A Novel Apex-Time Network for Cross-Dataset Micro-Expression Recognition

The automatic recognition of micro-expression has been boosted ever since the successful introduction of deep learning approaches. As researchers working on such topics are moving to learn from the nature of micro-expression, the practice of using deep learning techniques has evolved from processing the entire video clip of micro-expression to the recognition on apex frame. Using the apex frame is able to get rid of redundant video frames, but the relevant temporal evidence of micro-expression would be thereby left out. This paper proposes a novel Apex-Time Network (ATNet) to recognize micro-expression based on spatial information from the apex frame as well as on temporal information from the respective-adjacent frames. Through extensive experiments on three benchmarks, we demonstrate the improvement achieved by learning such temporal information. Specially, the model with such temporal information is more robust in cross-dataset validations.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, 3 tables, code available, accepted in ACII 201

Metabolomics and transcriptomics analyses provide new insights into the nutritional quality during the endosperm development of different ploidy rice

Autotetraploid rice is developed from diploid rice by doubling the chromosomes, leading to higher nutritional quality. Nevertheless, there is little information about the abundances of different metabolites and their changes during endosperm development in autotetraploid rice. In this research, two different kinds of rice, autotetraploid rice (AJNT-4x) and diploid rice (AJNT-2x), were subjected to experiments at various time points during endosperm development. A total of 422 differential metabolites, were identified by applying a widely used metabolomics technique based on LC-MS/MS. KEGG classification and enrichment analysis showed the differences in metabolites were primarily related to biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, microbial metabolism in diverse environments, biosynthesis of cofactors, and so on. Twenty common differential metabolites were found at three developmental stages of 10, 15 and 20 DAFs, which were considered the key metabolites. To identify the regulatory genes of metabolites, the experimental material was subjected to transcriptome sequencing. The DEGs were mainly enriched in starch and sucrose metabolism at 10 DAF, and in ribosome and biosynthesis of amino acids at 15 DAF, and in biosynthesis of secondary metabolites at 20 DAF. The numbers of enriched pathways and the DEGs gradually increased with endosperm development of rice. The related metabolic pathways of rice nutritional quality are cysteine and methionine metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, lysine biosynthesis and histidine metabolism, and so on. The expression level of the genes regulating lysine content was higher in AJNT-4x than in AJNT-2x. By applying CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology, we identified two novel genes, OsLC4 and OsLC3, negatively regulated lysine content. These findings offer novel insight into dynamic metabolites and genes expression variations during endosperm development of different ploidy rice, which will aid in the creation of rice varieties with better grain nutritional quality

Investigation of food consumption of Jinuo ethnic minority residents in Jinghong district

ObjectiveTo analyze the dietary structure and food consumption status of Jinuo ethnic minority residents in Yunnan Province.MethodsThree hundred and ninty two Jinuo ethnic minority residents aged from 20 to 80 were selected from 12 inhabited neighborhood of Jinghong distrisct in Yunnan Province by stratified cluster sampling method. Their dietary structure were investigated by dietary survey and questionnaire. T-test and the nonparametric Wilcoxon rank sum test were utilized to analyze their dietary intake and nutritional status.ResultsThe average intake per standard person day was calculated. The amount of cereal and potato intake was 297.1 g （rice and its products 264.5 g， flour and their products 13.0 g， other cereals 0.4 g， potato 19.2 g）. The intake of vegetable was 228.3 g （dark vegetable 49.7 g， light vegetable 178.6 g）. The intakes of fruit， animalistic food， aquatic products， milk and its products， beans and its products， nuts， cooking oil and salt were 59.3， 137.2， 29.0， 7.0， 27.5， 5.0， 42.0， 8.4 g， respectively. The intakes of fruit， animal food， beans and its products， aquatic products， nuts and cooking oil were higher than the average dietary intake for Chinese residents in Yunnan Province from 2010 to 2013， while the intakes of cereal and potato food， vegetable， fruit， eggs， milk and its products and salt were lower（P<0.05）.ConclusionIt showed that the intake of nutrients in Jinuo ethnic minority residents aged from 20 to 80 years were insufficient in Jinghong district， Yunnan Province. Nutrition education and intervention need to be enhanced to promote better food consumption behavior to improve the nutrition status and health

