Rice Blast Disease Recognition Using a Deep Convolutional Neural Network.

Rice disease recognition is crucial in automated rice disease diagnosis systems. At present, deep convolutional neural network (CNN) is generally considered the state-of-the-art solution in image recognition. In this paper, we propose a novel rice blast recognition method based on CNN. A dataset of 2906 positive samples and 2902 negative samples is established for training and testing the CNN model. In addition, we conduct comparative experiments for qualitative and quantitatively analysis in our evaluation of the effectiveness of the proposed method. The evaluation results show that the high-level features extracted by CNN are more discriminative and effective than traditional hand-crafted features including local binary patterns histograms (LBPH) and Haar-WT (Wavelet Transform). Moreover, quantitative evaluation results indicate that CNN with Softmax and CNN with support vector machine (SVM) have similar performances, with higher accuracy, larger area under curve (AUC), and better receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves than both LBPH plus an SVM as the classifier and Haar-WT plus an SVM as the classifier. Therefore, our CNN model is a top performing method for rice blast disease recognition and can be potentially employed in practical applications.

Lipidomic characterisation discovery for coronary heart disease diagnosis based on high-throughput ultra-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry.

Although many diagnostic tools have been developed for coronary heart disease (CHD), its diagnosis is still challenging. Lipids play an important role in diseases and a lipidomics approach could offer a platform to clarify the pathogenesis and pathologic changes of this disease. To the best of our knowledge, no lipidomics studies on serum have been attempted to improve the diagnosis and identify the potential biomarkers of CHD. The aim of this study was to investigate the distinctive lipid changes in serum samples of CHD patients and to identify candidate biomarkers for the reliable diagnosis of CHD using this platform. In this study, the serum lipid profiles of CHD patients were measured via ultra-performance liquid chromatography-G2-Si-high definition mass spectrometry combined with multivariate data analysis. A MetaboAnalyst tool was used for the analysis of the receiver operating-characteristic, while the IPA software was applied for the pathway analysis. The obtained results inferred that 33 lipid molecular species involving 6 fatty acids, 21 glycerophospholipids and 6 sphingolipids have significant differences in the serum of CHD patients. Simultaneously, 4 upstream regulatory proteins related to lipid metabolism disorders of CHD were predicted. Ten lipids have high clinical diagnostic significance according to the receiver operating-characteristic curves. This research shows that the in-depth study of lipids in the serum contributes to the clinical diagnosis of CHD and interprets the occurrence and development of CHD.

[Effects of jin chai antiviral capsule on IFITM3 expression in mice].

This study is to investigate the treatment of Jin Chai antiviral capsule for influenza virus FM1/47 (H1N1) infection. The model of pneumonia was established by dropping influenza virus into the nose of normal mice, real-time PCR and Western blot technique were used to detect the virus load and the interferoninducible transmembrane protein3 (IFITM3) in lung of mice at the 1st day, 3rd day, 5th day and 7th day after affected. The results showed that Jin Chai antiviral capsule in large, middle, small dose groups can decrease virus load significantly at each time point, after being affected (P<0.05, P<0.01), Jin Chai antiviral capsule can increase the interferoninducible transmembrane protein3 in lung of mice, large dose groups are significantly higher in expression of IFITM3 compared with model group at each time point (P<0.05, P<0.01). Middle dose groups are significantly higher in expression of IFITM3 compared with model group at the 3th day and the 5th day (P<0.05), small dose groups are significantly higher in expression of IFITM3 compared with model group at the 3th day (P<0.05). It can be concluded that Jin Chai antiviral capsule exerts antiviral effects against influenzavirus by raised expression of IFITM3.

Gualou xiebai banxia decoction inhibits NF-kappa B-dependent inflammation in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the myocardial protective effect of Gualou Xiebai Banxia decoction GXBD) and explore the mechanisms of inhibition of NF-kappa B activation and blockade of inflammatory responses induced by ischemia-reperfusion in rats. METHODS: Twenty-four Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups. Rats in the treatment group received GXBD (13 g crude drug/kg) for three weeks, while rats in the model control and normal control groups received equal volumes of distilled water. On the 22nd day, rats in the ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) control and GXBD-treated groups underwent 30 min occlusion of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery, followed by 120 min reperfusion. Electrocardiogram was recorded, and the activities of cardiac enzymes, cytokines, and NF-kappaB were assessed after I/R. RESULTS: Compared with the I/R control group, GXBD treatment restored the activity of the specific myocardial-injury marker creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and inhibited the inflammatory response involving the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-KB) pathway, including down-regulation of interleukin (IL)-1beta and IL-6, and up-regulation of IL-10 gene expression. CONCLUSION: GXBD strongly reduced myocardial impairment in our I/R model, including inhibition of NF-kappaB activation and inflammatory cytokine responses.

