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As Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) become increasingly intelligent, facial expression recognition (FER) has become a significant requirement for the purpose of monitoring a driver’s emotional state as well as fatigue level. An automobile system with FER is very useful in improving transportation safety by recognizing the driver’s state to provide timely alerts and potentially reduce the likelihood of accidents. While deep neural networks (DNN) based systems have achieved high accuracy in FER in recent years based on data collected under good laboratory environments, recognizing real-world facial expressions remains challenging due to variations in lighting and head pose especially prevalent in the driving scenario. In this paper, we propose an attention-based multi-modal and multi-view fusion FER model that can accurately recognize facial expressions regardless of lighting conditions or head poses, using image data of various modalities including RGB, Near-infrared (NIR), and Depth Maps from different viewpoints. The model is developed on a novel facial expression dataset we collected that includes multiple modalities captured from multiple viewpoints, with varying lighting conditions and head poses. Our multi-modal and multi-view fusion approach shows superior performance compared with models that use data from a single modality/view. The model achieves an accuracy of over 95% when recognizing drivers’ facial expressions in real-world scenarios, even in poor lighting conditions and different head poses.

[INLINE:1] Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is often associated with permanent cerebral palsy, neurosensory impairments, and cognitive deficits, and there is no effective treatment for complications related to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. The therapeutic potential of human placental chorionic plate-derived mesenchymal stem cells for various diseases has been explored. However, the potential use of human placental chorionic plate-derived mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy has not yet been investigated. In this study, we injected human placental chorionic plate-derived mesenchymal stem cells into the lateral ventricle of a neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy rat model and observed significant improvements in both cognitive and motor function. Protein chip analysis showed that interleukin-3 expression was significantly elevated in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy model rats. Following transplantation of human placental chorionic plate-derived mesenchymal stem cells, interleukin-3 expression was downregulated. To further investigate the role of interleukin-3 in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, we established an in vitro SH-SY5Y cell model of hypoxic-ischemic injury through oxygen-glucose deprivation and silenced interleukin-3 expression using small interfering RNA. We found that the activity and proliferation of SH-SY5Y cells subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation were further suppressed by interleukin-3 knockdown. Furthermore, interleukin-3 knockout exacerbated neuronal damage and cognitive and motor function impairment in rat models of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. The findings suggest that transplantation of hpcMSCs ameliorated behavioral impairments in a rat model of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, and this effect was mediated by interleukin-3-dependent neurological function.

Giving a robot the ability to perceive emotion in its environment can improve human-robot interaction (HRI), thereby facilitating more human-like communication. To achieve emotion recognition in different built environments for adolescents, we propose a multi-modal emotion intensity perception method using an integration of electroencephalography (EEG) and eye movement information. Specifically, we first develop a new stimulus video selection method based on computation of normalized arousal and valence scores according to subjective feedback from participants. Then, we establish a valence perception sub-model and an arousal sub-model by collecting and analyzing emotional EEG and eye movement signals, respectively. We employ this dual recognition method to perceive emotional intensities synchronously in two dimensions. In the laboratory environment, the best recognition accuracies of the modality fusion for the arousal and valence dimensions are 72.8 and 69.3%. The experimental results validate the feasibility of the proposed multi-modal emotion recognition method for environment emotion intensity perception. This promising tool not only achieves more accurate emotion perception for HRI systems but also provides an alternative approach to quantitatively assess environmental psychology.

We provide a sufficient condition for constructing a class of compactly supported refinable functions with componentwise polynomial property in ℝ2. An iteration algorithm is developed to compute the polynomial on each component of the functions' support. Finally, two examples for constructing the symmetric refinable componentwise polynomial functions are given.

Doublesex (DSX) proteins are members of the Doublesex/mab-3-related (DMRT) protein family and play crucial roles in sex determination and differentiation among the animal kingdom. In the present study, we identified two Doublesex (Dsx)-like mRNA isoforms in the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana (Kellogg 1906), which are generated by the combination of alternative promoters, alternative splicing and alternative polyadenylation. The two transcripts exhibited sex-biased enrichment, which we termed AfrDsxM and AfrDsxF . They share a common region which encodes an identical N-terminal DNA-binding (DM) domain. RT-qPCR analyses showed that AfrDsxM is dominantly expressed in male Artemia while AfrDsxF is specifically expressed in females. Expression levels of both isoforms increased along with the developmental stages of their respective sexes. RNA interference with dsRNA showed that the knockdown of AfrDsxM in male larvae led to the appearance of female traits including an ovary-like structure in the original male reproductive system and an elevated expression of vitellogenin. However, silencing of AfrDsxF induced no clear phenotypic change in female Artemia. These results indicated that the male AfrDSXM may act as inhibiting regulator upon the default female developmental mode in Artemia. Furthermore, electrophoretic mobility shift assay analyses revealed that the unique DM domain of AfrDSXs can specifically bind to promoter segments of potential downstream target genes like AfrVtg. These data show that AfrDSXs play crucial roles in regulating sexual development in Artemia, and further provide insight into the evolution of sex determination/differentiation in sexual organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central nervous system (CNS) has been considered an immunologically privileged site. In the past few decades, research on inflammation in CNS diseases has mostly focused on microglia, innate immune cells that respond rapidly to injury and infection to maintain CNS homeostasis. Discoveries of lymphatic vessels within the dura mater and peripheral immune cells in the meningeal layer indicate that the peripheral immune system can monitor and intervene in the CNS. This review summarizes recent advances in the involvement of T lymphocytes in multiple CNS diseases, including brain injury, neurodegenerative diseases, and psychiatric disorders. It emphasizes that a deep understanding of the pathogenesis of CNS diseases requires intimate knowledge of T lymphocytes. Aiming to promote a better understanding of the relationship between the immune system and CNS and facilitate the development of therapeutic strategies targeting T lymphocytes in neurological diseases.

