Cleavage-Stage Embryo Segmentation Using SAM-Based Dual Branch Pipeline: Development and Evaluation with the CleavageEmbryo Dataset.

MOTIVATION: Embryo selection is one of the critical factors in determining the success of pregnancy in in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures. Using artificial intelligence to aid in embryo selection could effectively address the current time-consuming, expensive, subjectively influenced process of embryo assessment by trained embryologists. However, current deep learning-based methods often focus on blastocyst segmentation, grading, or predicting cell development via time-lapse videos, often overlooking morphokinetic parameters or lacking interpretability. Given the significance of both morphokinetic and morphological evaluation in predicting the implantation potential of cleavage-stage embryos, as emphasized by previous research, there is a necessity for an automated method to segment cleavage-stage embryos to improve this process. RESULTS: In this article, we introduce the SAM-based Dual Branch Segmentation Pipeline for automated segmentation of blastomeres in cleavage-stage embryos. Leveraging the powerful segmentation capability of SAM, the instance branch conducts instance segmentation of blastomeres, while the semantic branch performs semantic segmentation of fragments. Due to the lack of publicly available datasets, we construct the CleavageEmbryo dataset, the first dataset of human cleavage-stage embryos with pixel-level annotations containing fragment information. We train and test a series of state-of-the-art segmentation algorithms on CleavageEmbryo. Our experiments demonstrate that our method outperforms existing algorithms in terms of objective metrics (mAP 0.748 on blastomeres, Dice 0.694 on fragments) and visual quality, enabling more accurate segmentation of cleavage-stage embryos. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: The code and sample data in this study can be found at: Https://github.com/12austincc/Cleavage-StageEmbryoSegmentation. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Resource availability drives trait composition of butterfly assemblages.

How species respond to environmental change is a fundamental question in ecology and species traits can help to tackle this question. In this study, we analyze how the functional structure of species assemblages changes with selected environmental variables along an elevational gradient. In particular, we used species traits of local butterfly communities (body size, voltinism, overwintering stages, and host specificity) in a national nature reserve in China to assess the impacts of temperature, net primary productivity, and land use. Our results show that productivity, measured as NDVI, had a stronger influence on the functional community structure of butterflies than temperature. Within the butterfly assemblages, net primary productivity mainly affected body size and supported few but large species. Length of vegetation period demonstrated dominating effects on the functional structure of local butterfly assemblages. However, an observed increase in dietary generalists with longer vegetation periods contradicted expectations based on niche breadth hypothesis, that more stable conditions should favor specialists. Furthermore, the general positive impact of vegetation period on species abundances differed considerably among functional groups. Only the group containing species hibernating as egg decreased with the length of vegetation period. Our results suggest that trait associations are instructive to explain environment-herbivore relationships, that resource availability can predominantly influence the functional composition of herbivore assemblages, and that conservation priority should be given to specialist butterfly species overwintering as egg, especially in the face of global warming.

How far has the globe gone in achieving One Health? Current evidence and policy implications based on global One Health index.

Background: In the 21st century, as globalization accelerates and global public health crises occur, the One Health approach, guided by the holistic thinking of human-animal-environment and emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration to address global health issues, has been strongly advocated by the international community. An immediate requirement exists for the creation of an assessment tool to foster One Health initiatives on both global and national scales. Methods: Built upon extensive expert consultations and dialogues, this follow-up study enhances the 2022 global One Health index (GOHI) indicator system. The GOHI framework is enriched by covering three indices, e.g. external drivers index (EDI), intrinsic drivers index (IDI), and core drivers index (CDI). The comprehensive indicator system incorporates 13 key indicators, 50 indicators, and 170 sub I-indicators, utilizing a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process to ascertain the weight for each indicator. Weighted and summed, the EDI, IDI, and CDI scores contribute to the computation of the overall GOHI 2022 score. By comparing the ranking and the overall scores among the seven regions and across 160 countries/territories, we have not only derived an overall profile of the GOHI 2022 scores, but also assessed the GOHI framework. We also compared rankings of indicators and sub I-indicators to provide greater clarity on the strengths and weaknesses of each region within the One Health domains. Results: The GOHI 2022 performance reveals significant disparities between countries/territories ranged from 39.03 to 70.61. The global average score of the GOHI 2022 is 54.82. The average score for EDI, IDI, and CDI are 46.57, 58.01, and 57.25, respectively. In terms of global rankings, countries from North America, Europe and Central Asia, East Asia and Pacific present higher scores. In terms of One Health domains of CDI, the lowest scores are observed in antimicrobial resistance (median: 43.09), followed by food security (median: 53.78), governance (median: 54.77), climate change (median: 64.12) and zoonotic diseases (median: 69.23). Globally, the scores of GOHI vary spatially, with the highest score in North America while lowest in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, evidence shows associations between the socio-demographic profile of countries/territories and their GOHI performance in certain One Health scenarios. Conclusion: The objective of GOHI is to guide impactful strategies for enhancing capacity building in One Health. With advanced technology and an annually updated database, intensifying efforts to refine GOHI's data-mining methodologies become imperative. The goal is to offer profound insights into disparities and progressions in practical One Health implementation, particularly in anticipation of future pandemics.

