A Novel Evaluation Method for SLAM-Based 3D Reconstruction of Lumen Panoramas.

Laparoscopy is employed in conventional minimally invasive surgery to inspect internal cavities by viewing two-dimensional images on a monitor. This method has a limited field of view and provides insufficient information for surgeons, increasing surgical complexity. Utilizing simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technology to reconstruct laparoscopic scenes can offer more comprehensive and intuitive visual feedback. Moreover, the precision of the reconstructed models is a crucial factor for further applications of surgical assistance systems. However, challenges such as data scarcity and scale uncertainty hinder effective assessment of the accuracy of endoscopic monocular SLAM reconstructions. Therefore, this paper proposes a technique that incorporates existing knowledge from calibration objects to supplement metric information and resolve scale ambiguity issues, and it quantifies the endoscopic reconstruction accuracy based on local alignment metrics. The experimental results demonstrate that the reconstructed models restore realistic scales and enable error analysis for laparoscopic SLAM reconstruction systems. This suggests that for the evaluation of monocular SLAM three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction accuracy in minimally invasive surgery scenarios, our proposed scheme for recovering scale factors is viable, and our evaluation outcomes can serve as criteria for measuring reconstruction precision.

Ginsenoside Rk3 ameliorates Aß-induced neurotoxicity in APP/PS1 model mice via AMPK signaling pathway.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) has become a major public health problem affecting the elderly population, and there is currently no effective treatment. Although the pathogenesis of AD is unclear, neurotoxicity induced by oxidative stress plays an important role in the progression of AD. Ginseng, the root and rhizome of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, is used not only as an herbal medicine but also as a functional food to support bodily functions. Ginsenoside Rk3 (Rk3), the main bioactive component in ginseng, has a strong antioxidant effect and has not been reported in AD. In this study, we showed that Rk3 improved neuronal apoptosis, decreased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and restored mitochondrial membrane potential in PC12 and primary neuronal cells. In vivo, we found that Rk3 improved spatial learning and memory deficit in precursor protein (APP)/presenilin 1 (PS1) double transgenic mouse model of AD. Additionally, Rk3 increases glutathione reductase (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels while inhibits malondialdehyde (MDA) production, apoptosis and activation of glial cells in APP/PS1 mice. Mechanistically, we found that the protective effect of Rk3 is in correlation with the activation of AMPK/Nrf2 signaling pathway. In conclusion, the findings of this study provide support for Rk3 as a new strategy for the treatment of AD.

Holocene seasonal temperature evolution and spatial variability over the Northern Hemisphere landmass.

The origin of the temperature divergence between Holocene proxy reconstructions and model simulations remains controversial, but it possibly results from potential biases in the seasonality of reconstructions or in the climate sensitivity of models. Here we present an extensive dataset of Holocene seasonal temperatures reconstructed using 1310 pollen records covering the Northern Hemisphere landmass. Our results indicate that both summer and winter temperatures warmed from the early to mid-Holocene (~11-7 ka BP) and then cooled thereafter, but with significant spatial variability. Strong early Holocene warming trend occurred mainly in Europe, eastern North America and northern Asia, which can be generally captured by model simulations and is likely associated with the retreat of continental ice sheets. The subsequent cooling trend is pervasively recorded except for northern Asia and southeastern North America, which may reflect the cross-seasonal impact of the decreasing summer insolation through climatic feedbacks, but the cooling in winter season is not well reproduced by climate models. Our results challenge the proposal that seasonal biases in proxies are the main origin of model-data discrepancies and highlight the critical impact of insolation and associated feedbacks on temperature changes, which warrant closer attention in future climate modelling.

[Levels of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and E and their influencing factors in children with obesity]. / è‚¥èƒ–ç—‡å„¿ç«¥è„‚æº¶æ€§ç»´ç”Ÿç´ A、D、Eæ°´å¹³åŠå ¶å½±å“å› ç´ .

