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Curcumin (CUR) is a natural compound with various pharmacological effects, including anticancer, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, lipid-lowering, and immune-regulating properties. It can be employed as a novel feed additive in livestock and poultry feed. Adding an appropriate amount of CUR to feed can improve the production performance of broilers, enhance immunity, improve the quality of animal products, and alleviate the hepatotoxicity caused by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in broilers. This article elaborates on the physiological functions of CUR and its impact on the broiler production performance, meat quality, immune function, antioxidant capacity, lipid metabolism, and intervention against AFB1 to provide reference for the promotion and rational application of CUR as a new feed additive in broiler production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the effects of different cold-drawing deformations and aging treatments of solid solution A286 superalloy. The grain configuration, texture, precipitates and tensile strength of A286 superalloy after different deformations and aging treatments were investigated by optical microscopy (OM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) and mechanical testing machine. The grain size and configuration of A286 alloy can hardly be changed during aging process. The initially equiaxial and twinned crystals are obvious when deformation is less than 30%, while the grain boundaries become blurry and slip bands appear after 35% deformation or more. γ′ phase and Cr-rich carbide are the precipitates of A286 alloy. For each deformation, γ′ phase plays a major role during aging and its amount increases gradually when the aging temperature changes from 650 to 680 °C, and a maximum tensile strength appears when following two-stage aging. With deformation increasing, the amounts of γ′ phase and Cr-rich carbide increase in varying degrees. Meanwhile, the <111> wire textures become more obvious, the tensile strength is enhanced and the kernel average misorientation (KAM) increases gradually; the higher KAM of crystal lattices diffuses from the grain boundary to the matrix gradually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Dysregulation of the activity of the disintegrin/metalloproteinase ADAM10 could contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. Although a number of genetic studies have focused on the association of ADAM10 gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to diseases, no genetic association studies of ADAM10 gene variability with atherosclerotic cerebral infarction ( ACI) have been conducted. The aim of this study was to analyze the potential association between ADAM10 promoter polymorphisms and ACI. Methods The associations between rs653765 and rs514049 polymorphisms of the ADAM10 promoter and the possible risk of ACI were assessed among 347 patients with ACI and 299 matched healthy individuals in a case-control study. Results Overall, there was a significant difference in the genotypes frequencies of rs653765 ( P = 0.04) between the ACI and control subjects. In addition, the rs653765 mutated allele of ADAM10 was significantly associated with increased ADAM10 expression in patients with ACI ( P = 0.032). In contrast, the allele frequency of rs514049 was not statistically associated with ACI, and the rs514049 variant A > C did not affect the expression of ADAM10 either. Conclusion Our findings indicate a positive association between the rs653765 polymorphism of ADAM10 and ACI, as well as a negative result for rs514049. In addition, a significant increase in ADAM10 expression was observed in patients with ACI carrying the rs653765 C > T mutation. This new knowledge about ADAM10 might be clinically important and confirm a role for ADAM10 in the pathophysiology of ACI, with potentially important therapeutic implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]