Ferrihydrite level in paddy soil affects inorganic arsenic species in rice grains.

Rice is consumed by ∼50% of the global population, grown primarily in flooded paddy fields, and is susceptible to arsenic accumulation. Inorganic arsenic, particularly in reduced form (As(III)), is considered the most toxic and is more likely to accumulate in rice grains under flooded systems. We postulate that increased levels of highly reactive iron minerals, such as ferrihydrite, in paddy soils can regulate the bioavailability of arsenic and reduce its uptake by priming iron plaque formation.

Effect of Ipomoeassin F on the Synthesis of Membrane and Secretory Proteins in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells.

Ipomoeassin F (Ipom-F) is a natural compound that exhibits a potent cytotoxic effect on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. The mechanism underlying this selective potency remains unclear. To elucidate this mechanism, we analyzed the proteome profiles of the TNBC MDA-MB-231 cells after exposure to Ipom-F at different time points and increasing doses using a quantitative proteomic method.

Controlling the Organization and Differentiation of Human Neural Stem Cells on Hilbert Microcapillary Scaffolds Fabricated via Two-Photon Lithography.

3D scaffold architecture is critical for directing human neural stem cell (hNSC) fate and spatial organization. In this study, two-photon lithography (TPL) is used to fabricate microcapillary scaffolds based on the Hilbert space-filling curve as biomimetic basement membrane structures for guiding hippocampal-derived hNSC differentiation. The scaffolds feature 80 µm lumens with porous ellipsoidal membranes suspended above the substrate to provide topographical cues and permit nutrient diffusion while maintaining mechanical stability.

Satellite cells choreograph an immune cell-fibrogenic cell circuit during mechanical loading in geriatric skeletal muscle.

Muscle stem cells, or satellite cells (SCs), decline in number throughout the lifespan and may become senescent in very old age. Whether and how remaining SCs contribute to muscle adaptation in the oldest-old is unclear. Using acute mechanical overload in geriatric SC replete and depleted mice (28-month-old) combined with single-cell RNA-sequencing, we show: (i) subsets of geriatric SCs display signs of senescence as well as normal fate progression during overload, (ii) SCs express markers that may contribute to the regulation of innervation, (iii) the presence of SCs during overload enhances global intercellular communication and increases mRNA levels of the cell surface receptor in immune cells, (iv) macrophage migration inhibitory factor (), the primary ligand for CD74, is enriched in fibrogenic cells and is more pronounced in the absence of SCs-perhaps to normalize dysregulated fibrotic signaling and migration in macrophages, and (v) SCs influence cell fate dynamics to promote the canonical macrophage response to hypertrophic loading.

Risks and uncertainty associated with prices set by equine boarding facility owners.

Equine boarding facilities provide critical care for a large portion of the U.S. equine population, yet rising input costs challenge facility owners' ability to maintain services without adjusting fees.

Pine fruit activated carbon modified with CuCoSe for the application in high-performance battery-type supercapacitor.

Biomass has attracted considerable interest in the field of energy storage because of its outstanding characteristics, such as superior charge transport ability, affordability, eco-friendly, structural versatility, and renewability. Moreover, biomass-derived activated carbons, combined with pseudocapacitive materials, have recently gained popularity as efficient electrochemical components for energy storage devices. In this study, activated carbon was prepared from pinecone flowers as the biomass precursor through a process involving alkaline treatment and pyrolytic carbonization in an inert gas environment.

Hybrid greylag goose and particle swarm optimization for early detection of Parkinson's disease from speech features.

Parkinson's disease is brought on by a disturbance in the functions of the brain cells that are responsible for the production of dopamine, which is a chemical that enables brain cells to interact with one another. The cells in the brain responsible for the production of dopamine are the ones in charge of the regulation, adaptability, and fluency of movements. When sixty to eighty percent of these cells are gone, there is a lack of sufficient dopamine production, which makes Parkinson's motor symptoms manifest.

Citation Ethics: An Exploratory Survey of Norms and Behaviors.

The ethics of citation has attracted increased attention in recent discussions of research and publication ethics, fraud and plagiarism. Little attempt has been made, however, to situate specific citation misbehaviors in terms of broader ethical practices and principles. To investigate researchers' perceptions of citation norms, we surveyed active US researchers receiving federal funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

Effects of Dietary Inclusion of Tannin-Based Supplements on Performance and Health of Yearling Beef Heifers Grazing Toxic, Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue.

