Research on precise phenotype identification and growth prediction of lettuce based on deep learning.

In recent years, precision agriculture, driven by scientific monitoring, precise management, and efficient use of agricultural resources, has become the direction for future agricultural development. The precise identification and assessment of phenotypes, which serve as external representations of a crop's growth, development, and genetic characteristics, are crucial for the realization of precision agriculture. Applications surrounding phenotypic indices also provide significant technical support for optimizing crop cultivation management and advancing smart agriculture, contributing to the efficient and high-quality development of precision agriculture.This paper focuses on lettuce and employs common nutritional stress conditions during growth as experimental settings. By collecting RGB images throughout the lettuce's complete growth cycle, we developed a deep learning-based computational model to tackle key issues in the lettuce's growth and precisely identify and assess phenotypic indices. We discovered that some phenotypic indices, including custom ones defined in this study, are representative of the lettuce's growth status. By dynamically monitoring the changes in phenotypic traits during growth, we quantitatively analyzed the accumulation and evolution of phenotypic indices across different growth stages. On this basis, a predictive model for lettuce growth and development was trained.The model incorporates MSE, SSIM, and perceptual loss, significantly enhancing the predictive accuracy of the lettuce growth images and phenotypic indices. The model trained with the reconstructed loss function outperforms the original model, with the SSIM and PSNR improving by 1.33% and 10.32%, respectively. The model also demonstrates high accuracy in predicting lettuce phenotypic indices, with an average error less than 0.55% for geometric indices and less than 1.7% for color and texture indices. Ultimately, it achieves intelligent monitoring and management throughout the lettuce's life cycle, providing technical support for high-quality and efficient lettuce production.

Outcomes After Rotator Cuff Repair With Transverse Scapular Ligament Release in Patients With Severe Fatty Degeneration of the Infraspinatus.

BACKGROUND: In some large to massive rotator cuff tears (RCTs), fatty degeneration (FD) is more severe in the infraspinatus than the supraspinatus muscle, and in such cases, suprascapular neuropathy is highly suspected. Nerve release at the suprascapular notch might alleviate this problem. PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of the transverse scapular ligament (TSL) release in patients with large to massive RCTs with more severe FD of the infraspinatus than the supraspinatus. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: Between September 2017 and January 2022, arthroscopic TSL release with rotator cuff repair was performed in patients with large to massive RCTs and more severe FD of the infraspinatus muscle than the supraspinatus muscle (TSL group). Cuff integrity, FD, and atrophy of cuff muscles were evaluated using preoperative and 1-year postoperative magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, results were compared with those of patients who did not undergo TSL release during arthroscopic large to massive rotator cuff repair (NTSL group). RESULTS: A total of 103 patients-20 in the TSL group and 83 in the NTSL group-were included. Group preoperative characteristics, including tear size and supraspinatus FD, were not significantly different, but infraspinatus FD (TSL vs NTSL; grade, 0-4, 0/0/5/10/5 vs 1/33/42/4/3) and atrophy (grade, 1-3. 3/9/8 vs 56/20/7) differed significantly (P < .001). Healing failure occurred in 13 of 20 (65%) patients in the TSL group and 30 of 83 (36%) patients in the NTSL group, which was a statistically significant difference (P = .019). Postoperatively, infraspinatus FD and atrophy were more severe in the TSL group than in the NTSL group (P < .001), and supraspinatus FD was more severe in the TSL group (P = .029). Seven patients in the TSL group achieved healing, but FD and atrophy of the supraspinatus and the infraspinatus showed no improvement in this group (all, P > .05). CONCLUSION: In patients with more FD in the infraspinatus than the supraspinatus muscle, TSL release appeared to have no benefit for cuff healing or FD reversal in cuff muscles. The possibility of suprascapular nerve entrapment remains in patients with more FD in the infraspinatus than the supraspinatus, and this potential nerve problem is not properly addressed by TSL release alone.

Design of IoT Gateway for Crop Growth Environmental Monitoring Based on Edge-Computing Technology.

