Exploring artificial intelligence from a clinical perspective: A comparison and application analysis of two facial age predictors trained on a large-scale Chinese cosmetic patient database.

BACKGROUND: Age prediction powered by artificial intelligence (AI) can be used as an objective technique to assess the cosmetic effect of rejuvenation surgery. Existing age-estimation models are trained on public datasets with the Caucasian race as the main reference, thus they are impractical for clinical application in Chinese patients. METHODS: To develop and select an age-estimation model appropriate for Chinese patients receiving rejuvenation treatment, we obtained a face database of 10 529 images from 1821 patients from the author's hospital and selected two representative age-estimation algorithms for the model training. The prediction accuracies and the interpretability of calculation logic of these two facial age predictors were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: The mean absolute error (MAE) of a traditional support vector machine-learning model was 10.185 years; the proportion of absolute error ≤6 years was 35.90% and 68.50% ≤12 years. The MAE of a deep-learning model based on the VGG-16 framework was 3.011 years; the proportion of absolute error ≤6 years was 90.20% and 100% ≤12 years. Compared with deep learning, traditional machine-learning models have clearer computational logic, which allows them to give clinicians more specific treatment recommendations. CONCLUSION: Experimental results show that deep-learning exceeds traditional machine learning in the prediction of Chinese cosmetic patients' age. Although traditional machine learning model has better interpretability than deep-learning model, deep-learning is more accurate for clinical quantitative evaluation. Knowing the decision-making logic behind the accurate prediction of deep-learning is crucial for deeper clinical application, and requires further exploration.

Effects of taurine on rumen fermentation, nutrient digestion, rumen bacterial community and metabolomics and nitrogen metabolism in beef steers.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of taurine on rumen fermentation, rumen bacterial community and metabolomics, nitrogen metabolism and plasma biochemical parameters in beef steers. Six castrated Simmental steers (liveweight 402 ± 34 kg) and three levels of taurine (0, 20, 40 g d-1 ) were assigned in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design. Each experimental period included 15 days for adaptation and 5 days for sampling. RESULTS: Supplementing taurine did not affect the ruminal pH or concentrations of ammonia nitrogen and volatile fatty acids (P > 0.10), but linearly increased the ruminal concentrations of taurine (P < 0.001) and microbial crude protein (P = 0.041). Supplementing taurine linearly increased the neutral detergent fiber digestibility (P = 0.018), and tended to linearly increase dry matter digestibility (P = 0.095), tended to increase the fecal nitrogen excretion (P = 0.065) and increased the urinary taurine excretion (P < 0.001). Supplementing taurine quadratically increased the plasma concentration of triglycerides (P = 0.017), tended to linearly decrease growth hormone (P = 0.074), but did not affect other plasma parameters (P > 0.10). Supplementing taurine modified the rumen bacterial community and increased the ruminal concentration of taurine metabolite 2-hydroxyethoxysulfonic acid (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: It was concluded that taurine improved ruminal microbial crude protein synthesis and increased fiber digestibility through modifying rumen bacterial community. It is necessary to clarify the ruminal hydrolysis of taurine in steers. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Progress on health-related quality of life and its influencing factors in patients with tuberculosis sequelae].

With the emergence of new tuberculosis patients, the number of patients with tuberculosis sequelae is increasing, which not only increases the medical burden of tuberculosis sequelae year by year, but also affects the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients. The HRQOL of patients with tuberculosis sequelae has gradually received attention, but there are few relevant studies. Studies have shown that HRQOL is related to various factors such as post-tuberculosis lung disease, adverse reaction to anti-tuberculosis drugs, decreased physical activity, psychological barriers, low economic status and marital status. This article reviewed the current situation of HRQOL in patients with sequelae of tuberculosis and its influencing factors, in order to provide a reference for improving the quality of life of patients with sequelae of tuberculosis.

Effects of acetate, propionate, and pH on volatile fatty acid thermodynamics in continuous cultures of ruminal contents.

To investigate the effects of acetate, propionate, and pH on thermodynamics of volatile fatty acids (VFA) in the rumen, a dual-flow continuous culture study was conducted to quantify production of major VFA, interconversions among the VFA, and H2 and CH4 emissions in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. The 4 treatments were (1) control: pH buffered to an average of 6.75; (2) control plus 20 mmol/d of infused acetate (InfAc); (3) control plus 7 mmol/d of infused propionate (InfPr); and (4) a 0.5-unit decline in pH elicited by adjustment of the buffer (LowpH). All fermentors were fed 40 g of a pelleted diet containing whole alfalfa pellets and concentrate mix pellets (50:50) once daily. After 7 d of treatment, sequential, continuous infusions of [2-13C] sodium acetate (3.5 mmol/d), [U-13C] sodium propionate (2.9 mmol/d), and [1-13C] sodium butyrate (0.22 mmol/d) were carried out from 12 h before feeding for 36 h. Filtered liquid effluent (4 mL) was sampled at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, and 22 h after feeding, and assessed for VFA concentrations, with another filtered sample (20 mL) used to quantify aqueous concentrations of CH4 and H2. Headspace CH4 and H2 gases were monitored continuously. Ruminal microbes were isolated from the mixed effluent samples, and the microbial community structure was analyzed using the 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing technique. The digestibility of neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and starch and microbial C sequestrated from VFA were not affected by treatments. The LowpH treatment increased net propionate production and decreased H2 and CH4 headspace emissions, primarily due to shifts in metabolic pathways of VFA formation, likely due to the observed changes in bacterial community structure. Significant interconversions occurred between acetate and butyrate, whereas interconversions of other VFA with propionate were relatively small. The InfAc and InfPr treatments increased net acetate and propionate production, respectively; however, interconversions among VFA were not affected by pH, acetate, or propionate treatments, suggesting that thermodynamics might not be a primary influencer of metabolic pathways used for VFA formation.

Thiocyanate increases the nitrous oxide formation process through modifying the soil bacterial community.

BACKGROUND: Nitrous oxide (N2 O) is a potent greenhouse gas depleting the stratospheric ozone. Previous studies reported that the thiocyanate (TC) excretion in the urine of cattle fed rapeseed meals containing glucosinolates was positively correlated with the N2 O-nitrogen (N) emissions. The objectives of the experiment were to verify the effects and the mechanism of TC on the N2 O-N emissions from the soil applied with artificial urine using static incubation technique. Four levels of TC, that is 0.00, 0.26, 0.78 and 2.33 mmol L-1 were composited in artificial urine as experimental treatments. Soil inorganic N and bacterial community were analyzed to elucidate the effects of TC on the N2 O-N emissions of artificial urine. RESULTS: Adding TC increased the N2 O-N fluxes, the N2 O-N to N application ratio, and the estimated N2 O-N emissions from the soil applied with artificial urine both linearly and quadratically. The estimated N2 O-N emission (Y, in µmol) was increased with the TC adding level (X, in µmol) in a quadratic manner: Y = 52.57 + 4.47 X - 0.123 X 2 (R 2  = 0.70). Adding TC did not affect the soil bacterial diversity and richness, but increased the relative abundances of Nitrosomonas (both for nitrification and denitrification) and Hyphomicrobium, Lysobacter and Terrimonas (for denitrification), and tended to increase the relative abundances of denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium. CONCLUSION: TC increased the N2 O-N emissions of the soil applied with artificial urine possibly through enhancing the denitrification of nitrifiers in the soil. Field experiments are necessary to verify the laboratory results. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Advances in indocyanine green fluorescence imaging during hepatectomy].

While surgical operation is the preferred treatment for liver malignancies,the postoperative recurrence rate remains high. In the early 21st century,Japanese scientists first reported the use of indocyanine green(ICG) in liver resection. Follow-up studies also found its potential applications such as identifying tumors,determining surgical margins,delineating segmental boundaries,and preventing bile leakage. At present,ICG fluorescence imaging is applied to some types of hepatectomy with excellent effect and is expected to assist in generating surgical strategies for liver malignancies. However,its safety and efficacy still need further studies to evaluate.

A revised representation of ruminal pH and digestive reparameterization of the Molly cow model.

Ruminal pH is a critical factor to regulate nutrient degradation and fermentation. However, it has been poorly predicted in the Molly cow model, and recent improvements in the representation of nitrogen cycling across the rumen wall altered some of the modeled responses to feed nutrients, resulting in some model bias. The objectives of this study were to further improve the representation of pH and to refit parameters related to ruminal metabolism and nutrient digestion in the model to resolve this bias, and to use the improved model to estimate nitrogen and energy fluxes with varying rumen-degradable protein (RDP; 40 vs. 60%) and ruminally degraded starch (RDSt; 50 vs. 75%). A meta data set containing 284 peer reviewed studies with 1,223 treatment means was used to derive parameter estimates for ruminal metabolism and nutrient digestions. Refitting the parameters significantly improved the accuracy and precision of the model predictions for ruminal nutrient outflow [acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), total N, microbial N, nonammonia N, and nonammonia nonmicrobial N], ammonia and blood urea concentrations, and fecal nutrient outflow (protein, ADF, and NDF). The prediction error for body weight was decreased from 19.3 to 6.2% with decreased mean bias (from 76.0 to 11.5%) and slope bias (from 17.2 to 7.7%), primarily due to improved representations of ruminal dry matter and liquid pool size. Adding ammonia concentration as a driver to the pH equation increased the precision of predicted ruminal pH and, thereby, the precision of predicted volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations, due to improved representation of pH regulation of VFA production rates. Although minor mean and slope bias were observed for ruminal pH and VFA concentrations, the concordance correlation coefficients indicated that much of the observed variation in these variables remains unexplained. Overall, the biological functions of nutrient degradation and digestion appear to be represented without bias. Simulated results indicated that decreasing RDP and RDSt proportions in an isonitrogenous and isocaloric diet can slightly improve N efficiency, and increasing RDSt proportions can increase energy efficiency.

Short communication: Increasing temperature and pH can facilitate reductions of cephapirin and antibiotic resistance genes in dairy manure slurries.

Quantifying antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) in manure exposed to various temperature and pH treatments could guide the development of cost-effective manure handling methods to minimize the spread of antibiotic resistance following land application of manure. This study aimed to investigate the effect of various temperatures and initial pH shocks on the persistence of a cephalosporin antibiotic and ARG in dairy manure slurries. Feces and urine were collected from 5 healthy dairy cows administered with cephapirin (cephalosporin antibiotic) at dry-off via intramammary infusion and were mixed with sterile water to generate manure slurries. In a 28-d incubation study, dairy manure slurries either were continuously exposed to 1 of 3 temperatures (10, 35, and 55°C) or received various initial pH (5, 7, 9, and 12) shocks. Cephapirin was detected in the initial samples and on d 1 following all treatments, but it was undetectable thereafter. This indicates that cephapirin can be rapidly degraded irrespective of temperature and pH treatments. However, degradation was greater on d 1 with the mesophilic (35°C) and thermophilic (55°C) environments compared with the psychrophilic environment (10°C). Increasing pH beyond neutral also accelerated degradation as cephapirin concentrations were lower on d 1 after initial alkaline adjustments (pH 9 and 12) than after neutral and acidic adjustments (pH 7 and 5). No significant effect of temperature or initial pH was observed on abundances of a ß-lactam ARG, cfxA, and a tetracycline ARG, tet(W), implying that bacteria that encoded cfxA or tet(W) genes were not sensitive to temperature or pH in dairy manure slurries. However, abundances of a macrolide ARG, mefA, were decreased in the psychrophilic and thermophilic environments and also following exposure to a strong alkaline shock (pH 12). Our results suggest that increasing temperature or pH during storage of dairy manure slurries could be used together with other on-farm practices that are tailored to reduce the transfer of ARG from manure to the environment following land application.

Using artificial neural networks to predict pH, ammonia, and volatile fatty acid concentrations in the rumen.

