An Enhanced GAN for Image Generation

Generative adversarial networks(GANs)with gaming abilities have been widely applied in image generation.However,gamistic generators and discriminators may reduce the robustness of the obtained GANs in image generation under varying scenes.Enhancing the relation of hierarchical information in a generation network and enlarging differences of different network architectures can facilitate more structural information to improve the generation effect for image generation.In this paper,we propose an enhanced GAN via improving a generator for image generation(EIGGAN).EIGGAN applies a spatial attention to a generator to extract salient information to enhance the truthfulness of the generated images.Taking into relation the context account,parallel residual operations are fused into a generation network to extract more structural information from the different layers.Finally,a mixed loss function in a GAN is exploited to make a tradeoff between speed and accuracy to generate more realistic images.Experimental results show that the proposed method is superior to popular methods,i.e.,Wasserstein GAN with gradient penalty(WGAN-GP)in terms of many indexes,i.e.,Frechet Inception Distance,Learned Perceptual Image Patch Similarity,Multi-Scale Structural Similarity Index Measure,Kernel Inception Distance,Number of Statistically-Different Bins,Inception Score and some visual images for image generation.

An efficient transient gene expression system for protein subcellular localization assay and genome editing in citrus protoplasts

Protoplast has been widely used in biotechnologies to circumvent the breeding obstacles in citrus, including long juvenility, polyembryony, and male/female sterility. The protoplast-based transient gene expression system is a powerful tool for gene functional characterization and CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in higher plants, but it has not been widely used in citrus. In this study, the polyethylene glycol(PEG)-mediated method was optimized for citrus callus protoplast transfection, with an improved transfection efficiency of 68.4%. Consequently, the efficiency of protein subcellular localization assay was increased to 65.8%, through transient expression of the target gene in protoplasts that stably express the fluorescent organelle marker protein. The gene editing frequencies in citrus callus protoplasts reached 14.2% after transient expression of CRISPR/Cas9 constructs. We demonstrated that the intronic polycistronic tRNAgRNA(inPTG) genome editing construct was functional in both the protoplast transient expression system and epicotyl stable transformation system in citrus. With this optimized protoplast transient expression system, we improved the efficiency of protein subcellular localization assay and developed the genome editing system in callus protoplasts, which provides an approach for prompt test of CRISPR vectors.

Isolation and comparative proteomic analysis of mitochondria from the pulp of ripening citrus fruit

Mitochondria are crucial for the production of primary and secondary metabolites,which largely determine the quality of fruit.However,a method for isolating high-quality mitochondria is currently not available in citrus fruit,preventing high-throughput characterization of mitochondrial functions.Here,based on differential and discontinuous Percoll density gradient centrifugation,we devised a universal protocol for isolating mitochondria from the pulp of four major citrus species,including satsuma mandarin,ponkan mandarin,sweet orange,and pummelo.Western blot analysis and microscopy confirmed the high purity and intactness of the isolated mitochondria.By using this protocol coupled with a label-free proteomic approach,a total of 3353 nonredundant proteins were identified.Comparison of the four mitochondrial proteomes revealed that the proteins commonly detected in all proteomes participate in several typical metabolic pathways(such as tricarboxylic acid cycle,pyruvate metabolism,and oxidative phosphorylation)and pathways closely related to fruit quality(such asγ-aminobutyric acid(GABA)shunt,ascorbate metabolism,and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites).In addition,differentially abundant proteins(DAPs)between different types of species were also identified;these were found to be mainly involved in fatty acid and amino acid metabolism and were further confirmed to be localized to the mitochondria by subcellular localization analysis.In summary,the proposed protocol for the isolation of highly pure mitochondria from different citrus fruits may be used to obtain high-coverage mitochondrial proteomes,which can help to establish the association between mitochondrial metabolism and fruit storability or quality characteristics of different species and lay the foundation for discovering novel functions of mitochondria in plants.

Illuminating the cells:transient transformation of citrus to study gene functions and organelle activities related to fruit quality

Although multiple microscopic techniques have been applied to horticultural research,few studies of individual organelles in living fruit cells have been reported to date.In this paper,we established an efficient system for the transient transformation of citrus fruits using an Agrobacterium-mediated method.Kumquat(Fortunella crassifolia Swingle)was used;it exhibits higher transformation efficiency than all citrus fruits that have been tested and a prolonged-expression window.Fruits were transformed with fluorescent reporters,and confocal microscopy and live-cell imaging were used to study their localization and dynamics.Moreover,various pH sensors targeting different subcellular compartments were expressed,and the local pH environments in cells from different plant tissues were compared.The results indicated that vacuoles are most likely the main organelles that contribute to the low pH of citrus fruits.In summary,our method is effective for studying various membrane trafficking events,protein localization,and cell physiology in fruit and can provide new insight into fruit biology research.

