ABSTRACT Yucca schidigera extract (YSE) has received much interest in the application of manure deodorization and hazardous gas mitigation in livestock rearing conditions. The main objective of this review article was to summarize the current knowledge regarding YSE towards its gas mitigation from livestock excrement. Saponins have been considered to be vital components of YSE in odor control and gas reduction in intensive farming industry due to their potentials in lowering methane for ruminants and ammonia for monogastric animals. This review article mainly covered the studies in ruminants, especially focused on in vitro environment. It also summarized possible reasons of the conflicting results among studies from the perspective of experimental design such as incubation time (in vitro) or storage time of manure, and some other factors such as feed source and dietary composition. In addition to traditional dietary inclusion of YSE alone, recent studies prone to apply YSE in new ways such as combining it with other natural compounds or using it to treat manure directly. Until now, there are still controversies in terms of the effectiveness of YSE in intensive-farming environment among researches, therefore further deeper studies on the expression of YSE bioactivity are needed, especially on the molecular level.

Altitude, as an important factor in the expression of terroir, may affect wine quality. We evaluated the effect of altitude and its related climatic conditions on the phenolic characteristics and antioxidant activity of red wines made from grapes originating from high-altitude areas. The content of total phenolic compounds, total flavonoids and total anthocyanins increased with altitude in Merlot (ME) and Cabernet Sauvignon (CS) wines. Cabernet Sauvignon wines showed richer tannins with increasing altitude. Merlot and CS wines from higher altitude vineyards, showed a greater antioxidant capacity. Salicylic acid, syringic acid, caffeic acid, (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, and the sum of individual phenolic compounds in the wines increased with altitude based on the results of HPLC. The scores of the sensory evaluation of ME wines increased with higher altitude. The highest score was determined for CS wine originating from 2 608 m. A clear grouping of wines according to grape cultivar and vineyard altitude was observed by principal component analysis. Regression analysis showed that altitude, followed by sunshine hours, made the greatest contribution to differences in the phenolic characteristics and antioxidant activity of red wines at different sites in a high-altitude region.

We investigated the contribution of the duration of overdistention (DOD) to rat bladder function and morphology and explored its possible molecular mechanisms. Bladder overdistention was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats (200-250 g) by an infusion of saline. Forty rats were divided into 5 groups submitted to different DOD, i.e., 1, 2, 4, and 8 h, and control. Bladder function was evaluated by cystometry. Morphological changes were observed by light and transmission electron microscopy. Compared to control (44.567 ± 3.472 cmH2O), the maximum detrusor pressure of groups with 2-, 4- and 8-h DOD decreased significantly (means ± SEM): 32.774 ± 3.726, 31.321 ± 2.847, and 29.238 ± 3.724 cmH2O. With the increase of DOD, inflammatory infiltration and impairment of ultrastructure were more obvious in bladder tissue. Compared to control (1.90 ± 0.77), the apoptotic indexes of groups with 1-, 2-, 4-, and 8-h DOD increased significantly (6.47 ± 2.10, 10.66 ± 1.97, 13.91 ± 2.69, and 18.33 ± 3.28%). Compared to control (0.147 ± 0.031/0.234 ± 0.038 caspase 3/β-actin and Bax/Bcl-2 ratios), both caspase 3/β-actin and Bax/Bcl-2 ratios of 1-, 2-, 4-, and 8-h DOD increased significantly (0.292 ± 0.037/0.508 ± 0.174, 0.723 ± 0.173/1.745 ± 0.471, 1.104 ± 0.245/4.000 ± 1.048, and 1.345 ± 0.409/8.398 ± 3.332). DOD plays an important role in impairment of vesical function and structure. With DOD, pro-apoptotic factors increase and anti-apoptotic factors decrease, possibly contributing to the functional deterioration and morphological changes of the bladder.

Most frequently reported Chinese renal biopsy data have originated from southeastern China. The present study analyzed the renal biopsy data from northeastern China. The records of 1550 consecutive native patients who were diagnosed with primary glomerular diseases (PGD) after renal biopsy at our hospital during 2005-2009 were used. These patients were divided into four age groups for stratified analysis: <15, 15-44, 45-59, and ≥60 years old. Among PGD, minimal change disease (MCD) was the most common histologically diagnosed disease (30.7%), followed by IgA nephropathy (IgAN), mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (MsPGN), membranous nephropathy (MN), membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), and endocapillary proliferative glomerulonephritis (EnPGN). MCD was the disease most frequently observed (43.7%) in the <15-year-old group. MsPGN was the most common disease in the elderly group (38.1%). MsPGN was more prevalent in females (27.8%), whereas MCD was more prevalent in males (35.3%). Primary glomerular diseases constituted the most commonly encountered group of diseases with a high prevalence of MCD, which predominantly affected males and young adults. The prevalence of MCD was high in northeastern China. Further study is necessary to expand the epidemiologic data available for renal disease in China.