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To analyze the speciation distribution of arsenic in agaric, shiitake mushroom, matsutake and agrocybe, the ion chromatography-inductive coupled plasma mass spectrometer (IC-ICP-MS) was used to determine arsenobetaine, dimethyl arsenic, arsenous acid, arsenic choline, monomethyl arsenic and arsenic acid, and the methodological investigation and content determination were carried out. The results showed that the method could completely separate all six arsenic forms within 5 minutes, and the peak patterns were good. The linear relationship of the method was good (mass concentration of 0.5~20 μg/L, r>0.999). The detection limit and quantification limit of six arsenic species were not more than 0.005 and 0.017 mg/kg respectively. The recovery rate of six arsenic forms in agaric, agrocybe and shiitake mushroom could reach 80%~120% with standard addition. For matsutake, the standard addition recovery rate could also reach 80%~120% when adding right standard amounts (0.05 mg/kg dimethyl arsenic, arsenic choline and arsenic acid; 0.2 mg/kg arsenite and monomethyl arsenic; 5 mg/kg arsenic betaine). Combined with the dehydration rate of dry products, the inorganic arsenic content of the tested samples met the requirements of GB 2762-2022. The content of total arsenic in matsutake was the highest, but the proportion of inorganic arsenic（arsenic choline+arsenic acid） in total arsenic was the lowest 3.6%~6.8%, and the highest proportion was arsenobetaine (75.8%~87.3%). The main form of arsenic in agaric, agrocybe, and shiitake mushroom were inorganic arsenic. The proportion of inorganic arsenic to total arsenic could reach 58.4%~66.1%、60.0%~66.7%、81.2%~91.7%, respectively. There was a risk of food safety when the total arsenic content was high.

ObjectivesTo investigate the significance of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) and glutamate chemical exchange saturation transfer (Glu-CEST) techniques in assessing the condition and prognosis of acute bilirubin encephalopathy patients and to understand the mechanism of nerve injury in this disease.Materials and methodsFrom September 2019 to February 2021, 31 neonates with acute bilirubin encephalopathy and 16 healthy neonates were enrolled in this study. All the quantitative results of 1H-MRS, Glu-CEST, and conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of all neonates were analyzed. The associations between statistically significant indicators of imaging and developmental quotients (DQ) were analyzed.ResultsThe 31 cases were assigned to the mild subgroup (n = 21) and moderate and severe subgroup (n = 10) according to the bilirubin-induced neurologic dysfunction (BIND) scores. The case group had elevated Cho and GABA absolute concentrations compared to the normal control group (all p < 0.05). Compared with the normal control group, the absolute concentration of GABA of the moderate and severe subgroup was significantly larger (p < 0.05). Compared with the normal control group, the Glu-CEST% values in the left basal ganglia, right thalamus, left frontal cortex and bilateral medial geniculate body of the case group was significantly larger (all p < 0.05). The moderate and severe subgroup had higher Glu-CEST% values in the left basal ganglia, right thalamus, and bilateral medial geniculate body than the normal control group (all p < 0.05). A negative association was revealed between the DQ scores and the Glu-CEST% values in the left basal ganglia (r = −0.888, p < 0.05).ConclusionThe combination of 1H-MRS and Glu-CEST techniques can monitor the intracerebral metabolite level of acute bilirubin encephalopathy and evaluate the illness severity.

AimsThis study adopted the Glutamate Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (GluCEST) imaging technique to quantitatively analyze cranial glutamate and discussed the effectiveness of GluCEST values in identifying the pathogenesis of encephalopathy after CO poisoning.MethodsThe routine MRI and functional MRI scans of two cohorts of subjects (CO group, n = 29; Control group, n = 21) were performed. Between-group comparisons were conducted for GluCEST% in regions of interest (ROI), including the basal ganglia, the thalamus, the frontal lobe, the occipital lobe, the genu of corpus callosum, the cingulate gyrus, and the cuneus. Moreover, an age-stratified subgroup analysis was devised, and a correlational analysis was performed for GluCEST% in each ROI, including the time in coma, Simple Mini-Mental State Examination Scale (MMSE) score, Hamilton Anxiety Scale score, and blood COHb%.ResultsAs compared to the healthy control, the CO group led to significantly increasing GluCEST% in the basal ganglia, the occipital lobe, the genu of the corpus callosum, the cingulate gyrus, and the cuneus (p < 0.05). In the subgroup analysis for age, adult patients had higher GluCEST% in the basal ganglia, the thalamus, the occipital lobe, the cingulate gyrus, and the cuneus compared to healthy adults (p < 0.05). In addition, the correlational analysis of CO-poisoned patients revealed a statistical association between the GluCEST% and the MMSE in the thalamus and the genu of the corpus callosum.ConclusionThe GluCEST technique is superior to routine MRI in that it can identify the cerebral biochemical changes sooner after acute CO poisoning, which is significant for our understanding of the role of neurotransmitters in the pathological basis of this disease. Brain injury caused by CO poisoning may be different in adults and children.

AimsCurrently, there are only a few studies concerning brain functional alterations after acute alcohol exposure, and the majority of existing studies attach more importance to the spatial properties of brain function without considering the temporal properties. The current study adopted sliding window to investigate the resting-state brain networks in healthy volunteers after acute alcohol intake and to explore the dynamic changes in network connectivity.Materials and methodsTwenty healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. Blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) data prior to drinking were obtained as control, while that 0.5 and 1 h after drinking were obtained as the experimental group. Reoccurring functional connectivity patterns (states) were determined following group independent component analysis (ICA), sliding window analysis and k-means clustering. Between-group comparisons were performed with respect to the functional connectivity states fractional windows, mean dwell time, and the number of transitions.ResultsThree optimal functional connectivity states were identified. The fractional windows and mean dwell time of 0.5 h group and 1 h group increased in state 3, while the fraction window and mean dwell time of 1 h group decreased in state 1. State 1 is characterized by strong inter-network connections between basal ganglia network (BGN) and sensorimotor network (SMN), BGN and cognitive executive network (CEN), and default mode network (DMN) and visual network (VN). However, state 3 is distinguished by relatively weak intra-network connections in SMN, VN, CEN, and DMN. State 3 was thought to be a characteristic connectivity pattern of the drunk brain. State 1 was believed to represent the brain’s main connection pattern when awake. Such dynamic changes in brain network connectivity were consistent with participants’ subjective feelings after drinking.ConclusionThe current study reveals the dynamic change in resting-state brain functional network connectivity before and after acute alcohol intake. It was discovered that there might be relatively independent characteristic functional network connection patterns under intoxication, and the corresponding patterns characterize the clinical manifestations of volunteers. As a valuable imaging biomarker, dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) offers a new approach and basis for further explorations on brain network alterations after alcohol consumption and the alcohol-related mechanisms for neurological damage.

AimsAlcohol consumption could lead to a series of health problems and social issues. In the current study, we investigated the resting-state functional brain networks of healthy volunteers before and after drinking through graph-theory analysis, aiming to ascertain the effects of acute alcohol intake on topology and information processing mode of the functional brain networks.Materials and methodsThirty-three healthy volunteers were enrolled in this experiment. Each volunteer accepted alcohol breathalyzer tests followed by resting-state magnetic resonance imaging at three time points: before drinking, 0.5 h after drinking, and 1 h after drinking. The data obtained were grouped based on scanning time into control group, 0.5-h group and 1-h group, and post-drinking data were regrouped according to breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) into relative low BrAC group (A group; 0.5-h data, n = 17; 1-h data, n = 16) and relative high BrAC group (B group; 0.5-h data, n = 16; 1-h data, n = 17). The graph-theory approach was adopted to construct whole-brain functional networks and identify the differences of network topological properties among all the groups.ResultsThe network topology of most groups was altered after drinking, with the B group presenting the most alterations. For global network measures, B group exhibited increased global efficiency, Synchronization, and decreased local efficiency, clustering coefficient, normalized clustering coefficient, characteristic path length, normalized characteristic path length, as compared to control group. Regarding nodal network measures, nodal clustering coefficient and nodal local efficiency of some nodes were lower in B group than control group. These changes suggested that the network integration ability and synchrony improved, while the segregation ability diminished.ConclusionThis study revealed the effects of acute alcohol intake on the topology and information processing mode of resting-state functional brain networks, providing new perceptions and insights into the effects of alcohol on the brain.

