Interactions between maternal parity and feed additives drive the composition of pig gut microbiomes in the post‑weaning period

Background Nursery pigs undergo stressors in the post-weaning period that result in production and welfare chal-lenges.These challenges disproportionately impact the offspring of primiparous sows compared to those of mul-tiparous counterparts.Little is known regarding potential interactions between parity and feed additives in the post-weaning period and their effects on nursery pig microbiomes.Therefore,the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of maternal parity on sow and offspring microbiomes and the influence of sow parity on pig fecal microbi-ome and performance in response to a prebiotic post-weaning.At weaning,piglets were allotted into three treat-ment groups:a standard nursery diet including pharmacological doses of Zn and Cu(Con),a group fed a commercial prebiotic only(Preb)based on an Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract,and a group fed the same prebiotic plus Zn and Cu(Preb+ZnCu).Results Although there were no differences in vaginal microbiome composition between primiparous and mul-tiparous sows,fecal microbiome composition was different(R^(2)=0.02,P=0.03).The fecal microbiomes of primiparous offspring displayed significantly higher bacterial diversity compared to multiparous offspring at d 0 and d 21 post-weaning(P<0.01),with differences in community composition observed at d 21(R^(2)=0.03,P=0.04).When analyzing the effects of maternal parity within each treatment,only the Preb diet triggered significant microbiome distinc-tions between primiparous and multiparous offspring(d 21:R^(2)=0.13,P=0.01;d 42:R^(2)=0.19,P=0.001).Composi-tional differences in pig fecal microbiomes between treatments were observed only at d 21(R^(2)=0.12,P=0.001).Pigs in the Con group gained significantly more weight throughout the nursery period when compared to those in the Preb+ZnCu group.Conclusions Nursery pig gut microbiome composition was influenced by supplementation with an Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract,with varying effects on performance when combined with pharmacological levels of Zn and Cu or for offspring of different maternal parity groups.These results indicate that the development of nursery pig gut microbiomes is shaped by maternal parity and potential interactions with the effects of dietary feed additives.

Effects of dietary coenzyme Q10 supplementation during gestation on the embryonic survival and reproductive performance of high‑parity sows

Background Fertility declines in high-parity sows.This study investigated whether parity-dependent declines in embryonic survival and reproductive performance could be restored by dietary coenzyme Q10(CoQ10)supplementation.Methods Two experiments were performed.In Exp.1,30 young sows that had completed their 2nd parity and 30 high-parity sows that had completed their 10^(th)parity,were fed either a control diet(CON)or a CON diet supple-mented with 1 g/kg CoQ10(+CoQ10)from mating until slaughter at day 28 of gestation.In Exp.2,a total of 314 post-weaning sows with two to nine parities were fed the CON or+CoQ10 diets from mating throughout gestation.Results In Exp.1,both young and high-parity sows had a similar number of corpora lutea,but high-parity sows had lower plasma CoQ10 concentrations,down-regulated genes involved with de novo CoQ10 synthesis in the endome-trium tissues,and greater levels of oxidative stress markers in plasma and endometrium tissues.High-parity sows had fewer total embryos and alive embryos,lower embryonic survival,and greater embryo mortality than young sows.Dietary CoQ10 supplementation increased the number of live embryos and the embryonic survival rate to levels simi-lar to those of young sows,as well as lowering the levels of oxidative stress markers.In Exp.2,sows showed a parity-dependent decline in plasma CoQ10 levels,and sows with more than four parities showed a progressive decline in the number of total births,live births,and piglets born effective.Dietary supplementation with CoQ10 increased the number of total births,live births,and born effective,and decreased the intra-litter covariation coefficients and the percentage of sows requiring farrowing assistance during parturition.Conclusions Dietary CoQ10 supplementation can improve the embryonic survival and reproductive performance of gestating sows with high parity,probably by improving the development of uterine function.

