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An effective way of improving decoding performance of an LDPC code is to extend the single-decoder decoding method to a parallel decoding method with multiple sub-decoders. To this end, this paper proposes a parallel decoding method for the LDPC codes constructed by m-sequence. In this method, the sub-decoders have two types. The first one contains only one decoding module using the original parity-check constraints to implement a belief propagation (BP) algorithm. The second one consists of a pre-decode module and a decoding module. The parity-check matrices for pre-decode modules are generated by the parity-check constraints of the sub-sequences sampled from an m-sequence. Then, the number of iterations of the BP process in each pre-decode module is set as half of the girth of the parity-check matrix, resulting in the elimination of the impact of short cycles. Using maximum a posterior (MAP), the least metric selector (LMS) finally picks out a codeword from the outputs of sub-decoders. Our simulation results show that the performance gain of the proposed parallel decoding method with five sub-decoders is about 0.4 dB, compared to the single-decoder decoding method at the bit error rate (BER) of 10−5 .

Lane detection is the key technology of the intelligent vehicle based on machine vision. In order to improve the detection of real-time, a lane detection and prediction algorithm based on Randomized Hough Transform is developed in this paper. The algorithm includes lane detection algorithm and prediction algorithm. First of all at identification stages, scan the pretreated image in order to search lanes candidate points, and combine with the lanes angle range of constraints, fit the candidate boundary points by Randomized Hough Transform for the improvement of real-time and robustness. The driveway line prediction algorithm is also proposed. With the dynamic searching window, weights of prediction are adaptive and they can make the line prediction more accurate. Test results show that algorithm has good real-time and robust performance.

Image segmentation is an important part of the image processing. Currently, image segmentation methods are mainly the threshold-based segmentation method, the region-based segmentation method, the edge-based segmentation method and the Snake model based on energy function etc. This paper presents a novel image segmentation method based on the Poisson equation. The goal of the segmentation method is to divide the image into two homogeneous parts, the boundary portion and the non-boundary portion, which have similar gray values in homogeneous part. The key of the method is to build a Poisson equation with Dirichlet boundary condition. It sets a gradient threshold as the Dirichlet boundary condition of the Poisson equation, and gets a binary image by retaining the image boundary and smoothing the non-image boundary. Then simple binary segmentation will be able to get the image boundary. The experimental results show that this segmentation method can get accurate image boundaries for non-noise images and the weak noise images.

Dichlorophenylphosphine(DCPP) was prepared by the catalyst of AlCl3·XNaCl complex using C6H6, PCl3as raw materials. The influences of the catalyst amount, raw material ratio and the choice of extractant on the production rate were studied, as well as the recycling of the catalyst. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was employed to characterize the products. The results show that the products by experiments were dichlorophenylphosphine(DCPP). All above have some reference value for the industrial production.

Rural-urban female migrant workers living in factories are a special majority group in the city of Shenzhen, China. These female workers came from different provinces of mainland China. The health-related issues and quality of life (QOL) of this migrator have become serious public health and social problems, which have not been well characterized. This study aimed to explore the QOL and related factors of rural-urban female migrant workers living in factories in China.In total, 3,622 rural-urban female migrant workers completed the Health Survey Short Form (SF-36). Sociodemographic characteristics, health status and job satisfaction during the past 6 months were also collected.Subjects had an average of 2.53 ± 1.93 (median = 2.00, quartile interval = 3.00) diseases. The two-week Morbidity Rate was 21.9%, and only 14.0% of the subjects were satisfied with their current job. Compared to Chinese female norms, the participants scored lower in seven concepts domains of SF-36 (role physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role-emotional and mental health). Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis showed that after adjustment for age, education level, work duration and job satisfaction, two-week Morbidity Rate, anemia symptoms and muscular soreness proved to be significant predictors for all the 7 domains (except for physical functioning). Digestive system disease was a significant predictor in 5 out of 7 domains, while urinary system disease and gynecological disease were significant predictors in 4 out of 7 domains.In general, QOL in rural-urban female migrant workers was lower than Chinese female norms. Improving their job satisfaction and controlling job-related disease appears to be critical to improving their QOL.

