Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Decomposition of Linked Figure Motion: Diving

We present simplied techniques to simulate and control complex motions. The spacetime constraint paradigm has proven successful for providing animators with control of motion without burdening them with explicit denition of the motion trajectories. Unfortunately, this method suers from undue computational complexity as the creatures or motions approach those one wouldlike to animate. Some of these problems have recently been addressed, but it is worth taking a closer look to see if simplications of the problem statement itself can be made. This extended abstract presents some experiments in decomposing the spacetime constraint formulation into smaller and simpler subproblems. Each subproblem can then be solved with an appropriate numerical methodology or perhaps through an analytic formulation. The key to this is a close examination of the physical principles in an attempt to nd assumptions which do not unduly restrict the motion, yet provide quick and simple solution methodologies. In particular, physical relationships such as angular momentum conservation laws are pulled out of the nonlinear optimization problem so that the original problem leads to a much simpler optimization problem (without the conservation equation) and two point boundary problems. By, in addition, approximating the energy minimization objective fair sized problems can be solved in real time. A human-like diving motion is used to illustrate these concepts. Experimental results are shown. Some thoughts on how to generalize this approach are given.
Bifunctional P-Containing RuO2 Catalysts Prepared from Surplus Ru Co-Ordination Complexes and Applied to Zn/Air Batteries

An innovative synthetic route that involves the thermal treatment of selected Ru co−ordination complexes was used to prepare RuO2-based materials with catalytic activity for oxygen reduction (ORR) and oxygen evolution (OER) reactions. Extensive characterization confirmed the presence of Ru metal and RuP3O9 in the materials, with an improved electrocatalytic performance obtained from calcinated [(RuCl2(PPh3)3]. A mechanistic approach for the obtention of such singular blends and for the synergetic contribution of these three species to electrocatalysis is suggested. Catalysts added to carbon−based electrodes were also tested in all−solid and flooded alkaline Zn/air batteries. The former displayed a specific discharge capacity of 10.5 A h g−1 at 250 mA g−1 and a power density of 4.4 kW kg−1 cm−2. Besides, more than 800 discharge/charge cycles were reached in the flooded alkaline Zn/air battery
A Comprehensive Analysis of the Impact of System Parameters on Subspace-based DoA Estimation Performance

This work provides an explanatory analysis of the influence of input parameters on the performance of subspace-based Direction of Arrival (DoA) estimation algorithms. The objective of this work is twofold. First, to drive a Steering Vector (SV) that works for arbitrary array configuration rather than just Uniform Linear Array (ULA) geometry. Second, to identify how the performance of the subspace-based algorithms is affected by tuning the input parameters. The later objective is crucial as it allows optimizing the algorithm through selecting optimum parameters to set an appropriate tradeoff between complexity and performance based on the intended applications. Toward that end, we firstly drive an SV for arbitrary array configuration followed by revealing the working principle of subspace based DoA techniques. Secondly, we evaluate the impact of several parameters namely Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), number of snapshots, number of array elements, separation between array elements, number of available sources, and dependency between sources to conduct our analysis. Numerical simulations over a wide range of scenarios along with intensive Monte Carlo simulations are conducted to show the influence of these parameters on the resolution, accuracy, and complexity of the subspace based DoA estimation algorithm. As demonstrated by the obtained results, the performance of this class of DoA estimation method is determined mostly by the values of the input parameters. Furthermore, the simulation results show that tradeoff between performance and computational complexity needs to be considered when the system parameters are chosen for DoA estimation algorithms.
Predicting the Printability of Poly(Lactide) Acid Filaments in Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) Technology: Rheological Measurements and Experimental Evidence

