Resumo Gardenia jasminoides Ellis é um fitoterápico chinês com valor medicinal e econômico, mas seu mecanismo de resposta ao estresse hídrico permanece obscuro. Neste estudo, o “método de potes duplos” foi usado para simular o estresse hídrico de G. jasminoides Ellis e explorar seu mecanismo de resposta fisiológica e transcriptômica. Não encontramos danos significativos aos lipídios da membrana de G. jasminoides Ellis durante o estresse. POD desempenhou um papel antioxidante vital, o enriquecimento KEGG mostrou que metabólitos secundários, como flavonoides, também podem desempenhar um papel antioxidante e PRO desempenhou um ajuste osmótico significativo. Os hormônios endógenos regulam o crescimento e o desenvolvimento de G. jasminoides Ellis e desempenham um papel na transdução de sinal. Entre eles, o estresse hídrico leve é retardado. Ao mesmo tempo, havia 19631, 23693 e 15045 genes diferencialmente expressos de G. jasminoides Ellis nos dias 5, 10 e 15 sob estresse hídrico. Esses genes foram intimamente associados ao proteassoma, endopeptidase, ribossomo, transdução de sinal MAPK e transdução de sinal de hormônio endógeno, interação planta-patógeno e biossíntese de fenilpropanoides e outras vias fisiológicas e metabólicas, que regulam o turnover e transporte de proteínas, o reforço e adesão das paredes celulares, a indução do fechamento estomático, reações alérgicas, reações de defesa, movimentos foliares, entre outros. Também podem absorver os raios ultravioleta para reduzir a geração de radicais livres de oxigênio, alterar a forma de utilização da energia e ajustar a pressão osmótica das células vegetais.

Abstract Gardenia jasminoides Ellis is a Chinese herbal medicine with medicinal and economic value, but its mechanism of response to waterlogging stress remains unclear. In this study, the “double pots method” was used to simulate the waterlogging stress of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis to explore its physiological and transcriptomic response mechanism. We found no significant damage to Gardenia jasminoides Ellis membrane lipid during stress. POD played a vital antioxidant role, KEGG enrichment showed that secondary metabolites such as flavonoids might also play an antioxidant role, and PRO played a significant osmotic adjustment. Endogenous hormones regulate the Gardenia jasminoides Ellis's growth and development and play a role in signal transduction. Among them, light waterlogging stress is delayed. At the same time, there were 19631, 23693, and 15045 differentially expressed genes on the 5th, 10d, and 15d of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis under waterlogging stress. These genes were closely associated with the proteasome, endopeptidase, ribosome, MAPK signal transduction, and endogenous hormone signal transduction, plant-pathogen interaction and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and other physiological and metabolic pathways, which regulate the turnover and transportation of protein, the reinforcement and adhesion of cell walls, the induction of stomatal closure, allergic reactions, defense reactions, leaf movements and others. It also can absorb ultraviolet rays to reduce the generation of oxygen free radicals, change the way of energy utilization and adjust the osmotic pressure of plant cells.

The current study aimed to assess the effects of the addition of dietary fermented feed (FF) on the growth performance, blood parameters, intestinal morphology, and number of cecal microorganisms of Sichuan white geese from 1 to 28 d of age. A total of 240, 1-day-old female geese were randomly divided into five groups with six replicates (eight birds per replicate). Geese in the control group were fed the basal diet (0.0% FF) and the experimental groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with 2.5%, 5.0%, 7.5%, and 10.0% FF, respectively. The 5.0% FF and 7.5% FF groups had greater body weights (BW), average daily feed intakes (ADFI), and average daily gains (ADG) than the control group. The feed/gain ratio (F/G) in the 7.5% FF group was higher than the control group. The concentrations of immunoglobulin A (IGA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in the 5.0% FF group were higher than those in the control group, whereas malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the 5.0% FF group was lower. Moreover, the FF did not affect the plasma biochemical indicators, number of cecal microorganisms, and intestinal morphology of geese in the groups. These findings indicate that 5.0% FF may improve the growth performance (BW, ADG, and ADFI), immunological function, and antioxidant capacity of Sichuan white geese from 1 to 28 days of age.

