Physically‐based forehead animation including wrinkles

Physically‐based animation techniques enable more realistic and accurate animation to be created. We present a fully physically‐based approach for efficiently producing realistic‐looking animations of facial movement, including animation of expressive wrinkles. This involves simulation of detailed voxel‐based models using a graphics processing unit‐based total Lagrangian explicit dynamic finite element solver with an anatomical muscle contraction model, and advanced boundary conditions that can model the sliding of soft tissue over the skull. The flexibility of our approach enables detailed animations of gross and fine‐scale soft‐tissue movement to be easily produced with different muscle structures and material parameters, for example, to animate different aged skins. Although we focus on the forehead, our approach can be used to animate any multi‐layered soft body. © 2014 The Authors. Computer Animation and Virtual Worlds published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Matrix organizational structure,culture and commitment: a Hong Kong public sector case study of change

This paper reports on the impact of organizational change on a government department in Hong Kong. It focuses on the perceptions of professional personnel of the organizational culture developed in the depart4 ment and its mismatch with their expectations. The commitment of the professionals to their organization was measured, and found to be limited solely to a level of continuance commitment. The results of the study are discussed and explained in part by reference to Hofstede's cultural concepts of power distance and individualism, and by reference to traditional Chinese cultural values.     

The building performance sketch

A new approach to the creation of design tools is proposed that addresses the real information needs of designers in the early stages of design of non-residential buildings. Traditional simplified design tools are typically too limited to be of much use, even in conceptual design. The proposal is to provide access to the power of detailed simulation tools at a stage in design when little is known about the final building, but at a stage also when the freedom to explore options is greatest and the ability to improve the design is greatest. The concept of the building performance sketch forms the basis of the proposed design tool. It was derived from consultation with design analysis teams as part of the development of the COMFEN tool for fenestration design. Tools like COMFEN are explored to understand how they were shaped by consultation and how requests from these teams for real-world relevance might shape such tools in the future. The simulation process can effectively utilize some of the as-built, as-occupied and as-managed lessons on behaviours and technical outcomes from the Post-occupancy Evaluation (PoE) of buildings.

Il est proposé pour la création des outils de conception une nouvelle approche répondant aux véritables besoins d'information des concepteurs dans les premières phases de conception des bâtiments non résidentiels. Les outils de conception simplifiée traditionnels sont habituellement trop limités pour être très utiles, même en design conceptuel. Ce qui est proposé est de pouvoir accéder à la puissance d'outils de simulation détaillée à un stade de la conception où l'on sait encore peu de choses concernant le bâtiment final, mais également à un stade auquel la liberté d'exploration des options possibles comme la capacité d'amélioration de la conception sont les plus grandes. Le concept du schéma de performance du bâtiment constitue la base de l'outil de conception proposé. Il découle de la consultation des équipes chargées de l'analyse de la conception dans le cadre du développement de l'outil COMFEN de conception du fenêtrage. Des outils tels que COMFEN sont examinés afin de comprendre comment ils ont été modelés par la consultation et comment les demandes de ces équipes en termes de pertinence réelle pourraient façonner ces outils à l'avenir. Le processus de simulation peut tirer efficacement parti de certaines des leçons, conformes à l'exécution, à l'occupation et à la gestion, en matière de comportements et de résultats techniques, retirées de l'Evaluation Après Occupation des bâtiments.

modèles d'information du bâtiment?bâtiments?processus de conception?outils de conception?début de conception?efficacité énergétique?retour d'information?simulation des performances?évaluation après occupation     

Molecular Interactions of Tannic Acid with Proteins Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infectivity

