bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Composantes de la dépense énergétique au cours du nycthémère chez la truie adulte à l’entretien : rôle de l’activité physique
Authors: NOBLET J. , SHI X.S. , DUBOIS S.
Published: July 2020

La production de chaleur (HP, par calorimétrie indirecte) et l’activité physique (station debout vs station couchée) de six truies Large White castrées (poids vif moyen : 208 kg), maintenues individuellement en chambres respiratoires, à une température de 24°C, et alimentées une fois par jour à 100, 60 ou 0% de leur besoin énergétique d’entretien ont été mesurées en continu après le repas. Chaque truie a fait l’objet de 8 à 10 séries de mesures sur des régimes différents au cours des 9 mois de l’expérience. L’analyse des données permet de quantifier les différentes composantes de la production de chaleur totale chez des animaux à l’entretien. En moyenne, pour les 6 truies de l’étude, le coût énergétique de la station debout (240 minutes par jour) est de 14,9 kJ par minute de station debout, ce qui représente 15% de la production de chaleur totale (400 kJ/kg P0,75). L’activité physique est enregistrée exclusivement pendant la période diurne. La production de chaleur pour un niveau d’activité physique nul (340 kJ/kg P0,75) se répartit entre la production de chaleur à jeun (260 kJ/kg P0,75) et l’extra-chaleur associée à l’utilisation métabolique de l’énergie métabolisable. Cette dernière fraction est variable avec la composition de l’aliment. Le coût énergétique de la prise d’aliment est évalué à 2% de la quantité d’énergie métabolisable ingérée. Les résultats mettent également en évidence que cette répartition de la production de chaleur varie au cours du nycthémère. Combinées aux données de la bibliographie, notre étude met en évidence que le besoin en énergie et le niveau des performances de la truie gravide sont directement dépendants des conditions de logement et de son comportement.
Qualité de la litière en aviculture. Aliments et caractéristiques physiques des excretas
Authors: CARRE B. , GOMEZ J. , DE MONREDON F. , MELCION J.P.
Published: July 2020

L’article décrit la suite d’une expérience dans laquelle avait été établie la prédiction des consommations et excrétions d’eau chez les dindonneaux de chair. Les résultats présentés ici sont relatifs à la prédiction de l’état physique des excretas. Les excretas de dindonneaux nourris avec 27 régimes granulés différents sont caractérisés pour leur pouvoir collant à l’aide d’un rhéomètre destiné aux matériaux pâteux. Des notes visuelles de déstructuration sont également attribuées aux excretas.
Le pouvoir collant et la note de déstructuration des excretas sont positivement corrélés entre eux (R2 = 0,26 ; n = 216) et sont chacun positivement corrélés à la teneur en eau des excretas (R2 = 0,23 et R2 = 0,55, respectivement ; n = 216). Ces mesures (valeurs moyennes par régime) sont reliées aux caractéristiques des régimes par régressions linéaires multiples. Les meilleures équations comportent les deux variables "viscosité utile réelle" (VUR) et "eau retenue par les parois végétales" (Eau-PAR). Les variables VUR et Eau-PAR sont respectivement affectées de coefficients positifs et négatifs. Les R2 des régressions sont de 0,485 et 0,819 pour le pouvoir collant et la note de déstructuration des excretas, respectivement. La rétention d’eau des parois végétales des régimes dépend de la rétention d’eau des parois des matières premières utilisées, qui varie dans un rapport de 1 à 4, et de la température en sortie de presse. Les plus fortes températures entraînent une réduction du pouvoir de rétention d’eau des parois végétales.
Enabling the secure use of Dynamic Identity for the Internet of Things — using the Secure Remote Update Protocol (SRUP)
Authors: Poulter Andrew John , Ossont Steven J. , Cox Simon J.
Published: July 2020

This paper examines dynamic identity, as it pertains to the IoT; and explores the practical implementation of a mitigation to some of the key weaknesses of a conventional dynamic identity model. This paper explores human-centric and machine-based observer approaches for confirming device identity, permitting automated identity confirmation for deployed systems. It also assesses the advantages of dynamic identity in the context of identity revocation permitting secure change of ownership for IoT devices. The paper explores use-cases for human and machine-based observation for authentication of device identity when devices join a C2 network, and considers the relative merits for these two approaches for different types of system.
Recent Advances in Acoustic Metamaterials for Simultaneous Sound Attenuation and Air Ventilation Performances
Authors: Kumar Sanjay , Lee Heow
Published: July 2020

In the past two decades, acoustic metamaterials have garnered much attention owing to their unique functional characteristics, which is difficult to be found in naturally available materials. The acoustic metamaterials have demonstrated to exhibit excellent acoustical characteristics that paved a new pathway for researchers to develop effective solutions for a wide variety of multifunctional applications such as low-frequency sound attenuation, sound wave manipulation, energy harvesting, acoustic focusing, acoustic cloaking, biomedical acoustics, and topological acoustics. This review provides an update on the acoustic metamaterials' recent progress for simultaneous sound attenuation and air ventilation performances. Several variants of acoustic metamaterials, such as locally resonant structures, space-coiling, holey and labyrinthine metamaterials, and Fano resonant materials, are discussed briefly. Finally, the current challenges and future outlook in this emerging field is discussed as well.
Strength Degradation in Curved FRP bars as Concrete Reinforcement
Authors: Imjai Thanongsak , Garcia Reyes , Guadagnini Maurizio , Pilakoutas Kypros
Published: July 2020

