The advancement of additive manufacturing technology and prominence of computer-aided design software allow users to easily fabricate desired products. Currently, 3D printers based on filament ...extrusion are the most common type in the market and are well known to consumers because of their low price and availability. In order to reduce the difficulty of printing procedures, the basic mode provided by the slicing software can achieve normal printing quality. However, this way is still difficult to solve the problem of mastering key parameters for higher printing quality. This study aims to overcome this problem by developing an artificial intelligence system based on case-based reasoning method, allowing users to rapidly obtain the advanced printing parameters for enhancing the printing quality. The first step uses the input information by the users to retrieve the most similar case from the case library in the index system for the users to examine. If the case features meet the need of the users, then they are applied in the printing. Conversely, a case revision technique is used to solve the incompatible features. It will print after solving the incompatibility. Finally, the features and the printing parameters of the new object are retained to the case library to increase the resolution capability of the system.
Most UAVs rely on GPS for localization in an outdoor environment. However, in GPS-denied environment, other sources of localization are required for UAVs to conduct feedback control and navigation. ...LiDAR has been used for indoor localization, but the sampling rate is usually too low for feedback control of UAVs. To compensate this drawback, IMU sensors are usually fused to generate high-frequency odometry, with only few extra computation resources. To achieve this goal, a real-time LiDAR inertial odometer system (RTLIO) is developed in this work to generate high-precision and high-frequency odometry for the feedback control of UAVs in an indoor environment, and this is achieved by solving cost functions that consist of the LiDAR and IMU residuals. Compared to the traditional LIO approach, the initialization process of the developed RTLIO can be achieved, even when the device is stationary. To further reduce the accumulated pose errors, loop closure and pose-graph optimization are also developed in RTLIO. To demonstrate the efficacy of the developed RTLIO, experiments with long-range trajectory are conducted, and the results indicate that the RTLIO can outperform LIO with a smaller drift. Experiments with odometry benchmark dataset (i.e., KITTI) are also conducted to compare the performance with other methods, and the results show that the RTLIO can outperform ALOAM and LOAM in terms of exhibiting a smaller time delay and greater position accuracy.
Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a form of additive manufacturing where three-dimensional (3D) models are created by depositing melted thermoplastic polymer filaments in layers. Although FDM is a ...mature process, defects can occur during printing. Therefore, an image-based quality inspection method for 3D-printed objects of varying geometries was developed in this study. Transfer learning with pretrained models, which were used as feature extractors, was combined with ensemble learning, and the resulting model combinations were used to inspect the quality of FDM-printed objects. Model combinations with VGG16 and VGG19 had the highest accuracy in most situations. Furthermore, the classification accuracies of these model combinations were not significantly affected by differences in color. In summary, the combination of transfer learning with ensemble learning is an effective method for inspecting the quality of 3D-printed objects. It reduces time and material wastage and improves 3D printing quality.
Gait impairments in Parkinson's disease (PD) are aggravated under dual task conditions. Providing effective training to enhance different dual task gait performance is important for PD ...rehabilitation. This pilot study aimed to investigate the effects of cognitive and motor dual task gait training on dual task gait performance in PD. Eighteen PD participants (n = 6 per training group) were assigned to cognitive dual task gait training (CDTT), motor dual task gait training (MDTT), or general gait training (control) group randomly. The training was 30 min each session, 3 sessions per week for 4 weeks. Primary outcomes including gait performance during cognitive dual task, motor dual task, and single walking were assessed at pre- and post-training. The results showed decreased double support time during cognitive dual task walking after CDTT (-17.1±10.3%) was significantly more than MDTT (6.3±25.6%, p = .006) and control training (-5.6±7.8%, p = .041). Stride time variability during motor dual task walking decreased more after MDTT (-16.3±32.3%) than CDTT (38.6±24.0%, p = .015) and control training (36.8±36.4%, p = .041). CDTT also improved motor dual task walking performance especially on gait speed (13.8±10.71%, p = .046) stride length (10.5±6.6%, p = .046), and double support time (-8.0±2.0%, p = .028). CDTT improved single walking performance as well on gait speed (11.4±5.5%, p = .046), stride length (9.2±4.6%, p = .028), and double support time (-8.1±3.0%, p = .028). In summary, our preliminary data showed 12-session of CDTT decreased double support time during cognitive dual task walking, and MDTT reduced gait variability during motor dual task walking. Different training strategy can be adopted for possibly different training effects in people with PD.
