Mean almost periodicity and moment exponential stability of semi-discrete random cellular neural networks with fuzzy operations.

By using the semi-discretization technique of differential equations, the discrete analogue of a kind of cellular neural networks with stochastic perturbations and fuzzy operations is formulated, which gives a more accurate characterization for continuous-time models than that by Euler scheme. Firstly, the existence of at least one p-th mean almost periodic sequence solution of the semi-discrete stochastic models with almost periodic coefficients is investigated by using Minkowski inequality, Hölder inequality and Krasnoselskii's fixed point theorem. Secondly, the p-th moment global exponential stability of the semi-discrete stochastic models is also studied by using some analytical skills and the proof of contradiction. Finally, a problem of stochastic stabilization for discrete cellular neural networks is studied

Microbial Properties of Raw Milk throughout the Year and Their Relationships to Quality Parameters

Raw milk microbiota is complex and influenced by many factors that facilitate the introduction of undesirable microorganisms. Milk microbiota is closely related to the safety and quality of dairy products, and it is therefore critical to characterize the variation in the microbial composition of raw milk. In this cross-sectional study, the variation in raw milk microbiota throughout the year (n = 142) from three farms in China was analyzed using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, including α and β diversity, microbial composition, and the relationship between microbiota and milk quality parameters. This aimed to characterize the contamination risk of raw milk throughout the year and the changes in quality parameters caused by contamination. Collection month had a significant effect on microbial composition; microbial diversity was higher in raw milk collected in May and June, while milk collected in October and December had the lowest microbial diversity. Microbiota composition differed significantly between milk collected in January–June, July–August, and September–December (p < 0.05). Bacterial communities represented in raw milk at the phylum level mainly included Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidota; Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Streptococcus and Lactobacillus were the most common genera. Redundancy analysis (RDA) found strong correlations between microbial distribution and titratable acidity (TA), fat, and protein. Many genera were significantly correlated with TA, for example Acinetobacter (R = 0.426), Enhydrobacter (R = 0.309), Chryseobacterium (R = 0.352), Lactobacillus (R = −0.326), norank_o__DTU014 (R = −0.697), norank_f__SC-I-84 (R = −0.678), and Subgroup_10 (R = −0.721). Additionally, norank_f__ Muribaculaceae was moderately negatively correlated with fat (R = −0.476) and protein (R = −0.513). These findings provide new information on the ecology of raw milk microbiota at the farm level and contribute to the understanding of the variation in raw milk microbiota in China

The Function of Probiotics and Prebiotics on Canine Intestinal Health and Their Evaluation Criteria

Maintaining homeostasis within the intestinal microbiota is imperative for assessing the health status of hosts, and dysbiosis within the intestinal microbiota is closely associated with canine intestinal diseases. In recent decades, the modulation of canine intestinal health through probiotics and prebiotics has emerged as a prominent area of investigation. Evidence indicates that probiotics and prebiotics play pivotal roles in regulating intestinal health by modulating the intestinal microbiota, fortifying the epithelial barrier, and enhancing intestinal immunity. This review consolidates literature on using probiotics and prebiotics for regulating microbiota homeostasis in canines, thereby furnishing references for prospective studies and formulating evaluation criteria

Dihydromyricetin alleviates intestinal inflammation by changing intestinal microbial metabolites and inhibiting the expression of the MyD88/NF‐κB signaling pathway

Abstract Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a common chronic gastrointestinal disease in humans, has emerged as a global public health challenge. Dihydromyricetin (DHM) has anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant activities, which can alleviate inflammation. In this study, we explored the effect and underlying mechanism of DHM on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)‐induced colitis in mice and porcine jejunum epithelial cells (IPEC‐J2) exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We found that DHM alleviated loss of weight, diarrhea, and damage of colon structure in colitis mice. For the intestinal microbial, a significant rise in the amount of the potentially beneficial genera and a decline in the amount of harmful genera were observed in DHM‐treated colitis mice. Metabolomic analysis of cecal content revealed that DHM restored phenylalanine metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, and arachidonic acid metabolism disorders caused by intestinal inflammation. Moreover, DHM decreased the level of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species in LPS‐treated IPEC‐J2 cells. DHM also reduced the expression of MyD88 and nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB). In summary, we found that 125 mg/kg DHM administration alleviated diarrhea, reinstated intestinal barrier function, modulated intestinal dysbiosis, and suppressed the expression of myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and NF‐κB. Therefore, DHM may be a potentially therapeutic agent for IBD

Hypermethylation of the serotonin transporter gene and paternal parenting styles in untreated anorexia nervosa patients: A pilot study

Purpose: It has been reported that serotonergic systems and parenting styles are involved in the pathogenesis of anorexia nervosa (AN). The present study made attempts to examine the DNA methylation profiles in the promoter region of serotonin transporter (5-HTT) encoding gene SLC6A4, and explore the association between the methylation level and severity of symptoms, 5-HTT linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) genotypes and parenting styles in untreated Chinese Han AN patients. Methods: Ninety-one untreated female AN patients (ANs) and eighty-seven matched healthy controls (HCs) were analyzed for DNA methylation status at CpG islands in the promoter region of SLC6A4 using MassARRY EpiTYPER, and genotypes of 5-HTTLPR using PCR-RFLP. The severity of eating disorder (ED) symptoms was evaluated by body mass index (BMI) and Questionnaire Version of the Eating Disorders Examination (EDE-Q 6.0), and part of participants were assessed parenting styles using the short Chinese Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostra (s-EMBU-C). Results: ANs had greater methylation levels at CpG26.27.28, CpG 31.32, and CpG 37 than HCs (P = 0.039, 0.042, 0.018 respectively). A positive association of methylation level at CpG26.27.28 with ED symptoms detected by EDEQ-6.0 was discovered in AN group (r = 0.216, P = 0.047). Methylation level at CpG26.27.28 was showed to be or tend to be positively correlated with the parenting styles of paternal rejection (r = 0.425, P = 0.038) and paternal overprotection (r = 0.362, P = 0.062) in ANs. No significant differences were found in SLC6A4 promoter region methylation levels among 5-HTTLPR genotypes in our samples (P > 0.05) and no interaction effect between 5-HTTLPR genotypes and parenting styles on SLC6A4 promoter region methylation was observed (P > 0.05). Conclusions: This study suggested that hypermethylation of SLC6A4 promoter region may be implicated in the pathological mechanisms of untreated Chinese Han female ANs, which is possibly associated with poor parenting styles. This finding may provide a direction for the epigenetic and family treatments for ANs and further investigation with larger samples is warranted

Investigating the Heavy Metal Adsorption of Mesoporous Silica Materials Prepared by Microwave Synthesis

Abstract Mesoporous silica materials (MSMs) of the MCM-41 type were rapidly synthesized by microwave heating using silica fume as silica source and evaluated as adsorbents for the removal of Cu2+, Pb2+, and Cd2+ from aqueous solutions. The effects of microwave heating times on the pore structure of the resulting MSMs were investigated as well as the effects of different acids which were employed to adjust the solution pH during the synthesis. The obtained MCM-41 samples were characterized by nitrogen adsorption–desorption analyses, X-ray powder diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicated that microwave heating method can significantly reduce the synthesis time of MCM-41 to 40 min. The MCM-41 prepared using citric acid (c-MCM-41(40)) possessed more ordered hexagonal mesostructure, higher pore volume, and pore diameter. We also explored the ability of c-MCM-41(40) for removing heavy metal ions (Cu2+, Pb2+, and Cd2+) from aqueous solution and evaluated the influence of pH on its adsorption capacity. In addition, the adsorption isotherms were fitted by Langmuir and Freundlich models, and the adsorption kinetics were assessed using pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models. The intraparticle diffusion model was studied to understand the adsorption process and mechanism. The results confirmed that the as-synthesized adsorbent could efficiently remove the heavy metal ions from aqueous solution at pH range of 5–7. The adsorption isotherms obeyed the Langmuir model, and the maximum adsorption capacities of the adsorbent for Cu2+, Pb2+, and Cd2+ were 36.3, 58.5, and 32.3 mg/g, respectively. The kinetic data were well fitted to the pseudo-second-order model, and the results of intraparticle diffusion model showed complex chemical reaction might be involved during adsorption process