ß-Glucuronidase-triggered reaction for fluorometric and colorimetric dual-mode assay based on the in situ formation of silicon nanoparticles.

BACKGROUND: ß-Glucuronidase (GUS) is considered as a promising biomarker for primary cancer. Thus, the reliable detection of GUS has great practical significance in the discovery and diagnosis of cancer. Compared with traditional organic probes, silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs) have emerged as robust optical nanomaterials due to their facile preparation, superior photobleaching resistance and excellent biocompatibility. However, most nanomaterials-based methods only output a single signal which is easily influenced by external factors in complex systems. Hence, developing nanomaterial-based multi-signal optical assays for highly sensitive GUS determination is still urgently desired. RESULTS: In this study, we developed a simple and efficient one-step method for the in situ preparation of yellow color and yellow-green fluorescent Si NPs. This was achieved by combining 3-[2-(2-aminoethylamino) ethylamino] propyl-trimethoxysilane with p-aminophenol (AP) in an aqueous solution. The obtained Si NPs showed yellow-green fluorescence at 535 nm when excited at 380 nm, while also exhibiting an absorption peak at a wavelength of 490 nm. Taking inspiration from the easy synthesis step regulated by AP, which is generated through the hydrolysis of 4-aminophenyl ß-D-glucuronide catalyzed by GUS, we constructed a direct fluorometric and colorimetric dual-mode method to measure GUS activity. The developed fluorometric and colorimetric sensing platform showed high sensitivity and accuracy with detection limits for GUS determination as low as 0.0093 and 0.081 U/L, respectively. SIGNIFICANCE: This study provides a facile dual-mode fluorometric and colorimetric approach for determination of GUS activity based on novel Si NPs for the first time. This designed sensing approach was successfully employed for the quantification of GUS in human serum samples and screening of GUS inhibitors, indicating the feasibility and potential applications in clinical cancer diagnosis and anti-cancer drug discovery.

Near-Infrared Dual-Modal Sensing of Force and Temperature in Total Knee Replacement Using Mechanoluminescent Phosphor of Sr3 Sn2 O7 : Nd, Yb.

Knee replacement surgery confronts challenges including patient dissatisfaction and the necessity for secondary procedures. A key requirement lies in dual-modal measurement of force and temperature of artificial joints during postoperative monitoring. Here, a novel non-toxic near-infrared (NIR) phosphor Sr3 Sn2 O7 :Nd, Yb, is designed to realize the dual-modal measurement. The strategy is to entail phonon-assisted upconversion luminescence (UCL) and trap-controlled mechanoluminescence (ML) in a single phosphor well within the NIR biological transmission window. The phosphor is embedded in medical bone cement forming a smart joint in total knee replacements illustrated as a proof-of-concept. The sensing device can be charged in vitro by a commercial X-ray source with a safe dose rate for ML, and excited by a low power 980 nm laser for UCL. It attains impressive force and temperature sensing capabilities, exhibiting a force resolution of 0.5% per 10 N, force detection threshold of 15 N, and a relative temperature sensitive of up to 1.3% K-1 at 309 K. The stability against humidity and thermal shock together with the robustness of the device are attested. This work introduces a novel methodological paradigm, paving the way for innovative research to enhance the functionality of artificial tissues and joints in living organisms.

Identification of Fasudil as a collaborator to promote the anti-tumor effect of lenvatinib in hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibiting GLI2-mediated hedgehog signaling pathway.

Lenvatinib is a frontline tyrosine kinase inhibitor for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, just 25% of patients benefit from the treatment, and acquired resistance always develops. To date, there are neither effective medications to combat lenvatinib resistance nor accurate markers that might predict how well a patient would respond to the lenvatinib treatment. Thus, novel strategies to recognize and deal with lenvatinib resistance are desperately needed. In the current study, a robust Lenvatinib Resistance index (LRi) model to predict lenvatinib response status in HCC was first established. Subsequently, five candidate drugs (Mercaptopurine, AACOCF3, NU1025, Fasudil, and Exisulind) that were capable of reversing lenvatinib resistance signature were initially selected by performing the connectivity map (CMap) analysis, and fasudil finally stood out by conducting a series of cellular functional assays in vitro and xenograft mouse model. Transcriptomics revealed that the co-administration of lenvatinib and fasudil overcame lenvatinib resistance by remodeling the hedgehog signaling pathway. Mechanistically, the feedback activation of EGFR by lenvatinib led to the activation of the GLI2-ABCC1 pathway, which supported the HCC cell's survival and proliferation. Notably, co-administration of lenvatinib and fasudil significantly inhibited IHH, the upstream switch of the hedgehog pathway, to counteract GLI2 activation and finally enhance the effectiveness of lenvatinib. These findings elucidated a novel EGFR-mediated mechanism of lenvatinib resistance and provided a practical approach to overcoming drug resistance in HCC through meaningful drug repurposing strategies.

HSP90a promotes the resistance to oxaliplatin in HCC through regulating IDH1-induced cell competition.

Though burgeoning research manifests that cell competition, an essential selection and quality control mechanism for maintaining tissue or organ growth and homeostasis in multicellular organisms, is closely related to tumorigenesis and development, the mechanism of cell competition associated with tumor drug resistance remains elusive. In the study, we uncovered that oxaliplatin-resistant hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells exhibit a pronounced competitive advantage against their sensitive counterparts, which is related to lipid takeover of resistant cells from sensitive cells. Of note, such lipid takeover is dependent on the existence of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) in resistant HCC cells. Mechanistically, IDH1 activity is regulated by heat shock protein 90 alpha (HSP90α) through binding with each other, which orchestrates the expressions of lipid metabolic enzymes and lipid accumulation in resistant HCC cells. Our results suggest that HCC cell competition-driven chemoresistance can be regulated by HSP90α/IDH1-mediated lipid metabolism, which may serve as a promising target for overcoming drug resistance in HCC.

Small Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Altered Peptide Ligand-Loaded Dendritic Cell Act as A Therapeutic Vaccine for Spinal Cord Injury Through Eliciting CD4+ T cell-Mediated Neuroprotective Immunity.

The balance among different CD4+ T cell subsets is crucial for repairing the injured spinal cord. Dendritic cell (DC)-derived small extracellular vesicles (DsEVs) effectively activate T-cell immunity. Altered peptide ligands (APLs), derived from myelin basic protein (MBP), have been shown to affect CD4+ T cell subsets and reduce neuroinflammation levels. However, the application of APLs is challenging because of their poor stability and associated side effects. Herein, it is demonstrate that DsEVs can act as carriers for APL MBP87-99 A91 (A91-DsEVs) to induce the activation of 2 helper T (Th2) and regulatory T (Treg) cells for spinal cord injury (SCI) in mice. These stimulated CD4+ T cells can efficiently "home" to the lesion area and establish a beneficial microenvironment through inducing the activation of M2 macrophages/microglia, inhibiting the expression of inflammatory cytokines, and increasing the release of neurotrophic factors. The microenvironment mediated by A91-DsEVs may enhance axon regrowth, protect neurons, and promote remyelination, which may support the recovery of motor function in the SCI model mice. In conclusion, using A91-DsEVs as a therapeutic vaccine may help induce neuroprotective immunity in the treatment of SCI.

