Blue Marking Research Articles

Preoperative localization of pulmonary nodules by electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy combined with methylene blue injection.

Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) can help to accurately locate pulmonary nodules using a minimally invasive approach. This study sought to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of dye marking localization under the guidance of ENB followed by surgery. A retrospective analysis was performed of 61 patients who underwent ENB localization using methylene blue dye marking before surgery at Shanghai General Hospital from October 2021 to February 2022. The clinical efficacy and safety of ENB localization and the related factors affecting the navigation time of ENB location were analyzed. ENB was performed on 170 pulmonary nodules in 61 patients with a median age of 60 [interquartile range (IQR), 18] years. The majority of patients (70.69%) had more than two pulmonary nodules. The median maximum nodule diameter was 10 (IQR, 8) mm, and 48.21% of the nodules were mixed ground-glass nodules. Median time for ENB navigation was 10.5 (IQR, 6) min. The navigation success rate was 92.96%, and the ENB location success rate was 95.89%. The rate of complications related to ENB localization was 1.64% (there was only one case of pulmonary hemorrhage). The multivariate analysis showed that the factors related to the navigation time included the node location (P=0.001) and location mode (P=0.04). ENB-guided methylene blue injection is an effective and safe tool for localizing and marking pulmonary nodules, and can be used to assist the diagnosis and treatment of early lung cancer. The node location and location mode had significant effects on navigation time.

A first survey of the public’s colour preferences for four processed foods as major sources of salt intake in Japan

The promotion of sodium-reduced food products is an international movement that targets the prevention of several non-communicable diseases. Although visual presentation of food is accompanied by changes in taste sensitivity, the taste of food labelled with green or blue marks for emphasising salt reduction in Japan remains unexplored. Thus, we identify the public’s colour preferences for sodium-reduced foods in Japan. We conducted an online survey of 1200 participants aged 20 to 80 in 2023. For all four food types, the preference for sodium-reduced markers with blue or green was higher in the order of the action, preparation, and precontemplation behaviour change stages. We found that ‘good taste’ colours varied depending on the type of food product and were consistent for both regular and sodium-reduced food products. As for the difference between ‘green’ and ‘blue’, the taste ranking was low for regular food products and slightly higher for sodium-reduced food products. In the future, food providers can enhance the desirability of their food by prioritising visual perspective as a secondary aspect by considering consumers' behaviour change stages, especially when promoting sodium-reduced food products.

Abstract PO3-22-10: 3D-CT mapping with a photo-translucent application using iPad delineates tumor lesions on patient breast skin in breast-conserving surgery: Preliminary results

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a 3D-CT mapping technique with a photo-translucent application using an iPad for tumor localization on the patient's breast skin in breast-conserving surgery (BCS). We also compared the accuracy of tumor localization between conventional methods and 3D-CT mapping. Methods: Between February and July 2023, 20 female patients with early-stage (0 to 2) breast cancer scheduled for BCS were enrolled in this study. Preoperative enhanced CT scans were performed, and a 3D-CT image was generated by incorporating the patient's skin and manually marking the contrast-enhanced lesion using SYNAPSE VINCENT software. The 3D-CT images, adjusted to individual rotation angles to match the horizontal skin position above the tumor, were imported into an iPad equipped with a photo-translucent application. Using a securely fixed iPad holder, the translucent image was superimposed on the patient's breast, and the enhanced lesion was marked on the skin using a blue pen. Conventional tumor marking was performed based on ultrasound imaging, CT, and MRI findings using a black pen. Photographs were taken to simulate BCS based on the 3D-CT blue marking. All patients underwent BCS with resection margins of 1.5-2 cm from the black marking, and intraoperative frozen section analysis was performed to assess the resection margins. Results: The majority of patients had hormone receptor-positive breast cancers, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy was administered in three patients (Table 1). The extent of tumor involvement assessed by pathological assessment and imaging findings showed the least discrepancy with MRI, with an average error of 4.2 mm. MRI also had the lowest rate of missed tumor detection compared to other imaging modalities. The initial positive margin rate was 20%, and the simulation conducted in this study did not alter that value. Furthermore, the simulation demonstrated more effective excision of the tumor's center compared to conventional surgical methods (Table 2). Conclusion: The use of 3D-CT mapping with a photo-translucent application on an iPad offers a promising approach for accurate tumor localization in BCS. This technique provides a simplified and efficient method, and it can also be applied to cases where lesions have completely disappeared after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. XX- XX XX- XX Citation Format: Gou Watanabe, Akihiko Suzuki. 3D-CT mapping with a photo-translucent application using iPad delineates tumor lesions on patient breast skin in breast-conserving surgery: Preliminary results [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO3-22-10.

