On-Site Calibration-Based Estimation Method of Forward Seabed Elevation Using Forward Scan Sonar

This paper addresses a novel calibration-based estimation method to measure the forward seabed elevation (FSE) where an area illuminated by forward scan sonar (FSS) for unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). The conventional method measures the FSE using one or two down-facing single-beam sonars; this method can, however, cause errors. In order to accurately measure the FSE, a sensor capable of measuring the 2D space of the seabed is needed, such as FSS. The method proposed in this work consists in estimating the FSE, by analyzing the acoustic beam distribution characteristics of FSS. A novel FSS beam distribution model is proposed, which simplifies beam distribution characteristics. Then, on-site calibration is conducted to estimate the parameters of this model. Based on the estimated model, templates can he generated and compared with FSS data acquired at the experiment in order to estimate geometrical information at the FSE. The FSE of the best matched template is the estimated FSE of the FSS data acquired in the experiment. In order to verify the performance of the proposed method, experiments using an UUV were carried out in an indoor water tank. We also verified that the proposed method performed well even when there were objects on the seabed.11Nsciescopu

TGFβ/BMP immune signaling affects abundance and function of C. elegans gut commensals.

The gut microbiota contributes to host health and fitness, and imbalances in its composition are associated with pathology. However, what shapes microbiota composition is not clear, in particular the role of genetic factors. Previous work in Caenorhabditis elegans defined a characteristic worm gut microbiota significantly influenced by host genetics. The current work explores the role of central regulators of host immunity and stress resistance, employing qPCR and CFU counts to measure abundance of core microbiota taxa in mutants raised on synthetic communities of previously-isolated worm gut commensals. This revealed a bloom, specifically of Enterobacter species, in immune-compromised TGFβ/BMP mutants. Imaging of fluorescently labeled Enterobacter showed that TGFβ/BMP-exerted control operated primarily in the anterior gut and depended on multi-tissue contributions. Enterobacter commensals are common in the worm gut, contributing to infection resistance. However, disruption of TGFβ/BMP signaling turned a normally beneficial Enterobacter commensal to pathogenic. These results demonstrate specificity in gene-microbe interactions underlying gut microbial homeostasis and highlight the pathogenic potential of their disruption

Transcriptomic Analysis of High Fat Diet Fed Mouse Brain Cortex

High fat diet can lead to metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes known to be chronic inflammatory diseases with high prevalence worldwide. Recent studies have reported cognitive dysfunction in obese patients is caused by a high fat diet. Accordingly, such dysfunction is called “type 3 diabetes” or “diabetic dementia.” Although dysregulation of protein-coding genes has been extensively studied, profiling of non-coding RNAs including long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) has not been reported yet. Therefore, the objective of this study was to obtain profiles of diverse RNAs and determine their patterns of alteration in high fat fed brain cortex compared to normal brain cortex. To investigate regulatory roles of both coding and non-coding RNAs in high fat diet brain, we performed RNA sequencing of ribosomal RNA-depleted RNAs and identified genome-wide lncRNAs and circRNAs expression and co-expression patterns of mRNAs in high fat diet mouse brain cortex. Our results showed expression levels of mRNAs related to neurogenesis, synapse, and calcium signaling were highly changed in high fat diet fed cortex. In addition, numerous differentially expressed lncRNAs and circRNAs were identified. Our study provides valuable expression profiles and potential function of both coding and non-coding RNAs in high fat diet fed brain cortex

The effect of preoperative ureteral stenting in retrograde Intrarenal surgery: a multicenter, propensity score-matched study

Background Stent placement before retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) can theoretically expand the ureter to improve access and remove stones. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of preoperative ureteral stenting on access and surgery. Methods We retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent RIRS between January 2010 and December 2016 at multiple centers. The patients were divided into two groups based on whether or not a ureteral stent was inserted preoperatively. The characteristics of the stone (size, number, density, and location), the success rate of the access sheath placement, perioperative complications, operative times, hospitalization periods, the period for which the stents remained, postoperative urinary tract infection rates, stone-free rates, and additional treatment rates were analyzed. Results Overall, 727 patients were included in the study (113 were pre-stented and 614 were non-stented). The median stone size was 12.2 mm. The overall stone-free rate (SFR) was 85.8% for the pre-stented group and 83.2% for the non-stented group, showing no significant (p = 0.498) difference between the two groups. Preoperative ureteral stenting improved the success rate of sheath placement (93.8% vs. 85.3%, p = 0.023) during surgery. The access sheath size in participants in the pre-stented group showed a tendency to be larger than that in participants in the non-stented group. However, there were no differences in perioperative complications, operative times, additional treatment rates, and stone-free rates. Conclusions Although preoperative ureteral stenting did not affect operative outcomes, it increased the success rate of access sheath placement. Depending on the patients characteristics, preoperative ureteral stenting can be considered as an adjunctive option when access sheath insertion is considered during RIRS

Influence of anesthesia methods on surgical outcomes and renal function in retrograde intrarenal stone surgery: a prospective, randomized controlled study

Background We analyzed the influence of anesthesia methods on surgical outcomes and renal function in retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) in a prospective, randomized controlled study. Methods Seventy patients who underwent RIRS from September 2015 to February 2017 were randomly allocated to general anesthesia (GA) or spinal anesthesia (SA) groups. Renal function was assessed using estimated glomerular filtration rate, and separate renal function was evaluated using nuclear medicine tests. Maneuverability and accessibility were evaluated after every surgery. All procedures were performed by a single experienced surgeon (SY Cho). Results Stone-free rate was higher in the GA (92.3%, 36 of 39) than the SA (71.0%, 22 of 31) (P = 0.019) group. Pain score was higher in the GA than in the SA group on the first postoperative morning (P = 0.025), but pain scores of the two groups were similar before discharge (P = 0.560). There were no differences in the changes of serum creatinine level (P = 0.792) and changes of estimated glomerular filtration rate (P = 0.807). Differences of separate renal function between operative and contralateral site increased significantly in patients under GA than under SA at postoperative 3 months (P = 0.014). Maneuverability and accessibility were better in SA with sedation than GA (P < 0.001). Conclusions RIRS under SA showed advantages in renal function change using renogram at postoperative 3 months and in lower pain score on the first postoperative morning. Performance of operator under SA was worse than that under GA and significantly improved with sedation. RIRS under SA showed advantages in lower pain score at postoperative first day. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov ID is NCT03957109, and registration date is 17th May 2019. This study was retrospectively registered.This study was supported by grant no. 04–2015-0680 from the SNUH Research Fund

HIGH CROSSOVER RATE1 encodes PROTEIN PHOSPHATASE X1 and restricts meiotic crossovers in Arabidopsis.

Meiotic crossovers are tightly restricted in most eukaryotes, despite an excess of initiating DNA double-strand breaks. The majority of plant crossovers are dependent on class I interfering repair, with a minority formed via the class II pathway. Class II repair is limited by anti-recombination pathways; however, similar pathways repressing class I crossovers have not been identified. Here, we performed a forward genetic screen in Arabidopsis using fluorescent crossover reporters to identify mutants with increased or decreased recombination frequency. We identified HIGH CROSSOVER RATE1 (HCR1) as repressing crossovers and encoding PROTEIN PHOSPHATASE X1. Genome-wide analysis showed that hcr1 crossovers are increased in the distal chromosome arms. MLH1 foci significantly increase in hcr1 and crossover interference decreases, demonstrating an effect on class I repair. Consistently, yeast two-hybrid and in planta assays show interaction between HCR1 and class I proteins, including HEI10, PTD, MSH5 and MLH1. We propose that HCR1 plays a major role in opposition to pro-recombination kinases to restrict crossovers in Arabidopsis.Marie Curie International Training Network COMREC European Research Council (ERC) National Research Foundation of Korea Suh Kyungbae Foundatio

Structural basis for potency differences between GDF8 and GDF11.

