Deep Global Multiple-Scale and Local Patches Attention Dual-Branch Network for Pose-Invariant Facial Expression Recognition

Pose-invariant facial expression recognition(FER)is an active but challenging research topic in computer vision.Especially with the involvement of diverse observation angles,FER makes the training parameter models inconsistent from one view to another.This study develops a deep global multiple-scale and local patches attention(GMS-LPA)dual-branch network for pose-invariant FER to weaken the influence of pose variation and selfocclusion on recognition accuracy.In this research,the designed GMS-LPA network contains four main parts,i.e.,the feature extraction module,the global multiple-scale(GMS)module,the local patches attention(LPA)module,and the model-level fusion model.The feature extraction module is designed to extract and normalize texture information to the same size.The GMS model can extract deep global features with different receptive fields,releasing the sensitivity of deeper convolution layers to pose-variant and self-occlusion.The LPA module is built to force the network to focus on local salient features,which can lower the effect of pose variation and self-occlusion on recognition results.Subsequently,the extracted features are fused with a model-level strategy to improve recognition accuracy.Extensive experimentswere conducted on four public databases,and the recognition results demonstrated the feasibility and validity of the proposed methods.

Formation and ecological response of sand patches in the protection system of Shapotou section of the Baotou-Lanzhou railway,China

The development of bare patches typically signifies a process of ecosystem degradation.Within the protection system of Shapotou section of the Baotou-Lanzhou railway,the extensive emergence of bare sand patches poses a threat to both stability and sustainability.However,there is limited knowledge regarding the morphology,dynamic changes,and ecological responses associated with these sand patches.Therefore,we analyzed the formation and development process of sand patches within the protection system and its effects on herbaceous vegetation growth and soil nutrients through field observation,survey,and indoor analysis methods.The results showed that sand patch development can be divided into three stages,i.e.,formation,expansion,and stabilization,which correspond to the initial,actively developing,and semi-fixed sand patches,respectively.The average dimensions of all sand patch erosional areas were found to be 7.72 m in length,3.91 m in width,and 0.32 m in depth.The actively developing sand patches were the largest,and the initial sand patches were the smallest.Throughout the stage of formation and expansion,the herbaceous community composition changed,and the plant density decreased by more than 50.95%.Moreover,the coverage and height of herbaceous plants decreased in the erosional area and slightly increased in the depositional lobe;and the fine particles and nutrients of soils in the erosional area and depositional lobe showed a decreasing trend.In the stabilization phases of sand patches,the area from the inlet to the bottom of sand patches becomes initially covered with crusts.Vegetation and 0-2 cm surface soil condition improved in the erosional area,but this improvement was not yet evident in the depositional lobe.Factors such as disturbance,climate change,and surface resistance to erosion exert notable influences on the formation and dynamics of sand patches.The results can provide evidence for the future treatment of sand patches and the management of the protection system of Shapotou section of the Baotou-Lanzhou railway.

Do brood parasitic Common Cuckoos develop brood patches during the breeding season?

Many birds develop brood patches on their ventral apterium under hormonal regulation to effectively transmit body heat to eggs during incubation.The developed patch has several characteristics,including de-feathering,vascularization,and edema.However,little is known about whether avian brood parasites that do not incubate their eggs exhibit brood patch development during the breeding season.In this study,we measured the size of the ventral apterium in 114 Common Cuckoos(Cuculus canorus)captured in the field throughout the breeding season and examined the appearance of the ventral apterium to confirm the development of brood patches.We also examined whether morphological traits and various factors correlated with the size of the ventral apterium(sternal apterium and abdominal apterium)and how it changed during the breeding season.We found no clear signs of brood patch development in Common Cuckoos captured throughout the breeding season,indicating that they likely did not develop brood patches on the ventral apterium during this period.We also found that ventral apterium size was positively correlated with wing length and body weight.In addition,Common Cuckoos with newly growing feathers on the boundary of the ventral apterium with pteryla were frequently observed as seasons progressed to the end.In conclusion,Common Cuckoos exhibit neither brood patch development nor the vestigial characteristics of ancestral brood patches,except for the growth of feathers on boundary the ventral apterium.Further studies examining brood patches across different groups of avian brood parasites are valuable for enhancing our understanding of the developmental and physiological adaptations of avian brood parasites.

