A tetrahedron-shaped polyoxoantimotungstate encapsulating a hexanuclear octahedral lanthanide-oxo cluster for an amperometric bromate sensor.

An inorganic hexalanthanide-oxo-cluster-encapsulated antimotungstate, K2Na3H43[Nd6(OH)6(H2O)6(B-α-SbW9O33)4]2·67H2O (1), has been successfully synthesized by a facile one-step hydrothermal reaction method. The tetrahedron-shaped two-shell {Nd6(OH)6(H2O)6(B-α-SbW9O33)4}(1a) polyanion is composed of a novel pure lanthanide-oxo {Nd6(µ3-OH)6(H2O)6} octahedron and {(B-α-SbW9O33)4} tetrahedron. After being effectively loaded onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) by electrostatic adsorption using polydiallyldimethyl ammonium chloride (PDDA)-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), compound 1 exhibits electrochemical activity for the reduction of bromate ions with good selectivity, a high sensitivity of 186 µA mM-1 and a detection limit that has reached 1.9 µM. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of an amperometric bromate sensor based on Ln-containing antimotungstates, which will provide new materials for electrochemical sensors.

Photo-Activating Biomimetic Polyoxomolybdate for Boosting Oxygen Evolution in Neutral Electrolytes.

Inspired by the metal-oxo cluster structural feature and charge separation behaviour of the oxygen evolving center (OEC) in photosystem II (PS-II) under photoirradiation, a new crystalline photochromic polyoxomolybdate, MV2 [ß-Mo8 O26 ] (1, MV=methyl viologen cation), is designed as a biomimetic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst in neutral electrolytes. After photoinduced electron transfer (PIET) with colour change from colourless to grey, it remains in an ultra-stable charge-separated state over a year under ambient conditions. The observed overpotential at 10 mA ⋅ cm-2 and Tafel slope decrease by 49 mV and 62.8 mV ⋅ dec-1 after coloration, respectively. The outstanding OER performance of the coloured state in neutral electrolytes even outperforms the commercial RuO2 benchmark. Experimental and theoretical studies show that oxygen holes within polyanions after irradiation serve as sites for enhancing direct O-O coupling, thus effectively promoting OER. This is the first successful application of electron-transfer photochromism to realize OER activity gain.

JUND/linc00976 promotes cholangiocarcinoma progression and metastasis, inhibits ferroptosis by regulating the miR-3202/GPX4 axis.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a novel class of noncoding RNAs that have emerged as critical regulators and biomarkers in various cancers. Nevertheless, the expression profile and mechanistic function of lncRNAs in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) remain unclear. Herein, we examined the expression levels of linc00976 in clinical specimens and cell lines using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. In total, 50 patients with CCA were enrolled to analyze the correlation between linc00976 expression and clinical characteristics of CCA. Loss- and gain-of-function experiments were performed to investigate the biological effects of linc00976 on proliferation, ferroptosis, migration, and invasion of CCA cells in vitro and in vivo. In situ hybridization, RNA immunoprecipitation, bioinformatic databases, RNA pull-down assay, a dual-luciferase reporter assay, mRNA sequencing, chromatin immunoprecipitation-PCR, and rescue experiments were performed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of linc00976-induced competitive endogenous RNA regulatory networks. We characterized a novel and abundant lncRNA, linc00976, that functions as a pro-oncogenic regulator of CCA progression. Compared with normal controls, linc00976 was dramatically upregulated in CCA tissue samples and cell lines. Patients with CCA exhibiting high linc00976 expression had a highly advanced clinical stage, substantial lymph node metastasis, and poor overall survival. Knockdown of linc00976 significantly repressed proliferation and metastasis and promoted ferroptosis of CCA cells both in vitro and in vivo, whereas linc00976 overexpression exerted the opposite effect. Mechanistically, linc00976 competitively interacted with miR-3202 to upregulate GPX4 expression, thus contributing to the malignant biological behavior of CCA cells. Moreover, we demonstrated that JUND specifically interacts with the linc00976 promoter and activates linc00976 transcription. Accordingly, JUND promotes linc00976 transcription, and linc00976 plays a crucial role in accelerating CCA tumorigenesis and metastasis and inhibiting ferroptosis by modulating the miR-3202/GPX4 axis. These findings suggest that targeting linc00976 may afford a promising therapeutic strategy for patients with CCA.

Differences Between Cancer-Specific Survival of Patients With Anaplastic and Primary Squamous Cell Thyroid Carcinoma and Factors Influencing Prognosis: A SEER Database Analysis.

Purpose: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) and primary squamous cell carcinoma of the thyroid (PSCCTh) have similar histological findings and are currently treated using the same approaches; however, the characteristics and prognosis of these cancers are poorly researched. The objective of this study was to determine the differences in characteristics between ATC and PSCCTh and establish prognostic models. Patients and Methods: All variables of patients with ATC and PSCCTh, diagnosed from 2004-2015, were retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database. Percentage differences for categorical data were compared using the Chi-square test. Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank test, and Cox-regression for survival analysis, and C-index value was used to evaluate the performance of the prognostic models. Results: After application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 1164 ATC and 124 PSCCTh patients, diagnosed from 2004 to 2015, were included in the study. There were no differences in sex, ethnicity, age, marital status, or percentage of proximal metastases between the two cancers; however, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, incidence of surgical treatment, and presence of multiple primary tumors were higher in patients with ATC than those with PSCCTh. Further cancer-specific survival (CSS) of patients with PSCCTh was better than that of patients with ATC. Prognostic factors were not identical for the two cancers. Multivariate Cox model analysis indicated that age, sex, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery, multiple primary tumors, marital status, and distant metastasis status are independent prognostic factors for CSS in patients with ATC, while for patients with PSCCTh, the corresponding factors are age, radiotherapy, multiple primary tumors, and surgery. The C-index values of the two models were both > 0.8, indicating that the models exhibited good discriminative ability. Conclusion: Prognostic factors influencing CSS were not identical in patients with ATC and PSCCTh. These findings indicate that different clinical treatment and management plans are required for patients with these two types of thyroid cancer.

Silencing of specificity protein 1 protects H9c2 cells against lipopolysaccharide-induced injury via binding to the promoter of chemokine CXC receptor 4 and suppressing NF-κB signaling.

G protein-coupled protein receptor CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) has been shown to be involved in the development of sepsis; however, it remains unclear whether CXCR4 participates in the septic myocardial injury. In our study, treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) increased the expression of specificity protein 1 (SP1) and CXCR4 in H9c2 cells. Notably, a positive association between SP1 and CXCR4 expression was observed in LPS-treated H9c2 cells, and SP1 positively regulated CXCR4 expression in H9c2 cells. Moreover, silencing of SP1 or CXCR4 suppressed LPS-induced inflammation and cell apoptosis in H9c2 cells, as evidenced by the increase in cell viability and decrease in lactate dehydrogenase release, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels, and caspase-3 activity. Additionally, overexpression of CXCR4 abolished the protective effects of SP1 silencing on LPS-induced injury in H9c2 cells. SP1 was also shown to enhance the promoter activity of CXCR4 by directly binding with the binding motif site - 109/-100 in CXCR4 promoter. Besides, downregulation of SP1 or CXCR4 blocked LPS-induced activation of the NF-кB signaling in H9c2 cells. Furthermore, inhibition of NF-кB signaling by DHMEQ abolished LPS-induced myocardial inflammation and apoptosis. In conclusion, silencing of SP1 protected H9c2 cells against LPS-induced injury by binding to the promoter of CXCR4 and suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway. Hence, our findings provide evidence that manipulation of SP1 or CXCR4 may be an effective approach to promote prevention or recovery of septic myocardial injury, and thereby, may serve as a potential therapeutic strategy for sepsis.

Geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase 1 knockdown suppresses NLRP3 inflammasome activity via promoting autophagy in sepsis-induced acute lung injury.

