A Task-Driven Adversarial Channel Selection Method for Binary Classification Based on Magnetocardiography.

As the number of sensors in magnetocardiography (MCG) arrays increases to capture detailed cardiac activity, some channels contribute minimally to task performance, resulting in data redundancy and resource consumption. Although existing methods can reduce the number of channels required to meet task demands, they often struggle to balance computational time and the accuracy of the selected channels and overlook the scalability of the selected channels. This limitation means that when environmental conditions change, or when sensors malfunction, redesigning channel configurations becomes necessary, which increases experimental uncertainties.

Efficacy of microwave ablation in the treatment of large benign thyroid nodules: a multi-center study.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and improvement of symptoms by ultrasound-guided microwave ablation (MWA) for patients with large benign thyroid nodules (BTNs).

Methods: Eighty-seven patients with 87 BTNs (≥ 4 cm) treated with MWA between April 2015 and March 2021 were enrolled in this retrospective multicenter study, with clinical and ultrasound examinations performed at the 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 12th months. A multivariable linear mixed effects model was employed to explore the alterations in volume and volume reduction ratio (VRR), as well as the potential factors associated with VRR.

Magnetocardiography-based coronary artery disease severity assessment and localization using spatiotemporal features.

This study aimed to develop an automatic and accurate method for severity assessment and localization of coronary artery disease (CAD) based on an optically pumped magnetometer magnetocardiography (MCG) system.We proposed spatiotemporal features based on the MCG one-dimensional signals, including amplitude, correlation, local binary pattern, and shape features. To estimate the severity of CAD, we classified the stenosis as absence or mild, moderate, or severe cases and extracted a subset of features suitable for assessment.

In-situ sewer sediment self-cleaning by plant ash-driven hydrolysis: Impairing adhesion and hydraulic erosion resistance from gelatinous biopolymer molecule deconstruction.

The gelatinous structure and adhesion of sediments induced strong hydraulic erosion resistance and bottom siltation, which brought about serious challenges in sewer management. The in-situ sediment self-cleaning technology with low energy and labor consumption has become urgent demand. This study proposed an innovative plant ash-triggered molecule hydrolysis strategy for driving sewer sediment self-cleaning.

Endogenous biopolymer hydrolysis for enhancing short-chain fatty acids recovery from excess sludge: Combination of lysozyme-catalyzing and cation exchange resin-mediated metal regulation.

In decades, anaerobic fermentation with short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) recovery from excess sludge have attained rising attention. However, rigid particulate organic matter (POMs) structure with slow hydrolysis limited anaerobic fermentation performance of excess sludge. Remarkable sludge hydrolysis performance was supposed to be achievable by the synchronous EPS repture and microbial cell lysis.

Voriconazole-Induced Hepatotoxicity in a Patient with Pulmonary Aspergillosis: A Case Report.

Voriconazole is the therapy of choice for aspergillosis. However, hepatotoxicity is the most common reason for the discontinuation of voriconazole. In contrast, posaconazole is well tolerated, with a low incidence of hepatotoxicity.

Differentiating peritoneal tuberculosis and peritoneal carcinomatosis based on a machine learning model with CT: a multicentre study.

Purpose: It is still a challenge to make early differentiation of peritoneal tuberculosis (PTB) and peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) clinically as well as on imaging and laboratory tests. We aimed to develop a model to differentiate PTB from PC based on clinical characteristics and primary CT signs.

Methods: This retrospective study included 88 PTB patients and 90 PC patients (training cohort: 68 PTB patients and 69 PC patients from Beijing Chest Hospital; testing cohort: 20 PTB patients and 21 PC patients from Beijing Shijitan Hospital).

Case report: infection during ICI therapy in a hepatocellular carcinoma patient with psoriasis.

We report here a patient with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and psoriasis treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy who experienced tumor partial response and psoriatic exacerbation. Meanwhile, the patient contracted during the treatment period, while it was an opportunistic infection and mainly happened in immunosuppressed patients. We discussed the possibility that this infection was an ICI-associated infection independent of immunosuppression due to dysregulated immunity, which was the result of the effects of immunotherapy and autoimmune disease (AID), and the characteristics and treatment of , which was rarely reported in China.

Study on the Diagnostic Value of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Prostate Cancer.