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the levels of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and E in children with obesity and their influencing factors. METHODS: A total of 273 children with obesity who attended the Department of Clinical Nutrition, Xi'an Children's Hospital, from January 2019 to April 2021 were enrolled as the obesity group. A total of 226 children with normal body weight who underwent physical examination during the same period were enrolled as the control group. Anthropometric parameters and body composition were measured for both groups, and the serum concentrations of vitamins A, D, and E were also measured. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the obesity group had significantly higher serum levels of vitamin A [(1.32±0.21) µmol/L vs (1.16±0.21) µmol/L, P<0.001] and vitamin E [(9.3±1.4) mg/L vs (8.3±1.2) mg/L, P<0.001] and a significant reduction in the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [(49±22) nmol/L vs (62±24) nmol/L, P<0.001]. In the obesity group, the prevalence rates of marginal vitamin A deficiency, vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency, and vitamin E insufficiency were 5.5% (15/273), 56.8% (155/273), and 4.0% (11/273), respectively. After adjustment for body mass index Z-score and waist-to-height ratio, serum vitamin A level was positively correlated with age (P<0.001), while vitamins E and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were negatively correlated with age in children with obesity (P<0.001). After adjustment for age, the serum levels of vitamin A, vitamin E and 25-hydroxyvitamin D were not correlated with degree of obesity, percentage of body fat, and duration of obesity in children with obesity, while the serum levels of vitamins A and E were positively correlated with waist-to-height ratio (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: There are higher serum levels of vitamins A and E in children with obesity, especially in those with abdominal obesity, while serum vitamin D nutritional status is poor and worsens with age. Therefore, vitamin D nutritional status should be taken seriously for children with obesity, and vitamin D supplementation should be performed when necessary.

Prevalence of vitamin A and vitamin D deficiency in hospitalized neonates in Xi'an, China.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of vitamin A and vitamin D deficiency and the associated factors in hospitalized neonates in Xi'an, China. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: A total of 524 hospitalized neonates were collected in this study. Serum vitamin A and D concentrations were detected in neonates within two weeks of birth. RESULTS: Serum vitamin A and D concentrations of hospitalized neonates were 0.55±0.21 µmol/L and 42.0±20.6 nmol/L, respectively. They were greater in full-term neonates than in preterm neonates, greater in rural neonates than in urban, and greater in single than in twin (all p<0.001). The prevalence of vitamin A and D deficiency were 14.9% and 33.0%, the prevalence of marginal vitamin A deficiency was 64.7%, and vitamin D insufficiency was 35.1%. Neonatal serum vitamin A and D concentrations were all positively correlated with birth weight and gestational age. Neonatal serum vitamin D concentration was also positively correlated with maternal serum vitamin D concentration. Additionally, neonatal vitamin A concentration was positively correlated with neonatal serum vitamin D concentration. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin A and vitamin D statuses are compromised in hospitalized neonates in Xi'an, especially in premature neonates, low birth weight neonates, twins, and those born in urban areas. Individualized supplementation with vitamin A and vitamin D in neonates should be a clinical consideration.

Anti-apoptotic efficacy of Qingnao Yizhi formula in hypoxia/reoxygenation primary cortical neurons through the promotion of synaptic plasticity by modulating the NogoA-Nogo receptor/Rho-Rho kinase signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the anti-apoptotic efficacy of Qingnao Yizhi formula (，QNYZ) in cultured cerebral cortical neuronal cells (CNCs) and the regulation of the NogoA-Nogo receptor (NgR)/Rho-Rho kinase (ROCK) signaling pathway. METHODS: Primary cultured CNCs were randomly divided into the following groups: normal control group (N-C), hypoxia-reoxygenation group (H/R), high-dose QNYZ group (Q-H), low-dose QNYZ group (Q-L) butylphthalide (NBP) group, and Y-27632 (a selective ROCK transduction pathway inhibiter) group. Except those in the N-C group, CNCs were placed in hypoxic conditions for 24 h and then in reoxygenation conditions for 24 h. Cell media was changed every 48 h, and various assays were performed on the 7th day. Cell viability was evaluated by measuring mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity, using a CCK-8 assay, in triplicate. Synapsin (SYN) protein concentrations were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. NogoA and RhoA protein expression were evaluated through Western blotting. The gene expression of NogoA, NgR, RhoA, and ROCK was evaluated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Cell apoptosis was measured using a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labeling assay. RESULTS: Compared with the N-C group, the cell viability of the H/R group decreased significantly (P < 0.05). The cell viability values for the Q-H and Q-L groups increased compared with that for the H/R group, and the difference was significant for the Q-H group (P < 0.05). The NogoA and RhoA protein levels and the NogoA, NgR, RhoA, and ROCK mRNA expression levels increased in the H/R group, compared with the N-C group, and decreased significantly in the Q-H and Q-L groups (P < 0.05) and in the Y-27632 group (P < 0.05) compared with the H/R group. The SYN levels in the Q-H, Q-L, and NBP groups significantly increased compared with that in the H/R group (P < 0.05). Compared with the H/R group, the numbers of apoptotic cells in the Q-H, Q-L, and NBP groups significantly decreased (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The presented study demonstrated that QNYZ exerted anti-apoptotic effects on H/R-induced CNCs, possibly through the modulation of the NogoA-NgR/Rho-ROCK signaling pathway and the promotion of synaptic plasticity in H/R CNCs.

