bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early Stepdown Weaning of Dairy Calves with Glutamine and Branched-Chain Amino Acid Supplementations
Authors: Wickramasinghe Janaka , Kaya Can Ayhan , Beitz Donald , Appuhamy Ranga
Published: June 2022

The study objective was to examine the effects of supplementing Gln and BCAA on the SFI and ADG of weaning dairy calves. Holstein heifer calves (11 calves /treatment) at 35 d of age were assigned to: (1) no amino acids (CTL), (2) Gln (8.0 g/d) alone (GLN), or (3) Gln (8.0 g/d) and BCAA (GLNB; 17.0, 10.0, and 11.0 g/d leucine, isoleucine, and valine, respectively) supplementations in whole milk during a stepdown weaning scheme. Calves were weaned completely once they achieved ≥1.0 kg/d SFI. Neither GLN nor GLNB affected SFI or ADG in the first week during weaning. The GLNB decreased SFI compared to CTL, but the SFI was similar between CTL and GLN in the remainder of the weaning scheme. All calves were weaned at 50 d of age. The SFI of GLNB was lower than that of GLN, and the SFI of both GLN and GLNB were lower than CTL post-weaning. The decreased SFI did not alter ADG during weaning or post-weaning. The GLNB tended to have higher plasma leptin and lower plasma serotonin concentrations compared to CTL. Glutamine and BCAA seem to affect the SFI of calves by modulating the secretions of endocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract.
Does Exposure of Broodstock to Dietary Soybean Meal Affect Its Utilization in the Offspring of Zebrafish (Danio rerio)?
Authors: Kwasek Karolina , Patula Samuel , Wojno Michal , Oliaro Frank , Cabay Chrissy , Pinnell Lee J.
Published: June 2022

Nutritional programming (NP) is a concept in which early nutritional events alter the physiology of an animal and its response to different dietary regimes later in life. The objective of this study was to determine if NP via broodstock with dietary plant protein (PP) has any effect on the gut microbiome of the progeny fish and whether this modified gut microbiome leads to better utilization of PP diet. The experiment consisted of four different treatments as follows: (1) progeny that received FM diet obtained from fishmeal (FM)-fed broodstock (FMBS-FM, +control); (2) progeny that received PP diet obtained from FM-fed parents (FMBS-PP); (3) progeny that received PP diet obtained from “nutritionally programmed” parents (PPBS-PP; −control); and (4) progeny that received FM diet obtained from “nutritionally programmed” parents (PPBS-FM). Zebrafish was used as a model species. This study found that parental programming seems to have some positive effect on dietary PP utilization in progeny. However, the influence of NP with PP through broodstock on gut microbiota of the offspring fish was not detected.
Captive Rearing of Longfin Smelt Spirinchus thaleichthys: First Attempt of Weaning Cultured Juveniles to Dry Feed
Authors: Mulvaney William , Rahman Md Moshiur , Lewis Levi S. , Cheng Jiayi , Hung Tien-Chieh
Published: June 2022

The rapid decline of longfin smelt Spirinchus thaleichthys, a threatened euryhaline forage fish in California, is a serious concern for scientists and resource managers. To recover and conserve this species, a captive culture program was initiated, focusing on the collection, captive rearing and breeding of wild broodstock, and the rearing of their offspring. Although progress has been made in the collection of broodstock and the production and culturing of larvae, no studies have evaluated the rearing of juvenile life stages in captivity. The present study examines methodological considerations for culturing F1 juvenile longfin smelt, specifically, the first efforts toward weaning juveniles to a dry commercial pellet feed. Cultured juvenile longfin smelt were fed live Artemia only or co-fed Artemia and dry feed for 62 days, and the effects of feed type on juvenile survival, growth, body condition, and fatty acid profiles were examined. No significant differences were observed between feeding treatments, despite an 80% reduction in Artemia in the co-feeding treatment. Furthermore, examination of fish stomach contents at the end of the trial confirmed the transition to dry feed. This is the first study to indicate successful feeding by longfin smelt on dry commercial pellets, and suggests that juvenile longfin smelt can be fully weaned onto dry feeds. Results of this study are critical for closing the lifecycle of longfin smelt in captivity and developing a successful conservation culture program for this imperiled species.
Multiple-Vessel-Based Blood Gas Profiles Analysis Revealed the Potential of Blood Oxygen in Mammary Vein as Indicator of Mammary Gland Health Risk of High-Yielding Dairy Cows
Authors: Feng Juan , Peng Wenchao , Hu Zhenzhen , Cai Jie , Liu Jianxin , Wang Diming
Published: June 2022

The blood gas profile is a routine method in the rapid disease diagnosis of farm animals, yet its potential in evaluating mammary health status of dairy cows remains to be investigated. This study was conducted to learn the potential of the blood gas parameter regarding the mammary gland health status in lactating dairy cows. Twenty animals were divided into two groups, the H-SCC group (milk SCC > 122 k/mL) and L-SCC group (milk SCC < 73.8 k/mL), to compare blood gas profiles from different blood vessels and to identify the key parameters associated with milk somatic cell count. H-SCC cows are higher in malondialdehyde content, but lower in SOD and T-AOC activities in the milk, compared to the L-SCC group. In terms of blood gas parameters, most differ across the three vessels, including K+, CO2 pressure, O2 pressure, HCO3−, base excess in the extracellular fluid compartment, and saturation of O2. The Pearson correlation analysis showed that oxygen-related variables in the mammary vein, including oxygen concentrations, O2 pressure, and saturation of O2, are negatively correlated with levels of malondialdehyde, lactate dehydrogenase, and plasmin in the milk. Our study revealed that oxygen-related variables in the mammary vein can be a marker in suggesting mammary-gland health status in high-yielding cows.
What Kinds of Dogs Are Used in Clinical and Experimental Research?
Authors: Schulte Evelyn , Arlt Sebastian P.
Published: June 2022

Background: Dogs are widely used in research to answer questions about canine or human conditions. For the latter, research dogs are often used as models, since they are physiologically more similar to humans than other species used in research and they share similar environmental conditions. From a veterinary perspective, research findings are widely based on academic research, and thus are generated under experimental conditions. In that regard, the question arises: do the dogs used for research adequately represent the dog population seen in veterinary practice? It may, for example, be assumed that Beagle dogs are often used as experimental animals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the signalment of dogs used in veterinary research. Furthermore, we aimed to assess other relevant criteria regarding the validity of clinical trials in the context of six different veterinary medicine specialties: cardiology, internal medicine, neurology, orthopaedics, reproduction, and surgery. Methods: A literature search was conducted and 25 studies per specialty were randomly selected. The breed, sex, neuter status, median age, and median weight of the dogs used for clinical studies (n = 150) published between 2007 and 2019 were evaluated. Results: In total, 596,542 dogs were used in the 150 trials. Breed information was given for 33,835 of these dogs (5.7%). Of the latter, 1.9% were Beagles. Nine clinical trials exclusively used Beagles. The most frequently used breeds were German Shepherds (7.3%), Labrador Retrievers (6.7%), and Golden Retrievers (4.7%). The major reporting deficits found were missing breed specification in 25.3% of the articles; missing information about the sex of the dogs in 16.2%; missing age and weight information in 22.7 and 32.7%, respectively; and missing neuter status in 38.7% of the clinical studies. The median sample size was 56 (Q1:29; Q3:365) dogs. Conclusions: The presented project revealed that Beagle dogs represent only a small proportion of dogs in veterinary research. Based on the evaluated publications, it seems that some relevant dog attributes differ between the specialties. The results, however, show deficits in the reporting of demographic data for the dogs. The need for an improvement in the documentation and/or reporting of animal signalment is obvious and should be addressed by authors, reviewers, and journal editors in the future.
Evaluation of a Novel DNA Vaccine Double Encoding Somatostatin and Cortistatin for Promoting the Growth of Mice
Authors: Luo Xuan , Zu Zhuoxin , Riaz Hasan , Dan Xingang , Yu Xue , Liu Shuanghang , Guo Aizhen , Wen Yilin , Liang Aixin , Yang Liguo
Published: June 2022

Animal growth traits are directly linked with the economics of livestock species. A somatostatin DNA vaccine has been developed to improve the growth of animals. However, the growth-promoting effect is still unsatisfying. The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of a novel eukaryotic dual expression vaccine known as pIRES-S/CST14-S/2SS, which encodes the genes obtained by fusing somatostatin (SS) and cortistatin (CST) into hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). After transfection into GH3 cells with pIRES-S/CST14-S/2SS, green fluorescence signals were observed by fluorescence microscopy, suggesting the effective expression of CST and SS in GH3 cells using the IRES elements. Subsequently, both GH and PRL levels were found to be significantly lower in pIRES-S/CST14-S/2SS-treated cells as compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the antibody level, hormone secretion, and weight gain in the mice injected with novel recombinant plasmids were also evaluated. The anti-SS antibodies were detectable in all vaccine treated groups, resulting in significantly higher levels of GH secretion (p < 0.05). It is worth mentioning that pIRES-S/CST14-S/2SS (10 μg/100 μL) vaccinated mice exhibited a higher body weight gain in the second immunization period. This study increases the understanding of the relationship between somatostatin and cortistatin, and may help to develop an effective growth-promoting DNA vaccine in animals.
Frequency of Semen Collection Affects Ram Sperm Cryoresistance
Authors: Palacin-Martinez Cristina , Alvarez Mercedes , Montes-Garrido Rafael , Neila-Montero Marta , Anel-Lopez Luis , de Paz Paulino , Anel Luis , Riesco Marta F.
Published: June 2022

