Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks have shown superior performance in 3D human action recognition due to their power in modeling the dynamics and dependencies in sequential data. Since not all ...joints are informative for action analysis and the irrelevant joints often bring a lot of noise, we need to pay more attention to the informative ones. However, original LSTM does not have strong attention capability. Hence we propose a new class of LSTM network, Global Context-Aware Attention LSTM (GCA-LSTM), for 3D action recognition, which is able to selectively focus on the informative joints in the action sequence with the assistance of global contextual information. In order to achieve a reliable attention representation for the action sequence, we further propose a recurrent attention mechanism for our GCA-LSTM network, in which the attention performance is improved iteratively. Experiments show that our end-to-end network can reliably focus on the most informative joints in each frame of the skeleton sequence. Moreover, our network yields state-of-the-art performance on three challenging datasets for 3D action recognition.
In this paper, we make the first benchmark effort to elaborate on the superiority of using RAW images in the low light enhancement and develop a novel alternative route to utilize RAW images in a ...more flexible and practical way. Inspired by a full consideration on the typical image processing pipeline, we are inspired to develop a new evaluation framework, Factorized Enhancement Model ( FEM ), which decomposes the properties of RAW images into measurable factors and provides a tool for exploring how properties of RAW images affect the enhancement performance empirically. The empirical benchmark results show that the Linearity of data and Exposure Time recorded in meta-data play the most critical role, which brings distinct performance gains in various measures over the approaches taking the sRGB images as input. With the insights obtained from the benchmark results in mind, a RAW-guiding Exposure Enhancement Network (REENet) is developed, which makes trade-offs between the advantages and inaccessibility of RAW images in real applications in a way of using RAW images only in the training phase. REENet projects sRGB images into linear RAW domains to apply constraints with corresponding RAW images to reduce the difficulty of modeling training. After that, in the testing phase, our REENet does not rely on RAW images. Experimental results demonstrate not only the superiority of REENet to state-of-the-art sRGB-based methods and but also the effectiveness of the RAW guidance and all components.
Remarkable progress has been made in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) recently. However, the defects present in the perovskite layer act as non-radiative recombination centers to decrease the stability ...and restrict the further performance improvement of the device. We report herein a sulfur-rich two-dimensional small molecule, SMe-TATPyr, as a bifunctional layer to efficiently passivate the surface defects of perovskite and facilitate the hole transfer at the perovskite/spiro-OMeTAD interface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses show that the sulfur atoms of SMe-TATPyr can passivate the uncoordinated Pb2+ defects and suppress the Pb0 defect formation as Lewis bases. As a result, the power conversion efficiency of PSCs is distinctly increased from 20.4% to 22.3%. Moreover, this simple interfacial modification could effectively enhance the stability of unencapsulated PSCs to retain 95% of the initial efficiency after storage for 1500 h at ambient conditions, in contrast to 70% efficiency retention of the device without SMe-TATPyr under the same conditions.
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A sulfur-rich two-dimensional small molecule, SMe-TATPyr, has been used as a bifunctional interlayer to efficiently passivate the surface defects of perovskite and facilitate the hole transfer at the perovskite/spiro-OMeTAD interface. The SMe-TATPyr-treated perovskite solar cells demonstrate a remarkable efficiency of 22.3%, along with 95% retention of the initial efficiency under storage for 1500 h at ambient conditions.
•A sulfur-rich small molecule is designed as a bifunctional reagent for interfacial defect passivation and hole transfer.•The use of the interfacial layer leads to the efficiency enhancement from 20.4% to 22.3%.•The effect of interfacial defect passivation is fully supported by different physical measurements.
Minerals have crucial biological functions in metabolism and are primarily obtained through diet. As a result, various dietary patterns can impact blood mineral levels. The aim of this study was to ...investigate the correlation between dietary patterns and the concentration of calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and copper in the bloodstream.
Three hundred eighty healthy children (53.7% male) were recruited in a region of Hunan Province in September 2019. We gathered basic information and measured physical proportions, along with completing a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Using principal component analysis (PCA), we determined dietary patterns. To analyze mineral levels in the blood, we used flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). We utilized linear regression models to investigate if certain dietary patterns are related to mineral concentration.
