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Objective: To explore the association between frailty index (FI) and the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and provide new evidence for the prevention of CVD in adults in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Methods: The FI was constructed by using the data from a prospective cohort with a sample size of 25 055 individuals in 6 years of follow-up, and the prevalence of frailty in adults in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region was described by the FI, and Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to evaluate the association between the FI and the incidence of CVD in adults in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Results: The FI of the study population was 0.24±0.09. The population in the pre-frail (FI: 0.21-0.27) and frail (FI≥0.28) phases had increased risk for CVD compared to non-frail (FI≤0.20) population [pre-frail: hazard ratio ( HR )=1.232, 95% CI : 1.127-1.347; frail phase: HR =1.418, 95% CI :1.299-1.548]. For every 0.10 increase in FI, the risk for cardiovascular disease increased by 20.3% ( HR =1.203,95% CI :1.156-1.252). Conclusions: In this study, we constructed a FI, which can suggest the risk for CVD. As the increase of frailty degree, the risk for CVD increases.

On 9 October 2022, the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) reported the observation of the very early TeV afterglow of the brightest-of-all-time gamma-ray burst 221009A, recording the highest photon statistics in the TeV band ever obtained from a gamma-ray burst. We use this unique observation to place stringent constraints on the energy dependence of the speed of light in vacuum, a manifestation of Lorentz invariance violation (LIV) predicted by some quantum gravity (QG) theories. Our results show that the 95% confidence level lower limits on the QG energy scales are E_{QG,1}>10 times the Planck energy E_{Pl} for the linear LIV effect, and E_{QG,2}>6×10^{-8}E_{Pl} for the quadratic LIV effect. Our limits on the quadratic LIV case improve previous best bounds by factors of 5-7.

In this Letter we try to search for signals generated by ultraheavy dark matter at the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) data. We look for possible γ rays by dark matter annihilation or decay from 16 dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the field of view of the LHAASO. Dwarf spheroidal galaxies are among the most promising targets for indirect detection of dark matter that have low fluxes of astrophysical γ-ray background while having large amount of dark matter. By analyzing more than 700 days of observational data at LHAASO, no significant dark matter signal from 1 TeV to 1 EeV is detected. Accordingly we derive the most stringent constraints on the ultraheavy dark matter annihilation cross section up to EeV. The constraints on the lifetime of dark matter in decay mode are also derived.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of obesity on the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) following laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Methods: A total of 150 patients with pathological diagnosis of colorectal cancer who accepted laparoscopic colorectal excision from January to May 2023 were retrospectively recruited. All the patients scored 26 points or more in the Assess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia (ARISCAT) model, making them all in intermediate to high risks of PPCs. Patients were divided into obesity group and non-obesity group depending on whether they were obese or not. Propensity score matching (1∶1) was performed to achieve the balance of clinicopathological characteristics with the matching factors of age, sex, respiratory complications and ARISCAT score. A total of 96 patients were eventually enrolled, with 48 patients in obesity group and 48 patients in non-obesity group. Besides, the patients were divided into 25°-30° Trendelenburg subgroup and ±10°-15° Trendelenburg subgroup according to surgical sites for further analysis. The incidence of PPCs, the intraoperative airway pressure and blood biomarker expression of lung injury, including soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) and angiopoietin-2 (ANG2) at postoperative day (POD) 1 and POD3 between the two groups were compared. The relationship between obesity and incidence of PPCs within 30 postoperative days were analyzed with unifactorial Cox proportional hazard model. Results: The obesity group was comprised of 35 males and 13 females with a median age of 60 (49, 69) years, and the non-obesity group was comprised of 35 males and 13 females with a median age of 60 (52, 67) years. The incidence of PPCs was 50.0% (24/48) in the obesity group, which was higher than 20.8% (10/48) in the non-obesity group and the incidence of grade Ⅰ PPCs and microatelectasis were 31.3% (15/48) and 33.3% (16/48), higher than the 12.5% (6/48) and 12.5% (6/48) of the non-obesity group (all P <0.05). The peak airway pressure (Ppeak) and plateau airway pressure (Pplat) of patients in obesity group were 34.0(31.5, 36.5) and 30.0(27.0, 32.0) cmH 2 O(1 cmH 2 O=0.098 kPa), which were significantly higher than the 26.0 (24.0, 29.5) and 22.0 (21.0, 26.5) cmH 2 O of the non-obesity group (all P <0.001). The ANG2 level of the obesity group at POD3 was 11.9 (8.4, 16.5) μg/L, which was higher than 9.2 (6.0, 12.3) μg/L of the non-obesity group ( P =0.045). In 25°-30°Trendelenburg subgroup, the incidence of PPCs in obese patients were significantly higher than that of non-obese patients [41.4% (12/29) vs 11.4% (4/35), P =0.005]. In ±10°-15°Trendelenburg subgroup, no significant difference was found in PPCs incidence between obese and non-obese patients [63.2% (12/19) vs 46.2% (6/13), P =0.215]. The unifactorial Cox proportional hazard model analysis showed that obesity was a risk factor of PPCs in 30 postoperative days ( HR =3.015, 95% CI : 1.438-6.321, P =0.001). Conclusion: In patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery with intermediate to high risk of PPCs, obesity raises intraoperative airway pressure and aggravates intraoperative lung endothelial injury. Obesity is a risk factor of PPCs in 30 postoperative days.

Methane (CH 4 ) is a potent gas produced by ruminants, and new measurement techniques are required to generate large datasets suitable for genetic analysis. One such technique are portable accumulation chambers (PAC), a short-term sampling method. The objectives of the current study were to explore the relationship between CH 4 and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) output measured using both PAC and respiration chambers (RC) in growing lambs, and separately investigate the relationship among CH 4 , CO 2 and measured ad libitum DM intake (DMI). Methane, CO 2 and DMI were measured on 30 Suffolk and 30 Texel ewe lambs (age 253 ± 12 days) using the RC and PAC sequentially. The experiment was conducted over a 14-day period, with DMI measured from days 1 to 14; measurements in RC were conducted from days 10 to 12, while measurements in PAC were taken twice, the day immediately prior to the lambs entering the RC (day 9; PAC Pre-RC) and on the day lambs exited the RC (day 13; PAC Post-RC). Greater CH 4 and CO 2 output was measured in the RC than in the PAC (P < 0.01); similarly mean CH 4 yield was greater when measured in the RC (15.39 ± 0.452 g CH 4 /kg DMI) compared to PAC (8.01 ± 0.767 g CH 4 /kg DMI). A moderate correlation of 0.37 was found between CH 4 output measured in PAC Pre-RC and the RC, the corresponding regression coefficient of CH 4 output measured in the RC regressed on CH 4 output measured in PAC Pre-RC was close to unity (0.74; SE 0.224). The variance of CH 4 and CO 2 output within the measurement technique did not differ from each other (P > 0.05). Moderate to strong correlations were found between CH 4 and CO 2 per kg of live weight and CH 4 and CO 2 yield. Results from this study highlight the suitability of PAC as a ranking tool to rank animals based on their gaseous output when compared to the RC. However, repeated measurements separated by several days may be beneficial if precise rankings are required. Given the close to unity regression coefficient of CH 4 output measured in the RC regressed on CH 4 output measured in PAC Pre-RC suggests that PAC could also be potentially used to estimate absolute CH 4 output; however, further research is required to substantiate this claim. When DMI is unknown, CH 4 and CO 2 per kg of live weight are a suitable alternative to the measurement of CH 4 and CO 2 yield., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To explore the relationship between gut microbiota and its metabolite dysregulation and postoperative cognitive dysfunction in elderly male C57BL/6J mice after laparotomy exploration. Methods: A total of 48 specific pathogen-free (SPF) male C57BL/6J mice, aged 16-17 months, were divided into two groups by random number table method: control group ( n =24) and operation group ( n =24). Mice in the operation group were induced with 1.4% isoflurane for 15 minutes, followed by a 10 minutes exploratory laparotomy anesthetized with 1.4% isoflurane and 100% oxygen, and anesthesia continued for 2 hours after surgery. Mice in control group were put in 100% oxygen for 2 hours. Feces and venous blood samples of both groups were collected 48 hours after surgery. Changes in the abundance and diversity of intestinal bacteria in the feces were detected by 16S rDNA gene sequencing. Functional changes of fecal metabolic profiles were detected by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS) metabolomics and differential metabolite functions were analyzed. The serum level of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were detected by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The cognitive function of the mice was detected by Morris water maze test 3 days after operation. Results: The postoperative escape latency of mice in control group and operation group was (22.0±4.9) and (35.0±5.1) s, and the target quadrant residence time was (26.0±3.7) and (16.0±2.9) s, respectively. Compared with the control group, the postoperative escape latency of mice in the operation group was prolonged ( P =0.035), and the residence time in the target quadrant was reduced ( P =0.006). The difference of intestinal flora between the two groups was comparable. The expression levels of Escherichia coli, shigella and clostridium in the operation group were up-regulated, while the expression levels of rumen bacteria and butyricobacteria were down-regulated. Fecal metabolic profiles of mice in control group and operation group were obtained by LC/MS, and 14 and 21 different metabolites were screened in positive and negative ion modes, respectively. The different metabolites in positive ion mode were glutamic acid, 2-indoleic acid, kynuuric acid and glyceraldehyde. The negative ion pattern differential metabolites are methionine, aspartic acid, L-threonine, tyrosyl-threonine and 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid. The identified differential metabolite pathways are mainly involved in amino acid, fatty acid and tryptophan metabolism and nucleotide synthesis. There were no significant differences in serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α between the two groups (all P >0.05). Conclusion: The dysregulated changes of gut microbiota and its metabolites are correlated with the occurrence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction in elderly male C57BL/6J mice. Anesthesia and surgery alter the structure of mice intestinal bacteria on the level of abundance, and change the metabolic balance and feces metabolomic phenotype.

