Establishing an accurate and robust feature fusion mechanism is key to enhancing the tracking performance of single-object trackers based on a Siamese network. However, the output features of the ...depth-wise cross-correlation feature fusion module in fully convolutional trackers based on Siamese networks cannot establish global dependencies on the feature maps of a search area. This paper proposes a dynamic cascade feature fusion (DCFF) module by introducing a local feature guidance (LFG) module and dynamic attention modules (DAMs) after the depth-wise cross-correlation module to enhance the global dependency modeling capability during the feature fusion process. In this paper, a set of verification experiments is designed to investigate whether establishing global dependencies for the features output by the depth-wise cross-correlation operation can significantly improve the performance of fully convolutional trackers based on a Siamese network, providing experimental support for rational design of the structure of a dynamic cascade feature fusion module. Secondly, we integrate the dynamic cascade feature fusion module into the tracking framework based on a Siamese network, propose SiamDCFF, and evaluate it using public datasets. Compared with the baseline model, SiamDCFF demonstrated significant improvements.
Background and objectives
Milling, polishing, and color selection are the basic unit operation steps during rice processing, which may remove much amounts of nutritional components, such as phenolics ...and dietary fiber. And for a long time, rice is often overprocessed which results in a serious loss of nutrients. However, the reduction of the nutritional components during rice milling process has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different milling processes during industrial rice processing on the free and bound phenolic content, composition, dietary fiber, and antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS, T‐AOC) of two kinds of rice (Dao Huaxiang and Jiangxi Indica).
Findings
As the milling degree increased, the loss percentages of total phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanins of Dao Huaxiang rice were 52.8%–76.4%, 43.3%–72.9%, and 100.0%, respectively; it was similar for the reduction percentages of total phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanins for Jiangxi Indica rice, which were 56.5%–77.4%, 58.7%–87.7%, and 87.5%–100%, respectively; the amounts of total dietary fiber were also decreased from 5.87 to 2.03 g/100 g DW for the Dao Huaxiang rice and from 5.14 to 2.84 g/100 g DW for Jiangxi Indica rice, respectively. Correspondingly, the content of individual phenolic, flavonoid, and anthocyanin compositions in both rice varieties decreased with the increase in milling degree during the rice processing. Antioxidant activities of T‐AOC, DPPH, and ABTS showed a same trend with phenolic profiles for the two rice varieties.
Conclusions
The phenolic profiles, dietary fiber, and antioxidant activities for Dao Huaxiang and Jiangxi Indica rice decreased significantly with milling degree increase during rice processing. Therefore, it is recommended that the milling and polishing degree should be reduced during rice grain processing, in order to achieve the purpose of not only satisfying the edible quality of rice but also retaining the nutritional characteristics as much as possible.
Significance and novelty
The rice samples in this study were from the actual industrial production industry, and the Dao Huaxiang rice and Jiangxi Indica rice were from northeast China and south China, respectively, which were representative and could provide specific and practical data for reducing milling degree in rice industry and reducing the removal of bran layer. These findings indicate that the milling degree should be reduced or controlled for retention of nutrients and acceptable sensory quality in rice.
The aim of this study was to clarify the effect of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) treatment on gut bacterial microbiota in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC).
A total of 57 UC patients, including ...20 untreated and 37 5-ASA-treated, were recruited into an exploration cohort. We endoscopically collected both non-inflamed and inflamed mucosal samples from all patients, and compared the gut bacterial profiles using
sequencing. Ten untreated UC patients were then treated with 5-ASA and subsequently recruited for an independent validation study to confirm the acquired data.
In untreated UC patients, compared with those in non-inflamed mucosae, Firmicutes (such as
) were decreased and Proteobacteria (e.g.,
) were increased in the inflamed mucosae. Compared with the inflamed mucosae of untreated UC patients, there was a higher abundance of Firmicutes (e.g.,
) and lower Proteobacteria (
) in the inflamed mucosae of 5-ASA treated UC patients. In the validation cohort, after administration of 5-ASA, bacterial alteration was consistent with these data. Furthermore, there was a skewed negative correlation between
and bacterial genera of Firmicutes in the inflamed mucosae. 5-ASA treatment decreased the strength of bacterial correlation and weakened the skewed negative correlation pattern.
