Graph Distillation for Action Detection with Privileged Modalities

We propose a technique that tackles action detection in multimodal videos under a realistic and challenging condition in which only limited training data and partially observed modalities are available. Common methods in transfer learning do not take advantage of the extra modalities potentially available in the source domain. On the other hand, previous work on multimodal learning only focuses on a single domain or task and does not handle the modality discrepancy between training and testing. In this work, we propose a method termed graph distillation that incorporates rich privileged information from a large-scale multimodal dataset in the source domain, and improves the learning in the target domain where training data and modalities are scarce. We evaluate our approach on action classification and detection tasks in multimodal videos, and show that our model outperforms the state-of-the-art by a large margin on the NTU RGB+D and PKU-MMD benchmarks. The code is released at http://alan.vision/eccv18_graph/.Comment: ECCV 201

Quantitative proteomics reveals the dynamics of protein changes during Drosophila oocyte maturation and the oocyte-to-embryo transition

The onset of development is marked by two major, posttranscriptionally controlled, events: oocyte maturation (release of the prophase I primary arrest) and egg activation (release from the secondary meiotic arrest). Using quantitative mass spectrometry, we previously described proteome remodeling during Drosophila egg activation. Here, we describe our quantitative mass spectrometry-based analysis of the changes in protein levels during Drosophila oocyte maturation. This study presents the first quantitative survey, to our knowledge, of proteome changes accompanying oocyte maturation in any organism and provides a powerful resource for identifying both key regulators and biological processes driving this critical developmental window. We show that Muskelin, found to be up-regulated during oocyte maturation, is required for timely nurse cell nuclei clearing from mature egg chambers. Other proteins up-regulated at maturation are factors needed not only for late oogenesis but also completion of meiosis and early embryogenesis. Interestingly, the down-regulated proteins are predominantly involved in RNA processing, translation, and RNAi. Integrating datasets on the proteome changes at oocyte maturation and egg activation uncovers dynamics in proteome remodeling during the change from oocyte to embryo. Notably, 66 proteins likely act uniquely during late oogenesis, because they are up-regulated at maturation and down-regulated at activation. We find down-regulation of this class of proteins to be mediated partially by APC/C[superscript CORT], a meiosis-specific form of the E3 ligase anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C).National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant GM39341

Facile and Scalable Preparation of Graphene Oxide-Based Magnetic Hybrids for Fast and Highly Efficient Removal of Organic Dyes

This study reports the facile preparation and the dye removal efficiency of nanohybrids composed of graphene oxide (GO) and Fe[subscript 3]O[subscript 4] nanoparticles with various geometrical structures. In comparison to previously reported GO/Fe[subscript 3]O[subscript 4] composites prepared through the one-pot, in situ deposition of Fe[subscript 3]O[subscript 4] nanoparticles, the GO/Fe[subscript 3]O[subscript 4] nanohybrids reported here were obtained by taking advantage of the physical affinities between sulfonated GO and Fe[subscript 3]O[subscript 4] nanoparticles, which allows tuning the dimensions and geometries of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in order to decrease their contact area with GO, while still maintaining the magnetic properties of the nanohybrids for easy separation and adsorbent recycling. Both the as-prepared and regenerated nanohybrids demonstrate a nearly 100% removal rate for methylene blue and an impressively high removal rate for Rhodamine B. This study provides new insights into the facile and controllable industrial scale fabrication of safe and highly efficient GO-based adsorbents for dye or other organic pollutants in a wide range of environmental-related applications

Effect of ingested human antibodies induced by RTS, S/AS01 malaria vaccination in children on Plasmodium falciparum oocyst formation and sporogony in mosquitoes.

BACKGROUND: The circumsporozoite protein (CS protein) on the malaria parasites in mosquitoes plays an important role in sporogony in mosquitoes. The RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine candidate, which has shown significant efficacy against clinical malaria in a large Phase 3 trial, targets the Plasmodium falciparum CS protein, but the ability of serum from vaccinated individuals to inhibit sporogony in mosquitoes has not been evaluated. METHODS: Previously a double-blind, randomized trial of RTS,S/AS01 vaccine, as compared with rabies vaccine, in five- to 17-month old children in Tanzania was conducted. In this study, polyclonal human antibodies were purified from the pools of sera taken one month after the third vaccination. IgGs were purified from four pools of sera from 25 RTS,S/AS01 vaccinated children each, and two pools of sera from 25 children vaccinated with rabies vaccine each. The ability of antibodies to inhibit P. falciparum oocyst formation and/or sporogony in the mosquito host was evaluated by a standard membrane-feeding assay. The test antibodies were fed on day 0 (at the same time as the gametocyte feed), or on days 3 or 6 (serial-feed experiments). The oocyst and sporozoite counts were performed on days 8 and 16, respectively. In addition, two human anti-CS monoclonal antibodies (mAb) and a control mAb were also evaluated. RESULTS: Polyclonal anti-CS IgG preparations from RTS,S-vaccinated children tested at concentrations of 149-210 ELISA units (EU)/ml did not show significant inhibition in oocyst and sporozoite formation when the antibodies were fed with gametocytes at the same time, or later (serial-feed experiments). Similarly, anti-CS mAbs tested at 6,421 or 7,122 EU/ml did not show reduction in oocyst and sporozoite formation. CONCLUSIONS: This study does not support the concept that anti-CS antibodies induced by the RTS,S/AS01 vaccines in humans noticeably reduce malaria transmission by blocking P. falciparum sporozoite development or salivary gland invasion in mosquitoes when taken up during feeding

