Clinical Assessment of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Diffusion-Weighted Imaging in Diffuse Glioma: Insights Into Histological Grading and IDH Classification

PURPOSE

To assess the diagnostic utility of clinical magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in distinguishing between histological grading and isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) classification in adult diffuse gliomas.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 247 patients diagnosed with adult diffuse glioma. Experienced radiologists evaluated DWI and MRS images. The Kruskal-Wallis test examined differences in DWI and MRS-related parameters across histological grades, while the Mann-Whitney U test assessed molecular classification. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves evaluated parameter effectiveness. Survival curves, stratified by histological grade and IDH classification, were constructed using the Kaplan-Meier test.

RESULTS

The cohort comprised 141 males and 106 females, with ages ranging from 19 to 85 years. The Kruskal-Wallis test revealed significant differences in ADC mean, Cho/NAA, and Cho/Cr concerning glioma histological grade (P < .01). Subsequent application of Dunn's test showed significant differences in ADC mean among each histological grade (P < .01). Notably, Cho/NAA exhibited a marked distinction between grade 2 and grade 3/4 gliomas (P < .01). The Mann-Whitney U test indicated that only ADC mean showed statistical significance for IDH molecular classification (P < .01). ROC curves were constructed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the specified parameters. Survival curves were also delineated to portray survival outcomes categorized by histological grade and IDH classification. Conclusions: Clinical MRS demonstrates efficacy in glioma histological grading but faces challenges in IDH classification. Clinical DWI's ADC mean parameter shows significant distinctions in both histological grade and IDH classification.

Creating and controlling global Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger entanglement on quantum processors

Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states, also known as two-component Schrödinger cats, play vital roles in the foundation of quantum physics and the potential quantum applications. Enlargement in size and coherent control of GHZ states are both crucial for harnessing entanglement in advanced computational tasks with practical advantages, which unfortunately pose tremendous challenges as GHZ states are vulnerable to noise. Here we propose a general strategy for creating, preserving, and manipulating large-scale GHZ entanglement, and demonstrate a series of experiments underlined by high-fidelity digital quantum circuits. For initialization, we employ a scalable protocol to create genuinely entangled GHZ states with up to 60 qubits, almost doubling the previous size record. For protection, we take a different perspective on discrete time crystals (DTCs), originally for exploring exotic nonequilibrium quantum matters, and embed a GHZ state into the eigenstates of a tailor-made cat scar DTC to extend its lifetime. For manipulation, we switch the DTC eigenstates with in-situ quantum gates to modify the effectiveness of the GHZ protection. Our findings establish a viable path towards coherent operations on large-scale entanglement, and further highlight superconducting processors as a promising platform to explore nonequilibrium quantum matters and emerging applications.

Bayesian-Based Causal Structure Inference With a Domain Knowledge Prior for Stable and Interpretable Soft Sensing

Due to the high-stakes nature of industrial processes, there is an immediate and pressing need on soft sensors for stability and interpretability. In this regard, causality-inspired modeling aims to learn causal features corresponding to the direct causes of quality variables, exhibiting great potential in terms of both stability and interpretability. However, most existing causality-inspired methods overlook temporal modeling and domain knowledge integration, which hinders their real-world application in industrial soft sensing. To this end, this article proposes a novel causality-inspired stable long short-term memory (Stable-LSTM), which leverages Bayesian-based causal structure inference and incorporates domain knowledge as a prior to enhance the performance stability and physical interpretability of soft sensors. After extracting temporal features via long short-term memory (LSTM), a Bayesian-based causal structure inference approach is developed by leveraging variational inference to learn the underlying hidden causal structure within the industrial processes. Through a hidden explanation of domain knowledge, a prior distribution is placed on the hidden causal structure, which will greatly enhance the physical interpretability and facilitate the exploration for true causality. Moreover, we also introduce a global sample reweighting strategy to remove spurious correlations and reveal causal effects between time series hidden features and quality variables. Finally, the performance stability and physical interpretability of the proposed Stable-LSTM are verified using a three-phase flow facility and a m-phenylenediamine distillation process. The results show that the Stable-LSTM achieves the highest soft sensing accuracy under distribution shift, and the inferred causal structure exhibits the greatest consistency with the domain knowledge, when compared with the seven existing methods.

The association between long-term exposure to ambient formaldehyde and respiratory mortality risk: A national study in China

INTRODUCTION

While ambient formaldehyde (HCHO) concentrations are increasing worldwide, there was limited research on its health effects.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the association of long-term exposure to ambient HCHO with the risk of respiratory (RESP) mortality and the associated mortality burden in China.

