DeepSVDNet:A Deep Learning-Based Approach for Detecting and Classifying Vision-Threatening Diabetic Retinopathy in Retinal Fundus Images

Artificial Intelligence(AI)is being increasingly used for diagnosing Vision-Threatening Diabetic Retinopathy(VTDR),which is a leading cause of visual impairment and blindness worldwide.However,previous automated VTDR detection methods have mainly relied on manual feature extraction and classification,leading to errors.This paper proposes a novel VTDR detection and classification model that combines different models through majority voting.Our proposed methodology involves preprocessing,data augmentation,feature extraction,and classification stages.We use a hybrid convolutional neural network-singular value decomposition(CNN-SVD)model for feature extraction and selection and an improved SVM-RBF with a Decision Tree(DT)and K-Nearest Neighbor(KNN)for classification.We tested our model on the IDRiD dataset and achieved an accuracy of 98.06%,a sensitivity of 83.67%,and a specificity of 100%for DR detection and evaluation tests,respectively.Our proposed approach outperforms baseline techniques and provides a more robust and accurate method for VTDR detection.

A Possible X-ray Quasi-periodic Oscillation in the Narrow-line Seyfert 1 Galaxy Mrk 142

A possible quasi-periodic oscillation(QPO) at frequency 7.045 × 10^(-5) Hz is found in the narrow-line Seyfert 1galaxy Mrk 142 in the data of XMM-Newton collected on 2020 April 11.We find that the QPO signal is statistically significantly larger than the 5σ level and highly coherent with quality factor Q > 5 at the 0.3–10 keV band by using the method of the Lomb–Scargle Periodogram,the Weighted Wavelet Z-transform and the REDFIT.We analyze the data in 0.3–0.6 keV,0.6–1 keV,1–3 keV and 3–10 keV energy bands,and find obvious QPO signals at 0.3–0.6 keV and 1–3 keV bands.We then analyze the time-average spectra and time variability at the QPO frequency of 7.045 × 10^(-5) Hz,and use a model to fit them.We find that the QPO signal mainly comes from the X-ray hot corona.

Effects of the extrusion parameters on microstructure,texture and room temperature mechanical properties of extruded Mg-2.49Nd-1.82Gd-0.2Zn-0.2Zr alloy

Microstructure,texture,and mechanical properties of the extruded Mg-2.49Nd-1.82Gd-0.2Zn-0.2Zr alloy were investigated at different extrusion temperatures(260 and 320℃),extrusion ratios(10:1,15:1,and 30:1),and extrusion speeds(3 and 6 mm/s).The experimental results exhibited that the grain sizes after extrusion were much finer than that of the homogenized alloy,and the second phase showed streamline distribution along the extrusion direction(ED).With extrusion temperature increased from 260 to 320℃,the microstructure,texture,and mechanical properties of alloys changed slightly.The dynamic recrystallization(DRX)degree and grain sizes enhanced as the extrusion ratio increased from 10:1 to 30:1,and the strength gradually decreased but elongation(EL)increased.With the extrusion speed increased from 3 to 6 mm/s,the grain sizes and DRX degree increased significantly,and the samples presented the typical<2111>-<1123>rare-earth(RE)textures.The alloy extruded at 260℃ with extrusion ratio of 10:1 and extrusion speed of 3 mm/s showed the tensile yield strength(TYS)of 213 MPa and EL of 30.6%.After quantitatively analyzing the contribution of strengthening mechanisms,it was found that the grain boundary strengthening and dislocation strengthening played major roles among strengthening contributions.These results provide some guidelines for enlarging the industrial application of extruded Mg-RE alloy.

