Effects of dietary N-carbamylglutamate supplementation on the modulation of microbiota and Th17/Treg balance-related immune signaling after lipopolysaccharide challenge.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) on piglets' growth performance and immune response, and to unravel the mechanisms of such effects. In a 2 × 2 factorial design including diet (with or without NCG) and immunological challenge (saline or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)), 24 piglets were randomly distributed into four groups. After being fed a basic diet or a NCG-supplemented diet for 21 days, piglets were administered LPS or saline intraperitoneally. RESULTS: The results showed that NCG increased the average daily gain and average daily feed intake, and the feed conversion ratio of piglets, and alleviated the adverse effects of LPS stimulation on intestinal morphology. At the phylum level, NCG reversed the increase in the abundance of Firmicutes and the reduction in that of Actinomycete caused by LPS stimulation. At the genus level, NCG increased the abundance of Lactobacillus, Blautia, norank_Butyricicoccaceae, Subdoligranulum, and Ruminococcus_gauvreauii_group, and LPS decreased the abundance of Escherichia-Shigella and Ruminococcus_gauvreauii_group. The short-chain fatty acid content was increased by NCG, but LPS reduced its content. N-Carbamylglutamate also inhibited significantly the LPS-induced increase in the relative expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3, related orphan receptor (RAR) c, and pro-inflammatory cytokines, and the decrease in the relative expression of STAT5, forkhead box P3, IL-10 and transforming growth factor beta 1 mRNA. A significant correlation was found between intestinal microbiota and inflammatory cytokines and short-chain fatty acids. CONCLUSION: N-Carbamylglutamate can improve piglets' growth performance. It can also attenuate LPS-induced intestinal inflammation by modulating microbiota and Th17/Treg balance-related immune signaling pathways. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

NBS-mediated elimination of ß-keto sulfides to access enones and dienones.

A novel transformation of ß-keto sulfides into enones has been developed. The new method facilitates an NBS-mediated elimination of sulfides to access both enones and dienones. 22 enone products were obtained in moderate to high yields. 4 different dienones were also prepared in 73%-93% yields. 7 different alkylthio motifs have been removed efficiently from ß-keto sulfides. We also found that our transformation proceeds well in gram-scale reactions showing no decrease in yield. This methodology is significant in the research and application of sulfides, giving a new pathway to transform ß-keto sulfides into enones.

Tryptophan alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced liver injury and inflammation by modulating necroptosis and pyroptosis signaling pathways in piglets.

The liver plays crucial roles in material metabolism and immune response. Bacterial endotoxin can cause various liver diseases, thereby causing significant economic losses to pig industry. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid in piglets. However, whether tryptophan can alleviate liver injury and inflammation by regulating necroptosis and pyroptosis has not been clarified. This study aimed to investigate whether dietary tryptophan can alleviate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced liver injury in weaned piglets. 18 weaned piglets were randomly distributed to three treatments, each with 6 replicates: (1) control; (2) LPS-challenged control; (3) LPS + 0.2% tryptophan. After feeding with control or 0.2% tryptophan-supplemented diets for 35 d, pigs were intraperitoneally injected with saline or LPS (100 mg/kg body weight). At 4 h post-injection, blood samples and liver were collected. Results indicated that tryptophan reduced alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, decreased the mRNA expression and protein expression of 70-kDa heat shock proteins. Moreover, tryptophan increased the mRNA expression and protein expression of claudin-1, occludin and zonula occludens and decreased hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde contents, and increased catalase, glutathione peroxidase and total superoxide dismutase activities and proinflammatory cytokine levels in the liver. Meanwhile, tryptophan inhibited pyroptosis-related and necroptosis-related protein expression in liver. Collectively, tryptophan could relieve liver damage, increased the antioxidant capacity and reduced inflammation by inhibiting pyroptosis and necroptosis signaling pathways.

