Comparison of the monoexponential and biexponential models of diffusion-weighted magnetic imaging in grading clear-cell renal cell carcinoma: a case-control study.

Background: An accurate and noninvasive method to determine the preoperative clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) pathological grade is of great significance for surgical program selection and prognosis assessment. Previous studies have shown that diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) has moderate value in grading ccRCC. But DWI cannot reflect the diffusion of tissue accurately because it is calculated using a monoexponential model. Intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) is the biexponential model of DWI. Only a few studies have examined the value of IVIM in grading ccRCC yet with inconsistent results. This study aimed to compare the value of DWI and IVIM in grading ccRCC. Methods: In this study, 96 patients with pathologically confirmed ccRCC were evaluated by DWI and IVIM on a 3-T scanner. According to the World Health Organization/International Society of Urological Pathology (WHO/ISUP) classification system, these patients were divided into two groups: low-grade (grade I and II) and high-grade (grade III and IV) ccRCC. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), true diffusion coefficient (D), pseudodiffusion coefficient (D*), and perfusion fraction of pseudodiffusion (f) values were calculated. The Mann-Whitney test, receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and the Delong test were used for statistical evaluations. Results: (I) According to the WHO/ISUP nuclear grading system, 96 patients were divided into low-grade (grade I and II, 45 patients) and high-grade (grade III and IV, 51 patients) groups. (II) Compared with patients of low-grade ccRCC, the ADC and D values of those with high-grade ccRCC decreased while the D* and f values increased (P<0.05). (III) The cutoff value of the ADC, D, D*, and f in distinguishing low-grade from high-grade ccRCC was 1.50×10-3 mm2/s, 1.12×10-3 mm2/s, and 33.19×10-3 mm2/s, 0.31, respectively; the area under the curve (AUC) for the ADC, D, D*, and f values was 0.871, 0.942, 0.621, and 0.894, respectively, with the AUC of the D value being the highest; the sensitivity for the ADC, D, D*, and f values was 94.12%, 92.16%, 47.06%, and 92.16%, respectively; and the specificity for the ADC, D, D*, and f values was 66.67%, 91.11%, 77.78%, and 73.33%, respectively. (IV) Based on the Delong test, AUCD was significantly higher than AUCADC (P=0.02) and AUCD* (P<0.001), but there was no significant difference between AUCD and AUC f (P=0.18). Conclusions: Compared with the monoexponential model DWI, the biexponential model IVIM was more accurate in grading ccRCC.

Successfully treatment in Lactating Women with severe acne through the combination of fire needle and photodynamic therapy:a case report.

Severe acne, characterized by cysts and nodules, can significantly impact a patient's self-image and quality of life [1]. In China, first-line treatments for severe acne typically include oral isotretinoin, topical benzoyl peroxide, and oral or topical antibiotics [2]. However, due to concerns about safety, oral isotretinoin and antibiotics are not recommended for lactating women, posing challenges in treating acne in this population and often leading to emotional distress. While photodynamic therapy has shown effectiveness in patients unwilling to take oral medications [3], treating severe acne during lactation remains a complex issue with limited research available. In this unique case, fire needle combined with photodynamic therapy was successfully utilized to address severe acne in a lactating patient. Following treatment, the patient experienced clearance of cysts, nodules, and pustules, as well as an improvement in depressive symptoms, yielding significant outcomes. Nevertheless, the efficacy and safety of this combined approach warrant further investigation through clinical trials.

Predictive value of thrombocytopenia for bloodstream infection in patients with sepsis and septic shock.

BACKGROUND: Thrombocytopenia is common in patients with sepsis and septic shock. AIM: To analyse the decrease in the number of platelets for predicting bloodstream infection in patients with sepsis and septic shock in the intensive care unit. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients admitted with sepsis and septic shock in Xingtai People Hospital was revisited. Patient population characteristics and laboratory data were collected for analysis. RESULTS: The study group consisted of 85 (39%) inpatients with bloodstream infection, and the control group consisted of 133 (61%) with negative results or contamination. The percentage decline in platelet counts (PPCs) in patients positive for pathogens [57.1 (41.3-74.6)] was distinctly higher than that in the control group [18.2 (5.1-43.1)] (P < 0.001), whereas the PPCs were not significantly different among those with gram-positive bacteraemia, gram-negative bacteraemia, and fungal infection. Using receiver operating characteristic curves, the area under the curve of the platelet drop rate was 0.839 (95%CI: 0.783-0.895). CONCLUSION: The percentage decline in platelet counts is sensitive in predicting bloodstream infection in patients with sepsis and septic shock. However, it cannot identify gram-positive bacteraemia, gram-negative bacteraemia, and fungal infection.

A multiomics analysis-assisted deep learning model identifies a macrophage-oriented module as a potential therapeutic target in colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy involving multiple cellular components. The CRC tumor microenvironment (TME) has been characterized well at single-cell resolution. However, a spatial interaction map of the CRC TME is still elusive. Here, we integrate multiomics analyses and establish a spatial interaction map to improve the prognosis, prediction, and therapeutic development for CRC. We construct a CRC immune module (CCIM) that comprises FOLR2+ macrophages, exhausted CD8+ T cells, tolerant CD8+ T cells, exhausted CD4+ T cells, and regulatory T cells. Multiplex immunohistochemistry is performed to depict the CCIM. Based on this, we utilize advanced deep learning technology to establish a spatial interaction map and predict chemotherapy response. CCIM-Net is constructed, which demonstrates good predictive performance for chemotherapy response in both the training and testing cohorts. Lastly, targeting FOLR2+ macrophage therapeutics is used to disrupt the immunosuppressive CCIM and enhance the chemotherapy response in vivo.

Studies on Composite Solid Electrolytes with a Dual Selective Confinement Interface Structure of Anions for High-Performance Lithium Metal Batteries.

Solid-state lithium batteries (SSLBs) have attracted much attention due to their good thermal stability and high energy density. However, solid-state electrolytes with low conductivity and prominent interfacial issues have hindered the further development of SSLBs. In this research, inspired from a selective confinement structure of anions, a novel HMOF-DNSE composite solid electrolyte with a dual selective confinement interface structure is proposed based on the semi-interpenetrating structure generated by poly(vinylidene fluoride)-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP), poly(di-n-butylmethylammonium) bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (PDADMATFSI), and a metal-organic frameworks MOF derivative (HMOF) as a filler. The dual-network structure of PVDF-HFP/PDADMATFSI combined with HMOF formed a dual selective confinement interface structure to confine out the movement of large anions TFSI-, thereby enhancing the transfer ability of Li+. Subsequently, the addition of HMOF further improves the transfer of Li+ by binding up TFSI- through its crystal structure. The results show that HMOF-DNSE possesses a high room-temperature ionic conductivity (0.7 mS cm-1), a wide electrochemical window (up to 4.5 V), and a high Li+ transfer number (tLi+) (0.56). LiFePO4/HMOF-DNSE/Li cell shows an excellent capacity of 141.5 mAh g-1 at 1C rate under room temperature, with a high retention of 80.1% after 500 cycles. The material design strategy, which is based on selective confinement interface structures of anions, offers valuable insights into enhancing the electrochemical performance of solid-state lithium batteries.

Development of a whole-slide-level segmentation-based dMMR/pMMR deep learning detector for colorectal cancer.

To investigate whole-slide-level prediction in the field of artificial intelligence identification of dMMR/pMMR from hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) in colorectal cancer (CRC), we established a segmentation-based dMMR/pMMR deep learning detector (SPEED). Our model was approximately 1,700 times faster than that of the classification-based model. For the internal validation cohort, our model yielded an overall AUC of 0.989. For the external validation cohort, the model exhibited a high performance, with an AUC of 0.865. The human‒machine strategy further improved the model performance for external validation by an AUC up to 0.988. Our whole-slide-level prediction model provided an approach for dMMR/pMMR detection from H&E whole slide images with excellent predictive performance and less computer processing time in patients with CRC.

