EW Group Research Articles

Enhanced gelation of sturgeon frozen surimi via egg white: Exploring the role of endogenous serine protease inhibition

AbstractThe degradation of frozen sturgeon surimi can be attributed to the endogenous serine protease. This study was first to examine the impact of egg whites on the frozen sturgeon surimi's gel properties from the perspective of inhibiting endogenous serine protease. The protease activity of egg whites group (CA + EW group, consisting of 4% egg whites and cryoprotectants) was 45.15% lower than that of cryoprotectants group (CA group, consisting of 3% sucrose, 3% sorbitol, and 0.3% sodium tripolyphosphate) at 12 weeks. From the results of inhibition kinetics, serine protease was inhibited by both anticompetitive and noncompetitive inhibition modes. Molecular docking analysis indicated that egg white achieves this inhibitory effect through ionic interactions and hydrogen bonding with serine protease. However, this inhibitory effect was absent when the freezing period was extended to 24 weeks. Compared with CA group, the CA + EW group exhibited 54.76% and 4.59% increase in gel strength and water‐holding capacity, and 32.42% reduction in cooking loss after 24 weeks of freezing. Egg whites also impeded water migration and enhanced the density and smoothness of the gel microstructure, reducing protein aggregation. These results indicated that egg whites serve a dual function: inhibiting serine protease and filling the gel network within 12 weeks, mitigating protein aggregation and ice crystal formation over 24 weeks. This study elucidated the mechanism underlying the impact of egg white on endogenous serine protease in sturgeon surimi during long‐term freezing, laying a theoretical foundation for the industrialization of sturgeon surimi.

Leucine Supplementation Modulates Lipid Metabolism and Inflammation in Early Weaning Piglets.

Early weaning can induce the programmed dysregulation of glycolipid metabolism and inflammation in adult animals. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of leucine supplementation administered promptly after early weaning in mitigating these adverse effects in piglets. At day 21, 24 piglets were randomly selected and divided into 3 groups: EW group where the piglets were weaned at day 21 and fed basal diet, EWL group where the piglets were weaned at day 21 and fed the basal diet with supplementation of 1% leucine, and C group where the piglets were fed basal diet and weaned at 28 days. Each group contained eight replicates, with one piglet per replicate. The results indicated that early weaning had an impact on gut health and could activate the inhibitor of the kappa B kinase gamma/inhibitor kappa B alpha/NF-kappa-B (IKKγ/IκBα/NF-κB) signaling pathway to ameliorate pro-inflammatory factor and apoptosis levels. Furthermore, early weaning reduced the activity of fatty acid β oxidation (FAβO) and affected genes linked with lipid metabolism. Supplementing with leucine can improve the effects of these factors. In summary, leucine may alleviate the influences of early weaning on the lipid metabolism and inflammation in piglets.

Effects of Early Weaning on Performance and Carcass Quality of Nellore Young Bulls.

This study compared early weaning (EW; 150 days) with conventional weaning (CW; 240 days) in Nellore young bulls, evaluating performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality. A total of 74 non-castrated male calves were divided into two weaning strategies: EW (n = 37) and CW (n = 37). During the growth phase, which lasted 454 ± 14 d for EW calves and 359 ± 16 d for CW calves, animals received a protein-energy supplement at a ratio of 5 g per kg of body weight while grazing Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu. The animals were managed for an 87d finishing phase in three collective feedlot pens, with a 3-week adaptation protocol, starting with corn silage to a concentrate ratio of 55:45 and reaching a ratio of 30:70 in the final diet. Body weight, average daily gain (ADG), dry matter intake (DMI), feed efficiency (FE), carcass characteristics, and meat quality were evaluated. The EW group was approximately 44 kg lighter than the CW at the time of conventional weaning (p < 0.001). However, this weight difference did not influence ADG, DMI, and FE in the finishing phase. No significant differences were observed in carcass characteristics such as yield percentage, loin area, subcutaneous fat thickness, and meat quality, except for the weight of primal cuts, which was greater in the CW group (p < 0.001). Thus, although calves weaned early are lighter throughout subsequent production phases than those weaned conventionally, performance, efficiency, carcass yield, and meat quality are not affected.

