Significant Loss Research Articles

Postpartum complications in cows: diagnosis, treatment, prevention

This review contains an analysis of domestic and foreign researchers regarding the occurrence of postpartum complications in cows, which represents a significant veterinary problem. Diagnostic methods and treatment regimens for postpartum pathologies of various origins are presented. Difficulties and errors in diagnosing uterine inflammation lead to improper treatment, prolonged infertility, and significant economic losses. Based on an analysis of the literature, it has been proven that clinical forms of endometritis often develop into a subclinical course. The proportion of hidden endometritis can account for up to 80 % of the total amount of endometrial inflammation. The problem with postpartum complications of the uterus is that the inflammatory processes spread to the ovaries, and this can lead to complete infertility in animals. Rectal examination of cows remains one of the primary methods for diagnosing endometritis. Treatment generally involves the use of a wide range of antibiotics. Data on the hormonal causes of postpartum pathologies of the reproductive system of cows are also presented. A big problem is follicular and luteal cysts, their timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment. The leading cause of cysts is a disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. A practical method for diagnosing cysts is ultrasound, and the type of cyst can be determined by the level of progesterone in the blood. A practical method of treating cysts is the use of hormonal drugs. Data are also presented confirming the significant role of microflora in the occurrence of inflammatory changes in the reproductive organs of cows. The main types of causative agents of inflammatory processes in the genital organs of cows in the postpartum period are given. In cows with endometritis, an imbalance of the uterine microflora is detected, and the growth of bacteria of the genus Bacteroidetes and Fusobacteria with a simultaneous decrease in the number of Proteobacteria and Tenericutes. Data are presented that rumen acidosis can cause inflammation of the uterus, and this is associated with the penetration of Fusobacterium necrophorum into the blood circulation. The effectiveness of intravaginal treatment of cows with a mixture of lactic acid bacteria (L. rhamnosus, P. acidilactici, and L. reuteri) has been shown.

The Effect of Apathy and Depressive Syndromes on Functional Outcomes in Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. Its initially characterized by progressive short-term memory loss followed by cross-domain cognitive decline in later stages resulting in significant functional deficits and loss of activities of daily living (ADLs) independence. Apathy and depression are frequent neuropsychiatric sequelae in AD, but their contribution to functional deficits is poorly understood. We aimed to quantitatively investigate if apathy and depressive symptoms predict ADLs in AD. We also wanted to fractionate apathy dimensions by factor-analyzing the apathy evaluation scale (AES) and then investigate the dimensions' relation to ADLs. We recruited a sample of 115 patients with probable or possible AD and assessed them for depression, apathy, and ADLs alongside other measures. We hypothesized that apathy and depressive symptoms would predict ADLs and that AES items will load into cognitive, behavioral, and affective factors that would differentially relate to ADLs. Our results indicated that apathy symptoms predict ADLs deficits. The AES items resolved into a three-factor solution but the manner of clustering diverged from that proposed by AES authors. When these factors were regressed simultaneously, only behavioral apathy predicted global ADLs. Distinguishing basic from instrumental ADLs showed that behavioral and cognitive apathy symptoms associate with ADLs deficits while affective symptoms do not. Our results highlight the influence of apathy on ADLs in AD. This has important implications for patient care considering the high prevalence of apathy in AD and other dementing illnesses.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infection induces microRNA novel-216 production to facilitate viral-replication by targeting MAVS 3´UTR

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has caused significant economic losses in the swine industry. In this study, the high-throughput sequencing, microRNAs (miRNAs) mimic, and lentivirus were used to screen for potential miRNAs that can promote PRRSV infection in porcine alveolar macrophages or Marc-145 cells. It was observed that novel-216, a previously unidentified miRNA, was upregulated through the p38 signaling pathway during PRRSV infection, and its overexpression significantly increased PRRSV replication. Further analysis revealed that novel-216 regulated PRRSV replication by directly targeting mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS), an upstream molecule of type Ⅰ IFN that mediates the production and response of type Ⅰ IFN. The proviral function of novel-216 on PRRSV replication was abolished by MAVS overexpression, and this effect was reversed by the 3′UTR of MAVS, which served as the target site of novel-216. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that PRRSV-induced upregulation of novel-216 served to inhibit the production and response of typeⅠ IFN and facilitate viral replication, providing new insights into viral immune evasion and persistent infection.

