Search Results (5,347)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of postharvest ethanol treatment on the metabolism and production of volatile compounds in long-shelf-life (LSL) tomato fruit grown under two systems: open-field and greenhouse. After harvest, fruits were stored in 25 L chambers at 20 °C for the application of the following ethanol treatments: (1) control (chambers containing samples were only sealed); (2) 200 mg L⁻¹ ethanol; (3) 400 mg L⁻¹ ethanol; (4) 600 mg L⁻¹ ethanol; and (5) 800 mg L⁻¹ ethanol vapor. Ethanol was applied to a paper towel (0.2 × 0.2 m) in liquid form, and the chambers were then hermetically sealed for 24 h for ethanol volatilization and absorption by the tomatoes. After treatment, fruits were kept for 10 days at 20 °C until quality analyses were performed. ACC oxidase activity, respiration rate, and ethylene production were significantly affected by ethanol treatments and the cultivation system. ACC oxidase activity was higher in the field than in the greenhouse, but ethylene production and respiration rate were lower. Under open-field conditions, higher ethanol doses resulted in greater ethylene production but reduced the respiration rate. Tomatoes treated with ethanol had increased concentrations of most volatile compounds, particularly at higher doses of 600 mg L⁻¹ in the greenhouse and 800 mg L⁻¹ in field conditions. Volatile compounds that increased with ethanol treatment in the greenhouse included acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, hexanal, and especially hexanoic acid, while ethyl propanoate, hexyl acetate, 2-methylbutanal, and citral increased in field conditions. On the other hand, the lower ethanol doses (200 mg L⁻¹) in greenhouse conditions were associated with lipid metabolism degradation compounds such as E-2-hexenal, E-2-hexenyl acetate, citral and butanal; another metabolic process likely contributed to this increase in greenhouse conditions. Furthermore, ethanol did not accumulate in the fruit pulp, indicating its bioconversion into other volatile compounds that significantly improve the flavor and aroma of LSL tomatoes, potentially enhancing consumer acceptance. Full article

Earth’s rotation produces day and night cycles that are a primary selective pressure driving the evolution of endogenous circadian clocks. Cyanobacteria are the most studied prokaryotic model, and their timekeeping core is a protein oscillator composed of KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC. This oscillator sustains a near-24 h rhythm independently of transcription–translation feedback, challenging the long-standing assumption that prokaryotes merely respond passively to environmental cues. Moreover, it offers unique insights into the evolution and operational logic of circadian clocks. This review summarizes advances in cyanobacterial circadian research. We first analyze the KaiABC oscillator’s molecular basis, including synergistic conformational changes, phosphorylation and dephosphorylation cascades, and temperature compensation, which confer robustness and tunability. We compare oscillator compositions across cyanobacterial lineages, showing evolutionary plasticity. We then outline input and output networks, clarifying how environmental signals reset the oscillator phase and how temporal information is relayed to downstream processes. We further explain how the clock coordinates photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, respiration, and cell division through predictive regulation, temporal decoupling, and resource prioritization, thereby resolving metabolic conflicts and enhancing fitness under light and dark cycles. This framework provides a theoretical basis for microbial survival strategies in fluctuating environments and offers insights for synthetic biology circuit design. Finally, we discuss open questions, including coupling between the oscillator and the cell cycle, functional divergence among ecotypes, and roles at the community level. Further research on the cyanobacterial clock will help clarify general principles of biological timing and its evolutionary origins. Full article

The Yellow River Basin (YRB) is a key ecological barrier and socio-economic region in China, but the spatiotemporal dynamics of its ecosystem carbon sink and the non-linear effects of environmental drivers remain insufficiently understood. This study estimated Net Ecosystem Productivity (NEP) in the YRB from 2001 to 2024 using MODIS Net Primary Productivity (NPP) data and an empirical soil heterotrophic respiration model, analyzed NEP trends with the Theil–Sen estimator and Mann–Kendall test, and quantified non-linear responses to climatic, temporal, and spatial factors using a Generalized Additive Model (GAM). The YRB acted as a persistent and strengthening net carbon sink, with annual total NEP increasing significantly from 39.85 Tg C yr⁻¹ in 2001 to 176.44 Tg C yr⁻¹ in 2024, at a rate of 5.65 Tg C yr⁻¹. NEP showed a clear southeast-to-northwest decreasing gradient, and 85.6% of the basin exhibited increasing trends, particularly on the Loess Plateau. The GAM captured non-linear associations of NEP with temperature, precipitation, solar radiation, relative humidity, year, and spatial location, and achieved a moderate pooled spatial block cross-validated R² of 0.723. NEP displayed a unimodal association with temperature—with a fitted peak near 0 °C reflecting the spatial transition from cold high-altitude to warmer water-limited regions—and a saturation-type response to precipitation, highlighting the joint control of hydrothermal conditions and pervasive water limitation. The fitted spatial smooth further revealed residual spatially structured variation that may be partly associated with irrigation and land management. These findings improve the understanding of carbon-sink dynamics in the YRB and provide scientific support for climate-adaptive ecosystem management and the regional implementation of China’s “dual carbon” goals. Full article

Background: Scapular Dyskinesis (SD) is common in computer-based office workers, yet its short-term response to thoracopelvic exercise intervention is unknown. This quasi-experimental exploratory pre–post study examined the primary outcome of short-term change in SD grade and the secondary outcomes of static scapular position and passive glenohumeral (GH) rotational range of motion (ROM). Methods: Forty office workers with obvious SD in the dominant arm were assessed at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at 24 h follow-up using the Scapular Dyskinesis Test (SDT), the Lateral Scapular Slide Test (LSST), and electronic goniometry for passive GH internal (IR) and external rotation (ER). Each completed a single thoracopelvic exercise intervention session targeting pelvic neutrality, thoracic orientation, and respiration-based core activation. Results: SDT grades fell on both sides at post-intervention and follow-up (dominant, p = 0.001, W = 0.766; non-dominant, p = 0.001, W = 0.250), shifting from obvious to subtle SD. LSST decreased only at position 2 (dominant, p = 0.014, ηp² = 0.101; non-dominant, p = 0.011, ηp² = 0.107). Dominant IR increased (p = 0.001, ηp² = 0.462) and ER decreased (p = 0.001, ηp² = 0.163); non-dominant ER increased (p = 0.015) while IR was unchanged (p = 0.847). The dominant SDT change correlated inversely with the IR change (ρ = −0.35, p = 0.03). Conclusions: A single thoracopelvic exercise intervention session was associated with selective short-term changes in SD grade and dominant-side passive GH ROM, whereas static scapular changes were limited. These findings represent preliminary response patterns rather than evidence of clinical effectiveness. Trial Registration: Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS), Korea KCT0011747 (registered retrospectively on 19 March 2026; study start date on 4 August 2025). Full article

Background: Endotoxemia is a severe inflammatory condition that is characterized by acute immune responses and oxidative stress; endotoxemia can further develop into a cytokine storm and sepsis leading to severe organ damage. Our recent studies revealed that the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) regulates macrophage polarization in obesity- and aging-associated chronic inflammation. However, its role in acute inflammation during endotoxemia remains unclear. Methods: We subjected myeloid-specific Ghsr knockout mice (LysM-Cre;Ghsr^f/f) to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endotoxemia in vivo and treated bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) with LPS in vitro. Subsequently, mouse survival rate and inflammatory signatures in the blood, peritoneal cavity, liver, and BMDM were assessed. In the ex vivo study, conditioned medium (CM) from BMDMs was applied to primary hepatocytes to assess how BMDM-derived CM influences hepatocyte inflammatory responses. Results: Myeloid-specific Ghsr knockout mice exhibited a significantly improved survival rate following LPS-induced endotoxemia, accompanied by reduced systemic inflammation, evident in the blood, peritoneal macrophages, and liver. In addition, Ghsr deficiency suppressed LPS-induced caspase-1 activation and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion in macrophages. Consistent with these results, conditioned media from Ghsr-deficient BMDMs attenuated the inflammatory responses of primary hepatocytes. Mechanistically, LPS increased GHSR expression in BMDMs, and Ghsr-deficient BMDMs activated mitochondrial respiration and suppressed production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in downregulation of inflammatory activation of macrophages following LPS exposure. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that macrophage GHSR promotes systemic and tissue inflammation during endotoxemia by regulating mitochondria-associated macrophage polarization. The findings suggest that macrophage GHSR may represent a promising immunomodulatory target for acute inflammatory states, including endotoxemia and sepsis. Full article

Identifying the main drivers of soil CO₂ emissions in tropical agroecosystems is essential for balancing productivity and climate mitigation. This study evaluated the effects of crop type, irrigation, phenological stage, fertilization, soil cover condition, and season on total soil respiration in a humid marshland system in Rwanda using a two-season field experiment. Five crops (maize, soybean, common bean, Irish potato, and Brachiaria) were grown under irrigated and rainfed conditions, and total soil CO₂ emissions were measured across 19 sampling campaigns in both crop-covered and adjacent non-vegetated conditions in all plots using the closed static chamber method. Crop type and growth stage were the dominant drivers of soil CO₂ emissions (p < 0.001), while irrigation had no significant direct effect despite increasing yields (p < 0.001). As a result, irrigation reduced yield-scaled CO₂ emissions for beans and Irish potato (p < 0.05). Brachiaria showed higher emissions, particularly during the development stage, but its high biomass led to lower emissions per unit yield. Fertilization significantly increased total soil respiration (p < 0.001), and emissions were higher under crop-covered soil than non-vegetated soil conditions (p < 0.001). Season did not significantly affect soil CO₂ emissions (p = 0.123), and similar emission patterns were observed across the two cropping seasons. Because the measurements represented total soil respiration, the observed differences reflect the combined contributions of autotrophic (root) and heterotrophic (microbial) respiration and do not distinguish between these individual components. These findings indicate that crop traits, plant developmental stage, vegetation cover, and nutrient inputs are the primary factors associated with variation in total soil CO₂ emissions under moisture-sufficient tropical conditions and highlight the importance of biological drivers in regulating carbon dynamics in marshland agroecosystems. Full article

To meet consumer expectations for larger litchi fruits and better postharvest storage quality, this study assessed the effects of preharvest chitosan application on litchi fruit size, weight, postharvest quality and storage performance. Litchi fruits were sprayed with a commercial aqueous chitosan formulation (Kadozan) in five different concentrations, namely, 1:250 (V_Kadozan: V_{Kadozan + Water}), 1:500, 1:750, 1:1000 and 0:1000 (control), at 45, 55, and 65 days after full blossom (AFB), and then harvested at commercial maturity (90 days AFB). After harvest, the fruit were cleaned, air-dried, packaged, and subsequently stored at room temperature (25 ± 1 °C). The results revealed that preharvest Kadozan treatment produced heavier and larger fruits with higher vitamin C at harvest. During storage, it delayed the decline in total soluble solids, soluble sugars, and vitamin C in the aril while preserving higher pericarp anthocyanin, chlorophyll, carotenoid, and flavonoid contents. Kadozan treatment also reduced respiration rate, weight loss, and cell membrane permeability, increased total phenolics and decreased polyphenol oxidase activity, leading to a lower browning index. Notably, it enhanced lignin, upregulated phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase activities, and accordingly suppressed disease development and improved marketable fruit rate. In conclusion, among the tested treatments, the 1:750 Kadozan application was the most effective in improving fruit quality at harvest, delaying postharvest senescence, and enhancing storage performance, thus offering a practical strategy for both preharvest quality improvement and postharvest quality maintenance of litchi fruits. Full article

Background: Pulmonary drug delivery represents a promising approach for the potential localised treatment of respiratory of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the efficient delivery of poorly water-soluble drugs remains challenging due to limited solubility and inadequate aerodynamic performance. This study aimed to develop and characterise inhalable dry powder formulations of zinc diethyldithiocarbamate (Zn(DDC)₂) complexes with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) and sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD) for potential pulmonary administration. Methods: Formulations were prepared by freeze-drying and spray-drying, with leucine incorporated at 0%, 5%, and 10% w/w. Formulations were prepared via freeze-drying and spray-drying with leucine incorporation (0%, 5% and 10% w/w) to evaluate their physicochemical properties, flowability and aerodynamic performance. Results: Spray-dried formulations exhibited significantly lower densities (as low as 1.03 ± 0.71 g/cm³), enhanced flowability, improved aerosolisation and higher fine particle fraction (FPF) values (up to 40.12 ± 0.60%) compared to freeze-dried powders (20.03 ± 2.79%). The incorporation of leucine further reduced powder density down to 0.72 ± 0.34 g/cm³ and increased surface corrugation as shown in SEM images, improving aerosolisation performance, with FPF values up to 76.77 ± 1.18%. Next Generation Impactor (NGI) analysis confirmed that leucine-containing formulations exhibited a greater proportion of particles within the respirable aerodynamic diameter range (1–5 μm), suggesting suitability for deep lung deposition. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that spray-dried Zn(DDC)₂–cyclodextrin powders, particularly those modified with 10% leucine, offer excellent potential for pulmonary delivery in NSCLC therapy. Further in vivo studies are warranted to evaluate therapeutic efficacy and safety. Full article

