Digital twin brain: a bridge between biological intelligence and artificial intelligence

In recent years, advances in neuroscience and artificial intelligence have paved the way for unprecedented opportunities for understanding the complexity of the brain and its emulation by computational systems. Cutting-edge advancements in neuroscience research have revealed the intricate relationship between brain structure and function, while the success of artificial neural networks highlights the importance of network architecture. Now is the time to bring them together to better unravel how intelligence emerges from the brain's multiscale repositories. In this review, we propose the Digital Twin Brain (DTB) as a transformative platform that bridges the gap between biological and artificial intelligence. It consists of three core elements: the brain structure that is fundamental to the twinning process, bottom-layer models to generate brain functions, and its wide spectrum of applications. Crucially, brain atlases provide a vital constraint, preserving the brain's network organization within the DTB. Furthermore, we highlight open questions that invite joint efforts from interdisciplinary fields and emphasize the far-reaching implications of the DTB. The DTB can offer unprecedented insights into the emergence of intelligence and neurological disorders, which holds tremendous promise for advancing our understanding of both biological and artificial intelligence, and ultimately propelling the development of artificial general intelligence and facilitating precision mental healthcare

Decitabine potentiates efficacy of doxorubicin in a preclinical trastuzumab-resistant HER2-positive breast cancer models

Acquired drug resistance and metastasis in breast cancer (BC) are coupled with epigenetic deregulation of gene expression. Epigenetic drugs, aiming to reverse these aberrant transcriptional patterns and sensitize cancer cells to other therapies, provide a new treatment strategy for drug-resistant tumors. Here we investigated the ability of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor decitabine (DAC) to increase the sensitivity of BC cells to anthracycline antibiotic doxorubicin (DOX). Three cell lines representing different molecular BC subtypes, JIMT-1, MDA-MB-231 and T-47D, were used to evaluate the synergy of sequential DAC + DOX treatment in vitro. The cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, apoptosis, and migration capacity were tested in 2D and 3D cultures. Moreover, genome-wide DNA methylation and transcriptomic analyses were employed to understand the differences underlying DAC responsiveness. The ability of DAC to sensitize trastuzumab-resistant HER2-positive JIMT-1 cells to DOX was examined in vivo in an orthotopic xenograft mouse model. DAC and DOX synergistic effect was identified in all tested cell lines, with JIMT-1 cells being most sensitive to DAC. Based on the whole-genome data, we assume that the aggressive behavior of JIMT-1 cells can be related to the enrichment of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and stemness-associated pathways in this cell line. The four-week DAC + DOX sequential administration significantly reduced the tumor growth, DNMT1 expression, and global DNA methylation in xenograft tissues. The efficacy of combination therapy was comparable to effect of pegylated liposomal DOX, used exclusively for the treatment of metastatic BC. This work demonstrates the potential of epigenetic drugs to modulate cancer cells' sensitivity to other forms of anticancer therapy.publishedVersio

Estimation of Evapotranspiration and Soil Water Content at a Regional Scale Using Remote Sensing Data

The timely and accurate estimation of soil water content (SWC) and evapotranspiration (ET) is of great significance in drought estimation, irrigation management, and water resources comprehensive utilization. The unsupervised classification was used to identify the crops in the region. Based on MOD16A2 and the meteorological data, a SEBS model was used to estimate the ET in the Jiefangzha Irrigation Field from 2011 to 2015. Based on the crop water stress index (CWSI), the SWC in 2014 was retrieved and verified with the measured SWC on different underlying surfaces (sunflower, corn, wheat, and pepper). The results showed that: (1) The positional accuracy of maize, sunflower, wheat, and pepper are 0.81, 0.80, 0.90, and 0.82, respectively; (2) The annual ET from 2011 to 2015 presented well the spatial distribution of the ET within the field; (3) The validation results of the estimated SWC on the underlying surface of wheat and sunflower showed a good robustness, the R2 was 0.748 and 0.357, respectively, the RMSE was 2.61% and 2.309%, respectively, and the MAE was 2.249% and 1.975%, respectively. However, for maize and pepper with more irrigation times, the SWC estimation results, based on the CWSI were poor, indicating that the method was more sensitive to soil drought and suitable for the crop SWC estimation with less irrigation and drought tolerance. The results can provide a reference for the agricultural water resources management and the irrigation forecast at a regional scale

Estimation of Evapotranspiration and Soil Water Content at a Regional Scale Using Remote Sensing Data

The timely and accurate estimation of soil water content (SWC) and evapotranspiration (ET) is of great significance in drought estimation, irrigation management, and water resources comprehensive utilization. The unsupervised classification was used to identify the crops in the region. Based on MOD16A2 and the meteorological data, a SEBS model was used to estimate the ET in the Jiefangzha Irrigation Field from 2011 to 2015. Based on the crop water stress index (CWSI), the SWC in 2014 was retrieved and verified with the measured SWC on different underlying surfaces (sunflower, corn, wheat, and pepper). The results showed that: (1) The positional accuracy of maize, sunflower, wheat, and pepper are 0.81, 0.80, 0.90, and 0.82, respectively; (2) The annual ET from 2011 to 2015 presented well the spatial distribution of the ET within the field; (3) The validation results of the estimated SWC on the underlying surface of wheat and sunflower showed a good robustness, the R2 was 0.748 and 0.357, respectively, the RMSE was 2.61% and 2.309%, respectively, and the MAE was 2.249% and 1.975%, respectively. However, for maize and pepper with more irrigation times, the SWC estimation results, based on the CWSI were poor, indicating that the method was more sensitive to soil drought and suitable for the crop SWC estimation with less irrigation and drought tolerance. The results can provide a reference for the agricultural water resources management and the irrigation forecast at a regional scale

