Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Guangmei Wang, Katharina Dorn, Stefanie Siebeneichler, Martin Valldor, Volodymyr Smetana, Anja-Verena Mudring
Summary: Open framework materials like zeolites and metalorganic frameworks have attracted significant interest due to their unique structures and appealing functionalities. In this research, new inorganic framework materials were discovered, with scaffold based on octahedral transition metal building blocks instead of tetrahedral ones. These materials exhibit distinctive structural features and interesting properties.
Article
Microbiology
Jianhua Wang, Guan-Zhu Han
Summary: In this study, a novel retrotransposon lineage called Odin retrotransposons was discovered within the genomes of sea anemones. Phylogenetic analyses showed that Odin retrotransposons were closely related to lokiretroviruses and retroviruses, providing insights into the origin and evolution of retroviruses.
Article
Biology
Noah J. Connally, Sumaiya Nazeen, Daniel Lee, Huwenbo Shi, John Stamatoyannopoulos, Sung Chun, Chris Cotsapas, Christopher A. Cassa, Shamil R. Sunyaev, Jonathan Flint
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between complex traits and gene expression and suggests the need for better models to explain the associations.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Qi Zhong, Haoqi Zhao, Liang Feng, Kurt Busch, Sahin K. Ozdemir, Ramy El-Ganainy
Summary: Optical resonators are structures that use wave interference and feedback to control light. They can support standing- or traveling-wave modes depending on the feedback mechanism. This article introduces a new class of photonic resonators that support a hybrid optical mode, which can be implemented using chip-scale photonics and free-space optics.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Wei Li, Ruixin Du, Chuanhui Xia, Huiying Zhang, Yunyi Xie, Xiaowen Gao, Yu Ouyang, Zhan Yin, Guangfu Hu
Summary: This study isolated two GnRH variants and four GnRH receptors from grass carp and found that GnRHR4 was highly expressed in the pituitary gland. Further investigations revealed that GnRH2 and GnRH3 regulated the expression of reproductive hormone genes and anorexigenic peptide genes in grass carp pituitary cells through multiple signaling pathways. Interestingly, food intake also influenced the expression of GnRH2 in the fish brain. These findings highlight the importance of GnRH in integrating feeding metabolism and reproduction in teleost.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Luis Angel Zarazaga, Maria-Carolina Gatica, Ignacio De La Rosa, Manuel Delgado-Pertinez, Jose Luis Guzman
Summary: The male effect is a common reproductive management practice in goat farming, where the introduction of males to anovulatory females induces estrous activity within a few days. High testosterone concentrations are traditionally believed to be essential for a good reproductive response from female goats, but this study shows that testosterone levels can be stimulated in bucks after a period of isolation, and high testosterone concentrations are not necessary for a good response to the male effect in anestrous females.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Barbara Politynska, Olga Pokorska, Anna M. Wojtukiewicz, Magdalena Sawicka, Marta Mysliwiec, Kenneth V. Honn, Stephanie C. Tucker, Marek Z. Wojtukiewicz
Summary: Cancer patients have a higher risk of developing depression, which can lead to decreased quality of life, worse prognosis, and higher mortality. The underlying pathophysiological mechanism connecting depression and cancer is still unclear, but recent studies have implicated neuroinflammatory mechanisms in the etiology of depression. These mechanisms may result in chronic inflammation in the brain, contributing to the development of depression. Three major routes, involving proinflammatory mediators, are likely implicated in cancer-related depression: the activation of the kynurenine pathway, impairment of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and glutamate excitotoxicity via the glutamatergic pathway. Understanding these dysregulated mechanisms and other emerging pathways may provide insights for therapeutic targeting and improve the care of cancer patients.
PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Genetics & Heredity
Claire Wilson, Aditi Kanhere
Summary: This study speculates on the potential role of variants of lncRNAs in cancer development by drawing upon emerging research findings.
TRENDS IN GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Marcel Ramos, Martin Morgan, Ludwig Geistlinger, Vincent J. Carey, Levi Waldron
Summary: The RaggedExperiment R/Bioconductor package provides lossless representation of disparate genomic ranges across multiple specimens or cells, with efficient calculation of rectangular-shaped summaries for downstream analysis. It supports statistical analysis of somatic mutations, copy number, methylation, and open chromatin data, and is compatible with multimodal data analysis. The package simplifies data representation and transformation for software developers and analysts.
Editorial Material
Oncology
Benoit J. Van den Eynde
Summary: EMT tumors often express the RNA-binding protein Arid5a, which stabilizes the mRNAs encoding IDO1 and CCL2, representing a new therapeutic target for tumoral immune resistance.
