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Mixed infections with Opisthorchis viverrini and intestinal flukes in residents of Vientiane Municipality and Saravane Province in Laos
- J.-Y. Chai, J.-H. Park, E.-T. Han, S.-M. Guk, E.-H. Shin, A. Lin, J.-L. Kim, W.-M. Sohn, T.-S. Yong, K.S. Eom, D.-Y. Min, E.-H. Hwang, B. Phommmasack, B. Insisiengmay, H.-J. Rim
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- Journal of Helminthology / Volume 79 / Issue 3 / September 2005
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 12 April 2024, pp. 283-289
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Faecal examinations for helminth eggs were performed on 1869 people from two riverside localities, Vientiane Municipality and Saravane Province, along the Mekong River, Laos. To obtain adult flukes, 42 people positive for small trematode eggs (Opisthorchis viverrini, heterophyid, or lecithodendriid eggs) were treated with a 20–30 mg kg−1 single dose of praziquantel and purged. Diarrhoeic stools were then collected from 36 people (18 in each area) and searched for helminth parasites using stereomicroscopes. Faecal examinations revealed positive rates for small trematode eggs of 53.3% and 70.8% (average 65.2%) in Vientiane and Saravane Province, respectively. Infections with O. viverrini and six species of intestinal flukes were found, namely, Haplorchis taichui, H. pumilio, H. yokogawai, Centrocestus caninus, Prosthodendrium molenkampi, and Phaneropsolus bonnei. The total number of flukes collected and the proportion of fluke species recovered were markedly different in the two localities; in Vientiane, 1041 O. viverrini (57.8 per person) and 615 others (34.2 per person), whereas in Saravane, 395 O. viverrini (21.9 per person) and 155207 others (8622.6 per person). Five people from Saravane harboured no O. viverrini but numerous heterophyid and/or lecithodendriid flukes. The results indicate that O. viverrini and several species of heterophyid and lecithodendriid flukes are endemic in these two riverside localities, and suggest that the intensity of infection and the relative proportion of fluke species vary by locality along the Mekong River basin.
4 Risk Factor and Biomarker Correlates of FLAIR White Matter Hyperintensities in Former American Football Players
- Monica T Ly, Fatima Tuz-Zahra, Yorghos Tripodis, Charles H Adler, Laura J Balcer, Charles Bernick, Elaine Peskind, Megan L Mariani, Rhoda Au, Sarah J Banks, William B Barr, Jennifer V Wethe, Mark W Bondi, Lisa Delano-Wood, Robert C Cantu, Michael J Coleman, David W Dodick, Michael D McClean, Jesse Mez, Joseph N Palmisano, Brett Martin, Kaitlin Hartlage, Alexander P Lin, Inga K Koerte, Jeffrey L Cummings, Eric M Reiman, Martha E Shenton, Robert A Stern, Sylvain Bouix, Michael L Alosco
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 608-610
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Objective:
White matter hyperintensity (WMH) burden is greater, has a frontal-temporal distribution, and is associated with proxies of exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHI) in former American football players. These findings suggest that in the context of RHI, WMH might have unique etiologies that extend beyond those of vascular risk factors and normal aging processes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlates of WMH in former elite American football players. We examined markers of amyloid, tau, neurodegeneration, inflammation, axonal injury, and vascular health and their relationships to WMH. A group of age-matched asymptomatic men without a history of RHI was included to determine the specificity of the relationships observed in the former football players.
Participants and Methods:240 male participants aged 45-74 (60 unexposed asymptomatic men, 60 male former college football players, 120 male former professional football players) underwent semi-structured clinical interviews, magnetic resonance imaging (structural T1, T2 FLAIR, and diffusion tensor imaging), and lumbar puncture to collect cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers as part of the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project. Total WMH lesion volumes (TLV) were estimated using the Lesion Prediction Algorithm from the Lesion Segmentation Toolbox. Structural equation modeling, using Full-Information Maximum Likelihood (FIML) to account for missing values, examined the associations between log-TLV and the following variables: total cortical thickness, whole-brain average fractional anisotropy (FA), CSF amyloid ß42, CSF p-tau181, CSF sTREM2 (a marker of microglial activation), CSF neurofilament light (NfL), and the modified Framingham stroke risk profile (rFSRP). Covariates included age, race, education, APOE z4 carrier status, and evaluation site. Bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals assessed statistical significance. Models were performed separately for football players (college and professional players pooled; n=180) and the unexposed men (n=60). Due to differences in sample size, estimates were compared and were considered different if the percent change in the estimates exceeded 10%.
Results:In the former football players (mean age=57.2, 34% Black, 29% APOE e4 carrier), reduced cortical thickness (B=-0.25, 95% CI [0.45, -0.08]), lower average FA (B=-0.27, 95% CI [-0.41, -.12]), higher p-tau181 (B=0.17, 95% CI [0.02, 0.43]), and higher rFSRP score (B=0.27, 95% CI [0.08, 0.42]) were associated with greater log-TLV. Compared to the unexposed men, substantial differences in estimates were observed for rFSRP (Bcontrol=0.02, Bfootball=0.27, 994% difference), average FA (Bcontrol=-0.03, Bfootball=-0.27, 802% difference), and p-tau181 (Bcontrol=-0.31, Bfootball=0.17, -155% difference). In the former football players, rFSRP showed a stronger positive association and average FA showed a stronger negative association with WMH compared to unexposed men. The effect of WMH on cortical thickness was similar between the two groups (Bcontrol=-0.27, Bfootball=-0.25, 7% difference).
Conclusions:These results suggest that the risk factor and biological correlates of WMH differ between former American football players and asymptomatic individuals unexposed to RHI. In addition to vascular risk factors, white matter integrity on DTI showed a stronger relationship with WMH burden in the former football players. FLAIR WMH serves as a promising measure to further investigate the late multifactorial pathologies of RHI.
Systematic Review on the Mechanisms of Action of Psilocybin in the Treatment of Depression
- M. C. Q. Lin, H. Lee, V. W. L. Tsang, B. Chai, A. Howard, C. Uy, J. O. Elefante
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- Journal:
- European Psychiatry / Volume 66 / Issue S1 / March 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 19 July 2023, pp. S416-S417
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Introduction
Despite emerging evidence suggesting the efficacy of psilocybin in the treatment of mood disorders such as depression, the exact mechanisms by which psilocybin is able to elicit these antidepressant effects remains unknown.
