Radiation reduction for interventional radiology imaging: a video frame interpolation solution.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to diminish radiation exposure in interventional radiology (IR) imaging while maintaining image quality. This was achieved by decreasing the acquisition frame rate and employing a deep neural network to interpolate the reduced frames. METHODS: This retrospective study involved the analysis of 1634 IR sequences from 167 pediatric patients (March 2014 to January 2022). The dataset underwent a random split into training and validation subsets (at a 9:1 ratio) for model training and evaluation. Our approach proficiently synthesized absent frames in simulated low-frame-rate sequences by excluding intermediate frames from the validation subset. Accuracy assessments encompassed both objective experiments and subjective evaluations conducted by nine radiologists. RESULTS: The deep learning model adeptly interpolated the eliminated frames within IR sequences, demonstrating encouraging peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and structural similarity index (SSIM) results. The average PSNR values for angiographic, subtraction, and fluoroscopic modes were 44.94 dB, 34.84 dB, and 33.82 dB, respectively, while the corresponding SSIM values were 0.9840, 0.9194, and 0.7752. Subjective experiments conducted with experienced interventional radiologists revealed minimal discernible differences between interpolated and authentic sequences. CONCLUSION: Our method, which interpolates low-frame-rate IR sequences, has shown the capability to produce high-quality IR images. Additionally, the model exhibits potential for reducing the frame rate during IR image acquisition, consequently mitigating radiation exposure. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: This study presents a critical advancement in clinical radiology by demonstrating the effectiveness of a deep neural network in reducing radiation exposure during pediatric interventional radiology while maintaining image quality, offering a potential solution to enhance patient safety. KEY POINTS: • Reducing radiation: cutting IR image to reduce radiation. • Accurate frame interpolation: our model effectively interpolates missing frames. • High visual quality in terms of PSNR and SSIM, making IR procedures safer without sacrificing quality.

Volatile compounds produced in smoked bacon inoculated with potential spoilage bacteria.

BACKGROUND: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced during meat storage are mainly derived from the decomposition of meat components and the metabolism of spoilage bacteria. VOCs produced in sterile bacon model substrate inoculated or un-inoculated with spoilage bacteria, Staphylococcus xylosus (P2), Leuconostoc mesenteroides (P6), Carnobacterium maltaromaticum (P9), Leuconostoc gelidum (P16) and Serratia liquefaciens (P20), previously isolated, were identified by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Furthermore, combinations of the strains (Pm) were also obtained. RESULTS: In total, 54 volatile compounds, including aldehydes, alcohols, phenols, ketones, alkanes, alkanes, organic acids, esters and so forth, were determined after 45 days of storage in bacon inoculated with potential spoilage bacteria using the HS-SPME/GC-MS method. VOC concentrations of alcohols and organic acids in groups inoculated with bacteria were remarkably higher (P < 0.05) compared to that in control samples. Specifically, some VOCs are closely related to the metabolic activity of the inoculated bacterial strains; for example, 2,3-butanediol was associated with P2, P16 and P20, and acetic acid was mainly related to P6 and P9. CONCLUSION: The results of partial least squares regression indicated that there was a high correlation between the electronic nose sensors and VOCs of smoked inoculated potential spoilage bacteria. These compounds are potentially important for predicting deterioration of smoked bacon. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

