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Temperature field model for large spatial structures: experiments, simulation and ANN prediction
No full textLarge spatial stainless steel structures can be susceptible to accidental events such as fires, given their high occupancy, wide range of combustible materials and diverse usage. Consequently, a comprehensive investigation into the temperature field in large spatial stainless steel structures in the event of a fire has been conducted, encompassing experiments, simulations, assessments and predictions. Eight scaled temperature field tests were performed using a pool fire as the fire source, a common scenario in fire incidents. Building on the completed tests, a calibrated CFD model was developed using the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) software and employed to further analyse the temperature field in large spatial structures under various fire powers and radii. A total of 8064 sets of three-dimensional large spatial temperature field data were acquired. Existing temperature field models, both from codes and other research studies, were evaluated against a substantial dataset. The results indicated that current models tend to be conservative, especially in areas near the fire source. In response to these findings, a novel approach utilizing Artificial Neural Networks to predict the 3D spatial temperature field in large spatial stainless steel structures is introduced. In addition, compared with the complex calculation formulae of traditional models, the model proposed herein based on Artificial Neural Networks is more convenient to use in practice and exhibits better accuracy
Electrochemical investigation of crinum asiaticum-like BaO-CeO2 nanostructure for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitor
No full textIn this study, barium oxide-cerium oxide (BaO-CeO2) thin films with a Crinum asiaticum flower-like morphology were fabricated using the sequential ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed their polycrystalline structure, while structural, elemental, and compositional studies validated their suitability as electrode materials for supercapacitors. The BaO-CeO2 thin films exhibited excellent electrochemical stability and high performance, achieving a specific capacitance (SC) of 880 F/g in a 1 M potassium hydroxide (1 M KOH) electrolyte, with 97 % capacitance retention after 6,500 cycles. When assembled into an asymmetric solid-state supercapacitor device (ASSD), the electrodes delivered an energy density of 17.8 Wh/kg and a power density of 6.9 kW/kg, maintaining 98 % capacitance over5000 cycles. The ASSD successfully powered a green light-emitting diode, demonstrating its economic feasibility and practical potential for cost-effective energy storage applications
The use of indocyanine green and near-infrared fluorescence in the detection of metastatic lymph nodes during oesophageal and gastric cancer resection: a systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textBackground
Lymph node status is one of the most important prognosticating factors for patients afflicted by oesophageal cancer (OC) and gastric cancer (GC), and lymphadenectomy during surgery is therefore an essential step to ensure complete oncological resection and accurate disease staging. Intraoperative lymph node visualisation using near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) and indocyanine green (ICG) tracing has been postulated to improve the overall lymph node yield, and to ensure the appropriate radicality, but its usefulness in the detection of metastatic lymph nodes remains unclear.
Methods
We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the relevant literature to ascertain the accuracy of ICG-guided lymphadenectomy in the detection of metastatic nodes in OC and GC. The primary outcomes were the sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic odds ratio of ICG-guided lymphadenectomy. Secondary outcomes included measurement of the effect of prior neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), tumour characteristics and method of ICG administration. Summary receiver operator characteristic (SROC) curves were built to illustrate the relationship between the sensitivity of ICG and false positive rate.