Steel reinforcement in concrete has the tendency to corrode and this process can lead to structural damage. FRP reinforcement represents a viable alternative for structures exposed to aggressive environments and has many possible applications where superior corrosion resistance properties are required. The use of FRP rebars as internal reinforcements for concrete, however, is limited to specific structural elements and does not yet extend to the whole structure. The reasons for this relate to the limited availability of curved or shaped reinforcing elements on the market and their reduced structural performance. Various studies, in fact, have shown that the mechanical performance of bent portions of composite bars is reduced significantly under a multiaxial combination of stresses and that the tensile strength can be as low as 25% of the maximum tensile strength that can be developed in the straight part. In a significant number of cases, the current design recommendations for concrete structures reinforced with FRP, however, were found to overestimate the bend capacity of FRP rebar. This paper presents the state-of-the art review of the research works on the strength degradation in curved FRP composites and highlighted the performance of exiting predictive models for the bend capacity of FRP reinforcement. Recent practical predictive model based on the Tsai-Hill failure criteria by considering the material at marcromechanical level is also discussed and highlighted. The review also identifies the challenges and highlights the future directions of research to explore the use of shaped FRP composites in civil engineering applications and the trends for future research in this area.
Dietary Fatty Acids Mediate the Secondary Messenger Phosphatidylinositol for Microglial Phagocytosis and Migration
Authors: Desale Smita Eknath , Chinnathambi Subashchandrabose
Published: July 2020

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by the accumulation of abnormal protein deposits, which disrupt the signal transduction in neurons and other glia cells. The pathological protein Tau and amyloid-β contributes to the disrupted microglial signaling pathways, actin cytoskeleton, and cellular receptor expression. The important secondary messenger lipids i.e., phosphatidylinositols are largely affected by protein deposits of amyloid-beta in Alzheimer’s disease. Phosphatidylinositols are the product of different phosphatidylinositol kinases and the state of phosphorylation at D3, D4, and D5 positions of inositol ring. PI 3, 4, 5-P3 involves in phagocytic cup formation and relates actin remodeling whereas PI 4, 5-P2-mediates the process of phagosomes formation and further fusion with early endosome. The necessary activation of actin-binding proteins such as Rac, WAVE complex, and ARP2/3 complex for the actin polymerization in the process of phagocytosis, migration is regulated and maintained by PI 3, 4, 5-P3 and PI 4, 5-P2. Dietary fatty acids depending on their ratio and types of intake influence secondary lipid messenger along with the cellular content of phaphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. The deposited Aβ deposits and extracellular Tau seed disrupt levels of phosphatidylinositol and actin cytoskeletal changes that hamper microglia signaling pathways in AD. We hypothesize that being a lipid species intracellular levels of phosphatidylinositol would be regulated by dietary fatty acids. We keen to understand different types of phosphatidylinositol species levels in signaling events such as phagocytosis and actin remodeling owing to the exposure of various types of dietary fatty acids.
Slice Allocation Management Model in 5G Networks for IoT Services with Reliable Low Latency
Authors: Dighriri Mohammed , Otebolaku Abayomi , Alfoudi Ali , Lee Gyu Myoung
Published: July 2020

Network slicing is a promising technology for 5G networks in which operators can sell customized services to different tenants at various prices and Quality of Services (QoS) demands. Thus, the latest 4th Generation (4G) and upcoming 5th Generation (5G) mobile technologies are expected to offer massive connectivity and management of high volume of data traffic in the presence of immense interferences from mobile networks of IoT devices. Further, it will face challenges of congestion and overload of data traffic due to the humongous number of IoT devices. Nevertheless, these devices are likely to demand high throughput, low latency, and high level of reliability especially for critical real-time applications such as in Vehicular Communication System (VCS). To address these issues in 5G mobile networks, this paper proposes a Slice Allocation Management (SAM) Model based on the critical services of smart systems such as VCS to satisfy QoS demands. The proposed model aims at providing dedicated slices on the basis of service requirements such as expected throughput and latency for VCS. To ensure such performance and provide data traffic priorities of IoT devices in the uplink of Relay Nodes (RNs) cells in the 5G mobile networks, we have sliced the Radio Access Networks (RAN), along with the assignment of the nearest Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) with isolated slices based on the priorities for each IoT nodes to reduce latency level. The proposed model was simulated and validated using the OPNET simulator. The results obtained demonstrate that SAM Model is able to achieve improvement of end to end delays and uplink throughputs of the networks in high-density networks of IoT devices.
Fatty Liver, and Not Visceral Fat, is More Associated with Liver Fibrosis and Diabetes in Non-obese Japanese Individuals: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Urata Noriyo , Kawanaka Miwa , Nishino Ken , Ishii Katsunori , Tanikawa Tomohiro , Suehiro Mitsuhiko , Sasai Takako , Haruma Ken , Kawamoto Hirofumi , Nakamura Jun , Manabe Noriaki , Kamada Tomoari
Published: July 2020