On Some Aspects of the Activity of the Ussr State Arbitration in 1946–1953

For the Soviet Union, which won the Great Patriotic War and made a decisive contribution to the victory of the Allies in World War II, the post-war period was marked by the urgent need for a forced recovery of the economy suffering seriously as a result of significant human losses, the destruction of industrial enterprises, disruption in logistics links, the interruption of trade relations between various subjects of socialist economy. The State Arbitration of the USSR as a body with judicial and administrative functions became one of the state mechanisms to carry out the restoration process in the post-war Soviet economy. In this historical period the resolution of disputes between economic entities, as well as control over the execution of decisions on these disputes pursued the goal to ensure the smooth functioning and interaction of Soviet enterprises and institutions. Through the use of narrative, historical-comparative, chronological and statistical methods of historical research the article, based on a wide range of historical literature and archival sources introduced into scientific circulation for the first time, reveals an attempt to analyze the activities of the USSR State Arbitration in the period from 1946 to 1953, since during this period the activities of the body were directly related to restoration of the post-war Soviet economy. In order to identify the main activities of the USSR State Arbitration in the post-war period related to the restoration of the post-war Soviet economy, the paper pays great attention to the statistical data contained in archival sources. Noting the role of the USSR State Arbitration in the system of state authorities, with the activities aimed at the accelerated resolution of the economic tasks set, the article also reveals the work made to improve the State Arbitration’s own effectiveness. The article describes the historical situation in which State Arbitration had to function and develop after the Great Patriotic War.

Farmer Friendly Solar Based Electric Fence for Rural Agriculture

Agriculture provides all the people’s food needsas well as a variety of raw materials for industry. However, there is a significant loss of crops due to animal intrusion in agricultural lands. Wild animals will wreak havoc on crops. As a result, it’s critical to keep an eye out for animals in the region. Then various devices should be activated to repel the dangerous animals. Operational amplifier circuits are put in place primarily for the purpose of detecting animal intrusion into the farm. The completed protection system is responsible for providing early warning of potential wild animal intrusion and harm. Key Words: agriculture operational amplifier circuits farm

Spleen white pulp structural and cellular composition in experimental furosemide-­induced hypomagnesemia

Relevance. Magnesium deficiency in the blood (hypomagnesemia) is due to many reasons, among which loop diuretics (furosemide) occupy acertain place. The role of the spleen in this process has not been determined. The aim of the work was to elucidate the effect of furosemide-­induced hypomagnesemia on the immune structures of the white pulp of rat spleen. Materials and Methods. Furosemide (Lasix® Aventis Pharma Ltd, India) was injected daily intraperitoneally at adose of 30 mg/kg to the experimental group of white outbred rats for 6 days, animals of the control group received an injection of 0.9% NaCl. Investigated: blood serum for the content of magnesium, calcium, sodium and iron; serial sections of the white pulp of the spleen after staining with hematoxylin and eosin to assess the structure and azure-­II-eosin to assess the cellular composition. With amicroscope magnification of 280 times, the ratio (in%) of primary (PLNS) and secondary lymphoid nodules of the spleen (SLNS) was calculated, the following were measured (µm): the diameter of the germinal center (GC), the width of the mantle and marginal zone, the diameter of the periarteriolar lymphoid sheath (PALS). In GC, the peripheral zone of lymphoid nodules, PALS at amagnification of 1500 times per field of view (100 μm2) was counted and presented as apercentage of the number of lymphocytes; macrophages; cells, mitotic and apoptotic elements. Morphometric analysis was carried out using Image ProPlus6.0 software (Media Cybernetics, USA). Statistical processing was carried out using the Statistica 10.0 software package with the determination of the arithmetic mean (M) and its error (m). Results and Discussion. The administration of furosemide led to adecrease in magnesium in the blood serum by 1.6 times (p0.05). In the white pulp of the spleen of animals of the experimental group, the proportion of SLNS decreased by 18.14%, the number of SLNS increased by 42.5% (p0.05). The diameter of SLNS increased insignificantly, the diameter of GC and the width of the marginal zone significantly increased by 27.1 and 24.8%, respectively. The proportion of macrophages increased by 20.6% in GC SLNS, and by 17.0% in PALS. The highest increase in the proportion of cells with signs of apoptosis was found in the periarteriolar lymphoid sheath of experimental animals - 34.6% (p0.05). Conclusion. Furosemide loading causes the development of dyselementosis, with the most significant loss of magnesium (hypomagnesemia) and has apronounced effect on the immune parameters of the spleen, represented by white pulp structures. Therefore, correction of the elemental status and monitoring of the state of the spleen in hypomagnesemia caused by the use of loop diuretics is anecessary element in the prevention of complications associated with the use of diuretic drugs.