ObjectivesTo evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic values of glutamate chemical exchange saturation transfer (GluCEST) magnetic resonance imaging as a quantitative method for pathogenetic research and clinical application of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning-induced encephalopathy combined with the proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) and the related histopathological and behavioral changes.MethodsA total of 63 Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups. Group A (n = 12) was used for animal modeling verification; Group B (n = 15) was used for magnetic resonance molecular imaging, Group C (n = 15) was used for animal behavior experiments, and Group D (n = 21) was used for histopathological examination. All the above quantitative results were analyzed by statistics.ResultsThe peak value of carboxyhemoglobin saturation in the blood after modeling was 7.3-fold higher than before and lasted at least 2.5 h. The GluCEST values of the parietal lobe, hippocampus, and thalamus were significantly higher than the base values in CO poisoning rats (p < 0.05) and the 1H-MRS showed significant differences in the parietal lobe and hippocampus. In the Morris water maze tests, the average latency and distance were significantly prolonged in poisoned rats (p < 0.05), and the cumulative time was shorter and negatively correlated with GluCEST.ConclusionThe GluCEST imaging non-invasively reflects the changes of glutamate in the brain in vivo with higher sensitivity and spatial resolution than 1H-MRS. Our study implies that GluCEST imaging may be used as a new imaging method for providing a pathogenetic and prognostic assessment of CO-associated encephalopathy.

Abstract COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is an acute and rapidly developing pandemic, which leads to a global health crisis. SARS-CoV-2 primarily attacks human alveoli and causes severe lung infection and damage. To better understand the molecular basis of this disease, we sought to characterize the responses of alveolar epithelium and its adjacent microvascular endothelium to viral infection under a co-culture system. SARS-CoV-2 infection caused massive virus replication and dramatic organelles remodeling in alveolar epithelial cells, alone. While, viral infection affected endothelial cells in an indirect manner, which was mediated by infected alveolar epithelium. Proteomics analysis and TEM examinations showed viral infection caused global proteomic modulations and marked ultrastructural changes in both epithelial cells and endothelial cells under the co-culture system. In particular, viral infection elicited global protein changes and structural reorganizations across many sub-cellular compartments in epithelial cells. Among the affected organelles, mitochondrion seems to be a primary target organelle. Besides, according to EM and proteomic results, we identified Daurisoline, a potent autophagy inhibitor, could inhibit virus replication effectively in host cells. Collectively, our study revealed an unrecognized cross-talk between epithelium and endothelium, which contributed to alveolar–capillary injury during SARS-CoV-2 infection. These new findings will expand our understanding of COVID-19 and may also be helpful for targeted drug development.

To improve the identification accuracy of target detection for intelligent vehicles, a real-time target detection system based on the multi-source fusion method is proposed. Based on the ROS melodic software development environment and the NVIDIA Xavier hardware development platform, this system integrates sensing devices such as millimeter-wave radar and camera, and it can realize functions such as real-time target detection and tracking. At first, the image data can be processed by the You Only Look Once v5 network, which can increase the speed and accuracy of identification; secondly, the millimeter-wave radar data are processed to provide a more accurate distance and velocity of the targets. Meanwhile, in order to improve the accuracy of the system, the sensor fusion method is used. The radar point cloud is projected onto the image, then through space-time synchronization, region of interest (ROI) identification, and data association, the target-tracking information is presented. At last, field tests of the system are conducted, the results of which indicate that the system has a more accurate recognition effect and scene adaptation ability in complex scenes.

Aims: Carbon monoxide poisoning is a common condition that can cause severe neurological sequelae. Previous studies have revealed that functional connectivity in carbon monoxide poisoning is abnormal under the assumption that it is resting during scanning and have focused on studying delayed encephalopathy in carbon monoxide poisoning. However, studies of functional connectivity dynamics in the acute phase of carbon monoxide poisoning may provide a more insightful perspective for understanding the neural mechanisms underlying carbon monoxide poisoning. To our knowledge, this is the first study that explores abnormal brain network dynamics in the acute phase of carbon monoxide poisoning.Methods: Combining the sliding window method and k-means algorithm, we identified four recurrent dynamic functional cognitive impairment states from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 29 patients in the acute phase of carbon monoxide poisoning and 29 healthy controls. We calculated between-group differences in the temporal properties and intensity of dFC states, and we also performed subgroup analyses to separately explore the brain network dynamics characteristics of adult vs. child carbon monoxide poisoning groups. Finally, these differences were correlated with patients’ cognitive performance in the acute phase of carbon monoxide poisoning and coma duration.Results: We identified four morphological patterns of brain functional network connectivity. During the acute phase of carbon monoxide poisoning, patients spent more time in State 2, which is characterized by positive correlation between SMN and CEN, and negative correlation between DMN and SMN. In addition, the fractional window and mean dwell time of State 2 were positively correlated with coma duration. The subgroup analysis results demonstrated that the acute phase of childhood carbon monoxide poisoning had greater dFNC time variability than adult carbon monoxide poisoning.Conclusion: Our findings reveal that patients in the acute phase of carbon monoxide poisoning exhibit dynamic functional abnormalities. Furthermore, children have greater dFNC instability following carbon monoxide poisoning than adults. This advances our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying acute carbon monoxide poisoning.

Background and Objective: The abnormal T1-weighted imaging of MRI can be used to characterize neonatal acute bilirubin encephalopathy (ABE) in newborns, but has limited use in evaluating the severity and prognosis of ABE. This study aims to assess the value of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) in detecting ABE and understanding its pathogenesis.Method: Seventy-six newborns with hyperbilirubinemia were grouped into three groups (mild group, moderate group, and severe group) based on serum bilirubin levels. All the patients underwent conventional MRI and DKI serial, as well as 40 healthy full-term infants (control group). The regions of interest (ROIs) were the bilateral globus pallidus, dorsal thalamus, frontal lobe, auditory radiation, superior temporal gyrus, substantia nigra, hippocampus, putamen, and inferior olivary nucleus. The values of mean diffusivity (MD), axial kurtosis (AK), radial kurtosis (RK), and mean kurtosis (MK), and fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (RD), and axis diffusivity (AD) of the ROIs were evaluated. All newborns were followed up and evaluated using the Denver Development Screening Test (DDST). According to the follow-up results, the patients were divided into the normal group, the suspicious abnormal group, and the abnormal group.Result: Compared with the control group, significant differences were observed with the increased MK of dorsal thalamus, AD of globus pallidus in the moderate group, and increased RD, MK, AK, and RK value of globus pallidus, dorsal thalamus, auditory radiation, superior temporal gyrus, and hippocampus in the severe group. The peak value of total serum bilirubin was moderately correlated with the MK of globus pallidus, dorsal thalamus, and auditory radiation and was positively correlated with the other kurtosis value. Out of 76 patients, 40 finished the DDST, and only 9 patients showed an abnormality. Compared with the normal group, the AK value of inferior olivary nucleus showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in the suspicious abnormal group, and the MK of globus pallidus, temporal gyrus, and auditory radiation; RK of globus pallidus, dorsal thalamus, and auditory radiation; and MD of globus pallidus showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in the abnormal group.Conclusion: DKI can reflect the subtle structural changes of neonatal ABE, and MK is a sensitive indicator to indicate the severity of brain damage.

Chamaesium paradoxum H. Wolff is an endemic species naturally distributed in China. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of C. paradoxum was generated by de novo assembly using whole genome next generation sequencing data. The complete chloroplast genome of C. paradoxum is 153,512 bp in length, consisting of a pair of inverted repeats (IRs, 25,987 bp) separated by a large single-copy region (LSC, 84,162 bp) and a small single-copy region (SSC, 17,376 bp). There are 129 genes annotated, including 84 coding genes, 37 transfer RNA genes (tRNA), and eight ribosomal RNA genes (rRNA).

Although conventional structural MRI provides vital information in the evaluation of congenital sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), it is relatively insensitive to white matter microstructure. Our objective was to evaluate possible changes in microstructure of the auditory pathway in children with congenital sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), and the possible distinction between good and poor outcome of cochlear implantation (CI) patients by using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Twenty-four patients with congenital SNHL and 20 healthy controls underwent conventional MRI and DTI examination using a 1.5T MR scanner. The DTI metrics of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) of six regions of interest (ROIs) positioned along the auditory pathway-the trapezoid body, superior olivary nucleus, inferior colliculus, medial geniculate body, auditory radiation and white matter of Heschl's gyrus-was measured in all subjects. Among the 24 patients, 8 patients with a categorie of auditory performance (CAP) score over 6 were classified into the good outcome group, and 16 patients with a CAP score below 6 were classified into the poor outcome group. A significant decrease was observed in FA values while MD values remained unchanged at the six ROIs of SNHL patients compared with healthy controls. Compared to good outcome subjects, poor outcome subjects displayed decreased FA values at all of the ROIs. No changes were observed in MD values. Correlation analyses only revealed strong correlations between FA values and CAP scores, and strong correlations between CAP scores and age at implant were also found. No correlations of FA values with age at implant were observed. Our results show that preoperative DTI can be used to evaluate microstructural alterations in the auditory pathway that are not detectable by conventional MR imaging, and may play an important role in evaluating the outcome of CI. Early cochlear implantation might be more effectively to restore hearing in SNHL patients.

Objectives: To investigate the significance of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) and glutamate chemical exchange saturation transfer (Glu-CEST) techniques in assessing the condition and prognosis of acute bilirubin encephalopathy patients and to understand the mechanism of nerve injury in this disease. Materials and methods: From September 2019 to February 2021, 31 neonates with acute bilirubin encephalopathy and 16 healthy neonates were enrolled in this study. All the quantitative results of 1H-MRS, Glu-CEST, and conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of all neonates were analyzed. The associations between statistically significant indicators of imaging and developmental quotients (DQ) were analyzed. Results: The 31 cases were assigned to the mild subgroup (n = 21) and moderate and severe subgroup (n = 10) according to the bilirubin-induced neurologic dysfunction (BIND) scores. The case group had elevated Cho and GABA absolute concentrations compared to the normal control group (all p < 0.05). Compared with the normal control group, the absolute concentration of GABA of the moderate and severe subgroup was significantly larger (p < 0.05). Compared with the normal control group, the Glu-CEST% values in the left basal ganglia, right thalamus, left frontal cortex and bilateral medial geniculate body of the case group was significantly larger (all p < 0.05). The moderate and severe subgroup had higher Glu-CEST% values in the left basal ganglia, right thalamus, and bilateral medial geniculate body than the normal control group (all p < 0.05). A negative association was revealed between the DQ scores and the Glu-CEST% values in the left basal ganglia (r = 10.888, p < 0.05). Conclusion: The combination of 1H-MRS and Glu-CEST techniques can monitor the intracerebral metabolite level of acute bilirubin encephalopathy and evaluate the illness severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and assembly of environmental monitoring and control system for large-scale pig house with fermentation bed helped to solve the problem of environmental automatic control in piggery. The sensors would monitor the temperature, humidity, light, wind direction, wind speed, CO2, NH3 and other parameters. On-line real-time data collection was achieved. The expert system was constructed to control the temperature in piggery below 30°C, to control the air and mattress humidities higher than 65%. Under the conditions of different season or different wind speed, even in day and night, the control actuators were different. The actuators included fanning wet curtain, lighting, micro spraying, spraying, propeller fan, electric aluminum alloy shutter and spraying systems on the roof. The actuators were integrated, and they control the piggery environment simultaneously. The system also designed the remote video monitor interface, parameter-monitoring curved interface and operation interface, which provided a good man-machine interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of thyroid tumors has been increasing recent years, the importance of quality of life has been more concerned in addition to radical treatment. Traditional open surgery has been unable to meet the needs of all patients. In recent years, the continuous innovation and vigorous development of minimally invasive techniques, including endoscopy, ablation, and robotics, have expanded the range of available surgical options. In this review, we summarized the advancements in minimally invasive surgery for thyroid tumors, focusing on how to select the most appropriate surgical approach based on the patient's condition and develop personalized treatment plans.