Dual Chalcogen-Bonding Interaction for High-Performance Filterless Narrowband Organic Photodetectors.

A novel green-absorbing organic molecule featuring dual intramolecular chalcogen bonds is synthesized and characterized. This molecule incorporates two such bonds: one between a tellurium atom and the oxygen atom of a carbonyl moiety, and the other between the tellurium atom and the adjacent nitrogen atom within a pyridine moiety. The molecule, featuring dual intramolecular chalcogen bonds exhibits a narrow absorption spectrum and elevated absorption coefficients, closely aligned with a resonance parameter of approximately 0.5. This behavior is due to its cyanine-like characteristics and favorable electrical properties, which are a direct result of its rigid, planar molecular structure. Therefore, this organic molecule forming dual intramolecular chalcogen bonds achieves superior optoelectronic performance in green-selective photodetectors, boasting an external quantum efficiency of over 65% and a full-width at half maximum of less than 95 nm while maintaining the performance after 1000 h of heating aging at 85 °C. Such organic photodetectors are poised to enhance stacked organic photodetector-on-silicon hybrid image sensors, paving the way for the next-generation of high-resolution and high-sensitivity image sensors.

Surface Area-Enhanced Cerium and Sulfur-Modified Hierarchical Bismuth Oxide Nanosheets for Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction to Formate.

Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (ECO2RR) is a promising approach to synthesize fuels and value-added chemical feedstocks while reducing atmospheric CO2 levels. Here, high surface area cerium and sulfur-doped hierarchical bismuth oxide nanosheets (Ce@S-Bi2O3) are develpoed by a solvothermal method. The resulting Ce@S-Bi2O3 electrocatalyst shows a maximum formate Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 92.5% and a current density of 42.09 mA cm-2 at -1.16 V versus RHE using a traditional H-cell system. Furthermore, using a three-chamber gas diffusion electrode (GDE) reactor, a maximum formate FE of 85% is achieved in a wide range of applied potentials (-0.86 to -1.36 V vs RHE) using Ce@S-Bi2O3. The density functional theory (DFT) results show that doping of Ce and S in Bi2O3 enhances formate production by weakening the OH* and H* species. Moreover, DFT calculations reveal that *OCHO is a dominant pathway on Ce@S-Bi2O3 that leads to efficient formate production. This study opens up new avenues for designing metal and element-doped electrocatalysts to improve the catalytic activity and selectivity for ECO2RR.

Synergistic Modulation of Multiple Sites Boosts Anti-Poisoning Hydrogen Electrooxidation Reaction with Ultrasmall (Pt0.9Rh0.1)3V Ternary Intermetallic Nanoparticles.

Promoting the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) activity and poisoning tolerance of electrocatalysts is crucial for the large-scale application of hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell. However, it is severely hindered by the scaling relations among different intermediates. Herein, lattice-contracted Pt-Rh in ultrasmall ternary L12-(Pt0.9Rh0.1)3V intermetallic nanoparticles (~2.2 nm) were fabricated to promote the HOR performances through an oxides self-confined growth strategy. The prepared (Pt0.9Rh0.1)3V displayed 5.5/3.7 times promotion in HOR mass/specific activity than Pt/C in pure H2 and dramatically limited activity attenuation in 1000 ppm CO/H2 mixture. In-situ Raman spectra tracked the superior anti-CO* capability as a result of compressive strained Pt, and the adsorption of oxygen-containing species was promoted due to the dual-functional effect. Further assisted by density functional theory calculations, both the adsorption of H* and CO* on (Pt0.9Rh0.1)3V were reduced compared with that of Pt due to lattice contraction, while the adsorption of OH* was enhanced by introducing oxyphilic Rh sites. This work provides an effective tactic to stimulate the electrocatalytic performances by optimizing the adsorption of different intermediates severally.

Increased alcohol intake is associated with radiographic severity of knee and hand osteoarthritis in men.

