Deploying Image Deblurring across Mobile Devices: A Perspective of Quality and Latency

Recently, image enhancement and restoration have become important applications on mobile devices, such as super-resolution and image deblurring. However, most state-of-the-art networks present extremely high computational complexity. This makes them difficult to be deployed on mobile devices with acceptable latency. Moreover, when deploying to different mobile devices, there is a large latency variation due to the difference and limitation of deep learning accelerators on mobile devices. In this paper, we conduct a search of portable network architectures for better quality-latency trade-off across mobile devices. We further present the effectiveness of widely used network optimizations for image deblurring task. This paper provides comprehensive experiments and comparisons to uncover the in-depth analysis for both latency and image quality. Through all the above works, we demonstrate the successful deployment of image deblurring application on mobile devices with the acceleration of deep learning accelerators. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper that addresses all the deployment issues of image deblurring task across mobile devices. This paper provides practical deployment-guidelines, and is adopted by the championship-winning team in NTIRE 2020 Image Deblurring Challenge on Smartphone Track.Comment: CVPR 2020 Workshop on New Trends in Image Restoration and Enhancement (NTIRE

C-Kit Binding Properties of Hesperidin (a Major Component of KMP6) as a Potential Anti-Allergic Agent

Accumulation of mast cells can be causally related to several allergic inflammations. Stem cell factor (SCF) as a mast cell chemotaxin induces mast cell migration. To clarify a new effect of Pyeongwee-San extract (KMP6, a drug for indigestion) for the treatment of allergy, we investigated the effects of KMP6 on SCF-induced migration of rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMCs). A molecular docking simulation showed that hesperidin, a major component of KMP6, controls the SCF and c-kit binding by interaction with the active site of the c-kit. KMP6 and hesperidin significantly inhibited SCF-induced migration of RPMCs (P<0.05). The ability of the SCF to enhance morphological alteration and F-actin formation was also abolished by treatment with KMP6 or hesperidin. KMP6 and hesperidin inhibited SCF-induced p38 MAPK activation. In addition, SCF-induced inflammatory cytokine production was significantly inhibited by treatment with KMP6 or hesperidin (P<0.05). Our results show for the first time that KMP6 potently regulates SCF-induced migration, p38 MAPK activation and inflammatory cytokines production through hindrance of SCF and c-kit binding in RPMCs. Such modulation may have functional consequences during KMP6 treatment, especially mast cell-mediated allergic inflammation disorders

Explaining oscillations and variability in the p53-Mdm2 system

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In individual living cells p53 has been found to be expressed in a series of discrete pulses after DNA damage. Its negative regulator Mdm2 also demonstrates oscillatory behaviour. Attempts have been made recently to explain this behaviour by mathematical models but these have not addressed explicit molecular mechanisms. We describe two stochastic mechanistic models of the p53/Mdm2 circuit and show that sustained oscillations result directly from the key biological features, without assuming complicated mathematical functions or requiring more than one feedback loop. Each model examines a different mechanism for providing a negative feedback loop which results in p53 activation after DNA damage. The first model (ARF model) looks at the mechanism of p14^ARFwhich sequesters Mdm2 and leads to stabilisation of p53. The second model (ATM model) examines the mechanism of ATM activation which leads to phosphorylation of both p53 and Mdm2 and increased degradation of Mdm2, which again results in p53 stabilisation. The models can readily be modified as further information becomes available, and linked to other models of cellular ageing.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The ARF model is robust to changes in its parameters and predicts undamped oscillations after DNA damage so long as the signal persists. It also predicts that if there is a gradual accumulation of DNA damage, such as may occur in ageing, oscillations break out once a threshold level of damage is acquired. The ATM model requires an additional step for p53 synthesis for sustained oscillations to develop. The ATM model shows much more variability in the oscillatory behaviour and this variability is observed over a wide range of parameter values. This may account for the large variability seen in the experimental data which so far has examined ARF negative cells.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The models predict more regular oscillations if ARF is present and suggest the need for further experiments in ARF positive cells to test these predictions. Our work illustrates the importance of systems biology approaches to understanding the complex role of p53 in both ageing and cancer.</p

Identification of Gene Networks and Pathways Associated with Guillain-Barré Syndrome

BACKGROUND: The underlying change of gene network expression of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) remains elusive. We sought to identify GBS-associated gene networks and signaling pathways by analyzing the transcriptional profile of leukocytes in the patients with GBS. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Quantitative global gene expression microarray analysis of peripheral blood leukocytes was performed on 7 patients with GBS and 7 healthy controls. Gene expression profiles were compared between patients and controls after standardization. The set of genes that significantly correlated with GBS was further analyzed by Ingenuity Pathways Analyses. 256 genes and 18 gene networks were significantly associated with GBS (fold change ≥2, P<0.05). FOS, PTGS2, HMGB2 and MMP9 are the top four of 246 significantly up-regulated genes. The most significant disease and altered biological function genes associated with GBS were those involved in inflammatory response, infectious disease, and respiratory disease. Cell death, cellular development and cellular movement were the top significant molecular and cellular functions involved in GBS. Hematological system development and function, immune cell trafficking and organismal survival were the most significant GBS-associated function in physiological development and system category. Several hub genes, such as MMP9, PTGS2 and CREB1 were identified in the associated gene networks. Canonical pathway analysis showed that GnRH, corticotrophin-releasing hormone and ERK/MAPK signaling were the most significant pathways in the up-regulated gene set in GBS. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals the gene networks and canonical pathways associated with GBS. These data provide not only networks between the genes for understanding the pathogenic properties of GBS but also map significant pathways for the future development of novel therapeutic strategies

