Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Zero-Shot Action Recognition with Error-Correcting Output Codes

Recently, zero-shot action recognition (ZSAR) has emerged with the explosive growth of action categories. In this paper, we explore ZSAR from a novel perspective by adopting the Error-Correcting Output Codes (dubbed ZSECOC). Our ZSECOC equips the conventional ECOC with the additional capability of ZSAR, by addressing the domain shift problem. In particular, we learn discriminative ZSECOC for seen categories from both category-level semantics and intrinsic data structures. This procedure deals with domain shift implicitly by transferring the well-established correlations among seen categories to unseen ones. Moreover, a simple semantic transfer strategy is developed for explicitly transforming the learned embeddings of seen categories to better fit the underlying structure of unseen categories. As a consequence, our ZSECOC inherits the promising characteristics from ECOC as well as overcomes domain shift, making it more discriminative for ZSAR. We systematically evaluate ZSECOC on three realistic action benchmarks, i.e. Olympic Sports, HMDB51 and UCF101. The experimental results clearly show the superiority of ZSECOC over the state-of-the-art methods.
Earlier harvest and drying of soybean seed within intact pods maintains seed quality

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ] seed quality (viability and vigor) is critical to seed producers, emphasizing the need to maximize the quality of the harvested seeds. Currently, soybean seeds are harvested at a moisture content of ≤ 160 g kg -1 , similar to the moisture content of harvested soybean grain. However, soybean seed quality peaks at physiological maturity (PM). Allowing soybean seeds to desiccate in the field increases vulnerability to seed deterioration, disease, and harvest losses. Early harvest of soybean seeds and drying within intact pods might maintain seed quality. Our research examined the effect of maturity stage (green-, yellow-, or brown-pod), drying temperature (27°C ± 2, 31°C ± 2, or 41°C ± 2), and pod integrity (pod intact or removed) on soybean seed quality. Seeds were harvested in 2009 and 2010 and dried within stacked tray driers. Drying podded, yellow-pod maturity seeds at ambient temperature (27°C ± 2) protected seeds from rapid desiccation and seeds exhibited similar seed quality characteristics as those harvested at brown-pod maturity stage. A drying temperature of 41°C ± 2 greatly reduced seed quality at both levels of pod integrity for immature harvested seeds (green-pod). Harvesting soybeans at the yellow-pod stage has the greatest potential for
Rubisco Assembly in the Chloroplast

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the Calvin-Benson cycle, which transforms atmospheric carbon into a biologically useful carbon source. The slow catalytic rate of Rubisco and low substrate specificity necessitate the production of high levels of this enzyme. In order to engineer a more efficient plant Rubisco, we need to better understand its folding and assembly process. Form I Rubisco, found in green algae and vascular plants, is a hexadecamer composed of 8 large subunits (RbcL), encoded by the chloroplast genome and 8 small, nuclear-encoded subunits (RbcS). Unlike its cyanobacterial homolog, which can be reconstituted in vitro or in E. coli, assisted by bacterial chaperonins (GroEL-GroES) and the RbcX chaperone, biogenesis of functional chloroplast Rubisco requires Cpn60-Cpn20, the chloroplast homologs of GroEL-GroES, and additional auxiliary factors, including Rubisco accumulation factor 1 (Raf1), Rubisco accumulation factor 2 (Raf2) and Bundle sheath defective 2 (Bsd2). The discovery and characterization of these factors paved the way for Arabidopsis Rubisco assembly in E. coli. In the present review, we discuss the uniqueness of hetero-oligomeric chaperonin complex for RbcL folding, as well as the sequential or concurrent actions of the post-chaperonin chaperones in holoenzyme assembly. The exact stages at which each assembly factor functions are yet to be determined. Expression of Arabidopsis Rubisco in E. coli provided some insight regarding the potential roles for Raf1 and RbcX in facilitating RbcL oligomerization, for Bsd2 in stabilizing the oligomeric core prior to holoenzyme assembly, and for Raf2 in interacting with both RbcL and RbcS. In the long term, functional characterization of each known factor along with the potential discovery and characterization of additional factors will set the stage for designing more efficient plants, with a greater biomass, for use in biofuels and sustenance.
T helper 17 cell/regulatory T‐cell imbalance in hidradenitis suppurativa/acne inversa: the link to hair follicle dissection, obesity, smoking and autoimmune comorbidities

Disintegration of the infundibula of terminal hair follicles (HFs) in intertriginous skin areas exhibits the histological hallmark of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS)/acne inversa, featuring a dissecting terminal hair folliculitis. Elevated serum levels of interleukin (IL)‐17 and local increase in the ratio of proinflammatory T helper (Th)17 cells and anti‐inflammatory regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been reported. Perifollicular Tregs play a key role in HF stem cell homeostasis and infundibular integrity.
Variations in NTF4, VAV2, and VAV3 genes are not involved with primary open-angle and primary angle-closure glaucomas in an indian population.

PURPOSE Recently, the neurotrophin-4 (NTF4), VAV2 and VAV3 genes have been implicated in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in the European and Japanese populations, respectively. This study was conducted to determine their involvement in an Indian population with POAG and primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG). METHODS The entire NTF4 gene and the POAG-associated SNPs rs2156323 (VAV2) and rs2801219 (VAV3) and their flanking regions were screened by resequencing in a clinically well-characterized cohort of 537 subjects that included cases of POAG (n = 141), PACG (n = 111), and ethnically matched normal controls (n = 285). The data were analyzed by using appropriate statistical software. RESULTS Resequencing of NTF4 revealed a nonsynonymous (A88V), silent (P151P) and two changes in the 3'UTR region, along with a known polymorphism (rs11669977) in cases of POAG; the PACG cases exhibited only the A88V variation. Of interest, the A88V mutation observed in Europeans was more prevalent in our normal control subjects (4.91%, 95% CI, 2.95-8.07) than in the POAG (2.14%, 95% CI, 0.73-6.11; P = 0.200) and PACG (2.85%, 95% CI, 0.97-8.06; P = 0.577) cases. There were no major differences in the presenting intraocular pressure, cup-to-disc ratio, and visual field defects among patients harboring the A88V variation. The other variations in NTF4 were not associated with the cases. The risk alleles of rs2156323 and rs2801219 in the Japanese were not associated with POAG (P = 0.533 and 0.133, respectively) and PACG (P = 0.223 and 0.394, respectively) in the Indian cohort. CONCLUSIONS The present data indicate a lack of involvement of variations in NTF4, VAV2, and VAV3 with glaucoma pathogenesis in an Indian population.
Kinetic Behaviour of Nanoparticles Across the Biological Physiology

Nanotoxicokinetics is a subsection of the toxicology field that involves the study of kinetic displacement of nanoparticles (NPs) in an organism. Four different steps, namely absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination (ADME), are involved in nanotoxicokinetics. However, only ADE will be covert in this mini review. Because of their size, NPs react differently than particulate matter larger than the nanometre unit in diameter. In the organism, a closer interaction between NPs and biological matrices, called nanotoxicodynamics, might increase the health effects. (Animals are usually in studies to evaluate the global interaction of NPs and biological matrices and to control and reduce the bias.) Understanding the different steps of kinetics is very important to increase the confidence of the amount of NP delivery in the target organ and to assess the level of risk. The objective of this work was to review the behaviour of the NPs interacting with the biological kinetic steps of the ADME and their limitations and constraints. Specifically, it was reviewed the impact of each of the four steps of nanotoxicokinetics, from exposure to elimination in the organism. Recent publications have provided some information on this issue, allowing for a better understanding on how the NPs behave across physiology; however, information is still lacking. We also systematically reviewed the ADME process, and supported our review with examples from the literature. We reviewed the two major factors that influence the absorption of NPs: enumerated biotransformation and elimination limitations. One of the focuses of this study was the interaction between NPs and biological matrices because the morphology and chemical properties may drive the potential for exposure. This paper present different examples of interactions find from literature. To study these interactions, we used a classical pharmacokinetic approach employed in the pharmaceutical industry and compared it to a dynamic predictive tool called the physiologically based pharmacokinetic model. This review would allow us to better interpret the behaviour of NPs. This review would also provide a better insight about the intake, site, and the disposition of NPs and would help identify the major consequences of the interaction of NPs with biological matrices. These interactions might have reversible or irreversible consequences for the integrity of the organism.
Adult attachment insecurity is positively associated with medically unexplained chronic pain

