Dietary ferulic acid improves growth performance of broilers via enhanced intestinal antioxidant capacity and barrier function.

Objective: In this study, the effects of dietary ferulic acid (FA) on the growth traits, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal barrier function of broilers were investigated. Methods: In total, 192 male Arbor Acres broilers were randomly allocated to one of three dietary groups (8 replicates of 8 birds each): control (CON) group (basal diet), FA100 group (basal diet + 100 mg/kg FA), or FA200 group (basal diet + 200 mg/kg FA). The duration of the feeding trial was 42 days. Results: higher average daily gain (ADG) and lower feed to gain (F/G) ratio during day 0 to day 21 were found in the FA100 and FA200 groups, while higher ADG and lower F/G during day 21 to day 42 were only found in FA200 group, compared to the CON group (p < 0.05). Serum levels of MDA and DAO on day 21 were lower in the FA100 and FA200 groups and those on day 42 were lower in the FA200 group, while GSH-Px level in the FA100 and FA200 groups on day 21 and that in the FA200 group on day 42 were increased (p < 0.05). On day 21, jejunal GSS expression was upregulated in the FA200 group (p < 0.05), while jejunal and ileal expression of NRF2 and Occludin as well as ileal expression of GPX1 and ZO1 were increased in the FA100 and FA200 groups compared to the CON group (p < 0.05). On day 42, mRNA expression of GSS, NRF2, SOD1, and GPX1 in the jejunum and ileum as well as Claudin2 in the jejunum and Occludin in the ileum were increased in the FA200 group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Dietary FA addition could improve the growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and gut integrity of broilers. The current findings provided evidences that the adoption of FA can be as nutrition intervention measure to achieve high-efficient broiler production for poultry farmers.

Ultrasensitive detection of miRNA-21 by click chemistry and fluorescein-mediated photo-ATRP signal amplification.

The development of a convenient and efficient assay using miRNA-21 as a lung cancer marker is of great importance for the early prevention of cancer. Herein, an electrochemical biosensor for the detection of miRNA-21 was successfully fabricated under blue light excitation using click chemistry and photocatalytic atom transfer radical polymerization (photo-ATRP). By using hairpin DNA as a recognition probe, the electrochemical sensor deposits numerous electroactive monomers (ferrocenylmethyl methacrylate) on the electrode surface under the reaction of photocatalyst (fluorescein) and pentamethyldiethylenetriamine, thereby achieving signal amplification. This biosensor is sensitive, precise and selective for miRNA-21, and is highly specific for RNAs with different base mismatches. Under optimal conditions, the biosensor showed a linear relationship in the range of 10 fM ∼1 nM (R2 = 0.995), with a detection limit of 1.35 fM. Furthermore, the biosensor exhibits anti-interference performance when analyzing RNAs in serum samples. The biosensor is based on green chemistry and has the advantages of low cost, specificity and anti-interference ability, providing economic benefits while achieving detection objectives, which makes it highly promising for the analysis of complex samples.

Effects of Dried Blueberry Pomace and Pineapple Pomace on Growth Performance and Meat Quality of Broiler Chickens.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dried blueberry pomace (BP) and pineapple pomace (PP) on the growth performance and meat quality of broiler chickens. A total of 240 1-day-old Ross 308 broiler chickens were randomly divided into 3 groups, with 10 replicates per treatment group and 8 birds per replicate (4 males and 4 females). The three groups were the control (CON) group, the 3% BP group, and 3% PP group. The entire trial period lasted 42 days. The results show that the average daily feed intake, average daily gain, and feed-to-gain ratio of the BP group and the PP group were not significantly different from those in the CON group (p > 0.05). Adding BP to the diet significantly reduced the proportion of liver and giblets (p < 0.05). Adding PP to the diet significantly reduced the proportion of liver, while the proportion of gizzard significantly increased (p < 0.05). The pH24h and L* of breast muscles were significantly lower in the PP group than in the CON group (p < 0.05). The water-holding capacity of the leg muscles in the BP group and the PP group was significantly lower than that in the CON group (p < 0.05). The crude protein content of breast muscle and the ether extract content of leg muscle in the BP group were significantly lower than those in the CON group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the addition of 3% BP and PP to broiler chickens' diets had no adverse effects on growth performance or meat quality.

Rose bengal-mediated photoinduced atom transfer radical polymerization for high sensitivity detection of target DNA.

