A novel cross-modal data augmentation method based on contrastive unpaired translation network for kidney segmentation in ultrasound imaging.

Background: Kidney ultrasound (US) image segmentation is one of the key steps in computer-aided diagnosis and treatment planning of kidney diseases. Recently, deep learning (DL) technology has demonstrated promising prospects in automatic kidney US segmentation. However, due to the poor quality, particularly the weak boundaries in kidney US imaging, obtaining accurate annotations for DL-based segmentation methods remain a challenging and time-consuming task.

Dissociable effects of perceived control on reward-related neural dynamics under risk and ambiguity.

Perceived control plays a crucial role in risk-taking behavior, but its neural effect on reward dynamics in risky and ambiguous decision making remains unclear. Here, we addressed this issue by measuring participants' (N = 40) EEG activity while they were performing a wheel-of-fortune task. Participants either made choices themselves (a high control condition) or followed the computer's choice (a low control condition) under risky or ambiguous decision contexts.

Interplay between tobacco curly shoot virus vsiRNA24 and triosephosphate isomerase: implications for Nicotiana benthamiana viral defense.

Virus-derived small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs) play an important role in viral infection by regulating the expression of host genes. At present, research on the regulation of plant primary metabolic pathways by vsiRNAs is very limited. TvsiRNA24 derived from tobacco curly shoot virus (TbCSV) was amplified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and its target gene NbTPI (triosephosphate isomerase) was verified using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and GFP fluorescence observation.

Automatic MRI-TRUS Fusion Technique for Transperineal Biopsy Guidance: From Preoperative Planning to Intraoperative Navigation.

Background: Targeted and systematic transperineal biopsy of lesions guided by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) fusion technique may optimize the biopsy procedure and enhance the detection of prostate cancer. We described the transperineal biopsy guided by an automatic MRI-TRUS fusion technique, and evaluated the accuracy and feasibility of this method in a prospective single-center study.

Methods: The proposed method focuses on automating the delineation of prostate contours in both the MRI and TRUS images, the registration and fusion of MRI and TRUS images, the generation and visualiztion of the systematic biopsy cores in their corresponding locations within the 2D and the 3D views, as well as the computation and visualiztion of needle trajectories from preoperative planning to intraoperative navigation.

Glut3 promotes cellular O-GlcNAcylation as a distinctive tumor-supportive feature in Treg cells.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) establish dominant immune tolerance but obstruct tumor immune surveillance, warranting context-specific mechanistic insights into the functions of tumor-infiltrating Tregs (TIL-Tregs). We show that enhanced posttranslational O-linked N-acetylglucosamine modification (O-GlcNAcylation) of cellular factors is a molecular feature that promotes a tumor-specific gene expression signature and distinguishes TIL-Tregs from their systemic counterparts. We found that altered glucose utilization through the glucose transporter Glut3 is a major facilitator of this process.

The Monocyte-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Was Associated With Intraplaque Neovascularization of the Carotid Artery on AngioPLUS.

Background: The monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) is a hematological test parameter that reflects the status of both monocytes and lymphocytes as inflammatory cells. This study aims to investigate the relationship between MLR and carotid intraplaque neovascularization (IPN) in patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis.

Methods: We performed the Angio Planewave Ultrasensitive (AngioPLUS) screening for patients with carotid plaques.

Cross-modal Transfer Learning Based on an Improved CycleGAN Model for Accurate Kidney Segmentation in Ultrasound Images.

Objective: Deep-learning algorithms have been widely applied in the field of automatic kidney ultrasound (US) image segmentation. However, obtaining a large number of accurate kidney labels clinically is very difficult and time-consuming. To solve this problem, we have proposed an efficient cross-modal transfer learning method to improve the performance of the segmentation network on a limited labeled kidney US dataset.

Aberrant effort-based reward dynamics in anhedonia.

Anhedonia is a transdiagnostic symptom and associated with a spectrum of reward deficits among which the motivational dysfunction is poorly understood. Previous studies have established the abnormal cost-benefit trade-off as a contributor to motivational deficits in anhedonia and its relevant psychiatric diseases. However, it remains elusive how the anhedonic neural dynamics underlying reward processing are modulated by effort expenditure.

Phosphorescence Enzyme-Mimics for Time-Resolved Sensitive Diagnostics and Environment-Adaptive Specific Catalytic Therapeutics.

Enzyme mimics (EMs) with intrinsic catalysis activity have attracted enormous interest in biomedicine. However, there is a lack of environmentally adaptive EMs for sensitive diagnosis and specific catalytic therapeutics in simultaneous manners. Herein, the coordination modulation strategy is designed to synthesize silicon-based phosphorescence enzyme-mimics (SiPEMs).

Effort discounts reward-based control allocation: A neurodynamic perspective.

