Effect of alfalfa supplementary change dietary non-fibrous carbohydrate (NFC) to neutral detergent fiber (NDF) ratio on rumen fermentation and microbial function in Gansu alpine fine wool sheep (Ovis aries).

Bodyweight loss and rumen microbial dysfunction of grazing sheep was a challenge for the sheep production industry during cold season, which were considered to correlated with under-roughage-feeding. Alfalfa is a good roughage supplementary for ruminants, which can improve grazing sheep bodyweight-loss and rumen microbial dysfunction during grass-withering period. This study evaluated the effects of alfalfa hay supplementary change dietary non-fibrous carbohydrate/neutral detergent fiber (NFC/NDF) ratios on rumen fermentation and microbial function of Gansu alpine fine wool sheep during extreme cold season. 120 ewes (3-4 yrs) with an average body weight of 28.71 ± 1.22 kg were allocated randomly into three treatments, and fed NFC/NDF of 1.92 (H group), 1.11 (M group), and 0.68 (L group), respectively. This study was conducted for 107 d, including 7 d of adaption to the diets. The rumen fermentation parameters and microbial characteristics were measured after the end of feeding trials. The results showed that the concentrations of sheep body weight, nitrogen components (Total-N, Soluble protein-N and Ammonia-N), blood biochemical indices (LDH, BUN and CHO) and ruminal volatile fatty acids (TVFA and propionate) significantly increased with an increase in the proportion of NFC/NDF ratios (p < .05), and the acetate and acetate/propionat ratio presented a contrary decreasing trend (p < .05). A total of 1018 OTUs were obtained with 97% consistency. Ruminococcus, Ruminococcaceae and Prevotella were observed as the predominant phyla in ruminal fluid microbiota. Higher NFC/NDF ratios with Alfalfa supplementary increased the richness and diversity of ruminal fluid microbiota, and decreased ruminal fluid microbiota beta-diversity. Using clusters of orthologous groups (COG), the ruminal fluid microbiota of alfalfa supplementary feeding showed low immune pathway and high carbohydrate metabolism pathway. In summary, the study suggested that there was an increasing tendency in dietary NFC/NDF ratio of 1.92 in body weight, ruminal fermentation, microbial community composition and fermentation characteristics through developing alfalfa supplementary system.

A specialized myodural bridge named occipital-dural muscle in the narrow-ridged finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis).

A dense bridge-like tissue named the myodural bridge (MDB) connecting the suboccipital muscles to the spinal dura mater was originally discovered in humans. However, recent animal studies have revealed that the MDB appears to be an evolutionarily conserved anatomic structure which may have significant physiological functions. Our previous investigations have confirmed the existence of the MDB in finless porpoises. The present authors conducted research to expound on the specificity of the MDB in the porpoise Neophocana asiaeorientalis (N.asiaeorientalis). Five carcasses of N.asiaeorientalis, with formalin fixation, were used for the present study. Two of the carcasses were used for head and neck CT scanning, three-dimensional reconstructions, and gross dissection of the suboccipital region. Another carcass was used for a P45 plastination study. Also, a carcass was used for a histological analysis of the suboccipital region and also one was used for a Scanning Electron Microscopy study. The results revealed that the MDB of the N.asiaeorientalis is actually an independent muscle originating from the caudal border of the occiput, passing through the posterior atlanto-occipital interspace, and then attaches to the cervical spinal dura mater. Thus the so called MDB of the N.asiaeorientalis is actually an independent and uniquely specialized muscle. Based on the origin and insertion of this muscle, the present authors name it the 'Occipital-Dural Muscle'. It appears that the direct pull of this muscle on the cervical spinal dura mater may affect the circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid by altering the volume of the subarachnoid space via a pumping action.

An optimal posttreatment surveillance strategy for cancer survivors based on an individualized risk-based approach.

The optimal post-treatment surveillance strategy that can detect early recurrence of a cancer within limited visits remains unexplored. Here we adopt nasopharyngeal carcinoma as the study model to establish an approach to surveillance that balances the effectiveness of disease detection versus costs. A total of 7,043 newly-diagnosed patients are grouped according to a clinic-molecular risk grouping system. We use a random survival forest model to simulate the monthly probability of disease recurrence, and thereby establish risk-based surveillance arrangements that can maximize the efficacy of recurrence detection per visit. Markov decision-analytic models further validate that the risk-based surveillance outperforms the control strategies and is the most cost-effective. These results are confirmed in an external validation cohort. Finally, we recommend the risk-based surveillance arrangement which requires 10, 11, 13 and 14 visits for group I to IV. Our surveillance strategies might pave the way for individualized and economic surveillance for cancer survivors.

Connection of the Posterior Occipital Muscle and Dura Mater of the Siamese Crocodile.

The myodural bridge was proposed initially in 1995. The myodural bridge is a connective tissue bridge that connects a pair of deep muscles at the suboccipital region to the dura mater. There have been numerous studies concerning the morphology and function of the myodural bridge. To determine whether a myodural bridge exists in reptiles, six Siamese crocodiles were investigated using gross anatomy dissection and P45 sheet plastination technologies. As a result, we demonstrated that the posterior occipital muscles of the Siamese crocodile are directly or indirectly connected to the proatlas, atlas, and intermembrane between them. Multiple trabeculae existing in the posterior epidural space extended from the ventral surface of the proatlas, atlas, and intermembrane between them to the dorsal surface of the spinal dura mater. This study showed that the posterior occipital muscle in the suboccipital region of the Siamese crocodile is connected to the spinal dura mater through the proatlas, atlas, and the trabeculae. In conclusion, a myodural bridge-like structure exists in reptiles. This connection may act as a pump to provide cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation at the occipitocervical junction. We hypothesize that a physiologic role of the Siamese crocodile's myodural bridge may be analogous to the human myodural bridge. Anat Rec, 299:1402-1408, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Patterns of attachment of the myodural bridge by the rectus capitis posterior minor muscle.

The myodural bridge was first described by Hack in 1995 and was thought to be related to chronic cervicogenic headaches. For a long time, few studies revealed the patterns of the myodural bridge considering the rectus capitis posterior minor muscle. In this study, P45 plastination technology and anatomical dissection were performed on head specimens, and four different terminal region types of the rectus capitis posterior minor muscle were observed, including the posterior atlanto-occipital interspace, posterior arch of the atlas and posterior atlanto-axial interspace. We propose that the myodural complex structures in the posterior atlanto-occipital and posterior atlanto-axial interspace have cooperative effects on cerebrospinal fluid and work together. This force might be an important source for the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid.