Predicting Microvascular Invasion in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using CT-based Radiomics Model.

Background Prediction of microvascular invasion (MVI) may help determine treatment strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Purpose To develop a radiomics approach for predicting MVI status based on preoperative multiphase CT images and to identify MVI-associated differentially expressed genes. Materials and Methods Patients with pathologically proven HCC from May 2012 to September 2020 were retrospectively included from four medical centers. Radiomics features were extracted from tumors and peritumor regions on preoperative registration or subtraction CT images. In the training set, these features were used to build five radiomics models via logistic regression after feature reduction. The models were tested using internal and external test sets against a pathologic reference standard to calculate area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The optimal AUC radiomics model and clinical-radiologic characteristics were combined to build the hybrid model. The log-rank test was used in the outcome cohort (Kunming center) to analyze early recurrence-free survival and overall survival based on high versus low model-derived score. RNA sequencing data from The Cancer Image Archive were used for gene expression analysis. Results A total of 773 patients (median age, 59 years; IQR, 49-64 years; 633 men) were divided into the training set (n = 334), internal test set (n = 142), external test set (n = 141), outcome cohort (n = 121), and RNA sequencing analysis set (n = 35). The AUCs from the radiomics and hybrid models, respectively, were 0.76 and 0.86 for the internal test set and 0.72 and 0.84 for the external test set. Early recurrence-free survival (P < .01) and overall survival (P < .007) can be categorized using the hybrid model. Differentially expressed genes in patients with findings positive for MVI were involved in glucose metabolism. Conclusion The hybrid model showed the best performance in prediction of MVI. © RSNA, 2023 Supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Summers in this issue.

Development of marker-free rice with stable and high resistance to rice black-streaked dwarf virus disease through RNA interference.

The rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV) disease causes severe rice yield losses in Asia. RNA interference (RNAi) has been widely applied to develop antiviral varieties in plants. So far, only a few studies reported the application of RNAi in rice against RBSDV and most of them are lack of enough data to support its breeding potential, which limited the progress on developing RBSDV-resistant variety. In this study, we generated three RNAi constructs to specifically target three RBSDV genes (S1, S2 and S6), respectively. We confirmed that RNAi targeting RBSDV S6 conferred rice with almost full immunity to RBSDV through phenotyping test in eight consecutive years in both artificial inoculation and field trials, while RNAi of S1 or S2 only leads to partially increased resistance. The S6RNAi was also found conferring strong resistance to southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV), a novel species closely related to RBSDV that outbroke recently in Southern China. In particular, no adverse effects on agronomical and developmental traits were found in S6RNAi transgenic lines. The marker-free transgenic lines with S6RNAi, driven by either maize ubiquitin-1 promoter or rice rbcS green tissue expression promoter, in elite rice background should have great potential in breeding of resistant varieties to both RBSDV and SRBSDV and provide a basis for further safety evaluation and commercial application.

A Novel Hybrid Approach for Risk Evaluation of Vehicle Failure Modes.

This paper addresses the problem of evaluating vehicle failure modes efficiently during the driving process. Generally, the most critical factors for preventing risk in potential failure modes are identified by the experience of experts through the widely used failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA). However, it has previously been difficult to evaluate the vehicle failure mode with crisp values. In this paper, we propose a novel hybrid scheme based on a cost-based FMEA, fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP), and extended fuzzy multi-objective optimization by ratio analysis plus full multiplicative form (EFMULTIMOORA) to evaluate vehicle failure modes efficiently. Specifically, vehicle failure modes are first screened out by cost-based FMEA according to maintenance information, and then the weights of the three criteria of maintenance time (T), maintenance cost (C), and maintenance benefit (B) are calculated using FAHP and the rankings of failure modes are determined by EFMULTIMOORA. Different from existing schemes, the EFMULTIMOORA in our proposed hybrid scheme calculates the ranking of vehicle failure modes based on three new risk factors (T, C, and B) through fuzzy linguistic terms for order preference. Furthermore, the applicability of the proposed hybrid scheme is presented by conducting a case study involving vehicle failure modes of one common vehicle type (Hyundai), and a sensitivity analysis and comparisons are conducted to validate the effectiveness of the obtained results. In summary, our numerical analyses indicate that the proposed method can effectively help enterprises and researchers in the risk evaluation and the identification of critical vehicle failure modes.

Carpenter's Rule Folding in Rigid-Flexible Block Copolymers with Conjugation-Interrupting, Flexible Tethers Between Oligophenylenevinylenes.

