Radiomics analysis of dual-layer spectral-detector CT-derived iodine maps for predicting tumor deposits in colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of radiomics analysis of dual-layer spectral-detector computed tomography (DLSCT)-derived iodine maps for predicting tumor deposits (TDs) preoperatively in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 264 pathologically confirmed CRC patients (TDs + (n = 80); TDs - (n = 184)) who underwent preoperative DLSCT from two hospitals were retrospectively enrolled, and divided into training (n = 124), testing (n = 54), and external validation cohort (n = 86). Conventional CT features and iodine concentration (IC) were analyzed and measured. Radiomics features were derived from venous phase iodine maps from DLSCT. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was performed for feature selection. Finally, a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm was employed to develop clinical, radiomics, and combined models based on the most valuable clinical parameters and radiomics features. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis were used to evaluate the model's efficacy. RESULTS: The combined model incorporating the valuable clinical parameters and radiomics features demonstrated excellent performance in predicting TDs in CRC (AUCs of 0.926, 0.881, and 0.887 in the training, testing, and external validation cohorts, respectively), which outperformed the clinical model in the training cohort and external validation cohorts (AUC: 0.839 and 0.695; p: 0.003 and 0.014) and the radiomics model in two cohorts (AUC: 0.922 and 0.792; p: 0.014 and 0.035). CONCLUSION: Radiomics analysis of DLSCT-derived iodine maps showed excellent predictive efficiency for preoperatively diagnosing TDs in CRC, and could guide clinicians in making individualized treatment strategies. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: The radiomics model based on DLSCT iodine maps has the potential to aid in the accurate preoperative prediction of TDs in CRC patients, offering valuable guidance for clinical decision-making. KEY POINTS: Accurately predicting TDs in CRC patients preoperatively based on conventional CT features poses a challenge. The Radiomics model based on DLSCT iodine maps outperformed conventional CT in predicting TDs. The model combing DLSCT iodine maps radiomics features and conventional CT features performed excellently in predicting TDs.

Comparison of splenic embolization and splenectomy for traumatic splenic rupture: a meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to assess the safety and clinical efficacy of percutaneous splenic embolization (PSE) and splenectomy as approaches to treating cases of traumatic splenic rupture (TSR). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eligible articles published throughout August 2023 were identified. Endpoints compared between PSE and splenectomy patient groups included operative time, intraoperative hemorrhage, duration of hospitalization, postoperative complication rates, and measures of immune function. RESULTS: Thirteen studies, involving 474 and 520 patients in the PSE and splenectomy groups respectively, were incorporated into this meta-analysis. As compared to the splenectomy group, individuals treated via PSE exhibited a significant reduction in pooled operative time (p < 0.00001) and hospitalization duration (p < 0.00001), with corresponding reductions in rates of intraoperative hemorrhage (p < 0.00001), total complications (p < 0.0001), incisional infection (p < 0.0001), ileus (p = 0.0004), and abdominal infection (p = 0.02). The immune status of these PSE group patients was also improved, as evidenced by significantly higher pooled CD4+ (30 days), CD4+/CD8+ (30 days), and CD3+ (30 days) values (p < 0.0001, 0.0001, and 0.0001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to splenectomy, PSE-based TSR treatment can significantly reduce operative time, rate of postoperative complications, and incidence of intraoperative hemorrhage, while improving post-procedural immune functionality.

Comparison of laparoscopic versus open pancreaticoduodenectomy combined with portal vein/superior mesenteric vein resection and reconstruction for pancreatic cancer: a propensity score matching analysis.

Background: Open surgery is gradually replaced by minimally invasive surgery, but few studies have reported the feasibility of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) combined with vascular resection and reconstruction. The present study compared the efficacy of LPD with open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD) combined with portal vein/superior mesenteric vein (PV/SMV) resection and reconstruction for pancreatic cancer. Methods: The clinical data of patients who underwent PD combined with PV/SMV resection and reconstruction from March 2016 to August 2022 at our institution were retrospectively analyzed. The perioperative outcomes and survival outcomes were compared after propensity score matching (PSM). Results: The original cohort included 64 patients. Sixteen pairs of patients were obtained by 1:1 PSM. The intraoperative blood loss was greater in the OPD group than in the LPD group (550 vs. 200 mL, P=0.04), and the PV clamp time was longer in the LPD group than in the OPD group (29.4 vs. 18.8 min, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative complications. The median overall survival and progression-free survival were comparable between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusions: LPD combined with PV/SMV resection and reconstruction is safe and feasible in selected patients and results in similar perioperative outcomes and prognosis as open surgery.

