Real-time lung extraction from synthesized x-rays improves pulmonary image-guided radiotherapy.

Lung tumors can be obscured in x-rays, preventing accurate and robust localization. To improve lung conspicuity for image-guided procedures, we isolate the lungs in the anterior-posterior (AP) x-rays using a lung extraction network (LeX-net) that virtually removes overlapping thoracic structures, including ribs, diaphragm, liver, heart, and trachea.73 965 thoracic 3DCTs and 106 thoracic 4DCTs were included.

Remimazolam for the prevention of emergence agitation in adults following nasal surgery under general anesthesia: a prospective randomized clinical controlled trial.

Background: Remimazolam is a novel intravenous sedative/anesthetic drug that belongs to the ultra-short-acting class of benzodiazepines. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of postoperative use of remimazolam in preventing emergence agitation (EA) in adults following nasal surgery.

Methods: Patients who underwent nasal surgery were randomly divided into Group R and Group C.

Polarity Sensor Based on Multivariate Lanthanide Metal-Organic Framework for Constructing Biosensing Platform.

It is significant but challenging to develop polarity sensors that can measure multiscenario polarity in a modular, customized, sensitive, and accurate manner. In this work, we proposed a polarity sensor based on multivariate lanthanide metal-organic framework (Ln-MOF) nanoclusters through the modular programming design of ligands. This multivariate Ln-MOF combines the advantages of modularity, ease of design, high flexibility and low cost, and can be precisely customized for different polarity systems.

Application of Machine Learning to Predict CO Emissions in Light-Duty Vehicles.

Climate change caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is an escalating global issue, with the transportation sector being a significant contributor, accounting for approximately a quarter of all energy-related GHG emissions. In the transportation sector, vehicle emissions testing is a key part of ensuring compliance with environmental regulations. The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) of the UK plays a pivotal role in certifying vehicles for compliance with emissions and safety standards.

Accurate Arrhythmia Classification with Multi-Branch, Multi-Head Attention Temporal Convolutional Networks.

Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals contain complex and diverse features, serving as a crucial basis for arrhythmia diagnosis. The subtle differences in characteristics among various types of arrhythmias, coupled with class imbalance issues in datasets, often hinder existing models from effectively capturing key information within these complex signals, leading to a bias towards normal classes. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a method for arrhythmia classification based on a multi-branch, multi-head attention temporal convolutional network (MB-MHA-TCN).

Effects of the Hot-Drawing Process on the Pore Parameters, Gas Absorption and Mechanical Performances of Activated Carbon-Loaded Porous Poly(m-Phenylene Isophthalamide) Composite Fibres.

Poor breathability, inadequate flexibility, bulky wearability, and insufficient gas-adsorption capacity always limit the developments and applications of conventional chemical protective clothing (CPC). To create a lightweight, breathable, and flexible fabric with a high gas-absorption capacity, activated carbon (AC)-loaded poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide) (PMIA) porous composite fibres were fabricated from a mixed wet-spinning process integrated with a solvent-free phase separation process. By manipulating the pore parameters of as-spun composite fibres, the exposure-immobilization of AC particles on the fibre surface can offer a higher gas-absorption capacity and better AC-loading stability.

Identification of Causal Genes and Potential Drug Targets for Restless Legs Syndrome: A Comprehensive Mendelian Randomization Study.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common sensorimotor sleep disorder that affects sleep quality of life. Much effort has been made to make progress in RLS pharmacotherapy; however, patients with RLS still report poor long-term symptom control. Comprehensive Mendelian randomization (MR) was performed to search for potential causal genes and drug targets using the cis-pQTL and RLS GWAS data.

Recent Advances in Piezoelectric Compliant Devices for Ultrahigh-Precision Engineering.