A new genus of galeaspids(jawless stem-Gnathostomata)from the early Silurian Chongqing Lagerstätte,China

The early Silurian Chongqing Lagerstätte(middle Telychian)yields exceptionally preserved articulated jawless and jawed fishes.Here,we describe a new eugaleaspiform(Galeaspida,jawless stem-Gnathostomata),Miaojiaaspis dichotomus gen.et sp.nov.,from the Chongqing Lagerstätte in Xiushan,Chongqing,China.The new form resembles Tujiaaspis vividus in the short medial dorsal canal,and the presence of the branching ends of the lateral transverse canal.They differ in that T.vividus has highly developed subordinate branches of the sensory canals that form a reticulate sensory canal system,and the median dorsal opening is more elongated.Our phylogenetic analysis recovers M.dichotomus and T.vividus as a monophyletic clade(Tujiaaspidae fam.nov.),which is supported by two synapomorphies:the short medial dorsal canal,and the branching ends of the lateral transverse canal.Tujiaaspidae forms a trichotomy with Shuyuidae and a clade comprising Anjiaspis,Sinogaleaspidae,Yongdongaspidae,and the‘eugaleaspid cluster’.The sensory canal patterns in galeaspids are compared to show the transformation sequence of the sensory canal system in Eugaleaspiformes.

Impacts of different pancreatic resection ranges on endocrine function in Suncus murinus

BACKGROUND Surgical intervention involving the pancreas can lead to impaired glucose tolerance and other types of endocrine dysfunction.The scope of pancreatectomy and whether it includes the ventral pancreas are the key factors in the development of postoperative diabetes.The ventral and dorsal pancreases are almost separated in Suncus murinus(S.murinus).AIM To investigate the effects of different extents of pancreatic resection on endocrine function in S.murinus.METHODS Eight-week-old male S.murinus shrews were randomly divided into three experimental groups according to different pancreatic resection ranges as follows:ventral pancreatectomy(VPx)group;partial pancreatectomy(PPx)group;subtotal pancreatectomy(SPx)group;and a sham-operated group.Postprandial serum insulin,glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1),pancreatic polypeptide(PP),and somatostatin(SST)levels,as well as food intake,weight,blood glucose,and glucose tolerance were regularly measured for each animal.RESULTS S.murinus treated with PPx and SPx suffered from varying degrees of impaired glucose tolerance,but only a small proportion of the SPx group developed diabetes.Only S.murinus in the SPx group showed a significant decrease in food intake accompanied by severe weight loss,as well as a significant increase in postprandial serum GLP-1 levels.Postprandial serum PP levels decreased in both the VPx and PPx groups,but not in the SPx group.Postprandial serum SST levels decreased in both VPx and PPx groups,but the decrease was marginal.CONCLUSION Severe weight loss after pancreatectomy may be related to loss of appetite caused by compensatory elevation of GLP-1.PP and GLP-1 may play a role in resisting blood glucose imbalance.

Strategic Research on Developing Highland Characteristic Agriculture in Qujing

There are some advantages to develop highland characteristic agriculture in Qujing, such as the superior natural conditions and the favorable ecological environment. Some disadvantages are the outdated fundamental facilities and the laggard agricultural products breed and variety. This paper has put forward some strategies to develop the highland characteristic agriculture in Qujing, namely, to introduce and cultivate some agriculture industrialization leading enterprises; to import the improved breeds; to improve the quality of highland characteristic agricultural products, etc.

Increasing Crop Quality and Yield with a Machine Learning-Based Crop Monitoring System

Farming is cultivating the soil,producing crops,and keeping livestock.The agricultural sector plays a crucial role in a country’s economic growth.This research proposes a two-stage machine learning framework for agriculture to improve efficiency and increase crop yield.In the first stage,machine learning algorithms generate data for extensive and far-flung agricultural areas and forecast crops.The recommended crops are based on various factors such as weather conditions,soil analysis,and the amount of fertilizers and pesticides required.In the second stage,a transfer learningbased model for plant seedlings,pests,and plant leaf disease datasets is used to detect weeds,pesticides,and diseases in the crop.The proposed model achieved an average accuracy of 95%,97%,and 98% in plant seedlings,pests,and plant leaf disease detection,respectively.The system can help farmers pinpoint the precise measures required at the right time to increase yields.