In this work, the authors aimed to identify a potential correlation between the printability and crucial rheological characteristics of materials involved in fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology. In this regard, three different poly(lactide) acid (PLA)-based filaments (two commercially available (here called V-PLA and R-PLA) and one processed in a lab-scale extruder (here called L-PLA)) have been considered. Dynamic rheological testing, in terms of frequency sweep at five different temperatures (130, 150, 170, 190, and 210 °C), was performed. Rheological properties expressed in terms of viscoelastic moduli and complex viscosity curves vs. frequency, characteristic relaxation times, activation energy (Ea), zero shear viscosity (η0) and shear thinning index (n) were derived for each material. A characteristic relaxation time of around 0.243 s was found for V-PLA, a similar value (0.295 s) was calculated for R-PLA filaments, and a lower value of about an order of magnitude was calculated for L-PLA filament (~0.0303 s). The activation energy and shear thinning index resulted to be very comparable for all the filaments. On the contrary, V-PLA and R-PLA possessed a zero-shear viscosity (~104 Pa*s at 170 °C) much higher than L-PLA (~103 Pa*s). All the filaments were processed in a 3D printer, by attesting the effect of nozzle temperature (180, 190, and 210 °C, respectively) on printing process, and macroscopic shaping defects in printed objects. Final considerations allowed us to conclude that polymer relaxation time, zero-shear viscosity, and melt viscosity (affected by printing temperature) were critical parameters affecting the printing quality.
A method for remote sensing image classification by combining Pixel Neighbourhood Similarity and optimal feature combination

Abstract In the study of remote sensing image classification, feature extraction and selection is an effective method to distinguish different classification targets. Constructing a high-quality spectral-spatial feature and feature combination has been a worthwhile topic for improving classification accuracy. In this context, this study constructed a spectral-spatial feature, namely the Pixel Neighbourhood Similarity (PNS) index. Meanwhile, the PNS index and 19 spectral, textural and terrain features were involved in the Correlation-based Feature Selection (CFS) algorithm for feature selection to generate a feature combination (PNS-CFS). To explore how PNS and PNS-CFS improve the classification accuracy of land types. The results show that: (1) The PNS index exhibited clear boundaries between different land types. The performance quality of PNS was relatively highest compared to other spectral-spatial features, namely the Vector Similarity (VS) index, the Change Vector Intensity (CVI) index and the Correlation (COR) index. (2) The Overall Accuracy (OA) of the PNS-CFS was 94.66% and 93.59% in study areas 1 and 2, respectively. These were 7.48% and 6.02% higher than the original image data (ORI) and 7.27% and 2.39% higher than the single-dimensional feature combination (SIN-CFS). Compared to the feature combinations of VS, CVI, and COR indices (VS-CFS, CVI-COM, COR-COM), PNS-CFS had the relatively highest performance and classification accuracy. The study demonstrated that the PNS index and PNS-CFS have a high potential for image classification.
Phytochemical Profile, Antioxidant Activity, Anti-Hyperglycemic Effect and Toxicity Assessment of Ridolfia segetum (L.) Moris Extract

The present work was designed to study the chemical composition, antioxidant, antihyperglycemic effect, and toxicity assessment of Ridolfia segetum (L.) Moris extract. The chemical composition was studied by use of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Antioxidant power was tested by use of DPPH and FRAP assays. The antihyperglycemic effect was tested by use of a glucose tolerance test, while toxicity assessment was done in vivo by use of Wistar rats for 14 days. Analysis of the extract by HPLC-UV revealed the presence of gallic acid, catechol, vanillic acid, catechin, tannic acid, rosmarinic acid, naringenin, and coumarin acid. The crude hydroethanolic extract possessed high levels of total phenols (15.6 ± 1.76 mg EAG/g), condensed tannins (383.49 mg ECat/g DM), and flavonoid (11.63 mg EQ/g). The findings showed that the studied extract possessed good antioxidant power with IC50 values equal to 550, 650, 700 µg/mL respectively for the decoction, the ethyl acetate fraction (F2M), and the ethyl acetate fraction (F2E). For the antioxidant activity by FRAP, the aqueous fraction (F3E) and the aqueous extract (F4) showed CE50 values of 0.33 mg/mL and 0.4 mg/mL, respectively. Glucose tolerance test analysis showed that R. segetum (L.) Moris decoction had a significant postprandial antihyperglycemic effect in normal Wistar rats. The results of the acute toxicity test showed that the decoction was not toxic even at 2 g/Kg. Pancreatic α-amylase activity was significantly inhibited in the presence of R. segetum (L.) Moris extract (IC50 = 0.133 ± 0.09 mg/mL). The outcome of the present work showed that R. segetum (L.) Moris is very rich in phenolic compounds with potent antioxidant and antihyperglycemic effects.
Microfluidic Chip for Detection of Drug Resistance at the Single-cell Level

