Deep-Learning-Based Automated Tracking and Counting of Living Plankton in Natural Aquatic Environments.

Plankton are widely distributed in the aquatic environment and serve as an indicator of water quality. Monitoring the spatiotemporal variation in plankton is an efficient approach to forewarning environmental risks. However, conventional microscopy counting is time-consuming and laborious, hindering the application of plankton statistics for environmental monitoring. In this work, an automated video-oriented plankton tracking workflow (AVPTW) based on deep learning is proposed for continuous monitoring of living plankton abundance in aquatic environments. With automatic video acquisition, background calibration, detection, tracking, correction, and statistics, various types of moving zooplankton and phytoplankton were counted at a time scale. The accuracy of AVPTW was validated with conventional counting via microscopy. Since AVPTW is only sensitive to mobile plankton, the temperature- and wastewater-discharge-induced plankton population variations were monitored online, demonstrating the sensitivity of AVPTW to environmental changes. The robustness of AVPTW was also confirmed with natural water samples from a contaminated river and an uncontaminated lake. Notably, automated workflows are essential for generating large amounts of data, which are a prerequisite for available data set construction and subsequent data mining. Furthermore, data-driven approaches based on deep learning pave a novel way for long-term online environmental monitoring and elucidating the correlation underlying environmental indicators. This work provides a replicable paradigm to combine imaging devices with deep-learning algorithms for environmental monitoring.

A rare case of fetus in fetu in the sacrococcygeal region: CT and MRI findings.

BACKGROUND: Fetus in fetu is a rare condition in which a malformed fetus is found in the body of a living twin. The retroperitoneum is the most common location of this condition. However, the sacrococcygeal region is a rare site of the disease. The presence of vertebral bodies and limbs differentiates FIF from teratoma. Imaging modalities are important for diagnosing FIF. CASE PRESENTATION: A 12-months old boy was hospitalized because of a mass in the sacrococcygeal region. CT showed a large, complex mass with bony structure resembling sacrococcygeal bone, hip bone and the femur in the sacrococcygeal region of the boy. The blood supply of the mass was from the aorta of the host. MRI revealed the mass was connected with the dilated sacral canal of the host, which resulted in tethered cord. A preoperative diagnosis of FIF was made and surgery was performed to remove the mass. Surgical removal and subsequent pathological examination revealed the anencephalic fetus had limb buds and a sacrum but no axial skeleton, which supported the diagnosis of FIF. Conclusions CT and MRI played important roles in diagnosing FIF based on the location of the lesion.

Agenesis of the dorsal pancreas presenting with diabetic ketoacidosis - a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Agenesis of the dorsal pancreas (ADP) is clinically rare, and it is usually accompanied by abdominal pain. Various disorders of glucose metabolism associating with ADP have been reported, but there are only two studies reporting a correlation between ADP and DKA in English literature. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of a patient with ADP accompanied by abdominal pain and diabetic ketoacidosis as the initial clinical presentation. A 30-year-old man presented with a 3-month history of recurrent onset of persistent mild epigastric pain, which worsen when eating. Laboratory tests revealed metabolic acidosis, hyperglycemia, and ketonuria. Phase contrast CT and MRCP showed the absence of the body and tail of the pancreas, as well as the dorsal pancreatic duct. The C-peptide release test indicated ß-cell dysfunction. A combination therapy of insulin, pancreatic enzyme supplements, and mosapride citrate were administrated and the pain gradually resolved. CONCLUSIONS: As glucose metabolism disorders can vary across different individuals, we advise clinicians to consider the diagnosis of ADP for a patient who presents with a glucose metabolism disorder accompanied by abdominal pain, pancreatitis or steatorrhea.

Debulking and three-dimensional reconstruction of a rare case of right atrium-ventricular angiosarcoma.

A 48-year-old man presented with chest pain and ischemic manifestations according to an electrocardiogram due to coronary artery compression from a cardiac mass and was admitted to the emergency room and underwent extensive debulking followed by right atrium and ventricular three-dimensional reconstruction with concomitant tricuspid valve remodeling. He recovered a normal sinus rhythm and was discharged from the hospital a week later with a diagnosis of cardiac malignant angiosarcoma according to the pathological examination. He survived and had a normal cardiac structure and function performance, but vertebral metastasis was suspected after more than 4 months of follow-up after the procedure.

Toxic effects of chrysoidine on human serum albumin: isothermal titration calorimetry and spectroscopic investigations.

Chrysoidine is widely used in industry as a type of azo dye, and is sometimes used illegally as a food additive despite its potential toxicity. Human serum albumin (HSA) is one of the most important proteins in blood plasma and possesses major physiological functions. In the present study, the conformational and functional effects of chrysoidine on HSA were investigated by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), multiple spectroscopic methods, a molecular docking study and an esterase activity assay. Based on the ITC results, the binding stoichiometry of chrysoidine to HSA was estimated to be 1.5:1, and was a spontaneous process via a single hydrogen bond. The binding of chrysoidine to HSA induced dynamic quenching in fluorescence, and changes in secondary structure and in the microenvironment of the Trp-214 residue. In addition, the hydrogen bond (1.80 Å) formed between the chrysoidine molecule and the Gln-211 residue. The esterase activity of HSA decreased following the addition chrysoidine due to the change in protein structure. This study details the direct interaction between chrysoidine and HSA at the molecular level and the mechanism for toxicity as a result of the functional changes induced by HSA structural variation upon binding to chrysoidine in vitro. This study provides useful information towards detailing the transportation mechanism and toxicity of chrysoidine in vivo.

Dual immunotherapy alternating with anti-PD-1 antibody plus liposomal doxorubicin show good efficacy in prostate epithelioid hemangioendothelioma: a case report.

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a rare vascular malignancy, and currently, there is no standard treatment regimen for this disease and existing treatment options have limited efficacy. In this case report, we present a patient with lung and lymph node metastases from prostate epithelioid hemangioendothelioma who achieved a significant partial response. This was accomplished through alternating nivolumab therapy with ipilimumab and liposomal doxorubicin, resulting in a progression-free-survival more than 6 months to date. The treatment was well-tolerated throughout. Our report suggests that dual immunotherapy alternating with anti-PD-1antibody plus doxorubicin may be a potential treatment modality for epithelioid hemangioendothelioma. However, larger sample studies are necessary to ascertain the effectiveness of this treatment strategy and it is essential to continue monitoring this patient to sustain progression-free survival and overall survival.

In Situ Quantitative Monitoring of Adsorption from Aqueous Phase by UV-vis Spectroscopy: Implication for Understanding of Heterogeneous Processes.

The development of in situ techniques to quantitatively characterize the heterogeneous reactions is essential for understanding physicochemical processes in aqueous phase. In this work, a new approach coupling in situ UV-vis spectroscopy with a two-step algorithm strategy is developed to quantitatively monitor heterogeneous reactions in a compact closed-loop incorporation. The algorithm involves the inverse adding-doubling method for light scattering correction and the multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) method for spectral deconvolution. Innovatively, theoretical spectral simulations are employed to connect MCR-ALS solutions with chemical molecular structural evolution without prior information for reference spectra. As a model case study, the aqueous adsorption kinetics of bisphenol A onto polyamide microparticles are successfully quantified in a one-step UV-vis spectroscopic measurement. The practical applicability of this approach is confirmed by rapidly screening a superior adsorbent from commercial materials for antibiotic wastewater adsorption treatment. The demonstrated capabilities are expected to extend beyond monitoring adsorption systems to other heterogeneous reactions, significantly advancing UV-vis spectroscopic techniques toward practical integration into automated experimental platforms for probing aqueous chemical processes and beyond.

Chemokine CXCL14 is associated with prognosis in patients with colorectal carcinoma after curative resection.

