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Oral antibody to interleukin-10 (anti-IL-10) enhances the intestinal immune defense against Eimeria. The sulfur amino acids methionine and cysteine (M+C) play essential roles in inducing and maintaining protective immune responses during intestinal infections. Hence, increased dietary M+C may support the anti-IL-10-induced intestinal immunity to Eimeria. Broilers (n = 640) were arranged in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design with 2 levels of each of the 3 main factors: dietary standardized ileal digestible (SID) M+C levels (0.6% or 0.8%), dietary anti-IL-10 supplementation (with or without), and coccidiosis challenge (control or challenge). Briefly, the broilers were supplied with either 0.6% or 0.8% SID M+C, each with or without anti-IL-10 (300 μg/kg), from d 10 to 21. On d 14, broilers from each diet were gavaged with either PBS or Eimeria. The resulting Eimeriainfection induced fecal oocyst shedding and intestinal lesions. Broilers fed 0.8% SID M+C (main effects, P ≤ 0.05) had decreased feed-to-gain ratio, increased duodenum and cecum luminal anti-EimeriaIgA titers, and decreased fecal oocyst counts, when compared to 0.6% SID M+C. The supplementation of anti-IL-10 (main effects, P ≤ 0.05) increased cecum luminal total IgA concentration and decreased cecum lesions. Interactions (P ≤ 0.05) were detected for growth performance and cecum luminal IFN-γ. Briefly, the highest body weight gain and feed intake were reached in PBS-gavaged broilers fed 0.8% SID M+C with no anti-IL-10 and in Eimeria-challenged broilers fed 0.8% SID M+C with anti-IL-10. In Eimeria-infected broilers, anti-IL-10 increased intestinal luminal IFN-γ and body weight gain only at 0.8% SID M+C. Collectively, anti-IL-10 increased intestinal luminal IFN-γ levels, decreased cecum lesions and restored growth only when fed with adequate amounts of sulfur amino acids. Our findings underscore the importance of providing sufficient essential nutrients to support the anti-IL-10 induced immunity against coccidiosis.

The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of dietary supplemental vitamin D3on fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) signals as well as phosphorus homeostasis and metabolism in laying hens. Fourteen 40-week-old Hy-Line Brown layers were randomly assigned into 2 treatments: 1) vitamin D3restriction group (n = 7) fed 0 IU/kg vitamin D3diet, and 2) regular vitamin D3group (n = 7) fed 1,600 IU/kg vitamin D3diet. The study lasted for 21 d. Serum parameters, phosphorus and calcium excretion status, and tissue expressions of type II sodium-phosphate co-transporters (NPt2), FGF23 signals and vitamin D3metabolic regulators were determined. Hens fed the vitamin D3restricted diet had decreased serum phosphorus levels (by 31.3%, P = 0.028) when compared to those fed regular vitamin D3diet. In response to the decreased serum phosphorus, the vitamin D3restricted laying hens exhibited: 1) suppressed kidney expressions of 25-hydroxyvitamin D 1-α-hydroxylase (CYP27B1, by 52.8%, P = 0.036) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1, by 99.4%, P = 0.032); 2) suppressed serum levels of FGF23 (by 14.6%, P = 0.048) and increased serum alkaline phosphatase level (by 414.1%, P = 0.012); 3) decreased calvaria mRNA expressions of fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFR1, by 85.2%, P = 0.003, FGFR2, by 89.4%, P = 0.014, FGFR3, by 88.8%, P = 0.017, FGFR4, by 89.6%, P = 0.030); 4) decreased kidney mRNA expressions of FGFR1(by 65.5%, P = 0.021), FGFR4(by 66.0%, P = 0.050) and KLOTHO(by 68.8%, P = 0.038); 5) decreased kidney protein expression of type 2a sodium-phosphorus co-transporters (by 54.3%, P = 0.039); and 6) increased percent excreta calcium (by 26.9%, P = 0.002). In conclusion, the deprivation of dietary vitamin D3decreased FGF23 signals in laying hens by reducing serum FGF23 level and suppressing calvaria and kidney mRNA expressions of FGF23 receptors.

To ensure the manufacturability of compliant mechanisms, this paper presents a new approach for optimal design of electro-thermo-mechanical microactuators by employing minimum length scale constraints. A sequential coupling method is adopted to carry out finite element analysis for electric-thermal-mechanical coupling multiphysics. The inflection point fields of the solid and void phases are identified by structural indicator functions. The minimum length scales of the solid and void phases are adopted as constraints. The optimization objective is designed to maximize the output displacements of electro-thermo-mechanical microactuators. The validity of the proposed optimal design method is demonstrated through several numerical examples. In the optimal designs obtained by the proposed method, the minimum length scales of the two phases can be properly controlled. The electro-thermo-mechanical microactuator’s output displacements decrease when the allowable value of the minimum length scale is increased. The effects of different mesh discretizations and output spring stiffnesses on the optimized designs are discussed.

AbstractWRKY transcription factors (TF) control a variety of biological processes in higher plants, including abiotic and biotic stress responses. WRKYgenes have been identified and functionally characterized in many plant species during the past ten years, but despite this progress, few investigations have focused on this TF family in licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensisFisch.). This study identified 72 WRKYgenes from the licorice genome and classified them into three groups. The gene structure analysis indicated that the GuWRKYgenes contain from one to eight introns, with the majority having two introns and three exons. Conserved motif analysis identified the conserved WRKY domain in most GuWRKYs. Further analysis of the promoter region revealed that almost all GuWRKYshad plant hormone- or stress-responsive cis-regulatory elements, with differences in the number of elements among the groups. The role of 10 selected GuWRKYsin regulating abiotic stress responses was further explored viaquantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) after low-temperature (4 °C), salt (150 mmol·L−1NaCl), drought (15% polyethylene glycol 6000) treatments at 3, 6, 12, and 24 h. Thus, our study of the WRKYgene family in licorice provides a basis for further research on the structure and function of WRKYgenes.