Ultrasound imaging is crucial for evaluating organ morphology and function, yet depth adjustment can degrade image quality and field-of-view, presenting a depth-dependent dilemma. Traditional ...interpolation-based zoom-in techniques often sacrifice detail and introduce artifacts. Motivated by the potential of arbitrary-scale super-resolution to naturally address these inherent challenges, we present the Residual Dense Swin Transformer Network (RDSTN), designed to capture the non-local characteristics and long-range dependencies intrinsic to ultrasound images. It comprises a linear embedding module for feature enhancement, an encoder with shifted-window attention for modeling non-locality, and an MLP decoder for continuous detail reconstruction. This strategy streamlines balancing image quality and field-of-view, which offers superior textures over traditional methods. Experimentally, RDSTN outperforms existing approaches while requiring fewer parameters. In conclusion, RDSTN shows promising potential for ultrasound image enhancement by overcoming the limitations of conventional interpolation-based methods and achieving depth-independent imaging.
Making phone calls, sending messages and surfing the Internet all depend on wireless communication. Too many users connect to a same base station at the same time, which would slow network speed ...down. To address this issue, telecom operators can tune the network capacity in advance according to predicted Maximum Connections. Therefore, predicting Maximum Connections is necessary. Traditional time series model and machine learning can be utilized to address time series prediction task. However, these methods do not take multi-task learning into consideration, and related tasks can promote each other actually. In this paper, we propose a deep learning model based on LSTM for time series prediction in wireless communication, employing multi-task learning to improve prediction accuracy. We conducted several critical features and utilized training signal of related task as inductive bias to promote the generalization performance of main task. Through experiments on several real datasets, we found that the proposed model is effective, and it outperforms other prediction methods.
Bedding has an important influence on the macroscopic and microscopic mechanical properties of coal, and the mechanical properties of coal and rock mass and acoustic emission characteristics are very ...important for rock burst monitoring and warning. In order to explore the influence of different beddings on the mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of high-rank coal, using the RMT-150B electrohydraulic servo rock mechanics test system and the DS5 acoustic emission analyzer, the uniaxial compression and acoustic emission characteristics of high-rank coals with different beddings (parallel bedding 0°, oblique bedding 30, 45, 60°, and vertical bedding 90°) were investigated. The results show that the uniaxial compressive strength and deformation modulus of vertical stratified coal samples are the largest, which are 28.924 MPa and 2.95 GPa, while the average values of uniaxial compressive strength and deformation modulus of oblique stratified coal samples are the smallest, which are 10.91 MPa and 1.776 GPa, respectively. With the increase of the bedding angle, the uniaxial compressive strength of high-rank coal decreases first and then increases. The stress–strain process of coal varies greatly with different high stratification grades (parallel bedding 0°, oblique bedding 30°, 45°, 60° and vertical bedding 90°). The loading times of parallel, oblique, and vertical beddings are 700, 450, 370, 550, and 600 s, and the acoustic emission mutation point values are 495, 449, 350, 300, and 410 s. The mutation point value can be used as precursor information to judge the failure of high-rank coal in different beddings. Research results to find the high-rank coal destruction instability prediction method and the index provide a basis; further damage to the acoustic emission testing high order coal provides reference significance; and the use of acoustic emission in the monitoring and early warning of percussive ground pressure, the bedding surface of coal, and the actual stress on site should be considered.
Liver fibrosis is an abnormal wound healing response and a common consequence of chronic liver diseases from infection or alcohol/xenobiotic exposure. At the cellular level, liver fibrosis is ...mediated by trans-differentiation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which is driven by persistent hepatic and systemic inflammation. However, impaired enterohepatic circulation and gut dysbiosis may indirectly contribute to the liver fibrogenesis. The composition of the gut microbiota depends on diet composition and host factors. In this study, we examined chlorophyllin, derived from green pigment chlorophyll, on gut microbiota, the intestinal mucosal barrier, and liver fibrosis. BALB/c mice received carbon tetrachloride through intraperitoneal injection to induce liver fibrosis and chlorophyllin was administrated in drinking water. The effects of chlorophyllin on liver fibrosis were evaluated for (1) survival rate, (2) hepatic morphologic analysis, (3) inflammatory factors in both the small intestine and liver, and (4) gut microbiota. Our results indicate that oral administration of chlorophyllin could attenuate intestinal and hepatic inflammation and ameliorate liver fibrosis. Importantly, oral administration of chlorophyllin promptly rebalanced the gut microbiota, exhibiting down-regulation of the phylum Firmicutes and up-regulation of the phylum Bacteroidetes.
