A high-performance long-wave infrared photodetector based on a WSe2/PdSe2 broken-gap heterodiode.

Layered narrow bandgap quasi-two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) demonstrated excellent performance in long-wave infrared (LWIR) detection. However, the low light on/off ratio and specific detectivity (D*) due to the high dark current of the device fabricated using a single narrow bandgap material hindered its wide application. Herein, we report a type-III broken-gap band-alignment WSe2/PdSe2 van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure. The heterodiode device has a prominently low dark current and exhibits a high photoresponsivity (R) of 55.3 A W-1 and a high light on/off ratio >105 in the visible range. Notably, the WSe2/PdSe2 heterodiode shows an excellent uncooled LWIR response, with an R of ∼0.3 A W-1, a low noise equivalence power (NEP) of 4.5 × 10-11 W Hz-1/2, and a high D* of 1.8 × 108 cm Hz1/2 W-1. This work provides a new approach for designing high-performance room-temperature operational LWIR photodetectors.

Effects of Anemoside B4 on Plasma Metabolites in Cows with Clinical Mastitis.

Anemoside B4 has a good curative effect on cows with CM; however, its impact on their metabolic profiles is unclear. Based on similar somatic cell counts and clinical symptoms, nine healthy dairy cows and nine cows with CM were selected, respectively. Blood samples were collected from cows with mastitis on the day of diagnosis. Cows with mastitis were injected with anemoside B4 (0.05 mL/kg, once daily) for three consecutive days, and healthy cows were injected with the same volume of normal saline. Subsequently, blood samples were collected. The plasma metabolic profiles were analyzed using untargeted mass spectrometry, and the concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in serum were evaluated via ELISA. The cows with CM showed increased concentrations of IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α (p < 0.05). After treatment with anemoside B4, the concentrations of IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α were significantly decreased (p < 0.01). Untargeted metabolomics analysis showed that choline, glycocholic acid, PC (18:0/18:1), 20-HETE, PGF3α, and oleic acid were upregulated in cows with CM. After treatment with anemoside B4, the concentrations of PC (16:0/16:0), PC (18:0/18:1), linoleic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, phosphorylcholine, and glycerophosphocholine were downregulated, while the LysoPC (14:0), LysoPC (18:0), LysoPC (18:1), and cis-9-palmitoleic acid were upregulated. This study indicated that anemoside B4 alleviated the inflammatory response in cows with CM mainly by regulating lipid metabolism.

Blood metabolomics reveals the therapeutic effect of Pueraria polysaccharide on calf diarrhea.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD) is typically treated with antibiotics, while long-term application of antibiotics induces drug resistance and antibiotic residues, ultimately decreasing feed efficiency. Pueraria polysaccharide (PPL) is a versatile antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and antioxidative compound. This study aimed to compare the therapeutic efficacy of different doses of PPL (0.2, 0.4, 0.8 g/kg body weight (BW)) and explore the effect of plasma metabolites in diarrheal calves by the best dose of PPL. RESULTS: PPL could effectively improve the daily weight gain, fecal score, and dehydration score, and the dosage of 0.4 g/kg BW could reach curative efficacy against calf diarrhea (with effective rates 100.00%). Metabolomic analysis suggested that diarrhea mainly affect the levels of taurocholate, DL-lactate, LysoPCs, and intestinal flora-related metabolites, trimethylamine N-oxide; however, PPL improved liver function and intestinal barrier integrity by modulating the levels of DL-lactate, LysoPC (18:0/0:0) and bilirubin, which eventually attenuated neonatal calf diarrhea. It also suggested that the therapeutic effect of PPL is related to those differential metabolites in diarrheal calves. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that 0.4 g/kg BW PPL could restore the clinical score of diarrhea calves by improving the blood indexes, biochemical indexes, and blood metabolites. And it is a potential medicine for the treatment of calf diarrhea.

Protective Effect and Mechanism of Placenta Extract on Liver.

The placenta contains multiple biologically active substances, which exert antioxidation, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and delayed aging effects. Its extract can improve hepatic morphology and function: on the one hand, it can reduce liver interstitial collagen deposition, lipogenesis, and inflammatory cell infiltration and improve fibrosis; on the other hand, it can prevent hepatocellular degeneration by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inhibiting inflammatory cytokine production, further improve hepatocyte apoptosis and necrosis, and promote hepatocyte regeneration, making it a promising liver-protective agent. Current research on placenta extract (PE) mainly focuses on treating a specific type of liver injury, and there are no systematic reports. Therefore, this review comprehensively summarizes the treatment reports of PE on liver injury and analyzes its mechanism of action.

Effect of anemoside B4 on milk whey in clinical mastitis-affected cows elucidated using tandem mass tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomics.

