NADPH oxidase inhibitor improves outcome of mechanical reperfusion by suppressing hemorrhagic transformation

BACKGROUND

Severe hemorrhagic transformation (HT) after mechanical thrombectomy predicts a poor clinical outcome in acute ischemic stroke. To better understand the mechanism of HT, we investigated the role of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase (NOX) in HT after reperfusion during acute stroke and whether NOX2/4 inhibitor VAS2870 reduces reperfusion-induced HT after mechanical recanalization.

METHODS

A model of reperfusion-induced HT was established in rats (n=182) with hyperglycemic challenge and 5 h middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by 19 h reperfusion. NOX inhibitor VAS2870 was delivered intravenously 30 min before reperfusion. Infarct volume, brain water content, HT, neurological score, mortality rate, blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage, neuronal apoptosis, and reactive oxygen species were determined at 24 h after cerebral ischemia. The expressions of NOX1, NOX2, NOX4, and BBB-associated proteins were measured.

RESULTS

NOX2 and NOX4 upregulation and severe HT were observed in hyperglycemic rats after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion. VAS2870 suppressed oxidative stress, neuronal apoptosis, and NOX2/4 upregulation in the ischemic hemisphere. VAS2870 reduced infarct volume (17.2±5.3% vs 37.4±9.2%, p<0.01) and the frequency of reperfusion-induced parenchymal hematoma (29.7% vs 59.5%, p<0.05) at 24 h after ischemia compared with the ischemia/reperfusion group. VAS2870 attenuated brain edema and reduced reperfusion-induced BBB breakdown, resulting in improved neurological outcome (neurological deficit score 1.43±0.50 vs 2.43±0.93, p<0.001) and reduced mortality (11.9% vs 64.1%, p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

NOX2 and NOX4 may mediate HT in rats with large vessel stroke after mechanical reperfusion. Infusion of NOX inhibitor VAS2870 before mechanical thrombectomy represents a novel adjunctive therapeutic strategy to prevent reperfusion-induced HT and improve outcome of acute stroke treatment.

Spin-orbit coupling of light in asymmetric microcavities

When spinning particles, such as electrons and photons, undergo spin-orbit coupling, they can acquire an extra phase in addition to the well-known dynamical phase. This extra phase is called the geometric phase (also known as the Berry phase), which plays an important role in a startling variety of physical contexts such as in photonics, condensed matter, high-energy and space physics. The geometric phase was originally discussed for a cyclically evolving physical system with an Abelian evolution, and was later generalized to non-cyclic and non-Abelian cases, which are the most interesting fundamental subjects in this area and indicate promising applications in various fields. Here, we enable optical spin-orbit coupling in asymmetric microcavities and experimentally observe a non-cyclic optical geometric phase acquired in a non-Abelian evolution. Our work is relevant to fundamental studies and implies promising applications by manipulating photons in on-chip quantum devices.

Charge transport and mobility engineering in two-dimensional transition metal chalcogenide semiconductors

This review presents recent progress on charge transport properties, carrier scattering mechanisms, and carrier mobility engineering of two-dimensional transition metal chalcogenides.

CXCL12 G801A polymorphism and susceptibility to glioma: a case‑control study

Previous studies have demonstrated that the CXCL12 G801A polymorphism is closely correlated with tumor susceptibility. In addition, the CXCL12/CXCR4 pathway is closely related to proliferation, metastasis, and invasion of glioma. However, the genetic effects of the CXCL12 G801A polymorphism on glioma risk in Chinese populations remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the potential associations between the CXCL12 G801A polymorphism with glioma susceptibility and its clinicopathological characteristics. Frequencies of CXCL12 G801A polymorphic variants between glioma patients (N = 750) and healthy controls (N = 750) were assessed using restriction length fragment polymorphism analysis. The association among the CXCL12 G801A polymorphism, glioma grade (WHO classification), and histological type was also evaluated. Our results showed that patients with glioma had significantly higher frequency of the CXCL12-3' A/A genotypes (P = 0.039) as compared with healthy controls. When stratified by the glioma histology, high-grade glioma patients had significantly higher frequency of the CXCL12-3' A/A genotypes (P = 0.019) as compared with low-grade glioma patients. When stratified by the WHO grade, significantly higher frequency of the CXCL12-3' A/A genotype was observed in stage IV glioma patients (P = 0.037). We conclude that the CXCL12 G801A polymorphism is a risk factor that increases susceptibility to gliomas in a subset of the general Han Chinese population.