Objective: To investigate the effect of deep neuromuscular blockade (DNMB) combined with low pneumoperitoneum pressure anesthesia strategy on postoperative pain in patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial. One hundred and twenty patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal surgery at Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from December 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023 were selected and randomly divided into two groups by random number table method. Moderate neuromuscular blockade [train of four stimulations count (TOFC)=1-2] was maintained in patients of the control group (group C, n =60) and pneumoperitoneum pressure level was set at 15 mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa). DNMB [post-tonic stimulation count (PTC)=1-2] was maintained in patients of the DNMB combined with low pneumoperitoneum pressuregroup (group D, n =60) and pneumoperitoneum pressure level was set at 10 mmHg. The primary measurement was incidence of moderate to severe pain at 1 h after surgery. The secondary measurements the included incidence of moderate to severe pain at 1, 2, 3, 5 d and 3 months after surgery, the incidence of rescue analgesic drug use, the doses of sufentanil in analgesic pumps, surgical rating scale (SRS) score, the incidence of postoperative residual neuromuscular block, postoperative recovery [evaluated with length of post anesthesia care unit (PACU) stay, time of first exhaust and defecation after surgery and length of hospital stay] and postoperative inflammation conditions [evaluated with serum concentration of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 at 1 d and 3 d after surgery]. Results: The incidence of moderate to severe pain in group D 1 h after surgery was 13.3% (8/60), lower than 30.0% (18/60) of group C ( P <0.05). The incidence of rescue analgesia in group D at 1 h and 1 d after surgery were 13.3% (8/60) and 4.2% (5/120), respectively, lower than 30.0% (18/60) and 12.5% (15/120) of group C (both P <0.05). The IL-1β level in group D was (4.1±1.8)ng/L at 1 d after surgery, which was lower than (4.9±2.6) ng/L of group C ( P =0.048). The IL-6 level in group D was (2.0±0.7)ng/L at 3 d after surgery, which was lower than (2.4±1.1) ng/L of group C ( P =0.018). There was no significant difference in the doses of sufentanil in analgesic pumps, intraoperative SRS score, incidence of neuromuscular block residue, time spent in PACU, time of first exhaust and defecation after surgery, incidence of nausea and vomiting, and length of hospitalization between the two groups (all P >0.05). Conclusion: DNMB combined with low pneumoperitoneum pressure anesthesia strategy alleviates the early-stage pain in patients after laparoscopic colorectal surgery.

We present the measurements of all-particle energy spectrum and mean logarithmic mass of cosmic rays in the energy range of 0.3-30 PeV using data collected from LHAASO-KM2A between September 2021 and December 2022, which is based on a nearly composition-independent energy reconstruction method, achieving unprecedented accuracy. Our analysis reveals the position of the knee at 3.67±0.05±0.15  PeV. Below the knee, the spectral index is found to be -2.7413±0.0004±0.0050, while above the knee, it is -3.128±0.005±0.027, with the sharpness of the transition measured with a statistical error of 2%. The mean logarithmic mass of cosmic rays is almost heavier than helium in the whole measured energy range. It decreases from 1.7 at 0.3 PeV to 1.3 at 3 PeV, representing a 24% decline following a power law with an index of -0.1200±0.0003±0.0341. This is equivalent to an increase in abundance of light components. Above the knee, the mean logarithmic mass exhibits a power law trend towards heavier components, which is reversal to the behavior observed in the all-particle energy spectrum. Additionally, the knee position and the change in power-law index are approximately the same. These findings suggest that the knee observed in the all-particle spectrum corresponds to the knee of the light component, rather than the medium-heavy components.

The diffuse Galactic γ-ray emission, mainly produced via interactions between cosmic rays and the interstellar medium and/or radiation field, is a very important probe of the distribution, propagation, and interaction of cosmic rays in the Milky Way. In this Letter, we report the measurements of diffuse γ rays from the Galactic plane between 10 TeV and 1 PeV energies, with the square kilometer array of the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). Diffuse emissions from the inner (15°10  TeV). The energy spectrum in the inner Galaxy regions can be described by a power-law function with an index of -2.99±0.04, which is different from the curved spectrum as expected from hadronic interactions between locally measured cosmic rays and the line-of-sight integrated gas content. Furthermore, the measured flux is higher by a factor of ∼3 than the prediction. A similar spectrum with an index of -2.99±0.07 is found in the outer Galaxy region, and the absolute flux for 10≲E≲60  TeV is again higher than the prediction for hadronic cosmic ray interactions. The latitude distributions of the diffuse emission are consistent with the gas distribution, while the longitude distributions show clear deviation from the gas distribution. The LHAASO measurements imply that either additional emission sources exist or cosmic ray intensities have spatial variations.

Objective: To compare the sedation profiles and the pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and safety characteristics of ciprofol and propofol at 3 escalated dose levels in healthy Chinese male subjects., Patients and Methods: Eighteen subjects were planned to be enrolled into 3 dose groups in turn: group 1 (ciprofol-0.4 mg/kg vs. propofol-2.0 mg/kg), group 2 (ciprofol-0.6 mg/kg vs. propofol-3.0 mg/kg) and group 3 (ciprofol-0.8 mg/kg vs. propofol-4.0 mg/kg). They were randomly assigned into a ciprofol or propofol group in a ratio of 1:1, with sequences of ciprofol-propofol or propofol-ciprofol, separated with a washout period of at least 48 h., Results: A total of 19 subjects were enrolled and 18 completed the trial. The median time to being fully alert after induction by ciprofol was longer than for propofol. The bispectral index (BIS) recovered significantly slower with ciprofol than with propofol 5 min and 10 min after reaching its lowest points. Systolic blood pressure (group 1: p=0.041; group 2: p=0.015; group 3: p=0.004) and mean arterial pressures (group 1: p=0.026; group 2: p=0.015; group 3: p=0.004) measured by the area under the curve below the baseline during the 2 min after induction were significantly less for ciprofol compared to propofol, but a significant change in diastolic blood pressure was only observed in group 3 (p=0.002). Eighteen (100.0%) subjects experienced 47 ciprofol-related treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and 17 (94.4%) subjects had 54 propofol-related TEAEs, which were mainly hypotension, involuntary movements, respiratory depression, and pain at the injection site with severity of grade 1 or 2., Conclusions: Ciprofol may be well tolerated at higher doses in the clinical practice and exhibited significantly different sedation profiles to propofol.

