Patient and Operational Factors Do Not Substantively Affect the Annual Departmental Quality of Anesthesiologists' Clinical Supervision and Nurse Anesthetists' Work Habits.

INTRODUCTION: Although safety climate, teamwork, and other non-technical skills in operating rooms probably influence clinical outcomes, direct associations have not been shown, at least partially due to sample size considerations. We report data from a retrospective cohort of anesthesia evaluations that can simplify the design of prospective observational studies in this area. Associations between non-technical skills in anesthesia, specifically anesthesiologists' quality of clinical supervision and nurse anesthetists' work habits, and patient and operational factors were examined. METHODS: Eight fiscal years of evaluations and surgical cases from one hospital were included. Clinical supervision by anesthesiologists was evaluated daily using a nine-item scale. Work habits of nurse anesthetists were evaluated daily using a six-item scale. The dependent variables for both groups of staff were binary, whether all items were given the maximum score or not. Associations were tested with patient and operational variables for the entire day. RESULTS: There were 40,718 evaluations of faculty anesthesiologists by trainees, 53,772 evaluations of nurse anesthetists by anesthesiologists, and 296,449 cases that raters and ratees started together. Cohen's d values were small (≤0.10) for all independent variables, suggesting a lack of any clinically meaningful association between patient and operational factors and evaluations given the maximum scores. For supervision quality, the day's count of orthopedic cases was a significant predictor of scores (P = 0.0011). However, the resulting absolute marginal change in the percentage of supervision scores equal to the maximum was only 0.8% (99% confidence interval: 0.2% to 1.4%), i.e., too small to be of clinical or managerial importance. Neurosurgical cases may have been a significant predictor of work habits (P = 0.0054). However, the resulting marginal change in the percentage of work habits scores equal to the maximum, an increase of 0.8% (99% confidence interval: 0.1% to 1.6%), which was again too small to be important. CONCLUSIONS: When evaluating the effect of assigning anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists with different clinical performance quality on clinical outcomes, supervision quality and work habits scores may be included as independent variables without concern that their effects are confounded by association with the patient or case characteristics. Clinical supervision and work habits are measures of non-technical skills. Hence, these findings suggest that non-technical performance can be judged by observing the typical small sample size of cases. Then, associations can be tested with administrative data for a far greater number of patients because there is unlikely to be a confounding association between patient and case characteristics and the clinicians' non-technical performance.

Product labeling accuracy and contamination analysis of commercially available cannabidiol product samples.

Background and objective: Commercially available cannabidiol (CBD) products are increasingly being used for medicinal purposes, including for the treatment of various neurological conditions, but there are growing concerns around adherence to quality control measures that protect consumers. This study was conducted to assess the purity and label accuracy of commercially available CBD products. Methods: Commercially available CBD products were chosen from the open stream of commerce in the United States based on formulations as a tincture, gummy, vape, or topical product. Cannabinoid concentrations were analyzed to verify label accuracy including "full spectrum," "broad spectrum," and "CBD isolate" claims on the product label. Analysis for the presence of contaminants included evaluation for heavy metals, pesticides, and residual solvents. Labeled and actual total amounts of CBD and levels of impurities such as heavy metals, residual solvents, and pesticides were measured. Results: A total of 202 CBD products (100 tinctures, 48 gummies, 34 vape products, and 20 topicals) were chosen to represent a broad sample in the United States. Of the products tested (full spectrum, n = 84; broad spectrum, n = 28; CBD isolate, n = 37), 26% did not meet the definition for product type claimed on the packaging. The majority of products (74%) deviated from their label claim of CBD potency by at least 10%. Heavy metals were detected 52 times across 44 of the 202 products tested, with lead being the most prevalent heavy metal. Residual solvents were detected 446 times across 181 of 202 products, with the highest concentrations reported for hexane, m/p-xylene, methanol, and o-xylene. Of 232 pesticides tested, 26 were found 55 times across 30 products. A total of 3% of heavy metals, 1% of residual solvents, and 1% of pesticides violated >1 regulatory threshold. Discussion: This study demonstrated that the majority of commercially available CBD products tested within the current study are inaccurately labeled. Heavy metals, residual solvents, and pesticides were found in several products, some of which violated regulatory thresholds. Thus, uniform compliance with CBD quality control measures is lacking and raises consumer protection concerns. Improved regulatory oversight of this industry is recommended.

