Dynamic biometrics fusion at feature level for video-based human recognition

This paper proposes a novel human recognition method in video, which combines human face and gait traits
using a dynamic multi-modal biometrics fusion scheme. The Fisherface approach is adopted to extract face
features, while for gait features, Locality Preserving Projection (LPP) is used to achieve low-dimensional
manifold embedding of the temporal silhouette data derived from image sequences. Face and gait features are
fused dynamically at feature level based on a distance-driven fusion method. Encouraging experimental results
are achieved on the video sequences containing 20 people, which show that dynamically fused features produce
a more discriminating power than any individual biometric as well as integrated features built on common static
fusion schemes.

Lupin (Lupinus albus) protein isolate (L-ISO) has adequate nutritional value and reduces large intestinal weight in rats after restricted and ad libitum feeding.

Background: A protein isolate from white lupin (Lupinus albus; L-ISO) has potential as a novel human food ingredient, but its nutritional effects are unknown.

Methods: We evaluated protein quality and effects on body composition in rats of isoenergic diets of L-ISO, lactalbumin, or casein with both restricted (10-day) and ad libitum (28-day)intake. The diets were equivalent in protein per se, but supplementation was used to balance essential amino acid levels.

Results: In both studies, the rats consumed similar amounts of each diet, and no effect of diet on the gain:feed ratio was observed--though gain:N ratio and net protein utilization were slightly lower for the L-ISO diet. Lower large intestinal weights after the L-ISO than after the lactalbumin diet were observed in both studies. The L-ISO diet resulted in lowered body fat percentage in the 10-day study but in an elevated level in the 28-day study. Liver composition (DNA, RNA, glycogen, and fat) and plasma levels of some amino acids (His, Thr, Ala, Pro, Tyr, Val and Met) were affected by diet, but no effects on plasma lipid, glucose, or uric acid were observed.

Conclusion: The L-ISO diet did not affect feed intake and has adequate nutritional quality in rats whilst modifying large intestinal weight in a potentially beneficial manner--suggesting potential for this protein in human nutrition.

PMC42, a novel model for the differentiated human breast

Cultured human breast carcinoma cell lines are important models for investigating the pathogenesis of breast cancer. Their use, however, is limited because of loss of expression of breast-specific markers and the development of a dedifferentiated phenotype after continuous culture. PMC42 is a unique human breast carcinoma line, previously shown to express secretory and myoepithelial markers. We have induced PMC42 cells to form hollow organoids in culture, similar to in vivo breast structures, using a combination of hormones including estrogen, progesterone, dexamethasone, insulin, and prolactin in combination with a permeable extracellular matrix. The organoids comprised polarized cells located around a central lumen. Expression of β-casein was demonstrated in cells within organoids using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis, and confocal immunofluorescence. In this in vitro system, milk-specific gene expression was induced through hormone and matrix interactions which may be similar to those operating in vivo. PMC42 is a novel model for investigations into the molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis and differentiation in the human breast.

Regulation of STARS and its downstream target suggest a novel pathway involved in human skeletal hypertrophy and atrophy

Skeletal muscle atrophy is a severe consequence of ageing, neurological disorders and chronic disease. Identifying the intracellular signalling pathways controlling changes in skeletal muscle size and function is vital for the future development of potential therapeutic interventions. Striated activator of Rho signalling (STARS), an actin-binding protein, has been implicated in rodent cardiac hypertrophy; however its role in human skeletal muscle has not been determined. This study aimed to establish if STARS, as well as its downstream signalling targets, RhoA, myocardin-related transcription factors A and B (MRTF-A/B) and serum response factor (SRF), were increased and decreased respectively, in human quadriceps muscle biopsies taken after 8 weeks of both hypertrophy-stimulating resistance training and atrophy-stimulating de-training. The mRNA levels of the SRF target genes involved in muscle structure, function and growth, such as α-actin, myosin heavy chain IIa (MHCIIa) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), were also measured. Following resistance training, STARS, MRTF-A, MRTF-B, SRF, α-actin, MHCIIa and IGF-1 mRNA, as well as RhoA and nuclear SRF protein levels were all significantly increased by between 1.25- and 3.6-fold. Following the de-training period all measured targets, except for RhoA, which remained elevated, returned to base-line. Our results show that the STARS signalling pathway is responsive to changes in skeletal muscle loading and appears to play a role in both human skeletal muscle hypertrophy and atrophy.

