Hydroponic barley supplementation fed with high protein diets improves the production performance of lactating dairy cows

The study investigated the effects of dietary protein level and the inclusion of hydroponic barley sprouts (HB) on lactation performance, blood biochemistry and N use efficiency in mid-lactation dairy cows. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial design with 2 crude protein (CP) levels [16.8% and 15.5% of dry matter (DM)], with HB (4.8% of DM, replacing 4.3% of alfalfa hay and 0.5% of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS)) or without HB. Forty-eight multiparous Holstein dairy cows (146 ± 15 d in milk, 40 ± 5 kg/d of milk) were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 diets: high protein diet (16.8% CP, HP), HP with HB (HP+HB), low protein diet (15.5% CP, LP), or LP with HB (LP+HB). An interaction between CP × HB on dry matter intake (DMI) was detected, with DMI being unaffected by HB inclusion in cows fed the high CP diets, but was lower in cows fed HB when the low CP diet was fed. A CP × HB interaction was also observed on milk and milk protein yield, which was higher in cows fed HB with HP, but not LP. Inclusion of HB also tended to reduce milk fat content, and feeding HP resulted in a higher milk protein and milk urea N content, but lower milk lactose content. Feed efficiency was increased by feeding HP or HB diets, whereas N efficiency was higher for cows fed LP or HB diets. There was an interaction on the apparent total-tract digestibility of DM and CP, which was higher when HB was fed along with HP, but reduced when fed with LP, whereas the digestibility of ADF was increased by feeding low protein diets. In conclusion, feeding a low protein diet had no adverse effect on cow performance, while feeding HB improved milk and milk component yield, and N efficiency when fed with a high CP diet, but compromised cow performance with a low CP diet.

[The cases of tracing the source of patients infected with Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 based on wastewater-based epidemiology in Shenzhen]

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is an emerging discipline, which has been applied to drug abuse tracking and infectious disease pathogen surveillance. During the COVID-19 epidemic, WBE has been applied to monitor the epidemic trend and SARS-CoV-2 variants etc. In order to detect hidden COVID-19 cases and prevent transmission in the community, wastewater surveillance system for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 RNA was developed in Shenzhen. The sewage sampling sites were set up in key places such as the port areas, urban villages and residential communities of Futian, Nanshan, Luohu and Yantian districts. From July 26 to November 30, 2022, a total of 369 sewage sampling sites were set up, covering 1.93 million people. Continuous sampling was carried out for 3 hours in the peak period of water use every day. Sewage virus enrichment and SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid detection were carried out by polyethylene glycol precipitation method and RT-qPCR, and a positive water sample disposal process was molded. This article aims to introduce the case of source tracing of COVID-19 infected patients based on urban sewage in Shenzhen. The sewage monitoring of Honghu water treatment plant in Luohu District played an early warning role, and the source of infection was traced. In the disposal of positive water samples in Futian South Road, Futian District, the important experience of monitoring point layout was obtained. In the sewage monitoring of Nanshan village, Nanshan District, the existence of occult infection was revealed. Sharing the experience of tracing the source of COVID-19 patients to avoid the spread of COVID-19 in the community based on wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Shenzhen, and summarizing the advantages and application prospects of sewage surveillance can provide new ideas for monitoring emerging or re-emerging pathogens that are known to exhibit gastrointestinal excretion in the future.

[Molluscicidal effect of spraying 5% niclosamide ethanolamine salt granules with drones against Oncomelania hupensis in hilly regions]

OBJECTIVE

To establish a snail control approach for spraying chemicals with drones against Oncomelania hupensis in complex snail habitats in hilly regions, and to evaluate its molluscicidal effect.

METHODS

The protocol for evaluating the activity of spraying chemical molluscicides with drones against O. hupensis snails was formulated based on expert consultation and literature review. In August 2022, a pretest was conducted in a hillside field environment (12 000 m2) north of Dafengji Village, Dacang Township, Weishan County, Yunnan Province, which was assigned into four groups, of no less than 3 000 m2 in each group. In Group A, environmental cleaning was not conducted and 5% niclosamide ethanolamine salt granules were sprayed with drones at a dose of 40 g/m2, and in Group B, environmental cleaning was performed, followed by 5% niclosamide ethanolamine salt granules sprayed with drones at a dose of 40 g/m2, while in Group C, environmental cleaning was not conducted and 5% niclosamide ethanolamine salt granules were sprayed with knapsack sprayers at a dose of 40 g/m2, and in Group D, environmental cleaning was performed, followed by 5% niclosamide ethanolamine salt granules sprayed with knapsack sprayers at a dose of 40 g/m2. Then, each group was equally divided into six sections according to land area, with Section 1 for baseline surveys and sections 2 to 6 for snail surveys after chemical treatment. Snail surveys were conducted prior to chemical treatment and 1, 3, 5, 7 days post-treatment, and the mortality and corrected mortality of snails, density of living snails and costs of molluscicidal treatment were calculated in each group.

