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Simple Summary: The identification of new and beneficial alternatives to antibiotics is of great value in ruminant farming. The combined addition of inulin and Chinese gallotannin to the diet could reduce the content of saturated fatty acids in mutton while increasing the content of unsaturated fatty acids. Besides, these supplements could also enhance the energy and lipid metabolism of Hu sheep, ultimately improving mutton quality and production performance. Thus, sheep producers are encouraged to consider using these dietary supplements to support better mutton production. The aim of this study was to investigate the impacts of inulin and Chinese gallotannin on the meat fatty acids and urinary metabolites in sheep. Twenty-four healthy (25.80 ± 3.85 kg) weaned Hu lambs of approximately 4.5 months old were equally divided into four groups: control group (basal diet), treatment group I (basal diet + 0.1% inulin), treatment group II (basal diet + 0.1% inulin + 2% Chinese gallotannin), and treatment group III (basal diet + 0.1% inulin + 2% Chinese gallotannin + 4% PEG). The contents of myristic acid (C14:0) and palmitic acid (C16:0) were found to be lower in treatment group II than in the control group (p < 0.05). Moreover, the palmitoleic acid (C16:1) content in treatment group II was notably higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05), while the elaidic acid (C18:1n9t) content in treatment group II was higher than that in other groups (p < 0.05). Besides, the linoleic acid (C18:2n6c) content was higher in the treatment II and control groups than in the treatment I and III groups. Furthermore, compared with the control group, both 4-pyridoxic acid and creatinine in treatment groups I and II were upregulated (p < 0.05), while other metabolites, such as nicotinuric acid, l-threonine, palmitic acid, and oleic acid, were drastically downregulated (p < 0.05). These differential metabolites were found to be mainly involved in nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism (ko00760), vitamin B6 metabolism (ko00750), and the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway (ko00061). It is concluded that the combination of inulin and Chinese gallotannin in the diet could improve the energy and lipid metabolism of sheep, which may improve both mutton quality and production performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid and reliable determination of thrombomodulin (TM) is of great significance for the diagnosis of disseminated intravascular coagulation, thrombosis and others. This work exhibits an electrochemiluminescent (ECL) sensor, which was prepared using Ru(bpy)32+ encapsulated by MIL-NH2-101(Al) nanocomposites for the sensitive detection of the new-thrombus marker thrombomodulin (TM) for the first time. Specifically, on one hand, with the advantages of high specific surface area, large hollow porous structure and favorable biocompatibility, MIL-NH2-101(Al) could load a large amount of luminescent Ru(bpy)32+ and thereby greatly enhance the ECL signal of the immunosensor. On the other hand, K2S2O8 is used as co-reactant to form a reduction–oxidation ECL system for cathodic ECL detection with strong anti-interference capacity. The experimental results show that the ECL signal intensity of the Ru(bpy)32+@MIL-NH2-101(Al)-based immunosensor decreased with the immunocapturing of TM, exhibiting a linear detection concentration ranging from 1 × 10−5 to 10 μg mL−1 and the limit of detection (LOD) of 8.2 × 10−6 μg mL−1 (S/N = 3). With its ideal stability, selectivity and reproducibility, the proposed ECL immunosensor can provide excellent aid and shows great promise for the detection of TM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate matter with a diameter below 2.5 µm (PM2.5) is a major urban air pollutant. This is a well-acknowledged risk factor for diseases. PM2.5 positively correlates with the abundance and species of airborne bacteria. The sensitivity and fragility of neonates lead to this population being frequently admitted to the hospital and thus exposed to risk factors for nosocomial infection. However, the association between the outdoor PM2.5 concentration and nosocomial infection is under-researched. This study aimed to explore the association between the outdoor PM2.5 concentration and nosocomial bacterial infection in neonates. A total of 7482 neonates admitted to the neonatal ward at a hospital in Guangzhou, China, between 2017 and 2020 were recruited. Weather data and the average daily concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and NO2 within the same period were collected. Multivariable Fine–Gray competing risk models were constructed to explore the association between PM2.5 and nosocomial bacterial infections in the form of a PM2.5 single-pollutant model and PM2.5 + SO2, PM2.5 + NO2, and PM2.5 + PM2.5~10 double-pollutant models. Sixty-two neonates experienced nosocomial infections within the follow-up period. In the PM2.5 single-pollutant model, we found a positive association between PM2.5 and bacterial infection. Every 10-µg increase in the average of daily PM2.5 concentration was associated with an average of 27% (95% CI, 1.02–1.55, P = 0.03) higher subdistribution hazard rate of nosocomial infection. No statistically significant association with infection was found in the PM2.5 + SO2, PM2.5 + NO2, and PM2.5 + PM2.5~10 models. The outdoor PM2.5 concentration is positively associated with nosocomial bacterial infection in neonates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perturbation method, the Edgeworth series, the reliability-based optimization, the reliability sensitivity technique, and the robust design are employed to present a practical and effective approach for the robust reliability design of the Banjo flange with arbitrary distribution parameters on the condition of known first four moments of original random variables. The theoretical formulas of robust reliability design for the Banjo flange with arbitrary distribution parameters are obtained. The respective program can be used to obtain the robust reliability design parameters of the Banjo flange with arbitrary distribution parameters accurately and quickly.