Convenient and sensitive detection of biomolecules is of utmost importance in the field of early disease screening. In this study, a Rose Bengal-Mediated photoinduced atom transfer radical polymerization (photoATRP) method was used to achieve highly sensitive detection of target DNA (tDNA). The tDNA was specifically recognized using PNA with terminal modified sulfhydryl groups, and the initiator α-bromophenylacetic acid (BPAA) was attached to the electrode surface via a phosphate-Zr4+-carboxylate acid structure. Under the excitation of blue light, rose bengal (RB) acts as a photocatalyst, ß-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) as an electron donor, and ferrocenylmethyl methacrylate (FMMA) as a monomer to activate the photoATRP reaction and generate a large number of electroactive polymer chains on the electrode surface. Under optimal conditions, the method can be used for the quantitative analysis of tDNA in the concentration range of 1-105 fM (R2 = 0.994) with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.115 fM. This metal-free mediated photoATRP biosensor, with low cost and environmental friendliness, has great potential in the field of highly sensitive biomolecule detection.

In Vitro and In Vivo Metabolic Activation and Hepatotoxicity of Environmental Pollutant 2,6-Dimethylphenol.

2,6-Dimethylphenol (2,6-DMP) is an environmental pollutant found in industrial wastewater. Exposure to 2,6-DMP is of increasing concern as it endangered reportedly some aquatic animals. In this study, we investigated the metabolic activation and hepatotoxicity of 2,6-DMP. 2,6-DMP was metabolized to an o-quinone methide intermediate in vitro and in vivo. The electrophilic metabolite was reactive to the sulfhydryl groups of glutathione, N-acetyl cysteine, and cysteine. NADPH was required for the formation of the reactive metabolite. The quinone methide intermediate reacted with cysteine residues to form hepatic protein adduction. A single dose of 2,6-DMP induced marked elevation of serum ALT and AST in mice. Both the protein adduction and hepatotoxicity of 2,6-DMP showed dose dependency.

The predictive values of GGT and Hcy in the risk stratifications and prognoses of NSTE-ACS patients.

OBJECTIVE: This research was designed to probe into the predictive value of glutamyltransferase (GGT) and homocysteine (Hcy) in the risk stratifications and prognoses of non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) patients. METHODS: A total of 182 NSTE-ACS patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in our hospital from February 2016 to May 2018 were recruited as a patient group (PG). They were followed up for one year, and the occurrences of any major adverse cardiovascular events (MACCE) were recorded. In addition, 90 healthy volunteers were recruited as a normal group (NG) during the same period. The GGT and Hcy expressions in the serum of both groups were tested, and the predictive values of these levels, the patient risk stratification, and the prognoses were analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with the NG, the GGT and Hcy expressions in the PG were markedly higher (P < 0.05). Compared with the patients without MACE, the GGT and Hcy expressions in the serum of those with MACE increased dramatically (P < 0.05). The serum GGT and Hcy levels were positively correlated with the NSTE-ACS patients' SYNTAX scores (P < 0.05). A Kaplan-Meier curve indicated that the MACE-free survival rate of the patients with low GGT levels was dramatically higher than the survival rate of the patients with high GGT levels, and the MACE-free survival rate of low Hcy patients was significantly higher than the MACE-free survival rate of the high Hcy patients (P < 0.05). Our COX proportional hazards regression models indicated that the serum GGT and Hcy levels are independent predictors of MACCE in NSTE-ACS patients (P < 0.05). Our ROC curve analysis indicated that the serum GGT and Hcy levels are diagnostic criteria for predicting whether MACE occurred in NSTE-ACS patients. CONCLUSION: The serum GGT and Hcy levels are positively correlated with the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in NSTE-ACS patients. They are independent predictors of adverse prognoses and can help refine the risk stratification management in clinical work.

Research on the Effect of Pediococcus pentosaceus on Salmonella enteritidis-Infected Chicken.