Associations of multimorbidity and income with hospital admission were investigated in population samples from 3 widely differing health care systems: Scotland (n = 36,921), China (n = 162,464), and Hong Kong (n = 29,187). Multimorbidity increased odds of admissions in all 3 settings. In Scotland, poorer people were more likely to be admitted (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.62; 95% CI, 1.41–1.86 for the lowest income group vs the highest), whereas China showed the opposite (aOR = 0.58; 95% CI, 0.56–0.60). In Hong Kong, poorer people were more likely to be admitted to public hospitals (aOR = 1.68; 95% CI, 1.36–2.07), but less likely to be admitted to private ones (aOR = 0.18; 95% CI, 0.13–0.25). Strategies to improve equitable health care should consider the impact of socioeconomic deprivation on the use of health care resources, particularly among populations with prevalent multimorbidity.

To investigate the clinical efficacy of Shuganyiyang Capsule combined with conventional Western medicine (tamsulosin hydrochloride sustained release tablets + prostat tablets) for the treatment of type III prostatitis complicated by erectile dysfunction (ED).Eighty patients with type III prostatitis complicated by ED were equally randomized to an experimental and a control group, the former treated with Shuganyiyang Capsule combined with tamsulosin hydrochloride sustained release tablets and prostat tablets, while the latter with tamsulosin hydrochloride and prostat only, both for 8 weeks. Then the prostatitis symptoms, erectile function and psychological conditions of the patients were evaluated using NIH-CPSI, IIEF-5, and hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADA and HADD) respectively. The rates of recovery, excellence, effectiveness and ineffectiveness were calculated.The scores on NIH-CPSI, IIEF-5, HADA and HADD obtained at 4 and 8 weeks after treatment showed statistically significant differences between the two time points as well as from the baseline (P0.01). At 8 weeks, the scores on NIH-CPSI, IIEF-5, HADA and HADD were 6.83 +/- 4.96, 21.03 +/- 2.54, 6.05 +/- 1.62, and 5.35 +/- 3.30 in the experimental group, as compared with 7.55 +/- 4.89, 17.68 +/- 4.15, 6.88 +/- 2.45, and 7.85 +/- 3.77 in the control (P0.05). The rate of effectiveness was significantly higher in the experimental than in the control group (90% [36/40] vs 70% [28/40], P0.05).Shuganyiyang Capsule combined with conventional Western medicine, such as alpha blockers and galenica, produces definite effect on chronic prostatitis complicated by ED, improves the psychological conditions of the patient, and enhances the therapeutic efficiency of chronic prostatits.

Cadmium and its compounds are well-known human carcinogens, but the mechanisms underlying the carcinogenesis are not entirely understood. Our study was designed to elucidate the mechanisms of DNA damage in cadmium-induced malignant transformation of human bronchial epithelial cells. We analyzed cell cycle, apoptosis, DNA damage, gene expression, genomic instability, and the sequence of exons in DNA repair genes in several kinds of cells. These cells consisted of untreated control cells, cells in the fifth, 15th, and 35th passage of cadmium-treated cells, and tumorigenic cells from nude mice using flow cytometry, Hoechst 33258 staining, comet assay, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Western blot analysis, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR, and sequence analysis. We observed a progressive increase in cell population of the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle and the rate of apoptosis, DNA damage, and cadmium-induced apoptotic morphological changes in cerebral cortical neurons during malignant transformation. Gene expression analysis revealed increased expression of cell proliferation (PCNA), cell cycle (CyclinD1), pro-apoptotic activity (Bax), and DNA damage of the checkpoint genes ATM, ATR, Chk1, Chk2, Cdc25A. Decreased expression of the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2 and the DNA repair genes hMSH2, hMLH1, ERCC1, ERCC2, and hOGG1 was observed. RAPD-PCR revealed genomic instability in cadmium-exposed cells, and sequence analysis showed mutation of exons in hMSH2, ERCC1, XRCC1, and hOGG1 in tumorigenic cells. This study suggests that Cadmium can increase cell apoptosis and DNA damage, decrease DNA repair capacity, and cause mutations, and genomic instability leading to malignant transformation. This process could be a viable mechanism for cadmium-induced cancers.

Background Cadmium (Cd) and its compounds are well-known environmental carcinogens, but the mechanisms underlying the carcinogenesis are not entirely understood yet. Long noncoding RNAs (IncRNAs) are an important class of pervasive genes involved in a variety of biological functions. They are aberrantly expressed in many types of cancers. In this study, we described IncRNAs profiles in 35 passage of CdCI2 malignant transformation cells(35 th cell) and untransformed human bronchial epithelial cells(16HBE) by microarray.

Cadmium (Cd) and its compounds are well-known human carcinogens, but the mechanisms underlying the carcinogenesis are not entirely understood yet. Aberrant methylation was investigated in order to obtain insight into the DNA repair-related epigenetic mechanisms underlying CdCl(2)-induced malignant transformation of human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE). Gene expression and DNA methylation were assessed in untreated control cells; 5th, 15th, and 35th passage of CdCl2-treated cells and tumorigenic cells (TCs) from nude mice by using high-performance liquid chromatography, real-time PCR, Western blot analysis, and methylation-specific PCR assay. During Cd-induced malignant transformation, global DNA methylation progressively increased and was associated with the overexpression of the DNA methyltransferase genes DNMT1 and DNMT3a but not DNMT3b. Expression of both the messenger RNA and proteins of the DNA repair genes (hMSH2, ERCC1, XRCC1, and hOGG1) progressively reduced and DNA damage increased with Cd-induced transformation. The promoter regions of hMSH2, ERCC1, XRCC1, and hOGG1 were heavily methylated in the 35th passage transformed cells and the TCs. The DNA demethylating agent 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine could reverse the Cd-induced global DNA hypermethylation, DNMT hyperactivity, and the silencing of hMSH2, ERCC1, XRCC1, and hOGG1 in a time-dependent manner. The results indicate that DNMT1 and DNMT3a overexpression can result in global DNA hypermethylation and silencing of the hMSH2, ERCC1, XRCC1, and hOGG1 genes. They may partly explain the epigenetic mechanisms underlying the carcinogenesis due to Cd.

To explore the expression and sequence of ERCC1 gene in CdCl2-induced transformed human bronchial epithelial 16HBE cells at different stages.Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemcial staining (SP method) were used to measure the ERCC1 mRNA and protein expression in 16HBE cells at different passages treated with CdCl2 (the 5th, 15th, 35th passage, and neoplastic cells from tumors formed in nude mice). ERCC1 exon 3,exon 4 of the 16HBE cells and tumor cells from nude mice were amplified by polymerase chain reactions (PCR), the amplified DNA strips were purified,and the exons were detected by DNA analysis.During the passages of 16HBE cells treated with CdCl2, the expression of ERCC1 gene was decreased gradually. The ERCC1 gene mRNA and protein expression levels of the CdCl2-transformed 35th passage 16HBE cells and tumor cells from nude mice were significantly decreased comparing with those in non-transformed 16HBE cells (P0.01). In the CdCl2-induced tumorigenic cells in nude mice, there was adenine (A) deletion in 1st site of ERCC1 exon 4. The mutation was frame shift mutation.The decreased expression and mutation of ERCC1 gene may be the possible carcinogenic mechanism of CdCl2.

To explore the expression and sequence of human MutS homologue 2 (hMSH2) during different stages of human bronchial epithelial (16HBE) cells induced by cadmium chloride (CdCl2).Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemical staining (SP method) were used to measure the hMSH2 mRNA and protein expression in 16HBE cells and its different passage cells treated by CdCl2 (the 5th, 15th, 35th passage, and neoplasm cells from nude mice's tumor tissue). hMSH2 exon 6, hMSH2 exon 7, hMSH2 exon 8, hMSH2 exon 9, hMSH2 exon 12 of the 16HBE cells and neoplasm cells from nude mice's tumor tissue were amplified by polymerase chain reactions (PCR). The amplified DNA strips were purified. Then the exons were detected by DNA analysis.During the passages of 16HBE cells treated with CdCl2, the expression of hMSH2 gene were decreased gradually. The hMSH2 gene mRNA and protein expression levels of the CdCl2 transformed 35th 16HBE cells and tumorigenic cells of nude mice significant decreased compared with non-transformed 16HBE cells (P0.01). In the tumorigenic cells of nude mice induced by CdCl2, there were thymine (T) deletion in 1st, 2nd and 7th site of hMSH2 exon 8, there were adenine (A) deletion in 20th and 182th site of hMSH2 exon 9, there were adenine (A) insertion in 241st site of hMSH2 exon 12. All the mutations were frame shift mutation.The expression decreased and the mutation of hMSH2 gene may be the possible carcinogenic mechanism for CdCl2.

