IBCIS: intelligent blood cell identification system

The analysis of blood cells in microscope images can provide useful information concerning the health of patients. There are three major blood cell types, namely, erythrocytes （red）, leukocytes （white）, and platelets. Manual classification is time consuming and suscep- tible to error due to the different morphological features of the cells. This paper presents an intelligent system that simulates a human visual inspection and classification of the three blood cell types, The proposed system comprises two phases： The image preprocessing phase where blood cell features are extracted via global pattern averaging, and the neural network arbitration phase where training is the first and then classification is carried out. Experimental results suggest that the proposed method performs well in identifying blood cell types regardless of their irregular shapes, sizes and orientation, thus providing a fast, simple and efficient rotational and scale invariant blood cell identification system which can be used in automating laboratory reporting.     

Comparison between homogeneous and separated flow models of isobutane flowing through adiabatic capillary tubes

Capillary tubes have been widely used as expansion devices in small-scale refrigeration and heat-pump systems. However, adiabatic flow through a capillary tube is extremely complicated, despite its simple geometry. This work presents a comparative study on the homogenous flow model and separated flow model, which were used to simulate the flow of isobutene (R600a) through adiabatic capillary tubes. The influence of different combinations of friction factor and two-phase viscosity correlations, and the effect of metastable flow on the flow characteristics were investigated. The predicted mass flow rate was lower when the separated flow model was used. The separated flow model performed better in predicting a mass flow rate over 2 kg·h?1. The Colebrook friction factor correlation combined with the Dukler or McAdams viscosity correlation yielded smaller deviations of 5.43%, 5.49% and 5.44%, 5.43% when ignoring and considering the metastable flow, respectively. Additionally, the homogenous flow model adopting the Bittle and Pate friction factor and Dukler viscosity correlations achieved the highest accuracy with a mass flow rate under 2 kg·h?1. The mean error was 4.12% in the case without metastable flow, and 3.37% in the case with metastable flow.     

Mutations in MEGF10, a regulator of satellite cell myogenesis, cause early onset myopathy, areflexia, respiratory distress and dysphagia (EMARDD)

Infantile myopathies with diaphragmatic paralysis are genetically heterogeneous, and clinical symptoms do not assist in differentiating between them. We used phased haplotype analysis with subsequent targeted exome sequencing to identify MEGF10 mutations in a previously unidentified type of infantile myopathy with diaphragmatic weakness, areflexia, respiratory distress and dysphagia. MEGF10 is highly expressed in activated satellite cells and regulates their proliferation as well as their differentiation and fusion into multinucleated myofibers, which are greatly reduced in muscle from individuals with early onset myopathy, areflexia, respiratory distress and dysphagia.     

石墨烯对铜纳米复合材料物理力学性能和摩擦学性能的影响

本文对铜–石墨烯纳米片（GN）纳米复合材料的力学性能和摩擦学性能进行了实验研究。我们采用化学包覆法将银粒子包覆在GNs上,以避免其与铜的反应和金属间相的形成。分析了GN含量对制备的纳米复合材料的结构、力学性能和摩擦学性能的影响。结果表明,化学镀是一种有效避免铜与碳反应和金属间相形成的方法。GNs的加入显著提高了Cu纳米复合材料的力学性能和摩擦学性能。然而,GNs的添加需要谨慎进行,因为在达到一定的阈值后,其机械性能和摩擦学性能会受到负面影响。结果表明,GN含量为0.5vol%时,复合材料的硬度、磨损率和摩擦系数分别比铜纳米复合材料提高了13%、81.9%和49.8%。这些改进的性能是由于降低的晶体尺寸,GNs的存在,以及复合材料成分的均匀分布。     

Computational comparison of two draft sequences of the human genome

We are in the enviable position of having two distinct drafts of the human genome sequence. Although gaps, errors, redundancy and incomplete annotation mean that individually each falls short of the ideal, many of these problems can be assessed by comparison. Here we present some comparative analyses of these drafts. We look at a number of features of the sequences, including sequence gaps, continuity, consistency between the two sequences and patterns of DNA-binding protein motifs.     

Bimodal processing of olfactory information in an amphibian nose: odor responses segregate into a medial and a lateral stream

In contrast to the single sensory surface present in teleost fishes, several spatially segregated subsystems with distinct molecular and functional characteristics define the mammalian olfactory system. However, the evolutionary steps of that transition remain unknown. Here we analyzed the olfactory system of an early diverging tetrapod, the amphibian Xenopus laevis, and report for the first time the existence of two odor-processing streams, sharply segregated in the main olfactory bulb and partially segregated in the olfactory epithelium of pre-metamorphic larvae. A lateral odor-processing stream is formed by microvillous receptor neurons and is characterized by amino acid responses and Gα_o/Gα_i as probable signal transducers, whereas a medial stream formed by ciliated receptor neurons is characterized by responses to alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones, and Gα_olf/cAMP as probable signal transducers. To reveal candidates for the olfactory receptors underlying these two streams, the spatial distribution of 12 genes from four olfactory receptor gene families was determined. Several class II and some class I odorant receptors (ORs) mimic the spatial distribution observed for the medial stream, whereas a trace amine-associated receptor closely parallels the spatial pattern of the lateral odor-processing stream. Other olfactory receptors (some class I odorant receptors and vomeronasal type 1 receptors) and odor responses (to bile acids, amines) were not lateralized, the latter not even in the olfactory bulb, suggesting an incomplete segregation. Thus, the olfactory system of X. laevis exhibits an intermediate stage of segregation and as such appears well suited to investigate the molecular driving forces behind olfactory regionalization.     

Coordinated shift of olfactory amino acid responses and V2R expression to an amphibian water nose during metamorphosis

All olfactory receptors identified in teleost fish are expressed in a single sensory surface, whereas mammalian olfactory receptor gene families segregate into different olfactory organs, chief among them the main olfactory epithelium expressing ORs and TAARs, and the vomeronasal organ expressing V1Rs and V2Rs. A transitional stage is embodied by amphibians, with their vomeronasal organ expressing more ‘modern’, later diverging V2Rs, whereas more ‘ancient’, earlier diverging V2Rs are expressed in the main olfactory epithelium. During metamorphosis, the main olfactory epithelium of Xenopus tadpoles transforms into an air-filled cavity (principal cavity, air nose), whereas a newly formed cavity (middle cavity) takes over the function of a water nose. We report here that larval expression of ancient V2Rs is gradually lost from the main olfactory epithelium as it transforms into the air nose. Concomitantly, ancient v2r gene expression begins to appear in the basal layers of the newly forming water nose. We observe the same transition for responses to amino acid odorants, consistent with the hypothesis that amino acid responses may be mediated by V2R receptors.     

热机械循环淬火调质处理对AISI 1345钢组织、力学和电化学性能的影响

Thermomechanical cyclic quenching and tempering (TMCT) can strengthen steels through a grain size reduction mechanism. The effect of TMCT on microstructure, mechanical, and electrochemical properties of AISI 1345 steel was investigated. Steel samples heated to 1050°C, rolled, quenched to room temperature, and subjected to various cyclic quenching and tempering heat treatments were named TMCT-1, TMCT-2, and TMCT-3 samples, respectively. Microstructure analysis revealed that microstructures of all the treated samples contained packets and blocks of well-refined lath-shaped martensite and retained austenite phases with varying grain sizes (2.8–7.9 μm). Among all the tested samples, TMCT-3 sample offered an optimum combination of properties by showing an improvement of 40% in tensile strength and reduced 34% elongation compared with the non-treated sample. Nanoindentation results were in good agreement with mechanical tests as the TMCT-3 sample exhibited a 51% improvement in indentation hardness with almost identical reduced elastic modulus compared with the non-treated sample. The electrochemical properties were analyzed in 0.1 M NaHCO₃ solution by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. As a result of TMCT, the minimum corrosion rate was 0.272 mm/a, which was twenty times less than that of the non-treated sample. The impedance results showed the barrier film mechanism, which was confirmed by the polarization results as the current density decreased.