Insight into Interfacial Heat Transfer of ß-Ga2O3/Diamond Heterostructures via the Machine Learning Potential.

ß-Ga2O3 is an ultrawide-band gap semiconductor with excellent potential for high-power and ultraviolet optoelectronic device applications. Low thermal conductivity is one of the major obstacles to enable the full performance of ß-Ga2O3-based devices. A promising solution for this problem is to integrate ß-Ga2O3 with a diamond heat sink. However, the thermal properties of the ß-Ga2O3/diamond heterostructures after the interfacial bonding have not been studied extensively, which are influenced by the crystal orientations and interfacial atoms for the ß-Ga2O3 and diamond interfaces. In this work, molecular dynamics simulations based on machine learning potential have been adopted to investigate the crystal-orientation-dependent and interfacial-atom-dependent thermal boundary resistance (TBR) of the ß-Ga2O3/diamond heterostructure after interfacial bonding. The differences in TBR at different interfaces are explained in detail through the explorations of thermal conductivity value, thermal conductivity spectra, vibration density of states, and interfacial structures. Based on the above explorations, a further understanding of the influence of different crystal orientations and interfacial atoms on the ß-Ga2O3/diamond heterostructure was achieved. Finally, insightful optimization strategies have been proposed in the study, which could pave the way for better thermal design and management of ß-Ga2O3/diamond heterostructures according to guidance in the selection of the crystal orientations and interfacial atoms of the ß-Ga2O3 and diamond interfaces.

The impact of frailty on clinical outcomes of older patients undergoing enhanced recovery after lumbar fusion surgery: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Frailty is recognized as a surrogate for physiological age and has been established as a valid and independent predictor of postoperative morbidity, mortality, and complications. ERAS can enhance surgical safety by minimizing stress responses in frail patients, enabling surgeons to discharge patients earlier. However, the question of whether and to what extent the frailty impacts the post-ERAS outcomes in older patients remains. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An evidence-based ERAS program was implemented in our center from January 2019. This is a prospective cohort study of patients aged ≥75 years who underwent open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) for degenerative spine disease from April 2019 to October 2021. Frailty was assessed with the Fried frailty scale (FP scale), and patients were categorized as non/prefrail (FP 0-2) or frail (FP ≥ 3). The preoperative variables, operative data, postoperative outcomes and follow-up information were compared between the two groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify risk factors for 90-day major complications and prolonged length of hospital stay (LOS) after surgery. RESULTS: A total of 245 patients (age of 79.8 ± 3.4 yr) who had a preoperative FP score recorded and underwent scheduled TLIF surgery were included in the final analysis. Comparisons between non-frail and prefrail/frail patients revealed no significant difference in age, sex, and surgery-related variables. Even after adjusting for multiple comparisons, the association between Fried frailty and ADL-dependency, IADL-dependency, and malnutrition remained significant. Preoperative frailty was associated with increased rates of postoperative adverse events. A higher CCI grade was an independent predictor for 90-day major complications, while Fried frailty and MNA-SF scores <12 were predictive of poor postoperative recovery. CONCLUSION: Frail older patients had more adverse post-ERAS outcomes after TLIF compared to non/prefrail older patients. Continued research and multidisciplinary collaboration will be essential to refine and optimize protocols for surgical care in frail older adults.

Rapid detection of IDH mutations in gliomas by intraoperative mass spectrometry.

The development and performance of two mass spectrometry (MS) workflows for the intraoperative diagnosis of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations in glioma is implemented by independent teams at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, and Huashan Hospital, Shanghai. The infiltrative nature of gliomas makes rapid diagnosis necessary to guide the extent of surgical resection of central nervous system (CNS) tumors. The combination of tissue biopsy and MS analysis used here satisfies this requirement. The key feature of both described methods is the use of tandem MS to measure the oncometabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG) relative to endogenous glutamate (Glu) to characterize the presence of mutant tumor. The experiments i) provide IDH mutation status for individual patients and ii) demonstrate a strong correlation of 2HG signals with tumor infiltration. The measured ratio of 2HG to Glu correlates with IDH-mutant (IDH-mut) glioma (P < 0.0001) in the tumor core data of both teams. Despite using different ionization methods and different mass spectrometers, comparable performance in determining IDH mutations from core tumor biopsies was achieved with sensitivities, specificities, and accuracies all at 100%. None of the 31 patients at Mayo Clinic or the 74 patients at Huashan Hospital were misclassified when analyzing tumor core biopsies. Robustness of the methodology was evaluated by postoperative re-examination of samples. Both teams noted the presence of high concentrations of 2HG at surgical margins, supporting future use of intraoperative MS to monitor for clean surgical margins. The power of MS diagnostics is shown in resolving contradictory clinical features, e.g., in distinguishing gliosis from IDH-mut glioma.

