Random Online Hashing for Cross-Modal Retrieval.

In the past decades, supervised cross-modal hashing methods have attracted considerable attentions due to their high searching efficiency on large-scale multimedia databases. Many of these methods leverage semantic correlations among heterogeneous modalities by constructing a similarity matrix or building a common semantic space with the collective matrix factorization method. However, the similarity matrix may sacrifice the scalability and cannot preserve more semantic information into hash codes in the existing methods. Meanwhile, the matrix factorization methods cannot embed the main modality-specific information into hash codes. To address these issues, we propose a novel supervised cross-modal hashing method called random online hashing (ROH) in this article. ROH proposes a linear bridging strategy to simplify the pair-wise similarities factorization problem into a linear optimization one. Specifically, a bridging matrix is introduced to establish a bidirectional linear relation between hash codes and labels, which preserves more semantic similarities into hash codes and significantly reduces the semantic distances between hash codes of samples with similar labels. Additionally, a novel maximum eigenvalue direction (MED) embedding method is proposed to identify the direction of maximum eigenvalue for the original features and preserve critical information into modality-specific hash codes. Eventually, to handle real-time data dynamically, an online structure is adopted to solve the problem of dealing with new arrival data chunks without considering pairwise constraints. Extensive experimental results on three benchmark datasets demonstrate that the proposed ROH outperforms several state-of-the-art cross-modal hashing methods.

Joint Specifics and Consistency Hash Learning for Large-Scale Cross-Modal Retrieval.

With the dramatic increase in the amount of multimedia data, cross-modal similarity retrieval has become one of the most popular yet challenging problems. Hashing offers a promising solution for large-scale cross-modal data searching by embedding the high-dimensional data into the low-dimensional similarity preserving Hamming space. However, most existing cross-modal hashing usually seeks a semantic representation shared by multiple modalities, which cannot fully preserve and fuse the discriminative modal-specific features and heterogeneous similarity for cross-modal similarity searching. In this paper, we propose a joint specifics and consistency hash learning method for cross-modal retrieval. Specifically, we introduce an asymmetric learning framework to fully exploit the label information for discriminative hash code learning, where 1) each individual modality can be better converted into a meaningful subspace with specific information, 2) multiple subspaces are semantically connected to capture consistent information, and 3) the integration complexity of different subspaces is overcome so that the learned collaborative binary codes can merge the specifics with consistency. Then, we introduce an alternatively iterative optimization to tackle the specifics and consistency hashing learning problem, making it scalable for large-scale cross-modal retrieval. Extensive experiments on five widely used benchmark databases clearly demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed method on both one-cross-one and one-cross-two retrieval tasks.

MicroRNA-10b Promotes Apoptosis via JNK Pathway in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To investigate the downregulation of microRNA (miR)-10b in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and its mechanistic involvement in tumourigenesis. METHODS: The relative expression of miR-10b in ccRCC samples were determined by real-time PCR. Exogenous expression and knockdown of endogenous miR-10b were performed by transfection with indicated plasmids into 786-0 cells. Cell proliferation was evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by Annexin V/propidium iodide staining. MAPK pathway activation was detected by western blotting with indicated antibodies. RESULTS: We confirmed the downregulation of miR-10b in ccRCC tumour. The forced expression of miR-10b inhibited cell proliferation in 786-0 cells. Moreover, miR-10b stimulated apoptosis in 786-0 cells, which was abrogated by specific miR-10b inhibitor. We further elucidated that the apoptosis induction was mediated by the JNK pathway activation. We consolidated this observation by combinational treatment with JNK specific inhibitor, which was shown to completely impede miR-10b elicited apoptosis. CONCLUSION: We suggested a tumour suppressor function of miR-10b in tumourigenesis of ccRCC via proliferation suppression and apoptosis induction, and the latter was mediated by the JNK pathway activation.

Effects of Moth Age and Rearing Temperature on the Flight Performance of the Loreyi Leafworm, Mythimna loreyi (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in Tethered and Free Flight.

To understand the migratory flight behaviors of the loreyi leafworm, Mythimna loreyi Walker (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), both tethered (flight distance, time, and velocity) and free-flight activity (flight action, duration, and frequency) of adults at different ages, sexes, and temperatures were investigated using computer-controlled insect flight mills and an autonomous flight monitoring system. Tethered flight activity differed significantly among ages and rearing temperature, but not sex. Newly emerged adults (the first day after emergence) displayed the lowest flight time, distance, and speed. However, flight performance increased with age, peaking at 3 d. Relatively strong flight performance was maintained up to 5 d postemergence and then declined significantly by day 6. There was no significant difference in flight performance between sexes for 3-d-old moths. Adults reared as larvae at 24°C averaged significantly longer flight duration and distance than those reared at other temperatures. Both lower and higher rearing temperatures negatively affected tethered flight. Similar results among age and rearing temperature treatments were observed in autonomous free-flight tests. During 12-h free-flight tests, flight activity peaked from 6 to 10 h after beginning of darkness. Free-flight activity of 1- and 6-d-old adults was significantly less than that of 3-, 4-, and 5-d-old adults. Adults reared at 24°C showed significantly greater free-flight action, duration, and frequency than those reared at other temperatures. The results suggest that M. loreyi may be a migratory species.

Population Projection and Development of the Mythimna loreyi (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) as Affected by Temperature: Application of an Age-Stage, Two-Sex Life Table.

The Mythimna (=Leucania) loreyi (Duponchel) has recently emerged as a major pest of grain crops in China. Little is known about its basic biology and ecology, making it difficult to predict its population dynamics. An age-stage, two-sex life table was constructed for this insect when reared on maize in the laboratory at five constant temperatures (18, 21, 24, 27, and 30 °C). Both the intrinsic rate of increase (r) and finite rate increase (λ) increased as temperature significantly increased and mean generation time (T) decreased significantly with increasing temperature. The highest values for net reproductive rate (R0) and fecundity were observed at 24 °C. However, M. loreyi was able to develop, survive, and lay eggs at all temperatures tested (18-30 °C). Development rates at different temperatures for the egg, larval, pupal, as well as for a total preoviposition period, fit a linear equation. The lower threshold temperatures of egg, larval, pupal, preoviposition, and total preoviposition period were 8.83, 10.95, 11.67, 9.30, and 9.65 °C, respectively. And their effective accumulated temperatures were 87.64, 298.51, 208.33, 66.47, and 729.93 degree-days, respectively. This study provides insight into the temperature-based phenology and population ecology in M. loreyi. The results will benefit population dynamics monitoring, prediction, and management of this insect pest in the field.