BACKGROUND: NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation has emerged as a crucial contributor to sepsis-induced lung injury. Geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase 1 (GGPPS1) reportedly exerts the pro-inflammatory capability via activation of NLRP3 inflammasome. However, little is known about the role and mechanism of GGPPS1 in sepsis-induced lung injury. METHODS: Mice underwent cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) surgery to establish the in vivo model of sepsis. The lung injury of mice was assessed by analyzing the histological changes, the lung wet/dry ratio, PaO2/FiO2 ratio, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, total protein content, total cell, and polymorphonuclear leukocyte counts. Mouse alveolar macrophages MH-S were exposed to LPS for developing in vitro model of sepsis. The mRNA and protein expression levels of GGPPS1, beclin-1, and autophagy and inflammasome-related genes were detected using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot assays. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was conducted to determine the levels of interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-18. RESULTS: We successfully established sepsis-induced acute lung injury in vivo by CLP surgery. GGPPS1 was upregulated in the lung tissues of CLP-induced septic mice. The activation of autophagy and NLRP3 inflammasome were found in the lung tissues of CLP-induced septic mice. The addition of exogenous GGPP (synthesis products catalyzed by GGPPS1) and autophagic inhibitor 3-MA aggravated sepsis-induced hypoxemia, alveolar inflammatory response, intrapulmonary hemorrhage, and pulmonary edema, as evidenced by increased lung injury score, lung wet/dry weight ratio, MPO activity, total protein content, total cell, and PMNs counts, and decreased PaO2/FiO2 ratio. While NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 exerted the opposite effects. Additionally, administration of exogenous GGPP could inhibit the activation of autophagy, enhance the activity of NLRP3 inflammasome, and the production of IL-1ß and IL-18. Inhibition of autophagy by 3-MA treatment also promoted the activity of NLRP3 inflammasome and the production of IL-1ß and IL-18. While MCC950 restrained the activity of NLRP3 inflammasome, but did not affect the activation of autophagy. Notably, the expression of GGPPS1 was unaltered in CLP-induced mice following GGPP, 3-MA, or MCC950 treatment. Moreover, GGPPS1 was upregulated in MH-S cells stimulated with LPS, and GGPPS1 knockdown enhanced the activation of autophagy and inhibited the activity of NLRP3 inflammasome in vitro. Importantly, depletion of GGPPS1 could alleviate LPS-induced inflammatory response by inducing autophagy-dependent NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition. CONCLUSION: GGPPS1 knockdown suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome activity via promoting autophagy and then attenuated sepsis-induced acute lung injury, revealing a novel target for treating sepsis-induced lung injury.

[Predictive value of MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase and poisoning severity score in the prognosis of patients with wasp sting].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the predictive value of MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase (CK-MB) and poisoning severity score (PSS) in the clinical prognosis of patients with wasp sting. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted. The clinical data of patients who were stung by wasps admitted to emergency department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology from July 2017 to November 2019 were collected. The 24-hour acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II), CK-MB and PSS scores of the patients were collected after admission, and 28-day outcome was recorded. Spearman correlation analysis method was used to analyze the correlation between CK-MB and PSS score. Logistic regression model was used to construct joint predictors, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to evaluate the predictive value of various indicators for 28-day prognosis of patients with wasp stings. RESULTS: Finally 90 patients were included in the analysis. There were 67 patients survived at 28 days, and 23 dead with the 28-day mortality of 25.6%. APACHE II score, CK-MB and PSS score in the death group were significantly higher than those in the survival group [APACHE II score: 19.7±2.7 vs. 13.7±2.3, CK-MB (U/L): 183 (151, 243) vs. 36 (21, 75), PSS score: 17.7±2.6 vs. 9.3±4.5, all P < 0.01]. The correlation analysis showed that CK-MB and PSS score were positively correlated (r = 0.843, P < 0.01). Logistic regression model fitted CK-MB and PSS score, and Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed that the model fitted well. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under ROC curve (AUC) of CK-MB for predicting 28-day outcome was 0.957, the sensitivity was 91.3%, and the specificity was 88.1%; the AUC of PSS score was 0.908, the sensitivity was 91.3%, and the specificity was 90.8%. The AUC of CK-MB combined with PSS score was 0.964, the sensitivity was 100%, and the specificity was 79.4%, indicating that CK-MB combined with PSS score had higher predictive value and higher sensitivity for 28-day prognosis of patients with wasp sting. CONCLUSIONS: High CK-MB level and high PSS score in early stage of wasp sting injury indicate poor prognosis. Both CK-MB and PSS score can be used as predictors for predicting the prognosis of patients with wasp stings. In addition, CK-MB combined with PSS score have greater predictive value.

Pathological Analysis and Endoscopic Characteristics of Colorectal Laterally Spreading Tumors.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to analyze the endoscopic and pathological characteristics of colorectal laterally spreading tumors (LSTs) to assist malignant risk stratification to inform selection of the appropriate treatment strategy. METHODS: Patients with colorectal LST were selected as retrospective study objects. Characteristics, including endoscopic findings and the most common site of LSTs of different diameters and histological types, were analyzed. The risk factors for malignancy in colorectal LST were explored by multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: LSTs with diameters of ≥20 mm were found mainly in the rectum and mainly with granular-mixed (G-M) morphology (36% and 44.6%, respectively; p < 0.05), while LSTs with diameters of <20 mm were found mainly in the ascending colon and mainly with granular-homogenous (G-H) morphology (40.9% and 46.2%, respectively; p < 0.05). Adenoma was the main histological type in patients with tumors of all diameters. However, the cancerization rate of LSTs was 31% in patients with tumor diameter ≥20 mm, while there was no invasive cancer in patients with tumor diameter < 20 mm. In the low-grade dysphasia (adenoma) group, most of the lesions were located in the ascending colon and most had the morphology LST-G-H (35.8% and 39.2%, respectively; p < 0.05). In the cancerization group, most of the lesions were located in the rectum, with the morphology LST-G-M (51.6% and 67.2%, respectively; p < 0.05), and the diameter was larger than that of the adenoma group (33.84 ± 17.99 mm vs 21.68 ± 8.99 mm). CONCLUSION: The rectum was the most common site for an LST with a diameter ≥20 mm and cancerization, of which the morphology was mainly LST-G-M (endoscopic submucosal dissection is the preferred treatment for this type of LST). LST malignancy was found to be correlated with lesion diameter, location, and morphological appearance.

Duodenal giant stromal tumor combined with ectopic varicose hemorrhage: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are mesenchymal tissue tumors originating from Cajal cells, presenting diverse clinical manifestations due to the different sizes, locations, and growth patterns of the lesions. Duodenum is an uncommon site of GISTs, more with gastrointestinal obstruction and bleeding as the first symptoms. Ectopic duodenal varix, as a rare varix occurring outside the gastroesophageal region, is the main type of heterotopic varices and an unusual cause of gas-trointestinal hemorrhage. The etiology is mainly seen in liver cirrhosis, portal hypertension, vasculitis, portal vein embolism and obstruction caused by various factors. Reports of duodenal stromal tumor combined with ectopic variceal hemorrhage are rarely seen; however, when it occurs, the situation can sometimes be urgent and life-threatening, especially when traditional endoscopy and imaging fail to detect the lesion timely. CASE SUMMARY: We report a 52-year-old female patient who had no obvious inducement to develop black stool. Gastroscopy in a local hospital revealed that the duodenal horizontal ectopic varices were ruptured and bleeding. After metal clamping hemostasis, she still had gastrointestinal bleeding and was transferred to our hospital. Gastroscopy showed that active bleeding was still seen in the horizontal part of duodenum, and suspicious submucosal eminence was seen in the bleeding part. Abdominal computed tomography showed a huge stromal tumor of duodenum, specimens were pathologically confirmed after surgery. After a 3-mo follow-up, no gastrointestinal hemorrhage and complications occurred. CONCLUSION: Ectopic variceal hemorrhage is rare but sometimes fatal. It may be combined with stromal tumor, which can be diagnosed by multiple methods. Endoscopic and surgical treatment are effective.

