Score-based Conditional Generation with Fewer Labeled Data by Self-calibrating Classifier Guidance

Score-based Generative Models (SGMs) are a popular family of deep generative models that achieves leading image generation quality. Earlier studies have extended SGMs to tackle class-conditional generation by coupling an unconditional SGM with the guidance of a trained classifier. Nevertheless, such classifier-guided SGMs do not always achieve accurate conditional generation, especially when trained with fewer labeled data. We argue that the issue is rooted in unreliable gradients of the classifier and the inability to fully utilize unlabeled data during training. We then propose to improve classifier-guided SGMs by letting the classifier calibrate itself. Our key idea is to use principles from energy-based models to convert the classifier as another view of the unconditional SGM. Then, existing loss for the unconditional SGM can be adopted to calibrate the classifier using both labeled and unlabeled data. Empirical results validate that the proposed approach significantly improves the conditional generation quality across different percentages of labeled data. The improved performance makes the proposed approach consistently superior to other conditional SGMs when using fewer labeled data. The results confirm the potential of the proposed approach for generative modeling with limited labeled data

MicroRNA-22 Can Reduce Parathymosin Expression in Transdifferentiated Hepatocytes

Pancreatic acinar cells AR42J-B13 can transdifferentiate into hepatocyte-like cells permissive for efficient hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication. Here, we profiled miRNAs differentially expressed in AR42J-B13 cells before and after transdifferentiation to hepatocytes, using chip-based microarray. Significant increase of miRNA expression, including miR-21, miR-22, and miR-122a, was confirmed by stem-loop real-time PCR and Northern blot analyses. In contrast, miR-93, miR-130b, and a number of other miRNAs, were significantly reduced after transdifferentiation. To investigate the potential significance of miR-22 in hepatocytes, we generated cell lines stably expressing miR-22. By 2D-DIGE, LC-MS/MS, and Western blot analyses, we identified several potential target genes of miR-22, including parathymosin. In transdifferentiated hepatocytes, miR-22 can inhibit both mRNA and protein expression of parathymosin, probably through a direct and an indirect mechanism. We tested two computer predicted miR-22 target sites at the 3′ UTR of parathymosin, by the 3′ UTR reporter gene assay. Treatment with anti-miR-22 resulted in significant elevation of the reporter activity. In addition, we observed an in vivo inverse correlation between miR-22 and parathymosin mRNA in their tissue distribution in a rat model. The phenomenon that miR-22 can reduce parathymosin protein was also observed in human hepatoma cell lines Huh7 and HepG2. So far, we detected no major effect on several transdifferentiation markers when AR42J-B13 cells were transfected with miR-22, or anti-miR-22, or a parathymosin expression vector, with or without dexamethasone treatment. Therefore, miR-22 appears to be neither necessary nor sufficient for transdifferentiation. We discussed the possibility that altered expression of some other microRNAs could induce cell cycle arrest leading to transdifferentiation

Malignant transformation of oral potentially malignant disorders in males: a retrospective cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Oral squamous cell carcinoma could be preceded by clinically evident oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs). Transformation of OPMDs to cancer has been studied in several population groups. It is difficult to undertake comparisons across populations due to variations in the methods of computation of malignancy rates among different studies. The aim of our study was to estimate the rate of malignant transformation of OPMDs taking into account the duration of follow-up and to identify the significant factors indicative of malignant potential.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 148 male patients with OPMDs were included. They were selected among all consecutive subjects registered at the maxillofacial clinic at a medical hospital in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The mean follow up period was 37.8 months.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The malignant transformation rate was highest in subjects diagnosed with oral epithelial dysplasia. In this group the transformation rate was 7.62 per 100 persons-year. The rate in the group with verrucous hyperplasia (VH) was 5.21 per 100 persons-year, and in those with hyperkeratosis or epithelial hyperplasia was 3.26 per 100 persons-year. The anatomical site of OPMDs was the only statistically significant variable associated with malignancy. The hazard rate ratio (HRR) was 2.41 times for tongue lesions when compared with buccal lesions.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The reported discrepancies of malignant transformation of OPMDs involve the follow-up time to cancer development and hence it is preferable to use a time-to-event estimation for comparisons. We found that malignant transformation of OPMDs involving the tongue was significantly higher than in other anatomical subsites after adjusting for the clinicopathological type or lifestyle factors at diagnosis.</p

Effects of Functional Electrical Stimulation on Peak Torque and Body Composition in Patients with Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury

The aim of this study was to investigate the change in body composition, leg girths, and muscle strength of patients with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) after functional electrical stimulation cycling exercises (FESCE). Eighteen subjects with incomplete SCI were recruited. Each patient received FESCE three times per week for 8 weeks. Body composition, thigh and calf girths of bilateral legs, muscle strength of bilateral knee flexors and extensors were measured before and after 4 and 8 weeks of FESCE. A significant increase in bilateral thigh girth after 4 weeks of FESCE and significant increase in muscular peak torque of knee flexion and extension were found after 8 weeks of training. Besides, lean body mass increased significantly after complete treatment. FESCE can increase the thigh girth and muscular peak torque of patients with incomplete spinal cord injury

Phosphorylated OmpR Is Required for Type 3 Fimbriae Expression in Klebsiella pneumoniae Under Hypertonic Conditions

OmpR/EnvZ is a two-component system that senses osmotic signals and controls downstream gene expression in many species of Enterobacteriaceae. However, the role of OmpR/EnvZ in Klebsiella pneumoniae remains unknown. In this study, we found that production of MrkA, the major subunit of type 3 fimbriae, was decreased under hypertonic conditions. A deletion mutant of ompR and a site-directed mutant with a single amino acid substitution of aspartate 55 to alanine (D55A), which mimics the unphosphorylated form of OmpR, markedly reduced MrkA production under hypertonic conditions. These results indicate that K. pneumoniae type 3 fimbriae expression is activated by the phosphorylated form of OmpR (OmpR∼P). Although no typical OmpR∼P binding site was found in the PmrkA sequence, mrkA mRNA levels and PmrkA activity were decreased in the ΔompR and ompRD55A strains compared with the wild type (WT) strain, indicating that OmpR∼P mediates type 3 fimbriae expression at the transcriptional level. Previous reports have demonstrated that a cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP) related gene cluster, mrkHIJ, regulates the expression of type 3 fimbriae. We found that both the ompR and ompRD55A mutants exhibited decreased mrkHIJ mRNA levels, intracellular c-di-GMP concentration, and bacterial biofilm amount, but increased total intracellular phosphodiesterase activity in response to hypertonic conditions. These results indicate that OmpR∼P regulates type 3 fimbriae expression to influence K. pneumoniae biofilm formation via MrkHIJ and modulation of intracellular c-di-GMP levels. Taken together, we herein provide evidence that OmpR∼P acts as a critical factor in the regulation of the c-di-GMP signaling pathway, type 3 fimbriae expression, and biofilm amount in K. pneumoniae in response to osmotic stresses

Xi Jin-Ping's world cup dreams: from a major sports country to a world sports power

Football is among the world’s most popular sports. It is also one which China has sought to develop in the field of global professional sport. Nevertheless, the professionalization of football in China has not to date actually improved China's Olympic achievement in the sport. In stark contrast to the glory of being the country that won most gold medals at the 2008 Olympics, China’s poor football performance has been troublesome for the country’s leader. In 2009, newly elected Xi Jin-Ping made a public statement about promoting elite football and expressed his personal hope that China would be capable of both qualifying for the final stages and winning the FIFA World Cup. With such concern on the part of the state leader, attention turned to football, with many private enterprises beginning to echo government policy by demonstrating a willingness to promote elite football. In addition, to accelerate football development, the Chinese government promised to take action on the separation of government and football associations. Research on this process was based on the theoretical framework of state corporatism derived from the work of Schmitter (1974). Semi-structured interviews were conducted as the method of data collection aimed at helping us understand how Chinese government either integrated or controlled relevant stakeholders such as NGOs and private enterprises, and further, to discuss the interactions between them

EBV-encoded small RNA1 and nonresolving inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis

AbstractRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by perpetuated inflammation in multiple joints. To date, there is no cure for RA, and the causal factor for non-resolving inflammation in RA remains unclear. In this study, we initially observed expression of Epstein–Barr virus-encoded small RNA1 (EBER1) in the synovial tissue of all five patients who showed nonresolving RA inflammation. By contrast, EBER1 was detected in the synovial tissue of only one out of seven patients with advanced osteoarthritis (OA; p < 0.01, Fisher’s exact test). To confirm this finding, we conducted a second study on synovial tissue samples taken from 23 patients with nonresolving RA inflammation and 13 patients with OA. All synovial samples from patients with nonresolving inflammation of RA showed positive expression of EBER1 (23/23, 100%), whereas none of the synovial samples from patients with OA showed expression of EBER1 (0/13, 0%; p < 0.001, by Fisher’s exact test). In vitro, transfection of RA synovial fibroblasts with EBER1 induced the production of interleukin-6. Taken together, these data strongly suggest that nonresolving RA inflammation is strongly related to the presence of EBER1, which might be, at least partially, responsible for synovial fibroblast interleukin-6 production