DEPDC5 protects CD8+ T cells from ferroptosis by limiting mTORC1-mediated purine catabolism.

Peripheral CD8+ T cell number is tightly controlled but the precise molecular mechanism regulating this process is still not fully understood. In this study, we found that epilepsy patients with loss of function mutation of DEPDC5 had reduced peripheral CD8+ T cells, and DEPDC5 expression positively correlated with tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells as well as overall cancer patient survival, indicating that DEPDC5 may control peripheral CD8+ T cell homeostasis. Significantly, mice with T cell-specific Depdc5 deletion also had reduced peripheral CD8+ T cells and impaired anti-tumor immunity. Mechanistically, Depdc5-deficient CD8+ T cells produced high levels of xanthine oxidase and lipid ROS due to hyper-mTORC1-induced expression of ATF4, leading to spontaneous ferroptosis. Together, our study links DEPDC5-mediated mTORC1 signaling with CD8+ T cell protection from ferroptosis, thereby revealing a novel strategy for enhancing anti-tumor immunity via suppression of ferroptosis.

Interfacial Optimization for AlN/Diamond Heterostructures via Machine Learning Potential Molecular Dynamics Investigation of the Mechanical Properties.

AlN/diamond heterostructures hold tremendous promise for the development of next-generation high-power electronic devices due to their ultrawide band gaps and other exceptional properties. However, the poor adhesion at the AlN/diamond interface is a significant challenge that will lead to film delamination and device performance degradation. In this study, the uniaxial tensile failure of the AlN/diamond heterogeneous interfaces was investigated by molecular dynamics simulations based on a neuroevolutionary machine learning potential (NEP) model. The interatomic interactions can be successfully described by trained NEP, the reliability of which has been demonstrated by the prediction of the cleavage planes of AlN and diamond. It can be revealed that the annealing treatment can reduce the total potential energy by enhancing the binding of the C and N atoms at interfaces. The strain engineering of AlN also has an important impact on the mechanical properties of the interface. Furthermore, the influence of the surface roughness and interfacial nanostructures on the AlN/diamond heterostructures has been considered. It can be indicated that the combination of surface roughness reduction, AlN strain engineering, and annealing treatment can effectively result in superior and more stable interfacial mechanical properties, which can provide a promising solution to the optimization of mechanical properties, of ultrawide band gap semiconductor heterostructures.

Promoting Cross-Link Reaction of Polymers by the Matrix-Filler Interface Effect: Role of Coupling Agents and Intermediate Linkers.

The matrix-filler interface effect plays an important role in determining the structural stability and mechanical properties of polymer composite materials, which remain ambiguous and need to be studied. The network-forming dynamics of poly(3,3-bis (azidomethyl) oxetane-tetrahydrofuran) (PBT) at the ammonium perchlorate (AP) surface was studied by using atomistic molecular dynamics simulation, considering the additives of curing agent toluene diisocyanate (TDI), cross-linker trimethylolpropane (TMP), and coupling agent triethanolamine (TEA). The presence of the AP surface promotes chain cross-link reaction, which is attributed to the increased production of intermediate linkers formed by TDI, TMP, and TEA. The intermediate linker has three reactive sites that can react with PBT main chains to form a cross-linked structure. Owing to the strong interaction with the AP surface, the coupling agent TEA plays a dominant role in forming the intermediate linker. At the early stage of network forming (reaction ratio r < 30%), the AP surface adsorbs TEA, which leads to a maximum contact density to PBT. As r increases to 60%, the density of intermediate linkers near the AP surface reaches a maximum value. Consequently, the chain cross-link reactions between the intermediate linker and PBT main chains are enhanced as r > 60%. This work explains the micromechanism of the promotion of chain cross-link reaction by the interface effect and provides important insights on designing polymer materials with high mechanical properties.

Bacterial community analysis of the skin microbiota of cultured Chinese giant salamander infected with Ranavirus.

Skin microorganisms are an important component of host innate immunity and serve as the first line of defense against pathogenic infections. The relative abundance of bacterial species, microbial community assembly, and secretion of specific bacterial metabolites are closely associated with host health. In this study, we investigated the association between the skin microbiome and Ranavirus, and compared the bacterial community assemblage, alpha and beta diversity, and functional predictions of the skin bacterial assemblage in cultured healthy Chinese giant salamanders (Andrias davidianus) and individuals infected with Chinese giant salamander iridovirus (GSIV or ADRV). To achieve this, we employed 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The results identified Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, and Actinobacteriota as the dominant phyla in the diseased and healthy groups. Alpha diversity analysis indicated that the skin bacterial community in the diseased group exhibited no significant differences in bacterial species diversity and lower species richness compared to the healthy group. Beta diversity suggested that the two group bacterial community was quite different. Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analyze and clusters of orthologous groups of proteins (COG) function predictions revealed that changes and variations occurred in the metabolic pathways and function distribution of skin bacterial communities in two groups.

Breakdown of effective information flow in disorders of consciousness: Insights from TMS-EEG.

BACKGROUND: The complexity of the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying human consciousness is widely acknowledged, with information processing and flow originating in cortex conceived as a core mechanism of consciousness emergence. Combination of transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) is considered as a promising technique to understand the effective information flow associated with consciousness. OBJECTIVES: To investigate information flow with TMS-EEG and its relationship to different consciousness states. METHODS: We applied an effective information flow analysis by combining time-varying multivariate adaptive autoregressive model and adaptive directed transfer function on TMS-EEG data of frontal, motor and parietal cortex in patients with disorder of consciousness (DOC), including 14 vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (VS/UWS) patients, 21 minimally conscious state (MCS) patients, and 22 healthy subjects. RESULTS: TMS in DOC patients, particularly VS/UWS, induced a significantly weaker effective information flow compared to healthy subjects. The bidirectional directed information flow was lost in DOC patients with TMS of frontal, motor and parietal cortex. The interactive ROI rate of the information flow network induced by TMS of frontal and parietal cortex was significantly lower in VS/UWS than in MCS. The interactive ROI rate correlated with DOC clinical scales. CONCLUSIONS: TMS-EEG revealed a physiologically relevant correlation between TMS-induced information flow and levels of consciousness. This suggests that breakdown of effective cortical information flow serves as a viable marker of human consciousness. SIGNIFICANCE: Findings offer a unique perspective on the relevance of information flow in DOC, thus providing a novel way of understanding the physiological basis of human consciousness.

A novel mitochondria-related core gene signature to predict the prognosis and evaluate tumour microenvironment in CESC single-cell validation.

Mitochondria and their related genes (MTRGs) are pivotal in the tumour microenvironment (TME) of cervical cancer, influencing prognosis and treatment response. This study developed a prognostic model using MTRGs to predict overall survival (OS) in cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma (CESC), aiming for personalized therapy. Analysing 14 MTRGs like ISCU and NDUFA11 through techniques such as univariate Cox regression, we found that a low mitochondrial (MT) score is associated with better survival, while a high MT score predicts poorer outcomes. The TME score, particularly influenced by CD8 T cells, also correlates with prognosis, with a high score indicating favourable outcomes. The interplay between MT and TME subtypes revealed that the best prognosis is seen in patients with a low MT and high TME score. Our findings highlight the role of MTRGs as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cervical cancer, offering a novel approach to improving patient outcomes through a more nuanced understanding of mitochondrial function and immune interactions within the TME. This model presents a promising avenue for enhancing the precision of prognostic assessments in CESC.

Enhancing legibility in educational settings: Optimizing projection illuminance for varied indoor ambient illuminance.

