Variation Characteristics of Root Traits of Different Alfalfa Cultivars under Saline-Alkaline Stress and their Relationship with Soil Environmental Factors

Soil salinization is the main factor that threatens the growth and development of plants and limits the increase of yield.It is of great significance to study the key soil environmental factors affecting plant root traits to reveal the adaptation strategies of plants to saline-alkaline-stressed soil environments.In this study,the root biomass,root morphological parameters and root mineral nutrient content of two alfalfa cultivars with different sensitivities to alkaline stress were analyzed with black soil as the control group and the mixed saline-alkaline soil with a ratio of 7:3 between black soil and saline-alkaline soil as the saline-alkaline treatment group.At the same time,the correlation analysis of soil salinity indexes,soil nutrient indexes and the activities of key enzymes involved in soil carbon,nitrogen and phosphorus cycles was carried out.The results showed that compared with the control group,the pH,EC,and urease(URE)of the soil surrounding the roots of two alfalfa cultivars were significantly increased,while soil total nitrogen(TN),total phosphorus(TP),organic carbon(SOC),andα-glucosidase activity(AGC)were significantly decreased under saline-alkaline stress.There was no significant difference in root biomass and root morphological parameters of saline-alkaline tolerant cultivar GN under saline-alkaline stress.The number of root tips(RT),root surface area(RS)and root volume(RV)of AG were reduced by 61.16%,44.54%,and 45.31%,respectively,compared with control group.The ratios of K^(+)/Na^(+),Ca^(2+)/Na^(+)and Mg^(2+)/Na^(+)of GN were significantly higher than those of AG(p<0.05).The root fresh weight(RFW)and dry weight(RDW),root length(RL),RV and RT of alfalfa were positively regulated by soil SOC and TN,but negatively regulated by soil pH,EC,and URE(p<0.01).Root Ca^(2+)/Na+ratio was significantly positively correlated with soil TN,TP and SOC(p<0.01).The absorption of Mg and Ca ions in roots is significantly negatively regulated by soilβ-glucosidase activity(BGC)and acid phosphatase activity(APC)(p<0.05).This study improved knowledge of the relationship between root traits and soil environmental factors and offered a theoretical framework for elucidating how plant roots adapt to saline-alkaline stressed soil environments.

A Nomogram Model for Prediction of Mortality Risk of Patients with Dangerous Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding:A Two-center Retrospective Study

Objective:This study aimed to establish a nomogram model to predict the mortality risk of patients with dangerous upper gastrointestinal bleeding(DUGIB),and identify high-risk patients who require emergent therapy.Methods:From January 2020 to April 2022,the clinical data of 256 DUGIB patients who received treatments in the intensive care unit(ICU)were retrospectively collected from Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University(n=179)and the Eastern Campus of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University(n=77).The 179 patients were treated as the training cohort,and 77 patients as the validation cohort.Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the independent risk factors,and R packages were used to construct the nomogram model.The prediction accuracy and identification ability were evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,C index and calibration curve.The nomogram model was also simultaneously externally validated.Decision curve analysis(DCA)was then used to demonstrate the clinical value of the model.Results:Logistic regression analysis showed that hematemesis,urea nitrogen level,emergency endoscopy,AIMS65,Glasgow Blatchford score and Rockall score were all independent risk factors for DUGIB.The ROC curve analysis indicated the area under curve(AUC)of the training cohort was 0.980(95%CI:0.962-0.997),while the AUC of the validation cohort was 0.790(95%CI:0.685-0.895).The calibration curves were tested for Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit for both training and validation cohorts(P=0.778,P=0.516).Conclusion:The developed nomogram is an effective tool for risk stratification,early identification and intervention for DUGIB patients.

