Localizing small lung lesions in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery via radiofrequency identification marking.

BACKGROUND: To facilitate accurate localization of small lung lesions in thoracoscopic surgery, we employed a micro-radiofrequency identification tag designed to be delivered through the 2-mm working channel of a flexible bronchoscope. This report presents the results of preclinical studies of our novel localizing technique in a canine model. METHODS: To evaluate functional placement, three types of tags [Group A, tag alone (n = 18); Group B, tag + resin anchor (n = 15); and Group C, tag + NiTi coil anchor (n = 15)] were bronchoscopically placed in subpleural areas and subsegmental bronchi via our new delivery device; tags were examined radiographically on days 0-7 and day 14. In addition, eight tags, which were placed at a mean depth of 13.3 mm (range 9-15.7 mm) from visceral pleura in bronchi with a mean diameter of 1.46 mm (range 0.9-2.3 mm), were recovered by partial lung resection under video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery using a 13.56-MHz wand-shaped probe with a 30-mm communication range. RESULTS: Peripheral airway placement: Group C had a significantly higher retention rate than the other two groups (retention rate at day 14: Group A, 11.1 %; Group B, 26.7 %; Group C, 100.0 %; P < 0.0001). Central airway placement: Overall retention rate was 73.3 % in Group C, and placement was possible in bronchi of up to 3.3 mm in diameter. Outcomes of partial resection: Tag recovery rate was 100 %, mean time required for tag detection was 10.8 s (range 8-15 s), and mean surgical margin from the delivered tag was 9.13 mm (range 6-13 mm). CONCLUSION: Radiofrequency identification marking enabled accurate localization with depth, which could ensure effective deep resection margins.

Accelerated discovery of multi-elemental reverse water-gas shift catalysts using extrapolative machine learning approach.

Designing novel catalysts is key to solving many energy and environmental challenges. Despite the promise that data science approaches, including machine learning (ML), can accelerate the development of catalysts, truly novel catalysts have rarely been discovered through ML approaches because of one of its most common limitations and criticisms-the assumed inability to extrapolate and identify extraordinary materials. Herein, we demonstrate an extrapolative ML approach to develop new multi-elemental reverse water-gas shift catalysts. Using 45 catalysts as the initial data points and performing 44 cycles of the closed loop discovery system (ML prediction + experiment), we experimentally tested a total of 300 catalysts and identified more than 100 catalysts with superior activity compared to those of the previously reported high-performance catalysts. The composition of the optimal catalyst discovered was Pt(3)/Rb(1)-Ba(1)-Mo(0.6)-Nb(0.2)/TiO2. Notably, niobium (Nb) was not included in the original dataset, and the catalyst composition identified was not predictable even by human experts.

Effect of trehalose supplementation on growth performance and intestinal morphology in broiler chickens.

Trehalose (Tre) is a natural disaccharide. A laboratory-scale investigation showed that Tre supplementation increased the growth rate in juvenile chicks, possibly via the improvement of innate intestinal immune responses. In this study, two trials were conducted to evaluate the growth-promoting effect of Tre supplementation in broiler chickens. In experiment-1, two thousand day-old male and female broiler chicks (Ross) were fed 0 (control), 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75% Tre-supplemented pellet-form diets from d 1-17, and subsequently, they were provided grower (d 18-30) and finisher (d 31-37) diets without Tre supplementation. Over the trial period, there was no significant difference in body weight (BW), feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) between chickens in the control and Tre-fed groups. Tre treatment increased villus height (VH)/crypt depth (CD) ratio and villus surface in jejunum; decreased CD and increased VH/CD ratio in ileum on d 17, when these results were compared to the control group. In experiment-2, two hundred day-old female broiler chicks were fed an antibiotics-free and mash-form diet supplemented with 0.5% Tre from d 1-21, before being fed a non-supplemental diet until d 43. There was no difference in BW on d 21 between the control and Tre-0.5% groups; however, from d 22-43, Tre-0.5% group showed significantly higher BW gain and lower FCR compared to the control group. From these results, we suggest that Tre feeding can be beneficial for intestinal morphology and growth performance in broiler chickens. However, these outcomes did not occur in parallel owing to the different feeding conditions observed.

Descriptive Sensory Traits of Cooked Eggs Laid from Hens Fed Rice Grain.

Descriptive sensory characteristics of eggs produced by conventional corn-based feeding and unhulled whole rice grain-feeding were compared in two cooking procedures using a trained panel. Rice-feeding significantly decreased brothy and roasted odor in eggs cooked into half-cooked egg yolks, and decreased the creamy odor, smoothness and moisture of eggs cooked into custard puddings. However, a statistical interaction between rice-feeding and production farm was not observed in every sensory attribute. These findings indicated that replacing corn with unhulled whole rice grain in diets for laying hens alters the sensory attributes of eggs.

Three-dimensional Navigation for Thoracoscopic Sublobar Resection Using a Novel Wireless Marking System.

We developed a novel localization technique for small intrapulmonary lesions using radiofrequency identification (RFID) technology. Micro-RFID markers with nickel-titanium coils were designed to be placed from subsegmental bronchi to the peripheral parenchyma. In this preclinical study, thoracoscopic subsegmentectomy of a canine pseudotumor model was performed to demonstrate the feasibility and three-dimensional positional accuracy of the system. To recover subcentimeter pseudotumors, markers were bronchoscopically placed to determine the resection line: (1) next to the pseudotumor; (2) in the responsible subsegmental bronchi as the central margin; and (3) on the intersubsegmental plane as the lateral margin. Specific marker positions were located by wireless communication using a wand-shaped probe with a 30-mm communication range, with the distance to the marker indicated by gradual changes in sound pitch. Thirty-four markers were placed for 10 pseudotumors (14.6 mm from the pleura) in 10 canines. Three markers were placed at a mean distance of 5.5 mm from the pseudotumors, and 11 central and 20 lateral markers were placed at mean distances of 17.2 and 20.7 mm from the pseudotumors, respectively. Central markers (20.5 mm from the pleura) were detected within 16.0 seconds in 2.9-mm-diameter bronchi. All resection stumps were within 5.4 mm (range 2-8 mm) from each marker, and pseudotumors were removed with adequate surgical margins toward the central (11.5 mm; range 7-16 mm) and lateral (12.4 mm; range 9-17 mm) directions. RFID wireless markers provided precise three-dimensional positional information and are a potential viable alternative to conventional markers.