Refined genome-wide comparative map of the domestic horse, donkey and human based on cross-species chromosome painting: insight into the occasional fertility of mules

We have made a complete set of painting probes for the domestic horse by degenerate oligonucleotide-primed PCR amplification of flow-sorted horse chromosomes. The horse probes, together with a full set of those available for human, were hybridized onto metaphase chromosomes of human, horse and mule. Based on the hybridization results, we have generated genome-wide comparative chromosome maps involving the domestic horse, donkey and human. These maps define the overall distribution and boundaries of evolutionarily conserved chromosomal segments in the three genomes. Our results shed further light on the karyotypic relationships among these species and, in particular, the chromosomal rearrangements that underlie hybrid sterility and the occasional fertility of mules.

Comparative map between the domestic pig and dog

Cross-species chromosome painting with probes derived from flow-sorted dog and human chromosomes was used to construct a high-resolution comparative map for the pig. In total 98 conserved autosomal segments between pig and dog were detected by probes specific for the 38 autosomes and X Chromosome of the dog. Further integration of our results with the published human-dog and cat-dog comparative maps, and with data from comparative gene mapping, increases the resolution of the current pig-human comparative map. It allows for the conserved syntenies detected in the pig, human, and cat to be aligned against the putative ancestral karyotype of eutherian mammals and for the history of karyotype evolution of the pig lineage to be reconstructed. Fifteen fusions, 17 fissions, and 23 inversions are required to convert the ancestral mammalian karyotype into the extant karyotype of the pig.

Single base-resolution methylome of the silkworm reveals a sparse epigenomic map

Epigenetic regulation in insects may have effects on diverse biological processes. Here we survey the methylome of a model insect, the silkworm Bombyx mori, at single-base resolution using Illumina high-throughput bisulfite sequencing (MethylC-Seq). We conservatively estimate that 0.11% of genomic cytosines are methylcytosines, all of which probably occur in CG dinucleotides. CG methylation is substantially enriched in gene bodies and is positively correlated with gene expression levels, suggesting it has a positive role in gene transcription. We find that transposable elements, promoters and ribosomal DNAs are hypomethylated, but in contrast, genomic loci matching small RNAs in gene bodies are densely methylated. This work contributes to our understanding of epigenetics in insects, and in contrast to previous studies of the highly methylated genomes of Arabidopsis(1) and human(2), demonstrates a strategy for sequencing the epigenomes of organisms such as insects that have low levels of methylation.

Application of encapsulated nisin and sodium citrate for shelf life increasing of Rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss) fillet packaged with MAP and their effect on Staphylococcus aureus

Nisin is a widely used naturally occurring antimicrobial effective against many pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms. It has been proposed that reduced efficacy of nisin in foods can be improved by technologies such as encapsulation to protect it from interferences by food matrix components. The aim of this study was using of spray dried encapsulated nisin with zein in concentration of (0.15 and 0.25 g/kg) and sodium citrate (1.5 and 2.5%) and treatments with both of them to extent the shelf life of filleted trouts packaged by Modified Atmosphere Packaging (45% CO2, 50% N2 ,5% O2) and stored at 4±1 °C for 20 days. Furthermore, to evaluate the antimicrobial efficiency of encapsulated nisin and soudium citrate the trouts fillets was inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus as an index pathogenic bacteria. Assessment of chemical spoilage indexes such as (Proxide value, Thiobarbituric acid, total volatile base nitrogen and pH) , microbial parameters (Total Plate Count, Psychrotrophic count, Lactic acid bacteria count), Staphylococcus aureus cont in treatments which were inoculated with 5 logcfu/g of this bacteria and sensory evaluation of fillets including (smell, color, texture and total acceptability) was carried out in days of 0, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20. The results revealed that treatment with both exposure of nisin and sodium citrate showed significantly lower chemical spoilage indexes in comparison with controls (vaccum packed and MAP) (P<0.05). Furthermore, (nisin 0.25 g/kg sodium citrate 2.5%) treatment which was exposed to the maximal level used of both materials was significantly the lowest treatment with (Proxide value, Thiobarbituric acid, total volatile base nitrogen and pH) of 9.95 (meq O2/kg) , 1.55 (mgMA/kg), 29.65 (mgN/100g) and 6.65 , respectively and according to the maximal recommended level of this indices , shelf life of fillets in this treatment was esstimated 20 days.The control (vaccum packed) treatment was significantly the highest treatment with (Proxide value, Thiobarbituric acid, total volatile base nitrogen and pH) of 15.17 (meq O2/kg), 3.03 (mgMA/kg), 38.4 (mgN/100g) and 6.95 , respectively and according to the maximal recommended level of this indices , shelf life of fillets in this treatment was estimated 11 days. Also, in microbial point of view (nisin 0.25 g/kg- sodium citrate 2.5%) treatment was the lowest treatment with Total Plate Count, Psychrotrophic count, Lactic acid bacteria count and Staphylococcus aureus count of 6.7, 6.83, 5.25 and 6.04 logcfu/g respectively, and conrol (vaccum packed) treatment was the highest treatment with 9.15, 9.41, 7.7 and 9.01 logcfu/g respectively. According to the lower results of chemical and microbial indices and higher sensory evaluated scores assessed in this research for encapsulated nisin in comparison with free nisin , it was concluded that encapsulation of nisin with zein capsules may improve the efficiency of nisin. The measuremented values of Mass yield, Total solids content of capsules, Encapsulation efficiency, In vitro release kinetics in 200 hour for encapsulated nisin in this study was 49.89, 62, 98.31 and 69% respectively and Encapsulated particle size was lower than 674.21 μm for 90% of particles. As a consequence, nisin , in particular encapsulated nisin, and sodium citrate alone or together with and Modified Atmosphere packaging might be considered as effective tools in preventing the quality degradation of the fillets, resulting in an extension of their shelf life.