Exploring the pathogenesis and immunological profiles of psoriasis complicated with MASLD.

BACKGROUND: Both psoriasis and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) are immune-mediated chronic inflammatory diseases. Psoriasis manifests itself mainly as skin damage, while MASLD mainly involves the liver promoting liver fibrosis, which has a significant impact on patient health and quality of life. Some clinical studies have shown that there are mutually reinforcing mechanisms between these two diseases, but they are not clearly defined, and this paper aims to further explore their common pathogenesis. METHODS: Gene expression profiling datasets (GSE30999, GSE48452) and single cell datasets (GSE151177, GSE186328) for psoriasis and MASLD were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Common differential gene sets were obtained by gene differential analysis, and then functional enrichment of differential genes was performed to find associated transcription factors and PPI protein network analysis. Single-cell datasets were validated for gene expression and explored for cellular communication, gene set differential analysis and immune infiltration analysis. RESULTS: We identified seven common differential genes, all of which were upregulated.The IL-17 pathway, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) pathway were shown in strong association with both diseases, and five transcription factors regulating the differential genes were predicted. Two key genes (MMP9, CXCL10) and three key transcription factors (TF) (IRF1, STAT1, NFKB1) were obtained by PPI protein network analysis. Single cell dataset verified the expression of key genes, and combined with gene set differential analysis, immune infiltration revealed that CD4+ T cells, NK cells and macrophages were heavily infiltrated in both diseases. IL-17, IL-1 and cGAS-STING pathways were highly expressed in both diseases, and both diseases share a similar immune microenvironment. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals the common pathogenesis of psoriasis and MASLD from gene expression to immune cell similarities and differences, identifies key genes and regulatory pathways common to both, and elucidates the similarities in the immune microenvironment of both diseases, providing new ideas for subsequent studies on targeted therapy.

iTRAQ-based proteomic analysis reveals the effect of ribosomal proteins on essential-oil accumulation in Houttuynia cordata Thunb.

Houttuynia cordata Thunb., also known as Yuxingcao in Chinese, occupies a pivotal role in Asian traditional medicine and cuisine. The aerial parts and underground stems of H. cordata exhibit remarkable chemical diversity, particularly in essential oil. Nevertheless, the mechanisms regulating essential oil biosynthesis in H. cordata remain unclear. In this study, we present a quantitative overview of the proteomes across four tissues (flower, stem, leaf, and underground stem) of H. cordata, achieved through the application of the isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ). Our research findings indicate that certain crucial ribosomal proteins and their interactions may significantly impact the production of essential oils in H. cordata. These results offer novel insights into the roles of ribosomal proteins and their associations in essential oil biosynthesis across various organisms of H. cordata.

Full-endoscopic lumbar discectomy for lumbar disc herniation in young adults: 199 consecutive cases treated by a single surgeon with a mean 3.7-year follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is rare in young adults. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of full-endoscopic lumbar discectomy (FELD) for LDH in young adults and to determine the risk factors that predict unfavorable outcomes of FELD for LDH in young adults. METHODS: A retrospective two-center cohort study was performed between January 2015 and October 2021 at the authors' institutions. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS) for low-back pain and leg pain and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). The modified Macnab criteria were used to evaluate clinical efficacy at the last follow-up, and the global outcomes were classified into 4 groups, namely excellent, good, fair, and poor. The fair and poor groups were defined as unfavorable outcomes. RESULTS: One hundred ninety-nine patients were analyzed in this study (mean age 18.5 years, mean BMI 25.1 kg/m2, male/female sex ratio 2.8). The duration from the onset of symptoms to the operation was in general prolonged with age. The VAS and ODI scores significantly improved after surgery. A total of 17 of 195 single-segment cases had unfavorable outcomes based on the modified Macnab criteria. Lateral disc herniation (OR 3.72, 95% CI 1.14-12.12, p = 0.029) and high preoperative VAS score (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.13-3.46, p = 0.017) were identified as risk factors for unfavorable outcomes after FELD. CONCLUSIONS: FELD for LDH in young adults is safe and effective. Preoperative VAS score and lateral disc herniation are risk factors of nonfavorable outcomes after surgery and may be a useful index for surgical procedure selection.