The yeast metabolic cycle (YMC) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae provides a tractable model for examining how mitochondrial respiration, redox timing, and metabolic phase shape transcriptome abundance and fidelity. Ribosomal-RNA-depleted whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing (WRS) and RNA-seq-derived mismatch analyses were performed across low-dissolved-oxygen (Low-DO)/high-respiration and high-dissolved-oxygen (High-DO)/lower-respiration phases. Among 1505 phase-differentially expressed genes, Low DO was enriched for ribosome biogenesis, rRNA processing, translation, sulfur metabolism, and protein synthesis, whereas High DO was enriched for oxidant detoxification, oxidoreductase activity, and redox-buffering-related pathways. Generalized linear mixed models identified a substitution-class-dependent Low-DO-associated RNA-seq mismatch response. The strongest mismatch-level increase occurred in the collapsed C > T/G > A-compatible class, whereas C > A/G > T did not increase. This pattern was not consistent with a simple single-lesion model and instead supported a mixed Low-DO-associated RNA-seq sequence-discordance landscape. Variant-rate modeling additionally detected T > C/A > G and T > A/A > T increases, indicating that multiple biological and technical processes may contribute to the observed spectrum. Recurrence analysis showed that most called variants were sample-specific, supporting a transient RNA-seq mismatch landscape rather than stable DNA mutation. These findings establish the YMC as a reductionist eukaryotic framework for studying how metabolic phase and redox state shape transcriptome fidelity. Full article

Background: Endothelial dysfunction is a key feature of diabetic vascular disease and is associated with high-glucose-induced changes in endothelial energy metabolism and redox balance. Transglutaminase-2 has been implicated in vascular stress responses, but its contribution to endothelial adaptation to high glucose remains incompletely defined. Methods: EA.hy926 endothelial cells were cultured under normoglycaemic (NG) or high-glucose conditions and treated with LDN-27219 at 20 µg/mL (48.9 µM). Cellular reducing capacity, total protein content, mitochondrial respiration, MitoSOX Red fluorescence, and selected cytokine and adhesion-marker secretion were assessed. Results: High glucose shifted cells toward a more glycolytic basal phenotype, increased MitoSOX Red fluorescence, and reduced glycolytic stress responsiveness compared with NG conditions. LDN-27219 had limited effects under NG conditions but, under high-glucose conditions, reduced basal respiration, maximal respiration, ATP-linked oxygen consumption, and spare respiratory capacity, while partially restoring stressed extracellular acidification. LDN-27219 also reduced high-glucose-induced MitoSOX Red fluorescence, although this cannot be interpreted as definitive evidence of reduced mitochondrial superoxide production because mitochondrial membrane potential was not measured. No statistically significant changes were detected in the selected inflammatory or adhesion markers. Conclusions: LDN-27219 modifies endothelial bioenergetic and oxidant-associated fluorescence responses under high-glucose conditions. Full article

Despite the growing demand for sustainable agricultural systems, the long-term effects of tillage practices remain controversial. No-tillage (NT) systems offer several potential benefits, including improved soil structure, enhanced soil biological activity, and reduced environmental stress, but their application can also be associated with challenges such as difficulty in weed control or variable crop yield. Although previous studies have extensively investigated the effects of NT systems on soil and crop, limited knowledge is available about the cellular adaptation mechanisms of plants, especially gene expression and biochemical responses. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of conventional tillage (CT) and NT systems in sunflower plants using an integrated transcriptomic and biochemical approach. We performed genome-wide transcriptomic analysis based on next-generation sequencing on leaf samples from three different field sites, supplemented by measurements of biochemical parameters related to selected metabolic processes. Exploratory transcriptomic analysis indicated that several gene expression changes related to primary metabolic processes occurred in plants grown in the NT system compared to the CT system. These included processes related to photosynthesis, cellular respiration, carbohydrate metabolism and the biosynthesis of some amino acids. In parallel, we observed transcriptional patterns indicating increased activity of several secondary metabolic pathways, which may be related to adaptation mechanisms to environmental stress. Determination of total soluble sugar, crude protein, total phenolics and total flavonoids provided independent biochemical support for the changes indicated by the transcriptomic results. Our results suggest that the tillage system affects the cellular regulatory processes of sunflower. During adaptation to a no-tillage environment, plants can simultaneously maintain basic metabolic processes and activate defense mechanisms that may contribute to adaptation to changed growing conditions. Our study contributes to a better understanding of the molecular and physiological consequences of tillage systems in plants. Full article