Oxidative coupling of methane:MO_x-modified (M=Ti,Mg,Ga,Zr) Mn_2O_3-Na_2WO_4/SiO_2 catalysts and effect of MO_x modification

Mn_2O_3-Na_2WO_4/SiO_2 is considered as the most promising catalyst for the oxidative coupling of methane（OCM） process; however, it only has a better catalytic performance over 800 °C. To improve its low-temperature performance, an attempt has been made to modify the Mn_2O_3-Na_2WO_4/SiO_2 catalyst using TiO_2, MgO, Ga_2O_3, and ZrO_2. Among the synthesized catalysts, the TiO_2-modified Mn_2O_3-Na_2WO_4/SiO_2 catalyst shows markedly improved low-temperature OCM performance,achieving a high CH_4 conversion of ~23% and a good C_2-C_3 selectivity of ~73% at 700 °C（the catalyst bed temperature）, along with promising stability for at least 300 h without signs of deactivation.In comparison with the unmodified Mn_2O_3-Na_2WO_4/SiO_2 catalyst, the TiO_2 modification results in significant improvement in the low-temperature activity/selectivity, whereas the MgO modification has almost no impact and the Ga_2O_3 and ZrO_2 modifications have a negative effect. The X-ray diffraction（XRD） and Raman results reveal that the formation of a MnTiO_3 phase and a MnTiO_3-dominated catalyst surface is crucial for the improvement of the low-temperature activity/selectivity in the OCM process.

Super-resolution imaging via sparsity constraint and sparse speckle illumination

We present an imaging approach via sparsity constraint and sparse speckle illumination which can dramatically en- hance the optical system＇s imaging resolution. When the object is illuminated by some sparse speckles and the sparse reconstruction algorithm is utilized to restore the blur image, numerical simulated results demonstrate that the image, whose resolution exceeds the Rayleigh limit, can be stably reconstructed even if the detection signal-to-noise ratio （SNR） is less than 10 dB. Factors affecting the quality of the reconstructed image, such as the coded pattern＇s sparsity and the detection SNR, are also studied,

Genesis and Accumulation of Paleo-Oil Reservoir in Dabei Area,Kuqa Depression,Northwest China:Implications for Tight-Gas Accumulation

Paleo-oil reservoir is of great importance to understand hydrocarbon enrichment mechanism and hydrocarbon exploration potential,but is yet poorly investigated in Kuqa Depression.The occurrence of the paleo-oil reservoir in Dabei area was proved by quantitative grain fluorescence(QGF)and fluid inclusion petrography.Development history of the paleo-oil reservoir was reconstructed through:(1)oil-source correlation;(2)time coupling of source rock maturation,porosity evolution and migration pathways.The impact of paleo-oil reservoir on tight-gas accumulation was consequently discussed.Results suggest that considerable oil was accumulated in the K_(1)bs reservoir with paleo oil-water contact in Dabei 2 Well and Dabei 201 Well at 5800 and 6040 m,respectively.Crude oil was primarily sourced from Triassic source rocks with Jurassic source rocks of secondary importance,which was at oil generation window(0.7%–1.1%Ro)during 9–6 and 7.5–5 Ma,respectively.The occurrence of K_(1)bs tight reservoir(porosity<12%)was about 25 Ma,while faults and associated fractures at Kelasue structural belt were developed approximately from 8 to 3.5 Ma.Therefore,the tight oil accumulation was formed during 8–5 Ma.The paleo-oil reservoir in Dabei 1 gas field was destroyed by the evaporation fractionation in later stage.

Visualizing Macrophage Phenotypes and Polarization in Diseases:From Biomarkers to Molecular Probes

Macrophage is a kind of immune cell and performs multiple functions including pathogen phagocytosis,antigen presentation and tissue remodeling.To fulfll their functionally distinct roles,macrophages undergo polarization towards a spectrum of phenotypes,particularly the classically activated(M1)and alternatively activated(M2)subtypes.However,the binary M1/M2 phenotype fails to capture the complexity of macrophages subpopulations in vivo.Hence,it is crucial to employ spatiotemporal imaging techniques to visualize macrophage phenotypes and polarization,enabling the monitoring of disease progression and assessment of therapeutic responses to drug candidates.This review begins by discussing the origin,function and diversity of macrophage under physiological and pathological conditions.Subsequently,we summarize the identifed macrophage phenotypes and their specifc biomarkers.In addition,we present the imaging probes locating the lesions by visualizing macrophages with specifc phenotype in vivo.Finally,we discuss the challenges and prospects associated with monitoring immune microenvironment and disease progression through imaging of macrophage phenotypes.

