Single photon counting compressive imaging using a generative model optimized via sampling and transfer learning.

Single photon counting compressive imaging, a combination of single-pixel-imaging and single-photon-counting technology, is provided with low cost and ultra-high sensitivity. However, it requires a long imaging time when applying traditional compressed sensing (CS) reconstruction algorithms. A deep-learning-based compressed reconstruction network refrains iterative computation while achieving efficient reconstruction.

Meta-analysis and experimental validation identified atrazine as a toxicant in the male reproductive system.

Atrazine (ATZ), as a widely used triazine herbicide, is an environmental endocrine disruptor (EDC) that can cause many health problems. Therefore, we conducted this study based on the evidence of rats and mice to figure out the characteristics of ATZ damage to the reproductive system and further evaluate its health effects on the human. PRISMA's guidelines were followed according to the principles recommended by the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Review.

Functionalized Carbon Materials in Syngas Conversion.

Functionalized carbon materials are widely used in heterogeneous catalysis due to their unique properties such as adjustable surface properties, excellent thermal conductivity, high surface areas, tunable porosity, and moderate interactions with guest metals. The transformation of syngas into hydrocarbons (known as the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis) or oxygenates is an exothermic reaction and is typically catalyzed by transition metals dispersed on functionalized supports. Various carbon materials have been employed in syngas conversions not only for improving the performance or decreasing the dosage of expensive active metals but also for building model catalysts for fundamental research.

Camouflaged Gold Nanodendrites Enable Synergistic Photodynamic Therapy and NIR Biowindow II Photothermal Therapy and Multimodal Imaging.

Gold nanodendrite (AuND)-based nanotheranostic agents with versatile capabilities were fabricated by optimizing the geometrical configurations (dendrite length and density) of AuND to achieve localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in near-infrared biowindow II (NIR-II), and then subsequently functionalizing with a mitochondria-targeting compound (triphenylphosphonium, TPP), loading with an NIR-photosensitizer (indocyanine green, ICG) and coating with the macrophage cell membrane (MCM) to trap ICG within AuND and selectively interact with MDA-MB-231 cells. The novel AuND-TPP-ICG@MCM system enabled the integration of multimodal fluorescence/photoacoustic/surface-enhanced Raman imaging with synergistic therapies of NIR-II photothermal therapy and NIR-I photodynamic therapy for cancer treatment. Enhanced hyperthermia and elevated production of reactive oxygen species within the tumors MCM coating and mitochondria targeting afforded a synergistic efficacy for tumor eradication with limited side effects.

A formal [3 + 3] cycloaddition of allenyl imide and activated ketones for the synthesis of tetrasubstituted 2-pyrones.

CsOH·HO-catalyzed formal [3 + 3] cycloadditions of allenyl imide with β-ketoesters, 1,3-diketones or β-ketonitriles for the synthesis of tetrasubstituted 2-pyrone derivatives have been demonstrated. The allenyl imide was utilized as a C3-synthon, and a ketenyl intermediate was proposed the process of 1,4-addition of carbon anion to allene followed by elimination of the 2-oxazolidinyl group.

Asymmetric Petasis reaction for the synthesis of chiral α- and β-butadienyl amines.

The Petasis reaction using (1S,2R)-1-amino-2-indanol as the substrate and an activator to construct α- and β-butadienyl amines in optically pure forms was realized, which are otherwise difficult to prepare. The reactions feature a metal-free nature, broad substrate scope, complete regioselectivities (γ-selectivity of pinacol homoallenyl- and isoprenylboronates), and high to excellent chirality induction (up to >20 : 1 dr). The favored nucleophilic addition across the Si-face of the imine intermediate was explained using DFT calculations of the six-membered chair-like transition state.

ADCC against MICA/B Is Mediated against Differentiated Oral and Pancreatic and Not Stem-Like/Poorly Differentiated Tumors by the NK Cells; Loss in Cancer Patients due to Down-Modulation of CD16 Receptor.

Tumor cells are known to upregulate major histocompatibility complex-class I chain related proteins A and B (MICA/B) expression under stress conditions or due to radiation exposure. However, it is not clear whether there are specific stages of cellular maturation in which these ligands are upregulated or whether the natural killer (NK) cells differentially target these tumors in direct cytotoxicity or antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC). We used freshly isolated primary and osteoclast (OCs)-expanded NK cells to determine the degree of direct cytotoxicity or of ADCC using anti-MICA/B monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against oral stem-like/poorly-differentiated oral squamous cancer stem cells (OSCSCs) and Mia PaCa-2 (MP2) pancreatic tumors as well as their well-differentiated counterparts: namely, oral squamous carcinoma cells (OSCCs) and pancreatic PL12 tumors.

