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A polymorphism and expression levels of SCD and their relationships to production traits in a Japanese farmed emu population
The emu is a novel poultry species producing meat, eggs, and fat. In particular, emu oil derived from the fat is considered the most important product of the emu owing to its anti-inflammatory and anti-melanin production. Meanwhile, there are few reports on the genetic improvement of economic traits in emus. In this study, we discovered a non-synonymous substitution (c.267A > C, p.Leu89Phe) in the gene encoding stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), a key enzyme involved in unsaturated fatty acid synthesis, in a Japanese farmed emu population. Although fat yields (fat weight per body weight) in males with AA and AC genotypes of SCD were higher than those in their female counterparts, significant intra-sex variations were not detected across genotypes in our study population. Moreover, fat melting points and fatty acid composition did not significantly vary between SCD genotypes. These results suggest that the SCD c.267A > C polymorphism does not affect fat production traits in emus. However, the expression levels of SCD transcripts were negatively correlated with fat content (P < 0.01) and positively correlated with meat yield (P < 0.05) in emus.
Clinical Implications of Minipuberty
Adoption of particle-based biosensing as a cost-disruptive tool for screening highly dilute sample streams for bacterial contamination
Abstract Target amplification and concentration have been barriers to the realization of LMIC-affordable diagnostic platforms and methods for handling dilute sample streams such as urine or water. The need to amplify targets via nucleic acid amplification, cell culture, and centrifugation increase the complexity and cost of the sample screening process, thereby impacting LMIC adoption and testing rigor. In this proof-of-concept study, we demonstrate the feasibility of detecting 100 Escherichia coli CFU/ mL of water without the need for target amplification. This is enabled by Molecular weightstones (MWS) - a class of non-traditional, particle-based biosensors which signal the presence of bacteria via particle-biomarker aggregation and sedimentation. We demonstrated detection and quantification of E. coli in water in the range of 100 - $$1.0 \times 10^{8}$$ CFU/ mL using $$1.0 \times 10^{8}$$ MWS particles within 10 minutes and a lower concentration (10 CFU/ mL) in 5 hours. At a cost profile of USD 1 per test(unscaled), MWS can be used as an instrument-free qualitative method for signaling bacterial presence in dilute samples through visually discernible results. It can also be adapted for quantifying bacterial load in dilute samples via computer vision using a companion device.
Computational evaluation of fluid flow influencing geometrical parameters of cyclone separator for Cement Kiln
Cyclone separators are integral to cement kiln operations, serving as key devices for mitigating air pollution and reducing particulate matter. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations enable visualization of internal flow distribution and provide quantitative insights into separator performance. A numerical CFD model was developed for the cyclone geometry, with the simulation results validated against existing experimental data. This study employs the design of experiments (DoE) technique to optimize design parameters and to examine how distinctive geometric features influence cyclone efficiency. An optimization study utilizing the design of experiments (DoE) technique was conducted to refine the design parameters for enhanced cyclone performance. This study investigated the impact of modifying key geometrical features of a cyclone separator on its performance metrics. The fluid flow performance influencing geometrical parameters considered in this study are the inlet height ratio (I H /D b = 0.25 to 0.75), inlet width ratio (I W /D b = 0.1 to 0.3), particle exit diameter ratio (D e /D b = 0.2 to 0.4), bottom cone length ratio (L c /D b = 1.75 to 2.75), and vortex finder diameter and length ratio (D v /D b and L v /D b = 0.25 to 0.75). Here, the term “ratio” refers to the ratio of the respective dimension to the cyclone barrel diameter (D b ). The optimized design features an inlet height ratio of 0.5, an inlet width ratio of 0.21, a particle exit diameter ratio of 0.26, a bottom cone length of 2.31, and a vortex finder with a 0.5 in diameter and a 0.55 in length. This configuration resulted in a pressure drop of 285 Pa and an efficiency of 96%.
Kwashiorkor
Triptolide alleviates inflammation and barrier dysfunction in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps by affecting the CXCL8/CXCR2/CXCR4 axis and AKT/NF-κB signaling
US funding uncertainties threaten to sink key global oceanography projects
Insights into spatial dynamics of the microbiome and resistome across the conventional and organic dairy farms
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a serious global threat to human and animal health. While AMR has been reported in various environments, its distribution across different ecological compartments within dairy farms remains poorly characterized. In this study, we used large-scale shotgun metagenomic sequencing to characterize the microbiome and resistome across multiple sampling sites within one organic and one conventional dairy farm, including teats, liners, water troughs, feed area, milking parlour mats, bedding sand, and milk. Our results indicate that microbial community composition and resistance gene profiles were largely comparable between the two study farms, with sample type (ecological niche) exerting a stronger influence on community structure than farm management type. Pseudomonadota, Bacillota, and Actinomycetota were the dominant phyla, while Aerococcus, Glutamicibacter, and Pseudomonas were the most prevalent genera. Glycopeptide resistance genes were the most abundant ARG class, followed by lincosamide and tetracycline resistance genes. Milk samples exhibited a distinct microbiome and resistome composition compared to environmental samples. Strong correlations between microbiome structure, resistome profiles, virulence factors, and metal resistance genes were observed across farm niches, highlighting the interconnected nature of microbial communities and resistance elements across dairy farm environments. These findings provide foundational data for targeted surveillance and management strategies to mitigate antimicrobial resistance in dairy production systems.
Ten-Year Outcomes after CAR T-Cell Therapy for B-Cell Lymphomas
Study on failure mode of multistage slope based on system clustering method
Can you terraform Mars? Try Nature’s game
A high-throughput inhibitor screen for the erythrocyte plasma membrane Ca++ ATPase
The ubiquitous and conserved plasma membrane Ca ++ ATPase (PMCA) actively extrudes Ca ++ from eukaryotic cells and maintains a large Ca ++ transmembrane gradient that permits diverse roles in signaling and cell cycle regulation. Molecular and biochemical studies have linked PMCA to multiple diseases such as sickle cell disease and malaria severity for the PMCA4b isoform on human erythrocytes. Despite its central role in Ca ++ biology, there are no PMCA inhibitors with sufficient specificity to serve as starting points for therapy development. Because such inhibitors of other ion pumps are critical research tools and are important therapeutics for various diseases, we designed and executed a cell-based high-throughput screen for PMCA inhibitors using human erythrocytes. We miniaturized and optimized a Ca ++ efflux assay using extracellular Fluo-8, a soluble Ca ++ sensitive indicator dye. Ca ++ loading, dye concentration and affinity, hematocrit, and assay temperature were all optimized, providing a robust miniaturized assay for PMCA-mediated Ca ++ efflux. A screen of >52,000 diverse compounds was executed with readings at 2 time points to permit detection of inhibitors with varying affinity; addition of excess extracellular Ca ++ helped exclude false positive fluorescence quenchers. A surprisingly low hit rate, ~ 0.01%, suggests that PMCA has relatively few chemical binding sites that interfere with pump activity. As the screen did not yield reproducible hits, a larger screen with more complex chemical libraries is warranted. The optimized assay should enable identification of specific PMCA inhibitors as research tools and potential future therapeutics.
TRACTION for Greater Surgical Use of Tranexamic Acid
Multi criteria decision making based optimization for sustainable machining in alloy 2091
Abstract This work aims to evaluate the impact of liquid nitrogen (LN 2 ) aided cryogenic machining on alloy 2091’s surface integrity (SI) characteristics. LN 2 aided conditions are used for face milling with CVD inserts, and the results are compared with traditional (dry) milling. The majority of the SI’s key characteristics, including roughness, microhardness, microstructure, residual stresses, and corrosion resistance, have been researched. ANOVA and signal to noise ratio plots are two statistical methods that have been used to determine how SI characteristics behave in relation to milling parameters. Furthermore, MCDM techniques like COPRAS and TOPSIS were used to establish the ideal milling settings. The machining temperature was lowered by up to 30% when LN 2 was used. The outcomes demonstrated the benefits of cryogenic milling for a notable rise in the SI. Cryogenic machining increased microhardness by up to 14% and decreased roughness by up to 29% when compared to dry machining. Because of the decreased machining temperature, the cryogenic state resulted in compressive residual stress on the alloy’s surface. The findings demonstrate that under all circumstances, neither the integrity of the grain nor the alloy microstructure are harmed. Both setups using MCDM approaches yielded the same outcome in identifying the optimal condition.
