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Background: Ischemic optic neuropathy (ION) is exceedingly rare in children on dialysis, resulting from poor perfusion of the optic nerve, and presents as sudden acute painless vision loss. Case–diagnosis/treatment: We report the case of a 3-year-old male with stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD 5) due to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) status post-bilateral nephrectomy on chronic hemodialysis who had acute loss of vision several hours after a hemodialysis session. Earlier that day, he had a drop in blood pressure intra-dialysis to 89/67 mmHg, with at home blood pressures ranging 90/60 to 150/100 mmHg. The patient was treated with tight blood pressure control to maintain blood flow and prevent blood pressure lability, received high-dose corticosteroids with a corticosteroid taper, and placed on high-dose erythropoietin for neuroprotective effect. He regained partial vision beginning approximately 1 month after presentation. Conclusions: The exact cause of our patient's simultaneous bilateral anterior and posterior ION, confirmed via MRI and fundoscopic examination, is unclear; however, is likely secondary to a combination of fluctuating blood pressure, anemia, anephric status, and hemodialysis. This highlights the need for close blood pressure monitoring, management of anemia, and more diligent ophthalmologic screening in pediatric patients on chronic hemodialysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effectiveness of an exopolysaccharide (EPS)‐producing strain (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum L75) alone or in combination with Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the fermentation characteristics, antioxidant capacities and microbial community successions of oat silage stored at various temperatures. A rapid decrease in pH and lactic acid accumulation was observed in silages treated with L. plantarum and S. cerevisiae (LS) as early as 3 days of ensiling (p < 0.05). Over the ensiling period of 7–60 days, L. plantarum (L)‐inoculated groups showed the lowest pH, lowest ammonia nitrogen and the highest amount of lactic acid regardless of the storage temperatures. When the oat silage was stored at 15°C, LS‐inoculated group exhibited a higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity than control and L‐inoculated group. Furthermore, the proportion of Lactiplantibacillus in the combined inoculation group increased by 65.42% compared to the L‐inoculated group (33.26%). Fungal community data revealed abundant Penicillium carneum in the control and L‐inoculated groups stored at 15°C. Conclusively, these results showed that combined inoculation of L. plantarum L75 and S. cerevisiae improved the fermentation quality of oat silage at 15°C, thus proposing a technique for enhancing the fermentation quality of silage in regions with low temperatures during harvest season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silage fermentation is a complicated biochemical process involving interactions between microbes and metabolites. However, the overall metabolome feature of ensiled forage and its response to lactic acid bacteria inoculation is poorly understood. Hence, in this study metabolome profiles of whole-plant corn silage inoculated with or without Lactiplantibacillus plantarum were characterised via solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS), gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS), and Liquid chromatography/Q Exactive HFX mass spectrometry (LC-QE-MS/MS) analysis. There were 2087 identified metabolites including 1143 reliably identified metabolites in fresh and ensiled whole-plant corn. After ensiling, the increased metabolites in whole-plant corn were mainly composed of organic acids, volatile organic compounds (VOC), benzene and substituted derivatives, carboxylic acids and derivatives, fatty acyls, flavonoids, indoles and derivatives, organooxygen compounds (including amines and amides), phenols, pyridines and derivatives, and steroids and steroid derivatives, which includes neurotransmitters and metabolites with aromatic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities. Phenylacetaldehyde was the most abundant aromatic metabolite after ensiling. L-isoleucine and oxoproline were the major free amino acids in silage. Ensiling markedly increased the relative abundances of 3-phenyllactic acid, chrysoeriol, 6-O-acetylaustroinulin, acetylcholine, γ-aminobutyric acid, pyridoxine, and alpha-linoleic acid. Inoculation with L. plantarum remarkably changed silage VOC composition, and essential amino acids, 3-phenyllactic acid, and cinnamaldehyde compared with untreated silage. The present study does not only provide a deeper insight into metabolites of the ensiled whole-plant corn but also reveals metabolites with specific biological functions that could be much helpful in screening novel lactic acid bacteria to well ensile forages. Inoculation with L. plantarum significantly affects the metabolome in ensiled whole-plant corn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has continued for about three years since emerging in late December 2019, resulting in millions of deaths. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a safe and effective vaccine to control SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we developed a bacterium-like particle vaccine that displays the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) (named Trim-RBD-GEM) using the GEM-PA system. We evaluated the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the Trim-RBD-GEM vaccine with the oil-in-water adjuvant AddaVax in C57BL/6 N mice intramuscularly. We found that Trim-RBD-GEM&AddaVax induced high levels of humoral immunity in C57BL/6 N mice. Additionally, the lung virus loads in the immunized group were significantly decreased compared to the adjuvant control and mock groups. Therefore, this vaccine provides protection against lethal infection in a C57BL/6 N mouse model. Our Trim-RBD-GEM&AddaVax vaccine is potentially a promising, rapid, and safe subunit vaccine for preventing and controlling SARS-CoV-2. • A bacterium-like particle vaccine in the form of SARS-CoV-2 RBD protein trimer was constructed with a purity of over 97%. • The GEM-PA surface presentation system only requires one step of centrifugation to prepare pellet antigens. • Immunization of C57BL/6 N mice with AddaVax adjuvant induced high levels of ELISA and neutralizing antibodies. • Trim-RBD-GEM using AddaVax adjuvant provided lethal protection against C57BL/6 N after the SARS-CoV-2 challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dominant type of vibration in wind turbine blades is flapwise vibration, which causes fatigue loading owing to the out-of-plane alternating load, with blade breakage occurring when the load is below the strength limit. Consequently, the mechanism and distribution of alternating-load generation must be understood to reduce the fatigue load. The strain data in the flapwise direction at the characteristic position of the operating wind turbine were collected to learn the characteristics of the spanwise distribution of the strain power spectral density (PSD) amplitude, to explore the fatigue damage-prone area and the generation mechanism, and to reveal the influence of the rotational speed on the spanwise distribution of the strain. It was evident that linked torsional and edgewise vibrations were predominant and that the strain PSD amplitude of the 1P loading component was nonlinear because of the Brazier effect in the transition region. The fatigue failure susceptible region of the rotating blade is more accurately identified. Except for the 0.10 R position, the blade 1P component 0.70–0.75 R spanwise region is more prone to failure. The rotation speed increases the dynamic fluctuation of spanwise strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alfalfa silage fermentation quality, metabolome, bacterial interactions, and successions as well as their predicted metabolic pathways were explored under different dry matter contents (DM) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculations. Silages were prepared from alfalfa with DM contents of 304 (LDM) and 433 (HDM) g/kg fresh weight and inoculated with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (L. plantarum, LP), Pediococcus pentosaceus (P. pentosaceus, PP), or sterile water (control). The silages were stored at a simulated hot climate condition (35°C) and sampled at 0, 7, 14, 30, and 60 days of fermentation. The results revealed that HDM significantly improved the alfalfa silage quality and altered microbial community composition. The GC-TOF-MS analysis discovered 200 metabolites in both LDM and HDM alfalfa silage, mainly consisting of amino acids, carbohydrates, fatty acids, and alcohols. Compared with LP and control, PP-inoculated silages had increased concentrations of lactic acid (P < 0.05) and essential amino acids (threonine and tryptophan) as well as decreased pH, putrescine content, and amino acid metabolism. However, alfalfa silage inoculated with LP had higher proteolytic activities than control and PP-inoculated silage, as revealed by a higher concentration of ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), and also upregulated amino acid and energy metabolism. HDM content and P. pentosaceus inoculation significantly altered the composition of alfalfa silage microbiota from 7 to 60 days of ensiling. Conclusively, these results indicated that inoculation with PP exhibited great potential in enhancing the fermentation of silage with LDM and HDM via altering the microbiome and metabolome of the ensiled alfalfa, which could help in understanding and improving the ensiling practices under hot climate conditions. Key points: • HDM improved fermentation quality and declined putrescine content of alfalfa silage • P. pentosaceus inoculation enhanced the fermentation quality of alfalfa silage • P. pentosaceus is an ideal inoculant for alfalfa silage under high temperature [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we consider the dynamic properties of a class of hydrological model with time delay under fire disturbance. The stability of the equilibrium for the model, and the existence of the Hopf bifurcation are analyzed. Moreover, the direction of the Hopf bifurcation, and the stability of these periodic solutions bifurcating are derived based on the normal form and the center manifold theory. Then, the sensitivities of fire intensity and fire frequency to soil water, trees, and grasses are analyzed by the Runge-Kutta method. The result is that, fire frequency has a more significant effect on the hydrological and ecological cycle compared with fire intensity. Finally, we analyze the effect of time delay on the hydrological model through numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, a novel digital predistortion (DPD) model for broadband power amplifier (PA) linearization is proposed, namely Attention Mechanism based Bidirectional Long Short‐term Memory Network (AM‐BiLSTM) model. In order to verify the linearization performance of the AM‐BiLSTM model in digital predistortion process, a 100 MHz bandwidth 5G new radio (5G NR) signal is employed to test a sub‐6G PA operating at 2.6‐GHz. The experimental results show that the adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) of the PA with AM‐BiLSTM model can be improved by 24 dB which is 6 dB and 3 dB better than the generalized memory polynomial (GMP) model and the Chebyshev polynomials LSTM (CP‐LSTM) model in ref [1], repspectively. Therefore, the proposed AM‐BiLSTM model is very effective for the DPD linearization of broadband PAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Musk deer are famous for their secretion of musk; however, the scale of artificial breeding of musk deer is limited. Considering the lack of a comprehensive understanding of the gut microbiota, there is a need to study the gut microbiota of Siberian musk deer (SMD). Quantitative PCR analysis and high-throughput sequencing were used to show the differences in gut microbial communities and functions between SMD and forest musk deer (FMD). The relative abundance of Firmicutes was significantly higher in SMD than in FMD, with a corresponding decrease in Bacteroidetes, and showed significant seasonal variation. The gut microbiome of FMD has enriched activity for carbohydrate metabolism, while in SMD, amino acids and energy metabolism was higher. The key enzymatic reactions were related to pyruvate metabolism in SMD; however, in FMD, enzymes that digest cellulose (EC:3.2.1.21, EC:3.2.1.4.) were more abundant, and these were related to the living environment and feeding habits. This indicates that FMD and SMD have significant differences in their microbial communities and functions. Furthermore, antibiotic resistances were identified and significantly different in gut microbes of SMD and FMD. For SMD, seasonal variations alter microbial communities and function. The key enzymes of the short-chain fatty acids (EC:1.3.1.44, EC:6.4.1.2) were significantly different, with higher relative abundance in winter—a mechanism of natural selection and environmental adaptation. This study is the first to analyze the composition of the gut microbiota of SMD and can be used to develop or modify conservation and husbandry strategies for musk deer, to improve their productivity. Key points: • Significant differences in microbial communities and their function between FMD and SMD. • The energy metabolism and the relative abundance of Firmicutes were significantly higher in SMD. • Seasonal variations alter microbial function in SMD, carbohydrate metabolism was higher in summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the impacts of dietary Lactobacillus supplementation on meat quality such as edible quality and nutritional value of Sunit sheep, a 90‐day feeding experiment (Lactobacillus dietary group, R group; non‐Lactobacillus dietary group, C group) using twelve 3‐month‐old Sunit sheep was conducted. The deposition of intramuscular fat (IMF) was increased (p <.05) while the share force and cooking loss were decreased (p <.05) in the R group compared with the C group. The proportions of seven kinds of fatty acids (FAs) have changed significantly (p <.05), especially with higher functional FAs and lower trans‐FA in the R group. Metabonomics analysis showed that the metabolites and pathway‐related lipid syntheses, such as carnitine cycle, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and glycerophosphocholine metabolic pathway, have significantly changed in the R group. The Lactobacillus dietary supplements impacted the variation of IMF deposition and FAs composition by altering the lipid metabolism pathways of Sunit sheep and then changed the edible quality and nutritional value. Practical applications: It is well known that the intramuscular fat (IMF) and fatty acids composition in livestock is positively correlated with various aspects of meat quality such as edible quality and nutritional value, which are related to consumer preference. The present study analyzed the effects of Lactobacillus supplement on the intramuscular fat deposition and meat quality of Sunit sheep, which resulted in the increase of IMF, and the differences of fatty acids composition, especially the functional fatty acids. It was explored the mechanism of Lactobacillus affect the variation of lipid metabolism pathways and key metabolites in sheep, which suggested that altering the feeding regimen could improve the meat quality of agri‐animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of the Multiple Kernel k-Means (MKKM) algorithm is to extract non-linear information and achieve optimal clustering by optimizing base kernel matrices. Current methods enhance information diversity and reduce redundancy by exploiting interdependencies among multiple kernels based on correlations or dissimilarities. Nevertheless, relying solely on a single metric, such as correlation or dissimilarity, to define kernel relationships introduces bias and incomplete characterization. Consequently, this limitation hinders efficient information extraction, ultimately compromising clustering performance. To tackle this challenge, we introduce a novel method that systematically integrates both kernel correlation and dissimilarity. Our approach comprehensively captures kernel relationships, facilitating more efficient classification information extraction and improving clustering performance. By emphasizing the coherence between kernel correlation and dissimilarity, our method offers a more objective and transparent strategy for extracting non-linear information and significantly improving clustering precision, supported by theoretical rationale. We assess the performance of our algorithm on 13 challenging benchmark datasets, demonstrating its superiority over contemporary state-of-the-art MKKM techniques. • We propose a MKKM method that assesses kernel correlation–dissimilarity consistency. • We utilize Manhattan distance and Frobenius inner product for kernel similarity. • Integrating these measures improves performance and generalization in clustering. • We employ the splitting method to iteratively update indicators and kernel weights. • Results on 13 challenging datasets confirm algorithm's effectiveness and convergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One type of tree-grass competition model with cross-diffusion is analyzed in this paper. Firstly, according to the distribution theory of the roots of the characteristic equation, the existence and stability conditions of the positive equilibrium point are obtained, and the global stability of the system is proved by using the Bendixson–Dulac theorem. Secondly, we select the fire factor as the control parameter, and obtain the critical value of Turing bifurcation and the conditions of Turing pattern. Then, we derive the amplitude equation near the Turing bifurcation point by using the standard multiscale analysis method. Finally, we do a sensitivity analysis on the tree-grass system with the fire factor, and then a series of numerical simulations based on these analysis results are carried out to verify our theoretical analysis and Turing pattern structure, which is consistent with the biological significance of the tree-grass model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Cyano-defective carbon nitride nanozyme with photo-enhanced peroxidase-like activity is reported. • Hydroxyl radical-involved self-cascade catalytic mechanism is revealed. • Sensing array based on carbon nitride nanozyme is constructed for alcohol discrimination. Nanozymes have been widely reported to serve as promising alternatives to enzymes. However, insufficient activity is one prominent challenge that limits their further exploitation of applications. To address this issue, photoenzymes, that can borrow solar energy to boost catalysis, inspire the exploration of nanozyme catalysis upon illumination. Herein, a cyano-defective carbon nitride (CCN) nanozyme with photo-enhanced peroxidase-like (POD-like) activity was reported, where the photo-activation enables the 4.15-fold activity enhancement. Based on in situ characterizations, a self-cascade mechanism was proposed, where CCN can catalyze H 2 O 2 into hydroxyl radical (•OH) upon illumination and subsequently capture •OH to generate absorbed hydroxyl (*OH) for further catalysis in the dark. Taking advantage of the photo-enhanced activity, a sensing array was successfully constructed for alcohol discrimination. These findings not only set the foundation for photo-enhanced nanozymes but also highlight their potential for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Macrosomia at birth is associated with maternal hyperglycemia and leads to subsequent susceptibility to obesity, abnormal glucose