Search Results (47,862)

Early identification of anatomically significant coronary artery disease (CAD) remains a major clinical challenge despite advances in cardiovascular diagnostics. Novel circulating biomarkers may improve risk stratification and diagnostic discrimination beyond conventional parameters. We investigated the diagnostic utility of four emerging biomarkers—Phoenixin-14, Syntenin-1, Alamandine, and Cerebellin-1—for the assessment of CAD severity. In this prospective observational study, 90 participants undergoing coronary angiography were categorized into three groups: severe CAD (≥70% stenosis; n = 30), non-obstructive/non-critical CAD (<70% stenosis; n = 30), and angiographically normal controls (n = 30). Patients with acute coronary syndrome, diabetes mellitus, prior coronary revascularization, cardiomyopathy, or significant systemic disease were excluded. Circulating biomarker concentrations were quantified using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Comparative analyses, correlation testing, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed to evaluate discriminatory performance. Circulating Phoenixin-14 concentrations progressively declined across the control, non-critical CAD, and severe CAD groups [40.1 (29.0–49.7) vs. 24.4 (18.5–30.1) vs. 16.7 (13.4–19.0) pg/mL, respectively; p < 0.001]. Phoenixin-14 demonstrated outstanding discrimination for severe CAD, achieving an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.969 (95% CI, 0.888–0.997), with 86.7% sensitivity and 96.7% specificity at a threshold of ≤20.2 pg/mL. Diagnostic performance was substantially lower for Syntenin-1 (AUC, 0.795), Alamandine (AUC, 0.661), and Cerebellin-1 (AUC, 0.597). Phoenixin-14 also showed robust discrimination for non-critical CAD (AUC, 0.832). Biomarker concentrations exhibited correlations with metabolic indices while remaining largely independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Among the evaluated novel circulating biomarkers, Phoenixin-14 demonstrated superior diagnostic performance for both obstructive and non-obstructive CAD, markedly outperforming Syntenin-1, Alamandine, and Cerebellin-1. These findings identify Phoenixin-14 as a promising candidate biomarker for CAD severity assessment and clinical risk stratification. Larger multicenter studies are warranted to validate these exploratory findings and determine their incremental value in contemporary cardiovascular practice. Full article

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory dermatosis driven by skin barrier impairment and immune dysregulation. This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory and barrier-related effects of the ethanol extract of Bidens bipinnata L. fruits (EEBB) in a calcipotriol (MC903)-induced AD-like dermatitis mouse model and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. In vivo, repeated topical application of EEBB (60, 180, and 600 μg/day) significantly attenuated MC903-induced AD-like clinical symptoms, skin weight, and erythema index. Notably, EEBB significantly improved skin hydration-related parameters, including relative skin hydration readings and the post-application moisture retention profile, and partially restored filaggrin and loricrin expression in lesional skin, whereas dexamethasone showed limited effects on these hydration-related parameters under the present conditions. Histopathologically, EEBB ameliorated epidermal lesions and reduced inflammatory cell infiltration. Mechanistically, EEBB suppressed the levels of pro-inflammatory (TNF-α, IFN-γ) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-5) cytokines in lesional skin. In vitro, EEBB significantly inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂), and downregulated inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein expression in RAW 264.7 cells. These effects were associated with inhibited phosphorylation of JNK and p38 MAPK, with no marked effect on ERK phosphorylation under the present conditions. In conclusion, EEBB effectively alleviated AD-like dermatitis, accompanied by improved skin hydration and restoration of barrier-related protein expression, attenuation of local inflammatory responses, and targeted inhibition of the MAPK signaling pathway. Full article

This experiment aimed to investigate the metabolism of L-Citrulline (L-Cit) in the intestinal tract of ewes and its effects on fecal microbiota composition, plasma metabolism, and reproductive hormone levels. Twelve 18-month-old non-pregnant multiparous Turpan black ewes weighing 51.65 kg ± 2.49 kg were selected and randomly assigned to a control group (Con) and an experimental group (L-Cit), with six ewes in each group. Both groups were fed identical nutrient-dense rations. In the Con group, 100 mL of saline was administered through the duodenal fistula, while the L-Cit group received an additional 0.25 g/kg BW⁻¹ of L-Cit solution. On day 7, the crude protein and amino acid concentrations in feces and urine were assessed using total feces and urine collection methods. Fecal and blood samples were collected to evaluate microbiological and reproductive hormone indices, with blood samples also collected for plasma non-targeted metabolomics analysis two hours post-infusion. Compared to the Con group, the L-Cit group exhibited a significant reduction in crude protein content in feces (p < 0.05) and a highly significant decrease in urine (p < 0.01). Nitrogen metabolism indices did not differ significantly between groups (p > 0.05), but the L-lysine content in feces was significantly higher in the L-Cit group (p < 0.05). 16S rRNA sequencing revealed no significant PCA separation between the two groups. However, the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae_NK3A20_group, Oscillibacter, and Mogibacterium was significantly higher in the Con group (p < 0.01), while SP3-e08, Parvibacter, Anaerosporobacter, Butyricimonas, and Peptococcus were more abundant in the L-Cit group (p < 0.05). LC-MS analysis showed significant up-regulation of purine and nucleotide metabolism pathways in the L-Cit group (p < 0.05). Plasma levels of estradiol (E₂), progesterone (P₄), gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH) were significantly elevated in the L-Cit group at both 1 and 2 h post-infusion (p < 0.01). These results suggest that duodenal infusion of L-Cit enhances intestinal nitrogen utilization, alters specific bacterial populations, promotes purine and nucleotide metabolism, and stimulates reproductive hormone secretion in ewes. Full article

Fe-ZSM5 zeolite materials were prepared via solid-state ion exchange and comprehensively characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD patterns confirm the successful loading of iron species onto the ZSM-5 support. These materials served as heterogeneous Fenton catalysts for the degradation of methyl orange in simulated wastewater. Key operational parameters—including initial pH, H₂O₂ concentration, catalyst dosage, and reaction temperature—were systematically evaluated to assess their effects on decolorization efficiency. The results indicated that under optimal conditions (initial pH of 3.0, H₂O₂ concentration of 0.3 mol/L, catalyst dosage of 1.6 g/L, reaction temperature of 30 °C), a decolorization efficiency of 92.58% was achieved within 60 min. This study demonstrates that Fe-ZSM5 zeolite is a robust and efficient catalyst for heterogeneous Fenton-based degradation of organic dyes in aqueous systems. Full article

Background: Metabolic control in phenylketonuria (PKU) is known to deteriorate with age, but national-level data describing blood phenylalanine (Phe) control across the United Kingdom (UK) are limited. Objective: To characterise blood Phe control in individuals with PKU attending UK metabolic centres. Methods: Sixteen UK centres (nine paediatric, six adult, one mixed) retrospectively extracted blood Phe results collected between 2012 and 2018. Demographic, phenotypic and monitoring-related variables were analysed. Written consent for data collection was obtained from all patients or their caregivers. Results: Data were available for 871 individuals (55% female), of whom 744 (85%) were classified as follows: classical PKU, 75%, mild PKU, 22% and hyperphenylalaninaemia, 3%. Mean blood Phe concentrations were significantly higher in adults than children (491 ± 308 vs. 303 ± 199 µmol/L; p < 0.001), and the proportion of samples within target range declined steadily with age, from 78% in children <2 years to 36% in adults ≥41 years. Individuals with classical PKU had higher mean Phe concentrations and lower target attainment than those with HPA (386 vs. 300 µmol/L; 61% vs. 78%; p < 0.001), while mild PKU and HPA showed comparable control. Females generally demonstrated better metabolic control than males. More frequent dried blood spot sampling for blood Phe was strongly associated with improved metabolic control: weekly (254 ± 175 µmol/L; 82% within target), fortnightly (319 ± 207 µmol/L; 70%), monthly (397 ± 231 µmol/L; 61%), and less than monthly (624 ± 349 µmol/L; 44%). Nearly half of the blood Phe samples (47%) with recorded timing were taken in a non-fasting state. Conclusions: Achieving lifelong metabolic stability on a Phe-restricted diet alone remains challenging. These national data highlight the need for broader therapeutic options to support individuals with PKU across the lifespan. Full article

Improvement in the in vitro maturation (IVM) of oocyte quality is a gateway to enhancing the efficiency of in vitro embryo production. The anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is a crucial hormone secreted by granulosa cells that effectively suppresses primordial follicle recruitment and regulates follicular growth and development. This study was designed to investigate the role of AMH on the IVM of sheep oocytes. In this current study, oocytes in vitro were cultured in media supplemented with AMH. We comprehensively analyzed the impact of AMH on various developmental parameters of sheep oocytes, such as cellular activity, cortical granules (CGs) migration, cytoskeleton and mitochondrial function of oocytes. Furthermore, Smart-seq2 single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was employed to elucidate the oocytes’ development. The results showed that treatment with 100 ng/mL improved the maturation rate of the oocytes, the normal distribution rate of cortical granules and mitochondrial function, while reducing the rate of spindle abnormalities in oocytes. A total of 741 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were observed between the FSH_12 h and AMH_12 h groups, and 746 DEGs were observed between the FSH_24 h and A+F groups. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that the FSH_12 h and AMH_12 h groups significant enrichment in DEGs were associated with p53, MAPK, PI3K-Akt and TGF-beta signaling pathways, and the FSH_12 h and AMH_24 h groups significant enrichment in DEGs were associated with cAMP, AMPK, Hedgehog and estrogen signaling pathways. These findings suggest that AMH may regulates oocytes IVM via several candidate signaling pathways. Our results provide preliminary clues for exploring the regulatory mechanism of sheep oocyte maturation and optimizing relevant culture systems. Full article

Sustainable CO₂ capture can be achieved using photosynthetic microorganisms such as Arthrospira platensis. This work investigates CO₂ capture and O₂ generation efficiency by employing multiple column-type bubbled photobioreactors with Arthrospira platensis pre-adapted long-term to enhanced CO₂ concentrations. Thirty photobioreactors (10 L each) were placed inside a sealed chamber (2 × 2 × 3 m). Three 12-day experiments under constant illumination (225 μmol/m²·s) and temperature (27 °C) and different CO₂ concentration were conducted at 1.5, 3.0, and 6.0 vol.%. During the experiments, the gas composition within chamber, biomass accumulation, and chemical composition of the culture medium (pH, concentrations of carbonates, bicarbonates, nitrates and phosphates) were monitored. With an increase in CO₂ concentration from 1.5 to 6%, the biomass growth rate increased from 321 to 344 mg/(L·day), while CO₂ capture and O₂ generation efficiency estimated from biomass accumulation changed from 432 to 480 mg/(L·day) and from 371 to 412 mg/(L·day), respectively. Increasing CO₂ concentration effectively suppressed medium alkalinization (pH maintained at 8.75–9.30 at 6.0% CO₂ vs. >9.8 at 1.5% CO₂) and sustained bicarbonate availability. Microscopic analysis confirmed high culture viability (>85% live trichomes) at all studied concentrations. The obtained results can be used for Arthrospira platensis-based CO₂-enhanced biofixation and accumulation of valuable biomass. Full article

