A Robust Deformable Linear Object Perception Pipeline in 3D: From Segmentation to Reconstruction

3D perception of deformable linear objects (DLOs) is crucial for DLO manipulation. However, perceiving DLOs in 3D from a single RGBD image is challenging. Previous DLO perception methods fail to extract a decent 3D DLO model due to different textures, occlusions, sparse and false depth information. To address these problems and provide a more robust DLO perception initialization for downstream tasks like tracking and manipulation in complex scenarios, this paper proposes a 3D DLO perception pipeline to first segment a DLO in 2D images and post-process masks to eliminate false positive segmentation, reconstruct the DLO in 3D space to predict the occluded part of the DLO, and physically smooth the reconstructed DLO. By testing on a synthetic DLO dataset and further validating on a real-world dataset with seven different DLOs, we demonstrate that the proposed method is an effective and robust 3D perception pipeline solution with better performance on 2D DLO segmentation and 3D DLO reconstruction compared to State-of-the-Art algorithms

Bayesian model reveals latent atrophy factors with dissociable cognitive trajectories in Alzheimer’s disease

We used a data-driven Bayesian model to automatically identify distinct latent factors of overlapping atrophy patterns from voxelwise structural MRIs of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia patients. Our approach estimated the extent to which multiple distinct atrophy patterns were expressed within each participant rather than assuming that each participant expressed a single atrophy factor. The model revealed a temporal atrophy factor (medial temporal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala), a subcortical atrophy factor (striatum, thalamus, and cerebellum), and a cortical atrophy factor (frontal, parietal, lateral temporal, and lateral occipital cortices). To explore the influence of each factor in early AD, atrophy factor compositions were inferred in beta-amyloid–positive (Aβ+) mild cognitively impaired (MCI) and cognitively normal (CN) participants. All three factors were associated with memory decline across the entire clinical spectrum, whereas the cortical factor was associated with executive function decline in Aβ+ MCI participants and AD dementia patients. Direct comparison between factors revealed that the temporal factor showed the strongest association with memory, whereas the cortical factor showed the strongest association with executive function. The subcortical factor was associated with the slowest decline for both memory and executive function compared with temporal and cortical factors. These results suggest that distinct patterns of atrophy influence decline across different cognitive domains. Quantification of this heterogeneity may enable the computation of individual-level predictions relevant for disease monitoring and customized therapies. Factor compositions of participants and code used in this article are publicly available for future research.United States. National Institutes of Health (1K25EB013649-01)United States. National Institutes of Health (1R21AG050122-01A1)United States. National Institutes of Health (P01AG036694)United States. National Institutes of Health (F32AG044054

Ebolavirus Is Internalized into Host Cells via Macropinocytosis in a Viral Glycoprotein-Dependent Manner

Ebolavirus (EBOV) is an enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA virus that causes severe hemorrhagic fever with mortality rates of up to 90% in humans and nonhuman primates. Previous studies suggest roles for clathrin- or caveolae-mediated endocytosis in EBOV entry; however, ebolavirus virions are long, filamentous particles that are larger than the plasma membrane invaginations that characterize clathrin- or caveolae-mediated endocytosis. The mechanism of EBOV entry remains, therefore, poorly understood. To better understand Ebolavirus entry, we carried out internalization studies with fluorescently labeled, biologically contained Ebolavirus and Ebolavirus-like particles (Ebola VLPs), both of which resemble authentic Ebolavirus in their morphology. We examined the mechanism of Ebolavirus internalization by real-time analysis of these fluorescently labeled Ebolavirus particles and found that their internalization was independent of clathrin- or caveolae-mediated endocytosis, but that they co-localized with sorting nexin (SNX) 5, a marker of macropinocytosis-specific endosomes (macropinosomes). Moreover, the internalization of Ebolavirus virions accelerated the uptake of a macropinocytosis-specific cargo, was associated with plasma membrane ruffling, and was dependent on cellular GTPases and kinases involved in macropinocytosis. A pseudotyped vesicular stomatitis virus possessing the Ebolavirus glycoprotein (GP) also co-localized with SNX5 and its internalization and infectivity were affected by macropinocytosis inhibitors. Taken together, our data suggest that Ebolavirus is internalized into cells by stimulating macropinocytosis in a GP-dependent manner. These findings provide new insights into the lifecycle of Ebolavirus and may aid in the development of therapeutics for Ebolavirus infection

UNSUPERVISED DISCOVERY OF MENTAL DISORDER FACTORS USING MRI

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (FOE

Reconciling Dimensional and Categorical Models of Autism Heterogeneity: a Brain Connectomics & Behavioral Study

Autism is characterized by abnormal brain connectivity, social impairment and repetitive behaviors. The range and severity of symptoms, and the pattern of abnormal brain connectivity can vary widely across autistic individuals. This variability has hindered the development of effective biomarkers. The authors applied a new mathematical model to functional brain imaging data of a large international cohort of autistic individuals, revealing three distinct patterns of abnormal brain connectivity. The different connectivity patterns were associated with variation in social impairment, repetitive behavior, executive dysfunction (inability to plan and execute plans), affective and externalizing problems across ASD individuals

Multi-modal latent factor exploration of atrophy, cognitive and tau heterogeneity in Alzheimer's disease

10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116043NEUROIMAGE20

Reconciling Dimensional and Categorical Models of Autism Heterogeneity: A Brain Connectomics and Behavioral Study

Contains fulltext : 220258.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access

Differences in Grain Ultrastructure, Phytochemical and Proteomic Profiles between the Two Contrasting Grain Cd-Accumulation Barley Genotypes

<div><p>To reveal grain physio-chemical and proteomic differences between two barley genotypes, Zhenong8 and W6nk2 of high- and low- grain-Cd-accumulation, grain profiles of ultrastructure, amino acid and proteins were compared. Results showed that W6nk2 possesses significantly lower protein content, with hordein depicting the greatest genotypic difference, compared with Zhenong8, and lower amino acid contents with especially lower proportion of Glu, Tyr, Phe and Pro. Both scanning and transmission electron microscopy observation declared that the size of A-type starch molecule in W6nk2 was considerably larger than that of Zhenong8. Grains of Zhenong8 exhibited more protein-rich deposits around starch granules, with some A-type granules having surface pits. Seventeen proteins were identified in grains, using 2-DE coupled with mass spectrometry, with higher expression in Zhenong8 than that in W6nk2; including z-type serpin, serpin-Z7 and alpha-amylase/trypsin inhibitor CM, carbohydrate metabolism, protein synthesis and signal transduction related proteins. Twelve proteins were less expressed in Zhenong8 than that in W6nk2; including barley trypsin inhibitor chloroform/methanol-soluble protein (BTI-CMe2.1, BTI-CMe2.2), trypsin inhibitor, dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), pericentrin, dynein heavy chain and some antiviral related proteins. The data extend our understanding of mechanisms underlying Cd accumulation/tolerance and provides possible utilization of elite genetic resources in developing low-grain-Cd barley cultivars.</p></div