Effects of mannan oligosaccharides on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation and hematological parameters in sheep

Background Mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) are a promising feed additive in animal husbandry due to mainly improving animal health status. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of MOS on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation, and twelve hematological parameters in sheep. Methods Ninety-six healthy Hu rams with similar body weights were chosen and divided into four treatment groups (twenty-four rams in each group), in which four different doses of MOS were tested: 0%, 0.8%, 1.6% and 2.4% of the basal diet (on an as-fed basis). Results The results showed that supplementation dietary MOS did not affect feed intake, body weight, average daily weight gain, or ruminal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) concentration; the ratio of individual fatty acids to total SCFAs, the C2/C3 ratio, and the hematological parameters in the sheep were also unaltered (P > 0.05). Conversely, supplementation dietary MOS increased the dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and ash apparent digestibility (P < 0.05), and decreased the ruminal ammonia concentration in the sheep (P < 0.05), especially at a dose of 1.6%. Conclusions This indicates that supplementation dietary MOS improved nutrient utilization by the sheep and nitrogen metabolism in the rumen; however, the effects are too slight to interfere with the basal metabolism in the sheep

Variations in water use strategies of Tamarix ramosissima at coppice dunes along a precipitation gradient in desert regions of northwest China

IntroductionThe precipitation pattern has changed significantly in arid desert areas, yet it is not clear how the water use strategies of Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb. on coppice dunes along a natural precipitation gradient are affected.MethodsIn this study, the hydrogen and oxygen isotope compositions of xylem water, soil water, precipitation, and groundwater were measured by stable isotope techniques in Huocheng, Mosuowan, and Tazhong. Additionally, the water use strategies of natural precipitation gradient were investigated in conjunction with the MixSIAR model.ResultsThe results indicated that the water sources of T. ramosissima exhibited significant variation from semi-arid to hyper-arid areas. In semi-arid areas, T. ramosissima mainly absorbed shallow, shallow-middle, and middle soil water; however, T. ramosissima shifted its primary water sources to middle and deep soil water in arid areas. In hyper-arid areas, it mainly utilized deep soil water and groundwater. In contrast, the water source contribution rate of T. ramosissima exhibited relative uniformity across each layer in an arid area. Notably, in hyper-arid areas, the proportion of groundwater by T. ramosissima was significantly high, reaching 60.2%. This is due to the relatively shallow groundwater supplementing the deep soil water content in the area. In conclusion, the proportion of shallow soil water decreased by 14.7% for T. ramosissima from semi-arid to hyper-arid areas, illustrating the occurrence of a gradual shift in potential water sources utilized by T. ramosissima from shallow to deep soil water and groundwater.DiscussionTherefore, T. ramosissima on coppice dunes shows flexible water use strategies in relation to precipitation and groundwater, reflecting its strong environmental adaptability. The findings hold significant implications for the conservation of water resources and vegetation restoration in arid areas

Upconversion NIR-II fluorophores for mitochondria-targeted cancer imaging and photothermal therapy

Acknowledgements: The work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2020YFA0908800), NSFC (81773674, 81573383), Shenzhen Science and Technology Research Grant (JCYJ20190808152019182), Hubei Province Scientific and Technical Innovation Key Project, National Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (2017CFA024, 2017CFB711), the Applied Basic Research Program of Wuhan Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology (2019020701011429), Tibet Autonomous Region Science and Technology Plan Project Key Project (XZ201901-GB-11), the Local Development Funds of Science and Technology Department of Tibet (XZ202001YD0028C), Project First-Class Disciplines Development Supported by Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CZYJC1903), Health Commission of Hubei Province Scientific Research Project (WJ2019M177, WJ2019M178), the China Scholarship Council, and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

An Earlier Predictive Rollover Index Designed for Bus Rollover Detection and Prevention

As vehicle rollovers annually cause a great deal of traffic-related deaths, an increasing number of vehicles are being equipped with rollover prevention systems with the aim of avoiding such accidents. To improve the functionality of active rollover prevention systems, this study provided a potential enhanced method with the intention to predict the tendency of the lateral load transfer ratio (LTR), which is the most common rollover index. This will help provide a certain amount of lead time for the control system to respond more effectively. Before the prediction process, an estimation equation was proposed to better estimate the LTR; the equation was validated using Simulink and TruckSim. Further, to eliminate the influence of drawbacks and make this method practical, a buffer operator was added. Simulation results showed that grey LTR (GLTR) was able to roundly predict the future trend of the LTR based on current and previous data. Under the tests of “Sine with Dwell” (Sindwell) and double lane change (DLC), the GLTR could provide the control system with sufficient time beforehand. Additionally, to further examine the performance of the GLTR, a differential system model was adopted to verify its effectiveness. Through the Sindwell maneuver, it was demonstrated that the GLTR index could improve the performance of the rollover prevention systems by achieving the expected response. Document type: Articl

Genetic Regulation of N6-Methyladenosine-RNA in Mammalian Gametogenesis and Embryonic Development

Emerging evidence shows that m(6)A is the most abundant modification in eukaryotic RNA molecules. It has only recently been found that this epigenetic modification plays an important role in many physiological and pathological processes, such as cell fate commitment, immune response, obesity, tumorigenesis, and relevant for the present review, gametogenesis. Notably the RNA metabolism process mediated by m(6)A is controlled and regulated by a series of proteins termed writers, readers and erasers that are highly expressed in germ cells and somatic cells of gonads. Here, we review and discuss the expression and the functional emerging roles of m(6)A in gametogenesis and early embryogenesis of mammals. Besides updated references about such new topics, readers might find in the present work inspiration and clues to elucidate epigenetic molecular mechanisms of reproductive dysfunction and perspectives for future research

Global intron retention mediated gene regulation during CD4+ T cell activation.

