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Objective The objective of this experiment was to determine the standard ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acid (AA) in 10 different sources of wheat bran fed to broilers and establish the SID AA prediction based on the chemical composition. Methods A total of 660 1-day-old broilers were randomly divided into 11 treatments with 6 replicates of 10 chickens each. Diets included 10 semi-purified mash diets and 1 nitrogen-free diet. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) 0.50% was used as an indigestible index. On day 13, 6 chickens from each replicate were selected for slaughter to collect ileal contents. On day 28, 4 chickens from each replicate were selected for slaughter to collect ileal contents. Results Results showed that the coefficient of variation of the conventional nutrients (except for gross energy, and dry matter) and all AAs was greater than 8.00%. The average SID of essential AA in wheat bran for 13-day-old broilers was 37.24% and the average SID of nonessential AA was 42.02%; the average SID of essential AA for 28-day-old broilers was 67.13% and the average SID of nonessential AA was 69.51%. A correlation was observed (p

Fasting is typically used before feeding metabolizable energy assessment in broilers. Previous studies have shown that fasting cause atrophy of the intestinal villus. Whether fasting affects intestinal permeability during refeeding by altering barrier function and nutrient absorption is of concern. Here, 23-d-old broilers were randomly assigned to 5 treatments, fasted for 0, 12, 24, 36, and 48 h, respectively, and then refed for 2 d, to study the impact of different duration of fasting on the intestinal regeneration and barrier function during refeeding. Results showed that the intestinal morphology in fasted birds was recovered in 2 d of refeeding at most. As fasting durations increased, enterocytes per intestinal villus were linearly and quadratically increased (both P

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to investigate how various selenium sources affect the intestinal health of broiler chickens. A total of 384, one-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were weighed and randomly allocated to four treatment groups. The control diet was a basal diet added with: 0.2 mg/kg Sodium Selenite (SS-control), 0.2 mg/kg Selenium nano-particles (Nano-Se), 0.2 mg/kg Selenomethionine (SeMet), and 0.2 mg/kg Selenocysteine (Sec) as the treatments. The results indicated that Nano-Se and SeMet were effective in enhancing the villus height (VH) and the villus height/crypt depth ratio (VH/CD) in the jejunum compared to (SS) (P < 0.05). The inclusion of Nano-Se into the diets increased the mRNA levels of zonula occluden-1 (ZO-1), ZO-2, Occludin, Claudin-1, and Claudin-3 compared to the SS diet (P < 0.05). The SeMet increased the levels of ZO-1 and Claudin-3 compared to the SS (P < 0.05). Moreover, SeMet upregulated the marker genes of intestinal enteroendocrine cells, stem cells, and epithelial cells compared to the SS diet (P < 0.05). However, supplementation of Nano-Se reduced the mRNA levels of interleukin 1β (IL-1β), and IL-8 and the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the jejunum compared to the SS (P < 0.05). The Nano-Se and SeMet also increased the protein levels of CAT and SOD compared to the SS and Sec diet (P < 0.05). The number of the goblet cells and Mucin-2 (Muc2) levels were the highest in the Nano-Se group (P < 0.05). The protein expression levels of goblet cell differentiation regulator (v-myc avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog, c-Myc) were highest in the Nano-Se compared to the SS diet (P < 0.05). The Nano-Se decreased the mRNA and protein levels of NLRP3 signaling pathway-related genes compared to the SS diet (P < 0.05). In conclusion, our study demonstrated that Nano-Se and SeMet are better at improving the intestinal health of 21-day-old broilers. Additionally, Nano-Se demonstrated superior antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, promoting the development of intestinal goblet cells by modifying the NLRP3 signaling pathway.

Tumor metabolic reprogramming requires high levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to maintain treatment resistance, which poses major challenges to chemotherapy and photothermal therapy. Especially, high levels of ATP promote copper ion efflux for limiting the curative effect of cuproptosis. Here, an H2S-responsive mesoporous Cu2Cl(OH)3-loading chemotherapeutic cisplatin (CDDP) was synthesized, and the final nanoparticle, CDDP@Cu2Cl(OH)3-CDs (CDCuCDs), was encapsulated by electrostatic action with carbon dots (CDs). CDCuCDs reacted with overproduction H2S in colon tumor to produce photothermic copper sulfide for photothermal therapy. CDDP was released by lysis to achieve chemotherapeutic effects. Importantly, CDDP elevated H2O2 levels in cells through a cascade reaction and continuously transforms H2O2 into highly cytotoxic •OH through chemodynamic therapy between H2O2 and Cu+, which enables nanoparticles to generate •OH and improve the chemotherapeutic efficacy. Highly toxic •OH disrupts mitochondrial homeostasis, prohibiting it from performing normal energy-supplying functions. Down-regulated ATP inhibits heat shock protein expression, which promotes the therapeutic effect of mild photothermal therapy and reduces the efflux of intracellular copper ions, thus improving the therapeutic effect of cuproptosis. Our research provides a potential therapeutic strategy using overproduction H2S responses in tumors, allowing tumor microenvironment-activated •OH nanogenerators to promote tumor energy remodeling for cancer treatment.

Abstract The elevated level of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in colon cancer hinders complete cure with a single therapy. However, excessive H2S also offers a treatment target. A multifunctional cascade bioreactor based on the H2S-responsive mesoporous Cu2Cl(OH)3-loaded hypoxic prodrug tirapazamine (TPZ), in which the outer layer was coated with hyaluronic acid (HA) to form TPZ@Cu2Cl(OH)3-HA (TCuH) nanoparticles (NPs), demonstrated a synergistic antitumor effect through combining the H2S-driven cuproptosis and mild photothermal therapy. The HA coating endowed the NPs with targeting delivery to enhance drug accumulation in the tumor tissue. The presence of both the high level of H2S and the near-infrared II (NIR II) irradiation achieved the in situ generation of photothermic agent copper sulfide (Cu9S8) from the TCuH, followed with the release of TPZ. The depletion of H2S stimulated consumption of oxygen, resulting in hypoxic state and mitochondrial reprogramming. The hypoxic state activated prodrug TPZ to activated TPZ (TPZ-ed) for chemotherapy in turn. Furthermore, the exacerbated hypoxia inhibited the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate, decreasing expression of heat shock proteins and subsequently improving the photothermal therapy. The enriched Cu2+ induced not only cuproptosis by promoting lipoacylated dihydrolipoamide S-acetyltransferase (DLAT) heteromerization but also performed chemodynamic therapy though catalyzing H2O2 to produce highly toxic hydroxyl radicals ·OH. Therefore, the nanoparticles TCuH offer a versatile platform to exert copper-related synergistic antitumor therapy.

Abstract Purpose This study investigated and compared the effects of Gd enhancement on brain tumours with a half-dose of contrast medium at 5.0 T and with a full dose at 3.0 T. Methods Twelve subjects diagnosed with brain tumours were included in this study and underwent MRI after contrast agent injection at 3.0 T (full dose) or 5.0 T (half dose) with a 3D T1-weighted gradient echo sequence. The postcontrast images were compared by two independent neuroradiologists in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and subjective image quality score on a ten-point Likert scale. Quantitative indices and subjective quality ratings were compared with paired Student's t tests, and interreader agreement was assessed with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results A total of 16 enhanced tumour lesions were detected. The SNR was significantly greater at 5.0 T than at 3.0 T in grey matter, white matter and enhanced lesions (p

To simplify the composite propellant formulation and address the current issue of the single-functionality present in existing additives, the multi-cyano, amine-based polybutadiene (AEHTPB-CN) was prepared based on AEHTPB by adopting appropriate synthesis strategies. By replacing 10% of HTPB binder in the propellant formulation, it can effectively enhance the interfacial bond strength between the propellant binder matrix and solid fillers (AP (ammonium perchlorate) and RDX (cyclotrimethylene-trinitramine)), the mechanical properties of the HTPB/AP/RDX/Al propellant were superior to blank control propellant with an improvement of 35.4% in tensile strength, 62.0% enhancement in elongation at break, and reduce the propellant burn rate by 10.7% with any energy loss. The function mechanism of AEHTPB-CN was systematically elucidated through experiments and computer simulation techniques. The results show that the tertiary amine group in AEHTPB-CN can react with AP to form ammonium ionic bonds, and the hydroxyl and cyano groups can form hydrogen bonding interactions with AP, which enables AEHTPB-CN to be firmly adsorbed on the AP surface through chemical and physical interactions. For RDX, the interfacial bonding effect of AEHTPB-CN is attributed to their ability to form C–H⋅⋅⋅N≡C weak hydrogen bonding interaction between the cyano group and RDX methylene group.

Abstract Objectives To differentiate benign and malignant solitary pulmonary lesions (SPLs) by amide proton transfer-weighted imaging (APTWI), mono-exponential model DWI (MEM-DWI), stretched exponential model DWI (SEM-DWI), and 18F-FDG PET-derived parameters. Methods A total of 120 SPLs patients underwent chest 18F-FDG PET/MRI were enrolled, including 84 in the training set (28 benign and 56 malignant) and 36 in the test set (13 benign and 23 malignant). MTRasym(3.5 ppm), ADC, DDC, α, SUVmax, MTV, and TLG were compared. The area under receiver-operator characteristic curve (AUC) was used to assess diagnostic efficacy. The Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors and establish prediction model. Results SUVmax, MTV, TLG, α, and MTRasym(3.5 ppm) values were significantly lower and ADC, DDC values were significantly higher in benign SPLs than malignant SPLs (all P

Abstract Background MULTIPLEX is a single-scan three-dimensional multi-parametric MRI technique that provides 1 mm isotropic T1-, T2*-, proton density- and susceptibility-weighted images and the corresponding quantitative maps. This study aimed to investigate its feasibility of clinical application in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods 27 PD patients and 23 healthy control (HC) were recruited and underwent a MULTIPLEX scanning. All image reconstruction and processing were automatically performed with in-house C + + programs on the Automatic Differentiation using Expression Template platform. According to the HybraPD atlas consisting of 12 human brain subcortical nuclei, the region-of-interest (ROI) based analysis was conducted to extract quantitative parameters, then identify PD-related abnormalities from the T1, T2* and proton density maps and quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), by comparing patients and HCs. Results The ROI-based analysis revealed significantly decreased mean T1 values in substantia nigra pars compacta and habenular nuclei, mean T2* value in subthalamic nucleus and increased mean QSM value in subthalamic nucleus in PD patients, compared to HCs (all p values

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to assess the effects of maternal diets containing various selenium (Se) sources on the intestinal mucosal function in the jejunum of chicken offspring. A total of 630, 18-wk-old Hy-Line Grey hens and 70 18-wk-old Hy-Line Grey breeders were randomly allocated into 7 groups, with 5 replicates in each group (18 hens and tow roosters). After 4 wk of Se depletion, the birds were fed either a nonsupplemented basal diet (control) or the same basal diet supplemented with 0.15 mg/kg selenium nanoparticles (Nano-Se), 0.30 mg/kg Nano-Se, 0.30 mg/kg selenocysteine (Sec), 0.30 mg/kg sodium selenite (SS), 0.30 mg/kg selenomethionine (SeMet), or 0.15 mg/kg Nano-Se + 0.15 mg/kg Sec, for 8 wk. Frtilized eggs were collected and incubated during the final week of the experiment. Jejunal tissues from embryonic d 18 and the hatch day were collected for analysis, and the 7-d survival rate of the offspring was recorded. Compared to the control, the maternal diet of 0.30 mg/kg Nano-Se, 0.30 mg/kg Sec, and 0.30 mg/kg SeMet significantly increased the survival of 7-day-old offspring (P < 0.05). The maternal diet supplemented with 0.30 mg/kg Nano-Se significantly increased intestinal villus height and the villus height/crypt depth ratio in chicks at embryonic d 18 and in 1-day-old (P < 0.05). The maternal diet containing 0.30 mg/kg Nano-Se and Sec increased the mRNA expression levels of tight junction proteins in 1-day-old offspring (P < 0.05). Supplemental 0.30 mg/kg Nano-Se significantly increased the mRNA expression levels of marker genes in intestinal enteroendocrine, stem, and Paneth cells (P < 0.05). In 1-day-old chicks, the number of intestinal goblet cells, as well as the mRNA expression levels of intestinal mucin2 (Muc2) and goblet cell differentiation factors (Spdef and C-myc), were the highest in diets supplemented with 0.30 mg/kg Nano-Se. Moreover, the expression levels of intestinal Muc2 and Spdef in chicks at embryonic d 18 was the highest with 0.30 mg/kg Nano-Se supplementation (P < 0.05). Supplementing with 0.30 mg/kg Nano-Se significantly reduced reactive oxygen species levels and decreased the mRNA expression levels of apoptosis-related genes in 1-day-old chicks (P < 0.05). Additionally, 0.30 mg/kg Nano-Se supplementation significantly down-regulated NLRP3 pathway gene expression in 1-day-old chicks (P < 0.05). In conclusion, maternal dietary supplementation with Nano-Se improved jejunal microarchitecture, antioxidant levels, and the expression of tight-junction protein in chicken offspring along with supporting goblet cell development by inhibiting the NLRP3 signaling pathway.

Abstract Double core-holes (DCHs) show remarkable and sensitive effects for understanding electron correlations and coherence. With advanced modulation of x-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) facility, we propose the forthcoming all-attosecond XFEL pump-probe spectroscopy can decipher the hidden photon-initiated dynamics of DCHs. The benchmark case of neon is investigated, and norm-nonconserving Monte-Carlo wavefunction method simulates non-Hermitian dynamics among vast states, which shows superiority in efficiency and reliability. In our scheme, population transfer to DCHs is sequentially irradiated by pump and probe laser. By varying time delay, Stark shifts and quantum path interference of resonant lines sensitively emerge at specific interval of two pulses. These ubiquitous multi-channel effects are also observed in phase-fluctuating pulses, derived from extra phases of impulsive Raman processes by pump laser. Non-perturbation absorption/emission verifies the uniquely interchangeable role of two pules in higher intensity. Our results reveal sensitive and robust responses on pulse parameters, which show potential capacity for XFEL attosecond pulse diagnosis and further attosecond-timescale chemical analysis.

Concerns over the safety of ethoxyquin (EQ) highlight the need for safer, more effective feed antioxidants. This study investigated a healthier antioxidant compound (AC) as a potential alternative to EQ in broilers. A total of 351 one-day-old Arbor Acres Plus male broilers were randomly assigned to three treatments for 21 days: control (CON), EQ group (200 g/ton EQ at 60% purity), and AC group (200 g/ton AC containing 18% butylated hydroxytoluene, 3% citric acid, and 1% tertiary butylhydroquinone). AC supplementation reduced the acid value, peroxide value, and malondialdehyde content in stored feed, decreased feed intake and the feed conversion ratio without affecting body weight gain, and enhanced antioxidant capacity (liver total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase; intestinal catalase and glutathione peroxidase 7). It improved intestinal morphology and decreased barrier permeability (lower diamine oxidase and D-lactate), potentially by promoting ZO-1, Occludin, and Mucin2 expression. The AC also upregulated NF-κB p50 and its inhibitor (NF-κB p105), enhancing immune regulation. Additionally, the AC tended to increase beneficial gut microbiota, including Lactobacillus, and reduced Bacteroides, Corprococcus, and Anaeroplasma. Compared to EQ, the AC further enhanced feed oxidative stability, the feed conversion ratio, intestinal morphology and barrier functions, and inflammatory status, suggesting its potential as a superior alternative to EQ for broiler diets.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a toxic secondary metabolite produced by the Fusarium fungi, which widely contaminates grains, food, and feed, causing health hazards for humans and animals. Therefore, it is essential to find effective ZEN detoxification methods. Enzymatic degradation of ZEN is believed to be an eco-friendly detoxification strategy, specifically thermostable ZEN degradation enzymes are needed in the food and feed industry. In this study, a novel ZEN lactone hydrolase ZHRnZ from Rosellinia necatrix was discovered using bioinformatic and molecular docking technology. The recombinant ZHRnZ showed the best activity at pH 9.0 and 45 °C with more than 90% degradation for ZEN, α-zearalenol (α-ZOL), β-zearalenol (β-ZOL) and α-zearalanol (α-ZAL) after incubation for 15 min. We obtained 10 mutants with improved thermostability by single point mutation technology. Among them, mutants E122Q and E122R showed the best performance, which retained more than 30% of their initial activity at 50 °C for 2 min, and approximately 10% of their initial activity at 60 °C for 1 min. The enzymatic kinetic study showed that the catalytic efficiency of E122R was 1.3 times higher than that of the wild-type (WT). Comprehensive consideration suggests that mutant E122R is a promising hydrolase to detoxify ZEN in food and feed.

The use of cinnamaldehyde and Vitamin C can improve immunity and intestinal health. A two-way factorial design was employed to investigate the main and interactive effects of cinnamaldehyde and vitamin C on the growth, carcass, and intestinal health of broiler chickens. A total of 288 one-day-old female Arbor Acres broiler chicks were randomly distributed among four treatment groups, consisting of six replicate cages with 12 birds each. Four treatments were basal diet or control (CON), supplemental cinnamaldehyde (CA) 300 g/ton (g/t), vitamin C (VC) 300 g/t, and cinnamaldehyde 300 g/t, and vitamin C 300 g/t (CA + VC), respectively. The results showed that supplemental CA did not affect the growth performance or slaughter performance of broilers at 21 days (d), 42 days (d), and 1–42 days (d); however, it could improve intestinal barrier function at 42 d of age and reduce the mRNA expression of inflammatory factors in the intestine at 21 d and 42 d of age. Supplemental VC showed a trend towards increasing body weight gain (BWG) at 21 d (p = 0.094), increased breast muscle rate (at 21-d 5.33%, p < 0.05 and at 42-d 7.09%, p = 0.097), and decreased the abdominal fat (23.43%, p < 0.05) and drip loss (20.68%, p < 0.05) at 42-d. Moreover, VC improves intestinal morphology and intestinal barrier function and maintains a balanced immune response. The blend of CA and VC significantly upregulated the mRNA expression of myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD-88) in the intestine at 21 d of age, the mRNA expression of catalase (CAT), Occludin, Claudin-1, Mucin-2, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) in the intestine at 42 d of age (p < 0.01), and downregulated the mRNA expression of interleukin 10 (IL-10), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in the intestine at 21-d and 42-d of age, and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) mRNA in intestine at 42 d of age (p < 0.01). This study suggested that the combination of CA and VC had the potential to regulate intestinal health and result in better carcass character of broilers.

