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BackgroundTumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) promote key processes in the modulation of tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the clinical significance of heterogeneous subpopulations of TAMs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown.MethodsHCC tissues from Zhongshan Hospital and data from The Cancer Genome Atlas were obtained and analyzed. Immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry were performed to detect the characteristics of sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin 10high(Siglec-10hi) TAMs and explore their impact on the TME of HCC. The effect of Siglec-10 blockade was evaluated in vitro based on fresh human tumor tissues.ResultsOur data revealed that Siglec-10 was abundant in a large proportion of HCC specimens and prominently distributed on macrophages. Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox regression analysis showed that intratumoral Siglec-10+cell enrichment was associated with unfavorable prognosis in patients with HCC. Notably, multiple anti-inflammatory cytokines and inhibitory receptors were enriched in Siglec-10hiTAMs. RNA sequencing data also revealed that numerous M2-like signaling pathways were significantly upregulated in Siglec-10hiTAMs. High infiltration of Siglec-10hiTAMs was associated with impaired CD8+T cell function in HCC. Of note, blocking Siglec-10 with the competitive binding antibody Siglec-10 Fc led to decreased expression of immunosuppressive molecules and increased the cytotoxic effects of CD8+T cells against HCC cells. Moreover, blocking Siglec-10 promoted the anti-tumor efficacy of the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor pembrolizumab.ConclusionsSiglec-10hiTAMs are associated with immune suppression in the TME, and indicate poor prognosis in patients with HCC. Targeting Siglec-10hiTAMs may serve as a promising immunotherapy approach for HCC.

CD74 was initially thought to participate mainly in antigen presentation as an MHC class II chaperone. Recent studies have shown that CD74 plays an important role within the cell and throughout the immune system in a wide spectrum of neoplasms. However, the role of CD74 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains elusive. In this study, HCC tissues from Zhongshan Hospital and data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were obtained and analyzed. Immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) were performed to detect the characteristics of CD74+ cells and explore their impact on the tumor microenvironment (TME) of HCC. Our data revealed that stromal CD74+ cell enrichment was associated with favorable prognosis in patients with HCC. CD74 was abundant in a large portion of HCC specimens and prominently distributed on stromal macrophages. scRNA-seq data also indicated that the pathways related to immune response were significantly upregulated in CD74+ macrophages. High infiltration of CD74+ macrophages was associated with increased infiltration of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) with enhanced effector functions in HCC. Besides, blocking CD74 weakened the antitumor activity and proliferation ability of CD8+ CTLs in HCC. Our findings highlight the critical role of CD74 in HCC. New drugs and antibodies targeting CD74 may be effective strategies for HCC therapy.

Objective The aim was to evaluate the efficacy, safety and completion rate of 3-month, once-weekly rifapentine and isoniazid for tuberculosis (TB) prevention among Chinese silicosis patients. Methods Male silicosis patients without human immunodeficiency virus infection, aged 18 years to 65 years, with or without latent TB infection, were randomized 1:1 to receive rifapentine/isoniazid under direct observation (3RPT/INH group) or were untreated (observation group). Active TB incidence was compared between the two groups with 37 months of follow-up. Safety profile and complete rates were evaluated. Results A total of 1227 adults with silicosis were screened; 513 eligible participants were enrolled and assigned to 3RPT/INH (n = 254) vs. observation (n = 259). Twenty-eight participants were diagnosed with active TB, and 9 and 19 in the 3RPT/INH group and observation groups, respectively. In the intention-to-treat analysis, the cumulative active TB rate was 3.5% (9/254) in the 3RPT/INH group and 7.3% (19/259) in the observation group (log rank p 0.055). On per protocol analysis, the cumulative active TB rates were 0.7% (1/139) and 7.3% (19/259), respectively (log rank p 0.01). Owing to an unexpected high frequency of adverse events (70.4%) and Grade 3 or 4 AEs (7.9%), the completion rate of the 3RPT/INH regimen was 54.7% (139/254). Twenty-six (10.8%) participants had flu-like systemic drug reactions; five (2.1%) experienced hepatotoxicity. Discussion Weekly rifapentine/isoniazid prophylaxis prevented active TB among Chinese people with silicosis when taken, irrespective of LTBI screening; efficacy was reduced by lack of compliance. The regimen must be used with caution because of the high rates of adverse effects. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT02430259