Unveiling the adaptation strategies of woody plants in remnant forest patches to spatiotemporal urban expansion through leaf trait networks

Background:With the expansion of urban areas,the remnants of forested areas play a crucial role in preserving biodiversity in urban environments.This study aimed to explore the impact of spatiotemporal urban expansion on the networks of leaf traits in woody plants within remnant forest patches,thereby enhancing our understanding of plant adaptive strategies and contributing to the conservation of urban biodiversity.Methods:Our study examined woody plants within 120 sample plots across 15 remnant forest patches in Guiyang,China.We constructed leaf trait networks (LTNs) based on 26 anatomical,structural,and compositional leaf traits and assessed the effects of the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban expansion on these LTNs.Results and conclusions:Our results indicate that shrubs within these patches have greater average path lengths and diameters than trees.With increasing urban expansion intensity,we observed a rise in the edge density of the LTN-shrubs.Additionally,modularity within the networks of shrubs decreased as road density and urban expansion intensity increased,and increases in the average path length and average clustering coefficient for shrubs were observed with a rise in the composite terrain complexity index.Notably,patches subjected to‘leapfrog’expansion exhibited greater average patch length and diameter than those experiencing edge growth.Stomatal traits were found to have high degree centrality within these networks,signifying their substantial contribution to multiple functions.In urban remnant forests,shrubs bolster their resilience to variable environmental pressures by augmenting the complexity of their leaf trait networks.

Observing eddy dye patches induced by shear instabilities in the surf zone on a plane beach

The effects of surf zone eddy generated by alongshore currents on the deformation and transport of dye are still poorly understood,and related tracer release experiments are lacking.Therefore,a tracer release laboratory experiment was conducted under monochromatic,unidirectional incident waves with a large incident angle(30°)on a plane beach with a 1:100 slope in a large wave basin.A charge-coupled device suspended above the basin recorded the dye patch image.The evolution of eddy dye patch was observed and the transport and diffusion were analyzed based on the collected images.Subsequently,a linear instability numerical model was adopted to calculate the perturbation velocity field at the initial stage.The observation and image processing results show that surf zone eddy patches occurred and were separated from the original dye patches.Our numerical analysis results demonstrate that the structure of the perturbation velocity field is consistent with the experimental observations,and that the ejection of eddy patches shoreward or offshore may be ascribed to the double vortex.

一种基于图像patches分割的自监督生成对抗模型

近年来,通过将基于角度旋转的自监督模型引入到生成对抗网络中,一定程度上缓解了生成对抗模型稳定性不足与模式坍塌问题。但是,这种自监督模型基于全局信息对比,缺乏局部相关性,模型特征提取能力不足,导致生成图片的全局相似度较高而像素精度不足。因此,提出一种新型自监督生成对抗模型,将图像块(patches)引入到传统的角度旋转自监督模型中,通过对图像进行分块,将局部图像与整体图像作为输入,在旋转角度判别器的基础上新增位置判别器,在提高模型全局相似性的同时,增强了局部特征相关性。在CIFAR-10与STL-10数据集上进行测试,实验结果表明,基于图像patches分割的自监督生成模型比角度旋转自监督模型的效果更好。

Divergent responses of Picea crassifolia Kom.in different forest patches to climate change in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau

Global climate changes have significantly affected tree growth and forest structures and functions in some arid and semi-arid regions,which are becoming warmer and wetter.Due to natural factors such as climate and terrain,some tree species may form different forest patches at the edges of their distribution areas.However,how forest patches of various sizes respond to climate change is unclear.In this study,we collected 203 tree cores from six different sizes of forest patches at the edge of the distribution area of Picea crassifolia Kom.in the northeast Tibetan Plateau.And we used the dendrochronology method to study the response of tree growth and resilience in different forest patches to climate change from 1961 to 2020.We simultaneously measured the contents of nonstructural carbohydrates(NSC),total nitrogen and total phosphorus of tree needles.Our results showed that the growth of trees in small-and medium-size forest patches(0.8–18.6 ha)has increased significantly.The early growing season(May–July)minimum temperature was the most important climate factor driving the growth of small-and medium-sized patch trees.The early growing season maximum temperature was the most important climate factor that inhibited the growth of trees in the largest patches(362.8 ha).The growth of individual trees in medium forest patches was better and the correlation with annual minimum temperature,maximum temperature,precipitation,actual evapotranspiration,and palmer drought severity index was stronger.The higher NSC content,stronger photosynthesis,and higher nitrogen utilization efficiency in leaves might be one of the reasons for the better growth of trees in moderate forest patches.In extreme drought years,as the forest patch area increased,the overall trend of tree growth resistance showed a unimodal pattern,with the highest at a forest patch area of 7.1 ha,while the overall trend of tree growth recovery was opposite.Therefore,we should strengthen the management of trees in large forest patches to cope with climate change.

利用GPS对磁暴期间极区TEC变化与极区碎片(Polar Patches)的研究

利用2004年11月6-10日磁暴发生期间南极区域内的中国中山站GPS常年跟踪站（ZHON）和国际GPS服务站（CAS1,MCM4,SYOG,MAW1）的GPS观测数据,计算了可观测卫星传播路径上的TEC和ROT值,进而依据TEC的波动频率和幅度推估出极区碎片的个数,分析了极区磁暴期间电离层响应及其极区碎片特性.最终所得TEC和ROT结果与极区地磁场Dst和Kp指数信息相吻合,如实地反映了磁暴事件和极区碎片的出现.本文所做工作在国内尚未开展,因此所用方法和结论为将来这一方向的研究提供了一定的参考.

弓形虫复合粘膜疫苗滴鼻免疫小鼠诱导的Peyer's patches持续性细胞免疫应答

目的以可溶性速殖子抗原（soluble tachyzoite antigen，STAg）和霍乱毒素（choleratoxin，CT）佐剂制备的弓形虫复合粘膜疫苗滴鼻免疫小鼠，观察肠粘膜诱导部位Peyer’s patches（PP）的细胞免疫应答及持续时间，探讨其免疫机制。方法BALB／c小鼠96只，随机分为实验组和对照组，实验组以STAg（20μg／只）为抗原，CT（1／μg／只）为佐剂滴鼻免疫，对照组PBS滴鼻。滴鼻2次（间隔2周）后，每组6只小鼠分别于第1、2、3、4、6、8、10、12周处死。计数PP个数，制备PP淋巴细胞悬液，计数并涂片；免疫细胞化学法检测CD4^＋、CD8^＋T细胞亚群。结果实验期间两组小鼠PP数目均无明显变化；实验组免疫后PP淋巴细胞数量明显增生，第2周达高峰，第1、2、3周显著高于对照组（P〈0.05），其中以CD4^＋T细胞增生为主，第1周～第8周高于对照组（P〈0.01），CD8^＋T细胞第1周～第4周显著增高（P〈0.01），CD4^＋／CD8^＋比值无显著变化（P〉0．05）。结论弓形虫复合粘膜疫苗滴鼻免疫BALB／c小鼠可有效诱导肠PP部位持续性的免疫应答，从而激活肠粘膜效应部位淋巴细胞的抗弓形虫感染作用。

Epidural Blood Patches Performed with Miethke Sensor Reservoir for Continuous Intracranial Pressure Monitoring

An epidural blood patch (EBP) is a procedure performed by injecting autologous blood into a patient’s epidural space, usually at the site of a suspected CSF leak. It is typically performed in patients with characteristic postural headaches due to low intracranial pressure. We report a case of a young female with an implanted Miethke Sensor Reservoir, which was used for continuous intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring during a two-level epidural blood patch. ICP increased only with thoracic injection, suggesting thoracic EBP may have greater efficacy than lumbar EBP in treating SIH and PDPH when the site of CSF leak is unknown.

