Large DOF microscopic fringe projection profilometry with a coaxial light-field structure.

Fringe projection profilometry (FPP) has been widely researched for three-dimensional (3D) microscopic measurement during recent decades. Nevertheless, some disadvantages arising from the limited depth of field and occlusion still exist and need to be further addressed. In this paper, light field imaging is introduced for microscopic fringe projection profilometry (MFPP) to obtain a larger depth of field. Meanwhile, this system is built with a coaxial structure to reduce occlusion, where the principle of triangulation is no longer applicable. In this situation, the depth information is estimated based on the epipolar plane image (EPI) of light field. In order to make a quantitative measurement, a metric calibration method which establishes the mapping between the slope of the line feature in EPI and the depth information is proposed for this system. Finally, a group of experiments demonstrate that the proposed LF-MFPP system can work well for depth estimation with a large DOF and reduced occlusion.

Extraction and spatiotemporal changes of open-pit mines during 1985-2020 using Google Earth Engine: A case study of Qingzhou City, Shandong Province, China.

The global use of mineral resources has increased exponentially for decades and will continue to grow for the foreseeable future, resulting in increasingly negative impacts on the surrounding environment. However, to date, there are a lack of historical and current spatial extent datasets with high accuracy for mining areas in many parts of the world, which has hindered a more comprehensive understanding of the environmental impacts of mining. Using the Google Earth Engine cloud platform and the Landsat normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) datasets, the spatial extent data of open-pit mining areas for eight years (1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020) was extracted by the Otsu algorithm. The limestone mining areas in Qingzhou, Shandong Province, China, was selected as a case study. The annual maximum NDVI was first derived from the Landsat NDVI datasets, and then the Otsu algorithm was used to segment the annual maximum NDVI images to obtain the extent of the mining areas. Finally, the spatiotemporal characteristics of the mining areas in the study region were analyzed in reference to previous survey data. The results showed that the mining areas were primarily located in Shaozhuang Town, Wangfu Street and the northern part of Miaozi Town, and the proportion of mining areas within these three administrative areas has increased annually from 88% in 1985 to more than 98% in 2010. Moreover, the open-pit mining areas in ​​Qingzhou gradually expanded from a scattered, point-like distribution to a large, contiguous distribution. From 1985 to 2020, the open-pit mining area expanded to more than 10 times its original size at a rate of 0.5 km2/year. In 2015, this area reached its maximum size of 19.7 km2 and slightly decreased in 2020. Furthermore, the expansion of the mining areas in Qingzhou went through three stages: a slow growth period before 1995, a rapid expansion period from 1995 to 2005, and a shutdown and remediation period after 2005. A quantitative accuracy assessment was performed by calculating the Intersection over Union (IoU) of the extraction results and the visual interpretation results from Gaofen-2 images with 1-m spatial resolution. The IoU reached 72%. The results showed that it was feasible to threshold the Landsat annual maximum NDVI data by the Otsu algorithm to extract the annual spatial extent of the open-pit mining areas. Our method will be easily transferable to other regions worldwide, enabling the monitoring of mine environments.

Effect of terbutaline combined with budesonide in treatment of bronchial asthma and rehabilitation nursing.

Terbutaline aerosol and budesonide suspension are commonly used in the treatment of bronchial asthma, and budesonide suspension has local high efficiency and anti-inflammatory effects. In this paper, we selected 240 patients with bronchial asthma and randomly divided them into two groups. The experimental group was treated with atomization inhalation of terbutaline, after 5 minutes interval, nebulized inhalation of budesonide was performed. The control group was treated with atomized inhalation of mixed liquid as terbutaline and budesonide. After treatment, the cough scores of the two groups decreased, and the dyspnea score improved significantly compared with that before treatment (P<0.05).After treatment, the levels of IL-6, BNP and CRP were decreased in the two groups. There was a significant difference between the two groups after treatment (P<0.05). The incidence of adverse drug reactions was low. There were 2 cases of panic disorder and 8 cases of pharyngeal discomfort in the experimental group. The results show that the interval medication of terbutaline and budesonide in the treatment of bronchial asthma can achieve better clinical efficacy and can provide reference for clinical treatment. In addition, this method can effectively reduce the level of inflammatory factors in acute asthma patients, thereby reducing the damage of inflammatory factors to the body.

Gastric acid secretion and gastrin release during continuous vagal neuromonitoring in thyroid surgery.

PURPOSE: The vagus nerve (VN) has essential regulatory roles in the gastric acid secretion and gastrin release. Continuous intraoperative neuromonitoring (CIONM) via VN stimulation is a promising technique in thyroid surgery because it potentially avoids injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve. However, no studies have investigated changes in gastric acid secretion and gastrin release during CIONM. METHOD: This prospective study of 58 thyroid surgery patients compared gastric acid and serum gastrin at five time points: (1) before skin incision, (2) after baseline calibration of CIONM probe, (3) +20 min from baseline, (4) before probe removal, and (5) after extubation. Patients were excluded if they had any history of using tobacco, acid suppression medications, or drugs that affect gastric motility. Patients were also excluded if they had any history of gastroesophageal reflux symptoms, gastroesophageal reflux disease, peptic ulcer disease, helicobacter pylori infection, or chronic kidney disease. RESULTS: Non significant differences in mean gastric pH values were observed at all time points, i.e., (1) before skin incision (2.2 ± 0.2; p = 0.50), (2) after baseline calibration of CIONM probe (2.0 ± 0.8; p = 0.62), (3) +20 min from baseline (2.5 ± 0.5; p = 0.24), (4) before probe removal (2.9 ± 0.9; p = 0.52), and (5) after extubation (2.6 ± 1.0; p = 0.60). Comparisons of pH monitoring parameters revealed no significant differences in age, gender, side of CIONM (left vs. right), sequence of CIONM, or duration of CIONM. Gastrin values were normal in sequential determinations and did not significantly differ at any time points. CONCLUSIONS: CIONM performed via VN stimulation during total thyroidectomy in healthy patients does not influence gastrin secretion and gastric pH.

Continuous Intraoperative Neuromonitoring (C-IONM) Technique with the Automatic Periodic Stimulating (APS) Accessory for Conventional and Endoscopic Thyroid Surgery.

One of the most important trends in intraoperative neural monitoring (IONM) in thyroid surgery is currently the real-time monitoring of the vagus nerve (VN) in order to prevent recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) iatrogenic damages. Notably, continuous intraoperative neuromonitoring (C-IONM) seems to be superior to intermitted intraoperative neural monitoring (I-IONM) because it enhances standardization by permanent vagus nerve (VN) stimulation, and it provides entire and constant RLN function monitoring as the surgeon dissects and removes the thyroid gland. It also has to be highlighted that the surgical maneuvers for the automatic periodic stimulating (APS) placement must be accurate and standardized in order to avoid a potential iatrogenic morbidity on the VN function. We recommend the experienced surgeon be very careful in each step, with cautious dissection. With this review article we provide a comprehensive analyses of C-IONM technique with the APS accessory for conventional and endoscopic thyroid surgery.

Image-guided thyroid nodule ablation: technical notes and critical appraisal.

Image-guided thyroid nodule ablation is a relatively new technique for the management of thyroid disease. Notably, if there has been the correct patient selection and if they are performed in high volume centers and via a standardized technique, image-guided thyroid nodule ablation seems to be safe and effective and it can be used to treat thyroid goiters. However, there is still paucity of level 1 evidences and recommendation comparing ablation to surgical or to other non-surgical treatment modalities. Herein, some technical notes for the thyroid nodule ablation to achieve the critical view of safety are presented. Moreover, an additional remark and appraisal from a surgical point of view is described.

Evidence-based Analysis on The Clinical Impact of Intraoperative Neuromonitoring in Thyroid Surgery: State of the Art and Future Perspectives.