Some gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have a tera-electron volt (TeV) afterglow, but the early onset of this has not been observed. We report observations with the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) of the bright GRB 221009A, which serendipitously occurred within the instrument's field of view. More than 64,000 photons >0.2 TeV were detected within the first 3000 seconds. The TeV flux began several minutes after the GRB trigger and then rose to a peak ~10 seconds later. This was followed by a decay phase, which became more rapid ~650 seconds after the peak. We interpret the emission using a model of a relativistic jet with half-opening angle of ~0.8°. This is consistent with the core of a structured jet and could explain the high isotropic energy of this GRB.

Thirty-six ewes aged 18 months were assigned to one of three groups (n = 12) on the basis of faecal egg count (FEC) for rumen fluke; C: control (FEC = 0-5 epg), T: affected (FEC ≥ 6 epg) and treated, NT: affected (FEC ≥ 6 epg) and not treated. T ewes were treated with oxyclozanide 14 days prior to the trial commencing. Ewes were fed grass silage ad libitum. Digestibility crates and respiration chambers were used to measure feed digestibility and methane production. Dry matter intake (DMI), feed digestibility and CH 4 /DMI did not differ (P > 0.05) between treatments. However, CH 4 /live weight (LW) was significantly greater (P < 0.001) for NT ewes, while that of C and T ewes were similar. This study indicates that a high rumen fluke burden can increase methane emissions but only when expressed on a body weight basis (per kg LW). As the link between rumen fluke infection and methane production has not previously been investigated within the literature, these findings demonstrate the need for further research to better understand these relationships., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Hyperalgesia is an occult complication during the treatment of cancer pain, not only related to opioids, but also pertaining to the tumor itself and cancer therapeutic drugs. Yet it is often ignored by clinicians. Patients with cancer pain who were treated with opioids often have sensory abnormalities presented with reduced pain threshold and increased sensitivity to nociceptive stimuli. This phenomenon is clinically called opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH). However, due to the complexity of pathogenesis and the lack of clinical diagnostic criteria, the pain management of cancer patients is still facing great challenges. Therefore, this article focuses on the clinical diagnosis, pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of hyperalgesia related to cancer pain treatment, in order to provide a basis for optimal use of opioids in the future.

Nitrogen (N) excretion from livestock production systems is of significant environmental concern; however, few studies have investigated the effect of dietary CP concentration on N utilisation efficiency at different stages of lactation, and the interaction between dietary CP levels and stages of lactation on N utilisation. Holstein-Friesian dairy cows (12 primiparous and 12 multiparous) used in the present study were selected from a larger group of cows involved in a whole-lactation study designed to examine the effect of dietary CP concentration on milk production and N excretion rates at different stages of lactation. The total diet CP concentrations evaluated were 114 (low CP), 144 (medium CP) and 173 (high CP) g/kg DM, with diets containing (g/kg DM) 550 concentrates, 270 grass silage and 180 maize silage. During early (70-80 days), mid- (150-160 days) and late (230-240 days) lactation, the same 24 animals were transferred from the main cow house to metabolism units for measurements of feed intake, milk production and faeces and urine outputs. Diet had no effect on BW, body condition score, or milk fat, protein or lactose concentration, but DM intake, milk yield and digestibilities of DM, energy and N increased with increasing diet CP concentration. The effect of diet on milk yield was largely due to differences between the low and medium CP diets. Increasing dietary CP concentration significantly increased urine N/N intake and urine N/manure N, and decreased faecal N/N intake, milk N/N intake and manure N/N intake. Although increasing dietary CP level significantly increased urine N/milk yield and manure N/milk yield, differences in these two variables between low and medium CP diets were not significant. There was no significant interaction between CP level and stage of lactation on any N utilisation variable, indicating that the effects of CP concentration on these variables were similar between stages of lactation. These results demonstrated that a decrease in dietary CP concentration from high (173 g/kg DM) to medium level (144 g/kg DM) may be appropriate for Holstein-Friesian dairy cow to maintain milk production efficiency, whilst reducing both urine N and manure N as a proportion of N intake or milk production., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To assess whether myocardial fibrosis affects the protective efficiency of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI) in type 2 diabetic rats. Methods: Type 2 diabetic rat model was established. Fifty-four normal and 54 diabetic spragus-dawley (SD) rats were equally divided into 6 groups ( n =18) using the random number table method: (1) Control group (C group); (2) Ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) control group (IRI group); (3) IPC group; (4) Diabetic control group (DC group); (5) Diabetic IRI group (DIRI group); (6) Diabetic IPC group (DIPC group). After the reperfusion, blood samples were obtained for measuring serum concentrations of creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The myocardial infarction size (IS) was assessed by double staining method with Evan's blue and Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC), and the myocardial collagen volume fraction (CVF) and perivascular collagen area (PVCA) were assessed by Masson staining. Results: A stable and effective rat model with long-term diabetes was established in the current study. Compared with the normal rat groups, the CVF and PVCA significantly increased (all P <0.05) in the diabetic rat groups. The levels of CK-MB, cTnI and IS in the IPC group were (6.6±0.8) ng/ml, (0.5±0.1) ng/ml and (25.1±4.7) %, which showed significant decrease compared with (12.3±1.1) ng/ml, (1.2±0.3) ng/ml and (52.3±8.1) % in IRI group (all P <0.05). Among the diabetic rat groups, the CK-MB and cTnI levels in DIPC group were (11.5±0.9) and (1.1±0.1) ng/ml, apparently lower than the levels of (16.6±2.2) and (1.4±0.3) ng/ml in the DIRI group (both P <0.05). Compared with the IPC group, the IS, CK-MB and cTnI levels significantly increased in the DIPC group (all P <0.05). Conclusion: Myocardial fibrosis exists in rats with long-term type 2 diabetes, which weakens the protective effect of IPC on diabetes MIRI.

Objective: To explore the role of the enhanced milieu teaching (EMT) model in early intervention of children with language developmental delay (LDD) in outpatient child healthcare clinic. Methods: Case-control study design was adopted. Twenty-eight children aged 2.5 to 4.0 years who were diagnosed with LDD from June 2019 to June 2020 at the Division of Child Healthcare, Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology were recruited as the intervention group, and participated in one-on-one EMT model language rehabilitation sessions for 3 months (12 sessions). Another 27 children with LDD who attended the Division of Child Healthcare around the same period of time were recruited as control group, all of whom did not attend any types of language intervention in the subsequent three months. Both groups were followed up three months later. Gesell developmental scale (GDS) and diagnostic receptive and expressive assessment of Mandarin-comprehensive (DREAM-C) standardized language test were used to evaluate and compare children's development level at the first and follow-up visit, with the treatment effect of the EMT model being evaluated with independent sample t -test. Results: The language development quotient of GDS of the intervention group (22 boys and 6 girls) at the follow-up visit was significantly higher than that of at the first visit (64±21 vs. 52±17, t =4.960, P <0.01). The Dream-C test scores of total language (89±16 vs. 77±14, t =5.061, P <0.01), receptive language (90±16 vs. 77±15, t =5.301, P <0.01), semantics (93±20 vs. 79±19, t =5.06, P <0.01), and syntax after training (84±14 vs. 76±11, t =3.209, P <0.01) were significantly higher than those at the first visit. In the control group (19 boys and 8 girls), the only improvement was found in the Dream-C semantics score (82±26 vs. 71±18, t =2.330, P <0.05). There was no significant difference in any domains in GDS at the first and follow-up visit (all P >0.05). Conclusions: Early language rehabilitation training based on the EMT model has a significant effect on all domains of language development for children with LDD. Therefore, EMT model is a language intervention model compatible in the child healthcare outpatient clinic settings.