Observational studies have shown controversial associations between alcohol intake and radiographic osteoarthritis (OA). This study investigated whether this association was causal using a Mendelian randomization (MR) study in a population-based cohort in Korean. The study enrolled 2429 subjects (1058 men, 1371 women) from the Dong-gu Study. X-rays of the hand and knee joints were scored using a semi-quantitative grading system to calculate the total score of the hand and knee joints. ALDH2 rs671 genotyping was performed by high-resolution melting analysis. MR instrumental variable analysis and observational multivariable regression analysis were used to estimate the association between genetically predicted alcohol intake and the radiographic severity of OA. Subjects with the G/G genotype had a higher current alcohol intake than those with the G/A and A/A genotypes in both men and women (all P < 0.001). Men with the G/G genotype had higher total knee (P < 0.001) and hand scores (P = 0.042) compared to those with the G/A and A/A genotypes after adjusting for age and body mass index, but not in women. In the observational multivariable regression analysis, each alcohol drink per day in men was associated with increased knee (P = 0.001) and hand joint scores (P = 0.013) after adjustment, but not in women. In our MR analysis, utilizing ALDH2 rs671 genotypes as instrumental variables for alcohol consumption, has shown a significant link between each additional daily alcohol drink and increased radiographic joint severity in men.

Multifunctional hydrogels based on photothermal therapy: A prospective platform for the postoperative management of melanoma.

Preventing the recurrence of melanoma after surgery and accelerating wound healing are among the most challenging aspects of melanoma management. Photothermal therapy has been widely used to treat tumors and bacterial infections and promote wound healing. Owing to its efficacy and specificity, it may be used for postoperative management of tumors. However, its use is limited by the uncontrollable distribution of photosensitizers and the likelihood of damage to the surrounding normal tissue. Hydrogels provide a moist environment with strong biocompatibility and adhesion for wound healing owing to their highly hydrophilic three-dimensional network structure. In addition, these materials serve as excellent drug carriers for tumor treatment and wound healing. It is possible to combine the advantages of both of these agents through different loading modalities to provide a powerful platform for the prevention of tumor recurrence and wound healing. This review summarizes the design strategies, research progress and mechanism of action of hydrogels used in photothermal therapy and discusses their role in preventing tumor recurrence and accelerating wound healing. These findings provide valuable insights into the postoperative management of melanoma and may guide the development of promising multifunctional hydrogels for photothermal therapy.

New Insights into Gas-Solid Interactions of NO2/MoS2 Monolayers: a Comparative Study with MoSe2 and MoTe2 Monolayers.

Understanding the microscopic electronic structure determines the macroscopic properties of the materials. Sufficient sampling has the same foundational importance in understanding the interactions. The NO2/MoS2 interaction is well known, but there are still many inconsistencies in the basic data, and the source of the NO2 direct dissociation activity has not been revealed. Based on a large-scale sampling density functional theory (DFT) study, the optimal adsorption of the NO2/MoS2 monolayer system is determined. The impurity state on the top of the valence band of the S-vacancy monolayer (MoS2-VS) was determined by cross-analysis of the band structure and density of states, which has been neglected for a long time. This provides a reasonable explanation for the direct dissociation of NO2 on the MoX2 monolayers. Further atomic structure analysis reveals that the impurity state originates from the not-fully occupied valence orbitals. This also corroborates the fact that the Mo material has dissociation activity, while the W material does not. There is no impurity state on the top of the valence band of the X-vacancy WS2 and WSe2 monolayers. Interestingly, NO2 dissociation did not occur in the MoTe2-VTe monolayer. This may be related to the 6s inert electron pair effect of the Te atom. The double-oriented adsorption behavior of NO2is also revealed. In contrast to the MoSe2 and MoTe2 monolayers, NO2-oriented adsorption on the MoS2 perfect monolayer deviates obviously, which is speculated to be related to space limitation and larger electronegativity of the S atom. The oriented adsorption ability of the MoX2 monolayers followed the order MoTe2 (64.4%) > MoSe2 (44.8%) > MoS2 (42.7%), according to the directed proportion. Renewed insights into the adsorption basic data and the understanding of the electronic structure of NO2/MoX2 (X = S, Se, Te) monolayer systems provide a basic understanding of the gas-surface interactions and various future surface-related advanced applications.

