Line Matching Research Articles

Evaluation of the Growth Performance and Meat Quality of Different F1 Crosses of Tengchong Snow and Xichou Black Bone Chicken Breeds

Unlike other chicken breeds, Xichuan Black Bone (XBB) chickens are an established breed in China with excellent production performance and unique characteristics, including black meat, beaks, skin, bones, and legs, and they produce blue-shelled eggs. The Tengchong Snow (TS) chicken breed has relatively lower growth performance than commercial breeds but is considered one of the main genetic treasures of black meat in China. To improve the production and meat quality traits of the TS chickens by hybridization, the current study aimed to investigate the growth performance, carcass indices, meat quality physical properties, and muscle fiber traits of fiber traits of F1 crosses of TS with XBB chickens. Three groups of crossbreeding combinations were produced: (1) XT group (XBB × TS ), (2) TX group (TS × XBB ), and (3) TT group (TS × TS ), with the TT group used as a control. A total of 725 healthy chicks (XT group: 247, TX group: 180, TT group: 298) were reared up to 20 weeks of age to estimate the growth performance and associated meat parameters. The results showed that the XT and TX groups had higher body weight and body size compared with the TT group (p < 0.05). Similarly, breast width, breast length, width of body, and carcass weights were also greater (p < 0.05) in the XT and TX groups compared with the TT group. Meat physical properties, including color, water-holding capacity, and tenderness, were improved (p < 0.05) for the XT and TX group compared to the TT group. The XT group had the better color of the leg muscles with the unique orientation of muscle fibers. Based on the results, the XT group is more in line with the future breeding direction as they have greater body weight, larger size, and lower abdominal fat. This study is a baseline technical reference for the protection, evaluation, and utilization of germplasm resources of Tengchong Snow chicken for screening the best matching lines and combinations with local chickens.

APOBEC family reshapes the immune microenvironment and therapy sensitivity in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Emerging evidence suggests that the APOBEC family is implicated in multiple cancers and might be utilized as a new target for cancer detection and treatment. However, the dysregulation and clinical implication of the APOBEC family in clear cell renal cell cancer (ccRCC) remain elusive. TCGA multiomics data facilitated a comprehensive exploration of the APOBEC family across cancers, including ccRCC. Remodeling analysis classified ccRCC patients into two distinct subgroups: APOBEC family pattern cancer subtype 1 (APCS1) and subtype 2 (APCS2). The study investigated differences in clinical parameters, tumor immune microenvironment, therapeutic responsiveness, and genomic mutation landscapes between these subtypes. An APOBEC family-related risk model was developed and validated for predicting ccRCC patient prognosis, demonstrating good sensitivity and specificity. Finally, the overview of APOBEC3B function was investigated in multiple cancers and verified in clinical samples. APCS1 and APCS2 demonstrated considerably distinct clinical features and biological processes in ccRCC. APCS1, an aggressive subtype, has advanced clinical stage and a poor prognosis. APCS1 exhibited an oncogenic and metabolically active phenotype. APCS1 also exhibited a greater tumor mutation load and immunocompromised condition, resulting in immunological dysfunction and immune checkpoint treatment resistance. The genomic copy number variation of APCS1, including arm gain and loss, was much more than that of APCS2, which may help explain the tired immune system. Furthermore, the two subtypes have distinct drug sensitivity patterns in clinical specimens and matching cell lines. Finally, we developed a predictive risk model based on subtype biomarkers that performed well for ccRCC patients and validated the clinical impact of APOBEC3B. Aberrant APOBEC family expression patterns might modify the tumor immune microenvironment by increasing the genome mutation frequency, thus inducing an immune-exhausted phenotype. APOBEC family-based molecular subtypes could strengthen the understanding of ccRCC characterization and guide clinical treatment. Targeting APOBEC3B may be regarded as a new therapeutic target for ccRCC.

Identification of transcription factor co-binding patterns with non-negative matrix factorization.

