Interactive Cosegmentation Using Global and Local Energy Optimization

We propose a novel interactive cosegmentation method using global and local energy optimization. The global energy includes two terms: 1) the global scribbled energy and 2) the interimage energy. The first one utilizes the user scribbles to build the Gaussian mixture model and improve the cosegmentation performance. The second one is a global constraint, which attempts to match the histograms of common objects. To minimize the local energy, we apply the spline regression to learn the smoothness in a local neighborhood. This energy optimization can be converted into a constrained quadratic programming problem. To reduce the computational complexity, we propose an iterative optimization algorithm to decompose this optimization problem into several subproblems. The experimental results show that our method outperforms the state-of-the-art unsupervised cosegmentation and interactive cosegmentation methods on the iCoseg and MSRC benchmark data sets

OR-014 Chronic exercise potentiates anorectic effects of leptin in hypothalamic Pomc neurons

Objective Chronic imbalance of energy homeostasis leads to obesity and metabolic mellitus, which has developed as a major public health and economic burdens around the world. Disruption of “beige” fat mediated thermogenesis and hypothalamic neurons manipulated energy intake exaggerate this process. Multiple factors including hormonal regulation, fuel availability, and behavior contribute to energy utilization. The central nervous system (CNS) is critical for regulating energy balance and coordinating whole body metabolism. In the CNS, proopiomelanocortin (Pomc) neurons receive and integrate information about energy availability via responding to circulating hormones including insulin, leptin. Previous studies revealed that leptin receptors (LepRs) in arcuate Pomc neurons are required and sufficient for the proper regulation of energy balance and glucose homeostasis, including systemic insulin sensitivity and hepatic glucose production.  Exercise is an effective lifestyle intervention to combat obesity and metabolic diseases, which exerts many health benefits, including weight maintenance, appetite control, improved insulin sensitivity, improved mental health, and secondary prevention of chronic diseases such as obesity, type II diabetes mellitus, cancer, and hypertension. Moreover, the combined efficacy of exercise and dietary regimens on type two diabetes can surpass that of pharmacological interventions alone. Previous efforts aimed at identifying molecular mechanisms underlying the adaptive responses to exercise have mainly focused on the effects of exercise training in an organ or cell autonomous manner. However, the impact of exercise on performance, food intake after exercise, and more broadly, the healthy metabolic outcomes of exercise is not well-established. Despite the increased understanding of the importance of CNS underlying metabolic homeostasis, the specific neuronal groups and pathways that contribute to the metabolic responses during and following exercise remain largely unclear. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the role of exercise in mediating hypothalamic Pomc neuron activity, anorectic effects of leptin and glucose tolerance as well as insulin sensitivity.  Methods Animals All mice were housed under standard laboratory conditions (12 h on/off; lights on at 7:00 a.m.) and temperature-controlled environment with food and water available ad libitum. All experiments were performed in accordance with the guidelines established by the National Institute of Health Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Slice preparation and whole-cell recordings Male mice were deeply anesthetized with i.p. injection of 7% chloral hydrate and transcardially perfused with a modified ice-cold artificial CSF (ACSF) (described below). The mice were then decapitated, and the entire brain was removed and immediately submerged in ice-cold, carbogen-saturated (95% O2 and 5% CO2) ACSF (126 mM NaCl, 2.8 mM KCl, 1.2 mM MgCl2, 2.5 mM CaCl2, 1.25 mM NaH2PO4, 26 mM NaHCO3, and 5 mM glucose). Coronal sections (250 μm) were cut with a Leica VT1000S Vibratome and then incubated in oxygenated ACSF at room temperature for at least 1 h before recording. The slices were bathed in oxygenated ACSF (32 °C–34 °C) at a flow rate of ∼2 ml/min. All electrophysiology recordings were performed at room temperature. The pipette solution for whole-cell recording was modified to include an intracellular dye (Alexa Fluor350 hydrazide dye) for whole-cell recording: 120 mM K-gluconate, 10 mM KCl, 10 mM HEPES, 5 mM EGTA, 1 mM CaCl2, 1 mM MgCl2, and 2 mM MgATP, 0.03 mM Alexa Fluor 350 hydrazide dye (pH 7.3). Epifluorescence was briefly used to target fluorescent cells, at which time the light source was switched to infrared differential interference contrast imaging to obtain the whole-cell recording (Zeiss Axioskop FS2 Plus equipped with a fixed stage and a QuantEM:512SC electron-multiplying charge-coupled device camera). Electrophysiological signals were recorded using an Axopatch 700B amplifier (Molecular Devices), low-pass filtered at 2–5 kHz, and analyzed offline on a PC with pCLAMP programs (Molecular Devices). Membrane potential and firing rate were measured by whole-cell current clamp recordings from Pomc neurons in brain slices. Recording electrodes had resistances of 2.5–5 MΩ when filled with the K-gluconate internal solution. Input resistance was assessed by measuring voltage deflection at the end of the response to a hyperpolarizing rectangular current pulse steps (500 ms of −10 to −50 pA). Leptin (100 nM) was added to the ACSF for specific experiments. Solutions containing drug were typically perfused for 5 min. A drug effect was required to be associated temporally with peptide application, and the response had to be stable within a few minutes. A neuron was considered depolarized or hyperpolarized if a change in membrane potential was at least 2 mV in amplitude. Neurons were voltage-clamped at −75 mV (for excitatory postsynaptic currents) and −15 mV (for inhibitory postsynaptic currents). Frequency and peak amplitude were measured by using the Mini Analysis program (Synaptosoft, Inc.) Exercise protocols Motorized treadmills (Exer-6; Columbus Instruments, Columbus, OH) were used for exercise experiments. All mice were familiarized to the treadmills for 7 days prior to the exercise bout [Day 1: 5 min rest on the treadmill followed by running for 5 min at the speed of 8 m/min and then for 5 min at the speed of 10 m/min; Day 2-3: 5 min rest on the treadmill followed by running for 5 min at the speed of 10 m/min and then for 5 min at the speed of 12 m/min; Day 4-7: 5 min rest on the treadmill followed by running for 60 min at the speed of 12 m/min]. On Day 8, mice were subjected to a high intensity interval exercise (HIIE) bout to assess exercise-induced changes in plasma leptin, blood glucose, and food intake. Briefly, food was removed from all the mice at the start of the light cycle (7 AM) for a duration of 6 h, so as to eliminate any differences in food intake on the measured parameters. Mice were rested on the treadmill for 5 min prior to performing the 1 h of exercise consisting of 3 × 20 min intervals (5 min at the speed of 12 m/min, followed by 10 min at the speed of 17 m/min, and then 5 min at the speed of 22 m/min), without rest between intervals. Tolerance test and food intake For GTT, mice fasted for 16 h received an intraperitoneal injection of glucose (1 g/kg). For ITT, mice fasted for 6 h received an intraperitoneal injection of human insulin (0.75 IU/kg). Blood glucose concentrations were measured from tail blood at the indicated times using a One-Touch Ultra® glucometer (LifeScan Inc., Milpitas, CA). Food intake was measured hourly for 6 hours and then a single measurement at 24 hours. Results To assess the predominant role of exercise on the neuronal activation of hypothalamic Pomc neuron, electrophysiology studies was conducted on transgenic mice after treadmill habitation for 7 days. And we found that exercise significantly reduced food intake and enhanced glucose tolerance as well as insulin sensitivity. Notably, chronic exercise dramatically potentiates leptin-induced depolarization of Pomc neurons and exerts leptin induced anorectic effects in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, gene assay demonstrated an upregulation of sirtin1 after exercise, suggest­­­­­ing a link between the exercise and key proteins involved in epigenetics, providing potential targets for the treatment of metabolic disease. Conclusions Our results demonstrated chronic exercise potentiates anorectic effects of leptin in hypothalamic Pomc neurons. Moreover, these data provide evidence for sirtin1 as a substrate of exercise to regulate food intake and glucose tolerance as well as leptin sensitivity via activating Pomc neurons

Dumbbell shaped craniorbital cavernous hemangioma.

BACKGROUND: Cavernous hemangioma of the orbit is a benign tumor mostly located behind the eye globe, but it rarely spread into the brain, which is called cerebral cavernous malformation as well, the lesion in the brain is irregular and enlarged blood. Here we report one particular case of craniorbital cavernous hemangioma. CASE PRESENTATION: A 53-year-old woman presented with exophthalmos of the right eye and reduced vision. Computerized tomographical (CT) scan showed osteolytic honeycomb radial changes of the outer plate of the skull. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan was performed to obtain further details. T1-weighted (T1W) imaging showed slightly low signal mixed with small patchy high signal. T2-weighted (T2W) imaging showed uneven high signal. There was obvious enhancement in the middle and no enhancement in the peripheral bars. A surgically manage was performed using a left frontotemporal approach, the tumor excised fully, and the histopathology results revealed a cavernous hemangioma. The patient recovered well in the follow-up. Post-operative CT scan identified the lesion was successfully resected, MRI scan also showed full resection and enhanced signal from the presence of fat. CONCLUSIONS: Craniorbital cavernous hemangioma is uncommon, however within the cranium, they can lead to numerous complications particularly if affecting the visual apparatus. it could be diagnosed by imaging, which CT scan shows osteolytic honeycomb radial changes of the outer plate of the skull, T1W imaging shows slightly low signal mixed with small patchy high signal, T2W imaging shows uneven high signal, it is obvious enhancement in the middle and no enhancement in the peripheral bars. The surgically manage is the ideally treatment when there are some symptoms

Genetic diversity and population structure of core watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) genotypes using DArTseq-based SNPs

Watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai var. lanatus] is an economically important vegetable belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. Genotypes that exhibit agronomically important traits are selected for the development of elite cultivars. Understanding the genetic diversity and the genotype population structure based on molecular markers at the genome level can speed up the utilization of diverse genetic resources for varietal improvement. In the present study, we carried out an analysis of genetic diversity based on 3882 SNP markers across 37 core watermelon genotypes, including the most widely used watermelon varieties and wild watermelon. Based on the SNP genotyping data of the 37 watermelon genotypes screened, gene diversity and polymorphism information content values across chromosomes varied between 0.03–0.5 and 0.02–0.38, with averages of 0.14 and 0.13, respectively. The two wild watermelon genotypes were distinct from cultivated varieties and the remaining 35 cultivated genotypes were differentiated into three major clusters: 20 genotypes were grouped in cluster I; 11 genotypes were grouped in cluster II; three advanced breeding lines of yellow fruit flesh and genotype SW043 were grouped in cluster III. The results from neighbour-joining dendrogram, principal coordinate analysis and STRUCTURE analysis approaches were consistent, and the grouping of genotypes was generally in agreement with their origins. Here we reveal the genetic relationships among the core watermelon genotypes maintained at the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China. The molecular and phenotypic characterization of the existing core watermelon genotypes, together with specific agronomic characteristics, can be utilized by researchers and breeders for future watermelon improvement

AI is a viable alternative to high throughput screening: a 318-target study

: High throughput screening (HTS) is routinely used to identify bioactive small molecules. This requires physical compounds, which limits coverage of accessible chemical space. Computational approaches combined with vast on-demand chemical libraries can access far greater chemical space, provided that the predictive accuracy is sufficient to identify useful molecules. Through the largest and most diverse virtual HTS campaign reported to date, comprising 318 individual projects, we demonstrate that our AtomNet® convolutional neural network successfully finds novel hits across every major therapeutic area and protein class. We address historical limitations of computational screening by demonstrating success for target proteins without known binders, high-quality X-ray crystal structures, or manual cherry-picking of compounds. We show that the molecules selected by the AtomNet® model are novel drug-like scaffolds rather than minor modifications to known bioactive compounds. Our empirical results suggest that computational methods can substantially replace HTS as the first step of small-molecule drug discovery

The Ninth Visual Object Tracking VOT2021 Challenge Results

acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

CBERS-02 Remote Sensing Data Mining Using Decision Tree Algorithm

In recent years, decision tree algorithms have been successfully used for land cover classification from remote sensing data. In this paper, CART (classification and regression trees) and C5.0 decision tree algorithms were used to CBERS-02 remote sensing data. Firstly, the remote sensing data was transformed using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and multiple-band algorithm. Then, the training data was collected from the combining total 20 processed bands. Finally, the decision tree was constructed by CART and C5.0 algorithm respectively. Comparing two results, the most important variables are clearly band3,4, band1,4 and band2,4. The depth of the CART tree is only two with the relative high accuracy. The classification outcome was calculated by CART tree. In order to validate the classification accuracy of CART tree, the Confusion Matrices was generated by the ground truth data collected using visual interpretation and the field survey and the kappa coefficient is 0.95

Comparative aggressiveness of Microdochium nivale and M. majus and evaluation of screening methods for Fusarium seedling blight resistance in wheat cultivars

Microdochium majus and M. nivale are the primary agents of Fusarium seedling blight (FSB) of wheat in wet and cool crop growing regions. The differential responses and plant traits (root and stem length) of eleven wheat cultivars were evaluated using three inoculation methods with M. majus or M. nivale in soil, potato dextrose agar plate or detached leaf assay to develop a reliable screening method for the identification of resistance to FSB caused by Microdochium species in wheat. Microdochium nivale was the more aggressive FSB pathogen causing 30 % higher disease severity than M. majus and impacting significantly on root length and stem length. In contrast, M. majus was more pathogenic than M. nivale on wheat leaves reducing significantly the maximum efficiency of photosystem (PS) II (Fv’/Fm’). Fv’/Fm’ provides an estimate of the efficiency of PSII photochemistry (photosynthesis) at a given photosynthetically-active photon flux density defined as PSII operating efficiency if all PSII reaction centres were ‘open’. Regression analysis suggested that reduction in stem and/or root length and Fv’/Fm’ can be used as indicators of disease severity and for the detection of tolerance in wheat cultivars to specific diseases in the Fusarium complex. There were significant interactions between genotypes and species for the assessed disease and plant traits suggesting that resistance/tolerance mechanisms and genes maybe different to disease caused by individual Microdochium species. The most resistant cultivar to FSB identified consistently using all methods was Petrus, also known to be resistant to Fusarium head blight suggesting that this cultivar may possess useful durable resistance to more than one disease in the Fusarium disease complex