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Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus reuteri LR1, a new strain isolated from the feces of weaned pigs, on the growth performance, intestinal morphology, immune responses, and intestinal barrier function in weaned pigs. A total of 144 weaned pigs (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire, 21 d of age) with an initial BW of 6.49 ± 0.02 kg were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments with 8 replicate pens, each of per treatment and 6 pigs. Pigs were fed a basal diet (CON, controls), the basal diet supplemented with 100 mg/kg olaquindox and 75 mg/kg aureomycin (OA) or the basal diet supplemented with 5 × 1010 cfu/kg L. reuteri LR1 for a 14-d period. At the end of study, the ADG, ADFI, and G:F were calculated, and 1 randomly selected pig from each pen was euthanized for sample collection. The LR1 increased ADG (22.73%, P < 0.05) compared with CON. The villus height of the ileum was increased (P < 0.05) and crypt depth in duodenum was reduced (P < 0.05), along with increased (P < 0.05) villus height to crypt depth ratio of the jejunum and ileum by LR1 compared with CON and OA. LR1 increased (P < 0.05) ileal mucosal content of IL-22 and transforming growth factor-β compared with OA. Compared with CON, LR1 increased (P < 0.05) and OA decreased (P < 0.05) the ileal content of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), and the abundance of transcripts of porcine β-defensin 2 and protegrin 1-5. Compared with CON, LR1 increased (P < 0.05) tight junction protein zonula occludens-1 and occludin transcripts in the mucosa of the jejunum and ileum, and those of mucin-2 in ileal mucosa. The relative expression of toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and TLR4 were increased (P < 0.05) in ileal mucosa in pigs fed LR1 compared with CON. In conclusion, these data indicated that dietary LR1 supplementation at 5 × 1010 cfu/kg improved growth performance, intestinal morphology, and intestinal barrier function in weaned pigs.

Phytotoxic effects of phenolic compounds have been extensively studied, but less attention has been given to the effects of these compounds on soil microbial communities, which are crucial to the productivity of agricultural systems. Responses of cucumber rhizosphere bacterial and fungal communities to syringic acid (SA), a phenolic compound with autotoxicity to cucumber, were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer amplicons. SA at the concentration of 0.1 μmol g-1 soil changed rhizosphere bacterial and fungal community compositions, decreased bacterial community diversity but increased fungal community richness and diversity (P<0.05). Moreover, SA increased the relative abundances of bacterial phylum Proteobacteria and fungal classes Leotiomycetes, Pezizomycetes, Tremellomycetes and Eurotiomycetes, but decreased the relative abundances of bacterial phylum Firmicutes and fungal class Sordariomycetes (P<0.05). At the genus level, SA decreased the relative abundances of microbial taxa with pathogen-antagonistic and/or plant growth promoting potentials, such as Pseudomonas spp. (P<0.05). Real-time PCR validated that SA decreased cucumber rhizosphere Pseudomonas spp. abundance (P<0.05). In vitro study showed that SA (0.01 to 10 mM) inhibited the growth of a strain of Pseudomonas spp. with pathogen-antagonistic activities to cucumber pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cucumerinum Owen (P<0.05). Overall, SA changed cucumber rhizosphere bacterial and fungal community compositions, which may exert negative effects on cucumber seedling growth through inhibiting plant-beneficial microorganisms.

Dehydration-responsive element-binding (DREB) transcription factors (TFs) are key regulators of stress-inducible gene expression in plants. Anthocyanins, an important class of flavonoids, protect plants from reactive oxygen species produced under abiotic stresses. However, regulation of DREBs on anthocyanin accumulation is largely unknown. Here, an A-5 subgroup DREB gene (AmDREB3) isolated from Ammopiptanthus mongolicus, a desert broadleaf shrub with very high tolerance to harsh environments, was characterized in terms of both abiotic stress tolerance and anthocyanin accumulation. AmDREB3 does not contain the transcriptional repression motif EAR, and the protein was located in the nucleus and has transcriptional activation capacity. The transcription of AmDREB3 was differentially induced in the shoots and roots of A. mongolicus seedlings under drought, salt, heat, cold, ultraviolet B, and abscisic acid treatments. Moreover, the transcript levels in twigs, young leaves, and roots were higher than in other organs of A. mongolicus shrubs. Constitutively expressing AmDREB3 improved the tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis to drought, high salinity and heat, likely by inducing the expression of certain stress-inducible genes. The transgenic Arabidopsis seedlings also exhibited an obvious purple coloration and significant increases in anthocyanin accumulation and/or oxidative stress tolerance under drought, salt, and heat stresses. These results suggest that the AmDREB3 TF may be an important positive regulator of both stress tolerance and anthocyanin accumulation.

Located in the northeastern Hunan Province of South China, the Taolin Pb-Zn deposit is one of many metallic deposits structurally controlled by extensional faults in the central segment of the Jiangnan Orogen. The deposit occurs in a tectonic breccia zone between the Mufushan pluton and the Neoproterozoic Lengjiaxi Group. Field and microscopic observations reveal that the hydrothermal ore-forming processes at Taolin can be divided into five stages, from early to late: (1) coarse-grained quartz, (2) quartz + fluorite + chlorite + claybank sphalerite (Sp1) + galena + chalcopyrite, (3) quartz + barite + pale-yellow sphalerite (Sp2) + galena + chalcopyrite, (4) quartz ± chalcopyrite, and (5) fine-grained quartz, in which the stages 2 and 3 are regarded as the main Pb-Zn-forming events. LA-ICP-MS analyses show that Sp1 has higher contents of Fe, Mn, Co, In, and Sn, but lower contents of Ge and Sb, relative to the Sp2. Trace element concentrations of the sphalerite suggest a medium-low temperature hydrothermal event dominated in the Taolin deposit and that the ore fluids gradually decreased in the estimated average temperature and became relatively oxidized from stages 2 to 3. The δ18O values of ore fluids calculated from in situ analysis on the stages 2 and 3 quartz suggest the ore fluids are from a mixture of magmatic and meteoric waters. The δ34S values of sulfides/sulfates from stages 2 and 3 mineralization indicate a dominating magmatic affinity for sulfur. Further, lead isotope compositions for the stages 2 and 3 sulfides are similar to those of the Mufushan pluton, indicating that the ore metals may have been derived from the latter. We thus propose that the Taolin deposit precipitated from a medium-low temperature magmatic-hydrothermal system most likely related to the Mufushan pluton.

The recent surge in incidence and geographic spread of OROV infections poses an escalating threat to global public health. However, studies exploring the clinical signs of OROV infection remains exceedingly limited. We searched for OROV studies published until June 17, 2024, in several electronic databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and the Cochrane Library. In total, 15 studies involving 806 patients with OROV infection were eligible for inclusion. General symptoms with fever and headache were the most common. Gastrointestinal disturbances like nausea/vomiting, anorexia, and odynophagia were also prevalent, along with ocular symptoms, mainly retro-orbital pain, photophobia, and redness. Respiratory symptoms, such as cough, sore throat and nasal congestion, are present, and skin-related issues like rash, pruritus, and pallor were also identified. Overall, this study provides a foundational understanding of OROV's clinical manifestations to guide diagnosis, management, and public health interventions against this neglected tropical disease.

For the trajectory tracking control problem of a 7-DOF redundant hydraulic manipulator, an adaptive fuzzy sliding mode control method based on a novel fast reaching law is proposed. Based on the kinematic analysis of the manipulator, its dynamic equation is constructed using the Lagrange dynamic equation. A trajectory planning method for the manipulator, integrating seventh-order polynomial interpolation and genetic algorithm optimization, is proposed. Taking the planned trajectory as the expected trajectory, a sliding mode controller is designed to achieve trajectory tracking control of the manipulator. A sliding mode disturbance observer is used to observe the system uncertainties, and an adaptive fuzzy logic system is designed to estimate the observation error of the disturbance observer. The sliding mode control law is deduced based on the fast reaching law, which can achieve global fast convergence of the sliding mode function while reducing the chattering of the controller. The simulation results show that the proposed control method has good tracking performance and strong robustness.

Background Higher fluoride in plasma has been associated with lower eGFR among adolescents in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES); however, whether fluoride exposure may contribute to decreased kidney function or fluoride may accumulate in plasma from lower kidney filtration could not be parsed. We examined the presence of dental fluorosis (DF; reflecting chronic fluoride exposure during tooth development) among adolescents and young adults and urinary fluoride (UF) levels among adolescents in relation to kidney and liver parameters in the United States (US). Methods Participants were 1,031 adolescents (aged 12–19 years) and 734 young adults (aged 20–29 years) from NHANES 2015–2016. DF was derived from Dean’s Fluorosis Index (DFI), and defined as any DFI score indicating very mild, mild, moderate, or severe fluorosis, while scores of normal and questionable were categorized as no fluorosis. Kidney or liver function parameters included estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), serum uric acid, the urinary albumin to creatinine ratio, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), gamma glutamate transferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, and albumin. We conducted survey-weighted linear regression adjusted for covariates to examine associations between fluoride exposure and kidney or liver function. Results Adolescent participants were 15 years old and adults were 24 years old on average. The median (IQR) UF concentration among adolescents was 0.48 (0.48) mg/L. Approximately 74% of adolescents and 70% of adults had DF with varying degrees of severity (ranging from very mild to severe). Each 1 mg/L increase in UF was associated with an approximately 5 mL/min/1.73 m² lower eGFR among adolescents (B = -4.73, 95% CI: -8.35, -1.12, p  = 0.010). Higher UF was also associated with higher serum uric acid (mg/dl) (B = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.33, p  = 0.040) among adolescents. DF was associated with lower eGFR among adolescents (B = -3.72, 95% CI: -7.10, -0.33, p  = 0.031) and adults (B = -3.90, 95% CI: -6.49, -1.31, p  = 0.003). In addition, having DF was negatively associated with BUN among adolescents (B = -0.83, 95% CI: -1.44, -0.22, p  = 0.007). No other significant associations were observed for liver markers. Conclusion Chronic fluoride exposure during tooth development and recent fluoride exposure in adolescence are cross-sectionally associated with a lower rate of kidney filtration among adolescents and young adults in the US. Prospective US-based studies are needed to determine whether these associations are causal.