The Combination of Corona Discharge Plasma and ε-Polylysine for the Inactivation of Serratia liquefaciens.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the mechanism of inactivation of Serratia liquefaciens by different treatments, namely corona discharge plasma (CDP), ε-polylysine (ε-PL), and corona discharge plasma combined with ε-polylysine (CDP plus ε-PL). The results showed that the combined treatment of CDP and ε-PL exhibited significant antibacterial effects. The total number of colonies of S. liquefaciens dropped by 0.49 log CFU/mL following 4 min of CDP treatment, 4MIC ε-PL treatment for 6 h alone decreased the amounts of colonies by 2.11 log CFU/mL, and 6 h of treatment with 4MIC ε-PL after the bacterium was treated with CDP could decrease the number of colonies by 6.77 log CFU/mL. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the combined treatment of CDP and ε-PL caused the most serious damage to the cell morphology. Electrical conductivity, nucleic acid, and PI staining indicated that the combined treatment dramatically enhanced the permeability of the cell membrane. In addition, the combined treatment led to a significant decrease in SOD and POD enzyme activities in S. liquefaciens, which prevented energy metabolism. Finally, the determination of free and intracellular ε-PL concentrations confirmed that the treatment of CDP could cause the bacteria to bind more ε-PL and exert more significant bacterial inhibition. Therefore, CDP and ε-PL had a synergistic effect in the inhibition of S. liquefaciens.

Intrathecal chemotherapy combined with systemic therapy in patients with refractory leptomeningeal metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) is the most devastating complication of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and its incidence is increasing. There is currently no standard treatment for LM, and the efficacy of traditional intravenous drug treatment is low, making refractory LM a difficult problem. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of intrathecal chemotherapy (IC)-based regimens in patients with refractory LM. METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled NSCLC patients with confirmed LM who received IC and systemic therapy at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from December 2017 to July 2022. We analysed overall survival (OS), intracranial progression-free survival (iPFS), clinical response, and safety in these patients. RESULTS: A total of 41 patients were enrolled. The median number of IC treatments was seven (range: 2-22). Seven patients received intrathecal methotrexate, and 34 patients received intrathecal pemetrexed. Clinical manifestations related to LM improved after IC and systemic therapy in 28 (68.3%) patients. The median iPFS in the whole cohort was 8 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.4-9.7 months), and the median OS was 10.1 months (95% CI: 6.8-13.4 months). Multivariate analysis of the 41 patients with LM using a Cox proportional risk model showed that bevacizumab was an independent prognostic factor in patients treated with combination therapy (p = 0.002; hazard ratio [HR] 0.240; 95% CI: 0.097-0.595). Poor ECOG performance status remained a significant predictor of poor prognosis for survival (p = 0.048; HR 2.560; 95% CI: 1.010-6.484). Myelosuppression was the major adverse event over all IC dose levels. There were 18 cases of myelosuppression, 15 cases of leukopenia, and nine cases of thrombocytopenia. Eleven patients had myelosuppression above grade 3, including four with thrombocytopenia and seven with leukopenia. CONCLUSIONS: Combination therapy based on IC had good curative effects, was safe to use, and was associated with prolonged survival in NSCLC patients with LM. The use of bevacizumab is a good prognostic factor for NSCLC LM patients with combination therapy.

Pulsed electric field using the needle-needle electrodes for improving the salt diffusion of pork brine salting.

Pulsed electric field (PEF), as an emerging nonthermal processing technology, has attracted extensive attention and research in food processing. In the present study, PEF has been approved that has the potential to enhance salt diffusion in pork. In this study, pork lions were pretreated with PEF before being immersed in the brine (5% NaCl [w/w]) at 4°C to investigate the effect of needle-needle PEF pretreatment on pork brine salting. The changes in the weight, moisture, and salt content were detected during the salting process. The effective diffusion coefficient (De) and mass transfer kinetics were calculated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were subsequently used to analyze the microstructure of the pork and the secondary structure of myofibrillar proteins (MPs). The outcomes demonstrated that after brining for 8 h with PEF pretreatment, the weight, moisture, and salt changes increased significantly. The central salt content achieved by 12 h brining after PEF treatment (4.5 kV) is equivalent to that achieved by brining for 20 h without any treatment. The De was raised to 4.0 × 10-10 (PEF) from 3.1 × 10-10 (control). SEM and FTIR results revealed that PEF altered the microstructure of pork and the secondary structure of MP. Our study demonstrated that PEF generated by needle-needle electrodes could effectively promote salt diffusion and shorten salting processing.