Intramuscular injection of anemoside B4 (AB4) has a superior therapeutic effect on clinical mastitis in lactating cows. Here, we explored AB4's effect on milk whey in clinical mastitis-affected cows using proteomics. Among fifty clinical mastitis cows received AB4 administration (0.05 ml/kg/day, for 7 days), twelve healed cows were selected and marked as group T. Twelve clinically heathy cows received the same dose of saline for 7 days, marked as group C. Collected milk whey of group T before and after AB4 administration marked as T1 and T2, respectively. The milk whey of group C after saline injection marked as C1. Milk whey protein changes were detected using tandem mass tag-based quantitative proteomic. We identified 872 quantifiable proteins in the samples. Among them, 511 proteins between T1 and C1, and 361 proteins between T2 and T1 were significantly altered. T1 than C1 had significantly more proteins associated with inflammatory damage and trans-endothelial migration of leukocytes, whereas these proteins were reduced in T2 treated with AB4. Compared with C, proteins associated with fibrin clot degradation and complement system activation were downregulated in T1 but upregulated in T2. In summary, AB4 can exert its therapeutic effect on clinical mastitis in cows mainly by reducing inflammatory damage, activating the complement system, inhibiting trans-endothelial migration of leukocytes, and promoting degradation of milk fibrin clots.

Antioxidant Capacity and Protective Effect of Cow Placenta Extract on D-Galactose-Induced Skin Aging in Mice.

Placental extract has been used for skin care and delaying skin aging. Cow placenta is an abundant resource with a large mass, which has not been harnessed effectively. Cow placenta extract (CPE) has the functions of antioxidation, anti-inflammatory, promoting growth and development, and promoting hair growth. However, little is known about the effect of oral administration of cow placenta extract on skin conditions. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the antioxidant capacity of CPE in vitro and in vivo and its protective effect on d-galactose (D-gal) induced skin aging in mice. The results showed that CPE had strong free radical scavenging, reducing and metal chelating activities. CPE can increase the activity of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and the content of glutathione (GSH), decrease the content of malondialdehyde (MDA). Moreover, CPE can decrease the gene and protein expression of matrix metalloproteinase 1a (MMP-1a) and matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3) and increase the expression of transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) of mouse skin. Histopathological analysis showed CPE reduced the collagen damage caused by D-gal, increased collagen synthesis and reduced its degradation to delay skin aging.

Preparation of reductive polypeptides from fresh placentas of dairy cows.

In order to prepare reductive polypeptides from the placenta of dairy cows' fresh placentas from healthy Chinese Holstein cows were obtained and homogenized. Response surface model was established to optimize the hydrolysis condition for the extraction of the placental polypeptides. Specifically, the placental tissue homogenate was treated with both trypsin and pepsin for 348 min and 329 min; at 35.00% and 35.75% of substrate concentration; with an enzyme-substrate ratio of 3.33% and 3.92%, respectively, based on the models. The treated samples were then demineralized and freeze-dried to obtain the hydrolyzed polypeptides. In order to identify the molecular mass distribution and reducibility of polypeptides, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) and Prussian blue methods were used. The concentrations of placental polypeptides after hydrolysis by trypsin or pepsin were 5.52% and 5.97%, respectively; the vitamin C (Vit C) equivalents were 36.26 µg mg-1 or 61.15 µg mg-1, respectively. Both groups showed intensity peaks of MALDI patterns in the range of 300 - 400 Da, and polypeptides hydrolyzed by pepsin had higher Vit C equivalent anti-oxidant activity than trypsin hydrolyzed polypeptide, suggesting that the proteins in the placental tissues were hydrolyzed to di-peptides and tri-peptides completely. In conclusion, both trypsin and pepsin hydrolysis performed well in preparation of reductive polypeptides from the fresh placentas of dairy cows; while, pepsin is more effective than trypsin. The primary reductive ingredients may be the oligopeptides with molecular mass less than 1000 Da.

Pueraria lobata polysaccharides alleviate neonatal calf diarrhea by modulating gut microbiota and metabolites.

Introduction: Neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD) is still one of the most critical diseases in calf rearing. Studies have shown that Pueraria lobata polysaccharides (PLP) have intense antioxidant and immunomodulatory activity and modulate gut microbiota. This randomized clinical trial aimed to determine the effect of PLP on the neonatal calf with diarrhea. Methods: In this study, we recorded the fecal score of experimental calves, and calves with fecal scores ≥ 2 were determined as diarrhea and assessed their serum concentrations of inflammatory cytokines and oxidative damage-related indices. Fecal microbiota and metabolomics of diarrheal calves were further investigated. Results: Results showed that treatment with PLP decreased the fecal score of diarrheal calves, serum concentrations of IL-1ß, TNF-γ, and malondialdehyde, and also elevated the level of superoxide dismutase. In addition, PLP treatment altered the gut microbiota, significantly increased the relative abundances of beneficial bacteria, including the phyla Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria, the genus Collinsella, Megamonas, and Bifidobacterium; decreased the relative abundances of pathogenetic or diarrhea related bacteria, such as Proteobacteria, Fusobacteria, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, and Escherichia_Shigella. Moreover, PLP can increase the fecal concentrations of isobutyric acid, propionic acid, and pantothenate; lower the levels of PC [18:0/18:1(9Z)], arachidonic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid. Discussion: Thus, the results suggested that the PLP may perform the therapeutic activity via alleviating intestinal inflammation and regulating gut microbiota, avoiding further dysbiosis to restore the metabolism of gut microbiota, and finally promoting the recovery of diarrhea. The change further mitigated intestinal inflammation and oxidative damage in diarrheal calves. This indicated that PLP might be a promising treatment to attenuate diarrhea in neonatal calves.

Serum adipokines play different roles in type I and II ketosis.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate the differences in several serum adipokines in perinatal dairy cows with type I and II ketosis, and the correlations between these adipokines and the two types of ketosis. METHODS: Serum adiponectin (ADP), leptin (LEP), resistin, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, and energy balance indicators related to ketosis were measured. Type I and II ketosis were distinguished by serum glucose (Glu) and Y values and the correlations between adipokines in the two types of ketosis were analyzed. RESULTS: ß-Hydroxybutyric acid of type I ketosis cows was significantly negatively correlated with insulin (INS) and LEP and had a significant positive correlation with serum ADP. In type II ketosis cows, ADP and LEP were significantly negatively correlated, and INS and resistin were significantly positively correlated. Revised quantitative INS sensitivity check index (RQUICKI) values had a significantly positive correlation with ADP and had a very significant and significant negative correlation with resistin, TNF-α, and IL-6. ADP was significantly negatively correlated with resistin and TNF-α, LEP had a significantly positive correlation with TNF-α, and a significantly positive correlation was shown among resistin, IL-6, and TNF-α. There was also a significant positive correlation between IL-6 and TNF-α. CONCLUSION: INS, ADP, and LEP might exert biological influences to help the body recover from negative energy balance, whereas resistin, TNF-α, and IL-6 in type II ketosis cows exacerbated INS resistance and inhibited the production and secretion of ADP, weakened INS sensitivity, and liver protection function, and aggravated ketosis.

Relationships between placental adiponectin, leptin, visfatin and resistin and birthweight in cattle.

Adipokines can affect intrauterine development while calf birthweight (CBW) is a breeding standard of calves, which reflects the status of fetal intrauterine development. To explore the correlation between placental adipokines and CBW, 54 healthy Chinese Holstein cows were used in the present study. The cows were grouped according to the CBW of their calves. Placentas were collected immediately after delivery and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were used to detect the placental expression levels of adiponectin, leptin, visfatin and resistin. Our results show that the mRNA transcription and blood placental content of adiponectin, leptin, visfatin and resistin increased with increasing CBW. The analysis showed that the mRNA transcription levels of placental adiponectin, leptin and resistin were positively correlated with CBW. The mRNA and protein expression levels of adiponectin, leptin and visfatin between the three groups were significantly correlated. Placental resistin mRNA levels correlated positively with adiponectin mRNA, but not leptin or visfatin. The protein expression levels of resistin were significantly positively correlated with those of adiponectin, leptin and visfatin. These results suggest that placental adipokines play important roles in regulating calf intrauterine growth.

Optical simulation of a Popescu-Rohrlich Box.

It is well known that the fair-sampling loophole in Bell test opened by the selection of the state to be measured can lead to post-quantum correlations. In this paper, we make the selection of the results after measurement, which opens the fair- sampling loophole too, and thus can lead to post-quantum correlations. This kind of result-selection loophole can be realized by pre- and post-selection processes within the "two-state vector formalism", and a physical simulation of Popescu-Rohrlich (PR) box is designed in linear optical system. The probability distribution of the PR has a maximal CHSH value 4, i.e. it can maximally violate CHSH inequality. Because the "two-state vector formalism" violates the information causality, it opens the locality loophole too, which means that this kind of results selection within "two-state vector formalism" leads to both fair- sampling loophole and locality loophole, so we call it a comprehensive loophole in Bell test. The comprehensive loophole opened by the results selection within "two-state vector formalism" may be another possible explanation of why post-quantum correlations are incompatible with quantum mechanics and seem not to exist in nature.