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Few-shot learning can solve new learning tasks in the condition of fewer samples. However, currently, the few-shot learning algorithms mostly use the ResNet as a backbone, which leads to a large number of model parameters. To deal with the problem, a lightweight backbone named DenseAttentionNet which is based on the Convolutional Block Attention Mechanism is proposed by comparing the parameter amount and the accuracy of few-shot classification with ResNet-12. Then, based on the DenseAttentionNet, a few-shot learning algorithm called Meta-DenseAttention is presented to balance the model parameters and the classification effect. The dense connection and attention mechanism are combined to meet the requirements of fewer parameters and to achieve a good classification effect for the first time. The experimental results show that the DenseAttentionNet, not only reduces the number of parameters by 55% but also outperforms other classic backbones in the classification effect compared with the ResNet-12 benchmark. In addition, Meta-DenseAttention has an accuracy of 56.57% (5way-1shot) and 72.73% (5way-5shot) on the miniImageNet, although the number of parameters is only 3.6[Formula: see text]M. The experimental results also show that the few-shot learning algorithm proposed in this paper not only guarantees classification accuracy but also has the characteristics of lightweight.

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammatory markers are associated with patient survival in pancreatic cancer (PC). The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in PC patients who underwent radical surgery. Platelet-albumin-bilirubin (PALBI) grade is a composite evaluation index based on liver function. Patients with pancreatic head cancer are prone to obstructive jaundice, which leads to abnormal liver function. Based on this, we also explored the prognostic value of PALBI grade in PC patients. METHODS: Patients with pathologically confirmed PC who had undergone radical surgery (with negative surgical margin) for the first time at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2013 to December 2019 and followed up by December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Peripheral blood cell count is easily affected by infection or hematological diseases, which affects the results, so it is excluded. Clinical data and laboratory examination indexes were collected. The SII and PALBI grade were calculated. The cutoff values were determined using the Youden index. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze the prognostic value of the SII and PALBI grade through univariate and multivariate survival analysis. RESULTS: A total of 214 patients [median age, 60.29 years; 128 (59.8%) men] met the inclusion criteria. There were 140 patients (65.4%) with pancreatic head cancer according to the tumor location. They were divided into high and low SII or PALBI groups by cutoff values of 705 and −5.6, respectively. According to the multivariate analysis, SII (P

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Additional file 1: Fig. S1. Synteny breaks identified by setting different minimal number of syntenic genes (5, 8, 10, 20, and 30) enclosed in colinear syntenic blocks in paired comparisons (G. kirkii vs. G. arboreum and G. kirkii vs. G. raimondii). Fig. S2. Genomic gene synteny identified in G. kirkii vs. G. arboreum and G. kirkii vs. G. raimondii genomes. Fig. S3. Characterization of synteny breaks in diploid Gossypieae species. Fig. S4. Reproducibility and resolution of Hi-C data. Fig. S5. Genome-wide Hi-C contact maps constructed in G. arboreum, G. raimondii, and G. kirkii. Fig. S6. Relative distribution of orthologous chromosomes that were not involved in inter-chromosomal rearrangements mediating the descending dysploidy in Gossypioides kirkii. Fig. S7. The chromosomal landscape of genomic and epigenomic features within identified A/B compartments in G. kirkii, G. arboreum, and G. raimondii. Fig. S8. DNA methylation and histone modification near (±2 kb) the gene body of stable (A/B compartment status stable) and switched genes (A/B compartment status switching/transitions). Fig. S9. Representative IGV snapshots illustrating the A/B compartment, epigenetic features (DNA methylation and histone modifications), and gene models around the synteny break in G. arboreum vs. G. kirkii (top) and G. raimondii vs. G. kirkii (bottom). Fig. S10. Profile of TADs identified in G. kirkii, G. arboreum, and G. raimondii, respectively. Fig. S11. No statistically significant co-localization between synteny breaks and TADs interior bodies and intervals. Fig. S12. Fractions of TAD boundaries overlapping with breakpoints of inversion and translocation identified in comparisons of G. kirkii vs. G. arboreum and G. kirkii vs. G. raimondii are statistically higher than those randomization controls, which involve groups of shuffled TAD boundaries, shuffled breakpoints, and both TAD boundaries and breakpoints shuffled simultaneously. Fig. S13. Abundance of transposable element (TEs) in boundaries of TAD groups (large and small TADs) in G. kirkii, G. arboreum, and G. raimondii, respectively. Fig. S14. Open-chromatin epigenetic and active transcriptional features of TAD boundaries co-localizing with synteny breaks. Fig. S15. The relationships between genomic rearrangements and epigenetic modifications of syntenic genes for conserved TADs. Table S1. Summary of clean Hi-C reads. Table S2. Summary of uniquely mapped Hi-C reads. Table S3. Summary of valid Hi-C reads. Table S4. Pearson correlations of overall chromosomal distributions in G. kirkii, G. arboreum, and G. raimondii. Table S5. Epigenetic data from public databases.

