Massey Research Online - Browsing by Author "Wang L"

Browsing by Author "Wang L"

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Age Differences in Ileum Microbiota Density: VFAs and Their Transport-Related Gene Interactions in Tibetan Sheep
(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2024-10-03) Wang F; Sha Y; He Y; Liu X; Chen X; Yang W; Chen Q; Gao M; Huang W; Wang J; Hao Z; Wang L; Yang F
Microbiota density plays an important role in maintaining host metabolism, immune function, and health, and age has a specific effect on the composition of intestinal microbiota. Therefore, the age-specific effects of age differences on the structure and function of the ileum microbiota in Tibetan sheep were investigated by determining the density of the ileum microbiota, the content of VFAs, and the expression levels of their transporter-related genes at different ages. The results showed that the contents of acetic acid and propionic acid in the ileum of Tibetan sheep in the 1.5-year-old group were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those in other age groups, and that the contents of total VFAs were also significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those in other age groups. The relative densities of ileum Rf, Ra, and Fs were significantly higher in the 1.5-year-old group than in the other age groups (p < 0.05). The ileum epithelial VFAs transport-related genes AE2, MCT-4, and NHE1 had the highest expression in the 1.5-year-old group, and the expression of DRA was significantly lower in the 1.5-year-old group than in the 6-year-old group (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that Cb, Sr, and Tb were significantly positively correlated with butyric acid concentration (p < 0.05) and negatively correlated with acetic acid, but the difference was not significant (p > 0.05); MCT-1, MCT-4, and AE2 were significantly positively correlated (p < 0.05) with acetic, propionic, and isobutyric acid concentrations; NHE1, NHE2, and MCT-4 were highly significantly positively correlated (p < 0.01) with Romboutsia and unclassified_Peptostreptococcaceae, while acetic acid was significantly positively correlated (p < 0.05) with NK4A214_group; Romboutsia, and unclassified_Peptostreptococcaceae were significantly positively correlated (p < 0.05). Therefore, compared with other ages, the 1.5-year-old Tibetan sheep had a stronger fermentation and metabolic capacity in the ileum under traditional grazing conditions on the plateau, which could provide more energy for Tibetan sheep during plateau acclimatization.
Comparison of Cd(II) adsorption properties onto cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin extracted from rice bran
(Elsevier Ltd, 2021-06) Wu C; Ren M; Zhang X; Li C; Li T; Yang Z; Chen Z; Wang L
Rice bran, an underutilized by-product obtained from outer rice layers, has received wide interest due to its abundance, eco-friendliness, and low cost. In this research, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin as the main components of rice bran were fractionated, and their Cd(II) adsorption capacity, behavior and mechanism were further studied. The adsorption capacity of cellulose for Cd(II) was 5.79 mg/g within the equilibrium time of 10 min, which was 1.8 and 3.6 times those of hemicellulose and lignin, respectively. The Cd(II) adsorption onto cellulose exhibited monolayer surface behavior, whilst the heterogeneous adsorption behavior was observed for hemicellulose and lignin. These differences were related to the discrepancy of morphology and chemical composition in three polymers. The multi-hole sticks morphology of cellulose and porous blocky structure of hemicellulose were observed, while lignin showed compact and agglomerated blocky structure. Cellulose had numerous available adsorption sites including the oxygen-containing functional groups, which bonded with Cd(II) driven by chemical interaction. In conclusion, it highlights that cellulose from rice bran has the great potential of being applied as adsorbent for the Cd(II) removal.
Comparison of Genotype Imputation for SNP Array and Low-Coverage Whole-Genome Sequencing Data
(Frontiers Media S A, 2022-01-03) Deng T; Zhang P; Garrick D; Gao H; Wang L; Zhao F; Lingzhao F
Genotype imputation is the term used to describe the process of inferring unobserved genotypes in a sample of individuals. It is a key step prior to a genome-wide association study (GWAS) or genomic prediction. The imputation accuracy will directly influence the results from subsequent analyses. In this simulation-based study, we investigate the accuracy of genotype imputation in relation to some factors characterizing SNP chip or low-coverage whole-genome sequencing (LCWGS) data. The factors included the imputation reference population size, the proportion of target markers /SNP density, the genetic relationship (distance) between the target population and the reference population, and the imputation method. Simulations of genotypes were based on coalescence theory accounting for the demographic history of pigs. A population of simulated founders diverged to produce four separate but related populations of descendants. The genomic data of 20,000 individuals were simulated for a 10-Mb chromosome fragment. Our results showed that the proportion of target markers or SNP density was the most critical factor affecting imputation accuracy under all imputation situations. Compared with Minimac4, Beagle5.1 reproduced higher-accuracy imputed data in most cases, more notably when imputing from the LCWGS data. Compared with SNP chip data, LCWGS provided more accurate genotype imputation. Our findings provided a relatively comprehensive insight into the accuracy of genotype imputation in a realistic population of domestic animals.