The overall impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on our society is unprecedented. The identification of small natural ligands that could prevent the entry and/or replication of the coronavirus remains a pertinent approach to fight the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Previously, we showed that the phenolic compounds corilagin and 1,3,6-tri-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose (TGG) inhibit the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the SARS-CoV-2 target receptor on the cell membrane of the host organism. Building on these promising results, we now assess the effects of these phenolic ligands on two other crucial targets involved in SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and replication, respectively: transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) and 3-chymotrypsin like protease (3CLpro) inhibitors. Since corilagin, TGG, and tannic acid (TA) share many physicochemical and structural properties, we investigate the binding of TA to these targets. In this work, a combination of experimental methods (biochemical inhibition assays, surface plasmon resonance, and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring) confirms the potential role of TA in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infectivity through the inhibition of extracellular RBD/ACE2 interactions and TMPRSS2 and 3CLpro activity. Moreover, molecular docking prediction followed by dynamic simulation and molecular mechanics Poisson–Boltzmann surface area (MMPBSA) free energy calculation also shows that TA binds to RBD, TMPRSS2, and 3CLpro with higher affinities than TGG and corilagin. Overall, these results suggest that naturally occurring TA is a promising candidate to prevent and inhibit the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2.     

Role of Tyrosine Kinase Syk in Thrombus Stabilisation at High Shear

Understanding the pathways involved in the formation and stability of the core and shell regions of a platelet-rich arterial thrombus may result in new ways to treat arterial thrombosis. The distinguishing feature between these two regions is the absence of fibrin in the shell which indicates that in vitro flow-based assays over thrombogenic surfaces, in the absence of coagulation, can be used to resemble this region. In this study, we have investigated the contribution of Syk tyrosine kinase in the stability of platelet aggregates (or thrombi) formed on collagen or atherosclerotic plaque homogenate at arterial shear (1000 s⁻¹). We show that post-perfusion of the Syk inhibitor PRT-060318 over preformed thrombi on both surfaces enhances thrombus breakdown and platelet detachment. The resulting loss of thrombus stability led to a reduction in thrombus contractile score which could be detected as early as 3 min after perfusion of the Syk inhibitor. A similar loss of thrombus stability was observed with ticagrelor and indomethacin, inhibitors of platelet adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor and thromboxane A₂ (TxA₂), respectively, and in the presence of the Src inhibitor, dasatinib. In contrast, the Btk inhibitor, ibrutinib, causes only a minor decrease in thrombus contractile score. Weak thrombus breakdown is also seen with the blocking GPVI nanobody, Nb21, which indicates, at best, a minor contribution of collagen to the stability of the platelet aggregate. These results show that Syk regulates thrombus stability in the absence of fibrin in human platelets under flow and provide evidence that this involves pathways additional to activation of GPVI by collagen.     

PCI Express普及化超乎想象

PCI Express(PCIe)是目前最新的高速串行连接技术之一,短期内将无所不在.由于它继承了全球相当普遍的PCI数据总线,因此这项技术具有快速带动PC及外围配备市场的威力和重大意义,因而受到相当大的重视.因各式各样的需求所致,PCIe足迹已遍布各种应用系统和市场中,未来还会出现在哪些应用上呢?本文将与您共同探讨一二.     

智能手机如何实现数据同步化

手机的使用模式相当简单:用户端口只要离PC数尺的距离,蓝牙手机就能自动进行电子邮件、相片、工作清单、联络人等数据的同步化.但有时用户对蓝牙的同步化与数据传输功能仍存在一些困惑,如PC虽然有蓝牙功能,但却经常无法连上手机如第一次就想让蓝牙功能顺利执行仍需要一些技巧,并不能立马使用等.本文详细为您讲述如何使智能手机实现数据同步化.     

选择同轴电缆和双绞线

因其性能的限制,铜缆的应用几次走到了尽头。之后,新工艺和元件的推出又使它得到了重生。对于两种最常用的高性能铜缆,同轴电缆和双绞线理论上是有局限性的,然而,我们离这些极限有多近呢？     

Redox State of Iron and Its Related Effects in the CaO–P2O5–Fe2O3 Glasses

Iron exists in Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ states in CaO–P₂O₅–Fe₂O₃ glasses and they impart characteristic optical absorption bands that allow analysis of relative proportion of the two species. This communication reports the redox states of glasses melted under air, argon, and oxygen atmospheres and relates them to the dissolution rates. The dissolution rate was found to be related to the redox state and it is lowered if the glass is melted under oxidizing atmospheres.