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[Objective] The paper was to investigate the effects of crude protein level of concentrate supplement on production performance and serum biochemical parameters of post-fattening Hainan Yellow Cattle. [Method] Twelve Hainan Yellow Cattles with the same genetic backgrounds and similar initial weight of (168.13±0.55) kg were randomly divided into three treatments. Cattle were fed with concentrate supplement containing different levels of crude protein. The trial lasted 60 d. [Result] The daily gain of 17.56% crude protein group was significantly higher than those of 15.55% and 13.56% crude protein groups (P < 0.05), and the gross profit of 17.56% crude protein group was markedly higher than that of 13.56% crude protein group (P < 0.05), but the feed gain ratio of 17.56% crude protein group was significantly lower than that of 13.56% crude protein group (P < 0.05). Compared with 15.55% and 13.56% crude protein groups, the serum total protein content markedly increased (P < 0.05), but the urea nitrogen level significantly decreased (P < 0.05). [Conclusion] When crude protein level of concentrate supplement was 17.56%, post-fattening Hainan Yellow Cattle could obtain better production performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The paper was to investigate the effects of dietary concentrate to forage ratios on production performance and serum biochemical indicators of post-fattening Hainan Yellow Cattle. [Method] Sixteen Hainan Yellow Cattles with the same genetic backgrounds and similar initial weight of (242.22±0.71 kg) were randomly divided into four treatments. Cattles were fed with diets of different concentrate to forage ratios (20:80, group I; 30:70, Group II; 40:60, group III; 50:50, group IV). The trial lasted 62 d. [Result] The daily gain in experimental group IV was significantly higher than that in experimental group II (P<0.05), but the feed gain ratio in experimental group IV was lower than those in other experimental groups (P>0.05). The feed intake in experimental group IV was also markedly higher than those in experimental groups I and II (P<0.05). Compared with the experimental group II, the gross profit of experimental group IV was significantly promoted (P<0.05). The alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities in experimental group II were markedly higher than those in experimental groups i III and IV. [Conclusion] When the dietary concentrate to forage ratios was 50:50, the production performance of post-fattening Hainan Yellow Cattle was better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyl transferase (NAMPT) is a cytokine which is secreted by adipose tissue and involved in the process of immunoreactions, inflammation, and lipid metabolism through the endocrine or paracrine. However, the information regarding NAMPT and its transcriptional regulation in goats remains unknown. In this study, the inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) decreased the supernatant NAMPT productions in goat adipocytes. The luciferase activities were kept in high levels in pGL3 (−735/+34) and the deletion from −735 bp to −486 bp significantly decreased the luciferase activity (p < 0.01). In addition, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) element in this region was responsible for NAMPT promoter activity. The transcription activity of PPARγ was activated by SB216763 stimulation and failed to induce luciferase activity of the pGL3 (Mut-PPARγ−735/+34). In contrast, the GSK3β overexpression repressed luciferase activity of the NAMPT promoter. Besides, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay indicated that PPARγ was capable of binding to the NAMPT promoter, and inhibition of GSK3β increased the binding capacity of PPARγ to the NAMPT promoter. These results confirm the role of GSK3β as a negative regulator of NAMPT transcription in goat adipocytes, and GSK3β-regulated expression of NAMPT is mediated by PPARγ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-person neuroscience, a perspective in understanding human social cognition and interaction, involves designing immersive social interaction experiments as well as simultaneously recording brain activity of two or more subjects, a process termed "hyperscanning." Using newly developed imaging techniques, the interbrain connectivity or hyperlink of various types of social interaction has been revealed. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)-hyperscanning provides a more naturalistic environment for experimental paradigms of social interaction and has recently drawn much attention. However, most fNIRS-hyperscanning studies have computed hyperlinks using sensor data directly while ignoring the fact that the sensor-level signals contain confounding noises, which may lead to a loss of sensitivity and specificity in hyperlink analysis. In this study, on the basis of independent component analysis (ICA), a source-level analysis framework is proposed to investigate the hyperlinks in a fNIRS two-person neuroscience study. The performance of five widely used ICA algorithms in extracting sources of interaction was compared in simulative datasets, and increased sensitivity and specificity of hyperlink analysis by our proposed method were demonstrated in both simulative and real two-person experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International 10/20 system is an important head-surface-based positioning system for transcranial brain mapping techniques, e.g., fNIRS and