ABSTRACT Geese (Anser cygnoides) possess stronger ability of roughage digestion and utilization than other poultries, hence, it has become the focus of attention of scientists. Duodenal, jejunum and ileum were mainly participated in food digestion and nutrient absorption, while the cecum was responsible for biological fermentation. Effects on the geese’s cecal microbiota community by feeding with the all-grass diet have been investigated, however, whether it had an influence on the geese’s duodenal microbiota community remains unexplored. To address this problem, geese feeding with the basal diet for 28 days (G1), the basal diet for 28 days and the all-grass diet for the following 14 days (G2), the basal diet for 42 days (G3) were selected, respectively. The duodenal segments of geese were collected and the hypervariable V3-V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene was sequencing. A total of 4 main phyla and 16 main genera were identified. Moreover, we also successfully identified that two taxa including the Helcococcus and Clostridium could be used as distinguishing biomarkers specific to G2. The functional profiles of the duodenum microbiota were mainly involved in the membrane transport (e.g. ABC transporters), amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, metabolism of cofactors and vitamins, and cellular processes and signaling pathways in geese feeding with the all-grass diet. In conclusion, the all-grass diet could impact the composition of duodenal microbiota. However, to resolve the underlying mechanism of the fiber digesting and utilization in geese’s gut microbiota, the whole intestinal system needs to be assessed by further studies.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate the effect of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) supplementation on egg production, nutrient retention and cecal microbiota diversity using 288 commercial Hy-Line brown hens as of wk 75 to 86. Four treatments consisted of TMP addition at 0 (control, basal diet), 100, 150 and 200 mg/kg of diet. The results showed that diets supplemented with TMP addition improved egg-laying rate as of wk 77 compared to the control, which led to an increase (p<0.001) of egg mass by 97-225 g/hen throughout the whole trial, and a linear increase (p=0.003) of egg mass to the incremental TMP doses was found. At wk 86, the apparent digestibilities of dry matter and crude protein were enhanced (p<0.05), exhibiting consistent linear increases (p≤0.033) with the TMP doses. However, TMP did not cause alpha and beta diversity of cecal microbiota. The results suggest that TMP can be an additive to improve egg production and nutrient digestibility of aged laying hens.

To explore the effects of supplementing a basal diet with green sweet sorghum stalks on the gut microbiota in geese, one hundred and twenty 28-day-old geese were divided into two groups. Group 1 was fed a basal diet and group 2 was fed 92% of the same basal diet with green sweet sorghum stalks ad libitum for 42 days. Three male geese from each group were killed at 70 days old, four gastrointestinal tract segments (duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and caecum) were collected, and the hypervariable V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene was sequenced. There were obvious changes of microbiome in the caecum compared with the other three intestinal segments after green sweet sorghum stalks were added to the diet. Group 2 had significantly higher alpha diversity in the caecum compared with group 1 (P <0.05). The phyla of bacterial communities in the caecum differed. Group 2 had more abundant Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, but Proteobacteria were more abundant in group 1. At genus level, Bacteroides was more prevalent in group 2, as were Prevotella and YRC22 (P <0.05). Functional analysis revealed that the carbohydrate metabolism, membrane transport, endocrine system and digestive system metabolic pathways were overrepresented in group 2. In conclusion, caecal microbes might play an important role in digesting green sweet sorghum stalks in geese.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on egg production, yolk components, cholesterol metabolism, and enterohepatic circulation of bile acids in hens. Four treatment diets included a control and LAB added at 3 × 105 (low), 3 × 107 (medium), or 3 × 109 (high) cfu/kg. The treatment LAB contained equal amounts of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Enterococcus faecium. Results showed that high LAB increased (p<0.05) laying rate, egg mass, and yolk phospholipid, but decreased (p<0.05) yolk triglyceride and phosvitin. Diets with LAB decreased (p<0.05) yolk and serum cholesterol content, and serum bile acid by 9.3 to 39.9%. In liver, high LAB downregulated (p<0.05) mRNA expression of serine/threonine kinase 11 (STK11), 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR), AMP-activated protein kinase catalytic subunit (PRKAA1, 2), and protein phosphatase catalytic subunits (PPP2CA, PPP2CB and PPP3CA) by 49.5 to 175.4%. In mucosa, high LAB downregulated (p<0.05) PRKAA1 and HMGR by 68.2 and 69.6%, respectively; but upregulated (p<0.05) PPP2CA and PPP2CB by 51.2 and 45%, respectively. Linear decreasing (p≤0.035) responses to LAB doses were found on cholesterol, phosvitin, bile acid, and hepatic gene expressions, and quadratic (p≤0.006) effects on yolk cholesterol and hepatic STK11. It is concluded that probiotic LAB can improve yolk components and decrease hepatic cholesterol synthesis by regulating HMGR pathway in hens.

