How to Synthesize a Large-Scale and Trainable Micro-Expression Dataset?

This paper does not contain technical novelty but introduces our key discoveries in a data generation protocol, a database and insights. We aim to address the lack of large-scale datasets in micro-expression (MiE) recognition due to the prohibitive cost of data collection, which renders large-scale training less feasible. To this end, we develop a protocol to automatically synthesize large scale MiE training data that allow us to train improved recognition models for real-world test data. Specifically, we discover three types of Action Units (AUs) that can constitute trainable MiEs. These AUs come from real-world MiEs, early frames of macro-expression videos, and the relationship between AUs and expression categories defined by human expert knowledge. With these AUs, our protocol then employs large numbers of face images of various identities and an off-the-shelf face generator for MiE synthesis, yielding the MiE-X dataset. MiE recognition models are trained or pre-trained on MiE-X and evaluated on real-world test sets, where very competitive accuracy is obtained. Experimental results not only validate the effectiveness of the discovered AUs and MiE-X dataset but also reveal some interesting properties of MiEs: they generalize across faces, are close to early-stage macro-expressions, and can be manually defined.Comment: European Conference on Computer Vision 202

Expression of mTOR conduction pathway in human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells and their stem cells, and the inhibitory effect of different doses of rapamycin

Purpose: To investigate the expressions of rapamycin target protein (mTOR) conduction pathway in human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells and their stem cells, and to examine the inhibitory effect of different doses of rapamycin.Methods: mTOR mRNA in osteosarcoma stem-like cells and human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells were determined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The cells were treated with different doses of rapamycin and divided into low dose group (0.5 mg), medium dose group (1.0 mg), high dose group (2.0 mg) and blank (control) group. Apoptosis and cell cycle of MG-63 cells were determined by flow cytometry, while proliferation of MG-63 cells up was assessed by CCK-8 kit.Results: mTOR in human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells was significantly lower than that in osteosarcoma stem-like cells. Compared with the control group, mRNA expression levels of mTOR in MG-63 cells and osteosarcoma stem-like cells were significantly decreased after treatment with different concentrations of rapamycin (p < 0.05). MG-63 cells treated with various doses of rapamycin exhibited a significant decrease in their proliferation, compared with control group, while only the high rapamycin concentration group exhibited a significant decrease in osteosarcoma stem-like cell proliferation (p < 0.05). Treatment with rapamycin in MG-63 cells and osteosarcoma stem-like cells resulted in a significant increase in apoptosis, prolonged G0/G1 phase and shortened S phase (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Rapamycin inhibits the expression of mTOR mRNA in osteosarcoma stem-like and MG-63 cells. It also inhibits the proliferation and cell cycle formation of osteosarcoma stem-like cells and MG-63 cells via mTOR signal pathway. These findings may provide a new target for the treatment of osteosarcoma

Gene Flow Risks From Transgenic Herbicide-Tolerant Crops to Their Wild Relatives Can Be Mitigated by Utilizing Alien Chromosomes

Integration of a transgene into chromosomes of the C-genomes of oilseed rape (AACC, 2n = 38) may affect their gene flow to wild relatives, particularly Brassica juncea (AABB, 2n = 36). However, no empiric evidence exists in favor of the C-genome as a safer candidate for transformation. In the presence of herbicide selections, the first- to fourth-generation progenies of a B. juncea × glyphosate-tolerant oilseed rape cross [EPSPS gene insertion in the A-genome (Roundup Ready, event RT73)] showed more fitness than a B. juncea × glufosinate-tolerant oilseed rape cross [PAT gene insertion in the C-genome (Liberty Link, event HCN28)]. Karyotyping and fluorescence in situ hybridization–bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC-FISH) analyses showed that crossed progenies from the cultivars with transgenes located on either A- or C- chromosome were mixoploids, and their genomes converged over four generations to 2n = 36 (AABB) and 2n = 37 (AABB + C), respectively. Chromosome pairing of pollen mother cells was more irregular in the progenies from cultivar whose transgene located on C- than on A-chromosome, and the latter lost their C-genome-specific markers faster. Thus, transgene insertion into the different genomes of B. napus affects introgression under herbicide selection. This suggests that gene flow from transgenic crops to wild relatives could be mitigated by breeding transgenic allopolyploid crops, where the transgene is inserted into an alien chromosome

Chronic Kidney Disease Increases Atrial Fibrillation Inducibility: Involvement of Inflammation, Atrial Fibrosis, and Connexins

