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The rapid advancement of sequencing technologies has enabled the generation of vast datasets, allowing for the in-depth analysis of sequencing data. This analysis has facilitated the validation of novel pathogenesis hypotheses for understanding and treating diseases through ex vivo and in vivo experiments. Androgenetic alopecia (AGA), a common hair loss disorder, has been a key focus of investigators attempting to uncover its underlying mechanisms. Abnormal changes in mRNA, proteins, and metabolites have been identified in individuals with AGA, and future developments in sequencing technologies may reveal new biomarkers for AGA. By integrating multiple omics analysis datasets such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics—along with clinical phenotype data—we can achieve a comprehensive understanding of the molecular underpinnings of AGA. This review summarizes the data-mining studies conducted on various omics analysis datasets as related to AGA that have been adopted to interpret the biological data obtained from different omics layers. We herein discuss the challenges of integrative omics analyses, and suggest that collaborative multi-omics studies can enhance the understanding of the complete pathomechanism(s) of AGA by focusing on the interaction networks comprising DNA, RNA, proteins, and metabolites.

Non-target fish are frequently present in crayfish aquaculture systems, yet limited research has explored their predatory impacts on crayfish larvae. To address this gap, three experiments were conducted to examine the predation dynamics of Rhodeus sinensis on Procambarus clarkii larvae, focusing on the effects of predator sizes, group sizes, and aquatic plant refuges. In experiment 1, Cox proportional hazards regression model revealed that P. clarkii larvae (8.40 mm and 11.30 mm) faced heightened predation risks from R. sinensis, particularly when the predator’s weight exceeded 2 g. Predation mortality significantly rose with increasing predator size. P. clarkii larvae primarily sought refuge in bottom corners and under heating rods, as indicated by Self-Organizing Map. Experiment 2, analyzed with Bayesian Additive Regression Tree, demonstrated that group predation of R. sinensis significantly enhanced predatory efficiency on larger crayfish larvae, resulting in reduced time to the first attack, increased total number of attacks and extended total attack duration. Experiment 3 disclosed that casualty and mortality rates of crayfish larvae markedly decreased when aquatic plants coverage exceeded 20 %, irrespective of plants types. Under predation pressure, crayfish larvae exhibited a preference for microhabitats on and under aquatic plants, indicating an adaptive behavior in response to predation. These findings underscore the susceptibility of P. clarkii larvae to predation by R. sinensis and suggest maintaining a 20 % aquatic plant coverage as an effective management strategy to mitigate predation risks and support juvenile crayfish survival in aquaculture systems.

Off-seasonal water level regulations disrupt the biological traits and phenological rhythms of native fish species, yet their impacts on interspecific trophic interactions remain understudied. This study employed stable isotope analysis to assess the trophic dynamics of three fish species (Parabramis pekinensis, Carassius auratus, and Toxabramis swinhonis) across different water periods in Hongze Lake. The findings revealed that all three species occupied similar mid-level trophic positions, with no significant difference among water periods (p > 0.05). During high-water periods, P. pekinensis and T. swinhonis exploited broader niches, while C. auratus relied on a narrower diet. In contrast, during low-water periods, C. auratus expanded its niche, while P. pekinensis and T. swinhonis reduced their isotopic niche widths. Niche overlap analysis showed minimal trophic overlap among the three species during high-water periods, with increased overlap during low-water periods, except for the highest overlap between C. auratus and T. swinhonis during mid-water periods. This variation in niche overlap aligns with shifts in dietary reliance, as POM was the predominant dietary component for all three species, but its contribution varied significantly across different water periods. These findings indicated that adaptive trophic niche facilitated the coexistence of these fish species, while off-seasonal water level regulation may intensify interspecific competition. These insights are essential for refining water management policies and developing sustainable fishery management strategies of Hongze Lake and other water-level-regulated systems.

