Genome-Wide Association Study of Lactation Traits in Chinese Holstein Cows in Southern China.

Lactation traits are economically important for dairy cows. Southern China has a high-temperature and high-humidity climate, and environmental and genetic interactions greatly impact dairy cattle performance. The aim of this study was to identify novel single-nucleotide polymorphism sites and novel candidate genes associated with lactation traits in Chinese Holstein cows under high-temperature and humidity conditions in southern China. A genome-wide association study was performed for the lactation traits of 392 Chinese Holstein cows, using GGP Bovine 100 K SNP gene chips. Some 23 single nucleotide polymorphic loci significantly associated with lactation traits were screened. Among them, 16 were associated with milk fat rate, 7 with milk protein rate, and 3 with heat stress. A quantitative trait locus that significantly affects milk fat percentage in Chinese Holstein cows was identified within a window of approximately 0.5 Mb in the region of 0.4-0.9 Mb on Bos taurus autosome 14. According to Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses, ten genes (DGAT1, IDH2, CYP11B1, GFUS, CYC1, GPT, PYCR3, OPLAH, ALDH1A3, and NAPRT) associated with lactation fat percentage, milk yield, antioxidant activity, stress resistance, and inflammation and immune response were identified as key candidates for lactation traits. The results of this study will help in the development of an effective selection and breeding program for Chinese Holstein cows in high-temperature and humidity regions.

Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio predicts the duration of glucocorticoid therapy in the treatment of cutaneous adverse drug reactions.

BACKGROUND: Glucocorticoid (GC) remains the mainstay of treatment for cutaneous adverse drug reactions (cADRs) but has been associated with side effects, emphasizing the importance of precisely managing the duration of high-dose GC treatment. Although the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) has been proven to be closely related to inflammatory disorders, its ability to predict the timing of GC dose reduction (Tr) during cADRs treatment remains obscure. METHODS: Hospitalized patients diagnosed with cADRs treated with glucocorticoids were analyzed in the present study to evaluate the association between PLR values and Tr values using linear, locally weighted scatter plot smoothing (LOWESS) and Poisson regression. Subgroup and ROC curve analyses were conducted to identify confounding variables and assess the predictive performance, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 308 patients were included in the study, with a median age of 47.0 (31.0-62.0) years old and a median incubation period of 4 days. Antibiotics (n = 113, 36.7%) were the most common cause of cADRs, followed by Chinese herbs (n = 76, 24.7%). PLR values were positively correlated with Tr values during linear regression (P < 0.001, r = 0.414) and LOWESS regression analyses. Poisson regression showed PLR was an independent risk factor for higher Tr values (the incidence rate ratio ranged from 1.016 to 1.070 and P < 0.05 for all). The area under the curve of PLR for predicting Tr < 7 days was 0.917. CONCLUSIONS: PLR is a simple and convenient parameter with huge prospects for application as a biomarker to assist clinicians in optimally managing patients treated with glucocorticoid therapy for cADRs.

Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus Clinical Presentation and Risk Factors for Lesion Recovery.

Purpose: Herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) causes trouble in patients' daily life and work. In severe cases, it may even lead to a decrease or loss of vision. To understand the demographic information and ocular symptoms of hospitalized patients with HZO, and to find potential factors related to improvement time of skin rash and duration of ocular symptoms at discharge, we design this study. Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective study. All patients diagnosed with HZO who were hospitalized in the Department of Dermatology of a hospital in Chongqing, China from January 1, 2015 to December 30, 2021 were included in this study. A total of 189 patients were included in this study. Clinical manifestations of the disease during hospitalization, improvement time of ocular skin lesions, and whether ocular skin lesions disappeared completely at discharge were recorded. Results: The most common ocular symptom was eyelid swelling (92.6%), followed by eye pain (48.7%). The most common ocular sign was conjunctivitis (78.3%), followed by keratitis (15.9%). There were 149 cases without residual ocular symptoms and 40 cases with residual ocular symptoms. There was no statistically significant difference in demographic characteristics between the two groups (P>0.05). Age ≥70 years (B=0.381, -0.061~0.022, P=0.005), use of glucocorticoids (B=0.260, 0.024~0.496, P=0.031), and use of topical antiviral drugs (B=0.380, 0.054~0.705, P=0.023) were factors affecting the time interval from admission to improvement of skin rash. Tearing (HR, OR=4.827, 1.956~11.909, P<0.001) and blood urea nitrogen (OR=0.787, 0.620-1.000, P=0.050) were factors influencing residual ocular symptoms. Conclusion: This study could help clinicians gain a deeper understanding of the clinical manifestations and partial influencing factors of HZO patients, which may contribute to future clinical work.

The effects of fermented pineapple residue on growth performance, meat quality, and rumen microbiota of fattening Simmental bull.

In this study, silage Pennisetum sinese Roxb-based diet was replaced with fermented pineapple residue (FPR) at the replacement ratio of 0% (CON), 25% (T25), and 50% (T50) in fattening Simmental bulls for 30 days to evaluate the effects of FPR on growth performance, serum indexes, and ruminal characteristics. A total of 30 Simmental bulls (546 ± 44 kg initial BW) were allocated to three groups according to a completely randomized design. On day 30, the slaughter performance and meat quality were determined. Rumen fluids were collected for analyzing the rumen fermentation parameters and microbiota composition on day 30. The results showed that the average daily weight gain increased (P < 0.05) as the proportion of FPR rose. Within treatments, the T25 group reached more profit (5.34 RMB per day per bull) than CON while T50 was 3.69. The content of crude fat, cysteine, and proline in the muscle of T50 increased significantly (P < 0.05). The amounts of tyrosine, proline, and phenylalanine were significantly increased in the T25 (P < 0.05). The beta diversity analysis showed significant differences among the rumen bacterial flora of each group (P < 0.05). In the T25 group, the relative abundance of Spirochaetes decreased significantly (P < 0.05). The relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae_bacterium_RM44 was significantly lower (P < 0.05). Thus, FPR could improve the growth performance, economic benefits, and meat quality without adverse effects on ruminal characteristics.