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Simple Summary: This study investigated the molecular mechanisms of oviduct regression in ducks. Single-cell transcriptome sequencing of magnum tissue from egg-laying and ceased-laying ducks revealed significant heterogeneity, particularly in protein secretion cells and ECM-producing fibroblasts. Egg-laying ducks exhibited more protein secretion cells, crucial for albumen deposition, and higher proportions of THY1+ and TIMP4+ fibroblasts compared to ceased-laying ducks. These findings imply a correlation between THY1 and TIMP4 expression in fibroblasts and oviduct activity during reproduction. The study provides valuable insights into reproductive tract degeneration and potential improvements in laying duck production efficiency. Duck egg production, like that of laying hens, follows a typical low–peak–low cycle, reflecting the dynamics of the reproductive system. Post-peak, some ducks undergo a cessation of egg laying, indicative of a regression process in the oviduct. Notably, the magnum, being the longest segment of the oviduct, plays a crucial role in protein secretion. Despite its significance, few studies have investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying oviduct regression in ducks that have ceased laying eggs. In this study, we conducted single-cell transcriptome sequencing on the magnum tissue of Shaoxing ducks at 467 days of age, utilizing the 10× Genomics platform. This approach allowed us to generate a detailed magnum transcriptome map of both egg-laying and ceased-laying ducks. We collected transcriptome data from 13,708 individual cells, which were then subjected to computational analysis, resulting in the identification of 27 distinct cell clusters. Marker genes were subsequently employed to categorize these clusters into specific cell types. Our analysis revealed notable heterogeneity in magnum cells between the egg-laying and ceased-laying ducks, primarily characterized by variations in cells involved in protein secretion and extracellular matrix (ECM)-producing fibroblasts. Specifically, cells engaged in protein secretion were predominantly observed in the egg-laying ducks, indicative of their role in functional albumen deposition within the magnum, a phenomenon not observed in the ceased-laying ducks. Moreover, the proportion of THY1+ cells within the ECM-producing fibroblasts was found to be significantly higher in the egg-laying ducks (59%) compared to the ceased-laying ducks (24%). Similarly, TIMP4+ fibroblasts constituted a greater proportion of the ECM-producing fibroblasts in the egg-laying ducks (83%) compared to the ceased-laying ducks (58%). These findings suggest a potential correlation between the expression of THY1 and TIMP4 in ECM-producing fibroblasts and oviduct activity during functional reproduction. Our study provides valuable single-cell insights that warrant further investigation into the biological implications of fibroblast subsets in the degeneration of the reproductive tract. Moreover, these insights hold promise for enhancing the production efficiency of laying ducks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Co/Co 3 Fe 7 heterostructure is constructed by using an in-situ growth strategy. • NCNTs mitigates the corrosion of active sites to stabilize bifunctional activity. • Interfacial interactions activate electron transfer/redistribution to boost activity. • A small potential difference (0.62 V) obtains a superior charge/discharge capacity. • Zn-air battery shows high power density (165 mW cm−2) and cycling stability (300 h). In oxygen electrocatalysis, how to rationally design low-cost catalysts with reasonable structure and long-term stability is a crucial issue. Here, an in-situ growth strategy is used to construct a shaped structure encapsulating a uniformly-dispersed Co/Co 3 Fe 7 heterojunction in nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (Co/Co 3 Fe 7 @NCNTs). Hollow CoFe layered-double-hydroxide prisms act as sacrifices for in-situ growth of Co/Co 3 Fe 7 nanoparticles, which also catalyze the growth of bamboo-like NCNTs. Tubular structure not only accelerates the charge transfer through the interactions between Co and Co 3 Fe 7 , but also limits the aggregation of the particles, thereby promoting the 4e- oxygen reduction/evolution reactions (ORR/OER) kinetics and stabilizing the