NTIRE 2023 Quality Assessment of Video Enhancement Challenge

This paper reports on the NTIRE 2023 Quality Assessment of Video Enhancement Challenge, which will be held in conjunction with the New Trends in Image Restoration and Enhancement Workshop (NTIRE) at CVPR 2023. This challenge is to address a major challenge in the field of video processing, namely, video quality assessment (VQA) for enhanced videos. The challenge uses the VQA Dataset for Perceptual Video Enhancement (VDPVE), which has a total of 1211 enhanced videos, including 600 videos with color, brightness, and contrast enhancements, 310 videos with deblurring, and 301 deshaked videos. The challenge has a total of 167 registered participants. 61 participating teams submitted their prediction results during the development phase, with a total of 3168 submissions. A total of 176 submissions were submitted by 37 participating teams during the final testing phase. Finally, 19 participating teams submitted their models and fact sheets, and detailed the methods they used. Some methods have achieved better results than baseline methods, and the winning methods have demonstrated superior prediction performance

Efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy and autologous stem cell transplant in relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: A systematic review

BackgroundWe aimed to compare the efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy with that of autologous stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) in relapsed/refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma (R/R DLBCL).Research design and methodsWe searched eligible publications up to January 31st, 2022, in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Springer, and Scopus. A total of 16 publications with 3484 patients were independently evaluated and analyzed using STATA SE software.ResultsPatients who underwent CAR-T cell therapy showed a better overall response rate (ORR) and partial response (PR) than those treated with auto-HSCT (CAR-T vs. auto-HSCT, ORR: 80% vs. 73%, HR:0.90,95%CI:0.76-1.07,P = 0.001; PR: 20% vs. 14%, HR:0.65,95%CI:0.62-0.68,P = 0.034). No significant difference was observed in 6-month overall survival (OS) (CAR-T vs. auto-HSCT, six-month OS: 81% vs. 84%, HR:1.23,95%CI:0.63-2.38, P = 0.299), while auto-HSCT showed a favorable 1 and 2-year OS (CAR-T vs. auto-HSCT, one-year OS: 64% vs. 73%, HR:2.42,95%CI:2.27-2.79, P < 0.001; two-year OS: 54% vs. 68%, HR:1.81,95%CI:1.78-1.97, P < 0.001). Auto-HSCT also had advantages in progression-free survival (PFS) (CAR-T vs. auto-HSCT, six-month PFS: 53% vs. 76%, HR:2.81,95%CI:2.53-3.11,P < 0.001; one-year PFS: 46% vs. 61%, HR:1.84,95%CI:1.72-1.97,P < 0.001; two-year PFS: 42% vs. 54%, HR:1.62,95%CI:1.53-1.71, P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis by age, prior lines of therapy, and ECOG scores was performed to compare the efficacy of both treatment modalities.ConclusionAlthough CAR-T cell therapy showed a beneficial ORR, auto-HSCT exhibited a better long-term treatment superiority in R/R DLBCL patients. Survival outcomes were consistent across different subgroups

Identification of microtubule-associated biomarkers in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and prognosis prediction

Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a genetically heterogeneous disease with a complicated prognosis. Even though various prognostic evaluations have been applied currently, they usually only use the clinical factors that overlook the molecular underlying DLBCL progression. Therefore, more accurate prognostic assessment needs further exploration. In the present study, we constructed a novel prognostic model based on microtubule associated genes (MAGs).Methods: A total of 33 normal controls and 1360 DLBCL samples containing gene-expression from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were included. Subsequently, the univariate Cox, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to select the best prognosis related genes into the MAGs model. To validate the model, Kaplan-Meier curve, and nomogram were analyzed.Results: A risk score model based on fourteen candidate MAGs (CCDC78, CD300LG, CTAG2, DYNLL2, MAPKAPK2, MREG, NME8, PGK2, RALBP1, SIGLEC1, SLC1A1, SLC39A12, TMEM63A, and WRAP73) was established. The K-M curve presented that the high-risk patients had a significantly inferior overall survival (OS) time compared to low-risk patients in training and validation datasets. Furthermore, knocking-out TMEM63A, a key gene belonging to the MAGs model, inhibited cell proliferation noticeably.Conclusion: The novel MAGs prognostic model has a well predictive capability, which may as a supplement for the current assessments. Furthermore, candidate TMEM63A gene has therapeutic target potentially in DLBCL

Effects of White Fish Meal Replaced by Low-Quality Brown Fish Meal with Compound Additives on Growth Performance and Intestinal Health of Juvenile American Eel (<i>Anguilla rostrata</i>)

With a reduced supply and increased price of white fish meal (WFM), the exploration of a practical strategy to replace WFM is urgent for sustainable eel culture. A 70-day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of replacing WFM with low-quality brown fish meal (LQBFM) with compound additives (CAs) on the growth performance and intestinal health of juvenile American eels (Anguilla rostrata). The 300 fish (11.02 ± 0.02 g/fish) were randomly distributed in triplicate to four groups (control group, LQBFM20+CAs group, LQBFM30+CAs group and LQBFM40+CAs group). They were fed the diets with LQBFM replacing WFM at 0, 20%, 30% and 40%, respectively. The CAs were a mixture of Macleaya cordata extract, grape seed proanthocyanidins and compound acidifiers; its level in the diets of the trial groups was 0.50%. No significant differences were found in the growth performance between the control and LQBFM20+CAs groups (p > 0.05), whereas those values were significantly decreased in LQBFM30+CAs and LQBFM40+CAs groups (p p p > 0.05). The intestinal microbiota at the phylum level or genus level was beneficially regulated in the LQBFM20+CAs group; similar results were not shown in the LQBFM40+CAs group. In conclusion, with 0.50% CA supplementation in the diet, LQBFM could replace 20% of WFM without detrimental effects on the growth and intestinal health of juvenile American eels and replacing 30% and 40%WFM with LQBFM might exert negative effects on this fish species