metabolism, hypertension, and dyslipidemia in offspring. Epigenetic reprogramming has been reported to be involved in the development of human diseases caused by suboptimal environmental or nutritional factors. The study was aiming to explore epigenetic mechanism influences on macrosomic infants exposed to intrauterine hyperglycemia. We performed a genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation in cord blood from macrosomic infants born to women with gestational diabetes in order to identify genes related to fetal growth or early adipose tissue development.Methods: To analyze the epigenetic patterns in umbilical cord blood in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), we collected umbilical cord blood from women with GDM (mean pregestational BMI of 24.4 kg/m2 and mean neonatal birth weight of 4366 g) and normal glucose-tolerant women (mean pregestational BMI of 19.8 kg/m2 and mean neonatal birth weight of 3166 g). Differentially methylated genes in the GDM group were identified using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array.Results: A total of 1251 genes were differentially methylated compared to the controls (p < .01). The methylation microarray data showed that two specific CpG sites (cg12604331 and cg08480098) in the gene body of ARHGEF11 were significantly hypomethylated in the cord blood in macrosomic infants. Altered DNA methylation levels of ARHGEF11 were negatively correlated with glucose levels and neonatal birth weight.Conclusions: Exposure to adverse intrauterine environments can alter fetal development, such as by affecting the nutritional status of the fetus. Such exposure can also result in significant epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation, which could serve as a potential marker for nutrition and metabolic conditions at the neonatal stage or even in the adult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effects of the activator of AMPK and high glucose on the differentiation of mouse SMSCs, primary SMSCs were isolated from mouse extensor digitorum longus muscle and grown to near confluence (80%). Postconfluent cells were cultured in a growth medium with different inductors: AICAR, glucose, and AICAR mixed with glucose. The specific protein expressions of SMSCs, myoblasts, adipocytes, and brown adipocytes were analyzed on days 0, 3, 5, 7, and 10. The results showed treatment with AICAR in SMSCs markedly activated AMPK phosphorylation (p <.05) and increased protein expression of Pax7 and MyoD (p <.05), high concentrations of intracellular glucose upregulated UCP‐1 protein expression and enhanced lipid accumulation (p <.05), the cowork of AICAR and glucose affected a decrease on MyoD, PPARg, and UCP‐1 expression (p <.05) and an increase on Pax7. The present study indicated that the certain energy supplements influence the direction of SMSC differentiation which may contribution on the structure of muscle and meat quality, sequentially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In wireless broadcast, random linear network coding (RLNC) over GF($2^{L}$) is known to asymptotically achieve the optimal completion delay with increasing $L$. However, the high decoding complexity hinders the potential applicability of RLNC schemes over large GF($2^{L}$). In this paper, a comprehensive analysis of completion delay and decoding complexity is conducted for field-based systematic RLNC schemes in wireless broadcast. In particular, we prove that the RLNC scheme over GF(2) can also asymptotically approach the optimal completion delay per packet when the packet number goes to infinity. Moreover, we introduce a new method, based on circular-shift operations, to design RLNC schemes which avoid multiplications over large GF($2^{L}$). Based on both theoretical and numerical analyses, the new RLNC schemes turn out to have a much better trade-off between completion delay and decoding complexity. In particular, numerical results demonstrate that the proposed schemes can attain average completion delay just within 5% higher than the optimal one, while the decoding complexity is only about 3 times the one of the RLNC scheme over GF(2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cuticular wax is known to play an important role in non-stomatal transpiration. However, support is lacking regarding the waxy phenotype for wheat breeding against drought. In this study, four wheat cultivars with different wax phenotypes (glaucous and non-glaucous types) were used to evaluate their responses to drought stress and impact on photosynthetic capability of wheat. Xinong 291 and HY 2912, with the glaucous trait, demonstrated higher diketone ratios and contents compared with Pubing 201 and Jinmai 47, which are the non-glaucous type. The cultivars HY 2912 and Jinmai 47 had 35% higher biomass than did Xinong 291 and Pubing 201 under severe drought condition. HY 2912 exhibited the highest wax load with or without drought stress. Jinmai 47 showed the highest ratio of alkane content. Among glaucous cultivars, drought-resistant HY 2912 may promote growth by decreasing water loss, increasing the diketone content, increasing the total wax load, and maintaining mesophyll and stomatal conductance. Among non-glaucous cultivars, drought-resistant Jinmai 47 may enhance growth via stomatal closure and increased mesophyll conductance and alkane ratios. The glaucous trait was not always associated with drought resistance, and correlation analysis revealed that the diketone ratio was positively related to the intercellular CO 2 concentration. These results suggest that the mechanism of drought resistance in wheat is systematically regulated by wax alteration, stomatal conductance and mesophyll conductance. Therefore, wax content and composition as well as mesophyll and stomatal regulation should be considered in the breeding and selection of drought-resistant wheat cultivars. • The glaucous trait was not always associated with drought resistance in wheat. • Glaucous cultivars maintain higher leaf mass per area under drought. • Non-glaucous cultivars alleviate drought damage by enhancing alkanes ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is understood that intrauterine hyperglycemia increases the risk of obesity and diabetes in offspring of consecutive generations but its mechanisms remain obscure. This study is aimed at establishing an intrauterine hyperglycemia rat model to investigate the growth and glycolipid metabolic characteristics in transgenerational offspring and discuss the effects of Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 11 (ARHGEF11) and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in offspring development. The severe intrauterine hyperglycemia rat model was caused by STZ injection before mating, while offspring development and glycolipid metabolism were observed for the following two generations. The expression of ARHGEF11, ROCK1, PI3K, and AKT was tested in the liver and muscle tissue of F2 offspring. The results showed severe growth restriction in F1 offspring and obesity, fatty liver, and insulin resistance in female F2 offspring, especially the offspring of female intrauterine hyperglycemia-exposed parents (F2G♀C♂) and both (F2G♀G♂). The expression of ARHGEF11 and ROCK1 was significantly elevated; PI3K and phosphorylation of AKT were significantly decreased in liver tissues of F2G♀C♂ and F2G♀G♂. Our study revealed that intrauterine hyperglycemia could cause obesity and abnormal glycolipid metabolism in female transgenerational offspring; the programming effect of the intrauterine environment could cause a more obvious phenotype in the maternal line. Further exploration suggested that increased expression of ARHGEF11 and ROCK1 and the decreased expression of PI3K and phosphorylation of AKT in the liver could be responsible for the abnormal development in F2 offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sheep bones, as the main byproduct after sheep slaughter, are rich in proteins, but their utilization in deep processing is relatively low. Currently, calcium deficiency is a common health issue that can lead to metabolic bone diseases. Peptide calcium chelate is considered a superior substance, having a significant effect on improving the absorption and utilization efficiency of calcium in the human body. This study used sheep bone byproducts as the raw material to prepare sheep bone peptide-chelated calcium (SBP-Ca) and its structure was characterized and analyzed in depth. SBP-Ca was supplemented in a low-calcium diet to assess its effects on calcium absorption and bone formation in a rat model experiencing calcium deficiency. The results showed that under optimal preparation conditions for SBP-Ca (peptide-calcium ratio set at 1 : 1, pH maintained at 7, temperature set to 45°C, and duration of 60 min), calcium could chelate with sheep bone peptide (SBP) at the sites C=O, -NH2, and -COOH sites, forming a structurally dense SBP-Ca with a chelation rate of up to 89.24%. In rats fed a low-calcium diet, SBP-Ca significantly improved the rat femoral diameter, dry weight, trabecular bone structure, bone density, and bone volume fraction (P < 0.05). A decline in serum alkaline phosphatase levels (P < 0.05), elevation in bone calcium content, and a rise in serum osteocalcin levels (P < 0.05) were observed. Furthermore, morphological studies on bone tissue suggest that SBP-Ca has the ability to restore trabecular bone structure. In conclusion, SBP-Ca has been successfully prepared as a novel calcium absorption promoter. By improving the bioavailability of calcium, bone formation was facilitated, demonstrating a significant application value in the prevention of calcium deficiency disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sorghum forage was ensiled for 90 days at two dry matter (DM) contents (27 vs. 39%) without or with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum inoculation. On day 90 of fermentation, silages were sampled to