Zingiber cassumunar blended patches for skin application:Formulation,physicochemical properties,and in vitro studies

Our work was to study the preparation,physicochemical characterization,and in vitro characteristic of Zingiber cassumunar blended patches.The Z.cassumunar blended patches incorporating Z.cassumunar Roxb.also known as Plai were prepared from chitosan and polyvinyl alcohol with glycerin as plasticizer.They were prepared by adding all ingredients in a beaker and homogeneously mixing them.Then,they were transferred into Petri-dish and dried in hot air oven.The hydrophilic nature of the Z.cassumunar blended patches was confirmed by the moisture uptake,swelling ratio,erosion,and porosity values.The FTIR,DSC,XRD,and SEM studies showed revealed blended patches with amorphous region that was homogeneously smooth and compact in both surface and cross section dimensions.They exhibited controlled the release behavior of(E)-4-(30,40-dimethoxyphenyl)but-3-en-lol(compound D)that is the main active compound in Z.cassumunar for anti-inflammation activity.However,in in vitro skin permeation study,the compound D was accumulated in newborn pig skin more than in the receptor medium.Thus,the blended patches showed the suitable entrapment and controlled release of compound D.Accordingly,we have demonstrated that such chitosan and polyvinyl alcohol formulated patches might be developed for medical use.

Research Progress of Transdermal Patches in Veterinary Drug Preparations

With the development of pharmaceutics and other disciplines theories and advanced technologies, the application of many new drug delivery systems has gradually increased in clinical veterinary. Among the many drug delivery systems, transdermal patch can maintain stable and effective plasma concentration and therapeutic effect in vivo for a long time after skin dressing delivery, which provides a safe and effective drug-delivery way for the therapy and prevention of some chronic diseases and partial analgesia in a simple and convenient way. Veterinary drug transdermal preparations have been developed both at home and abroad, and satisfactory results have been achieved in the experimental application. Based on the study of veterinary transdermal patches at home and abroad, this paper systematically describes the development and characteristics of transdermal patches, the factors affecting skin permeation and the evaluation this type of preparations in veterinary drugs.

A continued study on the bisoprolol and isosorbide dinitrate transdermal patches:cardiovascular protection in spontaneously hypertensive rats

The objective of the present study is to examine cardiovascular protective action of a newly developed transdermal patch by incorporating bisoprolol and isosorbide dinitrate in spontaneously hypertensive rats. As the combination therapy with these two synergistic drugs at low doses through a suitable form of administration could provide optimal therapeutic benefit, we further evaluated the effects of a 42 d period of anti-hypertensive treatment in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Rats were divided into the following five groups： control （blank patch）, bisoprolol fumarate tablets （BP-FT, 20.0 mg/kg, i.g.）, bisoprolol transdermal patch （BP-TP, 20.0 mg/kg）, isosorbide dinitrate transdermal patch （ISDN-TP, 20.0 mg/kg）, and the combination of BP and ISDN in a transdermal patch at low doses （8 and 12 mg/kg, respectively）. The effects of treatment were evaluated via biochemical indicators related to cardiovascular protection, structure and function. The combination therapy had synergistic anti-hypertensive effects and significantly reduced blood pressure with the benefit of controlling blood pressure variability compared to BP-FT and BP-TP. The combined treatment also reduced heart rate as well as BP-FT and BP-TP, while ISDN-TP had no evident effects on blood pressure, heart rate, and cardiovascular protection. Combination therapy was superior to BP-TP and BP-FT at increasing blood atrial natriuretic peptide and nitric oxide, while also reducing cardiac hydroxyproline and endothelin-1 with no difference in blood endothelin-1 and cardiac malondialdehyde levels. Cardiovascular remodeling differed among the groups, with the combination therapy reducing cardiac hypertrophy and the aortic media/lumen ratio. The consequential improvements in relaxation in response to cumulative concentrations of acetylcholine may explain the associated improvement in endothelial function. Combi- nation treatment with a transdermal patch exhibited a synergistic therapeutic effect. Such favorable cardiovascular effects with nitric oxide donors and β-blockade combination through a transdermal patch may provide long-term cardiovascular protection during anti-hypertensive treatment.

