Late embryonic losses in supplemented grazing lactating dairy cows: Risk factors and reproductive performance

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the risk factors for late embryonic loss (LEL) in supplemented grazing dairy cows. Additional objectives were to assess the incidence of LEL and its association with the reproductive performance of cows. A data set containing productive, reproductive, and health records of 13,551 lactations was used. A retrospective case-control study involving 631 cows with LEL (cases) and 2,524 controls (4 controls per case within each study year) was run. A case of LEL was defined when the embryo had no heartbeat or there was evidence of detached membranes or floating structures including embryo remnants by ultrasonography (US) at 28 to 42 d post-artificial insemination (AI), whereas a non-case was defined as a cow diagnosed with positive pregnancy by US 28 to 42 d post-AI and reconfirmed as pregnant 90 ± 7 d post-AI. Four controls per case were randomly selected from the non-cases with a temporal matching criterion (±3 d around the date of the fecundating AI of the case). Multivariable logistic models were offered with the following predictors: year of LEL (2011 through 2015), season of LEL (summer vs. fall vs. winter vs. spring), parity (1 vs. 2 vs. ≥3), uterine disease (UD), non-uterine disease (NUD), body condition score at parturition, body condition score at 28 to 42 d post-AI (BCS-LEL), days in milk (DIM), and daily milk yield (MY). Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05 and a tendency was set at P ≤ 0.10. We found that 4.7, 22, and 23% of cows had LEL, UD, and NUD, respectively. Cases tended to have higher daily MY than controls (32.5 vs. 31.8 kg); also, cases had much longer calving to pregnancy interval (226 vs. 118 d), lower hazard of pregnancy [hazard ratio = 0.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.35–0.43], and higher odds for non-pregnancy [odds ratio (OR) = 2.89, 95% CI = 2.37–3.54] than controls. We found that the odds for LEL increased with parity number (OR = 2.48, 95% CI = 1.99–3.08 for parity ≥3) and with BCS-LEL <2.50 (OR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.33–2.47). Conversely, the odds for LEL decreased with BCS-LEL >3.00 (OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.53–0.91). The odds for LEL increased with UD (OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.01–1.49), NUD (OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.01–1.54), DIM (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.00–1.05), and daily MY (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.04–1.25) in univariable models only. Finally, the odds for LEL were not associated with year, season, DIM, and body condition score at parturition. In conclusion, LEL is associated with extended calving to pregnancy interval, and among its risk factors are parity number and BCS-LEL.     

基于神经动力学的轮式移动机器人跟踪与稳定统一控制

为了对轮式移动机器人(WMR)进行光滑、鲁棒、稳定的轨迹跟踪控制,分析了生物激励神经动力学原理,研究了非线性模型预测控制策略,提出了一种基于神经动力学思想的模型预测终端控制方法。首先,针对传统控制方法存在的初始速度跳变问题,利用神经动力学在信息处理方面的优良特性,设计了神经动力学控制模块;然后,根据模型预测控制原理给出了一个优化控制模块;最后,设计了终端域和线性反馈终端控制器来保证系统的全局渐近稳定性。仿真结果表明:利用所设计的控制方法进行曲线跟踪时,被控WMR系统收敛到参考轨迹的时间可从12s降到5s,初始线速度/角速度分别从[-3,4]m/s和[-5,6]rad/s缩小到[0,2]m/s和[-3,3]rad/s,且系统输出有界光滑,使WMR在完成轨迹跟踪的同时实现了全局渐进稳定。由于文中核心算法的推导过程不受WMR运动学模型限制,故该研究结论亦可应用于其他结构的移动机器人。     

Inference of gene regulation via miRNAs during ES cell differentiation using MiRaGE method

MicroRNA (miRNA) is a critical regulator of cell growth, differentiation, and development. To identify important miRNAs in a biological process, many bioinformatical tools have been developed. We have developed MiRaGE (MiRNA Ranking by Gene Expression) method to infer the regulation of gene expression by miRNAs from changes of gene expression profiles. The method does not require precedent array normalization. We applied the method to elucidate possibly important miRNAs during embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation to neuronal cells and we infer that certain miRNAs, including miR-200 family, miR-429, miR-302 family, and miR-17-92 cluster members may be important to the maintenance of undifferentiated status in ES cells.     

The Key Enzyme of the Sialic Acid Metabolism Is Involved in Embryoid Body Formation and Expression of Marker Genes of Germ Layer Formation

The bi-functional enzyme UDP-N-acetyl-2-epimerase/N-acetylmannosamine kinase (GNE) is the key enzyme of the sialic acid biosynthesis. Sialic acids are negatively charged nine carbon amino sugars and are found on most glycoproteins and many glycolipids in terminal positions, where they are involved in a variety of biological important molecular interactions. Inactivation of the GNE by homologous recombination results in early embryonic lethality in mice. Here, we report that GNE-deficient embryonic stem cells express less differentiation markers compared to wild-type embryonic stem cells. As a result, GNE-deficient embryonic stem cells fail to form proper embryoid bodies (EB) within the first day of culture. However, when culturing these cells in the presence of sialic acids for three days, also GNE-deficient embryonic stem cells form normal EBs. In contrast, when culturing these cells in sialic acid reduced medium, GNE-deficient embryonic stem cells proliferate faster and form larger EBs without any change in the expression of markers of the germ layers.     

从细胞核移植技术到治疗性克隆与去衰老克隆的研究进展

从1997年多莉羊诞生后,又相继出现了人类胚胎干细胞系培养技术和器官重建技术,这些技术的发展为治疗性克隆与去衰老克隆的发展提供了可能。本文综述了从细胞核移植技术到治疗性克隆与去衰老克隆的研究进展。