Establishment and Clinical Application of the Nomogram Related to Risk or Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent primary liver malignancy, accounting for approximately 90% of all primary liver cancers, with high mortality and a poor prognosis. A large number of predictive models have been applied that integrate multiple clinical factors and biomarkers to predict the prognosis of HCC. Nomograms, as easy-to-use prognostic predictive models, are widely used to predict the probability of clinical outcomes. We searched PubMed with the keywords "hepatocellular carcinoma" and "nomogram", and 974 relative literatures were retrieved. According to the construction methodology and the real validity of the nomograms, in this study, 97 nomograms for HCC were selected in 77 publications. These 97 nomograms were established based on more than 100,000 patients, covering seven main prognostic outcomes. The research data of 56 articles are from hospital-based HCC patients, and 13 articles provided external validation results of the nomogram. In addition to AFP, tumor size, tumor number, stage, vascular invasion, age, and other common prognostic risk factors are included in the HCC-related nomogram, more and more biomarkers, including gene mRNA expression, gene polymorphisms, and gene signature, etc. were also included in the nomograms. The establishment, assessment and validation of these nomograms are also discussed in depth. This study would help clinicians construct and select appropriate nomograms to guide precise judgment and appropriate treatments.

China's One Health governance system: the framework and its application.

One Health is an interdisciplinary approach that promotes the resolution of complex health issues through collaboration across multiple disciplines. In addition to accountability, the One Health governance structure fosters shared understanding, trust, and an appreciation for diverse perspectives and requirements. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the current integration of the One Health approach within China's existing health governance framework. It also proposes strategies for further improvement, with emphasis on the level of implementation and contributions to the advancement of One Health governance through an examination of current health policies.

Assessing food security performance from the One Health concept: an evaluation tool based on the Global One Health Index.

BACKGROUND: Food systems instantiate the complex interdependencies across humans, physical environments, and other organisms. Applying One Health approaches for agri-food system transformation, which adopts integrated and unifying approaches to optimize the overall health of humans, animals, plants, and environments, is crucial to enhance the sustainability of food systems. This study develops a potential assessment tool, named the global One Health index-Food Security (GOHI-FS), aiming to evaluate food security performance across countries/territories from One Health perspective and identify relevant gaps that need to be improved for sustainable food systems. METHODS: We comprehensively reviewed existing frameworks and elements of food security. The indicator framework of GOHI-FS was conceptualized following the structure-process-outcome model and confirmed by expert advisory. Publicly available data in 2020 was collected for each indicator. The weighting strategy was determined by the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process. The data for each indicator was normalized and aggregated by weighted arithmetic mean. Linear regressions were performed to evaluate the associations of GOHI-FS with health and social-economic indicators. RESULTS: The GOHI-FS includes 5 first-level indicators, 19 second-level indicators and 45 third-level indicators. There were 146 countries/territories enrolled for evaluation. The highest average score of first-level indicators was Nutrition (69.8) and the lowest was Government Support and Response (31.3). There was regional heterogeneity of GOHI-FS scores. Higher median scores with interquartile range (IQR) were shown in North America (median: 76.1, IQR: 75.5-76.7), followed by Europe and Central Asia (median: 66.9, IQR: 60.1-74.3), East Asia and the Pacific (median: 60.6, IQR: 55.5-68.7), Latin America and the Caribbean (median: 60.2, IQR: 57.8-65.0), Middle East and North Africa (median: 56.6, IQR: 52.0-62.8), South Asia (median: 51.1, IQR: 46.7-53.8), and sub-Saharan Africa (median: 41.4, IQR: 37.2-46.5). We also found significant associations between GOHI-FS and GDP per capita, socio-demographic index, health expenditure and life expectancy. CONCLUSIONS: GOHI-FS is a potential assessment tool to understand the gaps in food security across countries/territories under the One Health concept. The pilot findings suggest notable gaps for sub-Saharan Africa in numerous aspects. Broad actions are needed globally to promote government support and response for food security.

