Comprehensive Genetic Map of Muscle Lipidome Reveals Novel Insights Into Flavor Variation in Ruminant Meat

Ruminant meat is an important component of human diets, valued for its unique flavor and nutritional density. Lipids play a dominant role in shaping meat flavor, yet their genetic and biochemical basis remains unexplored. Here, from the analysis of 434 sheep longissimus thoracis samples, the current study presents the first comprehensive lipid map of sheep meat, including 947 lipids. A substantial proportion of these lipids exhibit moderate-to-high heritability, with 51.6% surpassing a heritability of 0.2 and 15.8% exceeding 0.45. Metabolome-based genome-wide association analysis identifies 467 significant loci affecting 233 lipids, including 110 loci exhibiting pleiotropy. Notably, the levels of monogalactosyldiacylglycerols containing oleic (C18:1) and linoleic (C18:2) acids are specifically regulated by the expression of MBOAT1 and PAQR8 genes, respectively, while 13 triglycerides and one diglyceride are co-regulated by SH2D4A. The levels of phosphatidylethanolamine PE(20:4_20:0) are regulated by VPS53. Further examination of volatile compounds demonstrates that variations in these genetically controlled lipids significantly impact flavourant levels in cooked meat. Given the conservation of lipid profiles and genomes among ruminants, this study offers novel insights into the genetic architecture underlying meat lipid metabolism and provides a valuable resource for the targeted genetic improvement of ruminant meat flavor.</p

Soluble Vascular Adhesion Protein-1 Level Correlates With Adropin and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea

PurposeSoluble vascular adhesion protein-1 (sVAP-1) and adropin are 2 biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the levels of sVAP-1 in patients with moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) compared to healthy controls, and to further determine the relationship between sVAP-1 and adropin levels, as well as inflammatory biomarkers and sleep parameters.MethodsIn this study, we included 50 male patients with OSA (25 moderate and 25 severe) and 20 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Patients with OSA underwent polysomnography. All subjects underwent fasting peripheral blood sampling for laboratory analysis.ResultsSerum sVAP-1 and inflammatory biomarkers (IL-6, TNF-α, and hsCRP) levels were significantly higher in patients with severe OSA compared to those with moderate OSA and control groups, while plasma levels of adropin showed the opposite trend. Furthermore, sVAP-1 levels had a significant positive correlation with AHI, ODI, TNF-α, IL-6, and hsCRP levels and a significant negative correlation with adropin levels. The receiver operating characteristic analysis showed an Area Under Curve (AUC) of .876 ( P &lt; .001) for sVAP-1 levels predicting OSA. Serum sVAP-1 threshold of &gt; 445.5 ng/mL had an 88% sensitivity and 80% specificity for detecting OSA status. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that sVAP-1 remained a significant positive predictor of OSA severity.ConclusionsIncreased sVAP-1 levels in OSA patients are significantly correlated with indices of OSA severity, adropin levels, and inflammatory biomarkers, suggesting that sVAP-1 plays a vital role in the pathophysiology of OSA and may become a potential screening tool in the evaluation of OSA severity.</jats:sec

sVAP-1 and Adropin Levels in Male Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Likely Predictions of Endothelial Dysfunction and Severity of Disease

Abstract Background: The main purpose of this study was to determine sVAP-1 levels in patients with moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) compared with healthy controls, and further determine the relationship between sVAP-1 concentration and biomarkers of vascular endothelial dysfunction (ED), including adropin and inflammatory factors.Methods: In this study, we included 50 male patients with OSA (25 moderate and 25 severe) and 20 age- and sex-matched control subjects. The OSA patients underwent polysomnography and all subjects underwent fasting sampling of peripheral blood for laboratory analyses.Results: Serum sVAP-1 levels and inflammatory biomarkers (IL-6, TNF-α, hsCRP) were significantly higher in patients with severe OSA in comparison with the moderate OSA and control groups, whereas plasma adropin levels presented a completely reverse trend. Moreover, sVAP-1 levels were in significant positive correlation with levels of AHI, ODI, TNF-α, IL-6 and hsCRP. However, it was significantly negative correlated with adropin levels. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that AUC for sVAP-1levels in predicting OSA was 0.876 (P &lt;.001,95% CI 0.784−0.968). Serum sVAP-1 cutoff value more than 445.5ng/mL provided 88% sensitivity and 80% specificity for the detection of OSA status. A multivariate regression analysis showed that sVAP-1 remained as a significant positive predictor of severe OSA status.Conclusions: Serum sVAP-1 concentration significantly correlates with indices of OSA severity and biomarkers of ED, suggesting that sVAP-1 plays a vital role in the pathophysiology of ED-related diseases.</jats:p

