1 to 65.3% (p = 0.0015), while maintaining at the high sensitivity of KS = 97.3%, and thus, the results demonstrated the potential of ML modeling to further evaluate the contribution of ADC. • When setting the sensitivity at the same levels, the modified KS+ and the original KS have comparable specificity; therefore, KS+ with consideration of ADC may not offer much practical help, and the original KS without ADC remains as an excellent robust diagnostic method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion of biomass and plastic into hydrogen through catalytic pyrolysis is a promising technology for the production of clean fuels. The developed Ni-La/Al2O3-CeO2-Bamboo charcoal (ACB) catalyst was applied to the co-pyrolysis of straw and polyethylene (PE) to produce hydrogen. This research explored the optimal mixing ratio of straw and PE, and the influence of the presence and stability of the catalysts on hydrogen production. Experiments show that the best mixing ratio is 5:5. Ni-La/ACB can significantly promote the production of H2 (13.56 mmol/g), and it can still maintain high stability after repeated use, which is inseparable from the introduction of La to improve the performance of the catalyst. It can be concluded that adding a certain proportion of plastic is beneficial to increase H2 production, and co-pyrolysis can solve the pollution problem caused by improper treatment of plastics while making full use of renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the diagnostic performance and interreader agreement of CEUS LI-RADS in diagnosing ≤ 30 mm liver nodules with different experienced radiologists. Methods: Between January 2018 and October 2020, 244 patients at high-risk for HCC who underwent CEUS were enrolled. Two novice radiologists and two expert radiologists independently evaluated LI-RADS categories and main features. Kappa (κ) and Kendall's tests were employed to evaluate the interreader agreement of CEUS LI-RADS. The diagnostic performance was determined based on sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV and NPV. Results: The interreader agreement for arterial phase hyperenhancement, late and mild washout, early washout, and rim hyperenhancement was moderate to almost perfect (κ, 0.44–0.93) among the different levels of radiologists. The interreader agreement for the LI-RADS categories was substantial to almost perfect (κ, 0.78–0.88). However, the interreader agreement for marked washout was fair to moderate (κ, 0.28–0.50). When CEUS LR-5 was used as a diagnostic criterion for HCC, there were no statistical differences in sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV and NPV among the radiologists (p > 0.05), except for the differences between Reader 4 and the remaining three radiologists in terms of accuracy and sensitivity (p < 0.05). Conclusion: CEUS LI-RADS has good diagnostic agreement for ≤ 30 mm liver nodules among experienced radiologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Removal of methylene blue (MB) from wastewater is significant to protect the environment. In this study, the facile preparation of phosphomolybdotungstic acid (H6P2Mo15W3O62)-modified metal-organic framework (MIL-96(Al)) materials for MB removal from wastewater is reported. The H6P2Mo15W3O62@MIL-96(Al) exhibited a significantly higher adsorption performance for MB than the pure MIL-96(Al). Best MB adsorption conditions are reported. The adsorption capacity of H6P2Mo15W3O62@MIL-96(Al) at 323 K was 157.73 mg g–1. The adsorption kinetics and isotherms of MB on the modified MIL-96(Al) adsorbent showed that they were basically in agreement with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir model, respectively. The determined thermodynamic parameters show that the adsorption process is exothermic. After five cycles, the adsorbent can still remove 68.5% of the dye, indicating its rather high recyclability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to establish a simple and efficient method for the mass culture of bdelloid rotifers, which is the basis for the application of bdelloid rotifers as biological manipulators to improve wastewater biological treatment performance. A common bdelloid rotifer, Habrotrocha sp., in a wastewater biological treatment system was selected as the culture target. Rotifers fed on flour could reproduce faster than those fed traditional food such as Chlorella vulgaris or mixed bacteria. As a rotifer food, flour has the advantages of simple preparation, effortless preservation, and low cost compared to live Chlorella vulgaris or mixed bacteria, so it is more suitable for the mass culture of rotifers. The optimal rotifer culture conditions using flour as food were also studied. According to the experimental results, the recommended rotifer culture conditions are a flour particle size of 1 µm, a flour concentration of 6 × 106 cell/mL, a temperature of 28°C, a pH level of 6.5 and salinity of 100–500 mg/L. In addition, the sludge volume index