Video-based evidence analysis and extraction in digital forensic investigation

As a result of the popularity of smart mobile devices and the low cost of surveillance systems, visual data are increasingly being used in digital forensic investigation. Digital videos have been widely used as key evidence sources in evidence identification, analysis, presentation, and report. The main goal of this paper is to develop advanced forensic video analysis techniques to assist the forensic investigation. We first propose a forensic video analysis framework that employs an efficient video/image enhancing algorithm for the low quality of footage analysis. An adaptive video enhancement algorithm based on contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE) is introduced to improve the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage quality for the use of digital forensic investigation. To assist the video-based forensic analysis, a deep-learning-based object detection and tracking algorithm are proposed that can detect and identify potential suspects and tools from footages

Optimization design for roadheader cutting head by orthogonal experiment and finite element analysis

U radu se istražuje optimizacija konstrukcije rezne glave stroja za bušenje. U tu su svrhu kao varijable optimizacije izabrani brzina rotacije, brzina oscilacije, rezni kutovi pijuka i kutovi nagiba pijuka, a kao ciljevi optimizacije izabrani su srednja vrijednost rezultirajuće sile i koeficijent varijacije reznog opterećenja. Učinci ovih parametara na indekse evaluacije analiziraju se ortogonalnim eksperimentom i analizom konačnih elemenata. Također je provedena analiza promjene trenda indeksa evaluacije s promjenama eksperimentalnih čimbenika. U usporedbi s originalnim projektom, dva indeksa evaluacije smanjila su se za 18,3 % i 5,5 % nakon optimizacije, čime je značajno poboljšana rezna performansa rezne glave stroja za bušenje.Optimization design for roadheader cutting head is investigated in this paper. For this purpose, the rotation velocity, the swing velocity, the cutting angles of picks, and the inclination angles of picks are chosen as the variable for the optimization, and the mean value of resultant force and variation coefficient of cutting load are chosen as optimization objective. The effects of these parameters on evaluation indexes are studied by orthogonal experiment and finite element analysis. The change trend of the evaluation indexes with the experimental factors is also carried out. Compared with the original design, the two evaluation indexes decreased by 18,3 % and 5,5 % after optimization design separately, which improves the cutting performance of roadheader cutting head efficiently

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal interactions bridge the support of root-associated microbiota for slope multifunctionality in an erosion-prone ecosystem

The role of diverse soil microbiota in restoring erosion-induced degraded lands is well recognized. Yet, the facilitative interactions among symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, rhizobia, and heterotrophic bacteria, which underpin multiple functions in eroded ecosystems, remain unclear. Here, we utilized quantitative microbiota profiling and ecological network analyses to explore the interplay between the diversity and biotic associations of root-associated microbiota and multifunctionality across an eroded slope of a Robinia pseudoacacia plantation on the Loess Plateau. We found explicit variations in slope multifunctionality across different slope positions, associated with shifts in limiting resources, including soil phosphorus (P) and moisture. To cope with P limitation, AM fungi were recruited by R. pseudoacacia, assuming pivotal roles as keystones and connectors within cross-kingdom networks. Furthermore, AM fungi facilitated the assembly and composition of bacterial and rhizobial communities, collectively driving slope multifunctionality. The symbiotic association among R. pseudoacacia, AM fungi, and rhizobia promoted slope multifunctionality through enhanced decomposition of recalcitrant compounds, improved P mineralization potential, and optimized microbial metabolism. Overall, our findings highlight the crucial role of AM fungal-centered microbiota associated with R. pseudoacacia in functional delivery within eroded landscapes, providing valuable insights for the sustainable restoration of degraded ecosystems in erosion-prone regions

A novel hybrid machine learning model for auxiliary diagnosing myocardial ischemia