Efficient and stable PtFe alloy catalyst for electrocatalytic methanol oxidation with high resistance to CO

Direct methanol fuel cells(DMFC) are widely considered to be an ideal green energy conversion device but their widespread applications are limited by the high price of the Pt-based catalysts and the instability in terms of surface CO toxicity in long-term operation.Herein,the PtFe alloy nanoparticles(NPs) with small particle size(~4.12 nm) supported on carbon black catalysts with different Pt/Fe atomic ratios(Pt_(1)Fe_(2)/C,Pt_(3)Fe_(4)/C,Pt_(1)Fe_(1)/C,and Pt_(2)Fe_(1)/C) are successfully prepared for enhanced anti-CO poisoning during methanol oxidation reaction(MOR).The optimal atomic ratio of Pt/Fe for the MOR is 1:2,and the mass activity of Pt_(1)Fe_(2)/C(5.40 A mg_(Pt)^(-1)) is 13.5 times higher than that of conventional commercial Pt/C(Pt/C-JM)(0.40 A mg_(Pt)^(-1)).The introduction of Fe into the Pt lattice forms the PtFe alloy phase,and the electron density of Pt is reduced after forming the PtFe alloy.In-situ Fourier transform infrared results indicate that the addition of oxyphilic metal Fe has reduced the adsorption of reactant molecules on Pt during the MOR.The doping of Fe atoms helps to desorb toxic intermediates and regenerate Pt active sites,promoting the cleavage of C-O bonds with good selectivity of CO_(2)(58.1%).Moreover,the Pt_(1)Fe_(2)/C catalyst exhibits higher CO tolerance,methanol electrooxidation activity,and long-term stability than other Pt_(x)Fe_(y)/C catalysts.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage misdiagnosed as acute coronary syndrome leading to catastrophic neurologic injury: A case report

BACKGROUND Elevated levels of cardiac troponin and abnormal electrocardiogram changes are the primary basis for clinical diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome(ACS).Troponin levels in ACS patients can often be more than 50 times the upper reference limit.Some patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH)also show electrocardiogram abnormalities,myocardial damage,and elevated cardiac biomarkers.Unlike ACS patients,patients with SAH only have a slight increase in troponin,and the use of anticoagulants or antiplatelet drugs is prohibited.Because of the opposite treatment modalities,it is essential for clinicians to distinguish between SAH and ACS.CASE SUMMARY A 56-year-old female patient was admitted to the emergency department at night with a sudden onset of severe back pain.The final diagnosis was intraspinal hematoma in the thoracic spine.We performed an emergency thoracic spinal canal hematoma evacuation procedure with the assistance of a microscope.Intraoperatively,diffuse hematoma formation was found in the T7-T10 spinal canal,and no obvious spinal vascular malformation changes were observed.Postoperative head and spinal magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)showed a small amount of SAH in the skull,no obvious abnormalities in the cervical and thoracic spinal canals,and no abnormal signals in the lumbar spinal canal.Thoracoab-dominal aorta computed tomography angiography showed no vascular malfor-mation.Postoperative motor system examination showed Medical Research Council Scale grade 1/5 strength in both lower extremities,and the patient experienced decreased sensation below the T12 rib margin and reported a Visual Analog Scale score of 3.CONCLUSION Extremely elevated troponin levels(more than 50 times the normal range)are not unique to coronary artery disease.SAH can also result in extremely high troponin levels,and antiplatelet drugs are contraindicated in such cases.Emergency MRI can help in the early differential diagnosis,as a misdiagnosis of ACS can lead to catastrophic neurological damage in patients with spontaneous spinal SAH.

Construction of a chloroplast protein interaction network and functional mining of photosynthetic proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana

Chloroplast is a typical plant cell organelle where photosynthesis takes place. In this study, a total of 1 808 chloroplast core proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana were reliably identified by combining the results of previously published studies and our own predictions. We then constructed a chloroplast protein interaction network primarily based on these core protein interactions. The network had 22 925 protein interaction pairs which involved 2 214 proteins. A total of 160 previously uncharacterized proteins were annotated in this network. The subunits of the photosynthetic complexes were modularized, and the functional relationships among photosystem Ⅰ （PSI）, photosystem Ⅱ （PSII）, light harvesting complex of photosystem Ⅰ （LHC Ⅰ） and light harvesting complex of photosystem Ⅰ （LHC Ⅱ） could be deduced from the predicted protein interactions in this network. We further confirmed an interaction between an unknown protein AT1G52220 and a photosynthetic subunit PSI-D2 by yeast two-hybrid analysis. Our chloroplast protein interaction network should be useful for functional mining of photosynthetic proteins and investigation of chloroplast-related functions at the systems biology level in Arabidopsis.

