bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advances in the generation of insertion-based genome edits in plants
Authors:   Institute of Horticulture Crops – Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China, Wang Baike , Wang Juan ,   Institute of Horticulture Crops – Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China, Huang Shaoyong ,   Institute of Horticulture Crops – Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China,   College of Forestry and Horticulture – Xinjiang Agricultural University, China, Tang Yaping ,   Institute of Horticulture Crops – Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China, Li Ning ,   Institute of Horticulture Crops – Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China, Yang Shengbao ,   Institute of Horticulture Crops – Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China, Yang Tao ,   Institute of Horticulture Crops – Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China, Yu Qinghui ,   Institute of Horticulture Crops – Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China
Published: April 2021

Tremendous progress has been achieved in the field of gene editing in plants, such as with the use of zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR). Because of the potential advantages associated with mutant creation and crop germplasm innovation, genome editing technology has been rapidly developed and widely used in crop improvement in recent years. In this review, we aim to document some of the important recent developments and applications of genome-editing tools, especially with respect to gene knock-ins. We introduce the mechanism underlying knock-ins and different outcomes of insertion. We also discuss genome editing tools and methods developed to improve insertion efficiencies. Additionally, we review the recent trends in genetic editing biotechnologies; several strategies are being developed to further improve the efficiency of plant gene knock-ins. Undoubtedly, CRISPR/Cas technology will boost the development of new plant breeding techniques tremendously.
Progress in precise and predictable genome editing in plants with base editing
Authors:   Pairwise Plants, USA, Fräbel Sabine , Lawit Shai J. ,   Pairwise Plants, USA, Nie Jingyi ,   Pairwise Plants, USA, Schwark David G. ,   Pairwise Plants, USA, Poorten Thomas J. ,   Pairwise Plants, USA, Graham Nathaniel D. ,   Pairwise Plants, USA
Published: April 2021

Base editors are gene editing tools that allow targeted nucleic acid conversions, most commonly C>T and A>G, through pairing of deamination domains with impaired nucleases. Multiple deaminase domains and architectures have been demonstrated in planta across a wide array of species, with both cytosine and adenine base editing frequencies being observed at over 80%. The ability of base editors to introduce nucleic acid diversity while maintaining the same reading frame should make them powerful tools for plant genetic editing moving forward.
The regulation of genome-edited crops
Authors:   Center for Science in the Public Interest, USA, Jaffe Gregory
Published: April 2021

To explore the regulation of genome edited crops, this chapter describes the regulatory systems adopted by different countries as well as how the Cartagena Biosafety Protocol might apply. It finds there is a continuum of oversight, with some countries applying their GMO biosafety laws to all genome edited crops and other countries exempting certain genome edited techniques and/or products from any special oversight. For countries with what on the surface seem like similar regulatory policies, when their regulations are applied to identical products, they often produce different results, which will make international harmonization difficult. In addition, how much oversight to impose on different crops tends not to be based on scientific evidence. Finally, the regulatory treatment for multi-edited products is unclear. It will take time and additional the development of additional genome edited crops before there is sufficient clarity on how all types of genome edited crops will be regulated.
Targeted modification of promoters
Authors:   Boyce Thompson Institute, USA, Gunadi Andika , Zhang Ning ,   Boyce Thompson Institute, USA, Finer John J. ,   The Ohio State University, USA
Published: April 2021

Although most genome editing efforts focus on modifications to gene coding regions, this chapter emphasizes genome editing of the upstream regulatory regions. Thoughtful editing of the promoter region will ultimately lead to improved plants, modified for more precise control of the intensity and specificity of native gene expression. In this chapter, we present an overview of the promoter or upstream regulatory region of a gene, and describe how this sequence is defined and studied. We then describe how the composition and arrangements of cis-regulatory elements within the promoter and the leading intron associated with the promoter region have been studied using classical transgenic approaches to reveal what regulatory components might be suitable for genome editing approaches. Finally, we offer some suggestions for pursuit of promoter editing and gene expression modulation, which will eventually lead to modified plants with an altered regulation of native gene expression.
imaginäre Räume
Authors: Kuch  , Kuch Sven
Published: April 2021

Benennung spezieller verinnerlichter Räume, in denen spezifische Formen entstehen. Jeder Quadrant, - und damit jedes Ausdehnungsgebiet, erhält so einen speziell benannten Ausdehnungs- bzw. Existenzraum. Die darin entstehenden Formen werden von den jeweils vorherrschenden mathematischen Gesetzmässigkeiten bestimmt. Grundsätzlich gilt, je mehr mathematische Gesetze gelten, desto komplexer ist die darin entstehende Form.
The Teacher of Hearing and Language: an Analysis of Their Itinerant
Model
Authors: Luque Antonio , Carrión José J.
Published: April 2021

