Improved POLSAR Image Classification by the Use of Multi-Feature Combination

Polarimetric SAR (POLSAR) provides a rich set of information about objects on land surfaces. However, not all information works on land surface classification. This study proposes a new, integrated algorithm for optimal urban classification using POLSAR data. Both polarimetric decomposition and time-frequency (TF) decomposition were used to mine the hidden information of objects in POLSAR data, which was then applied in the C5.0 decision tree algorithm for optimal feature selection and classification. Using a NASA/JPL AIRSAR POLSAR scene as an example, the overall accuracy and kappa coefficient of the proposed method reached 91.17% and 0.90 in the L-band, much higher than those achieved by the commonly applied Wishart supervised classification that were 45.65% and 0.41. Meantime, the overall accuracy of the proposed method performed well in both C- and P-bands. Polarimetric decomposition and TF decomposition all proved useful in the process. TF information played a great role in delineation between urban/built-up areas and vegetation. Three polarimetric features (entropy, Shannon entropy, T11 Coherency Matrix element) and one TF feature (HH intensity of coherence) were found most helpful in urban areas classification. This study indicates that the integrated use of polarimetric decomposition and TF decomposition of POLSAR data may provide improved feature extraction in heterogeneous urban areas

High Capacity of Nutrient Accumulation by Invasive Solidago canadensis in a Coastal Grassland

BackgroundSolidago canadensis is a notorious invasive species from North America that is spreading across East China. It is invading some coastal grasslands and replacing native grass species. The effects of the S. canadensis invasion on soil nutrient cycling in the grasslands remain unclear. This study examined the effects of the invasion of S. canadensis on macronutrient accumulation in species aboveground part and soil.MethodsAboveground biomass, macronutrient (N, P, and K) pools in biomass, litter mass and decomposition rates, soil macronutrient availability and soil microbial biomass and enzyme activity that were related to nutrient transformation were compared between plots invaded by S. canadensis and uninvaded plots dominated by three different native grass species: Phacelurus latifolius, Phragmites australis, and Imperata cylindrica.ResultsS. canadensis had higher aboveground biomass, higher leaf N, P, and K concentrations, and consequently, a larger macronutrient pool size in the standing biomass. S. canadensis also produced more litter with higher N, P, and K concentrations and faster decomposition rates. The S. canadensis invasion did not change the total N, P, and K concentration in the topsoil (0–10 cm), but the invasion did increase their availability. The S. canadensis invasion did not increase the total soil organic matter (TSOM) content but did increase the soil microbial biomass and the activities of urease, alkaline phosphatase, invertase, amylase, and glucosidase in the topsoil.ConclusionThe invasion of S. canadensis accelerates the macronutrient cycling rate via increases in aboveground productivity and nutrient accumulation in standing biomass, faster nutrient release from litter and higher soil microbial activity. An enhanced nutrient cycling rate may further enhance its invasiveness through a positive feedback on soil processes

Delisheng, a Chinese medicinal compound, exerts anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects on HepG2 cells through extrinsic and intrinsic pathways

The anti-proliferative, cytotoxic and apoptogenic activities of delisheng, a Chinese medicinal compound, has been investigated. In this study, the hepatocarcinoma cell line (HepG2) and the liver cell line (L-02) were exposed to delisheng (6.25, 50 and 100 μl/ml). Delisheng suppressed the proliferation and viability of normal liver L-02 cells slightly, but strongly inhibited the proliferation and viability of hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cells. The flow cytometric analysis of HepG2 cells demonstrated that delisheng primarily arrested the HepG2 cells at the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Annexin V-FITC/PI staining corroborates the apoptogenic nature of delisheng on HepG2 cells. The anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effect of delisheng in HepG2 cells was associated with changes in the Bcl-2/Bax ratio and the induction of caspase-mediated apoptosis. Upregulation of DR5 expression was observed in HepG2 cells after treatment with delisheng. The findings from the present study suggest that delisheng has selective cytotoxic activities against HepG2 cells. Delisheng triggered time- and dose-dependent apoptosis in HepG2 cells by activating the mitochondria-mediated and death receptor-mediated apoptotic pathways

Classification of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndromes in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B by SELDI-Based ProteinChip Analysis

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome, also called ZHENG, is the basis concept of TCM theory. It plays an important role in TCM practice. There are excess and deficiency syndromes in TCM syndrome. They are the common syndromes in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Here we aim to explore serum protein profiles and potential biomarkers for classification of TCM syndromes in CHB patients. 24 healthy controls and two cohorts of CHB patients of excess syndrome (n = 25) or deficiency syndrome (n = 19) were involved in this study. Protein profiles were obtained by surface-enhanced laser desorption ionization time-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF/MS) and multiple analyses were performed. Based on SELDI ProteinChip data, healthy controls and CHB patients or excess and deficiency syndromes in CHB patients were obviously differentiated by orthogonal partial least square (OPLS) analysis. Two significant serum proteins (m/z 4187 and m/z 5032) for classifying excess and deficiency syndromes were found. Moreover, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.887 for classifying excess and nonexcess syndrome, and 0.700 for classifying deficiency and nondeficiency syndrome, respectively. Therefore, the present study provided the possibility of TCM syndrome classification in CHB patients using a universally acceptable scientific approach