The synthesis of multifunctional cellulose graft alternating copolymers of 3,4-dihydrocoumarin and epoxides in DBU/DMSO/CO2 solvent system

Cellulose graft copolymers having well-defined structures could incorporate the characteristics of both the cellulose skeleton and side chains, providing a new method for the preparation functionalised cellulose derivatives. Herein, a series of multifunctional cellulose grafted, alternating 3,4-dihydrocoumarin (DHC) and epoxide (EPO) copolymers (cell-g-P(DHC-alt-EPO)) were prepared in a metal-free DBU/DMSO/CO2 solvent system without adding additional catalyst. Four examples of cell-g-P(DHC-alt-EPO) with tunable thermal and optical properties were synthesized by copolymerization of DHC with styrene oxide (SO), propylene oxide (PO), cyclohexene oxide (CHO) or furfuryl glycidyl ether (FGE) onto cellulose. The nonconjugated cell-g-P(DHC-alt-EPO) showed UV absorption properties with the maximum absorption peak at 282 nm and 295 nm and photoluminescence performance. A clustering-triggered emission mechanism was confirmed and consistent with DFT theoretical calculations. In DMSO solution, the copolymer (DHCSO5) with DP of 11.64 showed ACQ behaviour as the concentration increased. In addition, DHCSO5 had good antioxidant capacity with an instantaneous radical scavenging activity of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazine (DPPH) up to 65 % at a concentration of 40 mg/ ml and increased to 100 % after 30 min. Thus, the multifunctional cell-g-P(DHC-alt-EPO) materials had a variety of potential applications in the fields of fluorescent printing, bio-imaging, UV- shielding and antioxidants.

[Impact of sinonasal anatomic changes after endoscopic anterior skull base surgery on nasal airflow and air conditioning: a computational fluid dynamics study]

Objective: To analyze the impact of the sinonasal anatomic changes after endonasal endoscopic anterior skull base surgery on the nasal airflow and heating and humidification by computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and to explore the correlation between the postoperative CFD parameters and the subjective symptoms of the patients. Methods: The clinical data in the Rhinology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from 2016 to 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients received the endoscopic resection of the anterior skull base tumor were selected as the case group, and the adults whose CT scans had no sinonasal abnormalities were chosen as the control group. The CFD simulation was performed on the sinonasal models after reconstructed from the patients' sinus CT images during the post-surgical follow-up. All the patients were asked to complete the Empty Nose Syndrome 6-Item Questionnaire (ENS6Q) to assess the subjective symptoms. The comparison between two independent groups and the correlation analysis were carried out by using the Mann-Whitney U test and the Spearman correlation test in the SPSS 26.0 software. Results: Nineteen patients (including 8 males and 11 females, from 22 to 67 years old) in the case group and 2 patients (a male of 38 years old and a female of 45 years old) in the control group were enrolled in this study. After the anterior skull base surgery, the high-speed airflow moved to the upper part of the nasal cavity, and the lowest temperature shifted upwards on the choana. Comparing with the control group, the ratio of nasal mucosal surface area to nasal ventilation volume in the case group decreased [0.41 (0.40, 0.41) mm^-1 vs 0.32 (0.30, 0.38) mm^-1; Z=-2.04, P=0.041], the air flow in the upper and middle part of the nasal cavity increased [61.14 (59.78, 62.51)% vs 78.07 (76.22, 94.43)%; Z=-2.28, P=0.023], the nasal resistance decreased [0.024 (0.022, 0.026) Pa·s/ml vs 0.016 (0.009, 0.018) Pa·s/ml; Z=-2.29, P=0.022], the lowest temperature in the middle of the nasal cavity decreased [28.29 (27.23, 29.35)℃ vs 25.06 (24.07, 25.50)℃; Z=-2.28, P=0.023], the nasal heating efficiency decreased [98.74 (97.95, 99.52)% vs 82.16 (80.24, 86.91)%; Z=-2.28, P=0.023], the lowest relative humidity decreased [(79.62 (76.55, 82.69)% vs 73.28 (71.27, 75.05)%; Z=-2.28, P=0.023], and the nasal humidification efficiency decreased [99.50 (97.69, 101.30)% vs 86.09 (79.33, 87.16)%; Z=-2.28, P=0.023]. The ENS6Q total scores of all patients in the case group were less than 11 points. There was a moderate negative correlation between the proportion of the inferior airflow in the post-surgical nasal cavity negatively and the ENS6Q total scores (r_s=-0.50, P=0.029). Conclusions: The sinonasal anatomic changes after the endoscopic anterior skull base surgery alter the nasal airflow patterns, reducing the efficiency of nasal heating and humidification. However, the post-surgical occurrence tendency of the empty nose syndrome is weak.

Facile preparation of cellulose/lignosulfonate derivatives composite films with high UV-shielding and gas barrier properties

Herein, a serial of full cellulose and lignosulfonate derivatives (LS), including sodium lignosulfonate (LSS), calcium lignosulfonate (LSC), lignosulfonic acid (LSA), composite films were generated through dissolving cellulose in reversible carbon dioxide (CO₂) ionic liquids solvent system (TMG/EG/DMSO/CO₂ solvent system), followed by a facile solution-gelation transition and absorption strategy. The findings indicated that LS aggregated and embedded inside the cellulose matrix via H-bond interaction. The cellulose/LS derivatives composite films showed good mechanical properties which the tensile strength reaches the maximum value of 94.7 MPa in MCC3LSS film. While for the MCC1LSS film, the breaking strain increases to 11.6 %. The outstanding UV shielding effect and high transmittance in the visible region of composite films were also achieved and the shielding performance of the whole UV region (200-400 nm) tended to 100 % for MCC5LSS film. In addition, thiol-ene click reaction was selected as model reaction to verify the UV-shielding performance. It was also found that the oxygen and water vapor barrier performances of composite films were evidently associated with the intense H-bond interaction and tortuous path effect. The OP and WVP of MCC5LSS film were 0 and 6 × 10^-3 g·μm/m²·day·kPa, respectively. These outstanding properties make them with great potential for packaging field.

Genetic analyses of blood β-hydroxybutyrate predicted from milk infrared spectra and its association with longevity and female reproductive traits in Holstein cattle

Ketosis is one of the most prevalent and complex metabolic disorders in high-producing dairy cows and usually detected through analyses of β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentration in blood. Our main objectives were to evaluate genetic parameters for blood BHB predicted based on Fourier-transform mid-infrared spectra from 5 to 305 d in milk, and estimate the genetic relationships of blood BHB with 7 reproduction traits and 6 longevity traits in Holstein cattle. Predicted blood BHB records of 11,609 Holstein cows (after quality control) were collected from 2016 to 2019 and used to derive 4 traits based on parity number, including predicted blood BHB in all parities (BHBp), parity 1 (BHB1), parity 2 (BHB2), and parity 3+ (BHB3). Single- and multitrait repeatability models were used for estimating genetic parameters for the 4 BHB traits. Random regression test-day models implemented via Bayesian inference were used to evaluate the daily genetic feature of BHB variability. In addition, genetic correlations were calculated for the 4 BHB traits with reproduction and longevity traits. The heritability estimates of BHBp, BHB1, BHB2, and BHB3 ranged from 0.100 ± 0.026 (± standard error) to 0.131 ± 0.023. The BHB in parities 1 to 3+ were highly genetically correlated and ranged from 0.788 (BHB1 and BHB2) to 0.911 (BHB1 and BHB3). The daily heritability of BHBp ranged from 0.069 to 0.195, higher for the early and lower for the later lactation periods. A similar trend was observed for BHB1, BHB2, and BHB3. There are low direct genetic correlations between BHBp and selected reproductive performance and longevity traits, which ranged from -0.168 ± 0.019 (BHBp and production life) to 0.157 ± 0.019 (BHBp and age at first calving) for the early lactation stage (5 to 65 d). These direct genetic correlations indicate that cows with higher BHBp (greater likelihood of having ketosis) in blood usually have shorter production life (-0.168 ± 0.019). Cows with higher fertility and postpartum recovery, such as younger age at first calving (0.157 ± 0.019) and shorter interval from calving to first insemination in heifer (0.111 ± 0.006), usually have lower BHB concentration in the blood. Furthermore, the direct genetic correlations change across parity and lactation stage. In general, our results suggest that selection for lower predicted BHB in early lactation could be an efficient strategy for reducing the incidence of ketosis as well as indirectly improving reproductive and longevity performance in Holstein cattle.

Silencing IKBKE inhibits the migration and invasion of glioblastoma by promoting Snail1 degradation

PURPOSE

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most common malignant brain tumors in adults and has high mortality and relapse rates. Over the past few years, great advances have been made in the diagnosis and treatment of GBM, but unfortunately, the five-year overall survival rate of GBM patients is approximately 5.1%. Inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase subunit epsilon (IKBKE) is a major oncogenic protein in tumors and can promote evil development of GBM. Snail1, a key inducer of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) transcription factor, is subjected to ubiquitination and degradation, but the mechanism by which Snail1 is stabilized in tumors remains unclear. Our study aimed to investigate the mechanism of IKBKE regulating Snail1 in GBM.

METHODS

First, we analyzed the correlation between the expression of IKBKE and the tumor grade and prognosis through public databases and laboratory specimen libraries. Second, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blot were used to detect the correlation between IKBKE and Snail expression in glioma samples and cell lines. Western blot and immunofluorescence (IF) experiments were used to detect the quality and distribution of IKBKE and Snail1 proteins. Third, In situ animal model of intracranial glioma to detect the regulatory effect of IKBKE on intracranial tumors.

RESULTS

In this study, Our study reveals a new connection between IKBKE and Snail1, where IKBKE can directly bind to Snail1, translocate Snail1 into the nucleus from the cytoplasm. Downregulation of IKBKE results in Snail1 destabilization and impairs the tumor cell migration and invasion capabilities.

CONCLUSION

Our studies suggest that the IKBKE-Snail1 axis may serve as a potential therapeutic target for GBM treatment.

[Assessment of heart's changes of elite Chinese male weightlifter by speckle tracking echocardiography]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the changes of heart structure and function in elite Chinese weightlifters by spot tracking technique.

METHODS

Chinese elite male weightlifters (weightlifter group, n=16) and age-matched healthy men (control group, n=16) were included as subjects. Transthoracic echocardiography and speckle-tracking automatic functional imaging were used for two-dimensional myocardial strain measurements.