Rigid-flexible segmented block copolymers were synthesized and characterized as 4.5-oligophenylenevinylene chromophores tethered by flexible, conjugation-interrupting 1,2-ethanedioxy or 1,4-butanedioxy units. The flexible tethers allow the possibility of collapsed order chromophore assemblies within individual polymers by chain folding at specific sites much like an old fashioned, folding carpenter's rule. Our results indicate that using a short, flexible tether in a rigid-flexible segmented copolymer can result in collapsed rodlike structures as signaled by strongly quenched photoluminescence, even after thermal annealing. Such ability to "program" folding and tertiary structure in conjugated copolymers is important for solid-state organic light emitting materials and understanding of organic chromophore self-assembly.

[Correlation analysis between meteorological factors, biomass, and active components of Salvia miltiorrhiza in different climatic zones].

In this study, the growth and accumulation of active components of Salvia miltiorrhiza in twenty two experimental sites which crossing through three typical climate zones. The S. miltiorrhiza seedlings with the same genotype were planted in each site in spring, which were cultivated in fields with uniform management during their growing seasons till to harvest. The diterpene ketones (dihydrotanshinone, cryptotanshinone, tanshinone I and tanshinone II(A)) in S. miltiorrhiza root samples were determined by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The biomass of root (root length, number of root branches, root width and dry weight) was also measured. The results showed that tanshinone II(A) in all samples of each site were higher than the standards required by China Pharmacopoeia. It has been found there is a relationship between root shape and climate change. The correlation analysis between active components and meteorological factors showed that the accumulation of tanshinones were effected by such meteorological factors as average relative humidity from April to October > average vapor pressure from April to October > average temperature difference day and night from April to October > annual average temperature and so on. The correlation analysis between root biomass and meteorological factors exhibited that root shape and accumulation of dry matter were affected by those factors, such as average annual aboveground (0-20 cm) temperature from April to October > annual average temperature > average vapor pressure from April to October > annual active accumulated temperature > annual average temperature > average vapor pressure from April to October. The accumulation of tanshinones and biomass was increased with the decrease of latitude. At the same time, the dry matter and diameter of root decreased if altitude rises. In addition, S. miltiorrhiza required sunlight is not sophisticated, when compared with humid and temperature. To sum up, S. miltiorrhiza can adapt to a variety of climatic conditions and the southern warm humid climate is more conducive to its growth and accumulation of active components.

Enhancing light extraction efficiency of polymer light-emitting diodes with a 12-fold photonic quasi crystal.

This work demonstrates the enhancement of light extraction of polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) by incorporating a 12-fold photonic quasi crystal (PQC) in the device structure. Multi-exposure two-beam interference technique combined with inductively coupled plasma etching was employed to pattern a 12-fold PQC structure on the ITO film on a glass substrate of the diode. The air-hole coverage (AHC) and etching depth dependences of the light emitting performance of the 12-fold PQC patterned PLEDs were investigated. For AHC within the range between 6.4% and 32.3%, a nearly constant enhancement of the luminance efficiency of the PQC PLEDs was observed. On the other hand, the light emitting performance of the PQC PLEDs is very sensitive to the etching depth. The photoluminescence intensity of the PQC PLEDs increases monotonically with the etching depth. In contrast, the electro luminance efficiency shows a non-monotonic dependence on etching depth with a maximum occurring at 55 nm etching depth. The maximum improvement of luminance efficiency of the 12-fold PQC PLEDs reaches nearly 95% compared with an un-patterned PLED at an injection current of 110 mA.

[FTIR-based vehicles paint comparison].

In order to determine a range on vehicle types by the vehicle paints left on the accident site, 940 infrared spectra of vehicle paint from 287 vehicle samples were collected, and then the infrared spectrum database on vehicle body paint was established. The vehicle paints comparison was implemented by characteristic peaks method and correlation coefficient method, and the comparison tests on different vehicle scrap paints were carried out. The test results show that the key of vehicle paint comparison is the spectrum of topcoat layer and the coating layer for the integrated scrap paint, and spectrum should be searched after layer separating for partial scrap paint. For aging paint, topcoat layer spectrum should be main emphasis and the range of suspect vehicle should be extended.

Added value of chest CT images to a personalized prognostic model in acute respiratory distress syndrome: a retrospective study.

