Browse Articles

TRPV4 modulates sperm motility and fertilization rate in chub mackerel

Abstract Achieving efficient fertilization in marine fishes remains a challenge for aquaculture, as the molecular mechanisms linking seawater-derived osmotic and ionic cues to sperm motility remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the role of the mechanosensitive cation channel TRPV4 in sperm function of chub mackerel ( Scomber japonicus ), a commercially important species with recently established full life-cycle aquaculture. Quantitative PCR together with TRPV4 immunofluorescence suggested the presence of TRPV4 in sperm, predominantly localized to the midpiece and flagellum. Pharmacological activation of TRPV4 with RN1747 (100 nM) enhanced sperm motility by approximately 6% during the critical 30–50 s post-activation window ( p  < 0.05), increased amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH; p  < 0.05), and elevated intracellular Ca 2+ levels approximately twofold ( p  < 0.05). In contrast, TRPV4 inhibition with RN1734 (1 µM) reduced sperm motility by up to 95% and markedly impaired sperm kinematics and Ca 2+ dynamics. TRPV4 activation was also associated with increased fertilization and hatching rates, whereas inhibition nearly abolished both (< 1%). Our findings support an important role for TRPV4 in the regulation and maintenance of sperm motility following activation, likely through osmo–ionic and Ca 2+ -dependent signaling pathways. Together, these results extend previous findings from seabream to a scombrid species and suggest that TRPV4-associated sperm regulatory mechanisms may be broadly conserved among marine teleosts. These findings also highlight TRPV4 as a potential pharmacological target for improving fertilization efficiency in marine aquaculture.

Quantifying antimicrobial use and trends in commercial poultry and dairy farms in Bangladesh

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to be detected in bacteria from food producing animals in Bangladesh. Globally, as well as in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), antimicrobial use (AMU) is identified as the primary driver of rising AMR. This pilot study aimed to quantify AMU in poultry (broiler and layer) and dairy farms in Gazipur and Chattogram districts, assessing seasonal and species-specific AMU patterns. A longitudinal survey conducted during the summer and winter seasons of 2022–2023 involved 36 purposively selected farms (12 each broiler, 12 layer and 12 dairy). AMU was quantified using kilograms of antimicrobial active ingredients (AAIs) and milligrams per population correction unit (mg/PCU). AMU quantity was highest in layer farms (285.80 mg/PCU), followed by broilers (173.29 mg/PCU) and dairy farms (3.56 mg/PCU). Seasonal variations revealed lower AMU levels in broilers (125.68 mg/PCU) and layers (130.48 mg/PCU) in winter, whereas dairy usage increased in winter (13.93 mg/PCU). Predominantly used AAI’s included neomycin (broilers, both seasons), oxytetracycline (layers in summer), tylvalosin (layers in winter), sulfonamides (dairy in summer), and penicillin (dairy in winter). Poultry farms utilised substantially higher AMU quantities. Notable geographic differences in AMU quantities used in broiler and layer farms were observed, while dairy farms showed uniform use across districts. Of important public health concern is the high proportion (65–90%) of antimicrobials that fall under the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Medically Important Antimicrobial (MIA) categories, particularly Critically Important (CIA) or Highest Priority Critically Important Antimicrobials (HP-CIA), as well as the substantial use of Watch- and Reserve-group antimicrobials according to the WHO AWaRe framework. These findings highlight excessive use of medically important antimicrobials and emphasise the urgent need for regulatory action and improved stewardship. This pilot study provides essential baseline data for developing farm-level national AMU surveillance system in Bangladesh.

In vitro assays, probiogenomic analysis, safety assessment and probiotic potential of Enterococcus faecium F25

Adverse events following immunization during COVID-19 mass vaccination campaigns in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Findings from active safety surveillance

