PFB-Diff: Progressive Feature Blending Diffusion for Text-driven Image Editing

Diffusion models have showcased their remarkable capability to synthesize diverse and high-quality images, sparking interest in their application for real image editing. However, existing diffusion-based approaches for local image editing often suffer from undesired artifacts due to the pixel-level blending of the noised target images and diffusion latent variables, which lack the necessary semantics for maintaining image consistency. To address these issues, we propose PFB-Diff, a Progressive Feature Blending method for Diffusion-based image editing. Unlike previous methods, PFB-Diff seamlessly integrates text-guided generated content into the target image through multi-level feature blending. The rich semantics encoded in deep features and the progressive blending scheme from high to low levels ensure semantic coherence and high quality in edited images. Additionally, we introduce an attention masking mechanism in the cross-attention layers to confine the impact of specific words to desired regions, further improving the performance of background editing. PFB-Diff can effectively address various editing tasks, including object/background replacement and object attribute editing. Our method demonstrates its superior performance in terms of image fidelity, editing accuracy, efficiency, and faithfulness to the original image, without the need for fine-tuning or training.Comment: 18 pages, 15 figure

A Mucosal and Cutaneous Chemokine Ligand for the Lymphocyte Chemoattractant Receptor GPR15

Chemoattractants control lymphocyte recruitment from the blood, contributing to the systemic organization of the immune system. The G protein-linked receptor GPR15 mediates lymphocyte homing to the large intestines and skin. Here we show that the 9 kDa CC-motif containing cationic polypeptide AP57/colon-derived sushi containing domain-2 binding factor (CSBF), encoded by C10orf99 in the human and 2610528A11Rik in the mouse, functions as a chemokine ligand for GPR15 (GPR15L). GPR15L binds GPR15 and attracts GPR15-expressing T cells including lymphocytes in colon-draining lymph nodes and Vγ3+ thymic precursors of dermal epithelial T cells. Patterns of GPR15L expression by epithelial cells in adult mice and humans suggest a homeostatic role for the chemokine in lymphocyte localization to the large intestines, as well as a role in homing to the epidermis during wound healing or inflammation. GPR15L is also significantly expressed in squamous mucosa of the oral cavity and esophagus with still poorly defined regulation. Identification of the chemotactic activity of GPR15L adds to its reported antibacterial and tumor cell growth regulatory functions and suggests the potential of targeting GPR15L–GPR15 interactions for modulation of mucosal and cutaneous inflammation

Facile synthesis of 2D ultrathin and ultrahigh specific surface hierarchical porous carbon nanosheets for advanced energy storage

Two dimensional (2D) porous carbon nanosheets (CNS) have attracted tremendous research interests in energy storage and conversion, such as supercapacitors (SCs) and lithium-sulfur batteries, because of their unique micromorphology, chemical stability and high specific surface area (SSA). Rational design and facile scalable synthesis of CNS with high SSA, low cost and ultrathin nanosheet structure is highly desired but hitherto remains a big challenge. Here, we report a novel synthesis method of 2D hierarchical porous CNS with ultrahigh SSA (2687 m2 g−1) and ultrathin structure by directly pyrolysing and activating a unique and abundant biomass sheet. The electrochemical characterisations show that the prepared CNS-4-1 materials as electrodes creates a good energy-storage capability, with the energy density being 91 Wh kg−1 for symmetric SCs in ionic liquids, which is the highest in the reported biomass-derived CNS materials for SCs applications so far. Besides, the CNS-5-1 also exhibits a high initial capacity of 1078 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C when it acted as a sulfur hosting material for lithium-sulfur batteries. More importantly, it also shows a 586 mAh g−1 reversible capacity and an approaching 100% coulombic efficiency after 500 cycles at a high rate of 1 C. These superior electrochemical properties of the CNS are mainly attributed to their unique 2D ultrathin nanosheet structure, large SSA, and reasonable hierarchical porous structure. This work not only provides a new strategy to fabricate the ultrathin CNS in large scale and low cost but also enlarges CNS materials potential applications in energy storage

Genome Assembly and Annotation of Vietnamese Rice Lines with Diverse Life-Cycle Durations

This study begins by examining phenotypic variations in field growth among four parental Vietnamese rice lines, consisting of two Indica (PD211/GL37) and two Japonica (J23/SRA2-1) cultivars, which differ in life-cycle durations. Their phenotypic observations revealed both similarities and differences in growth patterns and field responses, setting the stage for further genomic investigation. We then focused on the sequencing and de novo genome assembly of these lines using high-coverage Illumina sequencing and achieving pseudochromosome assemblies ranging between 379 Mbp and 384 Mbp. The assemblies were further enhanced by annotation processes, designating between 44,427 and 48,704 gene models/genome. A comparative genomic analysis revealed that the Japonica varieties (J23/SRA2-1) exhibited more genetic similarity than the Indica varieties (PD211/GL37). From this, a phylogenetic analysis on the phytochrome C (phyC) gene distinctly positions the Indica and Japonica lines within their respective clades, affirming their genetic diversity and lineage accuracy. These genomic resources will pave the way for identifying quantitative trait loci (QTLs) critical for developing rice cultivars with shorter life cycles, thus enhancing resilience to adverse climatic impacts in Vietnam. This study provides a foundational step towards leveraging genomic data for rice breeding programs aimed at ensuring food security in the face of climate change

Mobile-based program improves healthy eating of ulcerative colitis patients: A pilot study

Background Dietary management plays a crucial role in the treatment of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). While various e-services provide dietary advice, the long-term dietary management requires continuous monitoring and dynamic adjustment to accommodate the evolving nature of the disease and meet the patients’ nutritional needs. Consequently, the development of a novel dietary management tool that incorporates diet tracking, personalized nutritional feedback, and evidence-based advice becomes imperative. This study aims to address this need by developing a WeChat applet called “HealthyGut” specifically designed for the dietary management of UC patients, and evaluate its feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy. Methods A total of 134 UC patients were equally allocated into the intervention group (receiving a 12-week mobile-based dietary management via HealthyGut) and control group (receiving a paper-based food diary and routine advice). The feasibility outcomes were recruitment, retention, engagement, satisfaction, and acceptability in the intervention group. Dietary intakes were effective outcomes. Results Both groups had satisfactory retention rates (89.6% and 77.6%, respectively). The System Usability Scale in the intervention group yielded “good usability” with a mean score of 79.63 (SD 7.39), and all participants reported good user experiences and perceived benefits after using HealthyGut. At week 12, intervention responders reported significantly higher daily energy intake than control group (Z = −3.089, p = 0.002). Conclusions and Implications The results display that HealthyGut as a dietary management tool is feasible and accepted by UC patients, and it may help them make healthier food choices. Larger sample studies should be considered in the future

A fast and simple branching algorithm for solving small scale fixed-charge transportation problem

In this paper, we develop a simple algorithm for obtaining the global solution to a small scale fixed-charge transportation problem (FCTP). The procedure itself is very quick. The proposed method solves FCTP by decomposing the problem into series of smaller sub-problems, which is novel and can be useful to researchers solving any size of the problem

Difficulties in eating out of home while diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease: A qualitative interview study from China.

BackgroundMeeting healthy dietary needs while eating out can be a challenging experience for adults with inflammatory bowel disease. This study examined the barriers experienced by adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) when eating out.ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the perceptions of people with IBD on eating out barriers.DesignA qualitative study among individuals affected by IBD was conducted through semi-structured interviews.ResultsSixteen adults from China were diagnosed with IBD between 6 months and 20 years prior to the study. They were recruited from four tertiary care hospitals in Nanjing, China. The participants completed a semi-structured interview between April and September 2022. Self-perceived difficulties with eating and drinking when eating out were varied. After thematic analysis of the data, five main themes emerged: limited access to healthy and hygiene food; no pleasure of food enjoyment; financial strain; not feeling loved, supported or understood; and coping strategies for not meeting demand.ConclusionsThis study highlights the various barriers encountered by patients with inflammatory bowel disease when eating out. These findings will help people with IBD to encourage the formation of targeted health and well-being-related interventions. Knowledge of nutrition and diet should be provided in education and training programs administered to IBD

Correlation between Food Literacy and Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background Dietary over-restriction is common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and can lead to avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in severe cases. Studies have shown that food literacy may influence patients' eating behavior to some extent, but whether it can directly affect ARFID in IBD patients has not been reported. Objective To understand the current status of food literacy and ARFID in patients with IBD, and analyse the correlation between the two. Methods This was a cross-sectional study, and convenience sampling method was used to select IBD patients who attended or were hospitalized in the outpatient clinics of gastroenterology and anorectal medicine in four general hospitals in Nanjing, including Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine (Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine), Nanjing Hospital of Chinese Medicine (Nanjing Hospital of Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine), Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital and Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, from October 2022 to June 2023 as the study subjects. A self-made general information questionnaire, 9-item Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder Screen (NIAS), and Food Literacy Scale were used to investigate the study subjects, to compare the NIAS and food literacy scores of IBD patients with different characteristics, and Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the relationship. Results A total of 438 questionnaires were distributed and 429 valid questionnaires were recovered, with a valid recovery rate of 97.95%. The NIAS score of IBD patients was (20.82±8.65), and the incidence of ARFID was 18.41% (79/429) ; the food literacy score was (32.72±9.68). Comparison of NIAS scores of patients with different disease types and disease activity showed statistically significant differences (P<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that food literacy scores, planning and management dimensions of food literacy scale and the attitude towards making scores were negatively correlated with NIAS scores in patients with IBD (P<0.05) . Conclusion The level of food literacy in IBD patients needs to be improved. ARFID was common (18.41%), and food literacy was negatively associated with ARFID. Clinical medical staff should regularly evaluate patients' food literacy, monitor their eating behavior, and develop precise health education intervention paths to improve the level of food literacy, and reduce the incidence of ARFID