Contributions of neighborhood physical and social environments to racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes in California: A mediation analysis.

BACKGROUND: Racially minoritized populations experience higher rates of adverse birth outcomes than White populations in the U.S. We estimated the mediating effect of neighborhood social and physical environments on disparities in adverse birth outcomes in California. METHOD: We used birthing parent's residential address for California live birth records from 2019 to estimate census block group Area Deprivation Index and census tract level measures of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5), drinking water contamination, tree canopy coverage, as a measure of greenspace, potential heat vulnerability, and noise. We performed mediation analysis to assess whether neighborhood factors explain racial/ethnic disparities in preterm birth (PTB) and term-birth low birth weight (TLBW) comparing Black, Latinx, and Asian with White births after controlling for individual-level factors. RESULTS: Black, Latinx, and Asian parents had PTB rates that were 67%, 36%, and 11% higher, and TLBW rates that were 150%, 38%, and 81% higher than Whites. Neighborhood deprivation contributed 7% (95% CI: 3%, 11%) to the Black-White and 9% (95% CI: 6%, 12%) to the Latinx-White disparity in PTB, and 8% (95% CI: 3%, 12%) of the Black-White and 9% (95% CI: 5%, 15%) of the Latinx-White disparity in TLBW. Drinking water contamination contributed 2% (95% CI: 1%, 4%) to the Latinx-White disparity in PTB. Lack of greenspace accounted for 7% (95% CI: 2%, 10%) of the Latinx-White PTB disparity and 7% (95% CI: 3%, 12%) of the Asian-White PTB disparity. PM2.5 contributed 11% (95% CI: 5%, 18%), drinking water contamination contributed 3% (95% CI: 1%, 7%), and potential heat vulnerability contributed 2% (95% CI: 1%, 3%) to the Latinx-White TLBW disparity. Lack of green space contributed 3% (95% CI: 1%, 6%) to the Asian-White TLBW disparity. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests social environments explain portions of Black/Latinx-White disparities while physical environments explain Latinx/Asian-White disparities in PTB and TLBW.

Pulmonary function, genetic predisposition, and the risk of cirrhosis: A prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary function is associated with the development of chronic liver disease. However, evidence of the association between pulmonary function and cirrhosis risk is still lacking. This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal associations of pulmonary function with the development of cirrhosis, and to explore whether genetic predisposition to cirrhosis could modify these associations. METHODS: Of 294,835 participants free of cirrhosis and had undergone spirometry at baseline from the UK Biobank were included. Cirrhosis diagnoses were ascertained through linked hospital records and death registries. Cox proportional hazard models were employed to investigate the longitudinal associations between pulmonary function, genetic predisposition, and cirrhosis risk. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 12.0 years, 2598 incident cirrhosis cases were documented. Compared to individuals with normal spirometry findings, those with preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm) findings (hazard ratio [HR] and 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.32 [1.18, 1.48]) and airflow obstruction (HR [95%CI]: 1.19 [1.07, 1.31]) had a higher risk of developing cirrhosis after adjustments. These associations were consistent across all categories of genetic predisposition, with no observed modifying effect of genetic predisposition. In joint exposure analyses, the highest risk was observed in individuals with both a high genetic predisposition for cirrhosis and PRISm findings (HR [95% CI]: 1.74 [1.45, 2.08]). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that worse pulmonary function is a significant risk factor of cirrhosis, irrespective of genetic predisposition. Early identification and appropriate intervention for pulmonary function may lead to more effective healthcare resource utilization and reduce the burden associated with cirrhosis.

Untargeted serum metabolic profiling of diabetes mellitus among Parkinson's disease patients.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a common comorbidity among Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Yet, little is known about dysregulated pathways that are unique in PD patients with T2DM. We applied high-resolution metabolomic profiling in serum samples of 636 PD and 253 non-PD participants recruited from Central California. We conducted an initial discovery metabolome-wide association and pathway enrichment analysis. After adjusting for multiple testing, in positive (or negative) ion mode, 30 (25) metabolic features were associated with T2DM in both PD and non-PD participants, 162 (108) only in PD participants, and 32 (7) only in non-PD participants. Pathway enrichment analysis identified 17 enriched pathways associated with T2DM in both the PD and non-PD participants, 26 pathways only in PD participants, and 5 pathways only in non-PD participants. Several amino acid, nucleic acids, and fatty acid metabolisms were associated with T2DM only in the PD patient group suggesting a possible link between PD and T2DM.

