Main Source Of Variation Research Articles

Geometric variation of the human tibia-fibula: a public dataset of tibia-fibula surface meshes and statistical shape model.

Variation in tibia geometry is a risk factor for tibial stress fractures. Geometric variability in bones is often quantified using statistical shape modelling. Statistical shape models (SSM) offer a method to assess three-dimensional variation of structures and identify the source of variation. Although SSM have been used widely to assess long bones, there is limited open-source datasets of this kind. Overall, the creation of SSM can be an expensive process, that requires advanced skills. A publicly available tibia shape model would be beneficial as it enables researchers to improve skills. Further, it could benefit health, sport and medicine with the potential to assess geometries suitable for medical equipment, and aid in clinical diagnosis. This study aimed to: (i) quantify tibial geometry using a SSM; and (ii) provide the SSM and associated code as an open-source dataset. Lower limb computed tomography (CT) scans from the right tibia-fibula of 30 cadavers (male n = 20, female n = 10) were obtained from the New Mexico Decedent Image Database. Tibias were segmented and reconstructed into both cortical and trabecular sections. Fibulas were segmented as a singular surface. The segmented bones were used to develop three SSM of the: (i) tibia; (ii) tibia-fibula; and (iii) cortical-trabecular. Principal component analysis was applied to obtain the three SSM, with the principal components that explained 95% of geometric variation retained. Overall size was the main source of variation in all three models accounting for 90.31%, 84.24% and 85.06%. Other sources of geometric variation in the tibia surface models included overall and midshaft thickness; prominence and size of the condyle plateau, tibial tuberosity, and anterior crest; and axial torsion of the tibial shaft. Further variations in the tibia-fibula model included midshaft thickness of the fibula; fibula head position relative to the tibia; tibia and fibula anterior-posterior curvature; fibula posterior curvature; tibia plateau rotation; and interosseous width. The main sources of variation in the cortical-trabecular model other than general size included variation in the medulla cavity diameter; cortical thickness; anterior-posterior shaft curvature; and the volume of trabecular bone in the proximal and distal ends of the bone. Variations that could increase the risk of tibial stress injury were observed, these included general tibial thickness, midshaft thickness, tibial length and medulla cavity diameter (indicative of cortical thickness). Further research is needed to better understand the effect of these tibial-fibula shape characteristics on tibial stress and injury risk. This SSM, the associated code, and three use examples for the SSM have been provided in an open-source dataset. The developed tibial surface models and statistical shape model will be made available for use at: https://simtk.org/projects/ssm_tibia.

Yield, growth development and grain characteristics of seven Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) genotypes grown in open-field production systems under hot-arid climatic conditions

Quinoa is an important Andean crop that can play a strategic role in the development of degraded lands in hot arid regions due to its high nutritional value, genetic diversity and its high adaptability to stressful environments. The aim of this work was to evaluate the agronomic performance (growth development, grain yield and grain quality characteristics) of seven quinoa genotypes (Giza1, Sajama, Santa Maria, Q102, Q29, Q27 and Q18) cultivated under open field conditions in the Sahara Desert of Algeria. Using randomized complete block design (4 blocks), field trials were conducted during two cropping seasons (2017–2018 and 2018–2019) from November to April. The measured parameters included: plant height, number of panicles per plant, 1000-grain weight (TGW), grain yield (GYd), grain protein content (GPt), grain saponin content (GSC), and maturity indicators. The genotype effect was statistically the main source of variation in most parameters investigated as compared to the effect of cropping year. The Q102 genotype produced the highest GYd (2.87 t/ha) and GPt (16.7 g/100 g DM); and it required medium period (149 days) to reach harvest maturity as compared to other genotypes. The genotype Giza1 showed the lowest GYd and also low values for most of traits measured. However, it had the shortest harvest maturity (139 days) and the lowest GSC (0.62 g/100 g DM). The variety Santa Maria recorded the highest TGW (2.68 g), but it took 164 days to reach harvest maturity and it had high GSC (1.92 g/100 g DM). Though the best yield and grain quality characteristics were not reunited in single genotype, our findings showed that quinoa has multi-benefit potentials as a new crop for the arid agriculture in particular in hot-arid regions of North Africa.

