Tobacco is a critical cash crop in China, so its growing status has received more and more attention. How to acquire accurate plant area, row spacing, and plant spacing at the same time have been key ...points for its grow status monitoring and yield prediction. However, accurately detecting small and densely arranged tobacco plants during the rosette stage poses a significant challenge. In Sichuan Province, the contours of scattered tobacco fields with different shapes are not well-extracted. Additionally, there is a lack of simultaneous methods for extracting crucial tobacco planting information, including area, row spacing, and plant spacing. In view of the above scientific problems, we proposed a method to extract the planting information of tobacco at the rosette stage with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) remote sensing images. A detection model, YOLOv8s-EFF, was constructed for the small and weak tobacco in the rosette stage. We proposed an extraction algorithm for tobacco field area based on extended contours for different-shaped fields. Meanwhile, a planting distance extraction algorithm based on tobacco coordinates was presented. Further, four experimental areas were selected in Sichuan Province, and image processing and sample label production were carried out. Four isolated tobacco fields with different shapes in four experimental areas were used to preliminarily verify the effectiveness of the model and algorithm proposed. The results show that the precision ranges of tobacco field area, row spacing, and plant spacing were 96.51~99.04%, 90.08~99.74%, and 94.69~99.15%, respectively. And another two experimental areas, Jiange County, Guangyuan, and Dazhai County, Gulin County, and Luzhou, were selected to evaluate the accuracy of the method proposed in the research in practical application. The results indicate that the average accuracy of tobacco field area, row spacing, and plant spacing extracted by this method reached 97.99%, 97.98%, and 98.31%, respectively, which proved the extraction method of plant information is valuable.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Potassium (K
+
) plays a role in enzyme activation, membrane transport, and osmotic regulation processes. An increase in potassium content can significantly improve the elasticity and combustibility ...of tobacco and reduce the content of harmful substances. Here, we report that the expression analysis of Nt GF14e, a 14-3-3 gene, increased markedly after low-potassium treatment (LK). Then, chlorophyll content, POD activity and potassium content, were significantly increased in overexpression of Nt GF14e transgenic tobacco lines compared with those in the wild type plants. The net K
+
efflux rates were severely lower in the transgenic plants than in the wild type under LK stress. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis identified 5708 upregulated genes and 2787 downregulated genes between Nt GF14e overexpressing transgenic tobacco plants. The expression levels of some potassium-related genes were increased, such as CBL-interacting protein kinase 2 (CIPK2), Nt CIPK23, Nt CIPK25, H
+
-ATPase isoform 2 a (AHA2a), Nt AHA4a, Stelar K
+
outward rectifier 1(SKOR1), and high affinity K
+
transporter 5 (HAK5). The result of yeast two-hybrid and luciferase complementation imaging experiments suggested Nt GF14e could interact with CIPK2. Overall, these findings indicate that NtGF14e plays a vital roles in improving tobacco LK tolerance and enhancing potassium nutrition signaling pathways in tobacco plants.
The influence of iron ore properties, such as ore type, mineralogical texture, and particle size, on the intra-particle water migration dynamics were evaluated using immersion method. When immersed, ...ores were reached 68–78% of their final saturation in first 60 s and then approached final saturation slowly. It typically took up to 1×105 s to reach final saturation. Compared with the initial and final saturation water contents of 2.8–4.0 mass% in the case of Brazilian ores, Australian ores showed higher water contents of 5–6.4 mass% due to more porous structure. While the final saturation water content was partially explained by the porosity and total pore volume of ores, the kinetics of water migration should be considered to explain the saturation curve of different ores. In terms of mineralogical texture, porous texture showed higher final saturation water contents than dense texture. Finer particles showed higher final saturation water contents than coarser particles.A revised migration model was introduced to explain the effect of pore size distribution and trapped air. It was revealed that water migration proceeds more readily in the finer pores due to the larger capillary force, which is needed to overcome the trapped air. The water migration in the coarser pores is restrained due to the weak capillary force against trapped air, resulting in lower degree of saturation at equilibrium. Compared with Australian ores, Brazilian ores showed a lower degree of saturation due to their higher proportion of coarse pores.
