F1 Group Research Articles

Pre-natal dietary imbalance of folic acid and vitamin B12 deficiency adversely impacts placental development and fetal growth

IntroductionThe common practice of supplementing folic acid during pregnancy and the absence of such guidelines for vitamin B12 lead to an imbalance of these vitamins, especially in developing countries like India, where many women are vitamin B12 deficient. MethodsThe present study was designed to explore the effect of low vitamin B12 in combination with different levels of folic acid in the parental diet on fetal growth parameters and maternal reproductive performance in a transgenerational manner. The reversibility of these effects was studied by shifting the mice to a regular diet in the F1 generation in the case of transient groups and continued on the same diet in the sustained groups after the dietary exposure in the F0 generation. ResultsVitamin B12 deficiency and different levels of folic acid resulted in the decreased placental and fetal weight of the F1 generation. Surprisingly, a decreased placental weight, low fetal weight, and reduced crown-rump length and head circumference were observed in F2 fetuses of vitamin B12 deficient with folate over-supplemented (BDFO) transient group, i.e. when F1 mice were shifted to normal diet conditions. Reduced follicles in ovaries and alteration in placental pathology in all the F0 groups and BDFO of the F1 transient group were also seen. DiscussionOverall, the study revealed that dietary imbalance of vitamin B12 and folic acid, particularly B12 deficiency with over-supplemented folic acid, negatively affects placental and fetal development and maternal reproductive performance. Such effects are passed on to the next generation too.

Petal-assisted artificial pollination method enhanced the fruit setting ratios in tea plant (<i>Camellia sinensis</i>)

<bold/> The pollinated method plays an important role in developing F1 population. Our study presents an improved method of petal-assisted artificial pollination in tea plants. The field operation using this method exhibited high efficiency in which more than 500 pistillate flowers per day can be pollinated per capita, and the pollen amount from only one staminate flower was sufficient to pollinate more than 5 pistillate flowers. Additionally, we surveyed the fruit-setting ratio in three F1 groups, which were established using this method and the influence of rainfall on the fruit-setting ratio. The results indicate that the fruit-setting ratio was superior among the tested F1 population with an average value of 12.90%, and a significant negative correlation was observed between rainfall and fruit-setting ratio. By analyzing the growth states of each F1 population, both a high germination rate and survival rate were observed. Furthermore, the purity for 184 individuals in the F1 population of ‘Jiaming 1’ × ‘Longjing 43’ (J×L) were analyzed with 32 selected simple sequence repeats (SSRs). The purposes of this paper are (1) to demonstrate that this method is beneficial to establish high purity F1 population and (2) to identify the number of SSR markers that are suitable for identification. The parentage analysis detected nine false-hybrid individuals, and the rate of false-hybrid was only 4.89% at 95% confidence, demonstrating that a low false-hybrid rate can be achieved by the method. Furthermore, one to two SSR markers randomly selected from each linkage group or chromosome were recommended as a sufficient quantity for SSR identification.

Residue dynamics of florpyrauxifen-benzyl and its effects on bacterial community structure in paddy soil of Northeast China

Florpyrauxifen-benzyl is an herbicide that has been developed in recent years. Its degradation mode in paddy soil environments is not clear. In this study, the degradation dynamics in paddy soil and water were studied by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography. Microbial degradation was the main degradation pathway. Using third-generation high-throughput sequencing technology, the changes in the soil bacterial community structure were studied. After 30 days of application, compared with the control group (F0), the abundance of Sphingomonas, Lysobacter, and Flavisolibacter in the recommended and repeated application groups (F1, F5 and F10) increased significantly, and uncultured bacterium and Terrimonas decreased significantly. Compared with the F0 and F1 groups, the species diversity of the F0 and F1 groups showed a significant increase over time. The species diversity of the F5 and F10 groups decreased significantly on Days 5 and 15. On Day 30, the recovery even exceeded that of the control group. Luteimonas and five other genera were positively correlated with herbicide residues, and Pseudolabrys and two other genera were negatively correlated. Repeated application showed a significant effect on the structure of the soil bacterial community, mainly showing a trend of a significant decrease in the initial stage and gradual recovery in the later stage. The results will guide the safe and rational use of florpyrauxifen-benzyl and provide a scientific basis for florpyrauxifen-benzyl dynamic supervision of environmental pollution and protection of black soil in Northeast China.

