Traditional Chinese herbal formulas modulate gut microbiome and improve insomnia in patients with distinct syndrome types: insights from an interventional clinical study.

Background: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) comprising herbal formulas has been used for millennia to treat various diseases, such as insomnia, based on distinct syndrome types. Although TCM has been proposed to be effective in insomnia through gut microbiota modulation in animal models, human studies remain limited. Therefore, this study employs machine learning and integrative network techniques to elucidate the role of the gut microbiome in the efficacies of two TCM formulas - center-supplementing and qi-boosting decoction (CSQBD) and spleen-tonifying and yin heat-clearing decoction (STYHCD) - in treating insomnia patients diagnosed with spleen qi deficiency and spleen qi deficiency with stomach heat. Methods: Sixty-three insomnia patients with these two specific TCM syndromes were enrolled and treated with CSQBD or STYHCD for 4 weeks. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) every 2 weeks. In addition, variations in gut microbiota were evaluated through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Stress and inflammatory markers were measured pre- and post-treatment. Results: At baseline, patients exhibiting only spleen qi deficiency showed slightly lesser severe insomnia, lower IFN-α levels, and higher cortisol levels than those with spleen qi deficiency with stomach heat. Both TCM syndromes displayed distinct gut microbiome profiles despite baseline adjustment of PSQI, ISI, and IFN-α scores. The nested stratified 10-fold cross-validated random forest classifier showed that patients with spleen qi deficiency had a higher abundance of Bifidobacterium longum than those with spleen qi deficiency with stomach heat, negatively associated with plasma IFN-α concentration. Both CSQBD and STYHCD treatments significantly improved sleep quality within 2 weeks, which lasted throughout the study. Moreover, the gut microbiome and inflammatory markers were significantly altered post-treatment. The longitudinal integrative network analysis revealed interconnections between sleep quality, gut microbes, such as Phascolarctobacterium and Ruminococcaceae, and inflammatory markers. Conclusion: This study reveals distinct microbiome profiles associated with different TCM syndrome types and underscores the link between the gut microbiome and efficacies of Chinese herbal formulas in improving insomnia. These findings deepen our understanding of the gut-brain axis in relation to insomnia and pave the way for precision treatment approaches leveraging TCM herbal remedies.

A CT based radiomics analysis to predict the CN0 status of thyroid papillary carcinoma: a two- center study.

OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate radiomics model based on computed tomography (CT) for preoperative prediction of CN0 status in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). METHODS: A total of 548 pathologically confirmed LNs (243 non-metastatic and 305 metastatic) two distinct hospitals were retrospectively assessed. A total of 396 radiomics features were extracted from arterial-phase CT images, where the strongest features containing the most predictive potential were further selected using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression method. Delong test was used to compare the AUC values of training set, test sets and cN0 group. RESULTS: The Rad-score showed good discriminating performance with Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC) of 0.917(95% CI, 0.884 to 0.950), 0.892 (95% CI, 0.833 to 0.950) and 0.921 (95% CI, 868 to 0.973) in the training, internal validation cohort and external validation cohort, respectively. The test group of CN0 with a AUC of 0.892 (95% CI, 0.805 to 0.979). The accuracy was 85.4% (sensitivity = 81.3%; specificity = 88.9%) in the training cohort, 82.9% (sensitivity = 79.0%; specificity = 88.7%) in the internal validation cohort, 85.4% (sensitivity = 89.7%; specificity = 83.8%) in the external validation cohort, 86.7% (sensitivity = 83.8%; specificity = 91.3%) in the CN0 test group.The calibration curve demonstrated a significant Rad-score (P-value in H-L test > 0.05). The decision curve analysis indicated that the rad-score was clinically useful. CONCLUSIONS: Radiomics has shown great diagnostic potential to preoperatively predict the status of cN0 in PTC.

Phosphonate poly(vinylbenzyl chloride)-Modified Sulfonated poly(aryl ether nitrile) for Blend Proton Exchange Membranes: Enhanced Mechanical and Electrochemical Properties.

