Survey on some key technologies of virtual tourism system based on Web3D

Some key technologies on how to build large-scale virtual tourism systssems comprehensively on Web browsers and mobiles were analyzed and the current R&D status on Web3D virtual tourism was surveyed insightfully. Then, some methods were summarized, including 3D trees or plants modeling, 3D architectural modeling, 3D Virtual Human behavior modeling, virtual agents path planning, collision detection and progressive transmission strategy suitable for developing large scale Web3D tourism scenarios. Also, some bottleneck problems of Web3D virtual tourism system were investigated. At the same time, the lightweight 3D engine, the lightweight 3D modeling, the lightweight 3D streaming and P2P based progressive transmission of huge Web3D tourism contents would become much helpful to breakthrough those bottlenecks of Web3D tourism systems were pointed out. In addition, all kinds of Web3D engines in terms of lightweight, realism and efficiency that would be a good reference for developers to choose during various applications were compared comprehensively. Finally, the prospect of future investigation of Web3D tourism system is presented, which will be going on in terms of four characteristics lightweight, high-speed, realism, beauty.

SNHG17 Serves as an Oncogenic lncRNA by Regulating the miR-361-3p/STC2 Axis in Rectal Cancer

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) have been reported to be crucial regulators for carcinogenesis, including rectal cancer. This work aimed to explore the roles and associated mechanisms of small nucleolar RNA host gene 17 (SNHG17) in rectal cancer. A quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to measure the expression level of SNHG17 in rectal cancer tissues and cells. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and flow cytometry assay were conducted to measure the biological roles of SNHG17 in rectal cancer. In addition, luciferase activity reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay, and rescue experiments were conducted to explore the mechanisms of SNHG17 in rectal cancer. The upregulation status of SNHG17 was identified in rectal cancer tissues and cells. Functionally, knockdown the expression of SNHG17 inhibits rectal cancer cell proliferation via stimulating cell apoptosis. In vivo assay showed that the knockdown of SNHG17 inhibits tumor growth. Furthermore, we showed that microRNA-361-3p (miR-361-3p) has decreased expression in tumor tissues and cells, and SNHG17 functions as a sponge for miR-361-3p. The upregulation status of stanniocalcin 2 (STC2) was also found in rectal cancer, and the knockdown of STC2 hinders cancer progression. In conclusion, lncRNA SNHG17 functions as an oncogenic lncRNA in rectal cancer by regulating the miR-361-3p/STC2 axis

Genomic selection analysis of morphological and adaptation traits in Chinese indigenous dog breeds

The significant morphological differences and abundant germplasm resources of Chinese indigenous dog breeds can be attributed to the diverse geographical environment, including plateaus, mountains, and a long history of raising dogs. The combination of both natural and artificial selection during the past several thousand years has led to hundreds of dog breeds with distinct morphological traits and environmental adaptations. China is one of the earliest countries to domesticate dogs and there are more than 50 ancient indigenous dog breeds. In this study, the run of homozygosity (ROH) and proportion of the autosomal genome covered by ROHs (FROH) were calculated for 10 dog breeds that are the most representative Chinese indigenous dogs based on 170K SNP microarray. The results of FROH showed that the Chuandong hound dogs (HCSSC) have the highest level of inbreeding among the tested breeds. The inbreeding in HCSSC occurred more recently than the Liangshan dogs (SCLSQ) dogs because of more numbers of long ROHs in HCSSC dogs, and the former also have higher inbreeding degree. In addition, there are significant differences in the inbreeding degree among different subpopulations of the same breed, such as the Thin dogs from Shaanxi and Shandong province. To explore genome-wide selection signatures among different breeds, including coat color, ear shape, and altitude adaptability, we performed genome selection analyses of FST and cross population extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH). For the coat color, the FST analysis between Xiasi dogs (XSGZ) and HCSSC dogs was performed and identified multiple genes involved in coat color, hair follicle, and bone development, including MC1R, KITLG, SOX5, RSPO2, and TBX15. For the plateau adaptability, we performed FST and XP-EHH analyses between dogs from Tibet (Tibetan Mastiffs and Nyingchi dogs) and plain regions (Guangxi Biwei dogs GXBWQ and Guandong Sharpei dogs). The results showed the EPAS1 gene in dogs from Tibet undergo strong selection. Multiple genes identified for selection signals based on different usage of dogs. Furthermore, the results of ear shape analyses showed that MSRB3 was likely to be the main gene causing the drop ear of domestic dogs. Our study provides new insights into further understanding of Chinese indigenous dogs

Hydroxyapatite-TiO2-SiO2-Coated 316L Stainless Steel for Biomedical Application

This study investigated the effectiveness of titania (TiO2) as a reinforcing phase in the hydroxyapatite (HAP) coating and silica (SiO2) single-layer as a bond coat between the TiO2-reinforced hydroxyapatite (TiO2/HAP) top layer and 316L stainless steel (316L SS) substrate on the corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of the underlying 316L SS metallic implant. Single-layer of SiO2 film was first deposited on 316L SS substrate and studied separately. Water contact angle measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometer analysis were used to evaluate the hydroxyl group reactivity at the SiO2 outer surface. The microstructural and morphological results showed that the reinforcement of HAP coating with TiO2 and SiO2 reduced the crystallite size and the roughness surface. Indeed, the deposition of 50 vol. % TiO2-reinforced hydroxyapatite layer enhanced the hardness and the elastic modulus of the HAP coating, the introduction of SiO2 inner-layer on the surface of the 316L SS allowed the improvement of the bonding strength and the corrosion resistance as confirmed by scratch studies, nanoindentation and cyclic voltammetry tests