With the rapid development of the autonomous driving industry, there is increasing research on related perception tasks. However, research on road surface traffic sign detection tasks is still ...limited. There are two main challenges to this task. First, when the target object's pixel ratio is small, the detection accuracy often decreases. Second, the existing publicly available road surface traffic sign datasets have limited image data. To address these issues, this paper proposes a new instance segmentation network, RTS R-CNN, for road surface traffic sign detection tasks based on Mask R-CNN. The network can accurately perceive road surface traffic signs and provide important information for the autonomous driving decision-making system. Specifically, CSPDarkNet53_ECA is proposed in the feature extraction stage to enhance the performance of deep convolutional networks by increasing inter-channel interactions. Second, to improve the network's detection accuracy for small target objects, GR-PAFPN is proposed in the feature fusion part, which uses a residual feature enhancement module (RFA) and atrous spatial pyramid pooling (ASPP) to optimize PAFPN and introduces a balanced feature pyramid module (BFP) to handle the imbalanced feature information at different resolutions. Finally, data augmentation is used to generate more data and prevent overfitting in specific scenarios. The proposed method has been tested on the open-source dataset Ceymo, achieving a Macro
-score of 87.56%, which is 2.3% higher than the baseline method, while the inference speed reaches 23.5 FPS.
Autoimmune diseases can damage specific or multiple organs and tissues, influence the quality of life, and even cause disability and death. A 'disease in a dish' can be developed based on ...patients-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and iPSCs-derived disease-relevant cell types to provide a platform for pathogenesis research, phenotypical assays, cell therapy, and drug discovery. With rapid progress in molecular biology research methods including genome-sequencing technology, epigenetic analysis, '-omics' analysis and organoid technology, large amount of data represents an opportunity to help in gaining an in-depth understanding of pathological mechanisms and developing novel therapeutic strategies for these diseases. This paper aimed to review the iPSCs-based research on phenotype confirmation, mechanism exploration, drug discovery, and cell therapy for autoimmune diseases, especially multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and type 1 diabetes using iPSCs and iPSCs-derived cells.
Landslide displacement system is generally characterized by non-stationary and nonlinear characteristics. Traditionally, many artificial neural network (ANN) models have been proposed to forecast ...landslide displacement. However, the underlying non-stationary characteristics in the landslide displacement are not captured, and the input–output variables of the ANN models are not selected nonlinearly. To overcome these drawbacks, this paper proposes the chaos theory-based discrete wavelet transform (DWT)–extreme learning machine (ELM) model to predict landslide displacement. The DWT method is adopted to decompose the landslide displacement into several low- and high-frequency components to address the non-stationary characteristics. And chaos theory is used to determine the input–output variables of the ELM model. The cumulative displacement time series of the Baishuihe and Baijiabao landslides in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China, are used as data sets. The results show that the chaotic DWT-ELM model accurately predicts landslide displacement. The chaotic DWT–support vector machine (SVM), chaotic DWT–back-propagation neural network (BPNN) and single chaotic ELM models are used for comparisons. The comparison results show that the chaotic DWT-ELM model achieves higher prediction accuracy than do the chaotic DWT-SVM, chaotic DWT-BPNN and the single chaotic ELM models.
Vaginal microbiota transplantation (VMT) is a cutting-edge treatment modality that has the potential to revolutionize the management of vaginal disorders. The human vagina is a complex and dynamic ...ecosystem home to a diverse community of microorganisms. These microorganisms play a crucial role in maintaining the health and well-being of the female reproductive system. However, when the balance of this ecosystem is disrupted, it can lead to the development of various vaginal disorders. Conventional treatments, such as antibiotics and antifungal medications, can temporarily relieve the symptoms of vaginal disorders. However, they often fail to address the underlying cause of the problem, which is the disruption of the vaginal microbiota. In recent years, VMT has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach that aims to restore the balance of the vaginal ecosystem. Several studies have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of VMT in treating bacterial vaginosis, recurrent yeast infections, and other vaginal conditions. The procedure has also shown promising results in reducing the risk of sexually transmitted infections and preterm birth in pregnant women. However, more research is needed to establish optimal donor selection, preparation, and screening protocols, as well as long-term safety and efficacy. VMT offers a safe, effective, and minimally invasive treatment option for women with persistent vaginal problems. It could improve the quality of life for millions of women worldwide and become a standard treatment option shortly. With further research and development, it could potentially treat a wide range of other health problems beyond the scope of vaginal disorders.