Novel Bithiophene Dimers from Echinops latifolius as Potential Antifungal and Nematicidal Agents.

Three novel dimeric bithiophenes, echinbithiophenedimers A-C (1-3), along with two known thiophenes, 4 and 5, were obtained from Echinops latifolius, and their structures were identified through extensive spectroscopic analysis and electronic circular dichroism calculations. Compounds 1-3 possessed new carbon skeletons; they are dimeric bithiophenes with 1 and 2 featuring an unprecedented 1,3-dioxolane ring system and 3 featuring an unusual 1,4-dioxane ring. These compounds are the first examples of bithiophene dimers furnished by different cyclic diethers. Dimeric bithiophenes 1-3 had good antifungal activities against five phytopathogenic fungi, and compound 3 showed excellent activity against Alternaria alternate and Pyricularia oryzae, with a minimal inhibitory concentration value of 8 µg/mL, which was close to or higher than that of carbendazim. Moreover, its effect on the mycelial morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy. Compounds 1-3, which were demonstrated to be nonphototoxic thiophenes, exhibited better nematicidal activity than the commercial nematicide ethoprophos against Meloidogyne incognita. This study revealed that dimeric bithiophenes containing 1,3-dioxolane or 1,4-dioxane rings could be used as novel antifungal and nematicidal agents for controlling plant fungal and nematode pathogens.

A high-quality sponge gourd (Luffa cylindrica) genome.

Sponge gourd (Luffa cylindrica) is an important cultivated vegetable and medicinal plant in the family Cucurbitaceae. In this study, a draft genome sequence of the sponge gourd inbred line P93075 was analyzed. Using Illumina, PacBio, and 10× Genomics sequencing techniques as well as new assembly techniques such as FALCON and chromatin interaction mapping (Hi-C), a chromosome-scale genome of approximately 656.19 Mb, with an N50 scaffold length of 48.76 Mb, was generated. From this assembly, 25,508 protein-coding gene loci were identified, and 63.81% of the whole-genome consisted of transposable elements, which are major contributors to the expansion of the sponge gourd genome. According to a phylogenetic analysis of conserved genes, the sponge gourd lineage diverged from the bitter gourd lineage approximately 41.6 million years ago. Additionally, many genes that respond to biotic and abiotic stresses were found to be lineage specific or expanded in the sponge gourd genome, as demonstrated by the presence of 462 NBS-LRR genes, a much greater number than are found in the genomes of other cucurbit species; these results are consistent with the high stress resistance of sponge gourd. Collectively, our study provides insights into genome evolution and serves as a valuable reference for the genetic improvement of sponge gourd.

A systematic review of the effectiveness and safety of Chinese herbal medicine formula Gualou Xiebai Banxia (GLXBBX) decoction for the treatment of stable angina pectoris.

