Quantitative assessment whole-rock iron content in magnetite protolith based on terahertz time-domain spectroscopy.

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy was first used to establish a correlation with the whole-rock iron (TFe) content in different depths of the Bayan Obo protolith. Compared with element content obtained by the traditional method of X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), a similar tendency of the absorption coefficient and refractive index is presented. Furthermore, three machine learning algorithms, namely, partial least squares regression (PLSR), random forest (RF), and multi-layer perceptron (MLP), were used to develop a quantitative analytical model for TFe content of the protolith minerals. Among the three algorithms, MLP has the highest detection accuracy, with a model coefficient of determination R 2 reaching up to 0.945. These findings demonstrate that terahertz time-domain spectroscopy can be used to rapidly quantify the TFe elemental content of protolith, providing a method of detecting the content of mineral components.

Hypertension-specific association of cardio-ankle vascular index with subclinical left ventricular function in a Chinese population: Danyang study.

The association of cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), with subclinical cardiac dysfunction in hypertensive patients is unclear. We aim to examine their relationship in hypertensive patients compared with that in normotensive subjects. Our study included 1887 subjects enrolled from Danyang between 2018 and 2019. CAVI was measured using VaSera VS-1500A device. We performed conventional echocardiography to measure ejection fraction (EF) and E/A, tissue Doppler to measure mitral annular early diastolic velocities (e'), and speckle-tracking to estimate left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (GLS). LV mass index (76.3, 80.0, and 84.0 g/m2), and E/e' (7.6, 8.2, and 8.8) were increased and GLS (21.1, 21.0, and 20.4%), E/A (1.2, 1.0, and 0.8) and e' velocity (11.2, 9.4, and 8.2 cm/s) was decreased from tertiles 1-3 of CAVI on unadjusted analyses (P < .001). After adjustment for covariates, GLS, E/A, and e' were still significantly decreased from tertiles 1-3 of CAVI (P ≤ .04). Further sensitive analyses revealed a similar association pattern for diastolic function but not systolic function. Compared with the lowest tertile, subjects with a top tertile of CAVI were at higher risk of subclinical LV systolic dysfunction in hypertensive patients (OR = 2.61; P = .005). Increased CAVI is associated with worse subclinical diastolic function. However, this relationship of CAVI to subclinical systolic function was more prominent in hypertensive patients.

Biomarkers for neuromyelitis optica: a visual analysis of emerging research trends.

Neuromyelitis optica is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that differs from multiple sclerosis. Over the past 20 years, the search for biomarkers for neuromyelitis optica has been ongoing. Here, we used a bibliometric approach to analyze the main research focus in the field of biomarkers for neuromyelitis optica. Research in this area is consistently increasing, with China and the United States leading the way on the number of studies conducted. The Mayo Clinic is a highly reputable institution in the United States, and was identified as the most authoritative institution in this field. Furthermore, Professor Wingerchuk from the Mayo Clinic was the most authoritative expert in this field. Keyword analysis revealed that the terms "neuromyelitis optica" (261 times), "multiple sclerosis" (220 times), "neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder" (132 times), "aquaporin 4" (99 times), and "optical neuritis" (87 times) were the most frequently used keywords in literature related to this field. Comprehensive analysis of the classical literature showed that the majority of publications provide conclusive research evidence supporting the use of aquaporin-4-IgG and neuromyelitis optica-IgG to effectively diagnose and differentiate neuromyelitis optica from multiple sclerosis. Furthermore, aquaporin-4-IgG has emerged as a highly specific diagnostic biomarker for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder. Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-IgG is a diagnostic biomarker for myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease. Recent biomarkers for neuromyelitis optica include cerebrospinal fluid immunological biomarkers such as glial fibrillary acidic protein, serum astrocyte damage biomarkers like FAM19A5, serum albumin, and gamma-aminobutyric acid. The latest prospective clinical trials are exploring the potential of these biomarkers. Preliminary results indicate that glial fibrillary acidic protein is emerging as a promising candidate biomarker for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder. The ultimate goal of future research is to identify non-invasive biomarkers with high sensitivity, specificity, and safety for the accurate diagnosis of neuromyelitis optica.

Predicting the risk of lung cancer using machine learning: A large study based on UK Biobank.