Introduction Post-marketing safety surveillance is essential for ensuring vaccine safety and maintaining public trust, particularly in African settings where evidence on the safety of COVID–19 vaccines remains limited. This study aimed to determine the overall incidence and types of AEFIs, as well as the factors associated with their occurrence, during COVI-19 mass vaccination campaigns in Democratic Republic of Congo. Methods From December 1–29, 2023, a prospective safety surveillance study was conducted in Kinshasa Province. Participants were surveyed through phone calls from day 1–28 following COVID-19 vaccine administration. AEFI incidence rates were calculated by type of vaccine, sex, number of dose and age group. Factors associated with AEFIs were identified using multivariable logistic regression models, expressed by adjusted odds ratio and its 95% confidence interval. Results The study included 4766 participants. Their median [IQR] age was 36 [27−48] years and 2503 (53%) were males, 94.63% received the J&J vaccine while 256 (5.37%) received the BNT162b2 vaccine. Incidence of AEFIs was 23.75% (95%CI: 22.54%−24.99%). AEFIs mostly reported were fever (9.61%, 95%CI: 8.88%−10.48%), injection site pain (9.00%, 95%CI: 8.20%−9.85%), headache (4.11%, 95%CI: 3.57%−4.72%), stiffness (1.51%, 95%CI: 1.18%−1.89%) and myalgia (1.15%, 95%CI: 0.87%−1.49%). The incidence of AEFIs was higher for the BNT162b2 vaccine at 34.48% (95% CI: 28.57%−40.54%) vs. 23.15% (95% CI: 21.92%−24.41%) for the J&J vaccine. Compared to participants aged 18−59 years, those under 18 years old were associated with decreased odds of reporting any AEFI (aOR= 0.26, 95%CI: 0.13–0.88) and injection site pain (aOR=0.18, 95%CI: 0.05–0.75). Those aged 60 years and older were associated with decreased odds of reporting any AEFI (aOR= 0.78, 95%CI: 0.62–0.99) and fever (aOR=0. 63, 95%CI: 0.43–0.92). Conclusions Approximately one-quarter of participants reported AEFI. The observed association with vaccine type and age underscores the need for systematic vaccine safety monitoring in the population. This is critical for guiding future vaccination strategies tailored to individuals who may be more susceptible to AEFIs.

Intelligent early warning model for financial risks of new energy vehicle enterprises based on deep learning

Abstract The financial stability of new energy vehicle (NEV) firms has become a central concern amid rapid digitalization and the transition toward low-carbon economies. Traditional financial risk models assume fixed structures and linear relationships, which makes them ineffective for handling the complex, time-varying, and policy-sensitive nature of energy firms. To address this challenge, a deep learning–based early warning framework is developed using the Modular Energy Accountability Lattice (MEAL) and the Semantic Policy Fusion Strategy (SPFS). These components jointly encode financial flows and policy dynamics to predict systemic risk. Experiments on real-world NEV firm data show that the proposed model achieves higher precision, recall, and interpretability than conventional methods, offering a scalable and policy-aware tool for sustainable financial monitoring.

Evolutionary patterns of the mitochondrial control region in vertebrates: A large-scale comparative analysis

The mitochondrial control region (CR) is the largest non-coding region in the vertebrate mitogenome and contains essential elements for replication and transcription. Despite its functional relevance, its evolutionary dynamics remain poorly understood. Here, we analyzed 5,235 complete vertebrate CRs spanning 11 classes to investigate how conserved sequences blocks (CSBs) and Extended Termination-Associated sequences (ETAS) shaped CR evolution. We hypothesized that CR length is positively associated with repeat accumulation, with tetrapods exhibiting longer and more complex CRs than fishes, while core elements remain conserved. Our analyses revealed marked inter- and intra-class variability, with longer CRs in tetrapods (1,283.27 ± 489.6 bp) than in fishes (969.25 ± 239.5 bp). Duplication events were restricted to tetrapods, especially birds and reptiles. Nucleotide composition was heterogeneous among orders, and structural divergence of CSBs was inferred across lineages. Repetitive elements were present in ~43% of CRs, with their abundance strongly correlated with CR length. Importantly, longer CRs were associated with higher GC content and greater variation in copy number of ETAS and CSBs. These results demonstrate that mitogenome CR expansion in vertebrates is largely driven by repeat proliferation, whereas key motifs required for replication and transcription are retained. We further identify lineage-specific trends, including pronounced CR elongation in amphibians and reptiles, contrasted with progressive reduction and simplification in birds and mammals. Our study provides the first comprehensive comparative framework of vertebrate CR evolution, highlighting how repetitive elements, conserved motifs, and nucleotide composition jointly contribute to both functional regulation and lineage-specific diversification.

Infusion of human mesenchymal stromal cells during normothermic machine perfusion of porcine kidneys: a randomized, blinded, preclinical study

Abstract Kidney transplantation from donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors is increasingly used but remains associated with warm ischemic injury. Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) enables functional assessment and therapeutic interventions. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) display immunomodulatory and regenerative properties, yet their translational efficacy during NMP remains unclear. In a porcine model, six pairs of kidneys subjected to 30 min of warm ischemia followed by 3 h of static cold storage underwent 6 h of NMP. In each pair, one kidney randomly received an intra-arterial injection of placebo, while the contralateral kidney received 10 million clinical-grade human bone marrow–derived MSCs (hMSCs). Perfusion characteristics, glomerular filtration, tissue injury, and inflammatory markers were assessed. hMSC infusion during NMP was technically feasible and hemodynamically well tolerated, with no adverse effects on perfusion stability. Perfusion parameters, urine output, and creatinine/iohexol clearance showed no significant differences between groups. NGAL and cytokines levels increased during perfusion, but hMSCs did not alter their dynamics. Intra-arterial delivery of clinical grade hMSCs during NMP was safe but did not improve renal function or reduce histological injury. These results highlight the challenges of achieving MSC engraftment during ex situ perfusion and highlight the need for refined strategies such as repeated dosing, prolonged perfusion, or extracellular vesicle therapy. Despite the negative findings, this study presents a highly translational large-animal model, supporting further investigation of MSC-based therapies in human kidneys discarded for transplantation.

Correction: Do we still need a canary in the coal mine for laboratory animal facilities? A systematic review of environmental health monitoring versus soiled bedding sentinels

In vivo toxicity study of Dittrichia viscosa (L.) greuter fractions: evidence of safety for oral and dermal applications

Assessment of cognitive performance and fatigability in elite athletes: Short and portable protocols for field monitoring under hypoxia

Purpose This study aimed to evaluate whether short (~15 min) cognitive protocols can detect fatigability in normoxia versus normobaric hypoxia in elite youth athletes, using tasks directly transferable to the field. Methods Elite youth mogul skiers (18 ± 2 y) completed two studies. In Study I, 17 athletes (7 women) performed a cognitive test after a repeated tuck-jump protocol designed to mimic mid-training physical demands under two conditions in fixed order: sham normoxia (simulated 200 m) and normobaric hypoxia (3500 m, blood saturation ~88%). In Study II, 16 athletes (6 women) performed the same cognitive test without the jump task, with conditions randomized. In both studies, response time and accuracy during a 10-min color Multisource Interference Task (cMSIT) were used to assess cognitive performance, and a 3-min Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) was administered before and after the cMSIT to quantify fatigability. Cognitive tests were performed on portable tablet devices. Results After adjusting for baseline cognitive performance, cMSIT response time was greater in hypoxia than in normoxia in both Study I (10 ± 2%, p = 0.004) and Study II (4 ± 1%, p < 0.001). Accuracy remained high and similar across conditions in both studies (Study I: 96 ± 3%; Study II: 96 ± 0.5%; p > 0.09). In Study I, PVT response time increased only in hypoxia, from 363 ± 74 ms to 375 ± 89 ms (p = 0.021), and lapses increased from 1 ± 0.5 to 3 ± 2.5 (p < 0.001), whereas lapses remained unchanged in normoxia and in Study II (p > 0.82). In Study I, jump task performance showed a condition×set interaction (p = 0.048), with lower performance in the third set in hypoxia (19806 ± 2464 N·s) than in normoxia (20130 ± 3016 N·s; p = 0.012). Conclusions In elite youth athletes, hypoxemia reduces cognitive performance and could lead to increased fatigability. Importantly, hypoxia-related impairments are detectable with short portable cognitive assessments, which are promising tools for field monitoring, particularly when tasks combines cognitive and physical demands.

