Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Urban Movie Map for Walkers: Route View Synthesis using 360° Videos

We propose a movie map for walkers based on synthesized street walking views along routes in a particular area. From the perspectives of walkers, we captured a number of omnidirectional videos along streets in the target area (1km2 around Kyoto Station). We captured a separate video for each street. We then performed simultaneous localization and mapping to obtain camera poses from key video frames in all of the videos and adjusted the coordinates based on a map of the area using reference points. To join one video to another smoothly at intersections, we identified frames of video intersection based on camera locations and visual feature matching. Finally, we generated moving route views by connecting the omnidirectional videos based on the alignment of the cameras. To improve smoothness at intersections, we generated rotational views by mixing video intersection frames from two videos. The results demonstrate that our method can precisely identify intersection frames and generate smooth connections between videos at intersections.
YOLO-mini-tiger: Amur Tiger Detection

In this paper, we present our solution for tiger detection in the 2019 Computer Vision for Wildlife Conservation Challenge (CVWC2019). We introduce an efficient deep tiger detector, which consists of the convnet channel adaptation method and an improved tiger detection method based on You Only Look Once version 3 (YOLOv3). Considering the limited memory and computing power of tiny embedded devices, we have used EfficientNet-B0 and Darknet-53 as backbone networks for detection and adapted them to balance their depth and width inspired by the channel pruning method and knowledge distillation method. Our results show that after an architecture adjustment of Darknet-53, the floating-point computation decreases by 93%, its model size decreases by 97%, and its accuracy only decreases by 1%; after an architecture adjustment of EfficientNet-B0, the floating-point computation decreases by 66%, its model size decreases by 70% with its accuracy only decreased by 1%. We also compare GIoU loss and MSE loss in the training stage. The GIoU loss has the advantage that it increases the average AP for IoU from 0.5 to 0.95 without affecting training speed and the interface speed, so it is experimentally reasonable for tiger detection in the wild. This proposed method outperforms previous Amur tiger detection methods presented at CVWC2019.
A Landscape Ecological Approach to Coastal Zone Applications

Managing complex environments requires suitable tools to integrate data from a variety of sources and efficiently analyse and present them within a geographical context. Recently there has been a growing interest in the integration of geographical, environmental and behavioural data for use in coastal zone management and planning. Our study shows how easily accessible information on bathymetry, terrain variation and wind conditions may be integrated into a georeferenced model applied to the study of key species and ecosystems of the Norwegian coastal zone. Through case studies, we predicted kelp forest ( Laminaria hyperborea ) distribution and analysed harbour seal ( Phoca vitulina ) habitat selection. Combining information on depth and wind exposure derived from a digital terrain model was a suitable approach to predict kelp forest distribution, even though the prediction showed deviations from information provided by kelp harvesters. Including information on sea-bed sediment improved the predictive ability drastically, and more investigation is needed to continue this kind of modelling. This approach is relevant for making decisions concerning site selection of kelp forest harvesting and restoration. Integrating the kelp forest prediction model with information on depth and the presence of slopes, islands and georeferenced behavioural data, we developed a technique for classifying habitats and studying resource selection.
Intelligent Task Recognition: Towards Enabling Productivity Assistance in Daily Life

We introduce the novel research problem of task recognition in daily life. We recognize tasks such as project management, planning, meal-breaks, communication, documentation, and family care. We capture Cyber, Physical, and Social (CPS) activities of 17 participants over four weeks using device-based sensing, app activity logging, and an experience sampling methodology. Our cohort includes students, casual workers, and professionals, forming the first real-world context-rich task behaviour dataset. We model CPS activities across different task categories, results highlight the importance of considering the CPS feature sets in modelling, especially work-related tasks.
Analysis of the Effect of Dataset Construction Methodology on Transferability of Music Emotion Recognition Models

Indexing and retrieving music based on emotion is a powerful retrieval paradigm with many applications. Traditionally, studies in the field of music emotion recognition have focused on training and testing supervised machine learning models using a single music dataset. To be useful for today's vast music libraries, however, such machine learning models must be widely applicable beyond the dataset for which they were created. In this work, we analyze to what extent models trained on one music dataset can predict emotion in another dataset constructed using a different methodology, by conducting cross-dataset experiments with three publicly available datasets. Our results suggest that training a prediction model on a homogeneous dataset with carefully collected emotion annotations yields a better foundation than prediction models learned on a larger, more varied dataset, with less reliable annotations.
Chemical Composition of Volatile Oils of Fresh and Air-Dried Buds of Cannabis chemovars, Their Insecticidal and Repellent Activities

The volatile oils of fresh and air-dried buds of 3 different varieties of Cannabis, namely, high cannabidiol (CBD) chemotype, intermediate CBD/tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) chemotype, and high THC chemotype were prepared by hydrodistillation. Gas chromatography analysis of the volatile oils resulted in the identification of 71 compounds, of which 33 were monoterpenes and 38 were sesquiterpenes. The volatile oil obtained from the THC chemotype showed an increase in the ratio of the sesquiterpenes to monoterpenes content. The content of terpinolene was dramatically decreased upon drying of THC chemotype. Moderate increase in β-caryophyllene and caryophyllene oxide was observed. However, there was no detectable change in the percentage of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes content in both the intermediate type and CBD chemotype upon drying. The insecticidal activity of the volatile oils was evaluated. The oil obtained from the fresh and dried high CBD cannabis showed good biting deterrent activity at 10 ug/cm2 compared with N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide at 4.78 µg/cm2, and good larvicidal activity.
Memory improvement in multiple sclerosis after an extensive cognitive rehabilitation program in groups with a multicenter double-blind randomized trial

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of an extended cognitive rehabilitation program in group’s sessions in multiple sclerosis. Design: Double-blind multicenter randomized trial. Participants: People with multiple sclerosis of 18 to 60 years, Expanded Disability Status Scale ⩽6.0, mild to moderate cognitive impairment. Interventions: They were randomized into cognitive rehabilitation program (ProCog-SEP) or in a placebo program. ProCog-SEP comprises 13 group’s sessions over 6 months and includes psychoeducational advices and cognitive exercises. Placebo program included non-cognitive exercises. No strategy and no cognitive advice were provided. Main measures: The primary endpoint was the percentage of verbal memory learning measured by the Selective Reminding Test. A comprehensive neuropsychological assessment is carried out before and after interventions by a neuropsychologist blinded to intervention. Effectiveness of the ProCog-SEP versus Placebo has been verified using linear regression models. Results: In total, 128 participants were randomized and 110 were included in the study after planning session in groups; 101 completed this trial (77.2% females); mean age: 46.1 years (±9.6); disease duration: 11.8 years (±7.5). ProCog-SEP was more effective in increasing in learning index (9.21 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.43, 16.99); p = 0.02) and in working memory on manipulation (0.63 (95% CI: 0.17, 1.09); p = 0.01), and updating capacities (–1.1 (95% CI: –2.13, –0.06); p = 0.04). No difference was observed for other neuropsychological outcomes. Regarding quality of life outcomes, no change was observed between the two groups. Conclusion: These findings suggest that ProCog-SEP could improve verbal learning abilities and working memory in people with multiple sclerosis. These improvements were observed with 13 group sessions over 6 months.
Graptolite zonation in the Late Wenlock (Early Silurian), with a new graptolite-brachiopod fauna from New South Wales

The Panuara Formation at Cobblers Creek near Orange, New South Wales, Australia has yielded a graptolite-brachiopod fauna assigned to the sherrardae sub-Biozone (late Wenlock: Early Silurian). The sherrardae sub-Biozone as defined here is equivalent to the praedeubeli subBiozone, and is the lowest part of the ludensis Biozone. The ludensis Biozone is reappraised following restudy of the type specimens of Monograptus ludensis, which are shown to exhibit growth stages from the deubeli to the gerhardi condition. The graptolite fauna consists of Gothograptus chainos Lenz, G. marsupium Lenz, Pristiograptus jaegeri Holland, Rickards & Warren, Pristiograptus dubius (Suess), Monograptus ludensis (Murchison), Monograptus moorsi n.sp. , Monograptus sp. and Lobograptus sherrardae (Sherwin). The limited shelly fauna includes the brachiopods Plectodonta brownae n.sp. , Bracteoleptaena pannucea n.sp. and ? Lissatrypa.
Mulligan Knee Taping Using Both Elastic and Rigid Tape Reduces Pain and Alters Lower Limb Biomechanics in Female Patients With Patellofemoral Pain

Background: Evidence supports the use of Mulligan knee taping in managing patellofemoral pain (PFP). However, no studies have compared the efficacy of rigid and elastic tape using this technique. Hypothesis: Mulligan knee taping applied with both rigid and elastic tape will produce similar reductions in knee pain, hip internal rotation, and knee flexion moments compared with no tape. Elastic tape will also be more comfortable than rigid tape. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: A total of 19 female patients (mean age, 26.5 ± 4.5 years) with PFP performed a self-selected pain provocative task, single-leg squat (SLSq) task, and running task while wearing Mulligan knee taping applied with rigid tape, elastic tape at 100% tension, and no tape. Pain and taping comfort were recorded using 11-point numeric rating scales. An 18-camera motion capture system and in-ground force plates recorded 3-dimensional lower limb kinematics and kinetics for the SLSq and running tasks. Statistical analysis involved a series of repeated-measures analyses of variance. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used for analyzing taping comfort. Results: Compared with no tape, both rigid and elastic tape significantly reduced pain during the pain provocative task (mean difference [MD], –0.97 [95% CI, –1.57 to –0.38] and –1.42 [95% CI, –2.20 to –0.64], respectively), SLSq (MD, –1.26 [95% CI, –2.23 to –0.30] and –1.13 [95% CI, –2.09 to –0.17], respectively), and running tasks (MD, –1.24 [95% CI, –2.11 to –0.37] and –1.16 [95% CI, –1.86 to –0.46], respectively). Elastic tape was significantly more comfortable than rigid tape generally (P = .005) and during activity (P = .022). Compared with no tape, both rigid and elastic tape produced increased knee internal rotation at initial contact during the running task (MD, 5.5° [95% CI, 3.6° to 7.4°] and 5.9° [95% CI, 3.9° to 7.9°], respectively) and at the commencement of knee flexion during the SLSq task (MD, 5.8° [95% CI, 4.5° to 7.0°] and 5.8° [95% CI, 4.1° to 7.4°], respectively), greater peak knee internal rotation during the running (MD, 1.8° [95% CI, 0.4° to 3.3°] and 2.2° [95% CI, 0.9° to 3.6°], respectively) and SLSq tasks (MD, 3.2° [95% CI, 2.1° to 4.3°] and 3.8° [95% CI, 2.3° to 5.2°], respectively), and decreased knee internal rotation range of motion during the running (MD, –3.6° [95% CI, –6.1° to –1.1°] and –3.7° [95% CI, –6.2° to –1.2°], respectively) and SLSq tasks (MD, –2.5° [95% CI, –3.9° to –1.2°] and –2.0° [95% CI, –3.2° to –0.9°], respectively). Conclusion: Mulligan knee taping with both rigid and elastic tape reduced pain across all 3 tasks and altered tibiofemoral rotation during the SLSq and running tasks. Clinical Relevance: Both taping methods reduced pain and altered lower limb biomechanics. Elastic tape may be chosen clinically for comfort reasons.
Movement-related changes in pallidocortical synchrony differentiate action execution and observation in humans

Suppression of local and network alpha (8-12 Hz) and beta (12-35 Hz) oscillations in the human basal ganglia-thalamocortical (BGTC) circuit is a prominent feature of movement. Local alpha/beta power, cross-region beta phase coupling, and phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) have all been shown to be suppressed during movement in multiple nodes of the BGTC. However, the specificity of these various movement-related changes to actual movement execution remains poorly understood. To differentiate signals that are specifically related to movement execution, we compared changes in globus pallidus internus (GPi) and motor cortical local oscillatory activity and coupling (cross-region phase coupling and local PAC) during movement execution and movement observation in 12 patients with Parkinson disease undergoing deep brain stimulator implantation. We hypothesized that network coupling is more directly related to movement execution than local power changes, given the putative role of pathological network coupling in movement disorders such as Parkinson disease. We observed suppression of alpha/beta power during action observation and execution in the globus pallidus and motor cortex during both action execution and action observation. In contrast, pallidocortical coherence and GPi and motor cortical alpha/beta-gamma PAC were significantly suppressed only during action execution. Our results demonstrate a functional dissociation within the BG-cortical network during action execution and observation in which suppression of BG-cortical functional connectivity and local phase amplitude coupling are features specifically of overt movement, suggesting a particularly important role in motor execution. This has implications for identification and use of intracranial signals for closed loop brain stimulation therapies.
Functional Characterization of fer-ts, a Temperature-Sensitive FERONIA Mutant Allele That Alters Root Hair Growth

