Transcriptome and Genome Analyses Applied to Aquaculture Research

Aquaculture is an important economic activity for food production all around the world that has experienced an exponential growth during the last few decades. However, several weaknesses and bottlenecks still need to be addressed in order to improve the aquaculture productive system. The recent fast development of the omics technologies has provided scientists with meaningful tools to elucidate the molecular basis of their research interests. This reprint compiles different works about the use of transcriptomics and genomics technologies in different aspects of the aquaculture research, such as immunity, stress response, development, sexual dimorphism, among others, in a variety of fish and shellfish, and even in turtles. Different transcriptome (mRNAs and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs)), genome (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs)), and metatranscriptome analyses were conducted to unravel those different aspects of interest

Heat of Absorption of CO2 in Aqueous Solutions of DEEA, MAPA and their Mixture

AbstractA reaction calorimeter was used to measure the differential heat of absorption of CO2 in phase change solvents as a function of temperature, CO2 loading and solvent composition. The measurements were taken for aqueous solutions of 2-(diethylamino)ethanol (DEEA), 3-(methylamino)propylamine (MAPA) and their mixture. The tested compositions were 5M DEEA, 2M MAPA and their mixture, 5M DEEA + 2M MAPA which gives two liquid phases on reacting with CO2. Experimental measurements were also carried out for 30% MEA used as a base case. The measurements were taken isothermally at three different temperatures 40, 80 and 120°C at a CO2 feed pressure of 600kPa. In single aqueous amine solutions, heat of absorption increases with increase in temperature and depends on thetype of amine used. DEEA, a tertiary amine, has lower heat of absorption compared to MAPA being a diamine with primary and secondary amine functional groups. For amine mixtures, heat of absorption is a function of CO2 loading and temperature. The heat of absorption against CO2 loading depends on the composition of the amines in the mixture. All the measured data in this work were compared with 30% MEA at absorption (40°C) and desorption (120°C) conditions

Intelligent Circuits and Systems

ICICS-2020 is the third conference initiated by the School of Electronics and Electrical Engineering at Lovely Professional University that explored recent innovations of researchers working for the development of smart and green technologies in the fields of Energy, Electronics, Communications, Computers, and Control. ICICS provides innovators to identify new opportunities for the social and economic benefits of society.　 This conference bridges the gap between academics and R&D institutions, social visionaries, and experts from all strata of society to present their ongoing research activities and foster research relations between them. It provides opportunities for the exchange of new ideas, applications, and experiences in the field of smart technologies and finding global partners for future collaboration. The ICICS-2020 was conducted in two broad categories, Intelligent Circuits & Intelligent Systems and Emerging Technologies in Electrical Engineering

The HBP1 tumor suppressor is a negative epigenetic regulator of MYCN driven neuroblastoma through interaction with the PRC2 complex

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A longitudinal study of the experiences and psychological well-being of Indian surrogates

Study question: What is the psychological well-being of Indian surrogates during and after the surrogacy pregnancy? Summary answer: Surrogates were similar to a matched group of expectant mothers on anxiety and stress. However, they scored higher on depression during and after pregnancy. What is known already: The recent ban on trans-national commercial surrogacy in India has led to urgent policy discussions regarding surrogacy. Whilst previous studies have reported the motivations and experiences of Indian surrogates no studies have systematically examined the psychological well-being of Indian surrogates, especially from a longitudinal perspective. Previous research has shown that Indian surrogates are motivated by financial payment and may face criticism from their family and community due to negative social stigma attached to surrogacy. Indian surrogates often recruited by agencies and mainly live together in a “surrogacy house.” Study design, size, duration: A longitudinal study was conducted comparing surrogates to a matched group of expectant mothers over two time points: (a) during pregnancy (Phase1: 50 surrogates, 70 expectant mothers) and (b) 4–6 months after delivery (Phase 2: 45 surrogates, 49 expectant mothers). The Surrogates were recruited from a fertility clinic in Mumbai and the matched comparison group was recruited from four public hospitals in Mumbai and Delhi. Data collection was completed over 2 years. Participants/materials, setting, methods: Surrogates and expectant mothers were aged between 23 and 36 years. All participants were from a low socio-economic background and had left school before 12–13 years of age. In-depth faceto-face semi-structured interviews and a psychological questionnaire assessing anxiety, stress and depression were administered in Hindi to both groups. Interviews took place in a private setting. Audio recordings of surrogate interviews were later translated and transcribed into English. Main results and the role of chance: Stress and anxiety levels did not significantly differ between the two groups for both phases of the study. For depression, surrogates were found to be significantly more depressed than expectant mothers at phase 1 (p = 0.012) and phase 2 (p = 0.017). Within the surrogacy group, stress and depression did not change during and after pregnancy. However, a non-significant trend was found showing that anxiety decreased after delivery (p = 0.086). No participants reported being coerced into surrogacy, however nearly all kept it a secret from their wider family and community and hence did not face criticism. Surrogates lived at the surrogate house for different durations. During pregnancy, 66% (N = 33/50) reported their experiences of the surrogate house as positive, 24% (N = 12/50) as negative and 10% (N = 5/50) as neutral. After delivery, most surrogates (66%, N = 30/45) reported their experiences of surrogacy to be positive, with the remainder viewing it as neutral (28%) or negative (4%). In addition, most (66%, N = 30/45) reported that they had felt “socially supported and loved” during the surrogacy arrangement by friends in the surrogate hostel, clinic staff or family. Most surrogates did not meet the intending parents (49%, N = 22/45) or the resultant child (75%, N = 34/45). Limitations, reasons for caution: Since the surrogates were recruited from only one clinic, the findings may not be representative of all Indian surrogates. Some were lost to follow-up which may have produced sampling bias. Wider implications of the findings: This is the first study to examine the psychological well-being of surrogates in India. This research is of relevance to current policy discussions in India regarding legislation on surrogacy. Moreover, the findings are of relevance to clinicians, counselors and other professionals involved in surrogacy. Trial registration number: N/A

Spectral and High Order Methods for Partial Differential Equations ICOSAHOM 2018

This open access book features a selection of high-quality papers from the presentations at the International Conference on Spectral and High-Order Methods 2018, offering an overview of the depth and breadth of the activities within this important research area. The carefully reviewed papers provide a snapshot of the state of the art, while the extensive bibliography helps initiate new research directions

Flourish an Innovation Tomorrowland: The Local Developmental State Model and China’s High-Tech Park