BACKGROUND: The chemokine CXCL14 has been reported to play an important role in the progression of many malignancies such as breast cancer and papillary thyroid carcinoma, but the role of CXCL14 in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) remains to be established. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression pattern and significance of CXCL14 in CRC progression. METHOD: 265 colorectal carcinoma specimens and 129 matched adjacent normal colorectal mucosa specimens were collected. Expression of CXCL14 in clinical samples was examined by immunostaining. The effect of CXCL14 on colorectal carcinoma cell proliferation was measured by MTT assay, BrdU incorporation assay and colony formation assay. The impact of CXCL14 on migration and invasion of colorectal carcinoma cells was determined by transwell assay and Matrigel invasion assay, respectively. RESULTS: CXCL14 expression was significantly up-regulated in tumor tissues compared with adjacent nontumorous mucosa tissues (P < 0.001). Tumoral CXCL14 expression levels were significantly correlated with TNM (Tumor-node-metastasis) stage, histodifferentiation, and tumor size. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, high CXCL14 expression in tumor specimens (n = 91) from stage I/II patients was associated with increased risk for disease recurrence (risk ratio, 2.92; 95% CI, 1.15-7.40; P = 0.024). Elevated CXCL14 expression in tumor specimens (n = 135) from stage III/IV patients correlated with worse overall survival (risk ratio, 3.087; 95% CI, 1.866-5.107; P < 0.001). Functional studies demonstrated that enforced expression of CXCL14 in SW620 colorectal carcinoma cells resulted in more aggressive phenotypes. In contrast, knockdown of CXCL14 expression could mitigate the proliferative, migratory and invasive potential of HCT116 colorectal carcinoma cells. CONCLUSION: Taken together, CXCL14 might be a potential novel prognostic factor to predict the disease recurrence and overall survival and could be a potential target of postoperative adjuvant therapy in CRC patients.

Asymptomatic Broncholithiasis and Aspergillus Infection: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Broncholithiasis coupled with Aspergillus infection is a rare disease of the respiratory system with complex pathogenesis and non-specific clinical manifestations that can be easily confused with other types of infectious diseases of the respiratory system. The lack of pertinent clinical manifestations in patients increases the risk of clinical misdiagnosis, omission, and incorrect treatment plan selection, which can result in permanent lung structural alterations and lung function decompensation and ultimately harm the lung. We report a rare case of asymptomatic broncholithiasis coupled with Aspergillus infection that was treated at our hospital and discuss the pathophysiology, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and prognostic follow-up course. Furthermore, relevant studies from China and other countries, including this case, were reviewed. We gathered eight reports, summarized their significant diagnoses and treatments for broncholithiasis and broncholithiasis coupled with Aspergillus infection, and discussed their clinical features. Our study may help improve physicians' awareness of these types of diseases and serve as a resource for future diagnosis and treatment.

Perspectives of PDE inhibitor on treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive interstitial lung disease (ILD) without an identifiable cause. If not treated after diagnosis, the average life expectancy is 3-5 years. Currently approved drugs for the treatment of IPF are Pirfenidone and Nintedanib, as antifibrotic drugs, which can reduce the decline rate of forced vital capacity (FVC) and reduce the risk of acute exacerbation of IPF. However these drugs can not relieve the symptoms associated with IPF, nor improve the overall survival rate of IPF patients. We need to develop new, safe and effective drugs to treat pulmonary fibrosis. Previous studies have shown that cyclic nucleotides participate in the pathway and play an essential role in the process of pulmonary fibrosis. Phosphodiesterase (PDEs) is involved in cyclic nucleotide metabolism, so PDE inhibitors are candidates for pulmonary fibrosis. This paper reviews the research progress of PDE inhibitors related to pulmonary fibrosis, so as to provide ideas for the development of anti-pulmonary fibrosis drugs.

Metanephric stromal tumor in an adult with PDGFRA mutation: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Metanephric stromal tumors (MST) are rare benign renal tumors that mainly occur in infants and children. Approximately 72% of MST in children have the B-Raf proto-oncogene serine/threonine kinase (BRAF) V600E mutation. To date, only five cases of adult MSTs have been reported and no clear genetic alterations have been found. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of MST in a 45-year-old woman who complained of left lower back pain for a week, accompanied by hypertension (150/79 mmHg). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an abnormally enhanced nodule (1.1 cm in the middle of the left kidney), which was histopathologically consistent with an MST. The BRAF V600E mutation was not detected in tumor cells using PCR and next-generation sequencing (NGS). However, a platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) mutation was detected in this case using NGS. The patient showed no recurrence or metastasis nine months after partial nephrectomy, and her blood pressure was consistently normal. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of alterations in PDGFRA in MSTs. This result advances our knowledge of genetic variations in adult MSTs, which may have different gene alterations from MSTs in children.

In-situ quantitative monitoring the organic contaminants uptake onto suspended microplastics in aquatic environments.

