A gas chromatography system for measuring carbonaceous gases released at high-pressure and high-temperature conditions.

Carbonates or carbon-bearing materials may release gases under high pressure and high temperature (HP-HT) conditions. Characterizing the species and quantifying the volumes of these carbonaceous gases are critical for understanding carbon chemistry. However, the volatile nature of carbonaceous gas poses technical challenges in their collection, speciation, and quantification during HP-HT experiments. To address these challenges, we have developed a system that integrates sample collection, gas transportation, chemical conversion, and measurement of carbonaceous gases trapped within the large volume press capsules. The system comprises a capsule-crushing device for thorough sample pulverization, a mechanizer coupled with a flame ionization detector, a gas-sealing and transport interface, and gas chromatography for detection. To evaluate the system's capabilities, we quantified the gas volumes released from encapsulated kerogen quenched from 1.9 GPa to 873, 973, and 1073 K. The collected gas chromatography signals were compared to those obtained from standard mixed-gases. The volumes of CO2, CH4, and C2H6 in the samples were successfully derived from the signal peak area through calibration. The relative standard deviation value of two runs at 3 GPa and 1073 K is 1.956%, suggesting good reproducibility. Our system thus provides a robust solution for investigating carbon chemistry under HP-HT conditions.

Assessing the global distribution and risk of harmful microalgae: A focus on three toxic Alexandrium dinoflagellates.

Harmful dinoflagellates and their resulting blooms pose a threat to marine life and human health. However, to date, global maps of marine life often overlook harmful microorganisms. As harmful algal blooms (HABs) increase in frequency, severity, and extent, understanding the distribution of harmful dinoflagellates and their drivers is crucial for their management. We used MaxEnt, random forest, and ensemble models to map the habitats of the representative HABs species in the genus Alexandrium, including A. catenella, A. minutum, and A. pacificum. Since species occurrence records used in previous studies were solely morphology-based, potentially leading to misidentifications, we corrected these species' distribution records using molecular criteria. The results showed that the key environmental drivers included the distance to the coastline, bathymetry, sea surface temperature (SST), and dissolved oxygen. Alexandrium catenella thrives in temperate to cold zones and is driven by low SST and high oxygen levels. Alexandrium pacificum mainly inhabits the Temperate Northern Pacific and prefers warmer SST and lower oxygen levels. Alexandrium minutum thrives universally and adapts widely to SST and oxygen. By analyzing the habitat suitability of locations with recorded HAB occurrences, we found that high habitat suitability could serve as a reference indicator for bloom risk. Therefore, we have proposed a qualitative method to spatially assess the harmful algae risk according to the habitat suitability. On the global risk map, coastal temperate seas, such as the Mediterranean, Northwest Pacific, and Southern Australia, faced higher risks. Although HABs currently have restricted geographic distributions, our study found these harmful algae possess high environmental tolerance and can thrive across diverse habitats. HAB impacts could increase if climate changes or ocean conditions became more favorable. Marine transportation may also spread the harmful algae to new unaffected ecosystems. This study has pioneered the assessment of harmful algal risk based on habitat suitability.

A highly birefringent metal-free crystal assembled by cooperative non-covalent interactions.

Birefringent crystals can manipulate the phase and polarization of light, so they are widely used as essential components in various optical devices. Common strategies to construct birefringent crystals are introducing metal cations that are either able to realize favorable coordination with functional anionic units or are susceptible to polarizability anisotropy. Herein, we report a metal-free crystal, NH4(H2C6N7O3)·2H2O, synthesized using the facile solution method. In the crystal structure of NH4(H2C6N7O3)·2H2O, (H2C6N7O3)- functional units are assembled in an optimal manner by cooperative non-covalent interactions, i.e., hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions. As a result, this metal-free crystal possesses exceptional birefringence up to 0.54@550 nm, which is larger than those of most metal-containing birefringent crystals. In addition, the interference color of this crystal does not change obviously from 243 K to 313 K, indicating that the birefringence is robust at different temperatures. This work will inspire useful insights into the role of non-covalent interactions in designing outstanding birefringent crystals for efficient polarized optical devices.

Phases of (2+1)D SO(5) Nonlinear Sigma Model with a Topological Term on a Sphere: Multicritical Point and Disorder Phase.

Novel critical phenomena beyond the Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson paradigm have been long sought after. Among many candidate scenarios, the deconfined quantum critical point (DQCP) constitutes the most fascinating one, and its lattice model realization has been debated over the past two decades. Here we apply the spherical Landau level regularization upon the exact (2+1)D SO(5) nonlinear sigma model with a topological term to study the potential DQCP therein. We perform a density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) simulation with SU(2)_{spin}×U(1)_{charge}×U(1)_{angular-momentum} symmetries explicitly implemented. Using crossing point analysis for the critical properties of the DMRG data, accompanied by quantum Monte Carlo simulations, we accurately obtain the comprehensive phase diagram of the model and find various novel quantum phases, including Néel, ferromagnet (FM), valence bond solid (VBS), valley polarized (VP) states and a gapless quantum disordered phase occupying an extended area of the phase diagram. The VBS-disorder and Néel-disorder transitions are continuous with non-Wilson-Fisher exponents. Our results show the VBS and Néel states are separated by either a weakly first-order transition or the disordered region with a multicritical point in between, thus opening up more interesting questions on the two-decade long debate on the nature of the DQCP.

Auricular point acupressure for managing postoperative pain and reducing anxiety in patients with perianal abscesses.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of auricular point acupressure in relieving postoperative pain and reducing anxiety among patients with perianal abscesses. METHODS: We included 61 patients with perianal abscesses who were admitted to the Nantong First People's Hospital between July 2019 and June 2020 and were scheduled to undergo one-stage radical surgery. We divided them into the treatment group (n = 31), where patients were administered preoperative auricular acupressure targeting the bilateral Shenmen, subcortical, and other points. They were instructed to apply pressure five to six times per day, each time for about 3-5 min. Patients in the control group (n = 30) received routine preoperative preparation. The treatment duration for both groups was one week. We compared the two groups using the pain visual analog scale (VAS) scores, the use of additional postoperative analgesics, and scores on the Hamilton anxiety and depression scales pre- and post-surgery at 6 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, and 1 week after surgery, as well as at the time of the first bowel movement. RESULTS: Patients in the treatment group reported lower VAS scores than those of the control group at 48 h, 72 h, 1 week, and at the first defecation post-surgery, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Additional postoperative analgesics were used in seven patients in the treatment group (22.58 %) and in 10 patients in the control group (33.33 %). The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (χ2 = 0.88, P = 0.35). Postoperative scores for the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) in the treatment group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrated that auricular point acupressure was effective in alleviating postoperative pain in patients with perianal abscesses and simultaneously reduced their postoperative psychological stress reactions. This dual effect provided both pain relief and a reduction of anxiety with fewer adverse reactions, making it a safe and effective treatment option.

Fully Automatic Deep Learning Model for Spine Refracture in Patients with OVCF: A Multi-Center Study.

BACKGROUND: The reaserch of artificial intelligence (AI) model for predicting spinal refracture is limited to bone mineral density, X-ray and some conventional laboratory indicators, which has its own limitations. Besides, it lacks specific indicators related to osteoporosis and imaging factors that can better reflect bone quality, such as computed tomography (CT). OBJECTIVE: To construct a novel predicting model based on bone turn-over markers and CT to identify patients who were more inclined to suffer spine refracture. METHODS: CT images and clinical information of 383 patients (training set = 240 cases of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF), validation set = 63, test set = 80) were retrospectively collected from January 2015 to October 2022 at three medical centers. The U-net model was adopted to automatically segment ROI. Three-dimensional (3D) cropping of all spine regions was used to achieve the final ROI regions including 3D_Full and 3D_RoiOnly. We used the Densenet 121-3D model to model the cropped region and simultaneously build a T-NIPT prediction model. Diagnostics of deep learning models were assessed by constructing ROC curves. We generated calibration curves to assess the calibration performance. Additionally, decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to assess the clinical utility of the predictive models. RESULTS: The performance of the test model is comparable to its performance on the training set (dice coefficients of 0.798, an mIOU of 0.755, an SA of 0.767, and an OS of 0.017). Univariable and multivariable analysis indicate that T_P1NT was an independent risk factor for refracture. The performance of predicting refractures in different ROI regions showed that 3D_Full model exhibits the highest calibration performance, with a Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit (HL) test statistic exceeding 0.05. The analysis of the training and test sets showed that the 3D_Full model, which integrates clinical and deep learning results, demonstrated superior performance with significant improvement (p-value < 0.05) compared to using clinical features independently or using only 3D_RoiOnly. CONCLUSION: T_P1NT was an independent risk factor of refracture. Our 3D-FULL model showed better performance in predicting high-risk population of spine refracture than other models and junior doctors do. This model can be applicable to real-world translation due to its automatic segmentation and detection.

Development and validation of AI models using LR and LightGBM for predicting distant metastasis in breast cancer: a dual-center study.

Objective: This study aims to develop an artificial intelligence model utilizing clinical blood markers, ultrasound data, and breast biopsy pathological information to predict the distant metastasis in breast cancer patients. Methods: Data from two medical centers were utilized, Clinical blood markers, ultrasound data, and breast biopsy pathological information were separately extracted and selected. Feature dimensionality reduction was performed using Spearman correlation and LASSO regression. Predictive models were constructed using LR and LightGBM machine learning algorithms and validated on internal and external validation sets. Feature correlation analysis was conducted for both models. Results: The LR model achieved AUC values of 0.892, 0.816, and 0.817 for the training, internal validation, and external validation cohorts, respectively. The LightGBM model achieved AUC values of 0.971, 0.861, and 0.890 for the same cohorts, respectively. Clinical decision curve analysis showed a superior net benefit of the LightGBM model over the LR model in predicting distant metastasis in breast cancer. Key features identified included creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) and alpha-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase. Conclusion: This study developed an artificial intelligence model using clinical blood markers, ultrasound data, and pathological information to identify distant metastasis in breast cancer patients. The LightGBM model demonstrated superior predictive accuracy and clinical applicability, suggesting it as a promising tool for early diagnosis of distant metastasis in breast cancer.

Efficient molecular doping of polymeric semiconductors improved by coupled reaction.

Exploring chemical doping method to improve the electrical conductivity of polymers is still very attractive for researchers. In this work, we report a developed method of doping a polymer semiconductor aided by the coupled reaction that commonly exists in biological systems where a non-spontaneous reaction is driven by a spontaneous reaction. During the doping process, the chemical reaction between the dopant and the polymer is promoted by introducing a thermodynamically favorable reaction via adding additives that are highly reactive to the reduction product of the dopant to form a coupled reaction, thus significantly improving the electrical conductivity of polymers by 3-7 orders. This coupled reaction doping process shows the potential of wide applications in exploring efficient doping systems to prepare functional conducting polymers, which could be a powerful tool for modern organic electronics.

Aliphatic Polycarbonate-Based Binders for High-Loading Cathodes by Solvent-Free Method Used in High Performance LiFePO4|Li Batteries.

The binder ratio in a commercial lithium-ion battery is very low, but it is one of the key materials affecting the battery's performance. In this paper, polycarbonate-based polymers with liner or chain extension structures are proposed as binders. Then, dry LiFePO4 (LFP) electrodes with these binders are prepared using the solvent-free method. Polycarbonate-based polymers have a high tensile strength and a satisfactory bonding strength, and the rich polar carbonate groups provide highly ionic conductivity as binders. The batteries with poly (propylene carbonate)-plus (PPC-P) as binders were shown to have a long cycle life (350 cycles under 1 C, 89% of capacity retention). The preparation of dry electrodes using polycarbonate-based polymers can avoid the use of solvents and shorten the process of preparing electrodes. It can also greatly reduce the manufacturing cost of batteries and effectively use industrial waste gas dioxide oxidation. Most importantly, a battery material with this kind of polycarbonate polymer as a binder is easily recycled by simply heating after the battery is discarded. This paper provides a new idea for the industrialization and development of a novel binder.

Corrosion-Induced Cracking Model of Concrete Considering a Transverse Constraint.

The performance of corrosion-induced cracking of reinforced concrete members under transverse constraints was studied. Based on the theory of elastic-plastic mechanics and the hypothesis of uniform corrosion of a steel bar, a three-layer hollow cylinder model was established to predict the critical corrosion of the steel bar at the time of the cracking of the concrete cover. Taking the constraint of stirrups on surrounding concrete into consideration, it can be used to predict the corrosion rate of members with stirrups at the time of the cracking of the concrete cover, which further expands the application range of the corrosion-induced cracking models of concrete. On this basis, the critical corrosion rate of concrete under different stirrup ratios at the time of cracking was measured. The calculated results of the model are in accordance with experimental data. For corner steel bars, when the stirrup spacing is less than 100 mm, the existence of stirrups can effectively delay the occurrence of rust expansion cracks and enhance the durability of the structure. On the basis of this study, the problem of corrosion expansion and cracking of the concrete cover caused by non-uniform corrosion of steel bars along longitudinal and radial directions needs to be further studied in the future.

Genome-Wide Identification of the Alfin-like Gene Family in Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and the GhAL19 Gene Negatively Regulated Drought and Salt Tolerance.

Alfin-like (AL) is a small plant-specific gene family characterized by a PHD-finger-like structural domain at the C-terminus and a DUF3594 structural domain at the N-terminus, and these genes play prominent roles in plant development and abiotic stress response. In this study, we conducted genome-wide identification and analyzed the AL protein family in Gossypium hirsutum cv. NDM8 to assess their response to various abiotic stresses for the first time. A total of 26 AL genes were identified in NDM8 and classified into four groups based on a phylogenetic tree. Moreover, cis-acting element analysis revealed that multiple phytohormone response and abiotic stress response elements were highly prevalent in AL gene promoters. Further, we discovered that the GhAL19 gene could negatively regulate drought and salt stresses via physiological and biochemical changes, gene expression, and the VIGS assay. The study found there was a significant increase in POD and SOD activity, as well as a significant change in MDA in VIGS-NaCl and VIGS-PEG plants. Transcriptome analysis demonstrated that the expression levels of the ABA biosynthesis gene (GhNCED1), signaling genes (GhABI1, GhABI2, and GhABI5), responsive genes (GhCOR47, GhRD22, and GhERFs), and the stress-related marker gene GhLEA14 were regulated in VIGS lines under drought and NaCl treatment. In summary, GhAL19 as an AL TF may negatively regulate tolerance to drought and salt by regulating the antioxidant capacity and ABA-mediated pathway.

SEEG-RFTC in patients with refractory focal epilepsy: real-world outcomes from 121 cases.

OBJECTIVE: Radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RFTC) has emerged as an effective and safe treatment method for patients with refractory focal epilepsy, when stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) is implanted. Although real-world research results are still limited, a considerable number of patients have shown favorable outcomes with this less invasive method. This study aims to describe the outcomes and predictive factors of SEEG-RFTC in real-world research. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted on patients in the authors' epilepsy center. In total, 121 patients who underwent RFTC were included in the study. Post-RFTC outcomes were evaluated using the seizure-free rate and response rate (seizure frequency reduction more than 50%). Predictive factors influencing post-RFTC outcome were considered by comparing different variables. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 18.3 months. Eighty-two patients (67.8%) were responders and 54 (44.6%) were seizure free. In 36 patients with malformation of cortical development, the seizure-free rate and the response rate were 69.44% and 83.33%, respectively. In 20 patients with hippocampal sclerosis, 19 patients were responders and 14 (70%) patients were seizure free at the last follow-up. The MRI feature and etiology of epilepsy are correlated with the outcome. MR-positive is a predictive factor for seizure freedom (p < 0.01) and responders (p < 0.01). Other factors have no predictive value for post-RFTC outcome. INTERPRETATION: SEEG-RFTC is a safe procedure and yields favorable outcomes in numerous cases of focal DRE. The MRI feature and etiology of epilepsy are correlated with the seizure-free rate and response rate. And MRI positivity is the predictor for good RFTC outcome.

The shift in the spatiotemporal relationship between supply and demand of ecosystem services and its drivers in China.

In China, over 65% of human activities are concentrated in cities, resulting in a conflict between the supply and demand of ecosystem services (ESs). To alleviate this problem, many cities have adopted eco-friendly development modes, however, the effectiveness of these models in reducing ESs supply-demand conflicts has not been comprehensively reviewed, and the human and natural drivers behind these relationship shifts remain unclear. To bridge this gap, this study analyzed the shifts in the relationships between supply and demand of ESs across China from 2010 to 2020 at a city level, as well as identified the human and natural drivers behind them. Firstly, the InVEST models were integrated with socioeconomic data to evaluate the supply and demand distribution for three pivotal ESs: water yield (WY), habitat quality (HQ), and soil retention (SR). Then, a four-quadrant diagram approach was proposed to enhance the analysis of their spatiotemporal relationships. Furthermore, random forest models were employed to examine the drivers of the shifts in these relationships. The results showed that WY and SR services witnessed growth until 2015, and then receded, while HQ saw a modest decline from 2010 to 2020. Spatial synergies in the supply and demand of ESs were primarily observed in the southern cities, with a significant northward extension by 2020. From a temporal perspective, the percentage of cities achieving coordination in WY and SR services increased from 32.6% to 57.3%, respectively, in the 2010-2015 period to 42.4% and 63.3% between 2015 and 2020, meanwhile, HQ service conflicts diminished from 58.7% to 53.5%. The changes in socioeconomic and land use factors contributed to 64.3%, 36.1%, and 33.3% of the shifts in the supply-demand relationship for HQ, WY, and SR services, respectively. Our analysis highlights the potential of human-driven ecological management to enhance the balance of this relationship. It can support the design of city-specific policies that foster a balance between ecological processes and socio-economic development.

Capillary compression induced outstanding n-type thermoelectric power factor in CNT films towards intelligent temperature controller.

One-dimensional carbon nanotubes are promising candidates for thermoelectrics because of their excellent electrical and mechanical properties. However, the large n-type power factor remains elusive in macroscopic carbon nanotubes films. Herein, we report an outstanding n-type power factor of 6.75 mW m-1 K-2 for macroscopic carbon nanotubes films with high electrical and thermal conductivity. A high-power density curl-able thermoelectric generator is fabricated with the obtained carbon nanotubes films, which exhibits a high normalized power output density of 2.75 W m-1 at a temperature difference of 85 K. The value is higher than that of previously reported flexible all-inorganic thermoelectric generators (<0.3 W m-1). An intelligent temperature controller with automated temperature-controlling ability is fabricated by assembling these thermoelectric generators, which demonstrates the potential application of the carbon nanotubes films in automated thermal management of electronic devices where requires a large thermoelectric power factor and a large thermal conductivity simultaneously.

Effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on the microorganisms of expressed prostatic secretion in patients with IIIB prostatitis.

To detect and analyze the changes of microorganisms in expressed prostatic secretion (EPS) of patients with IIIB prostatitis before and after low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) treatment, and to explore the mechanism of LIPUS in the treatment of chronic prostatitis (CP). 25 patients (study power was estimated using a Dirichlet-multinomial approach and reached 96.5% at α = 0.05 using a sample size of 25) with IIIB prostatitis who were effective in LIPUS treatment were divided into two groups before and after LIPUS treatment. High throughput second-generation sequencing technique was used to detect and analyze the relative abundance of bacterial 16 s ribosomal variable regions in EPS before and after treatment. The data were analyzed by bioinformatics software and database, and differences with P < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Beta diversity analysis showed that there was a significant difference between groups (P = 0.046). LEfSe detected four kinds of characteristic microorganisms in the EPS of patients with IIIB prostatitis before and after LIPUS treatment. After multiple comparisons among groups by DESeq2 method, six different microorganisms were found. LIPUS may improve patients' clinical symptoms by changing the flora structure of EPS, stabilizing and affecting resident bacteria or opportunistic pathogens.

Dysregulated tryptophan metabolism and AhR pathway contributed to CXCL10 upregulation in stable non-segmental vitiligo.

BACKGROUND: Tryptophan metabolism dysregulation has been observed in vitiligo. However, drawing a mechanistic linkage between this metabolic disturbance and vitiligo pathogenesis remains challenging. OBJECTIVE: Aim to reveal the characterization of tryptophan metabolism in vitiligo and investigate the role of tryptophan metabolites in vitiligo pathophysiology. METHODS: LC-MS/MS, dual-luciferase reporter assay, ELISA, qRT-PCR, small interfering RNA, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry were employed. RESULTS: Kynurenine pathway activation and KYAT enzyme-associated deviation to kynurenic acid (KYNA) in the plasma of stable non-segmental vitiligo were determined. Using a public microarray dataset, we next validated the activation of kynurenine pathway was related with inflammatory-related genes expression in skin of vitiligo patients. Furthermore, we found that KYNA induced CXCL10 upregulation in keratinocytes via AhR activation. Moreover, the total activity of AhR agonist was increased while the AhR concentration per se was decreased in the plasma of vitiligo patients. Finally, higher KYAT, CXCL10, CYP1A1 and lower AhR expression in vitiligo lesional skin were observed by immunohistochemistry staining. CONCLUSION: This study depicts the metabolic and genetic characterizations of tryptophan metabolism in vitiligo and proposes that KYNA, a tryptophan-derived AhR ligand, can enhance CXCL10 expression in keratinocytes.

Ultrahigh Energy Storage Performance of BiFeO3-BaTiO3 Flexible Film Capacitor with High-Temperature Stability via Defect Design.

Nanoengineering polar oxide films have attracted great attention in energy storage due to their high energy density. However, most of them are deposited on thick and rigid substrates, which is not conducive to the integration of capacitors and applications in flexible electronics. Here, an alternative strategy using van der Waals epitaxial oxide dielectrics on ultra-thin flexible mica substrates is developed and increased the disorder within the system through high laser flux. The introduction of defects can efficiently weaken or destroy the long-range ferroelectric ordering, ultimately leading to the emergence of a large numbers of weak-coupling regions. Such polarization configuration ensures fast polarization response and significantly improves energy storage characteristics. A flexible BiFeO3-BaTiO3 (BF-BT) capacitor exhibits a total energy density of 43.5 J cm-3 and an efficiency of 66.7% and maintains good energy storage performance over a wide temperature range (20-200 °C) and under large bending deformation (bending radii ≈ 2 mm). This study provides a feasible approach to improve the energy storage characteristics of dielectric oxide films and paves the way for their practical application in high-energy density capacitors.

Enhancing prostate cancer diagnosis and reducing unnecessary biopsies with [18F]DCFPyL PET/CT imaging in PI-RADS 3/4 patients.

