This paper presents an RGB-NIR (Near Infrared) dual-modality technique to analyze the remote photoplethysmogram (rPPG) signal and hence estimate the heart rate (in beats per minute), from a facial ...image sequence. Our main innovative contribution is the introduction of several denoising techniques such as Modified Amplitude Selective Filtering (MASF), Wavelet Decomposition (WD), and Robust Principal Component Analysis (RPCA), which take advantage of RGB and NIR band characteristics to uncover the rPPG signals effectively through this Independent Component Analysis (ICA)-based algorithm. Two datasets, of which one is the public PURE dataset and the other is the CCUHR dataset built with a popular Intel RealSense D435 RGB-D camera, are adopted in our experiments. Facial video sequences in the two datasets are diverse in nature with normal brightness, under-illumination (i.e., dark), and facial motion. Experimental results show that the proposed method has reached competitive accuracies among the state-of-the-art methods even at a shorter video length. For example, our method achieves MAE = 4.45 bpm (beats per minute) and RMSE = 6.18 bpm for RGB-NIR videos of 10 and 20 s in the CCUHR dataset and MAE = 3.24 bpm and RMSE = 4.1 bpm for RGB videos of 60-s in the PURE dataset. Our system has the advantages of accessible and affordable hardware, simple and fast computations, and wide realistic applications.
Aims
To investigate the risk of diabetic macular oedema (DMO) associated with the use of sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
Materials ...and Methods
We conducted a retrospective cohort study by analysing a large multi‐institutional electronic medical records database in Taiwan. We included adult patients with T2DM without DMO newly receiving either SGLT2 inhibitors or glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists (GLP‐1RAs) during the period 2016 to 2018. We used propensity scores with inverse probability of treatment weighting to generate comparable groups. The study outcome was incident DMO, determined by clinical diagnosis during outpatient visits or admissions. We followed patients from the index date to either DMO occurrence, last clinical visit, patient death, or December 31, 2020. We performed Cox proportional hazards regression models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the risk of DMO.
Results
We included 9986 new users of SGLT2 inhibitors (mean SD age 59.6 (12.1) years, median interquartile range {IQR} glycated haemoglobin HbA1c 70 (61‐81)mmol/mol, estimated glomerular filtration rate eGFR 89.1 71.4‐108.7 mL/min/1.73 m2 and urine albumin‐creatinine ratio UACR 26.1 9.7‐117.6 mg/g) and 1067 new users of GLP‐1RAs (mean SD age 58.4 (41.5) years, median IQR HbA1c 73 64‐84 mmol/mol, eGFR 91.6 68.6‐114.0 mL/min/1.73 m2 and UACR 37.6 11.1‐153.2 mg/g) with similar baseline characteristics. Lower DMO risks were observed among patients newly receiving SGLT2 inhibitors (7.9/1000 person‐years), compared to those receiving GLP‐1RAs (10.7/1000 person‐years) with an HR of 0.75 (95% CI 0.64‐0.88).
Conclusions
Our findings suggest use of SGLT2 inhibitors was associated with lower risk of DMO in T2DM patients in clinical practice, compared to use of GLP‐1RAs. Future studies are necessary to confirm this observation.
For the first time, we demonstrated vanadate (V(V)) reduction in a membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR) using CH4 as the sole electron donor. The V(V)-reducing capability of the biofilm kept increasing, ...with complete removal of V(V) achieved when the influent surface loading of V(V) was 363 mg m–2 day–1. Almost all V(V) was reduced to V(IV) precipitates, which is confirmed by a scanning electron microscope coupled to energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Microbial community analysis revealed that denitrifiers Methylomonas and Denitratisoma might be the main genera responsible for V(V) reduction. The constant enrichment of Methylophilus suggests that the intermediate (i.e., methanol) from CH4 metabolism might be used as the electron carriers for V(V) bioreduction. Intrusion of V(V) (2–5 mg/L, at the surface loading of 150–378 mg m–2 day–1) into the biofilm stimulated the secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), but high loading of V(V) (10 mg/L, at the surface loading of 668 mg m–2 day–1) decreased the amount of EPS. Metagenomic prediction analysis established the strong correlation between the secretion of EPS and the microbial metabolism associated with V(V) reduction, tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) cycle, methane oxidation, and ATP production, and EPS might relieve the oxidative stress induced by high loading of V(V). Colorimetric determination and a three-dimensional excitation–emission matrix (3D-EEM) showed that tryptophan and humic acid-like substances might play important roles in microbial cell protection and V(V) binding. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy identified hydroxyl (−OH) and carboxyl (COO–) groups in EPS as the candidate functional groups for binding V(V).
The Hippo tumor suppressor pathway plays an important role in tissue homeostasis that ensures development of functional organs at proper size. The YAP transcription coactivator is a major effector of ...the Hippo pathway and is phosphorylated and inactivated by the Hippo pathway kinases Lats1/2. It has recently been shown that YAP activity is regulated by G-protein-coupled receptor signaling. Here we demonstrate that cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), a second messenger downstream from Gαs-coupled receptors, acts through protein kinase A (PKA) and Rho GTPases to stimulate Lats kinases and YAP phosphorylation. We also show that inactivation of YAP is crucial for PKA-induced adipogenesis. In addition, PKA activation in Drosophila inhibits the expression of Yorki (Yki, a YAP ortholog) target genes involved in cell proliferation and death. Taken together, our study demonstrates that Hippo-YAP is a key signaling branch of cAMP and PKA and reveals new insight into mechanisms of PKA in regulating a broad range of cellular functions.
Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) is the standard therapy for advanced lung adenocarcinomas with common EGFR mutations. Preclinical studies have suggested that ...uncommon G719X, L861Q, and S768I mutations are also sensitive to EGFR-TKIs. However, the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs in patients with these uncommon mutations remains unclear.
