Binocular head-mounted chromatic pupillometry can detect structural and functional loss in glaucoma.

Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the utility of binocular chromatic pupillometry in detecting impaired pupillary light response (PLR) in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and to assess the feasibility of using binocular chromatic pupillometer in opportunistic POAG diagnosis in community-based or telemedicine-based services. Methods: In this prospective, cross-sectional study, 74 patients with POAG and 23 healthy controls were enrolled. All participants underwent comprehensive ophthalmologic examinations including optical coherence tomography (OCT) and standard automated perimetry (SAP). The PLR tests included sequential tests of full-field chromatic stimuli weighted by rods, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), and cones (Experiment 1), as well as alternating chromatic light flash-induced relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) test (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, the constricting amplitude, velocity, and time to maximum constriction/dilation were calculated in three cell type-weighted responses, and the post-illumination response of ipRGC-weighted response was evaluated. In Experiment 2, infrared pupillary asymmetry (IPA) amplitude and anisocoria duration induced by intermittent blue or red light flashes were calculated. Results: In Experiment 1, the PLR of POAG patients was significantly reduced in all conditions, reflecting the defect in photoreception through rods, cones, and ipRGCs. The variable with the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was time to max dilation under ipRGC-weighted stimulus, followed by the constriction amplitude under cone-weighted stimulus and the constriction amplitude response to ipRGC-weighted stimuli. The impaired PLR features were associated with greater visual field loss, thinner retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, and cupping of the optic disk. In Experiment 2, IPA and anisocoria duration induced by intermittent blue or red light flashes were significantly greater in participants with POAG than in controls. IPA and anisocoria duration had good diagnostic value, correlating with the inter-eye asymmetry of visual field loss. Conclusion: We demonstrate that binocular chromatic pupillometry could potentially serve as an objective clinical tool for opportunistic glaucoma diagnosis in community-based or telemedicine-based services. Binocular chromatic pupillometry allows an accurate, objective, and rapid assessment of retinal structural impairment and functional loss in glaucomatous eyes of different severity levels.

Evaluation of the Glaucomatous Macular Damage by Chromatic Pupillometry.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to examine the performance of binocular chromatic pupillometry for the objective and rapid detection of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), and to explore the association between pupillary light response (PLR) features and structural glaucomatous macular damage. METHODS: Forty-six patients (mean age 41.00 ± 13.03 years) with POAG and 23 healthy controls (mean age 42.00 ± 11.08 years) were enrolled. All participants underwent sequenced PLR tests of full-field, superior/inferior quadrant-field chromatic stimuli using a binocular head-mounted pupillometer. The constricting amplitude, velocity, and time to max constriction/dilation, and the post-illumination pupil response (PIPR) were analyzed. The inner retina thickness and volume measurements were determined by spectral domain optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: In the full-field stimulus experiment, time to pupil dilation was inversely correlated with perifoveal thickness (r = - 0.429, P < 0.001) and perifoveal volume (r = - 0.364, P < 0.001). Dilation time (AUC 0.833) showed good diagnostic performance, followed by the constriction amplitude (AUC 0.681) and PIPR (AUC 0.620). In the superior quadrant-field stimulus experiment, time of pupil dilation negatively correlated with inferior perifoveal thickness (r = - 0.451, P < 0.001) and inferior perifoveal volume (r = - 0.417, P < 0.001). The dilation time in response to the superior quadrant-field stimulus showed the best diagnostic performance (AUC 0.909). In the inferior quadrant-field stimulus experiment, time to pupil dilation (P < 0.001) correlated well with superior perifoveal thickness (r = - 0.299, P < 0.001) and superior perifoveal volume (r = - 0.304, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The use of chromatic pupillometry offers a patient-friendly and objective approach to detect POAG, while the impairment of PLR features may serve as a potential indicator of structural macular damage.

Confusing Image Quality Assessment: Toward Better Augmented Reality Experience.

