D-LMBmap: a fully automated deep-learning pipeline for whole-brain profiling of neural circuitry.

Recent proliferation and integration of tissue-clearing methods and light-sheet fluorescence microscopy has created new opportunities to achieve mesoscale three-dimensional whole-brain connectivity mapping with exceptionally high throughput. With the rapid generation of large, high-quality imaging datasets, downstream analysis is becoming the major technical bottleneck for mesoscale connectomics. Current computational solutions are labor intensive with limited applications because of the exhaustive manual annotation and heavily customized training. Meanwhile, whole-brain data analysis always requires combining multiple packages and secondary development by users. To address these challenges, we developed D-LMBmap, an end-to-end package providing an integrated workflow containing three modules based on deep-learning algorithms for whole-brain connectivity mapping: axon segmentation, brain region segmentation and whole-brain registration. D-LMBmap does not require manual annotation for axon segmentation and achieves quantitative analysis of whole-brain projectome in a single workflow with superior accuracy for multiple cell types in all of the modalities tested.

An endoscopically compatible fast-gelation powder forms Janus-adhesive hydrogel barrier to prevent postoperative adhesions.

Postoperative adhesions occur widely in various tissues, bringing the risk of secondary surgery and increased medical burden. Hydrogel barriers with Janus-adhesive ability can achieve physical isolation of adjacent tissues and are therefore considered an ideal solution. However, integrating endoscopic delivery convenience and viscoelastic Janus hydrogel formation remains a great challenge. Here, we present a report of the in situ formation of Janus-adhesive hydrogel barrier using a sprayable fast-Janus-gelation (FJG) powder. We first methacrylate the polysaccharide macromolecules to break the intermolecular hydrogen bonds and impart the ability of rapid hydration. FJG powder can rapidly absorb interfacial water and crosslink through borate ester bonds, forming a toughly adhesive viscoelastic hydrogel. The Janus barrier can be simply formed by further hydrating the upper powder with cationic solution. We construct rat models to demonstrate the antiadhesions efficiency of viscoelastic FJG hydrogels in organs with different motion modalities (e.g., intestine, heart, liver). We also developed a low-cost delivery device with a standardized surgical procedure and further validated the feasibility and effectiveness of FJG powder in minimally invasive surgery using a preclinical translational porcine model. Considering the advantages in terms of therapeutic efficacy, clinical convenience, and commercialization, our results reveal the great potential of Janus-gelation powder materials as a next-generation antiadhesions barrier.

African swine fever virus I73R is a critical virulence-related gene: A potential target for attenuation.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a large, double-stranded DNA virus that causes a fatal disease in pigs, posing a threat to the global pig industry. Whereas some ASFV proteins have been found to play important roles in ASFV-host interaction, the functional roles of many proteins are still largely unknown. In this study, we identified I73R, an early viral gene in the replication cycle of ASFV, as a key virulence factor. Our findings demonstrate that pI73R suppresses the host innate immune response by broadly inhibiting the synthesis of host proteins, including antiviral proteins. Crystallization and structural characterization results suggest that pI73R is a nucleic-acid-binding protein containing a Zα domain. It localizes in the nucleus and inhibits host protein synthesis by suppressing the nuclear export of cellular messenger RNA (mRNAs). While pI73R promotes viral replication, the deletion of the gene showed that it is a nonessential gene for virus replication. In vivo safety and immunogenicity evaluation results demonstrate that the deletion mutant ASFV-GZΔI73R is completely nonpathogenic and provides effective protection to pigs against wild-type ASFV. These results reveal I73R as a virulence-related gene critical for ASFV pathogenesis and suggest that it is a potential target for virus attenuation. Accordingly, the deletion mutant ASFV-GZΔI73R can be a potent live-attenuated vaccine candidate.

Cathelicidin boosts the antifungal activity of neutrophils and improves prognosis during Aspergillus fumigatus keratitis.

Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) is one of the common pathogens of fungal keratitis. Fungal growth and invasion cause excessive inflammation and corneal damage, leading to severe vision loss. Neutrophils are the primary infiltrating cells critical for fungal clearance. Cathelicidin [LL-37 in humans and cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide (CRAMP) in mice], a natural antimicrobial peptide, can directly inhibit the growth of many pathogens and regulate immune responses. However, the role of cathelicidin and its effect on neutrophils in A. fumigatus keratitis remain unclear. By establishing A. fumigatus keratitis mouse models, we found that cathelicidin was increased in A. fumigatus keratitis. It could reduce fungal loads, lower clinical scores, and improve corneal transparency. Restriction of CRAMP on fungal proliferation was largely counteracted in CD18-/- mice, in which neutrophils cannot migrate into infected sites. When WT neutrophils were transferred into CD18-/- mice, corneal fungal loads were distinctly reduced, indicating that neutrophils are vital for CRAMP-mediated resistance. Furthermore, cathelicidin promoted neutrophils to phagocytose and degrade conidia both in vitro and in vivo. CXC chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2) was reported to be a functional receptor of LL-37 on neutrophils. CXCR2 antagonist SB225002 or phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor U73122 weakened LL-37-induced phagocytosis. Meanwhile, LL-37 induced PLC γ phosphorylation, which was attenuated by SB225002. SB225002 or the autophagy inhibitors Bafilomycin-A1 and 3-Methyladenine weakened LL-37-induced degradation of conidia. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observed that LL-37 increased autophagosomes in Aspergillus-infected neutrophils. Consistently, LL-37 elevated autophagy-associated protein expressions (Beclin-1 and LC3-II), but this effect was weakened by SB225002. Collectively, cathelicidin reduces fungal loads and improves the prognosis of A. fumigatus keratitis. Both in vitro and in vivo, cathelicidin promotes neutrophils to phagocytose and degrade conidia. LL-37/CXCR2 activates PLC γ to amplify neutrophils' phagocytosis and induces autophagy to eliminate intracellular conidia.

Microcrystalline Nanofiber Electrode with Adaptive Intrinsic Structure and Microscopic Interface.

A strategy of microcrystalline aggregation is proposed to fabricate energy storage electrode with outstanding capacity and stability. Carbon-rich electrode (BDTG) functionalized with benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene units and butadiyne segments are prepared. The linear conjugate chains pack as microcrystalline nanofibers on nanoscale, which further aggregates to form a porous interpenetrating network. The microcrystalline aggregation feature of BDTG exhibit stable structure during long cycling test, revealing the following advantage in structure and property. The stretchable butadiyne linker facilitates reversible adsorption and desorption of Li with the aid of adjacent sulfur heteroatom. The alkyne-alkene transition exhibits intrinsic structural stability of microcrystalline region in BDTG electrodes. Meanwhile, alkynyl groups and sulfur heteroatoms on the surface of BDTG nanofibers participate in the formation of microscopic interface, providing a stable interfacial contact between BDTG electrodes and adjacent electrolyte. As a proof-of-concept, BDTG-based electrode shows high capacity (1430 mAh g-1 at 50 mA g-1) and excellent cycle performance (8000 cycles under 5 A g-1) in half-cell of lithium-ion batteries, and a reversible capacity of 120 mAh g-1 is obtained under the current density of 2 C in full-cell. This work shows microcrystalline aggregation is beneficial to realize adaptive intrinsic structure and interface contact during the charge-discharge process.

Island-Like Heterogeneous Interface Generating Tandem Toroidal Built-In Electric Field for Efficient Potassium Ions Diffusion.

For large-size potassium accommodation, heterostructure usually suffers severe delamination and exfoliation at the interfaces due to different volume expansion of two-phase during charge/discharge process, resulting in the deconstruction of heterostructures and shortened lifespan of batteries. Here, an innovative strategy is proposed through constructing a microscopic heterostructure system containing copper quantum dots (Cu QDs) highly dispersed in the triphenyl-substituted triazine graphdiyne (TPTG) substrates (TPTG@CuQDs) to solve this problem. The copper quantum dots are uniformly anchored on TPTG substrates, generating a myriad of island-like heterogeneous structures, together with tandem toroidal built-in electric field (BIEF) between every micro heterointerface. The island-like heterostructure endows both benefits of exposed contact interface and robust architecture. Generated tandem toroidal BIEF provides efficient transport pathways with lower energy barriers, reducing the diffusion resistance and facilitating the reaction kinetics of potassium ions. When used as anode, the TPTG@CuQDs exhibit highly reversible capacity and low-capacity degradation (≈0.01% over 5560 cycles at 1 A g-1 ). Moreover, the TPTG@CuQDs-based full cell delivers an outstanding reversible capacity of ≈110 mAh g-1 over 800 cycles at 1 A g-1 . This quantum-scale heterointerface construction strategy offers a new approach toward stable heterostructure design for the application of metal ion batteries.

