Functions of Russian Melilotus officinalis on Degraded Soil Improvement

To improve the serious situation of soil degradation in China, tests were carried out to study the improvement effects of Russian Melilotus officinalis on the low base saturation acid soil, the alkaline-saline soil and the heavy metal contaminated soil. The results showed that M. officinalis could improve the low base saturation acid soil, increase the salt, alkali content, mineral nutrition and organic nutrient, which indicated that M. officinalis could be planted in the acid soil, and had a significant ecological effect on soil improvement. M. officinalis achieved a remarkable effect on improving the alkaline-saline soil （pH 8.5-9.5） that the soil desalted, dealkalized and had more organic nutrient. Moreover, M. officinalis could improve the heavy metal contaminated soil and had the ability to enrich and transform heavy metal elements, especially Cd and Ni, thereby presenting significant repair effects on soil improvement. Therefore, Russian M. officinalis had multiple-effects on degraded soil improvement, so it is worthy of application and popularization.

Threshold Filtering Semi-Supervised Learning Method for SAR Target Recognition

The semi-supervised deep learning technology driven by a small part of labeled data and a large amount of unlabeled data has achieved excellent performance in the field of image processing.However,the existing semisupervised learning techniques are all carried out under the assumption that the labeled data and the unlabeled data are in the same distribution,and its performance is mainly due to the two being in the same distribution state.When there is out-of-class data in unlabeled data,its performance will be affected.In practical applications,it is difficult to ensure that unlabeled data does not contain out-of-category data,especially in the field of Synthetic Aperture Radar(SAR)image recognition.In order to solve the problem that the unlabeled data contains out-of-class data which affects the performance of the model,this paper proposes a semi-supervised learning method of threshold filtering.In the training process,through the two selections of data by the model,unlabeled data outside the category is filtered out to optimize the performance of the model.Experiments were conducted on the Moving and Stationary Target Acquisition and Recognition(MSTAR)dataset,and compared with existing several state-of-the-art semi-supervised classification approaches,the superiority of our method was confirmed,especially when the unlabeled data contained a large amount of out-of-category data.

Effects of Equivalent Land and Equivalent Grain by Planting Melilotus officinalis

In view of Melilotus officinalis having high protein content and significant effect on improving saline alkali soil,a comprehensive experiment about improving saline alkali soil by planting M.officinalis was carried out to study its effects of potential equivalent land and equivalent grain.The results showed that the forage yield was 80 000 kg/hm^2 in the degraded grassland field( average pH of 9.06) after planting M.officinalis.The forage had a crude protein content of 17.50%,so the total content of crude protein was 1 400.64 kg/hm^2,which was equal to 15.562 t of corns produced from 3.557 hm^2 of medium-quality arable lands.Similarly,it was equal to 3.573 t of soybeans produced in 1.786 hm^2 of medium-quality arable lands.Therefore,based on such principle,the comprehensive development of creatures-soil system can acquire the equivalent land and equivalent grain resources.

Deep Feature Bayesian Classifier for SAR Target Recognition with Small Training Set

In recent years,deep learning algorithms have been popular in recognizing targets in synthetic aperture radar(SAR)images.However,due to the problem of overfitting,the performance of these models tends to worsen when just a small number of training data are available.In order to solve the problems of overfitting and an unsatisfied performance of the network model in the small sample remote sensing image target recognition,in this paper,we uses a deep residual network to autonomously acquire image features and proposes the Deep Feature Bayesian Classifier model(RBnet)for SAR image target recognition.In the RBnet,a Bayesian classifier is used to improve the effect of SAR image target recognition and improve the accuracy when the training data is limited.The experimental results on MSTAR dataset show that the RBnet can fully exploit effective information in limited samples and recognize the target of the SAR images more accurately.Compared with other state-of-the-art methods,our method offers significant recognition accuracy improvements under limited training data.Noted that theRBnet is moderately difficult to implement and has the value of popularization and application in engineering application scenarios in the field of small-sample remote sensing target recognition and recognition.

