Supplemented phase diagrams for vitrification CPA cocktails: DP6, VS55 and M22

DP6, VS55 and M22 are the most commonly used cryoprotective agent (CPA) cocktails for vitrification experiments in tissues and organs. However, complete phase diagrams for the three CPAs are often unavailable or incomplete (only available for full strength CPAs) thereby hampering optimization of vitrification and rewarming procedures. In this paper, we used differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to measure the transition temperatures including heterogeneous nucleation temperatures (T_het), glass transition temperatures (T_g), rewarming phase crystallization (devitrification and/or recrystallization) temperatures (T_d) and melting temperatures (T_m) while cooling or warming the CPA sample at 5 °C/min and plotted the obtained transition temperatures for different concentrations of CPAs into the phase diagrams. We also used cryomicroscopy cooling or warming the sample at the same rate to record the ice crystallization during the whole process, and we presented the cryomicroscopic images at the transition temperatures, which agreed with the DSC presented phenomena.

The Potential Prebiotic Berberine Combined With Methimazole Improved the Therapeutic Effect of Graves' Disease Patients Through Regulating the Intestinal Microbiome

Graves’ disease, a typical metabolism disorder, causes diffuse goiter accompanied by ocular abnormalities and ocular dysfunction. Although methimazole (MI) is a commonly used drug for the treatment of GD, the efficacy of methimazole is only limited to the control of clinical indicators, and the side effects of MI should be seriously considered. Here, we designed a 6-month clinical trial that divided the patients into two groups: a methimazole group (n=8) and a methimazole combined with potential prebiotic berberine group (n=10). The effects of both treatments on thyroid function and treatment outcomes in patients with GD were assessed by thyroid index measurements and gut microbiota metagenomic sequencing. The results showed that the addition of berberine restored the patients’ TSH and FT3 indices to normal levels, whereas MI alone restored only FT3. In addition, TRAb was closer to the healthy threshold at the end of treatment with the drug combination. MI alone failed to modulate the gut microbiota of the patients. However, the combination of berberine with methimazole significantly altered the microbiota structure of the patients, increasing the abundance of the beneficial bacteria Lactococcus lactis while decreasing the abundance of the pathogenic bacteria Enterobacter hormaechei and Chryseobacterium indologenes. Furthermore, further mechanistic exploration showed that the addition of berberine resulted in a significant upregulation of the synthesis of enterobactin, which may have increased iron functioning and thus restored thyroid function. In conclusion, methimazole combined with berberine has better efficacy in patients with GD, suggesting the potential benefit of berberine combined with methimazole in modulating the composition of intestinal microbes in the treatment of GD, providing new strong evidence for the effectiveness of combining Chinese and Western drugs from the perspective of modulating the intestinal microbiota.

Effect of Resistance Training Combined with Beta-Hydroxy-Beta-Methylbutyric Acid Supplements in Elderly Patients with Sarcopenia after Hip Replacement

Objectives

To evaluate the efficacy of resistance training (RT) combined with beta‐hydroxy‐beta‐methylbutyric acid (HMB) in the treatment of elderly patients with sarcopenia after hip replacement.

Methods

From January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018, 200 elderly patients (68 men, mean age 76.3 years and 137 women, mean age 79.1 years) who experienced femoral neck fracture with sarcopenia after hip arthroplasty were assigned to four groups: RT + HMB group, RT group, HMB group, and negative control group. Baseline data, body composition, grip strength, Barthel index (BI), Harris hip score (HHS), and visual analog scale score (VAS) were compared among the four groups before and 3 months after surgery.

Results

A total of 177 participants completed the trial, including 43 in the HMB + RT group, 44 in the HMB group, 45 in the RT group, and 45 in the negative control group. At the 3‐month follow‐up, the body composition and grip strength of the HMB + RT group and RT group were significantly improved compared with those before operation. The HMB group had no significant change, while the measures in the negative control group significantly decreased. Postoperative BI and HSS did not reach pre‐injury levels in any of the four groups, but postoperative VAS score was significantly improved. However, there was no significant difference in BI, HSS, or VAS among the four groups.

Conclusion

RT, with or without HMB supplementation, can effectively improve body composition and grip strength in elderly patients with sarcopenia after hip replacement at short‐term follow‐up. Simultaneously, use of exclusive HMB supplementation alone may also help to prevent decreases in muscle mass and grip strength in these patients.