Blend proton exchange membranes (BPEMs) were prepared by blending sulfonated poly(aryl ether nitrile) (SPAEN) with phosphorylated poly(vinylbenzyl chloride) (PPVBC) and named as SPM-x%, where x refers to the proportion of PPVBC to the weight of SPAEN. The chemical complexation interaction between the phosphoric acid and sulfonic acid groups in the PPVBC-SPAEN system resulted in BPEMs with reduced water uptake and enhanced mechanical properties compared to SPAEN proton exchange membranes. Furthermore, the flame retardancy of the PPVBC improved the thermal stability of the BPEMs. Despite a decrease in ion exchange capacity, the proton conductivity of the BPEMs in the through-plane direction was significantly enhanced due to the introduction of phosphoric acid groups, especially in low relative humidity (RH) environments. The measured proton conductivity of SPM-8% was 147, 98, and 28 mS cm-1 under 95%, 70%, and 50% RH, respectively, which is higher than that of the unmodified SPAEN membrane and other SPM-x% membranes. Additionally, the morphology and anisotropy of the membrane proton conductivities were analyzed and discussed. Overall, the results indicated that PPVBC doping can effectively enhance the mechanical and electrochemical properties of SPAEN membranes.

Modification of sulfonated poly(arylene ether nitrile) proton exchange membranes by poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol).

The modification of the physicochemical properties of sulfonated poly(arylene ether nitrile) (SPAEN) proton exchange membranes was demonstrated by poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) (EVOH) doping (named SPAEN-x%). By controlling the temperature during membrane preparation, the side reactions of the sulfonic acid groups to form sulfonic acid esters were effectively prevented, greatly reducing the proton conductivity of the membranes. Due to the flexible chain of EVOH, SPAEN-8% showed a relatively high elongation of 30.2%, which enhanced the aromatic polymers' flexibility. The SPAEN-2% membrane exhibited proton conductivity of 166, 55, and 9.6 mS cm-1 at 95%, 70%, and 50% relative humidity, respectively, higher than those of the other SPAEN-x% membranes and even comparable to that of Nafion 212. The water uptake, morphological study, and through-plane proton conductivity of the membranes were studied and discussed. The results suggest that EVOH doping can be used as an effective strategy to improve SPAEN-based proton exchange membranes' performance.

Predictive value of EGSYS score in the differential diagnosis of cardiac syncope and neurally mediated syncope in children.

Background and objective: Syncope is a common emergency with diverse etiologies in children. Among these, cardiac syncope (CS) is associated with high mortality and is usually difficult to diagnose. However, there is still no validated clinical prediction model to distinguish CS from other forms of pediatric syncope. The Evaluation of Guidelines in Syncope Study (EGSYS) score was designed to identify CS in adults and has been validated in several studies. In this study, we aimed to assess the ability of the EGSYS score in predicting CS in children. Methods: In this retrospective study, we calculated and analyzed the EGSYS scores of 332 children hospitalized for syncope between January 2009 and December 2021. Among them, 281 were diagnosed with neurally mediated syncope (NMS) through the head-up tilt test, and 51 were diagnosed with CS using electrocardiography (ECG), echocardiography (ECHO), coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA), myocardial enzymes and genetic screening. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Hosmer-Lemeshow test were used to evaluate the predictive value of the EGSYS score system. Results: The median scores of 51 children with CS and 281 children with NMS were 4 [interquartile range (IQR): 3-5] and -1 (IQR: -2-1), respectively. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.922 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.892-0.952; P < 0.001], indicating that the EGSYS score system has good discrimination. The best cutoff point was ≥3, with a sensitivity and specificity of 84.3% and 87.9%, respectively. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test demonstrated satisfactory calibration (χ²=1.468, P > 0.05) of the score, indicating a good fit of the model. Conclusion: The EGSYS score appeared to be sensitive for differentiating CS from NMS in children. It might be used as an additional diagnostic tool to aid pediatricians in accurately identifying children with CS in the clinical practice.

Restrictive Regulation of Ionic Liquid Quaternary Ammonium Salt in SBA-15 Pore Channel for Efficient Carbon Dioxide Conversion.

Herein, the synthesis of a new type of catalyst, SBA-M (Schiff complex of different metal types grafted on SBA-15) based on a quaternization reaction, is described. Various amounts of ionic liquid were grafted into the pore channels of SBA-15 using the post-grafting method, which allowed the ionic liquid to be grafted into the pore channels restrictively. Notably, over six cycles, SBA-Mn (0.2) has been shown to maintain its catalytic activity and stability. In addition, a reaction mechanism for the cycloaddition of CO2 with epoxides based on density-functional theory is proposed. The cycloaddition reaction of CO2 and epoxides is an efficient way of carbon fixation. It is demonstrated that the metal coordinated with the oxygen atom of the epoxides and that a halogen attacked the carbon of epoxides. Moreover, theoretical calculations and synthesis strategy provide a new approach for CO2 conversion.

