bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Symptomatic Cerebral Vasospasm after Spontaneous Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Comparison of Single and Multiple Intra-arterial Treatment with Respect to the Functional Outcome
Authors: Neumann Alexander , Ditz Claudia , Schacht Hannes , Aulmann Linda , Tronnier Volker Martin , Schramm Peter , Küchler Jan Nils
Published: November 2019

Objective In cases of spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (sSAH) and symptomatic cerebral vasospasm (sCVS), multiple intra-arterial treatments (IATs) can be potentially useful for the functional outcome, even if the prognosis is initially poor. But the actual influence of the number of IATs has yet to be clarified. We wanted to assess if there are differences in the functional outcome between patients with a singular IAT and multiple IATs for sCVS after sSAH.

Methods In a single-center study, 405 consecutive patients with nontraumatic SAH were analyzed retrospectively. A total of 126 developed sCVS, and 86 received IAT (32 singular and 54 multiple, i.e., more than one) with nimodipine with or without percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). Both groups were compared for demographic data, initial treatment (clipping or endovascular), and initial grading (World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies/Fisher classification, intraventricular hemorrhage, and intracerebral hemorrhage). The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was used to assess functional outcome at the time of discharge and after 3 and 6 months. The development of CVS-associated infarction was assessed by computed tomography (CT). Categorical variables of the patient groups were analyzed in contingency tables using the Fisher exact test, chi-square test, and the Mann-Whitney U test. Statistical significance was accepted at p < 0.05.

Results Patient groups with singular and multiple IATs were comparable concerning demographic data and initial grading. At the end of follow-up after 6 months, both groups showed comparable functional outcomes. A favorable outcome (mRS: 0–3) was observed in 14 of 26 patients (53.9%) with a single IAT and for 29 of 49 patients (59.2%) with multiple IATs. An unfavorable outcome (mRS: 4–6) occurred in 12 of 26 patients (46.1%) with a single IAT and for 20 of 49 patients (40.8%) with multiple IATs (p = 0.420). In the group with a single IAT, 22 of 32 patients (68.8%) developed CVS-associated infarction; 32 of 54 patients (59.3%) showed brain infarcts after multiple IATs (p = 0.259).

Conclusion For patients with sCVS after sSAH, multiple IATs (nimodipine with or without additional PTA) can be applied safely because no significant differences in functional outcome were observed compared with a singular IAT. We conclude that patients should be treated repeatedly if vasospasm reoccurs.
Multiple ACL Revision: Failure Analysis and Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Dini Francesco , Tecame Andrea , Ampollini Aldo , Adravanti Paolo
Published: November 2019

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction represents one of the most successful orthopedic surgical procedures. Nevertheless, ACL revisions are still very frequent, with a small but relevant number of failures. The purpose of this study is to analyze the failure causes and the clinical outcomes of patients who underwent a re-revision ACL reconstruction. Between January 2009 and December 2017, 263 ACL revisions were performed by a single senior surgeon. Seventeen patients (12 males and 5 females) underwent re-revision ACL reconstruction meeting the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 28.4 years (range, 19–41 years). Before the re-revision, the patients were evaluated preoperatively and after a mean follow-up of 29 months (range, 13–58 months). Assessment included subjective and objective evaluations (Lysholm and International Knee Documentation Committee [IKDC]), KT-2000 arthrometer, radiographic study, and preoperative computed tomography scan. Five patients showed a too anterior previous femoral tunnel and seven a too vertical and posterior tibial tunnel; eight meniscal tears were found. Five patients had grade III–IV according to Outerbridge cartilage lesions. IKDC showed a statistically significant improvement (A + B 35%, C + D 65% preop, A + B 82%, C + D 18% postop, odds ratio: 0.1169; p = 0.0083). The mean Lysholm score ranged from 43 ± 9 to 87 ± 7 (p < 0.001). The KT-2000 arthrometer showed a statistically significant improvement from a mean of 5.8 ± 1.4 to 1.5 ± 1.1 (p < 0.001) at last follow-up. Out of 17 patients, only 4 returned to sports activity at the same preinjury levels. Postoperatively at the last follow-up after last revision surgery, no osteoarthritis evolution was observed. This study showed good clinical and radiological results after the last revision ACL surgery in patients with multiple failures of ACL reconstruction but only one-fourth of the patients returned to the same preoperative sport level. Traumatic events, technical errors, and untreated peripheral lesions are the main causes of multiple previous failures; the worst clinical outcomes were found in the patients with high grade of chondral lesions.
Periprocedural Coagulation Status in Percutaneous Interventions
Authors: Singhal Soumil , Uthappa Mangerira Chinnappa
Published: December 2019

Hemostasis is a very elaborate process, and its knowledge is essential for every interventional radiologist. Abnormal coagulation parameters are associated with an increased risk of bleeding and require appropriate management. This review aims to briefly discuss the pathophysiology of hemostasis, the role of currently available pharmacological agents affecting hemostasis, and the management of hemostasis during various percutaneous interventional procedures. A preprocedure proforma, when used as a checklist, can reduce procedure-related complications.
Diskussionsbeitrag: Von wem werden Einkaufsgemeinschaften überhaupt noch benötigt?
Authors: Müller Rüdiger
Published: December 2019