Decision support systems (DSSs) help farmers and decision-makers to find cropping systems which increase productivity while decreasing the use of fertilizers and irrigation; however, few DSSs exist which integrate soil carbon models, especially in Mediterranean climate. Here, we test whether RothC20_N, a version of the widely used RothC model adapted for Mediterranean and arid climates, can estimate the soil water content (SWC), soil organic carbon (SOC), and soil respiration (Rs), observed in two different cropping systems, one traditional and the other informed by the DSS by Horta Srl. The model was calibrated and tested against two long-term (8 years) field experiments in two different areas in Italy. The two sites showed characteristically dry soils during the summer period; RothC20_N was able to predict correctly the soil water content time series observed in both sites. RothC20_N could predict the measured SOC and heterotrophic respiration time series with Nash–Sutcliff efficiency ~0.3, normalized root mean squared error ~0.4, and Kling–Gupta efficiency > 0. This study shows that the multi-objective calibrated RothC20_N is an interesting candidate for inclusion in a DSS to broaden the potential of the DSS to increase the sustainability of agricultural practices by also addressing soil carbon dynamics while maintaining high agricultural productivity. Full article

Although gastrointestinal distress is both common and debilitating in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), underpinning mechanisms—and therefore effective management strategies—are not fully elucidated. The current study employed well-established valproic acid ASD model in larval zebrafish to more comprehensively characterize mitochondrial dysregulation. Whole body redox status and mitochondrial respiration, as well as protein expression in the mitophagy-lysosomal axis in the mid-intestine was assessed. In addition, high-resolution microscopy of the gut was used to assess mitochondrial morphometrics and distribution. Redox imbalance was evident from increased oxygen radical levels and decreased endogenous antioxidant capacity, as well as depression of whole body mitochondrial respiration. Upregulation of endo-lysosomal pathway markers (Rab5, LAMP1) together with reduced expression in mitophagy and autophagy markers (PINK1, LC3B) suggests a potential impairment of canonical mitophagy in the ASD-like gut. High-resolution imaging further revealed smaller, more circular mitochondria, indicative of a morphological fission bias. Abnormal mitochondrial distribution patterns were also evident. Together, current data points to primary mitochondrial dysfunction as a potential feature of the ASD-like gut. Furthermore, data suggest potential insufficiencies in mitochondrial recycling as potential role player in ASD-associated (gut) mitochondrial pathology. Full article

This paper presents an experimental framework for synchronizing multi-modal physiological data in a real-world driving environment. Research-grade sensors (CardioBAN, respiBAN) were integrated with consumer wearables (Huawei Watch D2, Oura, and Xmart smart rings) to monitor driver heart rate (HR) and respiration rate (RR). A custom MATLAB (version R2024a, 24.1.0)-based workflow was developed to align disparate data streams, using a nearest-neighbor principle to ensure temporal accuracy. The setup was validated through 60 min driving sessions, successfully correlating physiological responses with video feeds. Our results demonstrate that, with proper synchronization, consumer wearables can be compared with precise research-grade equipment for continuous driver state monitoring. Full article

Wide-scale, spatio-temporal quantification of soil CO₂ efflux is essential for understanding terrestrial carbon dynamics, predicting climate change, and evaluating the carbon balance in managed and natural ecosystems. Rising global temperatures, changing land use patterns, and other activities aimed at boosting crop productivity have resulted in an increase in microbial activity, increasing the impact of soil on gas exchange. Therefore, it is important to measure ${\mathrm{CO}}_2$ gas exchange in situ, over wide areas and extended periods without manual intervention. However, current approaches such as remote sensing lacks sufficient spatial and depth resolution, while other direct measurements such as eddy covariance demand expensive infrastructure, limiting wide-scale deployment. In this work, we propose a low-cost, battery-operated ${\mathrm{CO}}_2$ sensing system that provides long-term and scalable monitoring of soil respiration and carbon flux, with the promise for high-resolution measurements. Our innovative design features a PVC-based gas chamber that periodically opens and closes to allow for gas exchange, and a sensor module with low-cost temperature, moisture, pressure, and ${\mathrm{CO}}_2$ sensors, with a low-power wireless LoRa network for real-time monitoring. Our system was rigorously validated through multiple outdoor deployments, over long periods to demonstrate its practicality. We observe that temperature, air pressure, and humidity trends show responsiveness to the environment. We also observe that ${\mathrm{CO}}_2$ emission flux rate vary significantly across different modules, underscoring the need for fine-grained spatial and temporal resolution in monitoring. Full article