Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (P. multiflorum) is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb with a long history of use, and its polysaccharide constituents have been reported to possess a range of biological activities. Nevertheless, most existing studies have focused on crude polysaccharide fractions or preliminary bioactivity evaluations, leaving the fine structural features and molecular targets of these polysaccharides insufficiently defined. Here, a homogeneous polysaccharide, FM02 (Mw 12.1 kDa), was isolated from P. multiflorum. Structural characterisation indicated that FM02 is a novel arabinogalactoglucan with a backbone of alternating →4)-α-Glcp-(1→ and →4, 6)-α-Glcp-(1→ residues. Branches at the O-6 position of 1, 4, 6-linked glucosyl residues comprise three distinct types: a terminal T-α-Glcp cap, a trisaccharide branch →1)-α-Glcp-(4 → 1)-β-Galp-(3 → 1)-α-Araf, and a longer chain →1)-α-Glcp-(4→[1)-Galp-(4]3→[1)-α-Glcp-(4]4 → 1)-α-Glcp. Affinity pull-down of LX-2 hepatic stellate cell lysates combined with mass spectrometry identified YTHDF2 as a candidate binding protein. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) detected a concentration-dependent interaction between FM02 and YTHDF2 (KD 5.47 × 10-7 M). Neither the acid-hydrolysis-resistant fraction FM02I nor the released degradation fragment FM02E showed detectable binding to YTHDF2, suggesting that the intact primary structure of the polysaccharide may be required to sustain this interaction. In summary, this study reports for the first time a novel arabinogalactoglucan, FM02, isolated from P. multiflorum, and reveals its potential direct interaction with the m6A reader protein YTHDF2, thereby providing foundational data for further activity screening, mechanistic studies, and related drug development of this polysaccharide.
This study aims to explore multiple profiles of second/foreign language (L2) readers by applying several mixture item response theory (MixIRT) models to the reading comprehension section of a high-stakes multiple-choice language test. The study characterizes the classes based on examinees' gender, lexico-grammatical knowledge, and overall language proficiency, measured by a Cloze test. Item responses of 2439 examinees to the reading comprehension section of the test were analyzed using a range of MixIRT models, including the mixture Rasch model, two parametric logistic MixIRT (2PL MixIRT), 3PL MixIRT, and 4PL MixIRT, with one to six latent classes. The 2PL IRT model with two classes showed the best fit to the data. The two classes were: (1) Local Processors and (2) Global Integrators. Class 1 comprises lower- to moderate-level proficiency examinees who possess restricted overall language proficiency and lexico-grammatical knowledge and rely on bottom-up, sentence-level processing, and superficial strategies such as memorizing isolated lexical and grammatical forms. However, Class 2 involves higher-proficiency examinees who have higher general language ability and lexico-grammatical knowledge and coordinate top-down and bottom-up processes, integrate higher- and lower-level (sub)skills, and adopt predictive and inferential strategies for coherently understanding a text.
Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is fundamental to presurgical localization in epilepsy, but subtle epilepsy-related abnormalities may not always be apparent on routine review. This study aimed to develop and externally validate an MRI-only graph attention transformer for ranking resection-related cortical candidates and to evaluate its reader-level utility. Graph Attention Transformer for Epilepsy-Related Candidate Zones (GATEZ) was developed using preoperative three-dimensional T1-weighted MRI from the publicly released IDEAS (Imaging Database for Epilepsy and Surgery) database. Participants with a 12-month International League Against Epilepsy class 1 outcome were split into training, validation, and internal test sets (n = 171/37/37). Each participant was represented as a 1000-parcel cortical graph with five regional morphometric features and an individualized Morphometric Inverse Divergence network; postoperative resection masks served as the surgical reference standard for model supervision. External validation used 183 consecutive surgical participants with epilepsy who underwent hybrid 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/MRI, with MRI only used for model inference. Reader-level utility was evaluated in a blinded three-reader study comparing MRI alone, MRI plus 18F-FDG PET, and MRI plus GATEZ. In the internal test cohort, GATEZ placed at least one resection-overlapping parcel within the Top-10 ranked candidates in 92% of participants, with a mean Top-10 positive predictive value of 62%. Performance remained stable in the independent external cohort, with an 87% Top-10 hit rate and 59% mean Top-10 positive predictive value. Node-level area under the precision-recall curve was .29 internally and .27 externally, indicating stable enrichment of resection-related regions among the highest ranked candidates. In the blinded reader study, MRI + GATEZ improved detection compared with MRI alone (74%-78% vs. 58%-66% across readers; adjusted p ≤ .001 for all readers) and performed similarly to MRI + FDG (78%-80% across readers; adjusted p ≥ .34 for all readers). GATEZ generates a concise Top-K shortlist of resection-related cortical candidates and may serve as a practical second-look aid for presurgical localization.
The gold standard for diagnosing central precocious puberty(CPP) is the gonadotropin-releasing hormone stimulation test, along with magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) of the brain and hypothalamus-pituitary region to rule out central organic causes. Recent advancements have led to a new medical imaging approach called radiomics. Our recent study showed that pituitary gland radiomics is a promising tool for diagnosing CPP. However, the role of the pineal gland in the onset of puberty has long been debated. Therefore, we investigated radiomic features of the pineal gland associated with puberty onset to identify changes that could assist physicians in the diagnostic workup of CPP. 45 girls with a confirmed diagnosis of CPP and 47 pre-pubertal, age-and sex-matched subjects(controls) were retrospectively enrolled. Two readers(R1, R2) with different levels of expertise in pediatric neuroradiology blindly segmented the pineal gland on MRI studies for radiomic features(RFs) calculation and manually evaluated the number and diameter of pineal cysts. Cross-validated linear discriminant analysis was used to develop, for each reader, both a radiomic model and a reference model based on pineal cyst features. Radiomics was evaluated in terms of predictive performances(ROC-AUC) and reliability of predictors between readers (intraclass correlation coefficient). Finally, the correlation between cysts' features and basal/peak gonadotropin and estradiol levels was also investigated. Two radiomic features were identified as the most predictive of CPP for both readers. However, these features were not the same for R1 and R2 readers and their values showed poor inter-reader reliability. Unpromising performance in the validation set was observed for pineal gland radiomics (ROC-AUC of 0.64 for R1 and 0.59 for R2). Similarly, the reference model based on pineal cyst features demonstrated a poor performance (ROC-AUC = 0.52, both readers). No significant correlations between cyst features and basal/peak gonadotropin levels were observed. Radiomic features of the pineal gland in girls did not show consistent and relevant changes with the onset of puberty and do not hold promise for the CPP diagnosis at variance with previous findings in the pituitary gland. Similarly, the number and size of cysts were not found to be specific for the onset of puberty.
To retrospectively evaluate the diagnostic performance and confidence of photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) for detecting bone marrow edema (BME) in trauma patients, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the reference standard. In this exploratory, bone-region-level analysis, a selected pilot cohort of ten patients (mean age 56.2 years, 80% female) underwent both PCCT and MRI of peripheral joints within a 10-day interval. A total of 123 bone regions across the knee, pelvis/hip, wrist/hand, and elbow were analyzed. Two readers, blinded to clinical and MRI findings, independently assessed BME on PCCT using color-coded maps and standard images, recording diagnostic confidence on a 5-point Likert scale. MRI served as the reference for BME. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, accuracy, and interrater agreement (weighted Cohen's κ) were calculated. BME was present in all patients and in 28.5% (35/123) of bone regions on MRI. For PCCT, Reader 1 achieved a sensitivity of 0.63 (95% CI: 0.46-0.77), specificity of 0.97 (0.90-0.99), and accuracy of 0.87 (0.80-0.92) and Reader 2 achieved a sensitivity of 0.57 (0.41-0.72), specificity of 0.97 (0.91-0.99), and accuracy of 0.85 (0.78-0.91). Diagnostic specificity exceeded 0.93 across all joints, with the highest sensitivity in the knee. Inter-rater agreement was substantial (κ = 0.74). Both readers reported high diagnostic confidence. Reader 1 showed significantly higher confidence in correct classifications (p = 0.0017), whereas Reader 2 showed no significant difference between correct and incorrect classifications (p = 0.89). PCCT showed high specificity but only moderate sensitivity for BME detection at