Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) in rubber plantations is a challenging task for rubber-tapping robots. Due to the long-term stability of tree trunks in rubber plantations, a SLAM system ...based on semantic segmentation, called Se-LOAM, is proposed in this work. The 3D lidar point cloud datasets of trunks collected in rubber plantations of Hainan University are used to train the semantic model, and the model is used to extract features of trunk point clouds. After clustering the trunk point clouds, each single rubber tree instance is segmented based on the Viterbi algorithm. The point clouds of tree instances are fitted to the cylindrical trunk models for semantic cluster association and positional estimation, which are used for lidar odometry and mapping. The experimental results show that the present SLAM system is accurate in establishing online mapping, and the location of the trunk in the map is clearer. Specifically, the average relative pose error is 0.02 m, which is better than the positioning performance of LOAM and LeGO-LOAM. The average error of estimating the diameter at breast height (DBH) is 0.57 cm, and it only takes 401.4 kB to store a map of the area of approximately 500 m2, which is about 10% less than other classic methods. Therefore, Se-LOAM can meet the requirements of online mapping, providing a robust SLAM method for rubber-tapping robots.
► Informal e-waste recycling related to unsafe lead levels in neonate cord blood. ► Adverse birth outcomes of this prenatal exposure were demonstrated in this study. ► Informal e-waste recycling ...associated with lower Apgar scores of neonate in Guiyu.
To assess the impact of exposure to informal e-waste recycling on birth outcomes. We compared record-based birth outcomes (n=24,493) and levels of cord blood lead (CBPb) (n=531) in Guiyu and a control area in Xiamen. Guiyu births showed significantly higher rates of adverse birth outcomes including stillbirth (4.72% vs. 1.03%), low birth weight (6.12% vs. 4.12%), term low birth weight (3.40% vs. 1.57%), and lower Apgar scores (9.6 vs. 9.9) and mean birth weight (3168g vs. 3258g) than did births from the control site, all P<0.01. Regression analysis showed Guiyu had about four times higher risk of stillbirth compared with Xiamen. The median level of CBPb was much higher in neonates of Guiyu than those in the control group (10.78μg/dL vs. 2.25μg/dL). Prenatal exposure to informal e-waste recycling related to high rate of adverse birth outcomes, lower Apgar scores and unsafe lead level in cord blood.
Toxic heavy metals are released to the environment constantly from unregulated electronic waste (e-waste) recycling in Guiyu, China, and thus may contribute to the elevation of lead and other heavy ...metals levels in placenta. We aimed to investigate concentrations of heavy metals, including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and nickel (Ni) in placenta from Guiyu and compared them with those from a control area where no e-waste processing occurs. Two hundred and twenty human placentas were collected from Guiyu (
n
=
101) and the control area (
n
=
119). The placenta concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ni (PCPb, PCCd, PCCr, and PCNi) were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). Risk factors of high exposure and correlation with adverse pregnancy outcomes were analyzed using Spearman correlation analyses. PCPb from Guiyu ranged from 6.51 to 3465.16
ng/g with a median of 301.43
ng/g, whereas PCPb from the control area ranged from 4.53 to 3176.12
ng/g with a median of 165.82
ng/g (
P
=
0.010). We also observed that in Guiyu, 41.6% of women (42/101) had PCPb
>
500
ng/g
wt (wet weight), compared with 24.4% of women (29/119) in the control area (
P
=
0.006). No significant differences of PCCd and PCCr were found between the two groups. In contrast, PCNi was higher in samples from the control area (median 14.30, range 1.76–593.70
ng/g) than in Guiyu samples (median 7.64, range 1.19–1108.99
ng/g) (
P
=
0.000), and a negative correlation between PCNi and gestational age was found in this study (
P
=
0.017). Spearman correlation analyses showed that there was correlation between PCPb and residence in e-waste recycling area. Environmental pollution, resulted from unregulated e-waste recycling activities, may contribute to elevated PCPb in neonates born in Guiyu and threaten their health.