Asians are known to more likely than Westerners develop fatty liver and lifestyle-related diseases despite their weight. However, the relationship between fat accumulation and lifestyle-related diseases in non-obese Asians is unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze visceral fat and hepatic fat in participants with a normal body mass index (BMI) and examine their characteristics during a medical checkup. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 663 of 1,142 patients who underwent abdominal ultrasonography and who had an alcohol intake (converted to ethanol) of <30 g/day for males and <20 g/day for females and a BMI of <25 kg/m2 during a health checkup. Participants were classified into four groups: group A, visceral fat accumulation (VFA) (−) and fatty liver (FL) (−) (n = 549); group B, VFA (+) and FL(−) (n = 32); group C, VFA (−) and FL (+) (n = 58); and group D, VFA (+) and FL (+) (n = 24). The frequencies of lifestyle-related disease complications, liver function tests, and liver fibrosis were evaluated among the four groups. Compared with group A (control), groups B, C, and D had higher number of males; BMI; abdominal circumference, ALT, AST, γ-GTP, triglyceride, uric acid, fasting blood sugar levels; and incidence of hyperlipidemia. Groups C and D had higher ALT, HbA1c, cholinesterase, and triglyceride levels; FIB4 index; and number of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) than groups A and B; however, there was no difference between groups A and B. FL is a risk factor of DM and liver fibrosis in non-obese Japanese individuals; however, VFA only is not a risk factor of DM and liver fibrosis.
A Bidirectional Adaptive Multihop Routing Algorithm for Wireless Body Area Networks
Authors: Miky Abdelrahman , Saleh Mohamed , Mokhtar Bassem , Rizk M. R. M.
Published: July 2020

Wireless Body Area Networks are composed of sensor nodes that may be implanted in the body or worn on it. A node is composed of a sensing unit, a processor and a radio unit. One of the nodes, the sink, acts as a gateway between the body area network and other networks such as the Internet. We propose a routing protocol that constructs paths between nodes such that the final network topology is a tree rooted at the sink. The protocol's aim is to increase network lifetime and reliability, and to adapt to network conditions dynamically. Moreover, the protocol enables communications between nodes and sink both in the upstream direction, from nodes to sink, and in the downstream direction from sink to nodes. When the network tree is constructed, a node chooses its parent, i.e., next hop to sink, by using one of various criteria. Namely, these are the number of hops between parent and sink, energy level of parent, received signal strength from parent, number of current parent's children, and a fuzzy logic function that combines multiple criteria. Moreover, as time progresses the tree structure may dynamically change to adapt to conditions such as the near-depletion of a routing node's energy. Simulation results show improvements in network lifetime and energy consumption over the older version of the protocol.
Delving Deep into the Structural Aspects of the BPro28-BLys29 Exchange in Insulin Lispro: A Structural Biophysical Lesson
Authors: Li Wei
Published: July 2020

Insulin lispro was the first fast acting insulin analogue to obtain regulatory approval for therapeutic use.
This article puts forward a novel biophysical mechanism where the net impact of the simple B28Pro-B29Lys exchange from regular insulin to insulin lispro is the establishment of a novel set of interfacial electrostatic interactions between Lys28 of insulin lispro and Asp12 of insulin receptor (IR). In addition, a set of structural analysis was presented in this article to further strengthen the binding of insulin lispro to IR, where two polar amino acid residues (Gln51 and Asn74 of insulin lispro) were put forward as two potential targets for site-directed mutagenesis of insulin lispro at its binding interface with IR.
Towards Achieving Sustainability of Coastal Environments: Urban Growth Analysis and Prediction of Lagos, State Nigeria
Authors: Idowu Temitope , Waswa Rose , Lasisi Kayode , Mubea Kenneth , Nyadawa Maurice , Kiema John Bosco
Published: July 2020

The most extensive urban growths in the next 30 years are expected to occur in developing countries. Lagos, Nigeria - Africa’s second most populous megacity- is a prime example. To achieve more sustainable and resilient cities, there is a need for modeling the urban growth patterns of major cities and analyzing their implications. In this study, the urban growth of Lagos state was modeled using the Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) neural network for the transition modeling and the Markov Chain analysis for the change prediction, achieving a model accuracy of 81.8%. An innovative visual validation of the model results using the ArcGIS was combined with kappa correlation statistics. The results show that by 2031, built-up areas will be the most spatially extensive LULC class in the study area with percentage coverage of 34.1% as opposed to 9% in 1986. The coverage of bare areas is also expected to increase by 53% between 2016 and 2031. Conversely, 24.9% and 68.3% loss of forestlands and wetlands respectively, are expected between 2016 and 2031. In view of the 11th goal of SDGs which focuses on achieving sustainable cities and communities, the objectives of African Union’s Agenda 2063, and based on the urban growth trends observed, the study recommends a prioritization of vertical expansion as opposed to the current horizontal urban growth trends in the study area.
Ultimate Compressive Strength of Stiffened Panel: An Empirical Formulation for Flat-bar Type
Authors: Kim Do Kyun , Yu Su Young , Lim Hui Ling , Cho Nak-Kyun
Published: July 2020