Optimierung der Preise für die Kliniken und harte Verhandlungen mit den Vertragslieferanten – das war bisher das Erfolgsmodell der Einkaufsgemeinschaften. Aber ist diese Vorgehensweise noch zeitgemäß? Über den Dreiklang in der Zusammenarbeit zwischen Klinik-Einkauf, Industrie und Einkaufsgemeinschaft aus heutiger und zukünftiger Sicht.
Bardet Biedl syndrome - report of a very rare case
Authors: Sbirahatti Asha , Dixit Daksha , Patil Harshavardhan
Published: November 2019

Bardet Biedl Syndrome is a autosomal recessive condition with a wide spectrum of clinical features. The principal manifestations of the syndrome are Post axial polydactyly, Retinitis Pigmentosa, truncal obesity, hypogonadism & renal dysfunction. The authors report a case of Bardet Biedl Syndrome in a young girl diagnosed on the basis of post axial polydactyly, retinitis pigmentosa and other systemic features. Postaxial polydactyly is one of the earliest and most common manifestation of Bardet Biedl syndrome, followed by truncal obesity and retinitis pigmentosa. Renal failure is the major cause of morbidity and mortality. The importance of polydactyly lies in the fact that, such finding can be helpful in antenatal diagnosis to see its inheritance, counseling of such families and at times may be treated by surgical correction.
Surgical anatomy of the posterior ends of the middle and inferior turbinates
Authors: Muthiyan Gayatri Girish , Hattangdi Shanta Sunil , Kasat Payal Arvind
Published: November 2019

Background: Preservation of structure and reestablishment of function is the guiding principle during an endoscopic intervention. Especially, when a partial middle turbinectomy is unavoidable, middle turbinate can lose its stability. Variations of middle turbinate like severe anterior bulging, posterior protrusion beyond the inferior turbinate and the larger size than inferior turbinate have significant impact on its stability. Aim: To study surgical anatomy of the middle and inferior turbinates. Method: The distances and angles between the limen nasi and posterior ends of the middle and inferior turbinates were studied in 100 hemisected adult Indian cadaveric heads. Results: The mean angles between the line passing through the lowermost portion of limen nasi and posterior ends of middle turbinate and inferior turbinate respectively are bl was 19.87° and b2 was 10.57°. The mean distance between the lowermost portion of limen nasi and posterior ends of middle turbinate and of inferior turbinate were xi is 55.88 ± 3.61 mm and x2 was 52.69 ± 3.57 nnn.The mean distances between the lowermost portion of limen nasi and the perpendicular from the posterior ends of middle turbinate and inferior turbinate to the hard palate were yl= 52.47 ± 3.33 mm (range: 44.16 to 59.92 mm) and y2= 51.75 ± 3.45 mm (range 43.32 to 61.22 mm) respectively. In 52% cases middle turbinate extends more posterior with respect to inferior turbinate i.e.M > I and in 48% cases inferior turbinate extends more posterior with respect to middle turbinate of M < I. Conclusion: The documentation of these parameters and the related variations is likely to be useful for the endoscopic surgeons.
Study on correlation of foot length with stature
Authors: AN Kavyashree , MK Bindurani , KR Asha ,   Lakshmiprabhasubhash
Published: November 2019

Background and aims : Stature is the height of a person in the upright posture. There are lot of variations in estimating stature from limb measurements among people of different region and race. Hence there is a need to carryout more studies on population of different regions so that method of stature estimation becomes more reliable. The aim of study was to fmd out the correlation between foot length and height of an individual and to derive regression formulae to estimate the height from the foot length in the study population. Materials and methods : This study was conducted among 308 healthy students aged between 18-20 years. Foot length and height was measured. The measurements were made by using standard anthropometric instruments to the nearest millimeter. The data obtained was analysed statistically and attempt was made to findout correlation and to derive a regression formula between foot length and height of an individual. Results: The values of all the parameters in case of male were higher than females. The sex differences in these parameters showed statistical significance. A strong positive correlation between height and foot length of individuals was found Conclusion: Foot length is a useful parameter in stature estimation. Our findings suggest that the relationship between stature and foot length is of practical use for anatomical, medico legal, anthropological, archaeological and other related studies.
Greater palatine foramen- morphometry, sexual dimorphism and clinical perspective
Authors: Patil Manjula , Sheelavant Santosh
Published: November 2019

Background and aims: Maxillary nerve block via greater palatine foramen (GPF) is most commonly followed procedure for many dental, oral and maxillofacial surgeries. Many standard textbooks mention location of GPF in a general way. Location of GPF with respect to fixed bony landmarks has been studied by many authors in different population groups. The results of those studies showed lot of variability in location of GPF. The data regarding possible existence of sexual dimorphism are sparse. The present study was aimed at contributing further data regarding morphometry of the GPF. Ao attempt has also been made to look for sexual dimorphism. Material and Methods: One hundred and twenty three adult dry skulls of known sex (male- 55 & female - 68) were studied for GPF with regards to- morphometry, shape, relation to molars, fixed bony landmarks- Median maxillary suture(MMS), Incisive fossa(IF), Posterior border of hard palate(PBHP), Aogle between line joiniog GPF with IF & MMS, direction of opening of GPF into oral cavity. Results: Aotero-posterior diameter on left side (p-0.006), transverse diameter on both sides (p-0.000 on left & right side) distance between GPF to IF on both sides (p- 0.013 right side, p-0.02 left side, GPF-PBHP distance on both sides (p-0.001 left side, p-0.002 on right side) showed statistical significance when compared male with female skulls. In both male and female skulls, Oval shape predominated followed by round and slit variety of GPF. Both on right and left side GPF found to be predominantly related to anterior half of 3rd molar. Direction of opening of GPF into oral cavity was predominantly antero-medial on both sides in male and female skulls. Conclusion: Our study provides a valuable addition to the available literature on location of GPF and also gives an insight to the possible existence of sexual dimorphism.
Occipital condyles interconnected by a bony bar
Authors: D. Nirmala , N. Hema
Published: November 2019

