Search

Abstract Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non‐interposition imaging technique that provides rich anatomical and physiological information. Yet it is limited by the long imaging time. Recently, deep neural networks have shown potential to significantly accelerate MRI. However, most of these approaches ignore the correlation between adjacent slices in MRI image sequences. In addition, the existing deep learning‐based methods for MRI are mainly based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs). They fail to capture long‐distance dependencies due to the small receptive field. Inspired by the feature similarity in adjacent slices and impressive performance of Transformer for exploiting the long‐distance dependencies, a novel multislice texture transformer network is presented for undersampled MRI reconstruction (TTMRI). Specifically, the proposed TTMRI is consisted of four modules, namely the texture extraction, correlation calculation, texture transfer and texture synthesis. It takes three adjacent slices as inputs, in which the middle one is the target image to be reconstructed, and the other two are auxiliary images. The multiscale features are extracted by the texture extraction module and their inter‐dependencies are calculated by the correlation calculation module, respectively. Then the relevant features are transferred by the texture transfer module and fused by the texture synthesis module. By considering inter‐slice correlations and leveraging the Transformer architecture, the joint feature learning across target and adjacent slices are encouraged. Moreover, TTMRI can be stacked with multiple layers to recover more texture information at different levels. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed TTMRI outperforms other state‐of‐the‐art methods in both quantitative and qualitative evaluationsions.

We reliably judge locations of static objects when we walk despite the retinal images of these objects moving with every step we take. Here, we showed our brains solve this optical illusion by adopting an allocentric spatial reference frame. We measured perceived target location after the observer walked a short distance from the home base. Supporting the allocentric coding scheme, we found the intrinsic bias , which acts as a spatial reference frame for perceiving location of a dimly lit target in the dark, remained grounded at the home base rather than traveled along with the observer. The path-integration mechanism responsible for this can utilize both active and passive (vestibular) translational motion signals, but only along the horizontal direction. This asymmetric path-integration finding in human visual space perception is reminiscent of the asymmetric spatial memory finding in desert ants, pointing to nature’s wondrous and logically simple design for terrestrial creatures.

Abstract Background Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a pivotal role in reshaping the tumor microenvironment following radiotherapy. The mechanisms underlying this reprogramming process remain to be elucidated. Methods Subcutaneous Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) murine model was treated with hypofrationated radiotherapy (8 Gy × 3F). Single-cell RNA sequencing was utilized to identify subclusters and functions of TAMs. Multiplex assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were employed to measure serum chemokine levels. Bindarit was used to inhibit CCL8, CCL7, and CCL2. The infiltration of TAMs after combination treatment with hypofractionated radiotherapy and Bindarit was quantified with flow cytometry, while the influx of CD206 and CCL8 was assessed by immunostaining. Results Transcriptome analysis identified a distinct subset of M2-like macrophages characterized by elevated Ccl8 expression level following hypofractionated radiotherapy in LLC-bearing mice. Remarkbly, hypofractionated radiotherapy not only promoted CCL8high macrophages infiltration but also reprogrammed them by upregulating immunosuppressive genes, thereby fostering an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Additioinally, hypofractionated radiotherapy enhanced the CCL signaling pathway, augmenting the pro-tumorigenic functions of CCL8high macrophages and boosting TAMs recruitment. The adjunctive treatment combining hypofractionated radiotherapy with Bindarit effectively reduced M2 macrophages infiltration and prolonged the duration of local tumor control. Conclusions Hypofractionated radiotherapy enhances the infiltration of CCL8high macrophages and amplifies their roles in macrophage recruitment through the CCL signaling pathway, leading to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. These findings highlight the potential of targeting TAMs and introduces a novel combination to improve the efficacy of hypofractionated radiotherapy.

The controllable and safe hydrogen storage technologies are widely recognized as the main bottleneck for the accomplishment of sustainable hydrogen energy. Ammonia borane (AB) has regarded as a competitive candidate for chemical hydrogen storage. However, developing efficient yet high-performance catalysts towards hydrogen evolution from AB hydrolysis remains an enormous challenge. Herein, cobalt phosphide nanosheets are synthesized by a facile salt-assisted along with low-temperature phosphidation strategy for simultaneously modulating its morphology and electronic structure, and function as hydrogen evolution photocatalysts. Impressively, the Co2P nanosheets display extraordinary performance with a record high turnover frequency of 44.9 min−1, outperforming most of the noble-metal-free catalysts reported to date. This remarkable performance is attributed to its desired nanosheets structure, featuring with high specific surface area, abundant exposed active sites, and short charge diffusion paths. Our findings provide a novel strategy for regulating metal phosphides with desired phase structure and morphology for energy-related applications and beyond.

This paper presents an optimized preparation process for external ointment using the Definitive Screening Design (DSD) method. The ointment is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula developed by Professor WYH, a renowned TCM practitioner in Jiangsu Province, China, known for its proven clinical efficacy. In this study, a stepwise regression model was employed to analyze the relationship between key process factors (such as mixing speed and time) and rheological parameters. Machine learning techniques, including Monte Carlo simulation, decision tree analysis, and Gaussian process, were used for parameter optimization. Through rigorous experimentation and verification, we have successfully identified the optimal preparation process for WYH ointment. The optimized parameters included drug ratio of 24.5%, mixing time of 8 min, mixing speed of 1175 rpm, petroleum dosage of 79 g, liquid paraffin dosage of 6.7 g. The final ointment formulation was prepared using method B. This research not only contributes to the optimization of the WYH ointment preparation process but also provides valuable insights and practical guidance for designing the preparation processes of other TCM ointments. This advanced DSD method enhances the screening approach for identifying the best preparation process, thereby improving the scientific rigor and quality of TCM ointment preparation processes.

旨在为探明植物油出油方式提供技术支持，建立了一种鉴别压榨植物油和浸出植物油的方法。采用顶空-气质联用法测定植物油的残留溶剂，对顶空进样器平衡温度进行了优化，并探究植物油残留溶剂的特征性成分，通过对压榨植物油和浸出植物油样品中特征性成分的分析确定植物油出油方式的鉴别方法。结果表明：六号溶剂主要成分的出峰面积均随着平衡温度的升高而增加，优化的平衡温度为150 ℃；六号溶剂中5种主要成分在0~1.00 mg/kg范围内线性关系良好，相关系数均可达0.999以上，检出限为0.001 0~0.014 4 mg/kg；六号溶剂中不仅含有烷烃、环烷烃，还含有烯烃、芳香烃（包括多环芳烃）等，成分较为复杂，浸出植物油中溶剂残留物主要为2-甲基戊烷、3-甲基戊烷 、正己烷、甲基环戊烷和环己烷，占比达97.5%，与六号溶剂中这5种物质含量（占比达96.6%）相似，因此确定这5种物质为植物油残留溶剂的特征性成分；实际样品测定表明压榨植物油中没有溶剂残留或残留量较低，浸出植物油中均有溶剂残留且残留量较高；总结出鉴别压榨植物油和浸出植物油的方法为若同时检出4种及以上六号溶剂特征性成分或特征性成分总含量大于或等于0.50 mg/kg的样品可判定为浸出植物油，若同时检出小于或等于3种六号溶剂特征性成分且特征性成分总含量小于 0.50 mg/kg的样品可判定为压榨植物油。综上，采用顶空-气质联用法对植物油中六号溶剂的特征性成分进行分析，以特征性成分有无和含量可以鉴别压榨植物油和浸出植物油。In order to provide technical support for the exploration of vegetable oil production mode, a method for identifying pressed vegetable oil and extracted vegetable oil was established. The residual solvent in vegetable oil was determined by headspace-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The equilibrium temperature of headspace injection was optimized, and the characteristic components of residual solvent in vegetable oil was identified. By analyzing the characteristic components in pressed and extracted vegetable oil samples, the extraction method of vegetable oil was identified. The results showed that the peak areas of main components of No. 6 solvent increased with the increase of equilibrium temperature, and the optimal equilibrium temperature was 150 ℃. The linearity of five main components was good in the range of 0-1.00 mg/kg, the correlation coefficient was more than 0.999, and the detection limits was 0.001 0-0.014 4 mg/kg. The components of No.6 solvent were relatively complex, including not only alkane and cycloalkanes, but also olefins, aromatic hydrocarbons (including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). The solvent residues in the extracted vegetable oil were mainly 2-methylpentane, 3-methylpentane, n-hexane, methylcyclopentane and cyclohexane, accounting for 97.5%, which were similar to the contents of these five substances in No. 6 solvent(accouting for 96.6%). Therefore, it was determined that these five substances were characteristic components of residual solvents in vegetable oil. The determination of practical samples showed that there was no or low solvent residue in pressed vegetable oil, while there was solvent residue in the extracted vegetable oil and the residue amount was relative high. The methods for identifying pressed vegetable oil and extracted vegetable oil were summarized as follows: if four or more characteristic components of No. 6 solvent at the same time or the total content of characteristic components greater than or equal to 0.50 mg/kg were detected, the sample could be determined as extracted vegetable oil. If less than or equal to three main components of No. 6 solvent at the same time and the total content of characteristic components less than 0.50 mg/kg were detected, the sample could be judged as pressed vegetable oil. By analyzing characteristic components of No. 6 solvent in vegetable oil using headspace-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, the pressed vegetable oil and extracted vegetable oil can be identified based on the presence or absence and content of its characteristic components.