The status of nuclear medicine in China: the first official national survey.

AIM/INTRODUCTION: The National Nuclear Medicine Quality Control Center of China conducted the first official survey to investigate the nationwide situation of nuclear medicine in 2020. The survey aimed to unveil the current nuclear medicine situation and its quality control in China. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The web-based survey was conducted and the data was collected via the National Clinical Improvement System (NCIS) of China from 1st April to 31st May 2021. RESULTS: A total of 808 institutes across 30 provinces responded to the national survey. For human resources, there are 4460 physicians, 3077 technologists, 339 physicists, and 309 radiochemists. There are 887 single-photon imaging instruments, including 823 SPECT or SPECT/CT, and 365 PET instruments including 314 PET/CT. Six hundred twenty-four institutes perform SPECT examinations and 319 institutes perform PET examinations. 60% of SPECT scans are bone scintigraphy. A total of 97% of PET scans use an [18F]F-FDG tracer. Furthermore, 587 institutes provide radionuclide therapy services but only 280 institutes have admission rooms. The top three radionuclide therapies are [131I] therapy of hyperthyroidism with 546 institutes, [89Sr] therapy of bone metastasis with 400 institutes, and [131I] therapy of differentiated thyroid cancer with 286 institutes. Finally, for the frequency of equipment quality control per year, there are about 67 times self-test within the department for SPECT instruments and 111 times for PET instruments on average in each province. There are about three failures of SPECT and five failures of PET on average per year in each province. There are 408 institutes (of 624 SPECT institutes) performing quality control of SPECT radiopharmaceuticals, 216 (of 319) for PET radiopharmaceuticals, and 373 (of 587) for radionuclide therapy. CONCLUSION: These results of the first official survey towards current status of nuclear medicine in China are the foundation for the establishment of the quality control management system.

Recent advances and role of melatonin in post-harvest quality preservation of shiitake (Lentinula edodes).

Shiitake mushrooms are renowned for their popularity and robust nutritional value, are susceptible to spoilage due to their inherent biodegradability. Nevertheless, because of their lack of protection, these mushrooms have a short shelf life. Throughout the post-harvest phase, mushrooms experience a persistent decline in quality. This is evidenced by changes such as discoloration, reduced moisture content, texture changes, an increase in microbial count, and the depletion of nutrients and flavor. Ensuring postharvest quality preservation and prolonging mushroom shelf life necessitates the utilization of post-harvest preservation techniques, including physical, chemical, and thermal processes. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the deterioration processes affecting mushroom quality, covering elements such as moisture loss, discoloration, texture alterations, increased microbial count, and the depletion of nutrients and flavor. It also explores the key factors influencing these processes, such as temperature, relative humidity, water activity, and respiration rate. Furthermore, the review delves into recent progress in preserving mushrooms through techniques such as drying, cooling, packaging, irradiation, washing, and coating.

mtDNA analysis using Mitopore.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis is crucial for the diagnosis of mitochondrial disorders, forensic investigations, and basic research. Existing pipelines are complex, expensive, and require specialized personnel. In many cases, including the diagnosis of detrimental single nucleotide variants (SNVs), mtDNA analysis is still carried out using Sanger sequencing. Here, we developed a simple workflow and a publicly available webserver named Mitopore that allows the detection of mtDNA SNVs, indels, and haplogroups. To simplify mtDNA analysis, we tailored our workflow to process noisy long-read sequencing data for mtDNA analysis, focusing on sequence alignment and parameter optimization. We implemented Mitopore with eliBQ (eliminate bad quality reads), an innovative quality enhancement that permits the increase of per-base quality of over 20% for low-quality data. The whole Mitopore workflow and webserver were validated using patient-derived and induced pluripotent stem cells harboring mtDNA mutations. Mitopore streamlines mtDNA analysis as an easy-to-use fast, reliable, and cost-effective analysis method for both long- and short-read sequencing data. This significantly enhances the accessibility of mtDNA analysis and reduces the cost per sample, contributing to the progress of mtDNA-related research and diagnosis.

