Effects of the Oat Hay Feeding Method and Compound Probiotic Supplementation on the Growth, Antioxidant Capacity, Immunity, and Rumen Bacteria Community of Dairy Calves.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the oat hay feeding method and compound probiotics (CMP) on the growth, health, serum antioxidant and immune indicators, rumen fermentation, and bacteria community of dairy calves from 3 to 5 months of age. Forty-eight female Holstein calves (80 ± 7 days of age, 93.71 ± 5.33 kg BW) were selected and randomly divided into four groups. A 2 × 2 factorial design was adopted for the experiment, with the factors of the oat hay feeding method (fed as free-choice or 16.7% in the diet) and compound probiotics (CMP) inclusion (0.15% or 0%) in the pelleted starter. The results showed that, compared with giving oat hay as free-choice, feeding a diet of 16.7% oat hay increased the pelleted starter intake at 1-84 d (p < 0.05), with an average daily gain (ADG) at 61-84 d (p = 0.02); adding CMP to the pelleted starter did not significantly affect body weight, and reduced the fecal index (p < 0.05). Feeding 16.7% oat hay increased the concentration of IgA, IgG, and IgM (p < 0.01), while adding CMP increased the catalase (p < 0.01) and decreased the concentration of malondialdehyde (p < 0.01) in serum. Feeding 16.7% oat hay increased the ruminal concentration of propionic acid (p < 0.05) and isobutyric acid (p = 0.08), and decreased the ruminal pH (p = 0.08), the concentration of acetic acid (p < 0.05), and the ratio of acetic acid to propionic acid (p < 0.01). Feeding 16.7% oat hay reduced the relative abundance of ruminal Firmicutes, Unidentified-Bacteria, Actinobacteria, Prevotella, NK4A214-group, Olsenella, and Actinobacteriota (p < 0.05); adding CMP increased the relative abundance of ruminal Prevotella, Rikenellaceae-RC9-gut-group, Ruminococcus, NK4A214-group, and Ruminococcus (p < 0.05), and decreased the abundance of Desulfobacterora, Prevotella-7, and Erysipelotricaceae-UCG-002 (p < 0.05). In conclusion, feeding a diet of 16.7% oat hay increased the pelleted starter intake and average daily gain, while slightly reducing the ruminal pH values; adding CMP to the pelleted starter resulted in reduced diarrhea incidence, increased serum antioxidant capacity and immunity, as well as ruminal richness and diversity of microorganisms in dairy calves from 3 to 5 months of age.

Virus, Oncolytic Virus and Human Prostate Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa), a disease, is characterized by abnormal cell growth in the prostate - a gland in the male reproductive system. Although older age and a family history of the disease have been recognized as the risk factors of PCa, the cause of this cancer remains unclear. Currently, PCa is one of the leading causes of cancer death among men of all races. METHOD: In this review study, we first discuss the controversy of the contribution of virus infection to PCa, and subsequently summarize the development of oncolytic virotherapy for PCa in the past several years. RESULTS: Mounting evidence suggests that infections with various viruses are causally linked to PCa pathogenesis. Published studies have provided strong evidence that at least two viruses (RXMV and HPV) contribute to prostate tumourigenicity and impact on the survival of patients with malignant PCa. Traditional therapies including chemotherapy and radiotherapy are unable to distinguish cancer cells from normal cells, which are a significant drawback and leads to toxicities for PCa patients undergoing treatment. So far, few other options are available for treating patients with advanced PCa. For PCa treatment, oncolytic virotherapy appears to be much more attractive, which uses live viruses to selectively kill cancer cells. Oncolytic viruses can be genetically engineered to induce cancer cell lysis through virus replication and expression of cytotoxic proteins. CONCLUSION: Virotherapy is being developed to be a novel therapy for cancers, which uses oncotropic and oncolytic viruses with their abilities to find and destroy malignant cells in the body. As oncolytic viruses are a relatively new class of anti-cancer immunotherapy agents, several important barriers still exist on the road to the use of oncolytic viruses for PCa therapy.

Association of human papillomavirus with Fanconi anemia promotes carcinogenesis in Fanconi anemia patients.

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare recessive disorder associated with chromosomal fragility. FA patients are at very high risk of cancers, especially head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas caused by infection of human papillomaviruses (HPVs). By integrating into the host genome, HPV oncogenes E6 and E7 drive the genomic instability to promote DNA damage and gene mutations necessary for carcinogenesis in FA patients. Furthermore, E6 and E7 oncoproteins not only inhibit p53 and retinoblastoma but also impair the FANC/BRCA signaling pathway to prevent DNA damage repair and alter multiple signals including cell-cycle checkpoints, telomere function, cell proliferation, and interference of the host immune system leading to cancer development in FA patients. In this review, we summarize recent advances in unraveling the molecular mechanisms of FA susceptibility to HPV-induced cancers, which facilitate rational preventive and therapeutic strategies.

[Method of isolation of intrafusal fibres of muscle spindle in soleus of rats].