Aim: Tripterygium glycosides (TG) extracted from the plant Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F has been used to treat chronic kidney diseases for many years. However, hepatotoxicity limits its clinical application. Glycyrrhizic acid glycosides (GA) can reduce TG hepatotoxicity, however, further investigation into the underlying molecular mechanisms by which GA attenuates TG-induced hepatotoxicity is required. Methods: Sprague‒Dawley rats were randomly divided into the control group, the TG groups (TG189 mg/kg group, TG472.5 mg/kg group), and the TG + GA groups (TG189 mg/kg + GA20.25 mg/kg group, TG472.5 mg/kg + GA20.25 mg/kg group). After 21 consecutive days of intragastric administration, structural and molecular changes in hepatocytes were detected. Results: After 21 days of TG treatment, the serum level of the total bilirubin, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased in the TG189 mg/kg and TG472.5 mg/kg groups when compared to the control group. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were reduced in both TG groups. The ultrastructure of hepatocytes and the structural integrity of the liver were compromised. In addition, the relevant molecular level of the peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor α (PPARα) and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family members (ACSLs) pathway was modulated. With the addition of 20.25 mg/kg GA, the serum biochemical indexes and liver tissue structure ultrastructure of hepatocytes were improved, and the PPARα-ACSLs pathway was corrected. Conclusion: The combined application of GA and TG improved abnormal lipid metabolism, repaired liver structure, reduced lipid deposition in hepatocytes, and reduced TG-induced hepatotoxicity.

Aiming at the formation control problem for unmanned surface vehicles under input overload and external disturbance, a leader-follower formation control law based on input saturation and the adaptive super-twisting algorithm was designed in this paper. Firstly, the mathematical model of underactuated unmanned surface vehicle formation based on the leader-follower method is established, and the virtual expected velocity is designed by the back-stepping method to improve the control accuracy of formation. Secondly, the parametric uncertainties and unknown external disturbances in the USV’s dynamical model are compensated by the proposed adaptive super-twisting control laws. In addition, the input saturation function is added to the controller to avoid machine necrosis caused by input overload. Finally, Simulation results show that the controller can roughly keep the trajectory of the USV consistent with the expected trajectory and ensure that the input values are within the safe range, which proves the effectiveness of the method in this paper.

