In present study, we explored the effects and the underlying mechanisms of phospholipase C (PLC) mediating glucose-induced changes in intestinal glucose transport and lipid metabolism by using U-73122 (a PLC inhibitor). We found that glucose incubation activated the PLC signal and U-73122 pre-incubation alleviated the glucose-induced increase in plcb2, plce1 and plcg1 mRNA expression. Meanwhile, U-73122 pre-treatment blunted the glucose-induced increase in sodium/glucose co-transporters 1/2 mRNA and protein expressions. U-73122 pre-treatment alleviated the glucose-induced increase in TAG content, BODIPY 493/503 fluorescence intensity, lipogenic enzymes (glucose 6-phospate dehydrogenase (G6PD), 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD), malic enzyme and fatty acid synthase (FAS)) activity and the mRNA expressions of lipogenic genes and related transcription factors (6pgd, g6pd, fas, acca, srebp1 and carbohydrate response element-binding protein (chrebp)) in intestinal epithelial cells of yellow catfish. Further research found that U-73122 pre-incubation mitigated the glucose-induced increase in the ChREBP protein expression and the acetylation level of ChREBP in HEK293T cells. Taken together, these data demonstrated that the PLC played a major role in the glucose-induced changes of glucose transport and lipid metabolism and provide a new perspective for revealing the molecular mechanism of glucose-induced changes of intestinal glucose absorption, lipid deposition and metabolism.

In the current research, a 60-d experiment was conducted with the purpose of exploring the impacts of methionine (Met) on growth performance, muscle nutritive deposition, muscle fibre growth and type I collagen synthesis as well as the related signalling pathway. Six diets (iso-nitrogenous) differing in Met concentrations (2·54, 4·85, 7·43, 10·12, 12·40 and 15·11 g/kg diets) were fed to 540 grass carp (178·47 (SD 0·36) g). Results showed (P < 0·05) that compared with Met deficiency, optimal level of dietary Met (1) increased feed intake, feed efficiency, specific growth rate and percentage weight gain (PWG); (2) increased fish muscle protein, lipid and free amino acid contents and improved fish muscle fatty acid profile as well as increased protein content in part associated with the target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1)/S6K1 signalling pathway; (3) increased the frequency distribution of muscle fibre with >50 µm of diameter; (4) increased type I collagen synthesis partly related to the transforming growth factor-β1/Smads and CK2/TORC1 signalling pathways. In conclusion, dietary Met improved muscle growth, which might be due to the regulation of muscle nutritive deposition, muscle fibre growth and type I collagen synthesis-related signal molecules. Finally, according to PWG and muscle collagen content, the Met requirements for on-growing grass carp (178–626 g) were estimated to be 9·56 g/kg diet (33·26 g/kg protein of diet) and 9·28 g/kg diet (32·29 g/kg of dietary protein), respectively.

Dysregulation in hepatic lipid synthesis by excess dietary carbohydrate intake is often relevant with the occurrence of fatty liver; therefore, the thorough understanding of the regulation of lipid deposition and metabolism seems crucial to search for potential regulatory targets. In the present study, we examined TAG accumulation, lipid metabolism-related gene expression, the enzyme activities of lipogenesis-related enzymes, the protein levels of transcription factors or genes involving lipogenesis in the livers of yellow catfish fed five dietary carbohydrate sources, such as glucose, maize starch, sucrose, potato starch and dextrin, respectively. Generally speaking, compared with other carbohydrate sources, dietary glucose promoted TAG accumulation, up-regulated lipogenic enzyme activities and gene expressions, and down-regulated mRNA expression of genes involved in lipolysis and small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) modification pathways. Further studies found that sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1), a key transcriptional factor relevant to lipogenic regulation, was modified by SUMO1. Mutational analyses found two important sites for SUMOylation modification (K254R and K264R) in SREBP1. Mutant SREBP lacking lysine 264 up-regulated the transactivation capacity on an SREBP-responsive promoter. Glucose reduced the SUMOylation level of SREBP1 and promoted the protein expression of SREBP1 and its target gene stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1), indicating that SUMOylation of SREBP1 mediated glucose-induced hepatic lipid metabolism. Our study elucidated the molecular mechanism of dietary glucose increasing hepatic lipid deposition and found that the SREBP-dependent transactivation was regulated by SUMO1 modification, which served as a new target for the transcriptional programmes governing lipid metabolism.