Reduction of Pathological Skin-Picking Via Expressive Writing: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Expressive writing (EW: a personal form of writing about emotional distress, without regard to writing conventions) can improve physical and mental health. The present study investigated whether EW can reduce pathological skin-picking. In addition, the effects of two modalities of writing were contrasted with each other: computer vs. paper/pencil. A total of 132 females with self-reported pathological skin-picking participated in a two-week intervention. They either carried out six EW sessions or wrote about six abstract paintings (control condition), using either paper/pencil or a computer. Before and after each session, participants rated their affective state and the urge to pick their skin via a smartphone application. Questionnaires for assessing skin-picking severity were completed before and after the two-week intervention. The urge for skin-picking decreased directly after a writing session. The reduction was more pronounced in participants of the EW group, who also experienced reduced tension and increased feelings of relief at the end of a writing session. EW also reduced the severity of focused skin-picking after the two-week intervention. The writing modality had no differential effect on skin-picking symptoms. This study identified beneficial effects of EW on pathological skin-picking. A future study could investigate EW as a potential tool in the context of (online) psychotherapy for skin-picking disorder.

Leucine Supplementation Alleviates Immune and Antioxidant Function Damage in Adult Rats Induced by Early Weaning

BackgroundEarly weaning (EW) can lead to stress and destroy intestinal integrity. Leucine has functional diversity in antioxidant, immune, and metabolic regulation. ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore the lifelong impact of EW on intestinal, immune, and antioxidant functions of adult rats and the role of leucine supplementation in the alleviation of the damage caused by EW. MethodsIn this 211-d study, 36 Sprague Dawley (SD) rat pups were divided into 3 groups: 21-d weaning normal group, 17-d EW group, and 17-d EW group with 2-mo leucine supplementation. The content of amino acids in serum, immune and antioxidant indexes, intestinal morphology, liver transcriptomics, messenger RNA (mRNA), and protein expression of signaling pathway were determined. ResultsEW reduced the protein expression level of secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) in the jejunum and increased the protein expression concentrations of IgA, IgM, and interleukin 17 (IL-17) in serum, and tumor necrosis factor α and IL-1β in the jejunum. The impairment by EW was activated via nuclear transcription factor κB (NF-κB) signal pathway. In terms of antioxidation, EW reduced the concentration of GSH in the jejunum. After leucine supplementation, the damage induced by EW was partially repaired. ConclusionsEW causes long-term damage to the intestinal barrier function, immunity, apoptosis factor, and antioxidant function in rats and leucine supplementation could alleviate the impairment, suggesting a possible approach to EW.

Linguistic Predictors of Psychological Adjustment in Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

COVID-19 broke out in China in December 2019 and rapidly became a worldwide pandemic that demanded an extraordinary response from healthcare workers (HCWs). Studies conducted during the pandemic observed severe depression and PTSD in HCWs. Identifying early predictors of mental health disorders in this population is key to informing effective treatment and prevention. The aim of this study was to investigate the power of language-based variables to predict PTSD and depression symptoms in HCWs. One hundred thirty-five HCWs (mean age = 46.34; SD = 10.96) were randomly assigned to one of two writing conditions: expressive writing (EW n = 73) or neutral writing (NW n = 62) and completed three writing sessions. PTSD and depression symptoms were assessed both pre- and post-writing. LIWC was used to analyze linguistic markers of four trauma-related variables (cognitive elaboration, emotional elaboration, perceived threat to life, and self-immersed processing). Changes in PTSD and depression were regressed onto the linguistic markers in hierarchical multiple regression models. The EW group displayed greater changes on the psychological measures and in terms of narrative categories deployed than the NW group. Changes in PTSD symptoms were predicted by cognitive elaboration, emotional elaboration, and perceived threat to life; changes in depression symptoms were predicted by self-immersed processing and cognitive elaboration. Linguistic markers can facilitate the early identification of vulnerability to mental disorders in HCWs involved in public health emergencies. We discuss the clinical implications of these findings.

Effects of early weaning on productive and reproductive performance of Nelore heifers

Abstract We aimed to evaluate the effects of early weaning on the productive and reproductive characteristics of Nelore heifer progeny. Ninety-five calves from primiparous (PRI) and multiparous (MUL) dams were assigned to one of two weaning strategies; 1) early weaning at 150 d (149 ± 1.97) of age (EW; n = 16 from PRI and 31 from MUL); or 2) conventional weaning at 240 d (247 ± 2.41) of age (CW; 16 from PRI and 32 from MUL). All heifers received ~5 g/kg of body weight (BW) of creep-feed as fed from 90 d of age until weaning. After weaning, each group of heifers was transferred to a Brachiaria spp. paddock and received 5 g/kg of BW of a protein-energy supplement until 12 mo of age. Then, heifers were confined and fed a diet with a ratio of 79:31 (corn silage: concentrate) for 4 mo, during which they were submitted to a hormonal protocol to induce puberty and timed artificial insemination (TAI). Reproductive tract score (RTS, 1 to 5 scale: 1 being infantile and 5 being cyclic) and endometrial thickness were determined at 12 mo of age, rump fat thickness (RFT), and BW every 28 ± 4 d through the breeding season, and plasma concentrations of IGF-I were evaluated at 12, 14, and 16 mo. At 15.6 mo of age heifers were submitted to a P4/E2 protocol for TAI at day 0 (D0), and a second TAI was performed at D22 in nonpregnant heifers. Ultrasound was used to determine the presence of corpus luteum on D10 and dominant follicle (DF) diameter and blood perfusion on D2 and D0. Data were analyzed using SAS by ANOVA or logistic regression. Though heifers from EW were lighter (P &amp;lt; 0.05) than CW at postweaning time points and CW presented a greater (P = 0.002) RFT than EW heifers from 11 to 15 mo, weaning strategy did not affect (P &amp;gt; 0.1) body condition score at TAI. Concentrations of IGF-I did not differ (P &amp;gt; 0.1) between heifers weaned at 150 and 240 d. The proportion of pubertal heifers, endometrium tone and thickness, and RTS at 16 mo did not differ (P &amp;gt; 0.1) between EW and CW groups. The diameter of DF on D2 and D0 and follicular blood perfusion on D0 were greater (P &amp;lt; 0.05) for heifers in the CW group than EW group, but P/AI at first and second TAI did not differ (P &amp;gt; 0.1) between groups. In conclusion, early weaning in Nelore heifers moderately reduces postweaning growth but does not affect puberty and reproductive performance before the breeding season when submitted to confinement.

The global and local Reactivity of C,N-diarylnitryle imines in [3+2] cycloaddition processes with trans-β-nitrostyrene according to Molecular Electron Density Theory: A computational study

The regioselectivity of the [3+2] cycloaddition reactions between trans-β-nitrostyrene and C,N-diarylnitryle imine analogues as three atom components (TACs) has been studied with the use of Conceptual Density Functional Theory in the framework of Molecular Electron density Theory. Global and local reactivity indices were determined. Presented quantum-chemical computations showed that, for the reaction of nitroalkene with diphenylnitryle imine, the most favourable reaction path is determined by the nucleophilic attack of C3 carbon atom of TAC on an electrophilic Cα carbon atom of nitroalkene. Therefore, the creation of 1,3,4-triphenyl-5-nitro-Δ2-pyrazoline, according to channel B, is more probable. Similarly, to presented conclusion, for reactions of nitroalkene with nitryle imines containing ED group at para position of the phenyl ring also the most favourable reaction paths run through channel B leading to 1,3,4-triphenyl-5-nitro-Δ2-pyrazolines. In turn, reactions of nitroalkene with nitryle imines containing EW group at para position of the phenyl ring have the opposite preference and the most favourable reaction paths is channel A leading to 1,3,5-triphenyl-4-nitro-Δ2-pyrazolines.