ObjectivesAs the use of psilocybin as a treatment modality for depression has garnered increasing interest, this study aims to summarize the existing evidence of the mechanism of action with which psilocybin alleviates depressive symptoms, focusing specifically on the neurobiological effects of psilocybin in human subjects.
MethodsFour databases (Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, psychINFO, and Web of Science) were searched using a combination of MeSH terms and free text keywords in September 2021. The original search included both human and animal studies and must have included testing of the mechanism of action of psilocybin. Only antidepressant effects were considered, with no other mood disorders or psychiatric diagnoses included. Two independent researchers screened at every stage of the review, with a third researcher resolving any conflicts. Though a full systematic review outlining the current literature on the complete mechanisms of action of psilocybin on depression was conducted, this abstract will focus specifically on the nine papers that included human subjects, disregarding the five animal models. PROSPERO registration number: 282710.
ResultsAfter removing duplicates, the search identified 2193 papers and forty-nine were selected for full text review. Out of nine papers outlining the mechanisms of action of psilocybin use in human subjects, three papers investigated psilocybin’s effect on serotonin or glutamate receptor activity, two found an increase in synaptogenesis in regions such as the medial frontal cortex and hippocampus. Four found variation in blood flow to the amygdala, two found altered blood flow to the prefrontal cortex, and one found a reduction in delta power during sleep. Four papers found changes in functional connectivity or neurotransmission, most commonly in the hippocampus or prefrontal cortex.
ConclusionsOverall, the exact mechanism of psilocybin’s potential antidepressant effect remains unclear. Multiple pathways may be involved, including alterations in serotonin and glutamate receptor activity, as well as shifts in amygdala activity, neurogenesis, and functional connectivity in various brain regions. The relative lack of studies, and the variety of neurobiological modalities and endpoints used challenged the consolidation of data into consensus findings. Further studies are needed to better characterize psilocybin’s mechanism of action and to better understand the clinical effects of the use of psilocybin in the treatment of depression.
Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
A systematic review to assess the use of psilocybin in the treatment of headaches
- S. Bhanot, M. C. Q. Lin, S. Bains, A. Monroe, V. W. L. Tsang
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- Journal:
- European Psychiatry / Volume 66 / Issue S1 / March 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 19 July 2023, pp. S617-S618
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Introduction
Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound whose effects have been seen in studies for treatment of depression, anxiety and pain management. Given its structural similarities to 5-hydroxytryptamine, a monoamine controlling brain modulation of pain input, preliminary studies sought to test serotonergic interactions of psilocybin with headaches.
ObjectivesExplore efficacy of psilocybin as treatment for individuals with headaches, including migraines, essential headaches, cluster headaches and unclassified head pains.
MethodsStudies were found from six major databases, with inclusion criteria consisting of participants with any type of headache using psilocybin as a treatment. Each study was independently screened by two reviewers at two stages, with inconsistencies reviewed by a third, senior reviewer.
ResultsThe systematic review evaluated eight articles. Benefits of macrodosing were explored in one study which reported higher levels of pain relief in comparison to microdosing and conventional pain medications. Top benefits of microdosing as reported by participants included convenience, perceived safety and reduced side effects when compared to hallucinogenic doses of psilocybin. Participants across five studies reported improvements to their headaches as characterized by changes in frequency, intensity, duration and remission period. Reported improvements were clinically significant in the six studies and statistically significant in three papers. With psilocybin intervention, two studies reported a decrease in headache attack frequency, three studies reported a decrease in intensity, and one study indicated a decrease in duration. The greatest benefit reported was for psilocybin taken during a remission period, with the average length of that remission period between headaches extending for 91% of participants. One study focused on the dosages of psilocybin in relation to its efficacy, indicating that there was more headache pain relief amongst macrodosers, with a difference of 12.3% of participants experiencing pain reduction 3 days after dosage in comparison to microdosers. 18% of participants who experienced essential headaches also experienced hallucinations as a result of ingested psilocybin. Others showed a temporary increase in symptoms of anxiety and pain - 5.3% with microdosing and 14.1% macrodosing. One study observed an increase in average arterial pressure after ingestion.
ConclusionsSix of eight screened papers showed that psilocybin was clinically significant in the treatment of headaches as captured through self-reports. While the first controlled study for psilocybin use for headaches was detailed in this study, psilocybin remains illegal in many countries, presenting a need for further regulated research.
Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
The effects of visitor density on sika deer (Cervus nippon) behaviour in Zhu-Yu-Wan Park, China
- L Shen-Jin, PA Todd, Y Yan, Y Lin, F Hongmei, W Wan-Hong
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- Animal Welfare / Volume 19 / Issue 1 / February 2010
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 January 2023, pp. 61-65
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Visitors to zoos are a source of potential stress to certain captive-housed animals. Much research has focused on Europe and America, whereas the effect of human audiences on the behaviour of captive animals in Chinese parks has so far not been investigated. Sika deer (Cervus nippon) housed in Zhu-Yu-Wan Park, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China, were studied to determine the effect of different visitor density levels on the animals’ activity. From June 21 to December 10, 2006, and again from February 21 to July 10, 2007, 21 subjects were observed for 10 h per week for a total of 44 weeks. Continuous focal animal sampling was used to quantify behaviours, and visitor density was recorded every minute. Friedman's tests were used to examine the effects of visitor density on the behaviour of sika deer. Results showed that high visitor density was significantly related to foraging, resting, watching and ‘non-visible’ behaviours. The findings demonstrate that high numbers of visitors have an effect on the welfare of sika deer.
