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The ethanol industries in the United States and China are witnessing a surge in the production of co-products, especially dried distillers' grains with solubles (DDGS). In the U.S., 90 % of maize-based ethanol byproducts are used for livestock feed, with 38.7 % of 14,575 million bushels repurposed in 2020. The U.S. also contributed 36 % of global maize shipments that year. China achieved a 98.2 % self-sufficiency rate in maize, producing 260.8 million metric tons and importing only 4.8 million metric tons in 2019. However, higher mycotoxin levels in DDGS, up to three times those in raw grain, cost the swine industry $9 million annually due to reduced weight gain from fumonisins. This review examines corn, DDGS, and ethanol production, spotlighting China and the USA. It addresses mycotoxin contamination in DDGS and corn, detailing its adverse effects on animal health. It also explores current challenges in DDGS mycotoxin contamination, focusing on processing, nutrition, and product quality. The propose future research directions to prevent mycotoxin contamination, ensuring a safer and more efficient industry. The increasing demand for animal products, climate change, and food safety issues highlight the need for improved food supply and diverse feed materials. Mycotoxin contamination poses significant health risks in feed. Modernizing detection methods for rapid, accurate results is essential to reduce economic losses. A comprehensive detoxification approach, including physical, chemical, and biological methods, is crucial. Ongoing research and strategic measures are vital to combat mycotoxin contamination, ensuring safe and efficient animal husbandry practices. [Display omitted] • Analysis of mycotoxin-contaminated corn and DDGS in various regions. • Mycotoxins harm animal health, complicating distillers' grains use in feed. • Mycotoxin contamination causes significant economic losses. • Challenges and future research directions for DDGS applications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid economic growth has resulted in a severe energy shortage and extensive environmental pollution in China. The question of how to save energy and reduce emissions has become a popular topic not only in economic but also in political and social circles. Most of the previous studies on the subject were conducted to evaluate the potential for energy savings and emission reductions. As an indispensable factor, each region's external environment has a strong impact on evaluating its potential for energy savings and emission reductions. However, the prior studies seldom considered each region's external environment, which resulted in research findings that are not rationally convincing. Hence, in this paper, a regional difference coefficient is introduced and calculated by applying technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution to represent the external environment from two perspectives: (1) each region's economic and technical ability and (2) each region's resource reserves and supplies ability. Based on the regional difference coefficients, the original data envelopment analysis model was modified to calculate the potential for energy savings and emission reductions for 30 provincial administrative regions in China from the year 2001-2011. The results show that the gaps in the energy-saving and emission-reduction potential among these 30 regions are large and still increasing. Each region has its own causes for changes in energy savings and emission reductions. Thus, the important factors influencing regional energy savings and emission reductions are analyzed. The paper finds that technical progress and economic strength are the main factors impacting the regional energy-saving performance, especially in the underdeveloped provinces, while the industrial structure and energy mix are important factors influencing China's emission-reduction performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was to investigate the effect of nicotine on insulin sensitivity and explore the underlying mechanisms. Treatment of Sprague-Dawley rats with nicotine (3 mg/kg/day) for 6 weeks reduced 43% body weight gain and 65% blood insulin level, but had no effect on blood glucose level. Both insulin tolerance test and glucose tolerance test demonstrated that nicotine treatment enhanced insulin sensitivity. Pretreatment of rats with hexamethonium (20 mg/kg/day) to antagonize peripheral nicotinic receptors except for α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7-nAChR) had no effect on the insulin sensitizing effect of nicotine. However, the insulin sensitizing effect but not the bodyweight reducing effect of nicotine was abrogated in α7-nAChR knockout mice. Further, chronic treatment with PNU-282987 (0.53 mg/kg/day), a selective α7- nAChR agonist, significantly enhanced insulin sensitivity without apparently modifying bodyweight not only in normal mice but also in AMP-activated kinase-α2 knockout mice, an animal model of insulin resistance with no sign of inflammation. Moreover, PNU-282987 treatment enhanced phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in skeletal muscle, adipose tissue and liver in normal mice. PNU-282987 treatment also increased glucose uptake by 25% in C2C12 myotubes and this effect was total abrogated by STAT3 inhibitor, S3I-201. All together, these findings demonstrated that nicotine enhanced insulin sensitivity in animals with or without insulin resistance, at least in part via stimulating α7- nAChR-STAT3 pathway independent of inflammation. Our results contribute not only to the understanding of the pharmacological effects of nicotine, but also to the identifying of new therapeutic targets against insulin resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A 1H NMR-based metabonomic method was used to investigate the metabolic change of plasma in senescence-prone 8 (SAMP8) mice before and after electro-acupuncture (EA). Sixteen SAMP8 male mice (aged 8months) were randomly divided into model group and acupuncture treatment group while the later group received EA treatment for 21days. Eight senescence-resistant 1 (SAMR1) mice were used as the control group. Morris water maze was used to evaluate the effects of EA. All mice plasma samples obtained from different groups were analyzed by using 600MHz 1H nuclear magnetic resonances (1H NMR) spectroscopy. The data sets were analyzed by Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) to discriminate the key plasma metabolites among different groups. Results indicated that both the escape and probe tasks of SAMP8 could be improved by EA treatment. Metabonomic study showed that SAMR1 and SAMP8 were separated clearly in both CPMG_OSC_PLS and LED _OSC_PLS score plots. Interestingly, samples obtained from EA group were distributed closely to SAMR1 group in CPMG_OSC_PLS score plot, but away from SAMP8 group in LED_OSC_PLS score plot. Corresponding loading plots showed that much less lactate was seen in SAMP8 mice plasma. Other changes including higher levels of dimethylamine (DMA) Choline and α-glucose but lower levels of leucine/isoleucine, HDL, LDL/VLDL, 3-Hydroxybutyrate (3-HB), and Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) were observed in the SAMP8 mice plasma than in the SAMR1. After EA treatment, the levels of lactate, DMA, choline and TMAO were improved. Results of this work can provide valuable clues to the understanding of the metabolic changes in the senile impairment of mice. It is also hoped that the methodology can be used in evaluating the effects of EA and understanding the underlying acupuncture mechanism in treating neurodegenerative diseases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A number of types of stem cells have been shown to be effective in wound repair. In the present study the effect of homeobox A4 (HOXA4) overexpression by human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUMSCs) on full-thickness skin repair was evaluated. Isolated hUMSCs were transfected with a lentivirus expressing HOXA4 and cultured for 21 days. Expression of the epidermal cell-specific markers, cytokeratins 14 and 18, was detected by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. Full-thickness skin defects (1.5 cm x 1.5 cm) were made on the backs of 45 nude mice, which were randomly divided into the following three treatment groups: Collagen membrane with lenti-HOXA4 hUMSC seed cells; collagen membrane with lentivirus expressing green fluorescent protein; and collagen membrane alone. On days 7, 14 and 21 following transplantation, tissue samples were harvested and examined by histology and western blot analysis. Flow cytometry showed that the transfection efficiency was 95.41% at a multiplicity of infection of 100, and that the lenti-HOXA4 hUMSCs differentiated into epidermal cells, expressing cytokeratins 14 and 18. In addition, re-epithelialization of wounds treated with lenti-HOXA4 hUMSCs was significantly greater than that in the control groups in the first week. By week three the epidermis was significantly thicker in the lenti-HOXA4 group than the control groups. Thus, transplantation of hUMSCs modified with Ad-HOXA4 promoted wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas activation of ATP-dependent potassium (KATP) channels greatly improves postischemic myocardial recovery, the final effector mechanism for KATP channel-induced cardioprotection remains elusive. RhoA is a GTPase that regulates a variety of cellular processes known to be involved with KATP channel cardioprotection. Our goal was to determine whether the activity of a key rhoA effector, rho kinase (ROCK), is required for KATP channel-induced cardioprotection. Four groups of perfused rat hearts were subjected to 36 rain of zero-flow ischemia and 44 min of reperfusion with continuous measurements of mechanical function and 31P NMR high-energy phosphate data: 1) untreated, 2) pinacidil (10 μM) to activate KATP channels, 3) fasudil (15 μM) to inhibit ROCK, and 4) both fasudil and pinacidil. Pinacidil significantly improved postischemic mechanical recovery [39 ± 16 vs. 108 ± 4 mmHg left ventricular diastolic pressure (LVDP), untreated and pinacidil, respectively]. Fasudil did not affect reperfusion LVDP (41 ± 13 mmHg) but completely blocked the marked improvement in mechanical recovery that occurred with pinacidil treatment (54 ± 15 mmHg). Substantial attenuation of the postischemic energetic recovery was also observed. These data support the hypothesis that ROCK activity plays a role in KATP channel-induced cardioprotection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]