Duplication of image regions is a common method for manipulating original images, using typical software like Adobe Photoshop, 3DS MAX, etc. In this study, we propose a duplication detection approach ...that can adopt two robust features based on discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and kernel principal component analysis (KPCA). Both schemes provide excellent representations of the image data for robust block matching. Multiresolution wavelet coefficients and KPCA-based projected vectors corresponding to image-blocks are arranged into a matrix for lexicographic sorting. Sorted blocks are used for making a list of similar point-pairs and for computing their offset frequencies. Duplicated regions are then segmented by an automatic technique that refines the list of corresponding point-pairs and eliminates the minimum offset-frequency threshold parameter in the usual detection method. A new technique that extends the basic algorithm for detecting Flip and Rotation types of forgeries is also proposed. This method uses global geometric transformation and the labeling technique to indentify the mentioned forgeries. Experiments with a good number of natural images show very promising results, when compared with the conventional PCA-based approach. A quantitative analysis indicate that the wavelet-based feature outperforms PCA- or KPCA-based features in terms of average precision and recall in the noiseless, or uncompressed domain, while KPCA-based feature obtains excellent performance in the additive noise and lossy JPEG compression environments.
Aims/hypothesis Diabetic retinopathy is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, but the underlying mechanism is still obscure. Here, we focused on oxidative stress in the retina, and analysed its ...influence on retinal neurodegeneration, using an antioxidant, lutein. Methods C57BL/6 mice with streptozotocin-induced diabetes were constantly fed either a lutein-supplemented diet or a control diet from the onset of diabetes, and their metabolic data were recorded. In 1-month-diabetic mice, reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the retina were measured using dihydroethidium and visual function was evaluated by electroretinograms. Levels of activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), synaptophysin and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were also measured by immunoblotting in the retina of 1-month-diabetic mice. In the retinal sections of 4-month-diabetic mice, histological changes, cleaved caspase-3 and TUNEL staining were analysed. Results Lutein did not affect the metabolic status of the diabetic mice, but it prevented ROS generation in the retina and the visual impairment induced by diabetes. ERK activation, the subsequent synaptophysin reduction, and the BDNF depletion in the diabetic retina were all prevented by lutein. Later, in 4-month-diabetic mice, a decrease in the thickness of the inner plexiform and nuclear layers, and ganglion cell number, together with increase in cleaved caspase-3- and TUNEL-positive cells, were avoided in the retina of lutein-fed mice. Conclusions/interpretation The results indicated that local oxidative stress that has a neurodegenerative influence in the diabetic retina is prevented by constant intake of a lutein-supplemented diet. The antioxidant, lutein may be a potential therapeutic approach to protect visual function in diabetes.
NIRS has conducted a carbon-ion radiotherapy with HIMAC since 1994. For the progress of the carbon-ion radiotherapy technology, NIRS has developed beam-delivery technologies such as a broad-beam, a ...pencil-beam 3D-scanning and a superconducting rotating gantry. These technologies have been applied for both the static and moving tumor treatments. Further, NIRS just starts "Quantum Scalpel" project. In this project, a multi-ions irradiation for the LET-painting is studied to obtain the higher treatment efficacy. An ultra-compact heavy-ion radiotherapy machine, with much lower cost, has also been being developed by applying the superconducting and laser technologies for widespread use of the heavy-ion radiotherapy in the world.
The authors demonstrate distributed temperature sensing based on slope-assisted Brillouin optical correlation-domain reflectometry (BOCDR) with a long measurement range of >10 km. They find that to ...achieve such a long-range measurement, a delay line in a reference path needs to be at least four times longer than the sensing fibre. In addition, they show that the use of such a long delay line induces forward-propagating Brillouin-scattered light in the reference path, which deteriorates the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the system and should be suppressed. Finally, by exploiting a beyond-nominal-resolution effect of the slope-assisted BOCDR, they detect a 3-m-long heated section in a 13-km-long silica fibre in a distributed manner; the reason for its low SNR is also discussed.
Highlights • Tissue reaction in the tension zone of PDL during tooth movement consist of two phases. • First phase is inflammation. • Second phase is rapid recovery and renovation of the PDL with ...bone formation.
Ion beams present a potential advantage in terms of treatment of lesions with hypoxic regions. In order to use this potential, it is important to accurately model the cell survival of oxic as well as ...hypoxic cells. In this work, an adaptation of the microdosimetric kinetic (MK) model making it possible to account for cell hypoxia is presented. The adaptation relies on the modification of damage quantity (double strand breaks and more complex lesions) due to the radiation. Model parameters such as domain size and nucleus size are then adapted through a fitting procedure. We applied this approach to two cell lines, HSG and V79 for helium, carbon and neon ions. A similar behaviour of the parameters was found for the two cell lines, namely a reduction of the domain size and an increase in the sensitive nuclear volume of hypoxic cells compared to those of oxic cells. In terms of oxygen enhancement ratio (OER), the experimental data behaviour can be reproduced, including dependence on particle type at the same linear energy transfer (LET). Errors on the cell survival prediction are of the same order of magnitude than for the original MK model. Our adaptation makes it possible to account for hypoxia without modelling the OER as a function of the LET of the particles, but directly accounting for hypoxic cell survival data.
Aims/hypothesis
The renin–angiotensin system (RAS) potentially has a role in the development of end-organ damage, and tissue RAS activation has been suggested as a risk factor for diabetic ...retinopathy. We have recently shown significant involvement of (pro)renin receptor (PRR) in retinal inflammation in a rodent model of early diabetes. In this study we aim to elucidate the (P)RR-associated pathogenesis of fibrovascular proliferation, a late-stage angiogenic complication in human diabetic retinopathy.
Methods
Vitreous fluids from 23 eyes of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and 16 eyes of controls with non-diabetic, idiopathic macular diseases (macular hole and epiretinal membrane) were collected. Protein levels of soluble (P)RR were measured by ELISA, and immunofluorescence was performed to assess the localisation of (P)RR and related molecules in fibrovascular tissues from PDR eyes.
Results
(P)RR immunoreactivity was detected in neovascular endothelial cells, colocalised with prorenin, phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Prorenin application to human retinal microvascular endothelial cells significantly upregulated mRNA expression of
VEGF
, especially the
VEGF165
isoform, which was abolished by (P)RR or ERK signalling blockade. Proteases known to cleave (P)RR, including furin, were positive in endothelial cells in fibrovascular tissues. Protein levels of soluble (P)RR in vitreous fluids were higher in PDR eyes than in non-diabetic control eyes, and correlated significantly with vitreous prorenin and VEGF levels and the vascular density of fibrovascular tissues.
Conclusions/interpretation
Our data using human samples provide the first evidence that (P)RR is associated with angiogenic activity in PDR.
In this work, solutions of TiCl4/styrene and TiCl4/polystyrene charge-transfer complexes in CHCl3 or CDCl3 were investigated by UV–vis, resonance Raman and 1H NMR spectroscopies in order to study ...their molecular and electronic structures. Both show a yellow colour due to absorption in the 400 nm region, related to a charge-transfer transition. In Raman spectra, as the excitation approaches the resonance region, the primary enhancement of aromatic ring modes was mainly observed, rather than intensification of the vinylic double-bond stretch. Under the experimental conditions it was observed that formation of polystyrene takes place, as showed by 1H NMR spectra, and the most significant interaction occurs at the aromatic ring, as supported by the results from interaction of TiCl4 with polystyrene, as indicated by the charge-transfer band and resonant intensification of the aromatic ring modes.
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•TiCl4 interacts with styrene and polystyrene to form charge-transfer complexes.•Resonance Raman enhancement is observed for the aromatic ring CC vibrational modes.•Resonance Raman enhancement is more pronounced with 457.9 nm excitation.•Position of the charge-transfer band depends on the aromatic donor.•NMR spectra indicate the absence of vinyl protons in the TiCl4/styrene complex.
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