Phase unwrapping based on adaptive image in-painting of fringe patterns in measuring gear tooth flanks by laser interferometry.

Phase unwrapping in regions of abnormal fringes remains an unresolved issue. In this paper, we present an approach that combines an image-inpainting strategy based on an adaptive window which is obtained according to the density and orientation of fringe patterns and a quality-guided algorithm for phase unwrapping. First, a threshold is set to a quality map to detect the target region. Second, the target region is filled with new phase values by the adaptive image-inpainting method. Then, a quality-guided phase unwrapping algorithm is applied to this newly generated wrapped phase map. Finally, postprocessing of the unwrapped result is performed. The method is validated through several simulation and experiments. The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is effective in the presence of abnormal fringes.

Large object vision measurement system based on a fixed connection between a camera and a total station telescope.

Vision measuring, involving the measurement of the three-dimensional shape and color of large objects using stereo vision-based methods, is a challenging task. In this study, a freely adjustable vision measurement system for large objects is developed by connecting a camera to a total station telescope via a fixed mount. In this system, a camera is focused on the target object to be measured in far-range scenarios. A high-precision calibration method is proposed based on non-parametric camera models. In addition, a point cloud-based three-dimensional reconstruction method is developed by integrating with the non-parametric camera models. The experimental results showed that the proposed system has high precision and robustness. When measuring objects from a distance of 8 m in an indoor scenario, the error in the maximum spatial distance measurement between two corner points on the calibration board is less than 0.24 mm. The maximum relative measurement error is less than 0.09%. When measuring an object 20 m away in an outdoor scenario, the average error in the spatial distance measurement between two arbitrary points in an 11 m×4 m testing region is 5.6 mm. The average relative error in the distance measurement is 0.12%.

Genomewide DNA Methylation Responses in Patients with ß-Thalassemia Treated with Yisui Shengxue Granules ().

OBJECTIVE: To examine the clinical effects of Yisui Shengxue Granules () in the treatment of ß-thalassemia and explore its mechanism on DNA methylation levels. METHODS: A randomized placebo-controlled double-blinded trial was conducted. Forty patients with ß-thalassemia were recruited and distributed randomly by envelope method into an experimental group and a control group, 20 patients in each group. The patients were given Yisui Shengxue Granules in the experimental group and placebo in the control group (12 g/bag three times a day) during a 3-month intervention. Before and after 1, 2, and 3 months of treatment, peripheral intravenous blood was sampled, and blood parameters such as hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cells (RBCs), reticulocytes (Ret), and fetal hemoglobin (HbF) were analyzed. Mononuclear cells from 5 patients, who showed an obvious treatment effect, were isolated by density gradient centrifugation. DNA methylation was analyzed using an Affymetrix USA GeneChip Human Promoter 1.0 Array and Input-promoter 1.0. RESULTS: Compared with pre-treatment, there was an obvious increase in Hb and RBCs counts after 1, 2, and 3 months in the experiment group (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Meanwhile, HbF increased from the 2nd to the 3rd month (P<0.05). In the control group, Hb and RBCs showed no obvioas change. After 3-month treatment, DNA methylation results from 5 patients revealed that there were 24 hypomethylated genes and 3,685 hypermethylated genes compared with pre-treatment. Genes of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) and Janus kinase 3 (JAK3) revealed the most relations with other genes (degree: 21) and genes of 1-phosphatidylinositol-4, 5-bisphosphate phosphodiesterase gamma 2 (PLCG2) and mitogen-activated protein kinase 10 (MAPK10) showed a stronger intermediary role (betweenness centrality=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: JAK3 and MAPK10 are two key genes in bone marrow and the lymphatic system, and JAK3 is likely to be related to hematopoietic cytokines in the process of early hematopoiesis. (Registration No. NCT01549080).

Intraspecific variation of self-incompatibility in the distylous plant Primula merrilliana.

