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Objective: To study the effect of different tube pitches on neck CTA radiation dose and image quality under automatic tube current modulation technology. Data and methods: A total of 120 patients were selected for neck CTA examination in Tinglin Hospital of Jinshan District, Shanghai from September 2022 to May 2023, including 52 males and 68 females, aged 45~86 years, with an average age of 66.76 years. According to different pitches, patients were assigned to three groups: A, B and C, with a total of 40 cases of 0.8 pitch in group A, 40 cases with 1.0 pitch in group B, and 40 cases with 1.2 pitch in group C. Univariate ANOVA test was used to compare gender, age, height, weight, and total scan duration between the three groups. CT value, SD value, SNR, CNR of the carotid artery bifurcation between the three groups and the jugular vein and sternocleidomastoid muscle in the same layer; Subjective scoring of image quality between the three groups; TDLP automatically generated by the device and calculated ED. Kappa test was used to test the consistency of subjective scores of the two physicians. Results: There were no significant differences in gender, age, height and weight between the three groups, and there was no significant difference in automatic TDLP and calculated ED. There were no significant differences in CT values at the carotid bifurcation and CT values of the same layer of sternocleidomastoid muscle, SD, SCR, CNR and SD values of the carotid artery bifurcation between the three groups, and the modified score between the three groups. Conclusion: Based on the premise of automatic tube current modulation technology, radiation dose can be effectively reduced. Even if different pitches are used, radiation dose will not increase or decrease. However, as the pitch increases, the scanning time is shorter, which can effectively reduce the interference of veins on image quality, reduce motion artifacts, and improve the image quality of neck CTA.

Summary: Background: Laboratory determination of autoantibodies against acetylcholine receptor (AChR), muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) and other autoantigens have been integrated into the diagnosis of myasthenia gravis (MG). However, evidence supporting the selection of methodologies is lacking. Methods: In this prospective, multicentre cohort study, we recruited patients with suspected MG to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of cell-based assay (CBA), radioimmunoprecipitation assay (RIPA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in detecting AChR and MuSK autoantibodies. This study is registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov, number NCT05219097. Findings: 2272 eligible participants were recruited, including 2043 MG, 229 non-MG subjects. AChR antibodies were detected in 1478, 1310, and 1280 out of a total of 2043 MG patients by CBA, RIPA, and ELISA, respectively; sensitivity, 72.3% (95% CI, 70.3–74.3), 64.1% (95% CI, 62.0–66.2), 62.7% (95% CI, 60.5–64.8); specificity, 97.8% (95% CI, 95.0–99.3), 97.8% (95% CI, 95.0–99.3), 94.8% (95% CI, 91.9–97.7). MuSK antibodies were found in 59, 50, and 54 from 2043 MG patients by CBA, RIPA and ELISA, respectively; sensitivity, 2.9% (95% CI, 2.2–3.7), 2.4% (95% CI, 1.8–3.2), 2.6% (95% CI, 2.0–3.4); specificity, 100% (95% CI, 98.4–100), 100% (95% CI, 98.4–100), and 99.1% (95% CI, 96.9–99.9). The area under the curve of AChR antibodies tested by CBA was 0.858, and there were statistical differences with RIPA (0.843; p = 0.03) and ELISA (0.809; p

We present a method for calibrating a commercial thermal camera adopted to accurately measure the temperature change of the sample in a laser-induced temperature modulation spectrum (LITMoS) test, which is adopted for measuring two crucial parameters of the external quantum efficiency ηext and the background absorption coefficient αb for assessing the laser cooling grade of the rare-earth-doped materials. After calibration, the temperature resolution of the calibrated thermal camera is better than 0.1 K. For the cooling grade Czochralski-grown 5% Yb3+:LuLiF4 crystal, the corresponding values of ηext and αb are LITMoS = measured to be ηext=99.4 (±0.1)% and αb=1.5 (±0.1)×10−4 cm−1, respectively.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae L7 was found to be an excellent starter and biological deacidification strain for Suanyu, however, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the acid inhibition mechanism of S. cerevisiae L7. The strain enhances the sensory and flavor characteristics of Suanyu. The growth of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum is inhibited due to competition for carbon sources, resulting in a decrease in cell count from 9.00 Lg CFU/mL at 48 h to 7.70 Lg CFU/mL in co-culture. The addition of yeast reduces acidity, decreasing it from 5.83 g/kg to 0.82 g/kg at 48 h, while increasing sugar utilization to 94.52%. We found that cell contact was the main method of inhibition between the two microbials. Transcriptome analysis revealed that multiple pathways were affected under co-culture, ultimately leading to a decrease in lactic acid production. These findings provide valuable insights into the microbial interactions involved in biological deacidification., (© 2024. The Author(s).)