Evaluation of Methanotroph (<i>Methylococcus capsulatus</i>, Bath) Bacteria Protein as an Alternative to Fish Meal in the Diet of Juvenile American Eel (<i>Anguilla rostrata</i>)

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of replacing fish meal (FM) with methanotroph (Methylococcus capsulatus, Bath) bacteria protein (MBP) in the diets of the juvenile American eel (Anguilla rostrata). Trial fish were randomly divided into the MBP0 group, MBP6 group, MBP12 group, and MBP18 group fed the diets with MBP replacing FM at levels of 0, 6%, 12%, and 18%, respectively. The trial lasted for ten weeks. There were no significant differences in weight gain or feed utilization among the MBP0, MBP6, and MBP12 groups (except for the feeding rate in the MBP12 group). Compared with the MBP0 group, the D-lactate level and diamine oxidase activity in the serum were significantly elevated in the MBP12 and MBP18 groups. In terms of non-specific immunity parameters in serum, the alkaline phosphatase activity was significantly decreased in the MBP18 group, and the complement 3 level was significantly elevated in the MBP12 and MBP18 groups. The activities of lipase and protease in the intestine were significantly decreased in the MBP12 and MBP18 groups. Compared with the MBP0 group, the total antioxidant capacity and activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase in the intestine were significantly decreased in the MBP18 group, while the malondialdehyde level was significantly increased. The villus height, muscular thickness, and microvillus density were significantly decreased in the MBP12 and MBP18 groups. There were no significant differences in the foresaid parameters between the MBP0 group and the MBP6 group. The intestinal microbiota of the MBP6 group was beneficially regulated to maintain similar growth and health status with the MBP0 group. The adverse effects on the intestinal microbiota were reflected in the MBP18 group. In conclusion, MBP could successfully replace 6% of FM in the diet without adversely affecting the growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, and intestinal health of juvenile American eels

Research on the Impact Loading and Energy Dissipation of Concrete after Elevated Temperature under Different Heating Gradients and Cooling Methods

To provide theoretical basis for fire rescue, post-disaster safety evaluation, and reinforcement of concrete structures, C35 concrete materials are treated with high-temperature heating (200 &deg;C, 400 &deg;C, 600 &deg;C, 800 &deg;C) under two different heating gradients. After natural cooling and water cooling to normal temperature, an impact compression test was carried out at different loading rates using a Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) system with a diameter of 100 mm, and finally the crushed specimens were subjected to a sieving test. The effects of elevated temperatures, cooling methods, heating gradients, and loading rates on the fragment size distribution, fractal characteristics, and energy dissipation of impact-compressed concrete specimens were studied. The results show that with the increase of the loading rate and the rise of the heating temperature, the crushing degree of concrete specimens gradually increases, the average fragment size decreases, and the mass distribution of the fragments move from the coarse end to the fine end. The fragment size distribution of the specimen has obvious fractal characteristics. In addition, its fractal dimension increases with the increase of loading rate and heating temperature, the average size of the specimen fragments decreases correspondingly, and the fracture of the specimen becomes more serious. When the different heating gradients were compared, it was found that the fractal dimension of the specimens subjected to rapid heating treatment was larger than that of the slow heating treatment specimens, and the crushing degree of the specimens with different cooling methods was discrete. By analyzing the energy dissipation of the specimen under different conditions, it is shown that both the fractal dimension and the peak stress increase with the increase of the fragmentation energy dissipation density. It shows that there is a close correlation between the change of fractal dimension and its macroscopic dynamic mechanical properties

Comparison of blinatumomab and CAR T-cell therapy in relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This study evaluated the benefits and risks of patients with refractory or relapsed acute lymphocytic leukemia (R/R ALL) treated with anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy and blinatumomab. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for relevant studies. The pooled complete remission (CR) rate and minimal residual disease (MRD) negative rate were 48%, 31% for blinatumomab, and 86% and 80% for CAR T-cell therapy. The CAR T-cell therapy group exhibited a higher likelihood of CR rate than the blinatumomab group in every analysis regardless of adjustment subgroups. CAR T-cell therapy was associated with a significantly prolonged overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) compared with blinatumomab (2-year OS 55% vs 25%; 2-year RFS 40% vs 22%). CAR T-cell therapy was more effective for achieving CR and bridging to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo‐SCT) than blinatumomab (2-year OS 75% vs. 57%). An emerging role for blinatumomab is as a bridging agent pre-SCT, and for patients who achieve an MRD-negative state pre-SCT, post-SCT outcomes are expected to be the same as CAR-T. For adverse effects (AEs), blinatumomab was associated with a lower rate of grade ≥3 hematological toxicity, CRS, and neurological events.</p