A Two-color Single-molecule Sequencing Platform and Its Clinical Applications.

DNA sequencers have become increasingly important research and diagnostic tools over the past 20 years. In this study, we developed a single-molecule desktop sequencer, GenoCare 1600 (GenoCare), which utilizes amplification-free library preparation and two-color sequencing-by-synthesis chemistry, making it more user-friendly compared with previous single-molecule sequencing platforms for clinical use. Using the GenoCare platform, we sequenced an Escherichia coli standard sample and achieved a consensus accuracy exceeding 99.99%. We also evaluated the sequencing performance of this platform in microbial mixtures and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) samples from throat swabs. Our findings indicate that the GenoCare platform allows for microbial quantitation, sensitive identification of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, and accurate detection of virus mutations, as confirmed by Sanger sequencing, demonstrating its remarkable potential in clinical application.

Long-term follow-up and prognostic analysis of parotid tumors in children and adolescents.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to summarize the clinical characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of parotid tumors in children and adolescents. Methods: Fifty-three children and adolescents diagnosed with parotid gland tumors were included. Survival was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank test and multivariate analysis were used to analyze the association between clinical factors and recurrence. Results: Of the 53 patients, 30 cases were benign and 23 cases were malignant. All patients underwent surgery. Patients with malignant tumors with high-risk factors received radiotherapy or chemotherapy. The median follow-up time was 61 months. Of these, 1 patient with benign tumor and 5 patients with malignant tumors recurred. Of the patients with malignant tumors, 2 developed distant metastases and 2 died. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and 5-year locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS) rates for benign tumors were 100.0% and 92.9%, respectively, whereas the 5-year OS and 5-year LRFS rates for malignant tumors were 94.4% and 72.5%, respectively. The log-rank univariate test showed that tumor size >3.5 cm (p = .056), distant metastasis (p = .056), and stage III and IV (p = .032) were associated with recurrence. However, multivariate analysis did not show the above factors to be independent prognostic factors for LRFS. Conclusion: Surgery for benign tumors depends on the location and size. Surgery for malignant parotid tumors depends mainly on the stage, grade, pathological type, and recurrence. Prophylactic lymph node dissection is required for high-grade tumors. Radiotherapy or chemotherapy for children needs more research. Both benign and malignant tumors have high survival rates after active treatment. Level of evidence: Level 2.

Hydrological profile observation scheme based on optical fiber sensing for polar sea ice buoy monitoring.

The monitoring of hydrological elements in the polar region is the basis for the study of the dynamic environment under the ice. The traditional cross-season subglacial hydrological environment monitoring mainly relies on tether-type vertical profile measurement ice-based buoys, which have the advantages such as high reliability, high measurement accuracy, and real-time communication, while also has disadvantages of high-cost, large volume and weight, high power consumption, and complex layout. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a new type of ice-based profile buoy with low-cost, miniaturization, low power consumption, convenient deployment, and high reliability. In this paper, a novel optical fiber sensing scheme for ice-based buoy monitoring is proposed, which uses arrayed fiber grating to measure seawater temperature and depth profile and uses a dual-conduction mode resonance mechanism to measure seawater salinity. The temperature, depth, and salinity of seawater can be detected by an all-optical fiber technology in real-time. Preliminary experiments show that the temperature accuracy is ±0.1 °C in the range of -5∼35 °C, the salinity accuracy is ±0.03‰ in the range of 30‰âˆ¼40‰, and the vertical spatial resolution of depth can be adjusted in the range of 0∼1000 m, which can better meet the requirements of polar hydrological multi-layer profile observation. It can provide an innovative technology and equipment support for studying the spatiotemporal change process of the polar subglacial ocean.

Target recognition and segmentation in turbid water using data from non-turbid conditions: a unified approach and experimental validation.

Semantic segmentation of targets in underwater images within turbid water environments presents significant challenges, hindered by factors such as environmental variability, difficulties in acquiring datasets, imprecise data annotation, and the poor robustness of conventional methods. This paper addresses this issue by proposing a novel joint method using deep learning to effectively perform semantic segmentation tasks in turbid environments, with the practical case of efficiently collecting polymetallic nodules in deep-sea while minimizing damage to the seabed environment. Our approach includes a novel data expansion technique and a modified U-net based model. Drawing on the underwater image formation model, we introduce noise to clear water images to simulate images captured under varying degrees of turbidity, thus providing an alternative to the required data. Furthermore, traditional U-net-based modified models have shown limitations in enhancing performance in such tasks. Based on the primary factors underlying image degradation, we propose a new model which incorporates an improved dual-channel encoder. Our method significantly advances the fine segmentation of underwater images in turbid media, and experimental validation demonstrates its effectiveness and superiority under different turbidity conditions. The study provides new technical means for deep-sea resource development, holding broad application prospects and scientific value.

Dual-mode biosensor using Tb-Cu MOF@Au nanoenzyme to effectively quench the photocurrent of Bi2O3/Bi2S3/AgBiS2 heterojunction and emit fluorescence for neuron-specific enolases detection.

A novel dual-mode biosensor was constructed for the ultrasensitive detection of neuron-specific enolase (NSE), utilizing Tb-Cu MOF@Au nanozyme as the signal label to effectively quench the photoelectrochemical (PEC) signals of Bi2O3/Bi2S3/AgBiS2 composites and initiate fluorescent (FL) signals. First, Bi2O3/Bi2S3/AgBiS2 heterojunction with excellent photoelectric activity was selected as the substrate material to provide a stable photocurrent. The well-matched energy levels significantly enhanced the separation and transfer of photogenerated carriers. Second, a strategy of consuming ascorbic acid (AA) by Tb-Cu MOF@Au nanozyme was introduced to improve the sensitivity of the PEC/FL biosensor. Tb-Cu MOF@Au not only could catalyze the oxidation of AA, but the steric effect further reduced the contact of AA with the substrate. More importantly, in the presence of H2O2, a significant fluorescence was produced from Tb3+ sensitized by the oxidation products of AA. Based on the above strategies, a highly stable and sensitive dual-mode biosensor was proposed for accurate NSE determination. Third, the developed dual-mode biosensor demonstrated excellent performance in detecting NSE. In this study, the PEC method demonstrated a wide detection range from 0.00005 to 200 ng/mL with a low detection limit of 20 fg/mL. The FL method exhibited a linear range from 0.001 to 200 ng/mL with a detection limit of 0.65 pg/mL. The designed biosensor showed potential practical implications in the accurate detection of disease markers.

A single-frame deflectometry method for online inspection of light-transmitting components.

Transparent materials are widely used in industrial applications, such as construction, transportation, and optics. However, the complex optical properties of these materials make it difficult to achieve precise surface form measurements, especially for bulk surface form inspection in industrial environments. Traditional structured light-based measurement methods often struggle with suboptimal signal-to-noise ratios, making them ineffective. Currently, there is a lack of efficient techniques for real-time inspection of such components. This paper proposes a single-frame measurement technique based on deflectometry for large-size transparent surfaces. It utilizes the reflective characteristics of the measured surface, making it independent of the surface's diffuse reflection properties. This fundamentally solves the issues associated with signal-to-noise ratios. By discretizing the phase map, it separates the multiple surface reflection characteristics of transparent devices, enabling transparent device measurement. To meet the requirements of industrial dynamic measurement, this technique only needs a simple and low-cost system structure, which contains just two cameras for image capture. It does not require phase shifting to complete the measurement, making it independent of the screen and having the potential for larger surface measurement. The proposed method was used to measure a 400mm aperture automobile glass, and the results showed that it is able to achieve a measurement accuracy on the order of 10 µm. The method proposed in this paper overcomes the influence of surface reflection on transparent objects and significantly improves the efficiency and accuracy of large-sized transparent surface measurements by using a single-frame image measurement. Moreover, this method shows promise for broader applications, including measurements of lenses and HUD (Heads-Up Display) components, showcasing significant potential for industrial applications.

Association of the SHOX2 and RASSF1A methylation levels with the pathological evolution of early-stage lung adenocarcinoma.

Background The methylation of SHOX2 and RASSF1A shows promise as a potential biomarker for the early screening of lung cancer, offering a solution to remedy the limitations of morphological diagnosis. The aim of this study is to diagnose lung adenocarcinoma by measuring the methylation levels of SHOX2 and RASSF1A, and provide an accurate pathological diagnosis to predict the invasiveness of lung cancer prior to surgery.Material and methods The methylation levels of SHOX2 and RASSF1A were quantified using a LungMe® test kit through methylation-specific PCR (MS-PCR). The diagnostic efficacy of SHOX2 and RASSF1A and the cutoff values were validated using ROC curve analysis. The hazardous factors influencing the invasiveness of lung adenocarcinoma were calculated using multiple regression.Results: The cutoff values of SHOX2 and RASSF1A were 8.3 and 12.0, respectively. The sensitivities of LungMe® in IA, MIA and AIS patients were 71.3% (122/171), 41.7% (15/36), and 16.1% (5/31) under the specificity of 94.1% (32/34) for benign lesions. Additionally, the methylation level of SHOX2, RASSF1A and LungMe® correlated with the high invasiveness of clinicopathological features, such as age, gender, tumor size, TNM stage, pathological type, pleural invasion and STAS. The tumor size, age, CTR values and LungMe® methylation levels were identified as independent hazardous factors influencing the invasiveness of lung adenocarcinoma.Conclusion: SHOX2 and RASSF1A combined methylation can be used as an early detection indicator of lung adenocarcinoma. SHOX2 and RASSF1A combined (LungMe®) methylation is significantly correlated to age, gender, tumor size, TNM stage, pathological type, pleural invasion and STAS. The SHOX2 and RASSF1A methylation levels, tumor size and CTR values could predict the invasiveness of the tumor prior to surgery, thereby providing guidance for the surgical procedure.

High-proportions of tailwater discharge alter microbial community composition and assembly in receiving sediments.

The tailwater from wastewater treatment plants serves as an important water resource in arid regions, alleviating the conflict between supply and demand. However, the effects of different tailwater discharge proportions on microbial community dynamics remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of different tailwater discharge proportions on the water quality and microbial community characteristics of sediments in receiving water bodies under controlled conditions (WF-1, WF-2, WF-3, WF-4, and WF-5, containing 0% tailwater + 100% natural water, 25% tailwater + 75% natural water, 50% tailwater + 50% natural water, 75% tailwater + 25% natural water, and 100% tailwater + 0% natural water, respectively). Microbial co-occurrence networks and structural equation model were used to unveil the relationship between microbial communities and their shaping factors. Results showed that distinct microbial community compositions were found in the sediments with low- (< 50%) and high- (> 50%) proportions of tailwater. Specifically, WCHB1-41 and g_4-29-1, which are involved in organic degradation-related functions, were the key genera in the high-proportion cluster. A total of 21 taxa were more abundant in the low-proportion (< 50%) cluster than that in high-proportion (> 50%). Moreover, higher modularity was observed in the low-proportion. Total phosphorus directly affected while ammonia nitrogen indirectly affected the microbial community structure. Our findings support the distinct heterogeneity of microbial communities driven by tailwater discharge in receiving water bodies, and further confirmed that high-proportion tailwater depletes sensitive microbial communities, which may be avoided through scientific management.

The Effect of Age on the Regenerative Potential of Adipose Stem-cell-derived Apoptotic Extracellular Vesicles in Rat Skin Wound Healing.

