Effect of fixed-time artificial insemination on corpus luteum gene expression at the day 16 and 25 pregnancy of gilt.

Utilization of female livestock can be optimized by application of Fixed-Time Artificial Insemination (FTAI), which plays an important role in large-scale livestock production. However, molecular mechanism of FTAI affecting reproductive performance remains unclear. To investigate the effects of FTAI on corpus luteum in 16 and 25 days of pregnancy gilts, 12 pregnancy gilts were selected from Altrenogest + PMSG + GnRH (APG) group and control group. The number of left and right CL in APG group were significantly higher than control (p < 0.05). Furthermore, result showed the number of differentially expressed genes between 16APG group and 16 C group was obviously larger than that between 25APG and 25 C group (2394 vs. 1476). Up regulated genes in APG were mainly associated with cytokine production and secretion, cell communication and transport (day 16) and angiogenesis, cell cycle and cell-cell signaling (day 25). The expression of differentially expressed genes (RPL10, CYP17A1, DCN, IL18, LDLR and PRLR) in luteal tissue were verified by real-time PCR. In summary, APG program significantly improve reproductive efficiency of gilts through up regulation of cytokine production/secretion, cell communication and transport in Day 16 pregnancy and angiogenesis, cell cycle and cell-cell signaling at Day 25 pregnancy in porcine.

Quantitative SERS by electromagnetic enhancement normalization with carbon nanotube as an internal standard.

Quantitative surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) in practical applications still remain unresolved, mainly due to low reproducibility relying on the quality of the SERS substrates. In this paper, a carbon nanotube and Ag nanoparticles composite (CNT/AgNPs) is reported, and the carbon nanotube is as an internal standard for the calibration of SERS intensity of analyte molecules. The quantification of analyte molecules rhodamine 6G (R6G) is demonstrated in an aqueous solution with the concentration of 10-9 to 10-7 M. Raman mapping is used to investigate the stability of SERS spectra in a large scanning area, and the corresponding relative standard deviation (RSD) is calculated. SERS mapping reveals that the uniformity of Raman enhancement is improved through the build-in calibration with 2D Raman peak of CNT. Meanwhile, CNT/AgNPs samples are used to detect N2 in natural air, indicating that such self-calibration method can improve the reliability of the SERS analysis.

Measurement of total anthocyanins content in flowering tea using near infrared spectroscopy combined with ant colony optimization models.

Flowering tea has become a popular beverage consumed across the world. Anthocyanins content is considered as an important quality index of flowering tea. The feasibility of using near infrared (NIR) spectra at the wavelength range of 10,000-4000 cm(-1) for rapid and nondestructive determination of total anthocyanins content in flowering tea was investigated. Ant colony optimization interval partial least squares (ACO-iPLS) and Genetic algorithm interval partial least squares (GA-iPLS) were used to develop calibration models for total anthocyanins content. Two characteristic wavelength regions (4590-4783, 5770-5,963 cm(-1)), which corresponding to the ultraviolet/visible absorption bands of anthocyanins, were selected by ACO-iPLS. The optimal ACO-iPLS model for total anthocyanins content (R=0.9856, RMSECV=0.1,198 mg/g) had better performance than full-spectrum PLS, iPLS, and GA-iPLS models. It could be concluded that NIR spectroscopy has significant potential in the nondestructive determination of total anthocyanins content in flowering tea.

Genetic analysis on Tuoba Xianbei remains excavated from Qilang Mountain Cemetery in Qahar Right Wing Middle Banner of Inner Mongolia.

Sixteen sequences of the hypervariable segment I (HVS-I, 16039-16398) in mtDNA control region from ancient Tuoba Xianbei remains excavated from Qilang Mountain Cemetery were analyzed. In which, 13 haplotypes were found by 25 polymorphic sites. The haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity were 0.98 and 0.0189, respectively, and the mean of nucleotide number differences was 6.25. Haplogroup analysis indicates these remains mainly belong to haplogroup C (31.25%) and D (43.75%). According to the published data were considered, we can suggest that the Tuoba Xianbei presented a close genetic affinity to Oroqen, Outer Mongolian and Ewenki populations, especially Oroqen.