T cell activation is a well-established model for studying cellular responses to exogenous stimulation. Using strand-specific RNA-seq, we observed that intron retention is prevalent in polyadenylated transcripts in resting CD4(+) T cells and is significantly reduced upon T cell activation. Several lines of evidence suggest that intron-retained transcripts are less stable than fully spliced transcripts. Strikingly, the decrease in intron retention (IR) levels correlate with the increase in steady-state mRNA levels. Further, the majority of the genes upregulated in activated T cells are accompanied by a significant reduction in IR. Of these 1583 genes, 185 genes are predominantly regulated at the IR level, and highly enriched in the proteasome pathway, which is essential for proper T cell proliferation and cytokine release. These observations were corroborated in both human and mouse CD4(+) T cells. Our study revealed a novel post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism that may potentially contribute to coordinated and/or quick cellular responses to extracellular stimuli such as an acute infection

A Lactate Fermentation Mutant of Toxoplasma Stimulates Protective Immunity Against Acute and Chronic Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasma gondii is an important zoonotic pathogen infecting one-third of the world’s population and numerous animals, causing significant healthcare burden and socioeconomic problems. Vaccination is an efficient way to reduce global sero-prevalence, however, ideal vaccines are not yet available. We recently discovered that the Toxoplasma mutant lacking both lactate dehydrogenases LDH1 and LDH2 (Δldh) grew well in vitro but was unable to propagate in mice, making it a good live vaccine candidate. Here, we tested the protection efficacy of ME49 Δldh using a mouse model. Vaccinated mice were efficiently protected from the lethal challenge of a variety of wild-type strains, including type 1 strain RH, type 2 strain ME49, type 3 strain VEG, and a field isolate of Chinese 1. The protection efficacies of a single vaccination were nearly 100% for most cases and it worked well against the challenges of both tachyzoites and tissue cysts. Re-challenging parasites were unable to propagate in vaccinated mice, nor did they make tissue cysts. High levels of Toxoplasma-specific IgG were produced 30 days after immunization and stayed high during the whole tests (at least 125 days). However, passive immunization of naïve mice with sera from vaccinated mice did reduce parasite propagation, but the overall protection against parasite infections was rather limited. On the other hand, Δldh immunization evoked elevated levels of Th1 cytokines like INF-γ and IL-12, at early time points. In addition, splenocytes extracted from immunized mice were able to induce quick and robust INF-γ and other pro-inflammatory cytokine production upon T. gondii antigen stimulation. Together these results suggest that cellular immune responses are the main contributors to the protective immunity elicited by Δldh vaccination, and humoral immunity also contributes partially. We also generated uracil auxotrophic mutants in ME49 and compared their immune protection efficiencies to the Δldh mutants. The results showed that these two types of mutants have similar properties as live vaccine candidates. Taken together, these results suggest that mutants lacking LDH were severely attenuated in virulence but were able to induce strong anti-toxoplasma immune responses, therefore are good candidates for live vaccines

Novel NIR-II organic fluorophores for bioimaging beyond 1550 nm

This work was partially supported by grants from NSFC (81773674, 81573383, and 21473041), NSFHP (2017CFA024, 2017CFB711, and 2016ACA126), the Applied Basic Research Program of WMBST (2019020701011429), Tibet Autonomous Region Science and Technology Plan Project Key Project (XZ201901-GB-11), Project First-Class Disciplines Development Supported by Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CZYJC1903), and Health Commission of Hubei Province Scientific Research Project (WJ2019M177 and WJ2019M178).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

A comprehensive review of Tripterygium wilfordii hook. f. in the treatment of rheumatic and autoimmune diseases: Bioactive compounds, mechanisms of action, and future directions

Rheumatic and autoimmune diseases are a group of immune system-related disorders wherein the immune system mistakenly attacks and damages the body’s tissues and organs. This excessive immune response leads to inflammation, tissue damage, and functional impairment. Therapeutic approaches typically involve medications that regulate immune responses, reduce inflammation, alleviate symptoms, and target specific damaged organs. Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f., a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, has been widely studied in recent years for its application in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and multiple sclerosis. Numerous studies have shown that preparations of Tripterygium wilfordii have anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and immunosuppressive effects, which effectively improve the symptoms and quality of life of patients with autoimmune diseases, whereas the active metabolites of T. wilfordii have been demonstrated to inhibit immune cell activation, regulate the production of inflammatory factors, and modulate the immune system. However, although these effects contribute to reductions in inflammatory responses and the suppression of autoimmune reactions, as well as minimize tissue and organ damage, the underlying mechanisms of action require further investigation. Moreover, despite the efficacy of T. wilfordii in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, its toxicity and side effects, including its potential hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity, warrant a thorough assessment. Furthermore, to maximize the therapeutic benefits of this plant in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and enable more patients to utilize these benefits, efforts should be made to strengthen the regulation and standardized use of T. wilfordii