The application of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and biomaterials in skeletal muscle regeneration.

Skeletal muscle injuries have bothered doctors and caused great burdens to the public medical insurance system for a long time. Once injured, skeletal muscles usually go through the processes of inflammation, repairing and remodeling. If repairing and remodeling stages are out of balance, scars will be formed to replace injured skeletal muscles.

Potential use of peptic ulcer perforation (PULP) score as a conversion index of laparoscopic-perforated peptic ulcer (PPU) repair.

Background: Laparoscopic repair is a well-accepted treatment modality for perforated peptic ulcer (PPU). However, intraoperative conversion to laparotomy is still not uncommon. We aimed to identify preoperative factors strongly associated with conversion.

Neurotrophic effects of dental pulp stem cells in repair of peripheral nerve after crush injury.

Background: Nerve diseases and injuries, which are usually accompanied by motor or sensory dysfunction and disorder, impose a heavy burden upon patients and greatly reduce their quality of life. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), derived from the neural crest, have many characteristics that are similar to those of neural cells, indicating that they can be an ideal source for neural repair.

Aim: To explore the potential roles and molecular mechanisms of DPSCs in crushed nerve recovery.

Immunotherapy and potential predictive biomarkers in the treatment of neuroendocrine neoplasia.

Neuroendocrine neoplasias (NENs) are a heterogeneous group of rare tumors scattered throughout the body. Surgery, locoregional or ablative therapies as well as maintenance treatments are applied in well-differentiated, low-grade NENs, whereas cytotoxic chemotherapy is usually applied in high-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas. However, treatment options for patients with advanced or metastatic NENs are limited.

Biomimetic and hierarchical nerve conduits from multifunctional nanofibers for guided peripheral nerve regeneration.

Development of a functional nerve conduit to replace autografts remains a significant challenge particularly considering the compositional complexity and structural hierarchy of native peripheral nerves. In the present study, a multiscale strategy was adopted to fabricate 3D biomimetic nerve conduit from Antheraea pernyi silk fibroin (ApF)/(Poly(L-lactic acid-co-caprolactone)) (PLCL)/graphene oxide (GO) (ApF/PLCL/GO) nanofibers via nanofiber dispersion, template-molding, freeze-drying and crosslinking. The resultant conduits exhibit parallel multichannels (ϕ = 125 µm) surrounded by biomimetic fibrous fragments with tailored degradation rate and improved mechanical properties in comparison with the scaffold without GO.

Degradable self-adhesive epidermal sensors prepared from conductive nanocomposite hydrogel.

Conductive hydrogel-based epidermal sensors are attracting significant interest due to their great potential in soft robotics, electronic skins, bioelectronics and personalized healthcare monitoring. However, the conventional conductive hydrogel-based epidermal sensors cannot be degraded, resulting in the significant problem of waste, which will gradually increase the burden on the environment. Herein, degradable adhesive epidermal sensors were assembled using conductive nanocomposite hydrogels, which were prepared via the conformal coating of cellulose nanofiber (CNF) networks and supramolecular interaction among CNF, polydopamine (PDA), Fe, and polyacrylamide (PAM).

An acidic-groups detection method and its application to analysis of Chinese humic acid samples.

The method of non-aqueous conductivity titration (NACT) of organic weak acids was applied to quickly and accurately determine the phenolic-hydroxyl and carboxyl-groups contents in humic acid. By varying the pH of the humic-acid sample, the concentration of the titrant, and the nitrogen-gas flow rate, the optimal titration conditions were determined to be a sample pH of 4, titrant concentration of 0.05 mol/L, and nitrogen-gas flow rate of 80 mL/min.

A combined HMM-PCNN model in the contourlet domain for image data compression.

Multiscale geometric analysis (MGA) is not only characterized by multi-resolution, time-frequency localization, multidirectionality and anisotropy, but also outdoes the limitations of wavelet transform in representing high-dimensional singular data such as edges and contours. Therefore, researchers have been exploring new MGA-based image compression standards rather than the JPEG2000 standard. However, due to the difference in terms of the data structure, redundancy and decorrelation between wavelet and MGA, as well as the complexity of the coding scheme, so far, no definitive researches have been reported on the MGA-based image coding schemes.

