A novel MRI-based radiomics for preoperative prediction of lymphovascular invasion in rectal cancer.

Background: To develop and validate a clinical-radiomics model for preoperative prediction of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in rectal cancer.

Methods: This retrospective study included data from 239 patients with pathologically confirmed rectal adenocarcinoma from two centers, all of whom underwent MRI examinations. Cases from the first center (n = 189) were randomly divided into a training set and an internal validation set at a 7:3 ratio, while cases from the second center (n = 50) constituted the external validation set.

Record-setting cyanobacterial bloom in the largest freshwater lake in northern China caused by joint effects of hydrological variations and nutrient enrichment.

Cyanobacterial blooms represent a significant environmental issue posing widespread threats to global aquatic ecological health. Climate and nutrient enrichment were the most studied factors modulating cyanobacterial blooms in eutrophic lakes. However, in many floodplain lakes, the importance of hydrological variation in driving and predicting cyanobacterial blooms is often overlooked and largely underestimated, which has hampered the effectiveness of lake management.

Multicomponent Synergistic Doping Enables High-efficiency n-Type PbTe Thermoelectric Devices.

The development of high-performance n-type PbTe thermoelectric (TE) modules is urgently needed to match those p-type IV-VI tellurides (i.e., PbTe, GeTe, SnTe) with high figure of merit (ZT) to obtain multi-pair TE devices for practical applications.

Machine Learning Based on Digital Mammography to Reduce the Need for Invasive Biopsies of Benign Calcifications Classified in BI-RADS Category 4.

This study aims to develop a machine learning model applied on digital mammograms to reduce unnecessary invasive biopsies for suspicious calcifications classified as BI-RADS category 4. This study retrospectively analyzed data from 372 female patients with pathologically confirmed BI-RADS category 4 mammographic calcifications. Patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College (n = 275) were divided chronologically into a training and internal validation set.

Optimization of dual-energy CT enterography parameters for the assessment of Crohn's disease activity: a retrospective study.

Purpose: Discuss the selection of imaging parameters in dual-energy CT enterography (DECTE) assessment for patients with Crohn's disease (CD) at different activity levels.

Method: This study analyzed data from 55 CD patients who had DECTE and endoscopy from 2020 to 2022. Patients were divided into moderate-severe (Crohn's Disease Endoscopic Index of Severity (CDEIS) ≥ 10) and remission-mild (CDEIS < 10) groups.

Enhancing ventricular remodeling and cardiac function in post-acute myocardial infarction with sacubitril/valsartan.

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of sacubitril/valsartan compared to enalapril in managing heart failure (HF) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: From January 2018 to December 2021, 63 hospitalized patients diagnosed with HF following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were enrolled in this prospective clinical trial. The observation group was comprised of 31 patients treated with sacubitril/valsartan (LCZ696) sodium tablets, while the control group, including 32 patients, received enalapril maleate tablets.

The topological characteristics of the bifurcation and chaos in the motion of combustion fronts in solids.

We investigate the geometric features in the bifurcation and chaos of a partial differential equation describing the unsteady combustion of solid propellants. Driven by the interaction of the unsteady combustion at the surface and the diffusion inside solids, the motion of the combustion fronts can be steady, harmonically oscillatory, and become more complicated to chaos through a series of bifurcations. We examined the dynamics in both free and forced oscillations.

First applications of ultrasound technology in solid rocket propellant combustion promotion.

The regulation of propellant combustion using ultrasonic waves is proposed. Under ultrasonic frequencies of 25-40 kHz, we systematically examined the combustion characteristics of Al particles, ammonium perchlorate (AP)/hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) propellants, and Al-containing Al/AP/HTPB propellants. Ultrasonic treatment increased the ignition delay time of the Al particles by 48.

Adsorption Performance of Modified Graphite from Synthetic Dyes Solutions.

Due to the severe harmful impacts of industrial dyeing wastewater on ecosystems and human health, proper treatment is crucial. Herein, the use of modified graphite as an adsorbent for dyeing wastewater treatment was investigated in this study. The graphite was oxidized and intercalated using a phosphoric acid-nitric acid-potassium permanganate system and then thermally treated at high temperatures to optimize its structure.

Prediction of Perianal Fistula in Crohn's Disease by Computed Tomography Enterography.

Background/aims:  The purpose of this study was to investigate whether computed tomography enterography can be used to predict the presence of perianal fistula in Crohn's disease patients.