Optimizing Lane Departure Warning System towards AI-Centered Autonomous Vehicles.

The operational efficacy of lane departure warning systems (LDWS) in autonomous vehicles is critically influenced by the retro-reflectivity of road markings, which varies with environmental wear and weather conditions. This study investigated how changes in road marking retro-reflectivity, due to factors such as weather and physical wear, impact the performance of LDWS. The study was conducted at the Yeoncheon SOC Demonstration Research Center, where various weather scenarios, including rainfall and transitions between day and night lighting, were simulated. We applied controlled wear to white, yellow, and blue road markings and measured their retro-reflectivity at multiple stages of degradation. Our methods included rigorous testing of the LDWS's recognition rates under these diverse environmental conditions. Our results showed that higher retro-reflectivity levels significantly improve the detection capability of LDWS, particularly in adverse weather conditions. Additionally, the study led to the development of a simulation framework for analyzing the cost-effectiveness of road marking maintenance strategies. This framework aims to align maintenance costs with the safety requirements of autonomous vehicles. The findings highlight the need for revising current road marking guidelines to accommodate the advanced sensor-based needs of autonomous driving systems. By enhancing retro-reflectivity standards, the study suggests a path towards optimizing road safety in the age of autonomous vehicles.

Oblique radiograph with methylene blue marking: A reliable technique for upper thoracic level localization

PurposeTraditionally, plain radiographs are used in intraoperative spinal level localization (SLL), whereas counting vertebrae is often hampered by shoulders and scapulae in lateral views, thus increasing the potential for wrong-level surgery. To improve the localization accuracy, this study evaluated the safety and feasibility of oblique radiographs with methylene blue markings for SLL and explored the optimal angle and height of oblique radiographs. MethodsThe clinical data of 33 patients with upper thoracic spine lesions who were operated on in our hospital from January 2021 to April 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Oblique radiographs with methylene blue markings were used for intraoperative SLL. ResultsA total of 33 patients were included in this study. The average BMI was 24.3 ± 0.7 kg/m2. The ipsilateral lamina structures were clearly shown in all cases. The median radiographing times of all the patients was 3, and the median radiographing duration was 2 min and 25 s. The average angle of oblique radiographs was 55.1 ± 3.8°, and the average distance from the skin to the root of the spinous process was 4.9 ± 1.2 cm. ConclusionsUsing oblique radiographs with methylene blue markings, not only the bone structure of an upper thoracic spine can be revealed clearly, but also the positioning deviation of traditional needle localization can be avoided. The lesion segment can be precisely located by this technology during surgery. Our angle of oblique radiographs and height determination method can be used to reduce the radiation exposure and shorten the operation time.

Systematics of the Nososticta salomonis complex (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platycnemididae).

We examined the morphology, colour patterns and genetic relationships of Nososticta populations allied to N. salomonis (Selys) from across Melanesia. Seven species-level taxa are recognised in the N. salomonis 'complex': N. africana (Schmidt), N. boonei sp. nov., N. chrismulleri Theischinger & Richards, N. hedigeri sp. nov., N. salomonis (Selys), N. stueberi sp. nov., and N. tagula sp. nov. All of these species are black damselflies with blue markings, and they differ from all other Nososticta by having: 1) a prominent spike on the male superior appendage, 2) a prominent angular base of the male inferior appendage, and 3) a complex posterior lobe on the female pronotum bearing two pairs of processes in the rough shape of a chair when viewed laterally. A molecular phylogeny based on the DNA barcode fragment of the COI gene plus two nuclear genes indicates that these seven species are closely related, but more extensive sampling of Nososticta species is required to confirm that they form a monophyletic group.