RESULTS

The thickness of septum and left ventricular (LV) posterior wall and the myocardial mass index of LV were all higher than those of the control group [(9.3±1.3) mm vs. (8.0±0.4) mm, (9.2±0.8) mm vs. (8.0±0.8) mm, (77.8±12.8) g/m² vs. (67.8±11.2) g/m², all P < 0.05]. Although the LV ejection fraction (LVEF) and global long axis strain value (LVGLS) were not significantly different from those in the control group, the LV mean Sm and Em reflecting the systolic and diastolic functions of the LV were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Further myocardial strain analysis showed that the absolute value of the long axial strain of the basal anteroseptal and mid-inferoseptal segments of the weightlifters were significantly lower than those of the control group [|(-15.1±4.2)%|vs.|(-18.7±3.0)%|, |(-18.8±2.6)%|vs.|(-21.3±2.8)%|, all P < 0.05]. There was no significant difference in other segments. The athletes were divided into two groups according to their best performance in the National Youth Games. The athletes were divided into two sub-groups according to their performance in the National Youth Games. The thickness of the septum in the sub-group with better performance (who ranked the 1^st to 8^th) was larger [(10.2±1.1) mm vs. (8.5±1.0) mm, P < 0.05], and the absolute value of the long-axis strain in the mid-inferoseptal segment was lower [|(-17.1±2.1)%|vs.|(-20.4±2.1)%|, P < 0.05].

CONCLUSION

The thickening of septum is more obvious in the excellent weightlifters, accompanied by the decrease of myocardial systolic function. The speckle-tracking technique of echocardiography can identify the changes of the heart structure and function of elite athletes at an early stage, which may provide a basis for sports medicine supervision and the selection of excellent talents.

Automated annotation and visualisation of high-resolution spatial proteomic mass spectrometry imaging data using HIT-MAP

Spatial proteomics has the potential to significantly advance our understanding of biology, physiology and medicine. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) is a powerful tool in the spatial proteomics field, enabling direct detection and registration of protein abundance and distribution across tissues. MALDI-MSI preserves spatial distribution and histology allowing unbiased analysis of complex, heterogeneous tissues. However, MALDI-MSI faces the challenge of simultaneous peptide quantification and identification. To overcome this, we develop and validate HIT-MAP (High-resolution Informatics Toolbox in MALDI-MSI Proteomics), an open-source bioinformatics workflow using peptide mass fingerprint analysis and a dual scoring system to computationally assign peptide and protein annotations to high mass resolution MSI datasets and generate customisable spatial distribution maps. HIT-MAP will be a valuable resource for the spatial proteomics community for analysing newly generated and retrospective datasets, enabling robust peptide and protein annotation and visualisation in a wide array of normal and disease contexts.

Genetic parameters of hair cortisol as an indicator of chronic stress under different environments in Holstein cows

Chronic stress is a risk factor for a variety of physiological disorders because of its increased activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis; however, it is difficult to reveal environmental and genetic effects contributing to long-term HPA activity because of the complexity of chronic stress. The hair cortisol concentration (HCC) can be used to reflect the accumulation of HPA axis activity over time. Some studies suggest that the HCC might be associated with the protein concentration (PC) in the hair shaft; however, no studies have revealed a dynamic relationship between them. In the present study, 1,086 hair samples from 418 Holstein cows were collected, and the effects of environmental factors on HCC, PC, and ratio of HCC to PC (HCCP) were studied. Subsequently, regression analysis and curve fitting were used to identify for better-performing indicators of chronic stress. Additionally, univariate and bivariate genetic evaluation were used to estimate the genetic components of cortisol traits and genotype by environment interactions (G × E) under different environmental and physiological states. The results showed that HCC and PC are significantly affected by hair color, sampling year, and season, whereas HCCP is not influenced by hair color. Adjusted PC and HCCP, where confounding effects are excluded, were moderately related with chronic stress indicators. Moderate to high heritabilities were obtained for HCC (0.347 and 0.390 for winter and summer, respectively), PC (0.402 and 0.495 for winter and summer, respectively) and HCCP (0.289 and 0.460 for winter and summer, respectively) when animals in the same season were evaluated. A moderate G × E interaction was detected in this study, as indicated by the low or negative genetic correlation for the same cortisol trait in different environments (e.g. heat stress condition and thermoneutral condition). In conclusion, HCCP is not affected by hair color compared with the other 2 traits; thus, it has potential as an indicator of chronic stress. Hair cortisol traits could monitor stress response process in cattle, as well as provide a better understanding of genetic mechanism for long-term HPA activity.

Genetic parameters for rectal temperature, respiration rate, and drooling score in Holstein cattle and their relationships with various fertility, production, body conformation, and health traits

Genetic selection for improved climatic resilience is paramount to increase the long-term sustainability of high-producing dairy cattle, especially in face of climate change. Various physiological indicators, such as rectal temperature (RT), respiration rate score (RR), and drooling score (DS), can be used to genetically identify animals with more effective coping mechanisms in response to heat stress events. In this study, we investigated genetic parameters for RT, RR (score from 1-3), and DS (score from 1-3). Furthermore, we assessed the genetic relationship among these indicators and other economically important traits for the dairy cattle industry. After data editing, 59,265 (RT), 30,290 (RR), and 30,421 (DS) records from 13,592 lactating Holstein cows were used for the analyses. Variance components were estimated based on a multiple-trait repeatability animal model. The heritability ± standard error estimate for RT, RR, and DS was 0.06 ± 0.01, 0.04 ± 0.01, and 0.02 ± 0.01, respectively, whereas their repeatability was 0.19, 0.14, and 0.14, respectively. Moderate genetic correlations of RR with RT and DS (0.26 ± 0.11 and 0.25 ± 0.16) and nonsignificant correlation between RT and DS (-0.11 ± 0.14) were observed. Furthermore, the approximate genetic correlations between RT, RR, and DS with 12 production, 29 conformation, 5 fertility and reproduction, 5 health, and 9 longevity-indicator traits were assessed. In general, the approximate genetic correlations calculated were low to moderate. In summary, 3 physiological indicators of heat stress response were measured in a large number of animals and shown to be lowly heritable. There is a value in developing a selection index including all the 3 indicators to improve heat tolerance in dairy cattle. All the unfavorable genetic relationships observed between heat tolerance and other economically important traits can be accounted for in a selection index to enable improved climatic resilience while also maintaining or increasing productivity in Holstein cattle.

Effects of sodium selenite and coated sodium selenite on lactation performance, total tract nutrient digestion and rumen fermentation in Holstein dairy cows

Se can enhance lactation performance by improving nutrient utilization and antioxidant status. However, sodium selenite (SS) can be reduced to non-absorbable elemental Se in the rumen, thereby reducing the intestinal availability of Se. The study investigated the impacts of SS and coated SS (CSS) supplementation on lactation performance, nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation and microbiota in dairy cows. Sixty multiparous Holstein dairy cows were blocked by parity, daily milk yield and days in milk and randomly assigned to five treatments: control, SS addition (0.3 mg Se/kg DM as SS addition) or CSS addition (0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 mg Se/kg DM as CSS addition for low CSS (LCSS), medium CSS (MCSS) and high CSS (HCSS), respectively). Experiment period was 110 days with 20 days of adaptation and 90 days of sample collection. Dry matter intake was higher for MCSS and HCSS compared with control. Yields of milk, milk fat and milk protein and feed efficiency were higher for MCSS and HCSS than for control, SS and LCSS. Digestibility of DM and organic matter was highest for CSS addition, followed by SS addition and then control. Digestibility of CP was higher for MCSS and HCSS than for control, SS and LCSS. Higher digestibility of ether extract, NDF and ADF was observed for SS or CSS addition. Ruminal pH decreased with dietary Se addition. Acetate to propionate ratio and ammonia N were lower, and total volatile fatty acids (VFAs) concentration was greater for SS, MCSS and HCSS than control. Ruminal H ion concentration was highest for MCSS and HCSS and lowest for control. Activities of cellobiase, carboxymethyl-cellulase, xylanase and protease and copies of total bacteria, fungi, Ruminococcus flavefaciens, Fibrobacter succinogenes and Ruminococcus amylophilus increased with SS or CSS addition. Activity of α-amylase, copies of protozoa, Ruminococcus albus and Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens and serum glucose, total protein, albumin and glutathione peroxidase were higher for SS, MCSS and HCSS than for control and LCSS. Dietary SS or CSS supplementation elevated blood Se concentration and total antioxidant capacity activity. The data implied that milk yield was elevated due to the increase in total tract nutrient digestibility, total VFA concentration and microorganism population with 0.2 or 0.3 mg Se/kg DM from CSS supplementation in dairy cows. Compared with SS, HCSS addition was more efficient in promoting lactation performance of dairy cows.

Effects of glucocorticoids on osteoporosis in rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

We evaluated the effects of glucocorticoids on bone mineral density (BMD), and prevalence of osteoporosis and fracture in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by meta-analysis. Until June 26, 2019, we conducted a systematic literature search in EMBASE, Web of science, PubMed, and Cochrane Library to obtain BMD and the prevalence of osteoporosis and fracture in glucocorticoid-treated subjects with RA. The BMD of the treatment and control groups were analyzed by meta-analysis (Stata. version 15), and the 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated. We identified 15 observational studies, including 46,711 RA subjects and 857 healthy controls. The BMD of the lumbar spine (- 0.038 g/cm²; CI, - 0.052, - 0.024) and femoral neck (- 0.017 g/cm²; - 0.030, - 0.003) in RA treated with glucocorticoids were significantly lower than those in RA controls. Compared with healthy control group, the BMD of the lumbar spine (- 0.094 g/cm²; - 0.126, - 0.061) and femoral neck (- 0.097 g/cm², - 0.109, - 0.085) of RA treated with glucocorticoids decreased more significantly. The prevalence of osteoporosis in whole body, spine, and femur was 38.6% (0.305, 0.466), 32.9% (0.277, 0.381), and 21.7% (0.106, 0.328), respectively. And the prevalence of vertebral fracture was 13.0% (0.058, 0.203). Glucocorticoids may lead to a decline in skeletal health in subjects with RA, especially in vertebral and femoral BMD, compared with normal people or RA without glucocorticoid therapy. Meanwhile, osteoporosis and fractures were also common. Therapeutic measures should be targeted at individuals, which needs further study. Through meta-analysis, we found that glucocorticoids have some negative effects on the bone health of subjects with rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, when using glucocorticoids to treat rheumatoid arthritis, we should take strategic measures to prevent the decline of bone quality.

IKBKE enhances TMZ-chemoresistance through upregulation of MGMT expression in glioblastoma

PURPOSE

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive malignant type of brain tumor. Despite advances in diagnosis and therapy, the prognosis of patients with GBM has remained dismal. Multidrug resistance and high recurrence are two of the major challenges in successfully treating brain tumors. IKBKE (inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase subunit epsilon) is a major oncogenic protein in tumors and can inhibit glioblastoma cell proliferation, migration, and tumorigenesis. Our study aimed to investigate the mechanism of IKBKE enhancing the resistance of glioma cells to temozolomide.

METHODS

For the in vitro experiments, LN18 and U118 glioblastoma cells were treated with a combination of sh/oe-IKBKE lentivirus and TMZ. Cell proliferation was determined by the EdU assay and colony formation assays. Apoptosis was analyzed by the TUNEL assay. In vivo, LN18 NC and LN18 sh-IKBKE cells were implanted into the cerebrums of nude mice to detect the effect of combination therapy. The protein and mRNA levels were assayed by western blot, immunohistochemistry, and qRT-PCR.

RESULTS

In this study, we demonstrated that IKBKE enhances the resistance of glioblastoma cells to temozolomide (TMZ) by activating the AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway to upregulate the expression of the DNA repair enzyme o6-methylguanine-dna methyltransferase (MGMT). In glioblastoma cells, IKBKE knockdown enhances apoptosis and suppresses cell proliferation, clone formation, and tumor development in vivo induced by TMZ. However, overexpression of IKBKE reduces the effects of TMZ.

CONCLUSION

Our studies suggest that inhibition of IKBKE can enhance the therapeutic effect of TMZ on GBM in vitro and in vivo, providing new research directions and therapeutic targets for the treatment of GBM.

Piperine, a functional food alkaloid, exhibits inhibitory potential against TNBS-induced colitis via the inhibition of IκB-α/NF-κB and induces tight junction protein (claudin-1, occludin, and ZO-1) signaling pathway in experimental mice

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic immunoinflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Piperine, an alkaloid, has been reported to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and antiulcer potential.

AIM

To elucidate the plausible mechanisms of action of piperine on experimental trinitrobenzenesufonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis by assessing various biochemical, molecular, histological, and ultrastructural modifications.

METHODS

Colitis was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats via intrarectal instillation of TNBS. Then, the rats were treated with piperine (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg, p.o.) for 14 days.

RESULTS

TNBS induced significant (p < 0.05) colonic damage, which was assessed by disease activity index, macroscopic score, and stool consistency. The administration of piperine (20 and 40 mg/kg) significantly inhibited (p < 0.05) these damages. Treatments with piperine (20 and 40 mg/kg) notably inhibited (p < 0.05) the TNBS-induced elevation of oxido-nitrosative stress (superoxide dismutase, glutathione, malondialdehyde, and nitric oxide), 5-hydroxytryptamine, and hydroxyproline content in the colon. Furthermore, colonic inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOs), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, interferon-gamma, and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) messenger RNA (mRNA) expressions were upregulated after TNBS instillation and piperine (20 and 40 mg/kg) significantly attenuated (p < 0.05) these elevated mRNA expressions. TNBS decreased the expressions of tight junction (TJ) protein (claudin-1, occludin, and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1)) and increased the expressions of proapoptotic (caspase-1) protein. These expressions were markedly inhibited (p < 0.05) by piperine treatment. Histological and ultrastructural studies of transmission electron microscopy suggested that piperine significantly ameliorated (p < 0.05) TNBS-induced colonic aberrations.

CONCLUSION

Piperine ameliorated the progression of TNBS-induced colitis by modulating the nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor-alpha/nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathway, thus inhibiting the overexpression of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL's), COX-2, iNOs, oxido-nitrosative stress, and proapoptotic proteins (caspase-1) that may improve the expression of TJ protein (claudin-1, occludin, and ZO-1).

Investigation of Streptococcus agalactiae using pcsB-based LAMP in milk, tilapia and vaginal swabs in Haikou, China

AIMS

To develop a pcsB-based Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method for the detection of Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) in milk, tilapia and vaginal swabs.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The sensitivity of the LAMP method using real-time turbidity monitoring was 1 pg of template within 1 h at 64°C, 100-fold higher than conventional PCR. The sensitivity of visual detection dropped an order of magnitude using SYBR Green I or hydroxynaphthol blue. The validity of the visual LAMP assay was assessed by the detection of GBS in 180 vaginal swabs from one hospital, 14 brain tissues samples of diseased tilapias from two fishponds and fresh milk of 67 dairy cattle from one farm. In total, 17 samples (4 vaginal swabs, 13 tilapia brain tissues but no milk sample) tested positive for GBS. Subsequent bacterial identification confirmed the specificity and reliability of the LAMP method. Molecular serotyping and multilocus sequence typing demonstrated that all 13 tilapia GBS isolates were identical (serotype Ia, ST7), whereas the four human GBS isolates were more diverse and could be classified into two serotypes (Ia, III) and four sequence types (ST19, ST23, ST24, ST862). Virulence gene testing showed that only the bac, rib and lmb genes were not present in all isolates. Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of the isolates were basically consistent with their genotypes, except for sulphonamide and fluoroquinolone.

CONCLUSIONS

We developed a reliable pcsB-based LAMP assay for GBS detection. Our results demonstrated that the prevalence of GBS was 92·9% among diseased tilapia, 2·2% among female patients and 0% on a dairy farm in Hainan.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The pcsB-based LAMP method is suitable for GBS detection and contains great potential of application in dairy industry, aquiculture and clinical.

Parathyroid hormone reference ranges in healthy individuals classified by vitamin D status

PURPOSE

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations are routinely measured in the diagnosis and management of bone and kidney diseases, but reference ranges can be overestimated if determined in otherwise healthy individuals for whom vitamin D deficiency was not evaluated. We establish PTH reference ranges in apparently healthy, normocalcemic, normophosphatemic individuals categorized by 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) status using the Elecsys^® PTH (cobas e 601) and Elecsys^® Vitamin D total II electrochemiluminescence immunoassays (cobas e 411).

METHODS

This prospective, non-interventional study measured PTH in serum from 653 apparently healthy adults [56.7% female; 68.2% white/Caucasian; 28.6% African American; median age 44 years (range 21-83)] from three diverse geographic sites across the USA during summer and winter months. Subjects were classified by concomitant vitamin D sufficiency (≥ 30 ng/mL), insufficiency (> 20 to < 30 ng/mL) or deficiency (≤ 20 ng/mL).

RESULTS

In vitamin D sufficiency, median PTH was 31.9 pg/mL [range (2.5th-97.5th percentile) 17.9-58.6] compared with 35.5 pg/mL (17.0-60.4) for insufficiency, and 39.8 pg/mL (19.5-86.4) for deficiency. A significant inverse relationship was found between PTH and 25(OH)D (P < 0.001). After accounting for vitamin D, potential effects of race or season as covariates were relatively small or absent.

CONCLUSIONS

Upper reference limits (URL) for PTH in vitamin D sufficiency/insufficiency were similar and lower than current values. Clinically important PTH elevations were observed in vitamin D deficiency, where revised reference ranges with a higher URL may be appropriate. These data may help to distinguish vitamin D-related PTH elevations from other causes [e.g., primary (normocalcemic) or secondary hyperparathyroidism].

Three species of Aeromonas (A. dhakensis, A. hydrophila and A. jandaei) isolated from freshwater crocodiles (Crocodylus siamensis) with pneumonia and septicemia

Hundreds of farmed Siamese crocodiles (Crocodylus siamensis) died during July 2016 at a farm in Wenchang, Hainan, China. In two necropsied crocodiles, we observed symptoms of dermatorrhagia, hepatomegaly and hepatic congestion. Pulmonitis was diagnosed by pulmonary congestion and pulmonary fibrinous exudate. Septicaemia was diagnosed by isolation of three Aeromonas species from blood and visceral tissues; A. dhakensis, A. hydrophila and A. jandaei were identified by biochemical and molecular tests. We used a zebrafish model to determine the half-maximal lethal dose (LD₅₀ ), and A. dhakensis was found to be the most virulent species, with an LD₅₀ of 8·91 × 10⁵ CFU per ml. The results of a drug sensitivity test indicated that these species were sensitive to 11 antibiotics. This is the first report of A. dhakensis, A. hydrophila and A. jandaei being isolated from a mixed infection in Siamese crocodiles. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: In this study, we isolated three species of Aeromonas (A. dhakensis, A. hydrophila and A. jandae) from farmed Siamese crocodiles with fatal fibrinous pneumonia and septicaemia. This is the first description of a mixed infection with three Aeromonas species among captive crocodilians.

Genetic analysis of skinfold thickness and its association with body condition score and milk production traits in Chinese Holstein population

The skin has many important roles in dairy cattle, and skinfold thickness could be used as an indicator of body fat deposition. The objectives of this study were to estimate genetic parameters of skinfold thickness and to explore its association with body condition score (BCS) and milk production traits in a Chinese Holstein population. Skinfold thicknesses over the neck (STN) and the last rib (STR), BCS, and test-day records of milk production traits were available for 6,416 lactating Holstein cows in the summers of 2015 and 2016 in Beijing, China. Multi-trait animal models were used to estimate variance and covariance components using the DMU software. The average STN was 7.15 ± 1.28 mm, and the average STR was 11.76 ± 1.95 mm (mean ± standard deviation). Estimated heritability was 0.13 ± 0.03 for STN and 0.26 ± 0.04 for STR. We detected a high genetic correlation (0.79 ± 0.08; heritability ± standard error) between STN and STR. Genetic correlations between skinfold thickness and BCS were low to moderate: 0.18 between STR and BCS, and 0.33 between STN and BCS. Genetic correlations between skinfold thickness and milk yield, milk fat percentage, and milk protein percentage were negligible, ranging from -0.02 to 0.15. Collectively, skinfold thickness is characterized as a trait with moderate heritability. Skinfold thickness is sensitive to changes in body condition or fat deposition across parities and lactation stages in milking cows, and we confirmed the complementary nature of skinfold thickness and BCS genetically as well as phenotypically by comparing their changing trends throughout lactation and across lactations. The use of skinfold thickness, together with BCS, can assist in the monitoring of changes in body fat deposition to achieve higher management precision.

