Dim blue light at night worsens high-fat diet-induced kidney damage via increasing corticosterone levels and modulating the expression of circadian clock genes.

Obesity is a contributing factor that increases the likelihood of developing chronic kidney disease. In recent years, studies have found that light pollution worldwide promoted obesity, which was known to be a consequence of circadian rhythm disruption. Nevertheless, the impact of light pollution on kidney disease associated with obesity remains mostly unknown, and potential processes have been minimally investigated.

β-Triketones from Leptospermum scoparium (mānuka) oil show potential as scabicides.

Background: Scabies is a debilitating and neglected infectious disease with limited effective treatment options and affecting millions of people worldwide, mainly in poor and overcrowded settings. Essential oils from Australasian Myrtaceae are known to have parasiticidal properties, often attributed to the presence of β-triketones, which are known inhibitors of the tyrosine catabolism pathway through inhibition of hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD).

Purpose: In this study, essential oils from mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium) were evaluated in vitro for miticidal and ovicidal activities and their active β-triketone constituents (flavesone, leptospermone, and isoleptospermone) were identified.

Isatidis root polysaccharides ameliorates post-weaning diarrhea by promoting intestinal health and modulating the gut microbiota in piglets.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary isatidis root polysaccharide (IRP) on diarrhea, immunity, and intestinal health in weanling piglets. Forty healthy piglets were randomly assigned to five groups receiving varying dosages of IRP. The findings indicated that different concentrations of IRP significantly reduced diarrhea scores ( < 0.

Metagenomic Sequencing of Tomato Plants with Wilt Symptoms Allows for Strain-Level Pathogen Identification and Genome-Based Characterization.

Diseases that affect the vascular system or the pith are of great economic impact since they can rapidly destroy the affected plants, leading to complete loss in production. Fast and precise identification is thus important to inform containment and management, but many identification methods are slow because they are culture-dependent and they do not reach strain resolution. Here we used culture-independent long-read metagenomic sequencing of DNA extracted directly from stems of two tomato samples that displayed wilt symptoms.

Whole genome sequences of nine Taylorella equigenitalis strains isolated in the Czech Republic between 1982-2021: Molecular dating suggests a common ancestor at the time of Roman Empire.

Taylorella equigenitalis is the causative agent of sexually transmitted contagious equine metritis. Infections manifest as cervicitis, vaginitis and endometritis and cause temporary infertility and miscarriages of mares. While previous studies have analyzed this organism for various parameters, the evolutionary dynamics of this pathogen, including the emergence of antibiotic resistance, remains unresolved.

Quantitative expression of estrogen, progesterone and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 and their correlation with immunohistochemistry in breast cancer at Uganda Cancer Institute.

The detection of Estrogen Receptor (ER), Progesterone Receptor (PR), and Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) is important for the stratification of breast cancer and the selection of therapeutic modalities. This study aimed to determine the quantitative expression of ER, PR and HER-2 using Immunohistochemistry and their correlation with quantitative baseline Ct values measured using Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). This study also assessed the use of fresh breast tissue biopsies preserved in RNAlater solution in the quantitative detection of these receptors using PCR technique.

Progress in antileishmanial drugs: Mechanisms, challenges, and prospects.

Leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease caused by Leishmania parasites, continues to pose global health challenges. Current treatments face issues like resistance, safety, efficacy, and cost. This review covers the discovery, mechanisms of action, clinical applications, and limitations of key antileishmanial agents: pentavalent antimonials, amphotericin B, miltefosine, paromomycin, and pentamidine.

miRNA-328-3p regulates ZO-1 expression and inhibits PEDV proliferation via the PLC-β1-PKC pathway.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a significant pathogen affecting swine, causing severe economic losses worldwide. This study explores the regulatory role of miRNA-328-3p to ZO-1 expression and its impact on PEDV proliferation via the PLC-β1-PKC pathway in IPEC-J2 cells. We found that miRNA-328-3p can target ZO-1, influencing its expression and subsequently affecting the integrity of tight junctions in the cells.

Canine mammary tumors as a promising adjunct preclinical model for human breast cancer research: similarities, opportunities, and challenges.

Despite significant progress in the field of human breast cancer research and treatment, there is a consistent increase in the incidence rate of 0.5 percent annually, posing challenges in the development of effective novel therapeutic strategies. The failure rate of drugs in clinical trials stands at approximately 95%, primarily attributed to the limitations and lack of reliability of existing preclinical models, such as mice, which do not mimic human tumor biology.

Particle size of wheat straw from genetically improved wheat affects the production performance and feeding behavior of Sahiwal cows.

The current study was designed to evaluate the effect of particle size (PS) and inclusion level of wheat straw (WS) obtained from genetically improved wheat on the performance and feeding behavior of Sahiwal cows. Twelve multiparous, mid-lactating Sahiwal cows (DIM 135 ± 25, mean ± SD; 12.8 ± 1.

Identification of immune suppressor candidates utilizing comparative transcriptional profiling in histiocytic sarcoma.

Histiocytic sarcoma (HS) is a rare yet lethal malignancy with no established standard of care therapies. A lack of pre-clinical models limits our understanding of HS pathogenesis and identification of therapeutic targets. Canine HS shares multiple clinical and genetic similarities with human HS, supporting its use as a unique translational model.

Isolation of the feline herpesvirus-1 modified live vaccine strain F2 from one of four cats with dendritic ulcers.

Objectives: To investigate the pathogenicity of feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1) to the cornea, FHV-1 strains isolated from feline eyes with dendritic ulcers were subjected to genomic analysis to determine whether FHV-1 vaccine strains are involved in the formation of dendritic ulcers.

Methods: All open reading frame (ORF) sequences of the three F2 strains (Virbac, Intervet and Merial) and the FHV-1 clinical isolates from cats registered in GenBank were compared to detect nucleotide variants unique to the F2 strains, with those nucleotides then being used for simple genotyping of the F2 strains. In all isolates from feline eyes with dendritic ulcers, the regions including nucleotide variants of the F2 strain were amplified with PCR and sequenced.

Cardiovascular changes in Persian cats with polycystic kidney disease: a study of cardiac troponin I, echocardiography and blood pressure.

Objectives: Cardiovascular complications are well known in humans with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (PKD), but limited data exist for cats. This study aimed to assess echocardiographic changes, cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels and systolic blood pressure (SBP) in Persian cats with PKD to detect early cardiac abnormalities.

Methods: In total, 52 Persian and mixed-Persian cats were enrolled, with 26 cats in the control group and 26 diagnosed with PKD via ultrasound due to the unavailability of genetic testing.

Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: Current treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD) lack disease-modifying interventions. Hence, novel therapies capable of restraining AD progression and maintaining better brain function for extended periods after the initial diagnosis have great significance. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) from human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neural stem cells (NSCs) are attractive in this context due to their robust antiinflammatory properties.

Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: The Apolipoprotein-E (APOE) ε4 gene variant is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's Disease, but is not entirely predictive. Emerging evidence suggests environmental factors contribute to disease etiology, with epidemiological studies associating pesticide exposure with lower cognitive scores. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), a pesticide used extensively in the US until 1972, persists in trace amounts due to its long half-life, bioaccumulation, and existing dumpsites.

Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by cognitive decline and increased seizure susceptibility due to brain damage and neural disruptions. This study examines the relationship between cognitive deterioration and seizure pathology in hAPP-J20 transgenic Alzheimer's mice, a model known for amyloid plaque deposition and heightened seizure activity.

Method: We observed hAPP-J20 mice aged 8 to 28 weeks using long-term wireless telemetry to assess hippocampal local field potential, sampled at 2 kHz.

Human Footprint and Forest Disturbance Reduce Space Use of Brown Bears (Ursus arctos) Across Europe.

Three-quarters of the planet's land surface has been altered by humans, with consequences for animal ecology, movements and related ecosystem functioning. Species often occupy wide geographical ranges with contrasting human disturbance and environmental conditions, yet, limited data availability across species' ranges has constrained our understanding of how human pressure and resource availability jointly shape intraspecific variation of animal space use. Leveraging a unique dataset of 758 annual GPS movement trajectories from 375 brown bears (Ursus arctos) across the species' range in Europe, we investigated the effects of human pressure (i.

Avian metapneumovirus subtype B in a Northern shoveler () wintering in Italy: implications for the domestic-wild bird interface?

Wild birds sampled in Italy tested for aMPV detection and characterization.aMPV-B found for the first time in a wintering Northern shoveler.Close phylogenetic relationship with aMPV-B strains circulating in Italian poultry.

Community-based snakebite risk mapping for resource prioritisation in Eastern Province, Rwanda.

Background: Snakebite envenoming is a medical emergency that requires rapid access to essential medicines and well-trained personnel. In resource-poor countries, mapping snakebite incidence can help policymakers to make evidence-based decisions for resource prioritisation. This study aimed to characterise the spatial variation in snakebite risk, and in particular to identify areas of relatively high and low risk, in Eastern Province, Rwanda.

Genetic variability in snake venom and its implications for antivenom development in sub-Saharan Africa.

Snake venom, a complex mixture of proteins, has attracted human attention for centuries due to its associated mortality, morbidity and other therapeutic properties. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where snakebites pose a significant health risk, understanding the genetic variability of snake venoms is crucial for developing effective antivenoms. The wide geographic distribution of venomous snake species in SSA countries demonstrates the need to develop specific and broad antivenoms.

A canine model of reversible urethral sphincter insufficiency.

This study developed an animal model with internal and external urethral sphincter insufficiency by bypassing the sphincter without major damage so that the animal under study can return to normal life after the study. There is a need for a reliable, applicable, and reproducible animal model for studying urinary incontinency disease due to incorrect sphincter function. Seven adult male dogs were used for this study.

Effect of ELHLD peptide for stifle function recovery after tibial plateau leveling osteotomy in dogs.

Importance: Patients with arthritis and ruptured cruciate ligaments typically require surgery. Following surgery, it is necessary to improve joint function in early stage.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of intraoperative intra-articular injection of the ELHLD peptide (L-glutamyl-L-leucyl-L-histidyl-L-leucyl-L-aspartic acid) on postoperative stifle function in patients with medial patella luxation grade 3 and osteoarthritis grade 2 undergoing tibial plateau leveling osteotomy due to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture.