Optimizing Winter Air Quality in Pig-Fattening Houses: A Plasma Deodorization Approach.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of two circulation modes of a plasma deodorization unit on the air environment of pig-fattening houses in winter. Two pig-fattening houses were selected, one of which was installed with a plasma deodorizing device with two modes of operation, alternating internal and external circulation on a day-by-day basis. The other house did not have any form of treatment and was used as the control house. Upon installing the system, this study revealed that in the internal circulation mode, indoor temperature and humidity were sustained at elevated levels, with the NH3 and H2S concentrations decreasing by 63.87% and 100%, respectively, in comparison to the control house. Conversely, in the external circulation mode, the indoor temperature and humidity remained subdued, accompanied by a 16.43% reduction in CO2 concentration. The adept interchange between these two operational modes facilitates the regulation of indoor air quality within a secure environment. This not only effectively diminishes deleterious gases in the pig-fattening house but also achieves the remote automation of environmental monitoring and hazardous gas management; thereby, it mitigates the likelihood of diseases and minimizes breeding risks.

Genome-wide detection of genetic structure and runs of homozygosity analysis in Anhui indigenous and Western commercial pig breeds using PorcineSNP80k data.

BACKGROUND: Runs of homozygosity (ROH) are continuous homozygous regions typically located in the DNA sequence of diploid organisms. Identifications of ROH that lead to reduced performance can provide valuable insight into the genetic architecture of complex traits. Here, we systematically investigated the population genetic structure of five Anhui indigenous pig breeds (AHIPs), and compared them to those of five Western commercial pig breeds (WECPs). Furthermore, we examined the occurrence and distribution of ROHs in the five AHIPs and estimated the inbreeding coefficients based on the ROHs (FROH) and homozygosity (FHOM). Finally, we identified genomic regions with high frequencies of ROHs and annotated candidate genes contained therein. RESULTS: The WECPs and AHIPs were clearly differentiated into two separate clades consistent with their geographical origins, as revealed by the population structure and principal component analysis. We identified 13,530 ROHs across all individuals, of which 4,555 and 8,975 ROHs were unique to AHIPs and WECPs, respectively. Most ROHs identified in our study were short (< 10 Mb) or medium (10-20 Mb) in length. WECPs had significantly higher numbers of short ROHs, and AHIPs generally had longer ROHs. FROH values were significantly lower in AHIPs than in WECPs, indicating that breed improvement and conservation programmes were successful in AHIPs. On average, FROH and FHOM values were highly correlated (0.952-0.991) in AHIPs and WECPs. A total of 27 regions had a high frequency of ROHs and contained 17 key candidate genes associated with economically important traits in pigs. Among these, nine candidate genes (CCNT2, EGR2, MYL3, CDH13, PROX1, FLVCR1, SETD2, FGF18, and FGF20) found in WECPs were related to muscular and skeletal development, whereas eight candidate genes (CSN1S1, SULT1E1, TJP1, ZNF366, LIPC, MCEE, STAP1, and DUSP) found in AHIPs were associated with health, reproduction, and fatness traits. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide a useful reference for the selection and assortative mating of pig breeds, laying the groundwork for future research on the population genetic structures of AHIPs, ultimately helping protect these local varieties.

Magnetic response and bioaccessibility of toxic metal pollution in outdoor dustfall in Shanghai, China.

Toxic metal content testing, environmental magnetic monitoring and in vitro bioaccessibility experiments each have their own advantages and are often used independently for environmental monitoring, but there are few studies that combine the three to evaluate the hazards of toxic metals to humans. This paper investigated the total content, magnetic properties and bioaccessibility of nine potentially toxic metal elements (Zn, Sn, Pb, Cu, Fe, Ni, Cr, Sr, Mn) in dustfall from different functional zones in Shanghai, China, and systematically compared the related results. The results show that these nine metal elements have different degrees of contamination and enrichment in outdoor dustfall, and their content distribution shows the following trend: Zn > Sn > Pb > Cu > Fe > Ni > Cr > Sr > Mn. Magnetic characteristics χlf and SIRM are mostly positively correlated with the metal elements, indicating that the higher the content of magnetic minerals in the sample, the higher the concentration of metal elements. It was also found that χlf, SIRM, and χARM can well reflect the characteristics of dustfall pollution. The magnetic minerals have a certain degree of enrichment, and the particle size of the magnetic minerals is relatively coarse, mainly in the form of coarse multi-domain and pseudo-single-domain particles, which are largely derived from anthropogenic pollution. The χlf and PM10 concentrations in the precipitation show relatively similar spatial trends, so χlf, SIRM, and χARM can be used as air pollution indices to facilitate the evaluation of metal elements pollution in dustfall. The overall trend in gastric bioaccessibility is Pb > Zn > Mn > Cu > Cr. Due to the increase in the pH of digestive fluid, the bioavailability of toxic metals decreases significantly from the gastric stage to the intestinal stage. χlf, SIRM, and χARM/SIRM are all related to the bioaccessibility of toxic metals in the intestinal stage, so they can be used as toxicity indicators to evaluate the bioaccessibility of toxic metals in dustfall.