With the extensive use of the Internet of Things (IoT) in agriculture, the number of terminals are also grow rapidly. This will increase the network traffic and computing pressure of the centralized server. The centralized data processing mode used in traditional agriculture cannot meet the needs of the Internet of everything era. This paper designs a gateway based on edge-computing technology for monitoring crop growth environment. It uses virtualized container technology to package long-range wide-area network (LoRaWAN) server, pest identification, and environmental information data fusion functions into images. It forms integrated operation mode of multiple function in agriculture. The gateway applies message-oriented middleware to standardize and customize the data transmission among functional modules, clouds, and edges. Through simulation and field test, the designed gateway can achieve the functions of each module at the same time, the resource utilization, and the transmission quality are stable. The edge-computing gateway has the advantages of low cost, low latency, and low power consumption which has practical significance.

Targeting ion channels for the treatment of lung cancer.

Lung cancer is caused by several environmental and genetic variables and is globally associated with elevated morbidity and mortality. Among these variables, membrane-bound ion channels have a key role in regulating multiple signaling pathways in tumor cells and dysregulation of ion channel expression and function is closely related to proliferation, migration, and metastasis of lung cancer. This work reviews and summarizes current knowledge about the role of ion channels in lung cancer, focusing on the changes in the expression and function of various ion channels in lung cancer and how these changes affect lung cancer cell biology both in vitro and in vivo as evidenced by both genetic and pharmacological studies. It can help understand the molecular mechanisms of various ion channels influencing the initiation and progression of lung cancer and shed new insights into their roles in the development and treatment of this deadly disease.

Primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma: A case report of pathological complete response (pCR) by neoadjuvant treatment.

RATIONALE: Primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (PPLELC) is a rare subtype of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It is predominantly reported in East Asia and currently there is no standard treatment for this disease. We report a case of stage IV PPLELC that achieved pathological complete response (pCR) by neoadjuvant treatment. PATIENT CONCERNS: The patient was a 46-year-old male who developed hemoptysis for about 20 ml of volume accompanied by cough and sputum after physical labor. DIAGNOSES: Contrast enhanced chest CT scanning showed occupation of left lower hilar area and left pleural effusion. Combined with medical history and auxiliary examination, the patient was formally diagnosed stage IV lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the left lower lung (T3N0M1a pleura). INTERVENTIONS: The patient was given Sintilimab combined with gemcitabine + nedaplatin chemotherapy (GP) regimen for four cycles with 3 weeks as a cycle, supplemented with antiemetics and stomach protection drugs to reduce chemotherapy-related side effects. OUTCOMES: After 4 cycles of treatment, the patient's left lung lesion has been markedly reduced and the left pleural effusion has also been significantly absorbed. Remarkably, surgical biopsies found no cancer cells in the lesion site and postoperative pathology showed complete pathological remission (pCR). LESSONS: We reported a case of PPLELC that is sensitive to neoadjuvant treatment, showing excellent effectiveness and safety and achieving pCR.

Association between maternal thallium exposure and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: Evidence from a birth cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The adverse effects of TI exposure on pregnant women are still unclear, especially regarding the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) Objective: We explored the association between maternal urinary Tl burden and the risk of GDM. METHODS: A subsample of 1789 pregnant women were enrolled who provided spot urine samples before the diagnostic 75-g oral glucose tolerance test. Urinary Tl concentration was measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Logistic regression and covariance analysis were carried out to estimate the association between Tl exposure and GDM risk. RESULTS: The median of urinary Tl concentration was 0.382 µg/L or 0.525 µg/g creatinine (CC-Tl). There were 437 (24.4%) participants who were diagnosed with GDM, and the urinary CC-Tl concentrations of pregnant women with GDM were higher than that of pregnant women without GDM [0.548 (0.402, 0.788) vs 0.518 (0.356, 0.724), p = 0.014]. After adjusting for the relevant covariates, an association between urinary Tl concentrations and GDM was found. In comparison to the pregnant women in the lowest quartile of urinary CC-Tl concentration, the pregnant women in the highest quartile had a higher risk of GDM [OR (95% CI) = 1.44 (1.03, 2.02), p-trend = 0.055]. If limited to the pregnant women without family history of diabetes, the results were still robust [OR (95% CI) = 1.59 (1.11, 2.30), p-trend = 0.012]. CONCLUSION: Urinary CC-Tl concentration was associated with GDM among Chinese pregnant women. Our findings provide evidence that moderately high Tl exposure may be a novel risk factor for pregnant women health.