Projectors are common display devices in the educational setting. However, dim projector lightbulbs or well-lit classrooms may cause blurriness in the projected image. To determine the optimal projection light under different ambient light conditions, the conjoint effects of projection illuminance and ambient illuminance on the legibility of projection images indoors were investigated. Participants (N = 96) were randomly assigned to one of six indoor ambient light conditions (0, 40, 80, 120, 160, and 200 lx) and performed a visual search task under several projection illuminance conditions (200, 250, 300, 350, and 400 lx). The accuracy and correct response time on the task were collected to evaluate the participants' visual performance to represent legibility. The optimal projection illuminance (high visual accuracy and fast reaction) was 400 lx (944 ANSI lumen) under all ambient light conditions. To avoid low legibility (accuracy<0.6) and maintain acceptable legibility (accuracy>0.7), the projection illuminance should be increased as the indoor ambient light increases.

Wnt5 controls splenic myelopoiesis and neutrophil functional ambivalency during DSS-induced colitis.

Neutrophils are important innate immune cells with plasticity, heterogenicity, and functional ambivalency. While bone marrow is often regarded as the primary source of neutrophil production, the roles of extramedullary production in regulating neutrophil plasticity and heterogenicity in autoimmune diseases remain poorly understood. Here, we report that the lack of wingless-type MMTV integration site family member 5 (WNT5) unleashes anti-inflammatory protection against colitis in mice, accompanied by reduced colonic CD8+ T cell activation and enhanced splenic extramedullary myelopoiesis. In addition, colitis upregulates WNT5 expression in splenic stromal cells. The ablation of WNT5 leads to increased splenic production of hematopoietic niche factors, as well as elevated numbers of splenic neutrophils with heightened CD8+ T cell suppressive capability, in part due to elevated CD101 expression and attenuated pro-inflammatory activities. Thus, our study reveals a mechanism by which neutrophil plasticity and heterogenicity are regulated in colitis through WNT5 and highlights the role of splenic neutrophil production in shaping inflammatory outcomes.

Variability of large timescale functional networks in patients with disorders of consciousness.

Objective: Most brain function assessments for disorders of consciousness (DOC) utilized quantified characteristics, measured only once, ignoring the variation of patients' brain states. The study aims to investigate the brain activities of patients with DOC from a new perspective: variability of a large timescale functional network. Methods: Forty-nine patients were enrolled in this study and performed a 1-week behavioral assessment. Subsequently, each patient received electroencephalography (EEG) recordings five times daily at 2-h intervals. Functional connectivity and networks were measured by weighted phase lag index and complex network parameters (characteristic path length, cluster coefficient, and betweenness centrality). The relative coefficient of variation (CV) of network parameters was measured to evaluate functional network variability. Results: Functional networks of patients with vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (VS/UWS) showed significantly higher segregation (characteristic path length) and lower centrality (betweenness centrality) than emerging from the minimal conscious state (EMCS) and minimal conscious state (MCS), as well as lower integration (cluster coefficient) than MCS. The functional networks of VS/UWS patients consistently presented the highest variability in segregation and integration (i.e., highest CV values of characteristic path length and cluster coefficient) on a larger time scale than MCS and EMCS. Moreover, the CV values of characteristic path length and cluster coefficient showed a significant inverse correlation with the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised scores (CRS-R). The CV values of network betweenness centrality, particularly of the cento-parietal region, showed a positive correlation with the CRS-R. Conclusion: The functional networks of VS/UWS patients present the most invariant segregation and integration but divergent centrality on the large time scale networks than MCS and EMCS. Significance: The variations observed within large timescale functional networks significantly correlate with the degree of consciousness impairment. This finding augments our understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms underpinning disorders of consciousness.

Upregulation of circRNA_0023685 promotes gastric cancer progression via a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction network.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been extensively studied for their critical roles as noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) in gastric cancer (GC). In this study, we focused on the expression, function and molecular mechanism of circRNA_0023685 in gastric cancer (GC) to provide new ways for the diagnosis and treatment of GC. Firstly, a novel differentially expressed circRNA, circRNA_0023685, was identified, and its differential expression in GC plasma, tissue, and cell lines was further verified by RT-qPCR. Next, circRNA_0023685 was verified to promote the proliferation, migration and apoptosis of GC cells in vitro. CircRNA_0023685 was also proved to enhance the growth of GC tumors in xenograft models. Finally, for excavating the mechanism to promote GC, downstream microRNAs (miRNAs) and mRNAs were screened by bioinformatics analyses. After intersecting the target genes and genes enriched in GO analysis, a circRNA competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) network was built. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was then constructed to find the candidate gene, APP. Our study confirmed that the highly expressed circRNA_0023685 could promote GC, which provided a new clinical diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for GC.

