ABSTRACT During the first months of 2020 SARS-CoV-2 spread to all continents, virtually reaching all countries. In the subsequent months, new variants emerged in different regions of the world. A mathematical model based on the Covid-19 natural history encompassing the age-dependent fatality was applied to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 transmissibility and virulence. Transmissibility was assessed by calculating the basic reproduction number R 0 and virulence by counting the proportion of severe Covid-19 cases and deaths. The model parameters were adjusted against the data observed in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, considering two different levels of virulence. The severe Covid-19 cases and deaths were three times higher and R 0 was 25% lower when the more virulent SARS-CoV-2 variant was compared to the less virulent variant. However, under the high-virulence scenario the number of transmitting individuals is 25% lower, mainly due to the isolation of symptomatic individuals. The corollary that transmission increases in the low virulence scenario is also true. The estimated parameters, using data from São Paulo up to May 13, 2020, showed that the Covid-19 epidemic predicted with low virulence SARS-CoV-2 transmission matched the observed data just before the beginning of the relaxation, which occurred by mid-June 2020. The assessment of the interplay between transmissibility can be applied to explain in somehow the appearance of gamma and omicron variants of concern in São Paulo.

ABSTRACT The current experiment aimed to evaluate the effects of Pancreatin supplementation at different levels on ileal and fecal digestibility in layer-type cockerels. A total of 480-day-old silver brown Hy-Line male chicks were randomly allocated into 5 treatments, 6 replicates (16 birds per pen) arranged in a completely randomized design. Pancreatin enzyme was supplemented on a basal corn-soybean meal-based diet at 0, 250, 500, 750, and 1000 mg/kg and was fed in two growth phases (starter and grower). The results indicated that at the end of the starter stage, except for 1000 mg/kg, dietary Pancreatin supplementation levels increased (p<0.05) the ileal crude protein (CP). Similarly, addition of Pancreatin increased (p< 0.05) apparent ileal amino acids (AA) digestibility (AIAAD) total means of AA (MTAA), means of indispensable AA (MIAA) and dispensable AA (MDAA) with the optimum performance on 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg. However, except for histidine and alanine which were negatively affected (p<0.05), and MIAA, MDAA, MTAA which were also positively affected, the addition level at 1000 mg/kg did not affect most of the AIAAD compared to the non-supplemented. Further, Pancreatin supplementation had no effect (p>0.05) on nitrogen digestibility (ND), nitrogen retention (NR), digestible energy (DE), apparent metabolizable energy (AME), dry matter digestibility (DMD), dry matter retention (DMR), and apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen (AME-n) on fed starter diet. On the other hand, at the end of the grower stage, dietary Pancreatin enzyme supplementation reduced (p<0.05) the ileal CP, MIAA, MDAA, MTAA, AIAAD, AME, AME-n, ND, NR, DE, DMD, and DMR in a dose-dependent manner. The rate of reduction was more marked on Pancreatin addition level 1000 mg/kg. In conclusion, Pancreatin supplementation at 250 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg, and 750 mg/kg improved AIAAD and ileal CP, especially at the young age. The rate of pancreatin enzyme effect was dependent on enzyme supplement level to the ileal CP and individual amino acid.

ABSTRACT The present study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of oral administration of L. reuteri on growth performance, intestine histomorphology, immunological and gut microbiome of broilers. A total of twenty healthy chickens were used in a five-week experimental trial. Birds were assigned into one of two groups with orally administrated L. reuteri probiotic and without probiotic- (Control -Phosphate-buffered saline). A significant (p<0.05) body weight gain was observed in the chickens in L. reuteri treatment group compare to those in the control group at the end of the trial. In addition, the serum IGF-1 cytokines level significantly enhanced in L. reuteri treatment group. However, there were no notable effects observed on the villus height, crypt depth, muscularis thickness, and submucosal thickness in chickens orally inject with and without L. reuteri. At the phylum level, the presence of Firmicutes (99.5%) was highly abundantin the L. reuteri treatment group. Moreover, the fecal microbial communities of Lactobacillus (99.9%) showed average relative abundance at genus level in L. reuteri treatment group. From this, we concluded that oral administration of L. reuteri would be beneficial to enhance the body weight gain, gut microbiome, and immune status of broiler.

ABSTRACT We assessed the effect of health sand dietary supplementation with methionine (Met) on White King pigeons. Paired pigeons (n = 180) were fed one of five diets; group T1 received no added Met, while T2, T3, T4 and T5 received 30, 60, 90 and 120 g of supplemental DL-Met/kg, respectively. Each treatment was replicated three times with 24 pairs in each replicate. The results showed that supplementary Met had a minor effect on the length of the fourth primary wing feather in 28-day-old squabs (p>0.05), but the length of 14-day-old squabs in T2 was significantly longer (p=0.010). Dietary Met had a minor effect on Wnt-7a and fibroblast growth factor receptors-2 (FGFR-2) mRNA levels in 28-day-old squabs (p>0.05). The IGF-1 concentration in plasma was highest in T4 and lowest in T2 (p=0.012), but there was no difference between T1, T2 and T5 (p>0.05). In the chest muscle, the expression of IGF-1 in T3 and T4 was higher than in T1 (p=0.172 and 0.015, respectively). In the leg muscle, IGF-1 mRNA level was higher in T4 and T3, and lower in T2 (p>0.05). The results indicate that the optimal Met supplement for increasing fourth primary wing feather length was 30 g/kg Met in health sand, and the feathers were the longest in 14-day-old squabs. Adding 90 g/kg Met to health sand can improve the concentration of IGF-1, which is important for growth performance of pigeon squabs.

Resumo As células epiteliais da mucosa atuam como a primeira barreira imunológica dos organismos e entram em contato direto com os patógenos. Portanto, os hospedeiros devem ter estratégias diferenciadas para combater os patógenos de forma eficiente. Trabalhos recentes revelaram que a oxidase dupla (DUOX) desempenha um papel fundamental para a imunidade da mucosa. A DUOX é uma proteína transmembrana geradora de espécies reativas de oxigênio (EROs) como seus principais produtos enzimáticos. Nesta revisão, apresentaremos as funções imunológicas da DUOX no trato respiratório e digestivo dos vertebrados.

Abstract Mucosal epithelial cells act as the first immunologic barrier of organisms, and contact directly with pathogens. Therefore, hosts must have differential strategies to combat pathogens efficiently. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), as a kind of oxidizing agents, participates in the early stage of killing pathogens quickly. Recent reports have revealed that dual oxidase (DUOX) plays a key role in mucosal immunity. And the DUOX is a transmembrane protein which produces ROS as their primary enzymatic products. This process is an important pattern for eliminating pathogens. In this review, we highlight the DUOX immunologic functions in the respiratory and digestive tract of vertebrates.

The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of replacing distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) with fermented DDGS (FDDGS) on meat quality and serum amino acid profiles in Chinese yellow broilers. Forty-eight 42-day-old male Chinese yellow broilers were randomly allotted to the treatments. Each treatment was replicated six times with four birds per replicate. Both groups received a basal corn -soybean diet that was supplemented with either 20% DDGS or 20% FDDGS. Broilers were euthanized at 70 days old. The right half of each breast was evaluated for meat quality. Both breast and thigh meats were evaluated for proximate and fatty acid composition. Serum from blood samples was analysed to quantify relative amounts of free amino acids. Breast meat from broilers supplemented with FDDGS had a lower pH and less drip loss than those supplemented with DDGS (P <0.05). No differences were detected between treatments in the proximate composition of breast and thigh meat (P >0.05). Myristic acid (C14:0) concentration of thigh muscles was reduced for broilers supplemented with FDDGS compared with those supplemented with DDGS (P<0.05). Concentrations of lysine, taurine, alpha-aminoadipic acid, glycine, and 3-methylhistidine in serum were all lower for broilers supplemented with FDDGS than for those supplemented with DDGS (P< 0.05). Meanwhile, the serum phosphoserine concentration of the FFDS-supplemented broilers was greater than those supplemented with DDGS (P<0.05). In conclusion, replacing 20% DDGS with a like amount of FDDGS can be recommended for diets of growing broiler chickens.