In response to the high incidence and poor prognosis of lung cancer, this study tends to develop a generalizable lung-cancer prediction model by using machine learning to define high-risk groups and realize the early identification and prevention of lung cancer. We included 467,888 participants from UK Biobank, using lung cancer incidence as an outcome variable, including 49 previously known high-risk factors and less studied or unstudied predictors. We developed multivariate prediction models using multiple machine learning models, namely logistic regression, naïve Bayes, random forest, and extreme gradient boosting models. The performance of the models was evaluated by calculating the areas under their receiver operating characteristic curves, Brier loss, log loss, precision, recall, and F1 scores. The Shapley additive explanations interpreter was used to visualize the models. Three were ultimately 4299 cases of lung cancer that were diagnosed in our sample. The model containing all the predictors had good predictive power, and the extreme gradient boosting model had the best performance with an area under curve of 0.998. New important predictive factors for lung cancer were also identified, namely hip circumference, waist circumference, number of cigarettes previously smoked daily, neuroticism score, age, and forced expiratory volume in 1 second. The predictive model established by incorporating novel predictive factors can be of value in the early identification of lung cancer. It may be helpful in stratifying individuals and selecting those at higher risk for inclusion in screening programs.

A Pyroglutamate Aminopeptidase 1 Responsive Fluorescence Imaging Probe for Real-Time Rapid Differentiation between Thyroiditis and Thyroid Cancer.

Current diagnostic methods for thyroid diseases, including blood tests, ultrasound, and biopsy, always have difficulty diagnosing thyroiditis accurately, occasionally mistaking it for thyroid cancer. To address this clinical challenge, we developed Ox-PGP1, a novel fluorescent probe realizing rapid, noninvasive, and real-time diagnostic techniques. This is the first imaging tool capable of noninvasively distinguishing between thyroiditis and thyroid cancer. Ox-PGP1 was introduced as a fluorescent probe custom-built for the specific detection and quantification of pyroglutamate aminopeptidase 1 (PGP-1), a known pivotal biomarker of inflammation. Ox-PGP1 overcame the disadvantages of traditional enzyme-responsive fluorescent probes that relied on the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism, including the issue of high background fluorescence, while offering exceptional photostability under laser irradiation. The spectral properties of Ox-PGP1 were meticulously optimized to enhance its biocompatibility. Furthermore, the low limit of detection (LOD) of Ox-PGP1 was determined to be 0.09 µg/mL, which demonstrated its remarkable sensitivity and precision. Both cellular and in vivo experiments validated the capacity of Ox-PGP1 for accurate differentiation between normal, inflammatory, and cancerous thyroid cells. Furthermore, Ox-PGP1 showed the potential to rapidly and sensitively differentiate between autoimmune thyroiditis and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma in a mouse model, achieving results in just 5 min. The successful design and application of Ox-PGP1 represent a substantial advancement in technology over traditional diagnostic approaches, potentially enabling earlier interventions for thyroid diseases.

Time-varying propagation model and dynamic-feedback-phase correction for multiplexed orbital angular momentum beams in atmospheric turbulence.

Freespace optical (FSO) communication in an outdoor setting is complicated by atmospheric turbulence (AT). A time-varying (TV) multiplexed orbital angular momentum (OAM) propagation model to consider AT under transverse-wind conditions is formulated for the first time, and optimized dynamic correction periods for various TV AT situations are found to improve the transmission efficiency. The TV nature of AT has until now been neglected from modeling of OAM propagation models, but it is shown to be important. First, according to the Taylor frozen-turbulence hypothesis, a series of AT phase screens influenced by transverse wind are introduced into the conventional angular-spectrum propagation analysis method to model both the temporal and spatial propagation characteristics of multiplexed OAM beams. Our model shows that while in weak TV AT, the power standard deviation of lower-order modes is usually smaller than that of higher-order modes, the phenomena in strong TV AT are qualitatively different. Moreover, after analyzing the effective time of each OAM phase correction, optimized dynamic correction periods for a dynamic feedback communication link are obtained. An optimized result shows that, under the moderate TV AT, both a system BER within the forward-error-correction limit and a low iterative computation volume with 6% of the real-time correction could be achieved with a correction period of 0.18 s. The research emphasizes the significance of establishing a TV propagation model for exploring the effect of TV AT on multiplexed OAM beams and proposing an optimized phase-correction mechanism to mitigate performance degradation caused by TV AT, ultimately enhancing overall transmission efficiency.

Passive localization and reconstruction of multiple non-line-of-sight objects in a scene with a large visible transmissive window.

Passive non-line-of-sight imaging methods have been demonstrated to be capable of reconstructing images of hidden objects. However, current passive non-line-of-sight imaging methods have performance limitations due to the requirements of an occluder and aliasing between multiple objects. In this paper, we propose a method for passive localization and reconstruction of multiple non-line-of-sight objects in a scene with a large visible transmissive window. The analysis of the transport matrix revealed that more redundant information is acquired in a scene with a window than that with an occluder, which makes the image reconstruction more difficult. We utilized the projection operator and residual theory to separate the reconstruction equation of multiple objects into the independent equations of the located objects that can be reconstructed independently by TVAL3 and Split-Bregman algorithms, which greatly reduces the computational complexity of the reconstruction. Our method lays the foundation for multiple objects reconstruction in complex non-line-of-sight scenes.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of TGA Family Genes Associated with Abiotic Stress in Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L.).

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an important, substantial global oil crop with robust resilience to drought and salt stresses. The TGA (TGACG motif-binding factor) transcription factors, belonging to the basic region leucine zipper (bZIP) family, have been implicated in orchestrating multiple biological processes. Despite their functional significance, a comprehensive investigation of the TGA family's abiotic stress tolerance in sunflowers remains elusive. In the present study, we identified 14 TGA proteins in the sunflower genome, which were unequally distributed across 17 chromosomes. Employing phylogenetic analysis encompassing 149 TGA members among 13 distinct species, we revealed the evolutionary conservation of TGA proteins across the plant kingdom. Collinearity analysis suggested that both HaTGA01 and HaTGA03 were generated due to HaTGA08 gene duplication. Notably, qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated that HaTGA04, HaTGA05, and HaTGA14 genes were remarkably upregulated under ABA, MeJA, and salt treatments, whereas HaTGA03, HaTGA06, and HaTGA07 were significantly repressed. This study contributes valuable perspectives on the potential roles of the HaTGA gene family under various stress conditions in sunflowers, thereby enhancing our understanding of TGA gene family dynamics and function within this agriculturally significant species.

Sex-specific associations of environmental exposures with prevalent diabetes and obesity - results from the KORA Fit study.

BACKGROUND: Promising evidence suggests a link between environmental factors, particularly air pollution, and diabetes and obesity. However, it is still unclear whether men and women are equally susceptible to environmental exposures. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess sex-specific long-term effects of environmental exposures on metabolic diseases. METHODS: We analyzed cross-sectional data from 3,034 participants (53.7% female, aged 53-74 years) from the KORA Fit study (2018/19), a German population-based cohort. Environmental exposures, including annual averages of air pollutants [nitrogen oxides (NO2, NOx), ozone, particulate matter of different diameters (PM10, PMcoarse, PM2.5), PM2.5abs, particle number concentration], air temperature and surrounding greenness, were assessed at participants' residences. We evaluated sex-specific associations of environmental exposures with prevalent diabetes, obesity, body-mass-index (BMI) and waist circumference using logistic or linear regression models with an interaction term for sex, adjusted for age, lifestyle factors and education. Further effect modification, in particular by urbanization, was assessed in sex-stratified analyses. RESULTS: Higher annual averages of air pollution, air temperature and greenness at residence were associated with diabetes prevalence in men (NO2: Odds Ratio (OR) per interquartile range increase in exposure: 1.49 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.13, 1.95], air temperature: OR: 1.48 [95%-CI: 1.15, 1.90]; greenness: OR: 0.78 [95%-CI: 0.59, 1.01]) but not in women. Conversely, higher levels of air pollution, temperature and lack of greenness were associated with lower obesity prevalence and BMI in women. After including an interaction term for urbanization, only higher greenness was associated with higher BMI in rural women, whereas higher air pollution was associated with higher BMI in urban men. Discussion We observed sex-specific associations of environmental exposures with metabolic diseases. An additional interaction between environmental exposures and urbanization on obesity suggests a higher susceptibility to air pollution among urban men, and higher susceptibility to greenness among rural women, which needs corroboration in future studies.

DcERF109 regulates shoot branching by participating in strigolactone signal transduction in Dendrobium catenatum.

