Mapping the follicle-specific regulation of extracellular vesicle-mediated microRNA transport in the southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum).

Efforts to implement effective assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) for the conservation of the northern white rhinoceros (NWR; Ceratotherium simum cottoni) to prevent its forthcoming extinction, could be supported by research conducted on the closely related southern white rhinoceros (SWR; Ceratotherium simum simum). Within the follicle, extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a fundamental role in the bidirectional communication facilitating the crucial transport of regulatory molecules such as microRNAs (miRNAs) that control follicular growth and oocyte development. This study aimed to elucidate the dynamics of EV-miRNAs in stage-dependent follicular fluid (FF) during SWR ovarian antral follicle development. Three distinct follicular stages were identified based on diameter: Growing (G; 11-17 mm), Dominant (D; 18-29 mm), and Pre-ovulatory (P; 30-34 mm). Isolated EVs from the aspirated FF of segmented follicle stages were used to identify EV-miRNA previously known via subsequent annotation to all equine (Equus caballus; eca), bovine (Bos taurus; bta), and human (Homo sapiens; hsa) miRNAs. A total of 417 miRNAs were detected, with 231 being mutually expressed across all three stages, including eca-miR-148a and bta-miR-451 as the top highly expressed miRNAs. Distinct expression dynamics in miRNA abundance were observed across the three follicular stages, including 31 differentially expressed miRNAs that target various pathways related to follicular growth and development, with 13 miRNAs commonly appearing amidst two different comparisons. In conclusion, this pioneering study provides a comprehensive understanding of the stage-specific expression dynamics of FF EV-miRNAs in the SWR. These findings provide insights that may lead to novel approaches in enhancing ARTs to catalyze rhinoceros conservation efforts.

MicroRNA Nano-Shuttles: Engineering Extracellular Vesicles as a Cutting-Edge Biotechnology Platform for Clinical Use in Therapeutics.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nano-sized, membranous transporters of various active biomolecules with inflicting phenotypic capabilities, that are naturally secreted by almost all cells with a promising vantage point as a potential leading drug delivery platform. The intrinsic characteristics of their low toxicity, superior structural stability, and cargo loading capacity continue to fuel a multitude of research avenues dedicated to loading EVs with therapeutic and diagnostic cargos (pharmaceutical compounds, nucleic acids, proteins, and nanomaterials) in attempts to generate superior natural nanoscale delivery systems for clinical application in therapeutics. In addition to their well-known role in intercellular communication, EVs harbor microRNAs (miRNAs), which can alter the translational potential of receiving cells and thus act as important mediators in numerous biological and pathological processes. To leverage this potential, EVs can be structurally engineered to shuttle therapeutic miRNAs to diseased recipient cells as a potential targeted 'treatment' or 'therapy'. Herein, this review focuses on the therapeutic potential of EV-coupled miRNAs; summarizing the biogenesis, contents, and function of EVs, as well as providing both a comprehensive discussion of current EV loading techniques and an update on miRNA-engineered EVs as a next-generation platform piloting benchtop studies to propel potential clinical translation on the forefront of nanomedicine.

Fetal Hypoglycemia Induced by Placental SLC2A3-RNA Interference Alters Fetal Pancreas Development and Transcriptome at Mid-Gestation.

Glucose, the primary energy substrate for fetal oxidative processes and growth, is transferred from maternal to fetal circulation down a concentration gradient by placental facilitative glucose transporters. In sheep, SLC2A1 and SLC2A3 are the primary transporters available in the placental epithelium, with SLC2A3 located on the maternal-facing apical trophoblast membrane and SLC2A1 located on the fetal-facing basolateral trophoblast membrane. We have previously reported that impaired placental SLC2A3 glucose transport resulted in smaller, hypoglycemic fetuses with reduced umbilical artery insulin and glucagon concentrations, in addition to diminished pancreas weights. These findings led us to subject RNA derived from SLC2A3-RNAi (RNA interference) and NTS-RNAi (non-targeting sequence) fetal pancreases to qPCR followed by transcriptomic analysis. We identified a total of 771 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Upregulated pathways were associated with fat digestion and absorption, particularly fatty acid transport, lipid metabolism, and cholesterol biosynthesis, suggesting a potential switch in energetic substrates due to hypoglycemia. Pathways related to molecular transport and cell signaling in addition to pathways influencing growth and metabolism of the developing pancreas were also impacted. A few genes directly related to gluconeogenesis were also differentially expressed. Our results suggest that fetal hypoglycemia during the first half of gestation impacts fetal pancreas development and function that is not limited to ß cell activity.