This study evaluated dietary inclusion of tannin-based feed additives on heifer performance and physiological measures associated with fescue toxicosis and vaccine response. Forty-five yearling beef heifers (292.6 ± 29.

Multi-Omics Reveals Aberrant Phenotypes of Respiratory Microbiome and Phospholipidomics Associated with Asthma-Related Inflammation.

Respiratory microbiota and lipids are closely associated with airway inflammation. This study aimed to analyze the correlations among the respiratory microbiome, the airway glycerophospholipid-sphingolipid profiles, and airway inflammation in patients with asthma. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 61 patients with asthma and 17 healthy controls.

Effects of Light Wavelength on Broiler Performance, Blood Cell Profiles, Stress Levels, and Tibiotarsi Morphology.

Lighting influences broiler production, health, and behavior. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of three light wavelengths (White [350-780 nm], Blue [450 nm], and Green [560 nm]) on broiler production, activity, fear, stress, blood cell profiles, and tibiotarsi (tibia) morphology. Day-of-hatch male broiler chicks (N = 600) were housed in pens (N = 12) with one lighting treatment for 42 days.

Genetic and Environmental Factors Contributing to the Pathogenesis of Vertebral Osteomyelitis Caused by in Broiler Chicken.

(EC) is the primary cause of Vertebral Osteomyelitis (VO) in poultry, characterized by a hock-sitting posture with legs extended forward. The disease begins with intestinal colonization, where pathogenic strains of establish themselves in the gut within the first week of a bird's lifecycle and translocate to the bloodstream later, reaching the organs, which finally infect the birds' Free Thoracic Vertebrae (FTV). Several factors contribute to the initiation and progression of the disease.

Cheating death: selection on digestive physiology overcomes expected growth costs of anti-predator defenses.

Organisms often face a fundamental trade-off between growth and predator avoidance, where traits that enhance growth - such as higher activity rates - also increase predation risk. While many species reduce activity in response to predators, potentially constraining growth, this trade-off can be mitigated if alternative traits, such as resource digestive efficiency, compensate for reduced activity. Such trait compensation could enable organisms to minimize growth costs while evading predators.

An Adaptive Force Matching Potential for Alanine Developed with Møller-Plesset Perturbation Theory and Smooth Fourier Transform Correction Map.

Developing accurate force fields for biomolecules remains a significant challenge due to the subtle energetic differences between various conformational states. We present a novel force field model for polyalanine, ALAMP2_25, developed using adaptive force matching (AFM) with Møller-Plesset perturbation theory at the second order (MP2) as the reference method. By fitting smaller model compounds and transferring parameters to larger peptides, we overcome the limitations of traditional AFM approaches and enable the use of more accurate electronic structure methods.

Understanding and predicting flossing behavior in a rural Appalachian community using the multi-theory model.

Effective flossing is essential for preventing periodontal disease. However, in a rural Appalachian community, adherence to flossing routines remains low, contributing to significant oral health disparities. The purpose of this study was to conceptualize intention of initiation and sustenance of flossing behaviors using the multi-theory model (MTM) of health behavior change.

Electrical impedance myography as a marker of muscle mass in rats with simulated Anorexia Nervosa.

Motivation: Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is characterized by a severe reduction in caloric intake resulting in substantial weight loss. Methods to evaluate muscle loss specifically during AN or following a weight recovery intervention are difficult to administer and expensive.

Purpose: To evaluate the utility of electrical impedance myography (EIM) to assess changes to muscle mass during simulated AN and different durations of weight recovery in rats.

Rising Environmental Inequalities and Their Relationship to Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in the US Southwest.

The US Southwest, the hottest and driest region in the US, faces significant climate-coupled challenges to sustainable development by human and natural systems. This study examines how inequalities in race and ethnicity have shifted with climate impact, analyzing disparities in socioeconomic conditions, remote sensing-based environmental metrics, and environmental changes (2000-2020). Results reveal widespread racial and ethnic disparities in social and environmental conditions.

Comparison of relative calcium bioavailability based on bone ash and apparent ileal Ca digestibility in broiler chickens.

Two experiments were conducted to determine relative Ca bioavailability based on bone ash and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of Ca in reagent-grade calcium carbonate (RCaCO) and RCaCO + phytic acid in commercial broiler chickens. In Experiment 1, relative Ca bioavailability of RCaCO and RCaCO + phytic acid was determined in ad libitum-fed broiler chickens using the slope-ratio method. Dietary treatments were corn-soybean meal-based diets.

Novel Nanomaterials for Developing Bone Scaffolds and Tissue Regeneration.

Nanotechnologies bring a rapid paradigm shift in hard and soft bone tissue regeneration (BTR) through unprecedented control over the nanoscale structures and chemistry of biocompatible materials to regenerate the intricate architecture and functional adaptability of bone. This review focuses on the transformative analyses and prospects of current and next-generation nanomaterials in designing bioactive bone scaffolds, emphasizing hierarchical architecture, mechanical resilience, and regenerative precision. Mainly, this review elucidated the innovative findings, new capabilities, unmet challenges, and possible future opportunities associated with biocompatible inorganic ceramics (e.

Promoting mitochondrial fusion is protective against cancer-induced muscle detriments in males and females.

Background: Skeletal muscle atrophy during cancer-induced cachexia remains a significant challenge in cancer management. Mitochondrial defects precede muscle mass and functional losses in models of cancer cachexia (CC). We hypothesized targeting Opa1-a key regulator of mitochondrial fusion-can attenuate LLC-induced CC outcomes.

Comprehensive screening of common bean () germplasm reveals diverse resistance to soybean cyst nematode across multiple HG Types.

This report summarizes evaluation of 1,220 USDA germplasm accessions of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) for resistance to soybean cyst nematode (SCN, Heterodera glycines) across eight SCN populations (representing five HG Types) conducted in Minnesota (MN), Illinois (IL), and North Dakota (ND). Of the 694 accessions tested with replicated plants in MN, 90 were identified as resistant (FI < 10), and 260 as moderately resistant (10 ≤ FI < 30) to one or more SCN populations. Incorporating published data from studies in IL and ND along with all MN data, 250 accessions exhibited resistance (FI < 10), and 500 showed either resistance or moderate resistance (FI < 30) across different SCN populations.

Productive energy, as determined by Arkansas net energy, predicts broiler processing weights, carcass market value, and gross profit.

This study assessed the sensitivity of Productive Energy (PE) to breast meat production, feed efficiency, and broiler economics, developed models for processing traits and economics, and examined economics dynamics. The experimental design involved 96 pens, 12 per block and eight blocks, with each pen within block receiving one of 12 dietary treatments for one week. Treatment diets, varying in amino acid concentrations, starch, and energy densities, were control-fed.

Tip-induced nanoscale engineering of surface potential and conductivity in GeSn alloys.

This study investigates the manipulation of the electronic properties of GeSn alloys at the nanoscale by applying electric fields between an atomic force microscope (AFM) tip and the surface of GeSn films grown on Ge/Si substrates. Local changes in work function (WF) and resistivity were observed by Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy and Scanning Spread Resistance Microscopy and were associated with an increased Sn content in the near-surface region within patterns produced by the AFM tip. The effect is explained by the poor stability of GeSn layers, making possible the diffusion of Sn toward the surface, driven by high electric fields near the AFM tip under combined alternating current and direct current biases.

Improved vectors for retron-mediated CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

In vivo site-directed mutagenesis is a powerful genetic tool for testing the effects of specific alleles in their normal genomic context. While the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae possesses classical tools for site-directed mutagenesis, more efficient recent CRISPR-based approaches use Cas 'cutting' combined with homologous recombination of a 'repair' template that introduces the desired edit. However, current approaches are limited for fully prototrophic yeast strains, and rely on relatively low efficiency cloning of short gRNAs.

Targeted Delivery of Rapamycin via Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors in Pancreatic Cancer Cells Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is aggressive and deadly; most PC cells overexpress an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). EGFR-targeting peptide (GE11) was conjugated to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for delivering rapamycin (Rap), an mTOR inhibitor that reduces proliferation and induces apoptosis. Biophysical techniques confirmed the conjugation.