Browse Articles
Discover research articles across all indexed journals
Beyond the host: Unveiling the independent microbiome of equine gastrointestinal nematodes
Gastrointestinal nematode infections significantly impact equine health and welfare, with rising anthelmintic resistance demanding alternative control strategies. Emerging evidence suggests that parasitic nematodes harbour distinct microbiomes, potentially influencing host-parasite dynamics and parasite survival. This study aimed to characterize and compare the microbiomes of equine gastrointestinal nematodes and their hosts, focusing on differences in composition, diversity, and core microbiota structure across different intestinal sites, nematode subfamilies, and sexes. Faecal and nematode samples were collected from equids ( Equus caballus and Equus asinus ) at slaughterhouses. DNA was extracted, and the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene were amplified and sequenced using the Illumina iSeq 100 platform. Bioinformatic analyses were performed with QIIME2 and MicrobiomeAnalyst, and statistical comparisons employed PERMANOVA, LEfSe, and alpha and beta diversity metrics. Nematodes exhibited a distinct microbiome dominated by Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, Verrucomicrobiota, and Actinobacteriota, differing significantly from the faecal microbiota. Alpha diversity analyses revealed lower richness in nematodes, while beta diversity indicated distinct community structures (p = 0.007). Microbial composition varied by gastrointestinal site, nematode subfamily, and sex. Proteobacteria were consistently enriched in nematodes, particularly in the caecum. Core microbiome analysis identified exclusive nematode-associated taxa such as Fusobacterium , Mesorhizobium , and Mycoplasma . Equine gastrointestinal nematodes harbour independent and structured microbiomes, distinct from those of their hosts. These findings underscore the ecological specialization of nematodes and highlight the potential of targeting parasite-associated microbiota for novel control strategies.
Permeable intimate membrane electrode interface with optimized micro-environment for CO2 electroreduction in pure water
Hybrid meta heuristic and fuzzy impedance method for fast fault location in power system lines
Reducing OGT and O-GlcNAcylation enhance the anticancer effects of oxaliplatin in SW620 metastatic colorectal cancer cells
O -GlcNAcylation, a single attachment of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) on serine/threonine residues of nuclear-cytoplasmic proteins, is frequently upregulated in various cancers and implicated in several aspects of tumor progression. Growing evidence reports that treatments of chemotherapeutic drugs may activate protein O -GlcNAcylation. However, its precise role in modulating chemotherapeutic responses, particularly in colorectal cancer (CRC), remains poorly defined. Herein, we investigate the biological effects of oxaliplatin (OXA), a first-line chemotherapy drug for patients with metastatic CRC, and protein O -GlcNAcylation reduction in SW620 metastatic CRC cells. OXA treatment alone reduced cell viability as well as proliferation, and increased the levels of protein O -GlcNAcylation and GFPT1, the rate limiting enzyme of hexosamine biosynthetic pathway which is a nutrient sensor of glucose metabolism. Inhibition of protein O -GlcNAcylation via genetic knockdown of O -GlcNAc transferase (OGT) or chemical inhibition (OSMI-1) markedly enhanced SW620 sensitive to OXA. This was evidenced by decreased cell viability and proliferation, increased cell apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest. Mass spectrometry-based proteomics and bioinformatics analysis revealed that the combination of OGT knockdown and OXA treatment majorly downregulated several ribosomal proteins. In addition, OXA treatment and OGT knockdown altered proteins involved in critical pathways including DNA synthesome complex, glycolytic process, negative regulation of gene expression, cell cycle process, and negative regulation of protein phosphorylation. Specifically, OGT downregulated several ribosomal proteins, and OGT knockdown influenced proteins across the identified pathways. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that reducing OGT and protein O -GlcNAcylation may enhance the sensitivity of CRC cells to OXA, and the altered pathways may offer new insights into potential mechanisms for overcoming CRC chemoresistance.
An integrative structural biology approach reveals the dynamic organization of the R2SP quaternary chaperone complex
The evolution characteristics of leakage current in traction network surge arresters under complex operating conditions
The Japanese Archipelago sheltered cave lions, not tigers, during the Late Pleistocene
Lions and tigers, as dominant apex predators, likely became competitors when lions expanded from Africa into Eurasia approximately one million years ago (Ma), forming a lion–tiger transition belt from the Middle East through Central Asia to the Russian Far East. At the easternmost edge of this zone, the Japanese Archipelago has long been considered a Late Pleistocene tiger refugium, supported by large felid subfossils traditionally attributed to tigers ( Panthera tigris ), though their taxonomic identity remained unresolved. To clarify the origin, evolutionary history, and biogeography of Japan’s Pleistocene felids, we analyzed 26 ancient specimens previously assumed to be tigers. Using mitochondrial and nuclear genome hybridization capture and sequencing, paleoproteomics, Bayesian molecular dating, and radiocarbon dating, we found that all ancient Japanese “tiger” remains yielding molecular data were, unexpectedly, cave lions ( Panthera spelaea ). One specimen from Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan, was radiocarbon dated to 36,000-34,891 cal. BP. These cave lions likely dispersed to the Japanese Archipelago between ~72.7 and 37.5 thousand years ago (ka), when a land bridge connected northern Japan to the mainland during the Last Glacial Period. Our findings challenge the long-held view that tigers once took refuge in Japan, showing instead that cave lions were widespread in northeast Asia during this period and were the Panthera lineage that colonized Japan, reaching even its southwestern regions despite habitats previously thought to favor tigers.
Correction: The effect of job and personal demands and resources on healthcare workers’ wellbeing: A cross-sectional study
Tree rings and salt lakes give clues about ancient rainfall
Sequencing DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation at co-occurring chromatin features
Abstract Epigenetic modifications govern chromatin dynamics and cell state. However, current methods cannot simultaneously resolve the presence of multiple DNA modifications at co-occurring chromatin-associated features. It is thus not clear how these features are physically coupled and how their combinations regulate genome function. To address this key question, we report 6-base-CUT&Tag, a method for simultaneous 6-base DNA sequencing at target chromatin features. Using 6-base-CUT&Tag to profile 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) at co-occurring histone modifications in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), we identify feature-dependent 5mC/5hmC signatures previously unresolvable with untargeted or bisulfite-based workflows. We show that DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation are specifically coupled with the H3K4me1 mark in mESC enhancers and that H3K4me1-derived signatures robustly distinguish different enhancer functional states.
Privacy-aware speaker trait and multimodal features relationship analysis in job interviews
Mathematical modeling of the combined effects of thermal burn and local irradiation
Radiation combined injury (RCI), resulting from ionizing radiation exposure accompanied by other injuries such as burn, laceration, or fracture, is associated with higher rates of mortality and severe effects. Current available models lack the ability to capture synergistic effects associated with RCI and/or rely on data-driven approaches that are limited in their predictive capabilities. To address this, we developed a mechanistic mathematical model for local radiation exposure combined with burn injury that captures the inflammatory response and early fibroblast activity associated with injury resolution. We utilized sensitivity analysis and parameter sampling methods to leverage limited data. The model was able to reproduce inflammatory and fibroblast behavior consistent with observed thermal injury and combined injury profiles. The formulation of a mechanistic model for combined injury adds increased modeling flexibility allowing for further exploration of the underlying inflammatory mechanisms and provides a framework for leveraging minimal data for improved predictive models of RCI.
Molecular determinant of low-voltage dependence of human Nav1.7 inactivation revealed by efficacy-based Nav1.7 selective inhibitor
Boulder concentration effects on sediment transport and deposition
Abstract Boulders in riverbeds significantly influence sediment transport and deposition by altering local flow patterns. This study employs coupled Computational Fluid Dynamics–Discrete Element Method (CFD–DEM) simulations to examine how boulder concentration affects sediment dynamics. Three boulder spacing scenarios, representing isolated, wake-interference, and skimming flow regimes, are evaluated for their impacts on flow structure, bed shear stress distribution, and sediment transport and deposition. The fluid phase is modelled using a large eddy simulation in a finite volume framework, while individual sediment grains are tracked with the discrete element method. The results reveal that increasing boulder concentration transforms the flow regime from isolated wakes behind individual boulders to a more coherent recirculation zone among neighboring boulders. This transition substantially reduces near-bed shear stresses between boulders and leads to a decline in total sediment transport rates. At high boulder concentration, sediment particles preferentially accumulate in sheltered inter-boulder corridors, forming stable depositional belts. In contrast, widely spaced boulders lead to isolated, localized deposition around individual boulders. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to apply a coupled finite volume–DEM approach to simulate boulder–sediment interactions in open-channel flow, enabling analysis of sediment transport and deposition under varying boulder concentrations.
Monocyte clusters suggestive of a chronic inflammatory phenotype are associated with reduced endothelial function in Veterans with respiratory symptoms
Exposure to airborne hazards during deployment is associated with persistent respiratory symptoms among military veterans even years after deployment. Circulating monocytes, key components of the innate immune response, are implicated in inflammatory processes that may be sustained long after such exposures and contribute to related health issues. This cross-sectional study, conducted years after deployment, aimed to characterize monocyte activation profiles in veterans with deployment-related respiratory symptoms and investigate associations with physiological markers of pulmonary and vascular function. Circulating monocyte immunophenotype, pulmonary function, and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) were assessed in 82 previously deployed veterans. Using principal component and hierarchical clustering analyses, we identified two distinct monocyte activation phenotypes: Cluster 1, characterized by elevated CD87, CD11b, and CD163, and cluster 2 which expressed markers of non-classical monocytes and CD195, indicative of a chronic inflammatory phenotype. Veterans in cluster 2 exhibited impaired endothelial-dependent vasodilation (FMD/NMD ratio; p = 0.02) and elevated airway resistance (R5; p = 0.01), despite normal pulmonary function. These findings suggest an association between distinct monocyte activation profiles and measures of microvascular and airway dysfunction in this cohort, potentially reflecting sustained inflammation secondary to environmental exposure. These observed associations underscore the need for further research into the role of monocytes in these long-term physiological changes. Elucidating the mechanistic pathways by which these monocyte phenotypes may contribute to persistent physiological alterations is critical and could inform future strategies for identifying at-risk veterans or exploring novel immunomodulatory approaches if such links are further substantiated.
Evidence of megathrust earthquakes and seismic supercycles in subtropical Japan from millennia-old coral microatolls
Abstract Megathrust earthquakes in subduction zones often go unreported because they are rare and the historical record is short. On the Ryukyu subduction zone of southwestern Japan, unlike neighboring Nankai Trough, the history and future potential of great interplate earthquakes are not well known. While the geodetic measurements on the islands suggest that the plate coupling is very weak, recent observations of slow seismic events as well as offshore geodetic measurements imply the presence of coupled patches along the megathrust. Furthermore, the historical and geological studies indicate evidence of great tsunamis. Here, we use fossil microatolls in Ishigaki island to reconstruct the relative sea level in the Holocene. The coral record reveals several relative emergence episodes clustering between 5-4 and 3-2 thousand years ago (ka). Elastic modeling shows that the observed motions can correspond to coseismic uplift associated with megathrust earthquakes. The clusters of megathrust events suggest possible supercycles of earthquakes with a recurrence interval of more than 2 ka. Such results imply a strong seismic hazard for the upcoming centuries. The devastating 1771 Meiwa earthquake and associated tsunami may mark the onset of the most recent seismic supercycle.
Effects of adding transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation to vestibular rehabilitation on dizziness and postural control in vestibular migraine: a randomized clinical trial
Transmission through muscle tissue shapes polarization signals during cuttlefish courtship
Flamboyant sexual ornaments serve as conspicuous visual signals optimized to the visual receptors and perception of potential mates. While numerous studies have explored the mechanisms and functions of body coloration as a sexual signal, the role of another essential property of light—polarization—remains largely unexplored. Specifically, the question of whether and how polarization signals achieve high conspicuousness under sexual selection, including their visibility and associated behavioral and morphological adaptations, has yet to be thoroughly investigated. Here, we identified a strikingly conspicuous polarization signal used specifically during courtship in the cuttlefish Doratosepion andreanum and investigated the underlying optical mechanism. The signal consists of a pattern of adjacent horizontally and vertically polarized areas, optimizing signal detectability for cephalopod polarization vision. This pattern is generated by reflective cells called iridophores and transparent muscle: light becomes horizontally polarized when reflected by iridophores, and its angle of polarization is then rotated to vertical when transmitted through a birefringent muscle layer. Our findings show the significant contribution of polarization of light to animal communication and reveal that polarization signals—like colorful sexual ornaments—can achieve high conspicuousness through fundamentally different optical mechanisms.