A novel zebrafish jak2a V581F model shared features of human JAK2 V617F polycythemia vera

Objective : The Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) is important for embryonic primitive hematopoiesis. A gain-of-function JAK2 (JAK2^V617F) mutation in human is pathogenetically linked to polycythemia vera (PV). In this study, we generated a zebrafish ortholog of human JAK2^V617F (referred herewith jak2a^V581F) by site-directed mutagenesis and examined its relevance as a model of human PV.

Materials and Methods : Zebrafish embryos at one-cell stage were injected with jak2a^V581F mRNA (200pg/embryo). In some experiments, the embryos were treated with a specific JAK2 inhibitor, TG101209. The effects of jak2a stimulation on hematopoiesis, jak/stat signaling, and erythropoietin signaling were evaluated at 18-somites.

Results : Injection with jak2a^V581F mRNA significantly increased erythropoiesis, as enumerated by flow cytometry based on gfp+ population in dissociated Tg(gata1:gfp) embryos. The response was reduced by stat5.1 morpholino coinjection (control: 4.37% ± 0.08%; jak2a^V581F injected: 5.71% ± 0.07%, coinjecting jak2a^V581F mRNA and stat5.1 morpholino: 4.66% ± 0.13%; p < 0.01). jak2a^V581F mRNA also upregulated gata1 (1.83 ± 0.08 fold; p = 0.005), embryonic α-hemoglobin (1.61 ± 0.12 fold; p = 0.049), and β-hemoglobin gene expression (1.65 ± 0.13–fold; p = 0.026) and increased stat5 phosphorylation. These responses were also ameliorated by stat5.1 morpholino coinjection or treatment with a specific JAK2 inhibitor, TG101209. jak2a^V581F mRNA significantly reduced erythropoietin gene (0.24 ± 0.03 fold; p = 0.006) and protein expression (control: 0.633 ± 0.11; jak2a^V581F mRNA: 0.222 ± 0.07 mIU/mL; p = 0.019).

Conclusion : The zebrafish jak2a^V581F model shared many features with human PV and might provide us with mechanistic insights of this disease.

Identification of novel genes differentially expressed in haemopoietic progenitor cells

The biochemical and molecular processes that maintain the stem cell pool, and govern the proliferation and differentiation of haemopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) have been widely investigated but are incompletely understood. The purpose of this study was to identify and characterise novel genes that may play a part in regulating the mechanisms that control the proliferation, differentiation and self-renewal of human HSPCs. Reverse transcription differential display polymerase chain reaction (dd-PCR) was used to identify differences in gene expression between a HSPC population defined by expression of the CD34 phenotype, and the more mature CD34 depleted populations. A total of 6 differentially expressed complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA) sequences were identified. Four of these transcripts were homologous to well characterised genes, while two (band 1 and band 20) were homologous to unknown and uncharacterised partial gene sequences on the GenBank database and were thus chosen for further investigation. The partial cDNA sequences for band 1 and band 20 were designated ORP-3 and MERP-1 (respectively) due to homologies with other well-characterised gene families. Differential expression of the ORP-3 and MERP-1 genes was confirmed using Taqman™ real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with 3 - 4-fold and 4-10 -fold higher levels in the CD34+ fractions of haemopoietic cells compared to CD34- populations respectively. Additionally, expression of both these genes was down regulated with proliferation and differentiation of CD34+ cells further confirming higher expression in a less differentiated subset of haemopoietic cells. The full coding sequences of ORP-3 and MERP-1 were elucidated using bioinformatics, rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) and PCR amplification. The MERP-1 cDNA is 2600 nucleotides (nt) long, and localizes by bioinformatics to chromosome 7.. It consists of three exons and 2 introns spanning an entire length of 31.4 kilobases (kb). The MERP-1 open reading frame (ORF) codes for a putative 344 amino acid (aa) type II transmembrane protein with an extracellular C-terminal ependymin like-domain and an intracellular N-terminal sequence with significant homology to the cytoplasmic domains of members of the protocadherin family of transmembrane glycoproteins. Ependymins and protocadherins are well-characterised calcium-dependant cell adhesion glycoproteins. Although the function of MERP-1 remains to be elucidated, it is possible that MERP-1 like its homologues plays a role in calcium dependent cell adhesion. Differential expression of the MERP-1 gene in haemopoietic cells suggests a role in haemopoietic stem cell proliferation and differentiation, however, its broad tissue distribution implies that it may also play a role in many cell types. Characterization of the MERP-1 protein is required to elucidate these possible roles. The ORP-3 cDNA is 6631nt long, and localizes by bioinformatics to chromosome 7pl5-p21. It consists of 23 exons and 22 introns spanning an entire length of 183.5kb. The ORP-3 ORF codes for a putative 887aa protein which displays the consensus sequence for a highly conserved oxysterol-binding domain. Other well-characterised proteins expressing these domains have been demonstrated to bind oxysterols (OS) in a dose dependant fashion. OS are hydroxylated derivatives of cholesterol Their biological activities include inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis and cell proliferation in a variety of cell types, including haemopoietic cells. Differential expression of the ORP-3 gene in haemopoietic cells suggests a possible role in the transduction of OS effects on haemopoietic cells, however, its broad tissue distribution implies that it may also play a role in many cell types. Further investigation of ORP-3 gene expression demonstrates a significant correlation with CD34+ sample purity, and 2-fold higher expression in a population of haemopoietic cells defined by the CD34+38- phenotype compared to more mature CD34+38+ cells. This finding, taken together with the previous observation of down-regulation of ORP-3 expression with proliferation and differentiation of CD34+ cells, indicates that ORP-3 expression may be higher in a less differentiated subset of cells with a higher proliferative capacity. This hypothesis is supported by the observation that expression of the ORP-3 gene is approximately 2-fold lower in differentiated HL60 promyelocytic cells compared to control, undifferentiated cells. ORP-3 expression in HL60 cells during normal culture conditions was also found to vary with expression positively correlated with cell number. This indicates a possible cell cycle effect on ORP-3 gene expression with levels highest when cell density, and therefore the percentage of cells in G(0)/G(1) phase of the cell cycle is highest. This observation also correlates with the observation of higher ORP-3 expression in CD34+38-cells, and in CD34+ and HL60 cells undergoing OS induced and camptothecin induced apoptosis that is preceded by cell cycle arrest at G(0)/G(1). Expression of the ORP-3 gene in CD34+ HSPCs from UCB was significantly decreased to approximately half the levels observed in control cells after 24 hours incubation in transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGFâl). As ≥90% of these cells are stimulated into cell cycle entry by TGFâl, this observation further supports the hypothesis that ORP-3 expression is highest when cells reside in the G(0)/G(1) phase of the cell cycle. Data obtained from investigation of ORP-3 gene expression in synchronised HL60 cells however does not support nor disprove this hypothesis. Culture of CD34+ enriched HSPCs and HL60 cells with 25-OHC significantly increased ORP-3 gene expression to approximately 1.5 times control levels. However, as 25-OHC treatment also increased the percentage of apoptotic cells in these experiments, it is not valid to make any conclusions regarding the regulation of ORP-3 gene expression by OS. Indeed, the observation that camptothecin induced apoptosis also increased ORP-3 gene expression in HL60 cells raises the possibility that up-regulation of ORP-3 gene expression is also associated with apoptosis, Taken together, expression of the ORP-3 gene appears to be regulated by differentiation and apoptosis of haemopoietic progenitors, and may also be positively associated with proliferative and G(0)/G(1) cell cycle status indicating a possible role in all of these processes. Given the important regulatory role of apoptosis in haemopoiesis and differential expression of the ORP-3 gene in haemopoietic progenitors, final investigations were conducted to examine the effects OS on human HSPCs. Granulocyte/macrophage colony forming units (CFU-GM) generated from human bone marrow (ABM) and umbilical cord blood (UCB) were grown in the presence of varying concentrations of three different OS - 7keto-cholesterol (7K-C), 7beta-hydroxycholesterol (7p-OHC) and 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-OHC). Similarly, the effect of OS on HL60 and CD34+ cells was investigated using annexin-V staining and flow cytometry to measure apoptosis. Reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) was used to assess differentiative status of HL60 cells. CFU-GM from ABM and HL60 growth was inhibited by all three OS tested, with 25-OHC being the most potent. 25-OHC inhibited ≥50% of bone marrow CFU-GM and ≥95% of HL60 cell growth at a level of 1 ug/ml. Compared to UCB, CFU-GM derived from ABM were more sensitive to the effects of all OS tested. Only 25-OHC and 7(5-OHC significantly inhibited growth of UCB derived CFU-GM. OS treatment increased the number of annexin-V CD34+ cells and NBT positive HL60 cells indicating that OS inhibition of CFU-GM and HL60 cell growth can be attributed to induction of apoptosis and differentiation. From these studies, it can be concluded that dd-PCR is an excellent tool for the discovery of novel genes expressed in human HSPCs. Characterisation of the proteins encoded by the novel genes ORP-3 and MERP-1 may reveal a regulatory role for these genes in haemopoiesis. Finally, investigations into the effects of OS on haemopoietic progenitor cells has revealed that OS are a new class of inhibitors of HSPC proliferation of potential relevance in vivo and in vitro.