Optimization of Mortar Compressive Strength Prepared with Waste Glass Aggregate and Coir Fiber Addition Using Response Surface Methodology

Waste Glass(WGs)and Coir Fiber(CF)are not widely utilized,even though their silica and cellulose content can be used to create construction materials.This study aimed to optimize mortar compressive strength using Response Surface Methodology(RSM).The Central Composite Design(CCD)was applied to determine the optimization of WGs and CF addition to the mortar compressive strength.Compressive strength and microstructure testing with Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM),Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy(FT-IR),and X-Ray Diffraction(XRD)were conducted to specify the mechanical ability and bonding between the matrix,CF,and WGs.The results showed that the chemical treatment of CF produced 49.15%cellulose,with an average particle size of 1521μm.The regression of a second-order polynomial model yielded an optimum composition consisting of 12.776%WGs and 2.344%CF with a predicted compressive strength of 19.1023 MPa.C-S-H gels were identified in the mortars due to the dissolving of SiO_(2) in WGs and cement.The silica from WGs increased the C-S-H phase.CF plays a role in preventing,bridging,and branching micro-cracks before reaching maximum stress.WGs aggregates and chemically treated CF are suitable to be composited in mortar to increase compressive strength.

Influence of Online Learning Attitude in the Blended Teaching Model on the Final Grades

The combination of online teaching and traditional offline teaching can maximize the advantages of both.Based on the blended teaching of English Reading course,39 students were selected as the research subjects to study the relationship between their online learning attitudes and their grades in the final examination.Judged from the number of times for each student to download teaching resources,the number of assignments submitted online,and the quality of the submitted assignments,each student’s attitude toward online learning was examined comprehensively,and a correlation analysis was conducted through SPSS Statistics 21.0 to explore the influence of online learning attitude on English reading performance.Through data collection and analysis of the online learning attitudes over a 16-week period,a significant positive correlation was found between the online learning attitudes and the English reading grades,indicating that the online learning attitude in the blended learning model plays a crucial role in improving the English reading skill,and students should maintain a positive attitude toward online teaching in blended learning.

Exact Periodic Solitary-Wave Solution for KdV Equation

A new technique, the extended homoclinic test technique, is proposed to seek periodic solitary wave solutions of integrable systems. Exact periodic solitary-wave solutions for classical KdV equation are obtained using this technique. This result shows that it is entirely possible for the （l ＋ l）-dimensional integrable equation that there exists a periodic solitary-wave.

Effect of calcium compounds on direct reduction and phosphorus removal of high-phosphorus iron ore

The increasing demand for iron ore in the world causes the continuous exhaustion of magnetite resources.The utilization of high-phosphorus iron ore becomes the focus.With calcium carbonate(CaCO_(3)),calcium chloride(CaCl_(2)),or calcium sulfate(CaSO_(4))as additive,the process of direct reduction and phosphorus removal of high-phosphorus iron ore(phosphorus mainly occurred in the form of Fe_(3)PO_(7) and apatite)was studied by using the technique of direct reductiongrinding-magnetic separation.The mechanism of calcium compounds to reduce phosphorus was investigated from thermodynamics,iron metallization degree,mineral composition and microstructure.Results showed that Fe_(3)PO_(7) was reduced to elemental phosphorus without calcium compounds.The iron-phosphorus alloy was generated by react of metallic iron and phosphorus,resulting in high phosphorus in reduced iron products.CaCO_(3) promoted the reduction of hematite and magnetite,and improved iron metallization degree,but inhibited the growth of metallic iron particles.CaCl_(2) strengthened the growth of iron particles.However,the recovery of iron was reduced due to the formation of volatile FeCl_(2).CaSO_(4) promoted the growth of iron particles,but the recovery of iron was drastically reduced due to the formation of non-magnetic FeS.CaCO_(3),CaCl_(2) or CaSO_(4) could react with Fe_(3)PO_(7) to form calcium phosphate(Ca_(3)(PO_(4))_(2)).With the addition of CaCO_(3),Ca_(3)(PO_(4))_(2) was closely combined with fine iron particles.It is difficult to separate iron and phosphorus by grinding and magnetic separation,resulting in the reduced iron product phosphorus content of 0.18%.In the presence of CaCl_(2) or CaSO_(4),the boundary between the generated Ca_(3)(PO_(4))_(2) and the metallic iron particles was obvious.Phosphorus was removed by grinding and magnetic separation,and the phosphorus content in the reduced iron product was less than 0.10%.

Corrosion inhibition of stainless steel by a sulfate-reducing bacteria biofilm in seawater

Corrosion inhibition of stainless steel due to a sulfate-reducing bacteria （SRB） biofilm in seawater was studied. By atomic force microscopy, a layer of fish-scale-like biofilm was found to form as stainless steel coupons were exposed to the culture media with SRB, and this biofilm grew more and more compact. As a result, coupons＇ surface under the biofilm turned irregular less slowly than that exposed to the sterilized culture media. Then, physicoelectric characteristics of the electrode/biofilrn/solution interface were investigated by electro- chemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS）, and the coverage of the biofilm as well as the relative irregularity of coupons＇ surface was also re- corded by EIS spectra.. Finally, anodic cyclic polarization results further demonstrated the protective property of the biofilm. Therefore, in es- timation of SRB-implicated corrosion of stainless steel, not only the detrimental SRB metabolites but also the protective SRB biofilm as well should be taken into account.

Microwave-assisted ionothermal synthesis of hierarchical microcube-like BiOBr with enhanced photocatalytic activity

Bismuth oxybromide（BiOBr） with a hierarchical microcube morphology was successfully synthesized via microwave-assisted ionothermal self-assembly method. The as-obtained BiOBr was composed of regular multi-layered nanosheets, which were formed by selective adsorption of ionic liquids on the Br-terminated surface, followed by the formation of hydrogen bond-co-π-π stacking.The synthesized BiOBr exhibited high activity, excellent stability, and superior mineralization ability in the photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes under visible light owing to its enhanced light absorbance and narrow bandgap. Furthermore, photo-generated electrons were determined to be the main active species by comparison with different trapping agents used in the photocatalytic reactions.

Rearrangement on surface structures by boride to enhanced cycle stability for LiNi0.80Co0.15Al0.05O2 cathode in lithium ion batteries

The side reaction between the active material and liquid-electrolyte cause structural damage and particle pulverization is one of the important factors leading to the capacity decay of LiNi0.80Co0.15Al0.05O2(NCA)materials in Li ion batteries(LIBs).Surface modification is an effective strategy for NCA cathodes,which could alleviate the degradation associated with surface processes.Herein,a surface structure rearrangement of NCA cathode secondary particles was reported by in-situ forming a solid electrolyte LiBO2.The LiBO2 is beneficial for alleviating the stress during charge/discharge process,thereby slowing down the rate of cracks formation in the secondary particles,which facilitates the Li+de-intercalation as well as prevents penetration of the liquid-electrolyte into the interior of the particles.As a result,the surface structure rearrangement NCA(RS-NCA)delivers a high discharge capacity of 202.5 m Ah g^-1 at 0.1 C,and exhibits excellent cycle stability with discharge capacity retaining 148 m Ah g^-1 after 200 cycles at 2 C.This surface structure rearrangement approach provides a new viewpoint in designing high-performance high-voltage LIBs.

New Mechanical Feature of Two-Solitary Wave to the KdV Equation

New breather solitary solution and two-solitary solutions depending on constant equilibrium solution to the Korteweg de Vries equation are obtained by using an extended homoclinic test approach.A new mechanical feature of a two-solitary wave,namely,dependence of propagation direction and shape on position of equilibrium point,is investigated.

Preparation of Highly Dispersed Antimony-doped Tin Oxide Nano-powder via Ion-exchange Hydrolysis of SnCl_4 and SbCl_3 and Azeotropic Drying

Antimony-doped tin hydroxide colloid precipitates have been synthesized by hydrolysis of SnCl4 and SbCl3 using： （1） an ion-exchange hydrolysis to remove chlorine ions, and （2） isoamyl acetate as an azeotropic solvent to obviate water. The obtained dried powder is of high dispersivity without any need for further grinding. The size and dispersivity of the final particles are investigated with the aid of TG-DTA, BET, XRD and TEM. After having calcined, the antimony-doped tin oxide nanopowder possesses a tetragonal rutile structure with high dispersivity, uniform particles and low hard agglomeration.

Research Progress on Photocatalytic Reduction of the Nitrate Radical

Due to a large number of application of the nitrogen fertilizer, unreasonable treatments of the animal wastes, domestic sewage and industrial sewage including nitrogen, and garbage stacking in recent years, the concentration of NO; that was toxic to humans in worldwide ground water presented rise trend at different degrees. Photocatalytic removal technology of the nitrogen had many advantages and was widely valued. Cost was low, and there was no secondary pollution. Reaction condition was mild, and reaction time was short. The photocatalytic reduction re. search of nitrate at home and abroad was reviewed in detail, including photocatalyst, scavenger and reaction mechanism. In particular, perspectives for photocatalytic reduction of the nitrate were detailedly analyzed.

Plastid genome evolution of a monophyletic group in the subtribe Lauriineae(Laureae,Lauraceae)

Litsea,a non-monophyletic group of the tribe Laureae(Lauraceae),plays important roles in the tropical and subtropical forests of Asia,Australia,Central and North America,and the islands of the Pacific.However,intergeneric relationships between Litsea and Laurus,Lindera,Parasassafras and Sinosassafras of the tribe Laureae remain unresolved.In this study,we present phylogenetic analyses of seven newly sequenced Litsea plastomes,together with 47 Laureae plastomes obtained from public databases,representing six genera of the Laureae.Our results highlight two highly supported monophyletic groups of Litsea taxa.One is composed of 16 Litsea taxa and two Lindera taxa.The 18 plastomes of these taxa were further compared for their gene structure,codon usage,contraction and expansion of inverted repeats,sequence repeats,divergence hotspots,and gene evolution.The complete plastome size of newly sequenced taxa varied between 152,377 bp(Litsea auriculata)and 154,117 bp(Litsea pierrei).Seven of the 16 Litsea plastomes have a pair of insertions in the IRa(trnL-trnH)and IRb(ycf2)regions.The 18 plastomes of Litsea and Lindera taxa exhibit similar gene features,codon usage,oligonucleotide repeats,and inverted repeat dynamics.The codons with the highest frequency among these taxa favored A/T endings and each of these plastomes had nine divergence hotspots,which are located in the same regions.We also identified six protein coding genes(accD,ndhJ,rbcL,rpoC2,ycf1 and ycf2)under positive selection in Litsea;these genes may play important roles in adaptation of Litsea species to various environments.

DFT Study on the Os^+-catalytic Reduction Reaction of N_2O with H_2 in the Gas Phase

The Os＋-catalytic reduction of N2O by H2 in gas phase has been theoretically investigated with B3LYP method.The reaction mechanisms on the sextet and quartet surfaces were found to be similar.The calculated sextet potential energy profiles show that the two reactions involved in the catalytic cycle,Os＋ ＋ N2O → OsO＋ ＋ N2 and OsO＋ ＋ H2 → Os＋ ＋ H2O,have barriers of 28.3 and 123.3 kJ/mol,respectively.In contrast,the reactions on the quartet surfaces are energetically much more favorable.These results rationalize the experimentally observed low catalytic reactivity of sextet（ground-state） Os＋.Further,the crossing between the sextet and quartet surfaces are also suggested and qualitatively discussed.

Electrochemical characteristics of CoSn_x alloy composite anode for lithium-ion rechargeable batteries

Nano/micro-scaled CoSnx alloy powders synthesized via carbothermal reduction at 800 ℃ with different compositions were characterized for anode materials in Li-ion battery. The synthesized spherical CoSnx particles show a loose nano/micro sized particle structural characteristic, which is apparently favorable for the improvement of cycling stability. The prepared CoSn3 alloy composite electrode exhibits a low initial irreversible capacity of ca.130 mAh·g-1 and a high specific capacity of ca.440 mAh·g-1 at constant current density of 100 mA·g-1. The relatively large particle size is considered to be the main reason for the lower irreversible capacity of CoSn3 electrode.