In plants, root hairs undergo a highly-polarized form of cell expansion called tip-growth, in which cell wall deposition is restricted to the root hair apex. In order to identify essential cellular components that might have been missed in earlier genetic screens we identified conditional temperature sensitive (ts) root hair mutants by EMS mutagenesis. Here we describe one of these mutants, fer-ts (feronia-temperature sensitive). Mutant fer-ts seedlings grew normally at normal temperatures (20°C), but failed to form root hairs at elevated temperatures (30°C). Map based-cloning and whole genome sequencing revealed that fer-ts resulted from a G41S substitution in the extracellular domain of FERONIA (FER). A functional fluorescent fusion of FER containing the fer-ts mutation localized to plasma membranes, but was subject to enhanced protein turnover at elevated temperatures. While tip-growth was rapidly inhibited by addition of RALF1 peptides in both wild-type and fer-ts mutants at normal temperatures, root elongation of fer-ts seedlings was resistant to added RALF1 peptide at elevated temperatures. Additionally, at elevated temperatures fer-ts seedlings displayed altered ROS accumulation upon auxin treatment and phenocopied constitutive fer mutant responses to a variety of plant hormone treatments. Molecular modeling and sequence comparison with other CrRLK1L receptor family members revealed that the mutated glycine in fer-ts is highly conserved, but is not located in the recently characterized RALF23 and LORELI-LIKE-GLYCOPROTEIN (LLG2) binding domains, perhaps suggesting that fer-ts phenotypes may not be directly due to loss of binding to RALF1 peptides.
Severe dysregulation of TNF expression leads to multiple inflammatory diseases and embryonic death

Post-transcriptional regulation mechanisms regulate mRNA stability or translational efficiency via ribosomes and recent evidence indicates that it is a major determinant of the accurate levels of cytokine mRNAs. While transcriptional regulation of Tnf has been well studied and found to be important for the rapid induction of Tnf mRNA and regulation of the acute phase of inflammation, study of its post-transcriptional regulation has been largely limited to the role of the AU-rich element (ARE), and to a lesser extent, that of the constitutive decay element (CDE). We have identified a new regulatory element (NRE) in the 3’ untranslated region (3’UTR) of Tnf, and demonstrate that ARE, CDE and NRE cooperate to efficiently down regulate Tnf expression and prevent autoimmune inflammatory diseases. We also show for the first time that excessive TNF may lead to embryonic death.
Dectin-1 Molecular Aggregation and Signaling is Sensitive to β-Glucan Structure and Glucan Exposure on Candida albicans Cell Walls

Dectin-1A is a C-type Lectin innate immunoreceptor that recognizes β-(1,3;1,6)-glucan, a structural component of Candida species cell walls. The higher order structure of β-glucans ranges from random coil to insoluble fiber due to varying degrees of tertiary (helical) and quaternary structure. Model Saccharomyces cerevisiae β-glucans of medium and high molecular weight (MMW and HMW, respectively) are highly structured. In contrast, low MW glucan (LMW) is much less structured. Despite similar affinity for Dectin-1A, the ability of glucans to induce Dectin-1A mediated calcium influx and Syk phosphorylation positively correlates with their degree of higher order structure. Chemical denaturation and renaturation of MMW glucan showed that glucan structure determines agonistic potential, but not binding affinity, for Dectin-1A. We explored the role of glucan structure on Dectin-1A oligomerization, which is thought to be required for Dectin-1 signaling. Glucan signaling decreased Dectin-1A diffusion coefficient in inverse proportion to glucan structural content, which was consistent with Dectin-1A aggregation. Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) measurements revealed that molecular aggregation of Dectin-1 occurs in a manner dependent upon glucan higher order structure. Number and Brightness analysis specifically confirmed an increase in the Dectin-1A dimer and oligomer populations that is correlated with glucan structure content. Comparison of receptor modeling data with FRET measurements confirms that in resting cells, Dectin-1A is predominantly in a monomeric state. Super Resolution Microscopy revealed that glucan-stimulated Dectin-1 aggregates are very small (<15 nm) collections of a few engaged receptors. Finally, FRET measurements confirmed increased molecular aggregation of Dectin-1A at fungal particle contact sites in a manner that positively correlated with the degree of exposed glucan on the particle surface. These results indicate that Dectin-1A senses the solution conformation of β-glucans through their varying ability to drive receptor dimer/oligomer formation and activation of membrane proximal signaling events.
CAR T cell entry into tumor islets is a two-step process dependent on IFNγ and ICAM-1

