Perihematomal edema-based CT-radiomics model to predict functional outcome in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify possible association between noncontrast computed tomography (NCCT)-based radiomics features of perihematomal edema (PHE) and poor functional outcome at 90 days after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and to develop a NCCT-based radiomics-clinical nomogram to predict 90-day functional outcomes in patients with ICH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this multicenter retrospective study, 107 radiomics features were extracted from 1098 NCCT examinations obtained in 1098 patients with ICH. There were 652 men and 446 women with a mean age of 60 ± 12 (SD) years (range: 23-95 years). After harmonized and univariable and multivariable screening, seven of these radiomics features were closely associated with the 90-day functional outcome of patients with ICH. The radiomics score (Rad-score) was calculated based on the seven radiomics features. A clinical-radiomics nomogram was developed and validated in three cohorts. The model performance was evaluated using area under the curve analysis and decision and calibration curves. RESULTS: Of the 1098 patients with ICH, 395 had a good outcome at 90 days. Hematoma hypodensity sign and intraventricular and subarachnoid hemorrhages were identified as risk factors for poor outcomes (P < 0.001). Age, Glasgow coma scale score, and Rad-score were independently associated with outcome. The clinical-radiomics nomogram showed good predictive performance with AUCs of 0.882 (95% CI: 0.859-0.905), 0.834 (95% CI: 0.776-0.891) and 0.905 (95% CI: 0.839-0.970) in the three cohorts and clinical applicability. CONCLUSION: NCCT-based radiomics features from PHE are highly correlated with outcome. When combined with Rad-score, radiomics features from PHE can improve the predictive performance for 90-day poor outcome in patients with ICH.

Insulated Interlaced Surface Electrodes for Bacterial Inactivation and Detachment.

Effective and stable antibiofouling surfaces and interfaces have long been of research interest. In this study, we designed, fabricated, and evaluated a surface coated with insulated interlaced electrodes for bacterial fouling reduction. The electrodes were printed Ag filaments of 100 µm width and 400 µm spacing over an area of 2 × 2 cm2. The insulating Ag electrode coating material was polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with a thickness of 10 to 40 µm. To evaluate the antibiofouling potential, E. coli inactivation after 2 min contact with the electrified surface and P. fluorescens detachment after 15 and 40 h growth were examined. The extent of bacterial inactivation was related to the insulating material, coating thickness, and applied voltage (magnitude and AC vs DC). A high bacterial inactivation (>98%) was achieved after only 2 min of treatment at 50 V AC and 10 kHz using a 10 µm TPU coating. P. fluorescens detachment after 15 and 40 h incubation in the absence of applied potential was completed with simultaneous cross-flow rinsing and AC application. Higher AC voltages and longer cross-flow rinsing times resulted in greater bacterial detachment with bacterial coverage able to be reduced to <1% after only 2 min of rinsing at 50 V AC and 10 kHz. Theoretical electric field analysis indicated that at 10 V the field strength penetrating the aqueous solution is nonuniform (∼16,000-20,000 V m-1 for the 20 µm TPU) and suggests that dielectrophoresis plays a key role in bacterial detachment. The bacterial inactivation and detachment trends observed in this study indicate that this technique has merit for future antibiofouling surface development.

