Normalization of large-scale behavioural data collected from zebrafish

Many contemporary neuroscience experiments utilize high-throughput approaches to simultaneously collect behavioural data from many animals. The resulting data are often complex in structure and are subjected to systematic biases, which require new approaches for analysis and normalization. This study addressed the normalization need by establishing an approach based on linear-regression modeling. The model was established using a dataset of visual motor response (VMR) obtained from several strains of wild-type (WT) zebrafish collected at multiple stages of development. The VMR is a locomotor response triggered by drastic light change, and is commonly measured repeatedly from multiple larvae arrayed in 96-well plates. This assay is subjected to several systematic variations. For example, the light emitted by the machine varies slightly from well to well. In addition to the light-intensity variation, biological replication also created batch-batch variation. These systematic variations may result in differences in the VMR and must be normalized. Our normalization approach explicitly modeled the effect of these systematic variations on VMR. It also normalized the activity profiles of different conditions to a common baseline. Our approach is versatile, as it can incorporate different normalization needs as separate factors. The versatility was demonstrated by an integrated normalization of three factors: light-intensity variation, batch-batch variation and baseline. After normalization, new biological insights were revealed from the data. For example, we found larvae of TL strain at 6 days post-fertilization (dpf) responded to light onset much stronger than the 9-dpf larvae, whereas previous analysis without normalization shows that their responses were relatively comparable. By removing systematic variations, our model-based normalization can facilitate downstream statistical comparisons and aid detecting true biological differences in high-throughput studies of neurobehaviour

A national cross-sectional study on the influencing factors of low HPV vaccination coverage in mainland China

BackgroundHPV vaccine can block the infection of high-risk human papillomavirus and is an important measure to effectively reduce the incidence of cervical cancer and precancerous lesions. However, the HPV vaccination rate is still low in China. There are many factors. Therefore, it is important to study the influencing factors to provide basis for promoting the formulation of vaccination strategies.MethodsThis study used a multi-stage sampling method to conduct a face-to-face questionnaire survey on women in different regions of China. The new general self-efficacy scale was used to measure the self-efficacy of the respondents. The short form of family health scale measured their family health. The t-test and binary Logistic regression analysis were used to screen the influencing factors of HPV vaccination. Restricted cubic spline model was used to analyze the influence trend of self-efficacy and family health on HPV vaccination rate.Results(1) The HPV vaccination rate was low, especially in the ≤18 group. The place of residence, capita household income/month, individual self-efficacy and family health had a significant impact on HPV vaccination. (2) The restricted cubic spline model showed that self-efficacy positively promoted HPV vaccination, the correlation strength was statistically significant (χ2 =27.64, P<0.001) and non-linear (χ2 = 12.49, P = 0.0004); The poor family health hindered HPV vaccination, and the association strength was statistically significant (χ2 = 47.81, P < 0.001) and non-linear (χ2 = 9.96, P = 0.0016).ConclusionIt is necessary to strengthen the health education of HPV vaccination knowledge in the population to eliminate the hesitancy of vaccination. Free HPV vaccination strategies should be developed and encourage people of appropriate age to receive as early as possible. Self-efficacy and family health should be enhanced to increase HPV vaccination rate, so as to achieve the goal of reducing the incidence of cervical cancer and protecting women's health

Application of Oligosaccharides to Induce Innate Immunity in Plants

Plants have innate immune systems and protective mechanisms to resist the attack of pathogenic microorganisms. Unlike mammals, they lack mobile defensive cells and therefore rely on autonomous cell events for protection. These cells have a wide range of recognition capabilities for detecting pathogens, thus filling the gap of the adaptive immune system. These protective mechanisms will remain inactive or latent until they are activated after exposure to inducers or application of stimuli. Only after they are affected by pathogens or the same elicitors do they begin to show an active state. The role of oligosaccharides in plant immunity is gradually attracting widespread attention. Therefore, this paper summarizes the functions of oligosaccharides related to plant immunity and provides examples of induced defense events. The recognition of sugar molecules as signal molecules in plants has also been proposed. In this review, we focus on the development andapplication of oligosaccharides in plant immunity and their potential value in agricultural field

Drug screening with zebrafish visual behavior identifies carvedilol as a potential treatment for an autosomal dominant form of retinitis pigmentosa

Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is a mostly incurable inherited retinal degeneration affecting approximately 1 in 4000 individuals globally. The goal of this work was to identify drugs that can help patients suffering from the disease. To accomplish this, we screened drugs on a zebrafish autosomal dominant RP model. This model expresses a truncated human rhodopsin transgene (Q344X) causing significant rod degeneration by 7 days post-fertilization (dpf). Consequently, the larvae displayed a deficit in visual motor response (VMR) under scotopic condition. The diminished VMR was leveraged to screen an ENZO SCREEN-WELL REDOX library since oxidative stress is postulated to play a role in RP progression. Our screening identified a beta-blocker, carvedilol, that ameliorated the deficient VMR of the RP larvae and increased their rod number. Carvedilol may directly on rods as it affected the adrenergic pathway in the photoreceptor-like human Y79 cell line. Since carvedilol is an FDA-approved drug, our findings suggest that carvedilol can potentially be repurposed to treat autosomal dominant RP patients

An Improved Approach for Robust MPC Tuning Based on Machine Learning

A robust tuning method based on an artificial neural network for model predictive control (MPC) of industrial systems with parametric uncertainties is put forward in this work. Firstly, an efficient approach to characterize the mapping relationship between the controller parameters and the robust performance indices is established. As there are normally multiple conflicted robust performance indices to be considered in MPC tuning, the neural network is further used to fuse the indices to produce a simple label representing the acceptable level of the robust performance. Finally, an automated algorithm is proposed to tune the MPC parameters for the considered uncertain system to achieve the desired robust performance. In addition, the regulation of the pH value of the sewage treatment system is used to verify the effectiveness of the robust tuning algorithm which is described in this paper

Wnt signaling: Essential roles in osteoblast differentiation, bone metabolism and therapeutic implications for bone and skeletal disorders

Wnt signaling executes an indispensable performance in osteoblast differentiation, bone development, homeostasis, and remodeling. Wnt signals trigger the intracellular Wnt signaling cascade to initiate regulating the implication of β-catenin in the bone environment. Going through the novel discoveries done via high-throughput sequencing technologies on genetic mouse models, we highlighted the significant contribution of Wnt ligands, co-receptors, inhibitors, their related skeletal phenotypes in mouse models and the similar bone disorders clinically observed in human beings. Moreover, the crosstalk between Wnt signaling pathway and BMP, TGF-β, FGF, Hippo, Hedgehog, Notch and PDGF signaling pathways is thoroughly demonstrated to be the underlying gene regulatory network that orchestrates osteoblast differentiation and bone development. We also introspected the significance of Wnt signaling transduction in the reorganization of cellular metabolism by stimulating glycolysis, glutamine catabolism, and fatty acid oxidation in osteoblast-lineage cells that display an important regulatory arbor in the cellular bioenergetics of the bone. Throughout this evaluation, most to date therapeutical approaches towards osteoporosis and other bone maladies found in human beings, are formulated with an aspiration to holistically revamp the present clinical applications involving various monoclonal antibodies therapies that lack specificity, efficacy, and safety into more requisite advanced therapeutics that satisfy these three requirements for further clinical considerations. Conclusively, our review provides comprehensive scientific findings related to the fundamental significance of Wnt signaling cascades in skeletal system and the underlying gene regulatory network with other signaling pathways enlightening researchers with the possibility to further integrate the identified target molecules into therapeutic strategies for skeletal disorders treatment in the clinic

Whole-genome sequence and annotation of Penstemon davidsonii.

Penstemon is the most speciose flowering plant genus endemic to North America. Penstemon species diverse morphology and adaptation to various environments have made them a valuable model system for studying evolution. Here, we report the first full reference genome assembly and annotation for Penstemon davidsonii. Using PacBio long-read sequencing and Hi-C scaffolding technology, we constructed a de novo reference genome of 437,568,744 bases, with a contig N50 of 40 Mb and L50 of 5. The annotation includes 18,199 gene models, and both the genome and transcriptome assembly contain over 95% complete eudicot BUSCOs. This genome assembly will serve as a valuable reference for studying the evolutionary history and genetic diversity of the Penstemon genus

Whole genome sequence and annotation of Penstemon davidsonii

<p><em><span>Penstemon</span></em><span> is the most speciose flowering plant genus endemic to North America. <em>Penstemon</em> species' diverse morphology and adaptation to various environments have made them a valuable model system for studying evolution, but the absence of publicly available reference genomes limits possible research directions. Here we report the first reference genome assembly and annotation for <em>Penstemon</em> <em>davidsonii</em>. Using PacBio long-read sequencing and Hi-C scaffolding technology, we constructed a de novo reference genome of 437,568,744 bases, with a contig N50 of 40 Mb and L50 of 5. The annotation includes 18,199 gene models, and both the genome and transcriptome assembly contain over 95% complete eudicot BUSCOs. This genome assembly will serve as a valuable reference for studying the evolutionary history and genetic diversity of the <em>Penstemon</em> genus.</span></p><p>Funding provided by: National Science Foundation<br>Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000001<br>Award Number: 1542387</p><p>Funding provided by: National Science Foundation<br>Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000001<br>Award Number: 1555434</p&gt

Strong misalignment tolerance wireless power transfer with active adjustment of magnetic shielding

The variation of mutual-inductance is the essential reason for fluctuation of transmission power and efficiency during wireless power transfer (WPT) misalign. To maintain output power stability, current methods, such as primary regulation, secondary conversion, magnetic coupling mechanism (MCM) optimization, and compensation topology design, have not changed the characteristic of mutual-inductance changing with misalignment. A strong misalignment tolerance WPT system based on the influence of high permeability magnetic materials on equivalent electrical parameters of MCM is proposed. When the primary and secondary sides of MCM shift, the relative distance between magnetic shielding and coil (RDMSC) is adjusted to maintain the stability of mutual-inductance. The transmission efficiency and power are not affected by misalignment. Alternatively, RDMSC can be actively adjusted to meet the various needs of diverse loads at different times. Simulations and experiments are conducted. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme that RDMSC is actively adjusted to overcome misalignment is verified. This is a new method based on active adjustment of spatial electromagnetic coupling, which provides a new idea for WPT to overcome the influence of misalignment and maintain stable output