Salmonella enteritidis can cause significant morbidity and mortality in humans and economic loss in the animal industry. Improving the innate immunity is an effective method to prevent S. enteritidis infection. Pediococcus pentosaceus is a Gram-positive coccus which had probiotics properties. Numerous previously published studies reported that probiotics were beneficial to gut microbiota by changing the intestinal flora structure and inhibiting the harmful microbial growth to enhance the innate immunity. We investigated the immunological effects of P. pentosaceus on Salmonella-infected chickens by the following experiment. A total of 120 broilers from AA line were fed and divided into 2 groups (treated and control groups) for the experiment from day 1. The control group was fed with the basic diet, while the treated group was fed with the basic diet adding P. pentosaceus microcapsule with the bacterial concentration of 1 g/kg in the feed and bacterial counts 2.5 × 109 CFU/g. All the birds were given with 0.5 ml of S. enteritidis bacterial suspension (109 CFU/ml) through oral cavity at day 9. The number of dead birds was recorded and used in the analysis. The bacterial culture method and quantitative real-time PCR analysis were used to evaluate the effects of P. pentosaceus on chickens infected with S. enteritidis and to ascertain the mechanism of the effect. The results showed that the P. pentosaceus could restrain the pathogenicity of S. enteritidis and reduce the death rate from 44.4% to 23.3%. The flora in the caecum exhibited "rising-declining" trends, and the gene (TLR4, MyD88, TRAF6 NF-κB, IFN-ß, TNF-a, IL6, and IL8) expression pattern was different between the experimental and control group. P. pentosaceus as a probiotic may competitively inhibit the growth of S. enteritidis and control the inflammatory response through regulating the gene expression which involved in the toll-like receptor pathway and inflammation pathway.

Long Non-coding RNA and mRNA Profile of Liver Tissue During Four Developmental Stages in the Chicken.

The liver is the major organ of lipid biosynthesis in the chicken. In laying hens, the liver synthesizes most of the yolk precursors and transports them to developing follicles to produce eggs. However, a systematic investigation of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and mRNA transcriptome in liver across developmental stages is needed. Here, we constructed 12 RNA libraries from liver tissue during four developmental stages: juvenile (day 60), sexual maturity (day 133), peak laying (day 220), and broodiness (day 400). A total of 16,930 putative lncRNAs and 18,260 mRNAs were identified. More than half (53.70%) of the lncRNAs were intergenic lncRNAs. The temporal expression pattern showed that lncRNAs were more restricted than mRNAs. We identified numerous differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs by pairwise comparison between the four developmental stages and found that VTG2, RBP, and a novel protein-coding gene were differentially expressed in all stages. Time-series analysis showed that the modules with upregulated genes were involved in lipid metabolism processes. Co-expression networks suggested functional relatedness between mRNAs and lncRNAs; the DE-lncRNAs were mainly involved in lipid biosynthesis and metabolism processes. We showed that the liver transcriptome varies across different developmental stages. Our results improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying liver development in chickens.

Observation of the interplay between seeded and self-seeded nondegenerate four-wave mixing in cesium vapor.

Nondegenerate four-wave mixing (NFWM) is a practical and effective technique for generating or amplifying light fields at different wavelengths, and could be used to create color correlation and entanglement. Here we experimentally investigate the NFWM process in diamond atomic system via two-photon excitation with two pumps at 852 nm and 921 nm, demonstrating that a seeded NFWM with a third laser at 895 nm and two self-seeded NFWMs due to amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) occur simultaneously. We compare the two kinds of processes and show that the single- and two-photon detunings hold the key role in distinguishing them. As a result, the enhancement of seeded NFWM is obtained by selecting large one- and two-photon detunings, in which case the ASE induced self-seeded NFWM can be largely suppressed. In contrast, the ASE and its induced NFWM are effectively achieved with one- and two-photon resonant excitations allowing for population inversion for efficient ASE.

Genome-wide MNase hypersensitivity assay unveils distinct classes of open chromatin associated with H3K27me3 and DNA methylation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

