Search Results (255)

Background: Leptobotia tchangi is a loach species endemic to South China, but its mitochondrial genome has not yet been characterized, limiting understanding of its evolutionary relationships and conservation genetics. Methods: Here, we report the first complete mitochondrial genome of L. tchangi, using next-generation sequencing, assembly and bioinformatics analyses. Results: The double-stranded circular mitogenome has 16,590 bp and contains: 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and a non-coding control region (D-loop) containing conserved ETAS and CSB motifs. The overall base composition is 25.0% thymine (T), 27.9% cytosine (C), 31.1% adenine (A), and 16.0% guanine (G), showing a clear A + T bias (56.1%) which is consistent with other Botiidae mitogenomes. To infer the phylogenetic placement of L. tchangi within Botiidae, we conducted both Bayesian inference and maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analyses based on the concatenated PCG sequences. Our results strongly support (1) the monophyly of the subfamilies Leptobotiinae and Botiinae, as well as the monophyly of each genus within the family Botiidae; (2) three sister-group relationships within Botiinae: (Botia + Chromobotia), (Ambastaia + Sinibotia), and (Syncrossus + Yasuhikotakia), with the latter two species groups also being sister groups; (3) L. tchangi being most closely related to Leptobotia taeniops. Conclusions: These findings not only provide essential molecular markers for the species identification and conservation genetics of L. tchangi, but also clarify the taxonomic status of L. tchangi within Botiidae. Full article

Chinese steamed bread (CSB) is an important fermented wheat product, but controlled strategies for modulating its volatile profile remain limited. This study evaluated defined composite sourdoughs comprising Wickerhamomyces anomalus CRFSZY16 or Kluyveromyces marxianus FYY7 in combination with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SDgsM3 for CSB production using the direct fermentation method (DFM) and the refrigerated sponge-dough method (RSDM). Technological stress tolerance, preliminary safety-related phenotypes, acidification capacity, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), multivariate profiles, and specific volume were assessed. SDgsM3 showed dough-relevant stress tolerance and rapid acidification, while both yeasts tolerated moderate fermentation stresses. Headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-TQ-MS) revealed stage-dependent remodeling of volatile profiles from mature sourdough to fully proofed main dough and final CSB. RSDM selectively modified representative alcohols, aldehydes, furans, ketones, and esters rather than uniformly increasing all VOCs. In the final CSB, the K. marxianus-based RSDM system showed relatively higher levels of 3-methyl-1-butanol, whereas the W. anomalus-based RSDM system showed relatively higher levels of hexanal, nonanal, 1-hexanol, and 2-pentylfuran. Composite sourdough treatments also yielded specific volumes of 2.56–2.66 mL/g versus 2.44 mL/g for the commercial yeast control. These findings demonstrate strain- and process-dependent modulation of CSB volatile profiles and support flavor-oriented composite sourdough design. Full article

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation was selected in this study to evaluate its assistant remediation effects on Cr-contaminated soil. Various remediation materials, including corn stover (CS), corn stover biochar (CSB), polypyrrole-modified 44 corn stover (PPy-CS), and polypyrrole-modified corn stover biochar (PPy-CSB), were employed to evaluate their synergistic effects with UV radiation. The results showed that UV radiation increased the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) Cr(VI) when no other remediation was added to the contaminated soil. However, when the remediation materials were added, with UV radiation, the contents of TCLP-Cr(VI) decreased, while the contents of Cr(III) increased, and the removal rates of TCLP-Cr(VI) in contaminated soil treated by CSB, PPy-CSB, CS, and PPy-CS were 18.7%, 7.6%, 11.0%, and 8.2% higher than those of the non-irradiated groups, respectively. Notably, the CS group demonstrated superior efficacy in Cr(VI) removal compared with CSB under UV irradiation. Meanwhile, characteristic analysis including electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) assisted us in finding reaction mechanisms, which implied that UV irradiation could enhance the content of oxygen free radicals on the material surface and effectively activate the reactions between Cr(VI) and remediation materials. This study verified that UV irradiation could also be a promising tool in the remediation of heavy-metal-contaminated soil. Full article

Replication and transcription share the DNA template and must be coordinated to preserve genome integrity. Although temporally organized across the cell cycle, essential transcriptional programs—encoding replication machinery, canonical histones, and DNA repair factors—operate concurrently with DNA synthesis during S phase. Transcription–replication conflicts (TRCs) therefore constitute a recurrent endogenous source of replication stress (RS), particularly under hypertranscriptional or chromatin-constrained conditions. A frequent outcome of TRCs is the formation of R-loops–RNA:DNA hybrids that can stall or collapse replication forks, leading to DNA damage. This review summarizes current evidence supporting a broader involvement of ERCC6/CSB at the transcription–replication interface beyond its established role in transcription-coupled repair. We discuss how ERCC6 participates in RNA polymerase II processing, chromatin remodeling, R-loop metabolism, replication fork protection, and repair pathway engagement following RS, operating through both its ATPase domain and intrinsically disordered regions. Conversely, in homologous recombination-deficient contexts, ERCC6 may favor mutagenic restart mechanisms, including break-induced replication; and recent evidence indicates that ERCC6 status influences cellular fate and the genomic distribution of stress-induced mutations, linking transcription-coupled repair with transcription-dependent mutagenesis. These observations support a model in which ERCC6 coordinates transcription-associated repair with RS responses, shaping genome maintenance and mutational outcomes, with implications for cancer and therapeutic strategies. Full article

Siltation in semi-enclosed basins is commonly ascribed to the combined action of horizontal entrainment, tidal filling/emptying, and density flow, yet the interplay among these processes complicates a mechanistic understanding of siltation in artificially modified macrotidal bays. In this study, Dyer’s decomposition method for suspended sediment flux (SSF) and end-member analysis (EMA) were applied, combined with in situ hydrodynamic, suspended sediment concentration (SSC), and surface sediment grain-size measurements. Using Wuyuan Bay (Xiamen, China) as a case study, we examined its sediment dynamics and siltation patterns from a tidal-cycle perspective. Results show that the contribution of density flow is negligible. A recirculating gyre, formed during flood and suppressed during ebb, creates flood–ebb velocity asymmetry and net landward sediment transport, producing a central siltation body (CSB) that accounts for 45% of the total deposition. Near the entrance, Eulerian residual transport (gyre advection) dominates, with a notable contribution from tidal pumping. Further landward, tidal pumping weakens and gyre-induced Eulerian transport prevails. Grain-size analysis and EMA decomposition reveal uniform sedimentary dynamic conditions in this zone, with flood-phase deposition averaging 83% of the total siltation. Full article

Transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair (TC-NER) removes transcription-blocking lesions from active genes, but how lesion-stalled RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) is converted into a repair-accessible substrate remains incompletely understood. Active chromatin is dynamic but not topology-free. RNAPII elongation generates torsional stress that is buffered by nucleosome dynamics, chromatin remodelers, topoisomerases, and gene-body organization. Upon lesion-induced RNAPII arrest, this buffering system may fail locally, creating a topologically and architecturally constrained repair substrate. Here, we integrate established mechanisms of CSB-dependent RNAPII remodeling and recently defined ubiquitin-dependent clearance pathways with a testable model in which local torsional stress and topoisomerase-mediated relaxation influence repair permissiveness. In this framework, CSB remodels and organizes lesion-stalled RNAPII complexes, whereas topoisomerase may contribute to relaxation of transcription-generated supercoiling, thereby promoting a repair-permissive chromatin state. Recent evidence further indicates that CRL4^CSA-dependent RNAPII ubiquitylation initiates a hierarchical clearance program in which TFIIH/XPD drives rapid RNAPII displacement and VCP/p97 provides a backup extraction pathway. Together, these findings support a model in which TC-NER is possibly licensed not only by repair-factor recruitment but also by coordinated remodeling of RNAPII architecture, chromatin topology, and polymerase fate. Full article

Vegetative propagation of recalcitrant woody species is a challenging task that limits biotechnological exploitation of economically relevant trees. In the case of chestnut, a severe decline in its ability to form adventitious roots is imposed during maturation. In previous reports, both juvenile-like and mature microshoots were subject to different hormonal treatments to gain deeper insights into the molecular processes driving the formation of adventitious roots while allowing us to increase our understanding of failed treatments. In the present work, RNAseq libraries from those treatments were used to develop a Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis in order to identify gene modules correlated with the formation of adventitious roots. Hub genes within relevant modules were then used for promoter region analysis to identify transcription factor families that may play a role in the process by controlling the expression of the genes within those modules. bZIP and bHLH families in juvenile-like microshoots and WRKY and SBP families in mature microshoots were found to be particularly relevant for this developmental process. Specific transcription factors, like CsbHLH30 and CsbZIP44, seem to play key roles in the rooting process, while the activity of CsWRKY75 is putatively related to recalcitrant responses in mature shoots. Full article