Heteromorphic self-incompatibility can prevent self- and intramorph fertilization while favouring intermorph mating and the maintenance of morph-ratio stability in heterostylous populations. However, variation in the expression of self-incompatibility intraspecies has seldom been assessed. Through hand pollinations and microsatellite markers, the variation in the expression of self-incompatibility and genetic diversity were studied in distylous plant Primula merrilliana. We discovered that the strength of self-incompatibility varied extensively among individuals and populations, from pronounced to weaker self-incompatibility in distylous populations, all the way to strong self-compatibility in homostylous populations. Each distylous population included self-incompatible (SI), partly self-compatible (PSC) and self-compatible (SC) individuals, with the index of self-compatibility (ISC) ranging from 0.07 to 0.68 across populations. Self-compatible populations (ISC > 0.25) were not genetically clustered but were more closely related to populations with high SI and SC individuals were mixed with SI individuals within populations. The ISC and the proportions of SC and PSC individuals were higher in peripheral than in central populations, but no decrease of genetic diversity and no deviations of floral morph ratio from isoplethy were detected in peripheral populations. Additionally, the expression of self-incompatibility was stronger in long-styled flowers than in short-styled flowers. The variation in the strength of self-incompatibility documented in P. merrilliana cautions against the estimation of ISC from a few individuals or populations in distylous species and provides a more complex and nuanced understanding of the role of self-incompatibility in heterostyly.

Weighted least-squares phase unwrapping algorithm based on a non-interfering image of an object.

Conventional quality maps for weighted least-squares phase unwrapping are not appropriate in regions of abnormal fringes. In this paper, the use of a non-interfering image of an object for a reliability map is proposed for robust phase unwrapping. First, the conventional weighted least-squares algorithm is applied, and the unreliable region is detected. Then, the unreliable region is unwrapped iteratively using the non-interfering image of the object. Finally, both phase maps are combined and smoothed by a continuity operation. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is appropriate for unwrapping phase maps of abnormal fringes.

Clinical Effect and Mechanism of Yisui Shengxue Granules in Thalassemia Patients with Mild, Moderate, or Severe Anemia.

Yisui Shengxue granules, which is a Chinese traditional medicine, can increase hemoglobin, red blood cells, and Ret of thalassemia patients with mild, moderate, and severe anemia and thus relieve clinical anemia symptoms. Studies on mechanism found that Yisui Shengxue granules can increase the proliferation ability of hematopoietic stem cells. Emodin promoted colony forming of hematopoietic stem cells. Yisui Shengxue granules can increase the activity of GSH-PX in bone marrow blood and decreased the severity of inclusion bodies on the cytomembrane of RBCs. YSSXG attenuated anemia symptoms in patients with thalassemia mostly by increasing the proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells and decreasing the hemolysis of RBCs.

Hysteroscopy prior to repeat embryo transfer may improve pregnancy outcomes for asymptomatic women with repeated implantation failure.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of hysteroscopy (HS) in detecting intrauterine abnormalities prior to repeat embryo transfer and improving pregnancy outcomes in asymptomatic women with repeated implantation failure (RIF). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted involving 672 asymptomatic RIF women from a Chinese university hospital. Pregnancy outcomes between the HS (subdivided into patients with and without intrauterine abnormalities) and non-HS groups were compared. RESULTS: The incidence of intrauterine abnormalities in the HS group was 37.13%. The most common abnormalities included endometrial polyps or polypoid endometrium, endometrial hyperplasia and intrauterine adhesions. Clinical pregnancy and implantation rates in the HS group were significantly higher than in the non-HS group (41.92% vs 32.25%; 23.82% vs 18.60%, respectively). There were no significant differences in early abortion, ectopic pregnancy, late abortion and live birth rates. The clinical pregnancy and implantation rates in both HS subgroups were significantly higher when compared to the non-HS group, whereas there were no significant differences between the subgroups. CONCLUSION: HS improved pregnancy outcomes in women with or without intrauterine abnormalities. HS may be routinely performed before repeat embryo transfer in RIF women.

Correcting large lens radial distortion using epipolar constraint.

It is necessary to correct lens distortion for building 3D models from multiple 2D images. Lens distortion is usually dominated by radial components, and especially dominated by the first radial distortion term that is called large lens radial distortion. In this work, we propose a method for correcting large lens radial distortion based on epipolar constraint. It requires nothing but a number of image point correspondences from two views, while the distortion center is assumed to be at the image center. Experimental results show that the robustness and correction accuracy of the proposed method outperform those of the previous methods.