Comparative performance of inoculation strategies for garden waste composting: implications for biodegradation, sanitization and compost quality

Sustainable development of protein-fortified Quince (Cydonia oblonga) fruit leather using almond powder: Nutritional quality, antioxidant capacity, and tensile strength

Fruit leathers are delicious, convenient and shelf-stable alternative of fresh fruits offering benefits of valuable sources of nutrients, dietary fiber and bioactive compounds. The novelty of almond-fortified quince fruit leather lies in combining quince’s natural antioxidants and dietary fiber with the protein and healthy nutrients of almonds to produce nutritionally enriched, plant-based snack. This fortification improves the nutritional and functional value compared to conventional carbohydrate-rich fruit leathers. This research was done to assess the impact of adding almond powder as a protein fortifier in the quince fruit leather. Fruit leather samples were prepared by hot air drying at 65 °C for 8–12 hours. There were five formulations (T 0 ; control; 100% quince pulp), T 1 (95% quince pulp + 5% almond powder), T 2 (90% quince pulp + 10% almond powder), T 3 (85% quince pulp + 15% almond powder) and T 4 (80% quince pulp + 20% almond powder). The moisture content and nitrogen-free extract (NFE) reduced significantly among treatments (T 0 -T 4 ) with values of 23.22% −11.24% and 66.96% −15.79%, respectively. While, fat, fiber, protein and ash contents were significantly increased all over the treatments, with values recorded at T 0 -T 4 (6.60%−33.32%), (17.30%−32.72%), (0.63%−9.18%), and (3.53%−13.19%), respectively. The total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and DPPH radical scavenging activity were also increased significantly and ranged between 164.75 to 170.32 mg GAE/g, 82.91 to 90.38 mg QE/g and 58.29 to 71.53 mg TE/g in T 0 and T 4 , respectively. Water and oil absorption rates were reduced (T 0 -T 4 ) from 2.17 to 2.12 mg/g and 2.20 to 0.60 mg/g, respectively. The amount of vitamin C dropped considerably in T 0 (17.43 mg/100g) to T 4 (7.67 mg/100g), respectively. The addition of almond powder significantly affected the texture of quince fruit leather, with tensile strength decreasing from 1.46 MPa (T 0 ) to 0.04 MPa (T 4 ), elongation from 15.66% to 1.07%, and rupture strength from 64.93 N to 22.88 N, reflecting disruption of the pectin network and increased porosity caused by dispersed almond particles. Browning index rose substantially when almond powder is added, and it varies between 33.12 and 51.19 among T 0 -T 4 samples. This study indicated that the T 2 showed the best results and demonstrated high nutritional and tensile strength. This fruit leather could potentially be regarded as a high-nutrient, healthy and convenient alternative snack food.

Improvement of an autoencoder network for jointly information transfer by RIS and transmitter

Integrative metagenomics and structural bioinformatics identify explainable gut microbial variants associated with Crohn’s disease

Metagenomics has revealed disease-associated shifts in microbial taxa and functions in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. However, the role of genomic variation in gut commensals remains poorly understood. Here, we integrated metagenomic profiling, variant calling, and structural bioinformatics to identify disease-associated variants in the gut microbes. Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) showed significant negative associations with Bacteroides uniformis , Bacteroides vulgatus , and Eubacterium rectale . These bacteria exhibited 190,712 single-nucleotide polymorphisms, including 479 CD-specific and 235 UC-specific variants. Variant prioritization identified a CD-specific Val170Leu substitution in the conserved starch-binding domain of the Starch Utilization System D (SusD) protein in B. uniformis . Structural modeling and cyclodextrin docking indicated reduced binding affinity in the mutant, while 200-ns molecular dynamics simulations showed stable ligand retention only in the wild type. These findings suggest that impaired starch metabolism driven by SusD variation may contribute to B. uniformis depletion in CD and demonstrate the value of integrating metagenomics with structural analyses to identify functionally relevant microbial variants.

Oxidative stress induces nucleus pulposus cell senescence and metabolic substrate depletion-driven reprogramming: a multi-omics study

Estimating SARS-CoV-2 exposure in asymptomatic hospitalized children with cancer in Western Kenya: A retrospective analysis of serological data

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns emerged that hospital-based care could increase the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among pediatric patients with cancer, especially in resource-limited settings where the capacity to isolate patients would be challenging. Yet, infection rates in this population remain poorly documented, and it is unclear whether prior common human coronavirus (HCoV) exposures influence SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses. Here, we used serology to estimate SARS-CoV-2 exposure in children with and without cancer from Western Kenya and evaluated responses to common HCoVs to explore cross-reactivity. Methods We performed multiplex antibody profiling to assess SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-specific responses in plasma from children with and without cancer sampled between 2014 and 2022. Unsupervised clustering identified participants with elevated SARS-CoV-2 seroreactivity relative to pre-pandemic samples. Seropositivity was further defined using a multi-antigen approach based on IgG levels to nucleocapsid and receptor-binding domain antigens to improve specificity. Cross-reactivity and cross-boosting by common HCoVs were evaluated through correlation analyses and groupwise comparisons of antibody levels, respectively. Results Of 564 children, 474 were healthy (184 pre-pandemic; 290 post-pandemic) and 90 had cancer (16 pre-pandemic; 74 post-pandemic). Post-pandemic, 69% (200) of healthy controls exhibited elevated SARS-CoV-2 seroreactivity, with 51% (148) meeting the criteria for seropositivity. Children with cancer showed similar rates of seroreactivity (67%) and seropositivity (57%) after adjusting for sampling year, with incidence increasing annually from 2020 to 2022. Pre-pandemic samples exhibited weak cross-reactivity to HCoV-OC43 which increased following SARS-CoV-2 infection; however, no significant boosting of HCoV antibodies was observed. Conclusions These findings indicate widespread SARS-CoV-2 exposure among children in Western Kenya and provide no evidence that hospitalization heightened infection risk for pediatric patients with cancer.

Optimization and predictive measurement of compressive strength of iron ore slag modified concrete using data-driven supervised machine learning algorithms

Dual paths of information behavioral choice influenced by information and emotion: The moderating effect of user credibility

In public opinion events, social media is often used as an important channel for the public to collect, process, and share information, and the topics and information on social media stimulates people to behave in creating related contents. This study integrates the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) to examine how information topics (central cue) and emotional responses (peripheral cue) shape user information behavior (likes, comments, forwards), and how user credibility moderates these effects. 56,663 Weibo posts (August 22 to September 5, 2023) about “Japan’s announcement of nuclear contaminated water discharge” were used for empirical analysis. Topics were identified via Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), yielding four categories: Japanese aquatic products trade (Topic 1, 1.850%), seawater blackening (Topic 2, 8.822%), radioactivity exceedance (Topic 3, 13.286%), and global impact (Topic 4, 76.043%). Seven emotions were scored using the Dalian University of Technology affective lexicon. User credibility was coded from verification type. Baseline regression controlling for richness, mention, hashtags, URL, and text length showed that information topics significantly increased likes (β range: 0.164 to 0.333, p < 0.001), comments (β range: 0.063 to 0.138, p < 0.001), and forwards (β range: 0.083 to 0.156, p < 0.001), with the largest effects on likes. For emotions, anger, disgust, good and surprise positively influenced information behaviors (β range: 0.004 to 0.060, p < 0.01 to p < 0.001), while sadness, happy and fear showed negative or non‑significant effects. User credibility positively moderated all these relationships, with interaction β values ranging from 0.010 to 0.066 for topics and from 0.006 to 0.040 for emotions. Likes were the most influenced behavior, followed by forwards, then comments. The study demonstrates that information topics and emotions, moderated by user credibility, drive distinct information behaviors. Authorities should leverage high‑credibility users, highlight impactful topics, and monitor emotional tones, especially negative ones, to guide public opinion effectively.

Differential inhibition of bark endophytes and a wood-decay fungus by inner bark of Sorbus commixta

The effect of social media interaction on consumer engagement: The role of psychological ownership

Social media interaction plays a crucial role in shaping consumer–brand relationships and enhancing engagement behavior. Drawing on social exchange theory, this study investigates how social media interaction fosters psychological ownership, thereby strengthening consumer engagement. An online questionnaire survey is conducted among 590 social media users via the Wenjuanxing platform to collect empirical data, which is analysed using a structural equation model. The results show that consumer–consumer interaction and consumer–seller interaction are positively related to four dimensions of consumer engagement: purchases, referrals, influence, and knowledge. In addition, psychological ownership mediates the effects of consumer–consumer interaction and consumer–seller interaction on influence and knowledge. The study also shows that the professionalism of opinion leaders positively moderates the impact of consumer–seller interaction on psychological ownership. This study contributes to theory by clarifying the psychological mechanisms underlying social media interaction and providing actionable insights for companies seeking to enhance consumer engagement and improve marketing performance.