A comparative assessment of time-consuming and laborious diatom analysis：Brief experimentation with suggestion of automatic identification.

Diatom testing is considered a useful method for providing supportive evidence for the diagnosis of drowning in forensic pathology. However, various factors remain controversial for recognizing diatoms, such as being time-consuming and laborious and influencing the consistency of the results. Given the absence of precise and well-defined studies on this subject, this study aimed to determine the relationship between the ability to identify diatoms and researchers with different technical backgrounds. A total of 55 samples from 18 cases, including water, lungs, liver, and kidneys, were treated using the microwave digestion-vacuum filtration-automated scanning electron microscopy (MD-VF-Auto SEM), which was used to compare diatom analyses among three groups of well-trained forensic pathologists (FPs), trained junior employees (JEs), and new trainees (TEs). In addition to achieving similar accuracy of positive findings from drowning cases, counting efficiency was evaluated based on taxonomy records and counting time after viewing more than 5500 diatom images. In contrast to the higher counting efficiency of the JE group than that of the TE group, we observed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) in the diatom classification between these two groups. Based on our experiments, an efficient analysis for automatically identifying and classifying diatoms is urgently required.

Dynamical quantum phase transitions in the spin-boson model.

We study dynamical quantum phase transitions in a 2-qubit system interacting with a transverse field and a quantized bosonic environment in the context of open quantum systems. By applying the stochastic Schrödinger equation approach, the model with a spin-boson type of coupling can be solved numerically. It is observed that the dynamics of the rate function of the Loschmidt echo in a 2-qubit system within a finite size of Hilbert space exhibit nonanalyticity when the direction of the transverse field coupled to the system is under a sudden quench. Moreover, we demonstrate that the memory time of the environment and the coupling strength between the system and the transverse field can jointly impact the dynamics of the rate function. We also supply a semi-classical explanation to bridge the dynamical quantum phase transitions in many-body systems and the non-Markovian dynamics of open quantum systems.

Stochastic Schrödinger equation derivation of non-Markovian two-time correlation functions.

We derive the evolution equations for two-time correlation functions of a generalized non-Markovian open quantum system based on a modified stochastic Schrödinger equation approach. We find that the two-time reduced propagator, an object that used to be characterized by two independent stochastic processes in the Hilbert space of the system, can be simplified and obtained by taking ensemble average over one single noise. This discovery can save the cost of computation, and accelerate the converging process when taking the average over noisy trajectories. As a result, our method can be widely applied to many open quantum models, especially large-scale systems and extend the quantum regression theory to the non-Markovian case. In the short-time simulations, it is observed a significant difference between Markovian and non-Markovian cases, which can be applied to realize the environmental spectrum detection and enhance the measurement sensitivity in varying open quantum systems.

Anti-infection silver nanoparticle immobilized biomaterials facilitated by argon plasma grafting technology.

Many research groups have attained slow, persistent, continuous release of silver ions through careful experimental design using existing methods. Such methods effectively kill planktonic bacteria and therefore prevent surface adhesion of pathogens. However, the resultant modified coatings cannot provide long-term antibacterial efficacy due to sustained anti-microbial release. In this study, the anti-infection activity of AgNP immobilized biomaterials was evaluated, facilitated by argon plasma grafting technology and activated by bacterial colonization. The modified materials generated in this study showed excellent specificity and were active against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative biofilm forming bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Escherichia coli. The anti-infection biomaterials developed in this study demonstrate several attractive advantages in comparison to traditional anti-bacterial surfaces loaded with antibiotics or other types of antibacterial agents and include (1) broad spectrum of activity against antibiotic resistant bacteria, (2) the unlikelihood of bacterial resistance, (3) specificity, (4) biocompatibility, and (5) stability.

Global Calibration of Multiple Cameras Based on Sphere Targets.

Global calibration methods for multi-camera system are critical to the accuracy of vision measurement. Proposed in this paper is such a method based on several groups of sphere targets and a precision auxiliary camera. Each camera to be calibrated observes a group of spheres (at least three), while the auxiliary camera observes all the spheres. The global calibration can be achieved after each camera reconstructs the sphere centers in its field of view. In the process of reconstructing a sphere center, a parameter equation is used to describe the sphere projection model. Theoretical analysis and computer simulation are carried out to analyze the factors that affect the calibration accuracy. Simulation results show that the parameter equation can largely improve the reconstruction accuracy. In the experiments, a two-camera system calibrated by our method is used to measure a distance about 578 mm, and the root mean squared error is within 0.14 mm. Furthermore, the experiments indicate that the method has simple operation and good flexibility, especially for the onsite multiple cameras without common field of view.

Limb ischemic preconditioning reduces heart and lung injury after an open heart operation in infants.

Open heart surgery supported by cardiopulmonary bypass is associated with heart and lung ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Limb remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) reduces injury caused by ischemia-reperfusion in multiple distant organs. We conducted a prospective clinical trial (randomized and controlled) to test the feasibility and safety of limb RIPC, as well as its protective effects against myocardial and pulmonary IRI for infants undergoing repair of simple congenital heart defects. Infants undergoing repair of ventricular septal defects were enrolled in our study and randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: limb RIPC or control. RIPC was induced twice (24 h and 1 h preoperatively) via three 5-min cycles of ischemia and reperfusion on the left upper arm using a blood pressure cuff. Lung compliance, respiratory index (RI), and cardiac inotropic score (IS) were calculated for each patient. Serum concentrations of the following factors were measured perioperatively: interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha; lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), and its isoenzyme (CK-MB), and troponin I (TnI); malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). The expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP 70) in cardiomyocytes was analyzed by Western blot. Surgical outcomes, including limb movement and sensory function, were recorded in detail. Sixty infants weighting less than 7 kg were studied, with 30 patients in the RIPC group and 30 in the control group. Within 6 months of discharge from the hospital, no limb disability, sensory disturbance, or other surgical complications were found in any patient. Compared with the control group, patients in the RIPC group had higher Cs and Cd, along with lower RI and IS at various postoperative phases. At the beginning of the operation, serum concentrations of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-alpha, LDH, CK, and TnI were higher in the RIPC group than the control group. Postoperatively, release of cytokines and leakage of heart enzymes were attenuated in the RIPC group; serum concentrations of cytokines and heart enzymes were lower in the RIPC group at some, but not all, postoperative time points. Furthermore, the RIPC group had lower coronary sinus venous concentrations of MDA and higher concentrations of SOD. Similarly, the expression of HSP 70 was upregulated in cardiomyocytes from the RIPC group. Limb RIPC can be applied safely and easily in infants, can attenuate systemic inflammatory response syndrome, and can increase systemic tolerance to IRI, imparting a protective effect against myocardial and pulmonary IRI. The expression of HSP 70 has an important role in the mechanism of action for RIPC.