Effectiveness of a standardized quality control management procedure for COVID-19 RT-PCR testing: a large-scale diagnostic accuracy study in China.

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to construct a standardized quality control management procedure (QCMP) and access its accuracy in the quality control of COVID-19 reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). METHODS: Considering the initial RT-PCR results without applying QCMP as the gold standard, a large-scale diagnostic accuracy study including 4,385,925 participants at three COVID-19 RT-PCR testing sites in China, Foshan (as a pilot test), Guangzhou and Shenyang (as validation sites), was conducted from May 21, 2021, to December 15, 2022. RESULTS: In the pilot test, the RT-PCR with QCMP had a high accuracy of 99.18% with 100% specificity, 100% positive predictive value (PPV), and 99.17% negative predictive value (NPV). The rate of retesting was reduced from 1.98% to 1.16%. Its accuracy was then consistently validated in Guangzhou and Shenyang. CONCLUSIONS: The RT-PCR with QCMP showed excellent accuracy in identifying true negative COVID-19 and relieved the labor and time spent on retesting.

Atypia of undetermined significance and ThyroSeq v3-positive call rates as quality control metrics for cytology laboratory performance.

BACKGROUND: The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (TBSRTC) recommends an upper limit of 10% for atypia of undetermined significance (AUS). Recent data suggest that this category might be overused when the rate of cases with molecular positive results is low. As a quality metric, the AUS and positive call rates for this facility's cytology laboratory and each cytopathologist (CP) were calculated. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all thyroid cytology cases in a 4.5-year period was performed. Cases were stratified by TBSRTC, and molecular testing results were collected for indeterminate categories. The AUS rate was calculated for each CP and the laboratory. The molecular positive call rate (PCR) was calculated with and without the addition of currently negative to the positive results obtained from the ThyroSeq report. RESULTS: A total of 7535 cases were classified as nondiagnostic, 7.6%; benign, 69%; AUS, 17.5%; follicular neoplasm/suspicious for follicular neoplasm, 1.4%; suspicious for malignancy, 0.7%; and malignant, 3.8%. The AUS rate for each CP ranged from 9.9% to 36.8%. The overall PCR was 24% (range, 13%-35.6% per CP). When including cases with currently negative results, the PCR increased to 35.5% for the cytology laboratory (range, 13%-42.6% per CP). Comparison analysis indicates a combination of overcalling benign cases and, less frequently, undercalling of higher TBSRTC category cases. CONCLUSIONS: The AUS rate in the context of PCR is a useful metric to assess cytology laboratory and cytopathologists' performance. Continuous feedback on this metric could help improve the overall quality of reporting thyroid cytology.

Determining the Effects of Inter-Layer Time Interval in Powder-Fed Laser-Directed Energy Deposition on the Microstructure of Inconel 718 via In Situ Thermal Monitoring.

Cylindrical Inconel 718 specimens were fabricated via a blown-powder, laser-directed energy deposition (DED-L) additive manufacturing (AM) process equipped with a dual thermal monitoring system to learn key process-structure relationships. Thermographic inspection of the heat affected zone (HAZ) and melt pool was performed with different layer-to-layer time intervals of ~0 s, 5 s, and 10 s, using an infrared camera and dual-wavelength pyrometer, respectively. Maximum melt pool temperatures were found to increase with layer number within a substrate affected zone (SAZ), and then asymptotically decrease. As the layer-to-layer time interval increased the HAZ temperature responses became more repetitive, indicating a desirable approach for achieving a more homogeneous microstructure along the height of a part. Microstructural variations in grain size and the coexistence of specific precipitate phases and Laves phases persisted among the investigated samples despite the employed standard heat treatment. This indicates that the effectiveness of any post DED-L heat treatment depends significantly on the initial, as-printed microstructure. Overall, this study demonstrates the importance of part size, part number per build, and time intervals on DED-L process parameter selection and post-process heat treatments for achieving better quality control.

Time-of-day dependence of running averages for some components of metabolic panels at our hospital: Relation to strategy for patient-based quality control.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We assessed properties of running averages for our hospital's most common chemistry analytes, for use in real-time patient-based quality control (PBQC). We determined whether there was dependence of any running averages on 24-h clock time (time-of-day, TOD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed 3-months' data for measurements of 13 metabolic panel components. Running averages for 20 consecutive results (20-mers) were computed for data restricted to results within reference intervals. This produced an overall mean (X) and standard-deviation (SD) of 20-mers for each analyte. We then computed the average 20-mer result (Y) reported within 1-h bins across 24-hour clock time (t). Y(t) was regarded as having TOD-dependence if either nadir or apex values for |Y-X| exceeded 0.5 SD, occurring within a contiguous series of at least 4 Y(t) values on one side of the mean. RESULTS: Seven analytes (albumin, aspartate aminotransferase, calcium, chloride, CO2, potassium, total protein) demonstrated TOD-dependence of running means for 20-mers. CONCLUSIONS: At our hospital, TOD-dependence of running means was identified for 7 of 13 metabolic panel analytes. TOD-dependence is likely to be hospital-specific. Utilization of TOD-dependent targets for PBQC, rather than fixed targets, would be appropriate in these cases.

Selection and evaluation of quality markers (Q-markers) of vladimiriae radix extract for cholestatic liver injury based on spectrum-effect relationship, pharmacokinetics, and molecular docking.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: As a representative local medicinal herb produced in China, Vladimiriae Radix (VR) has been proven to exert hepatoprotective and choleretic effects, with particular therapeutic efficacy in cholestatic liver injury (CLI), as demonstrated by the VR extract (VRE). However, the quality markers (Q-markers) of VRE for the treatment of CLI remain unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: A new strategy based on the core element of "efficacy" was proposed, using a combination of spectrum-effect relationship, pharmacokinetics, and molecular docking methods to select and confirm Q-markers of VRE. MATERIAL AND METHODS: First, the HPLC fingerprinting of 10 batches of VRE was studied, and the in vivo pharmacological index of anti-CLI in rats was determined. The spectrum-effect relationship was utilized as a screening method to identify the Q-markers of VRE. Secondly, Q-markers were used as VRE pharmacokinetic markers to measure their concentrations in normal and CLI rat plasma, and to analyze their disposition. Finally, molecular docking was utilized to predict the potential interaction between the identified Q-markers and crucial targets of CLI. RESULTS: The fingerprints of 10 batches of VRE was established. The in vivo pharmacological evaluation of rats showed that VRE had a significant therapeutic effect on CLI. The spectrum-effect correlation analysis showed that costunolide (COS) and dehydrocostus lactone (DEH) were the Q-markers of VRE anti-CLI. The pharmacokinetic results showed that AUC(0-t), Cmax, CLZ/F, and VZ/F of COS and DEH in CLI rats had significant differences (P < 0.01). They were effectively absorbed into the blood plasma of CLI rats, ensuring ideal bioavailability, and confirming their role as Q-markers. Molecular docking results showed that COS, DEH had good affinity with key targets (FXR, CAR, PXR, MAPK, TGR5, NRF2) for CLI treatment (Binding energy < -4.52 kcal mol-1), further verifying the correctness of Q-marker selection. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, through the combination of experimental and theoretical approaches from the aspects of pharmacodynamic expression, in vivo process rules, and interaction force prediction, the therapeutic effect of VRE and Q-markers (COS、DEH) were elucidated. Furthermore, a new idea based on the principle of "efficacy" was successfully proposed for screening and evaluating Q-markers.

Comparative discriminant analysis of Mesua ferrea L. and its adulterants.