Efficiency enhancement of ultraviolet light-emitting diodes with segmentally graded p-type AlGaN layer

AlGaN-based ultraviolet light-emitting diodes(UV-LEDs) have attracted considerable interest due to their wide range of application fields. However, they are still suffering from low light out power and unsatisfactory quantum efficiency.The utilization of polarization-doped technique by grading the Al content in p-type layer has demonstrated its effectiveness in improving LED performances by providing sufficiently high hole concentration. However, too large degree of grading through monotonously increasing the Al content causes strains in active regions, which constrains application of this technique, especially for short wavelength UV-LEDs. To further improve 340-nm UV-LED performances, segmentally graded Al content p-Al_xGa_(1-x)N has been proposed and investigated in this work. Numerical results show that the internal quantum efficiency and output power of proposed structures are improved due to the enhanced carrier concentrations and radiative recombination rate in multiple quantum wells, compared to those of the conventional UV-LED with a stationary Al content AlGaN electron blocking layer. Moreover, by adopting the segmentally graded p-Al_xGa_(1-x)N, band bending within the last quantum barrier/p-type layer interface is effectively eliminated.

Expression analysis of eight amphioxus genes involved in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays a crucial role in the embryonic development of metazoans. Although the pathway has been studied extensively in many model animals, its function in amphioxus, the most primitive chordate, remains largely uncharacterized. To obtain basic data for functional analysis, we identified and isolated seven genes （Lrp5/6, Dvl, APC, Ckla, CklS, Gsk3β, and Gro） of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway from the amphioxus （Branchiostoma floridae） genome. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that amphioxus had fewer members of each gene family than that found in vertebrates. Whole-mount in situ hybridization showed that the genes were maternally expressed and broadly distributed throughout the whole embryo at the cleavage and blastula stages. Among them, Dvl was expressed asymmetrically towards the animal pole, while the others were evenly distributed in all blastomeres. At the mid-gastrula stage, the genes were specifically expressed in the primitive endomesoderm, but displayed different patterns. When the embryo developed into the neurula stage, the gene expressions were mainly detected in either paraxial somites or the tail bud. With the development of the embryo, the expression levels further decreased gradually and remained only in some pharyngeal regions or the tail bud at the larva stage. Our results suggest that the Wnt/β-catenin pathway might be involved in amphioxus somite formation and posterior growth, but not in endomesoderm specification.

Effect of Ilizarov external fixation combined with negative pressure sealing drainage and antibiotics in the treatment of infective tibial nonunion

Objective:Observation on the effect of Ilizarov external fixation combined with vacuum pressure sealing drainage and antibiotics in the treatment of infective tibial nonunion.Methods:79 patients with tibial infective nonunion who were treated in our hospital from August 2016 to August 2018 were divided into two groups according to random number table,with 39 patients in the control group treated with Ilizarov external fixation technology and 40 patients in the study group treated with vacuum pressure sealing drainage and antibiotics on the basis of the control group.Bone healing time and daily walking were recorded.Rasmussen score,serum intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1)and IL-6 levels,lower limb Fugl-Meyer motor function score and lower limb BI index score were compared at different time.Results:The daily walking condition of the study group was significantly better than that of the control group(P<0.05),and the healing time of bone was significantly shorter than that of the control group(P<0.05);the Rasmussen score of the study group was higher than that of the control group at 1 month,6 months and 12 months after treatment(P<0.05);the levels of serum ICAM-1 and IL-6 in the two groups after treatment were lower than those before treatment(P<0.05),and the levels of serum ICAM-1 and IL-6 in the study group were lower than those in the control group after treatment(P<0.05).The lower limb Fugl-Meyer motor function score and lower limb BI index score of the two groups after treatment were higher than those before treatment(P<0.05),and the lower limb Fugl-Meyer motor function score and lower limb BI index score of the study group after treatment were higher than those of the control group(P<0.05).Conclusions:Ilizarov external fixation combined with vacuum pressure sealing drainage and antibiotics can promote the bone healing of patients with infective tibial nonunion,significantly improving their daily walking condition,alleviating inflammation,and recovering the knee joint function and lower limb function well.

