Long non-coding RNA H19 regulates neurogenesis of induced neural stem cells in a mouse model of closed head injury

Stem cell-based therapies have been proposed as a potential treatment for neural regeneration following closed head injury.We previously reported that induced neural stem cells exert beneficial effects on neural regeneration via cell replacement.However,the neural regeneration efficiency of induced neural stem cells remains limited.In this study,we explored differentially expressed genes and long non-coding RNAs to clarify the mechanism underlying the neurogenesis of induced neural stem cells.We found that H19 was the most downregulated neurogenesis-associated lnc RNA in induced neural stem cells compared with induced pluripotent stem cells.Additionally,we demonstrated that H19 levels in induced neural stem cells were markedly lower than those in induced pluripotent stem cells and were substantially higher than those in induced neural stem cell-derived neurons.We predicted the target genes of H19 and discovered that H19 directly interacts with mi R-325-3p,which directly interacts with Ctbp2 in induced pluripotent stem cells and induced neural stem cells.Silencing H19 or Ctbp2 impaired induced neural stem cell proliferation,and mi R-325-3p suppression restored the effect of H19 inhibition but not the effect of Ctbp2 inhibition.Furthermore,H19 silencing substantially promoted the neural differentiation of induced neural stem cells and did not induce apoptosis of induced neural stem cells.Notably,silencing H19 in induced neural stem cell grafts markedly accelerated the neurological recovery of closed head injury mice.Our results reveal that H19 regulates the neurogenesis of induced neural stem cells.H19 inhibition may promote the neural differentiation of induced neural stem cells,which is closely associated with neurological recovery following closed head injury.

Induced neural stem cells regulate microglial activation through Akt-mediated upregulation of CXCR4 and Crry in a mouse model of closed head injury

Microglial activation that occurs rapidly after closed head injury may play important and complex roles in neuroinflammation-associated neuronal damage and repair.We previously reported that induced neural stem cells can modulate the behavior of activated microglia via CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling,influencing their activation such that they can promote neurological recovery.However,the mechanism of CXCR4 upregulation in induced neural stem cells remains unclear.In this study,we found that nuclear factor-κB activation induced by closed head injury mouse serum in microglia promoted CXCL12 and tumor necrosis factor-αexpression but suppressed insulin-like growth factor-1 expression.However,recombinant complement receptor 2-conjugated Crry(CR2-Crry)reduced the effects of closed head injury mouse serum-induced nuclear factor-κB activation in microglia and the levels of activated microglia,CXCL12,and tumor necrosis factor-α.Additionally,we observed that,in response to stimulation(including stimulation by CXCL12 secreted by activated microglia),CXCR4 and Crry levels can be upregulated in induced neural stem cells via the interplay among CXCL12/CXCR4,Crry,and Akt signaling to modulate microglial activation.In agreement with these in vitro experimental results,we found that Akt activation enhanced the immunoregulatory effects of induced neural stem cell grafts on microglial activation,leading to the promotion of neurological recovery via insulin-like growth factor-1 secretion and the neuroprotective effects of induced neural stem cell grafts through CXCR4 and Crry upregulation in the injured cortices of closed head injury mice.Notably,these beneficial effects of Akt activation in induced neural stem cells were positively correlated with the therapeutic effects of induced neural stem cells on neuronal injury,cerebral edema,and neurological disorders post–closed head injury.In conclusion,our findings reveal that Akt activation may enhance the immunoregulatory effects of induced neural stem cells on microglial activation via upregulation of CXCR4 and Crry,thereby promoting induced neural stem cell–mediated improvement of neuronal injury,cerebral edema,and neurological disorders following closed head injury.

Design and Test of Closed Hydraulic Transmission System of 4WD High-clearance Wheeled Sprayer

In conjunction with the working characteristics of the high-clearance wheeled sprayer and the benefits of the closed hydraulic system,a series of reasonable working parameters should be established,and a hydraulic system that fulfills the requisite specifications should be designed.The AMESim software model is employed to construct a closed hydraulic transmission system,and the simulation analysis is then performed according to the data of hydraulic components.According to analysis results,the prototype can be optimized and upgraded,and a verification test is further carried out.The test results demonstrate that the designed closed hydraulic transmission system meets the actual working requirements of the high-clearance wheeled sprayer and provides a stable experimental platform for intelligent control of agricultural machinery.