Triple-crises-induced food insecurity: systematic understanding and resilience building approaches in Africa.

The triple crises of the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict and climate change have severely impacted food systems, leading to socio-economic consequences and undermining food and nutrition security across Africa. To address the malnutrition and poverty affecting approximately 700 million people in Africa, there is potential for the One Health approach implementation and operationalization to bring together multidisciplinary solutions for tackling food insecurity and ensuring food safety net. However, there is limited documentation on the potential of the One Health approach system thinking implementation to guide responses to triple crises-induced food insecurity. Therefore, this article aims to systematically understand the triple crises-induced food insecurity, connect existing solutions, and explore the role of the One Health approach in strengthening food and agriculture systems in Africa. Our finding showed the impact of triple crises exacerbating food system vulnerability in Africa and worldwide. Mitigating and resilient actions are urgently needed in tackling the emerging and persisting challenges, and infectious diseases menace and burden across Africa. We present a conceptual model illustrating the complex nature of triple crises-induced food insecurity, vulnerability areas within the food system, and actionable strategies for building community food resilience. Additionally, recommendations are provided to create an enabling environment that supports One Health approach implementation and addresses food insecurity challenges through innovative partnerships, local-led initiatives, and enhanced governance and artificial intelligence technology capacities in achieving sustainable and inclusive growth to reduce socio-economic inequalities. Stepping up integrated, actionable, and sustainable food systems programs and innovative long-lasting solutions requires investing in promoting new partnership and research collaboration in building conflict resolution and peace towards strengthening and reshaping local and global food security related climate change adaptations actions for most vulnerable communities' benefits. These are ingredients in fastening preparedness, prevention and control of infectious diseases prevention and control, reducing food supply chains disruption towards accelerating equitable benefits of Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Development Goals, 2030 across Africa.

Efficient production of (R)-o-chloromandelic acid by deracemization of o-chloromandelonitrile with a new nitrilase mined from Labrenzia aggregata.

(R)-o-Chloromandelic acid is the key precursor for the synthesis of Clopidogrel®, a best-selling cardiovascular drug. Although nitrilases are often used as an efficient tool in the production of α-hydroxy acids, there is no practical nitrilase specifically developed for (R)-o-chloromandelic acid. In this work, a new nitrilase from Labrenzia aggregata (LaN) was discovered for the first time by genomic data mining, which hydrolyzed o-chloromandelonitrile with high enantioselectivity, yielding (R)-o-chloromandelic acid in 96.5% ee. The LaN was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), purified, and its catalytic properties were studied. When o-chloromandelonitrile was used as the substrate, the V(max) and K(m) of LaN were 2.53 µmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹ protein and 0.39 mM, respectively, indicating its high catalytic efficiency. In addition, a study of substrate spectrum showed that LaN prefers to hydrolyze arylacetonitriles. To relieve the substrate inhibition and to improve the productivity of LaN, a biphasic system of toluene-water (1:9, v/v) was adopted, in which o-chloromandelonitrile of 300 mM (apparent concentration, based on total volume) could be transformed by LaN in 8 h, giving an isolated yield of 94.5%. The development of LaN makes it possible to produce (R)-o-chloromandelic acid by deracemizing o-chloromandelonitrile with good ee value and high substrate concentration.

Acetone Sensing Properties and Mechanism of Rh-Loaded WO3 Nanosheets.

WO3 nanosheets was prepared by an acidification method and the Rh catalyst was dispersed on the surface of the nanosheets with a wet impregnation method. The morphology of pristine WO3 and Rh modified WO3 nanosheets and their responses to acetone gas were studied. According to oxygen adsorption combined with TPR results, the sensing and sensitization mechanism of acetone were discussed. It was found that no visible changes in nanostructures or morphologies were observed in WO3 nanosheets with Rh, however, the sensor resistance and sensor response were greatly promoted. The basic sensitization mechanism could be caused by the electronic interaction between oxidized Rh and WO3 surface.