The diagnostic value of diffusion kurtosis imaging in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Under the background that diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) has become a research hotspot of central nervous system diseases, there are no studies with large sample size evaluating the value of DKI in diagnosing Parkinson's disease (PD). Moreover, the diagnostic efficacy of DKI in PD is not consistent. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to use the method of meta-analysis, to summarize and evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of DKI in the identification of PD, and to explore the value of its clinical application. Methods: We use PICOS principles for project design. The included patients were PD patients, and the control group were healthy volunteers. We hope to use DKI to make a differential diagnosis between the two, and this study is a diagnostic test. We performed a literature search of English (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, etc.) and Chinese (China knowledge Network, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service platform, China Science and Technology Journal Database, China Biomedical Literature Service system) databases for related literatures on the efficacy of DKI in the differential diagnosis of PD published before March 29, 2022. We used Revman 5.3 software to assess the quality of the literature, Meta-Disc 1.4 software for summarizing sensitivity (Sen), specificity (Spe), diagnostic odds ratios, and heterogeneity tests, and for subgrouping, and Stata 16.0 software for publication bias analysis. Results: Fourteen articles were included through the literature search. The 14 studies included 535 patients with PD and 486 patients without PD. Most of the included literature had good clinical applicability and relatively low risk. By merging statistics, the results obtained were as follows: Sen =0.78 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.74-0.81], Spe =0.83 (95% CI: 0.79-0.86), and the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve was 0.8870. Discussion: The results of the meta-analysis showed that magnetic resonance DKI has comparable diagnostic accuracy in the diagnosis of PD. However, this study also has limitations, and the use of different diagnostic gold standards in the included studies may have some impact on the case selection in the study.

Manganese Cadmium Sulfide Nanoparticles Solid Solution on Cobalt Acid Nickel Nanoflakes: A Robust Photocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution.

Photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen evolution is one of the most promising methods to mitigate environmental and energy-related issues. In this study, manganese cadmium sulfide (Mnx Cd1-x S) solid solution is used to construct a p-n heterostructure with NiCo2 O4 through a hydrothermal method. The Mn0.25 Cd0.75 S/NiCo2 O4 composites are used for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction, and the optimal hydrogen rate with 40 mg of Mn0.25 Cd0.75 S/NiCo2 O4 40 mg (MCS/NCO 40) is 61159 µmol g-1 h-1 , which is about 16.3 times than that of pure Mn0.25 Cd0.75 S. After combining with NiCo2 O4 , the light absorption scale, the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers, and the reaction kinetics are enhanced. Moreover, the band offset of MCS/NCO composites is calculated by the core level alignment method, demonstrating the formation of a p-n heterostructure. The built-in electric field from the p-n heterostructure drives charge transfer and enhances separation efficiency, which results in improved photocatalytic performance.

Bioinspired Scene Classification by Deep Active Learning With Remote Sensing Applications.

Accurately classifying sceneries with different spatial configurations is an indispensable technique in computer vision and intelligent systems, for example, scene parsing, robot motion planning, and autonomous driving. Remarkable performance has been achieved by the deep recognition models in the past decade. As far as we know, however, these deep architectures are incapable of explicitly encoding the human visual perception, that is, the sequence of gaze movements and the subsequent cognitive processes. In this article, a biologically inspired deep model is proposed for scene classification, where the human gaze behaviors are robustly discovered and represented by a unified deep active learning (UDAL) framework. More specifically, to characterize objects' components with varied sizes, an objectness measure is employed to decompose each scenery into a set of semantically aware object patches. To represent each region at a low level, a local-global feature fusion scheme is developed which optimally integrates multimodal features by automatically calculating each feature's weight. To mimic the human visual perception of various sceneries, we develop the UDAL that hierarchically represents the human gaze behavior by recognizing semantically important regions within the scenery. Importantly, UDAL combines the semantically salient region detection and the deep gaze shifting path (GSP) representation learning into a principled framework, where only the partial semantic tags are required. Meanwhile, by incorporating the sparsity penalty, the contaminated/redundant low-level regional features can be intelligently avoided. Finally, the learned deep GSP features from the entire scene images are integrated to form an image kernel machine, which is subsequently fed into a kernel SVM to classify different sceneries. Experimental evaluations on six well-known scenery sets (including remote sensing images) have shown the competitiveness of our approach.

Detection of hypomimia in patients with Parkinson's disease via smile videos.