The determination of 52 elements in marine geological samples by an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with a high-pressure closed digestion method

An improved analytical method to determine the content of 52 major, minor and trace elements in marine geological samples, using a HF-HCl-HNO_3 acid system with a high-pressure closed digestion method（HPCD）, is studied by an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry（ICP-OES） and an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry（ICP-MS）. The operating parameters of the instruments are optimized, and the optimal analytical parameters are determined. The influences of optical spectrum and mass spectrum interferences, digestion methods and acid systems on the analytical results are investigated. The optimal spectral lines and isotopes are chosen, and internal standard element of rhodium is selected to compensate for matrix effects and analytical signals drifting. Compared with the methods of an electric heating plate digestion and a microwave digestion, a high-pressure closed digestion method is optimized with less acid, complete digestion,less damage for digestion process. The marine geological samples are dissolved completely by a HF-HCl-HNO_3 system, the relative error（RE） for the analytical results are all less than 6.0%. The method detection limits are 2–40μg/g by the ICP-OES, and 6–80 ng/g by ICP-MS. The methods are used to determine the marine sediment reference materials（GBW07309, GBW07311, GBW07313）, rock reference materials（GBW07103, GBW07104,GBW07105）, and cobalt-rich crust reference materials（GBW07337, GBW07338, GBW07339）, the obtained analytical results are in agreement with the certified values, and both of the relative standard deviation（RSD） and the relative error（RE） are less than 6.0%. The analytical method meets the requirements for determining 52 elements contents of bulk marine geological samples.

Effect of periodic wide atmospheric pressure change on CO emission in closed goaf

Atmospheric pressure fuctuation is one of the most important factors afecting the climate environment and gas emission in the fre area.To obtain the infuence rule of the surface atmospheric pressure change on the gas sampling and abnormal emission in the mine closed goaf,the No.1 coal mine in Dananhu was taken as the research object.Using Fourier transform and Fisher harmonic analysis and other statistical methods,the infuence of the periodic variation of atmospheric pressure on the gas leakage and outfow in the closed goaf was studied.The results showed that there were three atmospheric pressure periods of 15.2 d,1 d and 182.2 d,and the probability was greater than 95%.The time period with the highest number of atmospheric pressure peaks was 7:00–8:00,which accounted for 20.2%of total occurrence number in a day.And the time periods with the highest number of atmospheric pressure trough were 2:00,15:00 and 16:00,accounting for 27.4%.The peak-to-trough transition time was mainly concentrated around 6 h,and the diurnal variation curve of atmospheric pressure was mainly bimodal.The atmospheric pressure change rate was mostly concentrated in 10–50 Pa/h.It was determined that the distance that the gas sampling pipe was pre-laid into the inner side of the closed wall should be greater than 44.4 m,and the CO concentration and atmospheric pressure in the closed goaf were both periodic and negative with atmospheric pressure.The research results have important guiding signifcance for the monitoring,early warning and environmental protection of the goaf.

Performance analyses of two-phase closed thermosyphons for road embankments in the high-latitude permafrost regions

Two-phase closed thermosyphons(TPCTs)are widely used in infrastructure constructions in permafrost regions.Due to different climatic conditions,the effectiveness of TPCT will also be different,especially in the extremely cold region of the Da Xing'anling Mountains.In this study,a series of three-dimensional finite element TPCT embankment models were established based on the ZhanglingMohe highway TPCT test section in Da Xing'anling Mountains,and the thermal characteristics and the cooling effect of the TPCTs were analyzed.The results indicated that the TPCTs installed in the northeastern high-latitude regions is effective in cooling and stabilizing the embankment.The working cycle of the TPCTs is nearly 7 months,and the cooling range of the TPCTs can reach 3 m in this region.However,due to the extremely low temperature,the TPCT generates a large radial gradient in the permafrost layer.Meanwhile,by changing the climate conditions,the same type of TPCT embankment located in the Da Xing'anling Mountains,the Xiao Xing'anling Mountains,and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau permafrost regions were simulated.Based on the comparison of the climate differences between the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Northeast China,the differences in the effectiveness of TPCTs were studied.Finally,the limitations of using existing TPCTs in high-latitude permafrost regions of China were discussed and the potential improvements of the TPCT in cold regions were presented.

