Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EOE: Expected Overlap Estimation over Unstructured Point Cloud Data

We present an iterative overlap estimation technique to augment existing point cloud registration algorithms that can achieve high performance in difficult real-world situations where large pose displacement and non-overlapping geometry would otherwise cause traditional methods to fail. Our approach estimates overlapping regions through an iterative Expectation Maximization procedure that encodes the sensor field-of-view into the registration process. The proposed technique, Expected Overlap Estimation (EOE), is derived from the observation that differences in field-of-view violate the iid assumption implicitly held by all maximum likelihood based registration techniques. We demonstrate how our approach can augment many popular registration methods with minimal computational overhead. Through experimentation on both synthetic and real-world datasets, we find that adding an explicit overlap estimation step can aid robust outlier handling and increase the accuracy of both ICP-based and GMM-based registration methods, especially in large unstructured domains and where the amount of overlap between point clouds is very small.
The Second Neighborhood Conjecture for some Special Classes of Graphs

An oriented graph is a directed graph with no loops or digons. The second out-neighbors of a vertex $u$ in an oriented graph are the vertices to which there exist directed paths of length 2 from $u$, but are not out-neighbors of $u$. The Second Neighborhood Conjecture, first stated by Seymour, asserts that in every oriented graph, there is a vertex which has at least as many second out-neighbors as out-neighbors. We prove that the conjecture is true for two special classes of oriented graphs. We first show that any oriented graph whose vertex set can be partitioned into an independent set and 2-degenerate graph satisfies the conjecture. Fidler and Yuster ["Remarks on the second neighborhood problem", Journal of Graph Theory, 55(3):208--220, 2007] showed that the conjecture is true for graphs obtained by removing a matching from a tournament. We improve this result by showing that for graphs that can be obtained by removing a matching from a tournament and contain no sink, there exist two vertices with as many second out-neighbors as out-neighbors.
Infrared Image Super Resolution by Combining Compressive Sensing and Deep Learning

Super resolution methods alleviate the high cost and high difficulty in applying high resolution infrared image sensors. In this paper we present a novel single image super resolution method for infrared images by combining compressive sensing theory and deep learning. Low resolution images can be regarded as the compressed sampling results of the high resolution ones in compressive sensing. With sparsity in this theory, higher resolution images can be reconstructed. However, because of diverse level of sparsity for different images, the output contains noise and loss of high frequency information. Deep convolutional neural network provides a solution to relieve the noise and supplement some missing high frequency information. By concatenating two methods, we manage to produce better results in super resolution tasks for infrared images than SRCNN and ScSR. PSNR and SSIM values are used to quantify the performance. Applying our method to open datasets and actual infrared imaging experiments, we also find better visual results are preserved.
Reversibly immortalized hepatic progenitor cell line containing double suicide genes

A large number of functional hepatocytes is required for bioartificial liver therapy. Simian virus 40 T-antigen (SV40T) has been previously reported to improve the immortalized proliferation of primary hepatocytes to generate a sufficient number of cells; however, these long-term immortalized hepatocytes may induce further malignant transformation in vivo. In the present study, the SV40T immortalization gene and two suicide genes, herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) and cytosine deaminase (CD), were transducted into primary hepatocytes to construct a novel type of Cre/LoxP-mediated reversible immortalized hepatocyte line. Polymerase chain reaction analysis and western blotting confirmed that the SV40T, HSV-tk and CD genes were successfully inserted into hepatic progenitor cells and their expression was controlled by Cre/LoxP recombination. Total removal of SV40T could be achieved via the ganciclovir (GCV)/HSV-tk suicide system. Cells maintained their biosafety in vivo with CD gene expression and 5-fluoro-cytosine (5-FC) induced cell death. Following transplantation into the carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) model group, the majority of cells had survived after 14 days post-implantation and a number of the cells had transported into the liver parenchyma. When compared with the CCl4 model group, the transplanted cells repaired the liver biochemical index and pathological structure markedly. Thus, the present study reports a novel reversible immortalized hepatocyte with double suicide genes, which exhibited the cellular phenotype and recovery function of normal liver cells. This method maximally guaranteed the biological safety of immortalized hepatocytes for in vivo application, providing a reliable, safe and ideal cell material for the artificial liver technique.
Grassmannian Learning: Embedding Geometry Awareness in Shallow and Deep Learning

