Dietary niacin supplementation improves meat quality, muscle fiber type, and mitochondrial function in heat-stressed Taihe black-bone silky fowls.

Background: A recent study has shown that niacin supplementation induces the conversion of type II to type I muscle fibres, thereby promoting a phenotypic shift in oxidative metabolism in porcine skeletal muscle. These effects may be mediated by modulation of the AMPK1/SIRT1 pathway, which activates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), a key regulator of fibre conversion, thereby promoting skeletal muscle mitochondrial biogenesis and myofibre conversion. In this study, we explored how niacin (NA) supplementation impacts the quality of meat and the characteristics of muscle fibers in Taihe Black-bone Silky Fowls (TBsf) exposed to heat conditions.

Modulation of intestinal morphology and microbiota by dietary Macleaya cordata extract supplementation in Xuefeng Black-boned Chicken.

Antibiotics are commonly overused to prevent livestock from diseases and to increase production performance. As potential substitutes of antibiotics, plant extracts have attracted the attention of researchers. It was known to all that addition of Macleaya cordata extract (MCE) to the food could advance immunity, intestinal health and animal performance.

Black Soldier Fly () Larvae Meal Modulates Intestinal Morphology and Microbiota in Xuefeng Black-Bone Chickens.

The addition of larvae meal (HILM) to the feed could contribute to particular antimicrobial and intestinal health in animal husbandry. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of HILM on intestinal morphology and microbial diversity in different intestinal segments of Xuefeng black-bone chickens. All of 432 birds (45 weeks old) were randomly assigned to four equal groups with six replicates and 18 hens in each replicate: (A) basal diet, (B) basal diet with 1% HILM, (C) basal diet with 3% HILM, and (D) basal diet with 5% HILM.

Tomoelastography Distinguishes Noninvasively between Benign and Malignant Liver Lesions.

Patients with increased liver stiffness have a higher risk of developing cancer, however, the role of fluid-solid tissue interactions and their contribution to liver tumor malignancy remains elusive. Tomoelastography is a novel imaging method for mapping quantitatively the solid-fluid tissue properties of soft tissues . It provides high resolution and thus has clear clinical applications.

Covalent Functionalization of Nanodiamonds with Natural Amino Acids and Ascorbic Acids.

Nanodiamonds have gained considerable attention nowadays owing to their excellent properties and various applications especially in biomedical field. Nevertheless, the tendency of agglomeration limits further wide applications of nanodiamonds. A biological method was conducted to graft natural amino acids and ascorbic acid on the surface of nanodiamonds.

Rationale and design of the Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Study (LAAOS) III.

Background: Occlusion of the left atrial appendage (LAA) is a promising approach to stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF). However, evidence of its efficacy and safety to date is lacking. We herein describe the rationale and design of a definitive LAA occlusion trial in cardiac surgical patients with AF.

A quantum chemical study of the structures, stability, and spectroscopy of halogen- and hydrogen-boned complexes between cyanoacetaldehyde and hypochlorous acids.

The complexes of cyanoacetaldehyde and hypohalous acid (HOX, X=Cl, Br, and I) have been investigated. They can form six different structures (A, B, C, D, E, and F), the former three structures are mainly combined through a N(O)⋯X halogen bond and the latter three structures are maintained mainly by a N(O)⋯H hydrogen bond, although other weaker interactions are also present in most structures. The hydrogen-bonded structures are more stable than the respective halogen-bonded structures.

Dynamic molecular confinement in the plasma membrane by microdomains and the cytoskeleton meshwork.

It is by now widely recognized that cell membranes show complex patterns of lateral organization. Two mechanisms involving either a lipid-dependent (microdomain model) or cytoskeleton-based (meshwork model) process are thought to be responsible for these plasma membrane organizations. In the present study, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy measurements on various spatial scales were performed in order to directly identify and characterize these two processes in live cells with a high temporal resolution, without any loss of spatial information.