Search Results (7,284)

Intramuscular fat (IMF) significantly impacts meat quality. Exosomes have attracted increasing attention for their regulatory roles in muscle-adipose tissue crosstalk; however, their precise mechanisms remain largely unclear. Based on this, this study aimed to establish a muscle-adipose co-culture system to better simulate the in vivo physiological environment. Using exosomal miRNAs as molecular links, we investigated how bovine muscle satellite cells influence lipid accumulation and adipogenesis in preadipocytes. We established a co-culture system of bovine muscle satellite cells and preadipocytes and found that co-culture significantly inhibited lipid droplet accumulation and adipogenesis in preadipocytes. Therefore, we hypothesized that exosomes derived from bovine muscle satellite cells regulate the adipogenic differentiation of bovine preadipocytes through intercellular communication and that specific exosomal miRNAs play pivotal roles in this regulatory process. We successfully isolated and identified muscle-derived (Mu-EXO), adipose-derived (Ad-EXO), and co-culture exosomes (Co-EXO). High-throughput sequencing revealed the differential expression profiles of miRNAs. Notably, the bovine-specific miRNA bta-miR-2904, annotated in miRBase v22 with limited cross-species conservation, was significantly enriched in Mu-EXO and Co-EXO compared with Ad-EXO. Further functional experiments demonstrated that overexpression of bta-miR-2904 markedly inhibited lipid droplet accumulation, triglyceride content, and the expression of adipogenesis-related genes in preadipocytes; inhibition had opposite effects. Our results demonstrate that bovine muscle-derived exosomal miR-2904 inhibits lipid accumulation and adipogenesis in preadipocytes. These results establish a theoretical basis for understanding skeletal muscle-adipose crosstalk and offer a novel molecular target for regulating intramuscular fat deposition in beef cattle. Full article

Despite growing interest in South African medicinal plants, advanced metabolomic workflows that integrate positive (ESI+) and negative (ESI−) ionization modes in UPLC-MS/MS remain sparsely applied to South African flora, and especially to Acorus calamus and Lippia javanica species. Herein, application of a dual-polarity (positive (ESI+) and negative (ESI−) ionization modes) using an untargeted UPLC–MS/MS workflow, integrated with HEK293T cytotoxicity screening, to map their metabolomes, and rank potential signature metabolites for targeted antiviral follow-up. SwissADME supported in silico drug-likeness. Neither plant extract was cytotoxic across the concentration range, with absorbance-based cell viability of 73.82% for L. javanica and 77.23% for A. calamus at 250 µg/mL, and fluorescence-based cell viability ≥59.87% and ≥55.89%, respectively. Dual-polarity expanded coverage with ESI− yielded 312 features, compared with 225 with ESI+, consistent with the predominance of acidic phenolics in plant species. Unsupervised and supervised models segregated the plant species (PCA PC1/PC2 variance: ESI+ 89.4%/3.0%; ESI− 93.5%/1.8%; R²X(cum) = 0.799). Differential analysis identified 118 significant features in ESI+ with 80 up-regulated, 38 down-regulated, and 139 in ESI− with 96 up-regulated, 43 down-regulated. The ESI− showed the wider dynamic range. Chemotypes enriched among significant metabolites include flavonols of 3-O-methylkaempferol, apigenin, and conjugates of Pollenin A, iridoid glycosides of oleoside, forsythoside B, and jasmonate-pathway oxylipins of 7-epi-12-hydroxyjasmonic acid and its glucoside. These also include caryoptosidic acid and catechin-7-glucoside, which are ionized in both modes, pinning the increase in biomarker robustness. In conclusion, a dual-mode UPLC–MS/MS approach, integrated with cytotoxicity exploration, delivers a complementary metabolome coverage and a safety awareness for shortlisting of potential signature metabolites from L. javanica and A. calamus. Moreover, in vitro inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PL^pro) by these plants links chemical signatures to antiviral relevance. Shortlisted significant metabolites that demonstrated favorable drug-likeness include flavonol scaffolds of 3-O-methylkaempferol, Pollenin A, and jasmonate-pathway derivatives of 7-epi-12-hydroxyjasmonic acid. Moreover, the dual ionization mode may eliminate ionization bias, broaden metabolome coverage, and yield a mechanism-ready shortlist of metabolites from South African medicinal plants for downstream antiviral investigation. Full article