Spain is currently in the process of reform of university curricula to
meet the demands of the European Higher Education Area. In this context, the
question remains the professional profile professionals have developed as
the teacher of speech and hearing itinerant schools, noting those factors
could hinder the development of a role tailored to the curricular and
collaborative proposals that were attempted promote the Organic Law on the
Education System of the nineties (LOGSE). The new college plans do not
consider this title, having disappeared from academic contexts, although
their professional profile continues in schools. It is therefore the time to
face the type of training (path undergraduate or graduate) to train these
professionals, having the opportunity to learn from the errors found in the
previous figure and enhanced quality educational work in schools that feed
into inclusiveness.
Changes in Levels of Burnout in a Comparative Study in Professional
Caregivers After a Situation of Post-Traumatic Stress
Authors: Martínez Juan P. , Méndez Inmaculada , Secanilla Esther , González Elena
Published: April 2021

Following a previous study on professional caregivers of people with
dementia and other diseases in residential, was decided to compare two
residential centers of two different regions, Murcia and Barcelona. Based on
the results of which 13.3% of the global sample had a high emotional
exhaustion, 54.8% a high level of depersonalization and 10% a reduced sense
of personal accomplishment, we proceed to an analysis of current levels in
the three dimensions to study their evolution. Similarly, we assess whether
in the town of Lorca (Murcia), these levels have been affected by the
earthquake on May 11, 2011, for which it has conducted an evaluation of
possible symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). We proceeded to
the administration of the same tests of the latest research (Scale Maslach
Burnout Inventory -MBI- and an ad hoc survey conducted for professional
caregivers) and the Scale SA-45 which is the short form from the original
SCL-90, and the Severity of Symptoms Scale of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
The results show differences between the two populations in different
variables and they shed light on the consequences and impact of a traumatic
event in the sample.
Extracurricular Activities and Academic Performance in Elementary School
Students
Authors: Cladellas Pros Ramón , Muntada Mercè Clariana , Martín Mar Badia , Gotzens Busquets Concepción
Published: April 2021

The aim of this study is to assess the potential impact of
extracurricular activities on the academic performance of elementary school
students. Attendance or not attendance, type of extracurricular activities
(recreational, cognitive or both) and the number of hours a week have been
taken into account. The final sample consisted of a total of 721 elementary
school students (366 boys and 355 girls) from various schools in the
counties of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. Parents of the students were
provided with a questionnaire asking for the pupils’ grades in different
academic subjects (mathematics, Catalan, Spanish and English languages,
gymnastics and arts) and information about type and amount of
extracurricular activities. The results show that performing any kind of
extracurricular activity improves academic performance. More specifically,
performance of some activity (whether recreational or cognitive, or a
combination of both) significantly accounts for improvement in academic
results, except for math, gymnastics and arts. Also, the study shows that a
high number of hours of extracurricular activities (more than 10 hours a
week) negatively affect the performance in all subjects except in
gymnastics.
Relationships between video-gaming habits, parental monitoring and school
performance
Authors: Lloret Irles Daniel , Cabrera Perona Víctor , Sanz Baños Yolanda
Published: April 2021

Children spend an average of 1.3 hours per day on video game and
problematic video gaming prevalence is set between 2% and 8%. High levels of
intensity and frequency of video gaming are associated with lower school
achievement. Home is the most preferred place to play. Therefore parental
monitoring is crucial. Objective: To analyse gaming patterns and to identify
significant relationships between parental monitoring and academic
performance. Method: Participants: 610 students of Secondary Education mean
age 13.84 years (SD=1.27; range 12-16). Ad hoc scales were developed to
analyse gaming frequency and intensity, school performance and parental
monitoring. Results: Children, whose parents control gaming time and show
interest in the contents continuously, play significantly fewer days, fewer
hours and with adjusted contents to their age. Those with discontinuous
parental control ("sometimes"), show a higher gaming frequency and
intensity, and the proportion of unadjusted content, and do not differ from
those without parental control. In addition, a greater number of hours of
play are related to lower academic achievement. Discussion/ conclusions:
This work helps in defining gambling problem behaviour. Results indicate
that parental control is effective, on condition that it must be continuous
and consistent.
Cognitive and Functional Impairment of Hospitalized Patients over 65
Years of Age
Authors: Calero-García Mª José , Cruz Lendínez Alfonso J.
Published: April 2021

The first objective of this research is to establish and study how the
different stages of cognitive impairment and the levels of dependence evolve
in patients over 65 years of age, admitted to an acute care hospital, as
well as the relationship between these factors and the different social and
demographical variables. The results show that the level of dependence
decreases suddenly at the time of admission and undergoes a slight recovery
at the time of discharge. Although this recovery continues at home after
discharge, patients do not get the same level of independence that they used
to have before admission. In addition, significant differences in terms of
age, marital status and education level were found. In general, our results
show that elderly men over 80 years of age, without no education and
widowers are more likely to suffer from severe cognitive impairment and be
more functionally dependent when admitted to hospital.
Happiness and Physical Activity in the Elderly
Authors: García Alfonso J. , Bohórquez M. Rocío , Lorenzo Macarena
Published: April 2021

