Relational Part-Aware Learning for Complex Composite Object Detection in High-Resolution Remote Sensing Images.

In high-resolution remote sensing images (RSIs), complex composite object detection (e.g., coal-fired power plant detection and harbor detection) is challenging due to multiple discrete parts with variable layouts leading to complex weak inter-relationship and blurred boundaries, instead of a clearly defined single object. To address this issue, this article proposes an end-to-end framework, i.e., relational part-aware network (REPAN), to explore the semantic correlation and extract discriminative features among multiple parts. Specifically, we first design a part region proposal network (P-RPN) to locate discriminative yet subtle regions. With butterfly units (BFUs) embedded, feature-scale confusion problems stemming from aliasing effects can be largely alleviated. Second, a feature relation Transformer (FRT) plumbs the depths of the spatial relationships by part-and-global joint learning, exploring correlations between various parts to enhance significant part representation. Finally, a contextual detector (CD) classifies and detects parts and the whole composite object through multirelation-aware features, where part information guides to locate the whole object. We collect three remote sensing object detection datasets with four categories to evaluate our method. Consistently surpassing the performance of state-of-the-art methods, the results of extensive experiments underscore the effectiveness and superiority of our proposed method.

Characteristic volatile components analysis of Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz by GC-MS and their antibacterial and antioxidant activities.

Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz is an oilseed plant common in Europe and Asia. This study used the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to examine the differences in the aroma on the basis of extraction method such as water distillation extraction (CSPW), Solid-phase microextraction (CSPM) and subcritical extraction (CSPS). Antibacterial test was evaluated by the microdilution method against Salmonella typhimurium, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Strepococcus pyogenens, Staphylococcus aureus, and antioxidant activity was determined through DPPH free radical, hydroxyl free radical, and superoxide anion radical scavenging capacity activity. The result revealed that three extraction methods were distinct from each other based on their volatile compounds. Sixty-one volatiles of diverse chemical nature were identified and quantified. The volatile components contain thioether, aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, acids, esters, alkene, alkanes, amide, and furan compounds. The volatile components of Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz have good antibacterial and antioxidant activities. Furthermore, this work provides reference methods for detecting novel volatile organic compounds in plants and products.

A Prolonged Artificial Nighttime-light Dataset of China (1984-2020).

Nighttime light remote sensing has been an increasingly important proxy for human activities. Despite an urgent need for long-term products and pilot explorations in synthesizing them, the publicly available long-term products are limited. A Night-Time Light convolutional LSTM network is proposed and applied the network to produce a 1-km annual Prolonged Artificial Nighttime-light DAtaset of China (PANDA-China) from 1984 to 2020. Assessments between modeled and original images show that on average the RMSE reaches 0.73, the coefficient of determination (R2) reaches 0.95, and the linear slope is 0.99 at the pixel level, indicating a high confidence in the quality of generated data products. Quantitative and visual comparisons witness PANDA-China's superiority against other NTL datasets in its significantly longer NTL dynamics, higher temporal consistency, and better correlations with socioeconomics (built-up areas, gross domestic product, population) characterizing the most relevant indicator in different development phases. The PANDA-China product provides an unprecedented opportunity to trace nighttime light dynamics in the past four decades.

Metabolomic analysis reveals the changing trend and differential markers of volatile and nonvolatile components of Artemisiae argyi with different aging years.

INTRODUCTION: Artemisia argyi Folium (AAF) is a traditional medicinal herb and edible plant. Analyzing the differential metabolites that affect the efficacy of AAF with different aging years is necessary. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate the changing trend and differential markers of volatile and nonvolatile metabolites of AAF from different aging years, which are necessary for application in clinical medicine. METHODOLOGY: Metabolites were analyzed using a widely targeted metabolomic approach based on ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS). RESULTS: A total of 153 volatile metabolites and 159 nonvolatile metabolites were identified. Principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) could clearly distinguish AAF aged for 1 year (AF-1), 3 years (AF-3), and 5 years (AF-5). Seven flavonoids and nine terpenoids were identified as biomarkers for tracking the aging years. CONCLUSIONS: The metabolomic method provided an effective strategy for tracking and identifying biomarkers of AAF from different aging years. This study laid the foundation for analysis of the biological activity of Artemisia argyi with different aging years.

