Cascaded 3D Full-body Pose Regression from Single Depth Image at 100 FPS

There are increasing real-time live applications in virtual reality, where it plays an important role in capturing and retargetting 3D human pose. But it is still challenging to estimate accurate 3D pose from consumer imaging devices such as depth camera. This paper presents a novel cascaded 3D full-body pose regression method to estimate accurate pose from a single depth image at 100 fps. The key idea is to train cascaded regressors based on Gradient Boosting algorithm from pre-recorded human motion capture database. By incorporating hierarchical kinematics model of human pose into the learning procedure, we can directly estimate accurate 3D joint angles instead of joint positions. The biggest advantage of this model is that the bone length can be preserved during the whole 3D pose estimation procedure, which leads to more effective features and higher pose estimation accuracy. Our method can be used as an initialization procedure when combining with tracking methods. We demonstrate the power of our method on a wide range of synthesized human motion data from CMU mocap database, Human3.6M dataset and real human movements data captured in real time. In our comparison against previous 3D pose estimation methods and commercial system such as Kinect 2017, we achieve the state-of-the-art accuracy

Coronal condensations caused by magnetic reconnection between solar coronal loops

Employing Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) multi-wavelength images, we report the coronal condensation during the magnetic reconnection (MR) between a system of open and closed coronal loops. Higher-lying magnetically open structures, observed in AIA 171 A images above the solar limb, move downward and interact with the lower-lying closed loops, resulting in the formation of dips in the former. An X-type structure forms at the interface. The interacting loops reconnect and disappear. Two sets of newly-reconnected loops then form and recede from the MR region. During the MR process, bright emission appears sequentially in the AIA 131 A and 304 A channels repeatedly in the dips of higher-lying open structures. This indicates the cooling and condensation process of hotter plasma from ~0.9 MK down to ~0.6 MK, and then to ~0.05 MK, also supported by the light curves of the AIA 171 A, 131 A, and 304 A channels. The part of higher-lying open structures supporting the condensations participate in the successive MR. The condensations without support by underlying loops then rain back to the solar surface along the newly-reconnected loops. Our results suggest that the MR between coronal loops leads to the condensation of hotter coronal plasma and its downflows. MR thus plays an active role in the mass cycle of coronal plasma because it can initiate the catastrophic cooling and condensation. This underlines that the magnetic and thermal evolution has to be treated together and cannot be separated, even in the case of catastrophic cooling.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

Pilot test of a fermentation tank for producing coal methane through anaerobic fermentation

The development and utilization of clean energy has long been a focus of research. In the coal bed methane field, most coal bed biogenic methane experiments are small static sample tests in which the initial conditions are set and the process cannot be batch-fed elements and microbial strains, and the gas cannot be collected in batches. Although significant results have been achieved in the coal-to-biogenic methane conversion in China, findings are restricted to the laboratory scale. No successful commercialization of coal bed biogenic methane production has been achieved yet. This study used a large-capacity fermentation tank (5 L) to conduct biogenic methane experiments. Results were compared to those from the traditional laboratory test. The gas production rate and gas concentration were higher when the 250 mL methane test volume was increased to a 5 L fermentation volume, increasing by 20.9% and 2.3%, respectively. The inhibition effect of the liquid phase products was reduced in the large fermentation tank, and the microbial activity was extended by batch feeding trace elements (iron and nickel) and methane strains and by semi-continuous collection of the gas. However, the gas conversion rate can be increased by retaining the H2 and CO2 in the intermediate gas products in the fermentation tank. The gas production rate was increased from 17.9 to 24.6 mL/g, increasing by 37.4%. The simulation pilot test can lay a foundation for the transition from a coal bed biogenic methane laboratory static small sample test to a dynamic pilot test, optimizing the process parameters to improve the reaction efficiency and move forward to commercialization test

Analysis of two pheromone-responsive conjugative multiresistance plasmids carrying the novel mobile optrA locus from Enterococcus faecalis

