ABSTRACT Chicken abdominal fat (AF) is an economically important trait, and many studies have been conducted on genetic selection for AF. However, previous studies have focused on detecting functional chromosome mutations or regions using gene chips. The present study used the specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) technology to perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on purebred Wengshang Barred chicken. A total of 1,286,715 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected, and 175,211 SNPs were selected as candidate SNPs for genome-wide association analysis using TASSEL general linear models. Two SNPs markers reached genome-wide significance. Of these, rs7943847, rs127627362 were significantly associated with AF at 120 days. These SNPs are close to eight genes (SLC16A6, ARSG, WIPI1, PRKAR1A, FAM20A, ABCA8, ABCA9, CPQ,). These results would enrich the studies on AF and promote the use of Chinese chicken, especially the Wenshang Barred chicken.

Resumo A raiz seca de astrágalo tem a função de tonificar o zhongjiao, qi benéfico, superfície sólida, diurético, remoção externa de veneno e fortalecimento muscular. Depois de cortar o astrágalo em fatias finas, algumas fatias têm pontos pretos. Neste trabalho foi analisada a diversidade de fungos endofíticos em fatias de ponto negro versus fatias normais. O sequenciamento de alto rendimento resultou em 314.998 e 315.051 sequências de fungos endofíticos, respectivamente, que após agrupamento resultaram em 116 subgrupos de OTU, pertencentes a três filos, nove classes, 22 ordens, 38 famílias e 46 gêneros. As classes dominantes são Eurotiomycetes e Leotiomycetes. A ordem principal é euclides e hilllows. As famílias predominantes foram aspergilaceae e aspergilaceae. Os gêneros predominantes foram leucostilla e aspergillus. Tanto as seções normais como as secções manchadas apresentam uma flora fúngica distinta. O estudo da diversidade de fungos endofíticos em fatias de astrágalo pode contribuir para o desenvolvimento de fármacos para esta planta.

Abstract The dry root of Astragalus mongholicus has therapeutic effects such as tonifing the middle - jiao, replenishing qi, solidifing the surface, promoting diuresis, dispelling sepsis outwards and nourishing muscle. There are some slices having black spots after slicing the root of astragalus. The diversity of endophytic fungi between slices with black spots and normal slices was analysed in this paper. The endophytic fungal sequences obtained by high-throughput sequencing were 298,044 and 297,396, and the 116 OTU subsets obtained after clustering belonged to 3 phyla, 9 classes, 22 orders, 38 families and 46 genera. The dominant classes were Eurotiomycetes and Leotiomycetes. The dominant order is Eurotiales and Helotiales. The dominant families are Helotiales_fam_Incertae_sedis and Aspergillaceae. The dominant genera are Cadophora and Aspergillus. There are some peculiar fungal flora in both normal slices and spotted slices. The study on endophytic fungi diversity of astragalus slices will provide some help for drug development of this plant.

ABSTRACT The effects of plant essential oil (PEO) on the production performance and immune function of laying hens were evaluated to provide theoretical basis for promoting the natural plant extracts. Eight thousand 1-day-old healthy laying hens were randomly divided into a control group or PEO group, with four replicates per treatment and 1000 hens per replicate. The PEO diet was supplemented with 3g/kg plant extract. Diets were fed for 56 days. The tibia length and keel length were detected on an empty stomach at the end of the trial. Blood samples were collected on the 28th and 56th days to detect the level of C3, C4, IL-1, IL-2, IL-17 and immunoglobulin in the serum. The results showed that, compared with the control, PEO supplementation significantly increased the weight gain rate (WGR) at the 2nd, 4th, 5th and 7th week (p<0.05), and decreased the WGR at the 3rd and 6th week. The tibial length was significantly increased at the 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th week (p<0.01), and also the keel length at the 5th and 7th week in PEO group. The concentration of IgG and IgM also significantly influenced with PEO supplementation, but there was no significant difference in the complements, C3 and C4, and the IL levels between days 28 and 56. Moreover, no significant difference was observed in body weight and immune organ on day 56. Therefore, we conclude that the addition of PEO could improve the production performance and immune function in laying hens.

Alkaline sulphide leaching was adopted to extract tellurium from tellurium-bearing gold concentrate for the first time. The tellurium leaching kinetics were studied. The influence of average particle size, stirring speed, leaching temperature, Na2S concentration, and NaOH concentration on the tellurium extraction were investigated. It was found that tellurium extraction could reach 79.14% under the optimum conditions: 17.77 μηι average particle size, 500 r/min stirring speed, 80 g/L Na2S concentration, 30g/L NaOH concentration, 80°C leaching temperature, 4:1 liquid to solid ratio, and 180 minutes leaching time. The interface transfer and diffusion through the product layer or insoluble substance layer were the rate-controlling steps. The leaching kinetics equation was established, and the activation energy was 34.384 kJ/mol.

