Learning Two-Person Interaction Models for Responsive Synthetic Humanoids

Imitation learning is a promising approach for generating life-like behaviors of virtual humans and humanoid robots. So far, however, imitation learning has been mostly restricted to single agent settings where observed motions are adapted to new environment conditions but not to the dynamic behavior of interaction partners. In this paper, we introduce a new imitation learning approach that is based on the simultaneous motion capture of two human interaction partners. From the observed interactions, low-dimensional motion models are extracted and a mapping between these motion models is learned. This interaction model allows the real-time generation of agent behaviors that are responsive to the body movements of an interaction partner. The interaction model can be applied both to the animation of virtual characters as well as to the behavior generation for humanoid robots.

Synthetic versus natural curcumin: bioequivalence in an in vitro oral mucositis model

BACKGROUND Curcumin (CUR) is a dietary spice and food colorant (E100). Its potent anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the activation of Nuclear Factor-kappaB is well established. METHODS The aim of this study was to compare natural purified CUR (nCUR) with synthetically manufactured CUR (sCUR) with respect to their capacity to inhibit detrimental effects in an in vitro model of oral mucositis. The hypothesis was to demonstrate bioequivalence of nCUR and sCUR. RESULTS The purity of sCUR was HPLC-confirmed. Adherence and invasion assays for bacteria to human pharyngeal epithelial cells demonstrated equivalence of nCUR and sCUR. Standard assays also demonstrated an identical inhibitory effect on pro-inflammatory cytokine/chemokine secretion (e.g., interleukin-8, interleukin-6) by Detroit pharyngeal cells exposed to bacterial stimuli. There was bioequivalence of sCUR and nCUR with respect to their antibacterial effects against various pharyngeal species. CONCLUSION nCUR and sCUR are equipotent in in vitro assays mimicking aspects of oral mucositis. The advantages of sCUR include that it is odorless and tasteless, more easily soluble in DMSO, and that it is a single, highly purified molecule, lacking the batch-to-batch variation of CUR content in nCUR. sCUR is a promising agent for the development of an oral anti-mucositis agent.

Synthetic peptides corresponding to a repetitive sequence of malarial histidine rich protein bind haem and inhibit haemozoin formation in vitro

Synthetic peptides containing a repetitive hexapeptide sequence (Ala-His-His-Ala-Ala-Asp) of malarial histidine-rich protein II were evaluated for binding with haem in vitro. The pattern of haem binding suggested that each repeat unit of this sequence provides one binding site for haem. Chloroquine inhibited the haem-peptide complex formation with preferential formation of a haem chloroquine complex. In vitro studies on haem polymerisation showed that none of the peptides could initiate haemozoin formation. However, they could inhibit haemozoin formation promoted by a malarial parasite extract, possibly by competitively binding free haem. These results indicate this hexapeptide sequence represents the haem binding site of the malarial histidine-rich protein and possibly the site of nucleation for haem polymerisation.