Subchondral bone expansion in advanced knee osteoarthritis: Relation with radiographic severity and role in surgical decision-making.

Background: Joint space width (JSW) is a traditional imaging marker for knee osteoarthritis (OA) severity, but it lacks sensitivity in advanced cases. We propose tibial subchondral bone area (TSBA), a new CT imaging marker to explore its relationship with OA radiographic severity, and to test its performance for classifying surgical decisions between unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) compared to JSW. Methods: We collected clinical, radiograph, and CT data from 182 patients who underwent primary knee arthroplasty (73 UKA, 109 TKA). The radiographic severity was scored using Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grading system. TSBA and JSW were extracted from 3D CT-reconstruction model. We used independent t-test to investigate the relationship between TSBA and KL grade, and binary logistic regression to identify factors associated with TKA risk. The accuracy of TSBA, JSW and established classification model in differentiating between UKA and TKA was assessed using AUC. Results: All parameters exhibited inter- and intra-class coefficients greater than 0.966. Patients with KL grade 4 had significantly larger TSBA than those with KL grade 3. TSBA (0.708 of AUC) was superior to minimal/average JSW (0.547/0.554 of AUC) associated with the risk of receiving TKA. Medial TSBA, together with gender and Knee Society Knee Score, emerged as independent classification factors in multivariate analysis. The overall AUC of composite model for surgical decision-making was 0.822. Conclusion: Tibial subchondral bone area is an independent imaging marker for radiographic severity, and is superior to JSW for surgical decision-making between UKA and TKA in advanced OA patients.

Stability and 3D-printing performance of high-internal-phase emulsions based on ultrafine soybean meal particles.

There are numerous studies on the application of soybean whey protein in three-dimensional (3D) printing. In this study, the effects of soybean meal particles (5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, and 10%) and oil-phase concentrations (70%, 72%, 74%, 76%, and 78%) on the stability and 3D-printing performance of a soybean-meal-based high-internal-phase emulsion were investigated. The results showed that the particle size of the emulsion decreased with increasing soybean meal particle concentration, and that increasing the concentration of the oil phase improved the viscoelasticity of the emulsion. Rheological tests further showed that the higher storage modulus of the emulsion indicated better support and stability. The emulsion with 8% soybean meal-particles and 76% oil-phase concentration exhibited the best printing effect. This study provides an effective solution for the preparation of stabilized high-internal-phase emulsions of soybean meal particles suitable for 3D printing.

Radiomics signature of osteoarthritis: Current status and perspective.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the fast-growing disability-related diseases worldwide, which has significantly affected the quality of patients' lives and brings about substantial socioeconomic burdens in medical expenditure. There is currently no cure for OA once the bone damage is established. Unfortunately, the existing radiological examination is limited to grading the disease's severity and is insufficient to precisely diagnose OA, detect early OA or predict OA progression. Therefore, there is a pressing need to develop novel approaches in medical image analysis to detect subtle changes for identifying early OA development and rapid progressors. Recently, radiomics has emerged as a unique approach to extracting high-dimensional imaging features that quantitatively characterise visible or hidden information from routine medical images. Radiomics data mining via machine learning has empowered precise diagnoses and prognoses of disease, mainly in oncology. Mounting evidence has shown its great potential in aiding the diagnosis and contributing to the study of musculoskeletal diseases. This paper will summarise the current development of radiomics at the crossroads between engineering and medicine and discuss the application and perspectives of radiomics analysis for OA diagnosis and prognosis. The translational potential of this article: Radiomics is a novel approach used in oncology, and it may also play an essential role in the diagnosis and prognosis of OA. By transforming medical images from qualitative interpretation to quantitative data, radiomics could be the solution for precise early OA detection, progression tracking, and treatment efficacy prediction. Since the application of radiomics in OA is still in the early stages and primarily focuses on fundamental studies, this review may inspire more explorations and bring more promising diagnoses, prognoses, and management results of OA.