Evaluation of atmospheric particulate matter pollution characteristics in Shanghai based on biomagnetic monitoring technology.

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) pollution is one of the world's most serious environmental challenges, and it poses a significant threat to environmental quality and human health. Biomagnetic monitoring of PM has great potential to improve spatial resolution and provide alternative indicators for large area measurements, with respect and complementary to standard air quality monitoring stations. In this study, 160 samples of evergreen plant leaves were collected from park green spaces within five different functional areas of Shanghai. Magnetic properties were investigated to understand the extent and nature of particulate pollution and the possible sources, and to assess the suitability of various plant leaves for urban particulate pollution monitoring. The results showed that magnetic particles of the plant leaf-adherent PM were predominantly composed of pseudo-single domain (PSD) and multi-domain (MD) ferrimagnetic particles. Magnolia grandiflora, as a large evergreen arbor with robust PM retention capabilities, proved to be a more suitable candidate for monitoring urban particulate pollution compared to Osmanthus fragrans, a small evergreen arbor, and Aucuba japonica Thunb. var. variegata and Photinia serratifolia, evergreen shrubs. Meanwhile, there were significant differences in the spatial distribution of the magnetic particle content and heavy metal enrichment of the samples, mainly showing regional variations of industrial area > traffic area > commercial area > residential area > clean area. Additionally, the combination with the results of scanning electron microscopy, shows that industrial production (metal smelting, coal burning), transport and other activities are the main sources of particulate pollution. Plant leaves can be used as an effective tool for urban particulate pollution monitoring and assessment of atmospheric particulate pollution characteristics, and the technique provided useful information on particle size, mineralogy and possible sources.

Copy number variants selected during pig domestication inferred from whole genome resequencing.

Over extended periods of natural and artificial selection, China has developed numerous exceptional pig breeds. Deciphering the germplasm characteristics of these breeds is crucial for their preservation and utilization. While many studies have employed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis to investigate the local pig germplasm characteristics, copy number variation (CNV), another significant type of genetic variation, has been less explored in understanding pig resources. In this study, we examined the CNVs of 18 Wanbei pigs (WBP) using whole genome resequencing data with an average depth of 12.61. We identified a total of 8,783 CNVs (~30.07 Mb, 1.20% of the pig genome) in WBP, including 8,427 deletions and 356 duplications. Utilizing fixation index (Fst), we determined that 164 CNVs were within the top 1% of the Fst value and defined as under selection. Functional enrichment analyses of the genes associated with these selected CNVs revealed genes linked to reproduction (SPATA6, CFAP43, CFTR, BPTF), growth and development (NR6A1, SMYD3, VIPR2), and immunity (PARD3, FYB2). This study enhances our understanding of the genomic characteristics of the Wanbei pig and offers a theoretical foundation for the future breeding of this breed.

Identification of Copy Number Variations and Selection Signatures in Wannan Spotted Pigs by Whole Genome Sequencing Data: A Preliminary Study.

Copy number variation (CNV) is an important structural variation used to elucidate complex economic traits. In this study, we sequenced 25 Wannan spotted pigs (WSPs) to detect their CNVs and identify their selection signatures compared with those of 10 Asian wild boars. A total of 14,161 CNVs were detected in the WSPs, accounting for 0.72% of the porcine genome. The fixation index (Fst) was used to identify the selection signatures, and 195 CNVs with the top 1% of the Fst value were selected. Eighty genes were identified in the selected CNV regions. Functional GO and KEGG analyses revealed that the genes within these selected CNVs are associated with key traits such as reproduction (GAL3ST1 and SETD2), fatty acid composition (PRKG1, ACACA, ACSL3, UGT8), immune system (LYZ), ear size (WIF1), and feed efficiency (VIPR2). The findings of this study contribute novel insights into the genetic CNVs underlying WSP characteristics and provide essential information for the protection and utilization of WSP populations.