Shoot branching fundamentally influences plant architecture and agricultural yield. However, research on shoot branching in Dendrobium catenatum, an endangered medicinal plant in China, remains limited. In this study, we identified a transcription factor DcERF109 as a key player in shoot branching by regulating the expression of strigolactone (SL) receptors DWARF 14 (D14)/ DECREASED APICAL DOMINANCE 2 (DAD2). The treatment of D. catenatum seedlings with GR24rac/TIS108 revealed that SL can significantly repress the shoot branching in D. catenatum. The expression of DcERF109 in multi-branched seedlings is significantly higher than that of single-branched seedlings. Ectopic expression in Arabidopsis thaliana demonstrated that overexpression of DcERF109 resulted in significant shoot branches increasing and dwarfing. Molecular and biochemical assays demonstrated that DcERF109 can directly bind to the promoters of AtD14 and DcDAD2.2 to inhibit their expression, thereby positively regulating shoot branching. Inhibition of DcERF109 by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) resulted in decreased shoot branching and improved DcDAD2.2 expression. Moreover, overexpression of DpERF109 in A. thaliana, the homologous gene of DcERF109 in Dendrobium primulinum, showed similar phenotypes to DcERF109 in shoot branch and plant height. Collectively, these findings shed new insights into the regulation of plant shoot branching and provide a theoretical basis for improving the yield of D. catenatum.

Development and validation of a nomogram to predict intracranial haemorrhage in neonates.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to establish and validate a Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI)-based predictive model for neonatal intracranial haemorrhage (ICH). METHODS: A total of 1190 neonates suspected of ICH after cranial ultrasound screening in a tertiary hospital were retrospectively enrolled. The neonates were randomly divided into a training cohort and a internal validation cohort by a ratio of 7:3. Univariate analysis was used to analyze the correlation between risk factors and ICH, and the prediction model of neonatal ICH was established by multivariate logistic regression based on minimum Akaike information criterion (AIC). The nomogram was externally validated in another tertiary hospital of 91 neonates. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated in terms of discrimination by the area under the curve (AUC), calibration by the calibration curve and clinical net benefit by the decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: Univariate analysis and min AIC-based multivariate logistic regression screened the following variables to establish a predictive model for neonatal ICH: Platelet count (PLT), gestational diabetes, mode of delivery, amniotic fluid contamination, 1-min Apgar score. The AUC was 0.715, 0.711, and 0.700 for the training cohort, internal validation cohort, and external validation cohort, respectively. The calibration curve showed a good correlation between the nomogram prediction and actual observation for ICH. DCA showed the nomogram was clinically useful. CONCLUSION: We developed and validated an easy-to-use nomogram to predict ICH for neonates. This model could support individualized risk assessment and healthcare.

Systematic Engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the De Novo Biosynthesis of Genistein and Glycosylation Derivatives.

Isoflavones are predominantly found in legumes and play roles in plant defense and prevention of estrogen-related diseases. Genistein is an important isoflavone backbone with various biological activities. In this paper, we describe how a cell factory that can de novo synthesize genistein was constructed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Different combinations of isoflavone synthase, cytochrome P450 reductase, and 2-hydroxyisoflavone dehydratase were tested, followed by pathway multicopy integration, to stably de novo synthesize genistein. The catalytic activity of isoflavone synthase was enhanced by heme supply and an increased intracellular NADPH/NADP+ ratio. Redistribution of the malonyl-CoA flow and balance of metabolic fluxes were achieved by adjusting the fatty acid synthesis pathway, yielding 23.33 mg/L genistein. Finally, isoflavone glycosyltransferases were introduced into S. cerevisiae, and the optimized strain produced 15.80 mg/L of genistin or 10.03 mg/L of genistein-8-C-glucoside. This is the first de novo synthesis of genistein-8-C-glucoside in S. cerevisiae, which is advantageous for the green industrial production of isoflavone compounds.

Targeted Gene Insertion: The Cutting Edge of CRISPR Drug Development with Hemophilia as a Highlight.

The remarkable advance in gene editing technology presents unparalleled opportunities for transforming medicine and finding cures for hereditary diseases. Human trials of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein-9 nuclease (Cas9)-based therapeutics have demonstrated promising results in disrupting or deleting target sequences to treat specific diseases. However, the potential of targeted gene insertion approaches, which offer distinct advantages over disruption/deletion methods, remains largely unexplored in human trials due to intricate technical obstacles and safety concerns. This paper reviews the recent advances in preclinical studies demonstrating in vivo targeted gene insertion for therapeutic benefits, targeting somatic solid tissues through systemic delivery. With a specific emphasis on hemophilia as a prominent disease model, we highlight advancements in insertion strategies, including considerations of DNA repair pathways, targeting site selection, and donor design. Furthermore, we discuss the complex challenges and recent breakthroughs that offer valuable insights for progressing towards clinical trials.