Structural characterization and discrimination of Chinese medicinal materials with multiple botanical origins based on metabolite profiling and chemometrics analysis: Clematidis Radix et Rhizoma as a case study

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs)-based products are becoming more and more popular over the world. To ensure the safety and efficacy, authentication of Chinese medicinal materials has been an important issue, especially for that with multiple botanical origins (one-to-multiple). Taking Clematidis Radix et Rhizoma (CRR) as a case study, we herein developed an integrated platform based on metabolite profiling and chemometrics analysis to characterize, classify, and predict the "one-to-multiple" herbs. Firstly, the predominant constituents, triterpenoid saponins, in three Clematis CRR were rapid characterized by a novel UPLC-QTOF/MS-based strategy, and a total of 49 triterpenoid saponins were identified. Secondly, metabolite profiling was performed by UPLC-QTOF/MS, and 4623 variables were extracted and aligned as dataset. Thirdly, by using pattern recognition analysis, a clear separation of the three Clematis CRR was achieved as well as a total number of 28 variables were screened as the valuable variables for discrimination. By matching with identified saponins, these 28 variables were corresponding to 10 saponins which were identified as marker compounds. Fourthly, based on the relative intensity of the marker compounds-related variables, genetic algorithm optimized support vector machines (GA-SVM) was employed to predict the species of CRR samples. The obtained model showed excellent prediction performance with a prediction accuracy of 100%. Finally, a heatmap visualization was employed for clarifying the distribution of identified saponins, which could be useful for phytochemotaxonomy study of Clematis herbs. These results indicated that our proposed platform was a powerful tool for chemical profiling and discrimination of herbs with multiple botanical origins, providing promising perspectives in tracking the formulation processes of TCMs products.

Effects of replacing wild rye, corn silage, or corn grain with CaO-treated corn stover and dried distillers grains with solubles in lactating cow diets on performance, digestibility, and profitability

The objective of this study was to measure the effects of partially replacing wild rye (Leymus chinensis; WR), corn silage (CS), or corn grain (CG) in dairy cow diets with CaO-treated corn stover (T-CS) and corn dried distillers grains with soluble (DDGS) on performance, digestibility, blood metabolites, and income over feed cost. Thirty tonnes of air-dried corn stover was collected, ground, and mixed with 5% CaO. Sixty-four Holstein dairy cows were blocked based on days in milk, milk yield, and parity and were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments. The treatments were (1) a diet containing 50% concentrate, 15% WR, 25% CS, and 10% alfalfa hay (CON); (2) 15% WR, 5% CG, and 6% soybean meal were replaced by 15% T-CS and 12% DDGS (RWR); (3) 12.5% CS, 6% CG, and 5% soybean meal were replaced by 12.5% T-CS and 12%DDGS (RCS); (4) 13% CG and 6% soybean meal were replaced by 7% T-CS and 13% DDGS (RCG). Compared with CON treatment, cows fed RCS and RCG diets had similar dry matter intake (CON: 18.2 ± 0.31 kg, RCS: 18.6 ± 0.31 kg, and RCG: 18.4 ± 0.40 kg). The RWR treatment tended to have lower dry matter intake than other treatments. The inclusion of T-CS and DDGS in treatment diets as a substitute for WR, CS, or CG had no effects on lactose percentage (CON: 4.96 ± 0.02%, RWR: 4.97 ± 0.02%, RCS: 4.96 ± 0.02%, and RCG: 4.94 ± 0.02%), 4% fat-corrected milk yield (CON: 22.7 ± 0.60 kg, RWR: 22.1 ± 0.60 kg, RCS: 22.7 ± 0.60 kg, and RCG: 22.7 ± 0.60 kg), milk fat yield (CON: 0.90 ± 0.03 kg, RWR: 0.86 ± 0.03 kg, RCS: 0.87 ± 0.03 kg, and RCG: 0.89 ± 0.03 kg), and milk protein yield (CON: 0.74 ± 0.02 kg, RWR: 0.72 ± 0.02 kg, RCS: 0.73 ± 0.02 kg, and RCG: 0.71 ± 0.02 kg). Cows fed the RWR diet had higher apparent dry matter digestibility (73.7 ± 1.30 vs. 70.2 ± 1.15, 69.9 ± 1.15, and 69.9 ± 1.15% for RWR vs. CON, RCS, and RCG, respectively) and lower serum urea N (3.55 ± 0.11 vs. 4.03 ± 0.11, 3.95 ± 0.11, and 3.99 ± 0.11 mmol/L for RWR vs. CON, RCS, and RCG, respectively) than cows fed other diets. No significant differences were noted in apparent neutral detergent fiber digestibility among the treatments. Compared with CON treatment, the RWR, RCS, and RCG treatments generated an additional $0.77, $0.70, and $0.81 income over feed cost per cow per day, respectively. In conclusion, feeding diets containing a portion of T-CS and DDGS can improve profitability of the treatment groups without negatively affecting the lactation performance of mid- to late-lactation cows.

