Interpretatively automated identification of circulating tumor cells from human peripheral blood with high performance.

The detection and analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) would be of aid in a precise cancer diagnosis and an efficient prognosis assessment. However, traditional methods that rely heavily on the isolation of CTCs based on their physical or biological features suffer from intensive labor, thus being unsuitable for rapid detection. Furthermore, currently available intelligent methods are short of interpretability, which creates a lot of uncertainty during diagnosis. Therefore, we propose here an automated method that takes advantage of bright-field microscopic images with high resolution, so as to take an insight into cell patterns. Specifically, the precise identification of CTCs was achieved by using an optimized single-shot multi-box detector (SSD)-based neural network with integrated attention mechanism and feature fusion modules. Compared to the conventional SSD system, our method exhibited a superior detection performance with the recall rate of 92.2%, and the maximum average precision (AP) value of 97.9%. To note, the optimal SSD-based neural network was combined with advanced visualization technology, i.e., the gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) for model interpretation, and the t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (T-SNE) for data visualization. Our work demonstrates for the first time the outstanding performance of SSD-based neural network for CTCs identification in human peripheral blood environment, showing great potential for the early detection and continuous monitoring of cancer progression.

Correction: A molecularly imprinted antibiotic receptor on magnetic nanotubes for the detection and removal of environmental oxytetracycline.

Correction for 'A molecularly imprinted antibiotic receptor on magnetic nanotubes for the detection and removal of environmental oxytetracycline' by Jixiang Wang et al., J. Mater. Chem. B, 2022, 10, 6777-6783, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2TB00497F.

A molecularly imprinted antibiotic receptor on magnetic nanotubes for the detection and removal of environmental oxytetracycline.

The detection and elimination of antibiotic contaminants, such as oxytetracycline (OTC), a broad-spectrum tetracycline antibiotic, would be of help in efficient environmental monitoring, agriculture and food safety tests. Nevertheless, currently available methodologies, which mostly rely on the chromatographic separation of OTC, suffer from low sensitivity and complicated processes. Thus, we report here on the design and synthesis of a fluorescent sensor based on molecularly imprinted magnetic halloysite nanotubes (referred to as MHNTs@FMIPs) for the effective detection and purification of OTC in actual environmental samples. The fluorescence of the MHNTs@FMIPs was quenched obviously upon loading with OTC, covering a linear concentration range of 10-300 nM with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 8.1 nM. The imprinting factor is 4.47, indicating an excellent specificity. Furthermore, the MHNTs@FMIPs can be applied to the quantitative detection of OTC (5 cycles of 300 nM) in aquaculture wastewater and Yangtze River water, demonstrating their immense application potential.

Experimental study on evaluation and optimization of tilt angle of parallel-plate electrodes using electrocoagulation device for oily water demulsification.

Tilt angle of parallel-plate electrodes (APE) is very important as it improves the economy of diffusion controlled Electrocoagulation (EC) processes. This study aimed to evaluate and optimize APE of a self-made EC device including integrally rotary electrodes, at a fixed current density of 120 Am-2. The APEs investigated in this study were selected at 0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 90°, and a special value (α(d)) which was defined as a special orientation of electrode when the upper end of anode and the lower end of cathode is in a line vertical to the bottom of reactor. Experiments were conducted to determine the optimum APE for demulsification process using four evaluation indexes, as: oil removal efficiency in the center between electrodes; energy consumption and Al consumption, and besides, a novel universal evaluation index named as evenness index of oil removal efficiency employed to fully reflect distribution characteristics of demulsification efficiency. At a given plate spacing of 4 cm, the optimal APE was found to be α(d) because of its potential of enhancing the mass transfer process within whole EC reactor without addition, external mechanical stirring energy, and finally the four evaluation indexed are 97.07%, 0.11 g Al g-1 oil, 2.99 kwhkg-1 oil, 99.97% and 99.97%, respectively.

QTL analysis of flag leaf in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) for morphological traits and chlorophyll content.

To understand genetic patterns of the morphological and physiological traits in flag leaf of barley, a double haploid (DH) population derived from the parents Yerong and Franklin was used to determine quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling length, width, length/width, and chlorophyll content of flag leaves. A total of 9 QTLs showing significantly additive effect were detected in 8 intervals on 5 chromosomes. The variation of individual QTL ranged from 1.9% to 20.2%. For chlorophyll content expressed as SPAD value, 4 QTLs were identified on chromosomes 2H, 3H and 6H; for leaf length and width, 2 QTLs located on chromosomes 5H and 7H, and 2 QTLs located on chromosome 5H were detected; and for length/width, 1 QTL was detected on chromosome 7H. The identification of these QTLs associated with the properties of flag leaf is useful for barley improvement in breeding programs.

[Effects of maize-peanut intercropping on economic yield and light response of photosynthesis].

A field experiment was conducted to study the effects of maize-peanut intercropping on the economic yield of the two crops and the light response of their functional leaves' photosynthesis. The results showed that maize-peanut intercropping had an obvious yield advantage, with the total economic yield being 2,896 kg hm(-2) in 2004 and 2,894 kg hm(-2) in 2005, and enhanced the land utilization rate by 14%-17%. For maize's functional leaves, the intercropping enhanced their light saturation point, compensation point, and photosynthetic rate under strong light; while for peanut's functional leaves, it reduced their light saturation point and compensation point but enhanced the apparent quantum yield of photosynthesis and photosynthetic rate under weak light, indicating that maize-peanut intercropping enhanced the utilization efficiency of strong light by maize and that of weak light by peanut, making this intercropping system present an obvious yield advantage.

[Effects of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilization on sucrose accumulation in flag leaf and starch accumulation in kernel of weak gluten wheat].

With weak gluten wheat Yumai 50 as test material, this paper studied the sucrose accumulation in flag leaf and starch accumulation in kernel under effects of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilization. The results showed that nitrogen and potassium fertilization increased the sugar content in flag leaf at early and late filling stage, respectively, while phosphorous fertilization had little effect. Nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium fertilization increased the sucrose-synthase activity in flag leaf, but the effect differed with time, i. e., at mid filling stage for nitrogen fertilization, early filling stage for phosphorous fertilization, and early and mid stage for potassium fertilization. As for the sucrose phosphate-synthase activity in flag leaf, it was increased by nitrogen fertilization in 24 days after anthesis, by potassium fertilization at early and mid filling stage, and by phosphorus fertilization at late filling stage. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilization increased the sugar and starch contents in kernel, and the effect of potassium fertilization was most significant. Phosphorus fertilization increased the accumulation of amylose, while potassium fertilization improved that of amylopectin in kernel.