A wearable cardiac ultrasound imager.

Continuous imaging of cardiac functions is highly desirable for the assessment of long-term cardiovascular health, detection of acute cardiac dysfunction and clinical management of critically ill or surgical patients1-4. However, conventional non-invasive approaches to image the cardiac function cannot provide continuous measurements owing to device bulkiness5-11, and existing wearable cardiac devices can only capture signals on the skin12-16. Here we report a wearable ultrasonic device for continuous, real-time and direct cardiac function assessment. We introduce innovations in device design and material fabrication that improve the mechanical coupling between the device and human skin, allowing the left ventricle to be examined from different views during motion. We also develop a deep learning model that automatically extracts the left ventricular volume from the continuous image recording, yielding waveforms of key cardiac performance indices such as stroke volume, cardiac output and ejection fraction. This technology enables dynamic wearable monitoring of cardiac performance with substantially improved accuracy in various environments.

Association of remnant cholesterol with coronary artery ectasia: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is a condition characterized by the localized or widespread dilation of one or more coronary arteries. The majority of CAE patients do not present with clinical symptoms, and the exact cause of CAE remains unclear. Therefore, a retrospective analysis was conducted to explore the potential causes of CAE. METHODS: This study was a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent coronary angiography at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital between January 2017 and July 2022, of whom 679 patients were ultimately enrolled in the study. Among them, 260 patients were diagnosed with CAE, whereas 419 patients with normal coronary results composed the control group. Remnant cholesterol (RC) was calculated as total cholesterol (TC) minus high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) minus low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). The association between RC levels and the risk of CAE was assessed via multivariable logistic models. RESULTS: Out of the 679 patients who participated in this study, with an average age of 59.9 years, 38.3% were diagnosed with CAE. Patients with CAE had higher RC levels than did those without CAE (P = 0.001). A significant positive association was observed between RC levels and the risk of CAE, with a multivariable adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 1.950 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.163-3.270). There was a significant positive association between RC levels and the risk of CAE in both single-vessel and multivessel dilation cases, as well as in isolated CAE and dilation secondary to coronary atherosclerosis. According to the subgroup analyses, RC levels were positively associated with the risk of CAE in participants with hypertension (OR, 1.065; 95% CI, 1.034-1.098). CONCLUSION: RC levels are positively correlated with CAE, implying that a focus on RC could be beneficial in CAE research.

Perioperative dexmedetomidine-induced delirium in a patient with schizophrenia: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Dexmedetomidine is a selective α2 receptor agonist with sedative, analgesic, anxiolytic, and anti-sympathetic effects. Dexmedetomidine is widely used for various surgical procedures performed under general anaesthesia and sedation in the intensive care unit. Dexmedetomidine was known to relieve or improve the symptoms of delirium. Schizophrenia is a common psychiatric disease, and the number of surgical patients with schizophrenia is increasing gradually. Dexmedetomidine-induced delirium in patients with schizophrenia is a particular case. CASE PRESENTATION: This patient was a 75-year-old woman (height: 156 cm; weight: 60 kg) with a 5-year history of schizophrenia. Her schizophrenia was well controlled with medications. She was scheduled for open reduction and internal fixation for a patellar fracture. Spinal anaesthesia was administered for surgery, and dexmedetomidine was administered intravenously to maintain sedation. The patient became delirious half an hour after the surgery began. The intravenous infusion of dexmedetomidine was discontinued immediately, intravenous propofol was subsequently administered, and the patient stopped experiencing dysphoria and fell asleep. After surgery, the patient stopped using propofol and recovered smoothly. She was transferred back to the general ward and was discharged from the hospital without any abnormal conditions on the 9th day after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a patient with schizophrenia who developed delirium during the infusion of a normal dose of dexmedetomidine without an intravenous injection of any other sedative. The exact mechanism causing dexmedetomidine-induced delirium remains unclear, and this adverse reaction is rare and easy to ignore. Clinicians and pharmacists should be vigilant in identifying this condition.

Clinical characteristics and risk factors of IgA vasculitis with intussusception and intestinal perforation.

AIM: Intussusception is the most common surgical complication of IgA vasculitis (IgAV), and intestinal perforation is usually associated with intussusception. If they are not recognised and treated in a timely manner, serious consequences may occur. The objective is to summarise the clinical features of IgAV complicated by intussusception and intestinal perforation and explore its risk factors. METHODS: The clinical data of 32 patients with IgAV complicated by surgical complications (25 cases of intussusception and 7 cases of intestinal perforation) were retrospectively analysed. A total of 160 IgAV children with gastrointestinal (GI) involvement but without surgical complications were randomly selected as a control group. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the risk factors for IgAV with intussusception and intestinal perforation. RESULTS: Compared with the intussusception group, the intestinal perforation group had a significantly higher number of patients with GI symptoms prior to skin purpura and GI bleeding, a significantly higher number of days of abdominal pain, a significantly higher Wong-Baker score, and a significantly higher white blood cell count. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that age ≤7 years, GI symptoms prior to skin purpura, abdominal pain intensity (Wong-Baker scale) and timing of glucocorticoid treatment were independent risk factors of IgAV with intussusception and intestinal perforation. CONCLUSION: Age less than 7 years, severe abdominal pain, and GI symptoms prior to skin purpura were risk factors for IgAV with intussusception and intestinal perforation. Early use of glucocorticoids may prevent intussusception and intestinal perforation.

Pentachlorophenol Exposure Delays the Recovery of Colitis in Association With Altered Gut Microbiota and Purine Metabolism.

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) was used widely as preservative and biocide and has been banned due to with various harmful effects, such as carcinogenicity and teratogenicity. However, the effects of PCP on colitis induced by dextrose sodium sulfate (DSS) remain largely unknown. Serum metabolomics and gut microbiota were investigated to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Exposure to 20 µg/L PCP aggravated DSS-induced body weight loss, colon shortening, severe histological injuries, and upregulation of TNFα, iNOS, IL-1ß, and IL-6. Serum metabolomics showed that both DSS and PCP could significantly disrupted tryptophan metabolism in normal mice. Interestingly, PCP exposure intensified the disturbance in purine metabolism but not tryptophan metabolism caused by DSS. Quantitative analysis of tryptophan and metabolites further confirmed that PCP exposure significantly increased the serum contents of serotonin, adenine, guanine, guanosine, inosine monophosphate (IMP), inosine, and hypoxanthine in DSS-treated mice. The overall gut microbial community was significantly modified by PCP and DSS treatment alone. Rikenellaceae_RC9_Gut_group, Colidextribacter, and Desulfovibrio were more abundant in colitis mice following PCP exposure. Further integrative analysis of differential bacteria and purine metabolites highlighted a significant correlation between Desulfovibrio and several purine metabolites, including guanine, guanosine, hypoxanthine, IMP, and inosine. Adenosine ribonucleotides de novo biosynthesis, inosine-5'-phosphate biosynthesis I, and urate biosynthesis/inosine 5'-phosphate degradation pathways were depleted in colitis mice upon PCP treatment. Taken together, PCP exposure delayed the recovery of colitis induced by DSS in association with altered gut microbiota and serum metabolites, which were enriched in tryptophan and purine metabolism.

Continuous Erector Spinae Plane Block for Postoperative Analgesia in Elderly Patients After Thoracoscopic Lobectomy.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of ultrasound-guided continuous erector spinae plane block to continuous thoracic paravertebral block on postoperative analgesia in elderly patients who underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Elderly patients (N = 50) who underwent nonemergent thoracoscopic lobectomy in the thoracic surgery department of our hospital from January 2019 to December 2020 were selected and randomly divided into continuous erector spinae block (ESPB; n = 25) group and continuous thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB; n = 25) group. The patients in the two groups were guided by ultrasound with ESPB or TPVB before anesthesia induction. The visual analog scale at rest and cough in 2 hours, 6 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours after surgery, the supplementary analgesic dosage of tramadol, time of tube placement, the stay time in postanesthesia care unit (PACU), the first ambulation time after surgery, the length of postoperative hospital stay and postoperative complications were recorded. FINDINGS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in visual analog scale score at rest and cough at each time point and supplementary analgesic dosage of tramadol within 48 hours after surgery (P > .05). The time of tube placement and the postoperative hospital stay in ESPB group was significantly shorter than that in TPVB group (P < .05). There were no differences in PACU residence time and first ambulation time between the two groups (P > .05). There were 4 patients in TPVB group and 2 patients in ESPB group who had nausea and vomiting (P > .05), 1 case of pneumothorax and 1 case of fever in the TPVB group. There were no incision infections or respiratory depression requiring clinical intervention in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Both ESPB and TPVB alleviated the patients postoperative pain effectively for elderly patients underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy. Compared with TPVB, patients with ESPB have a shorter tube placement time, fewer complications and faster postoperative recovery.

Hotspots and trends of artificial intelligence in the field of cataracts: a bibliometric analysis.

PURPOSE: To analyze the hotspots and trends in artificial intelligence (AI) research in the field of cataracts. METHODS: The Science Citation Index Expanded of the Web of Science Core Collection was used to collect the research literature related to AI in the field of cataracts, which was analyzed for valuable information such as years, countries/regions, journals, institutions, citations, and keywords. Visualized co-occurrence network graphs were generated through the library online analysis platform, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace tools. RESULTS: A total of 222 relevant research articles from 41 countries were selected. Since 2019, the number of related articles has increased significantly every year. China (n = 82, 24.92%), the United States (n = 55, 16.72%) and India (n = 26, 7.90%) were the three countries with the most publications, accounting for 49.54% of the total. The Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (n = 13, 5.86%) and Translational Vision Science & Technology (n = 10, 4.50%) had the most publications. Sun Yat-sen University (n = 25, 11.26%), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (n = 17, 7.66%), and Capital Medical University (n = 16, 7.21%) are the three institutions with the highest number of publications. We discovered through keyword analysis that cataract, diagnosis, imaging, classification, intraocular lens, and formula are the main topics of current study. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the hot spots and potential trends of AI in terms of cataract diagnosis and intraocular lens power calculation. AI will become more prevalent in the field of ophthalmology in the future.

Flexible and fast estimation method of far-field patterns for digital-coding metasurfaces.

We propose a flexible and fast estimation method to calculate the far-field patterns of digital-coding metasurfaces (DCMs) by performing chirp Z-transform (CZT), called the DCM-CZT method. Because of the expression form of convolution, CZT can be accelerated by fast Fourier transform. Compared with the traditional discrete Fourier transform (DFT) method, the DCM-CZT method can accurately estimate the far-field patterns with arbitrary element periods. More importantly, the DCM-CZT method can calculate partial far-field patterns for some specific orientations, instead of the global far-field patterns like DFT does. We show that the DCM-CZT method can efficiently improve the partial space-resolution to avoid the calculation error caused by the fence effect under acceptable computing time. We present six representative examples to demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed method. Results show that the far-field patterns calculated by the DCM-CZT method have good agreements with full-wave simulations and experimental measurements. However, the results of main-lobes calculated by the DFT method have obvious deviations when the element period is about 0.2 wavelengths. We believe that the DCM-CZT method has potential applications in wireless communications and radar detections.

Carbon dots-mediated synthesis of gold nanodendrites with extended absorption into NIR-II window for in vivo photothermal therapy.

BACKGROUND: Photothermal therapy (PTT) in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window has attracted extensive attention due to the benefits in high maximum permissible exposure and penetration depth. Current photothermal agents generally show a broadband absorption accompanied by a gradual attenuation of absorption in the NIR-II window, leading to poor effect of PTT. It remains a great challenge to gain photothermal agents with strong and characteristic absorption in NIR-II regions. To overcome this problem, based on carbon dots (CDs)-mediated growth strategy, we proposed a simple and feasible approach to prepare plasmonic gold nanodendrites (AuNDs) with NIR-II absorption to enhance the therapeutic effect of PTT. RESULTS: By rationally regulating the size and branch length of AuNDs, the AuNDs exhibited a broadband absorption from 300 to 1350 nm, with two characteristic absorption peaks located at 1077 and 1265 nm. The AuNDs demonstrated desired optical photothermal conversion efficiency (38.0%), which was further applied in NIR-II photoacoustic imaging (PAI) and PTT in human colon cancer cells (HCT 116)-tumor-bearing mice model. The tumor cells could be effectively eliminated in vivo under 1064 nm laser irradiation by the guidance of PAI. CONCLUSIONS: We reported a simple but powerful synthetic method to obtain the unique AuNDs with strong and characteristic absorption peaks in the NIR-II window. This study provides a promising solution to tuning the growth of nanoparticles for bioimaging and phototherapy in the NIR-II window.

Genome-Wide Characterization and Expression of the Hsf Gene Family in Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen) and the Potential Thermotolerance of SmHsf1 and SmHsf7 in Yeast.

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen) is a traditional Chinese herb with significant medicinal value. The yield and quality of Danshen are greatly affected by climatic conditions, in particular high temperatures. Heat shock factors (Hsfs) play important regulatory roles in plant response to heat and other environmental stresses. However, little is currently known about the role played by the Hsf gene family in S. miltiorrhiza. Here, we identified 35 SmHsf genes and classified them into three major groups: SmHsfA (n = 22), SmHsfB (n = 11), and SmHsfC (n = 2) using phylogenetic analysis. The gene structure and protein motifs were relatively conserved within subgroups but diverged among the different groups. The expansion of the SmHsf gene family was mainly driven by whole-genome/segmental and dispersed gene duplications. The expression profile of SmHsfs in four distinct organs revealed its members (23/35) are predominantly expressed in the root. The expression of a large number of SmHsfs was regulated by drought, ultraviolet, heat and exogenous hormones. Notably, the SmHsf1 and SmHsf7 genes in SmHsfB2 were the most responsive to heat and are conserved between dicots and monocots. Finally, heterologous expression analysis showed that SmHsf1 and SmHsf7 enhance thermotolerance in yeast. Our results provide a solid foundation for further functional investigation of SmHsfs in Danshen plants as a response to abiotic stresses.

Acacetin resists UVA photoaging by mediating the SIRT3/ROS/MAPKs pathway.

Ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation is a major contributor to the pathogenesis of skin photoaging, and the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Acacetin on skin photoaging in UVA-irradiated mice and human dermal fibroblasts (HDF). Healthy dorsal depilated rats were irradiated with UVA 30 J/cm2 daily, every other day, for 1 month. Acacetin (40, 80 mg kg/day) was coated to the bare skin of the rats' backs 1 h before UVA irradiation. HDF were treated different concentrations of Acacetin (5, 10, 20 µg/ml) and then irradiated with UVA (20 J/cm2 ). Acacetin was found to be effective in ameliorating UVA-induced oxidative stress and cell death. Acacetin also prevented the UVA-induced decrease of SIRT3, reduced the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs, p-38 and p-JNK) and blocked the down-regulated activation of oxidative stress in matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). In addition, Acacetin increased the expressions of collagen-promoting proteins (TGF-ß and Smad3). Finally, the SIRT3 inhibitor 3-TYP blocked all protective effects of Acacetin, indicating that the protective effect of Acacetin against UVA photoaging is SIRT3-dependent. Acacetin effectively mitigated photoaging by targeting the promotion of SIRT3, inhibiting the UVA-induced increases in MMPs and pro-inflammatory factors, and promoting TGF-ß and Smad3.

Activatable Nanoprobe with Aggregation-Induced Dual Fluorescence and Photoacoustic Signal Enhancement for Tumor Precision Imaging and Radiotherapy.

Owing to the high sensitivity and high spatial resolution, fluorescence (FL) imaging has been widely applied for visualizing biological processes. To gain insight into molecular events on deeper tissues, photoacoustic (PA) imaging with better deep-tissue imaging capability can be incorporated to provide complementary visualization and quantitative information on the pathological status. However, the development of activatable imaging probes to achieve both FL and PA signal amplification remains challenging because the enhancement of light absorption in PA imaging often caused the quenching of FL signal. Herein, we first developed a caspase-3 enzyme activatable nanoprobe of a nanogapped gold nanoparticle coated with AIE molecule INT20 and DEVD peptides (AuNNP@DEVD-INT20) for tumor FL and PA imaging and subsequent imaging-guided radiotherapy. The nanoprobe could interact with GSH and caspase-3 enzyme to liberate INT20 molecules, leading to AIE. Simultaneously, the in situ self-assembly of AuNPs was achieved through the cross-linking reaction between the sulfhydryl and the maleimide, resulting in ratiometric PA imaging in tumor. Remarkably, the nanoprobe can generate richful ROS for cancer radiotherapy under X-ray irradiation. The platform not only achieves the aggregation-induced FL and PA signal enhancement but also provides a general strategy for imaging of various biomarkers, eventually benefiting precise cancer therapy.

Different Types of Circulatory Inflammatory Biomarkers Associated with Cerebral Arterial Atherosclerosis and Dolichoectasia.

BACKGROUND: Although inflammation is found to be related to arteriopathy pathogenesis, it is yet to be determined the distinct correlations of specific inflammatory biomarker types contributing to different cerebral large vessel diseases. We aimed to investigate the association between multiple inflammatory biomarkers and cerebral atherosclerosis and dolichoectasia in a community-based sample. METHODS: A total of 960 participants of the Shunyi study were included. A panel of 14 circulatory inflammatory biomarkers was assessed and then grouped in three sets as systemic, endothelial-related, and media-related inflammation, based on underlying different inflammatory cascades. Intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS), dolichoectasia estimated by magnetic resonance angiography, and carotid plaques estimated by ultrasound were also performed. RESULTS: Endothelial-related inflammatory group was related to the presence of ICAS (R2 = 0.215, p = 0.024) and carotid plaques (R2 = 0.342, p = 0.013). Backward stepwise elimination showed that E-selectin was prominent (ß = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.54-0.85, p = 0.001; ß = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.68-0.93, p = 0.005). Systemic inflammatory group was associated with an increased basilar artery diameter (R2 = 0.051, p < 0.001), and backward stepwise elimination showed that IL-6 was prominent (ß = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.03-0.11, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Different types of inflammatory biomarkers were associated with atherosclerosis and dolichoectasia, respectively, implying dissimilar inflammatory processes. Further confirming of their distinct anti-inflammatory roles as potential therapeutic targets is warrant.

Establishment and evaluation of glucose-modified nanocomposite liposomes for the treatment of cerebral malaria.

Cerebral malaria (CM) is a life-threatening neurological complication caused by Plasmodium falciparum. About 627,000 patients died of malaria in 2020. Currently, artemisinin and its derivatives are the front-line drugs used for the treatment of cerebral malaria. However, they cannot target the brain, which decreases their effectiveness. Therefore, increasing their ability to target the brain by the nano-delivery system with brain-targeted materials is of great significance for enhancing the effects of antimalarials and reducing CM mortality. This study used glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) on the blood-brain barrier as a target for a synthesized cholesterol-undecanoic acid-glucose conjugate. The molecular dynamics simulation found that the structural fragment of glucose in the conjugate faced the outside the phospholipid bilayers, which was conducive to the recognition of brain-targeted liposomes by GLUT1. The fluorescence intensity of the brain-targeted liposomes (na-ATS/TMP@lipoBX) in the mouse brain was significantly higher than that of the non-targeted liposomes (na-ATS/TMP@lipo) in vivo (P < 0.001) after intranasal administration. The infection and recurrence rate of the mice receiving na-ATS/TMP@lipoBX treatment were significantly decreased, which had more advantages than those of other administration groups. The analysis of pharmacokinetic data showed that na-ATS/TMP@lipoBX could enter the brain in both systemic circulation and nasal-brain pathway to treat malaria. Taken together, these results in this study provide a new approach to the treatment of cerebral malaria.