Autologous HER2-specific CAR T cells after lymphodepletion for advanced sarcoma: a phase 1 trial.

In this prospective, interventional phase 1 study for individuals with advanced sarcoma, we infused autologous HER2-specific chimeric antigen receptor T cells (HER2 CAR T cells) after lymphodepletion with fludarabine (Flu) ± cyclophosphamide (Cy): 1 × 108 T cells per m2 after Flu (cohort A) or Flu/Cy (cohort B) and 1 × 108 CAR+ T cells per m2 after Flu/Cy (cohort C). The primary outcome was assessment of safety of one dose of HER2 CAR T cells after lymphodepletion. Determination of antitumor responses was the secondary outcome. Thirteen individuals were treated in 14 enrollments, and seven received multiple infusions. HER2 CAR T cells expanded after 19 of 21 infusions. Nine of 12 individuals in cohorts A and B developed grade 1-2 cytokine release syndrome. Two individuals in cohort C experienced dose-limiting toxicity with grade 3-4 cytokine release syndrome. Antitumor activity was observed with clinical benefit in 50% of individuals treated. The tumor samples analyzed showed spatial heterogeneity of immune cells and clustering by sarcoma type and by treatment response. Our results affirm HER2 as a CAR T cell target and demonstrate the safety of this therapeutic approach in sarcoma. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT00902044 .

Geotechnical data compilation for evaporitic rocks in Abu Dhabi, UAE: A resource for engineers.

The durability and degradability of evaporitic rocks are always a critical concern in geological, civil, and geotechnical engineering applications, necessitating careful consideration for reliable, secure, and sustainable construction. This dataset is based on a comprehensive collection of geotechnical data involving both mechanical and physical properties as well as geochemical analyses for the evaporitic rocks in Abu Dhabi and its vicinity. The purpose of this dataset is to be an important source for construction professionals, engineers, and decision-makers in the region by providing basic insights into the challenges associated with building projects on and in evaporitic rocks. This data is obtained from extensive field investigations and laboratory analyses and will help to ensure that construction activities are carried out safely and efficiently when dealing with evaporitic rock formations. The prevalence of evaporitic rocks in Abu Dhabi highlights the importance of this geotechnical data compilation in facilitating informed decision-making and supporting safe construction.

Impact of media supplements FGF2, LIF and IGF1 on the genome activity of porcine embryos produced in vitro.

In this article, we focused on the impact of precisely chemically modified FLI maturation medium enriched with fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and its potential to improve the efficiency of in vitro production of porcine embryos. We hypothesized that enhancing the composition of the maturation medium could result in an elevated production of embryos in vitro and can affect EGA. FLI medium resulted in a significantly higher rate of oocyte blastocyst maturation and formation compared to the control DMEM medium. In addition, immunocytochemical labelling confirmed the detection of UBF in 4-cell FLI parthenogenic embryos, suggesting similarities with natural embryo development. Through RNAseq analysis, upregulated genes present in 4-cell FLI embryos were found to play key roles in important biological processes such as cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and transcriptional regulation. Based on our findings, we demonstrated the positive influence of FLI medium in the evaluation of in vitro embryo production, EGA detection, transcriptomic and proteomic profile, which was confirmed by the positive activation of the embryonal genome in the 4-cell stage of parthenogenetically activated embryos.

Bifunctional of Fe3O4@chitosan nanocomposite as a clarifying agent and cationic flocculant on different sugar solutions as a comprehensive semi industrial application.

In the sugar industry, eliminating side impurities throughout the manufacturing process is the most significant obstacle to clarifying sugar solutions. Herein, magnetic chitosan (MCS) nanocomposite was Fabricated to be used as a biodegradable, environmentally friendly clarifying agent throughout the cane juice and sugar refining processes. Fe3O4 was synthesized using the coprecipitation procedure, and then MCS was combined using a cross-linking agent. Furthermore, 14.76 emu g-1 was the maximum saturation magnetization (Ms) value. Because MCS is magnetically saturated, it may be possible to employ an external magnetic field to separate the contaminant deposited on its surface. Additionally, zeta potential analysis showed outstanding findings for MCS with a maximum value of (+) 20.7 mV, with improvement in color removal % up to 44.8% using MCS with more than 24% in color removal % compared to the traditional clarification process. Moreover, utilizing MCS reduced turbidity from 167 to 1 IU. Overall, we determined that MCS nanocomposite exhibits considerable effectiveness in the clarifying process for different sugar solutions, performing as an eco-friendly bio-sorbent and flocculating material.

Arthroscopic biceps tenodesis using press-fit bony plug: a case series study.

PURPOSE: To assess the feasibility, operative time, clinical outcomes, possible complications, and failure rates of all-through arthroscopic biceps tenodesis using press-fit bony plug technique. METHODS: This prospective case series study involved 30 skeletally mature patients with long head of biceps pathology (tendinitis after failure of conservative treatment, subluxation, dislocation, or tendon tears). All patients were followed up for 24 months at least. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients regained full shoulder and elbow range of motion; one case suffered from reflex sympathetic dystrophy. There was a significant improvement in the constant, ASES, and VAS scores when comparing the pre-operative and post-operative values. The average biceps strength was 96% compared to the opposite healthy side. No cases were complicated by neuro-vascular deficits or failure of the tenodesis. CONCLUSION: Press-fit biceps tenodesis is safe and accessible with low economic demands. We recommend this technique to be used more often when addressing patients with long head of biceps pathologies. REGISTRATION DATA: Registration number: N-1562023. Registration date: June 2022 "Retrospectively registered".

Analysis of the outcomes of three different cross-linking protocols for treatment of paediatric keratoconus: A multicentre randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: To analyse long-term outcomes of standard cross-linking (SCXL), accelerated cross-linking (ACXL) and transepithelial cross-linking (TCXL) in the treatment of progressive paediatric keratoconus regarding stability, safety and efficacy. METHODS: This prospective multicentre randomized controlled trial included 97 eyes of 97 paediatric patients with stages I-III ABCD keratoconus grading system, who were randomized into three groups; SCXL group (control group, n = 32; 3 mW/cm2 × 30 min/5.4 J/cm2 ), ACXL (n = 33; 18 mW/cm2 × 5 min/5.4 J/cm2 ) and TCXL (n = 32; 18 mW/cm2 × 5 min/5.4 J/cm2 ). Subjective refraction, uncorrected and corrected visual acuity, keratometry and pachymetry measurements using corneal topography were recorded preoperatively and 1, 2 and 3 years postoperatively. RESULTS: SCXL group exhibited significant successive improvements in the mean visual, refractive and keratometric parameters throughout the entire postoperative 3 years while ACXL group exhibited significant improvements in visual and keratometric parameters in the first postoperative year that remained stable in second and third postoperative years. TCXL group exhibited significant progressive deterioration in all mean parameters compared to SCXL and ACXL (p < 0.0001). Both SCXL and ACXL revealed final 100% success rate with good stability while TCXL revealed final 22% failure rate with keratoconus progression (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: SCXL and ACXL were comparable in halting keratoconus progression and achieved good stability and safety; however, SCXL was more efficient than ACXL as it yielded greater significant postoperative mean visual, refractive and keratometric improvements achieving smoother corneal remodelling. Both SCXL and ACXL were much superior to TCXL. SCXL is the best CXL treatment option for paediatric keratoconus while ACXL is a good and effective alternative.

The detrimental impact of high environmental temperature on physiological response, growth, milk production, and reproductive efficiency of ruminants.

The optimal environments for ruminants are air temperatures between 13 and 20 °C, winds between 5 and 18 km/h, humidity levels between 55 and 65%, and a moderate amount of sunlight. In tropical and subtropical regions, climate is the top factor restricting animal growth and reproductive efficiency. The digestive system, blood biochemical components, and hormones all go through a range of physiological changes at high temperatures. Ruminant animals respond to heat stress by drinking more water, breathing more quickly, panting, and raising their rectal temperatures while reducing their activity levels, intake of roughage, and rumination. Blood metabolites and biochemical modifications are negatively impacted by the concentration of blood biochemical components and hormonal levels, particularly those of anabolic hormones, which are decreased as a result of the animals' exposure to high environmental temperatures. Changes in blood metabolite and hormone levels were influenced by the duration of exposure to high temperatures, the level of background heat, and the species, breed, and age of the animals. The major biological changes caused by heat stress have a negative impact on growth, milk production, and reproduction. Animals subjected to high environmental temperatures also undergo reductions in feed intake and feed efficiency. These changes eventually impair ruminant reproduction and production abilities.

Bovine oviductal organoids: a multi-omics approach to capture the cellular and extracellular molecular response of the oviduct to heat stress.

BACKGROUND: The mammalian oviduct is a complex, fibromuscular organ known for its role in orchestrating a series of timely and dynamic changes to suitably support early embryogenesis. Climate change-induced heat stress (HS) is one of the largest single stressors compromising reproductive function in humans and farm animals via systemic changes in the redox status of the maternal environment, adversely affecting fertilization and early embryonic development. Oviductal organoids represent a unique 3-dimensional, biomimetic model to study the physiology of the oviduct and its subsequent impact on embryo development under various environmental conditions. RESULTS: Our study is the first to demonstrate an innovative approach to understanding the cascade of molecular changes sustained by bovine oviductal organoids under HS and the subsequent maternal signals harnessed within their secreted extracellular vesicles (EVs). Transcriptomic analysis of oviductal organoids exposed to HS revealed 2,570 differentially expressed genes (1,222 up- and 1,348 downregulated), while EV-coupled miRNome analysis disclosed 18 miRNAs with significant differential expression (12 up- and 6 downregulated) in EVs from thermally stressed organoids compared to EVs released from organoids cultured under thermoneutral conditions. Genes activated in oviductal organoids in response to thermal stress, include: COX1, ACTB, CST6, TPT1, and HSPB1, while miR-1246, miR-148a, miR21-5p, miR-451, and miR-92a represent the top highly abundant EV-coupled miRNAs released in response to HS. Pathway analysis of genes enriched in organoids exposed to thermal stress showed the enrichment of endocrine resistance, cellular senescence, and notch signaling pathways. Similarly, EV-coupled miRNAs released from thermally stressed organoids showed their potential regulation of genes involved in cellular senescence, p53 signaling, and TGF-beta signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the cellular and extracellular response of bovine oviductal organoids to in vitro HS conditions reveal the prospective impact of environmental HS on the physiology of the oviduct and the probable subsequent impacts on oocyte fertilization and early embryo development. Future studies elucidating the potential impact of HS-associated EVs from oviductal organoids on oocyte fertilization and preimplantation embryo development, would justify the use of an organoid model to optimally understand the oviduct-embryo communication under suboptimal environments.

A weighted-sum chaotic sparrow search algorithm for interdisciplinary feature selection and data classification.

In today's data-driven digital culture, there is a critical demand for optimized solutions that essentially reduce operating expenses while attempting to increase productivity. The amount of memory and processing time that can be used to process enormous volumes of data are subject to a number of limitations. This would undoubtedly be more of a problem if a dataset contained redundant and uninteresting information. For instance, many datasets contain a number of non-informative features that primarily deceive a given classification algorithm. In order to tackle this, researchers have been developing a variety of feature selection (FS) techniques that aim to eliminate unnecessary information from the raw datasets before putting them in front of a machine learning (ML) algorithm. Meta-heuristic optimization algorithms are often a solid choice to solve NP-hard problems like FS. In this study, we present a wrapper FS technique based on the sparrow search algorithm (SSA), a type of meta-heuristic. SSA is a swarm intelligence (SI) method that stands out because of its quick convergence and improved stability. SSA does have some drawbacks, like lower swarm diversity and weak exploration ability in late iterations, like the majority of SI algorithms. So, using ten chaotic maps, we try to ameliorate SSA in three ways: (i) the initial swarm generation; (ii) the substitution of two random variables in SSA; and (iii) clamping the sparrows crossing the search range. As a result, we get CSSA, a chaotic form of SSA. Extensive comparisons show CSSA to be superior in terms of swarm diversity and convergence speed in solving various representative functions from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Congress on Evolutionary Computation (CEC) benchmark set. Furthermore, experimental analysis of CSSA on eighteen interdisciplinary, multi-scale ML datasets from the University of California Irvine (UCI) data repository, as well as three high-dimensional microarray datasets, demonstrates that CSSA outperforms twelve state-of-the-art algorithms in a classification task based on FS discipline. Finally, a 5%-significance-level statistical post-hoc analysis based on Wilcoxon's signed-rank test, Friedman's rank test, and Nemenyi's test confirms CSSA's significance in terms of overall fitness, classification accuracy, selected feature size, computational time, convergence trace, and stability.