TMS. As guidance for probe placement, the 10/20 system permits both proper ROI coverage and spatial consistency among multiple subjects and experiments in a MRI-free context. However, the traditional manual approach to the identification of 10/20 landmarks faces problems in reliability and time cost. In this study, we propose a semi-automatic method to address these problems. First, a novel head surface reconstruction algorithm reconstructs head geometry from a set of points uniformly and sparsely sampled on the subject's head. Second, virtual 10/20 landmarks are determined on the reconstructed head surface in computational space. Finally, a visually-guided real-time navigation system guides the experimenter to each of the identified 10/20 landmarks on the physical head of the subject. Compared with the traditional manual approach, our proposed method provides a significant improvement both in reliability and time cost and thus could contribute to improving both the effectiveness and efficiency of 10/20-guided MRI-free probe placement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying the neural basis of human social interactions is a key topic in the field of social neuroscience. Brain imaging studies in this field usually focus on the neural correlates of the social interactions between two participants. However, as the participant number further increases, even by a small amount, great difficulties raise. One challenge is how to concurrently scan all the interacting brains with high ecological validity, especially for a large number of participants. The other challenge is how to effectively model the complex group interaction behaviors emerging from the intricate neural information exchange among a group of socially organized people. Confronting these challenges, we propose a new approach called “Cluster Imaging of Multi-brain Networks” (CIMBN). CIMBN consists of two parts. The first part is a cluster imaging technique with high ecological validity based on multiple functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) systems. Using this technique, we can easily extend the simultaneous imaging capacity of social neuroscience studies up to dozens of participants. The second part of CIMBN is a multi-brain network (MBN) modeling method based on graph theory. By taking each brain as a network node and the relationship between any two brains as a network edge, one can construct a network model for a group of interacting brains. The emergent group social behaviors can then be studied using the network’s properties, such as its topological structure and information exchange efficiency. Although there is still much work to do, as a general framework for hyperscanning and modeling a group of interacting brains, CIMBN can provide new insights into the neural correlates of group social interactions, and advance social neuroscience and social psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The porcine body length trait is an essential factor affecting meat production and reproductive performance. It is evident that the development/lengthening of individual vertebrae is one of the main reasons for increases in body length; however, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, RNA-seq analysis was used to profile the transcriptome (lncRNA, mRNA, and miRNA) of the thoracic intervertebral cartilage (TIC) at two time points (1 and 4 months) during vertebral column development in Yorkshire (Y) and Wuzhishan pigs (W). There were four groups: 1- (Y1) and 4-month-old (Y4) Yorkshire pigs and 1- (W1) and 4-month-old (W4) Wuzhishan pigs. In total, 161, 275, 86, and 126 differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs, 1478, 2643, 404, and 750 DE genes (DEGs), and 74,51, 34, and 23 DE miRNAs (DE miRNAs) were identified in the Y4 vs. Y1, W4 vs. W1, Y4 vs. W4, and Y1 vs. W1 comparisons, respectively. Functional analysis of these DE transcripts (DETs) demonstrated that they had participated in various biological processes, such as cellular component organization or biogenesis, the developmental process, the metabolic process, bone development, and cartilage development. The crucial bone development-related candidate genes NK3 Homeobox 2 (NKX3.2), Wnt ligand secretion mediator (WLS), gremlin 1 (GREM1), fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3), hematopoietically expressed homeobox (HHEX), (collagen type XI alpha 1 chain (COL11A1), and Wnt Family Member 16 (WNT16)) were further identified by functional analysis. Moreover, lncRNA, miRNA, and gene interaction networks were constructed; a total of 55 lncRNAs, 6 miRNAs, and 7 genes formed lncRNA–gene, miRNA–gene, and lncRNA–miRNA–gene pairs, respectively. The aim was to demonstrate that coding and non-coding genes may co-regulate porcine spine development through interaction networks. NKX3.2 was identified as being specifically expressed in cartilage tissues, and it delayed chondrocyte differentiation. miRNA-326 regulated chondrocyte differentiation by targeting NKX3.2. The present study provides the first non-coding RNA and gene expression profiles in the porcine TIC, constructs the lncRNA–miRNA–gene interaction networks, and confirms the function of NKX3.2 in vertebral column development. These findings contribute to the understanding of the potential molecular mechanisms regulating pig vertebral column development. They expand our knowledge about the differences in body length between different pig species and provide a foundation for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although