Targeting hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus induced carcinogenesis : novel patented therapeutics

Viral infections leading to carcinogenesis tops the risk factors list for the development of human cancer. The decades of research has provided ample scientific evidence that directly links 10-15% of the worldwide incidence of human cancers to the infections with seven human viruses. Moreover, the insights gained into the molecular pathogenetic and immune mechanisms of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human papillomavirus (HPV) viral transmission to tumour progression, and the identification of their viral surface antigens as well as oncoproteins have provided the scientific community with opportunities to target these virus infections through the development of prophylactic vaccines and antiviral therapeutics. The preventive vaccination programmes targeting HBV and high risk HPV infections, linked to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cervical cancer respectively have been recently reported to alter age-old cancer patterns on an international scale. In this review, with an emphasis on HBV and HPV mediated carcinogenesis because of the similarities and differences in their global incidence patterns, viral transmission, mortality, molecular pathogenesis and prevention, we focus on the development of recently identified HBV and HPV targeting innovative strategies resulting in several patents and patent applications.

A novel bio-kinematic encoder for human exercise representation and decomposition - Part 1 : Indexing and modelling

Current bio-kinematic encoders use velocity, acceleration and angular information to encode human exercises. However, in exercise physiology there is a need to distinguish between the shape of the trajectory and its execution dynamics. In this paper we propose such a two-component model and explore how best to compute these components of an action. In particular, we show how a new spatial indexing scheme, derived directly from the underlying differential geometry of curves, provides robust estimates of the shape and dynamics compared to standard temporal indexing schemes.

A novel bio-kinematic encoder for human exercise representation and decomposition - Part 2 : Robustness and Optimisation

Bio-kinematic characterisations of human exercises constitute dealing with parameters such as velocity, acceleration, joint angles, etc. A majority of these are measured directly from various sensors ranging from RGB cameras to inertial sensors. However, due to certain limitations associated with these sensors, such as inherent noise, filters are required to be implemented to subjugate the effect from the noise. When the two-component (trajectory shape and dynamics) bio-kinematic encoding model is being established to represent an exercise, reducing the effect from noise embedded in raw data will be important since the underlying model can be quite sensitive to noise. In this paper, we examine and compare some commonly used filters, namely least-square Gaussian filter, Savitzky-Golay filter and optimal Kalman filter, with four groups of real data collected from Microsoft Kinectc , and assert that Savitzky- Golay filter is the best one when establishing an underlying model for human exercise representation.

Novel targeting of PEGylated liposomes for codelivery of TGF-β1 siRNA and four antitubercular drugs to human macrophages for the treatment of mycobacterial infection: a quantitative proteomic study

Tuberculosis (TB) is still a major public health issue in developing countries, and its chemotherapy is compromised by poor drug compliance and severe side effects. This study aimed to synthesize and characterize new multimodal PEGylated liposomes encapsulated with clinically commonly used anti-TB drugs with linkage to small interfering RNA (siRNA) against transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). The novel NP-siRNA liposomes could target THP-1-derived human macrophages that were the host cells of mycobacterium infection. The biological effects of the NP-siRNA liposomes were evaluated on cell cycle distribution, apoptosis, autophagy, and the gene silencing efficiency of TGF-β1 siRNA in human macrophages. We also explored the proteomic responses to the newly synthesized NP-siRNA liposomes using the stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture approach. The results showed that the multifunctional PEGylated liposomes were successfully synthesized and chemically characterized with a mean size of 265.1 nm. The novel NP-siRNA liposomes functionalized with the anti-TB drugs and TGF-β1 siRNA were endocytosed efficiently by human macrophages as visualized by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, the liposomes showed a low cytotoxicity toward human macrophages. There was no significant effect on cell cycle distribution and apoptosis in THP-1-derived macrophages after drug exposure at concentrations ranging from 2.5 to 62.5 μg/mL. Notably, there was a 6.4-fold increase in the autophagy of human macrophages when treated with the NP-siRNA liposomes at 62.5 μg/mL. In addition, the TGF-β1 and nuclear factor-κB expression levels were downregulated by the NP-siRNA liposomes in THP-1-derived macrophages. The Ingenuity Pathway Analysis data showed that there were over 40 signaling pathways involved in the proteomic responses to NP-siRNA liposome exposure in human macrophages, with 160 proteins mapped. The top five canonical signaling pathways were eukaryotic initiation factor 2 signaling, actin cytoskeleton signaling, remodeling of epithelial adherens junctions, epithelial adherens junction signaling, and Rho GDP-dissociation inhibitor signaling pathways. Collectively, the novel synthetic targeting liposomes represent a promising delivery system for anti-TB drugs to human macrophages with good selectivity and minimal cytotoxicity.