Three dietary patterns were identified: 'Vegetables/Nuts,' 'Snacks/Beverages,' and 'Cereal/Beans.' Children from high-income families (annual average income > 50,000 yuan) prefer the 'Vegetables/Nuts' dietary pattern (P = 0.004). In comparison, those from low-income families (annual average income < 20,000 yuan) prefer the 'Snacks/Beverages' dietary pattern (P = 0.03). Following adjustment for age, gender, guardian's identity, education level, and annual household income. We found that an increase in the 'Vegetables/Nuts' pattern score (β = 0.153, CI: 0.053 ~ 0.253; P = 0.003) and 'Snacks/Beverages' pattern score (β = 0.103, CI: 0.002 ~ 0.204; P = 0.033) were significantly associated blood copper concentration.
Household income was found to be associated with dietary behavior. Furthermore, higher blood copper concentration was significantly correlated with the 'Vegetables/Nuts' dietary pattern and 'Snacks/Beverages' dietary pattern, but the correlation is extremely low.
The large volume expansion-contraction and low conductivity of Co3O4 leads to electrode pulverisation, capacity loss and poor cycling stability in the application of a capacitor. Herein, an effective ...and low cost strategy for microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition (CVD) equipment with a modified household microwave oven was implemented to handle micro-porous Co3O4 powder and get high O vacancy electrode active materials. The results show that the morphology, crystal structure and elemental composition of the sample are strongly affected by H2 plasma. The capacity of the etched micro-porous Co3O4 powder is about 128 Fg-1 after 4000 cycles, which is 3.5 times larger than that of the origin powder. The performance improvement mechanism of the plasma etch was also confirmed. The results show that microwave plasma etching can effectively improve the performance of Co3O4 capacitor materials due to O vacancy increasing and the ratio of Co2+/Co3+ changing, which will benefit other kinds of oxide semiconductor electrode materials.
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•Co3O4 powder was treated by microwave plasma etching.•The effect of treated time on the samples were investigated.•The excellent performance samples can be obtained by microwave plasma etching.•Through sample analysis, the cause of performance improvement was obtained.•Proving the microwave plasma technology is a potential material processing treatment.
Currently, preliminary results have confirmed the existence of receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3) and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL)-dependent necroptosis of pancreatic ...acinar cells during early acute pancreatitis (AP), which might be a potential target for the effective regulation of necroinflammatory injury. However, the exact effect of receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1)-dependent regulated acinar cell necrosis on AP is still uncertain. In our study, we first explored the changes in the degree of local and systemic inflammation in AP rats when the activation of acinar cell RIPK1 was inhibited. The RIPK1 inhibitor Nec-1 was used to treat rats, and the levels of related inflammatory markers, necrosis indicators and apoptotic indicators were measured. Changes in pancreatic nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and aquaporin 8 (AQP8) expression were noted. Next, the expression of AQP8 in AR42J cells was inhibited, and the degree of cell necrosis and inflammatory damage was found to be significantly reduced. Most importantly, we demonstrated that the RIPK1/NF-ĸB/AQP8 axis might be a potential regulatory pathway mediating RIPK1-dependent regulated acinar cell necrosis in early AP. Finally, we used the NF-κB inhibitor PDTC and Nec-1 to treat rats in different groups and measured the degree of pathological pancreatic injury, the activation of RIPK1, and the expression of NF-κB and AQP8. In summary, we hypothesized that there might be a RIPK1/NF-ĸB/AQP8 pathway controlling RIPK1-dependent regulated necrosis of acinar cells in AP, which might be a promising therapeutic target against AP-related injury.
Abstract
The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) has previously been proved to be involved in the regulation of the sleep–wake behavior. DRN contains several neuron types, such as 5-HTergic and GABAergic ...neurons. GABAergic neurons, which are the second largest cell subtype in the DRN, participate in a variety of neurophysiological functions. However, their role in sleep–wake regulation and the underlying neural circuitry remains unclear. Herein, we used fiber photometry and synchronous electroencephalogram (EEG)/electromyography (EMG) recording to demonstrate that DRN GABAergic neurons exhibit high activities during wakefulness and low activities during NREM sleep. Short-term optogenetic activation of DRN GABAergic neurons reduced the latency of NREM-to-wake transition and increased the probability of wakefulness, while long-term optogenetic activation of these neurons significantly increased the amount of wakefulness. Chemogenetic activation of DRN GABAergic neurons increased wakefulness for almost 2 h and maintained long-lasting arousal. In addition, inhibition of DRN GABAergic neurons with chemogenetics caused a reduction in the amount of wakefulness. Finally, similar to the effects of activating the soma of DRN GABAergic neurons, optogenetic stimulation of their terminals in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) induced instant arousal and promoted wakefulness. Taken together, our results illustrated that DRN GABAergic neurons are vital to the induction and maintenance of wakefulness, which promote wakefulness through the GABAergic DRN-VTA pathway.
Graphical Abstract
Graphical Abstract
Aims/hypothesis
Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is associated with suppressed autophagy and augmented apoptosis in the heart although the interplay between the two remains elusive. The ability of ...mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1 to regulate both autophagy and apoptosis prompted us to investigate it as a possible candidate in the progression of DCM.
Methods
Wild-type,
Mst1
(also known as
Stk4
) transgenic and
Mst1
-knockout mice were challenged with streptozotocin to induce experimental diabetes. In addition, cultured neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes were subjected to simulated diabetes to probe mechanisms.
Results
Mst1
knockout alleviated while
Mst1
overexpression aggravated cardiac dysfunction in diabetes. Diabetic
Mst1
transgenic mice exhibited decreased LC3 expression and enhanced protein aggregation. In contrast, typical autophagosomes were observed in diabetic
Mst1
-knockout mice with increased LC3 expression and reduced protein aggregation.
Mst1
downregulation promoted autophagic flux as demonstrated by increased LC3-II and decreased p62 expression in the presence of bafilomycin A1. Furthermore,
Mst1
overexpression increased, while
Mst1
knockout decreased, cardiomyocyte apoptosis both in vivo and in vitro. Co-immunoprecipitation assays showed that
Mst1
overexpression promoted Beclin1 binding to B cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and induced dissociation of Bcl-2 from Bax in diabetic mice. Conversely,
Mst1
knockout disrupted the Beclin1-Bcl-2 complex and enhanced the interaction between Bcl-2 and Bax.
Conclusions/interpretation
Mst1
knockout restores autophagy and protects against apoptosis in cardiomyocytes, en route to the rescue against DCM.
Because of the limited reflected energy and incoming illumination in an individual band, the reflected energy captured by a hyperspectral sensor might be low and there is inevitable noise that ...significantly decreases the performance of the subsequent analysis. Denoising is therefore of first importance in hyperspectral image (HSI) analysis and interpretation. However, most HSI denoising methods remove noise with the important spectral information being severely distorted. This paper presents an HSI denoising method using trainable spectral difference learning with spatial initialization (called HDnTSDL) aimed at preserving the spectral information. In the proposed HDnTSDL model, a key band is automatically selected and denoised. The denoised key band acts as a starting point to reconstruct the rest of the non-key bands. Meanwhile, a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) with trainable non-linearity functions is proposed to learn the spectral difference mapping. Then, the rest of the non-key bands are denoised under the guidance of the learned spectral difference with the key band as a starting point. Experiments have been conducted on five databases with both indoor and outdoor scenes. Comparative analyses validate that the proposed method: (i) presents superior performance in spatial recovery and spectral preservation, and (ii) requires less computational time than state-of-the-art methods.
Objectives
To explore the relationship between the Comprehensive Nutritional Index (CNI) and survival in older patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and to compare the prognostic performance ...of three nutritional indicators (CNI, Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), and Nutritional Risk Index (NRI)) for overall survival (OS).
Methods
This retrospective study involved 309 older NPC patients in Guangzhou (China) from November 2006 to November 2017. The CNI comprised five parameters: the body mass index (BMI), usual body weight percentage (UBW%), hemoglobin (Hb) level, albumin level, and total lymphocyte count (TLC). All single nutritional indicators were evaluated before and immediately after treatment. The principal component analysis (PCA) was used for calculation of the CNI by single nutritional indicators after treatment. The cutoff point for the CNI was evaluated and logistic regression used to explore the risk factors for the CNI. Univariable, multivariable Cox regression, and Kaplan–Meier methods were applied for OS and disease-free survival (DFS) analyses. Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare the prognostic value of the CNI, PNI, and NRI for OS.
Results
All single nutritional indicators decreased significantly after treatment (
P
< 0.05). The CNI cutoff point for mortality was 0.027, and the logistic regression indicated more complex treatments or higher cancer stage for NPC was associated with a low CNI (HR = 0.179; 95% CI: 0.037–0.856; 0.545, 0.367–0.811, respectively). In multivariable Cox regression, the CNI remained an independent prognostic factor of OS and DFS (HR = 0.468, 95% CI: 0.263–0.832; 0.527, 0.284–0.977, respectively). Kaplan–Meier curves showed that a low CNI was associated with worse OS and DFS (
P
= 0.001 and 0.013, respectively). The prognostic predictive performance of the CNI was superior to that of the PNI or NRI.
Conclusions
The CNI can be recommended as an appropriate indicator reflecting the integrated nutritional status of older NPC patients. A low CNI predicted a poor survival outcome and the prognostic performance of CNI was superior to PNI or NRI.
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