Enantioselective Synthesis of Ten-Membered Lactones via Palladium-Catalyzed [5 + 5] Annulation.

Ten-membered lactones are the core units of many biologically active natural products but with a great synthetic challenge. Based on the principle of vinylogy, novel types of cyclic vinylogous anhydrides have been designed as five-carbon carbonyl synthons, further applied in [5 + 5] annulation with vinylethylene carbonates under chiral palladium catalysis. This strategy features excellent regioselectivity, mild conditions, and broad substrate scope, affording a range of spiro ten-membered lactones bearing oxindole and pyrrolidinone motif in excellent yield (up to 99%) with moderate to high enantioselectivity (up to 89% ee).

Influence analysis of green finance development impact on carbon emissions: an exploratory study based on fsQCA.

Increasing environmental degradation has forced policymakers to include sustainability in the economic growth agenda. Green finance has attracted the attention of policymakers and the industry, but the impact of green finance on social and environmental sustainability has not been confirmed. This study uses the panel data of 34 Chinese provinces to investigate the relationship between green finance and environmental degradation. The fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method is utilized to analyze the mixed effect of green finance on CO2 emissions. These factors include green innovation, green insurance, green investment, and industrial structure. The results show that exogenous demand factors, including green insurance and industrial structure, have auxiliary effects when endogenous demand factors, including green investment and green innovation, exist as the core antecedent conditions among green finance and environmental degradation. Finally, the policymakers should encourage financial technology to actively participate in environmental protection initiatives that promote green consumption while minimizing the systemic risks caused by financial technology.

Novel AAV-mediated genome editing therapy improves health and survival in a mouse model of methylmalonic acidemia.

Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) is an inborn error of metabolism mostly caused by mutations in the mitochondrial methylmalonyl-CoA mutase gene (MMUT). MMA patients suffer from frequent episodes of metabolic decompensation, which can be life threatening. To mimic both the dietary restrictions and metabolic decompensation seen in MMA patients, we developed a novel protein-controlled diet regimen in a Mmut deficient mouse model of MMA and demonstrated the therapeutic benefit of mLB-001, a nuclease-free, promoterless recombinant AAV GeneRideTM vector designed to insert the mouse Mmut into the endogenous albumin locus via homologous recombination. A single intravenous administration of mLB-001 to neonatal or adult MMA mice prevented body weight loss and mortality when challenged with a high protein diet. The edited hepatocytes expressed functional MMUT protein and expanded over time in the Mmut deficient mice, suggesting a selective growth advantage over the diseased cells. In mice with a humanized liver, treatment with a human homolog of mLB-001 resulted in site-specific genome editing and transgene expression in the transplanted human hepatocytes. Taken together, these findings support the development of hLB-001 that is currently in clinical trials in pediatric patients with severe forms of MMA.

A novel EGFR exon 21 indel mutation in lung adenocarcinoma and response to dacomitinib: A case report.

