988 resultados para Adenosine triphosphatase activity


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The antifertility activity of the plant Vicoa indica was tested in proven fertile bonnet monkeys. The dry powder of the whole plant was fed to the cycling monkeys on day 1 to 14 of menstrual cycle or day 9 to 14 of cycle or on day 2 to 5 after delivery and the fertility was evaluated in the following cycle in cycle fed monkey or after weaning the young one in the post-partum fed monkeys. Results indicated that while feeding in the post-partum monkeys did not confer any protection against pregnancy feeding during day 1 to 14 of cycle, protected from pregnancy. The monkeys did not become pregnant even after exposure to the proven fertile male monkeys for 13 ovulatory cycles while all the vehicle fed monkeys became pregnant within 3 cycles.

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A number of analogues of diaryl dihydropyrazole-3-carboxamides have been synthesized. Their activities were evaluated for appetite suppression and body weight reduction in animal models. Depending on the chemical modification of the selected dihydropyrazole scaffold, the lead compoundsthe bisulfate salt of (±)-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid morpholin-4-ylamide 26 and the bisulfate salt of (−)-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid morpholin-4-ylamide 30showed significant body weight reduction in vivo, which is attributed to their CB1 antagonistic activity and exhibited a favorable pharmacokinetic profile. The molecular modeling studies also showed interactions of two isomers of (±)-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid morpholin-4-ylamide 9 with CB1 receptor in the homology model similar to those of N-piperidino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-3-pyrazole-carboxamide (rimonabant) 1 and 4S-(−)-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-N-methyl-N‘-[(4-chlorophenyl)-sulfonyl]-4-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-1-carboxamidine (SLV-319) 2.

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The responses of the field mouse Mus booduga to shifts in schedules of LD cycles were monitored and the results were interpreted with the help of a PRC constructed for the same species. The results reveal that, M. booduga reentrained faster with a lesser number of transients after delay shifts than advance shifts, thus exhibiting “asymmetry effect.” A positive correlation was observed between the number of transients and the number of hours of shift. In most of the shifts, the sign of the transients (negative for delaying transients and positive for advancing transients) coincided with the direction of the shift. Interestingly, 11 and 12 h of advance shifting resulted in delaying transients. An 11-h advance shift can also be interpreted as a 13-h delay. Reentrainment through delaying transients is faster as compared to reentrainment through advancing transients. Thus, this animal might have taken a “shorter route,” as proved by the fact that an 11-h advance shift has evoked delaying transients. But a 13-h advance shift evoked only advancing transients. This prompts us to speculate that there may be a “phase jump” in M. booduga. Further, irrespective of whether L or D has been doubled in a 12-h shift, both evoked only delaying transients.

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Thiobacillus ferrooxidans oxidized the sulphide minerals e.g., pyrite, pyrrhotite and copper concentrate under anaerobic conditions in the presence of ferric ion as sole electron acceptor. Copper and iron were solubilized from sulphide ores by the sulphur (sulphide)-dependent ferric-ion oxidoreductase activity. Treatment of resting cells of T. ferrooxidans with 0.5% phenol for 30 min completely destroyed the iron- and copper-solubilizing activity. The above treatment destroyed the sulphur(sulphide)-dependent ferric-ion-reducing activity completely but did not affect the iron-oxidizing activity. The results suggest that sulphur(sulphide)-dependent ferric-ion-reducing activity actively participates in the oxidation of sulphide minerals under anaerobic conditions. The activity of sulphur(sulphide)-dependent ferric ion reduction in the solubilization of iron and copper from the sulphide ores were also observed under aerobic conditions in presence of sodium azide (0.1 μmol), which completely inhibits the iron-oxidizing activity.