The Development of Rickets in Children and Nursing Contributions to Treatment.

Rickets is one of the most prevalent non-communicable diseases in children in the developing world. It is often found in cultures in which children follow strict vegetarian diets and are not exposed to vitamin D-enhanced foods. While a rare occurrence, X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets may be the most frequent type of the disease seen outside the Third World today. However, there is not much credible information on the extent of the development of rickets. Therefore, pediatric nurses must be able to recognize children at risk and provide best practice care for the prevention and treatment of rickets. When caring for children in hospitals, communities or classrooms, nurses play a vital role in identifying children at risk for hypovitaminosis D and advising families to, if possible, follow safe diets and take supplements in order to avoid health complications associated with low levels of vitamin D. This study examines the prevalence and variables contributing to rickets, including hypovitaminosis vitamin D, the consequent orthopedic problems and the role of nurses in preventing and managing the pathogenesis of rickets and ultimately avoiding extreme deficits that result in bone deformities and the need for corrective surgery.

MoCpa1-mediated arginine biosynthesis is crucial for fungal growth, conidiation, and plant infection of Magnaporthe oryzae.

Arginine is an important amino acid involved in processes such as cell signal transduction, protein synthesis, and sexual reproduction. To understand the biological roles of arginine biosynthesis in pathogenic fungi, we used Cpa1, the carbamoyl phosphate synthase arginine-specific small chain subunit in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a query to identify its ortholog in the Magnaporthe oryzae genome and named it MoCpa1. MoCpa1 is a 471-amino acid protein containing a CPSase_sm_chain domain and a GATase domain. MoCpa1 transcripts were highly expressed at the conidiation, early-infection, and late-infection stages of the fungus. Targeted deletion of the MoCPA1 gene resulted in a ΔMocpa1 mutant exhibiting arginine auxotrophy on minimum culture medium (MM), confirming its role in de novo arginine biosynthesis. The ΔMocpa1 mutant presented significantly decreased sporulation with some of its conidia being defective in morphology. Furthermore, the ΔMocpa1 mutant was nonpathogenic on rice and barley leaves, which was a result of defects in appressorium-mediated penetration and restricted invasive hyphal growth within host cells. Addition of exogenous arginine partially rescued conidiation and pathogenicity defects on the barley and rice leaves, while introduction of the MoCPA1 gene into the ΔMocpa1 mutant fully complemented the lost phenotype. Further confocal microscopy examination revealed that MoCpa1 is localized in the mitochondria. In summary, our results demonstrate that MoCpa1-mediated arginine biosynthesis is crucial for fungal development, conidiation, appressorium formation, and infection-related morphogenesis in M. oryzae, thus serving as an attractive target for mitigating obstinate fungal plant pathogens. KEY POINTS: • MoCpa1 is important for aerial hyphal growth and arginine biosynthesis. • MoCpa1 is pivotal for conidial morphogenesis and appressorium formation. • MoCpa1 is crucial for full virulence in M. oryzae.

The molecular mechanism underlying pathogenicity inhibition by sanguinarine in Magnaporthe oryzae.

BACKGROUND: Sanguinarine (SAN) is a benzophenanthridine alkaloid that broadly targets a range of pathways in mammalian and fungal cells. In this study we set out to explore the molecular mechanism of sanguinarine inhibition of the fungal development and pathogenicity of Magnaporthe oryzae with the hope that sanguinarine will bolster the development of antiblast agents. RESULTS: We found that the fungus exhibited a significant reduction in vegetative growth and hyphal melanization while the spores produced long germ tubes on the artificial hydrophobic surface characteristic of a defect in thigmotropic sensing when exposed to 4, 8 and 0.5 µm sanguinarine, respectively. Consistent with these findings, we observed that the genes involved in melanin biosynthesis and the fungal hydrophobin MoMPG1 were remarkably suppressed in mycelia treated with 8 µm sanguinarine. Additionally, sanguinarine inhibited appressorium formation at a dose of 1.0 µm and this defect was restored by supplementing 5 mM of exogenous cAMP. By qRT-PCR assay we found cAMP pathway signalling genes such as MoCAP1 and MoCpkA were significantly repressed whereas MoCDTF1 and MoSOM1 were upregulated in sanguinarine-treated strains. Furthermore, we showed that sanguinarine does not selectively inhibit vegetative growth and appressorium formation of Guy11 but also other strains of M. oryzae. Finally, treatment of sanguinarine impaired the appressorium-mediated penetration and pathogenicity of M. oryzae in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: Based on our results we concluded that sanguinarine is an attractive antimicrobial candidate for fungicide development in the control of rice blast disease. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

MoSep3 and MoExo70 are needed for MoCK2 ring assembly essential for appressorium function in the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae.

Polar growth during appressorium formation is vital for the penetration peg formation in the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae. Previous research has shown that the Sln1-septin-exocyst complex, localized at the base of the appressorium in contact with the leaf surface, forms a ring structure that influences growth polarity and affects penetration peg formation, and is necessary for pathogenicity. Our previous research showed CK2 proteins assemble another ring structure positioned perpendicular to the Sln1-septin-exocyst complex. Our research showed that the CK2 ring needs to become correctly assembled for penetration peg function and subsequent plant infection. In the present study, we found that the ring structures of CK2 are absent in the appressorium of ΔMoSep3 septin deletion mutants lacking the septin ring of the Sln1-septin-exocyst complex. Sln1 affects the septin proteins that recruit the exocyst complex that localizes as another ring at the appressorium's bottom. Destruction of the exocyst complex by mutation also causes incorrect localization of the CK2 ring structure. In conclusion, CK2 probably takes part in reestablishing the appressorium' spolarity growth necessary for penetration peg formation. We can also conclude that the correct localization and assembly of one or more CK2 ring structures in the appressorium depend on the initial assembly of the Sln1-septin-exocyst complex two rings at the base of the appressorium.

High-Quality Genome Assembly of Pseudopestalotiopsis theae, the Pathogenic Fungus Causing Tea Gray Blight.

Tea gray blight is one of the most serious foliar diseases of tea tree, caused by the plant-pathogenic fungus Pseudopestalotiopsis theae, which can affect production and quality of tea worldwide. We generated a highly contiguous, 50.41-Mbp genome assembly (N50 = 1.30 Mbp) of P. theae strain CYF27 by combining PacBio long-read and Illumina short-read sequencing technologies. We identified a total of 15,626 gene models, of which 1,038 genes encode putative secreted proteins. The high-quality genome assembly and annotation resource reported here will be useful for the study of fungal infection mechanisms and pathogen-host interaction.

USP3 promotes breast cancer cell proliferation by deubiquitinating KLF5.

The Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) transcription factor is highly expressed in basal type breast cancer and promotes breast cancer cell proliferation, survival, migration, and tumorigenesis. KLF5 protein stability is regulated by ubiquitination. In this study, ubiquitin-specific protease 3 (USP3) was identified as a new KLF5 deubiquitinase by genome-wide siRNA library screening. We demonstrated that USP3 interacts with KLF5 and stabilizes KLF5 via deubiquitination. USP3 knockdown inhibits breast cancer cell proliferation in vitro and tumorigenesis in vivo, which can be partially rescued by ectopic expression of KLF5. Furthermore, we observed a positive correlation between USP3 and KLF5 protein expression levels in human breast cancer samples. These findings suggest that USP3 is a new KLF5 deubiquitinase and that USP3 may represent a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer.

Medium chain carboxylic acids production from waste biomass: Current advances and perspectives.

Alternative chemicals to diverse fossil-fuel-based products is urgently needed to mitigate the adverse impacts of fossil fuel depletion on human development. To this end, researchers have focused on the production of biochemical from readily available and affordable waste biomass. This is consistent with current guidelines for sustainable development and provides great advantages related to economy and environment. The search for suitable biochemical products is in progress worldwide. Therefore, this review recommends a biochemical (i.e., medium chain carboxylic acids (MCCAs)) utilizing an emerging biotechnological production platform called the chain elongation (CE) process. This work covers comprehensive introduction of the CE mechanism, functional microbes, available feedstock types and corresponding utilization strategies, major methods to enhance the performance of MCCAs production, and the challenges that need to be addressed for practical application. This work is expected to provide a thorough understanding of the CE technology, to guide and inspire researchers to solve existing problems in depth, and motivate large-scale MCCAs production.

Magnetic field-oriented ferroferric oxide/poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) hybrid membranes for anion exchange membrane applications.