China’s primary schools offer limited English courses, and the society lacks the environment for naturally acquiring English in everyday life. Students typically have weak spoken English abilities and inadequate application of English. With the aim of addressing this issue, 79 fifth-graders from China’s Hangzhou L elementary school participated in a one-semester AI-assisted English-speaking practice experiment. The control class practiced spoken English by reading English texts aloud, whereas the experimental class practiced for 30 minutes a day using the “AI educational robots + graded picture books + role play” approach. According to the results of the experiment’s post-test, Chinese primary school students regarded the experimental class’s acquisition mode to be highly appealing, this approach was well accepted by both students and parents and brought enthusiasm and good effect of spoken English exercise. The experimental class’s average daily reading time for English role-play reading grew by about 30 minutes, the amount of reading increased by five times, the amount of time spent watching cartoons and playing video games fell by nearly 28 minutes, and the spoken English score climbed by 37 points, representing an increase of 82% when compared to the control class; Additionally, the standard level of pronunciation and intonation has increased by two grades, from “poor” to “good,” and the English final exam scores have increased by roughly 8%. However, there has not been a considerable change in the aforementioned control class indicators. This AI-assisted second language practice technique is affordable, efficient, and helpful and has good implications for second language acquisition in other countries.

The intimate coupling of photocatalysis and biodegradation (ICPB) possesses an enhanced ability of recalcitrant contaminant removal and energy generation, owing to the compact communication between biotic components and photocatalysts during the system operation. The photocatalysts in the ICPB system could dispose of noxious contaminants to relieve the external pressure on microorganisms which could realize the mineralization of the photocatalytic degradation products. However, due to the complex components in the composite system, the mechanism of the ICPB system has not been completely understood. Moreover, the variable environmental conditions would play a significant role in the ICPB system performance. The further development of the ICPB scheme requires clarification on how to reach an accurate understanding of the system condition during the practical application. This review starts by offering detailed information on the system construction and recent progress in the system components' amelioration. We then describe the potential influences of relevant environmental factors on the system performance, and the analytical strategies applicable for comprehending the critical processes during the system operation are further summarized. Finally, we put forward the research gaps in the current system and envision the system's prospective application. This review provides a valuable reference for future researches that are devoted to assessing the environmental disturbance and exploring the reaction mechanisms during the practical application of the ICPB system.

The programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) tumor-suppressor gene regulates cell apoptosis, protein translation, signal transduction, and induction of mediators of inflammation. However, the mechanism by which PDCD4 is down-regulated and regulates tumor growth remains elusive. In this study, we showed that PDCD4 is down-regulated in glioma cells and acts as a tumor suppressor. Based on the TCGA data, we confirmed that AKT2, but not AKT1 or AKT3, interacts with PDCD4, thus leading to the suppression of PDCD4 in glioma cells. Moreover, the analysis suggested that PDCD4 regulates the expression of IL-5, CCL-5, VEGF, and CXCL10 via the NF-kB pathway. Additionally, depletion of levels of PDCD4 promoted angiogenic activity of glioma cells via the VEGF-STAT3 pathway. When tumor cells over-expressing PDCD4 were injected into nude mice, the increased expression of PDCD4 blocked tumorigenesis and prolonged overall survival. Our study indicates the need to develop drugs that can modulate the expression of PDCD4 and test their efficacy in clinical trials.

Yifei Duan, Jingjing Li, Xue Jing, Xueli Ding, Yanan Yu, Qingxi Zhao Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266003, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Qingxi ZhaoDepartment of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 16 Jiangsu Road, Qingdao 266003, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/ Fax +86-532-82911302Email qxzhao007@163.comPurpose: Fucoidan is a natural bioactive product with broad therapeutic applications. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy of the liver associated with a relatively high mortality rate; thus, effective treatments are urgently needed. Here, the effects of fucoidan on HCC and the underlying mechanism were explored.Methods: The proliferation and apoptosis of two HCC cell lines (BEL-7402 and LM3) treated with different concentrations of fucoidan or saline were assessed. The levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and CCK8 assay were used to determine proliferative capabilities of BEL-7402 and LM3 cells. Apoptosis of LM3 cells was assessed by Hoechst 33342 staining, Western blotting and flow cytometry. The capability of fucoidan to inhibit the growth of LM3 cells was investigated by monitoring of the p38 MAPK/ERK pathways and the upstream kinases, PI3K/Akt. LM3 xenograft tumors were used for in vivo verification.Results: Cell proliferation and apoptosis assays consistently showed that fucoidan has an inhibitory effect on cell growth. Fucoidan significantly promoted apoptosis of LM3 cells through a mechanism involving activation of caspases 8, 9, and 3 accompanied by changes in B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), as well as changes in the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and ERK. Fucoidan also altered the phosphorylation of its upstream kinase, Akt. Fucoidan treatment markedly reduced the growth of LM3 xenograft tumors, consistent with the in vitro results.Conclusion: Fucoidan conveys antitumor effects and, thus, should be further explored as a potential treatment option for HCC.Keywords: fucoidan, carcinoma, hepatocellular, apoptosis, drug therapy

Modular targeting is promising in drug research at the network level, but it is challenging to quantificationally identify the precise on‐modules. Based on a proposed Modudaoism (MD), we defined conserved MD (MDc) and varied MD (MDv) to quantitatively evaluate the conformational and energy variations of modules, and thereby identify the conserved and discrepant allosteric modules (AMs). Compared to the Zsummary, MDc/MDv got an optimized result of module preserved ratio and modular structure. In the mice anti‐ischemic networks, 3, 5, and 1 conserved AMs as well as 4, 1, and 3 on‐modules of baicalin (BA), jasminoidin (JA), and ursodeoxycholic acid (UA) were identified by MDc and MDv, 5 unique AMs and their characteristic actions were revealed. Besides, co‐immunoprecipitation (Co‐IP) experiments validated the representative modular structure. MDc/MDv method can quantitatively define the conformational variations of modules and screen the precise on‐modules network‐wide, which may provide a promising strategy for drug discovery.

Reducing uplift payments has been a challenging problem for most wholesale markets in US. The main difficulty comes from the unit commitment discrete decision makings. Recently convex hull pricing has shown promises to reduce the uplift payments. However, it has been intractable to obtain the optimal convex hull price. In this paper, we describe an innovative approach to decide the optimal convex hull price by simply solving a linear program. We also provide an example to illustrate the calculation process. The final computational experiments on a revised IEEE-118 bus system verify the cost effectiveness by utilizing our proposed approach.

Because of new and advanced technologies, embedded system-based application is more and more widely used and the people's needs for smart home system is increased. Based on the embedded system, an interactive intelligent system for smart refrigerators is designed and established, which fully considers the characteristics of existing refrigerator and people's demand. The system consists of data acquisition module, voice recognition module, wireless transmission module, embedded module and display module. By optimizing the original function of refrigerator, its utilization frequency is improved and its monitoring and management level for food is enhanced. This system also has expandable applications on mobile equipment and other household items, which improves effectiveness and convenience.

In the past decades, hyperspectral imaging technologies was well developed in the whole world. Visible and Near Infrared hyperspectral imagers play an important role in agriculture, land use, forestry, etc. Higher performance airborne hyperspectral imagery is strongly expected these years. Wider Field of View and higher resolution instrument can acquire data more efficiently. A VNIR PHI with 40 degree FOV, 0.125mrad IFOV, 256bands was integrated last year. The system can adapt to the Velocity to Height Ratio lower than 0.04. The system consists of 3 subsystems. Every subsystem consists of TMA fore optics, spectrometer with planar blazed grating and electronics. The 3 subsystems work for left, middle, right FOV, respectively. Thanks to CCD’s pixel binning function, the system can operate in high spectral resolution mode, high spatial resolution mode, and high sensitivity mode for different applications. The integration was finished, and airborne flight validation experiments were conducted.

In order to solve the need for PC software of aerial imaging spectrometer USB3.0 high-speed large-capacity data acquisition system development. The project bases on MFC and DirectDraw technology by VS2010 development environment. The system can complete imaging spectrometer data acquisition , data storage and real-time imaging to monitor through the parsing of the spectral image data protocol. In addition, this paper also analyzes the factors that affect data acquisition bottleneck from computer architecture and software. The test results show that the PC acquisition platform can stabilize at 1.28 Gpbs data acquisition speed of some aerial imaging spectrometer requirements .It’s a new Light-weight and compact, low-cost and universal data acquisition approach for aerial imaging spectrometer.