Soil organic matter degradation and methylmercury dynamics in Hg-contaminated soils: Relationships and driving factors.

Biodegradation of soil organic matter (SOM), which involves greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, plays an essential role in the global carbon cycle. Over the past few decades, this has become an important research focus, particularly in natural ecosystems. SOM biodegradation significantly affects contaminants in the environment, such as mercury (Hg) methylation, producing highly toxic methylmercury (MeHg). However, the potential link between GHG production from SOM turnover in contaminated soils and biogeochemical processes involving contaminants remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the dynamics of GHG, MeHg production, and the relationship between biogeochemical processes in soils from two typical Hg mining sites. The two contaminated soils have different pathways, explaining the significant variations in GHG and MeHg production. The divergence of the microbial communities in these two biogeochemical processes is essential. In addition to the microbial role, abiotic factors such as Hg species can significantly affect MeHg production. On the other hand, we found an inverse relationship between CH4 and MeHg, suggesting that carbon emission reduction policies and management could inadvertently increase the MeHg levels. This highlights the need for an eclectic approach to organic carbon sequestration and contaminant containment. These findings suggest that it is difficult to establish a general pattern to describe and explain the SOM degradation and MeHg production in contaminated soils within the specific scenarios. However, this study provides a case study and helpful insights for further understanding the links between environmental risks and carbon turnover in Hg mining areas.

Suppressed Phase Segregation with Small A-Site and Large X-Site Incorporation for Photostable Wide-Bandgap Perovskite Solar Cells.

Wide-bandgap (WBG) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been widely used as the top cell of tandem solar cells. However, photoinduced phase segregation and high open-circuit voltage loss pose significant obstacles to the development of WBG PSCs. Here, a two-step small-size A-site and large-size X-site incorporation strategy is reported to modulate the lattice distortion and improve the film quality of WBG formamidinium-methylammonium (FAMA) perovskite films for photostable PSCs based on two-step deposition method. First, CsI with content of 0-20% is introduced to tune the lattice distortion and film quality of FAMA perovskite with a bandgap of 1.70 eV. Then, 4% RbI is incorporated to further modulate the perovskite growth and lattice distortion, leading to the suppression of photoinduced phase segregation in the resultant RbCsFAMA quadruple cation perovskites. As a result, the 20%CsI/4%RbI-doped device obtains a promising efficiency of 20.6%, and the corresponding perovskite film shows good photothermal stability. Even without encapsulation, the device can maintain 92% of its initial efficiency after 1000 h of continuous operation under 1 sun equivalent white light-emitting diode illumination.

Earthquake supercycles and fault interaction over the past 32 ka in the Lake Ebinur area, Xinjiang, China.

Earthquake prediction and disaster assessment in tectonically active regions require a continuous and complete regional seismic archive, which is commonly difficult to obtain, especially for prehistoric records. Here, high-resolution analysis of the sedimentary sequence from Lake Ebinur in Xinjiang revealed a detailed history of environment evolution since 32 ka ago. Both the Cl content and ultrafine proportion revealed the changing climate: the climate was relatively dry with low lake-water volumes from 32 to 12 ka, while the climate became warmer and wetter since 12 ka. In addition, eight earthquakes were identified by comprehensive analysis of grain size and geochemical element proxies, showing more than two seismic supercycles, with gaps of ∼10.4 ka; these gaps are much larger than those inferred previously (∼4-7 ka). Notably, these seismic events exhibited a pattern of mutual transmittance between the BoA and Jinghenan faults. Such fault interaction can occur in the Lake Ebinur area because it is dominated by weak lithosphere in which strain is easily accumulated and released; the interaction can also be attributed to the unique spatial distribution and immature nature of both faults. Combined with trenching investigations, our high-resolution analysis of lacustrine sediments can reveal a complete history of tectonic activity, which can efficiently serve regional earthquake prediction and disaster assessment.

Beyond Small Molecules: Antibodies and Peptides for Fibroblast Activation Protein Targeting Radiopharmaceuticals.

Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is a serine protease characterized by its high expression in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and near absence in adult normal tissues and benign lesions. This unique expression pattern positions FAP as a prospective biomarker for targeted tumor radiodiagnosis and therapy. The advent of FAP-based radiotheranostics is anticipated to revolutionize cancer management. Among various types of FAP ligands, peptides and antibodies have shown advantages over small molecules, exemplifying prolonged tumor retention in human volunteers. Within its scope, this review summarizes the recent research progress of the FAP radiopharmaceuticals based on antibodies and peptides in tumor imaging and therapy. Additionally, it incorporates insights from recent studies, providing valuable perspectives on the clinical utility of FAP-targeted radiopharmaceuticals.

Asymmetric synthesis of P-stereogenic phosphindane oxides via kinetic resolution and their biological activity.

The importance of P-stereogenic heterocycles has been widely recognized with their extensive use as privileged chiral ligands and bioactive compounds. The catalytic asymmetric synthesis of P-stereogenic phosphindane derivatives, however, remains a challenging task. Herein, we report a catalytic kinetic resolution of phosphindole oxides via rhodium-catalyzed diastereo- and enantioselective conjugate addition to access enantiopure P-stereogenic phosphindane and phosphindole derivatives. This kinetic resolution method features high efficiency (s factor up to >1057), excellent stereoselectivities (all >20:1 dr, up to >99% ee), and a broad substrate scope. The obtained chiral phosphindane oxides exhibit promising therapeutic efficacy in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), and compound 3az is found to significantly inhibit renal cyst growth both in vitro and in vivo, thus ushering in a promising scaffold for ADPKD drug discovery. This study will not only advance efforts towards the asymmetric synthesis of challenging P-stereogenic heterocycles, but also surely inspire further development of P-stereogenic entities for bioactive small-molecule discovery.

Rubisco and sucrose synthesis and translocation are involved in the regulation of photosynthesis in wheat with different source-sink relationships.

Source-sink relationships influence photosynthesis. So far, the limiting factors for photosynthesis of wheat cultivars with different source-sink relationships have not been determined. We aimed to determine the variation patterns of photosynthetic characteristics of wheat cultivars with different source-sink relationships. In this study, two wheat cultivars with different source-sink relationships were selected for photosynthetic physiological analyses. The results showed that YM25 (source-limited cultivar) had higher photosynthetic efficiency compared to YM1 (sink-limited cultivar). This is mainly due to a stronger photochemical efficiency, electron transfer capacity, and Rubisco carboxylation capacity of YM25. YM25 accumulated less soluble carbohydrates in flag leaves than YM1. This is mainly due to the stronger sucrose synthesis and transport capacity of YM25 by presenting higher sucrose-related enzyme activities and gene expression. A PCA analysis showed that Rubisco was the main factor limiting the photosynthetic capacity of YM25. The soluble sugar accumulation in flag leaves and sink limitation decreased the photosynthetic activity of YM1. Increased N application improved source-sink relationships and increased grain yield and source leaf photosynthetic capacity in both two wheat cultivars. Taken together, our findings suggest that Rubisco and sucrose synthesis and translocation are involved in the regulation of photosynthesis of wheat cultivars with different source-sink relationships and that source and sink limitation effects should be considered in photosynthesis.

Deep learning-based automated lesion segmentation on pediatric focal cortical dysplasia II preoperative MRI: a reliable approach.

OBJECTIVES: Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) represents one of the most common causes of refractory epilepsy in children. Deep learning demonstrates great power in tissue discrimination by analyzing MRI data. A prediction model was built and verified using 3D full-resolution nnU-Net for automatic lesion detection and segmentation of children with FCD II. METHODS: High-resolution brain MRI structure data from 65 patients, confirmed with FCD II by pathology, were retrospectively studied. Experienced neuroradiologists segmented and labeled the lesions as the ground truth. Also, we used 3D full-resolution nnU-Net to segment lesions automatically, generating detection maps. The algorithm was trained using fivefold cross-validation, with data partitioned into training (N = 200) and testing (N = 15). To evaluate performance, detection maps were compared to expert manual labels. The Dice-Sørensen coefficient (DSC) and sensitivity were used to assess the algorithm performance. RESULTS: The 3D nnU-Net showed a good performance for FCD lesion detection at the voxel level, with a sensitivity of 0.73. The best segmentation model achieved a mean DSC score of 0.57 on the testing dataset. CONCLUSION: This pilot study confirmed that 3D full-resolution nnU-Net can automatically segment FCD lesions with reliable outcomes. This provides a novel approach to FCD lesion detection. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Our fully automatic models could process the 3D T1-MPRAGE data and segment FCD II lesions with reliable outcomes. KEY POINTS: • Simplified image processing promotes the DL model implemented in clinical practice. • The histopathological confirmed lesion masks enhance the clinical credibility of the AI model. • The voxel-level evaluation metrics benefit lesion detection and clinical decisions.