Effects of calcium oxide treatment at varying moisture concentrations on the chemical composition, in situ degradability, in vitro digestibility and gas production kinetics of anaerobically stored corn stover

The objective of this study was to determine the optimum conditions for calcium oxide (CaO) treatment of anaerobically stored corn stover by in situ and in vitro methods. Four ruminally cannulated, non-lactating, non-pregnant Holstein cows were used to determine the in situ effective degradabilities of dry matter (ISDMD), organic matter (ISOMD), neutral detergent fibre (ISNDFD), in vitro organic matter disappearance (IVOMD) and gas production in 72 h (GP72h ) of corn stover. A completely randomized design involving a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement was adopted. Ground corn stover was treated with different levels of CaO (3%, 5% and 7% of dry stover) at varying moisture contents (40%, 50% and 60%) and stored under anaerobic conditions for 15 days before analysis. Compared with untreated corn stover, the CaO-treated stover had increased ash and calcium (Ca) contents but decreased aNDF and OM contents. The moisture content, CaO level and their interaction affected (p < 0.01) the content of aNDF, ash and OM, and the ratio of aNDF/OM. The greatest ISDMD, ISOMD and ISNDFD were observed when stover was treated with 7% CaO and 60% moisture, while no differences (p > 0.01) in these in situ degradability parameters were observed between the stover treated with 5% CaO at 60% moisture content and those treated with 7% CaO at 60% moisture content. Corn stover treated with 5% CaO at 50% moisture had the maximum IVOMD and GP72 h among the treatments, and there was no difference (p > 0.01) between 50% and 60% moisture. Results from this study suggested that 5% CaO applied at 60% moisture could be an effective and economical treatment combination.

Specialized features of the outer hair cell shapes in the cochlear fovea of bats

In this study, we examined the specialized features of the outer hair cells (OHCs) and the stereocilium bundles of the bat cochlear fovea. Bat cochlea hair cells were observed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and the auditory brainstem response thresholds were assessed. The stereocilia bundles of the OHCs were extremely short. The OHC bodies were flask-shaped and cambiform or ball-shape in the cochlear fovea. Digitations in the Deiters cells had exaggerated lengths, and cup formation of the Deiters cell, housed at the bottom of the OHC in the base of the cell, showed a specialized shape. Our results provide the first evidence that different shapes of the OHCs in the cochlea fovea are related to the high-frequency function of auditory response. Echolocating bats have cochlear morphologies that differ from those of non-echolocating animals. Bat cochlear foveae are specialized for analyzing the Doppler-shifted echoes of the first-harmonics of the CF2 component; these are overrepresented in the frequency range around the dominant harmonic of the echolocation calls of bats. However, the OHCs of the bat cochlear fovea have not been fully characterized.

Long-Term Fever After Hallux Valgus Surgery Secondary to Titanium Allergy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

We present the case of a patient who had experienced a fever of unknown cause for >7 months after surgical treatment for hallux valgus. A patch test revealed a positive reaction to a titanium alloy. All symptoms subsequently disappeared after we removed the implanted titanium screws. Histopathologic examination of the tissue surrounding the screws showed macrophage infiltration in the tissue. For >1 year after removal of the titanium screws, the patient's body temperature remained <37°C. These results support a diagnosis of titanium allergy in our patient. To the best of our knowledge, a long-term fever caused by an allergic reaction to mini-titanium screws of such a small size has not been reported. A review of 16 cases of titanium allergy reported in the published data confirmed that titanium allergy is extremely rare and that the clinical symptoms can vary. Titanium allergy should be suspected when a patient presents with a fever of unknown cause, delayed wound healing, dermatitis, or impaired fracture healing after internal fixation with titanium materials. A patch test for titanium or the lymphocyte transformation test could offer guidance for the clinical diagnosis of titanium allergy. Finally, we recommend that all patients should be asked whether they have a history of an allergy to any metal before surgery.

Colostrum quality affects immune system establishment and intestinal development of neonatal calves

The first meal of a neonatal calf after birth is crucial for survival and health. The present experiment was performed to assess the effects of colostrum quality on IgG passive transfer, immune and antioxidant status, and intestinal morphology and histology in neonatal calves. Twenty-eight Holstein neonatal male calves were used in the current study, 24 of which were assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups: those that received colostrum (GrC), transitional milk (GrT, which was obtained after the first milking on 2-3 d after calving), and bulk tank milk (GrB) only at birth. The 4 extra neonatal calves who were not fed any milk were assigned to the control group and were killed immediately after birth to be a negative control to small intestinal morphology and histology detection. Calves in GrC gained more body weight than in GrT, whereas GrB calves lost 0.4 kg compared with the birth weight. Serum total protein, IgG, and superoxide dismutase concentrations were highest in GrC, GrT was intermediate, whereas GrB was the lowest on d 2, 3, and 7. Apparent efficiency of absorption at 48 h, serum complement 3 (C3), and complement 4 (C4) on d 2, 3, and 7 in GrB was low compared with GrC and GrT. On the contrary, malondialdehyde on d 7 increased in GrB. Calves in GrC had better villus length and width, crypt depth, villus height/crypt depth (V/C) value, and mucosal thickness in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, whereas GrT calves had lower villus length and width, crypt depth, and mucosal thickness than those fed colostrum. Villi of calves in GrB were nonuniform, sparse, severely atrophied, and apically abscised, and Peyer's patches and hydroncus were detected. Overall, colostrum is the best source for calves in IgG absorption, antioxidant activities, and serum growth metabolites, and promoting intestinal development. The higher quality of colostrum calves ingested, the faster immune defense mechanism and the more healthy intestinal circumstances they established.

Sulfur dioxide residue in sulfur-fumigated edible herbs: The fewer, the safer?

The residual content of sulfur dioxide is frequently regarded as the exclusive indicator in the safety evaluation of sulfur-fumigated edible herbs. To examine the feasibility of such assessment criteria, here the variations in residual sulfur dioxide content during sulfur-fumigation and the potential mechanisms involved were investigated, using Angelicae Sinensis Radix (ASR) as a model herb. The residual sulfur dioxide content and ten major bioactive components in sulfur-fumigated ASR samples were dynamically examined at 13 successive time points within 72 h sulfur-fumigation. The relationship between the content variation tendency of sulfur dioxide and the ten chemicals was discussed. The results suggested that sulfur dioxide-involved chemical transformation of the original components in ASR might cause large consumption of residual sulfur dioxide during sulfur-fumigation. It implies that without considering the induced chemical transformation of bioactive components, the residual sulfur dioxide content alone might be inadequate to comprehensively evaluate the safety of sulfur-fumigated herbs.

Electrostatically Reversible Polarity of Ambipolar α-MoTe2 Transistors

A doping-free transistor made of ambipolar α-phase molybdenum ditelluride (α-MoTe2) is proposed in which the transistor polarity (p-type and n-type) is electrostatically controlled by dual top gates. The voltage signal in one of the gates determines the transistor polarity, while the other gate modulates the drain current. We demonstrate the transistor operation experimentally, with electrostatically controlled polarity of both p- and n-type in a single transistor.

Aflatoxin B1 and aflatoxin M1 induced cytotoxicity and DNA damage in differentiated and undifferentiated Caco-2 cells

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) are natural mycotoxins that frequently present in food and feed and pose risks to human health. There are few data in the literature regarding the impairment of them in the intestine. Therefore, the present study investigated their cytotoxic effect on Caco-2 cells, especially the differentiated ones that resemble mature small intestinal enterocytes. Both undifferentiated (UC) and differentiated (DC) cells were treated with AFB1 and AFM1 at various concentrations for up to 72 h. Cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and DNA damage were determined. Data showed that AFB1 and AFM1 significantly inhibited UC and DC cell growth, increased LDH and caused genetic damage in a time- and dose-dependent manner (p < 0.05). In comparison, AFB1 was found to be more toxic than AFM1 on both UC and DC. All these cytotoxic outcomes might be associated with intracellular ROS generation, leading to membrane damage and DNA strand break. Additionally, DC was found to be more sensitive to aflatoxins, which might be due to the alteration of enzymes during cell differentiation. The present study provided the first in vitro evidence of DNA damage of DC induced by AFB1 and AFM1.

[Expression characteristics of epithelial markers in human embryonic stem cells differentiating into keratinocytes]

OBJECTIVE

To differentiate human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into keratinocytes (K-hESCs) and analyse the expression characteristics of biomarkers of K-hESCs.

METHODS

The hESCs of line H9 were seeded on matrigel in mTeSR1 medium. The hESCs were directly differentiated into keratinocytes in epithelial differentiation medium with bone morphogenetic protein 4, retinoic acid and N2 supplement. The karyotype of K-hESCs was analyzed, comparing the gene expression differences of K-hESCs with human gingival epithelial cells (HGECs), human immortalized oral epithelial cells (HIOECs) and HaCaT by Real-time PCR. Molecular characteristics of the cell differentiation were observed throughout the process by immunocytochemical techniques.

RESULTS

H9-hESCs were successfully differentiated into the cells that exhibited characteristics of keratinocytes in epithelial differentiation medium. The karyotype of K-hESCs was 46, XX; and the keratinocyte gene p63 expression in K-hESCs was significantly lower than that in HaCaT (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference of p63 expression in K-hESCs, comparing with that in HGECs and HIOECs (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

H9-hESCs could be directly differentiated into K-hESCs. The gene expression of K-hESCs was similar to that of epithelial cells in the early stage of monolayer cells differentiation with high proliferative activity.

Effect of Changkang Fang on serotonin transporter expression in brain-gut axis of visceral hypersensitive rats with irritable bowel syndrome

AIM: To investigate the effect of Changkang Fang on the expression of serotonin transporter (SERT) in the brain-gut axis of visceral hypersensitive rats with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

METHODS: Seventy-two male immature SD rats were randomly divided into either a blank control group or a model group. AL-Chaer's modeling method was used in this study. After successful modeling, the model rats were randomly divided into a model group, a Western medicine group, high-, medium- and low-dose Chinese medicine groups. After 70 d, brain and intestinal mucosal tissues were taken for detecting the expression of SERT by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS: The expression levels of SERT in intestinal mucosal and brain tissues of visceral hypersensitive IBS rats were significantly lower compared with normal controls (P < 0.05, P < 0.001). The expression levels of SERT in intestinal mucosal and brain tissues were significantly improved in the high-dose Chinese medicine group (P < 0.001 for both) and the medium-dose Chinese medicine group (P < 0.001, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Changkang Fang can regulate the expression of SERT in the brain-gut axis of visceral hypersensitive IBS rats.

Simultaneous determination of 38 veterinary antibiotic residues in raw milk by UPLC-MS/MS

A selective and rapid method has been developed to determine, simultaneously, 38 veterinary antibiotic residues in raw milk by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). One milliliter of raw milk was diluted with 0.5 mL water and 3 mL acetonitrile, then purified using an Oasis HLB cartridge. The eluates were evaporated by nitrogen drying and then reconstituted to 4 mL with water/acetonitrile (8:1) before being injected into the UPLC-MS/MS system. The results indicated recoveries of 68-118% for 14 β-lactams, 79-118% for eight quinolones, 71-106% for eight sulfonamides, 76-116% for four tetracyclines, 78-106% for three macrolides, and 88-103% for one lincosamides, with coefficients of variation less than 15% for intraday and interday precisions. The limit of quantification for all antibiotics was 0.03-10 μg kg(-1). This methodology was then applied to field-collected real raw milk samples and trace levels of four antibiotics were detected.

Thickness scaling effect on interfacial barrier and electrical contact to two-dimensional MoS2 layers

Understanding the interfacial electrical properties between metallic electrodes and low-dimensional semiconductors is essential for both fundamental science and practical applications. Here we report the observation of thickness reduction induced crossover of electrical contact at Au/MoS2 interfaces. For MoS2 thicker than 5 layers, the contact resistivity slightly decreases with reducing MoS2 thickness. By contrast, the contact resistivity sharply increases with reducing MoS2 thickness below 5 layers, mainly governed by the quantum confinement effect. We find that the interfacial potential barrier can be finely tailored from 0.3 to 0.6 eV by merely varying MoS2 thickness. A full evolution diagram of energy level alignment is also drawn to elucidate the thickness scaling effect. The finding of tailoring interfacial properties with channel thickness represents a useful approach controlling the metal/semiconductor interfaces which may result in conceptually innovative functionalities.

[Reliability of sulfur dioxide determination method documented in Chinese pharmacopoeia for evaluating Paeoniae Radix Alba]

The content of SO2 in Paeoniae Radix Alba (RPA) was determined by the method documented in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (CP) 2010 edition to validate the repeatability of the method for evaluating RPA, and the contents of paeoniflorin sulfonate in both the residual material and distilled solution of RPA were determined by HPLC to study the transformation of paeoniflorin sulfonate to SO2 by HCl. It was found that the repeatability of the method in CP for evaluating RPA is unacceptable, and paeoniflorin sulfonate was detectable in both the residual material and distilled solution of RPA even at "the end point" of SO2 determination, merely about 50% of paeoniflorin sulfonate was transformed to SO2 by HCl, indicating that the current SO2 determination method in CP is not able to accurately quantify SO2 in RPA. It is recommended that more special method for determining SO2 content in RPA should be developed regarding the chemical characteristics of sulfur-fumigated RPA.

[Development of UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS combined with reference herb approach to rapidly screen commercial sulfur-fumigated ginseng]

An ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) combined with reference herb method was developed to rapidly screen commercial sulfur-fumigated ginseng. Sufur-fumigated ginseng reference herb was prepared using genuine ginseng by conventional procedure. Then the reference sulfur-fumigated ginseng sample was analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS to identify characteristic marker components. 25-hydroxyl-Re sulfate with higher abundance was se- lected as marker compound from 8 characteristic components identified in sulfur-fumigated ginseng reference herb. The fragmentation of 25-hydroxyl-Re sulfate was extensively investigated, fragment ion m/z 879.44 with higher intensity was chosen as the characteristic ion of sulfur-fumigated ginseng. The response of ion m/z 879. 44 was improved by optimizing the MS conditions so that this ion could be used as the characteristic marker ion for screening purpose in ion extracting screening mode. The established approach was successfully applied to inspect 21 commercial ginseng samples collected from different cities in China It was found that the chemical profiles of 9 samples were similar to that of sulfur-fumigated ginseng reference herb, and the characteristic ion m/z 879. 44 of 25-hydroxyl-Re sulfate was also detected in these samples, suggesting that there were nearly 43% ginseng samples analyzed being sulfur-fumigated. This findng agreed well with the results of sulfur dioxide residues of these 21 commercial ginseng samples determined with the method documented in Chinese Pharmacopeia Compared with the method documented in Chinese Pharmacopeia, the proposed approach is more rapid and specific for screening sulfur-fumigated ginseng. SFDA of China should strengthen the enforcement to prohibit ginseng being sulfur-fumigated, so that ginseng and it preparations could be effectively and safely benefit to the health of human beings.

Evaluation of coarsely ground wheat as a replacement for ground corn in the diets of lactating dairy cows

Eight multiparous Holstein cows (569±47 kg of BW; 84±17 DIM) were used to evaluate the effects of different levels of coarsely ground wheat (CGW) as replacements for ground corn (GC) in diets on feed intake and digestion, ruminal fermentation, lactation performance, and plasma metabolites profiles in dairy cows. The cows were settled in a replicated 4×4 Latin square design with 3-wk treatment periods; four cows in one of the replicates were fitted with rumen cannulas. The four diets contained 0, 9.6, 19.2, and 28.8% CGW and 27.9, 19.2, 9.6, and 0% GC on dry matter (DM) basis, respectively. Increasing dietary levels of CGW, daily DM intake tended to increase quadratically (p = 0.07); however, apparent digestibility of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were significantly decreased (p<0.01) in cows fed the 28.8% CGW diets. Ruminal pH remained in the normal physiological range for all dietary treatments at all times, except for the 28.8% CGW diets at 6 h after feeding; moreover, increasing dietary levels of CGW, the daily mean ruminal pH decreased linearly (p = 0.01). Increasing the dietary levels of CGW resulted in a linear increase in ruminal propionate (p<0.01) and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) (p = 0.06) concentration, while ruminal acetate: propionate decreased linearly (p = 0.03) in cows fed the 28.8% CGW diets. Milk production was not affected by diets; however, percentage and yield of milk fat decreased linearly (p = 0.02) when the level of CGW was increased. With increasing levels of dietary CGW, concentrations of plasma beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) (p = 0.07) and cholesterol (p<0.01) decreased linearly, whereas plasma glucose (p = 0.08), insulin (p = 0.02) and urea nitrogen (p = 0.02) increased linearly at 6 h after the morning feeding. Our results indicate that CGW is a suitable substitute for GC in the diets of dairy cows and that it may be included up to a level of 19.2% of DM without adverse effects on feed intake and digestion, ruminal fermentation, lactation performance, and plasma metabolites if the cows are fed fiber-sufficient diets.

Photosensing performance of branched CdS/ZnO heterostructures as revealed by in situ TEM and photodetector tests

CdS/ZnO branched heterostructures have been successfully synthesized by combining thermal vapour deposition and a hydrothermal method. Drastic optoelectronic performance enhancement of such heterostructures was revealed, compared to plain CdS nanobelts, as documented by comparative in situ optoelectronic studies on corresponding individual nanostructures using an originally designed laser-compatible transmission electron microscopy (TEM) technique. Furthermore, flexible thin-film based photodetectors based on standard CdS nanobelts and newly prepared CdS/ZnO heterostructures were fabricated on PET substrates, and comparative photocurrent and photo-responsivity measurements thoroughly verified the in situ TEM results. The CdS/ZnO branched heterostructures were found to have better performance than standard CdS nanobelts for optoelectronic applications with respect to the photocurrent to dark current ratio and responsivity.