The objectives of this study were (1) to predict ruminal pH and ruminal ammonia and volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations by developing artificial neural networks (ANN) using dietary nutrient compositions, dry matter intake, and body weight as input variables; and (2) to compare accuracy and precision of ANN model predictions with that of a multiple linear regression model (MLR). Data were collected from 229 published papers with 938 treatment means. The data set was randomly split into a training data set containing 70% of the observations and a test data set with the remaining observations. A series of ANN with a range of 1 to 9 artificial neurons in 1 hidden layer were examined, and the best one was selected to compare with the best-fitted MLR model. The performance of model predictions was evaluated by root mean square errors (RMSE) and concordance correlation coefficients (CCC) using cross-evaluations with 100 iterations. When using the ANN to predict ruminal pH and concentrations of ammonia, total VFA, acetate, propionate, and butyrate, the RMSE were 4.2, 41.4, 20.9, 22.3, 32.9, and 29.7% of observed means, respectively. The RMSE for the MLR were 4.2, 37.8, 18.3, 19.9, 29.8, and 26.6% of the observed means. The CCC for ruminal pH, ruminal concentrations of ammonia, total VFA, acetate, propionate, and butyrate were 0.57, 0.49, 0.45, 0.40, 0.52, and 0.40, using the ANN, and 0.37, 0.48, 0.40, 0.29, 0.43, and 0.35, using the MLR. Evaluations of the MLR and the ANN indicated that these 2 model forms exhibited similar prediction errors, with 4.2, 39.6, 19.6, 21.1, 31.3, and 28.1% of observed means for pH, ammonia, total VFA, acetate, propionate, and butyrate. Although the ANN increased the precision of predictions related to ruminal metabolism, it failed to improve the accuracy compared with the linear regression model.

A revised representation of urea and ammonia nitrogen recycling and use in the Molly cow model.

Accurately predicting nitrogen (N) digestion, absorption, and metabolism will allow formulation of diets that more closely match true animal needs from a broad range of feeds, thereby allowing efficiency of N utilization and profit to be maximized. The objectives of this study were to advance representations of N recycling between blood and the gut and urinary N excretion in the Molly cow model. The current work includes enhancements (1) representing ammonia passage to the small intestine; (2) deriving parameters defining urea synthesis and ruminal urea entry rates; (3) adding representations of intestinal urea entry, microbial protein synthesis in the hindgut, and fecal urea-N excretion; and (4) altering existing urinary N excretion equations to scale with body weight and adding purine derivatives as a component of urinary N excretion. After the modifications, prediction errors for ruminal outflows of total N, microbial N, and nonammonia, nonmicrobial N were 29.8, 32.3, and 26.2% of the respective observed mean values. Prediction errors of each were approximately 7 percentage units lower than the corresponding values before model modifications and fitting due primarily to decreased slope bias. The revised model predicted ruminal ammonia and blood urea concentrations with substantially decreased overall error and reductions in slope and mean bias. Prediction errors for gut urea-N entry were decreased from 70.5 to 26.7%, which was also a substantial improvement. Adding purine derivatives to urinary N predictions improved the accuracy of predictions of urinary N output. However, urinary urea-N excretion remains poorly predicted with 69.0% prediction errors, due mostly to overestimated urea-N entry rates. Adding representations of undigested microbial nucleic acids, microbial protein synthesized in the hindgut, and urea-N excretion in feces decreased prediction errors for fecal N excretion from 21.1 to 17.1%. The revised model predicts that urea-N entry into blood accounts for approximately 64% of dietary N intake, of which 64% is recycled to the gut lumen. Between 48 and 67% of the urea recycled to the gut flows into the rumen largely depending on diet, which accounts for 29 to 54% of total ruminal ammonia production, and 65 to 76% of this ammonia-N is captured in microbial protein, which represents 17% of N intake. Based on model simulations, feeding a diet with moderately low crude protein and high rumen-undegradable protein could increase apparent ruminal N efficiency by 20%.

An evaluation of Molly cow model predictions of ruminal metabolism and nutrient digestion for dairy and beef diets.

Model evaluation, as a critical process of model advancement, is necessary to identify adequacy and consistency of model predictions. The objectives of this study were (1) to evaluate the accuracy of Molly cow model predictions of ruminal metabolism and nutrient digestion when simulating dairy and beef cattle diets; and (2) to identify deficiencies in representations of the biology that could be used to direct further model improvements. A total of 229 studies (n = 938 treatments) including dairy and beef cattle data, published from 1972 through 2016, were collected from the literature. Root mean squared errors (RMSE) and concordance correlation coefficients (CCC) were calculated to assess model accuracy and precision. Ruminal pH was very poorly represented in the model with a RMSE of 4.6% and a CCC of 0.0. Although volatile fatty acid concentrations had negligible mean (2.5% of mean squared error) and slope (6.8% of mean squared error) bias, the CCC was 0.28, implying that further modifications with respect to volatile fatty acid production and absorption are required to improve model precision. The RMSE was greater than 50% for ruminal ammonia and blood urea-N concentrations with high proportions of error as slope bias, indicating that mechanisms driving ruminal urea N recycling are not properly simulated in the model. Only slight mean and slope bias were exhibited for ruminal outflow of neutral detergent fiber, starch, lipid, total N, and nonammonia N, and for fecal output of protein, neutral detergent fiber, lipid, and starch, indicating the mechanisms encoded in the model relative to ruminal and total-tract nutrient digestion are properly represented. All variables related to ruminal metabolism and nutrient digestion were more precisely predicted for dairy cattle than for beef cattle. This difference in precision was mostly related to the model's inability to simulate low forage diets included in the beef studies. Overall, ruminal pH was poorly simulated and contributed to problems in ruminal nutrient degradation and volatile fatty acid production predictions. Residual analyses suggested ruminal ammonia concentrations need to be considered in the ruminal pH equation, and therefore the inaccuracies in predicting ruminal urea N recycling must also be addressed. These modifications to model structure will likely improve model performance across a wider array of dietary inputs and cattle type.

