Dark-Channel Soft-Constrained and Object-Perception-Enhanced Deep Dehazing Networks Used for Road Inspection Images.

Haze seriously affects the visual quality of road inspection images and contaminates the discrimination of key road objects, which thus hinders the execution of road inspection work. The basic assumptions of the classical dark-channel prior are not suitable for road images containing light-colored lane lines and vehicles, while typical deep dehazing networks lack physical model interpretability, and they focus on global dehazing effects, neglecting the preservation of object features. For this reason, this paper proposes a Dark-Channel Soft-Constrained and Object-Perception-Enhanced Deep Dehazing Network (DCSC-OPE-Net) for the information recovery of road inspection images. The network is divided into two modules: a dark-channel soft-constrained dehazing module and a near-view object-perception-enhanced module. Unlike the traditional dark-channel algorithms that impose strong constraints on dark pixels, a dark-channel soft-constrained loss function is constructed to ensure that the features of light-colored vehicles and lane lines are effectively maintained. To avoid resolution loss due to patch-based dark-channel processing for image dehazing, a resolution enhancement module is used to strengthen the contrast of the dehazed image. To autonomously perceive and enhance key road features to support road inspection, edge enhancement loss combined with a transmission map is embedded into the network to autonomously discover near-view objects and enhance their key features. The experiments utilize public datasets and real road inspection datasets to validate the performance of the proposed DCSC-OPE-Net compared with typical networks using dehazing evaluation metrics and road object recognition metrics. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed DCSC-OPE-Net can obtain the best dehazing performance, with an NIQE score of 4.5 and a BRISQUE score of 18.67, and obtain the best road object recognition results (i.e., 83.67%) among the comparison methods.

Association of Family Cohesion and Adaptability with Eating Behaviors of Preschoolers / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

ObjectiveTo examine the current status of preschoolers' eating behaviors and investigate its correlation with family cohesion and adaptability. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted involving 21，954 preschoolers and their families from Pingshan District， Shenzhen， between September 2021 and December 2021. A general demographic questionnaire， the Chinese version of Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale Ⅱ （FACESⅡ-CV） and Chinese Preschoolers’ Eating Behavior Questionnaire （CPEBQ） were used to collect the relevant information. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the association of family cohesion and adaptability with eating behaviors of preschoolers. ResultsTypes of family cohesion and adaptability were significantly correlated with all the 7 dimensions of preschoolers' eating behaviors， including food fussiness （R2=0.252， F=114.457， P<0.001）， food responsiveness （R2 = 0.111， F =24.973， P<0.001）， eating habit （R2= 0.304， F =139.658， P<0.001）， satiety responsiveness （R2 = 0.259， F =105.332， P<0.001）， external eating （R2 = 0.182， F =50.150， P<0.001）， emotional eating （R2 = 0.234， F =91.084， P<0.001） and initiative eating （R2 = 0.349， F =168.608， P<0.001）. After adjusting for confounding factors， our study showed that types of family cohesion and adaptability were independent predictors of preschoolers' eating behaviors （P<0.05）. ConclusionsTypes of family cohesion and adaptability have a significant predictive effect on the 7 dimensions of preschoolers' eating behaviors. Higher scores of family cohesion and adaptability imply stronger initiative eating ability and less poor dietary behaviors in preschoolers.

Protein recognition onto silica particles using chitosan as intermedium substrate.

A novel molecular imprinting method was used to prepare twice-coated silica particles with specific recognition sites for hemoglobin. Chitosan was used as an intermedium to be coated on silica particles via phase inversion process, and the abundance of exposed amine groups (NH2) were active sites for introducing aldehyde groups. After hemoglobin was covalently immobilized by forming imine bonds with the aldehyde groups, acrylamide was then polymerized onto chitosan-coated silica particles to form the recognition sites. The obtained hemoglobin imprinted [molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)] beads were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TG), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The MIP particles exhibited selectively adsorption for the imprinted protein compared to the nonselectively adsorption for most of proteins of the nonimprinted (NIP) beads.

