Explore the vast range of titles available.

When detecting sea-sky line (SSL) in the infrared image, the blurry SSL, conspicuous sea clutter affects the accurate detection of SSL seriously. To solve these problems, we proposed a robust SSL detection algorithm based on the vertical grayscale distribution feature (VGDF). We divided the infrared image into sub-image blocks by sliding window. The sub-image blocks that contain SSL in the central area are labeled as positive samples, and those without any SSL are labeled as negative samples. To improve the separability of the samples, the vertical grayscale distribution feature map (VGDF map) transformation method is proposed to transform the gray sub-image blocks into the feature maps. The VGDF maps are used as the input of the convolutional neural network to train the SSL recognition model. This strategy can improve the separability of SSL image blocks from background image blocks. Then, we use the trained model to obtain the edge candidates and construct the SSL probability feature map. Finally, we detect the SSL by fitting a straight line with the greatest probability on the SSL probability feature map. The proposed algorithm realized 99.4% accuracy rate on the dataset containing 1320 frames of infrared images. The comparison results showed that our algorithm obtained higher detection accuracy than the existing state-of-the-art algorithms. Our algorithm performs well even when the SSL was blurred or there are obvious ship’s wave wakes on the sea surface.

The Xiaohe Cemetery archaeological site （Cal. 4-3.5 ka BP） is one of the most important Bronze Age sites in Xinjiang, China. Although the surrounding environment is an extremely arid desert now, abundant archaeological remains indicate that human occupation was common during certain periods in the Holocene. Field investigations and laboratory analyses of a sediment profile near the Xiaohe Cemetery indicate that while the regional environment was arid desert throughout the Holocene there were three episodes of lake forma- tion near the site in the periods 4.8-3.5 ka BP, 2.6-2.1 ka BP and 1.2-0.9 ka BP. Geomorphic and hydrological investigations reveal that a lake or lakes formed in a low-lying area when water was derived initially from the Kongque River and then shunted into the Xiaohe River basin. Low amounts of active chemical elements in lacustrine sediment between 4.8-3.5 ka BP indicate abundant and continuous water volume in the lake; the content of active chemical elements increased between 2.6-2.1 ka BP but was still at a relatively low level, suggesting a declining amount of water and diminished inflow. Between 1.2-0.9 ka BP there was a very high content of active elements, suggesting decreased water volume and indicating that the lake was stagnate. In contrast, the general climate condition shows that there had a warm-humid stage at 8-6 ka BP, a cool-humid stage at 6-2.9 ka BP and a warm-dry stage at 2.9-0.9 ka BP in this region. The hydrological evolutions around Xiaohe Cemetery did not have one-to-one correspondence with climate changes. Regional comparison indicates that broad-scale climatic conditions played an important role through its influences on the water volume of the Tarim River and Kongque River. But, the formation of the lakes and their level were controlled by geomorphic conditions that influenced how much water volume could be shunted to Xiaohe River from Kongque River. Human occupation of the Xiaohe Cemetery and nearby regions during the Bronze Age and Han-Jin period （202 BC-420 AD） corresponded to the two earlier lake periods, while no human activities existed in the third lake period because of the decreased water volume.

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is a gut-derived hormone secreted by intestinal L cells and vital for postprandial glycemic control. As open-type enteroendocrine cells, whether L cells can sense mechanical stimuli caused by chyme and thus regulate GLP-1 synthesis and secretion is unexplored. Molecular biology techniques revealed the expression of Piezo1 in intestinal L cells. Its level varied in different energy status and correlates with blood glucose and GLP-1 levels. Mice with L cell-specific loss of Piezo1 ( Piezo1 IntL-CKO) exhibited impaired glucose tolerance, increased body weight, reduced GLP-1 production and decreased CaMKKβ/CaMKIV-mTORC1 signaling pathway under normal chow diet or high-fat diet. Activation of the intestinal Piezo1 by its agonist Yoda1 or intestinal bead implantation increased the synthesis and secretion of GLP-1, thus alleviated glucose intolerance in diet-induced-diabetic mice. Overexpression of Piezo1, Yoda1 treatment or stretching stimulated GLP-1 production and CaMKKβ/CaMKIV-mTORC1 signaling pathway, which could be abolished by knockdown or blockage of Piezo1 in primary cultured mouse L cells and STC-1 cells. These experimental results suggest a previously unknown regulatory mechanism for GLP-1 production in L cells, which could offer new insights into diabetes treatments.

Background Increasing evidence suggests that gut microbiota play a role in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. The composition and functional capacity of gut microbiota associated with breast cancer have not been studied systematically. Methods We performed a comprehensive shotgun metagenomic analysis of 18 premenopausal breast cancer patients, 25 premenopausal healthy controls, 44 postmenopausal breast cancer patients, and 46 postmenopausal healthy controls. Results Microbial diversity was higher in breast cancer patients than in controls. Relative species abundance in gut microbiota did not differ significantly between premenopausal breast cancer patients and premenopausal controls. In contrast, relative abundance of 45 species differed significantly between postmenopausal patients and postmenopausal controls: 38 species were enriched in postmenopausal patients, including Escherichia coli , Klebsiella sp_1_1_55 , Prevotella amnii , Enterococcus gallinarum , Actinomyces sp. HPA0247 , Shewanella putrefaciens , and Erwinia amylovora , and 7 species were less abundant in postmenopausal patients, including Eubacterium eligens and Lactobacillus vaginalis . Acinetobacter radioresistens and Enterococcus gallinarum were positively but weakly associated with expression of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; Shewanella putrefaciens and Erwinia amylovora were positively but weakly associated with estradiol levels. Actinomyces sp. HPA0247 negatively but weakly correlated with CD3 + CD8 + T cell numbers. Further characterization of metagenome functional capacity indicated that the gut metagenomes of postmenopausal breast cancer patients were enriched in genes encoding lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, iron complex transport system, PTS system, secretion system, and beta-oxidation. Conclusion The composition and functions of the gut microbial community differ between postmenopausal breast cancer patients and healthy controls. The gut microbiota may regulate or respond to host immunity and metabolic balance. Thus, while cause and effect cannot be determined, there is a reproducible change in the microbiota of treatment-naive patients relative to matched controls.

In multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) of high-end equipment, parameter uncertainty significantly undermines performance robustness. Existing methods are limited in convergence efficiency and in controlling uncertainty propagation. To address this gap, we propose a multidisciplinary robust collaborative optimization method under parameter uncertainty (MRCO-PU). The approach augments traditional Collaborative Optimization (CO) with a collaborative optimization method based on weight distribution difference information (CO-WDDI) to accelerate cross-disciplinary convergence. It also integrates a double-layer EI–Kriging robust optimization model to enhance robustness under complex coupling and small-sample conditions. The MRCO-PU method targets single-objective, strongly coupled, multi-constraint MDO problems with high per-evaluation cost. The method was validated on a mathematical case and on a cantilever roadheader cutting-head case. In the mathematical case, the robust feasibility of the constraints increased from 0.49 to 1.00. In the engineering case, the specific energy consumption decreased by 6.3% under the premise of fully satisfying the robust feasibility of the constraints, leading to operational cost minimization under uncertainty. This work provides an effective approach to multidisciplinary robust optimization for high-end equipment.

Since there is a paucity of reference data in the literature to indicate the relationship between HbA1c, and 24 h mean blood glucose (MBG) from continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in Chinese populations, we described the above relationship in adult Chinese subjects with different glucose tolerance status. Seven-hundred-and-forty-two individuals without history of diabetes were included to the study at 11 hospitals in urban areas across China from 2007-2009 and data of 673 subjects were included into the final analysis. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) classified the participants as nondiabetic subjects, including those with normal glucose regulation (NGR; n = 121) and impaired glucose regulation (IGR; n = 209), or newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (n = 343). All participants completed testing for HbA1c levels and wore a CGM system for three consecutive days. The 24 h MBG levels were calculated. Spearman correlations and linear regression analyses were applied to quantify the relationship between glucose markers. The levels of HbA1c and 24 h MBG significantly increased with presence of glucose intolerance (NGR

Journal Article

Share this book

Add to My Shelf