2D shape reconstruction of irregular particles with deep learning based on interferometric particle imaging.

Interferometric particle imaging (IPI) technology is widely used in the measurement of various particles. Obtaining particle shape information directly by IPI is challenging because of the complex relationship between the speckle distribution of interference-defocused speckle patterns and the shape of the corresponding irregular particles. Considering this challenge, we implement a deep learning method based on the convolutional neural network (CNN) to reconstruct defocused images of sand particles with sparse features. We also introduce the negative Pearson correlation coefficient as the loss function. To verify the feasibility of our method, we implemented it to reconstruct defocused images obtained from IPI experiments. Finally, compared with another common CNN-based structure, we confirmed that our network structure has good performance in the shape reconstruction of irregular particles.

IRF3 and IRF7 contribute to diesel exhaust particles-induced pulmonary inflammation by mediating mTORC1 activation and restraining autophagy in mice.

Exposure to diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) is associated with acute inflammatory responses in the lung and exacerbation of respiratory diseases. However, the mechanism by which DEPs trigger the inflammatory responses remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that the IFN response factors IRF3 and IRF7 played pivotal roles in DEP-induced pulmonary inflammation. DEPs could not directly induce inflammatory cytokine expression in mouse cells, whereas DEPs triggered autophagy both in vitro and in vivo. The DEP-induced autophagy was augmented in the absence of IRF3 and IRF7, but not in the absence of IFNAR. The expression of Raptor was induced by IRF3 and IRF7 in response to DEPs treatment. Furthermore, administration of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor alleviated the inflammatory responses in the lung during DEP exposure. Our findings define an IFNAR-independent role of increased autophagy in the absence of IRF3 and IRF7 during pulmonary DEP exposure, and provide the basis to develop new therapeutic approaches to counteract the adverse effects of DEPs and possibly other ambient particulate matters.

Comparison of aspect ratios of ellipsoidal particles through interferometric out-of-focus images.

Based on the interferometric particle imaging (IPI) technology, we present a method for comparison of aspect ratios of ellipsoidal particles. By simulating the interference in-focus and out-of-focus images of transparent ellipsoidal particles with different aspect ratios, we find that, under the same orientation angle, the larger the particle aspect ratio is, the higher the spatial frequency of the out-of-focus image. The IPI system is established to experimentally acquire the out-of-focus images of the transparent ellipsoidal particles. Because the experimental results agree with the simulation, we propose a method to compare the aspect ratios of ellipsoidal particles using out-of-focus images. The method features potential applications in particle measurements.

Measurement of cloud particles in a cloud chamber based on interference technology.

Based on interference technology, a cloud particle measurement system is designed. The scattering angle of the system is selected as 90°. The iterative mean filter algorithm is modified, and the system testing using laboratory measurement is completed. The measurement of the spectral distribution of warm cloud particles in a cloud chamber is realized. Similar particle-sized distributions are observed under different pressures, and the particle size is mainly distributed in the range of 5 to 50 µm. The peak appears at particle sizes of 20 to 30 µm. This system features potential applications in cloud microphysics research.

Determination of the orientation of transparent spheroids using interference technology.

The distribution of light scattered by a spheroidal particle is sensitive to the orientation of the particle. Based on interference technology, we present a method for obtaining the orientation of the spheroidal particle from in-focus and out-of-focus images. We simulate the in-focus images using the LightTools. From the optical transfer matrix theory, we obtain both the in-focus and corresponding out-of-focus images using Matlab. We find that the glare-point distribution of the in-focus image exhibits axial symmetry for a spheroidal particle and that it is perpendicular to the speckle orientation of the out-of-focus image. We establish an interferometric particle imaging system to experimentally acquire the out-of-focus and in-focus images of the transparent spheroidal particles. The experimental results agree with the simulations. We are thus able to propose a method for obtaining the orientation of a spheroidal particle using either the in-focus image or out-of-focus image. The method has potential applications in particle measurements.

Multidispersed bubble-size measurements by interferometric particle imaging at scattering angles of 90° and 45°.