Measuring Traffic Congestion with Taxi GPS Data and Travel Time Index

In an era of increasing urban traffic congestion, cities in China still lack a comparable congestion indicator. Aiming to fill this gap, we computed the travel time index (TTI) with taxi GPS data. Our TTI is the ratio of the travel time during the period of interest to the travel time during free-flow conditions. Using Shenzhen as the case study, we computed road level TTI for nearly 10,000 roads. The GPS data, which tracks the movement of 13,798 taxies, are processed in a PostgreSQL database. Our method can measure urban transportation congestion with fine-grained spatial and temporal accuracy, and has the potential to be used in other cities. ? ASCE.EI3751-376

Temporal&ndash;Spatial Fluctuations of a Phytoplankton Community and Their Association with Environmental Variables Based on Classification and Regression Tree in a Shallow Temperate Mountain River

The effects of environmental factors on phytoplankton are not simply positive or negative but complex and dependent on the combination of their concentrations in a fluctuating environment. Traditional statistical methods may miss some of the complex interactions between the environment and phytoplankton. In this study, the temporal&ndash;spatial fluctuations of phytoplankton diversity and abundance were investigated in a shallow temperate mountain river. The machine learning method classification and regression tree (CART) was used to explore the effects of environmental variables on the phytoplankton community. The results showed that both phytoplankton species diversity and abundance varied fiercely due to environmental fluctuation. Microcystis aeruginosa, Amphiprora sp., Anabaena oscillarioides, and Gymnodinium sp. were the dominant species. The CART analysis indicated that dissolved oxygen, oxidation-reduction potential, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and water temperature (WT) explained 36.00%, 13.81%, 11.35%, 9.96%, and 8.80%, respectively, of phytoplankton diversity variance. Phytoplankton abundance was mainly affected by TN, WT, and TP, with variance explanations of 39.40%, 15.70%, and 14.09%, respectively. Most environmental factors had a complex influence on phytoplankton diversity and abundance: their effects were positive under some conditions but negative under other combinations. The results and methodology in this study are important in quantitatively understanding and exploring aquatic ecosystems

Investigation of the Effect of Process Parameters on Bone Grinding Performance Based on On-Line Measurement of Temperature and Force Sensors

This study investigates the effect of process parameters on neurosurgical bone grinding performance using a miniature surgical diamond wheel. Bone grinding is an important procedure in the expanded endonasal approach for removing the cranial bone and access to the skull base tumor via nasal corridor. Heat and force are generated during the grinding process, which may cause thermal and mechanical damage to the adjacent tissues. This study investigates the effect of grinding process parameters (including the depth of cut, feed rate, and spindle speed) on the bone grinding performance using temperature and force measurement sensors in order to optimize the grinding process. An orthogonal experimental design with a standard orthogonal array, L9 (33), is selected with each parameter in three levels. The experimental results have been statistically analyzed using the range and variance analysis methods in order to determine the importance order of the process parameters. The results indicate that the effect of the cutting depth on the grinding temperature and normal force is the largest, while the effect of the spindle speed on the tangential force is the largest. A high spindle speed would make the temperature rise to a certain extent; however, it significantly reduces the grinding force. At a certain spindle speed, a lower depth of cut and feed rate help to reduce the grinding temperature and force.</jats:p

Intra-articular administration of adrenaline plus an irrigation pump system for visibility during the arthroscopic reconstruction of multiple knee ligaments without a tourniquet

ObjectiveMultiple ligament knee injuries (MLKIs) are rare but severe systemic trauma. Single surgery in the acute setting is preferred, although with an extended operation time. To avoid the complications associated with a tourniquet, we herein describe a method for visibility without a tourniquet: intra-articular administration of adrenaline plus an irrigation pump system.Study designThis is a cohort study with a level of evidence of 3.MethodsFrom April 2020 to February 2022, 19 patients with MLKIs were reviewed retrospectively. All patients got intra-articular administration of adrenaline plus an irrigation pump system for visibility without a tourniquet. The following parameters were assessed: visibility, range of motion, knee stability, visual analog scale (VAS) score, range of motion (ROM), Lysholm score, Tegner activity level, and International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Form (IKDC).ResultsAll patients were followed up for at least 6 months. At the latest follow-up, the mean VAS score, ROM, Lysholm score, and IKDC were 1.79 ± 0.86, 121.21 ± 10.96, 88.16 ± 5.21, and 88.53 ± 5.06, respectively. The average Tegner activity level decreased significantly from preinjury to postoperation (5.16 ± 0.83 vs. 3.11 ± 0.88, P &lt; 0.001). Of the 19 patients, 17 (89.47%) had good knee function, while only two patients (10.53%) had asymptomatic knees with positive Lachman tests. A total of 17 patients (89.47%) had good or excellent visualization during arthroscopy. Of the 19 patients, three (15.79%) required an increased fluid pressure to achieve a clear operative view. Two patients converted to tourniquet inflation due to persistent intra-articular bleeding after using shavers.ConclusionsThe intra-articular administration of adrenaline plus an irrigation pump system is recommended as an alternative to a tourniquet to achieve a good visual field. Further evidence-based work with a larger sample is needed