Melanie C.Green and Timothy C.Brock have proposed their transportation-imagery model of narrative persuasion.They argue that a narrative can evoke imagery in readers'mind and then transport readers into the narrat...Melanie C.Green and Timothy C.Brock have proposed their transportation-imagery model of narrative persuasion.They argue that a narrative can evoke imagery in readers'mind and then transport readers into the narrative world the author has created,in the course of which the author can persuade readers of the beliefs he's put into the narrative.This paper employs this model to rethink how Arthur Conan Doyle persuades his readers of British imperialism in his"The Speckled Band".First,this model considers the vividness of the narrative and readers'participatory response as key factors in readers'transportation.The narratives of"The Speckled Band"are picturesque,and Sherlock Holmes'inferential process has reinforced readers'participatory response.On the other hand,detective fiction usually has the theme of how the detective/law and order beats the criminal/chaos.That is,Doyle persuades his readers that the British Empire will prevail in"The Speckled Band"when Holmes,representing the British imperialism,solves the case and kills Dr.Roylott,who represents the evil and savagery in the British colony.According to Green and Brock's model,it simply means that there are two narratives(i.e.,one is about how the law of the British Empire is challenged,and the other is about how the British Empire's stability is restored),and two complementary transportations before Doyle can successfully persuades his readers.However,if we closely read"'The Speckled Band",we can learn that Holmes,who should have represented British law,is guilty of trespassing or taking the law into his own hands.In other words,the complementarity of the two transportations is compromised.Thus,we can conclude that it is highly questionable whether or not Doyle can transport his readers into the bosom of the British Empire.展开更多
Meiotic resumption in mammalian oocytes involves nuclear and organelle structural changes,notably the chromatin configuration transition from a non-surrounding nucleolus(NSN)to surrounding nucleolus(SN)in germinal ves...Meiotic resumption in mammalian oocytes involves nuclear and organelle structural changes,notably the chromatin configuration transition from a non-surrounding nucleolus(NSN)to surrounding nucleolus(SN)in germinal vesicle oocytes.In the current study,we found that nuclear speckles(NSs),a subnuclear structure mainly composed of serine-arginine(SR)proteins,changed from a diffuse spotted distribution in mouse NSN oocytes to an aggregated pattern in SN oocytes.We also found that the SR protein-specific kinase 1(SRPK1),an enzyme that phosphorylates SR proteins,co-localized with NSs at the SN stage,and that NSN oocytes failed to transition to SN oocytes after the inhibition of SRPK1 activity.Furthermore,the typical structure of the chromatin ring around the nucleolus in SN oocytes collapsed after treatment with an SRPK1 inhibitor.Mechanistically,phosphorylated SR proteins were found to be related to chromatin as shown by a salt extraction experiment,and in situ DNaseⅠassay showed that the accessibility of chromatin was enhanced in SN oocytes when SRPK1 was inhibited,accompanied by a decreased repressive modification on histone and the abnormal recurrence of a transcriptional signal.In conclusion,our results indicated that SRPK1-regulated phosphorylation of SR proteins was involved in the NSN-SN transition and played an important role in maintaining the condensed nucleus of SN oocytes via interacting with chromatin.展开更多
The high temporal and spatial coherence of free electron lasers(FELs)reduces the uniformity of the illumination field,leading to scattering effects that blur the edges of patterns,resulting in diminished accuracy and ...The high temporal and spatial coherence of free electron lasers(FELs)reduces the uniformity of the illumination field,leading to scattering effects that blur the edges of patterns,resulting in diminished accuracy and clarity.Traditional imaging models regard the light source as fully incoherent,making it difficult to assess the impact of partially coherent light fields on imaging.If FELs are used in imaging systems,their coherence must be considered.To address this issue,this study explores the relationship between coherence,imaging quality and speckle contrast through a simulation method based on random phases.The method divides the light beam into temporal and spatial coherence cells,analyzes their interactions,and simulates imaging results under different coherence conditions.Additionally,speckle patterns for various illumination modes are calculated to evaluate their effects on speckle contrast and illumination uniformity.The results indicate that under different illumination modes,illumination uniformity decreases as coherence increases,while speckle contrast increases with higher coherence.In terms of imaging quality,higher coherence leads to an increase in both line edge roughness(LER)and line width roughness(LWR),thereby reducing the imaging quality.Additionally,the narrower the line width,the greater the impact of coherence on the imaging quality,resulting in poorer imaging performance.展开更多
Microcirculation imaging is crucial in understanding the function and health of various tissues and organs.However,conventional imaging methods suffer from fluorescence label dependency,lack of depth resolution,and qu...Microcirculation imaging is crucial in understanding the function and health of various tissues and organs.However,conventional imaging methods suffer from fluorescence label dependency,lack of depth resolution,and quantification inaccuracy.Here,we report a light-sheet dynamic light-scattering imaging(LSHDSI)system to overcome these shortcomings.LSH-DSI utilizes selected plane illumination for an optical sectioning,while a time-frequency analysis method retrieves blood flow velocity estimates from dynamic changes in the detected light intensity.We have performed imaging experiments with zebrafish embryos to obtain angiographs from the trunk and head regions.The results show that LSH-DSI can capture label-free tomographic images of microvasculature and three-dimensional quantitative maps of local blood flow velocities.展开更多
Structured illumination,a wide-field imaging approach used in microscopy to enhance image resolution beyond the system's diffraction limits,is a well-studied technique that has gained significant traction over the...Structured illumination,a wide-field imaging approach used in microscopy to enhance image resolution beyond the system's diffraction limits,is a well-studied technique that has gained significant traction over the last two decades.However,when translated to endoscopic systems,severe deformations of illumination patterns occur due to the large depth of field(DOF)and the 3D nature of the targets,introducing significant implementation challenges.Hence,this study explores a speckle-based system that best suits endoscopic practices to enhance image resolution by using random illumination patterns.The study presents a prototypic model of an endoscopic add-on,its design,and fabrication facilitated by using the speckle structured illumination endoscopic(SSIE)system.The imaging results of the SSIE are explained on a colon phantom model at different imaging planes with a wide field of view(FOV)and DOF.The obtained imaging metrics are elucidated and compared with state-of-the-art(SOA)high-resolution endoscopic techniques.Moreover,the potential for a clinical translation of the prototypic SSIE model is also explored in this work.The incorporation of the add-on and its subsequent results on the colon phantom model could potentially pave the way for its successful integration and use in futuristic clinical endoscopic trials.展开更多
Laser speckle contrast imaging(LSCI)is a noninvasive,label-free technique that allows real-time investigation of the microcirculation situation of biological tissue.High-quality microvascular segmentation is critical ...Laser speckle contrast imaging(LSCI)is a noninvasive,label-free technique that allows real-time investigation of the microcirculation situation of biological tissue.High-quality microvascular segmentation is critical for analyzing and evaluating vascular morphology and blood flow dynamics.However,achieving high-quality vessel segmentation has always been a challenge due to the cost and complexity of label data acquisition and the irregular vascular morphology.In addition,supervised learning methods heavily rely on high-quality labels for accurate segmentation results,which often necessitate extensive labeling efforts.Here,we propose a novel approach LSWDP for high-performance real-time vessel segmentation that utilizes low-quality pseudo-labels for nonmatched training without relying on a substantial number of intricate labels and image pairing.Furthermore,we demonstrate that our method is more robust and effective in mitigating performance degradation than traditional segmentation approaches on diverse style data sets,even when confronted with unfamiliar data.Importantly,the dice similarity coefficient exceeded 85%in a rat experiment.Our study has the potential to efficiently segment and evaluate blood vessels in both normal and disease situations.This would greatly benefit future research in life and medicine.展开更多
This Letter proposes to apply full-color computer-generated holograms to the virtual image projection system so that the viewers can comfortably view floating images. Regarding the spatial division and distribution op...This Letter proposes to apply full-color computer-generated holograms to the virtual image projection system so that the viewers can comfortably view floating images. Regarding the spatial division and distribution operation,a modified Gerchberg–Saxton algorithm is used for acquiring the phase infographics, which are input into the spatial light modulator for the reconstructed projection. Such a virtual image projection system could reach the vertical angle of view of 15°–75° and the horizontal angle of view 360°, and the mixed-light modulating proportion contains a 3 m W red light laser, a 2 m W green light laser, and a 2.6 m W blue light laser to achieve the full-color mixed-light proportion with a speckle contrast of 6.65%. The relative diffraction efficiency and root mean square error of the reconstructed image are 95.3% and 0.0524, respectively.展开更多
Background: The standard echocardiography is limited in detecting subclinical left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in pediatric hemodialysis patients. However, speckle-tracking echo (STE) analysis has emerged as a viable...Background: The standard echocardiography is limited in detecting subclinical left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in pediatric hemodialysis patients. However, speckle-tracking echo (STE) analysis has emerged as a viable alternative. Furthermore, Growth Differentiation Factor-15 (GDF-15) is a stress-responsive biomarker generated by cardiac tissues. Aim: Evaluate left ventricular function using a range of echocardiography modalities and determine the most effective modality. Additionally, it seeks to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of GDF-15 as an early indicator of cardiac dysfunction in pediatric patients undergoing regular hemodialysis and explore the association between GDF-15 levels and left ventricular dysfunction. Subjects and Methods: An assessment of the LV functions and dimensions in a cohort of 40 pediatric patients undergoing regular hemodialysis compared to a control group of 40 healthy children. Our evaluation encompassed the utilization of GDF-15, hsCRP serum levels, conventional Echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and Speckle Tracking Echocardiography (STE), in conjunction with routine laboratory investigations, to analyze the subjects post-hemodialysis (HD). Results: Children on hemodialysis showed significantly higher levels of GDF-15 and hsCRP. Furthermore, 67.5% of the patients displayed impaired left ventricular function as identified through conventional and TDI, while 82.5% exhibited global left ventricular strain as determined by STE. A strong correlation was found between EF% and serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Additionally, a notable association was discovered between GDF-15 and systolic blood pressure, left ventricular interventricular septal diameter (LVIVSD), and serum calcium levels. Conclusion: STE has shown its superiority over conventional and (TDI) in the early identification of LV changes in pediatric hemodialysis patients. GDF-15 is a sensitive indicator for early left ventricular dysfunction and shows a significant correlation with hypertension, left ventricular interventricular septal end-diastolic dimension (LVIVSD), and serum calcium levels.展开更多
One case of acute Bell’s palsy was reported and treated with Fu’s subcutaneous needling(FSN).Present symptoms:facial muscle stiffness on the right side,ptosis of labial angle,failure to frown the right eyebrow,the e...One case of acute Bell’s palsy was reported and treated with Fu’s subcutaneous needling(FSN).Present symptoms:facial muscle stiffness on the right side,ptosis of labial angle,failure to frown the right eyebrow,the eyeball exposed about 2 mm when gently closing the eyes,air leaking when bulging the cheeks,drooling when brushing the teeth and gargling,and food retained in the cheek when eating.Western medicine diagnosis:peripheral facial palsy.Traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis:facial paralysis.The subcutaneous swaying movement and reperfusion action of FSN were adopted on the affected muscles and achieved the remarkably effects on incomplete closure of eyes and drooping of the mouth.The patient was recovered quickly.Before and after treatment,the laser speckle contrast imaging was used to observe the improvement of blood flow on the face,which provides the idea for the research and clinical practice of Fu’s subcutaneous needling in treatment of Bell’s palsy.展开更多
