Effects of lipoic acid on production performance, meat quality, serum biochemistry and antioxidant function in heat-stressed broilers.

This study was aim to investigate the effects of lipoic acid (ALA) on performance, meat quality, serum biochemistry and antioxidant function of broilers under heat stress (HS). Two hundred1-day-old Cobb broilers were randomly divided into four treatment groups and each treatment consisted of 4 replicates of 10 broilers each. The treatment group adopts a 2 × 2 two-factor setting, which is divided into two diets (basic diet or 250 mg/kg ALA diet) and two temperatures (24 ± 1℃ or 33 ± 1℃).

Effects of Bacillus subtilis and Lactobacillus on growth performance, serum biochemistry, nutrient apparent digestibility, and cecum flora in heat-stressed broilers.

This study investigates the effect of dietary Bacillus subtilis and Lactobacillus on the growth performance, serum biochemistry, nutrient apparent digestibility, and cecum flora of broilers under heat stress (HS) and provides a theoretical basis for the application of probiotic additives to alleviate the stress of poultry under HS. A total of 200 Cobb broilers were randomly assigned to four replicates of 10 broilers in each of the five groups. The growth performance, serum biochemistry, nutrient apparent digestibility, and cecum flora of broilers were detected on the 28th, 35th, and 42nd days, respectively.

Non-infectious immune complexes downregulate the production of interferons and tumor necrosis factor-α in primary porcine alveolar macrophages .

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) caused by the PRRS virus (PRRSV) has been harming the pig industry worldwide for nearly 40 years. Although scientific researchers have made substantial efforts to explore PRRSV pathogenesis, the immune factors influencing PRRSV infection still need to be better understood. Infectious virus-antibody immune complexes (ICs) formed by PRRSV and sub-or non-neutralizing antibodies specific for PRRSV may significantly promote the development of PRRS by enhancing PRRSV replication through antibody-dependent enhancement.

Two Novel Diterpenoid Alkaloids from Aconitum Pendulum.

Two previously uncharacterized compounds, an aconitine-type C-diterpenoid alkaloid (1) and a napelline-type diterpenoid alkaloid C-diterpenoid alkaloid (2), as well as ten known compounds (3-12), were isolated from Aconitum pendulum. Their structures were elucidated based on spectroscopic data, including 1D and 2D NMR, IR, HR-ESI-MS, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The anti-insecticidal activities of these compounds were evaluated by contact toxicity tests against two-spotted spider mites, and compounds 1, 2, and 9 showed moderate contact toxicity, with LC values of 0.

Optimizing growth and antioxidant function in heat-stressed broilers with vitamin C and betaine supplementation.

This study investigates the potential of vitamin C (VC) and/or betaine (Bet) to enhance growth performance, regulate serum metabolism, and bolster antioxidant function aiming to mitigate the impact of heat stress (HS) on broilers. Two hundred Ross 308 broilers at 28 days of age were randomly assigned to five groups. The control group, housed at 24 ± 1℃, was fed a basal diet.

Improved Fog Collection on a Hybrid Surface with Acylated Cellulose Coating.

Fog collection serves as an efficient method to alleviate water scarcity in foggy, water-stressed regions. Recent research has focused on constructing a hybrid surface to enhance fog collection efficiency, with one approach being the prevention of liquid film formation at hydrophilic sites. Inspired by the desert beetle, a coating (10-MCC) made by partially acylating microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) exhibits hydrophilic sites alongside a hydrophobic skeleton enabling rapid droplet capture despite its overall hydrophobicity.

IL-27 Alleviates Airway Inflammation and Airway Hyperresponsiveness in Asthmatic Mice by Targeting the CD39/ATP Axis of Dendritic Cells.

Interleukin-27 receptor (IL-27R) is expressed in a variety of immune cells and structural cells, including dendritic cells. The mechanism of IL-27 in asthma has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to examine whether IL-27 regulated the CD39/ATP axis of dendritic cells in asthma.

Response of growth performance and cecum microbial community to cyclic heat stress in broilers.

Heat stress (HS) can affect growth performance through alterations in specific gut microbiota, which greatly threatens poultry production. How HS affects the mechanisms of microbial changes in the poultry cecum and the complex interactions between cecal microbial changes and growth performance have not yet been well evaluated. This study was conducted to examine the changes in growth performance and cecal microbiotal community in cyclic heat stress (CHS)-treated broilers.

