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Abstract This study aims to enhance the safety and efficiency of port navigation by reducing ship collision accidents, minimizing environmental risks, and optimizing waterways to increase port throughput. Initially, a three-dimensional map of the port’s waterway, including data on water depth, rocks, and obstacles, is generated through laser radar scanning. Visual perception technology is adopted to process and identify the data for environmental awareness. Single Shot MultiBox Detector (SSD) is utilized to position ships and obstacles, while point cloud data create a comprehensive three-dimensional map. In order to improve the optimal navigation approach of the Rapidly-Exploring Random Tree (RRT), an artificial potential field method is employed. Additionally, the collision prediction model utilizes K-Means clustering to enhance the Faster R-CNN algorithm for predicting the paths of other ships and obstacles. The results indicate that the RRT enhanced by the artificial potential field method reduces the average path length (from 500 to 430 m), average time consumption (from 30 to 22 s), and maximum collision risk (from 15 to 8%). Moreover, the accuracy, recall rate, and F1 score of the K-Means + Faster R-CNN collision prediction model reach 92%, 88%, and 90%, respectively, outperforming other models. Overall, these findings underscore the substantial advantages of the proposed enhanced algorithm in autonomous navigation and collision prediction in port waterways.

Background: Long noncoding RNA POU class 3 homeobox 3 (POU3F3) is upregulated in esophageal squamous-cell carcinomas. The present study aimed to investigate the role of POU3F3 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)., Methods: A total of 80 patients with NSCLC (adenocarcinoma) admitted by Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine between May 2016 and May 2018 were enrolled in this study. All patients were diagnosed by histopathological approaches. Expression levels of POU3F3 and microRNA-30d-5p (miR-30d-5p) in cancer and non-tumor tissues from these NSCLC patients were determined by qRT-PCR. Cell transfections were performed to assess interactions between miR-30d-5p and POU3F3. Cell proliferation, Transwell migration and invasion assays were performed to investigate the role of miR-30d-5p and POU3F3 in the regulation of cell proliferation, migration and invasion., Results: POU3F3 was upregulated, while miR-30d-5p was downregulated in cancer tissues than in adjacent healthy tissues of NSCLC patients. Correlation analysis showed that expression levels of POU3F3 and miR-30d-5p were inversely correlated in tumor tissues. Overexpression of miR-30d-5p did not affect the expression of POU3F3, while overexpression of POU3F3 resulted in the suppression of miR-30d-5p in NSCLC cell lines. Overexpression of POU3F3 mediated enhanced proliferation, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells. In addition, overexpression of miR-30d-5p played an opposite role and attenuated the effects of overexpressing POU3F3 on cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion., Conclusions: POU3F3 might positively regulate NSCLC cell proliferation, migration and invasion through downregulation of miR-30d-5p.

Three-dimensional (3D) rigidity-reinforced SiO x anodes are prepared using the aqueous multicomponent binders to stabilize the performances of lithium-ion batteries. Considering an elastic skeleton, adhesiveness, electrolyte absorption, etc., four kinds of binders [polyacrylamide (PAM), poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE), carboxymethyl cellulose, and styrene butadiene rubber (SBR)] are selected to prepare aqueous multicomponent binders. The SiO x anodes with the binder PAM/SBR/PTFE (PSP) exhibit a 3D rigidity-reinforced structure, larger adhesive force, and moderate electrolyte adsorption capacity compared to other anodes with single and multicomponent binders. Specifically, the electrochemical performances of the SiO x anodes with the binder PSP663 are stabilized, and a retention capacity of 770 mAh g -1 at 500 mA g -1 after 300 cycles and a rate capacity of 993 mAh g -1 at 1200 mA g -1 are obtained. The enhanced performances are attributed to the good chemical stability of PTFE to protect SiO x particles from the electrolyte corrosion and to ensure electrode integrity. SBR acts as the binder backbone due to the strong adhesion force and specific three-dimensional structure. The rigidity of PAM limits the excessive expansion of SiO x particles well and shortens the ion migration. These results indicate that the 3D rigidity-reinforced SiO x anode with the aqueous binder PSP663 has promising prospects for practical application, and the results also provide a reference for solving the expansion problem of the silicon materials.

Norgestrel (NGT) is a synthetic progestin used in human and veterinary medicine. Adult female mosquitofish were exposed to NGT for 42 d at 377 ng L -1 . The fin morphology and the liver transcriptome were assessed. NGT exposure increased ray 4:6 length ratio. As compared to the control, NGT treatment affected the expression of 11,772 annotated transcripts in female mosquitofish. Specifically, we found 5780 were repressed while 5992 were significantly induced. Gene ontology (GO) analysis showed that 53 KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathways and 158 GO terms were significantly over expressed. Genes showing the largest magnitude of expression changes were related to fin development, androgen biosynthesis, and lipid and fatty acid metabolisms, suggesting the involvement of these biological processes in response to NGT exposure in G. affinis. This first comprehensive study on the transcriptomic alterations by NGT in G. affinis not only provides valuable information on the development of molecular markers but also opens new avenues for studies on the molecular mechanisms of effects of NGT in particular and possibly other progestins in G. affinis., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: People with allergic rhinitis (AR) often seek help from Chinese medicine due to dissatisfaction with conventional treatments. Lung-spleen qi deficiency syndrome (LSQDS) is the most common type of AR, and the Chinese herbal medicine formula bi min fang (BMF) is commonly prescribed for AR patients with LSQDS. However, direct evidence supporting its efficacy and safety is not available, and its potential mechanism of action remains unclear., Methods/design: This paper presents a double-blind, double-dummy, randomized controlled trial. After a 2-week run-in period, 80 AR patients with LSQDS will be recruited and randomly allocated to the BMF group or the control group in a 1:1 ratio. The patients in the BMF group will receive BMF and the placebo for levocetirizine hydrochloride orally, while the control group participants will receive levocetirizine hydrochloride and the placebo for BMF orally. All participants will receive 4 weeks of treatment and 12 weeks of follow-up. The primary outcome is a change in the Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS). Secondary outcomes include changes in scores for the standard version of the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ(S)), and visual analog scale (VAS); changes in serum levels of the cytokines interleukin-4, interferon-γ, transforming growth factor β-1, and interleukin-17; and changes in the gut microbiota composition in the stool. The TNSS, RQLQ(S), and VAS will be recorded at the beginning of, middle of and after the treatment period and at the end of each month in the 3-month follow-up period. Blood and stool samples will be collected at baseline and the end of the treatment. The aforementioned four cytokines will be detected in the serum using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and the stool gut microbiota will be detected using 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid sequencing. Any side effects of the treatment will be recorded., Discussion: The results of this trial will provide consolidated evidence of the effect of BMF on AR and the potential mechanism by which BMF acts. This study will be the first to explore the mechanism of action of Chinese herbal medicine on the gut microbiota in AR., Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-IPR-17010970 . Registered on 23 March 2017.