Abstract Sediment yield is affected by many factors, such as climate, geology, geomorphology, land use and human activities. Sediment signatures are the statistic indices or curves that are able to effectively describe the temporal and spatial characteristics of sediment transport and evaluate the ability of the streamflow to deliver the sediment. In this study, the sediment signatures of Upper Sangamon River Basin, which is an intensively managed watershed for agriculture development, are analyzed. Firstly, a semi-distributed model of sediment transport is built up based on the Tsinghua Representative Elementary Watershed (THREW) model, and it is applied to the Upper Sangamon River Basin. The result of sediment simulation is analyzed by four sediment signatures, i.e. specific sediment yield, sediment delivery ratio, cumulative sediment curve and effective discharge. The sediment signatures are consistent with each other and accord with the fact of the agricultural production in Upper Sangamon River Basin.

ABSTRACT To investigate the hypothesis that APS can attenuate E. coli-induced microvascular dysfunction in chicken intestine, 60 0-day old male chickens were divided into three groups with 5 replications of 4 chicks. Chicken in the APS group were treated with 15 mg APS daily while the others were given 0 mg APS for 6 days. Then all 7-day old chicken were injected intraperitoneally by E. coli, except for the chicken in the control group. After 4 h, all chicken’s intestinal samples were collected to detect gene expressions involved in inflammatory factors and adhesion molecules. Results showed that APS attenuated the signs of edema and hemorrhage in 7-day old chicken intestinal mucosa which were induced by E. coli injection. Consistently, APS significantly reduced the increasing mRNA levels of inflammatory factors such as Tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), interleukin (IL) -1β and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) (p<0.05), the same results were observed in vascular adhesion molecules such as E-selectin, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1). Moreover, we observed that APS supplementation in water suppressed significantly (p<0.05) the decline of reparative factors such as epithelial growth factor (EGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in E. coli injected group. Furthermore, supplementation with APS substantially blocked (p<0.05) the increase in Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) and Nuclear factor (NF)-κB mRNA abundance (p=0.087) induced by E. coli infection. This study indicated that microvascular injured chicken intestine induced by E. coli would be attenuated with feeding APS, and the mechanism of repairing were probably mediated through TLR4-NF-κB signal pathways.

Cardiomyocyte apoptosis plays key roles in the pathogenesis of heart diseases such as myocardial infarction. MicroRNAs are important regulators of gene expression, which are also involved in the regulation of cardiomyocyte apoptosis. However, cardiomyocyte apoptosis regulated by microRNA (miR)-122 is largely unexplored. The aim of this study focused on the role of miR-122 in cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Cardiomyocytes were isolated from neonatal mice and primarily cultured. MiR-122 mimic and inhibitor were transfected to cardiomyocytes and verified by qRT-PCR. Cell viability and apoptosis post-transfection were assessed by MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Changes in expression of caspase-8 were quantified by qRT-PCR and western blot. Results showed that miR-122 mimic and inhibitor successfully induced changes in miR-122 levels in cultured cardiomyocytes (P<0.01). MiR-122 overexpression suppressed viability and promoted apoptosis of cardiomyocytes (P<0.05), and miR-122 knockdown promoted cell viability and inhibited apoptosis (P<0.05). The mRNA and protein levels of caspase-8 were elevated by miR-122 overexpression (P<0.01) and reduced by miR-122 knockdown (P<0.001). These results suggest an inductive role of miR-122 in cardiomyocyte apoptosis, which may be related to its regulation on caspase-8.

BACKGROUND: Malaria remains a public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. In response to this, many countries are working towards achieving the World Health Assembly and Roll Back Malaria Partnership target of a 75% decline in malaria incidence. OBJECTIVE: To assess trends in malaria morbidity and mortality in the three islands of the Comoros Archipelago from 2010 to 2014. METHODS. This was a retrospective study in which all confirmed malaria cases and deaths recorded between 2010 and 2014 were accessed from the national malaria control database. Trends and comparisons in malaria incidence and case fatality rates for all age groups, including under-5 children and pregnant women, were analysed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 16. RESULTS: A substantial decline in malaria incidence was observed for each island between 2010 and 2014; from 75.98 cases per 1 000 population in 2010 to 0.14 in 2014 in Moheli, 60.60 to 0.02 in Anjouan and 235.36 to 5.47 in Grand Comoro. Additionally, a general reduction in malaria case fatalities was observed. In Moheli, there were no case fatalities between 2010 and 2014, while there was a decline in the case fatality rate in Anjouan (from 1.20 fatalities per 1 000 cases to 0) and Grand Comoros (0.51 to 0). There were also significant differences (p<0.05) in malaria incidence and case fatalities between the three islands. A similar trend was observed for pregnant women and under-5 children. CONCLUSION: Our study indicates a significant decline in malaria morbidity and mortality in the islands of Moheli, Anjouan and Grand Comoro from 2010 to 2014. This considerable reduction is attributed to a combination of malaria prevention and control interventions implemented during the study period.