BACKGROUND: Regulation of transcription depends on interactions between cis-regulatory elements (CREs) and regulatory proteins. Active CREs are imbedded in open chromatin that are accessible to nucleases. Several techniques, including DNase-seq, which is based on nuclease DNase I, and ATAC-seq, which is based on transposase Tn5, have been widely used to identify genomic regions associated with open chromatin. These techniques have played a key role in dissecting the regulatory networks in gene expression in both animal and plant species. RESULTS: We develop a technique, named MNase hypersensitivity sequencing (MH-seq), to identify genomic regions associated with open chromatin in Arabidopsis thaliana. Genomic regions enriched with MH-seq reads are referred as MNase hypersensitive sites (MHSs). MHSs overlap with the majority (~ 90%) of the open chromatin identified previously by DNase-seq and ATAC-seq. Surprisingly, 22% MHSs are not covered by DNase-seq or ATAC-seq reads, which are referred to "specific MHSs" (sMHSs). sMHSs tend to be located away from promoters, and a substantial portion of sMHSs are derived from transposable elements. Most interestingly, genomic regions containing sMHSs are enriched with epigenetic marks, including H3K27me3 and DNA methylation. In addition, sMHSs show a number of distinct characteristics including association with transcriptional repressors. Thus, sMHSs span distinct classes of open chromatin that may not be accessible to DNase I or Tn5. We hypothesize that the small size of the MNase enzyme relative to DNase I or Tn5 allows its access to relatively more condensed chromatin domains. CONCLUSION: MNase can be used to identify open chromatin regions that are not accessible to DNase I or Tn5. Thus, MH-seq provides an important tool to identify and catalog all classes of open chromatin in plants.

Population genomics identifies patterns of genetic diversity and selection in chicken.

BACKGROUND: There are hundreds of phenotypically distinguishable domestic chicken breeds or lines with highly specialized traits worldwide, which provide a unique opportunity to illustrate how selection shapes patterns of genetic variation. There are many local chicken breeds in China. RESULTS: Here, we provide a population genome landscape of genetic variations in 86 domestic chickens representing 10 phenotypically diverse breeds. Genome-wide analysis indicated that sex chromosomes have less genetic diversity and are under stronger selection than autosomes during domestication and local adaptation. We found an evidence of admixture between Tibetan chickens and other domestic population. We further identified strong signatures of selection affecting genomic regions that harbor genes underlying economic traits (typically related to feathers, skin color, growth, reproduction and aggressiveness) and local adaptation (to high altitude). By comparing the genomes of the Tibetan and lowland fowls, we identified genes associated with high-altitude adaptation in Tibetan chickens were mainly involved in energy metabolism, body size maintenance and available food sources. CONCLUSIONS: The work provides crucial insights into the distinct evolutionary scenarios occurring under artificial selection for agricultural production and under natural selection for success at high altitudes in chicken. Several genes were identified as candidates for chicken economic traits and other phenotypic traits.

Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes and Pathways for Abdominal Fat Deposition in Ovariectomized and Sham-Operated Chickens.

Ovariectomy results in improved meat quality (growth rate, tenderness, and flavor) of broilers. However, some negative effects increased (abdominal fat (AF) deposition, low feed conversion, etc.) have also been reported. In this study, the gene expression profiles of AF tissue in ovariectomized and sham-operated chickens were determined to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and pathways to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying AF accumulation. Comparing the ovariectomized group and the sham-operated group, the abdominal fat weight (AFW) and abdominal fat percentage (AFP) were increased significantly (p < 0.05) at 14 and 19 weeks after ovariectomy. According to the gene expression profiling analysis, 108 DEGs of fat metabolism were screened from 1461 DEGs. Among them, ABCA1, ABCACA, LPL, CREB1, PNPLA2, which are involved in glycerolipid-or steroid-associated biological processes, and the hormone receptor genes, ESR1 and PRLR, were down-regulated significantly in the ovariectomized group compared to the sham-operated group (p < 0.05). Conversely, CETP, DGAT2, DHCR24, HSD17B7 and MSMO1, were significantly up-regulated (p < 0.05) after ovariectomy. Based on the DEGs, the glycerolipid metabolism, steroid biosynthesis, and other signaling pathways (MAPK, TGF-ß, and adhesion pathways, etc.) were enriched, which may also contribute to the regulation of AF deposition. Our data suggest that AF deposition was significantly increased in ovariectomized chickens by the down-regulation of the decomposition genes of glycerolipid metabolism, which inhibits AF degradation, and the up-regulation of steroid biosynthesis genes, which increases fat accumulation. These findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of fat deposition in the ovariectomized chickens.

Genetic diversity and relationship of Dulong chickens using mitochondrial DNA control region.