This study investigated the interactions between phenolic compounds from Israeli and Chilean white wines and human serum carrier proteins, including human serum albumin (HALB), gamma-globulin (HGLO), and fibrinogen (HFB), to characterize their antioxidant capacity and serum protein-binding behavior under controlled experimental conditions. The analyzed wines included Israeli Chardonnay (ICR), Chilean Chardonnay (CCR), Israeli Sauvignon Blanc (ISB), and Chilean Sauvignon Blanc (CSB). HPLC and FTIR fingerprinting revealed cultivar- and region-dependent differences in phenolic composition, with Chardonnay wines showing stronger protein-binding behavior and Sauvignon Blanc samples displaying high antioxidant efficiency relative to their phenolic content. ICR exhibited the highest total binding capacity, 46.44%, and the strongest albumin interaction, with a binding constant (Kb) of 8.44 × 10⁴ M⁻¹ and a Gibbs free energy (ΔG) value of −35.03 kJ/mol. Empirical fluorescence quenching kinetics demonstrated that white wine phenolics establish stable physical complexes with human serum proteins, displaying a distinct preferential affinity for HALB as the protein showing the strongest apparent interaction among the proteins tested. Two- and three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy confirmed substantial quenching of the intrinsic tryptophan and tyrosine residues, indicating meaningful microenvironmental alterations within the protein’s active transport sites. These empirical interactions were closely mirrored by complementary molecular docking simulations, which provided a structural visualization of the physical binding interactions. ICR also showed the highest antioxidant capacity, with DPPH and CUPRAC values of 1.66 and 2.91 mmol TE/L, respectively. Ethanol control showed negligible effects, indicating that the observed bioactivity was mainly associated with the polyphenolic matrix. Among the investigated samples, Chardonnay showed higher apparent protein-binding capacity, whereas Sauvignon Blanc showed relatively high antioxidant efficiency in relation to its phenolic content. Full article

High-water-content dredged clay is a water-rich sediment that requires sustainable, resource-oriented treatment, but conventional ordinary Portland cement (OPC) stabilization is hindered by excessive water-to-binder ratios, suppressed hydration, and high carbon emissions. This study investigated corn straw biochar (CSB) as a partial OPC substitute for the low-carbon stabilization of kaolin-based simulated dredged clay. CSB prepared at 200–1000 °C under different holding times was characterized by water absorption, thermogravimetry, and SEM. Clay specimens with an initial water content of 80% (1.5 w_L) were prepared using 5–12% total binder, CSB:OPC ratios of 5:5–8:2, and curing ages of 7 and 28 d, and were evaluated by UCS, pH, SEM/ESEM, EDS, and life-cycle-based mechanical–environmental assessment. CSB developed honeycomb-like interconnected pores and a lamellar carbon skeleton, reaching 1476.10% water absorption at 700 °C for 30 min. The optimum CSB–OPC specimen reached approximately 136–137 kPa at 28 d, exceeding the OPC-only control of about 102 kPa. Strength improvement was associated with alkalinity maintenance, Ca–Si-rich hydration products, pore filling, and CSB–clay interfacial adsorption, embedding, and encapsulation. Properly carbonized CSB shows potential as an internal-curing, low-carbon co-binder for simulated dredged clay, but its field applicability requires further validation. Full article

The current study aims to assess the effects of coated sodium butyrate (CSB) on the weaning transition of White King pigeons. A total of 336 1-month-old White King pigeons were assigned randomly to four groups, including the Control group fed basal health sandand without CSB and test groups fed the basal health sand with 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.4% CSB, respectively. The results showed that, compared with the Control group, the average daily feed intake (ADFI) was significantly increased in the 0.1% and 0.2% CSB groups (p < 0.05). The 0.1% CSB group exhibited a higher immune organ index (IOI) than the Control group (p < 0.05). The total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) levels in the 0.1% CSB and 0.4% CSB groups significantly increased compared with the Control group (p < 0.05). In contrast, the 0.2% CSB group exhibited lower serum ALB, TP, and total cholesterol (TC) levels; TNF-α and IL-6 concentrations were reduced compared with the other groups (p < 0.05), and the 0.4% CSB group showed significantly increased serum TNF-α, IL-6, and D-lactic acid levels (p < 0.05). The ratio of villus height to crypt depth (VH/CD) of the jejunum (p < 0.05) was significantly increased in the 0.2% CSB group. In addition, the CD and VH/CD of the ileum were significantly increased in the 0.1% CSB group (p < 0.05). Firmicutes was the predominant phylum across all treatment groups, while Bacteroidota showed a more sensitive response to CSB supplementation. The 0.1% CSB group showed a significant enrichment of Oscillospiraceae and Muribaculaceae, fiber-fermenting, SCFA-producing taxa, Enterobacterales and Klebsiella, suggesting CSB-mediated alterations in luminal oxygen tension that favor the coexistence of facultative and obligate anaerobic taxa. Collectively, these data revealed that CSB supplementation efficiently improves growth performance and intestinal health of weaning pigeons by ameliorating the intestinal environment. Full article

This study investigates shading technologies used to protect vertical green façades (VGF) from excessive solar exposure and climate-related stresses. A scoping review of 176 publications from the past decade was conducted, focusing on innovative materials and components applied in adaptive and passive shading systems relevant to Central and Southern European climates (BSh, Csa, Csb, Cfa, Cfb, Dfb). Only technologies that reached at least the prototype or small-scale trial stage were included. The review identifies several categories of emerging adaptive solutions—such as smart materials, pneumatic systems, PCM-integrated, PV-integrated, algae-based, hygromorphic, electro-optic, fluidic, and mechanical or mechatronic devices—which show potential to improve microclimatic regulation and user comfort, though their long-term durability and integration with VGFs remain insufficiently documented. Advances in digital fabrication and optimisation support the development of high-performance passive elements, while experimental and simulation studies indicate that dynamic shading can offer promising outcomes across diverse climatic contexts. To strengthen the plant-centred perspective, each shading category is evaluated through four criteria: PAR transmission, microclimatic regulation, evapotranspiration behaviour, and integration constraints. Climate projections suggest that radiation and heat stress may increasingly challenge certain VGF species in warmer regions, highlighting the need for shading strategies aligned with plant requirements, local conditions, user needs, and long-term maintenance. Full article

Blueberry pomace is a polyphenol-rich by-product of fruit processing. A face-centered central composite design (FCCCD) optimized hydroethanolic extraction across time (20–60 min), temperature (20–60 °C) and ethanol (20–80%), evaluating total phenolic content (TPC), yield and selectivity. The selected condition (40 min, 60 °C, 50% ethanol) reached 20.0 mg GAE/g dry biomass, a yield of 27% and a selectivity of 75.2 mg GAE/g dry extract. Peleg’s model adequately described the kinetics at 20 and 60 °C; pseudo-equilibrium was reached within 5 min, with equilibrium concentration rising from 9.9 to 20.8 mg GAE/g DW, and initial rate tripling. Based on the kinetic analysis (t₉₉ ≈ 2.5 min), 5 min was adopted as the operational reference for phytochemical characterization; extracts were characterized by FRAP, DPPH, total anthocyanin content (TAC), and HPLC-DAD anthocyanin profiling. Increasing the temperature from 20 to 60 °C raised FRAP 3.4-fold and TAC 1.9-fold while reducing DPPH by 14%, decoupling bulk phenolic recovery from antioxidant capacity. HPLC-DAD identified five glycosylated anthocyanins, with petunidin-3-glucoside as the dominant constituent. Antimicrobial screening confirmed activity against Staphylococcus aureus. These results provide foundational process and compositional data to guide GRAS-compatible valorization of Chilean blueberry pomace and caution against bulk phenolic indicators as the sole quality criteria. Full article

Camelliasaponins, bioactive constituents abundant in the by-products of Camellia oleifera oil production, exhibit diverse biological activities. However, their potential in regulating neuroprotective mitophagy remains largely unexplored. This study identifies camelliasaponin B1 (CSB1) as an abundant component in C. oleifera seeds and investigates its cytoprotective mechanisms against oxidative stress. Using an in vitro model of H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage in PC12 cells, we found that CSB1 pretreatment significantly alleviated oxidative stress, as evidenced by reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, GSH-Px). CSB1 also preserved mitochondrial function, restoring membrane potential (ΔΨm), ultrastructure, and respiratory capacity. Mechanistically, CSB1 reduces the expression of BNIP3/NIX-LC3B pathway-related proteins, suggesting a modulatory effect on mitophagy, as supported by transcriptomic analysis, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence. Molecular docking computationally predicted potential interactions between CSB1 and BNIP3/NIX proteins, which require experimental validation. Collectively, these findings suggest that CSB1 acts as a cytoprotective agent that enhances antioxidant defenses, safeguards mitochondrial integrity, and is associated with reduced BNIP3/NIX-LC3B expression and co-localization, offering a potential molecular basis for its development as a neuroprotective agent targeting oxidative stress-related mitochondrial dysfunction. Full article

Industrial defect image generation is an effective way to alleviate data scarcity and class imbalance in visual inspection. In industrial images, defects usually appear as local asymmetric perturbations on globally regular background structures, which makes defect synthesis dependent on both background consistency and local anomaly fidelity. Existing generative methods still face difficulties when only limited anomalous samples are available, especially in representing fine-grained discrepancies among defect categories, coordinating global and local branches across diffusion stages, and constraining small defect regions and their boundary transitions. To address these issues, this paper develops a symmetry-aware multi-constraint diffusion framework based on the dual-branch architecture of DualAnoDiff. The framework treats multi-class industrial defect generation as a joint optimization problem involving class-conditioned discrepancy representation, diffusion-stage-aware branch coordination, and saliency-guided regional supervision. First, Class-Conditioned Shared-Basis LoRA (CSB-LoRA) models category-specific defect characteristics by combining cross-class shared low-rank bases with class-dependent coefficients, allowing common structural priors and class-specific asymmetric patterns to be represented simultaneously. Second, Temporal Dual-branch Attention Modulation (TDAM) adjusts branch interaction, background information injection, and residual feature fusion according to the denoising stage, so that the generation process can gradually shift from global structure restoration to local defect refinement. Third, Saliency-Guided Reconstruction Loss (SGRL) applies stronger spatial constraints to defect regions and boundary neighborhoods, improving local detail preservation and defect-background continuity. Experiments on the MVTec AD dataset show that the proposed method improves both generation quality and perceptual diversity compared with DualAnoDiff. The average IS increases from 1.93 to 2.07, and IC-LPIPS increases from 0.38 to 0.41. When the generated samples are used for downstream defect segmentation, AP-P improves from 84.5% to 85.7%, and F1-P improves from 78.8% to 79.3%. These results indicate that the generated samples can serve as useful synthetic training data for few-shot and class-imbalanced industrial inspection. Full article

The problem of chromium contamination, especially Cr(VI), in acidic wastewater has drawn significant attention, requiring effective and sustainable remediation measures. In this study, tannic-acid/Fe₃O₄-modified corn straw biochar (Fe-TA-CSB) is prepared by a grinding-calcination method to remove Cr(VI). The factors influencing the removal effect of Fe-TA-CSB are investigated through static adsorption experiments. The removal mechanism is explored by combining adsorption kinetics, isothermal adsorption, and thermodynamics, as well as characterization methods. The results show that the removal efficiency of Cr(VI) increases with the increase in pH, contact time (t), and solid–liquid ratio (m/v), but decreases with the increase in initial concentration (C₀). Under optimal conditions of TA/Fe₃O₄ mass ratio = 12.5%, pH = 3.0, m/v = 1.0 g/L, and C₀ = 10 mg/L, the removal efficiency value is 94.02%, which is approximately 81.44% after four adsorption–desorption cycles. The adsorption behavior is fitted well by the Sips isotherm model and Elovich kinetics model, suggesting the adsorption process of heterogeneous monolayer chemisorption. The removal mechanism of Cr(VI) by Fe-TA-CSB involves electrostatic interaction with Cr(VI), reduction in Cr(VI) to Cr(III) through C–O and Fe(II), and complexation of reduced Cr(III) with the introduced Fe–O and phenolic hydroxyl groups. Fe-TA-CSB is an environmentally friendly and renewable adsorbent with good potential for the treatment of acidic wastewater. Full article