Immunogenicity and safety of different combinations involving a third booster dose of SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine, inactivated quadrivalent influenza vaccine, and 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in adults aged ≥60 years: a phase 4, randomized, open-label study.

Background: Concomitant administration of COVID-19, influenza, and pneumococcal vaccines could reduce the burden on healthcare systems. However, the immunogenicity and safety of various combinations of a third booster dose of SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine (CoronaVac), inactivated quadrivalent influenza vaccine (IIV4), and 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23), particularly in different age groups, is still unknown. Methods: A phase 4, randomized, open-label, controlled trial was conducted in Beijing, China. 636 healthy adults were divided into two age groups (18-59 and ≥60 years) and randomized equally into three groups: CoronaVac and IIV4 followed by PPV23; CoronaVac and PPV23 followed by IIV4; or CoronaVac followed by IIV4 and PPV23, with a 28-day interval between vaccinations. Immunogenicity was evaluated by measuring antibody titers, and safety was monitored. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05298800. Results: Co-administration of a third dose of CoronaVac, IIV4, and PPV23 in any combination was safe. Among adults aged 18-59, co-administration with PPV23 maintained non-inferiority of antibody levels for CoronaVac and IIV4, despite a slight reduction in antibody responses. This reduction was not observed in participants ≥60 years. Furthermore, co-administration of IIV4 and PPV23 affected seroconversion rates for both vaccines. Conclusions: Co-administration of the third dose of SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine with the influenza vaccine, followed by PPV23, may be optimal for adults aged 18-59. In adults ≥60, all vaccine combinations were immunogenic, suggesting a flexible vaccination approach. Since antibody measurements were taken 28 days post-vaccination, ongoing surveillance is essential to assess the longevity of the immune responses.

Potential impact of epithelial splicing regulatory protein 1 (ESRP1) associated with tumor immunity in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is a prevalent and highly malignant gastrointestinal tumor. Therefore, exploring the mechanisms of drug resistance and immune pathways in PAAD is crucial for clinical treatment. In this study, a total of 497 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between normal and PAAD samples, and which were enriched to 117 GO terms and 7 functional pathways. Subsequently, 5 overall survival-related DEGs (ESRP1, KRT6A, H2BC11, H2BC4 and KLK) was generated using Cox hazards regression analysis in TCGA dataset. Furthermore, the weighted gene co-expression network analysis revealed a strong association between ESRP1 and PAAD among 5 survival-related DEGs. Patients were divided into two clusters based on ESRP1 expression levels, and low ESRP1 expression existed stronger immune infiltration and higher expression of immunomodulatory targets than high ESRP1 expression by single-sample gene set enrichment analysis, which indicated that low ESRP1 expression was associated with longer survival compared to high ESRP1 expression. Finally, our study also found that immune cells distribution and immunomodulatory targets gene expression in the GEO dataset were similar to the TCGA cohort. Overall, our findings suggest that ESRP1 may play a role in influencing immune contexture and regulating immune function of PAAD patients by integrating data from various databases. SIGNIFICANCE: Utilizing TCGA and GEO datasets, this study uncovers the significant impact of epithelial splicing regulatory protein 1 (ESRP1) on PAAD. ESRP1 emerges as a key regulator of immune function, influencing tumor microenvironment and immune cell infiltration. Cluster analysis shows that low ESRP1 expression correlates with enhanced immune activity, predicting better prognosis. This discovery suggests that ESRP1 can serve as a potential biomarker for the prognosis of PAAD, offering new insights into personalized immunotherapy by influencing immune regulation and tumor progression.

The Effects of Different Doses of Canthaxanthin in the Diet of Laying Hens on Egg Quality, Physical Characteristics, Metabolic Mechanism, and Offspring Health.

