Effects of dietary propyl gallate and Lactobacillus plantarum addition on growth, intestinal morphology, antioxidant capacity, and immune functions of Pekin ducks.

The interaction between probiotic bacteria and polyphenol antioxidants can potentially enhance animal health. The present study examined the effects of propyl gallate and Lactobacillus plantarum supplementation on the growth, intestinal morphology, antioxidant capacity, and immune functions of Pekin ducks. A total of 128 male Pekin ducks (7-day-old) were allocated to four treatment groups with four replicates of eight birds each.

Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Activation in Pulmonary Alveolar Epithelial Cells Limits Inflammation and Preserves Lung Epithelial Cell Integrity.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a receptor/transcription factor widely expressed in the lung. The physiological roles of AHR expressed in the alveolar epithelium remain unclear. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that alveolar epithelial AHR activity plays an important role in modulating inflammatory responses and maintaining alveolar integrity during lung injury and repair.

Special economic zone and infant mortality: Evidence from China.

By exploiting the development of special economic zones (SEZs) in China as a quasi-natural experiment, this paper evaluates how such zones affect infant mortality. Difference-in-differences analysis reveals that SEZs significantly decrease the local infant mortality rate, and the impact is larger for male infants and infants with less-educated mothers. Further studies show that the SEZs, which acts as an economic growth shock, improve infant survival by increasing the local income.

Capture-bonding Super Assembly of Nanoscale Dispersed Bimetal on Uniform CeO Nanorod for the Toluene Oxidation.

Elimination of VOCs by catalytic oxidation is an important technology. Here, a general synergistic capture-bonding superassembly strategy was proposed to obtain the nanoscale dispersed 5.8% PtFe -CeO catalyst, which showed a high toluene oxidation activity (T =226 °C), excellent catalytic stability (125 h, >99.

Population Pharmacokinetics of Intranasal Dexmedetomidine in Infants and Young Children.

Background: Intranasal dexmedetomidine provides noninvasive, effective procedural sedation for pediatric patients, and has been widely used in clinical practice. However, the dosage applied has varied fourfold in pediatric clinical studies. To validate an appropriate dosing regimen, this study investigated the pharmacokinetics of intranasal dexmedetomidine in Chinese children under 3 yr old.

Preemptive analgesic effectiveness of single dose intravenous ibuprofen in infants undergoing cleft palate repair: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Correction surgery for cleft palate is recommended between 9 and 18 months of age. Patients suffer from acute pain after palatoplasty. Clinicians are hesitant to use opioids for analgesia concerning the potential high risk of respiratory adverse events.

[Partial Nitritation and Anaerobic Ammonia Oxidation Synergistic Denitrification to Remove Nitrogen and Carbon from Domestic Sewage].

A sequencing batch reactor-anaerobic sequencing batch reactor(SBR-ASBR) process was used to treat domestic sewage. In the SBR, the effects of the anoxic/aerobic time ratio and temperature on the realization of partial nitritation(PN) were investigated. In the ASBR, the effects of different COD/NO-N(C/N) ratios on the removal of nitrogen and carbon using anaerobic ammonia oxidation(ANAMMOX) and denitrification were studied.

IDseq-An open source cloud-based pipeline and analysis service for metagenomic pathogen detection and monitoring.

Background: Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has enabled the rapid, unbiased detection and identification of microbes without pathogen-specific reagents, culturing, or a priori knowledge of the microbial landscape. mNGS data analysis requires a series of computationally intensive processing steps to accurately determine the microbial composition of a sample. Existing mNGS data analysis tools typically require bioinformatics expertise and access to local server-class hardware resources.

2020 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Gout.

Objective: To provide guidance for the management of gout, including indications for and optimal use of urate-lowering therapy (ULT), treatment of gout flares, and lifestyle and other medication recommendations.

Methods: Fifty-seven population, intervention, comparator, and outcomes questions were developed, followed by a systematic literature review, including network meta-analyses with ratings of the available evidence according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology, and patient input. A group consensus process was used to compose the final recommendations and grade their strength as strong or conditional.

2020 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Gout.

Objective: To provide guidance for the management of gout, including indications for and optimal use of urate-lowering therapy (ULT), treatment of gout flares, and lifestyle and other medication recommendations.

Methods: Fifty-seven population, intervention, comparator, and outcomes questions were developed, followed by a systematic literature review, including network meta-analyses with ratings of the available evidence according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology, and patient input. A group consensus process was used to compose the final recommendations and grade their strength as strong or conditional.

Aged hind-limb clasping experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis models aspects of the neurodegenerative process seen in multiple sclerosis.

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is the most common model of multiple sclerosis (MS). This model has been instrumental in understanding the events that lead to the initiation of central nervous system (CNS) autoimmunity. Though EAE has been an effective screening tool for identifying novel therapies for relapsing-remitting MS, it has proven to be less successful in identifying therapies for progressive forms of this disease.

Detection of microvascular retinal changes in type I diabetic mice with optical coherence tomography angiography.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography is a dye-free and non-invasive angiography which allows visualization of retinal and choroid vascular flow, enabling observation of highly permeable and three dimensional vasculature. Although OCT angiography is providing new insights in human retinal and choroidal diseases, a few studies have been reported in experimental mice. In this study, to determine the potential of OCT angiography in experimental mice, we sought to examine whether OCT angiography can detect vascular change in type I diabetic mice.

[Effects of drought and rewatering on leaf photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence, and root architecture of citrus seedlings.].

Drought severely affects citrus growth and development. In order to explore the mechanism of drought response of citrus, two cultivars (Sanhuhongju and Sanhuhuahong) that differing in drought tolerance were used as materials. The drought and rewatering treatment was conducted in pot experiments, with leaf photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence, and root architecture being measured.

Experimental Infection with Listeria monocytogenes as a Model for Studying Host Interferon-γ Responses.

L. monocytogenes is a gram-positive bacterium that is a cause of food borne disease in humans. Experimental infection of mice with this pathogen has been highly informative on the role of innate and adaptive immune cells and specific cytokines in host immunity against intracellular pathogens.

Antagonizing Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor α Activity Selectively Enhances Th1 Immunity in Male Mice.

Females exhibit more robust Th1 responses than males. Our previous work suggested that this sex disparity is a consequence of higher activity of the androgen-induced gene peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) in male CD4(+) T cells. The objective of this study was to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanism of how PPARα inhibits Th1 responses in male mice.

Sex-Based Differences in Multiple Sclerosis (Part I): Biology of Disease Incidence.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune demyelinating disease that leads to neuron damage and progressive disability. One major feature of multiple sclerosis (MS) is that it affects women three times more often than men. In this chapter, we overview the evidence that the autoimmune component of MS, which predominates in the early stages of this disease, is more robust in women than in men and undergoes a sharp increase with the onset of puberty.

Puberty in females enhances the risk of an outcome of multiple sclerosis in children and the development of central nervous system autoimmunity in mice.

Background: For reasons that remain unclear, three times more women develop multiple sclerosis (MS) than men. This preponderance among women is evident only after 12 years of age, implicating pubertal factors in the risk of MS.

Objective: To investigate the influence of female puberty on central nervous system (CNS) autoimmunity.

Sex-specific T-cell regulation of angiotensin II-dependent hypertension.

Studies suggest T cells modulate arterial pressure. Because robust sex differences exist in the immune system and in hypertension, we investigated sex differences in T-cell modulation of angiotensin II-induced increases in mean arterial pressure in male (M) and female (F) wild-type and recombination-activating-gene-1-deficient (Rag1(-/-)) mice. Sex differences in peak mean arterial pressure in wild-type were lost in Rag1(-/-) mice (mm Hg: wild-type-F, 136±4.

Growth of E18 rat hippocampal neuronal cells on nanostructured surfaces for enhanced electrical stimulation and recording.

We have prepared gold nanowire arrays inside nanoporous alumina templates with the goal towards neuronal interfacing and electrical recording from neurons. We have investigated biofunctionalization of such gold nanowire arrays (GNWs) and gold nanofilm (GNF) platforms to understand its impact on neuronal attachment and growth. Poly-D-Lysine (PDL) was coated on the nano-templates surfaces for adhesion of neurons which also enhanced the neuronal growth.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)α and -γ regulate IFNγ and IL-17A production by human T cells in a sex-specific way.

Women develop certain autoimmune diseases more often than men. It has been hypothesized that this may relate to the development of more robust T-helper (Th)1 responses in women. To test whether women exhibit a Th1 bias, we isolated naïve cluster of differentiation (CD)4(+) T cells from peripheral blood of healthy women and men and measured the proliferation and cytokine production by these cells in response to submaximal amounts of anti-CD3 and anti-CD28.

Clinical observation of removal of the necrotic corneal tissue combined with conjunctival flap covering surgery under the guidance of the AS-OCT in treatment of fungal keratitis.

Aim: To study the clinical observation of removal of the necrotic corneal tissue combined with conjunctival flap covering surgery under the guidance of the AS-OCT in treatment of fungal keratitis.

Methods: A retrospective study was done to 10 patients (10 eyes) who had accepted removal of the necrotic corneal tissue combined with conjunctival flap covering surgery for fungal keratitis,the diagnosis by corneal scraping and smear examination or confocal microscopy check hyphae.Local and systemic antifungal therapy more than one week for all patients, corneal ulcer enlarge or no shrink.

Elaidic acid enhanced the simultaneous neurotoxicity attributable to the cerebral pathological lesion resulted from oxidative damages induced by acrylamide and benzo(a)pyrene.

Acrylamide (ACR), benzopyrene [B(a)P] and trans-fatty acids (TFA) could be found to co-exist in many foods processed by high temperature. Our study investigated the effects of elaidic acid (ELA), a predominant TFA, on neuropathology induced by simultaneous exposure of ACR and B(a)P to mice. Results showed ELA enhanced the decrease of weight gains induced by simultaneous exposure of ACR and B(a)P (AB).

Late development of esophageal stricture following radiation and chemotherapy for small cell carcinoma of the lung: A case report.

Background: The development of esophageal stricture is not an uncommon side effect of radiation and chemotherapy for neck and thoracic malignancies. Depending on the study, it may occur anywhere from 2-3 weeks to 4-8 months after therapy. However, chronic late presentations of post-treatment stricture are highly atypical events.

[Molecular cloning and homologous modeling of Wulong goose MHC class I gene].

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) was correlated with immune response for extra-antigen. MHC sequences of chicken, other birds, crawl species and mammalian were derived from GenBank/DDBJ/EMBL and analyzed by alignment, and then primers were designed. By means of LA-PCR method, MHC Classgene was cloned from Wulong goose genomic DNA and total RNA, and the structure of MHC Classgenomic DNA was analyzed using bioinformation methods.

[Inhibition of growth and metastases of human colon cancer xenograft in nude mice by angiogenesis inhibitor endostatin].

Background & Objective: Tumor angiogenesis is essential for growth and metastases of colon cancer. Angiogenesis inhibitors can induce apoptosis in colon cancer by inhibiting tumor angiogenesis and has strong inhibitory effect both on tumor growth and metastases of human colon cancer. Anti-angiogenic cancer therapy is important for selecting the timing and method of operation and program of complex treatment and enhancing the five-year survival rate of patients with colon cancer.