•The correlation between teHLA-DR and patient outcome as well as its regulation on the TME of LSCC are yet to be elucidated.•teHLA-DR tumor cells had significantly higher PD-L1 and PD-L2 expression ...and their TME showed increased infiltrated CD4+ T lymphocytes.•teHLA-DR may be a predictive marker for favorable prognosis and response to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy of LSCC.
HLA-DR is expressed in epithelial and several types of tumor cells. However, the correlation between tumor-expressed HLA-DR (teHLA-DR) and patient outcome as well as its regulation on the tumor microenvironment (TME) of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) are yet to be elucidated.
Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining were performed to define the tumor nest and stroma of LSCC tissue microarrays. teHLA-DR tumor cell, CD4+ and CD8+ tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes (TITLs) were obtained and analyzed through double-labeling immunofluorescence and immunohistochemical staining. The recurrence-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method and tested by the log-rank test method. Expression of teHLA-DR+ tumor cells and infiltration of T lymphocytes and their corresponding subgroups were analyzed by flow cytometry using fresh LSCC tissue samples.
Our research discovered elevated expressions of multiple MHC-II-related genes in tumor compared to the adjacent normal tissue samples of LSCC patients. We also found that patients in the teHLA-DR high-expression group (teHLA-DRhigh) tend to have less tumor recurrence and better survival outcomes compared to those in the teHLA-DRlow group. Intriguingly, teHLA-DR+ tumor cells had significantly higher PD-L1 and PD-L2 expression and their TME showed increased infiltrated T lymphocytes (TITLs). Flow cytometry analysis and IHC staining indicated that CD4+ TITLs but not CD3+ total TITLs or CD8+ TITLs were significantly enriched in teHLA-DR+ tumors.
teHLA-DR may be a predictive marker for favorable prognosis and response to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy of LSCC, possibly due to the increased CD4+ TITLs in the TME.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has been increasingly used to treat unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). However, the superiority of combination ...therapy to TACE monotherapy remains controversial. Therefore, here we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TACE plus TKIs in patients with uHCC.
We searched four databases for eligible studies. The primary outcome was time to progression (TTP), while the secondary outcomes were overall survival (OS), tumor response rates, and adverse events (AEs). Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were collected for TTP and OS, and the data were analyzed using random-effects meta-analysis models in STATA software. OR and 95% CIs were used to estimate dichotomous variables (complete remissionCR, partial remissionPR, stable diseaseSD, progressive diseasePD, objective response rateORR, disease control rateDCR, and AEs) using RStudio's random-effects model. Quality assessments were performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) for observational studies and the Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
The meta-analysis included 30 studies (9 RCTs, 21 observational studies) with 8246 patients. We judged the risk of bias as low in 44.4% (4/9) of the RCTs and high in 55.6% (5/9) of the RCTs. All observational studies were considered of high quality, with a NOS score of at least 6. Compared with TACE alone or TACE plus placebo, TACE combined with TKIs was superior in prolonging TTP (combined HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.65-0.80), OS (combined HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.49-0.67), and objective response rate (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.23-3.67) in patients with uHCC. However, TACE plus TKIs caused a higher incidence of AEs, especially hand-foot skin reactions (OR 87.17%, 95%CI 42.88-177.23), diarrhea (OR 18.13%, 95%CI 9.32-35.27), and hypertension (OR 12.24%, 95%CI 5.89-25.42).
Our meta-analysis found that TACE plus TKIs may be beneficial for patients with uHCC in terms of TTP, OS, and tumor response rates. However, combination therapy is also associated with a significantly increased risk of adverse reactions. Therefore, we must evaluate the clinical benefits and risks of combination therapy. Further well-designed RCTs are needed to confirm our findings.
PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022298003.
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Electroacupuncture (EA) is a promising therapy for depression. However, a comprehensive review of EA for depression is needed.
We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis in accordance with ...the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA 2020) guidelines to evaluate the efficacy and safety of EA for depression. Potentially relevant trials and reviews were searched in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CENTRAL from inception to March 2022. EA alone and combined with other therapy were eligible for inclusion. The severity of depression during and after treatment and the number of adverse events were assessed as outcomes. Risk of bias (ROB) evaluation, subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, reporting bias assessment, and GRADE system evaluation were also conducted.