The improvement of frozen-thawed sperm quality has been mostly approached from the view of cryopreservation protocol optimization in terms of cryoprotectant solutions, freezing-thawing rates and antioxidant supplementation, while the impact of sperm collection frequency remains unknown in rams. In this work, a multiparametric study was carried out in cooled and frozen-thawed semen to evaluate sperm quality after different semen collection frequencies during a month: zero sperm collection (0 CW), four sperm collections per week (4 CW), and ten sperm collections per week (10 CW). Traditional analyses have been applied, in combination with novel technologies related to redox balance. Frozen-thawed semen quality showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in 0 CW and 10 CW in comparison to 4 CW, concerning motility and kinetics parameters. However, apoptosis showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) in 10 CW in comparison to 0 CW and 4 CW. The employment methods related to redox balance provided us with the definitive probe to ensure the influence of collection frequency on balance redox after thawing. Specifically, glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in 10 CW compared to 0 CW and 4 CW. The characterization of alternative strategies to sperm cryopreservation based on consideration of male sexual regimes, could improve the quality of frozen-thawed sperm.
The Impact of Enhancing Diet Quality or Dietary Supplementation of Flavor and Multi-Enzymes on Primiparous Lactating Sows
Authors: Zhe Li , Zhou Rui , Theil Peter Kappel , Krogh Uffe , Yang Lunxiang , Zhuo Yong , Lin Yan , Xu Shengyu , Jiang Xuemei , Huang Lingjie , Che Lianqiang , Feng Bin , Wu De , Fang Zhengfeng
Published: June 2022

This study was aimed to explore how a high-quality diet or a flavor plus multi-enzyme diet affects the feed intake, nutrient digestibility and antioxidation capacity of lactating sows and the growth of their progeny. Thirty primiparous sows were randomly assigned to three treatments from d 2 of lactation until weaning (d 21): control (CON), with a basal diet; high quality (HQ), with 200 kcal/kg higher net energy than CON; or the CON diet supplemented with 500 mg/kg flavor and 100 mg/kg multi-enzymes (F + E). Sows fed with the HQ or F + E diets improved piglets’ live weight (p < 0.05) and average daily weight gain (p < 0.10), litter weight gain (p < 0.10) and piglet growth to milk yield ratio (p < 0.10). Compared with CON, the HQ and F + E groups increased the digestibility of ether extract, ash, neutral detergent fiber, crude fiber and phosphorus (p < 0.10), and the HQ group also increased dry matter, gross energy, crude protein, acid detergent fiber and energy intake (p < 0.05). Compared with CON, the F + E group decreased serum urea nitrogen and aspartate aminotransferase (p < 0.05) and enhanced superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase, but it decreased malondialdehyde in milk supernatant (p < 0.05).
Measuring Annual Variation in Reproductive Output Reveals a Key Role of Maternal Body Condition in Determining the Size of Eggs in Snakes
Authors: Guo Kun , Li Xiang-Mo , Wu Yan-Qing , Qu Yan-Fu , Ji Xiang
Published: June 2022

Long-term studies are especially suited for disentangling the effects of extrinsic and intrinsic factors on both total reproductive investment and reproductive allocation in offspring number versus offspring size. Female reproductive traits of the red-banded wolf snake (Lycodon rufozonatus) from Zhejiang, East China were studied in four years between 1999 and 2014. Egg-laying dates overall extended from late June to late July, and varied among years. Postpartum body mass, clutch size, clutch mass, and egg size were positively related to female size (snout vent length, SVL) in each year. Postpartum body mass, clutch mass, and egg size differed among years after accounting for female SVL, whereas clutch size did not. Setting female SVL at the same level, postpartum body mass was greater in 2010 than in 2014, clutch mass was greater in 2010 than in 2011 and 2014, and egg size was greater in 2010 than in the other three years. Females did not trade off egg size against number. Egg size was positively related to postpartum body condition in each year. Females laid larger eggs in 2010 than in other three years after removing the influence of maternal body condition. Our study provides evidence for the traditional view that reproductive output is highly linked to maternal body size in snakes, but not following Smith and Fretwell’s (1974) classic prediction that females with different amounts of resources to invest in reproduction should give priority to adjusting the number rather than size of their offspring. Maternal body size and condition both are important sources of variation in egg size, but factors other than these two variables may also affect the size of eggs produced by female L. rufozonatus.
Personality as a Predictor of Time-Activity Budget in Lion-Tailed Macaques (Macaca silenus)
Authors: Kluiver Charlotte E. , de Jong Jolanda A. , Massen Jorg J. M. , Bhattacharjee Debottam
Published: June 2022

Time-activity budget, i.e., how a population or an individual divides their day into various behaviours and activities, is an important ecological aspect. Existing research primarily focused on group-level time-activity budgets, while individual variations have only been reported recently. However, little is known about how consistent inter-individual differences or personalities influence time-activity budgets. We examined the personalities of lion-tailed macaques (Macaca silenus) and investigated their influence on individual time-activity budgets. The resulting personality traits, namely persistence, sociability, affiliation, and anxiety, were used to predict the three broad categories of the time-activity budget—food-related, active, and resting behaviours. We found that persistence and sociability positively predicted the time spent being active. Food-related behaviours were positively predicted by persistence, while anxiety was found to influence them negatively. The time spent resting was negatively predicted by persistence. We did not find an effect of affiliation on the time-activity budgets. We discuss these findings in light of the ecology of lion-tailed macaques. Our study highlights the importance of a novel approach that uses animal personality traits as predictors of individual time-activity budgets and offers insights regarding the use of personality assessments in conservation and welfare activities.
Effectiveness of Anthelmintic Treatments in Small Ruminants in Germany
Authors: Voigt Katja , Geiger Maximilian , Jäger Miriam Carmen , Knubben-Schweizer Gabriela , Strube Christina , Zablotski Yury
Published: June 2022