Establishment and engineering application of viscoelastic-plastic constitutive laws for creep modeling in interbedded rock masses.

In order to study the creep behavior of the surrounding rock of the interbedded rock mass tunnel considering the time-dependent deformation, this paper proposes a viscoelastic-plastic seven-element model considering the stress threshold, and derives and establishes its creep equation under three-dimensional stress state. At the same time, the UMAT (User-defined Material) subroutine of the model is developed based on the ABAQUS software. The rationality of the seven-element model and the effectiveness of the subprogram are verified by rheological test results.

Betaine ameliorates heat stress-induced apoptosis by affecting oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress in mouse Leydig cells.

In order to explore the potential protective role of betaine in heat stress (HS)-elicited apoptosis in mouse Leydig cells (mLCs). Betaine at 16 mm exerted a greater inhibitory effect on HS-induced viability attenuation of cells, which also significantly suppressed the heat shock protein 70 level in HS-treated cells. Furthermore, betaine ameliorated certain negative effects, including increased cell apoptotic ratio, enhancement of apoptosis-related modulator caspase-3 activity, reduced activity levels of such antioxidant enzymes as SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, and MDA upregulation, and inhibited the protein levels of critical endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress indices like CHOP and GRP78 in mLCs exposed to HS.

Sex-based responses of heat stress and subsequent recovery on the growth performance, metabolic changes, and redox status of broilers at market age.

This experiment investigated the sex responses of heat stress (HS) and subsequent recovery on growth performance, serum metabolic parameters, and redox status. Two hundred 38-day-old broilers were arranged in a completely randomized design with a 2 × 2 (temperatures and sexes) factorial arrangement in five replicates. Broilers were raised at 24 ± 1 °C or 32 ± 1 °C for 3 days and returned to 24 °C for 2 days.

Antibody-dependent enhancement of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infection downregulates the levels of interferon-gamma/lambdas in porcine alveolar macrophages .

Fc gamma receptor-mediated antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) can promote virus invasion of target cells, sometimes exacerbating the severity of the disease. ADE may be an enormous hurdle to developing efficacious vaccines for certain human and animal viruses. ADE of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection has been demonstrated and .

LOW DOSE OF ESMOLOL ATTENUATES SEPSIS-INDUCED IMMUNOSUPPRESSION VIA MODULATING T-LYMPHOCYTE APOPTOSIS AND DIFFERENTIATION.

Background: Immunosuppression caused by immune cell apoptosis and an imbalance of T helper 2 cells (T H 2) and T helper 1 cells (T H 1), is associated with poor outcomes in septic patients. Esmolol was reported to improve survival by modulating immune responses in septic shock. Whether esmolol could alleviate sepsis-induced immunosuppression and the optimal dose are unclear.

Effect of dietary supplemental vitamin C and betaine on the growth performance, humoral immunity, immune organ index, and antioxidant status of broilers under heat stress.

Heat stress (HS) has become one of the important factors affecting the development of animal husbandry. The purpose of this experiment was to investigate whether vitamin C (Vc) and betaine (Bet) improve immune organ index and humoral immunity by enhancing the antioxidant status of immune organs, thus protecting broilers from HS-induced injuries. A total of 200 28-day-old Ross 308 broilers were randomly assigned into 5 groups (n = 4 replicates/group, 10 broilers/replicate) which were reared at different ambient temperatures (24 ± 1°C or 33 ± 1°C).

Association between immunity and viral shedding duration in non-severe SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant-infected patients.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory-related disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). More than 200 countries worldwide are affected by this disease. The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 is the major epidemic variant worldwide and is characterized by higher infectivity.

Effects of betaine on viability, apoptosis, function protein expression and oxidative status in heat-stressed IEC-6 cells.

Intestinal epithelial dysfunction is one of the key factors in the pathogenesis of heat stress-induced disease. The purpose of this experiment was to investigate whether betaine protects IEC-6 cells from dysfunction induced by heat stress (HS) through antioxidative mechanism. The IEC-6 cells were divided into four groups: control group incubated at 37 °C, while those in heat treated groups (41 °C for 24 h) were pretreated with 0, 0.