The improvement of parturition duration by high intake of dietary fibre in late gestation is associated with gut microbiota and metabolome in sows.

Prolonged parturition duration has been widely demonstrated to be a risk factor for incidence of stillbirth. This study evaluated the supply of dietary fibre on the parturition duration, gut microbiota and metabolome using sows as a model. A total of 40 Yorkshire sows were randomly given diet containing normal level of dietary fibre (NDF, 17·5 % dietary fibre) or high level of dietary fibre (HDF, 33·5 % dietary fibre). Faecal microbiota profiled with 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, SCFA and metabolome in the faeces and plasma around parturition were compared between the dietary groups. Correlation analysis was conducted to further explore the potential associations between specific bacterial taxa and metabolites. Results showed that HDF diet significantly improved the parturition process as presented by the shorter parturition duration. HDF diet increased the abundance of the phyla Bacteroidetes and Synergistetes and multiple genera. Except for butyrate, SCFA levels in the faeces and plasma of sows at parturition were elevated in HDF group. The abundances of fifteen and twelve metabolites in the faeces and plasma, respectively, markedly differ between HDF and NDF sows. These metabolites are involved in energy metabolism and bacterial metabolism. Correlation analysis also showed associations between specific bacteria taxa and metabolites. Collectively, our study indicates that the improvement of parturition duration by high fibre intake in late gestation is associated with gut microbiota, production of SCFA and other metabolites, potentially serving for energy metabolism.

Therapeutic effect and autophagy regulation of myriocin in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

BACKGROUND: Ceramide plays pathogenic roles in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) via multiple mechanisms, and as such inhibition of ceramide de novo synthesis in the liver may be of therapeutically beneficial in patients with NAFLD. In this study, we aimed to explore whether inhibition of ceramide signaling by myriocin is beneficial in animal model of NAFLD via regulating autophagy. METHODS: Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: standard chow (n = 10), high-fat diet (HFD) (n = 10) or HFD combined with oral administration of myriocin (0.3 mg/kg on alternate days for 8 weeks) (n = 10). Liver histology and autophagy function were measured. HepG2 cells were incubated with fatty acid with or without myriocin treatment. Lipid accumulation and autophagy markers in the HepG2 cells were analyzed. Serum ceramide changes were studied in 104 subjects consisting healthy adults, liver biopsy-proven patients with NAFLD and liver biopsy-proven patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). RESULTS: Myriocin reversed the elevated body weight and serum transaminases and alleviated dyslipidemia in HFD fed rats. Myriocin treatment significantly attenuated liver pathology including steatosis, lobular inflammation and ballooning. By qPCR analysis, it was revealed that myriocin corrected the expression pattern of fatty acid metabolism associated genes including Fabp1, Pparα, Cpt-1α and Acox-2. Further, myriocin also restored the impaired hepatic autophagy function in rats with HFD-induced NASH, and this has been verified in HepG2 cells. Among the sphingolipid species that we screened in lipidomic profiles, significantly increased ceramide was observed in NASH patients as compared to the controls and non-NASH patients, regardless of whether or not they have active CHB. CONCLUSIONS: Ceramide may play an important regulatory role in the autophagy function in the pathogenesis of NASH. Hence, blockade of ceramide signaling by myriocin may be of therapeutically beneficial in NASH. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registration ID: ChiCTR-DDT-13003983 . Data of registration: 13 May, 2013, retrospectively registered.

Altered DNA Methylation Sites in Peripheral Blood Leukocytes from Patients with Simple Steatosis and Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH).