METHODS

Annual and seasonal RESP death and tropospheric HCHO vertical columns data were collected in 466 counties/districts across China during 2013-2016. A difference-in-differences approach combined with a generalized linear mixed-effects regression model was employed to assess the exposure-response association between long-term ambient HCHO exposure and RESP mortality risk. Additionally, we computed the attributable fraction (AF) to gauge the proportion of RESP mortality attributable to HCHO exposure.

RESULTS

This analysis encompassed 560,929 RESP deaths. The annual mean ambient HCHO concentration across selected counties/districts was 8.02×1015 ± 2.22×1015 molec.cm-2 during 2013-2016. Each 1.00×1015 molec.cm-2 increase in ambient HCHO was associated with a 1.61 % increase [excess risk (ER), 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.20 %, 2.03 %] in the RESP mortality risk. The AF of RESP mortality attributable to HCHO was 12.16 % (95 %CI:9.33 %, 14.88 %), resulting in an annual average of 125,422 (95 %CI:96,404, 153,410) attributable deaths in China. Stratified analyses suggested stronger associations in individuals aged ≥65 years old (ER=1.87 %, 95 %CI:1.43 %, 2.32 %), in cold seasons (ER=1.00 %, 95 %CI:0.56 %, 1.44 %), in urban areas (ER=1.65 %, 95 %CI:1.15 %, 2.16 %), and in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients (ER=1.95 %, 95 %CI:1.42 %, 2.48 %).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggested that long-term HCHO exposure may significantly increase the risk of RESP mortality, leading to a substantial mortality burden. Targeted measures should be implemented to control ambient HCHO pollution promptly.

Quantitative assessment of Cd sources in rice grains through Cd isotopes and MixSIAR model in a typical e-waste dismantling area of Southeast China

Identification of Cd sources and quantification of their contribution to rice grain Cd is crucial for controlling accumulation of this toxic metal in rice grains. However, accurate assessment of the contribution of different Cd sources to grain Cd concentration in rice under actual field conditions is a challenge. In this study, we determined Cd concentration and their isotopic compositions in rice grains with respect to three potential Cd sources around an e-waste dismantling area in Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China. Results demonstrated that average Cd concentrations in grains, surface soils, atmospheric deposition and surface water were 0.32, 0.91, 1.99 mg kg-1 and 2.02 μg L-1, respectively. The δ114/110Cd values of grains, surface soils, surface water and atmospheric deposition ranged from 0.00 ‰ to 0.31 ‰, -0.21 ‰ to 0.14 ‰, -0.04 ‰ to 0.47 ‰, and - 0.25 ‰ to -0.18 ‰, respectively. The MixSIAR model indicated that contribution of soils, irrigation water and atmospheric deposition to grain Cd was 56.8 %, 24.8 % and 18.4 %, respectively, demonstrating soils as the major source of grain Cd in the study area. This study also highlighted significant contribution of irrigation water and atmospheric deposition to Cd concentration in rice grains. The Cd isotopic analysis provides a practical approach for source apportionment of grain Cd and data support for controlling Cd accumulation in rice around the e-waste dismantling area.

Combined Effect of Hydrophilic Pore and the Type of Protons on Proton Conductivity in Porous Metal-Organic Frameworks: A Feasible Approach to Achieve a Super Proton Conductor under Hydrated Conditions

There has been a steady growth of interest in proton-conductive metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) due to their potential utility in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. To attain a super proton conductivity (>1 × 10-2 S cm-1) in a MOF-based proton conductor is a key step toward practical application. Currently, most studies are focused on enhancing the proton conductivity of porous MOFs by controlling a single factor, such as the type of protons or hydrophilic pore or hydrogen bond. However, a limited contribution from a single factor cannot afford to remarkably increase the proton conductivity of the MOF and form a super proton conductor. Herein, we constructed two distinct porous MOFs, {(H3O+)4[Cu12(ci)12(OH)4(H2O)12]·3H2O·9DMF} (Cu-ci-3D, H2ci = 1H-indazole-5-carboxylic acid, DMF = N,N'-dimethylformamide) and {[Co(Hppca)2]·2HN(CH3)2·CH3OH·2H2O} (Co-ppca-2D, H2ppca = 5-(pyridin-3-yl)-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid), to tune their proton conductivities at high relative humidity (RH) using the combined effect of hydrophilic pore and the type of protons, ultimately achieving super proton conduction. Excitingly, Cu-ci-3D indeed harvests a super proton conductivity of 1.37 × 10-2 S cm-1 at 353 K and ∼97% RH, superior to some previously reported MOF-based proton conductors. The results present a unique perspective for developing high-performance MOF-based proton conductors and understanding their structure-performance relationships.