Measurements of energy balance (EB) require the use of respiration chambers, which are quite expensive and laborious. The GreenFeed (GF) system (C-Lock Inc.) has been developed to offer a less expensive, user friendly alternative. In this study, we used the GF system to estimate the EB of cows in early lactation and compared it with EB predicted from energy requirements for dairy cows in the Finnish feeding standards. We also evaluated the association between milk fatty acids and the GF estimated EB. The cows were fed the same grass silage but supplemented with either cereal grain or fibrous by-product concentrate. Cows were followed from 1 to 18 wk of lactation, and measurements of energy metabolism variables were taken. Data were subjected to ANOVA using the mixed model procedure of SAS (SAS Institute Inc.). The repeatability estimates of the gaseous exchanges from the GF were moderate to high, presenting an opportunity to use it for indirect calorimetry in EB estimates. Energy metabolism variables were not different between cows fed different concentrates. However, cows fed the grain concentrate produced more methane (24.0 MJ/d or 62.9 kJ/MJ of gross energy) from increased digestibility than cows fed the by-product concentrate (21.3 MJ/d or 56.5 kJ/MJ of gross energy). Nitrogen metabolism was also not different between the diets. Milk long-chain fatty acids displayed an inverse time course with EB and de novo fatty acids. There was good concordance (0.85) between EB predicted using energy requirements derived from the Finnish feed table and EB estimated by the GF system. In conclusion, the GF can accurately estimate EB in early-lactating dairy cows. However, more data are needed to further validate the system for a wide range of dietary conditions., (Copyright © 2021 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

An accurate value for metabolizable energy (ME) requirement for maintenance (ME m ) is essential to enable sheep husbandry practice to reach its potential. The objectives of the study were to use calorimetry chamber data of dry ewes (Hu × thin-tail Han F1 crossbred) to develop updated ME m , examine effects of substituting concentrate feed with lucerne hay on energy partitioning, and explore the relationships between energy utilization and fasting heat production (FHP). Data were collected from three experiments. In Exps. 1, 2a and 2b, lucerne hay was used to replace concentrates in three levels (0:40%, 15:25% and 30:10%), with diets containing 60% maize stover (Exp. 1), fresh rye forage (Exp. 2a) or dry rye forage (Exp. 2b). Within each experiment, diets were isoenergetic (digestible energy, DE) and isonitrogenous. Exp. 3 aimed at evaluating effects of three BW levels on nutrient utilization of dry ewes offered diets containing 60% maize stover, 15% lucerne hay and 25% concentrates. Energy metabolism data were measured using the respiration calorimeter chamber technique in all three experiments, followed by the measurement of FHP in Exps. 1, 2b and 3. The ME m derived from the linear regression between energy balance (EB) and ME intake was 0.440 MJ/kg BW 0.75 . The average FHP was 0.326 MJ/kg BW 0.75 . The fasting metabolism, net energy requirement for maintenance (NE m ) and ME m were estimated to be 0.336, 0.359 and 0.511 MJ/kg BW 0.75 , respectively, through adjustment of FHP using fasting urinary energy output, activity allowance and efficiency of ME use for maintenance. The FHP was negatively correlated to EB/metabolic BW, ME/gross energy (GE), ME/DE, EB/GE intake and EB/ME intake, while positively correlated to HP/GE intake, HP/ME intake and CH 4 -E/GE intake. Compared to zero lucerne hay diet, the 15% lucerne hay intake decreased HP (MJ/d), and had no negative effects on EB (MJ/d) or energy utilization efficiencies. The results indicate that nutrient requirement standards currently used across the world are likely to underestimate ME m for dry ewes, and the selection of low FHP ewes for breeding has the potential to improve sheep production efficiency., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The objective of the present study was to investigate factors related to variation in feed efficiency (FE) among cows. Data included 841 cow/period observations from 31 energy metabolism studies assembled across 3 research stations. The cows were categorized into low-, medium-, and high-FE groups according to residual feed intake (RFI), residual energy-corrected milk (RECM), and feed conversion efficiency (FCE). Mixed model regression was conducted to identify differences among the efficiency groups in animal and energy metabolism traits. Partial regression coefficients of both RFI and RECM agreed with published energy requirements more closely than cofficients derived from production experiments. Within RFI groups, efficient (Low-RFI) cows ate less, had a higher digestibility, produced less methane (CH 4 ) and heat, and had a higher efficiency of metabolizable energy (ME) utilization for milk production. High-RECM (most efficient) cows produced 6.0 kg/d more of energy-corrected milk (ECM) than their Low-RECM (least efficient) contemporaries at the same feed intake. They had a higher digestibility, produced less CH 4 and heat, and had a higher efficiency of ME utilization for milk production. The contributions of improved digestibility, reduced CH 4 , and reduced urinary energy losses to increased ME intake at the same feed intake were 84, 12, and 4%, respectively. For both RFI and RECM analysis, increased metabolizability contributed to approximately 35% improved FE, with the remaining 65% attributed to the greater efficiency of utilization of ME. The analysis within RECM groups suggested that the difference in ME utilization was mainly due to the higher maintenance requirement of Low-RECM cows compared with Medium- and High-RECM cows, whereas the difference between Medium- and High-RECM cows resulted mainly from the higher efficiency of ME utilization for milk production in High-RECM cows. The main difference within FCE (ECM/DMI) categories was a greater (8.2 kg/d) ECM yield at the expense of mobilization in High-FCE cows compared with Low-FCE cows. Methane intensity (CH 4 /ECM) was lower for efficient cows than for inefficient cows. The results indicated that RFI and RECM are different traits. We concluded that there is considerable variation in FE among cows that is not related to dilution of maintenance requirement or nutrient partitioning. Improving FE is a sustainable approach to reduce CH 4 production per unit of product, and at the same time improve the economics of milk production., (Copyright © 2020 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A meta-analysis based on an individual-cow data set was conducted to investigate between-cow variations in the components and measurements of feed efficiency (FE) and to explore the associations among these components. Data were taken from 31 chamber studies, consisting of a total of 841 cow/period observations. The experimental diets were based on grass or corn silages, fresh grass, or a mixture of fresh grass and straw, with cereal grains or by-products as energy supplements, and soybean or canola meal as protein supplements. The average forage-to-concentrate ratio across all diets on a dry matter basis was 56:44. Variance component and repeatability estimates of FE measurements and components were determined using diet, period, and cow within experiment as random effects in mixed procedures of SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). The between-cow coefficient of variation (CV) in gross energy intake (GE; CV = 0.10) and milk energy (E l ) output as a proportion of GE (E l /GE; CV = 0.084) were the largest among all component traits. Similarly, the highest repeatability estimates (≥0.50) were observed for these 2 components. However, the between-cow CV in digestibility (DE/GE), metabolizability [metabolizable energy (ME)/GE], methane yield (CH 4 E/GE), proportional urinary energy output (UE/GE), and heat production (HP/GE), as well as the efficiency of ME use for lactation (k l ), were rather small. The least repeatable component of FE was UE/GE. For FE measurements, the between-cow CV in residual energy-corrected milk (RECM) was larger than for residual feed intake (RFI), suggesting a greater possibility for genetic gain in RECM than in RFI. A high DE/GE was associated with increased CH 4 E/GE (r = 0.24), HP/GE (r = 0.12), ME/GE (r = 0. 91), energy balance as a proportion of GE (EB/GE; r = 0.35), and k l (r = 0.10). However, no correlation between DE/GE and GE intake or UE/GE was observed. Increased proportional milk energy adjusted to zero energy balance (E l(0) /GE) was associated with increases in DE/GE, ME/GE, EB/GE, and k l but decreases in UE/GE, CH 4 E/GE, and HP/GE, with no effect on GE intake. In conclusion, several mechanisms are involved in the observed differences in FE among dairy cows, and reducing CH 4 E yield (CH 4 E/GE) may inadvertently result in reduced GE digestibility. However, the selection of dairy cows with improved energy utilization efficiencies offers an effective approach to lower enteric CH 4 emissions., (Copyright © 2020 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To explore the CT imaging features/signs of patients with different clinical types of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) via the application of artificial intelligence (AI), thus improving the understanding of COVID-19., Pantients and Methods: Clinical data and chest CT imaging features of 58 patients confirmed with COVID-19 in the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. According to the Guidelines on Novel Coronavirus-Infected Pneumonia Diagnosis and Treatment (Provisional 6th Edition), COVID-19 patients were divided into mild type (7), common type (34), severe type (7) and critical type (10 patients). The CT imaging features of the patients with different clinical types of COVID-19 types were analyzed, and the volume percentage of pneumonia lesions with respect to the lung lobes (where the lesion was located) and to the whole lung was calculated with the use of AI software. SPSS 21.0 software was used for statistical analysis., Results: Common clinical manifestations of COVID-19 patients: fever was found in 47 patients (81.0%), cough in 31 (53.4%) and weakness in 10 (17.2%). Laboratory examinations: normal or decreased white blood cell (WBC) counts were observed in 52 patients (89.7%), decreased lymphocyte counts (LCs) in 14 (24.1%) and increased C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in 18 (31.0%). CT imaging features: there were 48 patients (94.1%) with lesions distributed in both lungs and 46 patients (90.2%) had lesions most visible in the lower lungs; the primary manifestations in patients with common type COVID-19 were ground-glass opacities (GGOs) (23/34, 67.6%) or mixed type (17/34, 50.0%), with lesions mainly distributed in the periphery of the lungs (28/34, 82.4%); the primary manifestations of patients with severe/critical type COVID-19 were consolidations (13/17, 76.5%) or mixed type (14/17, 82.4%), with lesions distributed in both the peripheral and central areas of lungs (14/17,82.4%); other common signs, including pleural parallel signs, halo signs, vascular thickening signs, crazy-paving signs and air bronchogram signs, were visible in patients with different clinical types, and pleural effusion was found in 5 patients with severe/critical COVID-19. AI software was used to calculate the volume percentages of pneumonia lesions with respect to the lung lobes (where the lesion was located) and to the whole lung. There were significant differences in the volume percentages of pneumonia lesions for the superior lobe of the left lung, the inferior lobe of the left lung, the superior lobe of the right lung, the inferior lobe of the right lung and the whole lung among patients with different clinical types (p<0.05). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the volume percentage of pneumonia lesions for the whole lung for the diagnosis of severe/critical type COVID-19 was 0.740, with sensitivity and specificity of 91.2% and 58.8%, respectively., Conclusions: The clinical and CT imaging features of COVID-19 patients were characteristic to a certain degree; thus, the clinical course and severity of COVID-19 could be evaluated with a combination of an analysis of clinical features and CT imaging features and assistant diagnosis by AI software.

Objective: The importance of circular RNAs in malignant tumors causes more attention in researchers. Circular RNA&#95;LARP4 is identified as a tumor suppressor in gastric cancer, but the role of circular RNA&#95;LARP4 in prostate cancer (PCa) remains unclear. Our work aims to uncover whether and how circular RNA&#95;LARP4 functions in the PCa development., Patients and Methods: Real Time-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) was utilized to determine the level of circular RNA&#95;LARP4 in PCa tissues and cell lines. The patients' prognosis was analyzed. Circular RNA&#95;LARP4 lentivirus was constructed for transfection of PCa cells. Cell migrated and invaded ability was detected through wound healing assay and transwell assay. Western blot assay was performed to analyze the protein level of FOXO3A., Results: The low circular RNA&#95;LARP4 expression was associated with poor prognosis of PCa patients. The circular RNA&#95;LARP4 was lowly expressed in PCa tissues compared with adjacent samples. The expression of circular RNA&#95;LARP4 was downregulated in PCa cell lines. The cell migrated and invaded ability of PCa cells was inhibited after circular RNA&#95;LARP4 was overexpressed. Furthermore, FOXO3A expression was increased via the overexpression of circular RNA&#95;LARP4., Conclusions: Circular RNA&#95;LARP4 could suppress cell migration and invasion of PCa by upregulating FOXO3A.

Due to its extremely harsh environment, including high altitude, hypoxia, long cold season, and strong ultraviolet radiation in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), herbage species and nutritional value of the pasture may differ considerably from elsewhere across the world. The aim of the present study was to develop biologically relevant equations for estimating the metabolizable energy (ME) value of fresh native herbages in the QTP using digestibility variables and chemical concentrations in the herbage offered to Tibetan sheep at the maintenance level. A total of 11 digestibility trials (6 sheep/trial) were performed in different grazing seasons from 2011 to 2016. The herbage was harvested daily in the morning and offered to sheep at the maintenance feeding level. Thirty-seven equations were developed for the prediction of herbage digestible energy (DE) and ME energy values. The mean prediction error for ME was the lowest when using herbage gross energy digestibility as a sole predictor. When using other digestibility variables (e.g., dry matter and organic matter) as primary predictors, addition of herbage nutrient concentration reduced the difference between predicted and actual values. When DE was used as the primary explanatory variable, mean prediction error was reduced with the addition of ash, nitrogen (N), diethyl ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) concentrations. The internal validation of the present equations showed lower prediction errors when compared with those of existing equations for prediction of DE and ME concentrations in the herbage. Equations developed in the current study may thus allow for an improved and accurate prediction of metabolizable energy concentrations of herbage in practice, which is critical for the development of sustainable grazing systems in the QTP.

There is evidence indicating that using the current UK energy feeding system to ration the present sheep flocks may underestimate their nutrient requirements. The objective of the present study was to address this issue by developing updated maintenance energy requirements for the current sheep flocks and evaluating if these requirements were influenced by a range of dietary and animal factors. Data (n = 131) used were collated from five experiments with sheep (5 to 18 months old and 29.0 to 69.8 kg BW) undertaken at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute of the UK from 2013 to 2017. The trials were designed to evaluate the effects of dietary type, genotype, physiological stage and sex on nutrient utilization and energetic efficiencies. Energy intake and output data were measured in individual calorimeter chambers. Energy balance (Eg) was calculated as the difference between gross energy intake and a sum of fecal energy, urine energy, methane energy and heat production. Data were analysed using the restricted maximum likelihood analysis to develop the linear relationship between Eg or heat production and metabolizable energy (ME) intake, with the effects of a range of dietary and animal factors removed. The net energy (NEm) and ME (MEm) requirements for maintenance derived from the linear relationship between Eg and ME intake were 0.358 and 0.486 MJ/kg BW0.75, respectively, which are 40% to 53% higher than those recommended in energy feeding systems currently used to ration sheep in the USA and the UK. Further analysis of the current dataset revealed that concentrate supplement, sire type or physiological stage had no significant effect on the derived NEm values. However, female lambs had a significantly higher NEm (0.352 v. 0.306 or 0.288 MJ/kg BW0.75) or MEm (0.507 v. 0.441 or 0.415 MJ/kg BW0.75) than those for male or castrated lambs. The present results indicate that using present energy feeding systems in the UK developed over 40 years ago to ration the current sheep flocks could underestimate maintenance energy requirements. There is an urgent need to update these systems to reflect the higher metabolic rates of the current sheep flocks.

