A large scale system for searching and browsing images from the World Wide Web

This paper outlines the technical details of a prototype system for searching and browsing over a million images from the World Wide Web using their visual contents. The system relies on two modalities for accessing images — automated image annotation and NNk image network browsing. The user supplies the initial query in the form of one or more keywords and is then able to locate the desired images more precisely using a browsing interface

Using segmented objects in ostensive video shot retrieval

This paper presents a system for video shot retrieval in which shots are retrieved based on matching video objects using a combination of colour, shape and texture. Rather than matching on individual objects, our system supports sets of query objects which in total reflect the user’s object-based information need. Our work also adapts to a shifting user information need by initiating the partitioning of a user’s search into two or more distinct search threads, which can be followed by the user in sequence. This is an automatic process which maps neatly to the ostensive model for information retrieval in that it allows a user to place a virtual checkpoint on their search, explore one thread or aspect of their information need and then return to that checkpoint to then explore an alternative thread. Our system is fully functional and operational and in this paper we illustrate several design decisions we have made in building it

Relationship between physical activity and stiff or painful joints in mid-aged women and older women: a 3-year prospective study

This prospective study examined the association between physical activity and the incidence of self-reported stiff or painful joints (SPJ) among mid-age women and older women over a 3-year period. Data were collected from cohorts of mid-age (48–55 years at Time 1; n = 4,780) and older women (72–79 years at Time 1; n = 3,970) who completed mailed surveys 3 years apart for the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Physical activity was measured with the Active Australia questions and categorized based on metabolic equivalent value minutes per week: none (<40 MET.min/week); very low (40 to <300 MET.min/week); low (300 to <600 MET.min/week); moderate (600 to <1,200 MET.min/week); and high (1,200+ MET.min/week). Cohort-specific logistic regression models were used to examine the association between physical activity at Time 1 and SPJ 'sometimes or often' and separately 'often' at Time 2. Respondents reporting SPJ 'sometimes or often' at Time 1 were excluded from analysis. In univariate models, the odds of reporting SPJ 'sometimes or often' were lower for mid-age respondents reporting low (odds ratio (OR) = 0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.63–0.94), moderate (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.68–0.99), and high (OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.62–0.90) physical activity levels and for older respondents who were moderately (OR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.65–0.98) or highly active (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.69–0.99) than for those who were sedentary. After adjustment for confounders, these associations were no longer statistically significant. The odds of reporting SPJ 'often' were lower for mid-age respondents who were moderately active (OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.52–0.97) than for sedentary respondents in univariate but not adjusted models. Older women in the low (OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.55–0.96), moderate (OR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.39–0.76), and high (OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.46–0.82) physical activity categories had lower odds of reporting SPJ 'often' at Time 2 than their sedentary counterparts, even after adjustment for confounders. These results are the first to show a dose–response relationship between physical activity and arthritis symptoms in older women. They suggest that advice for older women not currently experiencing SPJ should routinely include counseling on the importance of physical activity for preventing the onset of these symptoms

Inhibition of IGF1-R overcomes IGFBP7-induced chemotherapy resistance in T-ALL

Background T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a genetically heterogeneous disease with the need for treatment optimization. Previously, high expression of Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP7), a member of the IGF system, was identified as negative prognostic factor in adult T-ALL patients. Since aberrant IGFBP7 expression was observed in a variety of neoplasia and was relevant for prognosis in T-ALL, we investigated the functional role of IGFBP7 in Jurkat and Molt-4 cells as in vitro models for T-ALL. Methods Jurkat and Molt-4 cells were stably transfected with an IGFBP7 over-expression vector or the empty vector as control. Proliferation of the cells was assessed by WST-1 assays and cell cycle status was measured by flow-cytometry after BrDU/7-AAD staining. The effect of IGFBP7 over-expression on sensitivity to cytostatic drugs was determined in AnnexinV/7-AAD assays. IGF1-R protein expression was measured by Western Blot and flow-cytometric analysis. IGF1-R associated gene expression profiles were generated from microarray gene expression data of 86 T-ALL patients from the Microarrays Innovations in Leukemia (MILE) multicenter study. Results IGFBP7-transfected Jurkat cells proliferated less, leading to a longer survival in a nutrient–limited environment. Both IGFBP7-transfected Jurkat and Molt-4 cells showed an arrest in the G0/G1 cell cycle phase. Furthermore, Jurkat IGFBP7-transfected cells were resistant to vincristine and asparaginase treatment. Surface expression and whole protein measurement of IGF1-R protein expression showed a reduced abundance of the receptor after IGFBP7 transfection in Jurkat cells. Interestingly, combination of the IGF1-R inhibitor NPV-AEW541 restored sensitivity to vincristine in IGFBP7-transfected cells. Additionally, IGF1-R associated GEP revealed an up-regulation of important drivers of T-ALL pathogenesis and regulators of chemo-resistance and apoptosis such as NOTCH1, BCL-2, PRKCI, and TP53. Conclusion This study revealed a proliferation inhibiting effect of IGFBP7 by G0/G1 arrest and a drug resistance-inducing effect of IGFBP7 against vincristine and asparaginase in T-ALL. These results provide a model for the previously observed association between high IGFBP7 expression and chemotherapy failure in T-ALL patients. Since the resistance against vincristine was abolished by IGF1-R inhibition, IGFBP7 could serve as biomarker for patients who may benefit from therapies including IGF1-R inhibitors in combination with chemotherapy

