Label-reconstruction-based pseudo-subscore learning for action quality assessment in sporting events.

Most existing action quality assessment (AQA) methods provide only an overall quality score for the input video and lack an evaluation of each substage of the movement process; thus, these methods cannot provide detailed feedback for users. Moreover, the existing datasets do not provide labels for substage quality assessment. To address these problems, in this work, a new label-reconstruction-based pseudo-subscore learning (PSL) method is proposed for AQA in sporting events. In the proposed method, the overall score of an action is not only regarded as a quality label but also used as a feature of the training set. A label-reconstruction-based learning algorithm is built to generate pseudo-subscore labels for the training set. Moreover, based on the pseudo-subscore labels and overall score labels, a multi-substage AQA model is fine-tuned from the PSL model to predict the action quality score of each substage and the overall score for an athlete. Several ablation experiments are performed to verify the effectiveness of each module. The experimental results show that our approach achieves state-of-the-art performance.

The relative contributions of climate, soil, diversity and interactions to leaf trait variation and spectrum of invasive Solidago canadensis.

BACKGROUND: Invasive plants commonly occupy diverse habitats and thus must adapt to changing environmental pressures through altering their traits and economics spectra, and addressing these patterns and their drivers has an importantly ecological and/or evolutionary significance. However, few studies have considered the role of multiple biotic and abiotic factors in shaping trait variation and spectra. In this study, we determined seven leaf traits of 66 Solidago canadensis populations, and quantified the relative contributions of climate, soil properties, native plant diversity, and S. canadensis-community interactions (in total 16 factors) to leaf trait variation and spectrum with multimodel inference. RESULTS: Overall, the seven leaf traits had high phenotypic variation, and this variation was highest for leaf dry matter content and lowest for leaf carbon concentration. The per capita contribution of climate to the mean leaf trait variation was highest (7.5%), followed by soil properties (6.2%), S. canadensis-community interactions (6.1%), and native plant diversity (5.4%); the dominant factors underlying trait variation varied with leaf traits. Leaf production potential was negatively associated with leaf stress-tolerance potential, and the relative contributions to this trade-off followed in order: native plant diversity (7.7%), climate (6.9%), S. canadensis-community interactions (6.2%), and soil properties (5.6%). Climate, diversity, soil, and interactions had positive, neutral or negative effects. CONCLUSIONS: Climate, soil, diversity, and interactions contribute differentially to the leaf trait variation and economics spectrum of S. canadensis, and their relative importance and directions depend on plant functional traits.

Dissecting Solidago canadensis-soil feedback in its real invasion.

The importance of plant-soil feedback (PSF) has long been recognized, but the current knowledge on PSF patterns and the related mechanisms mainly stems from laboratory experiments. We aimed at addressing PSF effects on community performance and their determinants using an invasive forb Solidago canadensis. To do so, we surveyed 81 pairs of invaded versus uninvaded plots, collected soil samples from these pairwise plots, and performed an experiment with microcosm plant communities. The magnitudes of conditioning soil abiotic properties and soil biotic properties by S. canadensis were similar, but the direction was opposite; altered abiotic and biotic properties influenced the production of subsequent S. canadensis communities and its abundance similarly. These processes shaped neutral S. canadensis-soil feedback effects at the community level. Additionally, the relative dominance of S. canadensis increased with its ability of competitive suppression in the absence and presence of S. canadensis-soil feedbacks, and S. canadensis-induced decreases in native plant species did not alter soil properties directly. These findings provide a basis for understanding PSF effects and the related mechanisms in the field conditions and also highlight the importance of considering PSFs holistically.

What determines positive, neutral, and negative impacts of Solidago canadensis invasion on native plant species richness?

Whether plant invasions pose a great threat to native plant diversity is still hotly debated due to conflicting findings. More importantly, we know little about the mechanisms of invasion impacts on native plant richness. We examined how Solidago canadensis invasion influenced native plants using data from 291 pairs of invaded and uninvaded plots covering an entire invaded range, and quantified the relative contributions of climate, recipient communities, and S. canadensis to invasion impacts. There were three types of invasion consequences for native plant species richness (i.e., positive, neutral, and negative impacts). Overall, the relative contributions of recipient communities, S. canadensis and climate to invasion impacts were 71.39%, 21.46% and 7.15%, respectively; furthermore, the roles of recipient communities, S. canadensis and climate were largely ascribed to plant diversity, density and cover, and precipitation. In terms of direct effects, invasion impacts were negatively linked to temperature and native plant communities, and positively to precipitation and soil microbes. Soil microbes were crucial in the network of indirect effects on invasion impacts. These findings suggest that the characteristics of recipient communities are the most important determinants of invasion impacts and that invasion impacts may be a continuum across an entire invaded range.

