The biological functions and metabolic pathways of valine in swine

Valine is an essential amino acid and a type of branched-chain amino acid. Due to the involvement of branchedchain amino acids in various metabolic pathways, there has been a surge of interests in valine nutrition and its role in animal physiology. In pigs, the interactions between valine and other branched-chain amino acids or aromatic amino acids are complex. In this review, we delve into the interaction mechanism, metabolic pathways, and biological functions of valine. Appropriate valine supplementation not only enhances growth and reproductive performances, but also modulates gut microbiota and immune functions. Based on past observations and interpretations, we provide recommended feed levels of valine for weaned piglets, growing pigs, gilts, lactating sows, barrows and entire males. The summarized valine nutrient requirements for pigs at different stages offer valuable insights for future research and practical applications in animal husbandry.

生物热化学和热动力学研究进展

生命相关过程伴随着极其复杂的化学和物理过程,包含着物质变化和能量转换,其中部分能量不可避免地会以热的形式表现出来。用微量热技术和热动力学方法,研究复杂生命体系和相关反应的热动力学过程,可宏观地、本质地反映生命相关过程的内在规律。本文综述了生物量热学方法和技术在生命科学中的应用,介绍了生物量热技术在生态系统、生物组织和器官、细胞水平、亚细胞水平和分子层面等不同生物层次和结构水平上的研究现状和进展。

Analysis of the Correlation Between Visceral Fat Area and Insulin Resistance in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Abdominal Obesity

Objective: To analyze the correlation between visceral fat area and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and abdominal obesity and to provide a reference for screening and related research of such patients. Methods: Two hundred patients with T2DM admitted to Guandu People’s Hospital of Kunming were included. The study was carried out from October 2022 to December 2023. The patients were divided into three groups according to different abdominal visceral fat areas (VFA): Group A (n = 65) was less than 75cm2, Group B (n = 75) was 75-100 cm2, and Group C (n = 60) was greater than 100 cm2. The subjects in the three groups were all tested for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting insulin (FINS), and fasting blood glucose (FPG). Height and weight were measured to calculate body mass index (BMI). The HOMA-IR and TYG (fasting triglyceride and glycemic index) were also calculated. Changes in the BMI, VFA, HOMA-IR, and TYG levels were observed in the three groups. Results: The VFA, BMI, HbA1c, FPG, FINS, HOMA-IR, and TYG of the patients all increased, with a more significant increase in the BMI, FINS, HOMA-IR, and TYG levels (P < 0.01). Multiple linear stepwise regression analyses used visceral fat area (VFA) as the dependent variable. The results showed that VFA was closely related to BMI, FINS, HOMA-IR, and TYG. Conclusion: Early reduction of VFA to reduce insulin resistance may be a better treatment and effective method for T2DM, providing powerful measures and new strategies for effective blood sugar control and early prevention in the treatment of metabolic diseases.

Research Progress on the Efficacy and Safety of Different Basal Insulins in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of different basal insulins in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Methods:The current research progress on different basal insulins was evaluated,with efficacy indicators including fasting plasma glucose(FPG)and glycated hemoglobin(HbAic),and safety indicators focusing mainly on weight change and the incidence of hypoglycemia.Results:Several different basal insulins showed similar metabolic control effects in terms of fasting plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobin.However,the risk of hypoglycemia was lower with insulin glargine 300(Glar-300),insulin degludec 100(Deg-100),and insulin degludec 200(Deg-200)compared to insulin glargine 100(Glar-100).Additionally,Glar-300 had the least impact on weight.Conclusion:For the treatment of T2DM,different basal insulins have similar therapeutic effects,but there are differences in the incidence of hypoglycemic events and their impact on weight.Rational insulin selection and dosage adjustments should be made based on the different patient groups.

基质抗原2在肿瘤中的研究进展

黏连蛋白(cohesin)在DNA修复、细胞周期和基因表达调控等生理过程中发挥重要作用。研究表明,cohesin功能缺陷与肿瘤的发生密切相关。Cohesin的核心蛋白-基质抗原2(STAG2)广泛存在于正常细胞中。近年来,因STAG2在多种肿瘤中的基因突变或蛋白缺失引起研究者的广泛关注。深入研究STAG2基因突变或蛋白缺失对肿瘤发生发展的影响及其相关分子机制,可为肿瘤的诊疗提供新思路,新靶点。该文就STAG2基因在人类恶性肿瘤中的研究现状进行以下综述。

Prediction of Meteorological Drought in the Lower Nu River by Statistical Model

Global climate change, temperature rise and some kinds of extreme meteorological disaster, such as the drought, threaten the development of the natural ecosystem and human society. Forecasting in drought is an important step toward developing a disaster mitigation system. In this study, we utilized the statistical, autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model to predict drought conditions based on the standardized precipitation index (SPI) and standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) in a major tributary in the lower reaches of Nu River. We employed data from 2001 to 2010 to fit the model and data from 2011 to 2013 for model validation. The results showed that the coefficients of determination (R2) was over 0.85 in each index series, and the root-mean-square error and mean absolute error were low, implying that the ARIMA model is effective and adequate for this region.

KDM6B epigenetically regulates odontogenic differentiation of dental mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells （MSCs） have been identified and isolated from dental tissues, including stem cells from apical papilla, which demonstrated the ability to differentiate into dentin-forming odontoblasts. The histone demethylase KDM6B （also known as JMJD3） was shown to play a key role in promoting osteogenic commitment by removing epigenetic marks H3K27me3 from the promoters of osteogenic genes. Whether KDM6B is involved in odontogenic differentiation of dental MSCs, however, is not known. Here, we explored the role of KDM6B in dental MSC fate determination into the odontogenic lineage. Using shRNA-expressing lentivirus, we performed KDM6B knockdown in dental MSCs and observed that KDM6B depletion leads to a significant reduction in alkaline phosphate （ALP） activity and in formation of mineralized nodules assessed by Alizarin Red staining. Additionally, mRNA expression of odontogenic marker gene SP7 （osterix, OSX）, as well as extracellular matrix genes BGLAP （osteoclacin, OCN） and SPP1 （osteopontin, OPN）, was suppressed by KDM6B depletion. When KDM6B was overexpressed in KDM6B-knockdown MSCs, odontogenic differentiation was restored, further confirming the facilitating role of KDM6B in odontogenic commitment. Mechanistically, KDM6B was recruited to bone morphogenic protein 2 （BMP2） promoters and the subsequent removal of silencing H3K27me3 marks led to the activation of this odontogenic master transcription gene. Taken together, our results demonstrated the critical role of a histone demethylase in the epigenetic regulation of odontogenic differentiation of dental MSCs. KDM6B may present as a potential therapeutic target in the regeneration of tooth structures and the repair of craniofacial defects.

Outpatient Experience of Human Caring Scale （OEHC-Scale）： Improvement by Delphi Method

Based on the outpatient interview and literature review, the initial framework of the outpatient experience of human caring scale was formed with 9 dimensions of outpatient process. The research aim was to improve the scale by Delphi method. Sixteen experts in medical management, human caring or medical education were invited to evaluate the importance of the dimensions and items of the scale and provided some expertise via filling out the DeLphi consultation questionnaires twice in the consulting round. In the first round, the recovery rate showing the experts＇ positivity was 80%; the coefficient of reliability （Cr） ascertaining the authority of the evaluation was 0.92; the mean and full mark ratios responding the concentration of the evaluation were 2.88-4.94 and 6.25%-93.75% respectively; the coefficients of variation （CV） and the Kendall＇s W determining the concordance of the evaluation were 5.06%-52.15% and 0.21-0.24 respectively. In the second round, the recovery rate was 93.75%; the Cr was 0.93; the mean was 3.93-4.93; the full mark ratios were 26.67%-93.33%; the Kendall＇s W was 0.14- 0.31, the CV was 5.25%-23.61%. Via the two-round Delphi study, the scale that included 10 dimensions and 61 items has been improved. Ten dimensions are pre-hospital medical service, guidance, registration, waiting, diagnosis ＆ treatment, paying, inspection ＆ assay, medicine receiving, therapy/injection/transfusion and global evaluation. It was concluded that Chinese scholars have paid high attention to human caring and outpatient experience. The experts have given high agreements about the dimensions which were established with Chinese outpatient process. The dimensions are different from the similar researches about outpatient experience study. In the future, it is necessary to survey the outpatients to test the construct validity, internal consistency reliability and others of the scale to improve the scale.