Currently, there is a dearth of in-depth analysis and research on the impact of canthaxanthin on the production performance, egg quality, physical characteristics, and offspring health of laying hens. Furthermore, the metabolic mechanism of cantharidin in the body remains unclear. Therefore, to solve the above issues in detail, our study was conducted with a control group (C group), a low-dose canthaxanthin group (L group), and a high-dose canthaxanthin group (H group), each fed for a period of 40 days. Production performance was monitored during the experiment, in which L and H groups showed a significant increase in ADFI. Eggs were collected for quality analysis, revealing no significant differences in qualities except for yolk color (YC). The YC of the C group almost did not change, ranging from 6.08 to 6.20; however, the trend in YC change in other groups showed an initial intense increase, followed by a decrease, and eventually reached dynamic equilibrium. By detecting the content of canthaxanthin in the yolk, the YC change trend was found to be correlated with canthaxanthin levels in the yolk. The content of unsaturated fatty acid increased slightly in L and H groups. Following the incubation period, the physical characteristics and blood biochemical indices of chicks were evaluated. It was observed that the shank color of chicks in the L and H groups was significantly higher than that in the C group at birth. However, by the 35th day, there were no significant differences in shank color among the three groups. Further investigation into the metabolic mechanism involving canthaxanthin revealed that the substance underwent incomplete metabolism upon entering the body, resulting in its accumulation as well as metabolic by-product accumulation in the yolk. In summary, this study highlighted the importance of understanding canthaxanthin's role in production performance, egg quality, and offspring health, providing valuable insights for breeders to optimize feeding strategies.

Perovskite-based electrochemiluminescence analysis of H2O2.

The detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) represents an extensive requirement across various domains, including food, environmental, and medical fields. This study introduces a highly sensitive technique for the quantification of H2O2, integrating the electrochemiluminescence properties of perovskite with bio-catalyzed precipitation. A water-soluble perovskite-based electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensing interface was constructed, wherein H2O2 catalyzes a precipitation reaction that leads to the formation of an insoluble precipitate on the electrode surface. This occurrence effectively quenches the electrochemiluminescence signal of the perovskite, thus facilitating the quantitative detection of H2O2. The modified perovskite demonstrated excellent ECL performance, offering a stable signal source, while the bio-catalyzed precipitation reaction significantly amplified the quenching effect, thereby enhancing detection sensitivity. This strategy exhibits excellent stability and sensitivity, presenting a promising method for the detection of hydrogen peroxide, which holds great potential for applications in various fields.

The contributions of vaccination and natural infection to the production of neutralizing antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 prototype strain and variants.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the neutralizing antibody (NAb) levels against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants BF.7, BQ.1, BQ.1.1, XBB.1, and XBB.1.5 after vaccination and natural infection. METHODS: The NAbs against the different viral strains of 490 individuals with SARS-CoV-2 and 187 without SARS-CoV-2 in the Beijing COVID-19 outbreak during December 2022 to January 2023 were analyzed. RESULTS: In uninfected individuals, limited levels of NAbs were produced against the prototype and variant strains after two doses vaccine but significantly increased after three or four doses of the vaccine. The infected individuals had high NAbs levels against the BF.7, BQ.1, and BQ.1.1 variants and moderate NAbs levels against the XBB.1 and XBB.1.5 variants. The highest NAbs levels were observed after two inoculation doses. The third and fourth doses vaccine did not result in a significant increase the NAbs levels. After the last dose of vaccination, the NAbs levels peaked at 12 months for the prototype and BF.7 and between 6 to 12 months for the BQ.1, BQ.1.1, XBB.1, and XBB.1.5 variants. CONCLUSIONS: The immune response decreases as the virus mutates. If booster vaccination is considered necessary, it is suggested for at least 6 months after infection.

Prevalence and serotype distribution of nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae among healthy children under 5 years of age in Hainan Province, China.

BACKGROUND: The thirteen-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) is not included in the national immunization program and is administered voluntarily with informed consent in China. In preparation for assessing the impact of pilot introduction in Hainan Province, we conducted a carriage study among children under 5 years of age from four locations in Hainan Province, China. METHODS: From March to June 2022, nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs, collected from healthy children aged younger than 59 months who lived in the 4 different locations (Haikou, Wanning, Baisha and Qiongzhong) in Hainan Province, were tested for pneumococcus using conventional culture. Pneumococcal isolates were serotyped using the Quellung reaction. Risk factors associated with pneumococcal colonization were assessed using univariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression adjusting for age, daycare attendance and other factors. RESULTS: Pneumococcus was isolated in 710 (30.4%) of the 2333 children enrolled. Of 737 pneumococci, 29 serotypes were identified; 60.9% were PCV13 serotypes; the most common vaccine serotypes were 6B (20.4%), 19F (13.0%), 6A (11.9%) and 23F (6.1%); and the most common nonvaccine serotypes were 23A (12.9%), 34 (6.1%) and nontypeable (NT) pneumococci (5.6%). Children vaccinated with PCV13 had lower carriage (17.7% vs 32.5%; P = 0.0001) and fewer PCV13 serotypes (41.9% vs 62.7%; P = 0.0017) compared to unimmunized children. After adjustment, NP carriage was higher among children attending daycare (aOR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.7-3.2), living in rural areas (aOR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.1-1.8), living with siblings (aOR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.0-1.6) and whose mothers had completed senior high/technical secondary school (aOR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.1-2.0). In contrast, completion of 3-4 doses of PCV13 were associated with a lower carriage rate (aOR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.4-0.9). CONCLUSIONS: We established the baseline of pneumococcal carriage, serotype distribution and PCV13 immunization rates among healthy children under 5 years of age in Hainan Province, prior to the introduction of PCV13 into the national immunization program. The high proportion of PCV13 serotypes suggests that PCV13 introduction will likely have a substantial impact on pneumococcal carriage in Hainan Province.