Materials And Methods:  According to the presentation of perianal fistula or not, this study divided retrospectively included Crohn's disease patients into 2 groups. The disease duration, incidence of involved intestinal segments, and scoring of the activity of the lesions in all patients were statistically analyzed to explore significant factors between the 2 groups.

Exploring near-infrared autofluorescence properties in parathyroid tissue: an analysis of fresh and paraffin-embedded thyroidectomy specimens.

Significance: Near-infrared autofluorescence (NIRAF) utilizes the natural autofluorescence of parathyroid glands (PGs) to improve their identification during thyroid surgeries, reducing the risk of inadvertent removal and subsequent complications such as hypoparathyroidism. This study evaluates NIRAF's effectiveness in real-world surgical settings, highlighting its potential to enhance surgical outcomes and patient safety.

Aim: We evaluate the effectiveness of NIRAF in detecting PGs during thyroidectomy and central neck dissection and investigate autofluorescence characteristics in both fresh and paraffin-embedded tissues.

Refinement and Validation of the Minimal Information Data-Modelling (MID) Method for Bridge Management.

Various approaches have been proposed for bridge structural health monitoring. One of the earliest approaches proposed was tracking a bridge's natural frequency over time to look for abnormal shifts in frequency that might indicate a change in stiffness. However, bridge frequencies change naturally as the structure's temperature changes.

Bitter taste TAS2R14 activation by intracellular tastants and cholesterol.

Bitter taste receptors, particularly TAS2R14, play central roles in discerning a wide array of bitter substances, ranging from dietary components to pharmaceutical agents. TAS2R14 is also widely expressed in extragustatory tissues, suggesting its extra roles in diverse physiological processes and potential therapeutic applications. Here we present cryogenic electron microscopy structures of TAS2R14 in complex with aristolochic acid, flufenamic acid and compound 28.

Intensification of rice flour gel structure by fermenting corresponding rice with .

In starch gel foods processing, lactic acid fermentation is an effective strategy to improve the quality of the gel. This study revealed the effects of fermentation for rice on the textural and rheological properties of the corresponding gels. The hardness, adhesiveness and chewiness of the gel showed ascending trends with the forwarding of fermentation.

Deep learning-based multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) nomogram for predicting Ki-67 expression in rectal cancer.

Purpose: To explore the value of deep learning-based multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) nomogram in predicting the Ki-67 expression in rectal cancer.

Methods: The data of 491 patients with rectal cancer from two centers were retrospectively analyzed and divided into training, internal validation, and external validation sets. They were categorized into high- and low-expression group based on postoperative pathological Ki-67 expression.

Deciphering Estrus Expression in Gilts: The Role of Alternative Polyadenylation and LincRNAs in Reproductive Transcriptomics.

The fertility rate and litter size of female pigs are critically affected by the expression of estrus. The objective of this study was to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of estrus expression by analyzing the differential expression of genes and long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNA), as well as the utilization of alternative polyadenylation (APA) sites, in the vulva and vagina during the estrus and diestrus stages of Large White and indigenous Chinese Mi gilts. Our study revealed that the number of differentially expressed genes (DEG) in the vulva was less than that in the vagina, and the DEGs in the vulva were enriched in pathways such as "neural" pathways and steroid hormone responses, including the "Calcium signaling pathway" and "Oxytocin signaling pathway".

Accurate preoperative prediction of nodal metastasis in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma: Towards optimal management of patients.

Objective: To enhance the accuracy in predicting lymph node metastasis (LNM) preoperatively in patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC), refining the "low-risk" classification for tailored treatment strategies.

Methods: This study involves the development and validation of a predictive model using a cohort of 1004 patients with PTMC undergoing thyroidectomy along with central neck dissection. The data was divided into a training cohort (n = 702) and a validation cohort (n = 302).

Nuanced dilute doping strategy enables high-performance GeTe thermoelectrics.

In thermoelectrics, doping is essential to augment the figure of merit. Traditional strategy, predominantly heavy doping, aims to optimize carrier concentration and restrain lattice thermal conductivity. However, this tactic can severely hamper carrier transport due to pronounced point defect scattering, particularly in materials with inherently low carrier mean-free-path.

MRI-based radiomics for preoperative prediction of recurrence and metastasis in rectal cancer.

Objectives: To explore the value of multi-parametric MRI (mp-MRI) radiomic model for preoperative prediction of recurrence and/or metastasis (RM) as well as survival benefits in patients with rectal cancer.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 234 patients from two centers with histologically confirmed rectal adenocarcinoma was conducted. All patients were divided into three groups: training, internal validation (in-vad) and external validation (ex-vad) sets.