Modulating β-Keto-enamine-Based Covalent Organic Frameworks for Photocatalytic Atom-Transfer Radical Addition Reaction.

The atom-transfer radical addition (ATRA) reaction simultaneously forges carbon-carbon and carbon-halogen bonds. However, frequently-used photosensitizers such as precious transition metal complexes, or organic dyes have limitations in terms of their potential toxicity and recyclability. Three β-ketoenamine-linked covalent organic frameworks (COFs) from 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol and 1,4-phenylenediamines with variable transient photocurrent and photocatalytic activity have been prepared. A COF bearing electron-deficient Cl atoms displayed the highest photocatalytic activity toward the ATRA reaction of polyhalogenated alkanes to give halogenated olefins under visible light at room temperature. This heterogeneous photocatalyst exhibited good functional group tolerance and could be recycled without significant loss of activity.

APOE ε4 is associated with decreased synaptic density in cognitively impaired participants.

We aimed to investigate the effect of apolipoprotein E4 (APOE) ε4 on synaptic density in cognitively impaired (CI) participants. One hundred ten CI participants underwent amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-florbetapir and synaptic density PET with 18F-SynVesT-1. We evaluated the influence of APOE ε4allele on synaptic density and investigated the effects of ε4 genotype on the associations of synaptic density with Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers. The mediation effects of AD biomarkers on ε4-associated synaptic density loss were analyzed. Compared with non-carriers, APOE ε4 allele carriers exhibited significant synaptic loss in the medial temporal lobe. Amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau pathology mediated the effects of APOE ε4 on synaptic density to different extents. The associations between synaptic density and tau pathology were regulated by the APOE ε4 genotype. The APOE ε4 allele was associated with decreased synaptic density in CI individuals and may be driven by AD biomarkers.

Genetic factors underlying host resistance to Rhipicephalus microplus tick infestation in Braford cattle: a systems biology perspective.

Approximately 80% of the world's cattle are raised in regions with a high risk of tick-borne diseases, resulting in significant economic losses due to parasitism by Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. However, the lack of a systemic biology approach hampers a comprehensive understanding of tick-host interactions that mediate tick resistance phenotypes. Here, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 2933 Braford cattle and found 340 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with tick counts. Gene expression analyses were performed on skin samples obtained from previously tick-exposed heifers with extremely high or low estimated breeding values for R. microplus counts. Evaluations were performed both before and after artificial infestation with ticks. Differentially expressed genes were found within 1-Mb windows centered at significant SNPs from GWAS. A total of 330 genes were related to the breakdown of homeostasis that was induced by larval attachment to bovine skin. Enrichment analysis pointed to a key role of proteolysis and signal transduction via JAK/STAT, NFKB and WNT/beta catenin signaling pathways. Integrative analysis on matrixEQTL revealed two cis-eQTLs and four significant SNPs in the genes peptidyl arginine deiminase type IV (PADI4) and LOC11449251. The integration of genomic data from QTL maps and transcriptome analyses has identified a set of twelve key genes that show significant associations with tick loads. These genes could be key candidates to improve the accuracy of genomic predictions for tick resistance in Braford cattle.

Lactococcus garvieae exerts a critical role in inducing inflammation in dairy mastitis by triggering NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis in MAC-T cells.

Lactococcus garvieae (L. garvieae) is a pathogenic bacterium that is Gram-positive and catalase-negative (GPCN), and it is capable of growing in a wide range of environmental conditions. This bacterium is associated with significant mortality and losses in fisheries, and there are concerns regarding its potential as a zoonotic pathogen, given its presence in cattle and dairy products. While we have identified and characterized virulent strains of L. garvieae through phenotyping and molecular typing studies, their impact on mammary tissue remains unknown. This study aims to investigate the pathogenicity of strong and weak virulent strains of L. garvieae using in vivo mouse models. We aim to establish MAC-T cell model to examine potential injury caused by the strong virulent strain LG41 through the TLR2/NLRP3/NF-kB pathway. Furthermore, we assess the involvement of NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis in dairy mastitis by silencing NLRP3. The outcomes of this study will yield crucial theoretical insights into the potential mechanisms involved in mastitis in cows caused by the L. garvieae-induced inflammatory response in MAC-T cells.

Electrophysiological and Behavioral Responses of Cabbage Aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae) to Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Volatiles, a Potential push Plant for Vegetable push-pull Cropping System.

The cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae) is a major pest of kale (Brassica oleraceae var. acephala), an important vegetable that is grown worldwide due to its high nutritional and economic value. Brevicoryne brassicae poses a great challenge to B. oleraceae var. acephala production, causing significant direct and indirect yield losses. Farmers overly rely on synthetic insecticides to manage the pest with limited success owing to its high reproductive behavior and development of resistance. This necessitates a search for sustainable alternatives to mitigate these challenges. This study assessed behavioral responses of B. brassicae to odors from rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and B. oleraceae var. acephala headspace volatiles in a Perspex four-arm olfactometer. We identified and quantified volatiles emitted by each of the two plants and those eliciting antennal response using coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and GC-electroantennograhic detection(GC-EAD), respectively. Our findings revealed that B. brassicae spent more time in the arms of the olfactometer that contained B. oleraceae var. acephala volatiles compared to the arm that held R. officinalis volatiles. Additionally, B. brassicae spent more time in the olfactometer arms with B. oleracea var. acephala compared to the arms holding B. oleracea var. acephala and R. officinalis enclosed together and clean air. GC-MS analysis revealed diverse and higher quantities of volatile compounds in R. officinalis compared to B. oleraceae var. acephala. GC-EAD analysis showed that antennae of B. brassicae detected Linalool, α-Terpineol, Verbenone, Geraniol, Camphor, and Borneol from the volatiles of R. officinalis, and Sabinene, γ-Terpinene, and β-Caryophyllene from B. oleraceae var. acephala volatiles.Our findings demonstrate the potential of R. officinalis as a repellent plant against B. brassicae and could be utilized as a 'push' plant in an intercropping strategy against this pest.

The Pathophysiological Associations Between Obesity, NAFLD, and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Diseases.

Obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases are common and growing public health concerns. Previous epidemiological studies unfolded the robust correlation between obesity, NAFLD, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Obesity is a well-known risk factor for NAFLD, and both of them can markedly increase the odds of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. On the other hand, significant weight loss achieved by lifestyle modification, bariatric surgery, or medications, such as semaglutide, can concomitantly improve NAFLD and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, certain pathophysiological links are involved in the development of NAFLD in obesity, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases in obesity and NAFLD. Moreover, recent studies indicated that simultaneously targeting several mechanisms by tirzepatide and retatrutide leads to greater weight loss and markedly improves the complications of metabolic syndrome. These findings remind the importance of a mechanistic viewpoint for breaking the association between obesity, NAFLD, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. In this review article, we mainly focus on shared pathophysiological mechanisms, including insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, GLP1 signaling, inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, gut dysbiosis, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) overactivity, and endothelial dysfunction. Most of these pathophysiological alterations are primarily initiated by obesity. The development of NAFLD further exacerbates these molecular and cellular alterations, leading to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease development or progression as the final manifestation of molecular perturbation. A better insight into these mechanisms makes it feasible to develop new multi-target approaches to simultaneously unhinge the deleterious chain of events linking obesity and NAFLD to atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases.

Licorice extract inhibits porcine epidemic diarrhea virus in vitro and in vivo.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) causes severe diarrhea and even death in piglets, resulting in significant economic losses to the pig industry. Because of the ongoing mutation of PEDV, there might be variations between the vaccine strain and the prevailing strain, causing the vaccine to not offer full protection against different PEDV variant strains. Therefore, it is necessary to develop anti-PEDV drugs to compensate for vaccines. This study confirmed the anti-PEDV effect of licorice extract (Le) in vitro and in vivo. Le inhibited PEDV replication in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. By exploring the effect of Le on the life cycle of PEDV, we found that Le inhibited the attachment, internalization, and replication stages of the virus. In vivo, all five piglets in the PEDV-infected group died within 72 h. In comparison, the Le-treated group had a survival rate of 80 % at the same time, with significant relief of clinical symptoms, pathological damage, and viral loads in the jejunum and ileum. Our results suggested that Le can exert anti-PEDV effects in vitro and in vivo. Le is effective and inexpensive; therefore it has the potential to be developed as a new anti-PEDV drug.

