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In this research, an image defogging algorithm is proposed for the electricity transmission line monitoring system in the smart city. The electricity transmission line image is typically situated in the top part of the image which is rather thin in size. Because the electricity transmission line is situated outside, there is frequently a sizable amount of sky in the backdrop. Firstly, an optimized quadtree segmentation method for calculating global atmospheric light is proposed, which gives higher weight to the upper part of the image with the sky region. This prevents interference from bright objects on the ground and guarantees that the global atmospheric light is computed in the top section of the image with the sky region. Secondly, a method of transmission calculation based on dark pixels is introduced. Finally, a detail sharpening post-processing based on visibility level and air light level is introduced to enhance the detail level of electricity transmission lines in the defogging image. Experimental results indicate that the algorithm performs well in enhancing the image details, preventing image distortion and avoiding image oversaturation.

To investigate the separation of Ni(II) impurity and the refining of the electrolyte for magnesium electrolysis, the electrochemical behavior of the Ni(II) impurity in the MgCl 2 –KCl–NaCl melt at 973 K has been studied using several techniques, including cyclic voltammetry (CV), square wave voltammetry (SWV), and chronoamperometry (CA). Based on the analysis of the CV and SWV curves, it can be inferred that the reduction of Ni(II) in the MgCl 2 –KCl–NaCl melt at the tungsten electrode exhibits a quasi-reversible reaction. This reaction involves the transfer of a pair of electrons in a single step. The diffusion coefficient was determined at 973 K to be 3.84 × 10 −5 cm 2 s −1 through the semi-integral method, with the activation energy for diffusion was found to be 45.81 kJ mol −1 . The reaction rate constant for the Ni(II) redox reaction was determined to be approximately 10 −3 cm s −1 using the Nicholson method. This value suggests that the reaction fall within the quasi-reversible range, as defined by the Matsuda–Ayabe standard. The results obtained from the CA technique have demonstrated that the deposition of nickel on the tungsten electrode occurs through an instantaneous nucleation process, which is primarily controlled by diffusion. Graphical abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation and recurrence are common in patients under immunosuppression and can be controlled by hepatitis B immunoglobulin, antivirals, and hepatitis B vaccine. However, the detailed analysis of HBV infection under immunosuppression is essential for the prophylaxis and therapy for HBV reactivation and recurrence. In this study, HBV replication and T cell responses were analyzed in a HBV-transfected mouse model under immunosuppressive therapy. During the treatment, HBV replication was at a high level in mice treated with dexamethasone, cyclosporine, and cyclophosphamide, whereas was terminated in mice treated with mycophenolate mofetil. After the withdrawal, HBV replication was at low or high levels in the dexamethasone-treated mice or in both cyclosporine- and cyclophosphamide-treated mice. The early withdrawal of cyclosporine allowed the recovery of suppressed T cell responses and led to subsequent HBV clearance, while the adoptive immune transfer to the mice with HBV persistence led to HBV suppression. Taken together, long-term HBV persistence under immunosuppression depends on the immunosuppressive drugs used and on the treatment duration and is mediated by the suppressed intrahepatic CD8 T cell response. These data may be helpful for individualized immunosuppressive therapy in patients with high risk of HBV reactivation and recurrence, and the mouse system is suitable for studying HBV reactivation and recurrence under immunosuppression.

A transgenic mouse, Vegfr2-luc, in which a luciferase reporter (luc) is under control of the murine VEGFR2 promoter, can be used to track angiogenesis in vivo. The aim of this study is to identify the offspring of Vegfr2-luc transgenic mouse. Luc was detected with PCR in genomic DNA of the new-born mouse. Luc expression in the offspring of Vegfr2-luc transgenic mouse was monitored with IVIS in vivo imaging system during post-natal development. Wound-healing models of Vegfr2-luc transgenic mouse offspring were established and the expression of luc was monitored during the wound-healing process. Luc activity and VEGFR2 mRNA expression in different organs were detected with luc Assay System and Real-time PCR respectively. PCR showed that 50% (56/112) of the offspring of Vegfr2-luc transgenic mouse carry luc. IVIS in vivo imaging results demonstrated that luc expression in Vegfr2-luc transgenic mouse dropped dramatically with age increase (P<0.001) and luc expression in the wound first increased and then decreased during the wound-healing process (P<0.001). Luc activity in female Vegfr2-luc transgenic mouse organs was positively correlated with VEGFR2 mRNA expression (r=0.948, P<0.001). Except testis, luc activity in male Vegfr2-luc transgenic mouse organs was also positively correlated with VEGFR2 mRNA expression (r=0.836, P<0.001). The offspring of Vegfr2-luc transgenic mouse is applicable to tracking angiogenesis in vivo.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation and recurrence are common in patients under immunosuppression and can be controlled by hepatitis B immunoglobulin, antivirals, and hepatitis B vaccine. However, the detailed analysis of HBV infection under immunosuppression is essential for the prophylaxis and therapy for HBV reactivation and recurrence. In this study, HBV replication and T cell responses were analyzed in a HBV-transfected mouse model under immunosuppressive therapy. During the treatment, HBV replication was at a high level in mice treated with dexamethasone, cyclosporine, and cyclophosphamide, whereas was terminated in mice treated with mycophenolate mofetil. After the withdrawal, HBV replication was at low or high levels in the dexamethasone-treated mice or in both cyclosporine- and cyclophosphamide-treated mice. The early withdrawal of cyclosporine allowed the recovery of suppressed T cell responses and led to subsequent HBV clearance, while the adoptive immune transfer to the mice with HBV persistence led to HBV suppression. Taken together, long-term HBV persistence under immunosuppression depends on the immunosuppressive drugs used and on the treatment duration and is mediated by the suppressed intrahepatic CD8 T cell response. These data may be helpful for individualized immunosuppressive therapy in patients with high risk of HBV reactivation and recurrence, and the mouse system is suitable for studying HBV reactivation and recurrence under immunosuppression.

This paper describes an information optimizing scheme which is developed by integrating rough set and hierarchical data fusion. The novel structural damage indices are extracted using the information from different sources and then imported into probabilistic neural network (PNN) for classification and health assessment. In order to enhance the accuracy of diagnosis, results from separate PNN classification are fused to achieve comprehensive decision. Rough set is employed to decrease the spatial dimension of data. The predictive accuracy of optimizing scheme is demonstrated on a helicopter, taken as an example, with varied sensors, for multiple damage identification.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation and recurrence are common in patients under immunosuppression and can be controlled by hepatitis B immunoglobulin, antivirals, and hepatitis B vaccine. However, the detailed analysis of HBV infection under immunosuppression is essential for the prophylaxis and therapy for HBV reactivation and recurrence. In this study, HBV replication and T cell responses were analyzed in a HBV-transfected mouse model under immunosuppressive therapy. During the treatment, HBV replication was at a high level in mice treated with dexamethasone, cyclosporine, and cyclophosphamide, whereas was terminated in mice treated with mycophenolate mofetil. After the withdrawal, HBV replication was at low or high levels in the dexamethasone-treated mice or in both cyclosporine- and cyclophosphamide-treated mice. The early withdrawal of cyclosporine allowed the recovery of suppressed T cell responses and led to subsequent HBV clearance, while the adoptive immune transfer to the mice with HBV persistence led to HBV suppression. Taken together, long-term HBV persistence under immunosuppression depends on the immunosuppressive drugs used and on the treatment duration and is mediated by the suppressed intrahepatic CD8 T cell response. These data may be helpful for individualized immunosuppressive therapy in patients with high risk of HBV reactivation and recurrence, and the mouse system is suitable for studying HBV reactivation and recurrence under immunosuppression.

This paper describes an information optimizing scheme which is developed by integrating rough set and hierarchical data fusion. The novel structural damage indices are extracted using the information from different sources and then imported into probabilistic neural network (PNN) for classification and health assessment. In order to enhance the accuracy of diagnosis, results from separate PNN classification are fused to achieve comprehensive decision. Rough set is employed to decrease the spatial dimension of data. The predictive accuracy of optimizing scheme is demonstrated on a helicopter, taken as an example, with varied sensors, for multiple damage identification.

Model Predictive Control (MPC) relies heavily on the robot model for its control law. However, a gap always exists between the reduced-order control model with uncertainties and the real robot, which degrades its performance. To address this issue, we propose the controller of integrating a data-driven error model into traditional MPC for quadruped robots. Our approach leverages real-world data from sensors to compensate for defects in the control model. Specifically, we employ the Autoregressive Moving Average Vector (ARMAV) model to construct the state error model of the quadruped robot using data. The predicted state errors are then used to adjust the predicted future robot states generated by MPC. By such an approach, our proposed controller can provide more accurate inputs to the system, enabling it to achieve desired states even in the presence of model parameter inaccuracies or disturbances. The proposed controller exhibits the capability to partially eliminate the disparity between the model and the real-world robot, thereby enhancing the locomotion performance of quadruped robots. We validate our proposed method through simulations and real-world experimental trials on a large-size quadruped robot that involves carrying a 20 kg un-modeled payload (84% of body weight).

Exploring the limits of quadruped robot agility, particularly in the context of rapid and real-time planning and execution of omnidirectional jump trajectories, presents significant challenges due to the complex dynamics involved, especially when considering significant impulse contacts. This paper introduces a new framework to enable fast, omnidirectional jumping capabilities for quadruped robots. Utilizing minimum jerk technology, the proposed framework efficiently generates jump trajectories that exploit its analytical solutions, ensuring numerical stability and dynamic compatibility with minimal computational resources. The virtual model control is employed to formulate a Quadratic Programming (QP) optimization problem to accurately track the Center of Mass (CoM) trajectories during the jump phase. The whole-body control strategies facilitate precise and compliant landing motion. Moreover, the different jumping phase is triggered by time-schedule. The framework's efficacy is demonstrated through its implementation on an enhanced version of the open-source Mini Cheetah robot. Omnidirectional jumps-including forward, backward, and other directional-were successfully executed, showcasing the robot's capability to perform rapid and consecutive jumps with an average trajectory generation and tracking solution time of merely 50 microseconds.