The experiments reported in this research communication aimed to compare the serum nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) composition in ketotic cows and healthy cows during the perinatal period. NEFAs play significant roles in etiology and pathology of ketosis. We hypothesized that ketotic cows will display a different serum NEFA composition compared to healthy controls, and fatty acid related indicators for ketosis prediction can be screened. Pre-partum healthy cows were recruited, and blood samples were collected on −7, 3, 7, 14 and 21 d postpartum. Cows were further divided into a healthy control group (C group, n = 6) and a ketosis group (K group, n = 6) if blood β-hydroxybutyric acid levels exceeded 1.2 mm during the experiment. NEFA composition was then analyzed by means of Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS). Only C12 : 0% was significantly higher in C group than K group on 7 d pre-partum (P < 0.05), when the cows were not diagnosed with ketosis. Five fatty acids displayed statistical differences in composition between C and K group (P < 0.05), namely C12 : 0, C16 : 0, C17 : 0, C18 : 1n9 and C22 : 1n9. Saturates%, unsaturates%, mono-unsaturates% and saturates/unsaturates were also different between C and K group (P < 0.05). Of note, C18 : 1n9/C12 : 0 and C18 : 1n9/C22 : 1n9 in K group were significantly higher than those in controls on 7 d pre-partum (P < 0.05). It is suggested that the ratios show potential as indicators for prediction of ketosis.

Hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE) is a potentially fatal disease caused by the larval growth of Echinococcus multilocularis. We analysed the clinical data of 178 consecutive HAE patients treated with definitive radical surgery at our institution. According to the surgical approach: group A patients underwent direct radical hepatic resection; group B patients first underwent percutaneous puncture external drainage, followed by radical hepatic resection 2 months later; group C patients underwent a two-step hepatic resection; and group D patients underwent liver transplantation. The baseline characteristics, mortality, postoperative complications and recurrence rates were evaluated. Symptoms were present in 79.8% (142/178) patients. Bi-lobar lesion was found in 34 (19.1%, 34/178) patients, 47.2% (84/178) of whom had ⩾2 lesions each. There were no intraoperative deaths. The postoperative mortality was 2.29% in group A, 8.62% in group D and 0% in groups B and C. The main cause of death was a serious postoperative complication (Clavien–Dindo grades III–V). Patients were followed-up systematically for a median of 35.8 months (8–72) without recurrence. Active HAE should be treated by radical liver resection, and the complicated alveolar echinococcosis of the liver has been managed whenever possible using principles of radical liver resection by experienced hepatic surgeons.

High concentrations of non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) in cows’ blood caused by ketosis are associated with inflammatory states. We hypothesised that ketosis in postparturient dairy cows would result in altered levels on inflammation-related proteins not only in plasma but also in the milk fat globule membranes (MFGM). Thirty cows were selected from a dairy farm in Heilongjiang, China. Inflammatory milk fat globule membrane proteins were detected using ELISA kits, and a fully automatic biochemical analyser was used to measure the concentrations of BHBA, NEFA, glucose (GLU) and triglyceride (TG) in plasma. MFGM protein from milk of ketotic cows contained significantly different concentrations of acute-phase response proteins (complement C3 (C3), prothrombin (F2), alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (ORM1), inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H4 (ITIH4), alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein (AHSG), complement C9 (C9), complement regulatory protein variant 4 (CD46)) in comparison with milk from non-ketotic cows. Blood concentrations of C3, complement C9 (C9), tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα), MFGM C3, monocyte differentiation antigen CD14 (CD14) and ORM1 levels were correlated with energy balance. ITIH4 and CD46 increased, and AHSG and ORM1 decreased before the onset of ketosis. These biomarkers offer potential as predictors and monitors of ketosis in at-risk cows.