Akt/mTOR Pathway Agonist SC79 Inhibits Autophagy and Apoptosis of Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells Associated with Neonatal White Matter Dysplasia.

White matter dysplasia (WMD) in preterm infants due to intrauterine inflammation is caused by excessive apoptosis of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). In recent years, studies have found that excessive autophagy and apoptosis are highly interconnected and important in infection and inflammatory diseases in general. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to confirm whether regulation of autophagy by using the Akt phosphorylation agonist SC79 can inhibit abnormal apoptosis of OPCs and promote myelin maturation and white matter development in neonatal rats with WMD. We investigated the effect of inflammation on oligodendrocyte development in P0 neonatal rats by intracerebellar injection of LPS, and collected brain tissue at P2 and P5. Immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence staining were used to evaluate white matter damage, while immunofluorescence staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling analysis (TUNEL), and western blotting were used to evaluate autophagy and apoptosis. First, we observed that white matter development was arrested and white matter fiber maturation was impaired in LPS-inflicted pups compared with those in the sham-operated group. Second, treatment with SC79 reduced the levels of LC3II, caspase 3, caspase 9, and Bax/Bcl-2 and increased the levels of p62, p-Akt, and p-mTOR in the brain tissue of neonatal rats. Finally, SC79 treatment inhibited OPC apoptosis by increasing the binding of Beclin 1 to Bcl-2, which promoted OPC differentiation and maturation. However, the opposite results were observed after rapamycin administration. Taken together, our results suggest that SC79 can inhibit the abnormal apoptosis of OPCs caused by excessive autophagy through the Akt/mTOR pathway and that SC79 is a potential therapeutic agent for WMD in preterm infants.

Validation and update of a clinical score model to predict technical difficulty of colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection: a multicenter prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The Zhongshan colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection (CR-ESD) score model was proposed to grade the technical difficulty of CR-ESD. The objective of this study was to prospectively validate and update the score model. METHODS: A multicenter prospective cohort analysis of CR-ESD was conducted. Individual data on patients, lesions, and outcomes of CR-ESD were used to validate the original model and further refine the difficulty of the prediction model. Data were randomly divided into discovery and internal validation cohorts. A multivariate Cox regression analysis was conducted on the discovery cohort to develop an updated risk-scoring system, which was then validated. RESULTS: Five hundred forty-eight patients with 565 colorectal lesions treated by ESD from 4 hospitals were included. In the prospective validation cohort, the area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the original model was .707. Six risk factors were identified and assigned point values: tumor size (2 points for 30-50 mm, 3 points for ≥50 mm), at least two-thirds circumference of the lesion (3 points), tumor location in the cecum (2 points) or flexure (2 points), laterally spreading tumor-nongranular lesions (1 point), preceding biopsy sampling (1 point), and NBI International Colorectal Endoscopic type 3 (3 points). The updated model had an area under the ROC curve of .738 in the discovery cohort and of .782 in the validation cohort. Cases were categorized into easy (score = 0-1), intermediate (score = 2-3), difficult (score = 4-6), and very difficult (score ≥7) groups. Satisfactory discrimination and calibration were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The original model achieved an acceptable level of prediction in the prospective cohort. The updated model exhibited superior performance and can be used in place of the previous version. (Clinical trial registration number: ChiCTR2100047087.).

Unveiling the hidden dangers: enteropathogens carried by flies in Pudong New Area.

BACKGROUND: Flies are acknowledged as vectors of diseases transmitted through mechanical means and represent a significant risk to human health. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of enteropathogens carried by flies in Pudong New Area to inform strategies for preventing and controlling flies. METHODS: Samples were collected from various locations in the area using cage trapping techniques between April and November 2021, encompassing various habitats such as parks, residential areas, restaurants, and farmers' markets. The main fly species were identified using cryomicrography and taxonomic enumeration, with 20 samples per tube collected from different habitats. Twenty-five enteropathogens were screened using GI_Trial v3 TaqManTM microbial arrays. RESULTS: A total of 3,875 flies were collected from 6,400 placements, resulting in an average fly density of 0.61 flies per cage. M. domestica were the most common species at 39.85%, followed by L. sericata at 16.57% and B. peregrina at 13.14%. Out of 189 samples, 93 tested positive for enteropathogens, with nine different pathogens being found. 12.70% of samples exclusively had parasites, a higher percentage than those with only bacteria or viruses. The study found that M. domestica had fewer enteropathogens than L. sericata and B. peregrina, which primarily harbored B. hominis instead of bacteria and viruses such as E. coli, Astrovirus, and Sapovirus. During spring testing, all three fly species exhibited low rates of detecting enteropathogens. M. domestica were found in residential areas with the highest number of pathogen species, totaling six. In contrast, L. sericata and B. peregrina were identified in farmers' markets with the highest number of pathogen species, totaling six and seven, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Flies have the potential to serve as vectors for the transmission of enteropathogens, thereby posing a substantial risk to public health.

Optimization analysis of a Stokes polarimeter for broadband liquid crystal variable retarders under the optimal objective function.

A liquid crystal variable retarder (LCVR) is the core device to realize fast and high-precision broadband polarization imaging, and its ability to suppress the noise will have an impact on the polarization measurement results. In order to obtain better imaging quality and measurement accuracy, it is crucial to solve the optimization problem of the LCVR. In this paper, the optimal objective function for solving the optimization problem of the LCVR is analytically derived and verified based on the genetic algorithm in the band range of 350-700 nm. Meanwhile, considering that the minimum number of four measurements at this time cannot achieve the optimal state, the relationship between the number of measurements and the overall performance relative to the error propagation (optimized conditions number) is discussed. The results show that a better optimal set of angles can be obtained by using the optimal objective function. In this paper, a set of the most favorable angles is obtained, and the optimized average of the CN is 2.0000, which is reduced by 0.32% compared with previous optimization results and is closer to the ideal value of the CN. In addition, in this paper, the noise immunity of the set of most favorable angles is simulated and analyzed, and the optimized system can effectively improve the measured performance of the wide-band liquid crystal variable retarder polarimeter.

Giardia intestinalis extracellular vesicles induce changes in gene expression in human intestinal epithelial cells in vitro.

Giardiasis is a common waterborne zoonotic disease caused by Giardia intestinalis. Upon infection, Giardia releases excretory and secretory products (ESPs) including secreted proteins (SPs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs). Although the interplay between ESPs and intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) has been previously described, the functions of EVs in these interactions and their differences from those of SPs require further exploration. In the present study, EVs and EV-depleted SPs were isolated from Giardia ESPs. Proteomic analyses of isolated SPs and EVs showed 146 and 91 proteins, respectively. Certain unique and enriched proteins have been identified in SPs and EVs. Transcriptome analysis of Caco-2 cells exposed to EVs showed 96 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with 56 upregulated and 40 downregulated genes. Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) indicated that Caco-2 genes related to metabolic processes, the HIF-1 signaling pathway, and the cAMP signaling pathway were affected. This study provides new insights into host-parasite interactions, highlighting the potential significance of EVs on IECs during infections.

Seeing what you believe: recognition memory for evolutionary tree structure is affected by students' misconceptions.

Peoples' recognition memory for pictorial stimuli is extremely good. Even complex scientific visualisations are recognised with a high degree of accuracy. The present research examined recognition memory for the branching structure of evolutionary trees. This is an educationally consequential topic due to the potential for contamination from students' misconceptions. The authors created six pairs of scientifically accurate and structurally identical evolutionary trees that differed in whether they included a taxon that cued a misconception in memory. As predicted, Experiment 1 found that (a) college students (N = 90) had better memory for each of the six tree structures when a neutral taxon (M = 0.73) rather than a misconception-cuing taxon (M = 0.64) was included in the tree, and (b) recognition memory was significantly above chance for both sets of trees. Experiment 2 ruled out an alternative hypothesis based on the possibility that 8-12 sec was not enough time for students to encode the relationships depicted in the trees. The authors consider implications of these results for using evolutionary trees to better communicate scientific information. This is important because these trees provide information that is relevant for everyday life.

Scar Hypertrophy Causing Nasal Obstruction Reconstruction.

Reconstructive surgery plays a crucial role in addressing congenital defects, posttraumatic deformities, and related conditions, providing transformative solutions for patients. Its primary goal is to restore or enhance damaged tissue structures, improving both functionality and appearance, and empowering individuals to lead fulfilling lives. Take, for example, a female patient who experienced a nasal infection after a cat bite. Despite initial treatment, she developed severe scar contractures and excessive scar tissue within her nostrils, significantly impacting her quality of life. Seeking assistance, she consulted the authors' plastic and reconstructive surgery team. By utilizing various flap techniques, the authors embarked on the intricate journey of reconstructing her nasal framework, ultimately restoring both form and function.

