Fast and Accurate 3D hand-object Pose Estimation for Embedded Applications

Understanding human activities in everyday and professional scenarios requires fast and accurate 3D hand-object pose estimation. Most existing 3D hand-object pose estimation models rely on dedicated hardware support to address these challenges, limiting their practicality on everyday devices such as smartphones. In this paper, we propose a lightweight solution for hand and object pose estimation for mobile applications, using only RGB images as input, which greatly improves efficiency while maintaining high accuracy, demonstrating the feasibility of real-time hand pose estimation in low-computation environments. This makes a new contribution to interactive applications centered on the human hand under hardware constraints.</p

Table_1_Exploring the relationships among music performance anxiety, teaching anxiety, and self-efficacy of Chinese preservice music teachers.docx

This quantitative study aimed to explore the relationships among music performance anxiety (MPA), teacher anxiety (TA), and self-efficacy (SE) through a survey study of Chinese preservice music teachers (N = 237). We also examined gender, grade, primary instrument, secondary instrument, music learning time length, and time spent in four activities: peer teaching, practicum, internship, and private teaching as potential predictors of MPA, TA, and SE. Results indicated that the higher the self-efficacy, the lower music performance anxiety and teaching anxiety; Simultaneously, the increased music performance anxiety was associated with an increased teaching anxiety. Partial correlation results indicated a significant but negative correlation between TA and SE with MPA controlled. Teaching anxiety, followed by primary piano, was the strongest predictor of MPA. MPA, followed by SE and peer teaching, was the strongest predictor of TA. TA, followed by grade level, was the strongest predictor of SE. The results from the multivariate analysis of variance revealed that the SE of male preservice music teachers were significantly higher than their female counterparts. As a study implication, music teacher educators may consider interventions and support mechanisms that address both types of anxiety simultaneously to improve overall teacher preparedness.</p

Optimal Designs for Multi-Response Nonlinear Regression Models With Several Factors via Semidefinite Programming

<p>We use semidefinite programming (SDP) to find a variety of optimal designs for multi-response linear models with multiple factors, and for the first time, extend the methodology to find optimal designs for multi-response nonlinear models and generalized linear models with multiple factors. We construct transformations that (i) facilitate improved formulation of the optimal design problems into SDP problems, (ii) enable us to extend SDP methodology to find optimal designs from linear models to nonlinear multi-response models with multiple factors and (iii) correct erroneously reported optimal designs in the literature caused by formulation issues. We also derive invariance properties of optimal designs and their dependence on the covariance matrix of the correlated errors, which are helpful for reducing the computation time for finding optimal designs. Our applications include finding A-, A_<i>s</i>-, c-, and D-optimal designs for multi-response multi-factor polynomial models, locally c- and D-optimal designs for a bivariate <math><msub><mi>E</mi>max</msub></math> response model and for a bivariate Probit model useful in the biosciences.</p

Data_Sheet_1_Vibrio alginolyticus Survives From Ofloxacin Stress by Metabolic Adjustment.docx

Antibiotic-resistant Vibrio alginolyticus becomes a worldwide challenge threatening both human health and food safety. The approach in managing such infection is largely absent, despite the fact that the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance have been extensively investigated. Metabolic modulation has been documented to be a novel approach in improving antibiotic efficacy. In this study, we characterize the metabolic signature of V. alginolyticus exposed to 0.3 or 0.5 μg/ml of ofloxacin (OFX). By profiling the metabolome, we find that bacteria treated by the two different concentrations of OFX generate different metabolic signatures. While a part of these metabolites was shared by both groups, the other metabolites represent their own signatures. The pathway enrichment analysis demonstrates that the pyruvate cycle is disrupted in the bacteria treated by the 0.3 μg/ml OFX as compared to those by the 0.5 μg/ml. Importantly, the disruption of pyruvate cycle confers the capability of bacteria to survive under 0.5 μg/ml of antibiotic stress. Further analysis identifies that the fatty acid biosynthesis is elevated in bacteria treated by 0.3 μg/ml OFX, and inhibition on fatty acid completely prevents the bacteria from survival even under such dose of antibiotic stress. Our study suggests that bacteria adapt to antibiotic stress by modulating the metabolic flux for survival, which could be targeted to increase antibiotic efficacy.</p

Physiological Responses of Methanosarcina barkeri under Ammonia Stress at the Molecular Level: The Unignorable Lipid Reprogramming

Acetotrophic methanogens’ dysfunction in anaerobic digestion under ammonia pressure has been widely concerned. Lipids, the main cytomembrane structural biomolecules, normally play indispensable roles in guaranteeing cell functionality. However, no studies explored the effects of high ammonia on acetotrophic methanogens’ lipids. Here, a high-throughput lipidomic interrogation deciphered lipid reprogramming in representative acetoclastic methanogen (Methanosarcina barkeri) upon high ammonia exposure. The results showed that high ammonia conspicuously reduced polyunsaturated lipids and longer-chain lipids, while accumulating lipids with shorter chains and/or more saturation. Also, the correlation network analysis visualized some sphingolipids as the most active participant in lipid–lipid communications, implying that the ammonia-induced enrichment in these sphingolipids triggered other lipid changes. In addition, we discovered the decreased integrity, elevated permeability, depolarization, and diminished fluidity of lipid-supported membranes under ammonia restraint, verifying the noxious ramifications of lipid abnormalities. Additional analysis revealed that high ammonia destabilized the structure of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) capable of protecting lipids, e.g., declining α-helix/(β-sheet + random coil) and 3-turn helix ratios. Furthermore, the abiotic impairment of critical EPS bonds, including C–OH, CO–NH–, and S–S, and the biotic downregulation of functional proteins involved in transcription, translation, and EPS building blocks’ supply were unraveled under ammonia stress and implied as the crucial mechanisms for EPS reshaping

MOESM2 of The relationship between the psychological stress of adolescents in school and the prevalence of chronic low back pain: a cross-sectional study in China

Additional file 2. Questionnaire (the Original version)

Additional file 1 of Recurrent spontaneous pneumoperitoneum secondary to intestinal dilatation caused by allied disorders of Hirschsprung’s disease: a case report

Additional file 1. The timeline of disease in this case

Surporting_Information-20190716 – Supplemental material for Synthesis and crystal structure of trifluoromethyl-containing bendamustine hydrochloride

Supplemental material, Surporting_Information-20190716 for Synthesis and crystal structure of trifluoromethyl-containing bendamustine hydrochloride by Yue Yin, Huailiang Liu, Tangxin Xiao, Xiaoqiang Sun, Ke Yang and Zhengyi Li in Journal of Chemical Research</p

MOESM1 of The relationship between the psychological stress of adolescents in school and the prevalence of chronic low back pain: a cross-sectional study in China

Additional file 1. Questionnaire (the English version)