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This study was conducted to investigate the effects of spray-dried porcine plasma protein (SDPP) or spray-dried chicken plasma protein (SDCP) supplementation in diets without the inclusion of antibiotics and zinc oxide (ZnO) on growth performance, fecal score, and fecal microbiota in early-weaned piglets. A total of 192 healthy weaning piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire, 21 d old) were blocked by BW (6.53 ± 0.60 kg) and randomly assigned to 4 dietary treatments: negative control (NC, basal diet), positive control (PC), basal diet + ZnO at 2 g/kg and antibiotics at 0.8 g/kg), SDPP (containing 5% SDPP), and SDCP (containing 5% SDCP). The experiment lasted 14 d. The SDPP group had higher (P

近十餘年來，臺灣各大學的社會工作學系迅速擴張，本研究將探討社會 工作學系畢業生進入職場，影響職業與薪資的關鍵因素為何，並探討「教育 分流—職業地位—薪資收入」之間的中介關係，測試「就業職能」和「職業 距離」兩變項的調節效果。本研究分析的資料為「臺灣高等教育整合資料 庫」其中之大學畢業生調查，發現如下：一、以畢業後從事全職工作者觀 之，社工系畢業生34%進入社工勞力市場，一般大學／技職院校差異並不 大；二、就業職能與職業距離在教育分流、職業地位與薪資收入間具有不同 的調節式中介作用；三、高的就業職能與近的職業距離，兩者兼具有提高社 會工作者職業與薪資的相乘效果。本研究彰顯就業職能與職業距離在勞力市 場研究的重要性，亦可豐富社會工作實證研究的學術積累。 Over the past decade, departments of social work have expanded rapidly among Taiwanese universities. This study explored the key factors influencing the career and salary of social workers entering the workplace after graduating from university. The study evaluated mediation among the variables of “education,” “career,” and “income” and tested the moderating effects of “professional competence” and “occupational distance.” The data analyzed in this study were obtained from university graduate surveys included in the “Taiwan Integrated Postsecondary Education Database.” Three primary results of the study are as follows: First, only 34% of social work graduates entered the social work labor market as full-time employees, with no significant difference between graduates of universities and technological colleges. Second, different moderated mediation effects for professional competence and occupational distance were found in terms of the variables of education, career, and income. Third, high professional competence and close occupational distance worked synergistically in improving the career and salary of social workers. This study highlights the importance of professional competence and occupational distance in labor market research, further enriching the academic literature on empirical research in the field of social work.

Styrene is one of the most important industrial monomers and is traditionally synthesized via the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene. Here, the authors report a photo-induced fluorination technique to generate an oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst through the controlled grafting of fluorine atoms on nanodiamonds.

Organ transplantation is the main treatment for end-stage organ failure, which has rescued tens of thousands of lives. Immune rejection is the main factor affecting the survival of transplanted organs. How to suppress immune rejection is an important goal of transplantation research. A graft first triggers innate immune responses, leading to graft inflammation, tissue injury and cell death, followed by adaptive immune activation. At present, the importance of innate immunity in graft rejection is poorly understood. Autophagy, an evolutionarily conserved intracellular degradation system, is proven to be involved in regulating innate immune response following graft transplants. Moreover, there is evidence indicating that autophagy can regulate graft dysfunction. Although the specific mechanism by which autophagy affects graft rejection remains unclear, autophagy is involved in innate immune signal transduction, inflammatory response, and various forms of cell death after organ transplantation. This review summarizes how autophagy regulates these processes and proposes potential targets for alleviating immune rejection.

A connectivity-constrained optimization methodology based on a discretized particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is proposed for the continuum structural design of a magnetic pulse welding coil. To address the classical continuum topological challenges of conductors, such as simple connectivity and checkerboard phenomena in the optimal topology, the PSO algorithm is combined with connectivity constraints and filtration. The evolutionary history and parametric tests in an electromagnetic structure study are employed to demonstrate the efficiency and robustness of the novel algorithm. Physical tests show that the optimized coil can form a larger effective welding area between aluminum alloy (AA5052) and steel (HC420LA) sheets compared with the joint formed by the original coil. The maximum tensile load is also significantly improved by 19.88% with a discharge energy of 22 kJ.

