Purified β-glucans of Different Molecular Weights Enhance Growth Performance of LPS-challenged Piglets via Improved Gut Barrier Function and Microbiota.

This study investigated β-glucan derived from sp. ZX09 with high (2000 kDa) and low (300 kDa) molecular weight (MW) to compare their effects on growth performance and gut function in LPS-induced weaned piglets. Changes in jejunal morphology, mucosal barrier function, microbial populations, and fermentation in the piglets were determined.

Beta-glucan from Agrobacterium sp. ZX09 improves growth performance and intestinal function in weaned piglets.

Beta-glucan is currently under consideration as an alternative to in-feed antibiotics. The aim of the study was to investigate Agrobacterium sp. ZX09 beta-glucan on intestinal morphology, cytokine concentration, mucin expression and microbial populations of weaning piglets.

A Fusion Localization Method based on a Robust Extended Kalman Filter and Track-Quality for Wireless Sensor Networks.

As one of the most essential technologies, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) integrate sensor technology, embedded computing technology, and modern network and communication technology, which have become research hotspots in recent years. The localization technique, one of the key techniques for WSN research, determines the application prospects of WSNs to a great extent. The positioning errors of wireless sensor networks are mainly caused by the non-line of sight (NLOS) propagation, occurring in complicated channel environments such as the indoor conditions.

Synthesis and herbicidal activity of novel pyrazole aromatic ketone analogs as HPPD inhibitor.

Background: 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD, EC 1.13.11.

Development of a general logistic model for disease risk prediction using multiple SNPs.

Human diseases are usually linked to multiloci genetic alterations, including single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Methods to use these SNPs for disease risk prediction (DRP) are of clinical interest. DRP algorithms explored by commercial companies to date have tended to be complex and led to controversial prediction results.

Novel Vitronectin Variations and Their Comparative Analysis in Six Porcine Breeds.

Vitronectin plays a role in the blood homeostasis and has been implicated in cell adhesion, migration, and proliferation. Vitronectin has a potential role affecting the residual feed intake (RFI) or feeding efficiency in swine production. Its variations have not been reported in Chinese swine breeds.

Direct Gene Knock-out of Axolotl Spinal Cord Neural Stem Cells via Electroporation of CAS9 Protein-gRNA Complexes.

The axolotl has the unique ability to fully regenerate its spinal cord. This is largely due to the ependymal cells remaining as neural stem cells (NSCs) throughout life, which proliferate to reform the ependymal tube and differentiate into lost neurons after spinal cord injury. Deciphering how these NSCs retain pluripotency post-development and proliferate upon spinal cord injury to reform the exact pre-injury structure can provide valuable insight into how mammalian spinal cords may regenerate as well as potential treatment options.

Prognostic nomograms to predict overall survival and cancer-specific survival in patients with pelvic chondrosarcoma.

Background: The pelvis is the most common site of chondrosarcoma (CS), and the prognosis for patients with pelvic CS is worse than that for patients with CS in the extremities. However, clinicians have had few tools for estimating the likelihood of survival in patients with pelvic CS. Our aim was to develop nomograms to predict survival of patients with pelvic CS.

Effects of Licorice Extract Supplementation on Feed Intake, Digestion, Rumen Function, Blood Indices and Live Weight Gain of Karakul Sheep.

This study was designed to investigate the effects of licorice extract supplemented to a cottonseed hull-based diet on rumen function, blood indices and growth of Karakul sheep. Twelve rumen-fistulated 1.5-year-old sheep were blocked in pairs by live weight.

Composite Learning Enhanced Robot Impedance Control.

The desired impedance dynamics can be achieved for a robot if and only if an impedance error converges to zero or a small neighborhood of zero. Although the convergence of impedance errors is important, it is seldom obtained in the existing impedance controllers due to robots modeling uncertainties and external disturbances. This brief proposes two composite learning impedance controllers (CLICs) for robots with parameter uncertainties based on whether a factorization assumption is satisfied or not.

PES1 is a critical component of telomerase assembly and regulates cellular senescence.

Telomerase defers the onset of telomere shortening and cellular senescence by adding telomeric repeat DNA to chromosome ends, and its activation contributes to carcinogenesis. Telomerase minimally consists of the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and the telomerase RNA (TR). However, how telomerase assembles is largely unknown.

Gluconate suppresses seizure activity in developing brains by inhibiting CLC-3 chloride channels.

Neonatal seizures are different from adult seizures, and many antiepileptic drugs that are effective in adults often fail to treat neonates. Here, we report that gluconate inhibits neonatal seizure by inhibiting CLC-3 chloride channels. We detect a voltage-dependent outward rectifying Cl current mediated by CLC-3 Cl channels in early developing brains but not adult mouse brains.

CEACAM-1 promotes myocardial injury following coxsackievirus infection by regulating the coxsackievirus-adenovirus receptor.

Objective: To determine the effects and mechanism of carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM-1, CC1)-mediated regulation of the Coxsackie and Adenovirus Receptor (CAR) after Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) infection.

Methods: A mouse CC1 overexpression recombinant virus was constructed, followed by insertion of a pLVX-CEACAM 1-zsgreen-puro (rLV-CEACAM 1) plasmid into the recombinant retrovirus. Cardiac myocytes were assigned into different groups according to various treatments.

Exposure to prenatal antidepressant alters medial prefrontal-striatal synchronization in mice.

