Enhanced multi-metals stabilization: Synergistic insights from hydroxyapatite and peroxide dosing strategies

Sediment contamination by heavy metals is a pressing environmental concern. While in situ metal stabilization techniques have shown promise, a great challenge remains in the simultaneous immobilization of multi-metals co-existing in contaminated sediments. This study aims to address this challenge by developing a practical method for stabilizing multi-metals by hydroxyapatite and calcium peroxide (HAP/CaO2) dosing strategies. Results showed that dosing 15.12 g of HAP/CaO2 at a ratio of 3:1 effectively transformed labile metals into stable fractions, reaching reaction kinetic equilibrium within one month with a pseudo-second-order kinetic (R2 > 0.98). The stable fractions of Nickel (Ni), Chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb) increased by approximately 16.9 %, 26.7 %, and 21.9 %, respectively, reducing heavy metal mobility and ensuring leachable concentrations complied with the stringent environmental Class I standard. Mechanistic analysis indicated that HAP played a crucial role in Pb stabilization, exhibiting a high rate of 0.0176 d-1, while Cr and Ni stabilization primarily occurred through the formation of hydroxide precipitates, as well as the slowly elevated pH (>8.5). Importantly, the proposed strategy poses a minimal environmental risk to benthic organisms exhibits almost negligible toxicity towards Vibrio fischeri and the Chironomus riparius, and saves about 71 % of costs compared to kaolinite. These advantages suggest the feasibility of HAP/CaO2 dosing strategies in multi-metal stabilization in contaminated sediments.

Biological bromate reduction coupled with in situ gas fermentation in H2/CO2-based membrane biofilm reactor

Bromate, a carcinogenic contaminant generated in water disinfection, presents a pressing environmental concern. While biological bromate reduction is an effective remediation approach, its implementation often necessitates the addition of organics, incurring high operational costs. This study demonstrated the efficient biological bromate reduction using H2/CO2 mixture as the feedstock. A membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR) was used for the efficient delivery of gases. Long-term reactor operation showed a high-level bromate removal efficiency of above 95 %, yielding harmless bromide as the final product. Corresponding to the short hydraulic retention time of 0.25 d, a high bromate removal rate of 4 mg Br/L/d was achieved. During the long-term operation, in situ production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) by gas fermentation was observed, which can be regulated by controlling the gas flow. Three sets of in situ batch tests and two groups of ex situ batch tests jointly unravelled the mechanisms underpinning the efficient bromate removal, showing that the microbial bromate reduction was primarily driven by the VFAs produced from in situ gas fermentation. Microbial community analysis showed an increased abundance of Bacteroidota group from 4.0 % to 18.5 %, which is capable of performing syngas fermentation, and the presence of heterotrophic denitrifiers (e.g., Thauera and Brachymonas), which are known to perform bromate reduction. Together these results for the first time demonstrated the feasibility of using H2/CO2 mixture for bromate removal coupled with in situ VFAs production. The findings can facilitate the development of cost-effective strategies for groundwater and drinking water remediation.

Methane mitigation via the nitrite-DAMO process induced by nitrate dosing in sewers

Nitrate or nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (n-DAMO) is a microbial process that links carbon and nitrogen cycles as a methane sink in many natural environments. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that the nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (nitrite-DAMO) process can be stimulated in sewer systems under continuous nitrate dosing for sulfide control. In a laboratory sewer system, continuous nitrate dosing not only achieved complete sulfide removal, but also significantly decreased dissolved methane concentration by ∼50 %. Independent batch tests confirmed the coupling of methane oxidation with nitrate and nitrite reduction, revealing similar methane oxidation rates of 3.68 ± 0.5 mg CH4 L-1 h-1 (with nitrate as electron acceptor) and 3.57 ± 0.4 mg CH4 L-1 h-1 (with nitrite as electron acceptor). Comprehensive microbial analysis unveiled the presence of a subgroup of the NC10 phylum, namely Candidatus Methylomirabilis (n-DAMO bacteria that couples nitrite reduction with methane oxidation), growing in sewer biofilms and surface sediments with relative abundances of 1.9 % and 1.6 %, respectively. In contrast, n-DAMO archaea that couple methane oxidation solely to nitrate reduction were not detected. Together these results indicated the successful enrichment of n-DAMO bacteria in sewerage systems, contributing to approx. 64 % of nitrite reduction and around 50 % of dissolved methane removal through the nitrite-DAMO process, as estimated by mass balance analysis. The occurrence of the nitrite-DAMO process in sewer systems opens a new path to sewer methane emissions.

Intratumoural and peritumoural CT-based radiomics for diagnosing lepidic-predominant adenocarcinoma in patients with pure ground-glass nodules: a machine learning approach

AIM

To develop and validate a diagnostic model utilising machine-learning algorithms that differentiates lepidic predominant adenocarcinoma (LPA) from other pathological subtypes in patients with pure ground-glass nodules (pGGNs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This bicentric study was conducted across two medical centres and included 151 patients diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma based on histopathological confirmation of pGGNs. The training cohort consisted of 99 patients from Institution 1, while the test cohort included 52 patients from Institution 2. Radiomics features were extracted from both tumours and the 2 mm peritumoural parenchyma. The tumoural and peritumoural radiomics were designated as Modeltumoural and Modelperitumoural, respectively. The diagnostic efficacy of various models was evaluated through the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Subsequently, a machine-learning-based prediction model that combined Modeltumoural, Modelperitumoural, and Modelclinical-radiological was developed to differentiate LPA from other pathological subtypes in patients with pGGNs.

RESULTS

Modeltumoural achieved area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.762 and 0.783 in the training and validation sets, respectively. Modelperitumoural attained AUCs of 0.742 and 0.667, and Modelclinical-radiological generated an AUC of 0.727 and 0.739 in the training and validation sets, respectively. Among the machine-learning models evaluated, gradient boosting machines demonstrated the best diagnostic efficacy, with accuracy, AUC, F1 score, and log loss values of 0.885, 0.956, 0.943, and 0.260, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The combined model based on machine learning that incorporated tumour and peritumoural parenchyma, as well as clinical and imaging characteristics, may offer benefits in assessing the pathological subtype of pGGNs.