Enhanced performance of AlGaN-based ultraviolet light-emitting diodes with linearly graded AlGaN inserting layer in electron blocking layer

The conventional stationary Al content Al GaN electron blocking layer(EBL) in ultraviolet light-emitting diode(UV LED) is optimized by employing a linearly graded Al Ga N inserting layer which is 2.0 nm Al_(0.3) Ga_(0.7) N/5.0 nm Alx Ga_(1-x) N/8.0 nm Al_(0.3) Ga_(0.7) N with decreasing value of x. The results indicate that the internal quantum efficiency is significantly improved and the efficiency droop is mitigated by using the proposed structure. These improvements are attributed to the increase of the effective barrier height for electrons and the reduction of the effective barrier height for holes,which result in an increased hole injection efficiency and a decreased electron leakage into the p-type region. In addition,the linearly graded AlGaN inserting layer can generate more holes in EBL due to the polarization-induced hole doping and a tunneling effect probably occurs to enhance the hole transportation to the active regions, which will be beneficial to the radiative recombination.

Sunflower-Like SrCo_(2)S_(4)@f-MWCNTs Hybrid Wrapped by Engineering N-Reduced Graphene Oxide for High Performance Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

A novel sunflower-like nanocomposite of SrCo_(2)S_(4)nanoflakes and functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes(f-MWCNTs)entanglement enveloped in nitrogen-reduced graphene oxide(N-RGO)is prepared by a cheap process.The unique entanglement structure of the material exhibits higher specific surface area,better electrical conductivity and other properties.This helps to reduce the transfer resistance in the photoelectric process of the battery and improve the electrochemical activity,thus increasing the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the battery.The new ternary cobalt-based sulfide material can replace platinum as the counter electrode(CE)material loaded on dye-sensitized solar cells(DSSCs).DSSCs with SrCo_(2)S_(4)@f-MWCNTs@N-RGO(SCS@f-M@N-R)as CE material show excellent photoelectric conversion efficiency(PCE,8.06%),even surpassing than that of Pt CE material(7.51%).The low cost,excellent electrocatalytic performance and simple preparation method of SCS@f-M@N-R nanomaterial provide feasibility for replacing platinum material as the CE material of DSSCs,which is of great significance and persuasion.

The inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy of edge-modified graphene nanoribbon-based molecular devices

The inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy（IETS） of four edge-modified finite-size grapheme nanoribbon（GNR）-based molecular devices has been studied by using the density functional theory and Green＇s function method. The effects of atomic structures and connection types on inelastic transport properties of the junctions have been studied. The IETS is sensitive to the electrode connection types and modification types. Comparing with the pure hydrogen edge passivation systems, we conclude that the IETS for the lower energy region increases obviously when using donor–acceptor functional groups as the edge modification types of the central scattering area. When using donor–acceptor as the electrode connection groups, the intensity of IETS increases several orders of magnitude than that of the pure ones. The effects of temperature on the inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy also have been discussed. The IETS curves show significant fine structures at lower temperatures. With the increasing of temperature, peak broadening covers many fine structures of the IETS curves.The changes of IETS in the low-frequency region are caused by the introduction of the donor–acceptor groups and the population distribution of thermal particles. The effect of Fermi distribution on the tunneling current is persistent.

A nanocomposite competent to overcome cascade drug resistance in ovarian cancer via mitochondria dysfunction and NO gas synergistic therapy