Multi-Slice CT Features Predict Pathological Risk Classification in Gastric Stromal Tumors Larger Than 2 cm: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) had higher accuracy and reliability in prognostic assessment and treatment strategies for patients with gastric stromal tumors (GSTs). The AFIP classification is frequently used in clinical applications. But the risk classification is only available for patients who are previously untreated and received complete resection. We aimed to investigate the feasibility of multi-slice MSCT features of GSTs in predicting AFIP risk classification preoperatively. METHODS: The clinical data and MSCT features of 424 patients with solitary GSTs were retrospectively reviewed. According to pathological AFIP risk criteria, 424 GSTs were divided into a low-risk group (n = 282), a moderate-risk group (n = 72), and a high-risk group (n = 70). The clinical data and MSCT features of GSTs were compared among the three groups. Those variables (p < 0.05) in the univariate analysis were included in the multivariate analysis. The nomogram was created using the rms package. RESULTS: We found significant differences in the tumor location, morphology, necrosis, ulceration, growth pattern, feeding artery, vascular-like enhancement, fat-positive signs around GSTs, CT value in the venous phase, CT value increment in the venous phase, longest diameter, and maximum short diameter (all p < 0.05). Two nomogram models were successfully constructed to predict the risk of GSTs. Low- vs. high-risk group: the independent risk factors of high-risk GSTs included the location, ulceration, and longest diameter. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the prediction model was 0.911 (95% CI: 0.872-0.951), and the sensitivity and specificity were 80.0% and 89.0%, respectively. Moderate- vs. high-risk group: the morphology, necrosis, and feeding artery were independent risk factors of a high risk of GSTs, with an AUC value of 0.826 (95% CI: 0.759-0.893), and the sensitivity and specificity were 85.7% and 70.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The MSCT features of GSTs and the nomogram model have great practical value in predicting pathological AFIP risk classification between high-risk and non-high-risk groups before surgery.

Integrating monthly spring tidal waves into estuarine carbon budget of meta-ecosystems.

The contribution of lateral carbon (C) to hydrological processes is well known for its ecological functions in the estuarine C budget across the terrestrial-aquatic interfaces. However, sampling of individual daily tides during multiple months or seasons in heterogeneous patches of landscape makes extrapolation from days to months or seasons challenging. In this paper, we examine the terrestrial-aquatic lateral hydrological C flux for an estuarine marsh where monthly tides, including consecutive daily spring tides, were measured over the course of an entire year. We found a significant correlation between imported and exported hydrological dissolved C, both dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), although a similar correlation was not found for particulate organic carbon (POC). Based on a total of 44 sampling trips over a year, this saltmarsh appeared to be a net exporter of DOC and DIC but a net sink of POC. Furthermore, the lateral hydrological C budget functioned as a limited lateral C sink in terms of organic C (i.e., ΔPOC and ΔDOC), while the marsh functioned as a small lateral C source. Our findings highlight the importance of lateral hydrologic inflows/outflows in wetland C budgets of land-water interfaces, especially in those characterized by the meta-ecosystem framework. Surprisingly, different C species responded unequally to the lateral hydrological C budget, suggesting that a conceptual realization of meta-ecosystem is a powerful theoretical framework to extend the outwelling hypothesis.

Single-cell analysis of spinal cord injury reveals functional heterogeneity of oligodendrocyte lineage cells.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a traumatic condition that causes myelin destruction and neuronal death, making it challenging to reverse. In spinal cord tissue, oligodendrocyte progenitor cells and oligodendrocytes are essential for maintaining myelin morphology and axon regeneration. The decrease in oligodendrocyte lineage cells after SCI is a major factor contributing to the difficulty in restoring spinal cord function. However, there is still a lack of research on the status and intercellular communication between oligodendrocyte lineage cells after injury. The development of single-cell sequencing technology has enabled researchers to obtain highly accurate cellular transcriptional information, facilitating detailed studies of cellular subpopulations. This study delved into the cellular heterogeneity of oligodendrocyte lineage cells using a single-cell transcriptomic approach to uncover functional changes and cellular interactions during different time points after SCI. Our findings highlighted the critical roles of Psap (Prosaposin)/Gpr37l1 and Psap/Gpr37 ligand-receptor pairs among oligodendrocyte lineage cells. Furthermore, we predicted the transcription factors that may play a key regulatory role. We demonstrated for the first time that Junb acts almost exclusively in mature oligodendrocytes, which provides a potential target for the study of oligodendrocyte transcriptional mechanisms.

A Mechanical Evaluation of a Robot-Assisted Cutting Cornea Based on Force Response.