This research aims to study the ultimate limit state (ULS) behaviour of stiffened panel under longitudinal compression by non-linear finite element method (NLFEM). There are different types of stiffeners being used in shipbuilding i.e. T-bar, flat-bar and angle-bar. However, this research focuses on the ultimate compressive strength behaviour of flat-bar stiffened panel. A total of 420 of reliable scenarios of flat-bar stiffened panel are selected for numerical simulation by ANSYS NLFEM. The ultimate strength behaviours obtained were used as data for the development of closed form shape empirical formulation. Recently, Kim et al. [1] proposed for advanced empirical formulation for T-bar stiffened panel and the applicability of the proposed formulation to flat-bar stiffened panel will be confirmed by this study. The accuracy of the empirical formulation obtained for flat-bar stiffened panel has been validated by FE simulation results of statistical analysis (R2 = 0.9435). The outcome obtained will be useful for ship structural designers in predicting the ultimate strength performance of flat-bar type stiffened panel under longitudinal compression.
Open-Ended Descriptions of Religious/Spiritual Struggles: Salient Themes and Associations with the Religious and Spiritual Struggles (RSS) Scale and Religiousness
Authors: Wilt Joshua A. , Takahashi Joyce T. , Jeong Peter , Exline Julie J. , Pargament Kenneth I.
Published: July 2020

Religious and spiritual struggles are typically assessed by self-report scales using closed-ended items, yet nascent research suggests that using open-ended items may complement and advance assessment. In the current study, undergraduate participants (N = 976) completed open-ended descriptions of their religious and spiritual struggles, the Religious and Spiritual Struggles Scale (RSS), and a standardized measures of religious belief salience. Qualitative coding showed that the themes emerging from open-ended descriptions generally fell within the broad domains of the RSS though some descriptions reflected more contextualized struggles. Scores derived from the open-ended responses to assess RSS domains achieved evidence of reliability as well as convergent and discriminant validity with the RSS . Correlations revealed a mix of similar and divergent associations between methods of assessing religious and spiritual struggles and religious belief salience. Open-ended descriptions of religious and spiritual struggles may yield reliable and valid information that is related to but distinct from assessments relying on closed-ended items.
Can Semaglutide Bind Tighter to GLP-1R?
Authors: Li Wei
Published: July 2020

Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide 1 analog used for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. With 94% sequence similarity to human GLP-1, semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist, which binds directly to GLP-1R, causing various beneficial downstream effects that reduce blood glucose. Practically, it is favourable for semaglutide to bind not just directly, but also tighter, to its receptor GLP-1R. Therefore, incorporating currently available experimental structural data of semaglutide-GLP-1R, this short article reports for the first time that biophysically, semaglutide is able to bind tighter to GLP-1R with just a simple Val27-Arg28 exchange in its peptide backbone.
THE EXISTENCE OF COLLATERAL IN CREDIT THROUGH PEER-TO-PEER LENDING SERVICES
Authors: Nugraheni Ninis , Aziza Qonitah Annur
Published: July 2020

Recently, the total number of registered P2P Lending Fintech promoters has reached 144 companies after 17 fintech joined in one month and had a business license in October 2019. The status of business lisence conferred to platforms registered in OJK has met a number of requirements such as information security in the form of ISO 271001, digital signature and the principle of risk management. As an “umbrella organizationn” for all fintech companies in Indonesia, Indonesia Fintech Association (i.e., AFTECH) has 280 members, which 250 of them operate their business in digital financing system, online credit, innovation on digital finance, insuretech, equity crowdfunding, and etc. The rapid growth of the fintech industry may definitely make a huge contribution to the Indonesian people, especially for retail and unbanked segments. However, this rapid growth potentially evokes legal problems on its implementation as the implementation of credit on peer-to-peer lending does not bring the engaged parties into person but solely through online-access in addition to its less prudence of making transactions, a default of loans which injures the creditors may likely to happen. The importance of legal protection for creditors by selecting an appropriate mitigation of risks (e.g., fiduciary warrant) as a legal assurance for engaged parties, especially the preferent creditors in terms of  possessing the fiduciary certificate when it comes to default. The result of this study with the fiduciary agreement, it will be prioritized in credit disbursement when the debtor turns into bangkruptcy and thus they are not allowed to use their loans for another purpose
LEGAL PHILOSOPHY REVIEW: THE PARTICIPATORY PARADIGM FOR VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN CENTRAL JAVA
Authors: Wulandari Cahya
Published: July 2020

This article will analyze the participatory paradigm for the empowerment problem of women of the village violence victims in central Java based on three questions in the form of ontology, epistemology, and methodology. Community involvement began when identifying problems to formulate joint actions, while the research results were directly applied to the problems encountered. Victims of violence in women are considered to be very understanding of the problems faced so that they are expected to be found the right solution to be applied in the community and provide results under expectations. In the process of Participatory Action Research (PAR) There is a process of digging, seeking, investigating issues and problems of women in the issue of women's trafficking, sexual exploitation in a collaborative research/collaboration. Research is done in an equal relationship which then ends up doing the action together. Related to the issue of violence against women raises participation and raises women's power to build a good relationship between victims of violence against women, between women and the wider community, and among women victims of violence with researchers.
Acute Exertional Compartment Syndrome of the Leg Following Brief Activity
Authors: Keeling Laura E. , Chang Edward S.
Published: July 2020

Case:

A 26-year-old man presented to the emergency department with atraumatic right leg pain after a period of low-impact activity. He was discharged and returned 3 days later with findings of acute compartment syndrome.

Conclusion:

We present a case of delayed diagnosis of acute exertional compartment syndrome (AECS) in the setting of rhabdomyolysis, leading to detrimental sequelae. Practitioners with a high degree of clinical suspicion can make a prompt and accurate diagnosis by physical examination alone, allowing early treatment of AECS.
Lumbar Discitis and Osteomyelitis After a Spinal Stem Cell Injection?
Authors: Ramos Omar , Speirs Joshua N. , Danisa Olumide
Published: July 2020

Case:

A 32-year-old man developed lumbar discitis and osteomyelitis after receiving a cell-based injection for the treatment of degenerative disc disease. Initial cultures were negative, but he continued to worsen, and a repeat set of cultures was taken. On day 10, Cutibacterium acnes was isolated. He was then successfully treated with 12 weeks of intravenous antibiotics.

Conclusions:

There is minimal regulation on the preparation or administration of cell-based interventions. It is important to consider slow growing organisms such as C. acnes in patients presenting with spinal infection with insidious onset after these treatments.
Snapping of the Sciatic Nerve and Sciatica Provoked by Impingement Between the Greater Trochanter and Ischium
Authors: Hatem Munif , Martin Hal David , Safran Marc R.
Published: July 2020

Case:

A 64-year-old woman developed worsening sciatica associated with snapping at the hip over a period of 4 years. The physical examination and dynamic ultrasound revealed the snapping of the sciatic nerve (SN) provoked by impingement between the greater trochanter (GT) and the ischium. Additional imaging studies demonstrated hyperintense signal in the SN at the hip, sagittal imbalance, decreased ischiofemoral space, and increased femoral torsion.

Conclusion:

Snapping and entrapment of the SN provoked by impingement between the GT and the ischium should be considered in the differential diagnosis of snapping hip and/or sciatica.
Pembelajaran Online Berbasis Media Google Formulir dalam Tanggap Work From Home Masa Pandemi Covid-19 di Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Negeri (MIN) 1 Paser
Authors: Bulan Sri , Zainiyati Husniyatus Salamah
Published: July 2020

Google Forms works as a form of professionalism in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in making students keep learning. Preparation to work from home is anticipated with socialization activities using Google Forms as a first step to the success of the education process through online learning. This research was conducted online with data sources of 41 MIN 1 Paser educational community with data collection techniques through interviews, non-participant observation, and document studies. Using a qualitative approach in the form of case studies, data are collected interactively according to the Miles and Huberman models. The results show: MIN 1 Paser teachers during work from home are using Google Forms as an education room and assignment bag during online learning activities. Teacher professionalism is built to always be creative and innovate in the Google Form space. Present meaningful teaching with learning videos and quizzes that motivate students. Create a new cultural tradition of teaching from paper to online form sheets.
Transcriptome analysis provides insights into the non-methylated lignin synthesis in Paphiopedilum armeniacum seed
Authors: fang lin , Xu Xin , Li Ji , Zheng Feng , Li Mingzhi , Yan Jingwei , Li Yuan , Zhang Xinhua , Li Lin , Ma Guohua , Zhang Aying , Lv Fubin , Wu Kunlin , Zeng Songjun
Published: July 2020

Backgrounds: Paphiopedilum is an important genus of the orchid family Orchidaceae and has high horticultural value. The wild populations are under threat of extinction because of overcollection and habitat destruction. Mature seeds of most Paphiopedilum species are difficult to germinate, which severely restricts their germplasm conservation and commercial production. The factors inhibiting germination are largely unknown.Results: In this study, large amounts of non-methylated lignin accumulated during seed maturation of Paphiopedilum armeniacum (P. armeniacum), which negatively correlates with the germination rate. The transcriptome profiles of P. armeniacum seed at different development stages were compared to explore the molecular clues for non-methylated lignin synthesis. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis showed that a large number of genes associated with phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and phenylalanine metabolism during seed maturation were differentially expressed. Several key genes in the lignin biosynthetic pathway displayed different expression patterns during the lignification process. PAL, 4CL, HCT, and CSE upregulation was associated with C and H lignin accumulation. The expression of CCoAOMT, F5H, and COMT were maintained at a low level or down-regulated to inhibit the conversion to the typical G and S lignin. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis confirmed the altered expression levels of these genes in seeds and vegetative tissues. Conclusions: This work demonstrated the plasticity of natural lignin polymer assembly in seed and provided a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of seed-specific lignification process.
Theoretical characterisation of strand cross-correlation in ChIP-seq
Authors: Anzawa Hayato , Yamagata Hitoshi , Kinoshita Kengo
Published: July 2020