Widespread anthelmintic resistance is a concern for small ruminant health and production worldwide. The current situation regarding anthelmintic efficacy is, however, not very well studied in Germany. Thus, a nationwide field study was undertaken to assess the effectiveness of 253 treatments performed in 223 small ruminant flocks by faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) using pooled samples and a modified McMaster method. The percentage of Haemonchus contortus and non-Haemonchus eggs was determined by fluorescence microscopy following peanut agglutinin–fluorescein isothiocyanate staining. Treatments were chosen and performed by farmers together with their local veterinarian, and potentially confounding factors for FECRT results were addressed as far as possible by rigorous inclusion criteria. Reduced effectiveness was observed for treatments with all examined anthelmintic classes, but treatments with benzimidazoles and moxidectin showed significantly poorer results than monepantel, a closantel and mebendazole combination, and levamisole. Low case numbers precluded reliable assessment of avermectins. Unsuccessful treatments were frequently associated with the survival of H. contortus, but this was also observed for non-Haemonchus genera. The results are highly concerning, and sustainable approaches to parasite control are urgently needed to prevent further deterioration of this situation.
Selenium-Enriched Mushroom Powder Enhances Intestinal Health and Growth Performance in the Absence of Zinc Oxide in Post-Weaned Pig Diets
Authors: Conway Eadaoin , Sweeney Torres , Dowley Alison , Vigors Stafford , Ryan Marion , Yadav Supriya , Wilson Jude , O’Doherty John V.
Published: June 2022

This study was conducted to examine the effects of varying selenium (Se) inclusion levels, in the form of Se-enriched mushroom powder (SeMP) and selenite, on post-weaning growth performance (Period 1; day 1–21), intestinal health and antioxidant capacity (Period 2; day 21–39). Weaned pigs were blocked according to live weight, sex and litter of origin and randomly assigned to the following experimental groups: basal (basal + selenite (0.3 ppm Se)); ZnO (basal + ZnO + selenite (0.3 ppm Se)); 0.15 SeMP (basal + SeMP (0.15 ppm Se)); 0.3 SeMP (basal + SeMP (0.3 ppm Se)) and 0.6 SeMP/Sel (basal + SeMP (0.3 ppm Se) + selenite (Sel) (0.3 ppm Se)) with eight replicates/experimental group. After 21 days, the ZnO experimental group was removed from the experiment and the remaining pigs continued on their respective diet until day 39 post-weaning (Period 2). In Period 1, 0.15 SeMP supplementation reduced (p < 0.05) average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and day 21 body weight, and increased (p < 0.05) faecal scores compared to the ZnO group. Supplementation with 0.3 SeMP and 0.6 SeMP/Sel during Period 1 resulted in similar (p > 0.05) ADG, ADFI, gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) and body weight compared to the ZnO group. However, 0.6 SeMP/Sel supplementation increased (p < 0.05) faecal scores compared to the ZnO group. In Period 2, 0.6 SeMP/Sel increased (p < 0.05) ADG, feed efficiency and day 39 body weight compared to the basal group. Supplementation with Se-enriched mushroom powder, at all inclusion levels, increased (p < 0.05) the abundance of Prevotellaceae and Prevotella, decreased (p < 0.05) the abundance of Sporobacter and increased (p < 0.05) the expression of SELENOP in the jejunum compared to the basal group. Lactobacillaceae and Lactobacillus was increased (p < 0.05) in 0.15 SeMP and 0.3 SeMP pigs compared to the basal group. Selenium deposition in muscle and liver tissue increased (p < 0.001) as a function of inclusion level while pigs supplemented with 0.3 ppm organic Se (0.3 SeMP) had an increase (p < 0.05) in total Se in the muscle compared to pigs supplemented with 0.3 ppm inorganic Se (basal). In conclusion, 0.3 SeMP supplementation led to positive effects on faecal scores and had similar pig performance compared to ZnO in Period 1, while the addition of 0.3 ppm selenite to 0.3 SeMP (0.6 SeMP/Sel) in Period 2 led to enhanced pig performance and aspects of gastrointestinal health.
Time Spent in a Maternity Pen during Winter Influences Cow and Calf Behavior in Pasture-Based Dairy Systems
Authors: Matamala Fabiola , Martínez Helen , Henríquez Claudio , Sepúlveda-Varas Pilar
Published: June 2022

Our study compared the behavior of prepartum dairy cows that either remained in an outdoor paddock until calving (OP) during winter or were moved to an indoor maternity pen either early (EM) or late (LM) relative to calving. Forty-two multiparous Holstein cows were divided into three treatments (OP, EM, or LM) and monitored from 3 weeks before to 1.5 h after calving. Cows in EM and LM were moved to a maternity pen starting at week three and week one before the expected calving date, respectively. We assessed the cleanliness of the cows at calving, immunoglobulin G concentration in colostrum, and the behavior and vitality of calves across treatments. Cows spent more time lying in EM compared to OP and LM during the weeks −3 and −2 relative to calving, but lying time was increased in LM cows compared with OP cows during the week −1 relative to calving. Prepartum rumination time was lowest in OP cows but not different between EM or LM. Calves from OP cows spent more time lying and had lower vitality after calving than those from LM and EM cows, respectively; calves from EM and LM cows were intermediate for lying and vitality, respectively, but did not differ from either group. The cleanliness was greatest in cows that calved indoors (EM or LM); nevertheless, precalving management did not affect the IgG concentration in colostrum. Our study demonstrates that, in comparison with OP, EM and LM have positive implications for the welfare of the dam and its newborn calf during winter.
Early Blood Analysis and Gas Exchange Monitoring in the Canine Neonate: Effect of Dam’s Size and Birth Order
Authors: Reyes-Sotelo Brenda , Ogi Asahi , Mora-Medina Patricia , Mariti Chiara , Olmos-Hernández Adriana , Hernández-Ávalos Ismael , Domínguez-Oliva Adriana , Rosas Marcelino Evodio , Verduzco-Mendoza Antonio , Gazzano Angelo
Published: June 2022