With advancements in small-scale research fields, precision manipulation has become crucial for interacting with small objects. As research progresses, the demand for higher precision in manipulation has led to the emergence of ultrahigh-precision engineering (UHPE), which exhibits significant potential for various applications. Traditional rigid-body manipulators suffer from issues like backlash and friction, limiting their effectiveness at smaller-scale applications.

Robust Automated Mouse Micro-CT Segmentation Using Swin UNEt TRansformers.

Image-guided mouse irradiation is essential to understand interventions involving radiation prior to human studies. Our objective is to employ Swin UNEt TRansformers (Swin UNETR) to segment native micro-CT and contrast-enhanced micro-CT scans and benchmark the results against 3D no-new-Net (nnU-Net). Swin UNETR reformulates mouse organ segmentation as a sequence-to-sequence prediction task using a hierarchical Swin Transformer encoder to extract features at five resolution levels, and it connects to a Fully Convolutional Neural Network (FCNN)-based decoder via skip connections.

Promoter Polymorphism (Allelic Variation) Affects Tacrolimus Treatment Efficacy by Modulating E2F6 Binding Affinity.

Background: Tacrolimus is widely used as a first-line immunosuppressant in transplant immunology; however, its clinical application is constrained by the narrow therapeutic index and considerable interindividual variability. In this study, we identified the potential regulatory role of a novel promoter polymorphism, rs4519508 C > T, in the tacrolimus pharmacodynamic pathway.

Methods: Dual-luciferase reporter assays and bioinformatic analysis were applied to assess the impact of allelic variation.

Changes in Functional Properties and In Vitro Digestibility of Black Tartary Buckwheat Starch by Autoclaving Combination with Pullulanase Treatment.

The processing properties of resistant starch (RS) and its digestion remain unclear, despite the widespread use of autoclaving combined with debranching in its preparation. In this study, the physicochemical, rheological and digestibility properties of autoclaving modified starch (ACB), autoclaving-pullulanase modified starch (ACPB) and native black Tartary buckwheat starch (NB) were compared and investigated. The molecular weight and polydispersity index of modified starch was in the range of 0.

Quantitative Trait Loci Mappings for the Sulfur Utilization Efficiency-Related Traits at the Seedling Stage of Wheat.

Background: Sulfur (S) is a vital element for the normal growth and development of plants, performing crucial biological functions in various life processes.

Methods: This study investigated thirteen S utilization efficiency (SUE)-related traits at the seedling stage of wheat using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population. The quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were mapped by genetic mapping.

Quantum Computing in Community Detection for Anti-Fraud Applications.

Fraud detection within transaction data is crucial for maintaining financial security, especially in the era of big data. This paper introduces a novel fraud detection method that utilizes quantum computing to implement community detection in transaction networks. We model transaction data as an undirected graph, where nodes represent accounts and edges indicate transactions between them.

The Mediating Effects of Chronic Diseases in the Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms in Later Life: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study.

Numerous studies have established a link between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the development of depression in later life. However, the interactive relationships between ACEs, depression, and chronic diseases are still not well understood. In this study, the aim was to investigate the impact of ACEs on depressive trajectories among middle-aged and elderly individuals in China, as well as to examine the mediating roles of chronic diseases in this association.

Dynamic Impact of One-Year Integrated Rice-Crayfish Farming on Bacterioplankton Communities in Paddy Water.

As global food security issues become increasingly severe, an important innovation in agricultural production patterns, namely integrated rice-fish farming, has been widely implemented around the world, especially in Asia. To assess the impact of integrated rice-crayfish () farming (IRCF) on agricultural ecosystems, we used Illumina high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing to analyze differences in diversity, composition, co-occurrence network, and assembly process of planktonic bacterial communities in paddy water between traditional rice farming (TRM) and IRCF. Environmental factors and planktonic bacterial communities were evaluated during the tillering, jointing, flowering, and grain-filling stages on August 24, September 5, September 24, and October 16, respectively.