Introduction: Skin, being the body's largest organ, is susceptible to injuries. Despite the adoption of common treatments such as debridement, wound dressing, and infection control measures for skin injuries, the outcomes remain unsatisfactory, especially in diabetic patients or elderly patients. The use of adipose stem cell-derived apoptotic extracellular vesicles (apoEVs-ASCs) has been shown great therapeutic potential in wound repair. The effect of the donor age on the biological properties and functions of apoEVs-ASCs has not been reported. Methods: In this study, we isolated apoEVs-ASCs from young and aged rats. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) were applied for the characteristics of apoEVs-ASCs. For aged and young apoEVs-ASCs groups, the proliferative and migration abilities in vitro, and wound healing function in vivo were contrastively evaluated and quantified for statistical analysis. Results: Our results showed that both young and aged apoEVs-ASCs induced skin healing and reduced scar formation. In addition, young apoEVs-ASCs had significantly higher proliferation, migration of fibroblasts and endothelial cells, and increased neo-angiogenesis ability, when compared with that of aged apoEVs-ASCs. Conclusion: Young apoEVs-ASCs should be employed for wound repair, which is associated with its superior promoting effect on wound healing.

Comparison of sea buckthorn fruit oil nanoemulsions stabilized by protein-polysaccharide conjugates prepared using ß-glucan from various sources.

To understand the influence of ß-glucans structure on the emulsifying properties of protein-polysaccharide conjugates, sodium caseinate (NaCas) was utilized to form glycosylation conjugates with varying degrees of glycosylation (10.68-17.50%) using three ß-glucans from bacteria, yeast, and oats. This process induced alterations in the secondary structure of protein. The nanoemulsions prepared with the glycosylated conjugates exhibited superior stability compared to those formulated solely with NaCas, particularly under conditions of drastic pH fluctuations and extended storage periods. The nanoemulsion prepared with the NaCas-Salecan conjugate demonstrated exceptional stability at pH 4 and 6, or storage for 20 days. Additionally, it significantly attenuated the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids and exhibited the lowest levels of aggregation, flocculation, and free fatty acid release rate during in vitro digestion. This study suggested the potential of the NaCas-Salecan conjugates in enhancing the stability of nanoemulsions and facilitating the colorectal-targeted delivery of sea buckthorn fruit oil.

TRIP13 Plays an Important Role in the Sensitivity of Leukemia Cell Response to Sulforaphane Therapy.

Sulforaphane is one of the most characterized isothiocyanate compounds in cruciferous vegetables and shows anticancer effects, especially antileukemia properties. However, the molecular mechanism of the growth inhibition effect of sulforaphane in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has not been fully explored. In the present study, a proteomic analysis was performed on the AML cell line U937 responding to sulforaphane treatment to identify novel and efficient therapeutic targets of sulforaphane on AML cells. Key driver analysis was run on the leukemia network, and TRIP13 was identified as a key regulatory factor in sulforaphane-induced growth inhibition in U937 cells. Pretreatment with DCZ0415, an inhibitor of TRIP13, could significantly attenuate sulforaphane-induced cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in vitro through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. In addition, the inhibitory effect of sulforaphane on the tumor volume could also be obviously attenuated by the pretreatment of DCZ0415 in vivo. These results indicate that TRIP13 plays an important role in the sensitivity of leukemia cell response to sulforaphane treatment, and these findings expand the understanding of the mechanism of the antileukemic effect of sulforaphane and provide a new target for the treatment of AML.

Prognostic value analysis and survival model construction of different treatment methods for advanced intestinal type gastric adenocarcinoma.