Bioinformatics-based Prediction of Character of Envelope Glycoprotein and Analysis of Epitopes of B- and T-cell of gp120

1Objectives: To analyze the characteristics of gp120 gene sequence and protein structure of HIV-1 CRF01_AE and to predict B- and T-cell epitopes and to forecast binding sites between gp120 and mD1.22 by using bioinformatics in order to lay a foundation for the research and development of AIDS vaccines and peptide-based drugs. Methods: The gene sequences and the amino acid sequences of gp120 were obtained from NCBI GeneBank database. Physicochemical property, membrane-panning region, PTMs sites of gp120 and secondary structure were analyzed by Expasy ProtParam, TMpred, NetPhos and GlycoMine and SOPMA, respectively. Epitopes of B-cell were predicted by VaxiJen v2.0, AllerTOP v2.0 and IEDB while epitopes of T-cell were predicted by IEDB. Protein-protein docking were forecast by Z-dock, pymol and so on. Results: The calculation formula of gp120 is C1033H1633N299O319S9. The number of amino acids is 211, and the molecular weight is 23633.68. The theoretical isoelectric point (pI) is 7.76. It is estimated that 17 residues are phosphorylation sites, while gp120 has more than 5 glycosylation sites. The protein contains alpha helix (blue mark), beta turn (green mark), random coil (purple mark) and thin slice (red mark), which are 26.54%, 6.16%, 40.28% and 27.01% respectively. We selected the top 10 possible epitopes of B cells, but only the top 5 epitopes of MHC-I. The most possible binding site between gp120 and mD1.22 was showed. Conclusion: With the potential humoral immunity and cellular immunity, gp120 of HIV-1 is a promising target for HIV-1 treating. The interaction of gp120 with CD4 is the first step of HIV cycle which allows the entry of HIV into CD4+ T-cells. This study has analyzed and predicted the binding sites between gp120 and mD1.22 and the character and B-cell and T-cell epitopes of gp120, could be a foundation for subsequent study of developing vaccine and polypeptide drugs.

Distinguishing Genuine Imperial Qing Dynasty Porcelain from Ancient Replicas by On-Site Non-Invasive XRF and Raman Spectroscopy.

The combined use of non-invasive on-site portable techniques, Raman microscopy, and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy on seven imperial bowls and two decorated dishes, attributed to the reigns of the Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, and Daoguang emperors (Qing Dynasty), allows the identification of the coloring agents/opacifiers and composition types of the glazes and painted enamels. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the elements used in the (blue) marks and those found in the blue, yellow, red, and honey/gilded backgrounds on which, or in reserve, a floral motif is principally drawn. The honey-colored background is made with gold nanoparticles associated with a lead- and arsenic-based flux. One of the red backgrounds is also based on gold nanoparticles, the second containing copper nanoparticles, both in lead-based silicate enamels like the blue and yellow backgrounds. Tin and arsenic are observed, but cassiterite (SnO2) is clearly observed in one of the painted decors (dish) and in A676 yellow, whereas lead (calcium/potassium) arsenate is identified in most of the enamels. Yellow color is achieved with Pb-Sn-Sb pyrochlore (Naples yellow) with various Sb contents, although green color is mainly based on lead-tin oxide mixed with blue enamel. The technical solutions appear very different from one object to another, which leads one to think that each bowl is really a unique object and not an item produced in small series. The visual examination of some marks shows that they were made in overglaze (A608, A616, A630, A672). It is obvious that different types of cobalt sources were used for the imprinting of the marks: cobalt rich in manganese for bowl A615 (Yongzheng reign), cobalt rich in arsenic for bowl A613 (but not the blue mark), cobalt with copper (A616), and cobalt rich in arsenic and copper (A672). Thus, we have a variety of cobalt sources/mixtures. The high purity of cobalt used for A677 bowl indicates a production after ~1830–1850.

Cryobiopsy and dye marking guided by electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy before resection of pulmonary nodule

BackgroundOur aims were to explore the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of peroperative transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) guided by electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) and ENB-guided methylene blue marking of presumably non-palpable pulmonary nodules, and to assess its impact on video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and postoperative lung function. MethodsThis approach was applied to 16 consecutive patients (Group A, mean age 64 years) who were compared retrospectively to a historical group of 49 patients (Group B, mean age 62 years) with similar nodules resected without guidance. The usefulness of dye marking was graded. The success rates of both ENB-guided TBLC and nodule localization through dye marking were computed. The type of resection, volume of resected parenchyma, duration of procedures, and postoperative lung function were compared between groups. Unpaired t-test, chi-square test, unpaired Wilcoxon test, and exact Fisher test were used when appropriate. ResultsMalignancy was pathologically proven in all patients. TBLC revealed malignancy in 9 patients in Group A. The success rate of ENB-guided dye marking was 94%. Lobectomy was less frequently performed in Group A than in Group B (p = 0.022). Forced expiratory volume in 1 s and total lung capacity were significantly less reduced in Group A than in Group B (p = 0.006 and p = 0.019, respectively). Combined procedure was longer than surgery alone (p<0.001), but its surgical part was shorter than VATS without guidance (p < 0.001). ConclusionPeroperative ENB-guided TBLC with methylene blue marking of non-palpable lung nodules is feasible. A sparing lung parenchyma procedure could be achieved thanks to the ENB-guided dye marking before VATS.