The Uygur medicinal material Mesua ferrea L. has different plant sources in the market. The flower bud of Mammea siamensis T. Anders, which originated from Myanmar and Thailand, is actually used in the dosage room of Uygur hospitals and pharmaceutical enterprises in Xinjiang Region. On the contrary, flowers of Mesua ferrea L. are less frequently used. In this study, the taxonomic characteristics, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used to compare the similarities and differences between the two species. The results showed that the flowers of the two plants were significantly different in morphology, but the similarity of chemical components was high. At the same time, the study also found that Mesua ferrea L. and Mammea siamensis T. Anders contain a large amount of vitexin and isovitexin, which can be used for qualitative and quantitative research. This study provides a reference for the identification, development and utilization of Mesua ferrea L medicinal materials and the revision of quality standards.

Aggregates in apheresis-derived platelet concentrates: A 5-year single-centre experience.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The phenomenon of aggregates in apheresis-derived platelet concentrates (APCs) has not yet been fully elucidated. Initially, visible aggregates (IVA) usually dissolve within 24 h after collection, but some persist till the end of the shelf life (persistent aggregates, PA). A study conducted at the Croatian Institute of Transfusion Medicine aimed to identify factors that influence the aggregate occurrence in APCs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study for the 2018-2022 period and collected data on APCs with IVA. We analysed APCs discarded due to PA separately for two apheresis technologies and compared them to the control group. RESULTS: Significantly more donations were discarded in the IVA group compared with the control group and total number of discarded APCs. A total of 205 APCs were discarded due to PA (14.7% of IVA APCs and 1.27% of all APCs collected). Amicus APCs with PA had a significantly lower platelet count and mean platelet volume. They were obtained by procedures with less anticoagulant used. In contrast to Amicus APCs, Haemonetics APCs with PA had a significantly higher platelet count. None of the donor-related factors examined was predictive of PA. CONCLUSION: APCs with IVA are more often discarded, not only due to aggregates, but also for impairment of other quality control parameters. Type of apheresis technology, being one of the most common risk factors for IVA, was not confirmed as the main risk factor for PA. There seem to be some donor-related causal factors.

Long-term suitability of an alternative host for rearing the sugarcane stalk borer parasitoid Tetrastichus howardi.

The continuous utilisation of an alternative host may influence parasitoid performance across successive generations due to conditioning in natal hosts. Tetrastichus howardi (Olliff) has successfully been reared using Tenebrio molitor L. pupae as a feasible alternative host. However, the extended rearing of T. howardi on this alternative host may impact the biological features of the parasitoids. Parasitoids were reared using T. molitor pupae for 30 consecutive generations. Quality criteria were assessed during the generations F5, F15, and F30, offering pupae of the target pest, Diatraea saccharalis (Fabr.), and compared with the F0 generation (parasitoids reared in D. saccharalis pupae). Criteria included assessments of parasitism performance, host selection, and wing form variation in the parasitoid wasps. Additionally, we examined the fecundity of T. howardi females that emerged from both hosts, considering their age, egg loading before and after one oviposition, as well as parasitism of sugarcane stalk borer pupae. Rearing T. howardi using pupae of T. molitor did not affect its biological traits or preference for the target pest for 30 generations. After parasitism, the parasitoid left the host pupa inside the stalk, and one oviposition was enough to kill D. saccharalis pupae and obtain viable parasitoid progeny. Female sexual maturation and egg loading occurred 72 and 96 h after parasitoid emergence. Egg-loading recovery after parasitism did not happen within 24 h. T. howardi can be reared for up to 30 generations using alternative hosts without compromising its parasitism performance or egg loading.

Abundance of the Membrane Proteome in Yeast Cells Lacking Spc1, a Non-catalytic Subunit of the Signal Peptidase Complex.

The signal peptidase complex (SPC) mediates processing of signal peptides of secretory precursors. But, recent studies show that the eukaryotic SPC also cleaves internal transmembrane segments of some membrane proteins, and its non-catalytic subunit, Spc1/SPCS1 plays a critical role in this process. To assess the impact of Spc1 on membrane proteostasis, we carried out quantitative proteomics of yeast cells with and without Spc1. Our data show that the abundance of the membrane proteome in yeast cells lacking Spc1 is in general reduced compared to that in wild-type cells, implicating its role in controlling the cellular levels of membrane proteins.