Measurements of multidispersed bubble diameter are important in hydraulics, biology, and other such fields. Interferometric particle imaging (IPI) systems are used to measure the bubble diameter. In geometric approximation, the scattering angle cannot be greater than 2arccosm. We propose a universal method for calculating the bubble diameter at wide scattering angles and use an IPI system to measure the bubble-size distribution at 90° and 45°. The particle size distributions measured at two angles are consistent with each other. The results of this study indicate that this method is suitable for measuring the bubble-size distribution.

Species diversity of house dust mites in Beijing, China.

Even though house dust mites are one of the most important allergens, there have been few studies in China for their identification and diversity. In this study, we reported that Dermatophagoides siboney was found for the first time in Beijing, China, in a temperate zone and it was also the first reported in Asia. This survey of mite prevalence was carried out in several districts of Beijing, a city of thirty million people. House dust samples were collected from 38 homes of mite-allergic patients who visited our Allergy Department from December 2008 to January 2010. Out of 345 house dust samples collected, 64% contained mites. Dermatophagoides farinae was the predominant species in the mite population found and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus was second, and Dermatophagoides siboney was the third. The positive rates of samples were higher in single-story homes and lower buildings. The seasonal density distribution of house dust mites showed the highest mite concentration in September through October, followed by May through July, December to next January; and lowest in March and November.

A Study on the Effectiveness of Rumor Control via Social Media Networks to Alleviate Public Panic About COVID-19.

The COVID-19 outbreak triggered a massive spread of unverified news on social media and has become a source of rumors. This paper studies the impact of a virtual rumor control center (RCC) on Weibo user behavior. The collected COVID-19 breaking news stories were divided into positive, negative, and neutral categories, while the moderating effect model was used to analyze the influence of anti-rumor on user behavior (forwarding, liking, and commenting). Our research found that rumor refuting does not directly affect user behavior but does have an indirect moderating effect. Rumor refuting has a profound impact on user forwarding behavior in cases of positive and negative news. Specifically, when the epidemic becomes more serious, the role of rumor refuting becomes critical, and vice versa. Refuting rumors reduces user willingness to forward positive or negative news, with more impact on negative news. Time lag analysis shows a significant moderation of unverified news within 72 h of refuting rumors but indicated an apparent weakening trend over time. Furthermore, we discovered non-linear feature and counter-cyclical phenomena in the moderating effect of rumor refutation.

Motivation Analysis of Online Green Users: Evidence From Chinese "Ant Forest".

Environmental protection activities based on digital technology have cultivated many online green users (OGUs) and may become a critical means to combat global climate change. This paper explores individuals' motivation to participate in online environmental protection activities and whether the activities have significantly increased individuals' intention to participate in global collaboration on climate change. Taking Ant Forest as an example, this paper first summarized 14 trigger reasons for users' participation in online environmental protection activities through interviews, then surveyed 600 OGUs through questionnaires, and studied the behavioral motivation from the four dimensions of environmental awareness, social motivation, online immersion, and global cooperation intention by using a structural equation model. The study found that both environmental awareness and social motivation had significant positive promotional effects on OGUs' online immersion, and environmental awareness was higher than social motivation. Environmental awareness as a long-term motivation is conducive to the achievement of long-term climate goals, and social motivation is focused on short-term entertainment functions. There is a significant positive interactive relationship between environmental awareness and social motivation under the effect of digital technology, which jointly promote the improvement of OGUs' online immersion, and online immersion is conducive to enhancing OGUs' global cooperation intention. This study demonstrated that digital technology can effectively improve individuals' intention to protect the environment and found a means to quickly identify the best OGUs (most willing to participate in global cooperation), which provided a new opportunity to inspire greater public participation in the global action against climate change.

Fear of Virus or of Competitors? The Decision Rationales of Financial Managers Under COVID-19.

This paper surveyed 422 financial managers before the number of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infections in China peaked and used path analysis to study the risk decision-making mechanisms of financial managers. The study found that whether financial managers developed coping strategies depends on their assessment of potential business revenue losses. There are two transmission paths: the direct effect refers to the risk perception directly caused by COVID-19, while the indirect effect refers to managers' fear that they will not make timely adjustments or will make judgment errors, resulting in the loss of competitive advantage. It is worth noting that the indirect effect exceeds the direct effect, which indicates that financial managers are more rational than ordinary people in dealing with COVID-19, that they are relatively more concerned about competitor changes, and that they may even view COVID-19 as an important opportunity to obtain a better competitive position.