Copper-promoted C5-selective bromination of 8-aminoquinoline amides with alkyl bromides.

An efficient and practical method for the synthesis of C5-brominated 8-aminoquinoline amides via a copper-promoted selective bromination of 8-aminoquinoline amides with alkyl bromides was developed. The reaction proceeds smoothly in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) under air, employing activated and unactivated alkyl bromides as the halogenation reagents without additional external oxidants. This method features outstanding site selectivity, broad substrate scope, and excellent yields.

New Diffusion Abnormalities Following Endovascular Treatment for Intracranial Atherosclerosis.

Background There are limited data on new ischemic brain lesions after endovascular treatment for symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS). Purpose To investigate the (a) characteristics of new ischemic brain lesions at diffusion-weighted MRI (new diffusion abnormalities) after endovascular treatment, (b) characteristics between those treated with balloon angioplasty and stent placement procedures, and (c) predictors of new ischemic brain lesions. Materials and Methods Patients with symptomatic ICAS in whom maximum medical therapy failed were prospectively enrolled between April 2020 and July 2021 from a national stroke center and underwent endovascular treatment. All study participants underwent thin-section diffusion-weighted MRI (voxel size, 1.4 × 1.4 × 2 mm3 with no section gap) before and after treatment. The characteristics of new ischemic brain lesions were recorded. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine potential predictors of new ischemic brain lesions. Results A total of 119 study participants (mean age, 59 years ± 11 [SD]; 81 men; 70 treated with balloon angioplasty and 49 with stent placement) were enrolled. Of the 119 participants, 77 (65%) had new ischemic brain lesions. Five of the 119 participants (4%) had symptomatic ischemic stroke. New ischemic brain lesions were located in (61%, 72 of 119) and/or beyond (35%, 41 of 119) the territory of the treated artery. Of the 77 participants with new ischemic brain lesions, 58 (75%) had lesions located in peripheral brain areas. There was no evidence of a difference in the frequency of new ischemic brain lesions between the balloon angioplasty and stent groups (60% vs 71%, P = .20). In adjusted models, cigarette smoking (odds ratio [OR], 3.6; 95% CI: 1.3, 9.7) and more than one operative attempt (OR, 2.9; 95% CI: 1.2, 7.0) were independent predictors of new ischemic brain lesions. Conclusion New ischemic brain lesions on diffusion-weighted MRI scans were common after endovascular treatment for symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis, and occurrence may be associated with cigarette smoking and the number of operative attempts. Clinical trial registration no. ChiCTR2100052925 © RSNA, 2023 Supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Russell in this issue.

Monte-Carlo based vertical underwater optical communication performance analysis with chlorophyll depth profiles.

Although underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) has the advantages of high speed, low latency, and high confidentiality, the transmission of light in water will be affected by the absorption and scattering of particles, which will lead to the aggravation of channel path loss as well as channel pulse spreading, finally causing false codes. Therefore, how to analyze the channel impulse response (CIR) effectively is a key task in channel modeling. In this paper, we consider a two-way underwater vertical line-of-sight (LOS) communication system model, based on the inherent optical property (IOP) model of chlorophyll, using the Kopelevich phase function containing water depth information, the CIR curves under different water types and transceiver configurations are plotted using the Monte-Carlo Simulation (MCS). The obtained simulation results are fitted with the double gamma function (DGF) model and the Gaussian model, respectively. The Gaussian model exhibits better properties than the DGF model in each water condition. Based on the closed-form expression of the CIR obtained from the Gaussian model, we solve for the bit error rate (BER) and 3-dB bandwidth of the system under different settings. The conclusions obtained can be used for the design and optimization of underwater vertical channels.