Perspectives from 22 countries on aspects of the legal environment for selection are presented in this article. Issues addressed include (a) whether there are racial/ethnic/religious subgroups viewed as “disadvantaged,” (b) whether research documents mean differences between groups on individual difference measures relevant to job performance, (c) whether there are laws prohibiting discrimination against specific groups, (d) the evidence required to make and refute a claim of discrimination, (e) the consequences of violation of the laws, (f) whether particular selection methods are limited or banned, (g) whether preferential treatment of members of disadvantaged groups is permitted, and (h) whether the practice of industrial and organizational psychology has been affected by the legal environment.

This study presents a numerical solution to the three-dimensional solute transport in heterogeneous media by using a layer-integrated approach. Omitting vertical spatial variation of soil and hydraulic properties within each layer, a three-dimensional solute transport can be simplified as a quasi-three-dimensional solute transport which couples a horizontal two-dimensional simulation and a vertical one-dimensional computation. The finite analytic numerical method was used to discretize the derived two-dimensional governing equation. A quadratic function was used to approximate the vertical one-dimensional concentration distribution in the layer to ensure the continuity of concentration and flux at the interface between the adjacent layers. By integration over each layer, a set of system of equations can be generated for a single column of vertical cells and solved numerically to give the vertical solute concentration profile. The solute concentration field was then obtained by solving all columns of vertical cells to achieve convergence with the iterative solution procedure. The proposed model was verified through examples from the published literatures including four verifications in terms of analytical and experimental cases. Comparison of simulation results indicates that the proposed model satisfies the solute concentration profiles obtained from experiments in time and space.

Current development efforts of subunit vaccines against Toxoplasma gondii, the aetiological agent of toxoplasmosis, have been focused mainly on tachyzoite surface antigens (SAGs) such as SAG2, due to their attachment roles in the process of host-cell invasion. In the present study, we aimed to produce poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLG) microparticles (MPs) containing recombinant SAG2 (rSAG2) to induce improved immunity against T. gondii. The resulting PLG-encapsulated rSAG2 (PLG-rSAG2) MPs, 2·14–3·63 μm in diameter, showed 74–80% entrapment efficiency and gradually released antigenic rSAG2 protein (88·3% of the total protein load) for a long 33-day period. Peritoneal immunization with PLG-rSAG2 MPs in BALB/c mice resulted in not only sustained (10 weeks) lymphocyte proliferation and IFN-γ production but also an improved protective capacity (87%) against a lethal subcutaneous challenge of 1×104 live tachyzoites of T. gondii (RH strain). In conclusion, the sustained release of rSAG2 protein from PLG-rSAG2 MPs extends Th1 cell-mediated immunity (lymphocyte proliferation and IFN-γ production) and induces improved protection against T. gondii tachyzoite infection in mice.

Dietary pattern changes may be one of the key factors associated with increasing asthma prevalence. Observational studies have found negative associations between fruit, vegetable and fish consumption and risk of asthma. Experimental studies have also shown that probiotics can modulate the immune system. However, each dietary component exhibits a modest effect. The objective of the present study was to investigate the joint effect of multiple beneficial dietary components on asthma. We designed a 16-week school-based double-blind placebo-controlled randomised trial. The supplement group received fruit plus vegetable concentrate, fish oil and probiotics (FVFP supplement), while the control group received placebos. A total of 192 asthmatic children aged 10–12 years were recruited from elementary schools in metropolitan Taipei. Pulmonary function, medication usage, Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) score and the Childhood Asthma Control Test score were evaluated at baseline, and at weeks 8 and 16. Compared with the placebo group, the supplement group showed significant improvement in pulmonary function parameters (91 v. 178 ml for forced vital capacity (FVC), 40 v. 107 ml for forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and 1·6 v. 4·8 % for FEV1:FVC ratio; all P values < 0·01) and had a significantly reduced proportion of those using short-acting inhaled bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids. However, the PAQLQ score and the Childhood Asthma Control Test score were not significantly different between the two groups, possibly because the majority of the children were treated routinely. FVFP supplements reduced medication use and improved pulmonary function in asthmatic children. The present study supports an adjuvant intervention with a combination of fruit, vegetable, fish and probiotic foods.

