Nondestructive measurement of terahertz optical thin films by machine learning based on physical consistency.

Optical scattering measurement is one of the most commonly used methods for non-contact online measurement of film properties in industrial film manufacturing. Terahertz photons have low energy and are non-ionizing when measuring objects, so combining these two methods can enable online nondestructive testing of thin films. In the visible light band, some materials are transparent, and their thickness and material properties cannot be measured. Therefore, a method based on physical consistency modeling and machine learning is proposed in this paper, which realizes the method of obtaining high-precision thin film parameters through single-frequency terahertz wave measurement, and shows good performance. Through the experimental measurement of organic material thin films, it is proved that the proposed method is an effective terahertz online detection technology with high precision and high throughput.

Multimodal fall detection for solitary individuals based on audio-video decision fusion processing.

Falls often pose significant safety risks to solitary individuals, especially the elderly. Implementing a fast and efficient fall detection system is an effective strategy to address this hidden danger. We propose a multimodal method based on audio and video. On the basis of using non-intrusive equipment, it reduces to a certain extent the false negative situation that the most commonly used video-based methods may face due to insufficient lighting conditions, exceeding the monitoring range, etc. Therefore, in the foreseeable future, methods based on audio and video fusion are expected to become the best solution for fall detection. Specifically, this article outlines the following methodology: the video-based model utilizes YOLOv7-Pose to extract key skeleton joints, which are then fed into a two stream Spatial Temporal Graph Convolutional Network (ST-GCN) for classification. Meanwhile, the audio-based model employs log-scaled mel spectrograms to capture different features, which are processed through the MobileNetV2 architecture for detection. The final decision fusion of the two results is achieved through linear weighting and Dempster-Shafer (D-S) theory. After evaluation, our multimodal fall detection method significantly outperforms the single modality method, especially the evaluation metric sensitivity increased from 81.67% in single video modality to 96.67% (linear weighting) and 97.50% (D-S theory), which emphasizing the effectiveness of integrating video and audio data to achieve more powerful and reliable fall detection in complex and diverse daily life environments.

Viscoelastic parameters derived from multifrequency MR elastography for depicting hepatic fibrosis and inflammation in chronic viral hepatitis.

OBJECTIVES: The capability of MR elastography (MRE) to differentiate fibrosis and inflammation, and to provide precise diagnoses is crucial, whereas the coexistence of fibrosis and inflammation may obscure the diagnostic accuracy. METHODS: In this retrospective study, from June 2020 to December 2022, chronic viral hepatitis patients who underwent multifrequency MRE (mMRE) were included in, and further divided into, training and validation cohorts. The hepatic viscoelastic parameters [shear wave speed (c) and loss angle (φ) of the complex shear modulus] were obtained from mMRE. The logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to evaluate performance of viscoelastic parameters for fibrosis and inflammation. RESULTS: A total of 233 patients were assigned to training cohort and validation cohorts (mean age, 52 years ± 13 (SD); 51 women; training cohort, n = 170 (73%), and validation cohort, n = 63 (27%)). Liver c exhibited superior performance in detecting fibrosis with ROC (95% confidence interval) of ≥ S1 (0.96 (0.92-0.99)), ≥ S2 (0.86 (0.78-0.92)), ≥ S3 (0.89 (0.84-0.95)), and S4 (0.88 (0.83-0.93)). Similarly, φ was effective in diagnosing inflammation with ROC values of ≥ G2 (0.72 (0.63-0.81)), ≥ G3 (0.88 (0.83-0.94)), and G4 (0.92 (0.87-0.98)). And great predictive discrimination for fibrosis and inflammation were shown in validation cohort (all AUCs > 0.75). CONCLUSION: The viscoelastic parameters derived from multifrequency MRE could realize simultaneous detection of hepatic fibrosis and inflammation. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Fibrosis and inflammation coexist in chronic liver disease which obscures the diagnostic performance of MR elastography, whereas the viscoelastic parameters derived from multifrequency MR elastography could realize simultaneous detection of hepatic fibrosis and inflammation. KEY POINTS: • Hepatic biomechanical parameters derived from multifrequency MR elastography could effectively detect fibrosis and inflammation. • Liver stiffness is useful for detecting fibrosis independent of inflammatory activity. • Fibrosis could affect the diagnostic efficacy of liver viscosity in inflammation, especially in early-grade of inflammation.