Concentrating on the ion conductivity of anion exchange membranes (AEMs), we present a magnetic-field-oriented strategy to address the insufficient ion conductivity and the lifetime problem of AEMs used in alkali membrane fuel cells (AMFCs). Magnetic ferroferric oxide (Fe3O4) is functionalized with quaternary ammonium (QA) groups to endow the QA-Fe3O4 with ion-exchange ability. A series of aligned QA-Fe3O4/poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) hybrid membranes were fabricated by doping QA-Fe3O4 in a triple-ammonium-functionalized PPO (TA-PPO) solution in an applied magnetic field. The structure of aligned QA-Fe3O4 in the TA-PPO membrane is clearly observed by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). More importantly, the aligned QA-Fe3O4 constructs successive and effective ion-transport channels in the QA-Fe3O4/TA-PPO membrane, which dramatically improves the ion conductivity of the membranes. Notably, the magnetic-field-induced ion channels (MICs) are different from microscopic phase-induced ion channels (PICs). These MICs display much shorter ion transport distances and broader water channels than traditional PICs in AEMs. The aligned QA-Fe3O4/TA-PPO hybrid membrane displays a further 55% increase in ion conductivity after magnetic-field orientation compared to the normal QA-Fe3O4/TA-PPO membrane. Surprisingly, the aligned QA-Fe3O4 also improves the alkali stability and fuel cell performance of the hybrid membrane. The aligned 6%-QA-Fe3O4/TA-PPO hybrid membrane realizes a maximal power density of 224 mW cm-2. In summary, this work provides a novel and effective method to prepare high-performance AEMs.

Measurement of Dynamic Force Acted on Water Strider Leg Jumping Upward by the PVDF Film Sensor.

This study aimed to make an explanation for the phenomenon in nature that water strider usually jumps or glides on the water surface easily but quickly, with its peak locomotion speed reaching 150 cm/s. First of all, we observed the microstructure and hierarchy of water strider legs using the scanning electron microscope. On the basis of the observed morphology of the legs, a theoretical model of the detachment from water surface was established, which explained water striders' capability to slide on water surface effortlessly in terms of energy reduction. Secondly, a dynamic force measurement system was devised using the PVDF film sensor with excellent sensitivity, which could detect the whole interaction process. Subsequently, a single leg in contact with water was pulled upward at different speeds, and the adhesion force was measured at the same time. The results of the departing experiment suggested a deep understanding of the fast jumping of water striders.

Three-Decker Strategy Based on Multifunctional Layered Double Hydroxide to Realize High-Performance Hydroxide Exchange Membranes for Fuel Cell Applications.

Herein, we present a three-decker layered double hydroxide (LDH)/poly(phenylene oxide) (PPO) for hydroxide exchange membrane (HEM) applications. Hexagonal LDH is functionalized with highly stable 3-hydroxy-6-azaspiro [5.5] undecane (OH-ASU) cations to promote it's ion-exchange capacity. The ASU-LDH is combined with triple-cations functionalized PPO (TC-PPO) to fabricate a three-decker ASU-LDH/TC-PPO hybrid membrane by an electrostatic-spraying method. Notably, the ASU-LDH layer with a porous structure shows many valuable properties for the ASU-LDH/TC-PPO hybrid membranes, such as improving hydroxide conductivity, dimensional stability, and alkaline stability. The maximum OH- conductivity of ASU-LDH/TC-PPO hybrid membranes achieves 0.113 S/cm at 80 °C. Only 11.5% drops in OH- conductivity was detected after an alkaline stability test in 1 M NaOH at 80 °C for 588 h, prolonging the lifetime of the TC-PPO membrane. Furthermore, the ASU-LDH/TC-PPO hybrid membrane realizes a maximum power density of 0.209 W/cm2 under a current density of 0.391 A/cm2. In summary, the ASU-LDH/TC-PPO hybrid membranes provide a reliable method for preparing high-performance HEMs.

Ultrastable and High Ion-Conducting Polyelectrolyte Based on Six-Membered N-Spirocyclic Ammonium for Hydroxide Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Applications.

In response to prepare high-stable and ion-conducting polyelectrolyte for hydroxide exchange membrane (HEM) applications, we present an ultrastable polyelectrolyte based on six-membered heterocyclic 6-azonia-spiro[5.5]undecane (ASU) and polyphenyl ether (PPO). A series of ASU-functionalized PPO polyelectrolytes (ASU-PPO), which can be easily dissolved in low-boiling pointing solvent, have been successfully synthesized by a remote-grafting method. The ASU precursor is stable in 1 M NaOH/D2O at 80 °C for 2500 h as well as in 5 M NaOH/D2O at 80 °C for 2000 h, and the predicted half-life of the ASU precursor would exceed 10 000 h, even higher in the future. Besides, these remote-grafting ASU-PPO polyelectrolytes are stable in 1 M NaOH(aq) at 80 °C for 1500 h. Robust and pellucid segmented ASU and triple-ammonium-functionalized PPO-based HEMs attach OH- conductivity of 96 mS/cm at 80 °C and realize maximal power density of 178 mW/cm2 under current density of 401 mA/cm2.