Seed movement of bare alkali-saline patches and their potential role in the ecological restoration in Songnen grassland, China

The dynamics of soil seed banks and seed movement was investigated in three bare alkali-saline patches in Songnen grassland, Northeast China, for exploring their potential role in the vegetation restoration of bare alkali-saline patches. The results showed that the seed banks and the seed movement in these patches were very similar to each other, and to some extent the seed movement was related to patch-side vegetation there. Seed movement across the soil surface of these bare alkali-saline patches was abundant and dominated by the seeds of pioneer species, such as Chloris virgata and Suaeda corniculata, which accounted for over 96% of these trapped seeds. In the contrast, soil seed banks of bare patches were extremely small, in different seasons, especially in May and June, even no any seed have been found, mainly due to lowest retaining capacity of surface soil to those abundant seed movement. Both soil seed banks and seed movement showed seasonal variation, and usually reached the maximum in October. Soil seed banks of bare alkali-saline patches, which were extremely small and difficult to recruit naturally, may inhibit speed of vegetation restoration. It is suggested that seed movement would be the potential seed source and play a potentially important role in the process of vegetation restoration of bare alkali-saline patches by enhancing the soft retaining capacity to seed movement.

Formulation of unidirectional release buccal patches of carbamazepine and study of permeation through porcine buccal mucosa

Objective:To achieve transbuccal release of carbamazepine by loading in unidirectional release mucoadhesive buccal patches.Methods:Buccal patches of carbamazepine with unidirectional drug release were prepared using hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose,polyvinyl alcohol,polyvinyl pyrrolidone and ethyl cellulose by solvent casting method.Water impermeable backing layer(Pidilite?Biaxially-oriented polypropylene film)of patches provided unidirectional drug release.They were evaluated for thickness,mass uniformity,surface pH and folding endurance.Six formulations FA2,FA8,FA10,FBI,FB14 and FB16(folding endurance above 250)were evaluated further for swelling studies,ex vivo mucoadhesive strength,ex vivo mucoadhesion time,in vitro drug release,ex vivo permeation,accelerated stability studies and FTIR and XRD spectral studies.Results:The ex vivo mucoadhesion time of patches ranged between 109 min(FA10)to 126 min(FB14).The ex vivo mucoadhesive force was in the range of 0.278 lo 0.479 kg/m/s.The in vitro drug release studies revealed that formulation FA8 released 84%and FB16 released 99.01%of drug in140 min.Conclusions:The prepared unidirectional buccal patches of carbamazepine provided a maximum drug release within specified mucoadhesion period and it indicates a potential alternative drug delivery system for systemic denvery of carbamazepine.

Endoscopic identification of Peyer's patches of the terminal ileum in a patient with Crohn's disease

We presented a 20-year-old patient with Crohn's disease (CD).Colonoscopy revealed longitudinal ulceration in the terminal ileum and rectal aphtoid ulcers.After treatment with mesalamine and total parenteral nutrition,repeat colonoscopy revealed a granular elevated area in the terminal ileum,which appeared as an irregular dome-like elevation with irregularly arranged villi on magnifying endoscopy.Biopsy specimens taken from the region showed microgranulomas and lymphoid hyperplasia,Scanning electron microscopy revealed the presence of M cells,confirming that the area corresponded to Peyer's patches.Peyer's patches by magnifying endoscopy and electron microscopy may provide insights into the pathogenesis of CD.

Infiltration pattern beneath shrub canopy and interspace grass patches in typical steppe ecosystems of Inner Mongolia, China

Water is the most critical factor for controlling die vegetation pattern in arid and semiarid regions.Using a dye-tracing experiment,we analyzed the infiltration pattern beneath shrub canopy and interspace grass patches in typical steppe ecosystems.The dye coverage,uniform infiltration depth,maximum infiltration depth,total stained area and heterogeneous infiltration stained area were measured by two indices,the maximum infiltration depth index(MIDI)and heterogeneous infiltration index(HII),which were calculated by processing dye-stained photos.The MIDI and HII of soil under shrubs were 1.41±0.14 and 0.29±0.068,respectively,and larger than those of grass soil,1.26±0.14 and0.20±0.076.Using the MIDI,HII,field soil moisture and rainfall data,the infiltration depth and heterogeneous infiltration amount for 26 nature rainfall events were calculated.The results imply that water can infiltrate to a deeper layer beneath shrub canopy than beneath grass patches and that more water infiltration occurs beneath shrub canopy than beneath grass patches.These results are of prime importance for arid and semiarid ecosystems with a limited water supply due to high evaporation and low precipitation.

Aboveground Woody Biomass, Carbon Stocks Potential in Selected Tropical Forest Patches of Tripura, Northeast India

To estimate woody plant biomass stocks in different patches of forest ecosystems, total 20, 500 × 10 m (0.5 ha) sized line transects were laid in a protected area of Tripura, Northeast India. Overall, 9160 individuals were measured at ≥10 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) in 10 ha sampled area. Estimation of biomass suggested that highest coefficient for allometric relationships between density and biomass in 10 dbh classes was observed in bamboo brakes (R2 = 0.90) than lowest for semi evergreen patch (R2 = 0.48). The stock of carbon (C) was differ significantly along the forest patches (F = 7.01, df = 3.19;p < 0.01). Most of biomass stock (69.38%) was accumulated in lower dbh class (<30 cm) and only 23% of biomass was estimated at higher dbh classes (> 70 cm). Range of biomass stock (37.85 - 85.58 Mg ha-1) was low, compared to other tropical forest ecosystems in India, which implies that the proper management is required to monitor regional ecosystem C pool.

STUDY ON CRACKED PLATES WITH BONDED PATCHES UNDER IN PLANE BIAXIAL LOADINGS

Based on the finite element method, a numerical investigation into the bonded repair efficiency of cracked plates under in plane biaxial loadings is presented. The main considerations are: reduction in stress intensity factor (SIF) at the crack tip, the maximum tensile stress in the composite patch and the maximum shear stress in the adhesive bond between the patch and the plate. Without the patch, a tensile or compressive stress parallel to the crack has no effect on the SIF at the crack tip. While with a composite patch, there exists coupling effect between the normal stress parallel to the crack and the SIF, and the coupling effect depends significantly on ply orientation of the patch and the biaxial stress ratio of the plate.

Influences of pika and simulated grazing disturbances on bare patches of alpine meadow in the Yellow River Source Zone

Bare patches in alpine meadow are the main manifestation of its degradation.The change of bare patches in an alpine meadow in the Yellow River Source Zone during 2018-2019 was studied in relation to the disturbances caused by plateau pika(Ochotona curzoniae)population and simulated grazing via artificial mowing both independently and interactively.The disturbance was set at three levels of high,medium and no disturbance(control group).Bare patches were mapped by from unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)images with fine resolution of 1 cm obtained in August 2018 and August 2019 in ArcGIS.The results showed that the total area of bare patches decreased by 112.05 m2 in sub-plots devoid of pika disturbance but increased by 126.37 m2 in other subplots.The highest rate of increase is 89.02%.The individual effect of pika exceeds the joint effect of pika and mowing disturbances.The sole effect of mowing is lower than the joint effect of pika disturbance and intensive mowing,but higher than the joint influence of pika disturbance and moderate mowing.Strong pika disturbance(14 per sub-plot)caused the influence of mowing from moderate to intensive to increase by five-fold.The area of bare patches treated with moderate mowing and no pika disturbance decreased at the highest pace(-37.22%).Intensive mowing and medium density pikas(100 pikas/ha)are considered the thresholds at which the bare patches start to expand.Even if the meadow is mowed at the medium and high intensity,the area of bare patches can be significantly reduced if plateau pika population is controlled to a low level.ANOVA analysis and longterm macro-scale satellite-derived results reveal that pika disturbance is more important in causing the bare patches to change than simulated grazing.Therefore,it is more important to control the number of pikas than to reduce grazing intensity to prevent the expansion of bare patches in the degraded alpine meadow in the study area.