Event-Triggered Interval Observer Fault Detection and Isolation for Multiagent Systems

This article investigates an event-triggered interval observer (ETIO) fault detection and isolation method for multiagent systems. First, an event-triggered mechanism is developed to reduce unnecessary communication transmission. Then, a distributed ETIO is designed by combining an interval observer and the proposed event-triggered mechanism. Furthermore, for achieving the desired tradeoff between the robustness to disturbances and the sensitivity to faults, the ETIO is formulated as a multiobjective optimization with l1 / H∞ performance. Second, a bank of ETIOs are interpreted to isolate the faulty agent on a local agent using only the output information from itself and its neighbors. Comparison result with the existing method is given to highlight the superiority of our methodology. Finally, the multiunmanned aerial vehicles system is utilized as the case research, and specific simulation results are presented.

Enhanced mechanistic insights and performance optimization: Controlling methane and sulfide in sewers using nitrate dosing strategies

Nitrate has been used for nearly 80 years as a chemical to control problematic gases in the sewer system. However, few studies have explored simultaneous control in biofilm and sediment using different strategies. Here, we introduced a nitrate dosing method involving an initial high shock followed by low level dosing, tested at two distinct frequencies in a lab-scale sewer reactor <110 days. Long-term investigation revealed that the more frequent 20 min interval dosing slightly surpassed the 1 h interval method when applying the same hourly dose of 30 mg N/L (sulfide control: 98.3 ± 1.7 % vs 97.9 ± 1.5 %; methane control: 89.8 ± 4.5 % vs 83.4 ± 6.7 %). 16 s rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed biofilm detachment and sediment stratification, which can be attributed to the differing effects of nitrate dosing on biofilm and sedimentary microbial interactions. Dominant bacteria such as Thauera and Thiobacillus performed autotrophic denitrification and nitrate-reducing sulfide-oxidation in conjunction with methane oxidizers. These microbes collaboratively control sulfide and methane emissions from sediment. Our findings suggest that nitrate supports the diversity and versatility of their metabolism in the sewer system.

Development of a novel combined nomogram integrating deep-learning-assisted CT texture and clinical-radiological features to predict the invasiveness of clinical stage IA part-solid lung adenocarcinoma: a multicentre study

AIM

To develop a novel combined nomogram based on deep-learning-assisted computed tomography (CT) texture (DL-TA) and clinical-radiological features for the preoperative prediction of invasiveness in patients with clinical stage IA lung adenocarcinoma manifesting as part-solid nodules (PSNs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study was conducted from January 2015 to October 2021 at three centres: 355 patients with 355 PSN lung adenocarcinomas who underwent surgical resection were included and classified into the training (n=222) and validation (n=133) cohorts. PSN segmentation on CT images was performed automatically with a commercial deep-learning algorithm, and CT texture features were extracted. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator was used for feature selection and transformed into a DL-TA score. The combined nomogram that incorporated the DL-TA score and identified clinical-radiological features was developed for the prediction of pathological invasiveness of the PSNs and validated in terms of discrimination and calibration.

RESULTS

The present study generated a combined nomogram for predicting the invasiveness of PSNs that included age, consolidation-to-tumour ratio, smoking status, and DL-TA score, with a C-index of 0.851 (95% confidence interval: 0.826-0.877) for the training cohort and 0.854 (95% confidence interval: 0.817-0.891) for the validation cohort, indicating good discrimination. Furthermore, the model had a Brier score of 0.153 for the training cohort and 0.135 for the validation cohort, indicating good calibration.

CONCLUSION

The developed combined nomogram consisting of the DL-TA score and clinical-radiological features and has the potential to predict the individual risk for the invasiveness of stage IA PSN lung adenocarcinomas.

In-situ advanced oxidation of sediment iron for sulfide control in sewers

Sulfide control is a significant problem in urban sewer management. Although in-sewer dosing of chemicals has been widely applied, it is prone to high chemical consumption and cost. A new approach is proposed in this study for effective sulfide control in sewers. It involves advanced oxidation of ferrous sulfide (FeS) in sewer sediment, to produce hydroxyl radical (·OH) in-situ, leading to simultaneous sulfide oxidation and reduction of microbial sulfate-reducing activity. Long-term operation of three laboratory sewer sediment reactors was used to test the effectiveness of sulfide control. The experimental reactor with the proposed in-situ advanced FeS oxidation substantially reduced sulfide concentration to 3.1 ± 1.8 mg S/L. This compares to 9.2 ± 2.7 mg S/L in a control reactor with sole oxygen supply, and 14.1 ± 4.2 mg S/L in the other control reactor without either iron or oxygen. Mechanistic investigations illustrated the critical role of ·OH, produced from the oxidation of sediment iron, in regulating microbial communities and the chemical sulfide oxidation reaction. Together these results demonstrate that incorporating the advanced FeS oxidation process in sewer sediment enable superior performance of sulfide control at a much lower iron dosage, thereby largely saving chemical use.

The advantage of a two-stage nitrification method for fertilizer recovery from human urine

Recycling nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) from human urine can potentially offset more than 13% of global agricultural fertilizer demand. Biological nitrification is a promising method for converting volatile ammonia in high-strength human urine into stable ammonium nitrate (a typical fertilizer), but it is usually terminated in the intermediate production of nitrite due to the inhibition of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria by free nitrous acid (FNA). This study aimed to develop a stable nitrification process in a unique two-stage bioreactor by removing critical barriers associated with FNA inhibition. Experimental results show that half of the ammonium in high-strength urine was successfully converted into nitrate, forming valuable ammonium nitrate (with a nitrogen concentration greater than 1500 mg N/L). The ammonium nitrate solution could retain most phosphorus (75% ± 3%) and potassium (96% ± 1%) in human urine, resulting in nearly full nutrient recovery. Once concentrated, the liquid compound fertilizer of ammonium nitrate was generated. Based on an assessment of economic and environmental impacts at the urban scale, urine diversion for nutrient recovery using a technical combination of nitrification and reverse osmosis could reduce total energy input by 43%, greenhouse gas emission by 40%, and cost by 33% compared to conventional wastewater management. Further research is needed to optimize the two-stage nitrification method on a larger scale.