Insights into sunlight-driven transformation of tetracycline by iron (hydr)oxides: The dominating role of self-generated hydrogen peroxide.

Iron (hydr)oxides are abundant in surface environment, and actively participate in the transformation of organic pollutants due to their large specific surface areas and redox activity. This work investigated the transformation of tetracycline (TC) in the presence of three common iron (hydr)oxides, hematite (Hem), goethite (Goe), and ferrihydrite (Fh), under simulated sunlight irradiation. These iron (hydr)oxides exhibited photoactivity and facilitated the transformation of TC with the initial phototransformation rates decreasing in the order of: Hem > Fh > Goe. The linear correlation between TC removal efficiency and the yield of HO• suggests that HO• dominated TC transformation. The HO• was produced by UV-induced decomposition of self-generated H2O2 and surface Fe2+-triggered photo-Fenton reaction. The experimental results indicate that the generation of HO• was controlled by H2O2, while surface Fe2+ was in excess. Sunlight-driven H2O2 production in the presence of the highly crystalline Hem and Goe occurred through a one-step two-electron reduction pathway, while the process was contributed by both O2-induced Fe2+ oxidation and direct reduction of O2 by electrons on the conduction band in the presence of the poorly crystalline Fh. These findings demonstrate that sunlight may significantly accelerate the degradation of organic pollutants in the presence of iron (hydr)oxides.

The Preparation of an Ultrafine Copper Powder by the Hydrogen Reduction of an Ultrafine Copper Oxide Powder and Reduction Kinetics.

Ultrafine copper powders were prepared by the air-jet milling of copper oxide (CuO) powders and a subsequent hydrogen (H2) reduction. After milling, the particle size and grain size of CuO powders decreased, while the specific surface area and structural microstrain increased, thereby improving the reaction activity. In a pure H2 atmosphere, the process of CuO reduction was conducted in one step, and followed a pseudo-first-order kinetics model. The smaller CuO powders after milling exhibited higher reduction rates and lower activation energies compared with those without milling. Based on the unreacted shrinking core model, the reduction of CuO powders via H2 was controlled by the interface reaction at the early stage, whereas the latter was limited by the diffusion of H2 through the solid product layer. Additionally, the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that copper powders after H2 reduction presented a spherical-like shape, and the sintering and agglomeration between particles occurred after 300 °C, which led to a moderate increase in particle size. The preparing parameters (at 400 °C for 180 min) were preferred to obtain ultrafine copper powders with an average particle size in the range of 5.43-6.72 µm and an oxygen content of less than 0.2 wt.%.

Intake of the different types of dairy products, genetic predisposition, and the risks of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and cirrhosis: a prospective cohort study.