A long-term field experiment was conducted over a twenty year period to examine the effects of three different soil management regimes (Abandonment, Fallow and Cropping) and eight nutrient management regimes under Cropping on soil organic carbon (SOC), N and P levels, microbial biomass, and enzymatic activities related to C, N, and P cycling in a loess soil. The nutrient management regimes examined involved treatment with various combinations of inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers (N, NP, PK, and NPK), as well as combinations of NPK fertilizers with either residual plant material (SNPK) or manure (MN1PK and MN2PK). Abandonment resulted in greater levels of soil microbial biomass than did Cropping but similar levels of enzyme activity were observed under both regimes. The Fallow regime gave significantly lower soil organic carbon levels and enzyme activities than did Cropping. Within the Cropping system, the treatments containning nitrogen and phophorus significantly improved SOC, N and P levels and also increased microbial biomass and enzyme activity relative to the control. In general, the highest values of the tested soil parameters were observed under the M2NPK treatment. With the exception of invertase, the activity of all soil enzymes tested correlated significantly with SOC and microbial biomass. It was concluded that the use of fertilization regimes involving applying organic material in conjunction with NPK fertilizers should be encouraged in order to maintain or improve the chemical and biological properties of the tested loess soil and to thereby increase its productivity.

The use of conceptual scheme evaluation is a key step in the development of new products. In this paper, a multi-dimensional evaluation method that involves subjective evaluation, eye-tracking, and product image evaluation is established. In this study, subjective evaluation is used to test customers' initial reactions to conceptual schemes, and eye-tracking is used to highlight the features of conceptual schemes that are most attractive to customers. With the help of Kansei engineering, the most attractive features of a particular product are described and clarified from the product image evaluation. This multidimensional method can be applied not only in screening conceptual schemes, but also in exploring the reasons and suggestions for product improvement. The method was assessed in this study through a case study evaluation of conceptual design schemes for a mobile phone.

Die gebruik van konseptuele skema beoordeling is ‘n sleutel stap in die ontwikkel van nuwe produkte. ‘n Multidimensionele beoordelingsmetode, wat subjektiewe beoordeling, die volg van oog beweging en produk beeld beoordeling behels, is ontwikkel. Subjektiewe beoordeling word gebruik om kliënte se aanvanklike reaksies op konseptuele skemas te toets. Die volg van oog beweging word gebruik om die mees aantreklike eienskappe van konseptuele skemas uit te lig. Met die hulp van Kansei ingenieurswese word die mees aantreklike eienskappe van ‘n spesifieke produk beskryf en duidelik gemaak vanuit die produk beeld beoordeling. Hierdie multidimensionele metode kan ook toegepas word in die motiverings en aanbevelings vir produk verbetering. Dié metode is beoordeel deur ‘n gevallestudie van konseptuele ontwerpskemas van ‘n selfoon.

Our objective was to observe the biodegradable and osteogenic properties of magnesium scaffolding under in vivo conditions. Twelve 6-month-old male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into two groups. The chosen operation site was the femoral condyle on the right side. The experimental group was implanted with porous magnesium scaffolds, while the control group was implanted with hydroxyapatite scaffolds. X-ray and blood tests, which included serum magnesium, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine (CREA), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were performed serially at 1, 2, and 3 weeks, and 1, 2, and 3 months. All rabbits were killed 3 months postoperatively, and the heart, kidney, spleen, and liver were analyzed with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. The bone samples were subjected to microcomputed tomography scanning (micro-CT) and hard tissue biopsy. SPSS 13.0 (USA) was used for data analysis, and values of P<0.05 were considered to be significant. Bubbles appeared in the X-ray of the experimental group after 2 weeks, whereas there was no gas in the control group. There were no statistical differences for the serum magnesium concentrations, ALT, BUN, and CREA between the two groups (P>0.05). All HE-stained slices were normal, which suggested good biocompatibility of the scaffold. Micro-CT showed that magnesium scaffolds degraded mainly from the outside to inside, and new bone was ingrown following the degradation of magnesium scaffolds. The hydroxyapatite scaffold was not degraded and had fewer osteoblasts scattered on its surface. There was a significant difference in the new bone formation and scaffold bioabsorption between the two groups (9.29±1.27 vs 1.40±0.49 and 7.80±0.50 vs 0.00±0.00 mm3, respectively; P<0.05). The magnesium scaffold performed well in degradation and osteogenesis, and is a promising material for orthopedics.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNA molecules that modulate gene expression implicated in cancer, which play crucial roles in diverse biological processes, such as development, differentiation, apoptosis, and proliferation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether miR-30c mediated the resistance of breast cancer cells to the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin (ADR) by targeting tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein zeta (YWHAZ). miR-30c was downregulated in the doxorubicin-resistant human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7/ADR and MDA-MB-231/ADR compared with their parental MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines, respectively. Furthermore, we observed that transfection of an miR-30c mimic significantly suppressed the ability of MCF-7/ADR to resist doxorubicin. Moreover, the anti-apoptotic gene YWHAZ was confirmed as a target of miR-30c by luciferase reporter assay, and further studies indicated that the mechanism for miR-30c on the sensitivity of breast cancer cells involved YWHAZ and its downstream p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) pathway. Together, our findings provided evidence that miR-30c was one of the important miRNAs in doxorubicin resistance by regulating YWHAZ in the breast cancer cell line MCF-7/ADR.