Background Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), one of the key enzymes in the process of lipid transport, is involved in the disease progression of various types of tumors. This article is to study the role of PCSK9 in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Immunohistochemistry was used to assess the expression of PCSK9 in tumor specimens from 105 HCC patients who underwent curative resection. Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR were used to test the protein and mRNA expression levels in HCC cell lines. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and clone formation assays were performed to evaluate the proliferation ability of different kinds of cells in vitro. Flow cytometry was used to analyze cell cycle distribution and apoptosis rate. A xenograft model was established to study the effect of PCSK9 on HCC growth in vivo. TUNEL and immunofluorescence assays were used to detect cell apoptosis. Results High expression of PCSK9 in tumor tissues was related to microvascular invasion (p = 0.036) and large tumor size (p = 0.001) in HCC patients. Overall survival and disease-free survival after surgery were poor in patients with high expression of PCSK9 (p = 0.035 and p = 0.007, respectively). In vivo and in vitro experiments showed that PCSK9 promoted the growth of HCC by inhibiting cell apoptosis. A mechanistic study revealed that PCSK9 increases FASN expression, thereby inhibiting apoptosis of HCC cells via the Bax/Bcl-2/Caspase9/Caspase3 pathway. Conclusions PCSK9 expression level in HCC is an indicator of poor prognosis for patients with HCC. FASN-mediated anti-apoptosis plays an important role in PCSK9-induced HCC progression.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a β-herpesvirus that establishes lifelong latency in infected hosts. Following transplantation of a latently infected organ, reactivation can occur and consists of a spectrum of clinically apparent syndromes from mild symptoms to tissue-invasive, resulting in both direct and indirect sequelae. Before the advent of effective antiviral agents, the primary treatment was reduction in immunosuppression (IS). While antiviral agents provide effective prophylaxis, there are several important caveats associated with their use, including drug toxicity and resistance. The traditional view attributes CMV reactivation and the ensuing clinical disease primarily to IS, either intrinsic to disease-related immune compromise or from the extrinsic administration of IS agents. However, previous data from both animal models and human subjects showed that inflammatory signals could induce upregulation of latent viral gene expression. New data demonstrate that ischemia/reperfusion is necessary and sufficient to induce CMV reactivation following murine transplantation of a latently infected graft. In this article, we review a growing body of evidence that suggests that reactivation of both human CMV and murine CMV is first triggered by molecular events that activate CMV gene expression and lytic infection and viral dissemination are then facilitated by IS. The initial activation of viral gene expression may be mediated by oxidative stress, DNA damage, or inflammatory cytokines, and these factors may act synergistically. New therapeutic approaches are needed to capture this complex array of targets.

Most hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage; however, the effect of systemic therapy on advanced HCC remains undetermined. Therefore, new treatment targets must be identified. We analyzed Gene Expression Omnibus datasets from two HCC patient cohorts and found that NT5DC2 was associated with vascular invasion and poor survival. In two hepatoma cell lines, NT5DC2 overexpression promoted HCC cell proliferation and clone formation in vitro and promoted tumor growth in vivo. Coimmunoprecipitation assays and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry analysis revealed that NT5DC2 bound directly to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). NT5DC2 upregulated EGFR expression by downregulating EGFR ubiquitination and preventing its degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway but did not upregulate its transcription. EGFR upregulation activated downstream signal transduction, which played a critical role in the protumor effects of NT5DC2. Erlotinib, a small-molecule inhibitor of EGFR, blocked the effect of NT5DC2 in promoting HCC cell proliferation. In a cohort of 79 patients who underwent curative resection for HCC, NT5DC2 expression in the tumors was associated with larger tumors and microvascular invasion. NT5DC2 expression was also independently associated with recurrence-free survival. The present study demonstrated for the first time that NT5DC2 promotes tumor cell proliferation in HCC and may serve as a potential molecular target for treating HCC. EGFR blockage could be used to treat selected patients with NT5DC2 upregulation.

Background: Whether T-cell interferon-γ responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific antigens can be influenced by tuberculosis preventive treatment in a high-endemic country is uncertain. Methods: In this prospective, open-label, controlled study, 513 individuals with silicosis were randomly selected for TB preventive treatment with rifapentine and isoniazid or for observation. QuantiFERON-TB Gold in-tube (QFT-GIT) assay was used to measure IFN-γ response to M. tuberculosis antigens at baseline (T0) and at 6 (T1) and 33 (T2) months after completion of therapy. Results: A total of 220 subjects were included in the final analysis: 105 and 115 in the prevention and observation arms, respectively. The proportions of QFT-GIT reversion from baseline to T1 were similar in the prevention and observation arms (18.4% vs 12.8%, P = 0.566). However, reversion from baseline to T2 was more frequent in the prevention arm than in the observation arm, but the difference was not significant (24.2% vs 6.3%, P = 0.881). No significant difference was observed in the quantitative responses of QFT-GIT between the two arms during follow-up at T1 (P = 0.648) and T2 (P = 0.918). Conclusions: Preventive tuberculosis treatment has no effect on interferon-γ responses measured by serial QFT-GIT assays in a high tuberculosis-endemic country. Clinical Trials Registration: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT02430259. Keywords: QuantiFERON TB-Gold in-tube, Tuberculosis preventive treatment, Serial tests, Randomized clinical trial