Dynamic Changes in Egg Quality, Heritability and Correlation of These Traits and Yolk Nutrient throughout the Entire Laying Cycle.

Egg quality and nutritional value are becoming increasingly important to consumers, offering a new direction for the development of high-quality eggs. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of egg quality and nutrient profiles in native breeds at different ages, integrating pedigree data. Our results reveal dynamic changes in egg qualities, stronger associations among eggshell-related traits, and the effect of onset production and body weight on egg qualities. The heritability of different traits was estimated, ranging from 0.05 to 0.62. Subsequently, we elucidated that the moisture and nutritional content in the egg yolk were not influenced by the percentage of yolk but were indeed subject to age regulation. There was a notable decrease in moisture, an elevation in crude fat, and an increase in the diversity of fatty acids of yolk with advancing age. In summary, investigating the trends and interrelationships in egg quality, nutrient content, and heritability across the whole laying cycle offers valuable insights for breeders to optimize feeding management strategies and aids consumers in meeting their expectations of egg quality.

Mycotoxin risk management in maize gluten meal.

Maize gluten meal (MGM) is a by-product of maize starch and ethanol, produced by the wet milling process. Its high protein content makes it a preferred ingredient in feed. Given the high prevalence of mycotoxins in maize globally, they pose a significant challenge to use of MGM for feed: wet milling could concentrate certain mycotoxins in gluten components, and mycotoxin consumption affects animal health and can contaminate animal-source foods. To help confront this issue, this paper summarizes mycotoxin occurrence in maize, distribution during MGM production and mycotoxin risk management strategies for MGM through a comprehensive literature review. Available data emphasize the importance of mycotoxin control in MGM and the necessity of a systematic control approach, which includes: good agriculture practices (GAP) in the context of climate change, degradation of mycotoxin during MGM processing with SO2 and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and the prospect of removing or detoxifying mycotoxins using emerging technologies. In the absence of mycotoxin contamination, MGM represents a safe and economically critical component of global animal feed. With a holistic risk assessment-based, seed-to-MGM-feed systematic approach to reducing and decontaminating mycotoxins in maize, costs and negative health impacts associated with MGM use in feed can be effectively reduced.

Environment-oriented disassembly planning for end-of-life vehicle batteries based on an improved northern goshawk optimisation algorithm.

Due to environmental pollution and resource shortages, the electric vehicle industry has been developing swiftly, and the market demand for batteries, as an essential part of electric vehicles, has also surged. Proper disassembly of end-of-life vehicle batteries (ELV batteries) is necessary to achieve the integrity and closure of their life cycle, promote the development of green remanufacturing, effectively reduce the pollution of the environment caused by metal ion leakage, and reduce people's dependence on natural resources to a certain extent. To schedule the disassembly operations of ELV batteries more rationally and further promote their disassembly quality and efficiency, this paper proposes a dual-objective disassembly sequence planning (DSP) optimisation model, which aims to minimise the hazard index and energy cost during ELV battery disassembly operations. Since the proposed model is a complex NP-hard optimisation problem, this study develops an efficient metaheuristic algorithm for solving this model based on the northern goshawk optimisation algorithm. The main algorithm adds two types of discrete recombination operators and a local search operator. At the same time, the predatory behaviour of the goshawk is optimised by combining the characteristics of the disassembly sequence planning problem to improve its performance. Finally, the disassembly of the battery of a Tesla Model 1 is used as a case study to demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method.