Laryngeal nerve injuries are one the most critical complications during thyroid and parathyroid surgery. Iatrogenic damages to the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) are relevant in terms of clinical implications, economic costs, and for malpractice litigation. In order to minimize potential neural damages, a standardized surgical technique is mandatory. Intraoperatory neuromonitoring (IONM) of the RLN is an important adjunct to the traditional approach and is a reliable tool for neural mapping and in dissection and prognostication of postoperative neural function 4. Because of this, most of the iatrogenic damages are not related to direct transection, but they are visually undetectable. Notwithstanding the increasing use of IONM at this stage, there is still the need for prospective, randomized, well-powered, and well-designed trials in order to further validate (via evidence-based data) the role of IONM in thyroid surgery. The aim of this review is to provide a critical analysis of the scientific evidences on the clinical impact of IONM in thyroid surgery showing the unsolved problems and the future challenges.

Assessment of a portable monitoring device WatchPAT 200 in the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea.

We assessed the accuracy of a wrist-worn device WatchPAT 200 for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and sleep and wakefulness indicators compared to standard polysomnography (PSG) using American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) criteria. Twenty-eight adults with suspected OSA underwent a standard in-hospital PSG while wearing a WatchPAT 200. PSG events were manually scored using AASM criteria; WatchPAT 200 data were collected and analyzed by an automatic algorithm. The accuracy of WatchPAT 200 algorithm in apnea hypopnea index (AHI) and sleep-wake detection was compared to standard PSG methodology. The study population consisted of 21 males and 7 females, mean age of 47.45 ± 13.46 years, and mean body mass index of 29.99 ± 5.74 kg/m(2). For AHI, the mean PSG score for events per hour was 23.00 ± 21.55 compared to a mean score of 25.99 ± 19.09 for WatchPAT (r = 0.92, P < 0.001). The agreement of the sleep-wake assessment based on 30-s bins between the PSG and the WatchPAT was 89 ± 6 %. WatchPAT 200 detected OSA based on AHI with comparable accuracy, and provided a reasonably accurate estimation of sleep and wakefulness in patients with OSA on an epoch-by-epoch basis.

Chlorogenic acid regulates the proliferation and migration of high-grade serous ovarian cancer cells through modulating the miR199a5p/DDR1 axis.

This study aimed to demonstrate that chlorogenic acid (CGA) has anticancer effects against ovarian cancer. The MTT assay was used to assess the optimum concentrations of CGA on the ovarian cancer cell lines OVCA433 and SKOV3, followed by the rate of apoptosis using Annexin V-FITC/PI. The mitochondrial membrane potential of ovarian tumour cells treated with CGA was evaluated using mitochondrial staining kits followed by Western blot analysis, immunofluorescence, and RT-PCR assays. The Trans-well migration assay conducted the percentage of cell migration, followed by wound healing and colony formation assays. CGA induces activation of mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptotic pathways in ovarian cancer cells. The discovery that miR-199a-5p is inversely correlated to DDR1, a receptor tyrosine kinase involved in collagen synthesis, was the major consequence of examining the various mechanisms involved in the development of ovarian cancer. After treatment with CGA, cells derived from ovarian cancer cells were deregulated partially via the miR199a5p/DDR1 axis, significantly affecting tumour suppression. DDR1 has been identified as a direct target of miR199a5p in these ovarian cancer cells. We found that CGA-induced loss of DDR1 caused the inactivation of NF-κB signalling downstream in the MMP, migration, and EMT pathways. The study results showed that CGA is a promising drug candidate for treating ovarian cancer, particularly because it exhibits anti-invasive and migrastatic properties.

Effects of Slope Aspect and Rainfall on Belowground Deep Fine Root Traits and Aboveground Tree Height.

The vertical root distribution and rooting depth are the main belowground plant functional traits used to indicate drought resistance in arid and semiarid regions. The effects of the slope aspect on the aboveground traits are visible but not the belowground deep root traits. We aimed to investigate the fine root traits of the locust tree (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) planted on southerly and northerly aspects, and the variations in the rooting depth in regions with different rainfall, as well as assessing how deep rooting, might affect the response to drought in a loess region. We selected three study sites with different rainfall amounts, with six sampling plots at each site (three each with southerly and northerly aspects). Soil core samples were collected down to the depth where no roots were present. The locust trees tended to develop deeper fine roots rather than greater heights. The tree height and diameter were greater for locust trees on northerly aspects, whereas trees on southerly aspects had significantly deeper rooting depths. Fine root traits (root length, root area, and root dry weight density) were higher in the southerly aspect for both Changwu and Ansai, but lower in Suide. The ratio of the root front depth tree height ranged from 1.04 to 3.17, which was higher on southerly than northerly aspects, and it increased as the rainfall decreased. Locust tree growth traits (belowground fine root and aboveground tree height) were positively correlated with the mean annual rainfall. The soil moisture content of the topsoil decreased as the rainfall decreased, but the pattern varied in the deep layer. Our results suggest that the variations in the belowground rooting depth under different slope aspects may be related to plant survival strategies. The vertical extension of the rooting depth and tree height may be key functional traits that determine plant growth in drought-prone regions.

Detection of genomic structure variants associated with wrinkled skin in Xiang pig by next generation sequencing.

Wrinkling is prominent manifestation of aging skin. A mutant phenotype characterized by systemic wrinkles and thickened skin was discovered in Xiang pig populations with incidence about 1-3%. The feature in histological structure was epidermal hyperplasia and thickening, collagen fibers disorder. To uncover genetic mechanisms for the mutant phenotype of Xiang pigs with systemic wrinkle (WXP), a genome-wide of structural variations (SVs) in WXP was described by next generation resequencing, taking Xiang pigs (XP) and European pigs (EUP) as compares. Total of 32,308 SVs were detected from three pig groups and 965 SVs were identified specifically from WXP, involving 481 protein-coding genes. These genes were mainly enriched in nuclear structure, ECM components and immunomodulatory pathways. According to gene function and enrichment analysis, we found that 65 candidate SVs in 59 protein genes were probably related with the systemic wrinkle of WXP. Of these, several genes are reported to be associate with aging, such as EIF4G2, NOLC1, XYLT1, FUT8, MDM2 and so on. The insertion/deletion and duplication variations of SVs in these genes resulted in the loss of stop-codon or frameshift mutation, and aberrant alternative splicing of transcripts. These genes are involved in cell lamin filament, intermediate filament cytoskeleton, supramolecular complex, cell differentiation and regulation of macromolecule metabolic process etc. Our study suggested that the loss of function or aberrant expression of these genes lead to structural disorder of nuclear and the extracellular matrix (ECM) in skin cells, which probably was the genetic mechanisms for the mutant phenotype of systemic skin wrinkle of Xiang pig.

Association of Increased Remnant Cholesterol and the Risk of Coronary Artery Disease: A Retrospective Study.

Background and Aims: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is the primary target of lipid-lowering therapy in coronary artery disease (CAD). But some patients with the normal levels of LDL-C still suffer from CAD progression and malignant outcomes (e.g., major adverse cardiovascular events [MACEs]), and the mechanism is unclear. The previous prospective studies demonstrated that the remnant cholesterol (RC) and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) were capable to predict the risk of CAD. This study evaluated the association between RC and non-HDL-C with the risk of CAD. Methods: In our study, 12,563 patients were enrolled. We categorized patients into four concordance/discordance groups according to the median of RC, LDL-C, and non-HDL-C. Then, we performed a propensity score matching (PSM) strategy. The unadjusted and adjusted multivariate logistic regression models were used to evaluate the relationship between the lipid concentrations. Results: In this study, 8,658 (68.9%) patients were male with a median age of 61 (54 and 67) years. The multivariate logistic regression showed the odds ratio (OR) of RC was 1.952 (CI = 1.276-2.988, p = 0.002). The OR of the low RC/high LDL-C group was 0.626 (CI = 0.504-0.778, p < 0.001) and the OR of the low RC/high non-HDL-C group was 0.574 (CI = 0.462-0.714, p < 0.001). The p-values for interaction between the RC and hypertension, diabetes were both < 0.001. Conclusion: Our study showed a significant association between the RC and CAD. The level of RC was more capable to reflect the risk of CAD than LDL-C and non-HDL-C. There was an interaction relationship between RC and age, gender, hypertension, diabetes, in CAD. But we did not find whether there was a relationship between the non-HDL-C and CAD.

