Treatment of refractory anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 anbibody-positive dermatomyositis complicated by rapidly progressing interstitial pulmonary disease: Two case reports.

BACKGROUND: Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibody-positive (anti-MDA5 Ab+) dermatomyositis complicated with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (anti-MDA5 Ab+ DM-RP-ILD) has an unclear underlying mechanism with no recommended unified treatment plan. Herein, one of the cases that we report (Case 2) was successfully treated with tocilizumab despite having lung infection. CASE SUMMARY: Case 1 was a 30-year-old woman who was admitted due to recurrent rash for 5 mo, fever and cough for 1 mo, and chest tightness for 3 d. She was diagnosed with non-myopathic dermatomyositis (anti-MDA5 Ab+) and interstitial pneumonia, and was treated with the combination of hormone therapy and cyclophosphamide followed by oral tacrolimus. Case 2 was a 31-year-old man admitted due to systemic rash accompanied by muscle weakness of limbs for more than 1 mo, and chest tightness and dry cough for 4 d. He was diagnosed with dermatomyositis (anti-MDA5 Ab+) and acute interstitial pneumonia with Pneumocystis jirovecii and Aspergillus fumigatus infections and was treated with hormone therapy (without cyclophosphamide) and the combination of tocilizumab and tacrolimus. The condition of both patients eventually improved and they were discharged and showed clinically stable condition at the latest follow-up. CONCLUSION: Tocilizumab could be a salvage treatment for patients with anti-MDA5 Ab+ DM-RP-ILD who are refractory to intensive immunosuppression.

Solar X-ray and EUV imager on board the FY-3E satellite.

The solar X-ray and Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (X-EUVI), developed by the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CIOMP), is the first space-based solar X-ray and Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) imager of China loaded on the Fengyun-3E (FY-3E) satellite supported by the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) for solar observation. Since started work on July 11, 2021, X-EUVI has obtained many solar images. The instrument employs an innovative dual-band design to monitor a much larger temperature range on the Sun, which covers 0.6-8.0 nm in the X-ray region with six channels and 19.5 nm in the EUV region. X-EUVI has a field of view of 42', an angular resolution of 2.5″ per pixel in the EUV band and an angular resolution of 4.1″ per pixel in the X-ray band. The instrument also includes an X-ray and EUV irradiance sensor (X-EUVS) with the same bands as its imaging optics, which measures the solar irradiance and regularly calibrates the solar images. The radiometric calibration of X-EUVS on the ground has been completed, with a calibration accuracy of 12%. X-EUVI is loaded on the FY-3E satellite and rotates relative to the Sun at a uniform rate. Flat-field calibration is conducted by utilizing successive rotation solar images. The agreement between preliminarily processed X-EUVI images and SDO/AIA and Hinode/XRT images indicates that X-EUVI and the data processing algorithm operate properly and that the data from X-EUVI can be applied to the space weather forecast system of CMA and scientific investigations on solar activity.

Perceptual Video Quality Prediction Emphasizing Chroma Distortions.

Measuring the quality of digital videos viewed by human observers has become a common practice in numerous multimedia applications, such as adaptive video streaming, quality monitoring, and other digital TV applications. Here we explore a significant, yet relatively unexplored problem: measuring perceptual quality on videos arising from both luma and chroma distortions from compression. Toward investigating this problem, it is important to understand the kinds of chroma distortions that arise, how they relate to luma compression distortions, and how they can affect perceived quality. We designed and carried out a subjective experiment to measure subjective video quality on both luma and chroma distortions, introduced both in isolation as well as together. Specifically, the new subjective dataset comprises a total of 210 videos afflicted by distortions caused by varying levels of luma quantization commingled with different amounts of chroma quantization. The subjective scores were evaluated by 34 subjects in a controlled environmental setting. Using the newly collected subjective data, we were able to demonstrate important shortcomings of existing video quality models, especially in regards to chroma distortions. Further, we designed an objective video quality model which builds on existing video quality algorithms, by considering the fidelity of chroma channels in a principled way. We also found that this quality analysis implies that there is room for reducing bitrate consumption in modern video codecs by creatively increasing the compression factor on chroma channels. We believe that this work will both encourage further research in this direction, as well as advance progress on the ultimate goal of jointly optimizing luma and chroma compression in modern video encoders.