RESULTS

The mortality and corrected mortality of snails were 69.49%, 69.09%, 53.57% and 83.48%, and 68.58%, 68.17%, 52.19% and 82.99% in groups A, B, C and D 14 days post-treatment, and the density of living snails reduced by 58.40%, 63.94%, 68.91% and 83.25% 14 days post-treatment relative to pre-treatment in four groups, respectively. The median concentrations of chemical molluscicides were 37.08, 35.42, 42.50 g/m2 and 56.25 g/m2 in groups A, B, C and D, and the gross costs of chemical treatment were 0.93, 1.50, 0.46 Yuan per m2 and 1.03 Yuan per m2 in groups A, B, C and D, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The molluscicidal effect of spraying 5% niclosamide ethanolamine salt granules with drones against O. hupensis snails is superior to manual chemical treatment without environmental cleaning, and chemical treatment with drones and manual chemical treatment show comparable molluscicidal effects following environmental cleaning in hilly regions. The cost of chemical treatment with drones is slightly higher than manual chemical treatment regardless of environmental cleaning. Spraying 5% niclosamide ethanolamine salt granules with drones is recommended in complex settings with difficulty in environmental cleaning to improve the molluscicidal activity and efficiency against O. hupensis snails.

Prognostic Value of Lymph Node-to-Primary Tumor Ratio of PET Standardized Uptake Value for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Recursive Partitioning Risk Stratification Analysis

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

To evaluate the prognostic value of the lymph node-to-primary tumor ratio (NTR) of positron emission tomography (PET) standardized uptake value (SUV) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients treated with induction chemotherapy (IC).

MATERIALS/METHODS

Four hundred and sixty-seven locoregionally advanced NPC patients with pretreatment 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/computed tomography (CT) scans between September 2017 and November 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients underwent IC plus intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine the optimal cut-off value of SUV NTR. Kaplan-Meier method was used to evaluate survival rates. The recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) was performed to construct a risk stratification model.

RESULTS

The optimal cut-off value of SUV NTR was 0.74. Multivariate analyses showed that SUV NTR and overall stage were independent predictors for distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and regional recurrent-free survival (RRFS). Therefore, an RPA model based on the endpoint of DMFS was generated and categorized the patients into three distinct risk groups: RPA I (low-risk: SUV NTR<7.4 and stage III), RPA II (medium-risk: SUV NTR<7.4 and stage IVa, or SUV NTR≥7.4 and stage III), and RPA III (high-risk: SUV NTR≥7.4 and stage IVa), with a 3-year DMFS of 98.9%, 93.4%, and 84.2%, respectively. ROC analysis showed that the RPA model had superior predictive efficacy than the SUV NTR or overall stage alone.

CONCLUSION

SUV NTR was an independent prognosticator for distant metastasis and regional recurrence in locoregionally advanced NPC. The RPA risk stratification model base on SUV NTR provides improved DMFS and RRFS prediction over the 8th edition of the TNM staging system.

Radiotherapy Alone vs. Concurrent or Adjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients with Negative Epstein-Barr Virus DNA Post-Induction Chemotherapy

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Induction chemotherapy (IC) plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy has been recommended as the standard treatment for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC). However, concurrent chemotherapy was associated with increased toxicities, poor tolerance, and low completion rates. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and toxicity of IC+ radiotherapy (RT) and IC+ concurrent or adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (IC+CCRT/AC) in patients with negative post-IC EBV DNA.

MATERIALS/METHODS

A total of 547 NPC patients with negative plasma EBV DNA post-IC were included. Patients were classified into the IC+RT group and the IC+ concurrent or adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (IC+CCRT/AC) group. Locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) were estimated and compared using the Kaplan-Meier method. Propensity-score matching (PSM) was performed to balance the variables.

RESULTS

The median follow-up time was 37 months. The 3-year LRFS, DMFS, OS, and PFS rates for the whole group were 92.2%, 92.4%, 96.4%, and 84.4%, respectively. There was no significant difference in LRFS, DMFS, OS, and PFS between the IC+RT and the IC+CCRT/AC group both before PSM (3-year rates of 91.1% vs. 92.6%, p = 0.94; 95.6% vs. 91.5%, p = 0.08; 95.2% vs. 96.8%, p = 0.80; 85.9% vs. 84.0%, p = 0.38) and after PSM (90.7% vs. 92.7%, p = 0.77; 96.8% vs. 93.7%, p = 0.29; 94.5% vs. 93.9%, p = 0.57; 84.7% vs. 85.6%, p = 0.96). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that treatment schedule was not an independent predictor for survival rates. Patients in the IC+RT group had fewer treatment-related acute toxicities and better tolerance.

CONCLUSION

IC+RT displayed similar survival outcomes as IC+CCRT/AC for NPC patients with negative post-IC EBV DNA. Our current data seems not to support the routine use of concurrent or adjuvant chemotherapy after IC for unselected patients.

Fungus-derived protein particles as cell-adhesive matrices for cell-cultivated food

Cell-adhesive factors mediate adhesion of cells to substrates via peptide motifs such as the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence. With the onset of sustainability issues, there is a pressing need to find alternatives to animal-derived cell-adhesive factors, especially for cell-cultivated food applications. In this paper, we show how data mining can be a powerful approach toward identifying fungal-derived cell-adhesive proteins and present a method to isolate and utilize these proteins as extracellular matrices (ECM) to support cell adhesion and culture in 3D. Screening of a protein database for fungal and plant proteins uncovered that ~5.5% of the unique reported proteins contain RGD sequences. A plot of fungi species vs RGD percentage revealed that 98% of the species exhibited an RGD percentage > = 1%. We observed the formation of protein particles in crude extracts isolated from basidiomycete fungi, which could be correlated to their stability towards particle aggregation at different temperatures. These protein particles were incorporated in 3D fiber matrices encapsulating mouse myoblast cells, showing a positive effect on cell alignment. We demonstrated a cell traction stress on the protein particles (from Flammulina velutipes) that was comparable to cells on fibronectin. A snapshot of the RGD-containing proteins in the fungal extracts was obtained by combining SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry of the peptide fragments obtained by enzymatic cleavage. Therefore, a sustainable source of cell-adhesive proteins is widely available in the fungi kingdom. A method has been developed to identify candidate species and produce cell-adhesive matrices, applicable to the cell-cultivated food and healthcare industries.

[Study of the effect of liraglutide on the correlation between NLRP3 inflammasome and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease]

Objective: To observe the effect of liraglutide on the correlation between nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) infl ammasome and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods: Thirty-nine NAFLD cases (group N) and thirty-nine healthy subjects (group C) were selected from the physical examination center, and their general data were collected to determine the serum levels of NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-18. The differences and correlations were analyzed between the two sets of indicators. Thirty male SD rats were randomly divided into normal (NC, n=10) and high-fat diet group (HF, n=20). The normal group were fed with normal diet and high-fat diet group were fed with high-fat diet. After 12 weeks of feeding, HF group was randomly divided into HF group (n=10) and liraglutide group (100L, n=10), and were given 0.5 ml/kg sterile isotonic saline and 100 g/kg liraglutide subcutaneously twice a day, respectively. Four weeks later, serum biochemical indicators, liver NLRP3 infl ammasome protein expression, and infl ammatory cytokine conditions were detected in each group. Statistical analysis was performed using t test, oneway analysis of variance (ANOVA) or χ² test. Results: There were no statistically signifi cant differences between N and C group in terms of age, gender, diastolic blood pressure, glycosylated hemoglobin, mean platelet volume, erythrocyte distribution width, serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-Ch), total cholesterol, and total bileacid. Compared with group C, group N had elevated systolic blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose, blood creatinine, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), NLRP3, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18, TG, blood uric acid, γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and white blood cell counts, while HDL-Ch and total bilirubin were depleted than group C, and the difference was statistically significant (P< 0.05). NLRP3 was positively correlated with systolic blood pressure, BMI, fasting blood glucose, serum creatinine, IL-1β, IL-18, triglycerides, serum uric acid, GGT, ALT, AST, but negatively correlated with total bilirubin and HDL-Ch, and the difference was statistically signifi cant. Compared with NC group, HF group had significantly increased body mass, liver mass, serum biochemical indicators (triglycerides, AST, ALT), liver NLRP3 inflammasome protein expression, and inflammatory cytokines. After treatment with liraglutide, 100L group indicators were signifi cantly decreased when compared to HF group. Conclusion: Compared with healthy subjects, the infl ammation-related indicators, body mass, blood lipids and liver function-related indicators are signifi cantly changed in patients with NAFLD, which is also consistent with the results of rat model study. Liraglutide treatment had improved NAFLD to certain extent in NAFLD rats, so NLRP3 regulation may be one of the mechanisms to improve liver inflammation and steatosis.

