Erratum to "Organic zinc supplementation in early-lactation dairy cows and its effects on zinc content and distribution in milk and cheese" (JDS Commun. 2:110-113).

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3168/jdsc.2020-0070.].

Organic zinc supplementation in early-lactation dairy cows and its effects on zinc content and distribution in milk and cheese.

This study investigated the effects of organic zinc (Zn) supplementation in early-lactation dairy cows on Zn content and distribution in raw milk and mozzarella cheese. Thirty-four multiparous dairy cows in early lactation were randomly assigned to 2 groups: basal diet (control; CON) and basal diet supplemented with a Zn AA complex (CZ). After feeding the diets for 8 wk, raw milk was collected for manufacturing mozzarella cheese. Total Zn content and Zn distribution in raw milk and cheese were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Results showed that milk fat content was significantly increased in the CZ group compared with the CON group. No significant differences in fat, protein, and moisture contents of cheese were observed between the 2 groups. Zinc contents in milk (4.25 vs. 3.85 mg/L) and cheese (38.65 vs. 27.20 mg/kg) were significantly higher in the CZ group than in the CON group. Little Zn was lost in stretch water (<0.04 mg/L) and brine (<0.01 mg/L) during the cheese-making process. Most of the Zn was detected in casein (87.3% vs. 88.4%) of the raw milk, and then in the whey (10.6% vs. 9.88%) and fat (2.07% vs. 1.77%). Organic Zn supplementation in early-lactation cows increased Zn content in raw milk and mozzarella cheese, and Zn remained stable during cheese making.

Short communication: Influence of intramuscular injection of vitamin B12 in early-lactation dairy cows on Mozzarella cheese quality and vitamin B12 stability.

The current study explored the effect of intramuscular injection of vitamin B12 (VB12) in early-lactation dairy cows on subsequent low-moisture part-skim Mozzarella cheese quality and VB12 levels during cheese processing and storage. Twenty-four peripartum dairy cows were blocked based on parity and milk yield and randomly assigned into 2 treatments: basal diet (CON) and basal diet with an intramuscular injection of 10 mg of VB12 per cow per week (VB12). Raw milk was collected to determine VB12 content and then used to make low-moisture part-skim Mozzarella cheese 8 wk after injection. The VB12 content of raw milk and cheese was determined using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. We found that VB12 content was significantly increased in milk (15.43 vs. 3.30 ng/mL) and fresh cheese (3.72 ng/g vs. undetectable) from the VB12 group compared with the CON group. However, approximately 70% of VB12 was lost in the whey during cheese making, and no VB12 was detectable in either cheese treatment after 8 wk of storage. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed in fat and protein contents in the cheese between the 2 groups. For cheese color, the b* value increased and the a* value decreased slightly in fresh VB12 cheese. Functional properties of stretchability, flowability, and meltability of VB12 cheese were initially comparable to that of CON cheese, but higher flowability and meltability was observed in VB12 cheese after 8 wk of storage. In summary, intramuscular injection of VB12 in early-lactation dairy cows increases the content of VB12 in milk and fresh cheese with no adverse effect on cheese quality, but substantial VB12 is lost during cheesemaking and declines rapidly during storage.

A first-principles study on magnetic properties of the intrinsic defects in wurtzite ZnO.

Since the origin of magnetism in ZnO-based diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMSs) is still controversial, in this work, we presented a detailed study on the magnetic, structural, and electronic properties of wurtzite ZnO-based DMS systems with point and complex intrinsic defects. Two outer electrons from neutral oxygen vacancy (VO) occupy the a1 orbital, making the inducted magnetic moment to be zero, while a cluster including three VOs leads to a magnetic moment of ∼1 µB. The magnetic moment of the system with a Zn vacancy (VZn) is 1.65 µB. When two neutral VZns in different relative distances were created in respective supercells, the systems showed different magnetic moments induced by the unequal level between the highest electron occupied orbital of the defect state introduced by different VZn sites and the valence band maximum. The system of a neutral O occupying an octahedral site gives rise to a magnetic moment of 2 µB, while zinc interstitial and antisite defects do not cause spin polarization. The system with a complex defect of VO and VZn is magnetic when those vacancies are adjacent but still do not cause the compensation effect. The oxygen interstitial defect is unstable, and VZn easily turns into the complex defect. We suggest that VO clusters and VZn complex defects could likely be the origin of ferromagnetism in undoped ZnO.

Different endosperm structures in wheat and corn affected in vitro rumen fermentation and nitrogen utilization of rice straw-based diet.

