27 research outputs found
Taming Diffusion Models for Music-driven Conducting Motion Generation
Generating the motion of orchestral conductors from a given piece of symphony
music is a challenging task since it requires a model to learn semantic music
features and capture the underlying distribution of real conducting motion.
Prior works have applied Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) to this task,
but the promising diffusion model, which recently showed its advantages in
terms of both training stability and output quality, has not been exploited in
this context. This paper presents Diffusion-Conductor, a novel DDIM-based
approach for music-driven conducting motion generation, which integrates the
diffusion model to a two-stage learning framework. We further propose a random
masking strategy to improve the feature robustness, and use a pair of geometric
loss functions to impose additional regularizations and increase motion
diversity. We also design several novel metrics, including Frechet Gesture
Distance (FGD) and Beat Consistency Score (BC) for a more comprehensive
evaluation of the generated motion. Experimental results demonstrate the
advantages of our model.Comment: Accepted by AAAI 2023 Summer Symposiu
Comparison of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy with mFOLFOX vs. first-line systemic chemotherapy in patients with unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma
Background: Systemic chemotherapy (SC) remains the only first-line treatment for unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA). Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) has been recently proven to be effective in managing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Hence, our study aims to investigate the safety and efficacy of HAIC in treating unresectable iCCA patients.Methods: We reviewed 146 patients with unresectable iCCA who had received HAIC or SC between March 2016 and March 2022 in a retrospective manner. Outcomes of patients and safety were compared between the HAIC and SC groups.Results: There were 75 and 71 patients in the HAIC and SC groups, respectively. The median OS in the HAIC and SC groups was 18.0 and 17.8 months (p = 0.84), respectively. The median PFS in the HAIC and SC groups was 10.8 and 11.4Â months (p = 0.59), respectively. However, the HAIC group had significantly longer intrahepatic progression-free survival (IPFS) than the SC group (p = 0.035). The median IPFS in the HAIC and SC groups was 13.7 and 11.4Â months, respectively. According to the OS (p = 0.047) and PFS (p = 0.009), single-tumor patients in the HAIC group appeared to benefit more. In addition, the overall incidence of adverse events (AEs) was lower in the HAIC group than that in the SC group.Conclusion: Our study revealed that HAIC was a safe and effective therapeutic regimen for unresectable iCCA with better intrahepatic tumor control when compared to SC. Meanwhile, patients with single tumor were more likely to benefit from HAIC than SC
Identification of the PGRMC1 protein complex as the putative sigma-2 receptor binding site
The sigma-2 receptor, whose gene remains to be cloned, has been validated as a biomarker for tumor cell proliferation. Here we report the use of a novel photoaffinity probe, WC-21, to identify the sigma-2 receptor binding site. WC-21, a sigma-2 ligand containing both a photoactive moiety azide and a fluorescein isothiocyanate group, irreversibly labels sigma-2 receptors in rat liver; the membrane-bound protein was then identified as PGRMC1 (progesterone receptor membrane component-1). Immunocytochemistry reveals that both PGRMC1 and SW120, a fluorescent sigma-2 receptor ligand, colocalizes with molecular markers of the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria in HeLa cells. Overexpression and knockdown of the PGRMC1 protein results in an increase and a decrease in binding of a sigma-2 selective radioligand, respectively. Th
A Novel Speckle Noise Removal Algorithm Based on ADMM and Energy Minimization Method
Speckle noise removal in medical ultrasound images is a challenging task. In this paper, a new model is proposed to removal speckle noise, alternating direction method of multipliers algorithm is employed to solve the new energy minimization model. The convexity, existence, and uniqueness of the new energy minimization model’s solution are proved. Series of experiments are designed in this paper. Numerical results show that the new algorithm can reduce the step effect effectively obtain good results in visual effect and quantitative measures by comparing with some traditional models
A Triangle Hybrid Plasmonic Waveguide with Long Propagation Length for Ultradeep Subwavelength Confinement
Facing the problems of ohmic loss and short propagation length, the application of plasmonic waveguides is limited. Here, a triangle hybrid plasmonic waveguide is introduced, where a cylinder silicon waveguide is separated from the triangle prism silver waveguide by a nanoscale silica gap. The process of constant optimization of waveguide structure is completed and simulation results indicate that the propagation length could reach a length of 510 ÎĽm, and the normalized mode area could reach 0.03 along with a high figure of merit 3150. This implies that longer propagation length could be simultaneously achieved along with relatively ultra-deep subwavelength mode confinement due to the hybridization between metallic plasmon polarization mode and silicon waveguide mode, compared with previous study. By an analysis of fabrication errors, it is confirmed that this waveguide is fairly stable over a wide error range. Additionally, the excellent performance of this is further proved by the comparison with other hybrid plasmonic waveguides. Our work is significant to manipulate light waves at sub-wavelength dimensions and enlarge the application fields, such as light detection and photoelectric sensors, which also benefit the improvement of the integration of optical devices
The multifunction of CLAVATA2 in plant development and immunity
The CLAVATA2 (CLV2) gene encodes a leucine-rich repeat receptor-like protein, a class of cell surface receptors that lacks a cytoplasmic kinase domain. As such, CLV2 is capable of functioning in concert with additional receptor(s), possibly receptor-like kinase(s), to activate cellular responses upon ligand perception. Accumulating data indicate that CLV2 is implicated in distinct biological processes including plant growth and development as well as innate immunity to microbe and nematode infections. This article focuses on recent advances in our understanding of multiple signaling pathways mediated by multifunctional CLV2 that modulate various physiological processes. The challenges and future perspectives of elucidating the specificity of CLV2-mediated signaling pathways and identifying potential co-receptors and putative ligands for CLV2 are also discussed
Noninvasive Diagnosis of Kidney Dysfunction Using a Small-Molecule Manganese-Based Magnetic Resonance Imaging Probe
Contrast-enhanced
magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) is a promising
approach for the diagnosis of kidney diseases. However, safety concerns,
including nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, limit the administration
of gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents (GBCAs) in patients who suffer
from renal impairment. Meanwhile, nanomaterials meet biosafety concerns
because of their long-term retention in the body. Herein, we propose
a small-molecule manganese-based imaging probe Mn-PhDTA as an alternative
to GBCAs to assess renal insufficiency for the first time. Mn-PhDTA
was synthesized via a simple three-step reaction with a total yield
of up to 33.6%, and a gram-scale synthesis can be realized. Mn-PhDTA
has an r1 relaxivity of 2.72 mM–1 s–1 at 3.0 T and superior kinetic inertness over
Gd-DTPA and Mn-EDTA with a dissociation time of 60 min in the presence
of excess Zn2+. In vivo and in
vitro experiments demonstrate their good stability and biocompatibility.
In the unilateral ureteral obstruction rats, Mn-PhDTA provided significant
MR signal enhancement, enabled distinguishing structure changes between
the normal and damaged kidneys, and evaluated the renal function at
different injured stages. Mn-PhDTA could act as a potential MRI contrast
agent candidate for the replacement of GBCAs in the early detection
of kidney dysfunction and analysis of kidney disease progression