ProxIQA: A Proxy Approach to Perceptual Optimization of Learned Image Compression.

The use of lp (p = 1,2) norms has largely dominated the measurement of loss in neural networks due to their simplicity and analytical properties. However, when used to assess the loss of visual information, these simple norms are not very consistent with human perception. Here, we describe a different "proximal" approach to optimize image analysis networks against quantitative perceptual models. Specifically, we construct a proxy network, broadly termed ProxIQA, which mimics the perceptual model while serving as a loss layer of the network. We experimentally demonstrate how this optimization framework can be applied to train an end-to-end optimized image compression network. By building on top of an existing deep image compression model, we are able to demonstrate a bitrate reduction of as much as 31% over MSE optimization, given a specified perceptual quality (VMAF) level.

Strong coupling between distant photonic nanocavities via dark whispering gallery modes.

The strong coupling between photonic nanocavities at arbitrary positions is important for the realization of photonic integrated circuits. However, the coupling between nanocavities is mainly through the evanescent field, which limits the distance between nanocavities and hinders the scalability of photonic circuits. Here, we propose a scheme to realize the strong coupling between two distant nanocavities beyond the limitations of evanescent field coupling. Two distant identical one dimensional photonic crystal cavities (1DPhCCs) more than 8 µm apart are bridged by a microring which supports whispering gallery modes (WGMs). We demonstrate that the two 1DPhCCs can be strongly coupled even though the microring is largely detuned from them. The supermodes between the two 1DPhCCs are formed while the proportions of the WGM in the microring are suppressed at large detuning. The light energy mainly oscillates between the two 1DPhCCs, leaving the WGM in the microring as a dark mode. Such a scheme can realize strong coupling between distant nanocavities without much difficulties in experiments, which provides advantages for the realization of next-generation photonic circuits.

Tuning the coupling between quantum dot and microdisk with photonic crystal nanobeam cavity.

Strong coupling between solid-state quantum emitters and microcavities paves the way for optical coherent manipulation of quantum state and provides opportunities for quantum information processing. However, it is still a challenge to realize strong coupling due to the spectral and spatial mismatch between quantum emitters and cavity modes. Here, we propose a scheme to tune the coupling between a single QD and a microdisk with 1D photonic crystal nanobeam cavity. Based on Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) method and Green's function expression for the evolution operator, we demonstrate that QDs with emission wavelengths +1.27 nm and -1.44 nm detuned from the bare microdisk mode can be coupled to the system strongly. Particularly, we observe simultaneous coupling between QD and two cavity supermodes, which enriches the optical coherent control methods of quantum states. By adjusting the distance between the two cavities, we can control the coupling between QD and photons. Furthermore, benefiting from the natural integration of nanobeam cavity to waveguide, such a system provides advantages for implementing quantum internet.

Wide-field auroral imager onboard the Fengyun satellite.

The newly launched Fengyun-3D (FY-3D) satellite carried a wide-field auroral imager (WAI) that was developed by Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CIOMP), which will provide a large field of view (FOV), high spatial resolution, and broadband ultraviolet images of the aurora and the ionosphere by imaging the N2 LBH bands of emissions. The WAI consists of two identical cameras, each with an FOV of 68° in the along-track direction and 10° in the cross-track direction. The two cameras are tilted relative to each other to cover a fan-shaped field of size 130° × 10°. Each camera consists of an unobstructed four-mirror anastigmatic optical system, a BaF2 filter, and a photon-counting imaging detector. The spatial resolution of WAI is ~10 km at the nadir point at a reference height of 110 km above the Earth's surface. The sensitivity is >0.01 counts s-1 Rayleigh-1 pixel-1 (140-180 nm) for both cameras, which is sufficient for mapping the boundaries and the fine structures of the auroral oval during storms/substorms. Based on the tests and calibrations that were conducted prior to launch, the data processing algorithm includes photon signal decoding, geometric distortion correction, photometric correction, flat-field correction, line-of-sight projection and correction, and normalization between the two cameras. Preliminarily processed images are compared with DMSP SSUSI images. The agreement between the images that were captured by two instruments demonstrates that the WAI and the data processing algorithm operate normally and can provide high-quality scientific data for future studies on auroral dynamics.

Twice the effort: Ineffectiveness of selecting air pollution control targets with emission quantity for risk reduction.