Many numerical simulation studies of coal spontaneous combustion have focused on the leakage flow field in the mine gob. However, most of these studies isolate the gob from the mine ventilation system, failing to consider the effects of air leakage on gob boundary conditions. A novel model coupling the mine ventilation network (MVN) and gob flow field (GFF) has been developed to simulate the overall mine ventilation system. The concept of network boundary node was proposed and the corresponding air flow rate balance equations were developed based on the node pressure method for MVN calculation and the finite element method for GFF simulation. These equations, containing the rate of air flow not only from the branches but also from the gob, revealed the coupling relationship between 1D MVN and 2D/3D GFF. An iterative solution technique was developed to solve the coupling model, which has been incorporated into a program i-MVS. An illustrative example with coarse mesh is used to verify the stability and convergence of the model. Results of an application case show that the coupling model has sufficient precision and the developed software is efficient in implementing the computations.

ABSTRACT The objective of the study was to investigate the mechanism by which dietary energy concentration regulates laying performance in geese. Eighty 558-day-old female Sichuan White geese were randomly allotted to two dietary treatments, each treatment was fed 1 of 2 experimental diets containing 10.00 (deficient) or 11.80MJ/kg metabolizable energy (sufficient) for 30 days. Laying performance, hormone concentration and gene expressions in hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis were examined in geese. Birds fed the sufficient-energy diet had significantly higher average egg weight, daily laying rate, and lower feed to egg ratio than those fed the deficient-energy (p<0.05). The birds fed sufficient-energy diet had higher concentration of serum insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol (E2) than those in deficient-energy diet (p<0.05). The mRNA expression levels of GnRH in the hypothalamus, FSH in the pituitary and E2 in the ovary of birds fed sufficient-energy diet were higher than the corresponding counterpart in deficient-energy diet (p<0.05), respectively. In conclusion, the study implied that dietary energy modifies laying possibly through regulating reproductive hormone secretion and gene expression in hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad axis in laying geese.

Augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR) is a thermostable cytokine that was originally identified to promote the growth of hepatocytes. This study was conducted to explore the expression and function of ALR in multiple myeloma (MM), a common hematologic malignancy. Real-time PCR and western blot analysis were performed to detect the expression of ALR in U266 human MM cells and healthy peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). U266 MM cells were exposed to 20 or 40 μg/mL of recombinant ALR and tested for cell proliferation. Small interfering RNA-mediated silencing of ALR was done to investigate the role of ALR in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cytokine production. Compared to PBMCs, U266 MM cells exhibited significantly higher levels of ALR at both the mRNA and protein levels. The addition of recombinant ALR protein significantly promoted the proliferation of U266 cells. In contrast, knockdown of ALR led to a significant decline in the viability and proliferation of U266 cells. Annexin-V/PI staining analysis demonstrated that ALR downregulation increased apoptosis in U266 MM cells, compared to control cells (20.1±1.1 vs 9.1±0.3%, P<0.05). Moreover, ALR depletion reduced the Bcl-2 mRNA level by 40% and raised the Bax mRNA level by 2-fold. Additionally, conditioned medium from ALR-depleted U266 cells had significantly lower concentrations of interleukin-6 than control cells (P<0.05). Taken together, ALR contributed to the proliferation and survival of U266 MM cells, and targeting ALR may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of MM.