The aim of this paper is to propose laws of trephine operation based on a robot-assisted cutting cornea in order to obtain better microsurgical effects for keratoplasty. Using a trephine robot integrated with a microforce sensor and a handheld trephine manipulator, robotic and manual experiments were performed, with porcine corneas as the test subjects. The effect of trephine operational parameters on the results reflected by the biomechanical response is discussed, and the parameters include linear velocity, rotating angle, and angular velocity. Using probability density functions, the distributions of the manual operational parameters show some randomness, and there is a large fluctuation in the trephine force during the experiments. The biomechanical response shows regular trends in the robotic experiments even under different parameters, and compared to manual trephination, the robot may perform the operation of trephine cornea cutting more stably. Under different operational parameters, the cutting force shows different trends, and the optimal initial parameters that result in better trephine effects can be obtained based on the trends. Based on this derived law, the operational parameters can be set in robotic trephination, and surgeons can also be specially trained to achieve a better microsurgical result.

Approaching Molecular Definition on Oxide-Supported Single-Atom Catalysts.

ConspectusSingle-atom catalysts (SACs) offer unique advantages such as high (noble) metal utilization through maximum possible dispersion, large metal-support contact areas, and oxidation states usually unattainable in classic nanoparticle catalysis. In addition, SACs can serve as models for determining active sites, a simultaneously desired as well as elusive target in the field of heterogeneous catalysis. Due to the complexity of heterogeneous catalysts bearing a variety of different sites on metal particles and the respective support as well as at their interface, studies of intrinsic activities and selectivities remain largely inconclusive. While SACs could close this gap, many supported SACs remain intrinsically ill-defined due to complexities arising from the variety of different adsorption sites for atomically dispersed metals, hampering the establishment of meaningful structure-activity correlations. In addition to overcoming this limitation, well-defined SACs could even be utilized to shed light on fundamental phenomena in catalysis that remain ambiguous when studies are obscured by the complexity of heterogeneous catalysts.In this Account, we describe approaches to break down the complexity of supported single-atom catalysts through the careful choice of oxide supports with specific binding motives as well as the adsorption of well-defined ligands such as ionic liquids on single metal sites. An example of molecularly defined oxide supports is polyoxometalates (POMs), which are metal oxo clusters with precisely known composition and structure. POMs exhibit a limited number of sites to anchor atomically dispersed metals such as Pt, Pd, and Rh. Polyoxometalate-supported single-atom catalysts (POM-SACs) thus represent ideal systems for the in situ spectroscopic study of single atom sites during reactions as, in principle, all sites are identical and thus equally active in catalytic reactions. We have utilized this benefit in studies of the mechanism of CO and alcohol oxidation reactions as well as the hydro(deoxy)genation of various biomass-derived compounds. More so, the redox properties of polyoxometalates can be finely tuned by changing the composition of the support while keeping the geometry of the single-atom active site largely constant. We further developed soluble analogues of heterogeneous POM-SACs, opening the door to advanced liquid-phase nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and UV-vis techniques but, in particular, to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) which proves powerful in determining catalytic intermediates as well as their gas-phase reactivity. Employing this technique, we were able to resolve some of the long-standing questions about hydrogen spillover, demonstrating the broad utility of studies on defined model catalysts.

Electrothermal Water-Gas Shift Reaction at Room Temperature with a Silicomolybdate-Based Palladium Single-Atom Catalyst.

The water-gas shift (WGS) reaction is often conducted at elevated temperature and requires energy-intensive separation of hydrogen (H2 ) from methane (CH4 ), carbon dioxide (CO2 ), and residual carbon monoxide (CO). Designing processes to decouple CO oxidation and H2 production provides an alternative strategy to obtain high-purity H2 streams. We report an electrothermal WGS process combining thermal oxidation of CO on a silicomolybdic acid (SMA)-supported Pd single-atom catalyst (Pd1 /CsSMA) and electrocatalytic H2 evolution. The two half-reactions are coupled through phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) as a redox mediator at a moderate anodic potential of 0.6 V (versus Ag/AgCl). Under optimized conditions, our catalyst exhibited a TOF of 1.2 s-1 with turnover numbers above 40 000 mol CO 2 ${{_{{\rm CO}{_{2}}}}}$ molPd -1 achieving stable H2 production with a purity consistently exceeding 99.99 %.