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to identify DNA methylation sites in peripheral blood leukocytes from patients with histologically confirmed nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that included simple hepatic steatosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). MATERIAL AND METHODS DNA was isolated from peripheral blood leukocytes from patients with histologically diagnosed NAFLD (n=35), including simple hepatic steatosis (n=18) and NASH (n=17). Healthy controls included individuals without liver disease (n=30). DNA was hybridized, and DNA methylation was interrogated in an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS). DNA methylation levels (ß-values) were correlated with serum lipid profiles, liver enzymes, and liver histology. RESULTS Circulating blood leukocytes from 35 patients with NAFLD (simple steatosis and NASH) contained 65 CpG sites, which represented 60 genes that were differentially methylated when compared with healthy controls. In the simple hepatic steatosis group (n=18), 42 methylated CpG sites were found to be associated with increased levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and 32 methylated CpG sites were associated with increased serum lipid profiles. In the NASH group (n=17), when compared with the simple hepatic steatosis group, methylated CpG sites showed significant correlations with the presence of lobular inflammation compared with hepatic steatosis and fibrosis. Six differentially methylated CpG sites were identified in the ACSL4, CRLS1, CTP1A, SIGIRR, SSBP1 and ZNF622 genes, which were associated with histologically confirmed simple hepatic steatosis and NASH. CONCLUSIONS The study identified some key methylated CpG sites from peripheral blood leukocytes, which might be used as serum biomarkers to stratify NAFLD patients into simple hepatic steatosis and NASH.

Dietary supplementation with ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate calcium during the early postnatal period accelerates skeletal muscle fibre growth and maturity in intra-uterine growth-retarded and normal-birth-weight piglets.

Intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) impairs postnatal growth and skeletal muscle development in neonatal infants. This study evaluated whether dietary ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate Ca (HMB-Ca) supplementation during the early postnatal period could improve muscle growth in IUGR neonates using piglets as a model. A total of twelve pairs of IUGR and normal-birth-weight (NBW) male piglets with average initial weights (1·85 (sem 0·36) and 2·51 (sem 0·39) kg, respectively) were randomly allotted to groups that received milk-based diets (CON) or milk-based diets supplemented with 800 mg/kg HMB-Ca (HMB) during days 7-28 after birth. Blood and longissimus dorsi (LD) samples were collected and analysed for plasma amino acid content, fibre morphology and the expression of genes related to muscle development. The results indicate that, regardless of diet, IUGR piglets had a significantly decreased average daily weight gain (ADG) compared with that of NBW piglets (P<0·05). However, IUGR piglets fed HMB-Ca had a net weight and ADG similar to that of NBW piglets fed the CON diet. Irrespective of body weight (BW), HMB-Ca supplementation markedly increased the type II fibre cross-sectional area and the mRNA expression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), insulin-like growth factor-1 and myosin heavy-chain isoform IIb in the LD of piglets (P<0·05). Moreover, there was a significant interaction between the effects of BW and HMB on mTOR expression in the LD (P<0·05). In conclusion, HMB-Ca supplementation during the early postnatal period could improve skeletal muscle growth and maturity by accelerating fast-twitch glycolytic fibre development in piglets.

APOC3 rs2070666 Is Associated with the Hepatic Steatosis Independently of PNPLA3 rs738409 in Chinese Han Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and apolipoprotein C3 gene (APOC3) promoter region single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs2854117 and rs2854116 is controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between other polymorphisms of APOC3 and NAFLD in Chinese. METHODS: Fifty-nine liver biopsy-proven NAFLD patients and 72 healthy control subjects were recruited to a cohort representing Chinese Han population. The polymorphisms in the exons and flanking regions of APOC3 and patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) rs738409 polymorphisms were genotyped. RESULTS: Among the five SNPs (rs4225, rs4520, rs5128, rs2070666, and rs2070667) in APOC3, only rs2070666 (c.179 + 62 T/A) was significantly different in genotype and allele frequency (both p < 0.01) between groups of NAFLD and control. After adjusting for sex, age, serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, body mass index, and the PNPLA3 rs738409 polymorphism, the APOC3 rs2070666 A allele was an independent risk factor for NAFLD with an odds ratio (OR) of 3.683 and 95 % confidence interval (CI) of 1.037-13.084. The APOC3 rs2070666 A allele was linked to the fourth quartile of the controlled attenuation parameter values (OR 2.769, 95 % CI 1.002-7.651) in 131 subjects, and also linked to the significant histological steatosis (OR 4.986, 95 % CI 1.020-24.371), but neither to liver stiffness measurement values nor to hepatic histological activity and fibrosis in NAFLD patients. CONCLUSIONS: The APOC3 rs2070666 A allele is a risk factor for NAFLD independent of obesity, dyslipidemia, and PNPLA3 rs738409, and it might contribute to increased liver fat content in Chinese Han population.