Identification of candidate genes responsible for innate fear behavior in the chicken.

Identifying the genes responsible for quantitative traits remains a major challenge. We previously found a major QTL on chromosome 4 affecting several innate fear behavioral traits obtained by an open-field test in an F2 population between White Leghorn and Nagoya breeds of chickens (Gallus gallus). Here, an integrated approach of transcriptome, haplotype frequency, and association analyses was used to identify candidate genes for the QTL in phenotypically extreme individuals selected from the same segregating F2 population as that used in the initial QTL analysis. QTL mapping for the first principal component, which summarizes the variances of all affected behavioral traits in the F2 population, revealed the behavioral QTL located at 14-35 Mb on chromosome 4 with 333 genes. After RNA-seq analysis using two pooled RNAs from extreme F2 individuals, real-time qPCR analysis in the two parental breeds and their F1 individuals greatly reduced the number of candidate genes in the QTL interval from 333 to 16 genes. Haplotype frequency analysis in the two extreme F2 groups further reduced the number of candidate genes from 16 to 11. After comparing gene expression in the two extreme groups, a conditional correlation analysis of diplotypes between gene expression and phenotype of extreme individuals revealed that NPY5R and LOC101749214 genes were strong candidate genes for innate fear behavior. This study illustrates how the integrated approach can identify candidate genes more rapidly than fine mapping of the initial QTL interval and provides new information for studying the genetic basis of innate fear behavior in chickens.

Evaluation of clinical, histology, TNF-α, and collagen expressions on oral ulcer in rats after treatment with areca nut and chrysanthemum oral gel

Background: Areca nut (Areca catechu Linn.) is the seed of the fruit of the oriental palm that is commonly used among Southeast Asian communities. Chrysanthemum (Dendrathema grandiflora) is a flowering plant originating from East Asia and dominantly grows in China. Both of these plants have strong antioxidant activities. To investigate the mechanism of their wound healing activities, we prepared areca nut and chrysanthemum polyethylene oral gel and performed several in vivo assays using Sprague–Dawley rats. Methods: Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into six groups: Negative control group (rats with base gel treatment), positive control group (rats treated with triamcinolone acetonide), F1 (treatment with 20% areca nut:80% chrysanthemum), F2 (treatment with 50% areca nut:50% chrysanthemum), F3 (treatment with 80% areca nut:20% chrysanthemum), and normal group (without ulcer and treatment). Traumatic ulcers were performed on the buccal mucosa of all experimental animals that received topical oral gel and triamcinolone acetonide twice a day for seven days. The clinical and histological characteristics were analyzed and scored. Results: During the six days, the ulcerated area receded linearly over time and was completely cicatrized in F2, F3, and the positive control group (Dependent t-test, p&lt;0.05). There were significant increases in body weight in F2 and positive control groups. There were no significant differences between groups in histology examination (Kruskal Wallis test, p&lt;0.05). The moderate score of TNF-α levels was seen in F2 and positive control groups (ANOVA/Tukey test, p&lt;0.05). In the collagenases assay, a high concentration of areca nut (F3) induced the abundance of collagen during the ulcer healing process. Conclusions: The combination of areca nut and chrysanthemum extract in the oral gel can optimize the healing of traumatic oral ulcers in Sprague-Dawley rats through the increase of TNF-α and collagen deposition.

On the computation of the nilpotent pieces in bad characteristic for algebraic groups of type G2, F4, and E6

Let G be a connected reductive algebraic group over an algebraically closed field k, and let Lie(G) be its associated Lie algebra. In his series of papers on unipotent elements in small characteristic, Lusztig defined a partition of the unipotent variety of G. This partition is very useful when working with representations of G. Equivalently, one can consider certain subsets of the nilpotent variety of g called pieces. This approach appears in Lusztig's article from 2011. The pieces for the exceptional groups of type G2,F4,E6,E7, and E8 in bad characteristic have not yet been determined. This article presents a solution, relying on computational techniques, to this problem for groups of type G2, F4, and E6.

