Search Results (8,075)

The black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) is an ecologically and economically important freshwater fish native to China and neighbouring regions, but its wild stocks have declined sharply in recent decades. We analysed mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cyt b) sequences from 100 individuals collected in 2008–2009 from four Yangtze River, two Pearl River and one Red River populations to assess genetic diversity and structure as a pre-ban baseline for maternal lineages. Sixteen polymorphic sites defined 17 haplotypes, with a single dominant haplotype (Hap2) shared across all populations. Haplotype diversity was high but nucleotide diversity low, and neutrality tests together with mismatch-distribution analyses were consistent with a recent Late Pleistocene demographic expansion. Pairwise FST values ranged from negligible differentiation among middle–lower Yangtze populations to pronounced differentiation between the upstream Yangtze population (SS) and middle–lower populations and between the Yangtze and the combined Pearl–Red basins, whereas Pearl and Red River populations showed no significant divergence and high mitochondrial homogeneity, consistent with substantial historical connectivity. Overall, the Cyt b data indicate low mitochondrial diversity and shallow but significant inter-basin structuring, providing preliminary mtDNA-based evidence that Yangtze and Pearl–Red populations represent candidate conservation and management units, and highlighting the need for nuclear genomic markers and contemporary sampling to refine drainage-scale units and evaluate recent management effects. Full article

Volcanic magma plumbing systems is essential for understanding crustal–mantle material exchange and the dynamics of volcanic activity. The magnetotelluric method (MT) offers an effective tool for imaging conductive features from the crust to the lithospheric mantle. However, current survey strategies face a tradeoff between imaging resolution and acquisition cost. Here, we construct a lithosphere-scale synthetic model of a magma plumbing system and use 3D MT inversion, sensitivity analysis, and point spread function evaluation to assess the resolving capability of sparse versus dense arrays. Our results show that large-scale conductive anomalies in the mid–lower crust and lithospheric mantle can be reliably imaged using a sparse regional array with targeted densification in the crustal anomaly zone. This approach reduces field costs and computational demand. Guided by these findings, we conducted MT observations across the Longgang volcanic field and identified low-resistivity anomalies extending from the lithospheric mantle into the mid–lower crust. These features are consistent with the dense array MT inversion results. Our study demonstrates that an array strategy combining wide-area sparse coverage with targeted densification offers a cost-effective approach to image deep conductive structures, which may provide practical guidance for optimizing MT survey design in volcanic regions. Full article

Understanding the complex molecular mechanisms behind gynecological cancers is crucial, as these diseases pose significant challenges to women’s health and are frequently diagnosed at advanced stages. Various genetic, epigenetic, and metabolic alterations play a vital role in tumor development, metastasis, and therapy. Exploring mitochondrial dysfunction and the role of lncRNAs may provide essential insights into how tumor cells evade apoptosis, alter their metabolic pathways, and adapt to stress. In gynecological malignancies, nuclear lncRNAs contribute to tumor progression, treatment resistance, and metastasis through mechanisms that include chromatin remodeling, microRNA modulation, and regulation of mitochondrial dynamics. More recently, the emerging role of mt-lncRNAs, derived from the mitochondrial genome, has attracted attention for their involvement in retrograde signaling, mitochondrial respiration, and regulation of apoptosis. Dysregulation of mt-ncRNAs may contribute to tumor bioenergetic reprogramming, mitochondrial integrity, and nuclear gene expression. The objective of this review is to consolidate the current understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of mitochondrial lncRNAs in ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers, thus identifying new opportunities of research. A thorough elucidation of the role of mitochondrial lncRNAs in mitochondrial–nuclear communication may facilitate the development of new interventions in gynecological oncology, highlighting the potential of these molecules as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Full article

Background: Bone remodeling depends on the dynamic balance between osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and osteoblast-mediated bone formation. Follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1) has been reported as an osteoclast-secreted protein that inhibits osteoclast differentiation, but its direct effects on osteoblast differentiation remain unclear. This study aimed to determine whether FSTL1 regulates osteoblast differentiation and mesenchymal stem cell migration and characterizes its role in osteoclast-osteoblast cellular cross-talk under in vitro conditions. Methods: Bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) and stromal cells (BMSCs) from mice were used to induce osteoclast and osteoblast differentiation, respectively. Chemotaxis was assessed by Transwell migration, and osteoblast differentiation was evaluated in BMSC and MC3T3-E1 cells using staining, qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and proliferation assays. Results: FSTL1 significantly suppressed osteoclast differentiation and resorptive activity, confirmed by TRAP staining and pit assay, respectively. Expression of osteoclast markers such as NFATc1, TRAP, and DC-STAMP was reduced under FSTL1 treatment. In BMSCs, FSTL1 did not affect proliferation but significantly enhanced chemotaxis. Moreover, FSTL1 promoted osteogenic differentiation and mineralization, as demonstrated by increased ALP activity and Alizarin Red S staining. In MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts, FSTL1 increased cell proliferation and mineralization by MTS and Alizarin Red staining. Key osteogenic markers, including Runx2 and osteocalcin, were also upregulated. Conclusions: Osteoclast-derived FSTL1 significantly suppresses osteoclastogenesis and promotes mesenchymal cell chemotaxis and osteogenic differentiation, indicating a role in regulating osteoclast–osteoblast cellular interactions in vitro. Targeting FSTL1 signaling may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for osteoporosis and other disorders of impaired bone remodeling. Full article

Background: Dendroctonus armandi, an oligophagous beetle primarily infesting Pinus armandii, is geographically restricted and persistent in central China, causing significant ecological and economic losses. However, the intrinsic factors driving its continuous occurrence remain unclear. We examined the genetic variation patterns across the species’ range to explore its phylogeographic structure. Methods: We analyzed mitochondrial DNA sequence (mtDNA) data to assess population genetic structure and estimate the divergence times of distinct lineages. Results: Phylogenetic analysis identified four haplogroups corresponding to the Minshan (MSM), Qinling (QLM), Micang (MCM), and Ta-pa (TPM) Mountains. Demographic analyses revealed that QLM and TPM haplogroups have undergone population expansion events. Divergence time estimates indicated four lineages diverged during the Late Pleistocene. Notably, D. armandi may have followed two horizontal and one vertical independent colonization routes. The first route extended from MSM into QLM and then spread eastward along the QLM; the second route progressed from MSM into MCM and continued eastward into TPM; and the third route migrated southward from QLM into TPM. Conclusions: Climate oscillations, geographical isolation, and the patchy distribution of host trees collectively shaped the phylogeographic patterns of D. armandi. These findings elucidate the evolution and adaptability of D. armandi in mountainous environments. Full article

This study examined shoot proliferation and phenolic compounds accumulation in Clerodendrum colebrookianum and Clerodendrum trichotomum in vitro culture. The cultures were treated with 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), meta-topolin (M-T), or N-benzyl-9-(2-tetrahydropyranyl)adenine (BPA) (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/L), and their biomass accumulation, shoot proliferation, and phenolic profiles were quantitatively assessed. In C. colebrookianum, BPA and M-T at 0.5 and 1.0 mg/L yielded higher proliferation rates (11.0–12.0 shoots per explant) and biomass production than BAP. In C. trichotomum, maximal shoot multiplication was achieved with 2.0 mg/L M-T (24.47 shoots per explant), and peak biomass accumulation was achieved with 1.0 mg/L BPA. The two species demonstrated polyphenolic fingerprints, with C. colebrookianum extract containing seven polyphenols and C. trichotomum ten, predominantly represented by acteoside and related compounds. M-T treatments markedly enhanced phenolic biosynthesis, yielding a 3.3-fold increase in acteoside in C. colebrookianum (82.73 mg/g DW) at 2.0 mg/L and in C. trichotomum (41.3 mg/g DW) at 1.0 mg/L relative to controls. TOPSIS multi-criteria decision analysis, integrating growth parameters, acteoside, and total phenolic content, found the optimal supplementation to be 1.0 mg/L M-T in the presence of 0.1 mg/L IAA for both species (closeness coefficients: 0.821 and 0.792, respectively). The extracts derived from optimized cultures exhibited significant radical-scavenging and metal reduction capacity in DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and CUPRAC assays; a stronger effect was observed for C. colebrookianum, which may be associated with acteoside enrichment. Overall, M-T and BPA were found to be superior to BAP in promoting biomass accumulation and high-value bioactive phenolic production in Clerodendrum spp. Our findings underscore the potential of in vitro culture systems as a sustainable source of antioxidant phytochemicals with prospective nutraceutical and pharmaceutical relevance. Full article