Mobile Mental Health Apps in China: Systematic App Store Search.

Background: Smartphones have become ubiquitous in China, offering a promising way to deliver mental health interventions; however, little is known about the current use and characteristics of smartphone apps for mental health.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to gain insight into mobile mental health apps available in China as of December 2018.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted to identify and evaluate the most downloaded apps from iOS and Android platforms.

Common Gene Modules Identified for Chicken Adiposity by Network Construction and Comparison.

Excessive fat deposition can cause chicken health problem, and affect production efficiency by causing great economic losses to the industry. However, the molecular underpinnings of the complex adiposity trait remain elusive. In the current study, we constructed and compared the gene co-expression networks on four transcriptome profiling datasets, from two chicken lines under divergent selection for abdominal fat contents, in an attempt to dissect network compositions underlying adipose tissue growth and development.

Full Stokes single photon compressive polarization imaging.

We demonstrate a full Stokes polarization imaging system based on compressed sampling and single photon counting. The control and synchronization counting module based on field-programmable gate array is specially developed to control the rotation stage for polarization imaging at different directions. Additionally, it can load the binary random matrix into a digital micro-mirror device controller for each measurement and count the single photon pulse output from the photon counting photomultiplier tube simultaneously.

The Antitumor Effects of Icaritin Against Breast Cancer is Related to Estrogen Receptors.

Objective: We aim to investigate the anticancer effects and mechanisms of icaritin against breast cancer.

Materials And Methods: Both estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer cells MCF- 7 and ER-negative MDA-MB-231 cells were employed. We examined the effects of icaritin on the proliferation and migration by wound healing assay and transwell assay.

Comprehensive managements of metastatic renal tumor with Mayo III inferior vena cava tumor thrombus: a case report.

Renal tumor with inferior vena cava (IVC) tumor thrombus still remains one of the most medical challenges in urological oncology. Despite numerous researches reporting the surgical experiences and survivals of this kind of patients, there is still lacking a standard recommended therapy right now. We reported a case of metastatic renal cell carcinoma with Mayo III IVC tumor thrombus who underwent robotic-assisted complete removal of the intracaval thrombus and radical left nephrectomy followed by renal arterial chemoembolization and pazopanib administration.

A Porous Au@Rh Bimetallic Core-Shell Nanostructure as an H O -Driven Oxygenerator to Alleviate Tumor Hypoxia for Simultaneous Bimodal Imaging and Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy.

In treatment of hypoxic tumors, oxygen-dependent photodynamic therapy (PDT) is considerably limited. Herein, a new bimetallic and biphasic Rh-based core-shell nanosystem (Au@Rh-ICG-CM) is developed to address tumor hypoxia while achieving high PDT efficacy. Such porous Au@Rh core-shell nanostructures are expected to exhibit catalase-like activity to efficiently catalyze oxygen generation from endogenous hydrogen peroxide in tumors.

Toxicity of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) on rodent male reproductive system: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control studies.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a group of environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). According to recent studies, the associations between PBDEs and rodent male reproductive system are controversial. Therefore, we performed this systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify the effects of PBDEs on rodent male reproductive system.

A binary sampling Res2net reconstruction network for single-pixel imaging.

The traditional algorithm for compressive reconstruction has high computational complexity. In order to reduce the reconstruction time of compressive sensing, deep learning networks have proven to be an effective solution. In this paper, we have developed a single-pixel imaging system based on deep learning and designed the binary sampling Res2Net reconstruction network (Bsr2-Net) model suitable for binary matrix sampling.

Effects of mineral-solubilizing microbial strains on the mechanical responses of roots and root-reinforced soil in external-soil spray seeding substrate.

There are a large number of abandoned mining areas in China, where external-soil spray seeding is a common technique used to assist with the restoration of these areas. However, the soil component of external-soil spray seeding is deficient, and they are prone to collapse, which complicates ecological restoration. In this study, we added a mineral-solubilizing microbial strain to an external-soil spray seeding substrate in Robinia pseudoacacia and Lespedeza bicolor pots, which were monitored from December 2018 to November 2019.