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to explore the spatial distribution of brain metastases (BMs) from small cell lung cancer (SCLC) a homogenous sample, and to identify the metastatic risk levels in brain regions. Methods T1-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from SCLC patients were retrospectively reviewed from three medical institutions in China. All images were registered to the standard brain template provided by the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) 152 database, followed by transformation of the location of all BMs to the space of standard brain. The MNI structural atlas and Anatomical Automatic Labeling (AAL) atlas were then used to identify the anatomical brain regions, and the observed and expected rates of BMs were compared using 2-tailed proportional hypothesis testing. The locations and sizes of brain lesions were analyzed after image standardization. Results A total of 215 eligible patients with 1033 lesions were screened by MRI, including 157 (73%) males and 58 (27%) females. The incidence of crucial structures were as follows: hippocampus 0.68%, parahippocampal 0.97%, brainstem 2.05%, cauate 0.68%, putamen 0.68%, pallidum 0.2%, thalamus 1.36%. No BMs were found in the amygdala, pituitary gland, or pineal gland. The cumulative frequency of the important structures was 6.62%. Based on the results of MNI structural atlas, the cerebellum, deep white matter and brainstem was identified as a higher risk region than expected for BMs (P = 9.80 ×10−15, 9.04 ×10−6), whereas temporal lobe were low-risk regions (P = 1.65 ×10−4). More detailed AAL atlas revealed that the low-risk regions for BMs was inferior frontal gyrus (P = 6.971 ×10−4), while the high-risk regions for BMs was cerebellar hemispheres (P = 1.177 ×10−9). Conclusion Many crucial structures including the hippocampus, parahippocampus, pituitary gland and thalamus etc. have low frequency of brain metastases in a population of SCLC patients. This study provides the help to investigate the clinical feasibility of HA-WBRT and non-uniform dose of PCI in a population of SCLC patients.

In order to validate the durability attribution of leaf-spring rubber bushing fast and effectively,with the inputs of six-component force from proving ground,and taking rear suspension multi-body model as a carrier,based on the road load data,by applying virtual iteration technique,the dynamic load of bushing has been extracted. In order to keep the connection between the test-rig and the road of proving ground,according to equivalent damage theory,the fatigue test procedure of test-rig has been draw up by using multi-block fatigue load method,and the time consuming of test-rig has been shortened,and acceleration factor of 5. 03 was achieved by comparing the test time of test-rig and proving ground,the bushing has ultimately passed the durability validation of test-rig.

18F-Labeled blood pool agents (BPAs) have attracted great attention for identifying bleeding sites. However, many BPAs are not sufficiently evaluated partially due to the limitations of labeling methods. In our previous work, we noticed that 18F-PEG1-vinyl sulfone (18F-VS) could efficiently label red blood cells (RBCs) ex vivo and in situ. However, its application as BPA is not fully evaluated. In this study, we systematically explored the feasibility of using 18F-VS-labeled RBCs as a positron emission tomography (PET) BPA for intra-abdominal bleeding diagnosis. In brief, we first optimized the labeling conditions, which lead to an 80% labeling yield of RBCs after incubating with 18F-VS in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at 37°C for 20 min. 18F-VS-labeled RBCs were found to be stable in vitro, which could simplify its transportation/storage for in vivo applications. In normal rat PET study, the cardiovascular system could be clearly imaged up to 5 h post injection (p.i.). An intra-abdominal hemorrhage rat model demonstrated that the 18F-VS-labeled RBCs clearly showed the dynamic changes of extravascular radioactivity due to intra-abdominal hemorrhage. Validation in the model of gastrointestinal bleeding clearly demonstrated the great potential of using 18F-VS-labeled RBCs as a BPA, which could be further evaluated in future studies.

In order to predict fatigue life of frame,the MBS model of full vehicle has been built,based on the road load data,by applying virtual iteration technique,the dynamic load of interface point of frame has been obtained. In order to solver the time-consuming problem of dynamic load simulation caused by off-road in durability procedure,the road has been reduced by applying time correlated fatigue analysis with damage editing method,the value and distribution of damage are same as the original one,the mileage of single loop has been reduced to 1. 6 Km from original 3 Km,the dynamic load simulation has been accelerated. The fatigue life of frame has been predicted by applying Miner Counting Algorithm for Acuminated Fatigue Analysis,the analysis result has shown that the fatigue life can satisfy the target,and the vehicle has ultimately passed the durability validation of proving ground,which has shown that the analysis result is accorded with the test.

Objectives: To establish a radiomic algorithm based on grayscale ultrasound images and to make preoperative predictions of microvascular invasion (MVI) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.Methods: In this retrospective study, 322 cases of histopathologically confirmed HCC lesions were included. The classifications based on preoperative grayscale ultrasound images were performed in two stages: (1) classifier #1, MVI-negative and MVI-positive cases; (2) classifier #2, MVI-positive cases were further classified as M1 or M2 cases. The gross-tumoral region (GTR) and peri-tumoral region (PTR) signatures were combined to generate gross- and peri-tumoral region (GPTR) radiomic signatures. The optimal radiomic signatures were further incorporated with vital clinical information. Multivariable logistic regression was used to build radiomic models.Results: Finally, 1,595 radiomic features were extracted from each HCC lesion. At the classifier #1 stage, the radiomic signatures based on features of GTR, PTR, and GPTR showed area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.708 (95% CI, 0.603–0.812), 0.710 (95% CI, 0.609–0.811), and 0.726 (95% CI, 0.625–0.827), respectively. Upon incorporation of vital clinical information, the AUC of the GPTR radiomic algorithm was 0.744 (95% CI, 0.646–0.841). At the classifier #2 stage, the AUC of the GTR radiomic signature was 0.806 (95% CI, 0.667–0.944).Conclusions: Our radiomic algorithm based on grayscale ultrasound images has potential value to facilitate preoperative prediction of MVI in HCC patients. The GTR radiomic signature may be helpful for further discriminating between M1 and M2 levels among MVI-positive patients.

We propose an ontological Chinese legal consultation system (CLCS) based on Chinese legal characteristics by integrating statutes and judicial precedents to facilitate the retrieval of relevant statutes and judgments for the general public. Ontology, an emerging research topic in recent years, incorporates a hierarchical structure and supports logical reasoning, which can reduce semantic ambiguities and extract implied semantic information. We constructed statutes ontology and a case ontology using a bottom-up method and a top-down method, respectively. Then, to test the retrieval precision of the proposed CLCS, we performed experiments using emotional damage compensation as an example by combining genetic algorithm and k-nearest neighbor approaches. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method improves retrieval precision.

Hydrous hydrazine (N2H4∙H2O) is a candidate for a hydrogen carrier for storage and transportation due to low material cost, high hydrogen content of 8.0%, and liquid stability at room temperature. Pt and Pt nanoalloy catalysts have been welcomed by researchers for the dehydrogenation of hydrous hydrazine recently. Therefore, in this review, we give a summary of Pt nanoalloy catalysts for the dehydrogenation of hydrous hydrazine and briefly introduce the decomposition mechanism of hydrous hydrazine to prove the design principle of the catalyst. The chemical characteristics of hydrous hydrazine and the mechanism of dehydrogenation reaction are briefly introduced. The catalytic activity of hydrous hydrazine on different supports and the factors affecting the selectivity of hydrogen catalyzed by Ni-Pt are analyzed. It is expected to provide a new way for the development of high-activity catalysts for the dehydrogenation of hydrous hydrazine to produce hydrogen.