Radiomics analysis of patellofemoral joint improves knee replacement risk prediction: Data from the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST).

Objective: Knee replacement (KR) is the last-resort treatment for knee osteoarthritis. Although radiographic evidence of tibiofemoral joint has been widely adopted for prognostication, patellofemoral joint has gained little attention and may hold additional value for further improvements. We aimed to quantitatively analyse patellofemoral joint through radiomics analysis of lateral view radiographs for improved KR risk prediction. Design: From the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study dataset, we retrospectively retrieved the initial-visit lateral left knee radiographs of 2943 patients aged 50 to 79. They were split into training and test cohorts at a 2:1 ratio. A comprehensive set of radiomic features were extracted within the best-performing subregion of patellofemoral joint and combined into a radiomics score (RadScore). A KR risk score, derived from Kellgren-Lawrence grade (KLG) of tibiofemoral joint and RadScore of patellofemoral joint, was developed by multivariate Cox regression and assessed using time-dependent area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: While patellofemoral osteoarthritis (PFOA) was insignificant during multivariate analysis, RadScore was identified as an independent risk factor (multivariate Cox p-value < 0.001) for KR. The subgroup analysis revealed that RadScore was particularly effective in predicting rapid progressor (KR occurrence before 30 months) among early- (KLG < 2) and mid-stage (KLG â€‹= â€‹2) patients. Combining two joints radiographic information, the AUC reached 0.89/0.87 for predicting 60-month KR occurrence. Conclusions: The RadScore of the patellofemoral joint on lateral radiographs emerges as an independent prognostic factor for improving KR prognosis prediction. The KR risk score could be instrumental in managing progressive knee osteoarthritis interventions.

Multi-Stimuli Operando Transmission Electron Microscopy for Two-Terminal Oxide-Based Devices.

The integration of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based chips for in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has emerged as a highly promising technique in the study of nanoelectronic devices within their operational parameters. This innovative approach facilitates the comprehensive exploration of electrical properties resulting from the simultaneous exposure of these devices to a diverse range of stimuli. However, the control of each individual stimulus within the confined environment of an electron microscope is challenging. In this study, we present novel findings on the effect of a multi-stimuli application on the electrical performance of TEM lamella devices. To approximate the leakage current measurements of macroscale electronic devices in TEM lamellae, we have developed a postfocused ion beam (FIB) healing technique. This technique combines dedicated MEMS-based chips and in situ TEM gas cells, enabling biasing experiments under environmental conditions. Notably, our observations reveal a reoxidation process that leads to a decrease in leakage current for SrTiO3-based memristors and BaSrTiO3-based tunable capacitor devices following ion and electron bombardment in oxygen-rich environments. These findings represent a significant step toward the realization of multi-stimuli TEM experiments on metal-insulator-metal devices, offering the potential for further exploration and a deeper understanding of their intricate behavior.

Adaptive Fusion of Deep Learning With Statistical Anatomical Knowledge for Robust Patella Segmentation From CT Images.

Kneeosteoarthritis (KOA), as a leading joint disease, can be decided by examining the shapes of patella to spot potential abnormal variations. To assist doctors in the diagnosis of KOA, a robust automatic patella segmentation method is highly demanded in clinical practice. Deep learning methods, especially convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been widely applied to medical image segmentation in recent years. Nevertheless, poor image quality and limited data still impose challenges to segmentation via CNNs. On the other hand, statistical shape models (SSMs) can generate shape priors which give anatomically reliable segmentation to varying instances. Thus, in this work, we propose an adaptive fusion framework, explicitly combining deep neural networks and anatomical knowledge from SSM for robust patella segmentation. Our adaptive fusion framework will accordingly adjust the weight of segmentation candidates in fusion based on their segmentation performance. We also propose a voxel-wise refinement strategy to make the segmentation of CNNs more anatomically correct. Extensive experiments and thorough assessment have been conducted on various mainstream CNN backbones for patella segmentation in low-data regimes, which demonstrate that our framework can be flexibly attached to a CNN model, significantly improving its performance when labeled training data are limited and input image data are of poor quality.