Black soils in the Northeast Plain of China are characterized by high organic carbon (C) density and storage, which can influence C sequestration in local cropland ecosystems. Using GIS, this study analyzed the temporal and spatial distribution and variation of cropland organic C density and storage in the arable layer (0-20 cm) of the major black soil regions in China's Northeast Plain (specifically across the study region of Hailun, Shuangcheng and Gongzhuling counties) over the past 30 years. The results indicate an overall downward trend in soil organic C (SOC) density (SOCd, mean decrease of 0.64 kg m-2) and storage (SOCs, decrease of 4.65 Tg )*1 for the major black soil regions tested during the study period. The mean decrease in SOCd for Hailun, Shuangcheng and Gongzhuling counties was 0.68 kg m-2, 0.18 kg m-2 and 1.05 kg m-2, respectively, with total SOC decreases of 2.30 Tg, 0.49 Tg and 1.86 Tg, respectively. SOCd decreased to a greater extent during the first twenty years in Hailun and Shuangcheng relative to Gongzhuling. Moreover, SOCd tended to stabilize and then slightly increase during the last ten years. There was a downward trend in SOCd and SOCs over the past 30 years for almost all soil types, but the most serious decline in SOCs was observed in black soils, which account for 57.92% of the cropland soil area in all study regions and which lost up to 2.91 Tg of SOC. Therefore, the major black soil region in Northeast China was presenting a C resource trend over the past 20-30 years.

The role of acetylcholine in the central and peripheral nervous systems is well established in adults. Cholinergic modulation of vascular functions and body fluid balance has been extensively studied. In the embryo-fetus, cholinergic receptors are widespread in the peripheral and central systems, including smooth muscle and the epithelial lining of the cardiovascular, digestive, and urinary systems, as well as in the brain. Fetal nicotine and muscarinic receptors develop in a pattern (e.g., amount and distribution) related to gestational periods. Cholinergic mechanisms have been found to be relatively intact and functional in the control of vascular homeostasis during fetal life in utero at least during the last third of gestation. This review focuses on the development of fetal nicotine and muscarinic receptors, and provides information indicating that central cholinergic systems are well developed in the control of fetal blood pressure and body fluid balance before birth. Therefore, the development of cholinergic systems in utero plays an important role in fetal vascular regulation, gastrointestinal motility, and urinary control.

The type and frequency of bovine GAD1 and GAL alleles have not yet been studied in beef cattle. Initial, partial characterization of several polymorphism sites of GAD1 and GAL genes was reported, and association analyses with feed intake, growth and carcass traits were performed. There was a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the 533bp fragment of GAD1 (Accession no. DQ139316), and this fragment revealed a polymorphism Ssp I restriction site caused by a G/A transition, located in 3'-UTR. A polymorphism Pst I restriction site at 102 (A/G transition) and a polymorphism Bsh1236 I restriction site at 837 (C/G transition) in the 2816bp PCR fragment (Accession no. DQ146944) corresponding to the bovine GAL gene were also identified. One hundred and thirty eight unrelated cattle from four breeds (Simmental, Angus, Hereford and Crossed Simmental) were genotyped and their allele frequencies were determined. In a preliminary trait association study, significant associations of GAD1 SNP-409, GAL SNP-102 and SNP-837 were found with average daily feed intake (ADFI). GAD1 and GAL SNPs were found to be good candidates to be used in marker-assisted selection (MAS) for ADFI.