Transcriptome analysis of the effect of pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium（PQQ·Na2） on reproductive performance in sows during gestation and lactation

Background: Pyrroloquinoline quinone(PQQ), which is a water soluble, thermo-stable triglyceride-quinone, is widely distributed in nature and characterized as a mammalian vitamin-like redox cofactor. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium(PQQ·Na2) on reproductive performance in sows.Results: Dietary supplementation with PQQ·Na2 significantly increased the total number of piglets born, the number of piglets born alive and the born alive litter weight. It also increased the antioxidant status in the placenta, plasma and milk. The concentration of NO was significantly increased in the plasma and placenta. RNA-seq analysis showed that462 unigenes were differentially expressed between the control(Con) treatment and PQQ treatment groups.Among these unigenes, 199 were upregulated, while 263 unigenes were downregulated. The assigned functions of the unigenes covered a broad range of GO categories. Reproduction(27, 7.03%) and the reproduction process(27, 7.03%) were assigned to the biological process category. By matching DEGs to the KEGG database, we identified 29 pathways.Conclusions: In conclusion, dietary supplementation with PQQ·Na2 in gestating and lactating sows had positive effects on their reproductive performance.

Analysis on the relationship between winter precipitation and the annual variation of horse stomach fly community in arid desert steppe, Northwest China (2007–2019)

Gasterophilus spp.have been found to be widespread in reintroduced Przewalski’s horses in the Kalamaili Nature Reserve(Northwest China).However,data on the annual variation in Gasterophilus infections are lacking.To analyze the epidemiological features and determine the cause of the annual variation in Gasterophilus infections,we treated 110 Przewalski’s horses with ivermectin and collected Gasterophilus larvae from fecal samples each winter from 2007 to 2019.All 110 Przewalski’s horses studied were found to be infected by Gasterophilus spp.,and a total of 141379 larvae were collected.Six species of Gasterophilus were identified with the following prevalence:G.pecorum(100%),G.nasalis(96.36%),G.nigricornis(94.55%),G.haemorrhoidalis(56.36%),G.intestinalis(59.09%),and G.inermis(3.64%).The mean infection intensity of Gasterophilus spp.larvae in Przewalski’s horses was 1285±653.G.pecorum(92.96%±6.71%)was the most abundant species.The intensity of Gasterophilus spp.(r=–0.561,P<0.046)was significantly correlated with winter precipitation.Our findings confirmed that,in the Kalamaili Nature Reserve,gasterophilosis is a severe parasitic disease in Przewalski’s horses.Winter precipitation at the beginning of the year can indirectly affect the intensity and composition of Gasterophilus spp.in Przewalski’s horses at the end of the year.Therefore,the water-related ecological regulation should be carried out to help reduce the parasite infection of Przewalski’s horses.

The Action on p-Groups and p-Supersolvability

Let a finite group A act on a finite p-group P with ｜P｜〉 p^e, where e is an integer with e 〉 2. In this paper, we show that P is centralized by OP（A^Ap-1） if every non-maximal class p-group of order p^e in P is stabilized by OB（A）. As applications, someconditions are given for a finite group to be p-supersolvable.