[Research on Position Verification of Multi-Leaf Collimator (MLC) and Dose Verification Based on Electronic Portal Imaging Device].

Objective: A quality control (QC) system based on the electronic portal imaging device (EPID) system was used to realize the Multi-Leaf Collimator (MLC) position verification and dose verification functions on Primus and VenusX accelerators. Methods: The MLC positions were calculated by the maximum gradient method of gray values to evaluate the deviation. The dose of images acquired by EPID were reconstructed using the algorithm combining dose calibration and dose calculation. The dose data obtained by EPID and two-dimensional matrix (MapCheck/PTW) were compared with the dose calculated by Pinnacle/TiGRT TPS for γ passing rate analysis. Results: The position error of VenusX MLC was less than 1 mm. The position error of Primus MLC was significantly reduced after being recalibrated under the instructions of EPID. For the dose reconstructed by EPID, the average γ passing rates of Primus were 98.86% and 91.39% under the criteria of 3%/3 mm, 10% threshold and 2%/2 mm, 10% threshold, respectively. The average γ passing rates of VenusX were 98.49% and 91.11%, respectively. Conclusion: The EPID-based accelerator quality control system can improve the efficiency of accelerator quality control and reduce the workload of physicists.

Ongoing Laboratory Performance Study on Chemical Analysis of Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Compounds in Three Aquatic Passive Samplers.

The quality of chemical analysis is an important aspect of passive sampling-based environmental assessments. The present study reports on a proficiency testing program for the chemical analysis of hydrophobic organic compounds in silicone and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) passive samplers and hydrophilic compounds in polar organic chemical integrative samplers. The median between-laboratory coefficients of variation (CVs) of hydrophobic compound concentrations in the polymer phase were 33% (silicone) and 38% (LDPE), similar to the CVs obtained in four earlier rounds of this program. The median CV over all rounds was 32%. Much higher variabilities were observed for hydrophilic compound concentrations in the sorbent: 50% for the untransformed data and a factor of 1.6 after log transformation. Limiting the data to the best performing laboratories did not result in less variability. Data quality for hydrophilic compounds was only weakly related to the use of structurally identical internal standards and was unrelated to the choice of extraction solvent and extraction time. Standard deviations of the aqueous concentration estimates for hydrophobic compound sampling by the best performing laboratories were 0.21 log units for silicone and 0.27 log units for LDPE (factors of 1.6 to 1.9). The implications are that proficiency testing programs may give more realistic estimates of uncertainties in chemical analysis than within-laboratory quality control programs and that these high uncertainties should be taken into account in environmental assessments.

[Reflections on good manufacturing practice and quality control system of personalized traditional Chinese medicine preparations].

Personalized traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) preparations have entered a stage of rapid development. The key to the healthy development of this industry is to establish a sound manufacturing standard and quality control system. This paper analyzed the characteristics of personalized TCM preparations and drew reference from the quality management standards in the production of commissioned decoctions and oral pastes, on the basis of which the production quality management scheme and cautions for the safe production of personalized TCM preparations was put forward with consideration to various problems that may exist and occur in the production of such preparations. It provided references for formulating the production standards and quality management system of personalized TCM preparations. The production standards and quality control system should develop with the times. In the future, modern technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence should be employed to achieve the automated and intelligent production and establish a sound quality traceability system, online control strategy, and safety management mode of personalized TCM preparations, which will ensure the healthy development of this industry under requirement of good manufacturing practice(GMP).

Mid-infrared spectroscopic identification of the right-baked rhubarb for ulcerative colitis therapy.