Ovarian cancer(OC)is one of the most common and recurring malignancies in gynecology.Patients with relapsed OC always develop"cascade drug resistance"(CDR)under repeated chemotherapy,leading to subsequent failure of chemotherapy.To overcome this challenge,amphiphiles(P1)carrying a nitric oxide(NO)donor(Isosorbide 5-mononitrate,ISMN)and high-density disulfide are synthesized for encapsulatingmitochondria-targeted tetravalent platinum prodrug(TPt)to construct a nanocomposite(INP@TPt).Mechanism studies indicated that INP@TPt significantly inhibited drug-resistant cells by increasing cellular uptake and mitochondrial accumulation of platinum,depleting glutathione,and preventing apoptosis escape through generating highly toxic peroxynitrite anion(ONOO−).To better replicate the microenvironmental and histological characteristics of the drug resistant primary tumor,an OC patient-derived tumor xenograft(PDXOC)model in BALB/c nude mice was established.INP@TPt showed the best therapeutic effects in the PDXOC model.The corresponding tumor tissues contained high ONOO−levels,which were attributed to the simultaneous release of O_(2)^(·−)and NO in tumor tissues.Taken together,INP@TPtbased systematic strategy showed considerable potential and satisfactory biocompatibility in overcoming platinum CDR,providing practical applications for ovarian therapy.

COX-2 blocking therapy in cisplatin chemosensitization of ovarian cancer:An allicin-based nanomedicine approach

Recently,the utilization of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs)to sensitize cisplatin(CDDP)has gained substantial traction in the treatment of ovarian cancer(OC).However,even widely employed NSAIDs such as celecoxib and naproxen carry an elevated risk of cardiovascular events,notably throm-bosis.Furthermore,the diminished sensitivity to CDDP therapy in OC is multifactorial,rendering the ap-plication of NSAIDs only partially effective due to their cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2)inhibiting mechanism.Hence,in this study,reactive oxygen species(ROS)-responsive composite nano-hydrangeas loaded with the Chinese medicine small molecule allicin and platinum(IV)prodrug(DTP@AP NPs)were prepared to achieve comprehensive chemosensitization.On one front,allicin achieved COX-2 blocking therapy,en-compassing the inhibition of proliferation,angiogenesis and endothelial mesenchymal transition(EMT),thereby mitigating the adverse impacts of CDDP chemotherapy.Simultaneously,synergistic chemosensi-tization was achieved from multifaceted mechanisms by decreasing CDDP inactivation,damaging mito-chondria and inhibiting DNA repair.In essence,these findings provided an optimized approach for syner-gizing CDDP with COX-2 inhibitors,offering a promising avenue for enhancing OC treatment outcomes.

一期三镜疗法对胆囊并胆总管结石的疗效研究

目的研究一期三镜疗法对胆囊合并胆总管结石患者的结石清除率及安全性的影响。方法选取2015年1月-2016年6月于衡水市哈励逊国际和平医院接受治疗的胆囊并发胆总管结石患者136例进行研究。依据随机数字表法将患者分为观察组和对照组,观察组进行一期三镜疗法,对照组常规给予开腹术,对比两组的手术指标、手术成功率、结石清除率、手术并发症及手术前后5 d的白介素-6(IL-6)、白介素-10(IL-10)和C反应蛋白(CRP)等炎症因子水平。结果观察组的手术时间、术中出血量、切口长度、胃肠恢复时间及住院时间较对照组少(P<0.05)。观察组的手术成功率及结石清除率与对照组比较无差异(P>0.05)。观察组手术并发症的总发生率是2.94%,低于对照组的11.76%(P<0.05)。观察组手术前后的IL-6、IL-10及CRP水平差值低于对照组(P<0.05)。结论应用一期三镜疗法对胆囊并发胆总管结石患者实施治疗的疗效较好,结石清除率较高,具有较好的安全性,值得推广。