Total neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced rectal cancer: a three-group propensity score matched study.

PURPOSE: Total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) has emerged as a therapeutic approach for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). However, the optimal chemotherapy cycles within TNT remain uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the prognostic efficacy of varying cycles of chemotherapy during TNT for LARC. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with LARC (T3-4N0M0/T1-4N1-2M0), who underwent TNT or chemoradiotherapy followed by total mesorectal excision (TME) between 2015 and 2020, were retrospective included. Patients were categorized into three groups based on their neoadjuvant strategy: CRT (long-course chemoradiotherapy), STNT (long-course CRT with one to three cycles of chemotherapy), and LTNT (long-course CRT with four or more cycles of chemotherapy). Propensity score matching (PSM) based on gender, age, body mass index, tumor distance from the anal verge, clinical T stage, clinical N stage, and mesorectal fascia status was employed to reduce confounding bias. Primary endpoints were disease-free survival (DFS) and metastasis-free survival (MFS). RESULTS: The study comprised 372 patients, with 73 patients in each group after PSM. Compared with CRT, both STNT and LTNT demonstrated improved DFS (5-year rate: 59.7% vs. 77.8% vs. 76.5%, p = 0.027) and MFS (5-year rate: 65.1% vs. 81.3% vs. 81.4%, p = 0.030). There was no difference in DFS or MFS between STNT and LTNT. These favorable outcomes were consistent among subgroups defined by tumor distance from the anal verge ≥ 5 cm, clinical T3 stage, clinical N positive status, or involved mesorectal fascia. CONCLUSION: Compared to CRT, both STNT and LTNT demonstrated improved DFS and MFS outcomes. Notably, survival outcomes were similar between STNT and LTNT, suggesting that chemotherapy cycles in TNT may not significantly impact survival.

OsEIN2-OsEIL1/2 pathway negatively regulates chilling tolerance by attenuating OsICE1 function in rice.

Low temperature severely affects rice development and yield. Ethylene signal is essential for plant development and stress response. Here, we reported that the OsEIN2-OsEIL1/2 pathway reduced OsICE1-dependent chilling tolerance in rice. The overexpressing plants of OsEIN2, OsEIL1 and OsEIL2 exhibited severe stress symptoms with excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation under chilling, while the mutants (osein2 and oseil1) and OsEIL2-RNA interference plants (OsEIL2-Ri) showed the enhanced chilling tolerance. We validated that OsEIL1 and OsEIL2 could form a heterxodimer and synergistically repressed OsICE1 expression by binding to its promoter. The expression of OsICE1 target genes, ROS scavenging- and photosynthesis-related genes were downregulated by OsEIN2 and OsEIL1/2, which were activated by OsICE1, suggesting that OsEIN2-OsEIL1/2 pathway might mediate ROS accumulation and photosynthetic capacity under chilling by attenuating OsICE1 function. Moreover, the association analysis of the seedling chilling tolerance with the haplotype showed that the lower expression of OsEIL1 and OsEIL2 caused by natural variation might confer chilling tolerance on rice seedlings. Finally, we generated OsEIL2-edited rice with an enhanced chilling tolerance. Taken together, our findings reveal a possible mechanism integrating OsEIN2-OsEIL1/2 pathway with OsICE1-dependent cascade in regulating chilling tolerance, providing a practical strategy for breeding chilling-tolerant rice.

Improved fluorescence-based assay for rapid screening and evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors.