How Have COVID-19 Isolation Policies Affected Young People's Mental Health? - Evidence From Chinese College Students.

The breakout of COVID-19 has brought about huge influence on people's physic and mental health. This paper aims to investigate the mental health status of young people living in isolation due to the policy response to Coronavirus disease. Nine hundred ninety-two Chinese college students (Mage = 19.45, SD = 1.41) were recruited to finish an online survey in the period of self-isolation. Seven dimensions of psychological well-being were measured, including mental status, knowledge of stress management, behavioral patterns, risk perception, academic stress, family relationships, and peer relationships. Results of cluster analysis indicated that young individuals' mental status can be divided into three groups: high-risk (n = 61, Mage = 19.26, SD = 1.32), medium-risk (n = 627, Mage = 19.43, SD = 1.38), and low-risk (n = 304, Mage = 19.54, SD = 1.49). Moreover, results of multiple regression showed that the isolation policy has had a complex influence on the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder [F(12, 979) = 44.894, p < 0.001], fear [F(12, 979) = 30.776, p < 0.001], hypochondria [F(12, 979) = 22.530, p < 0.001], depression [F(12, 979) = 39.022, p < 0.001], and neurasthenia [F(12, 979) = 45.735, p < 0.001] via various factors. This paper also proposes a six-step intervention strategy to alleviate young people's psychological problems while in isolation. It provides practical insights into the psychological interventions in face of the global threat.

Comparison of three methods of protein extraction from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus for two-dimensional electrophoresis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore an effective method of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus protein extraction suitable for two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) analysis. METHODS: The extracts of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus were prepared with Coca's solution, lysis buffer of 2-DE, and Trizol reagent, respectively. Bicinchoninic acid (BCA) assay was used to determine the total protein concentration of the samples. The efficiency of different protein extraction methods were evaluated with 2-DE analysis. RESULTS: The concentrations of extracted protein by methods of Coca's solution, lysis buffer, and Trizol reagent were 0.63 g/L, 0.90 g/L, and 0.80 g/L, respectively. The 2-DE analysis results showed that some protein spots in low molecular weight (LMW) range could be detected with the Coca's solution method. With the lysis buffer of 2-DE method, more protein spots in LMW range could be detected, while the medium molecular weight (MMW) protein spots were absent. Several MMW protein spots (174-178 kD and 133 kD) and more LMW protein spots were detected with Trizol reagent method. CONCLUSIONS: Among Coca's solution, lysis buffer of 2-DE, and Trizol reagent, the concentration of extracted protein of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus by lysis buffer of 2-DE is the highest. However, most protein components of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus purified mite bodies can be extracted by Trizol reagent, which may generally reflect the whole profile of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergens.

Comparison and evaluation of several Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergen extracts for skin prick test.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the significance of several Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergen extracts for skin prick test (SPT) in patients allergic to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. METHODS: Two hundred and nineteen patients enrolled in Peking Union Medical College Hospital underwent SPT and serum specific IgE assay to detect the Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergen. Three kinds of house dust mite allergen extracts were used for SPT, including the Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus extract prepared by our laboratory (group A), standardized Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus extract (group B), and mixed extracts of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae (group C). Human serum specific IgE result was regarded as the reference standard for diagnosis of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergy. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of SPT with the extracts of three groups. RESULTS: SPT results showed that the median wheal diameter of group A, group B, and group C was 0.43, 0.35, and 0.28 cm, respectively, with significant difference among three groups (P<0.05). The difference was significant between group A and B (P<0.01) as well as group A and C (P<0.01), but not between group B and C (P>0.05). There was no local urticaria or systemic allergic reactions following the procedure of SPT. Local reaction was observed in 5 patients and delayed reaction was in 2 patients of group A. As for group B and C, local reaction occurred in 3 cases and delayed reaction in 2 cases in each group. The area under ROC curve of SPT with extract in group A, group B, and group C was 0.765, 0.801, and 0.782, respectively. Based on the detection results of serum specific IgE, the sensitivity of SPT in diagnosis of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergy with extract of group A, group B, and group C was 92.4%, 87.0%, and 81.5%, and the specificity was 60.6%, 73.2%, and 74.8%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus extract for SPT prepared by our laboratory offers good sensitivity and specificity comparable to commercially available allergen extracts, and it may be an appropriate candidate for clinical screening and diagnosis of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergy.