Inflammatory cascade is a prevalent and lethal adverse event that severely affects rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients receiving clinic therapeutics. It is correlated with the response to macrophages caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Currently, ROS-targeted treatment is a potential strategy that can reduce the risk of RA-related obvious adverse effects, but at the cost of therapeutic efficacy. Herein, we reported folic acid (FA) modified ROS-responsive celastrol (Cel)-loaded (Cel/FA-Oxi-βCD NPs) that can release RA symptoms without chemotherapeutic agents and validated anti-inflammatory effect. In vitro study, NPs can be effectively internalized by activated macrophages and the released Cel from NPs significantly induced apoptosis in activated RAW264.7, indicating that Cel/FA-Oxi-βCD NPs remodeled the macrophages polarization homeostasis for the protection of inflamed joint microenvironment. Moreover, Cel/FA-Oxi-βCD NPs significantly decreased proinflammatory cytokines levels in serum, synovial and cartilage in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats, and alleviated synovitis and cartilage destruction with excellent biocompatibility. Collectively, Cel/FA-Oxi-βCD NPs incorporated with ROS-responsive pro-apoptotic activity in macrophages, hold a great potential for clinical treatment of RA.

ABSTRACT The Taitung region is one of Taiwan’s main sites for ginger agriculture. Due to issues with disease and nutrients, farmers cannot use continuous cropping techniques on ginger, meaning that the ginger industry is constantly searching for new land. Continuous cropping increases the risk of infection by Pythium myriotylum and Ralstonia solanacearum, which cause soft rot disease and bacterial wilt, respectively. In addition, fertilizer additives, which are commonly used to increase trace elements in the soil, cannot restore the soil when it is undergoing continuous cropping on ginger, even when there has been no observable decrease in trace elements in the soil. Recent studies about soil microbiome manipulation and the application of microorganisms have shown that plant-associated microbes have the ability to improve plant growth and facilitate sustainable agriculture, but studies of this kind still need to be carried out on ginger cultivation. Therefore, in this study, we used the bacterial 16S V3–V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA region to investigate microbe compositions in ginger soil to identify the difference between ginger soil with and without disease. Later, to investigate the influence of the well-known biocontrol agent B. velezensis and the fungicide Etridiazole on soil microbes and ginger productivity, we designed an experiment that collected the soil samples according to the different periods of ginger cultivation to examine the microbial community dynamics in the rhizome and bulk soil. We demonstrated that B. velezensis is beneficial to ginger reproduction. In accordance with our results, we suggest that B. velezensis may influence the plant’s growth by adjusting its soil microbial composition. Etridiazole, on the other hand, may have some side effects on the ginger or beneficial bacteria in the soils that inhibit ginger reproduction. IMPORTANCE Pythium myriotylum and Ralstonia solanacearum cause soft rot disease and bacterial wilt, respectively. In this study, we used the bacterial 16S V3–V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA region to investigate microbe compositions in healthy and diseased ginger soil and find out the influence of the well-known biocontrol agent B. velezensis and the fungicide Etridiazole on soil microbes and ginger productivity. These results demonstrated that B. velezensis benefits ginger reproduction and may influence the soil bacterial composition, while Etridiazole may have some side effects on the ginger or beneficial bacteria in the soils. The interactions among ginger, biocontrol agents, and fungicides need to be further investigated.

Abnormally raised circulating bile acids (BA) during pregnancy threat fetal and offspring health. Our previous study has identified sulfated progesterone metabolites (PMSs) in part account for dysregulation of maternal BA homeostasis during pregnancy, however, limited intervention strategies to remedy increased serum BA through PMSs during pregnancy are available. The purpose of this study is to test the feasibility of manipulating BA homeostasis and progesterone metabolism through steering gut microbiota. A total of 19 pregnant sows were randomly treated with standard diet or vancomycin-supplemented diet, to investigate the intercorrelation of PMSs, intestinal microbiota, and maternal BA metabolism from day 60 of gestation (G60) until farrowing (L0). Pregnant mice orally gavaged with epiallopregnanolone sulfate (PM5S) or vehicle and nonpregnant mice were sampled and further analyzed to verify the effect of PM5S on maternal BA metabolism. The present study revealed that oral vancomycin reduced maternal fasting serum total BA (TBA) levels and postprandial serum TBA levels at day 90 of gestation (G90). BA profile analysis showed the decreased TBA after vancomycin treatment was attributed to the decrease of primary BA and secondary BA, especially hyodeoxycholic acid (HDCA). By using newly developed UPLC-MS/MS methods, we found vancomycin increased fecal excretion of allopregnanolone sulfate (PM4S) and PM5S during late gestation and thus maintaining the relative stability of serum PM4S and PM5S, which play an important role in BA metabolism. Further study in mice showed that pregnant mice have higher serum and liver TBA levels compared with nonpregnant mice, and PM5S administration induced higher gallbladder TBA levels and TBA pool in pregnant mice. In addition, after oral vancomycin, the continuously decreased Parabacteroides genus, potentially enriched with genes encoding steroids sulfatase, may explain the increased fecal PMSs excretion in pregnant sows. Taken together, our study provides the evidence that pregnancy-induced elevation of BA levels in sow is likely regulated by manipulation of gut microbiota, which offer new insights into the prevention and treatment of disrupted BA homeostasis during pregnancy by targeting specific microbiota.

Urbanization has rapidly increased, leading to a wide range of significant disruptions to the global ecosystem. Road construction has emerged as the primary catalyst for such ecological degradation. As a result, it is imperative to develop efficient technological approaches for quantifying and tracking alterations in the ecological environment. Additionally, it is crucial to delve deeper into the spatial correlation between the quality of the ecosystem and the urban road network. This is of crucial importance in promoting sustainable development within the region. In this study, the research area selected was the Minjiang River Basin (MRB). We made optimal use of the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform to create a long-term series of remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) data in order to assess the quality of the ecological environment in the area. Additionally, we integrated digital elevation data (DEM) and OpenStreetMap (OSM) road network data to investigate the response mechanisms of RSEI with regard to elevation, slope, and the road network. The findings were as follows: (1) There were two distinct phases observed in the average value of RSEI: a slow-rising phase (2000–2010) with a growth rate of 1.09% and a rapidly rising phase (2010–2020) with a growth rate of 5.36%; the overall 20-year variation range fell between 0.575 and 0.808. (2) During the period of 2000 to 2010, approximately 41.6% of the area exhibited enhanced ecological quality, whereas 17.9% experienced degradation. Subsequently, from 2010 to 2020, the proportion of the region with improved ecological quality rose to 54.0%, while the percentage of degraded areas declined to 3.8%. (3) With increasing elevation and slope, the average value of RSEI initially rose and then declined. Specifically, the regions with the highest ecological quality were found in the areas with elevations ranging from 1200 to 1500 m and slopes ranging from 40 to 50°. In contrast, areas with an elevation below 300 meters or a slope of less than 10° had the poorest ecological quality. (4) The RSEI values exhibited a rapid ascent within the 1200 m buffer along the road network, while beyond this threshold, the increase in RSEI values became more subdued. (5) The bivariate analysis found a negative correlation between road network kernel density estimation (KDE) and RSEI, which grew stronger with larger scales. Spatial distribution patterns primarily comprised High–Low and Low–High clusters, in addition to non-significant clusters. The southeastern region contained concentrated High–Low clusters which covered approximately 10% of the study area, while Low–High clusters accounted for around 20% and were predominantly found in the western region. Analyzing the annual changes from 2000 to 2020, the southeastern region experienced a decrease in the number of High–Low clusters and an increase in the number of High–High clusters, whereas the northwestern region showed a decline in the number of Low–High clusters and an increase in the number of non-significant clusters. This study addresses a research gap by investigating the spatial correlation between road distribution and RSEI, which is vital for comprehending the interplay between human activities and ecosystem services within the basin system.

Overfeeding and a lack of exercise are increasingly causing obesity in dogs, which has become a big problem threatening the health of dogs. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate how dietary regulations can help to improve dogs’ body conditions and minimize obesity. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of dietary mulberry leaf powder (MLP) supplementation on the growth performance, lipid metabolism parameters, and gut microbiota of Chinese indigenous dogs. Fifteen Chinese indigenous dogs (6.34 ± 0.56 kg) were randomly assigned to three treatment groups and received either the control diet (CON), high-fat diet (HF), or high-fat diet containing 6% Mulberry leaf powder (MLP) for four weeks. The CON group received a basal diet, the HF group received a basal diet supplemented with 10% lard, and the MLP group received a basal diet supplemented with 10% lard and 6% MLP. The trial lasted for four weeks. The growth performance, lipid metabolism parameters, immune globulins, cytokines, and fecal microbiota were measured. Results showed that there was no significant difference in growth performance. The MLP group appeared to have decreased (p < 0.05) the serum level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and apoliprotein-A1(APO-A1) in serum. The MLP group appeared to have higher (p < 0.05) serum immune globulin A (IgA) levels. UPGMA results showed that the MLP group was closer to the CON group than to the HF group. LEfSe analysis showed that dietary supplementation with MLP contributed to an alteration in the genus Alloprevotella, Sarcina, and species belonging to the Bacteroides and Lactobacillus genus. Overall, the dietary supplementation of 6% MLP can improve lipid metabolism conditions and immunity in high-fat-diet-fed dogs, and can alter the gut microbial composition of dogs.

Gram-negative bacterial infections pose a significant threat to public health. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) recognizes bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and induces innate immune responses, autophagy, and cell death, which have major impacts on the body’s physiological homeostasis. However, the role of TLR4 in bacterial LPS-induced autophagy and apoptosis in large mammals, which are closer to humans than rodents in many physiological characteristics, remains unknown. So far, few reports focus on the relationship between TLR, autophagy, and apoptosis in large mammal levels, and we urgently need more tools to further explore their crosstalk. Here, we generated a TLR4-enriched mammal model (sheep) and found that a high-dose LPS treatment blocked autophagic degradation and caused strong innate immune responses and severe apoptosis in monocytes/macrophages of transgenic offspring. Excessive accumulation of autophagosomes/autolysosomes might contribute to LPS-induced apoptosis in monocytes/macrophages of transgenic animals. Further study demonstrated that inhibiting TLR4 downstream NF-κB or p38 MAPK signaling pathways reversed the LPS-induced autophagy activity and apoptosis. These results indicate that the elevated TLR4 aggravates LPS-induced monocytes/macrophages apoptosis by leading to lysosomal dysfunction and impaired autophagic flux, which is associated with TLR4 downstream NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. This study provides a novel TLR4-enriched mammal model to study its potential effects on autophagy activity, inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell death. These findings also enrich the biological functions of TLR4 and provide powerful evidence for bacterial infection.

Abstract Background Protein S deficiency (PSD) is an autosomal dominant hereditary disease. In 1984, familial PSD was reported to be prone to recurrent thrombosis. Follow-up studies have shown that heterozygous protein S (PROS1) mutations increase the risk of thrombosis. More than 300 PROS1 mutations have been identified; among them, only a small number of mutations have been reported its possible mechanism to reduce plasma protein S (PS) levels. However, whether PROS1 mutations affect protein structure and why it can induce PSD remains unknown. Methods The clinical phenotypes of the members of a family with thrombosis were collected. Their PS activity was measured using the coagulation method, whereas their protein C and antithrombin III activities were measured using methods such as the chromogenic substrate method. The proband and her parents were screened for the responsible mutation using second-generation whole exon sequencing, and the members of the family were verified for suspected mutations using Sanger sequencing. Mutant and wild type plasmids were constructed and transfected into HEK293T cells to detect the mRNA and protein expression of PROS1. Results In this family, the proband with venous thrombosis of both lower extremities, the proband’s mother with pulmonary embolism and venous thrombosis of both lower extremities, and the proband’s younger brother had significantly lower PS activity and carried a PROS1 c. 1820 T > C:p.Leu607Ser heterozygous mutation (NM_000313.3). However, no such mutations were found in family members with normal PS activity. The PS expression in the cell lysate and supernatant of the Leu607Ser mutant cells decreased, while mRNA expression increased. Immunofluorescence localization showed that there was no significant difference in protein localization before and after mutation. Conclusions The analysis of family phenotype, gene association, and cell function tests suggest that the PROS1 Leu607Ser heterozygous mutation may be a pathogenic mutation. Serine substitution causes structural instability of the entire protein. These data indicate that impaired PS translation and synthesis or possible secretion impairment is the main pathogenesis of this family with hereditary PSD and thrombophilia.

Sediment resuspension is critical to ecosystem function in shallow lakes. Turbidity is one of the most commonly used indicators of sediment resuspension and has proven to be strongly related with wind. However, it is still difficult to predict sediment resuspension due to its complicated mechanisms. In this study, a support vector regression (SVR) model considering the cumulative effect of wind speed was trained to predict sediment resuspension based on intensified field observations at two sites in Lake Taihu. The accuracy of the SVR model was evaluated, and the initial turbidity was introduced to the model to illustrate its contribution to sediment resuspension. The critical wind speed was also evaluated based on this model. The results indicate that the SVR model considering the cumulative effect of wind speed can increase the accuracy of prediction in comparison with traditional fitting methods. The root-mean-square error (RMSE) of the predicted turbidity dropped to 11.36 NTU at one site and 16.78 NTU at the other, and the maximal information coefficient (cimax) for the relationship between wind speed and turbidity increased to 0.56 for both observation sites. The introduction of initial turbidity significantly improved the performance of the SVR model, with an RMSE value lower than 8.00 NTU and a cimax value higher than 0.95. Analysis of the critical wind speed using the SVR model shows that the critical wind speed generally increased with the rise of initial turbidity. The critical wind speeds at initial turbidities of 30, 40, 50, and 60 NTU were 5, 6, 7, and 7 m/s, respectively.

Abstract Background Spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the central nervous system (CNS) that causes devastating complications from chronic pain to breathing problems. Unfortunately, few effective and safe treatments are known to relieve the damages of SCI. Nanomedicines are used for the treatment of SCI with relatively few side effects, but only depending on the delivery of additional drugs, which increase complexity to the treatment. Considering the urgent need for saving SCI patients, it is important to develop promising nanobiotechnology for relieving their pains. Methods The clinical survey was used to investigate SCI patients, thereafter the therapy plan was designed. The receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curves of the prediction model were built to find symptoms after SCI. The treatment plan (i.e. immunosuppressive strategy) was designed by manufacturing therapies based on gold nanoclusters (AuNCs). The response of the immune cells (macrophages) was studied accordingly. The western blot, reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR), and immunochemical staining were used for evaluation of the in vivo and in vitro therapeutic effects. Results We found increased monocytes/macrophages (M/Ms) levels in 114 SCI subjects (44.7% with severe SCI complications) by the clinical survey. Additionally, the enhanced macrophage level was found to be closely related to the walking disorder after SCI. Since macrophages were central effector cells of the immune system, we assumed that the immune-suppressing strategies could be used for SCI therapy. Thereafter, AuNCs were stabilized by dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) enantiomers (including DL-DHLA, R-DHLA; A racemic mixture (R and S) was denoted as DL; R and S refer to Rectus and Sinister), obtaining DL-DHLA-AuNCs and R-DHLA-AuNCs, respectively. In addition, zinc-modified DL-DHLA and R-DHLA stabilized AuNCs (i.e., DL-DHLA-AuNCs-Zn and R-DHLA-AuNCs-Zn) were investigated. Among these AuNCs, R-DHLA-AuNCs-Zn showed the most remarkable therapeutic effect for promoting the polarization of pro-inflammatory macrophages and reducing neuronal ROS-induced apoptosis and inflammation in vitro and in vivo; the lesion size was decreased and the survival rate of ventral neurons is higher. Conclusions R-DHLA-AuNCs-Zn have comprehensive therapeutic capabilities, especially the immune-suppressing effects for the therapy of SCI, which is promising to relieve the pain or even recover SCI for the patients. Graphical abstract

Chen and colleagues develop a workflow for assembling high quality metagenome-associated genomes for microbial species using long and short reads, in this case from a meromictic lake. A full, detailed workflow is provided in for use by the community.

Objective(s): This study aimed to evaluate the effects of pre-conditioning exercise on body lipid metabolism, leptin secretion, and the downstream pathways at the early stage of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and Methods: The T2DM model was established using an 8-week high-sugar, high-fat diet combined. The T2DM model was established using an 8-week high-sugar, high-fat diet combined with streptozocin (STZ) injection. Two exercise interventions, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) were performed during the model-building process. One week following the STZ injection, rats were euthanized. Blood, gastrocnemius muscle, and epididymal fat pad were collected. Plasma leptin content was measured by ELISA. The expression of leptin-mRNA in epididymal adipose tissue was measured using RT-qPCR, and its protein expression was detected by a western blot. Leptin, leptin-R, and AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) - ACC (Acetyl-CoA carboxylase) expression in gastrocnemius muscle was also detected by western blot. Free fatty acids (FFA) and triglycerides (TG) contents in gastrocnemius muscle were measured using a biochemical assay. Results: In the HIIT group, glucose tolerance and leptin receptor expression increased, as did the expression and phosphorylation of AMPK protein. At the early stage of T2DM, it increased significantly in the gastrocnemius muscle in the MICT group. Conclusion: At the early stage of T2DM, pre-conditioning exercise in the form of HIIT was found to inhibit the leptin-mRNA expression in adipose tissue, suppress leptin synthesis, up-regulate AMPKACC signaling pathway, and promote lipid decomposition in skeletal muscle tissue. Pre-conditioning of MICT led to the accumulation of FFA and TG in skeletal muscle, likely due to exercise adaptation rather than ectopic deposition of lipids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeting macrophages/microglia (M/Ms) dysregulated metabolism treatments have shown promise in the clinic and biomedical research. However, existing treatments are ineffective and have severe side effects. Activated M/Ms switch from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis, providing a potential therapeutic target for inflammatory diseases. Moreover, M/Ms polarization has been shown to brain homeostasis. Bone marrow has been served as an excellent source for metabolic disorders. Here, we reported bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs)-derived nanovesicles (loaded 4-octyl itacona, C-OI) that could target to M/Ms polarization and metabolism in vivo and in vitro. These nanovesicles administered to M1 M/Ms or middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rats effectively accumulated in the inflamed M/Ms, inducing a cascade of anti-inflammatory events via glycolysis reprogramming. These nanovesicles showed biological stability and compatibility, improved M/Ms metabolism, where it effectively inhibits the reactive oxygen species and neuroninflammation in injured brain tissues in MCAO rats. C-OI also suppresses MCAO-induced injury by inhibiting the activation of M1 M/Ms and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, thus achieving satisfactory prevention and treatment in neuroprotective therapy. The engineered nanovesicles showed potential therapeutic to reprogram the brain hyperinflammation microenvironment after MCAO.

At the present time, brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) are attracting considerable attention due to their application potential in many fields. In this Perspective, we provide a brief review of flexible electrode technologies for non-invasive BCIs, mainly including two types of the most representative flexible electrodes: dry electrodes and semi-dry electrodes. We also summarize the challenges encountered by the different kinds of electrodes by comparing their strengths and weaknesses in terms of manufacturing scalability, applicability, comfort, contact impedance, long-term stability, and biocompatibility. In addition, we describe some advanced configurations and suggest potential applications for non-invasive BCIs based on flexible electrodes and consider future development prospects.