Community-based study on CKD subjects and the associated risk factors

Background. The study was performed to investigate the prevalence, awareness and the risk factors of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the community population in Shanghai, China

Image Adaptive Contrast Enhancement for Low-illumination Lane Lines Based on Improved Retinex and Guided Filter

In a low-illumination environment, the contrast between lane lines and the ground is relatively low. Traditional image enhancement algorithms, such as gamma correction, Histogram Equalization, and multiple-scale Retinex, may result in over enhancement and detail loss, which decreases the detection accuracy of driver assistance systems. In this work, we introduce a low-illumination image enhancement algorithm based on improved Retinex theory and apply it to lane-line detection. A luminance channel optimization method based on a bimodal energy function is adopted to select the weight of the linear combination. A guided filter with edge-preservation is applied to obtain the illumination component of the scene. Furthermore, the reflection component is estimated in a hyperbolic tangent space, and the luminance and contrast are adaptively adjusted to obtain the enhanced image. Experimental results show that proposed method can effectively extract the lane-line edges and suppress the noise in the dark area with low lane-line illumination. Moreover, it can improve the detection success rate of an assisted driving system

Enhanced Cartilage and Subchondral Bone Repair Using Carbon Nanotube-Doped Peptide Hydrogel–Polycaprolactone Composite Scaffolds

A carbon nanotube-doped octapeptide self-assembled hydrogel (FEK/C) and a hydrogel-based polycaprolactone PCL composite scaffold (FEK/C3-S) were developed for cartilage and subchondral bone repair. The composite scaffold demonstrated modulated microstructure, mechanical properties, and conductivity by adjusting CNT concentration. In vitro evaluations showed enhanced cell proliferation, adhesion, and migration of articular cartilage cells, osteoblasts, and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. The composite scaffold exhibited good biocompatibility, low haemolysis rate, and high protein absorption capacity. It also promoted osteogenesis and chondrogenesis, with increased mineralization, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) secretion. The composite scaffold facilitated accelerated cartilage and subchondral bone regeneration in a rabbit knee joint defect model. Histological analysis revealed improved cartilage tissue formation and increased subchondral bone density. Notably, the FEK/C3-S composite scaffold exhibited the most significant cartilage and subchondral bone formation. The FEK/C3-S composite scaffold holds great promise for cartilage and subchondral bone repair. It offers enhanced mechanical support, conductivity, and bioactivity, leading to improved tissue regeneration. These findings contribute to the advancement of regenerative strategies for challenging musculoskeletal tissue defects

Molecular characterisation and function analysis of the rice OsDUF872 family

With the advance of sequencing technology, the number of sequenced plant genomes has been rapidly increasing. However, many plant proteins in public databases are recognised as proteins with domains of unknown function (DUF). DUF872 is such a protein family that consists of plant proteins with unknown function. In this study, we analysed three DUF872 members (OsDUF872.1, OsDUF872.1 and OsDUF872.3) in rice Nipponbare with three distinct motifs. Real-time polymerase chain reaction showed that the expression patterns of the three corresponding OsDUF872 protein-encoding genes varied in 15 different rice tissues. The expression of OsDUF872.2 was significantly (P < 0.01) upregulated under salt, cold and heat stress conditions. Overexpression of OsDUF872.2 in Escherichia coli significantly improved the resistance to heat. These results improve our understanding of these poorly-studied proteins and provide information for future studies on other proteins of unknown function

<i>OsWRKY97,</i> an Abiotic Stress-Induced Gene of Rice, Plays a Key Role in Drought Tolerance

Drought stress is one of the major causes of crop losses. The WRKY families play important roles in the regulation of many plant processes, including drought stress response. However, the function of individual WRKY genes in plants is still under investigation. Here, we identified a new member of the WRKY families, OsWRKY97, and analyzed its role in stress resistance by using a series of transgenic plant lines. OsWRKY97 positively regulates drought tolerance in rice. OsWRKY97 was expressed in all examined tissues and could be induced by various abiotic stresses and abscisic acid (ABA). OsWRKY97-GFP was localized to the nucleus. Various abiotic stress-related cis-acting elements were observed in the promoters of OsWRKY97. The results of OsWRKY97-overexpressing plant analyses revealed that OsWRKY97 plays a positive role in drought stress tolerance. In addition, physiological analyses revealed that OsWRKY97 improves drought stress tolerance by improving the osmotic adjustment ability, oxidative stress tolerance, and water retention capacity of the plant. Furthermore, OsWRKY97-overexpressing plants also showed higher sensitivity to exogenous ABA compared with that of wild-type rice (WT). Overexpression of OsWRKY97 also affected the transcript levels of ABA-responsive genes and the accumulation of ABA. These results indicate that OsWRKY97 plays a crucial role in the response to drought stress and may possess high potential value in improving drought tolerance in rice

Molecular characterisation and function analysis of the rice <i>OsDUF872</i> family

<p>With the advance of sequencing technology, the number of sequenced plant genomes has been rapidly increasing. However, many plant proteins in public databases are recognised as proteins with domains of unknown function (DUF). DUF872 is such a protein family that consists of plant proteins with unknown function. In this study, we analysed three DUF872 members (OsDUF872.1, OsDUF872.1 and OsDUF872.3) in rice Nipponbare with three distinct motifs. Real-time polymerase chain reaction showed that the expression patterns of the three corresponding OsDUF872 protein-encoding genes varied in 15 different rice tissues. The expression of <i>OsDUF872.2</i> was significantly (<i>P</i> < 0.01) upregulated under salt, cold and heat stress conditions. Overexpression of OsDUF872.2 in <i>Escherichia coli</i> significantly improved the resistance to heat. These results improve our understanding of these poorly-studied proteins and provide information for future studies on other proteins of unknown function.</p