Development of a compact high-voltage pulser for hypervelocity microparticles injector.

This paper highlights the development of a high-voltage pulser that utilizes a zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) circuit and diode split flyback transformer to produce high-voltage DC pulses for a hypervelocity microparticle injector. In our circuit, the resonant inverter of the ZVS circuit is coupled to the diode split flyback transformer to generate a voltage of 10-40 kV. A power MOSFET (IXTQ 110N10P) is placed in the circuit to switch the variable DC input power supply to get a repetitive pulse output. The frequency of the high voltage output pulse can be adjusted from DC to 500 Hz, and the rise time of the voltage is about 0.28 ms. The high-voltage pulser has been connected to a microparticle injector to undergo testing, and the ejection of microparticles has been successfully observed. Detailed simulation and experimental results of the high-voltage pulser are presented.

1H NMR-based metabolomic study of metabolic profiling for pollinosis.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis is the main symptom of pollinosis, relieved by non-specific treatment universally. This study aimed to find the changes of serum metabolites between the seizure and remission periods of pollinosis and provide assistance in the diagnosis and/or therapy. METHODS: Metabonomics based on 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to study the 37 serum samples of pollinosis patients. RESULTS: We believed that the decreased levels of isoleutine, leutine, valine, 3-hydroxybutyric acid, allo-threonine, alanine, methionine, glutamine, lysine, glycine, l-tyrosine, histidine, phenylalanine, lactate, acetate, O-acetylcholine, creatine and creatinine and the increased level of N-acetylglutamine at the seizure stage were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Pollinosis could change the metabolic profiles of energy, amino acid and lipid in patients, which might be the diagnosis and/or prognosis markers for hay fever patients.

Nasal cytology with emphasis on mast cells can improve the diagnosis and treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) involves inflammation of the nasal and para-nasal mucosa. Due to its heterogeneous nature, unknown pathogenesis, and high recurrence rate, effective treatment is difficult. Nasal cytology is presently not a part of the routine diagnosis or treatment decision for CRS. DATA SOURCES: A literature search was performed for published papers in English between January 1990 and June 2019 using MEDLINE. STUDY SELECTION: Terms used were chronic rhinosinusitis, eosinophils, etiology, immunopathology, inflammation, mast cells, nasal cytology, polyps, and treatment. Both reviews and original articles were collected and studied. RESULTS: There is no standard nasal fluid, mucus sampling, or staining techniques for identifying inflammatory cell types. Results were divergent from different countries. Moreover, the main focus of these papers on the cells in nasal washings was eosinophils, with infrequent mentioning of other cell types that may imply different etiology and pathology. The heterogeneous cell profile of CRS and the role of mast cells have been unappreciated due to the lack of specific immunohistochemical technique or study of its unique mediators. CONCLUSIONS: Nasal cytology could help distinguish the type and the activation state of inflammatory cells. Thus it can help in providing a clearer picture of CRS pathogenesis, identifying different patient groups, and developing effective treatments.

Anti-IgE therapy for IgE-mediated allergic diseases: from neutralizing IgE antibodies to eliminating IgE+ B cells.

Allergic diseases are inflammatory disorders that involve many types of cells and factors, including allergens, immunoglobulin (Ig)E, mast cells, basophils, cytokines and soluble mediators. Among them, IgE plays a vital role in the development of acute allergic reactions and chronic inflammatory allergic diseases, making its control particularly important in the treatment of IgE-mediated allergic diseases. This review provides an overview of the current state of IgE targeted therapy development, focusing on three areas of translational research: IgE neutralization in blood; IgE-effector cell elimination; and IgE+ B cell reduction. IgE-targeted medicines such as FDA approved drug Xolair (Omalizumab) represent a promising avenue for treating IgE-mediated allergic diseases given the pernicious role of IgE in disease progression. Additionally, targeted therapy for IgE-mediated allergic diseases may be advanced through cellular treatments, including the modification of effector cells.