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a global threat to human health. In parallel with vaccines, efficacious antivirals are urgently needed. SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) is an attractive drug target for antiviral development owing to its key roles in virus replication and host immune evasion. Due to the limitations of currently available methods, the development of novel high-throughput screening assays is of the highest importance for the discovery of Mpro inhibitors. In this study, we first developed an improved fluorescence-based assay for rapid screening of Mpro inhibitors from an anti-infection compound library using a versatile dimerization-dependent red fluorescent protein (ddRFP) biosensor. Utilizing this assay, we identified MG-101 as a competitive Mpro inhibitor in vitro. Moreover, our results revealed that ensitrelvir is a potent Mpro inhibitor, but baicalein, chloroquine, ebselen, echinatin, and silibinin are not. Therefore, this robust ddRFP assay provides a faithful avenue for rapid screening and evaluation of Mpro inhibitors to fight against COVID-19.

Multi-Functional Actuators Made with Biomass-Based Graphene-Polymer Films for Intelligent Gesture Recognition and Multi-Mode Self-Powered Sensing.

Multi-functional actuation systems involve the mechanical integration of multiple actuation and sensor devices with external energy sources. The intricate combination makes it difficult to meet the requirements of lightweight. Hence, polypyrrole@graphene-bacterial cellulose (PPy@G-BC) films are proposed to construct multi-responsive and bilayer actuators integrated with multi-mode self-powered sensing function. The PPy@G-BC film not only exhibits good photo-thermoelectric (PTE) properties but also possesses good hydrophilicity and high Young's modulus. Thus, the PPy@G-BC films are used as active layers in multi-responsive bilayer actuators integrated with self-powered sensing functions. Here, two types of multi-functional actuators integrated with self-powered sensing functions is designed. One is a light-driven actuator that realizes the self-powered temperature sensing function through the PTE effect. Assisted by a machine learning algorithm, the self-powered bionic hand can realize intelligent gesture recognition with an accuracy rate of 96.8%. The other is humidity-driven actuators integrated a zinc-air battery, which can realize self-powered humidity sensing. Based on the above advantages, these two multi-functional actuators are ingeniously integrated into a single device, which can simultaneously perform self-powered temperature/humidity sensing while grasping objects. The highly integrated design enables the efficient utilization of environmental energy sources and complementary synergistic monitoring of multiple physical properties without increasing system complexity.

Effect of icariin on depressive behaviour in rat pups. Evidences for its mechanism of action by integrating network pharmacology, metabolomics and gut microbiota composition.

BACKGROUND: Prenatal stress (PS) can cause cognitive disorder and a range of psychological illnesses, including anxiety and depression. Icariin (ICA) has shown promising effects in improving PS-induced depressive behaviour. However, its mechanism of action remains unclear. PURPOSE: This study was performed to reveal the key targets, metabolites and gut microbiota for ICA in improving depressive behaviour in PS rat pups. METHODS: A prenatal restraint stress animal model was established for Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats in late pregnancy. Male pups were randomly divided into six groups: no stress group (NS), PS group, PS + saline group (PS_S), PS + high-dose ICA group (ICAH, 80 mg/kg*day), PS + low-dose ICA group (ICAL, 40 mg/kg*day) and PS + fluoxetine group (FLU, 10 mg/kg*day). The depressive behaviour of each group of rat pups was evaluated using open field test, forced swimming test and sucrose preference test. Different metabolites were identified using untargeted metabolomics of serum and faeces, and metabolic pathways were analyzed through MetaboAnalyst. Targets for ICA acting on depression were determined after network pharmacology was applied. An integrated network of network pharmacology and metabolomics were constructed using Cytoscape software, and molecular docking were performed to verify the interactions between ICA and key targets. Finally, gut microbiota of rat pups in each group were analyzed after 16S rDNA sequencing. RESULTS: PS could cause rat pups to exhibit depressive behaviour, and ICA could significantly improve this depressive behaviour. A total of 49 differential metabolites were found in serum and 23 differential metabolites were found in faeces, and 24 metabolites in serum and 6 metabolites in faeces could be reversed following ICA administration. Integrated analysis focused on five key targets (i.e. adenosyl homocysteinase; medium-chain specific acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, mitochondrial; thymidine phosphorylase; cGMP-specific 3',5'-cyclic phosphodiesterase and xanthine dehydrogenase/oxidase) and three metabolites (i.e. palmitoylcarnitine, methionine and hypoxanthine). Molecular docking indicated that ICA combined well with key targets. Gut microbiota analysis showed that g_Bacteroides, f_Bacteroidaceae and s_Lactobacillus reuteri were required for ICA to improve depressive behaviour. CONCLUSION: In this study, the antidepressant mechanism of ICA was clarified with a strategy of integrating metabolomics, network pharmacology and gut microbiota. ICA has a good effect on improving metabolism and increasing the abundance of probiotics in the intestine. The present research provided new insights into the anti-depressant mechanism of ICA.

Collaborative FFE-assisted simplified soft-output MLSE with LDPC for high-speed IM-DD transmissions.

In this paper, we propose a feed-forward equalizer (FFE)-assisted simplified soft-output MLSE (sMLSE) by collaborating the maximum likelihood sequence estimation (MLSE) with soft-decision low-density-parity-check (LDPC) decoding. The simplified sMLSE results in undetermined log-likelihood ratio (LLR) magnitudes when the reserved level is less than or equal to the half of modulation order. This severely degrades the performance of soft-decision forward error correction (SD-FEC) decoding. In the FFE-assisted simplified sMLSE, we use the LLRs calculated from pre-set FFE to replace these undetermined LLRs of simplified sMLSE. Thus, the proposed method eliminates the SD-FEC decoding performance degradation resulted from simplification. We conduct experiments to transmit 184-Gb/s PAM-4 or 255-Gb/s PAM-8 signal in IM-DD system at C-band to evaluate the performance of the proposed sMLSE. The results show that the proposed sMLSE can effectively compensate for the degradation of LLR quality. For 255-Gb/s PAM-8 signal transmissions, the FFE-assisted simplified sMLSE achieves almost the same SD-FEC decoding performance as the conventional sMLSE but with 85% complexity reduction.

Three-Dimensional Multifrequency MR Elastography for Microvascular Invasion and Prognosis Assessment in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Pretreatment identification of microvascular invasion (MVI) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is important when selecting treatment strategies. PURPOSE: To improve models for predicting MVI and recurrence-free survival (RFS) by developing nomograms containing three-dimensional (3D) MR elastography (MRE). STUDY TYPE: Prospective. POPULATION: 188 patients with HCC, divided into a training cohort (n = 150) and a validation cohort (n = 38). In the training cohort, 106/150 patients completed a 2-year follow-up. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 1.5T 3D multifrequency MRE with a single-shot spin-echo echo planar imaging sequence, and 3.0T multiparametric MRI (mp-MRI), consisting of diffusion-weighted echo planar imaging, T2-weighted fast spin echo, in-phase out-of-phase T1-weighted fast spoiled gradient-recalled dual-echo and dynamic contrast-enhanced gradient echo sequences. ASSESSMENT: Multivariable analysis was used to identify the independent predictors for MVI and RFS. Nomograms were constructed for visualization. Models for predicting MVI and RFS were built using mp-MRI parameters and a combination of mp-MRI and 3D MRE predictors. STATISTICAL TESTS: Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-squared or Fisher's exact tests, multivariable analysis, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), DeLong test, Kaplan-Meier analysis and log rank tests. P < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Tumor c and liver c were independent predictors of MVI and RFS, respectively. Adding tumor c significantly improved the diagnostic performance of mp-MRI (AUC increased from 0.70 to 0.87) for MVI detection. Of the 106 patients in the training cohort who completed the 2-year follow up, 34 experienced recurrence. RFS was shorter for patients with MVI-positive histology than MVI-negative histology (27.1 months vs. >40 months). The MVI predicted by the 3D MRE model yielded similar results (26.9 months vs. >40 months). The MVI and RFS nomograms of the histologic-MVI and model-predicted MVI-positive showed good predictive performance. DATA CONCLUSION: Biomechanical properties of 3D MRE were biomarkers for MVI and RFS. MVI and RFS nomograms were established. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.

Mosaic integration and knowledge transfer of single-cell multimodal data with MIDAS.

Integrating single-cell datasets produced by multiple omics technologies is essential for defining cellular heterogeneity. Mosaic integration, in which different datasets share only some of the measured modalities, poses major challenges, particularly regarding modality alignment and batch effect removal. Here, we present a deep probabilistic framework for the mosaic integration and knowledge transfer (MIDAS) of single-cell multimodal data. MIDAS simultaneously achieves dimensionality reduction, imputation and batch correction of mosaic data by using self-supervised modality alignment and information-theoretic latent disentanglement. We demonstrate its superiority to 19 other methods and reliability by evaluating its performance in trimodal and mosaic integration tasks. We also constructed a single-cell trimodal atlas of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and tailored transfer learning and reciprocal reference mapping schemes to enable flexible and accurate knowledge transfer from the atlas to new data. Applications in mosaic integration, pseudotime analysis and cross-tissue knowledge transfer on bone marrow mosaic datasets demonstrate the versatility and superiority of MIDAS. MIDAS is available at https://github.com/labomics/midas .

Evaluation of natural products from virtual screenings as SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors using combinational experiments.

Recently, andrographolide, kaempferol, maslinic acid, rutin, and schaftoside have been identified as potent SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) inhibitors via molecular docking studies. However, no comprehensive in vitro testing of these compounds against Mpro has been conducted. In this study, we rigorously evaluated the in vitro inhibition of Mpro by these compounds using combinational experiments, including fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), fluorescence polarization (FP), and dimerization-dependent red fluorescent protein (ddRFP) assays. Our data revealed that these compounds are not Mpro inhibitors based on the results from a set of in vitro assays. These results suggest that an efficient combination of a molecular docking approach and an experimental assay is essential for the discovery of Mpro inhibitors in the future.

Integrative analysis of non-targeted metabolome and transcriptome reveals the mechanism of volatile formation in pepper fruit.

Introduction: Aroma is a key inherent quality attributes of pepper fruit, yet the underlying mechanisms of aroma compound biosynthesis remain unclear. Methods: In this study, the volatile profile of the QH (cultivated Capsicum chinense) and WH (cultivated Capsicum annuum) pepper varieties were putatively identified during fruit development using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results and discussion: The results identified 203 volatiles in pepper, and most of the esters, terpenes, aldehydes and alcohols were significantly down-regulated with fruit ripening. The comparison of volatile components between varieties revealed that aldehydes and alcohols were highly expressed in the WH fruit, while esters and terpenes with fruity or floral aroma were generally highly accumulated in the QH fruit, providing QH with a fruity odor. Transcriptome analysis demonstrated the close relationship between the synthesis of volatiles and the fatty acid and terpene metabolic pathways, and the high expression of the ADH, AAT and TPS genes was key in determining the accumulation of volatiles in pepper fruit. Furthermore, integrative metabolome and transcriptome analysis revealed that 208 differentially expressed genes were highly correlated with 114 volatiles, and the transcription factors of bHLH, MYB, ARF and IAA were identified as fundamental for the regulation of volatile synthesis in pepper fruit. Our results extend the understanding of the synthesis and accumulation of volatiles in pepper fruit.

Multifunctional actuators integrated with the function of self-powered temperature sensing made with Ti3C2Tx-bamboo nanofiber composites.