To establish a Wistar rat model of chronic abacterial prostatitis (CAP) by injecting purified prostate protein and Freund's complete adjuvant, and to study the influence on the morphology and proinflammatory expression.Male rats were injected with the Pertussis-Diphteria-Tetanus vaccine into the abdominal cavity and purified prostate protein and Freund's complete adjuvant intradermally at 0 and 30 days. At 60 days, the rats were sacrificed, and then the prostate specimens were observed, under the light microscope and electron microscope, and the changes of proinflammatory expression was observed too, using PCR technique.The products of proinflammatory expression, such as eotaxin, iNOS and IL-4 increased markedly. The change of chronic inflammation was shown by light microscope and electron microscope.Chronic prostatitis is associated with autoimmunity.

Male rats were immunized with prostate tissue homogenate supernate (PTHS) of male rats with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) intra dermal in the multiple points and simultaneously immunized with 0.5 ml Pertussis-Diphtheria-Tetanus (PDT) vaccine intra peritonea on 0 and 30th day. At the 45th day after first immunization, animals were sacrificed and a series of examinations such as HE stain, assay of TNF-alpha by ELISA and assay of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA by in-situ hybridization (ISH) were taken. We observed that there was a remarkable up-regulation of TNF-alpha expression in the high dosage model group. The results of macropathology, histopathology and iNOS ISH also revealed the same tendency. This experimental procedure is effective to induce chronic abacterial prostatitis (CAP).

Background China's comprehensive health-care reform was embarked on in 2009, targeting health-care financing, care delivery, drug supply, and hospital reform. The aim of this study was to explore the extent to which being people with multiple long-term disorders who are unemployed and uninsured are prevented from accessing hospital inpatient care. Methods We analysed data from a large community household survey of about 5% of the general resident population with household registry in three prefectures in southern China in 2011. Close-ended questions on demographics, socioeconomics, and lifestyle behaviours were derived from the National Health Services Survey (NHSS) 2008. Open-ended questions on chronic disorders (clinically diagnosed or being treated) and admissions to hospitals at the secondary level or above in the previous 12 months were designed by a research panel. The multistage sample designs and sampling weights were taken into account in the binary logistic regression analysis of the survey response. We cross-validated self-reported chronic disorders with paper-based medical reports obtained from previous health-care visits and annual check-ups. Multimorbidity was defined as having two or more chronic disorders from a validated list of 40 morbidities. Findings 124 829 residents (aged ≥20 years) from 53 760 households participated in the survey. In the previous 12 months, 7211 (5·8%, 95% CI 5·7–5·9) residents had at least one admission to hospital, of whom 3002 (42%, 40·8–42·4) had multimorbidity. Admission to hospital was associated with the number of chronic disorders (≥4 disorders vs none: adjusted odds ratio 17·13 [95%CI 16·15–18·16]), having social medical insurance (1·41 [1·37–1·44]), household income per head (highest household income group vs the lowest household income group: 1·80 [1·74–1·85]), and unemployment (1·61 [1·55–1·66]). We found a statistically significant interaction between employment status and the presence of medical insurance on hospital admission, meaning that patients who were unemployed and not covered by a social medical insurance were least likely to be admitted to a hospital (0·50, 0·47–0·52). Interpretation The ability to pay a medical bill seems to be significantly predictive of inpatient service use for multimorbidity. A better designed social medical insurance system with more government contribution would be of particular necessity to improve equitable access to health care, particularly for people with less affordability because of unemployment. Funding Department of Health, Guangdong province, China (C2009006/2009–2013), Department of Education, Guangdong province, China (BKZZ2011047/2010–2013), Medical Research Fund, Chinese Medical Association, China (2010-08-05), and Community Health Research Fund, Community Health Association of China, China (2012-2-91). HHXW was supported by a postdoctoral research fellowship in the Hong Kong-Scotland Partners in Post Doctoral Research programme, Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, and the Scottish Government, UK (S-CUHK402/12). JJW is supported by Guangdong Exemplary Centres for Exploratory Teaching in Higher Education Institutions – General Practice Exploratory Teaching Centre [GDJG-2010-N38-35, Guangdong Department of Education, China], and The Ninth Round of Guangdong Key Disciplines – General Practice [GDJY-2012-N13-85, Guangdong Department of Education, China], both of which he leads. The Scottish School of Primary Care partly supported SWM's post and the development of the National Research Programme on Multimorbidity, which he leads.

