SUMMARY: The hypothalamic peptide orexin has a prominent role in arousal-related processes. Parvalbumin (PV) positive neurons, as one of the most important subtypes of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) interneurons, which also participate in sleep-wake regulation. To broaden the understanding of the neural control and connection between these two types of neurons in the sleep associated nuclei, a double-label immunohistochemical method was used to investigate the overlap between PV immunopositive distributions and projections of orexin neurons in mouse brain. In the basal forebrain, overlap was observed in the nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh), the nucleus of the horizontal limb of the diagonal band (HDB), magnocellular preoptic nucleus (MCPO), substantia innominata (SI), but avoided the nucleus accumbens core (AcbC). In the diencephalon, this dual innervation extended in the direction near the edge of the 3rd ventricle (3V) to the ventrolateral preoptic nucleus (VLPO), although the density of PV neurons there was somewhat lighter. Orexin immunoreactive neurons in several lateral hypothalamic areas (LH) were embedded within dense clusters of PV processes when the buttons of orexin were in obvious contact with PV immunoreactivity. In the remainder of hypothalamus, mainly including the ventral tuberomammillary nucleus (VTM), there were few fine orexin fibers and buttons contact with PV soma. Intermingled orexin and PV immunoreactivity were observed in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), and sparse overlap was observed in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (VLPAG) and laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDT) in the brainstem. Thus, these two different types of neurons, originating in different parts of the brain, together target several brain regions and brainstem monoaminergic nuclei involved in the roles of motivation, stress, locomotion, especially in the regulation of sleep.

RESUMEN: El péptido hipotalámico orexina tiene un papel destacado en los procesos relacionados con la excitación. Neuronas positivas para parvalbúmina (PV), como uno de los subtipos más importantes de interneuronas de ácido g-aminobutírico (GABA), que también participan en la regulación del sueño-vigilia. Para ampliar la comprensión del control neuronal y la conexión entre estos dos tipos de neuronas en los núcleos asociados al sueño, se utilizó un método inmunohistoquímico de doble marcado para investigar la superposición entre las distribuciones inmunopositivas de PV y las proyecciones de las neuronas de orexina en el cerebro de un ratón. En el prosencéfalo basal, se observó superposición en la capa del núcleo accumbens (AcbSh), el núcleo de la rama horizontal de la banda diagonal (HDB), el núcleo preóptico magnocelular (MCPO), la sustancia innominada (SI), pero se evitó el núcleo del núcleo accumbens. (AcbC). En el diencéfalo, esta inervación dual se extendía en dirección cercana al margen del tercer ventrículo (3V) hasta el núcleo preóptico ventrolateral (VLPO), aunque la densidad de neuronas PV allí era algo más ligera. Las neuronas inmunorreactivas de orexina en varias áreas hipotalámicas laterales (LH) estaban incrustadas dentro de densos grupos de procesos PV cuando los botones de orexina estaban en contacto obvio con la inmunorreactividad de PV. En el resto del hipotálamo, incluido principalmente el núcleo tuberomamilar ventral (VTM), había pocas fibras finas de orexina y botones en contacto con el soma PV. Se observó inmunorreactividad de orexina y PV entremezcladas en el área tegmental ventral (VTA), y se observó una escasa superposición en el núcleo gris periacueductal ventrolateral (VLPAG) y el núcleo tegmental laterodorsal (LDT) en el tronco encefálico. Así, estos dos tipos diferentes de neuronas, que se originan en diferentes partes del cerebro, se dirigen juntas a varias regiones del cerebro y a núcleos monoaminérgicos del tronco encefálico implicados en las funciones de motivación, estrés, locomoción y especialmente en la regulación del sueño.