[Perinatal outcomes of thoraco-amniotic shunting for severe primary fetal hydrothorax].

Objective: To evaluate the safety and perinatal outcomes of thoracoamniotic shunting in the treatment of fetuses with severe primary hydrothorax. Methods: 22 cases of suspected severe primary fetal hydrothorax which underwent thoraco-amniotic shunting in Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Fetal Medicine Unit and Prenatal Diagnosis Center from January 2012 to December 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. Hydrothorax associated with structural or chromosomal abnormalities, infections and immune fetal hydrops were excluded. Results: Totally, 28 shunts were placed in 22 fetuses. The median gestational age at TAS was 31.3 weeks. Preterm membrane rupture within 7 days after the procedure occurred in 9.1% (2/22) cases. Catheter displacement occurred in 18% (4/22) cases. The interval from shunting to delivery was 26.0 days. One fetus ended in induced abortion; 21 (95%, 21/22) babies were born alive, and their median gestational age at delivery was 34.4 weeks. 62% (13/21) newborns required ventilator supports; 4 neonatal deaths were attributed to pulmonary hypoplasia. The overall perinatal survival rate was 81% (17/21) . The perinatal survival rate with hydrops and without hydrops were 10/13 and 7/8 respectively. Conclusion: Thoraco-amniotic shunting is a safe procedure for intrauterine therapy and could improve the perinatal outcomes of severe primary fetal hydrothorax.

Molecular crowding enhances facilitated diffusion of two human DNA glycosylases.

Intracellular space is at a premium due to the high concentrations of biomolecules and is expected to have a fundamental effect on how large macromolecules move in the cell. Here, we report that crowded solutions promote intramolecular DNA translocation by two human DNA repair glycosylases. The crowding effect increases both the efficiency and average distance of DNA chain translocation by hindering escape of the enzymes to bulk solution. The increased contact time with the DNA chain provides for redundant damage patrolling within individual DNA chains at the expense of slowing the overall rate of damaged base removal from a population of molecules. The significant biological implication is that a crowded cellular environment could influence the mechanism of damage recognition as much as any property of the enzyme or DNA.

Microscopic mechanism of DNA damage searching by hOGG1.

The DNA backbone is often considered a track that allows long-range sliding of DNA repair enzymes in their search for rare damage sites in DNA. A proposed exemplar of DNA sliding is human 8-oxoguanine ((o)G) DNA glycosylase 1 (hOGG1), which repairs mutagenic (o)G lesions in DNA. Here we use our high-resolution molecular clock method to show that macroscopic 1D DNA sliding of hOGG1 occurs by microscopic 2D and 3D steps that masquerade as sliding in resolution-limited single-molecule images. Strand sliding was limited to distances shorter than seven phosphate linkages because attaching a covalent chemical road block to a single DNA phosphate located between two closely spaced damage sites had little effect on transfers. The microscopic parameters describing the DNA search of hOGG1 were derived from numerical simulations constrained by the experimental data. These findings support a general mechanism where DNA glycosylases use highly dynamic multidimensional diffusion paths to scan DNA.

Association between monoamine oxidase B A644G polymorphism and Parkinson's disease risk: a meta-analysis in the Chinese population.

Although various individual studies have evaluated the correlation between monoamine oxidase B (MAOB), polymorphism, and Parkinson's disease (PD), the results remain inconclusive. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis in the Chinese population to provide comprehensive data on the association between the MAOB polymorphism and PD. Eligible studies were identified via databases such as PubMed, Springer Link, Ovid, Chinese Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Chinese Biology Medicine, throughout November 2015. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strengths of these associations. Eight studies documenting a total of 1385 cases of PD and 1426 controls were included in this meta-analysis. Overall, no significant association was found between the MAOB A644G polymorphism and PD risk in the Chinese population. However, in subgroup analyses, where results were stratified by geographical areas and source of controls, increased risk for PD in Northern China was observed (allele A vs G: OR = 1.33, 95%CI = 1.11-1.58; AA vs GG: OR = 1.46, 95%CI = 1.09-1.97; AA + AG vs GG: OR = 1.42, 95%CI = 1.06-1.90). Similarly, population-based studies also showed significant association between the MAOB A644G polymorphism and PD risk among different populations (allele A vs G: OR = 1.29, 95%CI = 1.11-1.51; AA vs GG: OR = 1.41, 95%CI = 1.09-1.82; AA + AG vs GG: OR = 1.34, 95%CI = 1.04- 1.71). In conclusion, this meta-analysis provided evidence that the MAOB A644G polymorphism may contribute to PD development in Northern China. Further studies conducted in other ethnic groups are required for definite conclusions.

Correlation analysis between starch properties and single nucleotide polymorphisms of waxy genes in common rye (Secale cereale L.).

To understand the relationships between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the waxy gene and starch parameters in common rye, we performed sequence characterization, enzyme activity testing, amylopectin/amylose ratio evaluation, starch property testing, and correlation analysis. Specific primers were used to clone waxy from 20 rye cultivars. Sequence analysis showed that waxy was 2852 bp, including 11 exons, and sequence similarity across the 20 cultivars was over 98%. The Waxy protein showed >95% similarity with those from wheat, rice, and barley, the closest genetic relationship being with wheat Wx-A type. Waxy had multiple SNPs, most of which were located in the exons. Amino acid variants were found to be mainly distributed in the catalytic domain in an imbalanced state. Multi-factor correlation analysis revealed significant correlation among starch pasting parameters in rye flour. The Waxy protein activity was significantly negatively correlated with the amylose content and amylopectin/amylose ratio. However, pasting parameters, Waxy enzyme activity, and amylopectin/amylose content ratio were not correlated. The correlation of SNPs, the key catalytic site of Waxy, with starch parameters and enzyme activity suggested that both starch pasting parameters and Waxy protein activity were influenced by No. 260 amino acid (aa). Further, the 141 and 152 aa loci were found in the enzyme-catalyzing domain of Waxy. Interestingly, Waxy enzyme activity was also influenced by the 363 aa locus in the pliable region. These results provide important theoretical regarding the high-throughput quality identification of noodle starch, functional studies, directional selection, and molecular markers of wheat Wx subunits.

[Reconstruction from CT truncated data based on dual-domain transformer coupled feature learning].

OBJECTIVE: To propose a CT truncated data reconstruction model (DDTrans) based on projection and image dualdomain Transformer coupled feature learning for reducing truncation artifacts and image structure distortion caused by insufficient field of view (FOV) in CT scanning. METHODS: Transformer was adopted to build projection domain and image domain restoration models, and the long-range dependency modeling capability of the Transformer attention module was used to capture global structural features to restore the projection data information and enhance the reconstructed images. We constructed a differentiable Radon back-projection operator layer between the projection domain and image domain networks to enable end-to-end training of DDTrans. Projection consistency loss was introduced to constrain the image forwardprojection results to further improve the accuracy of image reconstruction. RESULTS: The experimental results with Mayo simulation data showed that for both partial truncation and interior scanning data, the proposed DDTrans method showed better performance than the comparison algorithms in removing truncation artifacts at the edges and restoring the external information of the FOV. CONCLUSION: The DDTrans method can effectively remove CT truncation artifacts to ensure accurate reconstruction of the data within the FOV and achieve approximate reconstruction of data outside the FOV.

The correlation between Helicobacter pylori infection and iron deficiency anemia in women.