Effects of Kaixin Jieyu Decoction () on behavior, monoamine neurotransmitter levels, and serotonin receptor subtype expression in the brain of a rat depression model.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the mechanisms underlying the anti-depressant effects of Kaixin Jieyu Decoction (, KJD) by investigating the effects of KJD on behavior, monoamine neurotransmitter levels, and serotonin (5-HT) receptor subtype expression in the brain in a rat model of depression. METHODS: The rat depression model was established using chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Forty-eight Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into control, depression model (CUMS), CUMS+KJD (7.7 g/kg(-1)·d(-1) of crude drug), and CUMS+fluoxetine (2.4 mg/kg(-1)·d(-1)) groups (n=12 in each group), and the treatments lasted for 21 days. We regularly evaluated body weight, sucrose consumption, and horizontal and vertical activity scores in open-field tests. The content of the monoamine neurotransmitters 5-HT, norepinephrine (NE), and dopamine (DA) and the DA metabolite homovanillic acid in the cerebral cortex, and 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptor mRNA in the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus, were determined respectively by high-performance liquid chromatography-coularray electrochemical detector and real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, CUMS rats showed a variety of depression-like behavioral changes, including a significant reduction in body weight, sucrose consumption, and horizontal and vertical activity scores in open-field tests (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and a significant decrease in 5-HT and NE levels and 5-HT2A receptor mRNA expression. In contrast, they showed a significant increase in 5-HT1A receptor mRNA expression in the cerebral cortex. In the hippocampus, 5-HT1A receptor mRNA expression was lower whereas 5-HT2A receptor mRNA expression was higher than in the control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Treatment with KJD or fluoxetine partially attenuated these changes (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION: KJD could normalize the levels of 5-HT and NE and adjust the balance of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptor expression in rat cerebrum, and this may be one of mechanisms of antidepressant effects of KJD.

Molecular mechanism of yisui shengxue granule, a complex chinese medicine, on thalassemia patients suffering from hemolysis and anemia of erythrocytes.

The objective of this study was to investigate the therapeutic biological mechanism of Yisui Shengxue Granule (YSSXG), a complex Chinese medicine, on the hemolysis and anemia of erythrocytes from patient with thalassemia disease. Sixteen patients with thalassemia (8 cases of α-thalassemia and 8 cases of ß-thalassemia) disease were collected and treated with YSSXG for 3 months. The improvements of blood parameter demonstrated that YSSXG had a positive clinical effect on patients with thalassemia disease. For patients with α-thalassemia disease, RT-PCR showed that YSSXG upregulated the relative mRNA expression level of α-globin to ß-globin and downregulated DNMT1, DNMT3a, and DNMT3b mRNA compared with pretreatment. Western blotting showed that YSSXG downregulated the expression of DNMT1 and DNMT3a. For patients with ß-thalassemia disease, the relative expression level of (A) γ-globin to α-globin had an increasing trend and the level of BCL11A mRNA expression obviously increased. For all patients, RT-PCR showed that YSSXG upregulated mRNA expression of SPTA1 and SPTB. Activities of SOD and GSH-Px significantly increased and MDA obviously reduced on erythrocyte and blood serum after YSSXG treatment. TEM showed that YSSXG decreased the content of inclusion bodies. Activities of Na(+)K(+)-ATPtase and T-ATPtase of erythrocyte increased significantly after YSSXG treatment. This study provides the basis for mechanisms of YSSXG on thalassemia suffering with hemolysis and anemia of erythrocytes from patient.

Pulmonary hypertension risk in patients with hemoglobin h disease: low incidence and absence of correlation with splenectomy.

Pulmonary hypertension (PHT) is a common complication for patients with ß thalassemia intermediate (TI), especially splenectomized patients. However, the frequency and risk factors of PHT in patients with hemoglobin H (HbH) disease is unknown. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of PHT risk manifested as tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity (TRV) ≥2.5 m/s in patients with HbH disease and its correlation with splenectomy. One hundred and ninety-eight patients with HbH disease who visited the 303rd Hospital of the People's Liberation Army (Nanning, China) were investigated. Thirteen subjects (6.5%) were diagnosed as having a risk of PHT. Regression analyses showed that the prevalence of PHT risk was correlated only with age (r = 0.195, p = 0.006) and not with splenectomy. The risk of PHT in patients older than 35 years was 5.7 times (range 1.8-18.6) greater than that for patients younger than 35 years. For splenectomized patients compared to those with HbH disease, patients with TI had a higher frequency of PHT risk, higher nucleated red blood cell counts (46.03 ± 41.11 × 10(9)/l vs. 0.18 ± 1.19 × 10(9)/l, p < 0.001) and a higher platelet counts (837.6 ± 178.9 × 10(9)/l vs. 506.7 ± 146.2 × 10(9)/l, p < 0.001). PHT risk is low in patients with HbH disease and does not correlate with splenectomy. Patients older than 35 years should be monitored regularly.

Autofocusing algorithm of interferogram based on object image and registration technology.