Starchy grain is usually supplemented to diets containing low-quality forage to provide sufficient energy for ruminant animals. Ruminal degradation of grain starch mainly depends on the hydrolysis of the endosperm, which may be variable among grain sources. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of endosperm structure of wheat and corn on in vitro rumen fermentation and nitrogen (N) utilization of rice straw. The 3×4 factorial design included three ratios of concentrate to forage (35:65, 50:50 and 65:35) and four ratios of wheat to corn starch (20:80, 40:60, 60:40 and 80:20). The endosperm structure was detected by scanning electronic microscopy and a confocal laser scanning microscopic. An in vitro gas test was performed to evaluate the rumen fermentation characteristics and N utilization. Starch granules were embedded in the starch-protein matrix in corn, but more granules were separated from the matrix in the wheat endosperm. With the increasing ratio of wheat, rate and extent of gas production, total volatile fatty acids, and ammonia N increased linearly (P<0.01), but microbial protein concentration decreased (quadratic, P<0.01), with the maximum value at a ratio of 40% wheat. The efficiency of N utilization decreased linearly (P<0.01). Rumen fermentation and N utilization were significantly affected by the concentrate-to-forage ratio (P<0.01). Significant interactions between the concentrate-to-forage ratio and the wheat-to-corn ratio were detected in total volatile fatty acids and the efficiency of N utilization (P<0.01). In summary, the starch-protein matrix and starch granules in the wheat and corn endosperm mixture play an important role in the regulation of rumen fermentation and N utilization under low-quality forage.

Close association between intestinal microbiota and irritable bowel syndrome.

Trillions of microbes inhabiting the intestine form a complex ecological community, affecting the normal physiology and pathological susceptibility through their collective metabolic activities and interactions with the host. Increased numbers of diseases have been found to be associated with disturbances in this ecosystem. There is evidence that intestinal microflora undergoes alterations in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS is a frequent functional gut disease with negative impact on the patient's quality of life. Although the etiology and pathology of IBS remain largely unknown, it is generally accepted that the interaction between the microbiota and the host is associated with IBS. However, there are no specific or effective therapies for the treatment of IBS at present. In recent years, researchers have shown a growing interest in seeking safer and more effective alternatives for the treatment of IBS by focusing their attention on the potential role of probiotics and prebiotics. In this review, we will discuss alterations in intestinal microbiota and how these alterations may exacerbate IBS, and introduce several new IBS treatment options aiming at re-establishing a healthy and beneficial ecosystem.

Efficacy and safety of interleukin-17 antagonists in patients with plaque psoriasis: a meta-analysis from phase 3 randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: The interleukin-17 (IL-17) cytokine pathway plays a key role in the development of psoriasis. Antibodies targeting IL-17 or blocking its receptor may be a new therapeutic approach for psoriasis. To assist treatment selection in daily practice, it is essential to understand the benefit and risk profile of IL-17 antagonists. OBJECTIVE: We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of IL-17 antagonists in patients with psoriasis. METHODS: We searched a number of databases for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published before May 2016. The following outcomes were evaluated: Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 75, 90, 100 response, Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) score of 0 or 1 response, adverse events (AEs) and withdrawals. The meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.2 software. RESULTS: Nine RCTs with 5951 patients were included. IL-17 antagonists achieved higher PASI 75, 90, 100 response rates and Dermatology Life Quality Index 0 or 1 response rates than placebo and a lower incidence of discontinuations due to lack of efficacy. In the safety analysis, no significant differences were found between the IL-17 antagonists and placebo in the proportion of patients with serious AEs, cardiovascular disease and discontinuations due to AEs. However, IL-17 antagonists were associated with a higher proportion of patients with any AEs and infections than placebo. CONCLUSION: IL-17 antagonists were effective, with an acceptable safety profile, for patients with plaque psoriasis. Vigilance because of the potential for infection will be necessary for IL-17 antagonists.

Genotypic diversity enhances invasive ability of Spartina alterniflora.

Although genetic diversity is very important for alien species, which have to cope with new environments, little is known about the role that genetic diversity plays in their invasive success. In this study, we set up a manipulation experiment including three levels of genotypic diversity to test whether genotypic diversity can enhance the invasive ability of alien species, in our case the invasive Spartina alterniflora in China, and to infer the underlying mechanisms. There was no significant relationship between genotypic diversity and parameters of performance in the first year; however, from the summer of the second year onwards, genotypic diversity enhanced four of the six parameters of performance. After two growing seasons, there were significant positive relationships between genotypic diversity and maximum spread distance, patch size, shoot number per patch, and aboveground biomass. Moreover, abundance of the native dominant species Scirpus mariqueter was marginally significantly decreased with genotypic diversity of S. alterniflora, suggesting that enhanced invasive ability of S. alterniflora may have depressed the growth of the native species. There was no significant difference in most measures of performance among six genotypes, but we observed a transgressive over performance in four measures in multiple-genotype patches. At the end of the experiment, there were significant nonadditive effects of genotypic diversity according to Monte Carlo permutations, in six-genotype, but not three-genotype plots. Our results indicated that both additive and nonadditive effects played roles in the positive relationship between genetic diversity and invasion success, and nonadditive effects were stronger as duration increased.