MiR-873-5p modulates progression of tongue squamous cell carcinoma via targeting SEC11A.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of miR-873-5p on proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) by targeting SEC11A. METHODS: Tongue squamous cell carcinoma tissues were collected and performed by qRT-PCR and Western blotting to determine the expression of miR-873-5p and SPC18. SCC9 and CAL-27 cells were transfected and divided into Mock, mimic NC, miR-873-5p mimic, SEC11A, and miR-873-5p mimic + SEC11A groups. Then, a series of experiments including cell count kit 8 (CCK-8), wound healing, Transwell, and flow cytometry were conducted. Besides, Western blotting was used to detect the expression of SPC18 and EGFR pathway-related proteins. RESULTS: MiR-873-5p was downregulated while SPC18 was upregulated in TSCC, and miR-873-5p was negatively correlated with SPC18. Dual luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed SEC11A to be a target of miR-873-5p. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of SCC9 and CAL-27 cells in miR-873-5p mimic group were decreased with increased cell apoptosis, presenting with downregulations of SPC18 and EGFR pathway-related proteins, while cells in SEC11A group manifested totally different changes. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of miR-873-5p mimic on TSCC cell growth was abolished by SEC11A overexpression. CONCLUSION: Overexpression of miR-873-5p may suppress cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, but facilitate apoptosis in TSCC via targeting SEC11A.

Comparison of the efficacy of ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block and thoracic paravertebral block combined with intercostal nerve block for pain management in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery: a prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to compare analgesic efficacy of erector spinae plane block(ESPB) and thoracic paravertebral block(TPVB) combined with intercostal nerve block(ICNB) after video assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS). METHODS: Patients were enrolled into three groups according to analgesia technique as ICNB, TPVB + ICNB or ESPB + ICNB: respectively Group C(n = 58), Group T (n = 56) and Group E (n = 59). Patients were followed up by a trained data investigator at 2, 6, 8, 12, 24, 48 h after surgery, and the visual analog scale(VAS) at rest and coughing were recorded. The moderate and severe pain mean VAS ≥ 4 when coughing. The postoperative opioids consumption, incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), supplementary analgesic requirements within 48 h, length of stay in PACU, ambulation time, postoperative days in hospital and potential side effects, such as hematoma, hypotension, bradycardia, hypersomnia, uroschesis, pruritus and apnea were recorded. RESULTS: The incidence of moderate-to-severe pain was no significant difference between 3 groups in 24 h and 48 h (P = 0.720). There was no significant difference among the 3 groups in the resting pain intensity at 2, 6, 8, 12, 24 and 48 h after surgery(P > 0.05). In 2-way analysis of variance, the VAS when coughing in Group T were lower than that in Group C (mean difference = 0.15, 95%CI, 0.02 to 0.29; p = 0.028). While no difference was found when comparing Group E with Group C or Group T(P > 0.05). There was no difference between the three groups in the sufentanil consumption( within 24 h p = 0.472, within 48 h p = 0.158) and supplementary analgesic requirements(p = 0.910). The incidence of PONV and the length of stay in PACU, ambulation time and postoperative days in hospital were comparable in the 3 groups(P > 0.05). Two patients from Group T developed hematoma at the site of puncture. CONCLUSIONS: The present randomized trial showed that the analgesic effect of TPVB + ICNB was superior to that of INCB after VATS, the analgesic effect of ESPB was equivalent to that of TPVB and ICNB. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2100049578. Registered 04 Aug 2020 Retrospectively registered.

Infrared Small Target Detection Based on Weighted Local Coefficient of Variation Measure.

Robust infrared (IR) small target detection is critical for infrared search and track (IRST) systems and is a challenging task for complicated backgrounds. Current algorithms have poor performance on complex backgrounds, and there is a high false alarm rate or even missed detection. To address this problem, a weighted local coefficient of variation (WLCV) is proposed for IR small target detection. This method consists of three stages. First, the preprocessing stage can enhance the original IR image and extract potential targets. Second, the detection stage consists of a background suppression module (BSM) and a local coefficient of variation (LCV) module. BSM uses a special three-layer window that combines the anisotropy of the target and differences in the grayscale distribution. LCV exploits the discrete statistical properties of the target grayscale. The weighted advantages of the two modules complement each other and greatly improve the effect of small target enhancement and background suppression. Finally, the weighted saliency map is subjected to adaptive threshold segmentation to extract the true target for detection. The experimental results show that the proposed method is more robust to different target sizes and background types than other methods and has a higher detection accuracy.

Low-Altitude Infrared Slow-Moving Small Target Detection via Spatial-Temporal Features Measure.

Robust detection of infrared slow-moving small targets is crucial in infrared search and tracking (IRST) applications such as infrared guidance and low-altitude security; however, existing methods easily cause missed detection and false alarms when detecting infrared small targets in complex low-altitude scenes. In this article, a new low-altitude slow-moving small target detection algorithm based on spatial-temporal features measure (STFM) is proposed. First, we construct a circular kernel to calculate the local grayscale difference (LGD) in a single image, which is essential to suppress low-frequency background and irregular edges in the spatial domain. Then, a short-term energy aggregation (SEA) mechanism with the accumulation of the moving target energy in multiple successive frames is proposed to enhance the dim target. Next, the spatial-temporal saliency map (STSM) is obtained by integrating the two above operations, and the candidate targets are segmented using an adaptive threshold mechanism from STSM. Finally, a long-term trajectory continuity (LTC) measurement is designed to confirm the real target and further eliminate false alarms. The SEA and LTC modules exploit the local inconsistency and the trajectory continuity of the moving small target in the temporal domain, respectively. Experimental results on six infrared image sequences containing different low-altitude scenes demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, which performs better than the existing state-of-the-art methods.

[Research of preparation quality markers of Yulian Tang with anti-inflammatory activity].

The lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-indused RAW264.7 cells inflammation model was used as a carrier to investigated the effects of the preparation quality markers of Yulian Tang with anti-inflammatory activity in vitro. RAW264.7 cells were treated with LPS(50 ng·mL~(-1)) or/and different concentrations(low dose 0.1 µmol·L~(-1); medium dose 1 µmol·L~(-1); high dose 10 µmol·L~(-1)) of 18 chemical components in Yulian Tang for 24 h. Then the activity of RAW264.7 cell was detected using Cell Counting Kit-8(CCK-8) and the concentrations of inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-6 in the supernatant of RAW264.7 cell were detected by ELISA assay. As the concentrations of chemical components in Yulian Tang increased, berberine, coptisine, magnoflorine, epiberberine, columbamine and costunolide had stronger inhibitory effects on TNF-α, whereas limonin, dehydroevodiamine, chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, groenlandicine, evodiamine, rutaecarpine and phellodendrine showed weakened inhibitory effects on TNF-α. The concentrations of palmatine, jatrorrhizine, dehydrocostus lactone and cryptochlorogenic acid had no significant effect on their inhibitory effect on TNF-α. Furthermore, dehydrorutaecarpine, chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, evodiamine, rutaecarpine, costunolide, phellodendrine and cryptochlorogenic acid showed stronger inhibitory effect on IL-6 as their concentrations increased; berberine, coptisine, magnoflorine, epiberberine, limonin, columbamine, groenlandicine and dehydrocostus lactone had no changes in their inhibitory effects on IL-6 as the concentrations increased. Palmatine and jatrorrhizine had the best inhibitory effect on IL-6. Combining the previous analysis of qualitative and quantitative preparation quality markers of Yulian Tang with the above result of dose-response relationship, we finally identified 15 preparation quality markers of Yulian Tang with anti-inflammatory activity, namely berberine, coptisine, palmatine, magnoflorine, epiberberine, limonin, columbamine, jatrorrhizine, neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, groenlandicine, evodiamine, rutaecarpine, dehydrocostus lactone and costunolide. In conclusion, our study provides a quick strategy for screening the qualitative preparation quality markers of Yulian Tang with anti-inflammatory activity. Moreover, it also provides an explicit route for the determination of preparation quality markers of Yulian Tang with other activities.

The Chemistry of Organic Contrast Agents in the NIR-II Window.

Optical imaging, especially fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging, is a non-invasive imaging approach with high spatial and temporal resolution and high sensitivity, compared to positron emission tomography (PET) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Due to the merits of imaging using the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window, like deeper penetration depth, high signal-to-noise ratio, high resolution, and low tissue damage, researchers have devoted great effort to developing contrast agents with NIR-II absorption or emission. In this Review, we summarize recently developed organic luminescent and photoacoustic materials, ranging from small molecules to conjugated polymers. Then, we systematically introduce engineering strategies and describe the imaging performance classified by the skeleton cores. Finally, we elucidate the challenges and prospects of these NIR-II organic dyes for potential clinical applications. We expect our summary can inspire researchers to expand the spectrum of NIR-II contrast agents for diverse bioapplications.