Human Pose Estimation from Monocular Images : a Comprehensive Survey

Human pose estimation refers to the estimation of the location of body parts and how they are connected in an image. Human pose estimation from monocular images has wide applications (e.g., image indexing). Several surveys on human pose estimation can be found in the literature, but they focus on a certain category; for example, model-based approaches or human motion analysis, etc. As far as we know, an overall review of this problem domain has yet to be provided. Furthermore, recent advancements based on deep learning have brought novel algorithms for this problem. In this paper, a comprehensive survey of human pose estimation from monocular images is carried out including milestone works and recent advancements. Based on one standard pipeline for the solution of computer vision problems, this survey splits the problema into several modules: feature extraction and description, human body models, and modelin methods. Problem modeling methods are approached based on two means of categorization in this survey. One way to categorize includes top-down and bottom-up methods, and another way includes generative and discriminative methods. Considering the fact that one direct application of human pose estimation is to provide initialization for automatic video surveillance, there are additional sections for motion-related methods in all modules: motion features, motion models, and motion-based methods. Finally, the paper also collects 26 publicly available data sets for validation and provides error measurement methods that are frequently used

Human action recognition based on estimated weak poses

Altres ajuts: Avanza I+D ViCoMo (TSI-020400-2009-133) and DiCoMa (TSI-020400-2011-55)We present a novel method for human action recognition (HAR) based on estimated poses from image sequences. We use 3D human pose data as additional information and propose a compact human pose representation, called a weak pose, in a low-dimensional space while still keeping the most discriminative information for a given pose. With predicted poses from image features, we map the problem from image feature space to pose space, where a Bag of Poses (BOP) model is learned for the final goal of HAR. The BOP model is a modified version of the classical bag of words pipeline by building the vocabulary based on the most representative weak poses for a given action. Compared with the standard k-means clustering, our vocabulary selection criteria is proven to be more efficient and robust against the inherent challenges of action recognition. Moreover, since for action recognition the ordering of the poses is discriminative, the BOP model incorporates temporal information: in essence, groups of consecutive poses are considered together when computing the vocabulary and assignment. We tested our method on two well-known datasets: HumanEva and IXMAS, to demonstrate that weak poses aid to improve action recognition accuracies. The proposed method is scene-independent and is comparable with the state-of-art method

Visible-Light Degradation of Dyes and Phenols over Mesoporous Titania Prepared by Using Anthocyanin from Red Radish as Template

Heterogeneous photocatalysis is able to operate effectively to eliminate organic compounds from wastewater in the presence of semiconductor photocatalyst and a light source. Although photosensitization of titania by organic dyes is one of the conventional ways for visible-light utilization of titania, previous studies have not yet addressed the use of natural food coloring agents as templates in the synthesis of mesostructured materials, let alone the simultaneous achievement of highly crystalline mesoscopic framework and visible-light photocatalytic activity. In this work, anthocyanin, a natural pigment from red radish was directly used as template in synthesis of highly crystalline mesoporous titania. The synthesized mesoporous titania samples were characterized by a combination of various physicochemical techniques, such as XRD, SEM, HRTEM, nitrogen adsorption/desorption, and diffuse reflectance UV-Vis. The prepared mesoporous titania photocatalyst exhibited significant activity under visible-light irradiation for the degradation of dyes and phenols due to its red shift of band-gap-absorption onset and visible-light response as a result of the incorporation of surface carbon species

LTBI-negative close contacts of tuberculosis are more likely to develop the disease: enlightenment and lessons from a cluster outbreak

