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Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a complex disease with genetic and environmental factors at play. Through trio exome sequencing, a de novo SEC16A frameshift variant in a Chinese teenage CP patient is identified. Subsequent targeted next‐generation sequencing of the SEC16A gene in 1,061 Chinese CP patients and 1,196 controls reveals a higher allele frequency of rare nonsynonymous SEC16A variants in patients (4.90% vs 2.93%; odds ratio [OR], 1.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26–2.33). Similar enrichments are noted in a French cohort (OR, 2.74; 95% CI, 1.67–4.50) and in a biobank meta‐analysis (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.04–1.31). Notably, Chinese CP patients with SEC16A variants exhibit a median onset age 5 years earlier than those without (40.0 vs 45.0; p = 0.012). Functional studies using three CRISPR/Cas9‐edited HEK293T cell lines show that loss‐of‐function SEC16A variants disrupt coat protein complex II (COPII) formation, impede secretory protein vesicles trafficking, and induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress due to protein overload. Sec16a+/− mice, which demonstrate impaired zymogen secretion and exacerbated ER stress compared to Sec16a+/+, are further generated. In cerulein‐stimulated pancreatitis models, Sec16a+/− mice display heightened pancreatic inflammation and fibrosis compared to wild‐type mice. These findings implicate a novel pathogenic mechanism predisposing to CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vesical Imaging‐Reporting and Data System (VI‐RADS) is a pathway for the standardized imaging and reporting of bladder cancer staging using multiparametric (mp) MRI. Purpose: To investigate additional role of morphological (MOR) measurements to VI‐RADS for the detection of muscle‐invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) with mpMRI. Study Type: Retrospective. Population: A total of 198 patients (72 MIBC and 126 NMIBC) underwent bladder mpMRI was included. Field Strength/Sequence: 3.0 T/T2‐weighted imaging with fast‐spin‐echo sequence, spin‐echo‐planar diffusion‐weighted imaging and dynamic contrast‐enhanced imaging with fast 3D gradient‐echo sequence. Assessment: VI‐RADS score and MOR measurement including tumor location, number, stalk, cauliflower‐like surface, type of tumor growth, tumor‐muscle contact margin (TCM), tumor‐longitudinal length (TLL), and tumor cellularity index (TCI) were analyzed by three uroradiologists (3‐year, 8‐year, and 15‐year experience of bladder MRI, respectively) who were blinded to histopathology. Statistical Tests: Significant MOR measurements associated with MIBC were tested by univariable and multivariable logistic regression (LR) analysis with odds ratio (OR). Area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) with DeLong's test and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to compared the performance of unadjusted vs. adjusted VI‐RADS. A P‐value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: TCM (OR 9.98; 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.77–20.8), TCI (OR 5.72; 95% CI 2.37–13.8), and TLL (OR 3.35; 95% CI 1.40–8.03) were independently associated with MIBC at multivariable LR analysis. VI‐RADS adjusted by three MORs achieved significantly higher AUC (reader 1 0.908 vs. 0.798; reader 2 0.906 vs. 0.855; reader 3 0.907 vs. 0.831) and better clinical benefits than unadjusted VI‐RADS at DCA. Specially in VI‐RADS‐defined equivocal lesions, MOR‐based adjustment resulted in 55.5% (25/45), 70.4% (38/54), and 46.4% (26/56) improvement in accuracy for discriminating MIBC in three readers, respectively. Data Conclusion: MOR measurements improved the performance of VI‐RADS in detecting MIBC with mpMRI, especially for equivocal lesions. Level of Evidence: 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the microstate characteristics and underlying brain network activity of Ménière's disease (MD) patients based on high‐density electroencephalography (EEG), elucidate the association between microstate dynamics and clinical manifestation, and explore the potential of EEG microstate features as future neurobiomarkers for MD. Methods: Thirty‐two patients diagnosed with MD and 29 healthy controls (HC) matched for demographic characteristics were included in the study. Dysfunction and subjective symptom severity were assessed by neuropsychological questionnaires, pure tone audiometry, and vestibular function tests. Resting‐state EEG recordings were obtained using a 256‐channel EEG system, and the electric field topographies were clustered into four dominant microstate classes (A, B, C, and D). The dynamic parameters of each microstate were analyzed and utilized as input for a support vector machine (SVM) classifier to identify significant microstate signatures associated with MD. The clinical significance was further explored through Spearman correlation analysis. Results: MD patients exhibited an increased presence of microstate class C and a decreased frequency of transitions between microstate class A and B, as well as between class A and D. The transitions from microstate class A to C were also elevated. Further analysis revealed a positive correlation between equilibrium scores and the transitions from microstate class A to C under somatosensory challenging conditions. Conversely, transitions between class A and B were negatively correlated with vertigo symptoms. No significant correlations were detected between these characteristics and auditory test results or emotional scores. Utilizing the microstate features identified via sequential backward selection, the linear SVM classifier achieved a sensitivity of 86.21% and a specificity of 90.61% in distinguishing MD patients from HC. Conclusions: We identified several EEG microstate characteristics in MD patients that facilitate postural control yet exacerbate subjective symptoms, and effectively discriminate MD from HC. The microstate features may offer a new approach for optimizing cognitive compensation strategies and exploring potential neurobiological markers in MD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the correlation between preoperative neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and risk of postoperative delirium (POD) in older patients undergoing noncardiac surgery. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus were systematically retrieved from inception until February 2023. Two authors independently conducted the selection of literature, data extraction and statistical analysis. In this meta‐analysis, Review Manager 5.4 was used for statistical analysis, and the mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of preoperative NLR between the POD group and non‐POD group were calculated. We utilised the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) to evaluate the quality of literature. Further, our meta‐analysis used a random‐effects model, and publication bias was evaluated by conducting a funnel plot. The correlation between preoperative NLR and POD was the primary outcome, and the secondary outcome was the association of other prognostic factors with the risk of POD. This meta‐analysis included seven studies with 2424 patients, of whom 403 were diagnosed with POD with an incidence of 16.63%. Results indicated a positive correlation between preoperative NLR and the risk of POD (MD = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.64–1.49; P < 0.001). Further, our results found that neutrophil counts, advanced age, longer surgery time, diabetes, and elevated C‐reactive protein were significantly associated with POD (MD = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.40–1.56; P = 0.001; MD = 4.20, 95% CI: 2.90–5.51; P < 0.001; MD = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.05–0.25; P < 0.01; OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.08–1.86; P = 0.01; MD = 1.26, 95% CI: 0.36–2.16; P < 0.01). Other factors including lymphocyte counts, hypertension and male gender were not significantly associated with POD (MD = −0.11, 95% CI: −0.27 to 0.05; P > 0.05; OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 0.91–1.58, P > 0.05; OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.00–1.63; P = 0.05). Our meta‐analysis indicated a positive correlation between preoperative NLR and the risk of POD in older noncardiac surgery patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of cross‐border information and production resources is facilitated by information globalization through the transfer of fresh ideas, products, technologies, and business models. This encourages information globalization's potential to achieve environmental and other technological advancements in the meantime and helps to make greener production possible through value‐added trade. Prior research, however, largely ignored this aspect of globalization in global value chains' studies. In order to anticipate carbon emissions (CO2) in BRICS economies, this novel study aims to assess the significance of participation in global value chains (GVCs) and information globalization (ING). The innovative research uses nonparametric causality‐in‐quantiles techniques on quarterly data from 1995Q1 to 2018Q4 to quantify for causality‐in‐variance and causality‐in‐mean because there might not be any causation at the first stage but there might be higher‐order interdependencies. The results show that GVC and ING had high predictive capability for carbon emissions, indicating asymmetry regarding environmental sustainability. Additionally, GVC and information globalization asserted that there is a significant interaction effect when it comes to forecasting pollution levels in chosen nations. The provision of financial and R&D assistance for energy efficiency and green production, as well as the use of mass and social media to raise awareness among the firms participating in global value chains, may assist in achieving SDG 13 and Cope26's goal of reducing pollution by 2030. The finding contributes crucial insights for policymakers and enhances the discourse on sustainable hones inside GVCs. The study proposes prioritizing information transparency, worldwide measures, and motivations for eco‐friendly advances to improve environmental sustainability in GVCs. Policymakers are encouraged to foster public–private associations for cohesive global endeavors in diminishing CO2 emanations inside GVCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As neurosurgery has advanced technologically, more and more neurosurgical implants are being employed on an aging patient population with several comorbidities. As a result, there is a steady increase in the frequency of infections linked to neurosurgical implants, which causes serious morbidity and mortality as well as abnormalities of the skull and inadequate brain protection. We discuss infections linked to internal and external ventricular and lumbar cerebrospinal fluid drainages, neurostimulators, craniotomies, and cranioplasty in this article. Biofilms, which are challenging to remove, are involved in all implant‐associated illnesses. It takes a small quantity of microorganisms to create a biofilm on the implant surface. Skin flora bacteria are implicated in the majority of illnesses. Microorganisms that cause disruptions in wound healing make their way to the implant either during or right after surgery. In about two thirds of patients, implant‐associated infections manifest early (within the first month after surgery), whereas the remaining infections present later as a result of low‐grade infections or by direct extension from adjacent infections (per continuitatem) to the implants due to soft tissue damage. Except for ventriculo‐atrial cerebrospinal fluid shunts, neurosurgical implants are rarely infected by the haematogenous route. This research examines established and clinically validated principles that are applicable to a range of surgical specialties using implants to treat biofilm‐associated infections in orthopaedic and trauma cases. Nevertheless, there is little evidence and no evaluation in sizable patient populations to support the success of this extrapolation to neurosurgical patients. An optimal microbiological diagnostic, which includes sonicating removed implants and extending culture incubation times, is necessary for a positive result. Additionally, a strategy combining surgical and antibiotic therapy is needed. Surgical procedures involve a suitable debridement along with implant replacement or exchange, contingent on the biofilm's age and the state of the soft tissue. A protracted biofilm‐active therapy is a component of antimicrobial treatment, usually lasting 4–12 weeks. This idea is appealing because it allows implants to be changed or kept in place for a single surgical procedure in a subset of patients. This not only enhances quality of life but also lowers morbidity because each additional neurosurgical procedure increases the risk of secondary complications like intracerebral bleeding or ischemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Textile‐based generators that can convert low‐grade energy from the human body or environment into sustainable electricity have generated immense scientific interest in self‐powered wearable applications. However, their low power density and environmental suitability have extremely restricted their portable applications in complex and mutable environments. Herein, an asymmetric sandwich structure between molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)‐carbonized silks (MCs) and MoS2/MXene–Cottons (MMCs) to construct efficient thermo–hydroelectric generators (THEGs) that synergistically harvest heat‐moisture energy to generate considerable electricity is rationally designed. Notably, the large surface area of MoS2/MXene van der Waals heterojunctions (vdWhs) enables efficient charge collection, and the vertical MoS2 nanosheet arrays supply abundant nanochannels for a highly efficient hydration effect, generating an output power density of 32.26 µW cm−2 after wetting with deionized water. Combined with the sensitive temperature recognition ability with a Seebeck coefficient of 23.5 µV K−1, the application possibilities of these prepared THEGs in the mutual conversion of fingertip temperature/language, and the monitoring of the human physiological state is foresee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to prepare epoxy/polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/glass fiber (GF) composites (EPGs) with the unique characteristics of low friction and high wear resistance based on triglycidyl isocyanurate (TGIC). The tribological properties of composites with different filler ratios under different working conditions were systematically studied. At the maximum filler content of 40 wt% PTFE, the minimum coefficient of friction (COF) and wear rate reached 0.079 and 0.45 - 10°6 mm³/N-m. The hardness decreased by 44.2% and the density increased by 18.3%. The worn surfaces and transfer films were observed and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The increasing tendency of velocity and amplitude is beneficial to reduce the carbon-rich region and further enhance the formation of transfer films. It is proved that the tribological properties of TGIC-based epoxy composites are higher than those of other types of epoxy composites. This study offers great insight into the tribological applications of TGIC-based epoxy composites. Highlights • Epoxy/PTFE/GF composites (EPGs) were prepared using TGIC as the base material. • EPGs have good mechanical and tribological properties. • The COF of EPG3 reaches 0.079 and the wear rate becomes 0.45 x 10°6 mm3/(N-m). • The increasing tendency of velocity and amplitude is beneficial to reduce the carbon-rich region and further enhance the formation of transfer films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The dosage of ovalbumin (OVA) during the sensitization stage is considered a crucial factor in the development of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). However, the inconsistent dosages of sensitizing OVA used in current studies and the lack of research on their impact on AHR are notable limitations. Methods: We examined the impact of increasing sensitizing doses of OVA in a murine asthma model, which entailed initial sensitization with OVA followed by repeated exposure to OVA aerosols. BALB/c mice were primed with doses of OVA (0, 10, 20, 50, and 100 μg) plus 1 mg Alum on Days 0 and 7, and were challenged with OVA aerosols (10 mg/mL for 30 min) between Days 14 and 17. Antigen‐induced AHR to methacholine (MCh), as well as histological changes, eosinophilic infiltration, and epithelial injury were assessed. Results: The result indicated that there are striking OVA dose‐related differences in antigen‐induced AHR to MCh. The most intense antigen‐induced AHR to MCh was observed with sensitization at 50 μg, while weaker responses were seen at 10, 20, and 100 μg. Meanwhile, there was a significant increase in eosinophil count with sensitization at 50 μg. The changes of AHR were correlated with total cells count, lymphocytes count, eosinophils count, and basophils count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; however, it did not correlate with histological changes such as cellular infiltration into bronchovascular bundles and goblet cell hyperplasia of the bronchial epithelium. Conclusion: Overall, this study demonstrated that sensitization with 50 μg of OVA resulted in the most significant AHR compared to other dosages. These findings may offer valuable insights for future research on mouse asthma modeling protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented on the advancements in knowledge-based deep learning systems (KDLS) in biomedicine. Topics include the application of KDLS for evaluating functional connectivity and neurological disorders, the use of deep learning for brain tumor classification and Alzheimer's disease diagnosis, and novel methods for medical image encryption and enhancement.

A study published in the Plant Biotechnology Journal introduces a novel CRISPR/Cas9 system called the fluorescence marker and pollen killer-assisted CRISPR/Cas9 system (FMPKC) for efficient isolation of transgene-free edited plants in rice. The FMPKC system utilizes a DsRed2 fluorescence marker and a pollen killer to distinguish transgenic offspring and increase the proportion of non-transgenic seeds. The system was used to edit the internode length gene EUI1 and pollen fertility gene PTC1 in rice, resulting in the production of transgene-free plants. The FMPKC system shows promise for multi-target or multi-gene editing and has potential applications in rice functional genomics and breeding improvement. The study was supported by various funding sources. [Extracted from the article]

Air pollution by particulate matter (PM) in the air including PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10, which are categorized by particle size, is a critical global environmental issue, harming the climate, ecosystems, and human health. Especially, ultrafine dust including PM1.0 and PM2.5 poses significant human health risks. Commercial fabric‐based filters effectively trap PMs but cause high‐pressure drop and limited filter capacity and reusability. Electrospun nanofiber filters address some issues but have low mechanical strength, toxic exposure risks, long fabrication times, and restrained reusability. Herein, a reusable and transparent impaction‐based PM filter using a UV‐curable polymeric stencil with micro apertures is proposed. The polymeric stencil filters achieve high filter efficiency (68–94%), superior filter capacity, and low‐pressure drop (<64 Pa). The polymeric stencil filters can be easily cleaned with water or ethanol and remain stable under extreme temperatures (−196 to 450 °C) with slight shrinkage (0–7%). The polymeric stencil filters can be broadly utilized for not only industrial, indoor, and vehicle filters but also transparent and flexible facial health masks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a clinical syndrome of ovarian dysfunction characterized by cessation of menstruation occurring before the age of 40 years. The genetic causes of idiopathic POI remain unclear. Here we recruited a POI patient from a consanguineous family to screen for potential pathogenic variants associated with POI. Genetic variants of the pedigree were screened using whole‐exome sequencing analysis and validated through direct Sanger sequencing. A homozygous variant in TUFM (c.524G>C: p.Gly175Ala) was identified in this family. TUFM (Tu translation elongation factor, mitochondrial) is a nuclear‐encoded mitochondrial protein translation elongation factor that plays a critical role in maintaining normal mitochondrial function. The variant position was highly conserved among species and predicted to be disease causing. Our in vitro functional studies demonstrated that this variant causes decreased TUFM protein expression, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired autophagy activation. Moreover, we found that mice with targeted Tufm variant recapitulated the phenotypes of human POI. Thus, this is the first report of a homozygous pathogenic TUFM variant in POI. Our findings highlighted the essential role of mitochondrial genes in folliculogenesis and ovarian function maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A practical approach to designing 3D porous materials with new functionalities for oil spill clean‐up attracts widespread attention. The carbonized seaweed‐coated melamine sponge (CMS) can selectively absorb oil immediately due to its countless pores using capillary‐driven force to absorb oil. The microstructure and behaviors of the CMS are thoroughly investigated in relation to the unique porous structure, mechanical stability, wetting response, and in‐depth processing of the high‐speed visualization experiment to determine its promising abilities. For the special CMS structure with a unit cell size of 1 × 1 × 1 cm, the total volume of oil inside the capillary tube is drawn inward after 56 ms, and the absorption rate is estimated to be ≈15 200 liters per spare metre hour without any external power inputs. According to the results, theoretical models are proposed to estimate the oil absorption rate as a function of time by continuity of the oil column in the capillary tube based on quantitative analysis of the optically analyzed oil interface phenomena. It is first shown to be a reliable approach for describing volumetric absorption rate and effective CMS thickness by visualizing the capillary spreading flow. It is expected that this research will hold tremendous potential strategies for environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rampant spread of explicit content across social media can leave a damaging mark on our society. Hence, the need to be vigilant in detecting and curtailing sexually explicit content cannot be overstated. As such, it becomes paramount to discern and manage sexually explicit material to curb its dissemination and safeguard our digital communities from its harmful effects. In this article, we propose a unique technique entitled attention‐enabled pooling (ABP) embedded Swin transformer‐based YOLOv3 (ASYv3) for the detection of obscene areas present in the images with