First attempt to build realistic driving scenes using video-to-video synthesis in OpenDS framework

Existing programmable simulators enable researchers to customize different driving scenarios to conduct in-lab automotive driver simulations. However, software-based simulators for cognitive research generate and maintain their scenes with the support of 3D engines, which may affect users' experiences to a certain degree since they are not sufficiently realistic. Now, a critical issue is the question of how to build scenes into real-world ones. In this paper, we introduce the first step in utilizing video-to-video synthesis, which is a deep learning approach, in OpenDS framework, which is an open-source driving simulator software, to present simulated scenes as realistically as possible. Off-line evaluations demonstrated promising results from our study, and our future work will focus on how to merge them appropriately to build a close-to-reality, real-time driving simulator

Using the new INTRABEAM mobile intraoperative radiotherapy system during surgery for pancreatic cancer: a case report

Abstract Background Pancreatic cancer is one of the most common fatal malignancies and has a poor prognosis. Surgical treatment is the most important treatment method, but there is a low rate of radical excision; moreover, the postoperative recurrence rate is high, with a local recurrence rate greater than 50%. The usefulness of intraoperative radiotherapy for pancreatic cancer has previously been examined. However, prior research was based on the traditional high-energy electron beam, which causes serious radiation toxicity. Therefore, the tumor radiation dose was limited, subsequently limiting the effect. In contrast, there is also a low-energy X-ray radiation system called INTRABEAM®. Use of INTRABEAM has been applied clinically, but the treatment effect of INTRABEAM in pancreatic cancer has not been reported. Case presentation We present a case of a 56-year-old Chinese man with local advanced pancreatic cancer with invasion of the coeliac trunk artery and origin of the portal vein. He underwent distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy along with intraoperative radiotherapy using a portable INTRABEAM radiation system. The radiotherapy dose was 10 Gy and irradiation time was 27.4 minutes. There were no obvious postoperative complications. His abdominal pain was alleviated after surgery, and no obvious tumor recurrence has been observed in short-term follow-up. Conclusions We believe that it is safe to apply intraoperative radiotherapy using the INTRABEAM radiation system in pancreatic cancer. This approach appears promising for further future development

Integrative Analysis of Three Novel Competing Endogenous RNA Biomarkers with a Prognostic Value in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Increasing evidence has shown competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) play key roles in numerous cancers. Nevertheless, the ceRNA network that can predict the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is still lacking. The aim of the present study was to identify the prognostic value of key ceRNAs in lung tumorigenesis. Differentially expressed (DE) RNAs were identified between LUAD and adjacent normal samples by limma package in R using The Cancer Genome Atlas database (TCGA). Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway function enrichment analysis was performed using the clusterProfiler package in R. Subsequently, the LUAD ceRNA network was established in three steps based on ceRNA hypothesis. Hub RNAs were identified using degree analysis methods based on Cytoscape plugin cytoHubba. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was implemented to calculate the risk score using the candidate ceRNAs and overall survival information. The survival differences between the high-risk and low-risk ceRNA groups were determined by the Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test using survival and survminer package in R. A total of 2,989 mRNAs, 185 lncRNAs, and 153 miRNAs were identified. GO and KEGG pathway function enrichment analysis showed that DE mRNAs were mainly associated with “sister chromatid segregation,” “regulation of angiogenesis,” “cell adhesion molecules (CAMs),” “cell cycle,” and “ECM-receptor interaction.” LUAD-related ceRNA network was constructed, which comprised of 54 nodes and 78 edges. Top ten hub RNAs (hsa-miR-374a-5p, hsa-miR-374b-5p, hsa-miR-340-5p, hsa-miR-377-3p, hsa-miR-21-5p, hsa-miR-326, SNHG1, RALGPS2, and PITX2) were identified according to their degree. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses demonstrated that hsa-miR-21-5p and RALGPS2 had a significant prognostic value. Finally, we found that a high risk of three novel ceRNA interactions (SNHG1-hsa-miR-21-5p-RALGPS2, SNHG1-hsa-miR-326-RALGPS2, and SNHG1-hsa-miR-377-3p-RALGPS2) was positively associated with worse prognosis. Three novel ceRNAs (SNHG1-hsa-miR-21-5p-RALGPS2, SNHG1-hsa-miR-326-RALGPS2, and SNHG1-hsa-miR-377-3p-RALGPS2) might be potential biomarkers for the prognosis and treatment of LUAD