On the Importance of Investigating Data Structure in Miniaturized NIR Spectroscopy Measurements of Food: The Case Study of Sugar.

Alongside the increasing proofs of efficacy of miniaturized NIR instruments in food-related scenarios, it is progressively growing the number of end-users, even incentivized by the low-cost of the sensors. While attention is paid to the analytical protocol-from sampling to data collection, up to the data processing, the importance of error investigation in raw data is generally underestimated. Understanding the sources and the structure of uncertainty related to the raw data improves the quality of measurements and suggests the correct planning of the experiments, as well as helps in chemometric model development. The goal of chemometric modeling is to separate information from noise; therefore, a description of the nature of measurement error structure is necessary. Among the different approaches, we present the study of the Error Covariance Matrices (ECMs) and their decomposition in a bilinear structure as a powerful method to study the main sources of variability when using miniaturized NIR sensors in the actual way of use. Granulated and lump sugar samples were chosen as the case study and analyzed with two miniaturized spectrometers working in the NIR regions around 1350-2550 nm and 900-1750 nm, respectively, in dispersive reflectance mode. Results show that having some insights on multivariate measurement errors associated with spectra could be interesting in paving the way for several applications.

Conversion of a Small-Size Passenger Car to Hydrogen Fueling: Simulation of CCV and Evaluation of Cylinder Imbalance

In the efforts to achieve zero-emission transportation, hydrogen offers a valid choice as a complete replacement of gasoline. Adapting spark ignition (SI) engines to this alternative fuel can be implemented with relatively minor changes and limited investment in added components. The conversion of a small-size passenger car to hydrogen fueling was evaluated initially from the perspective of achievable range and peak power. Overall, the concept was found to be feasible and comparable to the fully electric version of the vehicle. Cylinder imbalance was found to be one of the possible issues compared to gasoline operation. This study looks in more detail at cycle-to-cycle variability (CCV) and how this could influence vehicle dynamics as well as noise–harshness–vibration (NHV). CCV was simulated with a 0D/1D approach in vehicle-relevant engine speed–load conditions. A dedicated laminar flame speed sub-model was implemented so as to include fuel chemistry effects, while CCV was simulated by inducing perturbations in the initial combustion stages and fuel system characteristics as well as variation of air–fuel ratio throughout flame propagation. Significant improvement of stability was predicted with hydrogen, while cylinder imbalance was found to be one of the main sources of variability. Applying algorithms that compensate for the imbalance through individual injection valve regulation may not be enough to mitigate the identified issue, and more extensive changes of control strategies could be required. The start of injection settings may need to be adapted for each operating condition to maximize the effect of H2 combustion stabilization.

Location and building material determine fouling assemblages within marinas: A case study in Madeira Island (NE Atlantic, Portugal)

Marinas are hubs for non-indigenous species (NIS) and constitute the nodes of a network of highly modified water bodies (HMWB) connected by recreational maritime traffic. Floating structures, such as pontoons, are often the surfaces with higher NIS abundance inside marinas and lead the risk for NIS introduction, establishment and spread. However, there is still little information on how the location within the marina and the substratum type can influence the recruitment of fouling assemblages depending on water parameters and substratum chemical composition. In this study, fouling recruitment was studied using an experimental approach with three materials (basalt, concrete and HDPE plastic) in two sites (close and far to the entrance) in two marinas of Madeira Island (NE Atlantic, Portugal). The structure of benthic assemblages after 6- and 12-months colonization, as well as biotic abundance, NIS abundance, richness, diversity, assemblages' volume, biomass and assemblages' morphology were explored. Differences between marinas were the main source of variation for both 6- and 12-month assemblages, with both marinas having different species composition and biomass. The inner and outer sites of both marinas varied in terms of structure and heterogeneity of assemblages and heterogeneity of morphological traits, but assemblages did not differ among substrata. However, basalt had a higher species richness and diversity while concrete showed a higher bioreceptivity in terms of total biotic coverage than the rest of materials. Overall, differences between and within marinas could be related to their structural morphology. This study can be valuable for management of urban ecosystems, towards an increase in the environmental and ecological status of existing marinas and their HMWB and mitigation coastal ecosystems degradation.

An integrated genomic and biochemical approach to investigate the potentiality of heirloom tomatoes: Breeding resources for food quality and sustainable agriculture.