Effects of applying lactic acid bacteria and propionic acid on fermentation quality, aerobic stability and in vitro gas production of forage-based total mixed ration silage in Tibet

Total mixed ration (TMR) silage technology has been practically used to feed ruminants in Tibet. This study was conducted on forage-based TMR to evaluate the effects of supplementing lactic acid bacteria and propionic acid on its fermentation characteristics, aerobic stability and in vitro gas production kinetics and digestibility. Experimental treatments included four variants: (1) TMR supplemented with 10 mL deionised water per kilogram fresh matter (Control); (2) TMR supplemented with 1 × 106 cfu/g Lactobacillus plantarum (L); (3) TMR supplemented with 0.3% propionic acid (P); (4) TMR supplemented with a combination of 1 × 106 cfu/g Lactobacillus plantarum and 0.3% propionic acid (LP). The latter three additives were first dissolved in deionised water and then applied as a water solution (10 mL/kg fresh matter). All treatments were ensiled in laboratory-scale silos for 45 days, and then exposed to air for 12 days to evaluate the aerobic stability of TMR silage. Further, the four experimental treatments were fermented with buffered rumen fluid to measure in vitro gas production and nutrients’ digestibility. The results indicated that all TMR silages possessed good fermentation characteristics with low pH values (&lt;4.18) and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) contents (&lt;100 g/kg total nitrogen), and high lactic acid contents (&gt;66 g/kg DM) and Flieg points (&gt;80). The addition of L and LP stimulated a more efficient homofermentation of TMR silage than in the variant without L, as evidenced by higher ratios of lactic:acetic acid. The addition of P had no effect (P &gt; 0.05) on lactic acid production of TMR silage compared with the Control, whereas it decreased NH3-N content (P &lt; 0.05). Under aerobic conditions, L silage showed less aerobic stability compared with the Control silage, whereas P and LP silages were more (P &lt; 0.05) aerobically stable. Compared with the Control, all additives elevated (P &lt; 0.05) the total gas production and in vitro dry matter digestibility of TMR silages. L silage had a higher (P &lt; 0.05) in vitro neutral detergent fibre digestibility than the Control silage. Data obtained from this study suggested that TMR silage based on oat and common vetch can be well conserved with or without additives. Lactic acid bacteria were compatible with propionic acid, and addition of lactic acid bacteria together with propionic acid can improve the fermentation quality, aerobic stability and in vitro dry matter digestibility of TMR silage.

Effects of fibrolytic enzymes and isobutyrate on ruminal fermentation, microbial enzyme activity and cellulolytic bacteria in pre- and post-weaning dairy calves

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of fibrolytic enzymes (FE, containing 160 units of cellulase and 4000 units of xylanase) or isobutyrate (IB) supplementation on ruminal fermentation, microbial enzyme activity and cellulolytic bacteria in dairy calves. Forty-eight Holstein bull calves of 15 days of age and of 44.9 ± 0.28 kg of BW were randomly assigned to four groups in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Two levels of FE (0 g (FE–) or 1.83 g per calf per day (FE+)) and IB (0 g (IB–) or 6 g per calf per day (IB+)) were added. Calves were weaned at 60-day-old and four calves were selected from each treatment at random and slaughtered at 45 and 90 days of age. There was no IB × FE interaction effect. Ruminal pH decreased with IB or FE supplementation for post-weaned calves, whereas concentrations of total volatile fatty acids and acetate increased with IB or FE supplementation for pre- and post-weaned calves. Acetate to propionate ratio increased with IB supplementation, but was unaffected by FE supplementation. Ammonia-N concentration decreased with IB or FE supplementation for pre- and post-weaned calves. For post-weaned calves, activities of CMCase increased with IB or FE supplementation, and activities of cellobiase, xylanase, pectinase, β-amylase and protease increased with IB supplementation. Populations of B. fibrisolvens and F. succinogenes for pre- and post-weaned calves and R. flavefaciens for post-weaned calves increased with IB or FE supplementation. It is suggested that ruminal fermentation and growth performance of calves was improved with IB and FE supplementation, and the combination of IB and FE has the potential to stimulate the growth of pre- and post-weaned dairy calves.

[Physiological characteristics of Echinococcus and their association with interventions against echinococcosis]

Alveolar and cystic echinococcosis are important zoonotic diseases caused by the dog/fox tapeworms of Echinococcus granulosus and E. multilocularis, which are distributed in almost whole the world. The diseases remarkably impact on the people's health and economic development of communities. Echinococcus tapeworms need two mammalian animals to complete their lifecycle. The worms undergo different developmental stages (adult, egg/oncosphere, cyst, and protoscolex). Each stage has its own distinct physiological characteristics. We summarize the characteristics and emphasize that some features that strongly impact on design of control program. Based on the lifecycle of these worms, two stages are infectious, one is egg the only stage for primarily infecting humans and intermediate host, and another stage is protoscolex, the only stage for infecting the definite hosts of the worms. Eggs are produced by the adult worms parasitized in the intestine of definite hosts. It takes 45 days for eggs becoming mature in dogs. With this feature of the tapeworm, New Zealand and Tasmania in Australia designed control program for deworming 8 times annually with an interval between deworms at 45 days. E. multilocularis takes 28-30 days in dog/fox producing mature eggs. Given that co-existence of E. granulosus and E. multilocularis in western China, a control measure so called "prepatent deworming control measure" has been used in these endemic areas with dosing worms in dogs every month. It normally takes 12-15 months for producing protosocleces in E. granulosus cysts in sheep. If meat markets attract most lambs, that is an effective measure for controlling cystic echinococcosis given that there are no protoscoleces produced from those lambs. In addition, Echinococcus has its own unique biological characteristics, such as sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction, single-cell layer structure of cyst, bidirectional development of protoscoleces induced by bile salts, and long term of infection causing host asymptomatic reaction make the parasites a models for addressing some biological and biomedical issues. And more, hydatid cyst fluid is the antigen resource for identifying diagnostic reagents; the specific gene expressed in oncospheres has been developed as an effective vaccine used for control program. With the development and application of high-throughput omics, including genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics, we can use the physiological characteristics of Echinococcus for searching diagnostic reagents, developing preventive vaccines and identify new drug targets.

Effects of concentrate-to-forage ratios and 2-methylbutyrate supplementation on ruminal fermentation, bacteria abundance and urinary excretion of purine derivatives in Chinese Simmental steers

This study evaluated the effects of dietary concentrate levels and 2-methylbutyrate (2MB) supplementation on performance, ruminal fermentation, bacteria abundance, microbial enzyme activity and urinary excretion of purine derivatives (PD) in steers. Eight ruminally cannulated Simmental steers (12 months of age; 389 ± 3.7 kg of body weight) were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Moderate-concentrate (400 g/kg diet [MC]) or high-concentrate (600 g/kg diet [HC]) diets were fed with or without 2MB (0 g/day [2MB-] or 15.0 g/day [2MB+]). Dry matter intake and average daily gain increased, but feed conversion ratio decreased with the HC diet or 2MB supplementation. Ruminal pH decreased, but total volatile fatty acid increased with the HC diet or 2MB supplementation. Molar proportion of acetate and acetate-to-propionate ratio decreased with the HC diet, but increased with 2MB supplementation. Propionate molar proportion and ruminal NH₃ -N content increased with the HC diet, but decreased with 2MB supplementation. Neutral detergent fibre degradability decreased with the HC diet, but increased with 2MB supplementation. Crude protein degradability increased with the HC diet or 2MB supplementation. Abundance of Ruminococcus albus, Ruminococcus flavefaciens, Fibrobacter succinogenes and Bufyrivibrio fibrisolvens as well as activities of carboxymethyl cellulase, cellobiase, xylanase and pectinase decreased with the HC diet, but increased with 2MB supplementation. However, abundance of Prevotella ruminicola and Ruminobacter amylophilus as well as activities of α-amylase and protease increased with the HC diet or 2MB supplementation. Total PD excretion also increased with the HC diet or 2MB supplementation. The results suggested that growth performance, ruminal fermentation, CP degradability and total PD excretion increased with increasing dietary concentrate level from 40% to 60% or 2MB supplementation. The observed diet × 2MB interaction indicated that supplementation of 2MB was more efficacious for improving growth performance, ruminal fermentation and total PD excretion with promoted ruminal bacteria abundance and enzyme activity in the MC diet than in the HC diet.

Cavitation Threshold with Respect to Dp/Dt: Evaluation in 29 Mm Bileaflet, Pyrolitic Carbon Heart Valves

A total of 15 bileaflet mechanical heart valves were studied in a pulse duplicator at the Helmholtz Institute (Aachen, Germany) under conditions approximating first, a physiological pressure curve and subsequently, a sinusoidal pressure curve. In this study Edwards-Duromedics valves of the modified specification were compared with the earlier version of the Edwards-Duromedics valve as well as with St. Jude Medical valves. Each valve was tested at a series of nine (9) conditions. At each condition, without altering the valve installation or the systemic conditions, each valve was filmed by two separate video systems: the Helmholtz Institute strobe light system and a high speed video recording system. All data, as recorded by each system, was then independently analyzed by both of the two contributing groups and subsequently compared. In this manner, it was possible to objectively verify not only the consistency of the data obtained, but to also determine the relative reliability of the methods for cavitation threshold detection.

Effects of substituting corn with steam-flaked sorghum on growth, digestion and blood metabolites in young cattle fed feedlot diets

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of substituting ground corn grain with steam-flaked sorghum (SFS) grain on growth performance, nutrient utilisation and blood metabolites in beef bulls. Fifty-six Simmental beef bulls averaging 12 months of age and 356.4 ± 2.6 kg of bodyweight were randomly assigned to four groups. The treatments were control, low-SFS, medium-SFS and high–SFS, with 0, 1/3, 2/3 and 3/3 SFS grain, respectively, substituting ground corn grain of diets(dry matter (DM) basis). Diets consisted of 50% corn silage and 50% concentrate (DM basis). The average daily gain and feed conversion rate improved quadratically with increasing the proportion of SFS grain. Ruminal pH and ammonia-nitrogen (N) concentration decreased quadratically, whereas ruminal total volatile fatty acid concentration increased quadratically. Ratio of acetate to propionate decreased quadratically (P = 0.027) due to the quadratic decrease in acetate production and the quadratic increase in propionate production. Digestibilities of DM, organic matter and crude protein increased quadratically, whereas that of neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre decreased quadratically. The digestible N, retention N and the retention N to digestible N ratio improved quadratically. Inclusion of SFS grain in diets quadratically increased blood concentrations of glucose, total protein, albumin and triglyceride, but quadratically decreased the concentration of urea N. The results indicated that partly substituting ground corn grain with SFS grain could improve growth performance by improving ruminal fermentation and N utilisation; the optimum substitution rate was 2/3 (DM basis).