Onion peel extract (OPE) is rich in polyphenolic compounds with antimicrobial potential. Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) infection in young broiler chicks causes morbidity, reduced growth, and contributes to human gastroenteritis through contaminated poultry products. The spleen is a key secondary lymphoid organ coordinating systemic responses to pathogens in chicken. This study evaluated how dietary OPE influences spleen metabolic profiles during SE infection. Day-old Ross 708 male chicks (n = 128) were assigned to four treatments: CON, CON-SE, OPE (6 g/kg), and OPE-SE. Chicks in CON and OPE received sterile broth, whereas CON-SE and OPE-SE received 2.25 × 10⁸ CFU/mL SE at 2 d of age. At 5 and 12 dpi, spleens from six chicks per treatment were collected for untargeted HPLC-MS metabolomics. A total of 857 metabolites were identified and analyzed using MetaboAnalyst 6.0 (p < 0.05; fold change ≥ 2.0; VIP score > 1.0). In CON-SE chicks, energy generating metabolites (6-phosphogluconic acid, methylmalonic acid, propionic acid) increased, while 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin D2 and kynurenic acid decreased. Dietary OPE elevated several dipeptides (L-Val-Gly, L-Leu-Gly, Gly-Gly-Leu, L-Val-L-Met) and reduced ATP linked metabolites (3,6-di-O-methyl-beta-D-glucose and 3-O-beta-D-galactosyl-sn-glycerol). Enrichment analysis showed that SE infection altered valine, leucine, and isoleucine degradation and aromatic amino acid biosynthesis, whereas OPE enriched galactose and biotin metabolism in uninfected chicks, but enriched tryptophan, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism in SE-infected chicks. Overall, dietary OPE optimized response of metabolic pathways associated with immune activation, unlike corresponding pathways in CON-SE birds. Full article

Background/Objectives: The double-strand break repair protein MRE11 forms the core of the MRE11/RAD50/NBS1 (MRN) complex. Cancers with reduced MRE11 expression have been suggested to be more sensitive to radio-chemotherapy and may be subject to synthetic lethality. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of MRE11 deficiency and the potential role and clinical significance of elevated and/or reduced MRE11 expression in human cancer. Methods: A tissue microarray containing 14,966 samples from 134 different tumor entities was analyzed for MRE11 by immunohistochemistry. Results: In normal tissues, strong nuclear MRE11 staining occurred in almost all cell types. In cancers, nuclear MRE11 staining was strong in 11,797 (91.0%), moderate in 1018 (7.9%), weak in 86 (0.7%), and completely absent (MRE11 deficiency) in 55 (0.4%) of 12,956 informative tumor samples. Only six tumor entities had more than one MRE11-deficient cases including hepatocellular carcinoma (9 of 193), intestinal type gastric adenocarcinoma (4 of 208), endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (5 of 268), pulmonary adenocarcinoma (2 of 165), colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRC, 16 of 2183), and clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC, 7 of 1011). Reduced MRE11 staining was associated with mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) in CRC and in gastric adenocarcinoma (p < 0.0001 each), advanced pT stage (p = 0.0003) and L1 status (p = 0.0019) in testicular seminoma, high grade (p < 0.05), advanced pT (p < 0.0001), and high UICC stage (p = 0.0014) in ccRCC, advanced pT stage in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (p = 0.0396), and nodal metastases in papillary thyroid cancer (p = 0.0332). Conclusions: MRE11 is highly expressed in most cancers. Reduced MRE11 expression is associated with aggressive phenotype in multiple cancer types. The potential to exploit MRE11 deficiency as a target for synthetic lethality deserves to be further explored. Full article

The increasing occurrence of pharmaceutical contaminants in aquatic environments has intensified the demand for sustainable and cost-effective water treatment technologies. This study investigated the conversion of potato peel waste into carbonaceous adsorbents through hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and conventional pyrolysis (PRYR) for the removal of carbamazepine (CBZ) from synthetic wastewater. Hydrochars and biochars were synthesized under varying processing conditions and characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), elemental analysis, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis. Adsorption experiments were conducted using a 50 mg/L CBZ solution at pH 6, room temperature, and an adsorbent dosage of 1 g/L. The adsorption performance was evaluated after short contact times to assess rapid-removal capability. HTC-derived hydrochars exhibited significantly superior performance compared with pyrolysis-derived biochars, achieving up to 97% CBZ removal and adsorption capacities approaching 50 mg g⁻¹ within 1 min of contact. In contrast, pyrolysis-derived biochars achieved removal efficiencies between approximately 7 and 55% under similar conditions. Correlation analysis between adsorption behaviour and physicochemical properties revealed that adsorption performance was more strongly influenced by surface chemistry, aromaticity, and mesoporosity than by BET surface area alone. FTIR analysis suggested that hydrogen bonding, π–π electron donor–acceptor interactions, and pore filling contributed to CBZ adsorption. HTC hydrochars retained abundant oxygen-containing functional groups that promoted rapid and stable adsorption, whereas pyrolysis-derived biochars exhibited weaker adsorption interactions despite possessing higher surface areas. The findings demonstrate that hydrothermal carbonization provides an effective low-temperature route for valorising potato peel waste into efficient adsorbents for rapid pharmaceutical removal from water and highlight the critical role of adsorbent surface chemistry in determining adsorption performance. Full article

The use of organophosphate pesticides, such as profenofos, is a pressing environmental concern due to their persistence and toxicity to non-target organisms. For this reason, developing alternatives to remove them from the environment is crucial. The objective of this study was to biosynthesize ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using an aqueous extract of Negra Criolla grape seeds for their application in the degradation of profenofos in synthetic solutions. The biosynthesized ZnO NPs had an average size of 52 ± 2 nm and a maximum absorption at 375 nm, characteristic of the surface plasmon resonance of ZnO NPs. The ATR-FTIR spectra showed peaks characteristic of ZnO NPs. The 2² × 3 factorial design showed that the optimal values for pH and ZnO NPs concentration are 5 and 3 g/L, respectively, achieving a primary degradation of profenofos (20 mg/L) of 59 ± 2% after 120 min of UV irradiation. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that ZnO NPs biosynthesized using an aqueous extract of Negra Criolla grape seeds exhibit photocatalytic activity for the degradation of profenofos; however, further studies are needed to evaluate their application in actual contaminated water. Full article

This study evaluated the effects of replacing alfalfa hay with sulla [Sulla coronaria (L.) B.H. Choi & H. Ohashi] hay or sulla haylage in pasture-based diets for lactating Sarda ewes on milk production, milk composition, and nutrient utilization efficiency. Seventy-two mid-lactation ewes were assigned to three dietary treatments for 56 days—alfalfa hay (AH), sulla hay (SH), or sulla haylage (SHL)—all combined with 3 h/day grazing and a fixed amount of supplemental concentrate. The diets were formulated to be theoretically isoenergetic and isoproteic. Pasture nutritive value was generally comparable among the groups throughout the experimental period. Milk yield did not differ among treatments; however, fat- and protein-corrected milk (FPCM) and milk fat and protein concentrations were higher in AH compared with the sulla-based diets. Actual nutrient intake differed among treatments, with nitrogen intake (NI) being greatest in AH, consistent with the higher milk urea concentration observed in this group. Estimated apparent energy utilization efficiency (FPCM/UFL intake) showed treatment-associated differences in exploratory analyses, with lower values observed in SH compared with AH and SHL. Similarly, exploratory estimates of apparent nitrogen utilization efficiency (Milk N/NI) were highest in SHL, intermediate in SH, and lowest in AH (p < 0.001). Condensed tannins were not detected in the conserved sulla forages under the analytical conditions adopted in this study. Therefore, the observed responses were unlikely to be directly associated with detectable condensed tannin activity. Overall, the results suggest that forage conservation method may influence milk composition and estimated apparent nutrient utilization indices, with sulla haylage showing higher exploratory estimates of apparent nitrogen utilization efficiency without negative effects on milk yield under the conditions of the present study. Full article

Petroleum exploitation in the Niger Delta has caused widespread contamination of mangrove ecosystems, yet studies that integrate total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and metals in mangrove water are still very limited. This study presents the first dual-pollutant baseline assessment of TPH and five priority metals (Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni, Zn) in Bille mangrove water, a severely oil-impacted system supporting about 50,000 residents. Water samples were collected from six sites along a contamination gradient (flow station, pipeline passage, old bunkering site) and analyzed for TPH (C8–C40) and metals. All concentrations are reported in mg/L for direct comparability with World Health Organization (WHO) drinking-water guidelines and United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) thresholds. TPH concentrations ranged from 0.18 to 57.66 mg/L, with Site 3 (pipeline passage) showing levels about 320-fold higher than reference sites and exceeding the WHO drinking-water guideline (0.05 mg/L) by up to 1153-fold. Cadmium (0.040–0.350 mg/L) and nickel (0.055–0.561 mg/L) exceeded WHO drinking-water guidelines (Cd 0.003 mg/L; Ni 0.07 mg/L) by 13–117- and up to 8-fold, respectively. Health risk assessment, using USEPA Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund (RAGS) protocols, revealed a total cancer risk of 4.15 × 10⁻³ at Site 3, 41-fold above the USEPA acceptable threshold of 1 × 10⁻⁴, and extreme non-carcinogenic risk (Hazard Index = 20.03–25.51) at petroleum-infrastructure sites; cadmium contributed 86–88% of both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects. Ecological risk indices classified Site 3 as extreme (Potential Ecological Risk Index = 722, against the Håkanson PERI = 600 “very-high-risk” threshold), mainly driven by cadmium (Er = 310–350) and nickel (Er = 140–150). Source apportionment using the Carbon Preference Index, enrichment factors, and strong TPH–metal correlations (r > 0.88, p < 0.01) clearly identified petroleum operations as the dominant contamination source. This work demonstrates the critical importance of integrated multi-pollutant assessments in petroleum-degraded mangrove water for guiding environmental protection and public-health interventions. Full article

Poultry meat producers face pressure to ensure both safety and efficiency as food systems expand in scale and complexity. However, existing diagnostic tools often force a trade-off between speed, accuracy, and cost, leaving limited options for real-time, on-site pathogen detection. This study evaluated the performance of a novel point-of-use rapid diagnostic tool combining filtration and lyophilized isothermal amplification for detecting and semi-quantifying Salmonella in chicken carcass rinse samples. Targeted DNA (invA) was amplified at 65 °C for 60 min, and fluorescence was measured over time. Salmonella was successfully detected in all spiked samples (1.0- to 7.5-log10 CFU/mL; n = 57). An association was observed between the isothermal detection speed data and Salmonella load in the sample (r² = 0.90; p < 0.001), particularly at concentrations ≥ 1.5-log10 CFU/mL. Repeatable data were obtained across three operators and samples of multiple origins (Georgia, Illinois, Nebraska; 0.16-log10; 95%CI: 0.11–0.21). Importantly, complete inclusivity for all tested Salmonella serotypes (n = 46/46) and exclusivity against non-target organisms (n = 0/37) was validated in this study. In conclusion, the technological combination of filtration and lyophilized isothermal amplification enabled the point-of-use detection and quantification of Salmonella in chicken carcass samples within 60 min and minimal lab infrastructure. Full article

This paper establishes the global-in-time existence and uniqueness of mild solutions to the relativistic Vlasov–Maxwell–Fokker–Planck (VMFP) system near a global Maxwellian equilibrium. We adopt a low-regularity functional framework, namely the mixed-norm space $L_k^1{L}_T^{\infty }{L}_p^2$ introduced for kinetic equations, which requires only integrability in the Fourier frequency variable and avoids high-order spatial differentiability. By employing a macro–micro decomposition, we derive macroscopic estimates for the hydrodynamic density and electric field, complemented by coercive estimates for the microscopic dissipation. Under a smallness assumption on the initial perturbation measured in this low-regularity norm, we derive a uniform a priori bound for the associated energy functional. This work provides the global existence result for the relativistic VMFP system in such low-regularity spaces, significantly relaxing the regularity requirements of previous classical Sobolev approaches. Full article