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Abstract Tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) with multiple incentives is a metabolic skeletal disease that occurs in fast-growing broilers. Perturbations in the gut microbiota (GM) have been shown to affect bone homoeostasis, but the mechanisms by which GM modulates bone metabolism in TD broilers remain unknown. Here, using a broiler model of TD, we noted elevated blood glucose (GLU) levels in TD broilers, accompanied by alterations in the pancreatic structure and secretory function and damaged intestinal barrier function. Importantly, faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) of gut microbes from normal donors rehabilitated the GM and decreased the elevated GLU levels in TD broilers. A high GLU level is a predisposing factor to bone disease, suggesting that GM dysbiosis-mediated hyperglycaemia might be involved in bone regulation. 16S rRNA gene sequencing and short-chain fatty acid analysis revealed that the significantly increased level of the metabolite butyric acid derived from the genera Blautia and Coprococcus regulated GLU levels in TD broilers by binding to GPR109A in the pancreas. Tibial studies showed reduced expression of vascular regulatory factors (including PI3K, AKT and VEFGA) based on transcriptomics analysis and reduced vascular distribution, contributing to nonvascularization of cartilage in the proximal tibial growth plate of TD broilers with elevated GLU levels. Additionally, treatment with the total flavonoids from Rhizoma drynariae further validated the improvement in bone homoeostasis in TD broilers by regulating GLU levels through the regulation of GM to subsequently improve intestinal and pancreatic function. These findings clarify the critical role of GM-mediated changes in GLU levels via the gut–pancreas axis in bone homoeostasis in TD chickens.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is an unavoidable environmental pollutant commonly found in feed and foodstuffs. It is the most toxic one of all the aflatoxins, which can cause severe impairment to testicular development and function. Yet, the underlying mechanisms of reproductive toxicity in rams sheep remain inconclusive. The study was designed to explore the effects of AFB1 on sheep testes through rumen-microbiota, oxidative stress and apoptosis. Six-month-old male Dorper rams (n = 6) were orally administrated with 1.0 mg/kg AFB1 (dissolved in 20 mL 4% ethanol) 24 h before the experiment. At the same time, rams in the control group (n = 6) were intragastrically administrated with 20 mL 4% ethanol. It was observed that acute AFB1 poisoning had significant (p

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is an unavoidable contaminant in animal feed and agricultural products. AFB1 has been found to impair the liver and kidney function of sheep. However, few data are available, which explain the toxic damage of AFB1 exposure on meat quality. In the study, male Dorper RAMS sheep (6-month-old) were orally administrated with AFB1 at the dose of 1 mg/kg body weight once. The body temperature, serum biochemistry, meat quality-related parameters, oxidation indicators in meat and serum, the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory, and microbiota composition of feces were measured 24 h after AFB1 exposure. The results showed that the body temperature was slightly increased, the mental state of mutton sheep was suppressed, and biochemical indicators were significantly changed after AFB1 exposure. AFB1 impaired mutton quality reflected by the structure of muscle fibers was changed, and increased muscle drip loss and lightness (L*), and decreased muscle redness (a*). Moreover, we found that AFB1 caused changes in the oxidative stress indicators T-SOD, T-AOC, MDA, GSH level, and GSH/GSSG ratio, and inflammation damage of mutton reflected by increasing pro-inflammatory TNF-α and reducing anti-inflammatory IL-10 mRNA levels, disrupts the secretion of inflammatory factors, and changed the composition of gut microbiota reflected by significantly increased Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and decreased the abundances of Butyrivibrio, which are related to the quality of the mutton. In summary, gut microbiota participates in AFB1 to damage mutton quality, which may be co-mediated by oxidative stress, inflammation, and gut microbiota.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a group of highly toxic mycotoxins that are commonly found in human and animal foods and threaten animal and human food safety. Total flavonoids of Rhizoma Drynaria (TFRD), a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, exert multiple biological activities such as immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidation effects. Here, a total of 160 healthy 21-day-old male broilers were randomly divided into four groups: the CON group, the TFRD group, the AFB1 group, and the AFB1 + TFRD group. The study found that AFB1 exposure altered the breast meat quality-related indicators, including meat sensory and physical indicators. Metabolomics analysis further showed that the change in meat quality was closely associated with significantly differential metabolites of breast muscle. Furthermore, spotlighted amino acid content contributes to changes in the secondary structure of the myofibrillar protein by Raman spectroscopy analysis, which was associated with the oxidative stress and inflammatory response in AFB1-exposed breast meat. Meanwhile, dietary 125 mg/kg TFRD supplementation could effectively restore the changes in breast meat quality. Taken together, these results by multi-technical analysis revealed that AFB1 exposure causes deterioration of chicken meat quality and that TFRD may be a potential herbal extract to antagonize mycotoxicity.

The Palms Together Dagoba at Famen Temple is a 12-story steel-reinforced concrete building, which comprises a vertical inversion and setback tubes with two inflection points formed along its height. It contains two towers with the first two and the top two floors connected, while the remaining floors are separated forming an irregular configuration. During its construction, an earthquake of 8.0 magnitude struck about 500 km away. The seismic intensity at the site is reported to be 6, which may result in some cracks for the local structures. This paper presents the work on field test 1 month after the earthquake and modal identification of the Dagoba. To determine the dynamic characteristics of this structure, ambient vibration tests were performed. Four setups were designed to cover all the degrees of freedom of interest involving the floors from the ground to the roof. A recently developed Bayesian method incorporating multi-setups was employed to identify the modal properties by using the data in all the setups simultaneously. In addition to the most probable values, the associated posterior uncertainties were also obtained, providing an estimation tool to assess the accuracy of the modal parameters. These results were utilized to investigate the modal properties of this structure. The influence due to the earthquake was also studied based on the observation in the field. Before the full-scale field tests, shaking table tests were also implemented. The dynamic properties from the two different tests, as well as their posterior uncertainties, were compared and discussed in the paper. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Parkinson''s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, affecting 2% of the population over age 65years. Mitochondrial defect and oxidative stress actively participate in the dopaminergic (DA) neuron degeneration in PD. Xyloketal B is a novel marine compound with unique chemical structure isolated from mangrove fungus Xylaria sp. (no. 2508). Recently, we have demonstrated that Xyloketal B can directly scavenge DPPH free radicals and protects mitochondria against oxidative insult. In the present study, we investigate the neuroprotective action of xyloketal B against MPP+-induced neurotoxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans and PC12 cells. The viability and DA neurodegeneration was assessed in C. elegans selectively expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) in DA neurons. PC12 cell damage was measured using MTT and nuclear morphology. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential and total GSH were assessed. Xyloketal B dose-dependently protected against MPP+-induced loss of viability and DA neurodegeneration in C. elegans. Similar neuroprotection was replicated in MPP+ PC12 cell model. In addition, xyloketal B attenuated MPP+-induced intracellular ROS accumulation, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and restored total GSH level in PC12 cells. All together, the present study demonstrates that xyloketal B protects against MPP+-induced neurotoxicity in C. elegans and PC12 cells mainly through its antioxidant property and restoration of total GSH level. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]