Yi-Shen-Xie-Zhuo formula alleviates cisplatin-induced AKI by regulating inflammation and apoptosis via the cGAS/STING pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Yi-Shen-Xie-Zhuo formula (YSXZF) is a traditional Chinese medicine prescription developed from the classic prescription Mulizexie powder documented in the book of Golden Chamber Synopsis and the Buyanghuanwu Decoction recorded in the book of Correction of Errors in Medical Classics. According to our years of clinical experience, YSXZF can effectively improve qi deficiency and blood stasis in kidney disease. However, its mechanisms need further clarification. AIM OF THE STUDY: Apoptosis and inflammation play key roles in acute kidney disease (AKI). The Yi-Shen-Xie-Zhuo formula, consisting of four herbs, is commonly used for treating renal disease. However, the underlying mechanism and bioactive components remain unexplored. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of YSXZF against apoptosis and inflammation in a cisplatin-treated mouse model, and identify the main bioactive components of YSXZF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were administered cisplatin (15 mg/kg) with or without YSXZF (11.375 or 22.75 g/kg/d). HKC-8 cells were treated with cisplatin (20 µM) with or without YSXZF (5% or 10%) for 24 h. Renal function, morphology, and cell damage were evaluated. UHPLC-MS was used to analyze the herbal components and metabolites in the YSXZF-containing serum. RESULTS: Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine, serum and urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) levels were clearly increased in the cisplatin-treated group. Administration of YSXZF reversed these changes; it improved renal histology, downregulated kidney injury molecule 1 (KIM-1) expression, and lowered the number of TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells. YSXZF significantly downregulated cleaved caspase-3 and BAX, and upregulated BCL-2 proteins in renal tissues. YSXZF suppressed increase in cGAS/STING activation and inflammation. In vitro treatment with YSXZF markedly reduced cisplatin-induced HKC-8 cell apoptosis, relieved cGAS/STING activation and inflammation, improved mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and lowered reactive oxygen species (ROS) overgeneration. Small RNA interference (siRNA)-mediated silencing of cGAS or STING inhibited the protective effects of YSXZF. Twenty-three bioactive constituents from the YSXZF-containing serum were identified as key components. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to demonstrate that YSXZF protects against AKI by suppressing inflammation and apoptosis via the cGAS/STING signaling pathway.

In-lake processing counteracts the effect of allochthonous input on the composition of color dissolved organic matter in a deep lake.

Color dissolved organic matter (CDOM) plays a key role in lacustrine ecosystems and its composition is commonly mediated by the allochthonous input and autochthonous production. Deep lakes have a strong in-lake processing, which highly affects the sources, composition and cycle of CDOM. Here, the second deepest lake (Lake Fuxian) in China was selected to investigate the effects of allochthonous input and in-lake processing on lacustrine CDOM in deep lakes. Firstly, a detailed survey on CDOM composition across Lake Fuxian in the top water layer and inflowing rivers was carried out in the wet season representing the allochthonous input. In addition, CDOM in Lake Fuxian was compared with those in other lakes with distinct catchment characteristics and lake morphology. The results showed that compared to lacustrine CDOM in Lake Fuxian, the riverine CDOM contained much more humic-like substances, resulting in the humic-like fluorescence intensity peaked at the confluence of rivers into Lake Fuxian. In contrast, CDOM in Lake Fuxian was dominated by the protein-like substance. Comparison of CDOM composition among Lake Fuxian (well-vegetated catchment, deep lakes) with other diverse lakes in China (shallow/deep lakes with poor-vegetated catchment, and shallow lakes with well-vegetated catchment) showed similar CDOM quality in all type lakes, which were dominated by non-humified and autochthonous CDOM. Yet, CDOM quantity increased as the orders of deep lakes within poor-vegetated (Tibetan deep lakes) < the deep lake within well-vegetated catchment (Lake Fuxian) < shallow lakes within poorly-vegetated catchment (Tibetan shallow lakes) < shallow lakes within well-vegetated catchment (lakes along the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River). Our results evidenced that the effect of allochthonous input on CDOM composition could be counteracted by in-lake processing in deep lakes. For deep lakes, a comprehensive understanding of in-lake processing of CDOM is critical for predicting lacustrine DOM composition and cycle.

Radiomics for prediction of intracerebral hemorrhage outcomes: A retrospective multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Accurate risk stratification of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) could help refine adjuvant therapy selection and better understand the clinical course. We aimed to evaluate the value of radiomics features from hematomal and perihematomal edema areas for prognosis prediction and to develop a model combining clinical and radiomic features for accurate outcome prediction of patients with ICH. METHODS: This multicenter study enrolled patients with ICH from January 2016 to November 2021. Their outcomes at 3 months were recorded based on the modified Rankin Scale (good, 0-3; poor, 4-6). Independent clinical and radiomic risk factors for poor outcome were identified through multivariate logistic regression analysis, and predictive models were developed. Model performance and clinical utility were evaluated in both internal and external cohorts. RESULTS: Among the 1098 ICH patients evaluated (mean age, 60 ± 13 years), 703 (64 %) had poor outcomes. Age, hemorrhage volume and location, and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) were independently associated with outcomes. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the clinical model was 0.881 in the external validation cohort. Addition of the Rad-score (combined hematoma and perihematomal edema area) improved predictive accuracy and model performance (AUC, 0.893), net reclassification improvement, 0.140 (P < 0.001), and integrated discrimination improvement, 0.050 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The radiomics features of hematomal and perihematomal edema area have additional value in prognostic prediction; moreover, addition of radiomic features significantly improves model accuracy.