BACKGROUND: A growing number of studies suggest that Gualou Xiebai Banxia (GLXBBX) decoction, a well-known Chinese herbal formula, has beneficial effects on eliminating angina pectoris symptoms and improving condition of stable angina pectoris (SAP) patients. However, whether this treatment is effective and safe for SAP or not, evidence supporting the effectiveness and safety of this treatment is still incomplete. Besides, there is lack of systematic review to assess the detailed situation (including risk of bias and methodology) of current related clinical studies. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of GLXBBX in treating SAP. METHODS: The major databases (MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journals Database (VIP) Database, Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM), Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System (SinoMed), and Wanfang Database) were searched from inception to March 2019. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of GLXBBX alone or combined with conventional drugs against conventional drugs for SAP were identified. Two assessors reviewed each trial independently. The methodological quality of the eligible studies was evaluated according to the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias. Both the data extraction and the literature quality screening evaluation were conducted independently by 2 researchers. RESULT: Totally 17 clinical RCTs were included in this study, involving 1676 patients. Due to the high probability of bias of the included studies, it was inappropriate to undertake a meta-analysis. Thus, we only conducted a systematic review and mainly discussed the methodology and limitation of the included studies. CONCLUSION: Although the current evidence prompted that GLXBBX might benefit SAP patients in improvement of angina pectoris, ECG, and blood lipid on a certain extent, this systematic review revealed no definite conclusion about the application of GLXBBX for SAP due to the poor methodological quality, high risk of bias, and inadequate reporting on clinical data. More rigorous, multicenter, sufficient-sample, and double-blind randomized clinical trials are warranted.

[Effects of different grasses cultivation on apple orchard soil microbial community]. / 不同生草处理对苹果园土壤微生物群落的影响.

Taking naturally growing grass (NG) as comparison, high-throughput sequencing technique was adopted to examine the effects of Lolium perenne (LP), Trifolium repens (TR), Vulpia myuros (VM), and Vicia villosa (VV) cultivation on soil microbial community in apple orchard of Yanggu County, Shandong Province, and the correlations of soil microbial community with soil nutrient and physicochemical property. The results showed that LP increased the relative abundance of Alternaria and Aspergillus in soil, TR increased that of Gibberella, VM increased Aureobasidium and Chaetomium, and VV increased probiotics such as Nitrososophaera and Metarhizium. However, the quantity of pathogenic bacteria Ralstonia was improved in NG treatment. Results from Spearman correlation analysis showed that the abundance of Bacillus was significantly positively correlated with the concentration of soil organic matter. The abundance of Aspergillus was significantly negatively correlated with available phosphorus, available potassium, CEC, and organic matter. The abundance of Metarhizium was significantly positively correlated with soil pH and CEC. Planting VV between rows of apple orchards, and enhancing the soil organic matter and nutrients content in a certain extent, helped to improve soil micro-ecological environment.

Ceria nanocrystals decorated mesoporous silica nanoparticle based ROS-scavenging tissue adhesive for highly efficient regenerative wound healing.

Restoration of tissue integrity and tissue function of wounded skin are both essential for wound repair and regeneration, while synergistic promotion of the two remains elusive. Since elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the injured site has been implicated in triggering a set of deleterious effects such as cellular senescence, fibrotic scarring, and inflammation, it is speculated that alleviating oxidative stress in the microenvironment of injured site would be beneficial to promote regenerative wound healing. In this study, a highly versatile ROS-scavenging tissue adhesive nanocomposite is synthesized by immobilizing ultrasmall ceria nanocrystals onto the surface of uniform mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN). The ceria nanocrystals decorated MSN (MSN-Ceria) not only has strong tissue adhesion strength, but also significantly restricts ROS exacerbation mediated deleterious effects, which efficiently accelerates the wound healing process, and more importantly, the wound area exhibits an unexpected regenerative healing characteristic featured by marked skin appendage morphogenesis and limited scar formation. This strategy can also be adapted to other wound repair where both ROS-scavenging activity and tissue adhesive ability matter.

Prevalence of dementia, cognitive status and associated risk factors among elderly of Zhejiang province, China in 2014.

BACKGROUND: the prevalence of dementia in China has risen dramatically in recent decades, but it is not well understood the status in the elderly population in Zhejiang province, eastern China. METHODS: a cross-sectional survey was conducted in four communities across 12 counties in Zhejiang province from May to November 2014. Recruitment included 2,015 subjects aged 65 or older. Trained assessors performed assessments and interviews and collected information. Dementia was diagnosed according to the NIA-AA criteria in 2011. RESULTS: the age-gender-standardised prevalence rates of dementia, Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia were 13.0, 6.9 and 0.5%, respectively. There were significant increasing trends of rates over ages. Elderly, low educational level, heavy smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, diabetes and stroke were associated with dementia; tea consumption was associated with low prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and severe cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS: dementia and cognitive impairment were relatively high among the elderly in Zhejiang province; more attention and population-based strategies are needed.