Switched Control of HyTAQs: A Framework of Stochastic Hybrid Fuzzy Systems With Variable Dimensions.

This article is concerned with the switched control of hybrid terrestrial and aerial quadrotors (HyTAQs) via stochastic hybrid fuzzy system methodology, in which the terrestrial and aerial mode switching is subject to a Markov process with lower-bounded sojourn time. For the first time, the bimodal nonlinear attitude dynamics of HyTAQs is analyzed and modeled based on the Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy model, and switched fuzzy controllers are developed to stabilize the hybrid fuzzy system. The characteristic of state dimension switching caused by ground contact is modeled via the singular system presentation with mode-dependent singularity matrices, based on which numerically testable criteria of stability and stabilization in the stochastic sense are derived. Compared with the previous control approaches based on Markov jump systems, the proposed one is able to describe the deterministic dwelling duration in practice and integrate multiple subsystems with algebraic equations of different dimensions, while achieving lower conservatism. Illustrative examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness and potential of the designed variable-dimension fuzzy controllers.

Quality Evaluation of Peony Petals Based on the Chromatographic Fingerprints and Simultaneous Determination of Sixteen Bioactive Constituents Using UPLC-DAD-MS/MS.

In this study, a validated quality evaluation method with peony flower fingerprint chromatogram combined with simultaneous determination of sixteen bioactive constituents was established using UPLC-DAD-MS/MS. The results demonstrated that the method was stable, reliable, and accurate. The UPLC chemical fingerprints of 12 different varieties of peonies were established and comprehensively evaluated by similarity evaluation (SE), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA), and quantification analysis. The results of SE indicated that similar chemical components were present in these samples regardless of variety, but there were significant differences in the content of chemical components and material basis characteristics. The results of HCA and PCA showed that 12 varieties of samples were divided into two groups. Four flavonoids (11, 12, 13, and 16), five monoterpenes and their glycosides (3, 4, 6, 14, and 15), three tannins (7, 9, and 10), three phenolic acids (1, 2, and 5), and one aromatic acid (8) were identified from sixteen common peaks by standards and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The simultaneous quantification of six types of components was conducted with the 12 samples, it was found that the sum contents of analytes varied obviously for peony flower samples from different varieties. The content of flavonoids, tannins, and monoterpenes (≥19.34 mg/g) was the highest, accounting for more than 78.45% of the total compounds. The results showed that the flavonoids, tannins, and monoterpenes were considered to be the key indexes in the classification and quality assessment of peony flower. The UPLC-DAD-MS/MS method coupled with multiple compounds determination and fingerprint analysis can be effectively applied as a feature distinguishing method to evaluate the compounds in peony flower raw material for product quality assurance in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Moreover, this study provides ideas for future research and the improvement of products by these industries.

Robust Learning-Based Control for Uncertain Nonlinear Systems With Validation on a Soft Robot.

Existing modeling and control methods for real-world systems typically deal with uncertainty and nonlinearity on a case-by-case basis. We present a universal and robust control framework for the general class of uncertain nonlinear systems. Our data-driven deep stochastic Koopman operator (DeSKO) model and robust learning control framework guarantee robust stability. DeSKO learns the uncertainty of dynamical systems by inferring a distribution of observables. The inferred distribution is used in our robust and stabilizing closed-loop controller for dynamical systems. We also develop a model predictive control framework with integral action to compensate for run-time parametric uncertainty, such as manipulating unknown objects. Modeling and control experiments in simulation show that our presented framework is more robust and scalable for robotic systems than state-of-the-art controllers using deep Koopman operators and reinforcement learning (RL) methods. We demonstrate that our method resists previously unseen uncertainties, such as external disturbances, at a magnitude of up to five times the maximum control input. Furthermore, we test our DeSKO-based control framework on a real-world soft robotic arm. It shows that our framework outperforms model-based controllers that have full knowledge of the model parameters, and the controller can conduct object pick-and-place tasks without further training. Our approach opens up new possibilities in robustly managing internal or external uncertainty while controlling high-dimensional nonlinear systems in a learning framework. This approach serves as a foundation to greatly simplify high-level control and decision-making for robots.