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a critical disease in the intensive care unit (ICU) with high morbidity and mortality. The accuracy for predicting ARDS patients' outcome with mechanical ventilation is limited, and most based on clinical information. Methods: The patients diagnosed with ARDS between January 2014 and June 2019 were retrospectively recruited. Radiomics features were extracted from the upper, middle, and lower levels of the lung, and were further analyzed with the primary outcome (28-day mortality after ARDS onset). The univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to figure out risk factors. Various predictive models were constructed and compared. Results: Of 366 ARDS patients recruited in this study, 276 (median age, 64 years [interquartile range, 54-75 years]; 208 male) survive on the Day 28. Among all factors, the APACHE II Score (OR 2.607, 95% CI 1.896-3.584, P < 0.001), the Radiomics_Score of the middle lung (OR 2.230, 95% CI 1.387-3.583, P = 0.01), the Radiomics_Score of the lower lung (OR 1.633, 95% CI 1.143-2.333, P = 0.01) were associated with the 28-day mortality. The clinical_radiomics predictive model (AUC 0.813, 95% CI 0.767-0.850) show the best performance compared with the clinical model (AUC 0.758, 95% CI 0.710-0.802), the radiomics model (AUC 0.692, 95% CI 0.641-0.739) and the various ventilator parameter-based models (highest AUC 0.773, 95% CI 0.726-0.815). Conclusions: The radiomics features of chest CT images have incremental values in predicting the 28-day mortality in ARDS patients with mechanical ventilation. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42058-023-00116-x.

[Infrared spectrum characteristics of vehicle body paint].

Two hundred eighty seven samples of vehicle paint were collected, and 940 spectra were obtained by Fourier transform infrared micro spectrometer. The spectral features of varnish, finish layer, and coated layers of different models and different color were analyzed, and the spectra similarities were compared. The results show that the varnish similarity on the same models with different color is 99.5%, and some similar model with the same manufacturer had high similarity. The finish spectra have remarkable differences with different model and different color, and the similarity degree is under 70%. The coated layer similarity varies between 83.33% and 96.91% among the common lacquer putty, and it ranges between 70.12% and 96.44% among the water-based lacquer putty. The metal components of paint will influence the spectrum characteristics. The spectra of the vehicle paint will change with the usage time.

Philanthropy, audit firms culture and auditor independence.

In this study, we examine how the prosocial ethical culture in audit firms, measured as their philanthropic contributions over gross revenues, influences auditor independence. Using 5,246 audits in the Chinese market between 2010 and 2012, we find that the level of ethical culture in audit firms is significantly negatively associated with the magnitude of earnings management and the frequencies of financial restatements of their client firms. We also find this association is even stronger when auditors provide services to clients that are economically important or when signing auditors bear school ties with at least one top executive of the client. Further evidence show that the ethical culture can both act as a mechanism that attract auditors with a compatible internal norm, and great a group norm in audit firms that directly shape auditor behavior. Collectively, our study suggests that ethical culture of audit firms can significantly improve auditor independence.

Identification of new rice cultivars and resistance loci against rice black-streaked dwarf virus disease through genome-wide association study.

BACKGROUND: The rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV) disease causes severe rice yield losses in Eastern China and other East Asian countries. Breeding resistant cultivars is the most economical and effective strategy to control the disease. However, few varieties and QTLs for RBSDV resistance have been identified to date. RESULTS: In this study, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on RBSDV resistance using the rice diversity panel 1 (RDP1) cultivars that were genotyped by a 44,000 high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers array. We found that less than 15% of these cultivars displayed resistance to RBSDV when tested under natural infection conditions at two locations with serious RBSDV occurrence. The aus, indica and tropical japonica sub-populations displayed higher RBSDV resistance than the aromatic and temperate japonica sub-populations. In particular, we identified four varieties that displayed stable levels of RBSDV resistance at all testing locations. GWAS identified 84 non-redundant SNP loci significantly associated with RBSDV resistance at two locations, leading to the identification of 13 QTLs for RBSDV resistance. Among them, qRBSDV-4.2 and qRBSDV-6.3 were detected at both locations, suggesting their resistance stability against environmental influence. Field disease evaluations showed that qRBSDV-6.3 significantly reduces RBSDV disease severity by 20%. Furthermore, introgression of qRBSDV-6.3 into two susceptible rice cultivars by marker-assisted selection demonstrated the effectiveness of qRBSDV-6.3 in enhancing RBSDV resistance. CONCLUSIONS: The new resistant cultivars and QTLs against RBSDV disease identified in this study provide important information and genetic materials for the cloning of RBSDV resistance genes as well as developing RBSDV resistant varieties through marker-assisted selection.

