Effects of Gradient Photoperiod and Temperature on Energy Metabolism and Body Composition in Tupaia belangeri chinensis

In order to explore the adaptive changes in energy metabolism and body composition in response to a gradual reduction in both ambient temperature and photoperiod, male adult tree shrews Tupaia belangeri chinensis were raised under the conditions of 30 oC and 12L:12D photoperiod (control group). The treatment group was changed from 25 oC and 16L:8D photoperiod to 5 oC and 8L:16D photoperiod (treatment group) over a period of four weeks and then maintained at those conditions for a further 4 weeks. Changes in body mass, resting metabolic rates (RMR),energy intake, and wet and dry mass of organs and tissues were measured at the end of the acclimation. Body mass in treatment tree shrews was higher than control. RMR showed significant differences between groups. No significant differences were detected in dry matter intake, energy intake, and digestible energy intake in control tree shrews during the whole acclimation period, while these parameters were significantly increased within treatment tree shrews at the end of acclimation, and were significantly higher than those in control tree shrews. Small intestine and stomach dry mass, as well as the wet mass of small intestine, heart, lung, liver and kidney were significantly higher in treatment groups than in controls, but no significant differences were found in the mass of other organs and tissues. These results suggest that increasing body mass and energy intake, together with adjusting the mass of some organs and tissues, are important physiological changes in tree shrews to adapt the changing environmental conditions

Biosecurity and Disease Management in China’s Animal Agriculture Sector

China’s livestock production sector is changing rapidly to meet a variety of challenges. At the same time, China’s domestic consumers have begun to demand better quality and safer dietary protein sources; potential for international food market penetration has been compromised by food scandals; and her animal agriculture sector remains a concern for emergence of zoonotic diseases. The country is in the process of a major public animal health infrastructure upgrade, and is seeking better integration with international public animal health governance structures. The intent of this article is two-fold. We provide an overview of and commentary on China’s animal husbandry sector and animal disease control policies. We also assess weaknesses in its animal health and biosecurity infrastructure. China’s animal health administration countenances institutional weaknesses that are shared with higher-income countries, but her problems are more pronounced. Administrative failings include poorly demarcated and inconsistent oversight as well as failings in accountability. The need for professionalization of animal health careers, emphasis on quantity goals over qualitative metrics, as well as a want in scientific analysis and follow-through when prioritizing are other weaknesses. Government policy has been to promote larger-scale production, primarily to better secure wholesome food domestically. Production is changing in ways that may pose intermediate-term threats to animal and human health, but the longer-term outcome may be a production base that poses fewer concerns for global health.</p

An Improved Cuckoo Search for a Patient Transportation Problem with Consideration of Reducing Transport Emissions

Many government agencies and business organizations have realized that it is necessary to consider not only the economic cost but also the road transport emissions when they determine the transport policies and operations. In this study, a patient transportation problem with the aim of reducing transport emissions has been formulated by implementing CVRP model. In order to determine the routes of patient transportation with optimized emissions for targeted hospital, an improved Cuckoo Search (ICS) algorithm is proposed. In this study, a ‘split’ procedure has been implemented to simplify the individual’s representation. A new category of cuckoos has been introduced to improve the ICS’s search ability. Two heuristics have been applied to improve the quality of initial population. A local search mechanism has been embedded in the search procedure to improve the quality of solutions obtained at the end of each iteration. The computational results were encouraging and demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed solution method

Total Glucosides of Paeony Alleviate Cell Apoptosis and Inflammation by Targeting the Long Noncoding RNA XIST/MicroRNA-124-3p/ITGB1 Axis in Renal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

Objective. Renal ischemia/reperfusion injury (RI/RI) is the main cause of acute kidney injury. Total glucosides of paeony (TGP) are a traditional Chinese medicine. This study was aimed at exploring the role of TGP in RI/RI and its underlying mechanism of action. Methods. Rat RI/RI models were constructed by surgical operation. Serum creatinine (Scr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were used to evaluate renal function. The levels of proinflammatory cytokines were detected by ELISA. RI/RI was simulated by hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) treatment in renal cells in vitro. The lncRNA XIST (XIST) expression was analyzed by qRT-PCR. Then, the viability and apoptosis of renal cells were detected by MTT and flow cytometry assay. Additionally, dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to determine the interactions among XIST, microRNA-124-3p (miR-124-3p), and ITGB1. Results. TGP improved renal function and inhibited inflammatory responses after RI/RI. XIST expression was highly expressed in rat RI/RI models and H/R-treated renal cells, whereas treatment with TGP downregulated the XIST expression. Additionally, TGP increased viability and attenuated apoptosis and inflammation of H/R-treated renal cells via inhibiting XIST. Moreover, XIST was competitively bound to miR-124-3p, and ITGB1 was a target of miR-124-3p. miR-124-3p overexpression or ITGB1 inhibition rescued the reduction effect on viability and mitigated the promoting effects on cell apoptosis and inflammation caused by XIST overexpression in H/R-treated renal cells. Conclusions. In vivo, TGP attenuated renal dysfunction and inflammation in RI/RI rats. In vitro, TGP inhibited XIST expression to modulate the miR-124-3p/ITGB1 axis, alleviating the apoptosis and inflammation of H/R-treated renal cells