Reducing sulfide and methane production in gravity sewer sediments through urine separation, collection and intermittent dosing

Sulfide and methane production are a major concern in sewer management. Many solutions with the use of chemicals have been proposed yet incurring huge costs. Here, this study reports an alternative solution to reduce sulfide and methane production in sewer sediments. This is achieved through integration of urine source separation, rapid storage, and intermittent in situ re-dosing into a sewer. Based on a reasonable capacity of urine collection, an intermittent dosing strategy (i.e. 40 min per day) was designed and then experimentally tested using two laboratory sewer sediment reactors. The long-term operation showed that the proposed urine dosing in the experimental reactor effectively reduced sulfidogenic and methanogenic activities by 54% and 83%, compared to those in the control reactor. In-sediment chemical and microbial analyses revealed that the short-term exposure to urine wastewater was effective in suppressing sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogenic archaea, particularly within a surface active zone of sediments (0-0.5 cm) likely attributed to the biocidal effect of urine free ammonia. Economic and environmental assessments indicated that the proposed urine approach can save 91% in total costs, 80% in energy consumption and 96% in greenhouse gas emissions compared to the conventional use of chemicals (including ferric salt, nitrate, sodium hydroxide, and magnesium hydroxide). These results collectively demonstrated a practical solution without chemical input to improve sewer management.

EMPC with adaptive APF of obstacle avoidance and trajectory tracking for autonomous electric vehicles

In this paper, event-triggered model predictive control (EMPC) with adaptive artificial potential field (APF) is designed to realize obstacle avoidance and trajectory tracking for autonomous electric vehicles. An adaptive APF cost function is added to achieve obstacle avoidance and guarantee stability. The optimization problem for MPC is feasible by considering a special obstacle avoidance constraint. An event-triggered mechanism is proposed to reduce computational burden and ensure effectiveness of obstacle avoidance. Input and state constraints of autonomous electric vehicles are considered in both feasibility and stability by a robust terminal set. Effectiveness of both obstacle avoidance and trajectory tracking is shown by experimental results on autonomous electric vehicles.

Advanced Sensing and Safety Control for Connected and Automated Vehicles

The connected and automated vehicle (CAV) is a promising technology, anticipated to enhance the safety and effectiveness of mobility [...].

Famine Exposure during Early Life and Risk of Cancer in Adulthood: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVES

Emerging evidences have explored the association between famine exposure during early life and cancer risk in adulthood, but the results remain controversial and inconsistent. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive evidence on the relation of famine exposure to later cancer risk.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

Relevant reports published up to March, 2022 were identified by searching PubMed, Embase, Web of sciences and Medline databases. Pooled relative ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the effect famine exposure on cancer risk.

RESULTS

Totally, 18 published articles with 6,061,147 subjects were included in this study. Compared with unexposed group, early life famine exposure dramatically increased the risk of cancer in adulthood (RR=1.13, 95% CI: 1.04-1.22). The pooled RRs were different in terms of sex, exposure severity, exposure period, famine type, study design type and cancer location. A remarkably elevated risk for cancer was discerned in women exposed to famine (RR=1.09, 95% CI: 1.00-1.18), severe exposure (RR=1.12, 95% CI: 1.02-1.22) and adolescence exposure (RR=1.76, 95% CI: 1.02-2.50), Chinese famine exposure (RR=1.55, 95% CI: 1.29-1.82) and cohort studies (RR=1.28, 95% CI: 1.13-1.42). Moreover, a significant association of early-life famine exposure with increased risk of breast (RR=1.16, 95% CI: 1.05-1.27) and stomach cancers (RR=1.89, 95% CI: 1.24-2.54) was observed.

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis suggests that exposure to famine during early life may increase the risk of cancer in adulthood. The above-mentioned association is pronounced in women exposed to famine, severe exposure, adolescence exposure, Chinese famine, cohort studies, breast and stomach cancers. It is essential for decision-makers to take targeted measures for improving population awareness regarding the long-term effect of early life nutritional status.

An Integrated Model-Based and Data-Driven Gap Metric Method for Fault Detection and Isolation

This article proposes an integrated approach of model-based and data-driven gap metric fault detection and isolation in a stochastic framework. For actuator and sensor faults, an adaptive Kalman filter combining with the generalized likelihood ratio method is suggested. For component faults, especially incipient faults, the model-based scheme maybe not a good choice due to the existence of disturbances or noises. Hence, a novel data-driven gap metric strategy is presented. The design of the appropriate fault cluster center model and radius via the gap metric technique is put forward to enhance the isolability of the incipient faults. Numerical simulation results are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed fault detection and isolation algorithm.

Networked Multiagent Systems: Antagonistic Interaction, Constraint, and its Application

In this article, we study the consensus problem in the framework of networked multiagent systems with constraint where there exists antagonistic information. A major difficulty is how to characterize the communication among the interacting agents in the presence of antagonistic information without resorting to the signed graph theory, which plays a central role in the Altafini model. It is shown that the proposed control protocol enables us to solve the consensus problem in a node-based viewpoint where both cooperative and antagonistic interactions coexist. Moreover, the proposed setup is further extended to the case of input saturation, leading to the semiglobal consensus. In addition, the consensus region associated with antagonistic information among participating individuals is also elaborated. Finally, the deduced theoretical results are applied to the task distribution problem via unmanned ground vehicles.