Genome-Wide Detection and Analysis of Copy Number Variation in Anhui Indigenous and Western Commercial Pig Breeds Using Porcine 80K SNP BeadChip.

Copy number variation (CNV) is an important class of genetic variations widely associated with the porcine genome, but little is known about the characteristics of CNVs in foreign and indigenous pig breeds. We performed a genome-wide comparison of CNVs between Anhui indigenous pig (AHIP) and Western commercial pig (WECP) breeds based on data from the Porcine 80K SNP BeadChip. After analysis using the PennCNV software, we detected 3863 and 7546 CNVs in the AHIP and WECP populations, respectively. We obtained 225 (loss: 178, gain: 47) and 379 (loss: 293, gain: 86) copy number variation regions (CNVRs) randomly distributed across the autosomes of the AHIP and WECP populations, accounting for 10.90% and 22.57% of the porcine autosomal genome, respectively. Functional enrichment analysis of genes in the CNVRs identified genes related to immunity (FOXJ1, FOXK2, MBL2, TNFRSF4, SIRT1, NCF1) and meat quality (DGAT1, NT5E) in the WECP population; these genes were a loss event in the WECP population. This study provides important information on CNV differences between foreign and indigenous pig breeds, making it possible to provide a reference for future improvement of these breeds and their production performance.

Population Structure and Selection Signatures Underlying Domestication Inferred from Genome-Wide Copy Number Variations in Chinese Indigenous Pigs.

Single nucleotide polymorphism was widely used to perform genetic and evolution research in pigs. However, little is known about the effect of copy number variation (CNV) on characteristics in pigs. This study performed a genome-wide comparison of CNVs between Wannan black pigs (WBP) and Asian wild boars (AWB), using whole genome resequencing data. By using Manta, we detected in total 28,720 CNVs that covered approximately 1.98% of the pig genome length. We identified 288 selected CNVs (top 1%) by performing Fst statistics. Functional enrichment analyses for genes located in selected CNVs were found to be muscle related (NDN, TMOD4, SFRP1, and SMYD3), reproduction related (GJA1, CYP26B1, WNT5A, SRD5A2, PTPN11, SPEF2, and CCNB1), residual feed intake (RFI) related (MAP3K5), and ear size related (WIF1). This study provides essential information on selected CNVs in Wannan black pigs for further research on the genetic basis of the complex phenotypic and provides essential information for direction in the protection and utilization of Wannan black pig.

Assessing Population Structure and Signatures of Selection in Wanbei Pigs Using Whole Genome Resequencing Data.

Wanbei pig (WBP) is one of the indigenous pig resources in China and has many germplasm characteristics. However, research on its genome is lacking. To assess the genomic variation, population structure, and selection signatures, we resequenced 18 WBP for the first time and performed a comprehensive analysis with resequenced data of 10 Asian wild boars. In total, 590.03 Gb of data and approximately 41 million variants were obtained. Polymorphism level (θπ) ratio and genetic differentiation (fixation index)-based cross approaches were applied, and 539 regions, which harbored 176 genes, were selected. Functional analysis of the selected genes revealed that they were associated with lipid metabolism (SCP2, APOA1, APOA4, APOC3, CD36, BCL6, ADCY8), backfat thickness (PLAG1, CACNA2D1), muscle (MYOG), and reproduction (CABS1). Overall, our results provide a valuable resource for characterizing the uniqueness of WBP and a basis for future breeding.

Genetic architecture and selection of Anhui autochthonous pig population revealed by whole genome resequencing.

