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Previous studies on porous or nano particles zinc oxide (ZnO) in the piglets have mainly focused on growth performance and intestinal inflammation, but have scarcely explored the efficacy on gut microbiota. In addition, the efficacy of nano particles ZnO, which is related to its product quality, remains undefined. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of dietary 500 mg/kg porous or nano particles ZnO on the growth performance and gut microbiota of the weaned piglets. A total of 128 weaned piglets were randomly assigned to the dietary groups: NC (basal diet), PC (basal diet + 3,000 mg/kg conventional ZnO), 500HiZ (basal diet + 500 mg/kg porous particles ZnO), and 500ZNP (basal diet + 500 mg/kg nano particles ZnO). Compared with the NC diet group, both 500HiZ and 500ZNP increased (P

In order to reduce the negative effects caused by oxidative stress on broilers, it is particularly important to find ways to alleviate oxidative stress. As a natural plant extract, L-theanine has a variety of biological effects, such as improving antioxidant capacity, promoting growth, and enhancing immunity and antitumor. This trial evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation of L-theanine on growth performance, antioxidation, meat quality, and intestinal microflora in 817 White Feather Broilers. A total of 108 21-day-old 817 broilers with similar body weight (BW) were randomly divided into three groups with six replicates per group and six chickens within each replicate. The three groups were corn-soybean-based diet (NC group); basal diet plus drinking water with 30 mg hydrocortisone/kg (PC group); and basal diet supplemented with 400 mg L-theanine/kg plus drinking water with 30 mg hydrocortisone/kg (LT group). Compared with the NC group, from 21 to 24 days of age, the PC and LT groups had decreased BW, average daily gain (ADG), and average daily feed intake (ADFI), and increased feed to gain ratio (F/G; p < 0.05). At 24 days of age, the LT group had improved superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities in serum as compared to the NC group (p < 0.05). The LT group broilers also had significantly higher concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum and liver (p < 0.05). On the 42nd days, the PC group had lower PH45min (p < 0.05) than the NC and LT groups and higher cooking loss and shear force (p < 0.05). Moreover, the villi height of the PC group was significantly lower in jejunum than the NC group (p < 0.05). The LT group had a higher ZO-1 content in duodenum than the NC and PC groups (p < 0.05). The activity of GSH-Px in the liver of the LT group was increased than in the PC group (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Firmicutes in the LT group was significantly higher than in the NC and PC groups (p < 0.05). These results suggested that the effects of acute oxidative stress on growth performance and meat quality of broilers are continuous, and dietary supplementation of L-theanine could improve the growth performance and meat quality, enhance the intestinal mucosal barrier and antioxidant capacity, and improve the composition of the intestinal flora of broilers caused by acute oxidative stress.

High molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin (APN) is closely correlated with the development of fatty liver and is modulated by the Akt/forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) pathway through disulfide‑bond A oxidoreductase‑like protein (DsbA‑L). The Chinese herb extract, QSHX, is used to treat liver diseases. The present study investigated the effects of QSHX on non‑alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its underlying mechanism. A rat model of NAFLD was established by feeding of a high‑fat and high‑sugar diet for 20 weeks. From week 13, the rats were administered with QSHX, or saline as a control, for 8 weeks. The liver function, blood fat and plasma APN were measured using a radioimmunoassay. The hepatic tissue score was measured following staining for pathology. The expression and activities of Akt, FOXO1, DsbA‑L and HMW APN in the adipose tissue and primary adipocytes of the rats were measured using western blot analysis. It was found that QSHX significantly decreased the body weight, liver index, and serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and triglyceride; and increased the serum level of APN in the NAFLD rats. Following 8 weeks of treatment with QSHX, the hepatic steatosis in the liver tissue improved and the score of hepatic steatosis was significantly decreased. The results of the western blot analysis indicated that QSHX promoted the expression of DsbA‑L and HMW APN, and reduced the expression levels of phosphorylated FOXO1 and FOXO1 in adipose tissue and primary adipocytes. It was concluded that QSHX reduced hepatic steatosis by promoting the expression of HMW APN and DsbA‑L, which may have been induced by inhibiting the activation and expression of FOXO1 in adipocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies the "paradox" regarding the practice of keqi in Chinese communication. While not discounting the scholarly consensus that keqi denotes an important principle that Chinese observe in their everyday life, this study draws attention to the other side of the story and discusses the "suppressed rules" or qian guize (...) that sanction the omnipresent rude behaviors in Chinese interpersonal communication. The paradox of keqi does not exist only at the behavioral level, but can also be traced to the level of the philosophical perspectives that have given rise to the contrarian and contradictory behaviors revolving around keqi in particular and around many other communication styles in general. The paradox of keqi, in other words, is one of the many paradoxes existing in Chinese communication which have received little scholarly attention as of date. By studying the paradox of keqi at both the behavioral and the philosophical levels, this article intends to call for a rethinking of some of the established methodologies in the study of Chinese communication and to arrive at a new approach that takes into consideration the essentially paradoxical nature of Chinese communication and properly explains this phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Translating across cultures stands for a complicated and demanding process. In his well-known article "Chinese Poetry and the English Reader," David Hawkes discussed the challenges of translating classical Chinese poetry into English, but he failed to examine a most distinctive feature of Chinese poetry, yi jing ... Commonly translated as "poetic world," yi jing is as much a cultural and philosophical phenomenon as a poetic argument. It is most central to Chinese poetry and the failure to make a substitute for it in English translations hinders its proper understanding by learners of other cultural backgrounds. Using concrete examples, this article examines such failure on the part of the existing English translations and makes suggestions as to its remedy. A visual approach making use of paintings is advocated as a supplementary tool in the teaching of yi jing in the American classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In foreign language education where culture has been integrated as a core curricular component, a “categorical approach” to the concept of culture has been the mainstay. Depending on the orientation of the times, academic debate has been focused on what category of culture should be emphasized in the second language classroom. “Behavioral culture” has replaced “achievement culture” as the center of instruction in many foreign language programs. Although supporting its many premises, this article intends to point out the inadequacies of such a focus through an exposition of the original interconnectedness of each category of culture. Stressing the importance of the “cultural mind” in communicative processes, this article argues for going beyond behavior in the instruction of culture to identify, through an interdisciplinary approach, the values and beliefs that shaped a given behavior in a second culture in the first place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the comparative views of language between Western philosophy and traditional Chinese philosophy. Philosopher's critiques of language center on its inadequacy and metaphoricity; Differences in the way language is perceived and practiced in China and the West; Concepts of truth underlying the two cultural traditions.