Flood susceptibility mapping utilizing the integration of geospatial and multivariate statistical analysis, Erbil area in Northern Iraq as a case study.

Climate extreme events such as floods and droughts in any area have a significant impact on human life, infrastructure, agriculture, and the economy. In the last two years, flash floods caused by heavy rainstorms have become frequent and destructive in many catchments in Northern Iraq. The present study aims to examine flash floods in the Erbil region, Northern Iraq using Remote sensing (RS), Geographic Information System (GIS), and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for geomorphic data. PCA results revealed that 12 geomorphic parameters exhibited a significant correlation with two different statistical components. To facilitate practical application, ranks are assigned based on the calculated parameters for flood susceptibility mapping. Out of the 24 basins in the current study, three basins (16, 3, and 14) have the highest geomorphometric values (36-39), indicating the zone most susceptible to flash floods and making up a maximum area of 38.58% of the studied region. Six basins (4, 8, 9, 10, 12, and 15), which have geomorphometric values between 30 and 35 and cover a land area of 27.86%, are the most moderately vulnerable to floods. The remaining basins, which make up 33.47% of the research, are occasionally subject to floods and have geomorphometric scores below 30. The precision of the flood susceptibility mapping was validated using the bifurcation ratio and drainage density relationship as well as past flood damages, such as economic losses and human casualties. Most of the recorded injuries and fatalities took place in areas that were particularly prone to severe past flooding. Additionally, the investigation revealed that 44.56% of all populated areas are located in extremely vulnerable basins. The findings demonstrate a notable correlation between the identified flood-susceptible areas and the occurrence of past flood damage.

Characterization and identification of extracellular vesicles-coupled miRNA profiles in seminal plasma of fertile and subfertile rabbit bucks.

Seminal plasma (SP) provides essential nutrients, transport, and protection to the spermatozoa during their journey through the male and female reproductive tracts. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are one of the main components of the SP with several biomolecular cargoes, including miRNAs, that can influence spermatozoa functions and interact with the cells of the female reproductive tract. This study aimed to isolate, characterize, and identify the miRNA expression profiles in the SP-EVs isolated from fertile (F) and subfertile (S) rabbit bucks that could serve as fertility biomarkers. In this study, the methods to isolate and identify EVs including exosomes, from SP of 3 F and S bucks have been developed. Ultracentrifugation and size exclusion chromatography analysis were using to isolate EVs from SP of F and S males that were qualitative and quantitively characterised using transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis and western blotting. In addition, total RNA, including miRNA, was isolated, sequenced and identified from SP-EVs samples. Different SP-EVs concentrations (8.53 × 1011 ± 1.04 × 1011 and 1.84 × 1012 ± 1.75 × 1011 particles/mL of SP; P = 0.008), with a similar average size (143.9 ± 11.9 and 115.5 ± 2.4 nm; P = 0.7422) in F and S males, respectively was observed. Particle size was not significantly correlated with any kinetic parameter. The concentration of SP-EVs was positively correlated with the percentage of abnormal forms (r = 0.94; P < 0.05) and with the percentage of immotile spermatozoa (r = 0.88; P < 0.05). Small-RNA-seq analysis identified a total of 267 and 244 expressed miRNAs in the F and S groups, respectively. Two miRNAs (let-7b-5p and let-7a-5p) were the top most abundant miRNAs in both groups. Differential expression analysis revealed that 9 miRNAs including miR-190b-5p, miR-193b-5p, let-7b-3p, and miR-378-3p, and another 9 miRNAs including miR-7a-5p, miR-33a-5p, miR-449a-5p, and miR-146a-5p were significantly up- and downregulated in the F compared to the S group, respectively. The SP from F and S rabbit males contains EVs with different miRNA cargo correlated with spermatogenesis, homeostasis, and infertility, which could be used as biomarkers for male fertility and potential therapies for assisted reproductive technologies.