Drug-resistant bacterial strains seriously threaten human health. Rapid screening of antibiotics is urgently required to improve clinical treatment. Conventional methods of antimicrobial susceptibility testing rely on turbidimetry that is evident only after several days of incubation. The lengthy time of the assay can delay clinical treatment. Here, we proposed a single-cell level rapid system based on a microfluidic chip. The detection period of 30 min to 2 h was significantly shorter than the conventional turbidity-based method. To promote detection efficiency, 16 independent channels were designed, permitting the simultaneous screening of 16 drugs in the microfluidic chip. Prepositioning of drugs in the chip permitted prolonged transportation and storage. This may allow for the widespread use of the novel system, particularly in the regions where medical facilities are scarce. The growth curves were reported rapidly through a custom code in Matlab after tracking and photographing the bacteria during microscopy examination. The capability of the proposed system was validated by antimicrobial susceptibility testing trials with standard strains. The system provides a potentially useful detection tool for drug-resistant bacteria.
Role of Patient-Derived Models of Cancer in Translational Oncology

Simple Summary It was found that long-established tumor-derived cell lines do not adequately reproduce drug sensitivity and behavior of a real human cancers. Therefore, more reliable tumor models that recapitulate the heterogeneity and patho-physiology of patient tumors are under development. The aim of our review is to describe the current patient-derived models of cancer, discuss their advantages and disadvantages, and provide information about clinical trials and inventions in this field. This work provides a comprehensive overview of the strong and weak sides of patient-derived models, as well as the latest achievements in data collection, creation of repositories and biobanks. Abstract Cancer is a heterogeneous disease. Each individual tumor is unique and characterized by structural, cellular, genetic and molecular features. Therefore, patient-derived cancer models are indispensable tools in cancer research and have been actively introduced into the healthcare system. For instance, patient-derived models provide a good reproducibility of susceptibility and resistance of cancer cells against drugs, allowing personalized therapy for patients. In this article, we review the advantages and disadvantages of the following patient-derived models of cancer: (1) PDC—patient-derived cell culture, (2) PDS—patient-derived spheroids and PDO—patient-derived organoids, (3) PDTSC—patient-derived tissue slice cultures, (4) PDX—patient-derived xenografts, humanized PDX, as well as PDXC—PDX-derived cell cultures and PDXO—PDX-derived organoids. We also provide an overview of current clinical investigations and new developments in the area of patient-derived cancer models. Moreover, attention is paid to databases of patient-derived cancer models, which are collected in specialized repositories. We believe that the widespread use of patient-derived cancer models will improve our knowledge in cancer cell biology and contribute to the development of more effective personalized cancer treatment strategies.
Recent Advances in Cardiovascular Diseases Research Using Animal Models and PET Radioisotope Tracers

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is a collective term describing a range of conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels. Due to the varied nature of the disorders, distinguishing between their causes and monitoring their progress is crucial for finding an effective treatment. Molecular imaging enables non-invasive visualisation and quantification of biological pathways, even at the molecular and subcellular levels, what is essential for understanding the causes and development of CVD. Positron emission tomography imaging is so far recognized as the best method for in vivo studies of the CVD related phenomena. The imaging is based on the use of radioisotope-labelled markers, which have been successfully used in both pre-clinical research and clinical studies. Current research on CVD with the use of such radioconjugates constantly increases our knowledge and understanding of the causes, and brings us closer to effective monitoring and treatment. This review outlines recent advances in the use of the so-far available radioisotope markers in the research on cardiovascular diseases in rodent models, points out the problems and provides a perspective for future applications of PET imaging in CVD studies.
Plausible Proxy Mining With Credibility for Unsupervised Person Re-Identification