Thirty-four trials were included. The overall ROB was medium. Low-quality evidence showed that the efficacy of EA was not less than that of antidepressants EA + selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and manual acupuncture (MA). EA and EA + SSRIs had better efficacy than SSRIs alone in decreasing the severity of depression during the early treatment. Moderate-quality evidence also showed that EA and EA + SSRIs were safer than SSRIs alone. Sensitivity analysis was mostly not feasible. Major publication bias was unlikely.
These results indicate that the efficacy of EA is not less than that of antidepressants and MA. Moreover, EA and EA + SSRI treatments show a more rapid onset and greater safety than SSRIs. More high-quality trials are needed for further confirmation.
www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_ record.php?RecordID=329143, identifier CRD42022329143.
Silico-ferrite of calcium and aluminum (SFCA) is one of the most commonly-produced phases in fluxed iron-ore sintering, and has long been regarded as an important bonding phase in industrial sinters. ...It is thus considered to have a significant effect on sinter quality. In this study, a solid solution model and database has been developed for the SFCA phase, and has been incorporated into the thermodynamic software, Multi-Phase Equilibrium (MPE). MPE calculations were compared with the in situ X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) observations of the formation of SFCA phase during sintering. The effects of the raw material composition, temperature and the oxygen partial pressure on the formation of mineral phases in the sinter, as well as the viscosity of the melt formed during sintering under equilibrium conditions, were modelled using MPE. The results show that the formation of SFCA phase can be promoted by increasing oxygen partial pressure and basicity of the raw material. Increases of Al2O3 and MgO content have no significant effect on the SFCA formation under equilibrium condition. The increase of oxygen partial pressure (10−3 atm or above) and basicity also leads to a decrease in melt viscosity, which enhances the fluidity of the melt, and hence, the assimilation of the sinter. However, increases of Al2O3 and MgO result in the increase of melt viscosity.
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CEKLJ, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Automatic sleep staging is a classification process with severe class imbalance and suffers from instability of scoring stage N1. Decreased accuracy in classifying stage N1 significantly impacts the ...staging of individuals with sleep disorders. We aim to achieve automatic sleep staging with expert-level performance in both N1 stage and overall scoring.
A neural network model combines an attention-based convolutional neural network and a classifier with two branches is developed. A transitive training strategy is employed to balance universal feature learning and contextual referencing. Parameter optimization and benchmark comparisons are conducted using a large-scale dataset, followed by evaluation on seven datasets in five cohorts.
The proposed model achieves an accuracy of 88.16%, Cohen's kappa of 0.836, and MF1 score of 0.818 on the SHHS1 test set, also with comparable performance to human scorers in scoring stage N1. Incorporating multiple cohort data improves its performance. Notably, the model maintains high performance when applied to unseen datasets and patients with neurological or psychiatric disorders.
The proposed algorithm demonstrates strong performance and generalizablility, and its direct transferability is noteworthy among similar studies on automated sleep staging. It is publicly available, which is conducive to expanding access to sleep-related analysis, especially those associated with neurological or psychiatric disorders.
The accumulation of foam cells in arterial intima and the accompanied chronic inflammation are considered major causes of neoatherosclerosis and restenosis. However, both the underlying mechanism and ...effective treatment for the disease are yet to be uncovered. In this study, we combined transcriptome profiling of restenosis artery tissue and bioinformatic analysis to reveal that NLRP3 inflammasome is markedly upregulated in restenosis and that several restenosis‐related DEGs are also targets of mulberry extract, a natural dietary supplement used in traditional Chinese medicine. We demonstrated that mulberry extract suppresses the formation of ox‐LDL‐induced foam cells, possibly by upregulating the cholesterol efflux genes ABCA1 and ABCG1 to inhibit intracellular lipid accumulation. In addition, mulberry extract dampens NLRP3 inflammasome activation by stressing the MAPK signaling pathway. These findings unveil the therapeutic value of mulberry extract in neoatherosclerosis and restenosis treatment by regulating lipid metabolism and inflammatory response of foam cells.
In summary, our study uncovers the elevated expression of NLRP3 in restenosis artery wall, making it a novel therapeutic target for the disease. More importantly, we found that mulberry extract plays multiple regulatory roles in the formation of restenosis. It not only inhibits the inflammation in foam cells by suppressing p38 MAPK signaling pathway‐mediated inflammasome activation but also stimulates the ABCA1/ABCG1‐mediated cholesterol efflux of foam cells to decrease their formation.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
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