WALLABY Pilot Survey: Public release of HI kinematic models for more than 100 galaxies from phase 1 of ASKAP pilot observations
- N. Deg, K. Spekkens, T. Westmeier, T. N. Reynolds, P. Venkataraman, S. Goliath, A. X. Shen, R. Halloran, A. Bosma, B Catinella, W. J. G. de Blok, H. Dénes, E. M. DiTeodoro, A. Elagali, B.-Q. For, C Howlett, G. I. G. Józsa, P. Kamphuis, D. Kleiner, B Koribalski, K. Lee-Waddell, F. Lelli, X. Lin, C. Murugeshan, S. Oh, J. Rhee, T. C. Scott, L. Staveley-Smith, J. M. van der Hulst, L. Verdes-Montenegro, J. Wang, O. I. Wong
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- Journal:
- Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia / Volume 39 / 2022
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 15 November 2022, e059
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We present the Widefield ASKAP L-band Legacy All-sky Blind surveY (WALLABY) Pilot Phase I Hi kinematic models. This first data release consists of Hi observations of three fields in the direction of the Hydra and Norma clusters, and the NGC 4636 galaxy group. In this paper, we describe how we generate and publicly release flat-disk tilted-ring kinematic models for 109/592 unique Hi detections in these fields. The modelling method adopted here—which we call the WALLABY Kinematic Analysis Proto-Pipeline (WKAPP) and for which the corresponding scripts are also publicly available—consists of combining results from the homogeneous application of the FAT and 3DBarolo algorithms to the subset of 209 detections with sufficient resolution and $S/N$ in order to generate optimised model parameters and uncertainties. The 109 models presented here tend to be gas rich detections resolved by at least 3–4 synthesised beams across their major axes, but there is no obvious environmental bias in the modelling. The data release described here is the first step towards the derivation of similar products for thousands of spatially resolved WALLABY detections via a dedicated kinematic pipeline. Such a large publicly available and homogeneously analysed dataset will be a powerful legacy product that that will enable a wide range of scientific studies.
WALLABY pilot survey: Public release of H i data for almost 600 galaxies from phase 1 of ASKAP pilot observations
- T. Westmeier, N. Deg, K. Spekkens, T. N. Reynolds, A. X. Shen, S. Gaudet, S. Goliath, M. T. Huynh, P. Venkataraman, X. Lin, T. O’Beirne, B. Catinella, L. Cortese, H. Dénes, A. Elagali, B.-Q. For, G. I. G. Józsa, C. Howlett, J. M. van der Hulst, R. J. Jurek, P. Kamphuis, V. A. Kilborn, D. Kleiner, B. S. Koribalski, K. Lee-Waddell, C. Murugeshan, J. Rhee, P. Serra, L. Shao, L. Staveley-Smith, J. Wang, O. I. Wong, M. A. Zwaan, J. R. Allison, C. S. Anderson, Lewis Ball, D. C.-J. Bock, D. Brodrick, J. D. Bunton, F. R. Cooray, N. Gupta, D. B. Hayman, E. K. Mahony, V. A. Moss, A. Ng, S. E. Pearce, W. Raja, D. N. Roxby, M. A. Voronkov, K. A. Warhurst, H. M. Courtois, K. Said
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- Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia / Volume 39 / 2022
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 15 November 2022, e058
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We present WALLABY pilot data release 1, the first public release of H i pilot survey data from the Wide-field ASKAP L-band Legacy All-sky Blind Survey (WALLABY) on the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder. Phase 1 of the WALLABY pilot survey targeted three $60\,\mathrm{deg}^{2}$ regions on the sky in the direction of the Hydra and Norma galaxy clusters and the NGC 4636 galaxy group, covering the redshift range of $z \lesssim 0.08$ . The source catalogue, images and spectra of nearly 600 extragalactic H i detections and kinematic models for 109 spatially resolved galaxies are available. As the pilot survey targeted regions containing nearby group and cluster environments, the median redshift of the sample of $z \approx 0.014$ is relatively low compared to the full WALLABY survey. The median galaxy H i mass is $2.3 \times 10^{9}\,{\rm M}_{{\odot}}$ . The target noise level of $1.6\,\mathrm{mJy}$ per 30′′ beam and $18.5\,\mathrm{kHz}$ channel translates into a $5 \sigma$ H i mass sensitivity for point sources of about $5.2 \times 10^{8} \, (D_{\rm L} / \mathrm{100\,Mpc})^{2} \, {\rm M}_{{\odot}}$ across 50 spectral channels ( ${\approx} 200\,\mathrm{km \, s}^{-1}$ ) and a $5 \sigma$ H i column density sensitivity of about $8.6 \times 10^{19} \, (1 + z)^{4}\,\mathrm{cm}^{-2}$ across 5 channels ( ${\approx} 20\,\mathrm{km \, s}^{-1}$ ) for emission filling the 30′′ beam. As expected for a pilot survey, several technical issues and artefacts are still affecting the data quality. Most notably, there are systematic flux errors of up to several 10% caused by uncertainties about the exact size and shape of each of the primary beams as well as the presence of sidelobes due to the finite deconvolution threshold. In addition, artefacts such as residual continuum emission and bandpass ripples have affected some of the data. The pilot survey has been highly successful in uncovering such technical problems, most of which are expected to be addressed and rectified before the start of the full WALLABY survey.
Gyro-stellar inertial attitude estimation for satellite with high motion rate
- C.-L. Lin, J.-C. Li, C.-L. Chiu, Y.-W.A. Wu, Y.-W. Jan
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- Journal:
- The Aeronautical Journal / Volume 126 / Issue 1306 / December 2022
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 18 April 2022, pp. 1967-1981
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For a common micro-satellite, orbiting in a circular sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) at an altitude between 500 and 600km, the satellite attitude during off-nadir imaging and staring-imaging operations can be up to ±45 degree on roll and pitch angles. During these off-nadir pointing for both multi-trip operation and staring imaging operations, the spacecraft body is commonly subject to high-rate motion. This posts challenges for a spacecraft attitude determination subsystem called Gyro Stellar Inertial Attitude Estimate (GS IAE), which employs gyros and star sensors to maintain the required attitude knowledge, since star trackers will severely degrade attitude estimation accuracies when the spacecraft is subject to high-rate motion. This paper analyses the star motion-induced errors for a typical star tracker, models the star motion-induced errors to assess the performance impact on the attitude estimation accuracy, and investigates the adaptive extended Kalman filter design in the GS IAE while evaluating its effectiveness.