Explainable Fault Diagnosis Using Invertible Neural Networks-Part I: A Left Manifold-Based Solution

The series includes two parts, articulating the two novel avenues of research on intelligent fault diagnosis (FD) for nonlinear feedback control systems. In Part I of the series, we design a novel FD paradigm by elaborating an invertible neural network (INN) for feedback control systems. With the aid of a left manifold, the core idea behind the INN-based FD scheme is as follows: 1) formulation of residual generator used for FD as a projection of system data onto the null space that has the same dimension as system outputs; 2) in a topological space, elaboration of a homeomorphism that delivers an invertible relationship between system outputs and residual signals when the system input is given; and 3) skillful introduction of both the master and slave objective functions to achieve system/parameter identification with information loseless property. Comparing with the existing FD approaches, the three superior strengths of the proposed FD scheme deserving mentation are as follows: 1) it specializes in nonlinear feedback control systems; 2) it can effectively avoid the overfitting problem when approximating or learning nonlinear system dynamics; and 3) control theory guides the whole design, ensuring the interpretability of the learning process. Finally, two studies on nonlinear systems demonstrate the feasibility of the invertible left manifold (ILM)-based FD strategy. Part I would contribute to the future development of machine learning (ML)-based system identification and explainable FD approaches, and also benefits the right manifold-based FD designs in Part II.

Establishment of trypsinogen-2 Amplification Luminescent Proximity Homogeneous Assay and its Application in Acute Pancreatitis

We aim to develop an amplified luminescence proximity homogeneous assay (AlphaLISA) for quantification of trypsinogen-2 levels in human serum for the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. Based on new amplified luminescence proximity homogeneity assay (AlphaLISA) method, carboxyl-modified donor and acceptor beads were coupled to capture and detection antibodies. A double antibody sandwich immunoassay was used to detect the concentration of trypsinogen-2 in serum. The method had good linearity (> 0.998). The intra - analysis precision was between 1.54% and 2.20% (< 10%), the inter-analysis precision was between 3.17% and 6.94% (< 15%), and the recovery was between 96.23% and 103.45%. The cross-reactivity of carbohydrate antigen 242 (CA242) and T-cell immunoglobulin mucin-3 (Tim-3) were 0.09% and 0.93%, respectively. The detection time only needed 15 min. The results of trypsinogen-2-AlphaLISA and time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay were consistent (ρ = 0.9019). In addition, serum trypsinogen-2 concentration in patients with acute pancreatitis [239.23 (17.83-807.58) ng/mL] was significantly higher than that in healthy controls [20.54 (12.10-39.73) ng/mL]. When the cut-off value was 35.38ng/mL, the sensitivity and specificity were 91.8% and 96.67%, and the positive detection rate was 91.80%. We have successfully established a trypsinogen-2-AlphaLISA method, which can promote the timely diagnosis of acute pancreatitis.

[Clinical characteristics and predictive factors for plastic bronchitis in children with severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia]