Relationship between low molecular weight heparin calcium therapy and prognosis in severe acute kidney injury in sepsis: Mendelian randomized analysis and retrospective study.

Background: Sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) poses an independent risk for mortality due to the absence of highly sensitive biomarkers and a specific treatment plan. Objective: Investigate the association between low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) calcium therapy and prognosis in critically ill SA-AKI patients, and assess the causal relationship through Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Methods: A single-center, retrospective, cross-sectional study included 90 SA-AKI patients and 30 septic patients without acute kidney injury (AKI) from the intensive care unit (ICU) of the First Hospital of Lanzhou University. SA-AKI patients were categorized into control or LMWH groups based on LMWH calcium usage. Primary outcome was renal function recovery, with secondary outcomes including 28-day mortality, ICU stay length, number of renal replacement therapy (RRT) recipients, and 90-day survival. MR and related sensitivity analyses explored causal effects. Results: The combination of heparin-binding protein (HBP), heparanase (HPA), and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) demonstrated high diagnostic value for SA-AKI. MR analysis suggested a potential causal link between gene-predicted HBP and AKI (OR: 1.369, 95%CI: 1.040-1.801, p = 0.024). In the retrospective study, LMWH-treated patients exhibited improved renal function, reduced levels of HPA, HBP, Syndecan-1, and inflammation, along with enhanced immune function compared to controls. However, LMWH did not impact 28-day mortality, 90-day survival, or ICU stay length. Conclusion: LMWH could enhance renal function in SA-AKI patients. MR analysis supports this causal link, underscoring the need for further validation in randomized controlled trials.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most prevalent form of liver cancer globally, poses a substantial health burden. Influenced by risk factors such as hepatitis B or C virus infections, chronic consumption of alcohol, and metabolic dysfunction, its exact etiology likely involves a complex interplay between viral infection, hepatocyte mutations, and chronic liver diseases like cirrhosis and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, and demographic variables like sex, race, and age. Disease stage significantly impacts the prognosis of HCC. There is significant potential for life-saving and socioeconomic benefits through the implementation of surveillance programs and the introduction of low-cost screening measures for high-risk groups; these screening measures include ultrasound imaging and blood tests. Treatment options for HCC encompass liver resection, transplantation, transarterial chemoembolization, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Despite therapeutic advances, treating advanced HCC remains challenging, emphasizing the need for continued efforts in prevention, early detection, and development of treatments to improve prognosis and long-term survival.

TMPRSS13 promotes the cell entry of swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus.

Swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) has caused severe intestinal diseases in pigs. It originates from bat coronaviruses HKU2 and has a potential risk of cross-species transmission, raising concerns about its zoonotic potential. Viral entry-related host factors are critical determinants of susceptibility to cells, tissues, or species, and remain to be elucidated for SADS-CoV. Type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs) family is involved in many coronavirus infections and has trypsin-like catalytic activity. Here we examine all 18 members of the TTSPs family through CRISPR-based activation of endogenous protein expression in cells, and find that, in addition to TMPRSS2 and TMPRSS4, TMPRSS13 significantly facilitates SADS-CoV infection. This is confirmed by ectopic expression of TMPRSS13, and specific to trypsin-dependent SADS-CoV. Infection with pseudovirus bearing SADS-CoV spike protein indicates that TMPRSS13 acts at the entry step and is sensitive to serine protease inhibitor Camostat. Moreover, both human and pig TMPRSS13 are able to enhance the cell-cell membrane fusion and cleavage of spike protein. Overall, we demonstrate that TMPRSS13 is another host serine protease promoting the membrane-fusion entry of SADS-CoV, which may expand its host tropism by using diverse TTSPs.

A channel-homogenized micro gas chromatography column for light alkane separation with uniform HKUST-1 stationary phase.