Heating Dispersal for Self-Healing NAND Flash Memory

Substantially reduced lifetimes are becoming a critical issue in NAND flash memory with the advent of multi-level cell and triple-level cell flash memory. Researchers discovered that heating can cause worn-out NAND flash cells to become reusable and greatly extend the lifetime of flash memory cells. However, the heating process consumes a substantial amount of power, and some fundamental changes are required for existing NAND flash management techniques. In particular, all existing wear-leveling techniques are based on the principle of evenly distributing writes and erases. For self-healing NAND flash, this may cause NAND flash cells to be worn out in a short period of time. Moreover, frequently healing these cells may drain the energy quickly in battery-driven mobile devices, which is defined as the concentrated heating problem. In this paper, we propose a novel wear-leveling scheme called DHeating (Dispersed Heating) to address the problem. In DHeating, rather than evenly distributing writes and erases over a time period, write and erase operations are scheduled on a small number of flash memory cells at a time, so that these cells can be worn out and healed much earlier than other cells. In this way, we can avoid quick energy depletion caused by concentrated heating. In addition, the heating process takes several seconds and has become the new performance bottleneck. In order to address this issue, we propose a lazy heating repair scheme. The lazy heating repair scheme can ease the long time delays caused by the heating via delaying the heating operation and using the system idle time to repair. Furthermore, the flash memory's reliability becomes worse with the flash memory cells reaching the excepted worn-out time. We propose an early heating strategy to solve the reliability problem. With the extended lifetime provided by self-healing, we can trade some lifetimes for reliability. The idea is to start the healing process earlier than the expected worn-out time. We evaluate our scheme based on an embedded platform. The experimental results show that the proposed scheme can effectively prolong the consecutive heating time interval, alleviate the long time delays caused by the heating, and enhance the reliability for self-healing flash memory.Department of Computin

Complete mitochondrial genome of Sinibotia superciliaris (Teleostei: Cypriniformes, Cobitidae) and its phylogenetic position

The complete mitochondrial genome of Sinibotia superciliaris was determined in this study. It contained 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA, 2 rRNAs, and a control region with the base composition 31.57% A, 27.18% C, 25.52% T, and 15.74% G. Here we compared this newly determined mitogenome with another one from the same species reported before. The variable sites and the genetic distances between the two mitogenomes were 20 bp and 0.1%. 15 variable sites were occurred in the PCGs. The results from the phylogenetic analysis showed that the genus Sinibotia is a monophyletic group and S. superciliaris demonstrate a sister relationship with Sinibotia pulchra

Improving China’s Resilience to Climate-Related Risks: The China Framework for Climate Services

The primary needs for climate services in China, in the form of climate information for decision-making, are to better prepare for and manage meteorological-related disasters, adaptation to climate change, and sustainable development. In this paper, the vision, structure, content, and governance of the China Framework for Climate Services, which is designed to respond to these primary needs, is described. This paper reflects on practice, lessons, and experience developing and delivering climate services in China for disaster risk reduction, agriculture, water, energy, urbanization, and major engineering projects. Four key aspects of successful climate services are highlighted: the transition of climate research to operational climate services; delivering relevant, tailored, and usable climate information; effective engagement between users and providers of climate services; and building interdisciplinary professional teams. Key challenges and opportunities for climate services are recognized in this paper: a growing gap between climate science and services capability and societal need, a lack of awareness in user communities of the climate service value for their activities, and the important need for closer and more meaningful interactions between users and providers of climate services. The delivery and uptake of high-quality, relevant, usable, and effective climate services will facilitate climate-smart decisions that will reduce climate risks and improve Chinese societal resilience

The complete mitochondrial genome of Acrossocheilus yunnanensis (Teleostei: Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) and its phylogenetic position

The complete mitochondrial genome of Acrossocheilus yunnanensis was determined in this study. It contained 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA, 2 rRNAs, and a control region with the base composition 31.47% A, 27.83% C, 24.65% T, and 16.05% G. Here we compared this newly determined mitogenome with another one from the same species reported before. The variable sites and the genetic distances between the two mitogenomes were 134 bp and 0.8%. Sixty-five variable sites occurred in the PCGs. The results from the phylogenetic analysis showed that the genus Acrossocheilus is not a monophyletic group and Acrossocheilus yunnanensis demonstrates a close relationship with Acrossocheilus monticola