[Expression and clinical significance of BRCA1 in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of BRCA1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tissues and evaluate its correlation with clinicopathological features as well as the prognosis of ESCC patients. METHODS: The expression of BRCA1 was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 201 specimens of T3 stage ESCC tissues and corresponding adjacent normal tissues using tissue microarray. The correlation between BRCA1 expression and clinicopathological features of ESCC was determined by chi-square analysis. The cumulative survival rate was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The positive rate of BRCA1 expression in ESCC tissues was significantly higher than that in adjacent normal tissues [88.6% (178/201) vs. 36.8% (74/201), P < 0.001]. There was a significant correlation between the expression of BRCA1 and lymph node metastasis. In the tumors with positive lymph nodes, strong positive expression of BRCA1 was found in 45.0% (49/109), while only 19.6% (18/92) in tumors without lymph node metastasis, showing a significant difference (P < 0.001). A close relationship was also found between the expression of BRCA1 and gross typing of tumors (P < 0.05). The expression of BRCA1 was not significantly correlated with gender, age, tumor location, differentiation, and tumor thrombus (P > 0.05). The results of Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that ESCC patients with a higher positive rate of BRCA1 expression have a poorer prognosis (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The expression of BRCA1 is related to the occurrence and development of esophageal carcinoma. BRCA1 protein may serve as a new potential biomarker in estimating the biological behavior of ESCC.

[Clinical significance of abnormal expression of Aurora-A in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with or without lymph node metastasis].

OBJECTIVE: China has the highest incidence and mortality of esophageal carcinoma in the world, and the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the major type. In this study, the authors investigated the expression of Aurora-A in stage T3 esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC) with positive and negative lymph node metastasis, and analyzed its relationship with prognosis of ESCC patients. METHODS: ESCC tissue arrays including 212 specimens had been constructed. The expression of Aurora-A in both ESCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues was determined by immunohistochemical staining. The correlation between Aurora-A protein levels and lymph node status in ESCC and survival rate were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The positive expression of Aurora-A was 74.07% (140/189) in tumor tissues and 18.52% (35/189) in adjacent normal tissues, showing a significant difference between them (χ(2) = 105.162, P < 0.05). In tumors with positive lymph nodes, strong positive expression of Aurora-A was found in 42.99% (46/107), while only 7.37% (7/95) in tumors with negative lymph nodes, with a statistically significant difference (χ(2) = 36.132, P < 0.05). The cumulative survival rate of the patients with strong Aurora-A-positive tumors was significantly lower than that in patients with Aurora-A-negative tumors (P = 0.0042, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The positive expression of Aurora-A in ESCC tissues is much higher than that in adjacent normal tissues. The expression of Aurora-A is higher in lymph node-positive tumors than in the lymph node-negative ones. There is a significantly longer cumulative survival rate in patients with negative Aurora-A expression than that in patients with strong positive Aurora-A expression.

