Optical music recognition of the singer using formant frequency estimation of vocal fold vibration and lip motion with interpolated GMM classifiers

The main work of this paper is to identify the musical genres of the singer by performing the optical detection of lip motion. Recently, optical music recognition has attracted much attention. Optical music recognition in this study is a type of automatic techniques in information engineering, which can be used to determine the musical style of the singer. This paper proposes a method for optical music recognition where acoustic formant analysis of both vocal fold vibration and lip motion are employed with interpolated Gaussian mixture model (GMM) estimation to perform musical genre classification of the singer. The developed approach for such classification application is called GMM-Formant. Since humming and voiced speech sounds cause periodic vibrations of the vocal folds and then the corresponding motion of the lip, the proposed GMM-Formant firstly operates to acquire the required formant information. Formant information is important acoustic feature data for recognition classification. The proposed GMM-Formant method then uses linear interpolation for combining GMM likelihood estimates and formant evaluation results appropriately. GMM-Formant will effectively adjust the estimated formant feature evaluation outcomes by referring to certain degree of the likelihood score derived from GMM calculations. The superiority and effectiveness of presented GMM-Formant are demonstrated by a series of experiments on musical genre classification of the singer

RhoGDIβ-induced hypertrophic growth in H9c2 cells is negatively regulated by ZAK

We found that overexpression of RhoGDIβ, a Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor, induced hypertrophic growth and suppressed cell cycle progression in a cultured cardiomyoblast cell line. Knockdown of RhoGDIβ expression by RNA interference blocked hypertrophic growth. We further demonstrated that RhoGDIβ physically interacts with ZAK and is phosphorylated by ZAK in vitro, and this phosphorylation negatively regulates RhoGDIβ functions. Moreover, the ZAK-RhoGDIβ interaction may maintain ZAK in an inactive hypophosphorylated form. These two proteins could negatively regulate one another such that ZAK suppresses RhoGDIβ functions through phosphorylation and RhoGDIβ counteracts the effects of ZAK by physical interaction. Knockdown of ZAK expression in ZAK- and RhoGDIβ-expressing cells by ZAK-specific RNA interference restored the full functions of RhoGDIβ

植株密度對袋耕‘花蓮亞蔬五號’番茄生長與產量之影響

In bag culture of tomato, the stem diameter, plant dry weight and 8 plants with 3 cultures of fruit per bag was less than those of 6 plants with 3 clusters of fruit and 6 plants with 6 clusters of fruit. Th eplant height and the first to third in florescence were significant increased. But it did not affect the position of inflorescence node. There was no significant difference on days to first flower, number of flowers per cluster, and early yield when plant density was increased to 8 plants per bag. Eight plants with 3 clusters of fruits per bag showed smaller single fruit weight, but the ratio of large and medium size fruit was over 80% that was not significantly different compared to control. The control had the highest yield per plant, followed by 3 clusters 6 plants per bag and 3clusters of 8 plants per bag was the lowest. In comparison of harvesting first 3 clusters per plant per bag, the 8 plants had higher yield, early yield and total fruit number than the 6 plants. The soluble solid in fruit was decreased in 8 plants per bag.'花蓮亞蔬五號'番茄袋植每袋種八株收三花序果實之莖徑、植株乾重與鮮重低於種六株收三花序果實及對照組六植株採收六花序果實者，其株高明顯徒長，第一~三花序著果高度提高，但著果節位並無顯著差異。栽培密度提高至八株者對始花日、開花數影響不顯著，每袋種八株者之單果重比六株者小，大果與中果佔80%以上，與對照組間無明顯差異。單株產量以對照組產量最高，其次為每袋種六株留三花序，而每袋種八株者最低。比較三段花序果實之每袋產量、單位面積產量與每袋果實數以種八株者比種六株者高，果實可溶性固形物則較低

ZAK negatively regulates RhoGDIβ-induced Rac1-mediated hypertrophic growth and cell migration

RhoGDIβ, a Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor, induced hypertrophic growth and cell migration in a cultured cardiomyoblast cell line, H9c2. We demonstrated that RhoGDIβ plays a previously undefined role in regulating Rac1 expression through transcription to induce hypertrophic growth and cell migration and that these functions are blocked by the expression of a dominant-negative form of Rac1. We also demonstrated that knockdown of RhoGDIβ expression by RNA interference blocked RhoGDIβ-induced Rac1 expression and cell migration. We demonstrated that the co-expression of ZAK and RhoGDIβ in cells resulted in an inhibition in the activity of ZAK to induce ANF expression. Knockdown of ZAK expression in ZAK-RhoGDIβ-expressing cells by ZAK-specific RNA interference restored the activities of RhoGDIβ

Enhancement of beta-catenin in cardiomyocytes suppresses survival protein expression but promotes apoptosis and fibrosis

Background: Beta-catenin has been implicated in cell-cell communication in a wide variety of developmental and physiological processes. Defective Wnt signaling could result in various cardiac and vascular abnormalities. Little is known regarding Wnt/frizzled pathway in cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Methods: In this study, the role of b-catenin in apoptosis was investigated in H9c2 cardiomyocytes and primary cardiomyocytes isolated in diabetic Wistar rats. The cardiomyocytes were transfected with porcine cytomegalovirus (pCMV)-b-catenin plasmid in order to overexpress b-catenin. Results: The transcription factor displayed a significant nuclear localization in Wistar rats with cardiac hypertension. Transfection of b-catenin plasmid induced apoptosis and reduced expression of survival pathway markers in cardiomyocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, expression of fibrosis protein markers was upregulated by the overexpression. Conclusions: Taken together, these results revealed that altered Wnt/b-catenin signaling might provoke heart failure. (Cardiol J 2017; 24, 2: 195–205