Background: Intestinal-type gastric adenocarcinoma, representing 95 % of gastric malignancies, originates from the malignant transformation of gastric gland cells. Despite its prevalence, existing methods for prognosis evaluation of this cancer subtype are inadequate. This study aims to enhance patient-specific prognosis evaluation by analyzing the clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic risk factors of intestinal-type gastric adenocarcinoma patients using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Methods: We extracted clinical data for patients diagnosed with intestinal-type gastric adenocarcinoma between 2010 and 2015 from the SEER database, selecting 257 cases based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Independent risk factors for overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were identified using a Cox regression model. A nomogram model for predicting OS or CSS was developed from the Cox risk regression analysis and validated through the consistency index (C-index), ROC curve, and calibration curve. Results: Age, primary tumor resection, chemotherapy, lymph node metastasis, and tumor size were identified as independent prognostic factors for OS and CSS (P < 0.05). The nomogram model, constructed from these indicators, demonstrated superior predictive consistency for OS and CSS compared to the AJCC-TNM staging system. ROC curve analysis confirmed the model's higher accuracy, and calibration curve analysis indicated good agreement between the nomogram's predictions and actual observed outcomes. Conclusion: The nomogram model derived from SEER database analyses accurately predicts OS and CSS for patients with intestinal-type gastric adenocarcinoma. This model promises to facilitate more tailored treatments in clinical practice.

Electroactive polylactic acid nanofiber multilayer membranes as "Green" flexible electrode for supercapacitor.

Against the backdrop of the post-COVID-19 era, the demand for masks has become increasingly steady, discarded masks have brought about new environmental problems due to the lack of effective means of disposal as well as recycling mechanisms. To solve this problem, we make secondary use of discarded polylactic acid (PLA) masks. The nanofiber multilayer membranes PLA/PDA/GO/PPy were synthesized by layer-by-layer self-assembly for flexible supercapacitors (SCs). The multiple coating on PLA significantly increases the capacitive performance. Optimization of the PLA/PDA/GO/PPy demonstrates capacitance up to 1331 mF cm-2. Symmetric aqueous SCs using PLA/PDA/GO/PPy electrodes show higher energy density than other literature-reported SCs based on nanofiber multilayer membranes. In addition, we also explored the effects of discarded PLA/PDA/GO/PPy on the growth of ryegrass and canola in the soil. The exceptional combination of remarkable electrochemical properties and excellent environmental friendliness makes the PLA membrane promising for supercapacitors.

Cross-Modal Object Tracking via Modality-Aware Fusion Network and a Large-Scale Dataset.

Visual object tracking often faces challenges such as invalid targets and decreased performance in low-light conditions when relying solely on RGB image sequences. While incorporating additional modalities like depth and infrared data has proven effective, existing multimodal imaging platforms are complex and lack real-world applicability. In contrast, near-infrared (NIR) imaging, commonly used in surveillance cameras, can switch between RGB and NIR based on light intensity. However, tracking objects across these heterogeneous modalities poses significant challenges, particularly due to the absence of modality switch signals during tracking. To address these challenges, we propose an adaptive cross-modal object tracking algorithm called modality-aware fusion network (MAFNet). MAFNet efficiently integrates information from both RGB and NIR modalities using an adaptive weighting mechanism, effectively bridging the appearance gap and enabling a modality-aware target representation. It consists of two key components: an adaptive weighting module and a modality-specific representation module. The adaptive weighting module predicts fusion weights to dynamically adjust the contribution of each modality, while the modality-specific representation module captures discriminative features specific to RGB and NIR modalities. MAFNet offers great flexibility as it can effortlessly integrate into diverse tracking frameworks. With its simplicity, effectiveness, and efficiency, MAFNet outperforms state-of-the-art methods in cross-modal object tracking. To validate the effectiveness of our algorithm and overcome the scarcity of data in this field, we introduce CMOTB, a comprehensive and extensive benchmark dataset for cross-modal object tracking. CMOTB consists of 61 categories and 1000 video sequences, comprising a total of over 799K frames. We believe that our proposed method and dataset offer a strong foundation for advancing cross-modal object-tracking research. The dataset, toolkit, experimental data, and source code will be publicly available at: https://github.com/mmic-lcl/ Datasets-and-benchmark-code.

Knockdown of DJ-1 Exacerbates Neuron Apoptosis Induced by TgCtwh3 through the NF-κB Pathway.

