Effects of dietary yeast β-glucan on lactating sows under heat stress.

This study sought to determine the impact of dietary supplementation with yeast β-glucan on the alleviation of heat stress (HS) in lactating sows during the summer. Thirty cross-bred sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) with an initial body weight of 216.2 ± 7 kg, an average parity of 3, and their litter were used in this study.

Deep Learning-Enhanced Diagnosis of Sow Pregnancy Through Low-Frequency Ultrasound Imaging.

The escalating demand for pork highlights the importance of swift and accurate pregnancy diagnosis in sows, a crucial factor in farm profitability. The prevalent use of low-frequency ultrasound devices in this context poses a challenge owing to the suboptimal resolution of the resultant images. This study introduces an innovative approach for sow pregnancy diagnosis using deep learning techniques to analyze low-frequency ultrasound images.

Prediction of the Cause of Fundus-Obscuring Vitreous Hemorrhage Using Machine Learning.

This study aimed to predict the unknown etiology of fundus-obscuring vitreous hemorrhage (FOVH) based on preoperative conditions using machine learning (ML) and to identify key preoperative factors. Medical records of 223 eyes from 204 patients who underwent vitrectomy for FOVH of unknown etiology between January 2012 and July 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Preoperative data, including demographic information, systemic disease, ophthalmic history, and retinal status of the unaffected eye, were collected.

Differential Pattern of Symptom Correlation With Acute Respiratory Infections in Korea.

Background: Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) pose global health challenges, with major outbreaks affecting healthcare systems and resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. We aimed to identify distinctive signs or symptoms correlated with ARIs for utilizing syndromic surveillance.

Methods: We used data from national Korean databases to examine correlations between various symptoms and the reported ARI viruses in children aged under and over 5 years.

A Comprehensive Health Screening Program Reveals the Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

: We investigated the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and associated risk factors in Korean subjects who underwent comprehensive health screening examinations. : This single health screening center-based cross-sectional study included a total of 73,574 consecutive participants older than 30 years who underwent a health screening examination, including fundus photography, between October 2003 and December 2010. Weighted prevalence and risk factors for AMD were evaluated.

A comparison of the physiochemical features of three tertiary hybrid pigs with and without spent coffee ground supplementation.

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the physiochemical characteristics of three tertiary hybrids (crossbreeds) of pigs, with and without coffee supplementation. A total of fifty pigs of different mixed breeds Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc (LYD), Yorkshire × Berkshire (YB), and Yorkshire × Woori (YW); 113.45 kg ± 3.

Endo-1,4-beta-xylanase with traces of endo-1,4-beta-glucanase improves the performance of weanling pigs supplied diets reduced in 90 kcal metabolisable energy/kg.

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of endo-1,4-beta-xylanase with traces of endo-1,4-beta-glucanase on the performance of 240 piglets (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc) with an initial body (BW) of 5.90 ± 0.6 kg.

Production of a monoclonal antibody targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron spike protein and analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron mutations related to monoclonal antibody resistance.

SARS-CoV-2 mutations have resulted in the emergence of multiple concerning variants, with Omicron being the dominant strain presently. Therefore, we developed a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron for therapeutic applications. We established the 1E3H12 mAb, recognizing the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the Omicron S protein, and found that the 1E3H12 mAb can efficiently recognize the Omicron S protein with weak affinity to the Alpha, Beta, and Mu variants, but not to the parental strain and Delta variant.

Pervasive fire danger continued under a negative emission scenario.

Enhanced fire-prone weather under greenhouse gas warming can significantly affect local and global carbon budgets from increased fire occurrence, influencing carbon-climate feedbacks. However, the extent to which changes in fire-prone weather and associated carbon emissions can be mitigated by negative emissions remains uncertain. Here, we analyze fire weather responses in CO removal climate model experiments and estimate their potential carbon emissions based on an observational relationship between fire weather and fire-induced CO emissions.

Herbicide-resistant plants produced by precision adenine base editing in plastid DNA.