Recent advances in neuroscience requires high-resolution MRI to decipher the structural and functional details of the brain. Developing a high-performance gradient system is an ongoing effort in the field to facilitate high spatial and temporal encoding. Here, we proposed a head-only gradient system NeuroFrontier, dedicated for neuroimaging with an ultra-high gradient strength of 650 mT/m and 600 T/m/s. The proposed system features in 1) ultra-high power of 7MW achieved by running two gradient power amplifiers using a novel paralleling method; 2) a force/torque balanced gradient coil design with a two-step mechanical structure that allows high-efficiency and flexible optimization of the peripheral nerve stimulation; 3) a high-density integrated RF system that is miniaturized and customized for the head-only system; 4) an AI-empowered compressed sensing technique that enables ultra-fast acquisition of high-resolution images and AI-based acceleration in q-t space for diffusion MRI (dMRI); and 5) a prospective head motion correction technique that effectively corrects motion artifacts in real-time with 3D optical tracking. We demonstrated the potential advantages of the proposed system in imaging resolution, speed, and signal-to-noise ratio for 3D structural MRI (sMRI), functional MRI (fMRI) and dMRI in neuroscience applications of submillimeter layer-specific fMRI and dMRI. We also illustrated the unique strength of this system for dMRI-based microstructural mapping, e.g., enhanced lesion contrast at short diffusion-times or high b-values, and improved estimation accuracy for cellular microstructures using diffusion-time-dependent dMRI or for neurite microstructures using q-space approaches.

The electron impact excitation process is important to investigate the ionization balance, the dynamical evolution of non-equilibrium plasmas, and the physical properties of plasmas. In dense plasmas, previous theories show that the electron impact excitation cross section is generally decreased compared with that in the case of isolated atoms or ions which applies to a dilute system. Investigations show that such decrease is caused by plasma screening. In this study, we propose a mechanism which increases the electron impact excitation cross section in dense plasmas. Due to the random collisions of the scattering electrons with other free electrons and ions in the plasma, the wavefunction of the scattering electrons can no longer be described by employing a plane wave distorted only by the scattering potential. The momentum of the scattering electrons is no longer a constant but changes with their distribution in a certain range, resulting in a phenomenon of transient spatial localization. The momentum broadening of the scattering electron is proposed to quantitatively describe such a localization. A theoretical formalism is developed to consider the transient spatial localization effect in the atomic collision theory and is applied to investigate the electron impact excitation processes of 1s2 1S0 → 1s2p 1P1o and 1s2 1S0 → 1s3p 1P1o of Si12+ embedded in dense plasmas. The results show that the calculated cross sections and rate coefficients are decreased by plasma screening, whereas their quantities are significantly increased in the dense plasmas by the transient spatial localization compared with those obtained by the isolated-atom model. These research findings provide new insight into the microscopic atomic process of the electron impact excitation and macroscopic physical properties such as the electron conductive opacity and the thermal conductivity.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the potential of full dynamic PET kinetic analysis in assessing amyloid binding and perfusion in the cardiac region using 18F-Florbetapir PET, establishing a quantitative approach in the clinical assessment of cardiac amyloidosis disease. Materials & methods: The distribution volume ratios (DVRs) and the relative transport rate constant (R1), were estimated by a pseudo-simplified reference tissue model (pSRTM2) and pseudo-Logan plot (pLogan plot) with kidney reference for the region of interest-based and voxel-wise-based analyses. The parametric images generated using the pSRTM2 and linear regression with spatially constrained (LRSC) algorithm were then evaluated. Semi-quantitative analyses include standardized uptake value ratios at the early phase (SUVREP, 0.5–5 min) and late phase (SUVRLP, 50–60 min) were also calculated. Results: Ten participants [7 healthy controls (HC) and 3 cardiac amyloidosis (CA) subjects] underwent a 60-min dynamic 18F-Florbetapir PET scan. The DVRs estimated from pSRTM2 and Logan plot were significantly increased (HC vs CA; DVRpSRTM2: 0.95 ± 0.11 vs 2.77 ± 0.42, t’(2.13) = 7.39, P = 0.015; DVRLogan: 0.80 ± 0.12 vs 2.90 ± 0.55, t’(2.08) = 6.56, P = 0.020), and R1 were remarkably decreased in CA groups, as compared to HCs (HC vs CA; 1.08 ± 0.37 vs 0.56 ± 0.10, t’(7.63) = 3.38, P = 0.010). The SUVREP and SUVRLP were highly correlated to R1 (r = 0.97, P

This study explored the variation of ileal endogenous amino acid (IEAA) losses and its influencing factors in chickens offered nitrogen-free diets (NFD) containing different ratios of amylose to amylopectin (AM/AP). A total of 252 broiler chickens at 28 d old were randomly allocated into 7 treatment groups for a 3-d trial. The dietary treatments included a basal diet (control), a NFD containing corn starch (CS), and 5 NFD with AM/AP ratios of 0.20, 0.40, 0.60, 0.80, and 1.00, respectively. As the AM/AP ratio increased, the IEAA losses of all AAs, starch digestibility and maltase activity linearly decreased (P

This research compared how different levels of dietary crude protein (CP) and apparent metabolizable energy (AME) affect the growth performance, nitrogen utilization, serum parameters, protein synthesis, and amino acid (AA) metabolism in broilers aged 1 to 10 days. In a 4 × 3 factorial experimental design, the broilers were fed four levels of dietary CP (20%, 21%, 22%, and 23%) and three levels of dietary AME (2800 kcal/kg, 2900 kcal/kg, and 3000 kcal/kg). A total of 936 one-day-old male Arbor Acres broilers were randomly allocated to 12 treatments with 6 replications each. Growth performance, nitrogen utilization, serum parameter, gene expression of protein synthesis, and AA metabolism were evaluated at 10 d. The results revealed no interaction between dietary CP and AME levels on growth performance (p > 0.05). However, 22% and 23% CP enhanced body weight gain (BWG), the feed conversion ratio (FCR), total CP intake, and body protein deposition but had a detrimental effect on the protein efficiency ratio (PER) compared to 20% or 21% CP (p < 0.05). Broilers fed diets with 2800 kcal/kg AME showed increased feed intake (FI) and inferior PER (p < 0.05). Broilers fed diets with 3000 kcal/kg AME showed decreased muscle mRNA expression of mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) and Atrogin-1 compared to those fed diets with 2800 kcal/kg and 2900 kcal/kg AME (p < 0.05). Increasing dietary CP level from 20% to 23% decreased muscle mTOR and increased S6K1 mRNA expression, respectively (p < 0.05). The muscle mRNA expression of Atrogin-1 was highest for broilers fed 23% CP diets (p < 0.05). The mRNA expression of betaine homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT) and Liver alanine aminotransferase of the 22% and 23% CP groups were higher than those of 20% CP (p < 0.05). Significant interactions between dietary CP and AME levels were observed for muscle AMPK and liver lysine-ketoglutarate reductase (LKR) and branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase (BCKDH) mRNA expression (p < 0.05). Dietary AME level had no effect on muscle AMPK mRNA expression for broilers fed 21% and 22% CP diets (p > 0.05), whereas increasing dietary AME levels decreased AMPK mRNA expression for broilers fed 23% CP diets (p < 0.05). The mRNA expression of LKR and BCKDH was highest for broilers fed the diet with 2800 kcal/kg AME and 22% CP, while it was lowest for broilers fed the diet with 3000 kcal/kg AME and 20% CP. The findings suggest that inadequate energy density hindered AA utilization for protein synthesis, leading to increased AA catabolism for broilers aged 1 to 10 days, and a dietary CP level of 22% and an AME level of 2900 to 3000 kcal/kg may be recommended based on performance and dietary protein utilization.

Multiorbital optical lattices have been attracting rapidly growing research interest in the last several years, providing fascinating opportunities for orbital-based quantum simulations. Here, we consider bosonic atoms loaded in the degenerate p-orbital bands of a two-dimensional triangular optical lattice. This system is described by a multiorbital Bose-Hubbard model. We find the confined atoms in this system develop spontaneous orbital polarization, which forms a chiral Skyrmion lattice pattern in a large regime of the phase diagram. This is an orbital version of the skyrmion, reminiscent of those in spin systems. The emergence of the Skyrmion lattice is confirmed in both bosonic dynamical mean-field theory (BDMFT) and exact diagonalization (ED) calculations. By analyzing the quantum-tunneling-induced orbital-exchange interaction in the strong interaction limit, we find the Skyrmion lattice state arises due to the interplay of p-orbital symmetry and the geometric frustration of the triangular lattice. We provide experimental consequences of the orbital Skyrmion state that can be readily tested in cold atom experiments. Our study implies orbital-based quantum simulations could bring exotic scenarios unexpected from their spin analog.

