Opposite Pattern Research Articles

Seasonal dietary changes relate to gut microbiota composition depending on the host species but do not correlate with gut microbiota diversity in arthropod-eating lizards.

The animal gut microbiota is strongly influenced by environmental factors that shape their temporal dynamics. Although diet is recognized as a major driver of gut microbiota variation, dietary patterns have seldom been linked to gut microbiota dynamics in wild animals. Here, we analysed the gut microbiota variation between dry and rainy seasons across four Sceloporus species (S. aeneus, S. bicanthalis, S. grammicus and S. spinosus) from central Mexico in light of temporal changes in diet composition. The lizard microbiota was dominated by Firmicutes (now Bacillota) and Bacteroidota, and the closely related species S. aeneus and S. bicanthalis shared a great number of core bacterial taxa. We report species-specific seasonal changes in gut microbiota diversity and composition: greater alpha diversity during the dry compared to the rainy season in S. bicanthalis, the opposite pattern in S. aeneus, and no seasonal differences in S. grammicus and S. spinosus. Our findings indicated a positive association between gut bacterial composition and dietary composition for S. bicanthalis and S. grammicus, but bacterial diversity did not increase linearly with dietary richness in any lizard species. In addition, seasonality affected bacterial composition, and microbial community similarity increased between S. aeneus and S. bicanthalis, as well as between S. grammicus and S. spinosus. Together, our results illustrate that seasonal variation and dietary composition play a role in shaping gut microbiota in lizard populations, but this is not a rule and other ecological factors influence microbiota variation.

Distinct fungal communities affecting opposite galanthamine accumulation patterns in two Lycoris species

Lycoris radiata is the main source of galanthamine, a clinical drug used in Alzheimer’s disease; however, the galanthamine content in L. radiata is low. Lycoris aurea is another Lycoris species with high galanthamine content. Fungal endophytes can enhance plant secondary metabolite accumulation; thus, we compared the fungal communities in these two Lycoris species to identify certain fungal taxa in L. aurea capable of enhancing galanthamine accumulation. Several fungal endophytes, which were enriched in, exclusively isolated from L. aurea, or showed significant correlations with galanthamine, were demonstrated to enhance the accumulation of only galanthamine but no other Amaryllidaceae alkaloids (AAs) in L. radiata. These fungal endophytes mainly upregulated the downstream genes in the biosynthesis pathways of AAs in L. radiata, suggesting that they may allocate more precursors for galanthamine biosynthesis. This study demonstrated that fungal endophytes from L. aurea with higher galanthamine content can specifically enhance the accumulation of this medicinal alkaloid in other Lycoris species, thereby increasing the galanthamine source and reducing galanthamine separation and purification costs. This study broadens our understanding of the complex interactions between plant secondary metabolites and fungal endophytes.

Spatial patterns and climatic drivers of phylogenetic structure of regional liverwort assemblages in China.

Latitudinal diversity gradients have been intimately linked to the tropical niche conservatism hypothesis, which posits that there has been a strong filter due to the challenges faced by ancestral tropical lineages to adapt to low temperatures and colonize extra-tropical regions. In liverworts, species richness is higher towards the tropics, but the centers of diversity of the basal lineages are distributed across extra-tropical regions, pointing to the colonization of tropical regions by phylogenetically clustered assemblages of species of temperate origin. Here, we test this hypothesis through analyses on the relationship between macroclimatic variation and phylogenetic diversity in Chinese liverworts. Phylogenetic diversity metrics and their standardized effect sizes for liverworts in each of the 28 regional floras at the province level in China were related to latitude and six climate variables using regression analysis. We conducted variation partitioning analyses to determine the relative importance of each group of climatic variables. We find that the number of species decreases with latitude, whereas phylogenetic diversity shows the reverse pattern, and that phylogenetic diversity is more strongly correlated with temperature-related variables, compared with precipitation-related variables. We interpret the opposite patterns observed in phylogenetic diversity and species richness in terms of a more recent origin of tropical diversity coupled with higher extinctions in temperate regions.