Background: Adaptive resistance is one of the major hinderances for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with lenvatinib and anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD-1) therapy. Physical activity is known to have anti-cancer effects, including immunomodulatory actions, influencing patients’ outcomes. This study investigated the hypothesis that physical activity synergizes with combined lenvatinib plus anti-PD-1 therapy to enhance efficacy in patients with unresectable HCC.Methods: The physical activity levels of patients with unresectable HCC treated with combination therapy using lenvatinib plus anti-PD-1 antibodies were recorded by questionnaire. Patients were categorized according to physical activity levels (active vs. sedentary). The primary outcome was overall survival (OS), analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method with a log-rank test. Secondary outcomes included objective response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS). Factors associated with survival and ORR were analyzed using regression analyses. A subcutaneous syngeneic HCC model was generated in C57BL/6 mice. Mice were randomized to receive placebo, combined lenvatinib plus anti-PD-1 antibodies or combination therapy plus physical activity. Tumors were measured every 3 days and harvested for immunohistochemistry analysis at 20 mm maximum diameter. Results: Fifty-nine patients with unresectable HCC were categorized to active (n=28) or sedentary (n=31) groups. The active group had higher albumin and des-γ-carboxy prothrombin levels and lower hepatitis B virus load at baseline; other clinical and oncologic characteristics were comparable between the two groups. Patients in the active group had significantly longer OS (HR = 0.220, 95% CI, 0.060-0.799) and PFS (HR = 0.158, 95% CI, 0.044-0.562) and higher ORR (OR = 4.571, 95% CI, 1.482-14.102) than patients in the sedentary group. Regular physical activity was independently associated with OS, PFS and ORR. The mouse model showed that physical activity significantly suppressed tumor growth and prolonged survival of tumor-bearing mice. Furthermore, physical activity inhibited Treg cell infiltration and immune checkpoint expression (including CTLA4, TIGIT and TIM3) induced by long-term combined lenvatinib plus anti-PD-1 therapy, improving efficacy. Conclusions: Regular physical activity was associated with improved outcomes in patients receiving combined lenvatinib plus anti-PD-1 therapy for unresectable HCC. Physical activity may improve therapeutic efficacy by reprograming the tumor microenvironment from an immunosuppressive to immunostimulatory phenotype.

For low-light or near-infrared absorption spectrum measurements, it is challenging to obtain high resolution spectra due to limitations of exotic array detectors. In this paper, a new spectral measurement method based on compressed sensing (CS) is reported. An experimental spectrometer is constructed and calibrated, and the absorption spectra of two liquid samples are measured. Along with a high resolution, the new method has a better signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) than the conventional scanning spectroscopy technique. The measurement resolution of our experimental system is 0.38 nm. The result of wavelength position calibration is accurate. The peak value of characteristic spectrum of red sample is 730 nm, and that of blue sample are 440 nm and 740 nm.

Thermal imaging is an essential tool in a wide variety of research areas. In this work we demonstrate high-throughput double-wavelength temperature distribution imaging using a modified single-pixel camera without the requirement of a beam splitter (BS). A digital micro-mirror device (DMD) is utilized to display binary masks and split the incident radiation, which eliminates the necessity of a BS. Because the spatial resolution is dictated by the DMD, this thermal imaging system has the advantage of perfect spatial registration between the two images, which limits the need for the pixel registration and fine adjustments. Two bucket detectors, which measures the total light intensity reflected from the DMD, are employed in this system and yield an improvement in the detection efficiency of the narrow-band radiation. A compressive imaging algorithm is utilized to achieve under-sampling recovery. A proof-of-principle experiment was presented to demonstrate the feasibility of this structure.

We present a new technique to denoise a single-pixel camera, in which complementary compressive imaging and a threshold strategy have been combined to improve image quality. The number of measurements recorded by the detector is reduced by setting a threshold. With an appropriate choice of threshold value, the quality of the reconstructed image is enhanced with a small number of measurements. This denoising method thus offers a very effective approach to promote the implementation of single-pixel camera in real applications.

Portal hypertension after hepatectomy is associated with impaired postoperative recovery. Terlipressin decreased portal vein pressure in patients with variceal bleeding and improved patient survival, but the role of postoperative terlipressin treatment for patients who underwent liver resection is not clear.We determined the effect of terlipressin on portal vein pressure in patients with portal vein pressure12 mmHg after hepatectomy. If portal vein pressure was decreased (ie, Responders), a continuous infusion of terlipressin at 2 mg/day for 4 days was given. The incidence of posthepatectomy liver failure, abdominal drainage, acute kidney injury, operative complications, and side-effects of terlipressin in the Responders were compared with those whose portal vein pressure did not decrease (ie, non-Responders) and patients whose portal vein pressure was ≤12 mmHg after hepatectomy (low portal vein pressure group).We recruited 110 patients, 65 of whom were eligible for terlipressin administration. Portal vein pressure decreased in 46 patients (71%) with the mean portal vein pressure decreasing from 15.8 ± 2.6 mmHg to 14.3 ± 2.9 mmHg (P.001). The median [interquartile range] postoperative abdominal drainage for the first 3 postoperative days was less in the Responders than in the non-Responders (350 mL [228-573] vs 730 mL [330-980]; P = .004). Incidence of posthepatectomy liver failure in the Responders was less than the non-Responders (26% vs 53%, P = .04). Acute kidney injury, operative complications, and side-effects of terlipressin were not different between groups.Terlipressin decreased posthepatectomy portal vein pressure and may decrease the incidence of posthepatectomy liver failure and postoperative abdominal drainage (NCT03352349).