Objective: To explore the clinical characteristics and predictive factors for plastic bronchitis (PB) in children with severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (SMPP). Methods: A retrospective cohort enrolled children with a clinical diagnosis of SMPP who were treated at the Department of Respiratory Medicine of Tianjin Children's Hospital Machang District from January 1, 2018, to October 31, 2023. According to the bronchoscopy and pathological examination results, the patients were divided into 142 cases in the PB group and 274 cases in the non-PB group. The clinical manifestations, laboratory data, imaging findings, and treatments were analyzed.Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-square test were used to analyze the differences between the two groups, and multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to explore the predictive value of PB in SMPP. Results: Among 416 SMPP children, there were 197 males and 219 females; PB group 142 cases, non-PB group 274 cases, the age of disease onset was (6.9±2.9) years and (6.6±2.8) years in the PB group and the non-PB group respectively. The incidence of wheezing symptoms, hypoxemia, heat peak >40 ℃, the duration of fever, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, mean platelet volume, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, interleukin-6, alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase and ferritin were higher in the PB group (16 cases (11.3%) vs. 15 cases (5.5%), 14 cases (9.9%) vs. 12 cases (4.4%), 57 cases (40.1%) vs. 67 cases (24.5%), 10 (8, 12) vs. 9 (8, 12) d, 6.1 (4.1, 13.1)×109 vs. 5.0 (3.7, 6.8)×109/L, 10.2 (9.6, 10.8) vs. 9.4 (8.9, 10.1) fl, 33.4 (16.0, 67.5) vs. 23.0 (10.4, 56.1) mg/L, 0.24 (0.12, 0.48) vs. 0.16 (0.09, 0.31) μg/L, 39.9 (25.1, 81.4) vs. 31.3 (18.3, 59.3) ng/L, 16.0 (12.0, 29.0) vs. 14.0 (10.0, 24.3) U/L, 38.5 (28.0, 52.5) vs. 33.0 (25.0, 44.0) U/L, 233 (136, 488) vs. 156 (110, 293) μg/L, χ2=4.55, 4.79, 11.00, Z=2.25, 4.00, 6.64, 2.76, 2.98, 3.09, 2.22, 2.62, 4.18, all P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the dyspnea (OR=2.97, 95%CI 1.35-6.55, P=0.007), the diminution of respiration (OR=2.40, 95%CI 1.27-4.52, P=0.006), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (OR=2.07, 95%CI 1.71-2.51, P<0.001), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (OR=1.01, 95%CI 1.00-1.01, P<0.001), mean platelet volume/platelet count (MPV/PLT) (OR=1.39, 95%CI 1.13-1.71, P=0.002), pleural effusion (OR=2.23, 95%CI 1.21-4.13, P=0.011),≥2/3 lobe consolidation (OR=1.84, 95%CI 1.04-3.00, P=0.039) and atelectasis (OR=1.98, 95%CI 1.02-3.48, P=0.044) were independent predictors of PB in children with SMPP. ROC curve analysis showed that the cut-off values for NLR, LDH and MPV/PLT in the diagnosis of PB were 2.79 (sensitivity 0.89, specificity 0.69, area under the curve (AUC)=0.86, P<0.001), 474 U/L (sensitivity 0.63, specificity 0.65, AUC=0.70, P=0.003) and 0.04 (sensitivity 0.75, specificity 0.53, AUC=0.68, P=0.005) respectively. Children in the PB group had longer hospital stays and corticosteroid treatment course than those in the non-PB group, the proportion of children in the PB group who received bronchoscopy treatment twice or more was higher (9 (8, 12) vs. 8 (6, 10) d, 7 (5, 8) vs. 6 (5, 7) d, 128 cases (90.1%) vs. 218 cases (79.6%), 106 cases (74.7%) vs. 54 cases (19.7%), Z=6.70, 5.06, χ2=7.48, 119.27, all P<0.05). Conclusions: The dyspnea, respiration diminution, NLR level elevation (>2.79) and pleural effusion were predictive factors for PB in children with SMPP. This provides a basis for the early identification of PB in children with SMPP.

Targeted Inhibition of p21 Promotes the Growth of Breast Cancer Cells and Impairs the Tumor-Killing Effect of the Vaccinia Virus

PURPOSE

Vaccinia virus is widely used as an oncolytic agent for human cancer therapy, and several versions of vaccinia virus have demonstrated robust antitumor effects in breast cancer. Most vaccinia viruses are modified by thymidine kinase (TK) deletion. The function of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 in breast cancer remains controversial. We explored the impact of p21 gene knockdown (KD) on breast cancer cells and whether p21 KD interferes with the antitumor effect of TK-negative vaccinia virus.

METHODS

p21 KD MDA-MB-231 and p21 KD MCF-7 cells were prepared, and cell proliferation and migration rates were evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and scratch healing assays. The tumor growth of xenografts originating from p21KD MDA-MB-231 cells and control cells was compared in a mouse model. The colony formation and sphere-forming abilities of p21 KD breast cancer cells were also determined using low-melting agarose and serum-free culture. The tumor-killing effect of the vaccinia virus was determined in breast cancer cells and mouse models using an MTT assay and tumor cell xenografts.

RESULTS

p21 KD increased the growth and migration of MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells and promoted the cell growth of MDA-MB-231 cells in mice, while decreasing the colony formation and sphere formation abilities. Expression of TK was reduced in p21 KD MDA-MB-231 cells. Oncolytic effects of both wild-type and TK-deleted vaccinia viruses were attenuated in p21KD MDA-MB-231 cells. The tumor-killing effect of TK-deleted vaccinia virus was also weakened in xenografted mice bearing p21 KD MDA-MB-231 cells.

CONCLUSION

Targeted inhibition of p21 accelerates the proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells and impairs the tumor-killing effect of vaccinia virus, suggesting that p21 levels in cancer cells interfere with vaccinia virus oncolytic therapy.

Glioblastoma and Solitary Brain Metastasis: Differentiation by Integrating Demographic-MRI and Deep-Learning Radiomics Signatures

BACKGROUND

Studies have shown that deep-learning radiomics (DLR) could help differentiate glioblastoma (GBM) from solitary brain metastasis (SBM), but whether integrating demographic-MRI and DLR features can more accurately distinguish GBM from SBM remains uncertain.

PURPOSE

To construct and validate a demographic-MRI deep-learning radiomics nomogram (DDLRN) integrating demographic-MRI and DLR signatures to differentiate GBM from SBM preoperatively.

STUDY TYPE

Retrospective.

POPULATION

Two hundred and thirty-five patients with GBM (N = 115) or SBM (N = 120), randomly divided into a training cohort (90 GBM and 98 SBM) and a validation cohort (25 GBM and 22 SBM).

FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE

Axial T2-weighted fast spin-echo sequence (T2WI), T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequence (T2-FLAIR), and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted spin-echo sequence (CE-T1WI) using 1.5-T and 3.0-T scanners.

ASSESSMENT

The demographic-MRI signature was constructed with seven imaging features ("pool sign," "irregular ring sign," "regular ring sign," "intratumoral vessel sign," the ratio of the area of peritumoral edema to the enhanced tumor, the ratio of the lesion area on T2-FLAIR to CE-T1WI, and the tumor location) and demographic factors (age and sex). Based on multiparametric MRI, radiomics and deep-learning (DL) models, DLR signature, and DDLRN were developed and validated.

STATISTICAL TESTS

The Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson test, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and support vector machine algorithm were applied for feature selection and construction of radiomics and DL models.

RESULTS

DDLRN showed the best performance in differentiating GBM from SBM with area under the curves (AUCs) of 0.999 and 0.947 in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. Additionally, the DLR signature (AUC = 0.938) outperformed the radiomics and DL models, and the demographic-MRI signature (AUC = 0.775) was comparable to the T2-FLAIR radiomics and DL models in the validation cohort (AUC = 0.762 and 0.749, respectively).

DATA CONCLUSION

DDLRN integrating demographic-MRI and DLR signatures showed excellent performance in differentiating GBM from SBM.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.

Data-Driven Dynamic Internal Model Control

A data-driven dynamic internal model control (D3IMC) scheme is proposed for unknown nonlinear nonaffine systems bypassing modeling steps. Different from the traditional internal model constructed by either a first-principle or an identified model, a dynamic internal model (DIM) is developed in this work using I/O data where a compact form dynamic linearization approach is introduced for addressing the nonlinearity and nonaffine structure. Then, the D3IMC is proposed with both a nominal control algorithm and an uncertainty compensation control algorithm. The former can quickly respond to the feedback errors and the latter can compensate the model-plant mismatch and external disturbances. Meanwhile, the adaptive parameter updating law in the proposed D3IMC method inherits the robustness against uncertainties. A nominal D3IMC is also designed without including the compensator when there is no exogenous disturbance since the adaptive mechanism can handle system uncertainty. Further, the results are extended and a full-form dynamic linearization-based D3IMC is developed to address control of nonlinear systems with more complex dynamics. All the proposed D3IMC methods are data-driven without need of an explicit model, and thus they are significant extensions from the traditional model-based IMC. Simulation study verifies the results.

The trends of non-accidental mortality burden attributed to compound hot-dry events in China and its provinces in a global warming world

BACKGROUND

Global warming has provoked more co-occurrence of hot extreme and dry extreme, namely compound hot-dry events (CHDEs). However, their health impacts have seldom been investigated. This study aimed to characterize CHDEs and assess its mortality burden in China from 1990 to 2100.

METHODS

CHDEs were defined as a day when daily maximum temperature > its 90th percentile and Standardized Precipitation Index < its 50th percentile. A two-stage approach, including a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) and a multivariate meta-analysis, was used to estimate exposure-response associations of CHDEs with mortality in 358 counties/districts during 2006-2017 in China, which was then applied to assess the national mortality burden attributable to CHDEs from 1990 to 2100.

FINDINGS

We observed a significant increasing trend of CHDEs in China until mid-21st century, and then flatted, while the duration and intensity of CHDEs continuously increased across the 21st century. CHDEs were much riskier (ER=17.82 %, 95 %CI: 14.17 %-21.60 %) than independent hot events (ER=5.86 %,95 %CI: -0.04 %,12.45 %) or dry events (ER=0.07 %,95 %CI: -1.22 %, 1.38 %), and there was significantly additive interaction between hot events and dry events (AP=0.10,95 %CI: 0.04, 0.16). Females (ER=24.28 %, 95 %CI: 19.21 %-29.56 %), the elderly (ER=23.28 %, 95 %CI: 18.23 %-28.55 %), and people living in humid area (ER=18.98 %, 95 %CI: 15.08 %-23.02 %) had higher mortality risks than their counterparts. Mortality burden attributed to CHDEs significantly increased during historical observation and became stable since mid-21st century in China.

INTERPRETATION

CHDEs would significantly increase mortality with higher risk for females, the elderly and people living in humid areas. Mortality burden has significantly increased during historical observation and will keep relatively steady since mid-21st century.