Short-Term Intensity Prediction of Tropical Cyclones Based on Multi-Source Data Fusion with Adaptive Weight Learning

Tropical cyclones (TCs) can cause significant economic damage and loss of life in coastal areas. Therefore, TC prediction has become a crucial topic in current research. In recent years, TC track prediction has progressed considerably, and intensity prediction remains a challenge due to the complex mechanism of TC structure. In this study, we propose a model for short-term intensity prediction based on adaptive weight learning (AWL-Net) for the evolution of the TC’s structure as well as intensity changes, exploring the multidimensional fusion of features including TC morphology, structure, and scale. Furthermore, in addition to using satellite imageries, we construct a dataset that can more comprehensively explore the degree of TC cloud organization and structure evolution. Considering the information difference between multi-source data, a multi-branch structure is constructed and adaptive weight learning (AWL) is designed. In addition, according to the three-dimensional dynamic features of TC, 3D Convolutional Gated Recurrent (3D ConvGRU) is used to achieve feature enhancement, and then 3D Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is used to capture and learn TC temporal and spatial features. Experiments on a sample of northwest Pacific TCs and official agency TC intensity prediction records are used to validate the effectiveness of our proposed model, and the results show that our model is able to focus well on the spatial and temporal features associated with TC intensity changes, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 10.62 kt for the TC 24 h intensity forecast.

Integrating Intellectual Consciousness AI based on Ensemble Machine Learning for Price Negotiation in E-commerce using Text and Voice-Based Chatbot

Online shopping has experienced an enormous boost in recent years. With this evolution, the majority of internet shopping's capabilities have been developed, but some functions, such as negotiating with store owners, are still not available. This paper suggests employing a chatbot with a voice assistant to negotiate product prices. Customers can communicate with the chatbot to get assistance in finding a reasonable price for a product. In online purchasing, there is a possibility that the consumers or the product seller's budget may be compromised. In order to assist in purchasing, algorithm has been created in machine learning that uses the forecasting of historical data to avoid compromising situations. However, improper dataset or when irrelevant aspects or at- tributes of the data are used, price prediction might become less accurate. Ecommerce companies do not merely depend on price prediction tools due to the significant financial losses brought on even by a single inaccurate price prediction. Additionally, few models fail to perform well when the data saturates or when an attribute becomes inaccessible after the period for which the model's prediction was reliant. By controlling these alterations, the accuracy and dependability are preserved in the model pro- posed in this study.

Potent small molecule inhibitors against the 3C protease of foot-and-mouth disease virus.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is one of the most devastating diseases of livestock which can cause significant economic losses, especially when introduced to FMD-free countries. FMD virus (FMDV) belongs to the family Picornaviridae and is antigenically heterogeneous with seven established serotypes. The prevailing preventive and control strategies are limited to restriction of animal movement and elimination of infected or exposed animals, which can be potentially combined with vaccination. However, FMD vaccination has limitations including delayed protection and lack of cross-protection against different serotypes. Recently, antiviral drug use for FMD outbreaks has increasingly been recognized as a potential tool to augment the existing early response strategies, but limited research has been reported on potential antiviral compounds for FMDV. FMDV 3C protease (3Cpro) cleaves the viral-encoded polyprotein into mature and functional proteins during viral replication. The essential role of viral 3Cpro in viral replication and the high conservation of 3Cpro among different FMDV serotypes make it an excellent target for antiviral drug development. We have previously reported multiple series of inhibitors against picornavirus 3Cpro or 3C-like proteases (3CLpros) encoded by coronaviruses or caliciviruses. In this study, we conducted structure-activity relationship studies for our in-house focused compound library containing 3Cpro or 3CLpro inhibitors against FMDV 3Cpro using enzyme and cell-based assays. Herein, we report the discovery of aldehyde and α-ketoamide inhibitors of FMDV 3Cpro with high potency. These data inform future preclinical studies that are related to the advancement of these compounds further along the drug development pathway.IMPORTANCEFood-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus (FMDV) causes devastating disease in cloven-hoofed animals with a significant economic impact. Emergency response to FMD outbreaks to limit FMD spread is critical, and the use of antivirals may overcome the limitations of existing control measures by providing immediate protection for susceptible animals. FMDV encodes 3C protease (3Cpro), which is essential for virus replication and an attractive target for antiviral drug discovery. Here, we report a structure-activity relationship study on multiple series of protease inhibitors and identified potent inhibitors of FMDV 3Cpro. Our results suggest that these compounds have the potential for further development as FMD antivirals.

Suppressing Trap‐Assisted Nonradiative Recombination via Interface Modification for Achieving Efficient Organic Solar Cells

AbstractTrap states in organic solar cells (OSCs) can capture free charges, leading to a reduction in current density and significant energy loss. Since charge collection is primarily dependent on the interface layer, minimizing trap states at interfaces can effectively suppress energy losses, a topic that has been rarely explored. Herein, an interface strategy is proposed by combining Me‐4PACz and PEDOT:PSS to mitigate the trap‐assisted nonradiative recombination at the hole transport layer (HTL). OSCs based on the Me‐4PACz/PEDOT:PSS exhibit reduced trap densities and low energy losses compared to devices fabricated with a single‐layer HTL. This reduction can be attributed to a lower nonradiative recombination rate during hole transport at the interface. Changes in the work function of the two interlayers due to contact result in the existence of a built‐in potential inside the composite interlayer, promoting charge collection and reducing energy loss from charge recombination. Furthermore, the composite HTL interface induces vertical phase separation of active layer, leading to significant improvements of the fill factor for OSCs. As a result, high power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 18.70% and 19.02% are achieved for binary all‐polymer solar cells and polymer donor/small molecule acceptor solar cells, respectively.

Comparative Transcript Profiling of Resistant and Susceptible Tea Plants in Response to Gray Blight Disease

Gray blight disease stands as one of the most destructive ailments affecting tea plants, causing significant damage and productivity losses. However, the dynamic roles of defense genes during the infection of gray blight disease remain largely unclear, particularly concerning their distinct responses in resistant and susceptible cultivars. In the pursuit of understanding the molecular interactions associated with gray blight disease in tea plants, a transcriptome analysis unveiled that 10,524, 17,863, and 15,178 genes exhibited differential expression in the resistant tea cultivar (Yingshuang), while 14,891, 14,733, and 12,184 genes showed differential expression in the susceptible tea cultivar (Longjing 43) at 8, 24, and 72 h post-inoculation (hpi), respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses highlighted that the most up-regulated genes were mainly involved in secondary metabolism, photosynthesis, oxidative phosphorylation, and ribosome pathways. Furthermore, plant hormone signal transduction and flavonoid biosynthesis were specifically expressed in resistant and susceptible tea cultivars, respectively. These findings provide a more comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying tea plant immunity against gray blight disease.

Architectural Typology and Its Influence on Authentic Living

In this study, the transformative effects of architectural typologies on the community’s sense of belonging and relationship with their environment are examined. Through a range of investigative methodologies, the research highlights the shift from traditional architectural forms to contemporary designs, focusing on the role of political decisions, and globalized construction materials. The research examines a notable conflict: the modern spaces built with little spatial knowledge and modern material do not resonate with the community’s historical experiences and customary living patterns. Furthermore, the rapid pace of these architectural shifts has led to a growing sense of disconnection among community members. The findings highlight a central aspect: the new architectural forms fail to reflect the historical sentiments embedded in the community’s fabric and its connection to the surrounding environment. Consequently, there emerges a subtle yet significant loss of the community’s identity and heritage. The study argues for the importance of making design decisions that are sustainable, utilizing local construction knowledge in a modern way, thereby preserving the intricate and enduring connections between architectural, historical, social, and environmental factors. By doing so, designers can create spaces that preserve socio-cultural dynamics, be environmentally sustainable, yet also progress with the contemporary construction demands.

Cigarette smoke extract exacerbates progression of osteoarthritic-like changes in cartilage explant cultures.

Established risk factors for osteoarthritis (OA) include obesity, joint injury, age, race, and genetics. However, the relationship between cigarette smoking and OA has yet to be established. In the present study, we have employed the use of cigarette smoke extract (CSE), the water-soluble vapor phase of cigarette smoke, with porcine cartilage explants to investigate the effects of cigarette smoking on cartilage catabolism at the tissue level. Articular cartilage explants were first exposed to 2.5%, 5%, and 10% CSE to assess its effects on cartilage homeostasis. Following, the effects of CSE on OA-like inflammation was observed by culturing explants with a combined treatment of IL-1β and TNF-α and 10% CSE (CSE + OA). Cartilage explants were assessed for changes in viability, biochemical composition, extracellular matrix (ECM) integrity, and equilibrium mechanical properties (aggregate modulus and hydraulic permeability). CSE alone leads to both a time- and dose-dependent decrease in chondrocyte viability but does not significantly affect sGAG content, percent sGAG loss, or the ECM integrity of cartilage explants. When IL-1β and TNF-α were combined with 10% CSE, this led to a synergistic effect with more significant losses in viability, significantly more sGAG loss, and significantly higher production of ROS than OA-like inflammation only. Cartilage explant equilibrium mechanical properties were unaffected. Within the timeframe of this study, CSE alone does not cause OA but when combined with OA-like inflammation leads to worsened articular cartilage degeneration as measured by chondrocyte viability, sGAG loss, proteoglycan staining, and ROS production.