The genetic resources among pigs in Anhui Province are diverse, but their value and potential have yet to be discovered. To illustrate the genetic diversity and population structure of the Anhui pigs population, we resequenced the genome of 150 pigs from six representative Anhui pigs populations and analyzed this data together with the sequencing data from 40 Asian wild boars and commercial pigs. Our results showed that Anhui pigs were divided into two distinct types based on ancestral descent: Wannan Spotted pig (WSP) and Wannan Black pig (WBP) origins from the same ancestor and the other four populations origins from another ancestor. We also identified several potential selective sweep regions associated with domestication characteristics among Anhui pigs, including reproduction-associated genes (CABS1, INSL6, MAP3K12, IGF1R, INSR, LIMK2, PATZ1, MAPK1), lipid- and meat-related genes (SNX19, MSTN, MC5R, PRKG1, CREBBP, ADCY9), and ear size genes (MSRB3 and SOX5). Therefore, these findings expand the catalogue and how these genetic differences among pigs and this newly generated data will be a valuable resource for future genetic studies and for improving genome-assisted breeding of pigs and other domesticated animals.

miR-381-3p Inhibits Intramuscular Fat Deposition through Targeting FABP3 by ceRNA Regulatory Network.

Intramuscular fat (IMF) deposition is an important determinant of pork quality and a complex process facilitated by non-coding ceRNAs. In this study, 52 Berkshire × Anqing Sixwhite crossbred pigs were slaughtered to measure eight carcass and pork quality traits. Whole-transcriptome sequencing analysis was performed using longissimus dorsi samples of six low- and high-IMF samples; 34 ceRNA networks, based on 881, 394, 158 differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs, were constructed. Following weighted gene co-expression network analysis between the low and high IMF, only one ceRNA, lncRNA4789/miR-381-3p/FABP3, that showed similar DE trend in longissimus dorsi tissue was retained. Dual-luciferase reporter assays further indicated that FABP3 was a direct, functional target of miR-381-3p, where miR-381-3p overexpression inhibited the mRNA and protein expression of FABP3. In addition, overexpressed lncRNA4789 attenuated the effect of miR-381-3p on FABP3 by sponging miR-381-3p. Cell function verification experiment demonstrated that miR-381-3p suppressed IMF deposition by inhibiting preadipocyte cell differentiation and lipid droplet deposition via the suppression of FABP3 expression in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signalling pathway, whereas lncRNA4789 rescued FABP3 expression by sponging miR-381-3p. Our study may aid in identifying novel molecular markers for its optimization in IMF which is of importance in breeding for improving pork quality.

Safety and tolerability of a humanized rabbit monoclonal antibody (SSS07) in healthy adults: Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled single ascending dose trial.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: SSS07, a humanized rabbit monoclonal antibody, can selectively block human tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). The objective of this study was to assess the safety, tolerability, and relative immunogenicity of SSS07 after multiple single subcutaneous (SC) doses in healthy volunteers. METHODS: A total of 71 healthy volunteers were randomized to six sequential ascending-dose groups (5, 15, 30, 50, 75, and 100 mg), and except for the 100 mg group that only had one subject who received a placebo, all of the other groups included two placebo-control subjects. Safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity were assessed by physical examinations, vital signs, electrocardiography (ECG), clinical laboratory tests, and plasma anti-drug antibody (ADA) over 28 days for each group. Their concentrations of TNF-α were also analyzed. Only after safety and tolerance were determined in the lower-dose groups was the next dose group initiated. The dose increments did not exceed 100 mg. RESULTS: No serious adverse events or dose-limited toxicity (DLT) were observed, so 100 mg was defined as the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). Overall, 71 AEs and 59 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were reported in 36 (60.0%) and 30 (50.0%) volunteers, respectively, who received SSS07. All AEs and TRAEs were mild or moderate and expected based on previous results with similar types of drugs, without new safety concerns. Except for infections and administration site reactions, the frequency and intensity of the other TRAEs were similar for SSS07 and placebo. No severe acute immune reactions occurred. The lower dose's immunogenicity was stronger than the higher doses. The highest ADA titer was observed 3 to 6 months after administration. CONCLUSION: SSS07 was generally safe and well tolerated in healthy Chinese volunteers. Higher immunogenicity was observed at low SSS07 concentration levels. The infections and administration site conditions might have been related to the immunogenicity and the degree of inhibition of TNF-α. However, the existence of ADA did not appear to affect the safety of the subjects throughout the follow-up period. These findings could support further investigations of treatments with humanized monoclonal antibodies.

[Multiple dependent variables LS-SVM regression algorithm and its application in NIR spectral quantitative analysis].