BACKGROUND: Growth/differentiation factor 8 (GDF8) and GDF11 are two highly similar members of the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) family. While GDF8 has been recognized as a negative regulator of muscle growth and differentiation, there are conflicting studies on the function of GDF11 and whether GDF11 has beneficial effects on age-related dysfunction. To address whether GDF8 and GDF11 are functionally identical, we compared their signaling and structural properties. RESULTS: Here we show that, despite their high similarity, GDF11 is a more potent activator of SMAD2/3 and signals more effectively through the type I activin-like receptor kinase receptors ALK4/5/7 than GDF8. Resolution of the GDF11:FS288 complex, apo-GDF8, and apo-GDF11 crystal structures reveals unique properties of both ligands, specifically in the type I receptor binding site. Lastly, substitution of GDF11 residues into GDF8 confers enhanced activity to GDF8. CONCLUSIONS: These studies identify distinctive structural features of GDF11 that enhance its potency, relative to GDF8; however, the biological consequences of these differences remain to be determined

Nucleosomes and DNA methylation shape meiotic DSB frequency in Arabidopsis thaliana transposons and gene regulatory regions.

Meiotic recombination initiates from DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) generated by SPO11 topoisomerase-like complexes. Meiotic DSB frequency varies extensively along eukaryotic chromosomes, with hotspots controlled by chromatin and DNA sequence. To map meiotic DSBs throughout a plant genome, we purified and sequenced Arabidopsis thaliana SPO11-1-oligonucleotides. SPO11-1-oligos are elevated in gene promoters, terminators, and introns, which is driven by AT-sequence richness that excludes nucleosomes and allows SPO11-1 access. A positive relationship was observed between SPO11-1-oligos and crossovers genome-wide, although fine-scale correlations were weaker. This may reflect the influence of interhomolog polymorphism on crossover formation, downstream from DSB formation. Although H3K4me3 is enriched in proximity to SPO11-1-oligo hotspots at gene 5' ends, H3K4me3 levels do not correlate with DSBs. Repetitive transposons are thought to be recombination silenced during meiosis, to prevent nonallelic interactions and genome instability. Unexpectedly, we found high SPO11-1-oligo levels in nucleosome-depleted Helitron/Pogo/Tc1/Mariner DNA transposons, whereas retrotransposons were coldspots. High SPO11-1-oligo transposons are enriched within gene regulatory regions and in proximity to immunity genes, suggesting a role as recombination enhancers. As transposon mobility in plant genomes is restricted by DNA methylation, we used the met1 DNA methyltransferase mutant to investigate the role of heterochromatin in SPO11-1-oligo distributions. Epigenetic activation of meiotic DSBs in proximity to centromeres and transposons occurred in met1 mutants, coincident with reduced nucleosome occupancy, gain of transcription, and H3K4me3. Together, our work reveals a complex relationship between chromatin and meiotic DSBs within A. thaliana genes and transposons, with significance for the diversity and evolution of plant genomes

The United States COVID-19 Forecast Hub dataset

Academic researchers, government agencies, industry groups, and individuals have produced forecasts at an unprecedented scale during the COVID-19 pandemic. To leverage these forecasts, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) partnered with an academic research lab at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to create the US COVID-19 Forecast Hub. Launched in April 2020, the Forecast Hub is a dataset with point and probabilistic forecasts of incident cases, incident hospitalizations, incident deaths, and cumulative deaths due to COVID-19 at county, state, and national, levels in the United States. Included forecasts represent a variety of modeling approaches, data sources, and assumptions regarding the spread of COVID-19. The goal of this dataset is to establish a standardized and comparable set of short-term forecasts from modeling teams. These data can be used to develop ensemble models, communicate forecasts to the public, create visualizations, compare models, and inform policies regarding COVID-19 mitigation. These open-source data are available via download from GitHub, through an online API, and through R packages