This paper presents a sensor fusion method for the Ultra-Tightly Coupled (UTC) Global Positioning System (GPS)/Inertial Navigation System (INS) integrated navigation. The UTC structure, also known as the deep integration, exhibits many advantages, e.g., disturbance and multipath rejection capability, improved tracking capability for dynamic scenarios and weak signals, and reduction of acquisition time. This architecture involves the integration of I (in-phase) and Q (quadrature) components from the correlator of a GPS receiver with the INS data. The Particle Filter (PF) exhibits superior performance as compared to an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) and Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) in state estimation for the nonlinear, non-Gaussian system. To handle the problem of heavy-tailed probability distribution, one of the strategies is to incorporate the UKF into the PF as the proposal distribution, leading to the Unscented Particle Filter (UPF). The combination of an adaptive UPF and Fuzzy Logic Adaptive System (FLAS) is adopted for reducing the number of particles with sufficiently good results. The GPS tracking loops may lose lock due to the signals being weak, subjected to excessive dynamics or completely blocked. One of the principal advantages of the UTC structure is that a Doppler frequency derived from the INS is integrated with the tracking loops to improve the receiver tracking capability. The Doppler frequency shift is calculated and fed to the GPS tracking loops for elimination of the effect of stochastic errors caused by the Doppler frequency. In this paper, several nonlinear filtering approaches, including EKF, UKF, UPF and ‘FLAS assisted UPF’ (FUPF), are adopted for performance comparison for ultra-tight integration of GPS and INS. It is assumed that no outage occurs such that the inertial sensor errors can be properly corrected and accordingly the aiding information is working well. Two examples are provided for performance assessment for the various data fusion methods. The FUPF algorithm with Doppler velocity aiding demonstrates remarkable improvement, especially in the high dynamic environments, in navigation estimation accuracy with reduction of number of particles.

We have fabricated La0.6Ca0.4MnO3 periodic arrays exhibiting tunable optical properties and magnetic properties using nontoxic and environmentally friendly electron beam resist made from La0.6Ca0.4MnO3 sol-gel precursor. We studied their unique optical properties by using the spectral microreflectometer and their magnetic properties using the superconducting quantum interference device and magnetic force microscopy. Additionally, the resist has the ability to demonstrate both positive and negative resist behaviors depending on the electron beam dosage. With these special characteristics, we can fabricate periodic structure on a thin film possessing controlled optical reflectance properties with one fixed design electron beam pattern without changing the structural parameters but changing the electron beam dosage only. Our approach provides an uncomplicated route for the fabrication of nanometer scale magnetic patterns, which serve as the building blocks in the search for novel properties of periodic magnetic arrays.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a known risk factor for pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). This study aimed to determine if type 2 DM alters manifestations and treatment outcome of PTB. Records of 217 consecutive culture-proven PTB patients were analysed retrospectively. The manifestations and treatment outcomes of 74 patients with type 2 DM (PTB-DM group) were compared to 143 patients without DM (PTB group). PTB-DM patients showed higher frequencies of fever, haemoptysis, positive acid-fast bacilli sputum smears, and consolidation, cavity, and lower lung field lesions on chest radiographs, and higher mortality rate. Furthermore, type 2 DM, age ⩾65 years, and extensive radiographic disease were factors independently associated with an unfavorable outcome. This study confirmed that clinical manifestations and chest radiographs of PTB patients associated with type 2 DM significantly depart from the typical presentation. Type 2 DM seems to have a negative effect on treatment outcome of PTB.

A new approach toward GaN growth using electron cyclotron resonance assisted microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (ECR-CVD) method has been implemented. This growth technique allows for low- as well as high-temperature deposition, the use of pure nitrogen source, and a wide operating pressure that is between MOCVD and MOMBE. The unique features of this technique enable the growth of the epitaxial layer of GaN on a variety of substrates including sapphire, silicon, and LiGaO2. SEM, XRD, Raman, photoluminescence (PL), and Hall measurement are employed to characterize the deposited films. Highly oriented, (0001) textured films in the expected wurtzite structure with blue emission have been obtained.