For patients presenting with prostate imaging reporting and data system (PI-RADS) 3/4 findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations, the standard recommendation typically involves undergoing a biopsy for pathological assessment to ascertain the nature of the lesion. This course of action, though essential for accurate diagnosis, invariably amplifies the psychological distress experienced by patients and introduces a host of potential complications associated with the biopsy procedure. However, [18F]DCFPyL PET/CT imaging emerges as a promising alternative, demonstrating considerable diagnostic efficacy in discerning benign prostate lesions from malignant ones. This study aims to explore the diagnostic value of [18F]DCFPyL PET/CT imaging for prostate cancer in patients with PI-RADS 3/4 lesions, assisting in clinical decision-making to avoid unnecessary biopsies. 30 patients diagnosed with PI-RADS 3/4 lesions through mpMRI underwent [18F]DCFPyL PET/CT imaging, with final biopsy pathology results as the "reference standard". Diagnostic performance was assessed through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, evaluating the diagnostic efficacy of molecular imaging PSMA (miPSMA) visual analysis and semi-quantitative analysis in [18F]DCFPyL PET/CT imaging. Lesions were assigned miPSMA scores according to the prostate cancer molecular imaging standardized evaluation criteria. Among the 30 patients, 13 were pathologically confirmed to have prostate cancer. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of visual analysis in [18F]DCFPyL PET/CT imaging for diagnosing PI-RADS 3/4 lesions were 61.5%, 88.2%, 80.0%, 75.0%, and 76.5%, respectively. Using SUVmax 4.17 as the optimal threshold, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy for diagnosis were 92.3%, 88.2%, 85.7%, 93.8%, and 90.0%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for semi-quantitative analysis was 0.94, significantly higher than visual analysis at 0.80. [18F]DCFPyL PET/CT imaging accurately diagnosed benign lesions in 15 (50%) of the PI-RADS 3/4 patients. For patients with PI-RADS 4 lesions, the positive predictive value of [18F]DCFPyL PET/CT imaging reached 100%. [18F]DCFPyL PET/CT imaging provides potential preoperative prediction of lesion nature in mpMRI PI-RADS 3/4 patients, which may aid in treatment decision-making and reducing unnecessary biopsies.

Online parameter identification based predictive pressure control for train electro-pneumatic braking systems with thermal effect.

The electro-pneumatic braking system with ON/OFF solenoid valves has been widely used in trains due to its advantages and superiority. The undesirable impact of the thermal effect on the electro-pneumatic braking system leads to frequent valve switching, degradation of the pressure tracking performance and sometimes instability. This article presents an adaptive model predictive control approach to solve the pressure control problem under temperature uncertainty based on a switched unscented Kalman filter. First, a nonlinear switched dynamical model with the uncertain temperature parameter is derived for the electro-pneumatic braking system by comprehensively integrating its nonlinear, discontinuous dynamics and thermal effect. Using a switched unscented Kalman filter on the presented model of the system, the temperature parameter is accurately estimated to improve the model's accuracy. Based on the corrected system model and the designed adaptive model predictive control method, the pressure tracking performance and the valves' switchings of the electro-pneumatic braking system are improved, and the stability is guaranteed. The simulations and the experiments conducted for a braking system prototype confirm the performance validity of the proposed method.

Carotid artery transplantation of brain endothelial cells enhances neuroprotection and neurorepair in ischaemic stroke rats.

Brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs), an important component of the neurovascular unit, can promote angiogenesis and synaptic formation in ischaemic mice after brain parenchyma transplantation. Since the therapeutic efficacy of cell-based therapies depends on the extent of transplanted cell residence in the target tissue and cell migration ability, the delivery route has become a hot research topic. In this study, we investigated the effects of carotid artery transplantation of BMECs on neuronal injury, neurorepair, and neurological dysfunction in rats after cerebral ischaemic attack. Purified passage 1 endothelial cells (P1-BMECs) were prepared from mouse brain tissue. Adult rats were subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 30 min. Then, the rats were treated with 5 × 105 P1-BMECs through carotid artery infusion or tail vein injection. We observed that carotid artery transplantation of BMECs produced more potent neuroprotective effects than caudal injection in MCAO rats, including reducing infarct size and alleviating neurological deficits in behavioural tests. Carotid artery-transplanted BMECs displayed a wider distribution in the ischaemic rat brain. Immunostaining for endothelial progenitor cells and the mature endothelial cell markers CD34 and RECA-1 showed that carotid artery transplantation of BMECs significantly increased angiogenesis. Carotid artery transplantation of BMECs significantly increased the number of surviving neurons, decreased the cerebral infarction volume, and alleviated neurological deficits. In addition, we found that carotid artery transplantation of BMECs significantly enhanced ischaemia-induced hippocampal neurogenesis, as measured by doublecortin (DCX) and Ki67 double staining within 2 weeks after ischaemic injury. We conclude that carotid artery transplantation of BMECs can promote cerebral angiogenesis, neurogenesis, and neurological function recovery in adult rats after ischaemic stroke. Our results suggest that carotid injection of BMECs may be a promising new approach for treating acute brain injuries.