Search

Video streaming from cameras to backend cloud or edge servers for neural-based analytics has gained significant popularity. However, the transmission of data from cameras to a backend raises substantial privacy concerns, particularly regarding sensitive information like facial data. To offer privacy protection, visual processing techniques, such as Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), have been employed on cameras to blur and safeguard such data intelligently. However, these techniques frequently face memory challenges, particularly when dealing with high-resolution videos. In this paper, we propose PIMO, a memory-efficient visual privacy protection scheme designed to effectively blur video content leveraging adaptive slicing of frames and resolution degradation. Our extensive experimental evaluations validate that PIMO’s adaptive mechanism proficiently navigates fluctuating memory constraints. Furthermore, utilizing a content-based blur scheme, our approach can maintain an impressive mean precision of 95.2%, as compared to the original, non-blurred images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to investigate the effects and potential mechanisms of lncRNA-MM2P on retinal neovascularization in a mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR). The OIR model was established in C57BL/6J mice. RAW264.7 cell line and bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) from mice were used for in vitro studies. RT-qPCR was used to analyze the expressions of lncRNA and mRNAs. The protein expression levels were determined by western blotting. The size of avascular areas and neovascular tufts were assessed based on isolectin B4 immunofluorescence staining images. The human retinal endothelial cells (HRECs) were used to evaluate the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of endothelial cells. The expression of lncRNA-MM2P was significantly upregulated from P17 to P25 in OIR retinas. Knockdown of lncRNA-MM2P levels in vivo led to a significant reduction in the neovascular tufts and avascular areas in the retinas of OIR mice. Knockdown of lncRNA-MM2P levels in vitro suppressed the expression of M2 markers in macrophages. Moreover, we found a significant inhibition of avascular areas and neovascular tufts in OIR mice injected intravitreally with M2 macrophages treated by shRNA-MM2P. The cellular functions of proliferation, migration, and tube formation were significantly attenuated in HRECs cultured with a supernatant of shRNA-MM2P-treated M2 macrophages. Our results indicate that lncRNA-MM2P regulates retinal neovascularization by inducing M2 polarization of macrophages in OIR mice. Therefore, lncRNA-MM2P may be a potential molecular target for immunoregulation of retinal neovascularization. • The expression of lncRNA-MM2P is upregulated in OIR mice. • Knockdown of lncRNA-MM2P inhibits the retinal neovascularization of OIR mice. • LncRNA-MM2P regulates retinal neovascularization through M2 macrophage polarization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatty acids (FAs) are essential cellular components and play important roles in various biological processes. Importantly, FAs produced by microorganisms from renewable sugars are considered sustainable substrates for biodiesels and oleochemicals. Their complex structures and diverse functional roles in biochemical processes necessitate the development of efficient and accurate methods for their quantitative analysis. Here, we developed a novel method for relative quantification of FAs by combining 12-plex isobaric N,N - di methyl leu cine-derivatized e thyle n ediamine (DiLeuEN) labeling and microchip capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (CE-MS). This method enables simultaneous quantification of 12 samples in a single MS analysis. DiLeuEN labeling introduced tertiary amine center structure into FAs, which makes them compatible with the positive mode separation of commercial microchip CE systems and further improves the sensitivity. The CE separation parameters were optimized, and the quantification accuracy was assessed using FA standards. Microchip CE-MS detection exhibited high sensitivity with a femtomole level detection limit and a total analysis time within 8 min. Finally, the applicability of our method to complex biological samples was demonstrated by analyzing FAs produced by four industrially relevant yeast strains (Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Yarrowia lipolytica YB-432 , Yarrowia lipolytica Po1f and Rhodotorula glutinis). The analysis time for each sample is less than 1 min. This work addresses the current challenges in the field by introducing a method that combines microchip-based capillary electrophoresis separation with multiplex isobaric labeling. Our method not only offers remarkable sensitivity and rapid analysis speed but also the capability to quantify fatty acids across multiple samples simultaneously, which holds significant potential for extensive application in FA quantitative studies in diverse research areas, promising an enhanced understanding of FA functions and mechanisms. [Display