OBJECTIVE: In recent years, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) has been increasingly associated with extra-digestive manifestations, including scleroderma, rheumatism, and blood system diseases. Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a common chronic disease worldwide, with an insidious onset, but as the disease progresses, it will eventually seriously affect the quality of life of patients. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between H. pylori infection, iron deficiency (ID), and IDA, and to identify potential serological markers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 998 individuals who had regular physical examinations at Beijing Shijitan Hospital from January 2021 to March 2022. We detected H. pylori infection by the 13C breath test, and recorded the patient's serum iron, ferritin, transferrin saturation, blood count, etc. We assessed the association between IDA and H. pylori infection and related serum markers using logistic regression and multiple linear regression. Afterward, we analyzed the correlation between sex and potential serum biomarkers. RESULTS: Among all study participants, 57.5% of patients had H. pylori and 42.5% did not have H. pylori. ID and IDA were significantly associated with H. pylori infection in women (p=0.031). This association persisted after further adjustment for sex, metabolic variables, liver function, and kidney function. Fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, and uric acid may be associated with IDA. CONCLUSIONS: In women, H. pylori infection is associated with ID and IDA. The relationship between H. pylori and IDA may be mediated by glycometabolism, lipid metabolism, and uric acid metabolism.

Metagenomic analysis reveals a dynamic rumen microbiome with diversified adaptive functions in response to dietary protein restriction and re-alimentation.

Understanding the dynamics of the rumen microbiome is crucial for optimizing ruminal fermentation to improve feed efficiency and addressing concerns regarding antibiotic resistance in the livestock production industry. This study aimed to investigate the adaptive effects of microbiome and the properties of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZy) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in response to dietary protein shifts. Twelve Charolais bulls were randomly divided into two groups based on initial body weight: 1) Treatment (REC), where the animals received a 7 % CP diet in a 4-week restriction period, followed by a 13 % CP diet in a 2-week re-alimentation period; 2) Control (CON), where the animals were fed the 13 % CP diet both in the restriction period and the re-alimentation period. Protein restriction decreased the concentrations of acetate, propionate, isovalerate, glutamine, glutamate, and isoleucine (P < 0.05), while protein re-alimentation increased the concentrations of arginine, methionine sulfoxide, lysine, and glutamate (P < 0.05). Protein restriction decreased the relative abundances of Bacteroidota but increased Proteobacteria, with no difference observed after re-alimentation. Protein restriction decreased relative abundances of the genera Bacteroides, Prevotella, and Bifidobacterium. Following protein recovery, Escherichia was enriched in CON, while Pusillibacter was enriched in REC, indicating that distinct microbial adaptations to protein shifts. Protein restriction increased GH97 while reducing GH94 and GT35 compared to CON. Protein restriction decreased abundances of KO genes involved in VFA production pathways, while they were recovered in the re-alimentation period. Protein restriction reduced tet(W/32/O) abundances but increased those of tet(X), nimJ, and rpoB2. Following protein re-alimentation, there was a decrease in ErmQ and tet(W/N/W), and an increase in Mef(En2) compared to CON, highlighting the impact of dietary protein on the distribution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Overall, comprehensive metagenomic analysis reveals the dynamic adaptability of the microbiome in response to dietary shifts, indicating its capacity to modulate carbohydrate metabolism and ARGs in response to protein availability.

The use of mannitol in partial and live donor nephrectomy: an international survey.

PURPOSE: Animal studies have shown the potential benefits of mannitol as renoprotective during warm ischemia; it may have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and is sometimes used during partial nephrectomy (PN) and live donor nephrectomy (LDN). Despite this, a prospective study on mannitol has never been performed. The aim of this study is to document patterns of mannitol use during PN and LDN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey on the use of mannitol during PN and LDN was sent to 92 high surgical volume urological centers. Questions included use of mannitol, indications for use, physician responsible for administration, dosage, timing and other renoprotective measures. RESULTS: Mannitol was used in 78 and 64 % of centers performing PN and LDN, respectively. The indication for use was as antioxidant (21 %), as diuretic (5 %) and as a combination of the two (74 %). For PN, the most common dosages were 12.5 g (30 %) and 25 g (49 %). For LDN, the most common doses were 12.5 g (36.3 %) and 25 g (63.7 %). Overall, 83 % of centers utilized mannitol, and two (percent or centers??) utilized furosemide for renoprotection. CONCLUSIONS: A large majority of high-volume centers performing PN and LDN use mannitol for renoprotection. Since there are no data proving its value nor standardized indication and usage, this survey may provide information for a randomized prospective study.