Background: The association of dairy product consumption with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cirrhosis remains controversial. This study aimed to prospectively investigate the associations between the consumption of the different types of dairy products, genetic predisposition, and the risks of NAFLD and cirrhosis. Methods: This cohort study included 190 145 participants from the UK Biobank Study. The consumption of the different types of dairy products was assessed based on the Oxford WebQ at baseline and defined as the sum of milk, yogurt, and cheese. NAFLD and cirrhosis were evaluated using hospital inpatient records and death data in the UK Biobank. The weighted genetic risk score (GRS) for NAFLD and cirrhosis was constructed using 5 and 6 single-nucleotide variants (SNVs), respectively. Cox proportional hazards regression models were utilized to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between genetic factors and different types of dairy products with the incidence of NAFLD and cirrhosis. Results: During a median follow-up of 11.6 years, 1512 NAFLD and 556 cirrhosis cases were ascertained. After adjusting for several potential confounders, the HRs (95% CIs) (Q4 vs. Q1) of NAFLD were 0.86 (0.74, 0.995) for total dairy products, 0.96 (0.84, 1.09) for high-fat dairy products, 0.78 (0.67, 0.92) for low-fat dairy products, 0.86 (0.74, 0.99) for unfermented dairy products, and 0.79 (0.68, 0.91) for fermented dairy products. The multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% CIs) (Q4 vs. Q1) of cirrhosis were 0.75 (0.59, 0.96) for total dairy products, 0.97 (0.78, 1.19) for high-fat dairy products, 0.67 (0.51, 0.89) for low-fat dairy products, 0.75 (0.59, 0.96) for unfermented dairy products, and 0.71 (0.56, 0.90) for fermented dairy products. The associations of high-fat dairy products and fermented dairy products with NAFLD and cirrhosis were found to be nonlinear (P for nonlinear <0.05). No interaction was observed between dairy product consumption and NAFLD or cirrhosis genetic susceptibility. Conclusions: Higher consumption of dairy products, except for high-fat dairy, was correlated with lower risks of NAFLD and cirrhosis, regardless of their differences in genetic susceptibility.

Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and high-throughput proteomics in Hispanic youth.

BACKGROUND: Strong epidemiological evidence shows positive associations between exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and adverse cardiometabolic outcomes (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia). However, the underlying cardiometabolic-relevant biological activities of PFAS in humans remain largely unclear. AIM: We evaluated the associations of PFAS exposure with high-throughput proteomics in Hispanic youth. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included 312 overweight/obese adolescents from the Study of Latino Adolescents at Risk (SOLAR) between 2001 and 2012, along with 137 young adults from the Metabolic and Asthma Incidence Research (Meta-AIR) between 2014 and 2018. Plasma PFAS (i.e., PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, PFHpS, PFNA) were quantified using liquid-chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry. Plasma proteins (n = 334) were measured utilizing the proximity extension assay using an Olink Explore Cardiometabolic Panel I. We conducted linear regression with covariate adjustment to identify PFAS-associated proteins. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, protein-protein interaction network analysis, and protein annotation were used to investigate alterations in biological functions and protein clusters. RESULTS: Results after adjusting for multiple comparisons showed 13 significant PFAS-associated proteins in SOLAR and six in Meta-AIR, sharing similar functions in inflammation, immunity, and oxidative stress. In SOLAR, PFNA demonstrated significant positive associations with the largest number of proteins, including ACP5, CLEC1A, HMOX1, LRP11, MCAM, SPARCL1, and SSC5D. After considering the mixture effect of PFAS, only SSC5D remained significant. In Meta-AIR, PFAS mixtures showed positive associations with GDF15 and IL6. Exploratory analysis showed similar findings. Specifically, pathway analysis in SOLAR showed PFOA- and PFNA-associated activation of immune-related pathways, and PFNA-associated activation of inflammatory response. In Meta-AIR, PFHxS-associated activation of dendric cell maturation was found. Moreover, PFAS was associated with common protein clusters of immunoregulatory interactions and JAK-STAT signaling in both cohorts. CONCLUSION: PFAS was associated with broad alterations of the proteomic profiles linked to pro-inflammation and immunoregulation. The biological functions of these proteins provide insight into potential molecular mechanisms of PFAS toxicity.

Association of dietary inflammatory index and the SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence, severity and mortality of COVID-19: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and the SARS-CoV-2 infection risk, severity or mortality of COVID-19, however, the outcomes remain controversial. OBJECTIVE: We sought to examine whether a dose-response association of DII and SARS-CoV-2 infection exists. DESIGN: A dose-response meta-analysis was performed to investigate the association of DII and SARS-CoV-2 infection. We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, Embase and Web of Science up to March 15th, 2023. The odds ratios (OR) of DII and COVID-19 risk and severity were computed. RESULTS: Totally, 5 studies were included (1 from UK and 4 from Iran), consisting of 197,929 participants with 12,081 COVID-19 cases. Although there was heterogeneity among studies, the results indicated that higher DII was independently related to higher SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.14, 2.17) and COVID-19 severity (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.15) but not COVID-19 mortality (risk ratio = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.27). The incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection increased by 31% for each 1-point increase in the E-DII (OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.20, 1.43). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis suggests that an elevated DII score is associated with increased SARS-CoV-2 infectious risk and severity of COVID-19. There were not enough studies on COVID-19 mortality. Further large prospective studies in different countries are warranted to validate our results.