experiments on intestinal epithelial cells showed that chlorophyllin exposure could inhibit NF-κB pathway via IKK-phosphorylation suppression. In conclusion, this study demonstrates potential application of chlorophyllin to regulate the intestinal microbiota and ameliorate hepatic fibrosis.
The present study investigated the possible antiobesity and hypoglycemic effects of phloretin (Ph). In an attempt to discover the hypoglycemic effect and potential mechanism of Ph, we used the ...streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats and (L6) myotubes. Daily oral treatment with Ph for 4 weeks significantly (
<0.05) reduced postprandial blood glucose and improved islet injury and lipid metabolism. Glucose consumption and glucose tolerance were improved by Ph via GOD-POD method. Western blot results revealed that the expression of Akt, PI3K, IRS-1, and GLUT4 were upregulated in skeletal muscle of type 2 diabetes (T2D) rats and in L6 myotubes by Ph. The immunofluorescence studies confirmed that Ph improved the translocation of GLUT4 in L6 myotubes. Ph exerted hypoglycemic effects in vivo and in vitro, hence it may play an important role in the management of diabetes.
In order to understand the variation mechanism of permeability and seepage characteristics of high-rank coal with different bedding, we prepared cylindrical raw coal samples according to the bedding ...angles of 0, 30, 45, 60, and 90° and conducted permeability tests under two stress paths (stress path 1, unloading confining pressure under constant axial pressure; stress path 2, simultaneous loading axial pressure and unloading confining pressure). The results show that the relationship between the permeability and effective stress of high-rank coal with different bedding in the two stress paths conforms to an exponential function, and the permeability increases gradually with an increase in differential stress. Under the two stress paths, the initial permeability of different bedding under the loading axial pressure and confining pressure shows a pattern of a maximum for parallel bedding coal samples, followed by oblique bedding coal samples, and a minimum for vertical bedding coal samples. Under path 1, the increase in the permeability of the oblique bedding is 21.4 times that of the vertical bedding and 14.94 times that of the parallel bedding, and under path 2, the increase in the permeability of the oblique bedding is 26.45 times that of the vertical bedding and 142.11 times that of the parallel bedding; the coal samples of the oblique bedding suffer the greatest damage. The increase in the permeability of parallel bedding coal samples, oblique bedding coal samples, and vertical bedding coal samples under path 2 is 1.47 times, 13.96 times, and 11.3 times the increase in the permeability of the corresponding coal samples under path 1, respectively, and the damage produced by coal samples under path 2 is greater than that under path 1.
Key Clinical Message
Environmental risk factors for pancreatic cancer include acute and chronic pancreatitis, obesity, and tobacco use. Differentiating a pancreatic neoplasm in a patient with ...pancreatitis can be challenging due to their similar presentations. A 57‐year‐old African American man with a history of congestive heart failure, pancreatitis, and incomplete pancreas divisum presented with an epigastric abdominal pain that radiated to his back. Imaging showed necrotizing pancreatitis, a developing splenic infarct, and a mass at the pancreas tail. The patient was discharged with pain medications and was recommended follow‐up imaging after resolution of his pancreatitis. He was readmitted to the emergency department 2 weeks later with recurrent acute abdominal pain. Computed tomography scan of abdomen and pelvis followed by magnetic resonance imaging and endoscopic ultrasound revealed an infiltrative pancreatic tail mass. Biopsy of the mass confirmed a locally advanced pancreatic tail adenocarcinoma. Chronic pancreatitis is associated with pancreatic cancer. Practitioners should be aware of the co‐existence of chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, and the initial steps to evaluate a malignancy in chronic pancreatitis.
