Search Results (3,275)

The present study evaluated the effects of sugarcane-derived polyphenol nutritional supplement on milk production, milk composition, and somatic cell count (SCC) in lactating Holstein cows. A second objective was to evaluate the quality and stability of yogurt produced with milk from supplemented cows. Sixteen cows (20 ± 2 L/d milk, 120 ± 21 days in milk, 550 ± 82 kg body weight) were assigned to either a control group or a polyphenol-supplemented group in a randomized block design for a six-week evaluation period. Milk yield and individual milk samples for composition analysis (fat, protein, lactose, non-fat solids, casein, free fatty acids, and milk urea nitrogen) were recorded weekly, and only SCC was monitored three times per week. Yogurt was produced from pooled milk of each treatment and evaluated for fermentation parameters (pH, titratable acidity), shelf life, and sensory attributes were evaluated using a triangle test (discriminative sensory analysis). Polyphenol supplementation did not significantly affect milk yield or composition (p > 0.05), but reduced SCC considerably (238 × 10³ vs. 593 × 10³ cells/mL; p < 0.01). Yogurt fermentation and storage parameters were not significantly affected by supplementation, although pH and titratable acidity changed considerably over time (p < 0.01). Sensory analysis indicated that only 37.3% of panelists correctly identified differences between yogurts, which did not differ from chance expectation in the triangle test. These results demonstrate that polyphenol supplementation can improve udder health, evidenced by reduced SCC, without compromising milk yield, composition, or yogurt quality. Polyphenols thus represent a promising nutritional supplement for enhancing dairy cow health and maintaining product quality. Full article

Mountain ecosystems, strongly affected by climate-related variability and human impact, are degrading faster than other terrestrial ecosystems. Currently, the United Nations (UN) utilizes Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15: Life on Land (Target 15.4 and Sub-indicators 15.4.2a and 15.4.2b), along with the System for Earth Observation Data Access, Processing and Analysis for Land Monitoring, commonly referred to as SEPAL, to track mountain degradation. This SEPAL analysis does not include soil data, which is critical to understanding mountain degradation. The present research focuses on improving the tracking and evaluation of mountain land degradation (LD) utilizing soil data in the state of Colorado (CO) in the United States of America (USA) as an example. Total anthropogenic LD affects an estimated 19% of Colorado’s territory as of 2024, driven mainly by agricultural activities (80%). Between 2001 and 2024, overall LD in CO decreased (−0.4%), but LD from development increased by 23.3%. For mountain areas in CO, the mountain green cover index (MGCI) was 96% for 2024, and it decreased (−0.4%) between 2001 and 2024. The mountain LD proportion was 2.5% as determined by the SEPAL method compared to 4.4% by LULC analysis. Incorporation of soil data into LULC analysis found that between 2001 and 2024 LD increased to 6.6%. All soil types in the mountains exhibited anthropogenic LD due to development with a total developed area of 1385.1 km². Current total mountain LD (inherent + anthropogenic) in CO may be as high as 38.9%. Future estimates of total mountain LD should include both inherent and anthropogenic LD. Full article

Purpose: The present study aimed to assess the radiation dose associated with low-dose (LD) CT pelvimetry compared with conventional radiography and to evaluate the adequacy of the resulting image quality. Methods: The absorbed dose was measured using thermoluminescent dosimeters positioned in an anthropomorphic female phantom, including uterine locations, to estimate the fetal dose. Conventional radiographic pelvimetry and LD-CT pelvimetry were performed using clinically implemented protocols. Effective dose was calculated using Monte Carlo–based modeling applying acquisition parameters and retrospective patient dose registry data. Image quality of LD-CT pelvimetry was independently evaluated in 14 consecutive clinical cases using a four-point ordinal scale. Results: LD-CT pelvimetry reduced the mean absorbed pelvic dose by approximately 50% compared with conventional pelvimetry (0.18 vs. 0.39 mGy) and decreased estimated fetal dose by 40% (0.21 vs. 0.37 mGy). These estimates were based on standardized single acquisitions and did not incorporate additional radiation from retakes commonly observed in conventional practice. CT demonstrated substantially more homogeneous dose distribution, whereas conventional pelvimetry exhibited marked heterogeneity with peak values up to 2.3 mGy. The maternal effective dose was lower for LD-CT (0.16 mSv) than for conventional pelvimetry (0.36 mSv); inclusion of retakes increased the conventional effective dose to 0.71 mSv. All CT examinations were diagnostically adequate, and no recalls were required. Conclusions: Optimized low-dose CT pelvimetry significantly reduces radiation dose compared with conventional radiographic pelvimetry while maintaining reliable diagnostic image quality. These results support the clinical adoption of CT-based pelvimetry as a dose-efficient and reproducible alternative to conventional techniques. Full article