Upregulated expression of human cathelicidin LL-37 in hypercholesterolemia and its relationship with serum lipid levels.

Dyslipidemia in patients with hypercholesterolemia has been recently linked to increased human cathelicidin LL-37 (LL-37) serum concentration. We tested a hypothesis that upregulated expression of LL-37 gene in peripheral blood leucocytes is involved in dyslipidemia in patients with hypercholesteremia. Patients with hypercholesterolemia were used in the study. Expression of LL-37 and human glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in peripheral blood leucocytes were quantified by real-time RT-PCR. Serum LL-37 concentration was estimated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum lipid levels were assessed by absorptiometry in all cases. Patients with hypercholesterolemia as compared to control ones were characterized by (a) an up-regulation of LL-37 gene expression in peripheral blood leucocytes with parallel increase of serum LL-37 concentration and (b) an increase of serum total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. Patients with hypercholesterolemia after a treatment with atorvastatin calcium 20 mg daily as compared to that patients before the treatment: an down-regulation of LL-37 gene expression in peripheral blood leucocytes with parallel decrease of serum LL-37 concentration. We also found significant correlation between serum LL-37 and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (r = 0.7290, P < 0.0001). The results suggest that hypercholesterolemia is associated with an increased LL-37 gene expression in peripheral blood leucocytes. The correlation between serum LL-37 and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels suggests that LL-37 may play a key role in regulation of cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemia.

Identification of CD14 as a potential biomarker of hepatocellular carcinoma using iTRAQ quantitative proteomics.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors without effective diagnostic biomarkers. This study intended to dynamically analyze serum proteomics in different pathological stages of liver diseases, and discover potential diagnostic biomarkers for early HCC. Patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, liver cirrhosis (LC), or HCC together with healthy controls (HC) were enrolled. Proteins differentially expressed between groups were screened using isobaric tagging for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ), and promising HCC biomarker candidates were subjected to bioinformatics analysis, including K-means clustering, gene ontology (GO) and string network analysis. Potential biomarkers were validated by Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and their diagnostic performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Finally, 93 differentially expressed proteins were identified, of which 43 differed between HBV and HC, 70 between LC and HC, and 51 between HCC and HC. Expression levels of gelsolin (GELS) and sulfhydryl oxidase 1 (QSOX1) varied with disease state as follows: HC < HBV < LC < HCC. The reverse trend was observed with CD14. These iTRAQ results were confirmed by Western blotting and ELISA. Logistic regression and ROC curve analysis identified the optimal cut-off for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), CD14 and AFP/CD14 was 191.4 ng/mL (AUC 0.646, 95%CI 0.467-0.825, sensitivity 31.6%, specificity 94.4%), 3.16 ng/mL (AUC 0.760, 95%CI 0.604-0.917, sensitivity 94.7%, specificity 50%) and 0.197 ng/mL (AUC 0.889, 95%CI 0.785-0.993, sensitivity 84.2%, specificity 83.3%) respectively. In conclusion, Assaying CD14 levels may complement AFP measurement for early detection of HCC.

Increasing the effective aperture of a detector and enlarging the receiving field of view in a 3D imaging lidar system through hexagonal prism beam splitting.

The detector in a highly accurate and high-definition scanning 3D imaging lidar system requires high frequency bandwidth and sufficient photosensitive area. To solve the problem of small photosensitive area of an existing indium gallium arsenide detector with a certain frequency bandwidth, this study proposes a method for increasing the receiving field of view (FOV) and enlarging the effective photosensitive aperture of such detector through hexagonal prism beam splitting. The principle and construction of hexagonal prism beam splitting is also discussed in this research. Accordingly, a receiving optical system with two hexagonal prisms is provided and the splitting beam effect of the simulation experiment is analyzed. Using this novel method, the receiving optical system's FOV can be improved effectively up to ±5°, and the effective photosensitive aperture of the detector is increased from 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm.