Coping with captivity: takeoff speed and load-lifting capacity are unaffected by substantial changes in body condition for a passerine bird.

Captivity presumably challenges the physiological equilibrium of birds and thus influences flight ability. However, the extent to which captive birds exhibit altered features underpinning maximum flight performance remains largely unknown. Here, we studied changes in physiological condition and load-lifting performance in the Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus) over 15, 30 and 45 days of captivity. Sparrows showed body mass constancy over time but also an increased hematocrit at 15 days of captivity; both relative pectoralis mass and pectoralis fat content increased at 30 days. However, maximum takeoff speed and maximum lifted load remained largely unchanged until 45 days of captivity. Wingbeat frequency was independent of captivity duration and loading condition, whereas body angle and stroke plane angle varied only with maximum loading and not with duration of captivity. Overall, these results suggest that captive birds can maintain maximum flight performance when experiencing dramatic changes in both internal milieu and external environment.

Coping with extremes: High-altitude sparrows enhance metabolic and thermogenic capacities in the pectoralis muscle and suppress in the liver relative to their lowland counterparts.

Animals living at high altitudes are challenged by the extreme environmental conditions of cold temperature and hypobaric hypoxia. It is not well understood how high-altitude birds enhance the capacity of metabolic thermogenesis and allocate metabolic capacity in different organs to maximize survival in extreme conditions of a cold winter. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) is the largest and highest plateau globally, offering a natural laboratory for investigating coping mechanisms of organisms inhabiting extreme environments. To understand the adaptive strategies in the morphology and physiology of small songbirds on the QTP, we compared plasma triiodothyronine (T3), pectoralis muscle mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (COX) and state IV capacities, the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator α (PGC-1α), adenine nucleotide translocase (ANT), uncoupling protein (UCP), and adenosine monophosphate-dependent kinase (AMPK) α1 mRNA in the pectoralis and liver of Eurasian tree sparrows (Passer montanus) from high-altitude (3,230 m), medium-altitude (1400 m), and low-altitude (80 m) regions. Our results showed that high-altitude sparrows had greater body masses, longer wings and tarsometatarsi, but comparable bill lengths relative to medium- and low-altitude individuals. High-altitude sparrows had higher plasma T3 levels and pectoralis muscle mitochondrial COX capacities than their lowland counterparts. They also upregulated the pectoralis muscle mRNA expression of UCP, PGC-1α, and ANT proteins relative to low-altitude sparrows. Unlike pectoralis, high-altitude sparrows significantly down-regulated hepatic AMPKα1 and ANT protein expression as compared with their lowland counterparts. Our results contribute to understanding the morphological, biochemical, and molecular adaptations in free-living birds to cope with the cold seasons in the extreme environment of the QTP.

The effect of air pollution on immunological, antioxidative and hematological parameters, and body condition of Eurasian tree sparrows.

Air pollution constitutes potential threats to wildlife and human health; therefore, it must be monitored accurately. However, little attention has been given to understanding the toxicological effects induced by air pollution and the suitability of bird species as bioindicators. The Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus), a human commensal species, was used as a study model to examine toxic metal accumulation, retention of particulate matter (PM), immunological and antioxidant capacities, and hematological parameters in birds inhabiting those areas with relatively higher (Shijiazhuang city) or lower (Chengde city) levels of PM2.5 and PM10 in China. Our results showed that Shijiazhuang birds had significantly more particle retention in the lungs and toxic metal (including aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, iron, manganese, and lead) accumulation in the feathers relative to Chengde birds. They also had lower superoxide dismutase, albumin, immunoglobulin M concentrations in the lung lavage fluid, and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in the lungs and hearts. Furthermore, although they had higher proportions of microcytes, hypochromia, and polychromatic erythrocytes in the peripheral blood (a symptom of anemia), both populations exhibited comparable body conditions, white cell counts, heterophil and lymphocyte ratios, and plasma T-AOC and corticosterone levels. Therefore, our results not only confirmed that Shijiazhuang birds experienced a greater burden from environmental PM and toxic metals but also identified a suite of adverse effects of environmental pollution on immunological, antioxidative, and hematological parameters in multiple tissues. These findings contribute to our understanding of the physiological health consequences induced by PM exposure in wild animals. They suggest that free-living birds inhabiting urban areas could be used as bioindicators for evaluating the adverse effects induced by environmental pollution.

[Comparative analysis and research on composition of mulberry-sourced medicinal materials by fingerprint division total statistical moment method and information entropy].