Occipital condyles interconnected by a bony bar is a rare occurrence. During osteology demonstration of skull bones, one skull was identified aspects of the occipital condyles. The bony bar was curved, just below the anterior margin of foramen mangum. There was a gap of about 3 mm between the bony bar and the anterior margin of foramen magnum. The partial or complete assimilation of the atlas with the occipital bone have been reported in literature. The present case deserves attention since this has not been reported earlier.
A rare variation of cutaneous innervation of dorsum of hand by posterior interosseous nerve
Authors: Roy Tapati , Sarkar Jayanta , Ray Koushik , Mandal Lopamudra , Basu Rituparna , Baral Karabi
Published: November 2019

Anatomical knowledge of variation of cutaneous supply of hand is required to the anesthetist to give local anesthesia and to the surgeon for various operations around wrist. The present case was reportedto enlighten the knowledge of anatomists as well as to the clinicians. During routine dissection of 70 year old male cadaver a rare variation of distribution of posterior interosseous nerve on dorsum of hand of right side was observed. The adjacent sides of index and middle fingers supplied by posterior interosseous nerve. Cutaneous nerve supply of thumb and lateral side of index finger was by three proper digital branches from superficial division of radial nerve and rest was supplied by ulnar nerve. Anatomical knowledge of this variation willbe useful to anaesthetists and surgeons during various operations.
Facile green synthesis of magnetic Fe3C@C nanocomposite using natural magnetite
Authors: Gu Ju-wen , Bai Yong , Qiu Song-bai , Zhang Qian , Wang Tie-jun
Published: December 2019

One simple and environmental friendly synthesis strategy for preparing low-cost magnetic Fe3C@C materials has been facilely developed using a modified sol-gel approach, wherein natural magnetite acted as the iron source. A chelating polycarboxylic acid such as citric acid (CA) was employed as the carbon source, and it dissolved Fe very effectively, Fe3O4 and natural magnetite to composite an iron-citrate complex with the assistance of ammonium hydroxide. The core-shell structure of the as-prepared nanocomposites was formed directly by high-temperature pyrolysis. The Fe3C@C materials exhibited superparamagnetic properties (38.09 emu/mg), suggesting potential applications in biomedicine, environment, absorption, catalysis, etc.
Rice grain quality: an Australian multi-environment study
Authors: Ward Rachelle , Spohr Lorraine , Snell Peter
Published: November 2019

Rice is a staple for much of the world’s population. Increased production of good-quality rice is a necessity for global food security. Variable water supply and increasingly unpredictable weather is an ongoing challenge to the Australian rice industry, with the impact felt along the supply chain from growers to consumers. This multi-environment trial (MET) is focused on capturing the quality of milled grain produced in new growing regions beyond south-eastern Australia. Data on grain quality from 54 rice-variety trials grown between 2008 and 2017 across 10 locations and two seasons (wet and dry) spanning four Australian states and territories are included. Physical quality traits (yellowness index and whole grain yield), grain composition (apparent amylose and protein content) and eating quality traits (setback and gelatinisation temperature) were analysed. Varietal predictions for each quality trait at a range of sites provide evidence for the industry to develop strategies to deliver a consistent supply of high-quality Australian-grown rice.
Oviduct fluid extracellular vesicles regulate polyspermy during porcine in vitro fertilisation
Authors: Alcântara-Neto A. S. , Fernandez-Rufete M. , Corbin E. , Tsikis G. , Uzbekov R. , Garanina A. S. , Coy P. , Almiñana C. , Mermillod P.
Published: November 2019

High polyspermy is one of the major limitations of porcine invitro fertilisation (IVF). The addition of oviductal fluid (OF) during IVF reduces polyspermy without decreasing the fertilisation rate. Because extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been described as important OF components, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of porcine oviductal EVs (poEVs) on IVF efficiency compared with porcine OF (fresh and lyophilised). OF was collected from abattoir oviducts by phosphate-buffered saline flush, and poEVs were isolated by serial ultracentrifugation. Four IVF treatments were conducted: poEVs (0.2mgmL–1), OF (10%), lyophilized and reconstituted pure OF (LOF; 1%) and IVF without supplementation (control). Penetration, monospermy and IVF efficiency were evaluated. Transmission electron microscopy showed an EVs population primarily composed of exosomes (83%; 30–150nm). Supplementation with poEVs during IVF increased monospermy compared with control (44% vs 17%) while maintaining an acceptable penetration rate (61% vs 78% respectively) in a similar way to OF and LOF. Western blotting revealed poEVs proteins involved in early reproductive events, including zona pellucida hardening. In conclusion, our finding show that poEVs are key components of porcine OF and may play roles in porcine fertilisation and polyspermy regulation, suggesting that supplementation with poEVs is a reliable strategy to decrease porcine polyspermy and improve invitro embryo production outcomes.
In vitro-produced horse embryos exhibit a very narrow window of acceptable recipient mare uterine synchrony compared with in vivo-derived embryos
Authors: Cuervo-Arango Juan , Claes Anthony N. , Stout Tom A. E.
Published: November 2019

In recent years, the number of equine invitro-produced embryos (IVP) has increased markedly; as yet, there are few reports on what constitutes an ‘ideal’ recipient for an IVP embryo. This study retrospectively investigated the effects of recipient mare oestrous cycle characteristics on the likelihood of pregnancy after transfer of IVP (n=264) and invivo-derived embryos (n=262). IVP embryos tolerated only a narrow window of recipient mare ‘synchrony’, with transfer on Day 4 after ovulation resulting in a higher likelihood of ongoing pregnancy (69%) than transfer on Days 3, 5 or 6 (53.2%, 41.3% and 23.1% respectively; P=0.02). In contrast, Day 8 invivo-derived embryos tolerated a wide range of uterine (a)synchrony, with no difference in pregnancy or pregnancy loss for recipients that ovulated between Day 4 and Day 9 before transfer. However, transferring invivo-derived embryos to recipients that had a longer oestrus preceding transfer resulted in higher Day 12 and ongoing pregnancy rate (P<0.01). This effect was not significant in IVP embryos. In conclusion, Day 6–8 IVP blastocysts survive best after transfer to Day 4 recipient mares; Day 8 invivo-derived embryos survive equally well in Day 4–9 recipients, but do better in mares that have a long preceding oestrus.
17 Generation of myostatin gene knockout boars by somatic cell nuclear transfer
Authors: Kang J.-D. , Xuan M.-F. , Luo Z.-B. , Han S.-Z. , Yin X.-J.
Published: December 2019

Skeletal muscle is the most economically valuable tissue part in meat-producing animals, and enhancing muscle growth in these species may increase the efficiency of meat production. Skeletal muscle mass is negatively regulated by myostatin (MSTN), and nonfunctional mutations of this MSTN gene in various animal species have led to dramatic hypermuscularity. A porcine fetal fibroblast cell line with biallelic MSTN mutations (MSTN
−/−), consisting of a 2-bp deletion in one allele and a 4-bp deletion in the other allele, was used as a donor to generate cloned pigs via somatic cell nuclear transfer. Cloned embryos were transferred into seven surrogates and 38 live piglets were delivered. Using these MSTN null piglets, the detailed morphological, gene and protein expression analyses were performed not only in biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and diaphragm of MSTN null piglets but also in heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, and tongue. The results showed that MSTN
−/− boars have visually clear hypermuscular characteristics, which was supported by the increased carcass dressing percentage and loin eye size and decreased backfat thickness. The fibre cross-sectional areas of the semitendinosus and semimembranosus muscles were much larger in MSTN
−/− piglets than in wild-type (WT) piglets (98.0±8.2 vs. 62.7±4.7, 105.7±11.6 vs. 72.3±8.4mm2, respectively; P<0.05). MSTN
−/− pigs showed a higher proportion of fast-type fibres (Type-II fibre%, 95±1.8 vs. 86±2.4; P<0.05) and lower succinate dehydrogenase activity in muscles than WT pigs. The mRNA expression of myosin heavy-chain IIB in both two muscles was higher in MSTN
−/− pigs compared with WT pigs (P<0.05). In organs, the heart and liver were lighter in MSTN
−/− piglets than in WT piglets (8.1±0.3 vs. 10.3±0.4, 26.9±1.8 vs. 34.2±1.2g kg−1, respectively; P<0.05), whereas the tongue was heavier in MSTN
−/− piglets than in WT piglets and myofibres of the tongue were significantly larger in the former piglets than in the latter piglets (P<0.01). Messenger RNA expression of MSTN in all organs was significantly lower in MSTN
−/− piglets than in WT piglets (P<0.01) and follistatin in the heart and liver was significantly higher in MSTN
−/− piglets than in WT piglets (P<0.05). Protein expression of MSTN in the heart, kidneys, and tongue was significantly lower in MSTN
−/− piglets than in WT piglets (P<0.01). In conclusion, MSTN
−/− pigs showed a phenotype of supermuscular ratio is associated with increased muscle fibres and smaller internal organs and has a complicated gene expression patterns.
2 The landscape of accessible chromatin in bovine oocytes and early embryos
Authors: Ming H. , Sun J. , Pasquariello R. , Herrick J. R. , Yuan Y. , Gutierrez E. , Gatenby L. , Bondioli K. R. , Krisher R. L. , Jiang Z.
Published: December 2019