Shifts in the Holstein dairy cow milk fat globule membrane proteome that occur during the first week of lactation are affected by parity

Background:The milk fat globule membrane(MFGM)proteomes of colostrum and transition milk are rich sources of proteins that are likely important for neonatal calf health.In addition,characterization of these proteomes could also yield valuable information regarding mammary gland physiology of the early postpartum lactating cow.The objectives of this research were to characterize the MFGM proteomes of colostrum and transition milk through sample collections at four timepoints postpartum,including the first milking(M1,colostrum),second milking(M2,transition milk),fourth milking(M4,transition milk),and fourteenth milking(M14,mature milk),and compare these proteomes between multiparous(MP;n=10)and primiparous(PP;n=10)Holstein dairy cows.Isolated MFGM proteins were labeled using Tandem Mass tagging and analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS).Protein identification was completed using MASCOT and Sequest in Proteome Discoverer 2.2.The scaled abundance values were analyzed using PROC MIXED in SAS to determine the effects of milking(MIL),parity(PAR),and MIL×PAR.The adaptive false-discovery rate(FDR)-adjusted P values were determined using PROC MULTTEST.Protein characterization and bioinformatic analysis were completed using a combination of PANTHER,Blast,and Uniprot.Results:A total of 104 common proteins were identified in each of the MFGM samples.Statistical analysis revealed that 70.2%of identified proteins were affected by MIL.Of these,78.1%were lower in M14 compared with M1,including immune-related proteins lactotransferrin,lactadherin and hemopexin.Parity affected 44.2%of proteins.Of the proteins affected by PAR,84.8%were higher in MP cows compared with PP cows,including apolipoprotein E and histones 2A,2B,3,and 4 b.Butyrophilin subfamily 1 member 1A and annexin 5 were higher in samples from PP cows.Milking×parity affected 32.7%of identified proteins,including lactotransferrin,gelsolin,vitamin D binding protein,and S100 proteins.Conclusions:This research supports previous findings that the Holstein MFGM proteome changes rapidly during the first week of lactation.In addition,this research identifies the impact of parity on the colostrum and transition milk MFGM proteomes,which may be important for milk-fed calf health or for the identification of protein biomarkers for mammary functionality.

Parity and Risk of Ovarian Cysts： Cross-Sectional Evidence from the Dongfeng-Tongji Cohort Study

Little is known about the association between parity and the risk of ovarian cysts. The aim of this study was to examine the association between parity and the risk of ovarian cysts among a population of Chinese women. A total of 20 502 women aged 45–86 years from the Dongfeng-Tongji Cohort study completed baseline questionnaires, medical examination and provided baseline blood samples. Participants were categorized into four groups according to parity（one, two, three, and four or more live births）. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between parity and the risk of ovarian cysts. The prevalence of ovarian cysts in the study population was 4.0%（816/20 502）. Increasing parity was associated with decreasing risk of ovarian cysts without adjustment for any covariates and after age-adjusted model（P〈0.001）. After adjusting for potential confounders, women who had had four or more live births had lower risk of ovarian cysts（OR： 0.51; 95% CI： 0.27–0.96） compared with women who had had one live birth. There was a consistent but non-significant decreased risk of ovarian cysts for women who had had two, and three live births（OR： 0.85; 95% CI： 0.68–1.05） and（OR： 0.84; 95% CI： 0.59–1.20） respectively compared with women who had had one live birth. It was concluded that higher parity was associated with decreasing risk of ovarian cysts in this population of Chinese women. These findings could be helpful in decision making in clinical practice for gynecologists when evaluating women suspected to have ovarian cysts.

Even-parity states of the Sm atom with stepwise excitation

Two-colour stepwise excitation and photoionization schemes are adopted to study the spectra of high-lying states of the Sm atom. These bound even-parity states are excited with three different excitation paths from the 4f66s6p7DJ （J = 1, 2, 3） intermediate states, respectively. They are probed by photoionization process with an extra photon driving them to the continuum states. In this experiment, 270 states are detected in an energy range from 36160 cm-1 to 42250 cm-1, 109 of which are newly discovered, while the rest of them are confirmed to be the energy levels reported previously. Furthermore, based on the J-momentum selection rules of three excitation paths, a unique assignment of J-momentum for all observed states is determined, eliminating all remaining ambiguities in the literature. Finally, 53 single-colour transitions originating from the scanning laser are also identified. For all the relevant transitions, the information about their relative intensities is also given in the paper.

Fracture Risks Related to Parity and Breastfeeding Effect in Post-Menopausal Women Aged Sixty and Over: Results from the “Quality of Bone in Lorraine” Register

Introduction: The long term effect of accumulation of genital events as repeated pregnancy and longer breastfeeding in bone heath later in women’s life is still disputed. The objective was to assess the impact of parity and cumulated duration of breastfeeding on fracture risk in post-menopausal women aged sixty an over. Patients and Methods: It was a leading study from the register “Quality of Bone in Lorraine (QBL)” achieved in the department of endocrinology and osteoporotic disease of Nancy (France). This register included all patients sent for an assessment of the bone mass density from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2014 (9 years). It was about post-menopausal women aged sixty an over suffering or not from osteoporosis fracture or bone fragility just after the age of 45. The genital events of patients to their age (from puberty to menopause) as well as the existence of hormone replacement therapy use, parity, and breastfeeding duration were taken into account. The assessment of bone fracture was clinical, radiological or by using the vertebral fracture assessment method. Results: 861 post-menopausal women were included. In comparison to the control group, the fractured population had a mean age of (74.3 ± 9 vs. 72 ± 8 years), a family history of fracture (32.1% vs. 26%), and an average input of calcium (2.4 ± 1 vs. 2.3 ± 0 portions per day). The age at menarche was of 12.8 ± 1 years in each group, a mean genital activity duration of (36.8 ± 3 vs. 37.2 ± 3 years), a parity of (2.1 ± 1 vs. 1.8 ± 1 children), a cumulated breastfeeding duration (4.2 ± 16 vs. 3.1 ± 5 months) and an age of menopause of (48.6 ± 4 vs. 48.6 ± 4 years) were respectively found in fractured and witness population. Overall, an osteoporotic fracture has been rediscovered in 50.9%. In multivariate analysis, only a cumulative duration of breastfeeding of 6 months and over was associated with a higher fracture risk (OR = 1.5 [1.1 - 2.2]). The impact of parity was not significant (OR = 1.1 [0.7 - 1.8]). Association with obesity was quasi significant (OR = 1.3 [0.9 - 1.9]). There was no correlation between the fracture risk and the genital activity duration (OR = 0.7 [0.5 - 1.0]), hormone replacement therapy use (OR = 1.0 [0.8 - 1.4]), daily calcium input (OR = 0.8 [0.6 - 1.3]), and age of menarche (OR = 1.0 [0.9 - 1.1]). Conclusion: This work confirms a negative impact from 6 months of cumulative breastfeeding. The modest effects observed may be related to the selection of Caucasian patients who live in an economically developed country with a limited number of pregnancies and limited duration of breastfeeding.

The contrast between defect solitons in parity-time symmetric superlattice and simple-lattice complex potentials

The existence and stability of defect superlattice solitons in parity-time （PT） symmetric superlattice and simplelattice complex potentials are reported. Compared with defect simple-lattice solitons in similar potentials, the defect soliton in superlattice has a wider stable range than that in simple-lattice. The solitons＇ power increases with increasing propagation constant. For the positive defect, the solitons are stable in the whole region where solitons exist in the semi-infinite gap. For the zero defect, the solitons are unstable at the edge of the band. For the negative defect, the solitons propagate with the shape of Y at low propagation constant and propagate stably at the large one.

Transition of Depressive Symptoms and Anxiety Symptoms According to Parity and Associations of These Symptoms with Feelings for Involvement with Newborn Infants during a 6-Month Postpartum Period