Because the depth of field (DOF) of lenses is limited, a captured interferogram usually includes a focused region and defocused region simultaneously when the form deviation of the helical tooth flank is measured with laser interferometry. Because of the impact of the interference fringe, the existing autofocusing algorithms are difficult for identifying the focused region of the interferogram directly. This paper proposes a new autofocusing algorithm based on the object image and registration technology. First, the reliability region is evaluated according to the gray level. Then the corresponding pixels in the image sequence are determined with the registration technology. Next, the focused region is judged by comparing the average gray gradients in object images. Based on the characteristics of measured gear and the DOF of lens, an experiment is designed. The experimental results are given to verify the feasibility and accuracy of the proposed autofocusing algorithm.

Effect of Yisui Shengxue Granule () on the oxidative damage of erythrocytes from patients with hemoglobin H disease.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Yisui Shengxue Granule (, YSSXG), a complex Chinese medicine, on the oxidative damage of erythrocytes from patients with hemoglobin H (HbH) disease. METHODS: Twenty-two patients with HbH disease and 22 healthy volunteers were observed. YSSXG was given to patients with HbH disease for 3 months. Before and after the 3-month treatment, blood parameters [hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cells (RBCs), and reticulocyte percent (Ret)] were examined; inclusion bodies in erythrocytes were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM); activities of antioxidant defense enzymes [superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (Cat)] and erythrocyte membrane malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations were determined. RESULTS: In patients with HbH disease, measured values of RBC and Hb obtained from the first to the third months after treatment with YSSXG were significantly higher than before treatment (P<0.01). Measured values of Ret from the second to the third months after treatment were significantly lower than before treatment (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively). Prior to treatment with YSSXG, TEM images of RBCs showed the presence of numerous inclusion bodies. After treatment with YSSXG, the amount and volume of inclusion bodies decreased. Treatment with YSSXG also led to a significant increase in SOD activity (P<0.01), a decrease in Cat activity (P<0.01), and no significant differences in GSHPx activity (P>0.05) or MDA concentration (P>0.05). However, compared with the healthy counterparts, SOD, GSH-Px, and Cat activities presented at high levels (P<0.01) both before and after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: YSSXG could improve the degree of hemolysis and anemia in patients with HbH disease. The mechanism may be related to its antioxidative effects, which could elevate the activity of total SOD in erythrocytes and efficiently inhibit the oxidative precipitation of ß-globin chains.

Image-inpainting and quality-guided phase unwrapping algorithm.

For the wrapped phase map with regional abnormal fringes, a new phase unwrapping algorithm that combines the image-inpainting theory and the quality-guided phase unwrapping algorithm is proposed. First, by applying a threshold to the modulation map, the valid region (i.e., the interference region) is divided into the doubtful region (called the target region during the inpainting period) and the reasonable one (the source region). The wrapped phase of the doubtful region is thought to be unreliable, and the data are abandoned temporarily. Using the region-filling image-inpainting method, the blank target region is filled with new data, while nothing is changed in the source region. A new wrapped phase map is generated, and then it is unwrapped with the quality-guided phase unwrapping algorithm. Finally, a postprocessing operation is proposed for the final result. Experimental results have shown that the performance of the proposed algorithm is effective.

Quality-guided phase unwrapping algorithm based on reliability evaluation.

For optical interferometry, a new quality-guided phase unwrapping algorithm based on the reliability evaluation of each pixel of the wrapped phase is proposed. First, the parameters used as quality measures in the past quality-guided algorithms are classified into the reliability measure and the quality measure, and the intensity of the object image belongs to the reliability measure. Then, by computing and applying a threshold to the intensity of the object image, the valid region (i.e., the interference region) is distinguished into the reliable region and the doubtful region. The wrapped phase in the reliable region is subsequently unwrapped by the way of multipaths integration, and different paths are guided by separate quality measures. Finally, starting from the reliable region, the doubtful region is unwrapped by the way that each path takes in the reliable region. Experimental results have shown that the proposed algorithm not only performs well, but also computes efficiently.

Object-image-based method to construct an unweighted quality map for phase extraction and phase unwrapping.

A method to construct an unweighted quality map for phase extraction and phase unwrapping is proposed, based on an object image pattern. The object image pattern must be recorded under the same conditions as that of the corresponding interference patterns, except that the lights coming from the reference arm of the interferometer are hidden. An unweighted quality map that can represent the valid and invalid regions in the interference patterns is completed successfully, based on two factors: the fact that the object region in the object image pattern is homologous with the valid region (i.e., the interference region) in the interference patterns, and on distinguishing between the object and background regions in the object image pattern using neighbor window threshold filtering and fitting the boundary of the object image. The application of the proposed method to the real measurement shows its feasibility and correctness. This paper might provide an alternative method for constructing an unweighted quality map for phase extraction and phase unwrapping.