the bone-region level, particularly in large joints. These preliminary findings suggest that the high specificity of PCCT may support confirmation of BME in selected clinical scenarios when MRI is unavailable, contraindicated, or redundant. However, moderate sensitivity requires continued clinical vigilance and MRI confirmation for negative or equivocal findings. Larger validation studies are warranted. · PCCT shows high specificity for bone marrow edema detection. · Moderate sensitivity of PCCT limits standalone clinical use. · First multi-joint bone-region evaluation in a selected cohort of mainly trauma patients. · Substantial interrater agreement supports feasibility. · Positive PCCT findings are highly specific for BME; negative findings require MRI confirmation. · Shahzadi I, Reimann G, Schneider C et al. Exploratory Evaluation of Photon-Counting CT for Bone Marrow Edema Detection Across Multiple Joints: A Pilot Study. Rofo 2026; DOI 10.1055/a-2888-7989. Retrospektive Evaluation der diagnostischen Leistungsfähigkeit und der diagnostischen Sicherheit der Photon-Counting-Computertomografie (PCCT) zur Detektion von Knochenmarködemen (BME) bei Traumapatienten unter Verwendung der Magnetresonanztomografie (MRT) als Referenzstandard.In dieser explorativen Analyse auf Knochenregionsebene wurden zehn Patienten eines selektierten Pilotkollektivs (mittleres Alter 56,2 Jahre, 80% weiblich) eingeschlossen, bei denen sowohl eine PCCT als auch eine MRT peripherer Gelenke innerhalb eines Intervalls von 10 Tagen durchgeführt wurden. Insgesamt wurden 123 Knochenregionen aus Knie, Becken/Hüfte, Handgelenk/Hand und Ellenbogen analysiert. Zwei Untersucher, verblindet gegenüber klinischen und MRT-Befunden, beurteilten unabhängig voneinander das Vorliegen von BME in der PCCT anhand farbkodierter Karten sowie konventioneller Bildrekonstruktionen und dokumentierten die diagnostische Sicherheit auf einer 5-Punkte-Likert-Skala. Die MRT diente als Referenzstandard. Sensitivität, Spezifität, prädiktive Werte, Genauigkeit sowie die Interrater-Übereinstimmung (gewichtetes Cohen-κ) wurden berechnet.Ein Knochenmarködem war bei allen Patienten sowie in 28,5% (35/123) der Knochenregionen in der MRT nachweisbar. Für die PCCT erreichte Untersucher 1 eine Sensitivität von 0,63 (95%-KI: 0,46–0,77), eine Spezifität von 0,97 (0,90–0,99) und eine Genauigkeit von 0,87 (0,80–0,92); Untersucher 2 zeigte eine Sensitivität von 0,57 (0,41–0,72), eine Spezifität von 0,97 (0,91–0,99) und eine Genauigkeit von 0,85 (0,78–0,91). Die diagnostische Spezifität lag in allen untersuchten Gelenkregionen über 0,93, mit der höchsten Sensitivität im Kniegelenk. Die Interrater-Übereinstimmung war substanziell (κ = 0,74). Beide Untersucher berichteten eine hohe diagnostische Sicherheit. Untersucher 1 zeigte eine signifikant höhere diagnostische Sicherheit bei korrekten Klassifikationen (p = 0,0017), während Untersucher 2 keinen signifikanten Unterschied zwischen korrekten und inkorrekten Klassifikationen aufwies (p = 0,89).Die PCCT zeigte eine hohe Spezifität, jedoch nur eine moderate Sensitivität zur Detektion von Knochenmarködemen auf Knochenregionsebene, insbesondere in großen Gelenken. Diese vorläufigen Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass die hohe Spezifität der PCCT die Bestätigung von BME in ausgewählten klinischen Szenarien unterstützen kann, wenn eine MRT nicht verfügbar, kontraindiziert oder nicht erforderlich ist. Die moderate Sensitivität erfordert jedoch weiterhin klinische Vigilanz sowie eine MRT-Bestätigung bei negativen oder äquivoken Befunden. Größere Validierungsstudien sind erforderlich. · Die PCCT zeigt eine hohe Spezifität bei der Detektion von Knochenmarködemen.. · Die moderate Sensitivität der PCCT limitiert den alleinigen klinischen Einsatz.. · Erste multigelenkige Analyse auf Knochenregionsebene in einem selektierten Kollektiv überwiegend traumatischer Patienten.. · Eine substanzielle Interrater-Übereinstimmung unterstreicht die Durchführbarkeit.. · Positive PCCT-Befunde sind hoch spezifisch für BME; negative Befunde erfordern eine MRT-Bestätigung..