Cooling demand reduction with nighttime natural ventilation to cool internal thermal mass under harmonic design-day weather conditions
(Elsevier Ltd, 2025-02-01) Li M; Shen X; Wu W; Cetin K; Mcintyre F; Wang L; Ding L; Bishop D; Bellamy L; Liu M
Cooling demand is steadily increasing across different climate zones due to global warming. A potential solution for cooling demand reduction is applying nighttime natural ventilation to cool internal thermal mass. However, a simplified and accurate modelling framework to assess the technique is still missing. The goal of the study is to build that framework integrated with a validated internal thermal mass model and apply the framework to quantify the cooling demand reduction potential in a space with different thermal mass and envelope configurations and in different climate zones. Results show that using Granite as internal thermal mass is three times more effective than concrete to reduce peak cooling load. Adding too much internal thermal mass can create adverse effects on cooling load reduction. The optimum thickness of internal thermal mass is between 28 and 45 mm. Envelope construction also has an influence on the performance of nighttime cooling. Applying the technique in buildings with lightweight structures reduces peak cooling load by 35.9% more than heavyweight structures. As heavyweight structures delay the release of the daily absorbed heat and cause higher indoor air temperatures at night. The two belts between the Tropic of Cancer and 60 degrees north latitude, and between the Tropic of Capricorn and 45 degrees south latitude are suitable for nighttime natural ventilation of internal thermal mass, achieving the annual cooling demand reduction above 1.25 kWh m−2. In Dessert climate zones, the technique exhibits an extraordinary potential to reduce cooling demand, up to 6.67 kWh m−2 per year.
Estimates of genomic inbreeding and identification of candidate regions that differ between Chinese indigenous sheep breeds.
(BioMed Central Ltd, 2021-08-05) Liu J; Shi L; Li Y; Chen L; Garrick D; Wang L; Zhao F
BACKGROUND: A run of homozygosity (ROH) is a consecutive tract of homozygous genotypes in an individual that indicates it has inherited the same ancestral haplotype from both parents. Genomic inbreeding can be quantified based on ROH. Genomic regions enriched with ROH may be indicative of selection sweeps and are known as ROH islands. We carried out ROH analyses in five Chinese indigenous sheep breeds; Altay sheep (n = 50 individuals), Large-tailed Han sheep (n = 50), Hulun Buir sheep (n = 150), Short-tailed grassland sheep (n = 150), and Tibetan sheep (n = 50), using genotypes from an Ovine Infinium HD SNP BeadChip. RESULTS: A total of 18,288 ROH were identified. The average number of ROH per individual across the five sheep breeds ranged from 39 (Hulun Buir sheep) to 78 (Large-tailed Han sheep) and the average length of ROH ranged from 0.929 Mb (Hulun Buir sheep) to 2.544 Mb (Large-tailed Han sheep). The effective population size (Ne) of Altay sheep, Large-tailed Han sheep, Hulun Buir sheep, Short-tailed grassland sheep and Tibetan sheep were estimated to be 81, 78, 253, 238 and 70 five generations ago. The highest ROH-based inbreeding estimate (FROH) was 0.0808 in Large-tailed Han sheep, whereas the lowest FROH was 0.0148 in Hulun Buir sheep. Furthermore, the highest proportion of long ROH fragments (> 5 Mb) was observed in the Large-tailed Han sheep breed which indicated recent inbreeding. In total, 49 ROH islands (the top 0.1% of the SNPs most commonly observed in ROH) were identified in the five sheep breeds. Three ROH islands were common to all the five sheep breeds, and were located on OAR2: 12.2-12.3 Mb, OAR12: 78.4-79.1 Mb and OAR13: 53.0-53.6 Mb. Three breed-specific ROH islands were observed in Altay sheep (OAR15: 3.4-3.8 Mb), Large-tailed Han sheep (ORA17: 53.5-53.8 Mb) and Tibetan sheep (ORA5:19.8-20.2 Mb). Collectively, the ROH islands harbored 78 unique genes, including 19 genes that have been documented as having associations with tail types, adaptation, growth, body size, reproduction or immune response. CONCLUSION: Different ROH patterns were observed in five Chinese indigenous sheep breeds, which reflected their different population histories. Large-tailed Han sheep had the highest genomic inbreeding coefficients and the highest proportion of long ROH fragments indicating recent inbreeding. Candidate genes in ROH islands could be used to illustrate the genetic characteristics of these five sheep breeds. Our findings contribute to the understanding of genetic diversity and population demography, and help design and implement breeding and conservation strategies for Chinese sheep.
Evidence of henipavirus infection in West African fruit bats
(Public Library of Science, 2008) Hayman DTS; Suu-Ire R; Breed AC; McEachern JA; Wang L; Wood JLN; Cunningham AA
Henipaviruses are emerging RNA viruses of fruit bat origin that can cause fatal encephalitis in man. Ghanaian fruit bats (megachiroptera) were tested for antibodies to henipaviruses. Using a Luminex multiplexed microsphere assay, antibodies were detected in sera of Eidolon helvum to both Nipah (39%, 95% confidence interval: 27-51%) and Hendra (22%, 95% CI: 11-33%) viruses. Virus neutralization tests further confirmed seropositivity for 30% (7/23) of Luminex positive serum samples. Our results indicate that henipavirus is present within West Africa.
