Multimodal Deep Learning for Scientific Imaging Interpretation

In the domain of scientific imaging, interpreting visual data often demands an intricate combination of human expertise and deep comprehension of the subject materials. This study presents a novel methodology to linguistically emulate and subsequently evaluate human-like interactions with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images, specifically of glass materials. Leveraging a multimodal deep learning framework, our approach distills insights from both textual and visual data harvested from peer-reviewed articles, further augmented by the capabilities of GPT-4 for refined data synthesis and evaluation. Despite inherent challenges--such as nuanced interpretations and the limited availability of specialized datasets--our model (GlassLLaVA) excels in crafting accurate interpretations, identifying key features, and detecting defects in previously unseen SEM images. Moreover, we introduce versatile evaluation metrics, suitable for an array of scientific imaging applications, which allows for benchmarking against research-grounded answers. Benefiting from the robustness of contemporary Large Language Models, our model adeptly aligns with insights from research papers. This advancement not only underscores considerable progress in bridging the gap between human and machine interpretation in scientific imaging, but also hints at expansive avenues for future research and broader application

Terazosin Analogs Targeting Pgk1 as Neuroprotective Agents: Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation

Nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds have shown promising therapeutic effects in a variety of inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, terazosin (TZ), a heterocyclic compound with a quinazoline core, was found to combine with phosphoglycerol kinase 1 (Pgk1) and protect neurons by enhancing Pgk1 activity and promoting glycolysis, thereby slowing, or preventing the neurodegeneration of PD. These findings indicated that terazosin analogs have bright prospects for the development of PD therapeutics. In this study, a series of terazosin analogs were designed and synthesized for neuroprotective effects by targeting Pgk1. Among them, compound 12b was obtained with the best Pgk1 agonistic activity and neuroprotective activity. Further study indicates that it can increase intracellular ATP content and reduce ROS levels by stimulating the activity of Pgk1, thereby playing a role in protecting nerve cells. In conclusion, this study provides a new strategy and reference for the development of neuroprotective drugs

Producing free nitrous acid - A green and renewable biocidal agent - From anaerobic digester liquor

Recent studies have shown that free nitrous acid (FNA) at parts per million is strongly biocidal to a broad range of microorganisms involved in wastewater management. Applications have been developed, where FNA is used to deactivate anaerobic sewer biofilms thus suppressing sulfide and methane production in sewers, or to lyse secondary sludge resulting in reduced sludge production and enhanced biogas production. This study examines the feasibility of producing FNA from a waste stream namely the anaerobic sludge digestion liquor, thus providing a source of FNA for the above applications within wastewater systems. Complete nitritation was achieved in a lab scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) treating reject wastewater. Under stable operation, the system sustained more than 90% conversion of the 1.0 and 0.8g NH4 +-N/L contained in the synthetic and real digester liquor, respectively, to nitrite. Each liter of this nitrite rich effluent could be acidified to pH 2 with only 66 mmol of H+, due to the low level of alkalinity in the effluent. This converts almost all of the nitrite to FNA providing an ample source of FNA for sewer and sludge pretreatment applications. Despite the high nitrite concentration in the reactor, minimal N2O was produced with an emission factor of 0.08% of the ammonium nitrogen converted. Finally, an economical assessment of a theoretical full-scale installation for FNA production was conducted and compared with the costs of producing this FNA from a commercial nitrite supply

Oligocene deformation of the Chuandian terrane in the SE margin of the Tibetan Plateau related to the extrusion of Indochina

Mechanisms driving the tectonic evolution of the southeast (SE) margin of Tibet include the Paleogene extrusion of the coherent Indochina lithospheric block, and the continuous deformation caused by lower crustal flow since the middle Miocene. The timing and style of regional deformations are key to determining the role of each mechanism. Fault-bounded and -controlled Cenozoic basins within the SE margin of Tibet record regional deformation, surface uplift and variations in paleoclimate, but often are poorly dated. New magnetostratigraphy and 40Ar/39Ar dating of volcanic ashes constrain precisely the timing of sedimentation within the Lühe Basin to between ~35 and 26.5 Ma. The basin is located in the Chuandian terrane along the Chuxiong fault, which lies ~70 km north of, and parallel to, the Ailao Shan-Red River fault. The asymmetric syncline of the Lühe Basin suggests syn-contractional sedimentation and the basal age of the basin represents the initiation of the Chuxiong fault and crustal shortening at ~35 Ma. This is coincident with the onset of the Ailao Shan-Red River fault, and supports a kinematic link between them. Our study suggests that, like the Ailao Shan-Red River fault, the Chuxiong fault is a Paleogene transpressional structure that developed during the extrusion and clockwise rotation of Indochina around the Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis, which caused the late Paleogene deformation and surface uplift of the Chuandian terrane and Indochina. Our revised chronostratigraphy of the Lühe Basin provides further evidence that many of the “Neogene” sedimentary basins in the SE margin of Tibet may be much older than previously thought

PAH/PAH(CF3)n Donor/Acceptor Charge-Transfer Complexes in Solution and in Solid-State Co-Crystals