To estimate an upper bound of memory-based re-identification risk for chest radiographs by testing radiologists under conditions that favor recognition. In this prospective, multicenter, web-based reader study, radiologists from 38 centers completed two reading phases. In Phase 1, each reader interpreted ten chest radiographs. After a minimum interval of 24 h, Phase 2 included six follow-up target examinations and six new non-target examinations (50% target prevalence). After each Phase-2 examination, readers indicated whether they remembered the patient. Following a positive response, they were asked separately whether they remembered the Phase-1 pseudonym and/or case position. Thirty-three readers with fully classifiable Phase-2 data contributed 396 Phase-2 examinations to the predefined primary analysis. Readers answered "remember" in 139 of 396 examinations (35.1%). Sensitivity for repeated target examinations was 50.0% (99/198), whereas 20.2% of new non-target examinations were nevertheless judged as remembered (40/198). Explicit identifiers were attempted in 23 of 396 examinations (5.8%). At least one explicit identifier, defined as the Phase-1 pseudonym and/or case position, was correct in five of 396 examinations (1.3%). In a low-prevalence model with one known patient per dataset, the positive predictive value of a "remember" response decreased from 2.44% in datasets of 100 radiographs to 0.25% in datasets of 1000 radiographs. Even in a design that favored memory, correct recall of explicit identifiers was rare, whereas false-positive recognition remained common. These findings support treating radiologists' memory as a limited, upper-bound component of re-identification risk, rather than assuming that familiarity routinely translates into identification. Even under conditions deliberately favoring memory, radiologists rarely converted familiarity with prior chest radiographs into correct explicit identifiers; in low-prevalence datasets, false-positive recognition dominated the practical meaning of a "remember" judgment. How often does a radiologist's feeling of familiarity with a previously seen chest radiograph translate into correct recall of a usable explicit identifier? In a deliberately memory-favoring design, sensitivity was 50.0%, but 20.2% of new examinations were false positives and only 1.3% yielded a correct explicit identifier.
Lysine β-hydroxybutyrylation (Kbhb) is a β-hydroxybutyrate-derived lysine acylation that connects ketone-body metabolism with chromatin regulation and non-histone protein function. Initially described as a fasting-responsive histone mark, Kbhb is now implicated in immune memory, metabolic adaptation, cancer metabolism and neuroprotection. This Review reframes Kbhb as a context-dependent metabolic acylation system. We discuss the metabolic origin of β-hydroxybutyryl-CoA, the writer, reader and eraser machinery of Kbhb, its crosstalk with acetylation, lactylation and crotonylation, and the evidence standards required to distinguish Kbhb-driven mechanisms from broader β-hydroxybutyrate biology. Recent studies have identified p300/CBP as a Kbhb writer, HDACs and sirtuins as erasers, and ENL as an H3K9bhb reader. Kbhb has also been linked to CD8+ T-cell memory, fasting-responsive chromatin remodeling, tumor metabolic rewiring and non-histone protein regulation. However, shared enzymes, overlapping acylation programs and pleiotropic BHB signaling complicate causal attribution. Kbhb should not be viewed as uniformly beneficial or pathological. Instead, its effects depend on donor availability, site specificity, reader engagement, tissue context, disease stage and competing acylations. Future work should prioritize site-resolved mass spectrometry, validated chromatin profiling, parallel acylome analysis, functional perturbation and clinically interpretable biomarkers to define which Kbhb events are causal and therapeutically actionable.
Many hospitals perform both axial fast spin-echo T2-weighted image (FSE T2WI) and axial gradient recalled echo T2-weighted (GRE) imaging. This study was performed to compare inter-reader agreement of cervical central spinal stenosis (CCSS) grading with the use of axial GRE imaging and axial FSE T2WI. We also compared the correlations between each radiologic grade and clinical manifestations. A total of 143 patients (M: F = 71:72; mean age, 52 years) who underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine at our hospital were included. Two radiologists evaluated the degree of CCSS from the level of C2-3 to the level of C6-7 using axial GRE imaging, axial FSE T2WI, axial GRE imaging with sagittal T2WI, and axial FSE T2WI with sagittal T2WI. Kappa statistics were used to analyze the inter-reader agreement. The existence of substantial agreement between GRE axial and FSE T2 axial images was reported by both readers (0.657 ≤ κ ≤ 0.665), who also reported almost-perfect agreement between GRE axial + T2 sagittal and T2 axial + T2 sagittal imaging (0.958 ≤ κ ≤ 0.979). The GRE axial, GRE axial + T2 sagittal, and T2 axial + T2 sagittal images showed superior correlation (moderate) compared to that of T2 axial images only (weak) in revealing the correlation between Kang grade and clinical manifestation. The agreement of CCSS grading with axial GRE imaging and axial FSE T2WI findings was substantial. Using axial GRE images led to a superior correlation between magnetic resonance sequence and clinical manifestations relative to using axial FSE T2WI.
