Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deep Ego-Motion Classifiers for Compound Eye Cameras

Compound eyes, also known as insect eyes, have a unique structure. They have a hemispheric surface, and a lot of single eyes are deployed regularly on the surface. Thanks to this unique form, using the compound images has several advantages, such as a large field of view (FOV) with low aberrations. We can exploit these benefits in high-level vision applications, such as object recognition, or semantic segmentation for a moving robot, by emulating the compound images that describe the captured scenes from compound eye cameras. In this paper, to the best of our knowledge, we propose the first convolutional neural network (CNN)-based ego-motion classification algorithm designed for the compound eye structure. To achieve this, we introduce a voting-based approach that fully utilizes one of the unique features of compound images, specifically, the compound images consist of a lot of single eye images. The proposed method classifies a number of local motions by CNN, and these local classifications which represent the motions of each single eye image, are aggregated to the final classification by a voting procedure. For the experiments, we collected a new dataset for compound eye camera ego-motion classification which contains scenes of the inside and outside of a certain building. The samples of the proposed dataset consist of two consequent emulated compound images and the corresponding ego-motion class. The experimental results show that the proposed method has achieved the classification accuracy of 85.0%, which is superior compared to the baselines on the proposed dataset. Also, the proposed model is light-weight compared to the conventional CNN-based image recognition algorithms such as AlexNet, ResNet50, and MobileNetV2.
Distance Traveled to Head and Neck Cancer Provider: A Measure of Socioeconomic Status and Access

Objective Improved head and neck cancer survival has been associated with traveling farther distances for treatment, potentially due to patients seeking higher-quality facilities. This study investigates the role of both facility and confounding patient factors on this relationship. Study Design Review of national registry data. Setting National Cancer Database. Subjects and Methods Adults with head and neck cancer diagnosed from 2004 to 2014 were identified. Overall survival was compared among distance-to-facility quartiles via univariate and multivariate survival models. Then, the analysis was stratified by facility and patient factors, and the association between distance and survival was compared among strata. Results Overall survival was worst in the shortest-distance quartile (<5 miles; median survival, 80.7 months; 95% CI, 79.2-82.3), while other distance groups showed similar survival (range, 96.4-104 months). This finding remained in the multivariate model (adjusted hazard ratio vs first distance quartile: 0.88; 95% CI, 0.87-0.89). The association between survival and distance persisted in all subgroups when stratified by facility volume and type (adjusted hazard ratio range, 0.82-0.91), suggesting that facility quality does not fully account for this association. When stratified by income, distance remained statistically associated with survival but with a smaller effect size than that of income. Conclusion The association between distance to treating facility and head and neck cancer survival is limited to patients with worse survival outcomes living within 5 miles of the facility and is not fully explained by measures of facility quality.
Recent Advances in 3D Object Detection in the Era of Deep Neural Networks: A Survey

With the rapid development of deep learning technology and other powerful tools, 3D object detection has made great progress and become one of the fastest growing field in computer vision. Many automated applications such as robotic navigation, autonomous driving, and virtual or augmented reality system require estimation of accurate 3D object location and detection. Under this requirement, many methods have been proposed to improve the performance of 3D object localization and detection. Despite recent efforts, 3D object detection is still a very challenging task due to occlusion, viewpoint variations, scale changes, and limited information in 3D scenes. In this paper, we present a comprehensive review of recent state-of-the-art approaches in 3D object detection technology. We start with some basic concepts, then describe some of the available datasets that are designed to facilitate the performance evaluation of 3D object detection algorithms. Next, we will review the state-of-the-art technologies in this area, highlighting their contributions, importance, and limitations as a guide for future research. Finally, we provide a quantitative comparison of the results of the state-of-the-art methods on the popular public datasets.
Evaluation of the proinflammatory effects of contaminated bathing water

ABSTRACT Contaminated marine bathing water has been reported to adversely affect human health. Our data demonstrated a correlation between total endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide; LPS) levels and degree of contamination of marine bathing waters. To assess the potential health implications of LPS present in marine bathing waters, the inflammation-inducing potency of water samples collected at different time points at multiple sampling sites were assessed using a cell culture-based assay. The numbers of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) were also examined in the same samples. Water samples were used to stimulate two cell culture models: (1) a novel non-transformed continuously growing murine cell line Max Plank Institute (MPI) characteristic of alveolar macrophages and (2) human MonoMac 6 monocyte cell line. The inflammatory potential of the samples was assessed by measuring the release of inflammatory cytokines. The presence of high levels of LPS in contaminated bathing water led to induction of inflammatory response from our in vitro cell-based bioassays suggesting its potential health impact. This finding introduces an in vitro culture assay that reflects the level of LPS in water samples. These observations further promote previous finding that LPS is a reliable surrogate biomarker for fecal contamination of bathing water.
Modeling record scores in the snatch and its variations in the long-term training of young weightlifters