Reactivation of latent cytomegalovirus remains an important complication after transplant. Although immunosuppression (IS) has been implicated as a primary cause, we have previously shown that the implantation response of a kidney allograft can lead to early transcriptional activation of latent murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) genes in an immune-competent host and to MCMV reactivation and dissemination to other organs in a genetically immune-deficient recipient. We now describe a model that allows us to separately analyze the impact of the implantation effect vs that of a clinically relevant IS regimen. Treatment with IS of latently infected mice alone does not induce viral reactivation, but transplant of latently infected allogeneic kidneys combined with IS facilitates MCMV reactivation in the graft and dissemination to other organs. The IS regimen effectively dampens allo-immune inflammatory pathways and depletes recipient anti-MCMV but does not affect ischemia-reperfusion injury pathways. MCMV reactivation similar to that seen in allogeneic transplants combined with also occurs after syngeneic transplants. Thus, our data strongly suggest that while ischemia-reperfusion injury of the implanted graft is sufficient and necessary to initiate transcriptional reactivation of latent MCMV ("first hit"), IS is permissive to the first hit and facilitates dissemination to other organs ("second hit").

Background The use of angiotensin II inhibitors is associated with a low risk of recurrence and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) is a key factor in tumor metastasis. Methods The effects of angiotensin II and irbesartan (an angiotensin II inhibitor) on HCC were explored with a xenograft model, microarray analysis and cell adhesion experiments. The relationship between the expression of VCAM-1 in HCC tissues and prognosis was analyzed with public and our institutional clinical databases. The effects of angiotensin II, irbesartan and VCAM-1 on adhesion and metastasis in HCC were explored with a xenograft model and cell adhesion experiments. The regulatory mechanisms were analyzed by Western blot analysis. Results Angiotensin II type 1 receptor and VCAM-1 were expressed in HCC tissues. Irbesartan inhibited HCC growth and metastasis in vivo and weakened the adhesion of HCC cells to endothelial cells, an effect that was enhanced by angiotensin II. VCAM-1 was found to be an independent risk factor for recurrence and survival in HCC patients with microvascular invasion. Angiotensin II upregulated VCAM-1 expression, and this upregulation was inhibited by irbesartan. Angiotensin II enhanced adhesion mainly by promoting the expression of VCAM-1 in HCC cells. Irbesartan inhibited the expression of VCAM-1 by reducing p38/MAPK phosphorylation activated by angiotensin II in HCC cells. Conclusions Irbesartan attenuates metastasis by inhibiting angiotensin II-activated VCAM-1 via the p38/MAPK pathway in HCC.

In this paper, a two-position rotating grating compressed sensing spectrometer is proposed, which can expand the spectrum measurement range nearly twice without losing high resolution. In the entire measurement process, two compressed sensing samples are taken for two spectral segments respectively, but through mathematical transformation, only one calculation is performed to reconstruct the whole spectrum. A spectroscopic experimental system is established, and spectral integration and line calibration are performed. The spectral resolution of the spectrometer is better than 0.6 nm, and the spectrum measurement range is 325.2 nm–737.1 nm. Finally, the transmission spectrum of a liquid solution is measured using the proposed spectrometer, and the influence of sampling ratio on the quality of spectral reconstruction is investigated.

An experiment on compressive microscopic imaging with single-pixel detector and single-arm has been performed on the basis of “positive–negative” (differential) light modulation of a digital micromirror device (DMD). A magnified image of micron-sized objects illuminated by the microscope's own incandescent lamp has been successfully acquired. The image quality is improved by one more orders of magnitude compared with that obtained by conventional single-pixel imaging scheme with normal modulation using the same sampling rate, and moreover, the system is robust against the instability of light source and may be applied to very weak light condition. Its nature and the analysis of noise sources is discussed deeply. The realization of this technique represents a big step to the practical applications of compressive microscopic imaging in the fields of biology and materials science.

A new type of compressive spectroscopy technique employing a complementary sampling strategy is reported. In a single sequence of spectral compressive sampling, positive and negative measurements are performed, in which sensing matrices with a complementary relationship are used. The restricted isometry property condition necessary for accurate recovery of compressive sampling theory is satisfied mathematically. Compared with the conventional single-pixel spectroscopy technique, the complementary compressive sampling strategy can achieve spectral recovery of considerably higher quality within a shorter sampling time. We also investigate the influence of the sampling ratio and integration time on the recovery quality.

An experimental demonstration of spectral imaging with measurement dimensions compressed has been performed. With the method of dual compressed sensing (CS) we derive, the spectral image of a colored object can be obtained with only a single point detector, and sub-sampling is achieved in both spatial and spectral domains. The performances of dual CS spectral imaging are analyzed, including the effects of dual modulation numbers and measurement noise on the imaging quality. Our scheme provides a stable, high-flux measurement approach of spectral imaging.

We propose a novel quantum dialogue protocol by using the generalized Bell states and entanglement swapping. In the protocol, a sequence of ordered two-qutrit entangled states acts as quantum information channel for exchanging secret messages directly and simultaneously. Besides, a secret key string is shared between the communicants to overcome information leakage. Different from those previous information leakage-resistant quantum dialogue protocols, the particles, composed of one of each pair of entangled states, are transmitted only one time in the proposed protocol. Security analysis shows that our protocol can overcome information leakage and resist several well-known attacks. Moreover, the efficiency of our scheme is acceptable.

Introduction The purpose of this systematic review was to identify the outcomes of return-to-work for stroke survivors of working age after conventional stroke rehabilitation or vocational rehabilitation. Method Searches were performed using three electronic databases for literature published in English in the 10-year period 2004–2014 which included a population of working age stroke survivors who had previously participated in conventional or vocational rehabilitation, and which presented the outcomes of return-to-work. Findings The literature search yielded 10 studies that satisfied our selection criteria. Three studies involved vocational rehabilitation. Studies illustrated and compared the vocational status at or among different stages of ‘pre-stroke’, ‘post-stroke and before rehabilitation discharge’, ‘rehabilitation discharge’ and ‘follow-up’. The employment rate at follow-up ranged from 7% to 81.1%. Conclusion Methodological variations accounted for the wide range of return-to-work rates. There was limited evidence to support the conclusion that rehabilitation increases return-to-work rates for stroke survivors of working age, but recent studies showed that improvements in fatigue and cognitive function after stroke rehabilitation were related to good return-to-work outcomes. Either specialised vocational rehabilitation, conventional stroke rehabilitation or their combination is needed to increase return-to-work rates and improve the quality of life for stroke survivors of working age.

Single-pixel imaging technology has significant imaging advantages in the invisible wavelength and low light environment. Considering the energy compressive characteristic of discrete cosine spectrum, a single-pixel microscopic compressive imaging method based on the two-dimensional discrete cosine transform is proposed. In this method, a digital micro-mirror device is used for high-speed binary differential modulation of discrete cosine basis patterns; and the zigzag sorting is adopted to perform the under-sampling. The discrete cosine spectrum is generated by calculating the weighted sum of the light intensities measured by a single-pixel detector, and the object is reconstructed by two-dimensional inverse discrete cosine transform. The proposed method is verified by both computational simulations and laboratory experiments. The effects of different sampling rates, binary quantization level and compressive sampling modes on imaging results are discussed. The results show that the proposed method can realize high quality and high efficiency imaging. The method is suitable for microscopic imaging applications.

7075 aluminum alloy powders were used as raw materials. The selective laser melting single tracks forming experiment of 7075 aluminum alloy was carried out at scanning speed of 50–700 mm s−1, laser power of 80–100 W. The continuity and dimensional uniformity of selective laser melting 7075 aluminum alloy single tracks were characterized by OM and SEM. The influence law of laser power and scanning speed on the continuity and dimensional uniformity of selective laser melting 7075 aluminum alloy single tracks were revealed. The results show that: when the laser power was increased from 80 to 100 W and the scanning speed of 50–700 mm s−1, the continuity and dimensional uniformity of selective laser melting 7075 aluminum alloy single tracks were improved, the morphology was changed from discrete irregular particles to continuous single line. When the laser power was 80 W, the continuity of selective laser melting 7075 aluminum alloy 3D printing single tracks was deteriorated, but the dimensional uniformity was improved, with the increases of scanning speed from 100 to 700 mm s−1. When the laser power was 100 W, the continuity and dimensional uniformity of the 7075 aluminum alloy selective laser melting 3D printing single tracks were improved with the increases of scanning speed from 50 to 300 mm s−1; the continuity and dimensional uniformity of the 7075 aluminum alloy selective laser melting 3D printing single tracks reduced with the increase of scanning speed from 500 to 700 mm s−1. Laser power has a great impact on the continuity and dimensional uniformity of 7075 aluminum alloy selective laser melting 3D printing single tracks, high laser power and low scanning speed are beneficial to obtaining continuous and dimensional homogeneous of the 7075 aluminum alloy single tracks.

We report an experimental demonstration of spectral imaging with a spectrometer without any scanning. The spatial resolution is provided by spatial light modulation based on the theory of compressed sensing. Objects with both continuous and discrete spectrum are used to demonstrate the performance of our system, which shows wide-spectrum and high efficient spectral imaging ability. The spatial and spectral resolutions of our imaging system are also discussed. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In this paper, we present an innovative method of double balanced differential configuration, in which two adjacent single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) from the same wafer are configured as the first balanced structure, and the output signal from the first balanced stage is subtracted by the attenuated gate driving signal as the second balanced stage. The compact device is cooled down to 236 K to be characterized. At a gate repetition rate of 400 MHz and a 1 550 nm laser repetition rate of 10 MHz, the maximum photon detection efficiency of 13.5% can be achieved. The dark count rate is about 10−4 ns−1 at photon detection efficiency of 10%. The afterpulsing probability decreases with time exponentially. It is shown that this configuration is effective to discriminate the ultra-weak avalanche signal in high speed gating rates.

In the context of correspondence ghost imaging, we utilize the correlation coefficients to separate the reference detector speckle patterns into positive and negative correlated parts. A positive image and a negative image of the object are obtained by averaging over corresponding speckle patterns. The visibility and contrast-to-noise ratio of the positive image are discussed, and it is found that the latter will reach a maximum by averaging over a little less than half of the total number of reference speckle patterns.

In this years, the human society has entered information period . many aspects of human life has changed , the traditional teaching system and teaching model are facing the challenge of the transform , so the M-learning has become a new learning style . Nowadays, the Mobile Learning has based on the mobile Intern technology and mobile communication technology . So this stylize is very popular .

As the Key Components of a Horizontal Axis Tidal Current Energy(HATCE) Turbine, the Blades will be Affected by the Force of the Fluid when the Turbine is Working, which also Results in a Possible Effect on the Safety and Stability of the Tidal Current Energy Turbine. Thus, both the Structural Performance and Energy-Catching Efficiency of HATCE Turbine should be Paid Equal Attention. in this Study, Basing on the Workbench, the Energy-Catching Efficiency and Structure Performance of the Designed HATCE Turbine with Stainless Steel and Structural Steel at the Different Current Speeds are Comparatively Studied Using Unidirectional FSI Analysis Method. it can be Concluded that the Output Power of the Turbine is Lower at a Low Current Speed but its Energy-Catching Efficiency is Higher and Vise Versa. as a Result of Structure Performance Analysis, the Designed Turbine has Adequate Safetyunder all Loaded Conditions. Thus, the Designed Turbine Models are Available.

A single-photon imaging system based on compressed sensing has been developed to image objects under ultra-low illumination. With this system, we have successfully realized imaging at the single-photon level with a single-pixel avalanche photodiode without point-by-point raster scanning. From analysis of the signal-to-noise ratio in the measurement we find that our system has much higher sensitivity than conventional ones based on point-by-point raster scanning, while the measurement time is also reduced.

In this paper, temperature field analysis of concrete filled steel tube reinforced concrete columns in fire has been carried on. A finite element model for concrete filled steel tube reinforced concrete columns in fire is developed by ABAQUS. The cross-sectional temperature field distribution regularity of concrete filled steel tube reinforced concrete columns in fire has been obtained. Parameter analysis such as fire duration time and steel ratio on the column section temperature field is conducted, and this provide the reference for the further analysis of concrete filled steel tube reinforced concrete columns.

Background Smad3 is a principal intracellular mediator of signaling for transforming growth factor β, a cytokine involved in pleiotropic pathophysiological processes including inflammation and immunity. The function of Smad3 in regulating inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and septic shock has not been characterized. Methods Smad3−/−(referred hereafter as KO) and wild-type (WT) mice were injected intraperitoneally with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce the septic hypotension. Mortality, blood pressure, and plasma levels of nitrite were measured. The iNOS messenger RNA and protein levels in lung, kidney, and spleen were also analyzed. Results Mice lacking functional Smad3 respond to LPS with greater mortality than their WT littermates. The high mortality of KO mice is accompanied by enhanced hypotension after intraperitoneal injection of LPS. Both KO and WT mice displayed an increase in plasma nitrite during the experimental period; however, LPS administration caused more dramatic changes in KO mice than WT mice. Likewise, the iNOS messenger RNA and protein levels in lung, kidney, and spleen were more strongly increased in KO mice than in WT mice after LPS administration. Conclusions Defects in the Smad3 gene may increase susceptibility to the development of septic hypotension because of enhanced iNOS production.

Compressive sensing (CS) has been used in LiDAR systems utilizing one single-photon-counting avalanche diode. We demonstrate an unexpected grayscale inversed image of an object at an unchosen depth, which appears in the reconstruction of the infrared single-pixel LiDAR system due to the pile-up effect. A correction algorithm and the sparse measurement are proposed and experimentally verified to effectively reduce the photon pile-up influence, so that the negative images can be completely removed. The correction methods in this research can improve the accuracy and the flexibility of the single-pixel LiDAR systems employing detectors with a low maximum light count.