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Neurotrophic factors (NTFs) are secreted proteins which promote the survival of neurons, formation and maintenance of neuronal contacts and regulate synaptic plasticity. NTFs are also potential drug candidates for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is mainly caused by the degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Current therapies for PD do not stop the neurodegeneration or repair the affected neurons. Thus, search of novel neurotrophic factors for midbrain dopaminergic neurons, which could also be used as therapeutic proteins, is highly warranted. In the present study, we identified and characterized a novel protein named conserved dopamine neurotrophic factor (CDNF), a homologous protein to mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF). Others have shown that MANF supports the survival of embryonic midbrain dopaminergic neurons in vitro, and protects cultured cells against endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. CDNF and MANF form a novel evolutionary conserved protein family with characteristic eight conserved cysteine residues in their primary structure. The vertebrates have CDNF and MANF encoding genes, whereas the invertebrates, including Drosophila and Caenorhabditis have a single homologous CDNF/MANF gene. In this study we show that CDNF and MANF are secreted proteins. They are widely expressed in the mammalian brain, including the midbrain and striatum, and in several non-neuronal tissues. We expressed and purified recombinant human CDNF and MANF proteins, and tested the neurotrophic activity of CDNF on midbrain dopaminergic neurons using a 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) rat model of PD. In this model, a single intrastriatal injection of CDNF protected midbrain dopaminergic neurons and striatal dopaminergic fibers from the 6-OHDA toxicity. Importantly, an intrastriatal injection of CDNF also restored the functional activity of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system when given after the striatal 6-OHDA lesion. Thus, our study shows that CDNF is a potential novel therapeutic protein for the treatment of PD. In order to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of CDNF and MANF activity, we resolved their crystal structure. CDNF and MANF proteins have two domains; an amino (N)-terminal saposin-like domain and a presumably unfolded carboxy (C)-terminal domain. The saposin-like domain, which is formed by five α-helices and stabilized by three intradomain disulphide bridges, may bind to lipids or membranes. The C-terminal domain contains an internal cysteine bridge in a CXXC motif similar to that of thiol/disulphide oxidoreductases and isomerases, and may thus facilitate protein folding in the ER. Our studies suggest that CDNF and MANF are novel potential therapeutic proteins for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Future studies will reveal the neurotrophic and cytoprotective mechanisms of CDNF and MANF in more detail.

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Crystal structures of lithium, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium salts of adenosine 2'-monophosphate (2'-AMP) have been obtained at atomic resolution by X-ray crystallographic methods. 2'-AMP.Li belongs to the monoclinic space group P21 with a = 7.472(3)Å, b = 26.853(6) Å, c = 9.184(1)Å, b = 113.36(1)Å and Z= 4. 2'-AMP.Na and 2'-AMP.K crystallize in the trigonal space groups P31 and P3121 with a = 8.762(1)Å, c = 34.630(5)Å, Z= 6 and a = 8.931(4), Åc = 34.852(9)Å and Z= 6 respectively while 2'-AMP.Ca and 2'-AMP.Mg belong to space groups P6522 and P21 with cell parameters a = 9.487(2), c = 74.622(13), Z = 12 and a = 4.973(1), b = 10.023(2), c = 16.506(2), beta = 91.1(0) and Z = 2 respectively. All the structures were solved by direct methods and refined by full matrix least-squares to final R factors of 0.033, 0.028, 0.075, 0.069 and 0.030 for 2'-AMP.Li, 2'-AMP.Na, 2'- AMP.K, 2'-AMP.Ca and 2'-AMP.Mg, respectively. The neutral adenine bases in all the structures are in syn conformation stabilized by the O5'-N3 intramolecular hydrogen bond as in free acid and ammonium complex reported earlier. In striking contrast, the adenine base is in the anti geometry (cCN = -156.4(2)°) in 2'-AMP.Mg. Ribose moieties adopt C2'-endo puckering in 2'-AMP.Li and 2'-AMP.Ca, C2'-endo-C3'-exo twist puckering in 2'-AMP.Na and 2'-AMP.K and a C3'-endo-C2'-exo twist puckering in 2'-AMP.Mg structure. The conformation about the exocyclic C4'-C5' bond is the commonly observed gauche-gauche (g+) in all the structures except the gauche- trans (g-) conformation observed in 2'-AMP.Mg structure. Lithium ions coordinate with water, ribose and phosphate oxygens at distances 1.88 to 1.99Å. Na+ ions and K+ ions interact with phosphate and ribose oxygens directly and with N7 indirectly through a water oxygen. A distinct feature of 2'-AMP.Na and 2'-AMP.K structures is the involvement of ribose O4' in metal coordination. The calcium ion situated on a two-fold axis coordinates directly with three oxygens OW1, OW2 and O2 and their symmetry mates at distances 2.18 to 2.42Å forming an octahedron. A classic example of an exception to the existence of the O5'-N3 intramolecular hydorgen bond is the 2'-AMP.Mg strucure. Magnesium ion forms an octahedral coordination with three water and three phosphate oxygens at distances ranging from 2.02 to 2.11Å. A noteworthy feature of its coordination is the indirect link with N3 through OW3 oxygen resulting in macrochelation between the base and the phosphate group. Greater affnity of metal clays towards 5' compared to 2' and 3' nucleotides (J. Lawless, E. Edelson, and L. Manring, Am. Chem. Soc. Northwest Region Meeting, Seattle. 1978) due to macrochelation infered from solution studies (S. S. Massoud, H. Sigel, Eur. J. Biochem. 179, 451-458 (1989)) and interligand hydrogen bonding induced by metals postulated from metal-nucleotide structures in solid state (V. Swaminathan and M. Sundaralingam, CRC. Crit. Rev. Biochem. 6, 245-336 (1979)) are borne out by our structures also. The stacking patterns of adenine bases of both 2'-AMP.Na and 2'-AMP.K structures resemble the 2'-AMP.NH4 structure reported in the previous article. 2'-AMP.Li, 2'-AMP.Ca and 2'-AMP.Mg structures display base-ribose O4' stacking. An overview of interaction of monovalent and divalent cations with 2' and 5'-nucleotides has been presented.

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CD1d-restricted natural killer T (NKT) cells expressing invariant Valpha14Jalpha18 T cell receptor alpha-chains are abundant in murine liver and are implicated in the control of malignancy, infection and autoimmunity. Invariant NKT cells have potent anti-metastatic effects in mice and phase I clinical trials involving their homologues in humans are ongoing. However, invariant NKT cells are less abundant in human liver ( approximately 0.5% of hepatic T cells) than in murine liver (up to 50%) and it is not known if other hepatic T cells are CD1-restricted. We have examined expression of CD1a, CD1b, CD1c and CD1d mRNA and protein in human liver and evaluated the reactivity of mononuclear cells (MNC) from histologically normal and tumour-bearing human liver specimens against these CD1 isoforms. Messenger RNA for all CD1 isotypes was detectable in all liver samples. CD1c and CD1d were expressed at the protein level by hepatic MNC. CD1d, only, was detectable at the cell surface, but CD1c and CD1d were found at an intracellular location in significant numbers of liver MNC. CD1b was not expressed by MNC from healthy livers but was detectable within MNC in all tumour samples tested. Hepatic T cells exhibited reactivity against C1R cells expressing transfected CD1c and CD1d, but neither CD1a nor CD1b. These cells secreted interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) but not interleukin-4 (IL-4) upon stimulation. In contrast, similar numbers of peripheral T cells released 13- and 16-fold less IFN-gamma in response to CD1c and CD1d, respectively. CD1c and CD1d expression and T cell reactivity were not altered in tumour-bearing liver specimens compared to histologically normal livers. These data suggest that, in addition to invariant CD1d-restricted NKT cells, autoreactive T cells that recognise CD1c and CD1d and release inflammatory cytokines are abundant in human liver.

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Intracellular membrane alterations are hallmarks of positive-sense RNA (+RNA) virus replication. Strong evidence indicates that within these exotic compartments, viral replicase proteins engage in RNA genome replication and transcription. To date, fundamental questions such as the origin of altered membranes, mechanisms of membrane deformation and topological distribution and function of viral components, are still waiting for comprehensive answers. This study addressed some of the above mentioned questions for the membrane alterations induced during Semliki Forest virus (SFV) infection of mammalian cells. With the aid of electron and fluorescence microscopy coupled with radioactive labelling and immuno-cytochemistry techniques, our group and others showed that few hours after infection the four non structural proteins (nsP1-4) and newly synthesized RNAs of SFV colocalized in close proximity of small membrane invaginations, designated as spherules . These 50-70 nm structures were mainly detected in the perinuclear area, at the limiting membrane of modified endosomes and lysosomes, named CPV-I (cytopathic vacuoles type I). More rarely, spherules were also found at the plasma membrane (PM). In the first part of this study I present the first three-dimensional reconstruction of the CPV-I and the spherules, obtained by electron tomography after chemical or cryo-fixation. Different approaches for imaging these macromolecular assemblies to obtain better structure preservation and higher resolution are presented as unpublished data. This study provides insights into spherule organization and distribution of viral components. The results of this and other experiments presented in this thesis will challenge currently accepted models for virus replication complex formation and function. In a revisitation of our previous models, the second part of this work provides the first complete description of the biogenesis of the CPV-I. The results demonstrate that these virus-induced vacuoles, where hundreds of spherules accumulate at late stages during infection, represent the final phase of a journey initiated at the PM, which apparently serves as a platform for spherule formation. From the PM spherules were internalized by an endocytic event that required the activity of the class I PI3K, caveolin-1, cellular cholesterol and functional actin-myosin network. The resulting neutral endocytic carrier vesicle delivered the spherules to the membrane of pre-existing acidic endosomes via multiple fusion events. Microtubule based transport supported the vectorial transfer of these intermediates to the pericentriolar area where further fusions generated the CPV-I. A signal for spherule internalization was identified in one of the replicase proteins, nsP3. Infections of cells with viruses harbouring a deletion in a highly phosphorylated region of nsP3 did not result in the formation of CPV-Is. Instead, thousands of spherules remained at the PM throughout the infection cycle. Finally, the role of the replicase protein nsP2 during viral RNA replication and transcription was investigated. Three enzymatic activities, protease, NTPase and RNA-triphosphatase were studied with the aid of temperature sensitive mutants in vitro and, when possible, in vivo. The results highlighted the interplay of the different nsP2 functions during different steps of RNA replication and sub-genomic promoter regulation, and suggest that the protein could have different activities when participating in the replication complex or as a free enzyme.

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Glycodelin A (GdA) is one of the progesterone inducible endometrial factors that protect the fetal semiallograft from maternal immune rejection. The immumoregulatory effects of GdA are varied, with diverse effects on the fate and function of most immune cell types. Its effects on T cells are particularly relevant as it is capable of regulating T cell activation, differentiation, as well as apoptosis. We have previously reported that GdA triggers mitochondrial stress and apoptosis in activated T cells by a mechanism that is distinct and independent of its effects on T cell activation. In this study we describe the characterization of a cell surface receptor for GdA on T cells. Our results reveal a novel calcium-independent galactose-binding lectin activity of GdA, which is responsible for its apoptogenic function. This discovery adds GdA to a select group of soluble immunoregulatory lectins that operate within the feto-placental compartment, the only other members being the galectin family proteins. We also report for the first time that both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell subsets are equally susceptible to inhibition with GdA, mediated by its novel lectin activity. We demonstrate that GdA selectively recognizes complex-type N-linked glycans on T cell surface glycoproteins. and propose that the galectin-1 glycoprotein receptor CD7 maybe a novel target for GdA on T cells. This study, for the first time, links the lectin activity of GdA to its biological function.

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The mutL gene of Neisseria gonorrhoeae has been cloned and the gene product purified. We have found that the homodimeric N. gonorrhoeae MutL (NgoL) protein displays an endonuclease activity that incises covalently closed circular DNA in the presence of Mn2+, Mg2+ or Ca2+ ions, unlike human MutL alpha which shows endonuclease activity only in the presence of Mn2+. We report in the present paper that the C-terminal domain of N. gonorrhoeae MutL (NgoL-CTD) consisting of amino acids 460-658 exhibits Mn2+-dependent endonuclease activity. Sedimentation velocity, sedimentation equilibrium and dynamic light scattering experiments show NgoL-CTD to be a dimer. The probable endonucleolytic active site is localized to a metal-binding motif, DMHAX(2)EX(4)E, and the nicking endonuclease activity is dependent on the integrity of this motif. By in vitro comparison of wild-type and it mutant NgoL-CTD protein, we show that the latter protein exhibits highly reduced endonuclease activity. We therefore suggest that the mode of excision initiation in DNA mismatch repair may be different in organisms that lack MutH protein, but have MutL proteins that harbour the D[M/Q]HAX(2)EX(4)E motif.

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Mycobacterium smegmatis topoisomerase I (Mstopol) is distinct from typical type IA topoisomerases. The enzyme binds to both single- and double-stranded DNA with high affinity, making specific contacts. The enzyme comprises conserved regions similar to type IA topoisomerases from Escherichia coli and other eubacteria but lacks the typically found zinc fingers in the carboxy-terminal domain. The enzyme can perform DNA cleavage m the absence of Mg2+ but religation needs exogenously added Mg2+. One molecule of Mg2+ tightly bound to the enzyme has no role in DNA cleavage but is needed only for the religation reaction. The toprim. (topoisomerase-primase) domain in MstopoI comprising the Mg2+ binding pocket, conserved in both type IA and type II topoisomerases, was subjected to mutagenesis to understand the role of Mg2+, in different steps of the reaction. The residues D108, D110, and E112 of the enzyme, which form the acidic triad in the DXDXE motif, were changed to alanines. D108A mutation resulted in an enzyme that is Mg2+ dependent for DNA cleavage unlike Mstopol and exhibited enhanced DNA cleavage property and reduced religation activity. The mutant was toxic for cell growth, most likely due to the imbalance in cleavage-religation equilibrium. In contrast, the E112A mutant behaved like wild-type enzyme, cleaving DNA in a Mg2+-independent fashion, albeit to a reduced extent. Intra- and intermolecular religation assays indicated specific roles for D108 and E112 residues during the reaction. Together, these results indicate that the D108 residue has a major role during cleavage and religation, while E112 is important for enhancing the efficiency of cleavage. Thus, although architecturally and mechanistically similar to topoisomerase I from E. coli, the metal coordination pattern of the mycobacterial enzyme is distinct, opening up avenues to exploit the enzyme to develop inhibitors.

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Sirtuins are NAD(+) dependent deacetylases that modulate various essential cellular functions. Development of peptide based inhibitors of Sir2s would prove useful both as pharmaceutical agents and as effectors by which downstream cellular alterations can be monitored. Click chemistry that utilizes Huisgen's 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition permits attachment of novel modifications onto the side chain of lysine. Herein, we report the synthesis of peptide analogues prepared using click reactions on N epsilon-propargyloxycarbonyl protected lysine residues and their characterization as inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum Sir2 activity. The peptide based inhibitors exhibited parabolic competitive inhibition with respect to acetylated-peptide substrate and parabolic non-competitive inhibition with NAD(+) supporting the formation of EI2 and E.NAD(+).I-2 complexes. Cross-competition inhibition analysis with the non-competitive inhibitor nicotinamide (NAM) ruled out the possibility of the NAM-binding site being the second inhibitor binding site, suggesting the presence of a unique alternate pocket commodating the inhibitor. One of these compounds was also found to be a potent inhibitor of the intraerythrocytic growth of P. falciparum with 50% inhibitory concentration in the micromolar range.

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Bone is a mineralized tissue that enables multiple mechanical and metabolic functions to be carried out in the skeleton. Bone contains distinct cell types: osteoblasts (bone-forming cells), osteocytes (mature osteoblast that embedded in mineralized bone matrix) and the osteoclasts (bone-resorbing cells). Remodelling of bone begins early in foetal life, and once the skeleton is fully formed in young adults, almost all of the metabolic activity is in this form. Bone is constantly destroyed or resorbed by osteoclasts and then replaced by osteoblasts. Many bone diseases, i.e. osteoporosis, also known as bone loss, typically reflect an imbalance in skeletal turnover. The cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and the cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) are second messengers involved in a variety of cellular responses to such extracellular agents as hormones and neurotransmitters. In the hormonal regulation of bone metabolism, i.e. via parathyroid hormone (PTH), parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrp) and prostaglandin E2 signal via cAMP. cAMP and cGMP are formed by adenylate and guanylate cyclases and are degraded by phosphodiesterases (PDEs). PDEs determine the amplitudes of cyclic nucleotide-mediated hormonal responses and modulate the duration of the signal. The activities of the PDEs are regulated by multiple inputs from other signalling systems and are crucial points of cross-talk between the pathways. Food-derived bioactive peptides are reported to express a variety of functions in vivo. The angiotensin-converting enzymes (ACEs) are involved in the regulation of the specific maturation or degradation of a number of mammalian bioactive peptides. The bioactive peptides offer also a nutriceutical and a nutrigenomic aspect to bone cell biology. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of PDEs and bioactive peptides on the activation and the differentiation of human osteoblast cells. The profile of PDEs in human osteoblast-like cells and the effect of glucocorticoids on the function of cAMP PDEs, were investigated at the mRNA and enzyme levels. The effects of PDEs on bone formation and osteoblast gene expression were determined with chemical inhibitors and siRNAs (short interfering RNAs). The influence of bioactive peptides on osteoblast gene expression and proliferation was studied at the mRNA and cellular levels. This work provides information on how PDEs are involved in the function and the differentiation of osteoblasts. The findings illustrate that gene-specific silencing with an RNA interference (RNAi) method is useful in inhibiting, the gene expression of specific PDEs and further, PDE7 inhibition upregulates several osteogenic genes and increases bALP activity and mineralization in human mesenchymal stem cells-derived osteoblasts. PDEs appear to be involved in a mechanism by which glucocorticoids affect cAMP signaling. This may provide a potential route in the formation of glucocorticoid-induced bone loss, involving the down-regulation of cAMP-PDE. PDEs may play an important role in the regulation of osteoblastic differentiation. Isoleucine-proline-proline (IPP), a bioactive peptide, possesses the potential to increase osteoblast proliferation, differentiation and signalling.

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Many conventional statistical machine learning al- gorithms generalise poorly if distribution bias ex- ists in the datasets. For example, distribution bias arises in the context of domain generalisation, where knowledge acquired from multiple source domains need to be used in a previously unseen target domains. We propose Elliptical Summary Randomisation (ESRand), an efficient domain generalisation approach that comprises of a randomised kernel and elliptical data summarisation. ESRand learns a domain interdependent projection to a la- tent subspace that minimises the existing biases to the data while maintaining the functional relationship between domains. In the latent subspace, ellipsoidal summaries replace the samples to enhance the generalisation by further removing bias and noise in the data. Moreover, the summarisation enables large-scale data processing by significantly reducing the size of the data. Through comprehensive analysis, we show that our subspace-based approach outperforms state-of-the-art results on several activity recognition benchmark datasets, while keeping the computational complexity significantly low.