Predicting the risk for colorectal cancer with personal characteristics and fecal immunochemical test.

We aimed to predict colorectal cancer (CRC) based on the demographic features and clinical correlates of personal symptoms and signs from Tianjin community-based CRC screening data.A total of 891,199 residents who were aged 60 to 74 and were screened in 2012 were enrolled. The Lasso logistic regression model was used to identify the predictors for CRC. Predictive validity was assessed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Bootstrapping method was also performed to validate this prediction model.CRC was best predicted by a model that included age, sex, education level, occupations, diarrhea, constipation, colon mucosa and bleeding, gallbladder disease, a stressful life event, family history of CRC, and a positive fecal immunochemical test (FIT). The area under curve (AUC) for the questionnaire with a FIT was 84% (95% CI: 82%-86%), followed by 76% (95% CI: 74%-79%) for a FIT alone, and 73% (95% CI: 71%-76%) for the questionnaire alone. With 500 bootstrap replications, the estimated optimism (<0.005) shows good discrimination in validation of prediction model.A risk prediction model for CRC based on a series of symptoms and signs related to enteric diseases in combination with a FIT was developed from first round of screening. The results of the current study are useful for increasing the awareness of high-risk subjects and for individual-risk-guided invitations or strategies to achieve mass screening for CRC.

Effects of Oxalic Acid on Arsenic Uptake and the Physiological Responses of Hydrilla verticillata Exposed to Different Forms of Arsenic.

A hydroponic experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of oxalic acid (OA) on arsenic (As) uptake and the physiological responses of Hydrilla verticillata exposed to 3 mg L-1 of As in different forms. Plant As(III) uptake was significantly increased by 200-2000 µg L-1 OA. However, an increase of As(V) uptake was only shown with 1000 µg L-1 OA, and no significant difference was observed with dimethylarsinate treatment. Peroxidase and catalase activities, and the contents of photosynthetic pigments, soluble sugar and proline, were significantly increased by 1000 µg L-1 OA during As(III) treatment. Superoxide dismutase and proline were also increased significantly by 1000 µg L-1 OA when plants were exposed to As(V). In DMA treatment, proline was significantly increased by 500 µg L-1 OA. Therefore, As-induced oxidative stress is relieved by OA, but it depends on OA concentration and the form of As. Our results may be useful for the phytoremediation of waste water containing As and OA.

Evaluation of the effect of photodynamic therapy with hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether on VX2 tumors implanted in the rectal submucosa of rabbits.

We evaluated the influence of the photodynamic therapy (PDT) dosage with hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether (HMME) on its therapeutic efficacy in a rabbit model of in situ rectal cancer. VX2 cells were injected into the rectal submucosa of a rabbit to establish a carcinoma model in situ. After 10-14days, the tumors were treated with PDT at three dosages: a low dose (5mg/kg HMME; 60J/cm(2) laser power), intermediate dose (5mg/kg; 240J/cm(2)), and high dose (10mg/kg; 360J/cm(2)). Tumor growth, animal survival, histopathological changes, general conditions, and adverse reactions were analyzed. PDT showed inhibitive effects on rectal cancer in all PDT groups, and the efficacy was correlated with the PDT dosage. The high dose PDT group had the best efficacy with a remarkable response rate of 20% and slight response rate of 80%, but it also had the highest death rate of 80% at day 7. The intermediate dose PDT group had a total response rate of 80% (60% remarkable plus 20% slight) and a 40% death rate. Comparably, the low dose PDT group had a 40% slight response rate and 60% death rate. Therefore, the intermediate dose of PDT was considered to be optimal among the three groups. Based on endoscopy findings, we also found that high dose PDT presented more side effects including inflammation, intestinal obstruction, rectal dysfunction, and death when PDT was performed on tumors inside the rectal tract. Our results indicate that a moderate PDT dose is more appropriate to treat tumors located in tract or cavity tissues.