COL5A2 is a prognostic-related biomarker and correlated with immune infiltrates in gastric cancer based on transcriptomics and single-cell RNA sequencing.

BACKGROUND: There is still a therapeutic challenge in treating gastric cancer (GC) due to its high incidence and poor prognosis. Collagen type V alpha 2 (COL5A2) is increased in various cancers, yet it remains unclear how it contributes to the prognosis and immunity of GC. METHODS: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets were used to download transcriptome profiling (TCGA-STAD; GSE84437), single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data (GSE167297) and clinical information. COL5A2 expression and its relationship with clinicopathological factors were analyzed. We conducted survival analysis and Cox regression analysis to evaluate the prognosis and independent factors of GC. Co-expressed analysis was also performed. To identify the underlying mechanism, we conducted analyses of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and functional enrichment. The correlations between COL5A2 expression and immune cell infiltration levels and immune infiltrate gene marker sets were further explored. Additionally, we analyzed the association of COL5A2 expression with immunological checkpoint molecules. Furthermore, the relationship between COL5A2 expression and immunotherapy sensitivity was also investigated. RESULTS: COL5A2 expression was elevated in GC. More than this, the scRNA-seq analysis revealed that COL5A2 expression had a spatial gradient. The upregulated COL5A2 was associated with worse overall survival. A significant correlation was found between COL5A2 overexpression and age, T classification and clinical stage in GC. COL5A2 was found to be an independent factor for the unfortunate outcome in Cox regression analysis. The co-expressed genes of COL5A2 were associated with tumor stage or poor survival. Enrichment analysis revealed that the DEGs were mainly associated with extracellular matrix (ECM)-related processes, PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, and focal adhesion. GSEA analyses revealed that COL5A2 was associated with tumor progression-related pathways. Meanwhile, COL5A2 expression was correlated with tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Moreover, immunophenoscore (IPS) analysis and PRJEB25780 cohorts showed that patients with low COL5A2 expression were highly sensitive to immunotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: COL5A2 might act as a prognostic biomarker of GC prognosis and immune infiltration and may provide a therapeutic intervention strategy.

Oligosaccharides isolated from Rehmannia glutinosa protect LPS-induced intestinal inflammation and barrier injury in mice.

Objectives: We investigated the protective effect of Rehmannia glutinosa oligosaccharides (RGO) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal inflammation and barrier injury among mice. Methods: RGO is prepared from fresh rehmannia glutinosa by water extraction, active carbon decolorization, ion exchange resin impurity removal, macroporous adsorption resin purification, and decompression drying. LPS could establish the model for intestinal inflammation and barrier injury in mice. Three different doses of RGO were administered for three consecutive weeks. Then the weight, feces, and health status of the mice were recorded. After sacrificing the mice, their colon length and immune organ index were determined. The morphological changes of the ileum and colon were observed using Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, followed by measuring the villus length and recess depth. RT-qPCR was utilized to detect the relative mRNA expression of intestinal zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin. The expression of inflammatory factors and oxidation markers within ileum and colon tissues and the digestive enzyme activities in the ileum contents were detected using ELISA. The content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the colon was determined with GC. The gut microbial composition and diversity changes were determined with 16S-rRNA high-throughput sequencing. The association between intestinal microorganisms and SCFAs, occludins, digestive enzymes, inflammatory factor contents, and antioxidant indexes was also analyzed. Results: RGO significantly increased the weight, pancreatic index, thymus index, and colon length of mice compared with the model group. Moreover, it also improved the intestinal tissue structure and increased the expression of intestinal barrier-related junction proteins ZO-1 and Occludin. The contents of IL-6, IL-17, IL-1ß, and TNF-α in the intestinal tissues of mice were significantly reduced. Additionally, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT) were elevated. In contrast, the malondialdehyde (MDA) content decreased. Trypsin and pancreatic lipase activities in the ileum enhanced, and the SCFA contents such as acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid in the colon increased. The study on intestinal flora revealed that RGO could enhance the abundance of intestinal flora and improve the flora structure. After RGO intervention, the relative abundance of Firmicutes, Lactobacillus, and Akkermania bacteria in the intestinal tract of mice increased compared with the model group, while that of Actinomycetes decreased. The intestinal microbiota structure changed to the case, with probiotics playing a dominant role. The correlation analysis indicated that Lactobacillus and Ackermann bacteria in the intestinal tract of mice were positively associated with SCFAs, Occludin, ZO-1, pancreatic amylase, SOD, and CAT activities. Moreover, they were negatively correlated with inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-17, IL-1ß, and TNF-α. Conclusions: RGO can decrease LPS-induced intestinal inflammation and intestinal barrier injury in mice and protect their intestinal function. RGO can ameliorate intestinal inflammation and maintain the intestinal barrier by regulating intestinal flora.