Safety and Viral Shedding of Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (LAIV) in Chinese Healthy Juveniles and Adults: A Phase â Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.

This study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the safety and viral shedding of live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) in Chinese healthy juveniles and adults. A total of 80 Eligible volunteers were divided into two age groups (≥18 and 3-17 years old). Volunteers were randomly and equally assigned to the experimental group and placebo-controlled group by ratio of 3:1 in each age group. Vaccination was carried out in steps. Totally, 34 (56.67%) adverse events and 24 (40.00%) adverse reactions of the LAIV group were reported. Most adverse reactions were grade 1 and grade 2, and the incidence of adverse reactions that grade 3 was 5%. The most common local reaction was runny nose/nasal congestion (n = 4, 6.67%). And the most common general reaction was fever (n = 10, 16.67%). There were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of total adverse reactions, different grades of adverse reactions, and symptoms between the experimental group and placebo-controlled group. No severe adverse events were reported. Three subjects (5.00%) had been detected vaccine strains on the 3rd day after LAIV vaccination; one was type B and the other two were H3N2. Four subjects (6.67%) had been detected with vaccine strains on the 7th day after LAIV vaccination, all were H3N2. There were no subjects detected carrying the influenza virus on the 15th day after vaccination. There were no statistically significant differences in the positive rate of vaccine strains of influenza virus between the experimental group and placebo-controlled group. The vaccine was well tolerated and not associated with increased rates in adverse reactions or the occurrence of severe adverse events. Pathogenicity of shed vaccine virus to surrounding people was not observed. Thus, Phase Ⅱ study can be carried out as scheduled.

Neutralizing antibody activity, safety and immunogenicity of human anti-rabies virus monoclonal antibody (Ormutivimab) in Chinese healthy adults: A phase â ¡b randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: This study was a randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled trail to evaluate the rabies virus neutralizing activity（RVNA）, safety and immunogenicity of Ormutivimab + rabies vaccine in Chinese healthy adults. METHODS: Subjects were randomly and equally assigned to 4 groups (20 IU/kg Omtv + vaccine, 40 IU/kg Omtv + vaccine, 20 IU/kg HRIG + vaccine, and placebo + vaccine). Subjects received vaccine as the WHO Essen regime combined with Omutivimab、HRIG or placebo on Day 0. The study lasted for 43 days. RESULTS: A total of 240 subjects were simultaneously assigned to both FAS and SS. Fifty subjects with baseline RVNA > 0.05 IU/ml (detection limit) were excluded, 190 were included into mITT. All the subjects from 40 IU/kg Omtv + vaccine group had a protection level of RNVA (≥0.5 IU/ml, WHO) on Day 14, and those in 20 IU/kg Omtv + vaccine group and placebo + vaccine group converted positive 100 % on Day 28. In contrast to 20 IU/kg HRIG + vaccine and placebo + vaccine, Ormutivimab + vaccine provided a higher RVNA during Days 0 to 7. And RVNA in 40 IU/kg Omtv + vaccine and 20 IU/kg Omtv + vaccine groups were always higher than 20 IU/kg HRIG + vaccine group during the whole study. Although anti-Omtv antibody were detected in some subjects, it did not influence the RVNA. The incidence of adverse reactions was significantly lower in 20 IU/kg Omtv + vaccine group (17.2 %) than in 40 IU/kg Omtv + vaccine (36.7 %) and 20 IU/kg HRIG + vaccine groups (40.3 %). CONCLUSION: Compared with HRIG + vaccine and placebo + vaccine, Omtv + vaccine provided higher RNVA for earlier immune protection. The interference of Ormutivimab on the long-term immune protection induced by rabies vaccine is weaker than HRIG. At the same dose, the adverse reactions of Omtv + vaccine group were less than HRIG + vaccine group. REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT02559921.

Population Pharmacodynamic Analyses of Human Anti-Rabies Virus Monoclonal Antibody (Ormutivimab) in Healthy Adult Subjects.

