Application of computer image processing technology in old artistic design restoration.

Art designs exhibit different principles, textures, color combinations, and creative skills for vivid thinking visualizations. Art exhibits are far from ages, periods, and creators finding their digital patterns in recent years for resurrection. Degraded periodic artworks are digitally handled for reviving their legacy using digital image processing. This article introduces Textural Restoration Technique (TRT) using Deep Feature Processing (DFP) to augment such innovations. The proposed technique analyses the tampered image for its textures, and available features are extracted. The textures are expected to be sequential based on gradient distribution; the missing gradients are identified from the available features near the region of interest (ROI). The ROI is marked by combining missing and available features from which textural edges are sketched. In this process, recurrent learning is employed for verifying the gradient substitutions for even textures. The texture patterns are classified using high and low accuracy features exhibited between two successive ROIs. First, the learning model is trained using gradient distribution accuracy pursued by the texture completion edge. The second training is pursued by the first distribution, achieving the maximum restoration. The filled features and their gradient positions are marked by moving the ROIs for distinguishing textures. The restoration ratio is computed with high accuracy based on the filled edges.

XDH genotypes through gene-gene interactions with NUDT15 affect azathioprine-induced leukopenia in Chinese patients.

Aim: To investigate whether genotypes of XDH, GMPS and MOCOS were associated with azathioprine-induced adverse drug reaction (ADR) and had the gene-gene interactions with NUDT15 rs116855232 to induce leukopenia. Methods: Patients who had taken azathioprine were recruited. Genotyping of those gene was performed. Risk factor to ADR was analyzed by logistic regression. The generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) was assessed based on gene-gene interactions with ADR. Results: A total of 111 patients were included in this study, all of whom were Han Chinese. XDH rs2295475 was a risk factor of myelotoxicity (p = 0.022). NUDT15 rs116855232 was a risk factor of myelotoxicity, grade ≥2 leukopenia and drug treatment termination (p-values were <0.05). Rs2295475 and rs116855232 had a gene-gene interaction. The model was associated with grade ≥2 leukopenia (OR: 17.99; 95% CI: 4.11-78.81). Conclusion: Combined testing genotype for rs2295475 and rs116855232 could improve the prediction of azathioprine-induced leukopenia.

Dynamic changes of intestinal flora in patients with irritable bowel syndrome combined with anxiety and depression after oral administration of enterobacteria capsules.

This study investigated the clinical characteristics and dynamic changes of intestinal bacterial community to evaluate the curative effect of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) on irritable bowel syndrome with predominant diarrhea (IBS-D) comorbid with anxiety and depression. Total two treatments were designed in randomize-controlled trial includes oral FMT capsules with 1 week (A1), 8 weeks (A2), and 12 weeks (A3), as well as oral empty capsules with 1 week (B1), 8 weeks (B2), and 12 weeks (B3) as control for comparison. The positive therapeutic effects occurred in FMT colonized patient with IBS-D comorbid psychological disorder, demonstrated at alleviated IBS-D severity (IBS-SSS score from 291.11 reduced to 144.44), altered stool type (from 6 changed to 4), reduced anxiety and depression scores (from 18.33 to 8.39 and from 22.33 to 17.78) after FMT-treated 12 weeks. The FMT therapy improved bacterial alpha diversity and the majority bacterial community predominant by Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, and the relative abundance (RA) was higher after FMT-treated 12 weeks (50.61% and 45.52%) than control (47.62% and 38.96%). In short, FMT therapy has great potential for IBS-D patients combined with anxiety and depression by alleviated clinical symptoms and restore the intestinal micro-ecology.