Background: The acquired optrA gene, which encodes a ribosomal protection protein of the ABC-F family, can confer cross-resistance to linezolid and florfenicol, posing a serious therapeutic challenge to both human and veterinary medicine. Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the two Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) plasmids for their fine structure, their transferability and the presence of mobile antimicrobial resistance loci. Methods: To elucidate their fine structure, the two plasmids were completely sequenced and the sequences analysed. Besides conjugation experiments, inverse PCR assays were conducted to see whether minicircles are produced from the mobile antimicrobial resistance loci. Results: Two pheromone-responsive conjugative optrA-carrying plasmids from E. faecalis, pE211 and pE508 were identified, which can transfer with frequencies of 2.6 ×10−2 and 3.7 ×10−2 (transconjugant per donor), respectively. In both plasmids, optrA was located on the novel mobile optrA locus with different sizes (12,834 bp in pE211 and 7,561 bp in pE508, respectively), flanked by two copies of IS1216 genes in the same orientation. Inverse PCR revealed that circular forms can be generated, consisting of optrA and one copy of IS1216, indicating they are all active. The 77,562 bp plasmid pE211 also carried Tn558 and a mobile bcrABDR locus, and the 84,468 bp plasmid pE508 also harbored the genes fexA, tet(L), tet(O/W/32/O) and a mobile aac(A)-aph(D) locus. Conclusion: The presence of mobile genetic elements in these plasmids renders them flexible and these elements will aid to the persistence and dissemination of these plasmids among enterococci and potentially also other gram-positive bacteria

Up-regulation of corticotropin releasing hormone is associated with the downregulation of corticotropin releasing hormone binding protein and up-regulation of IL- 33 and IL-8 expression in psoriasis

Purpose: To determine the expression of corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) in psoriasis and normal skin biopsy samples, and to correlate the expression of CRH with the expression of CRHBP and inflammatory cytokines IL-8 and IL-33.Methods: Psoriasis and normal skin biopsy samples were obtained from three psoriatic and three normal healthy patients. The mRNA expression was examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Protein expression analysis was carried out by Western blotting and then further validated by immunohistochemistry.Results: The results of the present study revealed that the expression of CRH was highly significant (p < 0.0001) in psoriatic skin, compared to normal skin. Increase of CRH in psoriatic samples ranged from 2.7 to 3.5-fold. Expression of CRH was associated with the concomitant downregulation of CRHBP in all the psoriatic skin biopsy samples, with expression of CRHBP 3.0 to 6.2-fold lower in psoriatic skin than in normal skin. Analysis of mRNA expression of IL-8 and IL-33, revealed that expression of both IL-8 and IL-33 was significantly (p < 0.0001) upregulated in psoriatic skin samples while the expression of IL-8 and IL-33 was approximately 4.1- and 3.2-fold higher in psoriatic skin than in normal skin. The expression of CRHBP, IL-8 and IL-33 was further confirmed by western blotting and immunohistochemistry results.Conclusion: The results confirm that the expression of CRH is associated with the suppression of CRHBP and upregulation of IL-8 and IL-33.Keywords: Psoriasis, Corticotropin releasing hormone, Inflammatory cytokines, Interleukin, Skin biops

Optimization of Immobilization Conditions of Candida antarctica Lipase Based on Response Surface Methodology

The conditions, including mass ratio of PEG4000 to lipase, pH, and mass ratio of diatomites to lipase, for immobilization of Candida antarctica lipase with PEG non-covalent modification were optimized by means of the response surface methodology (RSM). The immobilized lipase specific activity in the reaction of transesterification was selected as the response value. A mathematical model was developed to investigate the influences of various immobilization parameters and to predict the optimum immobilization conditions for lipase. The maximal specific activity was predicted to occur when PEG4000: lipase (w/w) was 7.61, diatomites: lipase (w/w), 9.92 and pH, 7.52, respectively. A repeat immobilization experiment of lipase was carried out under the optimized conditions for the verification of optimization. The maximal specific activity obtained experimentally was 56.11 U mg–1 pr., which was significantly higher than that obtained under unoptimized conditions

(E)-N′-(3,4-Dichloro­benzyl­idene)nicotino­hydrazide monohydrate

In the title compound, C13H9Cl2N3O·H2O, the 3,4-dichloro­benzene ring is nearly coplanar with the pyridine ring, making a dihedral angle of 4.78 (8)°. Inter­molecular O—H⋯O, O—H⋯N, N—H⋯O and weak C—H⋯O hydrogen bonding is present in the crystal structure

Optimization of Immobilization Conditions of Candida antarctica Lipase Based on Response Surface Methodology

The conditions, including mass ratio of PEG4000 to lipase, pH, and mass ratio of diatomites to lipase, for immobilization of Candida antarctica lipase with PEG non-covalent modification were optimized by means of the response surface methodology (RSM). The immobilized lipase specific activity in the reaction of transesterification was selected as the response value. A mathematical model was developed to investigate the influences of various immobilization parameters and to predict the optimum immobilization conditions for lipase. The maximal specific activity was predicted to occur when PEG4000: lipase (w/w) was 7.61, diatomites: lipase (w/w), 9.92 and pH, 7.52, respectively. A repeat immobilization experiment of lipase was carried out under the optimized conditions for the verification of optimization. The maximal specific activity obtained experimentally was 56.11 U mg–1 pr., which was significantly higher than that obtained under unoptimized conditions