In canines, size at birth is determined by the dam’s weight, which would probably affect the newborn’s viability due to litter size and birth order. Fetal hypoxia causes distress and acidemia. Identifying physiological blood alterations in the puppy during the first minute of life through the blood gas exchange of the umbilical cord could determine the puppy’s risk of suffering asphyxiation during labor. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the birth order and dam’s size during spontaneous labor and the alterations during the first minute of life. The results indicate that the dam’s size and the birth order have considerable physiological and metabolic effects in the puppies, mainly in birth order 1 (BO1) in small-size dogs, while in the medium size, the last puppy presented more alterations, probably because of a prolonged whelping which could have fostered hypoxic processes and death. Likewise, with large-size dogs, intrapartum asphyxiation processes were registered during the first minute of life in any birth order.
Native Sheep Breeds in Poland—Importance and Outcomes of Genetic Resources Protection Programmes
Authors: Kawęcka Aldona , Pasternak Marta , Miksza-Cybulska Anna , Puchała Michał
Published: June 2022

The sheep population of native breeds, despite their unique features and the ability to adapt to harsh environmental conditions, has significantly decreased in recent years. Due to the low profitability of breeding, many local breeds of sheep in Poland were exposed to the risk of extinction. Many years of crisis in sheep farming have exacerbated this situation. The aim of this paper was to present the current situation of native sheep breeding in Poland, in terms of significance and effects of genetic resources protection programmes. The conservation of genetic resources of sheep aims to maintain and increase the population size while striving to maintain the greatest possible genetic variability. There are 17 native breeds included in the Polish sheep genetic resources conservation programme. A positive element of the implementation of the conservation of genetic resources programme for sheep is the accompanying measures which are based on the use of the non-productive role of the species. Extensive sheep grazing, as a form of nature conservation, serves to preserve valuable natural landscapes and the culture of local communities associated with sheep farming. Production and promotion of quality products, especially using niche markets and short production chains, are essential to ensure the economic viability of farms. These activities must be accompanied by raising public awareness of indigenous breeds and their alternative use in environmental activities, as well as their role in preserving the cultural heritage of local communities, for example through mountain grazing and the production of traditional products.
Bioenergetic and Autophagic Characterization of Skin Fibroblasts from C9orf72 Patients
Authors: Alvarez-Mora Maria Isabel , Garrabou Gloria , Barcos Tamara , Garcia-Garcia Francisco , Grillo-Risco Ruben , Peruga Emma , Gort Laura , Borrego-Écija Sergi , Sanchez-Valle Raquel , Canto-Santos Judith , Navarro-Navarro Paula , Rodriguez-Revenga Laia
Published: June 2022

The objective of this study is to describe the alterations occurring during the neurodegenerative process in skin fibroblast cultures from C9orf72 patients. We characterized the oxidative stress, autophagy flux, small ubiquitin-related protein SUMO2/3 levels as well as the mitochondrial function in skin fibroblast cultures from C9orf72 patients. All metabolic and bioenergetic findings were further correlated with gene expression data obtained from RNA sequencing analysis. Fibroblasts from C9orf72 patients showed a 30% reduced expression of C9orf72, ~3-fold increased levels of oxidative stress and impaired mitochondrial function obtained by measuring the enzymatic activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes, specifically of complex III activity. Furthermore, the results also reveal that C9orf72 patients showed an accumulation of p62 protein levels, suggesting the alteration of the autophagy process, and significantly higher protein levels of SUMO2/3 (p = 0.03). Our results provide new data reinforcing that C9orf72 cells suffer from elevated oxidative damage to biomolecules and organelles and from increased protein loads, leading to insufficient autophagy and an increase in SUMOylation processes.
Activation of AMPK/miR-181b Axis Alleviates Endothelial Dysfunction and Vascular Inflammation in Diabetic Mice
Authors: Cheng Chak-Kwong , Shang Wenbin , Liu Jian , Cheang Wai-San , Wang Yu , Xiang Li , Lau Chi-Wai , Luo Jiang-Yun , Ng Chi-Fai , Huang Yu , Wang Li
Published: June 2022

Hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus impairs endothelial function and disrupts microRNA (miRNA) profiles in vasculature, increasing the risk of diabetes-associated complications, including coronary artery disease, diabetic retinopathy, and diabetic nephropathy. miR-181b was previously reported to be an anti-inflammatory mediator in vasculature against atherosclerosis. The current study aimed to investigate whether miR-181b ameliorates diabetes-associated endothelial dysfunction, and to identify potential molecular mechanisms and upstream inducer of miR-181b. We found that miR-181b level was decreased in renal arteries of diabetic patients and in advanced glycation end products (AGEs)-treated renal arteries of non-diabetic patients. Transfection of miR-181b mimics improved endothelium-dependent vasodilation in aortas of high fat diet (HFD)/streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice, accompanied by suppression of superoxide overproduction and vascular inflammation markers. AMPK activator-induced AMPK activation upregulated miR-181b level in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Chronic exercise, potentially through increased blood flow, activated AMPK/miR-181b axis in aortas of diabetic mice. Exposure to laminar shear stress upregulated miR-181b expression in HUVECs. Overall, our findings highlight a critical role of AMPK/miR-181b axis and extend the benefits of chronic exercise in counteracting diabetes-associated endothelial dysfunction.
Analysis of Contact Stress Distribution between Rolling Element and Variable Diameter Raceway of Cageless Bearing
Authors: Wang Qiyu , Zhao Yanling , Wang Mingzhu
Published: June 2022

The change in contact state between the rolling elements and raceway of a cageless bearing with a variable diameter raceway affect the wear of the bearing, which leads to discrete motion failure of the rolling elements. For this purpose, the contact characteristics as contact form and contact stress between the rolling elements and raceway were determined. A numerical method is proposed to determine the three-dimensional contact stress of a cageless bearing. First, combined with the variable diameter raceway structure characteristics and the motion of rolling elements, the rolling elements and raceway contact stress model was established, and the influence factors of contact stress and the maximum stress distribution were determined. Based on the rolling contact theory, the relative position of the stick-slip region and the tangential stress distribution of the contact area were analyzed. The stress equations for the three-dimensional between rolling elements and variable diameter raceway were obtained by the principle of superposition, and the stress component characteristics of the contact area were numerically simulated. The results show that the main influencing factors of contact stress are: load, structure of variable diameter raceway, spindle speed, friction coefficient µ and the ratio of the stick region and the slip region k. Taking a cageless bearing as an example, the influence of the contact curvature Ri on the contact stress is smaller than that of ri. Increasing ri to make it larger than 1.5 mm and controlling the speed to be lower than 13,950 r/min, the maximum stress appears in the conventional raceway, which is beneficial to alleviate the failure of the variable diameter raceway. There are a slip region and a stick region in the contact area, reducing the friction coefficient µ and increasing the stick-slip coefficient k appropriately can ensure the discrete movement of the rolling elements and reduce the wear of the variable diameter raceway. The error of the stress distribution model is less than 15%, which can predict and characterize the contact stress distribution between the rolling elements and the variable diameter raceway. The theoretical guidance for the development and application of cageless bearings is provided.
Behavior Composition for Marine Pollution Source Localization Using a Mobile Sensor Network
Authors: Cao Mengli , Bie Haofan , Hu Xiong
Published: June 2022

Marine pollution, which can cause damage to marine ecosystems, cut fishery production, and even harm human health, has aroused worldwide interest in recent years. Marine pollution reduction operations can stagnate in the case that the source of the pollution is unknown or hidden. In this paper, we present a novel method for marine pollution source localization using a network of mobile sensor nodes, such as autonomous underwater vehicles equipped with chemical sensors. Traditional reactive control methods can respond quickly to the shape dynamics of a chemical plume; however, they can hardly achieve intelligent cooperation unlike deliberative methods. In this study, we present a behavior composition method that attempts to combine the advantages of reactive and deliberative methods. An upwind-customized crossover operation based on the genetic algorithm was formulated as one of the elementary behaviors. The upwind sprint and movement away from the centroid of the sensor nodes were also modeled as another two elementary behaviors. Different sensor nodes are capable of different simultaneous elementary behaviors, enabling behavior composition in the mobile sensor network during plume source localization. The proposed method was evaluated using a widely used filamentous plume simulation platform, which has been used to facilitate field experiments in real marine environments. Simulation results indicate that the proposed method achieved high time-efficiency and localization accuracy during plume source localization in marine environments.
A Novel Decentralized E-Commerce Transaction System Based on Blockchain
Authors: Xiao Yuanyuan , Zhou Chuangming , Guo Xinpeng , Song Yafei , Chen Chen
Published: June 2022

With the rapid development of e-commerce systems, the centralized service model gradually fails to meet the needs of SMEs. In the existing centralized e-commerce system, users’ transaction data and reputation scores are stored in a centralized cloud server, which has high storage cost, low processing efficiency, and the data is vulnerable to attacks and leaks. However, the existing decentralized e-commerce systems more than its reputation system to store the average credit score evaluation are receiving unfair evaluations against risk. The system of malicious nodes and no disciplinary measures, is not conducive to system development. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a blockchain-based decentralized e-commerce transaction system. The system commodity information is stored in the Interplanetary File System (IPFS) and the returned commodity addresses are stored in the blockchain to enhance the service performance. This paper proposes a reputation evaluation model based on multi-criteria decision making (MCDM), which can effectively resist unfair evaluation and collusion attacks, and proposes an incentive mechanism based on reputation value to reward and punish nodes, thus promoting the good circulation of the system. We implement the proposed system based on Ethereum. The experimental results show that the system has a small communication cost, accurately reflects the user’s reputation value, and has good availability and reliability.
Development and Optimization of Deep Learning Models for Weapon Detection in Surveillance Videos
Authors: Ahmed Soban , Bhatti Muhammad Tahir , Khan Muhammad Gufran , Lövström Benny , Shahid Muhammad
Published: June 2022