Association of an intronic variant of the heme oxygenase-1 gene with hypertension in northern Chinese Han population.

Heme oxygenase was regarded as a regulator of oxidative stress, which was believed to underlie the etiology of hypertension. To assess the effect of its encoded genes (HMOX1 and HMOX2) on hypertension, we designed a case-control study in 503 cases and 490 controls. The results indicated that the rs9607267 of the HMOX1 gene was significantly associated with essential hypertension (EH) and the Hap3(T-C-G) of the HMOX1 gene was also significantly associated with the risk of EH. No association was observed between the HMOX2 gene and EH. The multifactor-dimensionality reduction analyses results did not show any interaction between the HMOX1 and HMOX2 genes underlying the development of hypertension.

Soymilk residue (okara) as a natural immobilization carrier for Lactobacillus plantarum cells enhances soymilk fermentation, glucosidic isoflavone bioconversion, and cell survival under simulated gastric and intestinal conditions.

Cell immobilization is an alternative to microencapsulation for the maintenance of cells in a liquid medium. However, artificial immobilization carriers are expensive and pose a high safety risk. Okara, a food-grade byproduct from soymilk production, is rich in prebiotics. Lactobacilli could provide health enhancing effects to the host. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of okara as a natural immobilizer for L. plantarum 70810 cells. The study also aimed to evaluate the effects of okara-immobilized L. plantarum 70810 cells (IL) on soymilk fermentation, glucosidic isoflavone bioconversion, and cell resistance to simulated gastric and intestinal stresses. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to show cells adherence to the surface of okara. Lactic acid, acetic acid and isoflavone analyses in unfermented and fermented soymilk were performed by HPLC with UV detection. Viability and growth kinetics of immobilized and free L. plantarum 70810 cells (FL) were followed during soymilk fermentation. Moreover, changes in pH, titrable acidity and viscosity were measured by conventional methods. For in vitro testing of simulated gastrointestinal resistance, fermented soymilk was inoculated with FL or IL and an aliquot incubated into acidic MRS broth which was conveniently prepared to simulate gastric, pancreatic juices and bile salts. Survival to simulated gastric and intestinal stresses was evaluated by plate count of colony forming units on MRS agar. SEM revealed that the lactobacilli cells attached and bound to the surface of okara. Compared with FL, IL exhibited a significantly higher specific growth rate, shorter lag phase of growth, higher productions of lactic and acetic acids, a faster decrease in pH and increase in titrable acidity, and a higher soymilk viscosity. Similarly, IL in soymilk showed higher productions of daizein and genistein compared with the control. Compared with FL, IL showed reinforced resistance to simulatedgastric and intestinal stresses in vitro that included low pH, low pH plus pepsin, pancreatin, and bile salt. Our results indicate that okara is a new potential immobilization carrier to enhance the growth and glucosidic isoflavone bioconversion activities of L. plantarum in soymilk and improve cell survivability following simulated gastric and intestinal conditions.

Continuous intraoperative neuromonitoring in thyroid surgery: Safety analysis of 400 consecutive electrode probe placements with standardized procedures.

BACKGROUND: Continuous intraoperative neuromonitoring (C-IONM) is a new technology and it is appropriate to analyze its safety. METHODS: C-IONM was performed according to a standardized technique to control any adverse events and electrode positioning issues. RESULTS: Four hundred vagal nerve dissections were analyzed considering vagal nerve diameter, mean time effort for C-IONM probe positioning, and electrode dislocation rate. A significant superior dislocation rate in case of: (a) when a 3 mm automatic periodic stimulating (APS) electrode size was used in a vagal nerve diameter <2 mm; (b) anterior access; and (c) vagal nerve A subtype in relation (p < .05). No related additional local or systemic morbidity was registered in this series. There was a statistically significant positive relationship between increased diameter of vagal nerve and increased electromyography (EMG) amplitude (p = .03). There was also a significant increase of amplitude between initial and final vagal nerve stimulation in uneventful cases (p = .02). CONCLUSION: We analyzed the technical issues to achieve improved vagal nerve critical view of safety dissection, stimulation, and C-IONM probe placement. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E1568-E1574, 2016.