Left ventricular global longitudinal strain using a novel fully automated method: A head-to-head comparison with a manual layer-specific strain and establishment of normal reference ranges.

BACKGROUND: A novel automated method for measuring left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (GLS) along the endocardium has advantages in terms of its rapid application and excellent reproducibility. However, it remains unclear whether the available normal range for conventional GLS using the manual method is applicable to the automated GLS method. This study aimed to compare automated GLS head-to-head with manual layer-specific GLS, and to identify whether a specialized normal reference range for automated GLS is needed and explore the main determinants. METHODS: In total, 1683 healthy volunteers (men, 43%; age, 18-80 years) were prospectively enrolled from 55 collaborating laboratories. LV GLS was measured using both manual layer-specific and automated methods. RESULTS: Automated GLS was higher than endocardial, mid-myocardial, and epicardial GLS. Women had a higher automated GLS than men. GLS had no significant age dependency in men, but first increased and then decreased with age in women. Accordingly, sex- and age-specific normal ranges for automated GLS were proposed. Moreover, GLS appeared to have different burdens in relation to dominant determinants between the sexes. GLS in men showed no dominant determinants; however, GLS in women correlated with age, body mass index, and heart rate. CONCLUSIONS: Using the novel automated method, was LV GLS higher than when using the manual GLS method. The normal ranges of automated GLS stratified according to sex and age were provided, with dominant determinants showing sex disparities that require full consideration in clinical practice.

Single-nucleus multi-omic profiling of human placental syncytiotrophoblasts identifies cellular trajectories during pregnancy.

The human placenta has a vital role in ensuring a successful pregnancy. Despite the growing body of knowledge about its cellular compositions and functions, there has been limited research on the heterogeneity of the billions of nuclei within the syncytiotrophoblast (STB), a multinucleated entity primarily responsible for placental function. Here we conducted integrated single-nucleus RNA sequencing and single-nucleus ATAC sequencing analyses of human placentas from early and late pregnancy. Our findings demonstrate the dynamic heterogeneity and developmental trajectories of STB nuclei and their correspondence with human trophoblast stem cell (hTSC)-derived STB. Furthermore, we identified transcription factors associated with diverse STB nuclear lineages through their gene regulatory networks and experimentally confirmed their function in hTSC and trophoblast organoid-derived STBs. Together, our data provide insights into the heterogeneity of human STB and represent a valuable resource for interpreting associated pregnancy complications.

gcPathogen: a comprehensive genomic resource of human pathogens for public health.

Here, we present the manually curated Global Catalogue of Pathogens (gcPathogen), an extensive genomic resource designed to facilitate rapid and accurate pathogen analysis, epidemiological exploration and monitoring of antibiotic resistance features and virulence factors. The catalogue seamlessly integrates and analyzes genomic data and associated metadata for human pathogens isolated from infected patients, animal hosts, food and the environment. The pathogen list is supported by evidence from medical or government pathogenic lists and publications. The current version of gcPathogen boasts an impressive collection of 1 164 974 assemblies comprising 986 044 strains from 497 bacterial taxa, 4794 assemblies encompassing 4319 strains from 265 fungal taxa, 89 965 assemblies featuring 13 687 strains from 222 viral taxa, and 646 assemblies including 387 strains from 159 parasitic taxa. Through this database, researchers gain access to a comprehensive 'one-stop shop' that facilitates global, long-term public health surveillance while enabling in-depth analysis of genomes, sequence types, antibiotic resistance genes, virulence factors and mobile genetic elements across different countries, diseases and hosts. To access and explore the data and statistics, an interactive web interface has been developed, which can be accessed at https://nmdc.cn/gcpathogen/. This user-friendly platform allows seamless querying and exploration of the extensive information housed within the gcPathogen database.

