Abstract The results of finite element analysis of reinforced concrete Vierendeel sandwich plates (RCVSP) using beam-plate elements calculation model show a significant discrepancy with the actual results. Considering the structural characteristics of RCVSP and the calculation method of beam-elements, the assumption of the existence of nodal stiffness domain effects (NSDE) is proposed for its beam-plate elements calculation model. In order to verify this assumption, the existing experimental data of RCVSP is used to compare with the finite element analysis results of the beam-plate elements calculation model. The analysis results show that there is NSDE in the finite element analysis of RCVSP using beam-plate elements calculation model. The beam-elements calculation model FeaR1, which fully considers NSDE, can effectively restore the calculated stiffness lost. Compared with the solid-elements calculation model of RCVSP, the calculation model FeaR1 is more convenient for modeling, enhances computational efficiency, achieves the stiffness restoration rate of approximately 80%, and maintains the average error of no more than 16%. (RCVSP beamplate beam plate beamelements, beamelements elements, (NSDE FeaR lost solidelements solid modeling efficiency 80 80% 16 16% 8 1

ABSTRACT To explore the functions of Txnip and its mechanism in adipocyte differentiation, the preadipocytes were isolated from subcutaneous adipose tissue of three-day-old piglets and induced into adipogenic differentiation. The expression of Txnip and ChREBP was silenced, and the Txnip overexpression was achieved in the cells with transfection of the recombinant lentivirus strategies. Txnip silencing promoted the differentiation of porcine preadipocytes and PPARγ expression, and a PPARγ inhibitor reduced this facilitation. Instead, Txnip overexpression exerted a suppressive effect on the cell differentiation and PPARγ expression, and the PPARγ agonist offset this inhibition. High glucose stimulated the preadipocyte differentiation and expressions of ChREBP and Txnip. In contrast, Txnip expression was reduced by ChREBP silencing, suggesting glucose-regulated Txnip expression through the mediation of ChREBP. Moreover, the expressions of ChREBP and Glut4 induced by high glucose and glucose uptake of the cells were reduced by Txnip-overexpression, but increased by Txnip silencing, while these changes of Txnip did not alter their expressions under low glucose. Collectively, Txnip could be an inhibitor of porcine preadipocyte differentiation, which attenuated the adipogenesis through the negative feedback regulation on PPARγ. Txnip impaired the induction of glucose on the preadipocyte differentiation through decreasing Glut4 expression and glucose uptake and subsequent decrease of the expression and transcriptional activity of ChREBP. threedayold three day old silenced strategies facilitation Instead inhibition contrast glucoseregulated regulated Moreover Glut Txnipoverexpression, Txnipoverexpression overexpression, Txnip-overexpression Collectively

Abstract Three typical contaminant bacteria, namely, Gluconobacter, Acetobacter, and Lactobacillus, were selected from fermented milk. The strong specific genes were screened as target sequences, and the droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) amplification system and reaction conditions were optimized. We established a ddPCR detection method for the three kinds of bacteria in fermented milk and then verified the specificity and sensitivity of the method. Absolute quantitative results were also analyzed. Results showed that ddPCR detection method for the three contaminants was specific and sensitive, and that the lowest detectable concentrations of Gluconobacter, Bacteroides, and Lactobacillus plantarum were 8.8 × 100 CFU/mL, 8.9 × 101 CFU/mL, and 9.6 × 101 CFU/mL, respectively. The relationship between the quantitative analysis results and ddPCR test results was good, proving the feasibility of ddPCR for absolute quantitative detection. This manuscript reports on establishment of a ddPCR detection system for three bacterial contaminants in fermented milk. The ddPCR detection system has efficient detection of targeted bacterial contaminants in fermented milks that can be valuable to the dairy industry in terms of preventing economic loss due to microbial spoilage and associated quality defects.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of artesunate on Th1 differentiation and its anti-tumor effect on ovarian cancer. A Murine ovarian cancer model was established by ID8 cells transplantation. The expression of miR-142 and Sirt1 proteins in peripheral CD4+ T cells were quantified with qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively. Peripheral CD4+ T cells were induced for Th1 differentiation. The percentages of apoptosis of Th1/CD4+ T cells and ovarian cancer cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. The IFN-γ level was examined through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Artesunate promoted miR-142 expression in peripheral CD4+ T cells and Th1 differentiation from CD4+ T cells. Artesunate promoted cell apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells by inducing Th1 differentiation. By up-regulating miR-142, artesunate suppressed Sirt1 level and promoted Th1 differentiation. Artesunate enhanced the pro-apoptotic effects of Th1 cells on ovarian cancer via the miR-142/Sirt1 pathway. Artesunate promoted Th1 differentiation from CD4+ T cells by down-regulating Sirt1 through miR-142, thereby enhancing cell apoptosis in ovarian cancer.

ABSTRACT To demonstrate the role of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in yaks (Bos grunniens), we characterized the expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR) mRNA and protein. The level of GnRHR mRNA in the hypothalamus was higher than that in the pineal gland, pituitary gland, and ovary during estrus. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that GnRHR was expressed in the pinealocyte, synaptic ribbon, and synaptic spherules of the pineal gland and that melatonin interacts with GnRHR via nerve fibers. In the hypothalamus, GnRHR was expressed in the magnocellular neurons and parvocellular neurons. In the pituitary gland, GnRHR was expressed in acidophilic cells and basophilic cells. In the ovary, GnRHR was present in the ovarian follicle and Leydig cells. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor is located in the pineal gland, hypothalamus, pituitary, and gonad during estrus of yaks and is mainly expressed in the hypothalamus and ovaries during the estrus period.

Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/organically modified montmorillonite (PET/o-Mt) nanocomposites were prepared via melt intercalation in a twin-screw extruder using a polyester ionomer (PETi) as compatibilizer. The o-Mt content used was 0, 1, 3 or 5 wt% and the compatibilizer/o-Mt mass ratio was 0/1, 1/1 or 3/1. The main objective was to study the effects of the addition of o-Mt and compatibilizer on the barrier properties of PET/o-Mt nanocomposites. The nanocomposites showed a significant reduction in CO2 permeability of up to 50% when compared to the neat PET, without significant change in the CO2 solubility revealing the importance of the diffusional path imputed by the organoclay on the overall permeation process. Water vapor permeability was reduced for all nanocomposites, achieving up to 30% reduction for the nanocomposite containing a compatibilizer/o-Mt mass ratio of 1/1. Overall, the nanocomposite containing 5 wt% of organoclay and compatibilizer/o-Mt mass ratio of 1/1 showed the best barrier properties.

ABSTRACT We compared the morphology of the erythrocytes of five anurans, two toad species - Bufo gargarizans (Cantor, 1842) and Duttaphrynus melanostictus (Schneider, 1799) and three frog species - Fejervarya limnocharis (Gravenhorst, 1829), Microhyla ornata (Duméril & Bibron, 1841), and Rana zhenhaiensis (Ye, Fei & Matsui, 1995). We then reconstructed the ancestral state of erythrocyte size (ES) and nuclear size (NS) in amphibians based on a molecular tree. Nine morphological traits of erythrocytes were all significantly different among the five species. The results of principal component analysis showed that the first component (49.1% of variance explained) had a high positive loading for erythrocyte length, nuclear length, NS and ratio of erythrocyte length/erythrocyte width; the second axis (28.5% of variance explained) mainly represented erythrocyte width and ES. Phylogenetic generalized least squares analysis showed that the relationship between NS and ES was not affected by phylogenetic relationships although there was a significant linear relationship between these two variables. These results suggested that (1) the nine morphological traits of erythrocytes in the five anuran species were species-specific; (2) in amphibians, larger erythrocytes generally had larger nuclei.

Tadpoles of two sympatric anurans, Bufo gargarizans Cantor, 1842 and Rana zhenhaiensis Ye, Fei & Matsui, 1995, were used as model organisms to examine the effects of different levels of tail loss on swimming performance and survival. On average, B. gargarizans tadpoles were shorter and had smaller tails and body mass than R. zhenhaiensis. After 75% tail loss, the survival rate of experimental and control B. gargarizans tadpoles, and of experimental tadpoles of the two species, differed significantly; the number of tadpoles surviving a complete impairment of their swimming ability did not differ between B. gargarizans and R. zhenhaiensis. After 50% tail loss, the swimming performance (swimming speed, maximum distance and number of stops) of the two species was significantly affected. However, the adverse influence of tail loss on the swimming speed of B. gargarizans tadpoles was greater compared to R. zhenhaiensis tadpoles. Our data indicates that a 50% tail loss results in swimming costs for B. gargarizans and R. zhenhaiensis tadpoles, and that 75% tail loss decreases the survival rate of B. gargarizans tadpoles. Therefore, we conclude that tadpoles of different species and with the same degree of tail loss use distinctive strategies to improve individual fitness in the face of predator pressure.

STGC3 is a potential tumor suppressor that inhibits the growth of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line CNE2; the expression of this protein is reduced in nasopharyngeal carcinoma compared with normal nasopharyngeal tissue. In this study, we investigated the tumor-suppressing activity of STGC3 in nude mice injected subcutaneously with Tet/pTRE-STGC3/CNE2 cells. STGC3 expression was induced by the intraperitoneal injection of doxycycline (Dox). The volume mean of Tet/pTRE-STGC3/CNE2+Dox xenografts was smaller than that of Tet/pTRE/CNE2+Dox xenografts. In addition, Tet/pTRE-STGC3/CNE2+Dox xenografts showed an increase in the percentage of apoptotic cells, a decrease in Bcl-2 protein expression and an increase in Bax protein expression. A proteomic approach was used to assess the protein expression profile associated with STGC3-mediated apoptosis. Western blotting confirmed the differential up-regulation of prohibitin seen in proteomic analysis. These results indicate that overexpression of STGC3 inhibits xenograft growth in nude mice by enhancing apoptotic cell death through altered expression of apoptosis-related proteins such as Bcl-2, Bax and prohibitin. These data contribute to our understanding of the function of STGC3 in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma and provide new clues for investigating other STGC3-associated tumors.

Taurine has positive effects on bone metabolism. However, the effects of taurine on osteoblast apoptosis in vitro have not been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the activity of taurine on apoptosis of mouse osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. The data showed that 1, 5, 10, or 20 mM taurine resulted in 16.7, 34.2, 66.9, or 63.75% reduction of MC3T3-E1 cell apoptosis induced by the serum deprivation (serum-free α-MEM), respectively. Taurine (1, 5, or 10 mM) also reduced cytochrome c release and inhibited activation of caspase-3 and -9, which were measured using fluorogenic substrates for caspase-3/caspase-9, in serum-deprived MC3T3-E1 cells. Furthermore, taurine (10 mM) induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation in MC3T3-E1 cells. Knockdown of the taurine transporter (TAUT) or treatment with the ERK-specific inhibitor PD98059 (10 μM) blocked the activation of ERK induced by taurine (10 mM) and abolished the anti-apoptotic effect of taurine (10 mM) in MC3T3-E1 cells. The present results demonstrate for the first time that taurine inhibits serum deprivation-induced osteoblast apoptosis via the TAUT/ERK signaling pathway.

O custo elevado das matérias-primas, o uso de recursos não renováveis de fosfatos e o aumento da poluição ambiental resultante do excesso de aplicação de dejetos no meio ambiente têm sido considerado um dos principais problemas na produção animal. A alimentação de precisão é proposta como uma abordagem essencial para melhorar a utilização do nitrogênio, fósforo e outros nutrientes oriundos da dieta e reduzir assim o custo da dieta e a excreção de nutrientes. A alimentação de precisão requer um conhecimento do valor nutricional dos ingredientes, exigência nutricional dos animais, formulação das dietas de acordo com as restrições ambientais e do adequado ajuste da oferta de nutrientes com a exigência dos animais. O conhecimento do potencial nutricional dos ingredientes de forma precisa e a melhora pela adição de enzimas (ex.: fitase) ou por tratamento (ex: térmico) associado ao uso de objetivos ambientais na formulação das dietas no método tradicional pode contribuir para o desenvolvimento de sistemas de produção de suínos sustentáveis devido reduzirem a excreção de nutrientes com pouco aumento no custo das dietas. O aumento do número de fases pode também contribuir na redução da excreção de nutrientes e custo das dietas. Entretanto, o uso de técnicas de precisão no qual os animais são alimentados de forma individualizada com dietas formuladas diariamente pode, além disso, melhorar a eficiência de utilização dos nutrientes das dietas pelos suínos. A alimentação de precisão compreende o uso de técnicas que permitem o fornecimento da quantidade e composição nutricional precisa do alimento diariamente e para cada suíno de uma população.Tem sido estimado que ao utilizar esse sistema pode resultar em uma redução de 4,6% no custo de alimentação e de aproximadamente 38% na excreção de nitrogênio e fósforo. Além disso, a integração de técnicas de alimentação precisa em sistemas de produção de grande porte permite o monitoramento em tempo real do alimento e do animal quando se trata de atingir ótimas condições de abate e estratégias de produção, melhorando assim a sustentabilidade da produção suína, bem estar animal e qualidade da carne.

The high cost of feed ingredients, the use of non-renewable sources of phosphate and the dramatic increase in the environmental load resulting from the excessive land application of manure are major challenges for the livestock industry. Precision feeding is proposed as an essential approach to improve the utilization of dietary nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients and thus reduce feeding costs and nutrient excretion. Precision feeding requires accurate knowledge of the nutritional value of feedstuffs and animal nutrient requirements, the formulation of diets in accordance with environmental constraints, and the gradual adjustment of the dietary nutrient supply to match the requirements of the animals. After the nutritional potential of feed ingredients has been precisely determined and has been improved by the addition of enzymes (e.g. phytases) or feed treatments, the addition of environmental objectives to the traditional feed formulation algorithms can promote the sustainability of the swine industry by reducing nutrient excretion in swine operations with small increases in feeding costs. Increasing the number of feeding phases can also contribute to significant reductions in nutrient excretion and feeding costs. However, the use of precision feeding techniques in which pigs are fed individually with daily tailored diets can further improve the efficiency with which pigs utilize dietary nutrients. Precision feeding involves the use of feeding techniques that allow the provision of the right amount of feed with the right composition at the right time to each pig in the herd. Using this approach, it has been estimated that feeding costs can be reduced by more than 4.6%, and nitrogen and phosphorus excretion can both be reduced by more than 38%. Moreover, the integration of precision feeding techniques into large-group production systems can provide real-time off-farm monitoring of feed and animals for optimal slaughter and production strategies, thus improving the environmental sustainability of pork production, animal well-being and meat-product quality.