A revival of interest in traditional varieties reflects the change in consumer preferences and the greater awareness of the quality of locally grown products. As ancient cultivars, heirlooms have been selected for decades in specific habitats and represent nowadays potential germplasm sources to consider for breeding high-quality products and cultivation in sustainable agriculture. In this study, 60 heirloom tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) accessions, including diverse varietal types (beefsteak, globe, oxheart, plum, and cherry), were profiled over two seasons for the main chemical and biochemical fruit traits. A medium-high level of heritability was found for all traits ranging from 0.52 for soluble solids to 0.99 for fruit weight. The average content of ascorbic acid was ~31 mg 100 g-1 of fw in both seasons, while the greatest variability was found for carotenoids with peaks of 245.65 μg g-1 of fw for total lycopene and 32.29 μg g-1 of fw for β-carotene. Dissection of genotypic (G) and seasonal (Y) factors highlighted genotype as the main source of variation for all traits. No significant effect of Y and G × Y was found for ascorbic acid and fruit weight, respectively, whereas a high influence of Y was found on the variation of lycopene. Molecular fingerprinting was performed using the 10K SolCAP array, yielding a total of 7,591 SNPs. Population structure, phylogenetic relationships, and principal components analysis highlighted a differentiation of plum and cherry genotypes with respect to the beefsteak and globe types. These results were confirmed by multivariate analysis of phenotypic traits, shedding light on how breeding and selection focused on fruit characteristics have influenced the genetic and phenotypic makeup of heirlooms. Marker-trait association showed 11 significantly associated loci for β-carotene and fruit weight. For β-carotene, a single variant on chromosome 8 was found at 12 kb to CCD8, a cleavage dioxygenase playing a key role in the biosynthesis of apocarotenoids. For fruit weight, a single association was located at less than 3 Mbp from SLSUN31 and fw11.3, two candidates involved in the increasing of fruit mass. These results highlight the potentiality of heirlooms for genetic improvement and candidate gene identification.

A unifying approach to wheat beer flavour by chemometric analyses. Could we speak of ‘terroir’?

Raw materials are recognized to affect the sensory profile of ‘Blanche’ craft beers and their ‘terroir’. Two common wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.) were harvested in three experimental fields with different pedo-climatic conditions and altitudes, and then used for beer production. The taste and flavour of wheat beers were analysed by sensory (panel and consumer test) and SPME GC-MS analyses. Panel dataset was processed by multivariate statistical analyses: a principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that formulation was the main source of variation of sensory profile in wheat beers and a generalized Procrustes analysis (GPA) showed how wheat origin affected the sensory profiles of wheat craft beers based on the consensus among panelists. Moreover, a partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) on VOCs permitted to discriminate and characterize beers selected by a panel-driven approach. By comparing panel and VOCs results, it was possible to highlight that higher altitudes of wheat cultivation determine an increase of pleasant notes such as fruity and herbal. A PCA on consumer test data confirmed that formulation was the main factor affecting liking scores and that the preferences were affected by age, involvement and frequency of use. An internal preference map combining panel and consumer data suggested that the majority of preferences are driven by a few key sensory attributes. Differences in liking among the considered beers revealed two main consumer groups.

Evaluation of the statistical reliability of micro-flotation experiments using a hallimond flotation cell

ABSTRACT This paper presents the evaluation of the statistical reliability of micro-flotation experiments using a Hallimond flotation cell. The study was conducted by three experimental analysts using different micro-flotation conditions and samples. Statistical analysis of 20 micro-flotation experiments was performed. Using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, the data from all experiments were found to come from a normal distribution. The coefficient of variation ranged from 0.5% to 8.2%. The high variability was mainly justified by the poor reproducibility of the bubble size distribution; this was corroborated by the high deviation of the estimated mean bubble size in the experiments, which was 742 ± 249 µm. A frequency histogram showed that although extreme values up to 21.3% could appear, 70% of the experiments had coefficient of variation less than 4%. The Asymptotic Test and the Modified Signed-likelihood Ratio Test showed that there were not statistically significant differences between the variability of the 20 micro-flotation experiments. The overall confidence interval for the coefficient of variation from 2.2% to 4.5% was established. The coefficient of variation tended to decrease when the repetitions of the micro-flotation experiments increased. The main source of variability of the micro-flotation experiments conducted in the Hallimond cell is the repeatability of the method.