Background Decomposition of plant litter is a key driver of carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Mixing litters of different plant species may alter the decomposition rate, but its effect on the microbial decomposer community in plant litter is not fully understood. Here, we tested the effects of mixing with maize ( Zea mays L.) and soybean [ Glycine max (Linn.) Merr. ] stalk litters on the decomposition and microbial decomposer communities of common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) root litter at the early decomposition stage in a litterbag experiment. Results Mixing with maize stalk litter, soybean stalk litter, and both of these litters increased the decomposition rate of common bean root litter at 56 day but not 14 day after incubation. Litter mixing also increased the decomposition rate of the whole liter mixture at 56 day after incubation. Amplicon sequencing found that litter mixing altered the composition of bacterial (at 56 day after incubation) and fungal communities (at both 14 and 56 day after incubation) in common bean root litter. Litter mixing increased the abundance and alpha diversity of fungal communities in common bean root litter at 56 day after incubation. Particularly, litter mixing stimulated certain microbial taxa, such as Fusarium , Aspergillus and Stachybotrys spp. In addition, a pot experiment with adding litters in the soil showed that litter mixing promoted growth of common bean seedlings and increased soil nitrogen and phosphorus contents. Conclusions This study showed that litter mixing can promote the decomposition rate and cause shifts in microbial decomposer communities, which may positively affect crop growth.

Reciprocating piezoelectric micropumps enable miniaturization in microfluidics for lab-on-a-chip applications such as organs-on-chips (OoC). However, achieving a steady flow when using these micropumps is a significant challenge because of flow ripples in the displaced liquid, especially at low frequencies or low flow rates (<50 µL/min). Although dampers are widely used for reducing ripples in a flow, their efficiency depends on the driving frequency of the pump. Here, we investigated multi-phase rectification as an approach to minimize ripples at low flow rates by connecting piezoelectric micropumps in parallel. The efficiency in ripple reduction was evaluated with an increasing number (n) of pumps connected in parallel, each actuated by an alternating voltage waveform with a phase difference of 2π/n (called multi-phase rectification) at a chosen frequency. We introduce a fluidic ripple factor (RFfl.), which is the ratio of the root mean square (RMS) value of the fluctuations present in the rectified output to the average fluctuation-free value of the discharge flow, as a metric to express the quality of the flow. The fluidic ripple factor was reduced by more than 90% by using three-phase rectification when compared to one-phase rectification in the 2–60 μL/min flow rate range. Analytical equations to estimate the fluidic ripple factor for a chosen number of pumps connected in parallel are presented, and we experimentally confirmed up to four pumps. The analysis shown can be used to design a frequency-independent multi-phase fluid rectifier to the desired ripple level in a flow for reciprocating pumps.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) swarm path planning poses significant challenges, particularly in dynamic environments with complex obstacles. Traditional path-planning methods often encounter difficulties related to high dimensionality and obstacle density. This paper introduces a novel MA based on artificial intelligence, termed Improved Polar Lights Optimization (CCPLO). The CCPLO enhances path planning performance by integrating the Criss-Cross (CC) strategy with the Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (CMA-ES). Key improvements include a dynamic adjustment mechanism for search parameters, the implementation of parallel processing techniques, and refined crossover and normalization processes. The dynamic adjustment mechanism allows for real-time tuning of parameters, enhancing global search capabilities and minimizing the risk of local optima. Furthermore, parallel processing significantly boosts computational efficiency, especially in high-dimensional and complex scenarios. Experimental results demonstrate that the CCPLO algorithm outperforms existing algorithms in the CEC 2017 benchmark function test set. Specifically, in multi-obstacle and dynamic task environments, CCPLO effectively designs safer and more efficient paths, highlighting its strong potential for UAV swarm path planning.