54 research outputs found
Interaction of dietary fat types and gut microbiome on modulation of whole body energy balance
Dietary fats and gut microbes are regarded as environmental factors for the onset of obesity. However, whether there is a direct association between dietary fat type and gut microbiome that promotes obesity remains unclear. In this study, we tested the effect of modulation of the gut microbiome by antibiotics on energy balance in Sprague Dawley rats fed a 45% high fat diet containing primarily saturated fatty acids (SFA) vs. polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Antibiotic treatment successfully decreased the gut microbiome as evidenced by decreased microbiome α-diversity and β-diversity. We found that food intake was decreased by antibiotic treatment irrespective diet. PUFA-fed rats gained less weight and consumed less food than those fed SFA independent of microbiome composition. No differences were seen in energy expenditure among the 4 groups. Gut hormone and adipokine gene and protein expression was measured in ileum, colon, white adipose tissue (WAT) and blood serum. Compared with SFA, PUFA fed rats had less ileum peptide YY , colon glucagon-like peptide-1, WAT sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1 and more ileum β-defensins, WAT adiponectin gene expression. However, no differences were seen in serum protein expression among the 4 groups. In conclusion, SFA are more obesogenic and promote food intake as compared to PUFA and this positive energy balance is independent of the gut microbiome. The mechanisms by which SFA modulate body weight and food intake warrant further investigation.Master of Scienc
: Transferring Visual Representations for Reinforcement Learning via Prompting
It is important for deep reinforcement learning (DRL) algorithms to transfer
their learned policies to new environments that have different visual inputs.
In this paper, we introduce Prompt based Proximal Policy Optimization
(), a three-stage DRL algorithm that transfers visual representations
from a target to a source environment by applying prompting. The process of
consists of three stages: pre-training, prompting, and predicting. In
particular, we specify a prompt-transformer for representation conversion and
propose a two-step training process to train the prompt-transformer for the
target environment, while the rest of the DRL pipeline remains unchanged. We
implement and evaluate it on the OpenAI CarRacing video game. The
experimental results show that outperforms the state-of-the-art visual
transferring schemes. In particular, allows the learned policies to
perform well in environments with different visual inputs, which is much more
effective than retraining the policies in these environments.Comment: This paper has been accepted to be presented at the upcoming IEEE
International Conference on Multimedia & Expo (ICME) in 202
Expression of EPO and related factors in the liver and kidney of plain and Tibetan sheep
Erythropoietin (EPO), hypoxia-inducible
factor-1α (HIF-1α), hypoxia-inducible factor-2α (HIF2α), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are
key factors in the regulation of hypoxia, and can
transcriptionally activate multiple genes under hypoxic
conditions, thereby initiating large hypoxic stress in the
network. The liver and kidneys are important metabolic
organs of the body. We assessed the expression of EPO,
HIF-1α, HIF-2α, and VEGF in liver and kidney tissues
of plain and Tibetan sheep using hematoxylin and eosin
staining, immunohistochemistry, and RT-qPCR. The
results showed that EPO, HIF-1α, HIF-2α, and VEGF
were expressed in tubular epithelial cells, collecting duct
epithelial cells, mural epithelial cells, and the glomerular
cytoplasm of Tibetan sheep, and their expression was
significantly higher in Tibetan sheep than in plain sheep
(P<0.05). EPO, HIF-1α, HIF-2α, and VEGF are
expressed in hepatocytes, interlobular venous endothelial
cells, and interlobular bile duct epithelial cells. In plain
sheep, positive signals for EPO, HIF-1α, HIF-2α, and
VEGF were localized mainly in interlobular venous
endothelial cells, whereas VEGF and HIF-2α were
negatively expressed in interlobular bile duct epithelial
cells and positively expressed in EPO and HIF-1α. The
differences in EPO, HIF-1α, and HIF-2α in Tibetan
sheep were significantly higher than those in plain sheep
(P<0.001). In the liver and kidney tissues of Tibetan
sheep, EPO was associated with HIF-1α, HIF-2α, and