[Treatment of pregnancy in a previous caesarean section scar with uterine artery embolization: analysis of 60 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the security and effectiveness of uterine artery embolization (UAE) in treatment of pregnancy in uterine caesarean scar compared with medicine treatment. METHODS: Sixty patients with pregnancies in uterine caesarean scar were divided into medicine group (n = 31) that received intravenous injection of methotrexate (MTX) 100 mg once or MTX 20 mg once a day for 5 days as the first course, received the second course when the serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) decreased to the level as < 50%, and then underwent uterine curettage; and UAE group (n = 29) that underwent catheterization into the left uterine artery and then uterine curettage 48h after the successful embolization. The bleeding volume during suction curettage, side effects, admission day, and menstruation recover time were recorded. RESULTS: The hospital stay of the UAE group was (14.4 +/- 1.67) days, significantly shorter than that of the medicine group [(39.3 +/- 4.71) days, P < 0.05]. No patient had to receive hysterectomy in the UAE group but 2 in the medicine group underwent hysterectomy. Seven patients showed liver dysfunction and 8 patients had nausea and slight vomit in the medicine group, and 15 patients with fever and 10 with light post-embolization syndromes were found in the UAE group. Menstruation resumed normal in all patients of the 2 groups one or two months later. CONCLUSION: With the advantage of low risk of heavy bleeding and shorter admission day, UAE is safe and effective in treatment of pregnancy in uterine caesarean scar.

Thermoelectric Enhancement by Compositing Carbon Nanotubes into Iodine-Doped Poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene].

Free-standing iodine-doped composite samples of poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV) with carbon nanotubes (NTs) showed thermoelectric (TE) power factors (PFs) up to 33 µW·m-1·K-2 after optimizing multiple factors, including: (1) sample fabrication solvent, (2) doping time, (3) average MEH-PPV molecular weight, (4) NT fraction in the composite, and (5) use of single-wall versus multi-wall nanotubes (SWNT and MWNT, respectively). Composite fabrication from halogenated solvents gave the best TE performance after iodine doping times of 2-4 h; performance drops substantially in ∼20 h doped samples. TE performance dropped after at least 24 h of removal from iodine vapor but was fully restored upon re-exposure to the dopant. Longer-chain MEH-PPV gave not only mechanically stronger films but also higher PFs in doped SWNT composites. MWNT composites gave low PFs, attributed to poor NT dispersion. Scanning electron microscopy showed increasingly extensive network formation as NT fraction increased in the composites; this phase separation provides charge transport pathways that improve thermoelectric PFs. The results support a strategy of producing phase-separated materials having both electrical conduction enhanced regions and Seebeck thermopower retaining regions to maximize organic TE response.

NAMPT protects against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells through modulating SIRT1 activity.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common progressive neurodegenerative movement disorder. Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) catalyzes the first rate­limiting step in the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) biosynthetic pathway in mammals, is a substrate for NAD+­dependent enzymes, such as sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), and contributes to cell fate decisions. However, the role of NAMPT in PD has remained to be fully elucidated. In the present study, PC12 cells were treated with the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6­OHDA) to establish an in vitro model of PD, following which an obvious inhibitory effect on the levels of NAMPT and NAD+ as well as the NAD+/NADH ratio was detected. In addition, pre­incubation with FK866, a highly specific NAMPT inhibitor, enhanced the inhibitory effects of 6­OHDA on the viability of PC12, while pre­incubation with nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), am enzymatic product of NAMPT, had the opposite effect. Furthermore, it was revealed that NMN markedly attenuated 6­OHDA­induced decreases in superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione levels, as well as 6­OHDA­induced increases in malondialdehyde and lactate dehydrogenase in PC12 cells. Furthermore, 6­OHDA significantly reduced SIRT1 activity in PC12 cells, which was inhibited by NMN. The pharmacological activator resveratrol also significantly inhibited 6­OHDA­mediated decreases in PC12 cell viability while reversing 6­OHDA­induced decreases in SIRT1 levels. The results of the present study suggested that NMT protected against 6­OHDA­induced decreases in PC12 cell viability, and that SIRT1 activation had a role in this process. Treatment with NMN to activate SIRT1 may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for treating PD.

Solvent-assisted self-assembly of fullerene into single-crystal ultrathin microribbons as highly sensitive UV-visible photodetectors.

The size, shape, and crystallinity of organic nanostructures play an important role in their physical properties and are mainly determined by the self-assembling kinetics of molecular components often involving the solvent conditions. Here, we reported a kinetically controlled self-assembly of C60 assisted by the solvent carbon bisulfide (CS2) into single-crystal ultrathin microribbons of 2C60·3CS2, upon mixing the poor solvent isopropyl alcohol with a C60/CS2 stock solution. Surface energy calculations reveal that these microribbons represent a kinetically favored high-energy state as compared with the thermodynamically stable shape of prismatic rods. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations clarify that association of CS2 at the nucleation stage helps to guide and rigidify the formation of π-π stacking 1D chains of C60 through the surrounding CS2 cage-like structures, which further act as glue, boosting lateral assembly of as-formed 1D chains into untrathin 2D microribbon single crystals. Precise control over the thickness, width, and length of 2C60·3CS2 microribbons was achieved by manipulation of the growth kinetics through adjusting the solvent conditions. Upon heating to 120 °C, sublimation of CS2 components results in fcc C60 microribbons. We found that both microribbons of solvated monoclinic 2C60·3CS2 and pure fcc C60 exhibit highly sensitive photoconductivity properties with a spectral response range covering UV to visible. The highest on/off ratio of two-terminal photodetectors based on single ribbons reaches around 250, while the responsitivity is about 75.3 A W(-1) in the UV region and 90.4 A W(-1) in the visible region.

Fullerene hollow microspheres prepared by bubble-templates as sensitive and selective electrocatalytic sensor for biomolecules.

We developed an electrocatalytic sensor based on C(60) hollow microspheres for highly sensitive and selective detection of dopamine (DA) in the presence of ascorbic acid (AA), and uric acid (UA) in the presence of l-cysteine (RSH). The hollow microspheres of C(60) with a diameter controllable in the range of 0.5 to 1.5 µm and a thickness of 200 nm are synthesized by a high-temperature reprecipitation method with the assistance of alcohol bubbles. The superhydrophobicity of C(60) hollow microspheres makes them capable of forming a compact thin film at air/water interface, which can be readily transferred on the surface of gold or glassy carbon electrodes. This porous C(60) film made from C(60) hollow microspheres shows a specific surface area as high as 107 m(2) g(-1). In order to obtain a conducting film, the C(60)-modified electrode is pretreated by scanning the potential range from 0.0 to -1.5 V in 1 M KOH followed by potential cycling between 550 to -50 mV in a pH 7.2 phosphate buffer solution. On the basis of XPS and IR measurements, we found that surface oxides, such as -OH and C═O groups, are introduced on the surfaces of the conducting C(60) film. This, combined with the porosity that enhances the adsorption activity of C(60)-modified electrodes, enable the electrocatalytic analysis of target biomolecules with detection limit as low as 0.1 nM for DA in the presence of AA, and 1 µM for UA in the presence of RSH.

[Treatment of renal cysts with imaging-guided percutaneous catheterization drainage and alcohol sclerosis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect and safety of imaging-guided percutaneous catheterization drainage and alcohol sclerosis for treatment of renal cysts. METHODS: Thirty-six patients with primary renal cysts, including 22 men and 14 women aged 18-65 years (mean 42.5 years), were treated with imaging-guided percutaneous puncture catheterization drainage and alcohol sclerosis treatment. The location of the renal cysts and puncture route, angle and depth were determined by ultrasound or CT scan. Paracentesis and catheterization external drainage were carried out under fluoroscope. Absolute alcohol was used as the sclerosis agent. RESULTS: Thirty-eight cysts were detected in the 36 patients, locating at the upper pole (n=21), subtus pole (n=10) and intermediate pole (n=7). The length of renal cysts was 4.5-8.5 cm (mean 5.5 cm). Puncture was performed through the lumbar back and the success rate was 100%. Thirty-eight multi-lateral holes 5-7F drainage catheters were placed in the 38 cysts. Alcohol was injected for 169 times through the drainage tube and the average volume was 25 ml, with an average injection of 4.45 times. During the follow-up for 1 to 6 years (mean 3.5 years), 37 renal cysts disappeared and 1 cyst was reduced in a patient with polycystic kidney. The total cure rate was 97% in this series, and no serious complications occurred after the operation. CONCLUSION: Imaging-guided percutaneous puncture catheterization drainage and alcohol sclerosis is effective and safe for treatment of renal cysts.