Further evidence for the capacity of mirror self-recognition in cleaner fish and the significance of ecologically relevant marks.

An animal that tries to remove a mark from its body that is only visible when looking into a mirror displays the capacity for mirror self-recognition (MSR), which has been interpreted as evidence for self-awareness. Conservative interpretations of existing data conclude that convincing evidence for MSR is currently restricted to great apes. Here, we address proposed shortcomings of a previous study on MSR in the cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus, by varying preexposure to mirrors and by marking individuals with different colors. We found that (1) 14/14 new individuals scraped their throat when a brown mark had been provisioned, but only in the presence of a mirror; (2) blue and green color marks did not elicit scraping; (3) intentionally injecting the mark deeper beneath the skin reliably elicited spontaneous scraping in the absence of a mirror; (4) mirror-naive individuals injected with a brown mark scraped their throat with lower probability and/or lower frequency compared to mirror-experienced individuals; (5) in contrast to the mirror images, seeing another fish with the same marking did not induce throat scraping; and (6) moving the mirror to another location did not elicit renewed aggression in mirror-experienced individuals. Taken together, these results increase our confidence that cleaner fish indeed pass the mark test, although only if it is presented in ecologically relevant contexts. Therefore, we reiterate the conclusion of the previous study that either self-awareness in animals or the validity of the mirror test needs to be revised.

Surgical Considerations for an Osseointegrated Steady State Implant (OSIA2®) in Children.

Surgical Considerations for an Osseointegrated Steady State Implant (OSIA2®) in Children.

Re-evaluation of abusive head trauma in Norway appears flawed.

A review by Wester et al in Acta Paediatrica presented 17 adjudicated cases of Norwegian infants with abusive head trauma (AHT).(1) Their interpretation of the medical findings identified alternative diagnoses for 16 of the 17 children and suggested that the injuries were not inflicted and may have been the result of spontaneously occurring events. The authors stated that eight children had clinical and radiological characteristics consistent with external hydrocephalus, complicated by chronic subdural haematoma, and that six had findings compatible with hypoxic-ischaemic insults. Fractures were attributed to prematurity and sequelae from birth trauma. If their interpretations are correct, this study calls for a thorough review of how the medical community, forensic experts and the courts manage AHT cases. However, there are several elements of concern in the Wester et al study that we believe need clarification before a conclusion can be reached.

Viennese vase painted in Dresden (architectural, artistic, stylistic, morphological and structural features)

The article examines the architectural, artistic, stylistic, morphological and structural features of an old porcelain vase from a private Odessa collection. The unpainted vase was made in 1860s at Vienna Porcelain Manufactory. This vase was painted in Helena Wolfsohn’s studio in Dresden between 1864 and 1878 (?). Helena Wolfsohn lived and worked in a significant center of European civilization, culture and arts of her time. The images are painted on the vase using the technique of manual overglaze painting. Amazingly arranged bouquets of flowers are painted on the turquoise background of the oval-shaped body of the vase, and gallant scenes in the Watteau style are depicted on the white parts of the body. On the bottom of the vase base an underglaze blue mark is applied: a shield. The painting of the vase is notable for a vivid pictorial effect, a successful composition, harmony and restraint of color shades. Similar vases painted at Helena Wolfsohn’s studio were exhibited at the International Exhibition in Sydney (1879) and at the World Exhibition in Melbourne (1880). Decorative porcelain vases play an important role in creating the architectural and artistic ensemble of the interior, whose main compositional principle is architectonics.

Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy localization of lung nodules for thoracoscopic resection.