Mammal diversity responses to anthropic, environmental, and seasonal changes within Caatinga seasonal dry forest landscapes

AbstractCaatinga's conservation and biodiversity are threatened due to the intensification of anthropic activities and climate change. The mammals have different responses to seasonal and anthropic changes, however particularly in Caatinga, these effects are still poorly understood. We assessed the influence of anthropic (distance from urban areas and wind farms), environmental (distance from water), and seasonal (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and land surface temperature (LST)) variables on the number of records and richness of medium and large‐sized mammals in Brazilian Caatinga. We used camera traps in 2016–2017 and 2018–2019, estimated the variation (cv) of NDVI and LST, and generated Euclidean distance maps to anthropic and environmental variables at 250, 500, and 1000 m spatial scales. We performed Generalized Linear Models, used the Akaike information criterion, and calculated model averaging to assess the strength and direction of effect and the uncertainties of the winner models, respectively. The distance from wind farms and maximum LST had a noticeable effect on the number of records and total richness. The distance from wind farms had a negative effect on the records of Dicotyles tajacu and a positive effect on the records of Leopardus pardalis and richness. The maximum LST had a negative effect on the records of L. pardalis and a positive effect on the records of Puma concolor and Cerdocyon thous. Our results emphasize that an unsustainable expansion of wind farms is likely to compromise mammal diversity. We found an opposite pattern for some species regarding LST. However, it is important to highlight that the conservation of vegetation areas on the top of mountains and springs, and the installation of artificial water sources are important strategies to mitigate the impacts of high temperatures on mammals' biodiversity in Caatinga.Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.

Counterfactual language, emotion, and perspective: a sentence completion study during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic turned into a global crisis. Focusing on the deterioration in people’s mental health, we conducted two experiments, one in Germany and one in the UK, in January and February 2021, when both countries were in lockdown. Using a COVID-19-themed sentence completion task, we tested the direction of counterfactual thoughts in relation to egocentric (self-focused) versus non-egocentric (other-focused) perspective-taking. Results show that in both samples, more upward counterfactuals (mental simulation of better counterfactual worlds, relating to negative emotions) than downward counterfactuals (mental simulation of worse counterfactual worlds, relating to positive emotions) were produced in the egocentric condition. An opposite pattern was found in the non-egocentric condition. We conclude that emotions as expressed in counterfactual language are perspective-dependent.

Food price trends during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil.

The present study aims to analyze the trends in food price in Brazil with emphasis on the period of the Covid-19 pandemic (from March 2020 to March 2022). Data from the Brazilian Household Budget Survey and the National System of Consumer Price Indexes were used as input to create a novel data set containing monthly prices (R$/Kg) for the foods and beverages most consumed in the country between January 2018 and March 2022. All food items were divided according to the Nova food classification system. We estimated the mean price of each food group for each year of study and the entire period. The monthly price of each group was plotted to analyze changes from January 2018 to March 2022. Fractional polynomial models were used to synthesize price changes up to 2025. Results of the present study showed that in Brazil unprocessed or minimally processed foods and processed culinary ingredients were more affordable than processed and ultra-processed foods. However, trend analyses suggested the reversal of the pricing pattern. The anticipated changes in the prices of minimally processed food relative to ultra-processed food, initially forecasted for Brazil, seem to reflect the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the global economy. These results are concerning as the increase in the price of healthy foods aggravates food and nutrition insecurity in Brazil. Additionally, this trend encourages the replacement of traditional meals for the consumption of unhealthy foods, increasing a health risk to the population.

Pleural Spindle Cell Sarcoma on 68Ga-DOTA-FAPI-04 PET/CT and 18F-FDG PET/CT: A Rare Case.

