ElegantSeg: End-to-End Holistic Learning for Extra-Large Image Semantic Segmentation

This paper presents a new paradigm for Extra-large image semantic Segmentation, called ElegantSeg, that capably processes holistic extra-large image semantic segmentation (ELISS). The extremely large sizes of extra-large images (ELIs) tend to cause GPU memory exhaustion. To tackle this issue, prevailing works either follow the global-local fusion pipeline or conduct the multi-stage refinement. These methods can only process limited information at one time, and they are not able to thoroughly exploit the abundant information in ELIs. Unlike previous methods, ElegantSeg can elegantly process holistic ELISS by extending the tensor storage from GPU memory to host memory. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that ELISS can be performed holistically. Besides, ElegantSeg is specifically designed with three modules to utilize the characteristics of ELIs, including the multiple large kernel module for developing long-range dependency, the efficient class relation module for building holistic contextual relationships, and the boundary-aware enhancement module for obtaining complete object boundaries. ElegantSeg outperforms previous state-of-the-art on two typical ELISS datasets. We hope that ElegantSeg can open a new perspective for ELISS. The code and models will be made publicly available

Conserved roles of C. elegans and human MANFs in sulfatide binding and cytoprotection.

Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein that can be secreted and protects dopamine neurons and cardiomyocytes from ER stress and apoptosis. The mechanism of action of extracellular MANF has long been elusive. From a genetic screen for mutants with abnormal ER stress response, we identified the gene Y54G2A.23 as the evolutionarily conserved C. elegans MANF orthologue. We find that MANF binds to the lipid sulfatide, also known as 3-O-sulfogalactosylceramide present in serum and outer-cell membrane leaflets, directly in isolated forms and in reconstituted lipid micelles. Sulfatide binding promotes cellular MANF uptake and cytoprotection from hypoxia-induced cell death. Heightened ER stress responses of MANF-null C. elegans mutants and mammalian cells are alleviated by human MANF in a sulfatide-dependent manner. Our results demonstrate conserved roles of MANF in sulfatide binding and ER stress response, supporting sulfatide as a long-sought lipid mediator of MANF's cytoprotection

Clofazimine Inhibits Human Kv1.3 Potassium Channel by Perturbing Calcium Oscillation in T Lymphocytes

The Kv1.3 potassium channel plays an essential role in effector memory T cells and has been implicated in several important autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis, psoriasis and type 1 diabetes. A number of potent small molecule inhibitors of Kv1.3 channel have been reported, some of which were found to be effective in various animal models of autoimmune diseases. We report herein the identification of clofazimine, a known anti-mycobacterial drug, as a novel inhibitor of human Kv1.3. Clofazimine was initially identified as an inhibitor of intracellular T cell receptor-mediated signaling leading to the transcriptional activation of human interleukin-2 gene in T cells from a screen of the Johns Hopkins Drug Library. A systematic mechanistic deconvolution revealed that clofazimine selectively blocked the Kv1.3 channel activity, perturbing the oscillation frequency of the calcium-release activated calcium channel, which in turn led to the inhibition of the calcineurin-NFAT signaling pathway. These effects of clofazimine provide the first line of experimental evidence in support of a causal relationship between Kv1.3 and calcium oscillation in human T cells. Furthermore, clofazimine was found to be effective in blocking human T cell-mediated skin graft rejection in an animal model in vivo. Together, these results suggest that clofazimine is a promising immunomodulatory drug candidate for treating a variety of autoimmune disorders

A Novel Sliding Mode Momentum Observer for Collaborative Robot Collision Detection

Safety during physical human–robot interaction is the most basic requirement for robots. Collision detection without additional sensors is an economically feasible way to ensure it. In contrast, current collision detection approaches have an unavoidable trade-off between sensitivity to collisions, signal smoothness, and immunity to measurement noise. In this paper, we present a novel sliding mode momentum observer (NSOMO) for detecting collisions between robots and humans, including dynamic and quasistatic collisions. The collision detection method starts with a dynamic model of the robot and derives a generalized momentum-based state equation. Then a new reaching law is devised, based on which NSOMO is constructed by fusing momentum, achieving higher bandwidth and noise immunity of observation. Finally, a time-varying dynamic threshold (TVDT) model is designed to distinguish between collision signals and the estimated lumped disturbance. Its coefficients are obtained through offline data recognition. The TVDT with NSOMO enables fast and reliable collision detection and allows collision position assessment. Simulation experiments and hardware tests of the 7-DOF collaborative robot are implemented to illustrate this proposed method’s effectiveness

A Novel Sliding Mode Momentum Observer for Collaborative Robot Collision Detection

Safety during physical human–robot interaction is the most basic requirement for robots. Collision detection without additional sensors is an economically feasible way to ensure it. In contrast, current collision detection approaches have an unavoidable trade-off between sensitivity to collisions, signal smoothness, and immunity to measurement noise. In this paper, we present a novel sliding mode momentum observer (NSOMO) for detecting collisions between robots and humans, including dynamic and quasistatic collisions. The collision detection method starts with a dynamic model of the robot and derives a generalized momentum-based state equation. Then a new reaching law is devised, based on which NSOMO is constructed by fusing momentum, achieving higher bandwidth and noise immunity of observation. Finally, a time-varying dynamic threshold (TVDT) model is designed to distinguish between collision signals and the estimated lumped disturbance. Its coefficients are obtained through offline data recognition. The TVDT with NSOMO enables fast and reliable collision detection and allows collision position assessment. Simulation experiments and hardware tests of the 7-DOF collaborative robot are implemented to illustrate this proposed method’s effectiveness

Drift Reduction of a 4-DOF Measurement System Caused by Unstable Air Refractive Index

Laser beam drift greatly influences the accuracy of a four degrees of freedom (4-DOF) measurement system during the detection of machine tool errors, especially for long-distance measurement. A novel method was proposed using bellows to serve as a laser beam shield and air pumps to stabilize the refractive index of air. The inner diameter of the bellows and the control mode of the pumps were optimized through theoretical analysis and simulation. An experimental setup was established to verify the feasibility of the method under the temperature interference condition. The results indicated that the position stability of the laser beam spot can be improved by more than 79% under the action of pumping and inflating. The proposed scheme provides a cost-effective method to reduce the laser beam drift, which can be applied to improve the detection accuracy of a 4-DOF measurement system