This study investigates the dynamic formation process of varieties of local developmental state models behind China's pursuit of emerging technological innovation at the global frontier. A local developmental state model is characterised by the development state's mobilisation and practice of the industrial policy pursuing economic and various development goals at the local level. The study is motivated by a simple puzzle, thus why do China's three most prominent innovation hubs, Beijing Zhongguancun High-Tech Park, Shanghai Zhangjiang High-Tech Park, and Shenzhen Nanshan High-Tech Park, choose different ways and focus on different technological innovations in the local development of artificial intelligence (AI) and Blockchain industries. This study proposes a new framework for understanding the varieties of local developmental state models by articulating the local state's distinctive industrial policy practice in building the local technological innovation industrial ecosystem. The study focuses on three aspects of the high-tech park's efforts to mobilise and practice industrial policies to foster local AI and Blockchain technological innovation clustering. The first one is the objective setting of industrial policy; the second one is the mechanism of the policymaking process; and the third one is the method of policy implementation. The high-tech park's different policy objective choices, policymaking mechanism, and policy implementation method provide an opportunity to articulate the local developmental state model's dynamic formation and evolution process in the context of China's technological innovation. The main proposition is that the local developmental state needs to balance a series of political and economic factors to form and implement different industrial policies to achieve diverse development goals. In the meantime, the different local development goals are based on a combined calculation of the local state's and central state's interests. Furthermore, this calculation-based development mechanism has shaped the dynamic mobilisation and formation process of the local developmental state's industrial policy. Then different local developmental state models will be observed and formed. The varieties of local developmental state models could be identified and categorised based on three aspects: 1). the prioritised development goals in the policy objective setting, in terms of the economic and political interests at both the local and central state levels; 2). the dynamic power-sharing method in the policymaking process and this aspect regards the dynamic power distribution, the centralisation or decentralisation of the power that the local state delegates to the participants in the process of decision-making; 3). and the level of dependency or autonomy that the local developmental state could exert in the policy implementation, and this point concerns intimately to the local state's reliance on the central or the local state's financial sponsorship, as well as the intervention from the central state's disciplinary inspection and political regulation that the local state faces and experiences. The study proposes three local developmental state models. The framework and theory explore case studies of the three local developmental state models from the lens of three high-tech parks' industrial policy practice in the distinctive local development of AI and Blockchain techno industries and industrial innovation. The first model is the bureaucratic local developmental state model by Zhongguancun High-Tech Park in Beijing. The political interests of the central state are prioritised in the setting of the local state's policy objective. Moreover, a highly centralised policymaking method is deployed by the local state under the central state's centralised policy order and political power influence. Meanwhile, a high level of dependency could be observed in the policy implementation by the local state, and the local state is dependent on the central state's financial sponsorship and under constant disciplinary inspection and heavy political regulation. In the empirical studies, Zhongguancun chooses the Digital Governance industry as the way to develop AI and Blockchain technologies, political interests in political stability and national security are prioritised by Zhongguancun under the order of the central state, and policymaking power is centralised by the participants trusted by the central state, the high-tech park's administration committee. Meanwhile, the policy implementation of Zhongguancun relies on the financial sponsorship of the central state's sovereign fund. It must endure constant party disciplinary inspection directly from the central state. The second mode is the hybrid local developmental state model that Zhangjiang High-Tech Park in Shanghai represents. A combination of political and economic interests of both the central and the local state are prioritised in the setting of policy objectives. And a method mixing centralisation with decentralisation is deployed in the policymaking by the local state under the power delegation by the central state. Meanwhile, a mixture of dependency and autonomy is reflected in the local state's policy implementation under a dynamic trade and negotiation with the central state. In the empirical studies, Zhangjiang chooses the Digital Currency industry as the path to progress in AI and Blockchain technologies, a combination of the central state's political interests (political stability and national security) and the local state's economic interests (economic growth and profit generation) are highlighted by Zhangjiang. Regarding the political interests of the central state, the Zhangjiang high-tech park's administration committee, as the delegate of the central state, uses centralised control in the policymaking process. When it comes to the economic interests of the local state, Zhangjiang's administration committee shares power with the managing group of the high-tech park in the policymaking process. However, when a combination of political and economic interests co-exists, cooperation and competition would coincide regarding power-sharing and distribution in the policymaking process. Meanwhile, the policy implementation of Zhangjiang relies on the financial sponsorship of both the central state's sovereign fund and the local state's industrial innovation fund. Moreover, the central-level party disciplinary inspection team will come to Zhangjiang when the policy implementation concerns the core political interests of the central state, and when it comes to the common economic interests pursued by the local state, Zhangjiang and Shanghai's local-level party disciplinary inspection team will take charge of the policy implementation. The third model is the entrepreneurial local developmental state model represented by Nanshan High-Tech Park in Shenzhen. The economic interests of the local state are prioritised in the setting of the local state's policy objective. The local state conducts a highly decentralised policymaking method under the authorisation and empowerment of the central state. Meanwhile, a high level of autonomy could be characterised by the policy implementation by the local state. And the local state relies on its financial resources and does not receive constant interruption from the heavy disciplinary inspection and political regulation by the central state. In the empirical studies, Nanshan chooses the Internet of Things (IoT) related intelligent manufacturing industry as the channel to foster AI and Blockchain technologies, economic interests in economic growth, profit generation, market efficiency, innovation capability, market competition and open innovation are prioritised by Nanshan. A decentralisation and inclusive participation method could be noticed in Nanshan's policymaking process. It aims to bring more participants and stakeholders with diverse backgrounds into the collective efforts incubating an entrepreneurship-friendly, market-confronting, innovation-inclusive, and technology-encouraging ecosystem. Meanwhile, the policy implementation of Nanshan relies on its profound financial resources coming from both the local state and the open domestic market in Shenzhen and China. The local Nanshan and Shenzhen party disciplinary inspection team take charge of Nanshan's daily development rather than the central state's inspection team. Furthermore, the local inspection team usually shows up to implement significant economic or technological innovation projects related to core political interests, especially national security. While at the same time, it is also the time when Beijing sends down the central inspection team to Nanshan; for example, the central state's inspection team will come to Nanshan and order the local Nanshan and Shenzhen's team to investigate the policy implementation of the IoT intelligent manufacturing related to semiconductor chips, when face with the stringent tech sanctions and blockade against China by the U.S. As well as when the development of Nanshan and Shenzhen's Blockchain-based cryptocurrency industry threatened financial, social, and political stability.The study also sheds light on China's Blockchain start-up clustering in Zhongguancun, Zhangjiang, and Nanshan to examine the formation and future evolution of the local developmental state model from a perspective of entrepreneurial development. The analysis discusses a growing trend in China's technological innovation ecosystem pursuing political stability and national security through achieving breakthroughs in emerging technologies and cutting-edge innovation. Moreover, the research also analyses whether China's local developmental state model, in the context of technological innovation, will increasingly tend to converge with a model pursuing political stability and national security. This study contributes to discussing the developmental state and developmental state models. By articulating the dynamic formation process of the local developmental state models in the context of China's emerging technological innovation, the study offers an alternative view and new exploration to understand the varieties of local developmental state models through the lens of the local state's industrial policy practice. This study speaks with the developmental state's transformation towards tech innovation industrialisation, an open global market and an international environment, as they are essential in the contemporary developmental state context. Meanwhile, the study also engages with the debate on the diffusion and transferability of the local developmental state model

SPICA:revealing the hearts of galaxies and forming planetary systems : approach and US contributions

How did the diversity of galaxies we see in the modern Universe come to be? When and where did stars within them forge the heavy elements that give rise to the complex chemistry of life? How do planetary systems, the Universe's home for life, emerge from interstellar material? Answering these questions requires techniques that penetrate dust to reveal the detailed contents and processes in obscured regions. The ESA-JAXA Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA) mission is designed for this, with a focus on sensitive spectroscopy in the 12 to 230 micron range. SPICA offers massive sensitivity improvements with its 2.5-meter primary mirror actively cooled to below 8 K. SPICA one of 3 candidates for the ESA's Cosmic Visions M5 mission, and JAXA has is committed to their portion of the collaboration. ESA will provide the silicon-carbide telescope, science instrument assembly, satellite integration and testing, and the spacecraft bus. JAXA will provide the passive and active cooling system (supporting the

The Apertif Surveys:The First Six Months

Apertif is a new phased-array feed for the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT), greatly increasing its field of view and turning it into a natural survey instrument. In July 2019, the Apertif legacy surveys commenced; these are a time-domain survey and a two-tiered imaging survey, with a shallow and medium-deep component. The time-domain survey searches for new (millisecond) pulsars and fast radio bursts (FRBs). The imaging surveys provide neutral hydrogen (HI), radio continuum and polarization data products. With a bandwidth of 300 MHz, Apertif can detect HI out to a redshift of 0.26. The key science goals to be accomplished by Apertif include localization of FRBs (including real-time public alerts), the role of environment and interaction on galaxy properties and gas removal, finding the smallest galaxies, connecting cold gas to AGN, understanding the faint radio population, and studying magnetic fields in galaxies. After a proprietary period, survey data products will be publicly available through the Apertif Long Term Archive (ALTA, https://alta.astron.nl). I will review the progress of the surveys and present the first results from the Apertif surveys, including highlighting the currently available public data