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Simple Summary: Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) are essential transcription factors found in many eukaryotes. In this study, the focus is on identifying and analyzing the KLF gene family members in chickens using bioinformatic tools, and comparing them with representative classes such as fish, amphibians, birds, and mammals. The analysis includes the structural characterization, evolutionary relationship assessment, and functional predictions. Additionally, in this study, the impact of miRNA-22 is explored, associated with lipid metabolism, on the expression of KLF genes in the liver, heart, and muscle tissues of Qingyuan partridge chickens. The results indicate that the avian KLF gene family is evolutionarily closer to that of mammals, and all chicken KLFs are non-transmembrane proteins. Moreover, the effect of miRNA-22 on KLF expression varies across different tissues. These findings provide a scientific basis for further research into the functions of KLFs in chickens. Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) are a class of fundamental transcription factors that are widely present in various eukaryotes from nematodes to humans, named after their DNA binding domain which is highly homologous to the Krüppel factor in fruit flies. To investigate the composition, organization, and evolutionary trajectory of KLF gene family members in chickens, in our study, we leveraged conserved sequences of KLF genes from representative classes across fish, amphibians, birds, and mammals as foundational sequences. Bioinformatic tools were employed to perform homology alignment on the chicken genome database, ultimately identifying the KLF family members present in chickens. The gene structure, phylogenetic analysis, conserved base sequences, physicochemical properties, collinearity analysis, and protein structure were then analyzed using bioinformatic tools. Additionally, the impact of miRNA-22, related to poultry lipid metabolism, on the expression of the KLF gene family in the liver, heart, and muscle of Qingyuan partridge chickens was explored. The results showed that: (1) compared to fish, the KLF family in birds is more closely related to mammals and amphibians; (2) KLFs within the same subgroups are likely to be derived from a common ancestral gene duplication; (3) KLF3/8/12 in the same subgroup may have some similar or overlapping functions; (4) the motif 4 of KLF5 was most likely lost during evolution; (5) KLF9 may perform a similar function in chickens and pigs; (6) there are collinear relationships between certain KLF genes, indicating that there are related biomolecular functions between these KLF genes; (7) all members of the KLF family in chickens are non-transmembrane proteins; and (8) interference and overexpression of miRNA-22 in Qingyuan partridge chickens can affect the expression levels of KLF genes in liver, heart, and muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The liver plays a critical role in maintaining health and normal functions in chickens. This study focuses on understanding how a specific small molecule called microRNA-122, which is found in large amounts in the liver, influences these functions. To do this, we used a specially designed virus to increase the levels of microRNA-122 in the liver of young chickens. By analyzing the changes in gene activity, we discovered that higher levels of microRNA-122 impact several vital processes. These include fat metabolism, the aging of cells, cell adhesion, and cellular communication. Additionally, we identified eight specific genes that microRNA-122 may regulate. These findings provide new insights into how microRNA-122 controls important liver functions and can help improve the health and productivity of chickens. The liver of chickens is essential for maintaining physiological activities and homeostasis. This study aims to investigate the specific function and molecular regulatory mechanism of microRNA-122 (miR-122), which is highly expressed in chicken liver. A lentivirus-mediated overexpression vector of miR-122 was constructed and used to infect 12-day-old female Qingyuan Partridge chickens. Transcriptome sequencing analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed genes in the liver. Overexpression of miR-122 resulted in 776 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Enrichment analyses, including Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) revealed associations with lipid metabolism, cellular senescence, cell adhesion molecules, and the MAPK signaling pathway. Eight potential target genes of miR-122 (ARHGAP32, CTSD, LBH, PLEKHB2, SEC14L1, SLC2A1, SLC6A14, and SP8) were identified through miRNA target prediction platforms and literature integration. This study provides novel insights into the molecular regulatory mechanisms of miR-122 in chicken liver, highlighting its role in key biological processes and signaling pathways. These discoveries enhance our understanding of miR-122's impact on chicken liver function and offer valuable information for improving chicken production performance and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of turning a maglev motorized spindle, there are problems such as system model time-varying, cross-coupling of control parameters, difficult measurement of system state variables, and nonlinear characteristics of active magnetic bearings, which lead to the inevitable cutting chatter phenomenon, difficult control algorithm design, and then the reduction of workpiece surface quality and accuracy, affecting machining efficiency and tool life. In this paper, the "multimodal-distributed parameter" model is extended to the "magnetic bearing-rotor-workpiece" variable mass turning process. An adaptive backstepping fast dynamic terminal sliding mode control is designed to address the model's time-varying parameters and cross-coupling issues. In view of the difficulty in measuring the vibration displacement at the cutting point, the displacement field reconstruction method was introduced to reconstruct the vibration displacement field online and provide effective feedback for the previously designed control strategy. Finally, the proposed controller is applied to adjust and control the turning process of a maglev motorized spindle and compared with other advanced controllers. The simulation results show that the proposed control method has a better control effect than other control methods in the presence of unmodeled dynamics, uncertainties, and external disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute kidney injury (AKI) can lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD) if injury is severe and/or repair is incomplete. However, the pathogenesis of CKD following renal ischemic injury is not fully understood. Capillary rarefaction and tubular hypoxia are common findings during the AKI-to-CKD transition. We investigated the tubular stress response to hypoxia and demonstrated that a stress-responsive transcription factor, FoxO3, was regulated by prolyl hydroxylase (PHD). Hypoxia inhibited FoxO3 prolyl hydroxylation and FoxO3 degradation, leading to FoxO3 accumulation and activation in tubular cells. Hypoxia-activated HIF-1[alpha] contributed to FoxO3 activation and functioned to protect kidneys, as tubular deletion of HIF-1[alpha] decreased hypoxia-induced FoxO3 activation and resulted in more severe tubular injury and interstitial fibrosis following ischemic injury. Strikingly, tubular deletion of FoxO3 during the AKI-to-CKD transition aggravated renal structural and functional damage, leading to a much more profound CKD phenotype. We show that tubular deletion of FoxO3 resulted in decreased autophagic response and increased oxidative injury, which may explain renal protection by FoxO3. Our study indicates that in the hypoxic kidney, stress-responsive transcription factors can be activated for adaptions to counteract hypoxic insults, thus attenuating CKD development., Introduction When acute renal failure was recognized as a syndrome more than 70 years ago, it was considered to be an acute injury to the kidney, which more often than [...]

As a common additive in cigarette filters, nanosilica has been implemented to reduce the release of harmful substances in cigarette smoke. However, the potential risk of occupational exposure for cigarette factory workers is unknown. We collected physical examination data from 710 cigarette factory workers to evaluate the adverse effects of cigarette filter silica exposure. We also established mouse models induced by cigarette filter silica and crystalline silica separately to compare the lung inflammation, pulmonary function, apoptosis, and fibrosis of the two models. Workers in the rolling and packing workshop exposed to cigarette filter silica had a higher rate of abnormal lung function (17.75%) than those in the cutting workshop (0.87%). Animal experiments showed that compared with the same dose of crystalline silica, cigarette filter silica resulted in higher levels of inflammatory factors in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of mice at day 7, and lower levels of total lung capacity (TLC), inspiratory capacity (IC), vital capacity (VC), and forced vital capacity (FVC) in mice at day 28. Additionally, both exposed groups of mice showed increased levels of caspase 3, collagen I (Col-Ⅰ), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and hydroxyproline (HYP) in the lungs, as well as collagen accumulation and fibrous nodules at day 28, with no significant difference between the two groups. The results suggested that cigarette filter silica caused more severe early lung inflammation and late ventilation impairment than the same dose of crystalline silica. In the future, we need to pay more attention to nanosilica protection in cigarette factories to prevent pulmonary dysfunction in workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral perovskites have various applications in nonlinear optics due to their asymmetric structures. Currently, nonlinear optical studies have focused on lead‐based perovskite. However, the toxic element, Pb, hinders their further applications. Herein, (R/S‐MBA)4Bi2Br10 (MBA = α‐phenylethylamine) and (R/S‐MPA)2BiBr5 (MPA = 1‐phenylpropan‐1‐amine) crystals were synthesized and explored about the nonlinear optics. Both pairs of chiral perovskite enantiomers exhibit good thermal stability and symmetric circular dichroism signals. Interestingly, MPA and MBA differ by only one methylene but show significant differences in the crystal structures synthesized under the same conditions. The (R/S‐MBA)4Bi2Br10 crystal is a zero‐dimensional (0D) structure in which the [Bi2Br10]4– dimer is spaced by an organic amine. (R/S‐MPA)2BiBr5 crystals are 1D structures in which [BiBr6]2– units form infinitely extended chains by angle sharing. The crystals exhibit efficient second harmonic generation response, and the intensity of (R‐MPA)2BiBr5 is four times that of (R‐MBA)4Bi2Br10 at 980 nm excitation wavelength. The 1D infinitely extended inorganic chain in (R‐MPA)2BiBr5 allows for a more regular arrangement of chiral organic amines, and adjacent organic amines are arranged differently, together leading to its stronger non‐centrosymmetry, which is the decisive factor of nonlinear optics. The study guides the design and deep research of novel second‐order nonlinear optical materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As regards the impact and chattering of 4-DOF redundant parallel robots that occur under high-speed variable load operating conditions, this study proposed a novel control algorithm based on torque feedforward and fuzzy computational torque feedback hybrid control, which considered both the joint friction torque and the disturbance torque caused by the variable load. First of all, a modified dynamic model under variable load was established as follows: converting terminal load change to terminal centroid coordinate change, then mapping to the calculation of terminal energy, and lastly, establishing a dynamic model for each branch chain under variable load based on the Lagrange equation. Subsequently, torque feedforward was used to compensate for the friction torque and the disturbance torque caused by the variable load. Feedforward torques include friction torque and nonlinear disturbance torque under variable load. The friction torque is obtained by parameter identification based on the Stribeck friction model, while the nonlinear disturbance torque is obtained by real-time calculation based on the modified dynamic model under variable load. Finally, dynamic control of the robot under variable load was realized in combination with the fuzzy computational torque feedback control. The experimental and simulation results show that the motion accuracy of the fuzzy calculation torque feedback and torque feedforward control of the three drive joints of the robot under variable loads is 49.87%, 70.48%, and 50.37% lower than that of the fuzzy calculation torque feedback. Compared with pure torque feedback control, the speed stability of the three driving joints under fuzzy calculation torque feedback and torque feedforward control is 23.35%, 17.66%, and 25.04% higher, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) active materials have attracted much attention due to their extensive applications in 3D optical displays and encrypted transmission. The switchable regulation of CPL is of great importance for applications such as spintronics. However, the study of intelligent regulation is scarce, especially the simultaneous regulation of the color and direction of polarization. In this paper, we have successfully prepared switchable CPL active Mn-based metal halides (R-/S-Br-MBA)3MnBr5, whose single crystal displays orange CPL at 634 nm at room temperature. With the increase of temperature, the CPL displayed by single crystals gradually turns into green at 520 nm and the CPL signal flips, variable emission color and CPL switch in +/− are achieved in the prepared chiral manganese halides. This emission switch of wavelength and handedness is reversible. The reversible transition of CPL emission wavelength is attributed to the change of emission with temperature. However, the sign reversal of CPL with temperature is due to the change of spin polarization during the transition from self-trapped emission to Mn2+ d–d transition emission. The CPL materials with switchable handedness and emission wavelength have great potential applications in information processing and intelligent sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qingyuan partridge chicken is one of the most well‐known Chinese indigenous yellow broilers. In breeding programmes, five traits are usually selected when the chickens are 105 days old, namely body weight (BW), comb height (CH), shank length (SL), shank girth (SG) and feather maturity (FM). The objective of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters of these five traits, especially direct additive genetic correlations, to lay the foundation for balanced selection of Qingyuan partridge chickens. Approximately 9600 records were used for estimation. Variance components for these five traits were estimated using three multi‐trait models incorporating different effects via Gibbs sampling. Based on model 1 in which the random effects included direct additive genetic effects and residuals, the estimated direct heritabilities for BW, CH, SL, SG and FM were 0.29 ± 0.04, 0.53 ± 0.04, 0.47 ± 0.04, 0.43 ± 0.05 and 0.18 ± 0.03, respectively. The direct genetic correlations ranged from −0.08 to 0.46. When additionally considering maternal additive genetic effects (model 2), the estimates of direct heritabilities and absolute values of direct additive genetic correlations were smaller. The heritabilities were 0.14 ± 0.04, 0.40 ± 0.02, 0.34 ± 0.05, 0.27 ± 0.05 and 0.12 ± 0.03 for BW, CH, SL, SG and FM, respectively. The direct additive genetic correlations ranged from −0.33 to 0.36. More specifically, the direct additive genetic correlations between BW and CH, SL, SG and FM were 0.19 ± 0.13, 0.15 ± 0.15, 0.36 ± 0.15 and − 0.33 ± 0.21, respectively. The genetic correlations of FM with SL, SG and CH were − 0.15 ± 0.15, −0.08 ± 0.17 and 0.18 ± 0.15, respectively. The direct genetic correlations between CH and SG and SL were − 0.02 ± 0.11 and − 0.20 ± 0.11, respectively, and that between SL and SG was 0.19 ± 0.11. The total heritabilities and maternal additive genetic correlations ranged from 0.16 to 0.44 and from −0.13 to 0.61, respectively. The third model also included the maternal permanent environmental effect for BW. The estimates of direct heritability, direct additive genetic correlation, total heritability and maternal additive genetic correlation were only slightly different from those based on the second model. Therefore, the maternal additive genetic effect has a large effect on the estimation of genetic parameters, and it is better to consider this effect in the genetic evaluation of these five traits. Relatively high direct and maternal additive genetic correlations for most trait pairs suggested that it is better to jointly evaluate these five traits in breeding programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]