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A novel actinobacterial strain, designated AGMB00827T, was isolated from swine faeces. Strain AGMB00827T was obligately anaerobic, Gram-stain-positive, non-motile, non-spore-forming and rod-shaped bacterium. Comparative analyses based on the 16S rRNA gene and whole genome sequence revealed that strain AGMB00827T was affiliated to the genus Collinsella, and was most closely related to Collinsella vaginalis Marseille-P2666T (= KCTC 25056T). Biochemical analysis showed strain AGMB00827T was negative for catalase and oxidase. Interestingly, strain AGMB00827T possessed urease activity, which was determined by traditional methods (API test and Christensen's urea medium), unlike related strains. Furthermore, the major cellular fatty acids (> 10%) of the isolate were C18:1 ω9c, C16:0, C16:0 DMA and C18:2 ω9,12c DMA. Based on the whole genome sequence analysis, the DNA G + C content of strain AGMB00827T was 52.3%, and the genome size and numbers of rRNA and tRNA genes were 1,945,251 bp, 3 and 46, respectively. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain AGMB00827T and C. vaginalis KCTC 25056 T were 71.0 and 23.2%, respectively. Additionally, the genome analysis revealed that strain AGMB00827T possesses urease gene cluster including ureABC and ureDEFG while the related strains do not have those genes, which is consistent with the urease activity. On the basis of polyphasic taxonomic approach, strain AGMB00827T represents a novel species within the genus Collinsella, for which the name Collinsella urealyticum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is AGMB00827T (= KCTC 25287T = GDMCC 1.2724T).
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Ácidos Grasos , Ureasa , Animales , Porcinos , Filogenia , Ureasa/genética , ARN Ribosómico 16S/genética , ADN Bacteriano/genética , Ácidos Grasos/análisis , Heces/microbiología , Técnicas de Tipificación Bacteriana , Análisis de Secuencia de ADN , Fosfolípidos/análisisRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of hot-melt extruded ZnO nano-particles (HME-ZnO) as an alternative for P-ZnO on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, Zn bioavailability, intestinal microbiota, and intestinal morphology of weanling pigs. METHODS: A total of 450 piglets (Landrace×Yorkshire×Duroc) were randomly allotted to five treatments based on initial body weight and sex. The experimental diets were fed in a meal form as phase 1 from d 0 to 14 and phase 2 from d 15 to 28. Treatments were the control diet without ZnO supplementation, the diet containing 2,500 ppm Zn as ZnO, and three diets containing 500, 1,000, or 2,500 ppm Zn as HME-ZnO. RESULTS: The overall result showed a higher (p<0.01) average daily gain in weanling pigs fed ZnO-supplemented diets in comparison to the control diet. There was a decrease (p<0.01) in fecal score in the ZnO-supplemented diets. Dietary supplementation of ZnO improved (p<0.05) crude protein digestibility. The weanling pigs fed the P-ZnO diet had a lower (p<0.01) Zn digestibility in the feces than HME-ZnO supplemented treatments. Weanling pigs fed diets supplemented with ZnO had greater (p<0.05) Lactobacillus spp. populations and lower Clostridium spp. (p<0.05) and Coliforms (p<0.01) populations in the ileum. Weanling pigs fed diets supplemented with increasing concentrations of HME-ZnO linearly decreased Clostridium spp. (p<0.05) and Coliforms (p<0.01) in the ileum. Lower (p<0.05) Clostridium spp. and Coliforms counts in the colon were observed in pigs fed with ZnO-supplemented diets. Weanling pigs fed diets supplemented with ZnO showed a greater (p<0.01) villus height in the duodenum. CONCLUSION: Dietary supplementation of HME-ZnO and P-ZnO showed a potential to improve the digestibility of protein, intestinal Coliform and Clostridium, villus height in duodenum and ileum. Moreover, HME-ZnO showed a higher Zn digestibility compared with P-ZnO.