The microbial dysbiosis (mainly characterized by an increased abundance in the
genus) and the skewed negative correlation between
and bacterial genera of Firmicutes are two characteristics of the inflamed mucosae of UC patients. 5-ASA treatment decreases
and weakens the skewed correlations, which may be related to its treatment efficiency.
Cherry blossoms belong to the genus Prunus within the family Rosaceae. There are ∼100 species of indigenous plants, mainly distributed in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, and there are ...more than 200 cultivated varieties (Obha et al. 2007). For blooming successfully in spring, it is necessary for those deciduous trees to undergo a period of chill beforehand. During the flowering period, the entire tree is devoid of leaves while the flowers blossom profusely on the branches, making it more aesthetically valuable. Cherry blossom viewing holds significant cultural importance in many temperate countries and plays a crucial role in international tourism activities (McClellan 2005). Taiwan is located at the junction of the subtropical and tropical climatic zones in the Northern Hemisphere, with the Tropic of Cancer, at the latitude of 23.5°, passing through the southern regions of Taiwan’s main island. The central and northern regions of Taiwan are characterized by a subtropical climate. According to the Flora of Taiwan (Editorial Committee of the Flora of Taiwan 1993), there are 11 native species of the Prunus genus in Taiwan. Among them, Taiwan cherry (Prunus campanulata Maxim) is distributed in southern China, Ryukyu Islands, and Japan, as well as in broad-leaved forests at high elevations (500–2000 m) throughout Taiwan (Editorial Committee of the Flora of Taiwan 1993). The native Taiwan cherry, displaying a range of flower colors from light pink to deep purple red, naturally blooms from January to March. Due to the mild winter climate in lower altitude areas of Taiwan, the selection of cherry blossom cultivars for landscape applications has been limited. Seed-propagated seedlings have been widely used for landscape purposes in urban and suburban areas, particularly in low-altitude regions (<500 m) (Newsroom Compilation 2006) in northern Taiwan. Within the population of Taiwan cherry trees, prolonged hybridization has contributed to a significant level of genetic diversity, resulting in individual specimens with variations in flower color, flower morphology, and heat and cold tolerance (Liou 2018). Previous studies and evidence have indicated the essentiality of the chill accumulation during the winter for the budbreak of deciduous woody plants (Arora et al. 2003; Erez et al. 1979). Insufficient chill accumulation has been found to result in incomplete development of floral bud organs (Fadón et al. 2021; Wang et al. 2016; Yamane et al. 2011), as well as a reduction in the germination of dormant buds (Erez and Couvillon 1987; Ferlito et al. 2021). The smaller quantity of flowers or variations in flowering periods among landscape Taiwan cherry trees in the same area was often observed. The new cultivars, Taoyuan No. 3-Spring Red and Taoyuan No. 4-Red Glory, were selected from local races in the central and northern regions of Taiwan. Through single plant selection, line observation, and comparative trial, these two cultivars were selected for their low chilling requirement for earlier flowering habits, good ratio of tree height to width, and high adaptability to local terroir, making them suitable for landscape applications in subtropical areas.
Background
Emerging data suggested that lipoprotein(a) Lp(a) is an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Previous studies indicated fibrinogen (Fib) had synergetic ...effect on Lp(a)‐induced events. However, combined impact of Fib and Lp(a) on ischemic stroke has not been elucidated.
Methods
In this prospective study, we consecutively enrolled 8263 patients with stable coronary artery diseases (CAD) from 2011 to 2017. Patients were categorized into three groups according to tertiles of Lp(a) levels Lp(a)‐low, Lp(a)‐medium, and Lp(a)‐high and further divided into nine groups by Lp(a) and Fib levels. All subjects were followed up for the occurrence of ischemic stroke.