The multiple effects of fecal microbiota transplantation on diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) patients with anxiety and depression behaviors.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety and depression are complications in Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients. In this study, we recruited 18 IBS patients with mild-modest anxiety and depression behaviors, and after the screening, we defined the FMT treatment group (n = 9) and the control group (n = 9). The IBS symptom severity scale (IBS-SSS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Irritable Bowel Syndrome Quality of Life (IBS-QOL) and Bristol stool scale (BSS) were evaluated one week before FMT (baseline), one-week-, one-month-, two-month-, and three-month-following FMT. Meanwhile, we determined the SCFAs in the patient's feces and serum and continued the metagenomic analysis of the microorganisms in the patient's feces. RESULTS: The results showed that the patient's anxiety and depression behavior gradually improved with FMT treatment. Moreover, the illness and quality of life had also been relieved significantly. The content of isovaleric acid and valeric acid was significantly reduced in the FMT group compared to the Col group. Metagenomic analysis showed that FMT treatment decreased the abundance of Faecalibacterium, Eubacterium and Escherichia. From KEGG functional analysis, we confirmed that the top five abundant pathways were "bacterial chemotaxis, "flagellar assembly", "glycine, serine and threonine metabolism", "apoptosis", and "bacterial invasion of epithelial cells". CONCLUSIONS: FMT treatment can effectively alleviate the anxiety and depression behaviors of IBS-D patients and reduce the IBS-SSS score, indicating that FMT can improve patients' symptoms. The high throughput sequencing results show that Bifidobacterium and Escherichia play the most critical role in the formation and recovery of IBS-D patients. The GC/MS data indicated that faeces isovaleric acid and valeric acid might be more suitable as a metabolic indicator of IBS-D remission. Trial registration ChiCTR, ChiCTR1900024924, Registered 3 August 2019, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=41676 .

Montmorillonite-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron for thiamethoxam removal: response surface optimization and degradation pathway.

As a highly efficient insecticide, thiamethoxam was widely used in the world. However, it was bioaccumulative and toxic to aquatic organisms that must be removed from water. In this work, nanoscale zero-valent iron particles loaded on montmorillonite (nZVI/Mt) were successfully synthesized for effective removal of thiamethoxam. The properties of nZVI/Mt for the removal of thiamethoxam were investigated, and the reaction conditions were optimized through response surface methodology. Furthermore, the degradation products were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS). The results demonstrated that the reaction activity of nZVI was enhanced because the agglomeration and oxidation of nZVI particles were effectively inhibited by using montmorillonite as a support. The significance of the effects of each factor on the removal of thiamethoxam was determined to be in the order of pH Ëƒ temperature Ëƒ reaction time Ëƒ nZVI/Mt dosage. The optimal conditions were as follows: a dosage of nZVI/Mt of 2 g/L, a reaction time of 2 h, a reaction temperature of 35 °C, and a solution pH of 3. The removal efficiency of thiamethoxam (C0 = 20 mg/L) was observed to be as high as 94.29% under the optimal conditions, which was close to the value of 94.47% that was predicted using the mathematical model, indicating that the model could accurately predict the removal efficiency of thiamethoxam. The degradation mechanism involved the -NO2 group on the thiamethoxam molecule was reduced and eliminated by nZVI/Mt.

A Protective Role of the NRF2-Keap1 Pathway in Maintaining Intestinal Barrier Function.

Nrf2 (NF-E2-related factor 2) is a master regulator of cellular oxidative levels against environmental stresses. Nrf2 induces the expression of metabolic detoxification and antioxidant enzymes to eliminate reactive oxygen species (ROS). The gastrointestinal tract is a key source of ROS. Intestinal barrier is critical to maintain the healthy steady state of the human gastrointestinal tract. Nrf2 has been shown to play important roles in maintaining the integrity of intestinal mucosal barrier. Here, we made a systematic review on the roles of Nrf2 in maintaining intestinal barrier, including the following: (1) NRF2 reduced intestinal mucosal injury by suppressing oxidative stress; (2) NRF2 decreased intestinal inflammation by inhibiting the inflammatory pathway; (3) NRF2 affected intestinal tight junction proteins and apoptosis of cells to regulate intestinal permeability; (4) NRF2 affected T cell differentiation and functions; (5) the crossregulation between the KEAP1-NRF2 pathway and autophagy controlled intestinal oxidative stress.

Erratum: Directly converting CO2 into a gasoline fuel.

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15174.

Directly converting CO2 into a gasoline fuel.