RATIONALE: Uncommon epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are increasingly being identified in non-small cell lung cancer. Insertion and deletion mutations have been detected in exons 18, 19, and 20, but not in exon 21. In patients with uncommon mutations, the second-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor afatinib has shown good efficacy, whereas that of dacomitinib, another second-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, remains unknown. Here, we reported a patient with a novel EGFR21 exon insertion-deletion (indel) mutation and demonstrated the efficacy of dacomitinib. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 59-year-old nonsmoking Chinese male was admitted to the hospital with lung cancer after a chest computed tomography for coughing and sputum. The patient's condition progressed after multiple treatments including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. DIAGNOSIS: The patient had clinical manifestations of cough and sputum and was pathologically confirmed to have T2bN1M0 (stage IIB) lung adenocarcinoma according to the seventh edition of tumor-node-metastasis staging. The patient underwent a second operation after detection of recurrence, and postoperative pathology confirmed adenocarcinoma of the lung. The patient progressed again after surgery, and the tumor-node-metastasis stage was changed to T4N0M1a (stage IVA) before treatment with dacomitinib. INTERVENTIONS: After detection of the EGFR exon 21 indel mutation, the patient began treatment with dacomitinib (45 mg once a day) on March 12, 2021. OUTCOMES: After 1 month of targeted therapy, the patient showed a partial response to dacomitinib. As of March 19, 2022, his condition remained stable and he continued to receive dacomitinib. Progression-free survival reached 12.4 months. The patient experienced mild adverse reactions of pruritus during the use of dacomitinib, but recovered after drug treatment. LESSON: We reported a novel EGFR exon 21 indel mutation in a lung adenocarcinoma patient. Dacomitinib showed efficacy in the treatment of a patient with this mutation, suggesting that its efficacy in patients with uncommon mutations should be explored further. The next-generation sequencing is recommended as a guiding tool for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Pd-Catalyzed Tandem [5 + 2] Cycloaddition/Ring Contraction of Phthalide-Derived Alkenes and Vinylethylene Carbonates for the Construction of Benzo-[5,5]-spiroketal Lactones.

An annulation of phthalide-derived activated alkenes is initially disclosed in this work. Specifically, we have developed an unprecedented [5 + 2] cycloaddition/ring-contraction tandem process of activated tetrasubstituted alkenes derived from phthalides or butyrolactone with vinylethylene carbonates under Pd(0) catalysis. Differing from the traditional spirolactonization strategy, this method renders an efficient and mechanistically distinct approach to benzo-[5,5]-spiroketal lactones and [5,5]-spiroketal lactones bearing two vicinal tetrasubstituted centers with high diastereoselectivity.

Super-Selective Partial Splenic Embolization for Hereditary Spherocytosis in Children: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

Background: Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is the most common hemolytic anemia due to erythrocyte membrane defects. Total splenectomy is the most effective treatment for moderate or severe HS. As a conservative alternative, partial splenic embolization (PSE) can preserve part of the spleen's function, thus reducing the risk of overwhelming post-splenectomy infection (OPSI) or sepsis, especially for pediatric patients. However, it is not easy to precisely control the scope of interventional embolization, limiting PSE applications. The present study aims to optimize the PSE procedure on smaller, which is named super-selective PSE (SPSE), to improve the controllability and assess the feasibility and effectiveness of SPSE. Results: This study was conducted by retrospectively reviewing clinical data from HS patients treated by surgical treatments, which were diagnosed at the children's hospital of Chongqing medical university from January 2015 to December 2019. Patients were divided into two groups according to their treatment preference: SPSE (16 patients) group and total splenectomy (41 patients) group. The mean proportion range of splenic embolism by SPSE was 82.4%, close to the expected value (70-85%). The average hemoglobin value was increased significantly from 6.85 (5.6-8.0) g/dl before SPSE to 12.4 (10.4-13.3) g/dl after SPSE (p < 0.001). All children after SPSE suffered mild post-embolization syndrome, such as pain, fever, and vomiting, which could easily be controlled with appropriate supportive therapy. Conclusions: Super-selective partial splenic embolization is a safe and effective treatment for moderate or severe HS in children. However, with a longer follow-up, more patients further assess the value of SPSE.

Plant Disease Detection Using Generated Leaves Based on DoubleGAN.

Plant leaves can be used to effectively detect plant diseases. However, the number of images of unhealthy leaves collected from various plants is usually unbalanced. It is difficult to detect diseases using such an unbalanced dataset. We used DoubleGAN (a double generative adversarial network) to generate images of unhealthy plant leaves to balance such datasets. We proposed using DoubleGAN to generate high-resolution images of unhealthy leaves using fewer samples. DoubleGAN is divided into two stages. In stage 1, we used healthy leaves and unhealthy leaves as inputs. First, the healthy leaf images were used as inputs for the WGAN (Wasserstein generative adversarial network) to obtain the pretrained model. Then, unhealthy leaves were used for the pretrained model to generate 64*64 pixel images of unhealthy leaves. In stage 2, a superresolution generative adversarial network (SRGAN) was used to obtain corresponding 256*256 pixel images to expand the unbalanced dataset. Finally, compared with images generated by DCGAN (Deep convolution generative adversarial network). The dataset expanded with DoubleGAN, the generated images are clearer than DCGAN, and the accuracy of plant species and disease recognition reached 99.80 and 99.53 percent, respectively. The recognition results are better than those from the original dataset.