Metabolic syndrome, genetic susceptibility, and risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: The UK Biobank Study.

AIM: To investigate the effect of metabolic syndrome (MetS), genetic predisposition, and their interactions, on the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: Cohort analyses included 287 868 participants from the UK Biobank Study. A genetic risk score for COPD was created using 277 single nucleotide polymorphisms. Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for COPD in relation to exposure factors. RESULTS: During 2 658 936 person-years of follow-up, 5877 incident cases of COPD were documented. Compared with participants without MetS, those with MetS had a higher risk of COPD (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.17-1.32). Compared to participants with low genetic predisposition, those with high genetic predisposition had a 17% increased risk of COPD. In the joint analysis, compared with participants without MetS and low genetic predisposition, the HR for COPD for those with MetS and high genetic predisposition was 1.50 (95% CI 1.36-1.65; P < 0.001). However, no significant interaction between MetS and genetic risk was found. CONCLUSIONS: Metabolic syndrome was found to be associated with an increased risk of COPD, regardless of genetic risk. It is crucial to conduct further randomized control trials to determine whether managing MetS and its individual components can potentially reduce the likelihood of developing COPD.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of insecticide ban aimed at preventing Parkinson's disease in Central California.

BACKGROUND: Our study assessed whether banning specific insecticides to reduce the PD burden in three Central California (CA) counties is cost-effective. METHOD: We applied a cost-effectiveness analysis using a cohort-based Markov model to estimate the impact and costs of banning seven insecticides that were previously associated with PD in these counties as well as mixture exposures to some of these pesticides. We relied for our estimations on the cohort of 65- and 66-year-olds living in these counties who were unaffected by PD at baseline in 2020 and projected their incidence, costs, and reduction in quality-adjusted-life-years (QALY) loss due to developing PD over a 20-year period. We included a shiny app for modeling different scenarios (https://sherlockli.shinyapps.io/pesticide_pd_economics_part_2/). RESULTS: According to our scenarios, banning insecticides to reduce the occurrence of PD in three Central CA counties was cost-effective relative to not banning insecticides. In the worst-case scenario of exposure to a single pesticide, methomyl, versus none would result in an estimated 205 (95 % CI: 75, 348) additional PD cases or 12 % (95 % CI: 4 %, 20 %) increase in PD cases over a 20-year period based on residential proximity to pesticide applications. The increase in PD cases due to methomyl would increase health-related costs by $72.0 million (95 % CI: $5.5 million, $187.4 million). Each additional PD patient due to methomyl exposure would incur $109,327 (95 % CI, $5554, $347,757) in costs per QALY loss due to PD. Exposure to methomyl based on workplace proximity to pesticide applications generated similar estimates. The highest PD burden and associated costs would be incurred from exposure to multiple pesticides simultaneously. CONCLUSION: Our study provides an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of banning specific insecticides to reduce PD burden in terms of health-related QALYs and related costs. This information may help policymakers and stakeholders to make decisions concerning the regulation of pesticides.

Unbalanced bidirectional causal association between thyroid cancer and ER-positive breast cancer: should we recommend screening for thyroid cancer in breast cancer patients?

BACKGROUND: The association between breast cancer (BC) and thyroid cancer (TC) has been studied in several epidemiological studies. However, the underlying causal relationship between them is not yet clear. METHODS: The data from the latest large-sample genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of BC and TC were searched in the public GWAS database. The BC GWAS data included estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and negative subgroups. Two-way two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) was used to explore the potential causal relationship between BC and TC. Inverse variance weighting (IVW) and the MR-Egger method were used to combine the estimation of each single nucleotide variation (previous single nucleotide polymorphism). BC was taken as the result, and the effect of TC exposure was analyzed. Then, the effect of BC exposure on the result of TC was analyzed. RESULTS: Both IVW and MR-Egger results indicated that gene-driven thyroid cancer does not cause estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer and is a protective factor (ß = -1.203, SE = 4.663*10-4, P = 0.010). However, gene-driven estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer can lead to the development of thyroid cancer (ß = 0.516, SE = 0.220, P = 0.019). CONCLUSION: From the perspective of gene drive, people with TC are less likely to have ER-positive BC. In contrast, people with ER-positive BC are more likely to have TC. Therefore, it is recommended that patients with BC be screened regularly for TC.