A nomogram predicting pneumonia after cardiac surgery: a retrospective modeling study.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative pneumonia (POP) is the most prevalent of all nosocomial infections in patients who underwent cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to identify independent risk factors for pneumonia after cardiac surgery, from which we constructed a nomogram for prediction. METHODS: The clinical data of patients admitted to the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from October 2020 to September 2021 who underwent cardiac surgery were retrospectively analyzed, and the patients were divided into two groups according to whether they had POP: POP group (n=105) and non-POP group (n=1083). Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative indicators were collected and analyzed. Logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors for POP in patients who underwent cardiac surgery. We constructed a nomogram based on these independent risk factors. Model discrimination was assessed via area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and calibration was assessed via calibration plot. RESULTS: A total of 105 events occurred in the 1188 cases. Age (>55 years) (OR: 1.83, P=0.0225), preoperative malnutrition (OR: 3.71, P<0.0001), diabetes mellitus(OR: 2.33, P=0.0036), CPB time (Cardiopulmonary Bypass Time) > 135 min (OR: 2.80, P<0.0001), moderate to severe ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome )(OR: 1.79, P=0.0148), use of ECMO or IABP or CRRT (ECMO: Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation; IABP: Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump; CRRT: Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy )(OR: 2.60, P=0.0057) and MV( Mechanical Ventilation )> 20 hours (OR: 3.11, P<0.0001) were independent risk factors for POP. Based on those independent risk factors, we constructed a simple nomogram with an AUC of 0.82. Calibration plots showed good agreement between predicted probabilities and actual probabilities. CONCLUSION: We constructed a facile nomogram for predicting pneumonia after cardiac surgery with good discrimination and calibration. The model has excellent clinical applicability and can be used to identify and adjust modifiable risk factors to reduce the incidence of POP as well as patient mortality.

Impacts of soil type and drought stress on growth and cesium accumulation in Napier grass.

In our previous study, the decontamination efficiency of cesium-137 (137Cs) by Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) in the field was shown to be variable and often influenced by natural environmental factors. To elucidate the factors influencing this variable 137Cs-decontamination efficiency, we investigated the influences of soil type and drought stress on Cs accumulation using cesium-133 (133Cs) in Napier grass grown in plastic containers. The experiment was performed using two soil types (Soil A and B) and three different soil moisture conditions: well-watered control (CL), slight drought stress (SD), and moderate drought stress (MD). Overall, our results indicate that soil type and drought have a significant impact on plant growth and 133Cs accumulation in Napier grass. Plant height (PH), tiller number (TN), leaf width (Wleaf), and dry matter weight of aboveground parts (DWabove) and root parts (DWroot) in Soil B were greater than those in Soil A. Drought stress negatively affected chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (maximal quantum efficiency of photosystem (PS) II photochemistry and potential activity of PS II), PH, TN, Wleaf, DWabove, DWroot, and total 133Cs content (TCs), but it had a positive effect on 133Cs concentration. The 133Cs concentration in the aboveground parts (Csabove) was increased by MD approximately 1.62-fold in Soil A and 1.11-fold in Soil B compared to each CL counterpart. The TCs in the aboveground parts (TCsabove) decreased due to drought by approximately 19.9%-39.0% in Soil A and 49.9%-62.7% in Soil B; however, there was no significant effect on TCsabove due to soil type. The results of this study indicate that soil moisture is a key factor in maintaining Napier grass 137Cs-decontamination efficiency.

Circular economy approach: Nutrient recovery and economical struvite production from wastewater sources by using modified biochars.

The enrichment of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) in aquatic systems can cause eutrophication. Moreover, P rocks may become exhausted in the next 100 years. A slow-release fertilizer called struvite (MgNH4PO4.6H2O) can reduce surface runoff. However, the high cost of raw material or chemicals is a bottleneck in their economical production. Therefore, incinerated sewage sludge ash, food wastewater, and bittern were combined as the sources of P, N, and Mg, respectively. Sawdust biochar was used to enhance the adsorptive recovery of nutrients. First, recovery kinetics was studied by comparing bittern-impregnated biochar (BtB) with the Mg-impregnated biochar (MgB). Subsequently, the synergistic physical and chemical interactions were observed for P and N recovery. Almost complete PO43-P recoveries were achieved within 10 min for both biochars. However, NH4+-N recovery was stable after 2 h, with 26% recovery by MgB and 20% recovery by BtB. Biochars activated with steam (steam-activated biochar) and KOH (KOH-activated biochar) gave superior activities to those of unactivated biochars and activated carbon (AC) nutrient recovery and struvite purity. Moreover, the activated biochars showed a lower risk of surface runoff, similar to that of AC. Therefore, activated biochars can be used as an alternative to AC for economical struvite production from a combination of wastewater sources.