BackgroundThoracoscopic localization of small peripheral pulmonary nodules is a concern. Failure can lead to larger parenchymal resection or conversion to thoracotomy. This study evaluates our experience in preoperative electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy-guided localization of small peripheral lung lesions.MethodsFrom January 2017 to March 2020 clinical, radiographic, surgical, and pathological data of patients who underwent electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB)-guided methylene blue pleural marking of highly suspected pulmonary lesions before a full thoracoscopic resection were evaluated. Localization was performed for solid or mixed subpleural nodules measuring <10 mm, solid nodules measuring <20 mm located at more than 1 cm from the pleura and any pure ground glass opacity. Successful localization was defined as successful identification and thoracoscopic resection of target lesions.ResultsForty-eight patients were included: 30 solid nodules (63%), 12 pure GGO (25%) and 6 mixed (13%). The median largest diameter at CT-scan was 11 mm (IQR, 9–14 mm) while the median distance from the pleural surface was 12 mm (IQR, 6–16 mm). The median ENB length was 25 min (19–33 min). Localization procedure was successful in 45 cases (94%). No procedural-related complications were reported.ConclusionsENB is a safe and accurate preoperative procedure to localize small lung peripheral lesions. The high successful rate, the absence of related complications, the possibility of performing the procedure in the same operating room with a single general anesthesia, make ENB-guided dye marking an advantageous tool for thoracoscopic pulmonary resection.

Поетика кольоропозначень у мові пейзажу Олексія Довгого

. The peculiarities of the use of linguistic units for the designation of color as constituents of individual-author 's images of the realities of the surrounding world are analyzed in the article. The purpose of the article is to carry out a linguistic analysis of color notations in the structure of poetic images of nature and to find out the role of such units as visualizers of the natural world in Oleksii Dovhyi's poetry. During the research the author made a number of theoretical generalizations concerning the problems of artistic text as a phenomenon of individual creativity. The special nature of poetic text has been proved as a text capable of performing two functions – informative and communicative-suggestive. The researcher covered the question of the functioning of poetic means and techniques in the text as a guarantee of adequate emotional and expressive perception by its reader. The study emphasized the particular role of visualization in the communication process between author and reader. The exceptional function of the tokens of color in the process of visualization of the poet's impressions and experiences of the lyrical hero and the transmission of such emotions to the reader was noted. Research has shown that in Oleksii Dovhyi's poetic language, visualizers of copyrighted images of nature often appear to be tokens for the designation of blue, yellow, white, gray and black. It has been found that blue color markings are often used by the poet to explicate the celestial space tier and to create a sense of perspective in the text. Nominations of yellow, often correlated with the names of gold, are involved in the poetic expression of the sacred images of the sun and light as elements of the divine principle. Combining in the artistic and poetic context of tokens of yellow and blue, the poet creates in the text a sense of connection of the lyrical hero with the main world images – water and sun. White in the color paradigm of the natural world is a symbol of lightness, purity and light. Opposition is his nominations for the realities associated with black as a symbol of death and negative phenomena. The tokens of gray are used by the poet to depict the melancholy mood of his lyrical hero.