Altered functional connectivity in emotional subregions of the anterior cingulate cortex in young and middle-aged patients with major depressive disorder: A resting-state fMRI study.

BACKGROUND: It has been demonstrated that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has three subregions, involved in behavior, cognition, and emotion. However, the intrinsic connectivity of the ACC subregions in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) is still unclear. In this study, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data was used to detect the functional connectivity (FC) of ACC subregions and the correlation with the disease severity in young and middle-aged patients with MDD. METHODS: A total of 36 young and middle-aged patients with first-episode MDD and 36 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in this study. FC was applied to investigate altered connectivity of the ACC subregion in MDD patients compared to HCs. Correlation analysis was then used to assess possible relationship between the neuroimaging findings and clinical symptoms in the patient group. RESULTS: Compared to HCs, young and middle-aged patients had significantly decreased FC between the emotional subregion of the ACC and the hippocampus, thalamus, insula, angular gyrus, and posterior cingulate cortex. The FC between the ACC emotional subregion and the insula, the AG, the RPHG was negatively correlated with depression index. The FC between the ACC emotional subregion and the putamen was positively correlated with depression index. CONCLUSION: The present findings indicate that abnormal ACC subregions-seeded FC may be implicated in the MDD-related abnormalities of emotion regulation and information processing. And there is a correlation between the above FC changes and the clinical symptoms of young and middle-aged MDD patients. This study may provide preliminary evidence for the ACC-related neural mechanism in young and middle-aged MDD patients and enhance the understanding of the pathophysiology of MDD.

[Spectroscopic and Molecular Characterization of Water Soluble Organic Matter from Sediments in the Macrophyte-dominated and Algae-dominated Zones of Taihu Lake].

Macrophyte- and algae-dominated lakes (zones) are the two typical states of shallow lakes, where the source and composition of organic matter are distinct. The burial of organic matter (OM) in the sediment supports the role of lakes as carbon sinks. However, organic matter in the sediments could be further processed, influencing the carbon cycle. The post-burial metabolism of the sedimentary OM relates closely to its composition. However, information on the differences in composition remains limited, especially the molecular composition of organic matter from sediments in the macrophyte-dominated and algae-dominated lakes. In this study, sediments were collected from the macrophyte-dominated and algae-dominated zones of Taihu Lake (East Taihu Lake and Meiliang Bay, respectively), and the active pool of sedimentary OM (water soluble organic matter, WSOM) was extracted and purified. The composition of the WSOM was characterized in detail via absorption spectroscopy, fluorescent spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). The optical index of E2:E3 showed that the molecular size of WSOM in the macrophyte-dominated zone (M-WSOM) was slightly larger than that in the algae-dominated zone (A-WSOM). Consistently, the intensity-weighted molecular weights were identified as 388.9 and 379.9, respectively, via FT-ICR MS analysis. M-WSOM was more humified than A-WSOM, as evidenced by the SUVA254 and HIX values. The FT-ICR MS results showed that the relative abundance of the condensed aromatic substance and the aromatics were 6.3% (intensity-weighted) and 7.7% for M-WSOM and 1.1% and 4.4% for A-WSOM, respectively. The excitation-emission matrix fluorescence-parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) suggested that the protein-like component was more in A-WSOM than that in M-WSOM, and the FT-ICR MS results showed that the intensity-weighted relative abundances of peptides were 35.6% and 15.6% for A-WSOM and M-WSOM, respectively. The FT-ICR MS results further showed that the heteroatom-containing molecules were abundant in the sedimentary WSOM, i.e., 82.9% and 91.7% for M-WSOM and A-WSOM, respectively. The nitrogen-containing molecules dominated, contributing to 53.5% and 78.5% of M-WSOM and A-WSOM, respectively. There were 30.4% and 41.4% phosphorus-containing molecules in M-WSOM and A-WSOM, respectively. The phosphorus-containing molecules in M-WSOM were mainly aliphatics and highly unsaturated structures with low oxygen, whereas those in A-WSOM were mainly peptides. This study elucidated the detailed molecular composition of WSOM in the macrophyte-dominated and algae-dominated zones of Taihu Lake, which aids understanding of the carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus biogeochemical cycles in lakes.