Independent contribution of polygenic risk for schizophrenia and cannabis use in predicting psychotic-like experiences in young adulthood: testing gene × environment moderation and mediation
- Laurent Elkrief, Bochao Lin, Mattia Marchi, Mohammad H Afzali, Tobias Banaschewski, Arun L. W. Bokde, Erin Burke Quinlan, Sylvane Desrivières, Herta Flor, Hugh Garavan, Penny Gowland, Andreas Heinz, Bernd Ittermann, Jean-Luc Martinot, Marie-Laure Paillère Martinot, Frauke Nees, Dimitri Papadopoulos Orfanos, Tomáš Paus, Luise Poustka, Sarah Hohmann, Juliane H. Fröhner, Michael N. Smolka, Henrik Walter, Robert Whelan, Gunter Schumann, Jurjen Luykx, Marco P. Boks, Patricia J. Conrod, the IMAGEN consortium
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- Journal:
- Psychological Medicine / Volume 53 / Issue 5 / April 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 23 September 2021, pp. 1759-1769
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Background
It has not yet been determined if the commonly reported cannabis–psychosis association is limited to individuals with pre-existing genetic risk for psychotic disorders.
MethodsWe examined whether the relationship between polygenic risk score for schizophrenia (PRS-Sz) and psychotic-like experiences (PLEs), as measured by the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences-42 (CAPE-42) questionnaire, is mediated or moderated by lifetime cannabis use at 16 years of age in 1740 of the individuals of the European IMAGEN cohort. Secondary analysis examined the relationships between lifetime cannabis use, PRS-Sz and the various sub-scales of the CAPE-42. Sensitivity analyses including covariates, including a PRS for cannabis use, were conducted and results were replicated using data from 1223 individuals in the Dutch Utrecht cannabis cohort.
ResultsPRS-Sz significantly predicted cannabis use (p = 0.027) and PLE (p = 0.004) in the IMAGEN cohort. In the full model, considering PRS-Sz and covariates, cannabis use was also significantly associated with PLE in IMAGEN (p = 0.007). Results remained consistent in the Utrecht cohort and through sensitivity analyses. Nevertheless, there was no evidence of a mediation or moderation effects.
ConclusionsThese results suggest that cannabis use remains a risk factor for PLEs, over and above genetic vulnerability for schizophrenia. This research does not support the notion that the cannabis–psychosis link is limited to individuals who are genetically predisposed to psychosis and suggests a need for research focusing on cannabis-related processes in psychosis that cannot be explained by genetic vulnerability.
Sleep disturbances may influence lifestyle behaviours in women with self-reported polycystic ovary syndrome
- Christie J. Bennett, Darren R. Mansfield, Lin Mo, Anju E. Joham, Sean W. Cain, Michelle L. Blumfield, Allison M. Hodge, Lisa J. Moran
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- Journal:
- British Journal of Nutrition / Volume 127 / Issue 9 / 14 May 2022
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 28 June 2021, pp. 1395-1403
- Print publication:
- 14 May 2022
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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with a higher prevalence of sleep disturbances and obesity. Treatment of PCOS includes modifying lifestyle behaviours associated with weight management. However, poor sleep in the non-PCOS population has been associated with poorer lifestyle behaviours. The aim was to investigate whether sleep disturbance confounds or modifies the association between lifestyle factors and PCOS. This was a cross-sectional analysis from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health cohort aged 31–36 years in 2009 were analysed (n 6067, 464 PCOS, 5603 non-PCOS). Self-reported data were collected on PCOS, anthropometry, validated modified version of the Active Australia Physical Activity survey, validated FFQ and sleep disturbances through latent class analysis. Women with PCOS had greater adverse sleep symptoms including severe tiredness (P = 0·001), difficulty sleeping (P < 0·001) and restless sleep (P < 0·001), compared with women without PCOS. Women with PCOS also had higher energy consumption (6911 (sd 2453) v. 6654 (sd 2215) kJ, P = 0·017), fibre intake (19·8 (sd 7·8) v. 18·9 (sd 6·9) g, P = 0·012) and diet quality (dietary guidelines index (DGI)) (88·1 (sd 11·6) v. 86·7 (sd 11·1), P = 0·008), lower glycaemic index (50·2 (sd 4·0) v. 50·7 (sd 3·9), P = 0·021) and increased sedentary behaviour (6·3 (sd 2·8) v. 5·9 (sd 2·8) h, P = 0·009). There was a significant interaction between PCOS and sleep disturbances for DGI (P = 0·035), therefore only for women who had adequate sleep was PCOS associated with a higher DGI. For women with poorer sleep, there was no association between PCOS and DGI. The association between PCOS and improved diet quality may only be maintained if women can obtain enough good quality sleep.
Overview of the SPARC tokamak
- Part of
- A. J. Creely, M. J. Greenwald, S. B. Ballinger, D. Brunner, J. Canik, J. Doody, T. Fülöp, D. T. Garnier, R. Granetz, T. K. Gray, C. Holland, N. T. Howard, J. W. Hughes, J. H. Irby, V. A. Izzo, G. J. Kramer, A. Q. Kuang, B. LaBombard, Y. Lin, B. Lipschultz, N. C. Logan, J. D. Lore, E. S. Marmar, K. Montes, R. T. Mumgaard, C. Paz-Soldan, C. Rea, M. L. Reinke, P. Rodriguez-Fernandez, K. Särkimäki, F. Sciortino, S. D. Scott, A. Snicker, P. B. Snyder, B. N. Sorbom, R. Sweeney, R. A. Tinguely, E. A. Tolman, M. Umansky, O. Vallhagen, J. Varje, D. G. Whyte, J. C. Wright, S. J. Wukitch, J. Zhu, the SPARC Team
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- Journal:
- Journal of Plasma Physics / Volume 86 / Issue 5 / October 2020
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 29 September 2020, 865860502
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The SPARC tokamak is a critical next step towards commercial fusion energy. SPARC is designed as a high-field ($B_0 = 12.2$ T), compact ($R_0 = 1.85$ m, $a = 0.57$ m), superconducting, D-T tokamak with the goal of producing fusion gain $Q>2$ from a magnetically confined fusion plasma for the first time. Currently under design, SPARC will continue the high-field path of the Alcator series of tokamaks, utilizing new magnets based on rare earth barium copper oxide high-temperature superconductors to achieve high performance in a compact device. The goal of $Q>2$ is achievable with conservative physics assumptions ($H_{98,y2} = 0.7$) and, with the nominal assumption of $H_{98,y2} = 1$, SPARC is projected to attain $Q \approx 11$ and $P_{\textrm {fusion}} \approx 140$ MW. SPARC will therefore constitute a unique platform for burning plasma physics research with high density ($\langle n_{e} \rangle \approx 3 \times 10^{20}\ \textrm {m}^{-3}$), high temperature ($\langle T_e \rangle \approx 7$ keV) and high power density ($P_{\textrm {fusion}}/V_{\textrm {plasma}} \approx 7\ \textrm {MW}\,\textrm {m}^{-3}$) relevant to fusion power plants. SPARC's place in the path to commercial fusion energy, its parameters and the current status of SPARC design work are presented. This work also describes the basis for global performance projections and summarizes some of the physics analysis that is presented in greater detail in the companion articles of this collection.
Household economic burden and outcomes of patients with schizophrenia after being unlocked and treated in rural China
- L. Xu, T. Xu, W. Tan, B. Yan, D. Wang, H. Li, Y. Lin, K. Li, H. Wen, X. Qin, X. Sun, L. Guan, J.K. Bass, H. Ma, X. Yu
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- Journal:
- Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences / Volume 29 / 2020
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 16 December 2019, e81
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Aims
Patients with severe mental disorders in low-resource settings have limited access to services, resulting in overwhelming caregiving burden for families. In extreme cases, this has led to the long-term restraining of patients in their homes. China underwent a nationwide initiative to unlock patients and provide continued treatment. This study aims to quantify household economic burden in families after unlocking and treatment, and to identify factors associated with increased burden due to schizophrenia.
MethodsA total of 264 subjects were enrolled from three geographically diverse provinces in 2012. Subjects were patients with schizophrenia who were previously put under restraints and had participated in the ‘unlocking and treatment’ intervention. The primary outcome was the current household economic burden, obtained from past year financial information collected through on-site interview. Patient disease characteristics, treatment, outcomes and family caregiving burden were collected as well. Univariate and multivariate linear regression were used to construct risk factor models for indirect economic burden.
ResultsAfter participating in the intervention, 85% of patients continued to receive mental health services, 70% used medication as prescribed and 80% were never relocked. Family members reported significantly decreased caregiving burden after receiving the intervention. Mean direct and indirect household economic burdens were CNY963 (US$31.7) and CNY11 724 (US$1670) per year, respectively, while family total income was on average CNY12 108 (US$1913) per year. Greater disease severity and poorer patient psychosocial function at time of study were found to be independent factors related to increased indirect burden.
ConclusionsThe ‘unlocking and treatment’ intervention has improved the lives of patients and families. Indirect burden due to disease is still a major economic issue that needs to be addressed, potentially through improving treatment and patient functioning. Our findings contribute to the unravelling and eventual elimination of chronic restraining of mentally ill patients in low-resource settings.
Equivalency of the diagnostic accuracy of the PHQ-8 and PHQ-9: a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis – ERRATUM
- Yin Wu, Brooke Levis, Kira E. Riehm, Nazanin Saadat, Alexander W. Levis, Marleine Azar, Danielle B. Rice, Jill Boruff, Pim Cuijpers, Simon Gilbody, John P.A. Ioannidis, Lorie A. Kloda, Dean McMillan, Scott B. Patten, Ian Shrier, Roy C. Ziegelstein, Dickens H. Akena, Bruce Arroll, Liat Ayalon, Hamid R. Baradaran, Murray Baron, Charles H. Bombardier, Peter Butterworth, Gregory Carter, Marcos H. Chagas, Juliana C. N. Chan, Rushina Cholera, Yeates Conwell, Janneke M. de Manvan Ginkel, Jesse R. Fann, Felix H. Fischer, Daniel Fung, Bizu Gelaye, Felicity Goodyear-Smith, Catherine G. Greeno, Brian J. Hall, Patricia A. Harrison, Martin Härter, Ulrich Hegerl, Leanne Hides, Stevan E. Hobfoll, Marie Hudson, Thomas Hyphantis, Masatoshi Inagaki, Nathalie Jetté, Mohammad E. Khamseh, Kim M. Kiely, Yunxin Kwan, Femke Lamers, Shen-Ing Liu, Manote Lotrakul, Sonia R. Loureiro, Bernd Löwe, Anthony McGuire, Sherina Mohd-Sidik, Tiago N. Munhoz, Kumiko Muramatsu, Flávia L. Osório, Vikram Patel, Brian W. Pence, Philippe Persoons, Angelo Picardi, Katrin Reuter, Alasdair G. Rooney, Iná S. Santos, Juwita Shaaban, Abbey Sidebottom, Adam Simning, Lesley Stafford, Sharon Sung, Pei Lin Lynnette Tan, Alyna Turner, Henk C. van Weert, Jennifer White, Mary A. Whooley, Kirsty Winkley, Mitsuhiko Yamada, Andrea Benedetti, Brett D. Thombs
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- Journal:
- Psychological Medicine / Volume 50 / Issue 16 / December 2020
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 19 August 2019, p. 2816
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Equivalency of the diagnostic accuracy of the PHQ-8 and PHQ-9: a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis
- Yin Wu, Brooke Levis, Kira E. Riehm, Nazanin Saadat, Alexander W. Levis, Marleine Azar, Danielle B. Rice, Jill Boruff, Pim Cuijpers, Simon Gilbody, John P.A. Ioannidis, Lorie A. Kloda, Dean McMillan, Scott B. Patten, Ian Shrier, Roy C. Ziegelstein, Dickens H. Akena, Bruce Arroll, Liat Ayalon, Hamid R. Baradaran, Murray Baron, Charles H. Bombardier, Peter Butterworth, Gregory Carter, Marcos H. Chagas, Juliana C. N. Chan, Rushina Cholera, Yeates Conwell, Janneke M. de Man-van Ginkel, Jesse R. Fann, Felix H. Fischer, Daniel Fung, Bizu Gelaye, Felicity Goodyear-Smith, Catherine G. Greeno, Brian J. Hall, Patricia A. Harrison, Martin Härter, Ulrich Hegerl, Leanne Hides, Stevan E. Hobfoll, Marie Hudson, Thomas Hyphantis, Masatoshi Inagaki, Nathalie Jetté, Mohammad E. Khamseh, Kim M. Kiely, Yunxin Kwan, Femke Lamers, Shen-Ing Liu, Manote Lotrakul, Sonia R. Loureiro, Bernd Löwe, Anthony McGuire, Sherina Mohd-Sidik, Tiago N. Munhoz, Kumiko Muramatsu, Flávia L. Osório, Vikram Patel, Brian W. Pence, Philippe Persoons, Angelo Picardi, Katrin Reuter, Alasdair G. Rooney, Iná S. Santos, Juwita Shaaban, Abbey Sidebottom, Adam Simning, Lesley Stafford, Sharon Sung, Pei Lin Lynnette Tan, Alyna Turner, Henk C. van Weert, Jennifer White, Mary A. Whooley, Kirsty Winkley, Mitsuhiko Yamada, Andrea Benedetti, Brett D. Thombs
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- Journal:
- Psychological Medicine / Volume 50 / Issue 8 / June 2020
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 12 July 2019, pp. 1368-1380
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Background
Item 9 of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) queries about thoughts of death and self-harm, but not suicidality. Although it is sometimes used to assess suicide risk, most positive responses are not associated with suicidality. The PHQ-8, which omits Item 9, is thus increasingly used in research. We assessed equivalency of total score correlations and the diagnostic accuracy to detect major depression of the PHQ-8 and PHQ-9.
MethodsWe conducted an individual patient data meta-analysis. We fit bivariate random-effects models to assess diagnostic accuracy.
Results16 742 participants (2097 major depression cases) from 54 studies were included. The correlation between PHQ-8 and PHQ-9 scores was 0.996 (95% confidence interval 0.996 to 0.996). The standard cutoff score of 10 for the PHQ-9 maximized sensitivity + specificity for the PHQ-8 among studies that used a semi-structured diagnostic interview reference standard (N = 27). At cutoff 10, the PHQ-8 was less sensitive by 0.02 (−0.06 to 0.00) and more specific by 0.01 (0.00 to 0.01) among those studies (N = 27), with similar results for studies that used other types of interviews (N = 27). For all 54 primary studies combined, across all cutoffs, the PHQ-8 was less sensitive than the PHQ-9 by 0.00 to 0.05 (0.03 at cutoff 10), and specificity was within 0.01 for all cutoffs (0.00 to 0.01).
ConclusionsPHQ-8 and PHQ-9 total scores were similar. Sensitivity may be minimally reduced with the PHQ-8, but specificity is similar.
Early conversion of classic Fontan conversion may decrease term morbidity: single centre outcomes
- David Blitzer, Asma S. Habib, John W. Brown, Adam C. Kean, Jiuann-Huey I. Lin, Mark W. Turrentine, Mark D. Rodefeld, Jeremy L. Herrmann, William Aaron Kay
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- Cardiology in the Young / Volume 29 / Issue 8 / August 2019
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 28 June 2019, pp. 1045-1050
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Background:
The initial classic Fontan utilising a direct right atrial appendage to pulmonary artery anastomosis led to numerous complications. Adults with such complications may benefit from conversion to a total cavo-pulmonary connection, the current standard palliation for children with univentricular hearts.
Methods:A single institution, retrospective chart review was conducted for all Fontan conversion procedures performed from July, 1999 through January, 2017. Variables analysed included age, sex, reason for Fontan conversion, age at Fontan conversion, and early mortality or heart transplant within 1 year after Fontan conversion.
Results:A total of 41 Fontan conversion patients were identified. Average age at Fontan conversion was 24.5 ± 9.2 years. Dominant left ventricular physiology was present in 37/41 (90.2%) patients. Right-sided heart failure occurred in 39/41 (95.1%) patients and right atrial dilation was present in 33/41 (80.5%) patients. The most common causes for Fontan conversion included atrial arrhythmia in 37/41 (90.2%), NYHA class II HF or greater in 31/41 (75.6%), ventricular dysfunction in 23/41 (56.1%), and cirrhosis or fibrosis in 7/41 (17.1%) patients. Median post-surgical follow-up was 6.2 ± 4.9 years. Survival rates at 30 days, 1 year, and greater than 1-year post-Fontan conversion were 95.1, 92.7, and 87.8%, respectively. Two patients underwent heart transplant: the first within 1 year of Fontan conversion for heart failure and the second at 5.3 years for liver failure.
Conclusions:Fontan conversion should be considered early when atrial arrhythmias become common rather than waiting for severe heart failure to ensue, and Fontan conversion can be accomplished with an acceptable risk profile.
Laboratory-scale swash flows generated by a non-breaking solitary wave on a steep slope
- P. Higuera, P. L.-F. Liu, C. Lin, W.-Y. Wong, M.-J. Kao
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- Journal of Fluid Mechanics / Volume 847 / 25 July 2018
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 May 2018, pp. 186-227
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The main goal of this paper is to provide insights into swash flow dynamics, generated by a non-breaking solitary wave on a steep slope. Both laboratory experiments and numerical simulations are conducted to investigate the details of runup and rundown processes. Special attention is given to the evolution of the bottom boundary layer over the slope in terms of flow separation, vortex formation and the development of a hydraulic jump during the rundown phase. Laboratory experiments were performed to measure the flow velocity fields by means of high-speed particle image velocimetry (HSPIV). Detailed pathline patterns of the swash flows and free-surface profiles were also visualized. Highly resolved computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were carried out. Numerical results are compared with laboratory measurements with a focus on the velocities inside the boundary layer. The overall agreement is excellent during the initial stage of the runup process. However, discrepancies in the model/data comparison grow as time advances because the numerical model does not simulate the shoreline dynamics accurately. Introducing small temporal and spatial shifts in the comparison yields adequate agreement during the entire rundown process. Highly resolved numerical solutions are used to study physical variables that are not measured in laboratory experiments (e.g. pressure field and bottom shear stress). It is shown that the main mechanism for vortex shedding is correlated with the large pressure gradient along the slope as the rundown flow transitions from supercritical to subcritical, under the developing hydraulic jump. Furthermore, the bottom shear stress analysis indicates that the largest values occur at the shoreline and that the relatively large bottom shear stress also takes place within the supercritical flow region, being associated with the backwash vortex system rather than the plunging wave. It is clearly demonstrated that the combination of laboratory observations and numerical simulations have indeed provided significant insights into the swash flow processes.
