Versatile, modular, and customizable magnetic solid-droplet systems.

Magnetic miniature robotic systems have attracted broad research interest because of their precise maneuverability in confined spaces and adaptability to diverse environments, holding significant promise for applications in both industrial infrastructures and biomedical fields. However, the predominant construction methodology involves the preprogramming of magnetic components into the system's structure. While this approach allows for intricate shape transformations, it exhibits limited flexibility in terms of reconfiguration and presents challenges when adapting to diverse materials, combining, and decoupling multiple functionalities. Here, we propose a construction strategy that facilitates the on-demand assembly of magnetic components, integrating ferrofluid droplets with the system's structural body. This approach enables the creation of complex solid-droplet robotic systems across a spectrum of length scales, ranging from 0.8 mm to 1.5 cm. It offers a diverse selection of materials and structural configurations, akin to assembling components like building blocks, thus allowing for the seamless integration of various functionalities. Moreover, it incorporates decoupling mechanisms to enable selective control over multiple functions, leveraging the fluidity, fission/fusion, and magneto-responsiveness properties inherent in the ferrofluid. Various solid-droplet systems have validated the feasibility of this strategy. This study advances the complexity and functionality achievable in small-scale magnetic robots, augmenting their potential for future biomedical and other applications.

Biological Roles of Lipids in Rice.

Lipids are organic nonpolar molecules with essential biological and economic importance. While the genetic pathways and regulatory networks of lipid biosynthesis and metabolism have been extensively studied and thoroughly reviewed in oil crops such as soybeans, less attention has been paid to the biological roles of lipids in rice, a staple food for the global population and a model species for plant molecular biology research, leaving a considerable knowledge gap in the biological roles of lipids. In this review, we endeavor to furnish a current overview of the advancements in understanding the genetic foundations and physiological functions of lipids, including triacylglycerol, fatty acids, and very-long-chain fatty acids. We aim to summarize the key genes in lipid biosynthesis, metabolism, and transcriptional regulation underpinning rice's developmental and growth processes, biotic stress responses, abiotic stress responses, fertility, seed longevity, and recent efforts in rice oil genetic improvement.

Enterobacteriaceae as a Key Indicator of Huanglongbing Infection in Diaphorina citri.

Extensive microbial interactions occur within insect hosts. However, the interactions between the Huanglongbing (HLB) pathogen and endosymbiotic bacteria within the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama) in wild populations remain elusive. Thus, this study aimed to detect the infection rates of HLB in the ACP across five localities in China, with a widespread prevalence in Ruijin (RJ, 58%), Huidong (HD, 28%), and Lingui (LG, 15%) populations. Next, microbial communities of RJ and LG populations collected from citrus were analyzed via 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The results revealed a markedly higher microbial diversity in the RJ population compared to the LG population. Moreover, the PCoA analysis identified significant differences in microbial communities between the two populations. Considering that the inter-population differences of Bray-Curtis dissimilarity in the RJ population exceeded those between populations, separate analyses were performed. Our findings indicated an increased abundance of Enterobacteriaceae in individuals infected with HLB in both populations. Random forest analysis also identified Enterobacteriaceae as a crucial indicator of HLB infection. Furthermore, the phylogenetic analysis suggested a potential regulatory role of ASV4017 in Enterobacteriaceae for ACP, suggesting its possible attractant activity. This research contributes to expanding the understanding of microbial communities associated with HLB infection, holding significant implications for HLB prevention and treatment.

New ε-N-thioglutaryl-lysine derivatives as SIRT5 inhibitors: Chemical synthesis, kinetic and crystallographic studies.

SIRT5 has been implicated in various physiological processes and human diseases, including cancer. Development of new highly potent, selective SIRT5 inhibitors is still needed to investigate disease-related mechanisms and therapeutic potentials. We here report new ε-N-thioglutaryllysine derivatives, which were designed according to SIRT5-catalysed deacylation reactions. These ε-N-thioglutaryllysine derivatives displayed potent SIRT5 inhibition, of which the potential photo-crosslinking derivative 8 manifested most potent inhibition with an IC50 value of 120 nM to SIRT5, and low inhibition to SIRT1-3 and SIRT6. The enzyme kinetic assays revealed that the ε-N-thioglutaryllysine derivatives inhibit SIRT5 by lysine-substrate competitive manner. Co-crystallographic analyses demonstrated that 8 binds to occupy the lysine-substate binding site by making hydrogen-bonding and electrostatic interactions with SIRT5-specific residues, and is likely positioned to react with NAD+ and form stable thio-intermediates. Compound 8 was observed to have low photo-crosslinking probability to SIRT5, possibly due to inappropriate position of the diazirine group as observed in SIRT5:8 crystal structure. This study provides useful information for developing drug-like inhibitors and cross-linking chemical probes for SIRT5-related studies.

A modularity design approach to behavioral research with immersive virtual reality: A SkyrimVR-based behavioral experimental framework.

Virtual reality (VR) has been shown to be a potential research tool, yet the gap between traditional and VR behavioral experiment systems poses a challenge for many behavioral researchers. To address the challenge posed, the present study first adopted a modularity design strategy and proposed a five-module architectural framework for a VR behavioral experiment system that aimed to reduce complexity and costs of development. Applying the five-module architectural framework, the present study developed the SkyrimVR-based behavioral experimental framework (SkyBXF) module, a basic experimental framework module that adopted and integrated the classic human behavior experiment structure (i.e., session-block-trial model) with the modifiable VR massive gaming franchise The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR. A modified version of previous behavioral research to investigate the effects of masked peripheral vision on visually-induced motion sickness in an immersive virtual environment was conducted as a proof of concept to showcase the feasibility of the proposed five-module architectural framework and the SkyBXF module developed. Behavioral data acquired through the case study were consistent with those from previous behavioral research. This indicates the viability of the proposed five-module architectural framework and the SkyBXF module developed, and provides proof that future behavioral researchers with minimal programming proficiency, 3D environment development expertise, time, personnel, and resources may reuse ready-to-go resources and behavioral experiment templates offered by SkyBXF to swiftly establish realistic virtual worlds that can be further customized for experimental need on the go.

Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of ovarian follicles reveal the role of VLDLR in chicken follicle selection.

BACKGROUND: Follicle selection in chickens refers to the process of selecting one follicle from a group of small yellow follicles (SY, 6-8 mm in diameter) for development into 12-15 mm hierarchical follicles (usually F6 follicles), which is an important process affecting laying performance in the poultry industry. Although transcriptomic analysis of chicken ovarian follicles has been reported, integrated analysis of chicken follicles for selection by using both transcriptomic and proteomic approaches is still rarely performed. In this study, we compared the proteomes and transcriptomes of SY and F6 follicles in laying hens and identified several genes involved in chicken follicle selection. RESULTS: Transcriptomic analysis revealed 855 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between SY follicles and F6 follicles in laying hens, among which 202 were upregulated and 653 were downregulated. Proteomic analysis revealed 259 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), including 175 upregulated and 84 downregulated proteins. Among the identified DEGs and DEPs, changes in the expression of seven genes, including VLDLR1, WIF1, NGFR, AMH, BMP15, GDF6 and MMP13, and nine proteins, including VLDLR, VTG1, VTG3, PSCA, APOB, APOV1, F10, ZP2 and ZP3L2, were validated. Further analysis indicated that the mRNA level of chicken VLDLR was higher in F6 follicles than in SY follicles and was also higher in granulosa cells (GCs) than in thecal cells (TCs), and it was stimulated by FSH in GCs. CONCLUSIONS: By comparing the proteomes and transcriptomes of SY and F6 follicles in laying hens, we identified several differentially expressed proteins/genes that might play certain roles in chicken follicle selection. These data may contribute to the identification of functional genes and proteins involved in chicken follicle selection.

Protein Level and Infantile Diarrhea in a Postweaning Piglet Model.

Infantile diarrhea is a serious public health problem around worldwide and results in millions of deaths each year. The levels and sources of dietary protein are potential sources of diarrhea, but the relationship between the pathogenesis causes of infantile diarrhea and protein intake remains poorly understood. Many studies have indicated that the key to understanding the relationship between the protein in the diet and the postweaning diarrhea of piglets is to explore the influences of protein sources and levels on the mammalian digestion system. The current study was designed to control diarrhea control by choosing different protein levels in the diet and aimed at providing efficient regulatory measures for infantile diarrhea by controlling the protein levels in diets using a postweaning piglets model. To avoid influences from other protein sources, casein was used as the only protein source in this study. Fourteen piglets (7.98 ± 0.14 kg, weaned at 28 d) were randomly allotted to two dietary treatments: a control group (Cont, containing 17% casein) and a high protein group (HP, containing 30% casein). The experiment lasted for two weeks and all animals were free to eat and drink water ad libitum. The diarrhea score (1 = normal; 3 = watery diarrhea) and growth performance were recorded daily. The results showed that the piglets in HP group had persistent diarrhea during the whole study, while no diarrhea was noticed in the control groups. Also, the feed intake and body weights were reduced in the HP groups compared with the other group (P < 0.05). The diarrhea-related mRNA abundances were analyzed by real-time PCR; the results showed that HP treatment markedly decreased the expression of aquaporin (AQP, P < 0.05) and the tight junction protein (P<0.05), but increased inflammatory cytokines (P < 0.01) than those in control group. In addition, the Adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway (P < 0.01) was inhibited in the HP group. Intestinal microbiota was tested by 16S sequencing, and we found that the HP group had a low diversity compared the other group. In conclusion, despite being highly digestible, a high casein diet induced postweaning diarrhea and reduced the growth performance of the postweaning piglets. Meanwhile, AQP, tight junction protein, and intestinal immune were compromised. Thus, the mechanism of how a highly digestible protein diet induces diarrhea might be associated with the AMPK signaling pathway and intestinal microbiome.

Inactivation of Tp53 and Pten drives rapid development of pleural and peritoneal malignant mesotheliomas.

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a therapy-resistant cancer arising primarily from the lining of the pleural and peritoneal cavities. The most frequently altered genes in human MM are cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A), which encodes components of the p53 (p14ARF) and RB (p16INK4A) pathways, BRCA1-associated protein 1 (BAP1), and neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2). Furthermore, the p53 gene (TP53) itself is mutated in ~15% of MMs. In many MMs, the PI3K-PTEN-AKT-mTOR signaling node is hyperactivated, which contributes to tumor cell survival and therapeutic resistance. Here, we demonstrate that the inactivation of both Tp53 and Pten in the mouse mesothelium is sufficient to rapidly drive aggressive MMs. PtenL/L ;Tp53L/L mice injected intraperitoneally or intrapleurally with adenovirus-expressing Cre recombinase developed high rates of peritoneal and pleural MMs (92% of mice with a median latency of 9.4 weeks and 56% of mice with a median latency of 19.3 weeks, respectively). MM cells from these mice showed consistent activation of Akt-mTor signaling, chromosome breakage or aneuploidy, and upregulation of Myc; occasional downregulation of Bap1 was also observed. Collectively, these findings suggest that when Pten and Tp53 are lost in combination in mesothelial cells, DNA damage is not adequately repaired and genomic instability is widespread, whereas the activation of Akt due to Pten loss protects genomically damaged cells from apoptosis, thereby increasing the likelihood of tumor formation. Additionally, the mining of an online dataset (The Cancer Genome Atlas) revealed codeletions of PTEN and TP53 and/or CDKN2A/p14ARF in ~25% of human MMs, indicating that cooperative losses of these genes contribute to the development of a significant proportion of these aggressive neoplasms and suggesting key target pathways for therapeutic intervention.