BACKGROUND Cardiovascular disease has been the leading cause of morbidity and mortality for type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)patients over the last decade.AIM To determine whether layer-specific global longitudinal strai...BACKGROUND Cardiovascular disease has been the leading cause of morbidity and mortality for type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)patients over the last decade.AIM To determine whether layer-specific global longitudinal strain(GLS)combined with peak strain dispersion(PSD)can be used to assess left ventricle(LV)myocardium systolic dysfunction in T2DM patients or without hypertension(HP).METHODS We enrolled 97 T2DM patients,70 T2DM+HP patients and 101 healthy subjects.Layer-specific GLS and PSD were calculated by EchoPAC software in apical three-,four-and two-chamber views.GLS of the epimyocardial,middle-layer and endomyocardial(GLSepi,GLSmid,and GLSendo)were measured and recorded.Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to detect LV myocardium systolic dysfunction in T2DM patients.RESULTS There were significant differences in GLSepi,GLSmid,GLSendo,and PSD between healthy subjects,T2DM patients and T2DM patients with HP(P<0.001).Trend tests yielded the ranking of healthy subjects>T2DM patients>T2DM with HP patients in the absolute values of GLSepi,GLSmid and GLSendo(P<0.001),while PSD was ranked healthy subjects<T2DM<T2DM with HP(P<0.001).Layer-specific GLS and PSD had high diagnostic efficiency for detecting LV myocardium systolic dysfunction in T2DM patients,however,the area under the curve(AUC)for layer-specific GLS and PSD combined was significantly higher than the AUCs for the individual indices(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Layer-specific GLS and PSD were associated with LV myocardium systolic dysfunction in T2DM patients,T2DM patients with HP.T2DM patients with HP have more severe LV myocardium systolic dysfunction than T2DM patients without HP and normal control patients.The combination of layer-specific GLS and PSD may provide additional prognostic information for T2DM patients with or without HP.展开更多
BACKGROUND Diabetic cardiomyopathy is considered as a chronic complication of diabetes mellitus(DM).Therefore,early detection of left ventricular systolic function(LVSF)damage in DM is essential.AIM To explore the use...BACKGROUND Diabetic cardiomyopathy is considered as a chronic complication of diabetes mellitus(DM).Therefore,early detection of left ventricular systolic function(LVSF)damage in DM is essential.AIM To explore the use of the three-dimensional speckle tracking technique(3D-STI)for measuring LVSF in DM patients via meta-analysis.METHODS The electronic databases were retrieved from the initial accessible time to 29 April 2023.The current study involved 9 studies,including 970 subjects.We carried out this meta-analysis to estimate myocardial function in DM compared with controls according to myocardial strain attained by 3D-STI.RESULTS Night articles including 970 subjects were included.No significant difference was detected in the left ventricular ejection fraction between the control and the diabetic group(P>0.05),while differences in global longitudinal strain,global circumferential strain,global radial strain,and global area strain were markedly different between the controls and DM patients(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION The 3D-STI could be applied to accurately measure early LVSF damage in patients with DM.展开更多
Laser display technology is the most promising display technology in the market and is widely used in many fields. However, laser speckle has been troubling the application and expansion of this technology in some fie...Laser display technology is the most promising display technology in the market and is widely used in many fields. However, laser speckle has been troubling the application and expansion of this technology in some fields. In order to better evaluate the speckle, speckle measurement methods must be studied. In this study, a dynamic measurement method for laser speckles is proposed according to the optical superposition characteristics of speckle, which can reduce the influence of non-coherent factors on the speckle measurement results. The feasibility of the dynamic speckle measurement method is verified by designing an experimental scheme.展开更多
The deep mining of coal resources is accompanied by severe environmental challenges and various potential engineering hazards.The implementation of NPR(negative Poisson's ratio)bolts are capable of controlling lar...The deep mining of coal resources is accompanied by severe environmental challenges and various potential engineering hazards.The implementation of NPR(negative Poisson's ratio)bolts are capable of controlling large deformations in the surrounding rock effectively.This paper focuses on studying the mechanical properties of the NPR bolt under static disturbance load.The deep nonlinear mechanical experimental system was used to study the mechanical behavior of rock samples with different anchored types(unanchored/PR anchored/2G NPR anchored)under static disturbance load.The whole process of rock samples was taken by high-speed camera to obtain the real-time failure characteristics under static disturbance load.At the same time,the acoustic emission signal was collected to obtain the key characteristic parameters of acoustic emission such as acoustic emission count,energy,and frequency.The deformation at the failure of the samples was calculated and analyzed by digital speckle software.The findings indicate that the failure mode of rock is influenced by different types of anchoring.The peak failure strength of 2G NPR bolt anchored rock samples exhibits an increase of 6.5%when compared to the unanchored rock samples.The cumulative count and cumulative energy of acoustic emission exhibit a decrease of 62.16%and 62.90%,respectively.The maximum deformation of bearing capacity exhibits an increase of 59.27%,while the failure time demonstrates a delay of 42.86%.The peak failure strength of the 2G NPR bolt anchored ones under static disturbance load exhibits an increase of 5.94%when compared to the rock anchored by PR(Poisson's ratio)bolt.The cumulative count and cumulative energy of acoustic emission exhibit a decrease of 47.16%and 43.86%,respectively.The maximum deformation of the bearing capacity exhibits an increase of 50.43%,and the failure time demonstrates a delay of 32%.After anchoring by 2G NPR bolt,anchoring support effectively reduces the risk of damage caused by static disturbance load.These results demonstrate that the support effect of 2G NPR bolt materials surpasses that of PR bolt.展开更多
Objective To investigate the predictive value of myocardial strain for cardiotoxicity associated with fluorouracil-based chemotherapies in gastrointestinal cancer patients.Methods Patients with diagnosis of gastrointe...Objective To investigate the predictive value of myocardial strain for cardiotoxicity associated with fluorouracil-based chemotherapies in gastrointestinal cancer patients.Methods Patients with diagnosis of gastrointestinal cancers,who were hospitalized for chemotherapy involving antimetabolic drugs,were eligible in this prospective study.Echocardiography was performed before and after each chemotherapy cycle during hospitalization until the completion of chemotherapy.Cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction(CTRCD)was identified if there was a decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)by at least 5%to an absolute value of<53%from the baseline,accompanied by symptoms or signs of heart failure;or a decrease in LVEF of at least 10%to an absolute value of<53%from the baseline,without symptoms or signs of heart failure.Subclinical cardiac impairment is defined as a decrease in the left ventricular global longitudinal strain(GLS)of at least 15%from baseline.Clinical data and myocardial strain variables were collected.Changes of echocardiographic indexes after chemotherapy at each cycle were observed and compared to those of pre-chemotherapy.Cox regression analysis was used to determine the associated indexes to CTRCD,and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were plotted for evaluation of their predicting efficacy.Results Fifty-one patients completed 4 cycles of chemotherapy and were enrolled in the study analysis.LVEF,GLS,GLS epicardium(GLS-epi),and GLS endocardium(GLS-endo)were decreased after the 4 cycles of chemotherapy.Throughout the chemotherapy period,6 patients(11.8%)progressed to CTRCD.The Cox regression analysis revealed that the change in left atrial ejection fraction(LAEF)and LAS during the reservoir(LASr)phase after the first cycle of chemotherapy(C1v-LAEF and C1v-LASr,respectively)were significantly associated with the development of CTRCD[C1v-LAEF(HR=1.040;95%CI:1.000-1.082;P=0.047);C1v-LASr(HR=1.024;95%CI:1.000-1.048;P=0.048)].The sensitivity and specificity were 50.0%and 93.3%,respectively,for C1v-LAEF predicting CTRCD when C1v-LAEF>19.68%was used as the cut-off value,and were 66.7%and 75.6%,respectively,for C1v-LASr predicting CTRCD when C1v-LASr>14.73%was used as the cut-off value.The areas under the ROC curve(AUC)for C1v-LAEF and C1v-LASr predicting CTRCD were 0.694 and 0.707,respectively.Conclusion GLS changes among patients with subclinical impairment of cardiac function who were treated with fluorouracil-based chemotherapies,and C1v-LAEF and C1v-LASr of the left atrium are early predictors of cardiac function deterioration.展开更多
Temporary spinal cord stimulation(tSCS)can effectively reduce the pain and severity of postherpetic neuralgia(PHN).However,there are no effective and objective methods for predicting the effects of tSCS on PHN.Laser s...Temporary spinal cord stimulation(tSCS)can effectively reduce the pain and severity of postherpetic neuralgia(PHN).However,there are no effective and objective methods for predicting the effects of tSCS on PHN.Laser speckle contrast imaging(LSCI)is frequently used in neurology to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.To assess the accuracy of LSCI in predicting the impact of tSCS on PHN,14 adult patients receiving tSCS treatments for spinal nerve-innervated(C6-T2)PHN participated in this observational study.Visual analog scale(VAS)assessments and LSCI bloodflow images of the-ngers were recorded after the tSCS procedure.The results showed that the VAS scores of all patients decreased signi-cantly.Moreover,the bloodflow index(BFI)values were signi-cantly higher than they were before the procedure.Increased bloodflow and pain alleviation were positively correlated.The-ndings indicated that spinal nerve PHN(C6-T2)was signi-cantly reduced by tSCS.Pain alleviation by tSCS was positively correlated with increased bloodflow in the hand.The effect of tSCS on PHN may thus be predicted using an independent and consistent indicator such as LSCI.展开更多
BACKGROUND Peripheral vascular disease(PVD)is a common complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Patients with T2DM have twice the risk of PVD as nondiabetic patients.AIM To evaluate left ventricular(LV)systolic ...BACKGROUND Peripheral vascular disease(PVD)is a common complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Patients with T2DM have twice the risk of PVD as nondiabetic patients.AIM To evaluate left ventricular(LV)systolic function by layer-specific global longitudinal strain(GLS)and peak strain dispersion(PSD)in T2DM patients with and without PVD.METHODS Sixty-five T2DM patients without PVD,57 T2DM patients with PVD and 63 normal controls were enrolled in the study.Layer-specific GLS[GLS of the epimyocardium(GLSepi),GLS of the middle myocardium(GLSmid)and GLS of the endocardium(GLSendo)]and PSD were calculated.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)analysis was performed to calculate the sensitivity and specificity of LV systolic dysfunction in T2DM patients with PVD.We calculated Pearson’s correlation coefficients between biochemical data,echocardiographic characteristics,and layer-specific GLS and PSD.RESULTS There were significant differences in GLSepi,GLSmid and GLSendo between normal controls,T2DM patients without PVD and T2DM patients with PVD(P<0.001).Trend tests revealed a ranking of normal controls>T2DM patients without PVD>T2DM patients with PVD in the absolute value of GLS(P<0.001).PSD differed significantly between the three groups,and the trend ranking was as follows:normal controls<T2DM patients without PVD<T2DM patients with PVD(P<0.001).ROC analysis revealed that the combination of layer-specific GLS and PSD had high diagnostic efficiency for detecting LV systolic dysfunction in T2DM patients with PVD.Lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol was positively correlated with GLSepi,GLSmid and PSD(P<0.05),while LV ejection fraction was negatively correlated with GLSepi,GLSmid and GLSendo in T2DM patients with PVD(P<0.01).CONCLUSION PVD may aggravate the deterioration of LV systolic dysfunction in T2DM patients.Layer-specific GLS and PSD can be used to detect LV systolic dysfunction accurately and conveniently in T2DM patients with or without PVD.展开更多
The ultrasound pressure-strain loop (PSL) technique is a non-invasive method of examining myocardial work, which takes into account the effect of cardiac afterload on deformation and combines the overall longitudinal ...The ultrasound pressure-strain loop (PSL) technique is a non-invasive method of examining myocardial work, which takes into account the effect of cardiac afterload on deformation and combines the overall longitudinal strain force of the left ventricle with the changes in the left ventricular pressure, allowing earlier detection of possible subclinical cardiac damage in patients, and a more accurate and non-invasive assessment of the patient’s myocardial work performance. In this article, we will discuss the progress of PSL applications in cardiovascular diseases.展开更多
Leveraging an optical system for image encryption is a promising approach to information security since one can enjoy parallel,high-speed transmission,and low-power consumption encryption features.However,most existin...Leveraging an optical system for image encryption is a promising approach to information security since one can enjoy parallel,high-speed transmission,and low-power consumption encryption features.However,most existing optical encryption systems involve a critical issue that the dimension of the ciphertexts is the same as the plaintexts,which may result in a cracking process with identical plaintextciphertext forms.Inspired by recent advances in computational neuromorphic imaging(CNI)and speckle correlography,a neuromorphic encryption technique is proposed and demonstrated through proof-ofprinciple experiments.The original images can be optically encrypted into event-stream ciphertext with a high-level information conversion form.To the best of our knowledge,the proposed method is the first implementation for event-driven optical image encryption.Due to the high level of encryption data with the CNI paradigm and the simple optical setup with a complex inverse scattering process,our solution has great potential for practical security applications.This method gives impetus to the image encryption of the visual information and paves the way for the CNI-informed applications of speckle correlography.展开更多