Perioperative dynamic alterations in peripheral regulatory T and B cells in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Intratumoral and circulating regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been shown to be critical in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However there is limited knowledge on the alterations of regulatory B cells (Bregs). We here investigated perioperative dynamic alterations of peripheral circulating Tregs and Bregs in HCC patients to reveal the relationship between regulatory lymphocytes and its clinical implications.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>36 patients with HCC, 6 with chronic hepatitis B infection and 10 healthy donors were enrolled for this study. Frequencies of peripheral Tregs and Bregs were measured by flow cytometry with antibodies against CD4, CD25, CD127, CD19 and IL-10 before, and after radical surgery. Then, clinical informatics of HCC patients was achieved through Digital Evaluation Score System (DESS) for the assessment of disease severity. Finally, we analysed correlations between digitalized clinical features and kinetics of circulating regulatory lymphocytes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Level of circulating CD4⁺CD25⁺CD127^-Tregs in HCC patients was significantly lower than that in healthy donors and patients with chronic hepatitis B infection before surgery, but was increased after surgery. Preoperative level of CD19⁺IL-10⁺Bregs in HCC patients was also significantly lower than the other groups. However it dramatically was elevated right after surgery and remained elevated compared to controls (about 7 days after surgery, <it>P </it>= 0.04). Frequency of circulating Tregs was correlated with circulating leukocytes, ferritin, and clinical features suggesting tumor aggressiveness including portal vein thrombosis, hepatic vein involvement and advanced clinical stages. Frequency of circulating Bregs was associated with Hepatitis B e Antigen (HBeAg) and Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA copy number. In addition, DESS was significantly and positively correlated with other staging systems.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Frequencies of peripheral Tregs and Bregs in HCC patients increased after surgery. These results suggest that a postoperative combination of therapies against Tregs and Bregs may be beneficial for better outcome of HCC patients after resection.</p

The Proinflammatory Cytokines IL-18, IL-21, and IFN-γ Differentially Regulate Liver Inflammation and Anti-Mitochondrial Antibody Level in a Murine Model of Primary Biliary Cholangitis

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a cholestatic liver disease primarily featured by autoimmune-mediated damage of intrahepatic small- and medium-sized bile ducts. Elevated serum proinflammatory cytokines, serum anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMAs), liver inflammation, and fibrosis are also hallmarks of PBC disease. However, whether the elevated proinflammatory cytokines play a role in autoimmune cholangitis remains unknown. Herein, we utilized the p40-/-IL-2Rα-/- PBC mouse model to investigate the roles of proinflammatory cytokines IL-18, IL-21, and IFN-γ in the onset and progression of PBC. IL-18-/-, IFN-γ-/-, and IL-21-/- mice were crossed with p40-/-IL-2Ra+/- mice, respectively, to produce corresponding cytokine-deficient PBC models. Autoantibody level, liver inflammation, and bile duct injury were analyzed. We found that livers from p40-/-IL-2Rα-/- mice exhibit similar transcriptomic characters of PBC patients. In p40-/-IL-2Rα-/- mice, deletion of IL-18 has no remarkable effect on disease progression, while deletion of IL-21 indicates that it is necessary for AMA production but independent of liver inflammation and cholangitis. IFN-γ is responsible for both AMA production and liver inflammation in our model. Our results demonstrate that different proinflammatory cytokines can regulate different effector functions in PBC pathogenesis and need to be considered in PBC treatment

Electric Field Switching of Magnon Spin Current in a Compensated Ferrimagnet

Manipulation of directional magnon propagation, known as magnon spin current, is essential for developing magnonic memory and logic devices featuring nonvolatile functionalities and ultralow power consumption. Magnon spin current can usually be modulated by magnetic field or current-induced spin torques. However, these approaches may lead to energy dissipation caused by Joule heating. Electric-field switching of magnon spin current without charge current is highly desired but very challenging to realize. By integrating magnonic and piezoelectric materials, we demonstrate manipulation of the magnon spin current generated by the spin Seebeck effect in the ferrimagnetic insulator Gd3Fe5O12 (GdIG) film on a piezoelectric substrate. We observe reversible electric-field switching of magnon polarization without applied charge current. Through strain-mediated magnetoelectric coupling, the electric field induces the magnetic compensation transition between two magnetic states of the GdIG, resulting in its magnetization reversal and the simultaneous switching of magnon spin current. Our work establishes a prototype material platform that pave the way for developing magnon logic devices characterized by all electric field reading and writing and reveals the underlying physics principles of their functions