The primary aim of the current study was to determine the time curves of changes in the record scores in the snatch and its variations during a two-year training cycle in young weightlifters. This study also aimed at assessing the ratios between these scores and at predicting the snatch record scores at the end of the subsequent annual training macrocycle. The final purpose was to compare the record scores with the isometric peak torque values of the trunk and knee extensors. The study involved 16 weightlifters who were tested seven times at three-month intervals. The overall mean ratios of the record scores in the hang snatch to those in the snatch and the record scores in the hang power snatch to those in the snatch were approximately constant and amounted to 0.95 and 0.79, respectively. The overall mean ratio between the scores in the power snatch to those in the snatch was approximately 0.88. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between the individual time trajectories of record scores in the snatch and its derivatives were identified in two consecutive annual training macrocycles. The error in predicting record results at the end of the following annual training macrocycle was 6.7 ± 4.7% or 8.1 ± 3.4% depending on the way the measurement data were modeled. The results of the study also indicate that the measurements of the isometric peak torque of the trunk extensors performed in laboratory conditions can be useful in diagnosing the strength capacity of young weightlifters.
Selection of appropriate reference genes for quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR in Betula platyphylla under salt and osmotic stress conditions

Selecting appropriate reference genes is vital to normalize gene expression analysis in birch (Betula platyphylla) under different abiotic stress conditions using quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). In this study, 11 candidate birch reference genes (ACT, TUA, TUB, TEF, 18S rRNA, EF1α, GAPDH, UBC, YLS8, SAND, and CDPK) were selected to evaluate the stability of their expression in different tissues and under different abiotic stress conditions. Three statistical algorithms (GeNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper) were used to analyze the stability of the 11 candidate reference genes to identify the most appropriate one. The results indicated that EF-1α was the most stable reference gene in different birch tissues, ACT was the most stable reference gene for normal conditions, ACT and TEF were the most stable reference genes for salt stress treatment, TUB was the most stable reference gene for osmotic stress treatment, and ACT was the most appropriate choice in all samples of birch. In conclusion, the most appropriate reference genes varied among different experimental conditions. However, in this study, ACT was the optimum reference gene in all experimental groups, except in the different tissues group. GAPDH was the least stable candidate reference gene in all experimental conditions. In addition, three stress-induced genes (BpGRAS1, BpGRAS16, and BpGRAS19) were chosen to verify the stability of the selected reference genes in different tissues and under salt stress. This study laid the foundation for the selection of appropriate reference gene(s) for future gene expression pattern studies in birch.
Overweight, Obesity and Thinness Prevalence with Different Growth Standards Among School Children and Adolescents in Saurashtra Region, India.

Background: Overweight/obesity and thinness emerged as an important public health problem in India. The present study was conducted to estimate the prevalence and compare any difference in estimating prevalence of these conditions by using different standards among school children and adolescents. Methods: Anthropometric measurements of all students of four schools from 3rd to 12th standards were taken. Prevalence of overweight, obesity and thinness were assessed using two standards – Agarwal 2001 standards and revised IAP 2015 standards. Results: A total of 1496 children including 79.1% boys and 20.9% girls participated. Boys grow taller than girls from 12 years age and also gains more weight than girls from 11 years. The mean BMI of boys remain more than girls for all the years except age 16. Significant difference was observed (independent t test) for difference age years when height, weight and BMI of boys were compared with girls. Revised IAP 2015 standards reported high prevalence of overweight (19.1%) and obesity (14.0%) than Agarwal standards (17.0% & 9.1% respectively). Prevalence of thinness was reported more by Agarwal standards (59%) than IAP standards (3.4%). A good level of agreement (? =0.773) found between two standards considering four categories. The agreement was improved further up to 0.90 when compared for two combined categories – overweight/obese vs. normal weight/thinness. Conclusion: High prevalence of obesity and overweight was reported with IAP 2015 standards and Agarwal standards. Good agreement was found for both standards indicate Agarwal standards can still be used in current scenario like revised IAP 2015 standards.
An Orthologue of the Retinoic Acid Receptor (RAR) Is Present in the Ecdysozoa Phylum Priapulida