Abstract Background The lateral profile is an important indicator of facial attractiveness. This study explored the general characteristics of the forehead profile and protrusion, and their relationship with related factors in structure and development. Methods Four hundred fourteen Chinese participants in the Yangtze River Delta region were involved. Including 206 males (17.15 ± 7.68 years old) and 208 females (18.35 ± 8.06 years old); 94 children (8.54 ± 2.21 years old, ranging from 4 to 12 years old), 166 adolescents (14.83 ± 1.50 years old, ranging from 13 to 17 years old), and 154 adults (25.52 ± 4.89, 18 years or older). The frontal section of the forehead was used to explore its shape. The straight distance between the vertical line of the FH plane through the nasal root point and its parallel line, which is tangential to the forehead, indicates the forehead prominence. Frontal sinus width was measured using the method described by Mahmood. Results The general shape of the forehead was straight and slightly bulged near the eyebrow arch in males but rounder in females. The average forehead protrusion in males was higher than that in females in adults. Significant differences in forehead protrusion between the dentoskeletal classifications and growth phases were notable. Frontal protrusion significantly correlated with frontal sinus depth, especially in males, adults, Class I, and those whose convex points were located in the lower section of the forehead. Conclusions Age, race, and sex affect the forehead protrusion and frontal sinus width. Forehead protrusion may be an indicator of dentoskeletal deformities in the early stage. And dentoskeletal deformities may impair the correlation between the frontal sinuses and forehead protrusion during development. Trial registration This retrospective, cross-sectional study was reviewed and approved by the Research Ethical Committee (T2020008), and registered at ClinicalTrial.gov with an identified number (ChiCTR2100041913).

Abstract Background Triglyceride-glucose index (TyG) has been widely used to predict cardiovascular outcomes. However, it remains unclear whether TyG holds prognostic significance for patients with coronary chronic total occlusions (CTO). Thus, our study aimed to evaluate the predictive accuracy and prognostic value of TyG in individuals who underwent successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for CTO. Methods A total of 331 consecutive patients with ≥ 1 successful CTO-PCI were included. The baseline and angiographic data were acquired. The duration of follow-up ranged from 32 to 79 months, with a median of 44 months and an interquartile range of 39 to 67 months. The primary outcome measured was the occurrence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), including mortality, target vessel revascularization, recurrent myocardial infarction, and stroke. Results After controlling for confounders, multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that TyG remained statistically significant, regardless of being a continuous or categorical variable. In the partially adjusted regression model, the Hazard ratio (95%CI) for MACCE was 2.54 (1.12–5.79) in tertile 3 and 1.61 (1.22–2.12) per SD increase in the TyG.Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated significant differences in MACCE-free survival rates across tertiles of the TyG, as indicated by the log-rank test (p = 0.001). ROC analysis was conducted to evaluate the predictive ability of TyG for MACCE, resulting in an AUC of 0.677. Conclusion The TyG index demonstrates independent predictive capabilities for MACCE in patients who have undergone successful CTO-PCI. These findings suggest that TyG holds the potential as a valuable tool in risk stratification and the identification of patients who may benefit from early intervention in the management of CTO.

Investigating fish diversity in canyon rivers through conventional fish surveys is challenging due to precipitous conditions, including steep slopes, rapid water flow, and complex habitats. Additionally, intensive construction of dams has further complicated the understanding of contemporary fish diversity in these rivers. In this study, we used the environmental DNA (eDNA) technique to assess fish diversity and examine the effects of dams on fish diversity in the Mabiehe River, a canyon river in the upper reaches of the Pearl River drainage. Water samples from 15 sampling sites were collected, yielding 9,356,148 valid sequences. Utilizing the NCBI public database, a total of 60 freshwater fish species were identified, with Carassius auratus, Cyprinus carpio, and Pelteobagrus fulvidraco being the most dominant species in the Mabiehe River. We also detected one nationally protected fish species, three provincially protected fish species, and six exotic species in this river. Furthermore, eDNA analyses demonstrated that the lotic river sections harbor more species and greater diversity than dammed sections, suggesting that dams might exert significant impacts on local fish diversity. Overall, this study supports the effectiveness of the eDNA technique as a complementary tool to traditional field surveys for monitoring fish biodiversity in canyon rivers.