Property

127 renner’s mother used to restore old dolls— specifically, American compo dolls. Madame Alexander, Amberg. One of her last memories of her mother must have been of a Sunday afternoon, the day she would invite Brenner to stand at the sink with her and watch while she worked. It was such a careful process. The doll would be covered in plastic wrap so it wouldn’t get wet. Each strand of hair was massaged in the soapy water, then brushed with a metal comb. She’d fill cracks, airbrush their faces, paint their eyes and mouths, so gentle, and her strokes clean, but then she’d scuff them. “No one wants a doll that looks new.” The dolls were sent to her in the mail. She cared for them as if they were the owners’ children . Brenner always wanted to play with them, but it was her mother ’s work, and she wouldn’t have dared. In this memory, maybe the last before breast cancer took her, her mother took the green out of a doll’s mohair wig, then made up the doll with charcoal eyebrows fiction Property David Moloney B 128 | David Moloney and magenta cheeks, and though Brenner couldn’t remember her mother’s face well from that day, the doll’s remained with her. inside the property room, Brenner was changing out a junkie, pupils pointed down, thick red lipstick cracked and smeared, still groggy from whatever she’d swallowed or stuck in her arm before her arrest. The woman was young—younger than Brenner, and Brenner was twenty-­ five. Lt. Hobson called her a whippersnapper , though she didn’t think he knew what it meant. Nashua had scooped up six women in a prostitution ring, and Brenner was sure to spend her entire break searching holes for bags. “Fishhook your cheeks,” Brenner explained, miming the action. “Straighten up. I said straighten up. With your fingers. Fishhook.” The new admit was nude, her skin bruised in all sorts of places, deep blue marks in her armpits. She stumbled and caught herself against the brick wall, then leaned there. Behind her were shelves of bagged and boxed inmate property: shoes, jewelry, clothes, suits dropped off by loved ones or good lawyers for court. The whole room smelled like wet sneakers. There was a shower where the inmates rinsed, like at a public pool. They’d dry off and get walked through the unclothed search procedure. Other than the Bubble on Max, which was a boys’ club for male officers to pack dips and nap, Property was the only room not under video surveillance. “Hon, you need to get this over with,” Brenner said. Brenner took the few steps that were between them and helped the woman stand up. “I’m going to inspect your mouth. Then I’m going to bend you over at the waist and check you. Can you do this with me?” The inmate nodded, her dry tongue between her crusted lips. Brenner had been working at the jail for a year and had learned a lot about people. How bad people’s teeth could get. The inmates— the hookers and women with gangrene arms—their teeth could get rocklike, gravelly. The inmate’s breath smelled like cigarettes. Brenner grabbed her around the waist with her left arm and pushed her into a bow with her other hand. The inmate let all her weight collapse in Brenner’s Property | 129 grasp and her arms hung limp. Brenner struggled to hold her up. She spread her feet to get a stronger stance, then inspected the inmate’s vagina and anus as respectfully as one could. Brenner was the only female officer on first shift. Radio calls all day: “Brenner, 10-­ 11 Property.” Tully was the property officer, but as a policy men couldn’t change out the women. Strip searches gave Brenner an affinity for the inmates. She didn’t like that. She wanted to be hard on them. But if one was in distress, or agitated, the male officers would call her down to U1 or Booking, and she’d be expected to calm them. The male officers were never expected to calm...

(Invited) Tuning of Catalytic Activity By Thermoelectric Effect

Thermoelectric (TE) materials convert temperature difference directly into electrical voltage via the Seebeck effect, S= -V/ΔT where V is the voltage between the two ends of the TE material and ΔT the temperature difference, S is the Seebeck coefficient. It has been used for energy harvesting from waste heat, and for silent cooling via its converse phenomenon the Peltier effect. Here we report its novel application as a catalyst promoter. Catalyst promoters can generally be divided into structural and electronic promoters. Structural promoters enhance and stabilize the dispersion of the catalyst on the support. Electronic promoters induce changes of electronic state of the catalyst near the Fermi level. These promoters are added or fixed during the catalyst preparation, therefore can subject to degradation during catalytic process. We report here the realization of in situ, controllable, reversible, and significant modification of catalytic activity, through the generation of a Seebeck voltage. A chamber reactor which combine TE effect with catalytic chemical reaction was assembled.1, 2 The chamber was placed directly on a hot-plate, and its top cap was water cooled. A disc TE BiCuSeO (BCSO) sample of 20 mm in diameter and about 2 mm in thickness was then placed into a specific glass ceramic holder and attached to the cold surface of the cap for catalytic reaction investigation under the usual TE conditions. As the back side of the disc was in contact with the water cooled stainless steel cap, its temperature was never higher than 373 K, so a large temperature gradient therefore a large Seebeck voltage across the sample thickness was created when the front surface of the disc reached a high temperature Th. Under the reduced TE (RTE) condition, the back surface of the disc was not in contact with the cap, therefore the temperature gradient across the disc thickness and also the Seebeck voltage were much smaller. Figure 1a shows the ethylene oxidation reaction rates at different front surface temperatures Th for a sample of Pt thin film of 80 nm supported on BCSO with a large TE effect (red marks, Pt(80)/BCSO TE), and under a reduced TE effect (blue marks, Pt(80)/BCSO RTE) conditions respectively. For comparison purpose, the ethylene reaction rate on a typical catalyst for this reaction Pt thin film on Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ, green marks, Pt(80)/YSZ) is also depicted in Fig. 1a. For Pt(80)/BCSO TE, when the front surface Th was at 666 K, the backside temperature Tc was 349 K, so a temperature difference of 317 K existed across the BCSO thickness, which generated a Seebeck voltage -71 mV. For the same sample under the reduced TE effect (Pt(80)/BCSO RTE), at 553 K, the measured Seebeck voltage was -3.1 mV, and the reaction rate was much lower than that for Pt(80)/YSZ at a similar temperature 563 K. This was probably because the surface area of the Pt(80)/BCSO was much smaller than for Pt(80)/YSZ. However, with the increasing temperature, the reaction rates for Pt(80)/BCSO under TE and RTE conditions increased much faster than for non-TE YSZ supported catalyst. Further detailed investigation demonstrated that when the total reaction rate was lower than a certain value, a linear relationship existed between the logarithm of the reaction rate and the Seebeck voltage.1, 2 We called this thermoelectric promotion of catalysis (TEPOC). To confirm the above observed TEPOC can also be observed in other reactions, the same samples were used as catalysts for carbon dioxide hydrogenation. The inlet gases were CO2 and H2, and the reaction products observed were CO and CH4, with the vast majority (>90%) being CO. Similar as was observed for ethylene oxidation, for the same sample under the same inlet gas composition, the CO2 conversion rates r under TE conditions were much higher (between 10 to 30 times) than under RTE conditions. Again, a good linear relationship between Ln(r) and -eV/kbTh was observed (Figure 1b). The effects of the Seebeck voltage on the catalytic activity under different reaction conditions, such as fuel-lean and fuel-rich conditions for the ethylene oxidation, have also been investigated. The underlying mechanisms based on metal-semiconductor contact theory and work function change, as well as the comparison with the Electrochemical Promotion of Catalysis, will be discussed.