Small graft size and hepatocellular carcinoma outcomes in living donor liver transplantation: a retrospective multicentric cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: This study examined associations between the graft-to-recipient weight ratio (GRWR) for adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) and HCC outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from patients in the Korean Organ Transplantation Registry who underwent LDLT for HCC from 2014-2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were categorized using the cutoff GRWR for HCC recurrence determined by an adjusted cubic spline (GRWR<0.7% vs. GRWR≥0.7%). Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and HCC recurrence were analyzed in the entire and a 1:5 propensity-matched cohort. RESULTS: The eligible cohort consisted of 2005 LDLT recipients (GRWR<0.7 [n=59] vs. GRWR≥0.7 [n=1946]). In the entire cohort, 5-year RFS was significantly lower in the GRWR<0.7 than in the GRWR≥0.7 group (66.7% vs. 76.7%, P =0.019), although HCC recurrence was not different between groups (77.1% vs. 80.7%, P =0.234). This trend was similar in the matched cohort ( P =0.014 for RFS and P =0.096 for HCC recurrence). In multivariable analyses, GRWR<0.7 was an independent risk factor for RFS (adjusted HR [aHR] 1.89, P =0.012), but the result was marginal for HCC recurrence (aHR 1.61, P =0.066). In the pretransplant tumor burden subgroup analysis, GRWR<0.7 was a significant risk factor for both RFS and HCC recurrence only for tumors exceeding the Milan criteria (aHR 3.10, P <0.001 for RFS; aHR 2.92, P =0.003 for HCC recurrence) or with MoRAL scores in the fourth quartile (aHR 3.33, P <0.001 for RFS; aHR 2.61, P =0.019 for HCC recurrence). CONCLUSIONS: A GRWR<0.7 potentially leads to lower RFS and higher HCC recurrence after LDLT when the pretransplant tumor burden is high.

Characteristics of Purified Horse Oil by Supercritical Fluid Extraction with Different Deodorants Agents.

This study investigated the impact of activated carbon, palm activated carbon, and zeolite on horse oil (HO) extracted from horse neck fat using supercritical fluid extraction with deodorant-untreated HO (CON) as a comparison. The yield and lipid oxidation of deodorant untreated HO (CON) were not significantly affected by the three deodorants. However, deodorant-treated HOs exhibited significantly elevated levels of α-linolenic acid (C18:3n3) and eicosenoic acid (C20:1n9) compared to CON (p<0.05), while other fatty acids remained consistent. Zeolite-purified HO demonstrated significantly lower levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) than other treatments (p<0.05). Remarkably, zeolite decreased the concentration of pentane, 2,3-dimethyl (gasoline odor), by over 90%, from 177.17 A.U. ×106 in CON to 15.91 A.U. ×106. Zeolite also effectively eliminates sec-butylamine (ammonia and fishy odor) as compared to other deodorant-treated HOs (p<0.05). Additionally, zeolite reduced VOCs associated with the fruity citrus flavor, such as nonanal, octanal, and D-limonene in HO (p<0.05). This study suggests that integrating zeolite in supercritical fluid extraction enhances HO purification by effectively eliminating undesirable VOCs, presenting a valuable approach for producing high-quality HO production in the cosmetic and functional food industries.

Interruption of KLF5 acetylation promotes PTEN-deficient prostate cancer progression by reprogramming cancer-associated fibroblasts.

PTEN inactivation is prevalent in human prostate cancer and causes high-grade adenocarcinoma with a long latency. Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a pivotal role in tumor progression, but it remains elusive whether and how PTEN-deficient prostate cancers reprogram CAFs to overcome the barriers for tumor progression. Herein, we report that PTEN deficiency induces KLF5 acetylation; and interruption of KLF5 acetylation orchestrates intricate interactions between cancer cells and CAFs that enhance FGFR1 signaling and promote tumor growth. Deacetylated KLF5 promotes tumor cells to secrete TNF-α, which stimulates inflammatory CAFs to release FGF9. CX3CR1 inhibition blocks FGFR1 activation triggered by FGF9 and sensitizes PTEN-deficient prostate cancer to AKT inhibitor capivasertib. This study reveals the role of KLF5 acetylation in reprogramming CAFs and provides a rational for combined therapies using inhibitors of AKT and CX3CR1.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa N-3-Oxododecanoyl Homoserine Lactone Disrupts Endothelial Integrity by Activating the Angiopoietin-Tie System.