Capsule restricts the further study on muscle spindle function and the involved mechanism. The aim of this study was to establish the isolation method of intrafusal fibres from the isolated rat muscle spindle. Intrafusal fibres were harvested from muscle spindle of soleus muscle in rats using neutrase-collagenase digestion. A variety of incubation mediums have been tested to find out an appropriate medium of intrafusal fibers in vitro. Trypan blue staining was used to detect cell death, and patch clamp was used to record resting potential. The results showed that the intrafusal fibres incubated with amine acid-saline solution were almost all dead. DMEM could maintain good condition of the fibres, but excess CO2 ventilation would induce cellular swelling or even death. While Leiboviz's 15 (L-15) medium can guarantee 1-2 h of physiological condition of the intrafusal fibres. Coverslips treated with gelatin, polylysine and serum was the better interfaces for the intrafusal fibres to adhere easily, compared with regularly treated coverslip. The resting potential of intrafusal fibres was (-45.3 ± 5.1) mV, consistent with others obtained from in vivo muscle spindle from cats and frogs. These results suggest that the isolation method of the intrafusal fibres has been successfully established in the present study, providing a new approach in better understanding of muscle spindle activities and the involved mechanism.

Estrogen-induced cholestasis: pathogenesis and therapeuticimplications.

Cholestasis syndromes characterised by impairment of bile formation and secretion arecaused by many diseases. Estrogen-induced cholestasis among the cholestasis syndromes is a very common form. Based on the molecular studies of bile formation and transportation, a significant advancement has been achieved in understanding the mechanism of the disease. Estrogen can inhibit bile acids transportation from hepatocytes into bile canaliculi by interfering with the bile salt export pump and multidrug resistance-associated transporter 2 as well. It also inhibits Na+-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide and Na+-independent organic anion-transporting polypeptides in the basolateral membrane of hepatocytes to interfere with the uptake of bile acids. Thus, co-treatment strategy can be considered which combines nuclear receptor inducers and cAMP enhancer to increase bile acids transporters activities, and the agents to reduce serum estrogen concentration and its receptor binding, and to reduce bile acids in enterohepatic circulation.

[(E)-(1-Phenyl-ethyl-idene)amino]-urea methanol monosolvate.

In the title compound, C(9)H(11)N(3)O·CH(4)O, the semicarbazone moiety is nearly planar [maximum deviation = 0.017 (2) Å] and is twisted by a dihedral angle of 29.40 (13)° with respect to the phenyl ring. The semicarbazone moiety and phenyl ring are located on opposite sides of the C=N bond, showing the E configuration. An inter-molecular O-H⋯O and N-H⋯O hydrogen-bonding network occurs in the crystal structure.

Computational analysis of base composition pattern and promoter elements in the putative promoter regions in relation to expression profiles of 682 human genes on chromosome 22.

Abstract The base composition pattern (BCP) in the putative promoter region (PPRs) up to 5 Kb lengths of 682 human genes on Chromosome 22 (Chr22) was examined. Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) functions were designed to delineate the DNA base composition, with four major patterns identified. It is found that 17.6% genes include TATA box, 28.0% GC box, 18.9% CAAT box and 38.4% CpG islands, and approximately 10% genes have one of four putative initiator (Inr) motifs. The occurrence of the promoter elements is tightly associated with the base composition features in the promoter regions, and the associations of the base composition features with occurrence of the promoter elements in the promoter regions mediate tissue-wide expression of the genes in human. The occurrence of two or more promoter elements in the promoter regions is required for the medium- and wide-range expression profiles of the human genes on Chr22. Thus, the reported data shed light on the characteristics of the PPRs of the human genes on Chr22, which may improve our understanding of regulatory roles of the PPRs with occurrence of the promoter elements in gene expression.

Spreading and synchronization of intrinsic signals in visual cortex of macaque monkey evoked by a localized visual stimulus.

Spatio-temporal maps of the occipital cortex of macaque monkeys were analyzed using optical imaging of intrinsic signals. The images obtained during localized visual stimulation (IS) were compared with the images obtained on presentation of a blank screen (IB). We first investigated spontaneous variations of the intrinsic signals by analyzing the 100 IBs for each of the three cortical areas. Slow periodical activation was observed in alternation over the cortical areas. Cross-correlation analysis indicated that synchronization of spontaneous activation only took place within each cortical area, but not between them. When a small, drifting grating (2 degrees x 2 degrees ) was presented on the fovea, a dark spot appeared in the optical image at the cortical representation of this retinal location. It spread bilaterally along the border between V1 and V2, continuing as a number of parallel dark bands covering a large area of the lateral surface of V1. Cross-correlation analysis showed that during visual stimulation the intrinsic signals over all of the three cortical areas were synchronized, with in-phase activation of V1 and V2 and anti-phase activation of V4 and V1/V2. The significance of these extensive synergistic and antagonistic interactions between different cortical areas is discussed.

Orientation mosaic in barn owl's visual Wulst revealed by optical imaging: comparison with cat and monkey striate and extra-striate areas.

Using the technique of intrinsic signal optical imaging, orientation preference maps were obtained from the Wulst of the barn owl in the area that represents central vision, and from the visual cortices (V1 and V2) of cat and marmoset monkey. Iso-orientation domains in barn owl's visual Wulst were patch-like structures with an inter-patch distance of approximately 0.9 mm, arranged in a pinwheel-like manner around singularity points. The size of the iso-orientation domains in barn owl was larger than those found in area V1, but comparable to those found in area V2, of cat and monkey. Superficial layers of the owl visual Wulst may be equivalent to extra-striate visual areas of primates and carnivores, as already suggested by electrophysiologists discussing the much increased radial dimensions of the Wulst compared with neocortex in mammals.