The development of digestive organs and the establishment of gut microbiota in pullets play an important role throughout life. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Bacillus subtilis (BS) on growth performance, intestinal function and gut microbiota in pullets from 0 to 6 weeks of age. Hy-line Brown laying hens (1-day-old, n = 504) were randomly allotted into four diets with a 2 × 2 factorial design: (1) basal diet group (control); (2) antibiotics group (AGP), the basal diet supplemented with 20 mg/kg Bacitracin Zinc and 4 mg/kg Colistin Sulphate; (3) BS group, the basal diet supplemented with 500 mg/kg BS and (4) mixed group, the basal diet supplemented with both AGP and BS. As a result, when BS was considered the main effect, BS addition (1) reduced the feed conversion ratio at 4 to 6 weeks (P < 0.05); (2) decreased duodenal and jejunal crypt depth at 3 weeks; (3) increased the villus height : crypt depth (V : C) ratio in the duodenum at 3 weeks and jejunal villus height at 6 weeks and (4) increased sucrase mRNA expression in the duodenum at 3 weeks as well as the jejunum at 6 weeks, and jejunal maltase and aminopeptidase expression at 3 weeks. When AGP was considered the main effect, AGP supplementation (1) increased the V : C ratio in the ileum at 3 weeks of age; (2) increased sucrase mRNA expression in the duodenum at 3 weeks as well as the ileum at 6 weeks, and increased maltase expression in the ileum. The BS × AGP interaction was observed to affect average daily feed intake at 4 to 6 weeks, and duodenal sucrase and jejunal maltase expression at 3 weeks. Furthermore, dietary BS or AGP addition improved caecal microbial diversity at 3 weeks, and a BS × AGP interaction was observed (P < 0.05) for the Shannon and Simpson indexes. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Lactobacillus was found to be higher in the mixed group at 3 weeks and in the BS group at 6 weeks. Moreover, Anaerostipes, Dehalobacterium and Oscillospira were also found to be dominant genera in pullets with dietary BS addition. In conclusion, BS could improve intestinal morphology and change digestive enzyme relative expression and caecum microbiota, thereby increasing the efficiency of nutrient utilization. Our findings suggested that BS might have more beneficial effects than AGP in the study, which would provide theoretical evidence and new insight into BS application in layer pullets.

Objective: To explore effect of mobile platform in improving compliance and efficacy of subcutaneous immunotherapy（SCIT） in children with allergic rhinitis（AR）. Method: From January to June 2018, 86 children diagnosed with AR and receiving SCIT were selected as research objects. According to the random sequence generated by the computer, the research objects were randomly assigned to the experimental group and the control group, with 43 cases in each group. The control group received conventional SCIT management, while the experimental group received mobile platform SCIT management relying on smart phones and computers. The SCIT shedding rate at the initial stage and the time taken to reach the maintenance period were compared between the two groups, as well as the visual simulation scale of rhinitis symptoms, four-point score and rhinoconjunctivia-related quality of life scores before and at the 6th month after the intervention. Result: There was no statistically significant difference in the initial SCIT shedding rate between the two groups（ P >0.05）, and the average duration of the maintenance period of the experimental group was shorter than that of the control group, with statistically significant difference（ P <0.05）. At the 6th month after intervention, there was no statistically significant difference in the scores of rhinitis symptoms by the four-point method between the two groups（ P >0.05）, and there were statistically significant differences in the visual simulation scale of rhinitis symptoms and the scores of children's rhinoconjunctivia-related quality of life（ P <0.05）. Conclusion: This study confirmed that the application of a mobile platform is of great significance for improving compliance and the treatment effects of SCIT in children with AR., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.)

The European livestock sector has a significant deficit of high-quality protein feed ingredients. Consequently there is interest in using locally grown protein grain crops to partially or completely replace imported protein feeds in dairy cow rations. Field bean (FB; Vicia faba) has been identified as a locally grown crop with significant potential. The current study was designed to examine the effects of FB on cow performance and nutrient utilization in the diet of early-lactation dairy cows, including high levels of FB (up to 8.4 kg/cow per day). The experiment used 72 dairy cows in a 3-treatment continuous design (from calving until wk 20 of lactation). All cows were given ad libitum access to a mixed ration comprising grass silage and concentrates [45:55 on a dry matter (DM) basis]. Concentrates offered contained either 0, 349, or 698 g of FB/kg of concentrate (treatments FB0, FB-Low, and FB-High, respectively), with FB completely replacing soybean meal, rapeseed meal, maize gluten, and wheat in the concentrate for the FB-High treatment. Following completion of the 20-wk experiment, ration digestibility, nutrient utilization, and methane (CH 4 ) production were measured using 4 cows from each treatment. Neither silage DM intake, total DM intake, nor milk yield were affected by treatment. Cows on FB0 had a higher milk fat content than those on FB-High, and cows on FB0 and FB-Low had higher milk protein contents than did those on FB-High. Field bean inclusion increased the degree of saturation of milk fat produced. Milk fat yield, milk protein yield, and milk fat plus protein yield were higher with FB0 than with either FB-Low or FB-High. Treatment had no effect on the digestibility of DM, organic matter, nitrogen (N), gross energy, or neutral detergent fiber, whereas digestibility of acid detergent fiber was higher with FB0 than with FB-High. Neither the efficiency of gross energy or N utilization, nor any of the CH 4 production parameters examined, were affected by treatment. Similarly, none of the fertility or health parameters examined were affected by treatment. The reduction in milk fat observed may have been due to the higher starch content of the FB-High diet, and the reduction in milk protein may have been due to a deficit of methionine in the diet. It is likely that these issues could be overcome by changes in ration formulation, thus allowing FB to be included at the higher range without loss in performance., (Copyright © 2019 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: An 8-week trial was performed to evaluate the differences in the intestinal microbiota and immune function of common carp (Cyprinus carpio)-fed different diets., Methods and Results: The fish (initial weight 492·6 ± 30 g, n = 270) were randomly divided into three groups with three replicates and were fed earthworms (group A), earthworms + duckweed (group M) or duckweed (group P) respectively. The diversity and dominant microbiota of the intestinal bacteria were detected by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, and the abundance of dominant bacteria was quantified by qPCR. Additionally, the activities of some nonspecific immune enzymes and antioxidant enzymes were determined. The results showed that higher diversity and abundance of intestinal microbiota were observed in group M and group P (P < 0·05). Based on the intestinal microbiota, Cetobacterium was only detected in the intestines of common carp in group A, and Bacillus was identified in groups M and P. Additionally, a higher abundance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes was also found in the intestine in group P than in group A (P < 0·05). Interestingly, the higher activities of immune enzymes were detected in intestine of common carp in group M, such as acid phosphatase, phosphatase (AKP), lysozyme, total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase. In addition, the lower level of metabolites were also detected, such as nitric oxide and malondialdehyde., Conclusions: Our results indicate that the intestinal microbiota and intestinal immunity of common carp were affected by diet. Meanwhile, the results show that a mixed diet can promote and improve the immune function of the omnivorous carp intestine, which suggests that paddy fields might be more suitable for the intestinal health and animal welfare of omnivorous fishes because they contain plant and animal diets., Significance and Impact of the Study: As an ecological aquaculture strategy, the rice-fish mode has attracted attention among farmers, researchers and even consumers, especially for the cultivation of common carp in paddy fields. In paddy fields, fish can eat plant- and animal-based diets. However, it is not clear whether common carp feeding on a mixed diet in paddy fields have better intestinal health. This experiment is one of only a few studies performed from the perspective of intestinal micro-organisms and immunity to successfully study the effects of different natural diets on adult common carp. This study also provides a theoretical basis for healthy breeding of common carp in paddy fields., (© 2019 The Society for Applied Microbiology.)