Seed Yield, Crude Protein and Mineral Nutrients of Lentil Genotypes Evaluated across Diverse Environments under Organic and Conventional Farming

Lentil is an important legume crop for human and animal dietary needs due to its high nutritional value. The effect of genotype and growing environment was studied on seed yield (SY), crude protein (CP) and mineral nutrients (macro and micronutrients) of five lentil genotypes grown at four diverse locations for two consecutive years under organic and conventional farming. The location within each year was considered as a separate environment (E). Data were subjected to over environment two-way analysis of variance, while a genotype (G) plus genotype × environment (GGE) biplot analysis was performed. Our results indicated the E as the main source of variation (62.3-99.8%) for SY, CP and macronutrients for both farming systems, while for micronutrients it was either the E or the G × E interaction. Different environments were identified as ideal for the parameters studied: E6 (Larissa/Central Greece/2020) produced the higher CP values (organic: 32.0%, conventional: 27.5%) and showed the highest discriminating ability that was attributed to the lowest precipitation during the crucial period of pod filling. E7 (Thessaloniki/Central Macedonia/2020) and E8 (Orestiada/Thrace/2020) had fertile soils and ample soil moisture and were the most discriminating for high micronutrient content under both farming systems. Location Orestiada showed the highest SY for both organic (1.87-2.28 t ha-1) and conventional farming (1.56-2.89 t ha-1) regardless the year of cultivation and is proposed as an ideal location for lentil cultivation or for breeding for high SY. Genotypes explained a low percentage of the total variability; however, two promising genotypes were identified. Cultivar "Samos" demonstrated a wide adaptation capacity exhibiting stable and high SY under both organic and conventional farming, while the red lentil population "03-24L" showed very high level of seed CP, Fe and Mn contents regardless E or farming system. This genetic material could be further exploited as parental material aiming to develop lentil varieties that could be utilized as "functional" food or consist of a significant feed ingredient.

Patient, Physician, Hospital Factors Associated With Readmission After Radical Cystectomy

Patient and clinical factors are the most commonly identified variables associated with hospital readmission after radical cystectomy, but other factors may be important drivers of outcomes, such as hospital and physician characteristics. This study investigates the contribution of patient, physician, and hospital factors in hospital readmission after radical cystectomy. This was a retrospective review of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database focusing on bladder cancer patients who underwent radical cystectomy between 2007 and 2016. Medicare claims were identified using International Statistical Classification of Diseases-9/-10 or Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System codes from Medicare Provider Analysis and Review or National Claims History claims, from which the annual hospital/physician volumes were calculated and classified as low, medium, and high. A multivariable analysis was done for 90-day readmission as the outcome using a multilevel model to explore the association between readmission and characteristics of patient, hospital, and physician. Models with random intercepts were constructed to consider the variation from hospital and physician. Of 3,530 patients, 1,291 (36.6%) were readmitted within 90 days of the index surgery. On multilevel multivariable analysis, factors significantly associated with readmission included continent urinary diversion (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.21, 2.00), greater National Cancer Institute comorbidity index (2<4 vs 0-<2, OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.05, 1.75; 4+ vs 0-<2, OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.20, 2.58), American Joint Committee on Cancer stage (P = .04), and hospital region (P = .05). Neither hospital volume, physician volume, teaching hospital status, nor National Cancer Institute center designation was associated with hospital readmission. The main source of variation was determined to be the patient factors (95.89%), followed by the physician (1.43%), and then hospital (2.68%) factors. Patient-specific factors are the most important in impacting the odds of readmission after radical cystectomy, while hospital and physician factors contribute minimally to this outcome.

Phytoplankton Light Absorption Impacted by Photoprotective Carotenoids in a Global Ocean Spectrally‐Resolved Biogeochemistry Model

AbstractThe chlorophyll‐specific absorption spectrum of phytoplankton multiplied with phytoplankton chlorophyll provides the total absorption coefficient of phytoplankton [], a fundamental quantity with significance in many marine biogeochemical (BGC) and environmental processes. Representing accurately the sources of variability of in BGC ocean models is a crucial task. The two main sources of variability in are changes in the pigment composition of the phytoplankton community and the size‐dependent constraints to pigment packaging. Therefore, changes in community structure and physiological state impact and consequently . The objective of this work is to improve estimates of in a BGC model of the global ocean by portraying the variability of driven by the variable content in photoprotective carotenoids (PPCs) in the phytoplankton community. We used a three‐dimensional spectrally‐resolved BGC model to simulate the inherent and apparent optical properties of the global ocean based on its content on optically active constituents. The for each phytoplankton type represented in the model were made variable as a function of the type‐specific content in PPCs. By comparing model‐derived to satellite retrievals and an extensive field data set of optical and BGC observations, we concluded that photoprotective pigments content impacted significantly the contribution of the to the total non‐water absorption in the ocean. Pigment‐impacted contributed to reproduce the global variability of as well as the observed bio‐optical relationship between and chlorophyll. The improved representation of the of the phytoplankton community influenced model simulations in terms of water‐leaving radiances.

Integrative analysis in Pinus revealed long-term heat stress splicing memory.

Due to the current climate change, many studies have described main drivers in abiotic stress. Recent findings suggest that alternative splicing (AS) has a critical role in controlling plant responses to high temperature. AS is a mechanism that allows organisms to create an assortment of RNA transcripts and proteins using a single gene. However, the most important roles of AS in stress could not be rigorously addressed because research has been focused on model species, covering only a narrow phylogenetic and lifecycle spectrum. Thus, AS degree of diversification among more dissimilar taxa in heat response is still largely unknown. To fill this gap, the present study employs a systems biology approach to examine how the AS landscape responds to and 'remembers' heat stress in conifers, a group which has received little attention even though their position can solve key evolutionary questions. Contrary to angiosperms, we found that potential intron retention may not be the most prevalent type of AS. Furthermore, our integrative analysis with metabolome and proteome data places splicing as the main source of variation during the response. Finally, we evaluated possible acquired long-term splicing memory in a diverse subset of events, and although this mechanism seems to be conserved in seed plants, AS dynamics are divergent. These discoveries reveal the particular way of remembering past temperature changes in long-lived plants and open the door to include species with unique features to determine the extent of conservation in gene expression regulation.

Microdialysis of Drug and Drug Metabolite: a Comprehensive In Vitro Analysis for Voriconazole and Voriconazole N-oxide

PurposeVoriconazole is a therapeutically challenging antifungal drug associated with high interindividual pharmacokinetic variability. As a prerequisite to performing clinical trials using the minimally-invasive sampling technique microdialysis, a comprehensive in vitro microdialysis characterization of voriconazole (VRC) and its potentially toxic N-oxide metabolite (NO) was performed.MethodsThe feasibility of simultaneous microdialysis of VRC and NO was explored in vitro by investigating the relative recovery (RR) of both compounds in the absence and presence of the other. The dependency of RR on compound combination, concentration, microdialysis catheter and study day was evaluated and quantified by linear mixed-effects modeling.ResultsMedian RR of VRC and NO during individual microdialysis were high (87.6% and 91.1%). During simultaneous microdialysis of VRC and NO, median RR did not change (87.9% and 91.1%). The linear mixed-effects model confirmed the absence of significant differences between RR of VRC and NO during individual and simultaneous microdialysis as well as between the two compounds (p > 0.05). No concentration dependency of RR was found (p = 0.284). The study day was the main source of variability (46.3%) while the microdialysis catheter only had a minor effect (4.33%). VRC retrodialysis proved feasible as catheter calibration for both compounds.ConclusionThese in vitro microdialysis results encourage the application of microdialysis in clinical trials to assess target-site concentrations of VRC and NO. This can support the generation of a coherent understanding of VRC pharmacokinetics and its sources of variability. Ultimately, a better understanding of human VRC pharmacokinetics might contribute to the development of personalized dosing strategies.