Protection of human health from air pollution has been typically pursued primarily via regulations of air quality standards and emission standards. Although reducing air pollution from the largest sources and placing more stringent emission limits on the industries of focus is a criterion used by decision makers to control air pollution, it is not clear whether this criterion is the most effective and efficient in improving health protection. Pollutants released from sources into the environment are spatially fluctuating rather than uniformly distributed, and hence, health risk is an issue of geographic variability. To address this issue, this study used a representative example of lead (Pb) in Taiwan. This study implemented an IO-RA methodology to redefine the effectiveness of air pollution management and rank the control priorities of target industries using different perspectives, i.e., environmental responsibility, economic benefit and repercussion potential. This study also considered the potential differences in policy effectiveness based on the air pollution control targets and ranked the industries according to their effectiveness in health risk improvement across the three perspectives and pure emission quantities. After determining the cause-effect chain of health risk through IO-RA, authorities can partner with specific industries according to the chosen effectiveness criteria and thus facilitate better policy performance.

Image Quality Assessment Using Human Visual DOG Model Fused With Random Forest.

Objective image quality assessment (IQA) plays an important role in the development of multimedia applications. Prediction of IQA metric should be consistent with human perception. The release of the newest IQA database (TID2013) challenges most of the widely used quality metrics (e.g., peak-to-noise-ratio and structure similarity index). We propose a new methodology to build the metric model using a regression approach. The new IQA score is set to be the nonlinear combination of features extracted from several difference of Gaussian (DOG) frequency bands, which mimics the human visual system (HVS). Experimental results show that the random forest regression model trained by the proposed DOG feature is highly correspondent to the HVS and is also robust when tested by available databases.

[Changes in serum level of carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen in patients with coronary heart disease].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the serum level of carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) and explore its correlation with MMP-2 and MMP-9 in patients with coronary artery disease (CHD). METHODS: A total of 103 CHD patients treated in our hospital between October, 2013 and May, 2014 were enrolled, including 39 with stable angina pectoris (SAP), 39 with unstable angina (UA), and 25 with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), with 38 non-CHD volunteers as the control group. The serum levels of ICTP, MMP-2, and MMP-9 were detected in all the subjects using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: No significant difference in serum levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, or ICTP was found between the control and SAP groups or between UA and AMI groups (P>0.05), but the latter two groups had significantly higher serum levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, and ICTP than the former two groups (P<0.05). Serum ICTP level was found to negatively correlated with the fibrotic area and positively with the lipid component in the plaques (P<0.05). Regression analysis revealed significant positive correlations of serum ICTP with MMP-2 and MMP-9 (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: An elevated serum ICTP level is indicative of the presence of unstable plaques in CHD patients. Serum ICTP is more strongly correlated with MMP-2 than with MMP-9, and can be used as a non-invasive marker for assessing vulnerable plaques in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

[Thermal spectral property of prism in hyper spectral imager].

Prism is one of the most key parts in the hyper spectral imager (HSI). Consequently, to set thermal control target and make thermal control design, the thermal spectral property of prism in the HSI was studied. The working principle of the HSI and the definition of its thermal spectral property were introduced. The working environment of prism and its thermal effect were analyzed; also the study contents and technical route of the prism's thermal spectral property were discussed. The effects of different uniform temperature field on deflexion angle and angular dispersion of the prism in the HSI were deduced, and the changes in displacement of the spectra and the spectral bandwidth under different uniform temperature were obtained. For one instance, the thermal spectral property of the K9 prism and the fused silica prism were compared based on FEM and combined experiments, furthermore, its thermal control target was ascertained and a thermal spectral property test was carried out to validate the rationality of the thermal spectral property analysis. The results of analysis indicated that the changes in spectral bandwidth and spectrum resolution brought by thermal distortions can be ignored according to current fixing mode, and the displacement of the spectra is mainly determined by thermal coefficient of material refractive index; because of it's the lower thermal coefficient of material refractive index, the displacement of the spectra of the K9 prism is smaller under the same temperature changes; the material deflexion changes (dn/dlambda) of prism are not sensitive to the temperature, so the changes in spectral bandwidth caused by them are not obvious. And the results of test proved that the studied method of thermal spectral property is reasonable and essential, and the results are authentic and credible. So it can provide some guidance for setting thermal control target and optimizing thermal control design.