Few-Shot Single-View 3-D Object Reconstruction with Compositional Priors

The impressive performance of deep convolutional neural networks in single-view 3D reconstruction suggests that these models perform non-trivial reasoning about the 3D structure of the output space. However, recent work has challenged this belief, showing that complex encoder-decoder architectures perform similarly to nearest-neighbor baselines or simple linear decoder models that exploit large amounts of per category data in standard benchmarks. On the other hand settings where 3D shape must be inferred for new categories with few examples are more natural and require models that generalize about shapes. In this work we demonstrate experimentally that naive baselines do not apply when the goal is to learn to reconstruct novel objects using very few examples, and that in a \emph{few-shot} learning setting, the network must learn concepts that can be applied to new categories, avoiding rote memorization. To address deficiencies in existing approaches to this problem, we propose three approaches that efficiently integrate a class prior into a 3D reconstruction model, allowing to account for intra-class variability and imposing an implicit compositional structure that the model should learn. Experiments on the popular ShapeNet database demonstrate that our method significantly outperform existing baselines on this task in the few-shot setting

Haptic Edge Detection Through Shear

Most tactile sensors are based on the assumption that touch depends on measuring pressure. However, the pressure distribution at the surface of a tactile sensor cannot be acquired directly and must be inferred from the deformation field induced by the touched object in the sensor medium. Currently, there is no consensus as to which components of strain are most informative for tactile sensing. Here, we propose that shape-related tactile information is more suitably recovered from shear strain than normal strain. Based on a contact mechanics analysis, we demonstrate that the elastic behavior of a haptic probe provides a robust edge detection mechanism when shear strain is sensed. We used a jamming-based robot gripper as a tactile sensor to empirically validate that shear strain processing gives accurate edge information that is invariant to changes in pressure, as predicted by the contact mechanics study. This result has implications for the design of effective tactile sensors as well as for the understanding of the early somatosensory processing in mammals

The expression of HSP27 is associated with poor clinical outcome in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The heat shock proteins (HSPs) 27-kDa (HSP27) and 72-kDa (HSP72), are ubiquitous chaperone molecules inducible in cells exposed to different stress conditions. Increased level of HSPs are reported in several human cancers, and found to be associated with the resistance to some anticancer treatments and poor prognosis. However, there is no study of the relationship between HSPs expression and patient's prognosis in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCCA). In this exploratory retrospective study, we investigated the expressions of HSP27 and HSP72 as potential prognostic factors in IHCCA.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Thirty-one paraffin-embedded samples were analyzed by immunohistochemical methods using HSP27 and HSP72 monoclonal antibodies. Proliferation rate was assessed in the same specimens by using monoclonal antibody against phosphorylated histone H3 (pHH3). Fisher's exact test was used to assess the hypothesis of independence between categorical variables in 2 × 2 tables. The ANOVA procedure was used to evaluate the association between ordinal and categorical variables. Estimates of the survival probability were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the log rank test was employed to test the null hypothesis of equality in overall survival among groups. The hazard ratio associated with HSP27 and HSP72 expression was estimated by Cox hazard-proportional regression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The expression of HSP27 was related to mitotic index, tumor greatest dimension, capsular and vascular invasion while the expression of HSP72 was only related to the presence of necrosis and the lymphoid infiltration. Kaplan-Maier analysis suggested that the expression of HSP27 significantly worsened the patients' median overall survival (11 ± 3.18 vs 55 ± 4.1 months, P-value = 0.0003). Moreover HSP27-positive patients exhibited the worst mean survival (7.0 ± 3.2 months) in the absence of concomitant HSP72 expression.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The expression of HSP27, likely increasing cell proliferation, tumor mass, vascular and capsular invasion, might promote aggressive tumor behaviour in IHCCA and decrease patients' survival. Immunohistochemical detection of HSP27 on routine sections may provide a reliable prognostic marker for IHCCA able to influence the therapeutic strategies for this cancer.</p

Variable number of tandem repeat polymorphisms of the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist gene IL-1RN: a novel association with the athlete status

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The interleukin-1 (IL-1) family of cytokines is involved in the inflammatory and repair reactions of skeletal muscle during and after exercise. Specifically, plasma levels of the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) increase dramatically after intense exercise, and accumulating evidence points to an effect of genetic polymorphisms on athletic phenotypes. Therefore, the IL-1 family cytokine genes are plausible candidate genes for athleticism. We explored whether IL-1 polymorphisms are associated with athlete status in European subjects.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Genomic DNA was obtained from 205 (53 professional and 152 competitive non-professional) Italian athletes and 458 non-athlete controls. Two diallelic polymorphisms in the IL-1β gene (<it>IL-1B</it>) at -511 and +3954 positions, and a variable number tandem repeats (VNTR) in intron 2 of the IL-1ra gene (<it>IL-1RN</it>) were assessed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found a 2-fold higher frequency of the <it>IL-1RN </it>1/2 genotype in athletes compared to non-athlete controls (OR = 1.93, 95% CI = 1.37-2.74, 41.0% vs. 26.4%), and a lower frequency of the 1/1 genotype (OR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.40-0.77, 43.9% vs. 58.5%). Frequency of the <it>IL-1RN </it>2/2 genotype did not differ between groups. No significant differences between athletes and controls were found for either -511 or +3954 <it>IL-1B </it>polymorphisms. However, the haplotype (-511)C-(+3954)T-(VNTR)2 was 3-fold more frequent in athletes than in non-athletes (OR = 3.02, 95% CI = 1.16-7.87). Interestingly, the <it>IL-1RN </it>1/2 genotype was more frequent in professional than in non-professional athletes (OR = 1.92, 95% CI = 1.02-3.61, 52.8% vs. 36.8%).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study found that variants at the IL-1ra gene associate with athletic status. This confirms the crucial role that cytokine IL-1ra plays in human physical exercise. The VNTR <it>IL-1RN </it>polymorphism may have implications for muscle health, performance, and/or recovery capacities. Further studies are needed to assess these specific issues. As VNTR <it>IL-1RN </it>polymorphism is implicated in several disease conditions, athlete status may constitute a confounding variable that will need to be accounted for when examining associations of this polymorphism with disease risk.</p