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the impairment of facial expression, known as hypomimia. Hypomimia has serious impacts on patients' ability to communicate, and it is difficult to detect at early stages of the disease. Furthermore, due to bradykinesia or other reasons, it is inconvenient for PD patients to visit the hospital. Therefore, it is appealing to develop an auxiliary diagnostic method that remotely detects hypomimia. METHODS: We proposed an automatic detection system for Parkinson's hypomimia based on facial expressions (DSPH-FE). DSPH-FE provides a convenient remote service for those who potentially suffer from hypomimia and only requires patients to input their facial videos. Specifically, patients can detect hypomimia through two aspects: geometric features and texture features. Geometric features focus on visually representing structures of facial muscles. Facial expression factors (FEFs) are used as the first metric to quantify the current activation state of the facial muscles. Facial expression change factors (FECFs) are subsequently used as the second metric to calculate the moving trajectories of the activation states in the videos. Geometric features primarily concentrate on spatial information, with little involvement of temporal information. Thus, the extended histogram of oriented gradients (HOG) algorithm is introduced. This algorithm can extract texture features within multiple continuous frames and incorporate the temporal information into the features. Finally, these features are applied to four machine learning algorithms to model the relationship between these features and hypomimia. RESULTS: The DSPH-FE detection system achieved the best performance when concatenating geometric features and texture features, resulting in a F1 score of 0.9997. The best F1 scores achieved with geometric features and texture features were 0.8286 and 0.9446, respectively. This indicated that both geometric features and texture features have an ability to predict hypomimia, and demonstrated that temporal information can boost the model performance. Thus, DSPH-FE is an effective supportive tool in the medical management of PD patients. CONCLUSIONS: Comprehensive experiments demonstrated that proposed features fit well with real-world videos and are beneficial in the clinical diagnosis of hypomimia. In particular, hypomimia had a greater impact on eyes and mouths when patients are smiling.

The Effect of Increasing Neutral Detergent Fiber Level through Different Fiber Feed Ingredients throughout the Gestation of Sows.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of increasing dietary neutral detergent fiber (NDF) levels on pregnant sows, and to select the best feed ingredients based on reproductive performance, plasma biochemistry parameters, colostrum and milk composition, and nutrient digestibility. Seventy-two multiparous sows were randomly allotted to six dietary treatment groups (n = 12). The feeding of chicory meal (CM), wheat bran (WB), corn gluten, and rice bran meal (RBM) increased the average weaning weight of piglets compared with the control (CON) group (p < 0.05). Supplementation with CG diet increased the sow BW, weight gain, and back fat thickness compared with WB and RBM on day 107 of gestation (p < 0.05). Furthermore, Supplementation with CG diet resulted in lower plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) and higher total protein (TP) concentrations in plasma (p < 0.05). Feeding CM diet and soybean curd residue (SCR) diet reduced the total protein and globulin, and supplementation with CM diet significantly increased the PUN (p < 0.05). The apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of crude protein (CP), crude fat (EE), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were decreased following the addition of CM, WB, or SCR to the diets (p < 0.05). The ATTD of NDF and ADF were significantly increased in the CG group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the feeding of CG diet to sows have an excellent effect.

Impacts of surface wettability and roughness of styrene-acrylic resin films on adhesion behavior of microalgae Chlorella sp.

Biofilm attached cultivation is a promising method for efficient production of microalgae. Determining the surface property index to select an appropriate substrate benefiting the algae adhesion and biofilm formation is very important for the cultivation method. This work focused on elucidating and quantifying the influence of surface wettability and roughness of substrate on Chlorella vulgaris adhesion. Firstly, surface modified styrene-acrylic (SA) resin films by adding different dosage of perfluoroalkyl ethyl acrylate (FM) were prepared. Property characterization shows that the surface contact angle in water, formamide and diiodomethane of FM modified SA films is significantly associated with the FM dosage, while the other surface properties including zeta potential, surface potential and surface roughness have insignificant difference. The calculated surface free energy parameters show that the SA films belong to the non-polar substrata. A well quantitative correlation that the adhesion capacity of C. vulgaris linearly declines with the increase of water contact angle was obtained. And a near linear relationship between the adhesion capacity and the surface free energy (γ), or the cohesion free energy (ΔGcoh) was also observed. Secondly, the surface roughness solely changed SA films were prepared by replicating the morphology of stainless steel sieves through the PDMS template method. The patterned SA films have alternately arranged rectangular "valleys" and "ridges". A well linear correlation between the microalgae adhesion capacity and the surface roughness was also obtained.

