Face detection and alignment in unconstrained environment are challenging due to various poses, illuminations, and occlusions. Recent studies show that deep learning approaches can achieve impressive ...performance on these two tasks. In this letter, we propose a deep cascaded multitask framework that exploits the inherent correlation between detection and alignment to boost up their performance. In particular, our framework leverages a cascaded architecture with three stages of carefully designed deep convolutional networks to predict face and landmark location in a coarse-to-fine manner. In addition, we propose a new online hard sample mining strategy that further improves the performance in practice. Our method achieves superior accuracy over the state-of-the-art techniques on the challenging face detection dataset and benchmark and WIDER FACE benchmarks for face detection, and annotated facial landmarks in the wild benchmark for face alignment, while keeps real-time performance.
In this study, we show that landmark detection or face alignment task is not a single and independent problem. Instead, its robustness can be greatly improved with auxiliary information. ...Specifically, we jointly optimize landmark detection together with the recognition of heterogeneous but subtly correlated facial attributes, such as gender, expression, and appearance attributes. This is non-trivial since different attribute inference tasks have different learning difficulties and convergence rates. To address this problem, we formulate a novel tasks-constrained deep model, which not only learns the inter-task correlation but also employs dynamic task coefficients to facilitate the optimization convergence when learning multiple complex tasks. Extensive evaluations show that the proposed task-constrained learning (i) outperforms existing face alignment methods, especially in dealing with faces with severe occlusion and pose variation, and (ii) reduces model complexity drastically compared to the state-of-the-art methods based on cascaded deep model.
Interpersonal relation defines the association, e.g., warm, friendliness, and dominance, between two or more people. We investigate if such fine-grained and high-level relation traits can be ...characterized and quantified from face images in the wild. We address this challenging problem by first studying a deep network architecture for robust recognition of facial expressions. Unlike existing models that typically learn from facial expression labels alone, we devise an effective multitask network that is capable of learning from rich auxiliary attributes such as gender, age, and head pose, beyond just facial expression data. While conventional supervised training requires datasets with complete labels (e.g., all samples must be labeled with gender, age, and expression), we show that this requirement can be relaxed via a novel attribute propagation method. The approach further allows us to leverage the inherent correspondences between heterogeneous attribute sources despite the disparate distributions of different datasets. With the network we demonstrate state-of-the-art results on existing facial expression recognition benchmarks. To predict inter-personal relation, we use the expression recognition network as branches for a Siamese model. Extensive experiments show that our model is capable of mining mutual context of faces for accurate fine-grained interpersonal prediction.
Targeted drug delivery system is an effective method for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, it has received much attention because of its low side effects and therapeutic efficacy. Folic acid ...receptor is highly expressed on the surface of most cancer cells, but is low or not expressed on the surface of normal cells, and the ligand folate has a high affinity. Folic acid receptor is attached to drug carriers and can be targeted to cancer cells. This paper introduces folic acid and folate receptors, briefly describes the mechanism of action of folic acid receptor-mediated targeted drug delivery, discusses the progress on four types of folic acid-folate receptor-mediated cancer treatment: folate acid-conjugated magnetic nanoparticles, drug binding of small-molecule folic acid, folic acid receptor-bound protein, and folic acid-conjugated polysialic acid. It also analyzes the favorable points and future development trends of each treatment mechanism.
Abstract
Fungal infections, especially candidiasis and aspergillosis, claim a high fatality rate. Fungal cell growth and function requires ATP, which is synthesized mainly through oxidative ...phosphorylation, with the key enzyme being F
1
F
o
-ATP synthase. Here, we show that deletion of the
Candida albicans
gene encoding the δ subunit of the F
1
F
o
-ATP synthase (
ATP16
) abrogates lethal infection in a mouse model of systemic candidiasis. The deletion does not substantially affect in vitro fungal growth or intracellular ATP concentrations, because the decrease in oxidative phosphorylation-derived ATP synthesis is compensated by enhanced glycolysis. However, the
ATP16
-deleted mutant displays decreased phosphofructokinase activity, leading to low fructose 1,6-bisphosphate levels, reduced activity of Ras1-dependent and -independent cAMP-PKA pathways, downregulation of virulence factors, and reduced pathogenicity. A structure-based virtual screening of small molecules leads to identification of a compound potentially targeting the δ subunit of fungal F
1
F
o
-ATP synthases. The compound induces in vitro phenotypes similar to those observed in the
ATP16
-deleted mutant, and protects mice from succumbing to invasive candidiasis. Our findings indicate that F
1
F
o
-ATP synthase δ subunit is required for
C. albicans
lethal infection and represents a potential therapeutic target.
Neonicotinoid insecticides (NEOs) are widely used for pest control worldwide. However, only a few studies have analyzed NEOs and their metabolites in blood samples, and no study has measured the ...concentrations of NEOs and their metabolites in paired urine and blood samples. In this study, six NEOs and three characteristic metabolites were detected in 196 paired urine and blood samples collected from young adults from China. The NEOs and their metabolites were widely detected in paired urine (67%–91%) and blood (64%–97%) samples, and the median levels ranged within 0.01–1.15 ng/mL in urine and 0.08–0.80 ng/mL in blood. Olefin-imidacloprid (Of-IMI) and 1-methyl-3-(tetrahydro-3-furylmethyl) urea (UF) were the most abundant target compounds in the urine (32.4%) and blood (26.4%) samples, respectively. Gender-related differences were observed in the concentrations of most NEOs and their metabolites in the urine and blood samples. The partitioning of target analytes between blood and urine (NEOs-B/NEOs-U ratios) was also calculated in this study. The B/U ratios of most NEOs and their metabolites were below 1, and positive correlations were observed between urine and blood in most levels of NEOs and their metabolites. This finding indicates that urinary levels are good predictors of human exposure to NEOs and their metabolites. The estimated daily intake (EDI) and the imidacloprid-equivalent (IMIeq) levels of NEOs and their metabolites in 196 young adults were also determined. The median EDI values (ng/kg bw/day) of ΣNEOs (sum of NEOs and their metabolites) and IMIeq in females (194.9 and 458.2) were slightly higher than (p > 0.05) those in males (157.1 and 439.7). This finding shows young adults are extensively exposed to NEOs and their metabolites. To our knowledge, this study is the first to report about NEOs and their metabolites in paired samples of urine and blood in China.
Display omitted
•First study to analyze levels of NEOs and their metabolites in paired urine and blood samples.•Of-IMI and UF are the dominating NEOs and metabolites in urine and blood, respectively.•The blood/urine ratios of most NEOs and their metabolites are lower than 1.•Young adults are widely exposed to NEOs and their metabolites.
Display omitted
In the U.S., 30% of adults suffer joint pain, most commonly in the knee, which severely limits mobility and is often attributed to injury of cartilage and underlying bone in the ...joint. Current treatment methods such as microfracture result in less resilient fibrocartilage with eventual failure; autografting can cause donor site morbidity and poor integration. To overcome drawbacks in treatment, tissue engineers can design cell-instructive biomimetic scaffolds using biocompatible materials as alternate therapies for osteochondral defects. Nanofibrous poly (l-lactic acid) (PLLA) scaffolds of uniform, spherical, interconnected and well-defined pore sizes that are fabricated using a thermally-induced phase separation and sugar porogen template method create an extracellular matrix-like environment which facilitates cell adhesion and proliferation. Herein we report that chondrogenesis and endochondral ossification of rabbit and human bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) can be controlled by scaffold pore architecture, particularly pore size. Small-pore scaffolds support enhanced chondrogenic differentiation in vitro and cartilage formation in vivo compared to large-pore scaffolds. Endochondral ossification is prevented in scaffolds with very small pore sizes; pore interconnectivity is critical to promote capillary ingrowth for mature bone formation. These results provide a novel strategy to control tissue regenerative processes by tunable architecture of macroporous nanofibrous scaffolds.
Progress in understanding the relationship between cell fate and architectural features of tissue engineering scaffolds is critical for engineering physiologically functional tissues. Sugar porogen template scaffolds have uniform, spherical, highly interconnected macropores. Tunable pore-size guides the fate of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) towards chondrogenesis and endochondral ossification, and is a critical design parameter to mediate neotissue vascularization. Preventing vascularization favors a chondrogenic cell fate while allowing vascularization results in endochondral ossification and mineralized bone formation. These results provide a novel strategy to control tissue regenerative processes by tunable architecture of macroporous nanofibrous scaffolds.
Display omitted
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of PLLA nanofibrous microspheres (NF-MS) as a cell delivery carrier in combination with controlled release of BMP-2 from PLGA ...microspheres on the induction of odontogenic differentiation of human stem cells of apical papilla (SCAP). Injectable NF-MS, which mimic the physical architecture of collagen fibers on the nano scale, were fabricated by combining thermally-induced phase separation techniques with an emulsification process. SCAP cultured in a monolayer or cultured on NF-MS in spinner flasks were treated with 100ng/ml BMP-2 in vitro. Odontogenic differentiation was characterized by measuring alkaline phosphatase activity, odontogenic gene expression levels, calcium content, and dentin sialophosphoprotein accumulation. The results demonstrated that BMP-2 enhanced human SCAP odontogenic differentiation both in monolayer culture and on 3D NF-MS in spinner flask culture in vitro. We also developed and tested a system combining NF-MS with controlled BMP-2 release for dentin regeneration in vivo. The results indicate that controlled release of BMP-2 promoted more mineralization and osteodentin formation compared to a BSA-releasing control in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. In summary, the NF-MS combined with controlled release of BMP-2 provides an excellent microenvironment for SCAP to regenerate dentin tissue.
Tooth lesion and loss affect masticatory efficiency, speaking function, facial aesthetics and even psychological health. Current treatments depend on “inert” restorative materials, which do not have the healing capacity and may lead to the failure of the restorations over a long term. The aim of this study was to develop an injectable biomaterial and desired growth factor delivery system to support stem cells for mineralized dental tissue regeneration. The study showed that novel injectable and biodegradable nanofibrous microspheres and controlled release of BMP-2 synergistically induce the odontogenic differentiation of human stem cells from the apical papilla and mineralized tissue regeneration, demonstrating the potential of living dental tissue repair.
Display omitted
Dental pulp infection and necrosis are widespread diseases. Conventional endodontic treatments result in a devitalized and weakened tooth. In this work, we synthesized novel ...star-shaped polymer to self-assemble into unique nanofibrous spongy microspheres (NF-SMS), which were used to carry human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) into the pulp cavity to regenerate living dental pulp tissues. It was found that NF-SMS significantly enhanced hDPSCs attachment, proliferation, odontogenic differentiation and angiogenesis, as compared to control cell carriers. Additionally, NF-SMS promoted vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression of hDPSCs in a 3D hypoxic culture. Hypoxia-primed hDPSCs/NF-SMS complexes were injected into the cleaned pulp cavities of rabbit molars for subcutaneous implantation in mice. After 4weeks, the hypoxia group significantly enhanced angiogenesis inside the pulp chamber and promoted the formation of ondontoblast-like cells lining along the dentin–pulp interface, as compared to the control groups (hDPSCs alone group, NF-SMS alone group, and hDPSCs/NF-SMS group pre-cultured under normoxic conditions). Furthermore, in an in situ dental pulp repair model in rats, hypoxia-primed hDPSCs/NF-SMS were injected to fully fill the pulp cavity and regenerate pulp-like tissues with a rich vasculature and a histological structure similar to the native pulp.
Vascularization is key to the regeneration of many vital tissues. However, it is challenging to create a suitable microenvironment for stem cells to regenerate vascularized tissue structure. This manuscript reports a novel star-shaped block copolymer that self-assembles into unique nanofibrous spongy microspheres, which as an injectable scaffold recapitulate the cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions in development. Using a clinically-relevant surgical procedure and a hypoxic treatment, the nanofibrous spongy microspheres were used to deliver stem cells and successfully regenerate dental pulp with a rich vasculature and a complex histologic structure similar to that of the native dental pulp. The novel microspheres can likely be used to regenerate many other vascularized tissues.
•An improved Deep Belief Network is proposed to extract fault features.•A new fault diagnosis model based on DBN is proved and applied.•An average fault diagnosis rate of 82.1% is achieved.
...Data-driven methods have been regarded as desirable methods for fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) of practical chemical processes. However, with the big data era coming, how to effectively extract and present fault features is one of the keys to successful industrial applications of FDD technologies. In this paper, an extensible deep belief network (DBN) based fault diagnosis model is proposed. Individual fault features in both spatial and temporal domains are extracted by DBN sub-networks, aided by the mutual information technology. A global two-layer back-propagation network is trained and used for fault classification. In the final part of this paper, the benchmarked Tennessee Eastman process is utilized to illustrate the performance of the DBN based fault diagnosis model.
PDF