Raw data - Analysis of differential metabolites and metabolic pathways in adipose tissue of tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri) under gradient cooling acclimation

The raw data of the article “Analysis of differential metabolites and metabolic pathways in adipose tissue of tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri) under gradient cooling acclimation”.</p

Scaling up agriculture? The dynamics of land transfer in inland China

Major changes are taking place in the Chinese countryside. Long a smallholder dominant economy with small and fragmented farms, a suite of policies, regulations, and financial instruments are being mobilised to drive larger-scale, more commercialised, and more industrialised farming in China. Larger operators such as “dragon-head” agribusinesses are transforming production and supply chains, while the operational rights and titles over farmland are being formalised so that smallholders can more easily transfer their land to large-scale producers. This article aims to deepen our understanding of the extent and nature of land transfer in China by exploring its dynamics in inland provinces. It draws on a 2019 survey of more than 900 cash-cropping farms in four provinces (Hebei, Shaanxi, Hubei and Yunnan), semi-structured interviews, and secondary data. Our mixed methods approach supports in-depth analysis of the extent and dynamics of land transfer in apple, tea, orange and coffee-growing areas. We find that in contrast to national statistics, land transfer from smallholders to other operators is generally quite limited, a finding which highlights the ongoing viability of specialised smallholder farming and other site-specific barriers to scaling up. In the site where land transfer is most extensive, it is being driven by a state-agribusiness-cooperative alliance rather than through a newly emerged rural land market. We also find that the nature of leasing out farmland is markedly different to leasing in farmland. Where it occurs, the leasing out of land tends to be organised and formalised, and is tied to state developmentalist goals, particularly poverty alleviation. The leasing in of land is more widespread and occurs on an informal basis. Our analysis highlights key conditions that determine uneven land transfer and confirms that local political-economic dynamics complicate the realisation of central government directives on the ground

Assessing Interactions between Common Genetic Variant on 2q35 and Hormone Receptor Status with Breast Cancer Risk: Evidence Based on 26 Studies

<div><p>Genome-wide association studies have identified 2q35-rs13387042 as a new breast cancer (BC) susceptibility locus in populations of European descent. Since then, the relationship between 2q35-rs13387042 and breast cancer has been reported in various ethnic groups; however, these studies have yielded inconsistent results. To investigate this inconsistency, we performed a meta-analysis of 26 studies involving a total of 101,529 cases and 167,363 controls for 2q35-rs13387042 polymorphism to evaluate its effect on genetic susceptibility for breast cancer. An overall random effects odds ratio of 1.14 (95% CI: 1.11–1.16, P<10⁻⁵) was found for rs13387042-A variant. Significant results were also observed using dominant (OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.12–1.17, P<10⁻⁵), recessive (OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.13–1.21, P<10⁻⁵) and co-dominant genetic model (heterozygous: OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.12–1.19, P<10⁻⁵; homozygous: OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.15–1.24, P<10⁻⁵). There was strong evidence of heterogeneity, which largely disappeared after stratification by ethnicity. Significant associations were found in East Asians, and White populations when stratified by ethnicity; while no significant associations were observed in Africans and other ethnic populations. An association was observed for both ER-positive (OR = 1.17, 95% 1.15–1.19; P<10⁻⁵) and ER-negative disease (OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.04–1.13; P<10⁻⁴) and both progesterone receptor (PR)-positive (OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.15–1.21; P<10⁻⁵) and PR-negative disease (OR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.05–1.15; P<10⁻⁴). In conclusion, this meta-analysis demonstrated that the A allele of 2q35-rs13387042 is a risk factor associated with increased breast cancer susceptibility.</p></div

Forest plot from the meta-analysis of breast cancer risk and 2q35-rs13387042 polymorphism.

<p>Forest plot from the meta-analysis of breast cancer risk and 2q35-rs13387042 polymorphism.</p