Quantitative fingerprint and antioxidative properties of Artemisia argyi leaves combined with chemometrics.

Quantitative fingerprint and differences of Artemisia argyi from different varieties, picking time, aging year, and origins were analyzed combing with chemometrics. The antioxidant activity was determined and antioxidant markers of Artemisia argyi were screened. Variety WA3 was significantly different from that of the other varieties. Fingerprint peak response and antioxidant activity of A. argyi picked in December were lower than samples collected in May and August. Fresh A. argyi leaves were significantly superior to withered leaves and stems. Artemisia argyi aging 1-5 years presented a classification trend. Antioxidant activity of A. argyi produced in Nanyang was generally superior to others origins. Peak 9, isochlorogenic acid A, and 6-methoxyluteolin contributed greatly for classification of A. argyi from different variety, picking time, aging year, and origin. Isochlorogenic acid A, isochlorogenic acid C, 6-methoxyluteolin, and chlorogenic acid were selected as antioxidant marker of A. argyi. The method based on quantitative fingerprint, antioxidant activity evaluation, and chemometrics was reliable to analyze the differences of A. argyi samples from different sources.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of polyphenols in camelina seed and theirs antioxidant activities.

Camelina [Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz] seed has long been consumed as a source of food in Canada. But limited information is available concerning the systematical evaluation of the composition, content, and antioxidant activity of Camelina seed polyphenol extract (CSPE). Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify, quantify and evaluate the antioxidant activity of CSPE. The result showed that eight compositions were identified and determined by the UPLC-DAD-ESI-MS2 analysis. CSPE has potent free radical scavenging capacity. CSPE treatment significantly increased the activities of the antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase) and glutathione content in a dose-dependent manner in RAW264.7 cells with oxidative injury and also reduced malondialdehyde content (P < 0.01). It may be concluded that CSPE has a strong antioxidant activity as depicted by the in vitro experiments and thus possesses the potential to be developed as food antioxidants or as an ingredient in functional foods.

Electroacupuncture Preconditioning Alleviates Lipopolysaccharides-Induced Acute Lung Injury by Downregulating LC3-II/I and Beclin 1 Expression.