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Due to the ban on the use of antimicrobial growth promoters in livestock feeds, understanding the relationship between intestinal microbiota and the physiology of the host has become very important for improving livestock performance. In this study, we investigated the relationship between intestinal microbiota and body weights of weaned piglets. Lighter (n = 9) and heavier (n = 9) 9-week-old weaned piglets were selected from approximately one hundred individuals based on their body weights. Their fecal microbial communities were analyzed by sequencing the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. The microbial richness estimators of the heavier piglets were significantly higher than those of the lighter piglets. At the phylum level, the microbiota of the heavier group had significantly higher levels of Firmicutes and a higher Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio than that of the lighter group. At the genus level, the levels of several genera, such as Anaerococcus and Lactococcus, were significantly different in the two groups. In particular, the lighter group had significantly higher levels of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria, such as Anaerotruncus and Bacteroides, compared with those of the heavier group. Moreover, the levels of bacteria expressing the components of several metabolic pathways were significantly different in the two groups. The microbiota of the heavier group had a significantly higher involvement in three KEGG pathways concerned with xenobiotic degradation than that of the lighter group. These results may provide insights into host-microbe interactions occurring in the piglet intestine and will be useful in establishing a strategy for improving growth performance in the swine industry.
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Bacterias/aislamiento & purificación , Peso Corporal , Microbioma Gastrointestinal , ARN Ribosómico 16S/genética , Porcinos/microbiología , Porcinos/fisiología , Animales , Bacterias/clasificación , Bacterias/genética , Bacteroidetes/genética , Bacteroidetes/aislamiento & purificación , Heces/microbiología , Firmicutes/genética , Firmicutes/aislamiento & purificación , Microbioma Gastrointestinal/genética , Genes de ARNr , Secuenciación de Nucleótidos de Alto Rendimiento , Lactococcus/genética , Lactococcus/aislamiento & purificación , Redes y Vías Metabólicas , Metagenómica , Destete , XenobióticosRESUMEN
Heat stress adversely affects sows' performance, which can be improved by applying proper nutritional strategies. This study was conducted to investigate the interactive effects of dietary fiber levels and sources on sows' reproductive performance, metabolic response during gestation, and the carry-over influence on litter performance in the lactation period during heat stress (average room temperature of 27.1 °C). Fifty-four multiparous sows (Landrace × Yorkshire; initial body weight of 236.3 ± 16 kg; 2, 3 and 4 parities) at d 90 of gestation were assigned to a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement (9 sows/treatment), involving 2 dietary fiber levels (4.5% and 6% crude fiber) and 3 dietary fiber sources (wheat bran [WB], palm kernel meal [PK], and beet pulp [BP]). Sows fed the BP diet had highest (P < 0.01) feed intake and constipation index and lowest (P < 0.01) farrowing duration. Piglet weight (P = 0.041) and litter weight (P < 0.01) at weaning were higher in sows in the BP treatment compared to PK treatment. Sows in the BP treatment showed the greatest (P < 0.01) digestibility of crude protein and neutral detergent fiber. The fecal concentration of acetate was the lowest (P < 0.01) in the PK treatment. Total short-chain fatty acid production was increased in the WB and BP treatments compared with the PK. Sows in the BP treatment showed the lowest (P = 0.036) hair cortisol. The blood insulin concentration of sows was higher (P = 0.026) in the high fiber (6%) treatment compared with the low fiber (4.5%) treatment at 90 min and 120 min after the meal. The concentration of phthalic acid, succinic acid, phenylethylamine, hydrocinnamic acid, iron, linoleic acid, glycerol, ketone, and formamide were increased (P < 0.05) in the BP treatment compared with the WB. The BP treatment with high soluble fiber content improved the constipation index, farrowing duration, and litter performance, while high insoluble fibers increased sows comfort and reduced stress factors including respiratory rate and rectal temperature. Therefore, both soluble and insoluble sources of fiber are necessary to be added to the diet of gestating sows.
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This study investigated the correlation between piglet performance and sow body weight change (BWC) during two gestational periods: 35-70, 70-105, and 35-105 days. A cohort of 70 sows was evaluated for BWC, backfat thickness change (BFC), caliper score change (CALC), feed intake, and weaning-to-estrus interval (WEI). The collected data were then analyzed according to the two specified periods. Our findings highlighted that piglet birth weight, weaning weight, and average daily weight gain (ADG) correlated with sow body characteristics, including BFC and CALC. The strongest correlation was observed with BWC. Piglet mortality was intimately associated with BFC. Piglet birth weight, weaning weight, and ADG showed a positive correlation with sow BWC, particularly during the 35-70 day period. Furthermore, sows displaying a higher BWC during the 70-105 day period, and also exhibiting a higher BW gain from 35-70 days, registered greater piglet weight gains and higher weaning weights. These trends became more apparent as the sow's BWC increased during the 70-105 day period. Piglet mortality increased when the sow exhibited a lower BWC during both the 35-70 and 70-105 day periods. No significant observations were found concerning the number of stillborn piglets, live-born piglets, or weaned piglets, and no interaction effects were detected between these periods. In conclusion, our findings underscore the significance of sow BWC during the early stages of gestation (d 35-70) for enhancing piglet performance from birth to weaning.
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The study evaluated the effects of dietary fiber and energy levels administered during two growing periods (d 0-28 and d 29-56) for pigs exposed to a high temperature. A total of 96 growing pigs were used in six treatments as: Two treatments in thermoneutral temperature (21°C-24°C) with dietary energy of 3,300 and the inclusion of high or low fiber, two treatments in heat stress (30°C-34°C) with dietary energy of 3,300 and the inclusion of high or low fiber, and two treatments in heat stress with dietary energy of 3,450 and the inclusion of high or low fiber. Among standard energy level treatments, heat-stressed pigs showed lower average daily gain (ADG), feed intake, digestibility of dry matter, gross energy, crude protein, and crude fiber in phases 1 and 2. Moreover, higher concentrations of acetate, propionate, butyrate, and total short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) in feces were shown in pigs fed high fiber diets. There was a negative interaction between dietary fiber and energy for the fecal concentration of isobutyrate in phase 1 and valerate in phase 2. Pigs in heat stress treatments showed a higher rectal temperature, respiratory rate, hair cortisol, plasma zonulin, and fecal lipocalin-2. Among heat stress treatments, the overall ADG was increased in pigs fed high fiber. Pigs fed high dietary fiber showed a greater concentration of acetate, propionate, butyrate, and total SCFA. High fiber treatments decreased plasma zonulin. In conclusion, the inclusion of beet pulp, soluble fiber, at the level of 4% looks necessary in pigs diet during heat stress.
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Pig breeding management directly contributes to the profitability of pig farms, and pregnancy diagnosis is an important factor in breeding management. Therefore, the need to diagnose pregnancy in sows is emphasized, and various studies have been conducted in this area. We propose a computer-aided diagnosis system to assist livestock farmers to diagnose sow pregnancy through ultrasound. Methods for diagnosing pregnancy in sows through ultrasound include the Doppler method, which measures the heart rate and pulse status, and the echo method, which diagnoses by amplitude depth technique. We propose a method that uses deep learning algorithms on ultrasonography, which is part of the echo method. As deep learning-based classification algorithms, Inception-v4, Xception, and EfficientNetV2 were used and compared to find the optimal algorithm for pregnancy diagnosis in sows. Gaussian and speckle noises were added to the ultrasound images according to the characteristics of the ultrasonography, which is easily affected by noise from the surrounding environments. Both the original and noise added ultrasound images of sows were tested together to determine the suitability of the proposed method on farms. The pregnancy diagnosis performance on the original ultrasound images achieved 0.99 in accuracy in the highest case and on the ultrasound images with noises, the performance achieved 0.98 in accuracy. The diagnosis performance achieved 0.96 in accuracy even when the intensity of noise was strong, proving its robustness against noise.