Hydrogen energy is considered to be a desired energy storage carrier because of its high-energy density, extensive sources, and is environmentally friendly. The development of hydrogen storage material, especially liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC), has drawn intensive attention to address the problem of hydrogen utilization. Hydrogen carrier is a material that can reversibly absorb and release hydrogen using catalysts at elevated temperature, in which LOHC mainly relies on the covalent bonding of hydrogen during storage to facilitate long-distance transportation and treatment. In this review, the chemical properties and state-of-the-art of LOHCs were investigated and discussed. It reviews the latest research progress with regard to liquid organic hydrogen storage materials, namely N-ethylcarbazole, and the recent progress in the preparation of efficient catalysts for N-ethylcarbazole dehydrogenation by using metal multiphase catalysts supported by carbon–nitrogen materials is expounded. Several approaches have been considered to obtain efficient catalysts such as increasing the surface area of the support, optimizing particle size, and enhancing the porous structure of the support. This review provides a new direction for the research of hydrogen storage materials and considerations for follow-up research.

A new steroidal saponin, named pumilum A (1), and a new phenolic glycoside, threo-1-(4′-hydroxy-2′-methoxyphenyl)-2-(2′′,4′′-dihydroxyphenyl)-1,3-propanediol-4′-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (7) were isolated from the methanolic extract of the bulbs of Lilium pumilum DC, along with five known steroidal saponins. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis, including 1D and 2D NMR techniques and chemical methods. In addition, the inhibitory activity of all the isolates on Na+/K+ ATPase was evaluated.

The surface acoustic wave (SAW) propagating characteristics of Y-cut nano LiNbO3 (LN) film on SiO2/LN substrate have been theoretically calculated. The simulated results showed a shear horizontal (SH) SAW with enhanced electromechanical coupling factor K2 owing to a dimensional effect of the nanoscale LN film. However, a Rayleigh SAW and two other resonances related to thickness vibrations caused spurious responses for wideband SAW devices. These spurious waves could be fully suppressed by properly controlling structural parameters including the electrode layer height, thickness, and the Euler angle (θ) of the LN thin film. Finally, a pure SH SAW was obtained with a wide θ range, from 0° to 5° and 165° to 180°. The largest K2 achieved for the pure SH SAW was about 35.1%. The calculated results demonstrate the promising application of nano LN film to the realization of ultra-wideband SAW devices.

With the fast development of social economy, the competition between enterprises in construction projects becomes more and more serious. The cost control method is proposed to the bidding process of enterprises based on the gray system forecast. At the same time, the cost control software is also constructed to the bidding process of enterprises. Experimental results suggest that the proposed approach is feasible and correct.

The traditional integer-order partial differential equation-based image denoising approaches often blur the edge and complex texture detail; thus, their denoising effects for texture image are not very good. To solve the problem, a fractional partial differential equation-based denoising model for texture image is proposed, which applies a novel mathematical method—fractional calculus to image processing from the view of system evolution. We know from previous studies that fractional-order calculus has some unique properties comparing to integer-order differential calculus that it can nonlinearly enhance complex texture detail during the digital image processing. The goal of the proposed model is to overcome the problems mentioned above by using the properties of fractional differential calculus. It extended traditional integer-order equation to a fractional order and proposed the fractional Green’s formula and the fractional Euler-Lagrange formula for two-dimensional image processing, and then a fractional partial differential equation based denoising model was proposed. The experimental results prove that the abilities of the proposed denoising model to preserve the high-frequency edge and complex texture information are obviously superior to those of traditional integral based algorithms, especially for texture detail rich images.

In the title compound, C20H22O8S, the dihedral angle between the two benzene rings is 81.6 (3)°. The benzene-connected portions of the alkoxy substituents are almost coplanar with their respective rings [C—C—O—C torsion angles of 174.77 (17) and −178.5 (4)°]. One of the butanoic acid groups is disordered over two conformations with a site-occupancy ratio 0.719 (6):0.281 (6). In the crystal, pairs of O—H...O hydrogen bonds link the molecules into infinite zigzag chains along [130].