Evaluation of body weight-based vancomycin therapy and the incidence of nephrotoxicity: a retrospective study in the northwest of China.

OBJECTIVE: To identify specific risk factors of vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity in China, as the relationship between vancomycin therapy (dosing and trough concentration monitoring) and nephrotoxicity has been the subject of critical debate. METHODS: The cases of 90 critically ill patients who received vancomycin therapy in Xijing Hospital in the northwest of China between March 2014 and January 2015 were reviewed retrospectively. Vancomycin dosing, blood serum trough concentration, and other independent risk factors associated with nephrotoxicity were evaluated in a multivariable model. RESULTS: Among the 90 critically ill patients, 59 were males; mean age was 46.3 years. The indications for vancomycin use were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-associated pneumonia, central nervous system infection, and bacteremia. Clinical pharmacists prescribed weight-based dosing, ranging from 20 to 45mg/kg/day. Fourteen (15.6%) patients developed nephrotoxicity, with serum creatinine elevated significantly from a mean (standard deviation) of 90.0 (18.8) µmol/l to 133.8 (63.2) µmol/l (p = 0.015). It was found that those with a vancomycin dosage >38mg/kg/day (50.0% vs. 11.3%, p = 0.004) and a vancomycin serum trough concentration >20mg/l (57.1% vs. 12.0%, p = 0.01) were more likely to develop nephrotoxicity. CONCLUSION: The data from this study indicate that a vancomycin dosage >38mg/kg/day and a serum trough level >20mg/l are both independent factors associated with the development of nephrotoxicity, suggesting that renal function should be monitored closely during vancomycin treatment.

Risk factors for post-ERCP pancreatitis: a systematic review of clinical trials with a large sample size in the past 10 years.

BACKGROUND: Post- endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis (PEP) is the most common and most severe complication associated with diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP. A multivariate analysis of risk factors for PEP is essential for identifying patients at high risk and subsequently choosing other suitable diagnoses. METHODS: Pertinent publications were identified through systematic searches of MEDLINE, Elsevier, and Springer; we performed a systematic review of 12 clinical studies published in the past ten years, selected out of 451 reviewed articles, in which risk factors for pancreatitis were identified. Seven probable risk factors were evaluated, and outcomes expressed in the case of dichotomous variables, as an odds ratio (OR) (with a 95% confidence interval, 95% CI). RESULTS: When the risk factors were analyzed, the OR for female gender was 1.40 (95% CI 1.24 to 1.58); the OR for previous PEP was 3.23 (95% CI 2.48 to 4.22); the OR for previous pancreatitis was 2.00 (95% CI 1.72 to 2.33); the OR for endoscopic sphincterotomy was 1.42 (95% CI 1.14 to 1.78); the OR for precut sphincterotomy was 2.11 (95% CI 1.72 to 2.59); the OR for Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction was 4.37 (95% CI 3.75 to 5.09); and the OR for non-prophylactic pancreatic duct stent was 2.10 (95% CI 1.63 to 2.69). CONCLUSIONS: It appears that female gender, previous PEP, previous pancreatitis, endoscopic sphincterotomy, precut sphincterotomy, Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, and non-prophylactic pancreatic duct stent are the risk factors for post-ERCP pancreatitis.

Building polyzwitterion-based multilayers for responsive membranes.

We systematically investigate the assembly of multilayers based on a polyzwitterion (PSBMA) and a polycation (PDADMAC) for the development of ionic strength responsive membranes. Although the polyzwitterion is essentially charge neutral, we show that specific electrostatic interactions with the PDADMAC allow for the formation of stable multilayers. The growth of this LbL system is monitored on model surfaces (silica) via optical reflectometry for different pH values and ionic strengths. While no effect of pH on the layer growth is observed, we did observe a strong dependence on the ionic strength. Upon increasing the ionic strength during deposition from 0.005 to 0.5 M NaCl, the adsorbed amount is significantly decreased, a behavior that is opposite to classical LbL systems. Similar results to those obtained on silica are also observed on top of classical LbL systems and on polymeric membranes. This demonstrates that the growth of the polyzwitterion multilayers is independent of the substrate. Coating these polyzwitterion multilayers on hollow fiber membranes via dip-coating yields membranes that are stimuli responsive toward the ionic strength of the filtration solution, with an increase in permeability of up to 108% from 0 to 1.5 M NaCl. We show that the fabrication of the polyzwitterion multilayers is an easy and controlled way to provide surfaces, such as membranes, with the specific functionalities of polyzwitterions.

