27 research outputs found
ChatHome: Development and Evaluation of a Domain-Specific Language Model for Home Renovation
This paper presents the development and evaluation of ChatHome, a
domain-specific language model (DSLM) designed for the intricate field of home
renovation. Considering the proven competencies of large language models (LLMs)
like GPT-4 and the escalating fascination with home renovation, this study
endeavors to reconcile these aspects by generating a dedicated model that can
yield high-fidelity, precise outputs relevant to the home renovation arena.
ChatHome's novelty rests on its methodology, fusing domain-adaptive pretraining
and instruction-tuning over an extensive dataset. This dataset includes
professional articles, standard documents, and web content pertinent to home
renovation. This dual-pronged strategy is designed to ensure that our model can
assimilate comprehensive domain knowledge and effectively address user
inquiries. Via thorough experimentation on diverse datasets, both universal and
domain-specific, including the freshly introduced "EvalHome" domain dataset, we
substantiate that ChatHome not only amplifies domain-specific functionalities
but also preserves its versatility.Comment: ChatHome,DSLM for home renovatio
OCR-RTPS: An OCR-based real-time positioning system for the valet parking
Obtaining the position of ego-vehicle is a crucial prerequisite for automatic
control and path planning in the field of autonomous driving. Most existing
positioning systems rely on GPS, RTK, or wireless signals, which are arduous to
provide effective localization under weak signal conditions. This paper
proposes a real-time positioning system based on the detection of the parking
numbers as they are unique positioning marks in the parking lot scene. It does
not only can help with the positioning with open area, but also run
independently under isolation environment. The result tested on both public
datasets and self-collected dataset show that the system outperforms others in
both performances and applies in practice. In addition, the code and dataset
will release later.Comment: 25 pages, 9 figure
Organic acids enhance the uptake of lead by wheat roots
Abstract The uptake and bioavailability of lead (Pb) in soil-plant systems remain poorly understood. This study indicates that acetic and malic acids enhance the uptake of Pb by wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) roots under hydroponic conditions. The net concentration-dependent uptake influx of Pb in the presence and absence of organic acids was characterized by Michaelis-Menten type nonsaturating kinetic curves that could be resolved into linear and saturable components. Fitted maximum uptake rates (V max ) of the Michaelis-Menton saturable component in the presence of acetic and malic acids were, respectively, 2.45 and 1.63 times those of the control, while the Michaelis-Menten K m values of 5.5, 3.7 and 2.2 lM, respectively, remained unchanged. Enhanced Pb uptake by organic acids was partially mediated by Ca 2+ and K + channels, and also depended upon the physiological function of the plasma membrane P-type ATPase. Uptake may have been further enhanced by an effectively thinner unstirred layer of Pb adjacent to the roots, leading to more rapid diffusion towards roots. X-ray absorption spectroscopic studies provided evidence that the coordination environment of Pb in wheat roots was similar to that of Pb(CH 3 COO) 2 Á3H 2 O in that one Pb atom was coordinated to four oxygen atoms via the carboxylate group. Keywords Ca 2+ and K + channels Á Organic acids Á P-type ATPase Á Uptake of lead (Pb) Á Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Á X-ray absorption spectroscop
Geographical or ecological divergence between the parapatric species Ephedra sinica and E-intermedia?