Chromatin reorganization governs gene expression regulation during pre-implantation development. However, the global chromatin landscape and its dynamics in this period remain unexplored in bovine. In this study, we constructed a genome-wide map of accessible chromatin in bovine oocytes and early embryos using an improved assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq). We analysed pools of 20 germinal vesicles or MII oocytes or 2-, 4-, 8-, 16-cell, morula, and blastocyst stage invitro-produced embryos. We conducted ATAC-seq on six pools for each stage and an additional four pools of invivo-derived morula and blastocysts and six replicates using individual Day 14 elongating embryos. We obtained ~110 million paired end reads uniquely mapped to the bovine reference genome for each stage. Hierarchical clustering, t-distributed stochastic neighbour embedding, and principal component analysis showed four distinct patterns for open chromatin status: (1) low accessibility in germinal vesicles and MII oocytes and in 2- and 4-cell embryos; (2) significantly elevated accessibility in 8-cell, 16-cell, and morula embryos; (3) less accessibility in blastocysts; and (4) extremely high accessibility in elongating embryos. This dynamic and sequential chromatin remodelling is consistent with transcription activation during the bovine minor embryonic genome activation from fertilization to 4-cell, major embryonic genome activation at 8-cell, first differentiation at blastocyst and drastic transcription initiation for embryo elongation. Genome-wide characteristics of accessible chromatin showed (1) accessible chromatin near the transcription start sites of active genes and CpG-rich promoters; (2) widespread accessible chromatin regions extensively overlapped with transposable elements; (3) distal peaks preferentially enriched for repeats including LINE, SINE, and LTR from 8-cell to morula embryos, especially for LTR, whereas enrichment in simple repeats were found from oocytes to 4-cell and in elongating embryos; and (4) highly stage-specific transcription factor motifs in distal peaks were unveiled. By integrating the maps of chromatin accessibility with bovine embryo transcriptomes and DNA methylomes, we found promoter accessibility and DNA methylation in bovine embryos correlated with both gene activities and CpG densities. Most importantly, we constructed the regulatory networks of stage-specific expressed genes and stage-specific activated genes with three omics datasets in bovine early embryos and revealed conserved and distinctive transcriptional regulatory networks between invivo- and invitro-derived embryos. This comprehensive analysis revealed critical features of the chromatin landscape and epigenetic reprogramming during bovine early embryo development.
25 A preliminary study of the effects of breed and nanowater as extender diluent on ram semen characteristics post-thawing
Authors: Murawski M. , Szymanowicz J. , Schwarz T. , Bartlewski P.
Published: December 2019

This study examined the effect of genotype and extender diluent on the characteristics of frozen-thawed ram semen. Twenty ejaculates collected from 10 rams aged 4-12 years (2 Polish Lowland (PON), 4 synthetic line BCP (Berrichon du Cher×Charolais×PON/Polish Merino), and 4 SCP (Suffolk×Charolais×PON/Polish Merino) in mid-breeding season were divided into six equal portions each and frozen in semen extender prepared by mixing commercial Triladyl extender (MiniTub GmbH) with deionized water (Aqua Purificata, Prolab) or nanowater (NW; deionized water declusterized in a cold plasma generator for 15, 30, 45, 60, or 90 minutes (15’, 30’, 45’, 60’, or 90’, respectively); Nanotechnology Systems) and Gallus domesticus egg yolk (1:3:1 vol/vol/vol). All semen samples were evaluated for progressive motility (Sperm Class Analyzer) and sperm morphology (Nikon Eclipse 80i microscope, Nikon Corp.). In addition, the ex situ survival time at 37°C and extender content of ALT (alanine transferase), ALP (alkaline phosphatase), and aspartate aminotransferase were measured, and the numbers of apoptotic, necrotic, and live spermatozoa were determined post-thawing with flow cytometry (BD Accuri™ C6 Plus, Becton Dickinson). Data were analysed by two-way analysis of variance and least significant difference test (SigmaPlot, Systat Software Inc.). The PON exceeded (P<0.05) SCP rams in the occurrence of mid-piece and double tail defects using NW30’ and NW45’ extenders. The proportion of spermatozoa with proximal droplets was greater (P<0.05) in PON than in SCP or BCP rams with NW15’ and NW30’ extenders, respectively, but the percentage of sperm with detached heads was greater (P<0.05) in BCP and SCP compared with PON using NW15’ extender. Overall, spermatozoa in PON rams’ semen had survival times greater by 25-50min (P<0.05) compared with those for semen from BCP and SCP synthetic lines. The ALT levels were significantly elevated in SCP compared with PON and BCP rams only in NW90’ extender. The numbers of necrotic spermatozoa were greater (P<0.05) in SCP and BCP compared with PON rams, and the numbers of apoptotic spermatozoa were greater (P<0.05) in BCP than in SCP rams with NW45’, NW60’, and NW90’ extenders. Live spermatozoa were more prevalent (P<0.05) in PON than in BCP rams in NW45’ extender post-thawing. To summarise, semen from PON rams had higher survival times and fewer spermatozoa with detached heads but more mid-piece defects and sperm with double tails post-thawing compared with BCP and SCP breeds. The number of necrotic cells was greater in semen from BCP and SCP rams compared with PON. It can be concluded that breed-related differences in post-thaw sperm morphology were apparent in extenders containing NW15-60’, whereas the variations in cell necrosis/apoptosis were primarily seen with the use of NW45-90’ extenders.
43 Actions of colony-stimulating factor 3 on the maturing oocyte and developing embryo in cattle
Authors: Jannaman E. , Xiao Y. , Hansen P.
Published: December 2019