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition)

In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. For example, a key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process versus those that measure fl ux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process including the amount and rate of cargo sequestered and degraded). In particular, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation must be differentiated from stimuli that increase autophagic activity, defi ned as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (inmost higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium ) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the fi eld understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. It is worth emphasizing here that lysosomal digestion is a stage of autophagy and evaluating its competence is a crucial part of the evaluation of autophagic flux, or complete autophagy. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. Along these lines, because of the potential for pleiotropic effects due to blocking autophagy through genetic manipulation it is imperative to delete or knock down more than one autophagy-related gene. In addition, some individual Atg proteins, or groups of proteins, are involved in other cellular pathways so not all Atg proteins can be used as a specific marker for an autophagic process. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field

Increasing the efficiency of manufacturing elements of turbo machine face impulse seals by applying functional coatings

Дисертація на здобуття наукового ступеня кандидата технічних наук за спеціальністю 05.02.08 – технологія машинобудування. – Національний технічний університет «Харківський політехнічний інститут», Харків, 2019. Дисертація присвячена вирішенню науково-технічної задачі забезпечення працездатності торцевих імпульсних ущільнень (ТІУ) турбомашин шляхом удосконалення технології виготовлення кілець із композиційних матеріалів, що поєднують у собі механічну міцність основи та захисні властивості покриттів. Проведено аналіз технології виготовлення й особливостей експлуатації ТІУ, з метою пошуку технологічних методів, які дозволяють створювати на підкладках зі сталей і сплавів функціональні покриття із заданими експлуатаційними властивостями. Розроблено методику спрямованого вибору технології забезпечення необхідної якості робочих поверхонь кілець ТІУ залежно від умов роботи ущільнення й властивостей навколишнього середовища. Удосконалено технологію виготовлення елементів ТІУ, які працюють в агресивних середовищах і виготовляються зі сталевих, нікелевих та бронзових сплавів, за рахунок застосування енергоефективних та екологічно чистих методів, альтернативних хіміко-термічній обробці. Розроблено новий метод збільшення товщини шару підвищеної твердості шляхом формування на попередньо зміцнених методом цементації електроерозійним легуванням торцевих поверхнях кілець ТІУ комбінованих електроерозійних покриттів. Проведено трибологічні дослідження та дослідження параметрів якості поверхневих шарів, сформованих методом іонного азотування, конденсованого іонного бомбардування та карбонітрацією. Розроблено метод зниження фретинг-корозії для контактуючих поверхонь ущільнювальних елементів ТІУ. Розроблено технологічні рекомендації виготовлення ТІУ залежно від умов роботи та перекачуваного середовища. Економічний ефект від впровадження основних положень роботи у виробництво становить 450 тис. грн.Thesis for granting the Degree of Candidate of Technical sciences in specialty 05.02.08 - Manufacturing Engineering. - National Technical University "Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute", 2019. The dissertation is devoted to the solution of the scientific and technical problem of ensuring the efficiency of face impulse seals (FIS) of turbomachines by improving the technology of manufacturing rings made of composite materials, which combine the mechanical strength of the substrate and the protective properties of coatings. An analysis of manufacturing technology and features of FIS operation was conducted in order to search for technological methods that allow to create functional coatings with specified operational properties on substrates of steels and alloys. The technique of directional choice of technology for ensuring the required quality of the working surfaces of the FIS rings, depending on the working conditions of the seal and the environmental properties, is developed. The technology of manufacturing FIS elements that work in corrosive environments and made of steel, nickel and bronze alloys has been improved due to the use of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly methods, alternative to chemical-thermal treatment. A new method of increasing the thickness of the layer of increased hardness by forming on the pre-strengthened cementing method by electro-erosion doping of the end surfaces of the FIS rings of the combined electro-erosion coatings is developed. Tribological researches and investigations of quality parameters of surface layers formed by the method of ion nitriding, condensed ion bombardment and carbonitration were carried out. The method of reducing the fretting corrosion for the contact surfaces of the sealing elements of the FIS has been developed. Technological recommendations for the production of FIS depending on the operating conditions and the pumped medium are developed. The economic effect of the introduction of the main provisions of work in production is 450 000 UAH

Non-wildcard matching beats the interpretation tree

Probably the best known control algorithm for high-level model matching in computer vision is the Interpretation Tree expansion algorithm, popularized and extended by Grimson and Lozano-Perez. This algorithm has been shown to have a high computational complexity, particularly when being applied to matching problems with large numbers of features. This paper introduces a non-wildcard variation on this algorithm that has an improvement of about 4-10 in performance over the standard Interpretation Tree algorithm.