assess the microbial community dynamics and metabolome profile. L. plantarum inoculation improved silage quality, as shown by a lower pH and greater acetic acid concentration. Loss of DM remained unaffected by L. plantarum inoculation but was greater in low- vs. high-DM sorghum silages (14.4 vs. 6.62%). The microbiome analysis revealed that Pseudomonas congelans represented the dominant species of the epiphytic microbiota in both low- and high-DM sorghum forage before ensiling. However, L. buchneri represented the dominant species at the end of ensiling. Ensiling fermentation resulted in distinct metabolic changes in silages with varying DM content. In low-DM silages, ensiling fermentation led to the accumulation of 24 metabolites and a reduction in the relative concentration of 13 metabolites. In high-DM silages, ensiling fermentation resulted in an increase in the relative concentration of 26 metabolites but a decrease in the concentration of 8 metabolites. Compared to non-inoculated silages, L. plantarum inoculation resulted in an increased concentration of 3 metabolites and a reduced concentration of 5 metabolites in low-DM silages. Similarly, in high-DM silages, there was an elevation in the relative concentration of 3 metabolites, while a decrease in 7 other metabolites. Ten metabolites with bio-functional activity were identified, including chrysoeriol, isorhamnetin, petunidin 3-glucoside, apigenin, caffeic acid, gallic acid, p-coumaric acid, trans-cinnamic acid, herniarin, and 3,4-dihydroxy-trans-cinnamate. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of microbiome and metabolome profiling of sorghum forage during ensiling as a function of DM content and L. plantarum inoculation, with a particular emphasis on identifying metabolites that may possess bio-functional properties. Key points: • DM loss was not different by L. plantarum but higher in low- vs. high-DM silage. • L. buchneri dominated ensiling, regardless of DM level. • 10 metabolites with bio-functional activity were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This letter presents a non‐linear dynamic behaviour model for characterising the broadband power amplifiers (PAs) by using deep convolution generative adversarial networks (DCGAN). The DCGAN structure is based on the convolution neural network model and combines the generative adversarial networks to improve its linearisation ability of the digital predistortion. The DCGAN contains a generation model and a discriminant model. It imports convolution with steps and deconvolution into the structure, respectively, which makes the accuracy of the power amplifier non‐linear model to improve further. For verification, a 5G NR test signal with 100 MHz bandwidth is employed for testing a Doherty RF‐PA that operates at 1800 MHz. The experimental results illustrate that the normalised mean square error value is at least 12 dB higher than the traditional models, and the out‐of‐band suppression of the DCGAN predistorter can be up to 15 dB better than other models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Long-term physical exercise before slaughter resulted in faster muscle pH decline post-mortem and more yellow meat in Sunit sheep. • Physical exercise caused a shift of muscle fibers from oxidative to glycolytic type. • Physical exercise activated skeletal muscle satellite cells influencing the process of conversion from muscle to meat. Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of muscle exercise on meat quality characteristics and protein and gene expression of Sunit sheep. To this end, 24 Sunit sheep that had the same genetic background and had been raised on extensive pasture for their first 9 months were randomly divided into two groups (12 sheep each), which were raised separately for 3 months until slaughter. The first group of sheep was kept on pasture and allowed to move freely outdoors (M Group), whereas the other group of sheep was kept in one pen on the farm (control [C] group). After slaughter, samples of the longissimus dorsi muscle were taken to evaluate meat quality. The differences in the expression of muscle-exercise-related proteins and genes between the two groups were analyzed by Western blotting and RT-PCR techniques. The results showed reductions in the pH measured 1 h and 24 h post-mortem and in the a* value (redness) for meat colour in the longissimus dorsi muscle of the sheep in the M group in comparison with those in the C group (P < 0.01), while an increasing b* value (yellowness) for meat colour was observed in the M group sheep (P < 0.01). The greater (P < 0.05) levels of Pax7 and MyoD but not PPARγ in the M group indicated that the activated skeletal muscle satellite cells underwent myogenesis rather than adipogenesis. In addition, endurance exercise caused a shift in myosin heavy chain composition from the oxidative isoform to the glycolytic form (P < 0.01), which may have resulted in the pH decline and the colour change. In conclusion, exercise-induced activation of skeletal muscle satellite cells, which regulate the pH and colour of meat, was associated with the transformation of muscle fiber types in Sunit sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) may share similar mechanisms with type 2 diabetes and obesity. In the current study, we aimed to verify twenty genes reported to be associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity in the Chinese GDM population.Methods: Pregnant women aged 20-49 years at 24-28 gestational weeks were recruited and 556 cases and 445 controls were enrolled in the study. The genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was performed on peripheral blood samples.Results: We discovered that GDM was associated with rs945508 (OR = 1.368, 95% CI = 1.080-1.732, p = .009), rs10804591 (OR = 1.446, 95% CI = 1.192-1.754, p < .001), rs10245353 (OR = 1.204, 95% CI = 1.006-1.441, p = .043) and rs1552224 (OR = 1.451, 95% CI = 1.071-1.964, p = .016).Conclusions: We found that four SNPs associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity may also increase the risk of developing GDM in the Chinese population. Among these SNPs, we report for the first time that rs945508 in ARHGEF11, rs10804591 in PLXND1 and rs10245353 in NFE2L3 were associated with GDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sorghum forage was ensiled for 90 days at two dry matter (DM) contents (27 vs. 39%) without or with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum inoculation. On day 90 of fermentation, silages were sampled to assess the microbial community dynamics and metabolome profile. L. plantarum inoculation improved silage quality, as shown by a lower pH and greater acetic acid concentration. Loss of DM remained unaffected by L. plantarum inoculation but was greater in low- vs. high-DM sorghum silages (14.4 vs. 6.62%). The microbiome analysis revealed that Pseudomonas congelans represented the dominant species of the epiphytic microbiota in both low- and high-DM sorghum forage before ensiling. However, L. buchneri represented the dominant species at the end of ensiling. Ensiling fermentation resulted in distinct metabolic changes in silages with varying DM content. In low-DM silages, ensiling fermentation led to the accumulation of 24 metabolites and a reduction in the relative concentration of 13 metabolites. In high-DM silages, ensiling fermentation resulted in an increase in the relative concentration of 26 metabolites but a decrease in the concentration of 8 metabolites. Compared to non-inoculated silages, L. plantarum inoculation resulted in an increased concentration of 3 metabolites and a reduced concentration of 5 metabolites in low-DM silages. Similarly, in high-DM silages, there was an elevation in the relative concentration of 3 metabolites, while a decrease in 7 other metabolites. Ten metabolites with bio-functional activity were identified, including chrysoeriol, isorhamnetin, petunidin 3-glucoside, apigenin, caffeic acid, gallic acid, p-coumaric acid, trans-cinnamic acid, herniarin, and 3,4-dihydroxy-trans-cinnamate. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of microbiome and metabolome profiling of sorghum forage during ensiling as a function of DM content and L. plantarum inoculation, with a particular emphasis on identifying metabolites that may possess bio-functional properties. Key points: • DM loss was not different by L. plantarum but higher in low- vs. high-DM silage. • L. buchneri dominated ensiling, regardless of DM level. • 10 metabolites with bio-functional activity were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small fluorescent molecules are widely used to label compartments in biological systems; nevertheless, small molecules with high quantum yield and large two-photon absorption (2PA) cross-section (δ) are rarely reported. Herein, two novel pseudo di-BODIPY derivatives have been synthesized and fully characterized. One of which ( B1) showed high planarity of the conjugated system from crystal structural information and can generate superior 2PEF as well as prodigious Φδ max and high quantum value compared to another fluorescent molecules ( B2 ) tested. It was found that compound B1 possessed prodigious two-photon (2P) action cross-section (Φδ max  = 869.72 GM) in high polar solvent and higher quantum yield (Φ = 0.84), and can be capable of labeling lipid-rich endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in living cells in the range of 10 −9 molar concentrations effectively. In addition, its recognition mechanism has been further confirmed with molecular modeling calculations and 1 H NMR spectral methods The high affinity of B1 towards lipid rich organ was also explored over mouse and zebrafish tissue models. These pseudo di-BODIPY derivatives offer a new strategy to design molecules targetting universal membrane subcellular structures in vitro and in vivo . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving photosynthetic capability is one of the most important factors for increasing wheat yield potential. The photosynthetic capability of wheat germplasm with different alien chromosomes was investigated and compared with bread wheat cultivars (BC) in this study, including wheat addition lines (CA), hexaploid triticale (HT), octoploid triticale (OT), and synthetic hexaploid wheat lines (SHW). Results indicated that HT, OT, and SHW produced significantly higher biomass plant −1 (BMPP), with HT displaying the highest grain yield plant −1 (GYPP). Distinct superiority of net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and carboxylation activities of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) was observed in HT and OT. Meanwhile, OT showed the highest expression of the Rubisco large subunit gene ( rbcL ) in the flag leaves at heading and grain-filling stages, though the coding region of rbcL was highly conserved in all investigated materials. Further analysis indicated that OT and Chinese Spring-rye disomic addition lines displayed higher expression of Rubisco small subunit gene ( rbcS ). Correlation analysis revealed significant and positive correlations between Pn and the expressions of rbcL (at both heading and grain-filling stages), the expression of rbcS (at heading stage), and the carboxylation activity of Rubisco (at grain-filling stage). Anatomical structure analysis of the chloroplasts showed SHW with longer chloroplasts and more chloroplast grana and grana lamella. In the present study, HT, OT, and Chinese Spring-rye disomic addition lines with rye chromosomes displayed greater photosynthetic capability than BC and SHW, and could be applied in breeding programs to improve the photosynthetic efficiency of wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The chilled aging time was closely related to the lipid content and species. • GP and FA were the main differential lipid classes during chilled aging. • 48 h of postmortem chilled aging was the turning point for lipid transformation. • Hydrolase activity and oxidation degree might be responsible for lipid changes. • Glycerophospholipid metabolism and thermogenesis are the major aging pathways. This present study aimed to investigate the effects of postmortem chilled aging on lipid and molecular transformation mechanisms in Mongolian sheep. UPLC-ESI-MS/MS was used to identify 812 lipids in Mongolian sheep within four days of chilled aging. Using multivariate analysis, 95 significant differential lipids were identified. The levels of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, and certain free fatty acids were observed to rise significantly, while other phospholipids and acylcarnitines showed a downward trend. In addition, levels of most of the lysophospholipids increased significantly in the early postmortem period; however, their levels did not alter significantly after 48 h. The Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analysis revealed that these differential lipids are primarily involved in glycerophospholipid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, and thermogenesis. Our results have important implications in terms of understanding lipid transformation and changes in meat quality during postmortem chilled aging in Mongolian sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Effect of dynamic hairpin vortex on C p is dissected. • Mechanism of rotational augmentation on hairpin vortex formation is elucidated. • Driving mechanism of streamwise vortex evolution into hairpin vortex is revealed. • Evolution process of streamwise vortex into hairpin vortex is captured. • Role of primary hairpin vortex in promoting secondary hairpin vortex is clarified. The formation, evolution, and shedding of vortices around the blade of a rotating wind turbine affect the aerodynamic pressure distribution on the blade surface and consequently, the wind turbine output power. The mechanism of blade surface vortex flow affecting aerodynamic pressure is the basis of analyzing aerodynamic characteristics of wind turbines, which is of great significance to evaluate and guide the improvement of the aerodynamic performance of wind turbines. Combined with the large-eddy simulation (LES) and dynamic Smagorinsky model, the local mesh refinement in the rotating domain is used to analyze the evolution details of a streamwise vortex into a hairpin vortex. It is found that the streamwise vortex with a certain angle to the chord appears near 0.5C when the air passes through the blade's leading edge; the closer it is to the blade tip, the greater the inclination. In the radial region of 0.7–0.8R, the coupled effect of Coriolis and centrifugal forces enhanced by rotation increase the spanwise velocity and evolution of some streamwise vortices into hairpin vortices, so that the streamwise vortices and hairpin vortices play a dominant role in trailing edge vortices. This dramatically increases the trailing edge adverse pressure gradient, thus contributing to the improve the turbine aerodynamic performance. The results indicate that the coupled variation of Coriolis force, centrifugal force, and angle of attack affects the generation and evolution of the hairpin vortex, which in turn affects the aerodynamic performance of the wind turbine, providing new perspectives for the improvement of aerodynamic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insulin resistance (IR) is a critical factor of the pathophysiology of Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Studies on key organs involved in IR, such as livers and adipose tissues, showed that Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) can regulate insulin sensitivity. As a maternal-fetal interface with multi-functions, placentae could contribute to the development of IR for GDM. Thus, we investigated the expressions of TLR4/Myeloid Differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)/Nuclear Factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kB) in term placentae from 33 GDM women and 36 healthy pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance, evaluated local and systemic IR and furthermore identified the association between placental TLR4 and IR. TLR4 protein was expressed in various cells of term placenta, particularly in syncytiotrophoblast of villi. Compared with normal pregnancy, the expression of TLR4/MyD88/NF-kB pathway increased in the placenta of GDM (p<0.05), and these differences were more pronounced in the maternal section of the placenta and the syncytiotrophoblast of villi. In addition, more severe IR was observed in the placenta of GDM patients than the control group, evidenced with higher pIRS-1(ser312) (p<0.001) and lower IRS-1 (p<0.05) as well as pAkt proteins (p<0.01). The expression of TLR4 in placentae is positively correlated with local IR (pIRS-1: r = 0.76, p <0.001 and pAkt: r = -0.47, p <0.001) and maternal fasting (r = 0.42, p <0.01), one-hour (r = 0.52, p <0.01) and two-hour glucose (r = 0.54, p <0.01) at OGTT. We found an that enhanced expression of the TLR4-MyD88-NF-kB pathway occurs in GDM placentae, which positively correlates with heightened local IR in placentae and higher maternal hyperglycemia. The TLR4/MyD88/NF-kB pathway may play a potential role in the development of IR in placentae of GDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Macrosomia is one of the most common complications in gestational diabetes mellitus. Insulin-like growth factor 2 and H19 are two of the imprinted candidate genes that are involved in fetal growth and development. Change in methylation at differentially methylated region of the insulin-like growth factor 2 and H19 has been proved to be an early event related to the programming of metabolic profile, including macrosomia and small for gestational age in offspring. Here we hypothesize that alteration in methylation at differentially methylated region of the insulin-like growth factor 2 and H19 is associated with macrosomia induced by intrauterine hyperglycemia. Results: The expression of insulin-like growth factor 2 is significant higher in gestational diabetes mellitus group (GDM group) compared to normal glucose tolerance group (NGT group) both in umbilical cord blood and placenta, while the expression of H19 is significant lower in GDM group in umbilical cord blood. The expression of insulin-like growth factor 2 is significant higher in normal glucose tolerance with macrosomia group (NGT-M) compared to normal glucose tolerance with normal birthweight group (NGT-NBW group) both in placenta and umbilical cord blood. A model with interaction term of gene expression of IGF2 and H19 found that IGF2 and the joint action of IGF2 and H19 in placenta showed significantly relationship with GDM/NGT and GDM-NBW/NGT-NBW. A borderline significant association was seen among IGF2 and H19 in cord blood and GDM-M/NGT-M. The methylation level at different CpG sites of insulin-like growth factor 2 and H19 in umbilical cord blood was also significantly different among groups. Based on the multivariable linear regression analysis, the methylation of the insulin-like growth factor 2 / H19 is closely related to birth weight and intrauterine hyperglycemia. Conclusions: We confirmed the existence of alteration in DNA methylation in umbilical cord blood exposed to intrauterine hyperglycemia and reported a functional role in regulating gene associated with insulin-like growth factor 2/H19. Both of these might be the underlying pathogenesis of macrosomia. We also provided the evidence of strong associations between methylation of insulin-like growth factor 2/H19 and macrosomia induced by intrauterine hyperglycemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in DNA methylation may play a role in the genetic mechanism underlying glucose intolerance in the offspring of mothers with diabetes. Here, we established a rat model of moderate intrauterine hyperglycemia induced by streptozotocin to detect glucose and lipid metabolism of first-generation (F1) and