Background: Strand cross-correlation profiles are used for both peak calling pre-analysis and quality control (QC) in chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) analysis. Despite its potential for robust and accurate assessments of signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) because of its peak calling independence, it remains unclear what aspects of quality such strand cross-correlation profiles actually measure.
Results: We introduced a simple model to simulate the mapped read-density of ChIP-seq and then derived the theoretical maximum and minimum of cross-correlation coefficients between strands. The results suggest that the maximum coefficient of typical ChIP-seq samples is directly proportional to the number of total mapped reads and the square of the ratio of signal reads, and inversely proportional to the number of peaks and the length of read-enriched regions. Simulation analysis supported our results and evaluation using 790 ChIP-seq data obtained from the public database demonstrated high consistency between calculated cross-correlation coefficients and estimated coefficients based on the theoretical relations and peak calling results. In addition, we found that the mappability-bias-correction improved sensitivity, enabling differentiation of maximum coefficients from the noise level. Based on these insights, we proposed virtual S/N (VSN), a novel peak call-free metric for S/N assessment. We also developed PyMaSC, a tool to calculate strand cross-correlation and VSN efficiently. VSN achieved most consistent S/N estimation for various ChIP targets and sequencing read depths. Furthermore, we demonstrated that a combination of VSN and pre-existing peak calling results enable the estimation of the numbers of detectable peaks for posterior experiments and assess peak calling results.
Conclusions: We present the first theoretical insights into the strand cross-correlation, and the results reveal the potential and the limitations of strand cross-correlation analysis. Our quality assessment framework using VSN provides peak call-independent QC and will help in the evaluation of peak call analysis in ChIP-seq experiments.
Factors Associated with Receipt of Mammogram among Caregivers: A Comparison with Non-Caregivers
Authors: Kim Soo Young , Guo Yuqi , Won Chorong , Lee Hee Yun
Published: July 2020

Background: caregiving responsibilities significantly impact females’ decisions on adhering to preventive mammography. The purpose of this study is to examine (1) the levels of mammogram receipt, (2) the role of caregiving factors on the receipt of mammogram in caregiving group, and (3) the role of cancer beliefs on mammogram screening in caregivers and non-caregivers.Methods: the 2017 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) provides samples of 1228 women aged 40 to 75 years old for this secondary analysis. By using Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, a binomial logistic regression model was used to analyze associations between mammography and socioeconomic factors, caregiving factors, and cancer belief factors. Results: caregivers who provided more caregiving hours per week (OR=0.749, 95% CI=0.564-0.94) and caregivers who had the belief of rather not knowing the likelihood of getting cancer (OR=0.673, 95% CI=0.496-0.914) were less likely to use mammogram. However, caregivers who believed cancer is more common than heart disease (OR=1.490, 95% CI=1.302- 2.151) were more likely to use a mammogram. Non-caregivers who worried about getting cancer (OR=1.158, 95% CI=0.793-1.691) were more likely to use mammogram, but non-caregivers who had the belief of rather not know the likelihood of getting cancer (OR=0.825, 95% CI=0.713-0.955) were less likely to use mammogram.Conclusions: to support caregivers’ breast cancer prevention, caregiving-related policies based on caregiving hours should be developed. Particularly, effort to promote breast cancer screening education and care support among older primary caregivers will likely increase their adherence to preventive mammography uptake. The development of targeted cancer prevention interventions on specific cancer beliefs held by both groups are also urgently needed to promote mammography.
High intensity exercise downregulates FTO mRNA expression during the early stages of recovery in young males and females
Authors: Danaher Jessica , Stathis Christos G. , Wilson Robin A. , Moreno-Asso Alba , Wellard R. Mark , Cooke Matthew B.
Published: July 2020

Background: Physical exercise and activity status may modify the effect of fat mass- and obesity-associated (FTO) genotype on body weight and obesity risk. To understand the interaction between FTO’s effect and physical activity, the present study investigated the effects of high and low intensity exercise on FTO mRNA and protein expression, and potential modifiers of exercise-induced changes in FTO in healthy-weighted individuals. Methods: Twenty-eight untrained males and females (25.4 ± 1.1 years; 73.1 ± 2.0 kg; 178.8 ± 1.4 cm; 39.0 ± 1.2 ml.kg.min-1 VO2peak) were genotyped for the FTO rs9939609 (T>A) polymorphism and performed isocaloric (400 kcal) cycle ergometer exercise on two separate occasions at different intensities: 80% (High Intensity (HI)) and 40% (Low Intensity (LO)) VO2peak. Skeletal muscle biopsies (vastus lateralis) and blood samples were taken pre-exercise and following 10 and 90 mins passive recovery. Results: FTO mRNA expression was significantly decreased after HI intensity exercise (p=0.003). No differences in basal and post-exercise FTO protein expression were evident between FTO genotypes. Phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and Akt substrate of 160 kDa (AS160) were significantly increased following HI intensity exercise (p<0.05). Multivariate models of metabolomic data (orthogonal two partial least squares discriminant analysis (O2PLS-DA)) were unable to detect any significant metabolic differences between genotypes with either exercise trial (p>0.05). However, skeletal muscle glucose accumulation at 10 mins following HI (p=0.021) and LO (p=0.033) intensity exercise was greater in AA genotypes compared to TT genotypes.Conclusion: Our novel data provides preliminary evidence regarding the effects of exercise on FTO expression in skeletal muscle. Specifically, high intensity exercise downregulates expression of FTO mRNA and suggests that in addition to nutritional regulation, FTO could also be regulated by exercise. Trial Registration: ACTRN12612001230842. Registered 21 November 2012 – Retrospectively registered, https://www.anzctr.org.au/
Functional analysis of the SlERF01 gene in disease resistance to S. lycopersici
Authors: Yang Huanhuan , Shen Fengyi , Wang Hexuan , Zhao Tingting , Zhang He , Jiang Jingbin , Xu Xiangyang , LI JINGFU
Published: July 2020