Development of varices is an important milestone in the natural history of patients with cirrhosis, and yet the data are sparse in terms of how best to assess for gastroesophageal varices as a clinical trial outcome in multicenter studies. Here we describe a centralized upper endoscopy (esophagogastroduodenoscopy [EGD]) reading process for assessing esophageal varices (EVs) and gastric varices (GVs) and to investigate inter-reader agreement between experienced endoscopists on the presence/size of varices. Patients with compensated metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis cirrhosis evaluated for inclusion in the NAVIGATE phase 2b/3 trial (NCT04365868) underwent EGD by local endoscopists, video recordings of which were centrally read by a pool of 6 qualified, trained reviewers. Two initial reviewers determined the presence/absence and size of varices, and in cases of disagreement, a third adjudicating reviewer assisted with the final determination. Agreement between the reviewers was analyzed using Cohen's kappa. Structured central blinded adjudication of varices was achieved at the participating centers across the globe. Each assigned reviewer completed their review within 24 hours of assignment. Of the 1006 EGDs reviewed, 216 (21.5%) had confirmed EVs, including 115 (53.2%) small, 71 (32.9%) medium, and 30 (13.9%) large varices. GVs were identified among 20 (2.0%) EGDs. Adjudication was required in 399 (39.7%) cases, with the third reviewer confirming varices in 216 (54.1%) cases. Percent agreement between reader pairs for EVs ranged from 40.0% to 100% (kappa 0.118-1.000), and inter-reader agreement for GVs varied between 81.8% and 100% (kappa 0.000-1.000). Centralized review of EGD video recordings, coupled with a structured adjudication process, can be implemented in large multicenter trials to provide reliable varices assessment in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis clinical trials.
Background Deep learning (DL) models have shown promise in diagnosing pancreatic cancer (PC); however, models that simultaneously detect both direct and indirect imaging findings associated with PC are lacking. Purpose To develop and evaluate DL models that detect direct and indirect imaging findings on noncontrast CT (NCCT) and contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) images for PC diagnosis. Materials and Methods This retrospective study from August 2007 to December 2022 included patients with PC and control patients. Two DL models were developed using NCCT and CECT to detect direct (pancreatic mass) and indirect (parenchymal atrophy, main pancreatic duct [MPD] dilatation, and MPD stenosis) imaging findings and diagnose PC based on these findings. For training and validation, CT scans from multiple institutions were manually annotated. Model evaluation was performed using two external test sets (CECT and NCCT sets). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to assess diagnostic performance. Model performance in detecting imaging findings and PC was compared with the performance of six physicians. The reference standard for PC diagnosis was histopathologic confirmation. Results This study included 2251 patients (mean age, 66 years ± 13.3 [SD]; age range, 20-96 years; 850 men). DL models demonstrated area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values of 0.94, 0.90, 0.94, and 0.94 in the CECT set and 0.88, 0.88, 0.95, and 0.93 in the NCCT set for detecting pancreatic masses, parenchymal atrophy, MPD dilatation, and MPD stenosis, respectively. For PC diagnosis, DL models performed similarly to or better than the mean of six readers in the CECT (AUC, 0.99 vs 0.99; P = .84) and NCCT (AUC, 0.93 vs 0.91; P = .03) sets. For PCs that were 20 mm or smaller, the DL models demonstrated higher sensitivity than the reader mean in both the CECT (98% vs 82.6%; P < .001) and NCCT (86% vs 41.1%; P < .001) sets. Conclusion DL models detected direct and indirect imaging findings on CT images and diagnosed PC with performance comparable to or better than that of physicians, particularly for small PCs. © RSNA, 2026 Supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Bhayana and Rajpurkar in this issue.