Absence of a weekday effect on short- and long-term oncologic outcomes of gastrectomy for gastric cancer: a propensity score matching analysis

BackgroundDay of the week when elective gastrointestinal surgery is performed may be influenced by various background and tumor-related factors. Relationships between postoperative outcome and when in the week gastrectomy is performed remain controversial. We undertook this study to evaluate whether weekday of gastrectomy influenced outcomes of gastric cancer treatment (“weekday effect”).MethodsPatients who underwent curative surgery for gastric cancer between 2004 and 2017 were included in this retrospective study. To obtain 2 cohorts well balanced for variables that might influence clinical outcomes, patients whose gastrectomy was performed early in the week (EW group) were matched 1:1 with others undergoing gastrectomy later in the week (LW group) by use of propensity scores.ResultsAmong 554 patients, 216 were selected from each group by propensity score matching. Incidence of postoperative complications classified as Clavien-Dindo grade II or higher was similar between EW and LW groups (20.4% vs. 24.1%; P = 0.418). Five-year overall and recurrence-free survival were 86.0% and 81.9% in the EW group, and 86.2% and 81.1% in the LW group (P = 0.981 and P = 0.835, respectively).ConclusionsShort- and long-term outcomes were comparable between gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy early and late in the week.

Early feeding strategies in lambs affect rumen development and growth performance, with advantages persisting for two weeks after the transition to fattening diets.

This study aimed to explore the effects of early feeding strategies on the growth and rumen development of lambs from pre-weaning to the transition to fattening diets. Ninety-six newborn, male lambs with similar body weights were randomly assigned to three treatments: fed starter at 42 days old + weaned at 56 days old (Ctrl, n = 36), fed starter at 7 days old + weaned at 56 days old (ES, n = 36), and fed starter at 7 days old + weaned at 28 days old (ES + EW, n = 24). The fattening diets of all lambs were gradually replaced from 60 to 70 days of age. Six randomly selected lambs from each treatment were slaughtered at 14, 28, 42, 56, 70, and 84 days of age. The results showed that the richness and diversity of rumen microbiota of lambs in the Ctrl group were distinct from those of lambs in the other groups at 42 days of age. Moreover, transcriptome analysis revealed 407, 219, and 1,211 unique differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the rumen tissue of ES vs. Ctrl, ES vs. ES + EW, and ES + EW vs. Ctrl groups, respectively, at 42 days of age. Different early feeding strategies resulted in differences in ruminal anatomy, morphology, and fermentation in lambs from 42 to 84 days of age (P < 0.05). Lambs in the ES + EW group had a higher average starter diet intake than those in the other groups (P < 0.05) from 28 to 56 days of age, which affected their growth performance. After 42 days of age, the body and carcass weights of lambs in the ES and ES + EW groups were higher than those in the Ctrl group (P < 0.05). These findings demonstrate that feeding lambs with a starter diet at 7 days of age and weaning them at 28 days of age can promote rumen development and improve growth performance, and this advantage persists for up to 2 weeks after transition to the fattening diet.

The Temporal Dynamics of Rumen Microbiota in Early Weaned Lambs.