bifunctional activity. Co/Co 3 Fe 7 @NCNTs-800 (pyrolyzed at 800 °C) shows exceptional ORR activity (half-wave potential of 0.89 V) and methanol tolerance. Meanwhile, Co/Co 3 Fe 7 @NCNTs-800 shows a small OER overpotential of 280 mV, which increases by only 9 mV after 1000 cyclic voltammetry (CV) cycles. The outstanding bifunctionality (potential gap of 0.62 V) is ascribed to the electronic structure modulation at the Co/Co 3 Fe 7 heterointerface. Notably, it also has a high performance as an air–cathode for rechargeable zinc-air battery, showing high power density (165 mW cm−2) and specific capacity (770.5 m Ah kg−1). This work provides a new reference for promoting the development of alloy catalysts with heterogeneous interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) can cause respiratory infections in animals that often lead to heavy losses for breeding industry. Ban-Qin-Fei-Re-Qing oral liquid (BQ), a Chinese herbal compound, has been used to treat infectious bronchitis (IB). This research aimed to assess the antiviral effect of BQ against IBV and elucidate the underlying mechanisms through bioinformatics analysis. The experiments designed in this study investigated how BQ inhibits IBV propagation in chicken embryos and enhances protective effects on chicken embryos. The findings indicated that, in comparison to the model group (untreated), the BQ-treated groups exhibited a significant protective effect on IBV-infected chicken embryos. Moreover, the groups administered medium or high doses of BQ demonstrated a superior protective effect compared to the group treated with a lower dose. In addition, even at a low dose (2.5 mL/L), BQ successfully treated IB in chickens. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses revealed that the differentially expressed genes were enriched in antiviral pathways, such as the JAK/STAT and type I interferon signaling pathways. In conclusion, the current study demonstrated that BQ has antiviral activity and plays an antiviral role through the combined action of multiple antiviral pathways. These findings could lead to future research on identifying drugs to prevent and treat IB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CoTe 2 -NiTe 2 heterojunction embedded inside and outside the mesoporous walls of nitrogen-doped carbon nanoboxes via a straightforward ZIF67-involved etching-anchoring-tellurization strategy (H-CoTe 2 /NiTe 2 @NCBs). The establishment of CoTe 2 /NiTe 2 heterojunction can effectively modulate the electronic reconfiguration at the interface, optimize the reaction pathways, and lower the energy barriers, thus affording an excellent electrocatalytic bifunctionality toward ORR and OER. [Display omitted] • CoTe 2 /NiTe 2 embedded in N-doped carbon nanoboxes are constructed. • The heterojunctions cause the spontaneous charge redistribution at the interfaces. • The H-CoTe 2 /NiTe 2 @NCBs creates abundant active sites and mass transfer pathways. • Due to synergistic effect, ORR and OER activities are significantly increased. • The Zn-air battery delivers high energy output and excellent cyclability. Interface engineering has been recognized as one of the most promising strategies for tuning the catalytic properties of catalysts. However, building well-defined nanointerfaces for efficient oxygen reduction/evolution reactions (ORR/OER) remains a challenge. Herein, a hollow heterostructure composed of highly-dispersed CoTe 2 inside the mesoporous walls of nitrogen-doped carbon nanoboxes and uniformly-dispersed NiTe 2 outside the mesoporous walls (H-CoTe 2 /NiTe 2 @NCBs) is designed via a ZIF67-involved etching-anchoring-tellurization strategy. Promising half-wave potential of 0.86 V and overpotential of 320 mV at 10 mA cm−2 are obtained by H-CoTe 2 /NiTe 2 @NCBs. The excellent ORR/OER activity of H-CoTe 2 /NiTe 2 @NCBs is ascribed to the synergistic coupling based on nanointerfaces between CoTe 2 and NiTe 2. Density functional theory calculations confirm that the nanointerface-based electronic coupling between CoTe 2 and NiTe 2 facilitates the charge transfer between two components and generates abundant catalytically active sites at the heterointerface, thereby significantly promoting the ORR/OER activities. This work provides the design principles for transitional bimetallic tellurides as bifunctional electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]