温度对乙醇电催化氧化的影响

升高温度可以提高反应速率和增加物质的输运,因此通过不同温度下反应机理的研究可以深入理解电催化过程,对催化剂的设计具有指导意义。本工作初步建立了变温原位红外测定方法。采用温控电极,用电势测温法进行温度的校准,实验得出控温仪器加热温度Th与电极表面温度TS的关系为TS=0.57Th+7.71(30℃<Th≤50℃);TS=0.62Th+5.12(50℃<Th≤80℃),误差分析最大温差为1℃。利用该方法我们研究了商业Pt/C催化剂在不同温度下乙醇的电氧化过程。从循环伏安图可以明显看到随着温度的升高整体氧化电流增大,起始电位、峰电位均负移,说明热活化使得氧化反应更容易进行;第一个峰电流与第二个峰电流的比值用于定性评估CO2的选择性,对比25℃,商业Pt/C催化剂在65℃下第一峰提高30%,说明高温有利于C―C键的断裂。对比25℃的原位红外谱图,我们发现35℃及50℃下商业Pt/C催化剂上CO2产物的起始电位负移200 mV,说明高温下,Pt/C催化剂能在更低的电位提供含氧物种;而CH3CHO、CH3COOH起始电位不随温度变化。用CO2与CH3COOH的积分面积比来评估CO2选择性,发现高温低电位其选择性最高,说明高温低电位有利于乙醇完全氧化生成CO2,而高温高电位下表面吸附含氧物种占据了活性位,阻碍C―C键断裂。

PdCoIr四面体合金纳米催化剂的制备及其对乙醇氧化的电催化性能

钯(Pd)基催化剂是直接乙醇燃料电池研究中广泛使用的催化剂,进一步提升其性能是推动燃料电池发展的重要方向。本文用一步水热法制备出四面体结构PdCo(PdCo tetrahedron,记为PdCo-TH)和少量铱(Ir)掺杂的PdCo四面体合金纳米粒子(记为PdCoIr-TH)。经TEM、ICP、XPS及CV等表征证实,PdCoIr-TH为三元合金纳米粒子,且掺杂的Ir元素倾向分布在催化剂表层。相比于商业Pd/C催化剂,PdCo-TH/C和PdCoIr-TH/C对乙醇电氧化的催化性能显著增强。研究结果表明,Pd9Co1Ir0.1-TH/C在低电位(<-0.25 V)下具有最高的乙醇电氧化活性和稳定性。Ir掺杂不仅提高了催化剂抗CO毒化的能力还有利于乙醇起始氧化电位负移。同时,随着Ir含量的增加,所制备的纳米催化剂的乙醇电氧化C1产物选择性也随之升高。针对不同组成催化剂反应性的差异,本文认为Co与Ir位点上容易产生OHad物种,这将有利于活性Pd位点上乙醇电氧化中间反应物种的有效转化。除了以上的各位点间的协同效应,三元合金的形成,进一步调控了Pd的d带电子结构,从而促进了催化剂反应性的改变。

Effects of Guideline-based Hypertension Management in Rural Areas of Guangdong Province

Background:Despite the improvement in the health care industry,the rates of undetected,untreated,and uncontrolled hypertension (HTN)are still very high,especially in rural areas of China.The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and efficiency of a guideline-based HTN management (novel therapy) in population of rural areas of Guangdong Province.Methods:Totally,3113 patients with essential HTN in a rural area of Guangdong Province were enrolled and assigned to two groups,named traditional (n =372) and novel therapeutic (n =2741) groups,respectively.Patients in the traditional group were treated routinely,and patients in the novel group were treated in a novel model characterized by regular educational programs for hypertensive populations,close monitoring of blood pressure in combination with finely tuned antihypertensive medications,strict implementation of lifestyle modification and improving medical knowledge and skill of local medical staff efficiently.After 2 years of follow-up,primary endpoints including magnitude of systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP and DBP) decrease,treated and controlled rates,as well as secondary endpoints,were evaluated in both groups.Results:Initially,the treated rate was significantly higher in traditional group than that of novel group (71.15％ vs.64.99％,P ＜ 0.05),while the controlled rates were comparable and insignificant difference between baseline BP in both groups (31.07％ vs.26.88％,P ＞ 0.05).Four variables were significantly different,namely smoking rate,daily vegetable consumption (VC),and serum levels of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and fasting blood glucose between these two groups.After 2 years of follow-up,decreases in SBP and DBP were more prominent in the novel group (P ＜ 0.001).Treated and controlled rates in both groups were both increased.Nevertheless,in comparison to the traditional group,controlled rate increased more significantly in the novel group (64.31％ vs.37.85％,P ＜ 0.001).Variables indicating lifestyle modification such as high sodium consumption,percentages of alcohol abuse,daily VC were profoundly improved in the novel group.Conclusions:The guideline-based HTN management implemented in the current study was beneficial for HTN control in rural areas of Guangdong Province.