Elevated plasma lactate is a significant risk factor in pulmonary hypertension (PH), and endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) is a major contributor to this pathological process, yet its specific role in driving endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT) remains unclear. Using in vivo and in vitro models, we demonstrate that modulating lactate levels critically influences PH progression. In a hypoxic PH mouse model, inhibition of lactate production ameliorated hemodynamic and vascular remodeling, whereas exogenous lactate exacerbated these pathologies. In human pulmonary arterial endothelial cells under hypoxia, lactate promoted a pro-remodeling phenotype, enhancing migration, proliferation, and EndoMT. Mechanistically, lactate induced Twist1 lactylation via enhanced association with p300/CBP, promoting its nuclear translocation. This upregulated TGFB1 transcription and activated the Smad2 pathway, thereby driving EndoMT—an effect abolished by Twist1 knockdown. Our findings reveal a previously unrecognized lactate-Twist1 lactylation-TGFB1 axis that promotes vascular remodeling in PH, identifying novel therapeutic targets. Full article

This study evaluated the cooling performance of an electric vehicle heat sink manufactured using additive manufacturing (AM) with a topology-optimized design, compared with a conventionally manufactured pin-fin heat sink. The experimental results showed that the topology-optimized heat sink improved the cell cooling coefficient by up to 42.6% compared to the conventional heat sink, leading to an estimated 7.6% extension in battery lifetime. This study also assessed the environmental and life cycle cost (LCC) implications of this extended battery life, revealing that battery production emits approximately seven tons of CO₂-equivalent (CO₂-eq) greenhouse gases per pack; however, longer battery life reduces the frequency of battery replacement and the overall demand for battery production. Under a scenario where the topology-optimized heat sink achieves a 15% market penetration by 2040, the cumulative reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions is projected to reach 2.4 MtCO₂-eq. LCC analysis further indicated that despite the higher manufacturing cost of the AM heat sink, the increased battery longevity lowers total operating cost by approximately 5.3%. These findings show that enhanced functionality of optimized components can simultaneously improve performance and reduce LCC. This study’s evaluation framework for assessing environmental impacts and costs across the product life cycle provides a transparent and consistent basis for selecting appropriate manufacturing technologies for component production. Full article

To address the limited detection accuracy of casting defects—including pores, inclusions, and looseness—in digital radiography (DR) images, which stems from their small scale, high morphological variability, and interference from complex background textures, we propose MTS-YOLOv11: an edge–discrepancy collaborative defect detection framework tailored for casting DR imagery. Built upon YOLOv11, MTS-YOLOv11 incorporates three key innovations: (1) a Multi-Scale Edge Information Enhancement System (MSEES), integrated into the C3K2 module of the backbone network, to strengthen discriminative feature extraction for minute defects; (2) a TripletAttention mechanism embedded in high-level backbone stages to jointly calibrate channel–spatial dependencies and suppress texture-induced spurious responses under complex backgrounds; (3) a Scale-Discrepancy-Aware Gated Fusion (SDAGFusion) module positioned immediately before the detection head, enabling scale-discrepancy-aware gated fusion of multi-scale features, emphasizing defect regions while suppressing background interference. Experimental results show that on the casting DR dataset, MTS-YOLOv11 achieves mAP@0.5 = 96.5% and mAP@0.5:0.95 = 68.5%—improvements of 1.3 and 1.2 percentage points over the baseline YOLOv11—across all three defect categories. Moreover, on the same platform, MTS-YOLOv11 achieves an inference speed of 359.07 FPS, compared with 346.86 FPS for the baseline. Meanwhile, the model has 2.72M parameters and 7.8G FLOPs. These results indicate a consistent improvement in detection accuracy while maintaining a practical balance between precision and computational efficiency. Moreover, cross-dataset generalization tests on newly acquired industrial DR data show that MTS-YOLOv11 consistently outperforms the baseline across evaluation metrics, suggesting improved robustness to unseen imaging conditions and supporting its potential for real-world foundry inspection. Full article

Kynurenic acid (KynA), a tryptophan metabolite that regulates immune homeostasis via G protein-coupled receptor 35 (GPR35), has an undefined role in post-myocardial infarction (MI) immune responses. To clarify this role, we established a murine MI model and administered KynA intraperitoneally to evaluate cardiac function and ventricular remodeling. Macrophage infiltration was assessed, and macrophages were depleted via clodronate liposomes to confirm their contribution to KynA-mediated cardioprotection. In bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs), GPR35-targeted siRNA verified the receptor-dependent action of KynA. KynA improved cardiac function, reduced infarct scarring and fibrosis, and suppressed pro-inflammatory macrophage infiltration in MI mice, with these cardioprotective effects abrogated by macrophage depletion. Mechanistically, KynA inhibited voltage-dependent anion channel 1 oligomerization, prevented mitochondrial DNA leakage, and downregulated the cGAS/STING/TBK1/IκBα/P65 pathway in macrophages, while exogenous mitochondrial DNA counteracted this inhibition. Collectively, the KynA/GPR35 axis exerts cardioprotective effects against MI by attenuating macrophage pro-inflammatory responses, highlighting its potential as a novel therapeutic target. Full article

Bladder cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy of the urinary tract. Approximately 75% of cases are non-muscle-invasive BC (NMIBC), while muscle-invasive BC (MIBC) and advanced tumors account for most cancer-specific mortality. Accurate assessment of tumor invasion is essential, as staging variability may lead to inappropriate treatments. Tumor invasion involves several mechanisms including extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling mediated by metalloproteinases, angiogenesis, and cell adhesions. Masson’s trichrome staining (MTS) provides relevant information on ECM composition. This study evaluated the application of machine learning to MTS-stained bladder biopsies to predict muscle invasion. A retrospective analysis of bladder biopsy images obtained from transurethral resections and cystectomies (2022–2024). A total of 702 histological images were analyzed. A convolutional neural network (CNN) was trained to classify tumors as MIBC or NMIBC and model outputs were correlated with clinical variables. The CNN achieved an accuracy of 95.2% in the training set and 90.1% in validation. Model-derived probabilities were significantly associated with tumor grade, lesion size, and muscle invasion. Logistic regression demonstrated a strong association with invasive disease (OR = 0.07, p = 0.017). CNN-based analysis of MTS-stained bladder biopsy images enable accurate prediction of muscle invasion, with potential to improve diagnostic precision. Full article

Mitochondria are a key organelle in maintaining metabolic homeostasis. It not only generates most of the cell’s energy through oxidative phosphorylation but also acts as a complex sensor of the redox state and oxygen in the cell. This review thoroughly analyzes the interactions among mitochondrial iron metabolism, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS), and lipid peroxidation (LPO), the triggering factors of ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of programmed cell death. We point out research showing that intrinsic mitochondrial machinery, such as iron–sulfur (Fe-S) cluster assembly and heme metabolism, is both an important cofactor and a master regulator. If these processes are disrupted, they can lead to ferroptosis. Unlike views that focus on the cytosol, we explain that the stability of Fe-S clusters in complexes such as aconitase and respiratory Complex I is crucial for preventing electron leakage and excessive mtROS formation. The Fenton reaction and its direct effect on cardiolipin (CL) oxidation in the inner membrane of mitochondria is a central event in cardiometabolic diseases. Its peroxidation and breakdown make the organelle very unstable and lead to cell death though Ca²⁺ overload and a significantly decreased reduced/oxidized glutathione ratio. Additionally, the functions of essential iron transporters and glutathione homeostasis are examined, and their dysregulation is correlated with ferroptosis-associated progression of cardiometabolic and neurodegenerative disorders, such as obesity and Alzheimer’s disease. This review focused on the need to revisit the classic bioenergetic core of the mitochondria as a key player in the pathophysiology of metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. Full article

Accurately characterizing spatiotemporal patterns of carbon emissions and their driving mechanisms is essential for advancing regional low-carbon transitions. Focusing on northeast China, a representative old industrial base, this study develops a spatialized carbon emission estimation framework using an XGBoost model that integrates nighttime light data, land-use information, population, and economic indicators. A 1 km resolution carbon emission dataset spanning 2000 to 2021 is generated, and the SHAP method reveals nonlinear responses and stage-dependent evolutions of key driving factors. The results demonstrate three key findings. Carbon emissions in northeast China increased from 636 Mt in 2000 to 1131 Mt in 2021, exhibiting three distinct phases: rapid expansion (2000–2010, +36%), peak stabilization (2010–2015, +13%), and localized contraction (2015–2021, +3%). Liaoning Province contributed 46% of total emissions in 2021, while Jilin showed the fastest growth rate at 92%. County-level Moran’s I values (0.292–0.349) remain substantially lower than city-level values (0.642–0.700), revealing scale-dependent spatial clustering. High–high clusters concentrated persistently in southern Liaoning, encompassing eight cities by 2010, whereas low–low clusters dominated northern Heilongjiang. Population and GDP exhibited saturating marginal effects after 2015, with SHAP values plateauing beyond thresholds of approximately 450,000 persons and 420 billion CNY respectively, indicating gradual decoupling between economic growth and emissions. Industrial mining land influence declined by 68% from 2005 to 2020, while urban land-use ratio maintained stable contributions. This high-resolution spatiotemporal dataset provides empirical evidence for designing threshold-based emission reduction policies, identifying regional transfer risks, and implementing county-level differentiated strategies in old industrial bases undergoing low-carbon transition. The XGBoost–SHAP framework demonstrates transferability to other heavy industrial regions facing similar structural transformation challenges. Full article

Temporal knowledge graphs aim to enhance the dynamic and evolutionary representation of knowledge while enabling time-based reasoning. However, the reasoning based on temporal knowledge graphs in real geographic environments suffers from low accuracy due to the difficulty in effectively utilizing complex spatio-temporal information. Spatial attributes within entities typically encompass both relative and absolute spatial information types. However, during spatio-temporal reasoning, the deep coupling between the quadruple $(entities, relations, timestamp)$ and these two spatial information types is frequently overlooked, as they remain unintegrated in inference predictions. This paper proposes a novel Multi-Task Spatial Recurrent Evolution Graph Convolutional Network (MTS-RE-GCN) framework to enable temporal knowledge graph methods to better reason about spatial entities under time-varying conditions. Experiments on the spatio-temporal dataset and the benchmark dataset (i.e., ICEWS14s, ICEWS18) with spatio-temporal features demonstrate that MTS-RE-GCN significantly outperforms the baseline models (e.g., RE-GCN, TiRGN). For entity prediction tasks, MTS-RE-GCN achieves mean reciprocal rank (MRR) scores of 0.848, 0.739, 0.566, representing improvements of 9.00%, 6.03%, 3.28%, correspondingly. This provides a comprehensive and efficient solution for spatio-temporal entity prediction in temporal knowledge graphs, holding significant implications for spatio-temporal data analysis, event prediction, and related fields. Full article

Soil texture-dependent responses and time-scales of soil quality change, especially soil carbon, remain poorly understood. We addressed this gap using a dual time-scale design of long-term field experiments: 11 years of minimum (MT) versus ploughing tillage (CT), both followed by 5-year transitions to no-till (NT) in contrasting textures (loamy vs. silty clay) in NE Slovenia. In loamy soils, reduced tillage in the 0–10 cm layer increased soil organic carbon by 40–48%, dissolved organic carbon by 36–64%, permanganate oxidizable carbon by 67–84%, particulate organic carbon by 76–95%, and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC < 50 μm) by 28–34%. In silty clay soils, high clay content masked tillage effects, though labile pools showed stratification. MAOC < 20 μm remained stable across treatments and textures (2.0–2.5%), except under CT in loamy soil (1.73%), indicating enhanced decomposition. In loamy soils CT increased by 0.5–1 and 1–2 mm and decreased >20 mm and in silty clay soils increased <0.5, 1–2 and 2–4 mm aggregate formations. The MWD, GMD, Dm indices correlated strongly with C fractions, confirming physical protection mechanisms. Our dual time-scale approach reveals labile C pools and aggregate recovery respond within 5 years of NT, while texture modulates response magnitude and detectability. Full article