Knowledge, attitude, practice and related determinants on nutrition among caregivers of rural stranded children under 7-year-olds in China / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To explore knowledge, attitude, practice (KAP) and related determinants on nutrition among caregivers of those rural stranded children under 7 years of age in China and to provide evidence for setting up relevant health education program. Methods 1691 caregivers of the stranded children randomly selected were surveyed by a standard questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to screen the determinants on KAP regarding nutrition. Results Rates on awareness, positive attitude and approprite behavior were lower in caregivers of children whose parents both left (47.8%, 55.4%, 41.8%, respectively) the countryside, when compared with those only one parent was away from home (59.9%, 59.5%, 38.0%, respectively). Data from multivariable logistic regression models showed that caregivers' KAP on nutrition was related to age, educational background, average family income, and willingness on the job as well as the age of the child. Conclusion Improving caregivers' KAP on nutrition and setting up appropriate health education program were in urgent need.

Study on the nutritional status and determinants among rural stranded children in China / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To explore the nutritional status and determinants among rural stranded children under 7 years of age. Methods The group of stranded children (n=7585) and the children for control (n=7557) were identified by multi-stage stratified cluster sampling. The ascertainment methods mainly included questionnaire, anthropometric measurements and laboratory examination. Results In this study, there were three groups, including the group of stranded children whose single parent left home to look for better job somewhere, the group of stranded children whose parent both left home and the third group serving as control. Prevalent rates on the following items were: stunting -- 14.9%, 17.9% and 16.3%, underweight -- 7.2%, 8.3% and 7.6%, wasting -- 3.1%, 3.4% and 3.3% and anemia -- 18.9%, 20.6%, 18.7% respectively. The prevalent rate of stunting in the group of children with both parents away from home was significantly higher than that those with only one parent did. The prevalence rate of anemia in the group with both parents away from home was significantly higher than that in the control group. Based on multivariate non-conditional logistic regression analysis, the determinants of stunting among the stranded children were: age, with low birth weight, living alone, being the only child in the family, mother's education level, frequency of eating breakfast and snacks every week, motives of caretakers and the relationship between children and the caretakers. The determinants of underweight among those stranded children were: age of child, with low birth weight, the frequency of eating snacks every week, motives of the caretakers and having rickets. Conclusion The nutritional status among rural stranded children was relatively poor, especially in those whose parents were both away from home, which calls for urgent improvement.

A novel solid phase for selective separation of flavonoid compounds.

A novel straightforward approach to selective separation for flavonoid compounds was reported. The solid phase material was prepared by copolymerization using allyl-bromide-modified chitosan as macromonomer, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross-linker. The material was evaluated by chromatographic analysis; it exhibited high selectivity separation for quercetin and its structural analogues using different mobile phases. The material could directly trap a specific class of compounds including quercetin and kaempferol from the hydrolyzate of Ginkgo biloba extract. These results demonstrated the possibility of direct extraction of certain constituents from herb using this material.

Retrospective study of liver failure complicated with bacterium and fungous infection / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study clinic character of liver failure complicated with bacterium and fungous infection.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The patients with liver failure complicated with bacterial and fungous infection who were treated in our hospital from January 1986 to June 2006 were studied. All patients had clinical manifestation and positive of bacterium. The data were statistical analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>507 patients diagnosed with fungous infection were found from January 1986 to June 2006 in which 132 patients were diagnosed with bacterial and fungous infection. There were 85 patients (64.39%) with chronic severe hepatitis and 40 patients (30.3%) with decompensation cirrhosis. Bacterial infection happened in 153 cases in which the rate of nosocomial infections was 54.90%. 204 bacterial strains were separated in which 143 strains (70.10%) were gram-negative bacterium and 61 (29.90%) strains were gram-positive bacterium. The main sites of bacterial infection were abdominal cavity (122 cases) and lung (30 cases). Fungous infection happened in 143 cases in which the rate of nosocomial infections was 86.71%. 155 fungous strains were separated in which 90 strains (58.06%) were Candida albicans, 17 strains (10.97%) were Aspergillus fumigatus and 25 (16.13%) strains were non-Candida albicans. The main sites of fouguns infection were lung (94 cases) and mouth (53 cases). 84 patients (63.64%) were ineffective and died after treatment.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The patients with decompensation cirrhosis and chronic severe liver hepatitis were easy to be infected by bacterial and fungous. the rate of fungous nosocomial infections is higher than that of bacterium. The prognosis is bad in patients who had secondary fungous infection.</p>

Well-defined lactose-containing polymer grafted onto silica particles.

Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of 2-O-meth-acryloyloxyethoxyl-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-galactopyranosyl)-(1-4)-2,3,6-tri-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside (MAEL) was performed directly in CHCl3 solutions using cumyl dithiobenzoate (CDB) as the chain transfer agent to give well-defined glycopolymers. The chemical composition and structure of the glycopolymer were characterized by 1HNMR, FTIR, and SEC. The living glycopolymer chains were subsequently grafted onto gamma-methacryloxypropyl-trimethoxy (MPTMS) modified silica particles. The acetyl groups of the poly(MAEL) grafted onto the silica gel particles were converted to the hydroxyl groups with CH3ONa/CH3OH, thus obtaining silica gel particles modified with well-defined lactose-carrying polymer.

Hemoglobin recognition by imprinting in semi-interpenetrating polymer network hydrogel based on polyacrylamide and chitosan.

Semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) hydrogel was prepared to recognize hemoglobin, by molecularly imprinted method, in the mild aqueous media of chitosan and acrylamide in the presence of N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide as the cross-linking agent. The hydrogel obtained has been investigated by using thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM). Langmuir analysis showed that an equal class of adsorption was formed in the hydrogel, and the adsorption equilibrium constant and the maximum adsorption capacity were evaluated to be 4.27 g/mL and 36.53 mg/g wet hydrogel, respectively. The imprinted semi-IPN hydrogel has a much higher adsorption capacity for hemoglobin than the nonimprinted hydrogel with the same chemical composition and also has a higher selectivity for the imprinted molecule.

A novel mechanism for the suppression of a voltage-gated potassium channel by glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide: protein kinase A-dependent endocytosis.

The mechanisms involved in glucose regulation of insulin secretion by ATP-sensitive (K(ATP)) and calcium-activated (K(CA)) potassium channels have been extensively studied, but less is known about the role of voltage-gated (K(V)) potassium channels in pancreatic beta-cells. The incretin hormone, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) stimulates insulin secretion by potentiating events underlying membrane depolarization and exerting direct effects on exocytosis. In the present study, we identified a novel role for GIP in regulating K(V)1.4 channel endocytosis. In GIP receptor-expressing HEK293 cells, GIP reduced A-type peak ionic current amplitude of K(V)1.4 via activation of protein kinase A (PKA). Using mutant forms of K(V)1.4 with Ala-Ser/Thr substitutions in a potential PKA phosphorylation site, C-terminal phosphorylation was shown to be linked to GIP-mediated current amplitude decreases. Proteinase K digestion and immunocytochemical studies on mutant K(V)1.4 localization following GIP stimulation demonstrated phosphorylation-dependent rapid endocytosis of K(V)1.4. Expression of K(V)1.4 protein was also demonstrated in human beta-cells; GIP treatment resulting in similar decreases in A-type potassium current peak amplitude to those in HEK293 cells. Transient overexpression in INS-1 beta-cells (clone 832/13) of wild-type (WT) K(V)1.4, or a T601A mutant form resistant to PKA phosphorylation, resulted in reduced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion; WT K(V)1.4 overexpression potentiated GIP-induced insulin secretion, whereas this response was absent in T601A cells. These results strongly support an important novel role for GIP in regulating K(V)1.4 cell surface expression and modulation of A-type potassium currents, which is likely to be critically important for its insulinotropic action.

Chitosan beads as molecularly imprinted polymer matrix for selective separation of proteins.

Two kinds of molecularly imprinted polymers were prepared using hemoglobin as the imprinting molecule, acrylamide as the functional monomer, chitosan beads and maleic anhydride-modified chitosan beads as matrixes, respectively. Static adsorbing experimental results showed that an equal class of adsorption was formed in the imprinted polymers and the adsorption equilibrium constant and the maximum adsorption capacity were evaluated. Chromatographic characteristics showed that the column bedded with the hemoglobin imprinted beads could separate hemoglobin and bovine serum albumin effectively from their mixture, which indicates that the imprinted beads have very higher selectivity for hemoglobin than the non-imprinted with the same chemical composition.