The genetic structure and evolutionary relationship of Dulong chicken with other native Chinese species remained unclear. In this study, the mitochondrial control region was analyzed in total of 343 samples comprising 59 from Dulong chicken and 284 from 8 other Chinese local breeds revealed 51 mutation sites that defined 42 haplotypes. The maximum genetic variation was observed between the Shimian caoke and Pengxian yellow chickens. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these local chickens mainly scatter in two southwestern clades. Dulong chickens have close relationship with other native chicken. Finding of this study suggests a single matrilineal lineage of indigenous Dulong chickens.

Effects of Slaughter Age on Muscle Characteristics and Meat Quality Traits of Da-Heng Meat Type Birds.

Due to the increasing demand for producing chickens with high meat quality, there is a need to determine its mode of action on chicken meat quality traits across a wider age spectrum. In this study, five groups of 200 male Da-Heng meat type birds were reared until slaughter age of 60, 90, 120, 150, 180 days old and breast muscle performance, meat quality traits, and myofiber characteristics were evaluated. The larger body weight and breast weight of chicken are based on larger myofiber diameter and area, less myofiber density for the older birds than younger birds. There was an age effect on all meat quality traits of chicken breast muscle (p < 0.05). Older chickens often presented a higher pH, lower drip loss, higher shear force, darker, and redder breast meat. The correlation coefficients showed that myofiber characteristics played an important role in breast pH values, drip loss, and meat color (p < 0.05). Besides, significant correlations were also found between meat quality traits (p < 0.05). Further studies are needed to explore the biochemical character and potential molecular mechanism of chicken breast muscle to determine the factors that causes these age-related differences in meat quality in the current study.

Molecular Characterization, Expression and Functional Analysis of Chicken STING.

Innate immunity is an essential line of defense against pathogen invasion which is gained at birth, and the mechanism involved is mainly to identify pathogen-associated molecular patterns through pattern recognition receptors. STING (stimulator of interferon genes) is a signal junction molecule that hosts the perception of viral nucleic acids and produces type I interferon response, which plays a crucial role in innate immunity. However, relatively few studies have investigated the molecular characterization, tissue distribution, and potential function of STING in chickens. In this study, we cloned the full-length cDNA of chicken STING that is composed of 1341 bp. Sequence analyses revealed that STING contains a 1140-bp open-reading frame that probably encodes a 379-amino acid protein. Multiple sequence alignments showed that the similarity of the chicken STING gene to other birds is higher than that of mammals. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays revealed that STING is highly expressed in the spleen, thymus and bursa of fabricious in chickens. Furthermore, we observed that STING expression was significantly upregulated both in vitro and in vivo following infection with Newcastle disease virus (NDV). STING expression was also significantly upregulated in chicken embryo fibroblasts upon stimulation with poly(I:C) or poly(dA:dT). Taken together, these findings suggest that STING plays an important role in antiviral signaling pathways in chickens.

Exploration of exosomal microRNA expression profiles in pigeon 'Milk' during the lactation period.

BACKGROUND: Pigeon crop has the unique ability to produce a nutrient rich substance termed pigeon 'milk' (PM), which has functional resemblance with the mammalian milk. Previous researches have demonstrated that a large number of exosomes and exosomal miRNAs exist in mammalian milk, and many of them are associated with immunity, growth and development. However, to date, little is known about the exosomes and exosomal miRNAs in PM. RESULTS: In this study, we isolated the exosomes from PM and used small RNA sequencing to investigate the distribution and expression profiles of exosomal miRNAs. A total of 301 mature miRNAs including 248 conserved and 53 novel miRNAs were identified in five lactation stages i.e. 1d, 5d, 10d, 15d, and 20d. From these, four top 10 conserved miRNAs (cli-miR-21-5p, cli-miR-148a-3p, cli-miR-10a-5p and cli-miR-26a-5p) were co-expressed in all five stages. We speculate that these miRNAs may have important role in the biosynthesis and metabolism of PM. Moreover, similar to the mammalian milk, a significant proportion of immune and growth-related miRNAs were also present and enriched in PM exosomes. Furthermore, we also identified 41 orthologous miRNAs group (giving rise to 81 mature miRNA) commonly shared with PM, human, bovine and porcine breast milk. Additionally, functional enrichment analysis revealed the role of exosomal miRNAs in organ development and in growth-related pathways including the MAPK, Wnt and insulin pathways. CONCLUSIONS: To sum-up, this comprehensive analysis will contribute to a better understanding of the underlying functions and regulatory mechanisms of PM in squabs.

High sequence variation in the exon 10 of TSHR gene is associated with flightless-domestic geese.