Due to geographic isolation and habitat disturbance, the Qinling giant pandas (QGPs) were divided into six habitat patches and accordingly assigned to six local populations in the Fourth National Survey on Giant Pandas. Whether the artificial division of QGP local population is of rationality and whether it is reflected by genetic structure remain unclear. To answer the questions, we conducted microsatellite marker analysis with 12 loci from 94 individuals identified via faeces samples collected from two local populations in the Qinling Mountains. Based on analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), the genetic variation of the Xinglongling local population and Niuweihe local population mainly occurred within populations (81.22 %), with a relatively high genetic differentiation (Fst = 0.18782) and low gene flow (Nm = 0.340282) between Xinglongling and Niuweihe local population. The Mantel test revealed a significant positive correlation between pairwise genetic distance and geographic distance (R = 0.136, p = 0.001). The study reflected that the partition of two local populations is consistent with the division of habitat patches, and also confirmed the geographic distance has influences on genetic distance between QGP individuals in Qinling Mountains. These findings offer important references for effective conservation of QGPs, especially small populations, avoiding the loss of genetic diversity of the QGP population.

Summary: Glycome in urine could be promising biomarkers for detecting pregnancy diagnosis and sex noninvasively for animals, especially for rare species. We explore the applicability of grouping golden snub-nosed monkeys by sex or diagnosing pregnancy based on their urinary glycopatterns, which are determined via lectin microarray combining mass spectrometry analysis. Sprague-Dawley rats are used to verify whether this approach and whether the glycomic biomarkers can be generalized to other mammalian species. The results show that, for both species, lectin microarray combining mass spectrometry can distinguish individuals’ pregnancy status and sex; significant differences are found in the types, amounts, and terminal modification of glycans between pregnant and non-pregnant females and between females and males. This indicates the approach could be generalized to other mammalian species to group sex and detect pregnancy, yet the glycopatterns appear to be species-specific and markers developed from one species may not be directly applicable to another.

Abstract Background Drug‒drug interactions (DDIs) are reactions between two or more drugs, i.e., possible situations that occur when two or more drugs are used simultaneously. DDIs act as an important link in both drug development and clinical treatment. Since it is not possible to study the interactions of such a large number of drugs using experimental means, a computer-based deep learning solution is always worth investigating. We propose a deep learning-based model that uses twin convolutional neural networks to learn representations from multimodal drug data and to make predictions about the possible types of drug effects. Results In this paper, we propose a novel convolutional neural network algorithm using a Siamese network architecture called CNN-Siam. CNN-Siam uses a convolutional neural network (CNN) as a backbone network in the form of a twin network architecture to learn the feature representation of drug pairs from multimodal data of drugs (including chemical substructures, targets and enzymes). Moreover, this network is used to predict the types of drug interactions with the best optimization algorithms available (RAdam and LookAhead). The experimental data show that the CNN-Siam achieves an area under the precision-recall (AUPR) curve score of 0.96 on the benchmark dataset and a correct rate of 92%. These results are significant improvements compared to the state-of-the-art method (from 86 to 92%) and demonstrate the robustness of the CNN-Siam and the superiority of the new optimization algorithm through ablation experiments. Conclusion The experimental results show that our multimodal siamese convolutional neural network can accurately predict DDIs, and the Siamese network architecture is able to learn the feature representation of drug pairs better than individual networks. CNN-Siam outperforms other state-of-the-art algorithms with the combination of data enhancement and better optimizers. But at the same time, CNN-Siam has some drawbacks, longer training time, generalization needs to be improved, and poorer classification results on some classes.

Urban form is an important factor affecting urban energy. However, the design of urban form and energy mostly belong to two separate disciplines and fields, and urban energy planning research rarely considers their mutual relationship. The available space intensity (ASI) of solar energy is formed on the basis of energy planning and urban design; the objective of this research is to evaluate the impact of urban form on the ASI of solar energy and to propose strategies for planning of the space that is available for solar energy so as to improve the efficiency of urban energy utilization and achieve sustainable urban development. Methodologically, this study firstly proposes a model to quantify the ASI of solar energy using three indicators: solar radiation intensity (SRI), solar installation intensity (SII), and solar generation intensity (SEGI). Then, we quantitatively calculate the solar ASI of nine types of typical urban blocks in a sub-center of Wuhan City, Nanhu. Correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis are then used to analyze the correlation between the form indicators and solar ASI, as well as the degree of influence. The results show that the differences in SRI, SII, and SEGI amongst the nine types of city blocks were as high as 114.61%, 162.50%, and 61.01%. The solar ASI was mainly affected by three form indicators: the building coverage ratio, the average building height, and the volume-to-area ratio. Reducing the building coverage ratio and increasing vertical development at the same time can effectively improve the ASI of solar energy. The results of this study and the established method provide an important reference and rapid calculation tool for urban energy planning and design, reducing the data and time usually required for solar analysis at the block scale.

Shift of ingestive behavior is an important strategy for animals to adapt to change of the environment. We knew that shifts in animal dietary habits lead to changes in the structure of the gut microbiota, but we are not sure about if changes in the composition and function of the gut microbiota respond to changes in the nutrient intake or food items. To investigate how animal feeding strategies affect nutrient intakes and thus alter the composition and digestion function of gut microbiota, we selected a group of wild primate group for the study. We quantified their diet and macronutrients intake in four seasons of a year, and instant fecal samples were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA and metagenomics. These results demonstrated that the main reason that causes seasonal shifts of gut microbiota is the macronutrient variation induced by seasonal dietary differences. Gut microbes can help to compensate for insufficient macronutrients intake of the host through microbial metabolic functions. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the causes of seasonal variation in host-microbial variation in wild primates.

Copper is an indispensable trace metal element in the human body, which is mainly absorbed in the stomach and small intestine and excreted into the bile. Copper is an important component and catalytic agent of many enzymes and proteins in the body, so it can influence human health through multiple mechanisms. Based on the biological functions and benefits of copper, an increasing number of researchers in the field of biomaterials have focused on developing novel copper-containing biomaterials, which exhibit unique properties in protecting the cardiovascular system, promoting bone fracture healing, and exerting antibacterial effects. Copper can also be used in promoting incisional wounds healing, killing cancer cells, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging, radioimmunological tracing and radiotherapy of cancer. In the present review, the biological functions of copper in the human body are presented, along with an overview of recent progress in our understanding of the biological applications and development of copper-containing materials. Furthermore, this review also provides the prospective on the challenges of those novel biomaterials for future clinical applications.

In this study, the effect of solid-state fermentation with Bacillus subtilis GYB6, Saccharomyces cerevisiae NJ1, and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Y8 on the anti-nutritional factors, nutritional components, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, functional properties, and structure of rapeseed meal (RSM) were investigated. Results showed that the action of three strains in the fermentation of RSM caused a significant decline in glucosinolates, phytic acid, crude fiber, and tannins by 99.18%, 42.41%, 27.21%, and 34.17%, respectively. The amount of crude protein, amino acids, and peptides of RSM increased significantly after fermentation. The SDS-PAGE results showed that 12S globulin and 2S albumin protein were almost entirely degraded. Fermentation considerably increased the concentration of total phenolics and flavonoids, and activated antioxidant activity and functional properties. Furthermore, the structural variation was observed by scanning electron microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy. Thus, these results indicated that the solid-state fermentation process in this study was a promising approach to enhance both the nutritional value and bioactivity of RSM, which could be used as value-added functional animal food ingredients.

The cGAS-STING signaling pathway is an autoimmune inflammatory pathway that can trigger the expression of a series of inflammatory factors represented by type 1 interferon. Recent studies have found that the cGAS-STING signaling pathway played a significant role in liver physiology and was closely related to the progress of liver diseases. For example, activating the cGAS-STING signaling pathway could significantly inhibit hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication in vivo. Moreover, the cGAS-STING signaling pathway was also closely associated with tumor immunity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This review summarized the role of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway in several common liver diseases, especially the current application of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway in liver disease treatment, and prospected its future research, which provided a new idea for understanding and treating liver diseases.

Pseudocrossocheilus tridentris is an endemic fish species in the upper Pearl River with limited published genetic information. In the current study, the complete mitochondrial genome of P. tridentris was determined using next generation sequencing, which was 16,606 base pairs (bp) in length and 91.65% identical to its closest relative with a genome of P. bamaensis. Phylogenetic analysis showed that P. tridentris had a close relationship with its congener P. bamaensis.

Background The red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852), is one of the most promising freshwater species for aquaculture in China. Understanding its reproductive pattern and population dynamics is crucial for sustainable management, but there is currently a lack of fundamental knowledge of commercial P. clarkii populations. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the reproductive pattern and population dynamics of commercial P. clarkii throughout the yearly cycle. Methods A total of 2,051 crayfish (1,012 females and 1,039 males) were collected from March 2016 to February 2017 in the area of Selection and Reproduction Center of Crayfish. The reproductive pattern was evaluated by the gonadosomatic index (GSI), hepatosomatic index (HSI), ovarian development and fecundity. Growth, mortality rates and exploitation rate were estimated by electronic length frequency analysis by R package “TropFishR” based on data of cephalothorax length (CTL). Results Our results demonstrated that spawning activities of P. clarkii took place from September to November, with a mean fecundity of 429 ± 9 eggs per female. There were two recruitments yearly, a major one from October to November and a minor one from March to May. With respect to population growth, five growth cohorts were identified for both females and males. Crayfish grew faster but attained smaller asymptotic maximum CTL as indicated by higher growth coefficient (K), growth parameter index (Ø′) and lower asymptotic CTL (Linf). The estimates of total mortality rate (Z), natural mortality rate (M) and fishing mortality rate (F) were 1.93, 1.02, 0.91 year−1 for females and 2.32, 0.93, 1.39 year−1 for males, which showed that the mortality of male crayfish was mainly caused by fishing. The estimates of exploitation rate (E) indicated that male crayfish were overexploited, with the values of 0.47 and 0.60 year−1 for females and males, respectively. Discussion P. clarkii spawned from September to November while two recruitments were observed yearly. We inferred that some eggs, prevented from hatching by low water temperature in winter, were more likely to hatch in the next spring. Moreover, the fishing mortality rate was relatively high for males, which might be related to the males-directed selection during the reproductive period. The higher values of exploitation rate in our study confirmed that males P. clarkii were overexploited and were under high fishing pressure. We thus suggest reducing fishing intensity on immature crayfish and avoid sex selection during the reproductive period to improve the overall sustainability of commercial P. clarkii populations.

Background/Aim: This study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of deferoxamine (DFO) pretreated feline adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells (fATMSCs) for the treatment of inflammatory disorders. Materials and Methods: fATMSCs were isolated from feline adipose tissue and characterized using flow cytometry for surface marker expression and differentiation assays for adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic lineages. Different concentrations of DFO were used to evaluate its impact on fATMSC activity. The therapeutic potential of these preconditioned cells was validated using a mouse model of acute lung injury (ALI) by LPS injection. Comprehensive evaluations, including clinical, hematological, and radiological assessments, were conducted before and after intravenous injection of preconditioned cells in three feline subjects. Results: 25 μM DFO pretreatment significantly upregulated immunomodulatory genes (Tgfb, Hgf, and Tsg-6) in fATMSCs. In the mouse ALI model, DFO-pretreated fATMSCs exhibited enhanced anti-inflammatory effects, reducing inflammatory cytokines (Tnfa, Il1b, Il6). Clinical safety assessment in felines showed no immediate adverse effects, structural alterations, or tumorigenesis. Conclusion: Utilizing a mouse model of acute lung injury, we demonstrated the potential of DFO-pretreated fATMSCs as a safe and effective therapeutic approach for inflammatory disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim: In the pursuit of translating stem cell therapy technology into clinical practice, ensuring the safety and efficacy of treatments is paramount. Despite advancements, the effectiveness of stem cell applications often falls short of clinical requirements. This study aimed to address the challenge of limited efficacy by investigating the safety and effectiveness of canine adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (cATMSCs) preconditioned with deferoxamine (DFO). Materials and Methods: Different concentrations of DFO were used to evaluate its impact on cATMSC activity. The therapeutic potential of these preconditioned cells was validated using a mouse model of systemic inflammation. Comprehensive evaluations, including clinical hematological and radiological assessments before and after intravenous injection of preconditioned cells were conducted. Results: The study showed a notable reduction in inflammatory markers and an overall decrease in the inflammatory response in the mouse model. The data collected from the clinical hematological and radiological assessments provided essential insights. Conclusion: This study lays the groundwork for the future clinical deployment of DFO-preconditioned cATMSCs, demonstrating their potential to improve the efficacy and safety of stem cell therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]