Results
During a median follow‐up of 37.7 months, 157 (1.9%) ischemic strokes occurred. Stroke incidence increased by Lp(a) (1.1 vs. 2.1 vs. 2.5%, Cochran‐Armitage p < .001) and Fib (1.1 vs. 2.0 vs. 2.6%, Cochran‐Armitage p < .001) categories. When further classified into nine groups by Lp(a) and Fib levels, the incidence of ischemic stroke in group 9 Lp(a)‐high and Fib‐high was significantly higher than that in group 1 Lp(a)‐low and Fib‐low (3.1 vs. 6%, p < .001). The group 9 was associated with a highest risk for ischemic stroke (adjusted HR 4.907, 95% CI: 2.154–11.18, p < .001), compared with individuals in the Lp(a)‐high (adjusted HR 2.290, 95% CI: 1.483–3.537, p < .001) or Fib‐high (adjusted HR 1.184, 95% CI: 1.399–3.410, p = .001). Furthermore, combining Lp(a) with Fib increased C‐statistics by .045 (p = .004).
Conclusions
Current study first demonstrated that elevated Lp(a) combining with Fib evaluation enhanced the risk of ischemic stroke in patients with CAD beyond Lp(a) or Fib alone.
Lipoprotein(a) Lp(a) is an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. This prospective study on 8263 stable coronary artery disease (CAD) patients revealed that elevated Lp(a) combined with fibrinogen (Fib) significantly increased the risk of ischemic stroke beyond individual effects. Notably, Lp(a)‐high and Fib‐high had the highest risk (adjusted HR 4.325, 95% CI: 1.902–9.79) compared to Lp(a)‐high or Fib‐high alone. Combining Lp(a) with Fib improved predictive significance, highlighting their synergistic impact on ischemic stroke risk in patients with CAD.
This paper describes the successful preparation of a protein-based Pickering emulsion, with superior stability against both coalesence and creaming, through a novel strategy of facilitating the ...formation of protein particles and small molecular weight surfactant complexes; these complexes are able to overcome multiple challenges including limited solubility, poor diffusive mobility, and low interfacial loading. Soluble complexes of water-insoluble corn protein, zein colloidal particles, and surfactant sodium stearate (SS) were fabricated by simple ultrasonication. Gel trapping technology combined with SEM was applied to characterize the adsorbed particles monolayer at the oil–water interface; results revealed an enhanced adsorption and targeted accumulation of zein particles at the interface with the increase of SS concentration. Partial unfolding of zein particles modified by SS above its critical complexation concentration triggered the aggregation and close packing of particles at the oil–water interface and endowed a steric barrier against the coalescence of oil droplets. Moreover, protein-based oil gels without oil leakage were obtained by one-step freeze-drying of the zein-stabilized Pickering emulsions, which could be developed to a viable strategy for structuring liquid oils into semisolid fats without the use of saturated or trans fats.
Background and objectives
Wholegrain foods have gained great attention due to their benefits on health. However, the texture, taste, and cooking quality of wholegrain foods are not good because of ...the bran in wholegrain. The objectives of this study were to improve the quality of brown rice noodles with rice bran that was treated by extrusion cooking. In this study, brown rice noodles with extruded rice bran (BRN‐ERB) were prepared to improve their quality compared to white rice noodles (WRN) and brown rice noodles with un‐extruded rice bran (BRN).
Findings
The total phenolic, flavonoid, anthocyanin, and dietary fiber contents in BRN‐ERB were 44.87 mg GAE, 36.15 mg RE, 0.11 mg Cy‐3‐O‐G, and 4.48 g per 100 g, respectively, significantly higher than those in BRN and WRN. The BRN‐ERB had the highest antioxidant activities of DPPH, ABTS, and T‐AOC, the highest resistant starch content, and the lowest starch hydrolysis rate among the three types of rice noodles. Seven phenolics, six flavonoids, and three anthocyanins were individually detected in these rice noodles, and BRN‐ERB exhibited higher contents of protocatechuic acid, p‐coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and daidzein than BRN and WRN did. The cooking and textural qualities of BRN‐ERB were improved with lower optimum cooking time and cooking loss, and higher hardness, tensile strength, and elasticity compared to BRN.