The genetic and molecular mechanisms of the flightless birds without limb modification are rarely reported. To explore the possible reasons for losing flight ability without limb modification, we used the domestic geese as an ideal model to preliminarily study the possible mechanisms for this kind of flightlessness. We compared the sequence variations of the exon 10 of TSHR gene between three domesticated geese populations and two wild ancestor populations. The results showed that domestic geese had higher genetic diversity and more complex population structure than their wild ancestors. We did not detect any population expansion in domestic geese population. However, we detected clear relaxed selection signal and positive selection in domesticated geese groups. Furthermore, special phylogenetic relationship of the exon 10 of TSHR was observed in domesticated geese groups. Combined with its well-established function on metabolic regulation and photoperiod control, we speculate that relaxed selection of TSHR might have effects on flightlessness of domesticated geese.

Transcriptomic Profiling of Fruit Development in Black Raspberry Rubus coreanus.

The wild Rubus species R. coreanus, which is widely distributed in southwest China, shows great promise as a genetic resource for breeding. One of its outstanding properties is adaptation to high temperature and humidity. To facilitate its use in selection and breeding programs, we assembled de novo 179,738,287 R. coreanus reads (125 bp in length) generated by RNA sequencing from fruits at three representative developmental stages. We also used the recently released draft genome of R. occidentalis to perform reference-guided assembly. We inferred a final 95,845-transcript reference for R. coreanus. Of these genetic resources, 66,597 (69.5%) were annotated. Based on these results, we carried out a comprehensive analysis of differentially expressed genes. Flavonoid biosynthesis, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, plant hormone signal transduction, and cutin, suberin, and wax biosynthesis pathways were significantly enriched throughout the ripening process. We identified 23 transcripts involved in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway whose expression perfectly paralleled changes in the metabolites. Additionally, we identified 119 nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) protein-coding genes, involved in pathogen resistance, of which 74 were in the completely conserved domain. These results provide, for the first time, genome-wide genetic information for understanding developmental regulation of R. coreanus fruits. They have the potential for use in breeding through functional genetic approaches in the near future.

Functionalizing bottom ash from biomass power plant for removing methylene blue from aqueous solution.

In order to seek a possible path for utilization bottom ash, the solid waste from biomass incineration for power generation, its basic characteristics were investigated, and removing methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution was attempted as well. Results indicated bottom ash dominantly contained Si and Ca-related minerals with >35 mineral elements, meanwhile, it was typically characterized by alkalinity (pH of 9.5) and low specific surface area (14.5m2/g). As the only bottom ash was employed for removing MB, removal efficiency was lower than 44%, however, it was greatly improved to 100% as hydrogen peroxide was supplemented (final concentration of 4.0%). Based on the elucidated mechanisms, Fenton-like reaction was triggered by bottom ash, which was dominantly responsible for removing MB, rather than the adsorption by bottom ash. Besides, increasing reaction temperature and duration dramatically promoted MB removal by bottom ash with the aid of hydrogen peroxide (HBA). A great promotion on MB removal from 92.3mg/g to 143.9mg/g was achieved as pH was adjusted from 2.0 to 5.0, indicating MB removal was pH-dependent. The maximum removal of 260.9mg/g was achieved by HBA at a relatively high initial MB concentration of 2000.0mg/L, suggesting a great potential in treating dye wastewater by functionalizing bottom ash with the aid of hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, the released heavy metals and derived by-products from MB removal were acceptable in consideration of their potential environmental risks. Thus, the current work offers a new path to valorize the solid waste in biomass electricity generation plant.

Sequence analysis of the ATP synthase of subunits (ATP8 and ATP6) genes of mitochondrial DNA genome from Ailuropoda melanoleuca.

To explore the effects of the mutations of ATP6 and ATP8 genes on energy metabolism and genetic structure, we sequenced the ATP6 and ATP8 genes of Ailuropoda melanoleuca. Our results showed that ATP8 is a conserved gene and ATP6 gene is positively selected during the evolution of the giant panda population with a low genetic diversity. Population expansion was observed in the giant panda group. The T179C mutation on Haplotype7 made the production of a potential phosphorylation site. This non-synonymous mutation may occur at the post-translational modification site that have a potential effect on the function of ATP synthase, related to the maintenance of body temperature of pandas at low metabolic rates.