The present work is to analyze the HPLC fingerprints of mulberry-sourced materials(Mori Ramulus, Mori Folium, Muri Cortex, Mori Fructus) using the fingerprint division total statistical moment method and information entropy, and to study the diffe-rences of the chemical components and the overall characteristics of the imprinting template in different parts of mulberry-sourced medicinal materials, so as to provide the basis for finding the effective substances in response to "homologous and different effect" of mulberry(Morus alba). The fingerprints of 24 batches of mulberry-related materials, such as Mori Ramulus, Mori Folium, Muri Cortex, Mori Fructus, were established, and the similarities and differences of the fingerprints were analyzed by calculating the division total statistical moment parameters and information entropy. The AUC_T, MCRT_T, VCRT_T and H values of 24 batches of mulberry-sourced materials were less than 0.05, with significant difference. Among them, all samples showed absorption peaks within 3-11, and 20-24 min, indicating that the four types had the identical or similar chemical composition in the same time period. After 34 min, none of the four types showed absorption peaks. Greater VCRT_T value of the fingerprints of the four kinds was observed at the retention time ranges of 3-4, 16-18, 25-27, and 31-32 min, indicating that the components of the four kinds were significantly different in these time periods; and VCRT_T value of the mulberry was significantly higher than that of the other three kinds of medicinal materials at the retention time windows of 3-4 and 15-17 min; the VCRT_T value of the mulberry white skin was significantly higher at the time windows of 8-10 and 28-30 min; the VCRT_T value of all four kinds was significantly higher within 21-23 min, indicating that the four herbs contain the same or similar components in the chromatogram during this period, but there may be significant differences between the content and the proportion. In addition, the information entropy of mulberry branches is the largest at 7-12, 23-27 min, and that of mulberry fruits is the largest at 2-8 min, which indicates that the components of mulberry branches and mulberry fruits respond greatly in the corresponding period of time, which is also the main peak period of their chemical components. For the chemical components and corresponding efficacy here. The results showed that there are significant differences in the components and contents of mulberry-sourced medicinal materials. The division total statistical moment and information entropy of the total amount of segments can be used to analyze the differences in the components of "homology and different effects", which could provide a more comprehensive analysis method for the determination of quality markers.

TMT-Based Quantitative Proteomic Analysis Reveals the Crucial Biological Pathways Involved in Self-Incompatibility Responses in Camellia oleifera.

Camellia oleifera is a valuable woody oil plant belonging to the Theaceae, Camellia oil extracted from the seed is an excellent edible oil source. Self-incompatibility (SI) in C. oleifera results in low fruit set, and our knowledge about the mechanism remains limited. In the present study, the Tandem mass tag (TMT) based quantitative proteomics was employed to analyze the dynamic change of proteins response to self- and cross-pollinated in C. oleifera. A total of 6,616 quantified proteins were detected, and differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) analysis identified a large number of proteins. Combined analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and DAPs of self- and cross-pollinated pistils based on transcriptome and proteome data revealed that several candidate genes or proteins involved in SI of C. oleifera, including polygalacturonase inhibitor, UDP-glycosyltransferase 92A1-like, beta-D-galactosidase, S-adenosylmethionine synthetase, xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase, ABC transporter G family member 36-like, and flavonol synthase. Venn diagram analysis identified 11 proteins that may participate in pollen tube growth in C. oleifera. Our data also revealed that the abundance of proteins related to peroxisome was altered in responses to SI in C. oleifera. Moreover, the pathway of lipid metabolism-related, flavonoid biosynthesis and splicesome were reduced in self-pollinated pistils by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. In summary, the results of the present study lay the foundation for learning the regulatory mechanism underlying SI responses as well as provides valuable protein resources for the construction of self-compatibility C. oleifera through genetic engineering in the future.

Asymptotic Properties for Methods Combining the Minimum Hellinger Distance Estimate and the Bayesian Nonparametric Density Estimate.

In frequentist inference, minimizing the Hellinger distance between a kernel density estimate and a parametric family produces estimators that are both robust to outliers and statistically efficient when the parametric family contains the data-generating distribution. This paper seeks to extend these results to the use of nonparametric Bayesian density estimators within disparity methods. We propose two estimators: one replaces the kernel density estimator with the expected posterior density using a random histogram prior; the other transforms the posterior over densities into a posterior over parameters through minimizing the Hellinger distance for each density. We show that it is possible to adapt the mathematical machinery of efficient influence functions from semiparametric models to demonstrate that both our estimators are efficient in the sense of achieving the Cramér-Rao lower bound. We further demonstrate a Bernstein-von-Mises result for our second estimator, indicating that its posterior is asymptotically Gaussian. In addition, the robustness properties of classical minimum Hellinger distance estimators continue to hold.

