168 research outputs found
Probabilistic Reduced-Dimensional Vector Autoregressive Modeling for Dynamics Prediction and Reconstruction with Oblique Projections
In this paper, we propose a probabilistic reduced-dimensional vector
autoregressive (PredVAR) model with oblique projections. This model partitions
the measurement space into a dynamic subspace and a static subspace that do not
need to be orthogonal. The partition allows us to apply an oblique projection
to extract dynamic latent variables (DLVs) from high-dimensional data with
maximized predictability. We develop an alternating iterative PredVAR algorithm
that exploits the interaction between updating the latent VAR dynamics and
estimating the oblique projection, using expectation maximization (EM) and a
statistical constraint. In addition, the noise covariance matrices are
estimated as a natural outcome of the EM method. A simulation case study of the
nonlinear Lorenz oscillation system illustrates the advantages of the proposed
approach over two alternatives
H-InDex: Visual Reinforcement Learning with Hand-Informed Representations for Dexterous Manipulation
Human hands possess remarkable dexterity and have long served as a source of
inspiration for robotic manipulation. In this work, we propose a human
andformed visual representation learning framework to
solve difficult terous manipulation tasks ()
with reinforcement learning. Our framework consists of three stages: (i)
pre-training representations with 3D human hand pose estimation, (ii) offline
adapting representations with self-supervised keypoint detection, and (iii)
reinforcement learning with exponential moving average BatchNorm. The last two
stages only modify parameters of the pre-trained representation in
total, ensuring the knowledge from pre-training is maintained to the full
extent. We empirically study 12 challenging dexterous manipulation tasks and
find that H-InDex largely surpasses strong baseline methods and the recent
visual foundation models for motor control. Code is available at
https://yanjieze.com/H-InDex .Comment: NeurIPS 2023. Code and videos: https://yanjieze.com/H-InDe
Intrathoracic Endotracheal Metastasis from Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A First Case Report and Review of the Literature
Intrathoracic endotracheal metastasis from a very distant site is extremely rare. We report the first case of such a disease in a 68-year-old man with nasopharyngeal carcinoma who presented with a cough and hemoptysis 34 months after finishing radiotherapy. Prior to tracheal metastasis, he developed a solitary metastasis in the lung and underwent chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy. Computed tomography showed the presence of an enlarged lymph node in the para-aortic arch. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed an endotracheal tumor 1 cm above the carina. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses confirmed its nasopharyngeal origin. He was treated with conventional radiotherapy and three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy; complete tumor remission was achieved. He died of nonmalignant disease with no signs of tumor recurrence 2 years after treatment completion. Radiotherapy may be an appropriate management approach to achieve long-term tumor control for this disease
Effect of Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Goal Achievement on Vascular Physiology Evaluated by Quantitative Flow Ratio in Patients Who Underwent Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Purpose: The change in coronary physiology from lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) lacks an appropriate method of examination. Quantitative flow ratio (QFR) is a novel angiography-based approach allowing rapid assessment of coronary physiology. This study sought to determine the impact of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goal achievement on coronary physiology through QFR.Methods: Cases involving percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and 1-year angiographic follow-up were screened and assessed by QFR analysis. Patients were divided into two groups according to the LDL-C level at the 1-year follow-up: (1) goal-achievement group (LDL-C < 1.8 mmol/L or reduction of â„50%, n = 146, lesion = 165) and (2) non-achievement group (n = 286, lesion = 331). All QFR data and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) at 1 year were compared between groups.Results: No differences between the groups in quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) data or QFR post-PCI were found. At the 1-year follow-up, lower percentage diameter stenosis (DS%) and percentage area stenosis (AS%) were recorded in the goal-achievement group (27.89 ± 10.16 vs. 30.93 ± 12.03, p = 0.010, 36.57 ± 16.12 vs. 41.68 ± 17.39, p = 0.003, respectively). Additionally, a better change in QFR was found in the goal-achievement group (0.003 ± 0.068 vs. â0.018 ± 0.086, p = 0.007), with a lower incidence of physiological restenosis and MACCEs (2.1 vs. 8.4%, p = 0.018, 5.4 vs. 12.6%, p = 0.021, respectively).Conclusion: Evaluated by QFR, patients who achieved the LDL-C goal appear to have a better coronary physiological benefit. This group of patients also has a better clinical outcome