The overall objective of this study was to explore past and present
happiness from people over 65 years old, and the relationship that physical
activity may have with it. Participants voluntarily completed a
sociodemographic questionnaire, the Physical Activity Scale Battery STEPS
2.1 (WHO, 2012) and the Scale of Happiness (Godoy and Godoy-Izquierdo,
2006). The results show that present happiness is lower than last.
Furthermore, it is shown that the current practice of physical activity
affects the happiness of the greatest, being happiest those most active at
this stage of his life. Finally, having been involved in physical activity
at some point in the life cycle (past, present or continuously) is related
to a higher level of happiness than that related to a sedentary lifestyle;
the mechanisms involved in this protective role of happiness must be
determined. This protective role of physical activity has to be taken into
account in the design of programs and intervention promoting active and
positive aging population.
What Learning Theories of Reading are Attributed by Teachers who Teach
Reading with Different Teaching Method?
Authors: Suárez Natalia , Rodríguez Cristina , O’Shanahan Isabel , Jiménez Juan E.
Published: April 2021

The aim of this study was to analyze the teacher´s theories about
learning to read and reading instruction that claim to use in the classroom.
To do this, we selected a total sample of 522 kindergarden and primary
teachers in service who completed an attributional questionnaire across the
tutorial program LETRA (www.programaletra.ull.es). The results showed that
teachers attributed theories of learning to read with a sociocultural
orientation lean more towards a mixed method, teachers who share a behavior
approach consider that the repetition in your workouts and instruction is
important to teach reading, are more inclined to use a syllabic method and
mixed. Moreover, the results indicate that teachers who hold constructivist
theory they select whole-language and mixed approaches for teaching reading
to their students.
Physiological Impact of Music Therapy on Depression, Anxiety and
Well-Being of Patients with Dementia of Alzheimer's Type. Assessment of the
Use of Questionnaires to Quantify it
Authors: de la Rubia Ortí José Enrique , Espinós Paula Sancho , Cabañés Iranzo Carmen
Published: April 2021

Alzheimer's disease has become one of the most prevalent and worrying
diseases in our society due to the impact that it has on the patient as well
as family members and caregivers. Largely due to the fact that nowadays
pharmacological treatments are not curative of this dementia, we considered
alternative therapies that improve all the parameters of the disease. In
this respect, it is known the direct relationship between chronic stress
experienced by the individual in the last years of their life and the
appearance of the first symptoms of the disease, standing out depression,
anxiety and sadness. Thinking about the extraordinary benefits that music
has, we set out to assess the impact that music therapy would have on these
symptoms. For this purpose, we carried out a brief intervention using a
protocol standardized by us. At the same time, we conducted standardized
questionnaires that measure depression and anxiety related to stress and
happiness related to well-being, before and after the intervention, being
able to assess whether there is any improvement, and if the use of
questionnaires is suitable to quantify it. The results show a great
improvement in patients regarding these symptoms, and therefore music
therapy can be considered to be a very effective therapeutic tool to reduce
the stress in these patients.
Tiredness, Care and Impact on Family Caregivers of Older Adults with
Chronic Degenerative Diseases
Authors: Vicente Ruiz María Asunción , García Carmen de la Cruz , Morales Navarrete Ramón Antonio , Martínez Hernández Clara Magdalena , Villarreal Reyna María de los Ángeles
Published: April 2021

Chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease,
and cancer, may limit the older adults’ ability to execute daily life
activities; generating tiredness and/or overload on the caregivers.
Objective: To determine the existing relationship between tiredness, the
caregiver and the effects on the caregiver’s health. Method: Quantitative
analytic study. The sample was assembled with 123 family caregivers and 123
older adults with a chronic degenerative disease. The sampling method was
non-probabilistic. Results and Discussion: It was found association between
tiredness and care’s repercussions (r=.438, p<.01), this suggest that,
the higher the fatigue presented by the caregivers, higher the repercussions
in their health will be (r=.546, p<.01). Also, a correlation from the
care given by the familiar and the repercussions on the caregiver’s health
(r=.546, p<.01), indicating that, the more extensive and complex the care
given, greater the affectation this will have on the caregiver´s health. The
care was related with the tiredness allows us to affirm that the more
extensive and complex the care, the more tiredness is perceived by the
caregiver (r=.109, p<.01). Conclusion: The caregiver’s tiredness is high;
it is associated with the overload of the care and has several repercussions
on the health or the wellbeing and future interdisciplinary-based
interventions.
Structural and functional social support in elderly objective and
subjective health ratings
Authors: Iglesias Sergio , Arias Ana V.
Published: April 2021

This paper aims to investigate the causes that explain the discrepancies
between the effects of social relationships on health and wellness of the
elderly people. Several disciplines of health sciences have developed
different theories to explain the evidence that confirm the positive effects
of social relations. Furthermore, there is acumuative evidence confirming
most of the predictions derived from its principles. However, the empirical
evidence has not always confirmed these beneficial relationships and
sometimes these evidences contradict some of the theoretical predictions.
Even, it is not difficult to find reversed effects. In this paper we follow
some of the approaches developed from Social Psychology which analyze the
different effects of social relationships on the health of older people. Two
types of aspects of social relations have served to this purpose. First, the
structural aspects (i.e., frequency of intercourse). Second,
qualitative-functional aspects of great tradition in estudies of quality of
life and wellbeing of older people (i.e. social support). Following the
Convoy Model, we measured perceived social support and frecuency of
relationships in 168 spaniards, men and women (aged 62 years old and more).
We analyze these discrepancies in the light of the underlying
mechanisms.
Differences in the perception of parental involvement in homework
depending on the level of student motivation
Authors: Regueiro Bibiana , Rodríguez Susana , Piñeiro Isabel , Estévez Iris , Ferradás Mar , Suárez Natalia
Published: April 2021

The main purpose of this work is to check if the student motivation is
an important factor in their perception of family involvement on homework.
This is to check the relationships between different levels of intrinsic
motivation towards school work of students in secondary and their
perceptions of parental support and the type of feedback provided by their
parents to homework, including the latter parental support and parental
control. The sample consists of 730 (43.4% male; 56.6% female) of Secondary
School students (12 to 16). The results show that higher levels of intrinsic
motivation are associated with a higher perception of students regarding
parental accompaniment to do homework and parental control and support them.
We conclude, therefore, that student motivation is a factor of great
importance to the involvement of the family environment and, more
specifically, for the support and feedback provided by parents regarding
homework.
Comparative study of alexithymia in institutionalized elderly versus
senior classroom
Authors: García-Sevilla Julia , Méndez Inmaculada , Bermúdez Ana Mª , Martínez Juan P.
Published: April 2021

Experience and emotion regulation are issues that are increasingly
important in order to understand and promote the welfare and quality of life
of elderly. The aim of this study was to conduct a comparative study of the
alexithymia in users in an institutionalized center and students enrolled in
a senior classroom. Study participants were 43 people hospitalized and 48
from the senior older with an average age of 69.30 years and a standard
deviation of 66.50. The instrument used was the adapted version of the
TAS-20. The results showed that institutionalized people scored higher on
the difficulty in identifying feelings, difficulty in describing feelings
and in the pattern of externally-oriented thinking. Sex was indifferent to
the difficulty in identifying feelings, difficulty in describing feelings as
well as externally-oriented pattern. In terms of age, a relationship was
found with the difficulty in identifying feelings and externally oriented
thought patterns. The study allows us to conclude that alexithymia is
influenced by the fact that the elderly person is in an institutionalized
center.
Stigmatizing effects of psychological diagnosis in children
Authors: del Mar Montoya-Rodríguez Mª , Molina-Cobos Francisco-Javier
Published: April 2021

Despite the known advantages of the classification of psychological
disorders, using formal diagnostic could reduce a story of life and way of
behaving to a mere diagnostic label, becoming a tautological explanation
that ignores the true explanation of the problem and adds iatrogenic
functions and stigmatizing. The present study assesses the influence of
diagnostic labels in the performance of psychologists who evaluate the
intelligence of a group of children. The Goodenough Test is used for
instrumental reasons. The different drawings of a human figure, made by
children with standardized psychological development, were labeled as if
having been drawn by children with mental retardation, giftedness and normal
development. The results show that evaluators, unaware of the falsity of the
diagnoses, score the drawings differentially depending on the diagnostic
label used. That is, the results evidence the negative influence of a
diagnostic label about expectations and treatment to the person
diagnosed.
Frontmatter (Front Cover, Editorial Team, Preface and Table of Contents)
Authors: Fatoni Amin
Published: April 2021

Frontmatter (Front Cover, Editorial Team, Preface and Table of Contents)
4D Einstein - Gauss - Bonnet Gravity with Nonlinear Electrodynamics: Entropy, Energy Emission, Quasinormal Modes and Deflection Angle
Authors: Kruglov Sergey
Published: April 2021

The logarithmic correction to Bekenshtein$-$Hawking entropy in the framework of 4D Einstein - Gauss - Bonnet gravity coupled with nonlinear electrodynamics is obtained. We explore the black hole solution with the spherically symmetric metric. The logarithmic term in the entropy has a structure similar to the entropy correction in the semi-classical Einstein equations which mimics the quantum correction to the area low. The energy emission rate of black holes and energy conditions are studied. The quasinormal modes of a test scalar field are investigated. The gravitational lensing of light around BHs was studied. We calculated the deflection angle for some model parameters.
Antioxidant and Cytoprotective Potential of Erythropoietin in Mitigating Oxidative Stress-Induced Changes in the Retinal Pigment Epithelium
Authors: Biswal Manas R. , Wang Zhaoyao , Paulson Ryan J. , Uddin Rukshana R. , Tong Yao , Zhu Ping , Li Hong , Lewin Alfred S.
Published: April 2021

Erythropoietin (EPO) protects cells by inhibiting apoptosis, oxidative stress and inflammation in several models of retinal degeneration. In this study, we demonstrate the effects of recombinant Adeno Associated Virus (AAV) vector-mediated delivery of a modified form of erythropoietin (EPO-R76E) in an established mouse model of dry-AMD in which retinal degeneration is induced by RPE oxidative stress. Experimental vector AAV-EPO-R76E and control vector AAV-GFP were packaged into serotype-1 (AAV1) to enable RPE selective expression. RPE oxidative stress-mediated retinal degeneration was induced by exon specific deletion of the protective enzyme MnSOD (encoded by Sod2) by cre/lox mechanism. Experimental mice received subretinal injection of AAV-EPO-R76E in the right eye and AAV-GFP in the left eye. Western blotting of RPE/Choroid protein samples from AAV-EPO-R76E injected eyes showed RPE specific exogenous protein expression. Retinal degeneration was monitored by electroretinography (ERG). EPO-R76E over-expression in RPE delayed the progressive retinal degeneration as measured by light microscopy in RPE specific Sod2 knockout mice. Delivery of EPO-R76E vector can be used as a tool to prevent retinal degeneration induced by RPE oxidative stress as seen in this mouse model.
Positive Energy Driven CTCs In ADM 3+1 Space – Time of Unprotected Chronology
Authors: Bhattacharjee Deep
Published: April 2021

Chronology unprotected mechanisms are considered with a very low gravitational polarization to make the wormhole traversal with positive energy density everywhere. No need of exotic matter has been considered with the assumption of the Einstein-Dirac-Maxwell Fields, encountering above the non-zero stress-energy-momentum tensor through spacelike hypersurfaces by a hyperbolic coordinate shift.
The Seasonal Variability of the Ocean Energy Cycle From a Quasi-Geostrophic Double Gyre Ensemble
Authors: Uchida Takaya , Deremble Bruno , Penduff Thierry
Published: April 2021

With the advent of submesoscale O(1km) permitting basin-scale ocean simulations, the seasonality in the mesoscale O(50km) eddies with kinetic energies peaking in summer has been commonly attributed to submesoscale eddies feeding back onto the mesoscale via an inverse energy cascade under the constraint of stratification and Earth’s rotation. In contrast, by running a 101-member, seasonally forced, three-layer quasi-geostrophic (QG) ensemble configured to represent an idealized double-gyre system of the subtropical and subpolar basin, we find that the mesoscale kinetic energy shows a seasonality consistent with the summer peak without resolving the submesoscales; by definition, a QG model only resolves small Rossby number dynamics (O(Ro)≪1) while as submesoscale dynamics are associated with O(Ro)∼1. Here, by quantifying the Lorenz cycle of the mean and eddy energy, defined as the ensemble mean and fluctuations about the mean respectively, we propose a different mechanism from the inverse energy cascade by which the stabilization and strengthening of the western-boundary current during summer due to increased stratification leads to a shedding of stronger mesoscale eddies from the separated jet. Conversely, the opposite occurs during the winter; the separated jet destablizes and results in overall lower mean and eddy kinetic energies despite the domain being more susceptible to baroclinic instability from weaker stratification.
Conditions that Enable a Player to Surely Win in Sequential Quantum Games
Authors: Andronikos Theodore
Published: April 2021

This paper studies sequential quantum games under the assumption that the moves of the players are drawn from groups and not just plain sets. The extra group structure makes possible to easily derive some very general results, which, to the best of our knowledge, are stated in this generality for the first time in the literature. The main conclusion of this paper is that the specific rules of a game are absolutely critical. The slightest variation may have important impact on the outcome of the game. It is the combination of two factors that determine who wins: (i) the sets of admissible moves for each player, and (ii) the order of moves, i.e., whether the same player makes the first and the last move. Quantum strategies do not a priori prevail over classical strategies. By carefully designing the rules of the game the advantage of either player can be established. Alternatively, the fairness of the game can also be guaranteed.
Tri-State: From Shannon to Galois Fields in Communication Systems
Authors: Gerck Ed
Published: April 2021

Communication, compression of information, transmission of information through noisy channels, interconnecting different information systems, cryptography, gate construction –– these areas all depend on classical information theory. We show that, in classical terms, semantic aspects of communication are not at all irrelevant to the engineering problem, contrary to Shannon, and affect the message intended to be transmitted. This is revisited and captured by an analogy to trust, in that they are essential to the channel (for proper use), but cannot be transferred (under risk of flaws) through that same channel. Information is also described by, at least, a tri-state system — not by binary logic. The trust analogy semantics can be coded as the Curry-Howard relationship, connecting computer code with structural logic, by way of different categories. Two-state and Boolean logic (aka Shannon semantics) was used classically before, with Shannon theory, but without trust analogy semantics – found to be a sine qua non condition. This is now familiar in classical gate construction with physical systems with, e.g., Verilog and SystemVerilog. The applications to computation and quantum theory are further explored. The most fundamental entity in today`s theory of information is proposed to use at least three logical states, not bits, in all applications, including: cyber-physical systems, devices, in computation, and in quantum theory.
Applicability of High-Resolution Geospatial Data Obtained by UAV Photogrammetry to Develop Drainage System Models for Pluvial Flood Analysis
Authors: Park Kyuhyun , Shibuo Yoshihiro , Katayama Junichi , Baba Shinji , Furumai Hiroaki ,   Department of Urban Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan,   Research Center for Water Environment Technology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan,   Ishigaki Company, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
Published: April 2021

Integrated flood models have been previously developed to simulate diverse inundation situations and combined with models of storm surges and river floods. However, drainage systems, ground elevation, and surface information of human settlements have only been digitized in large cities. Digitization of surface information is essential for developing a drainage system model for pluvial flood analysis. Occasionally, suburban drainage areas exhibit various complex land-use conditions, including residential and green areas, agricultural land with drainage, and irrigation channels. Herein, UAV photogrammetry was applied to obtain high-resolution geospatial data associated with small-scale flood-prone areas whose elevation, land-use, and waterway networks have not been elucidated sufficiently. The resolution of elevation and land-use data ranged from 2.61–5.22 cm/mesh. The measurement accuracy of the width and depth of the open channels was high, and the errors were mostly within 10%. A drainage system model was developed using data on open channel, elevation, and land-use.
Neurofeedback training of control network improves SSVEP-based BCI performance in children
Authors: Jingnan Sun , He Jing , Gao Xiaorong
Published: April 2021

Background: In the past 20 years, neural engineering has made unprecedented progress in the interpretation of brain information (e.g., brain-computer interfaces) and neuromodulation (e.g., electromagnetic stimulation and neurofeedback). However, the study of improving the performance of the brain-computer interface (BCI) using the neuromodulation method rarely exists. The present study designs a neurofeedback training method to improve the performance of steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) BCI and further explores its underlying mechanisms. Methods: As the parietal lobe is the sole hub of information transmission, up-regulating alpha-band power of the parietal lobe by neurofeedback training was presented in this study as a new neural modulation method to improve SSVEP-based BCI in this study. Results: After this neurofeedback training (NFT), the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), accuracy, and information transfer rate (ITR) of SSVEP-based BCI were increased by 5.8%, 4.7%, and 15.6% respectively. However, no improvement has been observed in the control group in which the subjects do not participate in NFT. Evidence from the network analysis and attention test further indicate that NFT improves attention via developing the control ability of the parietal lobe and then enhances the above SSVEP indicators.Conclusion: Up-regulating parietal alpha-amplitude using neurofeedback training significantly improves the SSVEP-baesd BCI performance through modulating the control network. The study validates an effective neuromodulation method, and possibly also contributes to explaining the function of the parietal lobe in the control network.
Bioinformatics Analysis of Prognostic Significance of VPS72 and Correlations with Immune Infiltrates in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Gui Yonghui , Liu Xueni , Wang Chao , Yang Peng
Published: April 2021

Background

VPS72 is part of the EP400 and Snf2-related CBP-activator protein (SRCAP) chromatin remodeling complexes, and the prognostic value of VPS72 in hepatocellular carcinoma has not been reported.
Methods

we used the Oncomine, UALCAN, GEPIA, String and Timer databases to study the expression of VPS72 in hepatocellular carcinoma.
Results

We found the overexpression of VPS72 was markedly correlated with clinical stages and pathological grades in LIHC, higher mRNA expression of VPS72 was significantly related with shorter overall survival. Moreover, we found that VPS72 promoter hyper-methylation in liver cancer is different and significant. Furthermore, we identified significant correlations among the expression of VPS72 and infiltration of B cells, CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells in LIHC. Then we searched the protein interaction network of VPS72 by string.
Conclusion

VPS72 may be used as prognostic biomarkers and immunotherapeutic targets LIHC patients.
Exponential Stability Analysis and Application of Parameters Switched Neural Networks Via Intermittent Observation and Feedback Control
Authors: Zhou Xianghui , Yan Zizong , Kong Fanchao , Zhou Wuneng
Published: April 2021

This paper deals with a type of the exponential stability problem for the switched neural networks with timevarying delays driven by Brownian noise. As a prerequisite to main theorem, the existence and uniqueness of the solution to the main system are proved via contraction map theory. Based on intermittent observation control, the stability trajectory of the switched neural networks with time-varying delays is obtained. Employing stochastic analysis method, the exponential stability conditions are established via applying It^o formula and the matched pair technique. A numerical example for the main system with respect to intermittent observation control is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of results and potential of the proposed techniques. Meanwhile, the feasibility of stability control in multiagents system is verified by the method obtained.
Thermal imaging to assess the crop water status of melon plants under tropical semi-arid climate
Authors: Aragão Márcio Facundo , Neto Luis Gonzaga Pinheiro , Viana Thales Vinícius de Araújo , Manzano-Juarez Juan , Lacerda Claudivan Feitosa , Azevedo Benito Moreira
Published: April 2021

Deficit irrigation (DI) strategies and soil cover are highly effective to improve the the water productivity in semi-arid regions. However, the effective monitoring of plant water status under DI strategies becomes crucial. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the use of thermal images to estimate the water status of melon plants cultivated in soil with and without mulching under different irrigation regimes. The experience was carried out from October to December 2018. The study was carried out in a randomized block design, in a split plot arrangement. Plots were composed by soil cover (with and without mulching with plant material), and subplots by 5 irrigation regimes (120, 100, 80, 60 and 40% of crop evapotranspiration-ETc), with five replicates. The following variables were evaluated: canopy temperature (Tcanopy), leaf water potential (Ψleaf), air temperature (Tair), soil moisture, crop yield and the thermal index (ΔT), this being defined as the difference between Tcanopy and Tair. ΔT showed high correlations with crop yield and crop water consumption, evidencing that thermography is an efficient tool to identify the water status of melon plants and could be employed for a proper irrigation scheduling under the tropical semi-arid scenarios. Moreover, the use of thermal images also allowed the identification of beneficial effects of soil cover on leaf water status and crop yield, mainly under moderate DI. The obtained results also demonstrate that mulching is essential to increase melon yield and water productivity in tropical regions.
Object Pose Estimation for Robot Loading in Accommodation Space Using Alpha-Shape Algorithm
Authors: Guo Qingda , Tang Lulu , Zhang Jianchi
Published: April 2021

Robots with visual sensors have been used in various goods logistics, such as bin picking or uploading. However, there are more and more demands for the automatic blanking and loading, it is necessary to solve the problem of object pose estimation in changing accommodation space. This paper proposes a method for pose estimation in the accommodation space using alpha-shape algorithm and improved Fruit fly Optimization Algorithm (FOA). The alpha-shape volume variety of object and measured space is set to the objective function and the pose variety of object is set to six variables of improved FOA. The experiments were performed by setting parameters of improved FOA and considering the four space types represented the common accommodation shapes. Compared with previous work using convex hull, the new study using alpha-shape algorithm not only keeps the object in the accommodation space, but also maintains the object pose is at the bottom of the space and can meet the practical requirement of object placement by robot arms.
Bioinformatics Analysis of C3 and CXCR4 act as Potential Prognostic Biomarkers in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC)
Authors: Quan Jing , BAI YUCHEN , Yang YunBei , Han ErLei , Bai Hong , Zhang Qi , Zhang DaHong
Published: April 2021

Background: The molecular pathogenesis of ccRCC was still unknown. Hence, the ccRCC-associated genes needs to explored.Methods: Three ccRCC expression microarray datasets (GSE14762, GSE66270 and GSE53757) downloaded from gene expression omnibus (GEO) database. The distinguish of expressed genes (DEGs) between ccRCC and normal tissue was discuss and explored. the function of our DEGs was analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO) ,Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) .Then the protein‑protein interaction network (PPI) was established in order to screen the hub genes. Then the expressions of hub genes were identified by oncomine database.The prognostic values of hub genes were analyzed by GEPIA database in ccRCC patients. Result: A total of 137 DREs were analyzed, which including 63 upregulated genes and 74 downregulated genes. According to our result,137 DREs were mainly enriched in 82 functional terms and 24 pathways. 14 highest-scoring genes were screened as hub gene in the PPI network which including 12 upregulated candidate genes and 2 downregulated candidate genes. The result reveals that patients with higher C3 expression related to poor OS, while patients with high expression of CTSS and TLR3 related to better OS. Patients with high C3 and CXCR4 expression had a poor DFS, while ccRCC patients with high expression of TLR3 had better DFS. At last, C3 and CXCR4 were selected to detect the prognosis of patients with ccRCC.Conclusion: The result identified the C3 and CXCR4 as candidate biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets in the molecular mechanism and individual treatment of ccRCC.
Estimating Red Fox Density Using Non-Invasive Genetic Sampling and Spatial Capture-Recapture Modeling
Authors: Lindsø Lars , Dupont Pierre , Rød-Eriksen Lars , Andersskog Ida Pernille Øystese , Ulvund Kristine Roaldsnes , Flagstad Øystein , Bischof Richard , Eide Nina Elisabeth
Published: April 2021

Spatial capture-recapture modelling (SCR) is a powerful tool for estimating densities, population size and space use of elusive animals. Here, we applied SCR modeling to non-invasive genetic sampling (NGS) data to estimate red fox (Vulpes vulpes) densities in two areas of boreal forest in central (2016 - 2018) and southern Norway (2017 - 2018). Estimated densities were overall lower in the northern study area (mean = 0.04 foxes per km2 [95%CI: 0.02-0.09] in 2016, 0.09 [0.05-0.18] in 2017 and 0.07 [0.04-0.13] in 2018) compared to the southern study area (0.16 [0.09-0.26] in 2017 and 0.10 [0.07-0.16] in 2018). We found a positive effect of forest cover on density in the northern, but not the southern study area. The absence of an effect in the southern area may reflect a paucity of evidence caused by low variation in forest cover, but could also be due to climatic differences (e.g., winter severity) between the two areas. Estimated mean home range size in the northern study area was 45 km2 [34-60] for females and 88 km2 [69-113] for males. Mean home range sizes were smaller in the southern study area (26 km2 [16-42] for females and 56 km2 [35-91] for males). In both study areas, detection probability was session-dependent and affected by sampling effort. This study highlights how SCR modeling in combination with NGS can be used to efficiently monitor red fox populations, and simultaneously incorporate ecological factors and estimate their effects on population density and space-use.
Homeobox B7 is a Newly Hypothesized Oncogene Promoting Tumorigenesis in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Wu Xiang , Li Jin , Yan Tingyuan , Ke Xueping , Li Xin , Zhu Yumin , Yang Jianrong , Li Zhongwu
Published: April 2021