The activation of the angiopoietin (Angpt)-Tie system is linked to endothelial dysfunction during sepsis. Bacterial quorum-sensing molecules function as pathogen-associated molecular patterns. However, their impact on the endothelium and the Angpt-Tie system remains unclear. Therefore, this study investigated whether treatment with N-3-oxododecanoyl homoserine lactone (3OC12-HSL), a quorum-sensing molecule derived from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, impaired endothelial function in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. 3OC12-HSL treatment impaired tube formation even at sublethal concentrations, and immunocytochemistry analysis revealed that it seemed to reduce vascular endothelial-cadherin expression at the cell-cell interface. Upon assessing the mRNA expression patterns of genes associated with the Angpt-Tie axis, the expressions of Angpt2, Forkhead box protein O1, Tie1, and vascular endothelial growth factor 2 were found to be upregulated in the 3OC12-HSL-treated cells. Moreover, western blot analysis revealed that 3OC12-HSL treatment increased Angpt2 expression. A co-immunoprecipitation assay was conducted to assess the effect of 3OC12-HSL on the IQ motif containing GTPase activating protein 1 (IQGAP1) and Rac1 complex and the interaction between these proteins was consistently maintained regardless of 3OC12-HSL treatment. Next, recombinant human (rh)-Angpt1 was added to assess whether it modulated the effects of 3OC12-HSL treatment. rh-Angpt1 addition increased cellular viability, improved endothelial function, and reversed the overall patterns of mRNA and protein expression in endothelial cells treated with 3OC12-HSL. Additionally, it was related to the increased expression of phospho-Akt and the IQGAP1 and Rac1 complex. Collectively, our findings indicated that 3OC12-HSL from Pseudomonas aeruginosa can impair endothelial integrity via the activation of the Angpt-Tie axis, which appeared to be reversed by rh-Angpt1 treatment.

Ramosetron as an add-on therapy for refractory fibromyalgia: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of intravenous ramosetron for pain relief in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) unresponsive to conventional treatments. METHODS: . In this prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 80 FM patients were randomly allocated to receive either placebo (n = 40) or ramosetron (n = 40) at a dosage of 0.3 mg/day intravenously for five consecutive days. The primary outcome was the reduction in pain intensity at the end of the treatment period, evaluated using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Secondary outcome measures included the FM Impact Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Multi-Dimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MDHAQ), EQ-5D, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory on days 5 (end of treatment), 7, 10, and 28. Safety was continuously monitored throughout the study. RESULTS: . At the end of the treatment phase, the ramosetron group demonstrated a significantly greater reduction in VAS pain scores compared with the placebo group (1.18 ± 1.60 vs 0.54 ± 1.59, p< 0.05). Additionally, the ramosetron group exhibited significant improvements in BDI (4.42 ± 5.18 vs 1.33 ± 4.87, p< 0.05) and MDHAQ pain scale (0.37 ± 0.74 vs 0.04 ± 0.52, p< 0.05) scores. However, these improvements in pain VAS and BDI scores were not sustained through day 28. The safety profile of ramosetron was favorable, with gastrointestinal symptoms, particularly constipation, being the most commonly reported adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: . Intravenous administration of ramosetron provided safe and effective short-term relief of pain intensity in FM patients with inadequate response to standard treatments.

Time-resolved spectroscopic investigation for the practical application of a photocatalytic air purifier.