Probability of major depression diagnostic classification using semi-structured versus fully structured diagnostic interviews
- Brooke Levis, Andrea Benedetti, Kira E. Riehm, Nazanin Saadat, Alexander W. Levis, Marleine Azar, Danielle B. Rice, Matthew J. Chiovitti, Tatiana A. Sanchez, Pim Cuijpers, Simon Gilbody, John P. A. Ioannidis, Lorie A. Kloda, Dean McMillan, Scott B. Patten, Ian Shrier, Russell J. Steele, Roy C. Ziegelstein, Dickens H. Akena, Bruce Arroll, Liat Ayalon, Hamid R. Baradaran, Murray Baron, Anna Beraldi, Charles H. Bombardier, Peter Butterworth, Gregory Carter, Marcos H. Chagas, Juliana C. N. Chan, Rushina Cholera, Neerja Chowdhary, Kerrie Clover, Yeates Conwell, Janneke M. de Man-van Ginkel, Jaime Delgadillo, Jesse R. Fann, Felix H. Fischer, Benjamin Fischler, Daniel Fung, Bizu Gelaye, Felicity Goodyear-Smith, Catherine G. Greeno, Brian J. Hall, John Hambridge, Patricia A. Harrison, Ulrich Hegerl, Leanne Hides, Stevan E. Hobfoll, Marie Hudson, Thomas Hyphantis, Masatoshi Inagaki, Khalida Ismail, Nathalie Jetté, Mohammad E. Khamseh, Kim M. Kiely, Femke Lamers, Shen-Ing Liu, Manote Lotrakul, Sonia R. Loureiro, Bernd Löwe, Laura Marsh, Anthony McGuire, Sherina Mohd Sidik, Tiago N. Munhoz, Kumiko Muramatsu, Flávia L. Osório, Vikram Patel, Brian W. Pence, Philippe Persoons, Angelo Picardi, Alasdair G. Rooney, Iná S. Santos, Juwita Shaaban, Abbey Sidebottom, Adam Simning, Lesley Stafford, Sharon Sung, Pei Lin Lynnette Tan, Alyna Turner, Christina M. van der Feltz-Cornelis, Henk C. van Weert, Paul A. Vöhringer, Jennifer White, Mary A. Whooley, Kirsty Winkley, Mitsuhiko Yamada, Yuying Zhang, Brett D. Thombs
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- Journal:
- The British Journal of Psychiatry / Volume 212 / Issue 6 / June 2018
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 02 May 2018, pp. 377-385
- Print publication:
- June 2018
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Background
Different diagnostic interviews are used as reference standards for major depression classification in research. Semi-structured interviews involve clinical judgement, whereas fully structured interviews are completely scripted. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), a brief fully structured interview, is also sometimes used. It is not known whether interview method is associated with probability of major depression classification.
AimsTo evaluate the association between interview method and odds of major depression classification, controlling for depressive symptom scores and participant characteristics.
MethodData collected for an individual participant data meta-analysis of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) diagnostic accuracy were analysed and binomial generalised linear mixed models were fit.
ResultsA total of 17 158 participants (2287 with major depression) from 57 primary studies were analysed. Among fully structured interviews, odds of major depression were higher for the MINI compared with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) (odds ratio (OR) = 2.10; 95% CI = 1.15–3.87). Compared with semi-structured interviews, fully structured interviews (MINI excluded) were non-significantly more likely to classify participants with low-level depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 scores ≤6) as having major depression (OR = 3.13; 95% CI = 0.98–10.00), similarly likely for moderate-level symptoms (PHQ-9 scores 7–15) (OR = 0.96; 95% CI = 0.56–1.66) and significantly less likely for high-level symptoms (PHQ-9 scores ≥16) (OR = 0.50; 95% CI = 0.26–0.97).
ConclusionsThe MINI may identify more people as depressed than the CIDI, and semi-structured and fully structured interviews may not be interchangeable methods, but these results should be replicated.
Declaration of interestDrs Jetté and Patten declare that they received a grant, outside the submitted work, from the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, which was jointly funded by the Institute and Pfizer. Pfizer was the original sponsor of the development of the PHQ-9, which is now in the public domain. Dr Chan is a steering committee member or consultant of Astra Zeneca, Bayer, Lilly, MSD and Pfizer. She has received sponsorships and honorarium for giving lectures and providing consultancy and her affiliated institution has received research grants from these companies. Dr Hegerl declares that within the past 3 years, he was an advisory board member for Lundbeck, Servier and Otsuka Pharma; a consultant for Bayer Pharma; and a speaker for Medice Arzneimittel, Novartis, and Roche Pharma, all outside the submitted work. Dr Inagaki declares that he has received grants from Novartis Pharma, lecture fees from Pfizer, Mochida, Shionogi, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, Daiichi-Sankyo, Meiji Seika and Takeda, and royalties from Nippon Hyoron Sha, Nanzando, Seiwa Shoten, Igaku-shoin and Technomics, all outside of the submitted work. Dr Yamada reports personal fees from Meiji Seika Pharma Co., Ltd., MSD K.K., Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation, Seishin Shobo, Seiwa Shoten Co., Ltd., Igaku-shoin Ltd., Chugai Igakusha and Sentan Igakusha, all outside the submitted work. All other authors declare no competing interests. No funder had any role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis and interpretation of the data; preparation, review or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.