in the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) with the addition of cultured rotifers was 59.9 mL/g at the end of operation and decreased by 18.2% compared to SBR without rotifer, which indicates that the cultured rotifers still retained the function of helping to improve sludge settling. This function may be related to the rotifer’s role in inhibiting bacteria from producing loosely bound extracellular polymeric substances in the SBR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare predictive efficiency of multiple classifiers modeling and establish a combined magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomics model for identifying lymph node (LN) metastases of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) preoperatively. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis based on the preoperative MRI scans of 109 PTC patients including 77 patients with LN metastases and 32 patients without metastases was conducted, and we divided enroll cases into trained group and validation group. Radiomics signatures were selected from fat-suppressed T2-weighted MRI images, and the optimal characteristics were confirmed by spearman correlation test, hypothesis testing and random forest methods, and then, eight predictive models were constructed by eight classifiers. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis were performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the models. Results: The area under the curve (AUC) of ROC based on MRI texture diagnosed LN status by naked eye was 0.739 (sensitivity = 0.571, specificity = 0.906). Based on the 5 optimal signatures, the best AUC of MRI radiomics model by logistics regression classifier had a considerable prediction performance with AUCs 0.805 in trained group and 0.760 in validation group, respectively, and a combination of best radiomics model with visual diagnosis of MRI texture had a high AUC as 0.969 (sensitivity = 0.938, specificity = 1.000), suggesting combined model had a preferable diagnostic efficiency in evaluating LN metastases of PTC. Conclusion: Our combined radiomics model with visual diagnosis could be a potentially effective strategy to preoperatively predict LN metastases in PTC patients before clinical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates an anti-interference energy-efficient power allocation scheme in the multi-carrier millimeter-wave (mmWave) ultra-dense networks. To suppress the severe intercell-interference, this work proposes a novel interference minimization scheme based on the non-cooperative game theory for energy-efficiency maximization. In each best response, the non-convex problem is transformed into some convex subproblems, and each is solved by a low-complexity stair water-filling (SWF) algorithm over some subintervals. The interference minimization scheme, together with the SWF algorithm, has been proven to converge to a unique Nash equilibrium point. Simulation results and numerical analysis show that the scheme displays significant energy-efficiency performance advantages over other iterative water-filling methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum dots (QDs)/gel composites have sparked tremendous interests due to their great potentials in sensors. However, in most cases, these sensors are focused on single signal detection, suffers from a key hurdle of low signal density. Thus, it is highly desirable to develop multi-signal QDs/gel-based sensors. In this work, we constructed dual-signal QDs/gel assemblies by a microfluidic-assisted method, which shows promising application in dual-signal sensors. Typically, self-healing QDs/gel beads with different fluorescent signals were fabricated via microfluidic techniques. In virtue of the microfluidic-assisted self-assembly, various dual-signal assemblies were constructed controllably in the confined channels, where self-healing QDs/gel beads serve as building blocks. As expected, the assemblies exhibit rapid dual-signal detection capability toward organic amines and pH values. In addition, by using self-healing gels as printable materials, the combination of the self-assembly strategy with 3D microfluidic printing allows the generation of diverse responsive dual-signal patterns and structures. The self-assembly of self-healing building blocks not only offers a promising route toward fluorescent dual-signal architectures for advanced sensors, but will also guide the development of 3D printing for controllable fabrication of functional assemblies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Device-to-device (D2D) communications and mobile edge computing (MEC) used to resolve traffic overload problems is a trend in the cellular network. By jointly considering the computation capability and the maximum delay, resource-constrained terminals offload parts of their computation-intensive tasks to one nearby device via a D2D connection or an edge server deployed at a base station via a cellular connection. In