INFICON (Germany)

The measurement of geochemical parameters such as He and CO2 concentrations are important and useful for the study of characterization of volcanic systems and seismically active areas. Furthermore, the He/CO2 ratio gives useful information on the depth of the outgassing origin. Finally, extensive parameters such as He and CO2 flux are even more binding in the interpretation and modeling of these systems in question.In an ambitious move to volcanic risk mitigation, INFICON GmbH—a global leader in measurement and sensor technology—has partnered with premier scientific institutions (INGV_Italy) to monitor active volcanic centers on Italy’s Vulcano and Stromboli islands. The research focuses on the characterization of natural volcanic emissions at Stromboli and Vulcano (Aeolian Archipelago, Italy), where an advanced geochemical monitoring network for deep-seated fluids is currently operational. A key development in this study involves the deployment of a high-resolution instrument for the continuous measurement of helium (He) concentrations. This device was strategically located with an existing station monitoring soil CO2 flux to investigate the temporal correlation between different volatile species. The 'He-Man' sensor is a cutting-edge helium detector designed for field deployment. It employs a selective helium-permeable membrane to isolate the analyte from the atmospheric matrix, followed by a Penning ionization process to quantify the gas. This setup allows for the detection of trace levels of helium, providing a high-fidelity proxy for the arrival of primitive, mantle-derived fluids within the volcanic plumbing system.Two 'He-Man' instruments were successfully deployed across the Aeolian Archipelago to monitor high-frequency helium variations. The first unit was installed at Vulcano Island, positioned in a target area characterized by anomalous diffuse soil degassing. The second unit was deployed on Stromboli Island, integrated within a thermal well monitoring system. In the latter configuration, the sensor is coupled with a specialized sampling interface designed for the real-time analysis of dissolved gases in the hydrothermal aquifer. These dual installations enable a comparative study of helium behavior in both sub-aerial and sub-aqueous volcanic environments.Soils anomalous degassing:By coupling the 'He-Man' instrument with a high-precision infrared CO2 detector, we are able to determine the He/CO2 concentration ratio within a sub-surface probe (sampling pipe) installed at the Palizzi site. This monitoring point is strategically located adjacent to the Palizzi station, which provides continuous measurements of diffuse CO2 soil fluxes. Utilizing this integrated setup, the helium soil flux (JHe) is indirectly quantified by scaling the measured He/CO2 ratio against the absolute CO2 flux (JCO2) according to the relation: JHe = ([He]/[CO2])*J(CO2) Dissolved CO2 in natural waters:By integrating this helium concentration sensor with an automated system for monitoring dissolved CO2 in a thermal well at Stromboli, we have successfully characterized the He/CO2 ratio within the hydrothermal environment. This setup targets the specific aquifer situated between the degassing magma body and the anomalous diffuse degassing areas of Scari. This integrated monitoring approach provides critical insights into the geochemical evolution of fluids as they migrate from the magmatic source through the island's groundwater system toward the surface.

Abstract Microsatellite instability (MSI) is a key biomarker in colorectal cancer (CRC). Accurate distinction between MSI and microsatellite stable (MSS) tumors is critical for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic decision-making. We developed an uncertainty-aware deep learning model for MSI prediction directly from H&E-stained whole-slide images. The approach is based on attention-based multiple instance learning, which can learn from slide-level labels. We extended the approach and included ensembling for more robust prediction. For training, we used 1,492 slides from three public archives and for evaluation 1,094 slides from five independent external cohorts. The approach provides predictions with confidence intervals and rejects uncertain cases. It achieved sensitivity over 97% on 59-78% of the cases, depending on the cohort. These results show that MSS cases can be identified with high confidence while uncertain cases can be rejected to avoid unreliable predictions, enabling clinically reliable MSS triage in colorectal cancer with AI.

SummaryModern leak detectors in vacuum technologyIn many areas of industrial manufacturing, quantitative leak tightness measurements are required in order to analyze product quality. This article examines three approaches to vacuum leak testing, which utilize different measuring principles and completely different working pressures. The processes are divided into “non‐gas selective”, “single gas selective” and “double gas selective”.The pressure rise method does not work gas‐selectively. In so‐called foil test chambers the pressure rise measurement is used in optimized design and is particularly suitable for leak testing in the food industry.The classic test gas vacuum leak detection is a gas‐selective method. The test gas is selectively detected and the chamber is pumped independently of the type of gas. Major innovations in current device solutions are the extension of the measuring range and improved convenience in use.To achieve a detection limit of less than 10−12 mbar·l/s, a double gas selective operation is used, residual gases from the test chamber are selectively pumped, additionally, the test gas detection is selective.