Inhibition of metastasis, angiogenesis, and tumor growth by Chinese herbal cocktail Tien-Hsien Liquid

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Advanced cancer is a multifactorial disease that demands treatments targeting multiple cellular pathways. Chinese herbal cocktail which contains various phytochemicals may target multiple dys-regulated pathways in cancer cells and thus may provide an alternative/complementary way to treat cancers. Previously we reported that the Chinese herbal cocktail Tien-Hsien Liguid (THL) can specifically induce apoptosis in various cancer cells and have immuno-modulating activity. In this study, we further evaluated the anti-metastatic, anti-angiogenic and anti-tumor activities of THL with a series of <it>in vitro </it>and <it>in vivo </it>experiments.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The migration and invasion of cancer cells and endothelial cells was determined by Boyden chamber transwell assays. The effect of THL on pulmonary metastasis was done by injecting CT-26 colon cancer cells intravenously to syngenic mice. The <it>in vitro </it>and <it>in vivo </it>microvessel formation was determined by the tube formation assay and the Matrigel plug assay, respectively. The <it>in vivo </it>anti-tumor effect of THL was determined by a human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer xenograft model. The expression of metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, and urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) was measured by gelatin zymography. The expression of HIF-1α and the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 were determined by Western blot.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>THL inhibited the migration and invasion ability of various cancer cells <it>in vitro</it>, decreased the secretion of MMP-2, MMP-9, and uPA and the activity of ERK1/2 in cancer cells, and suppressed pulmonary metastasis of CT-26 cancer cells in syngenic mice. Moreover, THL inhibited the migration, invasion, and tube formation of endothelial cells <it>in vitro</it>, decreased the secretion of MMP-2 and uPA in endothelial cells, and suppressed neovascularization in Matrigel plugs in mice. Besides its inhibitory effect on endothelial cells, THL inhibited hypoxia-induced HIF-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor-A expression in cancer cells. Finally, our results show that THL inhibited the growth of human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer xenografts in <it>NOD-SCID </it>mice. This suppression of tumor growth was associated with decreased microvessel formation and increased apoptosis caused by THL.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our data demonstrate that THL had broad-spectra anti-cancer activities and merits further evaluation for its use in cancer therapy.</p

Retrieving haystacks: a data driven information needs model for faceted search.

The research aim was to develop an understanding of information need characteristics for word co-occurrence-based search result filters (facets). No prior research has been identified into what enterprise searchers may find useful for exploratory search and why. Various word co-occurrence techniques were applied to results from sample queries performed on industry membership content. The results were used in an international survey of 54 practising petroleum engineers from 32 organizations. Subject familiarity, job role, personality and query specificity are possible causes for survey response variation. An information needs model is presented: Broad, Rich, Intriguing, Descriptive, General, Expert and Situational (BRIDGES). This may help professionals to more effectively meet their information needs and stimulate new needs, improving a systems ability to facilitate serendipity. This research has implications for faceted search in enterprise search and digital library deployments

Electronic and atomic structures of the Sr3Ir4Sn13 single crystal: A possible charge density wave material

[[abstract]]X-ray scattering (XRS), x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopic techniques were used to study the electronic and atomic structures of the high-quality Sr3Ir4Sn13 (SIS) single crystal below and above the transition temperature (T* ≈ 147 K). The evolution of a series of modulated satellite peaks below the transition temperature in the XRS experiment indicated the formation of a possible charge density wave (CDW) in the (110) plane. The EXAFS phase derivative analysis supports the CDW-like formation by revealing different bond distances [Sn1(2)-Sn2] below and above T* in the (110) plane. XANES spectra at the Ir L3-edge and Sn K-edge demonstrated an increase (decrease) in the unoccupied (occupied) density of Ir 5d-derived states and a nearly constant density of Sn 5p-derived states at temperatures T < T* in the (110) plane. These observations clearly suggest that the Ir 5d-derived states are closely related to the anomalous resistivity transition. Accordingly, a close relationship exists between local electronic and atomic structures and the CDW-like phase in the SIS single crystal.[[notice]]補正完

Comprehensive and Integrated Genomic Characterization of Adult Soft Tissue Sarcomas

Summary Sarcomas are a broad family of mesenchymal malignancies exhibiting remarkable histologic diversity. We describe the multi-platform molecular landscape of 206 adult soft tissue sarcomas representing 6 major types. Along with novel insights into the biology of individual sarcoma types, we report three overarching findings: (1) unlike most epithelial malignancies, these sarcomas (excepting synovial sarcoma) are characterized predominantly by copy-number changes, with low mutational loads and only a few genes (TP53, ATRX, RB1) highly recurrently mutated across sarcoma types; (2) within sarcoma types, genomic and regulomic diversity of driver pathways defines molecular subtypes associated with patient outcome; and (3) the immune microenvironment, inferred from DNA methylation and mRNA profiles, associates with outcome and may inform clinical trials of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Overall, this large-scale analysis reveals previously unappreciated sarcoma-type-specific changes in copy number, methylation, RNA, and protein, providing insights into refining sarcoma therapy and relationships to other cancer types