CRISPR-free, protein-only cytosine base editors (CBEs) or adenine base editors, composed of DNA-binding proteins such as zinc finger proteins or transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) and nucleobase cytosine or adenine deaminases, respectively, enable organellar DNA editing in cultured cells, animals and plants. TALE-linked double-stranded DNA deaminase toxin A (DddA)-derived CBEs (DdCBEs) and TALE-linked adenine deaminases (TALEDs) install C-to-T and A-to-G single-nucleotide conversions, respectively, in mitochondria and chloroplasts. Interestingly, whereas TALEDs exclusively induce A-to-G conversions without C-to-T conversions in mammalian mitochondrial DNA, they often install unwanted C-to-T edits in addition to intended A-to-G edits in plastid DNA.

LSPR-susceptible metasurface platform for spectrometer-less and AI-empowered diagnostic biomolecule detection.

In response to the growing demand for biomolecular diagnostics, metasurface (MS) platforms based on high-Q resonators have demonstrated their capability to detect analytes with smart data processing and image analysis technologies. However, high-Q resonator meta-atom arrays are highly sensitive to the fabrication process and chemical surface functionalization. Thus, spectrum scanning systems are required to monitor the resonant wavelength changes at every step, from fabrication to practical sensing.

Comprehensive analysis of somatic mutations and structural variations in domestic pig.

Understanding somatic mutations and structural variations in domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domestica) is critical due to their increasing importance as model organisms in biomedical research. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis through whole-genome sequencing of skin, organs, and blood samples. By examining two pig pedigrees, we investigated the inheritance and sharedness of structural variants among fathers, mothers, and offsprings.

Assessing Sarcopenia in Advanced-Stage Ovarian Cancer Patients Undergoing Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: A Case Series.

Objectives: In ovarian and other cancers, low muscle mass and density are associated with poorer clinical outcomes. However, screening for cancer-related sarcopenia (typically defined as low muscle mass) is not routinely conducted. The European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) recommends an algorithm for sarcopenia screening and diagnosis in clinical settings, with sarcopenia based on muscle strength and mass, and severity on physical performance.

Facile synthesis of Fe-based metal-organic frameworks from FeO nanoparticles and their application for CO/N separation.

A facile approach was employed to fabricate MIL-100(Fe) materials from FeO nanoparticles through a conventional hydrothermal reaction without the presence of HF and HNO. Effects of trimesic acid content in the reaction system on the quality and CO/N separation performance of the as-prepared MIL-100(Fe) samples were investigated. Using 1.

Impact of phytase supplementation on nutrient variability, growth, and digestibility in weaned pigs fed a corn-SBM complex diet.

This study evaluated the effects of different nutrient matrices, with or without phytase supplementation, on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, ileal amino acid (AA) digestibility, and blood inositol in pigs fed a complex diet based on corn-soybean meal. Four hundred newly weaned cross-bred (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc) 21-day-old piglets of initial body weight 6.35 ± 1.

Comparison of outcomes between modified double-flanged sutureless scleral fixation and conventional sutured scleral fixation.

This retrospective study aimed to compare the outcomes of modified double-flanged sutureless scleral fixation versus sutured scleral fixation. Medical records of 65 eyes from 65 patients who underwent double-flanged scleral fixation (flange group) or conventional scleral fixation (suture group) between 2021 and 2022 were reviewed. Visual and refractive outcomes, as well as postoperative complications, were compared 1, 2, and 6 months after surgery.

Advanced parametrization for the production of high-energy solid-state lithium pouch cells containing polymer electrolytes.

Lithium batteries with solid-state electrolytes are an appealing alternative to state-of-the-art non-aqueous lithium-ion batteries with liquid electrolytes because of safety and energy aspects. However, engineering development at the cell level for lithium batteries with solid-state electrolytes is limited. Here, to advance this aspect and produce high-energy lithium cells, we introduce a cell design based on advanced parametrization of microstructural and architectural parameters of electrode and electrolyte components.

A reduction in dietary crude protein with amino acid balance has no negative effects in pigs.

The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of low crude protein (CP) level with essential amino acids (AA) addition on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, microbiota, and volatile fatty acid composition in growing pigs. A total of 160 growing pigs (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc [LYD]; average initial body weight 16.68 ± 0.