Effects of curcumin on performance, antioxidation, intestinal barrier and mitochondrial function in ducks fed corn contaminated with ochratoxin A
- D. Ruan, W. C. Wang, C. X. Lin, A. M. Fouad, W. Chen, W. G. Xia, S. Wang, X. Luo, W. H. Zhang, S. J. Yan, C. T. Zheng, L. Yang
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Curcumin has been attributed with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial activities, and has shown highly protective effects against enteropathogenic bacteria and mycotoxins. Ochratoxin A (OTA) is one of the major intestinal pathogenic mycotoxins. The possible effect of curcumin on the alleviation of enterotoxicity induced by OTA is unknown. The effects of dietary curcumin supplementation on OTA-induced oxidative stress, intestinal barrier and mitochondrial dysfunctions were examined in young ducks. A total of 540 mixed-sex 1-day-old White Pekin ducklings with initial BW (43.4±0.1 g) were randomly assigned into controls (fed only the basal diet), a group fed an OTA-contaminated diet (2 mg/kg feed), and a group fed the same OTA-contaminated feed plus 400 mg/kg of curcumin. Each treatment consisted of six replicates, each containing 30 ducklings and treatment lasted for 21 days. There was a significant decrease in average daily gain (ADG) and increased feed : gain caused by OTA (P<0.05); curcumin co-treatment prevented the decrease in BW and ADG compared with the OTA group (P<0.05). Histopathological and ultrastructural examination showed clear signs of enterotoxicity caused by OTA, but these changes were largely prevented by curcumin supplementation. Curcumin decreased the concentrations of interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α and malondialdehyde, and increased the activity of glutathione peroxidase induced by OTA in the jejunal mucosa of ducks (P<0.05). Additionally, curcumin increased jejunal mucosa occludin and tight junction protein 1 mRNA and protein levels, and decreased those of ρ-associated protein kinase 1 (P<0.05). Notably, curcumin inhibited the increased expression of apoptosis-related genes, and downregulated mitochondrial transcription factors A, B1 and B2 caused by OTA without any effects on RNA polymerase mitochondrial (P<0.05). These results indicated that curcumin could protect ducks from OTA-induced impairment of intestinal barrier function and mitochondrial integrity.
Effect of different dietary energy and protein sources on antioxidant status, fresh yolk fatty acid profile and microstructure of salted yolks in laying ducks
- D. Ruan, Y. J. Hu, A. M. Fouad, C. X. Lin, Z. P. Xu, W. Chen, Q. L. Fan, W. G. Xia, S. Wang, Y. Wang, L. Yang, C. T. Zheng
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The study investigated whether different dietary energy and protein sources affect laying performance, antioxidant status, fresh yolk fatty acid profile and quality of salted yolks in laying ducks. In all, 360 19-week-old Longyan ducks were randomly assigned to four diets in a factorial arrangement (2×2). The four diets consisted of two energy sources, corn (CO) or sorghum (SO) and two protein sources, soybean meal (SM) and rapeseed meal with corn distillers dried grains with solubles (RMD), and each treatment contained six replicates of 15 birds each. The experimental diets were isocaloric (metabolizable energy, 10.84 MJ/kg) and isonitrogenous (CP, 17%). The results showed that egg production, average egg weight, egg mass and feed conversion ratio were not affected by diets (P>0.05). Plasma contents of reduced glutathione (GSH), GSH/oxidized glutathione and total antioxidant capacity were lower (P<0.05) in ducks fed the RMD diets compared with those fed SM diets with a substantial increase (P=0.006) in plasma content of malondialdehyde (MDA). Egg yolks from ducks fed SO diets had higher proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and lower saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids compared with CO diets (P<0.001). Similarly, ducks fed RMD diets had a higher content of PUFA and n-6/n-3 ratio in fresh yolks (P<0.001), and increased salted yolk MDA, carbonylated proteins content and incidence of hard salted yolks (P<0.05) compared with SM diets. Scanning electron microscopy showed that salted yolks contained rougher polyhedral granules and fewer fat droplets, and were surrounded with a layer of bunchy fibers in ducks fed SO+RMD than those fed CO+SM diet. In conclusion, the current study showed that feeding laying ducks with diets containing SO or RMD reduced antioxidant capacity and increased egg yolk concentrations of PUFA. It appeared that egg yolks from ducks fed these diets were more sensitive to lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation during salting, and reduced the quality of salted yolks.
Maternal dietary supplementation with ferrous N-carbamylglycinate chelate affects sow reproductive performance and iron status of neonatal piglets
- D. Wan, Y. M. Zhang, X. Wu, X. Lin, X. G. Shu, X. H. Zhou, H. T. Du, W. G. Xing, H. N. Liu, L. Li, Y. Li, Y. L. Yin
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Iron-deficiency anemia is a public health concern that frequently occurs in pregnant mammals and neonatal offspring. Ferrous N-carbamylglycinate chelate (Fe-CGly) is a newly designed iron fortifier with proven effects in iron-deficient rats and weanling piglets. However, the effects of this new compound on pregnant mammals are unknown. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of Fe-CGly on sow reproductive performance and iron status of both sows and neonatal piglets. A total of 40 large-white sows after second parity were randomly assigned to two groups (n=20). They were receiving a diet including 80 mg Fe/kg as FeSO4 or Fe-CGly, respectively, from day 85 of gestation to parturition. The serum (day 110 of pregnancy) and placentas of sows were sampled. Litter size, mean weight of live born piglets, birth (live) litter weight, number of live born piglets, and the number of still-born piglets, mummies, and weak-born piglets were recorded. Once delivered, eight litters were randomly selected from the 20 litters per treatment, and one new-born male piglet (1.503±0.142 kg) from each selected litter was slaughtered within 3 h after birth from the selected litters, without colostrum ingestion. The serum, longissimus muscle, liver and kidneys of the piglets were collected. The iron status of the serum samples and the messenger RNA level of iron-related genes in the placenta, liver and kidney were analyzed. The results showed that litter weight of live born piglets was higher (P=0.030) in the Fe-CGly group (19.86 kg) than in the FeSO4 group (17.34 kg). Fe-CGly significantly increased placental iron concentration (P<0.05) of sows. It also significantly increased iron saturation and reduced the total iron-binding capacity of piglets (P<0.05) at birth. However, the results revealed that supplementation of Fe-CGly in sows reduced liver and kidney iron concentration of neonatal piglets (P<0.05), indicating decreased iron storage. In addition, the concentration of iron in the colostrum was not significantly changed. Therefore, the present results suggested that replacement of maternal FeSO4 supplement with Fe-CGly in the late-gestating period for sows could improve litter birth weight, probably via enhanced iron transportation in the placenta.