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Research has become increasingly more interdisciplinary over the past few years. Artificial intelligence and its sub-fields have proven valuable for interdisciplinary research applications, especially physical sciences. Recently, machine learning-based mechanisms have been adapted for material science applications, meeting traditional experiments' challenges in a time and cost-efficient manner. The scientific community focuses on harnessing varying mechanisms to process big data sets extracted from material databases to derive hidden knowledge that can successfully be employed in technical frameworks of material screening, selection, and recommendation. However, a plethora of underlying aspects of the existing material discovery methods needs to be critically assessed to have a precise and collective analysis that can serve as a baseline for various forthcoming material discovery problems. This study presents a comprehensive survey of state-of-the-art benchmark data sets, detailed pre-processing and analysis, appropriate learning model mechanisms, and simulation techniques for material discovery. We believe that such an in-depth analysis of the mentioned aspects provides promising directions to the young interdisciplinary researchers from computing and material science fields. This study will help devise useful modeling in the materials discovery to positively contribute to the material industry, reducing the manual effort involved in the traditional material discovery. Moreover, we also present a detailed analysis of experimental and computation-based artificial intelligence mechanisms suggested by the existing literature.
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The objectives of this study were to evaluate convolutional neural network models and computer vision techniques for the classification of swine posture with high accuracy and to use the derived result in the investigation of the effect of dietary fiber level on the behavioral characteristics of the pregnant sow under low and high ambient temperatures during the last stage of gestation. A total of 27 crossbred sows (Yorkshire × Landrace; average body weight, 192.2 ± 4.8 kg) were assigned to three treatments in a randomized complete block design during the last stage of gestation (days 90 to 114). The sows in group 1 were fed a 3% fiber diet under neutral ambient temperature; the sows in group 2 were fed a diet with 3% fiber under high ambient temperature (HT); the sows in group 3 were fed a 6% fiber diet under HT. Eight popular deep learning-based feature extraction frameworks (DenseNet121, DenseNet201, InceptionResNetV2, InceptionV3, MobileNet, VGG16, VGG19, and Xception) used for automatic swine posture classification were selected and compared using the swine posture image dataset that was constructed under real swine farm conditions. The neural network models showed excellent performance on previously unseen data (ability to generalize). The DenseNet121 feature extractor achieved the best performance with 99.83% accuracy, and both DenseNet201 and MobileNet showed an accuracy of 99.77% for the classification of the image dataset. The behavior of sows classified by the DenseNet121 feature extractor showed that the HT in our study reduced (p < 0.05) the standing behavior of sows and also has a tendency to increase (p = 0.082) lying behavior. High dietary fiber treatment tended to increase (p = 0.064) lying and decrease (p < 0.05) the standing behavior of sows, but there was no change in sitting under HT conditions.
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Several studies have focused on Ca and P requirements for pigs. These requirements are estimated from their retention and bone formation. However, modern pig breeds have different responses to dietary Ca and P than traditional breeds, and their requirements are expected to change on an annual basis. Besides individual Ca and P needs, the Ca to P ratio (Ca/P) is an important factor in determining requirements. This study aimed to implement a linear and quadratic regression analysis to estimate Ca and P requirements based on average daily gain (ADG), apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of Ca (ATTD-Ca), ATTD of P (ATTD-P), and crude protein (CP) digestibility. Results show that Ca/P had linear and quadratic effects on ADG in the phytase-supplemented (PS) group in both the 6-11 kg and 11-25 kg categories. In the latter category, the CP digestibility was linearly increased in response to increasing Ca/P in the without-phytase (WP) group. In the 25-50 kg category, there was a linear response of ADG and linear and quadratic responses of CP digestibility to Ca/P in the PS group, while a linear and quadratic increase in CP digestibility and a quadratic effect on ATTD-Ca were observed in the WP group. In the 50-75 kg category, Ca/P had significant quadratic effects on ADG in the PS and WP groups, along with significant linear and quadratic effects on ATTD-Ca. In addition, Ca/P had significant quadratic effects on ATTD-P and led to a significant linear and quadratic increase in the CP digestibility in the WP group. In the 75-100 kg category, analysis showed a significant decrease in ATTD-Ca and ATTD-P in the PS and WP groups; in the latter, ATTD-P and ATTD-Ca were linearly decreased by increasing Ca/P. In conclusion, our equations predicted a higher Ca/P in the 6-25 kg bodyweight categories and a lower Ca/P in the 50-100 kg category than that recommended in the literature.
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A small thermocyling system to perform DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is presented in this report. PCR reactants are convected along a triangular closed-loop channel in a polymer chip by the thermosiphon effect. In an effort to develop a convection-based PCR for real application, we adopted a molded channel to define the flow path inside the chip, so that the chip may be suitable for disposability together with the merits of LOC; mass production, versatile integration and facile handling. We developed the geometry of the flow loop that made it easier to load the PCR reactants without air pockets inside. Based on systematic simulations and theoretical considerations of buoyant flows, the loop channel was designed to acquire an optimized flow for PCR. A PCR sample was dropped on a chip to fill the loop channel, and the chip was inserted into a slot of a heating block unit that was composed of three metal blocks with different temperatures. The temperature differences within the closed loop gave rise to buoyancy differences and the liquid reactant continuously circulated along the closed loop by the thermosiphon effect. Because there was no loss of time among the temperature shifts in the reaction steps, approximately 10 min were sufficient for the detectable amplification of 127 bp target gene from 10 pg microl(-1) of PCR fragments. In addition, it took 20 min for the mass amplification of 470 bp gene from PCR fragments or genomic DNA. The entire PCR system is compact enough even to be palmtop because it requires only a tiny temperature controller for a self-actuated thermosiphon flow. This thermocycling system would be a prototypical model for the field application of PCR.
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ADN/análisis , ADN/genética , Técnicas Analíticas Microfluídicas/instrumentación , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa/instrumentación , Polímeros/química , Equipos Desechables , Diseño de Equipo , Análisis de Falla de Equipo , Calor , Miniaturización , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa/métodos , VacioRESUMEN
Studies on cell separation with inertial microfluidics are often carried out with solid particles initially. When this condition is applied for actual cell separations, the efficiency typically becomes lower because of the polydispersity and deformability of cells. Therefore, the understanding of deformability-induced lift force is essential to achieve highly efficient cell separation. We investigate the inertial focusing positions of viscous droplets in a triangular channel while varying Re, deformability, and droplet size. With increasing Re and decreasing droplet size, the top focusing position splits and shifts along the sidewalls. The threshold size of the focusing position splitting increases for droplets with larger deformability. The overall path of the focusing position shifts with increasing Re also has a strong dependency on deformability. Consequently, droplets of the same size can have different focusing positions depending on their deformability. The feasibility of deformability-based cell separation is shown by different focusing positions of MCF10a and MCF7 cells.
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Inertial microfluidic systems have been widely used for particle or cell separation applications, especially for rare-cell enrichment and separation from blood due to the high throughput and simplicity of the systems. However, most of the separation techniques using inertial microfluidic systems require dilution of blood samples or RBC lysis to achieve a high separation efficiency, which can adversely affect the throughput and/or analysis of the collected sample. We developed a cell separation technique compatible with untreated whole blood by inflection point focusing, that is, an inertial focusing phenomenon toward inflection points of the velocity profile. We generated a strong shear-gradient lift force by varying the velocity profile in a channel cross-section with the combined effect of the channel geometry and the co-flows of two liquids with different viscosities. The natural viscosity of blood leads to a lagging flow region in the middle of the channel where larger particles and cells can be extracted to the side flow region, which enables a highly efficient separation scheme with an unprecedented high throughput.
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Técnicas Analíticas Microfluídicas , Separación Celular , Microfluídica , ViscosidadRESUMEN
We consider inertial focusing of particles in channels with triangular cross sections. The number and the location of inertial focusing positions in isosceles triangular channels can change with varying blockage ratios (a/H) and Reynolds numbers (Re). In triangular channels, asymmetric velocity gradient induced by the sloped sidewalls leads to changes in the direction and the strength of the inertial lift forces. Therefore, varying the configuration (specifically, angle) of the triangular cross section is expected to lead to a better understanding of the nature of the inertial lift forces. We fabricated triangular microchannels with various apex angles using channel molds that were shaped by a planing process, which provides precise apex angles and sharp corners. The focusing position shift was found to be affected by the channel cross section, as expected. It was determined that the direction of the focusing position shift can be reversed depending on whether the vertex is acute or obtuse. More interestingly, corner focusing modes and splitting of the corner focusing were observed with increasing Re, which could explain the origin of the inertial focusing position changes in triangular channels. We conducted fluid dynamic simulations to create force maps under various conditions. These force maps were analyzed to identify the basins of attraction of various attractors and pinpoint focusing locations using linear stability analysis. Calculating the relative sizes of the basins of attractions and exhaustively identifying the focusing positions, which are very difficult to investigate experimentally, provided us a better understanding of trends in the focusing mechanism.
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This study evaluated the effects of breed and gender in Duroc (D), Pietrain (P), and crossbred (DP) pigs. Loin samples were collected from D (n = 79), P (n = 42), and DP (n = 45) pigs. Intramuscular fat content was significantly lower in P (p < 0.001), and pH was lowest in DP pigs (p < 0.001). Gilts had higher intramuscular fat (IMF) and pH values than did castrated males (p < 0.05). Water-holding capacity was lower in DP pigs than that in D and P pigs (p < 0.001). Shear force in DP pigs was higher than that in D and P pigs (p < 0.001). Lightness and yellowness of meat in DP pigs was increased compared with coloring of P pig meat (p < 0.01). Meat from DP pigs was redder compared with meat from in D and P pigs, and it was higher in gilts than in castrates (p < 0.001). The C16:0 content was lower in P and DP pigs than in D pigs (p < 0.01). C18:2 content was higher in P and DP pigs than in D pigs (p < 0.001). Unsaturated and saturated fatty acids increased in P pigs compared with levels in D pigs (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that meat quality can be controlled by crossbreeding to increase or reduce selected properties. This study provides the basic data on the meat characteristics of F1 DP pigs. Thus, further study should be conducted to estimate the meat quality of various crossbreeds.
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The reproductive performance of lactating sows was investigated by using different feeding methods including conventional feeding (CF, 3 times/d) or free feeding (FF), and different dietary energy level including low energy (LE: 3,300) or high energy (HE: 3,400 kcal/kg) during the hot season. A total of twenty-eight crossbred (Yorkshire × Landrace) sows were distributed into four treatments as a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Sows in the FF group showed lower body weight and backfat loss (p < 0.05) compared with the CF group. Backfat loss during lactation was lower (p < 0.05) in sows fed HE diet than in that fed LE diet. There were no significant differences in litter survival rate and weaning to estrus interval, but the litter weight at weaning was improved (p < 0.05) in FF and HE sows. Hence, it is concluded that using the free-feeding system or increased dietary energy density leads to improved sow performance during hot ambient temperature.
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The key issues in the development of a microneedle patch as a tool for transdermal drug delivery are safety and delivery performance in addition to economical production. In this paper, novel fabrication methods for an inexpensive microneedle patch made of biocompatible polymer are reported, along with functional verifications for the fabricated microneedle patch through animal models. We combined the merits of in-line microneedles, i.e., easy and economical production, with the superior performance of two-dimensionally arrayed microneedles. One-dimensionally fabricated microneedles were assembled to make two-dimensionally arrayed patches to attain our goal. First, we fabricated strips with one-dimensionally arrayed microneedles through deep X-ray lithography on polymethylmethacrylate or another negative photoresist, SU-8, with sharply reduced exposure time. Second, we assembled microneedle strips to make two-dimensionally arrayed microneedles, which we utilized further for fabrication of molding masters. Finally, we prepared microneedle patches made of polycarbonate by hot embossing with these masters. We then demonstrated the actual delivery of exogenous materials through application on skin via animal experiments, and we found no detectable side effects such as inflammation or allergic reactions at the site of application.