Closed corner divertor with B×▽B away from the divertor:a promising divertor scenario for tokamak power exhaust

A major challenge facing the steady-state operation of tokamak fusion reactors is to develop a viable divertor solution with order-of-magnitude increase in power handling capability as compared with present experience.A recently developed divertor concept for this end has been tested recently on EAST tokamak through combining the effects of a closed divertor corner and E×B drifts.The E×B drifts in the divertor move particles towards the outer divertor corner area in the scrape-off layer for B×▽B directed away from the divertor,which can significantly enhance the particle concentration there,facilitating divertor detachment.In recent EAST experiments,the effects have been demonstrated where the lowest electron temperature at the divertor plate is obtained with strike point located close to the corner in the horizontal target and with B×▽B away from the divertor.These experimental results are in reasonable agreement with SOLPS-ITER simulations including drift effects,suggesting that the new divertor concept potentially provides a promising divertor solution for long-pulse operations of future tokamak fusion reactors with much higher power fluxes.

Parameter Design of Current Double Closed Loop for T-Type Three-Level Grid-Connected Inverter

To reduce current harmonics caused by switching frequency,T-type grid-connected inverter topology with LCL filter is adopted.In view of the disadvantages of the slow response speed of the traditional current control and the failure to eliminate the influence of the LCL filter on the grid-connected current by using current PI control alone,a current double closed loop PI current tracking control is proposed.Through the theoretical analysis of the grid-connected inverter control principle,the grid-connected inverter control model is designed,and the transfer functionmodel of each control link is deduced,and the current loop PI regulator is designed at last.The simulation results show that the control strategy is feasible.

Meta-analysis of the efficacy of volar plate internal fixation versus closed reduction and external fixation in the treatment of adult distal radius fractures

Objective:To compare the efficacy of open reduction and volar locking plate internal fixation with closed reduction and external fixation in the treatment of distal radius fractures by using meta analysis.Methods:The databases of CNKI,Wanfang,Weipu,Chinese biomedical literature,Pubmed,Embase,and Cochrane Library were retrieved,and the randomized controlled studies that directly compared the efficacy of plate internal fixation and closed reduction external fixation in the treatment of distal radius fractures published publicly from the establishment of the database to April 2023 were collected.The two researchers independently screened the retrieved literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,extracted data,used Cochrane risk bias assessment tool for quality assessment,and used RevMan 5.4 software for meta analysis.Results:A total of 10 randomized controlled trials were included,all of which were in English.There were 1042 patients in total,and 9 of them were rated as low risk.Meta analysis results showed that one year after the treatment of distal radius fracture with volar locking plate internal fixation,DASH score[MD=-5.64,95%CI(-7.21,-4.06),P<0.00001];One year later,PRWE score[MD=-5.90,95%CI(-8.88,-2.92),P=0.001];Palm flexion[MD=5.92,95%CI(1.29,10.55),P=0.01];Pronation[MD=2.48,95%CI(0.59,4.36),P=0.01];Postrotation[MD=4.73,95%CI(2.15,7.31),P=0.0003];Grip strength[MD=0.61,95%CI(0.12,1.10),P=0.02];palmar tilt angle[MD=9.84,95%CI(5.66,14.02),P<0.00001];Radial inclination[MD=4.33,95%CI(2.97,5.69),P<0.00001]was superior to closed reduction plaster or splint external fixation.One year later,the European Five dimensional Health Scale(EQ-5D-5L)score[MD=0.02,95%CI(-0.01,0.05),P=0.27];Back extension[MD=2.22,95%CI(-4.15,8.59),P=0.49];Ulnar deviation[MD=3.49,95%CI(-0.80,7.78),P=0.11];Radial deviation[MD=2.05,95%CI(-2.39,6.50),P=0.37];Ulnar variance[MD=-1.14,95%CI(-3.16,0.88),P=0.27];There was no significant difference in complications[MD=0.77,95%CI(0.54,1.10),P=0.16](P>0.05).Conclusion:Based on the current clinical data,internal fixation with volar locking plate is more conducive to mid-term DASH score and grip strength recovery than closed reduction plaster or splint external fixation,but there is no significant difference in the quality of life and complications of patients.For adult distal radius fractures,surgical indications should be carefully grasped,and non operative treatment should be given priority.

A stable implicit nodal integration-based particle finite element method(N-PFEM)for modelling saturated soil dynamics

In this study,we present a novel nodal integration-based particle finite element method(N-PFEM)designed for the dynamic analysis of saturated soils.Our approach incorporates the nodal integration technique into a generalised Hellinger-Reissner(HR)variational principle,creating an implicit PFEM formulation.To mitigate the volumetric locking issue in low-order elements,we employ a node-based strain smoothing technique.By discretising field variables at the centre of smoothing cells,we achieve nodal integration over cells,eliminating the need for sophisticated mapping operations after re-meshing in the PFEM.We express the discretised governing equations as a min-max optimisation problem,which is further reformulated as a standard second-order cone programming(SOCP)problem.Stresses,pore water pressure,and displacements are simultaneously determined using the advanced primal-dual interior point method.Consequently,our numerical model offers improved accuracy for stresses and pore water pressure compared to the displacement-based PFEM formulation.Numerical experiments demonstrate that the N-PFEM efficiently captures both transient and long-term hydro-mechanical behaviour of saturated soils with high accuracy,obviating the need for stabilisation or regularisation techniques commonly employed in other nodal integration-based PFEM approaches.This work holds significant implications for the development of robust and accurate numerical tools for studying saturated soil dynamics.

Paleoenvironmental Characteristics of Paleogene Lacustrine Source Rocks in the Western Bozhong Sag,Bohai Bay Basin,China:Evidence from Biomarkers,Major and Trace Elements

The organic matter(OM)enrichment mechanisms and depositional environment characteristics of lacustrine source rocks in the western Bozhong Sag,Bohai Bay Basin in Northeast China remain controversial.To address these issues,based on Rock-Eval pyrolysis,kerogen macerals,H/C and O/C ratios,GC-MS,major and trace elements,the Dongying Formation Member(Mbr)3(E_(3)d_(3)),the Shahejie Formation mbrs 1 and 2(E_(2)s_(1+2)),and the Shahejie Mbr 3(E_(2)s_(3))source rocks in the western Bozhong Sag were studied.The above methods were used to reveal their geochemical properties,OM origins and depositional environments,all of which indicate that E_(2)s_(1+2)and E_(2)s_(3)are excellent source rocks,and that E_(3)d_(3)is of the second good quality.E_(3)d_(3)source rocks were formed under a warm and humid climate,mainly belong to fluvial/delta facies,the E_(3)d_(3)sediments formed under weakly oxidizing and freshwater conditions.Comparatively,the depositional environments of E_(2)s_(1+2)source rocks were arid and cold climate,representing saline or freshwater lacustrine facies,and the sediments of E_(2)s_(1+2)belong to anoxic or suboxic settings with large evaporation and salinity.During the period of E_(2)s_(3),the climate became warm and humid,indicating the freshwater lacustrine facies,and E_(2)s_(3)was characterized by freshwater and abundant algae.Moreover,compared with other intervals,the OM origin of E_(3)d_(3)source rocks has noticeable terrestrial input.The OM origin of the E_(2)s_(1+2)and E_(2)s_(3)are mainly plankton and bacteria.Tectonic subsidence and climate change have affected the changes of the depositional environment in the western Bozhong Sag,thus controlling the distribution of the source rocks,the geochemical characteristics in the three intervals of lacustrine source rocks have distinct differences.Overall,these factors are effective to evaluate the paleoenvironmental characteristics of source rocks by biomarkers,major and trace elements.The established models may have positive implications for research of lacustrine source rocks in offshore areas with few drillings.

Enriched Constant Elements in the Boundary Element Method for Solving 2D Acoustic Problems at Higher Frequencies

The boundary element method(BEM)is a popular method for solving acoustic wave propagation problems,especially those in exterior domains,owing to its ease in handling radiation conditions at infinity.However,BEM models must meet the requirement of 6–10 elements per wavelength,using the conventional constant,linear,or quadratic elements.Therefore,a large storage size of memory and long solution time are often needed in solving higher-frequency problems.In this work,we propose two new types of enriched elements based on conventional constant boundary elements to improve the computational efficiency of the 2D acoustic BEM.The first one uses a plane wave expansion,which can be used to model scattering problems.The second one uses a special plane wave expansion,which can be used tomodel radiation problems.Five examples are investigated to showthe advantages of the enriched elements.Compared with the conventional constant elements,the new enriched elements can deliver results with the same accuracy and in less computational time.This improvement in the computational efficiency is more evident at higher frequencies(with the nondimensional wave numbers exceeding 100).The paper concludes with the potential of our proposed enriched elements and plans for their further improvement.

Robust T_c in element molybdenum up to 160 GPa

Element superconductors with the single atoms provide clean and fundamental platforms for studying superconductivity.Although elements with d electrons are usually not favored by conventional BCS,the record superconducting critical temperature(T_(c))in element scandium(S_(c))has further ignited the intensive attention on transition metals.The element molybdenum(M_o)with a half-full d-orbital is studied in our work,which fills the gap in the study of Mo under high pressure and investigates the pressure dependence of superconductivity.In this work,we exhibit a robust superconductivity of Mo in the pressure range of 5 GPa to 160 GPa via high-pressure electrical transport measurements,the T_(c) varies at a rate of0.013 K/GPa to 8.56 K at 160 GPa.Moreover,the superconductivity is evidenced by the T_(c) shifting to lower temperature under applied magnetic fields,and the upper critical magnetic fields are extrapolated by the WHH equation and GL equation;the results indicate that the maximum upper critical magnetic field is estimated to be 8.24 T at 137 GPa.We further investigate the superconducting mechanism of Mo,the theoretical calculations indicate that the superconductivity can be attributed to the strong coupling between the electrons from the partially filled d band and the phonons from the frequency zone of 200-400 cm^(-1).

Factors Associated with Closely Spaced Pregnancies at the Departmental Hospital Centre of Zou-Collines (Benin) in 2022

Introduction: Birth spacing to prevent closely-spaced pregnancies, which are a source of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality, is not always respected by our women, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The objective was to study the factors associated with closely-spaced pregnancies among women followed at the Departmental Hospital Center du Zou et du Colline (DHC/Z-C) in 2022. Study Method: This was a descriptive, analytical cross-sectional study with prospective data collection from 20 May to 30 June 2022. Results: At the end of the study, 83 of the 117 women surveyed had close pregnancies, a frequency of 70.94%. They had an average age of 27.0 ± 6.3 years and were of Fon ethnicity and related in 91.57% of cases. The majority were married (96.60%). The factors significantly associated with these closely spaced pregnancies were age between 25 and 30 years, household occupation, age at first birth, age at marriage, women’s perception of contraceptive method (CM), women’s knowledge of the existence of a center providing family planning services and non-use of MC. Conclusion: Close pregnancies are still very common in the commune of Abomey. It is therefore important to increase the use of contraceptive methods in this part of the country.

Galerkin-based quasi-smooth manifold element(QSME)method for anisotropic heat conduction problems in composites with complex geometry

The accurate and efficient analysis of anisotropic heat conduction problems in complex composites is crucial for structural design and performance evaluation. Traditional numerical methods, such as the finite element method(FEM), often face a trade-off between calculation accuracy and efficiency. In this paper, we propose a quasi-smooth manifold element(QSME) method to address this challenge, and provide the accurate and efficient analysis of two-dimensional(2D) anisotropic heat conduction problems in composites with complex geometry. The QSME approach achieves high calculation precision by a high-order local approximation that ensures the first-order derivative continuity.The results demonstrate that the QSME method is robust and stable, offering both high accuracy and efficiency in the heat conduction analysis. With the same degrees of freedom(DOFs), the QSME method can achieve at least an order of magnitude higher calculation accuracy than the traditional FEM. Additionally, under the same level of calculation error, the QSME method requires 10 times fewer DOFs than the traditional FEM. The versatility of the proposed QSME method extends beyond anisotropic heat conduction problems in complex composites. The proposed QSME method can also be applied to other problems, including fluid flows, mechanical analyses, and other multi-field coupled problems, providing accurate and efficient numerical simulations.

Trace elements in magmatic and hydrothermal quartz:Implications on the genesis of the Xingluokeng Tungsten Deposit,South China

The Xingluokeng deposit is the largest gran-ite-related tungsten deposit within the Wuyi metallogenic belt in South China.The Xingluokeng intrusion primarily consists of porphyritic biotite granite,biotite granite,andfine-grained granite.The deposit is represented by veinlet-disseminated mineralization with K-feldspathization and biotitization,alongside quartz-vein mineralization with gre-isenization and sericitization.This study investigates in-situ analyses of quartz compositions from both the intrusion and hydrothermal veinlets and veins.Trace element correlations indicate that trivalent Al^(3+)and Fe^(3+)replace Si^(4+)within the quartz lattice,with monovalent cations(such as Li^(+),Na^(+),and K^(+))primarily serving as charge compensators.Low Ge/Al ratios(<0.013)of quartz from granites suggest a mag-matic origin.The low Al/Ti and Ge/Ti ratios,accompanied by high Ti contents in quartz,suggest that the porphyritic biotite granite and biotite granite are characterized by rela-tively low levels of differentiation and high crystallization temperatures.In contrast,thefine-grained granite exhibits a higher degree of fractionation,lower crystallization tem-peratures,and a closer association with tungsten miner-alization.Ti contents in quartz from quartz veins indicate Qz-Ⅰformed at temperatures above 400°C,while Qz-Ⅱto Qz-Ⅴformed at temperatures below 350°C.Variations in different generations of quartz,as indicated by Al content and(Al+Fe)/(Li+Na+K)ratio,suggest that Qz-Ⅰprecipi-tated from a less acidicfluid with a stable pH,whereas Qz-Ⅱto Qz-Ⅴoriginated from a more acidicfluid with notable pH variations.Consequently,alkaline alteration and acidic alteration supplied the essential Ca and Fe for the precipita-tion of scheelite and wolframite,respectively,highlighting a critical mechanism in tungsten mineralization at the Xin-gluokeng deposit.

Distribution, health and ecological risk assessments of trace elements in Nigerian oil sands

The Nigerian oil sands represent the largest oil sand deposit in Africa, yet there is little published information on the distribution and potential health and ecological risks of trace elements in the oil resource. In the present study, we investigated the distribution pattern of 18trace elements(including biophile and chalcophile elements) as well as the estimated risks associated with exposure to these elements. The results of the study indicated that Fe was the most abundant element, with a mean concentration of 22,131 mg/kg while Br had the lowest mean concentration of 48 mg/kg. The high occurrence of Fe and Ti suggested a possible occurrence of ilmenite(Fe TiO_(3)) in the oil sands. Source apportionment using positive matrix factorization showed that the possible sources of detected elements in the oil sands were geogenic, metal production, and crustal. The contamination factor, geo-accumulation index, modified degree of contamination, pollution load index, and Nemerow pollution index indicated that the oil sands are heavily polluted by the elements. Health risk assessment showed that children were relatively more susceptible to the potentially toxic elements in the oil sands principally via ingestion exposure route(HQ > 1E-04). Cancer risks from inhalation are unlikely due to CR < 1E-06 but ingestion and dermal contact pose severe risks(CR > 1E-04). The high concentrations of the elements pose serious threats due to the potential for atmospheric transport, bioaccessibility, and bioavailability.