Gray matter microstructural alterations in manganese-exposed welders: a preliminary neuroimaging study.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic occupational manganese (Mn) exposure is characterized by motor and cognitive dysfunction. This study aimed to investigate structural abnormalities in Mn-exposed welders compared to healthy controls (HCs). METHODS: Thirty-five HCs and forty Mn-exposed welders underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in this study. Based on T1-weighted MRI, the voxel-based morphometry (VBM), structural covariance, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were applied to examine whole-brain structural changes in Mn-exposed welders. RESULTS: Compared to HCs, Mn-exposed welders had altered gray matter volume (GMV) mainly in the medial prefrontal cortex, lentiform nucleus, hippocampus, and parahippocampus. ROC analysis indicated the potential highest classification power of the hippocampus/parahippocampus. Moreover, distinct structural covariance patterns in the two groups were associated with regions, mainly including the thalamus, insula, amygdala, sensorimotor area, and middle temporal gyrus. No significant relationships were found between the findings and clinical characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed Mn-exposed welders had changed GMV and structural covariance patterns in some regions, which implicated in motivative response, cognitive control, and emotional regulation. These results might provide preliminary evidence for understanding the pathophysiology of Mn overexposure. KEY POINTS: • Chronic Mn exposure might be related to abnormal brain structural neural mechanisms. • Mn-exposed welders had morphological changes in brain regions implicated in emotional modulation, cognitive control, and motor-related response. • Altered gray matter volume in the hippocampus/parahippocampus and putamen might serve as potential biomarkers for Mn overexposure.

Development and Validation of a Clinical-Based Signature to Predict the 90-Day Functional Outcome for Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

We aimed to develop and validate an objective and easy-to-use model for identifying patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) who have a poor 90-day prognosis. This three-center retrospective study included a large cohort of 1,122 patients with ICH who presented within 6 h of symptom onset [training cohort, n = 835; internal validation cohort, n = 201; external validation cohort (center 2 and 3), n = 86]. We collected the patients' baseline clinical, radiological, and laboratory data as well as the 90-day functional outcomes. Independent risk factors for prognosis were identified through univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis. A nomogram was developed to visualize the model results while a calibration curve was used to verify whether the predictive performance was satisfactorily consistent with the ideal curve. Finally, we used decision curves to assess the clinical utility of the model. At 90 days, 714 (63.6%) patients had a poor prognosis. Factors associated with prognosis included age, midline shift, intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), hypodensities, ICH volume, perihematomal edema (PHE) volume, temperature, systolic blood pressure, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil, and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (p < 0.05). Moreover, age, ICH volume, and GCS were identified as independent risk factors for prognosis. For identifying patients with poor prognosis, the model showed an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.874, 0.822, and 0.868 in the training cohort, internal validation, and external validation cohorts, respectively. The calibration curve revealed that the nomogram showed satisfactory calibration in the training and validation cohorts. Decision curve analysis showed the clinical utility of the nomogram. Taken together, the nomogram developed in this study could facilitate the individualized outcome prediction in patients with ICH.

Cystic teratoma of the parotid gland: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Teratoma is a common tumor, but rarely occurs in the parotid region. Only nine cases have been reported in the current literature. Although it is generally detected in infancy or childhood, it is commonly asymptomatic. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have important roles in the diagnosis of teratoma. CASE SUMMARY: A 36-year-old man developed a lump located below the left auricular lobule 3 years ago. Physical examination revealed a nearly-circular tumor in the left parotid gland region with a defined border, firm texture, and significant movement. Calcification, fat, keratinized substances, and typical fat-liquid levels was observed on CT and MRI. A diagnosis of cystic teratoma of the parotid gland was established preoperatively and confirmed by postoperative pathology. Following surgery, the patient developed temporary facial paralysis. There was no recurrence of teratoma during the 15-mo follow-up period. CONCLUSION: When an asymptomatic mass in the parotid region is identified, parotid gland teratoma should be included in the differential diagnosis. Imaging examinations are helpful in the diagnosis.

Yishen Xiezhuo formula ameliorates the development of cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury by attenuating renal tubular epithelial cell senescence.

Background: Although cisplatin (DDP) is an important clinical anti-tumor drug, its use is limited by its nephrotoxicity. How to avoid the renal injury incurred by platinum drugs and improve the clinical efficiency of platinum drugs use has become an urgent clinical problem. Previous studies have verified that Chinese medicine has definite effects on acute kidney injury (AKI). Yishen Xiezhuo formula (YSXZ) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compound which is an effective clinical drug for AKI, but its mechanism remains unclear. Methods: In our research, an AKI model was induced by DDP in human renal tubular epithelial cell (HKC) lines in the in vitro study. The mechanism of the YSXZ on cell senescence was analyzed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), senescence-associated ß-galactosidase (SA-ß-Gal) staining, western blot, flow cytometry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Network pharmacology was used to analyze the role of YSXZ against AKI. Results: Compared with the control group, the cells in the DDP intervention group were significantly senescent. Compared with DDP group, YSXZ decreased the number of SA-ß-Gal-positive senescence cells, down regulated the expression of senescence-related proteins, reduced the release of senescence-related secreted phenotypic factors, and reversed the phenomenon of cell cycle S-phase arrest. Network pharmacology and experimental studies showed that the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway played a central role. Conclusions: Our present results suggested that YSXZ ameliorated the development of DDP-induced AKI by attenuating renal tubular epithelial cell (RTEC) senescence via alleviating the activation of MAPK pathway.

[Biodegradation of Algae-derived Organic Matter (I-DOM) from Lake Taihu].

A large amount of intracellular dissolved organic matter (I-DOM) is released during the senescent phase of phytoplankton cultures. This research investigated the bio-incubation of I-DOM of cyanobacteria in Lake Taihu under various temperatures (20, 25, and 30℃) and I-DOM initial concentrations (5, 10, and 20 mg·L-1) with the aid of ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) and three-dimensional fluorescence matrix-parallel factor (EEM-PARAFAC). I-DOM was effectively degraded during the incubation. After 14 days, the DOC removal ratio was 50% ~74%. A tryptophan-like component (C1), a ubiquitous humic-like component (C2), and two microbially-derived humic-like components (C3 and C4) contributed 80.0%, 16.0%, 3.7%, and 0.3% to the initial I-DOM, respectively. During the bio-degradation, these components are not only consumed but also produced. C1 decreased during the incubation, while C3 and C4 increased at the beginning of biodegradation and then decreased. The change trend of C2 was complicated, i.e., it decreased firstly and then increased, but decreased again after 7 days. The changes in the optical indices of Sr, E2:E3 and HIX revealed that the molecular weight of DOM increased, and the aromaticity was enhanced during degradation. The reaction temperature and the initial concentration of I-DOM did not change the trend of the PARAFAC components. The temperature of 25℃ was the most suitable for I-DOM bio-degradation. Additionally, the degradation of I-DOM was enhanced with the increase in the initial concentration of I-DOM. Combined with our study on the photodegradation of I-DOM, the possible fate of I-DOM in Lake Taihu was proposed. The tryptophan-like compound could be effectively degraded, while the humic-like components could not be degraded completely. These humic-like components would potentially settle through adsorption or coprecipitation with metal substances. These results are helpful to understand the fate of I-DOM released by a cyanobacteria bloom in Lake Taihu.

Clinical Analysis of 25 COVID-19 Infections in Children.