Image Super-Resolution Reconstruction Based on Dual Residual Network

Research shows that deep learning algorithms can ffectivelyimprove a single image's super-resolution quality.However,if the algorithmis solely focused on increasing network depth and the desired result is not achieved,difficulties in the training process are more likely to arise.Simultaneously,the function space that can be transferred from a iow-resolution image to a high-resolution image is enormous,making finding a satisfactory solution difficult.In this paper,we propose a deep learning method for single image super-resolution.The MDRN network framework uses multi-scale residual blocks and dual learning to fully acquire features in low-resolution images.Finally,these features will be sent to the image reconstruction module torestore high-quality images.The function space is constrained by the closedloop formed by dual learning,which provides additional supervision forthe super-resolution reconstruction of the image.The up-sampling processincludes residual blocks with short-hop connections,so that the networkfocuses on learning high-frequency information,and strives to reconstructimages with richer feature details.The experimental results of ×4 and ×8 super-resolution reconstruction of the image show that the quality of thereconstructed image with this method is better than some existing experimental results of image super-resolution reconstruction in subjective visual ffectsand objective evaluation indicators.

Laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy for treatment of pelvic organ prolapse,a prospective observation cohort with follow-up time over 7 years

To the Editor:Pelvic organ prolapse(POP)is a common pelvic floor disorder in older women and is responsible for a significant decrease in health-related quality of life.With the increased longevity of women,POP is becoming a major health concern.[1]Laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy(LSC)is a common mesh-based surgical approach for severe prolapse,and a high cure rate and few complications have been reported.[2]To our knowledge,the long-term durability,complications,and pelvic floor symptoms after LSC have not been fully evaluated in detail.A few studies assessed the 5-year outcome after LSC,but these reports were limited by their retrospective design,uneven follow-up time,or inconsistent outcome assessment.

Trocar-site hernia after gynecological laparoscopic surgery: a 20-year, single-center experience

Background:Trocar-site hernia(TSH)is a serious complication after laparoscopic procedures.Although it is a rare entity,it have life-threatening consequences.This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the potential associated factors for TSH following gynecologic laparoscopy and summarize prevention strategies based on our experience.Methods:We searched for gynecological laparoscopic surgeries in the medical records system of Peking Union Medical College Hospital(PUMCH)from August 1998 to July 2018 and further sifted through the results for cases involving TSH.All included patients were divided into different groups according to patient characteristics,and the rate of TSH was compared among groups.Moreover,the detailed information of all patients with TSH was recorded and analyzed.Statistical analyses were performed with GraphPad Prism 6.Results:The approximate total rate of post-operative TSH among gynecologic laparoscopy procedures performed at PUMCH in the last 20 years was 0.016%(9/55,244).The rate of TSH was significant higher in elder patients(>60 years old;3/2686,0.112%)than in younger patients(<60 years old,6/52,558;0.011%,P=0.008).Moreover,the approximate rate of TSH was significantly higher after single-incision laparoscopic surgery(SILS,2/534,0.357%)than conventional laparoscopic surgery(7/54,710,0.013%,P=0.003).The average age of patients with TSH was 53.4 years(range,35.0-79.0 years).Two of the nine patients had late-onset TSH following SILS;the other seven had early-onset TSH following conventional laparoscopy.Five TSH cases occurred at right lateral port sites,and the remaining three occurred at the umbilical port site.All patients underwent repair surgery,and one required small bowel resection.Conclusion:Older age and SILS are potential associated factors for TSH development,while reducing excessive manipulation and improving suturing skills,especially at the umbilical trocar site following SILS and the right lateral trocar site,can avoid herniation.

Proteomic Analysis of the Uterosacral Ligament in Postmenopausal Women with and without Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Background： Pelvic organ prolapse （POP） is a major health problem in adult women that involves many factors. No proteomic analysis has been conducted exclusively in POP patients. This study aimed to identify the differential expression of proteins that may be involved in POP by proteomic analysis.Methods： Samples of the uterosacral ligament （USL） were collected from five POP patients and five non-POP patients matched according to age, parity, and menopausal status and analyzed using two-dimensional electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry （MALDI-TOF-MS）. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction （qRT-PCR） was used to verify the mRNA expression of proteins that showed differential expression in the proteomic analyses. Results： Proteins differentially expressed between POP and non-POP patients were detected. Eight proteins that were down-regulated in the POP group were identified by MALDI-TOF-MS. These proteins included electron transfer flavoprotein, apolipoprotein A-I, actin, transgelin, cofilin-1, cyclophilin A, myosin, and galectin-1, and their expression was verified by qRT-PCR. Conclusion： Using comparative proteomics, we identified eight differentially expressed proteins （including four cytoskeleton proteins and three proteins related to apoptosis） in the USL that may be involved in apoptosis associated with the tissue effects in POP pathophysiology.