有晶状体后房型IOL植入与飞秒激光LASIK术后早期视觉质量的比较

目的:比较有晶状体后房型人工晶状体植入术(PPCIOL)与飞秒激光LASIK术治疗高度近视对术后视觉质量的影响。方法:回顾性分析研究。随机选择我院2015-06/2017-06收治的83例166眼高度近视患者,按治疗方式不同分为两组,A组予以PPCIOL治疗,B组予以飞秒激光LASIK术治疗。比较两组患者有效性指数、安全性指数、视力和屈光度、高阶像差变化、对比敏感度值和并发症发生情况。结果:两组患者有效性指数比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),A组安全性指数高于B组(P<0.05)。术后两组患者UCVA和BCVA视力≥1.0眼数均增加,屈光度均下降(P>0.05)。与术前比较,术后A组明视、暗视无眩光和有眩光对比敏感度值差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);与A组比较,术后B组明视、暗视无眩光和有眩光对比敏感度值均下降,组间和组内比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。两组患者并发症发生情况比较无差异(P>0.05)。结论:PPCIOL和飞秒激光LASIK术均可有效矫正高度近视患者视力,但PPCIOL对高阶像差和对比敏感度的影响较小,在术后视觉质量方面更有优势。

The IAA-and ABA-responsive transcription factor CgMYB58 upregulates lignin biosynthesis and triggers juice sac granulation in pummelo

In citrus,lignin overaccumulation in the juice sac results in granulation and an unpleasant fruit texture and taste.By integrating metabolic phenotyping and transcriptomic analyses,we found 702 differentially expressed genes(DEGs),including 24 transcription factors(TFs),to be significantly correlated with lignin content.CgMYB58 was further identified as a critical R2R3 MYB TF involved in lignin overaccumulation owing to its high transcript levels in Huanong Red-fleshed pummelo(HR,Citrus grandis)fruits.Transient expression of CgMYB58 led to an increase in the lignin content in the pummelo fruit mesocarp,whereas its stable overexpression significantly promoted lignin accumulation and upregulated 19 lignin biosynthetic genes.Among these genes,CgPAL1,CgPAL2,Cg4CL1,and CgC3H were directly modulated by CgMYB58 through interaction with their promoter regions.Moreover,we showed that juice sac granulation in pummelo fruits could be affected by indole-3-acetic acid(IAA)and abscisic acid(ABA)treatments.In HR pummelo,ABA significantly accelerated this granulation,whereas IAA effectively inhibited this process.Taken together,these results provide novel insight into the lignin accumulation mechanism in citrus fruits.We also revealed the theoretical basis via exogenous IAA application,which repressed the expression of CgMYB58 and its target genes,thus alleviating juice sac granulation in orchards.

Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses of a wax deficient citrus mutant exhibiting jasmonic acid-mediated defense against fungal pathogens

Naturally,resistant crop germplasms are important resources for managing the issues of agricultural product safety and environment deterioration.We found a spontaneous mutant of‘Newhall’navel orange(Citrus sinensis Osbeck)(MT)with broad-spectrum protections against fungal pathogens in the orchard,postharvest-storage,and artificial inoculation conditions.To understand the defense mechanism of MT fruit,we constructed a genome-scale metabolic network that integrated metabolome and transcriptome datasets.The coordinated transcriptomic and metabolic data were enriched in two sub-networks,showing the decrease in very long chain fatty acid(by 41.53%)and cuticular wax synthesis(by 81.34%),and increase in the synthesis of jasmonic acid(JA)(by 95.23%)and JA-induced metabolites such as 5-dimethylnobietin(by 28.37%)in MT.Furthermore,cytological and biochemical analyses confirmed that the response to fungal infection in MT was independent of wax deficiency and was correlated with the levels of jasmonates,and the expression of plant defensin gene PDF1.2.Results of exogenous application of MeJA and JA inhibitors such as propyl gallate proved that JA-mediated defense contributes to the strong tolerance against pathogens in MT.Our results indicated that jasmonate biosynthesis and signaling are stimulated by the fatty acid redirection of MT,and participate in the tolerance of pathogenic fungi.

QTL analysis reveals reduction of fruit water loss by NAC042 through regulation of cuticular wax synthesis in citrus fruit

Postharvest water loss is a critical factor that determines the quality and shelf life of fresh fruit.Cuticular wax constitutes a key barrier to reduce fruit water loss.Our previous study has shown that HJ(Citrus reticulata)has a significantly higher postharvest water loss rate than ZK(Poncirus trifoliata).Here,we investigated the fruit water loss rate of the HJ×ZK F1pseudo-testcross population in 2016 and 2019.QTL mapping for fruit water loss rate was performed by high-density genetic map and bulk segregant analysis,and QTL9 was identified to be associated with fruit water loss.The expression of NAC042 from QTL9 in ZK was 170-fold that in HJ.Heterologous expression in Arabidopsis showed that NAC042could reduce the water loss of leaves by increasing the cuticular wax content(especially alkanes).Further expression analysis revealed that NAC042 could enhance the expression of many wax-related genes in Arabidopsis leaves,including AtKCS1,AtKCS2,AtKCS9,AtKCS20,At CER1 and At CER3.Therefore,NAC042 might be involved in fruit cuticular wax synthesis to reduce fruit water loss.The findings provide new insights into the regulation of cuticular wax and fruit water loss as well as valuable information for breeding of citrus with better storability.

Human IgG Fc promotes expression, secretion and immunogenicity of enterovirus 71 VP1 protein

Enterovirus （EV71） can cause severe neurological diseases, but the underlying pathogenesis remains unclear. The capsid protein, viral protein 1 （VP1）, plays a critical role in the pathogenicity of EVT1. High level expression and secretion ofVP 1 protein are necessary for structure, function and immunogenicity in its natural conformation. In our previous studies, 5 codon-optimized VP 1 DNA vaccines, including wt-VP 1, tPA-VP 1, VP l-d, VP 1-hFc and VP 1 - mFc, were constructed and analyzed. They expressed VP1 protein, but the levels of secretion and immunogenicity of these VP1 constructs were significantly different （P〈0.05）. In this study, we further investigated the protein lev- els of these constructs and determined that all of these constructs expressed VP1 protein. The secretion level was increased by including a tPA leader sequence, which was further increased by fusing human IgG Fc （hFc） to VP1. VP 1-hFc demonstrated the most potent immunogenicity in mice. Furthermore, hFc domain could be used to purify VPI-hFc protein for additional studies.

Peptidome analysis of human intrauterine adhesion tissues and the identification of antifibrotic peptide

Intrauterine adhesion(IUA)is a common clinical endometrial disease,which can severely damage the fertility and quality of life in women.This study aims to find the differentially expressed endogenous peptides and their possible roles in IUA.Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to identify the peptidomic profiling of IUA tissues,and the differentially expressed peptides were screened out.Using real-time quantitative PCR,Western blotting,and immunocytochemistry staining,the function of six endogenous peptides was verified in vitro.It was found that peptide 6(T6)(peptide sequence:TFGGAPGFPLGSPLSSVFPR)could inhibit the expression of TGF-β1-induced cell fibrosis in human endometrial stromal cell line and primary human endometrial stromal cell at a concentration of 50μmol/L.This study provides new targets for further clarifying the formation and prevention of IUA.