Modern machine learning algorithms have been adopted in a range of signal-processing applications spanning computer vision, natural language processing, and artificial intelligence. Many relevant problems involve subspace-structured features, orthogonality constrained or low-rank constrained objective functions, or subspace distances. These mathematical characteristics are expressed naturally using the Grassmann manifold. Unfortunately, this fact is not yet explored in many traditional learning algorithms. In the last few years, there have been growing interests in studying Grassmann manifold to tackle new learning problems. Such attempts have been reassured by substantial performance improvements in both classic learning and learning using deep neural networks. We term the former as shallow and the latter deep Grassmannian learning. The aim of this paper is to introduce the emerging area of Grassmannian learning by surveying common mathematical problems and primary solution approaches, and overviewing various applications. We hope to inspire practitioners in different fields to adopt the powerful tool of Grassmannian learning in their research.
Evaluation of treatment adherence in outpatients with schizophrenia

Background: Treatment nonadherence is a major obstacle in the successful management of schizophrenia. Finding out factors associated with nonadherence and the reasons for nonadherence are important to improve treatment adherence in patients with schizophrenia. This study was conceived to evaluate treatment adherence in patients with schizophrenia and the factors associated with it. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 50 consecutive patients with schizophrenia with the help of semi-structured pro forma consisting of sociodemographic details, information regarding illness and treatment history, (PANSS), and Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 to assess medication adherence. Nonadherent patients were further assessed for their reasons for nonadherence. Results: Among the patients, 52% were low adherers (nonadherers). Factors associated with nonadherence were younger age of patients, male gender, low household income, higher PANSS score (positive, negative, and total score), lower grades of insight, lack of family history of psychiatric illness, responsibility of taking self-medications, first-generation antipsychotics, and number of drugs in prescription. Major reason for nonadherence given by patients were adverse effects of medications, treatment perceived as ineffective, financial problems, shame and stigma about illness and treatment, regarding treatment unnecessary and difficulty to access health-care facility. Conclusion: Our study established high proportion of nonadherence in patients with schizophrenia and also brought out factors associated and reasons for nonadherence. Adequate psychoeducation of patients and their caretakers as well as psychosocial interventions, strengthening mental health infrastructure, and community mental health services will significantly improve treatment adherence.
Summary of Twenty-First Century Great Conversations in Art, Neuroscience and Related Therapeutics

Transdisciplinary collaboration is the future of knowledge making in advanced post-industrial societies and there is a growing awareness that the most vexing problems we face cannot be solved by any single discipline. Best practices for complex and challenging physical and mental disorders require a multi-disciplinary approach, yet there is a void in bridging the gap between the most contemporary models. It is in this capacity that the Twenty-First Century Great Conversations in Art, Neuroscience, and Related Therapeutics serves as a missing link. It was with active minds and a collective spirit that artists, scientists, therapists, physicians, engineers, technology experts, healthcare practitioners, and researchers from across the globe transcended historical silos to explore the capacities for collaborative partnerships to influence the health of patients and the amelioration of disease. Hosted at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), presenters shared insights through didactic sessions and panel discussions aligned with three tracks led by prominent experts in their respective fields: (1) Neuroaesthetics, Anjan Chatterjee, MD; (2) Creativity and Consciousness, Arne Dietrich, PhD; and (3) Mobile Brain/Body Imaging (MoBI), Klaus Gramann, PhD. The goals for this symposium were developed from a vision which embraces cross-disciplinary intersectionality, a merging of viewpoints, and active dialogue surrounding the development of a common language with which to advance the Creative Arts Therapies and neurosciences. The goal was also to contribute to the development of a simplified roadmap to enhance and enrich the CATs with a greater understanding of neuroscience and the available technologies that can assist in research.
The Octadecanoid Pathway, but Not COI1, Is Required for Nectar Secretion in Arabidopsis thaliana

