Search

144 New Zealand weaned rabbits weighing (769.74 ± 67.32 g) were randomly chosen and divided into 3 groups by single factor design: The control group, compound essential oil group and oregano oil group, with 16 replicates in each group and 3 rabbits in each replicate. Different groups were fed with basic diet, basic diet + 300 mg/kg compound essential oil and basic diet + 300 mg/kg oregano oil respectively. The pre-feeding period is 5 days and the formal period is 42 days. The test results are as follows:(1) The feed intake of the compound essential oil group was higher than that of the control group and oregano oil group (p 0.05); (2) The diarrhoea index and frequency in the compound essential oil group and oregano oil group were respectively, lower than control group (p 0.05); (4) The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme in oregano oil group was significantly higher than that of the control group and the compound essential oil group (p 0.05); (5) The economic benefits of the compound essential oil group and the oregano oil group were better than that of the control group. To sum up, both compound essential oil and oregano oil can not only improve the immunity and antioxidant capacity of weaned rabbits, but can also reduce the rate of diarrhoea and mortality as well as improve the economic benefits of farm animal.

Abstract Background Studies on deep learning (DL)-based models in breast ultrasound (US) remain at the early stage due to a lack of large datasets for training and independent test sets for verification. We aimed to develop a DL model for differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions on US using a large multicenter dataset and explore the model’s ability to assist the radiologists. Methods A total of 14,043 US images from 5012 women were prospectively collected from 32 hospitals. To develop the DL model, the patients from 30 hospitals were randomly divided into a training cohort (n = 4149) and an internal test cohort (n = 466). The remaining 2 hospitals (n = 397) were used as the external test cohorts (ETC). We compared the model with the prospective Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System assessment and five radiologists. We also explored the model’s ability to assist the radiologists using two different methods. Results The model demonstrated excellent diagnostic performance with the ETC, with a high area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC, 0.913), sensitivity (88.84%), specificity (83.77%), and accuracy (86.40%). In the comparison set, the AUC was similar to that of the expert (p = 0.5629) and one experienced radiologist (p = 0.2112) and significantly higher than that of three inexperienced radiologists (p

A novel pectic polysaccharide (HPP-1) with high immunomodulatory activity was extracted and isolated from the immature honey pomelo fruit (Citrus grandis). Characterization of its chemical structure indicated that HPP-1 had a molecular weight of 59,024 D. In addition, HPP-1 was primarily composed of rhamnose, arabinose, fucose, mannose, and galactose at a molar ratio of 1.00:11.12:2.26:0.56:6.40. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, periodic acid oxidation, and Smith degradation results showed that HPP-1 had α- and β-glycosidic linkages and 1 → 2, 1 → 4, 1 → 6, and 1 → 3 glycosidic bonds. 13C NMR and 1H NMR analyses revealed that the main glycogroups included 1,4-D-GalA, 1,6-β-D-Gal, 1,6-β-D-Man, 1,3-α-L-Ara, and 1,2-α-L-Rha. Immunomodulatory bioactivity analysis using a macrophage RAW264.7 model in vitro revealed that NO, TNF-α, and IL-6 secretions were all considerably increased by HPP-1. Moreover, RT-PCR results showed that HPP-1-induced iNOS, TNF-α, and IL-6 expression was significantly increased in macrophages. HPP-1-mediated activation in macrophages was due to the stimulation of the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways based on western blot analyses. HPP-1 extracted from immature honey pomelo fruit has potential applications as an immunomodulatory supplement.

The mechanical properties of Zr-based alloys, such as strength and elongation, are heavily dependent on the cooling rate during heat treatment. Understanding the phase transformation and microstructural evolution in various cooling media can establish the connection between the cooling rate and mechanical properties. The effect of the cooling rate on the phase, microstructure, and tensile properties of Zr-4Hf-3Nb (wt%) alloy is studied in this paper. The results show that the phase composition of the samples transforms from α+β to α+β+ω, and, finally, to α+α’+ω, while the average grain size of α phase decreases from 3.73 μm to 1.96 μm, and the distribution varies from compact to scattering as the cooling rate increases. Hf tends to distribute in β phase, and the slower cooling rate is beneficial to the existence of Hf. The strength and microhardness enhances monotonously, while the elongation ascends first, then decreases as the cooling rate increases. The high strength of water-cooling samples is attributed to the reduction in average grain size and volume fraction of α phase, and the lath α’ martensite and granular ω phase. The fracture pattern of Zr-4Hf-3Nb (wt%) alloy is ductile fracture, and the plasticity gets better with decreasing cooling rate.