Lonely people are no longer lonely on social networking sites: the mediating role of self-disclosure and social support.

Most previous studies assert the negative effect of loneliness on social life and an individual's well-being when individuals use the Internet. To expand this previous research tradition, the current study proposes a model to test whether loneliness has a direct or indirect effect on well-being when mediated by self-disclosure and social support. The results show that loneliness has a direct negative impact on well-being but a positive effect on self-disclosure. While self-disclosure positively influences social support, self-disclosure has no impact on well-being, and social support positively influences well-being. The results also show a full mediation effect of social support in the self-disclosure to well-being link. The results imply that even if lonely people's well-being is poor, their well-being can be enhanced through the use of SNSs, including self-presentation and social support from their friends.

Quantification of extrapulmonary translocation of intratracheal-instilled particles in vivo in rats: effect of lipopolysaccharide.

Particulate air pollution is associated with respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, important uncertainties remain in the quantification of extrapulmonary translocation of ultrafine particles into blood circulation. Therefore, the widely used radioiodinated technique was applied to radiolabel polystyrene particles with an average diameter of 56.4 and 202 nm, respectively. The extrapulmonary distribution of these particles (3.7 x 10(5) Bq/rat) was quantified at 0.5, 2, 24 and 120 h after intratracheal instillation in rats. Moreover, we have taken into account the possible involvement of pulmonary inflammation in this process. Rats which received a single intratracheal instillation of free 125I or a single intravenous injection of labeled ultrafine particles served as control. The results indicated that the pulmonary deposition of radioactivity was almost unchanged for both sizes. Only small amounts of radioactivity (1.64-2.49%) were recovered in blood shortly after administration of both types of particle, in healthy rats. However, the extent of particle translocation into the blood of the ultrafine size following the pretreatment with lipopolysaccharides was significantly higher (from 1.96 +/- 0.67 to 4.73 +/- 0.31%) compared to larger particles (from 2.19 +/- 0.77 to 2.21 +/- 0.64%). In conclusion, our findings suggest that only a small fraction of intratracheal-instilled ultrafine particles can pass rapidly into systemic circulation, but this translocation is markedly increased following LPS pretreatment. Thus, pulmonary inflammation seems to play a major role in enhancing the extrapulmonary translocation of particles.

Radiolabelling of poly(histidine) derivatized biodegradable microspheres with the 188Re tricarbonyl complex [188Re(CO)3(H2O)3]+.

OBJECTIVES: Many radiopharmaceuticals have been studied as radiation synovectomy agents. In this study, we developed a new potential agent for radiation synovectomy: poly(lactic acid)-histidine (PLA-his) microspheres radiolabelled with [188Re(CO)3(H2O)3]+. METHODS: The reaction conditions for the chelation of [188Re(CO)3(H2O)3]+ and the radiolabelling of PLA microspheres were optimized and the stabilities for both steps tested in vitro. RESULTS: The chelation efficiency of [188Re(CO)3(H2O)3]+ reached 93.12 +/- 1.82% with >95% radiochemical purity once the colloidal and free 188Re were removed by a small Sep-Pak column (Plus QMA). More than 90% of radioactivity stayed in the [188Re(CO)3(H2O)3]+ form over 5 h. The radiolabelling efficiency of PLA-his microspheres with [188Re(CO)3(H2O)3]+ was above 92%. After 3 days incubation at 37 degrees C in calf serum, more than 80% of the radioactivity was still bound to the microspheres. CONCLUSION: Such microspheres are potentially useful as a radiation synovectomy agent for the treatment of chronically inflamed arthritic joints. Furthermore, they might be valuable in cancer brachytherapy.