Adoptive transfer of T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) has shown remarkable clinical efficacy against advanced B cell malignancies but not yet against solid tumors. Here, we used fluorescent imaging microscopy and ex vivo assays to compare the early functional responses (migration, Ca2+ and cytotoxicity) of CD20 and EGFR CAR T cells upon contact with malignant B and carcinoma cells. Our results indicate that CD20 CAR T cells rapidly form productive ICAM-1-dependent conjugates with their targets. By comparison, EGFR CAR T cells only interact at first with a subset of carcinoma cells located at the periphery of tumor islets. After this initial peripheral activation, EGFR CAR T cells progressively infiltrate the center of tumor cell regions. The analysis of this two-step entry process shows that activated CAR T cells trigger the upregulation of ICAM-1 on tumor cells in an IFNγ-dependent pathway. The blockade of ICAM-1/LFA-1 interactions prevents CAR T cell recruitment into tumor islets. The requirement for IFNγ and ICAM-1 to enable CAR T cell entry into tumor islets is of significance for improving CAR T strategy in solid tumors.
LRRK2 regulates AP2M1 phosphorylation cycles to mediate endocytosis and dopaminergic neurodegeneration

Recent genetic evidence revealed that endocytic pathway plays a major role in Parkinson’s disease (PD) risk. However, the molecular mechanism of how endocytic defects contribute to dopaminergic neurodegeneration in PD is poorly understood. Here we report that LRRK2, the mutations of which are the most genetic causes of PD, binds to and phosphorylates AP2M1, the core component of endocytosis that has been recently implicated in PD risk. Our study revealed that abnormal AP2M1 phosphorylation cycle, regulated either by knockout or overexpression of LRRK2, cause endocytic defects. Our study also uncovered a novel tissue-specific regulation of AP2M1 phosphorylation by LRRK2. Further, we found that LRRK2 phosphorylation on AP2M1 mediates LRRK2-induced neuronal toxicity both in vitro in neuronal cultures and in vivo in Drosophila dopamine neurons. Importantly, AP2M1 phosphorylation levels are elevated in patient fibroblasts of both LRRK2-associated PD and sporadic PD, suggesting the clinical relevance of our finding in PD. Together, our study provides a direct mechanistic link between LRRK2, AP2 and endocytosis in PD pathogenesis.
Metabolic pathway prediction using non-negative matrix factorization with improved precision

Machine learning provides a probabilistic framework for metabolic pathway inference from genomic sequence information at different levels of complexity and completion. However, several challenges including pathway features engineering, multiple mapping of enzymatic reactions and emergent or distributed metabolism within populations or communities of cells can limit prediction performance. In this paper, we present triUMPF, triple non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) with community detection for metabolic pathway inference, that combines three stages of NMF to capture myriad relationships between enzymes and pathways within a graph network. This is followed by community detection to extract higher order structure based on the clustering of vertices which share similar statistical properties. We evaluated triUMPF performance using experimental datasets manifesting diverse multi-label properties, including Tier 1 genomes from the BioCyc collection of organismal Pathway/Genome Databases and low complexity microbial communities. Resulting performance metrics equaled or exceeded other prediction methods on organismal genomes with improved precision on multi-organismal datasets. Availability and implementation The software package, and installation instructions are published on github.com/triUMPF