Efficacy of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis, BB-12® on infant colic - a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study

To evaluate the administration of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis, BB-12^® (BB-12) on infant colic in breastfed infants, a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised study was conducted in Chengdu, China from April 2016 to October 2017 with 192 full-term infants less than 3 months of age and meeting the ROME III criteria for infant colic. After a 1-week run-in the infants were randomly assigned to receive daily BB-12 (1×10⁹ cfu/day) or placebo for 3 weeks. Crying/fussing time were recorded using a 24 h structured diary. The primary endpoint was the proportion of infants achieving a reduction in crying and fussing time of ≥50% from baseline. Parent's/caregiver's health related quality of life was measured using a modified PedsQL^™ 2.0 Family Impact Module and immunological biomarkers were evaluated from faecal samples at baseline and after the 21-day intervention. The percentage of infants achieving a reduction in the daily crying/fussing time ≥50% after the 21-day intervention was significantly higher in the infants supplemented with BB-12 (P<0.001). The mean number of crying episodes was significantly reduced in the BB-12 group compared to the placebo group (10.0±3.0 to 5.0±1.87 vs 10.5±2.6 to 7.5±2.8, respectively) (P<0.001) and the mean daily sleep duration was markedly increased from baseline to end of intervention in the BB-12 group compared to the infants in the placebo group (60.7±104.0 vs 31.9±102.7 min/day, respectively) (P<0.001). The faecal levels of human beta defensin 2, cathelicidin, slgA, calprotectin and butyrate were statistically higher in the BB-12 group compared to the placebo group after the 21-day intervention. At the end of the intervention the parent's/caregiver's physical, emotional and social functioning scores were significantly higher for the BB-12 group compared to the placebo group (all P<0.05). Supplementation of BB-12 is effective in reducing crying and fussing in infants diagnosed with infant colic.

Modular access to 1,2-allenyl ketones based on a photoredox-catalysed radical-polar crossover process

Herein, a new protocol dealing with the preparation of 1,2-allenyl ketones has been successfully developed via the reactions of enynes with radicals enabled by dual photoredox/copper catalysis. Based on the results of a deuteration experiment and the competition reaction between cyclopropanation and allenation, the mechanism based on a photoredox-neutral-catalysed radical-polar crossover process has been proposed. Synthetic applications of allenes have also been demonstrated.

Merging radical-polar crossover/cycloisomerization processes: access to polyfunctional furans enabled by metallaphotoredox catalysis

Metallaphotoredox catalysis for furan synthesis: The cyclisation of yne-enones proceeds smoothly via consecutive reductive radical-polar crossover and cycloisomerization processes enabled by cooperative photoredox-neutral and copper catalysis.

STAT3-induced upregulation of lncRNA DUXAP8 functions as ceRNA for miR-577 to promote the migration and invasion in colorectal cancer through the regulation of RAB14

OBJECTIVE

Previous reports have shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in a series of biological processes and cancer in humans. Recently, lncRNA double homeobox A pseudogene 8 (DUXAP8) was frequently reported to be aberrantly expressed in multiple cancers and play a functional role. However, the exact expression, function, and mechanism of DUXAP8 in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain uncovered.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The expression levels of DUXAP8 were detected by Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). The clinical influence of DUXAP8 in HCC patients was statistically analyzed. Luciferase reporter and ChIP assays were carried out for the exploration of whether STAT3 was able to bind to the promoter of DUXAP8. Lost-of-function experiments were carried out for the determination of possible cellular function in CRC cells. The modulating associations between DUXAP8 and miR-577 and RAB14 were further studied in CRC cells.

RESULTS

In this study, we first provided evidence that DUXAP8 was overexpressed in CRC and increasing expression of DUXAP8 indicates advanced clinical progression and poor survival of CRC patients. Then, transcription factor STAT3 was demonstrated to upregulate DUXAP8 in CRC cells. Functional assays via in vitro assays revealed that DUXAP8 knockdown through shRNA in HCT116 and LOVO cells inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and promoted apoptosis. Furthermore, an inverse relationship between DUXAP8 and miR-577 was found. In addition, we confirmed that DUXAP8 served as competing endogenous RNA to modulate miR-577, which can modulate RAB14, a well-studied oncogene.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study revealed that the STAT3-induced up-regulation of DUXAP8 might provide a new perspective for CRC therapy.