Objective: To explore the relationship between liver controlled attenuation parameters (CAP) and body fat mass and its distribution. Methods: From May to December 2018, 978 adult patients visited at the fatty liver center of the Third People's Hospital of Changzhou were treated. The patient's liver controlled attenuation parameters were measured by transient elastography and the body fat mass and its distribution were measured by bioelectrical impedance technology. Pearson's correlation coefficient was adopted to describe the correlation between liver CAP value and body mass index (BMI), body fat mass index (BFMI), trunk fat mass index (TFMI), limbs fat mass index (LFMI) and visceral fat area (VFA). Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate BMI, BFMI, TFMI, LFMI and VFA to differentiate the cut-off points and efficacy of CAP for diagnosing grading of fatty liver changes in S0-1 and S2-3. Results: In 653 cases of male, S0 ~ S3 accounted for 4.90%, 3.37%, 22.36% and 69.37%, respectively, and in 325 cases of females, S0 ~ S3 accounted for 7.38%, 6.46%, 13.23% and 72.92%, respectively. Female patients had more visceral, trunk and limbs fat than male ( P < 0.01). Body mass, body fat mass, body fat percentage, BMI, BFMI, TFMI, LFMI, and VFA were increased in male and female patients with increasing liver fat grade ( P < 0.01). CAP values ​​of male and female patients were positively correlated with BMI, BFMI, TFMI, LFMI and VFA. Percentage of body fat mass increased with increasing liver fat grade (male: F = 13.42, P < 0.001; female: F = 3.22, P = 0.023); while limb fat mass percentage did not increase with liver fat grade (Male: F = 1.13, P = 0.34; female: F = 1.05, P = 0.37). Hepatic steatosis grading (S0 ~ 1 or S2 ~ 3) diagnosed with CAP were distinguished through BMI, BFMI, TFMI, LFMI and VFA. AUC was 0.80 ~ 0.82 in males ( P < 0.01), and 0.75 ~ 0.78 in females ( P < 0.01). Conclusion: The liver CAP value is positively correlated with the body's limbs, trunk and visceral fat, and has a strong correlation with trunk and visceral fat. BMI, BFMI, TFMI, LFMI and VFA up to some extent can identify the CAP diagnosis of grading of fatty liver changes in S0-1 and S2-3.

Objective: Previous studies have shown that microRNA-328-3p (miR-328-3p) is involved in tumorigenesis of many human cancers. However, the specific function of miR-328-3p remains unclear in bladder cancer (BC). Therefore, this research was designed to investigate the role of miR-328-3p in BC., Patients and Methods: Expressions of miR-328-3p and integrin α5 (ITGA5) were measured by quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) and transwell assays were used to explore the function of miR-328-3p in BC. The expression of the corresponding genes was observed via Western blot and immunocytochemical assays. The dual luciferase assay was applied to verify the relationship between miR-328-3p and ITGA5. Tumor growth was measured via xenograft tumor formation assay., Results: Downregulation of miR-328-3p was identified in BC tissues, which predicted poor prognosis in BC patients. Moreover, miR-328-3p suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion in BC through targeting ITGA5. Furthermore, miR-328-3p inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and inactivated PI3K/AKT pathway in BC. Besides that, miR-328-3p was found to inhibit tumor growth of BC., Conclusions: MiR-328-3p inhibited tumorigenesis of BC through targeting ITGA5 and inactivating the PI3K/AKT pathway.

To study adaptation of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) to hypoxic stress, we investigated physiological responses and lactate metabolism of the fish under acute hypoxia. The objectives of this study were to (a) observe changes in glucose, glycogen, and lactate content; (b) detect the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in serum, brain, heart, and liver tissues; and (c) quantify the dynamic gene expression of AMP activated protein kinase alpha (AMPKα), hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α), monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1), monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4), and lactate dehydrogenase-a (LDHa) following exposure to hypoxia. The fish were subjected to two hypoxia stresses (dissolved oxygen [DO] 1.20 ± 0.2 mg/L and 3.50 ± 0.3 mg/L, respectively) for 24 h. Our results showed that hypoxic stress significantly increased the decomposition of liver glycogen and significantly increased the concentration of blood glucose; however, the muscle glycogen content was not significantly decreased, which indicates that liver glycogen was the main energy source under acute hypoxia. Moreover, hypoxia led to accumulation of a large amount of lactic acid in tissues, possibly due to the activity of lactic acid dehydrogenase, but this process was delayed in the heart and brain relative to the liver. Additionally, hypoxia induced the expression of AMPKα, HIF-1α, MCT1, MCT4, and LDHa, suggesting that glycometabolism had switched from aerobic to anaerobic. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the response to hypoxia in largemouth bass., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

3D single-molecule localization microscopy relies on fitting the shape of point-spread-functions (PSFs) recorded on a wide-field detector. However, optical aberrations distort those shapes, which compromises the accuracy and precision of single-molecule localization microscopy. Here, we employ a computational phase retrieval based on a vectorial PSF model to quantify the spatial variance of optical aberrations in a two-channel ultrawide-field single-molecule localization microscope. The use of a spatially variant PSF model enables accurate and precise emitter localization in x-, y- and z-directions throughout the entire field of view.

Previously, we isolated a novel probiotic strain, designated HDRsEf1. In this study, we investigated the effects of this probiotic strain on intestinal barrier function and how it regulates the tight junction protein occludin in vitro. We used an ETEC-infected mouse model for the in vivo experiment. Briefly, 40 ICR mice were randomly divided into four groups: control group, assigned to saline gavage; prevention group, given HDRsEf1 before and saline after infection with ETEC; infection group, given saline both before and after infection with ETEC; treatment group, given saline before and HDRsEf1 after infection with ETEC. The weight loss was alleviated both in the prevention and treatment groups. The ETEC-induced intestinal inflammation was alleviated and the occludin mRNA expression levels in the jejuna of infected mice were increased in the prevention group. We explored the mechanism by which HDRsEf1 regulates occludin expression in vitro and found that HDRsEf1 prevented the downregulation of occludin expression in the prevention group. Simultaneously, we found that toll-like receptor-2 (TLR-2) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) play an important role in maintaining occludin expression. Therefore, we concluded that HDRsEf1 can prevent ETEC-induced infection by enhancing the intestinal barrier function and increasing the expression levels of occludin., Significance and Impact of the Study: Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a major cause of infectious diarrhoea in children, and porcine ETEC has been the leading cause of post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD) in pigs. In our present study, we demonstrated for the first time that HDRsEf1 protects occludin from ETEC-induced suppression. Moreover, HDRsEf1 was found to regulate occludin expression via TLR-2 activation and the PI3K pathway. The results provide insights into the mechanism by which HDRsEf1 protects cells against ETEC infection and a rationale for the use of HDRsEf1 as a therapeutic and preventative agent., (© 2018 The Society for Applied Microbiology.)

This study compared the effects of a grain-based conventional concentrate (GC) and a concentrate based on agro-industrial by-products (BC), fed with grass silage harvested at early (ES) or late (LS) maturity stage, on dairy performance, CH 4 and CO 2 emissions, and metabolic status of dairy cows. Twenty lactating Nordic Red cows averaging 81 d in milk and 31.9 kg of milk/d pre-trial were assigned to a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design. Dietary treatments were in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. The silages were harvested 2 wk apart from the same primary growth grass ley. The GC was made from oats, barley and wheat, and soybean meal, whereas the BC contained sugar beet pulp, wheat bran, canola meal, distillers dried grains, palm kernel expeller, and molasses. The diets were fed ad libitum as total mixed rations and were formulated from 661 g/kg of silage, 326 g/kg of concentrate, and 13 g/kg of minerals on a dry matter basis. The BC supplied the cows with less energy. Despite this, milk yield and composition were unaffected by concentrate type, except that milk protein was 0.7 g/kg lower in cows fed BC than in those fed GC. These results were accompanied by a 44 g/kg decrease in total-tract digestibility of crude protein and a 54 g/kg increase in neutral detergent fiber digestibility for cows fed BC. Cows fed ES on average consumed 2 kg/d more dry matter and yielded 3.5 kg/d more milk, 149 g/d more protein, and 141 g/d more fat than cows fed LS. There were few interaction effects between concentrate and silage sources on daily intake and dairy performance. However, edible feed conversion ratio (human-edible output in animal/potentially human-edible feed) showed greater improvements with ES than LS when replacing GC with BC. Feeding diets with late-cut silage generally reduced digestibility and energy utilization efficiency, but improved N utilization efficiency. Feeding LS also led to greater CH 4 yield and CH 4 /CO 2 ratio, and higher plasma concentration of nonesterified fatty acids. Plasma parameters reflecting energy metabolism and inflammation were all within the normal ranges, indicating that the cows were in good health during the experiment. In conclusion, a conventional concentrate can be replaced by agro-industrial by-products without compromising production in early lactation dairy cows. However, silage maturity has a stronger effect on the production traits of dairy cows than type of concentrate., (Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To study the correlation between the level of serum Chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) and the significant liver fibrosis and liver cirrhosis in patients with chronic liver disease, and to evaluate its diagnostic value. Methods: 165 patients with chronic liver disease were selected, liver histopathological examination was performed to detect serum CHI3L1 concentration. Four indexes of hepatic fibrosis (type III procollagen, collagen IV, laminin, hyaluronic acid), aspartate aminotransferase/platelet ratio index (APRI) and FIB-4 (fibrosis- 4) scores were based on the pathological findings of liver biopsy and compared the advantages and disadvantages of serum CHI3L1 with other methods for the diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis and liver cirrhosis. A multivariate regression analysis model was created, and receiver operating characteristic curve was analyzed. Results: The level of serum CHI3L1 increased with increase of fibrosis stage and was highest in liver cirrhosis stage. In the period of S0 to 1, the levels of S2 to 3 and S4 were 62.82 (41.40 ~ 87.20), 70.94 (48.47 to 122.60) and 141.06 (78.18 ~ 197.40), and there were statistically significant differences between the groups ( P < 0.001). The area under the curve for the diagnosis of significant liver fibrosis was 0.68 (0.60 to 0.77), and 0.74 (0.65 to 0.83) for cirrhosis in CHI3L1. Multivariate regression analysis showed that CHI3L1 was an independent predictor of significant fibrosis and cirrhosis. The combined diagnostic model based on CHI3L1, collagen IV and FIB-4 scores further improved the diagnostic value. The area under the curve for the diagnosis of significant fibrosis and cirrhosis was 0.79 (0.72 to 0.86) and 0.80 (0.73 to 0.87), respectively. Conclusion: CHI3L1 has a good diagnostic value in patients with chronic liver disease with significant fibrosis and liver cirrhosis. The diagnostic model in combination with other markers like Collagen IV and FIB-4 scores could further improve the diagnostic value and is worthy of further study.

Municipal wastewater (MW) contains a conglomeration of human enteric microbiota from a community and, hence, represents a potential surveillance tool for gastrointestinal infectious disease burden at the community level. To evaluate this, the concentration of Salmonella in MW samples from Honolulu, Hawaii, was monitored over a 54-week period, which showed positive and significant linear and rank correlation with clinical salmonellosis case numbers over the same period. Salmonella isolates were obtained from the MW samples and then compared with clinical isolates obtained by the Hawaii Department of Health State Laboratories over the same period. The MW isolate collection contained 34 serotypes, and the clinical isolate collection contained 47 serotypes, 21 of which were shared between the two isolate collections, including nine of the 12 most commonly detected clinical serotypes. Most notably, nine Salmonella strains, including one outbreak-associated Paratyphi B strain and eight other clinically rare strains, were shared and concurrently detected between the MW and the clinical isolate collections, indicating the feasibility of using enteric pathogens in the MW as a timely indication of community enteric disease activity.

We study by means of full quantum simulations the operating principle and performance of a semiconductor heterostructure refrigerator combining resonant tunneling filtering and thermionic emission. Our model takes into account the coupling between the electric and thermal currents by self-consistently solving the transport equations within the non-equilibrium Green's function framework and the heat equation. We show that the device can achieve relatively high cooling power values, while in the considered implementation, the maximum lattice temperature drop is severely limited by the thermal conductivity of the constituting materials. In such an out-of-equilibrium structure, we then emphasize the significant deviation of the phonon temperature from its electronic counterpart which can vary over several hundred Kelvin. The interplay between those two temperatures and the impact on the electrochemical potential is also discussed. Finally, viable options toward an optimization of the device are proposed.

The main objective of this study was to determine the impact of rumen cannulation on the microbial community of goat rumens using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. Twelve Boer crossbred goats were used in the experiment: six goats were surgically fitted with rumen cannula, and the other six were used as controls. All goats were fed the same diet for 20 days, after which their rumen digesta were sampled once per week for three consecutive weeks. Total microbial DNA was extracted from the collected rumen fluid and was used as a template to amplify the V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene. High-throughput sequencing was performed using an Illumina MiSeq platform, and the sequences were analyzed primarily using the Quantitative Insights into Microbial Ecology pipeline software. The results showed that the Chao 1 index, the observed species index and the Shannon-Wiener index were not significantly different (p > 0.05) between the two groups. Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Tenericutes were the predominant phylum in both groups, and their relative abundance was 60.63%, 29.48%, 2.24% (n = 6, CT group) and 61.17%, 26.92%, 1.66% (n = 6, RC group) respectively. At the phylum level, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in the microbial communities of RC goats, and Planctomycetes and Chloroflexi were significantly lower (p = 0.02). The abundances of other phyla were not significantly different between treatments. A total of 19 lower-level taxa also exhibited significant differences (p < 0.05) in relative abundance between the groups. In addition, there were 18 genera shared within the control group, 26 shared within the rumen-cannulated group, and 16 shared by both groups. Prevotella was the most abundant shared genus, although its abundance was not significantly different (p > 0.05) between the groups. In conclusion, although the most abundant microbes kept stable, rumen cannulation had the potential to significantly change rumen microbial communities in goats., (© 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Escherichia coli is classified as a rod-shaped, Gram-negative bacterium in the family Enterobacteriaceae. The bacterium mainly inhabits the lower intestinal tract of warm-blooded animals, including humans, and is often discharged into the environment through faeces or wastewater effluent. The presence of E. coli in environmental waters has long been considered as an indicator of recent faecal pollution. However, numerous recent studies have reported that some specific strains of E. coli can survive for long periods of time, and potentially reproduce, in extraintestinal environments. This indicates that E. coli can be integrated into indigenous microbial communities in the environment. This naturalization phenomenon calls into question the reliability of E. coli as a faecal indicator bacterium (FIB). Recently, many studies reported that E. coli populations in the environment are affected by ambient environmental conditions affecting their long-term survival. Large-scale studies of population genetics revealed the diversity and complexity of E. coli strains in various environments, which are affected by multiple environmental factors. This review examines the current knowledge on the ecology of E. coli strains in various environments with regard to its role as a FIB and as a naturalized member of indigenous microbial communities. Special emphasis is given on the growth of pathogenic E. coli in the environment, and the population genetics of environmental members of the genus Escherichia. The impact of environmental E. coli on water quality and public health is also discussed., (© 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.)

Dissolved oxygen (DO) plays a crucial role in survival, growth, and normal physiological functions of aquatic organisms. Nevertheless, the mechanisms involved in hypoxic stress and adaptation have not been fully elucidated in Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). To reveal the effect of acute hypoxia on Largemouth bass, we simulated acute hypoxia (DO: 1.2 ± 0.2 mg/L) in the laboratory and analyzed physiological parameters (RBCs, Hb, SOD, CAT, NA + /K + -ATPase, GPx, and MDA) and gene expression (HIF-1alpha and GLUT-1) in Largemouth bass exposed to various durations of acute hypoxia (0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 h). Our results indicated that acute hypoxic exposure significantly increased RBCs but decreased Hb. In addition, antioxidant enzyme activity was enhanced significantly in the liver and muscles at the initial stage of acute hypoxic exposure, but decreased significantly in gills during the entire process of hypoxic exposure. Furthermore, the expression levels of HIF-1alpha and GLUT-1 mRNA were significantly up-regulated in Largemouth bass under acute hypoxic exposure. In conclusion, our study provides a valuable basis for further elucidation of hypoxic adaptation and facilitates husbandry for an economically valuable species., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)