Objective: The aim is to study the different roles of single and joint application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in prostate malignant tumors.

Methods: 72 patients with prostate masses who underwent CEUS and MRI examination in our hospital from October 2021 and March 2022 were enrolled in this research. The differentially diagnostic roles of CEUS, MRI, and CEUS combined MRI for prostate cancer was assessed on basis of pathological findings as the reference standard.

Discovering trends and hotspots of biosafety and biosecurity research via machine learning.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected hundreds of millions of people and killed millions of them. As an RNA virus, COVID-19 is more susceptible to variation than other viruses. Many problems involved in this epidemic have made biosafety and biosecurity (hereafter collectively referred to as 'biosafety') a popular and timely topic globally.

Patient and Clinical Factors at Admission Affect the Levels of Neutralizing Antibodies Six Months after Recovering from COVID-19.

The rate of decline in the levels of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) greatly varies among patients who recover from Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, little is known about factors associated with this phenomenon. The objective of this study is to investigate early factors at admission that can influence long-term NAb levels in patients who recovered from COVID-19.

Colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay (GICA) is an effective screening method for identifying detectable anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies.

Introduction: A large number of COVID-19 patients are in recovery, and millions of people are vaccinated for COVID-19 globally. This calls for a rapid screening strategy of SARS-CoV-2 protective antibodies, generated in rehabilitated and vaccinated populations.

Methods: Serum samples collected over a follow-up period of six months from 306 COVID-19 cases discharged from Wuhan Tongji Hospital were analyzed.

Upgrading the Quality of Recycled Aggregates from Construction and Demolition Waste by Using a Novel Brick Separation and Surface Treatment Method.

Mixed recycled aggregates (MRA) from construction and demolition waste (CDW) with high-purity and environmental performance are required for highway construction application in base layer and precast concrete curbs. The main problematic constituents that reduce the quality level of the recycled aggregates applications are brick components, flaky particles, and attached mortar, which make up a large proportion of CDW in some countries. This paper studies the potential of brick separation technology based on shape characteristics in order to increase the recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) purity for MRA quality improvement.

Risk factors for progression of carotid intima-media thickness in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: protocol for an observational cohort study in China.

Introduction: Accelerated atherosclerosis is a major complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and it leads to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with SLE. This study aimed to investigate the natural progression of carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), and to examine the risk factors for progression of CIMT and atherosclerotic plaques based on a Chinese SLE cohort.

Methods And Analysis: Participants were continuously enrolled as outpatients of the Department of Rheumatology in Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) from October 2013 to December 2016.

Urine afamin and afamin-creatinine ratio as biomarkers for kidney injury.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the urine afamin (uAFM) and afamin-creatinine ratio (AfCR) levels in patients with glomerulonephritis.

Patients & Methods: We determined uAFM and AfCR of 247 healthy volunteers and 129 biopsy-proven glomerulonephritis patients.

Results: Analytical evaluation study revealed the assay is a reliable and robust test for measuring uAFM.

Accelerated Age-Related Arterial Stiffness in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients.

Background: An increased prevalence of arterial stiffness in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients has been established, but the mechanisms of progression of arterial stiffness with increasing age have not been fully explored.

Objectives: To investigate age-related progression of arterial stiffness among SLE patients relative to healthy controls.

Methods: A total of 161 female SLE patients who were enrolled in the Chinese SLE Treatment and Research group (CSTAR) registry and 135 age-matched healthy control subjects participated in this cross-sectional investigation.

Interarm Blood Pressure Difference in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Objectives: This study was performed to determine the relationship between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the interarm blood pressure difference (IAD) and to elucidate the role of the IAD as a surrogate marker for early detection of peripheral artery disease (PAD) in patients with SLE.

Methods: In total, 135 patients with SLE and 135 age- and gender-matched subjects were enrolled. The IAD and risk of an abnormal IAD were compared between the SLE and control groups, and logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between SLE and an abnormal IAD.

ProteinDBS v2.0: a web server for global and local protein structure search.

ProteinDBS v2.0 is a web server designed for efficient and accurate comparisons and searches of structurally similar proteins from a large-scale database. It provides two comparison methods, global-to-global and local-to-local, to facilitate the searches of protein structures or substructures.