Fixed-time ESO based fixed-time integral terminal sliding mode controller design for a missile

This paper studies a novel fixed-time extended state observer based fixed-time integral terminal sliding mode controller for partial integrated guidance and control design. Firstly, a class of arbitrary-order systems with fixed-time stability is proposed by utilizing homogeneous approach, whose upper bound of convergence time is given. Then, an arbitrary-order fixed-time integral terminal sliding mode control is designed based on the proposed arbitrary-order fixed-time stable system, which avoids the singular problem. Subsequently, this paper constructs a new fixed-time extended state observer to further actively compensate for the disturbance caused by unknown target acceleration. Finally, numerical simulations show the effectiveness of the proposed controller.

Simultaneous control of sulfide and methane in sewers achieved by a physical approach targeting dominant active zone in sediments

Sewer sediments not only induce sewer blockages, but also contributes to significant sulfide and methane productions in gravity sewer systems. Chemical control of sulfide and methane production is extremely expensive. This study aims to propose a novel physical control approach-intermittent surface sediment flushing to synchronously address sediment-induced multiple issues. The proposed approach was established investigating the suppression and recovery characteristics of sulfidogenic and methanogenic activities of sediments including the in-situ activity analysis by using the diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT). The results showed that ∼70% of total sulfide and methane production in sediments was contributed by surface sediments (0-1.5 cm), which could be easily flushed away by a low shear stress (<0.1 N/m²). Surface sediment flushing resulted in an immediate reduction in sulfidogenic and methanogenic activities, which both required about one week to recover to 50% of the maximum. These novel insights hopefully provide a feasible approach, i.e., intermittent surface sediment flushing, to effectively reduce sulfide and methane production in sewers. Compared with chemical dosing methods, the proposed approach, which has no chemical input, greatly reduces operating cost and environment impact. Moreover, intermittent surface flushing is expected to keep sediment thickness within a certain range to alleviate sewer blockage.

Sodium MRI at 7T for Early Response Evaluation of Intracranial Tumors following Stereotactic Radiotherapy Using the CyberKnife

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Conventionally, early treatment response to stereotactic radiotherapy in intracranial tumors is often determined by structural MR imaging. Tissue sodium concentration is altered by cellular integrity and energy status in cells. In this study, we aimed to investigate the feasibility of sodium MR imaging at 7T for the preliminary evaluation of radiotherapeutic efficacy for intracranial tumors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data were collected from 16 patients (12 men and 4 women, 24-75 years of age) with 22 intracranial tumors who were treated with stereotactic radiation therapy using CyberKnife at our institution between December 1, 2016, and August 15, 2019. Sodium MR imaging was performed at 7T before and 48 hours, 1 week, and 1 month after CyberKnife radiation therapy. Tissue sodium concentration (TSC) was calculated and analyzed based on manually labeled regions of tumors.

RESULTS

Ultra-high-field sodium MR imaging clearly showed the intratumoral signal, which is significantly higher than that of normal tissue (t = 5.250, P <.001)., but the edema zone has some influence. The average TSC ratios of tumor to CSF in the 22 tumors, contralateral normal tissues, edema zones, frontal cortex, and frontal white matter were 0.66 (range, 0.23-1.5), 0.30 (range, 0.15-0.43), 0.58 (range, 0.25-1.21), 0.25 (range, 0.17-0.42), and 0.30 (range, 0.19-0.49), respectively. A total of 12 tumors in 8 patients were scanned at 48 hours, 1 week, and 1 month after treatment. The average TSC at 48 hours after treatment was 0.06 higher than that before treatment and began to decrease at 1 week. The TSC ratios of 10 continued to decline and 2 tumors increased at 1 month, respectively. Tumor volume decreased by 2.4%-99% after 3 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Changes in the TSC can be quantified by sodium MR imaging at 7T and used to detect radiobiologic alterations in intracranial tumors at early time points after CyberKnife radiation therapy.

CT texture analysis-based nomogram for the preoperative prediction of visceral pleural invasion in cT1N0M0 lung adenocarcinoma: an external validation cohort study

AIM

To develop a nomogram based on computed tomography (CT) texture analysis for the preoperative prediction of visceral pleural invasion in patients with cT1N0M0 lung adenocarcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A dataset of chest CT containing lung nodules was collected from two institutions, and all surgically resected nodules were classified pathologically based on the presence of visceral pleural invasion. Each nodule on the CT image was segmented automatically by artificial-intelligence software and its CT texture features were extracted. The dataset was divided into training and external validation cohorts according to the institution, and a nomogram for predicting visceral pleural invasion was developed and validated.

RESULTS

Of a total of 313 patients enrolled from two independent institutions, 63 were diagnosed with visceral pleural invasion. Three-dimensional (3D) CT long diameter, skewness, and sphericity, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were identified as independent predictors for visceral pleural invasion by multivariable logistic regression. The nomogram based on multivariable logistic regression showed great discriminative ability, as indicated by a C-index of 0.890 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.867-0.914) and 0.864 (95% CI: 0.817-0.911) for the training and external validation cohorts, respectively. Additionally, calibration of the nomogram revealed good predictive ability, as indicated by the Brier score (0.108 and 0.100 for the training and external validation cohorts, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

A nomogram was developed that could compute the probability of visceral pleural invasion in patients with cT1N0M0 lung adenocarcinoma with good calibration and discrimination. The nomogram has potential as a reliable tool for clinical evaluation and decision-making.

Rapid dynamic quantification of sulfide generation flux in spatially heterogeneous sediments of gravity sewers

Compared with anaerobic pressure sewers, gravity sewers have much more complex operational conditions, such as anaerobic/aerobic spatial variations along variable structures of the pipe network. This greatly complicates the prediction of sulfide generation from spatially heterogeneous sewer sediments. This study proposes a novel quantitative approach for rapidly estimating the sulfide generation flux by understanding the sulfidogenic conversion under complex sewer conditions. Significant anaerobic/aerobic spatial variations were the most critical factor affecting the sulfide production in residential gravity sewers. The dynamic aeration-related process stimulated the growth of sulfide-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) in the surface zone, while the sulfidogenic and methanogenic zone moved into deeper layers. A detailed mechanism model incorporating dynamic alternative anaerobic/aerobic transformation was developed to predict apparent sulfide production, as well as the microscale spatial profiles of chemicals and microbial communities in sediments. The model was evaluated to establish a rapid quantitative approach that only depended on a few key parameters (e.g., flow velocity, pipe diameter, slope, mean hydraulic depth and sulfate concentration), which can provide an important basis for estimating different sulfide generation fluxes under various sewer factors. The identification of sulfide generation hotspots will greatly help determine how to economically control sulfide generation by chemical dosing or pipe structural modification.

Characterization of serum adiponectin and leptin in healthy perinatal dairy cows or cows with ketosis, and their effectson ketosis involved indices

We investigated changes in concentrations of ADP (adiponectin), LEP (leptin), BHBA (beta-hydroxybutyric acid), NEFA (non-esterified fatty acid), Glucose (Glu) and INS (insulin) in serum of healthy perinatal dairy cows and cows with ketosis. Twenty-one healthy cows and seventeen cows with ketosis from a herd of a total 60 Holstein cows (near dry period i.e. 56 days antepartum) were selected. Blood was collected through the tail vein every 7 days, from 56 day antepartum to 56 day postpartum. Serum ADP, LEP, BHBA, NEFA, Glu, and INS concentrations were determined, and ketosis was diagnosed through serum BHBA (≥1.2 mmol/L). We showed the concentration of serum adipokines and energy balancing indices were stable during antepar- tum period. However, ADP concentration increased while LEP decreased, and there were a significant increase in cows with ketosis compared to that of in healthy cows. Serum BHBA and NEFA concentrations increased significantly at first, and then gradually decreased in both healthy cows and cows with ketosis. However, cows with ketosis showed higher concentrations of BHBA and NEFA which restored later. The serum concentration of Glu in both healthy dairy cows and cows with ketosis showed a decreasing trend. INS concentration in healthy cows was decreased while it was increased in cows with ketosis. The results reflect the extent of hypo- glycemia and lipid mobilization postpartum, suggest IR exists in cows with ketosis while serum ADP and LEP might play roles in the development of ketosis.

Active Event-Triggered Control for Nonlinear Networked Control Systems With Communication Constraints

In this paper, a novel reference input and hysteresis quantizer-based active event-triggered control (RIHQAETC) scheme is proposed for nonlinear networked control systems with quantizer, networked induced delay, and packet dropout. Different from the traditional methods, such a design method is constructed involving the structure of the hysteresis quantizer. In view of the network induced delay and the potential packet dropout, our RIHQAETC method is designed to actively compensate the negative effects caused by these two issues. The corresponding coder and decoder are also excogitated on account of the potential packet dropout based on the proposed triggering mechanism. Furthermore, the transmission of the important triggering information can be ensured as well as the finite-gain L₂ stability performance. It is demonstrated by an example that our RIHQAETC method presents a more balanced updating frequency between the plant and the controller output sides and reduces the number of total triggering.

Stabilization of non-smooth variable order switched nonlinear systems

The paper discusses the issue of global asymptotic stabilization for non-smooth variable order nonlinear switched systems with partial unstable modes. The existence and uniqueness of solution for the considered system is firstly verified by utilizing Gronwall-Bellman inequality and the inductive method. Then, a slow switching strategy is performed for the stable modes and the unstable modes are handled by a fast switching mechanism. Under the framework of Filippov differential inclusion, sufficient stabilization criteria are derived by applying the mode-dependent average dwell time and dwell time schemes. Finally, some objects in real life are introduced and a numerical simulation is offered to show the validity of the obtained results.

Study of free nitrous acid (FNA)-based elimination of sulfamethoxazole: Kinetics, transformation pathways, and toxicity assessment

Free nitrous acid (FNA)-based applications have been broadly adopted in the development of novel wastewater management technologies, but a basic understanding of the effect of the chemical properties of FNA on the elimination of micropollutants is still lacking. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate FNA-based elimination of sulfamethoxazole (SMX), which is a typical species of sulphonamide antibiotics. Batch experiments were conducted under different influencing factors to investigate the antibiotics elimination processes. We found that FNA showed specific efficacy on sulphonamides characterized by sulfonamide and aniline functional groups, such as SMX. SMX degradation was affected by the initial SMX concentration, FNA concentration and solution pH and described by d[SMX]/dt=-0.29e^-1.69pH[SMX]^0.945[FNA]^1.35. The cationic forms of SMX were more reactive towards FNA-based active components. Sulfonamide bond (S-N or C-S bonds) cleavage, nitrosubstitution, deamination and radical oxidation were proposed to be the relevant transformation pathways. The FNA-based technique was not effective for diminishing toxicity, but this process could strongly control antibacterial activity.

Extensible artificial intelligence model predicts post-ablation AF recurrence using coronary sinus electrogram

Background

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major public health problem with significant adverse outcomes and catheter ablation is a widely adopted treatment. The CABANA trial showed that catheter ablation reduced AF recurrence to a greater extent than medications. However, some of patients who underwent this procedure still experience relapse. Here, we present an innovative way to identify this subgroup using an artificial intelligence (AI) -assisted coronary sinus electrogram.

Hypothesis

Our hypothesis is that credible features in the electrogram can be extracted by AI for prediction, therefore rigorous drug administration, close follow-up or potential second procedure can be applied to these patients.

Methods

67 patients from two independent hospitals (SPH & ZSH) with non-valvular persistent AF undergoing circumferential pulmonary vein isolation were enrolled in this study, 23 of which experienced recurrence 6 months after the procedure. We collected standard 2.5-second fragments of coronary sinus electrogram from ENSITE NAVX (SPH) and Carto (ZSH)system before the ablation started. A total of 1429 fragments were obtained and a transfer learning-based ResNet model was employed in our study. Fragments from ZSH were used for training and SPH for validation of deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN). The AI model performance was evaluated by accuracy, recall, precision, F-Measure and AUC.

Results

The prediction accuracy of the DCNN in single center reached 96%, while that in different ablation systems reached 74.3%. Also, the algorithm yielded values for the AUC, recall, precision and F-Measure of 0.76, 86.1%, 95.9% and 0.78, respectively, which shows satisfactory classification results and extensibility in different cardiology centers and brands of electroanatomic mapping instruments.

Conclusions

Our work has revealed the potential intrinsic correlation between coronary sinus electrical activity and AF recurrence using DCNN-based model. Moreover, the DCNN model we developed shows great prospects in the relapse prediction for personalized post-procedural management.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Foundation. Main funding source(s): The National Natural Science Foundation of China

Control sulfide and methane production in sewers based on free ammonia inactivation

Emissions of hydrogen sulfide and methane are two of the major concerns in sewers, causing corrosion, odour and health problems. This study proposed a new free ammonia (FA)-based approach for controlling the biological production of sulfide and methane in sewers. This is based on the discovery that the FA contained in urine wastewater is strongly biocidal to anaerobic sewer biofilms. Long-term operation of two laboratory sewer reactors, with one being dosed with urine wastewater and the other being dosed with raw sewage as a control, revealed the effectiveness of the proposed FA approach. The results showed that dosing of real urine wastewater at FA concentration of 154 mg NH₃-N/L with exposure for 24 h immediately reduced over 80% sulfide and methane in the experimental sewer reactor, while the time for recovering 50% sulfide and methane production were 6 days and 28 days, respectively. It also showed that intermittent dosing with an interval time of 5-15 days reduced around 60% sulfide on average. As suggested by community analysis, the remaining sulfide might be produced by a sulfate-reducing bacterial genus Desulfobulbus. Collectively, urine is a part of municipal sewage, and thus separation and re-dosing of the urine wastewater into the sewer for sulfide and methane control should enable the minimization of operational costs and environmental impacts, compared with the previous dosing of chemicals.

Double-Integrator Dynamics for Multiagent Systems With Antagonistic Reciprocity

This article is dedicated to the consensus problem for interacting agents of the double-integrator dynamics subject to antagonistic reciprocity, described by negative scalar parameters. To this end, we first show the existence of the weighted gains which play an essential role for solving the consensus problem. Then, we establish the relationship between the weighted gains and scalar parameters to guarantee that the underlying "Laplacian" matrix contains a simple zero eigenvalue and the remaining eigenvalues enjoy positive real parts. Based on the above analysis, we further proceed to solve the considered problem. A major difficulty is that the Laplacian matrices, associated with the position and velocity information, are entirely distinct from each other, leading to the failure of the conventional consensus method for the second-order dynamics. We derive some criteria involving the weighted gains, the scaling parameters, and the real/image parts of the Laplacian matrix of the interaction graph. Moreover, some special frameworks, which have been extensively studied in the literature, are also elaborated on. Compared with the Altafini's model, we do not need to redefine a new Laplacian matrix, and more important, the restriction on the digon sign-symmetry property is removed. It is worth mentioning that the proposed consensus algorithm cannot be deduced by the Altafini's model or its variants. Finally, a wheeled multirobot system is formulated to validate the efficiency of the theoretical results.

A positive, growth-based PAM screen identifies noncanonical motifs recognized by the S. pyogenes Cas9

CRISPR technologies have overwhelmingly relied on the Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpyCas9), with its consensus NGG and less preferred NAG and NGA protospacer-adjacent motifs (PAMs). Here, we report that SpyCas9 also recognizes sequences within an N(A/C/T)GG motif. These sequences were identified on the basis of preferential enrichment in a growth-based screen in Escherichia coli. DNA binding, cleavage, and editing assays in bacteria and human cells validated recognition, with activities paralleling those for NAG(A/C/T) PAMs and dependent on the first two PAM positions. Molecular-dynamics simulations and plasmid-clearance assays with mismatch-intolerant variants supported induced-fit recognition of an extended PAM by SpyCas9 rather than recognition of NGG with a bulged R-loop. Last, the editing location for SpyCas9-derived base editors could be shifted by one nucleotide by selecting between (C/T)GG and adjacent N(C/T)GG PAMs. SpyCas9 and its enhanced variants thus recognize a larger repertoire of PAMs, with implications for precise editing, off-target predictions, and CRISPR-based immunity.

Free nitrous acid-based suppression of sulfide production in sewer sediments: In-situ effect mechanism

Sulfide production control in gravity sewer sediments is more complex and difficult due to the greater spatial complexity of biological processes as a result of the abundant microflora inside the sediments. In this study, a promising and cost-effective free nitrous acid (FNA)-based suppression strategy for sulfide production in sewer sediments was proposed. Novel in-situ measurement methods were implemented by incorporating the diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique and high-resolution dialysis (HR-Peeper) with microbial characterization analysis along the vertical sediment profile to examine the effect mechanism of the FNA-based inhibition process on sulfide production in the sediments. The results revealed that the FNA-based exposure strategy could effectively suppress the sulfidogenic activity across the whole shallow active layer (approximately 0.5 cm below the surface) in the sediments. An initial high FNA concentration up to 2.5 mg HNO₂-N/L was required to maintain a critical inhibition level (24-h average concentration > 0.2 mg HNO₂-N/L) across the whole active sediment zone. The FNA concentration decreased sharply deeper than 0.5 cm with a significant pH increase, resulting in FNA inactivation only reducing the microbial live/total ratio and shifting the microbial community structure near the sediment surface. Maintaining a low pH is the critical factor for the FNA-based suppression strategy of the sulfidogenic activity in the shallow sediment zone.