Intuitivno pretraživanje baze slike kao potpora označavanju slika

Image annotation is typically performed manually since automatic image annotation approaches have not matured yet to be used in practice. Consequently, image annotation is a labour intensive and time consuming task. In this paper, we show how an image browsing system can be employed to support efficient and effective (manual) annotation of image databases. In contrast to other approaches, which typically present images in a linear fashion, we employ a visualisation where images are arranged by mutual visual similarity. Since in this arrangement similar images are close to each other, they can easily be selected and annotated together. Organisation on a grid layout prevents image overlap and thus contributes to a clear presentation. Large image databases are handled through a hierarchical data structure where each image in the visualisation can correspond to a cluster of images that can be expanded by the user. Experimental results indicate that annotation can be performed faster on our proposed system.Označavanje slika obično se obavlja ručno jer automatski pristupi još nisu dovoljno kvalitetni kako bi se koristili u praksi. Zbog toga je označavanje slika u bazi vremenski zahtjevno. U ovom radu pokazat ćemo kako se sustav za pregled slika u bazi može koristiti kao učinkovita potpora ručnom označavanju slika. Za razliku od drugih pristupa, koji prikazuju slike u linearnom poretku, korištena je vizualizacija u kojoj su slike složene po međusobnoj sličnosti. Budući da su na taj način slične slike međusobno blizu jedna drugoj, lako ih je selektirati i zajednički označiti. Slike su organizirane u mrežni prikaz radi sprječavanja preklapanja i jasnije prezentacije. Velike baze podataka organizirane su u hijerarhijsku strukturu gdje svaka slika u pojedinoj vizualizaciji može pripadati skupu slika čiji prikaz korisnik po želji može proširivati. Rezultati provedenih eksperimenata pokazuju da se označavanje slika pomoću predloženog sustava može obavljati brže nego na uobičajeni način

Irisin and Fibronectin Type III Domain-Containing 5 Responses to Exercise in Different Environmental Conditions

International Journal of Exercise Science 10(5): 666-680, 2017. Fibronectin type III domain-containing 5 (FNDC5) is a skeletal muscle membrane-bound precursor to the myokine irisin. Irisin is involved in stimulating adipose tissue to become more metabolically active in order to produce heat. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of exercise in a hot (33 °C), cold (7 °C), and room temperature (RT, 20 °C) environment on the skeletal muscle gene expression of FNDC5 and the plasma concentrations of irisin. Twelve recreationally trained males completed three separate, 1 h cycling bouts at 60% of Wmax in a hot, cold, and RT environment followed by three hours of recovery at room temperature. Blood samples were taken from the antecubital vein and muscle biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis pre-, post-, and 3 h post-exercise. Plasma concentrations of irisin did not change from pre- (9.23 ± 2.68 pg·mL-1) to post-exercise (9.6 ± 0.2 pg·mL-1, p = 0.068), but did decrease from post-exercise to 3 h post-exercise (8.9 ± 0.5 pg·mL-1, p = 0.047) regardless of temperature. However, when plasma volume shifts were considered, no differences were found in irisin (p = 0.086). There were no significant differences between trials for irisin plasma concentrations (p \u3e 0.05). No significant differences in FNDC5 were observed between the hot, cold, or RT or pre-, post-, or 3 h post-exercise time points (p \u3e 0.05). These data indicate that the temperature in which exercise takes place does not influence FNDC5 transcription or circulating irisin in a human model

FLT3 mutations in Early T-Cell Precursor ALL characterize a stem cell like leukemia and imply the clinical use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors

Early T-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ETP-ALL) has been identified as high-risk subgroup of acute T-lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) with a high rate of FLT3-mutations in adults. To unravel the underlying pathomechanisms and the clinical course we assessed molecular alterations and clinical characteristics in a large cohort of ETP-ALL (n = 68) in comparison to non-ETP T-ALL adult patients. Interestingly, we found a high rate of FLT3-mutations in ETP-ALL samples (n = 24, 35%). Furthermore, FLT3 mutated ETP-ALL was characterized by a specific immunophenotype (CD2+/CD5-/CD13+/CD33-), a distinct gene expression pattern (aberrant expression of IGFBP7, WT1, GATA3) and mutational status (absence of NOTCH1 mutations and a low frequency, 21%, of clonal TCR rearrangements). The observed low GATA3 expression and high WT1 expression in combination with lack of NOTCH1 mutations and a low rate of TCR rearrangements point to a leukemic transformation at the pluripotent prothymocyte stage in FLT3 mutated ETP-ALL. The clinical outcome in ETP-ALL patients was poor, but encouraging in those patients with allogeneic stem cell transplantation (3-year OS: 74%). To further explore the efficacy of targeted therapies, we demonstrate that T-ALL cell lines transfected with FLT3 expression constructs were particularly sensitive to tyrosine kinase inhibitors. In conclusion, FLT3 mutated ETP-ALL defines a molecular distinct stem cell like leukemic subtype. These data warrant clinical studies with the implementation of FLT3 inhibitors in addition to early allogeneic stem cell transplantation for this high risk subgroup

Exercise-Induced Interleukin-6 and Metabolic Responses in Hot, Temperate, and Cold Conditions

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of exercise in hot, cold, and temperate environments on plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6). Eleven recreationally trained males (age = 25 ± 4 years, height = 178 ± 5 cm, weight = 79.4 ± 13.5 kg, body fat = 14.7 ± 3.6%, VO2 peak = 54.6 ± 11.5 ml kg-1 min-1) performed a 1 hr cycling bout in hot (33 °C), cold (7 °C), and temperate (20 °C) environments at 60% of Wmax followed by 3 hr of supine recovery in temperate conditions. Expired gases were measured every 15 min during exercise and once every hour during recovery. Heart rate was continuously measured throughout the trials. Blood samples were obtained from the antecubital vein pre-exercise, immediately post-exercise, and 3 hr post-exercise. Blood samples were analyzed for plasma concentrations of IL-6 using a commercial ELISA kit. Plasma IL-6 concentrations were significantly higher immediately post-exercise (14.8 ± 1.6 pg ml-1, p = 0.008) and 3 hr post-exercise (14.8 ± 0.9 pg ml-1, p = 0.018) compared to pre-exercise (11.4 ± 2.4 pg ml-1), across all trials. There were no differences in plasma IL-6 concentrations (p = 0.207) between temperature conditions.Oxygen consumption and heart rate were higher and respiratory exchange ratio was lower in the hot compared to other conditions (p \u3c 0.05). These data indicate that the temperature in which exercise occurs does not affect acute plasma IL-6 response despite differences in metabolic state

Особенности процесса трещинообразования в массиве при управлении его газодинамикой

Исследован процесс сдерживания перехода угля из потенциально устойчивого состояния в стадию бурного разрушения. Ей, как правило, предшествует некоторый промежуток времени относительного затишья. Особенно важно улавливать этот момент среди массы различных откликов массива на ведение горных работ. Одним из вариантов управления развитием и релаксацией системы трещин может служить физико-химическая обработка.The inhibition process of coal transition from the potentially stable state in the stage of stormy destruction is investigation. As a rule, to it is preceded some interval of relative time calm. It is especially important to catch this moment among mass of different responses of array on the conduct of mountain works. Physical and chemical treatment can serve as one of control variants the development and relaxation of the cracks system

The feasibility of using pedometers and brief advice to increase activity in sedentary older women:a pilot study

Background: People over the age of 70 carry the greatest burden of chronic disease, disability and health care use. Participation in physical activity is crucial for health, and walking accounts for much of the physical activity undertaken by sedentary individuals. Pedometers are a useful motivational tool to encourage increased walking and they are cheap and easy to use. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility of the use of pedometers plus a theory-based intervention to assist sedentary older women to accumulate increasing amounts of physical activity, mainly through walking. Methods: Female participants over the age of 70 were recruited from primary care and randomised to receive either pedometer plus a theory-based intervention or a theory-based intervention alone. The theory-based intervention consisted of motivational techniques, goal-setting, barrier identification and self-monitoring with pedometers and daily diaries. The pedometer group were further randomised to one of three target groups: a 10%, 15% or 20% monthly increase in step count to assess the achievability and acceptability of a range of targets. The primary outcome was change in daily activity levels measured by accelerometry. Secondary outcome measures were lower limb function, health related quality of life, anxiety and depression. Results: 54 participants were recruited into the study, with an average age of 76. There were 9 drop outs, 45 completing the study. All participants in the pedometer group found the pedometers easy to use and there was good compliance with diary keeping (96% in the pedometer group and 83% in the theory-based intervention alone group). There was a strong correlation (0.78) between accelerometry and pedometer step counts i.e. indicating that walking was the main physical activity amongst participants. There was a greater increase in activity (accelerometry) amongst those in the 20% target pedometer group compared to the other groups, although not reaching statistical significance (p = 0.192). Conclusion: We have demonstrated that it is feasible to use pedometers and provide theory-based advice to community dwelling sedentary older women to increase physical activity levels and a larger study is planned to investigate this further.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe