• Journal of Information Processing Systems
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.337-351
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• 2021

Automatically recognizing facial expressions in video sequences is a challenging task because there is little direct correlation between facial features and subjective emotions in video. To overcome the problem, a video facial expression recognition method using spatiotemporal recurrent neural network and feature fusion is proposed. Firstly, the video is preprocessed. Then, the double-layer cascade structure is used to detect a face in a video image. In addition, two deep convolutional neural networks are used to extract the time-domain and airspace facial features in the video. The spatial convolutional neural network is used to extract the spatial information features from each frame of the static expression images in the video. The temporal convolutional neural network is used to extract the dynamic information features from the optical flow information from multiple frames of expression images in the video. A multiplication fusion is performed with the spatiotemporal features learned by the two deep convolutional neural networks. Finally, the fused features are input to the support vector machine to realize the facial expression classification task. The experimental results on cNTERFACE, RML, and AFEW6.0 datasets show that the recognition rates obtained by the proposed method are as high as 88.67%, 70.32%, and 63.84%, respectively. Comparative experiments show that the proposed method obtains higher recognition accuracy than other recently reported methods.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제20권10호
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• pp.1430-1435
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• 2010

Two angiostatic fusion proteins (hAE and hEA), differing in tandem connection manners, were constructed from human angiostatin (hAS) and endostatin (hES) proteins. These fusion proteins were then evaluated for synergistic antiangiogenic properties. The 65 kDa secreted fusion proteins, expressed in Pichia pastoris, were verified by both mass analysis and Western blotting assay. Luciferase reorter gene assay, using a VEGF promoter, revealed that the angiostatin-endostatin fusion protein (hAE), and its corresponding fusion gene delivery on human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1), resulted in a more potent synergistic antiangiogenic effect than the endostatin-angiostatin fusion protein (hEA). These results suggest that the orientation of the fusion genes in hAS and hES might be an important factor in the development of therapeutic proteins.

• BMB Reports
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• 제49권6호
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• pp.303-304
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• 2016

Myoblast fusion is important for skeletal muscle formation. Even though the knowledge of myoblast fusion mechanism has accumulated over the years, the initial signal of fusion is yet to be elucidated. Our study reveals the novel function of a phosphatidylserine (PS) receptor, stabilin-2 (Stab2), in the modulation of myoblast fusion, through the recognition of PS exposed on myoblasts. During differentiation of myoblasts, Stab2 expression is higher than other PS receptors and is controlled by calcineurin/NFAT signaling on myoblasts. The forced expression of Stab2 results in an increase in myoblast fusion; genetic ablation of Stab2 in mice causes a reduction in muscle size, as a result of impaired myoblast fusion. After muscle injury, muscle regeneration is impaired in Stab2-deficient mice, resulting in small myofibers with fewer nuclei, which is due to reduction of fusion rather than defection of myoblast differentiation. The fusion-promoting role of Stab2 is dependent on its PS-binding motif, and the blocking of PS-Stab2 binding impairs cell-cell fusion on myoblasts. Given our previous finding that Stab2 recognizes PS exposed on apoptotic cells for sensing as an "eat-me" signal, we propose that PS-Stab2 binding is required for sensing of a "fuse-me" signal as the initial signal of myoblast fusion.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.249-257
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• 2002

Cytochrome P450 3As such as 3A4 and 3A5 metabolize a wide range of pharmaceutical compounds. The vectors for the expression of fusion protein containing an N-terminal human P450 3A4 or P450 3A5 sequences and a C-terminal rat NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase moiety were constructed. These plasmids were used to express the fusion protein in Escherichia coli DH5$\alpha$ cells. High levels of expression were achieved (100~200 nmol/liter) and the expressed fusion protein in E. coli membranes were catalytically active for nifedipine oxidation, a typical enzymatic activity of P450 3A4. The NADPH-P450 reductase activities of these fusion protein were also determined by measuring reduction of cytochrome c. To fine a specific Inhibitor of P450 3A4 from naturally occurring chemicals, a series of isothiocyanate compounds were evaluated for the inhibitory activity of P450 using the fusion proteins in E. coli membranes. Of the five isothiocyanates (phenethyl isothiocyanate, phenyl isothiocyanate, benzol isothiocyanate, benzoyl isothiocyanate and cyclohexyl isothiocyanate) tested, benzoyl isothiocyanate showed a strong inhibition of P450 3A4 with an $IC_{50}$value of 2.8 $\mu\textrm{M}$. Our results indicate that the self-sufficient fusion protein will be very useful tool to study the drug metabolism and benzyl isothiocyanate may be valuable for characterizing the enzymatic properties of P450 3A4.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제17권12호
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• pp.1751-1757
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• 2004