With the development of multimedia technology, Augmented Reality (AR) has become a promising next-generation mobile platform. The primary value of AR is to promote the fusion of digital contents and real-world environments, however, studies on how this fusion will influence the Quality of Experience (QoE) of these two components are lacking. To achieve better QoE of AR, whose two layers are influenced by each other, it is important to evaluate its perceptual quality first. In this paper, we consider AR technology as the superimposition of virtual scenes and real scenes, and introduce visual confusion as its basic theory. A more general problem is first proposed, which is evaluating the perceptual quality of superimposed images, i.e., confusing image quality assessment. A ConFusing Image Quality Assessment (CFIQA) database is established, which includes 600 reference images and 300 distorted images generated by mixing reference images in pairs. Then a subjective quality perception experiment is conducted towards attaining a better understanding of how humans perceive the confusing images. Based on the CFIQA database, several benchmark models and a specifically designed CFIQA model are proposed for solving this problem. Experimental results show that the proposed CFIQA model achieves state-of-the-art performance compared to other benchmark models. Moreover, an extended ARIQA study is further conducted based on the CFIQA study. We establish an ARIQA database to better simulate the real AR application scenarios, which contains 20 AR reference images, 20 background (BG) reference images, and 560 distorted images generated from AR and BG references, as well as the correspondingly collected subjective quality ratings. Three types of full-reference (FR) IQA benchmark variants are designed to study whether we should consider the visual confusion when designing corresponding IQA algorithms. An ARIQA metric is finally proposed for better evaluating the perceptual quality of AR images. Experimental results demonstrate the good generalization ability of the CFIQA model and the state-of-the-art performance of the ARIQA model. The databases, benchmark models, and proposed metrics are available at: https://github.com/DuanHuiyu/ARIQA.

Directional Growth of Conductive Metal-Organic Framework Nanoarrays along [001] on Metal Hydroxides for Aqueous Asymmetric Supercapacitors.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising electrochemical materials that possess large specific surface areas, high porosities, good adjustability, and high activities. However, many conventional MOFs exhibit poor conductivity, which hinders their application in electrochemistry. In recent years, conductive MOFs (cMOFs) have attracted a considerable attention. As an important transition metal hydroxide, Ni(OH)2 nanosheets exhibit a high theoretical specific capacitance and a high energy density but a poor electrical conductivity. In this study, we combined a typical cMOF(Ni-HHTP, HHTP = 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexahydroxybenzene) with Ni(OH)2 nanosheets and synthesized a series of Ni-HHTP@Ni(OH)2 nanoarrays. The composite materials exhibit a high electrical conductivity and ionic transfer efficiency and a good stability. Most importantly, our study reveals the chemical interaction between cMOFs and metal hydroxide composites and the relationship between facet exposure and the growth orientation of cMOFs. When Ni-HHTP@Ni(OH)2-2 was assembled as a positive electrode material in an aqueous asymmetric supercapacitor, 98% of the initial capacitance was maintained after 5000 cycles at a high current density of 3 A g-1. The findings of this study will provide meaningful insights into the design of cMOF composites combining other metal hydroxides.

Computer Intelligent Algorithm in the Recovery of the Elbow Joint Sports Injury Model.

In this study, the inverse kinematics mathematics computer intelligent algorithm model is used to study the sports injuries of the elbow joint of adolescents. At the same time, we simulated the movement parameter changes during the rehabilitation training of the patient's wrist and proposed a joint angular velocity function based on cubic fitting. Research has found that when the training scene changes greatly or the target task is changed, the smoothness of the elbow joint movement will change. The research conclusions of this article provide a theoretical basis for the selection of man-machine action points and the formulation of rehabilitation training methods. This article establishes the degree-of-freedom simulation model of the operating arm, which is the number of independent position variables in the operating arm, and these position variables determine the positions of all parts in the mechanism.

Construction of durable superhydrophilic activated carbon fibers based material for highly-efficient oil/water separation and aqueous contaminants degradation.

