KD-EKF: A Consistent Cooperative Localization Estimator Based on Kalman Decomposition

In this paper, we revisit the inconsistency problem of EKF-based cooperative localization (CL) from the perspective of system decomposition. By transforming the linearized system used by the standard EKF into its Kalman observable canonical form, the observable and unobservable components of the system are separated. Consequently, the factors causing the dimension reduction of the unobservable subspace are explicitly isolated in the state propagation and measurement Jacobians of the Kalman observable canonical form. Motivated by these insights, we propose a new CL algorithm called KD-EKF which aims to enhance consistency. The key idea behind the KD-EKF algorithm involves perform state estimation in the transformed coordinates so as to eliminate the influencing factors of observability in the Kalman observable canonical form. As a result, the KD-EKF algorithm ensures correct observability properties and consistency. We extensively verify the effectiveness of the KD-EKF algorithm through both Monte Carlo simulations and real-world experiments. The results demonstrate that the KD-EKF outperforms state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of accuracy and consistency

A Moss 2-Oxoglutarate/Fe(II)-Dependent Dioxygenases (2-ODD) Gene of Flavonoids Biosynthesis Positively Regulates Plants Abiotic Stress Tolerance

Flavonoids, the largest group of polyphenolic secondary metabolites present in all land plants, play essential roles in many biological processes and defense against abiotic stresses. In the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway, flavones synthase I (FNSI), flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H), flavonol synthase (FLS), and anthocyanidin synthase (ANS) all belong to 2-oxoglutarate/Fe(II)-dependent dioxygenases (2-ODDs) family, which catalyzes the critical oxidative reactions to form different flavonoid subgroups. Here, a novel 2-ODD gene was cloned from Antarctic moss Pohlia nutans (Pn2-ODD1) and its functions were investigated both in two model plants, Physcomitrella patens and Arabidopsis thaliana. Heterologous expression of Pn2-ODD1 increased the accumulation of anthocyanins and flavonol in Arabidopsis. Meanwhile, the transgenic P. patens and Arabidopsis with expressing Pn2-ODD1 exhibited enhanced tolerance to salinity and drought stresses, with larger gametophyte sizes, better seed germination, and longer root growth. Heterologous expression of Pn2-ODD1 in Arabidopsis also conferred the tolerance to UV-B radiation and oxidative stress by increasing antioxidant capacity. Therefore, we showed that Pn2-ODD1 participated in the accumulation of anthocyanins and flavonol in transgenic plants, and regulated the tolerance to abiotic stresses in plants, contributing to the adaptation of P. nutans to the polar environment

IDENTIFICATION AND QUANTIFICATION OF PINE NEEDLE ESSENTIAL OIL FROM DIFFERENT HABITATS AND SPECIES OF CHINA BY GC-MS AND GC METHOD

Background: Fresh pine needles, which evergreen, renewable and can be collected at any time, have abundant essential oil. The pine needle essential oil possess various biological activities, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective properties etc., and can be widely used as medicine or medical raw materials, fragrances etc. So in order to make full use of pine needle plant resources, especially essential oil, the identification and quantification of essential oil were investigated. Materials and Methods: GC-MS was used to identified compounds in pine needle essential oil of Pinus massoniana Lamb. from Zhejiang, and GC method was developed for determining 5 compounds (namely α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene, bornyl acetate, β-caryophyllene) in pine needle essential oil from different habitats of Pinus massoniana Lamb. and different species (Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc., Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica Litv., Abies holophylla Maxim.). Hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) was used to evaluate homogeneity of pine needles in China. Results: 42 compounds(monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes) were identified by GC-MS, which accounted for 99.62% of total essential oil, particularly contained α-and β-pinene (45.23%). Quantification results showed content of bornyl acetate were the lowest, while content of α-pinene, β-pinene were all high except Sichuan, among them α-pinene were higher than β-pinene except for Shandong and Jiangsu, and total content of essential oil in Guangxi is the highest, Jiangsu was the lowest within Pinus massoniana from different habitats. Within pine needle from different species, the highest total content was Pinus koraiensis, the lowest was Pinus sylvestris, Interestingly, the highest content of bornyl acetate was Abies holophylla. By HCA, samples were sorted into two clusters, Abies holophylla and the other, that is Abies holophylla is different from Pinus massoniana, Pinus koraiensis and Pinus sylvestris. Pinus massoniana from Sichuan is different from other Pinus, in which limonene was the highest in all samples. Conclusions: Compounds of pine needle essential oil vary greatly between genus, while smaller between species, so composition differences among pine needle essential oil was related with genus and species. Abies holophylla is different from other pinus species, and Pinus massoniana from Sichuan is different from other habitats. Pine needle essential oil contains abundant α-and β-pinene, which can be used as an alternative raw materials source of pinene. And Abies holophylla and Pinus massoniana from Sichuan can become bornyl acetate and limonene alternative source of raw materials

Metformin plus megestrol acetate compared with megestrol acetate alone as fertility‐sparing treatment in patients with atypical endometrial hyperplasia and well‐differentiated endometrial cancer: a randomised controlled trial