Burch colposuspension for stress urinary incontinence: a 14-year prospective follow-up

We aimed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness and safety of Burch colposuspension(BC) for stress urinary incontinence(SUI). In this prospective cohort study, 84 patients with SUI undergoing BC were enrolled from February 2004 to January 2010.Data on long-term subjective success and postoperative complications were collected at clinic visits and by telephone follow-up.During a mean follow-up period of 14.2 years, 68%(57/84) patients completed the follow-up. A total of 68.4% of patients(39/57) reported absence of SUI symptoms, 73.6%(42/57) were subjectively satisfied according to the Patient Global Impression of Improvement, and 68.4%(39/57) reported subjective success regarding urinary symptoms via the Urinary Distress Inventory Short Form. However, 28.1%(16/57) suffered at least one long-term postoperative complication and incident. Specifically, 1 in25(4.0%) sexually active patients reported dyspareunia, 3 patients(5.3%) had de novo overactive bladder, and 6 patients(10.5%)reported voiding dysfunction. Four patients(7.0%) reported new onset prolapse symptoms, and 3 patients(5.3%) underwent secondary urinary incontinence surgery. Our study indicated that Burch colposuspension is an effective procedure for SUI, and the cure effect was largely maintained for the 14-year follow-up period, with relatively low complication rates. BC should be considered a surgical option for SUI.

Vitamin B6 regulates IL-33 homeostasis to alleviate type 2 inflammation

Interleukin-33(IL-33)is a crucial nuclear cytokine that induces the type 2 immune response and maintains immune homeostasis.The fine-tuned regulation of IL-33 in tissue cells is critical to control of the type 2 immune response in airway inflammation,but the mechanism is still unclear.Here,we found that healthy individuals had higher phosphate-pyridoxal(PLP,an active form of vitamin B6)concentrations in the serum than asthma patients.Lower serum PLP concentrations in asthma patients were strongly associated with worse lung function and inflammation.In a mouse model of lung inflammation,we revealed that PLP alleviated the type 2 immune response and that this inhibitory effect relied on the activity of IL-33.A mechanistic study showed that in vivo,pyridoxal(PL)needed to be converted into PLP,which inhibited the type 2 response by regulating IL-33 stability.In mice heterozygous for pyridoxal kinase(PDXK),the conversion of PL to PLP was limited,and IL-33 levels were increased in the lungs,aggravating type 2 inflammation.Furthermore,we found that the mouse double minute 2 homolog(MDM2)protein,an E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase,could ubiquitinate the N-terminus of IL-33 and sustain IL-33 stability in epithelial cells.PLP reduced MDM2-mediated IL-33 polyubiquitination and decreased the level of IL-33 through the proteasome pathway.In addition,inhalation of PLP alleviated asthma-related effects in mouse models.In summary,our data indicate that vitamin B6 regulates MDM2-mediated IL-33 stability to constrain the type 2 response,which might help develop a potential preventive and therapeutic agent for allergy-related diseases.

Description of space charge transport in oil‐paper insulation using adaptive time‐stepping transient upstream finite element method

The charge transport and accumulation in oil-paper can cause the insulation degradation.So far,the most widely used model to simulate space charge transport and accumulation is the bipolar charge transport(BCT)model,which can well simulate the space charge dynamics.However,there are two shortcomings in the algorithms for solving the BCT model.One is that there is almost no use of vectorisation technology,which may increase the complexity of the algorithm,the other is the usage of fixed step size which might bring extra computation cost.In view of this,an adaptive time‐stepping transient up-stream finite element method(FEM)is developed to solve the BCT model considering trapping/detrapping,as well as the recombination phenomenon under DC condition in this article.Then,a vectorisation technology is used in the method to optimise the al-gorithm.Moreover,the adaptive time‐stepping method is introduced in simulation to reduce computation time and calculation amount.Simulation results are obtained by programing and later presented,which are basically consistent with the corresponding experimental results.Therefore,the proposed method is expected to promote the opti-mization design of the oil-paper insulation system.