A 67-year-old woman with pleural mass underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT, suspected of malignant pleural tumor with intense 18F-FDG uptake. Then she underwent 68Ga-DOTA-FAPI-04 PET/CT for staging, which showed similar uptake in pleural lesions and opposite uptake pattern in mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes. Finally, she was diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma (G2) by histopathology. After 1 cycle chemotherapy, the pleural lesions progressed, while mediastinal lymph nodes shrunk. Half a month later, the patient died due to rapid disease progression. This case indicates that 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT might be a promising new tool in diagnosis and staging of pleural spindle cell sarcoma.

#1651 Urinary oxygen partial pressure: closely associated with hourly urine output induced by furosemide in patients with acute renal injury

Abstract Background and Aims Urine oxygen level, an indicator of kidney medullar oxygenation, is promising for predicting the onset of acute kidney injury (AKI). Furosemide, a commonly used diuretic in ICU, significantly increases urine output and is believed to change kidney medullar oxygenation. We monitored the longitudinal change of urinary oxygen partial pressure during bolus or pump administration of furosemide, aiming to describe the reaction pattern in an AKI-susceptible patient population. Method The prospective observational pilot study included seven adult patients in the ICU because of cardiac surgery or sepsis. We monitored the continuous urinary oxygen partial pressure for 8-24 hours through a device placed between the urinary catheter and collecting bag during furosemide administration, recorded hourly urine output simultaneously from a urine bag, and followed the patients in the hospital for the onset and development of AKI. Results We recruited three female patients and four male patients with an average age of 54 years and a medium of 5 days in ICU with an AKIN stage I of AKI during their hospital stay. None of them developed more severe stage AKI or required any kidney replacement therapy. We found a reverse correlation pattern between hourly urine output and urinary oxygen partial pressure. Specifically, the urine oxygen level dropped during urine volume increase caused by furosemide bolus administration and abolished by furosemide administration through a pump with more stable urine output. The paired t-test showed a significant increase in average urine oxygen level (mean difference = 21.2 mmHg, p = 0.044) recorded during the “high hourly urine output” period compared to the “low hourly urine period”. Conclusion We first found a drop in urinary oxygen partial pressure during the high urine output period elicited by bolus furosemide administration. It shed light on the confounding factors in AKI predicating during possible furosemide administration.

The Temporal and Spatial Evolution Characteristics and Driving Factors of Ecosystem Service Bundles in Anhui Province, China

Identifying ecosystem service bundles and their long-term evolutionary characteristics is essential for the overall enhancement of regional ecosystem services, as well as the division and management of functional areas, providing a basis for decision-making in formulating ecological and environmental protection policies, as well as regional development planning. Based on land use, remote sensing, and meteorological data obtained from Anhui Province, this study assessed six important ecosystem service functions, including food production (FP), water yield (WY), carbon sequestration (CS), soil conservation (SC), habitat quality (HQ), and landscape aesthetics (LA), at the township scale in 2000, 2010, and 2020. On this basis, the k-means clustering method was used to identify ecosystem service bundles, analyze the spatio-temporal evolution trajectory of service bundles, and explore the driving factors of the spatio-temporal evolution of ecosystem service bundles using GeoDetector 2015 The results indicate the following: (1) At the spatial level, diverse ecosystem services demonstrate pronounced spatial differentiation. The distribution pattern of HQ, carbon fixation, and SC services is generally lower in the north and higher in the south, with areas of high value predominantly located in the western Dabie Mountains and the mountains of Southern Anhui. Conversely, FP services exhibit the reverse pattern, and WY services display a gradual increase from north to south, while cultural services are more dispersed, with areas of high value primarily located in the western Dabie Mountains, the Yangtze River Basin, and other locations. On the temporal scale, WY, SC, and FP services mainly exhibit an increasing trend, marked by a significant increase, whereas other services tend to present a decreasing trend. (2) Anhui Province can be categorized into four distinct types of service bundles: the grain production bundle (GPB), mountain ecological conservation bundle (MECB), urban living bundle (ULB), and core protection bundle (CPB). Ecosystem service bundles exhibit clear spatial differentiation, and identical service bundles demonstrate substantial clustering in space. Between 2000 and 2020, ecosystem service bundles displayed a marked spatio-temporal evolution, with the prevalence of GPBs diminishing, whereas the share of ULBs progressively increased, and the number of MECBs and CPBs remained largely stable. (3) In the spatio-temporal evolution process, the average annual precipitation, the proportion of forest land, and slope constitute the principal natural factors influencing the spatio-temporal evolution of ecosystem service bundles, while the proportion of construction land represents the primary socio-economic factor, with natural factors exerting a more significant influence than socio-economic factors.

