Kaiwei Deng

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) causes severe enteric disease in piglets. The spike (S) gene is the major target of neutralizing antibodies and a hotspot for genetic variation. In this study, eight PEDV S-gene sequences were obtained from a commercial pig farm in Guangxi, China, between 2021 and 2025. Phylogenetic analysis assigned all sequences to the G2 genotype, with G2c, G2d, and G2b subclusters detected at different time points. Recombination analysis identified sequence-level recombination signatures in the G2c sequences, with G2b-like and G2d-like sequences as parental relatives. Several amino acid substitutions were located within or adjacent to the COE and SS2 neutralizing epitopes, and N-glycosylation site variations were observed among subclusters. Structural predictions suggest that these combined changes may alter surface antigenic properties and confer immune evasion potential, though functional validation using neutralization assays is still required. These findings provide field-derived evidence for PEDV genetic evolution and recombination within a single swine herd, and support rational vaccine-strain evaluation and on-farm biosecurity strategies.

To increase teaching effectiveness in the context of veterinary ultrasonography, we employed a flipped classroom combined with a mind mapping methodology for ultrasound use in animal husbandry education. A total of 61 students (experimental class, n = 30; control class, n = 31) participated in this study. Students in the experimental class prepared and presented group topics over a two-week pre-class period and subsequently engaged in question-and-answer sessions. Next, mind maps were generated with the assistance of AI tools, thus establishing a systematic knowledge framework. An in-class test (the Mann–Whitney U test) was administered after the lesson, and a 6-item questionnaire was designed to evaluate students’ levels of satisfaction. The combination of a flipped classroom with mind mapping was associated with a rightward shift in the score distribution, with more students in the experimental group scoring 90–100 (7 vs. 2). The Mann–Whitney U test revealed no statistically significant differences between the groups (U = 361.0, p = 0.135, r = 0.22), although the experimental group had a higher mean score (83.53 vs. 79.74). Most students endorsed the teaching model. The observed trends and positive student feedback from this preliminary assessment suggested that this approach may be a promising method for veterinary ultrasound education.

Intramuscular fat (IMF) content has been identified as a crucial factor of porcine meat quality. MAT2A and MAT2B coordinately catalyzes the synthesis of the major biological methyl donor S‐adenosylmethionine (SAMe). However, the regulatory effect of MAT2A and MAT2B on porcine intramuscular preadipocyte proliferation has not been clarified. In this study, we investigated the effect of MAT2A and MAT2B and its potential mechanism during porcine intramuscular proliferation. We demonstrated that overexpression of MAT2A and MAT2B promoted the cell cycle progression of porcine preadipocyte by flow cytometry and EdU‐labeling assay, as well as promoted the expression of cell cycle marker genes including Cyclin B, Cyclin D, and Cyclin‐dependent kinase 4, but reduced the expression of cell cycle inhibitor P27. Consistently, knockdown of MAT2A and MAT2B inhibited cell cycle progression and downregulated the mRNA and protein levels of the above genes. Furthermore, overexpression of MAT2A and MAT2B activated the phosphorylation of ERK1/2. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of U0126 (a specific ERK1/2 inhibitor) on the ERK1/2 activities was partially recovered by overexpression of MAT2A and MAT2B in porcine intramuscular preadipocytes. Taken together, our findings suggested that MAT2A and MAT2B promote porcine preadipocyte proliferation by ERK1/2 signaling pathway.