The Role of Different Kinds of Outbound Open Innovation on Enterprise Innovation Performance with Mediating Role of Structural Hole

With the improvement of enterprise innovation ability, enterprises have accumulated a large number of innovation achievements. The transformation and utilization of these innovation achievements have become a problem that enterprises have to face. Therefore, outbound open innovation has gradually become the focus of enterprise practice and academic research. Based on the social exchange theory, this paper regards two different forms of outbound OI (FR and SA) as a process of social exchange and illustrates how they affect the innovation performance of enterprises by influencing the structure of their innovation networks. Using data from 196 firms in the Chinese market, this study empirically examines the impact of FR and SA on innovation performance and further examines the mediating effect of structural holes. The study found that FR has a significant positive impact on enterprise innovation performance, and the number of structural holes occupied by enterprises plays a mediating role. While the impact of SA on enterprise innovation performance is not significant, this is because SA will reduce the number of structural holes occupied by enterprises, which is an important source of enterprise’s innovation

CNN-Based Hand Grasping Prediction and Control via Postural Synergy Basis Extraction

The prediction of hand grasping and control of a robotic manipulator for hand activity training is of great significance to assist stroke patients to recover their biomechanical functions. However, the human hand and the figure joints have multiple degrees of freedom; therefore, it is complex to process and analyze all the collected data in hand modeling. To simplify the description of grasping activities, it is necessary to extract and decompose the principal components of hand actions. In this paper, the relationships among hand grasping actions are explored by extracting the postural synergy basis of hand motions, aiming to simplify hand grasping actions and reduce the data dimensions for robot control. A convolutional neural network (CNN)-based hand activity prediction method is proposed, which utilizes motion data to estimate hand grasping actions. The prediction results were then used to control a stimulated robotic model according to the extracted postural synergy basis. The prediction accuracy of the proposed method for the selected hand motions could reach up to 94% and the robotic model could be operated naturally based on patient’s movement intention, so as to complete grasping tasks and achieve active rehabilitation

Transcriptome profiling of the gonad during sex differentiation in hermaphroditic brown-marbled grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus)

Sex differentiation is an intricate process regulated by a complicatedly organized network especially in hermaphroditic fish. The brown-marbled grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus) is a protogynous hermaphroditic fish, however, the regulatory mechanism of its sex differentiation is still unclear. In present study, transcriptome sequencing of the gonads at 117 dph and 259 dph was performed to explore the molecular mechanism underlying sex differentiation. A total of 37,434,906,973 clean reads were generated from six cDNA libraries. QPCR results of 12 genes related to sex differentiation indicated the reliability of transcriptome data. RNA-seq data showed that the genes in retinoic acid signal pathway participate in the early stage of sex differentiation. When the oocyte was observed in histology, the germ cell had finished the preparation of first meiosis with high expression of many meiosis-related genes, including sycp1, sycp3, mlh3, crem, spo11, msh5, and rec8. The germ cells in 259 dph gonad were classified into six stages by their histological morphology. Besides, male-related genes, gsdf, sox9, dmrt1, and dmrt3, might play roles in sex differentiation. Our study, for the first time, investigated the transcriptome from brown-marbled grouper, and identified functional genes, GO terms, and KEGG pathways involved in sex differentiation. These data will contribute to future studies on the molecular mechanism of sex differentiation in teleost

Pou5f1 and Nanog Are Reliable Germ Cell-Specific Genes in Gonad of a Protogynous Hermaphroditic Fish, Orange-Spotted Grouper (Epinephelus coioides)

Pluripotency markers Pou5f1 and Nanog are core transcription factors regulating early embryonic development and maintaining the pluripotency and self-renewal of stem cells. Pou5f1 and Nanog also play important roles in germ cell development and gametogenesis. In this study, Pou5f1 (EcPou5f1) and Nanog (EcNanog) were cloned from orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides. The full-length cDNAs of EcPou5f1 and EcNanog were 2790 and 1820 bp, and encoded 475 and 432 amino acids, respectively. EcPou5f1 exhibited a specific expression in gonads, whereas EcNanog was expressed highly in gonads and weakly in some somatic tissues. In situ hybridization analyses showed that the mRNA signals of EcNanog and EcPou5f1 were exclusively restricted to germ cells in gonads. Likewise, immunohistofluorescence staining revealed that EcNanog protein was limited to germ cells. Moreover, both EcPou5f1 and EcNanog mRNAs were discovered to be co-localized with Vasa mRNA, a well-known germ cell maker, in male and female germ cells. These results implied that EcPou5f1 and EcNanog could be also regarded as reliable germ cell marker genes. Therefore, the findings of this study would pave the way for elucidating the mechanism whereby EcPou5f1 and EcNanog regulate germ cell development and gametogenesis in grouper fish, and even in other protogynous hermaphroditic species

Single-Cell Atlas of Adult Testis in Protogynous Hermaphroditic Orange-Spotted Grouper, Epinephelus coioides

Spermatogenesis is a process of self-renewal and differentiation in spermatogonial stem cells. During this process, germ cells and somatic cells interact intricately to ensure long-term fertility and accurate genome propagation. Spermatogenesis has been intensely investigated in mammals but remains poorly understood with regard to teleosts. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing of ~9500 testicular cells from the male, orange-spotted grouper. In the adult testis, we divided the cells into nine clusters and defined ten cell types, as compared with human testis data, including cell populations with characteristics of male germ cells and somatic cells, each of which expressed specific marker genes. We also identified and profiled the expression patterns of four marker genes (calr, eef1a, s100a1, vasa) in both the ovary and adult testis. Our data provide a blueprint of male germ cells and supporting somatic cells. Moreover, the cell markers are candidates that could be used for further cell identification

Establishment of a Spermatogonial Stem Cell Line with Potential of Meiosis in a Hermaphroditic Fish, <i>Epinephelus coioides</i>

Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are unique adult stem cells capable of self-renewal and differentiation into sperm. Grouper is a protogynous hermaphroditic fish farmed widely in the tropical and subtropical seas. In this study, we established an SSC line derived from adult testis of orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides. In the presence of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), the cells could be maintained with proliferation and self-renewal over 20 months and 120 passages under in vitro culture conditions. The cells exhibited strong alkaline phosphatase activity and the characteristics of SSCs with the expression of germ cell markers, including Vasa, Dazl, and Plzf, as well as the stem cell markers Nanog, Oct4, and Ssea1. Furthermore, the cultured cells could be induced by 11-ketotestosterone treatment to highly express the meiotic markers Rec8, Sycp3, and Dmc1, and produce some spherical cells, and even sperm-like cells with a tail. The findings of this study suggested that the cultured grouper SSC line would serve as an excellent tool to study the molecular mechanisms behind SSCs self-renewal and differentiation, meiosis during spermatogenesis, and sex reversal in hermaphroditic vertebrates. Moreover, this SSC line has great application value in grouper fish aquaculture, such as germ cell transplantation, genetic manipulation, and disease research

Column Penetration and Diffusion Mechanism of Bingham Fluid Considering Displacement Effect

The diffusion progress of grout is hindered by groundwater, which means the diffusion distance cannot reach the designed values required in engineering for water plugging or reinforcement. In this study, based on the generalized Darcy’s law and the continuity equation of steady column penetration, a column diffusion mechanism for Bingham fluid, considering the displacement effect of grout on groundwater, is proposed. This diffusion mechanism is then validated by the penetration grouting experiments that have been previously performed. The influences of the grouting pressure, groundwater pressure, water–cement ratio and penetration coefficient of porous media on the diffusion radius are analyzed. Based on the Comsol Multiphysics platform, a three-dimensional numerical simulation program for this mechanism is developed using computer programming technology. Numerical simulations of the penetration and diffusion morphology of Bingham cement grout in porous media are then carried out. The results show that the theoretical calculation values of diffusion radius obtained from this mechanism are closer to the experimental values than those obtained from the column penetration grouting theory of Bingham fluid, without considering the displacement effect. The results of this study can provide theoretical support for practical grouting engineering

Table_1_Detection of consensus genomic regions and candidate genes for quality traits in barley using QTL meta-analysis.xlsx

Improving barley grain quality is a major goal in barley breeding. In this study, a total of 35 papers focusing on quantitative trait loci (QTLs) mapping for barley quality traits published since 2000 were collected. Among the 454 QTLs identified in these studies, 349 of them were mapped onto high-density consensus maps, which were used for QTL meta-analysis. Through QTL meta-analysis, the initial QTLs were integrated into 41 meta-QTLs (MQTLs) with an average confidence interval (CI) of 1. 66 cM, which is 88.9% narrower than that of the initial QTLs. Among the 41 identified MQTLs, 25 were subsequently validated in publications using genome-wide association study (GWAS). From these 25 validated MQTLs, ten breeder’s MQTLs were selected. Synteny analysis comparing barley and wheat MQTLs revealed orthologous relationships between eight breeder’s MQTLs and 45 wheat MQTLs. Additionally, 17 barley homologs associated with rice quality traits were identified within the regions of the breeder’s MQTLs through comparative analysis. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for molecular marker-assisted breeding and the identification of candidate genes related to quality traits in barley.</p

DataSheet_1_Detection of consensus genomic regions and candidate genes for quality traits in barley using QTL meta-analysis.docx

Improving barley grain quality is a major goal in barley breeding. In this study, a total of 35 papers focusing on quantitative trait loci (QTLs) mapping for barley quality traits published since 2000 were collected. Among the 454 QTLs identified in these studies, 349 of them were mapped onto high-density consensus maps, which were used for QTL meta-analysis. Through QTL meta-analysis, the initial QTLs were integrated into 41 meta-QTLs (MQTLs) with an average confidence interval (CI) of 1. 66 cM, which is 88.9% narrower than that of the initial QTLs. Among the 41 identified MQTLs, 25 were subsequently validated in publications using genome-wide association study (GWAS). From these 25 validated MQTLs, ten breeder’s MQTLs were selected. Synteny analysis comparing barley and wheat MQTLs revealed orthologous relationships between eight breeder’s MQTLs and 45 wheat MQTLs. Additionally, 17 barley homologs associated with rice quality traits were identified within the regions of the breeder’s MQTLs through comparative analysis. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for molecular marker-assisted breeding and the identification of candidate genes related to quality traits in barley.</p

Automatic segmentation of hemispheric CSF on MRI using deep learning: Quantifying cerebral edema following large hemispheric infarction

Background and objective: Cerebral edema (CED) is a serious complication of acute ischemic stroke (AIS), especially in patients with large hemispheric infarction (LHI). Herein, a deep learning-based approach is implemented to extract CSF from T2-Weighted Imaging (T2WI) and evaluate the relationship between quantified cerebrospinal fluid and outcomes. Methods: Patients with acute LHI who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were included. We used a deep learning algorithm to segment the CSF from T2WI. The hemispheric CSF ratio was calculated to evaluate its relationship with the degree of brain edema and prognosis in patients with LHI. Results: For the 93 included patients, the left and right cerebrospinal fluid regions were automatically extracted with a mean Dice similarity coefficient of 0.830. Receiver operating characteristic analysis indicated that hemispheric CSF ratio was an accurate marker for qualitative severe cerebral edema (area under receiver-operating-characteristic curve 0.867 [95% CI, 0.781–0.929]). Multivariate logistic regression analysis of functional prognosis showed that previous stroke (OR = 5.229, 95% CI 1.013–26.984), ASPECT≤6 (OR = 13.208, 95% CI 1.136–153.540) and low hemispheric CSF ratio (OR = 0.966, 95% CI 0.937–0.997) were significantly associated with higher chances for unfavorable functional outcome in patients with LHI. Conclusions: Automated assessment of CSF volume provides an objective biomarker of cerebral edema that can be leveraged to quantify the degree of cerebral edema and confirm its predictive effect on outcomes after LHI