Development and Validation of a 5K Liquid Chip for Identifying Cashmere Goat Populations in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

(1) Background: Cashmere goats, as one of the characteristic species, are rich in genetic resources. Protecting and rationally utilizing these genetic resources is of great significance for the genetic improvement of cashmere goats. (2) Methods: In this study, tissue samples were collected from , which included the Arbas type (); Erlangshan type (); Alashan type (), (), and ().

Entropy-driven "two-way signal output" cyclic circuit: An ultra-sensitive electrochemical biosensor for non-invasive ORAOV 1 detection.

The rapid, sensitive and reliable detection of oral cancer overexpressed 1 (ORAOV 1) is crucial for the early, non-invasive diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Herein, we are the first to construct an ultrasensitive electrochemical (EC) biosensor based on an entropy-driven "two-way signal output" (TWSO) cyclic circuit for salivary ORAOV 1 detection. This innovative TWSO cyclic circuit can skillfully convert by-products into desired signal-generating units, not only reducing the excessive accumulation of by-products but also improving the utilization efficiency of output chains, thereby achieving rapid reaction kinetics and high signal outputs.

Co single-atom catalyst for efficient and long-acting activation of peroxymonosulfate: Formation of Co-N site and insight into the activation mechanism.

While single-atom catalysts (SACs) have been extensively investigated as a high-atom-efficiency heterogeneous catalyst for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) oxidation reaction, the stable constructing and activation efficacy of the reaction sites remains less clarified. Herein, we employed gelatin as a N,O-bidentate ligand for Co (II) to form for a N-doped carbon precursor, while introducing NaCl as a template agent to induce the adoption of a Co-N conformation and disorganize the Co-O moiety. This approach facilitates uniform spatial isolation and atomic-level dispersion of Co atoms within the aerogel, effectively inhibiting the aggregation of Co during synthesis and enabling precise and controllable preparation of Co single-atom catalysts (SACs).

Designing a 2D van der Waals oxide with lone-pair electrons as chemical scissor.

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) materials are known for their intriguing physical properties, but their rational design and synthesis remain a great challenge for chemists. In this work, we successfully synthesized a new non-centrosymmetric oxide, i.e.

Serum metabolomic profiling for predicting therapeutic response and toxicity in breast cancer neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a retrospective longitudinal study.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is the standard-of-care treatment for patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC), providing crucial benefits in tumor downstaging. Clinical parameters, such as molecular subtypes, influence the therapeutic impact of NACT. Moreover, severe adverse events delay the treatment process and reduce the effectiveness of therapy.

Lenvatinib plus immunotherapy versus lenvatinib monotherapy in lenvatinib-insensitive patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective study.

Purpose: The combination therapy of lenvatinib and immunotherapy as first-line treatment remains controversial in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). This research aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of lenvatinib monotherapy (L) and combination therapy of lenvatinib and immune checkpoint inhibitor (LI) in lenvatinib-insensitive patients with uHCC.

Methods: Two hundred fifty-five uHCC patients were enrolled in this study.

FAK inhibition delays liver repair after acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury by suppressing hepatocyte proliferation and macrophage recruitment.

Background: Overdose of acetaminophen (APAP), a commonly used antipyretic analgesic, can lead to severe liver injury and failure. Current treatments are only effective in the early stages of APAP-induced acute liver injury (ALI). Therefore, a detailed examination of the mechanisms involved in liver repair following APAP-induced ALI could provide valuable insights for clinical interventions.

Left ventricular trabecular complexity for risk stratification of cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction in breast cancer.

The left ventricular trabecular fractal dimension (LVTFD) derived from cardiac magnetic resonance reflects myocardial trabecular complexity, which is associated with cardiovascular disease risk. Baseline risk stratification of cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) in patients with breast cancer who received anthracycline is a very important clinical issue. In this study, we used the Cox model to derive and validate a new score system based on LVTFD for baseline risk stratification of CTRCD in breast cancer patients receiving anthracycline.