Polyhydride CeH9 with an atomic-like hydrogen clathrate structure.

Compression of hydrogen-rich hydrides has been proposed as an alternative way to attain the atomic metallic hydrogen state or high-temperature superconductors. However, it remains a challenge to get access to these states by synthesizing novel polyhydrides with unusually high hydrogen-to-metal ratios. Here we synthesize a series of cerium (Ce) polyhydrides by a direct reaction of Ce and H2 at high pressures. We discover that cerium polyhydride CeH9, formed above 100 GPa, presents a three-dimensional hydrogen network composed of clathrate H29 cages. The electron localization function together with band structure calculations elucidate the weak electron localization between H-H atoms and confirm its metallic character. By means of Ce atom doping, metallic hydrogen structure can be realized via the existence of CeH9. Particularly, Ce atoms play a positive role to stabilize the sublattice of hydrogen cages similar to the recently discovered near-room-temperature lanthanum hydride superconductors

A Cortical Thickness Mapping Method for the Coxal Bone Using Morphing

As human body finite element models become more integrated with the design of safety countermeasures and regulations, novel models need to be developed that reflect the variation in the population's anthropometry. However, these new models may be missing information which will need to be translated from existing models. During the development of a 5th percentile female occupant model (F05), cortical thickness information of the coxal bone was unavailable due to resolution limits in the computed tomography (CT) scans. In this study, a method for transferring cortical thickness information from a source to a target model with entirely different geometry and architecture is presented. The source and target models were the Global Human Body Models Consortium (GHBMC) 50th percentile male (M50) and F05 coxal bones, respectively. To project the coxal bone cortical thickness from the M50 to the F05, the M50 model was first morphed using a Kriging method with 132 optimized control points to the F05 anthropometry. This technique was found to be accurate with a mean nodal discrepancy of 1.27 mm between the F05 and morphed M50 (mM50) coxal bones. Cortical thickness at each F05 node was determined by taking the average cortical thickness of every mM50 node, non-linearly weighted by its distance to the F05 nodes. The non-linear weighting coefficient, β, had a large effect on the accuracy and smoothness of the projected cortical bone thickness. The optimal projection had β = 4 and was defined when the tradeoff between projection accuracy and smoothness was equal. Finally, a quasi-static pelvis compression was simulated to examine to effect of β. As β, increased from 0 to 4, the failure force decreased by ~100 N, whereas the failure displacement increased by 0.9 mm. Results from quasi-static compression tests of the F05 pelvis were comparable to experimental results. This method could be applied to other anatomical regions where cortical thickness variation is important, such as the femur and ribs and is not limited to GHBMC-family models. Furthermore, this process will aid the development of subject-specific finite element models where accurate cortical bone thickness measurements cannot be obtained

AMPK Phosphorylates and Inhibits SREBP Activity to Attenuate Hepatic Steatosis and Atherosclerosis in Diet-Induced Insulin-Resistant Mice

SummaryAMPK has emerged as a critical mechanism for salutary effects of polyphenols on lipid metabolic disorders in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Here we demonstrate that AMPK interacts with and directly phosphorylates sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBP-1c and -2). Ser372 phosphorylation of SREBP-1c by AMPK is necessary for inhibition of proteolytic processing and transcriptional activity of SREBP-1c in response to polyphenols and metformin. AMPK stimulates Ser372 phosphorylation, suppresses SREBP-1c cleavage and nuclear translocation, and represses SREBP-1c target gene expression in hepatocytes exposed to high glucose, leading to reduced lipogenesis and lipid accumulation. Hepatic activation of AMPK by the synthetic polyphenol S17834 protects against hepatic steatosis, hyperlipidemia, and accelerated atherosclerosis in diet-induced insulin-resistant LDL receptor-deficient mice in part through phosphorylation of SREBP-1c Ser372 and suppression of SREBP-1c- and -2-dependent lipogenesis. AMPK-dependent phosphorylation of SREBP may offer therapeutic strategies to combat insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and atherosclerosis

An inter-laboratory comparison of standard membrane-feeding assays for evaluation of malaria transmission-blocking vaccines.

BACKGROUND: An effective malaria transmission-blocking vaccine may play an important role in malaria elimination efforts, and a robust biological assay is essential for its development. The standard membrane-feeding assay (SMFA) for Plasmodium falciparum infection of mosquitoes is considered a "gold standard" assay to measure transmission-blocking activity of test antibodies, and has been utilized widely in both non-clinical and clinical studies. While several studies have discussed the inherent variability of SMFA within a study group, there has been no assessment of inter-laboratory variation. Therefore, there is currently no assurance that SMFA results are comparable between different studies. METHODS: Mouse anti-Pfs25 monoclonal antibody (mAb, 4B7 mAb), rat anti-Pfs48/45 mAb (85RF45.1 mAb) and a human polyclonal antibody (pAb) collected from a malaria-exposed adult were tested at the same concentrations (6-94 μg/mL for 4B7, 1.2-31.3 μg/mL for 85RF45.1 and 23-630 μg/mL for human pAb) in two laboratories following their own standardized SMFA protocols. The mAbs and pAb, previously shown to have strong inhibition activities in the SMFA, were tested at three or four concentrations in two or three independent assays in each laboratory, and percent inhibition in mean oocyst intensity relative to a control in the same feed was determined in each feeding experiment. RESULTS: Both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies dose-dependently reduced oocyst intensity in all experiments performed at the two test sites. In both laboratories, the inter-assay variability in percent inhibition in oocyst intensity decreased at higher levels of inhibition, regardless of which antibody was tested. At antibody concentrations that led to a >80 % reduction in oocyst numbers, the inter-laboratory variations were in the same range compared with the inter-assay variation observed within a single laboratory, and the differences in best estimates from multiple feeds between the two laboratories were <5 percentage points. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms previous reports that the precision of the SMFA increases with increasing percent inhibition. Moreover, the variation between the two laboratories is not greater than the variation observed within a laboratory. The findings of this study provide guidance for comparison of SMFA data from different laboratories

Proteomic analysis of blastema formation in regenerating axolotl limbs

BACKGROUND: Following amputation, urodele salamander limbs reprogram somatic cells to form a blastema that self-organizes into the missing limb parts to restore the structure and function of the limb. To help understand the molecular basis of blastema formation, we used quantitative label-free liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based methods to analyze changes in the proteome that occurred 1, 4 and 7 days post amputation (dpa) through the mid-tibia/fibula of axolotl hind limbs. RESULTS: We identified 309 unique proteins with significant fold change relative to controls (0 dpa), representing 10 biological process categories: (1) signaling, (2) Ca2+ binding and translocation, (3) transcription, (4) translation, (5) cytoskeleton, (6) extracellular matrix (ECM), (7) metabolism, (8) cell protection, (9) degradation, and (10) cell cycle. In all, 43 proteins exhibited exceptionally high fold changes. Of these, the ecotropic viral integrative factor 5 (EVI5), a cell cycle-related oncoprotein that prevents cells from entering the mitotic phase of the cell cycle prematurely, was of special interest because its fold change was exceptionally high throughout blastema formation. CONCLUSION: Our data were consistent with previous studies indicating the importance of inositol triphosphate and Ca2+ signaling in initiating the ECM and cytoskeletal remodeling characteristic of histolysis and cell dedifferentiation. In addition, the data suggested that blastema formation requires several mechanisms to avoid apoptosis, including reduced metabolism, differential regulation of proapoptotic and antiapoptotic proteins, and initiation of an unfolded protein response (UPR). Since there is virtually no mitosis during blastema formation, we propose that high levels of EVI5 function to arrest dedifferentiated cells somewhere in the G1/S/G2 phases of the cell cycle until they have accumulated under the wound epidermis and enter mitosis in response to neural and epidermal factors. Our findings indicate the general value of quantitative proteomic analysis in understanding the regeneration of complex structures

Laser-assisted collision effect on nonsequential double ionization of helium in a few-cycle laser pulse

Nonsequential double ionization (NSDI) of helium in an intense few-cycle laser pulse is investigated by applying the three-dimensional semi-classical re-scattering method. It is found that the momentum distribution of He$^{2+}$ shows a single-double-single peak structure as the pulse intensity increases. According to the different mechanisms dominating the NSDI process, the laser intensity can be classified into three regimes where the momentum distribution of He$^{2+}$ exhibits different characteristics. In the relatively high intensity regime, an NSDI mechanism named the "laser-assisted collision ionization" is found to be dominating the NSDI process and causing the single peak structure. This result can shed light on the study of non-sequential ionization of a highly charged ion in a relatively intense laser pulse