porcine liver contributes to their growth and development by nutrition production and energy supply, oxidative stress-induced hepatocyte damage is inevitable during metabolism. N-glycosylation is a common modification in oxidation; nevertheless, the effects of N-glycosylation on pig liver oxidative reactions remain undefined. In this study, liver proteins with N-glycosylation were detected in Wuzhishan (WZS) pigs between 4 and 8 months old and Large White (LW) pigs at 4 months old based on LC-MS/MS. The results showed that the number of differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) was larger between different pig cultivars than that between WZS pigs at various growth periods. The enriched pathways of DEPs were mainly related to oxidative reactions, and 10 proteins were finally selected that primarily consisted of CYPs, GSTs and HSPs with expressions significantly correlating to liver size and weight. The oxidative genes shared N-glycosylation-modified models of N-x-S and N-G. Five out of 10 proteins were upregulated in WZS pigs compared to LW pigs at 4 months old, while five proteins increased in WZS pigs from 4 to 8 months old. In conclusion, this research provides valuable information on the N-glycosylation motifs in liver oxidation genes of WZS pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copy number variations (CNVs) critically influence individual genetic diversity and phenotypic traits. In this study, we employed whole-genome resequencing technology to conduct an in-depth analysis of 50 pigs from five local swine populations [Rongchang pig (RC), Wuzhishan pig (WZS), Tibetan pig (T), Yorkshire (YL) and Landrace (LR)], aiming to assess their genetic potential and explore their prospects in the field of animal model applications. We identified a total of 96,466 CNVs, which were subsequently integrated into 7112 non-redundant CNVRs, encompassing 1.3% of the swine genome. Functional enrichment analysis of the genes within these CNVRs revealed significant associations with sensory perception, energy metabolism, and neural-related pathways. Further selective scan analyses of the local pig breeds RC, T, WZS, along with YL and LR, uncovered that for the RC variety, the genes PLA2G10 and ABCA8 were found to be closely related to fat metabolism and cardiovascular health. In the T breed, the genes NCF2 and CSGALNACT1 were associated with immune response and connective tissue characteristics. As for the WZS breed, the genes PLIN4 and CPB2 were primarily linked to fat storage and anti-inflammatory responses. In summary, this research underscores the pivotal role of CNVs in fostering the diversity and adaptive evolution of pig breeds while also offering valuable insights for further exploration of the advantageous genetic traits inherent to China's local pig breeds. This facilitates the creation of experimental animal models tailored to the specific characteristics of these breeds, contributing to the advancement of livestock and biomedical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The inhibition of inflammation is of great importance for porcine growth and development under heat stress, and due to the hot and humid weather in the Hainan province of China, the local pig populations, including Wuzhishan (WZS) minipigs, have developed excellent heat resistance and adaptability. Moreover, the WZS minipig is a perfect animal model for human disease investigation. Therefore, the genetic selection of genes that play roles in both inhibition of inflammation and suppression of growth is beneficial for the conservation and utilization of WZS minipigs. In this study, we analyzed the genetic selection of genes in top genetically different regions in WZS minipigs and four other pig populations using whole genome sequencing, and we found that the HSP genes (HSPD1 and HSPE1) are connected to both inflammation and growth. As a result, this study offers a valuable theoretical basis for the sustainable application of the conservation and utilization of WZS pigs. Wuzhishan (WZS) pigs, which are minipigs native to Hainan Province in China, are characterized by strong resistance to extreme hot temperatures and humidity. The relationship between their immune response and growth still needs to be clarified. In this study, we used whole genome sequencing (WGS) to detect variations within 37 WZS pigs, 32 Large White (LW) pigs, and 22 Xiangxi black (XXB) pigs, and ~2.49 GB of SNPs were obtained. These data were combined with those of two other pig breeds, and it was found that most of the genes detected (354) were located within the distinct genetic regions between WZS pigs and LW pigs. The network that was constructed using these genes represented a center including 12 hub genes, five of which had structural variations (SVs) within their regulatory regions. Furthermore, RNA-seq and RT-qPCR data for 12 genes were primarily consistent in liver, spleen, and LDM tissues. Notably, the expression of HSPs (HSPD1 and HSPE1) was higher while that of most genes involved in the JAK3-STAT pathway were lower in liver tissue of WZS pigs, compared with LW pigs. This likely not only reduced inflammation-related immune response but also impaired their growth. Our findings demonstrated the role of HSPs in the connection between inflammation and growth rate, while also providing the fundamental genetic selection of the adaptability of WZS pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Goat products have played a crucial role in meeting the dietary demands of people since the