Search Results (17,856)

The food additive sodium benzoate (SB) has been used for decades as an antimicrobial to prevent food spoilage. SB has been deemed to pose no risk to human health when consumed at levels under 5 mg/kg body weight per day; however, when many of the supporting studies were conducted, the importance of the gut microbiome to human health was not yet appreciated. Given SB’s known antimicrobial qualities, it is important to assess the effect of this food additive on the human gut microbiome. The ex vivo SIFR^® (Systemic Intestinal Fermentation Research) technology was used to test the effect of SB on microbial communities from 24 donors, aged infants to older adults. A dose of 3.5 g/L SB elicited a drop in the Pseudomonadota phylum for multiple age groups but did not alter the alpha or beta diversity within any of these groups. This was accompanied by changes in the functional outputs that included an overall rise in butyrate and a drop in propionate production. This higher butyrate correlates with an increase in the abundance of several known butyrate producers in the presence of SB, although the genetic potential for its production in the community did not change. Overall, despite using a dose ten times higher than the accepted daily intake limit, the effect on the gut microbiome was minimal. Full article

Afforestation substantially promotes vegetation restoration and modifies soil physical, chemical, and biological properties. The integrated effects of soil properties on soil quality, expressed via a composite soil quality index (SQI), remain unclear despite variations among individual properties. Here, five vegetation restoration treatments were selected as follows: (1) barren land (BL, control), (2) disturbed short-rotation Eucalyptus plantation (REP); (3) undisturbed long-term Eucalyptus plantation (UEP); (4) mixed native-species plantation (MF); and (5) natural forest (NF) following >50 years of restoration. Soil physicochemical properties and microbial community compositions were investigated, and soil quality was evaluated by an integrated SQI. Our results showed that vegetation restoration had strong effects on soil physicochemical properties, soil quality, and microbial communities. Most of the soil physicochemical properties exhibited significant differences among treatments. Soil dissolved organic carbon, total nitrogen, and ammonium nitrogen were the three key soil quality indicators. The SQI increased significantly with vegetation recovery intensity. In both UEP and MF, it reached levels comparable to NF, and was higher in UEP than in REP, implying that short-rotation practices impede soil restoration. In addition, microbial biomass (bacteria, fungi, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, actinomycetes, and total microbe PLFAs) increased from BL to NF. All plantations exhibited lower microbial biomass than NF, revealing incomplete recovery and a greater sensitivity to soil physicochemical properties. Conversely, the fungi-to-bacteria biomass ratio decreased sequentially (REP > BL > UEP > MF > NF). Strong positive correlations between microbial biomass and the SQI were observed. These results collectively indicate that afforestation with mixed tree species is optimal for rapid soil restoration, and undisturbed long-term monocultures can achieve similar outcomes. These findings highlight that tree species mixtures and reducing disturbance should be taken into consideration when restoring degraded ecosystems in the tropics. Full article

This paper introduces a new optimization problem-solving method based on how the stingless bee Tetragonula carbonaria builds and regulates temperature in the hive. The Tetragonula carbonaria Optimization Algorithm (TGCOA) models three different behaviors: strengthening the structure’s hive when it is cold, building combs in a spiral pattern at medium temperatures, and stabilizing the hive when it is hot. These temperature-dependent strategies dynamically balance global exploitation and local exploration within the solution space, enabling a more efficient search. To validate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method, the TGCOA algorithm was tested using ten unimodal and ten multimodal benchmark functions, twenty-eight constrained problems with dimensions set to 10, 30, 50, and 100 taken from the IEEE CEC 2017, and seven real-world engineering design challenges. Furthermore, it was compared with ten algorithms from the literature. Wilcoxon signed-rank and Friedman statistical tests were performed to assess the outcomes. The results on the benchmark problems showed that the approach outperformed 80% of the algorithms at a 5% significance level in the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and ranked first overall according to the Friedman test. Additionally, in multidimensional problems, the TGCOA was ranked first in dimensions 30, 50, and 100. Moreover, in engineering problems, the approach demonstrated a high capacity to solve constraint problems, obtaining better results than the algorithms that were compared. Full article

