Convergence rates of the blocked Gibbs sampler with random scan in the Wasserstein metric

ABSTRACT

This paper establishes explicit estimates of convergence rates for the blocked Gibbs sampler with random scan under the Dobrushin conditions. The estimates of convergence in the Wasserstein metric are obtained by taking purely analytic approaches.     

多层螺旋CT诊断甲状腺癌中的辐射和对比剂剂量选择

本文对多层螺旋CT（MSCT）诊断甲状腺癌中的辐射和对比剂剂量选择进行了分析。选取2016年12月～2018年12月本院行MSCT检查的甲状腺癌、甲状腺良性结节患者各200例，依据随机数字表分为A组、B组、C组、D组，每组50例，A组参数为对比剂1.2 mL/kg、120 kV、180 mA，B组为对比剂1.0 mL/kg、120 kV、180 mA，C组为对比剂1.2 mL/kg、100 kV、100 mA，D组为对比剂1.0 mL/kg、100 kV、100 mA。结果显示，A组和B组CT容积剂量指数（CTDIvol）、剂量长度乘积（DLP）、有效辐射剂量（ED）明显低于C组和D组，A组和B组甲状腺CT值、背景信号、背景噪声明显高于C组和D组，差异有统计学意义（P<0.05），A组、B组、C组、D组信噪比（SNR）、对比信噪比（CNR）、图像质量评分比较，差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）；A组、B组、C组、D组诊断甲状腺癌的敏感度、特异度、准确度比较，差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。本文证实，对于MSCT诊断甲状腺癌中的辐射和对比剂剂量，选择1.0 mL/kg、100 kV、100 mA可在不严重影响图像质量及检查结果下有效减少患者的CT辐射，值得临床推广。     

IDose^4迭代重建技术应用于低剂量CT肾动脉血管造影的临床分析

为探讨IDose 4迭代重建技术在低剂量CT肾动脉血管造影中的应用价值,选取205例拟行肾动脉CT血管造影患者,随机将其分为4组,A组(51例)采用管电压100 kV、管电流100 mA,碘海醇370 mg I/mL及IDose 4迭代重建技术,B组(51例)采用管电压100 kV、管电流150 mA,碘海醇270 mg I/mL及IDose 4迭代重建技术,C组(51例)采用管电压80 kV、管电流180 mA,碘海醇270 mg I/mL及IDose 4迭代重建技术,D组(52例)管电压120 kV、管电流120 mA,碘海醇370 mg I/mL及滤波反投影(FBP)重建技术。分析各组图像肾主动脉干CT值、噪声(SD)、信噪比(SNR)和噪声比(CNR),受检者接受CT有效剂量(ED)、容积CT剂量指数(CTDI vol)、剂量长度乘积(DLP)、碘摄入量以及重建图像评分差异和诊断效能。结果显示,A、B、C组重建图像评分优于D组,肾动脉主干CT值、SD、SNR、CNR均高于D组,B、C组肾动脉主干CT值、SD略低于A组。A、B、C组CTDI vol、DLP、ED均低于D组,B组CTDI vol、DLP、ED高于A组。A、B、C、D组诊断肾主动脉狭窄准确率分别为92.68%、86.49%、84.62%、82.86%。证实IDose 4迭代重建技术能降低受试者受辐射和造影剂剂量,提高成像质量,在低剂量CT肾动脉血管造影中具有较高可行性和实用性。     

Measurement and quantitative analysis of fiber orientation distribution in long fiber reinforced part by injection molding

The fiber orientation distribution is one of the important microstructure variables for thermoplastic composites reinforced with discontinuous fibers. In this paper, the long fibers in the injection molded part are measured in detail by micro X-ray CT. A three dimensional (3D) structure of the sample is built and two dimensional images are generated for image analysis. The orientation tensor of fibers is calculated in the flow plane. It shows a symmetric distribution of fibers through the thickness direction, which consists of outer skin, transition zone and the core. The skin layer is so thin that it has only one layer of highly oriented fibers. The core layer also has highly oriented fibers but the direction of fibers is different from that in the skin layer. Nevertheless, the clustering of the fibers is characterized quantitatively in the core. The transition zone can be divided into two subzones by the principal directions of the tensor.     

Pitfalls in the experimental recording of ultrasonic (backscatter) polar scans for material characterization

The ultrasonic polar scan (UPS), either in transmission, reflection or backscatter mode, is a promising non-destructive testing technique for the characterization of composites, providing information about the mechanical anisotropy, the viscoelastic damping, the surface roughness, and more. At present, the technique is merely being used for qualitative purposes. The limited quantitative exploration and use of the technique can be primarily ascribed to limitations of current theoretical models as well as the difficulty to perform accurate, and more importantly, reproducible UPS experiments. Over the last years, we have identified several potential pitfalls in the experimental implementation of the technique which severely deteriorate the accurateness and reproducibility of a UPS. In this paper, we make an inventory of the most important difficulties, illustrate each of them by a real experiment and present a feasible mediation, either numerical or experimental in nature. Once the experimental set-up is fine-tuned to overcome these pitfalls, it is expected that the recording of high-level UPS experiments, in combination with numerical computations, will facilitate the technique to become a fully quantitative non-destructive characterization method.     