The dual built-in electric fields across CoS/MoS2 heterojunctions for energy-saving hydrogen production coupled with sulfion degradation.

Substituting the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction with the sulfur oxidation reaction can significantly reduce energy consumption and eliminate environmental pollutants during hydrogen generation. However, the progress of this technology has been hindered due to the lack of cost-effective, efficient, and durable electrocatalysts. In this study, we present the design and construction of a hierarchical metal sulfide catalyst with a gradient structure comprising nanoparticles, nanosheets, and microparticles. This was achieved through a structure-breaking sulfuration strategy, resulting in a "ball of yarn"-like core/shell CoS/MoS2 microflower with CoS/MoS2/CoS dual-heterojunctions. The difference in work functions between CoS and MoS2 induces an electron polarization effect, creating dual built-in electric fields at the hierarchical interfaces. This effectively modulates the adsorption behavior of catalytic intermediates, thereby reducing the energy barrier for catalytic reactions. The optimized catalyst exhibits outstanding electrocatalytic performance for both the hydrogen evolution reaction and the sulfur oxidation reaction. Remarkably, in the assembled electrocatalytic coupling system, it only requires a cell voltage of 0.528 V at 10 mA cm-2 and maintains long-term durability for over 168 h. This work presents new opportunities for low-cost hydrogen production and environmentally friendly sulfion recycling.

Breakdown of oscillatory effective networks in disorders of consciousness.

INTRODUCTION: Combining transcranial magnetic stimulation with electroencephalography (TMS-EEG), oscillatory reactivity can be measured, allowing us to investigate the interaction between local and distant cortical oscillations. However, the extent to which human consciousness is related to these oscillatory effective networks has yet to be explored. AIMS: We tend to investigate the link between oscillatory effective networks and brain consciousness, by monitoring the global transmission of TMS-induced oscillations in disorders of consciousness (DOC). RESULTS: A cohort of DOC patients was included in this study, which included 28 patients with a minimally conscious state (MCS) and 20 patients with vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (VS/UWS). Additionally, 25 healthy controls were enrolled. The oscillatory reactivity to single-pulse TMS of the frontal, sensorimotor and parietal cortex was measured using event-related spectral perturbation of TMS-EEG. The temporal-spatial properties of the oscillatory reactivity were illustrated through life time, decay gradients and accumulative power. In DOC patients, an oscillatory reactivity was observed to be temporally and spatially suppressed. TMS-EEG of DOC patients showed that the oscillations did not travel as far in healthy controls, in terms of both temporal and spatial dimensions. Moreover, cortical theta reactivity was found to be a reliable indicator in distinguishing DOC versus healthy controls when TMS of the parietal region and in distinguishing MCS versus VS/UWS when TMS of the frontal region. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised scores of the DOC patients and the cortical theta reactivity. CONCLUSIONS: The findings revealed a breakdown of oscillatory effective networks in DOC patients, which has implications for the use of TMS-EEG in DOC evaluation and offers a neural oscillation viewpoint on the neurological basis of human consciousness.

Prognostic value of fatty acid metabolism-related genes in colorectal cancer and their potential implications for immunotherapy.

Introduction: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common gastrointestinal cancers and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Although colonoscopy screening has greatly improved the early diagnosis of colorectal cancer, its recurrence and metastasis are still significant problems. Tumour cells usually have the hallmark of metabolic reprogramming, while fatty acids play important roles in energy storage, cell membrane synthesis, and signal transduction. Many pathways of fatty acid metabolism (FAM) are involved in the occurrence and development of colon cancer, and the complex molecular interaction network contains a variety of genes encoding key enzymes and related products. Methods: Clinical information and RNA sequencing data were collected from TCGA and GEO databases. The prognosis model of colon cancer was constructed by LASSO-Cox regression analysis among the selected fatty acid metabolism genes with differential expression. Nomogram for the prognosis model was also constructed in order to analyze its value in evaluating the survival and clinical stage of the colon cancer patients. The differential expression of the selected genes was verified by qPCR and immunohistochemistry. GSEA and GSVA were used to analyze the enrichment pathways for high- and low-risk groups. CIBERSORT was used to analyze the immune microenvironment of colon cancer and to compare the infiltration of immune cells in the high- and low-risk groups. The "circlize" package was used to explore the correlation between the risk score signature and immunotherapy for colon cancer. Results: We analysed the differential expression of 704 FAM-related genes between colon tumour and normal tissue and screened 10 genes with prognostic value. Subsequently, we constructed a prognostic model for colon cancer based on eight optimal FAM genes through LASSO Cox regression analysis in the TCGA-COAD dataset, and its practicality was validated in the GSE39582 dataset. Moreover, the risk score calculated based on the prognostic model was validated as an independent prognostic factor for colon cancer patients. We further constructed a nomogram composed of the risk score signature, age and American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage for clinical application. The colon cancer cohort was divided into high- and low-risk groups according to the optimal cut-off value, and different enrichment pathways and immune microenvironments were depicted in the groups. Discussion: Since the risk score signature was significantly correlated with the expression of immune checkpoint molecules, the prognostic model might be able to predict the immunotherapy response of colon cancer patients. In summary, our findings expand the prognostic value of FAM-related genes in colon cancer and provide evidence for their application in guiding immunotherapy.

Electromechanical Performance Optimization of Ni-Doped Bi(Sc, Zr)O3-PbTiO3 Ceramics and Microstructure Analysis.

BiScO3-PbTiO3-based ceramics show great potential in high-temperature piezoelectric applications. However, their high dielectric loss tan δ and low mechanical quality factor Qm have to be optimized. In this paper, a ceramic system of (1-y)Bi(Sc0.975Zr0.025)O3-yPb(Ti1-xNix)O3 (BSZ-yPT-xNi, x = 0, 0.015, 0.025, and 0.035 and y = 0.62, 0.63, 0.64, and 0.65) was systematically investigated. Increase in x or y values leads to the enhancement of the tetragonal phase and tetragonal lattice distortion. The rhombohedral/tetragonal morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) locates in the vicinity of y = 0.64 for the x = 0 and 0.015 samples, and y = 0.63 for the x = 0.025 and 0.035 samples. For these MPB samples, the substitution of Ni2+ for Ti4+ causes domain refinement, evolving from the submicrometer lamellar domains to hierarchical domains, and finally to the high-density stripe-like nanodomains, which benefits the domain wall motion and makes the coercive field reduced. However, the alignment of defect dipoles (NiTi''-VO••) after the sufficient poling and aging treatment induces the noticeable internal bias field, which increases with the addition of Ni2+. Apparent piezoelectric "hardening" occurred, evidenced by the increase in Qm and the reduction in tan δ. Among the MPB samples, the x = 0.025/y = 0.63 ceramic shows the superior comprehensive electromechanical performance with the d33 of 380 pC/N, kt of 0.51, Qm of 112, and tan δ of 0.010. Besides, excellent temperature stability was achieved with the d33 of 367-380 pC/N, Qm of 106-112, and tan δ ≤ 0.010 in the temperature range of 25-250 °C.

Effects of reduced-protein diets with protease supplementation on growth, carcass yield, intestinal morphology, organ development, nutrient digestibility, and blood biochemical of broiler chickens.

This study was conducted to evaluate growth performance, carcass yield, intestinal morphology, organ development, nutrient digestibility, and blood biochemical parameters of broiler fed 1% reduced-protein diets with/without protease supplementation. A total of 1,120 one-day-old male broiler chickens with average initial body weight (BW), 46.45 ±â€…0.49 g, were divided into five groups with seven replications and 32 birds per replication. The treatment varied according to the protein and protease enzyme levels: positive control (PC), negative control (NC, PC with reduction of 1% protein), PC supplemented with 50 g/t protease (PC + 50), NC supplemented with 50 g/t protease (NC + 50), and NC supplemented with 100 g/t protease (NC + 100). The results showed that there was no significant effect of 1% reduced-protein diets, with or without protease on feed intake, final BW, average daily gain, feed conversion ratio, and nutrient digestibility. The changes in dietary protein level and supplementation of protease did not affect carcass yield, but significantly affected abdominal fat content, PC + 50 group had significantly lower abdominal fat content than NC-based diet including NC, NC + 50, NC + 100. Reduced-protein with protease supplementation strongly affected organ weight, especially on day 21: the pancreas was heavier in PC and NC + 50 group than other groups, spleen was heaver in NC group than in NC + 100 group, thymus was heavier in NC + 50 group than in PC, NC and NC + 100 group, small intestine was heavier in NC + 50 and NC + 100 group than in PC group, and large intestine was also heavier in NC + 50 group than in NC group. Villus height sampled at 35-d was significantly increased with protease supplement, and which was significantly higher in NC + 100 group than NC group. Regarding on blood metabolites, only urea and uric acid were affected by the reduction of dietary protein, broiler fed PC diet had higher urea and uric acid content than fed NC diet. In conclusion, supplementation of 50 g/t protease in 1% reduced-protein diets does not negatively affect on growth, nutrient digestibility, carcass yield, organ development, and blood metabolites. Moreover, supplementation of protease in low-protein diet could effectively promote organ development and benefit intestine morphology.

Characterization and Expression Analysis of Genes from Megalobrama amblycephala Encoding Hemoglobins with Extracellular Microbicidal Activity.

Hemoglobin (Hb) usually comprises two α and two ß subunits, forming a tetramer responsible for oxygen transportation and storage. Few studies have elucidated fish hemoglobin immune functions. Megalobrama amblycephala is a freshwater-cultured fish prevalent in China. We identified two M. amblycephala hemoglobin subunits and analyzed their expression patterns and antibacterial activities. The respective full-length cDNA sequences of the M. amblycephala Hb α (MaHbα) and ß (MaHbß) subunits were 588 and 603 bp, encoding 143 and 148 amino acids. MaHbα and MaHbß were highly homologous to hemoglobins from other fish, displaying typical globin-like domains, most heme-binding sites, and tetramer interface regions highly conserved in teleosts. In phylogenetic analyses, the hemoglobin genes from M. amblycephala and other cypriniformes clustered into one branch, and those from other fishes and mammals clustered into other branches, revealing fish hemoglobin conservation. These M. amblycephala Hb subunits exhibit different expression patterns in various tissues and during development. MaHbα is mainly expressed in the blood and brain, while MaHbß gene expression is highest in the muscle. MaHbα expression was detectable and abundant post-fertilization, with levels fluctuating during the developmental stages. MaHbß expression began at 3 dph and gradually increased. Expression of both M. amblycephala Hb subunits was down-regulated in most examined tissues and time points post-Aeromonas hydrophila infection, which might be due to red blood cell (RBC) and hematopoietic organ damage. Synthetic MaHbα and MaHbß peptides showed excellent antimicrobial activities, which could inhibit survival and growth in five aquatic pathogens. Two M. amblycephala hemoglobin subunits were identified, and their expression patterns and antibacterial activities were analyzed, thereby providing a basis for the understanding of evolution and functions of fish hemoglobins.

Analyzing the impact and mechanism of bisphenol A on testicular lipid metabolism in Gobiocypris rarus through integrated lipidomics and transcriptomics.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most common environmental endocrine chemicals, known for its estrogenic effects that can interfere with male spermatogenesis. Lipids play crucial roles in sperm production, capacitation, and motility as important components of the sperm plasma membrane. However, limited research has explored whether BPA affects lipid metabolism in the testes of male fish and subsequently impacts spermatogenesis. In this study, we employed Gobiocypris rarus rare minnow as a research model and exposed them to environmentally relevant concentrations of BPA (15 µg/L) for 5 weeks. We assessed sperm morphology and function and analyzed changes in testicular lipid composition and transcriptomics. The results demonstrated a significant increase in the sperm head membrane damage rate, along with reduced sperm motility and fertilization ability due to BPA exposure. Lipidomics analysis revealed that BPA increased the content of 11 lipids while decreasing the content of 6 lipids in the testes, particularly within glycerophospholipids, glycerolipids, and sphingolipid subclasses. Transcriptomics results indicated significant up-regulation in pathways such as cholesterol metabolism, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling, and fat digestion and absorption, with significant alterations in key genes related to lipid metabolism, including apolipoprotein A-I, apolipoprotein C-I, and translocator protein. These findings suggest that BPA exposure can induce testicular lipid metabolism disruption in rare minnows, potentially resulting in abnormalities in rare minnow spermatogenesis.