Colony-stimulating factor 3 (CSF3), also known as granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, has been reported to improve blastocyst yield when administered during oocyte maturation in the pig and to increase pregnancy outcomes in specific IVF patient populations when infused transvaginally. Here, we tested whether recombinant bovine CSF3 can act on the bovine oocyte during maturation or on the developing embryo to modify competence for development to the blastocyst stage. For Experiment 1, oocytes were matured with 0, 1, 10, or 100ngmL−1 of CSF3. Oocytes were then fertilised and embryos were cultured in serum-free medium for 7.5 days. There was no effect of CSF3 on cleavage rate or on development to the blastocyst stage except that 100ngmL−1 reduced (P=0.0366) the percentage of putative zygotes (P=0.0366) and cleaved embryos (P=0.0254) becoming blastocysts. Expression of transcripts for 93 genes in blastocysts was evaluated by RT-PCR using the Fluidigm platform. Transcript abundance was affected (P<0.05) by one or more concentrations of CSF3 for 4 genes only (CYP11A1, NOTCH2, RAC1, and YAP1). For Experiment 2, cumulus-oocyte complexes were fertilised with either X- or Y-sorted semen for 18-22h. Putative zygotes were cultured in medium containing 0, 1, 10, or 100ngmL−1 of CSF3. There was no effect of CSF3, sex, or the interaction on the percentage of putative zygotes that cleaved or on the percentage of putative zygotes or cleaved embryos becoming blastocysts. Gene expression was not determined. For Experiment 3, CSF3 (0, 1, 10, and 100ngmL−1) was added from Day 4 to 7.5 of development. Again, there was no effect of CSF3 on development to the blastocyst stage. Transcript abundance for a total of 10 genes was increased (P<0.05) by 100ngmL−1 of CSF3, including markers of epiblast (NANOG, SOX2), hypoblast (ALPL, FN1, KDM2B, and PDGFRA), both epiblast and hypoblast (HNF4A), and trophectoderm (TJAP1). Results are indicative that high concentrations of CSF2 can reduce oocyte competence and act on the embryo to affect characteristics of the blastocyst.
Support was provided by the Elanco and Larson Endowment Fund.
74 Analysis of chromosomal abnormality of bovine IVF embryos based on next-generation sequencing
Authors: Okada M. , Nagai Y. , Matoba S. , Sakuraba Y. , Sugimura S.
Published: December 2019

It has been suggested that bovine IVF embryos have a higher frequency of occurrence of chromosomal abnormalities than invivo-fertilised embryos, which may explain low pregnancy success, but the details have not been clarified (Yao et al. 2018 Sci. Rep. 8, 7460). In this study, chromosomal aneuploidy in blastocysts of bovine IVF and invivo-fertilised was analysed by copy number variations (CNVs) based on next-generation sequencing. The IVF bovine embryos were cultured in well of-the-well culture dishes (LinKID micro25: Dai Nippon Printing) containing 125µL of CR1aa supplemented with 5% calf serum at 38.5°C in 5% O2 and 5% CO2 for 8 days after insemination. Invitro development of embryos was monitored using time-lapse cinematography (Sugimura et al. 2010 Biol. Reprod. 83, 970-78). Invivo embryos were produced by collection of a superstimulated Japanese Black cow. Embryos that reached the blastocyst stage were divided into inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) fractions by a micromanipulator with a blade. The TE and ICM samples were biopsied individually from 10 IVF and 4 invivo-derived embryos, and extracted DNA was amplified using the SurePlex DNA amplification System (Illumina). The whole-genome amplified DNA libraries were sequenced using MiSeq (Illumina). The sequencing reads were mapped onto the Bos taurus reference genome ARS-UCD1.2, obtained from the National Center for Biotechnology Information. In all 29 autosomal chromosomes and the X chromosome, CNV analysis was performed by CNV-seq (Xie and Tammi 2009 BMC Bioinformatics 10, 80). Male or female Japanese Black cattle DNA sequence was used for the reference genome. The parameter of CNV-seq was run with P-value=0.001, log2=0.6, and window size=1M. Four IVF embryos showed chromosomal duplications or deletions in either ICM- or TE-cell samples (4/10, 40%). The CNV loci between ICM and TE cells were relatively similar in each embryo. One of them was a code 1-expanded blastocyst with normal cleavage. Interestingly, CNV was not identified in another code 1-expanded blastocyst that underwent direct cleavage from 1 cell to 3 or more cells. In invivo embryos, only one embryo had a CNV (1/4, 25%). Observed CNVs in both IVF and invivo embryos were segmental duplication or deletion in each chromosome. Hence, to improve pregnancy success in bovine IVF embryos, cytogenetic evaluation may be useful for quality evaluation of embryos that are prone to chromosomal abnormalities, as well as morphological scoring.
84 Folate-methionine cycle and folate transport in developing buffalo embryos
Authors: Ansari S. , Jamwal S. , Saini S. , Singh R. , Malakar D.
Published: December 2019