This paper researches the feasibility of real-time processing data from Sensor Web by means of Web Processing Service (WPS), which isnt dependent on the platform of the traditional monolithic GIS. On this base, an actual solution is provided to configure and transform some monolithic GIS services into accessed web services, at the same time the customer could automatically get data offered by Sensor Web and simulate processing up-to-date information to obtain desired results in client-side , which could visualize quickly to provide critical and timely help for users at crucial moment. The applicability of the solution is demonstrated by a fire scenario in which we employ WPS framework of 52North project and the client-side is OpenLayers.

Geographic Information System (GIS) is applied to the forest fire monitoring and management in Henan province, China. A forest fire monitoring system architecture is presented, which consists of the mobile client, the monitoring and management client, the map data server, and the business data processing server. The paper carried out the system database design and function design and realized the functions of forest resources inquire, fire warning, positioning and navigation of fire point, fire situation real-time dynamic plotting, and so on. The system can promote efficiently the informatization of monitoring, management, early warning in forest fire.

An approach to measure the positive sequence parameters of transmission lines based on harmonic method is introduced. The mathematical model and measurement procedure of the new method are explained in detail. The hardware structure of the measuring system based on GPS is given. The simulation results show that the new method can satisfactorily meet the need of measuring the positive sequence parameters of transmission lines under strong interference condition.

Aluminum Nitride (AlN) based Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) sensors have shown great application potentials on serving as biosensors. In this paper, we investigate the mass sensitivity of SAW sensors, which were fabricated based on Si/AlN structure by depositing aluminum oxide (AhO3) thin films on the active area between the input port and output port of the SAW devices. The material of the IDTs is aluminum. To validate the sample accommodation and protection function of the SiN thin film in bio-liquid detection processes, the contact angle of the SiN surface is also detected. We found that the mass sensitivity of the SAW devices is as high as 1958 MHz/g and the SiN surface is hydrophilic with contact angle of 45 degree. The research results indicate the AlN based SAW devices can be well employed in certain biosensing applications.

We present an experimental demonstration of edge detection based on ghost imaging (GI) in the gradient domain. Through modification of a random light field, gradient GI (GGI) can directly give the edge of an object without needing the original image. As edges of real objects are usually sparser than the original objects, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the edge detection result will be dramatically enhanced, especially for large-area, high-transmittance objects. In this study, we experimentally perform one- and two-dimensional edge detection with a double-slit based on GI and GGI. The use of GGI improves the SNR significantly in both cases. Gray-scale objects are also studied by the use of simulation. The special advantages of GI will make the edge detection based on GGI be valuable in real applications.

One isolate from bark beetle galleries was identified and characterized using morphological and molecular methodology, and described and illustrated based on these data. These results identified a new species distribution record in China for Neoscytalidium novaehollandiae. Species morphology and micrographs are provided in this paper. The specimens are stored in Northeast Forestry University.

A deformation measurement method of interframe displacement was proposed in this paper. By online monitoring the shape dimensions of both the deformation zone and its adjacent zone by machine vision, the initial and terminative positions of deformation were dynamically identified during dieless drawing, and the global monitoring and online closed-loop control of the deformation zone were achieved. The dieless drawing process was systematically carried out on NiTi shape memory alloy wires. It is shown that the deformation measurement method of interframe displacement can track the axial displacement of the wires, but this cannot be achieved by traditional machine vision. The initial and terminative positions of deformation can be accurately identified by this method. The proposed rectifying control technology can effectively decrease the wire diameter fluctuation during dieless drawing, that is, the standard deviation of the wire diameter fluctuation could be decreased from 0.30 to 0.08 mm after three passes of dieless drawing, indicating that the control system has a good rectifying ability.

Terminal load distribution and pipe network structure are the key factors that affect the energy-saving potential of central air-conditioning chilled water systems, nonlinear thermodynamic performance of an air-conditioning system with large inertia will mainly exert influence on the stability and reliability of energy-saving operation control. Unreasonable variable flow control strategy can neither achieve an ideal energy-saving effect nor meet the air-conditioning comfortableness requirements. With a direct-return chilled water system as study object, this paper built a hydraulic calculation model of pipe network topology, bypass loop hydraulic calculation model, AHU thermodynamic model, and water pump variable frequency operation model. Operating frequency of a water pump for different flow ratio, pump power, temperature difference of pipe network supply and return water, pressure difference of pipe network supply and return water, bypass control valve characteristics, system adjustability coefficient, and pipe network resistance characteristics of a chilled water system are studied under the condition of given supply water temperature, and pipe network’s AHU node thermal and humid load. And energy consumption characteristics of constant temperature difference control and variable temperature difference control are also analyzed with comparison. The results can provide theoretical guidance for the stable and reliable energy-saving operation of a chilled water system.

