Feature Extraction and Fusion Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks for Face Detection

This paper proposes a method that uses feature fusion to represent images better for face detection after feature extraction by deep convolutional neural network (DCNN). First, with Clarifai net and VGG Net-D (16 layers), we learn features from data, respectively; then we fuse features extracted from the two nets. To obtain more compact feature representation and mitigate computation complexity, we reduce the dimension of the fused features by PCA. Finally, we conduct face classification by SVM classifier for binary classification. In particular, we exploit offset max-pooling to extract features with sliding window densely, which leads to better matches of faces and detection windows; thus the detection result is more accurate. Experimental results show that our method can detect faces with severe occlusion and large variations in pose and scale. In particular, our method achieves 89.24% recall rate on FDDB and 97.19% average precision on AFW

Remote Sensing Object Detection Meets Deep Learning: A Meta-review of Challenges and Advances

Remote sensing object detection (RSOD), one of the most fundamental and challenging tasks in the remote sensing field, has received longstanding attention. In recent years, deep learning techniques have demonstrated robust feature representation capabilities and led to a big leap in the development of RSOD techniques. In this era of rapid technical evolution, this review aims to present a comprehensive review of the recent achievements in deep learning based RSOD methods. More than 300 papers are covered in this review. We identify five main challenges in RSOD, including multi-scale object detection, rotated object detection, weak object detection, tiny object detection, and object detection with limited supervision, and systematically review the corresponding methods developed in a hierarchical division manner. We also review the widely used benchmark datasets and evaluation metrics within the field of RSOD, as well as the application scenarios for RSOD. Future research directions are provided for further promoting the research in RSOD.Comment: Accepted with IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine. More than 300 papers relevant to the RSOD filed were reviewed in this surve

Analysis and evaluation of fruit traits of 106 white-flesh loquat germplasm resources

[Objective] The study aimed to provide basis for efficient exploration and utilization of excellent white-flesh loquat [Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl.] resources as well as parent selection for breeding new variety through the investigation of diversity and correlation of main fruit traits of white-flesh loquat germplasm resources. [Methods] 106 white-flesh loquat resources conserved in the National Longan and Loquat Germplasm Resources Nursery (Fuzhou) were used, and ten fruit traits were measured, then coefficient of variation, correlation analysis and principal component analysis were performed among these traits. [Results] The coefficient of variation of fruit traits ranged from 9.3% to 34.9% among the investigated white-flesh loquat resources, and the diversity index of these traits ranged from 2.64 to 2.95. The fruit weight ranged from 6.9 g to 64.6 g, the average was 34.7 g and the coefficient variation was 34.9%; the fruit longitudinal diameter ranged from 2.12 cm to 5.95 cm, the average was 4.08 cm and the coefficient variation was 17.1%; the fruit transverse diameter ranged from 2.11 cm to 4.68 cm, the average was 3.77 cm and the coefficient variation was 13.4%; the fruit shape index ranged from 0.86 to 1.38, the average was 1.08 and the coefficient variation was 9.3%; the fruit lateral diameter ranged from 2.07 cm to 4.60 cm, the average was 3.55 cm, and the coefficient variation was 13.8%; the number of seeds per fruit ranged from 1.74 to 6.60, and the average was 3.31, and the coefficient variation was 24.4%; the weight of seed ranged from 0.78 g to 3.26 g, and the average was 2.07 g, and the coefficient variation was 23.7%; the flesh thickness ranged from 3.65 cm to 11.95 cm, the average was 7.87 cm, and the coefficient variation was 18.9%; The soluble solid content ranged from 9.4% to 17.4%, the average was 12.5% and the coefficient variation was 14.1%, the edible rate ranged from 41.5% to 76.5%, the average was 67.0% and the coefficient variation was 9.9%. There was no significant difference in seed number among white-flesh resources of different origin. Moreover, no significant differences in fruit weight, flesh thickness, soluble solids content and edible rate among white-flesh resources from Fujian, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces. However, Fujian was the main origin of white-flesh loquat with large fruit and high quality. While Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou had few white-flesh loquat resources with small size fruit with thin flesh and low edible rate. The correlation analysis showed that fruit weight was positively correlated with the fruit longitudinal diameter (r=0.90), fruit transverse diameter (r=0.95), fruit lateral diameter (r=0.91), fruit flesh thickness (r=0.79), seed number (r=0.58), and seed weight (r=0.63); the content of soluble solids was negatively correlated with the fruit weight (r=-0.46), fruit longitudinal diameter (r=-0.45), fruit transverse diameter (r=-0.49), fruit lateral diameter (r=-0.41), thickness of flesh (r=-0.55) and edible rate (r=-0.56); the edible rate was positively correlated with the fruit weight (r=0.69), fruit longitudinal diameter (r=0.75), fruit transverse diameter (r=0.74), fruit lateral diameter (r=0.69), fruit shape index (r=0.34), weight of seed (r=0.37), and fruit flesh thickness (r=0.80). The principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the contribution rate of the first principal component factor was 60.9%, reflecting the impotance of the fruit size. Twenty-five excellent resources were identified, among these: three accessions with fruit weight higher than 60.0 g, nine accessions with soluble solid content higher than 15.0%, three accessions with edible rate higher than 75.0%, two accessions with less than 2.0 seeds. More excitingly, eight of them showed advantages on fruit weight (≥40.0 g), soluble solid content (≥12.0%) and edible rate (≥68.0%) at the same time compared with the other white-flesh accessions. [Conclusion] The fruit traits of the white-flesh loquat resources were abundant, and twenty-five excellent resources of different types of white-flesh were screened out. This study would provide a basis for the exploration and utilization of the white-flesh loquat resources and the parent selection for loquat improvement in the future

Exercise blood pressure, cardiorespiratory fitness, fatness and cardiovascular risk in children and adolescents

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of mortality on a global scale. Individuals who possess risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure (BP) and obesity, face an elevated risk of experiencing organ-specific pathophysiological changes. This damage includes pathophysiological changes in the heart and peripheral vascular systems, such as ventricular hypertrophy, arterial stiffening, and vascular narrowing and stenosis. Consequently, these damages are associated with an increased risk of developing severe cardiovascular outcomes including stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and coronary heart disease. Among all the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure emerges as the most prominent. However, conventional resting BP measurement methods such as auscultatory or oscillometric methods may fail to identify many individuals with asymptomatic high BP. Recently, exercise BP has emerged as a valuable diagnostic tool for identifying real (high) blood pressure levels and assessing underlying cardiovascular risk, in addition to resting BP measurements in adults. Furthermore, numerous established factors, such as low cardiorespiratory fitness and high body fatness, have been confirmed to contribute to exercise BP and the associated cardiovascular risk. Modifying these factors may help reduce high exercise BP and, consequently, alleviate the burden of cardiovascular disease. A significant body of evidence has demonstrated cardiovascular disease in later life have their origins in early life. Children and adolescents with these cardiovascular risk factors also possess a greater propensity to develop cardiovascular diseases later in life. Nevertheless, the majority of previous studies on the clinical utility of exercise BP have been conducted in middle-to-older aged populations, often with pre-existing clinical conditions. Therefore, there is a need to investigate further of the factors influencing exercise BP in adolescence and its association with cardiovascular risk in early life. Our previously published work showed that exercise BP is a potential useful method to detect adolescents with increased cardiovascular risk. Children and adolescents with cardiovascular risk factors are more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases later in life. However, previous studies on the clinical utility of exercise BP have largely focused on middle-to-older aged populations with pre-existing clinical conditions. Therefore, there is a need to investigate further the factors influencing exercise BP in adolescence and its association with future cardiovascular risk. Our previous studies, which focused on exercise BP measured at submaximal intensity, have shown that exercise BP is a potentially useful method for identifying adolescents at increased cardiovascular risk. Our previous findings suggest that improving cardio-respiratory fitness and reducing body fatness may help to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and improve overall cardiovascular health. These findings have important implications for the development of effective prevention and early detection strategies, which can contribute to improved public health outcomes

The Constructions of Almost Binary Sequence Pairs and Binary Sequence Pairs with Three-Level Autocorrelation

In this letter, a new class of almost binary sequence pairs with a single zero element and three autocorrelation values is presented. The new almost binary sequence pairs are based on cyclic difference sets and difference set pairs. By applying the method to the binary sequence pairs, new binary sequence pairs with three-level autocorrelation are constructed. It is shown that new sequence pairs from our constructions are balanced or almost balanced and have optimal three-level autocorrelation when the characteristic sequences or sequence pairs of difference sets or difference set pairs are balanced or almost balanced and have optimal autocorrelations

Anti-cancer natural products isolated from chinese medicinal herbs

In recent years, a number of natural products isolated from Chinese herbs have been found to inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis, suppress angiogenesis, retard metastasis and enhance chemotherapy, exhibiting anti-cancer potential both in vitro and in vivo. This article summarizes recent advances in in vitro and in vivo research on the anti-cancer effects and related mechanisms of some promising natural products. These natural products are also reviewed for their therapeutic potentials, including flavonoids (gambogic acid, curcumin, wogonin and silibinin), alkaloids (berberine), terpenes (artemisinin, β-elemene, oridonin, triptolide, and ursolic acid), quinones (shikonin and emodin) and saponins (ginsenoside Rg3), which are isolated from Chinese medicinal herbs. In particular, the discovery of the new use of artemisinin derivatives as excellent anti-cancer drugs is also reviewed

Inhibiting melanoma tumor growth: the role of oxidative stress-associated LINC02132 and COPDA1 long non-coding RNAs

BackgroundCutaneous melanoma is a type of malignant tumor that is challenging to predict and is readily stimulated by various factors. Oxidative stress can induce damage and alterations in melanocytes, subsequently triggering immune responses. Given that oxidative stress is a prevalent tumor stimulus, we aimed to enhance melanoma prediction by identifying lncRNA signatures associated with oxidative stress.MethodsWe screened for oxidative stress-related lncRNAs that could improve melanoma patient prognosis using the TCGA and GTEx databases. Utilizing differentially expressed oxidative stress-related lncRNAs (DE-OSlncRNAs), we constructed a Lasso regression model. The accuracy of the model was validated using univariate and multivariate regression, Kaplan-Meier (K-M) curves, and ROC curves. Subsequently, we conducted immune infiltration analysis, immune checkpoint differential analysis, IC50 pharmaceutical analysis, and gene set enrichment analysis. Investigating the effects of the target gene on melanoma using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), Edu assay, wound healing assay, transwell assay, flow cytometry, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection.ResultsThirteen lncRNAs were identified as significant prognostic factors. Four oxidative stress-related lncRNAs (COPDA1, LINC02132, LINC02812, and MIR205HG) were further validated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), with results consistent with our data analysis. LINC02132 and COPDA1 can influence the proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis of melanoma. ConclusionOur findings suggest that upregulation of the LINC02132 or COPDA1 genes elevates intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in melanoma cells, suppresses tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and promotes apoptosis. These results suggest a novel therapeutic strategy for melanoma treatment