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Extraction of lane markings is still a challenge due to the poor quality of lane markings and interferences from external circumstances. In this paper, we utilize line segments as low-level features to detect lane markings on structured road scenes. Our novel algorithm can be highlighted in four items as follows. Firstly, a road surface region is reasonably located using adaptive segmentation method, and then most of the interferences from the external circumstances are eliminated by Laplacian filter. Secondly, the line segments detected by the line segment detector are applied to represent the structural information of lanes. Thirdly, non-lane candidate markings are removed through orientation and vanishing point constraints. Finally, the lanes are accurately extracted from the remaining candidate lane marking. Experimental results on complex structured road scenarios in urban streets are shown and the effectiveness and robustness of our novel algorithm are underpinned by the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It is well known that dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) increases membrane permeability, which makes it widely used as a vehicle to facilitate drug delivery across biological membranes. However, the mechanism of how DMSO increases membrane permeability has not been well understood. Recently, molecular dynamics simulations have demonstrated that DMSO can induce water pores in biological membranes, but no direct experimental evidence is so far available to prove the simulation result. Using FluxOR Ti+ influx assay and intracellular Ca2+ imaging technique, we studied the effect of DMSO on Ti+ and Ca2+ permeation across cell membranes. Upon application of DMSO on CHO-K1 cell line, Ti+ influx was transiently increased in a dose-dependent manner. The increase in Ti+ permeability induced by DMSO was not changed in the presence of blockers for K+ channel and Na+-K+ ATPase, suggesting that Ti+ permeates through transient water pores induced by DMSO to enter into the cell. In addition, Ca2+ permeability was significantly increased upon application of DMSO, indicating that the transient water pores induced by DMSO were non-selective pores. Furthermore, similar results could be obtained from RAW264.7 macrophage cell line. Therefore, this study provided experimental evidence to support the prediction that DMSO can induce transient water pores in cell membranes, which in turn facilitates the transport of active substances across membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]