Clinical efficacy of self-designed Xiaoban Huoxue Prescription on chloasma derived from liver stagnation and blood stasis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effect and specific mechanism of self-designed Xiaoban Huoxue Prescription on chloasma derived from liver stagnation and blood stasis. METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 94 patients with chloasma derived from liver stagnation and blood stasis. The patients were divided into a control group (treated with tranexamic acid tablets) and an experimental group (treated with self-designed Xiaoban Huoxue Prescription), with 47 cases in each group. Both groups were treated for 3 months, and the clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The total response rate of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). Compared with before treatment, the traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores and Melasma area severity index scores in the two groups were lower 1, 2 and 3 months after treatment, and lower scores were seen in the experimental group than in the control group (all P<0.001); there was an opposite trend in the ITA° value (all P<0.001). Compared with before treatment, serum levels of estradiol, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone and tyrosinase absorbance in both groups were lower 3 months after treatment, and those in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group (all P<0.001). The experimental group had lower incidence of adverse reactions than the control group (2.13% vs. 12.77%, P<0.05). The satisfaction scores regarding pigmentation area regression, pigmentation regression and facial beauty in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group (all P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The self-designed Xiaoban Huoxue Prescription is safe and effective for chloasma derived from liver stagnation and blood stasis. Its mechanism may be related to the downregulation of serum sex hormone expressions and tyrosinase absorbance.

Synthesis and characterization of Mn-doped CsPb(Cl/Br)3 perovskite nanocrystals with controllable dual-color emission.

Metal-halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) are considered to be promising types of optoelectronic and photonic materials. The emission colors of the cesium lead halide perovskite (CsPbX3, X = Cl, Br, I) NCs depend on the joint influence of the emission peaks of the host and its dopant ions. Herein, we report a phosphine-free strategy to synthesize Mn-doped CsPb(Cl/Br)3 NCs to tune their optical properties in a wide color gamut. Colloidal Mn-doped CsPb(Cl/Br)3 NCs were synthesized by injecting Cs-oleate solution into the MnCl2 and PbBr2 precursor solution. The as-prepared Mn-doped CsPb(Cl/Br)3 NCs are highly crystalline and uniform sized nanocubes with two emission peaks, including the host emission around 450 nm and the Mn2+ dopant emission around 600 nm, which are sensitive to the MnCl2-to-PbBr2 molar feed ratio and the reaction temperature. By varying the MnCl2-to-PbBr2 molar feed ratio or the reaction temperature, the relative PL intensities of dual color emission can be manipulated, showing their ability in tunable color output.

[Dermoscopy Study on the Effects of Gold Microacupuncture,Hyaluronic Acid Injection,and rb-bFGF to Treat Facial Rejuvenation].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the dermoscopic changes facial rejuvenation after the combination therapy of gold microacupuncture,Hyaluronic acid (HA) injection,and recombinant bovine alkaline fibroblast growth factor (rbbFGF). METHODS: Twenty cases of patients (age from 30 to 55 yearold) with facial skin naturally aging were included. The patients received multisource radio frequency therapeutic apparatus for injection at the subbermaldermal levels from 1316 W. Noncrosslinking HA of 2 mL was injected in the upper dermis. rbbFGF was externally applied 3 to 5 times a day for a week according to the dry skin issues,humanlike collagen mask was applied once a day for a week. Dermoscopy was used to observe the changes of skin,such as olor spot,wrinkle,skin texture and pore. RESULTS: The patients were found facial contour tighten,skin quality improved obviously after two phase combination therapy,the Objective evaluation of dermoscopy delicated skin mirror,skin texture,skin moisture condition improved obviously,while the subjective satisfaction degree was increased. CONCLUSION: Golden microacupuncture combined with HA injection and rbbFGF could provide better joint treatment for facial rejuvenation.

Vertical Growth of 2D Amorphous FePO4 Nanosheet on Ni Foam: Outer and Inner Structural Design for Superior Water Splitting.

Rational design of highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts based on 3D transition-metal-based materials for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is of great importance for sustainable energy conversion processes. Herein, a novel strategy involving outer and inner structural engineering is developed for superior water splitting via in situ vertical growth of 2D amorphous FePO4 nanosheets on Ni foam (Am FePO4 /NF). Careful experiments and density functional theory calculations show that the inner and outer structural engineering contributing to the synergistic effects of 2D morphology, amorphous structure, conductive substrate, and Ni-Fe mixed phosphate lead to superior electrocatalytic activity toward OER and HER. Furthermore, a two-electrode electrolyzer assembled using Am FePO4 /NF as an electrocatalyst at both electrodes gives current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm-2 at potentials of 1.54 and 1.72 V, respectively, which is comparable to the best bifunctional electrocatalyst reported in the literature. The strategies, introduced in the present work, may open new opportunities for the rational design of other 3D transition-metal-based electrocatalyst through an outer and inner structural control to strengthen the electrocatalytic performance.