Dynamic interactions between corticosterone, corticosteroid binding globulin and testosterone in response to capture stress in male breeding Eurasian tree sparrows.

In birds, corticosterone (CORT), testosterone (T), and corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG) are involved in modulating the trade-off between reproduction and survival. In response to acute stress, increased total plasma CORT is a ubiquitous phenomenon while T levels can decrease, or remain unchanged. Since CORT and T bind competitively with CBG in birds, the underlying regulatory mechanisms and consequences of their dynamic interactions remain largely unknown. Here, we studied the dynamic changes of total CORT, T, and CBG, and estimated free and bound CORT and T in response to capture stress in male Eurasian tree sparrows (Passer montanus) across the nest building, egg-laying, and nestling stages. We predicted that free, bound and total hormone concentrations would increase for CORT and decrease for T in response to acute stress, and the relative magnitude of these changes would vary with life history stage. We found that baseline and stressed-induced CORT values did not vary across breeding sub-stages. However, total and bound CORT increased with stress while free remained unchanged. Baseline levels of total, free and bound T were highest during the nest building and it was the only stage in which all measures of T were affected by stress. Regardless of breeding stage or restraint stress, we did not detect a significant correlation between CORT and T. CBG was found to be mostly unoccupied by steroid hormones under stress and stress-free conditions and this likely provided an adequate buffer for changes in free levels of CORT and T during unpredictable environmental perturbations.

Life-history dependent relationships between body condition and immunity, between immunity indices in male Eurasian tree sparrows.

In free-living animals, recent evidence indicates that innate, and acquired, immunity varies with annual variation in the demand for, and availability of, food resources. However, little is known about how animals adjust the relationships between immunity and body condition, and between innate and acquired immunity to optimize survival over winter and reproductive success during the breeding stage. Here, we measured indices of body condition (size-corrected mass [SCM], and hematocrit [Hct]), constitutive innate immunity (plasma total complement hemolysis activity [CH50]) and acquired immunity (plasma immunoglobulin A [IgA]), plus heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratios, in male Eurasian tree sparrows (Passer montanus) during the wintering and the breeding stages. We found that birds during the wintering stage had higher IgA levels than those from the breeding stage. Two indices of body condition were both negatively correlated with plasma CH50 activities, and positively with IgA levels in wintering birds, but this was not the case in the breeding birds. However, there was no correlation between CH50 activities and IgA levels in both stages. These results suggest that the relationships between body condition and immunity can vary across life-history stage, and there are no correlations between innate and acquired immunity independent of life-history stage, in male Eurasian tree sparrows. Therefore, body condition indices predict immunological state, especially during the non-breeding stage, which can be useful indicators of individual immunocompetences for understanding the variations in innate and acquired immunity in free-living animals.

Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections Due to Bacterial Persistence or Reinfection in Women-Does This Factor Impact Upper Tract Imaging Findings?

PURPOSE: We compared the rates of upper tract imaging abnormalities of recurrent urinary tract infections due to bacterial persistence or reinfection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Following institutional review board approval we reviewed a prospectively maintained database of women with documented recurrent urinary tract infections (3 or more per year) and trigonitis. We searched for demographic data, urine culture findings and findings on radiology interpreted upper tract imaging, including renal ultrasound, computerized tomography or excretory urogram. Patients with irretrievable images, absent or incomplete urine culture results for review, no imaging performed, an obvious source of recurrent urinary tract infections or a history of pyelonephritis were excluded from analysis. RESULTS: Of 289 women from 2006 to 2014 with symptomatic recurrent urinary tract infections 116 met study inclusion criteria. Mean ± SD age was 65.0 ± 14.4 years. Of the women 95% were white and 81% were postmenopausal. Almost a third were sexually active and none had prolapse stage 2 or greater. Of the 116 women 48 (41%) had persistent and 68 (59%) had reinfection recurrent urinary tract infection. Imaging included ultrasound in 52 patients, computerized tomography in 26, ultrasound and computerized tomography in 31, and excretory urogram with ultrasound/computerized tomography in 7. Of the total of 58 imaging findings in 55 women 57 (98%) were noncontributory. One case (0.9%) of mild hydronephrosis was noted in the persistent recurrent urinary tract infection group but it was not related to any clinical parameters. Escherichia coli was the dominant bacteria in 71% of persistent and 47% of reinfection recurrent urinary tract infections in the most recently reported urine culture. CONCLUSIONS: This study reaffirms that upper tract imaging is not indicated for bacterial reinfection, recurrent urinary tract infections. However, the same conclusion can be extended to recurrent urinary tract infections secondary to bacterial persistence, thus, questioning the routine practice of upper tract studies in white postmenopausal women with recurrent urinary tract infections and trigonitis.