The direct production of liquid fuels from CO2 hydrogenation has attracted enormous interest for its significant roles in mitigating CO2 emissions and reducing dependence on petrochemicals. Here we report a highly efficient, stable and multifunctional Na-Fe3O4/HZSM-5 catalyst, which can directly convert CO2 to gasoline-range (C5-C11) hydrocarbons with selectivity up to 78% of all hydrocarbons while only 4% methane at a CO2 conversion of 22% under industrial relevant conditions. It is achieved by a multifunctional catalyst providing three types of active sites (Fe3O4, Fe5C2 and acid sites), which cooperatively catalyse a tandem reaction. More significantly, the appropriate proximity of three types of active sites plays a crucial role in the successive and synergetic catalytic conversion of CO2 to gasoline. The multifunctional catalyst, exhibiting a remarkable stability for 1,000 h on stream, definitely has the potential to be a promising industrial catalyst for CO2 utilization to liquid fuels.

Ultrasound-promoted two-step synthesis of 3-arylselenylindoles and 3-arylthioindoles as novel combretastatin A-4 analogues.

A series of 3-(3'-hydroxy-4'-methoxyphenyl)selenyl-5,6,7-trimethoxy-1H-indoles and 3-(3'-hydroxy-4'-methoxyphenyl)thio-5,6,7-trimethoxy-1H-indoles were obtained as a new class of combretastatin A-4 (CA-4) analogues via a convenient ultrasound (US)-assisted two-step process involving 3-selenenylation/sulfenylation followed by O-deallylation. With the assistance of US irradiation, both the reaction rates and yields of selenenylation, sulfenylation and O-deallylation could be significantly improved. A comparison of the reaction rates of O-deallylation and ester reduction demonstrated that O-deallylation was more sensitive to US irradiation. Finally, these products were evaluated for their antiproliferative activities, and most of them showed moderate to potent activities against three human cancer cell lines in vitro.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 3-Alkyl-1,5-Diaryl-1H-Pyrazoles as Rigid Analogues of Combretastatin A-4 with Potent Antiproliferative Activity.

A series of novel 3-alkyl-1,5-diaryl-1H-pyrazoles were synthesized as combretastatin A-4 (CA-4) analogues and evaluated for antiproliferative activity against three human cancer cell lines (SGC-7901, A549 and HT-1080). Most of the target compounds displayed moderate to potent antiproliferative activity, and 7k was found to be the most potent compound. Structure-activity relationships indicated that compounds with a trimethoxyphenyl A-ring at the N-1 position of the pyrazole skeleton were more potent than those with the A-ring at the C-5 position. Tubulin polymerization and immunostaining experiments revealed that 7k potently inhibited tubulin polymerization and disrupted tubulin microtubule dynamics in a manner similar to CA-4. Computational modelling demonstrated that the binding of 7k to the colchicine binding site on microtubules may involve a similar mode as CA-4.

3-(3,4,5-Trimethoxyphenylselenyl)-1H-indoles and their selenoxides as combretastatin A-4 analogs: microwave-assisted synthesis and biological evaluation.

A series of 3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylselenyl)-1H-indoles and their selenoxides were designed as a new class of combretastatin A-4 (CA-4) analogs. The B ring and the cis double bond of CA-4 were replaced by an indole moiety and selenium atom, respectively. A facile and efficient microwave-assisted synthesis of 3-arylselenylindoles was developed to prepare the target compounds, which were then evaluated for antiproliferative activity against three human cancer cell lines using an MTT assay. Most of these compounds exhibited significant antiproliferative activity, with some showing nanomolar IC50 values. Tubulin polymerization and immunostaining experiments revealed that 13a potently inhibited tubulin polymerization and disrupted tubulin microtubule dynamics in a similar manner to CA-4. Docking studies demonstrated that 13a adopts an orientation similar to that of CA-4 at the colchicine binding site on tubulin.

Preparation, characterization and anticancer activity of norcantharidin-loaded poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(caprolactone) amphiphilic block copolymer micelles.