Over 75% of crop species produce nectar and are dependent on pollinators to achieve maximum seed set, yet little is known about the mechanisms regulating nectar secretion. The phytohormone jasmonic acid (JA) is recognized to be involved in several plant processes including development and defense. JA was also recently shown to positively influence nectar secretion in both floral and extrafloral nectaries. For example, endogenous JA levels peak in flowers just prior to nectar secretion, but the details of how JA regulates nectar secretion have yet to be elucidated. We have found that the octadecanoid pathway does indeed play a role in the production and regulation of floral nectar in Arabidopsis. Null alleles for several JA biosynthesis and response genes had significantly reduced amounts of nectar, as well as altered expression of genes known to be involved in nectar production. We additionally identified crosstalk between the JA and auxin response pathways in nectaries. For example, the nectar-less JA synthesis mutant aos-2 showed no auxin response in nectaries, but both nectar production and the auxin response were restored upon exogenous JA and auxin treatment. Conversely, coi1-1, a JA-Ile-insensitive receptor mutant, displayed no auxin response in nectaries under any circumstance, even in older flowers that produced nectar. Surprisingly, opr3-1, a mutant for 12-oxophytodienoate reductase 3 [an enzyme further down the JA biosynthetic pathway that reduces 12-oxo phytodienoic acid (OPDA)], produced no nectar in newly opened flowers, but did secrete nectar in older flowers. Furthermore, a similar phenotype was observed in coi1-1. Cumulatively, these observations strongly suggest an indispensable role for an octadecanoic acid- and auxin-dependent, but JA- and COI1-dispensible, pathway in regulating nectar production in Arabidopsis.
Spatial patterns and predictor variables vary among different types of primary producers and consumers in eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds

Eelgrass (Zostera marina) forms extensive beds in coastal and estuarine environments and provides various ecosystem functions. The aboveground part of eelgrass provides habitats for other types of primary producers such as epiphytic microalgae and for epifaunal invertebrate grazers. Because of the different sizes, generation times and resource requirements, these different types of producers and consumers may be affected by different sets of biotic/abiotic factors over multiple spatial scales. We examined the spatial variations in three functional groups of eelgrass beds (eelgrass, epiphytic microalgae and epifaunal invertebrates) and the abiotic/biotic factors responsible for these variations in three lagoons with different environmental properties at the eastern region of Hokkaido Island, Japan. The spatial scale responsible for the variation in the biomasses of the three functional groups varied, where within-lagoon variation was important for eelgrass and epifauna but among-lagoon variation was important for microalgae. The environmental predictors for the observed spatial variations also differed among the different functional groups, with variation in eelgrass biomass related to depth, nutrient and salinity, epiphytes to water temperature, eelgrass biomass and water column chlorophyll and epifauna mainly to eelgrass biomass. These results revealed that the level of importance of among- and within-lagoon environmental gradients vary in the different functional groups of the eelgrass bed community. The large-scale variation in pelagic productivity, which is tightly related to the ocean current regimes, is likely responsible for the great among-lagoon variation in microalgae. The local variations in environmental factors such as salinity and nutrients, which change with alterations in terrestrial river inputs, are likely related to the great variations in eelgrass and epifauna within the ecosystem. The observed relationship of epifauna with eelgrass biomass indicates the importance of non-trophic plant-animal interactions because epifauna utilize eelgrass as habitat. We therefore emphasize the importance of evaluating spatial variations at multiple scales to further understand the functions of coastal and estuarine ecosystems.
Sulodexide for Secondary Prevention of Recurrent Venous Thromboembolism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Patients with venous thromboembolism have high risk of recurrence after discontinuation of anticoagulant treatment. Extended anticoagulation, such as traditional anticoagulants, can reduce the risk of recurrence but is associated with increased risk of hemorrhage. Sulodexide is a natural glycosaminoglycan mixture which can prevent recurrent venous thromboembolism. However, its clinical efficiency and safety still remain controversial. Methods: A systematic search in Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and bibliographies of retrieved articles was performed. Prospective controlled studies reporting the efficacy and safety of sulodexide on the secondary prevention of recurrent venous thromboembolism were included. Two reviewers independently extracted the following data: first author, year of publication, study design, characteristics of patients, data of interventions, doses of sulodexide, overall duration of drug administration, time of follow-up, efficacy and safety outcomes, adverse effects, and the quality of the included studies. The primary efficacy outcomes were recurrent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism. The secondary efficacy outcomes included distal or superficial vein thrombosis and nonfatal or fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, and acute ischemia of the lower limbs. Safety outcome was possible hemorrhagic episodes. Results: Four studies involving 1,461 patients were enrolled in this study. Meta-analysis showed that sulodexide significantly reduced the recurrent venous thromboembolism [RR 0.51, 95 % CI [0.35, 0.74], P = 0.0004] and superficial vein thrombosis in the sulodexide group [RR 0.41, 95% CI [0.22, 0.76], P = 0.005]. The safety of sulodexide was also reliable. The rate of bleeding was 0.28% in the sulodexide group and 1.60% in the control group, and design of study did not influence these results. Conclusions: Sulodexide could significantly reduce the recurrence of VTE after discontinuation of anticoagulation treatment as compared with placebo.
Intestinal phase-II metabolism of quercetin in HT29 cells, 3D human intestinal tissues and in healthy volunteers: a qualitative comparison using LC-IMS-MS and LC-HRMS