this paper, a novel method of cellular D2D–MEC system is proposed, which enables task offloading and resource allocation meanwhile improving the execution efficiency of each device with a low latency. We consider the partial offloading strategy and divide the task into local and remote computing, both of which can be executed in parallel through different computational modes. Instead of allocating system resources from a macroscopic view, we innovatively study both the task offloading strategy and the computing efficiency of each device from a microscopic perspective. By taking both task offloading policy and computation resource allocation into consideration, the optimization problem is formulated as that of maximized computing efficiency. As the formulated problem is a mixed-integer non-linear problem, we thus propose a two-phase heuristic algorithm by jointly considering helper selection and computation resources allocation. In the first phase, we obtain the suboptimal helper selection policy. In the second phase, the MEC computation resources allocation strategy is achieved. The proposed low complexity dichotomy algorithm (LCDA) is used to match the subtask-helper pair. The simulation results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed D2D-enhanced MEC system over some traditional D2D–MEC algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays the concern on the treatment of refractory organic pollutants (e.g., Congo red and phenolic compounds) in industrial wastewaters and their treated effluents with conventional technologies has been still continuously increasing. In this study, a novel visible light photocatalyst material, Ag/AgBr and Al loading on the attapulgite (ATP), was prepared for efficiently catalyzing the photodegradation of the two refractory substances, and its photocatalytic performance and recyclability were assessed. Results from transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction confirmed the successful loading of Ag/AgBr and Al on the ATP. The prepared Ag/AgBr-Al-ATP composite presented substantially better catalytic performance than Ag/AgBr alone probably because the ATP as a carrier of catalyst provided more contact surface for catalyst Ag/AgBr and Congo red/phenol. In the Ag/AgBr-Al-ATP composite, the photocatalyst AgBr content increased from 20.4 to 34.9% due to the modification of ATP by Al. Correspondingly, the Ag/AgBr-Al-ATP composite presented its excellent photocatalytic performance under visible light irradiation: photodegradation efficiencies of Congo red and phenol of 1.73 mg/100 mg and 0.86 mg/100 mg were achieved. With the increase of pH, the photolysis efficiencies of Congo red and phenol both first increased and then decreased, whereas the optimal photocatalytic performance occurred at pH 7 for Congo red and pH 10 for phenol. The Ag/AgBr-Al composite presented a high catalytic activity for photolysis of Congo red and phenol in all the four consecutive reused cycles. The results in this study comprehensively demonstrated a promising photocatalyst for efficient removal of the similar refractory organics presented in industrial wastewaters, which deserves further investigation and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative metagenomic studies have linked the gut microbiota to autoimmune disorders. Here, we performed deep shotgun metagenomic sequencing of fecal samples from 99 immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) patients and 52 healthy controls. Dysbiosis in the gut microbiome of ITP was detected phylogenetically and functionally, and classifier based on species markers distinguished individuals with ITP from healthy controls. In particular, the abundance of Ruminococcus gnavus, Bifidobacterium longum and Akkermansia muciniphila was markedly increased in treatment-naïve ITP patients, and the alterations of microbial species were correlated with clinical indices. Functionally, the secondary bile acid biosynthesis and flagellar assembly were depleted in the gut microbiota of ITP, which may contribute to the onset of ITP by affecting the immune system. Furthermore, we found that corticosteroid treatment affected the gut microbiome of ITP. Compared with corticosteroid-sensitive ITP patients, we identified that the corticosteroid-resistant ITP patients displayed a distinct gut microbiome, which was different from that of the treatment-naïve ITP patients. Together, we provided support for the critical role of gut microbiota in the development of ITP and established a foundation for further research characterizing gut microbiota in relation to corticosteroid resistance of ITP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatic stem cell transplantation has been demonstrated as an effective alternative therapy for the end-stage liver failure patients. Therefore, the functional detection of hepatic stem cell is essentially required. The present study confirmed that adenovirus BMP9 (Ad-BMP9) could increase the ALB-Gluc activity of HP14-19 hepatic progenitor cells, the expression of specific hepatic markers ALB, TAT, UGT1A were up-regulated while the hepatic stem cell markers DLK, AFP were down-regulated, and the number of positive Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) stained cells were significantly higher than those in control group. However, the indocyanine green (ICG) uptake failed to be detectable in induced hepatocytes, which was inconsistent. By using another cell line LC14d, we found out that positive ICG uptake cells were located in the area of low cell density, while positive PAS stained cells were mainly concentrated in the area where cells were overlapped, indicating that different cell confluence might affect the outcomes of ICG uptake and PAS staining. A manual wound healing of Ad-BMP9 induced HP14-19 cells was made, the crawling cells were stained positive for ICG but not for PAS. Therefore, our finding may provide evidence for better application of PAS staining and ICG uptake assay in functional detection of mature hepatocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of early-life adversity (ELA) on dendritic differentiation of striatal neurons were investigated in the dorsal striatum including the dorsomedial striatum and dorsolateral striatum (DMS and DLS, respectively). An animal model of ELA was created by changing the growth environment of newborn mouse pups by giving limited bedding and nesting materials from postnatal day 2 to day 9 (P2–P9). One week after the stress paradigm (P16), the dendritic branches and spines of striatal spiny neurons as well as the synapses represented by postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95) in DMS and DLS were stereologically analyzed. Adverse experience in early life selectively affected the spiny neurons in DLS, leading to abundant proximal dendritic branches and an increased number of filopodia-like protrusions, but a reduced number of dendritic spines. The selective effects of stress on neurons in DLS were further identified by reduced expression of PSD-95, including a reduced optical density of PSD-95 immunoreactivity and fewer individual PSD-95 immunoreactive synapses in this region. Notably, stress in early life affected either D1 or D2 dopamine receptor-expressing DLS neurons. These findings suggest that adverse early-life experience delayed the maturation of dendritic spines on neurons in the dorsolateral striatum. Altered dendritic differentiation provoked by stress in early life may contribute critically to the formation of proper neuronal circuits in the dorsal striatum and, therefore, affect striatum-dependent habitual behavior and emotional function later in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered MoS2 is considered as one of the most promising two-dimensional photocatalytic materials for hydrogen evolution and water splitting; however, the electronic structure at the MoS2-liquid interface is so far insufficiently resolved. Measuring and understanding the band offset at the surfaces of MoS2 are crucial for understanding catalytic reactions and to achieve further improvements in performance. Herein, the heterogeneous charge transfer behavior of MoS2 flakes of various layer numbers and sizes is addressed with high spatial resolution in organic solutions using the ferrocene/ferrocenium (Fc/Fc+) redox pair as a probe in near-field scanning electrochemical microscopy, i.e. in close nm probe-sample proximity. Redox mapping reveals an area and layer dependent reactivity for MoS2 with a detailed insight into the local processes as band offset and confinement of the faradaic current obtained. In combination with additional characterization methods, we deduce a band alignment occurring at the liquid-solid interface. Here, high-resolution atomic force microscopy and scanning electrochemical microscopy are used to investigate the electron transfer behaviour of layered MoS2 flakes in organic solutions, offering insights on the electronic band alignment at the solid-liquid interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce the inner ring temperature and the oil consumption, temperature impact of star gear bearing inner ring based on under-race lubrication passage is analyzed, the flow and temperature fields of the inner ring are simulated using the realizable k-ε turbulence model based on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method, and experimental verification is performed. The results indicate that adding annular grooves to the star gear cylindrical roller bearing has a significant impact in reducing the temperature of the inner ring, and annular grooves with different cross-sectional sizes have different impacts in reducing the temperature of the inner ring. When the cross-sectional area of the annular grooves is 5 × 1.5 mm, the temperatures of the inner raceway of the left and right bearing decrease from 123.95 and 111.98 °C to 104.3 and 101.4 °C, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]