Weld-free mounting of lamellae for electrical biasing operando TEM.

Recent advances in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based substrates and sample holders for in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are currently enabling exciting new opportunities for the nanoscale investigation of materials and devices. The ability to perform electrical testing while simultaneously capturing the wide spectrum of signals detectable in a TEM, including structural, chemical, and even electronic contrast, represents a significant milestone in the realm of nanoelectronics. In situ studies hold particular promise for the development of Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) devices for use in next-generation computing. However, achieving successful device operation in the TEM typically necessitates meticulous sample preparation involving focused ion beam (FIB) systems. Conducting contamination introduced during the FIB thinning process and subsequent attachment of the sample onto a MEMS-based chip remains a formidable challenge. This article delineates an improved FIB-based sample preparation methodology that results in good electrical connectivity and operational functionality across various MIM devices. To exemplify the efficacy of the sample preparation technique, we demonstrate preparation of a clean cross section extracted from a Au/Pt/BaSrTiO3/SrMoO3 tunable capacitor (varactor). The FIB-prepared TEM lamella mounted on a MEMS-based chip showed current levels in the tens of picoamperes range at 0.1 V. Furthermore, the electric response and current density of the TEM lamella device closely align with macro-scale devices. These samples exhibit comparable current densities to their macro-sized counterparts thus validating the sample preparation process and confirming device connectivity. The simultaneous operation and TEM characterization of electronic devices enabled by this process enables direct correlation between device structure and function, which could prove pivotal in the development of new MIM systems.

Texture Transfer in Dielectric Layers via Nanocrystalline Networks: Insights from in Situ 4D-STEM.

Transition metal oxide dielectric layers have emerged as promising candidates for various relevant applications, such as supercapacitors or memory applications. However, the performance and reliability of these devices can critically depend on their microstructure, which can be strongly influenced by thermal processing and substrate-induced strain. To gain a more in-depth understanding of the microstructural changes, we conducted in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies of amorphous HfO2 dielectric layers grown on highly textured (111) substrates. Our results indicate that the minimum required phase transition temperature is 180 °C and that the developed crystallinity is affected by texture transfer. Using in situ TEM and 4D-STEM can provide valuable insights into the fundamental mechanisms underlying the microstructural evolution of dielectric layers and could pave the way for the development of more reliable and efficient devices for future applications.

Translational Antiphase Boundaries in NaNbO3 Antiferroelectrics.

Planar defects are known to be of importance in affecting the functional properties of materials. Translational antiphase boundaries (APBs) in particular have attracted considerable attention in perovskite oxides, but little is known in lead-free antiferroelectric oxides that are promising candidates for energy storage applications. Here, we present a study of translational APBs in prototypical antiferroelectric NaNbO3 using aberration-corrected (scanning) transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques at different length scales. The translational APBs in NaNbO3 are characterized by a 2-fold-modulated structure, which is antipolar in nature and exhibits a high density, different from the polar nature and lower density in PbZrO3. The high stability of translational APBs against external electric fields and elevated temperatures was revealed using ex situ and in situ TEM experiments and is expected to be associated with their antipolar nature. Density functional theory calculations demonstrate that translational APBs possess only slightly higher free energy than the antiferroelectric and ferroelectric phase energies with differences of 29 and 33 meV/f.u., respectively, justifying their coexistence down to the nanoscale at room temperature. These results provide a detailed atomistic elucidation of translational APBs in NaNbO3 with antipolar character and stability against external stimuli, establishing the basis of defect engineering of antiferroelectrics for energy storage devices.

Molybdenum Phosphide Quantum Dots Encapsulated by P/N-Doped Carbon for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in Acid and Alkaline Electrolytes.