文摘Melanie C.Green and Timothy C.Brock have proposed their transportation-imagery model of narrative persuasion.They argue that a narrative can evoke imagery in readers'mind and then transport readers into the narrative world the author has created,in the course of which the author can persuade readers of the beliefs he's put into the narrative.This paper employs this model to rethink how Arthur Conan Doyle persuades his readers of British imperialism in his"The Speckled Band".First,this model considers the vividness of the narrative and readers'participatory response as key factors in readers'transportation.The narratives of"The Speckled Band"are picturesque,and Sherlock Holmes'inferential process has reinforced readers'participatory response.On the other hand,detective fiction usually has the theme of how the detective/law and order beats the criminal/chaos.That is,Doyle persuades his readers that the British Empire will prevail in"The Speckled Band"when Holmes,representing the British imperialism,solves the case and kills Dr.Roylott,who represents the evil and savagery in the British colony.According to Green and Brock's model,it simply means that there are two narratives(i.e.,one is about how the law of the British Empire is challenged,and the other is about how the British Empire's stability is restored),and two complementary transportations before Doyle can successfully persuades his readers.However,if we closely read"'The Speckled Band",we can learn that Holmes,who should have represented British law,is guilty of trespassing or taking the law into his own hands.In other words,the complementarity of the two transportations is compromised.Thus,we can conclude that it is highly questionable whether or not Doyle can transport his readers into the bosom of the British Empire.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.32070838 and 82301874)Open Fund of State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine,Nanjing Medical University(Grant No.SKLRM K202102)。
文摘Meiotic resumption in mammalian oocytes involves nuclear and organelle structural changes,notably the chromatin configuration transition from a non-surrounding nucleolus(NSN)to surrounding nucleolus(SN)in germinal vesicle oocytes.In the current study,we found that nuclear speckles(NSs),a subnuclear structure mainly composed of serine-arginine(SR)proteins,changed from a diffuse spotted distribution in mouse NSN oocytes to an aggregated pattern in SN oocytes.We also found that the SR protein-specific kinase 1(SRPK1),an enzyme that phosphorylates SR proteins,co-localized with NSs at the SN stage,and that NSN oocytes failed to transition to SN oocytes after the inhibition of SRPK1 activity.Furthermore,the typical structure of the chromatin ring around the nucleolus in SN oocytes collapsed after treatment with an SRPK1 inhibitor.Mechanistically,phosphorylated SR proteins were found to be related to chromatin as shown by a salt extraction experiment,and in situ DNaseⅠassay showed that the accessibility of chromatin was enhanced in SN oocytes when SRPK1 was inhibited,accompanied by a decreased repressive modification on histone and the abnormal recurrence of a transcriptional signal.In conclusion,our results indicated that SRPK1-regulated phosphorylation of SR proteins was involved in the NSN-SN transition and played an important role in maintaining the condensed nucleus of SN oocytes via interacting with chromatin.
文摘The high temporal and spatial coherence of free electron lasers(FELs)reduces the uniformity of the illumination field,leading to scattering effects that blur the edges of patterns,resulting in diminished accuracy and clarity.Traditional imaging models regard the light source as fully incoherent,making it difficult to assess the impact of partially coherent light fields on imaging.If FELs are used in imaging systems,their coherence must be considered.To address this issue,this study explores the relationship between coherence,imaging quality and speckle contrast through a simulation method based on random phases.The method divides the light beam into temporal and spatial coherence cells,analyzes their interactions,and simulates imaging results under different coherence conditions.Additionally,speckle patterns for various illumination modes are calculated to evaluate their effects on speckle contrast and illumination uniformity.The results indicate that under different illumination modes,illumination uniformity decreases as coherence increases,while speckle contrast increases with higher coherence.In terms of imaging quality,higher coherence leads to an increase in both line edge roughness(LER)and line width roughness(LWR),thereby reducing the imaging quality.Additionally,the narrower the line width,the greater the impact of coherence on the imaging quality,resulting in poorer imaging performance.
基金supported by the following funding sources:Ministry of Education-Singapore MOE2019-T2-2-094 Ministry of Education-Singapore Tier I R-397-000-327-114 ScienceTechnology Project of Jiangsu Province(Grant No.BZ2022056)Biomedical and Health Technology Platform,National University of Singapore(Suzhou)Research Institute.
文摘Microcirculation imaging is crucial in understanding the function and health of various tissues and organs.However,conventional imaging methods suffer from fluorescence label dependency,lack of depth resolution,and quantification inaccuracy.Here,we report a light-sheet dynamic light-scattering imaging(LSHDSI)system to overcome these shortcomings.LSH-DSI utilizes selected plane illumination for an optical sectioning,while a time-frequency analysis method retrieves blood flow velocity estimates from dynamic changes in the detected light intensity.We have performed imaging experiments with zebrafish embryos to obtain angiographs from the trunk and head regions.The results show that LSH-DSI can capture label-free tomographic images of microvasculature and three-dimensional quantitative maps of local blood flow velocities.
文摘Structured illumination,a wide-field imaging approach used in microscopy to enhance image resolution beyond the system's diffraction limits,is a well-studied technique that has gained significant traction over the last two decades.However,when translated to endoscopic systems,severe deformations of illumination patterns occur due to the large depth of field(DOF)and the 3D nature of the targets,introducing significant implementation challenges.Hence,this study explores a speckle-based system that best suits endoscopic practices to enhance image resolution by using random illumination patterns.The study presents a prototypic model of an endoscopic add-on,its design,and fabrication facilitated by using the speckle structured illumination endoscopic(SSIE)system.The imaging results of the SSIE are explained on a colon phantom model at different imaging planes with a wide field of view(FOV)and DOF.The obtained imaging metrics are elucidated and compared with state-of-the-art(SOA)high-resolution endoscopic techniques.Moreover,the potential for a clinical translation of the prototypic SSIE model is also explored in this work.The incorporation of the add-on and its subsequent results on the colon phantom model could potentially pave the way for its successful integration and use in futuristic clinical endoscopic trials.