Manometric Comparison of Anorectal Function after Posterior Vaginal Compartment Repair with and without Mesh

Background：Although repair augmented with mesh has been proved its priority in anatomical and functional recovery after anterior compartment reconstruction,the data about posterior compartment are scarce.The aim of this study was to compare bowel functional outcome of posterior vaginal compartment repair with and without mesh in patients with pelvic organ prolapse （POP）.Methods：This was a prospective,double-blind,clinical pilot study of 22 postmenopausal women with symptomatic POP （overall POP-quantification [POP-Q] Stage Ⅲ-ⅣV） who underwent total pelvic floor reconstruction.Patients were grouped according to the use of mesh for posterior vaginal compartment repair：A mesh group and a nonmesh group.POP-Q stage,the pelvic floor impact questionnaire short form-7 （PFIQ-7） and anorectal manometry were evaluated before and 3 months after surgery.Anatomical success was defined as POP-Q Stage Ⅱ or less.A t-test was used to compare preoperative with postoperative data in the two groups.Results：Totally,17 （71％） were available for the follow-up.POP-Q measurements improved significantly compared to baseline （P ＜ 0.05） in both groups.No recurrence was observed.Subjects in both groups reported improvement in pelvic floor symptoms,and there was no significant difference in the PFIQ-7 score between groups at follow-up （P ＞ 0.05）.Compared with baseline,the nonmesh group exhibited a statistically significant decrease in anal residual pressure,a significant increase in the anorectal pressure difference during bowel movement,and a reduced rate ofdyssynergia defecation pattern （P ＜ 0.05）.Conclusions：Provided there is sufficient support for the anterior wall and apex of vagina with mesh,posterior compartment repair without mesh may be as effective as repair with mesh for anatomical recovery while providing better anorectal motor function.

Heterozygous CARD9 mutation favors the development of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis

Background:Previous research demonstrated that a homozygous mutation of g.136372044G>A(S12N)in caspase recruitment domain family member 9(CARD9)is critical for producing Aspergillus fumigatus-induced(Af-induced)T helper 2(T_(H)2)-mediated responses in allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis(ABPA).However,it remains unclear whether the CARD9^(S12N)mutation,especially the heterozygous occurrence,predisposes the host to ABPA.Methods:A total of 61 ABPA patients and 264 controls(including 156 healthy controls and 108 asthma patients)were recruited for sequencing the CARD9 locus to clarify whether patients with this heterozygous single-nucleotide polymorphisms are predisposed to the development of ABPA.A series of in vivo and in vitro experiments,such as quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction,flow cytometry,and RNA isolation and quantification,were used to illuminate the involved mechanism of the disease.Results:The presence of the p.S12N mutation was associated with a significant risk of ABPA in ABPA patients when compared with healthy controls and asthma patients,regardless of Aspergillus sensitivity.Relative to healthy controls without relevant allergies,the mutation of p.S12N was associated with a significant risk of ABPA(OR:2.69 and 4.17 for GA and AA genotypes,P=0.003 and 0.029,respectively).Compared with patients with asthma,ABPA patients had a significantly higher heterozygous mutation(GA genotype),indicating that p.S12N might be a significant ABPA-susceptibility locus(aspergillus sensitized asthma:OR:3.02,P=0.009;aspergillus unsensitized asthma:OR:2.94,P=0.005).The mutant allele was preferentially expressed in ABPA patients with heterozygous CARD9^(S12N),which contributes to its functional alterations to facilitate Af-induced T_(H)2-mediated ABPA development.In terms of mechanism,Card9 wild-type(Card9^(WT))expression levels decreased significantly due to Af-induced decay of its messenger RNA compared to the heterozygous Card9 S12N.In addition,ABPA patients with heterozygous CARD9^(S12N)had increased Af-induced interleukin-5 production.Conclusion:Our study provides the genetic evidence showing that the heterozygous mutation of CARD9^(S12N),followed by allele expression imbalance of CARD9^(S12N),facilitates the development of ABPA.

Fluorescence characterization of the thermal stability of collagen mimic peptides

The thermal stability of triple helical structure plays a critical role in collagen biosynthesis,function and degradation.CD technique was utilized to characterize the thermal stability of synthetic collagen mimic peptides.Fluorescence spectroscopy is widely used with easy access all around the world because of its inexpensive instrumentation,low operation cost,easy operation,and high sensitivity.Here we have developed an alternative fluorescence method to detect the thermal stability of collagen mimic peptides.We have demonstrated that fluorescence spectroscopy could measure the thermal stability of collagen mimic peptides with low concentrations under different circumstances.This highly sensitive fluorescence self-quenching assay will greatly expedite the studies of sequence-dependent properties of collagen mimic peptides,and it has great potential in the application of determining the thermal stability of triple helix systems such as collagens,collectins,adiponectin,macrophage scavenger and C1q.

Diagnosis,treatment,and potential causative mutations of cryptogenic plastic bronchitis

To the Editor:Plastic bronchitis(PB)is a rare pulmonary disease characterized by the production of branching bronchial casts that fill the airways.It is less common in adults than in children,and occurs after 1%to 4%of Fontan surgeries.[1]