The amount of cognitive and neural resources allocated to a task is largely determined by the reward we can expect. However, it remains under-appreciated how this reward-expectation-based control allocation is modulated by effort expenditure. The present event-related potential study investigated this issue through the lens of neural dynamics.

Leaching of organic matter and iodine, formation of iodinated disinfection by-products and toxic risk from Laminaria japonica during simulated household cooking.

Iodinated disinfection by-products (I-DBPs) exhibited potential health risk owing to the high toxicity. Our recent study demonstrated that I-DBPs from Laminaria japonica (Haidai), the commonly edible seaweed, upon simulated household cooking condition were several hundred times more than the concentration of drinking water. Here, the characterization of Haidai and its leachate tandem with the formation, identification and toxicity of I-DBPs from the cooking of Haidai were systemically investigated.

Physical effort paradox during reward evaluation and links to perceived control.

Effort expenditure not only prospectively discounts the reward associated with it but also retrospectively adds the subjective value of reward, which is known as the effort paradox. This study aimed to resolve the effort paradox during reward evaluation through the critical lens of neural dynamics and its potential moderators. In total, 40 participants completed an effort-reward task wherein they exerted varying physical efforts to obtain an opportunity to win monetary rewards by active or passive decision-making.

Weakly supervised volumetric prostate registration for MRI-TRUS image driven by signed distance map.

Image registration is a fundamental step for MRI-TRUS fusion targeted biopsy. Due to the inherent representational differences between these two image modalities, though, intensity-based similarity losses for registration tend to result in poor performance. To mitigate this, comparison of organ segmentations, functioning as a weak proxy measure of image similarity, has been proposed.

Supramolecularly Engineered Reporters with Superoxide Anion-Triggered Chemiluminescence for Early Diagnosis and Efficient Amelioration of Acute Kidney Injury.

We report the "water-in-oil-in-water" preparation of kidney injury molecule-1-targeting supramolecular chemiluminescence (CL) reporters (PCCS), consisting of L-serine-modified poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA)-encapsulated peroxyoxalate (CPPO), chlorin e6 (Ce6) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), for early diagnosis and amelioration of acute kidney injury (AKI). In this system, O ⋅ , a biomarker of AKI, triggers the oxidation of CPPO to 1,2-dioxetanedione and subsequent CL emission via CL resonance energy transfer to Ce6. The L-serine-modified PLGA stabilizes CPPO and Ce6 via noncovalent interactions, promoting long-lived CL (half-lives: ≈1000 s).

Study on Flame Retardancy Behavior of Epoxy Resin with Phosphaphenanthrene Triazine Compound and Organic Zinc Complexes Based on Phosphonitrile.

A novel flame retardant phosphorus-containing organozinc complex (Zn-PDH) was prepared using zinc and iron as the metal center and 4-aminopyridine, with low steric hindrance, as the organic ligand, then using phosphazene to modify the organometallic complex (Zn-4APD). The flame retardant properties and mechanism of Zn-PDH/Tris-(3-DOPO-1-propyl)-triazinetrione (TAD) in epoxy resin (EP) were investigated. Flame inhibition behavior was studied by the vertical combustion test (UL94), while limiting oxygen index (LOI) measurement and flame retardant properties were studied by the cone calorimeter test (CONE).

Investigating the thermal conductivity and flame-retardant properties of BN/MoS/PCNF composite film containing low BN and MoS nanosheets loading.

Cellulose has attracted considerable attention as a potential substitute for plastics. However, the flammability and high thermal insulation properties of cellulose contradict the unique requirements for highly integrated and miniaturized electronics i.e.

Integrated omics analysis reveals the epigenetic mechanism of visceral hypersensitivity in IBS-D.

IBS-D is a common functional bowel disease with complex etiology and without biomarker. The pathological and physiological basis of IBS-D focuses on visceral hypersensitivity. However, its epigenetic mechanism remains elusive.

Efficacy and safety of salvianolate and enoxaparin in the prevention of perioperative deep venous thrombosis in gastrointestinal surgery.

Objective: In this study, the efficacy and safety of salvianolate were compared with enoxaparin in the prevention of perioperative deep vein thrombosis in gastrointestinal surgery.

Methods: From October 2017 to September 2019, 563 patients who underwent gastrointestinal surgery were collected. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 119 patients were divided into two groups: enoxaparin group (n = 65) and salvianolate group (n = 54).

Br vacancy engineering in CsBiBr for photocatalytic NO oxidation under visible light.

Photocatalysis using the visible light of the sun is an environmentally friendly method of eliminating the NOx pollutant from the ambient air. Although CsBiBr, a semiconductor with a band gap of 2.54 eV, may be a strong absorber of visible light, its photocatalysis towards the abatement of NOx is unknown.