Effects of age on immune function in broiler chickens

Background:There are many diseases in poultry,many of which are caused by poor immune function.It is not clear how cytokines and various immune cell functions change with age in modern broilers.The purpose of this study was to explore the patterns of development of the immunity of the broiler chickens in cage.Results:The results showed that there were 3 development patterns of immunity in the broiler chickens.The first pattern was Down-Up.Cytokines and some immune indicators first decreased and then increased,and the lowest levels of immunity basically occurred from d 6 to 13.The second pattern was Up-Down,and from d 30 to 34,the highest levels of non-specific cellular immunity components,such as the peripheral blood mononuclear macrophage ratio,specific cellular immunity components,such as the peripheral blood helper T(Th)cell ratio and T cell and B cell proliferation activity,and mucosal immunity components,such as the ileal CD4,TGF-β1 and IgA mRNA levels,were observed.The third pattern was Up-Up,and the levels of the non-specific cellular immunity components,such as the serum nitric oxide(NO),C3 and C4 levels,the specific cellular immunity components,such as the spleen index,peripheral blood IL-2,IFN-γ/IL-4,cytotoxic T(Tc)cell ratio,and splenic NF-κB mRNA levels,the humoral immunity components,such as the serum IgG level,the mucosal immunity components,such as the ileal MHC-II,CD3d,TCRβsubunit,TCRζsubunit,IFN-γ,pIgR mRNA and ileal mucosa sIgA levels,were continuing to increase from d 1 to 34.Conclusions:It could be concluded that the immune system and its function have not developed well in the broiler chickens d 6 to 13 and that the immune system does not mature until d 30 to 34 in the broiler chickens in cages.It is necessary to enhance the immune function of the broiler chickens through nutritional measures from d 1 to 30.

Effects of miR-101-3p on goat granulosa cells in vitro and ovarian development in vivo via STC1

Background:MiRNAs act as pivotal post-transcriptional gene mediators in the regulation of diverse biological processes,including proliferation,development and apoptosis.Our previous study has showed that miR-101-3p is differentially expressed in dairy goat ovaries compared single with multiple litters.The objective of this research was to explore the potential function and molecular mechanism of miR-101-3p via its target STC1 in goat ovarian growth and development.Results:cDNA libraries were constructed using goat granulosa cells transfected with miR-101-3p mimics and negative control by RNA-sequencing.In total,142 differentially expressed unigenes(DEGs)were detected between two libraries,including 78 down-regulated and 64 up-regulated genes.GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed the potential impacts of DEGs on ovarian development.STC1 was singled out from DEGs for further research owing to it regulates reproductive-related processes.In vitro,bioinformatics analysis and 3′-UTR assays confirmed that STC1 was a target of miR-101-3p.ELISA was performed to detect the estrogen(E2)and progesterone(P4)levels.CCK8,EdU and flow cytometry assays were performed to detect the proliferation and apoptosis of granulosa cells.Results showed that miR-101-3p regulated STAR,CYP19A1,CYP11A1 and 3β-HSD steroid hormone synthesis-associated genes by STC1 depletion,thus promoted E2 and P4 secretions.MiR-101-3p also affected the key protein PI3K,PTEN,AKT and mTOR in PI3K-AKT pathway by STC1,thereby suppressing proliferation and promoting apoptosis of granulosa cells.In vivo,the distribution and expression levels of miR-101-3p in mouse ovaries were determined through fluorescence in situ hybridisation(FISH).Immunohistochemistry results showed that STC1 expression was suppressed in mouse ovaries in miR-101-3p-agonist and siRNA-STC1 groups.Small and stunted ovarian fragments,decreased numbers of follicles at diverse stages were observed using Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining,thereby showing unusual ovarian development after miR-101-3p overexpression or STC1 depletion.Inhibition of miR-101-3p manifested opposite results.Conclusions:Taken together,our results demonstrated a regulatory mechanism of miR-101-3p via STC1 in goat granulosa cells,and offered the first in vivo example of miR-101-3p and STC1 functions required for ovarian development.