ABSTRACT Avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J), a member of the retroviridae family, can infect both broilers and layers and induce a spectrum of different neoplasms, resulting in serious economic losses in poultry production. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the major constituent of green tea, has demonstrated remarkable anti-inflammatory and cancer chemopreventive effects in many animal tumor bioassays, cell culture systems and epidemiological studies. To assess the antiviral effects of EGCG on ALV-J-induced cell apoptosis in vitro, DF-1 cells were treated with different EGCG concentrations (0, 5, 10, 20 and 40 µg/mL), and their antiviral effects were examined at different time points (0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h) using a variety of assays. EGCG alleviated the ALV-J-induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Because high concentrations (20 and 40 µg/mL) inhibited DF-1 cell growth, and low concentration (5 µg/mL) did not suppress the ALV-J virus, 10 µg/mL was the most appropriate concentration. After 96 h of incubation, 10 µg/mL EGCG improved the ALV-J-triggered suppression of the nuclear transcription factor system by enhancing cytoplasmic NF-κB p50/p65 expression and inhibiting nuclear NF-κB p50/p65 expression, resulting in decreased cell apoptosis. These results demonstrated that EGCG inhibited ALV-J-induced apoptosis in DF-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner via the NF-κB signaling pathway, and that 10 µg/mL EGCG is the optimal concentration, which may be useful for therapeutic drug design.

Saline-sodic stress is a major abiotic constraint responsible for rice (Oryza sativa L.) yield reductions in Northeast China. The rice root system is crucial for yield development, and it is usually recognized as the key for improving future crop productivity. However, most of the saline-sodic soils in these areas contain high levels of soluble Na2CO3 and NaHCO3, which results in a high pH (>8.5), clay dispersion, soil swelling, and overall poor soil physical properties. Isolation, washing and measurement of the rice crown roots is highly time-demanding in this kind of soil. Our aim was to explore whether differences in shoot characters could be reliable indicators, and a low cost and easy method for estimating crown root numbers in rice. In this study, 97 randomly selected feld-grown rice hill plants, with 728 stem samples, of three genotypes at the heading stage were used in saline-sodic soils. Results gave a reliable estimation of values for crown root numbers as indicated by high positive correlations with number of stems (0.788***) and tillers (0.801***); diameter of long (0.545***), short (0.555***), and mean stems (0.586**), and hill (i.e., equal to 5 plants) circumference (0.796***) and mean hill diameter (0.366***) (P<0.001). The method proposed here was very useful in evaluating the crown root numbers through direct measurements under saline-sodic field conditions.

El estrés salino-sódico es una limitante abiótica importante responsable de las reducciones en rendimiento del arroz (Oryza sativa L.) en el Noreste de China. El sistema radical del arroz es crucial para el desarrollo del rendimiento, y usualmente es clave para determinar la futura productividad de la cosecha. Sin embargo, la mayoría de los suelos salino-sódicos en estas áreas contienen altos niveles de Na2CO3 y NaHCO3 solubles, que resultan en un alto pH (>8,5), dispersión de arcilla, hinchamiento del suelo y propiedades físicas del suelo sobre todo bajas. El aislamiento, lavado y medición de las raíces de la corona de arroz es muy demandante de tiempo en esta clase se suelos. Nuestro propósito fue explorar si diferencias en características de la parte aérea podrían ser indicadores confables, y un método fácil y de bajo costo para estimar el número de raíces de la corona en arroz. En este estudio, 97 grupos de 5 plantas de arroz que crecieron en el campo, con 728 muestras de tallo, de tres genotipos en el estado reproductivo se usaron en suelos salino-sódicos. Los resultados dieron una estimación confiable del número de raíces de la corona como se indicó por correlaciones altas positivas con el número de tallos (0,788***) y macollas (0,801***); diámetro de tallos largos (0,545***), cortos (0,555***) y promedio (0,586***), y circunferencia de 5 plantas (0,796***) y diámetro promedio de 5 plantas (0,366***) (P<0,001). El método aquí propuesto fue muy útil para evaluar el número de raíces de la corona a través de mediciones directas bajo condiciones de campo salino-sódicas.

Abstract This experiment was conducted to study the effects of arginine supplementation on organ development, egg quality, blood parameters, and immune status of laying hens. A total of 360 25-week-old brown Leghorn laying hens were randomly divided into three groups with six replicates of 20 birds each and fed diets supplemented with 0, 8.5, or 17 mg of L-arginine/kg for 42 days. Results showed that the weight of proventriculus and duodenum in the treatment supplemented with 17 mg/kg L-arginine was heavier than that of 0 mg L-arginine/kg treatment (p<0.05). The weight of oviduct in the treatments supplemented with 17 mg/kg L-arginine was smaller than that of 0 and 8.5 mg L-arginine/kg treatment (p<0.05), and the small yellow follicle amount in the treatment supplemented with 17 mg/kg L-arginine was less than that of 0 mg L-arginine/kg treatment (p<0.05), while its yolk color was deeper than that of 0 mg L-arginine/kg treatment (p<0.05), and the IgY content showed the same tendency. Total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the treatment supplemented with 8.5 mg/kg L-arginine were lower than that of 0 mg L-arginine/kg treatment (p<0.05). The concentration of IL-2 in the treatment supplemented with 17 mg/kg L-arginine were more than that of 0 mg L-arginine/kg treatment (p<0.05). The findings of this study show that 17 mg/kg L-arginine supplementation has beneficial effects onlayers' immune status and yolk IgY content, as well as on proventriculus and duodenum weight while no adverse effects were observed on laying performance, egg quality, or blood parameters.

Propofol is one of the most commonly used intravenous anesthetic agents during cancer resection surgery. A previous study has found that propofol can inhibit invasion and induce apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells. However, the underlying mechanisms are not known. miR-9 has been reported to be little expressed in ovarian cancer cells, which has been related to a poor prognosis in patients with ovarian cancer. Studies have also demonstrated that propofol could induce microRNAs expression and suppress NF-κB activation in some situations. In the present study, we assessed whether propofol inhibits invasion and induces apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells by miR-9/NF-κB signaling. Ovarian cancer ES-2 cells were transfected with anti-miR-9 or p65 cDNA or p65 siRNA for 24 h, after which the cells were treated with different concentrations of propofol (1, 5, and 10 μg/mL) for 24 h. Cell growth and apoptosis were detected using MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis. Cell migration and invasion were detected using Transwell and Wound-healing assay. Western blot and electrophoretic mobility shift assay were used to detect different protein expression and NF-κB activity. Propofol inhibited cell growth and invasion, and induced cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner, which was accompanied by miR-9 activation and NF-κB inactivation. Knockdown of miR-9 abrogated propofol-induced NF-κB activation and MMP-9 expression, reversed propofol-induced cell death and invasion of ES-2 cells. Knockdown of p65 inhibited NF-κB activation rescued the miR-9-induced down-regulation of MMP-9. In addition, overexpression of p65 by p65 cDNA transfection increased propofol-induced NF-κB activation and reversed propofol-induced down-regulation of MMP-9. Propofol upregulates miR-9 expression and inhibits NF-κB activation and its downstream MMP-9 expression, leading to the inhibition of cell growth and invasion of ES-2 cells.

ABSTRACT We report the case of a 45-year old woman with a painless soft tissue mass on the left side of her neck. At surgery, the lesion was solid and rubbery and revealed grey-white fibrous areas. It was pathologically confirmed as an elastofibroma, a rare, benign soft tissue tumour that is most commonly encountered in patients more than 55 years of age. Elastofibroma arising from connective tissue and usually found in the subscapular region is extremely rare in the neck. The pathogenesis of elastofibroma is still unclear but increased mechanical stress or nutritional derangement consequent to vascular involvement and hereditary factors may predispose to this lesion. Marginal excision is the treatment of choice in symptomatic patients.

RESUMEN Reportamos el caso de una mujer de 45 años con una masa de tejido suave sin dolor en el lado izquierdo del cuello. Al realizarse la cirugía, se halló que la lesión era sólida y gomosa, y presentaba áreas fibrosas de color gris-blanco. El análisis patológico confirmó que se trataba de un elastofibroma: un tumor del tejido blando, raro y benigno, que se encuentra más comúnmente en pacientes de más de 55 años de edad. Los elastofibromas que provienen del tejido conjuntivo y que generalmente se encuentran en la región subescapular, son extremadamente raros en el cuello. La patogénesis del elastofibroma no está todavía clara, pero el aumento del estrés mecánico o los desarreglos nutricionales consecuencia de problemas vasculares y factores hereditarios, pueden predisponer a esta lesión. La extirpación marginal es el tratamiento de elección en pacientes sintomáticos.

Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) is hormones in higher plants and participates in plant growth regulation and stress resistance including Al stress. The reduction of root apex aluminum (Al) content by exogenous IAA treatment was hypothesized to be effective in alleviating the adverse effect of high Al concentration in wheat root growth. To investigate the role of IAA in lowering root apex Al content, Al-tolerant wheat (ET8) was studied in Al solution (50 µM), co-treated with IAA (25 µM) and anion channel inhibitors (5 µM NIF or A9C) or IAA transport inhibitors (5 µM TIBA or NPA) under acidic condition for 24 h. Treatments were as fellows: control (0.5 µM CaCl2), Al (50 µM), Al (50 µM) + IAA (25 µM), Al (50 µM) + IAA (25 µM) + NIF (or A9C, 5 mM), Al (50 µM) + NPA (or TIBA, 5 µM). Al content in root apex, rhizosphere pH and PM H+-ATPase activity were studied. The results showed that co-treatment with IAA reduced root apex Al content by 42% compared to Al treatment. Anion channel inhibitors enhanced the accumulation of Al in root apex by 27% (or 32%) (NIF or A9C), while addition of IAA neutralized its promoting effect. The co-treatment with IAA increased rhizosphere pH by alleviating the decrease of plasma membrane H+-ATPase activity, while IAA transport inhibitors (NPA or TIBA) suppressed the elevation of rhizosphere pH. The current results suggested that IAA could be effective in alleviating Al toxicity through reducing Al accumulation in wheat root apex.

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of attribution retraining group therapy (ARGT) with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Subjects were sequentially recruited and randomized into two groups, one receiving ARGT (n = 63) and the other SSRIs (n = 66) for 8 weeks. Fifty-four ARGT outpatients with MDD (n = 19), GAD (n = 19), and OCD (n = 16) and 55 SSRI outpatients with MDD (n = 19), GAD (n = 19), and OCD (n = 17) completed the study. All subjects were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Scale and Hamilton Anxiety Scale before and after treatment. The 10-item Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale was employed only for OCD subjects. Plasma levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, cortisol, and adrenocorticotropic hormone were also measured at baseline and 8 weeks after completion of treatment. Symptom scores were significantly reduced (P < 0.001) in both the ARGT and SSRI groups at the end of treatment. However, MDD, GAD and OCD patients in the ARGT group had significantly lower plasma cortisol concentrations compared to baseline (P < 0.05), whereas MDD and OCD patients receiving SSRIs showed significantly increased plasma levels of serotonin (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that ARGT may modulate plasma cortisol levels and affect the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis as opposed to SSRIs, which may up-regulate plasma serotonin levels via a different pathway to produce an overall improvement in the clinical condition of the patients.

Lipopolysaccharide exerts many effects on many cell lines, including cytokine secretion, and cell apoptosis and necrosis. We investigated the in vitro effects of lipopolysaccharide on apoptosis of cultured human dental pulp cells and the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax. Dental pulp cells showed morphologies typical of apoptosis after exposure to lipopolysaccharide. Flow cytometry showed that the rate of apoptosis of human dental pulp cells increased with increasing lipopolysaccharide concentration. Compared with controls, lipopolysaccharide promoted pulp cell apoptosis (P < 0.05) from 0.1 to 100 μg/mL but not at 0.01 μg/mL. Cell apoptosis was statistically higher after exposure to lipopolysaccharide for 3 days compared with 1 day, but no difference was observed between 3 and 5 days. Immunohistochemistry showed that expression of Bax and Bcl-2 was enhanced by lipopolysaccharide at high concentrations, but no evident expression was observed at low concentrations (0.01 and 0.1 μg/mL) or in the control groups. In conclusion, lipopolysaccharide induced dental pulp cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner, but apoptosis did not increase with treatment duration. The expression of the apoptosis regulatory proteins Bax and Bcl-2 was also up-regulated in pulp cells after exposure to a high concentration of lipopolysaccharide.

The molecular mechanisms and potential clinical applications of neural precursor cells have recently been the subject of intensive study. Dlx5, a homeobox transcription factor related to the distal-less gene in Drosophila, was shown to play an important role during forebrain development. The subventricular zone (SVZ) in the adult brain harbors the largest abundance of neural precursors. The anterior SVZ (SVZa) contains the most representative neural precursors in the SVZ. Further research is necessary to elucidate how Dlx5-related genes regulate the differentiation of SVZa neural precursors. Here, we employed immunohistochemistry and molecular biology techniques to study the expression of Dlx5 and related homeobox genes Er81 and Islet1 in neonatal rat brain and in in vitro cultured SVZa neural precursors. Our results show that Dlx5 and Er81 are also highly expressed in the SVZa, rostral migratory stream, and olfactory bulb. Islet1 is only expressed in the striatum. In cultured SVZa neural precursors, Dlx5 mRNA expression gradually decreased with subsequent cell passages and was completely lost by passage four. We also transfected a Dlx5 recombinant plasmid and found that Dlx5 overexpression promoted neuronal differentiation of in vitro cultured SVZa neural precursors. Taken together, our data suggest that Dlx5 plays an important role during neuronal differentiation.