ABSTRACT The mechanical properties of magnesium alloy in different molding stages are very important factors to determine its application approaches in engineering. In order to ensure the prediction accuracy of mechanical properties, a TCMSSA-ELM model, which is a hybrid of the sparrow search algorithm (SSA) optimized by the tent chaotic mapping (TCM) algorithm and the extreme learning machine (ELM), is proposed in this study, and the stresses of AZ80 magnesium alloy are predicted by the model through a 812-record dataset. The predicting results indicate that TCMSSA improves the accuracy of ELM model. Compared with ELM model, the data points formed by experimental values of stress and the predicted ones by TCMSSA-ELM model are closer to the ideal 45° line, the average determination coefficient rises by 1.43%, and the average root mean squared error (RMSE) decreases by nearly 61.96%, implying that TCMSSA-ELM model accurately reflects the influence rule of thermodynamic parameters on stress. The novelty of this study is that TCM is used to optimize the population initialization of SSA, which enables SSA to have a higher global search ability, and thus optimizes the weight and threshold selection of ELM, then making TCMSSA-ELM have higher prediction accuracy than other improved ELM models. engineering TCMSSAELM (SSA (TCM , (ELM) AZ AZ8 812record record 812 dataset 45 line 143 1 43 1.43% RMSE (RMSE 6196 61 96 61.96% ability models (ELM 81 4 14 1.43 619 6 9 61.96 8 1.4 61.9 1. 61.

Abstract The correlation between the grain thickness and the yield and quality of brown rice was studied using 9 japonica rice varieties harvested in Jilin Province in 2019. The results showed that there were significant differences between the grain thickness of different varieties. The grading of different grain thickness had a great influence on the grains per panicle and the seed setting rate in the yield components. Further, there was no significant correlation between grain thickness and grain type (aspect ratio), while a strong and significant negative correlation was identified between grain-thickness grading (< 2.0 mm) and processing quality. In addition, grain thickness was found to have a positive effect on the quality of taste. In conclusion, grain length, width, and thickness are independent genetic traits. The ratio of thicker grain-thickness-grading would increase with an improvement in the yield and processing quality, and an increase in the thinner grain-thickness-grading ratio would lead to degradation with regard to appearance and taste. The grain thickness of brown rice has an important impact on the quality of the rice.

ABSTRACT We aimed to investigate the effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus ACCC11073 on the growth performance, oxidation, inflammation, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family genes of rabbits infected with Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) using antibiotic enrofloxacin hydrochloride (EH) as a reference. There were four treatments including negative control, positive control with L. monocytogenes infection on the first day of feeding trial (PC), PC + EH at 40 mg kg−1, and PC + L. acidophilus at 108 CFU kg−1 of diet using 240 weaned growing rabbits. The results showed that L. monocytogenes infection worsened growth performance of rabbits, whereas EH or L. acidophilus supplementation partially recovered body weight gain, but did not reach the levels of the negative control. Listeria acidophilus and EH decreased L. monocytogenes loads in caecum, liver, spleen, and lymph node, serum oxidative markers including diamine oxidase, malondialdehyde, and protein carbonyl, serum IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. The decreased effects of EH on IL-1β and TNF-α were more pronounced than that of the probiotic. Treatments EH and probiotic also de-regulated the mRNA levels of MAPK1, 3, 6, and 14. Listeria acidophilus exhibits a similar effect to EH against L. monocytogenes in rabbits, and the regulation on inflammatory process is via MAPK family genes. The results suggest that L. acidophilus can be used as a feed additive against L. monocytogenes infection.

ABSTRACT Fadogia agrestis Schweinf. ex Hiern (Vangueria agrestis (Schweinf. ex Hiern) Lantz), Rubiaceae, is an African traditional medicinal plant also used as a dietary supplement in the US. The present paper is the first report of the pharmacognostic study of the leaf, stem and root of F. agrestis by microscopy, HPTLC and total phenolic/flavonoid content analyses. Noteworthy microscopic features that can help in identification and quality control are septate and lignified non-glandular trichomes on leaf and stem epidermises, paracytic stomata on leaf abaxial epidermis, numerous cells containing yellow substances of presumably phenolic compounds in leaf and stem, calcium oxalate druses and prismatic crystals in leaf and styloids in stem, primary phloem fibers in stem, brachysclereids in stem and root, spherical starch grains in root, and vessels with vestured pits and simple perforated end walls. In addition to microscopy, a total phenolic/flavonoid content determination and an HPTLC method were also developed for rapid chemical fingerprint analyses of Fadogia samples and dietary supplements.