Search Results (20)

Neonatal calves possess an immature and naïve immune system and are reliant on the intake of maternal colostrum for the passive transfer of immunoglobulins. Maternal antibodies delivered to the calf via colostrum, are crucial to prevent calfhood diseases and death. Failure of transfer of passive immunity (FTPI) is a condition in which calves do not acquire enough maternal antibodies, mostly in the form of IgG, due to inadequate colostrum quality or delayed colostrum feeding. The diagnosis and risk factors for FTPI have been widely studied in dairy cattle; however, in beef calves, the research interest in the topic is relatively recent, and the most adequate diagnostic and preventative methods are still in development, making it difficult to define recommendations for the assessment and prevention of FTPI in cow–calf operations. The objective of this scoping review is to identify the published literature on best practices for colostrum management and transfer of passive immunity (TPI) in neonatal beef calves. The literature was searched using three electronic databases (CAB Direct, Scopus, and PubMed) for publications from 2003 to 2025. The search process was performed during the period from May to July 2023, and was repeated in January 2025. All screening processes were performed using Covidence systematic review software (Veritas Health Innovation, Melbourne, Australia). A total of 800 studies were initially identified through database searches. After removing duplicates, 346 studies were screened based on their titles and abstracts, leading to the exclusion of 260 studies. The remaining 86 studies underwent full-text screening, and 58 studies were considered eligible for data extraction. Hand-searching the references from published review papers on the subject yielded an additional five studies, bringing the total to 63 included articles. The prevalence of FTPI has been estimated to be between 5.8% and 34.5% in beef calves. Factors studied related to colostrum management include quality and quantity of colostrum intake, the timing and method of colostrum feeding, and the microbial content of the colostrum. Studies on risk factors related to the calf include the topics calf sex, twin status, calf vigor, weight, month of birth, cortisol and epinephrine concentrations, and the administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to calves after difficult calving. The dam-related risk factors studied include dam body condition score and udder conformation, breed, parity, genetics, prepartum vaccinations and nutrition, calving area and difficulty, and the administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at C-section. Most importantly for beef systems, calves with low vigor and a weak suckling reflex are at high risk for FTPI; therefore, these calves should be given extra attention to ensure an adequate consumption of colostrum. While serum IgG levels of < 8 g/L or < 10 g/L have been suggested as cutoffs for the diagnosis of FTPI, 16 g/L and 24 g/L have emerged as cutoffs for adequate and optimal serum IgG levels in beef calves. Several field-ready diagnostics have been compared in various studies to the reference standards for measuring indicators of TPI in beef calves, where results often differ between models or manufacturers. Therefore, care must be taken when interpreting these results. Full article

Ethambutol (EMB) is a first-line anti-tuberculosis drug that is also considered in treatment regimens for infections caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). EMB targets the arabinosyl transferases EmbCAB, which are important for the synthesis of cell wall constituents. To further explore and narrow down the structural variability of EMB, we synthesized three series of new EMB analogs. We tested their activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Mycobacterium abscessus and Mycobacterium intracellulare. Only analogs that very closely resembled EMB showed comparable antimycobacterial activity. Full article

Adsorption is one of the most promising strategies for heavy metal removal. For Hg(II) removal, mineralized Ca-based shell-type self-assembly beads (MCABs) using alginate as organic polymer template were synthesized in this work. The adsorbent preparation consists of gelation of a Ca-based spherical polymer template (CAB) and rate-controlled self-assembly mineralization in bicarbonate solution with various concentrations. The comparative study demonstrates that 1% (MCAB-1) is the optimal concentration of bicarbonate. Based on this condition, the maximum adsorption capacity (48 ± 4 mg/g) of MCAB-1 was observed at pH = 5 in a batch test, which was 2.67 times more than that of the unmodified one, CAB, at 18 ± 1 mg/g. Long-duration (10 h) adsorption tests showed that MCAB-1 exhibited remarkable performance stability and anti-wear ability (43.2% removal efficiency and 74.3% mass retention, compared to 2.7% and 38.6% for CAB at pH = 3, respectively). The morphology determination showed that a shell-type porous amorphous carbonate layer was formed at the surface of the organic polymer template by rate-controlled self-assembly mineralization. This transition not only promotes the pore structure and activated cation binding functional sites, but also improves the anti-wear ability of materials effectively. Full article

Prolactinomas are commonly treated with dopamine receptor agonists (DAs), such as bromocriptine (BRC) and cabergoline (CAB). However, 10–30% of patients exhibit resistance to DA therapies. DA resistance is largely associated with reduced dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) expression, potentially regulated by epigenetic modifications, though the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Clinical samples were assessed for p300 expression. MMQ and AtT-20 cells were engineered to overexpress either wild-type p300 or a histone acetyltransferase (HAT) domain-mutant form of p300. Mechanistic studies included cell proliferation assays, flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, co-immunoprecipitation, chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by quantitative PCR, reverse transcription quantitative PCR, and Western blotting. Additionally, an in vivo nude mouse xenograft model was used to confirm the in vitro findings. DAs downregulated p300 through the cAMP-PKA-CREB pathway. Activation of the HAT domain of p300 increased H3K18/27 acetylation, promoted DRD2 transcription, and worked synergistically with DA to exert anti-tumor effects both in vitro and in vivo. Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) upregulated p300 and DRD2, enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of BRC. These findings highlight the role of p300 in regulating DRD2 transcription in DA-resistant prolactinomas. Combining Tan IIA with BRC may offer a promising strategy to overcome DA resistance. Full article

Copy number variation (CNV) serves as a crucial source of genomic variation and significantly aids in the mining of genomic information in cattle. This study aims to analyze re–sequencing data from Chinese Hainan yellow cattle, to uncover breed CNV information, and to elucidate the resources of population genetic variation. We conducted whole–genome sequencing on 30 Chinese Hainan yellow cattle, thus generating 814.50 Gb of raw data. CNVs were called using CNVnator software, and subsequent filtering with Plink and HandyCNV yielded 197,434 high–quality CNVs and 5852 CNV regions (CNVRs). Notably, the proportion of deleted sequences (81.98%) exceeded that of duplicated sequences (18.02%), with the lengths of CNVs predominantly ranging between 20 and 500 Kb This distribution demonstrated a decrease in CNVR count with increasing fragment length. Furthermore, an analysis of the population genetic structure using CNVR databases from Chinese, Indian, and European commercial cattle breeds revealed differences between Chinese Bos indicus and Indian Bos indicus. Significant differences were also observed between Hainan yellow cattle and European commercial breeds. We conducted gene annotation for both Hainan yellow cattle and European commercial cattle, as well as for Chinese Bos indicus and Indian Bos indicus, identifying 206 genes that are expressed in both Chinese and Indian Bos indicus. These findings may provide valuable references for future research on Bos indicus. Additionally, selection signatures analysis based on Hainan yellow cattle and three European commercial cattle breeds identified putative pathways related to heat tolerance, disease resistance, fat metabolism, environmental adaptation, candidate genes associated with reproduction and the development of sperm and oocytes (CABS1, DLD, FSHR, HSD17B2, KDM2A), environmental adaptation (CNGB3, FAM161A, DIAPH3, EYA4, AAK1, ERBB4, ERC2), oxidative stress anti–inflammatory response (COMMD1, OXR1), disease resistance (CNTN5, HRH4, NAALADL2), and meat quality (EHHADH, RHOD, GFPT1, SULT1B1). This study provides a comprehensive exploration of CNVs at the molecular level in Chinese Hainan yellow cattle, offering theoretical support for future breeding and selection programs aimed at enhancing qualities of this breed. Full article

The association of endotoxemia with metabolic syndrome (MS) and low-grade inflammation in type 1 diabetes (T1D) is little-studied. We investigated the levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), endogenous anti-endotoxin core antibodies (EndoCAb IgG and IgM) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in 74 T1D patients with different MS statuses and 33 control subjects. Within the T1D group, 31 patients had MS. These subjects had higher levels of LPS compared to patients without MS (MS 0.42 (0.35–0.56) or no MS 0.34 (0.3–0.4), p = 0.009). MS was associated with LPS/HDL (OR = 6.5 (2.1; 20.0), p = 0.036) and EndoCAb IgM (OR = 0.32 (0.11; 0.93), p = 0.036) in patients with T1D. LBP (β = 0.30 (0.09; 0.51), p = 0.005), EndoCAb IgG (β = 0.29 (0.07; 0.51), p = 0.008) and the LPS/HDL ratio (β = 0.19 (0.03; 0.41, p = 0.084) were significantly associated with log-transformed hsCRP in T1D. Higher levels of hsCRP and EndoCAb IgG were observed in T1D compared to the control (p = 0.002 and p = 0.091, respectively). In contrast to the situation in the control group, LPS did not correlate with LBP, EndoCAb, leukocytes or HDL in T1D. To conclude, endotoxemia is associated with low-grade inflammation, MS and a distinct response to LPS in T1D. Full article

Underground coal mines belong to the GNSS-denied environment, and the Strapdown Inertial Navigation System (SINS) has a significant advantage in the precise positioning of equipment in this environment because of its operation without requiring interaction with external information and strong anti-interference capabilities. Nonetheless, the vibrations of the installation platform adversely affect the positioning accuracy of SINS. This article focuses on the monorail crane in coal mines as the subject of research, developing a dynamic model for the motion unit consisting of the “track + drive unit + driver’s cab”, while analyzing the relationship between track roughness conditions and the vibration excitation of this unit. Subsequently, utilizing the dynamic model, the study calculated the angular and linear vibration characteristics and formulated models to address coning error and sculling error specific to the SINS in this vibration condition. Lastly, by employing a multi-sample compensation algorithm, this article compensated for positioning errors in the SINS caused by track roughness-induced vibrations during uniform straight-line motion of the motion unit, thus achieving optimal positioning information for the monorail crane. The simulation results demonstrated that employing a four-sample compensation algorithm reduces the coning error in SINS positioning calculations by a minimum of 50% and decreases the sculling error by at least 31%, satisfying the positioning accuracy requirements for precise parking of the monorail crane during the transportation phase, while establishing the foundation for autonomous precise positioning and integrated navigation of underground track transport equipment in coal mines. Full article

Both acute and chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are characterized by inflammation. HCV and reduced liver blood filtration contribute to inflammation; however, the mechanisms of systemic immune activation and dysfunction as a result of HCV infection are not clear. We measured circulating inflammatory mediators (IL-6, IP10, sCD163, sCD14), indices of endotoxemia (EndoCab, LBP, FABP), and T cell markers of exhaustion and senescence (PD-1, TIGIT, CD57, KLRG-1) in HCV-infected participants, and followed a small cohort after direct-acting anti-viral therapy. IL-6, IP10, Endocab, LBP, and FABP were elevated in HCV participants, as were T cell co-expression of exhaustion and senescence markers. We found positive associations between IL-6, IP10, EndoCab, LBP, and co-expression of T cell markers of exhaustion and senescence. We also found numerous associations between reduced liver function, as measured by plasma albumin levels, and T cell exhaustion/senescence, inflammation, and endotoxemia. We found positive associations between liver stiffness (TE score) and plasma levels of IL-6, IP10, and LBP. Lastly, plasma IP10 and the proportion of CD8 T cells co-expressing PD-1 and CD57 decreased after initiation of direct-acting anti-viral therapy. Although associations do not prove causality, our results support the model that translocation of microbial products, resulting from decreased liver blood filtration, during HCV infection drives chronic inflammation that results in T cell exhaustion/senescence and contributes to systemic immune dysfunction. Full article