BackgroundTuberculosis (TB) prevention and control among groups living together, such as students, workers, older adults in nursing homes, and prisoners, present many challenges due to their particular age and environmental factors, which can make them more susceptible to TB clusters with significant societal impact. This study aimed to evaluate a TB cluster outbreak epidemic in a university and provide suggestions for improving TB control strategies for groups living together.MethodsPulmonary TB screening and close-contact investigation were conducted using acid-fast staining, sputum culture, GeneXpert testing, tuberculin skin testing (TST), interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA), and chest computed tomography (CT). GraphPad Prism 9.5.1 was utilized for data analysis. Collected epidemic data were comprehensively analyzed by rate comparison.ResultsThe TB cluster outbreak epidemic was identified with an index case confirmed positive. The initial screening was conducted on potential close contacts of the index case, and the TST’s positive rate (diameter ≥ 5 mm) and strong positive rate (diameter ≥ 15 mm) among these close contacts were 65.60% (21/32) and 34.40% (11/32), respectively. Moreover, the latent TB infection (LTBI) rate (diameter ≥ 10 mm) was 43.75% (14/32), and the IGRA’s positive rate was 9.30% (3/32). Chest CT scans did not reveal any abnormalities. Surprisingly, 5 of the close contacts developed active TB in the second screening, accompanied by changes from negative to positive TST and/or IGRA results, after 3 months of follow-up. Accordingly, we expanded the screening scope to include another 28 general contacts. We found that the positive rate (78.00%, 25/32), strong positive rate (50.00%, 16/32), and LTBI rate (62.50%, 20/32) of the 32 close contacts were significantly higher than those of the additional general contacts (28.00%, 8/28; 14.3%, 4/28; 25.00%, 7/28), as indicated by p < 0.05.ConclusionIn the event of an epidemic TB outbreak, it is essential to rapidly identify the source of infection and initiate timely screening of close contacts. The initial screening should be focused on individuals without LTBI, who are at higher risk of developing TB. In purified protein derivative-negative individuals living in groups, additional vaccination or revaccination with Bacille Calmette-Guérin may help prevent cluster outbreaks of TB

Anterior limb of the internal capsule tractography: relationship with capsulotomy outcomes in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Funder: Guangci Professorship ProgramOBJECTIVES: Surgical procedures targeting the anterior limb of the internal capsule (aLIC) can be effective in patients with selected treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The aLIC consists of white-matter tracts connecting cortical and subcortical structures and show a topographical organisation. Here we assess how aLIC streamlines are affected in OCD compared with healthy controls (HCs) and which streamlines are related with post-capsulotomy improvement. METHODS: Diffusion-weighted MRI was used to compare white-matter microstructure via the aLIC between patients with OCD (n=100, 40 women, mean of age 31.8 years) and HCs (n=88, 39 women, mean of age 29.6 years). For each individual, the fractional anisotropy (FA) and streamline counts were calculated for each white-matter fibre bundle connecting a functionally defined prefrontal and subcortical region. Correlations between tractography measures and pre-capsulotomy and post-capsulotomy clinical outcomes (in obsessive-compulsive, anxiety and depression scores 6 months after surgery) were assessed in 41 patients with OCD. RESULTS: Hierarchical clustering dendrograms show an aLIC organisation clustering lateral and dissociating ventral and dorsal prefrontal-thalamic streamlines, findings highly relevant to surgical targeting. Compared with HCs, patients with OCD had lower aLIC FA across multiple prefrontal cortical-subcortical regions (p<0.0073, false discovery rate-adjusted). Greater streamline counts of the dorsolateral prefrontal-thalamic tracts in patients with OCD predicted greater post-capsulotomy obsessive-compulsive improvement (p=0.016). In contrast, greater counts of the dorsal cingulate-thalamic streamlines predicted surgical outcomes mediated by depressive and anxiety improvements. CONCLUSIONS: These findings shed light on the critical role of the aLIC in OCD and may potentially contribute towards precision targeting to optimise outcomes in OCD