Virus and bacterial removal ability of TiO2 nanowire-based self-supported hybrid membranes

Development and application of hybrid membranes containing multi-component materials are increasing day by day in the fields of environmental protection and water treatment. In this research, the efficiency of titania nanowire (TiO₂ NW)-based self-supported hybrid membranes was investigated in the removal of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria and MS2 bacteriophages from contaminated water mimicking the microorganism suspension. Furthermore, toxicology tests on the as-prepared membranes were also performed. TiO₂ NWs were coated with iron(III) oxide (Fe₂O₃) and copper(II) oxide (CuO) nanoparticles, respectively, and cellulose was used as reinforcement material. It was found that, the functionalisation strongly affected the MS2 removal ability of as-prepared membranes, which can be due to the electrostatic interactions between the surface of hybrid membrane and the bacteriophages. The most efficient removal (greater than or equal to 99.99%) was obtained with the TiO₂ NW-CuO-cellulose membrane at pH 7.0. The fabricated hybrid membranes were characterized by micro computed tomography (μCT), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), contact angle measurement and inductively coupled optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) techniques. This study shows a simple route of the usage of novel and effective inorganic nanowire-based hybrid membranes for bacteria and virus removal, providing new pathways in the field of water filtration technologies.     

Synthesis and Biochemical Evaluation of Warhead-Decorated Psoralens as (Immuno)Proteasome Inhibitors

The immunoproteasome is a multicatalytic protease that is predominantly expressed in cells of hematopoietic origin. Its elevated expression has been associated with autoimmune diseases, various types of cancer, and inflammatory diseases. Selective inhibition of its catalytic activities is therefore a viable approach for the treatment of these diseases. However, the development of immunoproteasome-selective inhibitors with non-peptidic scaffolds remains a challenging task. We previously reported 7H-furo[3,2-g]chromen-7-one (psoralen)-based compounds with an oxathiazolone warhead as selective inhibitors of the chymotrypsin-like (β5i) subunit of immunoproteasome. Here, we describe the influence of the electrophilic warhead variations at position 3 of the psoralen core on the inhibitory potencies. Despite mapping the chemical space with different warheads, all compounds showed decreased inhibition of the β5i subunit of immunoproteasome in comparison to the parent oxathiazolone-based compound. Although suboptimal, these results provide crucial information about structure–activity relationships that will serve as guidance for the further design of (immuno)proteasome inhibitors.     

螺旋CT成像联合血清copeptin、IL-18水平检测在急性脑梗死患者神经功能及预后评估中的应用价值

本文选取74例急性脑梗死(ACI)患者作为研究对象,入院时根据美国国立卫生院卒中量表(NIHSS)评分分为重度组(NIHSS评分>15分,n=21)、中度组(NIHSS评分5~15分,n=24)、轻度组(NIHSS评分<5分,n=29),均接受血清copeptin和IL-18水平检测及螺旋CT成像检查。结果发现,随ACI神经功能缺损加重,血清copeptin、白细胞介素18(IL-18)水平及峰值时间升高,CBV、CBF异常下降。经ROC曲线显示,血清IL-18联合CBF预测ACI患者预后不良的曲线下面积(AUC)最大。由上述结果可见螺旋CT成像参数、血清copeptin、IL-18水平与ACI患者神经功能存在一定相关性,三者联合为临床实现ACI患者个体化治疗和改善预后提供了可能。     

CT检查参数对腰椎管狭窄症的诊断价值及与疗效、腰椎功能改善的相关性分析

选取我院60例腰椎管狭窄症(LSS)患者作为研究组,同期健康者60例作为对照组,探究CT检查参数对LSS的诊断价值及与疗效、腰椎功能改善的相关性。结果显示,研究组椎管面积、硬膜囊面积、椎管矢径、椎管横径、侧隐窝矢径、侧隐窝角小于对照组(P<0.05);CT各参数联合诊断LSS的AUC值大于任一参数单独诊断;疗效优良患者术后3个月椎管面积、硬膜囊面积、椎管矢径、侧隐窝矢径、侧隐窝角大于治疗前及非优良患者(P<0.05);经偏相关性分析发现,CT检查参数与疗效显著相关(P<0.05)。说明LSS疗效、腰椎功能改善情况与椎管面积、硬膜囊面积、椎管矢径等关系密切,CT检查对指导临床完善手术方案有重要意义。     

The first representative of a new class of charge transfer complexes in o-quinone series for organic semiconductors

The first representative of a new class of charge transfer complexes for organic semiconductors was synthesized. The reaction of p-nitroaniline (PNA) with [1,10]-phenanthroline-5,6-dione (PD) results in the formation of a stable molecular charge transfer (CT) complex PNA₃-PD₂ in a ratio of 3:2. The structure of the molecular CT complex PNA₃-PD₂ was established by X-ray diffraction studies. Using the density functional theory method, it is shown that several types of intermolecular interactions are realized in the complex: between the PNA amino group and the nitro group of another PNA molecule, carbonyl groups, and PD nitrogen atoms. Complex PNA₃-PD₂ is stable only in solid form. The diffuse reflectance UV–vis spectrum of PNA₃-PD₂ crystal powder is characterized by the intense weakly structured long-wavelength absorption band up to 650 nm. Quantum chemical calculations of the electronic structure have shown that the complex PNA₃-PD₂ is a straight-band semiconductor with a band gap of 2.11 eV.