Application of closed-vessel microwave digestion method for the determination of multi-elements in environmental samples by sequential ICP-AES

A closed-vessel microwave digestion method is described for the rapid dissolution of environmental samples such as foods, soils and sediments. Depending on the sample type, 0.1-0.2 g sample was decomposed with HNO3/H2O2 or HNO3 / H2O2/HF acid mixture in a PTFE digestion vessel by using microwave heating for 2-3 min at 500W of microwave power. The solution, or to which 0.5 g of boric acid was added, was diluted to 25-50 ml and directly determined by sequential ICP-AES. The accuracy of the procedure was validated by the analysis of six standard reference materials for 10 elements. Ail results were in a good agreements with the certified values.

Pig H3K4me3,H3K27ac,and gene expression profiles reveal reproductive tissue-specific activity of transposable elements

Regulatory sequences and transposable elements(TEs)account for a large proportion of the genomic sequences of species;however,their roles in gene transcription,especially tissue-specific expression,remain largely unknown.Pigs serve as an excellent animal model for studying genomic sequence biology due to the extensive diversity among their wild and domesticated populations.Here,we conducted an integrated analysis using H3K27ac ChIP-seq,H3K4me3 ChIP-seq,and RNA-seq data from 10 different tissues of seven fetuses and eight closely related adult pigs.We aimed to annotate the regulatory elements and TEs to elucidate their associations with histone modifications and mRNA expression across different tissues and developmental stages.Based on correlation analysis between mRNA expression and H3K27ac and H3K4me3 peak activity,results indicated that H3K27ac exhibited stronger associations with gene expression than H3K4me3.Furthermore,1.45%of TEs overlapped with either the H3K27ac or H3K4me3 peaks,with the majority displaying tissue-specific activity.Notably,a TE subfamily(LTR4C_SS),containing binding motifs for SIX1 and SIX4,showed specific enrichment in the H3K27ac peaks of the adult and fetal ovaries.RNA-seq analysis also revealed widespread expression of TEs in the exons or promoters of genes,including 4688 TE-containing transcripts with distinct development stage-specific and tissue-specific expression.Of note,1967 TE-containing transcripts were enriched in the testes.We identified a long terminal repeat(LTR),MLT1F1,acting as a testis-specific alternative promoter in SRPK2(a cell cycle-related protein kinase)in our pig dataset.This element was also conserved in humans and mice,suggesting either an ancient integration of TEs in genes specifically expressed in the testes or parallel evolutionary patterns.Collectively,our findings demonstrate that TEs are deeply embedded in the genome and exhibit important tissue-specific biological functions,particularly in the reproductive organs.

Mobility of Major and Trace Elements during the Bauxitization Processes in Ngaoundal Area (Adamawa Cameroon): Implication on Mining Perspectives

This study was focused to assess major and trace elements in bauxitic duricrusts from Ngaoundal and its surroundings in order to establish their mining interest. To this end, fieldworks, mineralogical and geochemical analyses were carried out. Four facies of duricrust were identified and characterized from the summit to the top of the slope of the Ngaoundal mountain: scoriaceous, pisolitic, nodular and massive. Mineralogical and geochemical analyses performed on 16 samples, revealed a significant concentration of Al2O3 mainly in the scoriaceous facies (over 45% in grade), moderate in Fe2O3 (averaging 23.69%) and SiO2 (averaging 21.7%). Trace elements were generally low, excluding Cr (421 ppm on average), Zr (327 ppm on average and V (213 ppm on average). In addition, the limited quantities of alkalis (Na2O, K2O) and alkaline earths metals (MgO, CaO) coupled with the very high values of Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) and Mineralogical Index of Alteration (MIA), (more than 99%) attest to the intense weathering of the studied materials. Allitization and monosiallitization constituted the crystallochemical phenomena that have led to the development of bauxitic minerals. More than 90% of gibbsite in scoriaceous facies, 52.21% - 76.01% of kaolinite in pisolitic facies and more than 40% of hematite in nodular facies were quantified. The relationships between the constitutive components indicated their interdependency during the bauxitization phenomenon. The mineralogical and geochemical properties highlighted the mining interest of the studied duricrusts to be valorized.