Background: Snake envenomation represents a significant health concern in some regions of the world, with fatal cases occasionally requiring forensic investigation to estimate the postmortem interval (PMI). However, the influence of venom on carrion decomposition dynamics and arthropod succession patterns remains poorly understood, potentially compromising postmortem interval (PMI) estimations in such cases. Objectives: This study investigated the effects of Naja haje and Cerastes cerastes venoms on decomposition progression and necrophagous arthropod succession. Methods: Fifteen rabbits were allocated into three experimental groups. Two groups received median lethal intravenous doses (LD₅₀) of N. haje or C. cerastes venom, whereas the control group received a saline injection followed by CO₂ euthanasia. The carcasses were subsequently placed under natural field conditions and monitored daily for 15 days. Results: The presence of venom significantly altered decomposition dynamics. C. cerastes venom accelerated early decomposition, shortening both the fresh stage (1 ± 0.22 days vs. 2 ± 0.31 days in controls,) and bloating stage (3 ± 0.35 days vs. 5 ± 0.35 days), while extending both the decay stage (6 ± 0.3 days vs. 6 ± 0.17 days) and the dried stage (5.0 ± 0.44 days vs. 2 ± 0.039 days). N. haje venom showed intermediate effects. Overall arthropod abundance peaked on day 5 and declined thereafter. Control carcasses exhibited significantly higher arthropod abundance than carcasses envenomed with C. cerastes or N. haje. Conclusions: Snake envenomation significantly influenced decomposition kinetics and arthropod colonization patterns. Envenomation with C. cerastes venom produced more pronounced alterations than envenomation with N. haje venom. Full article

Paraphrasing is the process of transforming a given text into another text using alternative lexical or syntactic forms while preserving its original meaning. Paraphrasing significantly affects several Natural Language Processing (NLP) applications, such as machine translation (MT) and data augmentation. Paraphrasing suffers from a specifically designed metric, and most research adopts metrics developed for other NLP purposes. Paraphrase evaluation remains challenging due to the limitations of surface-level similarity metrics such as BLEU and ROUGE. Therefore, this research aims to develop a new metric for paraphrase generation, the Comprehensive Paraphrasing Evaluation Score (CPES). Furthermore, the CPES requires lexical language resources; thus, the research uses an Arabic corpus and produces a new Arabic lexical dictionary (Rabih dictionary). The CPES considers major paraphrasing criteria, including sentence structure, changes in word forms, synonym substitution, and paraphrased-sentence lexical diversity (LD). Each CPES supports interpretability by enabling decomposition into the criterion that drives the final result. The research finds that (1) the CPES effectively measures the modification ratio between original and paraphrased sentences, and (2) the text category impacts the CPESs. Full article

Background/Objectives: In previous studies, chloroquine and ivermectin separately exhibited similar anticancer effects on various known cancer modulatory targets. This study aimed (1) to identify a non-toxic synergistic combination of chloroquine and ivermectin that suppresses hamster fibrosarcoma; (2) to verify combined antitumor efficacy using dose–response analysis; and (3) to investigate potential synergistic mechanisms by restoring tumor progression with the reciprocal cancer-modulating agent deoxycholic acid. Methods: A BHK-21/C13 cell culture was subcutaneously inoculated into Syrian golden hamsters randomly divided into groups (6 animals per group): (1) untreated control; treated daily (17 days after inoculation) with (2) chloroquine 50 mg/kg; (3) ivermectin 5 mg/kg; (4) a combination of chloroquine 50 mg/kg and ivermectin 5 mg/kg; (5) a combination of chloroquine 50 mg/kg, ivermectin 5 mg/kg and deoxycholic acid 100 mg/kg; (6) a combination of chloroquine 25 mg/kg and ivermectin 2.5 mg/kg; (7) a combination of chloroquine 12.5 mg/kg and ivermectin 1.25 mg/kg. Dose–response curves were generated for chloroquine and ivermectin combinations. Characteristics of tumors (growth kinetics, biophysical, histological, immunohistochemical, pathological), hamster organs, biochemical and hematological blood tests were compared among the groups. Results: The synergistic, dose-dependent anticancer effects of two antiparasitic agents, similar tumor-regulation modulators chloroquine and ivermectin, in doses equivalent to human doses were observed in fibrosarcoma in hamsters (both drugs approximately 1/10 LD₅₀) without toxicity and in various cell lines of human lung, colon and cervical carcinomas and hamster fibrosarcoma in vitro. The addition of a reciprocal modulator of cancer regulation, NF-κB stimulator deoxycholic acid, caused a huge rescue effect on fibrosarcoma and a reversal of the successful anticancer therapy using the combination. Conclusions: The chloroquine and ivermectin combination may be recommended for comprehensive additional preclinical and clinical evaluation due to its synergistic anticancer effects. Further preclinical and clinical exploration will be crucial to thoroughly define the optimal role of the combination therapy in the treatment of fibrosarcoma and potentially other cancer types. Full article

Festulolium hybrids are cool-season forage grasses that form symbiotic relationships with the fungus Epichloë uncinata, which produces loline alkaloids that protect the host from herbivores. This study evaluated the nematotoxicity of shoot and root extracts of Festulolium loliaceum against the stubby root nematode Trichodorus primitivus. Methanolic root and shoot extracts from plants aged 8, 12, 16, and 20 weeks were tested in vitro at five concentrations (312.5–5000 µg mL⁻¹) over 24, 48, and 72 h. Nematode immobility, mortality, and phytochemical profiles, including flavonoids, loline alkaloids, and phenols, were quantified. Extracts from shoots caused significant concentration and time-dependent immobility of T. primitivus (p = 0.001), reaching ≥90% at 5000 µg mL⁻¹ after 72 h in 8–12-week-old plants. Endophyte presence enhanced nematotoxicity, where LD₅₀ values for E+ roots were two-fold lower at 12 weeks and fifty-fold lower at 20 weeks compared with E− root extracts. Shoot extracts of E+ grass had the highest nematicidal activity at 8 weeks, with a significantly lower LD₅₀ value than E− (p < 0.05). Loline alkaloid concentrations increased with plant age, while flavonoids and phenols declined. Nematotoxicity of F. loliaceum extracts was strongly influenced by plant age and endophyte presence. Younger E+ shoots produced the most potent shoot extracts, whereas older plants produced the most potent root extracts. Flavonoid content was negatively correlated with shoot biomass (R = −0.94, p < 0.001). Similarly, phenol content was negatively correlated to both root biomass (R = −0.79, p < 0.001) and shoot biomass (R = −0.67, p < 0.005). Full article

The present study investigated the impact of microplastics, specifically polystyrene microparticles (PS-MP), on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) neurohormonal axis, which regulates reproductive functions in animals and humans. The primary objective was to examine the effects of PS-MP on the expression of key genes and hormone concentrations within the gonadotropic system of sheep. Two doses of PS-MP—the lower dose (LD; 0.015 mg/kg) and the higher dose (HD; 0.15 mg/kg)—were administered intravenously every three days over two estrous cycles (34 days). Both doses significantly decreased the relative abundance of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) transcripts in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH), whereas only the HD reduced GnRH mRNA levels in the preoptic area (POA). These transcript-level changes were not accompanied by detectable alterations in GnRH protein concentration. In the MBH, the expression of kisspeptin (KISS-1) and neurokinin B (NKB) genes decreased following exposure to the HD, whereas in the POA, significant decrease in expression were observed only after the LD administration. Changes in prodynorphin (PDYN) gene expression were confined to the MBH and were dose-dependent: the LD increased transcript levels, whereas the HD caused a decrease. The HD of PS-MP also significantly downregulated GnRH receptor (GnRHR) expression in the anterior pituitary (AP). Both PS-MP doses resulted in marked reductions in luteinizing hormone beta (LHβ) and follicle-stimulating hormone beta (FSHβ) subunit gene expression in the AP, without significant changes in hormone protein concentrations. Exposure to PS-MP reduced plasma LH and FSH concentrations: the lower dose reduces both hormones, while the higher dose significantly reduced mainly FSH, showing statistical differences between doses. To summarize, the present study demonstrates that PS-MP exerts a modulatory effect on the secretory activity of the central reproductive system in sheep, at both the hypothalamic and pituitary levels. Consequently, PS-MP has the potential to induce significant disruptions to the reproductive processes of large farm animals. Full article

Peptides from scorpion venom, mainly in species such as Olivierus martensii (formerly Olivierus martensii Karsch, often designated BMK) (BmK) and Tityus serrulatus from the Buthidae family, show real promise as painkillers that skip opioids altogether. They work by hitting specific ion channels and dialing down inflammation. This review gathers information on their molecular setups: disulfide-bridged types and those without, weighing in at 3 to 10 kilodaltons (kDa). Structural features include motifs stabilized by cysteines. In pain signaling, they block voltage-gated sodium channels (NaV) such as NaV1.7 and NaV1.8; take the BmK analgesic–antitumor peptide (BmK-AGAP) for example. Additionally, scorpion venom heat-resistant peptide (SVHRP) reduces microglia activity. Tests on rodents using formalin injections, acetic acid writhing, and chronic constriction injury (CCI) setups reveal pain relief that depends on dose and stacks up to morphine. Pairings like AGAP with lidocaine decrease the effective dose by half. In terms of safety, therapeutic levels have low-toxicity with a median lethal dose (LD50) over 20 mg/kg. Issues crop up with immune responses, unintended targets, and differences in venom batches. Clinical information remains thin, so gaps persist. Engineered versions could change the game for neuropathic pain, inflammatory conditions, and cancer-related discomfort. Standardization plus Phase I studies would help move this forward. Full article

Depression remains a major global health challenge, with a significant proportion of patients failing to respond to conventional antidepressants. This study aimed to evaluate the potential antidepressant effects and toxicological profile of a novel tetrodotoxin (TTX) oral film formulation in a mouse model of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Male C57BL/6J mice were subjected to CUMS and treated daily with TTX oral film at doses of 10, 20, and 40 μg/kg, with fluoxetine (18 mg/kg) serving as a positive control. Behavioral assessments, including sucrose preference test, open field test, forced swimming test, elevated plus maze, and novel object recognition, demonstrated that TTX oral film administration alleviated depression- and anxiety-like behaviors and improved cognitive function. Furthermore, TTX oral film treatment restored hippocampal serotonin levels, which were depleted in CUMS mice, and showed no adverse effects on organ indexes after long-term use. Toxicological evaluation through acute toxicity testing revealed an oral LD₅₀ of 919 μg/kg, indicating a substantially improved safety profile compared to pure TTX and a wide therapeutic window. These findings suggest that the TTX oral film possesses significant antidepressant activity with favorable toxicological properties, supporting its potential as a novel and safe treatment for depression. Full article

The increasing demand for sustainable materials has driven interest in biocomposites that incorporate low-value agricultural residues to offset the use of virgin plastics. The study investigated the production of blend pellets from raw and torrefied almond shells and post-consumer plastic waste as a potential feedstock for biocomposite and biofuels applications. Almond shells were torrefied in a lab-scale fixed-bed reactor at 300 °C for 30 min prior to the pelleting tests. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) wastes were size-reduced in a Crumbler (rotary shear grinder) fitted with a 2 mm head and a 2 mm screen to remove the fines. A portion of the crumbled HDPE, and torrefied almond shells were further ground in a Wiley mill fitted with 2 and 1 mm screens for flat die pelleting tests. The flat die pellet mill used for testing had a 6 mm die and a length-to-diameter (L/D) ratio of 2.0. The blend ratio consisted of 30% torrefied almond shells and 70% HDPE, with a 10% starch binder. The measured pellet properties include unit, bulk and tap densities, durability, and expansion ratio. The bulk density of the blend pellets ranged from 360 to 410 kg/m³, and durability ranged from 80% to 88%. The blend pellet unit density ranged from 830 to 880 kg/m³. The blend pellets produced using crumbled HDPE, PP and raw and torrefied almond shells in a ring die pilot-scale pellet mill with an L/D ratio of 6 and steam conditioning exhibit similar densities to those of HDPE pellets produced using a flat die pellet mill, albeit with lower durability. The study indicated that a smaller grind size and preheating the blend before pelleting produce blend pellets with higher density and greater durability. Full article

Reducing the dependence on traditional protein sources, and decreasing feeding costs and nitrogen emissions, are important tasks in livestock production. A 5 × 5 Latin square nitrogen balance trial (five castrated male pigs) and an animal growth experiment with 120 Landrace × Rongchang pigs were performed and randomly divided into five diets: a normal crude protein level diet (CON); LP diet; diversified LP containing broken rice, rapeseed meal, and DDGS (DLP); DLP + 0.05% cellulase (DLP + CE); and DLP + 20% fermented feed (FDLP). The CON group showed higher nitrogen intake, urinary nitrogen, and total nitrogen excretion than the other four groups (p < 0.05). The fecal nitrogen was decreased with the LP, DLP + CE, and FDLP groups compared to the CON group (p < 0.05). The mRNA expression of jejunal fatty acid transport protein 1 was upregulated in the LP, DLP + CE, and FDLP groups compared to the CON and DLP groups (p < 0.05). The DLP + CE group showed a higher intramuscular fat content in pigs than the CON and DLP groups (p < 0.05). In the LD muscle, the FDLP and DLP + CE groups upregulated fatty acid synthase expression compared to the LP and DLP groups (p < 0.05). Colonic mRNA expression of zonula occludens-1 and claudin-1 was upregulated in the FDLP group compared to the CON and DLP groups (p < 0.05). These results suggest that the supplementation of cellulase and fermented feed in DLP diets improved nitrogen utilization and intestinal health without compromising growth performance or meat quality in Landrace × Rongchang pigs. Full article

Late metastatic relapses still represent a major clinical challenge in breast cancer, particularly in hormone receptor-positive (HR+) disease, with dormant disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) playing a critical role in driving late metastatic relapses. In fact, these cells can persist in a quiescent, non-proliferative state in metabolically hostile microenvironments such as the bone marrow, where they can resist conventional therapies, driving metastatic relapses even years after primary tumor removal. Recent advances highlight the crucial role of lipid metabolism in protecting dormant DTCs from ferroptosis—a form of regulated cell death characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. Dormant DTCs can avoid lipid peroxidation by incorporating monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) into membrane phospholipids through ACSL3 and SCD1 activity, while accumulating lipid droplets (LDs) that sequester oxidizable polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), thus limiting the substrates available for ferroptosis. In parallel, antioxidant systems such as the GPX4–glutathione axis further prevent lethal lipid-derived reactive oxidative species (ROS) accumulation. This review highlights the central role of lipid metabolism, redox regulation and ferroptosis resistance in dormant DTCs; it also explores emerging therapeutic opportunities to overcome dormancy-associated resistance and reduce late relapse risk in breast cancer. Full article

Background: Lattice degeneration (LD) is a well-established precursor lesion of retinal detachment, a condition with often poor prognosis that can lead to permanent vision loss. Early identification of LD is clinically significant for risk assessment. This study aimed to investigate the associations between LD and ocular biometric as well as demographic parameters, and to develop a risk assessment framework. The ultimate goal is to identify individuals at genuinely high risk who may benefit from tailored follow-up or treatment. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1776 subjects from 7634 screened individuals at the Eye Health Management Center of Ineye Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, were enrolled. Comprehensive ophthalmic examinations were conducted. Chi-square tests compared LD prevalence across groups. Independent risk factors were identified through univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: The overall prevalence of LD was 13.3%, with unilateral cases (9.3%) exceeding bilateral cases (4.0%). Prevalence was significantly higher in myopic (15.5%) versus non-myopic individuals (10.5%, p < 0.05), but did not differ by gender or ocular dominance. Spherical equivalent (SE), axial length (AL), axial length/corneal radius ratio (AL/CR), and age were positively correlated with LD risk (all p < 0.05). Age, AL, and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were independently associated with the presence of LD. Among those AL may be a more directly relevant biological parameter for assessing LD risk, each 1.00 mm increase in AL increased risk by 53% (OR = 1.53). Conclusions: The overall prevalence of LD was 13.3%. Given that AL is a key independent risk factor for LD, it is recommended that individuals with elongated AL undergo peripheral retinal screening. This facilitates early detection and enables prophylactic treatment for those at high risk of retinal detachment. Full article

Hooked-head spur dikes are a specialized type of spur dike, where their geometry significantly influences flow diversion, sediment transport, and bank protection. This study establishes a three-dimensional numerical model utilizing the renormalization group (RNG) k-ε turbulence closure and the volume of fluid (VOF) method to explore the effects of hook angle (90°, 120°, and 150°) and hook-length ratio (L/D = 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4) on the flow structure surrounding a hooked-head spur dike. The study comprises nine simulation cases, and the distributions of mainstream velocity and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) are analyzed. The results demonstrate that a hook angle of 120° yields the greatest increase in the mean dimensionless mainstream velocity (V*), corresponding to enhancements of 4.26% and 9.09% relative to the angles of 90° and 150°, respectively. When the hook angle is fixed at 120°, increasing the hook length enhances the mainstream velocity; specifically, at L/D = 1/2, the mean V* increases by 10.58% and 14.64% compared to at L/D = 1/3 and 1/4, respectively. Meanwhile, the TKE in the downstream recirculation zone decreases as either the hook angle or the hook length increases. At a hook angle of 90°, the mean dimensionless TKE (E*) is 8.80% and 10.65% higher than at 120° and 150°, respectively. For a fixed hook angle of 120°, the mean E* at L/D = 1/2 decreases by 3.46% and 9.35% compared to at L/D = 1/3 and 1/4, respectively. In summary, the appropriate selection of hook angle and hook length can effectively guide flow toward the channel center, increase conveyance capacity, and enhance hydraulic performance for river regulation. Full article