BACKGROUND: To describe the characteristics of clinical manifestations of children with 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection in Chongqing. METHODS: All 25 children with laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV infection by real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RNA-PCR) were admitted from the 4 designated treatment hospitals of 2019-nCoV in Chongqing from January 19 to March 12, 2020. Clinical data and epidemiologic history of these patients were retrospectively collected and analyzed. RESULTS: The diagnosis was confirmed through RNA-PCR testing. Among the 25 cases, 14 were males and 11 were females. The median age was 11.0 (6.3-14.5) years (range 0.6-17.0 years). All children were related to a family cluster outbreak, and 7 children (28%) with a travel or residence history in Hubei Province. These patients could be categorized into different clinical types, including 8 (32%) asymptomatic, 4 (16%) very mild cases and 13 (52%) common cases. No severe or critical cases were identified. The most common symptoms were cough (13 cases, 52%) and fever (6 cases, 24%). The duration time of clinical symptoms was 13.0 (8.0-25.0) days. In the 25 cases, on admission, 21 cases (84%) had normal white blood cell counts, while only 2 cases (8%) more than 10 × 10/L and 2 cases (8%) less than 4 × 10/L, respectively; 22 cases(88%) had normal CD4+ T lymphocyte counts, while in the remaining 3 cases(8%) this increased mildly; 23 cases had normal CD8+ T lymphocyte counts, while in the remaining 2 cases (8%) CD8+ T lymphocyte counts were mildly increased as well. All Lymphocyte counts were normal. There were no statistical differences of lab results between the groups of asymptomatic cases, mild cases and common cases. There were only 13 cases with abnormal CT imaging, most of which were located in the subpleural area of the bottom of the lung. All patients were treated with interferon, 6 cases combined with Ribavirin, and 12 cases combined with lopinavir or ritonavir. The days from onset to RNA turning negative was 15.20 ± 6.54 days. There was no significant difference of RNA turning negative between the groups of interferon, interferon plus ribavirin and interferon plus lopinavir or ritonavir treatment. All the cases recovered and were discharged from hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The morbidity of 2019-nCoV infection in children is lower than in adults and the clinical manifestations and inflammatory biomarkers in children are nonspecific and milder than that in adults. RNA-PCR test is still the most reliable diagnostic method, especially for asymptomatic patients.

Clinical value of spectral CT imaging combined with AFP in identifying liver cancer and hepatic focal nodular hyperplasia.

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical value of spectral computed tomography (CT) imaging combined with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in identifying liver cancer and hepatic focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH). METHODS: A total of 132 patients with local liver space-occupying lesions, including 68 patients with liver cancer, were randomly enrolled. All the patients underwent spectral CT imaging and AFP examinations. The corresponding specificity, sensitivity, accuracy rate, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of spectral CT imaging, AFP and combined detection were recorded, respectively, with pathological findings as the gold standards. SPSS 17.0 software was used for statistical analysis. P<0.05 suggested that the difference was statistically significant. RESULTS: The diagnostic rate of spectral CT imaging was 79.5% for liver cancer and 81.3% for hepatic FNH. In arterial phase and portal venous phase, the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of liver cancer was remarkably lower than that of FNH, showing a statistically significant difference, and the difference was the greatest at 70-100 keV between the two kinds of lesions. The detection rate of AFP for liver cancer was 86.8%, and the exclusive diagnostic rate of AFP for hepatic FNH was 96.9%. AFP had the highest specificity (73.2%) in identifying liver cancer and hepatic FNH. The spectral CT imaging possessed the highest sensitivity (91.7%) in identifying liver cancer and hepatic FNH. Both the sensitivity (98.1%) and accuracy (89.1%) of spectral CT imaging combined with AFP were the highest in identifying liver cancer and hepatic FNH. CONCLUSION: The spectral CT imaging combined with AFP is conducive to improving the efficiency of differential diagnosis of liver cancer and hepatic FNH.

Composition of dissolved organic matter controls interactions with La and Al ions: Implications for phosphorus immobilization in eutrophic lakes.

Applications of aluminium (Al) salt or lanthanum (La) modified bentonite (LMB) have become popular methodologies for immobilizing phosphorus (P) in eutrophic lakes. The presence of humic substances, has been shown to inhibit this form of treatment due to the complexation with La/Al. However, the effects of other dissolved organic matter (DOM), especially that derived from phytoplankton (the dominant source in eutrophic lakes) are unknown. In this study, the interaction with La/Al of Suwannee River Standard Humic Acid Standard II (SRHA) and algae-derived DOM (ADOM) were investigated and compared. Differed to SRHA which was dominated by polyphenol-like component (76.8%, C1-SRHA), majority in ADOM were protein-like substance, including 41.9% tryptophan-like component (C2-ADOM) and 21.0% tyrosine-like component (C3-ADOM). Two reactions of complexation and coprecipitation were observed between SRHA/ADOM and La/Al. Complexation dominated at low metal inputs less than 10 µM and coprecipitation was the main reaction at higher metal inputs. For ADOM, the tryptophan-like component (C2-ADOM) was the important component to react with metal. The reaction rate for C2-ADOM with La were about two-third of that for C1-SRHA, indicating that the influence of C2-ADOM was significant during the P immobilization by La/Al-based treatment in eutrophic lakes. The P removal data in the presence of ADOM confirmed the significant inhibition of ADOM. In addition, based on the composition of coprecipitates and relatively biodegradable character of tryptophan-like substances (C2-ADOM), the coprecipitation of ADOM was assumed to reduce the stability of precipitated P in eutrophic lakes. The release of P from the potential biodegradation of the coprecipitates and thus the possible decline of the performance of P immobilization by La/Al-based treatments is an important work in the future.