Establishment and Clinical Application in Stroke of a Serum Copeptin Time-Resolved Fluorescence Immunoassay

The serum biomarker copeptin, an innovative and stable substitute biomarker of vasopressin, is associated with stroke. Therefore, establishing a highly sensitive time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay for copeptin (copeptin-TRFIA) is helpful to measure stroke and evaluate its value in clinical applications. Double antibody sandwich was used to establish copeptin-TRFIA. The established method was then assessed. Two coated and Eu3+-labeled copeptin monoclonal specific antibodies targeting different antigen epitopes were employed. The serum fluorescence counts of patients with stroke and healthy volunteers were detected by using the well-established copeptin-TRFIA. Serum copeptin levels were measured and analyzed statistically. The actual measurement linearity range of the proposed method was 0.13-44.66 ng/mL. Copeptin-TRFIA had the inter-assay coefficient of variation (CV) of 6.49%-9.08% and the intra-assay CV of 4.75%-7.77%. Patients with cerebral infarction (CI) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) had significantly higher serum copeptin levels than healthy subjects. Copeptin concentrations in the serum of patients with stroke were significantly correlated with the scores of the National Institute for Healthy Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS). A highly sensitive copeptin-TRFIA was successfully established. Serum copeptin has a certain value in the clinical diagnosis and prognosis of stroke.

Influence of Laser-Based Powder Bed Fusion of Metals Process Parameters on the Formation of Defects in Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloy Using Path Analysis

High-strength aluminium alloys are prone to porosity and cracking during laser-based powder bed fusion of metals (PBF-LB/M) due to the complex solidification behaviour, thus limiting the preparation of high-quality aluminium alloys. In order to effectively reduce the defect formation, this study investigated the influence mechanism of different process parameters on the formation of porosity and cracks in Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys in the PBF-LB/M process by combining experimental and numerical simulation. The degree of influence of the process parameters on the temperature field and the temperature field on the defect formation was also quantified using path analysis. The results show that modulation of the process parameters can effectively reduce the formation of cracks and pores, although it is difficult to eliminate them. The melt pool temperature has a significant effect on the formation of porosity, and the temperature gradient has a significant effect on the formation of cracks. The degree of influence of laser power on the melt pool temperature and temperature gradient was greater than that of scanning speed, with values of 0.980 and 0.989, respectively. Therefore, the priority of modulating the laser power is higher than that of scanning speed in order to reduce the formation of defects more effectively.

Facet-Controlled Synthesis of Unconventional-Phase Metal Alloys for Highly Efficient Hydrogen Oxidation

Facet control and phase engineering of metal nanomaterials are both important strategies to regulate their physicochemical properties and improve their applications. However, it is still a challenge to tune the exposed facets of metal nanomaterials with unconventional crystal phases, hindering the exploration of the facet effects on their properties and functions. In this work, by using Pd nanoparticles with unconventional hexagonal close-packed (hcp, 2H type) phase, referred to as 2H-Pd, as seeds, a selective epitaxial growth method is developed to tune the predominant growth directions of secondary materials on 2H-Pd, forming Pd@NiRh nanoplates (NPLs) and nanorods (NRs) with 2H phase, referred to as 2H-Pd@2H-NiRh NPLs and NRs, respectively. The 2H-Pd@2H-NiRh NRs expose more (100)h and (101)h facets on the 2H-NiRh shells compared to the 2H-Pd@2H-NiRh NPLs. Impressively, when used as electrocatalysts toward hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR), the 2H-Pd@2H-NiRh NRs show superior activity compared to the NiRh alloy with conventional face-centered cubic (fcc) phase (fcc-NiRh) and the 2H-Pd@2H-NiRh NPLs, revealing the crucial role of facet control in enhancing the catalytic performance of unconventional-phase metal nanomaterials. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further unravel that the excellent HOR activity of 2H-Pd@2H-NiRh NRs can be attributed to the more exposed (100)h and (101)h facets on the 2H-NiRh shells, which possess high electron transfer efficiency, optimized H* binding energy, enhanced OH* binding energy, and a low energy barrier for the rate-determining step during the HOR process.

Soil environmental carrying capacity and its spatial high-precision accounting framework

Human activity intensity should be controlled within the carrying capacity of soil units, which is crucial for environmental sustainability. However, the existing assessment methods for soil environmental carrying capacity (SECC) rarely consider the relationship between human activity intensity and pollutant emissions, making it difficult to provide effective early warning of human activity intensity. Moreover, there is a lack of spatial high-precision accounting methods for SECC. This study first established a spatial soil environmental capacity (SEC) model based on the pollutant thresholds corresponding to the specific protection target. Next, a spatial net-input flux model was proposed based on soil pollutants' input/output fluxes. Then, the quantitative relationship between human activity intensity and pollutant emissions was established and further incorporated into the SECC model. Finally, the spatial high-precision accounting framework of SECC was proposed. The methodology was used to assess the SECC for the copper production capacity in a typical copper smelting area in China. The results showed that (i) the average SECs for Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, As and Cr are 427.89, 16.84, 306.41, 376.8, 71.63, and 392.7 kg hm-2, respectively; (ii) heavy metal (HM) concentrations and land-use types jointly influence the spatial distribution pattern of SEC; (iii) atmospheric deposition is the dominant HM input pathway and the high net-input fluxes are mainly located in the southeast of the study area; (iv) with the current human activity intensity for 50 years, the average SECs for Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, As and Cr are 202.31, 1.71, 20.9, 66.15, 36.73, and 3 kg hm-2, respectively; and (v) to maintain the protection target at the acceptable risk level within 50 years, the SECC for the increased copper production capacity is 1.53 × 106 t. This study provided an effective tool for early warning of human activity intensity.

