Widespread and inappropriate use of antibiotics has been shown to increase the spread of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in aquatic environments and organisms. Antibiotic use for the treatment of human and animal diseases is increasing continuously globally. However, the effects of legal antibiotic concentrations on benthic consumers in freshwater environments remain unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA novel airflow shearing method was introduced to prepare microspheres efficiently with precisely control of microsphere size and homogeneity. The effects of technical parameters in the formation of the microspheres, such as solution concentration, nozzle size and airflow strength, were investigated. By optimizing the technical parameters (8% PLGA concentration, 27-32 G nozzle size, 6-8 l/min airflow strength), nano-hydroxyapatite and poly(lactide-co-glycolide) nanocomposite (nHA/PLGA) microspheres with a diameter around 250 μm and up to 40 wt% nHA content was prepared successfully.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn increasing number of reports indicate that in vitro fertilization (IVF) is highly associated with long‑term side effects on embryonic and postnatal development, and can sometimes result in embryonic implant failure. While high‑throughput gene expression analysis has been used to explore the mechanisms underlying IVF-induced side effects on embryonic development, little is known about the effects of IVF on conceptus-endometrial interactions during the peri-implantation period. Using sheep as a model, we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis between in vivo (IVO; in vivo fertilized followed by further development in the uterus) and in vitro produced (IVP; IVF with further culture in the incubator) conceptuses, and the caruncular and intercaruncular areas of the ovine endometrium.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study was conducted to investigate the effect of melatonin during the culture of donor cells and cloned embryos on the in vitro developmental competence and quality of cloned porcine embryos. At concentrations of 10(-6 )M or 10(-8) M, melatonin significantly enhanced the proliferation of porcine fetal fibroblasts (PFFs), and the blastocyst rate was significantly increased in the 10(-10) M melatonin-treated donor cell group. Cloned embryo development was also improved in embryo culture medium that was supplemented with 10(-9) M or 10(-12) M melatonin.
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