In the present paper, on the basis of LS-SVM algorithm, we built a multiple dependent variables LS-SVM (MLS-SVM) regression model whose weights can be optimized, and gave the corresponding algorithm. Furthermore, we theoretically explained the relationship between MLS-SVM and LS-SVM. Sixty four broomcorn samples were taken as experimental material, and the sample ratio of modeling set to predicting set was 51 : 13. We first selected randomly and uniformly five weight groups in the interval [0, 1], and then in the way of leave-one-out (LOO) rule determined one appropriate weight group and parameters including penalizing parameters and kernel parameters in the model according to the criterion of the minimum of average relative error. Then a multiple dependent variables quantitative analysis model was built with NIR spectrum and simultaneously analyzed three chemical constituents containing protein, lysine and starch. Finally, the average relative errors between actual values and predicted ones by the model of three components for the predicting set were 1.65%, 6.47% and 1.37%, respectively, and the correlation coefficients were 0.9940, 0.8392 and 0.8825, respectively. For comparison, LS-SVM was also utilized, for which the average relative errors were 1.68%, 6.25% and 1.47%, respectively, and the correlation coefficients were 0.9941, 0.8310 and 0.8800, respectively. It is obvious that MLS-SVM algorithm is comparable to LS-SVM algorithm in modeling analysis performance, and both of them can give satisfying results. The result shows that the model with MLS-SVM algorithm is capable of doing multi-components NIR quantitative analysis synchronously. Thus MLS-SVM algorithm offers a new multiple dependent variables quantitative analysis approach for chemometrics. In addition, the weights have certain effect on the prediction performance of the model with MLS-SVM, which is consistent with our intuition and is validated in this study. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize weights in multiple dependent variables NIR modeling analysis.

[Study on application of Fourier transformation near-infrared spectroscopy analysis with support vector machine (SVM)].

Support Vector Machine (SVM) is a method for the research on identifying two types of problem. It is the latest branch in the statistics study theories, and the identification model has a strict mathematics foundation. In this paper, the basic principle and method of SVM are not only introduced, but also applied to chemometrics. One hundred and three rhubarb samples were used as experimental materials. The identification models were established with near-infrared spectroscopy and SVM training method with the intention of identifying whether the rhubarb samples are true or false. The thirty-three samples in training set were identified by the identifying models with the accurate rate of 100%, while seventy estimate samples had an accurate rate of 96.77%. The research result provided the method of identifying the traditional Chinese medicine rhubarb quickly. So, it shows the feasibility of establishing the models with near-infrared spectroscopy and SVM method to identify biological samples. This paper introduced the theme of SVM training method in order to beget the attention of the research members who deal with chemometrics.

Absorbance characteristics of a liquid-phase gas sensor based on gas-permeable liquid core waveguides.

The absorbance characteristics and influential factors on these characteristics for a liquid-phase gas sensor, which is based on gas-permeable liquid core waveguides (LCWs), are studied from theoretical and experimental viewpoints in this paper. According to theory, it is predicted that absorbance is proportional to the analyte concentration, sampling time, analyte diffusion coefficient, and geometric factor of this device when the depletion layer of the analyte is ignored. The experimental results are in agreement with the theoretical hypothesis. According to the experimental results, absorbance is time-dependent and increasing linearly over time after the requisite response time with a linear correlation coefficient r(2)>0.999. In the linear region, the rate of absorbance change (RAC) indicates improved linearity with sample concentration and a relative higher sensitivity than instantaneous absorbance does. By using a core liquid that is more affinitive to the analyte, reducing wall thickness and the inner diameter of the tubing, or increasing sample flow rate limitedly, the response time can be decreased and the sensitivity can be increased. However, increasing the LCW length can only enhance sensitivity and has no effect on response time. For liquid phase detection, there is a maximum flow rate, and the absorbance will decrease beyond the stated limit. Under experimental conditions, hexane as the LCW core solvent, a tubing wall thickness of 0.1 mm, a length of 10 cm, and a flow rate of 12 mL min(-1), the detection results for the aqueous benzene sample demonstrate a response time of 4 min. Additionally, the standard curve for the RAC versus concentration is RAC=0.0267c+0.0351 (AU min(-1)), with r(2)=0.9922 within concentrations of 0.5-3.0 mg L(-1). The relative error for 0.5 mg L(-1) benzene (n=6) is 7.4±3.7%, and the LOD is 0.04 mg L(-1). This research can provide theoretical and practical guides for liquid-phase gas sensor design and development based on a gas-permeable Teflon AF 2400 LCW.