Results
From an initial search of 6,302 articles, 15 studies met the criteria for inclusion, incorporating 4,004 patients. The pooled sensitivity for metastatic node detection was 69.1% (95% CI 56.5–79.3%), specificity 47.4% (38.0–56.9%), and DOR 2.02 (1.40–2.92). The SROC curve for diagnostic test accuracy yielded an area under the curve of 0.60. The use of NAC adversely affected the sensitivity of ICG 74.7% [59.2–85.8%] without NAC; 52.8% [43.6–61.9%] with NAC, p = 0.018). No significant difference in efficacy was demonstrated between pathological ‘T’ stage, or ICG administration method.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that the oncological benefits of NIRF and ICG in the context of lymphadenectomy in OC and GC are limited, and that surgeons risk omitting a significant proportion of metastatic nodes if this technique is solely relied upon
Temperature- and time-dependent evolution of hydrogel network formed by thermoresponsive BCACB pentablock terpolymers: effect of composition
No full textThree thermoresponsive BCACB pentablock terpolymers, in which A, B, and C blocks were composed of hydrophilic oligo (ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (average molar mass = 300 g/mol, OEGMA300), hydrophobic n-butyl methacrylate (BuMA), and less-hydrophilic di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (DEGMA), respectively, were synthesised via one-pot group transfer polymerisation (GTP) with varied chemical compositions. In addition to the thermoresponsive behaviour, a time-dependent evolution was also observed in both microscopic structure and macroscopic performance of the thermo-induced hydrogels formed by these terpolymers. Combined analysis using time-resolved small angle X-ray scattering (TR-SAXS) and rheometry reveals that achieving a balanced ratio of hydrophobic and hydrophilic content is critical for configuring hydrogel networks with optimal performance and stability. Specifically, an excessive hydrophobic content leads to a gradual loss of network storage modulus (G′) over time, while an overwhelming hydrophilic content diminishes the formation of stable elastic-active intermicellar correlations, resulting in the lowest G’
FUTURE-AI: international consensus guideline for trustworthy and deployable artificial intelligence in healthcare
No full textDespite major advances in artificial intelligence (AI) research for healthcare, the deployment and adoption of AI technologies remain limited in clinical practice. This paper describes the FUTURE-AI framework, which provides guidance for the development and deployment of trustworthy AI tools in healthcare. The FUTURE-AI Consortium was founded in 2021 and comprises 117 interdisciplinary experts from 50 countries representing all continents, including AI scientists, clinical researchers, biomedical ethicists, and social scientists. Over a two year period, the FUTURE-AI guideline was established through consensus based on six guiding principles—fairness, universality, traceability, usability, robustness, and explainability. To operationalise trustworthy AI in healthcare, a set of 30 best practices were defined, addressing technical, clinical, socioethical, and legal dimensions. The recommendations cover the entire lifecycle of healthcare AI, from design, development, and validation to regulation, deployment, and monitoring
Free-breathing, non-contrast, 3D whole-heart coronary MRI for the identification of culprit and vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque
No full textBackground
Detection of vulnerable coronary plaque can predict future myocardial infarctions. We have developed a novel, non-contrast cardiovascular magnetic resonance sequence (iT2prep-BOOST), enabling simultaneous, co-registered coronary angiography and plaque detection.
Objectives
To validate iT2prep-BOOST in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).
Methods
41 patients with suspected NSTEMI were recruited. Invasive coronary angiography ± intravascular imaging was used to classify coronary segments into the following categories: normal, non-culprit and culprit segments; stenosed segments as well as segments with vulnerable plaque features (lipid, calcium, fibroatheroma, thin cap fibroatheroma (TCFA), plaque-rupture and thrombus). The plaque/myocardial signal intensity ratio (PMR) in each coronary segment was analyzed on iT2prep-BOOST.
Results
The mean ± standard deviation PMR of culprit segments was significantly higher than non-culprit segments and normal segments (1.01 ± 0.14 vs. 0.67 ± 0.18 vs. 0.35 ± 0.24, P<0.001 respectively). Coronary segments with lipid, calcium and fibroatheroma had a significantly higher PMR compared to normal coronary segments (P<0.001), but significantly lower than segments with plaque-rupture and intraluminal thrombus (P<0.05). There was a progressive increase in PMR with increasing coronary segment stenosis (P<0.001). There was a significant association on multivariable analysis between HbA1c as well as family history of coronary artery disease and mean PMR (P=0.05 and P=0.04 respectively).
Conclusions
iT2prep-BOOST has the potential to simultaneously visualize coronary artery lumen and plaque and differentiate normal segments from non-culprit and culprit plaque segments non-invasively and without contrast. The prognostic value of PMR needs to be investigated in a prospective multicenter study
Are food taxes for healthy eating acceptable? A survey of public attitudes in the UK
No full textIntroduction Appropriately designed food taxes can improve diet quality and health. Fiscal levers are used in several countries to combat the rise in obesity and diet-related diseases. This study aims to investigate public attitudes, knowledge and policy preferences regarding food taxes for promoting healthy eating in the UK.
Methods A survey was administered through YouGov Plc to a nationally representative sample of 2125 adults, gathering information on: acceptability and support for different types of food taxes, awareness and knowledge of existing taxes and preferences for the characteristics of possible new taxes.
Results Overall, 48% of respondents support higher taxes on unhealthy foods, rising to 72% if taxes made healthy foods more affordable. Respondents with high socioeconomic status and those living in London showed the highest support. Respondents had limited awareness of existing food and beverage taxes and prioritised discretionary items such as cakes and crisps for possible increased taxation.
