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Copyright of Veterinarska Stanica is the property of Croatian Veterinary Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Veterinarska Stanica is the property of Croatian Veterinary Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The exponential growth of genomic data in biomedical informatics has necessitated efficient computational methods to process and analyze vast datasets. Traditional computational systems often fall short in handling the scale and complexity of genomic data. This study investigates the implementation of grid computing as a scalable and cost-effective solution for genomic data processing in biomedical informatics. The research aims to evaluate the feasibility and performance of grid computing in enhancing data throughput, reducing computational latency, and improving resource utilization in genomic data workflows. The study adopts a methodological approach that integrates grid computing frameworks, such as Globus Toolkit and Apache Hadoop, into genomic data processing pipelines. Simulated genomic datasets and real-world case studies were employed to benchmark the grid computing system against conventional computational environments. The results demonstrate significant improvements in processing speed, with an average reduction of 40% in computational time, and a 25% increase in resource efficiency. Additionally, the system showcased robust scalability, handling up to 10 times larger datasets without compromising accuracy or reliability. In conclusion, the findings underscore the potential of grid computing to revolutionize genomic data processing, making it a pivotal technology in biomedical informatics. This study highlights the importance of adopting distributed computing paradigms to address the challenges posed by modern bioinformatics demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid growth of biomedical research has generated massive volumes of data, creating significant computational challenges. Traditional high-performance computing systems struggle to efficiently process, analyze, and manage such large-scale datasets. Grid computing, with its distributed architecture, offers a promising solution by enabling scalable and cost-effective data processing. This study explores the optimization of grid computing frameworks for big data processing in biomedical research, focusing on enhancing computational efficiency, scalability, and fault tolerance. The research aimed to evaluate the performance of optimized grid computing systems in processing diverse biomedical datasets, including genomic, proteomic, and imaging data. A combination of experimental and comparative approaches was employed, integrating grid computing frameworks such as Apache Hadoop and Globus Toolkit with biomedical data pipelines. Key metrics, including processing time, resource utilization, and error rates, were analyzed to assess the system's performance. The findings demonstrated that optimized grid computing systems reduced processing time by an average of 35% compared to traditional methods while maintaining high accuracy. Scalability tests confirmed the framework's ability to handle datasets up to 15 times larger without significant performance degradation. Fault tolerance improved through adaptive resource allocation, minimizing workflow interruptions. The study concludes that optimized grid computing is a transformative approach for big data processing in biomedical research. Its ability to enhance computational efficiency and scalability positions it as a crucial tool for addressing the growing data demands of modern biomedical science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pacific sardine, (Sardinops sagax), is a small, coastal pelagic species in the family Clupeidae. Sardine are ecologically important forage for many animals, and have historically supported a large commercial fishery. To expand on previous evolutionary genetic studies of population structure and to test if population structure is present in Pacific sardine was reflective of long-term processes, 434 individuals were examined ranging from Vancouver Island, British Columbia to Bahia Magdalena, Baja California, and from the Gulf of California. A 1062 bp fragment of the cytochrome b gene yielded small but significant fixation estimates of [[PHI].sub.ST] (0.01136, p = 0.032). Concordantly low fixation was observed for two [[PHI].sub.CT] groupings (0.00435, p = 0.128 and 0.00923, p = 0.021). These data support the null hypothesis of an absence of genetic structure in the Pacific sardine., Analysis of population structure is important to the study of species and to the field of evolutionary biology. Molecular analysis of populations in relation to hypothesized barriers to gene flow [...]

Most Americans, even those that consider themselves vegan, are implicated in the morally deplorable practice of harvesting and bleeding horseshoe crabs. In the U.S., the biomedical industry collects the distinctive blue blood of horseshoe crabs to test the safety of most injectable medicines, vaccines, and implantable medical devices. In 2022, the industry harvested more than 900,000 horseshoe crabs from the Atlantic coast and bled them for biomedical purposes. While most are returned to the sea afterwards, an estimated 20-35% of horseshoe crabs perish from the bleeding process, and the released survivors often suffer lasting health consequences after the removal of up to half of their blood. Currently, there is only a patchwork of federal, state, and interstate regulation addressing the taking, treatment, and use of horseshoe crabs collected for biomedical purposes. These anthropocentric regulations fall drastically short of protecting horseshoe crabs' interest in living free from human exploitation. Fortunately, recent developments may soon encourage an industry shift to a non-animal-derived alternative toxicity test. This paper argues the replacement of the horseshoe crab-dependent test, rather than improved welfare regulations, would best protect the interests of horseshoe crabs. The latter only further entrenches the exploitative biomedical horseshoe crab industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish is an important resource in Malawi as a source of food for the majority as it provides affordable source of dietary animal protein as well as income. A number of fish species in the Malawi water bodies have their population dwindling. One of the species under serious threat of extinction is the Opsaridium microlepis - a potamodromous fish species that migrate to the rivers during its spawning period and its management seems a nightmare. A number of studies reveal contrasting results on genetic makeup and morphological aspect of this fish species. With changes in the ecosystems of the rivers connecting Lake Malawi, coupled with absence of strong management measures in the major rivers adjoining the lake, problems have arisen in the conservation of potamodromous fish species. This necessitated the present study to investigate if the morphological features of stocks of O. microlepis are the same or not and if they have changed to adapt to changes in the ecosystems. One hundred and eleven O. microlepis fish samples were collected from Linthipe River (48), Bua River (59) and North Rumphi River (4) monthly from March to August 2020 using trawled and static gillnets. Twenty-four morphometric characteristics were measured to determine if any morphological differences existed among the fish samples from the three rivers. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to compare morphology of the fish. Results of the study showed no significant morphological differences among stocks from the three rivers, implying that O. microlepis in these rivers belong to same stock morphologically. The study reveals that the species do not differ morphologically even though they migrate to different rivers for breeding. The study further notes that numerous activities taking place along the tributary rivers (as observed during the study) such as modification of fishing gears as well as fishing methods and the deterioration of the spawning grounds due to siltation from soil erosion caused by deforestation and agriculture, are putting the potamodromous fish species such as O. microlepis under serious threat. The study recommends that the populations of O. microlepis from the rivers can be managed equally since they are morphologically similar. Adopting uniform catchment management and sustainable exploitation of O. microlepis (such as regulations on mesh sizes and fishing methods, closing the rivers from fishing activities during spawning period, river bank and catchment management and restoration) with the aim of conserving the stocks from further overexploitation in these rivers is recommended so that the communities and the people at large continue to utilize the resource sustainably and at the same time, sustaining their livelihood. Key words: Potamodromous, Linthipe River, Bua River, North Rumphi River, principal component analysis, INTRODUCTION Fish morphometrics are studied extensively in fisheries science [1]. Variations in fish morphology and body shape have often been described subjectively and qualitatively [2]. Such kind of morphological variations [...]

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is one of the most advanced sequencing technologies for studying transcriptome landscape at the single-cell revolution. It provides numerous advantages over traditional RNA-seq. Since it was first used to profile single-cell transcriptome in plants in 2019, it has been extensively employed to perform different research in plants. Recently, scRNA-seq was also quickly adopted by the cotton research community to solve lots of scientific questions which have been never solved. In this comment, we highlighted the significant progress in employing scRNA-seq to cotton genetic and genomic study and its future potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Play is a suite of apparently non‐functional, pleasurable behaviours observed in human and non‐human animals. Although the phenomenon has been studied extensively, no adaptationist behavioural theory of how play evolved can be supported by the available evidence. However, the advancement of the extended evolutionary synthesis and developments in systems biology offer alternative avenues for non‐adaptationist physiological hypotheses. I therefore propose a hypothesis of play, based upon a complex ACh activity that is under agential control of the organism, whereby play initiates ACh‐mediated feedforward and feedback processes which act to: (i) regulate metabolic processes; (ii) form new ACh receptors via ACh mRNA activity; (iii) mediate attention, memory consolidation and learning; and (iv) mediate social behaviours, reproduction and embryonic development. However, play occurs across taxa, but does not occur across all taxonomic groups or within all species of a taxonomic group. Thus, to support the validity of the proposed hypothesis, I further propose potential explanations for this anomaly, which include sampling and observer biases, altricial versus precocial juvenile development, and the influence of habitat niche and environmental conditions on behaviour. The proposed hypothesis thus offers new avenues for study in both the biological and social sciences, in addition to having potential applications in applied sciences, such as animal welfare and biomedical research. Crucially, it is hoped that this hypothesis will promote further study of a valid and behaviourally significant, yet currently enigmatic, biological phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An anonymous online survey in French was used to assess if endometriosis patients would be as ready as unaffected women to donate their menstrual blood for biological research on endometriosis and evaluate potential barriers to such donation. It was distributed in September 2022 by social media and two mailing lists, including a French patient organization. The questionnaire assessed participant age and brief medical history (hormonal contraception, endometriosis diagnosis, type of endometriosis), menstrual experience (menstrual blood abundance, dysmenorrhea), and whether participants would donate menstrual blood. Women who self-declared with an established endometriosis diagnosis versus no endometriosis were compared. Seven hundred seventy-eight women answered the survey. Among women with menstruation (n = 568), 78% are willing to donate menstrual blood for research. Importantly, this proportion was higher in women who declared having an established endometriosis diagnosis (83%, n = 299) compared to self-declared unaffected women (68%, n = 134, p < 0.001). The previous use of a menstrual cup and dysmenorrhea were significantly associated with the willingness to donate menstrual blood, while the use of hormonal contraception was significantly associated with an unwillingness to donate. Only the previous use of the menstrual cup had a predictive value for menstrual blood donation. No significant relationship was observed between menstrual blood donation and age, heavy menstrual bleeding and in endometriosis patients, endometriosis subtypes. In conclusion, women affected or not by endometriosis are largely willing to donate their menstrual blood for research on endometriosis, dysmenorrhea is not a barrier for donation, and women who use a menstrual cup are the more likely to donate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AI technologies can pose a major national security concern. AI programs could be used to develop chemical and biological agents which circumvent existing protective measures or medical treatments, or to design pathogens with capabilities they do not naturally possess (gain-of-function research). Although Australia has a strong legislative framework relating to research into genetically modified organisms, the framework requires the interaction of more than 10 different government departments, universities and funding agencies. Further, there are few guidelines about the responsible use of AI in biological research where existing laws and policies do not apply to research that is conducted “virtually”, even where that research may have national security implications. This article explores these under-scrutinised concepts in Australia’s biological security frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug delivery systems play a pivotal role in targeted pharmaceutical transport and controlled release at specific sites. Liposomes, commonly used as drug carriers, constitute a fundamental part of these systems. Moreover, the drug–liposome model serves as a robust platform for investigating interaction processes at both cellular and molecular levels. To advance our understanding of drug carrier uptake mechanisms, we employed fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), leveraging the unique benefits of two-photon (2P) excitation. Our approach utilized giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) as a simplified model system for cell membranes, labelled with the amphiphilic fluorescent dye 3,3′-dioctadecyloxa-carbocyanine (DiOC18(3)). Additionally, large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) functioned as a drug carrier system, incorporating the spectrally distinct fluorescent sulforhodamine 101 (SRh101) as a surrogate drug. The investigation emphasized the diverse interactions between GUVs and LUVs based on the charged lipids employed. We examined the exchange kinetics and structural alterations of liposome carriers during the uptake process. Our study underscores the significance of employing 2P excitation in conjunction with FLIM and FCS. This powerful combination offers a valuable methodological approach for studying liposome interactions, positioning them as an exceptionally versatile model system with a distinct technical advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many biomedical applications, laser-assisted methods are essential to enhance the three-dimensional (3D) resolution of a light microscope. In this report, we review possibilities to improve the 3D imaging potential by axial tomography. This method allows us to rotate the object in a microscope into the best perspective required for imaging. Furthermore, images recorded under variable angles can be combined to one image with isotropic resolution. After a brief review of the technical state of the art, we show some biomedical applications, and discuss future perspectives for Deep View Microscopy and Molecular Imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need to promote research and make it visible to various audiences has led to the emergence of various digital genres which seek to draw attention to research publications. Tweetorials, long Twitter threads to communicate complex concepts, are increasingly being used by medical researchers to report on and promote their own published articles and preprints, in the competive context of academic publishing. The main purpose of this article is to examine the strategies employed by researchers to recontextualize scientific discourse in these tweetorials. The analysis of a corpus of 50 biomedical publication-promoting tweetorials has revealed five categories of strategies: strategies to establish the authors' authority and credibility; strategies to make claims and arguments convincing; strategies to engage the reader, by creating intimacy and dialogic involvement or by attracting their attention to the tweetorials; strategies to facilitate quick processing of information; and strategies to deal with space constraints. The results suggest that the recontextualization strategies used in the composition of these tweetorials are determined by the promotional purpose of the genre, the audience, the affordances and constraints of the medium, and the genre contextual features. • Recontextualization strategies in publication-promoting tweetorials are analyzed. • These tweetorials recontextualize the discourse of RAs to promote them online. • Frequent use of strategies to engage the audience and attract their attention. • Strategies to facilitate quick processing and deal with space constraints. • The medium and the genre contextual features have an influence on the strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elucidating the 3D nanoscale structure of tissues and cells is essential for understanding the complexity of biological processes. Electron microscopy (EM) offers the resolution needed for reliable interpretation, but the limited throughput of electron microscopes has hindered its ability to effectively image large volumes. We report a workflow for volume EM with FAST-EM, a novel multibeam scanning transmission electron microscope that speeds up acquisition by scanning the sample in parallel with 64 electron beams. FAST-EM makes use of optical detection to separate the signals of the individual beams. The acquisition and 3D reconstruction of ultrastructural data from multiple biological samples is demonstrated. The results show that the workflow is capable of producing large reconstructed volumes with high resolution and contrast to address biological research questions within feasible acquisition time frames. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of shape memory polymers to change shape upon external stimulation makes them exceedingly useful in various areas, from biomedical engineering to soft robotics. Especially, shape memory hydrogels (SMHs) are well-suited for biomedical applications due to their inherent biocompatibility, excellent shape morphing performance, tunable physiochemical properties, and responsiveness to a wide range of stimuli (e.g., thermal, chemical, electrical, light). This review provides an overview of the unique features of smart SMHs from their fundamental working mechanisms to types of SMHs classified on the basis of applied stimuli and highlights notable clinical applications. Moreover, the potential of SMHs for surgical, biomedical, and tissue engineering applications is discussed. Finally, this review summarizes the current challenges in synthesizing and fabricating reconfigurable hydrogel-based interfaces and outlines future directions for their potential in personalized medicine and clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]