Search Results (5,307)

To systematically elucidate the chronological patterns of embryonic development and morphological changes in the larval and juvenile stages of Silurus glanis, and provide fundamental biological insights into this species, in this study, fertilized eggs were obtained through artificial spawning induction technology. After removing adhesiveness from fertilized eggs using trypsin, a detailed developmental study was conducted. The study systematically analyzed the chronological sequence of embryonic development and the morphological change patterns of larval and juvenile fish. The results showed the following: The fertilized eggs of S. glanis are yellow, spherical, and sticky, and the stickiness allows eggs to attach to spawning substrates, enhancing hatching success. The egg diameter after water absorption was (2.88 ± 0.13) mm. The embryonic development took 47 h and 55 min, with a total accumulated temperature of 1245.56 h degrees Celsius, the developmental process includes seven stages and twenty-six periods, namely the zygophase stage, cleavage stage, blastula stage, gastrula stage, neurula stage, organogenesis stage, and hatching stage. At a temperature of (26.0 ± 0.9) °C, the hatched individuals went through the pre-yolk sac larval stage, late larval stage, juvenile fry stage, and juvenile stage. In the pre-yolk sac larval stage, otoliths appeared in the bilateral otic vesicles, a pair of barbel primordia emerged under the mandible, a short and thin straight intestine formed in the abdominal cavity, and the oral fissure first appeared. In the late larval stage, the fin rays were initially formed, the intestine became thicker and longer, the oral fissure, anus, and cloaca were formed, and the larvae could float and start feeding on exogenous food. In the juvenile fry stage, the differentiation of various organs was basically complete, the nostrils became larger, and both the anal fin and caudal fin had dark black markings. In the juvenile stage, the maxillary barbels elongated, the mucus layer thickened on the body and back, the abdomen is light white, and it had the external morphological characteristics of an adult fish. By measuring and calculating the total length, body length, body height, and head length of S. glanis larvae and juveniles (0–40 days), the results showed that the growth characteristics conformed to the following fish growth formula: TL = 0.0141x² + 0.8096x + 8.2421 (R² = 0.9916), where x denotes days after hatching. This study has preliminarily mastered the chronological patterns of the embryonic development, growth, and formation of the morphological characteristics in larval and juvenile S. glanis, providing scientific data and laying a theoretical foundation for the division of early developmental stages, reproduction, hatching, and fry cultivation. Full article

The addition of hard particles such as borides to a ductile stainless steel matrix can be very efficient for improving mechanical properties. Powder metallurgy represents a suitable route for developing these material modifications, combining high reproducibility and cost-effectiveness. The present research investigated the effect of sintering time on an atomized, pre-alloyed 2205 stainless steel with 2.5 wt.% boron, using two different powder size distributions: fine (<45 µm) and coarse (250–500 µm). Cold uniaxial compaction was conducted using a cylindrical closed die. Sintering was carried out at 1200 °C with a dwell time of 2 and 4 h in argon atmosphere. Microstructural investigation showed that borides were formed in the powder’s atomization step and presented a small size with different morphologies. The borides significantly improved the hardness and compression strength. Compared to the reference 2205 stainless steel, specimens prepared with the fine powder size distribution achieved a twofold enhancement in yield stress, while hardness increased by 26%. Full article

We develop a continuous-time model of optimal consumption, portfolio allocation, and early retirement that, to our knowledge, is the first to incorporate an implementation delay —a fixed lag $\delta$ between the retirement decision and the actual cessation of labor and income. Using a dual-martingale approach, we obtain closed-form solutions and quantify how $\delta$ affects optimal behavior. For example, when $\delta$ increases from $0.5$ to 2 years (baseline parameters: $\beta =0.04$, $r=0.02$, $\mu =0.08$, $\sigma =0.2$, $\gamma =3$, $k_B=0.3$, and $\epsilon =1$), optimal pre-retirement consumption rises by approximately 7%, the risky asset share falls by about 5 percentage points, the expected retirement time increases by over 1 year, and the retirement wealth threshold $x_R$ grows by roughly 10%. These results provide policy-relevant insights for retirement systems where procedural lags can distort incentives and reduce welfare. Full article

With the advancement of artificial intelligence, Agricultural Expert Systems (AESs) show great potential in enhancing agricultural management efficiency and resource utilization. Accurate extraction of semantic features from agricultural short texts is fundamental to enabling key functions such as intelligent question answering, semantic retrieval, and decision support. However, existing single-structure deep neural networks struggle to capture the hierarchical linguistic patterns and contextual dependencies inherent in domain-specific texts. To address this limitation, we propose a hybrid deep learning model—Bidirectional Encoder Recurrent Neural Network (BERNN)—which combines a domain-specific pre-trained Transformer encoder (AgQsBERT) with a Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) network. AgQsBERT generates contextualized word embeddings by leveraging domain-specific pretraining, effectively capturing the semantics of agricultural terminology. These embeddings are then passed to the BiLSTM, which models sequential dependencies in both directions, enhancing the model’s understanding of contextual flow and word disambiguation. Importantly, the bidirectional nature of the BiLSTM introduces a form of architectural symmetry, allowing the model to process input in both forward and backward directions. This symmetric design enables balanced context modeling, which improves the understanding of fragmented and ambiguous phrases frequently encountered in agricultural texts. The synergy between semantic abstraction from AgQsBERT and symmetric contextual modeling from BiLSTM significantly enhances the expressiveness and generalizability of the model. Evaluated on a self-constructed agricultural question dataset with 110,647 annotated samples, BERNN achieved a classification accuracy of 97.19%, surpassing the baseline by 3.2%. Cross-domain validation on the Tsinghua News dataset further demonstrates its robust generalization capability. This architecture provides a powerful foundation for intelligent agricultural question-answering systems, semantic retrieval, and decision support within smart agriculture applications. Full article

Widespread Triassic granitic magmatism is archived in the East Kunlun Orogen Belt (EKOB) of Northern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Mafic magmatic enclaves (MMEs), commonly hosted in these plutons, are generally interpreted as products of magma mixing; however, the specific magmatic processes remain poorly understood. In this study, we present new data on the complex zoning patterns, in situ U–Pb ages, trace element compositions, and Nd isotopic characteristics of titanite grains from the MMEs and host granodiorite of Laningzaohuo Zhongyou pluton. Whole-rock geochemical data indicate that the pluton is composed of volcanic arc-related, calc-alkaline, metaluminous I-type granodiorite. Titanite in the MMEs and the granodiorite yield similar U–Pb ages of ~244 Ma but display distinct textural and compositional features. Titanite from the granodiorite is typically euhedral, characterized by magmatic core and mantle with deuteric rim, and exhibits sector and fir-tree zoning in the core. In contrast, titanite from the MMEs is generally anhedral, also showing magmatic core and mantle as well as deuteric rims, but exhibits oscillatory zoning and incomplete sector and fir-tree zoning in the core. Titanite cores in the MMEs have ε_Nd(t) ranging from −2.5 to −3.4, comparable to those of the coeval gabbro and MMEs elsewhere in the EKOB. These cores also show higher LREE/HREE ratios compared to titanite cores in the granodiorite, suggesting crystallization from mixed magmas with greater contributions from enriched lithospheric mantle sources. Titanite mantles in the MMEs yield ε_Nd(t) of −4.0 to −4.8, slightly lower than the cores in the MMEs but higher than those of titanite cores and mantles in the granodiorite (−4.6 to −5.5). The mantle can be interpreted as crystallized from mixed magmas with less mafic components. Titanite rims in the MMEs have ε_Nd(t) of −5.0 to −5.7, identical to those in the granodiorite, and have REE concentrations and Th/U and Nb/Ta ratios consistent with the titanite rims in the granodiorite, clearly indicative of crystallization from evolved, hydrated, granodioritic magmas. Plagioclase in the MMEs exhibits disequilibrium textures such as sieve texture and reverse zoning, with An_36–66, contrasting with the more uniform An contents (An_35–37) in the granodiorite. This suggests that plagioclase in the MMEs crystallized in an environment influenced by both mafic and felsic magmas. Amphibole thermobarometry indicates that amphibole in the MMEs crystallized at ~788 °C and ~295 MPa, slightly higher than the crystallization conditions in the granodiorite (~778 °C and ~259 MPa). We thus propose that the chemical and textural differences between titanite in the MMEs and granodiorite suggest that the MMEs formed within a mushy hybrid layer generated by injection of upwelling basaltic magma into a pre-existing granitic magma chamber. Titanite cores and mantles in the MMEs likely crystallized from variably mixed magmas. They subsequently underwent resorption and disequilibrium growth within the hybrid layer, and were eventually overgrown by rims formed from evolved interstitial granitic melts within the mushy enclaves. These findings demonstrate that the complex zoning and geochemical titanite in the MMEs provide valuable insights into magma mixing processes. Full article

Cisplatin is an effective chemotherapeutic drug, but is limited both by its toxicity and its tendency to induce drug resistance rapidly in some patients. Tissue transglutaminase 2 (TG2), which is overexpressed in various cancers, has two main isoforms: a long (TG2-L) and a short form (TG2-S). While TG2-L supports cell survival, conversely, TG2-S promotes cell death. Evidence increasingly suggests that TG2 may be a suitable target for combating chemoresistance in a variety of human cancers. Here, we show that cisplatin toxicity towards wild-type MCF-7 breast cancer cells is associated with reduced TG2-L and TG2-S expression, whereas approximately doubling the TG2-L expression through the retinoic acid pre-treatment of these cells induces survival in the presence of cisplatin at levels similar to those seen in long-term cisplatin-co-cultured cells, which have reduced sensitivity. The treatment of cisplatin-surviving cells with cisplatin alone did not significantly alter the levels of either TG2 isoform, whereas the cisplatin challenge of cisplatin-surviving MCF-7 cells following 20 µM retinoic acid pre-treatment resulted in increased levels of TG2-L, increased TG2 enzyme activity, and no significant change in TG2-S levels, with increased cell survival. These findings suggest a subtype-specific regulatory effect of RA in cisplatin-surviving MCF-7 cells, with TG2-L upregulated at higher RA concentrations, potentially contributing to altered cisplatin sensitivity. Anti-TG2 siRNA silencing reduced cisplatin IC50 to base levels in both wild-type and cisplatin-surviving MCF-7 cells, supporting the notion that the modulation of TG2 expression could offer a significant benefit to cisplatin efficacy. Preventing excessive retinoic acid exposure may also be a mechanism for maximising cisplatin efficacy, considering TG2 modulation. Full article

Cardiometabolic diseases such as obesity, prediabetes (PreD), and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are global health challenges linked to metabolic dysfunction. While probiotics show promise, postbiotics offer advantages in stability, safety, and food incorporation. This study evaluates the postbiotic pA1c^®HI, a heat-inactivated form of the probiotic pA1c^®, for its potential in modulating glucose and lipid metabolism in Caenorhabditis elegans, compared to its live form. Worms were supplemented with pA1c^®HI and live pA1c^® in glucose-enriched media. Fat accumulation, gene expression, oxidative stress, and lifespan were measured using Nile Red and DHE staining, qPCR, and longevity assays. pA1c^®HI significantly reduced glucose-induced fat accumulation, achieving fat reduction comparable to the anti-obesity drug orlistat and showing superior efficacy compared to the live probiotic form. It modulated the expression of genes associated with lipid oxidation (acox-1, cpt-2), fatty acid synthesis (fat-5), insulin signaling (daf-2, daf-16), and oxidative stress response (skn-1). Synergistic combinations with chromium picolinate (PC) and zinc (Zn) further enhanced metabolic outcomes. Importantly, pA1c^®HI retained efficacy after thermal treatment (121–135 °C), supporting its potential for use in processed foods. pA1c^®HI is a stable, effective postbiotic that modulates key pathways associated with obesity, PreD, and T2D in C. elegans, with superior performance to the live probiotic and added benefits when combined with PC and Zn. Full article

The paper presents the motivation, development, and evaluation of an AI-driven framework for media stream impact analysis at the consumption end, employing user reactions monitoring through attention tracking (i.e., eye and mouse tracking). The adopted methodology elaborates on software and system engineering processes, combining elements of rapid prototyping models with interdisciplinary participatory design and evaluation, leaning on the foundation of information systems design science research to enable continuous refinement through repeated cycles of stakeholder engagement, feedback, technical iteration, and validation. A dynamic Form Builder has been implemented to supplement these tools, allowing the construction and management of pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, thus helping associate collected data with the respective tracking maps. The present begins with the detailed presentation of the tools’ implementation, the respective technology, and the offered functionalities, emphasizing the perception of tampered visual content that is used as a pilot evaluation and validation case. The significance of the research lies in the practical applications of AI-assisted monitoring to effectively analyze and understand media dynamics and user reactions. The so-called iMedius framework introduces an integration of innovative multidisciplinary procedures that bring together research instruments from the social sciences and multimodal analysis tools from the digital world. Full article

Background: Melanoma, the deadliest human skin cancer, frequently harbors activating BRAF mutations, with V600E being the most prevalent. These alterations drive constitutive activation of the MAPK pathway, promoting uncontrolled cell proliferation, survival, and dissemination. The advent of BRAFi and MEKi has significantly improved outcomes in BRAF V600-mutant melanoma. However, therapeutic resistance remains a major clinical barrier. Methods: This review integrates recent findings from preclinical and clinical studies to delineate resistance mechanisms to BRAF-targeted therapy. It categorizes resistance into primary (intrinsic), adaptive, and acquired forms, and analyzes their molecular underpinnings, including genetic and epigenetic alterations, pathway reactivation, and microenvironmental interactions. Results: Primary resistance is linked to pre-existing genetic and epigenetic changes that activate alternative signaling pathways, such as PI3K-AKT. Adaptive and acquired resistance includes secondary BRAF mutations, pathway redundancy, phenotype switching, and immune and stromal interactions. High-throughput sequencing has revealed novel mutations, including NRAS, NF1, and PTEN alterations, that contribute to resistance. Discussion: Understanding the multifaceted nature of resistance is critical to improving outcomes in advanced melanoma. This review highlights emerging strategies to overcome resistance, including combinatorial therapies, metabolic targeting, and biomarker-driven approaches, aiming to inform future therapeutic development and precision oncology strategies. Full article

The increasing migration phenomenon and its impact on sexual health highlight the urgency of improving access to preventive services and developing responsive surveillance mechanisms. This study aims to describe the context and define the implementation circuits of a Community-Based Surveillance System (CBSS) focused on social epidemiological aspects related to sexual health in Chile’s migrant population. A two-phase qualitative design was employed: Phase 1 involved formative research, and Phase 2 focused on the design of CBSS implementation circuits. The formative phase led to the selection and characterization of three community-based organizations (CBOs)—two in Santiago and one in Antofagasta—and two primary healthcare centers (PHCs). Findings revealed heterogeneity in institutional capacities, limited coordination between CBOs and the health system, and a high level of willingness to participate. PHCs showed comparable profiles. Based on this, differentiated operational circuits were co-designed and adapted with stakeholders, and formalized through site-specific implementation manuals. This pre-implementation evaluation helped identify critical contextual barriers and generate tailored strategies for CBSS deployment. The active involvement of local actors is essential to ensuring the contextual relevance, institutional acceptability, and future sustainability of the proposed model. These insights offer transferable learning for the design of health interventions in underserved and structurally constrained settings. Full article

Background: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders and the most common form of dementia. Although current treatments examine disease progression, many have side effects and primarily target symptomatic relief as opposed to halting further neurodegeneration. Objective: The current study aims to determine the neuroprotective effects of water-soluble coenzyme Q10 (Ubisol-Q10) and an ethanolic Ashwagandha extract (E-ASH) on a transgenic mouse model of AD. Methods: A variety of immunofluorescence staining of biomarkers was conducted to assess mechanisms commonly implicated in the disease. Additionally, spatial and non-spatial memory tests evaluated cognitive functions at two timepoints throughout the progression of the disease. Results: A substantial reduction in microglial activation and amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques when treated with a combination of natural health products (NHPs), Ubisol-Q10 and E-ASH. Moreover, activation of autophagy was upregulated in both the Ubisol-Q10 and combination (Ubisol-Q10+E-ASH given as a combined “Tonic” solution) groups. Oxidative stress was decreased across treated groups, while astrocyte activation was elevated in both the E-ASH and Tonic group. The Tonic group expressed an elevation in the fluorescent intensity of neuronal nuclei (NeuN) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. Interestingly, treatment with E-ASH and Ubisol-Q10 enhanced synaptic vesicle formation compared to controls. Pre-mortem memory tests revealed the treatments to be effective at preserving cognitive abilities. Conclusions: Based on these findings, the combination of E-ASH and Ubisol-Q10 may effectively mitigate the various mechanisms implicated in AD and ultimately prevent further disease progression. Full article

Objectives: This study investigates the biomechanics of the bench press and overhead press exercises by modeling the trunk and upper limbs as a kinematic chain of rigid links connected by revolute joints and actuated by single- and two-joint muscles, with motion constrained by the barbell. The aims were to (i) assess the different contributions of shoulder and elbow torques during lifting, (ii) identify the parameters influencing joint loads, (iii) explain the origin of the sticking region, and (iv) validate the model against experimental barbell kinematics. Methods: Equations of motion and joint reaction forces were derived analytically in closed form. Dynamic simulations produced vertical barbell velocity profiles under various conditions. A waveform similarity analysis was used to compare simulated profiles with experimental data from maximal bench press trials. Results: The sticking region occurred when shoulder torque dropped below a critical threshold, resulting in a local velocity minimum. Adding elbow torque reduced this dip and shifted the velocity minimum from 38 cm to 23 cm above the chest, although it prolonged the time needed to overcome it. Static analysis revealed that grip width and barbell constraint had a greater effect on shaping the sticking region than muscle architecture parameters. Elbow extensors contributed minimally during early lift phases but became dominant near full extension. Model predictions showed high similarity to experimental data in the pre-sticking (SI = 0.962, p = 0.028) and sticking (SI = 0.949, p = 0.014) phases, with reduced, non-significant similarity post-sticking (SI = 0.881, p > 0.05) due to the assumption of constant torques. Conclusions: The model offers biomechanical insight into how joint torques and barbell constraints shape movement. The findings support training strategies that target shoulder strength early in the lift and elbow strength near lockout to minimize sticking and improve performance. Full article

Butyric acid is one of the main volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in Maotai-flavor liquor wastewater (MFLW), and its degradation process exhibits a positive Gibbs free energy, making it prone to accumulation during high-load anaerobic digestion (AD), which can lead to system instability or even failure. In this study, hydrochar (HTC) was prepared from rice husk obtained from distiller’s grains, and butyrate-degrading microbiomes were selectively enriched under acidic conditions with butyric acid as the sole carbon source. Through co-incubation, the butyrate-degrading microbiomes were successfully pre-coupled with HTC, forming a “hydrochar–microbe” composite, which was then applied to the AD of MFLW. The experimental results demonstrated that this composite enhanced system performance. The hydrochar–butyrate pre-coupling group (HBA-C) showed a 15.48% increase in methane yield compared to the control group (CK), with a soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) removal rate of 75.02%, effectively mitigating VFA accumulation. Microbial community analysis indicated higher bacterial and archaeal diversity indices in the HBA-C group. qPCR results showed that the bacterial and archaeal copy numbers in the HBA-C group were 22.06-times and 13.80-times higher than those in the CK group, respectively. Moreover, the relative abundance of the genes for the key enzymes methylmalonyl-CoA carboxyltransferase (EC: 2.1.3.1) and succinate dehydrogenase (EC: 1.3.5.1) was significantly increased, indicating that the “hydrochar–microbe” coupling enhanced carbon flow distribution efficiency and energy metabolism by optimizing metabolic pathways. This study provides an innovative strategy for MFLW treatment and offers practical value for anaerobic digestion optimization and high-strength wastewater management. Full article

This article examines shifting practices of commoning among the Jola in the Casamance region of Senegal. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and a theoretical background of New Institutional Political Ecology as well as commoning, it explores how a collective social security system formed through collectively labored rice fields is increasingly strained by socio-economic pressures and environmental change. While migration due to environmental change is often cited as a primary cause for labor shortages in the rice fields, the study highlights deeper transformations linked to a powerful naturalist ontology leading to deagrarianization. Newly formed systems of solidarity, such as the association Servir Bubajum Áyii, adapt persisting commoning principles to contemporary needs, maintaining commoning principles rooted in pre-colonial commons and support mechanisms with values such as discretion and dignity despite the changes. Full article

Maritime navigation safety relies on high-precision perception systems. However, hazy weather often significantly compromises system performance, particularly by reducing image quality and increasing navigational risks. Although image dehazing techniques provide an effective solution, the lack of dedicated overwater dehazing datasets limits the generalization of dehazing algorithms. To overcome this problem, we present a large-scale overwater paired image dehazing dataset: Overwater-Haze. The dataset contains 21,000 synthetic overwater hazy images generated based on the atmospheric scattering model (ASM), categorized into Mist, Moderate, and Dense subsets based on varying haze concentrations, and 500 real overwater hazy images, which form the Real-Test portion of the test set. In order to meet the requirements for background interference mitigation, image diversity, and high quality, we performed extensive data augmentation and developed a comprehensive dataset creation pipeline. Our evaluation of five dehazing algorithms shows that models trained on Overwater-Haze achieve 9.96% and 10.47% lower Natural Image Quality Evaluator (NIQE) and Blind/Referenceless Image Spatial Quality Evaluator (BRISQUE) scores than pre-trained models on real overwater scenes, demonstrating the value of Overwater-Haze in assessing algorithm performance in overwater environments. Full article