Chemical composition and microbiota changes across musk secretion stages of forest musk deer.

Forest musk deer is the most important animal for natural musk production, and the musk composition changes periodically during musk secretion, accompanied by variation in the com-position of deer-symbiotic bacteria. GC-MS and 16S rRNA sequencing were conducted in this study, the dynamic changes to correlated chemical composition and the microbiota across musk secretion periods (prime musk secretion period, vigorous musk secretion period and late musk secretion period) were investigated by integrating its serum testosterone level in different mating states. Results showed that the testosterone level, musk composition and microbiota changed with annual cycle of musk secretion and affected by its mating state.

COPD Assessment Test and risk of readmission in patients with bronchiectasis: a prospective cohort study.

Introduction: Readmission following bronchiectasis exacerbation is a common and challenging clinical problem and few simple predictive tools exist. The COPD Assessment Test (CAT) is an easy-to-use questionnaire. This study aims to evaluate the predictive value of CAT scores in determining the risk of readmission in patients with bronchiectasis exacerbation.

The clinical characteristics of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis patients with positive serum tumor markers: a retrospective study.

Background: Serum tumor markers (STM), extensively used for the diagnosis, monitoring and prognostic assessment of tumors, can be increased in some non-malignant lung diseases. To date, there is a paucity of studies regarding the clinical characteristics of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis patients with positive STMs.

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics and indicators of bronchiectasis with positive STMs.

A population-based cohort study for presence of ulceration among cutaneous malignant melanoma subgroups of patients.

Background: Observational studies suggest that ulceration is considered to be a negative prognostic factor for cutaneous melanoma. However, the impact of ulceration over different subgroups (e.g.

Characteristics, Prognosis, and Competing Risk Nomograms of Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma: Evidence for Pigmentary Disorders.

Purpose: Cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) always presents as a complex disease process with poor prognosis. The objective of the present study was to explore the influence of solitary or multiple cancers on the prognosis of patients with CMM to better understand the landscape of CMM.

Methods: We reviewed the records of CMM patients between 2004 and 2015 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.

Sevoflurane-Induced Neurotoxicity in the Developing Hippocampus via HIPK2/AKT/mTOR Signaling.

Sevoflurane (Sev) is a widely used inhalational anesthetic for general anesthesia in children. Previous studies have confirmed that multiple exposures to inhaled anesthetic can induce long-term neurotoxicity in newborn mice. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive.

New progress in the study of germline susceptibility genes of myeloid neoplasms.

In 2016, the World Health Organization incorporated 'myeloid neoplasms with germline predisposition' into its classification of tumors of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues, revealing the important role of germline mutations in certain myeloid neoplasms, particularly myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia. The awareness of germline susceptibility has increased, and some patients with myeloid neoplasms present with a preexisting disorder or organ dysfunction. In such cases, mutations in genes including CCAAT enhancer binding protein α (CEBPA), DEAD (Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp) box polypeptide 41 (DDX41), RUNX family transcription factor 1 (RUNX1), GATA binding protein 2 (GATA2), Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and ETS variant transcription factor 6 (ETV6) have been recognized.

Long Non-coding RNA and mRNA Profile of Liver Tissue During Four Developmental Stages in the Chicken.

The liver is the major organ of lipid biosynthesis in the chicken. In laying hens, the liver synthesizes most of the yolk precursors and transports them to developing follicles to produce eggs. However, a systematic investigation of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and mRNA transcriptome in liver across developmental stages is needed.

Gut Microbiome of Chinese Forest Musk Deer Examined across Gender and Age.

Animal gut microbiota begins to colonize after birth and is functionally indispensable for maintaining the health of the host. It has been reported that gender and age influence the composition of the intestinal microbiome. However, the effects of gender and age on the intestinal microorganism of forest musk deer (FMD) remain unclear.

Characterizing the microbiota in gastrointestinal tract segments of Rhabdophis subminiatus: Dynamic changes and functional predictions.

The gut microbiota helps the host to absorb nutrients and generate immune responses that can affect host behavior, development, reproduction, and overall health. However, in most of the previous studies, microbiota was sampled mainly using feces and intestinal contents from mammals but not from wild reptiles. Here, we described the bacterial profile from five different gastrointestinal tract (GIT) segments (esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and cloaca) of three wild Rhabdophis subminiatus using 16S rRNA V4 hypervariable amplicon sequencing.

Isolation, primary culture, and morphological characterization of gland epithelium from forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii).

Research of epithelial cells in musk gland is lacking. There are no good characterized epithelial cell lines that can provide complementary in vitro models for in vivo research. We successfully cultivated epithelial cells of musk gland for the first time.

Electrostatic Self-Assembly Enabling Integrated Bulk and Interfacial Sodium Storage in 3D Titania-Graphene Hybrid.

Room-temperature sodium-ion batteries have attracted increased attention for energy storage due to the natural abundance of sodium. However, it remains a huge challenge to develop versatile electrode materials with favorable properties, which requires smart structure design and good mechanistic understanding. Herein, we reported a general and scalable approach to synthesize three-dimensional (3D) titania-graphene hybrid via electrostatic-interaction-induced self-assembly.

A Comparison of Genetic Diversity of COX-III Gene in Lowland Chickens and Tibetan Chickens.

To obtain a full understanding of the genetic diversity of the cytochrome oxidase III gene and its association with high altitude adaptation in Tibetan chickens, we sequenced in 12 chicken populations (155 Tibetan chickens and 145 other domestic chickens). We identified a total of 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 12 haplotypes (Ha1-Ha12). Low genetic diversity (haplotype diversity = 0.

Revisiting the Corrosion of the Aluminum Current Collector in Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The corrosion of aluminum current collectors and the oxidation of solvents at a relatively high potential have been widely investigated with an aim to stabilize the electrochemical performance of lithium-ion batteries using such components. The corrosion behavior of aluminum current collectors was revisited using a home-build high-precision electrochemical measurement system, and the impact of electrolyte components and the surface protection layer on aluminum foil was systematically studied. The electrochemical results showed that the corrosion of aluminum foil was triggered by the electrochemical oxidation of solvent molecules, like ethylene carbonate, at a relative high potential.

Insights into the Distinct Lithiation/Sodiation of Porous Cobalt Oxide by in Operando Synchrotron X-ray Techniques and Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have been considered as one of the promising power source candidates for the stationary storage industries owing to the much lower cost of sodium than lithium. It is well-known that the electrode materials largely determine the energy density of the battery systems. However, recent discoveries on the electrode materials showed that most of them present distinct lithium and sodium storage performance, which is not yet well understood.

Nanostructured Black Phosphorus/Ketjenblack-Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Composite as High Performance Anode Material for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Sodium-ion batteries are promising alternatives to lithium-ion batteries for large-scale applications. However, the low capacity and poor rate capability of existing anodes for sodium-ion batteries are bottlenecks for future developments. Here, we report a high performance nanostructured anode material for sodium-ion batteries that is fabricated by high energy ball milling to form black phosphorus/Ketjenblack-multiwalled carbon nanotubes (BPC) composite.

Insight into the Capacity Fading Mechanism of Amorphous Se2S5 Confined in Micro/Mesoporous Carbon Matrix in Ether-Based Electrolytes.

In contrast to the stable cycle performance of space confined Se-based cathodes for lithium batteries in carbonate-based electrolytes, their common capacity fading in ether-based electrolytes has been paid less attention and not yet well-addressed so far. In this work, the lithiation/delithiation of amorphous Se2S5 confined in micro/mesoporous carbon (Se2S5/MPC) cathode was investigated by in situ X-ray near edge absorption spectroscopy (XANES) and theoretical calculations. The Se2S5/MPC composite was synthesized by a modified vaporization-condensation method to ensure a good encapsulation of Se2S5 into the pores of MPC host.

The musk chemical composition and microbiota of Chinese forest musk deer males.

Male musk deer secrete musk from the musk gland located between their naval and genitals. Unmated male forest musk deer generate a greater amount of musk than mated males, potentially allowing them to attract a greater number of females. In this study, we used gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to explore musk chemical composition of the musk pods of captive mated and unmated sexually mature Chinese forest musk deer and used next-generation sequencing to intensively survey the bacterial communities within them.