Flying high: limits to flight performance by sparrows on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Limits to flight performance at high altitude potentially reflect variable constraints deriving from the simultaneous challenges of hypobaric, hypodense and cold air. Differences in flight-related morphology and maximum lifting capacity have been well characterized for different hummingbird species across elevational gradients, but relevant within-species variation has not yet been identified in any bird species. Here we evaluate load-lifting capacity for Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus) populations at three different elevations in China, and correlate maximum lifted loads with relevant anatomical features including wing shape, wing size, and heart and lung masses. Sparrows were heavier and possessed more rounded and longer wings at higher elevations; relative heart and lung masses were also greater with altitude, although relative flight muscle mass remained constant. By contrast, maximum lifting capacity relative to body weight declined over the same elevational range, while the effective wing loading in flight (i.e. the ratio of body weight and maximum lifted weight to total wing area) remained constant, suggesting aerodynamic constraints on performance in parallel with enhanced heart and lung masses to offset hypoxic challenge. Mechanical limits to take-off performance may thus be exacerbated at higher elevations, which may in turn result in behavioral differences in escape responses among populations.

Cerebral activation effects of acupuncture using Zusanli (ST36) and Yanglingquan (GB34) points based on Regional Homogeneity indices: A resting-state fMRI study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to observe the cerebral activation effects of acupuncturing the Zusanli (ST36) plusYanglingquan (GB34) points in young healthy volunteers based on Regional Homogeneity (ReHo) indices. METHODS: Ten healthy volunteers were enrolled, including 4 males and 6 females between the ages 20 and 34 years with a median age of 23 years. Magnetic resonance imaging (GE Signa HDxt 3.0T) was performed in four groups: Before acupuncture (Control Group), after acupuncture at Zusanli (ST36 Group), after acupuncture at Yanglingquan (GB34 Group) and after acupuncture at both Zusanli and Yanglingquan (Compatibility Group). Differences in the brain ReHo indices of the 4 groups were analyzed by statistical parametric mapping (SPM8) and ReHo data processing methods. The significantly different brain regions were obtained using a false discovery rate correction (FDR-Corrected). RESULTS: The ReHo indices revealed that the main significant effect was in the Compatibility Group. Compared with the resting state of the Control Group, the ReHo values of the Compatibility Group increased in the right middle frontal gyrus (BA8, 9), left superior temporal areas (BA22), ventral anterior cingulate area (BA24) and right inferior parietal lobe (BA40); in contrast, the ReHo values decreased in the left thalamus, right insular cortex (BA13), left inferior frontal lobe (BA9) and right dorsal anterior cingulate area (BA32). Our analysis showed that the Compatibility Group had higher ReHo values than the left inferior parietal lobule (BA40) and right frontal cortex (BA6) of the ST36 Group and the posterior lobe of the right cerebellum, dorsal anterior cingulate (BA32), left and right middle frontal gyrus (BA46, BA9), left precuneus (BA7), right inferior parietal love (BA40) of the GB34 Group. CONCLUSION: The results of our neuroimaging study suggest that the combination of acupoints could more widely activate areas of the brain compared to a single acupoint. Additionally, the combination of acupoints can activate some new brain areas and generate new curative effects.

Robust strand exchange reactions for the sequence-specific, real-time detection of nucleic acid amplicons.

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) of DNA is a powerful isothermal nucleic acid amplification method that can generate upward of 10(9) copies from less than 100 copies of template DNA within an hour. Unfortunately, although the amplification reactions are extremely powerful, real-time and specific detection of LAMP products remains analytically challenging. In order to both improve the specificity of LAMP detection and to make readout simpler and more reliable, we have replaced the intercalating dye typically used for monitoring in real-time fluorescence with a toehold-mediated strand exchange reaction termed one-step strand displacement (OSD). Due to the inherent sequence specificity of toehold-mediated strand exchange, the OSD reporter could successfully distinguish side products from true amplicons arising from templates corresponding to the biomedically relevant M. tuberculosis RNA polymerase (rpoB) and the melanoma-related biomarker BRAF. OSD allowed the Yes/No detection of rpoB in a complex mixture such as synthetic sputum and also demonstrated single nucleotide specificity in Yes/No detection of a mutant BRAF allele (V600E) in the presence of 20-fold more of the wild-type gene. Real-time detection of different genes in multiplex LAMP reactions also proved possible. The development of simple, readily designed, modular equivalents of TaqMan probes for isothermal amplification reactions should generally improve the applicability of these reactions and may eventually assist with the development of point-of-care tests.

