1. This study examined the transcriptomic profiles of contour and flight feather follicles from two duck breeds to determine the molecular network and the candidate genes associated with contour and flight feather morphogenesis. 2. High-throughput RNA sequencing was performed to compare differences in feather follicles between contour and flight feathers in two duck breeds (Heiwu and Nonghua duck). 3. Comparing the contour feather follicles with flight feather follicles, 4,757 and 4,820 differentially expressed genes (DEGs)...

In this work, a PAMAM@SiO2 demulsifier was synthesized by the reaction of a hyperbranched poly (amido amine) (PAMAM) and KH570 modified SiO2. The structure, morphology and composition of PAMAM@SiO2 were characterized by FT-IR, SEM and EDS. The effect of the concentration of PAMAM@SiO2, salinity and temperature on the demulsification performance was systematically studied. The results showed that the transmittance of aqueous phase after demulsification could reach as high as 92.1% at optimal conditions, and corresponding...

Tissue-resident memory T (TRM) cells, located in the epithelium of most peripheral tissues, constitute the first-line defense against pathogen infections. Our previous study reported that gastric subserous layer (GSL) vaccination induced a “pool” of protective tissue-resident memory CD4+T (CD4+TRM) cells in the gastric epithelium. However, the mechanistic details how CD4+TRM cells form in the gastric epithelium are unknown. Here, our results suggested that the vaccine containing CCF in combination with Silk fibroin hydrogel (SF) broadened...

Testlet design is very popular in educational and psychological assessments. This article proposes a new cognitive diagnosis model, the Multiple-Choice Cognitive Diagnostic Testlet (MC-CDT) model for a test with testlets consisting of multiple-choice (MC) items. The MC-CDT model uses the original examinees' responses to MC items instead of dichotomously scored data (i.e. correct or incorrect) to retain the information from different distractors and thus enhance the MC items' diagnostic power. The MCMC algorithm is adopted...

Obesity, one of the major public health problems worldwide, has attracted increasing attention. Ginsenoside Rb1 is the most abundant active component of Panax ginseng C.A.Mey (Araliaceae) and is reported to have beneficial effects on obesity and diabetes. However, the mechanisms by which Rb1 regulates obesity remain to be explored. This paper intends to further explore the mechanism of Rb1 in regulating obesity. The C57BL/6 obese mice were divided into two groups: the control (CTR) and...

Phlebotomus chinensis sandfly is a neglected insect vector in China which is well-known for carrying Leishmania. Recent studies have expanded its pathogen repertoire with two novel arthropod-borne phleboviruses capable of infecting human and animals. Despite these discoveries, our knowledge on the general pathogen diversity and overall microbiome composition of this vector species are still very limited. Here we carried out a meta-transcriptomics analysis which simultaneously revealed the actively replicating/transcribing RNA viruses, DNA viruses, bacteria and...

1. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in various physiological functions. However, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of lncRNAs in melanogenesis remain unclear. To determine the molecular mechanisms involved in the melanogenesis of skin melanogenesis, the present study depicted the expression profiles of lncRNAs and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in black- (B group) and white- (W group) skinned chickens using RNA sequencing. 2. In total, 373 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs; 203 up-regulated and 170 down-regulated)...

1. A total of 772, 420-day-old Xingguo gray geese (XGG) were sequenced using a low-depth (~1×) whole-genome resequencing strategy to reveal the genetic mechanism of wing length-related traits by genome-wide association analysis (GWAS). 2. The results showed that 119 SNPs had genome-wide significance for wing length in five regions of chromosome 4, of which the most significant locus (P=7.95E-11) was located upstream of RBM47 and explained 7.3% of phenotypic variation. 3. A total of 219...

Autophagy, a cellular surveillance mechanism, plays an important role in combating invading pathogens. However, viruses have evolved various strategies to disrupt autophagy and even hijack it for replication and release. Here, we demonstrated that Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) non-structural protein 1(nsp1) induces autophagy but inhibits autophagic activity. MERS-CoV nsp1 expression increased ROS and reduced ATP levels in cells, which activated AMPK and inhibited the mTOR signaling pathway, resulting in autophagy induction. Meanwhile, as...

The pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC) is unclear. House dust mite (HDM) is associated with immune inflammation in the body. This study is designed to identify the association between HDM and UC clinical symptoms. UC patients (n = 86) and non-UC control (NC) subjects (n = 64) were recruited. Colon lavage fluids (CLF) were collected from HDM skin prick test positive patients during colonoscopy, and analyzed by immunological approaches. HDM was detected in fecal samples,...

Simulation-based approaches for characterising the fire behaviour of travelling fires in large compartments are a potentially valuable complement to experimental studies, providing useful insights on evolving boundary conditions for structural response. They are attractive in reduced costs and the possibility of carrying out systematic parametric studies free from some of the experimental uncertainties, but sufficiently general models have not been previously demonstrated. Here, we explore the potential for “scaling-up” a “stick-by-stick” CFD model which had...