Transcription factor (TF) binding to DNA is critical to transcription regulation. Although the binding properties of numerous individual TFs are well-documented, a more detailed comprehension of how TFs interact cooperatively with DNA is required. We present COBIND, a novel method based on non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) to identify TF co-binding patterns automatically. COBIND applies NMF to one-hot encoded regions flanking known TF binding sites (TFBSs) to pinpoint enriched DNA patterns at fixed distances. We applied COBIND to 5699 TFBS datasets from UniBind for 401 TFs in seven species. The method uncovered already established co-binding patterns and new co-binding configurations not yet reported in the literature and inferred through motif similarity and protein-protein interaction knowledge. Our extensive analyses across species revealed that 67% of the TFs shared a co-binding motif with other TFs from the same structural family. The co-binding patterns captured by COBIND are likely functionally relevant as they harbor higher evolutionarily conservation than isolated TFBSs. Open chromatin data from matching human cell lines further supported the co-binding predictions. Finally, we used single-molecule footprinting data from mouse embryonic stem cells to confirm that the COBIND-predicted co-binding events associated with some TFs likely occurred on the same DNA molecules.

Vision-Based Algorithm for Precise Traffic Sign and Lane Line Matching in Multi-Lane Scenarios

With the rapid development of intelligent transportation systems, lane detection and traffic sign recognition have become critical technologies for achieving full autonomous driving. These technologies offer crucial real-time insights into road conditions, with their precision and resilience being paramount to the safety and dependability of autonomous vehicles. This paper introduces an innovative method for detecting and recognizing multi-lane lines and intersection stop lines using computer vision technology, which is integrated with traffic signs. In the image preprocessing phase, the Sobel edge detection algorithm and weighted filtering are employed to eliminate noise and interference information in the image. For multi-lane lines and intersection stop lines, detection and recognition are implemented using a multi-directional and unilateral sliding window search, as well as polynomial fitting methods, from a bird’s-eye view. This approach enables the determination of both the lateral and longitudinal positioning on the current road, as well as the sequencing of the lane number for each lane. This paper utilizes convolutional neural networks to recognize multi-lane traffic signs. The required dataset of multi-lane traffic signs is created following specific experimental parameters, and the YOLO single-stage target detection algorithm is used for training the weights. In consideration of the impact of inadequate lighting conditions, the V channel within the HSV color space is employed to assess the intensity of light, and the SSR algorithm is utilized to process images that fail to meet the threshold criteria. In the detection and recognition stage, each lane sign on the traffic signal is identified and then matched with the corresponding lane on the ground. Finally, a visual module joint experiment is conducted to verify the effectiveness of the algorithm.

In vivo cisplatin-resistant neuroblastoma metastatic model reveals tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 4 (TNFRSF4) as an independent prognostic factor of survival in neuroblastoma.

Neuroblastoma is the most common solid extracranial tumour in children. Despite major advances in available therapies, children with drug-resistant and/or recurrent neuroblastoma have a dismal outlook with 5-year survival rates of less than 20%. Therefore, tackling relapsed tumour biology by developing and characterising clinically relevant models is a priority in finding targetable vulnerability in neuroblastoma. Using matched cisplatin-sensitive KellyLuc and resistant KellyCis83Luc cell lines, we developed a cisplatin-resistant metastatic MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma model. The average number of metastases per mouse was significantly higher in the KellyCis83Luc group than in the KellyLuc group. The vast majority of sites were confirmed as having lymph node metastasis. Their stiffness characteristics of lymph node metastasis values were within the range reported for the patient samples. Targeted transcriptomic profiling of immuno-oncology genes identified tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 4 (TNFRSF4) as a significantly dysregulated MYCN-independent gene. Importantly, differential TNFRSF4 expression was identified in tumour cells rather than lymphocytes. Low TNFRSF4 expression correlated with poor prognostic indicators in neuroblastoma, such as age at diagnosis, stage, and risk stratification and significantly associated with reduced probability of both event-free and overall survival in neuroblastoma. Therefore, TNFRSF4 Low expression is an independent prognostic factor of survival in neuroblastoma.

Construction and Identification of a Human Colorectal Adenoma Epithelial Cell Line by SV40 Large T-Antigen Transfection.

Colorectal adenoma represents the critical step in the development of colorectal cancer. The establishment of an immortalized epithelial cell line of colorectal adenoma of human origin would provide a tool for studying the mechanism of precancerous lesions, screening the efficacy of novel drugs, and constructing in vivo disease models. Currently, there is no commercially available stable supply of epithelial cells from precancerous lesions. This study aimed to establish a natural LHPP low-expressing precancerous epithelial cell line by SV40-LT antigen gene transfection. Simian vacuolating virus 40(SV40), SV40-LT overexpressed lentivirus vector, was transfected into primary human colorectal adenomatous polyp epithelial cells. The transfected cells were screened, and the screened cells were amplified to obtain the epithelial cell line: IHCRA- CELL. The cells were identified by morphological observation, cell proliferation, Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), and Short Tandem Repeats (STR) experiments. Morphologically, the cells showed epithelial-like characteristics, such as polygon shape, desmosomes mitochondria, and strong positive keratin staining. There was no significant difference between the transfected cells and the primary cells. Through the STR identification experiment, no matching cell lines were found in the cell lines retrieval. We successfully established a natural LHPP low-expressing precancerous epithelial cell line by SV40-LT antigen gene transfection, which has been patented and is now preserved in the Chinese Typical Culture Preservation Center. It was verified that the transformed cells maintained the phenotype and biological characteristics of epithelial cells. This cell line can be used to study the mechanism of precancerous lesions, screen the efficacy of novel drugs, and construct in vivo disease models.

#2485 CellMatchR—RNA-seq based matching of kidney cell lines to kidney reference cell types

Abstract Background and Aims Cultured kidney cell lines are broadly used to model the physiology and pathophysiology of the kidney. Due to immortalization, passaging and culture conditions, a cell line's gene expression profile might differ greatly from the primary cells it was originally derived from. This might be further enhanced by experimental treatments with compounds or genetic modifications. It is therefore a relevant question if a given cell culture system is still the appropriate model for a certain disease or scientific investigations. Reasoning that RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) based transcriptomes are generated as part of many experimental setups and hence may be used to address this question, we developed and tested an RNA-seq based approach, CellMatchR. This approach matches kidney cell lines, primary cells and even tissue specimen to known kidney reference cell types to determine which primary kidney cell type is the most similar and to what degree global gene expression or the expression of selected marker genes differs. Method CellMatchR uses published murine and human kidney single cell- and tubule-level transcriptomic datasets from healthy mice and human donors as references. Single cell datasets were further processed to pseudobulk references for each of the contained cell types. Then RNA-seq data from cell lines or tissues of interest (test data) was compared to the reference (pseudo)bulk data with Spearman correlations of gene counts-per-million values (CPM) or Euclidean distance using log-transformed CPM values. Both approaches were systematically tested for various combinations of test and reference datasets across different species and using global gene expression (i.e. all genes measured in reference and test datasets) and a set of 315 manually curated, kidney cell type marker genes. Results We sequentially used different kidney tissue types, primary cells and cell lines as positive controls and matched them to our reference datasets. Spearman correlations of gene expression rankings showed the highest correlation coefficients with biologically correct reference cell types (examples in Fig. 1A-C). We found Spearman correlations to be superior to Euclidean distances as method of comparison. Analyses based on global gene expression compared to our curated set of 315 kidney cell type marker genes yielded similar results. Notably, correlation coefficients were higher and showed less variation between reference cell types when using the global gene set. Matchings across species, i.e. using murine test and human reference data or vice versa still yielded mostly correct results. However, correlation coefficients were generally lower (i.e. rho = 0.9 vs. 0.6) and varied more across reference datasets if comparisons were performed across species. Using published RNA-seq data for different cell lines of the proximal tubule (e.g. human HK-2 and opossum OKH cells) we observed low similarities with proximal tubule cells (Fig. 1D), whereas two tested cell lines of the collecting duct (mIMCD-3 and mpkCCD cells) plausibly showed the highest similarity to medullary cell types like collecting duct and Loop of Henle cells. The most similar reference cell types did not change in mIMCD-3 cells when kept in 2-dimensional vs. 3-dimensional culture conditions, and in mpkCCD cells when the osmolality of the culture medium was changed from 300 to 600 mosmol/kg. Also, a Pkd1 knockout in mIMCD-3 cells did not change the most similar reference cell type in our analyses (Fig. 1E and F). Conclusion Our CellMatchR approach uses publicly available kidney single cell and bulk RNA-seq datasets and combines these with simple, computationally fast yet effective statistical methods to determine similarities of kidney cell lines and tissue samples to reference cell types of interest. It can easily be implemented by trained users or integrated into online resources for usage with a visual interface. It relies on RNA-seq data from the cell lines of interest and hence presents a feasible complementary method to check the general similarity of cell culture models to kidney cell types and assess their stability across experimental conditions.

Activation of the Anaphase Promoting Complex Restores Impaired Mitotic Progression and Chemosensitivity in Multiple Drug-Resistant Human Breast Cancer.

The development of multiple-drug-resistant (MDR) cancer all too often signals the need for toxic alternative therapy or palliative care. Our recent in vivo and in vitro studies using canine MDR lymphoma cancer cells demonstrate that the Anaphase Promoting Complex (APC) is impaired in MDR cells compared to normal canine control and drug-sensitive cancer cells. Here, we sought to establish whether this phenomena is a generalizable mechanism independent of species, malignancy type, or chemotherapy regime. To test the association of blunted APC activity with MDR cancer behavior, we used matched parental and MDR MCF7 human breast cancer cells, and a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model of human triple-negative breast cancer. We show that APC activating mechanisms, such as APC subunit 1 (APC1) phosphorylation and CDC27/CDC20 protein associations, are reduced in MCF7 MDR cells when compared to chemo-sensitive matched cell lines. Consistent with impaired APC function in MDR cells, APC substrate proteins failed to be effectively degraded. Similar to our previous observations in canine MDR lymphoma cells, chemical activation of the APC using Mad2 Inhibitor-1 (M2I-1) in MCF7 MDR cells enhanced APC substrate degradation and resensitized MDR cells in vitro to the cytotoxic effects of the alkylating chemotherapeutic agent, doxorubicin (DOX). Using cell cycle arrest/release experiments, we show that mitosis is delayed in MDR cells with elevated substrate levels. When pretreated with M2I-1, MDR cells progress through mitosis at a faster rate that coincides with reduced levels of APC substrates. In our PDX model, mice growing a clinically MDR human triple-negative breast cancer tumor show significantly reduced tumor growth when treated with M2I-1, with evidence of increased DNA damage and apoptosis. Thus, our results strongly support the hypothesis that APC impairment is a driver of aggressive tumor development and that targeting the APC for activation has the potential for meaningful clinical benefits in treating recurrent cases of MDR malignancy.

The One-Point-One-Line geometry for robust and efficient line segment correspondence

Three-dimensional (3D) lines are common elements in artificial scenes and serve as basic, yet essential features for structural 3D reconstruction. The crucial step of 3D line reconstruction, namely two-view line segment matching, still faces challenges in terms of both accuracy and efficiency improvements. Therefore, robust and efficient constraints are needed to establish valid line candidates. This paper introduces a novel geometry constraint called “one-point-one-line geometry” (OPOL) to enhance the precision of line matching and reduce computational complexity. OPOL offers two remarkable advantages: (1) It takes point orientations as the constraint, which is not only invariant to projective transformations, but also alleviates computational requirements. (2) It needs only one point match to construct the geometry constraint, thus both the grouping and validation are greatly reduced. Additionally, we incorporate the line sweep strategy into OPOL, leveraging depth and space constraints derived from existing 3D points to further enhance efficiency. Extensive experiments conducted on large-coverage and high-resolution images (as large as 10336 × 7788 pixels) demonstrated that OPOL matched lines within a second for an image pair. Both quantitative and qualitative results also demonstrated the superior accuracy and efficiency performance of OPOL. We integrated OPOL into multiple view line reconstruction frameworks, and the promising experimental results reveal the performance of OPOL for robust line reconstruction. The OPOL code is publicly available at https://github.com/JoeAlexxxxx/OPOL.

LRPL-VIO: A Lightweight and Robust Visual-Inertial Odometry with Point and Line Features.

Visual-inertial odometry (VIO) algorithms, fusing various features such as points and lines, are able to improve their performance in challenging scenes while the running time severely increases. In this paper, we propose a novel lightweight point-line visual-inertial odometry algorithm to solve this problem, called LRPL-VIO. Firstly, a fast line matching method is proposed based on the assumption that the photometric values of endpoints and midpoints are invariant between consecutive frames, which greatly reduces the time consumption of the front end. Then, an efficient filter-based state estimation framework is designed to finish information fusion (point, line, and inertial). Fresh measurements of line features with good tracking quality are selected for state estimation using a unique feature selection scheme, which improves the efficiency of the proposed algorithm. Finally, validation experiments are conducted on public datasets and in real-world tests to evaluate the performance of LRPL-VIO and the results show that we outperform other state-of-the-art algorithms especially in terms of speed and robustness.

Study of the transfer and matching line for a PWFA-driven FEL

The development of compact accelerator facilities providing high-brightness beams is one of the most challenging tasks in the field of next-generation compact and cost affordable particle accelerators. Recent results obtained at SPARC_LAB show evidence of the FEL laser by a compact (3 cm) particle driven plasma-based accelerator. This work is carried out in the framework of the SPARC_LAB activities concerning the R&D on plasma wakefield accelerators for the realization of new compact plasma based facilities, i.e EuPRAXIA@SPARC_LAB. The work here presented is a theoretical study demonstrating a possible scheme concerning the implementation of an innovative array of discharge capillaries, operating as active-plasma lenses, and one collimator to build an unconventional transport line for bunches outgoing from plasma accelerating module. Taking advantage of the symmetric and linear focusing provided by an active-plasma lens, the witness is captured and transported along the array without affecting its quality at the exit of the plasma module. At the same time the driver, being over-focused in the same array, can be removed by means of a collimator.

Rotating 3D laser mapping system for multi-rotor drones

Accurate positional estimation is an essential prerequisite for the regular operation of an autonomous rotary-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). However, the field of view (FOV) limitation problem of lidar makes it more challenging to locate the rotary-wing UAV in an unknown environment. To address rotor drones with an insufficient FOV and the observation blindness of lidar in complex environments, this paper designs a rotorcraft UAV system based on rotating 3D lidar and proposes a simultaneous localization and mapping algorithm for rotating 3D lidar. The algorithm distinguishes between planar and edge features based on the curvature value of the point cloud first. Then, to reduce the impact caused by the UAV motion and lidar rotation, messages about the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and real-time rotation angles are used to compensate for these motions twice, while the IMU measurements are used for state prediction, and the error-sate iterative extended Kalman filter is used to update the residuals after matching line and surface features with sub-map. Finally, Smoother high-rate odometer data was obtained through IMU pre-integration and a first-order low-pass filter. The experimental results show that the proposed rotating lidar unit in indoor and outdoor conditions makes the rotorcraft UAV have a larger FOV, which not only improves the environmental perception capability and positional estimation accuracy of the rotorcraft but enhances the positioning reliability and flight stability of the rotorcraft UAV in complex environments.

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Identifies Desmoglein-3 as a Potential Oncogene in Oral Cancer Cells.

The role of desmoglein-3 (DSG3) in oncogenesis is unclear. This study aimed to uncover molecular mechanisms through comparative transcriptome analysis in oral cancer cells, defining potential key genes and associated biological processes related to DSG3 expression. Four mRNA libraries of oral squamous carcinoma H413 cell lines were sequenced, and 599 candidate genes exhibited differential expression between DSG3-overexpressing and matched control lines, with 12 genes highly significantly differentially expressed, including 9 upregulated and 3 downregulated. Genes with known implications in cancer, such as MMP-13, KRT84, OLFM4, GJA1, AMOT and ADAMTS1, were strongly linked to DSG3 overexpression. Gene ontology analysis indicated that the DSG3-associated candidate gene products participate in crucial cellular processes such as junction assembly, focal adhesion, extracellular matrix formation, intermediate filament organisation and keratinocyte differentiation. Validation of RNA-Seq was performed through RT-qPCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescence analyses. Furthermore, using transmission electron microscopy, we meticulously examined desmosome morphology and revealed a slightly immature desmosome structure in DSG3-overexpressing cells compared to controls. No changes in desmosome frequency and diameter were observed between the two conditions. This study underscores intricate and multifaceted alterations associated with DSG3 in oral squamous carcinoma cells, implying a potential oncogenic role of this gene in biological processes that enable cell communication, motility and survival.

EXTH-12. CYTOCHROME C OXIDASE SUBUNIT 4 ISOFORM 1 MEDIATES ONCOLYTIC HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS-1 EFFICACY IN HIGH-GRADE GLIOMA

Abstract RATIONALE Outcomes for patients with high-grade glioma (HGG) are dismal despite standard of care surgical resection, radiation, and temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy. RESULTS from our Phase I trial of pediatric patients with recurrent HGG suggest oncolytic herpes simplex virus-1 (oHSV) is safe with promising efficacy. However, optimization of oHSV therapy is needed to achieve more durable responses. Based on our prior work with matched pair HGG cell lines and patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) with and without acquired TMZ resistance, oHSV efficacy is enhanced in TMZ-resistant cells with no difference in oHSV entry receptor (CD111) expression. Microarray transcriptomic data of four PDXs with and without TMZ resistance revealed downregulation of interferon (IFN) responses. Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 4 isoform 1 (COX4I1) is expressed in recurrent HGG samples and cell lines. While COX4I1 positively regulates influenza virus replication, no study has investigated the role of COX4I1 in mediating oncolytic virotherapy efficacy. HYPOTHESIS We hypothesized that COX4I1 expression mediates HGG sensitivity to oHSV through suppression of IFN signaling. METHODS Using previously published models, oHSV cytotoxicity was assessed in vitro using Alamar Blue and CellTiter-Glo assays. oHSV infectivity and CD111 protein expression was assessed by flow cytometry. COX4I1 protein expression was measured by immunoblot. mRNA expression of IFN-stimulated genes was assessed by qPCR. RESULTS COX4I1 overexpression increased oHSV cytotoxicity and infectivity compared to empty vector controls. Short hairpin RNA knockdown of COX4I1 decreased oHSV cytotoxicity and infectivity in TMZ-resistant cells compared to pLKO controls. IFN-stimulated genes IFNB1, TMEM173, DDX58, IFIH1, and OAS1 were all significantly decreased in COX4I1 overexpressing cells and TMZ-resistant cells compared to parental lines. CONCLUSIONS Overexpression of COX4I1 sensitizes HGG cells to oHSV, and COX4I1 knockdown de-sensitizes TMZ-resistant HGG cells to oHSV, suggesting a novel role of COX4I1 in mediating HGG sensitivity to oHSV.

