Double-Camera Fusion System for Animal-Position Awareness in Farming Pens.

In livestock breeding, continuous and objective monitoring of animals is manually unfeasible due to the large scale of breeding and expensive labour. Computer vision technology can generate accurate and real-time individual animal or animal group information from video surveillance. However, the frequent occlusion between animals and changes in appearance features caused by varying lighting conditions makes single-camera systems less attractive. We propose a double-camera system and image registration algorithms to spatially fuse the information from different viewpoints to solve these issues. This paper presents a deformable learning-based registration framework, where the input image pairs are initially linearly pre-registered. Then, an unsupervised convolutional neural network is employed to fit the mapping from one view to another, using a large number of unlabelled samples for training. The learned parameters are then used in a semi-supervised network and fine-tuned with a small number of manually annotated landmarks. The actual pixel displacement error is introduced as a complement to an image similarity measure. The performance of the proposed fine-tuned method is evaluated on real farming datasets and demonstrates significant improvement in lowering the registration errors than commonly used feature-based and intensity-based methods. This approach also reduces the registration time of an unseen image pair to less than 0.5 s. The proposed method provides a high-quality reference processing step for improving subsequent tasks such as multi-object tracking and behaviour recognition of animals for further analysis.

Hemispheric Asymmetry of Functional Brain Networks under Different Emotions Using EEG Data.

Despite many studies reporting hemispheric asymmetry in the representation and processing of emotions, the essence of the asymmetry remains controversial. Brain network analysis based on electroencephalography (EEG) is a useful biological method to study brain function. Here, EEG data were recorded while participants watched different emotional videos. According to the videos' emotional categories, the data were divided into four categories: high arousal high valence (HAHV), low arousal high valence (LAHV), low arousal low valence (LALV) and high arousal low valence (HALV). The phase lag index as a connectivity index was calculated in theta (4-7 Hz), alpha (8-13 Hz), beta (14-30 Hz) and gamma (31-45 Hz) bands. Hemispheric networks were constructed for each trial, and graph theory was applied to quantify the hemispheric networks' topological properties. Statistical analyses showed significant topological differences in the gamma band. The left hemispheric network showed significantly higher clustering coefficient (Cp), global efficiency (Eg) and local efficiency (Eloc) and lower characteristic path length (Lp) under HAHV emotion. The right hemispheric network showed significantly higher Cp and Eloc and lower Lp under HALV emotion. The results showed that the left hemisphere was dominant for HAHV emotion, while the right hemisphere was dominant for HALV emotion. The research revealed the relationship between emotion and hemispheric asymmetry from the perspective of brain networks.

EEG Functional Connectivity Underlying Emotional Valance and Arousal Using Minimum Spanning Trees.

In recent years, traditional methods such as power spectrum and amplitude analysis have been used to research the emotional electroencephalogram (EEG). The brain network method is also used in emotional EEG research, which can better reflect the activity of brains. A minimum spanning tree (MST) represents the key information flow in the weighted brain network, and it provides a sensitive method to capture subtle information in network organization while effectively avoiding the shortcomings of traditional brain networks. The DEAP dataset provides electroencephalogram (EEG) data for four categories of emotions: high arousal and high valence (HAHV), high arousal and low valence (HALV), low arousal and high valence (LAHV), and low arousal and low valence (LALV). Phase lag index (PLI) weighted matrices were calculated in five frequency bands. On this basis, the minimum spanning trees were constructed. At the same valence level in the gamma (γ) band, HAHV and HALV showed significant higher mean PLI (MPLI), maximum degree (Degreemax) and leaf fraction and significant lower diameter and eccentricity than LAHV and LALV. At the same arousal level in the γ band, HALV showed significant higher MPLI, Degreemax and leaf fraction and significant lower diameter and eccentricity than HAHV. These results indicate that the low-arousal showed more line-shaped configurations than the high-arousal. Additionally, in the high-arousal condition, a shift toward more star-shaped trees from high-valence to low-valence supports the trend toward randomness of the brain network with negative emotions and that the brain is more activated when faced with negative emotions. From a brain network perspective, this phenomenon provides a theoretical basis for negative bias.

MicroRNA­499 rs3746444 A/G polymorphism functions as a biomarker to predict recurrence following endoscopic submucosal dissection in primary early gastric cancer.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the molecular mechanism, including the potential regulatory and signaling pathways, of platelet­derived growth factor receptor ß (PDGFRB), which underlies the recurrence of early gastric cancer (EGC) following endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Online microRNA (miRNA) target prediction tools were used, which identified PDGFRB as the candidate target gene of miR­499a in gastric cancer cells, and PFGRBR was then confirmed as the direct gene using a luciferase reporter assay system. The Kaplan­Meier method was used to plot recurrence­free curves, which were compared between genotype groups. A negative regulatory association between miR­499a and PDGFRB was established by investigating the relative luciferase activity at different concentrations of miR­499a mimics. Furthermore, as the rs3746444 polymorphism has been previously reported to interfere with the expression of miR­499a, the present study investigated the expression levels of different genotypes, including TT (n=20), TC (n=9) and CC (n=3), the results of which supported the hypothesis that the presence of the minor allele (C) of the rs3746444 polymorphism compromised the expression of miR­499a. The present study also performed polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses to examine the mRNA and protein expression levels of PFGRBR among different genotypes or cells treated with different concentrations of miR­499a mimics/inhibitors, which indicated the negative regulatory association between miR­499a and PDGFRB. The present study also investigated the relative viabilities of EGC cells transfected with miR­499a mimics (50 and 100 nM) and miR­499a inhibitors (100 nM), and confirmed that miR­499a negatively interfered with the viability of the EGC cells. The miR­499a rs3746444 polymorphism was also recognized as a biomarker to predict recurrence following ESD in patients with EGC via analyzing the recurrence­free rates among patients with EGC with different genotypes. The results showed that PDGFRB was validated as a target of miR­499a, and rs3746444 was identified as a potential biomarker to predict the recurrence of EGC following ESD.

[Efficacy meta-analysis of laparoscope-assisted transanal total mesorectal excision and conventional laparoscopic excision for rectal cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the short-term efficacy of laparoscope-assisted transanal total mesorectal excision (LA-taTME) and conventional laparoscopic TME (LTME) for rectal cancer by meta-analysis. METHODS: Clinical studies that compared clinical outcomes of LA-taTME and LTME were searched from form PubMed, Embase, Ovid, CNKI and Wanfang database before January 2016. Two reviewers independently screened the articles and assessed the quality of the included studies by using the MINORS standard which involves 12 items. The score is 0-2 for each item and the maximum score is 24, and the ideal global score should be above16. RevMan 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis and outcome measures included operation time, hospital stay, number of harvested lymph node, rate of conversion, positive rate of circumferential resection margin and the rate of incomplete mesorectum. RESULTS: Seven studies were included in the analysis, and the score of all the studies was more than 16 points. A total of 479 patients (208 in LA-taTME, 271 in LTME) were enrolled. There were no significant differences in terms of age, sex, tumor location and clinical stage between two groups (all P>0.05). Results of meta-analysis showed that LA-taTME had lower rate of incomplete mesorectum (OR=0.29, 95% CI:0.10 to 0.84, P=0.02), lower rate of complications (OR=0.59, 95% CI:0.35 to 0.97, P=0.04) and shorter hospital stay (MD=-1.66, 95% CI:-3.22 to -0.11, P=0.04) than those of LTME, with significant differences. In terms of operation time (MD=-14.49, 95% CI:-37.87 to 8.90, P=0.22), number of harvested lymph node (MD=-0.45, 95% CI:-1.98 to 1.08, P=0.56), the rate of conversion (OR=0.31, 95% CI:0.08 to 1.24, P=0.10) and positive rate of circumferential resection margin (OR=0.43, 95% CI:0.17 to 1.04, P=0.06), there were no significant differences between two groups. CONCLUSION: Compared to LTME, LA-taTME has similar short-term efficacy for rectal cancer, but it can reduce the rate of complications and rate of incomplete mesorectum.

BAG3 regulates cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in human colorectal cancer.

Bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) has been reported to be elevated in various tumors. However, it is unclear whether BAG3 has a functional role in the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). Here, we collected CRC samples and cell lines to validate the pathway by using gene and protein assays. RT-PCR showed that the expression of BAG3 mRNA in CRC tissues was obviously higher than that in non-tumor tissues (p < 0.001). Immunohistochemical analysis showed that immunoreactivity of BAG3 was found in most CRC tissues and strongly correlated with TNM stage (p = 0.001), differentiation (p = 0.003), and metastasis (p = 0.010). Low expression of BAG3 in HCT-8 significantly reduced cellular proliferation, migration, and invasion. The analysis of in vitro cell showed that HCT-8 cells were exposed to si-BAG3, and its growth was inhibited depending on modulation of cell cycle G1/S checkpoints and cell cycle regulators, involving cyclin D1, cyclin A2, and cyclin B1. Furthermore, suppression of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by si-BAG3 is linked to the decreased expression of E-cadherin and the increased expression of N-cadherin, vimentin, and MMP9. In conclusion, in the present study, we demonstrated that BAG3 overexpression plays a critical role in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of colorectal cancer. Our data suggests targeted inhibition of BAG3 may be useful for patients with CRC.

STAT3 repressed USP7 expression is crucial for colon cancer development.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) induced STAT3 activation is viewed as crucial for multiple tumor growth and metastasis, including colon cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Here, we show that expression of ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7), a deubiquitylating enzyme, is decreased in STAT3-positive tumors. IL-6 administration or transfection of a constitutively activated STAT3 in SW480 cells also repressed USP mRNA expression. Using luciferase reporter and ChIP assay, we found that STAT3 bound to the promoter region of USP7 and inhibited its activity through recruiting HDAC1. As a result of the decline of USP7 expression, endogenous P53 protein level was decreased. Thus, our results suggest a previously unknown STAT3-USP7-P53 molecular network controlling colon cancer development.

Effects of Roux-en-Y operations on glucose homeostasis in obese GK rats.

AIM: To investigate the therapeutic effects of different styles of gastric bypass surgery on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) GK rats. METHODS: Twenty 6-8-week-old male GK rats were randomly divided into four groups: group A was operated by Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy with duodenum exclusion and stomach capacity maintenance, group B was operated by loop-type gastrojejunostomy with duodenum exclusion and stomach capacity maintenance, group C was operated by Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy with partial gastrectomy, and group D was operated by loop-type gastrojejunostomy with partial gastrectomy. Changes of fasting blood glucose, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and insulin tolerance test (ITT) in different operations were detected. RESULTS: The operations exerted good effects on controlling blood glucose in groups A, B, C, and D. There was no significant difference between groups A and C (P > 0.05) or between groups B and D (P > 0.05), while operations in groups A and C were more effective than groups B and D (P < 0.05). On the 21st day after surgery, OGTT in animals of groups A and C was significantly improved, as indicated by a 34% reduction in the area under the curve (AUC) for blood glucose (P < 0.05 versus groups B and D); pregavage insulin levels (ng/ml) were significantly decreased in groups A and C (P < 0.05 versus groups B and D). The insulin tolerance test (ITT) confirmed impaired insulin sensitivity in groups B and D, compared with groups A and C. CONCLUSIONS: Gastric bypass surgery might be effective to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy might be more effective than other operative styles.

MicroRNA-650 targets ING4 to promote gastric cancer tumorigenicity.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that regulate the expression of target mRNAs. Altered expression of specific miRNAs in human gastric cancer progression has been reported; however, the role of miR-650 in gastric cancer is poorly understood. In this study, we show that miR-650 is involved in lymphatic and distant metastasis in human gastric cancer, and we find that ectopic expression of miR-650 promotes tumorigenesis and proliferation of gastric cancer cells. A luciferase reporter assay demonstrates that Inhibitor of Growth 4 (ING4) is a direct target of miR-650. Collectively, our study demonstrates that over-expression of miR-650 in gastric cancer may promote proliferation and growth of cancer cells, at least partially through directly targeting ING4. These findings help clarify the molecular mechanisms involved in gastric carcinogenesis and indicate that miR-650 modulation may be a bona fide miRNA-based treatment of gastric cancer.