The effects of feeding frequency on the growth performance, body composition, health status and histology of juvenile meagre ( Argyrosomus regius )

This study evaluated how the feeding frequency impacts growth performance, haematological parameters, fatty acid profile and liver histology in meagre (Argyrosomus regius). Fish (15.48 ± 0.11 g) were fed to satiation with a diet formulated according to the nutritional requirements of the species (48% crude protein and 18% crude lipid) for 12 weeks in six different feeding frequencies; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 times in 24 h (F1, F2, F3, F4, F5) and 2F1 as one day feeding-one day fasted. The final mean weight (FMW) and specific growth rate (SGR) of the F3, F4 and F5 were significantly higher than the F1 and 2F1 groups. Viscerosomatic index (VSI) of the F1 and F3 groups was markedly different from the 2F1. Moreover, packed cell volume (PCV) and haemoglobin (Hb) counts in the F3 and F5 groups were higher than in the 2F1 group. The liver lipid vacuolization was found at more than moderate and also high levels for the groups of F3, F4 and F5 compared to the other groups in histological analysis. The fish in the 2F1 feeding frequency application was negatively impacted by growth performance, feed conversion, condition factor and haematological parameters. Although more feed is consumed in the F4 and F5 groups, the F3 group has a higher economic profit index (EPI). It has been concluded that a higher growth rate and improved health status can be achieved by feeding three times a day (F3) in the practice of mariculture of meagre.

Evaluation of clinical, histology, TNF-α, and collagen expressions on oral ulcer in rats after treatment with areca nut and chrysanthemum oral gel

Background: Areca nut (Areca catechu Linn.) is the seed of the fruit of the oriental palm that is commonly used among Southeast Asian communities. Chrysanthemum (Dendrathema grandiflora) is a flowering plant originating from East Asia and dominantly grows in China. Both of these plants have strong antioxidant activities. To investigate the mechanism of their wound healing activities, we prepared areca nut and chrysanthemum polyethylene oral gel and performed several in vivo assays using Sprague–Dawley rats. Methods: Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into five groups: Negative control group (rats with base gel treatment), positive control group (rats treated with triamcinolone acetonide), F1 (treatment with 20% areca nut:80% chrysanthemum), F2 (treatment with 50% areca nut:50% chrysanthemum), and F3 (treatment with 80% areca nut:20% chrysanthemum). Traumatic ulcers were performed on the buccal mucosa of all experimental animals that received topical oral gel and triamcinolone acetonide twice a day for seven days. The clinical and histological characteristics were analyzed and scored. Results: During the six days, the ulcerated area receded linearly over time and was completely cicatrized in F2, F3, and positive control group (Dependent t-test, p&lt;0.05). There were significant increases in body weight in F2 and positive control groups. There were no significant differences between groups in histology examination (Kruskal Wallis test, p&lt;0.05). The moderate score of TNF-α levels was seen in F2 and positive control groups (ANOVA/Tukey test, p&lt;0.05). In the collagenases assay, a high concentration of areca nut (F3) induced the abundance of collagen during the ulcer healing process. Conclusions: The combination of areca nut and chrysanthemum extract in the oral gel can optimize the healing of traumatic oral ulcers in Sprague-Dawley rats through the increase of TNF-α and collagen deposition.

Comparative analysis of the fecal microbiome and metabolomics of healthy versus captive South China tigers with mild diarrhea.

Diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) is common among the captive South China tigers in zoos. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed to demonstrate the compositions and structures of the gastrointestinal microbiota of this species with IBS-D. Their healthy (F1) and mushy (F2) feces were allocated into two groups. A total of 21 and 31 fecal bacterial communities of major phyla and genera were detected, respectively. The F1 and F2 groups had five common microbiotas at the phylum level (Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Fusobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes). Among the five phyla, the abundance of Bacteroidetes in the F2 group was significantly lower than that in the F1 group. The diversity level of fecal microbiota within the mild-diarrhea stool was also significantly lower than that of the healthy counterpart. Thirty-two metabolites were correlated to four genus-level bacteria (Bacteroides, Pseudoclavibacter, Streptococcus, and Ruminococcaceae-UCG-005). Due to its normal role in protein degradation and metabolism, we hypothesized that the lower abundance of Bacteroides within the F2 group could be associated with the IBS-D symptoms. Therefore, this work implied that ameliorating the daily diet with a supplement of probiotics, such as Bacteroides, could improve the gut health of this species.

