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This paper presents a color-to-gray conversion model for faithfully preserving the contrast details of the original color image. First, on the basic assumption that a good gray conversion should make the conveyed gradient values to be maximal, we present a maximum weighted projection function to model the decolorization procedure, incorporating weights of the original gradients into the maximization problem. The Gaussian weighted factor consisting of the gradients of indivisual channels of the input color image is employed to better reflect the degree of preserving feature discriminability and color ordering. Second, a discrete searching solver is proposed by determining the solution with the loss function value from the linear parametric model-induced candidate images. The non-iterative solver has advantages in simplicity and speed with only several simple arithmetic operations, leading to real-time computational speed. Finally, extensive experimental evaluations on the existing datasets show that the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art methods quantitatively and qualitatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The mechanism of phase transition from X2-RE 2 SiO 5 to apatite is revealed. • The formation of apatite in corroded Y 2 SiO 5 is inhibited by introducing Yb. • Silica-rich grain boundary is considered to reduce the corrosion degree. Environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) are usually coated on SiC ceramic or ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), in order to prevent the attack from corrosive media like water vapor and molten oxides. Solid-solutionizing strategy containing high-entropy engineering is considered as an effective way to mediate corrosion resistances of rare-earth silicates, which are promising candidates for the topcoats of EBCs. In this work, high-temperature corrosion behaviors of hot-pressed (Y 1− x Yb x) 2 SiO 5 ceramics have been investigated in a 50 %H 2 O–50 %O 2 environment at temperatures of 1573/1673/1773 K for 100 h. The main corrosion product of Y 2 SiO 5 is apatite phase, whose formation can be distinctly inhibited by introducing Yb. Consequently, introducing Yb avoids the tensile stress and cracks effectively, which are induced by the volume reduction due to the phase transition to apatite at elevated temperatures. The inhibition of apatite formation by introducing Yb is attributed to the relatively lower volatilization pressure of Yb 2 O 3 than Y 2 O 3 and the smaller cationic radius of Yb3+ than Y3+. Meanwhile, the composition deviations between grain boundary and grain surface results in the grain surface corrosion and ridge-like corrosion characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The MgB2 superconductor synthesized in a flowing argon atmosphere using nanometer magnesium powder as the raw materials, denoted as Nano-MgB2, has been studied by the technique of in situ high temperature resistance measurement (HT-RT measurement). The MgB2 phase is identified to form within the temperature range of 430–490 °C, which is much lower than that with the MgB2 sample fabricated in the same gas environment using the micron size magnesium powder, denoted as Micro-MgB2 and reported previously. The sample density of the Nano-MgB2 reaches 1.7 g/cm3 with a crystal porosity structure less than a μm, as determined by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, while the Micro-MgB2 has a much more porous structure with corresponding density of 1.0 g/cm3. This indicates that the Mg raw particle size, beside the sintering temperature, is a crucial factor for the formation of high density MgB2 sample, even at the temperature much lower than that of the Mg melting, ∼650 °C. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern shows a good MgB2 phase with small amount of MgO and Mg and the transition temperature, TC, of the Nano-MgB2 was determined to be 39 K by temperature dependent magnetization measurements (M–T), indicating good superconducting properties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The trivalent phosphine-catalyzed [4+1] spiro-annulation reaction of allenyl imide and activated methylene cyclocompounds has been developed for the construction of various spiro-2-cyclopenten-1-ones. Oxindoles, 3-isochromanones, and 2-indanones are selected as 1C synthons to capture the in situ-generated bis-electrophilic α,β-unsaturated ketenyl phosphonium intermediate, affording the corresponding monospiro- and bispiro-cyclopentenones in good to excellent yields (≤91%) under mild conditions. The primary attempt at asymmetric catalysis using monophosphine ( R )-SITCP provides promising enantioselectivity (45% ee). A plausible reaction mechanism is also proposed.

Objective: To explore clinical effect of attaching locking plate with bone grafting based on retaining the original intramedullary nail in treating non-union after intramedullary nail fixation of long shaft fractures of lower limbs., Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 20 patients treated with non-union fractures after intramedullary nailing of long shaft fractures of lower limbs from June 2015 to June 2020. All patients were treated with the original intramedullary nailing and bone grafting from the iliac bone, and were underwent open reduction plate internal fixation and bone grafting for old fractures. Among them, 14 were males and 6 were females, aged from 35 to 56 years old with an average of (42.2±9.6) years old. Nine patients were femoral shaft fracture and 11 patients were tibial shaft fracture. According to characteristics of fracture end nonunion, 6 patients were stable/atrophic, 9 patients were unstable/large, and 5 patients were unstable/atrophic. The nonunion time ranged from 8 to 12 months with an average of(9.8±2.0) months after the initial surgery. Visual analogue scale (VAS), knee range of motion, bone healing time, complications and fracture-end healing were recorded before and at the latest follow-up., Results: All patients were followed up for 18 to 48 months with an average of (36.3±10.5) months. The incision of all patients were healed at stageⅠwithout complications such as infection or internal fixation ruptur. Healing time of femur and tibia was (8.5±2.6) months and (9.5±2.2) months. Knee joint motion increased from preoperative (101.05±8.98) ° to postoperative (139.35±8.78) ° at the latest follow-up ( t =-12.845, P <0.001). VAS decreased from preoperative (5.15±1.72) to postoperative (0.75±0.96) at the latest follow-up ( t =11.186, P <0.001)., Conclusion: On the basis of retaining the original intramedullary nail, the addition of locking plate internal fixation and autogenous iliac bone grafting have advantages of simple operation, less trauma, fewer complications and high fracture healing rate. It is one of the effective surgical schemes for the treatment of nonunion after intramedullary nail fixation of long bone fracture of lower extremity.

Aiming at the difficulty of detecting the modulation transfer function (MTF) of Bayer color cameras during focusing, the traditional scheme is modified in this paper. First, through analysis, it is found that the MTF of the Bayer detector decreased substantially compared to the monochromatic detector, which was caused by the loss of a large amount of light from the Bayer detector. When the MTF is calculated for the color image after de-mosaicing, the degradation of image quality leads to the inability to obtain the full-frequency MTF curve. Therefore, this paper proposes a solution to detect the MTFs of the three primary colors in the Bayer image individually, and then weight the MTFs of each primary color to obtain the MTF of the color image based on the calibration results of the light source. Then, considering the steps of differentiation and Fourier transform in the slanted-edge method, this paper solves the problem of non-uniform sampling of edge spread function by using the modification of the slanted-edge method with non-uniform Fourier transform. Finally, the optimal imaging position of a certain type of Bayer color camera is determined using the methods proposed in this paper. Simulation and test results verify the effectiveness and accuracy of the methods in this paper.

Background: Perforated peptic ulcer (PPU) remains challenging surgically due to its high mortality, especially in older individuals. Computed tomography (CT)-measured skeletal muscle mass is a effective predictor of the surgical outcomes in older patients with abdominal emergencies. The purpose of this study is to assess whether a low CT-measured skeletal muscle mass can provide extra value in predicting PPU mortality., Methods: This retrospective study enrolled older (aged ≥ 65 years) patients who underwent PPU surgery. Cross-sectional skeletal muscle areas and densities were measured by CT at L3 and patient-height adjusted to obtain the L3 skeletal muscle gauge (SMG). Thirty-day mortality was determined with univariate, multivariate and Kaplan-Meier analysis., Results: From 2011 to 2016, 141 older patients were included; 54.8% had sarcopenia. They were further categorized into the PULP score ≤ 7 (n=64) or PULP score > 7 group (n=82). In the former, there was no significant difference in 30-day mortality between sarcopenic (2.9%) and nonsarcopenic patients (0%; p=1.000). However, in the PULP score > 7 group, sarcopenic patients had a significantly higher 30-day mortality (25.5% vs. 3.2%, p=0.009) and serious complication rate (37.3% vs. 12.9%, p=0.017) than nonsarcopenic patients. Multivariate analysis showed that sarcopenia was an independent risk factor for 30-day mortality in patients in the PULP score > 7 group (OR: 11.05, CI: 1.03-118.7)., Conclusion: CT scans can diagnose PPU and provide physiological measurements. Sarcopenia, defined as a low CT-measured SMG, provides extra value in predicting mortality in older PPU patients., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The adaptor proteins play a crucially important role in regulating lymphocyte activation. Rapid and efficient identification of adaptor proteins is essential for understanding their functions. However, biochemical methods require not only expensive experimental costs, but also long experiment cycles and more personnel. Therefore, a computational method that could accurately identify adaptor proteins is urgently needed. To solve this issue, we developed a classifier that combined the support vector machine (SVM) with the composition of k-Spaced Amino Acid Pairs (CKSAAP) and the amino acid composition (AAC) to identify adaptor proteins. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to select the optimized features which could generate the maximum prediction performance. By examining the proposed model on independent data, we found that the 447 optimized features could achieve an accuracy of 92.39% with an AUC of 0.9766, demonstrating the powerful capabilities of our model. We hope that the proposed model could provide more clues for studying adaptor proteins., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Bone injury plagues millions of patients worldwide every year, and it demands a heavy portion of expense from the public medical insurance system. At present, orthopedists think that autologous bone transplantation is the gold standard for treating large-scale bone defects. However, this method has significant limitations, which means that parts of patients cannot obtain a satisfactory prognosis. Therefore, a basic study on new therapeutic methods is urgently needed. The in-depth research on crosstalk between macrophages (Mϕs) and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) suggests that there is a close relationship between inflammation and regeneration. The in-depth understanding of the crosstalk between Mϕs and BMSCs is helpful to amplify the efficacy of stem cell-based treatment for bone injury. Only in the suitable inflammatory microenvironment can the damaged tissues containing stem cells obtain satisfactory healing outcomes. The excessive tissue inflammation and lack of stem cells make the transplantation of biomaterials necessary. We can expect that the crosstalk between Mϕs and BMSCs and biomaterials will become the mainstream to explore new methods for bone injury in the future. This review mainly summarizes the research on the crosstalk between Mϕs and BMSCs and also briefly describes the effects of biomaterials and aging on cell transplantation therapy., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: This study aimed to identify microRNAs (miRNAs) involved in the development of perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND)., Methods: Plasma exosomal miRNA expression was examined in patients before and after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) using microarray and qRT-PCR and these patients were diagnosed as PND later. Elderly rats were subjected to CPB, and the cognitive functions were examined. Bioinformatics analysis was conducted to predict the targets of miR-214-3p. Rats were administered rno-miR-214-3p agomir before or after CPB to investigate the role of miR-214-3p in PND development., Results: We identified 76 differentially expressed plasma exosomal miRNAs in PND patients after surgery (P<0.05, ∣log2FC∣>0.58), including the upregulated hsa-miR-214-3p (P=0.002399392). Prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) was predicted as a miR-214-3p target. In rats, CPB reduced the platform crossing numbers and target quadrant stay time, accompanied with hippocampal neuronal necrosis. The rno-miR-214-3p level was significantly increased in plasma exosomes but decreased in rat hippocampus after surgery, exhibiting a negative correlation (P<0.001, r=-0.762). A negative correlation between miR-214-3p and PTGS2 protein expression was also observed in the hippocampus after surgery. Importantly, rno-miR-214-3p agomir treatment, before or after surgery, significantly increased the platform crossing numbers (P=0.035) and target quadrant stay time (P=0.029) compared with negative control. Hippocampal PTGS2 protein level was increased in the untreated surgery group and decreased in response to rno-miR-214-3p agomir treatment before or after surgery (both P<0.05 vs. negative control)., Conclusion: These data suggest that miR-214-3p/PTGS2 signaling contributes to the development of PND, serving as a potential therapeutic target for PND., (© 2022. Huazhong University of Science and Technology.)

Objective: To report a case of complete androgen insensitivity syndrome with a special family history and its genetic analysis., Methods: We studied the medical history, diagnosis and treatment of a case of complete androgen insensitivity syndrome, collected blood samples from the patient and his mother for whole exome sequencing, and analyzed the genetic etiology., Results: The patient presented with "primary amenorrhea" and diagnosed with male pseudohermaphroditism, with the karyotype as 46, XY. Surgery confirmed undescended testes in the abdominal cavity. The androgen level was higher than normal. Whole exome sequencing of the patient and his mother found c.2678C>T (p.P893L) but no other abnormalities, which was considered as a suspected pathogenic mutation of complete androgen insensitivity syndrome. The patient had a "sister" with a similar medical history., Conclusion: c.2678C>T (p.P893L) is a suspected pathogenic mutation of complete androgen insensitivity syndrome, which usually cannot be detected until puberty, making it easy to delay the diagnosis.

Cardiac hypertrophy is a common myocardial structural abnormality which may cause heart failure. Many studies have shown that cardiac hypertrophy can be induced by hyperthyroidism. Ligand-gated potassium channels have been reported to be involved in various biological processes in the cardiovascular system, such as GPCR coupled K ACh and metabolism sensor K ATP channel. It is unclear whether the gene expression of K ACh and K ATP was altered in hyperthyroid rabbit atria. We aimed to investigate the expression of K ACh and K ATP genes in rabbit atria in our experimental model. We established an effective hyperthyroidism-induced cardiac hypertrophy animal model through an injection of T4. H&E staining and RT-PCR were used to observe the histomorphological damages and alteration of gene expression. The results showed that the heart weight, heart rate significantly increased in T4-treated rabbits. The systolic pressure increased from 115.60 mmHg to 152.6 mmHg in T4-treated rabbits. The expression of K ACh and K ATP genes was decreased in the atria of hyperthyroidism-induced cardiac hypertrophied rabbits. These findings indicated that the decreased gene expression of K ACh and K ATP may be related to hyperthyroidism-induced cardiac hypertrophy and atrial fibrillation., Competing Interests: None., (IJCEP Copyright © 2022.)

Background: Laparoscopic repair is a well-accepted treatment modality for perforated peptic ulcer (PPU). However, intraoperative conversion to laparotomy is still not uncommon. We aimed to identify preoperative factors strongly associated with conversion., Methods: A retrospective review of records of all PPU patients treated between January 2011 and July 2019 was performed. Patients were divided into three groups: laparoscopic repair (LR), conversion to laparotomy (CL), and primary laparotomy (PL). Patient demographics, operative findings, and outcomes were compared between the groups. Logistic regression analyses were performed, taking conversion as the outcome., Results: Of 822 patients, there were 236, 45, and 541 in the LR, CL, and PL groups, respectively. The conversion rate was 16%. Compared with those in the LR group, patients in the CL group were older (p < 0.001), had higher PULP scores (p < 0.001), had higher ASA scores (p < 0.001) and had hypertension (p = 0.003). PULP score was the only independent risk factor for conversion. The area under the curve (AUC) for the PULP score to predict conversion was 75.3%, with a best cut-off value of ≥ 4. The operative time was shorter for PL group patients than for CL group patients with PULP scores ≥ 4. For patients with PULP scores < 4, LR group patients had a shorter length of stay than PL group patients., Conclusion: The PULP score may have utility in predicting and minimizing conversion for laparoscopic PPU repair. Laparoscopic repair is the procedure of choice for PPU patients with PULP scores < 4, while open surgery is recommended for those with PULP scores ≥ 4., (© 2020. The Author(s).)

Eight rice varieties suitable for local cultivation were selected and field tests were carried out to compare the accumulation, absorption, and transport characteristics of Cd. The rice varieties with low Cd accumulation were screened, and the factors affecting the accumulation degree and stability of rice were analyzed. The results showed that:①According to the comprehensive accumulation index( P N ) evaluation method, the rice varieties with low P N ability for Cd were selected as follows:Chuanyou 3203, Chuanyou 6203, Dejing 6, and Shenyou 17. ②Considering the Cd content and yield of rice, Chuanyou 3203 and Chuanyou 6203 are suitable for planting in this region, which guarantees a safe Cd content in and high yield of rice. ③The contents of Cd in Chuanyou 3203 and Chuanyou 6203 were significantly lower than those of other rice varieties and stable under different pH and total Cd ranges and soil conditions. ④The difference between rice varieties had a significant effect on rice enrichment ability, but little effect on translocation from stem to leaf. The low enrichment coefficient of Chuanyou 3203 and Chuanyou 6203, combined with low translocation, demonstrated the low Cd enrichment capacity of rice. ⑤Correlation analysis showed that the Cd content was most affected by the enrichment coefficient of rice, and least affected by the total Cd content of rhizosphere soil.

Phytochelatins (PCs) can chelate heavy metal ions due to their large number of thiols and play an important role in heavy metal accumulation and detoxification. A. hypochondriacus K472, a cadmium (Cd) enriched plant, was selected as the research object. Six Cd treatment concentrations, namely 0 (CK), 10 (T1), 25 (T2), 50 (T3), 100 (T4), and 200 mg ·kg -1 (T5), were used to analyze the variation of PCs in different growth stages under different degrees of Cd stress and to explore the mechanism by which PCs chelate and detoxify Cd. The results showed that the plant height, root length, and biomass of K472 decreased significantly with increasing Cd concentration, and the range of decrease gradually became less pronounced with the growth and development of K472. K472 exhibited the maximum ability to enrich Cd during the middle vegetative growth period. The maximum concentration was 6695.35 mg, and the maximum bioconcentration factor was 6.3. In addition, with increasing Cd concentration, the Cd content of K472 roots, stems, and leaves was positively correlated with the concentration of PCs. PC3 had the strongest response to Cd stress in roots and stems, whereas PC2 responded to stress in leaves. For practical applications, harvesting K472 in the middle of vegetative growth is an optimal strategy for the remediation of Cd-contaminated soil.

Objective: To investigate the impacts of surgical treatment of penile fracture on the short- and long-term psychological, erectile and urinary functions of the patient., Methods: Fifty patients with penile fracture underwent surgical treatment in the Emergency Department of our hospital from June 2010 to December 2015. Using the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), IIEF-5 and IPSS, we evaluated the psychological, erectile and urinary functions of the patients at 1 day, 6 months and 18 months after surgery, and analyzed the relationship between psychological and erectile functions as well as the possible factors affecting erectile function postoperatively., Results: Compared with the baseline, significant increases were observed at 6 months after surgery in the SDS score (30.3 ± 4.1 vs 50.7 ± 6.5, P < 0.01) and SAS score (29.9 ± 5.9 vs 55.4 ± 7.7, P < 0.01) but a remarkable decrease in the IIEF-5 score (22.4 ± 1.3 vs 18.4 ± 2.1, P < 0.01). At 18 months, neither SDS (50.7 ± 10.0) or SAS score (54.1 ± 8.7) showed any statistically significant difference from that at 6 months (P > 0.05), but the IIEF-5 score (21.1 ± 2.2) was markedly lower than the baseline (P < 0.01), though higher than that at 6 months (P < 0.01). The IPSS scores at 6 and 18 months exhibited were not significantly different from that preoperatively (P > 0.05). Both the SDS and SAS scores were evidently higher in the patients with severe than in those with mild ED. The body mass index (BMI) and waiting time for surgery were significantly negatively correlated with short- and long-term erectile function of the patients after surgery., Conclusions: Patients with penile fracture may have decreased erectile function after surgery, accompanied with anxiety and depression. The risk factors for ED include BMI and waiting-for-surgery time.