[Clinicopathological features of metastatic melanoma in effusion cytology of serosal cavity]

Objective: To investigate the clinical, cytomorphology, immunocytochemical and molecular features of metastatic melanoma in serosal cavity effusion. Methods: Cytological specimens of 14 patients with melanoma in the chest and abdomen were collected from 2017 to 2023, at the Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. SOX10, S-100 protein, PRAME, BRAF V600E, HMB45, and Melan A were detected by immunocytochemical methods. Fourteen cases were tested for routine antibody combinations, including Claudin4, HEG1, Calretinin, CD68, etc. Four of the patients had biopsy or surgical samples of metastatic solid lesions of primary sites, and further next-generation sequencing (NGS) or amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS)-PCR molecular test was performed. In addition, 30 cases of serosal effusion samples were collected as control groups (10 cases of benign mesothelial cell reactive hyperplasia, 10 cases of mesothelioma, and 10 cases of metastatic lung adenocarcinoma). Results: Among the 14 cases of melanoma, there were 7 males and 7 females, with ages ranging from 35 to 86 years, and an average age of 57 years, there 10 cases aged ≥50 years. The tumor cells in the serosal effusion varied in morphology and degree of atypia. SOX10 was positive in all 14 cases (14/14), S-100 protein was positive in 10 cases (10/14), PRAME was positive in 12 cases (12/14), BRAF V600E was positive in 10 cases (10/14), HMB45 was positive in 12 cases (12/14), and Melan A was positive in 13 cases (13/14). In 4 patients with histological correlation, the cytological and histological expression of SOX10, BRAF V600E, and PRAME was positive in all 4 cases (4/4); S-100 protein was positive in 2 cases (2/4); and HMB45 and Melan A were positive in 3 cases (3/4). Using NGS or ARMS-PCR, missense mutations of BRAF V600E were detected in all 4 patients; TERT promoter mutations was detected in 1 case; and CDKN2A terminating mutations and MSI1 deletion mutations were detected in the other case. SOX10, S-100, HMB45, Melan A, PRAME and BRAF V600E were all negative in 30 control samples of serosal cavity effusion. Conclusion: By observing the morphology of tumor cells, immunocytochemical test of several combination markers, especially the expression of SOX10, BRAF V600E and PRAME, can help to improve the positive diagnosis rate of melanoma in serous cavity effusion.

Development of a Quick and Highly Sensitive Amplified Luminescent Proximity Homogeneous Assay for Detection of Saxitoxin in Shellfish

Saxitoxin (STX), an exceptionally potent marine toxin for which no antidote is currently available, is produced by methanogens and cyanobacteria. This poses a significant threat to both shellfish aquaculture and human health. Consequently, the development of a rapid, highly sensitive STX detection method is of great significance. The objective of this research is to create a novel approach for identifying STX. Therefore, amplified luminescent proximity homogeneous assay (AlphaLISA) was established using a direct competition method based on the principles of fluorescence resonance energy transfer and antigen-antibody specific binding. This method is sensitive, rapid, performed without washing, easy to operate, and can detect 8-128 ng/mL of STX in only 10 min. The limit of detection achieved by this method is as low as 4.29 ng/mL with coefficients of variation for the intra-batch and inter-batch analyses ranging from 2.61% to 3.63% and from 7.67% to 8.30%, respectively. In conclusion, our study successfully establishes a simple yet sensitive, rapid, and accurate AlphaLISA method for the detection of STX which holds great potential in advancing research on marine biotoxins.