Objective: To assess the efficacy of metformin in megestrol acetate (MA)-based fertility-sparing treatment for patients with atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH) and endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC). Design: A randomised, single-centre, open-label, controlled trial conducted between October 2013 and December 2017. Setting: Shanghai OBGYN Hospital of Fudan University, China. Population: A total of 150 patients (18-45 years old) with primary AEH or well-differentiated EEC were randomised into an MA group (n = 74) and an MA plus metformin group (n = 76). Methods: Patients with AEH or EEC were firstly stratified, then randomised to receive MA (160 mg orally, daily) or MA (160 mg orally, daily) plus metformin (500 mg orally, three times a day). Main outcomes and measures: The primary efficacy parameter was the cumulate complete response (CR) rate within 16 weeks of treatment (16w-CR rate); the secondary efficacy parameters were 30w-CR rate and adverse events. Results: The 16w-CR rate was higher in the metformin plus MA group than in the MA-only group (34.3 versus 20.7%, odds ratio [OR] 2.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.89-4.51, P = 0.09) but the difference was more significant in 102 AEH patients (39.6 versus 20.4%, OR 2.56, 95% CI 1.06-6.21, P = 0.04). This effect of metformin was also significant in non-obese (51.4 versus 24.3%, OR 3.28, 95% CI 1.22-8.84, P = 0.02) and insulin-sensitive (54.8 versus 28.6%, OR 3.04, 95% CI 1.03-8.97, P = 0.04) subgroups of AEH women. No significant result was found in secondary endpoints. Conclusion: As a fertility-sparing treatment, metformin plus MA was associated with a higher early CR rate compared with MA alone in AEH patients. Tweetable abstract For AEH patients, metformin plus MA might be a better fertility-sparing treatment to achieve a higher early CR rate compared with MA alone

Conservative surgery in stage I placental site trophoblastic tumor: a report of 10 cases and literature review

Background and purpose: Placental site trophoblastic tumor (PSTT) is a rare type of malignant tumor. Because of its unique mode of invasion in the uterus and its insensitivity to chemotherapy, total hysterectomy is the primary recommendation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility and safety of conservative surgical treatment in patients with stage Ⅰ PSTT. Methods: The patients with stage Ⅰ PSTT admitted to Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University from January 2015 to December 2021 were included, and those published on Pubmed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) from January 1990 to December 2021 were searched with the keywords of “placental site trophoblastic tumor” and “case”, “placental trophoblastic tumor” and “case” respectively. The clinicopathological data of the patients were collected and retrospectively analyzed. Results: A total of 10 cases admitted to Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University were enrolled. The median age was 27 years. The most common symptom was irregular vaginal bleeding (70.0%). The median time of interval since antecedent pregnancy (ISAP) was 14.5 months. The median level of β-human chorionic gonadotrophin (β-hCG) was 124.51 mU/mL, and the diameter of the focus was 0.8-8.0 cm. All 10 patients admitted to Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University achieved complete remission after initial treatment. The average follow-up time was 48.1 months and there was no recurrence. Three patients became pregnant naturally after treatment, including 2 cases of full-term pregnancy and delivery and 1 case of induced abortion because of unplanned pregnancy. Literature review of PSTT cases showed similar clinicopathological distribution and disease outcome. Conclusion: Conservative surgery could be an alternative choice for selected patients with stage Ⅰ PSTT, but more research is needed to provide evidence

Undiagnosed diabetic retinopathy in Northeast China: prevalence and determinants

ObjectiveTo report the prevalence and contributing factors of undiagnosed diabetic retinopathy (DR) in a population from Northeastern China.Subjects/MethodsA total of 800 subjects from the Fushun Diabetic Retinopathy Cohort Study were enrolled. A questionnaire assessing incentives and barriers to diagnosis of DR was administered. Logistic regression was used to identify clinical and sociodemographic factors associated with undiagnosed DR. In a prespecified subgroup analysis, we divided patients into vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy (VTDR) and non-VTDR (NVTDR) subgroups.ResultsAmong 800 participants with DR, 712 (89.0%) were undiagnosed. Among 601 with NVTDR, 566 (94.2%) were undiagnosed. Among 199 with VTDR, 146 (73.4%) were undiagnosed. The risk factors affecting the timely diagnosis of NVTDR and VTDR exhibit significant disparities. In multivariate models, factors associated with undiagnosed VTDR were age over 60 years (OR = 2.966; 95% CI = 1.205-7.299; P = 0.018), duration of diabetes over 10 years (OR = 0.299; 95% CI = 0.118-0753; P = 0.010), visual impairment or blindness (OR = 0.310; 95% CI = 0.117-0.820; P = 0.018), receiving a reminder to schedule an eye examination (OR = 0.380; 95% CI = 0.163-0.883; P = 0.025), and the belief that “people with diabetes are unlikely to develop an eye disease” (OR = 4.691; 95% CI = 1.116-19.724; P = 0.035). However, none of the factors were associated with undiagnosed NVTDR (all P ≥ 0.145).ConclusionOur research has uncovered a disconcerting trend of underdiagnosis in cases of DR within our population. Addressing determinants of undiagnosed DR may facilitate early detection