Microbial Inactivation Property of Pulsed Corona Discharge Plasma and Its Effect on Chilled Pork Preservation.

Although plasma, especially atmospheric plasma generated by corona discharge, has been proven to be effective in sterilization and food preservation, its disinfection mechanism on chilled pork is poorly understood. In this research, the bactericidal and preservation effect of corona discharge plasma (CDP) was investigated. The maximum bactericidal effect was found after 20 kV 4 kHz CDP treatment, with 2.77 log (colony-forming unit [CFU]/g), 2.41 log (CFU/g), and 1.36 log (CFU/g) reduction for Pantoea agglomerans, Serratia liquefaciens, and Kurthia zopfii, respectively, after 10 min of exposure. The efficiency of microbial inactivation was attributed to the increase of ozone, hydrogen peroxide and morphological changes. It was observed that the microbial level and total volatile binding nitrogen value of CDP-treated chilled pork samples were suppressed during storage, whereas the increase of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances value and the changes of color were still worthy of attention. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of pulsed CDP on the inactivation of spoilage microorganism inoculated on the surface of fresh pork. The prospect of this technology in meat preservation industry was also investigated.

Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Effect of Ultrasound and Mild Heat Against a Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Stain Isolated from Meat of Yellow-Feathered Chicken.

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important foodborne pathogen with high biofilm-forming ability, which is continuously detected in food products in recent years. The antibacterial and antibiofilm activities and mechanism of ultrasonication in combination with heat treatment against K. pneumoniae were studied. K. pneumoniae planktonic and biofilm cells were treated with ultrasound (US), mild heat treatment (HT50, HT60, and HT70), and combinations of US and mild heat treatment (UH50, UH60, and UH70) for 5, 10, 20, 30, and 60 min. Results showed that the combination of US and mild heat treatment was more effective in inactivating K. pneumoniae planktonic and biofilm cells than the single treatment by counting viable bacteria. In addition, confocal laser scanning microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and analysis of leakage of intracellular substances have revealed that the combination treatment effectively damaged the integrity of bacterial cell membrane and increased cell permeability, which led to the quick release of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and macromolecular substances of nucleic acids and proteins. Moreover, the activities of respiratory chain dehydrogenase in planktonic and biofilm cells significantly decreased after UH treatment. The results indicated that ultrasonication and mild heat treatment had a synergistic effect on the inactivation of K. pneumoniae planktonic and biofilm cells by damaging the cell membrane and inhibiting intercellular cell respiration.

Construction of healthy enterprises in coal industry / 中国职业医学

@#Promoting the construction of healthy enterprises in the China's coal industry will help coal enterprises to fulfill their ， ， legal and social responsibilities contribute to the construction of healthy cities and protect the health of occupational ， ， individuals from various aspects. In recent years the patriotic health campaign the health promotion project of industrial and ， ， ， mining enterprises the construction of standardized management system of coal mine safety the construction of green mines and the construction project of staff quality have laid the foundation for the construction of healthy enterprises in China's coal ， industry. However the development of coal industry in China is unbalanced and insufficient. There are many problems such as a ， general lack of professional talents the exist of a large number of small coal mines and the underprivileged technology of coal ， ， ， mining poor working environment in underground coal mines many occupational hazards in workplace and relatively few special incentive measures for the construction of healthy enterprises in the coal industry. It is recommended that coal ， enterprises with advanced productivity take the lead to demonstrate coal mine industry construction actively promote advanced ， ， and applicable technology and equipment steadily improve the professional level of coal industry workers comprehensively ， ， improve the environment of mining areas strengthen the monitoring and treatment of occupational hazards improve and ， - implement special incentive measures for healthy enterprises and comprehensively promote the high quality development of coal industry and the construction of healthy enterprises. So as to effectively protect the health occupational rights and interests of workers and provide assistance for occupational health work in the new era.