Abstract Background Corn arabinoxylan (AX) is a complicated and multibranched antinutritional factor, thereby proving the use of endo-xylanase (EX) to be marginally valid. This study focused on specific types of AX-degrading enzymes (ADEs) to exert the synergy of debranching enzymes and track the prebiotic potential of enzymatic hydrolysates. This study investigated the effects of ADEs on the growth performance, intestinal histomorphology, absorption functions, changes in polysaccharide components, fermentation, and gut microbiota of broiler chickens. Five hundred seventy-six five-day-old Arbor Acres male broiler chickens were randomly allocated into eight treatments with six replicates each. Corn basal diets supplemented with or without enzymes were fed for a 21-day period, specifically including EX, its compatible use with arabinofuranosidase (EXA) or ferulic acid esterase (EXF), and compound groups with the above three enzymes (XAF). Results Specific ADEs stimulated the jejunal villus height and goblet cell number and evidently decreased the crypt depth (P

Abstract Background In China, cage systems with a high space utilization have gradually replaced ground litter systems, but the disease incidence of chickens in cages is higher. Broilers in the ground litter pens may be stimulated by more environmental microbes during the growth process and show strong immune function and status, but knowledge of which microbes and their metabolites play an immunomodulatory role is still limited. This study aimed to explore the differences and correlations in the immune function, gut microbiota and metabolites and the importance of gut microbiota of broilers raised in cages and ground litter pens. Methods The experiment involved a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, with rearing systems (cages or ground litter pens) and antibiotic treatment (with or without broad-spectrum antibiotics in drinking water) as factors. Results The results showed that, compared with the cage group, the ground litter broilers had stronger nonspecific immune function (Macrophages% and NO in blood), humoral immune function (IgG in blood, LPS stimulation index in ileum) and cellular immune function (T%, Tc%, ConA stimulation index and cytokines in blood). Antibiotic (ABX) treatment significantly reduced nonspecific immune function (Macrophages% and NO in blood, iNOS and Mucin2 mRNA expression in ileum), humoral immune function (IgG in blood and sIgA in ileum) and cellular immune function (T% and cytokines in blood, Th and Tc ratio, TLRs and cytokines mRNA expression in ileum). Furthermore, the ground litter broilers had higher α diversity of microbiota in ileum. The relative abundance of Staphylococcus, Jeotgalicoccus, Jeotgalibaca and Pediococcus in the ileum of ground litter broilers were higher. ABX treatment significantly reduced the α diversity of ileal microbiota, with less Chloroplast and Mitochondria. In addition, the levels of acetic acid, isobutyric acid, kynurenic acid and allolithocholic acid in the ileum of ground litter broilers were higher. Spearman correlation analysis showed that Jeotgalibaca, Pediococcus, acetic acid, kynurenic acid and allolithocholic acid were related to the immune function. Conclusions There were more potential pathogens, litter breeding bacteria, short-chain fatty acids, kynurenine, allolithocholic acid and tryptophan metabolites in the ileum of broilers in ground litter pens, which may be the reason for its stronger immune function and status.

ABSTRACT: Gut health is important for digestion and absorption of nutrient for animals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of enzymes and probiotics alone or in combination on the gut health of broilers fed with newly harvested corn diets. A total of 624 Arbor Acres Plus male broiler chickens were randomly divided into 8 treatment groups (PC: normal corn diet, NC: newly harvested corn diet, DE: NC + glucoamylase, PT: NC + protease, XL: NC + xylanase, BCC: NC + Pediococcus acidilactici BCC-1, DE + PT: NC + glucoamylase + protease, XL+BCC: NC + xylanase + Pediococcus acidilactici BCC-1). Each group was divided into 6 replicates, with 13 birds each. On d 21, intestinal morphological, intestinal tight junction and aquaporins gene expression, cecal short-chain fatty acid concentrations, and microflora were measured. Compared with the newly harvested corn diets (NC), supplemental glucoamylase (DE) significantly increased the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae (P < 0.05) and decreased the relative abundance of Moraxellaceae (P < 0.05). Supplemental protease (PT) significantly increased the relative abundance of Barnesiella (P < 0.05), but the relative abundance of Campylobacter decreased by 44.4%. Supplemental xylanase (XL) significantly increased the jejunal mRNA expressions of MUC2, Claudin-1, and Occludin (P < 0.01), as well as the cecal digesta contents of acetic acid, butyric acid, and valeric acid (P < 0.01). Supplemental DE combined with PT increased the ileal mRNA expressions of aquaporins (AQP) 2, AQP5, and AQP7 (P < 0.01). Supplemental BCC significantly increased the jejunal villus height and crypt depth (P < 0.01), the jejunal mRNA expressions of MUC2, Claudin-1 and Occludin (P < 0.01), and the relative abundance of Bacteroides (P < 0.05). Supplemental xylanase in combination with BCC significantly increased jejunal villus height and crypt depth (P < 0.01), the ileal mRNA expressions of AQP2, AQP5 and AQP7 (P < 0.01), and the cecal digesta contents of acetic acid, butyric acid, and valeric acid (P < 0.01). This suggests that inclusions of supplemental protease (12,000 U/kg), glucoamylase (60,000 U/kg), or Pediococcus acidilactici BCC-1 (109 cfu/kg) individually or in combination with xylanase (4,800 U/kg) in the newly harvested corn diets can alleviate diarrhea in broilers, and be beneficial for the gut health.

Flaxseed contains huge quantities of anti-nutritional factors (ANFs), which reduce the performance of livestock. Three different protease and multi-carbohydrase enzymes were included in wheat-flaxseed diets (WFD) and corn-flaxseed diets (CFD) to compare their effects on performance, egg n-3 deposition, and fatty acid transporter genes in laying hens. A total of 540, twenty-week-old, Nongda-3 laying hens (DW brown × Hy-line white) were randomly assigned to six dietary groups, including 10% WFD or 10% CFD plus (i) supplemental enzyme A (alkaline protease 40,000 and neutral protease 10,000 (U/g)), (ii) enzyme B (alkaline protease 40,000, neutral protease 10,000, and cellulase 4000 (U/g)), or iii) enzyme C (neutral protease 10,000, xylanase 35,000, β-mannanase 1500, β-glucanase 2000, cellulose 500, amylase 100, and pectinase 10,000 (U/g)). An interaction (p < 0.05) was found for egg mass, hen day of egg production, and feed conversion ratio on the 9–10th week of the experiment. The WFD with enzyme B was associated with the highest egg weight in the 9–10th week. The deposition of total n-3 was superior with WFD (468.22 mg/egg) compared to CFD (397.90 mg/egg), while addition of enzyme C (464.90 mg/egg) resulted in the deposition of more total n-3 compared to enzymes A and B (411.89 and 422.42 mg/egg). The WFD and enzyme C significantly (p < 0.001) enhanced docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and reduced the n-6:n-3 ratio in egg yolk compared to the CFD. The hepatic mRNA expression of liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) (p = 0.006), fatty acid desaturase 1 (FADS-1) (p < 0.001), elongase-2 (ELOV-2) (p < 0.001), fatty acid transport protein-1 (FATP1) (p < 0.001), and the intestinal mRNA expression of FATP and FABP genes were increased with WFD compared to CFD. In conclusion, WFD with enzyme C is favorable for optimal performance, results in the deposition of more n-3 and DHA, and increases the expression of fatty acid transporter genes, which helps in n-3 transport.

IntroductionSchizophrenia is a severe and chronic psychiatric disorder with hereditary risk up to 80% as previous studies indicated. Several researches have demonstrated a significant association between schizophrenia and microduplications that overlap the vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor 2 gene (VIPR2).MethodsTo further investigate potential causal VIPR2 gene variants, all exons and un-translated portions of the VIPR2 gene were sequenced using amplicon targeted resequencing in 1804 Chinese Han patients with schizophrenia and 996 healthy counterparts in the present study.ResultsNineteen rare non-synonymous mutations and 1 frameshift deletion was identified for schizophrenia, among which 5 variants have never been reported so far. Frequencies of rare non-synonymous mutations were significantly different between the two groups. Specifically, the non-synonymous mutation rs78564798 (Pallele = 0.006) as well as two rare variations in the VIPR2 gene’s introns (rs372544903, Pallele = 0.026 and a novel mutation, chr7:159034078, GRCh38, Pallele = 0.048) were significantly associated with schizophrenia.DiscussionOur findings add new evidence that the functional and probable causative variants of VIPR2 gene may play an important role in susceptibility to schizophrenia. Further studies on validations of VIPR2’s function in the etiology of schizophrenia are warranted.

ABSTRACT: The objective of the following study was to investigate the effects of naturally oxidized corn oil on the antioxidant capacity and lipid metabolism of broilers. A total of 450, 1-day-old Arbor Acres male broilers were randomly divided into 5 treatments with 6 replicate cages and 15 birds/cage. The dietary treatment array consisted of ratios of naturally oxidized corn oil to non-oxidized corn oil from 0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, and 100:0, respectively. Serum, liver, and abdominal fat samples were taken at 42 d. The results showed that the liver organ index, liver catalase (CAT) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and the serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) content had significant quadratic relationships with the ratio of naturally oxidized corn oil (P < 0.05). Inflammatory infiltrating cells appeared in the liver of the 50% and 75% oxidized corn oil group. The percentage of abdominal fat, and serum free fatty acids (FFA) content increased linearly with the increased proportion of oxidized corn oil (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression of NADH quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO-1), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4), peroxisome proliferators activate receptor-α (PPARα), carnitine acyltransferase (CPT1), and acyl-coenzyme oxidase (ACO) of the liver increased linearly while oxidized corn oil increased in the diet (P < 0.05). Diets containing 100% oxidized corn oil significantly changed the mRNA expression of liver Caveolin compared with other treatment groups (P < 0.05). Taken together, this study demonstrated that naturally oxidized corn oil could change liver lipid metabolism and accelerate lipid deposition of broilers by upregulating PPARα.

In this study, we investigated the effect of dietary methionine restriction (MR) on the antioxidant function and inflammatory responses in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged broilers reared at high stocking density. A total of 504 one-day-old male Arbor Acre broiler chickens were randomly divided into four treatments: 1) CON group, broilers fed a basal diet; 2) LPS group, LPS-challenged broilers fed a basal diet; 3) MR1 group, LPS-challenged broilers fed a methionine-restricted diet (0.3% methionine); and 4) MR2 group, LPS-challenged broilers fed a methionine-restricted diet (0.4% methionine). LPS-challenged broilers were intraperitoneally injected with 1 mg/kg body weight (BW) of LPS at 17, 19, and 21 days of age, whereas the CON group was injected with sterile saline. The results showed that: LPS significantly increased the liver histopathological score (p < 0.05); LPS significantly decreased the serum total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity at 3 h after injection (p < 0.05); the LPS group had a higher content of Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF)-α, but a lower content of IL-10 than the CON group in serum (p < 0.05). Compared with the LPS group, the MR1 diet increased catalase (CAT), SOD, and T-AOC, and the MR2 diet increased SOD and T-AOC at 3 h after injection in serum (p < 0.05). Only MR2 group displayed a significantly decreased liver histopathological score (p < 0.05) at 3 h, while MR1 and MR2 groups did so at 8 h. Both MR diets significantly decreased serum LPS, CORT, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α contents, but increased IL-10 content (p < 0.05). Moreover, the MR1 group displayed significantly increased expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), CAT, and GSH-Px at 3 h; the MR2 group had a higher expression of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), SOD, and GSH-Px at 8 h (p < 0.05). In summary, MR can improve antioxidant capacity, immunological stress, and liver health in LPS-challenged broilers. The MR1 and MR2 groups experienced similar effects on relieving stress; however, MR1 alleviated oxidative stress more rapidly. It is suggested that precise regulation of methionine levels in poultry with stress may improve the immunity of broilers, reduce feed production costs, and increase production efficiency in the poultry industry.

Abstract The nitrogen-free diet (NFD) method is widely used to determine the ileal endogenous amino acids (IEAAs) losses in broiler chickens. Starch and dextrose are the main components of NFD, but the effects of their proportion in the NFD on the IEAAs and the digestive physiology of broilers are still unclear. This preliminary study aims to explore the best proportion of glucose and corn starch in NFD to simulate the normal intestinal physiology of broilers, which helps to improve the accuracy of IEAAs determination. For this purpose, 28-day-old broiler chickens were allocated to five treatment groups for a 3-day trial, including a control group and four NFD groups. The ratios of dextrose to corn starch (D/CS) in the four NFD were 1.00, 0.60, 0.33, and 0.14, respectively. Results noted that NFD significantly reduced serum IGF-1, albumin, and uric acid levels compared with the control (P

Methionine and its hydroxy analogue (MHA) have been shown to benefit mouse intestinal regeneration. The intestinal organoid is a good model that directly reflects the impact of certain nutrients or chemicals on intestinal development. Here, we aimed to establish a chicken intestinal organoid culture method first and then use the model to explore the influence of methionine deficiency and MHA on intestinal organoid development. The results showed that 125-μm cell strainer exhibited the highest efficiency for chicken embryo crypt harvesting. We found that transforming growth factor-β inhibitor (A8301) supplementation promoted enterocyte differentiation at the expense of the proliferation of intestinal stem cells (ISC). The mitogen-activated protein kinase p38 inhibitor (SB202190) promoted intestinal organoid formation and enterocyte differentiation but suppressed the differentiation of enteroendocrine cells, goblet cells and Paneth cells. However, the suppression of enteroendocrine cell and Paneth cell differentiation by SB202190 was alleviated at the presence of A8301. The glycogen synthase kinase 3 inhibitor (CHIR99021), valproic acid (VPA) alone and their combination promoted chicken intestinal organoid formation and enterocyte differentiation at the expense of the expression of Paneth cells and goblet cells. Chicken serum significantly improved organoid formation, especially in the presence of A8301, SB202190, CHIR99021, and VPA, but inhibited the differentiation of Paneth cells and enteroendocrine cells. Chicken serum at a concentration of 0.25% meets the requirement of chicken intestinal organoid development, and the beneficial effect of chicken serum on chicken intestinal organoid culture could not be replaced by fetal bovine serum and insulin-like growth factor-1. Moreover, commercial mouse organoid culture medium supplemented with A8301, SB202190, CHIR99021, VPA, and chicken serum promotes chicken organoid budding. Based on the chicken intestinal organoid model, we found that methionine deficiency mimicked by cycloleucine suppressed organoid formation and organoid size, and this effect was reinforced with increased cycloleucine concentrations. Methionine hydroxy analogue promoted regeneration of ISC but decreased cell differentiation compared with the results obtained with L-methionine. In conclusion, our results provide a potentially excellent guideline for chicken intestinal organoid culture and insights into methionine function in crypt development.

Abstract Background The use of newly harvested corn in feed causes wet droppings in broilers and increased feed cost which was termed as “new season grain problem”. The present study was conducted to evaluate the proteomic profile of newly harvested corn and the subsequent influence on intestinal microbiol community for broiler chickens. Methods Newly harvested corn stored for either half a month (HM) or two months (TM) was used, and the pasting properties, total soluble sugars, and proteomic analysis technology was used to explore the influence of storage on natural aging corn properties. Additionally, seventy-two 7-day-old Ross 308 male broiler chicken were fed with different stored corn. Apparent metabolizable energy (AME), digesta viscosity, intestinal morphology and microbiota were examined to explore the influence of feed corn storage on broiler chickens. Results Pasting properties in the TM corn exhibited decreased viscoelastic properties. Proteomic studies found a total of 26 proteins that were differentially expressed between the two treatment groups. Proteins involved in starch and polysaccharides biosynthesis were upregulated in TM compared with HM. Chickens fed on TM diet had higher relative energy utilization compared to the HM birds. With increased corn storage, the relative digesta viscosity decreased significantly (P ≤ 0.05). The total number of goblet cells and lymphocytes was lower in chickens fed the TM diet. The microbiota data showed that the TM chickens had decreased abundance of diarrheal bacteria such as Hungatella hathewayi and Bacteroides fragilis, and increased butyrate-producing bacteria such as Alistipes compared to the HM chickens. Conclusions Storage of newly harvested corn induced the synthetic reaction of large molecules and changed the solubility of starch and protein with increasing soluble sugars and decreasing pasting properties that may improve the fermentation of intestinal microbiota, improve the energy utilization and protect gut health without the risk of diarrhea.

This study aimed to examine the effect of dietary cysteamine on yolk taurine content in hens during different egg production periods. In Exp. 1, China Agricultural University-3 (CAU-3) hens at the peak stage of egg production (aged 31 wks) were used to explore the effect of diets supplemented with 0.1% cysteamine on yolk taurine content, egg quality and production performance. In Exp.2, two breeds of hens (half Hy-Line Brown and half CAU-3 hens) at the late stage of egg production (68 wks) were used to investigate the influence of diets supplemented with 0, 0.02%, 0.04%, 0.08% or 0.10% cysteamine on yolk taurine content, egg quality, production performance and ovary development. In Exp.1, diets supplemented with 0.1% cysteamine significantly increased yolk taurine content (p < 0.05) without negative influence on production performance or egg quality. In Exp.2, the highest yolk taurine content was observed when cysteamine was supplemented at 0.08% (p < 0.001). However, supplemental cysteamine linearly or quadratically decreased production performance over the first few weeks of feeding, and the effects disappeared with continued feeding (p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study indicated that cysteamine supplementation benefits yolk taurine deposition in hens at both peak and late stage of egg production, but hens at the late stage of egg production show depressed production performance and egg quality.