A solution, solid-state, and computational study is reported of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon PAH/PAH(CF3)n donor/acceptor (D/A) charge-transfer complexes that involve six PAH(CF3)n acceptors with known gas-phase electron affinities that range from 2.11(2) to 2.805(15) eV and four PAH donors, including seven CT co-crystal X-ray structures that exhibit hexagonal arrays of mixed π-stacks with 1/1, 1/2, or 2/1 D/A stoichiometries (PAH=anthracene, azulene, coronene, perylene, pyrene, triphenylene; n=5, 6). These are the first D/A CT complexes with PAH(CF3)n acceptors to be studied in detail. The nine D/A combinations were chosen to allow several structural and electronic comparisons to be made, providing new insights about controlling D/A interactions and the structures of CT co-crystals. The comparisons include, among others, CT complexes of the same PAH(CF3)n acceptor with four PAH donors and CT complexes of the same donor with four PAH(CF3)n acceptors. All nine CT complexes exhibit charge-transfer bands in solution with λmax between 467 and 600 nm. A plot of E(λmax) versus [IE(donor)−EA(acceptor)] for the nine CT complexes studied is linear with a slope of 0.72±0.03 eV eV−1. This plot is the first of its kind for CT complexes with structurally related donors and acceptors for which precise experimental gas-phase IEs and EAs are known. It demonstrates that conclusions based on the common assumption that the slope of a CT E(λmax) versus [IE−EA] plot is unity may be incorrect in at least some cases and should be reconsidered. © 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinhei

Dysregulation of heat shock protein 27 expression in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Recent proteomic studies identified Hsp27 as a highly over-expressed protein in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Clinical studies that attempted to evaluate the prognostic values of Hsp27 yielded inconsistent results, which may be due to inclusion of OSCC cases from multiple anatomic sites. In this study, to determine the utility of Hsp27 for prognosis, we focused on oral tongue SCC (OTSCC), one of the most aggressive forms of OSCC.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Archival clinical samples of 15 normal oral tongue mucosa, 31 dysplastic lesions, 80 primary OTSCC, and 32 lymph node metastases were examined for Hsp27 expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Statistical analyses were carried out to assess the prognostic value of Hsp27 expression for patients with this disease.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Dysregulation of Hsp27 expression was observed in dysplastic lesions, primary OTSCC, and lymph node metastases, and appears to be associated with disease progression. Statistical analysis revealed that the reduced Hsp27 expression in primary tumor tissue was associated with poor differentiation. Furthermore, the higher expression of Hsp27 was correlated with better overall survival.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study confirmed that the dysregulation of Hsp27 expression is a frequent event during the progression of OTSCC. The expression of Hsp27 appears to be an independent prognostic marker for patients with this disease.</p

Deregulation of manganese superoxide dismutase (SOD2) expression and lymph node metastasis in tongue squamous cell carcinoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Lymph node metastasis is a critical event in the progression of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). The identification of biomarkers associated with the metastatic process would provide critical prognostic information to facilitate clinical decision making. Previous studies showed that deregulation of manganese superoxide dismutase (SOD2) expression is a frequent event in TSCC and may be associated with enhanced cell invasion. The purpose of this study is to further evaluate whether the expression level of SOD2 is correlated with the metastatic status in TSCC patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We first examined the SOD2 expression at mRNA level on 53 TSCC and 22 normal control samples based on pooled-analysis of existing microarray datasets. To confirm our observations, we examined the expression of SOD2 at protein level on an additional TSCC patient cohort (n = 100), as well as 31 premalignant dysplasias, 15 normal tongue mucosa, and 32 lymph node metastatic diseases by immunohistochemistry (IHC).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The SOD2 mRNA level in primary TSCC tissue is reversely correlated with lymph node metastasis in the first TSCC patient cohort. The SOD2 protein level in primary TSCC tissue is also reversely correlated with lymph node metastasis in the second TSCC patient cohort. Deregulation of SOD2 expression is a common event in TSCC and appears to be associated with disease progression. Statistical analysis revealed that the reduced SOD2 expression in primary tumor tissue is associated with lymph node metastasis in both TSCC patient cohorts examined.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study suggested that the deregulation of SOD2 in TSCC has potential predictive values for lymph node metastasis, and may serve as a therapeutic target for patients at risk of metastasis.</p

Micro/nanofluidic transport by special fibers deposited by electrohydrodynamic direct-writing

Recently micro/nanofluidic transportation is important in many natural and engineering processes, such as water collection, fluid patterning and microfluidic chip. But the natural microstructures for fluid transportation are usually difficult to manufacture and adjust. Here we find that some fibers (the diameters < 10 μm) deposited by electrohydrodynamic direct-writing(EDW) can be directly used for micro/nanofluidic transportation due to the geometries of fibers. The liquid paraffin (its minimum width < 100 nm) can transport along the circular fiber because of the wedge microcavities formed by circular fiber and substrate. Ultrafast directional water transport (about 22 mm/s) has been achieved by oblique elliptic fiber array which has been placed at a distance of 300 μm above the substrate. Moreover, we found that the contact angles of the test liquids on the substrates and on the fiber materials also play a crucial role in this structure. So electrowetting has been used to change the contact angles of water on the substrate to fast switch (response time < 0.4 s) direction of water transport. We think electrohydrodynamic direct-writing the fibers with various geometries opens up new low-cost, high efficiency, fast and accurate pathways to realize fabric-based wearable microfluidic device