Recombinant heterologous proteins can be produced as insoluble aggregates partially or perfectly inactive in Escherichia coli. One of the strateges to improve the solubility of recombinant proteins is fusion with a partner that is excellent in producing soluble fusion proteins. To improve the production of soluble $\beta$-galactosidase, the gene of Thermus thermophilus KNOUC112 $\beta$-galactosidase (KNOUC112 $\beta$-gal) was fused with thioredoxin gene, and optimization of its expression in E. coli TOP10 was performed. KNOUC112 $\beta$-gal in pET-5b was isolated out, fused with thioredoxin gene in pThioHis C, and transformed to E. coli TOP10. The $\beta$-galactosidase fused with thioredoxin was produced in E. coli TOP10 as dimer and trimer. The productivity of fusion $\beta$ -galactosidase expressed via pThioHis C at 37$^{\circ}C$ was about 5 times higher than that of unfused $\beta$-galactosidase expressed via pET-5b at 37$^{\circ}C$. Inclusion body of $\beta$-galactosidase was formed highly, regardless of the induction by IPTG when KNOUC112 $\beta$ -gal was expressed via pET-5b at 37$^{\circ}C$. Fusion $\beta$ -galactosidase expressed at 37$^{\circ}C$ via pThioHis C without the induction by IPTG was soluble, but the induction by IPTG promoted the formation of inclusion body. Lowering the incubation temperature for the expression of fusion gene under 25$^{\circ}C$ prevented the formation of inclusion body, optimally at 25$^{\circ}C$. 0.07 mM of IPTG was sufficient for the soluble expression of fusion gene at 25$^{\circ}C$. The soluble production of Thermus thermophilus KNOUC112 $\beta$-galactosidase could be increased about 10 times by fusion with thioredoxin, and optimization of incubation temperature and IPTG concentration for induction.

• 산업기술연구
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• 제28권B호
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• pp.59-63
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• 2008

Rapid production of therapeutic proteins such as angiostatin and endostatin angiogenic inhibititors has been highly demanded for cancer treatment. In this regard, recombinant human angiostatin and endostatin were successfully expressed as soluble forms by maltose binding protein (MBP)-mediated fusion expression in Escherichia coli. PCR amplified, angiostatin and endostatin genes from human placenta cDNA library were inserted into an expression vector pMAL-c2e to construct prokaryotic expression vectors, pMAL-c2e/AS and pMAL-c2e/ES, respectively. Recombinant angiostatin and endostatin were efficiently expressed in E. coli origami (DE3) after IPTG induction and protein expression were confirmed by SDS-PAGE analyses. The expressed recombinant proteins were purified near homogenity using an amylose affinty column chromatography. In contrast that previous E. coli expressions were all insoluble, our results first time demonstrated that MBP fused human angiostatin and endostatin were soluble in E. coli.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.120-125
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• 1995

.betha.-galactosidase activity of Escherichia coli cells containing operon fusion nhaA'-'lacZ was monitored to study the regulation of expression of nhaA gene under various conditions. The expression of the fusion was enhanced only by chemicals containing Na$^{+}$ or Li$^{+}$. This Na$^{+}$ or Li$^{+}$. This Na$^{+}$(Li$^{+}$)-specific enhancement of .betha.-galactosidase activity represented the increase in the rate of synthesis of .betha.-galactosidase rather than the decrease in the breakdown rate. The induction pattern was influenced by copy numbers of the gene. Induction by Na$^{+}$ or Li$^{+}$ was concentration and time dependent, reaching maximum 5-6 fold induction after 2 hours at 0.4-0.5 M for Na$^{+}$ or at 0.25-0.35 M for Li$^{+}$, Although the expression was induced at much lower concentration of Na$^{+}$ at alkaline pH values than at neutral pH in the presence of Na$^{+}$, alkaline pH itself did ot induced the expression of the fusion in the absence of Na$^{+}$. Temperature shift and growth phase of culture did not affect the level of induction.he level of induction.

• BMB Reports
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• 제31권3호
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• pp.303-306
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• 1998

Serine proteinase cDNA fragment from protozoan parasite Acanthamoeba culbertsoni was amplified by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) using degenerate oligonucleotide primers derived from conserved serine proteinase sequences. The amplified DNA fragment was subcloned and sequenced. The sequence analysis and alignment showed significant sequence similarity to other eukaryotic serine proteinases and conservation of the His, Asp, and Ser residues that form the catalytic triad. The cDNA fragment was cloned into the pGEMEX-1 expression vector and expressed in Escherichia coli. A resulting fusion protein of 56 kDa had proteolytic activity. The fusion protein reacted with sera of mice immunized with purified serine proteinase of A. culbertsoni in Western blot. Immune recognition of the fusion protein by mouse antisera suggested that the fusion protein may be valuable as a diagnostic reagent.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.87-92
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• 2008

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) orf47 gene was characterized for the first time. The coding sequence of Bm47 was amplified and subcloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pET-30a(+) in order to produce His-tagged fusion protein in the BL21 (DE3) cells. The His-Bm47 fusion protein was expressed efficiently after induction with IPTG. The purified fusion protein was used to immunize New Zealand white rabbits to prepare polyclonal antibody. As the genome of BmNPV is available in GenBank and the EST database of BmNPV is expanding, identification of novel genes of BmNPV was conceivable by data-mining techniques and bioinformatics tools. Structural bioinformatics approach to analyze the properties of Bm47 encodes protein.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.269-275
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• 1998

The reporter plasmid pMT-lacZ containing the metallothionein (MT) promoter region (-320∼+58 with respect to the transcription initiation site) fused to the lacZ gene in a P-element vector was constructed. Transgenic Drosophila bearing the MT-lacZ fusion gene were established by P-element mediated transformation. Expression of the MT-lacZ fusion gene in transformants was examined during development. By treatment with low concentration of cadmium (>1O uM) or paraquat (>50 uM), increased expression of B-galactosidase was shown in fat body, brain lobe, and ganglion transgenic larval tissues. The results show that transformants bearing the MT-lacZ fusion gene are useful for further studies on the mechanism of regulation of MT gene expression and for monitoring toxic metals.