Fish Autophagy Protein 5 Exerts Negative Regulation on Antiviral Immune Response Against Iridovirus and Nodavirus
Autophagy is an important biological activity that maintains homeostasis in eukaryotic cells. However, little is known about the functions of fish autophagy-related genes (Atgs). In this study, we cloned and characterized Atg5, a key gene in the autophagy gene superfamily, from orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) (EcAtg5). EcAtg5 encoded a 275-amino acid protein that shared 94 and 81% identity to seabass (Lates calcarifer) and humans (Homo sapiens), respectively. The transcription level of EcAtg5 was significantly increased in cells infected with red-spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNNV). In cells infected with Singapore grouper iridovirus (SGIV), EcAtg5 expression declined during the early stage of infection and increased in the late stage. Fluorescence microscopy revealed that EcAtg5 mainly localized with a dot-like pattern in the cytoplasm of grouper cells. Overexpression of EcAtg5 significantly increased the replication of RGNNV and SGIV at different levels of detection, as indicated by increased severity of the cytopathic effect, transcription levels of viral genes, and levels of viral proteins. Knockdown of EcAtg5 decreased the replication of RGNNV and SGIV. Further studies showed that overexpression EcAtg5 activated autophagy, decreased expression levels of interferon related cytokines or effectors and pro-inflammatory factors, and inhibited the activation of nuclear factor ÎșB, IFN-sensitive response element, and IFNs. In addition, ectopic expression of EcAtg5 affected cell cycle progression by hindering the G1/S transition. Taken together, our results demonstrated that fish Atg5 exerted a crucial role in virus replication by promoting autophagy, down-regulating antiviral IFN responses, and affecting the cell cycle
Impact of Carbon Trading System on Green Economic Growth in China
Whether Chinaâs economy can maintain sustainable growth has been debated both in China and internationally, and the most representative critique has been summarized in the âKrugman Queryâ. Faced with such doubts, how to achieve a âwin-winâ for economic growth and environmental protection has become one of the central objectives of local government work while striving for the new vision of development. Taking Chinaâs carbon trading pilot policy as an example, and based on panel data of 30 provincial administrative regions in China from 2001 to 2018, this paper uses the Data Envelopment Analysis-Malmquist index model and the Propensity Score Matching-Difference in Difference method to measure the level of green economic growth from two aspects: green development mode and economic growth effect, and further explore the impact of Chinaâs carbon trading system on green economic growth. The results show that the implementation of the carbon trading system promoted both the green development level and economic growth of pilot cities, and positively affected green total factor productivity, refuting the âKrugman Queryâ. Finally, the study puts forward a series of recommendations in strengthening environmental regulation, improving green technology innovation, and developing low-carbon industries
Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems to enhance cancer immunotherapy in solid tumors
Immunotherapy has developed rapidly in solid tumors, especially in the areas of blocking inhibitory immune checkpoints and adoptive T-cell transfer for immune regulation. Many patients benefit from immunotherapy. However, the response rate of immunotherapy in the overall population are relatively low, which depends on the characteristics of the tumor and individualized patient differences. Moreover, the occurrence of drug resistance and adverse reactions largely limit the development of immunotherapy. Recently, the emergence of nanodrug delivery systems (NDDS) seems to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy by encapsulating drug carriers in nanoparticles to precisely reach the tumor site with high stability and biocompatibility, prolonging the drug cycle of action and greatly reducing the occurrence of toxic side effects. In this paper, we mainly review the advantages of NDDS and the mechanisms that enhance conventional immunotherapy in solid tumors, and summarize the recent advances in NDDS-based therapeutic strategies, which will provide valuable ideas for the development of novel tumor immunotherapy regimen
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