[Expression of fascin and cytokeratin 14 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of fascin and cytokeratin 14 (CK14) in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and the association of these two proteins with ESCC malignant progression and the possibility of application of these 2 proteins in the diagnosis of ESCC. METHODS: A tissue microarray composed of the representative regions of ESCC and corresponding normal epithelium was constructed. Immunohistochemistry was conducted to examine the expression of fascin and CD14 in 116 specimens of ESCC and the normal tissues near the cancerous tissues. The relation of these two proteins with the invasive depth, node involvement, differentiated grade, pTNM stages was analyzed. Disease-free survival analysis was carried out using Kaplan-Meier method. The correlation of the two proteins was analyzed using Spearman's correlation test. ESCC cells of the lines EC9706, TE12, COLO-680N, KYSE510, KYSE450, KYSE410, KYSE180, KYSE150, KYSE140, KYSE70, KYSE30, and YES2 were cultured and underwent SDS-PAGE and Western blotting to examine the expression of fascin and CD14. And the correlation of the two proteins with the characteristics of the cell lines was analyzed too. RESULTS: Fascin and CK14 were negative in the normal esophageal epithelia except in the basal cells. The positive rates of fascin and CK14 in the ESCC cells were 79.3% and 67.0% respectively. The positive rate of either fascin or CK14 was 86.2%. The expression rates of fascin and CK14 in well- and moderately-differentiated ESCCs were significantly higher than that in the poorly-differentiated ones (P = 0.054 and P < 0.01). The patients with positive expression of fascin and those with negative expression of CK14 had a poorer survival in comparison with those with negative fascin expression and those with positive CK14 expression respectively, however, without statistical significances (P = 0.8980 and P = 0.2610). The positive rates of fascin in the well-, moderately-, and poorly- differentiated ESCCs were 87.1%, 83.9%, and 62.1% respectively (P = 0.054). The positive rates of CK14 in the well-, moderately-, and poorly-differentiated ESCCs were; 87.1%, 76.4%, and 27.6% respectively (P < 0.01). The prognosis was not significantly correlated with the expression of both proteins (P = 0.8980 and P = 0.2610). There was an significantly positive correlation between the expression levels of these 2 proteins (r = 0.487, P < 0.01). Fascin was highly expressed in most of the ESCC lines, except in the slowly growing and weakly migrating TE12 line. High expression of CK14 was only seen in the line KYSE180. CONCLUSION: Fascin and CK14 may play important roles in the carcinogenesis and progression of ESCC. Combination of fascin and CK14 would be valuable markers in diagnosis of ESCC.

[Gadd45 mediated G2/M cell cycle arrest induced by BRCA1].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: It is considered that tumor suppressor gene BRCA1 is an important factor in the regulation of cell cycle checkpoint, but the molecular mechanism by which BRCA1 regulates cell cycle G(2)/M arrest is less known. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of Gadd45 on the BRCA1-induced cell growth suppression. METHODS: BRCA1 induction of Gadd45 protein was analyzed using Western-blot assay following cells transfection with BRCA1 expression vector and cell sorting. Activation of the Gadd45 promoter by BRCA1 was determined by CAT assay. Effect of antisense Gadd45 on the BRCA1-induced cell cycle G(2)-M arrest was examined by flow cytometry analysis. And the effects of antisense Gadd45 on BRCA1-mediated growth suppression in HeLa and HCT116 cell lines was determined by colony formation assay. RESULTS: Gadd45 protein was highly induced after expression of BRCA1. BRCA1 strongly activated the Gadd45 promoter. Antisense Gadd45 substantially abrogated BRCA1-activated cell cycle G(2)-M arrest and BRCA1-induced cell growth suppression on HeLa and HCT116 cell lines. CONCLUSION: Gadd45 is a BRCA1-regulated downstream gene and mediates the role of BRCA1 in the control of cell cycle G(2)/M arrest and growth suppression.

[Suppression of HCT116 growth of cells by Gadd45].

OBJECTIVE: To study the mechanism of suppression of growth of HCT116 human colon carcinoma cells by Gadd45 gene. METHODS: HCT116 human colon carcinoma cells were transfected with pTRE-Gadd45 vector so as to establish Gadd45-inducible cell line that was cultured in medium with tetracycline. Then tetracycline was withdrawn. The number of cell clones was counted. Flow cytometry was used to detect the percentages of cells at the G1, S, and G2-M phases. TUNEL technique was used to detect the apoptosis of cells. Western blotting was used to analyze the expression of Gadd45 protein, and apoptosis-related proteins: poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP), and caspase 3 protein. RESULTS: Gadd45 protein was not expressed in the HCT116 cells cultured in the medium with tetracycline, however, it was expressed with a gradually increased level in the cells cultured in the medium from which tetracycline was withdrawn, The clone formation rate of HCT116 cells was 100% in the medium with tetracycline, however, was only 14.2% in the medium with tetracycline withdrawal, with a suppression rate of more than 85%. The percentage of cells in G(2)-M phase was significantly increased in the cells cultured in the medium with tetracycline withdrawal. 24-36 hours after the withdrawal of tetracycline, PARP and caspase 3 protein were activated remarkably. CONCLUSION: High expression of Gadd45 inhibits the growth of HCT116 cells, through inducing G2-M arrest and activating apoptotic pathway.