DDColor: Towards Photo-Realistic Image Colorization via Dual Decoders

Image colorization is a challenging problem due to multi-modal uncertainty and high ill-posedness. Directly training a deep neural network usually leads to incorrect semantic colors and low color richness. While transformer-based methods can deliver better results, they often rely on manually designed priors, suffer from poor generalization ability, and introduce color bleeding effects. To address these issues, we propose DDColor, an end-to-end method with dual decoders for image colorization. Our approach includes a pixel decoder and a query-based color decoder. The former restores the spatial resolution of the image, while the latter utilizes rich visual features to refine color queries, thus avoiding hand-crafted priors. Our two decoders work together to establish correlations between color and multi-scale semantic representations via cross-attention, significantly alleviating the color bleeding effect. Additionally, a simple yet effective colorfulness loss is introduced to enhance the color richness. Extensive experiments demonstrate that DDColor achieves superior performance to existing state-of-the-art works both quantitatively and qualitatively. The codes and models are publicly available at https://github.com/piddnad/DDColor.Comment: ICCV 2023; Code: https://github.com/piddnad/DDColo

RSFNet: A White-Box Image Retouching Approach using Region-Specific Color Filters

Retouching images is an essential aspect of enhancing the visual appeal of photos. Although users often share common aesthetic preferences, their retouching methods may vary based on their individual preferences. Therefore, there is a need for white-box approaches that produce satisfying results and enable users to conveniently edit their images simultaneously. Recent white-box retouching methods rely on cascaded global filters that provide image-level filter arguments but cannot perform fine-grained retouching. In contrast, colorists typically employ a divide-and-conquer approach, performing a series of region-specific fine-grained enhancements when using traditional tools like Davinci Resolve. We draw on this insight to develop a white-box framework for photo retouching using parallel region-specific filters, called RSFNet. Our model generates filter arguments (e.g., saturation, contrast, hue) and attention maps of regions for each filter simultaneously. Instead of cascading filters, RSFNet employs linear summations of filters, allowing for a more diverse range of filter classes that can be trained more easily. Our experiments demonstrate that RSFNet achieves state-of-the-art results, offering satisfying aesthetic appeal and increased user convenience for editable white-box retouching.Comment: Accepted by ICCV 202

PARP-1 and Ku compete for repair of DNA double strand breaks by distinct NHEJ pathways

Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase 1 (PARP-1) recognizes DNA strand interruptions in vivo and triggers its own modification as well as that of other proteins by the sequential addition of ADP-ribose to form polymers. This modification causes a release of PARP-1 from DNA ends and initiates a variety of responses including DNA repair. While PARP-1 has been firmly implicated in base excision and single strand break repair, its role in the repair of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) remains unclear. Here, we show that PARP-1, probably together with DNA ligase III, operates in an alternative pathway of non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) that functions as backup to the classical pathway of NHEJ that utilizes DNA-PKcs, Ku, DNA ligase IV, XRCC4, XLF/Cernunnos and Artemis. PARP-1 binds to DNA ends in direct competition with Ku. However, in irradiated cells the higher affinity of Ku for DSBs and an excessive number of other forms of competing DNA lesions limit its contribution to DSB repair. When essential components of the classical pathway of NHEJ are absent, PARP-1 is recruited for DSB repair, particularly in the absence of Ku and non-DSB lesions. This form of DSB repair is sensitive to PARP-1 inhibitors. The results define the function of PARP-1 in DSB repair and characterize a candidate pathway responsible for joining errors causing genomic instability and cancer

Ultrafast 3D nanofabrication via digital holography

The application of two-photon lithography has been limited by the low writing speed. The authors reported a multi-focus improved lithography platform that employs up to 2000 laser foci to perform parallel fabrication with 90 nm resolution via optimised polymerisation and single-pulse printing strategy

Successful parathyroidectomy guided by intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring for primary hyperparathyroidism is preserved in mild and moderate renal insufficiency

The effect of altered parathyroid hormone metabolism in renal insufficiency on intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring during parathyroidectomy is not well known. This study evaluates operative outcomes in patients undergoing parathyroidectomy guided by intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring for primary hyperparathyroidism with mild and moderate renal insufficiency. A retrospective review of prospectively collected data in 604 patients with sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism undergoing parathyroidectomy guided by intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring was performed. Patients were stratified by stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD); those with overt secondary hyperparathyroidism (CKD stages IV and V) were excluded. Rates of bilateral neck exploration, multiglandular disease, and long-term operative outcomes, including success, failure, and recurrence were compared. Of the 604 patients, 38% (230/604) had normal renal function or stage I CKD, 44% (268/604) had stage II CKD, and 18% (106/604) had stage III CKD. Overall, there were no differences in the rates of bilateral neck exploration or multiglandular disease or in rates of operative success, failure, or recurrence in patients with normal renal function and stages I to III CKD. Parathyroidectomy guided by intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring is performed with high operative success uniformly in primary hyperparathyroidism patients with mild and moderate renal insufficiency with outcomes similar to those with normal renal function