Chitosan-based high-performance flexible supercapacitor via "in-situ co-doping/self-regulation-activation" strategy

The construction of N, P co-doped hierarchically porous carbons (NPHPC) by a facile and green approach is crucial for high-performance energy storage but still an enormous challenge. Herein, an environment-friendly "in-situ co-doping, self-regulation-activation" strategy is presented to one-pot synthesize NPHPC using a phytic acid-induced polyethyleneimine/chitosan gel (PEI-PA-CS) as single precursor. NPHPC displayed a specific surface area of up to 1494 m2 g-1, high specific capacitance of 449 F g-1 at 1 A g-1, outstanding rate capability and cycling durability in a wide temperature range (-20 to 60 °C). NPHPC and PEI-PA-CS electrolyte assembled symmetric quasi-solid-state flexible supercapacitor presents superb energy outputs of 27.06 Wh kg-1 at power density of 225 W kg-1. For capacitive deionization (CDI), NPHPC also exhibit an excellent salt adsorption capacity of 16.54 mg g-1 in 500 mg L-1 NaCl solution at a voltage of 1.4 V, and regeneration performance. This study provides a valuable reference for the rational design and synthesis of novel biomass-derived energy-storage materials by integrating phytic acid induced heteroatom doping and pore engineering.

Sampled-Data Model-Free Adaptive Control for Nonlinear Continuous-Time Systems

This work aims at presenting a new sampled-data model-free adaptive control (SDMFAC) for continuous-time systems with the explicit use of sampling period and past input and output (I/O) data to enhance control performance. A sampled-data-based dynamical linearization model (SDDLM) is established to address the unknown nonlinearities and nonaffine structure of the continuous-time system, which all the complex uncertainties are compressed into a parameter gradient vector that is further estimated by designing a parameter updating law. By virtue of the SDDLM, we propose a new SDMFAC that not only can use both additional control information and sampling period information to improve control performance but also can restrain uncertainties by including a parameter adaptation mechanism. The proposed SDMFAC is data-driven and thus overcomes the problems caused by model-dependence as in the traditional control design methods. The simulation study is performed to demonstrate the validity of the results.

Identification of illicit discharges in sewer networks by an SWMM-Bayesian coupled approach

Illicit discharges into sewer systems are a widespread concern within China's urban drainage management. They can result in unforeseen environmental contamination and deterioration in the performance of wastewater treatment plants. Consequently, pinpointing the origin of unauthorized discharges in the sewer network is crucial. This study aims to evaluate an integrative method that employs numerical modeling and statistical analysis to determine the locations and characteristics of illicit discharges. The Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) was employed to track water quality variations within the sewer network and examine the concentration profiles of exogenous pollutants under a range of scenarios. The identification technique employed Bayesian inference fused with the Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling method, enabling the estimation of probability distributions for the position of the suspected source, the discharge magnitude, and the commencement of the event. Specifically, the cases involving continuous release and multiple sources were examined. For single-point source identification, where all three parameters are unknown, concentration profiles from two monitoring sites in the path of pollutant transport and dispersion are necessary and sufficient to characterize the pollution source. For the identification of multiple sources, the proposed SWMM-Bayesian strategy with improved sampling is applied, which significantly improves the accuracy.

Advances in diffuse glioma assessment: preoperative and postoperative applications of chemical exchange saturation transfer

Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) is a technique that uses specific off-resonance saturation pulses to pre-saturate targeted substances. This process influences the signal intensity of free water, thereby indirectly providing information about the pre-saturated substance. Among the clinical applications of CEST, Amide Proton Transfer (APT) is currently the most well-established. APT can be utilized for the preoperative grading of gliomas. Tumors with higher APTw signals generally indicate a higher likelihood of malignancy. In predicting preoperative molecular typing, APTw values are typically lower in tumors with favorable molecular phenotypes, such as isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations, compared to IDH wild-type tumors. For differential diagnosis, the average APTw values of meningiomas are significantly lower than those of high-grade gliomas. Various APTw measurement indices assist in distinguishing central nervous system lesions with similar imaging features, such as progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, central nervous system lymphoma, solitary brain metastases, and glioblastoma. Regarding prognosis, APT effectively differentiates between tumor recurrence and treatment effects, and also possesses predictive capabilities for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

Endothelial progenitor cells control remodeling of uterine spiral arteries for the establishment of utero-placental circulation

Placental ischemia, resulting from inadequate remodeling of uterine spiral arteries, is a factor in the development of preeclampsia. However, the effect of endothelial progenitor cells that play a role in the vascular injury-repair program is largely unexplored during remodeling. Here, we observe that preeclampsia-afflicted uterine spiral arteries transition to a synthetic phenotype in vascular smooth muscle cells and characterize the regulatory axis in endothelial progenitor cells during remodeling in human decidua basalis. Excessive sEng, secreted by AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-deficient endothelial progenitor cells through the inhibition of HO-1, damages residual endothelium and leads to the accumulation of extracellular matrix produced by vascular smooth muscle cells during remodeling, which is further confirmed by animal models. Collectively, our findings suggest that the impaired functionality of endothelial progenitor cells contributes to the narrowing of remodeled uterine spiral arteries, leading to reduced utero-placental perfusion. This mechanism holds promise in elucidating the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.