IntroductionAccurate identification of the myocardial texture features of fat around the coronary artery on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) images are crucial to improve clinical diagnostic efficiency of myocardial ischemia (MI). However, current coronary CT examination is difficult to recognize and segment the MI characteristics accurately during earlier period of inflammation.Materials and methodsWe proposed a random forest model to automatically segment myocardium and extract peripheral fat features. This hybrid machine learning (HML) model is integrated by CCTA images and clinical data. A total of 1,316 radiomics features were extracted from CCTA images. To further obtain the features that contribute the most to the diagnostic model, dimensionality reduction was applied to filter features to three: LNS, GFE, and WLGM. Moreover, statistical hypothesis tests were applied to improve the ability of discriminating and screening clinical features between the ischemic and non-ischemic groups.ResultsBy comparing the accuracy, recall, specificity and AUC of the three models, it can be found that HML had the best performance, with the value of 0.848, 0.762, 0.704 and 0.729.ConclusionIn sum, this study demonstrates that ML-based radiomics model showed good predictive value in MI, and offer an enhanced tool for predicting prognosis with greater accuracy

Human Hepatocytes with Drug Metabolic Function Induced from Fibroblasts by Lineage Reprogramming

SummaryObtaining fully functional cell types is a major challenge for drug discovery and regenerative medicine. Currently, a fundamental solution to this key problem is still lacking. Here, we show that functional human induced hepatocytes (hiHeps) can be generated from fibroblasts by overexpressing the hepatic fate conversion factors HNF1A, HNF4A, and HNF6 along with the maturation factors ATF5, PROX1, and CEBPA. hiHeps express a spectrum of phase I and II drug-metabolizing enzymes and phase III drug transporters. Importantly, the metabolic activities of CYP3A4, CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C9, and CYP2C19 are comparable between hiHeps and freshly isolated primary human hepatocytes. Transplanted hiHeps repopulate up to 30% of the livers of Tet-uPA/Rag2−/−/γc−/− mice and secrete more than 300 μg/ml human ALBUMIN in vivo. Our data demonstrate that human hepatocytes with drug metabolic function can be generated by lineage reprogramming, thus providing a cell resource for pharmaceutical applications

Combined High-Dose LATTICE Radiation Therapy and Immune Checkpoint Blockade for Advanced Bulky Tumors: The Concept and a Case Report

Although the combination of immune checkpoint blockades with high dose of radiation has indicated the potential of co-stimulatory effects, consistent clinical outcome has been yet to be demonstrated. Bulky tumors present challenges for radiation treatment to achieve high rate of tumor control due to large tumor sizes and normal tissue toxicities. As an alternative, spatially fractionated radiotherapy (SFRT) technique has been applied, in the forms of GRID or LATTICE radiation therapy (LRT), to safely treat bulky tumors. When used alone in a single or a few fractions, GRID or LRT can be best classified as palliative or tumor de-bulking treatments. Since only a small fraction of the tumor volume receive high dose in a SFRT treatment, even with the anticipated bystander effects, total tumor eradications are rare. Backed by the evidence of immune activation of high dose radiation, it is logical to postulate that the combination of High-Dose LATTICE radiation therapy (HDLRT) with immune checkpoint blockade would be effective and could subsequently lead to improved local tumor control without added toxicities, through augmenting the effects of radiation in-situ vaccine and T-cell priming. We herein present a case of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with multiple metastases. The patient received various types of palliative radiation treatments with combined chemotherapies and immunotherapies to multiple lesions. One of the metastatic lesions measuring 63.2 cc was treated with HDLRT combined with anti-PD1 immunotherapy. The metastatic mass regressed 77.84% over one month after the treatment, and had a complete local response (CR) five months after the treatment. No treatment-related side effects were observed during the follow-up exams. None of the other lesions receiving palliative treatments achieved CR. The dramatic differential outcome of this case lends support to the aforementioned postulate and prompts for further systemic clinical studies

Effects of an eco-silica source based activator on functional alkali activated lightweight composites

In this paper, alkali activated slag-fly ash lightweight composites with moderate densities between around 1200 and 1500 kg/m3 are prepared and characterized. An eco-olivine nano-silica is applied to prepare sustainable silicate based activators to replace commercial sodium silicates. Na2O contents of 2.0, 3.5 and 5.0 wt% are investigated in order to reach a suitable balance between performance, costs and application. The results show the positive effect of density and Na2O content on strength, while strength increment between Na2O dosage of 3.5% and 5.0% is limited. The reduction of Na2O content shows a dramatic delay of the reaction process up to around 3 d, but shows negligible effect on the typical Si-O bonds. An increased Na2O content benefits the formation of reaction products, including the contents of hydrotalcite and carbonates. Besides, the thermal conductivity and acoustical absorption properties of the lightweight products are characterized; the phase transition zones between lightweight aggregate and binder matrix are evaluated by SEM. The calculation on the carbon footprint shows an evident advantage of using alkali activated materials to replace Portland cement, also the utilization of olivine nano-silica further reduces the carbon emission of the activator by around 25%

Hydrothermal Sterilization Improves Initial Osteoblast Responses on Sandpaper-Polished Titanium

Hydrocarbon contamination accumulated on titanium (Ti) implant surfaces during storage and sterilization is unavoidable and difficult to remove. It impairs the bioactivity of implants, restricts initial interactions between implants and the surrounding biological environment, and has become a common challenge for Ti implants. To overcome this problem, sterilization was considered as the final surface modification and a novel method, hydrothermal sterilization (HS), was proposed. Briefly, stored sandpaper-polished Ti specimens were sterilized in a glass container with pure water at 121 °C for 20 min and kept in the same water until utilization. As a control, another group of specimens was sterilized with conventional autoclaving (AC) at 121 °C for 20 min and stored in sterilization pouches after being dried at 60 °C. Compared with AC, HS deposited numerous nano-sized particles on the substrates, reduced the atomic percentage of the surface carbon, and transformed the Ti surface to a super hydrophilic status. HS also increased the attachment rate, spread, proliferation, and the mineralized nodule areas of rat bone marrow-derived osteoblasts. These results suggest that HS enhances the bioactivity of Ti implants for osteoblasts, and that this biofunctionalization was attributed to nanostructure construction, hydrophilic conversion, and the effective removal of hydrocarbons. Hydrothermal sterilization is proposed to be used as a universal sterilization method for all kinds of titanium implants without apatite coating

α-Conotoxin Vc1.1 structure-activity relationship at the human α9α10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor investigated by minimal side chain replacement

α-Conotoxin Vc1.1 inhibits the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) α9α10 subtype and has the potential to treat neuropathic chronic pain. To date, the crystal structure of Vc1.1-bound α9α10 nAChR remains unavailable; thus, understanding the structure–activity relationship of Vc1.1 with the α9α10 nAChR remains challenging. In this study, the Vc1.1 side chains were minimally modified to avoid introducing large local conformation perturbation to the interactions between Vc1.1 and α9α10 nAChR. The results suggest that the hydroxyl group of Vc1.1, Y10, forms a hydrogen bond with the carbonyl group of α9 N107 and a hydrogen bond donor is required. However, Vc1.1 S4 is adjacent to the α9 D166 and D169, and a positive charge residue at this position increases the binding affinity of Vc1.1. Furthermore, the carboxyl group of Vc1.1, D11, forms two hydrogen bonds with α9 N154 and R81, respectively, whereas introducing an extra carboxyl group at this position significantly decreases the potency of Vc1.1. Second-generation mutants of Vc1.1 [S4 Dab, N9A] and [S4 Dab, N9W] increased potency at the α9α10 nAChR by 20-fold compared with that of Vc1.1. The [S4 Dab, N9W] mutational effects at positions 4 and 9 of Vc1.1 are not cumulative but are coupled with each other. Overall, our findings provide valuable insights into the structure–activity relationship of Vc1.1 with the α9α10 nAChR and will contribute to further development of more potent and specific Vc1.1 analogues