Background: The core member of Homeobox gene family, Homeobox B7 (HOXB7), deregulating in multiple cancers, is considered as a pro-tumorigenic transcription factor. However, the pro-tumorigenic role in head neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have not been reported yet. Methods: Publicly available databases of HNSCC were used to datamining the expression of HOXB7 in HNSCC. Immunohistochemistry was used to measure protein level in a retrospective cohort of primary HNSCC specimens with assessment of the associations between IHC results and various clinicopathological parameters and patient outcome data. The pro-tumorigenic roles of HOXB7 in HNSCC were further delineated in vitro and in vivo by loss-of-function assay. Cancerous analysis & treatment strategy of HOXB7 was assessed by combination of functional enrichment analysis and the Connectivity Map (CMap) analysis.Results: In 8 HNSCC cohorts, HOXB7 mRNA was significantly over-expansion. HOXB7 protein was markedly upregulated in HNSCC samples as compared to normal counterparts and its overexpression significantly associated with large pathological grade, clinical stage, cervical node metastasis (chi-square test, P = .03, .0152, .0195) and reduced overall and disease-free survival (Kaplan-Mier analyses, Log-rank test, P = .0007, .0014). Univariate and multivariate survival analyses further revealed HOXB7 protein abundance as an independent prognostic factor for patients’ overall survival. Moreover, HOXB7 knockdown significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, stemness maintenance, and induced cell apoptosis in HNSCC cells, and resulted in compromised tumour growth in vivo. Furthermore, we screened 3 small molecule drugs potentially effective targeting HOXB7 by performing a CMAP analysis.Conclusions: This research on HOXB7 developed a framework to identify a robust novel cancer biomarker on diagnosis and prognosis, and given a potentially available therapeutic strategy for the treatment of HNSCC.
A Novel Ferroptosis-Related Genes Model for Prognosis Prediction of Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Li Fei , Ge Dongcen , Sun Shu-lan
Published: April 2021

Background. Ferroptosis is a newly discovered form of cell death characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between ferroptosis and the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).Methods. RNA-seq data was collected from the LUAD dataset of The Cancer Genome Altas (TCGA) database. We used ferroptosis-related genes as the basis, and identify the differential expression genes (DEGs) between cancer and paracancer. The univariate Cox regression analysis were used to screen the prognostic-related genes. We divided the patients into training and validation sets. Then, we screened out key genes and built a 5 genes prognostic prediction model by the applications of the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) 10-fold cross-validation and the multi-variate Cox regression analysis. We divided the cases by the median value of risk score and validated this model in the validation set. Meanwhile, we analyzed the somatic mutations, and estimated the score of immune infiltration in the high- and low-risk groups, as well as performed functional enrichment analysis of DEGs.Results. The result revealed that the high-risk score triggered the worse prognosis. The maximum area under curve (AUC) of the training set and the validation set of in this study was 0.7 and 0.69. Moreover, we integrated the age, gender, and tumor stage to construct the composite nomogram. The charts indicated that the AUC of cases with survival time of 1, 3 and 5 years are 0.698, 0.71 and 0.73. In addition, the mutation frequency of patients in the high-risk group was higher than that in the low-risk group. Simultaneously, DEGs were mainly enriched in ferroptosis-related pathways by analyzing the functional results.Conclusion. This study constructed a novel LUAD prognosis prediction model base on 5 ferroptosis-related genes, which can provide a prognostic evaluation tool for the clinical therapeutic decision.
High coverage COVID-19 mRNA vaccination rapidly controls SARS-CoV-2 transmission in Long-Term Care Facilities
Authors: De Salazar Pablo , Link Nicholas , Lamarca Karuna , Santillana Mauricio
Published: April 2021

Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCFs) represent a major share of COVID-19 deaths worldwide. Information on vaccine effectiveness in these settings is essential to improve mitigation strategies, but evidence remains limited. To evaluate the early effect of the administration of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccines in LTCFs, we monitored subsequent SARS-CoV-2 documented infections and deaths in Catalonia, a region of Spain, and compared them to counterfactual model predictions from February 6th to March 28th, 2021, the subsequent time period after which 70% of residents were fully vaccinated. We calculated the reduction in SARS-CoV-2 documented infections and deaths as well as the detected county-level transmission. We estimated that once more than 70% of the LTCFs population were fully vaccinated, 74% (58%-81%, 90% CI) of COVID-19 deaths and 75% (36%-86%) of all documented infections were prevented. Further, detectable transmission was reduced up to 90% (76-93% 90%CI). Our findings provide evidence that high-coverage vaccination is the most effective intervention to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission and death. Widespread vaccination could be a feasible avenue to control the COVID-19 pandemic.