Magnesium (Mg²⁺) ions require sensitive and selective detection due to their low concentrations and coexistence with similar ions in matrices. This study developed a potentiometric ISE using a new modified polyurethane membrane. The membrane’s negative surface charge facilitates selective interaction with Mg²⁺ ion. Optimal performance was obtained at 0.0061% (w/w) κ-carrageenan and 0.0006% (w/w) D2EHPA. The ISE exhibited a near-Nernstian response of 29.49 ± 0.01 mV/decade across a 10⁻⁹–10⁻⁴ M concentration range (R² = 0.992), with a detection limit of 1.25 × 10⁻¹⁰ M and a response time of 200 s. It remained stable in the pH range 6–8 for one month and demonstrated high selectivity over K⁺, Na⁺, and Ca²⁺ ($K_{ij}$ < 1). The repeatability and reproducibility tests yielded standard deviations of 0.15 and 0.39, while recovery rates confirmed analytical reliability. The water contact angle analysis showed a reduction from ~80° to ~69° after membrane conditioning, indicating increased hydrophilicity and improved interfacial for ion diffusion. FTIR analysis confirmed successful modification by reduced O–H peak intensity, while XRD verified the amorphous structure. SEM revealed a dense top layer with concave morphology, favorable for minimizing leakage and ensuring efficient ion transport within the sensing system. Full article

This work introduces the development and performance analysis of a hybrid fractal antenna combining a Koch snowflake outer geometry with a center slot patterned as a Sierpinski rectangular carpet. The antenna is fabricated on an FR4 board (${\epsilon }_r=4.7$, $\tan \delta =0.0197$) with dimensions $40\times 60\times 0.8$ mm³. Electromagnetic simulations are performed using Ansys HFSS v15, revealing seven distinct resonances at 2.11, 3.06, 5.78, 6.94, 8.48, 9.23, and 9.56 GHz. The corresponding impedance bandwidths are 90, 37, 67, 100, 90, 130, and 220 MHz, with return losses of −14, −12, −16, −10, −30, −16, and −17 dB, and VSWR values ranging from 1.06 to 1.80. The gains at these resonances are 3.92, 8.24, 6.90, 11.66, 19.38, 16.76, and 12.06 dBi. Frequency allocation analysis indicates compatibility with UMTS/LTE (2.11 GHz), S-band 5G and radar (3.06 GHz), ISM/UNII-3 Wi-Fi and ITS (5.78 GHz), C-band satellite uplink (6.94 GHz), and X-band radar/satellite downlink (8.48–9.56 GHz). The proposed geometry demonstrates wide multi-band coverage, making it a strong candidate for integration into multi-standard communication and radar platforms requiring compact, broadband, and high-directivity performance. Full article

The extended application of pesticides has intensified the resistance problem in Liriomyza trifolii within Hainan Province. This study aimed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms contributing to the elevated resistance observed in this pest by employing Whole-Genome Re-sequencing (WGR) technology. Through the analysis and comparison of WGR data focusing on voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) from diverse regions and LT-S of L. trifolii in Hainan Province, we identified a total of six nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) and thirty-one synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (sSNPs) in five wild populations MY, TS, DA, TY, and JY. Among the six nsSNPs, three (PyR1: M918T, L1014F, and PyR2: T933I) have been confirmed as linked to pyrethroid resistance, while one (D IVS6: V1845I) was associated with resistance to indoxacarb. Moreover, the frequency of these four mutations generally increases with decreasing latitude. Additionally, under sustained pesticide selection pressure, L. trifolii exhibits an evolutionary pattern characterized by a dN/dS ratio (nsSNP/sSNP = 6/31 ≈ 0.19) of less than 1. Among the 31 sSNPs that held an absolute quantitative advantage, the highest occurrence frequency reached 94.44% (G2033: JY), and this sSNP occurred in all populations. In contrast, among a limited number of 6 nsSNPs, the highest occurrence frequency attained 100% (L1014F: all populations). This study substantiates that the elevated resistance observed in L. trifolii within Hainan Province can be ascribed to the presence of four nsSNPs-M922T, T933I, L1018F, and V1845I in their VGSC. Furthermore, the emergence of cross-resistance between pyrethroids and indoxacarb has been identified. This research offers a novel theoretical foundation for future investigations into the resistance mechanisms of L. trifolii. Full article

To address the low efficiency and stress-inducing nature of traditional manual weighing for dairy cows, this study proposes a semantically guided 3D reconstruction and body weight estimation method for dairy cows. First, a dual-viewpoint Kinect V2 camera synchronous acquisition system captures top-view and side-view point cloud data from 150 calves and 150 lactating cows. Subsequently, the CSS-PointNet++ network model was designed. Building upon PointNet++, it incorporates Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) and Attention-Weighted Hybrid Pooling Module (AHPM) to achieve precise semantic segmentation of the torso and limbs in the side-view point cloud. Based on this, point cloud registration algorithms were applied to align the dual-view point clouds. Missing parts were mirrored and completed using semantic information to achieve 3D reconstruction. Finally, a body weight estimation model was established based on volume and surface area through surface reconstruction. Experiments demonstrate that CSS-PointNet++ achieves an Overall Accuracy (OA) of 98.35% and a mean Intersection over Union (mIoU) of 95.61% in semantic segmentation tasks, representing improvements of 2.2% and 4.65% over PointNet++, respectively. In the weight estimation phase, the BP neural network (BPNN) delivers optimal performance: For the calf group, the Mean Absolute Error (MAE) was 1.8409 kg, Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) was 2.4895 kg, Mean Relative Error (MRE) was 1.49%, and Coefficient of Determination (R²) was 0.9204; for the lactating cows group, MAE was 12.5784 kg, RMSE was 14.4537 kg, MRE was 1.75%, and R² was 0.8628. This method enables 3D reconstruction and body weight estimation of cows during walking, providing an efficient and precise body weight monitoring solution for precision farming. Full article

Respiratory infections are a major public health threat. Significant global mortality is caused by influenza viruses, the new SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the Respiratory Syncytial Viruses (RSVs). Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has recently emerged as a valuable tool for monitoring these pathogens, providing insights into their evolution, transmission patterns, and co-circulation within populations. This study aimed to track influenza viruses (A and B), the new SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the Respiratory Syncytial Viruses (RSVs) (type A and B) during the pandemic period (from October 2020 to October 2021) in a middle-size Spanish city (Valladolid) and its surrounding areas. Viral concentration was performed using an aluminum-based precipitation method, followed by RNA extraction and RT-qPCR quantification targeting the N1 and N2 regions of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid gene, the N gene for both RSV-A and RSV-B, and the M and non-structural protein genes for influenza A and B, respectively. The results demonstrated the utility of WBE in predicting increases in clinical cases of SARS-CoV-2, as evidenced by a high correlation (r > 0.5). For RSV-A, the findings aligned with previous studies. Interestingly, particularly considering the length and period of analysis, influenza A, influenza B, and RSV-B viruses were not observed during the study period. In addition, the prevalence of RSV-A decreased during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, likely due to the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions. In conclusion, this study reaffirms that WBE provides critical epidemiological insights, complements clinical surveillance, and supports public health authorities in making informed and timely decisions. Full article

Black spot disease substantially impairs both the aesthetic quality and commercial viability of affected Pingguoli pears. Previous studies have shown that Alternaria alternata and A. tenuissima are the pathogens that cause black spot disease. Essential oils represent novel alternatives to synthetic fungicides to control these pathogens. This study extracted Artemisia sieversiana essential oil (AsEO) by hydro-distillation using a crystal tower pure dew essential oil machine. The chemical compositions of AsEO were analyzed via gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). A total of 42 compounds were detected. 1,8-cineole, trans-caryophyllene, (1R,4S)-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo [2.2.1] heptan-2-yl acetate, (±)-camphor, and β-myrcene were identified as the five main constituents. Moreover, the antifungal activity of AsEO was assessed against black spot on Yanbian Pingguoli pear in China. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) values were determined as 0.10% (v/v) and 0.12% (v/v), respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed that treatment with AsEO induced significant morphological aberrations in A. alternata and A. tenuissima mycelia, including surface roughening, hyphal collapse, and loss of structural integrity. Concurrently, a marked increase in alkaline phosphatase (AKP) enzyme activity and electrical conductivity was observed, a key indicator of cell wall and plasma membrane permeabilization and damage. When the concentration of AsEO was less than 120 µg/mL, there was no toxicity to keratinocytes (HaCaTs) and skin fibroblasts (NHSFs). In summary, this study provides a theoretical basis for the development of AsEO as a fungicide against black spot disease on Pingguoli pear in China. Full article

Background: This study examines whether participation in STEAM-based educational activities is associated with improvements in executive functions (EFs) and cognitive skills in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Methods: A total of 60 children diagnosed with ADHD (mean age = 8 years) participated, with 30 following a traditional educational approach and 30 engaged in STEAM-based activities. Executive functions and cognitive abilities were assessed using standardized instruments (BRIEF, WISC-V, CARAS-R), and data were analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics 25. Results: Children in the STEAM group outperformed the control group across several domains, showing statistically significant gains in inhibition, planning and organization, verbal comprehension, visuospatial skills, processing speed, total IQ, efficiency, and the Impulsivity Control Index (ICI). Conclusions: These findings suggest that STEAM-based educational experiences may support neurodevelopmental growth and enhance cognitive and executive functioning in children with ADHD, although causal inferences cannot be drawn due to the cross-sectional design. Full article

This study presents a unified parametric optimization framework for the thermal design of microchannel spreaders used in high-power processor cooling. The fin geometry is expressed in a shape-agnostic parametric form defined by fin thickness, top and bottom gap widths, and channel height, without prescribing a fixed cross-section. This approach accommodates practical fin profiles ranging from rectangular to tapered and V-shaped, allowing continuous geometric optimization within manufacturability and hydraulic limits. A coupled analytical–numerical model integrates conduction through the spreader base, interfacial resistance across the thermal interface material (TIM), and convection within the coolant channels while enforcing a pressure-drop constraint. The optimization uses a deterministic continuation method with smooth sigmoid mappings and penalty functions to maintain constraint satisfaction and stable convergence across the design space. The total thermal resistance ($R_{\mathrm{tot}}$) is minimized over spreader conductivities $k_s=400–2200$ W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ (copper to CVD diamond), inlet fluid velocities $U_{\mathrm{in}}=0.5–5.5$ m s⁻¹, maximum pressure drops of 10–50 kPa, and fluid pass counts $N_p\in \{1,2,3\}$. The resulting maps of optimized fin dimensions as functions of $k_s$ provide continuous design charts that clarify how material conductivity, flow rate, and pass configuration collectively determine the geometry, minimizing total thermal resistance, thereby reducing chip temperature rise for a given heat load. Full article

The greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) is an economically important marine species that is prone to bacterial infections, resulting in high mortality rates and substantial economic losses. In this study, a virulent bacterial strain, Vh-2, was isolated from diseased greater amberjack and identified as Vibrio harveyi. Experimental infections caused high mortality and severe splenic damage characterized by tissue necrosis, abnormal pigment deposition, cellular disintegration, and extensive immune cell infiltration. A virulence gene analysis revealed that Vh-2 harbored multiple virulence-associated genes such as toxR, toxS, vhpA, vhpB, vhhA, vhhB, luxR, and pap6. Antibiotic susceptibility testing demonstrated ampicillin resistance but sensitivity to ceftriaxone, florfenicol, and meropenem. Transcriptomic profiling of infected spleens identified 396 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) compared to the control group, of which 293 were upregulated and 103 were downregulated. A functional enrichment analysis indicated that these genes were primarily involved in cell cycle regulation, DNA repair, metabolic processes, and immune-related pathways. These findings enhance our understanding of V. harveyi pathogenesis and immune responses of S. dumerili and provide new insights into the prevention and control of V. harveyi infections in marine fish. Full article

Background/Objectives: Breast cancer survivors face elevated risk of treatment-related bone loss, yet routine bone health assessment remains underutilized. Opportunistic bone density extraction from routine CT may address this gap. This study validated AI-derived vertebral bone mineral density (AI-vBMD) from non-contrast thoracoabdominal CT for osteoporosis screening and assessed its diagnostic value beyond clinical variables. Methods: This retrospective study included 332 breast cancer patients; AI-vBMD was successfully extracted in 325 (98%). Quantitative CT (QCT) served as reference standard. Agreement between AI-vBMD and QCT-vBMD was assessed using Pearson correlation, Bland–Altman analysis, and weighted kappa for QCT-defined osteoporosis (<80 mg/cm³). Nested logistic regression models compared a clinical model with and without AI-vBMD. Discrimination [area under the curve (AUC)], calibration, and clinical utility [decision-curve analysis (DCA)] were evaluated. Results: AI-vBMD showed strong correlation with QCT-vBMD (r = 0.98, p < 0.001), minimal bias (mean difference +1.82 mg/cm³), and excellent agreement for osteoporosis classification (weighted κ = 0.90). AI-vBMD alone achieved excellent discrimination for osteoporosis (AUC = 0.986). Integrating AI-vBMD into the clinical model yielded significantly higher diagnostic performance (AUC 0.988 vs. 0.879; p < 0.001) and demonstrated superior net benefit across relevant decision thresholds. Conclusions: AI-derived vertebral BMD from routine CT serves as a reliable QCT-aligned imaging biomarker for opportunistic osteoporosis assessment in breast cancer patients and adds significant incremental diagnostic value beyond clinical information alone. Full article

Recent analyses on the central compact object in the HESS J1731-347 supernova remnant reported not only surprising structural properties (mass M and radius R), but also an interesting thermal evolution. More precisely, it has been estimated that $M=0.{77}_{-0.17}^{+0.20}{M}_{\odot }$ and $R=10.4_{-0.78}^{+0.86}$ km (at the $1\sigma$ level), while a redshited surface temperature of ${153}_{-2}^{+4}$ keV at an age of 2–6 kyrs has been reported. In the present work, we conduct an in-depth investigation on the possible nature (hadronic, hybrid, quark) of this compact object by attempting to not only explain its mass and radius but also the corresponding estimations for its temperature and age. In the case of hybrid stars we also examine possible effects of the symmetry energy on the activation of different neutrino emitting process, and hence on the resulting cooling curves. We found that the reported temperature and age may be compatible to hadronic stellar configurations regardless of whether pairing effects are included. In the scenario of hybrid stars, we found that the strange quark matter core has to be in a superconducting state in order to reach an agreement with the observational constraints. In addition, the hadronic phase must be soft enough so that the direct Urca process is not activated. Furthermore, we have shown that the considered cooling constraints can be reconciled within the framework of strange stars. However, quark matter has to be in a superconducting state and the quark direct Urca process needs to be blocked. Full article

Solid–liquid stirred tanks are widely used in multiphase processes, including bioreactors for mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) culture, yet simultaneous experimental data for both dispersed and carrier phases remain limited. Here, a refractive index-matched (RIM) suspension of PMMA microparticles ($d_p=168\mathrm{\mu m}$, ${\rho }_p/{\rho }_l\approx 0.96$) in an NH₄SCN solution is studied at an intermediate Reynolds number ($Re\approx 5000$), low Stokes number ($St=0.078$), and particle volume fractions $0.1\le {\alpha }_p\le 0.5$ v%. This system was previously established and studied for the effect of addition of particles on the carrier phase. In this work, a dual-camera PIV set-up provides simultaneous velocity fields of the liquid and particle phases in a stirred tank equipped with a three-blade down-pumping HTPGD impeller. The liquid mean flow and circulation loop remained essentially unchanged with particle loading, whereas particle mean velocities were lower than single-phase and liquid-phase values in the impeller discharge. Turbulence levels diverged between phases: liquid-phase turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) in the impeller region increased modestly with ${\alpha }_p$, while solid-phase TKE was attenuated. Slip velocity maps showed that particles lagged the fluid in the impeller jet and deviated faster from the wall in the upward flow, with slip magnitudes increasing with ${\alpha }_p$. An approximate axial force balance indicated that drag dominates over lift in the impeller and wall regions, while the balance is approximately satisfied in the tank bulk, providing an experimental benchmark for refining drag and lift models in this class of stirred tanks. Full article

Background: Lactate Dehydrogenase C (LDHC) is a promising therapeutic target due to its highly tumor-specific expression, immunogenicity, and oncogenic functions. We previously showed that LDHC silencing in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells enhances treatment response to DNA-damage response-related drugs, supporting its therapeutic potential. However, no selective LDHC inhibitors exist, highlighting the need for innovative targeting strategies. Methods: We assessed the physicochemical properties and evaluated the delivery efficiency, anti-tumor activity, and safety of four cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs)—R10, 10R-RGD, cRGD-10R, and iRGD-10R—for siRNA-mediated LDHC silencing in TNBC. Clonogenic assays were used to evaluate effects on olaparib sensitivity, and TNBC zebrafish xenografts were utilized to study in vivo anti-tumor activity. Results: All CPP:siRNA complexes formed uniform nanocomplexes (129–168 nm) with low polydispersity indices (<0.25) and positive zeta potentials (+6.47 to +29.6 mV). Complexes remained stable in human serum for 24 h and showed no significant cytotoxicity in TNBC and non-cancerous cell lines. The 10R-RGD and cRGD-10R:siLDHC complexes achieved 40% LDHC protein knockdown, reduced TNBC clonogenicity by 30–36%, and enhanced olaparib sensitivity. Treatment of TNBC zebrafish xenografts with 10R-RGD or cRGD-10R:siLDHC complexes significantly reduced tumor growth by approximately 50% without major toxicity. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that CPP-mediated siRNA delivery enables selective LDHC silencing with tumor growth inhibition in triple-negative breast cancer models. This approach represents a novel, effective, and safe proof-of-concept therapeutic strategy to target LDHC, with potential translational relevance as a standalone therapy or in combination with common anti-cancer drugs. Full article