Nucleotide sugar transporter SLC35A2 is involved in promoting hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis by regulating cellular glycosylation.

PURPOSE: Recently, aberrant glycosylation has been recognized to be relate to malignant behaviors of cancer and outcomes of patients with various cancers. SLC35A2 plays an indispensable role on glycosylation as a nucleotide sugar transporter. However, effects of SLC35A2 on malignant behaviors of cancer cells and alteration of cancer cells surface glycosylation profiles are still not fully understood, particularly in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Hence, from a glycosylation perspective, we investigated the effects of SLC35A2 on metastatic behaviors of HCC cells. METHODS: SLC35A2 expression in clinical samples and HCC cells was examined by immunohistochemical staining or Western blot/quantitative PCR and was regulated by RNA interference or vectors-mediated transfection. Effects of SLC35A2 expression alteration on metastatic behaviors and membrane glycan profile of HCC cells were observed by using respectively invasion, migration, cell adhesion assay, in vivo lung metastatic nude mouse model and lectins microarray. Co-location among proteins in HCC cells was observed by fluorescence microscope and detected by an in vitro co-immunoprecipitation assay. RESULTS: SLC35A2 was upregulated in HCC tissues, and is associated with poor prognosis of HCC patients. SLC35A2 expression alteration significantly affected the invasion, adhesion, metastasis and membrane glycan profile and led to the dysregulated expressions or glycosylation of cell adhesion-related molecules in HCC cells. Mechanistically, the maintenance of SLC35A2 activity is critical for the recruitment of the key galactosyltransferase B4GalT1, which is responsible for complex glycoconjugate and lactose biosynthesis, to Golgi apparatus in HCC cells. CONCLUSION: SLC35A2 plays important roles in promoting HCC metastasis by regulating cellular glycosylation modification and inducing the cell adhesive ability of HCC cells.

HSF1 is involved in immunotherapeutic response through regulating APOJ/STAT3-mediated PD-L1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular cancer (HCC) is a serious illness with high prevalence and mortality throughout the whole world. For advanced HCC, immunotherapy is somewhat impactful and encouraging. Nevertheless, a substantial proportion of patients with advanced HCC are still unable to achieve a durable response, owing to heterogeneity from clonal variability and differential expression of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis. Recently, heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) is recognized as an important component of tumor immunotherapeutic response as well as related to PD-L1 expression in cancer. However, the mechanism of HSF1 regulating PD-L1 in cancer, especially in HCC, is still not fully clear. In this study, we observed the significantly positive correlation between HSF1 expression and PD-L1 expression in HCC samples; meanwhile combination expressions of HSF1 and PD-L1 served as the signature for predicting prognosis of patients with HCC. Mechanistically, HSF1 upregulated PD-L1 expression by inducing APOJ expression and activating STAT3 signaling pathway in HCC. In addition, we explored further the potential values of targeting the HSF1-APOJ-STAT3 axis against CD8+ T cells-mediated cancer cells cytotoxicity. These findings unveiled the important involvement of HSF1 in regulating PD-L1 expression in HCC as well as provided a novel invention component for improving the clinical response rate and efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade.

Path Planning of Laser Soldering System Based on Intelligent Algorithm.

Laser soldering has been gradually applied to the soldering of electronic components due to the rapid development of microelectronics. However, it is inefficient to use a mechanical shaft to move a laser beam. Here, a laser soldering system is constructed using galvanometer scanning, and an intelligent algorithm is also introduced to optimize the soldering path. Firstly, a laser soldering system for scanning of galvanometers is established, and the functions of visual monitoring, motion planning and parameter integration are presented. Secondly, the position of the laser beam and the corresponding soldering spot are determined, and the coordinate information is provided to plan a route by camera calibration and coordinate system transformation. Finally, the problem of path planning in this system is decomposed into the generation of the soldering point full coverage processing frame, and the route optimization of processing platform and laser beam motion. Furthermore, an improved clustering algorithm, based on the characteristics of system structure, and a hybrid optimization algorithm are designed to deal with the generation of the soldering point full coverage processing frame, the route optimization of processing platform and laser beam motion. In addition, the simulations and experiments are verified by test board. These findings shown that the established system and designed optimization algorithm can promote the efficiency of laser soldering.