In the past decade, intelligent technologies have advanced rapidly, particularly due to improvements in automatic control, which have had a significant impact on forestry, as well as animal husbandry ...and the future of farm management. However, the degree of production and management mechanization in natural rubber plantations is low, especially since the methods of tapping still rely heavily on labor. The decrease of skilled rubber tappers and the increase in labor costs have led to the development of the mechanization of rubber tapping operations. The application of emerging intelligent agricultural technologies could provide an alternative in order to maximize the potential productivity of natural rubber. Based on this vision, we reviewed the literature on rubber tapping from the past decade for system implementation in rubber plantations. In this review, selected references on rubber tapping were categorized into several directions of research, including rubber tapping machines, the key technologies applied in tapping operations, and some related protective research, analyzing research works from 2010 to 2022 that focused on tapping methods. The review also discusses the application of intelligent agricultural technologies, such as the recognition of tapping trajectory and tapping path planning. A summary of challenges and future trends is also provided in this study. Based on the relevant research, the use of intelligent technologies in rubber tapping machines is still in its initial stage and has broad prospects. Through this study, we aim to provide a reference for researchers in the field of rubber tapping machines and thus to play a positive role in future rubber tapping.
Purpose
To evaluate the incidence and locations of positive surgical margin (PSM) among Chinese men undergoing RARP and identify the preoperative predictors for PSM.
Methods
We retrospectively ...identified 393 patients who underwent RARP according to inclusion criteria by single surgeon in our hospital. PSM was defined as the presence of cancer adjacent to inked surface of the specimen and categorized into four groups based on locations: apex, posterolateral, base, and multifocal. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of overall and location-specific PSM.
Results
The overall PSM rate was 133/393 (34%). The PSM rates for pT2, pT3, and pT4 stage were 63/278 (23%), 50/89 (56%), and 20/26 (77%), respectively. The estimated rates for apical, posterolateral, basal, and multifocal PSM were 8%, 4%, 7%, and 14%, respectively. In univariate analysis, overall PSM related to tPSA, f/tPSA, percentage of positive needles, and Gleason score. Multifocal PSM correlated with smoking history, drinking history, tPSA, f/tPSA, percentage of positive needles, and Gleason score. In multivariate analysis, percentage of positive needles reminded the only independent predictor for overall (OR = 10.5, 95% CI: 2.58–44.4) and basal PSM (OR = 24.0, 95% CI: 3.22–179.4). The f/tPSA (OR = 2.59, 95% CI: 2.18–5.71) and percentage of positive needles (OR = 31.0, 95% CI: 3.17–303) were independent risk factors for multifocal PSM.
Conclusion
The multifocal sites were the most common location of positive surgical margin, followed by apical and basal sites among Chinese patients undergoing RARP. The percentage of positive needles was an independent predictor for overall, basal, and multifocal PSM.
Since their introduction in the 1840s, one of the largest mysteries of modern anesthesia are how general anesthetics create the state of reversible loss of consciousness. Increasing researchers have ...shown that neural pathways that regulate endogenous sleep-wake systems are also involved in general anesthesia. Recently, the Lateral Habenula (LHb) was considered as a hot spot for both natural sleep-wake and propofol-induced sedation; however, the role of the LHb and related pathways in the isoflurane-induced unconsciousness has yet to be identified. Here, using real-time calcium fiber photometry recordings
, we found that isoflurane reversibly increased the activity of LHb glutamatergic neurons. Then, we selectively ablated LHb glutamatergic neurons in Vglut2-cre mice, which caused a longer induction time and less recovery time along with a decrease in delta-band power in mice under isoflurane anesthesia. Furthermore, using a chemogenetic approach to specifically activate LHb glutamatergic neurons shortened the induction time and prolonged the recovery time in mice under isoflurane anesthesia with an increase in delta-band power. In contrast, chemogenetic inhibition of LHb glutamatergic neurons was very similar to the effects of selective lesions of LHb glutamatergic neurons. Finally, optogenetic activation of LHb glutamatergic neurons or the synaptic terminals of LHb glutamatergic neurons in the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) produced a hypnosis-promoting effect in isoflurane anesthesia with an increase in slow wave activity. Our results suggest that LHb glutamatergic neurons and pathway are vital in modulating isoflurane anesthesia.
In 2015, herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1)-derived talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) was the first oncolytic virus approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as a therapeutic agent for cancer ...treatment. However, its antitumor application is limited to local treatment of melanoma, and there is a lack of understanding of the mechanisms underlying the regulation of HSV-1 replication in cancer cells and the associated antitumor immunity. We hypothesized that increasing the replication capacity of HSV-1 in tumor cells would enhance the antitumor effect of this virus.
We systematically identified IFN-stimulated genes induced by HSV-1 by performing functional screens and clarified the mechanism by which BACH1 acts against HSV-1. Then, we tested the effect of BACH1 deficiency on immunogenic cell death induced by HSV-1. Furthermore, we investigated the antitumor effect of BACH1 deficiency on HSV-1 in MCA205 and B16 murine tumor models.
We identified eight IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) controlling HSV-1 replication, among which BTB and CNC homology 1 (BACH1) suppressed HSV-1 replication by inhibiting the transcription of ICP4, ICP27, and UL39. Loss of Bach1 function not only increased HSV-1 proliferation but also promoted HSV-1-induced cell apoptosis, HMGB1 secretion, and calreticulin exposure in tumor cells. More importantly, hemin, an FDA-approved drug known to downregulate BACH1, significantly enhanced HSV-1-mediated antitumor activity with increased T lymphocyte infiltration at the tumor site.
Our studies uncovered a novel antiviral activity of BACH1 and provided a new strategy for improving the clinical efficiency of the oncolytic virus HSV-1.
The tumor microenvironment (TME), including infiltrated immune cells, is known to play an important role in tumor growth; however, the mechanisms underlying tumor immunogenicity have not been fully ...elucidated. Here, we discovered an unexpected role for the transcription factor SIX1 in regulating the tumor immune microenvironment. Based on analyses of patient datasets, we found that SIX1 was upregulated in human tumor tissues and that its expression levels were negatively correlated with immune cell infiltration in the TME and the overall survival rates of cancer patients. Deletion of Six1 in cancer cells significantly reduced tumor growth in an immune-dependent manner with enhanced antitumor immunity in the TME. Mechanistically, SIX1 was required for the expression of multiple collagen genes via the TGFBR2-dependent Smad2/3 activation pathway, and collagen deposition in the TME hampered immune cell infiltration and activation. Thus, our study uncovers a crucial role for SIX1 in modulating tumor immunogenicity and provides proof-of-concept evidence for targeting SIX1 in cancer immunotherapy.
Propofol is a worldwide-used intravenous general anesthetic with ideal effects, but hedonic effects of propofol have been reported and cause addictive issue. There is little known about the ...neurobiological mechanism of hedonic effects of propofol. Increasing researches have shown that the dopaminergic nervous system of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the noradrenergic system of locus coeruleus (LC) play a crucial role in hedonic experiences, which are putative sites for mediating the hedonic effects of propofol. In the present study, rat hedonic response scale and place conditioning paradigm were employed to examine the euphoric effects of propofol.
GCaMP-based (AVV-hSyn-GCaMP6s) fiber photometry calcium imaging was used to monitor the real-time neuronal activity in VTA and LC area in rats exhibiting propofol-induced euphoric behaviors. Then DREADDs (designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs) modulation using rAAV-hSyn-hM4D(Gi)-EGFP was performed to confirm the neuronal substrate that mediates the euphoric effects of propofol. The score of hedonic facial responses was significantly increased in the 4 mg/kg group compared with that of the 0 mg/kg group. The locomotor activity in the propofol-paired compartment was significantly increased at the 4 mg/kg dose compared with that of the saline-paired group. When compared with the 0 mg/kg group, the place preference increased in the 4 mg/kg group. Administration of 4 mg/kg of propofol triggers reliable increases in GcaMP fluorescence. However, in the VTA GcaMP-expressing rats, administration of 4 mg/kg of propofol did not induce any change of GcaMP signals. The facial score and the place preference, which increased by 4 mg/kg propofol were abolished by chemogenetic inhibition of the neuronal activity in the LC area. Our results suggest that LC noradrenergic neurons, not VTA dopaminergic neurons, are directly involved in the hedonic effects of sub-anesthetic dose of propofol.
PDF