As a key component of the hyperspectral imager, the use of high frame frequency CCD was more and more widely. CCD working principle was analyzed. Methods to realize high frame frequency and image programmable online were presented. Hardware driver design was designed. The image with high visibility, whose frame frequency was more than 320 Hz, noise was below 75e-, dynamic range was superior to 70dB, was acquired by the CCD. Based on the operating characteristic of the CCD, the temperature experiment was designed. Through the experiment, the relation curve of dark level and noise with the CCD detector temperature was given, which was helpful for the later image correction.

With the emergence of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) platform for aerial imaging spectrometer, research of aerial imaging spectrometer DAS(data acquisition system) faces new challenges. Due to the limitation of platform and other factors, the aerial imaging spectrometer DAS requires small-light, low-cost and universal. Traditional aerial imaging spectrometer DAS system is expensive, bulky, non-universal and unsupported plug-and-play based on PCIe. So that has been unable to meet promotion and application of the aerial imaging spectrometer. In order to solve these problems, the new data acquisition scheme bases on USB3.0 interface.USB3.0 can provide guarantee of small-light, low-cost and universal relying on the forward-looking technology advantage. USB3.0 transmission theory is up to 5Gbps.And the GPIF programming interface achieves 3.2Gbps of the effective theoretical data bandwidth.USB3.0 can fully meet the needs of the aerial imaging spectrometer data transmission rate. The scheme uses the slave FIFO asynchronous data transmission mode between FPGA and USB3014 interface chip. Firstly system collects spectral data from TLK2711 of high-speed serial interface chip. Then FPGA receives data in DDR2 cache after ping-pong data processing. Finally USB3014 interface chip transmits data via automatic-dma approach and uploads to PC by USB3.0 cable. During the manufacture of aerial imaging spectrometer, the DAS can achieve image acquisition, transmission, storage and display. All functions can provide the necessary test detection for aerial imaging spectrometer. The test shows that system performs stable and no data lose. Average transmission speed and storage speed of writing SSD can stabilize at 1.28Gbps. Consequently ,this data acquisition system can meet application requirements for aerial imaging spectrometer.

Phosphorus (P), an essential macronutrient for all living cells, is indispensable for agricultural production. Although Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) PHOSPHATE RESPONSE1 (PHR1) and its orthologs in other species have been shown to function in transcriptional regulation of phosphate (Pi) signaling and Pi homeostasis, an integrative comparison of PHR1-related proteins in rice (Oryza sativa) has not previously been reported. Here, we identified functional redundancy among three PHR1 orthologs in rice (OsPHR1, OsPHR2, and OsPHR3) using phylogenetic and mutation analysis. OsPHR3 in conjunction with OsPHR1 and OsPHR2 function in transcriptional activation of most Pi starvation-induced genes. Loss-of-function mutations in any one of these transcription factors (TFs) impaired root hair growth (primarily root hair elongation). However, these three TFs showed differences in DNA binding affinities and messenger RNA expression patterns in different tissues and growth stages, and transcriptomic analysis revealed differential effects on Pi starvation-induced gene expression of single mutants of the three TFs, indicating some degree of functional diversification. Overexpression of genes encoding any of these TFs resulted in partial constitutive activation of Pi starvation response and led to Pi accumulation in the shoot. Furthermore, unlike OsPHR2-overexpressing lines, which exhibited growth retardation under normal or Pi-deficient conditions, OsPHR3-overexpressing plants exhibited significant tolerance to low-Pi stress but normal growth rates under normal Pi conditions, suggesting that OsPHR3 would be useful for molecular breeding to improve Pi uptake/use efficiency under Pi-deficient conditions. We propose that OsPHR1, OsPHR2, and OsPHR3 form a network and play diverse roles in regulating Pi signaling and homeostasis in rice.

Spot center location algorithms of laser spot are discussed on the Four-Quadrant Detector system. The algorithm for Gaussian laser spot with elliptic shape is proposed. A comparison of the theory and the actual spot after curve fitting is given.

Moving load could enhance damage structural nonlinear character. And time-frequency analysis described character of non-stationary signal more exactly than traditional fourier spectrum. Affine class time-frequency analysis was good at wide-band signal analysis and cross terms suppression. The result of time-frequency analysis was two dimensional, and time-domain entropy or frequency-domain entropy can extract information and characters from it. Using these characters the structural damage pattern could be recognized by neural network. The validity of this method was reviewed by a beam under moving load. When structure has damage, time-frequency entropy of structural vibration can figure the nonlinear grade of signal availably, and it is not sensitive to noise. It can be used as eigenvectors of pattern identification based on neural network.

To analyze clinical data of 214 acute ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) hospitalized patients in retrospecte, discuss the correlationshiop between clinical features and heart failure in STEMI hospitalized patients. It was retrospectively analyzed that involve 214 STEMI patients treated in