Search Results (2,830)

The ubiquitous presence of modified mycotoxins such as zearalenone-14-glucoside (ZEN-14G) in agricultural resources presents a critical challenge to livestock safety, specifically regarding their capacity to disrupt lipid metabolism and fermentation in the rumen. This study aimed to evaluate the dose- and time-dependent direct effects of ZEN-14G on rumen fermentation characteristics, nutrient disappearance, and mycotoxin biotransformation under controlled in vitro conditions, and to explore the associated microbial and metabolic responses. An in vitro batch fermentation system was established with three ZEN-14G doses, namely control (CON), low dosage (GL), and high dosage (GH), across three time points (6, 12, and 24 h). Basic fermentation parameters, fat disappearance rates, and ZEN-14G metabolites were quantified, while 16S rRNA gene sequencing and untargeted metabolomics were conducted specifically on 24 h endpoint samples from the CON and GH groups to investigate downstream mechanistic disruptions. The results showed that while baseline pH homeostasis remained unaffected across groups, ZEN-14G dose-dependently inhibited fat disappearance, with the GH group exhibiting a significant reduction throughout fermentation. Targeted quantification confirmed that ZEN-14G was predominantly deglucosylated to free ZEN and reduced to α/β-ZEL. Endpoint multi-omics revealed that although overall α/β-diversity was maintained at 24 h, ZEN-14G induced fine-scale strain-level replacement (12% shared ASVs), marked by the depletion of the key lipolytic bacterium Prevotella sp. R79. Untargeted metabolomics showed marked disruptions in sphingolipid metabolism and linoleic acid oxidation, where the accumulation of cytotoxic oxidized fatty acids (12,13-EpOME) and membrane turnover markers (sphingosine) positively correlated with enriched Bacillota. In summary, under macroscopic acid–base homeostasis, masked ZEN-14G directly impairs ruminal lipid metabolism, alters microbial community structure at the strain level, and perturbs cell membrane lipid turnover strictly within an in vitro system. These findings establish a key mechanistic baseline for masked mycotoxin biotransformation in the rumen, highlighting the necessity for future in vivo feeding trials to fully evaluate their systemic risk profile in ruminants. Full article

Background: The diagnosis of adult growth hormone (GH) deficiency (GHD) relies on demonstrating a reduced GH response to stimulation tests. Excess body weight, an increasingly prevalent condition, is associated with a blunted GH response to all types of stimulation tests. Therefore, establishing body mass index (BMI)-dependent cut-offs is essential for accurate interpretation. This study aimed to identify BMI-specific diagnostic thresholds for the insulin tolerance test (ITT), using residual pituitary function as the clinical gold standard. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 105 patients with hypothalamic-pituitary disorders who underwent ITT. GHD was defined by the presence of at least three pituitary hormone deficiencies, while preserved somatotropic function was defined by the absence of other pituitary deficits and an insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) standard deviation score ≥ 0. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine optimal BMI-stratified cut-offs, defined as those maximizing sensitivity (SE) and specificity (SP). Results: The optimal GH cut-off was 2.8 μg/L for patients with normal weight (SE 84.6%, SP 97.4%) and those with overweight (SE 100%, SP 92.3%), and 2.1 μg/L for patients with obesity (SE 88.2%, SP 87.5%). The area under the ROC curve was 0.968, 0.957, and 0.897 for patients with normal weight, overweight, and obesity, respectively. Conclusions: This is the first study to define GH diagnostic thresholds for the ITT according to BMI, using a clinical definition of GHD as reference. More restrictive cut-offs in patients with obesity are needed to avoid GHD overdiagnosis and potential overtreatment. These findings should be considered hypothesis-generating and require prospective external validation before routine clinical implementation. Full article