Improvement of the oblique-incidence optical interferometric system to measure tooth flanks of involute helical gears.

We put forward a plan of improving the oblique-incidence optical interferometric system applied in the measurement of tooth flanks of an involute spur gear in order to expand its capability to measure an involute helical gear. On the basis of the features of an involute helical tooth flank, we discuss how to realize the parallelism between the optical axis of the object arm of the optical system and the straight lines constructing the involute helical tooth flank. This parallelism helps the optical system produce an interference fringe pattern as clear as the one of an involute spur gear [Appl. Opt.49, 6409 (2010).]. A numerical simulation is then performed to examine the correctness of the improvement. During simulating, we unify the equation of difference tooth flanks by means of importing two parameters in relation to the left or right side of a tooth flank and the helical direction of teeth, respectively. Finally, the actual experiment is fulfilled through the real optical system built on an optical table. The simulation and experiment results verify the correctness and feasibility of the proposed improvement.

Simulation method for interference fringe patterns in measuring gear tooth flanks by laser interferometry.

We present a ray-tracing-based method for simulation of interference fringe patterns (IFPs) for measuring gear tooth flanks with a two-path interferometer. This simulation method involves two steps. In the first step, the profile of an IFP is achieved by means of ray tracing within the object path of the interferometer. In the second step, the profile of an IFP is filled with interference fringes, according to a set of functions from an optical path length to a fringe gray level. To examine the correctness of this simulation method, simulations are performed for two spur involute gears, and the simulated IFPs are verified by experiments using the actual two-path interferometer built on an optical platform.

Hemoglobin H disease in Guangxi province, Southern China: clinical review of 357 patients.

The clinical characteristics of 357 patients with hemoglobin H (HbH) disease from the Guangxi province of Southern China were studied. One hundred and ninety-one (53.3%) patients were diagnosed with HbH-Constant Spring, 19 were diagnosed with HbH Westmead. Ten patients were shown to have coinherited HbH-Constant Spring/QS with a ß-thalassemia mutation. Coinheritance of the ß-thalassemia gene does not alleviate anemia (8.2 ± 2.3 vs. 7.6 ± 1.7 g/dl, p = 0.276), or influence age at diagnosis (20.2 ± 19.6 vs. 12.9 ± 11.0 years, p = 0.276). Ferritin levels were significantly higher in the group of patients with the nondeletional form of the disease (475 ± 719 vs. 249 ± 264 ng/ml, p = 0.005).

[Mechanisms of delay endothelial cell replicative senescence by extracts from Panax ginseng, Panax notoginseng and Ligusticum chuanxiong].

OBJECTIVE: To explore effect of extracts from Panax ginseng, P. notoginseng and Ligusticum chuanxiong on human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVECs) replicative senescence. METHOD: HUVECs were induced to aging by generation cultivating to the eighth cells in order to establish a model of endothelial cells replicative senescence. The cultured HUVECs in vitro were divided into 4 groups, the eighth generation cell-senescence untreated group, Vitamin E group, herbal treated high dose and low dose groups. Changes of HUVECs aging were observed by method of SA-beta-gal stained HUVECs and cells cycle were analyzed. Contents of ROS in cells, the levels of anti-superoxide (O2-) and nitric oxide (NO) in cell mediums were examined. Western blot were used to analyse protein expression of NADPH oxidase p47phox, angiotensin type 1 and 2 receptor (AT1R, AT2R). RESULT: Compared with Vitamin E group, the positive cell numbers of beta-gal stained HUVECs were enhanced, cell proliferation was depressed, and the fluorescence intensity of ROS was increased, at the same time, less NO and more O2- in cells were produced in the eighth generation cell-senescence untreated group. Protein expression of p47phox, AT1R and AT2R in cells increased compared with Vit E group. Chinese herbs of high dose and low dose could improve condutions of HUVECs aging. Chinese herbs of high dose and low dose could reduce the positive cell numbers of beta-gal stained HUVEC, increase cell proliferation and decrease fluorescence intensity of ROS in cells, at the same time, cells secreting more NO and less O2-. Protein expression of p47phox, AT1R and AT2R in cells treated with Chinese herbs of high dose and low dose were decreased compared with Vit E group. CONCLUSION: The study indicated that extracts from P. ginseng, P. notoginseng and L. chuanxiong could delay endothelial cell replicative senescence. Herbal extracts downregulate the expression of NAD (P) H oxidase subunit-p47phox by means of ROS, hence decrease O2- production and ultimately delay HUVECs in vitro senescence.