How long-term dietary cholesterol can slow down its own clearance by liver cells
FhlA-mediated regulation of proton transport and energy transduction in Escherichia coli at acidic pH
In Escherichia coli, the FhlA acts as a transcriptional activator for fdhF , hyc and hyp operons, whose gene products constitute the formate hydrogen lyase (FHL) complexes. These complexes contribute to bioenergetic regulation by consuming intracellular protons during the conversion of formate to hydrogen gas (H 2 ). The current study elucidates the role of the FHL complex (using fhlA mutant) in the proton transport and energy transduction during the fermentation of glucose, glycerol and formate at pH 5.5. It was shown that F O F 1 -ATPase activity and proton flux rate were decreased in fhlA at 20 h and 72 h grown cells, compared to WT indicating the functional interplay between FHL and F O F 1 and highlighting its importance in proton transfer at acidic conditions. Increased number of membrane –SH groups and decreased proton conductance (C M H + ) value in both WT and fhlA mutant were detected at 72 h, compared to 20 h, suggesting efficient energy transduction at acidic pH when H 2 was not generated. The value of membrane potential (ΔΨ) remained unchanged in FhlA-lacking cells and was independent of growth time. Thus, bacteria regulate proton motive force (Δp) managing bioenergetic association between proton ATPase activity, FHL function and transmembrane proton gradient (ΔpH) regulation. Overall, these findings demonstrate that the FHL complex plays an essential role in coordinating proton flux, regulation of proton motive force and energy transduction in E. coli under acidic fermentative conditions through functional interplay with the F O F 1 -ATPase.
Pulsed Field Ablation as Initial Therapy for Persistent Atrial Fibrillation
Impact of one- and two-component matrixless metal nanoparticle systems on the growth and chemical composition of lettuce (Lactuca sativa)
Clinical validation of automatic phantom-less quantitative computed tomography for osteoporosis screening: fat region of interest comparison and multidevice validation
Background Osteoporosis significantly increases fracture risk and healthcare burden. Traditional bone mineral density screening requires dedicated equipment, limiting opportunistic screening. Phantom-less quantitative computed tomography (PL-QCT) enables bone density assessment during routine chest CT examinations but requires comprehensive validation. This study uses fat region of interest (ROI) comparison and multidevice validation to verify the feasibility and accuracy of automatic PL-QCT for osteoporosis screening. Methods This prospective study included 252 participants who underwent routine chest CT examinations. An automatic PL-QCT system was used to measure the volumetric bone mineral density at the T11–L1 vertebrae. Clinical validation compared measurements with phantom-based quantitative computed tomography (PB-QCT) using the system’s standard pipeline with automatically selected subcutaneous fat ROIs and, for methodological comparison, manually selected visceral fat ROIs. Diagnostic performance was evaluated via receiver operating characteristic curve analysis with the DeLong test, whereas accuracy was assessed via linear regression, ICC, and Bland‒Altman analysis. Multidevice validation was conducted across five CT scanners. Results The automated PL-QCT system under validation (using automatically selected subcutaneous fat ROI) demonstrated excellent diagnostic performance, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.962 for osteoporosis and 0.794 for osteopenia, and showed strong correlation with PB-QCT (r = 0.867, ICC = 0.926). In the methodological comparison, the PL-QCT values derived from the manually selected visceral fat ROI showed significantly superior performance to those from the automated system (subcutaneous fat ROI) for the diagnosis of osteopenia (P = 0.029). Multidevice validation demonstrated consistency across the five CT scanners. Gender analysis revealed greater accuracy in females with distinct age-related bone density patterns. Conclusions This study validates that the automated PL-QCT system (utilizing its standard pipeline with automatically selected subcutaneous fat ROI) provides a reliable approach for opportunistic osteoporosis screening during routine chest CT examinations. A key methodological finding is that the manually selected visceral fat ROI demonstrated superior performance to the system’s automatically selected subcutaneous fat ROI specifically in osteopenia detection, offering important evidence for optimizing future calibration strategies. The technology’s cross-platform consistency, confirmed by multidevice validation, supports its broad clinical applicability.