The microbiome is pivotal in maintaining health and influencing disease by modulating essential inflammatory and immune responses. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), ranking as the third most common ...cause of cancer-related fatalities globally, is influenced by the gut microbiome through bidirectional interactions between the gut and liver, as evidenced in both mouse models and human studies. Consequently, biomarkers based on gut microbiota represent promising non-invasive tools for the early detection of HCC. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the composition of the gut microbiota may play a role in the efficacy of immunotherapy in different types of cancer; thus, it could be used as a predictive biomarker. In this review, we will dissect the gut microbiome's role as a potential predictive and diagnostic marker in HCC and evaluate the latest progress in leveraging the gut microbiome as a novel therapeutic avenue for HCC patients, with a special emphasis on immunotherapy.
The striking aesthetic appeal of fullerene‐like clusters has captured the interest of researchers. Nevertheless, the assembly of fullerene‐like polyoxovadanadate (POV) cages remains a significant ...challenge due to the scarcity of suitable pentagonal motif. Herein, we have successfully synthesized the first fullerene‐like all‐inorganic POV cage, {(V2O)V30Nb12O102(H2O)12} (V30Nb12), by introducing Nb into the POVs. V30Nb12 is assembled by 12 heterometallic {(Nb)V5} pentagons through sharing V centers with Ih symmetry, reminiscent of C60. To our knowledge, the fullerene‐like V30Nb12 not only represents the highest‐nuclearity POV cage but also stands as the first niobovanadate cluster. Notably, V30Nb12 exhibits excellent solution stability, as confirmed by ESI‐MS, FT‐IR and UV/Vis spectra. As there is no protection organic ligand on its outer surface, V30Nb12 can be further modified with Cu‐complexes to form a fullerene‐like cluster based zigzag chain (Cu−V30Nb12).
The first fullerene‐like all‐inorganic polyoxovanadate cage, V30Nb12, has been successfully synthesized by introducing Nb to polyoxovanadates and the V30Nb12 cage is assembled by 12 {(Nb)V5} pentagons through sharing V centers with Ih symmetry, similar to fullerene C60.
The worldwide popularity of electronic cigarettes (ECIG) is becoming a public health concern. Compared to conventional cigarettes (CIG), the harm caused by ECIG is more insidious. Studies have shown ...that lower health literacy (HL) is associated with CIG use; however, the relationship between HL and ECIG use remains controversial. Because ECIG emerged more recently than CIG, there are fewer relevant studies, and the sample populations and evaluation methods of HL in existing studies differ. This study conducted a large-sample survey to examine the relationship between HL and ECIG use.
As part of the 2022 China Health Literacy Survey, a total of 60,998 valid questionnaires were collected from September to November in 2022 using a stratified multistage probability proportional to the population size sampling frame. Chi-square tests and multinomial logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between HL and ECIG use. Some demographic variables were included as covariates in the analysis.
The study showed that the average HL score and the HL level of Zhejiang residents in 2022 were 42.8 and 30.8%, respectively. The prevalence of CIG and ECIG was 19.7 and 1.0%, respectively; 19% of participants exclusively used CIG, while only 0.3% of participants used ECIG exclusively; dual users accounted for 0.6%. After adjusting for covariates, adequate HL was associated with lower odds of ECIG-exclusive use (odds ratio OR = 0.452,
< 0.001), CIG-exclusive use (OR = 0.833,
< 0.001), and dual use (OR = 0.632,
< 0.001). Young age, male sex, unmarried status, high-income status, and absence of chronic disease were also associated with ECIG use.
HL was a protective factor against both patterns of ECIG use, especially ECIG-exclusive use. Health policymakers and public health practitioners should consider HL as a potential measure for ECIG control.
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