Epidemiology and factors predicting survival of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in a large Chinese cohort.

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder associated with loss of motor neurons. Our objective was to explore the epidemiology, clinical features, and survival factors of 1809 patients with ALS.

Methods: We analyzed 1809 ALS patients, who were recruited from the Peking University Third Hospital from January 2005 to December 2015.

Effect of curcumin supplementation on TLR4 mediated non-specific immune responses in liver of laying hens under high-temperature conditions.

The liver performs a significant role in innate and adaptive immunity. Heat stress causes oxidative stress in liver tissues and reduces the immune responses of laying hens which can cause several diseases affecting poultry-production performance. Hepatic inflammation is a common trigger of liver disease, which is reflected by hepatic tissue damage leading to fibrogenesis and hepatocellular carcinoma.