BACKGROUND: The micro gas chromatography column (µGCC) is one of the key components of the miniaturized gas chromatography system. However, light alkanes are difficult to be separated by a micro gas chromatography column, especially for methane and ethane, because the length of µGCC is limited by the area of a silicon substrate. More importantly, the heterogeneous microchannel surface formed by silicon glass bonding causes uneven stationary phase coating and the forces between the untreated microchannel surfaces and the stationary phase materials are weak, which will prevent the improvement of separation performance. RESULTS: In this paper, a micro gas chromatography column (µGCC) with uniform HKUST-1 stationary phase is reported. Significantly, an alumina film prepared by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique is used to homogenize the heterogeneous microchannels. The alumina is a hydrophilic material and the alumina made by the ALD technique is uniform. The forces between hydrophilic alumina film and HKUST-1 are strong, which can greatly improve the coating uniformity of the hydrophilic stationary phase HKUST-1. The test results show that the µGCC could baseline separate the light alkane mixtures (CH4, C2H6, C3H8, and C4H10) at the high testing temperature of 120 °C. The maximum resolution of the difficult-separated methane and ethane reached 19.2, which is 108 % higher than the µGCC using the same stationary phase without homogenizing the microchannel inner surface. SIGNIFICANCE: The µGCC uses ALD alumina film to homogenize the microchannel inner surface; meanwhile, hydrophilic ALD alumina has a strong electrostatic attraction with the hydrophilic stationary phase HKUST-1. Homogeneous microchannel surface and strong electrostatic attraction are favorable to obtain uniform stationary phase which greatly improves the separation performance, resulting in a large resolution for methane and ethane. The µGCC has broad application prospects in light alkane separation.

Exploring sleep characteristics in Chinese patients with narcolepsy: insights from the nocturnal sleep onset rapid eye movement period (nSOREMP).

STUDY OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the unique characteristics and clinical significance of the nocturnal sleep onset rapid eye movement period (nSOREMP) in the Chinese population with narcolepsy, enhancing our understanding and management of the disorder globally. METHODS: This retrospective analysis investigated narcolepsy in Chinese patients from six hospitals, using International Classification of Sleep Disorders. A parallel retrospective analysis of the Chinese Clinical Sleep Database (CCSD) focused on polysomnography (PSG) records was conducted to evaluate nSOREMP prevalence in other sleep disorders. RESULTS: The study found a 2.51% nSOREMP prevalence in other sleep disorders of CCSD. Significant differences in age, N2 and rapid eye movement (REM) percentages, REM latency, and various indexes were noted among narcolepsy with/without nSOREMP, and other sleep disorders with nSOREMP of CCSD. nSOREMP prevalence in NT1 was 33.33% and in NT2, 28.30%. Noteworthy disparities in NT1 included N2 percentages, REM latency, and SOREMPs in Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT). In NT2, differences were significant in age, sleep latency, N2 and REM latencies, arousal index, mean sleep latency in MSLT, and MSLT SOREMPs. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the distinct characteristics of nSOREMP in the Chinese population. Patients exhibiting symptoms suggestive of the onset of narcolepsy are advised to undergo an MSLT, irrespective of the occurrence of SOREMP during nocturnal PSG.

Overexpression of SYNGAP1 suppresses the proliferation of rectal adenocarcinoma via Wnt/ß-Catenin signaling pathway.

Rectal adenocarcinoma (READ) is a common malignant tumor of the digestive tract. Growing studies have confirmed Ras GTPase-activating proteins are involved in the progression of several tumors. This study aimed to explore the expression and function of Ras GTPase-activating proteins in READ. In this study, we analyzed RNA sequencing data from 165 patients with READ and 789 normal tissue samples, identifying 5603 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 2937 upregulated genes and 2666 downregulated genes. Moreover, we also identified two dysregulated genes, RASA4 and SYNGAP1, among six Ras GTPase-activating proteins. High NF1 expression was associated with longer overall survival, while high SYNGAP1 expression showed a trend towards extended overall survival. Further analysis revealed the mutation frequency and copy number variations of Ras GTPase-activating proteins in various cancer samples. Additionally, DNA methylation analysis demonstrated a negative correlation between DNA methylation of Ras GTPase-activating proteins and their expression. Moreover, among Ras GTPase-activating proteins, we focused on SYNGAP1, and experimental validation confirmed that the overexpression of SYNGAP1 in READ significantly suppressed READ cell proliferation and increased apoptosis via regulating the Wnt/ß-Catenin signaling pathway. These findings underscored the potential significance of SYNGAP1 in READ and provide new insights for further research and treatment.

The causal relationship between gut microbiota and immune skin diseases: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence suggests that alterations in gut microbiota are associated with a variety of skin diseases. However, whether this association reflects a causal relationship remains unknown. We aimed to reveal the causal relationship between gut microbiota and skin diseases, including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, acne, and lichen planus. METHODS: We obtained full genetic association summary data for gut microbiota, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, acne, and lichen planus from public databases and used three methods, mainly inverse variance weighting, to analyze the causal relationships between gut microbiota and these skin diseases using bidirectional Mendelian randomization, as well as sensitivity and stability analysis of the results using multiple methods. RESULTS: The results showed that there were five associated genera in the psoriasis group, seven associated genera were obtained in the atopic dermatitis group, a total of ten associated genera in the acne group, and four associated genera in the lichen planus group. The results corrected for false discovery rate showed that Eubacteriumfissicatenagroup (P = 2.20E-04, OR = 1.24, 95%CI:1.11-1.40) and psoriasis still showed a causal relationship. In contrast, in the reverse Mendelian randomization results, there was no evidence of an association between these skin diseases and gut microbiota. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated a causal relationship between gut microbiota and immune skin diseases and provide a new therapeutic perspective for the study of immune diseases: targeted modulation of dysregulation of specific bacterial taxa to prevent and treat psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, acne, and lichen planus.

Ecological transformation is the key to improve ecosystem health for resource-exhausted cities: A case study in China based on future development scenarios.

Numerous cities are currently grappling with the challenge of ecological transformation, especially those categorized as resource-exhausted cities. In these urban areas, land use change is a highly scrutinized issue, as different land use strategies can lead to varied outcomes, impacting the ecological environment in multiple dimensions. Assessing ecosystem health reflects the quality of the regional ecological environment and serves as a comprehensive indicator for evaluating the sustainability and stability of urban ecosystems. To this end, a multi-objective optimization model was constructed to predict land use changes under four future development scenarios (four ecological transformation modes), using Shizuishan City (China), a resource-exhausted city situated in an ecologically fragile area, as an example. The "vigor-organization-resilience" assessment framework was employed to evaluate the ecosystem health conditions in each scenario from three dimensions. The study results showed: (1) The ranking of the average ecological health levels in Shizuishan City for 2022 and different future development scenarios is as follows: Low-Carbon Economic Development Scenario (0.302) > Ecological-Economic Coordinated Development Scenario (0.291) > Baseline Scenario (0.290) > Economic Development Scenario (0.281) > 2022 (0.248). (2) Compared to 2022, the ecosystem health levels under the four ecological transformation modes had all improved, with improvement areas accounting for over 60 %, highlighting the urgent necessity of ecological transformation in Shizuishan City. Among them, the Low-Carbon Economic Development Scenario exhibited the largest improvement area, reaching 75.81 %. (3) Ecological system vitality was identified as the dominant dimension influencing the ecological health in this region. This study emphasized multi-objective development needs and provided an integrated ecosystem health assessment method for assessing the comprehensive ecological effects of future ecological transformation modes in resource-exhausted cities.

Benzoylaconitine: A promising ACE2-targeted agonist for enhancing cardiac function in heart failure.

Benzoylaconitine is a natural product in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. However, its pharmacological effect, direct target protein, and molecular mechanisms for the treatment of heart failure are unclear. In this study, benzoylaconitine inhibited Ang II-induced cell hypertrophy and fibrosis in rat primary cardiomyocytes and rat fibroblasts, while attenuating cardiac function and cardiac remodeling in TAC mice. Using the limited proteolysis-mass spectrometry (LiP-MS) method, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) was confirmed as a direct binding target of benzoylaconitine for the treatment of heart failure. In ACE2-knockdown cells and ACE2-/- mice, benzoylaconitine failed to ameliorate cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, fibrosis, and heart failure. Online RNA-sequence analysis indicated p38/ERK-mediated mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation are the possible downstream molecular mechanisms for the effect of BAC-ACE2 interaction. Further studies in ACE2-knockdown cells and ACE2-/- mice suggested that benzoylaconitine targeted ACE2 to suppress p38/ERK-mediated mitochondrial ROS and NF-κB pathway activation. Our findings suggest that benzoylaconitine is a promising ACE2 agonist in regulating mitochondrial ROS release and inflammation activation to improve cardiac function in the treatment of heart failure.