Attachment insecurity (i.e. anxiety in relationships and/or discomfort in close relationships) is associated with self‐reports of physical symptoms, medically unexplained symptoms and health conditions involving pain. Medically unexplained chronic pain (MUCP) may represent a particularly severe form of symptom reporting that is also characteristic of individuals with insecure attachment. This study investigated relationships between adult attachment style ratings and past‐year MUCP in a sample of the general U.S. population and the ability of attachment style ratings to account for variance in past‐year MUCP beyond that accounted for by potential confounders.
Mapping the grounding zone of the Amery Ice Shelf, East Antarctica using InSAR, MODIS and ICESat

Abstract We use a combination of satellite techniques (interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), visible-band imagery, and repeat-track laser altimetry) to develop a benchmark map for the Amery Ice Shelf (AIS) grounding zone (GZ), including its islands and ice rises. The break-in-slope, as an indirect estimate of grounding line location, was mapped for the entire AIS. We have also mapped ∼55% of the landward edge and ∼30% of the seaward edge of the ice shelf flexure boundary for the AIS perimeter. Vertical ice motion from Global Positioning System receivers confirms the location of the satellite-derived GZ in two regions. Our map redefines the extent of floating ice in the south-western AIS and identifies several previously unmapped grounded regions, improving our understanding of the stresses supporting the current dynamical state of the ice shelf. Finally, we identify three along-flow channels in the ice shelf basal topography, approximately 10 km apart, 1.5 km wide and 300–500 m deep, near the southern GZ. These channels, which form at the suture zones between ice streams, may represent zones of potential weakness in the ice shelf and may influence sub-ice-shelf ocean circulation.
Perinatal characteristics and mother's personality profile associated with increased likelihood of postpartum depression occurrence in a Romanian outpatient sample

Abstract Background: Postpartum depression represents an increasingly recognized psychiatric condition in new mothers, and even more so in recent years as its detection has improved. Aims: This study aimed to reveal those maternal and perinatal parameters that are significantly associated with increased likelihood of postpartum depression in delivering mothers from our region. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 163 women between 6 and 8 weeks after delivery. Postnatal depression was assessed by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) using a cut-off of >12. Results: Postnatal depression was detected in 39 (23.93%) new mothers. The preterm delivery [odds ratio (OR) 7.233; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.631–32.078; p = 0.009], presence of complications during pregnancy (OR 4.579; 95% CI 1.314–15.953; p = 0.017) and being primiparous (OR 3.388; 95% CI 1.430–8.025; p = 0.006) have been associated with an increased likelihood of subsequent postpartum depression. Anxiety traits of personality were the most represented in depressive mothers. Conclusions: Postpartum depression is a frequent psychiatric condition in new mothers from our region. These results outline the critical role of mother’s profile of personality which in a particular context of perinatal events could result in an increased likelihood of postpartum depression requiring a multidisciplinary approach.
Self‐assembly of tissue spheroids on polymeric membranes

In this study, multicellular tissue spheroids were fabricated on polymeric membranes in order to accelerate the fusion process and tissue formation. To this purpose, tissue spheroids composed of three different cell types, myoblasts, fibroblasts and neural cells, were formed and cultured on agarose and membranes of polycaprolactone (PCL) and chitosan (CHT). Membranes prepared by a phase‐inversion technique display different physicochemical, mechanical and transport properties, which can affect the fusion process. The membranes accelerated the fusion process of a pair of spheroids with respect to the inert substrate. In this process, a critical role is played by the membrane properties, especially by their mechanical characteristics and oxygen and carbon dioxide mass transfer. The rate of fusion was quantified and found to be similar for fibroblast, myoblast and neural tissue spheroids on membranes, which completed the fusion within 3 days. These spheroids underwent faster fusion and maturation on PCL membrane than on agarose, the rate of fusion being proportional to the value of oxygen and carbon dioxide permeances and elastic characteristics. Consequently, tissue spheroids on the membranes expressed high biological activity in terms of oxygen uptake, making them more suitable as building blocks in the fabrication of tissues and organs. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sensitivity of Multiplex PCR Assay for Selected Animal Species

Multiplex PCR assay was quick, simple and sensitive method for identification multiple meat species in single PCR reaction. Mitochondrial cytochrome b gene was used as an indicator gene for identification of selected animal species (Buffalo, Sheep, Goat and Chicken) by using multiplex PCR. Sensitivity of the multiplex PCR assay was determined by using 100 ng/μl DNA of meat of Buffalo, Sheep, Goat and Chicken. For the estimation of sensitivity of multiplex PCR assay (34 cycles) made subsequently 10 fold dilution of 100 ng/μl DNA i.e. 100, 10, 1, 0.1, 0.01, 0.001 ng/μl and used in multiplex PCR reaction. In present study the lowest sensitivity of the multiplex PCR assay for all the four selected animal species DNA concentration was fined up to 0.01 ng/μl.
Corynebacterium diphtheriae Iron-Regulated Surface Protein HbpA Is Involved in the Utilization of the Hemoglobin-Haptoglobin Complex as an Iron Source

ABSTRACT Corynebacterium diphtheriae utilizes various heme-containing proteins, including hemoglobin (Hb) and the hemoglobin-haptoglobin complex (Hb-Hp), as iron sources during growth in iron-depleted environments. The ability to utilize Hb-Hp as an iron source requires the surface-anchored proteins HtaA and either ChtA or ChtC. The ability to bind hemin, Hb, and Hb-Hp by each of these C. diphtheriae proteins requires the previously characterized conserved region (CR) domain. In this study, we identified an Hb-Hp binding protein, HbpA (38.5 kDa), which is involved in the acquisition of hemin iron from Hb-Hp. HbpA was initially identified from total cell lysates as an iron-regulated protein that binds to both Hb and Hb-Hp in situ. HbpA does not contain a CR domain and has sequence similarity only to homologous proteins present in a limited number of C. diphtheriae strains. Transcription of hbpA is regulated in an iron-dependent manner that is mediated by DtxR, a global iron-dependent regulator. Deletion of hbpA from C. diphtheriae results in a reduced ability to utilize Hb-Hp as an iron source but has little or no effect on the ability to use Hb or hemin as an iron source. Cell fractionation studies showed that HbpA is both secreted into the culture supernatant and associated with the membrane, where its exposure on the bacterial surface allows HbpA to bind Hb and Hb-Hp. The identification and analysis of HbpA enhance our understanding of iron uptake in C. diphtheriae and indicate that the acquisition of hemin iron from Hb-Hp may involve a complex mechanism that requires multiple surface proteins. IMPORTANCE The ability to utilize host iron sources, such as heme and heme-containing proteins, is essential for many bacterial pathogens to cause disease. In this study, we have identified a novel factor (HbpA) that is crucial for the use of hemin iron from the hemoglobin-haptoglobin complex (Hb-Hp). Hb-Hp is considered one of the primary sources of iron for certain bacterial pathogens. HbpA has no similarity to the previously identified Hb-Hp binding proteins, HtaA and ChtA/C, and is found only in a limited group of C. diphtheriae strains. Understanding the function of HbpA may significantly increase our knowledge of how this important human pathogen can acquire host iron that allows it to survive and cause disease in the human respiratory tract.
Three siblings with Prader–Willi syndrome caused by imprinting center microdeletions and review

Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex genetic imprinting disorder characterized by childhood obesity, short stature, hypogonadism/hypogenitalism, hypotonia, cognitive impairment, and behavioral problems. Usually PWS occurs sporadically due to the loss of paternally expressed genes on chromosome 15 with the majority of individuals having the 15q11‐q13 region deleted. Examples of familial PWS have been reported but rarely. To date 13 families have been reported with more than one child with PWS and without a 15q11‐q13 deletion secondary to a chromosome 15 translocation, inversion, or uniparental maternal disomy 15. Ten of those 13 families were shown to carry microdeletions in the PWS imprinting center. The microdeletions were found to be of paternal origin in nine of the ten cases in which family studies were carried out. Using a variety of techniques, the microdeletions were identified in regions within the complex SNRPN gene locus encompassing the PWS imprinting center. Here, we report the clinical and genetic findings in three adult siblings with PWS caused by a microdeletion in the chromosome 15 imprinting center inherited from an unaffected father that controls the activity of genes in the 15q11‐q13 region and summarize the 13 reported cases in the literature.
Bombesin receptor subtype‐3‐expressing neurons regulate energy homeostasis through a novel neuronal pathway in the hypothalamus

Bombesin receptor subtype‐3 (BRS‐3) has been suggested to play a potential role in energy homeostasis. However, the physiological mechanism of BRS‐3 on energy homeostasis remains unknown. Thus, we investigated the BRS‐3‐mediated neuronal pathway involved in food intake and energy expenditure.
Correspondence-Free Dictionary Learning for Cross-View Action Recognition

In this paper, we propose a novel unsupervised approach to enabling sparse action representations for the cross-view action recognition scenario. Superior to previous cross-view action recognition methods, neither target view label information nor correspondence annotations are required in this approach. Low-level dense trajectory action features are first coded according to their feature space localities within the same view by projecting each descriptor into its local-coordinate system under the locality constraints. Actions across each pair of views are additionally decomposed to sparse linear combinations of basis atoms, a.k. a. , dictionary elements, which are learned to reconstruct the original data while simultaneously forcing similar actions to have identical representations in an unsupervised manner. Consequently, cross-view knowledge is retained through the learned basis atoms, so that high-level representations of actions from both views can be considered to possess the same data distribution and can be directly fed into the classifier. The proposed approach achieves improved performance compared to state-of-the-art methods on the multi-view IXMAS data set, and leads to a new experimental setting that is closer to real-world applications.
Global Repetition Influences Contextual Cueing

Our visual system has a striking ability to improve visual search based on the learning of repeated ambient regularities, an effect named contextual cueing. Whereas most of the previous studies investigated contextual cueing effect with the same number of repeated and non-repeated search displays per block, the current study focused on whether a global repetition frequency formed by different presentation ratios between the repeated and non-repeated configurations influence contextual cueing effect. Specifically, the number of repeated and non-repeated displays presented in each block was manipulated: 12:12, 20:4, 4:20, and 4:4 in Experiments 1–4, respectively. The results revealed a significant contextual cueing effect when the global repetition frequency is high (≥1:1 ratio) in Experiments 1, 2, and 4, given that processing of repeated displays was expedited relative to non-repeated displays. Nevertheless, the contextual cueing effect reduced to a non-significant level when the repetition frequency reduced to 4:20 in Experiment 3. These results suggested that the presentation frequency of repeated relative to the non-repeated displays could influence the strength of contextual cueing. In other words, global repetition statistics could be a crucial factor to mediate contextual cueing effect.
Comfort and Protection Properties Of Tencel/Cotton Blends

Good ultraviolet protection, thermal and moisture transport properties are quite important factors for knitted garments especially for sportswear, outerwear and underwear. These properties may offer higher flexibility in designing such garments with optimized comfort properties. There were few studies concerning knitted fabrics, in particular the influence of fiber materials on ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) and absorption properties. Accordingly, in this study, knitted fabric samples were produced with eight types of natural and regenerated cellulosic yarns using two different fabric types (i.e. single jersey and single jersey with Lycra fabrics). In doing so, Ne 30/1 yarns from cellulosic fibers: 50% Tencel LF / 50% cotton, 67% Tencel LF / 33% cotton, 67% Tencel STD / 33% cotton, 70% bamboo / 30% cotton, 100% bamboo, 100% Modal, 100% Micro Modal and 100% cotton were employed. After that, all fabric samples were subjected to a repeated laundering process (five cycles) under commercial conditions and then flat-dried. The results show that 67% Tencel LF / 30% cotton single jersey fabric has more flexural rigidity than 67% Tencel STD / 30% cotton fabric. Blending Egyptian cotton fibers with bamboo and Tencel as in 70 / 30% bamboo/cotton and 50 / 50% Tencel LF/cotton increase U.P.F characteristic of the produced fabric. Egyptian cotton fabric has the highest thermal insulation compared to the other regenerated cellulosic fabrics.