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) causes atrial structural remodeling and subsequently increases the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF). Atrial connexins and inflammatory responses may be involved in this remodeling process. In this study, nephrectomy was used to produce the CKD rat model. Three months post-nephrectomy, cardiac structure, function and AF vulnerability were quantified using echocardiography and electrophysiology methods. The left atrial tissue was tested for quantification of fibrosis and inflammation, and for the distribution and expression of connexin (Cx) 40 and Cx43. An echocardiography showed that CKD resulted in the left atrial enlargement and left ventricular hypertrophy, but had no functional changes. CKD caused a significant increase in the AF inducible rate (91.11% in CKD group vs. 6.67% in sham group, P < 0.001) and the AF duration [107 (0–770) s in CKD vs. 0 (0–70) s in sham, P < 0.001] with prolonged P-wave duration. CKD induced severe interstitial fibrosis, activated the transforming growth factor-β1/Smad2/3 pathway with a massive extracellular matrix deposition of collagen type I and α-smooth muscle actin, and matured the NLR (nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat-containing receptor) pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome with an inflammatory cascade response. CKD resulted in an increase in non-phosphorylated-Cx43, a decrease in Cx40 and phosphorylated-Cx43, and lateralized the distribution of Cx40 and Cx43 proteins with upregulations of Rac-1, connective tissue growth factor and N-cadherin. These findings implicate the transforming growth factor-β1/Smad2/3, the NLRP3 inflammasome and the connexins as potential mediators of increased AF vulnerability in CKD

Data from: Combining phylogenomic and supermatrix approaches, and a time-calibrated phylogeny for squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes) based on 52 genes and 4162 species

Two common approaches for estimating phylogenies in species-rich groups are to: (i) sample many loci for few species (e.g. phylogenomic approach), or (ii) sample many species for fewer loci (e.g. supermatrix approach). In theory, these approaches can be combined to simultaneously resolve both higher-level relationships (with many genes) and species-level relationships (with many taxa). However, fundamental questions remain unanswered about this combined approach. First, will higher-level relationships more closely resemble those estimated from many genes or those from many taxa? Second, will branch support increase for higher-level relationships (relative to the estimate from many taxa)? Here, we address these questions in squamate reptiles. We combined two recently published datasets, one based on 44 genes for 161 species, and one based on 12 genes for 4161 species. The likelihood-based tree from the combined matrix (52 genes, 4162 species) shared more higher-level clades with the 44-gene tree (90% vs. 77% shared). Branch support for higher level-relationships was marginally higher than in the 12-gene tree, but lower than in the 44-gene tree. Relationships were apparently not obscured by the abundant missing data (92% overall). We provide a time-calibrated phylogeny based on extensive sampling of genes and taxa as a resource for comparative studies

Data from: Examining the interglacial high-elevation refugia scenario in East Asian subtropical mountain systems with the frog species Leptobrachium liui

The effects of Quaternary climatic oscillations on the distributions of organisms in different parts of the world are not equally well understood, limiting the ability to understand the determinants of biodiversity. Compared with the mountain regions in southern Europe and southwestern North America, such effects on high-elevation species in the East Asian subtropical mountain systems located in southern and southeastern China have seldom been addressed. In this study, using Leptobrachium liui (Megophryidae), we made one of the earliest attempts to examine the interglacial high-elevation refugia scenario in these Asian mountains. Based on our current understanding of the study system, we formulated a hypothesis that these frogs of western origin were distributed more widely and continuously during glacial phases, allowing eastward dispersal, and that they are currently isolated in interglacial refugia at higher elevations. Microsatellite data and mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data were obtained with extensive sampling followed by the synthesis of phylogeographic and population genetic analyses and modeling of the species distribution. The analyses revealed a sequential eastward divergence of microsatellite clusters and gene lineages accompanied by a decline in genetic diversity. Molecular dating estimates revealed divergence events in the Pleistocene, and a reduction in local populations was inferred to have occurred at a time comparable to the end of the last glacial. Strong genetic isolation by distance reflecting a more continuous historical distribution was detected. Furthermore, environmental niche models inferred a wide planar distribution during the last glacial maximum, providing further support for the hypothesis

L. liui + L. leishanense, 201 rag1 sequences

An 800-bp partial sequence of the recombinase activating protein 1 gene; 199 sequences from 22 sampling sites of Leptobrachium liui and 3 sites of L. leishanense; 2 sequences of L. ngoclinhense and L. xanthospilum as outgroups; alignment in fasta format

L. liui + L. leishanense, 832 individuals' STR

832 individuals from 21 populations of Leptobrachium liui and 3 populations of L. leishanense; 8-14 microsatellite loci each population; data in genepop format