VEGF (P<0.05). RT-qPCR results showed that EPO was
not expressed, and HIF-1α, HIF-2α, and VEGF were
expressed (P<0.05). The results showed that the
expression of EPO, HIF-1α, HIF-2α, and VEGF in the
kidney and liver of Tibetan sheep was higher than that in
of plain sheep. Therefore, EPO, HIF-1α, HIF-2α, and
VEGF may be involved in the adaptive response of
plateau animals, which provides theoretical clarity to
further explore the adaptive mechanism of plateau
hypoxia in Tibetan sheep
Harpin-induced expression and transgenic overexpression of the phloem protein gene AtPP2-A1 in Arabidopsis repress phloem feeding of the green peach aphid Myzus persicae
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Treatment of plants with HrpN<sub>Ea</sub>, a protein of harpin group produced by Gram-negative plant pathogenic bacteria, induces plant resistance to insect herbivores, including the green peach aphid <it>Myzus persicae</it>, a generalist phloem-feeding insect. Under attacks by phloem-feeding insects, plants defend themselves using the phloem-based defense mechanism, which is supposed to involve the phloem protein 2 (PP2), one of the most abundant proteins in the phloem sap. The purpose of this study was to obtain genetic evidence for the function of the <it>Arabidopsis thaliana </it>(Arabidopsis) PP2-encoding gene <it>AtPP2-A1 </it>in resistance to <it>M. persicae </it>when the plant was treated with HrpN<sub>Ea </sub>and after the plant was transformed with <it>AtPP2-A1</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The electrical penetration graph technique was used to visualize the phloem-feeding activities of apterous agamic <it>M. persicae </it>females on leaves of Arabidopsis plants treated with HrpN<sub>Ea </sub>and an inactive protein control, respectively. A repression of phloem feeding was induced by HrpN<sub>Ea </sub>in wild-type (WT) Arabidopsis but not in <it>atpp2-a1</it>/E/142, the plant mutant that had a defect in the <it>AtPP2-A1 </it>gene, the most HrpN<sub>Ea</sub>-responsive of 30 <it>AtPP2 </it>genes. In WT rather than <it>atpp2-a1</it>/E/142, the deterrent effect of HrpN<sub>Ea </sub>treatment on the phloem-feeding activity accompanied an enhancement of <it>AtPP2-A1 </it>expression. In PP2OETAt (<it>AtPP2-A1</it>-overexpression transgenic <it>Arabidopsis thaliana</it>) plants, abundant amounts of the <it>AtPP2-A1 </it>gene transcript were detected in different organs, including leaves, stems, calyces, and petals. All these organs had a deterrent effect on the phloem-feeding activity compared with the same organs of the transgenic control plant. When a large-scale aphid population was monitored for 24 hours, there was a significant decrease in the number of aphids that colonized leaves of HrpN<sub>Ea</sub>-treated WT and PP2OETAt plants, respectively, compared with control plants.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The repression in phloem-feeding activities of <it>M. persicae </it>as a result of <it>AtPP2-A1 </it>overexpression, and as a deterrent effect of HrpN<sub>Ea </sub>treatment in WT Arabidopsis rather than the <it>atpp2-a1</it>/E/142 mutant suggest that <it>AtPP2-A1 </it>plays a role in plant resistance to the insect, particularly at the phloem-feeding stage. The accompanied change of aphid population in leaf colonies suggests that the function of <it>AtPP2-A1 </it>is related to colonization of the plant.</p
A Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly of the Mandarin Fish (Siniperca chuatsi)
The mandarin fish, Siniperca chuatsi, is an economically important perciform species with widespread aquaculture practices in China. Its special feeding habit, acceptance of only live prey fishes, contributes to its delicious meat. However, little is currently known about related genetic mechanisms. Here, we performed whole-genome sequencing and assembled a 758.78 Mb genome assembly of the mandarin fish, with the scaffold and contig N50 values reaching 2.64 Mb and 46.11 Kb, respectively. Approximately 92.8% of the scaffolds were ordered onto 24 chromosomes (Chrs) with the assistance of a previously established genetic linkage map. The chromosome-level genome contained 19,904 protein-coding genes, of which 19,059 (95.75%) genes were functionally annotated. The special feeding behavior of mandarin fish could be attributable to the interaction of a variety of sense organs (such as vision, smell, and endocrine organs). Through comparative genomics analysis, some interesting results were found. For example, olfactory receptor (OR) genes (especially the beta and delta types) underwent a significant expansion, and endocrinology/vision related npy, spexin, and opsin genes presented various functional mutations. These may contribute to the special feeding habit of the mandarin fish by strengthening the olfactory and visual systems. Meanwhile, previously identified sex-related genes and quantitative trait locis (QTLs) were localized on the Chr14 and Chr17, respectively. 155 toxin proteins were predicted from mandarin fish genome. In summary, the high-quality genome assembly of the mandarin fish provides novel insights into the feeding habit of live prey and offers a valuable genetic resource for the quality improvement of this freshwater fish
Wafer-scale heterogeneous integration InP on trenched Si with a bubble-free interface
Heterogeneous integration of compound semiconductors on a Si platform leads to advanced device applications in the field of Si photonics and high frequency electronics. However, the unavoidable bubbles formed at the bonding interface are detrimental for achieving a high yield of dissimilar semiconductor integration by the direct wafer bonding technology. In this work, lateral outgassing surface trenches (LOTs) are introduced to efficiently inhibit the bubbles. It is found that the chemical reactions in InP-Si bonding are similar to those in Si-Si bonding, and the generated gas can escape via the LOTs. The outgassing efficiency is dominated by LOTs\u27 spacing, and moreover, the relationship between bubble formation and the LOT\u27s structure is well described by a thermodynamic model. With the method explored in this work, a 2-in. bubble-free crystalline InP thin film integrated on the Si substrate with LOTs is obtained by the ion-slicing and wafer bonding technology. The quantum well active region grown on this Si-based InP film shows a superior photoemission efficiency, and it is found to be 65% as compared to its bulk counterpart
Food-grade cationic antimicrobial ε-polylysine transiently alters the gut microbial community and predicted metagenome function in CD-1 mice
Diet is an important factor influencing the composition and function of the gut microbiome, but the effect of antimicrobial agents present within foods is currently not understood. In this study, we investigated the effect of the food-grade cationic antimicrobial ε-polylysine on the gut microbiome structure and predicted metagenomic function in a mouse model. The relative abundances of predominant phyla and genera, as well as the overall community structure, were perturbed in response to the incorporation of dietary ε-polylysine. Unexpectedly, this modification to the gut microbiome was experienced transiently and resolved to the initial basal composition at the final sampling point. In addition, a differential non-random assembly was observed in the microbiomes characterized from male and female co-housed animals, although their perturbation trajectories in response to diet remain consistent. In conclusion, antimicrobial ε-polylysine incorporated into food systems transiently alters gut microbial communities in mice, as well as their predicted function. This indicates a dynamic but resilient microbiome that adapts to microbial-active dietary components
The Asian arowana (<i>Scleropages formosus</i>) genome provides new insights into the evolution of an early lineage of teleosts
The Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus), one of the world’s most expensive cultivated ornamental fishes, is an endangered species. It represents an ancient lineage of teleosts: the Osteoglossomorpha. Here, we provide a high-quality chromosome-level reference genome of a female golden-variety arowana using a combination of deep shotgun sequencing and high-resolution linkage mapping. In addition, we have also generated two draft genome assemblies for the red and green varieties. Phylogenomic analysis supports a sister group relationship between Osteoglossomorpha (bonytongues) and Elopomorpha (eels and relatives), with the two clades together forming a sister group of Clupeocephala which includes all the remaining teleosts. The arowana genome retains the full complement of eight Hox clusters unlike the African butterfly fish (Pantodon buchholzi), another bonytongue fish, which possess only five Hox clusters. Differential gene expression among three varieties provides insights into the genetic basis of colour variation. A potential heterogametic sex chromosome is identified in the female arowana karyotype, suggesting that the sex is determined by a ZW/ZZ sex chromosomal system. The high-quality reference genome of the golden arowana and the draft assemblies of the red and green varieties are valuable resources for understanding the biology, adaptation and behaviour of Asian arowanas
The Asian Arowana (Scleropages formosus) Genome Provides New Insights into the Evolution of an Early Lineage of Teleosts
The Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus), one of the world’s most expensive cultivated ornamental fishes, is an endangered species. It represents an ancient lineage of teleosts: the Osteoglossomorpha. Here, we provide a high-quality chromosome-level reference genome of a female golden-variety arowana using a combination of deep shotgun sequencing and high-resolution linkage mapping. In addition, we have also generated two draft genome assemblies for the red and green varieties. Phylogenomic analysis supports a sister group relationship between Osteoglossomorpha (bonytongues) and Elopomorpha (eels and relatives), with the two clades together forming a sister group of Clupeocephala which includes all the remaining teleosts. The arowana genome retains the full complement of eight Hox clusters unlike the African butterfly fish (Pantodon buchholzi), another bonytongue fish, which possess only five Hox clusters. Differential gene expression among three varieties provides insights into the genetic basis of colour variation. A potential heterogametic sex chromosome is identified in the female arowana karyotype, suggesting that the sex is determined by a ZW/ZZ sex chromosomal system. The high-quality reference genome of the golden arowana and the draft assemblies of the red and green varieties are valuable resources for understanding the biology, adaptation and behaviour of Asian arowanas
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HUMAN MILK NON-PROTEIN NITROGEN METABOLISM BY INFANT ASSOCIATED BIFIDOBACTERIA
Increasing evidence suggests that gut microbiota plays an important role in host health and disease. The gut microbiota co-evolves with host from birth, diversifies with age and gradually shifts toward an adulthood configuration. Indigestible ε-polylysine, a food-grade antimicrobial agent, is found to exert a transit effect on adult murine gut microbiota structure and predicted function. Such transit alternation suggests microbial adaption to ε-polylysine at the community level, highlighting the stability and resilience of adult gut microbiota. In contrast, early life gut microbiota is regarded as the most dynamic stage that is susceptible to host nutrition and life-style, subsequently affect gut microbiota maturation and diversity in later life.
Human milk guides the structure and function of microbial communities that colonize the nursing infant gut. Indigestible molecules dissolved in human milk establish a microbiome often dominated by bifidobacteria capable of utilizing these substrates. Accordingly, human milk contains a high concentration of urea and human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) as indigestible non-protein nitrogen (NPN), representing a potential nitrogen reservoir for microbiome. Microbiome-mediated NPN recycling may be a critical metabolic operation during lactation and neonatal development. To test this hypothesis, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis (B. infantis) strains were evaluated for their capacity to subsist on urea and HMOs as a primary nitrogen source. B. infantis strains tested are competent for urea and HMOs nitrogen utilization, constituting a phenotype previously unknown in commensal bacteria. Urease and HMOs catabolism gene expression and downstream nitrogen metabolism pathways are induced during NPN utilization. Moreover, the nexus between nitrogen and carbon metabolism is significantly influenced by NPN catabolism as evidenced by differential metabolite secretion. Specifically, acetate production (relative to lactate) is increased in response to NPN, suggesting a link to anti-inflammatory properties previously ascribed to B. infantis. In addition, for specific strains, adhesion rates to Caco-2 cells are significantly increased when B. infantis subsisting on NPN. In aggregate, the often-dominant B. infantis possesses the requisite phenotypic foundation to participate in human milk NPN recycling and thus may be a key contributor to nitrogen homeostasis early in life
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