Understanding the factors that contribute to population genetic structures and ecological niche divergence is crucial for elucidating the biogeographical history and speciation of plants. To disentangle the present phylogeographical patterns and evolutionary history of two closely related parapatric species from Ephedra (Ephedra sinica and E. intermedia), we systematically profiled their population genetic structures, niche divergence and potential speciation processes based on sequence variation of four chloroplast DNA fragments and climate-based ecological niche modelling (ENM). Phylogenetic analyses suggested that E. sinica formed a monophyly which was nested in E. intermedia. The latter species formed two paraphyletic subclades, corresponding to Western and Eastern lineages. Furthermore, the phylogeographical analysis results indicated very significant inter- and intra-species genetic differentiation, and BEAST inference suggested that E. sinica diverged from E. intermedia at 3.20 million years ago (Ma; 95 % HPD: 2.05-8.10 Ma), while the Western lineage of E. intermedia diverged much earlier at 6.10 Ma (95 % HPD: 4.10-11.82 Ma). In addition, niche identity tests performed using MaxEnt strongly supported the hypothesis that the two sister species had significantly diverged on their ecological niches. Isolation by geographical and environment distance (IBD and IBE) tests suggested that the overall divergence of the populations from the two species were more influenced by environmental factors. Our data provide new insight into the ecological speciation of Ephedra and also provides molecular evidence for the identification and genetic conservation of these important pharmaceutical plants
Unleashing the Potential of Nrf2: A Novel Therapeutic Target for Pulmonary Vascular Remodeling
Pulmonary vascular remodeling, characterized by the thickening of all three layers of the blood vessel wall, plays a central role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension (PH). Despite the approval of several drugs for PH treatment, their long-term therapeutic effect remains unsatisfactory, as they mainly focus on vasodilation rather than addressing vascular remodeling. Therefore, there is an urgent need for novel therapeutic targets in the treatment of PH. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a vital transcription factor that regulates endogenous antioxidant defense and emerges as a novel regulator of pulmonary vascular remodeling. Growing evidence has suggested an involvement of Nrf2 and its downstream transcriptional target in the process of pulmonary vascular remodeling. Pharmacologically targeting Nrf2 has demonstrated beneficial effects in various diseases, and several Nrf2 inducers are currently undergoing clinical trials. However, the exact potential and mechanism of Nrf2 as a therapeutic target in PH remain unknown. Thus, this review article aims to comprehensively explore the role and mechanism of Nrf2 in pulmonary vascular remodeling associated with PH. Additionally, we provide a summary of Nrf2 inducers that have shown therapeutic potential in addressing the underlying vascular remodeling processes in PH. Although Nrf2-related therapies hold great promise, further research is necessary before their clinical implementation can be fully realized
Biomimetic Nanoparticle-Mediated Target Delivery of Hypoxia-Responsive Plasmid of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 to Reverse Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension
Hypoxic
pulmonary hypertension (HPH) is characterized by pulmonary
vascular sustained constriction and progressive remodeling, which
are initiated by hypoxia then with hypoxia-induced additive factors
including pulmonary vascular endothelium injury, intrapulmonary angiotension
system imbalance, and inflammation. Now HPH is still an intractable
disease lacking effective treatments. Gene therapy has a massive potential
for HPH but is hindered by a lack of efficient targeted delivery and
hypoxia-responsive regulation systems for transgenes. Herein, we constructed
the hypoxia-responsive plasmid of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2
(ACE2) with endothelial-specific promoter Tie2 and a hypoxia response
element and next prepared its biomimetic nanoparticle delivery system,
named ACE2-CS-PRT@PM, by encapsulating the plasmid of ACE2 with protamine
and chondroitin sulfate as the core then coated it with a platelet
membrane as a shell for targeting the injured pulmonary vascular endothelium.
ACE2-CS-PRT@PM has a 194.3 nm diameter with a platelet membrane-coating
core–shell structure and a negatively charged surface, and
it exhibits higher delivery efficiency targeting to pulmonary vascular
endothelium and hypoxia-responsive overexpression of ACE2 in endothelial
cells in a hypoxia environment. In vitro, ACE2-CS-PRT@PM significantly
inhibited the hypoxia-induced proliferation of pulmonary smooth muscle
cells. In vivo, ACE2-CS-PRT@PM potently ameliorated the hemodynamic
dysfunction and morphological abnormality and largely reversed HPH
via inhibiting the hypoxic proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth
muscle cells, reducing pulmonary vascular remodeling, restoring balance
to the intrapulmonary angiotension system, and improving the inflammatory
microenvironment without any detectable toxicity. Therefore, ACE2-CS-PRT@PM
is promising for the targeted gene therapy of HPH