In this study, a novel amphiphilic block copolymer biomaterial - poly (ethylene glycol)-poly (caprolactone) (PEG-PCL), was used to entrap norcantharidin (NCTD), taking advantage of self-assembly theory. Dialysis and volatilization dialysis were used to prepare copolymer micelles. Drug-loaded micelles were compared with blank micelles in terms of their particle diameter, morphology and IR spectral characteristics. The results revealed that there was no significant difference in respect of morphology and IR spectrum, but particle size differed. Drug-loaded micelles had a smaller particle size than blank micelles. Three important factors influencing particle size, the drug loading content (LC) and the drug entrapment efficiency (EE) of the NCTD-loaded micelles, were studied. The results indicated that the method of preparation and the type of organic solvent had a significant influence on the size of the micelles. LC and EE were greatly affected by the ratio of NCTD to copolymer. In vitro release of NCTD from the conjugate micelles showed that its release rate depended on the pH of the phosphate buffer solution (PBS). The amount released was higher at lower pH than under neutral conditions. In vitro antitumor activity of the NCTD conjugate against human hepatoma (HepG2) cell line and human lung cancer (A549) cell line was evaluated by the MTT method. Micelles loaded with NCTD demonstrated greater and more satisfactory cell viability inhibition than the free drug. In vivo antitumor activity of drug-loaded micelles was investigated in mice bearing S180 mouse sarcoma. NCTD-loaded micelles displayed tumor inhibition effects, better than the free drug. As a new drug delivery system, copolymer micelles present many advantages including easy formulation, good water solubility, low toxicity and high treatment efficacy, and show great potential as carriers of hydrophobic drugs.

[Optimization of a compound prescription for treating liver fibrosis].

OBJECTIVE: To optimize a compound prescription for treatment of liver fibrosis with an improved therapeutic effect and low toxicity. METHODS: In rat models of liver fibrosis induced by thioacetamide (TAA), the optimized prescription was screened based on a uniform design with 2-factor 5-level table using Uniform Design 3.0 software and tested using liver content of Hyp as the screening index. To verify the efficacy of the optimized prescription, the rat models of liver fibrosis were randomized into normal control group, model group, colchicine group and optimized prescription group, and the changes of hepatic Hyp content, serum HA, ALT, AST, and ALB levels, and the pathology liver fibrosis were observed after corresponding treatments. RESULTS: The optimized prescription, which contained 70 mg/kg glycyrrhizin and 70 mg/kg matrine, showed a significant therapeutic effect against liver fibrosis in rats (Plt;0.05), and the effect was equivalent to that of colchicine (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Uniform design is a valuable method in prescription optimization. The optimized compound prescription of matrine and glycyrrhizin has a significant effect in inhibiting liver fibrosis.

[Diagnostic value of 128-slice CT coronary angiography in comparison with invasive coronary angiography].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the diagnostic value of non-invasive 128-slice computed tomography coronary angiography (CTA) in comparison with invasive coronary angiography. METHODS: 128-slice CTA and invasive coronary angiography were performed in 78 unselected consecutive patients (63 patients with suspected coronary artery disease and 15 patients with previous coronary stenting, 56 males, mean age 61 +/- 10 years) and > 50% reduction of minimal lumen diameter was defined as significant coronary stenosis. RESULTS: Fifty-eight out of 879 segments (7%) from CTA were not assessable because of irregular rhythm, vessel calcification or tachycardia. Compared with invasive coronary angiography, segment-based analysis from the 821 segments showed the sensitivity by CTA was 87%, specificity 97%, PPV 83% and NPV 97%. Four out of 22 stents implanted in 15 patients were not assessable by CTA because of poor image quality. Compared with invasive coronary angiography, the sensitivity of diagnosing in-stent restenosis by CTA was 100%, specificity 77%, PPV 63% and NPV 100% for the remaining 18 stents. CONCLUSIONS: One hundred and twenty-eight-slice CTA has a high accuracy for detecting coronary artery disease and in-stent restenosis after coronary stenting and could be considered as a valuable noninvasive technique for screening coronary artery disease in suspected patients.