Adaptive Mean-Residue Loss for Robust Facial Age Estimation

Automated facial age estimation has diverse real-world applications in multimedia analysis, e.g., video surveillance, and human-computer interaction. However, due to the randomness and ambiguity of the aging process, age assessment is challenging. Most research work over the topic regards the task as one of age regression, classification, and ranking problems, and cannot well leverage age distribution in representing labels with age ambiguity. In this work, we propose a simple yet effective loss function for robust facial age estimation via distribution learning, i.e., adaptive mean-residue loss, in which, the mean loss penalizes the difference between the estimated age distribution's mean and the ground-truth age, whereas the residue loss penalizes the entropy of age probability out of dynamic top-K in the distribution. Experimental results in the datasets FG-NET and CLAP2016 have validated the effectiveness of the proposed loss. Our code is available at https://github.com/jacobzhaoziyuan/AMR-Loss.Comment: Accepted by IEEE International Conference on Multimedia and Expo (ICME 2022

A novel switching delayed PSO algorithm for estimating unknown parameters of lateral flow immunoassay

In this paper, the parameter identification problem of the lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) devices is investigated via a new switching delayed particle swarm optimization (SDPSO) algorithm. By evaluating an evolutionary factor in each generation, the velocity of the particle can adaptively adjust the model according to a Markov chain in the proposed SDPSO method. During the iteration process, the SDPSO can adaptively select the inertia weight, acceleration coefficients, locally best particle pbest and globally best particle gbest in the swarm. It is worth highlighting that the pbest and the gbest can be randomly selected from the corresponding values in the previous iteration. That is, the delayed information of the pbest and the gbest can be exploited to update the particle’s velocity in current iteration according to the evolutionary states. The strategy can not only improve the global search but also enhance the possibility of eventually reaching the gbest. The superiority of the proposed SDPSO is evaluated on a series of unimodal and multimodal benchmark functions. Results demonstrate that the novel SDPSO algorithm outperforms some well-known PSO algorithms in aspects of global search and efficiency of convergence. Finally, the novel SDPSO is successfully exploited to estimate the unknown time-delay parameters of a class of nonlinear state-space LFIA model.This work was supported in part by the Royal Society of the U.K., the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany, the Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 61403319, the Fujian Natural Science Foundation under Grant 2015J05131, and the Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Eco-Industrial Green Technology

Sonar Feature Map Building for a Mobile Robot

The proposed approach has been tested both in simulation and on real data

Pre-Late Eocene position of the Lüchun-Jinping microblock in western Yangtze Craton: constraints from Eocene-Oligocene lamprophyres in southeastern Tibet

The tectono-magmatic history of the Lüchun-Jinping microblock and its possible affinity with the Yangtze Craton are important elements for the reconstruction of Cenozoic plate tectonics in southeastern Tibet. In order to constrain the affinity and decipher the pre-Cenozoic paleopositon of the Lüchun-Jinping microblock, we focused on the petrogenesis of Eocene-Oligocene lamprophyres in the Lüchun-Jinping microblock. The lamprophyres yield zircon Usingle bondPb ages of 34.7–33.3 Ma and exhibit potassic-ultrapotassic features with elevated K2O/Na2O (1.4–4.0) ratios. They are characterized by high concentrations of compatible elements (e.g., Cr = 187–692 ppm, Ni = 31–218 ppm), large-ion-lithophile elements and light rare-earth elements enrichment, high-field-strength elements depletion, and high radiogenic isotopic values, i.e. (87Sr/86Sr)i = 0.7063–0.7078 and εNd(t) = −3.9 to −2.4. Combined with the low Nb/U ratios, these features suggest that the lithospheric mantle source was metasomatized by subduction-related fluids beneath the Lüchun-Jinping microblock. The relatively high Rb/Sr ratios and high heavy rare-earth element contents indicate that these lamprophyres were derived from partial melting of a phlogopite-bearing lherzolite within the spinel stability field. The parental magmas have experienced fractional crystallization of olivine and clinopyroxene during emplacement. Comprehensive comparisons between the lamprophyres from the Lüchun-Jinping microblock and the potassic-ultrapotassic mafic rocks from the western Yangtze Craton indicate that the Lüchun-Jinping microblock can be regarded as a dismembered part of the western Yangtze Craton due to continental extrusion and Cenozoic sinistral displacement. The compositional trends of the potassic-ultrapotassic mafic rocks suggest that the palaeogeographic position of the Lüchun-Jinping microblock was near the Dali area (west of the Binchuan) and close to the Jinshajiang suture zone before the Cenozoic