Analysis and Improvement of an Efficient Controlled Quantum Secure Direct Communication and Authentication Protocol

The controlled quantum secure direct communication(CQSDC)with authentication protocol based on four particle cluster states via quantum one-time pad and local unitary operations is cryptanalyzed.It is found that there are some serious security issues in this protocol.An eavesdropper(Eve)can eavesdrop on some information of the identity strings of the receiver and the controller without being detected by the selective-CNOT-operation(SCNO)attack.By the same attack,Eve can also steal some information of the secret message that the sender transmits.In addition,the receiver can take the same kind of attack to eavesdrop on some information of the secret message out of the control of the controller.This means that the requirements of CQSDC are not satisfied.At last,we improve the original CQSDC protocol to a secure one.

Zuo Gui Wan Promotes Osteogenesis via PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway:Network Pharmacology Analysis and Experimental Validation

Objective Osteogenesis is vitally important for bone defect repair,and Zuo Gui Wan(ZGW)is a classic prescription in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)for strengthening bones.However,the specific mechanism by which ZGW regulates osteogenesis is still unclear.The current study is based on a network pharmacology analysis to explore the potential mechanism of ZGW in promoting osteogenesis.Methods A network pharmacology analysis followed by experimental validation was applied to explore the potential mechanisms of ZGW in promoting the osteogenesis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs).Results In total,487 no-repeat targets corresponding to the bioactive components of ZGW were screened,and 175 target genes in the intersection of ZGW and osteogenesis were obtained.And 28 core target genes were then obtained from a PPI network analysis.A GO functional enrichment analysis showed that the relevant biological processes mainly involve the cellular response to chemical stress,metal ions,and lipopolysaccharide.Additionally,KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that multiple signaling pathways,including the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K/AKT)signaling pathway,were associated with ZGW-promoted osteogensis.Further experimental validation showed that ZGW could increase alkaline phosphatase(ALP)activity as well as the mRNA and protein levels of ALP,osteocalcin(OCN),and runt related transcription factor 2(Runx 2).What’s more,Western blot analysis results showed that ZGW significantly increased the protein levels of p-PI3K and p-AKT,and the increases of these protein levels significantly receded after the addition of the PI3K inhibitor LY294002.Finally,the upregulated osteogenic-related indicators were also suppressed by the addition of LY294002.Conclusion ZGW promotes the osteogenesis of BMSCs via PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Transcription factor CsTT8 promotes fruit coloration by positively regulating the methylerythritol 4-phosphate pathway and carotenoid biosynthesis pathway in citrus (Citrus spp.)

Carotenoids directly influence citrus fruit color and nutritional value,which is critical to consumer acceptance.Elucidating the potential molecular mechanism underlying carotenoid metabolism is of great importance for improving fruit quality.Despite the well-established carotenoid biosynthetic pathways,the molecular regulatory mechanism underlying carotenoid metabolism remains poorly understood.Our previous studies have reported that the Myc-type basic helix-loop-helix(bHLH)transcription factor(TF)regulates citrus proanthocyanidin biosynthesis.Transgenic analyses further showed that overexpression of CsTT8 could significantly promote carotenoid accumulation in transgenic citrus calli,but its regulatory mechanism is still unclear.In the present study,we found that overexpression of CsTT8 enhances carotenoid content in citrus fruit and calli by increasing the expression of CsDXR,CsHDS,CsHDR,CsPDS,CsLCYE,CsZEP,and CsNCED2,which was accompanied by changes in the contents of abscisic acid and gibberellin.The in vitro and in vivo assays indicated that CsTT8 directly bound to the promoters of CsDXR,CsHDS,and CsHDR,the keymetabolic enzymes of the methylerythritol 4-phosphate(MEP)pathway,thus providing precursors for carotenoid biosynthesis and transcriptionally activating the expression of these three genes.In addition,CsTT8 activated the promoters of four key carotenoid biosynthesis pathway genes,CsPDS,CsLCYE,CsZEP,and CsNCED2,directly promoting carotenoid biosynthesis.This study reveals a novel network of carotenoid metabolism regulated by CsTT8.Our findings will contribute to manipulating carotenoid metabolic engineering to improve the quality of citrus fruit and other crops.