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) regulatory genes are widespread in plants and play crucial roles in abiotic stress responses. However, these genes remain largely unexplored in kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), an economically important fiber crop. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide identification and comprehensive analysis of m6A regulatory genes in kenaf, uncovering 44 members, including 10 writers, 13 erasers, and 21 readers. These genes were unevenly distributed across 18 chromosomes. Through comprehensive analyses of collinearity, physicochemical properties, gene structure, and cis-acting elements in the promoter regions, we observed evolutionary conservation and enrichment of stress- and hormone-responsive elements among these genes. Notably, under abiotic stress and plant hormone treatment, m6A regulatory genes displayed distinct expression patterns, with the m6A readers gene HcYTH21 being strongly induced. We subsequently cloned HcYTH21 and generated its overexpression lines in both Arabidopsis and kenaf hairy roots. Overexpression of HcYTH21 enhanced salt tolerance in both Arabidopsis and kenaf, whereas virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of HcYTH21 significantly impaired salt tolerance. Under salt stress, HcYTH21-silenced plants showed decreased activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and POD), downregulated expression of salt stress-related genes, and increased accumulation of H2O2 and O2 - accumulation, collectively contributing to reduced salt tolerance. Furthermore, HcYTH21 likely binds to the transcripts of positive salt-stress regulators, thereby stabilizing their mRNAs and promoting stress adaptation. This study first systematically analyzes the m6A regulatory gene family in kenaf and provides new insights into its roles in salt stress adaptation.
Conventional CT (CCT) is widely used to assess hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), but its diagnostic performance is often limited by lipiodol-induced beam-hardening artifacts and poor contrast resolution. Dual-energy CT (DECT) with low-keV monochromatic imaging may improve detection of viable residual tumors, yet its clinical value remains to be fully established. This study compared diagnostic performance, image quality, spatial accuracy, and interobserver agreement of DECT versus CCT for identifying viable HCC post-TACE using MRI as the reference standard. This retrospective, single-center study included 48 patients with 76 HCC lesions who underwent both DECT and MRI within 3 months after conventional TACE. Conventional CT (CCT) and 40-keV monoenergetic (MonoE40) images were reconstructed from DECT data. Diagnoses were independently assessed by radiologists blinded to MRI results. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) for spatial agreement, and Fleiss' kappa for interobserver agreement were analyzed. Fifty-five lesions were viable per MRI. MonoE40 images showed significantly superior diagnostic performance compared to CCT (P < 0.05), especially for lesions with viable components < 2 cm (detection rates: 74.1 %-85.2 % vs. 25.9 %-48.1 %). MonoE40 also yielded higher diagnostic confidence, lesion conspicuity, and arterialphase CNR (P < 0.001). Dice coefficients for tumor delineation improved from 0.31 to 0.54 on CCT to 0.76-0.95 on MonoE40 (P < 0.05). Interobserver agreement at whole-lesion level was higher with MonoE40 (κ = 0.55) versus CCT (κ = 0.29), with the greatest improvement among less-experienced readers (κ from 0.35 to 0.59). DECT with 40-keV monochromatic reconstruction significantly improves detection of viable residual HCC after TACE, enhances tumor boundary delineation, and increases consistency among radiologists compared with CCT, especially benefiting less-experienced readers. These results support incorporating DECT into standard post-TACE imaging protocols.
Ventilation-Perfusion (V/Q) scan has been established as a nuclear imaging modality for diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE), especially in patients with contraindications computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA). However, its use in United States is declining. We analyzed national Medicare data (2013-2023) to assess V/Q and Q scan utilization and physician procedure volumes. Our analysis shows that annual V/Q scans have been declining over the period from 2013 to 2023, with a marked drop occurring between 2019 and 2020 (COVID-19 era). Most of the V/Q scans have been read by low volume readers (< 11/ year). Low-volume readers percentage increased from 20.3% in 2013 to 43.4% in 2023. These trends may impact diagnostic quality and highlight the need to reassess training, competency, and access to V/Q imaging for patients contraindicated for CTPA.
Uranyl ion (UO22+) pollution in marine environments poses a serious threat to human health and aquatic ecosystems. To overcome the dependence of traditional detection methods on large-scale instruments, a portable smartphone-integrated hydrogel kit was reported for on-site quantitative detection of UO22+ with nanozyme technology. Spindle-shaped FeOOH/MnO2 nanozymes with intrinsic oxidase-like activity were fabricated within an agarose hydrogel matrix in a 96-well plate. FeOOH/MnO2 catalyzes the oxidation of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) without the need of unstable hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). UO22+ causes a distinct blue-to-colorless transition by forming a complex with OX-TMB. Quantification of UO22+ was achieved using either a microplate reader or a smartphone by analyzing the RGB values extracted from the hydrogel wells. The detection limit was 5.53 ppb, which is below the drinking water safety standard of 30 ppb stipulated by the World Health Organization (WHO). To the best of our knowledge, it is the first example of a portable oxidase-like hydrogel kit for UO22+ detection. By merging nanozyme catalysis, hydrogel encapsulation, and smartphone-based readout, this platform provides a reliable, high-throughput, and field-deployable strategy for monitoring uranium contamination and may inspire the development of detection strategies for other marine pollutants.