Background: Tomato gray leaf spot caused by Stemphylium lycopersici (S. lycopersici) is a serious disease that can severely hinder tomato production. To date, only Sm has been reported to provide resistance against this disease, and the molecular mechanism underlying resistance to this disease in tomato remains unclear. To better understand the mechanism of tomato resistance to S. lycopersici, real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR)-based analysis, physiological indexes, microscopy observations and transgenic technology were used in this study.Results: Our results showed that the expression of SlERF01 was strongly induced by S. lycopersici and by exogenous applications of the hormones salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA). Furthermore, overexpression of SlERF01 enhanced the hypersensitive response (HR) to S. lycopersici and elevated the expression of defense genes in tomato. Furthermore, the accumulation of lignin, callose and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) increased in the transgenic lines after inoculation with S. lycopersici. Taken together, our results showed that SlERF01 played an indispensable role in multiple SA, JA and reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling pathways to provide resistance to S. lycopersici invasion. Our findings also indicated that SlERF01 could activate the expression of the PR1 gene and enhance resistance to S. lycopersici.Conclusions: We identified the SlERF01 gene, which encodes a novel tomato AP2/ERF transcription factor (TF). Functional analysis revealed that SlERF01 positively regulates tomato resistance to S. lycopersici. Our findings indicate that SlERF01 plays a key role in multiple SA, JA and ROS signaling pathways to provide resistance to invasion by S. lycopersici. The findings of this study not only help to better understand the mechanisms of response to pathogens but also enable targeted breeding strategies for tomato resistance to S. lycopersici.
Genomics-assisted prediction of salt and alkali tolerances and functional marker development in apple rootstocks
Authors: Liu Jing , Shen Fei , Xiao Yao , Fang Hongcheng , Qiu Changpeng , Li Wei , Wu Ting , Xu Xuefeng , Wang Yi , Zhang Xinzhong , Han Zhenhai
Published: July 2020

Background: Saline, alkaline, and saline-alkaline stress severely affect plant growth and development. The tolerance of plants to these stressors has long been important breeding objectives, especially for woody perennials like apple. The aims of this study were to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and to develop genomics-assisted prediction models for salt, alkali, and salt-alkali tolerance in apple rootstock. Results: A total of 3,258 hybrids derived from the apple rootstock cultivars ‘Baleng Crab’ (Malus robusta Rehd., tolerant) × ‘M9’ (M. pumila Mill., sensitive) were used to identify 17, 13, and two QTLs for injury indices of salt, alkali, and salt–alkali stress via bulked segregant analysis. The genotype effects of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers designed on candidate genes in each QTL interval were estimated. The genomic predicted value of an individual hybrid was calculated by adding the sum of all marker genotype effects to the mean phenotype value of the population. The prediction accuracy was 0.6569, 0.6695, and 0.5834 for injury indices of salt, alkali, and salt–alkali stress, respectively. SNP182G on MdRGLG3, which changes a leucine to an arginine at the vWFA-domain, conferred tolerance to salt, alkali, and salt-alkali stress. SNP761A on MdKCAB, affecting the Kv_beta domain that cooperated with the linked allelic variation SNP11, contributed to salt, alkali, and salt–alkali tolerance in apple rootstock. Conclusions: The genomics-assisted prediction models can potentially be used in breeding saline, alkaline, and saline-alkaline tolerant apple rootstocks. The QTLs and the functional markers may provide insight for future studies into the genetic variation of plant abiotic stress tolerance.
Diet-induced Changes in Bacterial Communities in the Jejunum and Their Associations with Bile Acids in Angus Beef Cattle
Authors: Liu Jianan , Liu Fang , Cai Wentao , Jia Cunling , Bai Ying , He Yanghua , Zhu Weiyun , Li Robert W. , Song Jiuzhou
Published: July 2020

Background: The small intestine, while serving as the main absorption organ, also possesses a unique bacterial environment and holds the critical function of conversion of primary bile acids. Bile acids are, in turn, able to regulate bacterial composition and promote the growth of bacteria that convert primary bile acids to secondary bile acids. However, in beef cattle, few studies have explored the influence of diets on jejunal bacterial communities and examined its relationships with bile acids. Here, we examined the impact of grain- and grass-based diets on jejunal and fecal bacterial communities’ composition and investigated possible association of bacterial features with bile acids.Results: We demonstrated that the influences of diets on intestinal bacteria can be observed in young beef cattle after weaning. A significantly higher level of microbial diversity was documented in feces of grass-fed cattle comparing to grain-fed cattle. Top 20 important genera identified with random forest analysis on fecal bacterial community can be good candidates for microbial biomarkers. Moreover, the jejunal bacteria of adult Angus beef cattle exhibited significant differences in microbial composition and metabolic potential under different diets. Global balances and bacteria signatures predictive of bile acids were identified, indicative of the potential association of bacterial features with bile acids. Conclusions: The findings from this study provided novel insights into the relationships between jejunal bacteria and bile acids under different diets in Angus beef cattle. Our results should help us gain a better understanding of potential health benefits of grass-fed beef.
COL4A1 promotes the growth and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by activating FAK-Src signaling
Authors: Wang Ting , Jin Haojie , Hu Jingying , Li Xi , Ruan Haoyu , Xu Huili , Wei Lin , Dong Weihua , Teng Fei , Gu Jianren , Qin Wenxin , Luo Xiaoying , Hao Yujun
Published: July 2020

