Grounded Image Text Matching with Mismatched Relation Reasoning

This paper introduces Grounded Image Text Matching with Mismatched Relation (GITM-MR), a novel visual-linguistic joint task that evaluates the relation understanding capabilities of transformer-based pre-trained models. GITM-MR requires a model to first determine if an expression describes an image, then localize referred objects or ground the mismatched parts of the text. We provide a benchmark for evaluating pre-trained models on this task, with a focus on the challenging settings of limited data and out-of-distribution sentence lengths. Our evaluation demonstrates that pre-trained models lack data efficiency and length generalization ability. To address this, we propose the Relation-sensitive Correspondence Reasoning Network (RCRN), which incorporates relation-aware reasoning via bi-directional message propagation guided by language structure. RCRN can be interpreted as a modular program and delivers strong performance in both length generalization and data efficiency

Designing a multi-epitope vaccine to control porcine epidemic diarrhea virus infection using immunoinformatics approaches

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), a continuously evolving pathogen, causes severe diarrhea in piglets with high mortality rates. However, current vaccines cannot provide complete protection against PEDV, so vaccine development is still necessary and urgent. Here, with the help of immunoinformatics approaches, we attempted to design a multi-epitope vaccine named rPMEV to prevent and control PEDV infection. The epitopes of rPMEV were constructed by 9 cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitopes (CTLs), 11 helper T lymphocyte epitopes (HTLs), 6 linear B cell epitopes (LBEs), and 4 conformational B cell epitopes (CBEs) based on the S proteins from the four representative PEDV G2 strains. To enhance immunogenicity, porcine β-defensin-2 (PBD-2) was adjoined to the N-terminal of the vaccine as an adjuvant. All of the epitopes and PBD-2 were joined by corresponding linkers and recombined into the multivalent vaccine, which is stable, antigenic, and non-allergenic. Furthermore, we adopted molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation methods to analyze the interaction of rPMEV with the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4): a stable interaction between them created by 13 hydrogen bonds. In addition, the results of the immune simulation showed that rPMEV could stimulate both cellular and humoral immune responses. Finally, to raise the expression efficiency, the sequence of the vaccine protein was cloned into the pET28a (+) vector after the codon optimization. These studies indicate that the designed multi-epitope vaccine has a potential protective effect, providing a theoretical basis for further confirmation of its protective effect against PEDV infection in vitro and in vivo studies

Developing a multi-epitope vaccine candidate to combat porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and porcine deltacoronavirus co-infection by employing an immunoinformatics approach

Coinfection of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is common in pig farms, but there is currently no effective vaccine to prevent this co-infection. In this study, we used immunoinformatics tools to design a multi-epitope vaccine against PEDV and PDCoV co-infection. The epitopes were screened through a filtering pipeline comprised of antigenic, immunogenic, toxic, and allergenic properties. A new multi-epitope vaccine named rPPMEV, comprising cytotoxic T lymphocyte-, helper T lymphocyte-, and B cell epitopes, was constructed. To enhance immunogenicity, the TLR2 agonist Pam2Cys and the TLR4 agonist RS09 were added to rPPMEV. Molecular docking and dynamics simulation were performed to reveal the stable interactions between rPPMEV and TLR2 as well as TLR4. Additionally, the immune stimulation prediction indicated that rPPMEV could stimulate T and B lymphocytes to induce a robust immune response. Finally, to ensure the expression of the vaccine protein, the sequence of rPPMEV was optimized and further performed in silico cloning. These studies suggest that rPPMEV has the potential to be a vaccine candidate against PEDV and PDCoV co-infection as well as a new strategy for interrupting the spread of both viruses

The Survival of the Hakka Culture in Contemporary Arts

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Arts of Bard College

Ultra-High-Speed Travelling Wave Protection of Transmission Line Using Polarity Comparison Principle Based on Empirical Mode Decomposition

The traditional polarity comparison based travelling wave protection, using the initial wave information, is affected by initial fault angle, bus structure, and external fault. And the relationship between the magnitude and polarity of travelling wave is ignored. Because of the protection tripping and malfunction, the further application of this protection principle is affected. Therefore, this paper presents an ultra-high-speed travelling wave protection using integral based polarity comparison principle. After empirical mode decomposition of the original travelling wave, the first-order intrinsic mode function is used as protection object. Based on the relationship between the magnitude and polarity of travelling wave, this paper demonstrates the feasibility of using travelling wave magnitude which contains polar information as direction criterion. And the paper integrates the direction criterion in a period after fault to avoid wave head detection failure. Through PSCAD simulation with the typical 500 kV transmission system, the reliability and sensitivity of travelling wave protection were verified under different factors’ affection

Design, Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, and Preliminary Mechanistic Study of a Novel Mitochondrial-Targeted Xanthone

α-Mangostin, a natural xanthone, was found to have anticancer effects, but these effects are not sufficient to be effective. To increase anticancer potential and selectivity, a triphenylphosphonium cation moiety (TPP) was introduced to α-mangostin to specifically target cancer cell mitochondria. Compared to the parent compound, the cytotoxicity of the synthesized compound 1b increased by one order of magnitude. Mechanistic analysis revealed that the anti-tumor effects were involved in the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway by prompting apoptosis and arresting the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase, increasing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and reducing mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm). More notably, the antitumor activity of compound 1b was further confirmed by zebrafish models, which remarkably inhibited cancer cell proliferation and migration, as well as zebrafish angiogenesis. Taken together, our results for the first time indicated that TPP-linked 1b could lead to the development of new mitochondrion-targeting antitumor agents

Design, Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, and Preliminary Mechanistic Study of a Novel Mitochondrial-Targeted Xanthone

α-Mangostin, a natural xanthone, was found to have anticancer effects, but these effects are not sufficient to be effective. To increase anticancer potential and selectivity, a triphenylphosphonium cation moiety (TPP) was introduced to α-mangostin to specifically target cancer cell mitochondria. Compared to the parent compound, the cytotoxicity of the synthesized compound 1b increased by one order of magnitude. Mechanistic analysis revealed that the anti-tumor effects were involved in the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway by prompting apoptosis and arresting the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase, increasing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and reducing mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm). More notably, the antitumor activity of compound 1b was further confirmed by zebrafish models, which remarkably inhibited cancer cell proliferation and migration, as well as zebrafish angiogenesis. Taken together, our results for the first time indicated that TPP-linked 1b could lead to the development of new mitochondrion-targeting antitumor agents

A Bibliometric Analysis on Pulsed Electrolysis: Electronic Effect, Double Layer Effect, and Mass Transport

Pulsed electrolysis endowed merits of high current density, low energy consumption, and simple operation; thus, a booming in their publication numbers has been witnessed in recent years. In this review, we aim to summarize the state-of-the-art pulsed current/potential strategy to enhance electrochemical reactions, such as oxygen reduction reactions (ORR), CO2 reduction (CO2RR), CO reduction (COR), etc. It begins with historic analysis of pulsed electrolysis via a bibliometric method, aiming at providing a progress over the course of around 40 years in a quantitative way. Then, the definition along with its influence of electronic effect, double layer effect and mass transport have been reviewed based on a mechanism point of view for the first time. To sum up the review, several current challenges and future prospects of pulsed electrolysis have provided for the future smart design of electrochemical process