The block-based DCT compression methods usually result in discontinuities called blocking artifacts at the boundaries of blocks due to the coarse quantization of the coefficients. In this paper, a new blocking artifacts reduction algorithm is proposed to reduce blocking artifacts and preserve edges adequately. We introduce the definition of homogeneous block and the measurement with an alterable threshold for judging whether a shifted block is homogeneous or inhomogeneous. For each row of the homogeneous blocks, an adaptive Sigmoid function is used to replace the step function to reduce blocking artifacts. For the inhomogeneous blocks, Sigma filter is used to smooth two adjacent blocks’ boundary. Simulation results evaluated by both visual and numerical quality metrics show that the proposed blocking artifacts reduction algorithm outperforms the original algorithms.

To observe the morphological and molecular biological peculiarities of the experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP) rat model made by SC purified prostate protein twice with immune adjuvant.Male rats were intradermally immunized with a saline extract of male rat prostate glands (RPG) in Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) and Pertussis-Diphtheria-Tetanus vaccine 0.5 ml i.p. at the 0 and 30th day, and the concentrations of the extract were respectively 5 mg/ml, 10 mg/ml and 15 mg/ml. At the 45th day, the rats were sacrificed and the morphological and molecular biological changes of the prostate specimens were observed to determine the effective concentration of RPG for a successful model.The expression of inflammation genes such as TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-2 and iNOS obviously increased in the high-dosage model group; LM, EM and in situ hybridization revealed appearant chronic inflammation response, but this was not the case in the other two dosage groups.15 mg/ml RPG mixed with FCA (1:1) 1.0 ml SC with Pertussis-Diphtheria-Tetanus vaccine 0.5 ml i.p. was an effective dosage for the successful model in our experiment.

To demonstrate molecular insight into the pathology of Peyronie's disease (PD). A preliminary profile of differential gene expression between the PD plaque and control tunica albuginea was obtained with DNA microarrays. Also, to investigate the effect of intervention in PD cells, transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) was recruited to treat PD cell lines.Three PD plaques and control tunica albugineas were constructed and studied. cDNA probes were prepared from RNA isolated from those cells and hybridized with the Clontech Atlas 3.6 Array. Relative changes of greater than 2.0 defined up-regulation and down-regulation, respectively. The expression of selected individual gene MCP-1 and the effect of TGF-beta1 on MCP-1 were analyzed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.Some up-regulated genes in the PD plaque detected by the Clontech assay were screened, one of them was monocyte chemotactic protein. One involved the pathogenesis of PD as a downstream gene and responded to the TGF-beta1 treatment but not CTGF. The results were also confirmed by TR-PCR in all the types of cell.The cell lines from plaque tissue and normal tunica from men with PD were successfully established. The findings indicate a potential role for MCP-1 over expression in the pathogenesis of PD as a downstream gene regulated by some genes and could be a new therapeutic target in PD. The information may allow a better understanding of the basic mechanisms involved in the etiology and pathogenesis of PD. Furthermore, it may permit some strategies of therapeutic interventions combine routine methods with Chinese herbal medicine.

To investigate the effect of immunological orchitis on spermatic specific enzyme and fertility.Experimental allergic orchitis (EAO) model of guinea pigs was duplicated. The histological and morphological changes of spermatic acrosomal protease and hyaluronidase, lactate dehydrogenase, sperm in epididymis and testes were observed by means of enzyme kinetical spectrophotometry and gelatin fixation of substrate thin membrane.The activity of acrosomal protease, hyaluronidase and spermatic cytoplasmic lactic dehydrogenase in the epididymis acrosomal enzyme system became low, and so did the quality of sperm in epididymis. Remarkable morphological changes of spermatogenic cells developed in the convoluted seminiferous tubules.EAO remarkably affects the fertility of male guinea pigs. The orchis and epididymal sperms might be the sites of action.