Ormutivimab is the first recombinant human anti-rabies monoclonal antibody (rhRIG) approved for clinical application in China. In this study, a population pharmacodynamic (PPD) model was established to compare the neutralizing antibody activities of Ormutivimab and human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG), alone or combined with human rabies vaccine (Vero), in a phase II clinical trial, and to recommend a target dose for the phase III trial. The model was verified to fit the PPD data well. The stability of the model was verified by the bootstrap method. The level of neutralizing antibodies in vivo increased rapidly after administration of Ormutivimab or HRIG. Neutralizing antibodies with a strong activity were produced at 7 days (Ormutivimab + vaccine) or 10 days (HRIG + vaccine) after induction by the vaccine in vivo. Compared to that induced by HRIG + vaccine, the level of the neutralizing antibodies induced by Ormutivimab + vaccine peaked higher and faster. The levels of neutralizing antibodies induced by Ormutivimab + vaccine and HRIG + vaccine were similar within 21 days after administration. According to these results and the safety data, 20 IU·kg-1 was recommended as the target dose in the confirmatory study of Ormutivimab. Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT02559921.

Synthesis and Electrochemical Characterization of LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 Cathode Material by Solid-Phase Reaction.

In this paper, using four carbonates as raw materials, the cathode material LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 was prepared with the "ball milling-calcining" solid-phase synthesis method. The specific reaction process, which consists of the decomposition of the raw materials and the generation of target products, was investigated thoroughly using the TG-DSC technique. XRD, SEM and charge/discharge test methods were utilized to explore the influence of different sintering temperatures on the structure, morphology and electrochemical performance of the LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 cathode. The results show that 900~1000 °C is the appropriate synthesis temperature range. LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 synthesized at 1000 °C delivers optimal cycling stability at 0.5 C. Meanwhile, its initial discharge specific capacity and coulomb efficiency reached 167.2 mAh g-1 and 97.89%, respectively. In addition, the high-rate performance of the cathode sample prepared at 900 °C is particularly noteworthy. Cycling at 0.5 C, 1 C, 1.5 C and 2 C, the corresponding discharge specific capacity of the sample exhibited 148.1 mAh g-1, 143.1 mAh g-1, 140 mAh g-1 and 138.9 mAh g-1, respectively.

The Effects of Ru4+ Doping on LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 with Two Crystal Structures.

Doping of Ru has been used to enhance the performance of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode materials. However, the effects of Ru doping on the two types of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 are rarely studied. In this study, Ru4+ with a stoichiometric ratio of 0.05 is introduced into LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 with different space groups (Fd3¯m, P4332). The influence of Ru doping on the properties of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (Fd3¯m, P4332) is comprehensively studied using multiple techniques such as XRD, Raman, and SEM methods. Electrochemical tests show that Ru4+-doped LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (P4332) delivers the optimal electrochemical performance. Its initial specific capacity reaches 132.8 mAh g-1, and 97.7% of this is retained after 300 cycles at a 1 C rate at room temperature. Even at a rate of 10 C, the capacity of Ru4+-LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (P4332) is still 100.7 mAh g-1. Raman spectroscopy shows that the Ni/Mn arrangement of Ru4+-LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (Fd3¯m) is not significantly affected by Ru4+ doping. However, LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (P4332) is transformed to semi-ordered LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 after the incorporation of Ru4+. Ru4+ doping hinders the ordering process of Ni/Mn during the heat treatment process, to an extent.

Identification of Alternative Splicing Events Associated with Paratuberculosis in Dairy Cattle Using Multi-Tissue RNA Sequencing Data.

Paratuberculosis is a major endemic disease caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) infection and leads to huge economic loss in the dairy sector worldwide. Alternative splicing (AS) events, playing indispensable regulatory roles in many protein functions and biological pathways, are shown to be associated with complex traits and diseases. In this study, by integrating the RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data of 24 samples from three tissues (peripheral blood, jejunum and salivary gland) of Holstein cows, we obtained 2,706,541,696 uniquely mapped reads in total that represented 12,870 expressed genes, and detected 4285 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between MAP-infected and healthy cows (p < 0.05). Of them, 92 differentially expressed splicing factors (DESFs) were included. Further, 119, 150 and 68 differential alternative splicing (DAS) events between MAP-infected and healthy cows were identified in peripheral blood, jejunum and salivary glands, respectively. Of note, six DAS events were highly and significantly correlated with the DESFs (R2 > 0.9; p < 0.01), and their corresponding genes (COPI coat complex subunit gamma 2gene (COPG2), kinesin family member 2C gene (KIF2C), exocyst complex component 7 (EXOC7), Rab9 effector protein with kelch motifs gene (RABEPK), deoxyribonuclease 1 gene (DNASE1) and early endosome antigen 1gene (EEA1)) were significantly enriched in immune response such as vesicle-mediated transport, regulation of acute inflammatory response and tuberculosis through gene ontology (GO) and KEGG analysis. KS test showed that the DAS events in the EXOC7 and KIF2C genes indeed displayed differences between MAP-infected cows and healthy cows. The DAS in EXOC7 might produce a new protein sequence with lack of 23 amino acids, and the DAS in KIF2C induced a stop codon of premature occurrence and resulted in a lack of functional domain. In summary, this study identified the DAS events and corresponding genes related to MAP-infection base on the RNA-seq data from multiple tissues of Holstein cows, providing novel insights into the regulatory mechanisms underpinning paratuberculosis in dairy cattle.