The impact of frailty index on long-term outcome in CRT patients

Abstract Background Frailty is a complex clinical syndrome associated with ageing and comorbidities resulting from multiple organ impairment by losing homeostatic reserves and increased vulnerability to physiological decompensation. Frailty can be measured by quantifying the “vulnerability status” by the range of comorbidities. Purpose We assessed the long-term all-cause mortality based on Frailty Index (FI) among patients who underwent Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) implantation. Methods We calculated patients' FI individually using 30 clinical parameters from our retrospective single centre large-scale registry. The applied clinical features incorporated patients' medical history, anthropometric-, laboratory and echocardiographic parameters. Based on previous studies, patients with FI ≤0.210 were classified as non-frail, and patients above that value were considered frail. Frail patients were divided into two different subgroups (F1; F2) by a FI increment of 0.100 based on the Rockwood method. Primary endpoint was all-cause mortality, log-rank and Cox multivariate analysis were performed. Results Among 1010 included patients, 58 (6%) were considered as Non-frail, while 245 (24%) and 707 (70%) participants were categorized to F1- and F2 groups. Patients in F2 group were older [non-frail 62 years (IQR 57–68) vs. F1 66 years (IQR 57–73) vs. F2 70 years (IQR 63–76); p&amp;lt;0.001], had worse laboratory parameters as higher creatinine, uric acid, lower sodium or hemoglobin levels (p&amp;lt;0.001) and more comorbidities than patients of Non-frail or F1 groups. During the median follow-up time of 4.4 (2.3–6.9) years, 17 (29%) patients in the Non-frail group, 103 (42%) in Frail group 1 and 479 (68%) in the Frail group 2 reached the primary endpoint. Non-frail patients showed the best outcome, and patients in the Frail group 1 demonstrated a 46% (HR 0.46, 95% CI 0.39–0.55; p&amp;lt;0.001) lower all-cause mortality risk compared to Frail group 2. In the total cohort, mortality predictors were also assessed, NYHA functional class, serum sodium, creatinine and TAPSE were identified as independent predictors of all-cause mortality. Conclusion By calculating individual frailty index among CRT patients, distinct groups could be identified, of which mortality differed significantly. Those with the highest Frailty index demonstrated the worse outcome compared to lower index or non-frail patients. Frailty index can help selecting the most vulnerable patients, requiring a strict follow-up. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Intergenerational effects of overfeeding on aversive learning in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

The obesity epidemic is concerning as obesity appears to negatively impact cognition and behavior. Furthermore, some studies suggest that this negative effect could be carried across generations from both mothers and fathers although evidence is not consistent. Here, we attempt to address how obesogenic diets in the parental generation (F0) can impact offspring's cognition and anxiety intergenerationally (F1) in a zebrafish model. We compare both mean trait values and their variances. Using a multifactorial design, we created a total of four groups: F1T (treatment mothers × treatment fathers); F1M (treatment mothers × control fathers); F1P (treatment fathers × control mothers); and F1C (control mothers × control fathers, F1C); and subjected them to anxiety tank tests and aversive learning assays. When both parents were exposed, offspring (F1T) displayed the poorest aversive learning, while offspring that only had one parent exposed (F1P and F1M) learnt the aversive learning task the best. Zebrafish in all groups displayed no statistically significant differences in anxiety‐associated behaviors. Males and females also performed similarly in both anxiety and aversive learning assays. While all F1 groups had similar levels of fasting blood glucose, variance in glucose levels were reduced in F1P and F1T indicating the importance of investigating heteroskedasticity between groups. Furthermore, anxiety behaviors of these two groups appeared to be less repeatable. To our knowledge, this is the first study to test the intergenerational effects of an obesogenic diet on zebrafish cognition. Our multifactorial design as well as repeated tests also allowed us to disentangle maternal and paternal effects (as well as combined effects) and accurately detect subtle information such as between‐individual variation.