Soybean straw biomass-derived Fe-N co-doped porous carbon as an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction in both alkaline and acidic media.

The development of highly efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts is of great significance for the large-scale commercialization of fuel cells. In this work, honeycomb-like Fe-N co-doped porous carbon materials (Fe-N-PC) were prepared through a facile one-step pyrolysis strategy using soybean straw biomass as the precursor. The obtained Fe-N-PC catalyst exhibits excellent ORR performance with an onset potential of 0.989 V and a half-wave potential of 0.854 V in alkaline conditions, which positively shift only by 5 mV and 27 mV, respectively than those of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. Furthermore, the onset potential and the half-wave potential of the Fe-N-PC catalysts are up to 0.886 V and 0.754 V, respectively, under acidic conditions, which are superior to those of many other Fe, N-doped electrocatalysts. The ORR process can be regarded as a four-electron transfer process based on RRDE measurements. Moreover, the Fe-N-PC catalyst also shows greater stability and satisfactory methanol tolerance than the Pt/C catalyst. The superior electrocatalytic performance of Fe-N-PC may be attributed to the abundant nanoporous structure, large BET surface area, and Fe-N co-doping, which provide abundant and highly efficient active sites.

[Diagnostic accuracy of recognition of stroke in the emergency room scale: a Meta-analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and clinical applicability of recognition of stroke in the emergency room (ROSIER) scale by systematic review and Meta-analysis. METHODS: The Chinese and English literatures concerning the diagnostic accuracy of ROSIER published from January 1st 2005 to December 31st 2018 by PubMed, Embase, Wanfang, VIP and CNKI databases were searched comprehensively and systematically. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of ROSIER in total population and subgroup analysis were pooled by using bivariate mixed effects model. Sensitivity analysis was used to evaluate the stability of the results. Deek funnel plot was utilized to evaluate publication bias. The clinical applicability of ROSIER was evaluated by Fagan Nomogram. RESULTS: A total of 28 studies incorporating 7 579 subjects were enrolled in this Meta-analysis. Meta-analysis in total population showed that the pooled sensitivity, specificity and DOR of ROSIER was 0.89 [95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 0.86-0.91, P = 0.00], 0.74 (95%CI = 0.67-0.80, P = 0.00) and 22.09 (95%CI = 14.86-32.82, P = 0.00), respectively. Subgroup analysis of pooled sensitivity of ROSIER showed that Asian patients was significantly higher than European patients [0.89 (95%CI = 0.86-0.92) vs. 0.74 (95%CI = 0.66-0.82), P < 0.01], prospective study was significantly higher than retrospective study [0.89 (95%CI = 0.87-0.92) vs. 0.74 (95%CI = 0.61-0.88), P < 0.05], pre-hospital emergency was significantly higher than emergency department [0.87 (95%CI = 0.80-0.94) vs. 0.85 (95%CI = 0.81-0.90), P < 0.01], study with sample size ≤ 200 was significantly higher than study with sample size > 200 [0.88 (95%CI = 0.83-0.93) vs. 0.82 (95%CI = 0.76-0.88), P < 0.05], but there was no significant difference between different evaluators or different male to female ratio subgroups. Subgroup analysis of pooled specificity of ROSIER showed that European patients was significantly higher than Asian patients [0.81 (95%CI = 0.73-0.89) vs. 0.79 (95%CI = 0.73-0.85), P < 0.05], retrospective study was significantly higher than prospective study [0.88 (95%CI = 0.78-0.97) vs. 0.79 (95%CI = 0.73-0.84), P < 0.05], pre-hospital emergency was significantly higher than emergency department [0.82 (95%CI = 0.73-0.91) vs. 0.79 (95%CI = 0.73-0.85), P < 0.01], emergency physicians was significantly higher than other medical workers [0.80 (95%CI = 0.74-0.86) vs. 0.79 (95%CI = 0.69-0.90), P < 0.05], study with sample size ≤ 200 was significantly higher than study with sample size > 200 [0.82 (95%CI = 0.76-0.89) vs. 0.78 (95%CI = 0.71-0.85), P < 0.05], but there was no significant difference between different male or female ratio subgroups. Sensitivity analysis showed that there was no significant change in pooled DOR before and after excluding each study, indicating that the results were stable. Funnel plot showed that there was a significant publication bias in the total population (P = 0.04), but there was no publication bias in the European population (P = 0.57) or the Asian population (P = 0.08). According to the results of the Fagan Nomogram, with the pretest probability of 50%, when ROSIER was positive, the probability of being diagnosed with stroke increased to 77%, and when ROSIER was negative, the probability of being diagnosed with non-stroke decreased to 13%. It was suggested that ROSIER had good applicability and high clinical diagnostic value. CONCLUSIONS: ROSIER has high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, and has high clinical diagnostic value. It is a valid stroke identification tool which can be widely used in Asian population, pre-hospital emergency and be utilized by trained medical worker.