The Fitting of the OJ Phase of Chlorophyll Fluorescence Induction Based on an Analytical Solution and Its Application in Urban Heat Island Research.

Chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence induction (FI) upon a dark-light transition has been widely analyzed to derive information on initial events of energy conversion and electron transfer in photosystem II (PSII). However, currently, there is no analytical solution to the differential equation of QA reduction kinetics, raising a doubt about the fitting of FI by numerical iteration solution. We derived an analytical solution to fit the OJ phase of FI, thereby yielding estimates of three parameters: the functional absorption cross-section of PSII (σPSII), a probability parameter that describes the connectivity among PSII complexes (p), and the rate coefficient for QA- oxidation (kox). We found that σPSII, p, and kox exhibited dynamic changes during the transition from O to J. We postulated that in high excitation light, some other energy dissipation pathways may vastly outcompete against excitation energy transfer from a closed PSII trap to an open PSII, thereby giving the impression that connectivity seemingly does not exist. We also conducted a case study on the urban heat island effect on the heat stability of PSII using our method and showed that higher-temperature-acclimated leaves had a greater σPSII, lower kox, and a tendency of lower p towards more shade-type characteristics.

Multi-omics landscape to decrypt the distinct flavonoid biosynthesis of Scutellaria baicalensis across multiple tissues.

Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, also known as huang-qin in traditional Chinese medicine, is a widely used herbal remedy due to its anticancer, antivirus, and hepatoprotective properties. The S. baicalensis genome was sequenced many years ago; by contrast, the proteome as the executer of most biological processes of S. baicalensis in the aerial parts, as well as the secondary structure of the roots (xylem, phloem, and periderm), is far less comprehensively characterized. Here we attempt to depict the molecular landscape of the non-model plant S. baicalensis through a multi-omics approach, with the goal of constructing a highly informative and valuable reference dataset. Furthermore, we provide an in-depth characterization dissection to explain the two distinct flavonoid biosynthesis pathways that exist in the aerial parts and root, at the protein and phosphorylated protein levels. Our study provides detailed spatial proteomic and phosphoproteomic information in the context of secondary structures, with implications for the molecular profiling of secondary metabolite biosynthesis in non-model medicinal plants.

A semi-packed gas chromatographic column with staggered elliptic cylindrical post arrays.

A semi-packed gas chromatographic column has the advantages of high specific surface area and low column pressure. We report that the stagnation regions formed in the adjacent posts along the channel of the semi-packed columns can decrease the area and height of chromatographic peaks, which makes it difficult to detect low-concentration mixed gases. A semi-packed column with staggered elliptic cylindrical post arrays (SC-S) made using a micro-electro-mechanical system technique is presented, and the separation performance of SC-S is compared with that of a semi-packed column with aligned elliptic cylindrical post arrays (SC-A). The simulation results show that the width of stagnation regions in SC-S is 86.89% smaller than that in SC-A. The experimental results indicate that the area and height of chromatographic peaks increased as stagnation regions reduced. In the separation of the alkane mixture from C8 through C10 with 10 ppm concentration, the chromatographic peak of decane was hardly identified in SC-A while the chromatographic peak in SC-S was still clearly visible. The chromatographic peak heights of octane and nonane were increased by 65.06% and 130.00%, respectively, in SC-S. The peak areas of octane and nonane were increased by 120.45% and 168.18%, respectively.

An all-glass based micro gas chromatographic column for light hydrocarbon separation with HKUST-1 as stationary phase.

