Object-oriented polarimetric SAR image classification via the combination of a pixel-based classifier and a region growing technique

ABSTRACTLand-cover type interpretation by the use of remote sensing image classification techniques is always a hot topic. In this paper, an object-oriented method is presented for fully polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image classification. Differing from most of the traditional object-oriented classification algorithms, the proposed method employs an innovative classification strategy that combines a pixel-based classifier and a region growing technique. Firstly, taking each individual pixel as a seed pixel, the homogeneous areas are extracted by a region growing technique. Then, using the information of the pixel-based classification result, the pixels located in each homogeneous area are all assigned to a certain class. Finally, the majority voting strategy is deployed to determine the final class label of each pixel. The experiments conducted on two fully polarimetric SAR images reveal that the proposed classification scheme can obtain pleasing classification accuracy and can provide the classification maps with more homogeneous regions than pixel-based classification

(-)-Menthol-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex production and characterization

(-)-Menthol has been widely used in clinical medicine, flavor, and fragrance. However, high volatility, short retention time, low solubility in water, and whisker growth of menthol are crucial problems for its application. In this paper, (-)-menthol-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex was fabricated to solve these problems. The product was characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that menthol was successfully encapsulated in the cavity of β-cyclodextrin. Menthol itself vaporized almost completely at around 120oC, while the maximum menthol release rate occurred at 267.5o C after the formation of the inclusion complex. The stability and retention time were improved. The menthol release reaction order, apparent activation energy and the pre-exponential factor were obtained and their values were 0, 142.9 kJ/mol and 1.6 × 1013 respectively. The structure of menthol-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex was investigated by molecular simulation and the minimum energy, –116.7 kJ/mol, was obtained at –0.8 × 10–10 m

Case report: Epigastric heteropagus twins and literature review

Epigastric heteropagus twins are an extremely rare congenital anomaly of conjoined twins. We present a case of epigastric heteropagus twins who were diagnosed via prenatal ultrasound imaging: the fetus (or host) was connected to the abdominal wall of the parasite (the dependent portion), and an omphalocele was present. The male infant was delivered by cesarean section at 35 + 5 weeks gestation. The parasite lacked a head and heart and presented long bones of the limbs. After abdominal computed tomography, omphalocele repair, and parasite removal were surgically performed under general anesthesia. After discharge (follow-up, 3 months), the infant is currently growing well and is healing satisfactorily. Forty-one cases of epigastric heteropagus twins were retrieved from database searches: 38 good postoperative outcomes, 2 perioperative deaths, and 1 termination. The case highlights that even when parasites are massive in size, births can present good outcomes with suitable surgical treatment

Genome-Wide Analysis of the Lateral Organ Boundaries Domain (LBD) Gene Family in Sweet Potato (<i>Ipomoea batatas</i>)

The LBD family is a plant-specific transcription factor family that plays an important role in a variety of biological processes. However, the function of IbLBD genes in sweet potato remains unclear. In this study, we identified a total of 53 IbLBD genes in sweet potato. Genetic structure showed that most of the IbLBD genes contained only two exons. Following the phylogenetic investigation, the IbLBD gene family was separated into Class I (45 members) and Class II (8) members. Both classes of proteins contained relatively conservative Motif1 and Motif2 domains. The chromosomal locations, gene duplications, promoters, PPI network, and GO annotation of the sweet potato LBD genes were also investigated. Furthermore, gene expression profiling and real-time quantitative PCR analysis showed that the expression of 12 IbLBD genes altered in six separate tissues and under various abiotic stresses. The IbLBD genes belonging to Class I were mostly expressed in the primary root, the pencil root, and the leaves of sweet potatoes, while the genes belonging to Class II were primarily expressed in the various sweet potato roots. The IbLBD genes belonging to Class I were mostly expressed in the primary root, the pencil root, and the leaves of sweet potatoes, while the genes belonging to Class II were primarily expressed in the fibrous root, pencil root, and tuber root

Table1_Case report: Epigastric heteropagus twins and literature review.pdf

Epigastric heteropagus twins are an extremely rare congenital anomaly of conjoined twins. We present a case of epigastric heteropagus twins who were diagnosed via prenatal ultrasound imaging: the fetus (or host) was connected to the abdominal wall of the parasite (the dependent portion), and an omphalocele was present. The male infant was delivered by cesarean section at 35 + 5 weeks gestation. The parasite lacked a head and heart and presented long bones of the limbs. After abdominal computed tomography, omphalocele repair, and parasite removal were surgically performed under general anesthesia. After discharge (follow-up, 3 months), the infant is currently growing well and is healing satisfactorily. Forty-one cases of epigastric heteropagus twins were retrieved from database searches: 38 good postoperative outcomes, 2 perioperative deaths, and 1 termination. The case highlights that even when parasites are massive in size, births can present good outcomes with suitable surgical treatment.</p

Targeting Tumor Cells by Natural Anti-Carbohydrate Antibodies Using Rhamnose-Functionalized Liposomes

Recruitment of antibodies in human immune systems for targeted destruction of tumor cells has emerged as an exciting area of research due to its low occurrence of side effects, high efficacy, and high specificity. The presence of large amounts of anticarbohydrate natural antibodies in human sera has prompted research efforts to utilize carbohydrate epitopes for immune recruitment. Here, we have developed a general strategy for specific targeted destruction of tumor cells based on rhamnose-functionalized liposomes. Tumor cells artificially decorated with rhamnose epitopes were subjected to complement-mediated cytotoxicity <i>in vitro</i> and showed delayed tumor growth <i>in vivo</i>. This study highlights the therapeutic potential for activation of endogenous immune response through cell-surface glycan engineering