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•Exosomes isolated from bovine milk have recently received much research interest as a possible medicinal agent.•The potential applications of bovine milk-derived exosomes (BMDEs) ...exhibit a wide range of possibilities.•BMDEs have the potential to combat age-related disorders and facilitate the process of healthy aging by facilitating the transfer of microRNAs.•Research findings have indicated that BMDEs have the potential to enhance immune function and exhibit anti-inflammatory properties. BMDEs can facilitate the process of tissue regeneration and restoration.
Bovine milk-derived exosomes (BMDEs) have emerged as a fruitful area of investigation in age-related disease therapeutics. Through the utilization of BMDEs, researchers possess the capacity to unveil novel treatments and therapeutic interventions that have the potential to enhance the quality of life for elderly individuals across the globe. Studies have provided evidence of the efficacy of BMDEs in facilitating the regenerative processes of bone and cartilage, thus establishing their potential as a viable therapeutic avenue for addressing conditions like osteoarthritis. Although BMDEs show promise as a prospective research route for tackling age-related illnesses, including Parkinson's disease, osteoporosis, and skin rejuvenation, other unanswered questions still demand more exploration. Concerns have been raised regarding the safety and efficacy of BMDEs, especially regarding their human administration, and researchers must carefully examine these concerns to identify alternatives. In conclusion, BMDEs are an area ripe for investigation into the prevention and treatment of age-related diseases.
Sichuan sun vinegar (SSV) is a traditional Chinese vinegar with a unique flavor and it is fermented with bran as the main raw material. In the present study, we explored the bacterial community ...succession in fermented grains (Cupei) during SSV production. High-throughput sequencing results showed that bacterial community richness and diversity peaked on day 7 of fermentation. Lactobacillus and Acetobacter were the dominant bacteria throughout the fermentation process. However, Acetobacter, Cupriavidus, Sphingomonas, Pelomonas, and Lactobacillus were the most abundant genera in the late phase of fermentation on day 17. The boundaries of trilateral co-fermentation were determined through cluster analysis. Days 1–3 were considered the early fermentation stage (starch saccharification), days 5–11 were the middle fermentation stage (alcoholic fermentation), and days 13–17 represented the late fermentation stage (acetic acid fermentation). Changes in flavor compounds during Cupei fermentation were subsequently analyzed and a total of 86 volatile compounds, 9 organic acids, and 17 amino acids were detected. Although acetic acid, lactic acid, alcohols, and esters were the main metabolites, butyrate was also detected. Correlation analysis indicated that 20, 21, and 28 microorganisms were positively correlated with the abundance of amino acids, organic acids, and volatile flavor compounds, respectively. We further explored the microbial and metabolic mechanisms associated with the dominant volatile flavor compounds during SSV fermentation. Collectively, the findings of the current study provide detailed insights regarding the fermentation mechanisms of SSV, which may prove relevant for producing high-quality fermented products.