Altered microbial diversity, interaction pattern, and nitrogen transformation processes response to different iron addition amounts in constructed wetlands

Microbial interactions affect the biogeochemical cycles, pollutant transformation, and stable operation of constructed wetlands (CWs), and these interaction networks are vulnerable to environmental stress. Iron (Fe)-based CWs have been demonstrated as an intensified nitrogen (N) removal system, however, whether and how the addition of Fe, an exogenous environmental stressor, and its amount affect the microbial interactions and functions are poorly understood, which inevitably determine the stability and sustainability of CW system. Herein, we demonstrated that higher Fe addition could effectively improve the stability and sustainability of the CW system by regulating the diversity and interactions of the microbial communities rather than the relative abundance of functional genes. Specifically, low Fe-addition reduced the complexity and robustness of microbial network and the number of keystone taxa, while the high Fe-addition CWs showed the opposite pattern. In CWs with low Fe-addition, N-Fe cycles were accomplished by increasing competition represented by a high proportion of negative links between the same function, whereas increased cooperation was observed in CWs with high Fe-addition. Moreover, Fe addition shaped divergent N transformation processes, with denitrification-dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) dominating in control group, and nitrification-partial denitrification/anammox (PD/A) dominating in Fe-based CWs, and the intensity of nitrification-PD/A increased with the addition amount of Fe. Our study provided insights into the potential ways to improve the stability and sustainability of Fe-CWs for intensified pollutant elimination, which would be valuable to advance the design, sustainable operation, and application of Fe-CWs.

Natural Embeddedness, Place Attachment, and Local Opposition to Developmental Projects: A Polanyian Analysis of the Origins of Preemptive Environmental Protests in China

This article aims to uncover the underlying social and institutional origins of China’s local preemptive environmental protests against developmental projects with negative externalities, which have not been fully investigated by the extant literature on “NIMBY” (“not-in-my-backyard”) activism in China. Primarily through the perspective of Karl Polanyi’s environmental sociology, this article presents a case study of the 2012 protest in Qidong, Jiangsu province, against an industrial waste disposal pipeline. The case of Qidong shows how local ecology has been deeply embedded in the social context and relations that have historically shaped the economic structures, culinary traditions, and place attachment in the area. Such a nexus between the environment and society in turn significantly impacted the opposition pattern of the local communities, which involved various social strata by triggering their economic and health concerns as well as an emotional response. Moreover, the article finds that the unified cross-class action under the banner of defending public interests was possible in Qidong largely because the actors were all part of the same holistic local ecological system, with shared economic interests, dietary preferences, and cultural identities. This research thus echoes the insights of environmental sociology and argues that it is necessary to take into account the interplay between ecology and locality to understand local environmental politics.

Mechanism controlling groundwater chemistry in the hyper-arid basin with intermittent river flow: insights from long-term observations (2001–2023) in the lower Heihe River, Northwest China

