Cordyceps Sinensis: anti-fibrotic and inflammatory effects of a cultured polysaccharide extract

It has been suggested that the traditional Chinese herbal preparation Cordyceps Sinensis (CS) may have a beneficial effect in renal disease. To satisfy increasing demand, CS derivatives have been produced by aseptic mycelia cultivation. We have demonstrated antifibrotic activity of cultured CS previously. The aim of this study was to examine bioactivity of a polysaccharide isolated from cultured CS with a complicated monosaccharide composition, mainly consisting of Gal, Glc and Man. This polysaccharide antagonised the effect of TGF-b1 in stimulating the expression of collagen in the HK2 renal cell line. This was associated with down regulation of the TGF-b receptor Alk5. In addition the polysaccharide antagonised IL-1b stimulated sICAM-1 dependent adherence of monocytes to a monolayer of HK2 cell. This was associated with increased expression of the primary receptor for hyaluronan CD44, and was abrogated by removal of the cell surface hyaluronan pericellular coat. In summary we describe both anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory activity in a polysaccharide isolated from cultured CS

Endocan, a Risk Factor for Developing Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome among Severe Pneumonia Patients

Background. Severe pneumonia (SP) has been widely accepted as a major cause for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and the development of ARDS is significantly associated with increased mortality. This study aimed to identify potential predictors for ARDS development in patients with SP. Methods. Eligible SP patients at admission from January 2013 to June 2017 were prospectively enrolled, and ARDS development within hospital stay was identified. Risk factors for ARDS development in SP patients were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis with the area under the curve (AUC) was performed for the predictive value of endocan for ARDS development. Results. A total of 145 SP patients were eventually enrolled into the final analysis, of which 37 developed ARDS during the hospital stay. Our final multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested plasma endocan expression as the only independent risk factor for ARDS development in SP patients (OR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.14–2.25, P=0.021). ROC curve analysis of plasma endocan resulted in an AUC of 0.754, 95% CI of 0.642–0.866, a cutoff value of 11.6 ng/mL, a sensitivity of 78.7%, and a specificity of 70.3%, respectively (P<0.01). Conclusions. Endocan expression at ICU admission is a reliable predictive factor in predicting ARDS in patients with SP

Polarization-intensity joint imaging for marine target automatic recognition

The performance of sole optical imaging device for marine target recognition is degraded by sea fog, sea-glint, and many other disturbing factors. To enhance the ability of target recognition in marine environment, we propose a polarization-intensity joint imaging method and the corresponding processing method. We combine fine imaging of polarization in a small field of view with wide-field imaging of visible light intensity, using visible light intensity information for large-scale target surveys. After locking onto areas of interest, we utilize high-resolution polarization cameras with small fields of view for detailed inspection. We enhance and fuse the information from areas of interest using the proposed matching information processing method. Meanwhile, to deal with problems existing in the marine environment polarization-intensity joint imaging, such as details loss in DoP (degree of polarization) image, low target resolution in the large field of view intensity image, and insufficient information in a single image, etc., we extract the details of raw image from DoFP (division-of-focal-plane) polarization camera as residual compensation for DoP image super-resolution and cooperate with the RealSR algorithm to super-resolve the local target details of the intensity image in a large field of view. On the premise that PIQE (Perception-based Image Quality Evaluator) reaches the excellent score range, the images with the same resolution are fused. The automatic recognition comparison before and after processing proves that the accuracy of target recognition can be effectively improved after processing

Pretreatment albumin/fibrinogen ratio as a promising predictor for the survival of advanced non small-cell lung cancer patients undergoing first-line platinum-based chemotherapy

Abstract Background This study aimed to identify potential predictive factors for the survival of advanced non small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. Methods A total of 270 advanced NSCLC patients who underwent first-line platinum-based chemotherapy from June, 2011 to June, 2015 were enrolled. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the predictive value of the albumin-to-fibrinogen ratio (AFR) for overall survival (OS). The predictive factors for survival were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses via the Cox proportional hazards regression model. The OS and progression free survival (PFS) results were determined via the Kaplan–Meier method using the log-rank analysis. Results Based on the results of the ROC curve analysis, 8.02 was accepted as the cut-off AFR value for OS. The metastasis stage (M0 vs M1a/b, HR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.15–2.59, P = 0.020) and AFR (≤8.02 vs > 8.02, HR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.09–2.78, P = 0.025) were two independent risk factors for PFS by multivariate Cox regression analysis. The AFR (≤8.02 vs > 8.02, HR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.11–2.59, P = 0.029) was a significant predictive factor for OS in advanced NSCLC patients. The PFS (P = 0.008) and OS (P = 0.003) in the high AFR group were significantly improved compared with those in the low AFR group via the Kaplan–Meier method using the log-rank analysis. Conclusions The AFR could be a potential effective predictive factor for the survival in advanced NSCLC patients undergoing first-line platinum-based chemotherapy

A Topology Based Automatic Registration Method for Infrared and Polarized Coupled Imaging

In multi-source camera collaborative imaging research, it is known that the differences in size and resolution of the sensor chip, the angle of view and field of view when imaging, and the imaging characteristics of optical systems between cameras, makes image registration a topic that can never be avoided in data analysis and post-processing. Additionally, lacking common features between multi-source images means that the accurate registration of multi-modal images can only be completed manually. Aiming at the registration problem of the polarization parameter image and infrared image, this study takes advantage of the invariant feature of the imaging target topology and introduces the image texture-based segmentation method to obtain the target topology structure. Subsequently, the registration control points are extracted based on the target topology skeleton, which can break through the limitation of feature differences, improve the robustness of the algorithm to target transformation, and realize the automatic registration of multi-source images

Adsorption Behavior of Nonylphenol on Polystyrene Microplastics and Their Cytotoxicity in Human Caco-2 Cells

As two environmental pollutants of great concern, polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) and nonylphenol (NP) often coexist in the environment and cause combined pollution. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out by varying parameters such as pH, the particle sizes of the PS-MPs, the initial concentration of NP, and metal ion content. The results showed that the particle size of the PS-MPs in the range tested (0.1, 1, 10, 50, and 100 μm) had a significant effect on their NP adsorption capacity. The NP adsorption process of the PS-MPs was best described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model, while the intraparticle diffusion and Bangham models were also involved in determining the NP adsorption process of 0.1 μm PS-MPs. Both PS-MPs and NP significantly affected cell proliferation, which had been confirmed by reduced cell viability, a blocked cell cycle G1 phase, and elevated apoptosis by affecting the basic cell functions. Furthermore, the negative effects of 0.1 μm PS-MPs on cell proliferation and function were aggravated after the adsorption of NP. Further research on the potential health risks of PS-MPs combined with NP or other environmental contaminants is needed