Angiotensin-(1-7) Improves Liver Fibrosis by Regulating the NLRP3 Inflammasome via Redox Balance Modulation.

AIMS: Angiotensin II (Ang II) aggravates hepatic fibrosis by inducing NADPH oxidase (NOX)-dependent oxidative stress. Angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)], which counter-regulates Ang II, has been evidenced to protect against hepatic fibrosis. The NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, being activated by reactive oxygen species (ROS), is identified as a novel mechanism of liver fibrosis. However, whether the NLRP3 inflammasome involves in regulation of Ang II-induced hepatic fibrosis remains unclear. This study investigates the different effects of the Ang II and Ang-(1-7) on collagen synthesis by regulating the NLRP3 inflammasome/Smad pathway via redox balance modulation. RESULTS: In vivo, Ang-(1-7) improved bile duct ligation-induced hepatic fibrosis, reduced H2O2 content, protein levels of NOX4, and the NLRP3 inflammasome, whereas it increased glutathione (GSH) and nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) antioxidant response element (ARE). In vitro, Ang II treatment elevated NOX4 protein expression and ROS production in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), whereas it inhibited GSH and Nrf2-ARE, resulting in the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the mitochondria of HSCs. NLRP3 depletion inhibited Ang II-induced collagen synthesis. Furthermore, Ang II increased NLRP3 and pro-IL-1ß levels by activating the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/MyD88/NF-κB pathway. Treatment with antioxidants, NOX4 small interference RNA (siRNA), or Nrf2 activator inhibited Ang II-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation and collagen synthesis. In contrast, the action of Ang-(1-7) opposed the effects of Ang II. INNOVATION AND CONCLUSIONS: Ang-(1-7) improved liver fibrosis by regulating NLRP3 inflammasome activation induced by Ang II-mediated ROS via redox balance modulation. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 24, 795-812.

Analysis of activity in fMRI data using affinity propagation clustering.

Clustering analysis is a promising data-driven method for the analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. The huge computation load, however, makes it difficult for the practical use. We use affinity propagation clustering (APC), a new clustering algorithm especially for large data sets to detect brain functional activation from fMRI. It considers all data points as possible exemplars through the minimisation of an energy function and message-passing architecture, and obtains the optimal set of exemplars and their corresponding clusters. Four simulation studies and three in vivo fMRI studies reveal that brain functional activation can be effectively detected and that different response patterns can be distinguished using this method. Our results demonstrate that APC is superior to the k-centres clustering, as revealed by their performance measures in the weighted Jaccard coefficient and average squared error. These results suggest that the proposed APC will be useful in detecting brain functional activation from fMRI data.