Elimination of head and neck cancer initiating cells through targeting glucose regulated protein78 signaling

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a highly lethal cancer that contains cellular and functional heterogeneity. Previously, we enriched a subpopulation of highly tumorigenic head and neck cancer initiating cells (HN-CICs) from HNSCC. However, the molecular mechanisms by which to govern the characteristics of HN-CICs remain unclear. GRP78, a stress-inducible endoplasmic reticulum chaperone, has been reported to play a crucial role in the maintenance of embryonic stem cells, but the role of GRP78 in CICs has not been elucidated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Initially, we recognized GRP78 as a putative candidate on mediating the stemness and tumorigenic properties of HN-CICs by differential systemic analyses. Subsequently, cells with GRP78 anchored at the plasma membrane (^memGRP78⁺) exerted cancer stemness properties of self-renewal, differentiation and radioresistance. Of note, xenotransplantation assay indicated merely 100 ^memGRP78⁺HNSCCs resulted in tumor growth. Moreover, knockdown of GRP78 significantly reduced the self-renewal ability, side population cells and expression of stemness genes, but inversely promoted cell differentiation and apoptosis in HN-CICs. Targeting GRP78 also lessened tumorigenicity of HN-CICs both <it>in vitro </it>and <it>in vivo</it>. Clinically, co-expression of GRP78 and Nanog predicted the worse survival prognosis of HNSCC patients by immunohistochemical analyses. Finally, depletion of GRP78 in HN-CICs induced the expression of Bax, Caspase 3, and PTEN.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In summary, ^memGRP78 should be a novel surface marker for isolation of HN-CICs, and targeting GRP78 signaling might be a potential therapeutic strategy for HNSCC through eliminating HN-CICs.</p

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the lung- a case report

A 45-year-old man presented with a six-month history of progressive dyspnea with productive cough and wheezing. The patient was a heavy smoker and had a history of tongue cancer, hypertension, and asthma. Chest X-ray and computed tomography showed a mass lesion in the left hilar region and total collapse of the upper left lobe of the lung. Bronchoscopy revealed a whitish solid tumor obstructing the left upper lobe bronchus. Positron emission tomography showed increased tracer uptake in the lesion. A thoracoscopic lobectomy of the left upper lobe of the lung was performed. The final pathologic diagnosis was inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor

Metabolic syndrome is associated with change in subclinical arterial stiffness - A community-based Taichung Community Health Study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of MetS on arterial stiffness in a longitudinal study.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), a measurement interpreted as arterial stiffness, was measured in 1518 community-dwelling persons at baseline and re-examined within a mean follow-up period of 3 years. Multivariate linear regression with generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to examine the longitudinal relationship between MetS and its individual components and baPWV, while multivariate logistic regression with GEE was used to examine the longitudinal relationship between MetS and its individual components and the high risk group with arterial stiffness.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Subjects with MetS showed significantly greater baPWV at the end point than those without MetS, after adjusting for age, gender, education, hypertension medication and mean arterial pressure (MAP). MetS was associated with the top quartile of baPWV (the high-risk group of arterial stiffness, adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval] 1.52 [1.21-1.90]), and a significant linear trend of risk for the number of components of MetS was found (p for trend < 0.05). In further considering the individual MetS component, elevated blood pressure and fasting glucose significantly predicted a high risk of arterial stiffness (adjusted OR [95% CI] 3.72 [2.81-4.93] and 1.35 [1.08-1.68], respectively).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>MetS affects the subject's progression to arterial stiffness. Arterial stiffness increased as the number of MetS components increased. Management of MetS is important for preventing the progression to advanced arterial stiffness.</p

Reduced Health-Related Quality of Life in Elders with Frailty: A Cross-Sectional Study of Community-Dwelling Elders in Taiwan

PURPOSE: Exploring the domains and degrees of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) that are affected by the frailty of elders will help clinicians understand the impact of frailty. This association has not been investigated in community-dwelling elders. Therefore, we examined the domains and degree of HRQOL of elders with frailty in the community in Taiwan. METHODS: A total of 933 subjects aged 65 years and over were recruited in 2009 from a metropolitan city in Taiwan. Using an adoption of the Fried criteria, frailty was defined by five components: shrinking, weakness, poor endurance and energy, slowness, and low physical activity level. HRQOL was assessed by the short form 36 (SF-36). The multiple linear regression model was used to test the independent effects of frailty on HRQOL. RESULTS: After multivariate adjustment, elders without frailty reported significantly better health than did the pre-frail and frail elders on all scales, and the pre-frail elders reported better health than did the frail elders for all scales except the scales of role limitation due to physical and emotional problems and the Mental Component Summary (MCS). The significantly negative differences between frail and robust elders ranged from 3.58 points for the MCS to 22.92 points for the physical functioning scale. The magnitude of the effects of frail components was largest for poor endurance and energy, and next was for slowness. The percentages of the variations of these 10 scales explained by all factors in the models ranged from 11.1% (scale of role limitation due to emotional problems) to 49.1% (scale of bodily pain). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that the disabilities in physical health inherent in frailty are linked to a reduction in HRQOL. Such an association between clinical measures and a generic measure of the HRQOL may offer clinicians new information to understand frailty and to conceptualize it within the broader context of disability