a bounding box around the offensive regions. ASYv3 employs a unique two‐step approach for enhanced performance in obscene detection. In the first step, a scalable and efficient Swin transformer block is integrated, utilizing self‐attention and model parallelism to train massive models effectively. In the second phase, the embedding layer of the Swin transformer is replaced with ABP, mitigating disruption of feature context. ABP allows for the projection of raw‐valued features into linear form with proper attention to feature context information at specified locations, resulting in optimized feature extraction. The proposed ABP embedded Swin transformer‐based YOLOv3 (ASYv3) was trained with annotated obscene images (AOI) dataset. The proposed ASYv3 model surpassed the state‐of‐the‐art methods by achieving 97% testing accuracy, 96.62% precision, 97.40% sensitivity, 3.48% FPR rate, 97.37% NPV values, and 95.59% mAP values, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Place identity is the emotional connection between people and a place. It is significant for local development and people's satisfaction and happiness in where they reside. The physical environment is one of the most important factors affecting people's emotions toward a place. In order to clarify the theoretical analytical framework of the process from village space morphology to place identity, this study takes the area of Aihui along the Heilongjiang River, China, as a case study. The research was conducted considering two aspects: First, we analyzed the space morphology of the villages in the Aihui district and interpreted their locality. On this basis, we conducted a survey of villagers' subjective perceptions of the village space and their place identity through in‐depth interviews. From the collected interview texts, we extracted, verified, and analyzed the role of morphological constituents in the construction of place identity. Second, a comprehensive framework was established. The features of space morphology are the projections of locality in physical space. People use morphological constituents to construct an image of the village and scenes of local life. Morphological constituents with local characteristics can help enhance people's place identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adult gliomas are divided into isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) wild‐type and IDH mutant subtypes according to the new 2021 World Health Organization classification system. However, the local and systemic effects of IDH mutations on primary glioma patients are not well illustrated. Retrospective analysis, immune‐cell infiltration analysis, meta‐analysis, and immunohistochemistry assay were applied in the present study. The results from our cohort showed that IDH mutant gliomas own a lower proliferating rate compared to that in wild‐type gliomas. Patients with mutant IDH exhibited a higher frequency of seizures in both our cohort and the cohort from the meta‐analysis. Mutations in IDH result in lower levels of intra‐tumour but higher levels of circulating CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. Levels of neutrophils in both intra‐tumour and circulating blood were lower in IDH mutant gliomas. Moreover, IDH mutant glioma patients receiving radiotherapy in combination with chemotherapy exhibited better overall survival with respect to radiotherapy alone. Mutations in IDH alters the local and circulating immune microenvironment, and increases the sensitivity of tumour cell to chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countless cybercrime instances have shown the need for detecting and blocking obscene material from social media sites. Deep learning methods (DLMs) outperformed in recognizing obscene content flooded on many online platforms. However, these contemporary DLMs primarily treat the recognition of obscene content as a simple task of binary classification, rather than focusing on the labelling of obscene areas. Hence, many of these methods could not pay attention to the fact that misclassification samples are so diverse. Therefore, this paper focuses on two aspects (i) developing a deep learning model that could classify and label the obscene portion, and (ii) generating a labelled obscene image dataset with a wide variety of obscene samples to minimize the risks of inaccurate recognition. We have proposed a method named S3Pooling based bottleneck attention module (BAM) embedded MobileNetV2‐YOLOv3 (SBMYv3) for automatic detection of obscene content using an attention mechanism and a suitable pooling strategy. The key contributions of our article are: (i) generation of a well‐labelled obscene image dataset with a variety of augmentation strategies using Pix‐2‐Pix GAN (ii) modifications to the backend architecture of YOLOv3 using MobileNetV2 and BAM to ensure focused and accurate feature extraction, and (iii) selection of an optimal pooling strategy, that is, S3Pooling strategy, while taking the design of the feature extractor into account. The proposed SBMYv3 model outperformed other state‐of‐the‐art models with 99.26% testing accuracy, 99.39% recall, 99.13% precision, and 99.13% IoU values respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a hearing disorder, sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) can be effectively detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, the manual detection of MRI scanning is subjective, time‐consuming, and unpredictable. An accurate and automatic computer‐aided diagnosis system is proposed for SNHL detection, providing reliable references for professionals. The system first employs a wavelet entropy layer to extract features of MRI images. Then, a neural network layer is proposed as the classifier consisting of a feedforward neural network (FNN) and an adaptive‐probability PSO (APPSO) algorithm. The authors prove the rotation‐variant property of the basic particle swarm optimization (PSO) by the algebraic property of matrix transformation. The property is unsuitable for optimising parameters of neural networks. Thus, in APPSO, the authors integrate the new update rules based on all‐dimensional variation and adaptive‐probability mechanism into the basic PSO, which can improve its searching ability without losing population diversity. The authors compare APPSO‐NN with FNN trained by five popular evolutionary algorithms. The simulation results show that APPSO performs best in training FNN. The method also compares with six state‐of‐the‐art methods. The simulation results show that the best performance in sensitivity and overall accuracy of hearing loss classification, which proves that the method is effective and promising for SNHL detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early diagnosis of skin cancer through clinical methods reduces the human mortality rate. The manual screening of dermoscopic images is not an efficient procedure; therefore, researchers working in the domain of computer vision employed several algorithms to classify the skin lesion. The existing computerized methods have a few drawbacks, such as low accuracy and high computational time. Therefore, in this work, we proposed a novel deep learning and Entropy‐Normal Distribution Optimization Algorithm with extreme learning machine (NDOEM)‐based architecture for multiclass skin lesion classification. The proposed architecture consists of five fundamental steps. In the first step, two contrast enhancement techniques including hybridization of mathematical formulation and convolutional neural network are implemented prior to data augmentation. In the second step, two pre‐trained deep learning models, EfficientNetB0 and DarkNet19, are fine‐tuned and retrained through the transfer learning. In the third step, features are extracted from the