The Plumb-Line Matching Algorithm for UAV Oblique Photographic Photos

Building facades has always been a challenge for feature matching in oblique photogrammetry due to weak textures, non-Lambertian objects, severe occlusion, and distortion. Plumb lines are essential building geometry structural feature lines in building facades, which show strong spatial relevance to these problems. Achieving plumb line matching has great application potential for optimizing the process and products of oblique photogrammetry. Thus, we proposed a novel matching algorithm for plumb lines based on spatial and color hybrid constraints according to its central projection imaging characteristics. Firstly, based on vanishing point theory, the plumb lines from photos were back-calculated to determine the matching target set; secondly, the property of its large elevation ranges was exploited to calculate the homonymous points as spatial constraints by projecting plumb lines onto the stratified spatial planes; thirdly, the neighboring primary colors on both sides of the plumb lines were extracted as feature descriptors and compared by colorimetry; then, the greedy strategy was employed to successively filter out the locally optimal solutions satisfying the spatial and color hybrid constraints to complete the initial matching; finally, the intersection-over-union analysis of the solution plane and the verticalness evaluation of the matching results were implemented to eliminate errors. The results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve an average accuracy of 97.29% and 78.41% in the forward and lateral overlap experiments from multi-scenes, respectively, displaying a strong adaptability to poor texture, inconsistency, and distortion. In conclusion, thanks to the plumb-line-oriented matching strategy, this algorithm owns inherent advantages in theory and computational complexity. It is suitable for all building-oriented oblique photogrammetry tasks and is highly worthy of promotion and application.

Profound N-glycan remodelling accompanies MHC-II immunopeptide presentation.

Immunopeptidomics, the study of peptide antigens presented on the cell surface by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), offers insights into how our immune system recognises self/non-self in health and disease. We recently discovered that hyper-processed (remodelled) N-glycans are dominant features decorating viral spike immunopeptides presented via MHC-class II (MHC-II) molecules by dendritic cells pulsed with SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, but it remains unknown if endogenous immunopeptides also undergo N-glycan remodelling. Taking a multi-omics approach, we here interrogate published MHC-II immunopeptidomics datasets of cultured monocyte-like (THP-1) and breast cancer-derived (MDA-MB-231) cell lines for overlooked N-glycosylated peptide antigens, which we compare to their source proteins in the cellular glycoproteome using proteomics and N-glycomics data from matching cell lines. Hyper-processed chitobiose core and paucimannosidic N-glycans alongside under-processed oligomannosidic N-glycans were found to prevalently modify MHC-II-bound immunopeptides isolated from both THP-1 and MDA-MB-231, while complex/hybrid-type N-glycans were (near-)absent in the immunopeptidome as supported further by new N-glycomics data generated from isolated MHC-II-bound peptides derived from MDA-MB-231 cells. Contrastingly, the cellular proteomics and N-glycomics data from both cell lines revealed conventional N-glycosylation rich in complex/hybrid-type N-glycans, which, together with the identification of key lysosomal glycosidases, suggest that MHC-II peptide antigen processing is accompanied by extensive N-glycan trimming. N-glycan remodelling appeared particularly dramatic for cell surface-located glycoproteins while less remodelling was observed for lysosomal-resident glycoproteins. Collectively, our findings indicate that both under- and hyper-processed N-glycans are prevalent features of endogenous MHC-II immunopeptides, an observation that demands further investigation to enable a better molecular-level understanding of immune surveillance.

Study on a curvature compensation method for improving the end face matching of large-segment steel box girders during full-span erection

As precast segments are increasingly preferred for bridge construction owing to their efficiency and environmentally benign attributes, this study aims to enhance the end face matching technology for large-segment steel box girders. The curvature compensation method, which is a form of extension of the elevation compensation for pre-camber setting, is proposed based on the unstressed geometry of the steel box girder. It is found that the curvature compensation is equivalent to the end face angle compensation of segments if the construction technology of “combining several straight lines into a curve” is adopted. Three practical formulas for calculating curvature compensation angles are derived, namely, the moment method, intersection angle secant method, and incremental moment method, and theoretical values of the errors caused by using matching line shape calculation are provided. Furthermore, considering the specific continuous bridge with large-segment steel box girders in the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Channel as a case study, the calculation results of manufacturing parameters, matching line shapes, and end matching are presented. The findings indicate that the curvature compensation angle's maximum error reaches 55.7 % when calculated conservatively using erection geometry, while the manufacturing geometry's maximum error reaches 4.84 cm if the curvature compensation angle is disregarded. The results of on-site monitoring show that the curvature compensation method proposed in this study is able to provide the continuous fabrication geometry and achieve the perfect matching of end faces of neighbouring large-segment steel box girders.

Where Are Landscape Designers' Spatial Abilities in the Brain? An fMRI Study

Background and objective: To effectively understand and communicate their work, landscape designers should possess excellent spatial abilities. Neurological methods have confirmed that activation of the occipital lobe, parietal cortex, and prefrontal cortex affect the judgment of space; however, few studies have measured spatial abilities in landscape design. This study aimed to identify the potential role of various brain regions during spatial interpretation processes by landscape designers, particularly the effect of stimulating the frontal lobe on enhancing design capabilities.Methods: This study tested the spatial abilities of landscape designers when transforming a planar drawing into a sectional drawing and the brain regions activated in this process. The subjects were asked to identify the correct option when matching given section lines in a planar drawing. The correct answer rate and response time were used to score brain activation during spatial task processes. A total of 16 valid subjects were divided into high- and low-accuracy groups according to the correct answer rate.Results: The results for the high-accuracy group showed that the left inferior frontal gyrus was activated during spatial design tasks. In contrast, the findings for the low-accuracy group revealed that the left middle occipital gyrus was activated for processing visual information.Conclusion: The findings suggest that the frontal lobe plays a role in allowing landscape designers to make planar to cross-sectional inferences via mental rotations and categorical spatial relations. The findings offer implications for landscape designers in stimulating the frontal lobe and enhancing their design capabilities.

Design of 2.45GHz Circularly Polarized Tag Antenna

This paper presents the design and development of a circularly polarized (CP) tag antenna to overcome the polarization mismatch between the reader antenna and the tag antenna in RFID systems. This CP antenna is designed at 2.4 GHz for radio frequency identification (RFID) applications. It consists of a simple square loop loaded with an open gap, two feeding strips, and a matching stub. The antenna is fabricated on an FR4 substrate with a dielectric constant of 4.4, a dielectric loss tangent of 0.02, and a thickness of 0.8mm. In order to achieve conjugate matching between the circular tag antenna and the tag chip, the technique of loading a matching short line on the tag chip was used. Additionally, the radiation of circular polarization (CP) was achieved by placing an open gap and two feeding strips on the square loop. Through electromagnetic simulation analysis, the antenna performance is evaluated. The reflection coefficient (S11) at 2.45 GHz is measured to be - 17.16db, indicating good impedance matching. The 3 dB axial ratio bandwidth is 0.19 GHz (7.7%), covering the frequency range of 2.34 GHz to 2.53 GHz. The 10db power reflection bandwidth is approximately 8.9% (2.33 GHz to 2.55 GHz), ensuring broad operational bandwidth. The antenna also exhibits a favorable antenna gain of 2.29dBi. This study successfully demonstrates the design and performance evaluation of a CP tag antenna for RFID applications

Processing and interpretation of seismic reflection data from the Los Humeros super-hot geothermal system

The Los Humeros volcanic complex is a geothermal field in Mexico that is now being further investigated as a candidate for the development of a super-hot geothermal system, as it has a temperature of over 350 ∘C. The European Horizon 2020 project GEMex (2016–2020) worked in this context aiming to characterize the geological and geophysical aspects of the area to assess the feasibility of a super-hot geothermal system. We describe the results of time and depth processing and interpretation of legacy 2D reflection seismic lines acquired in 1998 to study the deep structures of the caldera in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. The study is relevant for the geophysical characterization of the subsurface in this area, where no vertical seismic profiles are available but only two short sonic well logs. The interpretation of selected seismic horizons in the seismic depth profiles was first determined by the local geological model of the curved caldera and then calibrated by the stratigraphy of the boreholes and the matching of the 2D seismic lines crossing points. The processing outcomes are depth-migrated profiles, the corresponding P-wave velocities and the updated geological models. The main results are the representation of the basement and the identification of the structural make-up of the main units with some of the main faults of the collapsed caldera. Our results provide new insights into the subsurface geometry of volcanic collapses and the geothermal field contained within them at the caldera scale.