Subindividual variation accounts for most of the variability in two reproductive traits in Cistusladanifer

There is increasing evidence of within species flower trait variability. In Cistus ladanifer, there is a great variation in the number of locules of the ovary (6–12). In this study, we assessed the variation in the number of ovary locules and ovule production at population, individual and intraindividual levels in 5 localities in the Madrid Region (Central Spain). We have answered the following questions: What level present larger variation? Is there a relationship between the number of ovary locules and ovule production? And if yes, does it hold across all levels? We sampled almost 500 flowers from 50 individuals for five localities. We counted the number of locules of the ovary and estimate the number of ovules per flower. The partitioning of total variation among populations, individuals and within-individuals was estimated for both variables. To analyze differences among locations, we performed general linear models. We found that within-individual variation was the main source of variation for all measured variables. Inter-individual variation was relevant only for the number of locules, and inter-population variation was almost negligible for all variables. Despite the positive correlation between the number of locules per flower and ovule production, populations with more locules did not present more ovules per flower. In summary, we found that variation in the number of locules and its relationship with ovule production is scale dependent.

Análisis cualitativo del perfil profesional del buen docente de educación secundaria

Scientific literature has shown that teacher characteristics and skills are one of the main sources of variation in students’ academic performance. This potential that teachers have in improving the quality of the education system justifies the importance of identifying the teacher-related factors that are positively related to student learning. This study aims to contribute to this purpose by analysing the professional profile of a good secondary school teacher from the perspective of students, members of school management teams, and the teachers themselves. For this purpose, a qualitative research design was es- tablished based on an analysis of the views of the participants. Five focus groups were conducted with the participation of five members of school management teams, nine teachers and nine students.Through both the a priori and inductive coding of the content of these focus groups, the professional profile of a good teacher was identified. This profile was made up of three teaching skills and seven personal skills, specified in 79 actions. The integration of all the participants’ perspectives enabled the creation of a comprehensive proposal of an effective teacher by capturing the nuances provided by each individual perspective. Based on this, new research and actions can be designed that contribute to improving the quality of initial and in-service training for secondary school teachers.

Fetlock Joint Angle Pattern and Range of Motion Quantification Using Two Synchronized Wearable Inertial Sensors per Limb in Sound Horses and Horses with Single Limb Naturally Occurring Lameness.

Simple SummaryThe incidence of disease affecting fetlock joint and associated structures is high in the equine athlete due to the large loads acting on the joint during athletic activity. Therefore, study of the movement of this joint (flexion and extension) is a significant matter of interest. To date, fetlock joint angle pattern and range of motion in horses have been quantified using optical motion capture (OMC). These systems use a number of cameras to film the subject and reconstruct the movement trajectories into a computer model. They are very accurate and precise but require expensive equipment and a laboratory setting. The use of inertial measurement unit (IMU) systems in the field of motion analysis is now widespread. IMU systems use a number of sensors in order to derive the position of the body in the space; they have the advantage of being able to collect kinematic spatio-temporal data when the animal is moving overground with fewer constraints than in a gait lab. To the authors’ best knowledge there are no studies using IMUs sensors in order to record relative fetlock joint angles in horses moving overground. In this study, we wanted first to validate the use of IMUs for kinematic detection of fetlock joint movement on the sagittal axis comparing it to the OMC. Then, we intended to discuss fetlock joint range of motion variability quantified by the IMU system under investigation in lame and sound horses. The IMU system was able to record fetlock joint range of motion just as does the bi-dimensional OMC at walk and trot, in both sound and lame horses. IMU system quantification of fetlock joint range of motion confirmed that the variability was mainly due to lameness in our population of horses. Quantifying joint angle patterns with an IMU system instead of using OMC has the advantage of furnishing real-time bio-feedback of kinematic data. The system can handle various equine gaits and clinical and training conditions outside of expensive laboratory circumstances.Fetlock joint angle (FJA) pattern is a sensitive indicator of lameness. The first aim of this study is to describe a network of inertial measurement units system (IMUs) for quantifying FJA simultaneously in all limbs. The second aim is to evaluate the accuracy of IMUs for quantifying the sagittal plane FJA overground in comparison to bi-dimensional (2-D) optical motion capture (OMC). 14 horses (7 free from lameness and 7 lame) were enrolled and analyzed with both systems at walk and trot on a firm surface. All enrolled horses were instrumented with 8 IMUs (a pair for each limb) positioned at the dorsal aspect of the metacarpal/metatarsal bone and pastern and acquiring data at 200 Hz. Passive markers were glued on the center of rotation of carpus/tarsus, fetlock, and distal interphalangeal joint, and video footages were captured at 60 Hz and digitalized for OMC acquisition. The IMU system accuracy was reported as Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Pearson Correlation Coefficient (PCC). The Granger Causality Test (GCT) and the Bland–Altman analysis were computed between the IMUs and OMC patterns to determine the agreement between the two systems. The proposed IMU system was able to provide FJAs in all limbs using a patented method for sensor calibration and related algorithms. Fetlock joint range of motion (FJROM) variability of three consecutive strides was analyzed in the population through 3-way ANOVA. FJA patterns quantified by IMUs demonstrated high accuracy at the walk (RMSE 8.23° ± 3.74°; PCC 0.95 ± 0.03) and trot (RMSE 9.44° ± 3.96°; PCC 0.96 ± 0.02) on both sound (RMSE 7.91° ± 3.19°; PCC 0.97 ± 0.03) and lame horses (RMSE 9.78° ± 4.33°; PCC 0.95 ± 0.03). The two systems’ measurements agreed (mean bias around 0) and produced patterns that were in temporal agreement in 97.33% of the cases (p < 0.01). The main source of variability between left and right FJROM in the population was the presence of lameness (p < 0.0001) and accounted for 28.46% of this total variation. IMUs system accurately quantified sagittal plane FJA at walk and trot in both sound and lame horses.

Genome-wide evaluation of copy gain and loss variations in three Afghan sheep breeds

Copy number variation (CNV) is one of the main sources of variation between different individuals that has recently attracted much researcher interest as a major source for heritable variation in complex traits. The aim of this study was to identify CNVs in Afghan indigenous sheep consisting of three Arab, Baluchi, and Gadik breeds using genomic arrays containing 53,862 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. Data were analyzed using the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) of PennCNV software. In this study, out of 45 sheep studied, 97.8% (44 animals) have shown CNVs. In total, 411 CNVs were observed for autosomal chromosomes and the entire sequence length of around 144 Mb was identified across the genome. The average number of CNVs per each sheep was 9.13. The identified CNVs for Arab, Baluchi, and Gadik breeds were 306, 62, and 43, respectively. After merging overlapped regions, a total of 376 copy number variation regions (CNVR) were identified, which are 286, 50, and 40 for Arab, Baluchi, and Gadik breeds, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to identify the genes and QTLs reported in these regions and the biochemical pathways involved by these genes. The results showed that many of these CNVRs overlapped with the genes or QTLs that are associated with various pathways such as immune system development, growth, reproduction, and environmental adaptions. Furthermore, to determine a genome-wide pattern of selection signatures in Afghan sheep breeds, the unbiased estimates of FST was calculated and the results indicated that 37 of the 376 CNVRs (~ 10%) have been also under selection signature, most of those overlapped with the genes influencing production, reproduction and immune system. Finally, the statistical methods used in this study was applied in an external dataset including 96 individuals of the Iranian sheep breed. The results indicated that 20 of the 114 CNVRs (18%) identified in Iranian sheep breed were also identified in our study, most of those overlapped with the genes influencing production, reproduction and immune system. Overall, this is the first attempts to develop the genomic map of loss and gain variation in the genome of Afghan indigenous sheep breeds, and may be important to shed some light on the genomic regions associated with some economically important traits in these breeds.

Assessment of measurement methods to characterize the producer gas from biomass gasification with steam in a fluidized bed

Measuring the producer gas from biomass gasification is very challenging and the use of several methods is required to achieve a complete characterization. Various techniques are available for these measurements, offering very different affordability or time demand requirements and the reliability of these techniques is often unknown. In this work an assessment of commonly employed measuring methods is conducted with a round robin. The main permanent gases, light hydrocarbons, tars, sulfur and nitrogen compounds were measured by several partners employing a producer gas obtained from fluidized bed gasification of wood and miscanthus with steam. Online and offline methods were used for this purpose and their accuracy, repeatability and reproducibility are here discussed. The results demonstrate the reliability of gas chromatography for measuring the main permanent gases, light hydrocarbons, benzene and H2S, validating the obtained results with other methods. An online method could also measure NH3 with a reasonable accuracy, but deviations were present for compounds at even lower concentrations. Regarding tar sampling and analysis, the main source of variability in the results was the analysis of the liquid samples, especially for heavier compounds. The presented work pointed out the need for a complementary use of several techniques to achieve a complete characterization of the producer gas from biomass gasification, and the suitability of certain online techniques as well as their limitations.

An assessment of the genetic diversity of pear (Pyrus L.) germplasm resources based on the fruit phenotypic traits

Germplasm resources are an important basis for genetic breeding and analysis of complex traits, and research on genetic diversity is conducive to the exploration and creation of new types of germplasm. In this study, the distribution frequency, coefficient of variation, Shannon–Wiener index, and variance and cluster analyses were used to analyze the diversity and trait differences of 39 fruit phenotypic traits from 570 pear accessions, which included 456 pear accessions from 11 species and 114 interspecific hybrid cultivars that had been stored in the National Germplasm Repository of Apple and Pear (Xingcheng, China). The comprehensive evaluation indices were screened by correlation, principal component and regression analyses. A total of 132 variant types were detected in 28 categorical traits of pear germplasm fruit, which indicate a rich diversity. The diversity indices in decreasing order were: fruit shape (1.949), attitude of calyx (1.908), flesh texture type (1.700), persistency of calyx (1.681), russet location (1.658), relief of area around eye basin (1.644), flavor (1.610) and ground color (1.592). The coefficient of variation of titratable acidity in the 11 numerical traits of pear germplasm fruit was as high as 128.43%, which could more effectively reflect the differences between pear accessions. The phenotypic differentiation coefficient Vst (66.4%) among the five cultivated pear species, including Pyrus bretschneideri (White Pear), P. pyrifolia (Sand Pear), P. ussuriensis (Ussurian Pear), P. sinkiangensis (Xinjiang Pear), and P. communis (European Pear), was higher than the within population phenotypic differentiation coefficient Vst (33.6%). The variation among populations was the main source of variation in pear fruit traits. A hierarchical cluster analysis divided the 389 accessions of six cultivated pear species, including P. pashia (Himalayan Pear), into six categories. There were certain characteristics within the populations, and the differences between populations were not completely clustered by region. For example, Sand Pear cultivars from Japan and the Korean Peninsula clustered together with those from China. Most of the White Pear cultivars clustered with the Sand Pear, and a few clustered with the Ussurian Pear cultivars. The Ussurian Pear and European Pear cultivars clustered separately. The Xinjiang Pear and Himalayan Pear did not cluster together, and neither did the cultivars. Seventeen traits, three describing fruit weight and edible rate (fruit diameter, fruit length and fruit core size), five describing outer quality and morphological characteristics (over color, amount of russeting, dot obviousness, fruit shape, and stalk length), and nine describing inner quality (flesh color, juiciness of flesh, aroma, flavor, flesh texture, flesh texture type, soluble solid contents, titratable acidity, and eating quality) were selected from the 39 traits by principal component and stepwise regression analyses. These 17 traits could reflect 99.3% of the total variation and can be used as a comprehensive evaluation index for pear germplasm resources.

Analysis of Genotypic and Environmental Effects on Biomass Yield, Nutritional and Antinutritional Factors in Common Vetch

Vicia sativa L. (common vetch) is an annual legume species of high economic and ecological importance which is characterized by high nutritive value for animal feeding and its ability to adapt to various edaphic–climatic conditions. However, limited information is available about genotypic and environmental effects on agronomic, nutritional, and antinutritional traits of common vetch genotypes. Thus, in the present study, four advanced breeding lines and three commercial cultivars were evaluated for yield biomass, color assessment, fiber, crude protein (CP), and polyphenols in three locations (Spata, Larissa, and Thessaloniki) for two consecutive growing seasons (2018–2019 and 2019–2020). The effects of genotype, environment and their interaction (GXE) were significant for all the studied traits. The main source of variation for yield, color, CP, and polyphenols was the environment as it explained 71.5–89.7% of the total variation, whereas for the fibers content it was the GXE interaction. On the other hand, genotype had a much smaller effect on all the traits studied (2.9–16.6%). According to GGE biplot analysis, the ‘Alexandros’ cultivar was the most high-yielding and stable, whereas ‘Leonidas’ was the best performing in terms of nutritional and antinutritional traits. However, one advanced line combined high and stable yield biomass with high nutritive value, indicating the possibility for simultaneous improvement of both features.