Effect of dietary supplemental nicotinic acid on growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality in three genotypes of chicken

The effects of dietary supplemental nicotinic acid (NA) on growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality were investigated in three genotypes of chicken. Fast-growing AA (Arbor Acres) broilers were compared with two genotypes of a slow-growing local breed, Beijing-You, that had undergone selection for and against intramuscular fat content respectively (BJY+IMF and BJY-IMF). The treatments were arranged 3×4 factorial completely randomized design. Day-old females (n=624) were allocated to four treatments with six replicates per treatment and fed diets (basal contained ~25 mg NA/kg) supplemented with 0, 30, 60 and 120 mg NA/kg. A sample of 72 birds from each genotype was slaughtered at market time (8 weeks of age for AA and 16 weeks of age for BJY). The breast muscles of AA broilers were darker, had less redness and yellowness, lower drip loss and higher shear force as compared to the BJY genotypes (p<0.01). The highest drip loss and the lowest shear force among the three genotypes were apparent in BJY+IMF (p<0.01). Increasing supplementation from 0 to 60 mg NA/kg tended to increase average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake, width of intermuscular fat band, thickness of subcutaneous fat (including skin) and percentage of abdominal fat but, for most variables, values decreased slightly with 120 mg NA/kg. Increasing supplementation to 60 mg NA/kg decreased (quadratic, p<0.001) drip loss, but it increased at 120 mg NA/kg. The present results indicate that (i) the AA broilers fed corn-soybean meal based-diets require approximately 60 mg NA/kg to maximize ADG and meat product yield and decrease the drip loss of breast muscle; (ii) the addition of 30 mg NA/kg meets the requirement of BJY genotypes; and (iii) there seems to be no beneficial effect of NA supplementation on chicken meat quality except for limiting the drip loss.

Sclerotinia blight resistance in Virginia-type peanut transformed with a barley oxalate oxidase gene

Transgenic peanut lines expressing oxalate oxidase, a novel enzyme to peanut, were evaluated for resistance to Sclerotinia blight in naturally infested fields over a 5-year period. Area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) for transgenic lines in single rows planted with seed from single-plant selections averaged 78, 83, and 90% lower than nontransgenic parents in 2004, 2005, and 2006, respectively. In addition, AUDPC in 14 transgenic lines planted with bulked seed in two-row plots averaged 81% lower compared with nontransgenic parents in 2005 and 86% lower in 16 transgenic lines in 2006. Six transgenic lines yielded 488 to 1,260 kg/ha greater than nontransgenic parents in 2005, and 10 lines yielded 537 to 2,490 kg/ha greater in 2006. Fluazinam (0.58 kg a.i./ha) fungicide sprays in 2008 and 2009 reduced AUDPC in transgenic and nontransgenic lines but AUDPC was lowest in transgenic lines. Without fluazinam, yields of transgenic lines averaged 1,133 to 1,578 kg/ha greater than nontransgenic lines in 2008 and 1,670 to 2,755 kg/ha greater in 2009. These results demonstrated that the insertion of barley oxalate oxidase in peanut conveyed a high level of resistance to Sclerotinia blight, and negated the need for costly fungicide sprays.

Clinical correlates of white matter blood flow perfusion changes in Sturge-Weber syndrome: a dynamic MR perfusion-weighted imaging study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Low brain tissue perfusion due to abnormal venous drainage is thought to be a central mechanism of brain damage in SWS. Here, HR-PWI was used to quantify WM perfusion abnormalities and to correlate these with brain atrophy and clinical variables.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fourteen children (age range, 0.8-10.0 years) with unilateral SWS underwent MR imaging examinations, including HR-PWI. rCBV, rCBF, and MTT in the affected WM and in contralateral homotopic WM were measured. AI for each perfusion parameter was correlated with age, brain atrophy, and motor and seizure variables as well as IQ.

RESULTS

Increased perfusion was seen in the affected hemisphere in 5 children and decreased perfusion in 9 children. Brain atrophy was more severe in the low-perfusion group (P = .01) and was related to both CBF-AI and CBV-AI (r = -0.69, P = .007; r = -0.64, P = .014, respectively). Older children had lower CBV values on the affected side (r = -0.62, P = .02). Longer duration of epilepsy was related to lower CBF (more negative CBF-AI, r = -0.58, P = .03) and low CBV (r = -0.55, P = .04) on the affected side. Lower perfusion was associated with more frequent seizures (rCBF-AI: r = -0.56, P = .04; rCBV-AI: r = -0.63, P = .02).

CONCLUSIONS

Increased perfusion in the affected cerebral WM may indicate an early stage of SWS without severe brain atrophy. Decreased perfusion is associated with frequent seizures, long duration of epilepsy, and brain atrophy.

Competitive electroporation formulation for cell therapy

Established cell transfection via nucleofection relies on nucleofection buffers with unknown and proprietary makeup due to trade secrecy, inhibiting the possibility of using this otherwise effective method for developing cell therapy. We devised a three-step method for discovering an optimal formulation for the nucleofection of any cell line. These steps include the selection of the best nucleofection program and known buffer type, selection of the best polymer for boosting the transfection efficiency of the best buffer and the comparison with the optimal buffer from an established commercial vendor (Amaxa). Using this three-step selection system, competitive nucleofection formulations were discovered for multiple cell lines, which are equal to or surpass the efficiency of the Amaxa nucleofector solution in a variety of cells and cell lines, including primary adipose stem cells, muscle cells, tumor cells and immune cells. Through the use of scanning electron microscopy, we have revealed morphological changes, which predispose for the ability of these buffers to assist in transferring plasmid DNA into the nuclear space. Our formulation may greatly reduce the cost of electroporation study in laboratory and boosts the potential of application of electroporation-based cell therapies in clinical trials.

Spin-orbit splitting in graphene on metallic substrates

Substrate-induced spin-orbit splitting in graphene on Ni, Au and Ag(111) is examined on the basis of density-functional theory. The Rashba splitting of π bands along the ΓM direction of the graphene surface Brillouin zone in graphene on Ni(111) is found to be very small (a few millielectronvolts), consistent with the experimental report of Rader et al. Instead, very strong Rashba splitting (near 100 meV) can be obtained for graphene with a certain stretch distortion on a Au substrate. It can be ascribed to the effective match in energy between the C 2p and Au 5d bands, obtained from the analysis of densities of states. The net charge transfer between the graphene and the substrates just affects the spin-orbit effect indirectly. The small spin-orbit splitting induced by the Ag substrates indicates that heavy metals do not always produce large SO splitting. Our findings provide important insights that are useful for understanding the metal-induced Rashba effect in graphene.

Causes of death among people with convulsive epilepsy in rural West China: a prospective study

BACKGROUND

Epilepsy is a serious health problem associated with an increased risk of premature mortality. Few studies have investigated risk factors for this. Understanding these risks may enable the implementation of preventative measures to reduce premature mortality.

METHODS

A management program for convulsive forms of epilepsy has been in place at the primary health care level in rural West China since May 2005. Demographic data and putative causes of death of attendees of the program since inception to the end of December 2009 have been recorded. Case fatality (CF), the proportional mortality ratios (PMRs) for each cause, and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for each age and cause were estimated based on the 2007 Chinese rural population.

RESULTS

There were 106 reported deaths (70 male) among 3,568 people. CF was 2.97% during a median of 28 months' follow-up. The highest PMRs were for accidental death (59%) including drowning (45.1%); probable sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) (14.7%); status epilepticus (6.9%), and neoplasm (6.9%). The overall SMR was 4.92 (95% confidence interval 4.0-6.1); the risks were high in young people. The risk of drowning was 82-fold higher in the cohort than the general population.

CONCLUSION

In rural West China, the risk of premature death is nearly 5 times higher in people with convulsive epilepsy than in the general Chinese population and especially high among young people. Accidental death, including drowning, and probable SUDEP are the leading putative causes of death in people with convulsive epilepsy in rural West China.

NEL-like molecule-1-modified bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells/poly lactic-co-glycolic acid composite improves repair of large osteochondral defects in mandibular condyle

OBJECTIVE

Articular cartilage of the mandibular condyle has limited ability to regenerate itself after injury. This study was to investigate whether osteochondral defects in mandibular condyle could be repaired by NELL-1(NEL-like molecule-1)-modified autogenous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) and poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) composite.

METHODS

Osteochondral defects of 3mm-diameter × 5mm-depth were created unilaterally in the central part of the condyle in 50 adult goats. The injury sites were treated with NELL-1-modified BMMSCs/PLGA, BMMSCs/PLGA, PLGA alone, or left empty. The defect area was monitored using gross examination, histology, immunohistochemistry, and micro-computed tomography (μ-CT). Implanted BMMSCs were tracked using Adeno-LacZ labeling.

RESULTS

The NELL-1-modified BMMSCs/PLGA group showed vigorous and rapid repair leading to regeneration of fibrocartilage at 6 weeks and to complete repair of native articular cartilage and subchondral bone at 24 weeks. The BMMSCs/PLGA group also completely repaired the defect with fibrocartilage at 24 weeks, but the cartilage in the BMMSCs/PLGA group was less well-organized than the NELL-1-modified BMMSCs/PLGA. The osteochondral defects in the PLGA and empty defect groups were poorly repaired, and no cartilage in the empty defect group or only small portion of cartilage in the PLGA group was found. In vivo viability of implanted cells was demonstrated by the retention for 6 weeks in the defects.

CONCLUSION

These findings demonstrated that NELL-1-modified BMMSCs/PLGA composite can rapidly repair large osteochondral defect in the mandibular condyle with regeneration of native fibrocartilage and subchondral bone.

H63D polymorphism in the hemochromatosis gene is associated with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in China

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The H63D polymorphism in the hemochromatosis (HFE) gene has been reported as a risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in Europe and America, but no data have been reported for Asia. Here, we investigated the possible association between H63D and sporadic ALS (sALS) in a Chinese Han population.

METHODS

A total of 195 individuals with sALS from three centers in China and 405 unrelated healthy controls were recruited. All subjects were genotyped by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis.

RESULTS

Sporadic ALS was significantly related to the H63D polymorphism in heterozygous carriers (odds ratio 3.10, 95%CI: 1.49-6.47, P=0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

The HFE H63D polymorphism may contribute to the development of sALS in Chinese.

Dietary cholesterol intake and cancer

BACKGROUND

This study assesses the association between dietary cholesterol intake and the risk of various cancers.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Mailed questionnaires were completed between 1994 and 1997 in eight Canadian provinces by 1182 incident histologically confirmed cases of the stomach, 1727 of the colon, 1447 of the rectum, 628 of the pancreas, 3341 of the lung, 2362 of the breast, 442 of the ovary, 1799 of the prostate, 686 of the testis, 1345 of the kidney, 1029 of the bladder, 1009 of the brain, 1666 non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL), 1069 leukemia and 5039 population controls. Information on dietary habits and nutrition intake were obtained using a food frequency questionnaire, which provided data on eating habits 2 years before the study. Odds ratios (ORs) were derived by unconditional logistic regression to adjust for total energy intake and other potential confounding factors.

RESULTS

Dietary cholesterol was positively associated with the risk of cancers of the stomach, colon, rectum, pancreas, lung, breast (mainly postmenopausal), kidney, bladder and NHL: the ORs for the highest versus the lowest quartile ranged from 1.4 to 1.7. In contrast, cholesterol intake was inversely associated with prostate cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings add to the evidence that high cholesterol intake is linked to increased risk of various cancers. A diet low in cholesterol may play a role in the prevention of several cancers.

Optimizing single DNA molecules manipulation by AFM

Recent progress in single DNA manipulation with atomic force microscope has proved its potential in analysing genetic information at the molecular level instead of macro ensemble approach. However, current manipulation of DNA is mainly carried out by manual operations, which is labour-intensive and time-consuming, thus limits the further applications in other fields. In this paper, an optimized DNA manipulation method is successfully established. An image correlation technique is introduced to realize automatic thermal drift compensation. Combined with elaborately designed tip movement control for different manipulation purposes, accurate and efficient DNA manipulations such as dissection, folding and picking are realized. The efficiency has been improved for an order of magnitude compare to manual manipulations, whereas the performance is demonstrated to be the same. This newly developed method has shed light on high-efficiency nanomanipulation of small molecules with complex structures, and thus provides the possibility of deeply understanding the intrinsic properties of single biomolecules.

Trenbolone enhances myogenic differentiation by enhancing β-catenin signaling in muscle-derived stem cells of cattle

Testosterone is a key hormone regulating animal growth and development, which promotes skeletal muscle growth and inhibits fat deposition; however, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly defined. Because canonical Wingless and Int/β-catenin signaling promotes myogenesis, we hypothesized that testosterone regulates myogenesis through enhancing the β-catenin signaling pathway and the expression of its targeted genes. Muscle-derived stem cells were prepared from the skeletal muscle of fetal calf at day 180 of gestation and treated with or without trenbolone (10 nM), a synthetic analog of testosterone, in a myogenic medium. Trenbolone treatment increased the protein levels of MyoD and myosin heavy chain, as well as the androgen receptor content. The myogenic effect of trenbolone was blocked by cyproterone acetate, a specific inhibitor of androgen receptor, showing that the myogenic effect of trenbolone was mediated by the androgen receptor. Immunoprecipitation showed that androgen receptor and β-catenin formed a complex, which was increased by trenbolone treatment. Trenbolone activated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, which might phosphorylate β-catenin at Ser552, stabilizing β-catenin. Indeed, both cytoplasmic and nuclear β-catenin levels were increased after trenbolone treatment. As a result, β-catenin-mediated transcriptional activity was enhanced by trenbolone treatment. In conclusion, these data provide evidence that testosterone increases cellular β-catenin content which promotes the expression of β-catenin-targeted genes and myogenesis in the muscle-derived stem cells of cattle.

Reduction malarplasty using an L-shaped osteotomy through intraoral and sideburns incisions

The slender, oval-shaped face is considered to be attractive in East Asia. To obtain the ideal contour of the midface, reduction malarplasty has been popularized in oriental countries in recent years. This report describes a surgical technique for reduction of the zygomatic body and arch. After labiobuccal vestibular incisions are made, the anterior zygomatic body and lateral orbital rim are exposed by subperiosteal dissection. Thereafter, an L-shaped osteotomy is performed. Two parallel horizontal osteotomies are made in the anterior part of the zygomatic body, and the middle bone segment is removed. The zygomatic arch root is fractured through a small sideburn incision just anterior to the articular tubercle. Finally, the freed zygomatic complex is medially repositioned and fixed with one or two bicortex screws. Operations on 32 patients demonstrated that this technique may be a sound method for malar complex reduction, with the advantages of simple manipulation, stable fixation, and less risk of a drooping face.