How to Control Asthma with Personalized Management: Where Do We Stand Now?

BACKGROUND: Asthma is one of the most significant diseases worldwide and causes overwhelming costs physically and economically. The study of asthma has revealed various groups of asthma patients who share phenotypic characteristics that naturally elicit the need for personalized asthma therapy. An increasing amount of pharmacogenetics research, genotype-based trials and precision medicine trials have been conducted to investigate this problem. METHODS: A systematic bibliography retrieval was performed in MEDLINE (Ovid) and PubMed for our topic and all relative records were exported and screened. RESULTS: We identified 377 publications and added 4 articles related to this topic artificially to reach a bigger scope, of which 36 met the inclusion criteria. Our review focuses on the three most widely used treatments for asthma management, which are ß-adrenergic receptor agonists, inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and anti-leukotriene modifiers. We summarize the existing loci reported in the literature that are potentially associated with drug responses to typically used medications. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that a genetic test with high predictive accuracy could predict therapeutic responses, and proper management can be achieved in asthma patients. This personalized approach to curative medicine should make way for the realization of personalized preventive and predictive medicine in the coming years.

Angelica sinensis polysaccharide protects against acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury and cell death by suppressing oxidative stress and hepatic apoptosis in vivo and in vitro.

Acetaminophen (APAP)-induced hepatic damage is prevalent in western countries. The present study aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of Angelica sinensis polysaccharide (ASP), an active constituent derived from a water extract of Angelica sinensis, in rats exposed to an APAP overdose. The mechanisms underlying the activity of this compound were also considered. Specifically, serum and hepatic biochemical parameters including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were evaluated, and key proteins involved in hepatic apoptosis, including cleaved caspase-3, Bax and Bcl-2 were quantified. In vivo, H&E staining reveals that ASP reduces the degeneration of hepatocytes and the amount of cytoplasmic vacuolation in rats exposed to an overdose of APAP. ASP markedly alleviated liver injury via an increase in GSH levels and the inhibition of hepatic apoptosis. In vitro, ASP significantly elevated the survival rate of rat primary hepatocytes exposed to an overdose of APAP. The beneficial effect might be, at least in part, due to the amelioration of lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress, along with the inhibition of apoptosis. Taken together, our findings reveal that ASP has potential to be used as a hepatoprotective agent for the management of APAP-induced liver injury.

A gender-specific association of the polymorphism Ile197Met in the kininogen 1 gene with plasma irbesartan concentrations in Chinese patients with essential hypertension.

This study was conducted to explore interactions in the association of the kininogen (KNG1) Ile197Met polymorphism and gender with plasma concentrations of irbesartan in Chinese patients with essential hypertension. A total of 1100 subjects with essential hypertension received a daily oral dose of 150 mg irbesartan for twenty-eight consecutive days. High-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence (HPLC) was used to detect plasma irbesartan concentrations on day 28. The KNG1 Ile197Met gene polymorphism was determined using high-throughput TaqMan technology. The frequency distribution of KNG1 Ile197Met genotype conformed to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. After 28 days of treatment, patients with the GG genotype had significantly lower irbesartan concentrations (P = 0.033) compared to homozygous TT genotype carriers. After stratifying by gender, male G allele carriers had significantly lower irbesartan concentrations (GG, P = 0.015; TG, P = 0.015, respectively) relative to TT genotype after adjusting for age, region, body mass index (BMI), smoking, and alcohol consumption. However, there was no significant difference in female subjects. A further test for a multiplicative interaction between the KNG1 Ile197Met polymorphism and gender in association with ln-plasma irbesartan concentrations in a multiple linear regression model was also significant (P for interaction = 0.033). This is the first study to suggest that gender may influence the association of the Ile197Met variant of KNG1 with ln-plasma irbesartan concentration. This finding may indicate that the interaction of gender and the KNG1 Ile197Met gene polymorphism can influence plasma trough irbesartan concentrations, which may contribute to a better development of personalized hypertensive treatment in Chinese patients.