second-generation (F2) offspring. Moderate intrauterine hyperglycemia induced high body weight in F1 and F2 offspring of diabetic mothers. F1 offspring had impaired glucose tolerance and abnormal insulin level. Additionally, F1 and F2 offspring that were exposed to intrauterine hyperglycemia had impaired insulin secretion from the islets. The tumor necrosis factor (Tnf) gene was upregulated in perirenal adipose tissue from F1 offspring and relatively increased in F2 offspring. Both F1 and F2 offspring showed similar hypomethylation level at the -1952 site of Tnf. We confirmed that DNA methylation occurs in offspring exposed to intrauterine hyperglycemia and that the DNA methylation is intergenerational and inherited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in DNA methylation may play a role in the genetic mechanism underlying glucose intolerance in the offspring of mothers with diabetes. Here, we established a rat model of moderate intrauterine hyperglycemia induced by streptozotocin to detect glucose and lipid metabolism of first-generation (F1) and second-generation (F2) offspring. Moderate intrauterine hyperglycemia induced high body weight in F1 and F2 offspring of diabetic mothers. F1 offspring had impaired glucose tolerance and abnormal insulin level. Additionally, F1 and F2 offspring that were exposed to intrauterine hyperglycemia had impaired insulin secretion from the islets. The tumor necrosis factor (Tnf) gene was upregulated in perirenal adipose tissue from F1 offspring and relatively increased in F2 offspring. Both F1 and F2 offspring showed similar hypomethylation level at the -1952 site of Tnf. We confirmed that DNA methylation occurs in offspring exposed to intrauterine hyperglycemia and that the DNA methylation is intergenerational and inherited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dual strategy of inhibiting the viral life cycle and reducing the host inflammatory response should be considered in the development of therapeutic drugs for influenza A virus (IAV). In this study, an extract of Scutellaria baicalinase (SBE) containing seven flavonoids was identified to exert both antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects in macrophages infected with IAV. We performed transcriptome analysis using high-throughput RNA sequencing and identified 315 genes whose transcription levels were increased after IAV infection but were able to be decreased after SBE intervention. Combined with Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, these genes were mainly involved in TLR3/7/8, RIG-I/MDA5, NLRP3 and cGAS pattern recognition receptor (PRR)-mediated signaling pathways. SBE inhibited the transcription of essential genes in the above pathways and nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 as confirmed by RT-qPCR and immunofluorescence, respectively, indicating that SBE reversed PR8-induced over-activation of the PRR signaling pathway and inflammation in macrophages. This study provides an experimental basis for applying Scutellaria baicalensis and its main effects in the clinical treatment of viral pneumonia. It also provides novel targets for screening and developing novel drugs to prevent and treat IAV infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mass summer mortality events in the clam Meretrix petechialis resulting from Vibrio infection have occurred frequently in recent years, and seriously threaten the clam aquaculture industry. Metabolic processes are known to support host defense and survival in stressful conditions by regulating the allocation of metabolic resources. However, changes in lipid metabolism of clams in response to Vibrio infection are largely undescribed. In the present research, we characterized changes in key gene expression and enzyme activities associated with triglyceride-related metabolism, fatty acid de novo synthesis and fatty acid β-oxidation in M. petechialis during Vibrio infection. By mining dynamic transcriptome data before the increase in mortality, we found Vibrio infection caused significant changes in the metabolic regulations of carbohydrates, lipids, and amino acids. Our data show that levels of triglycerides (TG) decreased and free fatty acids (FFA) increased in the infected clams. Correspondingly, the synthesis activities of TG were significantly reduced relative to TG lipolysis activities after Vibrio infection. Additionally, FFA de novo synthesis was strengthened, especially before massive mortality occurred, but key genes of the fatty acid β-oxidation pathway showed no significant changes after Vibrio infection. We detected the expression of key genes related to lipid metabolism in resistant and susceptible clams under uninfected and infected conditions and found that differences in the basal expression of seven key genes (ATGL , MDY , SREBP , FAS , CPT-1 , ACS , and ECH) could be used as potential biomarkers to predict different Vibrio resistance in clams. Overall, our results provide a starting point for investigating the relationship between energy metabolism changes and the emergence of massive mortality induced by bacterial infection in clams. • The synthesis activities of TG were significantly reduced in clam after Vibrio infection. • FFA de novo synthesis was strengthened in clam after Vibrio infection. • The basal expression levels of 7 genes were identified to be significantly associated with Vibrio resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of probiotics on growth performance, meat quality, muscle fiber characteristics, volatile compounds, and antioxidant capacity in lambs. A total of 24 Sunit lambs were randomly allocated into two groups, each consisting of three replicates of four lambs. Throughout the experiment period, the lambs were fed with based diet (CON) and 10 g probiotics/d supplemented diet (PRO). Compared with the CON group, the number of lactic acid bacteria in fecal samples of PRO group was significantly increased (p <.05) and the coliforms were significantly decreased (p <.05). Dietary probiotics supplementation decreased pH24h, L*, and shear force (p <.05). The muscle fibers were switched from type IIB to type I, with a decrease in the mean cross‐sectional area (CSA) (p <.05) of longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle. Also, probiotics altered the composition of meat volatile flavor compounds, such as nonanal, undecanal, 1‐pentanol, 1‐hexanol, and 2,3‐octanedione. In addition, probiotics increased the total antioxidative capacity (T‐AOC) and catalase (CAT) activity of LT muscle, while it decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity (p <.05). Overall, these results indicated that probiotics could be used as an effective feed additive by improving meat tenderness and flavor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corpus is relative to other similar language has many language users. The impact of this situation on corpus-based language research and corpus. In a few cases, the corpus is processed This paper briefly introduces an overview of Corpus processing tools and recently provided free of charge, and examines some of the corpus linguist may prevent the same problem. These questions reveal a new language resources, rich and necessity of corpus-based promotion. Therefore, the introduction of a new Java Web corpus, which includes all modern standards-based design from Corpus varieties include more than two million words of the newspaper, the translation is collected from undergraduate university students, in order to ensure a strong knowledge of the language. Java a parallel corpus of English language feature will help in comparing these languages. By rendering all the packages, which will be set as an initial data packet all prepared for further analysis based on baseline corpus. The obtained results are shown for a better listening when awakened into classes, price than when the corpus is divided into categories. Language Category achieve recognition rate of emotion mixed corpus of 91%. Overall, it's better than language classification; however, when we only use two classes, the performance results are roughly the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of exercise training on muscle metabolism, fatty acid composition, carcass traits, and meat quality characteristics of Mongolian sheep. Fourteen Mongolian sheep were randomly divided into two groups (7 sheep in each) and placed in two adjacent livestock pens. One group of sheep was kept in the pen (Control [C] group) and the other group of sheep (Training [T] group) were driven away in a field to walk twice a day. The results showed a reduction in pH measured 45 min post mortem, L*, a*, and b* value, intramuscular fat, and carcass length, and an increase in the ultimate pH value and shear force in the meat of T group in comparison with that of C group (p <.050). Also, exercise training moderately affected the fatty acid composition of LT muscle. Compared with C group, the concentrations of myristoleic acid (C14:1) and stearic acid (C18:0) were increased (p <.050), while the concentrations of C20:3 n‐6, neurolic acid (C24:1), and n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) were decreased in T group (p <.050). Transcriptome analysis highlighted 621 genes differentially expressed in two groups, including 385 were up‐regulated (e.g., GLUT4 and PGC‐1α) and 236 were down‐regulated (e.g., PLIN1 and ACSL3) in T with respect to C group. Besides, considering these genes, a number of enrichment pathways related to muscle metabolic processes, involving carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, oxidation reduction process, and muscle tissue development, were highlighted. In conclusion, these results contributed to a better understanding of the possible biological and molecular processes underlying the effects of exercise training on muscle metabolism and meat quality in Mongolian sheep, and provide useful information for contributing to understand the phenotypic and functional differences in meat quality of sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of muscle exercise on meat quality characteristics and protein and gene expression of Sunit sheep. To this end, 24 Sunit sheep that had the same genetic background and had been raised on extensive pasture for their first 9 months were randomly divided into two groups (12 sheep each), which were raised separately for 3 months until slaughter. The first group of sheep was kept on pasture and allowed to move freely outdoors (M Group), whereas the other group of sheep was kept in one pen on the farm (control [C] group). After slaughter, samples of the longissimus thoracis muscle were taken to evaluate meat quality. The differences in the expression of muscle-exercise-related proteins and genes between the two groups were analyzed by Western blotting and RT-PCR techniques. The results showed reductions in the pH measured 1 h and 24 h post-mortem and in the a* value (redness) for meat colour in the longissimus thoracis muscle of the sheep in the M group in comparison with those in the C group (P < 0.01), while an increasing b* value (yellowness) for meat colour was observed in the M group sheep (P < 0.01). The greater (P < 0.05) levels of Pax7 and MyoD but not PPARγ in the M group indicated that the activated skeletal muscle satellite cells underwent myogenesis rather than adipogenesis. In addition, endurance exercise caused a shift in myosin heavy chain composition from the oxidative isoform to the glycolytic form (P < 0.01), which may have resulted in the pH decline and the colour change. In conclusion, exercise-induced activation of skeletal muscle satellite cells, which regulate the pH and colour of meat, was associated with the transformation of muscle fiber types in Sunit sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering isolated metal sites resembling the primary coordination sphere of metallocofactors enables atomically dispersed materials as promising nanozymes. However, most existing nanozymes primarily focus on replicating specific metallocofactors while neglecting other supporting cofactors within active pockets, leading to reduced electron transfer (ET) efficiency and thus inferior catalytic performances. Herein, we report a metal–organic framework UiO‐67 nanozyme with atomically dispersed iron sites, which involves multiple tailored enzyme‐like nanocofactors that synergistically drive the ET process for enhanced peroxidase‐like catalysis. Among them, the linker‐coupled atomic iron site plays a critical role in substrate activation, while bare linkers and zirconia nodes facilitate the ET efficiency of intermediates. The synergy of three nanocofactors results in a 4.29‐fold enhancement compared with the single effort of isolated metal site‐based nanocofactor, holding promise in immunoassay for sensitive detection of chlorpyrifos. This finding opens a new way for designing high‐performance nanozymes by harmonizing various nanocofactors at the atomic and molecular scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering isolated metal sites resembling the primary coordination sphere of metallocofactors enables atomically dispersed materials as promising nanozymes. However, most existing nanozymes primarily focus on replicating specific metallocofactors while neglecting other supporting cofactors within active pockets, leading to reduced electron transfer (ET) efficiency and thus inferior catalytic performances. Herein, we report a metal–organic framework UiO‐67 nanozyme with atomically dispersed iron sites, which involves multiple tailored enzyme‐like nanocofactors that synergistically drive the ET process for enhanced peroxidase‐like catalysis. Among them, the linker‐coupled atomic iron site plays a critical role in substrate activation, while bare linkers and zirconia nodes facilitate the ET efficiency of intermediates. The synergy of three nanocofactors results in a 4.29‐fold enhancement compared with the single effort of isolated metal site‐based nanocofactor, holding promise in immunoassay for sensitive detection of chlorpyrifos. This finding opens a new way for designing high‐performance nanozymes by harmonizing various nanocofactors at the atomic and molecular scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Widely targeted metabolomic was to comprehensively analyze metabolites of mutton. • Aging had the greatest impact on amino acids, lipids (FA and GP), and nucleotides. • Protein, lipid, nucleotide metabolism were the main enrichment pathways in aging. Postmortem aging is a value-added process for meat. The objective of this study was to evaluate the dynamic changes and metabolic pathways of metabolites in Mongolian sheep during early postmortem chilled aging. Widely targeted metabolomic was used to analyze the metabolites of mutton within five days of chilled aging. A total of 1093 metabolites were identified in Mongolian sheep, covering 16 subclasses. Multivariate statistical analysis showed that 467 metabolites had significant changes during aging, including amino acid and its metabolites, fatty acyl, and glycerophospholipid. In particular, 60 metabolites decreased, while other 407 metabolites increased with aging time. The Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analysis revealed that protein digestion and absorption, amino acyl-trNA biosynthesis, unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis, nucleotide metabolism and carbon metabolism were the main enrichment pathways in aging. These findings provide a more comprehensive insight into metabolic profiling and metabolic pathways during chilled aging in mutton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semiconductor‐based photoelectrochemical (PEC) fuel cells offer a feasible solution for sustainable and environmentally friendly energy production by converting solar and chemical energy into electrical energy. However, the low PEC activities of PEC fuel cells have hindered their practical application due to rapid electron‐hole recombination and slow interfacial reaction kinetics. To address this issue, a unique PEC fuel cell composed of dual photoelectrodes utilizing low‐cost biomass, ascorbic acid, as an organic fuel is reported. Significantly, the integration of bifunctional iron single‐atom catalysts (Fe SACs) and photoactive materials has effectively constructed a bridge for charge carrier transfer, boosting interfacial reaction kinetics and photoelectric conversion efficiency. Notably, the optimal dual‐photoelectrode PEC fuel cell decorated with Fe SACs exhibits superior performance, delivering a maximum power density of 82.82 µW cm−2. Taking advantage of the peroxidase‐like activity of Fe SACs, the resultant self‐powered PEC fuel cells are explored for sensitively detecting actual uric acid samples. This study provides a promising avenue to boost the energy conversion efficiency of PEC fuel cells for sensitive self‐powered biosensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astragalus membranaceus (AM) provides a rich source of polysaccharides that can act as powerful antioxidants, but their potential as feed ingredients in the lamb industry still rarely exploited. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary astragalus membranaceus supplementation on oxidative stability of goat muscles. Longissimus dorsi (LD) muscles from two groups of Cashmere goat (basal diet, C group; basal diet supplemented with 1% astragalus membranaceus root, AM group) were evaluated for lipid oxidation, myoglobin oxidation, activity of antioxidant enzymes, and antioxidant capacity. The results showed that color parameters in Cashmere goat of two feeding conditions were no significant difference (p >.05). In AM group, myoglobin (Mb) content was higher than C, while metmyoglobin (MMb) (p <.05) and malondialdehyde (MDA) (p <.01) were lower. Additionally astragalus membranaceus supplementation had a significant effect on superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) (p <.001). In whole, the AM group goats presented a relatively higher antioxidant capacity than C. Especially, RSA and CUPRAC values of AM group goats had significantly higher than C (p <.05). Consequently, the AM group goats ingested abundant astragalus membranaceus, which enhanced the antioxidant capacity. Thus, it can eliminate free radicals and effectively inhibit oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of two feeding regimens on meat quality, myosin heavy chain (MyHC) types, and key factors regulating muscle fiber type (AMP‐activated protein kinase [AMPK] and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐coactivator‐1α [PGC‐1α]) in the biceps femoris muscle of Mongolia sheep were investigated. A total of 20 Mongolia sheep were weaning for 90 days and divided into two groups (pasture group (P) and confinement group (C)) at 10.36 ± 0.35 kg of weaning weight. After weaning, sheep were pasture fed or confinement fed for 9 months. The results showed that live weights, carcass weight, intramuscular fat (IMF), and Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBSF) in P group were significantly lower (p <.05) than that in C group. Compared with P group, color evaluations with respect to L* and b* values were significantly higher (p <.05) in C group. Expression of the MyHC I gene in the P group was significantly higher, while MyHC IIa and MyHC IIb genes expression was significantly lower (p <.05) than that in C group. Also, AMPK activity and expression of AMPKα2 and PGC‐1α genes were significantly higher (p <.05) in P group compared with C group. The present study indicated that muscle fiber composition was one of the key differences leading to the differences of meat quality in different feeding regimens. AMPK, particularly AMPKα2, and PGC‐1α were considered to be two key factors regulating muscle fiber types in Mongolia sheep. The results support that AMPK activity and the expression of AMPKα2 and PGC‐1α genes may affect the composition of muscle fibers; thus, AMPK activity and the expression of AMPKα2 and PGC‐1α genes had an effect on meat quality by changed composition of muscle fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Siberian musk deer, one of the seven species, is distributed in coniferous forests of Asia. Worldwide, the population size of Siberian musk deer is threatened by severe illegal poaching for commercially valuable musk and meat, habitat losses, and forest fire. At present, this species is categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. However, the genetic information of Siberian musk deer is largely unexplored. Results: Here, we produced 3.10 Gb draft assembly of wild Siberian musk deer with a contig N50 of 29,145 bp and a scaffold N50 of 7,955,248 bp. We annotated 19,363 protein-coding genes and estimated 44.44% of the genome to be repetitive. Our phylogenetic analysis reveals that wild Siberian musk deer is closer to Bovidae than to Cervidae. Comparative analyses showed that the genetic features of Siberian musk deer adapted in cold and high-altitude environments. We sequenced two additional genomes of Siberian musk deer constructed demographic history indicated that changes in effective population size corresponded with recent glacial epochs. Finally, we identified several candidate genes that may play a role in the musk secretion based on transcriptome analysis. Conclusions: Here, we present a high-quality draft genome of wild Siberian musk deer, which will provide a valuable genetic resource for further investigations of this economically important musk deer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of inoculation with different mixed starter culture combinations on microbial counts, physico‐chemical properties, and proteolytic and lipolytic properties of dry fermented mutton sausages during fermentation and ripening. Four different batches of mutton sausages were manufactured: CO batch, no starter cultures, used as control; LB batch with Lactobacillus sakei; LS batch with L. sakei + Staphylococcus xylosus; and LSS batch with L. sakei + S. xylosus + Staphylococcus carnosus. The results showed that adding starter culture caused Lactobacillus and Staphylococcus to become dominant bacteria and reduced the Enterobacteriaceae count in the inoculated sausages. The mixed starter cultures (LS & LSS) accelerated acidification and reduced water activity and lipid oxidation. Statistical analysis revealed that the use of mixed starter cultures, especially the combination L. sakei + S. xylosus + S. carnosus, contributed to proteolysis and lipolysis, increasing total free amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The above results demonstrate that the use of mixed starter cultures contributes to improving the composition of free amino acids and free fatty acids as well as the hygienic quality of dry fermented mutton sausages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The study evaluated the effect of an ultrasound-assisted treatment on the structural and functional properties of sheep bone collagen (SBC). The type and distribution of SBC were analyzed by proteome (shotgun) technology combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Compared with pepsin extraction, the ultrasound-assisted treatment significantly increased the collagen extraction rate by 17.4 pp (P < 0.05). The characteristic functional groups and structural integrity of collagen extracted by both methods were determined via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Circular dichroism spectra revealed that the ultrasound-assisted pretreatment reduced α-helix content by 1.6 pp, β-sheet content by 21.9 pp, and random coils content by 28.4 pp, whereas it increased β-turn content by 51.9 pp (P < 0.05), compared with pepsin extraction. Moreover, ultrasound-assisted treatment collagen had superior functional properties (e.g., solubility, water absorption, and oil absorption capacity) and foaming and emulsion properties, compared with pepsin extraction. Furthermore, the relative content of type I collagen in ultrasound-assisted extracted SBC was highest at 79.66%; only small proportions of type II, VI, X, and XI collagen were present. Peptide activity analysis showed that SBC had potential antioxidant activity, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitory activity, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity; it also had anticancer, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression and anxiety are common symptoms associated with significant morbidity in adolescents. Few studies have explored the relationship between latent profiles of adolescent depression-anxiety symptoms and executive function (EF), which is also a major pediatric public health concern. Methods: The sample included 1,306 participants who were recruited from two schools in Ningxia. The Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children (DSRSC) and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) were used to assess the level of depression-anxiety symptoms in adolescents, and their executive function state was assessed using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Self-Report version (BRIEF-SR). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was carried out using Mplus 7.0 to explore the most likely number of profiles based on the subscales of DSRSC and SCARED. The relationship between adolescents' executive function and depression-anxiety symptoms were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression, and the odds ratio were used to test the impact of this relationship. Results: The LPA results show that the three-profile model was the best-fitting model for adolescent depression and anxiety symptoms. The proportions of Profile-1 ("Healthy Group"), Profile-2 ("Anxiety Disorder Group"), and Profile-3 ("Depression-Anxiety Disorder Group") were 61.4%, 23.9%, and 14.7%, respectively. Additional analyses using multivariable logistic regression suggested that poor shifting capacity and emotional control were significantly more likely to be classified into the depression and/or anxiety groups, and worse working memory, task completion, and better inhibition were significantly more likely to be classified into the anxiety group. Conclusions: The findings contribute to our understanding of the heterogeneity of adolescents' depression-anxiety symptoms and highlight the important role of executive function in influencing mental health outcomes. These findings will guide the improvement and delivery of interventions for the treatment of anxiety and depression in adolescents, mitigating functional impairments in patients and reducing disease risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The meat quality of small ruminants is adversely affected when the feeding mode is changed from grazing to captivity. We found that adding probiotics to lamb feed regulated the intestinal metabolites (SCFAs) of Sunit lambs, acting as signaling factors that affected the gene mRNA expression of MyHC isoforms and the activity of metabolic enzymes, thereby promoting the transformation of muscle fiber types and increasing the proportion of oxidative muscle fibers. Finally, the tenderness of the meat was improved. The development of animal husbandry is closely related to the meat quality of small ruminants. Intestinal metabolites and the muscle fiber types of lambs are important factors that affect their meat quality, but few studies have examined the regulation of the "intestinal muscle axis" by probiotics. In this study, 12 Sunit lambs were divided into a control group (C) and a probiotics group (P). The gene expressions of the myosin heavy chain, metabolic enzyme activity, and short-chain fatty acids in the intestines were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed that levels of propionic acid and butyric acid in the intestines of group P were significantly higher than in group C (p < 0.05). In addition, probiotics increased the number and area ratio of type I muscle fibers. They also increased the mRNA expression of MyHC IIA and the activity of malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH). Propionic acid was negatively correlated with the number ratio of type IIB muscle fibers. Butyric acid was found to be significantly positively correlated with the number ratio of type IIA muscle fibers. Cooking loss, pH24h, and shear force decreased significantly in group P. In conclusion, intestinal metabolites (SCFAs) altered the activity of oxidative-myofibril-metabolizing enzymes and the expression of myosin heavy-chain type IIA, reduced the meat shear values, and improved meat tenderness. This study provides a new basis for improving the production and meat quality of small ruminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplementing animal feed with probiotic additives can promote muscle production and improve meat quality. The study aimed to explore the effects of dietary probiotics supplementation on the performance, meat quality and muscle transcriptome profile in Sunit lamb. Overall, feeding probiotics significantly increased the body length, LT area, pH 24h and intramuscular fat (IMF) content, but decreased cooking loss and meat shear force compared to the control group (P <.05). A total of 651 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found in probiotic supplemented lambs. Pathway analysis revealed that DEGs were involved in multiple pathways related to muscle development and fat deposition, such as the ECM-receptor interactions, the MAPK signaling pathway and the FoxO signaling pathway. Therefore, dietary probiotic supplementation can improve muscle development and final meat quality in Sunit lambs by altering gene expression profiles associated with key pathways, providing unique insights into the molecular mechanisms by which dietary probiotics regulate muscle development in the lamb industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]