Conclusions The survey shows a high level of support for taxing unhealthy foods, as well as concern for the affordability of healthy foods. A carefully designed holistic approach to food taxation can be part of a wider public health strategy and can be favourably met by the general population in the UK
Corrigendum to “Insights into the methanol utilization capacity of Y. lipolytica and improvements through metabolic engineering” [Metabol. Eng. (2025) 91 30–43]
No full textThe authors regret . The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused
Artificial intelligence-enhanced electrocardiography to predict regurgitant valvular heart diseases: an international study
No full textBackground and Aims
Valvular heart disease (VHD) is a significant source of morbidity and mortality, though early intervention can improve outcomes. This study aims to develop artificial intelligence-enhanced electrocardiography (AI-ECG) models to diagnose and predict future moderate or severe regurgitant VHDs (rVHDs), including mitral regurgitation (MR), tricuspid regurgitation (TR), and aortic regurgitation (AR).
Methods
The AI-ECG models were developed in a data set of 988 618 ECG and transthoracic echocardiogram pairs from 400 882 patients from Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China. The AI-ECG models used a residual convolutional neural network with a discrete-time survival loss function. External evaluation was performed in outpatients from a secondary care data set from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, USA, consisting of 34 214 patients with linked echocardiography.
Results
In the internal test set, the AI-ECG models accurately predicted future significant MR [C-index 0.774, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.753–0.792], AR (0.691, 95% CI 0.657–0.720), and TR (0.793, 95% CI 0.777–0.808). In age- and sex-adjusted Cox models, the highest risk quartile had a hazard ratio (HR) of 7.6 (95% CI 5.8–9.9, P < .0001) for risk of future significant MR, compared with the lowest risk quartile. For future AR and TR, the equivalent HRs were 3.8 (95% CI 2.7–5.5) and 9.9 (95% CI 7.5–13.0), respectively. These findings were confirmed in the transnational external test set. Imaging association analyses demonstrated AI-ECG predictions were associated with subclinical chamber remodelling.
Conclusions
This study developed AI-ECG models to diagnose and predict rVHDs and validated the models in a transnational and ethnically distinct cohort. The AI-ECG models could be utilized to guide surveillance echocardiography in patients at risk of future rVHDs, to facilitate early detection and intervention
Natural history and clinical associations of plasma VEGF-A changes after Traumatic Brain Injury
No full textBackground and Objectives: Severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is associated with secondary injury and poor outcomes, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Vascular mechanisms may be important. We aimed to characterise how blood vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) levels are affected by TBI, and its associations with secondary injury and functional outcome.
Methods: We retrospectively analysed data from two multi-centre, international, prospective observational studies (CREACTIVE and BIO-AX-TBI) with follow-up of up to 1 year. These cohorts comprised adults with
moderate-severe TBI (Mayo classification), recruited on admission to hospital (BIO-AX-TBI) and the intensive care unit (ICU) (CREACTIVE). Controls included non-TBI trauma (NTT) and uninjured adults. Plasma VEGF-A levels and TBI biomarkers (Neurofilament light [NFL], glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP], total Tau, UCH-L1, S100B) were measured on ICU admission and ~5 days later (CREACTIVE), or at 5 timepoints from admission to 12 months post-TBI (BIO-AX-TBI), and compared to NTT and control groups. In BIO-AX-TBI, MRI assessment was performed at subacute and chronic timepoints.
Functional outcomes (Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended) were measured at 6 and 12 months. Plasma
VEGF-A was measured using the OLINK® Target 96 Inflammatory platform, which reports in arbitrary
standardised units (NPX), and TBI biomarkers were measured using Simoa® or Millipore platforms.
Results: Data was available from 195 TBI (21% female, mean age 45.30years), 24 NTT (8%, 43.98) and 89
CON (44%, 42.39) in BIO-AX-TBI, and 1146 TBI (25%, 56.29) in CREACTIVE. Plasma VEGF-A was elevated acutely after both TBI (estimated mean difference=0.45NPX, SE=0.09, p<0.001) and NTT
(estimated mean difference=0.74NPX, SE=0.16, p<0.001), but remained raised after the initial timepoint only in TBI patients, peaking at day 16. Higher acute VEGF-A was associated with increased odds of refractory raised intracranial pressure (r-rICP) (maximum Odds Ratio for r-rICP=1.69, p=0.031), higher lesion volume (estimated increased lesion volume=20.14ml, SE=8.20ml, p=0.02), and worse functional outcomes (maximum Odds Ratio for worse outcome category=2.51, p<0.001).
Discussion: There is a sustained rise in plasma VEGF-A after TBI, which is associated with r-rICP and chronic injury markers, suggesting vascular pathophysiology is important after TBI. Further research is needed to explore mechanisms