Analysis on Medical Expenses of Hypertensive Inpatients in Urban Areas from 2010 to 2013-Evidence from Two Provinces in South of China

Along with the development of society and the rapid economic growth in the past decades, hypertension and other chronic diseases have become important reasons for people＇s poverty caused by illness in China. This study collected a total of 5857 people from 2010 to 2013 randomly from the database of the Medical Insurance Department （MID）, including 3229 people in Hubei province and 2628 people in Guangdong province. One-way ANOVA was used to compare the total medical expense, out-of-pocket （OOP） expense and hospital stay between variables. A multiple linear regression analysis was done to identify possible risk factors of total medical expense. The results showed that the average total medical expense per capita was 5709.89 yuan, and the medical expense per capita was 7053.58 and 4555.97 yuan in Guangdong province and Hubei province, respectively. The medical expense of hypertensive inpatients decreased from 7222.32 yuan in 2012 to 4894.66 yuan in 2013. There were no significant differences in medical expenses between different genders of hypertensive patients （P〉0.05）. People of different ages, provinces, medical insurances and medical institution levels showed significant differences in medical expenses. The government should increase the investment in chronic disease management and treatment in the central and western regions to narrow the gap with the eastern region. Medical insurance fund payment should be improved to ensure the fairness of the use of medical services in different medical insurances. And measures should be taken to encourage chronic patients to visit primary medical institutions to effectively reduce medical expenses.

Development of a Kind of Tartary Buckwheat Rice Wine

[Objectives]This study was conducted to improve the utilization of tartary buckwheat resources,enrich the varieties of rice wine products,and further promote the development of the rice wine industry.[Methods]With tartary buckwheat and glutinous rice as raw materials for mixed fermentation and sensory score as an evaluation indicator,the effects of four factors of material ratio,rice leaven addition,material-to-water ratio and fermentation time on the quality of tartary buckwheat rice wine were investigated.The optimal technological conditions of tartary buckwheat rice wine were determined by an orthogonal test.[Results]The optimal process conditions were as follows:the material ratio of 1∶0.2(g/g),the addition amount of rice leaven of 0.5%,the material to water ratio of 1∶0.4(g/ml),and the fermentation time of 72 h.The obtained tartary buckwheat rice wine product was light yellow,clear and bright,and tasted moderately sweet and sour.[Conclusions]The tartary buckwheat rice wine product has good color,fragrance and taste,and is a healthy drink that conforms to people s health concepts and is suitable for drinking.

Optimizing combination of aircraft maintenance tasks by adaptive genetic algorithm based on cluster search

It is significant to combine multiple tasks into an optimal work package in decision-making of aircraft maintenance to reduce cost,so a cost rate model of combinatorial maintenance is an urgent need.However,the optimal combination under various constraints not only involves numerical calculations but also is an NP-hard combinatorial problem.To solve the problem,an adaptive genetic algorithm based on cluster search,which is divided into two phases,is put forward.In the first phase,according to the density,all individuals can be homogeneously scattered over the whole solution space through crossover and mutation and better individuals are collected as candidate cluster centres.In the second phase,the search is confined to the neighbourhood of some selected possible solutions to accurately solve with cluster radius decreasing slowly,meanwhile all clusters continuously move to better regions until all the peaks in the question space is searched.This algorithm can efficiently solve the combination problem.Taking the optimization on decision-making of aircraft maintenance by the algorithm for an example,maintenance which combines multiple parts or tasks can significantly enhance economic benefit when the halt cost is rather high.