Effects of Oil Types and Fat Concentrations on Production Performance, Egg Quality, and Antioxidant Capacity of Laying Hens.

In this study, soybean oil, lard and mixed oils were added to the feed in two concentrations (1.5% and 3% of each), resulting in six experimental groups. The control group was fed with a base diet without additions, and used to compare the effects of feeding on production performance and egg quality of laying hens. The results demonstrated that: (1) the 3% supplemented-oils or lard group showed a decrease in laying rate; (2) 1.5% and 3% added-lard significantly increased the total amount of unsaturated fatty acids in eggs, compared to the control group; (3) 1.5% and 3% soybean oil increased the content of mono/polyunsaturated fatty acids, cholesterol, phospholipids and choline in eggs; (4) glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) contents were increased in all groups, being the most evident in the lard-treated group; (5) all experimental groups showed an increase in the content of essential and non-essential amino acids in albumen; (6) 3% oils, especially the mixed oils, damaged the structure of globules of cooked egg yolks. Therefore, the use of 1.5% soybean oil in the feed diet of Hyline brown hens resulted in the most adequate oil to ensure animal health and economic significant improvements in this experiment.

Effect of Oils in Feed on the Production Performance and Egg Quality of Laying Hens.

With the development of a large-scale and intensive production industry, the number of laying hens in China is rapidly increasing. Oils, as an important source of essential fatty acids, can be added to the diet to effectively improve the production performance and absorption of other nutrients. The present review discusses the practical application of different types and qualities of oils in poultry diets and studies the critical effects of these oils on production performance, such as the egg weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and various egg quality parameters, including the albumen height, Haugh units, yolk color, and saturated/unsaturated fatty acids. This article reviews the effects of different dietary oil sources on the production performance and egg quality of laying hens and their potential functional mechanisms and provides a reference for the selection of different sources of oils to include in the diet with the aim of improving egg production. This review thus provides a reference for the application of oils to the diets of laying hens. Future studies are needed to determine how poultry products can be produced with the appropriate proper oils in the diet and without negative effects on production performance and egg quality.

Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Profile in Jejunum Reveals the Potential Genes Associated With Paratuberculosis in Dairy Cattle.

Paratuberculosis in cattle causes substantial economic losses to the dairy industry. Exploring functional genes and corresponding regulatory pathways related to resistance or susceptibility to paratuberculosis is essential to the breeding of disease resistance in cattle. Co-analysis of genome-wide DNA methylation and transcriptome profiles is a critically important approach to understand potential regulatory mechanism underlying the development of diseases. In this study, we characterized the profiles of DNA methylation of jejunum from nine Holstein cows in clinical, subclinical, and healthy groups using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS). The average methylation level in functional regions was 29.95% in the promoter, 29.65% in the 5' untranslated region (UTR), 68.24% in exons, 71.55% in introns, and 72.81% in the 3' UTR. A total of 3,911, 4,336, and 4,094 differentially methylated genes (DMGs) were detected in clinical vs. subclinical, clinical vs. healthy, and subclinical vs. healthy comparative group, respectively. Gene ontology (GO) and analysis based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) showed that these DMGs were significantly enriched in specific biological processes related to immune response, such as Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation, wnt, TNF, MAPK, ECM-receptor interaction, cellular senescence, calcium, and chemokine signaling pathways (q value <0.05). The integration of information about DMGs, differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and biological functions suggested nine genes CALCRL, TNC, GATA4, CD44, TGM3, CXCL9, CXCL10, PPARG, and NFATC1 as promising candidates related to resistance/susceptibility to Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). This study reports on the high-resolution DNA methylation landscapes of the jejunum methylome across three conditions (clinical, subclinical, and healthy) in dairy cows. Our investigations integrated different sources of information about DMGs, DEGs, and pathways, enabling us to find nine functional genes that might have potential application in resisting paratuberculosis in dairy cattle.