Citalopram (CTM), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), has been widely used to treat panic disorders, such as depression which is one of the most disabling, yet common, psychiatric disorders. Although prenatal antidepressant exposure has a major impact on the neurobehavioral development of the offspring, such as anxiety, depression- and autism-like behaviors, the brain alterations of SSRI influence remained largely unknown. We show here, using electrophysiological recordings, that CTM exposure during the last 7 d of gestation can alter theta- and gamma-band oscillation and synchronization in the corticostriatal loop of 2-3 month-old mouse offspring.

[Effectiveness of open reduction and locking compression hook plate in treatment of isolated humeral greater tuberosity fractures].

Objective: To observe the effectiveness of locking compression hook plate in treatment of humeral greater tuberosity fractures.

Methods: Between March 2014 and September 2017, 16 patients with isolated humeral greater tuberosity fractures were terated with open reduction and internal fixation with locking compression hook plates. There were 11 males and 5 females, with an average age of 38.

[Detection of cell-bound immune complexes and its diagnostic value in systemic lupus erythematosus].

Objective To detect the levels of cell-bound complement activation product (C4d) and immunoglobulins (IgG and IgM) on T and B lymphocytes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and to evaluate the relationships between C4d and immunoglobulins (Ig) on lymphocytes, and finally to evaluate their diagnostic value for SLE. Methods A cross-sectional study including 142 SLE patients, 144 patients with other non-SLE autoimmune diseases and 100 healthy individuals was conducted. C4d and immunoglobulins on peripheral T and B lymphocytes (T-C4d, B-C4d, T-Ig and B-Ig) were measured by flow cytometry.

Effects of sodium butyrate and active supplemented to pasteurized waste milk on growth performance and health condition of Holstein dairy calves.

The objectives of the present study were to examine the impact of feeding both probiotics and sodium butyrate on calf performance and the economic implication of each treatment. A completely randomized design was used to investigate body weight (BW) gain, feed conversion efficiency and health conditions of Holstein dairy calves fed either pasteurized waste milk (PWM;  = 9) or a non-medicated milk replacer containing sodium butyrate and active probiotic (NMR;  = 9) from birth to 60 days of age. Numerically, calves fed PWM consumed more starter feed between days 16 and 45 than calves fed NMR but the difference became smaller by 60 days.

Bile Acid Transporters Are Expressed and Heterogeneously Distributed in Rat Bile Ducts.

Background/aims: Cholangiocytes are capable of reabsorbing bile salts from bile, but the pathophysiological significance of this process is unclear. To this end, we detected the expression and distribution of bile acid transport proteins in cholangiocytes from normal rat liver and analyzed the possible pathophysiological significance.

Methods: Bile duct tissues of Sprague-Dawley rats were isolated by enzymatic digestion and mechanical isolation, and then divided into large and small bile duct tissues.

Effects of Feeding Garlic Powder on Growth Performance, Rumen Fermentation, and the Health Status of Lambs Infected by Gastrointestinal Nematodes.

For the study, forty lambs were weighed and assigned into two treatments to determine the effects of feeding garlic powder on growth performance, rumen fermentation, and the health status of lambs infected with gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs). The lambs were fed with a basal diet without or with 50 g/kg garlic powder for 84 d. Data were analyzed by a general linear or mixed model of SAS software and differences were considered statistically significant if ≤ 0.

How does stage of lactation and breeding worth affect milk solids production and production efficiency of grazing dairy cows?

The study investigated the effect of stage of lactation and Breeding Worth (BW) index on estimated dry matter intake (DMI), milk solids (MS) production, energy use efficiency (EUE) and feed conversion efficiency (FCE) of grazing cows. Two hundred crossbred cows with similar calving date (14 August ± 9.97 days), live weight (471.

Jujuboside A prevents sleep loss-induced disturbance of hippocampal neuronal excitability and memory impairment in young APP/PS1 mice.

Sleep deprivation (SD) is the hallmark of modern society and may increase risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, it is unclear how SD facilitates early cognitive impairments observed in AD models, as the underlying molecular mechanism is largely unknown. Here, we aim to investigate SD-induced cellular and molecular alterations in hippocampus of young APP/PS1 mice and whether jujuboside A (JuA) treatment could negate these alterations.

A Triple-Filter NLOS Localization Algorithm Based on Fuzzy C-means for Wireless Sensor Networks.

With the rapid development of communication technology in recent years, Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) has become a promising research project. WSN is widely applied in a number of fields such as military, environmental monitoring, space exploration and so on. The non-line-of-sight (NLOS) localization is one of the most essential techniques for WSN.

Overexpression of COL5A1 promotes tumor progression and metastasis and correlates with poor survival of patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Background And Aims: COL5A1 has been identified to be involved in metastasis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) by bioinformatic analysis. This study aimed to investigate COL5A1 expression and its clinical significance in ccRCC. The function of COL5A1 in ccRCC was further investigated.

Comparison of Ultrasound-Guided Right Brachiocephalic and Right Subclavian Vein Cannulation in Adult Patients.

Objectives: To compare ultrasound-guided right brachiocephalic vein (BCV) central venous catheter (CVC) placement to right subclavian vein (SCV) CVC insertion in terms of the puncture success rate and complications.

Methods: A retrospective review was performed for all adult patients who received an ultrasound-guided CVC via the right BCV or right SCV access route between January 2016 and March 2018. The puncture success rates and procedure-related complications were analyzed.