Background: Depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms during the postpartum period affect physical health and child rearing and that these effects are important social issues. Objective: The aims of this study were to clarify the differences in the transition of depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms according to parity during a 6-month postpartum period and to clarify the differences in associations of depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms with feelings for involvement with newborn infants in primiparous and multiparous postpartum women. Methods: The design of this study was a longitudinal investigation. This study was conducted from February 2017 to July 2018 in Japan. By using self-administered questionnaires that included questions on psychological symptoms in a standard climacteric scale and questions on feelings for involvement with newborn infants, we collected data at 3 days postpartum, 2 weeks postpartum, one month postpartum, 3 months postpartum and 6 months postpartum. Results: Responses to all of the questionnaires were obtained from 121 (52.8%) of 229 women. The score for depressive symptoms in primiparous women was significantly higher than that in multiparous women at 3 days postpartum. Depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms showed peaks at 2 weeks postpartum in both primiparous women and multiparous women, but depressive symptoms reoccurred from 3 months postpartum to 6 months postpartum in primiparous women and anxiety symptoms reoccurred from one month to 3 months postpartum in multiparous women. Depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms were associated with negative feelings for involvement with newborn infants and with mother’s sleeping time. Conclusion: Changes in depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms were different in primiparous women and multiparous women during a 6-month postpartum period. In addition, depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms were associated with negative feelings for involvement with newborn infants and with sleeping time in postpartum women.

Application of the Henon Chaotic Model on to the Design of Low Density Parity Check Codes

A new method to design parity-check matrix based on Henon chaos model is presented. The designed parity-check matrix is with rather random behavior. Simulation results show that the proposed method makes an improvement in bit error rate （BER） performance by 0.4 dB compared with that of Luby for AWGN channel. The proposed method decreases the complexity of decoding significantly, and improves the error correcting performance of LDPC codes. It has been shown that Henon chaotic model is a powerful tool for construction of good LDPC codes, which make it possible to apply the LDPC code in real communication systems.

Soliton structures in the (1+1)-dimensional Ginzburg–Landau equation with a parity-time-symmetric potential in ultrafast optics

In this paper, the （l＋l）-dimensional variable-coefficient complex Ginzburg-Landau （CGL） equation with a parity- time （PT） symmetric potential U（x） is investigated. Although the CGL equations with a PT-symmetric potential are less reported analytically, the analytic solutions for the CGL equation are obtained with the bilinear method in this paper. Via the derived solutions, some soliton structures are presented with corresponding parameters, and the influences of them are analyzed and studied. The single-soliton structure is numerically verified, and its stability is analyzed against additive and multiplicative noises. In particular, we study the soliton dynamics under the impact of the PT-symmetric potential. Results show that the PT-symmetric potential plays an important role for obtaining soliton structures in ultrafast optics, and we can design fiber lasers and all-optical switches depending on the different amplitudes of soliton-like structures.

Studies on odd-parity states of the Sm atom

Two-step excitation and ionization processes are used to detect Sm atoms in many excited states populated with tunable lasers. The wavelength of the first laser is tuned to the resonances from the Sm 4f^6 6s^2 ^7FJ （J=0 6） states to many odd-parity states with different electronic configurations, where the atoms are detected by photoionization process using an ultraviolet laser with a wavelength of 355 nm. Precise measurements on the energy level and intensity for many Sm 4f^6 6s6p and 4f^5 5d6s^2 states have been carried out. In a theoretical analysis on the spectral data, such as peak position, relative intensity, many transitions can be identified as the resonances from the Sm 4f^6 6s^2 7FJ （J=0-6） states to the atomic states with 4f^6 6s6p and 4f^5 5d6s^2 electronic configurations. This work also reports many spectral data on the odd-parity states that cannot be found in the literature.

The Impact of Season, Parity, and Volume of Colostrum on Holstein Dairy Cows Colostrum Composition

The objectives of the study were to assess colostrum quality and nutrients in dairy cows in Isfahan, Iran, and to determine the effects of calving season, parity, and volume of first colostrum on colostrum quality. Colostrum samples were collected over the period January-December, from 365 Holstein dairy cows from 12 dairy farms and analyzed for their IgG, IgM, total solids, fat, protein, lactose, Ca, and P concentrations. The IgG and IgM contents were measured to be 35.8 ± 17.6 and 5.8 ± 3.8 mg/mL, respectively. Mean percentages of total solids, fat, protein, and lactose in the samples were 27.2 ± 5.8, 4.6 ± 3.4, 18.5 ± 4.9, and 2.0 ± 0.9, respectively while calcium and P concentrations were 2.69 ± 0.9 and 2.02 ± 0.88 g/kg. Colostral IgG and IgM concentrations were found to be higher during the winter months. Calving season affected lactose, Ca, and P concentrations as evidenced by the higher colostral lactose percentages in cows calved in the fall but higher calcium and P concentrations in those calved in the summer. Parity had no significant effects on IgG and IgM concentrations. However, a decreasing trend was observed in Ca and P concentrations with increasing parity. Volume of first milking colostrum did not have any effect on colostral composition. The findings of this study indicate that colostrum quality may be affected by calving season.

Effect of Body Mass Index on the Associations between Parity and Metabolic Syndrome and its Components among Northern Chinese Women

Objectives The aims of this study were to assess the associations between parity and metabolic syndrome(Met S)and its components and to evaluate the effects of body mass index(BMI)on these associations.Methods A total of 5,674 women were enrolled from Jidong and Kailuan communities(Tangshan,Hebei)in Northern China.All participants completed standardized questionnaires,physical examination,and biochemical measurements.Logistic regression analysis was used to test the associations.Results Compared with women with parity of one,nulliparous women had decreased odds ratios(ORs);those with parity of two had odds of abdominal obesity[OR=1.45,95%confidence interval(CI)1.17–1.81,P<0.001],high blood pressure(OR=1.26,95%CI:1.03–1.54,P=0.025),elevated fasting glucose levels(OR=1.36,95%CI:1.03–1.79,P=0.029),and Met S(OR=1.39,95%CI:1.13–1.73,P=0.002);and those with parity of three or more had increased odds of elevated triglyceride levels(OR=1.42,95%CI:1.04–1.94,P=0.027)and Met S(OR=1.50,95%CI:1.10–2.05,P=0.011)after complete adjustment for confounders.Furthermore,BMI and age subgroups partially modified the associations between parity and Met S and its components.Conclusions Parity is positively associated with Met S and select components in women.BMI is an important modifier involved in the associations between parity and MetS.

Data Gathering in Wireless Sensor Networks Via Regular Low Density Parity Check Matrix

A great challenge faced by wireless sensor networks(WSNs) is to reduce energy consumption of sensor nodes. Fortunately, the data gathering via random sensing can save energy of sensor nodes. Nevertheless, its randomness and density usually result in difficult implementations, high computation complexity and large storage spaces in practical settings. So the deterministic sparse sensing matrices are desired in some situations. However,it is difficult to guarantee the performance of deterministic sensing matrix by the acknowledged metrics. In this paper, we construct a class of deterministic sparse sensing matrices with statistical versions of restricted isometry property(St RIP) via regular low density parity check(RLDPC) matrices. The key idea of our construction is to achieve small mutual coherence of the matrices by confining the column weights of RLDPC matrices such that St RIP is satisfied. Besides, we prove that the constructed sensing matrices have the same scale of measurement numbers as the dense measurements. We also propose a data gathering method based on RLDPC matrix. Experimental results verify that the constructed sensing matrices have better reconstruction performance, compared to the Gaussian, Bernoulli, and CSLDPC matrices. And we also verify that the data gathering via RLDPC matrix can reduce energy consumption of WSNs.

Association between Parity, Carotid Plaques, and Intima Media Thickness in Northern Chinese Women

Pregnancy is always associated with several important physiological changes in women,including sex hormone levels,glycolipid metabolism,and oxidative stress.These changes may have short-term and long-term effects on their cardiovascular system.Parity is the number of times a woman has given birth.Several studies have investigated the association between parity and risk of cardiovascular diseases in women.Prospective studies have shown a fairly low incidence of cardiovascular endpoints for parous women[1].Therefore,it would be meaningful to assess the relationship between parity and other surrogate markers.

The Effect of Parity on Conjugated Linoleic Acid(CLA) Content in Milk Fat and CLA-Desaturase Index from Holstein Dairy Cows

The performance of lactating dairy cows and composition of the fatty acids in milk fat were measured to investigate the effect of parity on conjugated linoleic acid(CLA)in milk fat and△~9-desaturase indices from Holstein dairy cows.Milk samples of two hundred and thirty-five lactating Holstein dairy cows in north China were tested.In order to avoid possible confounding effects of diet and season,Holstein cows were fed a single diet and milk was sampled on the same day.The average content of cis-9,trans-11 CLA was 5.14 mg/g fatty acids in milk fat,varying between 1.5 and 10.5 mg/g fatty acids.The average content of cis-9,trans-11 CLA of primiparous cattle was 5.19 mg/g fatty acids in milk fat,while it was 5.11 mg/g fatty acids in multiparous animals,with no significant difference between them(P】0.05).There was a significant(P【0.05)difference between the△~9-desaturase index of cis-9 C14:l and cis-9 C16:l between primiparous and multiparous cattle but not(P】0.05)in the△~9-desaturase index of cis-9 C18:l and cis-9,trans-11 CLA.