Periconceptional folic acid is known to have a major role in the prevention of neural tube defects, leading to global recommendations for folic acid supplementation before and in early pregnancy. Maternal folate throughout pregnancy may have other roles in offspring health, including neurodevelopment and cognitive performance in childhood. Folate and folic acid (vitamin B9) act as a co-enzyme essential for single carbon metabolism, a network of pathways involved in several biological processes including nucleotide synthesis, DNA repair, and methylation reactions. In general, rapidly growing and multiplying cells require an adequate supply of folate. A primary deficiency of natural folate resulting in an increase of the total homocysteine concentration may be detrimental to the quality of the oocyte, subsequent fertilisation, embryogenesis, implantation, and fetal development. However, to date, folate-methionine metabolism and folate transport have not been studied in developing buffalo embryos. The present study details transcript expression for genes encoding key enzymes in the linked folate-methionine cycles in the ovary tissue, cumulus cells, immature oocytes, IVM oocytes, and pre-implantation embryos and also estimates the folate concentration in follicular fluid (FF) of buffalo. The FF was pooled and collected by aspiration of different sizes of surface follicles (2-8mm diameter). The total number of analysed samples was three, with different dilutions and estimation of folate in FF of buffalo done by chemiluminescence assay. Total RNA was extracted from oocytes, cumulus cells, ovarian tissue, and embryos produced from IVF. RT-PCR was performed to analyse the expression of folate-methionine cycle enzymes and folate transporters. Transcripts for all the enzymes of the folate-methionine cycle (i.e. SHMT, MTR, MTRR, MAT1A, MAT2B, GNMT, AHCY, CBS, and DHFR) and folate transporters (FOLR1, FOLR2) and reduced folate carrier (SLC19A1) were expressed in ovarian tissue, cumulus cells, oocytes, and pre-implantation embryos. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed FOLR2 and SLC19A1 protein expression on the plasma membrane and/or cytoplasm of the oocytes and embryos, and FOLR1 in the nucleus of pre-implantation embryos. The folate concentration in FF was 24ngmL−1. This is the first report to examine the concentration of folate in FF and revealed the identification of transcripts in different samples of buffalo species. The presence of these enzymes could have a profound effect on single-carbon metabolism within the ovary and pre-implantation embryo, therefore indicating that folate from FF is being disseminated through folate receptors within oocytes and embryos to participate in the folate pathway. This study advocates the necessity for examination of the result of folate supplementation throughout invitro embryo production for improving the quality and quantity of transferable blastocysts and subsequently live calf births in buffalo.
Chiral and counter-propagating Majorana fermions in a p-wave superconductor
Authors: Hu Haiping , Satija Indubala I , Zhao Erhai
Published: November 2019

Chiral and helical Majorana fermions are two archetypal edge excitations in two-dimensional topological superconductors. They emerge from systems of different Altland–Zirnbauer symmetries and characterized by

Z

and

Z

2

topological invariants respectively. It seems improbable to tune a pair of co-propagating chiral edge modes to counter-propagate in a single system without symmetry breaking. Here, we explore the peculiar behaviors of Majorana edge modes in topological superconductors with an additional ‘mirror’ symmetry which changes the bulk topological invariant to

Z
⊕
Z

type. A theoretical toy model describing the proximity structure of a Chern insulator and a p

x
-wave superconductor is proposed and solved analytically to illustrate a direct transition between two topologically nontrivial phases. The weak pairing phase has two chiral Majorana edge modes, while the strong pairing phase is characterized by mirror-graded Chern number and hosts a pair of counter-propagating Majorana fermions protected by the mirror symmetry. The edge theory is worked out in detail, and implications to braiding of Majorana fermions are discussed.
Fully solvable lower dimensional dynamics of Cartesian product of Kuramoto models
Authors: Chen Zewen , Zou Yong , Guan Shuguang , Liu Zonghua , Kurths Jürgen
Published: November 2019

Implementing a positive correlation between the natural frequencies of nodes and their connectivity on a single star graph leads to a pronounced explosive transition to synchronization, additionally presenting hysteresis behavior. From the viewpoint of network connectivity, a star has been considered as a building motif to generate a big graph by graph operations. On the other hand, we propose to construct complex synchronization dynamics by applying the Cartesian product of two Kuramoto models on two star networks. On the product model, the lower dimensional equations describing the ensemble dynamics in terms of collective order parameters are fully solved by the Watanabe–Strogatz method. Different graph parameter choices lead to three different interacting scenarios of the hysteresis areas of two individual factor graphs, which further change the basins of attraction of multiple fixed points. Furthermore, we obtain coupling regimes where cluster synchronization states are often present on the product graph and the number of clusters is fully controlled. More specifically, oscillators on one star graph are synchronized while those on the other star are not synchronized, which induces clustered state on the product model. The numerical results agree perfectly with the theoretic predictions.
Precise Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Visual Positioning Based on Neural Network
Authors: Zhu Fanghong
Published: November 2019

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) positioning provides a means for human beings to achieve ubiquitous positioning and target tracking in low-altitude areas. The current UAVs mainly rely on satellite navigation and positioning, and airborne inertial devices (gyro) to complete positioning, which makes its signal easy to be blocked and leads to errors accumulation. However, visual positioning is characterized with high local positioning accuracy and good continuity. Therefore, visual positioning is integrated with UAV positioning in this study. First of all, UAV spatial reference acquisition and neural network are studied to analyze the shortcomings of the current UAV positioning technology in application and the necessity of integrating neural network. Second, a precise visual positioning algorithm based on neural network is presented. Based on the neural network model with image matching and position determination, the UAV visual positioning algorithm can be optimized and the redundancy of the target image can be reduced. What’s more, by establishing the experimental environment with Matlab, it is proved that the positioning accuracy can be improved with the algorithm proposed in this study.
Image deblurring based on fractional-order total variation and total generalized variation
Authors: Xie Bin , Huang Hui , Huang An
Published: November 2019