[Effect of Pingtang recipe containing drug-serum on INS-1 pancreatic beta cells lipoapoptosis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect and mechanism of Pingtang Recipe containing drug-serum (DS-PTR) in improving INS-1 beta pancreatic cells lipoapoptosis. METHODS: Experimental INS-1 beta cells were divided into 5 groups (6 pools for each group), namely, the blank control group treated with rat's serum (C), the other 4 model groups induced into lipoapoptosis by palmitic acid and treated respectively by rat's serum (M), high, middle and low dose DS-PTR (DSh, DSm and DSI). Cell apoptosis was detected by TUNEL staining; Caspase-3 activity of cells was measured by chemiluminescence method; intracellular production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected by DCHF-DA incorporation, and expressions of uncoupling protein-2 (UCP-2) was determined by RT-PCR. RESULTS: INS-1 beta cell apoptosis in Group M was significantly higher than that in Group C (P < 0.01), while that showed a decreased trend in the three DS-PTR treated groups. Caspase-3 activity was enhanced in Group M, it decreased significantly in Group DSm (P < 0.05). The over-produced ROS in cells after modeling was inhibited in Groups DSm and DSI (P < 0.05), meantime, expression of UCP-2 excited by PA (2.244 +/- 0.421) was reduced significantly in Group DSI and Group DSm to 1.286 +/- 0.373 (P < 0.01) and 1.627 +/- 0.348 (P < 0.05) respectively. CONCLUSION: DS-PTR shows a protective effect on INS-1 beta pancrentic cells against lipoapoptosis, which is possibly play its mechanism through regulating ROS and UCP-2.

Comparative study on the protective effects of Yinchenhao Decoction against liver injury induced by alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate and carbon tetrachloride.

OBJECTIVE: To optimize the animal model of liver injury that can properly represent the pathological characteristics of dampness-heat jaundice syndrome of traditional Chinese medicine. METHODS: The liver injury in the model rat was induced by alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4) ) respectively, and the effects of Yinchenhao Decoction (, YCHD), a proved effective Chinese medical formula for treating the dampness-heat jaundice syndrome in clinic, on the two liver injury models were evaluated by analyzing the serum level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), asparate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), malondialchehyche (MDA), total bilirubin (T-BIL), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) as well as the ratio of liver weight to body weight. The experimental data were analyzed by principal component analytical method of pattern recognition. RESULTS: The ratio of liver weight to body weight was significantly elevated in the ANIT and CCl(4) groups when compared with that in the normal control (P<0.01). The contents of ALT and T-BIL were significantly higher in the ANIT group than in the normal control (P<0.05,P<0.01), and the levels of AST, ALT and ALP were significantly elevated in CCl(4) group relative to those in the normal control P<0.01). In the YCHD group, the increase in AST, ALT and ALP levels was significantly reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01), but with no significant increase in serum T-BIL. In the CCl(4) intoxicated group, the MDA content was significantly increased and SOD, GSH-PX activities decreased significantly compared with those in the normal control group, respectively (P<0.01). The increase in MDA induced by CCl(4) was significantly reduced by YCHD P<0.05). CONCLUSION: YCHD showed significant effects on preventing liver injury progression induced by CCl(4), and the closest or most suitable animal model for damp-heat jaundice syndrome may be the one induced by CCl(4).

[Beneficial effects of Qiangxin capsule on controlling protein expression of myocardial apoptosis in heart failure rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Qiangxin Capsule on myocardial apoptosis in chronic heart failure rats. METHODS: The model was established by injecting ADR in intraperitoneal of Wistar rat. The models were devided into three groups those were prvention group with Chinese medicine, treatment group with Chinese medicine and control group with medicine. Cardiac myocyte apoptosis were detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferaseediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL), Fas and cardiac expression level of Bcl-2 were detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Qiangxin capsule could inhibit myocardial apoptosis and Fas protein expression on chronic heart failure rat obviously , and improve Bcl-2 protein expression. CONCLUSION: Qianxin capsule can inhibit myocardial apoptosis and control Fas/Bcl-2 obviously. It may be one of its effects in delaying chronic heart failure.

[Study on the collecting method of constituents absorbed into the blood from anti-V capsule].

OBJECTIVE: Aim To establish the condition and parameters for collecting the effective constituents of Anti-V capsule. METHOD: Based on HPLC, using chlorogenic acid and baicalin which are the main constituents absorbed in the blood as the marker substance, the best technical process of macropore absorbed resin was evaluated by the quantity of two compounds in the collected part. RESULT: After the abstraction of the capsule, the collection method of NKA-2 macropore absorbed resin as sorbent and 5 bed volume 50% ethanol as mobile phase was definited as the best craftwork. In the collected part, the content of chlorogenic acid and baicalin was five times than in the capsule. CONCLUSION: In guide of serum pharmacochemistry, macropore absorbed resin is the effective method to collect the constituents absorbed in blood of Anti-V capsule. At the same time, this method provides a way to research other Compound medicine.

[Effect of wenxin capsule on myocyte apoptosis and expression of Bcl-2, Fas gene protein in rats of experimental myocardial ischemia].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the molecular mechanism of Wenxin Capsule (WXC, an effective Chinese composite drug) in preventing and treating myocardial ischemia of coronary heart disease. METHODS: Rat model of myocardial ischemia was established by subcutaneous multi-point injecting isoproterenol. Effect of WXC on cell apoptosis was observed by transmission electron microscopy and TUNEL method, and its effect on apoptotic related gene Bcl-2 and Fas gene protein expression was observed by immunohistochemical method. RESULTS: Isoproterenol induced myocardial ischemic injury could cause evident cardial cell apoptosis, obvious enhance Fas gene protein expression and mild enhance Bcl-2 gene protein expression. WXC could significantly down-regulate Fas, up-regulate Bcl-2 gene protein expression, significantly inhibit and block the myocardial cell apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: To inhibit and block the event of cell apoptosis through regulating Bcl-2 and Fas gene protein expression in ischemic myocardium might be one of the mechanisms of WXT in preventing and treating myocardial ischemic injury of coronary heart disease.