Extracellular vesicle-microRNAs mediated response of bovine ovaries to seasonal environmental changes.

BACKGROUND: Among the various seasonal environmental changes, elevated ambient temperature during the summer season is a main cause of stress in dairy and beef cows, leading to impaired reproductive function and fertility. Follicular fluid extracellular vesicles (FF-EVs) play an important role in intrafollicular cellular communication by, in part, mediating the deleterious effects of heat stress (HS). Here we aimed to investigate the changes in FF-EV miRNA cargoes in beef cows in response to seasonal changes: summer (SUM) compared to the winter (WIN) season using high throughput sequencing of FF-EV-coupled miRNAs. In addition to their biological relevance, the potential mechanisms involved in the packaging and release of those miRNAs as a response to environmental HS were elucidated. RESULTS: Sequencing analysis revealed that an average of 6.6% of the EV-RNA mapped reads were annotated to bovine miRNAs. Interestingly, miR-148a, miR-99a-5p, miR-10b, and miR-143 were the top four miRNAs in both groups accounting for approximately 52 and 62% of the total miRNA sequence reads in the SUM and WIN groups, respectively. A group of 16 miRNAs was up-regulated and 8 miRNAs were down-regulated in the SUM compared to the WIN group. Five DE-miRNAs (miR-10a, miR-10b, miR-26a, let-7f, and miR-1246) were among the top 20 expressed miRNA lists. Sequence motif analysis revealed the appearance of two specific motifs in 13 out of the 16 upregulated miRNAs under HS conditions. Both motifs were found to be potentially bonded by specific RNA binding proteins including Y-box binding proteins (YBX1 and YBX2) and RBM42. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that FF EV-coupled miRNA profile varies under seasonal changes. These miRNAs could be a good indicator of the cellular mechanism in mediating HS response and the potential interplay between miRNA motifs and RNA binding proteins can be one of the mechanisms governing the packaging and release of miRNAs via EVs to facilitate cellular survival.

Geochemistry and Sr, S, and O stable isotopes of Miocene Abu Dhabi evaporites, United Arab Emirates.

This study investigates for the first time the subsurface Miocene evaporite facies (Gachsaran Formation) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Forty-five evaporite rock samples were selected for petrographic, mineralogical, and geochemical investigations and stable isotope analyses to decipher their origin and constrain their age. Secondary gypsum with anhydrite relics dominates the investigated evaporitic rocks, with minor amounts of clays, dolomicrite, Fe/Ti oxides, and celestite. These samples are characterized by their excellent purity and low variability in geochemical composition. The distribution of trace element concentrations is significantly influenced by continental detrital intake. The main focus of the study is to determine the strontium, sulfur, and oxygen stable isotope compositions. The measured 87Sr/86Sr values of 0.708411-0.708739 are consistent with Miocene marine sulfates and indicate ∼21.12-15.91 Ma (Late Aquitanian-Burdigalian). The δ34S and δ18O values are 17.10‰-21.59‰ and 11.89‰-19.16‰, respectively. These values are comparable to those of Tertiary marine evaporites. The relatively low values of δ34S suggest that non-marine water possesses little influence on S distribution. The geochemical composition and Sr, S, and O isotope distributions of the Abu Dhabi gypsum facies from the Gachsaran Formation reveals that their source brines were marine (coastal saline/sabkha) with subordinate continental input.

Granulosa cell-derived extracellular vesicles mitigate the detrimental impact of thermal stress on bovine oocytes and embryos.