Direct measurement of the concurrence of hybrid entangled state based on parity check measurements

The hybrid entangled state is widely discussed in quantum information processing. In this paper, we propose the first protocol to directly measure the concurrence of the hybrid entangled state. To complete the measurement, we design parity check measurements(PCMs) for both the single polarization qubit and the coherent state. In this protocol, we perform three rounds of PCMs. The results show that we can convert the concurrence into the success probability of picking up the correct states from the initial entangled states. This protocol only uses polarization beam splitters, beam splitters, and weak cross-Kerr nonlinearities, which is feasible for future experiments. This protocol may be useful in future quantum information processing.

Influence of the Unique-Parity States on Collectivity of Low-Lying States

The importance of the unique-parity single particle level in the description of nuclear collectivity is stressed in the framework of the nucleon-pair shell model truncated to the SD subspace.It is found that with the shell model Hamiltonian which includes the single particle energy term,the unique-parity single particle level has to be included for describing the low-lying collective states reasonably.

Parity and carotid atherosclerosis in elderly Chinese women

Background The relationship between parity and atherosclerosis has been reported in some ethnic populations.However,results regarding Chinese women are still lacking.This study aimed to investigate the association of parity and carotid atherosclerosis,which has a predictive value of subsequent atherosclerotic events in elderly Chinese women.Methods A total of 2,052 participants from the medical examination center of the Third Xiangya Hospital were enrolled in the study.A standardized,structured questionnaire was administered to collect information on subjects’demographic characteristics,socioeconomic status,and cardiovascular risk factors.High-resolution ultrasound was used to examine carotid plaques and carotid intima-media thickness(IMT).Results The mean age of participants was 66.1±5.5 years.Women with more birth appeared to have a higher risk of carotid artery plaques.A multivariate-adjusted model yielded an odds ratio of 1.38(95%CI:12%-70%,P=0.003)per birth.A positive association was observed between parity and common carotid IMT(β±SE:0.029±0.006,P<0.001),and internal carotid IMT(β±SE:0.011±0.005,P=0.03)in a univariate model;however,these associations became non-significant in multivariate-adjusted models.When common carotid IMT was classified into an IMT≥1 mm group and an IMT<1 mm group,higher parity was associated with more obvious thickening both in the unadjusted model(OR=1.61,95%CI:1.29-2.00,P<0.001)and in the fully adjusted model(OR=1.43,95%CI:1.09-1.88,P=0.01).Conclusions There is a positive association between parity and risk of carotid plaques,as well as between parity and risk of obvious thickening for common carotid IMT in elderly Chinese women,indicating multiparous women might experience more atherosclerotic challenges.

The ASEAN experience of the purchasing power parity theory

We used panel data analysis to evaluate the relative purchasing power parity(PPP)hypothesis of the ten ASEAN member countries between 1973 and 2015.We incorporated the cross-sectionally augmented panel unit root test as proposed by Pesaran(J Appl Econ 22:265-312,2007).For panel cointegration analysis,we employed the four error-correction-based Westerlund(Oxf Bull Econ Stat 69:709-748,2007)panel cointegration tests.The Westerlund(Oxf Bull Econ Stat 69:709-748,2007)tests are general enough to permit a large degree of heterogeneity,both in the long-run cointegrating relationship and in the short-run dynamics,and dependence within as well as across the cross-sectional units.To check the robustness of the results,we further estimated the cointegration test excluding Indonesia and Brunei.The findings support our initial results.Further,all the results overwhelmingly support the relative PPP hypothesis.Consequently,the monetary authority would be able to implement a self-regulating monetary policy.It would also be able to control the exchange rates.