Estimation of the benchmark dose of urinary cadmium as the reference level for renal dysfunction: a large sample study in five cadmium polluted areas in China.

BACKGROUND: Itai-itai disease primarily results from cadmium (Cd) exposure and is known as one of the four major pollution diseases in Japan. Cd pollution is more serious in several areas of China than in Japan. However, there is still a lack of information regarding the threshold level of Cd exposure for the adverse health effects in the general Chinese population. This study aims to evaluate the reference value of urinary Cd (UCd) for renal dysfunction in a Chinese population as the benchmark dose lower confidence limit (BMDL) based on a large sample survey. METHODS: A total of 6103 participants who lived in five Cd polluted areas of China participated in this study. We analyzed UCd levels as a biomarker of exposure and urinary ß2-microglobulin (Uß2-MG) levels as a renal tubular effect biomarker. The BMD studies were performed using BMD software. The benchmark response (BMR) was defined as a 10% additional risk above the background. RESULTS: There was a positive correlation between the UCd levels and the prevalence of Uß2-MG. The BMD of UCd for Uß2-MG was estimated for each province. The findings showed that the BMD levels were related to the participants' geographic region, which may be partially due to the large differences in Cd exposure level, ethnic group, lifestyle and diet of the sample population in these study areas. The reference level of UCd for the renal effects was further evaluated by combining the five sets of data from all 6103 subjects. The overall BMDLs of UCd for Uß2-MG with an excess risk of 10% were 2.00 µg/g creatinine (µg/g cr) in males and 1.69 µg/g cr in females, which were significantly lower than the World Health Organization (WHO) threshold level of 5 µg/g cr for Cd-related renal effects. CONCLUSIONS: The selection of the sample population and geographic region affected the BMDL evaluation. Based on the findings of this survey of a large sample population, the UCd BMDLs for Uß2-MG in males with BMRs at 10% were 2.00 µg/g cr. The BMD was slightly lower in females, which indicated that females may be relatively more sensitive to Cd exposure than males.

Regional noise source location based on the time delays between station pairs from ambient noise interferometry.

Identifying the location of a potential noise source assists in understanding the characteristics of the seismic or volcanic activity and provides valuable information for hazard assessment. Unlike the conventional waveform-based techniques that rebuild the source energy into the possible source region, we apply a simplified method to determine the absolute location of the noise source based on the station-pair time-delays from ambient noise interferometry. Synthetic tests demonstrate the robustness of the method and the locating precision is mainly influenced by the signal-to-noise ratio of the synthetic waveforms, and the higher frequency bandwidth source signals are more likely to result in accurate detection of the source. An application at the Central Tien Shan indicates that our method is capable of locating the known virtual source from the empirical Green's functions. Furthermore, assuming a surface wave velocity, the depth of the source can be generally recovered from ambient noise interferometry in a simplified 3-D homogeneous model. The new method sheds light on applications of ambient noise interferometry for locating potential sources, making it suitable for detecting time-dependent behavior.

Wireless flow-powered miniature robot capable of traversing tubular structures.

Wireless millimeter-scale robots capable of navigating through fluid-flowing tubular structures hold substantial potential for inspection, maintenance, or repair use in nuclear, industrial, and medical applications. However, prevalent reliance on external powering constrains these robots' operational range and applicable environments. Alternatives with onboard powering must trade off size, functionality, and operation duration. Here, we propose a wireless millimeter-scale wheeled robot capable of using environmental flows to power and actuate its long-distance locomotion through complex pipelines. The flow-powering module can convert flow energy into mechanical energy, achieving an impeller speed of up to 9595 revolutions per minute, accompanied by an output power density of 11.7 watts per cubic meter and an efficiency of 33.7%. A miniature gearbox module can further transmit the converted mechanical energy into the robot's locomotion system, allowing the robot to move against water flow at an average rate of up to 1.05 meters per second. The robot's motion status (moving against/with flow or pausing) can be switched using an external magnetic field or an onboard mechanical regulator, contingent on different proposed control designs. In addition, we designed kirigami-based soft wheels for adaptive locomotion. The robot can move against flows of various substances within pipes featuring complex geometries and diverse materials. Solely powered by flow, the robot can transport cylindrical payloads with a diameter of up to 55% of the pipe's diameter and carry devices such as an endoscopic camera for pipeline inspection, a wireless temperature sensor for environmental temperature monitoring, and a leak-stopper shell for infrastructure maintenance.

Slow rupture in a fluid-rich fault zone initiated the 2024 Mw 7.5 Noto earthquake.

The 2024 moment magnitude 7.5 Noto Peninsula (Japan) earthquake caused devastation to communities and was generated by a complex rupture process. Using space geodetic and seismic observations, we have shown that the event deformed the peninsula with a peak uplift reaching 5 meters at the west coast. Shallow slip exceeded 10 meters on an offshore fault. Peak stress drop was greater than 10 megapascals. This devastating event began with a slow rupture propagation lasting 15 to 20 seconds near its hypocenter, where seismic swarms had surged since 2020 because of lower-crust fluid supply. The slow start was accompanied by intense high-frequency seismic radiation. These observations suggest a distinct coseismic slip mode reflecting high heterogeneity in fault properties within a fluid-rich fault zone.

360° Digital Travel to Improve Emotional State and Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Presence and Sense of Place.

The continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a decline in people's subjective well-being and emotional states. Digital travel based on 360° videos provides an alternate way for people to improve their mental health at home during this specific period. Yet, how to construct effective digital travel content that improves emotions remains an issue. This investigation assessed the impact of people's perceived presence and sense of place (SOP) on emotional improvement during a 360° digital travel experience. A total of 156 undergraduate students volunteered to participate, and anxiety, emotion levels, and life satisfaction were measured before and after the digital travel experience; presence and SOP ratings were also collected after the experience. A Latent Change Score model was then developed, and the results indicated that the greater presence and SOP individuals experienced during their digital travel, the better their digital travel experience and emotional improvement. Furthermore, the current data highlight that SOP has a greater impact on emotional improvement than presence. This result provides a novel understanding that how SOP is generated may be more critical to digital travel than presence. This new understanding should help improve relevant applications in the field of digital travel, such as the possibility of providing meaningful narrative context in a virtual environment to induce SOP more effectively, and improve the digital travel experience. Overall, the findings of this study expand our understanding of the digital travel experience and lay the groundwork for future research on SOP and digital travel.

A Thermopile-Based Gas Flow Sensor with High Sensitivity for Noninvasive Respiration Monitoring.

In this work, a N/P polySi thermopile-based gas flow device is presented, in which a microheater distributed in a comb-shaped structure is embedded around hot junctions of thermocouples. The unique design of the thermopile and the microheater effectively enhances performance of the gas flow sensor leading to a high sensitivity (around 6.6 µV/(sccm)/mW, without amplification), fast response (around 35 ms), high accuracy (around 0.95%), and mood long-term stability. In addition, the sensor has the advantages of easy production and compact size. With such characteristics, the sensor is further used in real-time respiration monitoring. It allows detailed and convenient collection of respiration rhythm waveform with sufficient resolution. Information such as respiration periods and amplitudes can be further extracted to predict and alert of potential apnea and other abnormal status. It is expected that such a novel sensor could provide a new approach for respiration monitoring related noninvasive healthcare systems in the future.

Isochromosome 7p, i(7)(p10): A rare AML, myelodysplasia-related entity.

We describe genomic findings in an AML case with isochromosome 7p, i(7)(p10), in which SNP array analysis uncovered an additional 7.07-Mb 20q deletion not detected by karyotyping. Several AML cases with i(7)(p10) as an isolated cytogenetic finding have been previously reported. Based on consequent loss of 7q, we propose that AML with i(7)(p10) represents a distinct entity belonging in the WHO group -7/7q-, which represents one of the genetic abnormalities defining AML, myelodysplasia-related. Additionally, the focal del(20q) identified here adds support for a specific common region of deletion in 20q in myeloid malignancies, implicating a small number of candidate genes.

Visualizing Cathepsin K-Cre Expression at the Single-Cell Level with GFP Reporters.

The Cre/lox system is a fundamental tool for functional genomic studies, and a number of Cre lines have been generated to target genes of interest spatially and temporally in defined cells or tissues; this approach has greatly expanded our knowledge of gene functions. However, the limitations of this system have recently been recognized, and we must address the challenge of so-called nonspecific/off-target effects when a Cre line is utilized to investigate a gene of interest. For example, cathepsin K (Ctsk) has been used as a specific osteoclast marker, and Cre driven by its promoter is widely utilized for osteoclast investigations. However, Ctsk-Cre expression has recently been identified in other cell types, such as osteocytes, periosteal stem cells, and tenocytes. To better understand Ctsk-Cre expression and ensure appropriate use of this Cre line, we performed a comprehensive analysis of Ctsk-Cre expression at the single-cell level in major organs and tissues using two green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporters (ROSA nT-nG and ROSA tdT) and a tissue clearing technique in young and aging mice. The expression profile was further verified by immunofluorescence staining and droplet digital RT-PCR. The results demonstrate that Ctsk-Cre is expressed not only in osteoclasts but also at various levels in osteoblast lineage cells and other major organs/tissues, particularly in the brain, kidney, pancreas, and blood vessels. Furthermore, Ctsk-Cre expression increases markedly in the bone marrow, skeletal muscle, and intervertebral discs in aging mice. These data will be valuable for accurately interpreting data obtained from in vivo studies using Ctsk-Cre mice to avoid potentially misleading conclusions. © 2022 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Genetic separation of Brca1 functions reveal mutation-dependent Polθ vulnerabilities.

Homologous recombination (HR)-deficiency induces a dependency on DNA polymerase theta (Polθ/Polq)-mediated end joining, and Polθ inhibitors (Polθi) are in development for cancer therapy. BRCA1 and BRCA2 deficient cells are thought to be synthetic lethal with Polθ, but whether distinct HR gene mutations give rise to equivalent Polθ-dependence, and the events that drive lethality, are unclear. In this study, we utilized mouse models with separate Brca1 functional defects to mechanistically define Brca1-Polθ synthetic lethality. Surprisingly, homozygous Brca1 mutant, Polq-/- cells were viable, but grew slowly and had chromosomal instability. Brca1 mutant cells proficient in DNA end resection were significantly more dependent on Polθ for viability; here, treatment with Polθi elevated RPA foci, which persisted through mitosis. In an isogenic system, BRCA1 null cells were defective, but PALB2 and BRCA2 mutant cells exhibited active resection, and consequently stronger sensitivity to Polθi. Thus, DNA end resection is a critical determinant of Polθi sensitivity in HR-deficient cells, and should be considered when selecting patients for clinical studies.

Study on the Influencing Factors and Willingness to Pay of Consumers Purchasing Ecological Agricultural Products.

With the steady rise of China's agricultural production and management level, the market of ecological agricultural products has developed rapidly, and consumers are increasingly concerned about ecological agricultural products. Consumers' cognition and purchase intention are the keys to determine their future development. This research is aimed at ensuring that consumers have access to high-quality ecological agricultural products, thereby promoting the supply and production of ecological agricultural products, minimizing agricultural carbon emissions, and providing information on sustainable food pricing. Based on the research status at home and abroad, this study combines the questionnaire survey method to study the influencing factors and willingness to pay of consumers purchasing ecological agricultural products. A total of 601 online questionnaires from consumers in Harbin, a city in northeastern China, were collected, and statistical factor analysis, principal component analysis, and regression analysis were used to study the influencing factors of consumers' purchase of ecological agricultural products from both positive and negative aspects, and in-depth analysis of the reasons why consumers refuse to pay, get the most real willingness to pay and related influencing factors, and quantify the influence of various variables on consumers' purchasing behavior was done. On this basis, a logit model of survival analysis is constructed to study the premium payment level of consumers for ecological agricultural products, and the payment premium is 24.95%. The research results show that married, who have purchased ecological agricultural products, the higher the understanding of ecological agricultural products, the consumers who buy ecological agricultural products in farmers' markets, Meituan and community group purchases, and the households with higher monthly consumption of agricultural products have a significant positive correlation with consumers' purchase of ecological agricultural products. The higher the education level, the older the age, and the larger the family size were significantly negatively correlated with consumers' purchase of ecological agricultural products.

Effects of Dietary Protein Level on the Microbial Composition and Metabolomic Profile in Postweaning Piglets.

Since the human and porcine digestive systems have similar anatomical structures and physiological functions, pigs are a useful animal model for studying human digestive diseases. By investigating intestinal metabolites in piglets after weaning, this study attempted to identify the inherent connection between dietary protein levels and changes in the intestinal microbiota of piglets. Casein was employed as the only source of protein for the piglets in this study to avoid the influence of other protein sources. 14 weaning at 28-day-old piglets (6.9 ± 0.19 kg) formed into two dietary groups: 17% casein fed group (LP) and 30% casein fed group (HP). Piglets were allowed to free food and water during the 2-week experiment. Throughout the trial, the piglets' diarrhea index (1: no diarrhea and 3: watery diarrhea) and food intake were noted during the experiment. We discovered piglets fed a high-protein diet developed diarrhea throughout the duration of the research, whereas piglets fed a normal protein diet did not. In addition, the HP group had lower feed intake and body weight than the control group (P < 0.05). The HP diet influenced the content of short-chain and branched-chain fatty acids in the colon, including acetate and isovaleric acid. The ileal microbiota's 16S rRNA gene was sequenced, and it was discovered that the relative abundance of gastrointestinal bacteria differed between the HP and control groups. Dietary protein levels influenced bile acid biosynthesis, alpha-linolenic acid metabolism, phospholipid biosynthesis, arachidonic acid metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, retinol metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, and glycine and serine metabolism, according to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Furthermore, a correlation analysis of the pooled information revealed a possible link between intestinal metabolites and specific bacteria species. These findings demonstrate that weaned piglets' microbiota composition and metabolites are modified by a high-protein diet and thus inducing severe postweaning diarrhea and inhibiting growth performance. However, the potential molecular mechanism of this regulation in the growth of piglets remains unclear.

Usability and Effects of a Combined Physical and Cognitive Intervention Based on Active Video Games for Preschool Children.

Executive functions (EFs) are essential for early childhood development, and effective programs to improve EFs in preschool education are becoming increasingly crucial. There is rising evidence that combined physical-cognitive intervention training utilizing active video games (exergames) could be a viable strategy to improve EFs. However, there is a shortage of empirical evidence on the application of this approach in preschool education. The effectiveness of exergame intervention training in preschools must be evaluated. This study conducted a randomized controlled trial to assess the effects of exergames intervention training on preschool children's EFs. A total of 48 participants aged 4-5 years were enrolled; 24 were randomly allocated to receive exergames physical activity training, and the remaining 24 received conventional physical activity training. After a four-week intervention, the children who received the exergames intervention training exhibited considerably greater gains in all three EFs tasks than children who received the conventional physical activity program. Follow-up interviews revealed that the children accepted the exergames well. The results demonstrate the viability of incorporating exergames into preschool education to improve children's EFs, supporting prior findings and offering more empirical evidence from early childhood research.