Signalling molecules and their cognate receptors are central components of the Metazoa endocrine system. Defining their presence or absence in extant animal lineages is critical to accurately devise evolutionary patterns, physiological shifts and the impact of endocrine disrupting chemicals. Here, we address the evolution of retinoic acid (RA) signalling in the Priapulida worm, Priapulus caudatus Lamarck, 1816, an Ecdysozoa. RA signalling has been shown to be central to chordate endocrine homeostasis, participating in multiple developmental and physiological processes. Priapulids, with their slow rate of molecular evolution and phylogenetic position, represent a key taxon to investigate the early phases of Ecdysozoa evolution. By exploring a draft genome assembly, we show, by means of phylogenetics and functional assays, that an orthologue of the nuclear receptor retinoic acid receptor (RAR) subfamily, a central mediator of RA signalling, is present in Ecdysozoa, contrary to previous perception. We further demonstrate that the Priapulida RAR displays low-affinity for retinoids (similar to annelids), and is not responsive to common endocrine disruptors acting via RAR. Our findings provide a timeline for RA signalling evolution in the Bilateria and give support to the hypothesis that the increase in RA affinity towards RAR is a late acquisition in the evolution of the Metazoa.
βC1, pathogenicity determinant encoded by Cotton leaf curl Multan betasatellite, interacts with calmodulin-like protein 11 (Gh-CML11) in Gossypium hirsutum

Begomoviruses interfere with host plant machinery to evade host defense mechanism by interacting with plant proteins. In the old world, this group of viruses are usually associated with betasatellite that induces severe disease symptoms by encoding a protein, βC1, which is a pathogenicity determinant. Here, we show that βC1 encoded by Cotton leaf curl Multan betasatellite (CLCuMB) requires Gossypium hirsutum calmodulin-like protein 11 (Gh-CML11) to infect cotton. First, we used the in silico approach to predict the interaction of CLCuMB-βC1 with Gh-CML11. A number of sequence- and structure-based in-silico interaction prediction techniques suggested a strong putative binding of CLCuMB-βC1 with Gh-CML11 in a Ca+2-dependent manner. In-silico interaction prediction was then confirmed by three different experimental approaches: The Gh-CML11 interaction was confirmed using CLCuMB-βC1 in a yeast two hybrid system and pull down assay. These results were further validated using bimolecular fluorescence complementation system showing the interaction in cytoplasmic veins of Nicotiana benthamiana. Bioinformatics and molecular studies suggested that CLCuMB-βC1 induces the overexpression of Gh-CML11 protein and ultimately provides calcium as a nutrient source for virus movement and transmission. This is the first comprehensive study on the interaction between CLCuMB-βC1 and Gh-CML11 proteins which provided insights into our understating of the role of βC1 in cotton leaf curl disease.
Seed coat development in explosively dispersed seeds of Cardamine hirsuta.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Seeds are dispersed by explosive coiling of the fruit valves in Cardamine hirsuta. This rapid coiling launches the small seeds on ballistic trajectories to spread over a 2-metre radius around the parent plant. The seed surface interacts with both the coiling fruit valve during launch and subsequently with the air during flight. We aim to identify features of the seed surface that may contribute to these interactions by characterizing seed coat differentiation. METHODS Differentiation of the outermost seed coat layers from the outer integuments of the ovule involves dramatic cellular changes that we characterize in detail at the light and electron microscopical level including immunofluorescence and immunogold labelling. KEY RESULTS We found that the two outer integument (oi) layers of the seed coat contributed differently to the topography of the seed surface in the explosively dispersed seeds of C. hirsuta versus the related species A. thaliana where seed dispersal is non-explosive. The surface of A. thaliana seeds is shaped by the columella and the anticlinal cell walls of the epidermal oi2 layer. By contrast, the surface of C. hirsuta seeds is shaped by a network of prominent ridges formed by the anticlinal walls of asymmetrically thickened cells of the subepidermal oi1 layer, especially at the seed margin. Both the oi2 and oi1 cell layers in C. hirsuta seeds are characterized by specialized, pectin-rich cell walls that are deposited asymmetrically in the cell. CONCLUSIONS The two outermost seed coat layers in C. hirsuta have distinct properties: the subepidermal oi1 layer determines the topography of the seed surface, while the epidermal oi2 layer accumulates mucilage. These properties are influenced by polar deposition of distinct pectin polysaccharides in the cell wall. Although the ridged seed surface formed by oi1 cell walls is associated with ballistic dispersal in C. hirsuta, it is not restricted to explosively dispersed seeds in the Brassicaceae.
Omics-based Investigation of Diet-induced Obesity Synergized with HBx, Src, and p53 Mutation Accelerating Hepatocarcinogenesis in Zebrafish Model

The primary type of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), has been associated with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, diabetes, and obesity. Previous studies have identified some genetic risk factors, such as hepatitis B virus X antigens, overexpression of SRC oncogene, and mutation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene; however, the synergism between diet and genetic risk factors is still unclear. To investigate the synergism between diet and genetic risk factors in hepatocarcinogenesis, we used zebrafish with four genetic backgrounds and overfeeding or high-fat-diet-induced obesity with an omics-based expression of genes and histopathological changes. The results show that overfeeding and high-fat diet can induce obesity and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in wild-type fish. In HBx, Src (p53-) triple transgenic zebrafish, diet-induced obesity accelerated HCC formation at five months of age and increased the cancer incidence threefold. We developed a global omics data analysis method to investigate genes, pathways, and biological systems based on microarray and next-generation sequencing (NGS, RNA-seq) omics data of zebrafish with four diet and genetic risk factors. The results show that two Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) systems, metabolism and genetic information processing, as well as the pathways of fatty acid metabolism, steroid biosynthesis, and ribosome biogenesis, are activated during hepatocarcinogenesis. This study provides a systematic view of the synergism between genetic and diet factors in the dynamic liver cancer formation process, and indicate that overfeeding or a high-fat diet and the risk genes have a synergistic effect in causing liver cancer by affecting fatty acid metabolism and ribosome biogenesis.
Functional Characterization of a Rice Thioredoxin Protein OsTrxm and Its Cysteine Mutant Variant with Antifungal Activity

Although there are many antimicrobial proteins in plants, they are not well-explored. Understanding the mechanism of action of plant antifungal proteins (AFPs) may help combat fungal infections that impact crop yields. In this study, we aimed to address this gap by screening Oryza sativa leaves to isolate novel AFPs. We identified a thioredoxin protein with antioxidant properties. Being ubiquitous, thioredoxins (Trxs) function in the redox balance of all living organisms. Sequencing by Edman degradation method revealed the AFP to be O. sativa Thioredoxin m-type isoform (OsTrxm). We purified the recombinant OsTrxm and its cysteine mutant proteins (OsTrxm C/S) in Escherichia coli. The recombinant OsTrxm proteins inhibited the growth of various pathogenic fungal cells. Interestingly, OsTrxm C/S mutant showed higher antifungal activity than OsTrxm. A growth inhibitory assay against various fungal pathogens and yeasts confirmed the pertinent role of cysteine residues. The OsTrxm protein variants penetrated the fungal cell wall and membrane, accumulated in the cells and generated reactive oxygen species. Although the role of OsTrxm in chloroplast development is known, its biochemical and molecular functions have not been elucidated. These findings suggest that in addition to redox regulation, OsTrxm also functions as an antimicrobial agent.
Client Experiences of Emergency Assistance Services

More people are requiring emergency assistance on a regular basis, placing a significant burden on service providers. However, there is little literature on client perceptions of emergency assistance, and whether their needs are being met. This study aimed to address this gap by interviewing people who had recently sought emergency assistance in South Australia. Sixteen people (nine women) aged between 27 and 55 participated in this study. Participants reported that they were seeking assistance (mainly food) due to bills, particularly relating to electricity, but also telephone, gas and car registration. Most people had their needs met to some extent, but many said that they had received insufficient or inappropriate food. Recommendations were provided around establishing compulsory service standards and partnerships, and reviewing the types of assistance provided (e.g. providing vouchers and healthy food parcels).
The Molecular Characteristics of the FAM13A Gene and the Role of Transcription Factors ACSL1 and ASCL2 in Its Core Promoter Region

The gene family with sequence similarity 13 member A (FAM13A) has recently been identified as a marker gene in insulin sensitivity and lipolysis. In this study, we first analyzed the expression patterns of this gene in different tissues of adult cattle and then constructed a phylogenetic tree based on the FAM13A amino acid sequence. This showed that subcutaneous adipose tissue had the highest expression in all tissues except lung tissue. Then we summarized the gene structure. The promoter region sequence of the gene was successfully amplified, and the −241/+54 region has been identified as the core promoter region. The core promoter region was determined by the unidirectional deletion of the 5’ flanking promoter region of the FAM13A gene. Based on the bioinformatics analysis, we examined the dual luciferase activity of the vector constructed by the mutation site, and the transcription factors ACSL1 and ASCL2 were found as transcriptional regulators of FAM13A. Moreover, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) further validated the regulatory role of ACSL1 and ASCL2 in the regulation of FAM13A. ACSL1 and ASCL2 were finally identified as activating transcription factors. Our results provide a basis for the function of the FAM13A gene in bovine adipocytes in order to improve the deposition of fat deposition in beef cattle muscle.