Improved Algorithm for Solving Inverse Kinematics of Biped Robots

Mobile Networks and Applications - Inverse kinematics is an important basic theory in walking control of biped robot. This study focuses on the parameter setting using the improved algorithm in...     

Changes in the content and antioxidative activity of β-carotene and its metabolite vitamin A during gastrointestinal digestion and absorption and optimisation of HPLC-based detection

The β-Carotene (BC), an important precursor of vitamin A (VA), possesses antioxidant activity but is fat-soluble and has low bioavailability. In previous in-vitro assays evaluating antioxidant and 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) free radical scavenging, both BC and VA showed a strong ability to scavenge radicals and protected cells from oxidative stress. Here, we used artificially simulated gastrointestinal digestion and Caco-2 cell absorption models to evaluate the bioavailability of the BC during gastrointestinal digestion and absorption using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. We observed high absorptive and transfer rates of BC and detected retinol metabolites (Vitamin A). Therefore, BC can be detected in the acidic gastrointestinal environment using HPLC. Optimised method provided better separation of BC and VA in the column, improving the accuracy of the test results.     

Effect of high hydrostatic pressure pretreatment on flavour and physicochemical properties of freeze-dried carambola slices

Ripe carambolas are hard to store and transport, while freeze-dried ones are easy to store. However, its long production time leads to higher costs. This study shows that high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment could shorten the freeze-drying time of carambola slices. After HHP treatment (25–250 MPa), the drying time of the fresh sample can be shortened by 33.3–44.4% and the distribution of water and pigment in tissues is much uniform. With the increment of the pressure, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical scavenging rate are increased. At 250 MPa, the total phenolic content (TPC) increased from 11.34 to 13.36 mg GAE g⁻¹, and the total flavonoid content (TFC) of the control sample was increased from 10.77 to 12.73 mg RE g⁻¹. Compared with the untreated sample, HHP treatment can enhance the flavour and shorten the freeze-drying time. This work guides the application of HHP technology for drying food processing.     

Facial-sketch Synthesis: A New Challenge

Machine Intelligence Research - This paper aims to conduct a comprehensive study on facial-sketch synthesis (FSS). However, due to the high cost of obtaining hand-drawn sketch datasets, there is a...     

Three dimensional reconstruction of brain tumor along with space occupying in lesions

Multimedia Tools and Applications - The three-dimensional models of brain tumors serve as diagnostic assistance for physicians, surgeons, and radiologists. The proposed system establishes an...     

Designing optical glasses by machine learning coupled with a genetic algorithm

Engineering new glass compositions have experienced a sturdy tendency to move forward from (educated) trial-and-error to data- and simulation-driven strategies. In this work, we developed a computer program that combines data-driven predictive models (in this case, neural networks) with a genetic algorithm to design glass compositions with desired combinations of properties. First, we induced predictive models for the glass transition temperature (T_g) using a dataset of 45,302 compositions with 39 different chemical elements, and for the refractive index (n_d) using a dataset of 41,225 compositions with 38 different chemical elements. Then, we searched for relevant glass compositions using a genetic algorithm informed by a design trend of glasses having high n_d (1.7 or more) and low T_g (500 °C or less). Two candidate compositions suggested by the combined algorithms were selected and produced in the laboratory. These compositions are significantly different from those in the datasets used to induce the predictive models, showing that the used method is indeed capable of exploration. Both glasses met the constraints of the work, which supports the proposed framework. Therefore, this new tool can be immediately used for accelerating the design of new glasses. These results are a stepping stone in the pathway of machine learning-guided design of novel glasses.     

Eco-friendly and degradable red phosphorus nanoparticles for rapid microbial sterilization under visible light

Pathogens pose a serious challenge to environmental sanitation and a threat to public health.The frequent use of chemicals for sterilization in recent years has not only caused secondary damage to the environment but also increased pathogen resistance to drugs,which further threatens public health.To address this issue,the use of non-chemical antibacterial means has become a new trend for environmental disinfection.In this study,we developed red phosphorus nanoparticles(RPNPs),a safe and degradable photosensitive material with good photocatalytic and photothermal properties.The red phosphorus nanoparticles were prepared using a template method and ultrasonication.Under the irradiation of simulated sunlight for 20 min,the RPNPs exhibited an efficiency of 99.98%in killing Staphylococcus aureus due to their excellent photocatalytic and photothermal abilities.Transmission electron microscopy and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy revealed that the RPNPs exhibited degradability within eight weeks.Both the RPNPs and their degradation products were nontoxic to fibroblast cells.Therefore,such RPNPs are expected to be used as a new type of low-cost,efficient,degradable,biocompatible,and eco-friendly photosensitive material for environmental disinfection.     

Syndecan-1 (CD138), Carcinomas and EMT

Cell surface proteoglycans are known to be important regulators of many aspects of cell behavior. The principal family of transmembrane proteoglycans is the syndecans, of which there are four in mammals. Syndecan-1 is mostly restricted to epithelia, and bears heparan sulfate chains that are capable of interacting with a large array of polypeptides, including extracellular matrix components and potent mediators of proliferation, adhesion and migration. For this reason, it has been studied extensively with respect to carcinomas and tumor progression. Frequently, but not always, syndecan-1 levels decrease as tumor grade, stage and invasiveness and dedifferentiation increase. This parallels experiments that show depletion of syndecan-1 can be accompanied by loss of cadherin-mediated adhesion. However, in some tumors, levels of syndecan-1 increase, but the characterization of its distribution is relevant. There can be loss of membrane staining, but acquisition of cytoplasmic and/or nuclear staining that is abnormal. Moreover, the appearance of syndecan-1 in the tumor stroma, either associated with its cellular component or the collagenous matrix, is nearly always a sign of poor prognosis. Given its relevance to myeloma progression, syndecan-1-directed antibody—toxin conjugates are being tested in clinical and preclinical trials, and may have future relevance to some carcinomas.     

Inhibition of Autophagy Does Not Re-Sensitize Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells Resistant to Cytarabine

Elevated activation of the autophagy pathway is currently thought to be one of the survival mechanisms allowing therapy-resistant cancer cells to escape elimination, including for cytarabine (AraC)-resistant acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Consequently, the use of autophagy inhibitors such as chloroquine (CQ) is being explored for the re-sensitization of AraC-resistant cells. In our study, no difference in the activity of the autophagy pathway was detected when comparing AraC-Res AML cell lines to parental AraC-sensitive AML cell lines. Furthermore, treatment with autophagy inhibitors CQ, 3-Methyladenine (3-MA), and bafilomycin A1 (BafA1) did not re-sensitize AraC-Res AML cell lines to AraC treatment. However, in parental AraC-sensitive AML cells, treatment with AraC did activate autophagy and, correspondingly, combination of AraC with autophagy inhibitors strongly reduced cell viability. Notably, the combination of these drugs also yielded the highest level of cell death in a panel of patient-derived AML samples even though not being additive. Furthermore, there was no difference in the cytotoxic effect of autophagy inhibition during AraC treatment in matched de novo and relapse samples with differential sensitivity to AraC. Thus, inhibition of autophagy may improve AraC efficacy in AML patients, but does not seem warranted for the treatment of AML patients that have relapsed with AraC-resistant disease.     

Analysis of energy saving in user equipment in LTE-A using stochastic modelling

Telecommunication Systems - Energy saving in User Equipment (UE) is one of the important issues for limited sources of power in the device. It is critical for the UE to maximize its energy...