Protective effect of Sijunzi decoction on neuromuscular junction ultrastructure in autoimmune myasthenia gravis rats.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective role of Sijunzi decoction in neuromuscular junction (NMJ) and muscle cell mitochondria ultrastructure; as well as its effects on the amount of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and the activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I, II, III, and IV in autoimmune myasthenia gravis rats. METHODS: An experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) rat model was established by inoculating rats with acetylcholine receptors extracted from Torpedo. Rats were divided into three groups: model, prednisone, and Sijunzi decoction, and were fed physiological saline, prednisone, or Sijunzi decoction, respectively. NMJ and muscle cell mitochondria ultrastructure were observed by transmission electron microscope. The amount of ATP was assessed by high performance liquid chromatography. The activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I, II, III, and IV was determined using the Clark oxygen electrode method. RESULTS: In the model group, there were sparse muscle fibers, with decreased mitochondria, and sparse, diffluent, or absent NMJ folds. After intervention with Sijunzi decoction, the above pathology changes were improved: muscle fiber structure was clear and complete; the mitochondria count was higher; and the NMJ structure was close to normal. Gastrocnemius muscle mitochondria in the model group produced significantly less ATP than those in the prednisone group (P < 0.01). Conversely, the ATP of Sijunzi decoction group was significantly higher than prednisone group (P < 0.01). The activities of gastrocnemius muscle mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I, II, III, and IV in both the prednisone and Sijunzi decoction groups was dramatically higher compared with the model group (P < 0.05). The activities of complexes I and III in the Sijunzi decoction group were significantly higher than those in the prednisone group (P < 0.05), but there was no obvious difference in complex II or IV activities between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Sijunzi decoction improved pathological changes in muscle mitochondria and NMJ, enhanced the amount of ATP in gastrocnemius muscle mitochondria, and improved the activities of respiratory chain complexes I, II, III, and IV (especially I and III) of the EAMG rats.

Hybrid male sterility in rice controlled by interaction between divergent alleles of two adjacent genes.

Sterility is common in hybrids between divergent populations, such as the indica and japonica subspecies of Asian cultivated rice (Oryza sativa). Although multiple loci for plant hybrid sterility have been identified, it remains unknown how alleles of the loci interact at the molecular level. Here we show that a locus for indica-japonica hybrid male sterility, Sa, comprises two adjacent genes, SaM and SaF, encoding a small ubiquitin-like modifier E3 ligase-like protein and an F-box protein, respectively. Most indica cultivars contain a haplotype SaM(+)SaF(+), whereas all japonica cultivars have SaM(-)SaF(-) that diverged by nucleotide variations in wild rice. Male semi-sterility in this heterozygous complex locus is caused by abortion of pollen carrying SaM(-). This allele-specific gamete elimination results from a selective interaction of SaF(+) with SaM(-), a truncated protein, but not with SaM(+) because of the presence of an inhibitory domain, although SaM(+) is required for this male sterility. Lack of any one of the three alleles in recombinant plants does not produce male sterility. We propose a two-gene/three-component interaction model for this hybrid male sterility system. The findings have implications for overcoming male sterility in inter-subspecific hybrid rice breeding.

Dominant factors controlling glacial and interglacial variations in the treeline elevation in tropical Africa.

The knowledge of tropical palaeoclimates is crucial for understanding global climate change, because it is a test bench for general circulation models that are ultimately used to predict future global warming. A longstanding issue concerning the last glacial maximum in the tropics is the discrepancy between the decrease in sea-surface temperatures reconstructed from marine proxies and the high-elevation decrease in land temperatures estimated from indicators of treeline elevation. In this study, an improved inverse vegetation modeling approach is used to quantitatively reconstruct palaeoclimate and to estimate the effects of different factors (temperature, precipitation, and atmospheric CO(2) concentration) on changes in treeline elevation based on a set of pollen data covering an altitudinal range from 100 to 3,140 m above sea level in Africa. We show that lowering of the African treeline during the last glacial maximum was primarily triggered by regional drying, especially at upper elevations, and was amplified by decreases in atmospheric CO(2) concentration and perhaps temperature. This contrasts with scenarios for the Holocene and future climates, in which the increase in treeline elevation will be dominated by temperature. Our results suggest that previous temperature changes inferred from tropical treeline shifts may have been overestimated for low-CO(2) glacial periods, because the limiting factors that control changes in treeline elevation differ between glacial and interglacial periods.