Developing filtering materials with high permeation flux and contaminant removal rate is of great importance for oily wastewater remediation. Herein, a robust three-dimensional (3D) activated carbon fibers (ACFs) based composite with uniformly grown layered double hydroxide (LDH) on the surface was successfully constructed through a feasible hydrothermal strategy. The LDH with a high surface energy and vertically aligned structure could provide superhydrophilicity to ACFs. Systematic investigation confirmed that the 3D material could overcome the size mismatch between the ACFs macropores and tiny emulsified droplets through the combination of size-sieving filtration on the surface and oil droplet coalescence in the fiber network. This process efficiently separated the intractable surfactant-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions with high permeation flux (up to 4.16 × 106 L m-2 h-1 bar-1). Notably, the LDH also had well-dispersed catalytic active sites, which could initiate advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) to efficiently eliminate various types of water-soluble organic pollutants (e.g., pharmaceuticals, phenolic compounds and organic dyes). The resulting modified ACFs exhibited exceptional removal rates for both oil and organic pollutants in the complex sewage during the continuous filtration process. These versatile abilities integrated with the facile preparation method reported herein provide outstanding prospects for the large-scale treatment of oily wastewater.

A Mammography-Based Nomogram for Prediction of Malignancy in Breast Suspicious Calcification.

AIM: To establish a predictive nomogram for malignancy risk stratification of micro-calcifications (MCCs) detected on mammography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive mammograms from January 2017 to March 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Traditional clinical features were recorded and mammographic features were estimated according to the 5th BI-RADS. A nomogram was developed to graphically predict the malignancy risk based on multivariate logistic regression analysis. The discrimination and calibration performance of the prediction model was assessed. RESULTS: There were 123 cases of suspicious MCCs with final pathological results identified with a malignancy rate of 55.2%. The malignancy rates of subgroups divided according to the morphology and distribution of MCCs, age, menopausal status and the maximum diameter of MCCs were significantly different. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that a menopause status of postmenopausal, maximum diameters of MCCs ≥2 cm, the morphology of MCCs as fine pleomorphic or fine linear or branching, and the distribution of MCCs as linear or segmental were predictive of a higher probability of malignancy. A prediction nomogram was developed based on four risk factors, including menopausal status as well as the maximum diameters, distribution and morphology of the MCCs. The AUC of that nomogram was 0.839 (95%CI:0.771-0.903). CONCLUSION: In mammography, the morphology, distribution and maximum diameter of MCCs, and the menopausal status are independent predictors of malignant suspicious MCCs and are readily available in the clinical setting. The nomogram developed in this study for individualized malignancy risk stratification of suspicious MCCs shows a reliable discrimination performance.

Lanthanum Oxide Nickel Hydroxide Composite Triangle Nanosheets for Energy Density Asymmetric Supercapacitors.

Transition metal hydroxides are a kind of promising electrode material in electrochemical energy storage, but the poor conductivity limits their application. Lanthanides are good proton conductors and can usually improve the intrinsic conductivity of other materials. By integrating the merits of lanthanide elements and transition metal hydroxide, we designed lanthanum oxide nickel hydroxide composites (LONH) with unique ultrathin triangle nanosheet morphology via a controllable synthetic strategy for high-performance supercapacitors. When the LONH is used as positive electrode material in aqueous asymmetric supercapacitor, it reveals an energy density (107.8 W h kg-1 at 800 W kg-1), rate performance (86.9% retention at 4 kW kg-1) and outstanding cycle stability (more than 90% retention after 3,000 cycles). This work confirms that compositing La2O3 and Ni(OH)2 can significantly improve the supercapacitor performance of both pristine La2O3 and transition metal hydroxide composites. We hope this work would offer a good prospect for developing other lanthanide-transition metal hydroxide composites as an attractive class of electrode materials in electrochemical energy storage.

When Conductive MOFs Meet MnO2: High Electrochemical Energy Storage Performance in an Aqueous Asymmetric Supercapacitor.

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have been widely researched and applied in many fields. However, the poor electrical conductivity of many traditional MOFs greatly limits their application in electrochemistry, especially in energy storage. Benefited from the full charge delocalization in the atomical plane, conductive MOFs (c-MOFs) exhibit good electrochemical performance. Besides, unlike graphene, c-MOFs are provided with 1D cylindrical channels, which can facilitate the ion transport and enable high ion conductivity. Transition-metal oxides (TMOs) are promising materials with good electrochemical energy storage performance due to their excellent oxidation-reduction activity. When composited with TMOs, the c-MOFs can significantly improve the capacitance and rate performance. In this work, for the first time, we designed serial MnO2@Ni-HHTP (HHTP = 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexahydroxytriphenylene) nanoarrays with different lengths and explored how the lengths influence the electrochemical energy storage performance. By taking advantage of the high redox activity of MnO2 and the excellent electron and ion conductivity in Ni-HHTP, when assembled as the positive electrode material in an aqueous asymmetric supercapacitor, the device displays high energy density, outstanding rate performance, and superior cycle stability. We believe that the results of this work would provide a good prospect for developing other c-MOF composites as a potential class of electrode materials in energy storage and conversion.

A Hierarchically Porous ZIF@LDH Core-Shell Structure for High-Performance Supercapacitors.

Designing nanocomposites with good electrochemical properties is one of the challenges in constructing supercapacitors. Adjustable metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have potential research value in improving charge storage and transfer due to their multi-porosity. Moreover, MOFs can serve as a precursor to various derivatives. Herein, a series of core-shell structures with macro-microporous ZIF-67 (M-ZIF-67) as the core and layered double hydroxide (LDH) as the shell were synthesized based on polystyrene spheres (PSs) template via a simple ion etching method. As a result, the sample of M-ZIF-67@LDH4 shows a specific capacitance of 597.6 F g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 and a high rate retention of 92% at 3 A g-1 .

Application of Ultrasound Diagnosis Technology Based on Statistical Analysis in Rehabilitation Treatment of Shoulder Sports Injuries.

Objective: This study uses statistics to analyze the diagnostic significance of ultrasonic exploration for rotator cuff injuries. Methods: For this study, 50 patients with rotator cuff injury or shoulder impingement syndrome admitted to the hospital from September 2017 to January 2019 were selected as the targets of this discussion. The general clinical materials of the patients were retrospectively analyzed, and ultrasound was performed for them. The results of the examination and arthroscopy are compared with the final pathological results. Results: The diagnostic sensitivity of ultrasound in the diagnosis of partial rupture and complete rupture of the supraspinatus tendon was 100%, and the specificity was 55.55%. The diagnostic sensitivity of partial rupture and complete rupture of the subscapular tendon was 100%, and the specificity was 42.8%; there was no significant difference compared with the joint mirror examination, and there was no statistical significance. Conclusion: The thesis adopts ultrasound exploration for patients with rotator cuff injuries with high diagnostic sensitivity. It is a reliable and effective clinical diagnosis method, which is worthy of clinical application and promotion.

Combination of near-infrared and thermal imaging techniques for the remote and simultaneous measurements of breathing and heart rates under sleep situation.

To achieve the simultaneous and unobtrusive breathing rate (BR) and heart rate (HR) measurements during nighttime, we leverage a far-infrared imager and an infrared camera equipped with IR-Cut lens and an infrared lighting array to develop a dual-camera imaging system. A custom-built cascade face classifier, containing the conventional Adaboost model and fully convolutional network trained by 32K images, was used to detect the face region in registered infrared images. The region of interest (ROI) inclusive of mouth and nose regions was afterwards confirmed by the discriminative regression and coordinate conversions of three selected landmarks. Subsequently, a tracking algorithm based on spatio-temporal context learning was applied for following the ROI in thermal video, and the raw signal was synchronously extracted. Finally, a custom-made time-domain signal analysis approach was developed for the determinations of BR and HR. A dual-mode sleep video database, including the videos obtained under environment where illumination intensity ranged from 0 to 3 Lux, was constructed to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed system and algorithms. In linear regression analysis, the determination coefficient (R2) of 0.831 had been observed for the measured BR and reference BR, and this value was 0.933 for HR measurement. In addition, the Bland-Altman plots of BR and HR demonstrated that almost all the data points located within their own 95% limits of agreement. Consequently, the overall performance of the proposed technique is acceptable for BR and HR estimations during nighttime.