Weaning affects the development of ruminal bacteria in lambs during early life. However, the temporal dynamics of rumen microbiota in early weaned lambs is unknown compared to conventionally weaned lambs. In this study, one group was reared with their dams (control, CON) and conventionally weaned at 49 days (d), while the other lambs were weaned at 21 d (early weaning, EW) using starter. Rumen microbial samples collected at 26, 35, and 63 d were used for next-generation sequencing. Here, we found that the abundance and diversity of rumen microbiota in EW were significantly lower at 26 and 35 d than the CON. Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) analysis was performed to identify the signature microbiota for EW at these three ages. At 26 d, Prevotella 7, Syntrophococcus, Sharpea, Dialister, Pseudoscardovia, and Megasphaera in the rumen of the EW group had greater relative abundances. At 35 d, the Lachnospiraceae_NK3A20_group was enriched in CON. On 63 d, Erysipelotrichaceae_UCG-002 was abundant in EW. Syntrophococcus and Megaspheaera in EW lambs were abundant at 26 and 35 d, but kept similar to CON at 63 d. The relative abundance of Erysipelotrichaceae_UCG-002 at all-time points was consistently higher in the EW group. In conclusion, early weaning led to a significant decrease in rumen microbiota richness and diversity in the short term. The changes in rumen microbiota are associated with the persistence of weaning stress. The temporal dynamics of relative abundances of Syntrophococcus, Megasphaera, and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014 reflect the weaning stress over a short period and rumen recovery after early weaning.

Design, Characterizations and Host‐Guest Properties of a New Metal‐Organic Cage Based on Half‐Sandwich Rhodium Moieties

AbstractDespite recent efforts to advance host‐guest systems using discrete metal‐organic cages (MOCs) with non‐trivial topological geometries for molecular recognition, which is often mediated by non‐covalent interactions involving aromatic functional groups, the relative complexation of these so‐called π‐π interaction is still challenges of study, theory and modeling. Specifically, the ability of supramolecular interactions, for an example, π‐π stacking between guest substrates and MOCs as hosts, would easily control the host‐guest assemblies. By the assembly of host‐guest complexations with metal‐coordination driven strategy and π‐π interaction, here we show that the hierarchical combination of the newly metal‐organic cages with nanosized cavity (metallacage 1), which facilitates encapsulating guest molecules through supramolecular forces. Additionally, the electron‐donating (ED)/‐withdrawing (EW) functional groups of pyrene analogues, utilized as guest substrates, can enforce host‐guest assemblies with electron‐donor (D) and electron‐acceptor (A) interactions. We herein demonstrate that ED or EW group can promote host‐guest behaviors. By this new approach, we predict that the more stable host‐guest complexations will be accompanied by stronger D−A interactions. Three guest substrates, including 1‐hydroxypyrene, 1‐pyrenamine, and 1‐pyrenecarboxaldehyde, were chosen to systematically study this host‐guest system within 1, exhibiting well consistent with our hypothesis.

Prostatic alterations associated to early weaning and its relation with cocoa powder supplementation. Experimental study in adult wistar rats.

ABSTRACTEarly weaning can predispose the offspring to greater risk of developing chronic diseases in adulthood. It is believed that the consumption of functional foods is able to prevent these effects. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of maternal and postnatal cocoa powder supplementation on body mass, metabolism, and morphology of the prostate of early weaned Wistar rats. The animals were divided into four experimental groups according to lactation time (21 or 18 days, n=6, each) as follows: control group (C), cocoa control group (CCa), early weaning group (EW), and cocoa early weaning group (EWCa). The animals were euthanized at 90 days of age. Serum biochemical analysis and prostate histomorphometric evaluation were performed. The animals supplemented with cocoa powder were heavier than their respective controls (p <0.05), although with no difference in food intake among the groups. Likewise, these same groups showed a reduction in the serum glucose in relation to C and EW groups (p <0.0001). With respect to the prostate, there was no difference in smooth muscle and lumen area densities, while the EW group had a lower epithelial height and a higher percentage of mast cells than the C group (p <0.05). On the other hand, the EWCa group managed to reverse these parameters, leveling with the controls. Early weaning resulted in hyperglycemia and important morphological changes in the prostate. In contrast, dietary supplementation with cocoa powder attenuated these effects on the metabolism and prostatic histoarchitecture, proving to be a good nutritional treatment strategy.