omitted] • Integrated 12-plex DiLeuEN isobaric labeling with CE-MS to enable rapid and precise fatty acids (FAs) relative quantification. • Enhanced the throughput of FAs quantification with notable precision and accuracy through 12-plex DiLeuEN isobaric labeling. • Achieved fast FAs separation in 8 min with fmol level detection limits via microchip CE-MS. • Successfully applied the developed method for quantitative analysis of FAs across four different yeast strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to design an integrated aerobic-anaerobic reactor with dynamic aeration that was automatically regulated based on real-time oxygen concentration and investigate the aerobic pretreatment and subsequent dry co-anaerobic digestion (co-AD) characteristics of highly solids-loaded corn stover and swine manure in terms of temperature rise, physiochemical characteristics, and methane production. The high-temperature feedstocks from the aerobic pretreatment phase rapidly entered the AD phase without transportation and effectively improved the start-up and methane production of the co-AD. Oxygen concentration range, aeration rate, and pretreatment time affected the cumulative aeration time, temperature rise, and organic matter removal interactively during aerobic pretreatment, and a low aeration rate was relatively preferable. Although the lignocellulose removal increased with the increase in pretreatment duration, the maximal lignin elimination efficiency only reached 1.30%. The inoculum injection in the transition phase from aerobic pretreatment to co-AD and the leachate reflux during co-AD were also critical for producing methane steadily apart from aerobic pretreatment. The cold air weakened the temperature rise of aerobic pretreatment, and the low-temperature leachate reduced the methane production in the co-AD process. An oxygen concentration range of 13%–17%, aeration rate of 0.10 m3/(min·m3), pretreatment time of 84 h, inoculum loading of 40%, leachate refluxing thrice per day, and double-layer inoculation were optimum for improving the integrated aerobic-anaerobic digestion system's ability to resist low temperatures and achieving high methane production. The maximal cumulative and volatile solids (VS) methane yields of corn stover and swine manure reached 444.58 L and 266.30 L/kg VS. [Display omitted] • An integrated dry aerobic-anaerobic digestion in a single reactor was favorable. • Dynamic aeration of 13%–17% oxygen concentration was optimal for temperature rise. • Aeration rate of 0.10 m3/(min·m3) and pretreated time of 84 h fit aerobic phase. • Inoculum load of 40% and daily leachate reflux of thrice fit the anaerobic phase. • The methane yield of high-solid corn stover and pig manure reached 266.30 L/kg VS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common respiratory disorder characterized by recurrent pharyngeal collapses during sleep leading to intermittent hypoxia and sleep disruption. Cognitive challenges and high risks of cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), are closely associated with OSA. Currently, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is widely used in the treatment of OSA. However, whether CPAP benefits cognitive functions in patients with OSA remains elusive. Here, we identified published studies through a systematic review of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Wanfang Data, CBM, and CNKI from January 1, 1970, to July 1, 2020. 288 patients from 7 articles (one was excluded in the meta-analysis for it was a follow-up study) were included in the present study. It revealed that cognitive functions of OSA patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or AD were mildly but significantly improved after CPAP treatment (SMD 0.49, 95% CI 0.11–0.86), especially long-term CPAP treatment (SMD 0.56, 95% CI 0.10–1.02, p = 0.02), as measured by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) (SMD 0.49, 95%CI 0.11–0.86). However, no significant cognition benefits were detected by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (SMD 0.43, 95% CI 0.85–1.72). In terms of heterogeneity, cognitive improvements by CPAP were detectable on OSA patients either at a younger age or over longer periods of CPAP treatment. Therefore, our findings highlight the partial efficiency of CPAP treatment in cognition improvement of OSA patients with MCI or AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research indicates the adverse impacts of perceived discrimination on health, and discrimination inflamed by the COVID-19 pandemic, a type of social exclusion, could affect the well-being of the Chinese diaspora. We analyzed the relationship and pathways of perceived discrimination's effect on health among the Chinese diaspora in the context of the pandemic to contribute to the literature on discrimination in this population under the global public health crisis. Methods: We analyzed data from 705 individuals of Chinese descent residing in countries outside of China who participated in a cross-sectional online survey between April 22 and May 9, 2020. This study utilized a structural equation model (SEM) to