Evaluation of perceived quality of light field images, as well as testing new processing tools, or even assessing the effectiveness of objective quality metrics, relies on the availability of test ...dataset and corresponding quality ratings. This paper presents SMART light field image quality dataset. The dataset consists of source images (raw data without optical corrections), compressed images, and annotated subjective quality scores. Furthermore, analysis of perceptual effects of compression on SMART dataset is presented. Next, the impact of image content on the perceived quality is studied with the help of image quality attributes. Finally, the performances of 2-D image quality metrics when applied to light field images are analyzed.
Future brain-machine interfaces, prosthetics, and intelligent soft robotics will require integrating artificial neuromorphic devices with biological systems. Due to their poor biocompatibility, ...circuit complexity, low energy efficiency, and operating principles fundamentally different from the ion signal modulation of biology, traditional Silicon-based neuromorphic implementations have limited bio-integration potential. Here, we report the first organic electrochemical neurons (OECNs) with ion-modulated spiking, based on all-printed complementary organic electrochemical transistors. We demonstrate facile bio-integration of OECNs with Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) to induce lobe closure upon input stimuli. The OECNs can also be integrated with all-printed organic electrochemical synapses (OECSs), exhibiting short-term plasticity with paired-pulse facilitation and long-term plasticity with retention >1000 s, facilitating Hebbian learning. These soft and flexible OECNs operate below 0.6 V and respond to multiple stimuli, defining a new vista for localized artificial neuronal systems possible to integrate with bio-signaling systems of plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates.
Over the last decade, advancements in optical devices have made it possible for new novel image acquisition technologies to appear. Angular information for each spatial point is acquired in addition ...to the spatial information of the scene that enables 3D scene reconstruction and various post-processing effects. Current generation of plenoptic cameras spatially multiplex the angular information, which implies an increase in image resolution to retain the level of spatial information gathered by conventional cameras. In this work, the resulting plenoptic image is interpreted as a multi-view sequence that is efficiently compressed using the multi-view extension of high efficiency video coding (MV-HEVC). A novel two-dimensional weighted prediction and rate allocation scheme is proposed to adopt the HEVC compression structure to the plenoptic image properties. The proposed coding approach is a response to ICIP 2017 Grand Challenge: Light field Image Coding. The proposed scheme outperforms all ICME-contestants, and improves on the JPEG-anchor of ICME with an average PSNR gain of 7.5 dB and the HEVC-anchor of ICIP 2017 Grand Challenge with an average PSNR gain of 2.4 dB.
Bioelectronics can potentially complement classical therapies in nonchronic treatments, such as immunotherapy and cancer. In addition to functionality, minimally invasive implantation methods and ...bioresorbable materials are central to nonchronic treatments. The latter avoids the need for surgical removal after disease relief. Self-organizing substrate-free organic electrodes meet these criteria and integrate seamlessly into dynamic biological systems in ways difficult for classical rigid solid-state electronics. Here we place bioresorbable electrodes with a brain-matched shear modulus-made from water-dispersed nanoparticles in the brain-in the targeted area using a capillary thinner than a human hair. Thereafter, we show that an optional auxiliary module grows dendrites from the installed conductive structure to seamlessly embed neurons and modify the electrode's volume properties. We demonstrate that these soft electrodes set off a controlled cellular response in the brain when relaying external stimuli and that the biocompatible materials show no tissue damage after bioresorption. These findings encourage further investigation of temporary organic bioelectronics for nonchronic treatments assembled in vivo.
Sequential addition of Grignard reagents to pyridine N-oxides in THF at room temperature followed by treatment with acetic anhydride at 120 °C afforded 2-substituted pyridines in good to high yields. ...Furthermore, by exchanging acetic anhydride for DMF in the second step, 2-substituted pyridine N-oxides were obtained, as intermediates suitable for addition of a second Grignard reagent for the synthesis of 2,6-disubstituted pyridines.
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Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and most aggressive primary brain tumor in adults. Glioma stem like cells (GSC) represent the highest cellular hierarchy in GBM and have a determining role in ...tumor growth, recurrence and patient prognosis. However, a better definition of GSC subpopulations, especially at the surgical resection margin, is warranted for improved oncological treatment options. The present study interrogated cells expressing CD105 (CD105
) specifically within the tumor front and the pre-invasive niche as a potential GSC subpopulation. GBM primary cell lines were generated from patients (n = 18) and CD105
cells were isolated and assessed for stem-like characteristics. In vitro, CD105
cells proliferated and enriched in serum-containing medium but not in serum-free conditions. CD105
cells were characterized by Nestin
, Vimentin
and SOX2
, clearly distinguishing them from SOX2
GCS. GBM CD105
cells differentiated into osteocytes and adipocytes but not chondrocytes. Exome sequencing revealed that GBM CD105
cells matched 83% of somatic mutations in the Cancer cell line encyclopedia, indicating a malignant phenotype and in vivo xenotransplantation assays verified their tumorigenic potential. Cytokine assays showed that immunosuppressive and protumorigenic cytokines such as IL6, IL8, CCL2, CXCL-1 were produced by CD105
cells. Finally, screening for 88 clinical drugs revealed that GBM CD105
cells are resistant to most chemotherapeutics except Doxorubicin, Idarubicin, Fludarabine and ABT-751. Our study provides a rationale for targeting tumoral CD105
cells in order to reshape the tumor microenvironment and block GBM progression.
Impaired learning and memory are common symptoms of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases. Present, there are several behavioural test employed to assess cognitive functions in animal ...models, including the frequently used novel object recognition (NOR) test. However, although atypical functional brain lateralization has been associated with neuropsychiatric conditions, spanning from schizophrenia to autism, few animal models are available to study this phenomenon in learning and memory deficits. Here we present a visual lateralization NOR model (VLNOR) in zebrafish larvae as an assay that combines brain lateralization and NOR. In zebrafish larvae, learning and memory are generally assessed by habituation, sensitization, or conditioning paradigms, which are all representatives of nondeclarative memory. The VLNOR is the first model for zebrafish larvae that studies a memory similar to the declarative memory described for mammals. We demonstrate that VLNOR can be used to study memory formation, storage, and recall of novel objects, both short and long term, in 10-day-old zebrafish. Furthermore we show that the VLNOR model can be used to study chemical modulation of memory formation and maintenance using dizocilpine (MK-801), a frequently used non-competitive antagonist of the NMDA receptor, used to test putative antipsychotics in animal models.
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Summary
Background
Relationships between movement‐related behaviours and metabolic health remain underexplored in adolescents with obesity.
Objectives
To compare profiles of sedentary time (more ...sedentary, SED+ vs. less sedentary, SED−), moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) time (more active, MVPA+ vs. less active, MVPA−) and combinations of behaviours (SED−/MVPA+, SED−/MVPA−, SED+/MVPA+, SED+/MVPA−) in regard to metabolic health.
Methods
One hundred and thirty‐four subjects (mean age 13.4 ± 2.2 yrs, mean body mass index BMI 98.9 ± 0.7 percentile, 48.5% females) underwent 24 h/7 day accelerometry, anthropometric, body composition, blood pressure (BP), lipid profile and insulin resistance (IR) assessments.
Results
Metabolic health was better in SED− lower fat mass (FM) percentage (p < 0.05), blood pressure (BP) (p < 0.05), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR) (p < 0.001) and metabolic syndrome risk score (MetScore) (p < 0.001), higher high‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol (HDL‐c) (p = 0.001) vs. SED+ group and in MVPA+ lower triglyceridemia (TG), (p < 0.05), HOMA‐IR (p < 0.01) and MetScore (p < 0.001), higher HDL‐c (p < 0.01) vs. MVPA− group after adjustment with age, gender, maturation and BMI. SED−/MVPA+ group had the best metabolic health. While sedentary (p < 0.001) but also MVPA times (p < 0.001) were lower in SED−/MVPA− vs. SED+/MVPA+, SED−/MVPA− had lower FM percentage (p < 0.05), HOMA‐IR (p < 0.01) and MetScore (p < 0.05) and higher HDL‐c (p < 0.05), independently of BMI. Sedentary time was positively correlated with HOMA‐IR and Metscore and negatively correlated with HDL‐c after adjustment with MVPA (p < 0.05). MVPA was negatively correlated with HOMA‐IR, BP and MetScore and positively correlated with HDL‐c after adjustment with sedentary time (p < 0.05).
Conclusion
Lower sedentary time is associated with a better metabolic health independently of MVPA and might be a first step in the management of pediatric obesity when increasing MVPA is not possible.
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All motile organisms need to organize their motor output to obtain functional goals. In vertebrates, natural behaviors are generally composed of a relatively large set of motor components which in ...turn are combined into a rich repertoire of complex actions. It is therefore an experimental challenge to investigate the organizational principles of natural behaviors. Using the relatively simple locomotion pattern of 10 days old zebrafish larvae we have here characterized the basic organizational principles governing the swimming behavior. Our results show that transitions between different behavioral states can be described by a model combining a stochastic component with a control signal. By dividing swimming bouts into a limited number of categories, we show that similar types of swimming behavior as well as stand-stills between bouts were temporally clustered, indicating a basic level of action sequencing. Finally, we show that pharmacological manipulations known to induce alterations in the organization of motor behavior in mammals, mainly through basal ganglia interactions, have related effects in zebrafish larvae. This latter finding may be of specific relevance to the field of drug development given the growing importance of zebrafish larvae in phenotypic screening for novel drug candidates acting on central nervous system targets.
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