基金supported by grants fromthe State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases,Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory(2023XAKJ0101031)National Natural Science Foundation of China(81971665)+8 种基金Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province(2021J011366)Medical and Health Guidance Project of Xiamen(3502Z20214ZD1016)Xiamen Health High-Level Talent Training Program,Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Key Research and Development Program(2022BEG03127)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China(20720210117)Fujian Province Science and Technology Plan Guiding Project(2022Y0002)National Natural Science Foundation of China(62005048)Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province(2020J01158)Ministry of Education Industry-university Cooperative Education Project(220606053295218)XMU Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Programs(2023X805,2023X808,2023Y1109).
文摘Laser speckle contrast imaging(LSCI)is a noninvasive,label-free technique that allows real-time investigation of the microcirculation situation of biological tissue.High-quality microvascular segmentation is critical for analyzing and evaluating vascular morphology and blood flow dynamics.However,achieving high-quality vessel segmentation has always been a challenge due to the cost and complexity of label data acquisition and the irregular vascular morphology.In addition,supervised learning methods heavily rely on high-quality labels for accurate segmentation results,which often necessitate extensive labeling efforts.Here,we propose a novel approach LSWDP for high-performance real-time vessel segmentation that utilizes low-quality pseudo-labels for nonmatched training without relying on a substantial number of intricate labels and image pairing.Furthermore,we demonstrate that our method is more robust and effective in mitigating performance degradation than traditional segmentation approaches on diverse style data sets,even when confronted with unfamiliar data.Importantly,the dice similarity coefficient exceeded 85%in a rat experiment.Our study has the potential to efficiently segment and evaluate blood vessels in both normal and disease situations.This would greatly benefit future research in life and medicine.
基金supported by the National Science Council of Taiwan,China under contract NSC 101-2628-E-224-002-MY3
文摘This Letter proposes to apply full-color computer-generated holograms to the virtual image projection system so that the viewers can comfortably view floating images. Regarding the spatial division and distribution operation,a modified Gerchberg–Saxton algorithm is used for acquiring the phase infographics, which are input into the spatial light modulator for the reconstructed projection. Such a virtual image projection system could reach the vertical angle of view of 15°–75° and the horizontal angle of view 360°, and the mixed-light modulating proportion contains a 3 m W red light laser, a 2 m W green light laser, and a 2.6 m W blue light laser to achieve the full-color mixed-light proportion with a speckle contrast of 6.65%. The relative diffraction efficiency and root mean square error of the reconstructed image are 95.3% and 0.0524, respectively.
文摘Background: The standard echocardiography is limited in detecting subclinical left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in pediatric hemodialysis patients. However, speckle-tracking echo (STE) analysis has emerged as a viable alternative. Furthermore, Growth Differentiation Factor-15 (GDF-15) is a stress-responsive biomarker generated by cardiac tissues. Aim: Evaluate left ventricular function using a range of echocardiography modalities and determine the most effective modality. Additionally, it seeks to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of GDF-15 as an early indicator of cardiac dysfunction in pediatric patients undergoing regular hemodialysis and explore the association between GDF-15 levels and left ventricular dysfunction. Subjects and Methods: An assessment of the LV functions and dimensions in a cohort of 40 pediatric patients undergoing regular hemodialysis compared to a control group of 40 healthy children. Our evaluation encompassed the utilization of GDF-15, hsCRP serum levels, conventional Echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and Speckle Tracking Echocardiography (STE), in conjunction with routine laboratory investigations, to analyze the subjects post-hemodialysis (HD). Results: Children on hemodialysis showed significantly higher levels of GDF-15 and hsCRP. Furthermore, 67.5% of the patients displayed impaired left ventricular function as identified through conventional and TDI, while 82.5% exhibited global left ventricular strain as determined by STE. A strong correlation was found between EF% and serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Additionally, a notable association was discovered between GDF-15 and systolic blood pressure, left ventricular interventricular septal diameter (LVIVSD), and serum calcium levels. Conclusion: STE has shown its superiority over conventional and (TDI) in the early identification of LV changes in pediatric hemodialysis patients. GDF-15 is a sensitive indicator for early left ventricular dysfunction and shows a significant correlation with hypertension, left ventricular interventricular septal end-diastolic dimension (LVIVSD), and serum calcium levels.
文摘One case of acute Bell’s palsy was reported and treated with Fu’s subcutaneous needling(FSN).Present symptoms:facial muscle stiffness on the right side,ptosis of labial angle,failure to frown the right eyebrow,the eyeball exposed about 2 mm when gently closing the eyes,air leaking when bulging the cheeks,drooling when brushing the teeth and gargling,and food retained in the cheek when eating.Western medicine diagnosis:peripheral facial palsy.Traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis:facial paralysis.The subcutaneous swaying movement and reperfusion action of FSN were adopted on the affected muscles and achieved the remarkably effects on incomplete closure of eyes and drooping of the mouth.The patient was recovered quickly.Before and after treatment,the laser speckle contrast imaging was used to observe the improvement of blood flow on the face,which provides the idea for the research and clinical practice of Fu’s subcutaneous needling in treatment of Bell’s palsy.
基金Supported by the Science and Technology Project of Changzhou Health Commission,No.ZD202342.