In recent years, multifunctional actuators have received increasing attention and development. In particular, researchers have conducted extensive research on intelligent actuators with integrated sensing functions. Temperature is an important parameter for the deformation of bilayer thermal actuators. By obtaining the temperature information of a bilayer thermal actuator, the deformation amplitude and its state can be judged. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop a type of intelligent actuator with a self-powered temperature sensing function. Herein, Ti3C2Tx-based composites modified with bamboo nanofibers have been proposed and applied to intelligent actuators integrated with a self-powered temperature sensing function. By utilizing the coefficients of thermal expansion between Ti3C2Tx-bamboo nanofiber composites and a polyimide film, a bilayer photo/electro-driven thermal actuator is designed which shows a bending curvature as large as 1.9 cm-1. In addition, Ti3C2Tx-bamboo nanofiber composites have a Seebeck coefficient of -9.15 µV K-1, and are N-type thermoelectric materials and can be used as the component of self-powered temperature sensors. Finally, a series of practical applications were designed, including a light-driven floating actuator (with a moving speed of 5 mm s-1), biomimetic sunflowers, bionic tentacles, and a multifunctional gripper integrated with a self-powered temperature sensing function. In particular, the multifunctional grippers can output voltage signals carrying their temperature information without external complex power sources, demonstrating their potential for remote monitoring. The above results demonstrate that Ti3C2Tx-bamboo nanofiber composites have extensive practical applications in fields such as self-powered sensors, flexible thermoelectric generators, and soft actuators.

Long Non-Coding RNA as a Potential Biomarker for Canine Tumors.

Cancer is the leading cause of death in both humans and companion animals. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays a crucial role in the progression of various types of cancers in humans, involving tumor proliferation, metastasis, angiogenesis, and signaling pathways, and acts as a potential biomarker for diagnosis and targeted treatment. However, research on lncRNAs related to canine tumors is in an early stage. Dogs have long been considered a promising natural model for human disease. This article summarizes the molecular function of lncRNAs as novel biomarkers in various types of canine tumors, providing new insights into canine tumor diagnosis and treatment. Further research on the function and mechanism of lncRNAs is needed, which will benefit both human and veterinary medicine.

On-chip all-optical second-order ordinary differential equation solver based on a single microdisk resonator.

This paper proposes an all-optical second-order ordinary differential equation (SODE) solver based on a single microdisk resonator. We validate the feasibility of our structure for constant and complex coefficient SODE solutions for Gaussian and super-Gaussian pulses. The results demonstrate a good agreement between the solutions obtained with the designed structure and those obtained through mathematical calculations for both constant and complex coefficient SODEs. We also discuss the influence of input optical signal pulse width on solution result deviations. Furthermore, we validate the capability of the designed structure to achieve tunable solutions for complex-coefficient SODEs with a tuning power of less than 10 mW. The device footprint is approximately 20×30 µm2, and it is 3-4 times smaller than the current smallest solving unit. The maximum Q-factor reaches 9.8×104. The proposed device avoids the traditional approach of cascading two resonators for SODE solving. Moreover, achieving mode alignment within the same resonator reduces the process challenges associated with aligning multiple devices in a cascade. Furthermore, it offers wider applicability for solving SODEs, namely, the ability to solve both constant and complex coefficient SODEs with complete derivative terms.

SiP-heterocycles derived from a bulky phosphanylsilylene.

Bis(1-adamantyl)phosphanylsilylene 1 was reacted with ArCCR (Ar = Ph, 4-iPr-C6H4, 3-F-C6H4; R = H, Ph) at 80 °C under microwave irradiation to afford fluorescence-active SiP-heterocycles 3a-d, which may undergo unique isomerizations starting from silirene intermediates. Moreover, the treatment of 1 with AdCP furnished a heavy congener of cyclopentadiene (4), whose formation involves cleavage of the Si(II)-P bond that is rarely observed in silylene chemistry.

Invalidation of geraniin as a potential inhibitor against SARS-CoV-2 main protease.

Recently, geraniin has been identified as a potent antiviral agent targeting SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro). Considering the potential of geraniin in COVID-19 treatment, a stringent validation for its Mpro inhibition is necessary. Herein, we rigorously evaluated the in vitro inhibitory effect of geraniin on Mpro using the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), fluorescence polarization (FP), and dimerization-dependent red fluorescent protein (ddRFP) assays. Our data indicate that geraniin is not a potential inhibitor against Mpro based on the results from a set of in vitro assays. These results suggest a stringent in vitro validation with diverse biochemical assays is essential for the discovery of Mpro inhibitors, and the fluorescence quenching effect caused by natural products should be considered when evaluating Mpro inhibitors.