Association Between Surgical Skin Markings in Dermoscopic Images and Diagnostic Performance of a Deep Learning Convolutional Neural Network for Melanoma Recognition

Deep learning convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have shown a performance at the level of dermatologists in the diagnosis of melanoma. Accordingly, further exploring the potential limitations of CNN technology before broadly applying it is of special interest. To investigate the association between gentian violet surgical skin markings in dermoscopic images and the diagnostic performance of a CNN approved for use as a medical device in the European market. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted from August 1, 2018, to November 30, 2018, using a CNN architecture trained with more than 120 000 dermoscopic images of skin neoplasms and corresponding diagnoses. The association of gentian violet skin markings in dermoscopic images with the performance of the CNN was investigated in 3 image sets of 130 melanocytic lesions each (107 benign nevi, 23 melanomas). The same lesions were sequentially imaged with and without the application of a gentian violet surgical skin marker and then evaluated by the CNN for their probability of being a melanoma. In addition, the markings were removed by manually cropping the dermoscopic images to focus on the melanocytic lesion. Sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the CNN's diagnostic classification in unmarked, marked, and cropped images. In all, 130 melanocytic lesions (107 benign nevi and 23 melanomas) were imaged. In unmarked lesions, the CNN achieved a sensitivity of 95.7% (95% CI, 79%-99.2%) and a specificity of 84.1% (95% CI, 76.0%-89.8%). The ROC AUC was 0.969. In marked lesions, an increase in melanoma probability scores was observed that resulted in a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI, 85.7%-100%) and a significantly reduced specificity of 45.8% (95% CI, 36.7%-55.2%, P < .001). The ROC AUC was 0.922. Cropping images led to the highest sensitivity of 100% (95% CI, 85.7%-100%), specificity of 97.2% (95% CI, 92.1%-99.0%), and ROC AUC of 0.993. Heat maps created by vanilla gradient descent backpropagation indicated that the blue markings were associated with the increased false-positive rate. This study's findings suggest that skin markings significantly interfered with the CNN's correct diagnosis of nevi by increasing the melanoma probability scores and consequently the false-positive rate. A predominance of skin markings in melanoma training images may have induced the CNN's association of markings with a melanoma diagnosis. Accordingly, these findings suggest that skin markings should be avoided in dermoscopic images intended for analysis by a CNN. German Clinical Trial Register (DRKS) Identifier: DRKS00013570.

Genetic monitoring of natural sturgeon spawning in the lower Volga for the period 2017-2018

Genetic monitoring of natural sturgeon spawning in the lower Volga for the period 2017-2018

A technique to localise occult breast lesions detected mammographically: the hybrid of wire localisation and sonography guided patent blue marking.

A technique to localise occult breast lesions detected mammographically: the hybrid of wire localisation and sonography guided patent blue marking.