Effects of Crop Planting Structure Adjustment on Water Use Efficiency in the Irrigation Area of Hei River Basin

The adjustment of crop planting structure can change the process of water and material circulation, and thus affect the total amount of water and evapotranspiration in the irrigation district. To guide the allocation of water resources in the region, it is beneficial to ascertain the effects of changing the crop planting structure on water saving and farmland water productivity in the irrigation district. This paper takes Yingke Irrigation District as the background. According to the continuous observation data from 2012 to 2013, Based on the modified Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model and taking advantage of monthly scale remote sensing EvapoTranspiration (ET) and crop growth parameters (leaf area index and shoot dry matter), we tested the simulation accuracy of the model, proposed irrigation efficiency calculation methods considering water drainage, and established the scenario analysis method for the spatial distribution of crop planting structure. Finally, we evaluated the changes in water savings in irrigation district projects and resources, the irrigation water productivity and the net income water productivity under different planting structure scenarios. The results indicate that the efficiency of irrigation has increased by 15~20%, while considering drainage, as compared with conventional irrigation efficiency. Additionally, the adjustment of crop planting structure can reduce regional evapotranspiration by 14.9%, reduce the regional irrigation volume by 30%, and increase the net income of each regional water area by 16%

Dosimetric advantage of volumetric modulated arc therapy in the treatment of intraocular cancer

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study is to investigate the dosimetric advantages of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) in the treatment of intraocular cancer by comparing it directly with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (CRT) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Methods CRT plan, 7f-IMRT plan, and one-arc VMAT plan were generated for 14 intraocular cancer patients. Dosimetric and biological quality indices for target volume and organs at risks (OARs) were evaluated and compared. Results The target coverage presented by V95 for CRT, IMRT and VMAT were 95.02% ± 0.67%, 95.51% ± 2.25%, and 95.92% ± 3.05%, respectively. The homogeneity index (HI) for CRT, IMRT and VMAT were 0.15 ± 0.05, 0.23 ± 0.05, and 0.23 ± 0.06, respectively. IMRT and VMAT greatly decreased the dose to ipsilateral lens compared with CRT with a D1 of 2972.66 ± 1407.12 cGy, 3317.82 ± 915.28 cGy and 4809.54 ± 524.60 cGy for IMRT, VMAT and CRT, respectively. Similar results were observed for ipsilateral eyeballs. IMRT and VMAT also spared better on brainstem, optical nerves and optical chiasm compared CRT. However, CRT achieved lower dose to the eyeballs compared with IMRT and VMAT. VMAT and IMRT showed mixed results on target coverage and OAR sparing. The average MUs and delivery time of IMRT and VMAT were 531.25 ± 81.21 vs. 400.99 ± 61.49 and 5.05 ± 0.53 vs.1.71 ± 0.69 min, respectively. Conclusions Although no clear distinction on PTV coverage among CRT, IMRT and VMAT plans was observed in the treatment of intraocular cancer, VMAT and IMRT achieved better homogeneity and conformity for target volume, and delivered fewer doses to ipsilateral lens and eyeballs compared with CRT. However, VMAT and IMRT increased the low dose volume to the contralateral OARs. Although VMAT and IMRT showed mixed results on target coverage and OAR sparing, VMAT decreased MU and delivery time significantly compared with IMRT. VMAT is a promising and feasible external beam radiotherapy technique in the treatment of intraocular cancer patients

Thermal Stress Analysis of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell with Z-type and Serpentine-Type Channels Considering Pressure Drop

A thermo-electro-chemo-mechanical coupled 3D model was applied to simulate the performance and thermal stress of a double-sided cathode structured solid oxide fuel cell (DSC-SOFC) with two different air channel configur.ations: Z-type parallel and triple-parallel serpentine. The distribution of temperature, current density, fuel gas and thermal stress under different voltages in DCS-SOFC was illustrated, and the output power density of the cell was analyzed considering both the electrochemical power and the dissipative power caused by the pressure drop. It was found that the Z-type parallel cell gave a better performance under a low current density, while the triple-parallel serpentine cell was more efficient at a current density higher than 6330 A.m(-2). A comparison of thermal stress distributions between the two flow field designs showed a small difference in maximum 1st principle stresses under the same operational voltages. Compared to the Z-type parallel flow field, the maximum 1st principle stress in the triple-parallel serpentine was much smaller under the same current density or electrochemical power, while much larger under the same output power. (C) 2020 The Electrochemical Society ("ECS"). Published on behalf of ECS by IOP Publishing Limited

Comparison of comet-based approaches to assess base excision repair

DNA repair plays an essential role in maintaining genomic stability, and can be assessed by various comet assay-based approaches, including the cellular repair assay and the in vitro repair assay. In the cellular repair assay, cells are challenged with a DNA-damaging compound and DNA damage removal over time is assessed. In the in vitro repair assay, an early step in the repair process is assessed as the ability of a cellular extract to recognize and incise damaged DNA in substrate nucleoids from cells treated with a DNA-damaging compound. Our direct comparison of both assays in eight cell lines and human peripheral blood lymphocytes indicated no significant relationship between these DNA repair assays (R-2 = 0.084, P = 0.52). The DNA incision activity of test cells measured with the in vitro repair assay correlated with the background level of DNA damage in the untreated test cells (R-2 = 0.621, P = 0.012). When extracts were prepared from cells exposed to DNA-damaging agents (10 mM KBrO3 or 1 & mu;M Ro 19-8022 plus light), the incision activity was significantly increased, which is in line with the notion that base excision repair is inducible. The data presented suggest that the two assays do not measure the same endpoint of DNA repair and should be considered as complementary