Analysis of Multiplicity of Hypoxia-Inducible Factors in the Evolution of Triplophysa Fish (Osteichthyes: Nemacheilinae) Reveals Hypoxic Environments Adaptation to Tibetan Plateau

HIF (Hypoxia-inducible factor) gene family members function as master regulators of cellular and systemic oxygen homeostasis during changes in oxygen availability. Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is a natural laboratory for for long-term hypoxia and cold adaptation. In this context, T. scleroptera that is restricted to >3500 m high-altitude freshwater rivers was selected as the model to compare with a representative species from the plain, P. dabryanus. We cloned different HIF-alpha and carried out a phylogenetic analysis from invertebrates to vertebrates for identifying HIF-alpha genes and analyzing their evolutionary history. Intriguingly, the HIF-alpha has undergone gene duplications might be due to whole-genome duplication (WGD) events during evolution. PAML analysis indicated that HIF-1 alpha A was subjected to positive selection acted on specific sites in Triplophysa lineages. To investigate the relationship between hypoxia adaptation and the regulation of HIF-alpha stability by pVHL in plateau and plain fish, a series of experiments were carried out. Comparison the luciferase transcriptional activity and protein levels of HIF-alpha s and the differing interactions of HIF-alpha s with pVHL, show clear differences between plateau and plain fish. T. scleroptera pVHL could enhance HIF-alpha transcriptional activity under hypoxia, and functional validation through pVHL protein mutagenesis showed that these mutations increased the stability of HIF-alpha and its hetero dimerization affinity to ARNT. Our research shows that missense mutations of pVHL induced evolutionary molecular adaptation in Triplophysa fishes living in high altitude hypoxic environments

Clinically significant cancer rates in incidentally discovered thyroid nodules by routine imaging

With widespread use of diagnostic imaging modalities, incidental thyroid nodules are frequently identified in patients for unrelated reasons. If underlying thyroid cancer risk in such patients is significant, further evaluation becomes imperative. This study evaluates the malignancy rate of incidentally discovered compared to clinically apparent thyroid nodules in surgical patients. A retrospective review of prospectively collected data of 809 patients who underwent thyroidectomy at a tertiary referral center was performed. The association between incidental discovery of thyroid nodules, malignancy rates, and clinicopathologic characteristics was assessed. Of 809 patients, 12% (n = 98) had incidental thyroid nodules, where malignancy was found in 65 (66%) of these patients. The overall rate of malignancy identified incidentally by routine imaging was 14% (65/466). Most common imaging modalities leading to detection were ultrasound (32%), computed tomography (29%), and magnetic resonance imaging (23%). Of patients with incidental thyroid nodules harboring malignancy, follicular variant papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) (48%), classical variant PTC (18%), tall cell variant PTC (12%), and diffuse sclerosing variant PTC (12%) were most commonly found. Patients with malignant incidental thyroid nodules had more lymphovascular invasion and positive lymph nodes compared to nonincidental malignant thyroid nodules (53% versus 41% and 47% versus 33%, P < 0.05, respectively). Incidentally discovered thyroid nodules by imaging represent an important group of surgical patients with clinically significant rates of underlying malignancy. Patients with incidentally discovered thyroid nodules by imaging should undergo appropriate evaluation and counseling for further surgical treatment

Highly Porous Core–Shell Structured Graphene-Chitosan Beads

Graphene oxide (GO) sheets have been assembled into various three-dimensional porous structures and composites, with potential applications in energy and environmental areas. Here, we show the combination of GO and chitosan (CTS) into inorganic–organic heterocomposites as ∼3 mm diameter core–shell beads with controlled microstructure. The spherical GO-CTS beads, made by a two-step freeze-casting method, consist of a GO core wrapped by a CTS shell with abrupt interface; both parts have high porosities (94–96%) and mesopores volume (0.246 cm³/g) yet with different pore morphologies. Incorporation of a GO core into the CTS beads significantly improved the methyl orange adsorption capacity (353 mg/g at 318 K) compared with pure CTS beads. Key factors such as the pH value, adsorbent dosage, concentration, time, and temperature have been studied in detail, whereas adsorption isotherm and kinetic studies reveal a Langmuir model following the pseudo-second order