Microplastics act as a source of organic contaminants in aquatic environments and thus affect their environmental fate and toxicity. Because of the weak and reversible interactions between microplastics and organic species, the organic coronas vary with their surrounding environments. Thus, in order to evaluate the possible environmental risks of microplastics, methods for evaluating the dynamic uptake of organic contaminants onto suspended microplastics in aquatic environments are greatly desired. In this work, a UV-vis spectroscopy-based approach was developed for in-situ monitoring organic contaminants uptake onto suspended microplastics after correcting the light scattering interference from microplastics suspensions and establishing the nonlinear relationship between concentration and light absorbance of organic species. The inverse adding-doubling method based on radiative transfer theory was adopted to correct the light scattering effect of suspensions. Then, the resulting mixed absorption spectra were decomposed to calculate the concentrations of the aqueous and adsorbed organic species simultaneously with a nonlinear calibration method. The uptake processes of bisphenol A and p-nitrophenol onto nylon 66 microparticles were monitored with this approach and confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. The approach was validated by applying it to natural water samples, and the equilibrium adsorption capacity was found to be interfered mainly by the protein-like substances. This approach has high accuracy, good reproducibility, remarkable universality, and ease of handling, and also provides a potential tool for characterizing the corona formation process on suspended particles both in natural and artificial environments, such as eco-corona formation and engineering surface modification on nano/micro-particles.

Severe Hypoglycemia Caused by a Giant Borderline Phyllodes Tumor of the Breast: A Case Report and Literature Review.

A case of hypoglycemic coma caused by a giant borderline phyllodes tumor of the breast has been described. The patient, a 63-year-old woman, was admitted with recurrent unconsciousness. She had a giant breast tumor with decreased blood glucose, insulin, and C-peptide. The patient's hypoglycemia resolved rapidly after resection of the breast tumor. Pathological examination indicated a borderline phyllodes tumor of the breast, and immunohistochemistry suggested high expression of insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2) in the tumor tissue. A literature review is also included to summarize the clinical characteristics of such patients and to serve as a unique resource for clinical diagnosis and treatment of similar cases.

Imaging Findings of Hepatic Ewing's Sarcoma on Computed Tomography and Gadobenate Dimeglumine-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Ewing's sarcoma (ES) is a tumor that often occurs in the long bones and rarely arises from visceral organs primarily. Here, we report a case of primary hepatic ES, discuss its computed tomography (CT) and gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced magnetic resonance (MRI) features. This is the first Chinese and fifth primary hepatic ES case reported, based on a literature review. Imaging examinations showed that the tumor was solid, with necrosis and hemorrhage. Contrast-enhanced images showed that the tumor was hypervascular and especially had heterogeneous signal intensity on hepatobiliary phase MRI images. Intratumoral vessels and vascular invasion were also present.

miR-19a-3p downregulates tissue factor and functions as a potential therapeutic target for sepsis-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Sepsis-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a common life-threatening terminal-stage disease with high mortality. This study aimed to identify effective miRNAs as therapeutic targets for DIC. Bioinformatics and luciferase reporter gene analyses were performed to predict miR-19a-3p and validate that it targets tissue factor (TF). Quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of miR-19a-3p and TF, and TF procoagulant activity was determined using the chromogenic substrate method. Western blotting was used to detect the protein levels of TF, AKT serine/threonine kinase (AKT), extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) P65, NFKB inhibitor alpha (IκB-a) and their phosphorylated counterparts in cell experiments. Furthermore, a rat model was established to explore the potential of miR-19a-3p in DIC treatment. As a result, a human clinical study revealed that miR-19a-3p was downregulated and that TF was upregulated in neonates with sepsis-induced DIC compared with those in the control group. The luciferase reporter assay showed that TF was a direct target of miR-19a-3p. Cell experiments verified that the mRNA and protein levels of TF, and the p-AKT/AKT, p-Erk/Erk, p-P65/P65, p-IκB-a/IκB-a ratios, and TF procoagulant activity were significantly decreased in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) -induced human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) inhibited by overexpression of miR-19a-3p, and that miR-19a-3p regulating TF was dependent on the NF-kB and AKT pathways. In vivo, miR-19a-3p injection into DIC rats suppressed the mRNA expression of TF; more importantly, significant improvements in coagulation function indicators and in histopathologies of lung and kidney were observed. In conclusion, miR-19a-3p may suppress DIC by targeting TF and might be a potential therapeutic target in treating sepsis-induced DIC.