Etch-mineralizing treatment to improve dentin bonding

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the effect of etch-mineralizing solution as a dentin treatment agent on dentin bonding.Methods This study designed four kinds of etch-mineralizing solutions (EMs) by adding sodium fluoride in 35% phosphoric acid aqueous solution with four different concentrations (5, 10, 20, and 30 mg/ml), and named F1, F2, F3 and F4, respectively. 35% phosphoric acid gel treatment was the control group. SEM, EDS, FTIR and microhardness tests were performed on the treated dentin. Shear bond strength was measured before and after aging. Nanoleakage was also evaluated. Fracture mode was researched after SBS testing. The antibacterial properties of treated dentin were also investigated through live/dead staining of biofilms.Results The smear layer was removed and mineralization substances were observed on the dentin surface and tubule, and no obvious collagen fibers were observed compared with the control group. FTIR spectrums showed that the ratios of phosphate/collagen on EMs treated dentin surfaces were significantly increased (P < 0.05). F2 group had the highest bonding strength (32.14 ± 7.33 MPa) and microhardness (66.08 ± 10.58), while the control group had the lowest bonding strength (21.81 ± 4.03 MPa) and microhardness (42.34 ± 7.08) (p < 0.05), and excellent bonding strength caused more cohesive fracture. Experimental groups showed less nanoleakage than group C (P < 0.05). Moreover, experimental groups had better antiaging performance and antibacterial properties than the control group (p < 0.05).Conclusion EMs treatment not only improved dentin bonding and antibacterial ability, but also remineralized dentin with autologous mineral elements.Clinical significance The treatment provides a novel therapeutic strategy for obtaining ideal dentin bonding strength and prolonging the longevity of the restoration.

On the cohomology of the Ree groups and kernels of exceptional isogenies

Let G be a simple, simply connected algebraic group over an algebraically closed field k of characteristic p>0. Let σ:G→G be a surjective endomorphism of G such that the fixed point set G(σ) is a Suzuki or Ree group. Then, let Gσ denote the scheme-theoretic kernel of σ. Using methods of Jantzen and Bendel–Nakano–Pillen, we compute the 1-cohomology for the Frobenius kernels with coefficients in the induced modules, H1(Gσ,H0(λ)), and extensions between the simple modules, ExtGσ1(L(λ),L(μ)). When G(σ) is a Ree group of type F4, these results are used to improve the known bounds for identifying extensions of simple modules in defining characteristic ExtG(σ)1(L(λ),L(μ)) with those for the algebraic group.

COMPARISON OF SEMEN QULAITY FOR THREE LINES OF HOLSTEIN BULLS: 1. SOME IMMEDIATE AND MICROSCOPIC CHARACTERISTICS

This study was conducted to compare the semen immediate and microscopic characteristics of the three lines of Holstein bulls. Twenty-one Holstein bulls were divided into three groups belonging to the three lines of Holstein bulls; born in Iraq (Australian origin; n = 8), resulting from embryo transfer technology (New Zealand origin; n = 7), as well as the first generation (F1) resulted from two parents obtained from embryo transfer technology in Iraq (New Zealand origin; n = 6). The ET and L groups showed greater (P≤0.01) ejaculate volume, live sperms percentage, and plasma membrane integrity percentage compared to the F1 group of bulls. Moreover, ET bulls exhibited higher (P≤0.01) sperm concentration than L and F1 bulls. The ET and F1 bulls were superior (P≤0.01) to L bulls in the percentages of sperm’s cell individual motility and normal sperms. The percentage of DNA damage was significantly (P≤0.05) decreased in the F1 group compared to the L group but did not differ from those of the ET group. In conclusion, the ET and F1 Holstein bulls were superior to L bulls in most immediate and microscopic semen characteristics and their adaptation to the Iraqi environment.

Effect of winter feeding frequency on growth performance, biochemical blood parameters, oxidative stress, and appetite-related genes in Takifugu rubripes.

Tiger pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes) is one of Asia's most economically valuable aquaculture species. However, winter production of this species in North China is limited by low water temperature and unavailability of high-quality feed, resulting in high mortality and low profitability. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding frequency (F1: one daily meal; F2: two daily meals; F3: four daily meals; F4: continuous diurnal feeding using a belt feeder) on the growth performance, plasma biochemistry, digestive and antioxidant enzyme activities, and expression of appetite-related genes in T. rubripes (initial weight: 266.80 ± 12.32g) cultured during winter (18.0 ± 1.0°C) for 60days. The results showed that fish in the F3 group had the highest final weight, weight gain rate, specific growth rate, survival rate, and best feed conversion ratio. Additionally, daily feed intake increased significantly with increasing feeding frequency. The protein efficiency and lipid efficiency ratios of fish in the F3 group were significantly higher than those of fish in the other groups. Furthermore, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose levels increased with increasing feeding frequency, peaking in the F2 group and decreasing under higher feeding frequencies. The antioxidant (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione, and glutathione peroxidase) and digestive (trypsin, amylase, and lipase) enzyme activities of fish in the F1 group were significantly higher than those of fish in the F3 and F4 groups. Additionally, there was a decrease in orexin expression with increasing feeding frequency. In contrast, the expression levels of tachykinin, cholecystokinin, and leptin increased with increasing feeding frequency, peaking in the F4 group. Overall, the findings of this study indicated that a feeding frequency of four meals per day was optimal for improved growth performance of pufferfish juveniles cultured during winter.