One effective way to address unsupervised person re-identification is to use a clustering-based contrastive learning approach. Existing state-of-the-art methods adopt clustering algorithms (e.g., DBSCAN) and camera ID information to divide all person images into several camera-aware proxies. Then, for each person image, the extracted feature representation is pulled closer to the centroids of its pseudo-positive proxies (the proxies that share the same pseudo-identity label with this image) and pushed away from the centroids of other pseudo-negative proxies (the proxies that share the different pseudo-identity label with this image). However, the quality of the proxy centroid is significantly affected by the proxy impurity issue and thus deteriorates the learned feature representations. On the premise that we cannot introduce superior supervision signals by thoroughly solving the proxy impurity issue, for a person image, identifying its plausible proxies: the pseudo-negative proxies which potentially include its wrongly-clustered instances (the instances with the same ground-truth identity with this image), and further fixing the resulted incorrect supervision signals become an urgent and challenging problem. This paper proposes a simple yet effective approach to address this problem. With a given image, our method can effectively locate its plausible proxies. Then we introduce credibility to measure how much we should treat the centroid of each mined plausible proxy as a positive supervision signal rather than entirely negative. Extensive experiments on three widely-used person re-ID datasets validate the effectiveness of our proposed approach. Codes will be available at: https://github.com/Dingyuan-Zheng/PPCL.
Role of Endoscopy in Management of Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers

Upper gastrointestinal (GI) malignancy is a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Upper endoscopy has an established role in diagnosing and staging upper GI cancers, screening for pre-malignant lesions, and providing palliation in cases of advanced malignancy. New advances in endoscopic techniques and technology have improved diagnostic accuracy and increased the therapeutic potential of upper endoscopy. We aim to describe the different types of endoscopic technology used in cancer diagnosis, summarize the current guidelines for endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of malignant and pre-malignant lesions, and explore new potential roles for endoscopy in cancer therapy.
Apparatus for ultrashadowing of freeze etched electron microscopic specimens

An electron beam evaporator for shadowing electron microscopic specimens with refractory metals is described. Details of the construction and the mode of operation of the shadowing gun and the power supplies are given. The apparatus is designed to keep the thermal load on the specimen, during shadowing, lower than other methods but at the same time to give higher resolution. The method is therefore especially suited for application in the freeze etching technique, using a tantalum-tungsten alloy as the shadowing material.
Laboratory demonstration of static-mode down-looking synthetic aperture imaging ladar

A static-mode synthetic aperture imaging ladar (SAIL) in which the target and carrying platform are kept still during the collection process is proposed and demonstrated. A target point of 0.5 mm \times 0.5 mm and a two-dimensional (2D) object are reconstructed in the experiments, in which an optical collimator with a focal length of 10 m is used to simulate the far-field condition. The achieved imaging resolution is in agreement with the theoretical design. The static-mode down-looking SAIL has the capability to eliminate the influence from the atmospheric turbulence and can be conveniently operated outdoors.
A method of flight path and chirp pattern reconstruction for multiple flying bats

Many species of bats use frequency-modulated (FM) “chirps” to sense their environment by sonar. A method was developed for locating the chirps of individual bats while simultaneously tracking the positions of multiple bats in infrared videos. Three microphones and one infrared camera recorded multiple bats flying above a small open pool. Azimuth and elevation was computed for all chirps in a given 15-s interval and matched to position coordinates given by the infrared camera. By grouping spatially continuous sets of chirps, each individual bat's chirp pattern can be obtained. This combination of visual and acousticinformation will provide new insight into the behavior and sonar capabilities of FM ranging bats.
Validating the Well-Being of Older People (WOOP) Instrument in China