EFFECTS OF WEANING SYSTEM ON MILK AND EXTERNAL MAMMARY CONFORMATION TRAITS OF SICILO-SARDE TUNISIAN DAIRY EWE

A better development of the Sicilo-Sarde dairy sheep in Tunisia needs a review of its behavior by adopting early weaning and generalizing mechanical milking that involves an adaptation of the external mammary morphology (MM). Thirty ewes were divided into two groups (early and late weaning; EW and LW respectively) to study the effects of weaning system (WS) and milking time (MT) on milk and external MM traits in early milking period. MM was evaluated by six measurements and three scores of udder and teat. EW group had higher milk production (MP) and lower fat and protein amounts that increased with MT advancement (P0.001). WS did not affect MM traits (P&gt;0.05), only teat length was higher for LW ewes (P0.05). Udder depth, teat diameter, distance between teats and teat angle score decreased with MT (P0.01). Significant interactions were noted between WS and MT for most traits studied. MP was negatively correlated with fat and protein amounts (-0.38 and -0.50 respectively) and moderately correlated with udder depth, cistern height, teat diameter (from 0.31 to 0.42). Fat and protein had negative correlation with udder depth, teat diameter and distance between teats. Higher correlation was determined between udder depth and distance between teats (r=0.60; P0.001). In conclusion, EW system allows a better start of the milk production in early milking period. Cistern height, teat length and teat angle score are the prominent traits which affect milk ability and adaptation of ewe to machine milking and consequently they must be included in selection program.

Relationship between Obesity and Iron Deficiency in Healthy Adolescents.

The relationship between overweight/obesity (excess of weight [EW]) and iron deficiency (ID) is not well defined. Objective: To analyze the relationship between EW and ID in healthy adolescents, assessing the contribution of new diagnostic measures of iron status and erythropoietic activity. Method: A cross-sectional study was made of 405 healthy adolescents, 12-16 years of age. A total of 289 were normal weight (NW) and 116 were otherwise healthy EW. Epidemiological, socioeconomic, diet, BMI Z-score, CRP (C-reactive protein), hematological, iron status, and erythropoietic activity parameters were measured. Statistical tests were Student's, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Chi-square, Pearson's correlation, and odds ratio. Results: ID prevalence in the EW group was 22.6% vs. 29.5% in the NW group (p: 0.3). Greater body weight was associated with lower reticulocyte hemoglobin content (CHr) (NW: 31.3 ± 1.7 pg vs. OW: 30.2 ± 1.7 pg, p: 0.007) and greater CRP (NW: 0.1 ± 0.2 mg/dL vs. OW: 0.2 ± 0.18 mg/dL, p < 0.001), leukocytes (NW: 6.69 ± 1.57 × 103/L vs. OW: 7.43 ± 1.63 × 103/L, p < 0.02), platelets (NW: 265.6 ± 58.9 × 103/L vs. OW: 291.8 ± 54.4 × 103/L, p < 0.002), ferritin (NW: 32.1 ± 17.9 ng/mL vs. OW: 42.8 ± 20.3 ng/mL, p: 0.01), serum transferrin receptor (sTfR) (NW: 1.39 ± 0.4 mg/L vs. OW: 1.73 ± 0.45 mg/L, p: 0.008), sTfR-F index (sTfR/log Ferritin) (NW: 1.06 ± 0.7 vs. OW: 1.33 ± 0.85, p: 0.036) and reticulocyte count (NW: 54.2 ± 18 × 103/L vs. OW: 65.4 ± 24.2 × 103/L, p: 0.003). A positive correlation was observed between the BMI Z-score and CRP, ferritin, sTfR, leukocytes, platelets, and reticulocyte count, and a negative one between the BMI Z-score and CHr and medium corpuscular volume. Conclusions: The prevalence of ID in otherwise healthy EW adolescents was no higher than in NW. The effect of obesity on iron status was low. The findings reveal the concomitant low-grade inflammation, and probably the effect of adiposity on erythropoietic activity. Specific cutoff values for ID in adolescents with OW need to be defined.