文摘BACKGROUND Cardiovascular disease has been the leading cause of morbidity and mortality for type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)patients over the last decade.AIM To determine whether layer-specific global longitudinal strain(GLS)combined with peak strain dispersion(PSD)can be used to assess left ventricle(LV)myocardium systolic dysfunction in T2DM patients or without hypertension(HP).METHODS We enrolled 97 T2DM patients,70 T2DM+HP patients and 101 healthy subjects.Layer-specific GLS and PSD were calculated by EchoPAC software in apical three-,four-and two-chamber views.GLS of the epimyocardial,middle-layer and endomyocardial(GLSepi,GLSmid,and GLSendo)were measured and recorded.Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to detect LV myocardium systolic dysfunction in T2DM patients.RESULTS There were significant differences in GLSepi,GLSmid,GLSendo,and PSD between healthy subjects,T2DM patients and T2DM patients with HP(P<0.001).Trend tests yielded the ranking of healthy subjects>T2DM patients>T2DM with HP patients in the absolute values of GLSepi,GLSmid and GLSendo(P<0.001),while PSD was ranked healthy subjects<T2DM<T2DM with HP(P<0.001).Layer-specific GLS and PSD had high diagnostic efficiency for detecting LV myocardium systolic dysfunction in T2DM patients,however,the area under the curve(AUC)for layer-specific GLS and PSD combined was significantly higher than the AUCs for the individual indices(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Layer-specific GLS and PSD were associated with LV myocardium systolic dysfunction in T2DM patients,T2DM patients with HP.T2DM patients with HP have more severe LV myocardium systolic dysfunction than T2DM patients without HP and normal control patients.The combination of layer-specific GLS and PSD may provide additional prognostic information for T2DM patients with or without HP.
文摘BACKGROUND Diabetic cardiomyopathy is considered as a chronic complication of diabetes mellitus(DM).Therefore,early detection of left ventricular systolic function(LVSF)damage in DM is essential.AIM To explore the use of the three-dimensional speckle tracking technique(3D-STI)for measuring LVSF in DM patients via meta-analysis.METHODS The electronic databases were retrieved from the initial accessible time to 29 April 2023.The current study involved 9 studies,including 970 subjects.We carried out this meta-analysis to estimate myocardial function in DM compared with controls according to myocardial strain attained by 3D-STI.RESULTS Night articles including 970 subjects were included.No significant difference was detected in the left ventricular ejection fraction between the control and the diabetic group(P>0.05),while differences in global longitudinal strain,global circumferential strain,global radial strain,and global area strain were markedly different between the controls and DM patients(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION The 3D-STI could be applied to accurately measure early LVSF damage in patients with DM.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.62076160)the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (No.21ZR1424700)。
文摘Laser display technology is the most promising display technology in the market and is widely used in many fields. However, laser speckle has been troubling the application and expansion of this technology in some fields. In order to better evaluate the speckle, speckle measurement methods must be studied. In this study, a dynamic measurement method for laser speckles is proposed according to the optical superposition characteristics of speckle, which can reduce the influence of non-coherent factors on the speckle measurement results. The feasibility of the dynamic speckle measurement method is verified by designing an experimental scheme.
基金provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52074300)the Program of China Scholarship Council(202206430024)+2 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China Youth Science(52104139)Yueqi Young Scholars Project of China University of Mining and Technology Beijing(2602021RC84)Guizhou province science and technology planning project([2020]3007,[2020]3008)。
文摘The deep mining of coal resources is accompanied by severe environmental challenges and various potential engineering hazards.The implementation of NPR(negative Poisson's ratio)bolts are capable of controlling large deformations in the surrounding rock effectively.This paper focuses on studying the mechanical properties of the NPR bolt under static disturbance load.The deep nonlinear mechanical experimental system was used to study the mechanical behavior of rock samples with different anchored types(unanchored/PR anchored/2G NPR anchored)under static disturbance load.The whole process of rock samples was taken by high-speed camera to obtain the real-time failure characteristics under static disturbance load.At the same time,the acoustic emission signal was collected to obtain the key characteristic parameters of acoustic emission such as acoustic emission count,energy,and frequency.The deformation at the failure of the samples was calculated and analyzed by digital speckle software.The findings indicate that the failure mode of rock is influenced by different types of anchoring.The peak failure strength of 2G NPR bolt anchored rock samples exhibits an increase of 6.5%when compared to the unanchored rock samples.The cumulative count and cumulative energy of acoustic emission exhibit a decrease of 62.16%and 62.90%,respectively.The maximum deformation of bearing capacity exhibits an increase of 59.27%,while the failure time demonstrates a delay of 42.86%.The peak failure strength of the 2G NPR bolt anchored ones under static disturbance load exhibits an increase of 5.94%when compared to the rock anchored by PR(Poisson's ratio)bolt.The cumulative count and cumulative energy of acoustic emission exhibit a decrease of 47.16%and 43.86%,respectively.The maximum deformation of the bearing capacity exhibits an increase of 50.43%,and the failure time demonstrates a delay of 32%.After anchoring by 2G NPR bolt,anchoring support effectively reduces the risk of damage caused by static disturbance load.These results demonstrate that the support effect of 2G NPR bolt materials surpasses that of PR bolt.
文摘Objective To investigate the predictive value of myocardial strain for cardiotoxicity associated with fluorouracil-based chemotherapies in gastrointestinal cancer patients.Methods Patients with diagnosis of gastrointestinal cancers,who were hospitalized for chemotherapy involving antimetabolic drugs,were eligible in this prospective study.Echocardiography was performed before and after each chemotherapy cycle during hospitalization until the completion of chemotherapy.Cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction(CTRCD)was identified if there was a decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)by at least 5%to an absolute value of<53%from the baseline,accompanied by symptoms or signs of heart failure;or a decrease in LVEF of at least 10%to an absolute value of<53%from the baseline,without symptoms or signs of heart failure.Subclinical cardiac impairment is defined as a decrease in the left ventricular global longitudinal strain(GLS)of at least 15%from baseline.Clinical data and myocardial strain variables were collected.Changes of echocardiographic indexes after chemotherapy at each cycle were observed and compared to those of pre-chemotherapy.Cox regression analysis was used to determine the associated indexes to CTRCD,and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were plotted for evaluation of their predicting efficacy.Results Fifty-one patients completed 4 cycles of chemotherapy and were enrolled in the study analysis.LVEF,GLS,GLS epicardium(GLS-epi),and GLS endocardium(GLS-endo)were decreased after the 4 cycles of chemotherapy.Throughout the chemotherapy period,6 patients(11.8%)progressed to CTRCD.The Cox regression analysis revealed that the change in left atrial ejection fraction(LAEF)and LAS during the reservoir(LASr)phase after the first cycle of chemotherapy(C1v-LAEF and C1v-LASr,respectively)were significantly associated with the development of CTRCD[C1v-LAEF(HR=1.040;95%CI:1.000-1.082;P=0.047);C1v-LASr(HR=1.024;95%CI:1.000-1.048;P=0.048)].The sensitivity and specificity were 50.0%and 93.3%,respectively,for C1v-LAEF predicting CTRCD when C1v-LAEF>19.68%was used as the cut-off value,and were 66.7%and 75.6%,respectively,for C1v-LASr predicting CTRCD when C1v-LASr>14.73%was used as the cut-off value.The areas under the ROC curve(AUC)for C1v-LAEF and C1v-LASr predicting CTRCD were 0.694 and 0.707,respectively.Conclusion GLS changes among patients with subclinical impairment of cardiac function who were treated with fluorouracil-based chemotherapies,and C1v-LAEF and C1v-LASr of the left atrium are early predictors of cardiac function deterioration.