Clinical and experimental evidences have confirmed the significant therapeutic effects of rhubarb on ulcerative colitis (UC), but the strong purgative function of rhubarb also aggravates UC symptoms such as bloody diarrhea. Stir-baking to scorch is a traditional Chinese medicinal processing method that can eliminate the adverse purgative function while keep or even enhance the UC therapeutic function of rhubarb. However, the under-baked rhubarb still have the undesirable purgative function, but the over-baked rhubarb may lose the required medicinal functions. Therefore, the determination of the right endpoint is the primary quality concern about the baking process of rhubarb. In this research, typical anthraquinone compounds and mid-infrared (MIR) spectra were recruited to determine the best baking degree of rhubarb for UC therapy. Raw rhubarb slices were baked at 180 °C with rotation to prepare the rhubarbs with different baking degrees. The right-baked rhubarb was defined according to the UC therapeutic responses as well as the traditional color criterion. Referring to the typical anthraquinone compounds in rhubarb slices and extracts, the baking degree of rhubarb may be assessed by the conversion ratio of anthraquinone glycosides to anthraquinone aglycones. MIR spectra showed the gradual decompositions of organic compounds including anthraquinone glycosides and tannins during the baking process. Rhubarbs with different baking degrees can be distinguished clearly by MIR-based principal component analysis. In conclusion, the ratio of anthraquinone glycosides to anthraquinone aglycones may be a reasonable chemical indicator of the right-baked rhubarb. Meanwhile, MIR spectroscopy can identify the right-baked rhubarb simply and rapidly.

Phase separation of polyubiquitinated proteins in UBQLN2 condensates controls substrate fate.

Ubiquitination is one of the most common post-translational modifications in eukaryotic cells. Depending on the architecture of polyubiquitin chains, substrate proteins can meet different cellular fates, but our understanding of how chain linkage controls protein fate remains limited. UBL-UBA shuttle proteins, such as UBQLN2, bind to ubiquitinated proteins and to the proteasome or other protein quality control machinery elements and play a role in substrate fate determination. Under physiological conditions, UBQLN2 forms biomolecular condensates through phase separation, a physicochemical phenomenon in which multivalent interactions drive the formation of a macromolecule-rich dense phase. Ubiquitin and polyubiquitin chains modulate UBQLN2's phase separation in a linkage-dependent manner, suggesting a possible link to substrate fate determination, but polyubiquitinated substrates have not been examined directly. Using sedimentation assays and microscopy we show that polyubiquitinated substrates induce UBQLN2 phase separation and incorporate into the resulting condensates. This substrate effect is strongest with K63-linked substrates, intermediate with mixed-linkage substrates, and weakest with K48-linked substrates. Proteasomes can be recruited to these condensates, but proteasome activity towards K63-linked and mixed linkage substrates is inhibited in condensates. Substrates are also protected from deubiquitinases by UBQLN2-induced phase separation. Our results imply that phase separation can act as a regulatory switch that controls the fate of ubiquitinated substrates in a chain-linkage dependent manner, thus serving as an interpreter of the ubiquitin code.

Fully automatic online geometric calibration for non-circular cone-beam CT orbits using fiducials with unknown placement.

BACKGROUND: Cone-beam CT (CBCT) with non-circular scanning orbits can improve image quality for 3D intraoperative image guidance. However, geometric calibration of such scans can be challenging. Existing methods typically require a prior image, specialized phantoms, presumed repeatable orbits, or long computation time. PURPOSE: We propose a novel fully automatic online geometric calibration algorithm that does not require prior knowledge of fiducial configuration. The algorithm is fast, accurate, and can accommodate arbitrary scanning orbits and fiducial configurations. METHODS: The algorithm uses an automatic initialization process to eliminate human intervention in fiducial localization and an iterative refinement process to ensure robustness and accuracy. We provide a detailed explanation and implementation of the proposed algorithm. Physical experiments on a lab test bench and a clinical robotic C-arm scanner were conducted to evaluate spatial resolution performance and robustness under realistic constraints. RESULTS: Qualitative and quantitative results from the physical experiments demonstrate high accuracy, efficiency, and robustness of the proposed method. The spatial resolution performance matched that of our existing benchmark method, which used a 3D-2D registration-based geometric calibration algorithm. CONCLUSIONS: We have demonstrated an automatic online geometric calibration method that delivers high spatial resolution and robustness performance. This methodology enables arbitrary scan trajectories and should facilitate translation of such acquisition methods in a clinical setting.