Abstract Mutant isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 (mIDH1/2) gain a novel function for the conversion of α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) to oncometabolite R-2-hydroxyglutarate (R-2-HG). Two molecular entities namely enasidenib (AG-221) and ivosidenib (AG-120) targeting mIDH2 and mIDH1 respectively, have already been approved by FDA for the treatment of relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (R/R AML). However, the low responses, drug-related adverse effects, and most significantly, the clinically-acquired resistance of AG-221 and AG-120 has shown great influence on their clinical application. Therefore, searching for novel therapeutic strategies to enhance tumor sensitivity, reduce drug-related side effects, and overcome drug resistance have opened a new research field for defeating IDH-mutated cancers. As the effective methods, synthetic lethal interactions and synergetic therapies are extensively investigated in recent years for the cure of different cancers. In this review, the molecules displaying synergetic effects with mIDH1/2 inhibitors, as well as the targets showing relevant synthetic lethal interactions with mIDH1/2 are described emphatically. On these foundations, we discuss the opportunities and challenges for translating these strategies into clinic to combat the defects of existing IDH inhibitors.

In a dense hot plasma, the energy levels of an embedded ion are lowered by the induced screening potential, which is termed as the ionization potential depressions (IPDs) for the continuum levels. Recent experiments on the precision measurements of the IPDs in solid-density plasmas made it feasible to validate the widely used models. Yet, to date, most of the renewed experimental and theoretical verifications were focused on the low Z dense plasmas. In this work, the IPDs of heavier Fe plasmas were studied near solid density using a recently developed self-consistent temperature dependent ion-sphere model. The present results show reasonable agreement with the b4-potential method at some densities and temperatures, yet there exist large discrepancies between our predicted IPDs and those by the widely used simple closed analytical models. Namely, for Fe plasmas in a density range of 1–16 g cm−3 and a temperature range of 100–1000 eV, a simplified modification of Ecker–Kröll model predicts a much higher IPD than our model, whereas the Stewart–Pyatt, the ion-sphere, and the Debye–Hückel models predict much lower IPDs, which indicates the need of further study on the plasma screening potential. The results obtained in this work should be helpful for the astrophysical and inertial-fusion applications where the IPDs are vital parameters in determining the ionization balance.

Organ-on-a-chip (OOC) is a new type of biochip technology. Various types of OOC systems have been developed rapidly in the past decade and found important applications in drug screening and precision medicine. However, due to the complexity in the structure of both the chip-body itself and the engineered-tissue inside, the imaging and analysis of OOC have still been a big challenge for biomedical researchers. Considering that medical imaging is moving towards higher spatial and temporal resolution and has more applications in tissue engineering, this paper aims to review medical imaging methods, including CT, micro-CT, MRI, small animal MRI, and OCT, and introduces the application of 3D printing in tissue engineering and OOC in which medical imaging plays an important role. The achievements of medical imaging assisted tissue engineering are reviewed, and the potential applications of medical imaging in organoids and OOC are discussed. Moreover, artificial intelligence - especially deep learning - has demonstrated its excellence in the analysis of medical imaging; we will also present the application of artificial intelligence in the image analysis of 3D tissues, especially for organoids developed in novel OOC systems.

BackgroundLung cancer has become one of the deadliest tumors in the world. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer, accounting for approximately 80%-85% of all lung cancer cases. This study aimed to investigate the value of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) in differentiating squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (AC) and to evaluate the correlation of each parameter with stage and proliferative status Ki-67.MethodsSeventy-seven patients with lung lesions were prospectively scanned by hybrid 3.0-T chest 18F-FDG PET/MR. Mean kurtosis (MK), mean diffusivity (MD), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were measured. The independent samples t test or Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare and analyze the differences in each parameter of SCC and AC. The diagnostic efficacy was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and compared with the DeLong test. A logistic regression analysis was used for the evaluation of independent predictors. Bootstrapping (1000 samples) was performed to establish a control model, and calibration curves and ROC curves were used to validate its performance. Pearson’s correlation coefficient and Spearman’s correlation coefficient were calculated for correlation analysis.ResultsThe MK and ADC values of the AC group were significantly higher than those of the SCC group (all P< 0.05), and the SUVmax, MTV, and TLG values of the SCC group were significantly higher than those of the AC group (all P

This study investigated the effects of digestible lysine (dLys) in different dietary starch sources on liver lipid metabolism and breast muscle protein metabolism in broiler chickens. The experimental design was a 3 × 3 two-factor completely randomized design. A total of 702 one-day-old male Arbor Acres Plus broilers were randomly divided into nine treatments of six replicate cages with thirteen birds each. The treatments consisted of three different starch sources (corn, cassava and waxy corn) with three different dLys levels (1.08%, 1.20% and 1.32%). The trial lasted from 1 to 21 days. Carcass traits, serum metabolites, breast muscle protein and liver lipid metabolism were evaluated. A significant interaction effect (p < 0.05) for dietary starch sources and dLys levels was noted in the percentage of abdominal fat and gene expression related to breast muscle protein metabolism throughout the experimental period. The waxy corn starch diet and a 1.08% dLys level in the diet increased both the percentage of abdominal fat (p < 0.01) and blood total cholesterol (p < 0.05) in the broilers. The waxy corn starch diet significantly upregulated the mRNA expressions of Eif4E, AMPK, FABP1, ACC and CPT1 (p < 0.05). The 1.32% dLys level significantly upregulated the mRNA expressions of mTOR, S6K1, Eif4E, AMPK and PPARα (p < 0.05) and significantly downregulated the mRNA expressions of MuRF and Atrogin-1 (p < 0.05). In summary, the waxy corn starch diet resulted in significantly higher expression levels of fat-synthesis-related genes than lipolysis-related genes, leading to abdominal fat deposition in broilers. Increasing the level of dLys in the diet increased the protein content in muscle by promoting protein synthesis and inhibiting protein degradation and also promoted the expression of lipolysis-related genes, thereby degrading the generation of abdominal fat in broilers. Our findings signify that increasing the dLys level to 1.32% when using the waxy corn starch diet could improve carcass traits.

Abstract Introduction 68Ga-fibroblast activation protein-specific enzyme inhibitor 04 (FAPI-04) is a radiolabelled molecular agent targeting the inhibitor of fibroblast activation protein (FAP), which is often present in tumor stroma and inflammatory tissue with prominent fibroblast proliferation. FAPI-04 is a promising PET tracer for tumor imaging as well as IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD). Case description We herein present a case where 68Ga-FAPI PET/MR helped to diagnose IgG4-RD that involved pancreas and bile duct. A 62-year-old patient suffered from diffusive discomfort at middle upper abdomen and presented brown urine. Blood test revealed abnormal liver function and elevated IgG4 (4.830g/L↑). 18F-FDG PET showed enlarged uncinate process and dilated bile duct tree. Mild increase of FDG uptake in uncinate process and head of pancreas indicated possible pancreatic malignancy, but the clinical evidence was not sufficient and histology examination was negative. 68Ga-FAPI PET revealed prominent increased radioactivity distribution in the entire pancreas and bile duct, suggesting IgG4-RD. Conclusion FAPI-04 is not only a good PET imaging tracer for tumors, but also for prominent fibroblast-mediated inflammation. FAPI imaging should be considered when the diagnosis using 18F-FDG imaging is ambiguous. The presented case illustrates that 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET is helpful in improving the differential diagnosis of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the application value of monoexponential, fractional order calculus (FROC) diffusion models and PET imaging to distinguish between benign and malignant solitary pulmonary lesions (SPLs) and malignant SPLs with different pathological types and explore the correlation between each parameter and Ki67 expression.MethodsA total of 112 patients were enrolled in this study. Prior to treatment, all patients underwent a dedicated thoracic 18F-FDG PET/MR examination. Five parameters [including apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) derived from the monoexponential model; diffusion coefficient (D), a microstructural quantity (μ), and fractional order parameter (β) derived from the FROC model and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) derived from PET] were compared between benign and malignant SPLs and different pathological types of malignant SPLs. Independent sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test, DeLong test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were used for statistical evaluation. Pearson correlation analysis was used to calculate the correlations between Ki-67 and ADC, D, μ, β, and SUVmax.ResultsThe ADC and D values were significantly higher and the μ and SUVmax values were significantly lower in the benign group [1.57 (1.37, 2.05) μm2/ms, 1.59 (1.52, 1.72) μm2/ms, 5.06 (3.76, 5.66) μm, 5.15 ± 2.60] than in the malignant group [1.32 (1.03, 1.51) μm2/ms, 1.43 (1.29, 1.52) μm2/ms, 7.06 (5.87, 9.45) μm, 9.85 ± 4.95]. The ADC, D and β values were significantly lower and the μ and SUVmax values were significantly higher in the squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) group [1.29 (0.66, 1.42) μm2/ms, 1.32 (1.02, 1.42) μm2/ms, 0.63 ± 0.10, 9.40 (7.76, 15.38) μm, 11.70 ± 5.98] than in the adenocarcinoma (AC) group [1.40 (1.28, 1.67) μm2/ms, 1.52 (1.44, 1.64) μm2/ms, 0.70 ± 0.10, 5.99 (4.54, 6.87) μm, 8.76 ± 4.18]. ROC curve analysis showed that for a single parameter, μ exhibited the best AUC value in discriminating between benign and malignant SPLs groups and AC and SCC groups (AUC = 0.824 and 0.911, respectively). Importantly, the combination of monoexponential, FROC models and PET imaging can further improve diagnostic performance (AUC = 0.872 and 0.922, respectively). The Pearson correlation analysis showed that Ki67 was positively correlated with μ value and negatively correlated with ADC and D values (r = 0.402, -0.346, -0.450, respectively).ConclusionThe parameters D and μ derived from the FROC model were superior to ADC and SUVmax in distinguishing benign from malignant SPLs and adenocarcinoma from squamous cell carcinoma, in addition, the combination of multiple parameters can further improve diagnostic performance. The non-Gaussian FROC diffusion model is expected to become a noninvasive quantitative imaging technique for identifying SPLs.