Relationship of adiponectin, leptin, visfatin and IGF-1 in cow's venous blood and venous cord blood with calf birth weight

The Intrauterine fetal development process is complicated and affected by many regulating factors such as maternal nutritional status, transcription factors and adipokines. Adipokines are kinds of active substances secreted by adipose tissue, including more than 50 kinds of molecules. To explore the correlation between calf birth weights and adipokines including adiponectin, leptin, visfatin, and IGF-1 in cows venous and venous cord blood. Fifty-four healthy multiparous Chinese Holstein cows were used; in which, cows with a calf weight less than 40 kg were included in group A (n=9); those with a calf weight between 40 kg~45 kg were included in group B (n=25) and ≥45 kg were included in group C (n=20), venous blood and cord venous blood was collected. An ELISA kit was used to evaluate the concentration of adiponectin, leptin, visfatin, and IGF-1, correlations between index-index and index-calf birth weight were analysed. In both cows venous and cord venous blood, adiponectin, leptin, visfatin, and IGF-1 levels were significantly correlated with each other (p⟨0.01), and levels of these adipokines in venous blood were significantly higher than cord venous blood (p⟨0.01). Adiponectin, leptin, visfatin, and IGF-1 in venous cord blood were positively correlated with calf birth weights, and significantly correlated with calf birth weights respectively (p⟨0.01). Our study showed that adiponectin, leptin, and IGF-1 were found in venous blood and cord venous blood, and adiponectin, leptin, and IGF-1 in venous and cord venous blood potentially inter-regulated each other; adiponectin, leptin, and IGF-1 in venous blood were not significantly correlated with calf birth weights, while adiponectin, leptin, visfatin, and IGF-1 in venous cord blood were significantly correlated with calf birth weights, respectively.

Ethnic Groups Differences in the Prevalence of Sarcopenia Using the AWGS Criteria

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the prevalence of sarcopenia in different ethnic groups and the association with cultural life styles in west China.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

SETTINGS

The communities in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Xinjiang provinces.

PARTICIPANTS

4500 participants aged 50 years or older in west China were enrolled in this study. Sarcopenia was defined according to the diagnostic algorithm of the Asia Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS).

MEASUREMENTS

We measured gait speed, handgrip strength and muscle mass by using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) for all eligible participants. Life-style information were collected by reviewers. Relationships between sarcopenia and ethnic groups were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

We found 869 (19.31%) adults aged 50 years old or older were sarcopenia. The mean age is 62.4±8.3 years. The main ethnic groups enrolled in this study is Han, Tibetan, Qiang, Yi and Hui. The crude prevalence of sarcopenia is 22.3% in Han, 18.2% in Tibetan, 11.8% in Qiang, 34.7% in Yi and 26.7% in Hui. Compared to Han, after adjusting sex and age, Qiang has a lower prevalence of sarcopenia (odds ratio [OR]: 0.44, 95% CI 0.35-0.55), Yi has a higher prevalence of sarcopenia (OR: 1.78, 95% CI 1.29-2.43). While adding adjusting other potential cofounders, sarcopenia is still less prevalent in Qiang (OR: 0.44, 95% CI 0.34-0.57).

CONCLUSIONS

The crude prevalence of sarcopenia is 22.3% in Han, 18.2% in Tibetan, 11.8% in Qiang, 34.7% in Yi and 26.7% in Hui. Sarcopenia was less prevalent in Qiang compared with Han. Further studies to determine related factors of sarcopenia among different ethnic groups are recommended.

Association Between Number of Teeth, Denture Use and Frailty: Findings from the West China Health and Aging Trend Study

OBJECTIVE

Frailty and poor oral health are both common age-related conditions. However, the association between oral health and frailty has not been explored thoroughly among older Chinese adults. We aimed to investigate the associations between number of teeth, denture use, and frailty among older adults in western China.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Community-based.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants were 4037 community-dwelling individuals aged 60 and older from the West China Health and Aging Trend (WCHAT) study.

MEASUREMENTS

Frailty was assessed using the physical frailty phenotype (PFP) and categorized as non-frail, prefrail and frail. In addition, number of teeth and denture use were examined by calibrated dentists. Multinomial logistic regression models were performed to examine the association between number of teeth, denture use, and frailty.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of frailty was 6.7% among 4037 participants aged 60 and older in western China. Participants with no more than 20 teeth were associated with higher odds of being prefrail or frail whether wearing dentures or not. Denture using could not help lower the odds of being prefrail or frail for older adults with fewer teeth.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggested that frailty was associated with having fewer teeth (≤20 teeth) among older Chinese adults. Future research involving targeted interventions addressing number of teeth may help provide information to establish effective strategies for frailty prevention in older adults.

Quantizer-Based Triggered Control for Chaotic Synchronization With Information Constraints

This paper mainly focuses on synchronization of controlled drive-response systems under Lurie form through a limited channel. The main contribution of this paper is the quantizer-based triggered methodology proposed based on three coders. By exploring coder structure information and fusing quantization and trigger errors together, this strategy can reduce transmission burden while increase synchronization speed concurrently. And the final synchronization error can be bounded within a predetermined fixed value. According to the initial output of drive system, different coders are purposely designed. With the proposed trigger schemes, traditional binary coder with memory cannot achieve desired performance. Meanwhile, it is found that the static coder leads to satisfactory performance when initial drive system output is within limited region. Combining the advantages of the above two coders, a mixed coder is designed to overcome the shortcomings. Moreover, synchronization error and transmission bit rate are thoroughly discussed and Zeno behavior is radically prevented. Finally, simulations for two Chua's circuits are given to illustrate the validity of the proposed method.

The comparison of thoracoscopic-laparoscopic esophagectomy and open esophagectomy: A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of thoracoscopic-laparoscopic esophagectomy (TLE) and open esophagectomy (OE) in the treatment of esophageal cancer.

METHODS

A literature search was performed using PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar databases for relevant keywords and the medical subject headings. After we had screened further, 13 clinical trials were included in the final meta-analysis. Specific odds ratios (ORs), standardized mean differences (SMDs), mean differences (MDs), and confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

RESULTS

The outcomes of treatment effects included anastomotic leakage, blood loss, number of lymph nodes harvested, and operating time. Comparing OE for esophageal cancer patients, the pooled OR of anastomotic leakage was 0.89 (95% CI = [0.47, 1.68]), the pooled SMD of blood loss was - 0.56 (95% CI = [-0.77, -0.35]), the pooled MD of lymph nodes harvested was - 0.93 (95% CI = [-2.35, 0.50]), and the pooled SMD of operating time was 0.31 (95% CI = [0.02, 0.59]).