Directed energy deposition (DED) is gaining widespread acceptance in various industrial applications since its unique manufacturing features allow the DED to print metallic parts with very complex geometries. However, DED inevitably generates a lot of internal pores which can limit the widespread applications of the DED technique. The current studies on DED porosity are mostly focused on analyzing pores’ bulk-scale influences on mechanical properties and performances. Since DED pores have a micro-scale existence, with dimensions ranging from a few microns to several hundred microns, it is fundamental to explore the pores’ influences on the micro-scale, including local mechanical properties, residual stress, and grains near pores. However, this important research direction has been neglected. The objective of this work is to fill the above gap in DED porosity research and acquire a fundamental understanding of the role of porosity on a microscopic scale. The authors used nanoindentation approaches to investigate internal pores’ effects on mechanical properties and residual stress in local regions surrounding the pores. In addition, the grains near pores were observed through EBSD, and simulated with the Kinetic Monte Carlo model. The research findings can be provided for DED researchers and industrial practitioners as technical guidance. Most importantly, the research results can work as a good reference for tracing the source of bulk-scale mechanical performances and properties of DED parts with internal pores.

Accurate calibration between LiDAR and camera sensors is crucial for autonomous driving systems to perceive and understand the environment effectively. Typically, LiDAR–camera extrinsic calibration requires feature alignment and overlapping fields of view. Aligning features from different modalities can be challenging due to noise influence. Therefore, this paper proposes a targetless extrinsic calibration method for monocular cameras and LiDAR sensors that have a non-overlapping field of view. The proposed solution uses pose transformation to establish data association across different modalities. This conversion turns the calibration problem into an optimization problem within a visual SLAM system without requiring overlapping views. To improve performance, line features serve as constraints in visual SLAM. Accurate positions of line segments are obtained by utilizing an extended photometric error optimization method. Moreover, a strategy is proposed for selecting appropriate calibration methods from among several alternative optimization schemes. This adaptive calibration method selection strategy ensures robust calibration performance in urban autonomous driving scenarios with varying lighting and environmental textures while avoiding failures and excessive bias that may result from relying on a single approach.

Poly(PR) is a dipeptide repeat protein comprising proline and arginine residues. It is one of the translational product of expanded G4C2 repeats in the C9orf72 gene, and its accumulation is contributing to the neuropathogenesis of C9orf72-associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and/or frontotemporal dementia (C9-ALS/FTD). In this study, we demonstrate that poly(PR) protein alone is sufficient to induce neurodegeneration related to ALS/FTD in cynomolgus monkeys. By delivering poly(PR) via AAV, we observed that the PR proteins were located within the nucleus of infected cells. The expression of (PR)50 protein, consisting of 50 PR repeats, led to increased loss of cortical neurons, cytoplasmic lipofuscin, and gliosis in the brain, as well as demyelination and loss of ChAT positive neurons in the spinal cord of monkeys. While, these pathologies were not observed in monkeys expressing (PR)5, a protein comprising only 5 PR repeats. Furthermore, the (PR)50-expressing monkeys exhibited progressive motor deficits, cognitive impairment, muscle atrophy, and abnormal electromyography (EMG) potentials, which closely resemble clinical symptoms seen in C9-ALS/FTD patients. By longitudinally tracking these monkeys, we found that changes in cystatin C and chitinase-1 (CHIT1) levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) corresponded to the phenotypic progression of (PR)50-induced disease. Proteomic analysis revealed that the major clusters of dysregulated proteins were nuclear-localized, and downregulation of the MECP2 protein was implicated in the toxic process of poly(PR). This research indicates that poly(PR) expression alone induces neurodegeneration and core phenotypes associated with C9-ALS/FTD in monkeys, which may provide insights into the mechanisms of disease pathogenesis.

AimsPermanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) combined with hypertension leads to a higher risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) for patients. Hence, it is essential to study how to reduce this risk. Currently, the effects of the two common anti-hypertensive drugs, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI)/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) and calcium channel blockers (CCB), on the risk of NOAF for such patients remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate this association.MethodsThis single-center retrospective study included hypertensive patients with PPI and without prior history of AF/atrial flutter, heart valve disease, hyperthyroidism, etc. Patients were classified into ACEI/ARB group and CCB group based on their exposure drug information. The primary outcome was NOAF events that occurred within 12 months after PPI. The secondary efficacy assessments were the changes from baseline to follow-up in blood pressure and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) parameters. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to verify our aim.ResultsA total of 69 patients were finally included (51 on ACEI/ARB and 18 on CCB). Both univariate analysis [odds ratio (OR) 0.241, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.078–0.745] and multivariate analysis (OR: 0.246, 95% CI: 0.077–0.792) demonstrated that ACEI/ARB were associated with a lower risk of NOAF compared to CCB. The mean reduction in left atrial diameter (LAD) from baseline was greater in ACEI/ARB group than in CCB group (P = 0.034). There was no statistical difference between groups in blood pressure and other TTE parameters after treatment.ConclusionFor patients with PPI combined with hypertension, ACEI/ARB may be superior to CCB in selecting anti-hypertensive drugs, as ACEI/ARB further reduces the risk of NOAF. One reason for this may be that ACEI/ARB improves left atrial remodelling such as LAD better.

Abstract Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become a new hope for many patients with advanced cancer by blocking tumour immune evasion. However, with the widespread use of ICIs, immune‐related adverse events (irAEs) have also been discovered and reported increasingly. Immune‐related myocarditis, the most dangerous one of irAEs, still has high mortality in the context of the current treatment. We report the case of a 60‐year‐old female with fulminant myocarditis induced by ICIs, which caused her to experience frequent ventricular arrhythmias such as ventricular fibrillation and heart failure. She was successfully treated with current mainstream therapies for immune‐related myocarditis and additional treatment of sacubitril–valsartan and dapagliflozin. The intriguing observation that the patient condition recovered relatively rapidly in this case shows a possible treatment inspiration, which may be helpful for treating ICIs‐associated myocarditis and improving cancer patients' clinical prognosis.

Schizophrenia (SCZ) and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) are complex polygenic disorders with brain morphology abnormalities. The etiologies and relationship of both disorders remain elusive, and should be further investigated. Thus, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were generated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from an OCD patient, his mother with SCZ and his healthy father with reprograming method. All iPSCs were characterized to have normal karyotype and expression of pluripotency makers. These iPSCs will be a valuable model to elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms and association of both diseases.

Objective To investigate the effect of Sema6D knockdown on the proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenesis-promoting ability of human osteosarcoma cell lines. Methods The expression of Sema6D in clinical tissues and cell lines of human osteosarcoma was detected. After the targeted siRNA transfection, the changes of proliferation, migration and invasion were measured by CCK-8, wound healing and Transwell experiments. HUVECs were co-cultured with tumor conditioned medium to detect their tube formation ability. And the expression of signal pathway proteins was detected by Western blot. Results Sema6D was highly expressed in human osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines(P < 0.05). After silencing Sema6D, the proliferation, migration and invasion of 143B and MG63 cells decreased significantly(P < 0.05), the angiogenesis ability of HUVECs decreased in vitro(P < 0.01), and the expression of PI3K/AKT/mTOR and ERK-related signal pathway proteins decreased(P < 0.05). Conclusion Sema6D is overexpressed in human osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of Sema6D expression level could inhibit the proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenesis-promoting ability of human osteosarcoma cells via reducing PI3K/AKT/mTOR and ERK signal pathway.

Abstract An autonomous vehicle (AV) is a cyber‐physical system (CPS) incorporating dynamics, perception sensors (e.g. camera and radar), embedded electronic control units (ECUs) and in‐vehicle networking (e.g. CAN, LIN and FlexRay).Achieving path‐following control of an AV to track a desired path is therefore a highly non‐linear task that is naturally vulnerable to denial‐of‐service (DoS) attacks. Considering that DoS attacks can inhibit the services of a control system by overwhelming the performance capabilities of the ECUs or the bus, this paper investigates the cyber‐physical system problem of path‐following control for AVs under intermittent DoS attacks. To solve this problem, we propose resilient observer‐based non‐linear control based on the triple‐step approach. The core ideas behind this method are the integrated design of the observer and feedback gains incorporating the DoS duration and the convex design of controller parameters by solving a set of linear matrix inequalities. The proposed control scheme guarantees that the closed‐loop system maintains input‐to‐stable stability, while the error signals theoretically converge to a small neighbourhood of the origin. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is confirmed by the simulation results obtained for a high‐fidelity veDYNA full‐vehicle model with different driving tests and DoS attacks.