川东南—黔西北地区上二叠统龙潭组海陆过渡相页岩气富集条件及主控因素

利用有机岩石学、干酪根碳同位素、X-射线衍射、场发射扫描电镜等实验测试资料,阐述了川东南—黔西北地区上二叠统龙潭组海陆过渡相页岩烃源岩品质、储层发育及含气性特征,并探讨了孔隙类型和含气性的主控因素。研究表明,川东南—黔西北地区龙潭组泥页岩总有机质丰度高(TOC值平均为3.50%)、热演化程度高(R_(O)值平均为2.23%),有机显微组分以镜质体为主,惰质体次之,以Ⅲ型干酪根为主,是一套优质气源岩。页岩储层具有较好的物性(孔隙度平均为5.56%),孔隙类型以黏土矿物孔为主,其中伊/蒙混层间微孔隙较发育,主要为介孔—微孔,有机质孔基本不发育。泥页岩吸附气含量和总含气量变化较大。有机显微组分是控制龙潭组高成熟富有机质页岩有机孔隙发育的首要因素,有机质丰度是控制页岩吸附能力和含气性的重要因素。

Surface Exciton-Plasmon Polariton Enhanced Light Emission via Integration of Single Semiconductor Nanowires with Metal Nanostructures

The light emission enhancement behavior from single ZnO nanowires integrated with metallic contacts is investigated by micro-photoluminescence measurements.Apart from surface plasmon polaritons at the air/metal interface,the emission of a single ZnO nanowire can be coupled into guided modes of surface exciton-plasmon polaritons(SEPPs).The out-coupling avenues of SEPP guided modes are modeled in the presence of nanostructures,such as corrugation and gratings,on the metal surface.The guided modes of SEPPs in metal-contacted ZnO nanowires are calculated using the effective index method.The enhanced light emission from single semiconductor nanowires shows promise for use in highly efficient nano-emitters and nano-lasers,as well as macroscopic solid state light sources with very high efficiency.

Color ghost imaging via sparsity constraint and non-local self-similarity

We propose a color ghost imaging approach where the object is illuminated by three-color non-orthogonal random patterns. The object’s reflection/transmission information is received by only one single-pixel detector, and both the sparsity constraint and non-local self-similarity of the object are utilized in the image reconstruction process. Numerical simulation results demonstrate that the imaging quality can be obviously enhanced by ghost imaging via sparsity constraint and nonlocal self-similarity(GISCNL), compared with the reconstruction methods where only the object’s sparsity is used. Factors affecting the quality of GISCNL, such as the measurement number and the detection signal-to-noise ratio, are also studied.

Dispersion control of broadband super-Rayleigh speckles for snapshot spectral ghost imaging

Snapshot spectral ghost imaging,which can acquire dynamic spectral imaging information in the field of view,has attracted increasing attention in recent years.Studies have shown that optimizing the fluctuation of light fields is essential for improving the sampling efficiency and reconstruction quality of ghost imaging.However,the optimization of broadband light fields in snapshot spectral ghost imaging is challenging because of the dispersion of the modulation device.In this study,by judiciously introducing a hybrid refraction/diffraction structure into the light-field modulation,snapshot spectral ghost imaging with broadband super-Rayleigh speckles was demonstrated.The simulation and experiment results verified that the contrast of speckles in a broad range of wavelengths was significantly improved,and the imaging system had superior noise immunity.

Determination of gas adsorption capacity in organic-rich marine shale: a case study of Wufeng-Lower Longmaxi Shale in the southeast Sichuan Basin

Determination of gas adsorption capacity under geological conditions is essential in evaluating shale gas resource potential.A quantitative determination of gas adsorption capacity was proposed through 1)investigating controlling geological factors(including both internal ones and external ones)of gas adsorption capacity in organic-rich marine shale with geochemical analysis,XRD diffraction,field-emission scanning electron microscopy,and methane sorption isotherms;2)defining the relationship between gas adsorption capacity and single controlling factor;3)establishing a comprehensive determination model with the consideration of all these controlling factors.The primary controlling factors of the sorption capacity for the studied O3wLower S1l shale are TOC,illite and quartz,temperature,pressure,Ro,and moisture(water saturation).Specifically,TOC,thermal maturity,illite,and pressure are positively correlated with sorption capacity,whereas,quartz and temperature contribute negatively to the sorption capacity.We present the quantitative model along with application examples from the Wufeng-Lower Longmaxi Shale in the southeast Sichuan Basin,west China,to demonstrate the approach in shale gas evaluation.The result shows that the comprehensive determination model provides a good and unbiased estimate of gas adsorption capacities with a high correlation coefficient(0.96)and bell-shaped residues centered at zero.