CONCLUSION

TLE was found to significantly decrease patients' blood loss. There is no difference of anastomotic leakage and the number of lymph nodes harvested between TLE and OE.

Predictions of the Influent and Operational Conditions for Partial Nitritation with a Model Incorporating pH Dynamics

Ammonium partial oxidation to nitrite (i.e., partial nitritation) is required in a two-stage autotrophic nitrogen removal system, to provide effluent suitable for the anammox reaction. This study aims to establish influent (ammonium and bicarbonate concentrations) and operational (dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration and solids retention time (SRT)) conditions that favor partial nitritation. This is achieved through extending the nitritation and nitratation models to predict pH variation as well as the effects of pH, free ammonia (NH₃), and free nitrous acid (HNO₂) on the two reactions. Experiments were performed on a lab-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) operated for over 500 days to provide dynamic data for the calibration of model parameters, particularly those related to the NH₃ and HNO₂ inhibition on nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB). The influent ammonium (19-84 mM) and bicarbonate (23-72 mM) were varied, which led to dynamic ammonium, nitrite, and nitrate data suitable for model calibration and validation. The model was able to well-describe pH dynamics as well as the inhibitory effects of NH₃ and HNO₂ on NOB. Model-based scenario analysis was then undertaken to establish the joint regions of influent ammonium and bicarbonate concentrations and the operational DO, temperature, and SRT conditions that favor partial nitritation. The results provide support to the design and optimization of partial nitritation reactors.

Dexmedetomidine post-treatment induces neuroprotection via activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase in rats with subarachnoid haemorrhage

BACKGROUND

Dexmedetomidine, a sedative agent, provides neuroprotection when administered during or before brain ischaemia. This study was designed to determine whether dexmedetomidine post-treatment induces neuroprotection against subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) and the mechanisms for this effect.

METHODS

Subarachnoid haemorrhage was induced by endovascular perforation to the junction of the right middle and anterior cerebral arteries in adult rats. Dexmedetomidine was applied immediately or 2 h after onset of SAH. Neurological outcome was evaluated 2 days after SAH. Right frontal cortex area 1 was harvested 24 h after SAH for western blotting.

RESULTS

Subarachnoid haemorrhage reduced neurological scores and increased brain oedema and blood-brain barrier permeability. These effects were attenuated by dexmedetomidine post-treatment. Neuroprotection by dexmedetomidine was abolished by PD98095, an inhibitor of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation. Phospho-ERK, the activated form of ERK, was increased by dexmedetomidine; this activation was inhibited by PD98095.

CONCLUSIONS

Dexmedetomidine post-treatment provides neuroprotection against SAH. This effect appears to be mediated by ERK.

Genomic alterations in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma determined by cancer gene-targeted sequencing

BACKGROUND

To determine genomic alterations in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumors obtained through routine clinical practice, selected cancer-related genes were evaluated and compared with alterations seen in frozen tumors obtained through research studies.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

DNA samples obtained from 252 FFPE HNSCC were analyzed using next-generation sequencing-based (NGS) clinical assay to determine sequence and copy number variations in 236 cancer-related genes plus 47 introns from 19 genes frequently rearranged in cancer. Human papillomavirus (HPV) status was determined by presence of the HPV DNA sequence in all samples and corroborated with high-risk HPV in situ hybridization (ISH) and p16 immunohistochemical (IHC) staining in a subset of tumors. Sequencing data from 399 frozen tumors in The Cancer Genome Atlas and University of Chicago public datasets were analyzed for comparison.

RESULTS

Among 252 FFPE HNSCC, 84 (33%) were HPV positive and 168 (67%) were HPV negative by sequencing. A subset of 40 tumors with HPV ISH and p16 IHC results showed complete concordance with NGS-derived HPV status. The most common genes with genomic alterations were PIK3CA and PTEN in HPV-positive tumors and TP53 and CDKN2A/B in HPV-negative tumors. In the pathway analysis, the PI3K pathway in HPV-positive tumors and DNA repair-p53 and cell cycle pathways in HPV-negative tumors were frequently altered. The HPV-positive oropharynx and HPV-positive nasal cavity/paranasal sinus carcinoma shared similar mutational profiles.

CONCLUSION

The genomic profile of FFPE HNSCC tumors obtained through routine clinical practice is comparable with frozen tumors studied in research setting, demonstrating the feasibility of comprehensive genomic profiling in a clinical setting. However, the clinical significance of these genomic alterations requires further investigation through application of these genomic profiles as integral biomarkers in clinical trials.

Isoflurane unveils a critical role of glutamate transporter type 3 in regulating hippocampal GluR1 trafficking and context-related learning and memory in mice

Glutamate transporter type 3 (EAAT3) may play a role in cognition. Isoflurane enhances EAAT3 trafficking to the plasma membrane. Thus, we used isoflurane to determine how EAAT3 might regulate learning and memory and the trafficking of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors, such as GluR1, to the plasma membrane, a fundamental biochemical process for learning and memory. Here, isoflurane increased EAAT3 but did not change GluR1 levels in the plasma membrane of wild-type mouse hippocampus. Isoflurane increased protein phosphatase activity in the wild-type and EAAT3(-/-) mouse hippocampus. Also, isoflurane reduced GluR1 in the plasma membrane and decreased phospho-GluR1 in EAAT3(-/-) mice. The phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid attenuated these effects. Finally, isoflurane inhibited context-related fear conditioning in EAAT3(-/-) mice but not in wild-type mice. Thus, isoflurane may increase GluR1 trafficking to the plasma membrane via EAAT3 and inhibit GluR1 trafficking via protein phosphatase. Lack of EAAT3 effects leads to decreased GluR1 trafficking and impaired cognition after isoflurane exposure in EAAT3(-/-) mice.