We introduce a new large-scale video dataset designed to assess the performance of diverse visual event recognition algorithms with a focus on continuous visual event recognition (CVER) in outdoor areas with wide coverage. Previous datasets for action recognition are unrealistic for real-world surveillance because they consist of short clips showing one action by one individual [15,8]. Datasets have been developed for movies [11] and sports [12], but, these actions and scene conditions do not apply effectively to surveillance videos. Our dataset consists of many outdoor scenes with actions occurring naturally by non-actors in continuously captured videos of the real world. The dataset includes large numbers of instances for 23 event types distributed throughout 29 hours of video. This data is accompanied by detailed annotations which include both moving object tracks and event examples, which will provide solid basis for large-scale evaluation. Additionally, we propose different types of evaluation modes for visual recognition tasks and evaluation metrics along with our preliminary experimental results. We believe that this dataset will stimulate diverse aspects of computer vision research and help us to advance the CVER tasks in the years ahead.

BackgroundThe history of African indigenous cattle and their adaptation to environmental and human selection pressure is at the root of their remarkable diversity. Characterization of this diversity is an essential step towards understanding the genomic basis of productivity and adaptation to survival under African farming systems.ResultsWe analyze patterns of African cattle genetic variation by sequencing 48 genomes from five indigenous populations and comparing them to the genomes of 53 commercial taurine breeds. We find the highest genetic diversity among African zebu and sanga cattle. Our search for genomic regions under selection reveals signatures of selection for environmental adaptive traits. In particular, we identify signatures of selection including genes and/or pathways controlling anemia and feeding behavior in the trypanotolerant N’Dama, coat color and horn development in Ankole, and heat tolerance and tick resistance across African cattle especially in zebu breeds.ConclusionsOur findings unravel at the genome-wide level, the unique adaptive diversity of African cattle while emphasizing the opportunities for sustainable improvement of livestock productivity on the continent.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13059-017-1153-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

EAT and AAI, along eigenvector 1, which explains ~15% of the total variation. AFT Muturu and N'Dama are close to EAT along the eigenvector 1. Most of the AFH cattle cluster together regardless of their breed memberships, leaving only Ankole, Mursi and Sheko outside the main cluster toward the AFT Muturu and N'Dama. The PCA results also show that Muturu and N'Dama, our representative of AFT population, are separated from the other cattle groups (eigenvector 2, ~2.5% of total variation). Sheko positions close to the AFH, as similarly reported in other studies 5,43 . Genetic clustering analysis using ADMIXTURE 44 corroborates the pattern found in PCA (Fig. 2b and Extended Data Fig. 2). Most of AFH show a similar proportion of taurine ancestry, around 25% on average. Only a few AFH breeds have elevated taurine ancestry: Ankole (53.37 ± 1.49%), Sheko (46.28 ± 2.03%) and Mursi (35.90 ± 2.16%). (Fig. 2b).Genetic distance and diversity. Pairwise F st were calculated to estimate the genetic distances between populations (n = 38) (Extended Data Fig. 3). Taurine (EUT, AST and AFT) show F st values of 0.1568 and 0.3287 on average against AFH and AAI, respectively.Across AFH, pairwise F st between breeds is close to zero, regardless of their phenotypic classification as African Zebu, Sanga or Zenga. Muturu and N'Dama show F st value of 0.1769, 0.1847 and 0.3734 against AFH, EAT and AAI, respectively.The genome-wide autosomal SNPs show reduced levels of heterozygosity in the taurine (0.0021 ± 0.0005/bp) compared to all other populations (0.0048 ± 0.0008/bp). Heterozygosity values of AFH are similarly higher across populations (0.0046 ± 0.0003/bp). AAI shows a higher level of heterozygosity compared to AFH (0.0052 ± 0.0014/bp) (Extended Data Fig. 4). The degree of inbreeding measured by runs of homozygosity (ROH) shows that taurine, including Muturu and N'Dama, have a higher level of inbreeding compared to the other and Ethiopia), the University of Khartoum (Sudan), and the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) (Nigeria). The following institutions and their personnel provided help for the sampling of the African cattle: ILRI Kapiti Ranch, Ministry of Animal Resources, Fisheries and Range (Sudan), Ol Pejeta Conservancy (Kenya), Institute of Biodiversity (Ethiopia), the Directors of Veterinary Services and the cattle keepers from Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Sudan. ILRI livestock genomics program is supported by the

As African indigenous cattle evolved in a hot tropical climate, they have developed an inherent thermotolerance; survival mechanisms include a light-colored and shiny coat, increased sweating, and cellular and molecular mechanisms to cope with high environmental temperature. Here, we report the positive selection signature of genes in African cattle breeds which contribute for their heat tolerance mechanisms. We compared the genomes of five indigenous African cattle breeds with the genomes of four commercial cattle breeds using cross-population composite likelihood ratio (XP-CLR) and cross-population extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH) statistical methods. We identified 296 (XP-EHH) and 327 (XP-CLR) positively selected genes. Gene ontology analysis resulted in 41 biological process terms and six Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. Several genes and pathways were found to be involved in oxidative stress response, osmotic stress response, heat shock response, hair and skin properties, sweat gland development and sweating, feed intake and metabolism, and reproduction functions. The genes and pathways identified directly or indirectly contribute to the superior heat tolerance mechanisms in African cattle populations. The result will improve our understanding of the biological mechanisms of heat tolerance in African cattle breeds and opens an avenue for further study.

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We investigated electronic structure of hexagonal multiferroic YMnO3 using the polarization dependent x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at O K and Mn L(2,3) edges. The spectra exhibit strong polarization dependence at both edges, reflecting anisotropic Mn 3d orbital occupation. Moreover, the O K edge spectra show that Y 4d states are strongly hybridized with O 2p ones, resulting in large anomalies in Born effective charges on off-centering Y and O ions. These results manifest that the Y d(0)-ness with rehybridization is the driving force for the ferroelectricity, and suggest a new approach to understand the multiferroicity in the hexagonal manganites.

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive pathogen that causes a wide range of infections in humans and animals. Bacterial ghosts are nonliving, empty cell envelopes and are well represented as novel vaccine candidates. In this study, we examined the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of S. aureus ghosts (SAGs) against a virulent challenge in rats. Nonliving SAGs were generated by using the MIC of sodium hydroxide. The formation of a transmembrane lysis tunnel structure in SAGs was visualized by scanning electron microscopy. To investigate these SAGs as a vaccine candidate, rats were divided into four groups, A (nonimmunized control), B (orally immunized), C (subcutaneously immunized), and D (intravenously immunized). The IgG antibody responses were significantly stronger in the SAG-immunized groups than in the nonimmunized control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, a significant increase in the populations of CD4 ؉ and CD8 ؉ T cells was observed in all three immunized groups (P < 0.05). We also found that serum bactericidal antibodies were significantly elicited in the SAG-immunized groups (P < 0.05). Most importantly, the bacterial loads in the immunized groups were significantly lower than those in the nonimmunized control group (P < 0.01). These results suggest that immunization with SAGs induces immune responses and provides protection against a virulent S. aureus challenge.

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