fine‐tuned models and later the most discriminant features are selected based on novel Entropy‐NDOELM algorithm. The selected features are finally fused using a parallel correlation technique in the fourth step to generate the result feature vectors. Finally, the resultant features are again down‐sampled using the proposed algorithm and the resultant features are passed to the extreme learning machine (ELM) for the final classification. The simulations are conducted on three publicly available datasets as HAM10000, ISIC2018, and ISIC2019 to achieving an accuracy of 95.7%, 96.3%, and 94.8% respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pulsed muon facility (the so-called EMuS) at the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) has been studied since 2007. It aims for multidisciplinary applications but with a focus on those based on muon spin rotation/relaxation/resonance techniques. As a standalone facility, EMuS will take about 5% or 25 kW of the total beam power (500 kW) from the CSNS-II accelerator complex. Two schemes have been designed: the baseline scheme is based on an inner conical target in graphite and superconducting solenoids for the capture and transport of pions and muons; the simplified scheme is based on a conventional thick target and room-temperature magnets for transport. With the former, multiple kinds of muon beams can be provided, from surface muons, decay muons, negative muons, to lowenergy muons. Mainly surface muons are available with the simplified scheme. With a number of novel design concepts such as forward capture of pions/muons from a target station based on superconducting solenoids and triple spatial beam splitting of a muon beam, the design aspects of EMuS are presented here. The wide application potential and the R&D progress are also included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The high level of expertise required for accurate interpretation of prostate MRI. Purpose: To develop and test an artificial intelligence (AI) system for diagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer (CsPC) with MRI. Study Type: Retrospective. Subjects: One thousand two hundred thirty patients from derivation cohort between Jan 2012 and Oct 2019, and 169 patients from a publicly available data (U‐Net: 423 for training/validation and 49 for test and TrumpeNet: 820 for training/validation and 579 for test). Field Strength/Sequence: 3.0T/scanners, T2‐weighted imaging (T2WI), diffusion‐weighted imaging, and apparent diffusion coefficient map. Assessment: Close‐loop AI system was trained with an Unet for prostate segmentation and a TrumpetNet for CsPC detection. Performance of AI was tested in 410 internal and 169 external sets against 24 radiologists categorizing into junior, general and subspecialist group. Gleason score >6 was identified as CsPC at pathology. Statistical Tests: Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC‐ROC); Delong test; Meta‐regression I2 analysis. Results: In average, for internal test, AI had lower AUC‐ROC than subspecialists (0.85 vs. 0.92, P < 0.05), and was comparable to junior (0.84, P = 0.76) and general group (0.86, P = 0.35). For external test, both AI (0.86) and subspecialist (0.86) had higher AUC than junior (0.80, P < 0.05) and general reader (0.83, P < 0.05). In individual, it revealed moderate diagnostic heterogeneity in 24 readers (Mantel–Haenszel I2 = 56.8%, P < 0.01), and AI outperformed 54.2% (13/24) of readers in summary ROC analysis. In multivariate test, Gleason score, zonal location, PI‐RADS score and lesion size significantly impacted the accuracy of AI; while effect of data source, MR device and parameter settings on AI performance is insignificant (P > 0.05). Data Conclusion: Our AI system can match and to some case exceed clinicians for the diagnosis of CsPC with prostate MRI. Evidence Level: 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the common malignant cancer types, gastric cancer (GC) is known for late‐stage diagnosis and poor prognosis. Overexpression of the receptor tyrosine kinase MET is associated with poor prognosis among patients with advanced stage GC. However, no MET inhibitor has been used for GC treatment. Like other tyrosine kinase inhibitors that fit the "occupancy‐driven" model, current MET inhibitors are prone to acquired resistance. The emerging proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) strategy could overcome such limitations through direct degradation of the target proteins. In this study, we successfully transformed the MET‐targeted inhibitor crizotinib into a series of PROTACs, recruiting cereblon/cullin 4A E3 ubiquitin ligase to degrade the MET proteins. The optimized lead PROTAC (PRO‐6 E) effectively eliminated MET proteins in vitro and in vivo, inhibiting proliferation and motility of MET‐positive GC cells. In the MKN‐45 xenograft model, PRO‐6 E showed pronounced antitumor efficacy with a well‐tolerated dosage regimen. These results validated PRO‐6 E as the first oral PROTAC for MET‐dependent GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of shear wave elastography (SWE) with that of shear wave dispersion (SWD) in evaluation of hepatic parenchyma in patients with liver tumors before resection. Methods: A total of 174 patients with liver tumors were prospectively enrolled. SWE and SWD examinations were performed. Fibrosis stage and necroinflammatory activity were determined histopathologically according to the Scheuer standard. We compared the diagnostic accuracy of SWE and SWD. Results: Both SWE and SWD values of the liver were highly correlated with liver fibrosis stage (P <.05, respectively). Both SWE and SWD values of the liver were moderately correlated with necroinflammatory activity (P <.05, respectively). Both SWE and SWD values of the liver were not correlated with steatosis (P >.05, respectively). Both SWE and SWD values were significantly different among the patients with different stages of liver fibrosis (P <.001, respectively). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of SWE value was 0.982, 0.977, 0.969, and 0.984 for predicting S ≥ 1, S ≥ 2, S ≥ 3, and S = 4, respectively. The optimal cutoff SWE values were 6.9, 7.9, 8.7, and 10.6 kPa for S ≥ 1, S ≥ 2, S ≥ 3, and S = 4, respectively. The area under the ROC curve of SWD value was 0.967, 0.960, 0.925, and 0.954 for predicting S ≥ 1, S ≥ 2, S ≥ 3, and S = 4, respectively. The optimal cutoff SWD values were 11.2, 12.0, 13.2, and 16.0 m/s/kHz for S ≥ 1, S ≥ 2, S ≥ 3, and S = 4, respectively. Conclusions: SWE and SWD could be noninvasive and accurate for predicting the stage of liver fibrosis in patients with liver tumors before surgery. SWE was more accurate than SWD in predicting severe fibrosis (S ≥ 3) and cirrhosis (S = 4). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Flavonoids are active substances in many herbal medicines, and Areca catechu fruit (AF), an important component in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), is rich in flavonoids. Different parts of AF, Pericarpium Arecae (PA) and Semen Arecae (SA), have different medicinal effects in prescription of TCM. Objective: To understand flavonoid biosynthesis and regulation in AF. Methodology: The metabolomic based on liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) and the transcriptome based on high‐throughput sequencing technology were combined to comprehensively analyse PA and SA. Results: From the metabolite dataset, we found that 148 flavonoids showed significant differences between PA and SA. From the transcriptomic dataset, we identified 30 genes related to the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway which were differentially expressed genes in PA and SA. The genes encoding the key enzymes in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway, chalcone synthase and chalcone isomerase (AcCHS4/6/7 and AcCHI1/2/3), were significantly higher expressed in SA than in PA, reflecting the high flavonoid concentration in SA. Conclusions: Taken together, our research acquired the key genes, including AcCHS4/6/7 and AcCHI1/2/3, which regulated the accumulation of flavonol in AF. This new evidence may reveal different medicinal effects of PA and SA. This study lays a foundation for investigating the biosynthesis and regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis in areca and provides the reference for the production and consumption of betel nut. Untargeted metabolomics and high‐throughput sequencing technology were used to study the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and significant regulated metabolites (SRMs) between Pericarpium Arecae (PA) and (PA) and Semen Arecae (SA). The genes encoding the key enzymes in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway, chalcone synthase and chalcone isomerase (AcCHS4/6/7 and AcCHI1/2/3), were significantly higher expressed in SA than in PA, reflecting the high flavonoid concentration in SA. This study lays a foundation for investigating the biosynthesis and regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis in areca and provides the reference for the production and consumption of betel nut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a noninvasive method for detecting prostate cancer (PCa). The authors propose a novel idea called the prostate age gap (PAG) to assess the biological age of the prostate. They use a deep learning network to connect MRI findings with chronological age and determine the PAG. The study shows that PAG can discriminate between clinically significant prostate cancer (csPC) and non-csPC, and combining PAG with other risk factors improves the diagnosis of csPC. The authors suggest that PAG has the potential to revolutionize the accurate and reproducible diagnosis of PCa in the future. [Extracted from the article]

Herein, a comparative study for the effect of nanoparticle networks on rheological behavior, electrical conductivity, and electromagnetic wave (EMW) shielding effectiveness (SE) is carried in conductive polymer composites (CPC). Two different polymers, that is, poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) and isotactic polypropylene (iPP), which have different dispersion of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), are used as polymer matrices. A transmission electron microscope (TEM) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) are employed to determine the dispersion of MWCNTs in different polymer matrices. A rotational rheometer and a vector network analyzer are used to evaluate the percolation thresholds of storage modulus, complex viscosity and EMW SE, respectively. The results indicate that the EMW SE percolation thresholds are much larger than the electrical and rheological percolation thresholds. Specifically, the percolation thresholds of storage modulus and complex viscosity are 0.39 and 0.33 vol% for the MWCNT/PCL samples, and 1.57 and 1.57 vol% for the MWCNT/iPP samples, respectively. The electrical and EMW SE percolation thresholds are 0.33 and 1.99 vol%, 1.24 and 5.41 vol% for the MWCNT/PCL and MWCNT/iPP nanocomposites, respectively. The electrical and rheological percolation may happen in the samples with a sparse MWCNT network, while EMW SE percolation may require a dense MWCNT network in the samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious injury that can lead to irreversible motor dysfunction. Due to its complicated pathogenic mechanism, there are no effective drug treatments. Piperine, a natural active alkaloid extracted from black pepper, has been reported to influence neurogenesis and exert a neuroprotective effect in traumatic brain injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of piperine in an SCI model. SCI was induced in mice by clamping the spinal cord with a vascular clip for 1 min. Before SCI and every 2 days post‐SCI, evaluations using the Basso mouse scale and inclined plane tests were performed. On day 28 after SCI, footprint analyses, and HE/Masson staining of tissues were performed. On a postoperative Day 3, the spinal cord was harvested to assess the levels of pyroptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS), inflammation, and autophagy. Piperine enhanced functional recovery after SCI. Additionally, piperine reduced inflammation, oxidative stress, pyroptosis, and activated autophagy. However, the effects of piperine on functional recovery after SCI were reversed by autophagy inhibition. The study demonstrated that piperine facilitated functional recovery after SCI by inhibiting inflammatory, oxidative stress, and pyroptosis, mediated by the activation of autophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible pressure sensors have broad applications in the fields of electronic skin, human–computer interaction, and health monitoring. It remains a great challenge to develop advanced sensors with mechanical flexibility while gaining high sensitivity, fast response time, and wide detection range. Herein, the design and fabrication of a new type of flexible supercapacitive pressure sensor with a device configuration of planar electrodes incorporated with porous ionic gel is reported. Taking advantage of both the electric double layer capacitance and the micro‐structured organogel electrolyte, the developed sensor exhibits ultra‐high sensitivity (1126.96 kPa−1), wide detection range (300 kPa), fast response time (25 ms), and excellent stability over 6000 compression‐release cycles. With consistent and stable performance, the proposed pressure sensor can be used in many applications such as finger pressing, carotid pulse measurement, and finger bending. This work provides a facile and economical approach for fabricating flexible and ultra‐sensitive pressure sensors that are promising in wearable electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Liver resection (LRE) and microwave ablation (MWA) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been widely compared. Aims: To compare the therapeutic outcomes of percutaneous MWA and LRE for HCC in ideal candidates for ablation according to Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging Methods: Between August 2013 and November 2020, 483 consecutive patients meeting criteria for "ideal candidates for ablation" per the BCLC staging initially treated with MWA (n = 168) or LRE (n = 315) were included. Patients were further divided into BCLC‐0 (n = 116) and BCLC‐A (n = 367) groups. Overall survival (OS), recurrence‐free survival (RFS) and post‐procedure‐related complication rates were compared before and after propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) in the overall population and subgroups. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to determine whether the treatment modality was an independent prognostic factor. Results: LRE had a better RFS and similar OS and post‐procedure‐related complication rates compared to MWA in the overall population and in the BCLC‐A subgroup both before and after PSM and IPTW. However, the OS, RFS and post‐procedure‐related complication rates were equivalent between the two groups before and after PSM and IPTW in patients with BCLC‐0 disease. The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that LRE was associated with better RFS over MWA in overall population (p = 0.003; HR = 0.67; 95% CI: 0.51–0.87) and BCLC‐A disease (p = 0.046; HR = 0.74; 95% CI: 0.56–0.99), while it did not differ in OS. Conclusion: An 'ideal candidate for ablation' according to the BCLC staging system may not be an ideal candidate for MWA. However, patients with BCLC‐0 may be the optimal population for MWA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Presurgical assessment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) aggressiveness can benefit patients' treatment options and prognosis. Purpose: To develop an artificial intelligence (AI) tool, namely, LiSNet, in the task of scoring and interpreting HCC aggressiveness with computed tomography (CT) imaging. Methods: A total of 358 patients with HCC undergoing curative liver resection were retrospectively included. Three subspecialists were recruited to pixel‐wise annotate and grade tumor aggressiveness based on CT imaging. LiSNet was trained and validated in 193 and 61 patients with a deep neural network to emulate the diagnostic acumen of subspecialists for staging HCC. The test set comprised 104 independent patients. We subsequently compared LiSNet with an experience‐based binary diagnosis scheme and human–AI partnership that combined binary diagnosis and LiSNet for assessing tumor aggressiveness. We also assessed the efficiency of LiSNet for predicting survival outcomes. Results: At the pixel‐wise level, the agreement rate of LiSNet with subspecialists was 0.658 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.490–0.779), 0.595 (95% CI: 0.406–0.734), and 0.369 (95% CI: 0.134–0.566), for scoring HCC aggressiveness grades I, II, and III, respectively. Additionally, LiSNet was comparable to subspecialists for predicting histopathological microvascular invasion (area under the curve: LiSNet: 0.668 [95% CI: 0.559–0.776] versus subspecialists: 0.699 [95% CI: 0.591–0.806], p > 0.05). In a human–AI partnered diagnosis, combining LiSNet and experience‐based binary diagnosis can achieve the best predictive ability for microvascular invasion (area under the curve: 0.705 [95% CI: 0.589–0.820]). Furthermore, LiSNet was able to indicate overall survival after surgery. Conclusion: The designed LiSNet tool warrants evaluation as an alternative tool for radiologists to conduct automatic staging of HCC aggressiveness at the pixel‐wise level with CT imaging. Its prognostic value might benefit patients' treatment options and survival prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melatonin (MT) functions in removing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and delaying plant senescence, thereby acting as an antioxidant; however, the molecular mechanism underlying the specific action of MT is unclear. Herein, we used the mutant plants carrying the MT decomposition gene melatonin 3‐hydroxylase (M3H) in tomato to elucidate the specific mechanism of action of MT. SlM3H‐OE accelerated senescence by decreasing the content of endogenous MT in plants. SlM3H is a senescence‐related gene that positively regulates aging. MT inhibited the expression of the senescence‐related gene SlCV to scavenge ROS, induced stable chloroplast structure, and delayed leaf senescence. Simultaneously, MT weakened the interaction between SlCV and SlPsbO/SlCAT3, reduced ROS production in photosystem II, and promoted ROS elimination. In conclusion, MT regulates ROS homeostasis and delays leaf aging in tomato plants through SlCV expression modulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Grain size is one of the essential determinants of rice yield. Our previous studies revealed that ethylene plays an important role in grain‐size control; however, the precise mechanism remains to be determined. Here, we report that the ethylene response factor OsERF115 functions as a key downstream regulator for ethylene‐mediated grain development. OsERF115 encodes an AP2/ERF‐type transcriptional factor that is specifically expressed in young spikelets and developing caryopses. Overexpression of OsERF115 significantly increases grain length, width, thickness and weight by promoting longitudinal elongation and transverse division of spikelet hull cells, as well as enhancing grain‐filling activity, whereas its knockout mutations lead to the opposite effects, suggesting that OsERF115 positively regulates grain size and weight. OsERF115 transcription is strongly induced by ethylene, and OsEIL1 directly binds to the promoter to activate its expression. OsERF115 acts as a transcriptional repressor to directly or indirectly modulate a set of grain‐size genes during spikelet growth and endosperm development. Importantly, haplotype analysis reveals that the SNP variations in the EIN3‐binding sites of OsERF115 promoter are significantly associated with the OsERF115 expression levels and grain weight, suggesting that natural variations in the OsERF115 promoter contribute to grain‐size diversity. In addition, the OsERF115 orthologues are identified only in grass species, implying a conserved and unique role in the grain development of cereal crops. Our results provide insights into the molecular mechanism of ethylene‐mediated grain‐size control and a potential strategy based on the OsEIL1‐OsERF115‐target gene regulatory module for genetic improvement of rice yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human gait recognition (HGR) shows high importance in the area of video surveillance due to remote access and security threats. HGR is a technique commonly used for the identification of human style in daily life. However, many typical situations like change of clothes condition and variation in view angles degrade the system performance. Lately, different machine learning (ML) techniques have been introduced for video surveillance which gives promising results among which deep learning (DL) shows best performance in complex scenarios. In this article, an integrated framework is proposed for HGR using deep neural network and fuzzy entropy controlled skewness (FEcS) approach. The proposed technique works in two phases: In the first phase, deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) features are extracted by pre‐trained CNN models (VGG19 and AlexNet) and their information is mixed by parallel fusion approach. In the second phase, entropy and skewness vectors are calculated from fused feature vector (FV) to select best subsets of features by suggested FEcS approach. The best subsets of picked features are finally fed to multiple classifiers and finest one is chosen on the basis of accuracy value. The experiments were carried out on four well‐known datasets, namely, AVAMVG gait, CASIA A, B and C. The achieved accuracy of each dataset was 99.8, 99.7, 93.3 and 92.2%, respectively. Therefore, the obtained overall recognition results lead to conclude that the proposed system is very promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Purpose: This over 7‐year case study is the first to compare the results of laparoscopic Glissonian pedicle approach hemihepatectomy (LGAH) and laparoscopic hilar dissection approach hemihepatectomy (LHAH) in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Methods: Patients who had undergone laparoscopic hemihepatectomy, either LGAH or LHAH, between March 2012 and December 2019 at our center were prospectively enrolled and assigned to the LGAH or LHAH group. Both groups were stratified and compared, and the preoperative and follow‐up outcomes were analyzed. The primary endpoint was total operative time. Results: The groups were equally matched for age, sex, HBsAg, Child‐Pugh class, benign disease, malignancy, liver cirrhosis, tumor diameter and type of resection. Ninety‐six patients had undergone LGAH and 94 had undergone LHAH. No preoperative death occurred in the two groups. LGAH did not enhance the postoperative overall complication rates (P =.465) or intraoperative blood loss (P =.535) compared with LHAH. However, the overall operative time (P =.014) and hilar dissection time (P =.000) were significantly shorter in the LGAH group than in the LHAH group. No significant differences were found between the groups regarding the 1‐year (P =.384), 3‐year (P =.332), and 5‐year overall survival rates (P =.662) or 1‐year (P =.856), 3‐year (P =.348), and 5‐year disease‐free survival rates (P =.573). Conclusions: LGAH and LHAH are both effective procedures for treating the hilar structures in selected patients. LGAH has advantages over LHAH in reducing total operation time under the condition where both procedures can be used. LGAH for selected patients is worthy of promotion owing to its simplicity and convenience. Registration number: NCT01567631 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease that affects a variety of organs. Although the etiology has not been fully understood, it is thought that diverse genetic and environmental factors interact with the immune system to develop granulomas. The incidence and death rate of sarcoidosis vary according to race. This study was conducted to identify the epidemiology of sarcoidosis in Korea and reveal its association with comorbid diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia in a population‐based database. We retrospectively analyzed Korean National Health Insurance claims data between 2006 and 2017. The average annual incidence from 2006 to 2017 was 0.82/100 000 person‐years and the all‐cause death rate in sarcoidosis patients was 9.25/1000 cases. The incidence of sarcoidosis was higher in patients with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia than patients without those underlying diseases. Sarcoidosis patients with diabetes mellitus and hypertension showed an increased death rate after adjusting the confounding factors (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval], 1.66 [1.23–2.23] and 1.73 [1.29–2.31] respectively), however, patients with dyslipidemia showed a low death rate (HR = 0.64 [0.46–0.88]). In conclusion, we found that sarcoidosis is associated with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia and that diabetes mellitus and hypertension increase the risk of death in sarcoidosis patients. Extra caution is needed in sarcoidosis patients who already have these metabolic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although heptagons are widely found in graphenic materials, the precise synthesis of nanocarbons containing heptagons remains a challenge, especially for the nanocarbons containing multiple‐heptagons. Herein, we show that photo‐induced radical cyclization (PIRC) can be used to synthesize multi‐heptagon‐embedded nanocarbons. Notably, a nanographene containing six heptagons (1) was obtained via a six‐fold cascade PIRC reaction. The structure of 1 was clearly validated and showed a Monkey‐saddle‐shaped conformation. Experimental bond analysis and theoretical calculations indicated that the heptagons in 1 were non‐aromatic, whereas the peripheral rings were highly aromatic. Compared to planar nanographene with the same number of π electrons, 1 had a similar optical gap due to a compromise between the decreased conjugation in the wrapped structure and enhanced electronic delocalization at the rim. Electrochemical studies showed that 1 had low‐lying oxidation potentials, which was attributed to the nitrogen‐doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Fruit category classification is important in factory packing and transportation, price prediction, dietary intake, and so forth. Methods: This study proposed a novel artificial intelligence system to classify fruit categories. First, 2D fractional Fourier entropy with rotation angle vector grid was used to extract features from fruit images. Afterwards, a five‐layer stacked sparse autoencoder was used as the classifier. Results: Ten runs on the test set showed our method achieved a micro‐averaged F1 score of 95.08% for an 18‐category fruit dataset. Conclusion: Our method gives better micro‐averaged F1 score than 10 state‐of‐the‐art approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Microvascular invasion (MVI) is implicated in the poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Presurgical stratifying schemes have been proposed for HCC-MVI but lack external validation.Purpose: To perform external validation and comparison of four presurgical stratifying schemes for the prediction of MVI using gadoxetic acid-based MRI in a cohort of HCC patients.Study Type: Retrospective.Subjects: Included were 183 surgically resected HCCs from patients who underwent pretreatment MRI.Field Strength/sequence: This includes 1.5-3.0 T with T2 , T1 , diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and dynamic gadoxetic acid contrast-enhancement imaging sequences.Assessment: A two-trait predictor of venous invasion (TTPVI), Lei model, Lee model, and Xu model were compared. We relied on preoperative characteristics and imaging findings via four independent radiologists who were blinded to histologic results, as required by the tested tools.Statistical Test: Tests of accuracy between predicted and observed HCC-MVI rates using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and decision curve analysis. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cronbach's alpha statistics were used to evaluate reproducibility.Results: HCC-MVI was identified in 52 patients (28.4%). The average ROC curves (AUCs) for HCC-MVI predictions were 0.709-0.880, 0.714-0.828, and 0.588-0.750 for the Xu model, Lei model, and Lee model, respectively. The rates of accuracy were 60.7-81.4%, 69.9-75.9%, and 65.6-73.8%, respectively. Decision curve analyses indicated a higher benefit for the Xu and Lei models compared to the Lee model. The ICC and Cronbach's alpha index were highest in the Lei model (0.896/0.943), followed by the Xu model (0.882/0.804), and the Lee model (0.769/0.715). The TTPVI resulted in a Cronbach's alpha index of 0.606 with a sensitivity of 34.6-61.5% and a specificity of 76.3-91.6%.Data Conclusion: Stratifying schemes relying on gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI provide an additional insight into the presence of preoperative MVI. The Xu model outperformed the other models in terms of accuracy when performed by an experienced radiologist. Conversely, the Lei model outperformed the other models in terms of reproducibility.Level Of Evidence: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;52:433-447. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: This study investigates the antifibrotic activities and potential mechanisms of costunolide (COS), a natural sesquiterpene compound.Experimental Approach: Rats subjected to bile duct ligation and mice challenged with CCl4 were used to study the antifibrotic effects of COS in vivo. Mouse primary hepatic stellate cells (pHSCs) and human HSC line LX-2 also served as an in vitro liver fibrosis models. The expression of fibrogenic genes and signaling proteins in the neurogenic locus notch homologue protein 3 (Notch3)-hairy/enhancer of split-1 (HES1) pathway was examined using western blot and/or real-time PCR. Notch3 degradation was analysed using immunofluorescence and coimmunoprecipitation.Key Results: In animals, COS administration attenuated hepatic histopathological injury and collagen accumulation and reduced the expression of fibrogenic genes. COS time- and dose-dependently suppressed the levels of fibrotic markers in LX-2 cells and mouse pHSCs. Mechanistic studies showed COS destabilized Notch3 and subsequently inhibited the Notch3-HES1 pathway, thus inhibiting HSC activation. Furthermore, COS blocked the WW domain-containing protein 2 (WWP2)/protein phosphatase 1G (PPM1G) interaction and enhanced the effect of WWP2 on Notch3 degradation.Conclusions and Implications: COS exerted potent antifibrotic effects in vitro and in vivo by disrupting the WWP2/PPM1G complex, promoting Notch3 degradation and inhibiting the Notch3/HES1 pathway. This indicates that COS may be a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]