Generic health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures have been used for estimating utility value, which is then used for calculating quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). HRQoL measures may not capture many of the relevant and important non-health aspects of quality of life. The well-being of older people (WOOP) instrument was first developed in the Netherlands. This study aimed to validate this new instrument among older people in China. WOOP was first translated into simplified Chinese (for use in Mainland China) by two experienced translators. From July to August 2022, a cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample of 500 older people in Southwestern China. Older people who provided consent reported their demographic information and completed the simplified Chinese version of the WOOP instrument using a pencil and paper. The feasibility of WOOP was determined by the percentage of missing responses. Then, using the data without any missing responses, we examined the item response distributions, pairwise Spearman correlations, underlying factors, and known-group validity of WOOP. Among the nine items of WOOP, three had more than 10% missing responses. The response distributions of the nine items were overall good without signs of ceiling and floor effects. The correlations among the WOOP items were low. A two-factor exploratory factor analysis model suggested that the WOOP items can be categorized into either internal or external well-being items. Good known-group validity results were found. Some WOOP items may not be easily understood by a small proportion of rural residents. However, other results have suggested WOOP to be a valid instrument for measuring the well-being of the elderly in China. The availability of WOOP enables the measurement of well-being-related utility.
Current Biological, Pathological and Clinical Landscape of HER2-Low Breast Cancer

Simple Summary The breakthrough in developing novel HER2-targeting antibody drug conjugates and identifying their clinical benefits in HER2-low breast cancer will dramatically revolutionize the clinical treatment landscape of HER2 negative breast cancers, as well as the pathologic evaluation of HER2 status in breast cancers. This review updates the current biological, pathological and clinical landscape of HER2-low breast cancer and proposes the future directions on clinical management, pathology practice, and translational research in this subset of breast cancer. Abstract HER2-low breast cancer (BC) is a newly defined subset of HER2-negative BC that has HER2 immunohistochemical (IHC) score of 1+ or score of 2+/in situ hybridization (ISH) negative phenotype. Recent clinical trials have demonstrated significant clinical benefits of novel HER2 directing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in treating this group of tumors. Trastuzumab-deruxtecan (T-Dxd), a HER2-directing ADC was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the first targeted therapy to treat HER2-low BC. However, HER2-low BC is still not well characterized clinically and pathologically. This review aims to update the current biological, pathological and clinical landscape of HER2-low BC based on the English literature published in the past two years and to propose the future directions on clinical management, pathology practice, and translational research in this subset of BC. We hope it would help better understand the tumor biology of HER2-low BC and the current efforts for identifying and treating this newly recognized targetable group of BC.
Imaging of Gαq Proteins in Mouse and Human Organs and Tissues

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) transfer extracellular signals across cell membranes by activating intracellular heterotrimeric G proteins. Several studies suggested G proteins as novel drug targets for the treatment of complex diseases, e.g., asthma and cancer. Recently, we developed specific radiotracers, [³H]PSB-15900-FR and [³H]PSB-16254-YM, for the Gαq family of G proteins by tritiation of the macrocyclic natural products FR900359 (FR) and YM-254890 (YM). In the present study, we utilized these potent radioligands to perform autoradiography studies in tissues of healthy mice, mouse models of disease, and human tissues. Specific binding was high, while non-specific binding was extraordinarily low, giving nearly identical results for both radioligands. High expression levels of Gαq proteins were detected in healthy mouse organs showing the following rank order of potency: kidney > liver > brain > pancreas > lung > spleen, while expression in the heart was low. Organ sub-structures, e.g., of mouse brain and lung, were clearly distinguishable. Whereas an acute asthma model in mice did not result in altered Gαq protein expressions as compared to control animals, a cutaneous melanoma model displayed significantly increased expression in comparison to healthy skin. These results suggest the future development of Gαq-protein-binding radio-tracers as novel diagnostics.