MicroRNA-19a Inhibition Directly and Indirectly Ameliorates Th2 Airway Inflammation in Asthma by Targeting RUNX3.

Disruption of T-cell differentiation is characteristic of airway inflammation in allergic asthma. How miR-19a works in asthma has not been completely elucidated. This study aimed to examine whether microRNA-19a regulates helper T-cell proliferation and to identify the factors involved and the underlying mechanisms.

IL-13 Regulates Orai1 Expression in Human Bronchial Smooth Muscle Cells and Airway Remodeling in Asthma Mice Model via LncRNA H19.

Background: Increased proliferation and hypertrophy of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) contribute substantially to airway remodeling in asthma. Interleukin (IL)-13 regulates ASMC proliferation by increasing Orai1 expression, the pore-forming subunit of store-operated Ca entry (SOCE). The underlying mechanisms of this effect are not fully understood.

Sodium selenite attenuates zearalenone-induced apoptosis through inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress in goat trophoblast cells.

Zearalenone (ZEL)-induced apoptosis in different cells is mediated by various molecular mechanisms, including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Selenium, an inorganic micronutrient, has several cytoprotective properties, but its potential protective action against ZEL-induced apoptosis in trophoblast cells and the precise mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of sodium selenite, a predominant chemical form of selenium, on cell viability, apoptosis, and progesterone (P) production in ZEL-treated goat trophoblast cell line and explored the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Zinc Protects against Heat Stress-Induced Apoptosis via the Inhibition of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in TM3 Leydig Cells.

Heat stress (HS)-induced apoptosis in Leydig cells is mediated by various molecular mechanisms, including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Zinc, an inorganic mineral element, exhibits several cytoprotective properties, but its potential protective action against Leydig cell apoptosis and the related molecular mechanisms has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we evaluated the effects of zinc sulfate, a predominant chemical form of zinc, exerted on cell viability, apoptosis, and testosterone production in HS-treated TM3 Leydig cells and investigated the underlying signaling pathways.

Characterization of heat stress affecting the growth performance, blood biochemical profile, and redox status in male and female broilers at market age.

This study investigated the effects of acute heat stress (HS), sex, and their interaction on growth performance, serum biochemical and redox status in the later stage broilers. Two hundred 38-day-old Ross 308 chicks were allocated in a factorial arrangement of 2 × 2 (temperatures and sexes) with 5 replicates of 10 bird each. Thermoneutral and heat-stressed broilers were raised at 24 ± 1 °C or 32 ± 1 °C from day 38 to 39, respectively.

The role of isolation rooms, facemasks and intensified hand hygiene in the prevention of nosocomial COVID-19 transmission in a pulmonary clinical setting.

From December 25, 2019 to January 31, 2020, 33 cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were identified in the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, China, yet none of the affiliated HCWs was infected. Here we analyzed the infection control measures used in three different departments in the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University and correlated the measures with the corresponding infection data of HCWs affiliated with these departments. We found that three infection control measures, namely the isolation of the presumed positive patients, the use of facemasks and intensified hand hygiene play important roles in preventing nosocomial transmission of COVID-19.

Increased miR-223-3p in Leukocytes Positively Correlated with IL-17A in Plasma of Asthmatic Patients.

Asthma is a common airway inflammation with an intricate underlying mechanism. The role played by circulating miRNAs in asthma remains unclear. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the role of miR-223-3p in leukocytes of asthma and identify the relationship between miR-223-3p and inflammatory cytokines in asthma.

Boron Attenuates Heat Stress-Induced Apoptosis by Inhibiting Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Mouse Granulosa Cells.

Heat stress-induced apoptosis in granulosa cells is mediated by multiple apoptotic signaling pathways, including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Boron is a naturally occurring trace element with several cytoprotective properties. Nonetheless, the molecular mechanisms involved in the protective functions of boron in granulosa cells undergoing apoptosis caused by heat stress (HS) remain unclear.

Oxidative Stress and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Are Involved in the Protective Effect of Alpha Lipoic Acid Against Heat Damage in Chicken Testes.

Heat stress (HS) causes testicular injury, resulting in decreased fertility. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is a well-known antioxidant. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of ALA on HS-induced testicular damage in chickens.