Our study aimed to investigate the effect of electroacupuncture pretreatment on the inflammatory response and expression levels of LC3-II/I and Beclin 1 using a model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI). Eighteen male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups: normal control group (NC, n = 6), LSP modeling group (LM, n = 6), and electroacupuncture group (EA, n = 6). Rats in the EA group received electroacupuncture pretreatment at bilateral Zusanli (ST36) and Chize (LU5) points for five days (30 min each time daily, frequency; 3 Hz/15 Hz, intensity; 1 mA). Rats in the EA and LM groups were then injected with 5 mg/kg LPS (Beijing, Solarbio Company, concentration; 5 mg/mL) through the tail vein, while those in the NC group were injected with 5 mg/kg saline. The animals were sacrificed six hours after LPS or saline injection through cervical vertebrae by dislocation under deep anesthesia. Orbital blood was collected for the analysis of serum inflammatory factors including interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß). The lower left lung was excised, stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE), and subjected to histopathological analysis. The mRNA and protein expression of Beclin 1 and LC3 II/I in the lower right lung tissues were detected via RT-qPCR and Western blot analyses, respectively. The results showed that lung injury score was significantly higher in the LM group than that of the NC group (P < 0.01) and EA group (P < 0.01). The IL-1ß contents were significantly decreased in the EA group (P < 0.01) than in the LM group. In contrast, the GF-ß contents were increased in the EA group significantly when compared with the LM group (P < 0.01). RT-qPCR and Western blot detection showed that the relative gene expression of LC3-II/I and Beclin 1 was significantly lower in the EA group than in the LM group (P < 0.01). However, the relative protein expression level of LC3-II/I and Beclin 1 was slightly lower in the EA group than the in LM group (P > 0.05). These results show that electroacupuncture pretreatment reduces the inflammatory response in ALI and can protect lung tissue by inhibiting the gene and protein expression levels of LC3-II/I and Beclin 1.

Application of Phenylephrine Combined with Goal-Directed Fluid Therapy in Elderly Patients Undergoing Hip Arthroplasty: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effect of phenylephrine combined with goal-directed fluid therapy (GDFT) in elderly patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. Methods: From June 2018 to May 2019, a total of 80 patients, age > 70 years, scheduled for total hip arthroplasty at Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital in China were consecutively included in this prospective randomized controlled trial. The patients were divided into 2 groups of 40 patients each by the random number table method. Patients in the control group were given GDFT alone, and patients in the experimental group were given phenylephrine combined with GDFT. The duration of surgery, blood loss, intraoperative urine output, and fluid input were analyzed. Heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac index (CI) and stroke volume variation (SVV) were compared in the 2 groups at different times: before surgery (T0), after induction (T1), before bone cement placement (T2), after bone cement placement (T3) and after surgery (T4). Lactate, oxygenation index and cerebral oxygen uptake rate were compared perioperatively. Meanwhile, the incidence of abdominal distension, nausea and vomiting, pulmonary infection and cognitive dysfunction within 7 days after surgery were compared. Results: The intraoperative fluid input in the experimental group was significantly lower than in the control group (P < .05). In T1 and T3, heart rate (HR) and stroke volume variability (SVV) in the control group were significantly higher than in the experimental group (P < .05), but mean arterial pressure (MAP) and cardiac index (CI) were significantly lower than in the experimental group (P < .05). The intraoperative lactic acid in the control group was significantly higher than in the experimental group (P < .05). In addition, we found that the intraoperative oxygenation index and the postsurgical oxygenation index in the control group decreased by 86.86% and 87.49%, respectively, compared with the preoperative values (P < .05). In addition, at T1 and T3, HR and SVV in the control group were significantly higher than T0 (P < .05), while MAP and CI were significantly lower than T0 (P < .05). In the experimental group, there was no significant difference in HR, SVV, MAP or CI at any time points compared with those of T0 (P < .05). The oxygenation index in the control group was lower than before surgery (P < .05). There was no significant difference in urine volume or brain oxygen uptake between the 2 groups (P < .05). Conclusion: Phenylephrine combined with GDFT can be used in elderly patients undergoing hip arthroplasty to reduce fluid input and improve intraoperative hemodynamic stability, to reduce the occurrence of postoperative related complications.