CANCER IMMUNOLOGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Mehmet Ozansoy, Houda Mikati, Halil Aziz Velioglu, Burak Yulug
Summary: This review investigates the role of exosomes as possible mediators between chronic systemic inflammatory diseases and Alzheimer's disease. Exosomes carry pro-inflammatory molecules generated in the periphery and target glial and neuronal cells in the central nervous system, initiating chronic neuroinflammation and contributing to Alzheimer's disease pathology.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2023)
News Item
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yan Lu, Dante Neculai
Summary: The activation of NOD1/2 is linked to ER homeostasis through the bioactive metabolite sphingosine1-phosphate (S1P), providing a new insight into cellular signaling pathways.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Mario F. Juruena, Romayne Gadelrab, Anthony J. Cleare, Allan H. Young
Summary: Research has shown a relationship between early life stress and depression, with epigenetic mechanisms playing a key role. These mechanisms involve DNA methylation, histone actions, and RNA regulation, and are of significant importance in understanding the genetic influence on psychopathology.
PROGRESS IN NEURO-PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mika Nieminen, Sakari Sarkkola, Tapani Sallantaus, Eliza Maher Hasselquist, Hjalmar Laudon
Summary: The study found that drainage of peatlands in forested catchments contributed to increased TOC concentrations in stream waters in high latitudes, with tree stand volume correlating with the increasing trends of TOC concentrations.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yueyi Sun, Oluwamayokun Oshinowo, David R. Myers, Wilbur A. Lam, Alexander Alexeev
Summary: Blood clot contraction plays a crucial role in wound healing and hemostasis. This study investigates the relationship between single platelet forces and macroscopic clot forces, providing insights into blood disorders associated with bleeding and thrombosis. The findings contribute to the development of platelet-based biomaterials and facilitate the understanding of clotting mechanisms.
Article
Ecology
Jorge Garcia-Campa, Wendt Mueller, Sonia Gonzalez-Braojos, Emilio Garcia-Juarez, Judith Morales
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2020)
Article
Ecology
J. Morgan Brown, E. Emiel van Loon, Willem Bouten, Kees C. J. Camphuysen, Luc Lens, Wendt Mueller, Chris B. Thaxter, Judy Shamoun-Baranes
Summary: The study found that lesser black-backed gulls exhibit consistent individual strategies for non-breeding distributions, winter site fidelity, migration routes, and timing of migration, regardless of migration distance. However, there are still individual differences in behavior, and these differences are not related to migration distance. This suggests that individuals have the capacity to adjust to current conditions within their individual strategies, and occasionally even change their strategy.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ana Lopez-Antia, Marwa M. Kavelaars, Wendt Mueller, Lieven Bervoets, Marcel Eens
Summary: Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are currently a focus of scientific and regulatory attention. This study examined PFAAs exposure in chicks of a generalist seabird species, finding that maternal transfer plays a significant role in determining chicks' PFAAs burden. The association between specific stable isotopes and PFOS suggests a higher exposure in birds with a predominantly marine diet.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jan M. Baert, Eric W. M. Stienen, Frederick Verbruggen, Nico Van de Weghe, Luc Lens, Wendt Mueller
Summary: This study uses GPS tracking data to analyze the migration behavior of 28 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls. The findings suggest that the birds' stopover fidelity and distance traveled during stopovers are strongly influenced by the reliability of food sources. The study highlights the importance of experience and cognitive processes in migratory decisions.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Veterinary Sciences
Ellen Meijer, Vivian C. Goerlich, Rene van den Brom, Mona F. Giersberg, Saskia S. Arndt, T. Bas Rodenburg
Summary: Reducing surplus male offspring, promoting a market for buck kid meat, and implementing quality assurance schemes may help safeguard the welfare of buck kids.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Marjolein Meijdam, Wendt Muller, Bert Thys, Marcel Eens
Summary: Individuals show consistent timing in their daily activities, which is related to reproductive timing. However, it is unclear if the timing of activity onset is related to foraging time. Additionally, the timing of activity onset and offset may vary across the breeding season, complicating the study of these relationships.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Rebecca E. Nordquist, J. C. M. Vernooij, C. L. Dull, A. Pascual, G. van der Linde, Vivian C. Goerlich
Summary: Incubation and hatching commonly take place at hatcheries. Recent developments have introduced innovative housing systems that transport fertilised eggs from the hatchery to the grow-out facility, where they hatch. We investigated the effects of prolonged transport on the development of slow growing broiler chicken strain and found that transport leads to an autonomic stress response in chicken embryos, but had no further effects on other indicators of prenatal stress.
APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Marijke Algra, Lara de Keijzer, Saskia S. Arndt, Frank J. C. M. van Eerdenburg, Vivian C. Goerlich
Summary: This study used infrared thermography to measure the superficial temperature of the horns, eyes, and ears of 18 dairy cows on three farms in the Netherlands. The temperature of the horns increased by 0.18 degrees Celsius per unit heat load index, indicating that horns serve heat dissipation. Dehorned cows had higher eye temperatures, but this result should be interpreted with caution due to the low sample size and experimental setup. No changes in horn temperature were found during rumination or any other behaviors. This study supports a role of horns in thermoregulation, but not related to rumination. These results should be considered when assessing the potential consequences of horn removal.
Review
Veterinary Sciences
Inga Tiemann, Lisa B. Fijn, Marc Bagaria, Esther M. A. Langen, F. Josef van der Staay, Saskia S. Arndt, Cathalijn Leenaars, Vivian C. Goerlich
Summary: Translating theoretical concepts of animal welfare into quantitative assessment protocols is challenging. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are commonly used as a physiological measure in welfare assessment, but their interpretation and relation to welfare are not straightforward. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of studies using GCs as a proxy for the assessment of vertebrate welfare. The experiments showed inconsistent effects on GCs and additional assessment parameters, urging for further validation of techniques and welfare proxies. Standardized and robust welfare assessment protocols and the role of GCs therein need further exploration and development.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Alejandro Garcia-Anton, Jorge Garcia-Campa, Wendt Mueller, Judith Morales
Summary: Social interactions play a significant role in communication and conflict resolution in animal societies, particularly in densely populated environments where signals of quality are more relevant.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jorge Garcia-Campa, Wendt Mueller, Alicia Rodriguez-Junca, Judith Morales
Summary: Parents may produce more offspring than they can raise, but they shift care towards the offspring with higher fitness returns for optimal brood size. The favoritism of blue tit parents for an offspring signal (ultraviolet plumage coloration) depends on brood demand. Parents flexibly adjust their feeding rate and favoritism based on short-term changes in family size. However, there is no evidence that parental favoritism facilitates brood reduction when demand is temporally enhanced.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Maeva W. E. Manet, Saskia Kliphuis, Henry Van den Brand, Rebecca E. Nordquist, Vivian C. Goerlich, T. Bas Rodenburg
Summary: Research has shown that providing light during incubation can improve welfare in poultry. Previous studies have shown positive effects on broiler welfare, but little is known about its effects on laying hens. In this study, light during incubation had no negative effects on hatching characteristics in both Dekalb White and ISA Brown laying hen hybrids.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Saskia Kliphuis, Maeva W. E. Manet, Vivian C. Goerlich, Rebecca E. Nordquist, Hans Vernooij, Henry van den Brand, Frank A. M. Tuyttens, T. Bas Rodenburg
Summary: Severe feather pecking is a major welfare issue in laying hens, and fearfulness and lack of foraging opportunities may be the underlying causes. This study found that using a green light-dark cycle during incubation and providing foraging enrichment with live larvae during rearing had minimal effects on the behavior of laying hen pullets. Further research on other welfare aspects is recommended.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Saskia S. Arndt, Vivian C. Goerlich, F. Josef van der Staay
Summary: Animal welfare is a complex issue that can be approached from various perspectives. Concepts such as the Five Freedoms, Five Domains, and Quality of Life have been developed as guidelines for assessing and promoting animal welfare. This study proposes the Dynamic Animal Welfare Concept, which emphasizes the adaptability of animals and the importance of positive emotional states.
FRONTIERS IN ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Stevie van der Mierden, Cathalijn H. C. Leenaars, Erin C. Boyle, Florenza L. Ripoli, Peter Gass, Mattea Durst, Vivian C. Goerlich-Jansson, Paulin Jirkof, Lydia M. Keubler, Steven R. Talbot, Anne Habedank, Lars Lewejohann, Rene H. Tolba, Andre Bleich
Summary: Evaluating stress in laboratory animals is crucial for animal welfare, with measuring corticosterone being a common method. A mapping review and database were presented to provide a complete overview of studies measuring endogenous corticosterone in mice, with findings showing significant effects of sex, time, and control type on basal corticosterone concentrations.
ALTEX-ALTERNATIVES TO ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION
(2021)