Assessment of the temporal trend and daily profiles of the dietary purine intake among Chinese residents during 2014 to 2021.

The incidence of hyperuricemia is on the rise in China, primarily due to dietary habits. However, limited data exists regarding dietary purine intake in the country. This study aimed to estimate the daily dietary purine intake among Chinese residents from 2014 to 2021 and evaluate the temporal trend using joinpoint regression analysis. The analysis revealed an annual percentage change (APC) of 0.8% (95% CI: 0.1-1.5%) in dietary purine intake prior to the joinpoint (2014-2019). Following the joinpoint (2019-2021), the APC significantly increased to 6.5% (95% CI: 3.3-9.8%), indicating a noteworthy upward trend (p = 0.045). Furthermore, the average daily purine intake varied significantly among different regions of China, with the southern region showing the highest dietary intake of purines. Considering the diverse contributions of various food sources to dietary purine intake, it was observed that meat consumption had the greatest impact, accounting for 36.2% of purine intake, followed by cereals consumption (25.3%) and vegetables and edible fungi (24.2%). These findings hold significance for dietary intervention and management strategies aimed at reducing purine intake among the population.

Normal reference values for mitral annular plane systolic excursion by motion-mode and speckle tracking echocardiography: a prospective, multicentre, population-based study.

AIMS: Mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE) is a simple and reliable index for evaluating left ventricular (LV) systolic function, particularly in patients with poor image quality; however, the lack of reference values limits its widespread use. This study aimed to establish the normal ranges for MAPSE measured using motion-mode (M-mode) and two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) and to explore its principal determinants. METHODS AND RESULTS: This multicentre, prospective, cross-sectional study included 1952 healthy participants [840 men (43%); age range, 18-80 years] from 55 centres. MAPSE was measured using M-mode echocardiography and 2D-STE. The results showed that women had a higher MAPSE than men and MAPSE decreased with age. The age- and sex-specific reference values for MAPSE were established for these two methods. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that MAPSE on M-mode echocardiography correlated with age and MAPSE on 2D-STE with age, blood pressure (BP), heart rate, and LV volume. Moreover, MAPSE measured by 2D-STE correlated more strongly with global longitudinal strain compared with that measured using M-mode echocardiography. CONCLUSION: Normal MAPSE reference values were established based on age and sex. BP, heart rate, and LV volume are potential factors that influence MAPSE and should be considered in clinical practice. Normal values are useful for evaluating LV longitudinal systolic function, especially in patients with poor image quality, and may further facilitate the use of MAPSE in routine assessments.

Deep metric learning framework combined with Gramian angular difference field image generation for Raman spectra classification based on a handheld Raman spectrometer.

Rapid identification of unknown material samples using portable or handheld Raman spectroscopy detection equipment is becoming a common analytical tool. However, the design and implementation of a set of Raman spectroscopy-based devices for substance identification must include spectral sampling of standard reference substance samples, resolution matching between different devices, and the training process of the corresponding classification models. The process of selecting a suitable classification model is frequently time-consuming, and when the number of classes of substances to be recognised increases dramatically, recognition accuracy decreases dramatically. In this paper, we propose a fast classification method for Raman spectra based on deep metric learning networks combined with the Gramian angular difference field (GADF) image generation approach. First, we uniformly convert Raman spectra acquired at different resolutions into GADF images of the same resolution, addressing spectral dimension disparities induced by resolution differences in different Raman spectroscopy detection devices. Second, a network capable of implementing nonlinear distance measurements between GADF images of different classes of substances is designed based on a deep metric learning approach. The Raman spectra of 450 different mineral classes obtained from the RRUFF database were converted into GADF images and used to train this deep metric learning network. Finally, the trained network can be installed on an embedded computing platform and used in conjunction with portable or handheld Raman spectroscopic detection sensors to perform material identification tasks at various scales. A series of experiments demonstrate that our trained deep metric learning network outperforms existing mainstream machine learning models on classification tasks of different sizes. For the two tasks of Raman spectral classification of natural minerals of 260 classes and Raman spectral classification of pathogenic bacteria of 8 classes with significant noise, our suggested model achieved 98.05% and 90.13% classification accuracy, respectively. Finally, we also deployed the model in a handheld Raman spectrometer and conducted identification experiments on 350 samples of chemical substances attributed to 32 classes, achieving a classification accuracy of 99.14%. These results demonstrate that our method can greatly improve the efficiency of developing Raman spectroscopy-based substance detection devices and can be widely used in tasks of unknown substance identification.

Online detection of concentrate grade in the antimony flotation process based on in situ Raman spectroscopy combined with a CNN-GRU hybrid model.

Froth flotation is the most critical process for separating stibnite from raw ore. Concentrate grade is a vital production indicator in the antimony flotation process. It is a direct reflection of the product quality of the flotation process and an essential basis for the dynamic adjustment of its operating parameters. Existing methods of measuring concentrate grades suffer from expensive measurement equipment, difficult maintenance of complex sampling systems, and extended testing times. This paper presents a nondestructive and fast methodology to quantify the concentrate grade in the antimony flotation process based on in situ Raman spectroscopy. A particular Raman spectroscopic measuring system is designed for on-line measurement of the Raman spectra of the mixed minerals from the froth layer during the antimony flotation process. To obtain representative Raman spectra that better characterize the concentrate grades, a traditional Raman spectroscopic system has been redesigned to account for the different interferences during actual flotation field acquisition. A one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) is combined with a gated recurrent unit (GRU) and applied to construct a model for online prediction of concentrate grades based on continuously collected Raman spectra of mixed minerals in the froth layer. With an average prediction error of 4.37% and a maximum prediction deviation of 10.56%, the quantitative analysis of concentrate grade by the model demonstrates that our method is distinguished by high accuracy, low deviation, and in situ analysis, and it essentially satisfies the requirements for online quantitative determination of concentrate grade in the antimony flotation site.

An aggregation of human embryonic and trophoblast stem cells reveals the role of trophectoderm on epiblast differentiation.

The interactions between extra-embryonic tissues and embryonic tissues are crucial to ensure proper early embryo development. However, the understanding of the crosstalk between the embryonic tissues and extra-embryonic tissues is lacking, mainly due to ethical restrictions, difficulties in obtaining natural human embryos, and lack of appropriate in vitro models. Here by aggregating human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) with human trophoblast stem cells (hTSCs), we revealed the hESCs robustly self-organized into a unique asymmetric structure which the primitive streak (PS) like cells exclusively distributed at the distal end to the TS-compartment, and morphologically flattened cells, presumed to be the extra-embryonic mesoderm cells (EXMC) like cells, were induced at the proximal end to hTSCs. Our study revealed two potential roles of extra-embryonic trophectoderm in regulating the proper PS formation during gastrulation and EXMCs induction from the human epiblast.

Remnant of the late Permian superplume that generated the Siberian Traps inferred from geomagnetic data.

Mantle plumes have played a key role in tectonic events such as continental break-up and large magmatic events since at least the formation of Gondwana. However, as their signatures on Earth's surface, many of large igneous provinces have disappeared into the mantle during Earth's long-term evolution, meaning that plume remnants in the mantle are crucial in advancing mantle plume theory and accurately reconstructing Earth history. Here we present an electrical conductivity model for North Asia constructed from geomagnetic data. The model shows a large high-electrical-conductivity anomaly in the mantle transition zone beneath the Siberian Traps at the time of their eruption that we interpret to be a thermal anomaly with trace amounts of melt. This anomaly lies almost directly over an isolated low-seismic-wave-velocity anomaly known as the Perm anomaly. The spatial correlation of our anomaly with the Siberian Traps suggests that it represents a remnant of a superplume that was generated from the Perm anomaly. This plume was responsible for the late Permian Siberian large igneous province. The model strengthens the validity of the mantle plume hypothesis.