Climate change-induced global warming results in rises in body temperatures above normal physiological levels (hyperthermia) with negative impacts on reproductive function in dairy and beef animals. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), commonly described as nano-sized, lipid-enclosed complexes, harnessed with a plethora of bioactive cargoes (RNAs, proteins, and lipids), are crucial to regulating processes like folliculogenesis and the initiation of different signaling pathways. The beneficial role of follicular fluid-derived EVs in inducing thermotolerance to oocytes during in vitro maturation (IVM) has been evidenced. Here we aimed to determine the capacity of in vitro cultured granulosa cell-derived EVs (GC-EVs) to modulate bovine oocytes' thermotolerance to heat stress (HS) during IVM. Moreover, this study tested the hypothesis that EVs released from thermally stressed GCs (S-EVs) shuttle protective messages to provide protection against subsequent HS in bovine oocytes. For this, sub-populations of GC-EVs were generated from GCs subjected to 38.5°C (N-EVs) or 42°C (S-EVs) and supplemented to cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) matured in vitro at the normal physiological body temperature of the cow (38.5°C) or HS (41°C) conditions. Results indicate that S-EVs improve the survival of oocytes by reducing ROS accumulation, improving mitochondrial function, and suppressing the expression of stress-associated genes thereby reducing the severity of HS on oocytes. Moreover, our findings indicate a carryover impact from the addition of GC-EVs during oocyte maturation in the development to the blastocyst stage with enhanced viability.

Effects of groundwater and distilled water on the durability of evaporitic rocks.

Evaporitic rock durability induced by groundwater cause several construction challenges, but representative experimental studies to evaluate such conditions are still missing. Therefore, this study intended to provide better and more realistic degradability features of evaporites with groundwater besides a comparison with distilled water as slaking fluids. Forty-eight evaporitic rock blocks were collected from Abu Dhabi area, United Arab Emirates. 96 slake durability index (SDI) tests were performed, 48 with each of the slaking fluids; groundwater and distilled water, and their textural, mineralogical, and geochemical attributes were also examined before and after the SDI tests. In comparison to mineralogical and textural modifications, slaking fluid had a greater impact on the chemical composition of evaporitic rock. The study shows that the degradability of evaporites with groundwater and distilled water indicates a wide range from very low to high. The mean weight loss values after four cycles with groundwater and distilled water vary from 11 to 77 and from 4 to 81 wt.%, respectively. Consequently, slaking with groundwater illustrates a wide range compared to the slaking with distilled water. This could be due to quick interactions between groundwater and evaporites and fast hydration-dehydration process than distilled water due to the chemical composition of the groundwater. It is recommended to investigate the attributes of evaporitic rocks as well as groundwater geochemistry for safe, cost-effective, and sustainable structures.

Chitosan-cellulose nanocomposite: Preparation, characterization, and evaluation as cationic color precipitant in sugar clarification process.

The present paper aims to use natural biodegradable polymers of chitosan (CS) and cellulose (CEL) to synthesize green chitosan-cellulose (CS-CEL) nanocomposite as a new clarifying agent. This is the cutting-edge of the sugar industry's clarification process. The CS-CEL nanocomposite showed outstanding results in zeta potential analysis, with a maximum value (+) 57.73 mV, leading to remarkableresults in coloradsorption via electrostatic attraction. It was also observed that CS-CEL has high mechanical stability. When CS and CS-CEL nanocomposite were used in the clarification of sugarcane (MJ), the findings demonstrated an improvement in colorremoval of up to 8.7% using CS and 18.1%using CS-CEL nanocomposite compared to currently phosphotation clarification process. Also, Turbidity decreased using CS-CEL nanocomposite compared to the traditional phosphotation clarification process. Overall, we can conclude that CS-CEL nanocomposite has considerable efficiency in sugarcane juice clarification process as a green biodegradable adsorbent and flocculating material to produce sulfur-free sugar.

Porcine oocytes matured in a chemically defined medium are transcriptionally active.

The statement that fully-grown porcine oocytes (oocytes from follicles with diameter from 3 to 6 mm) are transcriptionally quiescent is not as strongly supported as it was before. Currently, we know that there is a difference between the transcription profile of germinal vesicle (GV) and metaphase II (MII) oocytes. The goal of our study was to compare the transcription profile of GV, germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), metaphase I (MI), and MII oocytes matured in the chemically defined medium FLI. Oocytes were sequenced, and the results were subsequently validated using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). We detected multiple differentially transcribed mRNAs, of which many were upregulated. Among them we found mRNAs necessary for protein production, mitochondrial functions and cytoplasmic maturation. Collectively, these data support the hypothesis that transcription activity in fully-grown porcine oocytes is necessary for key processes during their successful maturation in vitro in a chemically defined maturation medium.