Human epicardial adipose tissue inflammation correlates with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: This study investigates the expression of novel adipocytokines and inflammatory cells infiltration in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) between 27 coronary artery disease (CAD) and 21 non-CAD (NCAD) patients enrolled from September 2020 to September 2021. METHODS AND RESULTS: Serum, gene, and protein expression levels of the novel adipocytokines were determined using ELISA, RT-qPCR, and western blot analyses. The number of blood vessels and adipocytes morphology were measured via hematoxylin-eosin staining, and inflammatory cells infiltration was examined via immunohistochemistry. Serum ANGPTL8, CTRP5, and Wnt5a levels were higher in the CAD than in the NCAD group, while serum CTRP3, Sfrp5, and ZAG levels were lower in the CAD than in the NCAD group. Compared to the EAT of NCAD and SAT of CAD patients, the EAT of CAD patients had higher mRNA levels of ANGPTL8, CTRP5, and Wnt5a while lower levels of CTRP3, Sfrp5, and ZAG; higher protein expression levels of ANGPTL8 and CTRP5 but lower levels of CTRP3; more blood vessels; and higher infiltration rates of macrophages (CD68 + ), pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages (CD11c + ), mast cells (Tryptase + ), T lymphocytes (CD3 + ), and B lymphocytes (CD20 + ) but lower infiltration rates of anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages (CD206 + ). CONCLUSION: Novel adipocytokines and inflammatory cells infiltration are dysregulated in human EAT, and could be important pathophysiological mechanisms and novelly promising medicating targets of CAD.

Binary Metallic CuCo5 S8 Anode for High Volumetric Sodium-Ion Storage.

With the rapid improvement of compact smart devices, fabricating anode materials with high volumetric capacity has gained substantial interest for future sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) applications. Herein, a novel bimetal sulfide CuCo5 S8 material is proposed with enhanced volumetric capacity due to the intrinsic metallic electronic conductivity of the material and multi-electron transfer during electrochemical procedures. Due to the intrinsic metallic behavior, the conducting additive (CA) could be removed from the electrode fabrication without scarifying the high rate capability. The CA-free CuCo5 S8 electrode can achieve a high volumetric capacity of 1436.4 mA h cm-3 at a current density of 0.2 A g-1 and 100 % capacity retention over 2000 cycles in SIBs, outperforming most metal chalcogenides, owing to the enhanced electrode density. Reversible conversion reactions are revealed by combined measurements for sodium systems. The proposed new strategy offers a viable approach for developing innovative anode materials with high-volumetric capacity.

Presumed radiological diagnosis of solid pseudopapillary tumors: do we really know what we are watching?

OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the clinicians' ability to ascertain the identity of a pancreatic lesion as solid pseudopapillary tumors (SPT)preoperatively. We led this retrospective study to figure out the disease spectrum that mimic SPT, the key features of SPT and the accuracy of CT and MRI in characterizing them. METHODS: Radiological and clinical database at a tertiary pancreatic disease center (Peking Union Medical College Hospital) was searched for patients who received CT or MRI with a presumed radiological diagnosis of SPT. Those patients' clinical information and final pathological diagnosis were collected. RESULTS: During 2018.10-2021.12, 200 patients had a presumed radiological diagnosis of SPT, and 132 of them had unambiguous pathological diagnosis. SPT were confirmed in only 63.6% (84/132), while the others had a variety of neoplastic and nonneoplastic lesions, including pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (n = 15), pseudocysts (n = 4), mucinous cystic neoplasms (n = 4), serous cystadenomas (n = 3), neural sheath tumors (n = 3), lymphoepithelial cysts (n = 2), and several very rare pathologies (n = 17). Of note, 11.4% (15/132) of those were benign or nonneoplastic lesions, while 6.8% (9/132) were neoplasms with highly aggressive nature, or pancreatic metastases, which require systematic evaluation and staging instead of upfront surgery. Retrospective radiological analysis based on key imaging features, clinical history and laboratory findings had an improved diagnostic accuracy of 78.5% with CT and 77.8% with MRI. CONCLUSIONS: There is a broad disease spectrum mimicking SPT at CT and MRI. Key imaging features, clinical information and laboratory findings must be integrated to improve the diagnostic accuracy.

High-Pressure Coupling Reactions to Produce a Spherical Bulk RexN/Fe3N Composite.

We report a novel high-pressure coupling (HPC) reaction that couples the nitridation of Re with high-pressure solid-state metathesis (HPSSM) of Fe3N to produce a spherical bulk RexN/Fe3N composite. Compared with conventional methods, upon coupling of the HPSSM reactions, the synthetic pressure for Re nitridation was successfully reduced from 13 to 10 GPa (for Re3N) and from 20 to 15 GPa (for Re2N). The product RexN species would be surrounded by product Fe3N, resulting in a spherical bulk RexN/Fe3N composite (x = 2 or 3). The composite exhibits a soft magnetic behavior, and the content of nitrogen in RexN (x = 2 or 3) was controlled by adjusting the P-T conditions. The HPC reaction establishes a new approach for the bulk synthesis of 5d transition metal nitride.