Skp2 expression unfavorably impacts survival in resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The correlation of S-phase kinase–associated protein 2 (Skp2) with metastasis and prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is controversial. The purpose of this study was to explore whether there was a correlation between the expression of Skp2 evaluated by immunohistochemistry and the clinical outcome of patients with operable ESCC, and to further determine the possible mechanism of the impact of Skp2 on survival.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Tissue microarrays that included 157 surgically resected ESCC specimens was successfully generated for immunohistochemical evaluation. The clinical/prognostic significance of Skp2 expression was analyzed. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare the postoperative survival between groups. The prognostic impact of clinicopathologic variables and Skp2 expression was evaluated using a Cox proportional hazards model. A cell proliferation assay and a colony formation assay were performed in ESCC cell lines to determine the function of Skp2 on the progression of ESCC <it>in vitro</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Skp2 expression correlated closely with the T category (<it>p</it> = 0.035) and the pathological tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (<it>p</it> = 0.027). High expression of Skp2 was associated with poor overall survival in resectable ESCC (<it>p</it> = 0.01). The multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that pathological T category, pathological N category, cell differentiation, and negative Skp2 expression were independent factors for better overall survival. <it>In vitro</it> assays of ESCC cell lines demonstrated that Skp2 promoted the proliferative and colony-forming capacity of ESCCs.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Negative Skp2 expression in primary resected ESCC is an independent factor for better survival. Skp2 may play a pro-proliferative role in ESCC cells.</p

The RCK1 domain of the human BK_(Ca) channel transduces Ca^(2+) binding into structural rearrangements

Large-conductance voltage- and Ca^(2+)-activated K^+ (BK_(Ca)) channels play a fundamental role in cellular function by integrating information from their voltage and Ca2+ sensors to control membrane potential and Ca^(2+) homeostasis. The molecular mechanism of Ca^(2+)-dependent regulation of BKCa channels is unknown, but likely relies on the operation of two cytosolic domains, regulator of K^+ conductance (RCK)1 and RCK2. Using solution-based investigations, we demonstrate that the purified BK_(Ca) RCK1 domain adopts an α/β fold, binds Ca^(2+), and assembles into an octameric superstructure similar to prokaryotic RCK domains. Results from steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopy reveal Ca^(2+)-induced conformational changes in physiologically relevant [Ca^(2+)]. The neutralization of residues known to be involved in high-affinity Ca^(2+) sensing (D362 and D367) prevented Ca^(2+)-induced structural transitions in RCK1 but did not abolish Ca^(2+) binding. We provide evidence that the RCK1 domain is a high-affinity Ca^(2+) sensor that transduces Ca^(2+) binding into structural rearrangements, likely representing elementary steps in the Ca^(2+)-dependent activation of human BK_(Ca) channels

Manipulating Multiple Order Parameters via Oxygen Vacancies: The case of Eu0.5Ba0.5TiO3-{\delta}

Controlling functionalities, such as magnetism or ferroelectricity, by means of oxygen vacancies (VO) is a key issue for the future development of transition metal oxides. Progress in this field is currently addressed through VO variations and their impact on mainly one order parameter. Here we reveal a new mechanism for tuning both magnetism and ferroelectricity simultaneously by using VO. Combined experimental and density-functional theory studies of Eu0.5Ba0.5TiO3-{\delta}, we demonstrate that oxygen vacancies create Ti3+ 3d1 defect states, mediating the ferromagnetic coupling between the localized Eu 4f7 spins, and increase an off-center displacement of Ti ions, enhancing the ferroelectric Curie temperature. The dual function of Ti sites also promises a magnetoelectric coupling in the Eu0.5Ba0.5TiO3-{\delta}.Comment: Accepted by Physical Review B, 201

Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of TCP family genes in Catharanthus roseus

IntroductionThe anti-tumor vindoline and catharanthine alkaloids are naturally existed in Catharanthus roseus (C. roseus), an ornamental plant in many tropical countries. Plant-specific TEOSINTE BRANCHED1/CYCLOIDEA/PCF (TCP) transcription factors play important roles in various plant developmental processes. However, the roles of C. roseus TCPs (CrTCPs) in terpenoid indole alkaloid (TIA) biosynthesis are largely unknown.MethodsHere, a total of 15 CrTCP genes were identified in the newly updated C. roseus genome and were grouped into three major classes (P-type, C-type and CYC/TB1).ResultsGene structure and protein motif analyses showed that CrTCPs have diverse intron-exon patterns and protein motif distributions. A number of stress responsive cis-elements were identified in promoter regions of CrTCPs. Expression analysis showed that three CrTCP genes (CrTCP2, CrTCP4, and CrTCP7) were expressed specifically in leaves and four CrTCP genes (CrTCP13, CrTCP8, CrTCP6, and CrTCP10) were expressed specifically in flowers. HPLC analysis showed that the contents of three classic TIAs, vindoline, catharanthine and ajmalicine, were significantly increased by ultraviolet-B (UV-B) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) in leaves. By analyzing the expression patterns under UV-B radiation and MeJA application with qRT-PCR, a number of CrTCP and TIA biosynthesis-related genes were identified to be responsive to UV-B and MeJA treatments. Interestingly, two TCP binding elements (GGNCCCAC and GTGGNCCC) were identified in several TIA biosynthesis-related genes, suggesting that they were potential target genes of CrTCPs. DiscussionThese results suggest that CrTCPs are involved in the regulation of the biosynthesis of TIAs, and provide a basis for further functional identification of CrTCPs