The functional development of the rumen is influenced by weaning and associated with ruminal microbiota in lambs

Rumen development is critical for the development of early lambs. This work aims to evaluate the effects of abrupt weaning at day 21 on rumen fermentation, histomorphological traits and the ruminal microbiota compared with continuous suckling. Twelve pairs of artificially reared full-sib neonatal male Hu lambs were allocated to two groups, one of which was weaned at day 21 (EW group) and the other which was not weaned (CON group). At day 26 and day 49, six lambs from each group were randomly selected and sacrificed to collect ruminal contents and rumen tissue samples. Results showed that weaning influenced the fermentation parameters in the rumen, and altered the microbial community composition on day 49 (p < 0.05). Several genera were associated with rumen fermentation parameters (p < 0.05). Volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration is the key parameter impacting microbiota composition. Weaning influenced the expression of genes associated with VFA metabolism and regulation of cell proliferation (p < 0.05). In conclusion, weaning significantly influenced the morphological and functional development of the rumen, and bacterial community composition. The microbial community composition was strongly associated with rumen weight and fermentation profiles, but not with morphological development.

PSXII-1 Effects of early weaning on feed intake, growth performance, and diarrhea rate of Hu lambs

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of early weaning on growth performance, feed intake and diarrhea rate of Hu lambs, and establish the experimental model of early weaning stress in lambs. A total of 60 neonatal male Hu lambs were randomly allotted into 10 pens and 6 lambs in each pen with their ewes. Five pens of lambs were weaned at 21days of age as early weaning group (EW group), and the other 5 pens of lambs were remained with their ewes as control group (CON group). Body weight (BW) were recorded at birth (d0) and at d7, 14, 21, 22, 24, 26, 28, 35,42 and 49 after birth. Solid feed intake of lambs in each pen was recorded and diarrhea incidence was also monitored on daily basis. Data was analyzed using the MIXED model of SAS, and statistical significance was determined at P &amp;lt; 0.05. There was no difference in BW at birth and d21 between the two groups of lambs (P &amp;gt; 0.05). However, BW and average daily gain (ADG) of the lambs in EW group were significantly lower than those in CON group (P &amp;lt; 0.01) since weaning. Solid feed intake of the lambs in EW group were obviously higher than that in CON group (P &amp;lt; 0.01). In addition, the diarrhea rate was significantly higher than that in CON group from d21 to d35 (P &amp;lt; 0.01). The results indicated that lambs weaned at d21 showed strong stress response by significantly decreasing in BW and ADG, and had more feed intake but higher diarrhea rate. Future study is warranted to determine the changes in gut microbiota and barrier function to assess the mechanism of early weaning on health status and growth performance of lambs, and to investigate nutritional intervention methods to alleviate weaning stress.

Effect of Age and Weaning on Growth Performance, Rumen Fermentation, and Serum Parameters in Lambs Fed Starter with Limited Ewe-Lamb Interaction.

Simple SummaryEarly weaning is a common practice in the modern lamb industry, which shortens the breeding cycle of ewes and improves the flock productivity by increasing the frequency of lambing. Recently, it was suggested that weaning age (21 or 35 days of age) and milk replacer feeding level had limited effect on apparent digestibility of nutrients in lambs. However, artificial rearing may increase the cost due to the use of milk replacer, labor, and feeding facilities. In this study, we compared the difference in growth performance of lambs weaned at 21 days (early weaning) and 49 days (conventional weaning) of age. All lambs were initially reared with ewes and supplemented with starter at 7 days of age. The results showed that diarrhea rate was increased when lambs were weaned at 21 days of age while average daily gain was decreased. Early weaning reduced average daily gain without compromising lambs’ overall immunity. In conclusion, early weaning (21 days of age) may have a negative impact on lambs’ performance based on a short-term study.Sixty neonatal Hu lambs were weaned at either 21 (n = 30) (early weaning, EW) or 49 days (n = 30) of age (control, CON). The starter intake and body weight (BW) of lambs was recorded weekly from birth to 63 days of age. Diarrhea rate of lambs was measured from birth to 35 days. Six randomly selected lambs from each treatment were slaughtered at 26, 35, and 63 days of age, respectively. Ruminal pH, NH3-N, and volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration, as well as serum parameters including immunity, antioxidant status, and inflammatory parameters from randomly selected lambs from each treatment were measured. There was no difference in BW at birth and day 21 between the two groups of lambs (p > 0.05). However, BW of the lambs in the EW group was significantly lower than those in the CON group (p < 0.01) from 28 to 49 days of age. Average daily gain (ADG) of the lambs in the EW group was significantly lower than those in the CON group (p < 0.01) at three weeks after early weaning. Starter intake of the lambs in the EW group was obviously higher than that in the CON group (p < 0.01) from day 28 to 49. In addition, the diarrhea rate was significantly higher than that in the CON group from day 5 to 14 after weaning (p < 0.01). The EW group had heavier carcasses (p < 0.01) and rumen relative to whole stomach weights (p < 0.01). Rumen pH was increased by age (p < 0.01) and was not affected by early weaning (p > 0.05). Early weaning decreased abomasum relative to whole stomach weight (p < 0.01) and increased total VFA concentrations (p < 0.01) at day 26. There was no difference in lambs’ immunity and stress indicators (p > 0.05). The results indicated that lambs weaned at 21 days of age had decreased ADG and higher diarrhea rate, although the overall immunity was not compromised. Long-term study is needed to further validate the feasibility of early weaning strategy in lambs.

Effects of enzymatically modified isoquercitrin in supplementary protein powder on athlete body composition: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial

BackgroundEnzymatically modified isoquercitrin (EMIQ), a water-soluble quercetin, has been shown to intensify muscle hypertrophy in mice. We investigated the effect of EMIQ in supplementary protein powder on athlete body composition.MethodsForty Japanese males who played American football (age: 19.8 ± 1.4 years; body height: 174.1 ± 6.0 cm; body mass: 75.5 ± 10.7 kg) were assigned to a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of parallel group. Participants received either EMIQ in whey protein (EW, n = 19) or contrast whey protein (W, n = 20) 6 days per week over 4 months. Body composition was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Markers of oxidative stress, derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) and biological antioxidant potential (BAP), were assessed using a free radical analytical system. Data were analyzed using a univariate and repeated measures general model statistics.ResultsAfter 4 months, changes in lower limb fat-free mass and muscle mass were significantly greater in the EW group than in the W group (mean change ±95% CI; W: 324.1 ± 284.3, EW: 950.3 ± 473.2, p = 0.031, W: 255.7 ± 288.6, EW: 930.9 ± 471.5, p = 0.021, respectively). Moreover, the EW group exhibited a significantly higher BAP/d-ROMs ratio, antioxidation index, than the W group after 4 months (mean change ± SD; W: 8.8 ± 1.1, EW: 10.3 ± 2.8; p = 0.028). No significant differences in body mass, lean body mass, fat mass, or lower limb fat mass were observed between the groups.ConclusionIngestion of EMIQ in supplementary protein powder for 4 months exerts antioxidant effects and increases muscle mass among American football players.Trial registrationUniversity Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry, UMIN000036036. Retrospectively registered in 2019.

8] Cyclo-1, 4-naphthylene: A possible new member in hole transport family

In this work, we report a new cyclic molecule, [8] Cyclo-1, 4-naphthylene ([8]-CN), that can act as an effective hole transport molecule. Based on First principle calculation we have quantified the reorganization energy of the compound to explore its efficiency as a hole transport molecule. Further, the molecule was functionalized with several electron donating (ED)/withdrawing(EW) groups to investigate the effect on the hole/electron transport property. We have found that the energy difference between indium tin oxide (ITO) work function and HOMO energy of ED group substituted ([8]-CN) are almost comparable while the situation is not suitable for EW group substituted [8]-CN.