Intramuscular Administration of Zinc Metallothionein to Preslaughter Stressed Pigs Improves Anti-oxidative Status and Pork Quality

Li, L.L.,Hou, Z.P.,Yin, Y.L.,Liu, Y.H.,Hou, D.X.,Zhang, B.,Wu, G.Y.,Kim, S.W.,Fan, M.Z.,Yang, C.B.,Kong, X.F.,Tang, Z.R.,Peng, H.Z.,Deng, D.,Deng, Z.Y.,Xie, M.Y.,Xiong, H.,Kang, P.,Wang, S.X. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2007 Animal Bioscience Vol.20 No.5

This study was conducted to determine the effects of exogenous zinc-metallothionein (Zn-MT) on anti-oxidative function and pork quality. After feeding a corn-soybean meal-based diet for two weeks, 48 pigs ($Duroc{\times}Landrace{\times}Chinese\;Black Pig$) were assigned randomly to four groups. Pigs in Group 1 were maintained under non-stress conditions, whereas pigs in Groups 2, 3 and 4 were aggressively handled for 25 min to produce stress. Pigs in Groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 received intramuscular administration of saline (control group; CON), 0 (negative control group; NCON), 0.8 (low dose group; LOW), and 1.6 (high dose group; HIGH) mg rabbit liver Zn-MT per kg body weight, respectively. Pigs were slaughtered at 3 and 6 h post-injection. Zn-MT treatment increased (p<0.05) the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione-peroxidase (GSH-PX) while decreasing the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver. These responses were greater (p<0.05) at 6 h than at 3 h post Zn-MT injection. Zn-MT treatment increased (p<0.05) hepatic SOD mRNA levels in a time and dose-dependent manner and decreased (p<0.05) serum glutamate-pyruvate transaminase and lactate dehydrogenase activities (indicators of tissue integrity). Zn-MT administration decreased (p<0.05) lactate concentration and increased (p<0.05) pH and water-holding capacity in the longissimus thorasis meat. Collectively, our results indicate that intramuscular administration of Zn-MT to pre-slaughter stressed pigs improved tissue anti-oxidative ability and meat quality.

Effects of Dietary Methionine Levels on Choline Requirements of Starter White Pekin Ducks

Wen, Z.G.,Tang, J.,Xie, M.,Yang, P.L.,Hou, S.S. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2016 Animal Bioscience Vol.29 No.12

A $2{\times}5$ factorial experiment, using 2 dietary methionine levels (0.28% and 0.48%) and 5 dietary choline levels (0, 394, 823, 1,239, and 1,743 mg/kg), was conducted to study the effects of dietary methionine status on choline requirements of starter white Pekin ducks from 7 to 28 days of age. Four hundred eighty 7-d-old male White Pekin ducks were randomly allotted to ten dietary treatments, each containing 6 replicate pens with 8 birds per pen. At 28 d of age, weight gain, feed intake, and feed/gain were measured and the legs of all ducks from each pen were examined for incidence of perosis. Perosis and growth depression were observed in choline-deficient ducks and supplementation of choline reduced perosis and significantly increased weight gain and feed intake regardless of dietary methionine levels (p<0.05). In addition, significant positive effects of dietary methionine supplementation on weight gain, feed intake, and feed/gain were observed at any choline level (p<0.05). Supplementation of 1,743 mg/kg choline in diets alleviated the depression of weight gain and feed intake caused by methionine deficiency at 0.28% methionine level. The interaction between choline and methionine influenced weight gain and feed intake of ducks (p<0.05). At 0.28% methionine level, 1,743 mg/kg choline group caused 4.92% and 3.23% amount of improvement in weight gain and feed intake compared with 1,239 mg/kg choline group, respectively. According to the broken-line regression, the choline requirements of starter Pekin ducks for weight gain and feed intake were 1,472 and 1,424 mg/kg at 0.28% methionine level and 946 and 907 mg/kg at 0.48% methionine level, respectively. It suggested the choline recommendations of starter Pekin ducks on a semi-purified diet were 1448 mg/kg at 0.28% methionine level and 927 mg/kg at 0.48% methionine level, respectively. Compared with the adequate methionine level, menthionine deficiency markedly increased the choline requirements of ducks.

Mutant ubiquitin found in Alzheimer's disease causes neuritic beading of mitochondria in association with neuronal degeneration

Tan, Z,Sun, X,Hou, F-S,Oh, H-W,Hilgenberg, L G W,Hol, E M,van Leeuwen, F W,Smith, M A,O'Dowd, D K,Schreiber, S S Nature Publishing Group 2007 CELL DEATH AND DIFFERENTIATION Vol.14 No.10

A dinucleotide deletion in human ubiquitin (Ub) B messenger RNA leads to formation of polyubiquitin (UbB)+1, which has been implicated in neuronal cell death in Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. Previous studies demonstrate that UbB+1 protein causes proteasome dysfunction. However, the molecular mechanism of UbB+1-mediated neuronal degeneration remains unknown. We now report that UbB+1 causes neuritic beading, impairment of mitochondrial movements, mitochondrial stress and neuronal degeneration in primary neurons. Transfection of UbB+1 induced a buildup of mitochondria in neurites and dysregulation of mitochondrial motor proteins, in particular, through detachment of P74, the dynein intermediate chain, from mitochondria and decreased mitochondria–microtubule interactions. Altered distribution of mitochondria was associated with activation of both the mitochondrial stress and p53 cell death pathways. These results support the hypothesis that neuritic clogging of mitochondria by UbB+1 triggers a cascade of events characterized by local activation of mitochondrial stress followed by global cell death. Furthermore, UbB+1 small interfering RNA efficiently blocked expression of UbB+1 protein, attenuated neuritic beading and preserved cellular morphology, suggesting a potential neuroprotective strategy for certain neurodegenerative disorders.Cell Death and Differentiation (2007) 14, 1721–1732; doi:10.1038/sj.cdd.4402180; published online 15 June 2007

Direct implementation of stochastic linearization for SDOF systems with general hysteresis

Dobson, S.,Noori, M.,Hou, Z.,Dimentberg, M. Techno-Press 1998 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.6 No.5

The first and second moments of response variables for SDOF systems with hysteretic nonlinearity are obtained by a direct linearization procedure. This adaptation in the implementation of well-known statistical linearization methods, provides concise, model-independent linearization coefficients that are well-suited for numerical solution. The method may be applied to systems which incorporate any hysteresis model governed by a differential constitutive equation, and may be used for zero or non-zero mean random vibration. The implementation eliminates the effort of analytically deriving specific linearization coefficients for new hysteresis models. In doing so, the procedure of stochastic analysis is made independent from the task of physical modeling of hysteretic systems. In this study, systems with three different hysteresis models are analyzed under various zero and non-zero mean Gaussian White noise inputs. Results are shown to be in agreement with previous linearization studies and Monte Carlo Simulation.

Short-circuiting in fullerene devices studied by in situ electrical measurement in high vacuum and infrared imaging analysis?

H.R. Wu,M.L. Wang,Q.L. Song,Y. Wu,Z.T. Xie,X.D. Gao,X.M. Ding,X.Y. Hou 한국물리학회 2007 Current Applied Physics Vol.7 No.3

In the present work, currentvoltage (IV) characteristics of fullerene devices (ITOnC60nAl) are reexamined byin situelectrical mea-surement in high vacuum and by infrared imaging analysis. Two kinds ofIV curves are detected: ‘ohmic’ and nonohmic. Degradationprocesses of the two dierent devices are measured, and ‘ohmic’ degradation processes are ascribed to short-circuiting. ITOnC60nAldevices in high vacuum are conrmed to be intrinsically nonohmic. Surface temperature distribution of the two dierent devices is mea-buers are inserted between fullerene layer and cathode and this is found to be eective.

A Phase 3 Evaluation of Daclatasvir plus Asunaprevir in Treatment-Naive Patients with Chronic HCV Genotype 1b Infection

( L. Wei ),( F. Wang ),( M. Zhang ),( J. Jia ),( A.A. Yakovlev ),( W. Xie ),( E.Z. Burnevich ),( J. Niu ),( Y.J. Jung ),( X. Jiang ),( M. Xu ),( X. Chen ),( Q. Xie ),( J. Li ),( J. Hou ),( H. Tang ),( 대한간학회 2017 춘·추계 학술대회 (KASL) Vol.2017 No.1

Background/Aims: Treatment-naive GT 1b-infected patients from mainland China, South Korea and Russia were assessed for SVR at follow-up week 12 (SVR12) after receiving daclatasvir (60 mg, QD) and asunaprevir (100 mg, BID) (DCV+ASV). Methods: Patients were randomized 3:1 to receive DCV+ASV (24 weeks; immediate treatment [IM]) or 12 weeks of placebo followed by DCV+ASV (24 weeks; placebo-deferred treatment [PD]). The primary endpoint was to evaluate SVR12 in the IM arm to the historical rate for peginterferon/ribavirin (70%). Secondary endpoints included overall safety and safety comparisons between the treatment arms during the first 12 weeks. Results: 207 patients were randomized to IM (n=155) or PD (n=52); Asian (86%), female (59%), IL28B CC genotype (68%) and median age 49 (range 18-73) years; cirrhosis (13%), HCV RNA ≥6x106 IU/mL (53%). SVR12 in the IM arm was 92% and broadly unaffected by most baseline factors assessed (Figure); SVR12 was higher in patients without (96%) baseline NS5A-L31M/V or Y93H polymorphisms. There were 6 virologic breakthroughs, 6 relapses and 1 detectable HCV RNA at end-of-treatment in the IM arm. Safety was mostly comparable between the two arms during the first 12 weeks. The most frequent adverse events (AEs; ≥5%) during DCV+ASV (24 weeks) treatment in both arms were aminotransferase, bilirubin and INR elevations, hypertension, fatigue and respiratory tract infections; the most frequent treatment-emergent grade 3/4 laboratory abnormalities were aminotransferase (≤4.5%) and hematologic, lipase and total bilirubin abnormalities (≤2%); one patient (IM) discontinued DCV+ASV for aminotransferase elevations, nausea and jaundice (all reversible); one patient PD) discontinued DCV+ASV for a fatal AE unrelated to treatment. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that DCV+ASV is a highly efficacious and well tolerated treatment for treatment-naive HCV GT 1b-infected patients. Those treated immediately with DCV+ASV achieved a 92% SVR12 rate which was unaffected by factors known to attenuate response to interferon.

Enhanced energy storage properties in PbZrO3 thin films via the incorporation of NiO

Wang X.W.,Chen J.Y.,Hu S.Y.,Yu K.X.,Yang F.,Shi Y.J.,Li J.H.,Hou M.Z.,Liu A.D.,Zheng M.M.,Yin S.Q.,Hu Y.C.,Shang J. 한국물리학회 2023 Current Applied Physics Vol.52 No.-

In this study, NiO–PbZrO3 composite films were deposited on SiO2/Si substrates buffered with LaNiO3 films via the sol-gel coating technique. The effects of NiO addition in PZO thin films on the microstructure, dielectric properties, leakage mechanism, ferroelectric properties and energy storage properties have been discussed. The dielectric constant increased with the addition of NiO, while the leakage current density decreased. Compared with pure PZO films, the maximum polarization of the composite films was improved. For the composite films prepared using the NiO precursor solution with 0.05 mol/L, the recoverable energy storage density of the NiO-PZO composite film is up to 19.6 J/cm3 under the electric field of 1038 kV/cm, which is 30% higher than that of the pure PZO film under the same conditions. Also, the energy storage efficiency of the composite film reaches 48%. Accordingly, we demonstrate a simple and convenient method by adding NiO to fabricate thin films with high energy storage performance.