The current study aimed to investigate the effects of perinatal exposure to nonylphenol (NP) on delivery outcome of pregnant rats and subsequent inflammatory hepatic injury in newborn rats. The pregnant rats were divided into 2 groups: control group (corn oil) and NP exposure group. Thirty-four pregnant rats were administered NP or corn oil by gavage from the sixth day of pregnancy to 21 days postpartum, with blood samples collected at 12 and 21 days of pregnancy and 60 days after delivery. The NP concentration was measured by HPLC, with chemiluminescence used for detection of estrogen and progesterone levels. Maternal delivery parameters were also observed. Liver and blood of the newborn rats were collected and subjected to automatic biochemical detection of liver function and blood lipid analyzer (immunoturbidimetry), and ultrastructural observation of the hepatic microstructure, with the TNF-α and IL-1β hepatic tissue levels evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Compared with the control group, the pregnant and postpartum serum NP and estradiol levels of the mother rats in the NP group were significantly increased, together with lowered progesterone level, increased number of threatened abortion and dystocia, and fewer newborn rats and lower litter weight. Serum and hepatic NP levels of the newborn rats measured 60 days after birth were significantly higher than those of the control group, as well as lower testosterone levels and increased estradiol levels. When observed under electron microscope, the hepatocyte nuclei of the control group were large and round, with evenly distributed chromatin. The chromatin of hepatocytes in the NP group presented deep staining of the nuclei, significant lipid decrease in the cytoplasm, and the majority of cells bonded with lysate. The results of immunohistochemistry showed that there was almost no TNF-α or IL-1β expression in the hepatocytes of the control group, while the number of TNF-α-, PCNA-, and IL-1β-positive cells in the NP group was increased, with higher integral optical density than the control group. Compared to the control group, the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein in the newborn rats of the NP group were significantly increased. There was no significant difference in the serum level of high-density lipoprotein or cholesterol between the groups. Perinatal exposure to NP can interfere with the in vivo estrogen and progesterone levels of pregnant rats, resulting in threatened abortion, dystocia and other adverse delivery outcomes. High liver and serum NP levels of the newborn rats led to alteration of liver tissue structure and function. The NP-induced hepatotoxicity is probably mediated by inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1α.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of the present study was to assess knowledge and attitudes related to HIV/AIDS among the migrant female workers in the restaurant industry in Guangzhou City, China. METHODS: We performed a questionnaire survey using a judgmental sampling method in the health examination clinic of Yuexiu District of Guangzhou during March 2011. A total of 428 participants completed and returned the questionnaires and data were analysed by descriptive statistics, t-test, one way ANOVA, and Wilcoxon test. RESULTS: Of 428 respondents, the average score of HIV/AIDS-related knowledge was 19.6 (full marks, 26). Knowledge on HIV/AIDS among respondents was classified as poor for 8.2%, fair for 42.5%, and good for 49.3%. The average score of AIDS-related attitudes of respondents was 7.2 (full marks, 10). Most of the respondents (88.8%) had relatively positive attitudes toward AIDS. Unmarried status, ages less than 30 years old and higher levels of education had higher scores of knowledge. Among the respondents who had sex experiences, 57.7% (130/225) reported that they never or only some of the time used condom. The young, unmarried women had significantly higher proportion of condom use than those above 30 years old, and/or married ones. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, a half of respondents had only moderate and low levels of awareness about HIV/AIDS knowledge, although most of them had tolerant and positive attitudes toward HIV/AIDS. In addition, a relatively lower rate of condom use was reported. The findings indicate that there exists broad space for improvement of knowledge and behaviours toward HIV/AIDS for migrant women in China.

OBJETIVO: El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar los conocimientos y actitudes relacionadas con el VIH/SIDA entre las trabajadoras emigrantes en la industria de restaurantes en la ciudad de Guangzhou, China. MÉTODOS: Realizamos una encuesta en forma de cuestionario utilizando un método de muestreo a juicio en la clínica de examen de salud del distrito de Yuexiu de Guangzhou en marzo de 2011. Un total de 428 participantes llenaron y entregaron los cuestionarios, y los datos fueron analizados mediante estadísticas descriptivas, prueba t, ANOVA unidireccional, y prueba de Wilcoxon. RESULTADOS: De las 428 encuestadas, la puntuación media de los conocimientos relacionados con el VIH/SIDA fue 19.6 (puntuación máxima, 26). El conocimientos sobre el VIH/SIDA entre las encuestadas fue clasificado de pobre por el 8.2 por ciento, aceptable por el 42.5%, y bueno por el 49.3%. La puntuación promedio de las actitudes relacionadas con el SIDA entre las encuestadas fue 7.2 (puntuación máxima, 10). La mayoría de las encuestadas (88.8%) tenían actitudes relativamente positivas hacia el SIDA. El estado civil de soltero, las edades menores de 30 años, y los niveles de educación más altos, estuvieron asociados con puntuaciones más altas de conocimiento. Entre las encuestadas que tenían experiencias sexuales, el 57.7% (130/225) reportó no haber usado condones nunca, o sólo algunas veces. Las mujeres jóvenes solteras hicieron un uso del condón en proporción significativamente mayor que las mujeres mayores de 30 años, y/o las casadas. CONCLUSIONES: En general, la mitad de las encuestadas tenía sólo niveles de conciencia moderados y bajos en cuanto a conocimientos de VIH/SIDA, aunque la mayoría de ellas tenía actitudes tolerantes y positivas hacia el VIH/SIDA. Además, se reportó una tasa relativamente baja de uso del condón. Los hallazgos indican que existe un amplio espacio para mejorar tanto los conocimientos como las conductas hacia el VIH/SIDA para las mujeres emigrantes en China.