The photocatalytic efficiency for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is significantly influenced by operational parameters like humidity and flow velocity, exhibiting notable and inconsistent fluctuations in both lab-scale and large-scale demonstrations. In this study, operando spectroscopy and isotope analysis were employed to investigate the correlation between humidity levels and degradation of gaseous acetaldehyde using TiO2 photocatalysts, aiming to demonstrate the scaling-up of photocatalytic air purifier. It was observed that rate constants for the mineralization of acetaldehyde rapidly decreased by 30% as relative humidity increased from 25% to 80% in the flow system (with an air velocity, v = 0.78 m/s). However, batch system showed smaller change with only a 10% reduction of the rate constant. Humidity fluctuations were more pronounced under high-speed conditions and were amplified in air purifier (v = 3.8 m/s). Time-resolved operando spectroscopy using an 13C isotope of acetaldehyde revealed that humidity's distinct role in dark adsorption and photocatalytic reactions. Water was found to inhibit the formation of crotonaldehyde during aldol condensation reaction in dark condition. Moreover, water suppressed photocatalytic mineralization by inhibiting acetate oxidation to formate. These findings provide valuable insights for improving realistic air purification processes, underscoring the importance of identifying key intermediates and controlling humidity to enhance the selectivity of gaseous pollutant oxidation reactions.

Dramatically Accelerating II-I Crystal Phase Transition of Polybutene­1 by In Situ Incorporation of H-Shape Long-Chain-Branching Structures.

This communication reports an effective strategy helping address the long-troubling melt processing issue of isotactic polybutene-1 (i-PB) caused by its extremely slow II-I crystal phase transition. The solution lies in a facile synthesis of i-PB containing H-shape long-chain-branching structures (LCB-i-PB) by applying a so-called ω-alkenylmethyldichlorosilane copolymerization-hydrolysis (ACH) chemistry to butene-1 polymerization with Ziegler-Natta or metallocene catalysts. It is evident that the H-shape LCB structures effectively enhance chain entanglements of i-PB and induce an over-the-board acceleration of the overall melt crystallization process including nucleation, form II crystallization, and form II-form I phase transition. As i-PB usually requires up to a week to reach equilibrium of the II-I phase transition, it is found that with LCB-i-PB such a transition is almost finished within as short as 24 h to even higher degrees.

Optimizing hydrogen gas production from genetically modified rice straw by steam co-gasification.

Future sustainability visions include clean, renewable energy from hydrogen, which can be produced, among other ways, by biomass steam gasification. This study explores strategies addressing the limitations in steam co-gasification of herbaceous biomass, using Monster-TUAT1 rice straw, a genetically modified rice plant with a taller and bigger stalk developed by Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT), and Giant Miscanthus, a promising energy crop, as the feedstock. Firstly, compared with the typical rice straw, the Monster TUAT1 demonstrated superior steam gasification performance with a 1.75 times higher hydrogen gas yield and 27.0 % less tar generation. With a focus on overcoming the challenges posed by high silica content in the Monster TUAT1, co-gasification of it with an energy crop of Giant Miscanthus was performed. However, even under the optimum operation condition (750 °C, steam flowrate: 0.15 g/min), the hydrogen gas yield was only 29.3 mmol/g-C with a tar yield of 27.6 %wt. and a carbon conversion efficiency of 45.9 %, which is deemed unsatisfactory for hydrogen production. Thus, strategies for enhancement were proposed, including the incorporation seaweed biochar with high alkali and alkaline earth species, calcined scallop shell powder, and alkali metal salt into the gasifier. Consequently, the introduction of 10 %wt. of calcined scallop shell resulted in an increase in H2 yield to 37.0 mmol/g-C and 24.3 % CO2 reduction. The addition of alkali metal salt led to 43.9 % increase of H2 product with a 15 %wt. tar yield. The most significant improvement occurred with the introduction of seaweed biochar at 50 %wt., increasing of the hydrogen gas yield to 62.0 mmol/g-C with 86 % of carbon conversion efficiency and tar reduction to 5.5 %. These findings demonstrate the viability of utilizing herbaceous biomass such as rice straw in conjunction with the strategic solutions of co-gasification to overcome constraints in improving hydrogen production.

Utilizing Synchrotron-Based X-ray Micro-Computed Tomography to Visualize the Microscopic Structure of Starch Hydrogels In Situ.