Dental laboratories require manpower resources for manufacturing prostheses and inventory management. In this paper, we developed an automated inventory management system for dental laboratories to ...improve the production efficiency. A sensing system was developed based on the framework of Internet of things to collect the information of cobalt-chromium disks both in the storage room and manufacturing area, and an expert system was developed to automatically conduct inventory management based on the established rules. The proposed system can reduce the time of recording data and also assist the manager in configuring and managing material orders. The experimental results showed that a large amount of working time is reduced, resulting in the benefits of saving money and improving efficiency in dental manufacturing.
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a global health concern, and polysomnography (PSG) is the gold standard for assessing OSA severity. However, the sleep parameters of home-based and in-laboratory PSG ...vary because of environmental factors, and the magnitude of these discrepancies remains unclear. We enrolled 125 Taiwanese patients who underwent PSG while wearing a single-lead electrocardiogram patch (RootiRx). After the PSG, all participants were instructed to continue wearing the RootiRx over three subsequent nights. Scores on OSA indices—namely, the apnoea–hypopnea index, chest effort index (CEI), cyclic variation of heart rate index (CVHRI), and combined CVHRI and CEI (Rx index), were determined. The patients were divided into three groups based on PSG-determined OSA severity. The variables (various severity groups and environmental measurements) were subjected to mean comparisons, and their correlations were examined by Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The hospital-based CVHRI, CEI, and Rx index differed significantly among the severity groups. All three groups exhibited a significantly lower percentage of supine sleep time in the home-based assessment, compared with the hospital-based assessment. The percentage of supine sleep time (∆Supine%) exhibited a significant but weak to moderate positive correlation with each of the OSA indices. A significant but weak-to-moderate correlation between the ∆Supine% and ∆Rx index was still observed among the patients with high sleep efficiency (≥80%), who could reduce the effect of short sleep duration, leading to underestimation of the patients’ OSA severity. The high supine percentage of sleep may cause OSA indices’ overestimation in the hospital-based examination. Sleep recording at home with patch-type wearable devices may aid in accurate OSA diagnosis.
Problem
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder that has a huge impact on the human infertility. Increased levels of various circulating inflammatory cytokines have been ...observed in PCOS patients, which can contribute to the pathogenesis of PCOS. Monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1), a secretory chemokine, is a potent chemotactic factor that recruits monocytes/macrophages to inflammatory foci. Several previous studies comparing the circulating MCP‐1 levels between non‐PCOS and PCOS patients have yielded contradictory results. Therefore, the aim of this meta‐analysis was to investigate whether circulating MCP‐1 levels vary between non‐PCOS and PCOS patients.
Methods
Research articles published before November 11, 2020, were screened to identify eligible studies. Heterogeneity, sensitivity, and publication bias were analyzed using STATA software. Standardized mean difference (SMD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated by the STATA software using a random‐effects model.
Results
11 studies were included in this meta‐analysis involving 897 individuals: 368 non‐PCOS patient and 529 PCOS patients. Our pooled meta‐analysis results show that circulating MCP‐1 levels were significantly higher in PCOS patients than in non‐PCOS patients (SMD = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.37, 1.31, Z = 3.50, p < 0.01). However, due to the limited number of studies included in this meta‐analysis, subgroup analysis determined that circulating MCP‐1 levels were not significantly varied between obese non‐PCOS and obese PCOS patients (SMD = 0.42, 95% CI = −0.65, 1.49, Z = 0.77, p = 0.442) as well as between non‐PCOS and PCOS patients without obesity (SMD = 2.04, 95% CI = −0.84, 4.93, Z = 1.39, p = 0.166). In addition, circulating MCP‐1 levels were also not significantly different between obese and non‐obese PCOS patients (SMD = −0.04, 95% CI = −0.68, 0.60, Z = 0.11, p = 0.909).
Conclusion
Our findings reveal that circulating MCP‐1 levels are upregulated in women with PCOS and are associated with an increased risk of PCOS.
With less manufacturing time and less photosensitive resin consumed, Digital Light Processing of the bottom-up process is more forward-looking than the top-down one in terms of 3D printing ...technology. In view of differences in the optimization of machine printing parameters for objectives with different quality requirements, this paper discusses how the control factors consisting of machine printing parameters can obtain objects with a high quality through an experimental design with full considerations of the separation force and dimensional tolerance. By taking the titling separation mechanism as an example, the importance, contribution, and best calculation results of the control factors in forming a separation force and four dimensional tolerances are obtained using the Taguchi method and an analysis of variance, and then the optimal solution for multiple objectives is obtained via the desirability approach. It was found from this study that the rising speed of the forming platform is the most important parameter affecting the dimensional tolerance and separation force. The slice layer thickness has an inverse characteristic for optimizing the dimensional tolerance of the aperture and the face width. Regarding multi-objective optimization, it will not change the optimal printing parameters considering the minimum separation force and overall dimensional tolerance, regardless of the weight of the separation force.
Estradiol (E2), one of the main steroid hormones secreted by the ovaries, plays an important role in maintaining normal female reproductive function. Ovarian granulosa cells are the main source of E2 ...production because these cells express aromatase, which is encoded by the CYP19A1 gene and catalyzes the final step in E2 biosynthesis from androgens. Transforming growth factor‐beta 1 (TGF‐β1) and its receptors are expressed in human granulosa cells, and TGF‐β1 expression can be detected in human follicular fluid. To date, TGF‐β1 has been shown to regulate various ovarian functions. However, whether aromatase can be regulated by TGF‐β1 in human granulosa cells has not been determined. In the present study, we demonstrate that TGF‐β1 stimulates aromatase expression in primary human granulosa‐lutein cells and in the human ovarian granulose‐like tumor cell line, KGN. We used pharmacological inhibitors and small interfering RNA‐mediated knockdown approaches to reveal that the SMAD2 and ERK1/2 signaling pathways are involved in TGF‐β1‐induced aromatase expression and E2 production. These results not only provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms that mediate TGF‐β1‐induced aromatase expression and E2 production in human granulosa cells but also increase the understanding of the normal physiological roles of TGF‐β1 in the ovary.
Graphical
This study reveals that the SMAD2 and ERK1/2 signaling pathways are involved in transforming growth factor‐beta 1 (TGF‐β1)‐induced aromatase expression and E2 production. These results not only provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms that mediate TGF‐β1‐induced aromatase expression and E2 production in human granulosa cells but also increase the understanding of the normal physiological roles of TGF‐β1 in the ovary.
Normal ovarian development is necessary for the production of healthy oocytes. However, the characteristics of oocytes development at different stages and the regulatory relationship between oocytes ...and somatic cells remain to be fully explained. Here, we combined scRNA‐seq and spatial transcriptomic sequencing to profile the transcriptomic atlas of developing ovarian of the rat. We identified four components from developing granulosa cells including cumulus, primitive, mural, and luteal cells, and constructed their differential transcriptional regulatory networks. Several novel growth signals from oocytes to cumulus cells were identified, such as JAG1‐NOTCH2 and FGF9‐FGFR2. Moreover, we observed three cumulus sequential phases during follicle development determined by the key transcriptional factors in each cumulus phase (Bckaf1, Gata6, Cebpb, etc.), as well as the potential pinpointed roles of macrophages in luteal regression. Altogether, the single‐cell spatial transcriptomic profile of the ovary provides not only a new research dimension for temporal and spatial analysis of ovary development, but also valuable data resources and a research basis for in‐depth excavation of the mechanisms of mammalian ovary development.
Shi et al. deliver the first single‐cell spatiotemporal gene expression profile in rat ovary and construct differential transcriptional regulatory networks of different cell types. Several novel growth signals and regulons were identified from oocytes to cumulus cells, and during cumulus state transition. These findings provided an important data resources and research basis for in‐depth excavation of the mechanisms of mammalian ovary development.
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