Conclusions
The brown rice noodles with extruded rice bran had higher contents of nutritional components than brown rice noodles with un‐extruded rice bran and white rice noodles, and better cooking and textural properties than brown rice noodles with un‐extruded rice bran.
Significance and novelty
The results provided the evidences that brown rice noodles prepared with extruded rice bran might become functional foods from the sources of staple rice products.
Soil salinity and associated land degradation are major ecological problems. Excess Na
ions in soil impede the plant photosynthetic process and Na
homeostasis status. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi ...(AMF) can alleviate salt stress in host plants. Although a number of studies have demonstrated that Na
accumulation is decreased by mycorrhizae, the molecular mechanisms involved have received little attention from researchers.
is a typical natural woody tree with excellent salt tolerance. Due to its symbiosis forming capability with AMF, we explored the influence of
on the growth, photosynthesis, and expression of three genes involved in Na
homeostasis within dioecious
under salt stress. The results indicated that salt stress significantly increases Na
contents and inhibits growth status and photosynthetic capacity, especially in females. However, AMF had positive effects on the growth status, photosynthetic capacity and Na
homeostasis, especially in males. The expression levels of
in shoots and
and
in roots, all of which are involved in Na
homeostasis, were upregulated by
under salt stress. For males, the beneficial effect of AMF centered on extruding, sequestering and long-distance transporting of Na
ions . For females, the beneficial effect of AMF centered on extruding excessive Na
.
Exosomal miRNAs are proposed as excellent candidate biomarkers for clinical applications. However, little is known about their potential roles as prognostic biomarkers in lung cancer. In this study, ...we explored the prognostic value of plasma exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) array panel, we analyzed 84 plasma exosomal miRNAs in 10 lung adenocarcinoma patients and 10 matched healthy controls. The qPCR array showed 30 aberrantly expressed exosomal miRNAs. Nine candidate miRNAs were selected based on differential expression and previous reports for further evaluating their prognostic roles in 196 NSCLC patients. Elevated levels of exosomal miR-23b-3p, miR-10b-5p and miR-21-5p were independently associated with poor overall survival (with hazard ratio 95% confidence interval: 2.42 (1.45 - 4.04), P = 0.001; 2.22 (1.18 - 4.16), P = 0.013; 2.12 (1.28 - 3.49), P = 0.003, respectively). When compared to the clinical prognostic variables only model, adding the three exosomal miRNA signatures significantly improved survival predictive accuracy with an increase of time-dependent area under the receiver operating characteristic curve from 0.88 to 0.91 (P=0.015). Our results indicated that plasma exosomal miR-23b-3p, miR-10b-5p and miR-21-5p are promising non-invasive prognostic biomarkers of NSCLC.
•NaCl endosmosis induces gelation of egg yolks, plasmas and granules.•The schematic behaviours of the plasmas and granules during salting are proposed.•Granule plays a role in the higher hardness ...texture of salted egg yolk gels.•Lipoproteins were disrupted into liberated constituents under NaCl treatment.•Phospholipids, neutral lipids and proteins interact with each other.
Changes in physico-chemical properties, microstructure, protein structures and intermolecular force of egg yolk, plasma and granule gels during salting were investigated, using low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and chemical analysis. The results showed that the contents of soluble protein and free sulfhydryl increased and, with D2O treatment, T21 and T22 decreased in egg yolks and plasma salted for 2 d. The particles of egg yolks, plasma and granules in the later stage of salting were disrupted and they liberated their constituents (phospholipids, neutral lipids and proteins), which randomly aggregated. The treatment with NaCl changed the spatial structure of egg yolk proteins. The results suggested that the oil exudation of salted egg yolks was mainly due to structural changes in the low-density lipoproteins. Granules were shown to contribute to the higher hardness and gelation of salted egg yolks.
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