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Mps one binder 2 (MOB2) regulates the NDR kinase family, however, whether and how it is implicated in cancer remain unknown. Here we show that MOB2 functions as a tumor suppressor in glioblastoma ...(GBM). Analysis of MOB2 expression in glioma patient specimens and bioinformatic analyses of public datasets revealed that MOB2 was downregulated at both mRNA and protein levels in GBM. Ectopic MOB2 expression suppressed, while depletion of MOB2 enhanced, the malignant phenotypes of GBM cells, such as clonogenic growth, anoikis resistance, and formation of focal adhesions, migration, and invasion. Moreover, depletion of MOB2 increased, while overexpression of MOB2 decreased, GBM cell metastasis in a chick chorioallantoic membrane model. Overexpression of MOB2-mediated antitumor effects were further confirmed in mouse xenograft models. Mechanistically, MOB2 negatively regulated the FAK/Akt pathway involving integrin. Notably, MOB2 interacted with and promoted PKA signaling in a cAMP-dependent manner. Furthermore, the cAMP activator Forskolin increased, while the PKA inhibitor H89 decreased, MOB2 expression in GBM cells. Functionally, MOB2 contributed to the cAMP/PKA signaling-regulated inactivation of FAK/Akt pathway and inhibition of GBM cell migration and invasion. Collectively, these findings suggest a role of MOB2 as a tumor suppressor in GBM via regulation of FAK/Akt signaling. Additionally, we uncover MOB2 as a novel regulator in cAMP/PKA signaling. Given that small compounds targeting FAK and cAMP pathway have been tested in clinical trials, we suggest that interference with MOB2 expression and function may support a theoretical and therapeutic basis for applications of these compounds.
To analyze and review the progress of glucose metabolism-based molecular imaging in detecting tumors to guide clinicians for new management strategies.
When metabolic abnormalities occur, termed the ...Warburg effect, it simultaneously enables excessive cell proliferation and inhibits cell apoptosis. Molecular imaging technology combines molecular biology and cell probe technology to visualize, characterize, and quantify processes at cellular and subcellular levels
. Modern instruments, including molecular biochemistry, data processing, nanotechnology, and image processing, use molecular probes to perform real-time, non-invasive imaging of molecular and cellular events in living organisms.
Molecular imaging is a non-invasive method for live detection, dynamic observation, and quantitative assessment of tumor glucose metabolism. It enables in-depth examination of the connection between the tumor microenvironment and tumor growth, providing a reliable assessment technique for scientific and clinical research. This new technique will facilitate the translation of fundamental research into clinical practice.
•MCLR-induced apoptosis in the heart of developing embryos leads to the growth delay in zebrafish.•MCLR-triggered apoptosis might be induced by ROS.•P53–Bax–Bcl-2 and caspase-dependent apoptotic ...pathway contribute greatly to MCLR-induced apoptosis.
We previously demonstrated that cyanobacteria-derived microcystin–leucine–arginine (MCLR) is able to induce developing toxicity, such as malformation, growth delay and also decreased heart rates in zebrafish embryos. However, the molecular mechanisms by which MCLR induces its toxicity during the development of zebrafish remain largely unknown. Here, we evaluate the role of apoptosis in MCLR-induced developmental toxicity. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to various concentrations of MCLR (0, 0.2, 0.5, 2, and 5.0mgL−1) for 96h, at which time reactive oxygen species (ROS) was significantly induced in the 2 and 5.0mgL−1 MCLR exposure groups. Acridine orange (AO) staining and terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated deoxy-UTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) assay showed that MCLR exposure resulted in cell apoptosis. To test the apoptotic pathway, the expression pattern of several apoptotic-related genes was examined for the level of enzyme activity, gene and protein expression, respectively. The overall results demonstrate that MCLR induced ROS which consequently triggered apoptosis in the heart of developing zebrafish embryos. Our results also indicate that the p53–Bax–Bcl-2 pathway and the caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway play major roles in MCLR-induced apoptosis in the developing embryos.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease, with a complex pathogenesis and an irreversible course. Therefore, the early diagnosis of AD is particularly important for the ...intervention, prevention, and treatment of the disease. Based on the different pathophysiological mechanisms of AD, the research progress of biofluid biomarkers are classified and reviewed. In the end, the challenges and perspectives of future research are proposed.
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