evaluate both direct and indirect effects of perceived discrimination on self-rated health (SRH) and to assess the mediating roles of psychological distress (namely, anxiety and depression) and social support from family and friends. Results: This online sample comprised predominantly young adults and those of relatively high socioeconomic status. This study confirmed the total and direct effect of recently perceived discrimination on SRH and found the indirect effect was mainly mediated by depression. Mediating roles of anxiety and social support on the discrimination-health relationship were found insignificant in this SEM. Conclusions: Our findings suggest discrimination negatively affected the well-being of the Chinese diaspora, and depression acted as a major mediator between the discrimination-health relationship. Therefore, interventions for reducing discrimination to preserve the well-being of the Chinese diaspora are necessary. Prompt intervention to address depression may partially relieve the disease burden caused by the surge of discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study is to reveal the expression profiling and clinical significance of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) of premature infants with treatment-requiring retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Significantly altered tsRNAs and miRNAs were screened using small RNA sequencing. RT-qPCR was used to verify the altered RNAs identified by small RNA transcriptomics. The target genes, their enriched functions, and possibly involved signaling pathways were identified by bioinformatics analyses. According to the small RNA sequencing, 125 tsRNAs and 205 miRNAs were significantly altered in PBMCs obtained from infants with treatment-requiring ROP compared with the premature controls without retinopathy. We preliminarily validated the significant alterations of 6 tsRNAs and 9 miRNAs. The target genes for those tsRNAs were enriched for cellular macromolecule metabolic process, intracellular anatomical structure, transcription regulatory region nucleic acid binding, and Th17 cell differentiation; those of the altered miRNAs were enriched for the developmental process, cell junction, DNA-binding transcription activator activity, and FoxO signaling pathway. By verification with the extended sample size, we identified tsRNAs and miRNAs that could be potential biomarkers with clinical values. The study recognized the alterations and clinical significance of changed tsRNA/miRNA profiles in PBMCs from premature infants with ROP. These significantly altered tsRNAs and miRNAs might be useful as potential diagnostic biomarkers and molecular targets for treatment-requiring ROP. • Small RNA sequencing identified tsRNAs and miRNAs that were significantly altered in PBMCs of treatment-requiring ROP. • Three tsRNAs and four miRNAs with significant changes were validated with the extended sample size. • The altered tsRNAs and miRNAs might be potential diagnostic biomarkers or molecular targets for treatment-requiring ROP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retinal neovascular diseases are major causes of blindness worldwide. As a common epitranscriptomic modification of eukaryotic RNAs, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is associated with the pathogenesis of many diseases, including angiogenesis, through the regulation of RNA metabolism and functions. The aim of this study was to identify m6A modifications of mRNAs and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and determine their potential roles in retinal neovascularization. The transcriptome-wide m6A profiles of mRNAs and lncRNAs in the retinal tissues of mice with oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) and controls were identified by microarray analysis of immunoprecipitated methylated RNAs. The m6A methylation levels of mRNAs and lncRNAs identified in the microarray data were validated by MeRIP-qPCR. A total of 1321 mRNAs (151 hypermethylated and 1170 hypomethylated) and 192 lncRNAs (15 hypermethylated and 177 hypomethylated) were differentially methylated with the m6A modification in OIR and control mice. Gene ontology analysis showed that hypermethylated mRNAs were enriched in the regulation of multicellular organismal process, intracellular organelle, and protein binding, while hypomethylated mRNAs were enriched in cellular metabolic process, intracellular process, and binding. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis indicated that hypermethylated mRNAs were involved in dopaminergic synapses, glutamatergic synapse, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, while hypomethylated mRNAs were involved in autophagy, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, and spliceosome. Moreover, the altered levels of m6A methylation of ANGPT2, GNG12, ROBO4, and ENSMUST00000153785 were validated by MeRIP-qPCR. The results revealed an altered m6A epitranscriptome in OIR retinas. These methylated RNAs may act as novel modulators and targets in retinal neovascularization. • The transcriptome-wide m6A profiles of mRNAs and lncRNAs in OIR mice and controls were identified by microarray analysis. • The altered levels of m6A methylation of ANGPT2, GNG12, ROBO4, and ENSMUST00000153785 were validated by MeRIP-qPCR. • The methylated RNAs may serve as novel modulators and targets in retinal neovascularization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major cause of blindness worldwide and may be non-proliferative (NPDR) or proliferative (PDR). To Investig.gate the metabolomic and lipidomic characteristics of plasma in DR patients, plasma samples were collected from patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DR group) with PDR (n = 27), NPDR (n = 18), or no retinopathy (controls, n = 21). Levels of 54 and 41 metabolites were significantly altered in the plasma of DR patients under positive and negative ion modes, respectively. By subgroup analysis, 74 and 29 significantly changed plasma metabolites were detected in PDR patients compared with NPDR patients under positive and negative ion modes, respectively. KEGG analysis indicated that pathways such as biosynthesis of amino acids and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction were among the most enriched pathways in altered metabolites in the DR group and PDR subgroup. Moreover, a total of 26 and 41 lipids were significantly changed in the DR group and the PDR subgroup, respectively. The panel using the 29-item index could discriminate effectively between diabetic patients with and without retinopathy, and the panel of 22 items showed effective discrimination between PDR and NPDR. These results provide a basis for further research into the therapeutic targets associated with these metabolite and lipid alterations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of free swimming (FS), aquatic resistance training (ART), and their combination (FS&ART) on the body composition, blood pressure, and physical fitness of older adults. The study employed a randomized controlled design, comparing three experimental groups with a control group. Eighty volunteers aged between sixty and seventy years (age: 66.2 ± 2.3 years; body mass index: 25.8 ± 4.3 kg/m²) participated in the 16-week intervention, consisting of two weekly sessions. Assessments were conducted at baseline and post-intervention, including anthropometric measurements, blood pressure readings, and the Senior Fitness Test. Significant differences were found between groups in post-intervention considering the chair stand test (p = 0.017; ES = 0.125), arm curl test (p = 0.029; ES = 0.111), 8-foot up and go test (p = 0.042; ES = 0.102), and walk test − 6 min (p = 0.005; ES = 0.156). Specifically, both ART (+ 20.1%; p < 0.05) and FS&ART (+ 19.5%; p < 0.05) showed significantly greater improvements in the chair stand test compared to the control group. Similarly, ART (+ 23.1%; p < 0.05) and FS&ART (+ 18.7%; p < 0.05) performed better than the control group. FS&ART also exhibited a significant improvement over the control group in the 8-foot up-and-go test (+ 14.6%; p < 0.05). In the 6-minute walk test, FS (+ 19.4%; p < 0.05) and FS&ART (+ 15.9%; p < 0.05) both significantly outperformed the control group. This study found that FS improves cardiovascular endurance, while ART enhances muscular strength and endurance in older adults, with combined benefits for agility, suggesting integration of combined modalities into community wellness initiatives for enhanced physical fitness and health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A unique carbon coating Ge nanospheres with a cubic hollow structure (Ge@C) is controllably designed and synthesized by using low-cost GeO 2 as precursor. • The hollow Ge@C nanostructure not only provides abundant internal space to alleviate volumetric expansion of Ge, but also facilitates the transmission of Li+ and electrons. • The hollow Ge@C shows very superior lithium storage performance with enhanced Li+ adsorption ability and low Li+ diffusion energy barrier. • This work is a very important breakthrough for the development of high-performance Ge based anode for lithium ion batteries. Germanium based nanomaterials are very promising as the anodes for the lithium ion batteries since their large specific capacity, excellent lithium diffusivity and high conductivity. However, their controllable preparation is still very difficult to achieve. Herein, we facilely prepare a unique carbon coating Ge nanospheres with a cubic hollow structure (Ge@C) via a hydrothermal synthesis and subsequent pyrolysis using low-cost GeO 2 as precursors. The hollow Ge@C nanostructure not only provides abundant interior space to alleviate the huge volumetric expansion of Ge upon lithiation, but also facilitates the transmission of lithium ions and electrons. Moreover, experiment analyses and density functional theory (DFT) calculations unveil the excellent lithium adsorption ability, high exchange current density, low activation energy for lithium diffusion of the hollow Ge@C electrode, thus exhibiting significant lithium storage advantages with a large charge capacity (1483 mAh/g under 200 mA g−1), distinguished rate ability (710 mAh/g under 8000 mA g−1) as well as long-term cycling stability (1130 mAh/g after 900 cycles under 1000 mA g−1). Therefore, this work offers new paths for controllable synthesis and fabrication of high-performance Ge based lithium storage nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an improved Volterra nonlinear equalizer with low computational complexity and good performance is proposed to compensate the distortions caused by bandwidth limitation and optical devices. The performance of the equalizer is improved by introducing one-hot encoding, and the complexity is reduced by using absolute operations and weight sharing based on k-means clustering. We employ the k-means clustering algorithm to replace some weights that are close in value with another similar weight, which greatly reduces the multiplications of this equalizer. Finally, we experimentally demonstrate a 50 Gb/s PAM4 IM/DD transmission with 10G-class optics using this proposed equalization scheme. The results show that, compared with the conventional 3 rd -order Volterra nonlinear equalizer, the sensitivity of the proposed scheme is improved by > 2 dB, and the number of multiplication operations is reduced by ∼ 81.2%. • An improved Volterra nonlinear equalizer with low computational complexity and good performance is proposed. • Better performance of the equalizer is achieved by introducing one-hot encoding. • The complexity of the equalizer is reduced by using absolute operations and weight sharing based on k-means clustering. • The optimization algorithm for equalizer tap coefficients is studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occurrences of odor compounds in drinking water reservoirs are considered as a nuisance by the water industry. Through the high-frequency monitoring of Tianmuhu Reservoir, a drinking water source for a city with a population of 700,000, we found that odor compounds seasonal dynamics were significantly related to phytoplankton succession, which was controlled by hydrometeorological process. 2-Methylisoborneol (2-MIB) was significantly related to Aphanizomenon sp. (r = 0.51). When the surface water temperature exceeded 12 ℃, 2-MIB concentration may exceed the odor threshold concentration. With the proliferation of Aphanizomenon sp. in spring, 2-MIB concentration reached 87.22 ng/L. After late spring heavy rain, 2-MIB concentration sharply decreased to 3.19 ng/L. As the temperature increased at the end of the rainy season, Aphanizomenon sp. biomass increased to 2.09 mg/L, and 2-MIB concentration increased to 40.16 ng/L. These results showed that the concentration of odor compounds in shallow layer varied greatly because odor compounds mainly originated from phytoplankton and were susceptible to short-term hydrometeorological processes. However, the concentrations of odor compounds in deep layer were relatively insensitive to short-term weather processes. This study will improve the understanding of seasonal changes in odor compounds at different depths, and provide useful information for reservoir managers to prevent odor problems. [Display omitted] • Odor compounds are produced by different phytoplankton and controlled by weather. • Odor compounds in shallow water are sensitive to weather and vary greatly. • Odor compounds in deep water are less influenced by weather and change little. • Different odor compounds respond differently to temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eutrophication and harmful cyanobacterial blooms threaten water resources all over the world. There is a great controversy about controlling only phosphorus or controlling both nitrogen and phosphorus in the management of lake eutrophication. The primary argument against the dual nutrients control of eutrophication is that nitrogen fixation can compensate the nitrogen deficits. Thus, it is of great necessary to study the factors that can significantly affect the nitrogen fixation. Due to the difference of climate and human influence, the water quality of different lakes (such as water temperature, N:P ratio and water residence time) is also quite different. Numerous studies have reported that the low N:P ratio can intensify the nitrogen fixation capacities. However, the effects of temperature and water residence time on the nitrogen fixation remain unclear. Thus, 30 shallows freshwater lakes in the eastern plain of China were selected to measure dissolved N 2 and Ar concentrations through N 2 : Ar method using a membrane inlet mass spectrometer to quantify the nitrogen fixation capacities and investigate whether the temperature and water residence time have a great impact on nitrogen fixation. The results have shown that the short lake water residence time can severely inhibit the nitrogen fixation capacities through inhibiting the growth of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, changing the N:P ratio and resuspending the solids from sediments. Similarly, lakes with low water temperature also have a low nitrogen fixation capacity, suggesting that controlling nitrogen in such lakes is feasible if the growth of cyanobacteria is limited by nitrogen. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]