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Chickpea is a field crop that is playing an emerging role in the provision of healthy and sustainable plant‐based value‐added ingredients for the food and nutraceutical industries. This article reviews the characteristics of chickpea (composition, health properties, and techno‐functionality) and chickpea grain that influence their use as whole foods or ingredients in formulated food. It covers the exploitation of traditional and emerging processes for the conversion of chickpea into value‐added differentiated food ingredients. The influence of processing on the composition, health‐promoting properties, and techno‐functionality of chickpea is discussed. Opportunities to tailor chickpea ingredients to facilitate their incorporation in traditional food applications and in the expanding plant‐based meat alternative and dairy alternative markets are highlighted. The review includes an assessment of the possible uses of by‐products of chickpea processing. Recommendations are provided for future research to build a sustainable industry using chickpea as a value‐added ingredient. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain-like neuromorphic computing networks based on the human brain information processing model are gradually breaking down the memory barriers caused by traditional computing frameworks. The brain-like neural system consists of electronic synapses and neurons. The multiple ferroelectric polarization switching modulated by the external electric field is well suited to simulate artificial neural synaptic weights. Therefore, ferroelectric diodes' (FDs) synapses have great advantages in building highly reliable and energy-efficient artificial neural networks. In this paper, we demonstrate the FDs synapse, which is based on rare-earth metal-doped BaTiO3 ferroelectric dielectric layer materials. This performs short-term and long-term synaptic plasticity behaviors by modulating synaptic weights using pulsed stimuli to polarize or flip ferroelectric films. In addition, convolutional neural networks were constructed on the MNIST dataset and the Fashion-MNIST dataset to check the feasibility of the device in simulating bio-visual recognition. The results expand the application of FDs' devices in the intersection of artificial intelligence and bioscience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the problem of inadequate feature extraction and binary code discrete optimization faced by deep hashing methods using a relaxation-quantization strategy, a novel deep attention-guided hashing method with pairwise labels (DAHP) is proposed to enhance global feature fusion, better learn the contextual information of image features to effectively enhance the feature representation, and solve the problem of losing feature information in discrete optimization by optimizing the loss function. First, we introduce a new concept called the anchor hash code generation(AHCG) algorithm, we train the ResNet with the position attention and channel attention mechanisms with the anchor points in Hamming space as supervised information, we fit the binary code representing the picture to the vicinity of each anchor point, and finally, we use the optimized loss function to calculate the pairwise loss and the anchor loss, allowing the hash function to generate hash code with strong discriminative power. The experiments were conducted on four benchmark datasets, and the retrieval accuracy of the proposed method outperformed the retrieval accuracies of the state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Surgery is the primary treatment for locally advanced thyroid cancer. For some cases, R0/R1 resection could not be achieved at initial diagnosis and neoadjuvant treatment would be an option. Anlotinib is a multitarget tyrosine kinase inhibitor, which demonstrated antitumor activity in radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer and medullary thyroid cancer. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of anlotinib in locally advanced thyroid cancer in the neoadjuvant setting. Methods: This single-arm phase II study investigated the efficacy and safety of anlotinib (12 mg orally daily, 2 weeks on/1 week off) for 2–6 cycles in patients with locally advanced thyroid cancer in the neoadjuvant setting. The key eligibility criteria included age 14–80 years old; locally advanced thyroid cancer that would benefit from surgery, and at least one measurable lesion. Operable patients received surgery after neoadjuvant treatment. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). Results: A total of 13 patients were enrolled and received an average of 3.5 cycles of anlotinib treatment. The ORR of anlotinib was 76.9% (95% confidence interval: 46.2–95.0%). The R0/R1 resection rate in the intent-to-treat population was 61.5% and in the per-protocol population was 72.7%. The median time to response was 61.5 days, and the disease control rate at 18 weeks was 92.3%. No patients had blood transfusion or tracheotomy. Most adverse events (AEs) were grade 1 or 2 and tended to discontinue when neoadjuvant treatment ceased. Common AEs of all grades were hypertension (76.9%), hypertriglyceridemia (69.2%), proteinuria (53.8%), thyrotropin increase (53.8%), cholesterol elevation (53.8%), and hand–foot syndrome (38.5%). Conclusions: Anlotinib demonstrated antitumor activity in the neoadjuvant treatment and the majority of patients achieved R0/R1 resection. AEs were consistent with the known anlotinib AE profile. These results suggest that anlotinib neoadjuvant treatment represents a new option for locally advanced thyroid cancer. Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT04309136. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under a high-density traffic environment in a vehicular ad hoc network (VANET), many safety messages will not be verified in time and then get dropped. To touch such an issue appropriately, we aim at improving the efficiency of message verification and the number of verified safety messages. In our proposed scheme, messages are properly classified and prioritized first so that more important basic safety messages can be verified earlier. To improve batch verification, a dynamic batch verification scheme with an adjustable batch size is designed accordingly. The batch size is halved when failures of batch verification occur consecutively over a certain threshold to improve the efficiency of batch verification. On the contrary, the batch size is doubled when successes of batch verification occur consecutively over a certain threshold to increase the messages in a batch to be verified. For a failure of batch verification, a divide-and-conquer approach is utilized to find the illegitimate message(s). Via analysis, the superiority of our design over some closely related schemes in terms of verification delay and number of verified basic safety messages etc. is successfully demonstrated. By simulation, performance of our design and some closely related schemes is further investigated in realistic scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to increasing global competition and shorter new product life cycles, brand owners collaborate more often with design chain partners to bring a new product to market. This paper proposes a design partner selection model to minimise the overall design chain cost, taking into account communication cost, time-to-market, and quality. The model can be formulated as a stagecoach problem. Next, a dynamic programming algorithm is developed for this model to select the optimal partners through the design chain. Finally, a numerical example and a sensitivity analysis are presented. The results also reveal that design quality and manufacturing quality positively influence the total cost, and when brand owners need to speed up time-to-market to keep up with a competitor, the design quality will become less important. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Thyroid cancer (TC) is one of the most commonly seen secondary malignancy in breast cancer (BC) survivors. Materials and methods: A retrospective study was conducted in BC patients in our center from 1999 to 2013. Patients were divided into BC‐TC group and BC‐alone group. Results: In total, 13 978 BC patients were identified, among whom 247 (1.8%) had TC. The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of TC was 4.48 compared with Chinese females, and up to 98.0% of cases were thyroid papillary carcinomas. A family history of malignancy was the only independent risk factor (odds ratio = 1.457, P = 0.025) for development of TC in patients with BC. We also identified inferior survival in patients with synchronous versus metachronous BC‐TC (P = 0.016). Synchronous BC‐TC (risk ratio = 5.597, P = 0.018) was an independent prognostic factor for inferior RFS. Conclusions: We observed high co‐occurrence of TC in patients with BC. There might be different mechanisms behind synchronous and metachronous BC‐TC. In the current study, we investigated the association of thyroid cancer incidence in a cohort of 13 978 breast cancer patients. We identified that the standardized incidence ratio of secondary thyroid cancer was significantly increased and a family history of malignancy was the only independent risk factor, which provided a new insight into the association of breast cancer and thyroid cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to describe the ultrasonography (US) image features and preoperative thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level in patients with thyroid nodules read as or suspicious for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) on US-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (US-FNAB) and to identify the risk factors for central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) that can guide surgical strategies for patients diagnosed with PTMC on pathology. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, a total of 163 patients diagnosed cytologically and histopathologically were included. Cytological diagnosis for each patient preoperatively was based on the Bethesda classification for the nodule: 44 (27.0 %) were suspicious for papillary carcinoma (Bethesda V) and 119 (73.0 %) were positive for papillary carcinoma (Bethesda VI). PTMC was confirmed in 162 patients on pathology. In the multivariate analysis, the US suspicious images including nodal metastases, microcalcification, and irregular margins, tumor size larger than 7 mm on US, and serum TSH level equal to or greater than 2.5 mIU/L were independent predictors for CLNM in 162 patients diagnosed with PTMC. Prophylactic central lymph node dissection (CLND) may be considered in PTMC patients presenting with risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) is a known thyroid growth factor, but the pathogenic role of TSH in thyroid tumorigenesis is controversial. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between preoperative TSH and differentiated thyroid microcarcinoma (DTMC).Data Sources: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library from their inception to March 2015 and performed a systematic literature review of original studies.Review Methods: Published studies that explored the relationship between preoperative TSH and DTMC were included for the review. We calculated odds ratio referring to different TSH concentrations between DTMC and control groups and used random effects model for the meta-analysis.Results: Nine eligible studies that included 6523 patients were identified. Meta-analysis revealed that DTMC was associated with high TSH concentration (odds ratio = 1.23, 95% confidence interval = 1.03-1.46, P = .001). Metaregression analysis indicated that the disparity of control groups was the possible factor resulting in heterogeneity among the studies.Conclusions: The risk of DTMC increases significantly in parallel with TSH concentration. These results support the hypothesis that TSH is involved in tumorgenesis of differentiated thyroid cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the data explosion in the intelligent era; the traditional von Neumann computing system is facing great challenges of storage and computing speed. Compared to the neural computing system, the traditional computing system has higher consumption and slower speed. However; the feature size of the chip is limited due to the end of Moore's Law. An artificial synapse based on halide perovskite CsPbI3 was fabricated to address these problems. The CsPbI3 thin film was obtained by a one-step spin-coating method, and the artificial synapse with the structure of Au/CsPbI3/ITO exhibited learning and memory behavior similar to biological neurons. In addition, the synaptic plasticity was proven, including short-term synaptic plasticity (STSP) and long-term synaptic plasticity (LTSP). We also discuss the possibility of forming long-term memory in the device through changing input signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In response to the high financial burden of health services facing tuberculosis (TB) patients in China, the China-Gates TB project, Phase II, has implemented a new financing and payment model as an important component of the overall project in three cities in eastern, central and western China. The model focuses on increasing the reimbursement rate for TB patients and reforming provider payment methods by replacing fee-for-service with a case-based payment approach. This study investigated changes in out-of-pocket (OOP) health expenditure and the financial burden on TB patients before and after the interventions, with a focus on potential differential impacts on patients from different income groups. Methods: Three sample counties in each of the three prefectures: Zhenjiang, Yichang and Hanzhong were chosen as study sites. TB patients who started and completed treatment before, and during the intervention period, were randomly sampled and surveyed at the baseline in 2013 and final evaluation in 2015 respectively. OOP health expenditure and percentage of patients incurring catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) were calculated for different income groups. OLS regression and logit regression were conducted to explore the intervention's impacts on patient OOP health expenditure and financial burden after adjusting for other covariates. Key-informant interviews and focus group discussions were conducted to understand the reasons for any observed changes. Results: Data from 738 (baseline) and 735 (evaluation) patients were available for analysis. Patient mean OOP health expenditure increased from RMB 3576 to RMB 5791, and the percentage of patients incurring CHE also increased after intervention. The percentage increase in OOP health expenditure and the likelihood of incurring CHE were significantly lower for patients from the highest income group as compared to the lowest. Qualitative findings indicated that increased use of health services not covered by the standard package of the model was likely to have caused the increase in financial burden. Conclusions: The implementation of the new financing and payment model did not protect patients, especially those from the lowest income group, from financial difficulty, due partly to their increased use of health service. More financial resources should be mobilized to increase financial protection, particularly for poor patients, while cost containment strategies need to be developed and effectively implemented to improve the effective coverage of essential healthcare in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer with a poor prognosis. The natural compound pristimerin has shown promising anti-tumor effect. Here, it is found that pristimerin significantly triggered the activation of autophagy initiation and induced apoptosis in TNBC. Mechanistically, RNA sequencing revealed that pristimerin activated mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracelluar regulated protein kinases (MAPK/ERK) pathway. Drug affinity responsive target stability and mass spectrometry techniques are employed to confirm the direct binding target of pristimerin. Heat shock protein family A member 8 (HSPA8) is identified and verified by cellular thermal shift assays and surface plasmon resonance assays. The further results suggested that pristimerin promoted the ubiquitination and degradation of HSPA8, leading to a decrease in the degradation of Vac Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor 1 (VAV1), a downstream client protein of HSPA8 which plays a crucial role in activating the ERK pathway. Importantly, knockdown of HSPA8 or VAV1 significantly impaired the anticancer activity of pristimerin on TNBC cells. Additionally, pristimerin significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of TNBC cells and enhanced the sensitivity of TNBC cells to doxorubicin. Collectively, this study provides the initial evidence that pristimerin directly targets HSPA8 to activate the VAV1/ERK pathway, thereby promoting cell autophagy and apoptosis., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

It remains unclear whether elevated ventricular wall pressure and left ventricular enlargement in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) can lead to left bundle branch block (LBBB). In this study, 801 consecutive hospitalized patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction of < 50% were enrolled. The primary outcome was the occurrence of new-onset LBBB or heart failure-related hospitalization, all-cause mortality, ventricular tachycardia, or implantation of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) /cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). During a median follow-up of 56 months, 70 cases of new-onset LBBB were observed, with a cumulative incidence rate of 10.1%. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) (hazard ratio [HR] 2.907, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.552-5.444, P = 0.001), coronary artery disease (CAD) (HR 6.680, 95% CI 3.451-12.930, P < 0.001), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) (HR 6.394, 95% CI 3.501-11.675, P < 0.001), QRS duration (HR 1.018, 95% CI 1.010-1.027, P < 0.001), left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) (HR 1.032, 95% CI 1.006-1.059, P = 0.016), and β-blockers (HR 0.327, 95% CI 0.199-0.536, P < 0.001) were independent predictors of new-onset LBBB. A Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis demonstrated that patients with new-onset LBBB had a higher incidence of composite endpoint events (P < 0.001), heart failure-related hospitalization (P < 0.001), and ventricular tachycardia or implantation of an ICD or CRT (P < 0.001) than patients without new-onset LBBB. Moreover, new-onset LBBB (HR 1.603, 95% CI 1.207-2.129, P = 0.001) was an independent predictor of composite endpoint events.DCM, LVEDD, CAD, PAF, and QRS duration were independent predictive factors for the subsequent development of LBBB in patients with LVSD. New-onset LBBB was independently associated with a poor prognosis.

The conventional von Neumann architecture has proven to be inadequate in keeping up with the rapid progress in artificial intelligence. Memristors have become the favored devices for simulating synaptic behavior and enabling neuromorphic computations to address challenges. An artificial synapse utilizing the perovskite structure PbHfO 3 (PHO) has been created to tackle these concerns. By employing the sol-gel technique, a ferroelectric film composed of Au/PHO/FTO was created on FTO/glass for the purpose of this endeavor. The artificial synapse is composed of Au/PHO/FTO and exhibits learning and memory characteristics that are similar to those observed in biological neurons. The recognition accuracy for both MNIST and Fashion-MNIST data sets saw an increase, reaching 92.93% and 76.75%, respectively. This enhancement resulted from employing a convolutional neural network architecture and implementing an improved stochastic adaptive algorithm. The presented findings showcase a viable approach to achieve neuromorphic computation by employing artificial synapses fabricated with PHO.

Background: Pleomorphic adenoma (PA), often with the benign-like imaging appearances similar to Warthin tumor (WT), however, is a potentially malignant tumor with a high recurrence rate. It is worse that pathological fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is difficult to distinguish PA and WT for inexperienced pathologists. This study employed deep learning (DL) technology, which effectively utilized ultrasound images, to provide a reliable approach for discriminating PA from WT., Methods: 488 surgically confirmed patients, including 266 with PA and 222 with WT, were enrolled in this study. Two experienced ultrasound physicians independently evaluated all images to differentiate between PA and WT. The diagnostic performance of preoperative FNAC was also evaluated. During the DL study, all ultrasound images were randomly divided into training (70%), validation (20%), and test (10%) sets. Furthermore, ultrasound images that could not be diagnosed by FNAC were also randomly allocated to training (60%), validation (20%), and test (20%) sets. Five DL models were developed to classify ultrasound images as PA or WT. The robustness of these models was assessed using five-fold cross-validation. The Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping (Grad-CAM) technique was employed to visualize the region of interest in the DL models., Results: In Grad-CAM analysis, the DL models accurately identified the mass as the region of interest. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of the two ultrasound physicians were 0.351 and 0.598, and FNAC achieved an AUROC of only 0.721. Meanwhile, for DL models, the AUROC value for discriminating between PA and WT in the test set was from 0.828 to 0.908. ResNet50 demonstrated the optimal performance with an AUROC of 0.908, an accuracy of 0.833, a sensitivity of 0.736, and a specificity of 0.904. In the test set of cases that FNAC failed to provide a diagnosis, DenseNet121 demonstrated the optimal performance with an AUROC of 0.897, an accuracy of 0.806, a sensitivity of 0.789, and a specificity of 0.824., Conclusion: For the discrimination of PA and WT, DL models are superior to ultrasound and FNAC, thereby facilitating surgeons in making informed decisions regarding the most appropriate surgical approach., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Liu, Miao, Qian, Shi, Wang, Su, Chang, Chen, Chen and Li.)

Nanographene C 222 , which consists of a planar graphenic plane containing 222 carbon atoms, holds the record as the largest planar nanographene synthesized to date. However, its complete insolubility makes the processing of C 222 difficult. Here we addressed this issue by introducing peripheral substituents perpendicular to the graphene plane, effectively disrupting the interlayer stacking and endowing C 222 with good solubility. We also found that the electron-withdrawing substituents played a crucial role in the cyclodehydrogenation process, converting the dendritic polyphenylene precursor to C 222 . After disrupting the interlayer stacking, the introduction of only a few peripheral carboxylic groups allowed C 222 to dissolve in phosphate buffer saline, reaching a concentration of up to 0.5 mg/mL. Taking advantage of the good photosensitizing and photothermal properties of the inner C 222 core, the resulting water-soluble C 222 emerged as a single-component agent for both photothermal and photodynamic tumor therapy, exhibiting an impressive tumor inhibition rate of 96%.