Ischemic stroke remains a leading cause of global mortality and long-term neurological disability, where the "Time is Brain" paradigm dictates that rapid and accurate lesion assessment is fundamental for effective clinical intervention. While the nnU-Net v2 framework has established a new state of the art in medical image segmentation, its high computational demands and reliance on data-center-grade GPUs hinder its translation into real-time, point-of-care clinical workflows. This study presents a technical feasibility analysis of a Cloud-to-Edge optimization pipeline designed to transfer a 3D nnU-Net v2 model from a high-performance cloud environment to a resource-constrained embedded device. Experimental results showed that edge deployment was associated with a reduction in overlap-based segmentation metrics compared with the cloud reference, with Dice decreasing from approximately 0.78 to 0.67. However, TensorRT FP32 and FP16 inference produced nearly identical mean segmentation metrics, suggesting that reduced-precision inference did not introduce additional measurable degradation under the evaluated conditions. The optimized FP16 configuration achieved a processing time of 10.2 s per 3D volume, representing a 33% reduction compared with embedded FP32 inference, while operating within a low-power envelope of approximately 10-13 W. These findings support the preliminary technical feasibility of executing advanced 3D volumetric segmentation models on low-power edge hardware. Nevertheless, the evaluation was limited to an internal 25-case test subset and did not include external validation, prospective clinical assessment, or reader studies. Therefore, the proposed system should be interpreted as a preliminary deployment framework rather than a clinically validated tool for autonomous stroke imaging.
Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) is widely used to reduce radiation exposure, but the reduced photon budget amplifies quantum noise and can introduce structured artifacts that obscure subtle boundaries and textures. Many deep learning denoisers process features in a single stream, which may encourage either over-smoothing of weak anatomical edges or unstable texture synthesis. To develop an LDCT denoising network that explicitly routes coarse structural content and fine details through dedicated pathways, aiming to suppress noise while preserving anatomically meaningful high-frequency information. We propose FMDNet, a frequency-aware encoder-decoder equipped with an explicit coarse/detail routing block. A fixed low-pass operator produces a coarse component, while the corresponding detail component is formed as an explicit residual (high = x-low). Each component is refined with depthwise operators and fused by a learned channel gate with channel attention. We evaluate FMDNet on the AAPM Mayo Clinic LDCT dataset and the LoDoPaB-CT benchmark under a reproducible HU-windowed protocol and supplement PSNR, SSIM, and RMSE with texture- and structure-oriented analyses including HU line profiles and noise power spectrum (NPS), together with volume-level paired tests and bootstrap confidence intervals on LoDoPaB-CT. Across both benchmarks, FMDNet achieves competitive quantitative fidelity and shows favorable results on complementary structure-/texture-oriented analyses. On Mayo, it improves mean PSNR, SSIM, and RMSE relative to strong learned baselines. On LoDoPaB-CT, volume-level analysis across 28 validation volumes confirms consistent improvements over Uformer with paired tests and bootstrap confidence intervals. Additional HU-profile and NPS analyses provide complementary evidence of improved texture preservation and local structural fidelity relative to comparative methods. Explicitly separating coarse and detail residual components in feature space provides a practical inductive bias for LDCT denoising. When combined with gated fusion and multi-scale supervision, this strategy improves quantitative fidelity and preserves fine structures without relying on adversarial texture synthesis; clinical diagnostic impact should be validated by reader studies.
Due to spatial heterogeneities of transmit B1 magnitude, cardiac MRI at 7 Tesla is still far from being clinically established. Different strategies were proposed to mitigate signal variations that may lead to a significant increase of the examination time. The aim of this study was to establish an efficient workflow for B1 shimming for cine imaging at 7T with a single B1 shim set and the investigation of the impact of field strength on volumetric and strain parameters Long- and short-axis images were acquired in ten volunteers at 3T and 7T. At 7T, B1 maps were acquired to calculate a single B1 phases him vector that was applied for the entire exam. Image quality reading was performed by two radiologists. Biventricular volumetric parameters were assessed by two readers. Biventricular function was further assessed for peak strain using feature tracking Image quality and contrast of long-axis images acquired at 7T was inferior compared to 3T, although all images were deemed to bediagnostically usable. In comparison to 3T, 7T slightly underestimated left ventricular volumes, with differences remaining under 10%of absolute values and thus of minimal clinical relevance. Strain parameters were not impacted by field strength A single B1 shim set provides excitation patterns without substantial signal dropouts in the heart. Moderate residual B1 variations and the reduced myocardium-blood contrast at 7T hindered neither quantification nor diagnostic quality. In conclusion, an efficient workflow could be realized at 7T for cardiac cine imaging for function and strain analysis.
This article presents a review of the landscape of Open Science development and its relevance to crystallography. As open as possible as closed as necessary is the model for Open Science as commended by the UK and China. Mainland Europe requires compulsory release after 3 years since measurement of raw data. The USA policy situation has fluctuated considerably in recent years. Altogether, this article addresses the International Union of Crystallography's (IUCr) input into these activities. It considers its participation in international scientific and societal organizations, as well as its compliance with the policy recommendations. It considers the practical landscape in which crystallographers work, including their funding agencies, governments, central facilities and universities. This article sets the wider scene before describing how crystallography benchmarks against those under development. The IUCr's Teaching Pamphlets and the Online Dictionary of Crystallography are educational resources fully open to Global South and Global North readers and authors. Crystallography provides a mature, practice-based model of responsible openness that predates and can inform contemporary Open Science policy.
Aberrant chromatin-associated condensates have emerged as drivers of transcriptional dysregulation in cancer, yet how extrinsic factors modulate their assembly and function remains poorly understood. Gain-of-function mutations in the chromatin reader ENL ("Eleven-nineteen-leukemia") drive oncogenesis by inducing condensate formation at select target loci. Here, we demonstrate that locally produced transcripts reinforce the nucleation, chromatin engagement, and oncogenic activity of mutant ENL condensates. Mutant ENL binds to RNA in part through a basic patch within its YEATS domain, and this interaction enhances condensate formation in vitro and in cells. Using a chemically inducible condensate displacement and renucleation system, we show that blocking ENL-RNA interactions or transcription impairs condensate reformation at endogenous targets. RNA binding preferentially enhances mutant ENL occupancy and transcriptional bursting at condensate-permissive loci. In mouse models, disrupting RNA binding suppresses mutant ENL-driven oncogenic transcription and leukemogenesis. These findings reveal how chromatin-associated oncogenic proteins hijack local transcripts to reinforce condensate nucleation and drive tumorigenesis.
Left atrial (LA) myopathy is a key driver of atrial fibrillation (AF) development and progression. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance enables non-invasive quantification of LA fibrosis, a hallmark of atrial myopathy. However, conventional LGE sequences lack sufficient spatial resolution to accurately depict the thin atrial wall, and reference data in healthy cohorts are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate a high-resolution isotropic 3D LGE Dixon sequence for assessing LA fibrosis in healthy controls and AF patients. In this prospective study, 40 ablation-naïve AF patients (21 paroxysmal, 19 persistent) and 20 healthy controls underwent isotropic (1.3 mm3) 3D whole-heart LGE imaging. Segmentation was successfully performed using CemrgApp in all participants. A setup-specific threshold for fibrosis detection was defined as an image-intensity ratio (IIR) > 1.34 (mean + 2SD of healthy controls) and validated against pre-procedural electroanatomical mapping (EAM) and follow-up imaging at six months post ablation. At baseline, total LA enhancement was higher in persistent than paroxysmal AF (3.65% [1.84-7.16] vs. 1.16% [0.43-2.27]; P = 0.044) and controls (1.25% [0.65-1.75]; P = 0.041). No significant correlation was observed between total LGE-derived fibrosis and bipolar low-voltage area (ρ = -0.03, P = 0.87), though point-by-point analysis showed a weak negative correlation (ρ = -0.05, P < 0.001). In patients with sinus rhythm at follow-up, total fibrosis increased from 1.68% [0.64-6.51] to 6.30% [2.53-12.28]; P < 0.001, driven by peri-ablational scar formation, with no change in remote myocardium. Intra-reader correlation for LA-LGE was excellent: ICC 0.99 (95% CI 0.95-0.99). High resolution isotropic 3D LA-LGE enables robust detection of ablation-induced scarring and biologically plausible fibrosis differences between AF stages. However, its correlation with bipolar voltage mapping remains limited, suggesting that LGE and EAM provide complementary information on atrial myopathy.