Weapon detection in CCTV camera surveillance videos is a challenging task and its importance is increasing because of the availability and easy access of weapons in the market. This becomes a big problem when weapons go into the wrong hands and are often misused. Advances in computer vision and object detection are enabling us to detect weapons in live videos without human intervention and, in turn, intelligent decisions can be made to protect people from dangerous situations. In this article, we have developed and presented an improved real-time weapon detection system that shows a higher mean average precision (mAP) score and better inference time performance compared to the previously proposed approaches in the literature. Using a custom weapons dataset, we implemented a state-of-the-art Scaled-YOLOv4 model that resulted in a 92.1 mAP score and frames per second (FPS) of 85.7 on a high-performance GPU (RTX 2080TI). Furthermore, to achieve the benefits of lower latency, higher throughput, and improved privacy, we optimized our model for implementation on a popular edge-computing device (Jetson Nano GPU) with the TensorRT network optimizer. We have also performed a comparative analysis of the previous weapon detector with our presented model using different CPU and GPU machines that fulfill the purpose of this work, making the selection of model and computing device easier for the users for deployment in a real-time scenario. The analysis shows that our presented models result in improved mAP scores on high-performance GPUs (such as RTX 2080TI), as well as on low-cost edge computing GPUs (such as Jetson Nano) for weapon detection in live CCTV camera surveillance videos.
Photonic Generation of Reconfigurable Ternary Modulated Microwave Signals with a Large Frequency Range
Authors: Han Yishi , Zeng Changsheng , Zhong Yongming , Guo Zhongguo , Guo Guanfeng , Li Zhongkun , Ren Hongyi , Xie Shaowu , Liang Hongxia , Zheng Gengxin
Published: June 2022

A photonic scheme generating ternary modulated signals, which include amplitude, phase, and frequency modulated signals, has been proposed and demonstrated. This scheme is based on a dual-polarization dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator (DP-DPMZM), where the X-DPMZM is used to generate an optical frequency comb (OFC), and the Y-DPMZM is utilized to accomplish ternary modulation. The key feature of this scheme is that ternary modulated signals with eight wavebands can be obtained by using only the DP-DPMZM in situations of different input signals. In the simulation, a 2.5 Gbit/s amplitude shift keying (ASK), phase shift keying signal (PSK), or an 8 GHz bandwidth linearly frequency modulated (LFM) signal are obtained. The generated signals have eight wavebands with a large frequency range from 10 GHz to 80 GHz. Moreover, the recovery and pulse compression performances of the generated signals are evaluated.
Human Action Recognition Based on Improved Two-Stream Convolution Network
Authors: Wang Zhongwen , Lu Haozhu , Jin Junlan , Hu Kai
Published: June 2022

Two-stream convolution network (2SCN) is a classical method of action recognition. It is capable of extracting action information from two dimensions: spatial and temporal streams. However, the method of extracting motion features from a spatial stream is single-frame recognition, and there is still room for improvement in the perception ability of appearance coherence features. The classical two-stream convolution network structure is modified in this paper by utilizing the strong mining capabilities of the bidirectional gated recurrent unit (BiGRU) to allow the neural network to extract the appearance coherence features of actions. In addition, this paper introduces an attention mechanism (SimAM) based on neuroscience theory, which improves the accuracy and stability of neural networks. Experiments show that the method proposed in this paper (BS-2SCN, BiGRU-SimAM Two-stream convolution network) has high accuracy. The accuracy is improved by 2.6% on the UCF101 data set and 11.7% on the HMDB51 data set.
SDA-Vis: A Visualization System for Student Dropout Analysis Based on Counterfactual Exploration
Authors: Garcia-Zanabria Germain , Gutierrez-Pachas Daniel A. , Camara-Chavez Guillermo , Poco Jorge , Gomez-Nieto Erick
Published: June 2022

High and persistent dropout rates represent one of the biggest challenges for improving the efficiency of the educational system, particularly in underdeveloped countries. A range of features influence college dropouts, with some belonging to the educational field and others to non-educational fields. Understanding the interplay of these variables to identify a student as a potential dropout could help decision makers interpret the situation and decide what they should do next to reduce student dropout rates based on corrective actions. This paper presents SDA-Vis, a visualization system that supports counterfactual explanations for student dropout dynamics, considering various academic, social, and economic variables. In contrast to conventional systems, our approach provides information about feature-perturbed versions of a student using counterfactual explanations. SDA-Vis comprises a set of linked views that allow users to identify variables alteration to chance predefined students situations. This involves perturbing the variables of a dropout student to achieve synthetic non-dropout students. SDA-Vis has been developed under the guidance and supervision of domain experts, in line with some analytical objectives. We demonstrate the usefulness of SDA-Vis through case studies run in collaboration with domain experts, using a real data set from a Latin American university. The analysis reveals the effectiveness of SDA-Vis in identifying students at risk of dropping out and proposes corrective actions, even for particular cases that have not been shown to be at risk with the traditional tools that experts use.
From Theoretical Network to Bedside: Translational Application of Brain-Inspired Computing in Clinical Medicine
Authors: Iles Tinen L.
Published: June 2022