A facile and eco-friendly strategy is presented for synthesizing novel nanocomposites, with MoP quantum dots (QDs) as cores and graphitic carbon as shells, these nanoparticles are dispersed in a nitrogen and phosphorus-doped porous carbon and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) substrates (MoP@NPC/CNT). The synthesis involves self-assembling reactions to form single-source precursors (SSPs), followed by pyrolysis at 900 °C in an inert atmosphere to obtain MoP@NPC/CNT-900. The presence of carbon layers on the MoP QDs effectively prevents particle aggregation, enhancing the utilization of active MoP species. The optimized sample, MoP@NPC/CNT-900, exhibits remarkable electrocatalytic activity and durability for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). It demonstrates a low overpotential of 155 mV at 10 mA cm-2 , a small Tafel slope of 76 mV dec-1 , and sustained performance over 20 hours in 0.5 M H2 SO4 . Furthermore, the catalyst shows excellent activity in 1 M KOH, with a relatively low overpotential of 131 mV and long-term durability under constant current input. The exceptional HER activity can be attributed to several factors: the superior performance of MoP QDs, the large surface area and good conductivity of the carbon substrates, and the synergistic effect between MoP and carbon species.

Single-Source-Precursor Derived Transition Metal Alloys Embedded in Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbons as Efficient Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysts.

Carbon supported metallic nanomaterials are of great interest due to their low-cost, high durability and promising functional performance. Herein, a highly active oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalyst comprised of defective carbon shell encapsulated metal (Fe, Co, Ni) nanoparticles and their alloys supported on in-situ formed N-doped graphene/carbon nanotube hybrid is synthesized from novel single-source-precursors (SSP). The precursors are synthesized by a facile one-pot reaction of tannic acid with polyethylenimine and different metal ions and subsequent pyrolysis of the SSP. Benefiting from the heteroatom doping of carbon and formation of well-encapsulated metal/alloy nanoparticles, the obtained FeNi@NC-900 catalyst possesses lowest overpotentials of 310 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm-2 for OER with a small Tafel slope value of 45 mV dec-1 , indicating excellent catalytic performance due to the following features: (1) A synergistic electronic effect among metal alloy nanoparticles, nitrogen-doped carbon, and entangled carbon nanotubes; (2) penetration of electrolyte is promoted towards the active sites through the porous structure of the formed mesoporous carbon clusters; (3) the unique core-shell nanostructure of the hybrid material effectively curbs the degradation of electrocatalyst by protecting the alloy nanoparticles from harsh electrolyte. This work advances an inexpensive and facile method towards the development of transition metal-based hybrid material for potential energy storage and conversion.

Fully Inkjet-Printed Chemiresistive Sensor Array Based on Molecularly Imprinted Sol-Gel Active Materials.

The fabrication of chemiresistive sensors by inkjet printing is recognized as a breakthrough in gas-sensing applications. One challenge of this technology, however, is how to enhance the cross-selectivity of the sensor array. Herein, we present a ketjen black (KB) ink and molecularly imprinted sol-gel (MISG) inks to support the fabrication of a fully inkjet-printed chemiresistive sensor array, enabling the highly accurate recognition of volatile organic acids (VOAs) on the molecular level. The MISG/KB sensor array was prepared on a glossy photographic paper with a three-layer structure: a circuit layer by a commercial silver ink, a conductive layer by a KB ink, and an active selective layer by MISG inks imprinted by different templates. Hexanoic acid (HA), heptanoic acid, and octanoic acid were used as templates to prepare the MISGs and as targets to evaluate the detection and discrimination performance of the sensor array. Three resultant MISG/KB sensors exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity to VOA vapors. The limit of detection and imprinting factor were 0.018 ppm and 7.82, respectively, for HA-MISG/KB sensors to the corresponding target. With linear discriminant analysis of the gas responses, the MISG/KB sensor array can realize high discrimination to VOAs in single and binary mixtures. Furthermore, the proposed sensor array showed strong sensor robustness with excellent consistency, durability, bending, and humidity resistance. This work developed a fully inkjet-printed chemiresistive sensor array, enabling the realization of high cross-selectivity detection, achieving low-cost, scalable, and highly reproducible sensor fabrication, moving it closer to reliable, commercial, and wearable multi-analyte human body odor analysis potential.

Four-band non-Abelian topological insulator and its experimental realization.

Very recently, increasing attention has been focused on non-Abelian topological charges, e.g., the quaternion group Q8. Different from Abelian topological band insulators, these systems involve multiple entangled bulk bandgaps and support nontrivial edge states that manifest the non-Abelian topological features. Furthermore, a system with an even or odd number of bands will exhibit a significant difference in non-Abelian topological classification. To date, there has been scant research investigating even-band non-Abelian topological insulators. Here, we both theoretically explore and experimentally realize a four-band PT (inversion and time-reversal) symmetric system, where two new classes of topological charges as well as edge states are comprehensively studied. We illustrate their difference in the four-dimensional (4D) rotation sense on the stereographically projected Clifford tori. We show the evolution of the bulk topology by extending the 1D Hamiltonian onto a 2D plane and provide the accompanying edge state distributions following an analytical method. Our work presents an exhaustive study of four-band non-Abelian topological insulators and paves the way towards other even-band systems.

Experimental observation of non-Abelian topological charges and edge states.

In the last few decades, topological phase1-11 has emerged as a new classification of matter states beyond the Ginzburg-Landau symmetry-breaking paradigm. The underlying global invariant is usually well characterized by integers, such as Chern numbers or winding numbers-the Abelian charges12-15. Very recently, researchers proposed the notion of non-Abelian topological charges16-19, which possess non-commutative and fruitful braiding structures with multiple (more than one) bandgaps tangled together. Here we experimentally observe the non-Abelian topological charges in a time-reversal and inversion-symmetric transmission line network. The quaternion-valued non-Abelian topological charges are clearly mapped onto an eigenstate-frame sphere. Moreover, we find a non-Abelian quotient relation that provides a global perspective on the distribution of edge/domain-wall states. Our work opens the door towards characterization and manipulation of non-Abelian topological charges, which may lead to interesting observables such as trajectory-dependent Dirac/Weyl node collisions in two-dimensional systems16,17,20, admissible nodal line configurations in three dimensions16,19,20, and may provide insight into certain strongly correlated phases of twisted bilayer graphene21.

2-Mercaptoethanol (2-ME)-based IATs or Polybrene method mitigates the interference of daratumumab on blood compatibility tests.

OBJECTIVES: Treating red blood cells (RBCs) with dithiothreitol (DTT) is a wildly-recommended to overcome the interference of the daratumumab (DARA) with blood compatibility testing. Nevertheless, DTT can be hard to obtain in the clinical laboratory, while its use in routine practice may be time-consuming. In the following study, we explored the feasibility of using a commercial 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) working solution or the time-saving Polybrene method to mitigate DARA interference. METHODS: Antibody screening and cross-matching were performed using 2-ME or DTT-based indirect antiglobulin tests (IATs) and Polybrene method (with human IgG anti-E same IATs titer as DARA as positive control) on 37 samples. Most clinically important blood group antigens on RBCs were detected after treatment with 2-ME or DTT. RESULTS: Treating RBCs with 2-ME eliminates the DARA interference with the antibody screening or cross-matching; yet, K antigen is denatured during treatment. DARA does not interfere with antibody screening and cross-matching via Polybrene method, while 2+ agglutinations of anti-E antibody with the same titer (IATs method) as DARA could be observed in the positive controls via this method. CONCLUSION: 2-ME-based IATs or Polybrene method could replace DTT-based IATs to mitigate DARA interference.

Nano-Carriers of Combination Tumor Physical Stimuli-Responsive Therapies.