Background: Collagens are the most abundant proteins in extra cellular matrix and important components of tumor microenvironment. Recent studies have showed that aberrant expression of collagens can influence tumor cell behaviors. However, their roles in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are poorly understood. Methods: In this study, we screened all 44 collagen members in HCC using whole transcriptome sequencing data from the public datasets, and collagen type IV alpha1 chain (COL4A1) was identified as most significantly differential expressed gene. Expression of COL4A1 was detected in HCC samples by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Finally, functions and potential mechanisms of COL4A1 were explored in HCC progression.Results: COL4A1 is the most significantly overexpressed collagen gene in HCC. Upregulation of COL4A1 facilitates the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells through FAK-Src signaling. Expression of COL4A1 is upregulated by RUNX1 in HCC. HCC cells with high COL4A1 expression are sensitive to the treatment with FAK or Src inhibitor. Conclusion: COL4A1 facilitates growth and metastasis in HCC via activation of FAK-Src signaling. High level of COL4A1 may be a potential biomarker for diagnosis and treatment with FAK or Src inhibitor for HCC.
Diagnostic ability of OCT parameters and retinal ganglion cells count in identification of glaucoma in myopic preperimetric eyes
Authors: Rolle Teresa , Bonetti Beatrice , Mazzucco Alberto , Dallorto Laura
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study is to evaluate the diagnostic ability of OCT parameters and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) count in identify glaucomatous disease in myopic preperimetric eyes. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional observational study. The study group consisted of 154 eyes: 36 controls, 64 preperimetric (PPG), and 54 primary openangle glaucoma (POAG) eyes. Each group was divided into three subgroups based on axial length: emmetropic, myopic with axial length (AL) <25 mm, and myopic with AL>25 mm, to analyze the effect of myopia. The RGCs count was obtained using a model described later. As regard the influence of myopia on OCT parameters and RGC count, we performed Pearson’s correlation. The Area Under Receiver Operator Characteristics Curves (AUROC curves) evaluated which parameter had the best sensitivity and specificity in identifying glaucoma in myopic eyes. RESULTS: In Pearson’s test, all Ganglion Cell Complex (GCC) thicknesses showed the weakest and less significant correlation with AL in all groups. All the AUROCs were statistically significant, and above 0.5. Inferior GCC and Global Loss Volume (GLV) showed the highest AUCs in all myopic group and the best diagnostic ability in distinguishing control from glaucomatous eyes. RGCcount showed good AUROC in all groups, with sensitivities of about 83% in myopic eyes, and specificity over 91% in all groups.CONCLUSIONS: GCC is the parameter less influenced by the AL, and the inferior GCC and the GLV have the best diagnostic performance. The RGCcount has good sensitivity and specificity, so it can be used as a complementary test in the diagnosis of glaucoma in myopic preperimetric eyes.
Integrated Genomic and Transcriptomic Analysis Revealed Mutation Patterns of De-differentiated Liposarcoma and Leiomyosarcoma
Authors: Liu Wenshuai , Tong Hanxing , Zhang Chenlu , Zhuang Rongyuan , Guo He , Chentao Lv , Yang Hua , Lin Qiaowei , Guo Xi , Wang Zhiming , Wang Yan , Shen Feng , Wang Shengzhou , Wang Guan , Liu Jun , Dai Chun , Lu Weiqi , Zhang Yong , Zhou Yuhong
Published: July 2020

Background Treating patients with advanced sarcomas is challenging due to great histologic diversity among its subtypes. Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) and de-differentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS) are two common and aggressive subtypes of soft tissue sarcoma (STS). They differ significantly in histology and clinical behaviors. However, the molecular driving force behind the difference is unclear.Methods We collected 20 LMS and 12 DDLPS samples and performed whole exome sequencing (WES) to obtain their somatic mutation profiles. We also performed RNA-Seq to analyze the transcriptomes of 8 each of the LMS and DDLPS samples and obtained information about differential gene expression, pathway enrichment, immune cell infiltration in tumor microenvironment, and chromosomal rearrangement including gene fusions. Selected gene fusion events from the RNA-seq prediction were checked by RT-PCR in tandem with Sanger sequencing.Results We detected loss of function mutation and deletion of tumor suppressors mostly in LMS, and oncogene amplification mostly in DDLPS. A focal amplification affecting chromosome 12q13–15 region which encodes MDM2, CDK4 and HMGA2 is notable in DDLPS. Mutations in TP53, ATRX, PTEN, and RB1 are identified in LMS but not DDLPS, while mutation of HERC2 is only identified in DDLPS but not LMS. RNA-seq revealed overexpression of MDM2, CDK4 and HMGA2 in DDLPS and down-regulation of TP53 and RB1 in LMS. It also detected more fusion events in DDLPS than LMS (4.5 vs. 1, p=0.0195), and the ones involving chromosome 12 in DDLPS stand out. RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing verified the majority of the fusion events in DDLPS but only one event in LMS selected to be tested. The tumor microenvironmental signatures are highly correlated with histologic types. DDLPS has more endothelial cells and fibroblasts content than LMS. Conclusions Our analysis revealed different recurrent genetic variations in LMS and DDLPS including simultaneous upregulation of gene expression and gene copy number amplification of MDM2 and CDK4. Up-regulation of tumor related genes is favored in DDLPS, while loss of suppressor function is favored in LMS. DDLPS harbors more frequent fusion events which can generate neoepitopes and potentially targeted by personalized immune treatment.