Different Swine Production Systems Can Shape Slurry Resistome at Mechanism and Class Levels Based on Swine Manure Evaluation.

Antimicrobial resistance is a major threat to public health. Antimicrobial use in animal husbandry is a major concern since it can favor an increase in antimicrobial resistance among farms. Herein, we aim to better understand and characterize the main resistome profiles in microbial communities found in pig farms. Sampling of swine manure was performed in two different timepoints (October 2019 and January 2020) in each of the 14 different swine farms, located in the mesoregion of Western Santa Catarina state in Brazil, a pole of swine product production of worldwide importance. Samples were divided into three groups: farms with the opened regimen and no usage of antimicrobials (F1; n = 10), farms with the closed regimen and usage of antimicrobials (F2; n = 16), and farms with the closed regimen and no usage of antimicrobials (F3; n = 2). The metagenomic evaluation was performed to obtain and identify genetic elements related to antimicrobial resistance using nanopore sequencing. We used ResistoXplorer software to perform composition, alpha and beta diversity, and clustering analysis. In addition, PCR reactions were performed to confirm the presence or absence of seven different beta-lactamase family genes and five phosphoethanolamine transferase gene variants clinically relevant. Our findings based on the identification of resistance genes at the mechanism level showed a prevalence of alteration of the drug target (72.3%) profile, followed by drug inactivation (17.5%) and drug efflux (10.1%). We identified predominantly aminoglycosides (45.3%), tetracyclines (15.9%), and multiclass (11,2%) resistance genes. PCoA analysis indicates differences between F1 and F2 profiles. F2 samples showed increased diversity when compared to the F1 group. In addition, herein we first report the identification of mcr-4 in a slurry sample (C1F1.1) in Santa Catarina State. In general, our findings reinforce that many factors on the practices of animal husbandry are involved in the resistome profile at the mechanism and class levels. Further studies to better understand microbiome and mobilome aspects of these elements are necessary to elucidate transmission pathways between different bacteria and environments.

The role of serum Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive Mac-2 binding protein in the assessment of fibrosis in children with chronic hepatitis C

At present, noninvasive fibrosis markers are not available for the assessment of liver fibrosis in children with chronic hepatitis C. Sixty-three children with chronic hepatitis C were included. Changes in Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive Mac-2 binding protein (M2BPGi) levels were evaluated in l3 of 27 treatment-naive patients during the natural course of disease (median 4, range 3–6 years). Changes during treatment were evaluated in 27 of 36 patients for 4 (2–9) years of posttreatment follow-up. There were significant differences in the levels of M2BPGi between control group and HCV F0 group (P = 0.002) and between control group and HCV F1 group (P < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that to discriminate stage F1 fibrosis from F0, the cut-off value was 0.95 for M2BPGi with a sensitivity of 52%, specificity of 90%, and area under the curve of 0.687. A substantial decrease in M2BPGi levels by treatment was shown from 0.98 ± 0.57 at pretreatment to 0.42 ± 0.15 at posttreatment (P < 0.001) in the 27 treated patients. Our study shows new findings that M2BPGi may be useful to predict the presence of a mild degree of fibrosis in children with chronic hepatitis C, and such mild fibrosis may be quickly resolved by treatment.

Minimal polynomials of the images of the unipotent elements of non-prime order in the irreducible representations of an algebraic group of type F4

The minimal polynomials of the images of the unipotent elements of non-prime order in the irreducible representations of an algebraic group of type F4 in characteristics 3 and 7 are found. This completes the solution of the minimal polynomial problem for unipotent elements in the irreducible representations of such a group in an odd characteristic.

Effects of Dietary Fucoidan Supplementation on Serum Biochemical Parameters, Small Intestinal Barrier Function, and Cecal Microbiota of Weaned Goat Kids.