Effects of Bacillus subtilis ZJ-2019-1 on Zearalenone Toxicosis in Female Gilts.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the toxicity of zearalenone (ZEN) on the growth performance, genital organs, serum hormones, biomarkers, and histopathological changes of female gilts and to evaluate the efficacy of Bacillus subtilis ZJ-2019-1 in alleviating ZEN toxicosis in gilts. Twenty-four female gilts were randomly allocated to four groups with six replicates per group and one gilt per replicate, fed on four feeds prepared previously, which were basic diet (control group, C group), ZEN diet (Z group), Zlb diet (Zlb group) containing B. subtilis ZJ-2019-1 in liquid form, and Zdb diet (Zdb group) containing B. subtilis ZJ-2019-1 in dehydrated form. The results showed that the vulva size and relative weight of reproductive organs had no significant difference in the control group, Zlb group, and Zdb group, but were significantly lower than in the Z group (p < 0.05); the relative weight of the liver was lower in the C group, Zlb group, and Zbd group than in the Z group (0.05 < p < 0.1). The concentration of serum glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) was lower, but follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) was higher in the Z group, Zlb group, and Zdb group than in the Z group (0.05 < p < 0.1). Additionally, serum luteinizing hormone (LH) concentration had no significant difference in the C group, Zlb group, and Zdb group but was significantly lower than in the Z group (p < 0.05); estradiol (E2) was significantly lower in the Zlb group and Zdb group than that in C group, but significantly higher than that in Z group (p < 0.05); PRL was significantly higher in the Zlb group and Zdb group than in the C group, but was significantly lower than in Z group (p < 0.05). ZEN and its reduced metabolites were measured in biological samples after enzymatic hydrolysis of the conjugated forms. The concentration of serum ZEN and its metabolite, α-zeralenol (α-ZOL), had no significant difference in Zlb, Zdb, and control groups but was significantly lower than in the Z group (p < 0.05); urine ZEN and its metabolites, α-ZOL and ß-zeralenol (ß-ZOL), had no significant difference in Zlb, Zdb, and control groups but was significantly lower than in the Z group (p < 0.05). Cell damages were observed in the liver, uterus, and ovary of gilts in the Z group and alleviated in Zlb and Zdb groups, but the loss of oocytes was irreversible in the ovary. The ZEN-contaminated diet caused serious changes in female hormones and brought harm to the livers and reproductive organs, but B. subtilis ZJ-2019-1 could naturally remove the ZEN significantly, which ameliorated the reproductive impairment in gilts caused by ZEN. The addition of B. subtilis ZJ-2019-1 to ZEN-contaminated feeds could ameliorate the toxic effects effectively, regardless of liquid or dry culture. Therefore, the B. subtilis ZJ-2019-1 strain has great potential industrial applications.

Uterine Metabolomic Analysis for the Regulation of Eggshell Calcification in Chickens.

Eggshell quality is economically important for table eggs and functionally indispensable for hatching eggs. During the formation of eggshell in the uterus, organic matrixes in uterine fluid can control and modify the formation of calcified eggshell. At present, there are limited studies focusing on the effect of uterine organic metabolites on eggshell quality. In this study, an LC-MS-based metabolomic technology was performed to identify the crucial uterine metabolites that differently presented in hens producing eggs with divergent eggshell quality (eggshell strength, thickness, and weight). More than 1000 metabolites were identified in uterine fluid, and six putative metabolites, including phosphatidylcholine, diacylglycerol, verapamil, risedronate, coproporphyrinogen III, and biliverdin, were screened to play crucial roles in eggshell calcification. Then, two trials for oral administration and in vitro calcite crystal growth were conducted to verify the effect of potential different metabolites on the eggshell quality. Verapamil has a temporary effect on decreasing eggshell strength and eggshell thickness. Coproporphyrinogen III could induce smaller calcite crystals to improve eggshell strength while biliverdin could modify crystal morphology by forming rougher faces and rounder edges to strengthen the eggshell. The present study gives us new insight to understand the role of uterine fluid matrixes in eggshell calcification.