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Poly(vinylidene fluoride)/graphene oxide (PVDF/GO) nanocomposites are synthesized and their structural, ferroelectric, and pyroelectric properties are investigated. The dielectric spectrum analysis and P-E loop tests indicate that the nanocomposites exhibit enhanced ferroelectric and pyroelectric properties compared with those of poly(vinylidene fluoride) samples. The isothermal crystallization kinetics of PVDF/GO nanocomposites quantitatively determined by differential scanning calorimetry demonstrates that GOs facilitate the crystallization of the PVDF. Dynamic mechanical analyses on the PVDF/GO reveal that the amorphous and crystalline phases of PVDF are modified by the addition of GO sheets. The GO-enhanced formation of crystalline β phase in PVDF could result from the strong interaction between the -C=O groups in GO and the -CF2 groups in PVDF, and the GO-induced ordering of the microstructures of amorphous and crystalline phases. The results suggest that PVDF/GO nanocomposites could be promising dielectric materials used in sensors, transducers, and actuators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggravating disease and the accompanying increase in the frequency of hemodialysis interventions worsen the quality of life of patients leading to poor physical and psychological outcomes. Music-based interventions have been suggested to improve both the physical and psychological prognoses for patients undergoing hemodialysis. Two meta-analyses on the impact of music-based interventions on anxiety in patients undergoing hemodialysis failed to evaluate the impact of these interventions on other physiological outcomes. Therefore, in this study, we gather evidence on the effects of music-based interventions on physical and psychological outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis. To determine the influence of music-based interventions on anxiety, pain, heart rate, and blood pressure (systolic, diastolic) in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis, we performed a systematic literature search adhering to PRISMA guidelines on the EMBASE, CENTRAL, Scopus, and MEDLINE academic databases. We performed meta-analyses to consolidate the evidence on the influence of music-based interventions on the physical and psychological outcomes of patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis. From 1,402 studies, we found eight eligible studies with 597 (264 women, 287 men) patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis (mean age, 56.9 ± 10.8 years). Among these patients, 298 received the music-based intervention and 299 were included as controls. Our meta-analysis revealed a small-to-medium effect of the music-based intervention to reduce pain levels (Hedge's g, -0.75), anxiety (-0.16), heart rate (-0.15), and systolic (-0.14) and diastolic blood pressure (-0.11) in patients with chronic kidney disease receiving hemodialysis as compared to the values of the same variables in the control group. The evidence from our analyses supports the beneficial impact of music-based interventions to alleviate anxiety and pain, and to reduce heart rate and blood pressure in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The meat quality of chicken is an important factor affecting the consumer's health. It was hypothesized that n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) could be effectively deposited in chicken, by incorporating antioxidation of soybean isoflavone (SI), which led to improved quality of chicken meat for good health of human beings. Effects of partial or complete dietary substitution of lard (LA) with linseed oil (LO), with or without SI on growth performance, biochemical indicators, meat quality, fatty acid profiles, lipid-related health indicators and gene expression of breast muscle were examined in chickens. A total of 900 males were fed a corn–soybean meal diet supplemented with 4% LA, 2% LA + 2% LO and 4% LO and the latter two including 30 mg SI/kg (2% LA + 2% LO + SI and 4% LO + SI) from 29 to 66 days of age; each of the five dietary treatments included six replicates of 30 birds. Compared with the 4% LA diet, dietary 4% LO significantly increased the feed efficiency and had no negative effect on objective indices related to meat quality; LO significantly decreased plasma triglycerides and total cholesterol (TCH); abdominal fat percentage was significantly decreased in birds fed the 4% LO and 4% LO + SI diets. Chickens with LO diets resulted in higher contents of α-linolenic acid (C18:3n-3), EPA (C20:5n-3) and total n-3 PUFA, together with a lower content of palmitic acid (C16:0), lignoceric acid (C24:0), saturated fatty acids and n-6:n-3 ratio in breast muscle compared to 4% LA diet (P < 0.05); they also significantly decreased atherogenic index, thrombogenic index and increased the hypocholesterolemic to hypercholesterolemic ratio. Adding SI to the LO diets enhanced the contents of EPA and DHA (C22:6n-3), plasma total superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione (GSH)/oxidized glutathione and muscle GSH content, while decreased plasma total triglyceride and TCH and malondialdehyde content in plasma and breast muscle compared to its absence (P < 0.05). Expression in breast muscle of fatty acid desaturase 1 (FADS1), FADS2, elongase 2 (ELOVL2) and ELOVL5 genes were significantly higher with the LO diets including SI than with the 4% LA diet. Significant interactions existed between LO level and inclusion of SI on EPA and TCH contents. These findings indicate that diet supplemented with LO combined with SI is an effective alternative when optimizing the nutritional value of chicken meat for human consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elastic constants, electronic structure, and magnetic properties of rubidium-based fluoro-pervskite ferromagnetic semiconductor RbMnF3 and ferromagnetic half-metal RbFeF3 under strain were studied by first-principle methods. The calculation of elastic constants and mechanical parameters shows that both RbMnF3 and RbFeF3 have very stable mechanical properties in the strain range studied. In the strain range of − 6.0 to 10.0%, the ferromagnetic semiconductor characteristics of RbMnF3 can be maintained, and the semiconductor band gap can be increased from 1.49 eV at equilibrium to a maximum value of 1.80 eV under strain. The half-metallicity of RbFeF3 can also be preserved in the strain range of − 8.0 to 10.0%, and the half-metallic gap can reach up to 1.19 eV in this strain range. When RbMnF3 and RbFeF3 are ferromagnetic semiconductor and ferromagnetic half-metal, respectively, their molecular magnetic moments are integer values, and transition metal atoms are the most important contributors to total magnetic moment. Strong correlation correction does not change the physical properties of RbMnF3 and RbFeF3 in equilibrium state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium and chloride are the key factors maintaining normal osmotic pressure (OSM) and volume of the extracellular fluid, and influencing the acid–base balance of body fluids. The experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary Na+ and Cl− level on growth performance, excreta moisture, blood biochemical parameters, intestinal Na+–glucose transporter 1 (SGLT1) messenger RNA (mRNA), and Na+–H+ exchanger 2 (NHE2) mRNA, and to estimate the optimal dietary sodium and chlorine level for yellow-feathered chickens from 22 to 42days. A total of 900 22-day-old Lingnan yellow-feathered male chickens were randomly allotted to five treatments, each of which included six replicates of 30 chickens per floor pen. The basal control diet was based on corn and soybean meal (without added NaCl and NaHCO3). Treatments 2 to 5 consisted of the basal diet supplemented with equal weights of Na+ and Cl−, constituting 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3% and 0.4% of the diets. Supplemental dietary Na+ and Cl− improved the growth performance (P <0.05). Average daily gain (ADG) showed a quadratic broken-line regression to increasing dietary Na+ and Cl− (R 2=0.979, P <0.001), and reached a plateau at 0.1%. Supplemental Na+ and Cl− increased (P <0.05) serum Na+ and OSM in serum and showed a quadratic broken-line regression (R 2=0.997, P =0.004) at 0.11%. However, supplemental Na+ and Cl− decreased (P <0.05) serum levels of K+, glucose (GLU) and triglyceride. Higher levels of Na+ and Cl− decreased duodenal NHE2 transcripts (P <0.05), but had no effect on ileal SGLT1 transcripts. The activity of Na+ /K+-ATPase in the duodenum decreased (P <0.05) with higher levels of dietary Na+ and Cl−. In conclusion, the optimal dietary Na+ and Cl− requirements for yellow-feathered chickens in the grower phase, from 22 to 42 days of age, to optimize ADG, serum Na+, OSM, K+ and GLU were 0.10%, 0.11%, 0.11%,0.17% and 0.16%, respectively, by regression analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glutamine plays an important role in neonatal growth and health. It is unknown whether supplementing the lactating sows' diet with glutamine will benefit the growth performance and intestinal development of suckling piglets through increasing content of milk glutamine. A total of 24 lactating sows (Large White) were fed diets supplemented with/without 1% glutamine throughout the 21-d lactation. Feed intake of the sows was recorded, blood and milk samples were collected. Piglets were weighed at birth and weaning, one piglet randomly selected from each litter was sacrificed for morphological analysis of the small intestine. Average daily feed intake of the sows did not differ between control and glutamine groups. Concentrations of total protein and urea nitrogen in sows' serum was increased by glutamine at d 14 of lactation (P<0.05). Contents of glutamine in both plasma and milk of sows were significantly increased by glutamine supplementation throughout lactation (P<0.01). Concentrations of proline, citrulline, valine, isoleucine, leucine, and arginine in sows' plasma were increased by glutamine supplementation (all P<0.05). Milk yield was increased by glutamine supplementation at d 14 and 21 of lactation (P<0.05). Supplementing the lactating sows' diet with glutamine increased average daily gain (P=0.006), weaning weight (P=0.032), as well as villous height and ratio of villous height:crypt depth in duodenum of the suckling piglets (both P<0.05). Collectively, supplementing lactating sows' diet with 1% glutamine significantly improved the growth performance of suckling piglets through elevating milk yield and glutamine content in the milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]