Directional Changes in the Intestinal Bacterial Community in Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae.

Black soldier fly (BSF) larvae, Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) have emerged as an efficient system for the bioconversion of organic waste. Intestinal microorganisms are involved in several insect functions, including the development, nutrition, and physiology of the host. In order to transform the intestinal bacterial community of BSF directionally, six different potential functional strains (Lysinibacillus sphaericus, Proteus mirabilis, Citrobacter freundii, Pseudocitrobacter faecalis, Pseudocitrobacter anthropi, and Enterococcus faecalis) were added to aseptic food waste, and aseptic food waste was used without inoculants as a blank control to evaluate the changes in the intestinal microbiota of BSF under artificial intervention conditions. These six strains (which were isolated from the larval intestinal tract in selective media and then identified and screened) may be considered responsible for the functional characteristics of larvae. The results imply that the increase in the abundance of Lysinibacillus in the experimental group that was exposed to Lysinibacillus sphaericus was significantly different to the other groups (p < 0.05). The results revealed that it is feasible to transform the intestinal microbiota of BSF directionally; there are differences in the proliferation of different strains in the intestine of BSF.

Remotely sensed estimation of total iron content in soil with harmonic analysis and BP neural network.

BACKGROUND: The estimation of total iron content at the regional scale is of much significance as iron deficiency has become a routine problem for many crops. METHODS: In this study, a novel method for estimating total iron content in soil (TICS) was proposed using harmonic analysis (HA) and back propagation (BP) neural network model. Several data preprocessing methods of first derivative (FD), wavelet packet transform (WPT), and HA were conducted to improve the correlation between the soil spectra and TICS. The principal component analysis (PCA) was exploited to obtained three kinds of characteristic variables (FD, WPT-FD, and WPT-FD-HA) for TICS estimation. Furthermore, the estimated accuracy of three BP models based on these variables was compared. RESULTS: The results showed that the BP models of different soil types based on WPT-FD-HA had better estimation accuracy, with the highest R2 value of 0.95, and the RMSE of 0.68 for the loessial soil. It was proved that the characteristic variable obtained by harmonic decomposition improved the validity of the input variables and the estimation accuracy of the TICS models. Meanwhile, it was identified that the WPT-FD-HA-BP model can not only estimate the total iron content of a single soil type with high accuracy but also demonstrate a good effect on the estimation of TICS of mixed soil. CONCLUSION: The HA method and BP neural network combined with WPT and FD have great potential in TICS estimation under the conditions of single soil and mixed soil. This method can be expected to be applied to the prediction of crop biochemical parameters.

In situ monitoring of the effect of Cu2+ on the membrane permeability of a single living cell with a dual-electrode tip of a scanning electrochemical microscope.

Here, an Au-Cu dual-electrode tip was designed to monitor the effect of Cu2+ on the membrane permeability of a single living cell in situ using scanning electrochemical microscopy. The probe approach curves (PACs) were obtained using potassium ferricyanide as a redox mediator. Meanwhile, according to the simulation, theoretical PACs could be acquired. Thus, the cell membrane permeability coefficient (Pm) values were obtained by overlapping the experimental PACs with the theoretical values. Cu2+ was directly generated by electrolyzing the Cu electrode of the dual-electrode tip to investigate its effect on the cell membrane permeability in situ. This work has potential value to improve the understanding of the mechanism of acute heavy metal damage on the cell membrane and will also help clarify the role of heavy metal ions in physiological or pathological processes.