Browse Articles

Structural and biodegradable properties of hydroxyapatite-SiO₂ reinforced MgO bioceramics by dual plasma electrolytic oxidation

Lateral bias in the domestic pig (Sus scrofa)

Abstract Lateralised motor behaviour can contribute to the study of animal welfare, with links to emotional processing, stress responses and personality. Lateral bias in the domestic pig, a species prone to poor welfare, has been subject to little scientific attention. This study therefore aimed to assess laterality in the form of side preferences in a population of farmed pigs, exploring for differences between the sexes and consistency in side preferences, both between measures and over time. Observations of side preference were recorded in fifty pigs across five measures: a snout use task, step-up task, detour task, tail curling and lying side. Snout use, step-up and detour side preferences were observed twice (3 and 6 weeks-of-age) to evaluate test-retest reliability. Pigs were significantly more likely to be ambilateral than side-preferent for both lying side and snout use at 6 weeks of age. By contrast, animals showed significant side-preferences at the level of the individual on the detour task at 6 weeks of age. Directional laterality index (LI) scores for snout use were positively correlated with those of the step-up task at 6 weeks of age, while strength of laterality index (ABSLI) scores for snout use at 4 weeks of age were positively correlated with the step-up task scores at 6 weeks of age. No other LI or ABSLI scores were significantly correlated. Findings pointed to good test-retest reliability, with animals demonstrating a significant positive correlation in the direction, although not strength, of their lateral biases for the snout use, step-up and detour tasks. A cluster analysis, employed to explore for individual lateralisation patterns across motor functions, revealed a leaning towards left-side preferences on animals’ combined step-up and detour laterality scores. Male and female animals showed no significant difference in either the strength or direction of their side preferences for any of the tasks. Overall, the results from this study point to individual-level lateralised behaviour in the domestic pig for one measure. Findings reveal a lack of sex differences and consistency between tasks, but show stability in pigs’ side preferences over time, at least in the short-term.

Diversity and leaf dry matter yield of Woody forage species in the pastures of South Ari District, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract The study was conducted with the objective of assessing fodder tree and shrub species and their foliage yield potentials in private and communal grazing lands across different agroecological environments of South Ari district. A household survey involving 196 respondents was used to identify fodder tree and shrub species and their preferences by livestock species. To evaluate species composition and leaf dry matter yield, a total of thirty-six belt transects (40 m × 40 m for trees and 20 m × 20 m for shrubs) were established. A total of 18 fodder trees and 9 shrubs were identified in the study area, accounting for 79.0% trees and 21.0% shrubs. Among these, 42.1% were categorized as highly desirable, 36.8% as desirable, and 21.1% as less desirable. Vernonia amygdalina , Ficus ovata , Dracaena steudneri , and Terminalia laxiflora were the most frequently occurring and widely utilized fodder tree species. Livestock utilized twigs, leaves, fruits, and pods of these species as edible parts. The mean (± S.E.) leaf biomass yields of fodder trees and shrubs were 13.82 ± 0.613 kg/tree and 2.97 ± 0.464 kg/shrub, respectively. Future work should focus on nutritional evaluation and controlled livestock feeding trials to determine the actual feed value and contribution of these species to livestock productivity.

Response Inhibition in borderline personality disorder assessed with a gamified stop signal task

A pilot study of tegafur-uracil maintenance on survival in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma following definitive chemoradiotherapy

Layer-based personalized multi-fusion federated learning

The effect of alpha lipoic acid and caffeine loaded into chitosan nanoparticles on the hypothalamic amino acid neurotransmitters in a rat model of obesity

Abstract The present study was carried out to investigate the physiological role of the hypothalamic amino acid neurotransmitters (AAs) in feeding behavior and obesity. Caffeine loaded into chitosan nanoparticles (Caf-CNPs) and/or α-lipoic acid (α-LA) were used to investigate their therapeutic effects on the changes in hypothalamic glutamine, glutamate, aspartate, GABA, glycine and taurine and serum levels of leptin and ghrelin in addition to the body mass index (BMI) of obese rats. Rats were divided into lean control group, rat model of obesity induced by high fat diet (HFD) group (obese control), and rat model of obesity group treated with Caf-CNPs and /or α-LA. Obese rats showed a higher value of BMI, elevated levels of leptin, reduced levels of ghrelin, and increased levels of hypothalamic glutamate, aspartate, GABA and taurine. Treatment with Caf-CNPs improved BMI and didn’t affect the changes in hypothalamic AAs, leptin and ghrelin induced in obese rats. Treatment with α-LA improved BMI, leptin and ghrelin levels and restored the changes in AAs. Co-administration of Caf-CNPs and α-LA restored BMI, leptin, ghrelin, aspartate and taurine to control-like values, however, there were elevated levels of glutamine, glutamate, GABA and glycine. The present study showed the substantial role of hypothalamic AAs in controlling feeding behavior and development of obesity. It may be concluded that Caf-CNPs and/or α-LA could potentially act as anti-obesity agents.

Structural control and depth clustering of extensive hydrothermal venting on the shelf of Milos Island

Abstract High-resolution geophysical surveys, complemented by chemical, physical, and visual data collected via the ROV MARUM-SQUID, revealed a previously undocumented intermediate-depth hydrothermal vent field (30–230 m) on the shelf of Milos Island, Greece. Three primary vent areas—Aghia Kiriaki, Paleochori–Thiorychia, and Vani—are aligned with ENE–WSW and NW–SE trending active faults, which define the SE coast of Milos and the Milos Gulf–Fyriplaka graben, deepening the Milos shelf up to 230 m. All areas exhibit a distinct bimodal vent distribution, with peaks at ~ 130 m and ~ 180 m; the Paleochori–Thiorychia region additionally hosts a cluster near 210 m. Shallow vents occur on flat, sandy substrates with white microbial mats and gas emissions, whereas deeper vents feature extensive microbial mats, CO₂-degassing chimneys, and actively boiling fluids exceeding 180 °C, indicative of persistent hydrothermal activity. Although the cause of the bimodal —and, in one case, trimodal—distribution remains uncertain, our findings offer a comprehensive, high-resolution characterization of the spatial distribution, morphology, and fluid characteristics of intermediate-depth hydrothermal venting on the Milos shelf.

Correction: A novel numerical investigation of fiber Bragg gratings with dispersive reflectivity having polynomial law of nonlinearity

Polyphenolic composition, genetic profile and in vitro antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of artichoke varieties “Strunjanska articoka”, “Romanesco” and "Violetto di Romagna"

Correction: Incremental prognostic value of ischemic score quantified by stress dynamic CT myocardial perfusion in patients with and without diabetes mellitus

Autoimmune response to C9orf72 protein in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Unpacking the mechanisms and consequences of artificial intelligence in enabling green value co-creation for SMEs

Spatial patterns and ecological determinants of Himalayan brown bear distribution in the Trans-Himalayas of India

Association between blood urea nitrogen levels and mortality in critical acute ischemic stroke patients

Self-organized angleworm-like and centipede-like patterns in ac-driven electroconvection of nematic liquid crystals

Dietary acid load and its association with all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and events

Potential glutamine metabolism-related biomarkers were identified in osteoarthritis by bioinformatics

Degenerated meniscus alters knee osteoarthritis-related gene expression in articular chondrocytes through paracrine mechanisms

Comparative evaluation of filtration techniques for ECG signal denoising with emphasis on stationary wavelet transform

Abstract This paper explores filtration techniques for processing ECG signals, focusing on the evaluation of effective denoising methods. We highlight the effectiveness of Stationary Wavelet Transform as the most suitable approach for denoising ECG signals while preserving critical cardiac features. Stationary Wavelet Transform’s superior performance was validated through rigorous testing, making it a very good choice for ECG signal filtration. We have also investigated other filtration techniques, including high-pass, Chebyshev type II, Kalman, notch, Savitzky-Golay Smoothing, Moving Average, Empirical Mode Decomposition, Empirical Wavelet Transform, and Stationary Wavelet Transform filtering (with tested wavelets ’db4’, ’db5’, ’db6’, ’sym4’, ’sym5’, ’coif3’, ’coif4’, ’coif5’, ’bior3.5’, and ’rbio3.9’), to assess their effectiveness in ECG signal processing. The paper highlights the advantages of the Stationary Wavelet Transform filtration technique in maintaining signal integrity for subsequent analysis. The optimal configuration, determined to be the wavelet type ‘rbio3.9’ at level 5 with a threshold scale of 0.5, balances effective noise reduction with the preservation of crucial ECG signal details, thereby significantly contributing to clinical ECG analysis and advancing diagnostic precision.