This study addresses the unclear damage mechanisms of TiAlSiN-coated tools during high-speed milling of GH4169 by integrating milling experiments with finite element simulations, and establishes a thermo-mechanical coupled damage prediction model that accounts for the superposition effect of cyclic loads. Cutting experiments show that with increasing cutting speed, the rake face damage evolves from peeling and abrasive wear to comb-shaped thermal cracks, mechanical cracks, and large-area peeling, accompanied by a significant reduction in tool life. Simulations reveal that the superposition of residual thermal compressive stress during the idle-cutting phase with mechanical stress in the subsequent cutting cycle forms alternating loads, which is the fundamental cause of thermo-mechanical fatigue crack initiation. The XFEM-CEM coupled model indicates that at higher cutting speeds, the maximum principal stress increases, promoting easier coating crack initiation and greater interfacial debonding. The thermo-mechanical coupled damage prediction model, improved by incorporating a temperature-modified strength threshold and a thermal acceleration factor, yields predictions consistent with experimental results, providing a theoretical basis for process parameter optimization and tool life prediction. Full article

The yak is an iconic ruminant of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, yet segment-specific variation in its intestinal microbial functional potential and bile acid profiles under different feeding systems remains insufficiently characterized. Six healthy adult male yaks with similar body weights (320 ± 30 kg) were assigned to grazing (G) or stall-feeding (S) systems, with three animals per group, for a 90-day trial comprising a 10-day adaptation period and an 80-day formal experimental period. The individual yak was considered the experimental unit, and intestinal segments sampled from the same animal were treated as repeated observations. Liver tissue and digesta from the duodenum, ileum, cecum, and colon were analyzed using targeted bile acid metabolomics and shotgun metagenomics. Principal coordinate analysis based on Bray-Curtis dissimilarities showed segment-associated clustering of microbial communities, with PCo1 and PCo2 explaining 65.5% and 18.9% of the total variation, respectively. ANOSIM identified a significant intestinal-segment effect on microbial community composition (R = 0.2208, BH-FDR = 0.0144), whereas the overall feeding-system effect was not significant (R = 0.3747, BH-FDR = 0.1200). No statistically significant feeding-system differences were detected in Shannon, Simpson, Chao1, or ACE indices within individual intestinal segments (BH-FDR ≥ 0.800), and PERMDISP detected no significant differences in within-group dispersion (BH-FDR ≥ 0.1682). Bacillota and Bacteroidota were the dominant phyla. Descriptive functional profiling showed higher mean ileal abundances of GH2 (0.0035 vs. 0.0026), GH3 (0.0029 vs. 0.0024), and GH43 (0.0021 vs. 0.0013) in grazing yaks, whereas the starch-associated GH13 family showed its highest mean abundance in the colon of stall-fed yaks. These metagenomic patterns represent predicted genomic functional potential rather than gene expression, enzyme activity, or metabolic flux. Cecal total bile acid concentration showed a nominal between-group difference (unadjusted Welch’s p = 0.0109), but this difference did not remain significant after correction across the five anatomical sites (BH-FDR = 0.0545). In the colon, stall-fed yaks had a lower conjugated-to-unconjugated bile acid ratio and a higher secondary-to-primary bile acid ratio than grazing yaks (BH-FDR < 0.05). Feeding-system-associated descriptive patterns were observed in predicted microbial functional profiles, whereas statistically supported between-group differences were limited mainly to selected colonic bile acid ratios. Given the limited animal-level replication, these findings should be considered exploratory. Full article

Waterlogging stress is a major abiotic stressor that severely constrains crop growth and productivity. Aerenchyma provides intercellular air spaces to transport oxygen to the root, which is essential for survival under waterlogged conditions. However, the mechanism underlying the response to waterlogging and aerenchyma formation in luffa remains poorly understood. In this study, we identified distinct phenotypic responses between two cultivars: ‘Zhonglü’ exhibited aerenchyma formation in the hypocotyl under waterlogging, whereas ‘Yalü’ did not. Transcriptome profiling of ‘Zhonglü’ revealed differentially expressed genes linked to plant hormone signal transduction, including fifteen auxin-related and two jasmonate-related genes, which may be involved in waterlogging-induced aerenchyma formation and are proposed as candidate regulators. Furthermore, exogenous application of 5 μmol/L N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) and 20 μmol/L methyl jasmonate (MeJA) significantly enhanced aerenchyma formation. Notably, these treatments uncovered a regulatory node wherein NPA-disrupted auxin transport and jasmonate signaling converge to coordinately fine-tune the expression of ARF18, IAA32, GH3.17 and TIFY9 genes in the hypocotyl. Taken together, this study definitely advances our knowledge of the morphological and transcriptomic responses of Luffa under waterlogging stress and sheds new lights on its adaptive mechanisms. Full article

Background: Understanding the nasopharyngeal (NAS) and rectal (INT) microbiomes is critical to maintain host health. However, their functional roles in shaping microbial network structure and niche differentiation remain unexplored in most animal species, especially endangered primates. Here, we compared the NAS and INT microbiomes of golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) using full-length 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and metagenomics, focusing on taxonomic composition, functional profiles (KEGG, CAZy, PHI), and microbial co-occurrence networks. Results: Our results indicate that microbial community structure and diversity (Shannon evenness) differ significantly between the two niches. Taxonomically, both sequencing approaches consistently show that, at the relative-abundance level, NAS is dominated by genera such as Dolosigranulum and Vibrio, whereas the INT is characterized by Campylobacter, Helicobacter, and Aerococcus. Notably, metagenomic analysis indicates a relatively high abundance of potential pathogens, including Helicobacter pylori and Chlamydia psittaci. LEfSe analysis shows Dolosigranulum and Campylobacter are key microbial markers for the NAS and INT niches, respectively. KEGG pathway analysis reveals that the NAS microbiome is enriched in valine/leucine/isoleucine degradation and glutathione metabolism, while the INT microbiome is enriched in amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism and ribosome pathways. At the CAZy level, all 29 differentially abundant families (e.g., GH13_29, GH103, AA3_2) were enriched in the NAS. Distinct pathogen–host interaction profiles further reflect niche-specific adaptations. Exploratory Spearman-based co-occurrence networks (in which no genus–CAZy edge survived Benjamini–Hochberg (FDR) correction) linked core commensals to KEGG pathways and CAZy families (e.g., GT35, GH0). In the INT, Campylobacter and Helicobacter form high-connectivity modules associated with pathways such as those involving the two-component system and ABC transporters. Conclusions: The nasopharyngeal and rectal microbiomes in golden snub-nosed monkeys differ not only taxonomically but also functionally, exhibiting clear spatially specialized functional differentiation. Given the small sample size (n = 8), these findings provide preliminary evidence for niche-specific microbial and functional partitioning and suggest that the nasopharynx may harbor a relatively high abundance of potential zoonotic pathogens. This study provides a basis for further exploration with a larger sample size. Full article

The comprehensive utilization of lignocellulose is still constrained by the inefficiency of its degradation. The application of a synthetic microbial community represents a promising strategy to promote straw decomposition. By employing multi-omics coupling techniques to explore the microbial community and functional composition of various straw-associated environments, we identified core microbial taxa driving straw decomposition and subsequently constructed three microbial communities: a bacterial community, a fungal community, and a cross-kingdom community. In particular, the bacterial community exhibited intrinsic synergistic effects, increasing its straw weight loss by 10.8–57.3% compared to single-constituent strains. Liquid fermentation experiments further verified that the bacterial community possessed excellent straw degradation performance, achieving net degradation rates of 26.4% within 3 days and 33.7% within 30 days under 1% (w/v) tobacco straw conditions. The bacterial community exhibited cellulolytic and ligninolytic enzyme activities. Metagenomic analysis revealed that the bacterial community was dominated by Paenibacillus (42.3–70.9%), followed by Paenarthrobacter (7.1–31.7%) and Microbacterium (6.5–26.2%). CAZy annotation revealed that the bacterial community harbored numerous lignocellulose-degrading genes, including those encoding glycoside hydrolases (GHs, 51.2%), carbohydrate esterases (CEs, 17.7%), and auxiliary activities (AAs, 5.7%). Non-targeted metabolomics analysis identified 1024 differentially expressed metabolites that were involved in alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism; butanoate metabolism; and cofactor biosynthesis. These results indicate that a community constructed with multi-omics coupling techniques can effectively degrade lignocellulose, which provides meaningful guidance for constructing synthetic microbial consortia aimed at lignocellulose decomposition. Full article

Background: Drought is one of the major abiotic stresses that affect and limit cotton growth and production. However, transcriptome differences between drought-tolerant and drought-susceptible cotton lines remain largely unknown. Methods and Results: In this study, two upland cotton cultivars, the drought-tolerant XLZ80 and drought-sensitive XLZ61, were subjected to comparative phenotypic and transcriptomic analyses under drought stress. Phenotypic evaluation showed that XLZ80 exhibited only mild leaf wilting, whereas XLZ61 displayed severe wilting symptoms after drought stress. RNA-seq analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes in XLZ80 were specifically enriched in pathways related to phosphatidylinositol signaling, phenylalanine metabolism, MAPK signaling, and betaine biosynthesis, while DEGs in XLZ61 were primarily involved in basal metabolic processes. A total of 9302 core DEGs were identified across and between the cultivars and were grouped into eight dynamic expression clusters containing 841 transcription factors. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis further identified three key modules associated with drought tolerance. Twelve hub genes, including GH_D02G2153 (MADS-box) and GH_A05G1087 (bZIP), were identified as central regulators. qRT-PCR validation confirmed that these genes exhibited faster and stronger induction in the tolerant cultivar. In summary, this study deepens the transcriptional-level understanding of drought stress responses in cotton and provides valuable gene resources for breeding drought-resistant cultivars. Full article

This study evaluated the effects of Myrtus communis L. extract on growth performance, growth hormone (GH), humoral immune response, oxidative stress indicators, and serum biochemical parameters in weaned Ramlıç lambs. Forty-five clinically healthy male lambs were allocated to three groups: control (n = 9), 0.5 mL/kg extract (n = 18), and 1 mL/kg extract (n = 18). The extract was administered orally once daily for 45 days. Body weight measurements and blood sampling were performed on days 0, 15, 30, and 45. Serum samples were analyzed for GH, IgG, total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and selected biochemical parameters, whereas oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated from TAS and TOS values. Longitudinal effects of dose, sampling day, and their interaction were evaluated using a linear mixed-effects model. Although body weight increased in all groups, no significant differences were detected among the groups (p > 0.05). A significant day × dose interaction was observed for GH (p = 0.004). IgG concentrations were significantly higher in the 1 mL/kg group on day 30 and in both extract-treated groups on day 45 than in controls. Extract administration did not cause significant changes in TAS, TOS, OSI, liver enzymes, renal function parameters, glucose, or lipid profile. In conclusion, M. communis extract was biochemically well tolerated and was associated with increased serum IgG concentrations but did not exert a marked effect on growth performance or systemic oxidant–antioxidant balance. Further studies under different physiological conditions and with longer administration periods are needed to clarify its mechanisms of action and potential use in ruminant husbandry. Full article

Plant GH5 family genes function in both cell wall biosynthesis and stress responses. However, comprehensive studies on GH5 genes in the soybean remain limited. Here, we identified 28 GmGH5 genes from the soybean genome. Phylogenetic analysis assigned these genes to three subfamilies (I–III), with no representatives in subfamily IV. The GmGH5 family harbors 15 conserved motifs, which are largely similar within subfamilies but differ across subfamilies. Additionally, exon–intron structures (2–7 introns) exhibit clade-specific patterns, with members within the same clade sharing similar intron numbers and lengths, whereas distinct clades show some variation. The promoter regions of GmGH5 genes contained various cis-acting regulatory elements associated with stress responses and developmental processes. Transcriptome-based expression profiling revealed distinct tissue-specific expression patterns of GmGH5 genes. RT-qPCR further confirmed their differential expression under salt, alkaline, cold, and drought stresses, especially a significant increase in GmGH5-22 expression under salt stress (approximately 22-fold at 6 h, **** p < 0.0001). Furthermore, GmGH5-22 was highly expressed in roots, and transient expression in tobacco leaves showed its peripheral localization, which aligns with its predicted extracellular localization, suggesting that GmGH5-22 is highly likely localized to the cell wall. Overexpression of GmGH5-22 in soybean hairy roots significantly improved tolerance to salt stress. These findings establish a foundation for functional characterization of GmGH5 genes and provide viable targets for molecular breeding to enhance salt tolerance in soybeans. Full article

The Hendra virus (HeV; Henipavirus hendraense) and Nipah virus (NiV; Henipavirus nipahense), members of the genus Henipavirus, are high-consequence pathogens that have caused multiple zoonotic outbreaks with high mortality. Frequently, pigs or horses have acted as bridging hosts between bats, the reservoir hosts, and people. We used pseudotyped viruses with the fusion (F) and glycoprotein (G) envelope proteins of the NiV and Ghana virus (GhV; Henipavirus ghanaense) in neutralization tests (PVNTs) to screen serum samples from 138 apparently healthy horses in northwest Nigeria. No antibodies to GhV were detected in the 138 samples tested. Two serum samples were positive for antibodies to NiV on an initial screen using a single serum dilution, giving a prevalence of 1.45% (95% CI: 0.4–5.13%). Both positive samples were from female, non-local breeds of horses that were used for polo and were 15 and 20 years old. The only significant risk factor found through Chi-squared analysis was the older age category (p = 0.028). On titration in a PVNT, a half-maximal inhibitory concentration was calculated for both samples (IC₅₀ = 11.6 and 16.8). These data suggest the limited exposure of horses to NiV in the sample region but confirms that horses can act as a sentinel population for the circulation of henipaviruses. Full article

Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum) suffers severe yield and quality losses from white leaf spot disease caused by Alternaria alternata. Spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS) presents a sustainable alternative to traditional chemical fungicides. To maximize the biocontrol efficacy of this approach, we designed dsRNAs targeting two candidate virulence-associated genes of Alternaria alternata: AaGH10, encoding a cell wall-degrading enzyme critical for host penetration, and AaSOD, an antioxidant enzyme crucial for reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging. We comprehensively evaluated the antifungal efficacy by assessing mycelial growth inhibition, spore germination, and lesion development through in vitro and in vivo assays. The results demonstrated that both single and combinatorial treatments effectively inhibited fungal growth and spore germination, thereby reducing disease incidence on detached leaves and intact greenhouse plants. The application of the dual-target dsRNA formulation achieved an 86.7% control efficacy on detached leaves. Furthermore, it significantly alleviated in vivo disease severity, decreasing the average number of necrotic lesions from 15.6 to 1.3 per leaf. These results demonstrate that the dual-target combination exerts an enhanced protective effect compared with individual interventions. This specific dual-target dsRNA formulation establishes a robust foundation for the control of Chinese chive white leaf spot disease. Full article

Weaning stress and antinutritional components in conventional soybean meal may impair intestinal homeostasis and growth in nursery piglets. This study compared five soybean protein sources: conventional soybean meal (SBM), rapidly expanded soybean meal (RSB), fermented soybean meal (FSBM), hydrolyzed soybean protein (HP), and extruded full-fat soybean (ESB). Two concurrent 28-day trials used 120 newly weaned piglets, with 60 piglets per trial allocated to five treatments (six pens per treatment and two piglets per pen): a single-diet trial and a dual-choice feed-preference trial. Growth, feed preference, crude protein digestibility, serum biomarkers, and colonic microbiota were evaluated. HP showed the highest in vitro and apparent crude protein digestibility and increased final body weight and average daily gain relative to SBM and RSB (p < 0.05). Compared with SBM, HP increased serum IgA, IL-2, GH, and IGF-1 and decreased TNF-α (p < 0.05). Serum antioxidant indices and microbial alpha diversity did not differ among treatments (p > 0.05). Descriptive genus-level analyses indicated a higher relative abundance of Lactobacillus in the HP and FSBM groups. Overall, HP produced the most consistent improvements in protein digestibility and selected growth and serum outcomes under the conditions of this study. Full article

Off-grid agricultural cold chains suffer from high energy conversion losses due to intermediate electrical stages in traditional refrigeration. This study addresses the lack of empirical quantification by comparing Direct Mechanical Drive (DMD) and Electrical Power Generation (EPG) drive trains for an R-134a vapor compression refrigeration system. Under steady-state conditions (randomized block design), DMD achieved a statistically significant 13.89% reduction in biomass consumption over EPG (1840.0 vs. 2136.7 g/h; p < 0.001). The biomass consumption was evaluated based on the measured charcoal mass flow under the same lower heating value basis. Conversely, refrigeration COP was statistically equivalent (2.74 vs. 2.73; p = 0.815), confirming that drive-train architecture does not alter internal vapor compression thermodynamics. Only 19.6% of the compressor shaft power appeared as useful fluid-side compression work under this fractional-load operating condition, a volumetric rather than mechanical deficiency arising from operation at 7.7–15.5% of the compressor’s rated capacity. Referenced consistently to the primary biomass chemical energy input, the First-Law biomass-to-cooling system efficiency was 3.66% (equivalent to 5.34% when referenced to the syngas delivered to the engine), with a corresponding biomass-referenced exergy efficiency of 0.44%. Component exergy analysis revealed that the internal combustion engine (59.13% of total exergy destruction, ε = 13.1%) and the gasifier (32.4%, ε = 67.7%) dominated total system exergy destruction (15.49 kW). Furthermore, a 10-year life-cycle cost (LCC) analysis indicates DMD-Syngas yields net present value savings of 21,071.57 USD over gasoline-EPG, yielding a 0.14-year (~50-day) simple payback period on the 400.12 USD net incremental hardware capital cost (the gasification subsystem less the alternator–motor drive train that the direct-drive configuration does not require, and excluding one-time installation and training costs). When the fully installed cost is accounted for—including site preparation, process-water supply and effluent handling, low-voltage provision, installation labor, operator training and contingency—the incremental investment rises to 1298–2405 USD and the payback period extends to approximately 162–301 days. Under the least favorable combination examined, in which commercially purchased charcoal is imposed simultaneously with the upper installed-cost bound, capital recovery extends to approximately 1.4 years; the base case nevertheless recovers the incremental investment within the first operating year. An operational-phase (gate-to-gate) carbon assessment indicates near parity with the gasoline baseline on a strictly attributional basis (+120 to +1200 kg CO₂e yr⁻¹); a net saving of 8880–13,320 kg CO₂e yr⁻¹ arises only under the consequential scenario in which open-field burning of orchard residues is displaced and is further contingent on including black carbon in the accounting basket. This is not a full ISO 14040/44 life-cycle assessment, and the environmental outcome is therefore scenario-dependent rather than intrinsic to fuel substitution. These results demonstrate that mechanical drive-train optimization substantially enhances fuel economy without compromising refrigeration performance, providing a rigorous evidence base for scalable biomass-powered off-grid cold chains. Full article

Endo-β-1,4-mannanases (MANs) are glycoside hydrolase family 5 (GH5) enzymes that degrade cell wall mannan polysaccharides and participate in plant growth and stress adaptation. This gene family has not been systematically characterized in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Here, we identified 24 TaMAN genes (TaMAN1–TaMAN24) genome-wide and analyzed their phylogeny, gene structures, chromosomal distribution, synteny, and promoter cis-acting elements. Expression profiles under biotic and abiotic stresses were investigated using public databases, salt-stress RNA-seq, and RT-qPCR. TaMAN proteins (386–475 aa) were mainly predicted to localize in the extracellular space. Phylogenetic analysis divided them into three groups, with Groups II and III representing monocot-specific expansions. Family expansion was driven primarily by whole-genome duplication, supplemented by tandem duplication on homoeologous group 6. Promoters were enriched in hormone- and stress-responsive cis-acting elements (ABRE, as-1/CGTCA-motif, W box). TaMAN1, TaMAN5, TaMAN8, TaMAN9, TaMAN16 and TaMAN19 were significantly induced by powdery mildew, while TaMAN3, TaMAN4 and TaMAN19–TaMAN22 rapidly responded to salt stress. This study provides candidate genes for disease-resistant and salt-tolerant wheat breeding. Full article