Impact of skin capsular distance on the performance of controlled attenuation parameter in patients with chronic liver disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) is a non-invasive method for evaluating hepatic steatosis. However, larger skin capsular distance (SCD) can affect the accuracy. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of SCD on the diagnostic performance of CAP and liver stiffness measurement (LSM). METHODS: Of 101 patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and 280 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) who underwent liver biopsy were prospectively recruited. CAP, LSM and SCD were performed using FibroScan with M probe. The areas under receiver operating characteristics curves (AUROCs) were calculated to determine the diagnostic efficacy. The optimal thresholds were defined by the maximum Youden index. RESULTS: SCD (B 30.34, P < 0.001) and hepatic steatosis (B 23.04, P < 0.001) were independently associated with CAP by multivariate analysis. The AUROCs were slightly higher for SCD <25 mm compared to those for SCD ≥25 mm for steatosis ≥5% (0.88 vs. 0.81), >33% (0.90 vs. 0.85) and >66% (0.84 vs. 0.72). For SCD <25 mm, the optimal CAP cut-offs for differentiating steatosis ≥5%, >33% and >66% were 255.0 dB/m, 283.5 dB/m and 293.5 dB/m. However, cut-offs were elevated by approximately 60-70 dB/m for SCD ≥25 mm. When stratified by fibrosis grade, LSM was significantly affected by SCD ≥25 mm for advanced fibrosis (≥F3) in NAFLD, but not in CHB. CONCLUSION: CAP is a promising tool for detecting and quantifying hepatic steatosis. SCD ≥25 mm may cause overestimation of steatosis. Similarly, SCD ≥25 mm affects the detection of advanced fibrosis by LSM in NAFLD patients.

Perturbation of physiological systems by nanoparticles.

Nanotechnology is having a tremendous impact on our society. However, societal concerns about human safety under nanoparticle exposure may derail the broad application of this promising technology. Nanoparticles may enter the human body via various routes, including respiratory pathways, the digestive tract, skin contact, intravenous injection, and implantation. After absorption, nanoparticles are carried to distal organs by the bloodstream and the lymphatic system. During this process, they interact with biological molecules and perturb physiological systems. Although some ingested or absorbed nanoparticles are eliminated, others remain in the body for a long time. The human body is composed of multiple systems that work together to maintain physiological homeostasis. The unexpected invasion of these systems by nanoparticles disturbs normal cell signaling, impairs cell and organ functions, and may even cause pathological disorders. This review examines the comprehensive health risks of exposure to nanoparticles by discussing how nanoparticles perturb various physiological systems as revealed by animal studies. The potential toxicity of nanoparticles to each physiological system and the implications of disrupting the balance among systems are emphasized.

Effect of porcine Akirin2 on skeletal myosin heavy chain isoform expression.

Akirin2 plays an important role in skeletal myogenesis. In this study, we found that porcine Akirin2 (pAkirin2) mRNA level was significantly higher in fast extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and longissimus lumborum (LL) muscles than in slow soleus (SOL) muscle of pigs. Overexpression of pAkirin2 increased the number of myosin heavy chain (MHC)-positive cells, indicating that pAkirin2 promoted myoblast differentiation. We also found that overexpression of pAkirin2 increased the mRNA expressions of MHCI and MHCIIa and decreased the mRNA expression of MHCIIb. Myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) and nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) are the major downstream effectors of calcineurin. Here we also observed that the mRNA expressions of MEF2C and NFATc1 were notably elevated by pAkirin2 overexpression. Together, our data indicate that the role of pAkirin2 in modulating MHCI and MHCIIa expressions may be achieved through calcineurin/NFATc1 signaling pathway.

Cell rescue by nanosequestration: reduced cytotoxicity of an environmental remediation residue, Mg(OH)2 nanoflake/Cr(VI) adduct.

Some nanomaterials, such as Mg(OH)2 nanoflakes, are heavily used in pollutant adsorption and removal. Residues from these environmental remediations are potential hazardous materials. Safety evaluations of these materials are needed for environmental protection and human health. Although nanotoxicity has been widely investigated in recent years, research on the toxicity of nanoparticle/pollutant adducts has been rather inadequate. Here, we report the cellular perturbations and cytotoxicity of nano-Mg(OH)2/Cr(VI) adducts as a case study to elucidate how nanoparticle/pollutant adducts impact human cells. We found that Mg(OH)2 nanoflakes barely enter cells, while desorbed Cr(VI) anions enter cells, generate ROS, induce cell apoptosis, and cause cytotoxicity. This cytotoxicity is only a fraction of the cytotoxicity of free Cr(VI) because nano-Mg(OH)2 particles are able to retain more than half of their Cr(VI) anions.

Generation of Porcine Angiogenin 4-Expressing Pichia pastoris and Its Protection against Intestinal Inflammatory Injury.

Antimicrobial peptides have been extensively studied as potential alternatives to antibiotics. Porcine angiogenin 4 (pANG4) is a novel antimicrobial peptide in the angiogenin (ANG) family, which may have a regulatory effect on intestinal microflora. The object of present study is obtained pANG4 protein by heterologous expression, so as to explore the biological function of recombinant pANG4 (rpANG4). The pANG4 was expressed in Pichia pastoris (P. pastoris) and anti-inflammatory effects were investigated in intestinal porcine epithelial cell line-J2 (IPEC-J2) and mice. Purified rpANG4 had bacteriostatic activity and did not cause hemolysis or cytotoxicity at concentrations below 128 µg/mL. Purified rpANG4 increased the activity of IPEC-J2 and reduced apoptosis in vitro. rpANG4 reduced the pro-inflammatory gene expression and upregulated tight junction protein gene expression during inflammation. rpANG4 alleviated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced liver and spleen damage, intestinal inflammation, jejunal apoptosis genes' expression, and improved immune function in an in vivo mice model. rpANG4 increased tight junction protein gene expression in jejunum, thereby improving the jejunum intestinal barrier function. In conclusion, rpANG4 had antibacterial activity, inhibited intestinal inflammation, improved intestinal barrier function, and alleviated liver and spleen damage. The current study contributes to the development of antibiotic substitutes and the improvement of animal health.

Revealing the mechanism of fiber promoting sow embryo implantation by altering the abundance of uterine fluid proteins: A proteomic perspective.

Many studies have shown that fiber in the diet plays an important role in improving the reproductive performance of sows, but there is rarely research on the impact of fiber on early embryo implantation. This study used 4D-Label free technology to identify and analyze the effect of the fiber composition in the diet on the protein in the early pregnancy uterine fluid (UF) of sows. The results indicate that ratio of insoluble fibers to soluble fibers (ISF/SF) 4.89 can increase the concentration of progesterone (PROG) and reduce tumor necrosis factorα (TNF-α) concentration in sow UF. In addition, through 4D-Label free, we identified a total of 4248 proteins, 38 proteins abundance upregulated and 283 proteins abundance downregulated in UF. Through enrichment analysis of these differential abundance proteins (DAPs), it was found that these differential proteins are mainly related to the docking of extracellular vesicles, vesicular transport, inflammatory response, and insulin resistance. Therefore, the results of this study reveal the possible mechanism by which fiber improves the reproductive performance of sows, laying a theoretical foundation for future research on the effects of diet on reproduction. SIGNIFICANCE: This study demonstrates the importance of dietary fiber for early embryo implantation in sows. The effect of dietary ISF/SF on early embryo implantation in sows was elucidated from a proteomic perspective through 4D-Label free technology. This study not only has significant implications for improving sow reproductive efficiency, but also provides important theoretical references for studying early miscarriage and reproductive nutrition in human pregnancy.

Removal of Silicon from Magnesite by Flotation: Influence of Particle Size and Mechanical Mechanism.

The feasibility of producing high-density sintered magnesia with a one-step sintering method was investigated by utilizing finely ground magnesite as raw materials for direct flotation. The mechanism of flotation desilication of microfine grain magnesite was investigated by combining microstructure and chemical properties. The results showed that dodecylamine (DDA) has a sorting effect on magnesite reverse flotation desilication. Under the premise of 150 mg/L sodium polyacrylate (PAANa) as an inhibitor and 300 mg/L DDA as a collector, the content and recovery rate of MgO can reach 83.91% and 78.78%, respectively. When sodium oleate (NaOL) was used as a collector, the recovery rate of MgO was only 49.22%; therefore, it is unsuitable for magnesite purification. The flotation effect was affected because MgO particles and SiO2 particles agglomerated in the flotation process. The flotation agent cannot work for a single element but works for the mineral agglomerate. While collecting Si elements, the agglomerated MgO was also brought into the froth layer, making flotation impossible.

Implications of vitamin D for flesh quality of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella): antioxidant ability, nutritional value, sensory quality, and myofiber characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Muscle represents a unique and complex system with many components and comprises the major edible part of animals. Vitamin D is a critical nutrient for animals and is known to enhance calcium absorption and immune response. In recent years, dietary vitamin D supplementation in livestock has received increased attention due to biological responses including improving shear force in mammalian meat. However, the vitamin D acquisition and myofiber development processes in fish differ from those in mammals, and the effect of vitamin D on fish flesh quality is poorly understood. Here, the influence of dietary vitamin D on fillet quality, antioxidant ability, and myofiber development was examined in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). METHODS: A total of 540 healthy grass carp, with an initial average body weight of 257.24 ± 0.63 g, were allotted in 6 experimental groups with 3 replicates each, and respectively fed corresponding diets with 15.2, 364.3, 782.5, 1,167.9, 1,573.8, and 1,980.1 IU/kg vitamin D for 70 d. RESULTS: Supplementation with 1,167.9 IU/kg vitamin D significantly improved nutritional value and sensory quality of fillets, enhancing crude protein, free amino acid, lipid, and collagen contents; maintaining an ideal pH; and reducing lactate content, shear force, and cooking loss relative to respective values in the control (15.2 IU/kg) group. Average myofiber diameter and the frequency of myofibers > 50 µm in diameter increased under supplementation with 782.5-1,167.9 IU/kg vitamin D. Levels of oxidative damage biomarkers decreased, and the expression of antioxidant enzymes and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 signaling molecules was upregulated in the 1,167.9 IU/kg vitamin D treatment compared to respective values in the control group. Furthermore, vitamin D supplementation activated cell differentiation by enhancing the expression of myogenic regulatory factors and myocyte enhancer factors compared to that in the control group. In addition, supplementation with 1,167.9 IU/kg vitamin D improved protein deposition associated with protein synthesis molecule (target of rapamycin) signaling and vitamin D receptor paralogs, along with inhibition of protein degradation (forkhead box protein 1) signaling. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the results demonstrated that vitamin D strengthened antioxidant ability and myofiber development, thereby enhancing nutritional value and sensory quality of fish flesh. These findings suggest that dietary vitamin D supplementation is conducive to the production of nutrient-rich, high quality aquaculture products.

Prevalence and incidence of MAFLD and associated anthropometric parameters among prepubertal children of the Shanghai Birth Cohort.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease in adolescent and adult population. However, the epidemiologic data of MAFLD in prepubertal children remain limited. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and incidence of MAFLD and assess the role of anthropometric parameters in identifying and predicting MAFLD in this population. METHODS: Children from the Shanghai Birth Cohort Study who underwent an 8-year follow-up with anthropometric measurements and transient elastography FibroScan-502 examination (M probe, Echosens, Paris, France) were enrolled. Some of them also completed a 5-year follow-up. Diagnosis of fatty liver disease (FLD) was based on the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) value exceeding 248 dB/m, and MAFLD was defined as FLD combined with obesity or central obesity. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of anthropometric parameters for MAFLD. RESULTS: A total of 848 children (431 boys) from the Shanghai Birth Cohort Study were followed up for 8 years, and among them, 385 children (189 boys) also participated in the 5-year follow-up. The prevalence of FLD and MAFLD at 5 years old was 3.90% and 0.52%, respectively, while at 8 years old, the prevalence rates increased to 5.07% for FLD and 3.42% for MAFLD. The 8-year-old children with MAFLD exhibited significantly higher weight, body mass index (BMI), chest circumference, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-height ratio, waist-to-hip ratio, and liver stiffness measurement compared to those without MAFLD (all p < 0.05). The incidence rates of FLD and MAFLD at 8 years old, considering the 5-year follow-up data, were 3.78% (14/370) and 3.13% (12/383), respectively. Obese or centrally obese children at 5 years old had a higher incidence of FLD and MAFLD at the 8-year follow-up. Waist circumference and BMI showed significant associations with the presence and incidence of MAFLD, respectively, with the largest AUC values in ROC curve analysis. In addition, chest circumference was significantly associated with MAFLD in obese children. CONCLUSION: This study provides insights into the incidence and prevalence of MAFLD in prepubertal children. It underscores the importance of anthropometric parameters in identifying and predicting MAFLD in this population. Further research encompassing a broader age range and incorporating these indicators and additional metabolic markers is necessary to enhance the understanding and management of MAFLD in children.

Comparison of Different Machine Learning Algorithms for the Prediction of the Wheat Grain Filling Stage Using RGB Images.

Grain filling is essential for wheat yield formation, but is very susceptible to environmental stresses, such as high temperatures, especially in the context of global climate change. Grain RGB images include rich color, shape, and texture information, which can explicitly reveal the dynamics of grain filling. However, it is still challenging to further quantitatively predict the days after anthesis (DAA) from grain RGB images to monitor grain development. RESULTS: The WheatGrain dataset revealed dynamic changes in color, shape, and texture traits during grain development. To predict the DAA from RGB images of wheat grains, we tested the performance of traditional machine learning, deep learning, and few-shot learning on this dataset. The results showed that Random Forest (RF) had the best accuracy of the traditional machine learning algorithms, but it was far less accurate than all deep learning algorithms. The precision and recall of the deep learning classification model using Vision Transformer (ViT) were the highest, 99.03% and 99.00%, respectively. In addition, few-shot learning could realize fine-grained image recognition for wheat grains, and it had a higher accuracy and recall rate in the case of 5-shot, which were 96.86% and 96.67%, respectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this work, we proposed a complete wheat grain dataset, WheatGrain, which covers thousands of wheat grain images from 6 DAA to 39 DAA, which can characterize the complete dynamics of grain development. At the same time, we built different algorithms to predict the DAA, including traditional machine learning, deep learning, and few-shot learning, in this dataset, and evaluated the performance of all models. CONCLUSIONS: To obtain wheat grain filling dynamics promptly, this study proposed an RGB dataset for the whole growth period of grain development. In addition, detailed comparisons were conducted between traditional machine learning, deep learning, and few-shot learning, which provided the possibility of recognizing the DAA of the grain timely. These results revealed that the ViT could improve the performance of deep learning in predicting the DAA, while few-shot learning could reduce the need for a number of datasets. This work provides a new approach to monitoring wheat grain filling dynamics, and it is beneficial for disaster prevention and improvement of wheat production.

