Subjective and Objective Quality Assessment of Rendered Human Avatar Videos in Virtual Reality.

We study the visual quality judgments of human subjects on digital human avatars (sometimes referred to as "holograms" in the parlance of virtual reality [VR] and augmented reality [AR] systems) that have been subjected to distortions. We also study the ability of video quality models to predict human judgments. As streaming human avatar videos in VR or AR become increasingly common, the need for more advanced human avatar video compression protocols will be required to address the tradeoffs between faithfully transmitting high-quality visual representations while adjusting to changeable bandwidth scenarios.

Physiological effects and safety of bed verticalization in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Background: Trunk inclination in patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) in the supine position has gained scientific interest due to its effects on respiratory physiology, including mechanics, oxygenation, ventilation distribution, and efficiency. Changing from flat supine to semi-recumbent increases driving pressure due to decreased respiratory system compliance. Positional adjustments also deteriorate ventilatory efficiency for CO removal, particularly in COVID-19-associated ARDS (C-ARDS), indicating likely lung parenchyma overdistension.

DCE-MRI to distinguish all monoclonal plasma cell disease stages and correlation with diffusion-weighted MRI/PET-based biomarkers in a hybrid simultaneous whole body-2-[18F]FDG-PET/MRI imaging approach.

Background: Dynamic contrast-enhanced-MRI (DCE-MRI) is able to study bone marrow angiogenesis in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and asymptomatic precursor diseases but its role in the management of MM has not yet been established. The aims of this prospective study was to compare DCE-MRI-based parameters between all monoclonal plasma cell disease stages in order to find out discriminatory parameters and to seek correlations with other diffusion-weighted MRI and positron emission tomography (PET)-based biomarkers in a hybrid simultaneous whole-body-2-[18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET/MRI (WB-2-[18F]FDG-PET/MRI) imaging approach.

Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) or symptomatic MM according to international myeloma working group and underwent WB-2-[18F]FDG-PET/MRI imaging including bone marrow DCE sequences at the Nantes University Hospital were prospectively enrolled in this study before receiving treatment.

The root-knot nematode effector MiEFF12 targets the host ER quality control system to suppress immune responses and allow parasitism.

Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) are microscopic parasitic worms able to infest the roots of thousands of plant species, causing massive crop yield losses worldwide. They evade the plant's immune system and manipulate plant cell physiology and metabolism to transform a few root cells into giant cells, which serve as feeding sites for the nematode. RKN parasitism is facilitated by the secretion in planta of effector molecules, mostly proteins that hijack host cellular processes.