From the perspective of internal relationships in the process of social reproductions, the level of solution consumption problems is one major norm to measure whether the performance and development of a country’s economy is healthy, especially productive structure, industrial structure, and the relation between consumption and need. The key problem is whether between industrial structure and demand structure is adaptive. Thus, the measure standard of national economic running lies in the solution of consumption issues, that is, the solution of making consumption structure and industrial structure compatible. Basing on the relation between industrial and consumption structures in China, the paper introduces the manifestations, causes and consequences of the incoordination between industrial and consumption structures.

For the non-linear phenomena of the switching power supply, the discrete mathematical model of current-controlled Boost DC/DC converter has been presented in this paper, according to the switch maps. The results of simulation and experiment are derived, and the variable is the current of inductor. The accuracy of the model has been verified by the results of simulation and experiment which reveales the DC / DC converters from the bifurcation and eventually to the phenomenon of chaos. The theoretical basis using or avoiding chaos is provided for the power supply design.

Informatization is an inevitable trend of higher education development. The Practice teaching is an important link of talents training of geosciences related majors. In this paper, we have discussed the purpose of constructing field Practice teaching informatization platform (FPTIP) in geosciences related majors, investigated the major contents of the FPTIP, and established the frame of the FPTIP, which is composed of four application systems, that is, the field geological mapping system, the fundamental geographic information system, the practice teaching achievements visualization management system, and the geological and geographic information 3D visualization system. Then, we have also conducted function design of the application systems. Finally, taking the construction of the FPTIP of Yangtze University as an example, we have preliminarily developed an informatization practice teaching platform, which integrates multiple functions, including the field geological mapping, the acquisition and processing of geographic information, and 3D visualization display and management of practice teaching achievements, and provides an informatization platform for the cultivating creative professionals of geosciences related major.

Zigzag dispersion curves are sometimes found in Rayleigh wave exploration when the media contain low velocity layers. The zigzag dispersion curves are believed to have a relationship with low velocity layers. Especially, there is a relationship between ‘jump point' frequencies of zigzag dispersion curves and the parameters of the media. So the jump point frequencies can be seen as a characteristic of the media. However, the relationship has not yet been deeply studied. In this paper, a detailed research on it has been conducted by computing the variation of the jump point frequencies with the media parameters under three different sources. It is found that although the jump point frequencies depend on the source type, there are the same rules for various sources: the S-wave velocities of the low velocity layer and the layer above it have the dominant influence on the jump point frequencies, and followed by their thickness; the other parameters have less effect on the jump point frequencies; the frequencies reduce with the decrease of S-wave velocity of the low velocity layer and the increase of S-wave velocity of the layer above the low velocity layer; they reduce with the increase of the thickness or depth of the low velocity layer. The result can be used for a qualitative analysis of low velocity layer in the cases like compaction test of subgrade.

with the rapid development of body area network technology and the internet of things technology, makes the effective combination of these two techniques. Scientific connection method of study of this two kinds of techniques in this paper, to solve the core problems of these two kinds of technology association, and proposed solutions. The combination of these two techniques, and provide the technical support is widely used for applications of the Internet of things technology development and body area network.

The performances of different thermal ghost imaging (GI) algorithms are compared in an experiment of computational GI using a digital micromirror device. Here we present a rather different evaluation criterion named receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis that serves as the performance of merit for the quantitative comparison. A ROC curve is created by plotting the true positive rate against the false positive rate at various threshold settings. Both theoretical analysis and experimental results demonstrate that the ROC curve and the area under the curve are better and more intuitive indicators of the performance of the GI, compared with conventional evaluation methods. Additionally, for examining gray-scale objects, the calculation of the volume under the ROC surface is analyzed and serves as a performance metric. Our scheme should attract general interest and open exciting prospects for ROC analysis in thermal GI.

Quantitatively evaluation of antibacterial activities of inorganic antibacterial agents is an urgent problem to be solved. Using experimental data by an orthogonal design, a prediction model of the relation between conditions of preparing inorganic antibacterial agents and their antibacterial activities has been developed. This is accomplished by introducing BP artificial neural networks in the study of inorganic antibacterial agents. It provides a theoretical support for the development and research on inorganic antibacterial agents.

Blockage easily happens during semi-dieless drawing, in which die drawing follows dieless drawings, under constant feeding speed mode. In this paper, the blockage mechanism is first studied, and then variable feeding speed mode is proposed to solve the problem. Experiments of semi-dieless drawing under the constant and the variable feeding speed modes are performed at different area reduction of die drawing, while the total area reductions are kept the same as 33%. Variation of wire diameter at die entry is measured. Results show that the area reduction of die drawing increases gradually, in the meanwhile that of dieless drawing decreases gradually under the constant feeding speed mode. This could result in formation of multiple transition sections of wire diameter, the number of which depends on the area reduction of die drawing. Eventually, semi-dieless drawing deteriorates into die drawing, resulting in the blockage when the area reduction exceeds equipment's capacity. The variable feeding speed mode only allows the formation of one transition section, which avoids the blockage. Continuous and stable semi-dieless drawing with 33% total area reduction is realized under the variable feeding speed mode.