ObjectiveTo explore the value of PET/MRI, including diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and positron emission tomography (PET), for distinguishing between benign and malignant solitary pulmonary lesions (SPLs) and predicting the histopathological grading of malignant SPLs.Material and methodsChest PET, DKI and DWI scans of 73 patients with SPL were performed by PET/MRI. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), mean diffusivity (MD), mean kurtosis (MK), maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic total volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were calculated. Student’s t test or the Mann–Whitney U test was used to analyze the differences in parameters between groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate independent predictors.ResultsThe MK and SUVmax were significantly higher, and the MD and ADC were significantly lower in the malignant group (0.59 ± 0.13, 10.25 ± 4.20, 2.27 ± 0.51[×10-3 mm2/s] and 1.35 ± 0.33 [×10-3 mm2/s]) compared to the benign group (0.47 ± 0.08, 5.49 ± 4.05, 2.85 ± 0.60 [×10-3 mm2/s] and 1.67 ± 0.33 [×10-3 mm2/s]). The MD and ADC were significantly lower, and the MTV and TLG were significantly higher in the high-grade malignant SPLs group (2.11 ± 0.51 [×10-3 mm2/s], 1.35 ± 0.33 [×10-3 mm2/s], 35.87 ± 42.24 and 119.58 ± 163.65) than in the non-high-grade malignant SPLs group (2.46 ± 0.46 [×10-3 mm2/s], 1.67 ± 0.33[×10-3 mm2/s], 20.17 ± 32.34 and 114.20 ± 178.68). In the identification of benign and malignant SPLs, the SUVmax and MK were independent predictors, the AUCs of the combination of SUVmax and MK, SUVmax, MK, MD, and ADC were 0.875, 0.787, 0.848, 0.769, and 0.822, respectively. In the identification of high-grade and non-high-grade malignant SPLs, the AUCs of MD, ADC, MTV, and TLG were 0.729, 0.680, 0.693, and 0.711, respectively.ConclusionDWI, DKI, and PET in PET/MRI are all effective methods to distinguish benign from malignant SPLs, and are also helpful in evaluating the pathological grading of malignant SPLs.

ABSTRACT: Fasting is typically used to empty the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and assess feed metabolizable energy (ME). However, the effects of fasting on energy and nutrient utilization are not well understood. This study aimed to explore the difference in GIT emptying, energy and nutrient utilization of broilers and adult roosters fed corn-soybean meal-based diet upon fasting. In experiment 1, 7 cages of broilers/adult roosters were selected and fasted for 72 h, and excreta were collected from 12 h of fasting and analyzed every 12 h to explore GIT emptying. Results indicated the GIT emptying time of free-feeding broilers or adult roosters is 12 or 24 h, respectively. In experiment 2, 4 treatments were used that consisted of 2 ages of birds (25 d broilers and 30 wk adult roosters) and 2 feeding forms (fed ad libitum or fasted for 36 h before formal feeding). Excreta was collected during refeeding, and the total collection method (TCM) and the index method (IM) were used for data analysis. Compared to non-fasted group, fasting increased the total tract digestibility of ME, gross energy (GE), and ether extract (EE) (by 1.80, 3.50 and 18.56%, respectively, all P < 0.05) in broilers, but decreased the total tract digestibility of nitrogen by 8.10% (P < 0.05). Conversely, fasting increased total tract digestibility of nitrogen in adult roosters (−0.37% vs. 11.65%, P < 0.05). The comparative analysis found that total tract digestibility of nitrogen obtained by TCM was greater than the result calculated by IM (17.76 % vs. −0.37). Similarly, total tract digestibility of GE calculated by TCM was significantly higher than the value observed by IM (P < 0.05). However, the results of total tract digestibility of GE and nitrogen in broilers calculated by TCM were consistent with those obtained by IM. Overall, fasting increases total tract digestibility in broilers and total tract digestibility of nitrogen in adult roosters, respectively. Additionally, total tract digestibility calculated by TCM may be overestimated.

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) play important roles in promoting animal health, however, their impact on intestinal health remains elusive. This study was intended to evaluate the effects of different doses of SeNPs on the intestinal health, especially the development of goblet cells in the broiler jejunum. A total of 480 1-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly allotted to 5 treatments with 6 replications of 16 chicks each. Birds were fed with low selenium corn-soybean meal-based diets supplemented with 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, or 0.4 mg/kg of SeNPs. On d 21, dietary supplementation of SeNPs effectively reduced the mortality of broilers. The villus height and the villus height/crypt depth ratio of the jejunum showed significant quadratic effects with the increasing concentration of SeNPs (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression of zonula occluden-1 (ZO-1), ZO-2, claudin-3, and claudin-5 in the jejunum decreased linearly with the increasing dose of SeNPs (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression levels of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), IL-18, and the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the jejunum decreased linearly with the increase of SeNPs concentration (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the number of goblet cells in the jejunum was significantly increased by adding 0.1 and 0.4 mg/kg SeNPs(P < 0.05). In addition, the mRNA expression of Mucin2 (Muc2) showed a significant quadratic relationship that increased after adding 0.1 mg/kg SeNPs (P < 0.05). Dietary SeNPs also linearly reduced the expression of v-myc avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog (c-myc) (P < 0.05). The mean density of TUNEL positive cells in the 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg SeNPs groups were lower than the control group (P < 0.05). Similarly, the mRNA expression levels of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X (Bax), NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1 (Caspase-1), toll-like receptor-2 (TLR-2), and myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) in the jejunum decreased linearly with the increase of SeNPs concentration (P < 0.05). Results show that supplementation with 0.2 mg/kg SeNPs may decrease intestinal oxidative stress and inflammation by modifying the activation of NLRP3 signaling pathway, which can effectively promote intestinal goblet cells of 21-day-old broilers.

Abstract Purpose To systematically evaluate the consistency of various standardized uptake value (SUV) lean body mass (LBM) normalization methods in a clinical positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MR) setting. Methods SUV of brain, liver, prostate, parotid, blood, and muscle were measured in 90 18F-FDG and 28 18F-PSMA PET/MR scans and corrected for LBM using the James, Janma (short for Janmahasatian), and Dixon approaches. The prospective study was performed from December 2018 to August 2020 at Shanghai East Hospital. Forty dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements of non-fat mass were used as the reference standard. Agreement between different LBM methods was assessed by linear regression and Bland-Altman statistics. SUV’s dependency on BMI was evaluated by means of linear regression and Pearson correlation. Results Compared to DXA, the Dixon approach presented the least bias in LBM/weight% than James and Janma models (bias 0.4±7.3%, − 8.0±9.4%, and − 3.3±8.3% respectively). SUV normalized by body weight (SUVbw) was positively correlated with body mass index (BMI) for both FDG (e.g., liver: r = 0.45, p < 0.001) and PSMA scans (r = 0.20, p = 0.31), while SUV normalized by lean body mass (SUVlean) revealed a decreased dependency on BMI (r = 0.22, 0.08, 0.14, p = 0.04, 0.46, 0.18 for Dixon, James, and Janma models, respectively). The liver SUVbw of obese/overweight patients was significantly larger (p < 0.001) than that of normal patients, whereas the bias was mostly eliminated in SUVlean. One-way ANOVA showed significant difference (p < 0.001) between SUVlean in major organs measured using Dixon method vs James and Janma models. Conclusion Significant systematic variation was found using different approaches to calculate SUVlean. A consistent correction method should be applied for serial PET/MR scans. The Dixon method provides the most accurate measure of LBM, yielding the least bias of all approaches when compared to DXA.

Abstract Background The Reelin (RELN) gene encodes the protein reelin, which is a large extracellular matrix glycoprotein that plays a key role in brain development. Additionally, this protein may be involved in memory formation, neurotransmission, and synaptic plasticity, which have been shown to be disrupted in schizophrenia (SCZ). A decreasing trend in the expression of RELN mRNA in the brain and peripheral blood of SCZ patients has been observed. There is a need to determine whether changes in RELN mRNA expression in SCZ patients are the result of long-term antipsychotic treatment rather than the etiological characteristics of schizophrenia. The expression levels of RELN mRNA in the peripheral blood of 48 healthy controls and 30 SCZ patients before and after 12-weeks of treatment were measured using quantitative real-time PCR. Results The expression levels of RELN mRNA in the SCZ group were significantly lower than that of healthy controls; however, after 12-weeks of antipsychotic treatment, RELN mRNA levels were significantly increased in the SCZ group. Conclusion The up-regulation of RELN mRNA expression was current in SCZ patients after antipsychotic treatment, suggesting that the changes in RELN mRNA expression were related to the effect of the antipsychotic treatment.

BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder (MDD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are highly comorbid and exhibit strong correlations with one another. We aimed to investigate mechanisms of underlying relationships between PTSD and 3 kinds of depressive phenotypes, namely, MDD, depressed affect (DAF), and depression (DEP, including both MDD and the broad definition of depression).METHODS Genetic correlations between PTSD and the depressive phenotypes were tested using linkage disequilibrium score regression. Polygenic overlap analysis was used to estimate shared and trait-specific causal variants across a pair of traits. Causal relationships between PTSD and the depressive phenotypes were investigated using Mendelian randomization. Shared genomic loci between PTSD and MDD were identified using cross-trait meta-analysis.RESULTS Genetic correlations of PTSD with the depressive phenotypes were in the range of 0.71–0.80. The estimated numbers of causal variants were 14,565, 12,965, 10,565, and 4,986 for MDD, DEP, DAF, and PTSD, respectively. In each case, causal variants contributing to PTSD were completely or largely covered by causal variants defining each of the depressive phenotypes. Mendelian randomization analysis indicated that the genetically determined depressive phenotypes confer a causal effect on PTSD (b = 0.21–0.31). Notably, genetically determined PTSD confers a causal effect on DEP (b = 0.14) and DAF (b = 0.15), but not MDD. Cross-trait meta-analysis of MDD and PTSD identified 47 genomic loci, including 29 loci shared between PTSD and MDD.CONCLUSION Evidence from shared genetics suggests that PTSD is a subtype of MDD. This study provides support to the efforts in reducing diagnostic heterogeneity in psychiatric nosology.FUNDING The National Key Research and Development Program of China and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Abstract Background In recent years, increased attention has been focused on breast muscle yield and meat quality in poultry production. Supplementation with nicotinamide and butyrate sodium can improve the meat quality of broilers. However, the potential molecular mechanism is not clear yet. This study was designed to investigate the effects of supplementation with a combination of nicotinamide and butyrate sodium on breast muscle transcriptome of broilers under high stocking density. A total of 300 21-d-old Cobb broilers were randomly allocated into 3 groups based on stocking density: low stocking density control group (L; 14 birds/m2), high stocking density control group (H; 18 birds/m2), and high stocking density group provided with a combination of 50 mg/kg nicotinamide and 500 mg/kg butyrate sodium (COMB; 18 birds/m2), raised to 42 days of age. Results The H group significantly increased cooking losses, pH decline and activity of lactate dehydrogenase in breast muscle when compared with the L group. COMB showed a significant decrease in these indices by comparison with the H group (P

Abstract Background Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder, and it has been predicted to be highly polygenic. Common SNPs located in or near BNIP3L were found to be genome-wide significantly associated with schizophrenia in recent genome-wide association studies. The purpose of our study is to investigate potential causal variants in BNIP3L gene. Results We performed targeted sequencing for all exons and un-translated regions of BNIP3L gene among 1806 patients with schizophrenia and 998 healthy controls of Han Chinese origin. Three rare nonsynonymous mutations, BNIP3L (NM_004331): c.52A>G, c.167G>A and c.313A>T, were identified in schizophrenia cases, and two of them were newly reported. The frequencies of these rare nonsynonymous mutations were significantly different between schizophrenia cases and healthy controls. For the common variants, rs147389989 achieved significance in both allelic and genotypic distributions with schizophrenia. Rs1042992 and rs17310286 were significantly associated with schizophrenia in meta-analyses using PGC, CLOZUK, and our new datasets in this study. Conclusions Our findings provided further evidence that BNIP3L gene is a susceptibility gene of schizophrenia and revealed functional and potential causal mutations in BNIP3L. However, more functional validations are suggested to better understand the role of BNIP3L in the etiology of schizophrenia.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of supplementation with nicotinamide (NAM) and sodium butyrate (BA) on meat quality and expression of muscle development genes in broilers reared at a high stocking density. A total of 567, 21-day-old AA broilers were randomly assigned to 5 treatment groups and 2 control groups, with 7 replicates of each group. The control groups included a low stocking density (LD; 12.9 birds/m2) and were fed a basal diet. The treatment groups were kept at a high stocking density (HD; 18.6 birds/m2) and received either a low dose of NAM (50 mg/kg; treatment LN), a high dose of NAM (100 mg/kg; treatment HN), a low dose of BA (500 mg/kg; treatment LB), a high dose of BA (1,000 mg/kg; treatment HB), or a compound supplement (50 mg/kg NAM+500 mg/kg BA; treatment COMB); broilers were reared till 42 D of age. The control groups were kept at HD or at LD (12.9 birds/m2) and were fed a basal diet. The heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was significantly higher in the HD control group than that in the LD group; this ratio was significantly lower in treatments LN, HN, HB, and COMB than that in the HD control group. The lightness of breast muscles at 45 min and 24 h after slaughter was significantly higher in the HD group than that in the LD group, and the HD group showed the highest drip loss at 24 h and 48 h. Lightness and drip loss were lower in the HN, LB, and COMB treatments than those in the HD group. HD rearing significantly reduced gene expression of myogenic regulatory factor 5 (MYF5) while significantly increased expression of the protein ubiquitin degradation genes FBXO9, FBXO22, and FBXO32. All treatments significantly reduced FBXO9 and FBXO32 expression. Our results suggest dietary supplementation with NAM and BA can improve meat quality of broilers under high stocking density by upregulating the expression of myogenic genes, and inhibiting protein ubiquitination.

ABSTRACT: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of naturally oxidized corn oil on the inflammatory reaction and intestinal health of broilers. Total 450, one-day-old Arbor Acres male broilers were randomly divided into 5 treatments with 6 replicate cages (15 birds in each replicate cage). The dietary treatment array consisted of the varying ratio of nonoxidized corn oil to naturally oxidized corn oil from 0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, and 100:0, respectively. The experimental period was 42 d. Serum, jejunum, and contents of cecum samples were taken at the age of 42 d of broilers. The results showed no significant difference in the body weight gain (BWG) with a different proportion of oxidized corn oil compared with the 0% oxidized oil group on d 42. The feed intake (FI), the concentration of immunoglobulin G (IgG), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and interleukin-10 (IL10) in serum showed a significant quadratic response with the increase of oxidized oil concentration on d 42. The serum's concentration of IgG, IFN-γ, and IL-10 reached the highest value at 75% oxidized corn oil. In addition, the mRNA expression levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IFN-γ, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and myeloid differentiation factor-88 (MyD88) in the jejunum were significantly affected by different proportions of oxidized corn oil, and the gene expression levels were highest at 75% oxidized corn oil on d 42. The mRNA expression of Bcl2-associated X (Bax) in the jejunum showed a significantly quadratic curve with the increase of oxidized oil concentration, and its gene expression was the highest after adding 50% oxidized corn oil according to the regression equation on d 42. The villus height/crypt depth and goblet cells of jejunum decreased linearly with the increasing proportion of oxidized corn oil and reached the lowest point after adding 100% oxidized corn oil on d 42. The β diversity showed the remarkable differentiation of microbial communities among 5 groups, and the microbial community of the 0% oxidized oil group was significantly separated from that of 75 and 100% oxidized oil groups in the cecum. Taken together, these results showed that a low dose of naturally oxidized corn oil is not harmful to the growth of broilers, while a high dose of oxidized corn oil will trigger the inflammatory response and adversely affect the gut health of broilers.

Background68 Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/MRI has become an effective imaging method for prostate cancer. The purpose of this study was to use deep learning methods to perform low-dose image restoration on PSMA PET/MRI and to evaluate the effect of synthesis on the images and the medical diagnosis of patients at risk of prostate cancer.MethodsWe reviewed the 68 Ga-PSMA PET/MRI data of 41 patients. The low-dose PET (LDPET) images of these patients were restored to full-dose PET (FDPET) images through a deep learning method based on MRI priors. The synthesized images were evaluated according to quantitative scores from nuclear medicine doctors and multiple imaging indicators, such as peak-signal noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity (SSIM), normalization mean square error (NMSE), and relative contrast-to-noise ratio (RCNR).ResultsThe clinical quantitative scores of the FDPET images synthesized from 25%- and 50%-dose images based on MRI priors were 3.84±0.36 and 4.03±0.17, respectively, which were higher than the scores of the target images. Correspondingly, the PSNR, SSIM, NMSE, and RCNR values of the FDPET images synthesized from 50%-dose PET images based on MRI priors were 39.88±3.83, 0.896±0.092, 0.012±0.007, and 0.996±0.080, respectively.ConclusionAccording to a combination of quantitative scores from nuclear medicine doctors and evaluations with multiple image indicators, the synthesis of FDPET images based on MRI priors using and 50%-dose PET images did not affect the clinical diagnosis of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer patients can undergo 68 Ga-PSMA prostate PET/MRI scans with radiation doses reduced by up to 50% through the use of deep learning methods to synthesize FDPET images.