The genus Laurencia, a category of marine red algae, is well recognized for producing a large variety of natural products (NPs) that are both chemically intriguing and structurally distinct. The aim of this research was to identify NPs with potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity. The crystals of the proteins RdRp and nsp15 were obtained from the RCSB protein database. About 300 NPs were discovered using the PubChem, ChemSpider, and CMNPD databases. The program Autodock Vina was used to conduct the molecular docking procedure once the proteins and ligands were prepared. Before running MD simulations using the CABS-flex 2.0 website, binding affinity assessments and interactions between amino acids were carefully reviewed. Only nine NPs were shortlisted to be examined further. Bromophycolide R, S, and bromophycoic acid C show the tendency to inhibit RdRp by β-hairpin motif binding at the N-terminal known as Active site 2 (AS2), whereas the other four NPs, bromophycolide E, H, P, and thyrsenol A, may effectively inhibit RdRp through interactions via C-terminal, also known as the Active site 1 (AS1). For the enzyme nsp15, bromophycoic B, C, and floridoside showed plausible interactions. In conclusion, out of nine, seven candidates shortlisted for RdRp exhibited strong interactions with the key residues in the AS1 and AS2 regions. Bromophycoic acid C may work as a dual inhibitor due to its favorable interactions with the nsp15 protein and RdRp’s N-terminal, with affinities of −8.5 and −8.2 kcal/mol, respectively. Full article

Biomolecules of marine origin have many applications in the field of biotechnology and medicine, but still hold great potential as bioactive substances against different diseases. The purification or total synthesis of marine metabolites is expensive, and requires a reliable selection method to reveal their pharmaceutical potential prior to clinical validation. This study aimed to explore the hidden potential of natural products from the gorgonian genus Antillogorgia as anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents, via binding affinity assessments and molecular dynamics (MDs) simulations. The three-dimensional protein structures of the nsp16–nsp10 complex, nsp13, and nsp14 were acquired from the RCSB PDB database. All 165 natural products (NPs) were discovered using the PubChem, ChemSpider, and CMNPD databases. The freeware Autodock Vina was used to conduct the molecular docking procedure, once the proteins and ligands were prepared using BIOVIA discovery studio and Avogadro software v1.95. Before running MDs simulations using the CABS-flex 2.0 website, the binding affinity assessments and amino acid interactions were carefully examined. Just twelve NPs were selected, and five of those NPs interacted optimally with the catalytic amino acids of proteins. To conclude, pseudopterosin A (−8.0 kcal/mol), seco-pseudopterosin A (−7.2 kcal/mol), sandresolide B (−6.2 kcal/mol), elisabatin A (−7.0 kcal/mol), and elisapterosin A (−10.7 kcal/mol) appeared to be the most promising candidates against the nsp16–nsp10, nsp13, and nsp14 proteins. Full article

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurological condition that worsens with ageing and affects memory and cognitive function. Presently more than 55 million individuals are affected by AD all over the world, and it is a leading cause of death in old age. The main purpose of this paper is to review the phytochemical constituents of different plants that are used for the treatment of AD. A thorough and organized review of the existing literature was conducted, and the data under the different sections were found using a computerized bibliographic search through the use of databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus, CAB Abstracts, MEDLINE, EMBASE, INMEDPLAN, NATTS, and numerous other websites. Around 360 papers were screened, and, out of that, 258 papers were selected on the basis of keywords and relevant information that needed to be included in this review. A total of 55 plants belonging to different families have been reported to possess different bioactive compounds (galantamine, curcumin, silymarin, and many more) that play a significant role in the treatment of AD. These plants possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticholinesterase, and anti-amyloid properties and are safe for consumption. This paper focuses on the taxonomic details of the plants, the mode of action of their phytochemicals, their safety, future prospects, limitations, and sustainability criteria for the effective treatment of AD. Full article

Serious membrane fouling has limited the development of ultrafiltration membrane technology for water purification. Synthesis of an ultrafiltration membrane with prominent anti-fouling ability is of vital importance. In this study, CAB−GO composite nanosheets were prepared by grafting graphene oxide (GO) with a zwitterionic material cocamidopropyl betaine (CAB) with strong antifouling properties. Anti-fouling CAB−GO/PES mixed matrix ultrafiltration membrane (CGM) was prepared by the phase inversion method with polyethersulfone (PES). Due to its electrostatic interaction, the interlayer distance between CAB−GO nanosheets was increased, and the dispersibility of GO was improved to large extent, thereby effectively avoiding the phenomenon of GO agglomeration in organic solvents. Based on the improvement of the surface porosity and surface hydrophilicity of the CAB−GO/PES mixed matrix membrane, the pure water flux of CGM−1.0 can reach 461 L/(m²·h), which was 2.5 times higher than that of the original PES membrane, and the rejection rates toward BSA and HA were above 96%. Moreover, when the content of CAB−GO was 0.1 wt%, the prepared CAB−GO/PES membrane exhibited very high BSA (99.1%) and HA (98.1%) rejection during long-term operation, indicating excellent anti-fouling ability. Full article

Inflammation linked to various diseases is the biological response to certain stimuli. The pro-inflammatory potential of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) as potential inducers of inflammation bound to the Toll-like Receptor 4 (TLR4) and the anti-inflammatory capacity of A. paniculata (AP) phytocompounds as prospective inhibitors of the Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-κB) p50 transcription factor are investigated via in silico techniques. The molecular docking of the PAHs and AP phytocompounds is performed in AutoDock Vina by calculating their binding energies. The molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) of the apo and ligand-bound complex of the top binding ligands were performed in CABS-flex. The agonists, which included the PAHs indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene (IP), and dibenz(a,h)anthracene (DahA), had the highest binding energies of −10 kcal/mol and −9.2 kcal/mol, respectively. The most stable antagonists in the binding site with binding energies to the NF-κB p50 were the AP phytocompounds with −5.6 kcal/mol for ergosterol peroxide and −5.3 kcal/mol for 14-deoxy-14,15-dehydroandrographolide. The MDS of the apo human TLR4 and PAH-bound TLR4, and the apo p50 and the AP phytocompound-bound NF-κB p50 showed minimal fluctuations. These results reveal that IP and DahA are significant inducers of inflammation, whereas ergosterol peroxide and 14-deoxy-14,15-dehydroandrographolide are inhibitors of the NF-κB pathway. Furthermore, the study theorizes that any inflammatory activity induced by PAH can be potentially inhibited by A. paniculata phytocompounds. Full article

A graphene oxide (GO)-based cortisol biosensor was developed to accurately detect cortisol concentrations from sweat samples at point-of-care (POC) sites. A reference electrode, counter electrode, and working electrode make up the biosensor, and the working electrode was functionalized using multiple layers consisting of GO and antibodies, including Protein A, IgG, and anti-Cab. Sweat samples contact the anti-Cab antibodies to transport electrons to the electrode, resulting in an electrochemical current response. The sensor was tested at each additional functionalization layer and at cortisol concentrations between 0.1 and 150 ng/mL to determine how the current response differed. A potentiostat galvanostat device was used to measure and quantify the electrochemical response in the GO-based biosensor. In both tests, the electrochemical responses were reduced in magnitude with the addition of antibody layers and with increased cortisol concentrations. The proposed cortisol biosensor has increased accuracy with each additional functionalization layer, and the proposed device has the capability to accurately measure cortisol concentrations for diagnostic purposes. Full article

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a tumor deriving from the thyroid C cells. Vandetanib (VAN) and cabozantinib (CAB) are two tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting REarranged during Transfection (RET) and other kinase receptors and are approved for the treatment of advanced MTC. We aim to compare the in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor activity of VAN and CAB in MTC. The effects of VAN and CAB on viability, cell cycle, and apoptosis of TT and MZ-CRC-1 cells are evaluated in vitro using an MTT assay, DNA flow cytometry with propidium iodide, and Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide staining, respectively. In vivo, the anti-angiogenic potential of VAN and CAB is evaluated in Tg(fli1a:EGFP)^y1 transgenic fluorescent zebrafish embryos by analyzing the effects on the physiological development of the sub-intestinal vein plexus and the tumor-induced angiogenesis after TT and MZ-CRC-1 xenotransplantation. VAN and CAB exert comparable effects on TT and MZ-CRC-1 viability inhibition and cell cycle perturbation, and stimulated apoptosis with a prominent effect by VAN in MZ-CRC-1 and CAB in TT cells. Regarding zebrafish, both drugs inhibit angiogenesis in a dose-dependent manner, in particular CAB shows a more potent anti-angiogenic activity than VAN. To conclude, although VAN and CAB show comparable antiproliferative effects in MTC, the anti-angiogenic activity of CAB appears to be more relevant. Full article