Adoxophyes orana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is a significant polyphagous leafroller that damages trees and shrubs in Rosaceae and other families. However, the molecular mechanisms by which this pest recognizes sex pheromones and host plant volatiles remain largely unknown. Tissue expression profiles indicated that two general odorant-binding proteins (AoraGOBP1 and AoraGOBP2) were more abundant in the antennae and wings of both sexes, with AoraGOBP1 being rich in the female head and abdomen. Temporal expression profiles showed that AoraGOBP1 was expressed at the highest level in 5 day-nmated adults, while AoraGOBP2 exhibited high expression in 5 day-unmated, 7 day-unmated, and mated female adults. Fluorescence competitive binding assays of heterologous expressed AoraGOBPs demonstrated that AoraGOBP2 strongly bound to the primary sex pheromone Z9-14:Ac, and two minor sex pheromones Z9-14:OH and Z11-14:OH, whereas AoraGOBP1 only showed a high binding affinity to Z9-14:Ac. What is more, AoraGOBP1 exhibited a broader binding spectrum for host plant volatiles than AoraGOBP2. Molecular dockings, molecular dynamic simulations, and per-residue binding free decompositions indicated that the van der Waals interaction was the predominant contributor to the binding free energy. Electrostatic interactions between aldehydes, or alcohols and AoraGOBPs stabilized the conformational structures. Phe12 from AoraGOBP1, and Phe13 from AoraGOBP2 were identified as the most important residues that contributed to bind free energy. Our findings provide a comprehensive insight into the molecular mechanisms of olfactory recognition in A. orana, facilitating the development of chemical ecology-based approaches for the control. Full article

Zearalenone (ZEA) is a widely distributed estrogenic mycotoxin that can disrupt intestinal barrier integrity by inducing ferroptosis, thereby posing serious risks to animal health. Curcumin (CUR), as a natural polyphenolic compound with multi-target regulatory properties, has attracted increasing attention for its antioxidative and cytoprotective effects; however, its role in ZEA-induced ferroptosis remains poorly understood. In this study, the protective effects of curcumin (CUR) were evaluated in IPEC-J2 cells by co-treating the cells with zearalenone (ZEA) at its LC₅₀ (75.23 μM) and curcumin (5 or 15 μM) for 24 h. CCK-8 assays showed that CUR significantly (p < 0.05) and highly significantly (p < 0.01) improved cell viability in the 5 μM and 15 μM groups, respectively, compared with ZEA alone. CUR co-treatment significantly (p < 0.01) restored glutathione (GSH) levels, and markedly (p < 0.01) reduced Fe²⁺ accumulation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and lipid peroxidation (LPO). Transmission electron microscopy revealed pronounced mitochondrial cristae loss and membrane collapse in ZEA-treated cells, which were visibly alleviated by CUR. At the molecular level, ZEA downregulated GPX4 and SLC7A11 and upregulated ACSL4, FTH1, and p53 (all p < 0.01), whereas these changes were significantly reversed (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01) by CUR. In conclusion, CUR exerts cytoprotective effects against ZEA-induced ferroptosis, likely via modulation of the p53/SLC7A11/GPX4 signaling pathway. Full article

Type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by chronic glycolipid metabolic dysregulation. This study aimed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of Artemisia integrifolia Linn. (LH) as a functional food in a T2DM rat model. The UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technique was used to identify the components of LH. T2DM was induced in rats via a high-fat/high-sugar diet combined with streptozotocin (STZ, 35 mg/kg, i.p.). The rats were subsequently treated with LH (90 mg/kg, 180 mg/kg) for 15 days. A total of 66 compounds were identified in both positive and negative ions. LH treatment resulted in an increase in body weight while reducing FBG levels. It also improved insulin resistance, blood lipid levels, liver pathology, function, and lipid accumulation. Furthermore, 18 metabolites and 5 metabolic pathways were identified in the liver. Mechanistically, LH may improve T2DM through modulation of the S1P and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Caffeic acid, coumarin, trifolin, and apigetrin were identified as the likely active components. In conclusion, LH may mitigate glycolipid metabolism disorders in T2DM rats by modulating metabolic profiling, S1P, and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, supporting its potential as a functional food. Full article

This research presents a novel methodology to classify copper tailings according to their potential as alkali-activated materials (AAMs) for construction applications. The methodology includes geochemical and mineralogical characterization via QEMSCAN and X-ray fluorescence, with mechanical performance evaluation through compressive strength test (UCS). A three-phase diagram based on Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, and CaO-MgO-K₂O is proposed for a fast screening of copper tailing potential to be used as a construction material. In this paper, three copper tailings were chosen to test the methodology, and a set of five samples for each tailing have been geopolymerized for testing. Copper tailing samples were mixed with 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10% by mass of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) to evaluate the effect on performance when a chemical co-activator is used to improve material reactivity. Compressive strength testing was applied on 2 cm³ cubes after 28 days of curing at 60 °C, yielding values from 6 to 26.1 MPa. The best performing sample featured a Si/Al ≅ 3 ratio and a mineralogy with significant presence of reactive species such as plagioclase and K-feldspar (≅42%). In contrast, high levels of Fe₂O₃ (≥12%), clay (≥7%), and pyrite (≥4%) were associated with reduced mechanical performance. Full article

Background/Objectives: Lidocaine is a widely used local anesthetic, but injections and topical creams are often painful or slow in onset. This study aimed to develop dissolving microneedles incorporating lidocaine hydrochloride for rapid and convenient local anesthesia. Methods: Six formulations were prepared with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and evaluated for mechanical strength, skin insertion, drug release, and transdermal permeability. Results: Sharp pyramidal microneedles were successfully fabricated, with PVP–PVA mixtures producing stronger needles than single polymers. The optimized F5 formulation showed high strength (>32 N), efficient skin insertion (four parafilm layers), and rapid release (>80% within 15 min). In ex vivo studies, F5 delivered >600 µg/mL lidocaine in 15 min, over three times the therapeutic level and much faster than Emla cream (5%). Conclusions: PVP–PVA microneedles represent a promising platform for painless, rapid local anesthesia, combining the benefits of injections and topical creams while minimizing their drawbacks. Full article

Microminerals such as cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iodine (I), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), selenium (Se), and zinc (Zn) play key roles in cattle health. However, trace element imbalances are often underdiagnosed. This study retrospectively analyzed serum samples from 1273 cows across 117 herds in Spain, encompassing conventional dairy (n = 46), pasture-based dairy (n = 11), organic dairy (n = 25), and semi-extensive beef (n = 35) systems. Trace elements were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). All herds were investigated for clinical or productive issues where mineral deficiencies were suspected. Significant differences were found in serum trace mineral concentrations between production systems. Adequacy rates were highest in conventional dairy herds receiving routine mineral supplementation, while deficiencies in Se, I, and Cu were frequently detected in pasture-based, organic, and beef herds. Zinc deficiencies were rare and typically involved complex, combined deficiencies. At the farm level, multielement deficiencies (≥3 elements) were detected in 39–45% of organic, pasture-based, and beef herds, but in only 5% of conventional dairy herds (p < 0.001). Principal component and cluster analyses produced consistent groupings of minerals according to dietary supplementation and soil-driven exposure. These findings highlight the increased vulnerability of low-input systems to complex micromineral imbalances and underline the importance of system-adapted mineral-monitoring and supplementation strategies in herd health management. However, as the study is based on diagnostic submissions rather than a randomized herd survey, the findings should be interpreted with caution due to potential selection bias. Full article

A case study of an incoming biomass burning aerosol plume at Ascension Island is analyzed for the peak of the 2017 fire season using satellites, reanalysis and in situ observations. Measurements from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Mobile Facility 1 reveal an abrupt change from relatively clean conditions (~70 parts per billion by volume of carbon monoxide) to a more polluted state (~150 parts per billion by volume of carbon monoxide). Corresponding changes in aerosol size reveal a broadening of size distributions toward larger optical diameters, consistent with the arrival of aged aerosols. Within a 24 h period, black carbon fraction increases ~500% from ~300 ng m^e to ~1500 ng m³, while light absorption coefficients increase ~300%. Long-range transport of these aerosols is primarily confined between 2 and 5 km above sea level along the northwesterly trade winds. Our results show that the primary driver of increases in aerosol loading over Ascension Island is an intensification of the St. Helena high-pressure system (anticyclone) that leads to a weakening of trade winds and increases westward transport on its northern flank. A better understanding of the complex interactions between air quality, meteorology and long-range aerosol transport is important for future modeling studies focused on aerosol–cloud–radiation interactions over the open ocean and reducing its associated uncertainties. Full article

Defining appropriate dietary fiber levels is essential for enhancing the sustainability of feedlot lamb production. Optimal dietary fiber levels can enhance meat yield, improve nutrient retention and utilization, and reduce environmental impact. This study aimed to determine the optimal level of dietary fiber to enhance nutrient intake, digestibility, feeding behavior, and rumen fermentation in feedlot lambs. Five rumen-fistulated Santa Inês male lambs (40 kg, 7 months old) were used in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. Diets contained increasing levels of neutral detergent fiber (NDF): 200, 320, 440, 560, and 680 g/kg dry matter (DM), with each period lasting 21 days (total 105 days). Nutrient intake responded quadratically to NDF levels (p < 0.05). Apparent digestibility was significantly affected (p < 0.05), except for crude protein. Feeding (p = 0.001) and rumination times (p = 0.002) increased linearly, while idling time decreased (p < 0.001). Feeder visits declined (p = 0.002), and idling events followed a quadratic trend. Feeding and rumination efficiencies for DM decreased (p = 0.006 and p = 0.010), while NDF rumination efficiency increased (p = 0.014). The ruminal pH rose (p < 0.001), and propionate decreased (p = 0.019); acetate and butyrate showed quadratic responses. Based on intake, digestibility, and fermentation patterns, dietary NDF should be included at 400 g/kg DM to optimize nutrient utilization and rumen function in confined lambs. Full article

The Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) live attenuated vaccines, the PPR virus (PPRV) Nigeria 75/1 strain (lineage II) and PPRV India Sungry 96 strain (lineage IV), currently used for control and eradication programme are very efficient vaccines as they provide the host, sheep and goats, a lifelong immunity after a single minimum recommended dose of 10^2.5 TCID₅₀/mL. Unfortunately, both live attenuated vaccines are thermolabile and their use requires maintaining the cold chain from the manufactory premises to the field as most PPR-infected regions are facing of hot climate, with poor infrastructure, and the maintenance of an effective cold chain remains a challenge. To address this challenge, efforts have focused on developing thermotolerant (ThT) PPR vaccines using different stabilisers and improving the freeze-drying process. This study aimed to define the criteria for the evaluation of the stability of ThT PPR vaccines. A total of 37 batches of freeze-dried PPR vaccines using the PPRV Nigeria 75/1 strain, including eight (8) and twenty-nine (29) vaccines labelled as ThT and conventional formulations, respectively, were tested to evaluate the stability at temperatures of 40 °C to simulate the field conditions in some hot climate regions. All the vaccine batches included in this study initially showed acceptable levels of residual moisture, below 3%, and titres above the minimum WOAH standard requirement of 10^2.5 TCID₅₀/mL. Following the incubation at 40 °C, 56.7% and 46% of the 37 vaccine batches tested retained titres above 10^2.5 TCID₅₀/mL on day 3 and day 5, respectively. These vaccines use stabilisers such as skimmed milk, lactalbumin–sucrose, trehalose and one unnamed product (which may be protected for patent). The mean of titre loss among the PPR vaccines maintaining titres above 10^2.5 TCID₅₀/mL was 0.78 log10 at day 3 and 0.99 log10 at day 5, suggesting a significant early degradation during the first 3 days. Based on these data, it is proposed that thermotolerant PPR vaccines should maintain a minimum titre of 10^2.5 TCID₅₀/mL for vaccine dose on day 5 post-incubation at 40 °C with a titre loss below 1 log10 per mL. Preliminary immunogenicity test results showed that the PPR ThT vaccine meeting this criterion could be used in the field without maintaining a cold chain for up to 3 weeks, offering a practical solution for vaccination in remote areas. Full article

Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (FOC), remains a major constraint to global banana (Musa spp.) production, especially in tropical regions. Although soil conditions are known to modulate disease expression, the specific physicochemical drivers of FOC prevalence under field conditions are not well understood. This study investigated the relationships between soil properties and the Fusarium wilt incidence across 47 banana farms on Hainan Island, China, a tropical region dominated by highly weathered tropical soil (latosols). The disease incidence (%PDI) and FOC abundance were quantified, alongside key soil parameters, including the pH, organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, and macro- and micronutrient availability. The soils were predominantly acidic (mean pH 4.93), with low levels of organic carbon and exchangeable calcium (Ca) and elevated levels of available phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and magnesium (Mg). The Fusarium wilt incidence ranged from 1% to 78%, with significantly higher levels observed in younger plantations (<5 years old). Statistical analyses revealed strong negative correlations between the PDI and the soil pH, exchangeable Ca and Mg, and available K. Principal component analysis further confirmed the suppressive role of the pH and base cations in the disease dynamics. Farms older than five years exhibited better soil fertility indices and lower disease pressure, suggesting a temporal improvement in soil-mediated disease suppression. These findings underscore the critical role of soil acidification and nutrient imbalances, particularly Ca, Mg, and K deficiencies, in promoting FOC pathogenicity. Enhancing soil health offers a promising and sustainable strategy for managing Fusarium wilt in tropical banana production systems. Full article

The rapid expansion of bike-sharing systems has introduced significant management challenges related to spatial-temporal demand fluctuations and inefficient e-fence capacity allocation. This study proposes a Spatio-Temporal Graph Attention Transformer Network (STGATN), a novel hybrid deep learning framework for dynamic demand forecasting in bike-sharing e-fence systems. The model integrates Graph Convolutional Networks to capture complex spatial dependencies among urban functional zones, Bi-LSTM networks to model temporal patterns with periodic variations, and attention mechanisms to dynamically incorporate weather impacts. By constructing a city-level graph based on POI-derived e-fences and implementing multi-source feature fusion through Transformer architecture, the STGATN effectively addresses the limitations of static capacity allocation strategies. The experimental results from Shenzhen’s Nanshan District demonstrate the performance, with the STGATN model achieving an overall Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 0.0992 and a Coefficient of Determination (R²) of 0.8426. This significantly outperforms baseline models such as LSTM (R²: 0.6215) and a GCN (R²: 0.5488). Ablation studies confirm the model’s key components are critical; removing the GCN module decreased R² by 12 percentage points to 0.7411, while removing the weather attention mechanism reduced R² by nearly 5 percentage points to 0.8034. The framework provides a scientific basis for dynamic e-fence capacity management, advancing spatio-temporal prediction methodologies for sustainable transportation. Full article

In this study, we aimed to correlate embryonic ploidy status studied with non-invasive preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy with the basic patient characteristics of the infertile couple to gain insight into the effects of parental physical health on embryo ploidy. We recruited 131 couples, who were stratified into 4 groups based on female age. We gathered general patient characteristics of the couple and determined the female’s hormonal status. We included 316 embryos in our study. Embryos were either transferred in the uterus in a fresh cycle or vitrified for later use. We collected spent embryo culture medium on either day 5 or 6 and performed whole genome amplification before using Next Generation Sequencing. Pregnancy outcomes were noted and cross-referenced with patient characteristics and the embryo’s ploidy status in a retrospective manner. While we have indirectly observed a level of maternal contamination, we nevertheless found a significant correlation between embryo ploidy status and cell free deoxyribonucleic acid concentration in spent embryo culture, as well a correlation between female age and embryo ploidy status. We observed a significant correlation between male body mass index and cell free deoxyribonucleic acid concentration in spent embryo culture medium and between male body mass index and pregnancy outcome. We illustrated a connection between male body mass index and cell free deoxyribonucleic acid, independent of female markers. This is the first study to observe not only female but male parameters in correlation to cell free deoxyribonucleic acid. Full article