Abstract Flavonoids are a large class of dietary molecules, among which quercetin is the most ubiquitous, which undergo an extensive intestinal phase-II metabolism. We compared the in vivo metabolism of quercetin in healthy volunteers with two in vitro models, HT29 cells and 3 D human intestinal tissues. Supernatants of the in vitro experiments and the human intestinal fluids (HIF) were analyzed by LC-IMS-MS and LC-HRMS in a qualitative way. Quercetin glucuronides, sulfates and their methyl conjugates were detected in all three systems. The metabolic profiles were found to be different, both in terms of the metabolites produced and their relative proportions. In particular, quercetin sulfates were almost absent in supernatants from HT29 cells incubations while they were a major metabolite in HIF and also found in 3 D intestinal tissues incubations. IMS provided structural information as well as a third dimension of characterization, while HRMS brought increased sensitivity and MS/MS confirmation. HT29 cells are a useful tool to generate phase-II metabolites but do not represent the in vivo situation. 3 D intestinal tissues appear as a more relevant tool to study the intestinal phase-II metabolism of flavonoids.
Dose build-up effects induced by delta electrons and target fragments in proton Bragg curves—measurements and simulations

Dose build-up effects in the entrance channel of proton Bragg curves were investigated in detail by means of simulations and experiments. There are two relevant dose build-up effects. Firstly, the δ-electron build-up effect which takes place in the first few millimeters of the tissue until an equilibrium state of the forward-scattered δ-electrons is reached. Secondly, the target fragment build-up effect that covers the first centimeters in the entrance channel of the proton Bragg curve. These target fragments are created in inelastic interactions of the beam protons with the target nuclei and partially have low kinetic energies and/or high atomic numbers compared to the incident beam protons. Consequently, the target fragments possess high LET values and thus an increased RBE. However, the production cross sections relevant for target fragmentation in ion beam therapy still have large uncertainties. Therefore, in this work target fragmentation was investigated indirectly by measuring low-noise proton Bragg curves with the focus placed on their build-up regions. The measurements clearly show the magnitude and shape of the two different build-up effects. Additionally, with the application of a magnetic filter, it was possible to separate the measurement of the target fragment build-up effect from the δ-electron build-up effect. Corresponding FLUKA Monte Carlo simulations were carried out for the experimental setup. A comparison of the experimental results with the FLUKA predictions enabled the assessment of the precision of FLUKA models, e.g. the δ-electron production models and the nuclear event generators which are responsible for target fragmentation reactions. It could be shown that the relevant models worked well to reproduce both build-up effects.
G protein signaling–biased agonism at the κ-opioid receptor is maintained in striatal neurons

Triazole 1.1 is a G protein–biased agonist of the κ-opioid receptor in striatal neurons. Biasing pain treatment against side effects Stimulating opioid receptors with targeted agonists can treat pain, but such drugs often cause unwanted and even dangerous side effects because they induce multiple intracellular pathways downstream of the receptor. Studies in cell lines and mouse models have proposed that so-called “biased” agonists, those that activate only antinociceptive G protein signaling, may lessen pain and itch without causing side effects. Ho et al. confirm this potential for targeting the κ-opioid receptor (KOR) by showing the biochemical and physiological effects of biased KOR agonists specifically on striatal neurons in mice. These findings indicate that cell culture–based predictions of biased KOR agonists may hold true in vivo and therefore may be a better way to treat pain in patients. Biased agonists of G protein–coupled receptors may present a means to refine receptor signaling in a way that separates side effects from therapeutic properties. Several studies have shown that agonists that activate the κ-opioid receptor (KOR) in a manner that favors G protein coupling over β-arrestin2 recruitment in cell culture may represent a means to treat pain and itch while avoiding sedation and dysphoria. Although it is attractive to speculate that the bias between G protein signaling and β-arrestin2 recruitment is the reason for these divergent behaviors, little evidence has emerged to show that these signaling pathways diverge in the neuronal environment. We further explored the influence of cellular context on biased agonism at KOR ligand–directed signaling toward G protein pathways over β-arrestin–dependent pathways and found that this bias persists in striatal neurons. These findings advance our understanding of how a G protein–biased agonist signal differs between cell lines and primary neurons, demonstrate that measuring [35S]GTPγS binding and the regulation of adenylyl cyclase activity are not necessarily orthogonal assays in cell lines, and emphasize the contributions of the environment to assessing biased agonism.