Optimal Linear RGB-to-XYZ Mapping for Color Display Calibration

Color display calibration, in part, involves mapping input RGB values to corresponding output values in a standardized color space such as CIE XYZ. A linear model for RGB-to- XYZ mapping is based on a 3-by-3 linear transformation matrix T mapping data from (linearized) RGB to XYZ. Such a mapping is often determined by least squares regression on the difference between predicted and measured XYZ values. However, since displays are calibrated for viewing by human observers, it likely would be better to optimize relative to a perceptually uniform color space. Two new methods are proposed which optimize the total error relative to CIELAB or CIEDE2000. The first method uses weighted least squares with weights based on the rate of change of CIELAB coordinates as a function of change in XYZ. The second method uses Nedler-Mead nonlinear optimization to minimize directly in CIELAB or CIEDE200. Experiments based on calibrating 2 CRT monitors, 3 LCD monitors and 2 LCD projectors show significantly better results than the standard least squares calibration

Učinak kratkotrajne primjene hormona rasta i treninga snage na histopatološke promjene tkiva štitnjače i mutaciju gena BRAF (T1799A) u smeđeg štakora (Rattus norvegicus)

High levels of growth hormone accelerate mitosis rate but decrease the apoptosis process in its target organs. These events might cause the initiation of different cancer types. Thus, the main aims of this study were assessing the effects of short term growth hormone administration and resistance training on the histopathology and detection of the BRAF-V600E mutation in the thyroid tissue of male Rattus norvegicus brown rats. Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into four groups. After 8 weeks of the experiment (i.m), thyroid tissue and blood samples of saline (CS), resistance training+saline (RS), growth hormone (2 mg/kg) (GI) and resistance training+growth hormone (2 mg/kg) (RG) were taken to evaluate histopathology, the BRAF T1799A mutation of thyroid tissue, and circulating levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3. The protocol of training consisted of rats climbing a ladder while carrying weights (3 sets/5 reps). Microscopic evaluation of thyroid tissue did not show any histopathological changes, and there were no mutations in the studied region of the BRAF sequence. Serum IGF-1 concentration was significantly lower in the RS group than in other groups (P<0.05). However, serum IGFBP-3 concentration did not change significantly in the RS group. Moreover, serum IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 concentrations were significantly higher in the GI and RG groups than in the others (P<0.05). In conclusion, the decrement of serum IGF-1 concentration and IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio after resistance training might decrease the risk of cancer. Furthermore, short term growth hormone administration, with and without resistance training, might increase the risk of cancer through the high levels of serum IGF-1 concentration and IGF-1/ IGFBP-3 ratio in male rats.Visoke razine hormona rasta povećavaju brzinu mitoze, ali smanjuju proces apoptoze u ciljnim organima, što može uzrokovati nastanak različitih tipova raka. Stoga je glavni cilj ovoga istraživanja bio utvrditi učinak kratkotrajne primjene hormona rasta i treninga snage na histopatološke promjene tkiva štitnjače i nalaz mutacije gena BRAF-V600E u mužjaka smeđeg štakora Rattus norvegicus. Ukupno 32 štakora nasumično su podijeljena u četiri skupine koje su ovisno o primjenjenom tretmanu označene kao CS (fiziološka otopina), RS (trening snage + fiziološka otopina), GI (hormone rasta, 2 mg/kg) i RG (trening snage+hormone rasta, 2 mg/kg). Nakon osam tjedana pokusa (i.m.) uzeti su uzorci tkiva štitnjače i uzorci krvi kako bi se procijenila histopatološka svojstva, mutacija BRAF T1799A tkiva štitnjače te razine cirkulacijskog IGF-1 i IGFBP-3. Trening se sastojao od toga da se štakori penju ljestvama noseći težinu (3 seta vježbi, 5 ponavljanja). Mikroskopska procjena tkiva štitnjače nije pokazala histopatološke promjene i nije bilo mutacija u promatranoj regiji sekvencija gena BRAF. Koncentracija serumskog IGF-1 bila je znakovito manja u skupini RS nego u ostalim skupinama (P < 0,05), no u toj skupini nije bilo znakovite promjene u koncentraciji serumskog IGFBP-3. Štoviše, koncentracije serumskog IGF-1 i IGFBP-3 bile su znakovito veće u skupinama GI i RG nego u ostalim skupinama (P < 0,05). Stoga smo zaključili da bi smanjenje koncentracije serumskog IGF-1 i IGF-1/IGFBP-3 nakon treninga snage moglo smanjiti rizik od raka. Osim toga kratkotrajna primjena hormona rasta, s treningom snage kao i bez njega, mogla bi povećati rizik od raka povećavajući koncentracije serumskog IGF-1 i IGF-1/IGFBP-3 u mužjaka štakora

Neurological manifestations as the predictors of severity and mortality in hospitalized individuals with COVID-19: a multicenter prospective clinical study

BACKGROUNDS: The reports of neurological symptoms are increasing in cases with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This multi-center prospective study was conducted to determine the incidence of neurological manifestations in hospitalized cases with COVID-19 and assess these symptoms as the predictors of severity and death. METHODS: Hospitalized males and females with COVID-19 who aged over 18 years were included in the study. They were examined by two neurologists at the time of admission. All survived cases were followed for 8 weeks after discharge and 16 weeks if their symptoms had no improvements. RESULTS: We included 873 participants. Of eligible cases, 122 individuals (13.97%) died during hospitalization. The most common non-neurological manifestations were fever (81.1%), cough (76.1%), fatigue (36.1%), and shortness of breath (27.6%). Aging, male gender, co-morbidity, smoking, hemoptysis, chest tightness, and shortness of breath were associated with increased odds of severe cases and/or mortality. There were 561 (64.3%) cases with smell and taste dysfunctions (hyposmia: 58.6%; anosmia: 41.4%; dysguesia: 100%). They were more common among females (69.7%) and non-smokers (66.7%). Hyposmia/anosmia and dysgeusia were found to be associated with reduced odds of severe cases and mortality. Myalgia (24.8%), headaches (12.6%), and dizziness (11.9%) were other common neurological symptoms. Headaches had negative correlation with severity and death due to COVID-19 but myalgia and dizziness were not associated. The cerebrovascular events (n = 10) and status epilepticus (n = 1) were other neurological findings. The partial or full recovery of smell and taste dysfunctions was found in 95.2% after 8 weeks and 97.3% after 16 weeks. The parosmia (30.9%) and phantosmia (9.0%) were also reported during 8 weeks of follow-up. Five cases with mild headaches and 5 cases with myalgia were reported after 16 weeks of discharge. The demyelinating myelitis (n = 1) and Guillain-Barré syndrome (n = 1) were also found during follow-up. CONCLUSION: Neurological symptoms were found to be prevalent among individuals with COVID-19 disease and should not be under-estimated during the current pandemic outbreak

Optimal Linear RGB-to-XYZ Mapping for Color Display Calibration

Color display calibration, in part, involves mapping input RGB values to corresponding output values in a standardized color space such as CIE XYZ. A linear model for RGB-to-XYZ mapping is based on a 3-by-3 linear transformation matrix T mapping data from (linearized) RGB to XYZ. Such a mapping is often determined by least squares regression on the difference between predicted and measured XYZ values. However, since displays are calibrated for viewing by human observers, it likely would be better to optimize relative to a perceptually uniform color space. Two new methods are proposed which optimize the total error relative to CIELAB or CIEDE2000. The first method uses weighted least squares with weights based on the rate of change of CIELAB coordinates as a function of change in XYZ. The second method uses Nedler-Mead nonlinear optimization to minimize directly in CIELAB or CIEDE200. Experiments based on calibrating 2 CRT monitors, 3 LCD monitors and 2 LCD projectors show significantly better results than the standard least squares calibration

Type of Ground Surface during Plyometric Training Affects the Severity of Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage

The purpose of this study was to compare the changes in the symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage from a bout of plyometric exercise (PE; 10 × 10 vertical jumps) performed in aquatic, sand and firm conditions. Twenty-four healthy college-aged men were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Aquatic (AG, n = 8), Sand (SG, n = 8) and Firm (FG, n = 8). The AG performed PE in an aquatic setting with a depth of ~130 cm. The SG performed PE on a dry sand surface at a depth of 20 cm, and the FG performed PE on a 10-cm-thick wooden surface. Plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), knee range of motion (KROM), maximal isometric voluntary contraction (MIVC) of the knee extensors, vertical jump (VJ) and 10-m sprint were measured before and 24, 48 and 72 h after the PE. Compared to baseline values, FG showed significantly (p &lt; 0.05) greater changes in CK, DOMS, and VJ at 24 until 48 h. The MIVC decreased significantly for the SG and FG at 24 until 48 h post-exercise in comparison to the pre-exercise values. There were no significant (p &gt; 0.05) time or group by time interactions in KROM. In the 10-m sprint, all the treatment groups showed significant (p &lt; 0.05) changes compared to pre-exercise values at 24 h, and there were no significant (p &gt; 0.05) differences between groups. The results indicate that PE in an aquatic setting and on a sand surface induces less muscle damage than on a firm surface. Therefore, training in aquatic conditions and on sand may be beneficial for the improvement of performance, with a concurrently lower risk of muscle damage and soreness

Impact of saffron (Crocus Sativus Linn) supplementation and resistance training on markers implicated in depression and happiness levels in untrained young males

International audienceBackgroundWe aimed to assess the effects of six weeks of resistance training (RT) combined with saffron supplementation on markers implicated in depression as well as happiness levels in untrained young males.Materials and methodsUntrained young male participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: RT + saffron supplement (RS; n = 14) or RT + placebo (RP; n = 14). For 6 weeks, participants in the RS group took one 150 mg pill of pure saffron immediately after each RT session and at the same time on non-training days. Those assigned to the RP group took a dextrose pill. Concentrations of Anandamide (AEA), 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), serotonin, dopamine, β-endorphin (beta-endorphin), tryptophan, happiness levels (via questionnaire), and body composition were assessed before and after the 6 weeks of whole-body supervised RT (4x/week, 3 sets using 60–70% of 1-repetition maximum [1-RM]).ResultsAEA (0.5 ng/ml), 2-AG (0.04 ng/ml), dopamine (0.7 ng/ml), and β-endorphin (9.4 pg/ml) concentrations significantly increased in the RS group (P 0.05). In addition, both groups significantly increased muscular endurance with greater changes in RS group (P<0.05).ConclusionSix weeks of RT combined with saffron supplementation improved AEA, 2-AG, dopamine, β-endorphin, and serotonin concentrations. Moreover, the addition of saffron supplement to chronic RT results in greater improvements in happiness levels than RT alone

Covalently-Bonded Coating of L-Arginine Modified Magnetic Nanoparticles with Dextran Using Co-Precipitation Method

In this study, L-arginine (Arg) modified magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (RMNPs) were firstly synthesized through a one-step co-precipitation method, and then these aminated nanoparticles (NPs) were, again, coated by pre-oxidized dextran (Dext), in which aldehyde groups (DextCHO) have been introduced on the polymer chain successfully via a strong chemical linkage. Arg, an amino acid, acts as a mediator to link the Dext to a magnetic core. The as-synthesized Arg-modified and Dext-coated arginine modified Fe3O4 NPs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Both synthesized samples, XRD pattern and FT-IR spectra proved that the core is magnetite. FT-IR confirmed that the chemical bonds of Arg and Dext both exist in the samples. SEM images showed that the NPs are spherical and have an acceptable distribution size, and the VSM analysis indicated the superparamagnetic behavior of samples. The saturation magnetization was decreased after Dext coating, which confirms successive coating RMNPs with Text. In addition, the TGA analysis demonstrated that the prepared magnetic nanocomposites underwent various weight loss levels, which admitted the modification of magnetic cores with Arg and further coating with Dext