Sex differences in reward-based operant conditioning performance and neurotransmitter changes following chronic sleep restriction stress in rats.

Background: Sleep deprivation significantly impairs cognitive function, which disrupts daily life. However, sex differences in these impairments are not well understood, as most preclinical studies primarily use male animals, neglecting potential differences between sexes. This study aims to investigate sex-specific differences in cognitive function under sleep deprivation using reward-based operant conditioning tasks.

Diapause hormone receptor affects larval growth and embryonic development in the multivoltine strain of Bombyx mori.

Diapause is a programmed developmental arrest process in insects. Diapause can occur at various stages of insect development and is frequently restricted to a specific developmental stage within a single species. In Bombyx mori, embryonic diapause is elicited by the diapause hormone (DH) and DH receptor (DHR) in diapause strains.

Krill oil for knee osteoarthritis: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis, a prevalent musculoskeletal disorder, significantly impacts global health and quality of life. Unfortunately, there is no disease modifying osteoarthritis drugs until now. Krill oil is being explored as a potential alternative, however its efficacy in managing knee symptoms remains unclear.

Phylogeny and taxonomy of the polyploid species that contain St genome (Triticeae; Poaceae) based on four nuclear DNA and three chloroplast genes.

Background: The genus Pseudoroegneria (Nevski) Á.Löve contributes the St genome for more than 60% of perennial Triticeae species. However, the strong dominant character of the St genome makes it challenging to distinguish each species and/or even genus based on single or combined morphological traits.

Lactobacillus delbrueckii Alleviate Oxidative Stress and Intestinal Injuries by Activating TLR2 and TLR4 Expressions in IPEC-J2 Cells.

Reducing the negative impact of oxidative stress (OS) on weaned piglets is crucial for the further development of the pig industry. Our previous studies found that Lactobacillus delbrueckii (LAB) can alleviate OS and protect intestinal health by activating TLR2 and TLR4 expressions in weaned piglets. This research aimed to verify whether LAB can alleviate OS and intestinal barrier injuries in IPEC-J2 cells by activating TLR2 and TLR4.

A survey of multilingual large language models.

Multilingual large language models (MLLMs) leverage advanced large language models to process and respond to queries across multiple languages, achieving significant success in polyglot tasks. Despite these breakthroughs, a comprehensive survey summarizing existing approaches and recent developments remains absent. To this end, this paper presents a unified and thorough review of the field, highlighting recent progress and emerging trends in MLLM research.

Low-Concentration Flame-Retardant PC-Based Electrolytes for Wide-Temperature and High-Voltage Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Propylene carbonate (PC) is regarded as a promising solvent for replacing ethylene carbonate due to its high dielectric constant and wide working temperature range. However, the co-intercalation behavior between PC and Li on graphite poses limitations to its further application. In this study, a weakly solvating solvent of methyl trifluoromethyl carbonate (FEMC) and lithium bis(oxalato)difluorophosphate (LiDODFP) synergistically enable reversible cycling of low-concentration PC-based electrolytes on graphite.

Solid waste management and resource recovery during the 4-crew 180-day CELSS integrated experiment.

In order to explore the management and treatment methods of solid waste in the Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) of future lunar bases, during the 4-crew 180-day integrated experiment, the Solid Waste Management and Treatment System (SWMTS) was built, in which the treatment of recyclable solid waste such as inedible plant parts and human excrement was completed through a combination of biological aerobic composting and high-temperature oxidation. Basic data on the types and amounts of solid waste generated during the 4-crew 180-day experiment mission were obtained. There were six types of solid wastes, including the work support wastes, the household support wastes, the plant cultivation wastes, the plant-based wastes, and crew feces.

Modification of spore shells into probiotic carriers: selective loading and colonic delivery of and effective therapy of inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammation with a high incidence rate. Many probiotics, including (), have shown promise in IBD treatment. The therapeutic effects of most probiotics are greatly decided by the available live cells in the disease lesion, which is compromised as they pass through the gastric juice and intestinal tract, resulting in a loss of activity.

Effects of Long-Term Fasting on Gut Microbiota, Serum Metabolome, and Their Association in Male Adults.

Background: Long-term fasting demonstrates greater therapeutic potential and broader application prospects in extreme environments than intermittent fasting.

Method: This pilot study of 10-day complete fasting (CF), with a small sample size of 13 volunteers, aimed to investigate the time-series impacts on gut microbiome, serum metabolome, and their interrelationships with biochemical indices.

Results: The results show CF significantly affected gut microbiota diversity, composition, and interspecies interactions, characterized by an expansion of the Proteobacteria phylum (about six-fold) and a decrease in Bacteroidetes (about 50%) and Firmicutes (about 34%) populations.

Tandem kinase proteins across the plant kingdom.

Plant pathogens pose a continuous threat to global food production. Recent discoveries in plant immunity research unveiled a unique protein family characterized by an unusual resistance protein structure that combines two kinase domains. This study demonstrates the widespread occurrence of tandem kinase proteins (TKPs) across the plant kingdom.

Systematic benchmarking of deep-learning methods for tertiary RNA structure prediction.

The 3D structure of RNA critically influences its functionality, and understanding this structure is vital for deciphering RNA biology. Experimental methods for determining RNA structures are labour-intensive, expensive, and time-consuming. Computational approaches have emerged as valuable tools, leveraging physics-based-principles and machine learning to predict RNA structures rapidly.

Multiple time points of transcriptome analysis revealed altered genes involved in maintaining hibernation in the hypothalamus of .

Hibernation, an adaptive mechanism to extreme environmental conditions, is prevalent among mammals. Its main characteristics include reduced body temperature and metabolic rate. However, the mechanisms by which hibernating animals re-enter deep sleep during the euthermic phase to sustain hibernation remain poorly understood.

The inhibitory impact of various total body irradiation doses on the hematopoietic system of mice.

Irradiation with X-rays has been widely utilized in the clinical treatment of solid tumors and certain hematopoietic malignancies. However, this method fails to completely distinguish between malignant and normal cells. Prolonged or repeated exposure to radiation, whether due to occupational hazards or therapeutical interventions, can cause damage to normal tissues, particularly impacting the hematopoietic system.

Ferroptosis, a therapeutic target for cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.

The identification of ferroptosis represents a pivotal advancement in the field of cell death research, revealing an entirely novel mechanism of cellular demise and offering new insights into the initiation, progression, and therapeutic management of various diseases. Ferroptosis is predominantly induced by intracellular iron accumulation, lipid peroxidation, or impairments in the antioxidant defense system, culminating in membrane rupture and consequent cell death. Studies have associated ferroptosis with a wide range of diseases, and by enhancing our comprehension of its underlying mechanisms, we can formulate innovative therapeutic strategies, thereby providing renewed hope for patients.

Evolutionary novelty of Apolipoprotein D facilitates metabolic plasticity in lepidopteran wings.

Understanding metabolic plasticity of animal evolution is a fundamental challenge in evolutionary biology. Owing to the diversification of insect wing morphology and dynamic energy requirements, the molecular adaptation mechanisms underlying the metabolic pathways in wing evolution remain largely unknown. This study reveals the pivotal role of the duplicated Apolipoprotein D (ApoD) gene in lipid and energy homeostasis in the lepidopteran wing.

Derivation of a comprehensive semi-empirical proton RBE model from published experimental cell survival data collected in the PIDE database.

We aimed to develop a comprehensive proton relative biological effectiveness (RBE) model based on accumulated cell survival data in the literature. Our approach includes four major components: (1) Eligible cell survival data with various linear energy transfers (LETs) in the Particle Irradiation Data Ensemble (PIDE) database (72 datasets in four cell lines); (2) a cell survival model based on Poisson equation, with and defined as the ability to generate and repair damage, respectively, to replace the classic linear-quadratic model for fitting the cell survival data; (3) hypothetical linear relations of and on LET, or and ; and (4) a multi-curve fitting (MCF) approach to fit all cell survival data into the survival model and derive the , , , and values for each cell line. Dependences of these parameters on cell type were thus determined and finally a comprehensive RBE model was derived.

Transplantation of fecal microbiota from different breeds improved intestinal barrier condition and modulated ileal microflora of recipient pigs.

In this study, we investigated the effects of transplanting Ningxiang pig fecal bacteria on the ileum microflora and intestinal barrier of Duroc × Landrace × Large White (DLY) pigs. Thirty-two DLY pigs at 90-d-old were equally assigned to either control groups (fed the basal diet) or test groups (fed the basal diet + 10 mL fecal microbiota suspension from Ningxiang pig). Results showed that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) did not influence the growth performance, but increased the number of ileum goblet cells and the expression level of mucin-2.

ATP-binding cassette transporter TaABCG2 contributes to Fusarium head blight resistance by mediating salicylic acid transport in wheat.

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters hydrolyse ATP to transport various substrates. Previous studies have shown that ABC transporters are responsible for transporting plant hormones and heavy metals, thus contributing to plant immunity. Herein, we identified a wheat G-type ABC transporter, TaABCG2-5B, that responds to salicylic acid (SA) treatment and is induced by Fusarium graminearum, the primary pathogen causing Fusarium head blight (FHB).