Heroin impairs map-picture-following and memory tasks dependent on gender and orientation of the tasks

Male and female heroin-dependent patients (HDPs) matched with "normal" people were tested on 4 topographical orientation tasks: schematic map-following, map-memory, schematic picture-following, and picture-memory tasks. The results showed that, in general

Re-conceptualising value in the engineering design process: The value cycle map

Introducing a "Cheaper, Faster, Better" product in today's highly competitive market is a challenging target. Therefore, for organizations to improve their performance in this area, they need to adopt methods such as process modelling, risk mitigation and lean principles. Recently, several industries and researchers focused efforts on transferring the value orientation concept to other phases of the Product Life Cycle (PLC) such as Product Development (PD), after its evident success in manufacturing. In PD, value maximization, which is the main objective of lean theory, has been of particular interest as an improvement concept that can enhance process flow logistics and support decision-making. This paper presents an ongoing study of the current understanding of value thinking in PD (VPD) with a focus on value dimensions and implementation benefits. The purpose of this study is to consider the current state of knowledge regarding value thinking in PD, and to propose a definition of value and a framework for analyzing value delivery. The framework-named the Value Cycle Map (VCM)- intends to facilitate understanding of value and its delivery mechanism in the context of the PLC. We suggest the VCM could be used as a foundation for future research in value modelling and measurement in PD.

Innovative Stereo Vision-Based Approach to Generate Dense Depth Map of Transportation Infrastructure

Three-dimensional (3-D) spatial data of a transportation infrastructure contain useful information for civil engineering applications, including as-built documentation, on-site safety enhancements, and progress monitoring. Several techniques have been developed for acquiring 3-D point coordinates of infrastructure, such as laser scanning. Although the method yields accurate results, the high device costs and human effort required render the process infeasible for generic applications in the construction industry. A quick and reliable approach, which is based on the principles of stereo vision, is proposed for generating a depth map of an infrastructure. Initially, two images are captured by two similar stereo cameras at the scene of the infrastructure. A Harris feature detector is used to extract feature points from the first view, and an innovative adaptive window-matching technique is used to compute feature point correspondences in the second view. A robust algorithm computes the nonfeature point correspondences. Thus, the correspondences of all the points in the scene are obtained. After all correspondences have been obtained, the geometric principles of stereo vision are used to generate a dense depth map of the scene. The proposed algorithm has been tested on several data sets, and results illustrate its potential for stereo correspondence and depth map generation.

Innovative Stereo Vision-Based Approach to Generate Dense Depth Map of Transportation Infrastructure

Three-dimensional (3-D) spatial data of a transportation infrastructure contain useful information for civil engineering applications, including as-built documentation, on-site safety enhancements, and progress monitoring. Several techniques have been developed for acquiring 3-D point coordinates of infrastructure, such as laser scanning. Although the method yields accurate results, the high device costs and human effort required render the process infeasible for generic applications in the construction industry. A quick and reliable approach, which is based on the principles of stereo vision, is proposed for generating a depth map of an infrastructure. Initially, two images are captured by two similar stereo cameras at the scene of the infrastructure. A Harris feature detector is used to extract feature points from the first view, and an innovative adaptive window-matching technique is used to compute feature point correspondences in the second view. A robust algorithm computes the nonfeature point correspondences. Thus, the correspondences of all the points in the scene are obtained. After all correspondences have been obtained, the geometric principles of stereo vision are used to generate a dense depth map of the scene. The proposed algorithm has been tested on several data sets, and results illustrate its potential for stereo correspondence and depth map generation.

A genetic map of large yellow croaker Pseudosciaena crocea

Genetic linkage maps were constructed for large yellow croaker Pseudosciaena crocea (Richardson, 1846) using AFLP and microsatellite markers in an F-1 family. Five hundred and twenty-three AFLP markers and 36 microsatellites were genotyped in the parents and 94 F-1 progeny. Among these, 362 AFLP markers and 13 SSR markers followed the 1:1 Mendelian segregation ratio (P > 0.05). The female genetic map contained 181 AFLP and 7 microsatellite markers forming 24 linkage groups spanning 2959.1 cM, while the male map consisted of 153 AFLP and 8 microsatellite markers in 23 linkage groups covering 2205.7 cM. One sex linked marker was mapped to the male map and co-segregated with the AFLP marker agacta355, suggesting an XY-male determination mechanism and this may be useful in the breeding of monosex populations. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

hyo-xtm: a set of hyper-graph operations on xml topic map toward knowledge management

Knowledge management is a critical issue for the next-generation web application, because the next-generation web is becoming a semantic web, a knowledge-intensive network. XML Topic Map (XTM), a new standard, is appearing in this field as one of the structures for the semantic web. It organizes information in a way that can be optimized for navigation. In this paper, a new set of hyper-graph operations on XTM (HyO-XTM) is proposed to manage the distributed knowledge resources.HyO-XTM is based on the XTM hyper-graph model. It is well applied upon XTM to simplify the workload of knowledge management.The application of the XTM hyper-graph operations is demonstrated by the knowledge management system of a consulting firm. HyO-XTM shows the potential to lead the knowledge management to the next-generation web.

Logistic Map耦合格子模型模拟环带

本论文采用Logistic Map耦合格子模型对高聚物中特有的环带球晶进行了模拟，所得到的模拟结果与实验结果吻合较好。同时，研究结果能够对实验制备环带球晶样品提供可靠的理论指导。 首先，我们对Logistic Map耦合格子模型及模型中的两个模拟参量μ和ε进行分析，同时结合实验中各种实验条件对聚合物结晶行为的影响，认为Logistic Map的动力学特征与聚合物结晶行为非常相似，并且参量μ与实验中的结晶温度相关，即随温度的升高而减小，而参量ε与实验中影响扩散的因素有关，即随温度的升高而增大、随分子量的增大而减小，并且随样品厚度的增大而增大。我们对模型的整个参数空间进行计算，得到了可以形成环带球晶形貌的参数范围，通过进一步研究发现环带图案的带宽随参量μ的增大而变窄，随参量ε的增大而变宽。上述研究结果与实验中带宽随实验条件的变化规律是一致的。 在得到环带图案的基础上，我们又进一步计算得到了靶状和螺旋状形貌的参量μ和ε的具体取值范围。通过改变μ和ε的参数取值，模拟了环带球晶形貌由靶状过渡到螺旋状的过程，即靶状图案的环带由外层向内层逐渐断裂成较短的条带结构，所有的条带结构呈现出以空间某处为中心团聚在一起的形貌；随后，这种“团聚”的形貌逐渐消失了，空间中小的条带结构的排列呈无序状态。随着参数的进一步变化，短的条带结构变成较长的带状结构，并且这些带状结构的边缘逐渐发生卷曲，最终形成了螺旋状图案。我们还考察了系统初值和耦合方式对上述图案的影响，结果发现，形成环带球晶的参数范围对系统初值没有明显的依赖性，然而靶状和螺旋状图案的分布受初值的影响较大。此外，发现只有采用交替耦合、并考虑长程耦合作用的Logistic Map耦合格子模型才可以得到环带球晶图案。 为了更好地与实验结果进行对比，我们利用Logistic Map耦合格子模型对二维空间中的几种受限体系进行了模拟。（一）对温度梯度场中的环带球晶进行模拟，发现环带球晶在低温处较易成核，向高温处生长，并且，高温处环带的带宽比低温处宽。（二）对格子宽度受限情况进行了模拟，发现随着受限方向的宽度越来越窄，球晶尺寸逐渐变小，相邻两个环带球晶碰撞产生的界线变短，三个相邻环带球晶所形成的界线的交汇点减少。（三）研究了受限边界上的成核作用对狭长格子中环带球晶的影响，结果发现，随着受限边界上成核点密度的不断增加，其形貌转变分为三个不同阶段：①当成核密度稍有增大时，环带球晶数量增加，直径变小；②继续增大边界成核密度，使得大量晶层从受限边界向格子内生长，导致环带球晶的数量减少，直径也减小；③当成核点增加到一定程度时，整个空间中只有极少数由格子内部成核生长且直径非常小的环带球晶，而占主导地位的是由成核点垂直于受限边界生长出的穿透晶层。这些模拟结果均与实验结果相符合。 我们将Logistic Map耦合映象格子模型发展到三维空间格子中，得到了与环带球晶形貌一致的图案，并且其带宽随模拟参量μ的增大而变窄，随ε的增大而变宽。这一规律性结果与二维正方格子的模拟结果是一致的。这一部分的研究结果还表明，边界条件和格子尺寸对模拟结果有显著的影响，周期性边界条件导致在小体积立方格子中只能得到靶状图案；而当格子尺寸很大时，可以得到螺旋状环带球晶的图案。最后，通过调节垂直于薄膜平面方向上的格子数来研究薄膜厚度对环带图案带宽的影响，发现环带的带宽随厚度的增加而变宽，这与实验中环带球晶的带宽随样品厚度的增加而变大的结论是一致的。