High anti-interference dual-parameter sensor using an EIT-like effect photonic crystal cavity coupled system

We propose a sensor with high anti-interference ability using a photonic crystal cavity coupled system for simultaneous sensing of the refractive index (RI) and temperature (T) based on an electromagnetically induced transparency-like effect. A transparent window is achieved in the transmission spectrum through destructive interference between the air mode resonance and dielectric mode resonance in two one-dimensional photonic crystal structures. The T-sensitive material (SU-8) is used in the coupled system, promoting sensitivity and anti-interference ability. The capability of the system to simultaneously detect a small range of RI and T is demonstrated using three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain simulations and the fitting process. The RI sensitivities for the air and dielectric modes were 215 nm/refractive index unit (RIU) and 0 nm/RIU, respectively. The T sensitivities for the air and dielectric modes were 19 pm/K and -83pm/K, respectively. The sensor resists external interference, enabling it to resist the error caused by readings. The footprint of the sensor is 29×1.8µm² (length×width), contributing to future optical on-chip integration sensor design.

Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of hypoxia signaling attenuates oncogenic RAS-induced cancer phenotypes

Oncogenic Ras mutations are highly prevalent in hematopoietic malignancies. However, it is difficult to directly target oncogenic RAS proteins for therapeutic intervention. We have developed a Drosophila acute myeloid leukemia model induced by human KRAS^G12V, which exhibits a dramatic increase in myeloid-like leukemia cells. We performed both genetic and drug screens using this model. The genetic screen identified 24 candidate genes able to attenuate the oncogenic RAS-induced phenotype, including two key hypoxia pathway genes HIF1A and ARNT (HIF1B). The drug screen revealed that echinomycin, an inhibitor of HIF1A, can effectively attenuate the leukemia phenotype caused by KRAS^G12V. Furthermore, we showed that echinomycin treatment can effectively suppress oncogenic RAS-driven leukemia cell proliferation, using both human leukemia cell lines and a mouse xenograft model. These data suggest that inhibiting the hypoxia pathway could be an effective treatment approach and that echinomycin is a promising targeted drug to attenuate oncogenic RAS-induced cancer phenotypes.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.

Summary: Hypoxia pathway inhibition, either genetically or pharmacologically, rescues RAS-induced oncogenesis in a Drosophila acute myeloid leukemia model, mouse xenograft model and human leukemia cells.

Effect of flurbiprofen axetil combined with “Cocktail” therapy on opioid dosage in patients after total knee arthroplasty

Objectives:

To investigate the effect of flurbiprofen axetil combined with “cocktail” therapy on opioid dosage in patients after total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Methods:

The clinical data of 200 patients who underwent TKA in Baoding No.1 Central Hospital hospital from March 2019 to March 2021 were collected for retrospective analysis. All 200 patients were divided into two groups according to their intraoperative anesthesia methods: the control group (100 cases) and the experimental group (100 cases). Patients in the control group were treated with “cocktail” therapy intraoperatively, while those in the experimental group were treated with flurbiprofen axetil combined with “cocktail” therapy intraoperatively. The hip pain scores in resting state and motion state were compared between the two groups at different postoperative time points, and postoperative pain relief, adverse reactions, and patient satisfaction with analgesia were statistically analyzed to evaluate the postoperative quality of life of the patients.

Results:

A statistically significant difference was observed in the intergroup and temporal effects of pain scores in resting state and motion state between the two groups (p<0.05). By comparison at each time point, the pain scores in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group at the time point T1-T6 in resting and motion states, with a statistically significant difference (p<0.05). The frequency and dosage of remedial medication per capita in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group, with a statistical significance (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in the scores of life quality items between the two groups preoperatively (p>0.05), while the scores of each item in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group postoperatively (p<0.05). The satisfaction degree of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group, showing a statistically significant difference (p<0.05).

Conclusions:

Flurbiprofen axetil combined with “cocktail” therapy is a safe treatment regimen that can improve the quality of life and safety of patients. With such a regimen, postoperative pain of patients undergoing TKA can be effectively relieved, and the use of opioids can be reduced.

Antimicrobial effects of four chemical additives on fermentation quality, aerobic stability, and in vitro ruminal digestibility of total mixed ration silage prepared with local food by-products

The objective of the work is to evaluate the effects of four chemical additives on fermentation quality, aerobic stability, and in vitro ruminal digestibility of total mixed ration (TMR) silage. TMR containing 15% spent mushroom substrate, 25% soybean sauce residue, 45% napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum (L.) Schum.), and 15% concentrate was ensiled with the following: (1) no additives (control), (2) potassium sorbate (PS, 0.1%), (3) sodium benzoate (SB, 0.1%), (4) sodium diacetate (SDA, 0.5%), and (5) calcium propionate (CAP, 0.5%) based on fresh weight. All silos (10 L) were opened for fermentation quality, in vitro ruminal digestibility analysis after 60 days of ensiling, and then subjected to aerobic stability test for 9 days. All TMR silages were well-conserved, as indicated by low pH, butyric acid, and ammonia nitrogen contents. During aerobic exposure, SDA was more stable with higher (p < 0.05) lactic acid and acetic acid contents and lower (p < 0.05) yeast counts than other TMR silages. In addition, SDA significantly (p < 0.05) increased cumulate gas production and in vitro dry matter digestibility compared with the control. Overall, SDA is recommended as additives to improve fermentation quality, in vitro ruminal digestibility, and aerobic stability of TMR silage prepared with local food by-products.

Metagenomics assembled genome scale analysis revealed the microbial diversity and genetic polymorphism of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum in traditional fermented foods of Hainan, China

Exploring the microbiome in fermented foods and their effects on food quality and sustainability is beneficial to provide data support for understanding how they affects human physiology. Here, metagenomic sequencing and metagenomic assembled genomes (MAGs) were applied to appraise the microbial diversity of fermented Yucha (FYC) and fermented vegetables (FVE). The antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) enrichment and genetic polymorphism of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum in fermented foods of different regions were compared. The results showed that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum was the dominant species in FYC, while Lactiplantibacillus fermentum in FVE occupied the dominant position. From 32 high-quality MAGs, the central differential Lactic acid bacteria were higher in FVE. By comparing the Lactiplantibacillus plantarum MAGs in Hainan and Other regions, we found that the total Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum in Hainan were significantly higher than other areas. Six non-synonymous mutations were included in the primary differential mutation, especially TrkA family potassium uptake protein and MerR family transcriptional regulator, which may be related to the hypersaline environment and highest ARGs enrichment in Hainan. This research provides valuable insight into our understanding of the microbiome of fermented food. Meanwhile, the analysis of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum genetic polymorphism based on MAGs helps us understand this strain's evolutionary history.

1097. A Comparison of Area-Under Curve (AUC)-Guided vs Trough-Guided Monitoring of Vancomycin and Its Impact on Nephrotoxicity: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background

Trough levels have been used for Vancomycin (VAN) therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) historically due to its practicality. A paradigm shift towards the use of area under curve (AUC)-guided dosing TDM has been made due to availability of advanced pharmacokinetics software, variability between trough levels and AUC values and the potential for reducing toxicity. This review aims to evaluate the impact of AUC-guided vs trough-guided vancomycin TDM on nephrotoxicity-related outcomes.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted using PubMed®, Embase®, Web of Science®, CINAHL®, Google scholar and Cochrane library® up till 1st January 2021 and was reported according to the PRISMA checklist. Studies which evaluated AUC-guided or trough-guided VAN TDM and vancomycin-associated nephrotoxicity were included. Random effects models were used to compare differences in nephrotoxicity between trough level or AUC based vancomycin TDM due to expected heterogeneity in study designs.

PRISMA Flowchart

PRISMA flow chart depicting the selection process of studies included in the meta-analysis

Results

Of 1191 records retrieved, 57 studies were included. Majority of studies included adult and elderly patients (n=47, 82.5%). The pooled prevalence of nephrotoxicity was lower using the AUC-guided TDM [6.2%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.9 – 9.5%] compared to trough-guided TDM [17.0%; 95% CI: 14.7 – 19.2%]. The risk of nephrotoxicity was lower with the AUC-guided approach as compared with the trough-guided approach [OR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.32–0.89]. AUC thresholds correlated with risk of nephrotoxicity only for the first 96 hours of therapy. A frequency analysis of significant multivariable factors showed that concomitant use of nephrotoxins, VAN trough levels and duration of VAN therapy were most commonly associated with nephrotoxicity.

Forest plot comparing the risk of nephrotoxicity of AUC-guided vs trough-guided

Forest plot comparing the risk of nephrotoxicity of AUC-guided vs trough-guided

Pooled nephrotoxicity rates from AUC-guided monitoring

Pooled nephrotoxicity rates from AUC-guided monitoring

Pooled nephrotoxicity rates from trough-guided monitoring

Pooled nephrotoxicity rates from trough-guided monitoring

Conclusion

The AUC-guided approach appeared to have lower risk of nephrotoxicity which supports the updated American Society of Health-System Pharmacists recommendations. More studies should be performed to evaluate the optimal derivation of AUC and clinical utility of repeated measurements of vancomycin AUC and trough levels.

Disclosures

All Authors: No reported disclosures

Assisted Hatching Treatment of Piezo-Mediated Small Hole on Zona Pellucida in Morula Stage Embryos Improves Embryo Implantation and Litter Size in Mice

For in vitro produced embryos generated from in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedure, the intra- and extra-environmental factors during in vitro culture have significant impact on latter embryo development and fetus growth. Assisted hatching (AH), an effective approach to facilitate hatchability for in vitro generated embryos, is an essential step for successful embryo implantation in the uterus. However, regarding the different AH methods reported in clinical practice, it is still unknown whether zona pellucida (ZP) broken is based on AH applied in diverse stages of embryos affect implantation and fetal development. Here, piezo-mediated AH treatments were classified into four categories: (1) drilling one small hole (SH) with a diameter of 10 μm on ZP (SH); (2) drilling one large hole (LH) with a diameter of 40 μm on ZP (LH); (3) made a small area with diameter of 40-μm thinner on ZP [small area thinner (ST)]; (4) made a large area with a diameter of 80-μm thinner [large area thinner (LT)]. These four AH treatments were applied in different stage embryos including two-cell, four-cell, and morula. The most efficient AH approach was chosen according to the final hatch rate at 120 h after fertilization. We found that the approach of SH applied in morula-stage embryos obtained the highest hatch rate. To further investigate if this treatment has any side effect on later development after embryo transfer, we evaluated embryo implantation, gestational period, litter size, and growth. Our results showed that SH applied in morula-stage embryos could facilitate the implantation process and increase litter size. Meanwhile, this approach had no side effect on birth weight, growth, or gender ratio in the offspring. We conclude that drilling a SH on ZP in morula-stage embryos is an effective and reliable AH approach for in vitro cultured embryos in rodent. And this approach is worth further investigating in human-assisted reproductive technology.

Artificial neural networks applied in fast-designing ultrabroad bandgap elliptical hole dielectric mode photonic crystal nanobeam cavity

Artificial neural networks are employed to predict the band structure of the one-dimensional photonic crystal nanobeam, and to inverse-design the geometry structure with on-demand band edges. The data sets generated by 3D finite-difference time-domain based on elliptical-shaped hole nanobeams are used to train the networks and evaluate the networks' accuracy. Based on the well-trained forward prediction and inverse-design network, an ultrabroad bandgap elliptical hole dielectric mode nanobeam cavity is designed. The bandgap achieves 77.7 THz for the center segment of the structure, and the whole designing process takes only 0.73 s. The approach can also be expanded to fast-design elliptical hole air mode nanobeam cavities. The present work is of significance for further research on the application of artificial neural networks in photonic crystal cavities and other optical devices design.

Autophagy inhibition rescues structural and functional defects caused by the loss of mitochondrial chaperone Hsc70-5 in Drosophila

We investigated in larval and adult Drosophila models whether loss of the mitochondrial chaperone Hsc70-5 is sufficient to cause pathological alterations commonly observed in Parkinson disease. At affected larval neuromuscular junctions, no effects on terminal size, bouton size or number, synapse size, or number were observed, suggesting that we studied an early stage of pathogenesis. At this stage, we noted a loss of synaptic vesicle proteins and active zone components, delayed synapse maturation, reduced evoked and spontaneous excitatory junctional potentials, increased synaptic fatigue, and cytoskeleton rearrangements. The adult model displayed ATP depletion, altered body posture, and susceptibility to heat-induced paralysis. Adult phenotypes could be suppressed by knockdown of dj-1β, Lrrk, DCTN2-p50, DCTN1-p150, Atg1, Atg101, Atg5, Atg7, and Atg12. The knockdown of components of the macroautophagy/autophagy machinery or overexpression of human HSPA9 broadly rescued larval and adult phenotypes, while disease-associated HSPA9 variants did not. Overexpression of Pink1 or promotion of autophagy exacerbated defects.Abbreviations: AEL: after egg laying; AZ: active zone; brp: bruchpilot; Csp: cysteine string protein; dlg: discs large; eEJPs: evoked excitatory junctional potentials; GluR: glutamate receptor; H₂O₂: hydrogen peroxide; mEJP: miniature excitatory junctional potentials; MT: microtubule; NMJ: neuromuscular junction; PD: Parkinson disease; Pink1: PTEN-induced putative kinase 1; PSD: postsynaptic density; SSR: subsynaptic reticulum; SV: synaptic vesicle; VGlut: vesicular glutamate transporter.