Mutations or loss of function of DJ-1 and Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases, which are often caused by oxidative stress. However, the relationship between DJ-1 and T. gondii infection is not yet fully understood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the expression of DJ-1 in the hippocampus tissue of mice or in HT22 infected with T. gondii Chinese 1 genotype Wh3 strain (TgCtwh3) and the effect of DJ-1 knockdown on neuronal apoptosis induced by TgCtwh3 tachyzoite, as well as the underlying mechanism at the cellular and molecular level. Firstly, we detected DJ-1 protein expression and cell apoptosis in the hippocampal tissue of mice infected by TgCtwh3. Then, we examined DJ-1 expression and apoptosis in HT22 challenged with TgCtwh3. Finally, we evaluated the apoptosis in HT22 with DJ-1 knockdown which was infected with TgCtwh3 and assayed the expression of NF-κBp65 and p-NF-κBp65. Our results showed that DJ-1 expression was reduced and neurons underwent apoptosis in the hippocampus of mice infected with TgCtwh3 tachyzoites. Additionally, the knockdown of DJ-1 followed by infection with TgCtwh3 tachyzoites led to increased apoptosis in HT22 cells through the NF-κB signaling pathway. Therefore, this study suggests that DJ-1 is an important target for preventing apoptosis caused by T. gondii TgCtwh3.

Noninvasive pressure-strain loop quantitative assessment of left ventricular function in anemic preterm infants with different modes of respiratory support.

To investigate noninvasive pressure-strain loop (PSL) combined with two-dimensional speck tracking imaging and left ventricular pressure measurement in the evaluation of cardiac function changes in anemia of prematurity (AOP) with different modes of respiratory support, and to explore its value in detecting subclinical myocardial injury in preterm infants. This retrospective study included 79 preterm infants with anemia, according to different modes of respiratory support, who were divided into invasive respiratory support group (39 cases) and noninvasive respiratory support group (40 cases). A control group of 40 nonanemic preterm infants with matched age, sex, and gestational age were also included. Complete echocardiography was performed for each included infant. There are PSL parameters that used to evaluate cardiac function, including global longitudinal strain (GLS), global work index (GWI), global constructive work (GCW), global wasted work (GWW), and global work efficiency (GWE) among the three groups were compared. Compared with the control group, the value of GWI, GCW, and GWE were significantly lower and GWW was higher in the AOP groups (P < 0.05), and GWI, GCW and GWE were much significantly lower in the invasive respiratory support group than in the noninvasive respiratory support group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in GLS among the three groups (P > 0.05). Noninvasive PSL analysis can quantitatively assess myocardial work in AOP with different respiratory support, which is more sensitive than other conventional echocardiographic indices. This technique may provide a new method for monitoring subclinical myocardial injury with AOP.

The potent potential of MFAP2 in prognosis and immunotherapy of triple-negative breast cancer.

BACKGROUNDS: Microfibril-associated protein 2 (MFAP2) is a protein presenting in the extracellular matrix that governs the activity of microfibrils through its interaction with fibrillin. While the involvement of MFAP2 in metabolic disorders has been documented, its expression and prognostic significance in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remain unexplored. METHODS: We acquired datasets pertaining to breast cancer (BC) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases. Next, a Venn diagram was used to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The DEGs were used to perform Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), protein-protein interaction (PPI), immune and survival analysis. The expressions of MFAP2, PD-1 and PD-L1 were examined by immunohistochemistry and western blot and their relationship with clinical pathological parameters were analyzed by clinical specimen samples from patients with TNBC. Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER, https://cistrome.shinyapps.io/timer/ ) was adopted to calculate the immune infiltration level of TNBC. The link between gene expression and tumor mutational burden (TMB) was described using Spearman's correlation analysis. RESULTS: We identified 66 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that were up-regulated. Among these DEGs, MFAP2 was found to be overexpressed in TNBC and was associated with a lower probability of survival. This finding was confirmed through the use of immunohistochemistry and western blot techniques. Additionally, MFAP2 was found to be related to various pathological parameters in TNBC patients. Mechanistically, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed that MFAP2 primarily influenced cellular biological behavior in terms of epithelial mesenchymal transition, glycolysis, and apical junction. Notably, MFAP2 expression was positively correlated with the abundance of macrophages, while a negative correlation was observed with the abundance of B cells, CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, neutrophils and dendritic cells through immune analysis. Furthermore, it was observed that MFAP2 displayed a negative correlation not only with tumor mutational burden (TMB), a recognized biomarker for PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy, but also with PD-L1 in samples of TNBC. CONCLUSION: MFAP2 may be an important prognostic biomarker for TNBC, as well as a viable target for immunotherapy in this disease.

Event-triggered finite-time formation tracking of multi-agent systems with mismatched disturbances under switching topologies.

The formation tracking of the leader-follower multi-agent systems (MASs) under switching topologies is investigated. The considered system is exposed to both the mismatched and matched disturbances in the dynamics of the leader and followers, which places higher requirements for the robustness of the control protocol. In the presence of disturbances and leader's unknown control input, an innovative distributed observer embedded with robust terms is designed firstly to estimate leader's states in finite time. Taking account of the switching topologies, a novel analysis scheme that divides the convergence process into two stages is proposed to establish the finite-time (FT) convergence of estimation errors. Then, by virtue of a constructed auxiliary variable, a FT controller with an event-triggered mechanism is put forward, in which multiple robust feedback terms are designed wisely to suppress the mismatched and matched disturbances effectively. As a result, the FT formation tracking can be achieved with saved resources, despite perturbed environments and switching topologies. Simulation examples are presented to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Deep learning promoted target volumes delineation of total marrow and total lymphoid irradiation for accelerated radiotherapy: A multi-institutional study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: One of the current roadblocks to the widespread use of Total Marrow Irradiation (TMI) and Total Marrow and Lymphoid Irradiation (TMLI) is the challenging difficulties in tumor target contouring workflow. This study aims to develop a hybrid neural network model that promotes accurate, automatic, and rapid segmentation of multi-class clinical target volumes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients who underwent TMI and TMLI from January 2018 to May 2022 were included. Two independent oncologists manually contoured eight target volumes for patients on CT images. A novel Dual-Encoder Alignment Network (DEA-Net) was developed and trained using 46 patients from one internal institution and independently evaluated on a total of 39 internal and external patients. Performance was evaluated on accuracy metrics and delineation time. RESULTS: The DEA-Net achieved a mean dice similarity coefficient of 90.1 % ± 1.8 % for internal testing dataset (23 patients) and 91.1 % ± 2.5 % for external testing dataset (16 patients). The 95 % Hausdorff distance and average symmetric surface distance were 2.04 ± 0.62 mm and 0.57 ± 0.11 mm for internal testing dataset, and 2.17 ± 0.68 mm, and 0.57 ± 0.20 mm for external testing dataset, respectively, outperforming most of existing state-of-the-art methods. In addition, the automatic segmentation workflow reduced delineation time by 98 % compared to the conventional manual contouring process (mean 173 ± 29 s vs. 12168 ± 1690 s; P < 0.001). Ablation study validate the effectiveness of hybrid structures. CONCLUSION: The proposed deep learning framework achieved comparable or superior target volume delineation accuracy, significantly accelerating the radiotherapy planning process.

Evaluation of potentially harmful Maillard reaction products in different types of commercial formulae.

Pasteurisation and spray drying are critical steps to ensure the safety and shelf-life of formulae, but these treatments also induce formation of some potentially harmful Maillard reaction products. In this study, the occurrence of potentially harmful Maillard reaction products and proximate compositions in different commercial formulae were analysed. Our results showed that infant formulae had significantly higher concentrations of furosine, Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) and Nε-(carboxyethyl)lysine (CEL) than follow-on/toddler formula. Specialty formulae had higher concentrations of glyoxal and CML than other types of formulae. Correlation analysis indicated that concentrations of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, 3-deoxyglucosone, CML and CEL were closely related to fat contents. These results provided insight into concentrations of potentially harmful Maillard reaction products in different types of formulae and provide a theoretical basis for further optimisation of processing.