Is the bond strength of zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate lower than that of lithium disilicate? - A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: This study systematically reviewed the literature to compare the bond strength of resin composites with that of zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate (ZLS) and lithium disilicate (LD). STUDY SELECTION: This review was structured based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) statement. This study was registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42021256900). Studies were searched via PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases without language or publication year limits. In vitro studies that evaluated the bond strength of the resin composites to ZLS and LD were included. The risk of bias in all the included articles was evaluated. Statistical analyses were performed using the Review Manager software (version 5.3, Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, UK). RESULTS: Of the 90 potentially related articles, the full texts of 16 articles were evaluated after screening. Finally, seven studies were included in the qualitative synthesis and meta-analysis. All the studies presented a medium risk of bias. The results showed no significant difference in bond strength between the ZLS and LD groups (P = 0.94, mean difference=0.08, and 95% confidence interval=-1.93 to 2.10). However, a significant difference was found in the subgroup analysis considering different types of aging treatments (P = 0.0008) and different types of bond strength tests (P < 0.00001). CONCLUSION: The bond strength of resin composites was found to be similar to that of ZLS and LD, but different aging treatments and bond strength tests exhibited varying effects on the bond strength.

Nonsynchronized State Estimation for Fuzzy Markov Jump Affine Systems With Switching Region Partitions.

This article investigates the state estimation issue of discrete-time Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy Markov jump affine systems that cover both traditional fuzzy Markov jump systems and fuzzy affine systems as two special cases. The original system is transformed into a Markov jump piecewise-affine system that varies with different operating regions. The fuzzy rules are dependent on the system mode, and accordingly, the partition of the state space is mode dependent. To analyze the stochastic stability of the estimation error system, a novel mode-dependent piecewise Lyapunov function is constructed, in which the region indices of both the plant state and the estimator state are mode dependent. Then, the existence for a simultaneously mode-dependent and region-dependent fuzzy affine estimator is investigated by virtue of the S -procedure and ellipsoidal outer approximation such that the estimation error system is stochastically stable with a prescribed H∞ performance. In the end, an illustrative example of a tunnel diode circuit is adopted to showcase the effectiveness and practicability of the developed state estimation strategy.

Real-time holographic quantitative measurement of vapor density distribution of suspended droplets.

We applied digital holography (DH) technology in a quantitative measurement of the density distribution of a low refractive index transparent substance (e.g., the vapor of suspended droplets). An optical setup was built based on the Mach-Zehnder interferometer. A measurement performance test showed the mean relative error of the measurement error was about 2.0%; that of the environment disturbance error was about 0.47%. By a quantitative method to assess the precision limit, the temperature measurement precision could achieve 0.01°C, and the vapor density measurement precision could achieve 0.0001kg/m3. We believe that all the benefits above make the setup a good choice for application in the Chinese space station.

The Value of Endoscopic Ultrasonography in the Endoscopic Resection of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the clinical value of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in the endoscopic resection of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). METHODS: A retrospective study of 92 patients who were confirmed to have GISTs by endoscopic resection after EUS examination was conducted. The preoperative features of the EUS examination, ultrasound diagnosis, endoscopic resection methods, surgical procedures, complications, and complete degree of lesion resection were recorded. And 16 patients who were diagnosed by endoscopy and EUS and confirmed by surgical operation were included and analyzed in the subsequent part of the investigation (gastroscopy and EUS image analysis, EUS image and risk classification). RESULTS: The preoperative diagnosis rate of EUS and postoperative pathological diagnosis of GISTs was 78.7% (85/108), and the presence of a non-homogeneous echo and liquid anechoic zone in GISTs often indicated higher risk (P < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between tumor size and risk (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The endoscopic resection of GISTs is feasible and safe. EUS is of great significance for the diagnosis and risk assessment of GISTs and can assist in the endoscopic resection of GISTs.

[Effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation on epidural-related maternal fever in parturients undergoing epidural labor analgesia].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on epidural-related maternal fever in parturients undergoing epidural labor analgesia. METHODS: A total of 198 primiparas with single birth, full-term pregnancy and head position were recruited and randomized into a TEAS group (98 cases) and a control group (100 cases). In the TEAS group, after epidural labor analgesia, TEAS was applied to bilateral Hegu (LI4) and Quchi (LI11), once an hour, for 30 min each time, till the end of childbirth. In the control group, after epidural labor analgesia, TEAS electrodes were attached to the same acupoints, but without electric stimulation. Maternal tympanic temperature and the score of Visual Analogue Score (VAS) were measured before analgesia, at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 h after analgesia and during labor respectively and maternal fever rate was evaluated in the parturients of two groups. Separately, before analgesia, 2 h after analgesia and during labor, the levels of serum interleukin (IL-6) and IL-1ß were determined in the parturients of two groups. The duration of labor, the mode of labor, oxytocin dosage, postpartum hemorrhage, neonatal Apgar scores, time of labor analgesia, labor analgesic consumption and adverse effects were recorded in the parturients of two groups. RESULTS: Maternal tympanic temperature increased progressively in two groups as analgesic time prolonged. Tympanic temperature at 3, 4 and 5 h after analgesia and du-ring labor, and maternal fever rate during labor in the TEAS group were all lower than those in the control group respectively (P<0.05). The levels of serum IL-6 and IL-1ß increased after analgesia in the parturients of two groups. The serum IL-6 level during labor and the level of IL-1ß at 2 h after analgesia and during labor in the parturients of the TEAS group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The analgesic consumption in the TEAS group was less than that in the control group (P<0.05). The incidence of chills in the TEAS group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The differences were not statistical in VAS score, duration of labor, mode of labor, oxytocin dosage, postpartum hemorrhage, time of labor analgesia and neonatal Apgar score, as well as the incidence of urine retention, nausea and vomiting and urinary retention between two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation at LI11 and LI4 is conductive to relieving epidural-rela-ted maternal fever and reducing serum levels of IL-6 and IL-1ß in the parturients undergoing epidural labor analgesia. It is safe and effective in clinical application.

Safe Reinforcement Learning With Stability Guarantee for Motion Planning of Autonomous Vehicles.

Reinforcement learning with safety constraints is promising for autonomous vehicles, of which various failures may result in disastrous losses. In general, a safe policy is trained by constrained optimization algorithms, in which the average constraint return as a function of states and actions should be lower than a predefined bound. However, most existing safe learning-based algorithms capture states via multiple high-precision sensors, which complicates the hardware systems and is power-consuming. This article is focused on safe motion planning with the stability guarantee for autonomous vehicles with limited size and power. To this end, the risk-identification method and the Lyapunov function are integrated with the well-known soft actor-critic (SAC) algorithm. By borrowing the concept of Lyapunov functions in the control theory, the learned policy can theoretically guarantee that the state trajectory always stays in a safe area. A novel risk-sensitive learning-based algorithm with the stability guarantee is proposed to train policies for the motion planning of autonomous vehicles. The learned policy is implemented on a differential drive vehicle in a simulation environment. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm achieves a higher success rate than the SAC.

Potential Prognostic Value and Mechanism of Stromal-Immune Signature in Tumor Microenvironment for Stomach Adenocarcinoma.

Stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) is one of the most common malignancies. But the molecular mechanism is unknown. In this study, we downloaded the transcriptional profiles and clinical data of 344 STAD and 30 normal samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Stromal and immune scores of STAD were calculated by the Estimation of Stromal and Immune cells in Malignant Tumor tissues using Expression data (ESTIMATE) algorithm, and association of stromal/immune scores with tumor differentiation/T/N/M stage and survival was investigated. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between high and low score groups (based on media) were identified, and prognostic genes over-/underexpressed in both STAD and stromal/immune signature were retrieved. Furthermore, proportions of 22 infiltrating immune cells for the cohort from TCGA were estimated by the Cell-type Identification By Estimating Relative Subsets Of RNA Transcripts (CIBERSORT) algorithm, and association of 22 immune cells with tumor differentiation/T/N/M stage and survival was investigated. Next, coexpression analysis of 22 immune cells and intersection genes over-/underexpressed in both STAD and stromal signature was conducted. We found high stromal and immune scores and macrophage infiltration predicting poor tumor differentiation and severe local invasion, obtained a list of prognostic genes based on stromal-immune signature, and explored the interaction of collagen, chemokines such as CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11, and macrophage through coexpression analysis and may provide novel prognostic biomarkers and immunotherapeutic targets for STAD.