Introduction: A large number of middle-aged and elderly patients have an insufficient understanding of osteoporosis and its harm. This study aimed to establish and validate a convolutional neural network (CNN) model based on unenhanced chest computed tomography (CT) images of the vertebral body and skeletal muscle for opportunistic screening in patients with osteoporosis.
Materials And Methods: Our team retrospectively collected clinical information from participants who underwent unenhanced chest CT and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) examinations between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022, at four hospitals.
Background: Research has demonstrated that individuals with sarcopenia or sarcopenic obesity who experience fractures or undergo major surgical interventions exhibit a poorer prognosis compared to the general population. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between the skeletal muscle and adipose tissue indices, as measured at the 12th thoracic spine level, and adverse outcomes following orthopedic surgery. Therefore, this study aimed to prove whether skeletal muscle and adipose tissue index measured by computed tomography (CT) images based on a single layer are associated with one-year postoperative mortality in elderly hip fracture patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProbiotics Antimicrob Proteins
December 2024
Eubacterium rectale (E. rectale) has the ability to attenuate systemic and intestinal inflammation. Its naturally secreted membrane vesicles (MVs) likely play a crucial role in this process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEndometritis, an inflammatory disease affecting dairy cattle, causes substantial economic losses in the dairy industry. Conventional treatment using uterine infusion of antibiotics often results in bacterial resistance and antibiotic residues in milk. Thus, identifying novel, effective therapeutic targets for endometritis in dairy cows is necessary.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntensive farming can reduce production costs and maximize animal production efficiency; however, it also causes many adverse effects on the welfare of dairy cows. A mechanical brush is an automated grooming device that promotes the grooming behavior of dairy cattle, thereby helping to alleviate stress. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of using mechanical brushes on the production performance of dairy cows by comprehensively analyzing their milk production, health status, and reproductive performance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe main objective of this study was to determine the influence of the recipient dairy cows' breed, lactation number, estrus condition, the type, location and volume of the corpus luteum (CL) and the time of year that the embryo transfer (ET) was performed on the pregnancy rates of a large, fresh in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer program for dairy cows in a commercial herd in China. The recipients were from a herd of dairy cows in Ningxia, a province in northwest China, and we statistically analyzed the data of 495 cows from 2021 to 2023. Cumulus oocyte complexes (COCS) were isolated from follicular fluid obtained through ovum pick-up (OPU) and oocytes were incubated 20-22 h for in vitro maturation (IVM).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZearalenone (ZEA) is an estrogen-like mycotoxin and is considered a secondary metabolite produced by Fusarium fungi, which are widely found in the surrounding environment. ZEA has been found to cause reproductive dysfunction in female and male animals, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Therefore, this study examined cell proliferation, cell apoptosis, autophagy protein expression, and some inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β and IL-8 of goat endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) induced by different concentrations (0, 15, 30, 60, and 90 µM) of ZEA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) signaling domain is distributed widely in mammalian Toll-like receptors and adaptors, plant nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors, and specific bacterial virulence proteins. Proteins that possess TIR domain exhibit NADase activity which is distinct from the canonical signaling function of these domains. However, the effects of bacterial TIR domain proteins on host metabolic switches and the underlying mechanism of NADase activity in these proteins remain unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To obtain prescription eyewear in Ontario, eye exams must be performed by optometrists or ophthalmologists (eye care providers [ECPs]). In 2004, government-insured routine eye exams were delisted for Ontarians aged 20-64 leaving eye exam coverage only for those aged ≤19 and 65+. We assessed whether having eyewear insurance impacts Ontarians' utilization of ECPs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF(1) Background: One method of eradicating brucellosis is to cull cattle that test positive for antibodies 12 months after being vaccinated with the 19-strain vaccine. Variations in immunization regimens and feeding practices may contribute to differences in the rate of persistent antibodies. We conducted this study to investigate the real positive rate of Brucella antibody in field strains of spp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPersister cells are transiently tolerant to antibiotics and are associated with recalcitrant chronic infections due to recolonization of host cells after antibiotic removal. spp. are facultative pathogens that establish intracellular infection cycles in host cells which results in chronic persistent infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMesenchymal Stem Cells are ideal seed cells for tissue repair and cell therapy and have promising applications in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Using Platelet-Rich Plasma as an adjuvant to create and improve the microenvironment for Mesenchymal Stem Cells growth can enhance the biological properties of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and improve the efficacy of cell therapy. However, the mechanism by which Platelet-Rich Plasma improves the biological performance of Mesenchymal Stem Cells is still unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Multiple studies have shown that skeletal muscle index (SMI) measured on abdominal computed tomography (CT) is strongly associated with bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture risk as estimated by the fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX). Although some studies have reported that SMI at the level of the 12th thoracic vertebra (T12) measured on chest CT images can be used to diagnose sarcopenia, it is regrettable that no studies have investigated the relationship between SMI at T12 level and BMD or fracture risk. Therefore, we further investigated the relationship between SMI at T12 level and FRAX-estimated BMD and fracture risk in this study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe global challenge of male infertility is escalating, notably due to the decreased testosterone (T) synthesis in testicular Leydig cells under stress, underscoring the critical need for a more profound understanding of its regulatory mechanisms. CREBZF, a novel basic region-leucine zipper transcription factor, regulates testosterone synthesis in mouse Leydig cells in vitro; however, further validation through in vivo experiments is essential. Our study utilized Cyp17a1-Cre to knock out CREBZF in androgen-synthesis cells and explored the physiological roles of CREBZF in fertility, steroid hormone synthesis, and behaviors in adult male mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe bacterial flagellum is an elongated filament that protrudes from the cell and is responsible for bacterial motility. It can also be a pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) that regulates the host immune response and is involved in bacterial pathogenicity. In contrast to motile bacteria, the Brucella flagellum does not serve a motile purpose.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUlcerative colitis (UC) is a relapsing and reoccurring inflammatory bowel disease. The treatment effect of and stem cell extracts on UC remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective role of combined with stem cell extract on the intestinal mucosal barrier in an intestinal inflammation mouse model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Optimizing the management of dairy cattle reproduction can reduce postpartum ovarian disease in high-yielding dairy cows and thus enhance ranch economic benefit. The hypothesis of this study was that the Double-Ovsynch (DO) protocol in high-producing dairy cows would result in a lower incidence of follicular cysts but a higher incidence of luteal cysts compared to those undergoing the Presynch-Ovsynch (PS) protocol.
Methods: In this experiment, 384 cows (204 primiparous and 180 multiparous) were allocated to the DO group, which followed the protocol: GnRH-7d-PGF2α-3d-GnRH-7d-Ovsynch-56 h (GnRH-7d-PGF2α-56 h-GnRH-16hTAI), starting on 39 ± 3 days in milk (DIM).
Identification and functional analysis of key genes regulated by the circadian clock system will provide a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms through which circadian clock disruption impairs the health of living organisms. The initial phase involved bioinformatics analysis, drawing insights from three RNA-seq datasets (GSE184303, GSE114400, and GSE199061) derived from wild-type mouse liver tissues, which encompassed six distinct time points across a day. As expected, 536 overlapping genes exhibiting rhythmic expression patterns were identified.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEndometrial receptivity is critical for the successful establishment of pregnancy in ruminants. Interferon tau (IFNT) plays a key role in promoting embryo attachment by activating the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription pathway, which induces the expression of a series of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). In our previous study, sequencing analysis of goat endometrial epithelial cells (gEECs) treated with 20 ng/mL IFNT revealed a differentially expressed long non-coding RNA located on the STAT3 antisense chain, which we designated STAT3-AS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAfter parturition, bovine endometrial epithelial cells (BEECs) undergo serious inflammation and imbalance between oxidation and antioxidation, which is widely acknowledged as a primary contributor to the development of endometritis in dairy cows. Nevertheless, the mechanism of oxidative stress-mediated inflammation and damage in bovine endometrial epithelial cells remains inadequately defined, particularly the molecular pathways associated with mitochondria-dependent apoptosis. Hence, the present study was designed to explore the mechanism responsible for mitochondrial dysfunction-induced BEEC damage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSertoli cells play a key role in testicular development and spermatogenesis. It has been suggested that Sertoli cells differentiate after their proliferation ceases. Our previous study showed that miR-34b inhibits proliferation by targeting MAP2K1 mediated MEK/ERK signaling pathway in bovine immature Sertoli cells.
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