The Role of Country Image on Consumers' Willingness to Pay for Imported Beefsteak in China.

In recent years, the world has experienced conflict. When political conflicts affect consumers' emotions and alter their perceptions of a country's image, it can influence their preferences. This study deconstructs the notion of a country image into multiple dimensions and examines their impact on consumers' willingness to pay for imported beef from Australia, Brazil, and the United States. Using a rank-ordered probit model and data from a survey of 935 respondents, results show that consumers' perceptions of a country's friendliness, economy, environment, and quality all have a positive and statistically significant effect on their willingness to pay for beefsteak imported from that country. Among these dimensions of the country image, the quality is the most important, followed by the economy, friendliness, and the environment. This study also finds heterogeneity in consumer perception of friendliness towards the United States, Australia, and Brazil. This study provides valuable insights for assessing the real losses resulting from a deteriorating international environment and suggests policies to enhance competitiveness in the food market.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with cognitive training for cognitive function and activities of daily living in patients with post-stroke cognitive impairment: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Despite the potential effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) combined with cognitive training for post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI), there is uncertainty regarding rTMS combined with cognitive training for PSCI. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of rTMS combined with cognitive training for improving global cognitive function, specific domains of cognitive function and activities of daily living (ADL) in patients with PSCI. METHODS: Databases including Cochrane Central, EMBASE (Ovid SP), CHINAL, APA PsycINFO, EBSCO, Medline, Web of science and other sources were systematically searched on March 23, 2022, and updated on December 5, 2022. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) applied rTMS + cognitive training for patients with PSCI were screened for inclusion. RESULTS: A total of 8 trials was finally included and 336 participants provided data for meta-analyses. Large effects were found for rTMS + cognitive training on global cognition (g = 0.780, 95 % CI = 0.477-1.083), executive function (g = 0.769, 95 % CI = 0.291-1.247), working memory (g = 0.609, 95 % CI = 0.158-1.061) and medium improvement on ADL (g = 0.418, 95 % CI = 0.058-0.778) were seen. While, no effects were found on memory or attention. Subgroup analyses showed that combinations of phase of stroke onset, rTMS frequency, stimulation site and stimulation sessions were potent factors that modulate the effects of rTMS + cognitive training for cognitive function. CONCLUSIONS: The pooled data showed more positive effects of rTMS + cognitive training for global cognition, executive function, working memory and ADL in patients with PSCI. While, robust evidence of rTMS + cognitive training for global cognition, executive function, working memory and ADL from the Grade recommendations is lacking. Further, rTMS + cognitive training did not show no better effects on memory. Future definitive trials are needed to determine the benefits of rTMS + cognitive training for cognitive function and ADL in the field of PSCI.

Pulsed field ablation as a precise approach for cardiac arrhythmia treatment via cardiac microenvironment remodeling.

PFA uses short-duration, high-voltage electrical pulses to induce transient or irreversible electroporation on cell membranes, causing cell death. Selective inhibition of chaotic electrical signals in morbid cardiomyocytes significantly aids the treatment of atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, and other heart arrhythmias. Recent preclinical and clinical studies have only investigated physical changes, such as lesion size and myocardial scar. Compared to radiofrequency ablation and cryoballoon ablation, PFA causes less postoperative myocardial cell fibrosis and inflammatory reaction and does not result in myocardial necrosis or tissue scar formation. However, the regulatory mechanism of cellular stress following PFA treatment remains unknown. This study aimed to analyze the transcriptome of the mouse ventricle after PFA treatment. The animals were subjected to a 225-V electric pulse with a 1.5-mm gap between the positive and negative electrodes. Hearts were harvested at 3, 6, 12, 24 h, and 2, 5 days for myocardial zymogram testing. PFA-treated ventricular regions were selected for single-nucleus sequencing. We discovered that PFA remodeled the cardiac microenvironment as a whole. Further, we discussed the possible stress response and wound-healing mechanism in non-targeted cells. In conclusion, PFA allowed effective and selective ventricular myocardium ablation with controllable inflammation.

Enhancing bioactivity and stability of polymer-based material-tissue interface through coupling multiscale interfacial interactions with atomic-thin TiO2 nanosheets.

Stable and bioactive material-tissue interface (MTF) basically determines the clinical applications of biomaterials in wound healing, sustained drug release, and tissue engineering. Although many inorganic nanomaterials have been widely explored to enhance the stability and bioactivity of polymer-based biomaterials, most are still restricted by their stability and biocompatibility. Here we demonstrate the enhanced bioactivity and stability of polymer-matrix bio-composite through coupling multiscale material-tissue interfacial interactions with atomically thin TiO2 nanosheets. Resin modified with TiO2 nanosheets displays improved mechanical properties, hydrophilicity, and stability. Also, we confirm that this resin can effectively stimulate the adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation into osteogenic and odontogenic lineages of human dental pulp stem cells using in vitro cell-resin interface model. TiO2 nanosheets can also enhance the interaction between demineralized dentinal collagen and resin. Our results suggest an approach to effectively up-regulate the stability and bioactivity of MTFs by designing biocompatible materials at the sub-nanoscale. Electronic Supplementary Material: Supplementary material (further details of fabrication and characterization of TiO2 NSs and TiO2-ARCs, the bioactivity evaluation of TiO2-ARCs on hDPSCs, and the measurement of interaction with demineralized dentin collagen) is available in the online version of this article at 10.1007/s12274-022-5153-1.

Stress responses of testosterone and corticosterone-binding globulin in a multi-brooded species, Eurasian Tree Sparrows (Passer montanus): Does CBG function as a mediator?

In avian plasma, testosterone (T) and corticosterone (CORT) compete to bind with corticosterone-binding globulin (CBG). Elevation of CBG may function to "buffer" the tissues against high circulating levels of T and stress-induced levels of CORT. To demonstrate the effects of acute stress on CBG and T levels and their biological functions, we investigated seasonal changes of baseline and stress-induced T and CBG levels in Eurasian Tree Sparrows (Passer montanus) during different life stages using the capture-handling-restraint stress method. Our results show that (1) male sparrows had significantly higher baseline T levels and CBG capacities during the nest building, the first egg-laying, and the first nestling stages, and significantly decreased stress-induced T levels only during the nest building and the first egg-laying stages. They also expressed significantly increased stress-induced CBG capacities during the second nestling stage. (2) Females showed significantly higher baseline CBG capacities but significantly decreased stress-induced CBG capacities during the nest building stage, and females also showed significantly increased stress-induced CBG capacities during the second egg-laying and the second nestling stages. Therefore, the seasonal fluctuations of baseline CBG in both sexes and baseline T in males reflect their adaptive strategies for optimizing their physiological and behavioral states to the life history cycle. The different patterns of stress-induced CBG in females suggest CBG functions as an essential mediator in regulating stress response to unpredictable perturbations. Our results highlight the need for future studies of stress-induced CBG and T levels on a wide range of vertebrate species that vary in different life history stages to gain a full understanding of the mechanisms that underlie biological functions of CBG and T for unpredictable stressors.

A Comparative and Comprehensive Review of Antibody Applications in the Treatment of Lung Disease.

Antibodies are a type of protein produced by active B cells in response to antigen stimulation. A series of monoclonal antibodies and neutralizing antibodies have been invented and put into clinical use because of their high therapeutic effect and bright developing insight. Patients with cancer, infectious diseases, and autoimmune diseases can all benefit from antibody therapy. However, the targeting aspects and potential mechanisms for treating these diseases differ. In the treatment of patients with infectious diseases such as COVID-19, neutralizing antibodies have been proposed as reliable vaccines against COVID-19, which target the ACE2 protein by preventing virus entry into somatic cells. Monoclonal antibodies can target immune checkpoints (e.g., PD-L1 and CTLA-4), tyrosine kinase and subsequent signaling pathways (e.g., VEGF), and cytokines in cancer patients (e.g. IL-6 and IL-1ß). It is debatable whether there is any connection between the use of antibodies in these diseases. It would be fantastic to discover the related points and explain the burden for the limitation of cross-use of these techniques. In this review, we provided a comprehensive overview of the use of antibodies in the treatment of infectious disease and cancer patients. There are also discussions of their mechanisms and history. In addition, we discussed our future outlook on the use of antibodies.