The geochemical processes of groundwater in arid regions are generally influenced by both natural hydrological processes and human activities. However, impacts of water-rock interactions on groundwater recharge via hydrological processes, controlled by both intermittent river water flow and groundwater withdrawals, is still poorly understood. In this study, 327 groundwater chemistry datasets collected from the upper, middle (including Gobi and riparian zones), and lower regions of the Ejina Delta in Northwest China from 2001 to 2023 were analyzed. Our results revealed that the total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration of groundwater in Ejina Delta ranged from approximately 881.5 ± 331.6 mg/L in the upper regions to 1,953.6 ± 1,208.5 mg/L in the lower regions, with an increasing trend observed. Ecological water conveyance (EWC), recharging aquifer through intermittent river water flow, resulted in a decrease in TDS concentrations from 2001 to 2023 mainly in the upper region. While irrigation notably affected groundwater chemistry in the lower region, resulting in a substantial increase in groundwater salinity. Groundwater chemistry in the Middle Gobi region remained relatively stable over the study period. Generally, the hydrochemical composition shifted from the Na-Mg-SO4-HCO3 and Na-Mg-Ca-SO4-HCO3 types in the upper region to Na-Mg-SO4-HCO3 and Na-Mg-SO4-Cl types in the lower region, with Na-SO4-Cl predominant in the Middle Gobi. These shifts were likely be attributed to the interplay of water-rock interactions, coupled with evaporation-crystallization processes. Inverse modeling using PHREEQC revealed that in the upper-middle region, primary water-rock interactions involved calcite dissolution and the precipitation of dolomite, gypsum, halite, and sylvite salts, as well as cation exchange reactions (2NaX+Ca2+→CaX2+2Na+). In contrast, the hydrogeological system in the middle-lower region exhibited an opposite pattern of water-rock interactions. Overall, ecological water conveyance partially facilitated water-rock interactions during lateral groundwater flow, while irrigation disrupted the natural hydrogeochemical equilibrium, involving halite dissolution and opposite cation exchange reactions compared to other regions.

Benefits but not the dual functions of submissive signals differ between two Malagasy primates.

Many animals use formalized signals to communicate dominance relationships. In some primates, such as macaques, the function of such signals varies with dominance style. Despotic species produce unidirectional submission signals that have a dual function: in conflict contexts, they signal a willingness to withdraw, whereas in peaceful contexts, they indicate the agreement to subordination. More despotic species produce these calls to a lesser extent than less despotic species. Here, we investigated whether the use of unidirectional submission signals is also related to dominance style in two lemur species and whether signalling subordination stabilizes social relationships at the group level. Ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) exhibit a more despotic dominance hierarchy than Verreaux's sifakas (Propithecus verreauxi). We observed social interactions in 75 dyads of Verreaux's sifakas and 118 dyads of ring-tailed lemurs. Both species used unidirectional submissive calls that have a dual function, potentially suggesting convergent evolution of the function of these signals in independent primate lineages. However, signalling subordination did not stabilize social relationships at the group level in both species. Additionally, subordination occurred more frequently in dyads of the more despotic ring-tailed lemurs than in Verreaux's sifakas, indicating opposite patterns to macaques in the coevolution of social traits with dominance style. This article is part of the theme issue 'The power of sound: unravelling how acoustic communication shapes group dynamics'.

Induced fatigue impact on plantar pressure in females with mild hallux valgus

Fatigue has been established to change plantar pressure distribution, yet its impact on hallux valgus (HV) patients, who exhibit morphological and biomechanical changes in the foot, remains insufficiently studied. Twenty-eight female participants, comprising 16 with mild HV and 12 healthy controls, were recruited. Plantar pressures were recorded pre- and post-fatigue using the Footscan platform during self-selected-speed walking trials, fatigue protocol was performed on a treadmill. Foot was segmented into 10 anatomical regions for calculating parameters including maximal force, peak pressure, impulse, contact duration, contact area, and force time-series, alongside assessing the distribution of medial and lateral contact forces (Foot balance) across the groups. During post-fatigue, patients with mild HV demonstrated adaptive changes in plantar pressure distinct from healthy controls, with significant reductions in maximal force, peak pressure, and impulse in the M1 and M2 regions and increases in the M3–M5 regions. In contrast, the control group exhibited an opposite pattern, concentrating pressure in the M1 and M2 regions post-fatigue. The force time-series analysis revealed significant disparities between HV patients and controls, particularly in the M4 and M5 regions, where HV patients showed a less pronounced and lower passive peak in forces. Results show that women with mild HV demonstrate adaptive changes in plantar pressure post-fatigue, distinctly different from healthy individuals, aiding in preventive strategies for fatigue-induced foot injuries for HV patients.

Exploring Internal Reverse Migration Patterns in Cumilla District, Bangladesh: A Case Study During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The study possesses two-fold objectives: first, to explain the nature of internal reverse migration in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic, and second, to explore the push-pull factors of it. This study used a qualitative analysis tool and conducted 04 case studies and 10 In-depth interviews of reverse migrants for case study-based analysis. the study found that the pandemic triggered the reverse migration of informal workers, particularly female workers. Livelihood crisis, food insecurity, unexpected shocks, health insecurity, low living costs, and fear of infection are push-pull factors of reverse migration during COVID-19. Furthermore, these push-pull factors have motivated informal workers to migrate from urban to rural areas during COVID-19. The findings recommend that policymakers should address the vulnerability of informal workers in policy decisions. Policymakers should introduce new programs, i.e., social protection, and emergency economic schemes to provide support to the informal workers during emergencies like COVID-19.

The seasonal dynamics of cross-sectional tissue characteristics of Corylus mandshurica twig, petiole, and leaf vein are inconsistent

This study aims to explore how the environment affects the variation and trade-offs of anatomical traits in shrub plants, contributing to a deeper understanding of plant survival strategies and mechanisms of adaptation to the environment. The dominant shrub species Corylus mandshurica in the broad-leaved Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) forest was selected as the research subject. Current-year twigs and leaves of C. mandshurica were collected in spring (May), summer (July), and autumn (September). Anatomical traits, including non-vascular column proportion (NVP), vascular column proportion (VP), phloem proportion (PP), and xylem proportion (XP), were measured for twigs, lower part of petioles, upper part of petioles, and leaf veins. We found that (1) Compared with seasons, organ type explained most of the variation in the four traits (NVP = 96 %, VP = 87 %, PP = 81 %, XP = 76 %). Lower part of petioles served as the turning point in the variation trend of tissue proportions in cross-sectional structure along the sequence of twigs, lower part of petioles, upper part of petioles, and leaf veins. (2) In spring, C. mandshurica exhibits higher NVP but lower VP and PP, while the results in summer and autumn are opposite to those in spring. Among different organs, twigs show lower NVP but higher VP and XP; whereas petioles and leaf veins show the opposite pattern. (3) Both hydrothermal conditions (monthly precipitation and mean monthly temperature) and light (canopy openness and total transmitted radiation) were the dominant environmental factors influencing anatomical trait variation. In different seasons, the response of NVP and VP in C. mandshurica twigs to dominant environmental factors was opposite to that of lower part of petioles, upper part of petioles, and leaf veins. The response of cross-sectional anatomical traits of current-year twigs, petioles, and leaf veins in C. mandshurica to seasonal changes exhibits distinct characteristics. Furthermore, twigs, petioles, and leaf veins demonstrate distinct survival strategies. Future research should focus on the variation of traits in different plant organs and their connecting parts.

Numerical Calculation of Gas–Liquid Two-Phase Flow in Tesla Valve

In this paper, the gas–liquid two-phase flow within a Tesla valve under zero-gravity conditions is numerically studied. Based on the VOF model and the inlet two-phase separation method, the forward and reverse flow patterns and pressure drop changes in a Tesla valve at different inlet velocities were analyzed. At an inlet velocity of 0.1–0.2 m/s, the flow pattern was slug flow, the bubbles were evenly distributed in different positions in the Tesla valve, and the velocity difference between the main pipe and the arc branch pipe was small. When the inlet velocity was 0.4 m/s, the main flow pattern was annular flow, and there was a phenomenon of gas–liquid phase separation through different flow channels, which was related to centrifugal force. At an inlet velocity of 0.6–0.8 m/s, bubbly flow and slug flow coexisted, which was related to the uneven velocity. In the study range, the difference in the forward and reverse pressure drops of two-phase flow was smaller than that of single-phase flow, and the two-phase diodicity decreased first and then increased with the change in inlet velocity, reaching minimum values of 0.78 at 0.2 m/s and 1.44 at 0.8 m/s.

The interaction between 20-hydroxyecdysone and AMPK through PI3K activation in Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis

In crustaceans, the steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) initiates molting, and the molting process is also regulated by energy metabolism. AMPK is an energy sensor and plays a critical role in systemic energy balance. Here, the regulatory mechanism in the interaction between 20E and AMPK was investigated in Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis. The results showed that the 20E concentration and the mRNA expression levels of 20E receptors in hepatopancreas were down-regulated post AMPK activator (AICAR) treatment, and were up-regulated after AMPK inhibitor (Compound C) injection in crabs. Besides, the molt-inhibiting hormone (MIH) gene expression in eyestalk showed the opposite patterns in response to the AICAR and Compound C treatment, respectively. Further investigation found that there was a significant reduction in 20E concentration post PI3K inhibitor (LY294002) treatment, and the phosphorylation level of PI3K was increased in hepatopancreas after AMPK inhibitor injection. On the other hand, the positive regulation of PI3K-mediated activation of AMPK was also observed, the phosphorylation levels of AMPKα, AMPKβ and PI3K in hepatopancreas were significantly increased post 20E injection. In addition, the phosphorylation levels of AMPKα and AMPKβ induced by 20E were decreased after the injection of PI3K inhibitor. Taken together, these results suggest that the regulatory cross-talk between 20E and AMPK is likely to act through PI3K pathway in E. sinensis, which appeared to be helpful for a better understanding in molting regulation.

Comparative analysis of transposable elements dynamics in fish with different sex chromosome systems.

Transposable elements (TEs) are widespread genomic components with substantial roles in genome evolution and sex chromosome differentiation. In this study, we compared the TE composition of three closely related fish with different sex chromosome systems: Megaleporinus elongatus (Z1Z1Z2Z2/Z1W1Z2W2), Megaleporinus macrocephalus (ZZ/ZW) (both with highly differentiated W sex chromosomes), and Leporinus friderici (without heteromorphic sex chromosomes). We created custom TE libraries for each species using clustering methods and manual annotation and prediction, and we predicted TE temporal dynamics through divergence-based analysis. The TE abundance ranged from 16% to 21% in the three mobilomes, with L. friderici having the lowest overall. Despite the recent amplification of TEs in all three species, we observed differing expansion activities, particularly between the two genera. Both Megaleporinus recently experienced high retrotransposon activity, with a reduction in DNA TEs, which could have implications in sex chromosome composition. In contrast, L. friderici showed the opposite pattern. Therefore, despite having similar TE compositions, Megaleporinus and Leporinus exhibit distinct TE histories that likely evolved after their separation, highlighting a rapid TE expansion over short evolutionary periods.

Machine learning-based bioimpedance assessment of knee osteoarthritis severity

This study proposes a multiclass model to classify the severity of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) using bioimpedance measurements. The experimental setup considered three types of measurements using eight electrodes: global impedance with adjacent pattern, global impedance with opposite pattern, and direct impedance measurement, which were taken using an electronic device proposed by authors and based on the Analog Devices AD5933 impedance converter. The study comprised 37 participants, 25 with healthy knees and 13 with three different degrees of KOA. All participants performed 20 repetitions of each of the following five tasks: (i) sitting with the knee bent, (ii) sitting with the knee extended, (iii) sitting and performing successive extensions and flexions of the knee, (iv) standing, and (v) walking. Data from the 15 experimental setups (3 types of measurements×5 exercises) were used to train a multiclass random forest. The training and validation cycle was repeated 100 times using random undersampling. At each of the 100 cycles, 80% of the data were used for training and the rest for testing. The results showed that the proposed approach achieved average sensitivities and specificities of 100% for the four KOA severity grades in the extension, cyclic, and gait tasks. This suggests that the proposed method can serve as a screening tool to determine which individuals should undergo x-rays or magnetic resonance imaging for further evaluation of KOA.