Anemia is a risk factor for rapid eGFR decline in type 2 diabetes

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between anemia and progression of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in type 2 diabetes.MethodsThis was a retrospective study. A total of 2570 in-patients with type 2 diabetes hospitalized in Jinan branch of Huashan hospital from January 2013 to October 2017 were included, among whom 526 patients were hospitalized ≥ 2 times with a median follow-up period of 2.75 years. Annual rate of eGFR decline was calculated in patients with multiple admissions. A rate of eGFR decline exceeding -5 ml/min per 1.73 m2 per year was defined as rapid eGFR decline. The prevalence of DKD and clinical characteristics were compared between anemia and non-anemia patients. Correlation analysis was conducted between anemia and clinical parameters. Comparison of clinical features were carried out between rapid eGFR decline and slow eGFR decline groups. The risk factors for rapid DKD progression were analyzed using logistic regression analysis.ResultsThe prevalence of anemia was 28.2% among the 2570 diabetic patients, while in patients with DKD, the incidence of anemia was 37.8%. Patients with anemia had greater prevalence of DKD, higher levels of urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), serum creatinine, BUN, urine α1-MG, urine β2-MG, urine NAG/Cr, hsCRP, Cystatin C, homocysteine and lower eGFR, as compared to the patients without anemia. Anemia was correlated with age, UACR, eGFR, urinary NAG/Cr, hsCRP and diabetic retinopathy (DR). Logistic regression analysis of 526 patients with type 2 diabetes during the follow-up period showed that anemia was an independent risk factor for rapid eGFR decline.ConclusionAnemia is associated with worse renal function and is an independent risk factor for rapid eGFR decline in type 2 diabetes

Spatial analysis of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in China

BACKGROUND: Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is endemic in many provinces with high incidence in mainland China, although integrated intervention measures including rodent control, environment management and vaccination have been implemented for over ten years. In this study, we conducted a geographic information system (GIS)-based spatial analysis on distribution of HFRS cases for the whole country with an objective to inform priority areas for public health planning and resource allocation. METHODS: Annualized average incidence at a county level was calculated using HFRS cases reported during 1994–1998 in mainland China. GIS-based spatial analyses were conducted to detect spatial autocorrelation and clusters of HFRS incidence at the county level throughout the country. RESULTS: Spatial distribution of HFRS cases in mainland China from 1994 to 1998 was mapped at county level in the aspects of crude incidence, excess hazard and spatial smoothed incidence. The spatial distribution of HFRS cases was nonrandom and clustered with a Moran's I = 0.5044 (p = 0.001). Spatial cluster analyses suggested that 26 and 39 areas were at increased risks of HFRS (p < 0.01) with maximum spatial cluster sizes of ≤ 20% and ≤ 10% of the total population, respectively. CONCLUSION: The application of GIS, together with spatial statistical techniques, provide a means to quantify explicit HFRS risks and to further identify environmental factors responsible for the increasing disease risks. We demonstrate a new perspective of integrating such spatial analysis tools into the epidemiologic study and risk assessment of HFRS

Genetic Evaluation of 114 Chinese Short Stature Children in the Next Generation Era: a Single Center Study

Background/Aims: The genetics of human height is a frequently studied and complex issue. However, there is limited genetic research of short stature. To uncover the subgroup of patients to have higher yield and to propose a simplified diagnostic algorithm in the next generation era. Methods: This study included 114 Chinese children with height SDS ≤ -2.5 and unknown etiology from 2014 to 2015. Target/whole exome sequencing (referred as NGS) and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) were performed on the enrolled patients sequentially to identify potential genetic etiologies. The samples solved by NGS and CMA were retrospectively studied to evaluate the clinical pathway of the patients following a standard diagnostic algorithm. Results: In total, a potential genetic etiology was identified in 41 (36%) patients: 38 by NGS (33.3%), two by CMA (1.8%), and an additional one by both (0.9%). There were 46 different variants in 29 genes and 2 pathogenic CNVs identified. The diagnostic yield was significantly higher in patients with facial dysmorphism or skeletal abnormalities than those without the corresponding phenotype (P=0.006 and P=0.009, respectively, Pearson’s χ2 test). Retrospectively study the cohort indicate 83.3% patients eventually would be evaluated by NGS/CMA. Conclusion: This study confirms the utility of high-throughput molecular detection techniques for the etiological diagnosis of undiagnosed short stature and suggests that NGS could be used as a primary diagnostic strategy. Patients with facial dysmorphism and/or skeletal abnormalities are more likely to have a known genetic etiology. Moving NGS forward would simplified the diagnostic algorithm