基金supported by the Clinical Frontier Technology Program of the First A±liated Hospital of Jinan University,China(No.JNU1AFCFTP-2022-a01212)the Clinical Research Funds for the First Clinical Medicine College of Jinan University(Grant No.2018006).
文摘Temporary spinal cord stimulation(tSCS)can effectively reduce the pain and severity of postherpetic neuralgia(PHN).However,there are no effective and objective methods for predicting the effects of tSCS on PHN.Laser speckle contrast imaging(LSCI)is frequently used in neurology to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.To assess the accuracy of LSCI in predicting the impact of tSCS on PHN,14 adult patients receiving tSCS treatments for spinal nerve-innervated(C6-T2)PHN participated in this observational study.Visual analog scale(VAS)assessments and LSCI bloodflow images of the-ngers were recorded after the tSCS procedure.The results showed that the VAS scores of all patients decreased signi-cantly.Moreover,the bloodflow index(BFI)values were signi-cantly higher than they were before the procedure.Increased bloodflow and pain alleviation were positively correlated.The-ndings indicated that spinal nerve PHN(C6-T2)was signi-cantly reduced by tSCS.Pain alleviation by tSCS was positively correlated with increased bloodflow in the hand.The effect of tSCS on PHN may thus be predicted using an independent and consistent indicator such as LSCI.
基金Supported by The Science and Technology Project of Changzhou Health Commission,No.ZD202342.
文摘BACKGROUND Peripheral vascular disease(PVD)is a common complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Patients with T2DM have twice the risk of PVD as nondiabetic patients.AIM To evaluate left ventricular(LV)systolic function by layer-specific global longitudinal strain(GLS)and peak strain dispersion(PSD)in T2DM patients with and without PVD.METHODS Sixty-five T2DM patients without PVD,57 T2DM patients with PVD and 63 normal controls were enrolled in the study.Layer-specific GLS[GLS of the epimyocardium(GLSepi),GLS of the middle myocardium(GLSmid)and GLS of the endocardium(GLSendo)]and PSD were calculated.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)analysis was performed to calculate the sensitivity and specificity of LV systolic dysfunction in T2DM patients with PVD.We calculated Pearson’s correlation coefficients between biochemical data,echocardiographic characteristics,and layer-specific GLS and PSD.RESULTS There were significant differences in GLSepi,GLSmid and GLSendo between normal controls,T2DM patients without PVD and T2DM patients with PVD(P<0.001).Trend tests revealed a ranking of normal controls>T2DM patients without PVD>T2DM patients with PVD in the absolute value of GLS(P<0.001).PSD differed significantly between the three groups,and the trend ranking was as follows:normal controls<T2DM patients without PVD<T2DM patients with PVD(P<0.001).ROC analysis revealed that the combination of layer-specific GLS and PSD had high diagnostic efficiency for detecting LV systolic dysfunction in T2DM patients with PVD.Lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol was positively correlated with GLSepi,GLSmid and PSD(P<0.05),while LV ejection fraction was negatively correlated with GLSepi,GLSmid and GLSendo in T2DM patients with PVD(P<0.01).CONCLUSION PVD may aggravate the deterioration of LV systolic dysfunction in T2DM patients.Layer-specific GLS and PSD can be used to detect LV systolic dysfunction accurately and conveniently in T2DM patients with or without PVD.
文摘The ultrasound pressure-strain loop (PSL) technique is a non-invasive method of examining myocardial work, which takes into account the effect of cardiac afterload on deformation and combines the overall longitudinal strain force of the left ventricle with the changes in the left ventricular pressure, allowing earlier detection of possible subclinical cardiac damage in patients, and a more accurate and non-invasive assessment of the patient’s myocardial work performance. In this article, we will discuss the progress of PSL applications in cardiovascular diseases.
基金supported by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong(GRF 17201620)ACCESS—AI Chip Center for Emerging Smart Systems,sponsored by InnoHK funding,Hong Kong,China,the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.62031018 and 61971227)Hong Kong Scholars Program(Grant No.XJ2022032).
文摘Leveraging an optical system for image encryption is a promising approach to information security since one can enjoy parallel,high-speed transmission,and low-power consumption encryption features.However,most existing optical encryption systems involve a critical issue that the dimension of the ciphertexts is the same as the plaintexts,which may result in a cracking process with identical plaintextciphertext forms.Inspired by recent advances in computational neuromorphic imaging(CNI)and speckle correlography,a neuromorphic encryption technique is proposed and demonstrated through proof-ofprinciple experiments.The original images can be optically encrypted into event-stream ciphertext with a high-level information conversion form.To the best of our knowledge,the proposed method is the first implementation for event-driven optical image encryption.Due to the high level of encryption data with the CNI paradigm and the simple optical setup with a complex inverse scattering process,our solution has great potential for practical security applications.This method gives impetus to the image encryption of the visual information and paves the way for the CNI-informed applications of speckle correlography.