Considering the problem that the traditional method is easy to cause staircase effect and blur detail when removing image blur, we propose a model combined with fractional-order total variation (FOTV) and total generalized variation (TGV) for image deblurring. Firstly, we use the global gradient extraction method (GGES) to divide a blurred image into a smooth portion containing the image features and a detail portion containing the image details. Secondly, we use the TGV method of image deblurring and the FOTV method of image deblurring to repair the two parts of the image separately. Finally, we reconstruct the two restored images together to get the result image. In order to solve the proposed new model effectively, a new numerical algorithm is designed based on the original dual algorithm. The experimental results show that our method is superior to the traditional method in removing the staircase effect and maintaining the image detail area.
Considering Sub-graph Structure in Representation Learning
Authors: Fu Wentao , Yang Xiaoyu , Sun Xiyan
Published: November 2019

Representation learning aims to encode knowledge graphs into a low-dimensional vector space. However, since both the out-degree and in-degree of the entities in the knowledge graph follow the power-law distribution, only a small number of entities with higher frequency play a key role in training process, while the others have less effect. This leads to a more serious problem of data sparsity. In this paper, we propose two knowledge graph representation learning models for sub-graph structure fusion. Based on the original model, our models are trained by incorporating the sub-graph structure during training process. By incorporating the sub-graph information into the representation learning model, the structural associations between different relations can be incorporated while considering the semantic association between entities. So that the entities and relations can be modeled more accurately, and the data sparsity problem of the knowledge graph representation learning model can be alleviated effectively.
Research on Big Data Analysis Technology of Chinese Traditional Culture Yue embroidery Color Network
Authors: Zhe Zhang , Wang Qinghai , Xing Yadan
Published: November 2019

With the rapid development of big data technology, it is necessary to transform the color elements of Guangdong embroidery in Chinese traditional cultural phenomena into data resources that can be stored and analyzed for its sustainable development. It is the requirement of the times for the development of modern design field. Based on the big data technology, this paper extracts the traditional Chinese Guangdong embroidery color with Chinese national representative by K-Means clustering method, and puts forward a method to judge the saliency of the color characteristics of cultural phenomena, and studies the color characteristics of traditional Chinese cultural phenomena.
Impact of imbalanced data on the performance of software defect prediction classifiers
Authors: Wang Lichao , Wang Wei , Liu Bingyou , Geng Shuqiao
Published: November 2019

Software defect prediction plays an important role in analysing software quality and balancing software cost. However, it lacks suggestions for project managers and software engineers in selecting classifiers. Firstly, a method for building imbalanced distribution data is proposed. Then, Matthews correlation coefficient is used to measure the performance of different classifiers, and the coefficient of variation is utilised to evaluate the stability of classifiers on imbalanced distribution data. Finally, an experiment is conducted on 8 common classifiers and 12 publicly available and widely used data sets. Results show that NaiveBayes behaves steadily when the imbalance rate of data sets changes significantly. The experimental results provide a basis for project managers and software engineers to select classifiers.
Expressibility Required to Design Embedded and Real-time Systems
Authors: Lu Shourong , Jin Qichun
Published: November 2019

Embedded and real-time systems are characterised by safety criticality, reliability, real-time, limited resources, low-cost and re-usability, etc. Development of such systems is a complex engineering process, involving many different disciplines with respect to their demanding requirements, in order to achieve desired system properties and reduce the complexity of the development process, we compile these requirements and criteria for design, specification and modelling of embedded real-time systems, it is benefit for rapid development of high quality systems.
Relevance Analysis and Visualization of Students’ Employment and Their Courses Achievement
Authors: Chen Yi , Li Xiaoling , Wang Xianfa , Hu Yang , Yang Ligong
Published: November 2019

Exploring the relationship between college students’ employment and their academic performance is of great significance for optimizing talents training programs and curriculum system, assisting students’ academic planning and employment guidance. In this paper, we present an analysis method for exploring correlation between students’ employment and their academic achievements. Firstly, we divide the students into several groups according to the types of their employment. Then we use box plot matrix to express the distribution of compulsory course achievements for assisting the comparative analysis among different groups of students. In addition, we use the TF-IDF method based on distance weighting to calculate the preference of each group of students quantitatively on various elective courses, and use radar chart to display the results for assisting the analysis of the students’ behaviour in course selection. The method is applied to analyse the course achievement and employment data of students majoring in Computer Science at Beijing Technology and Business University, and some characteristics of the course achievement and course selection behaviour of the students in different groups are obtained. The analysis results show that the method is effective.
Capability Analysis of Abaqus Shell Element Based on Finite Element Method
Authors: Mengyinan
Published: November 2019

Shell-like structures are widely used in many engineering structures. This work is forcing on the performance of the S4 element and S4R element, two types of conventional shell element in Abaqus, in different R/h ratios. In the scenario of a pipe-like configuration, both DKQ and MPT have different positions in different R/h ratios.
Design and Implement of SDC in Digital Campus
Authors: Cheng Yunli , Meng Hainie
Published: November 2019

The SDC (share data center) is the platform of collecting, processing, saving all kinds of share data, and supplying the information share services for the whole school. It carries out the data integration of each MIS, guarantees the consistency of the whole school share information, provides the support for the valid decision and for the new MIS development. After the analysis of saving and using the data at the present in Universities, this paper gives the design of the SDC’s framework, and details the function components and the consideration of design.