Protective Effects of Epifriedelinol in a Rat Model of Traumatic Brain Injury Assessed with Histological and Hematological Markers.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the protective effects of epifriedelinol (EFD) in a rat model of traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODOLOGY: TBI was induced by dropping a weight from a specific height. The animals were separated into control, TBI, and EFD 100 and 200 mg/kg groups. The latter received 100 and 200 mg/kg EFD, respectively, for 2 days beginning 30 min after inducing TBI. The neurological examination score, permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), water content of the brain, cytokine levels, and oxidative stress parameters were measured in the rats. The effects of EFD on glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive cells were evaluated using immunohistochemistry. RESULT: The EFD treatment significantly decreased the neurological score, permeability of the BBB, and water content of brain compared with the TBI group. The levels of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and oxidative stress were significantly decreased in the EFD-treated groups. The number of GFAP-positive cells was also significantly reduced in the EFD-treated groups. CONCLUSION: EFD attenuates the secondary injury in TBI rats by reducing the serum cytokine levels and oxidative stress.

Interlaced CNT Electrodes for Bacterial Fouling Reduction of Microfiltration Membranes.

Interlaced carbon nanotube electrodes (ICE) were prepared by vacuum filtering a well-dispersed carbon nanotube-Nafion solution through a laser-cut acrylic stencil onto a commercial polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) microfiltration (MF) membrane. Dead-end filtration was carried out using 107 and 108 CFU mL-1 Pseudomonas fluorescens to study the effects of the electrochemically active ICE on bacterial density and morphology, as well as to evaluate the bacterial fouling trend and backwash (BW) efficacy, respectively. Finally, a simplified COMSOL model of the ICE electric field was used to help elucidate the antifouling mechanism in solution. At 2 V DC and AC (total cell potential), the average bacterial log removal of the ICE-PVDF increased by ∼1 log compared to the control PVDF (3.5-4 log). Bacterial surface density was affected by the presence and polarity of DC electric potential, being 87-90% lower on the ICE cathode and 59-93% lower on the ICE anode than that on the PVDF after filtration, and BW further reduced the density on the cathode significantly. The optimal operating conditions (2 V AC) reduced the fouling rate by 75% versus the control and achieved up to 96% fouling resistance recovery (FRR) during BW at 8 V AC using 155 mM NaCl. The antifouling performance should mainly be due to electrokinetic effects, and the electric field simulation by COMSOL model suggested electrophoresis and dielectrophoresis as likely mechanisms.

Tuning electric field aligned CNT architectures via chemistry, morphology, and sonication from micro to macroscopic scale.

Electric-field alignment of carbon nanotubes (CNT) is widely used to produce composite materials with anisotropic mechanical, electrical, and optical properties. Nevertheless, consistent results are difficult to achieve, and even under identical electric field conditions the resulting aligned morphologies can vary over µm to cm length scales. In order to improve reproducibility, this study addresses (1) how solution processing steps (oxidation, sonication) affect CNT properties, and (2) how CNT chemistry, morphology, and dispersion influence alignment. Aligned CNT were deposited onto PVDF membranes using a combination of electric-field alignment and vacuum-filtration. At each step in solution processing, the CNT chemistry (oxygen content) and morphology (length/diameter) were characterized and compared to the final aligned morphology. Well-dispersed CNT with high oxygen content (>8.5%O) yielded uniform membrane coatings and microscopically aligned CNT, whereas CNT with low oxygen CNT (<2.2%O) produced aligned bundles visible at a macroscopic level, but microscopically the individual CNT remained disordered. Based on regression analysis, CNT with larger mean length and diameter, smaller length and diameter variation, and higher oxygen content yielded increased electrical anisotropy, and bath sonication was slightly preferable to probe sonication for initial dispersion.