Impact of farmer group participation on the adoption of sustainable farming practices—spatial analysis of New Zealand dairy farmers
(John Wiley and Sons Ltd on behalf of Edgard Milhaud Foundation, 2023-09) Yang W; Wang L
This paper analyzes the impact of participation in farmer groups on dairy farmers’ adoption of sustainable farming practices in New Zealand. A spatial propensity score matching method is used to consider the spatial dependence and social connections between farmers in the decision-making of farmer group participation and adoption of sustainable farming practices. The results show that farmers’ decisions of farmer group participation are affected by their neighbors’ choices, and participation in farmer groups has a positive effect on farmers’ adoption of sustainable farming practices. The findings indicate the important role of social interactions in farmers’ voluntary uptake of sustainable agricultural practices. Overall, the positive effect of farmer group participation on the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices highlights learning and knowledge spillover among farmers, which emerges as important to the formulation of sustainable farming policy.
Online or not online: the impact of business owner’s risk preference on the adoption of e-business
(Springer Nature, 2023-09-21) Yang W; Wang L; Zhang X
The significant growth of internet users has driven businesses to develop their capacity in e-commerce and meet the increasing demand for e-consumption, e-services, and e-business. To gain the benefits of e-business, firms may choose to extend or transit their offline-operated businesses to online or hybrid modes. Opportunities are accompanied by risks in this process. Therefore, it is important to understand how business owners’ financial risk preferences affect their choice of business operation models, namely, online and offline operations. Using data from the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) in 2017 and 2019, this study examined the impacts of business owners’ risk preferences on e-business adoption, considering social insurance as a moderator on the relationship between risk effect and online business operation. In addition, we used heterogeneity examination to test for regional differences between rural and urban areas. Our results show that, compared to high-risk takers, low-risk takers are less likely to choose online or hybrid businesses; and having social insurance reduces the effect of risk preference on adopting e-business. This finding indicates social insurance may provide financial security to business owners with low-risk preferences and makes them more likely to adopt online business, whilst it may distort adoption incentives for high- and medium-risk groups. Results of the heterogeneity examination suggest a discrepancy in the risk preference effect on the adoption of e-business between the rural and urban areas: the impact of risk preference is found to be significantly higher on businesses in the rural area than those in the urban area.
To Achieve Carbon Neutrality, What Do Individual Residents Say? A Case Study of Yunnan Province of China Based on Spatial Analysis
(SAGE Publishing, 2024-10-01) Yang W; Lu Y; Wang L; Xu Y
This study aims to explore factors that affect individual residents’ behaviors contributing to reducing carbon emissions (low-carbon behaviors), based on the empirical analysis of the choice of adoption and the extent of adoption of low-carbon practices, such as using low-carbon transportation and energy-saving, in Kunming, China. We use spatial econometric regression models to consider positive spillover of low-carbon behaviors amongst residents as people tend to obtain knowledge and learn good actions from those located nearby. The results show the existence of positive spillover effects of low-carbon behaviors across several types of low-carbon practices. We find that location effects, such as access to parks, residents’ knowledge of carbon neutrality, and science communications in the local community are the most important determinants of residents’ low-carbon behaviors. The findings may provide insights into designing supporting policies to incentivize residents’ low-carbon behaviors and contribute to the pathway toward carbon neutrality from the micro-perspective.
Unique rumen micromorphology and microbiota-metabolite interactions: features and strategies for Tibetan sheep adaptation to the plateau.
(Frontiers Media S.A., 2024-10-09) Chen Q; Sha Y; Liu X; He Y; Chen X; Yang W; Gao M; Huang W; Wang J; He J; Wang L; Zhang L
The rumen microbiota-a symbiont to its host and consists of critical functional substances-plays a vital role in the animal body and represents a new perspective in the study of adaptive evolution in animals. This study used Slide Viewer slicing analysis system, gas chromatography, RT-qPCR and other technologies, as well as 16S and metabolomics determination methods, to measure and analyze the microstructure of rumen epithelium, rumen fermentation parameters, rumen transport genes, rumen microbiota and metabolites in Tibetan sheep and Hu sheep. The results indicate that the rumen nipple height and cuticle thickness of Tibetan sheep are significantly greater than those of Hu sheep (p < 0.01) and that the digestion and absorption of forage are greater. The levels of carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, and protein turnover were increased in Tibetan sheep, which enabled them to ferment efficiently, utilize forage, and absorb metabolic volatile fatty acids (VFAs). Tibetan sheep rumen metabolites are related to immune function and energy metabolism, which regulate rumen growth and development and gastrointestinal homeostasis. Thus, compared with Hu sheep, Tibetan sheep have more rumen papilla and cuticle corneum, and the synergistic effect of the microbiota and its metabolites is a characteristic and strategy for adapting to high-altitude environments.

Browsing by Author "Wang L"

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