A nationwide survey was performed to collect data from gefitinib and erlotinib treatment outcomes of patients with stage IIIB/IV lung adenocarcinoma bearing EGFR G719X/L861Q/S768I mutations. The results were compared with those regarding patients with exon 19 deletions or L858R mutations.
One hundred and sixty-one patients with uncommon EGFR mutations were enrolled from 18 institutes throughout Taiwan. Mutations of G719X, L861Q, S768I, G719X + L861Q, and G719X + S768I were observed in 78, 57, 7, 9, and 10 patients, respectively. After receiving EGFR-TKI treatment, patients with uncommon mutations exhibited a significantly inferior tumor response rate (41.6% vs. 66.5%; p < 0.001) and progression-free survival (median, 7.7 vs. 11.4 months; p < 0.001) than patients with common mutations. Among the patients who used EGFR-TKIs as first-line treatment, there was a significant difference in overall survival between these two groups of patients (median, 24.0 vs. 29.7 months; p = 0.005).
Gefitinib and erlotinib are active in patients with G719X/L861Q/S768I mutations; however, less effective than in those with common mutations.
Interface carrier recombination currently hinders the performance of hybrid organic–silicon heterojunction solar cells for high-efficiency low-cost photovoltaics. Here, we introduce an intermediate ...1,1-bis(di-4-tolylamino)phenylcyclohexane (TAPC) layer into hybrid heterojunction solar cells based on silicon nanowires (SiNWs) and conjugate polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy-thiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). The highest power conversion efficiency reaches a record 13.01%, which is largely ascribed to the modified organic surface morphology and suppressed saturation current that boost the open-circuit voltage and fill factor. We show that the insertion of TAPC increases the minority carrier lifetime because of an energy offset at the heterojunction interface. Furthermore, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy reveals that TAPC can effectively block the strong oxidation reaction occurring between PEDOT:PSS and silicon, which improves the device characteristics and assurances for reliability. These learnings point toward future directions for versatile interface engineering techniques for the attainment of highly efficient hybrid photovoltaics.
In the long history of traditional Chinese medicine, single herbs and complex formulas have been suggested to increase lifespan. However, the identification of single molecules responsible for ...lifespan extension has been challenging. Here, we collected a list of traditional Chinese medicines with potential longevity properties from pharmacopeias. By utilizing the mother enrichment program, we systematically screened these traditional Chinese medicines and identified a single herb, Psoralea corylifolia, that increases lifespan in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Next, twenty-two pure compounds were isolated from Psoralea corylifolia. One of the compounds, corylin, was found to extend the replicative lifespan in yeast by targeting the Gtr1 protein. In human umbilical vein endothelial cells, RNA sequencing data showed that corylin ameliorates cellular senescence. We also examined an in vivo mammalian model, and found that corylin extends lifespan in mice fed a high-fat diet. Taken together, these findings suggest that corylin may promote longevity.
To study the effect of nitrate (NO3 –) on selenate (SeO4 2–) reduction, we tested a H2-based biofilm with a range of influent NO3 – loadings. When SeO4 2– was the only electron acceptor (stage 1), ...40% of the influent SeO4 2– was reduced to insoluble elemental selenium (Se0). SeO4 2– reduction was dramatically inhibited when NO3 – was added at a surface loading larger than 1.14 g of N m–2 day–1, when H2 delivery became limiting and only 80% of the input NO3 – was reduced (stage 2). In stage 3, when NO3 – was again removed from the influent, SeO4 2– reduction was re-established and increased to 60% conversion to Se0. SeO4 2– reduction remained stable at 60% in stages 4 and 5, when the NO3 – surface loading was re-introduced at ≤0.53 g of N m–2 day–1, allowing for complete NO3 – reduction. The selenate-reducing microbial community was significantly reshaped by the high NO3 – surface loading in stage 2, and it remained stable through stages 3–5. In particular, the abundance of α-Proteobacteria decreased from 30% in stage 1 to less than 10% of total bacteria in stage 2. β-Proteobacteria, which represented about 55% of total bacteria in the biofilm in stage 1, increased to more than 90% of phylotypes in stage 2. Hydrogenophaga, an autotrophic denitrifier, was positively correlated with NO3 – flux. Thus, introducing a NO3 – loading high enough to cause H2 limitation and suppress SeO4 2– reduction had a long-lasting effect on the microbial community structure, which was confirmed by principal coordinate analysis, although SeO4 2– reduction remained intact.
Monitoring ship emissions poses an intricate interdisciplinary challenge, encompassing atmospheric science, transportation, information communication, and computer technology. Key stakeholders in ...this effort include maritime institutions and shipping companies. However, effectively organizing information from ship emission monitoring, especially for policy implementation in the expansion of emission control areas (ECAs), faces substantial obstacles in data acquisition, transmission, analysis, and information services. To address these challenges, this study suggests an Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm using drones and deep learning for ship emission monitoring in the port areas, integrating vital technologies such as industrial contact elements for the IoT, assisted processing of ship emission, real-time data monitoring and online processing, and tailored information services for port control center. In addition, the suggested IoT paradigm considers adversarial and false data injection (FDI) assaults, which impair the effectiveness of data processing and identification techniques. By actively supporting green port trends and maritime law enforcement, this new IoT paradigm is developing into the framework of the berth area inside the physical infrastructure. Furthermore, this model highlights the possibility for a more widespread adoption of ship pollution monitoring while simultaneously demonstrating the model's efficacy in the current setting. A more expansive version of the suggested IoT paradigm might function as a strong cyber-physical infrastructure, supporting the capacity for thorough ship emission monitoring and enabling in-depth study on ship emissions.
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