With the development of nanotechnology, Tumor Physical Stimuli-Responsive Therapies (TPSRTs) have reached a new stage because of the remarkable characteristics of nanocarriers. The nanocarriers enable such therapies to overcome the drawbacks of traditional therapies, such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy. To further explore the possibility of the nanocarrier-assisted TPSRTs, scientists have combined different TPSRTs via; the platform of nanocarriers into combination TPSRTs, which include Photothermal Therapy (PTT) with Magnetic Hyperthermia Therapy (MHT), PTT with Sonodynamic Therapy (SDT), MHT with Photodynamic Therapy (PDT), and PDT with PTT. To achieve such therapies, it requires to fully utilize the versatile functions of a specific nanocarrier, which depend on a pellucid understanding of the traits of those nanocarriers. This review covers the principles of different TPSRTs and their combinations, summarizes various types of combination TPSRTs nanocarriers and their therapeutic effects on tumors, and discusses the current disadvantages and future developments of these nanocarriers in the application of combination TPSRTs.

A simple MWCNTs@paper biosensor for CA19-9 detection and its long-term preservation by vacuum freeze drying.

This paper introduces a cheap simple MWCNTs@paper biosensor for the detection of CA19-9, which is a biomarker of pancreatic cancer. By adding the CA19-9 antibody to the surface of MWCNTs which are deposited on the microporous filter paper, the correlation between the concentration of CA19-9 and resistance of biosensor element was linear due to the site-specific binding of antigen and antibody. The detection range is wide (0 U/mL-at least 1000 U/mL), and even in the low concentration of CA19-9, the linearity remains satisfying. Based on this property, it could be used for the detection of early-stage pancreatic cancer. Besides, this research originally introduces a vacuum freeze-drying method for the long-term preservation of biosensor, prolonging its storage time from 3 h to at least 7 days, which signifcantly promoted its value in practical application. One piece of the MWCNTs@paper biosensor only cost $2 (about 30 times cheaper than ELISA) approximately, and the detection speed is satisfying (2 h, 12 times faster than ELISA), which will possibly increase its opportunity of mass production and clinical practice.

Dynamically encircling an exceptional point in anti-parity-time symmetric systems: asymmetric mode switching for symmetry-broken modes.

Dynamically encircling an exceptional point (EP) in parity-time (PT) symmetric waveguide systems exhibits interesting chiral dynamics that can be applied to asymmetric mode switching for symmetric and anti-symmetric modes. The counterpart symmetry-broken modes (i.e., each eigenmode is localized in one waveguide only), which are more useful for applications such as on-chip optical signal processing, exhibit only non-chiral dynamics and therefore cannot be used for asymmetric mode switching. Here, we solve this problem by resorting to anti-parity-time (anti-PT) symmetric systems and utilizing their unique topological structure, which is very different from that of PT-symmetric systems. We find that the dynamical encircling of an EP in anti-PT-symmetric systems with the starting point in the PT-broken phase results in chiral dynamics. As a result, symmetry-broken modes can be used for asymmetric mode switching, which is a phenomenon and application unique to anti-PT-symmetric systems. We perform experiments to demonstrate the new wave-manipulation scheme, which may pave the way towards designing on-chip optical systems with novel functionalities.

Experimental demonstration of angular momentum-dependent topological transport using a transmission line network.

Novel classical wave phenomenon analogs of the quantum spin Hall effect are mostly based on the construction of pseudo-spins. Here we show that the non-trivial topology of a system can also be realized using orbital angular momentum through a coupling between the angular momentum and the wave vector. The idea is illustrated with a tight-binding model and experimentally demonstrated with a transmission line network. We show experimentally that even a very small network cluster exhibits angular momentum-dependent one-way topological edge states, and their properties can be described in terms of local Chern numbers. Our work provides a new mechanism to realize counterparts of the quantum spin Hall effect in classical waves and may offer insights for other systems.