[Dynamics analysis of knee joint during sit-stand movement].

Sit-stand movement is one of the most common movement behaviors of the human body. The knee joint is the main bearing joint of this movement. Thus, the dynamic analysis of knee joint during this movement has deeply positive influences. According to the principle of moment balance, the dynamics of the knee joint during the movement were analyzed. Furthermore, combined with the data obtained from optical motion capture and six-dimensional ground reaction force test, the curve of knee joint torque was calculated. To verify the accuracy of the analysis of dynamic, the human body model was established, the polynomial equations of angle and angular velocity were fitted according to the experimental data, and the knee joint simulation of the movement was carried out. The result revealed that in terms of range and trend, the theoretical data and simulation data were consistent. The relationship between knee joint torque and ground reaction force was revealed based on the variation law of knee joint torque. During the sit-stand movement, the knee joint torque and the ground reaction force were directly proportional to each other, and the ratio was 5 to 6. In the standing process, the acceleration first increased and then decreased and finally increased in reverse, and the maximum knee torque occurred at an angle of about 140°. In the sitting process, the torque was maximized in the initial stage. The results of the dynamics analysis of knee joint during sit-stand movement are beneficial to the optimal design and force feedback control of seated rehabilitation aids, and can provide theoretical guidance for knee rehabilitation training.

Screw Analysis, Modeling and Experiment on the Mechanics of Tibia Orthopedic with the Ilizarov External Fixator.

The Ilizarov external fixator plays an important role in the correction of complex malformed limbs. Our purpose in this work was to reveal the transmission of adjustable forces between the external fixator and the broken bone, and express the stress distribution at the end of the broken bone during the orthopedic treatment. Firstly, the screw model of the fixator was established and the theoretical relationship between the adjustable force and the stress was obtained. A sheep tibia was taken as a representative research object and its ediTable 3D entity was obtained by CT scanning. Then the mechanical model of the fixator and tibia was built using the ABAQUS software. Correction experiments were performed on the sheep tibia to measure the adjustable/support forces and tensions of the tibia. The measured results were imported to the screw and mechanical model, and the theoretical and simulation values were calculated. The theoretical tensions calculated by the screw model had a similar shape and doubled the value compared with that of the measured results. The transfer efficiency between the two results was improved and kept at about 50% after the initial 2~3 periods. The maximum stress occurring at the surface of the broken bone end was near the Kirschner wire pinhole. The simulation results for the tensions from the mechanical model showed a similar change trend, and the value was slightly higher. A biomechanical model of the Ilizarov external fixator was derived and verified through calculations, simulations and experiments. The change law of the adjustable forces and the tensions existing in the broken sheep tibias is presented herein, and offers a helpful contribution to orthopedic treatment.

Titanium dioxide hierarchical microspheres decorated with atomically dispersed platinum as an efficient photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution.

Micromorphology engineering and co-catalyst construction are considered as feasible approaches to boost the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance. Herein, we combined two approaches to construct a new photocatalyst with titanium dioxide (TiO2) hierarchical microspheres (HMSs) as support and atomically dispersed platinum (Pt) species as co-catalyst (donated as TiO2 HMSs@xPt). The as-prepared TiO2 HMSs@xPt photocatalysts exhibited combined advantages including adequate light harvesting, improved charge-carrier separation and transport, abundant active sites, and reduced Pt consumption, which are favorable for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Specifically, the optimized TiO2 HMSs@0.36Pt exhibits a remarkable photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of 11.7 mmol g-1h-1 under simulated AM 1.5G solar light irradiation, which is 50 times and 4.8 times higher than those of pure TiO2 HMSs and traditional anatase TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) with the same Pt loading, respectively.