Advances in the brain-inspired computing space are growing at a rapid rate, and many of these emerging strategies are in the field of neuromorphic control, robotics, and sensor development, just to name a few. These innovations are disruptive in their own right and have numerous, multi-dimensional medical applications within precision medicine, telematics, device development, and informed clinical decision making. For this discussion, I will define brain-inspired computing in the scope of simulating the architecture of the brain and discuss the realization of integrating hardware and other technologies with the applications of medicine, along with the considerations for the regulatory pathway for approval and evaluating the risk/consequences of failure modes. This perspective is a call for continued discussion of the development of a pathway for translating these technologies into medical treatment and diagnostic strategies. The aim is to align with global regulatory bodies and ensure that regulation does not limit the capacity of these emerging innovations while ensuring patient safety and clinical efficacy. It is my perspective that it is and will continue to be critical that these technologies are correctly perceived and understood in the lens of multiple disciplines in order to reach their full potential for medical applications.
Research Directions of Applied Cognitive Sciences
Authors: Kovari Attila
Published: June 2022

Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary field of investigation of the mind and intelligence [...]
Predicting Algorithm of Tissue Cell Ratio Based on Deep Learning Using Single-Cell RNA Sequencing
Authors: Liu Zhendong , Lv Xinrong , Chen Xi , Li Dongyan , Qin Mengying , Bai Ke , Yang Yurong , Li Xiaofeng , Zhang Peng
Published: June 2022

Background: Understanding the proportion of cell types in heterogeneous tissue samples is important in bioinformatics. It is a challenge to infer the proportion of tissues using bulk RNA sequencing data in bioinformatics because most traditional algorithms for predicting tissue cell ratios heavily rely on standardized specific cell-type gene expression profiles, and do not consider tissue heterogeneity. The prediction accuracy of algorithms is limited, and robustness is lacking. This means that new approaches are needed urgently. Methods: In this study, we introduced an algorithm that automatically predicts tissue cell ratios named Autoptcr. The algorithm uses the data simulated by single-cell RNA sequencing (ScRNA-Seq) for model training, using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to extract intrinsic relationships between genes and predict the cell proportions of tissues. Results: We trained the algorithm using simulated bulk samples and made predictions using real bulk PBMC data. Comparing Autoptcr with existing advanced algorithms, the Pearson correlation coefficient between the actual value of Autoptcr and the predicted value was the highest, reaching 0.903. Tested on a bulk sample, the correlation coefficient of Lin was 41% higher than that of CSx. The algorithm can infer tissue cell proportions directly from tissue gene expression data. Conclusions: The Autoptcr algorithm uses simulated ScRNA-Seq data for training to solve the problem of specific cell-type gene expression profiles. It also has high prediction accuracy and strong noise resistance for the tissue cell ratio. This work is expected to provide new research ideas for the prediction of tissue cell proportions.
Modified A-Star (A*) Approach to Plan the Motion of a Quadrotor UAV in Three-Dimensional Obstacle-Cluttered Environment
Authors: Farid Ghulam , Cocuzza Silvio , Younas Talha , Razzaqi Asghar Abbas , Wattoo Waqas Ahmad , Cannella Ferdinando , Mo Hongwei
Published: June 2022

Motion-planning algorithms play a vital role in attaining various levels of autonomy for any ground or flying agent. Three-dimensional (3D) motion-planning is interesting, but rather complex, especially for flying agents such as autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), due to the increased dimensionality of space and consideration of dynamical constraints for a feasible trajectory. Usually, in 3D path search problems, it is hard to avoid extra expanded nodes due to increased dimensionality with various available search options. Therefore, this paper discusses and implements a modified heuristic-based A* formalism that uses a truncation mechanism in order to eradicate the mentioned problem. In this formalism, the complete motion planning is divided into shortest path search problem and smooth trajectory generation. The shortest path search problem is subdivided into an initial naïve guess of the path and the truncation of the extra nodes. To find a naïve shortest path, a conventional two-dimensional (2D) A* algorithm is augmented for 3D space with six-sided search. This approach led to the inclusion of extra expanded nodes and, therefore, it is not the shortest one. Hence, a truncation algorithm is developed to further process this path in order to truncate the extra expanded nodes and then to shorten the path length. This new approach significantly reduces the path length and renders only those nodes that are obstacle-free. The latter is ensured using a collision detection algorithm during the truncation process. Subsequently, the nodes of this shortened path are used to generate a dynamically feasible and optimal trajectory for the quadrotor UAV. Optimal trajectory generation requires that the plant dynamics must be differentially flat. Therefore, the corresponding proof is presented to ensure generation of the optimal trajectory. This optimal trajectory minimizes the control effort and ensures longer endurance. Moreover, quadrotor model and controllers are derived as preliminaries, which are subsequently used to track the desired trajectory generated by the trajectory planner. Finally, results of numerical simulations which ultimately validate the theoretical developments are presented.