The immature honey pomelo fruit (IPF) is a huge agro-industrial by-product generated during pomelo planting. Although IPF is rich in nutrients, more than 95% of IPF is discarded annually, which causes resource waste and a serious environmental problem. Here, we report a novel continuous phase transition extraction technology (CPTE) to improve the comprehensive utilization of IPF by sequentially generating high value products and solve pollution problems related to their disposal. First, essential oil was successively extracted by CPTE at a yield of 1.12 ± 0.36%, in which 43 species were identified. Second, naringin extraction parameters were optimized using the response surface methodology (RSM), resulting in a maximum extraction rate of 99.47 ± 0.15%. Finally, pectin was extracted at a yield of 20.23 ± 0.66%, which is similar to the contents of commercial pectin. In conclusion, this study suggested that IPF was an excellent potential substrate for the production of value-added components by CPTE.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN),referring to the damage to the peripheral nerves caused by exposure to a neurotoxic chemotherapeutic agent,is a common side effect amongst patients undergoing chemotherapy.Paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (PIPN) can lead to dose reduction or early cessation of chemotherapy, which is not conducive to patients’survival. Even after treatment is discontinued, PIPN symptoms carried a greater risk of worsening and plagued the patient’s life, leading to long-term morbidity in survivors.Here, we summarize the research progress for clinical manifestations, risk factors, pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of PIPN, so as to embark on the path of preventing PIPN with prolongation of patient’s life quality on a long-term basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Right ventricular structure and function is a major predictor of outcomes in pulmonary hypertension (PH), yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Growing evidence suggests the importance of autophagy in cardiac remodeling; however, its dynamics in the process of right ventricle(RV) remodeling in PH has not been fully explored. We sought to study the time course of cardiomyocyte autophagy in the RV in PH and determine whether mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and Beclin-1 hypoxia-related pro-autophagic pathways are underlying mechanisms.Methods: Rats were studied at 2, 4, and 6 weeks after subcutaneous injection of 60 mg/kg monocrotaline (MCT) (MCT-2 W, 4 W, 6 W) or vehicle (CON-2 W, 4 W, 6 W). Cardiac hemodynamics and RV function were assessed in rats. Autophagy structures and markers were assessed using transmission electron microscope, RT-qPCR, immunohistochemistry staining, and western blot analyses. Western blot was also used to quantify the expression of mTOR and Beclin-1 mediated pro-autophagy signalings in the RV.Results: Two weeks after MCT injection, pulmonary artery systolic pressure increased and mild RV hypertrophy without RV dilation was observed. RV enlargement presented at 4 weeks with moderately decreased function, whereas typical characteristics of RV decompensation and failure occurred at 6 weeks thus demonstrating the progression of RV remodeling in the MCT model. A higher LC3 (microtubule- associated protein light chain 3) II/I ratio, upregulated LC3 mRNA and protein levels, as well as accumulation of autophagosomes in RV of MCT rats indicated autophagy induction. Autophagy activation was coincident with increased pulmonary artery systolic pressure. Pro-autophagy signaling pathways were activated in a RV remodeling stage-dependent manner since phospho-AMPK (adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase)-α were primarily upregulated and phospho-mTOR suppressed in the RV at 2 and 4 weeks post-MCT injection, whearas, BNIP3 (Bcl2-interacting protein 3) and beclin-1 expression were relatively low during these stages, they were significantly upregulated after 6 weeks in this model.Conclusions: Our findings provide evidence of sustained activation of autophagy in RV remodeling of MCT induced PH model, while pro-autophagic signaling pathways varied depending on the phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]