Exploring the state-of-the-art heterogeneous catalysts has been a general concern for sustainable and clean energy. Here, Pt-embedded CuO x -CeO 2 multicore-shell (Pt/CuO x -CeO 2 MS) composites are fabricated at room temperature via a one-pot and template-free procedure for catalyzing CO oxidation, a classical probe reaction, showing a volcano-shaped relationship between the composition and catalytic activity. We experimentally unravel that the Pt/CuO x -CeO 2 MS composites are derived from an interfacial autoredox process, where Pt nanoparticles (NPs) are in situ encapsulated by self-assembled ceria nanospheres with CuO x clusters adhered through deposition/precipitation-calcination process. Only Cu-O and Pt-Pt coordination structures are determined for CuO x clusters and Pt NPs in Pt/CuO x -CeO 2 MS, respectively. Importantly, the close vicinity between Pt and CeO 2 benefits to more oxygen vacancies in CeO 2 counterparts and results in thin oxide layers on Pt NPs. Meanwhile, the introduction of CuO x clusters is crucial for triggering synergistic catalysis, which leads to high resistance to aggregation of Pt NPs and improvement of catalytic performance. In CO oxidation reaction, both Pt δ+ -CO and Cu + -CO can act as active sites during CO adsorption and activation. Nonetheless, redundant content of Pt or Cu will induce a strongly bound Pt-O-Ce or Cu-[O x ]-Ce structures in air-calcinated Pt/CuO x -CeO 2 MS composites, respectively, which are both deleterious to catalytic reactivity. As a result, the composition-dependent catalytic activity and superior durability of Pt/CuO x -CeO 2 MS composites toward CO oxidation reaction are achieved. This work should be instructive for fabricating desirable multicomponent catalysts composed of noble metal and bimetallic oxide composites for diverse heterogeneous catalysis.

Objective: To isolate and identify lead-resistant Lactobacillus casei strains with lead adsorption ability from the stool of healthy newborns as a new source of bacteria for developing lead-eliminating food products., Methods: MRS was used to isolate lead-resistant bacteria from the feces of 30 healthy and full-term neonates. A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the morphological characteristics and 16S rRNA sequences of the isolated bacteria. Physiological and biochemical characterizations of the bacteria were performed according to the Berger's Systematic Bacteriology Handbook, followed by antimicrobial susceptibility test and acid-tolerant bile salt test. The adsorption capacity of Pb 2+ of the bacteria was determined by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES)., Results: Three strains of Lactobacillus casei were isolated, which were resistant to penicillin and ceftriaxone and could tolerate the exposure to 500 mg/L Pb 2+ . Acid-tolerant bile salt test showed that the bacteria were resistant to culture in the presence of artificial gastric juice (pH 2.0) for 3 h, and their survival rate reached 62.5% following exposure to 0.3% bile salt for 8 h. The bacteria showed a Pb 2+ adsorption rate of 90.4% at a low Pb 2+ concentration (1 mg/L) and of 86.27% at a high Pb 2+ concentration (50 mg/L)., Conclusion: Three Lactobacillus casei strains lead adsorption ability were isolated from the feces of newborns. These bacterial strains provide a new solution to alleviate lead poisoning by probiotic dietary.

Adipose tissues play a critical role in the regulation of energy metabolism and homeostasis, and is also an important endocrine organ. Adipocyte differentiation is a complicated physiological process during which mesenchymal stem cells differentiate into adipocytes. This process is synergistically regulated by a large number of transcription factors, hormones and signaling pathway molecules. As a class of endogenous non-coding RNA (ncRNA), microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression mainly through post-transcriptional translational repression. In recent years, numerous studies have demonstrated that miRNA could have an impact on adipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis by modulating the expression levels of several adipogenic transcription factors and key signaling molecules. In this review, we summarize the mechanism of miRNA in regulating the differentiation of white/brown/beige adipocytes and the relevant signaling pathways and key factors, in the hope of providing theoretical guidance and new thoughts for treating obesity and other metabolic diseases.