A laser-mediated photo-manipulative toolbox for generation and real-time monitoring of DNA lesions

With the advancement of laser-based microscopy tools, it is now possible to explore mechano-kinetic processes occurring inside the cell. Here, we describe the advanced protocol for studying the DNA repair kinetics in real time using the laser to induce the DNA damage. This protocol can be used for inducing, testing, and studying the repair mechanisms associated with DNA double-strand breaks, interstrand cross-link repair, and single-strand break repair. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Kumar et al. (2017, 2020).

Phosphorylation of slit diaphragm proteins NEPHRIN and NEPH1 upon binding of HGF promotes podocyte repair

Phosphorylation (activation) and dephosphorylation (deactivation) of the slit diaphragm proteins NEPHRIN and NEPH1 are critical for maintaining the kidney epithelial podocyte actin cytoskeleton and, therefore, proper glomerular filtration. However, the mechanisms underlying these events remain largely unknown. Here we show that NEPHRIN and NEPH1 are novel receptor proteins for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and can be phosphorylated independently of the mesenchymal epithelial transition receptor in a ligand-dependent fashion through engagement of their extracellular domains by HGF. Furthermore, we demonstrate SH2 domain–containing protein tyrosine phosphatase-2–dependent dephosphorylation of these proteins. To establish HGF as a ligand, purified baculovirus-expressed NEPHRIN and NEPH1 recombinant proteins were used in surface plasma resonance binding experiments. We report high-affinity interactions of NEPHRIN and NEPH1 with HGF, although NEPHRIN binding was 20-fold higher than that of NEPH1. In addition, using molecular modeling we constructed peptides that were used to map specific HGF-binding regions in the extracellular domains of NEPHRIN and NEPH1. Finally, using an in vitro model of cultured podocytes and an ex vivo model of Drosophila nephrocytes, as well as chemically induced injury models, we demonstrated that HGF-induced phosphorylation of NEPHRIN and NEPH1 is centrally involved in podocyte repair. Taken together, this is the first study demonstrating a receptor-based function for NEPHRIN and NEPH1. This has important biological and clinical implications for the repair of injured podocytes and the maintenance of podocyte integrity.

[Japan narrow-band imaging Expert Team type 2B colorectal cancer: consistency between endoscopic prediction and pathological diagnosis]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the potential factors that affect the accuracy of endoscopic diagnosis for Japan narrow-band imaging (NBI) Expert Team (JNET) type 2B colorectal lesions.

OBJECTIVE

The clinical data were collected from 261 patients with JNET type 2B colorectal lesions diagnosed in Nanfang Hospital between July, 2018 and July, 2021. We analyzed the macroscopic type, size, location or pit pattern classification of the lesions for their potential influence of the diagnostic accuracy of JNET type 2B lesions.

OBJECTIVE

The 261 lesions included 91 low-grade intramucosal neoplasia lesions (34.9%), 132 high-grade intramucosal neoplasia lesions (50.6%), 13 submucosal invasive cancer lesions (5.0%), and 25 deep submucosal invasive cancer lesions (9.6%). The coincidence rate between endoscopic prediction and pathological diagnosis of these lesions was 55.6% (145/ 261). The macroscopic type and size of the lesions were significantly associated with the diagnostic accuracy of JNET type 2B lesions (P < 0.001). There was a significant difference in the diagnostic accuracy among the lesions with different pit pattern types (P < 0.001).

OBJECTIVE

Both the macroscopic type and size affect the accuracy of endoscopic diagnosis of JNET type 2B colorectal lesions. JNET classification combined with pit pattern types can have better accuracy in predicting the pathological diagnosis of these lesions.