This study aimed to visualize the microstructures of starch hydrogels using synchrotron-based X-ray micro-computed tomography (µCT). Waxy maize starch (WMS, 3.3% amylose, db), pea starch (PS, 40.3% amylose), and high-amylose maize starch (HMS, 63.6% amylose) were cooked at 95 and 140 °C to prepare starch hydrogels. WMS and HMS failed to form a gel after 95 °C cooking and storage, while PS developed a firm gel. At 140 °C cooking, HMS of a high amylose nature was fully gelatinized and generated a rigid gel with the highest strength. Both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and µCT revealed the unique structural features of various starch hydrogels/pastes prepared at different temperatures, which were greatly affected by the degree of swelling and dispersity of the starches. As a nondestructive method, µCT showed certain advantages over SEM, including minimal shrinkage of the hydrogels, relatively simple sample preparation, and allowing for three-dimensional reconstruction of the hydrogel microstructure. This study indicated that synchrotron-based µCT could be a useful technique in visualizing biopolymer-based hydrogels.

Deep learning model for differentiating acute myeloid and lymphoblastic leukemia in peripheral blood cell images via myeloblast and lymphoblast classification.

Objective: Acute leukemia (AL) is a life-threatening malignant disease that occurs in the bone marrow and blood, and is classified as either acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Diagnosing AL warrants testing methods, such as flow cytometry, which require trained professionals, time, and money. We aimed to develop a model that can classify peripheral blood images of 12 cell types, including pathological cells associated with AL, using artificial intelligence. Methods: We acquired 42,386 single-cell images of peripheral blood slides from 282 patients (82 with AML, 40 with ALL, and 160 with immature granulocytes). Results: The performance of EfficientNet-V2 (B2) using the original image size exhibited the greatest accuracy (accuracy, 0.8779; precision, 0.7221; recall, 0.7225; and F1 score, 0.7210). The next-best accuracy was achieved by EfficientNet-V1 (B1), with a 256 × 256 pixels image. F1 score was the greatest for EfficientNet-V1 (B1) with the original image size. EfficientNet-V1 (B1) and EfficientNet-V2 (B2) were used to develop an ensemble model, and the accuracy (0.8858) and F1 score (0.7361) were improved. The classification performance of the developed ensemble model for the 12 cell types was good, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve above 0.9, and F1 scores for myeloblasts and lymphoblasts of 0.8873 and 0.8006, respectively. Conclusions: The performance of the developed ensemble model for the 12 cell classifications was satisfactory, particularly for myeloblasts and lymphoblasts. We believe that the application of our model will benefit healthcare settings where the rapid and accurate diagnosis of AL is difficult.

Feasibility of the Threshold-Based Quantification of Myocardial Fibrosis on Cardiac CT as a Prognostic Marker in Nonischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the feasibility and prognostic relevance of threshold-based quantification of myocardial delayed enhancement (MDE) on CT in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-three patients with NIDCM (59.3 ± 17.1 years; 21 male) were included in the study and underwent cardiac CT and MRI. MDE was quantified manually and with a threshold-based quantification method using cutoffs of 2, 3, and 4 standard deviations (SDs) on three sets of CT images (100 kVp, 120 kVp, and 70 keV). Interobserver agreement in MDE quantification was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Agreement between CT and MRI was evaluated using the Bland-Altman method and the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). Patients were followed up for the subsequent occurrence of the primary composite outcome, including cardiac death, heart transplantation, heart failure hospitalization, or appropriate use of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate event-free survival according to MDE levels. RESULTS: Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was observed in 29 patients (67%, 29/43), and the mean LGE found with the 5-SD threshold was 4.1% ± 3.6%. The 4-SD threshold on 70-keV CT showed excellent interobserver agreement (ICC = 0.810) and the highest concordance with MRI (CCC = 0.803). This method also yielded the smallest bias with the narrowest range of 95% limits of agreement compared to MRI (bias, -0.119%; 95% limits of agreement, -4.216% to 3.978%). During a median follow-up of 1625 days (interquartile range, 712-1430 days), 10 patients (23%, 10/43) experienced the primary composite outcome. Event-free survival significantly differed between risk subgroups divided by the optimal MDE cutoff of 4.3% (log-rank P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: The 4-SD threshold on 70-keV monochromatic CT yielded results comparable to those of MRI for quantifying MDE as a marker of myocardial fibrosis, which showed prognostic value in patients with NIDCM.