Rapid synthesis of CuInTe2 ultrathin nanoplates with enhanced photoelectrochemical properties.

Ultrathin (2.1 ± 0.1 nm) single-crystal CuInTe2 two-dimensional (2D) nanoplates were synthesized via a rapid colloidal synthesis method. The growth mechanism was investigated in detail. Crystal seeds grew via a 2D assembly process of initially formed small CuInTe2 nanoparticles followed by recrystallization into single crystal nanoplates. The obtained CuInTe2 nanoplates exhibited significantly enhanced photoelectrochemical properties compared with the CuInTe2 nanoparticles, benefitting from their ultrathin 2D characteristics.

Controllable synthesis and luminescent properties of rare earth doped Gd2(MoO4)3 nanoplates.

For the first time, we have successfully synthesized rare-earth doped Gd2(MoO4)3: RE3+ (RE=Eu, Tb) nanoplates by solvothermal method. The morphology of Gd2(MoO4)3 can be manipulated by changing the reaction times and reaction temperatures. The composition and surface morphology have been investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. Under the excitation of UV, Photoluminescence (PL) has been used to explore the excellent luminescence properties of the synthesized nanophosphors. The Gd2(MoO4)3: Eu3+ phosphors shows a hypersensitive red emission (612nm) when excitation wavelength within the scope of 200-350nm corresponding to a 5D0-7F2 transition. Similarly, the Gd2(MoO4)3: Tb3+ phosphors certificate a highly strong green emission at 544nm at an excitation wavelength of 298nm corresponding to a 5D4-7F5 transition. Furthermore, the characteristic spectrum peak of the Gd2(MoO4)3: Eu3+/Tb3+ nanophosphor exhibits the corresponding spectra position (green emission at 544nm and red emission at 612nm). Hence, the obtained Gd2(MoO4)3: RE3+ nanoplates may establish highly potentiality in light field applications.

High concentration of vitamin E supplementation in sow diet during the last week of gestation and lactation affects the immunological variables and antioxidative parameters in piglets.

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of a high concentration of vitamin E supplementation in sow diet during the last week of gestation and lactation on the performance, milk composition, and vital immunological variables and antioxidative parameters in sows and piglets. The experiment started on day 107 of gestation and lasted until the piglets were weaned on day 21 of lactation. 48 sows were divided into two groups and fed either a basal diet with 44 IU/kg of vitamin E or a basal diet supplemented with additional vitamin E, total content of 250 IU/kg. Sow milk and blood samples were obtained on day 0 (farrowing) and on day 21 of lactation. One 21-day-old piglet per litter was selected to collect plasma. Results showed that supplementation of the maternal diet with 250 IU/kg vitamin E improved the average daily gain (ADG) and weaning weight of piglets (P < 0·05), and the concentrations of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin A (IgA) in sow plasma, colostrum and milk. The concentrations of fat in the colostrum and milk were significantly increased by supplementation with 250 IU/kg of vitamin E (P < 0·05). The level of plasma IgG, IgA, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and catalase (CAT) were all higher (P < 0·05) in piglets from sows that were fed 250 IU/kg of vitamin E than in those from the control group. The high concentration of vitamin E supplementation to the sows enhanced the concentrations of α-tocopherol in the sow milk and plasma as well as piglet plasma (P < 0·05). In conclusion, the addition to the maternal diet of vitamin E at high concentration improved the weight of piglets at weaning, and enhanced humoral immune function and antioxidant activity in sows and piglets.

Directional Potassium Transport through a Unimolecular Peptide Channel.

Three unimolecular peptide channels have been designed and prepared by using the ß-helical conformation of gramicidin A (gA). The new peptides bear one to three NH3+ groups at the N-end and one to three CO2- groups at the C-end. These zwitterionic peptides were inserted into lipid bilayers in an orientation-selective manner. Conductance experiments on planar lipid bilayers showed that this orientation bias could lead to observable directional K+ transport under multi-channel conditions. This directional transport behavior can further cause the generation of a current across a planar bilayer without applying a voltage. More importantly, in vesicles with identical external and internal KCl concentrations, the channels can pump K+ across the lipid bilayer and cause a membrane potential.