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Administración Cutánea , Materiales Biocompatibles , Sistemas de Liberación de Medicamentos/instrumentación , Agujas , Animales , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos BALB C , Níquel , Polimetil MetacrilatoRESUMEN
PURPOSE: The response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for rectal cancer can be assessed using digital rectal examination, endoscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Precise assessment of clinical complete response (CR) after CRT is essential when deciding between optimizing surgery or organ-preserving treatment. The objectives of this study were to correlate the CR finding in endoscopy and MRI with pathologic CR and to determine the appropriate approach for combining endoscopy and MRI to predict the pathologic CR in patients with rectal cancer after neoadjuvant CRT. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 102 patients with rectal cancer who underwent endoscopy and MRI at 2-4 weeks after CRT. We assigned a confidence level (1-4) for the endoscopic and MRI assessments. Accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were analyzed based on the endoscopy, MRI, and combination method findings. Diagnostic modalities were compared using the likelihood ratios. RESULTS: Of 102 patients, 17 (16.7%) had a CR. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for the prediction CR of endoscopy with biopsy were 85.3%, 52.9%, and 91.8%, while those of MRI were 91.2%, 70.6%, and 95.3%, and those of combined endoscopy and MRI were 89.2%, 52.9%, and 96.5%, respectively. No significant differences were noted in the sensitivity and specificity of any each modality. The prediction rate for CR of the combination method was 92.6% after the posttest probability test. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that combining the interpretation of endoscopy with biopsy and MRI could provide a good prediction rate for CR in patients with rectal cancer after CRT.
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The present study was conducted to test whether the dietary supplementation of ß-mannanase affects amino acids (AA) digestibility, metabolizable energy (ME) contents of corn, wheat, soybean meal, distillers dried grains with solubles, and palm kernel meal (PKM), nutrient digestibility, and growth performance of pigs. In Exp. 1, 22 cannulated pigs were used for 10 dietary treatments including 5 feed ingredients and 2 ß-mannanase concentrations (0 and 0.5 g/kg of the diet) in 6 periods in an incomplete Latin square design to determine the AA and energy digestibility. In Exp. 2, 200 growing pigs were randomly allotted to 4 treatments with 2 nutrient levels (high and low) and 2 concentrations of ß-mannanase (2 × 2 factorial arrangement) in 2 phases (phase 1, d 0 to 21; and phase 2, d 22 to 42). In Exp. 1, ß-mannanase increased the mean standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of AA in all feed ingredients. The amount of digestible energy was increased (P < 0.05) in ß-mannanase-treated PKM. Pigs fed ß-mannanase showed a greater (P < 0.05) digestibility of gross energy (GE). The feed-to-gain (F:G) ratio was improved (P < 0.01) in pigs fed high-nutrient diets. Pigs fed ß-mannanase in the diets had greater (P < 0.05) average daily gain and F:G. In phase 2, the concentration of fecal ammonia was decreased (P < 0.05) in pigs fed ß-mannanase. Considering the 2 experiments, it can be concluded that ß-mannanase increases the SID of AA, which has to be considered in balancing the rations.
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The intestinal microbiota affect various physiological traits of host animals such as brain development, obesity, age, and the immune system. In the swine industry, understanding the relationship between intestinal microbiota and growth stage is essential because growth stage is directly related to the feeding system of pigs, thus we studied the intestinal microbiota of 32 healthy pigs across five sows at 10, 21, 63, 93, and 147 d of ages. The intestinal microbiota were altered with growth of pigs and were separated into three distinct clusters. The relative abundance of several phyla and genera were significantly different between growth stages. We observed co-occurrence pattern of the intestinal microbiota at each growth stage. In addition, we predicted the functions of the intestinal microbiota and confirmed that several KEGG pathways were significantly different between growth stages. We also explored the relationship between the intestinal microbiota and innate factors such as the maternal effect and gender. When pigs were young, innate factors affected on construction of intestinal microbiota, however this tendency was disappeared with growth. Our findings broaden the understanding of microbial ecology, and the results will be used as a reference for investigating host-microbe interactions in the swine industry.