Highly stable CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dot-doped tellurite glass nanocomposite scintillator.

All-inorganic cesium lead halide perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) appear to be promising scintillators for radiation detection; however, they are suffering from poor stabilities against light, heat, and moisture. Here a strategy of using AgCl as the nucleating agent is developed to facilitate growth of CsPbBr3 PQDs in chemically inert tellurite glasses via controlled crystallization. The PQDs are uniformly dispersed and well protected in the dense glass matrix without aggregation. The nanocomposites thus obtained are featured by excellent optical transparency owing to the unique character of tellurite glass having a refractive index comparable to that of the CsPbBr3 crystal. The X-ray excited radioluminescence properties are comprehensively studied. The results show that CsPbBr3 PQD-doped tellurite glasses are highly stable against continuous X-ray irradiation and repeated heat-cooling cycles (from room temperature up to 573 K) without sacrificing their scintillation properties, thus appearing to be a potential scintillator for long-term practical applications.

Multislice Computed Tomographic Manifestation of Transient Hepatic Attenuation Difference in the Left Lobe of the Liver: A Retrospective Study.

INTRODUCTION: Transient hepatic attenuation differences (THAD) are areas of high parenchymal enhancement observed during the hepatic arterial phase on computed tomography (CT). THAD in the left lobe of the liver can lead to surgical complications. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on patients who underwent multislice computed tomography (MSCT) examination of the upper abdomen to understand the morphology, distribution, and causes of THAD and their correlation with hepatic artery variation. RESULTS: Among 179 cases, 65 and 114 belonged to diseased and normal groups, respectively. THAD as observed in MSCT demonstrated various shapes: lobe/segment (127 cases; 70.9%), irregular sheet (31; 17.3%), strip shape (9; 5.02%), arc/semicircle (7; 3.9%), and segment + flaky (5; 2.79%). THAD were found to be caused by liver tumor (32.3%), hepatic inflammatory lesions (6.15%), biliary tract diseases (13.8%), perihepatic disease compression (9.23%), portal vein obstructive disease (1.53%), and lesion in left hepatic lobe with hepatic artery variation (29.2%). THAD exhibited variation in distribution in the left lobe of the liver. Among 114 cases, THAD in 18 (15.7%) cases were observed in the S2 segment, six (5.26%) in the S3 segment, and 90 (78.9%) in multiple segments of the liver, that is, 50 cases in S2 and S3 segments and 40 cases in S2, S3, and S4 segments. The hepatic artery of 179 cases was of various types based on Hiatt classification: 57 cases of Hiatt I (31%), 65 cases of Hiatt II (37%), 11 cases of Hiatt III (6%), 17 cases of Hiatt IV (10%), 7 cases of Hiatt V (4%), 12 cases of large left hepatic artery (7%), 6 cases of right hepatic artery originating from the celiac trunk (3%), and 4 cases (2%) of superior mesenteric artery originating from the celiac trunk. CONCLUSION: THAD can occur as a result of specific pathological causes and hence should be considered as a diagnostic sign in liver pathologies.

A new physiological signal acquisition patch designed with advanced respiration monitoring algorithm based on 3-axis accelerator and gyroscope.

In a gradually aging society, families and hospitals have a growing demand for reliable and unobtrusive physiological signal monitoring for elderly people. However, the existing respiration rate monitoring methods and algorithms are still unsatisfactory. In this work, we introduce a physiological signal acquisition patch which integrates 3-axis accelerator and 3-axis gyroscope to estimate respiration rate, as well as ECG(electrocardiogram) sensor and surface temperature sensor. A complete set of respiration rate estimation algorithms is embedded in our patch, which can be used to identify whether the patch is worn or not, and to recognize, segment, de-noise and reconstruct the respiration signal. In-situ experiments have been conducted to prove the validity of the algorithms described in this paper and the possibilities of estimating respiration rate using a physiological signal acquisition patch. The mean absolute error (MAE) is 0.11(about ±0.7 times in a minute), which is the least among similar studies that acquire respiratory rate from 3-axis accelerators or electrocardiogram.