Neolithic era, giving rise to a multitude of goat breeds globally with varying characteristics and meat qualities. The primary objective of this study is to pinpoint the pivotal genes and their functions responsible for regulating muscle fiber growth in the longissimus dorsi muscle (LDM) through DNA methylation modifications in Hainan black goats and hybrid goats. Methods: Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) was employed to scrutinize the impact of methylation on LDM growth. This was accomplished by comparing methylation differences, gene expression, and their associations with growth-related traits. Results: In this study, we identified a total of 3,269 genes from differentially methylated regions (DMR), and detected 189 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) through RNA-seq analysis. Hypo DMR genes were primarily enriched in KEGG terms associated with muscle development, such as MAPK and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. We selected 11 hub genes from the network that intersected the gene sets within DMR and DEGs, and nine genes exhibited significant correlation with one or more of the three LDM growth traits, namely area, height, and weight of loin eye muscle. Particularly, PRKG1 demonstrated a negative correlation with all three traits. The top five most crucial genes played vital roles in muscle fiber growth: FOXO3 safeguarded the myofiber's immune environment, FOXO6 was involved in myotube development and differentiation, and PRKG1 facilitated vasodilatation to release more glucose. This, in turn, accelerated the transfer of glucose from blood vessels to myofibers, regulated by ADCY5 and AKT2, ultimately ensuring glycogen storage and energy provision in muscle fibers. Conclusion: This study delved into the diverse methylation modifications affecting critical genes, which collectively contribute to the maintenance of glycogen storage around myofibers, ultimately supporting muscle fiber growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glaesserella parasuis (G. parasuis) can elicit meningitis in pigs; however, the pathogenic mechanisms of meningitis induced by G. parasuis remain unclear. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been proven to play key roles in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. However, whether lncRNAs are involved in meningitis triggered by G. parasuis has not been investigated. In this study, we performed an integrative analysis of lncRNAs expression profiles in the porcine brain infected with G. parasuis using RNA-seq. The results showed that lncRNA expressions in G. parasuis-induced meningitis were modified, and a total of 306 lncRNAs exhibited significant differential expression, in which 176 lncRNAs were up-regulated and 130 lncRNAs were down-regulated. KEGG enrichment analysis demonstrated that the differentially expressed target mRNAs of affected lncRNAs in G. parasuis-infected porcine brain were mainly involved in the cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), Jak-STAT signaling pathway, PI3k-Akt signaling pathway, and TNF signaling pathway. The expression relationship between the most affected differential lncRNAs and their differential target mRNAs was visualized by a co-expression network. A protein-protein interaction network consisting of 12 differential targets was constructed using STRING analysis. In addition, differential expressions of important lncRNAs were validated by qRT-PCR. lncRNA ALDBSSCT0000007362, ALDBSSCT0000001959, ALDBSSCT0000005529, MSTRG.2939.1, and MSTRG.32374.1 showed the same expression pattern with the lncRNA sequencing data. Our results demonstrated that G. parasuis could modify the lncRNA expression profiles in the porcine brain. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report revealing the integrative analysis of lncRNA expression profiles in G. parasuis-induced meningitis, which could enhance important information to understand the inflammatory functions of lncRNAs involved in swine meningitis, and also provide a foundation for finding out novel strategies to prevent and treat meningitis in piglets triggered by G. parasuis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional connectivity has become one of the important approaches to understanding the functional organization of the human brain. Recently, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was demonstrated as a feasible method to study resting–state functional connectivity (RSFC) in the sensory and motor systems. However, whether such fNIRS-based RSFC can be revealed in high-level and complex functional systems remains unknown. In the present study, the feasibility of such an approach is tested on the language system, of which the neural substrates have been well documented in the literature. After determination of a seed channel by a language localizer task, the correlation strength between the low frequency fluctuations of the fNIRS signal at the seed channel and those at all other channels is used to evaluate the language system RSFC. Our results show a significant RSFC between the left inferior frontal cortex and superior temporal cortex, components both associated with dominant language regions. Moreover, the RSFC map demonstrates left lateralization of the language system. In conclusion, the present study successfully utilized fNIRS-based RSFC to study a complex and high-level neural system, and provides further evidence for the validity of the fNIRS-based RSFC approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]