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Visualization can be used not only for scientific research, but also as an important tool for educational purposes such as illustrating abstract concepts and demonstrating complex processes. Better effect can be achieved by providing the student an interactive visualization setting, and, more importantly, the opportunity for interactively designing the visualization algorithms. These issues are addressed in this paper. The challenging task of visualizing a 3D vector field, such as a magnetic field, is chosen to convey the ideas. A set of methods for vector field visualization, including isosurface, flux line and cross section method, is presented here. These methods can generate various interactive graphics displays of a vector field for both research and instructional purposes. By presenting these methods as well as the use of a highly modularized programming environment in which the methods are realized, this paper demonstrates how the goal of interactive visualization and design of visualization algorithms can be achieved.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of Chinese medicine He's Yangchao recipe on premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) and its relationship with mitochondrial function of ovarian granulose cells in an animal model., Methods: Thirty-six female C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into blank control group, model group, low-, medium- and high-dose He's Yangchao recipe treatment group and coenzyme Q10 (Q10) treatment group (positive control). The POI model was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide (90 mg/kg). The animals were sacrificed after 21 days. Primary granulose cells were obtained from POI mice and treated with He's Yangchao recipe, ERβ inhibitor PHTPP, and He's Yangchao recipe+PHTPP in vitro for 24 h, respectively. Ovarian histopathological changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, ATP levels were detected by luciferase assay, mtDNA copy numbers were detected by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), mitochondrial structure changes were observed by transmission electron microscopy, protein and mRNA expression levels of estrogen receptor β (ERβ), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC1α), mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM), and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) were detected by Western blotting and qRT-PCR., Results: The ovarian tissue in model group exhibited few secondary and tertiary follicles, whereas the He's Yangchao recipe groups and Q10 group had abundant secondary and tertiary follicles. Compared with the blank control group, ATP and mtDNA levels in model group decreased ( P <0.01), mitochondrial crista disappeared or abnormal vacuolated structure increased; the protein and mRNA levels of ERβ, PGC1α, TFAM, and SOD2 decreased (all P <0.01). ATP production increased in granulose cells of high-dose He's Yangchao recipe group and Q10 group; mtDNA copy numbers increased ( P <0.05 or P <0.01); abnormal mitochondrial structure was reduced; the protein and mRNA expressions of ERβ, PGC1α, TFAM, and SOD2 increased ( P <0.05 or P <0.01). Compared with the PHTPP intervention group, the proportion of normal mitochondrial structure in the granulose cells of He's Yangchao recipe + PHTPP group was higher; ATP content increased ( P <0.05 or P <0.01); mtDNA copy numbers increased ( P <0.05 or P <0.01); the protein and mRNA expression of ERβ, PGC1α, TFAM and SOD2 increased ( P <0.05 or P <0.01)., Conclusions: He's Yangchao recipe can regulate mitochondrial biogenesis through ERβ/PGC1α/TFAM pathway to improve ovarian function in POI mice.