Little is known about alternation and difference in gut microbiota between patients with mild and severe hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). We investigated the differences in gut and oropharynx microbiotas between mild and severe HFMD in young children and changes in bacterial profiles as the disease progresses from acute to convalescent phase. Forty-two patients with confirmed HFMD were studied, among which thirty-two had severe HFMD and ten had mild HFMD. First rectal swabs were...

While some evidence of an effect of radiation exposure on respiratory disease at low dose levels has now emerged, there is heterogeneity in the risks between different studies and countries. In this paper, we aim to show the effect of radiation on three different sub-types of respiratory disease mortality through the analysis of the NRRW cohort in UK. The NRRW cohort consisted of 174,541 radiation workers. Doses to the surface of the body were monitored...

Roads and railway tracks are a major focus of interest in transport infrastructure monitoring. Settlement in a road or railway track profile changes the dynamic excitation applied to passing vehicles. This, in turn, results in a changed dynamic response in the original source of loading, such as a passing vehicle. These changes in dynamic excitation make it possible to detect damage in transport infrastructure from the vehicle response. In this paper, the profile is calculated...

Introduction: Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) usually occurs in the second and third trimesters. The disease's etiology and diagnostic criteria are currently unknown. Based on a sequence window to obtain all theoretical fragment ions (SWATH) proteomic approach, this study sought to identify potential proteins in placental tissue that may be involved in the pathogenesis of ICP and adverse fetal pregnancy outcomes. Methods: The postpartum placental tissue of pregnant women with ICP were chosen as the...

Testosterone has an anabolic effect on skeletal muscle. The testes produce most of the testosterone in vivo, while the adrenal glands contribute smaller amounts. When testis testosterone is deficient the adrenal gland increases steroid hormone synthesis, which is referred to as compensatory testicular adaptation (CTA). To reveal the effects of testis testosterone deficiency on adrenal steroid hormones synthesis and skeletal muscle development, gene expression related to adrenal steroid hormones synthesis and skeletal muscle development were...

Objective: This systematic review aimed to identify the referral criteria for palliative care in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Methods: We conducted an electronic search for publications on referral criteria for palliative care in patients with Parkinson’s disease in six electronic databases. The articles were thoroughly reviewed by two independent reviewers for inclusion using a predefined data extraction list. The referral criteria were thematically classified using a coding methodology. Results: This systematic review included 36 publications....

Five undescribed perylenequinone derivatives (PQDs) phialocephalarins H − L (1 − 5), together with two known PQDs phialocephalarins A − B (6, 7) and one known spirobisnaphthalene palmarumycin P3 (8) were isolated from the endolichenic fungus Phialocephala fortinii. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of NMR and HRESIMS data as well as electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Compounds 1, 2, 4, and 6 − 8 were evaluated for cytotoxic activities against NCI-H460, NCI-H446, PC3,...

This data is the supplemental data for "Association of Resting Heart Rate Trajectories with Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality in Diabetes Mellitus Patients".

Objectives: High reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels lead to cell death, and the testes are among the most vulnerable organs to oxidative damage. Rg1, an active ingredient extracted from the natural medicine ginseng, has potential anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties. Our previous studies showed that Rg1 can effectively improve spermatogenic function in mice, but the specific mechanism remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Rg1 on oxidative stress and...

This data is the supplemental data for "Association of Resting Heart Rate Trajectories with Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus".

1. The extracellular matrix (ECM) constitutes the basal lamina and the area between follicular cells. Remodelling the ECM is believed to be a key event in follicular development, especially during selection, and plays an important role in cell migration, survival, and steroidogenesis. miR-199-3p is differentially expressed in the goose granulosa layer during follicular selection and is reported to play a primary role in inhibiting cell migration and invasion. Nevertheless, the effect of miR-199-3p on ovarian...

Diclofenac sodium (DS) is now recognized as an emerging pollutant, and is one of the most commonly discovered pharmaceuticals in water due to its extensive application in the clinic. This study examined the adsorption performance of a polystyrene supported ionic liquid material (PS-[Nim][Cl]) for the removal of diclofenac sodium (DS) from water. The data from this study showed that maximum removal of DS can be achieved even in conditions with significant pH and temperature fluctuations....

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants have dominated the pandemic due to their high transmissibility and immune evasion conferred by the spike mutations. The Omicron subvariants can spread by cell-free virus infection and cell-cell fusion, the latter of which is more effective but has not been extensively investigated. In this study, we developed a simple and high-throughput assay that provides a rapid readout to quantify cell-cell fusion mediated by the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins without using live or...

Replicating SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to degrade HLA class I on target cells to evade the cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) response. HLA-I downregulation can be sensed by NK cells to unleash killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR)-mediated self-inhibition by the cognate HLA-I ligands. Here, we investigated the impact of HLA and KIR genotypes and HLA-KIR combinations on COVID-19 outcome. We found that the peptide affinities of HLA alleles were not correlated with COVID-19 severity. The predicted poor...