Standardized ileal digestibility of amino acids in soybean meal fed to non-pregnant and pregnant sows.

BACKGROUND: Two studies were designed to determine standard ileal crude protein (CP) and amino acid (AA) digestibility of soybean meal (SBM) from different origins fed to non-pregnant and pregnant sows. Seven solvent-extracted SBMs from soybeans produced in the USA, Brazil, and China were selected. In Exp. 1, eight different diets were created: a nitrogen (N)-free diet and 7 experimental diets containing SBM from different origins as the only N source. Eight non-pregnant, multiparous sows were arranged in an 8 × 8 Latin square design (8 periods and 8 diets). In Exp. 2, the diet formula was the same as in Exp. 1. Eight gestating sows (parity 3) were assigned to 4 different diets in a replicated 4 × 3 Youden square design (three periods and four diets) in mid-gestation and again in late-gestation stages. RESULTS: When fed to non-pregnant and late-gestating sows, the standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of CP and most AAs from different SBM were not significantly different (P > 0.05). When fed to mid-gestating sows, the SID values for Arg, His, Lys, Phe, Cys, Gly, Ser, and Tyr in SBM 1 were lower than in SBM 4 and 5 (P < 0.05), whereas SID for Leu from SBM 5 was higher than in SBM 1 and 4 (P < 0.05). SID values for Ile, Ala, and Asp from SBM 4 were lower than in SBM 1 and 5 (P < 0.05). Sows had significantly greater SID values for Lys, Ala, and Asp during mid-gestation when compared with late-gestation stages (P < 0.05). Mid-gestating sows had greater SID value for Val and lower SID value for Tyr when compared with non-pregnant and late-gestating sows (P < 0.01), whereas non-pregnant sows had significantly greater SID value for Met when compared with gestating sows (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: When fed to mid-gestating sows, the SID values for most AAs varied among SBM samples. The SID values for Lys, Met, Val, Ala, Asp, and Tyr in SBM were affected by sow gestation stages. Our findings provide a cornerstone for accurate SBM use in sow diets.

Supplementation of a Multi-Carbohydrase and Phytase Complex in Diets Regardless of Nutritional Levels, Improved Nutrients Digestibility, Growth Performance, and Bone Mineralization of Growing-Finishing Pigs.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary multi-enzyme (multi-carbohydrase and phytase complex, MCPC) supplementation on digestibility, growth performance, bone mineralization, and carcass yield and traits in growing-finishing pigs fed diets with adequate or deficient net energy (NE), amino acids (AA), calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) levels. A total of 576 crossbred [Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire)] barrows (~25 kg) were fed one of the six diets till live weight approached 130 kg. Basal diets included a positive control (PC), negative control 1 (NC1) and 2 (NC2), while another three diets were prepared by adding MCPC to the three basal diets. The final body weight was lower (p < 0.05) in NC2 than in NC1 and PC treatments, while overall feed intake and feed-gain ratio were higher (p < 0.05) in NC1 and NC2 than in PC treatment. The NC2 treatment showed lower (p < 0.05) carcass weight but higher (p < 0.05) lean meat percentage than the PC treatment. The apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of gross energy (GE), crude protein (CP) and AA was decreased (p < 0.05) or tended (p < 0.10) to decrease in NC1 and/or NC2 diets compared with a PC diet. MCPC supplementation improved (p < 0.05) AID of Ca, P and AA (Lys, Leu, Val, Phe, Gly, Tyr and Pro), apparent total-tract digestibility (ATTD) of GE, CP, bone strength, Ca, and P retention. In conclusion, MCPC supplementation improved nutrient digestibility, bone mineralization, and growth performance of fattening pigs, regardless of the nutritional level of the basal diet.