BACKGROUND: The gas chromatography column is one of the key components of the gas chromatograph and typically be miniaturized using micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technology. Due to the limited area of the Si wafer, the column length of micro gas chromatographic column (µGCC) is usually much smaller than that of commercial chromatographic columns. Therefore, it is always difficult to use µGCCs to separate small molecule gas components such as light hydrocarbons. More importantly, the heterogeneous microchannel surface formed by silicon glass bonding causes uneven stationary phase coating, further preventing the improvement of separation performance. RESULTS: In this paper, a novel all-glass based µGCC with 2 m length for the separation of light hydrocarbons is proposed. The microchannels of the µGCC were directly prepared in the glass substrate by ultrafast laser assisted chemical etching (ULAE). The all-glass microchannels make the coating of the hydrophilic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) stationary phase continuously because of the homogeneous material composition. Therefore, a widely used copper based hydrophilic MOFs HKUST-1 was used as stationary phase for coating and testing. The test results show that the µGCC which is an open tubular column can realize the baseline separation of light hydrocarbons at 100 °C. And the resolution of difficult separated compounds, methane and ethane, can reach 12.98, which is 201.86 % higher than the silica-based monolithic capillary column in the relevant research. The resolution of ethane and ethylene reaches 6.81 at 120 °C. SIGNIFICANCE: The µGCC fabricated by ULAE method is composed of all-glass and has the uniform stationary phase coating because of the homogeneous microchannel surface which greatly improve the separation performance, resulting in a large resolution for methane and ethane. The all-glass µGCC has broad application prospects in light hydrocarbon separation.

The determination of the optimal threshold on measurement of thyroid volume using quantitative SPECT/CT for Graves' hyperthyroidism.

PURPOSE: To investigate the optimal threshold for measuring thyroid volume in patients with Grave's hyperthyroidism (GH) by SPECT/CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 53 mL butterfly-shaped hollow container made of two 45-degree transparent elbows was put into a NEMA IEC phantom tank. The butterfly-shaped container and the tank were then filled with Na99mTcO4 of different radioactive concentrations, respectively, which could simulate thyroid gland with GH by different target-to-background ratios (T/B) (200:1, 600:1, 1000:1). The different T/B of planar imaging and SPECT/CT were acquired by a Discovery NM/CT 670 Pro SPECT/CT. With Thyroid software (Version 4.0) of GE-Xeleris workstation, the region of the thyroid gland in planar imaging was delineated. The thyroid area and average long diameter of both lobes were substituted into the Allen formula to calculate the thyroid volume. The calculation error was compared with the actual volume. Q-Metrix software was used to perform CT-based attenuation correction, scatter correction, resolution recovery. Ordered-subsets expectation maximization was used to reconstruct SPECT data. 20%, 25%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60% thresholds were selected to automatically delineate the volume of interest and compared with the real volume, which determinated the optimal threshold. We measured the thyroid volume of 40 GH patients using the threshold and compared the volumes obtained by planar imaging and ultrasound three-dimensional. The differences of the volumes with different T/B and thresholds were compared by the ANOVA and least significant difference t test. The volumes delineated by SPECT/CT were evaluated using ANOVA, least significant difference t test, correlation analysis and, linear regression and Bland-Altman concordance test plot. The differences and consistency of thyroid volume were compared among the above three methods. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the results between different T/B models (P > 0.05). The thyroid volume calculated by the planar imaging formula method was higher than the real volume, with an average overestimation of 22.81%. The volumes delineated by SPECT/CT threshold automatically decreased while the threshold increased. There were significant differences between groups with different thresholds (P < 0.001). With an average error of 3.73%, the thyroid volume analyzed by the threshold of 25% was close to the results of ultrasound measurement (P > 0.05). Thyroid volume measured by planar imaging method was significantly higher than ultrasound and SPECT/CT threshold automatic delineation method (P < 0.05). The agreement between the SPECT/CT 25% threshold and ultrasound (r = 0.956, b = 0.961) was better than that between the planar imaging and ultrasound (r = 0.590, b = 0.574). The Bland-Altman plot also showed that the thyroid volume measured by the 25% threshold automatic delineation method was in good agreement with the ultrasound measurement. CONCLUSIONS: The T/B has no effect on the measurement of thyroid volume in GH patients; planar imaging method can significantly overestimate thyroid volume in GH patients, and 25% threshold automatic delineation method can obtain more accurate thyroid volume in GH patients.