Simple SummaryWeaning stress has negative effects on the growth and intestinal health of goat kids. The application of antibiotics can relieve weaning stress; however, their prophylactic application has motivated researchers to find alternatives to antibiotics for mitigating the weaning stress. Fucoidan is a natural polysaccharide with antioxidant and immune-modulatory properties, and it has shown beneficial effects on intestinal barrier function. In this study, dietary supplementation of fucoidan improved the small intestinal barrier function and cecal microflora in weaned goat kids. These results suggested that fucoidan can be used as a promoter of gut health in weaned goat kids.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of fucoidan supplementation on serum biochemical parameters, small intestinal barrier function, and cecal microbiota of weaned goat kids. A total of 60 2-month-old weaned castrated male goat kids (Chuanzhong black goat) were used in this 30-day experiment. The goat kids were randomly divided into four groups: a control group (CON) fed the basal diet, and three other groups supplemented with 0.1%, 0.3%, and 0.5% fucoidan in the basal diet (denoted as F1, F2, and F3 groups, respectively). The results indicated that dietary fucoidan supplementation decreased (p < 0.05) the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and the content of glucose (GLU) as measured on day 15. As measured on day 30, dietary fucoidan increased (p < 0.05) the content of total protein (TP) and decreased the activity of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and supplementation with 0.3% and 0.5% fucoidan decreased (p < 0.05) the activity of LDH. Dietary fucoidan decreased (p < 0.05) the content of D-lactic acid (D-LA) and the activity of diamine oxidase (DAO). Dietary fucoidan increased (p < 0.05) the activity of catalase (CAT) in the duodenum. Dietary 0.3% and 0.5% fucoidan enhanced (p < 0.05) the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the ileum, the activity of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) in the jejunum and ileum, and the activity of CAT in the ileum. Dietary 0.3% and 0.5% fucoidan reduced the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum and the content of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the duodenum. Dietary fucoidan increased (p < 0.05) the content of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in the duodenum. Supplementation of 0.3% and 0.5% fucoidan upregulated (p < 0.05) the gene expression of ZO-1 and claudin-1 in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, and dietary supplementation of 0.3% and 0.5% fucoidan upregulated (p < 0.05) the gene expression of occludin in the jejunum and ileum. The 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing results showed that at the phylum level, dietary fucoidan increased (p < 0.05) the abundance of Bacteroidetes while decreasing (p < 0.05) the abundance of Firmicutes. At the genus level, dietary 0.3% and 0.5% fucoidan increased (p < 0.05) the abundances of Unspecified_Ruminococcaceae, Unspecified_Bacteroidale, Unspecified_Clostridiales, and Akkermansia. In conclusion, dietary fucoidan supplementation had positive effects on intestinal permeability, antioxidant capacity, immunity function, tight junctions, and the cecal microflora balance in weaned goat kids.

Comparison of thrombocytopenia between patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and those with hepatitis C virus-related chronic liver disease.

Thrombocytopenia is widely recognized as a simple surrogate marker of liver fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Thrombocytopenia of NAFLD has not been compared with that of hepatitis C virus-related chronic liver disease (CLD-C). Here, we examined whether there is any difference in the platelet counts between patients with NAFLD and CLD-C and investigated the underlying mechanisms. A total of 760 biopsy-confirmed NAFLD and 1171 CLD-C patients were enrolled. After stratification according to the liver fibrosis stage, platelet counts between NAFLD and CLD-C patients were compared. The platelet count, spleen size, serum albumin level, serum thrombopoietin level, and immature platelet fraction (IPF) value were also compared after covariate adjustment using propensity score (PS) matching. The median platelet counts (×104 /μL) of NAFLD and CLD-C patients were 20.2 and 18.7 (p=2.4×10-5 ) in F1; 20.0 and 14.5 (p=2.1×10-12 ) in F2; 16.9 and 12.3 (p=8.1×10-10 ) in F3; and 11.1 and 8.1 (p=0.02) in F4, respectively. In the F3 group, NAFLD patients had a significantly higher platelet count and significantly smaller spleen volume than CLD-C patients. Although the serum thrombopoietin levels were comparable between NAFLD and CLD-C patients, the IPF value of NAFLD patients was significantly higher than that of CLD-C patients. NAFLD patients had a significantly higher platelet count than CLD-C patients following stratification according to the liver fibrosis stage. The milder hypersplenism and higher platelet production in NAFLD than CLD-C may have contributed to this difference.