Occurrence, Spatial Distribution, and Bioaccumulation of Dissolved Synthetic Musks in Freshwaters across China

Commercial chemicals, such as synthetic musks, are of global concern, but data on their occurrence and spatial distribution in aquatic environments of large scale are scarce. Two sampling campaigns were conducted in the present study to measure freely dissolved synthetic musks in freshwaters across China using passive samplers, along with biological coexposure at selected sites. Polycyclic musks (PCMs) dominated synthetic musks, with a detection frequency of 95%. Higher concentrations of PCMs were observed in densely populated Mid, East, and South China compared to less populated regions, indicating the significance of anthropogenic activities for synthetic musks in water. The concentration ratios of galaxolide (HHCB)/tonalide (AHTN) were significantly higher in low-latitude areas than in high-latitude areas from June to September, suggesting that solar radiation played an important role in the degradation of HHCB/AHTN. Significant correlations were found between dissolved concentrations of HHCB and AHTN and their lipid-normalized concentrations in coexposed fish and clam. The estimated hazard quotients for HHCB and AHTN in freshwater fish consumed by humans were less than 0.01 at all sampling sites except the Yangtze River Basin. These results help to understand the environmental fate and ecological risks of synthetic musks on a large geographical scale.

3D monitoring of the microphase separations inside the intraocular lens

Glistenings often occur after implanting the intraocular lens (IOL) due to the formation of numerous microvacuoles (MVs) and may lead to deterioration of vision quality. Previous studies showed the formation of MVs was associated with the hydrophobicity of IOL materials. Yet, the mechanism remains an open question due to the complexity of IOL polymer networks. In this study, two commercialized IOLs with similar hydrophobicity are found distinct in the formation of MVs. The 3D growth kinetics of MVs during cooling processes are captured for the first time by digital holographic microscopy (DHM) and the components of MVs are measured by DHM and Raman spectroscopy. The results reveal that the growth of MVs stems from the microphase separation of water and surrounding IOL polymers. A polymer swelling model is thus proposed to describe the microphase separation process which is found dependent on the elasticity of IOL polymer networks. The total volume of MVs is determined by the IOL hydrophobicity, while the elastic force of IOL polymer networks determines the number density and size of MVs. This study demonstrates an approach for characterizing the phase separation of crosslinked polymeric materials in biosystems and sheds lights on the refinement of IOL materials. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Glistenings due to the formation of numerous microvacuoles (MVs) in intraocular lens (IOL) can occur after IOL implantation, which may induce poor quality of vision. However, the underlying mechanism of MVs formation is still an open question. This study establishes an in-situ 3D imaging platform to monitor growth kinetics of the MVs in IOLs, which allows to uncover the mechanism of glistenings formation resulting from the microphase separation. The findings imply the material hydrophobicity influences the total volume of MVs, while the local elasticity of IOL polymer networks determines the number density and the size of MVs. This study offers a new approach for characterizing phase separation in crosslinking biosystems and sheds lights on the refinement of IOL materials.

[Species and population density of malaria vector Anopheles in Sichuan Province from 2011 to 2021]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the distribution of malaria vector Anopheles in Sichuan Province from 2011 to 2021, so as to provide the scientific evidence for improving the surveillance of malaria vector Anopheles and preventing re-establishment of imported malaria in Sichuan Province.

METHODS

The density and species of Anopheles mosquitoes were investigated using human-bait trapping and light trapping techniques in malaria vector surveillance sites of Sichuan Province from 2011 to 2021. The number, population and density of captured Anopheles mosquitoes were collected and descriptively analyzed, and the geographical distribution map of malaria vectors was plotted using the software ArcGIS 10.7 in Sichuan Province.

RESULTS

A total of 152 243 Anopheles mosquitoes were captured in malaria vector surveillance sites of Sichuan Province from 2011 to 2021, including 150 987 An. sinensis (99.18%) and 1 256 An. anthropophagus (0.82%), and no other Anopheles species were captured. The annual densities of An. sinensis and An. anthropophagus were 0.64 to 1.27 mosquitoes/(person-hour) and 0 to 0.07 mosquitoes/(person-hour) by the human-bait trapping technique, and 6.46 to 26.50 mosquitoes/(light-night) and 0 to 0.82 mosquitoes/(light-night) by the light trapping technique in malaria vector surveillance sites of Sichuan Province from 2011 to 2021. A relatively higher density of An. anthropophagus was seen in Renshou County, Jianyang City, Weiyuan County and Mabian Yi Autonomous County [> 0.40 mosquitoes/(person-hour)] by the human-bait trapping technique, and in Cuiping District and Gaoxian County in Yibin City [> 1.00 mosquito/(light-night)] by the light trapping technique in Sichuan Province from 2011 to 2018, with no An. anthropophagus captured from 2019 to 2021, and a relatively higher density of An. sinensis was detected in Emeishan City, Lushan County, Luojiang District, Tongchuan District and Zhaohua District [> 4.00 mosquitoes/(person-hour)] by the human-bait trapping technique, and in Huili County, Yuexi County, Dechang County, Langzhong City, Pingchang County and Xuanhan County [> 40.00 mosquitoes/(light-night)] by the light trapping technique in Sichuan Province from 2011 to 2021.

CONCLUSIONS

Malaria vectors were still widespread in Sichuan Province from 2011 to 2021, and An. sinensis was the dominant species of malaria vectors. There is still a risk of local re-establishment of imported malaria in Sichuan Province, and it is needed to continue to improve the surveillance of imported malaria cases and malaria vectors.

Unconventionally fast transport through sliding dynamics of rodlike particles in macromolecular networks

Transport of rodlike particles in confinement environments of macromolecular networks plays crucial roles in many important biological processes and technological applications. The relevant understanding has been limited to thin rods with diameter much smaller than network mesh size, although the opposite case, of which the dynamical behaviors and underlying physical mechanisms remain unclear, is ubiquitous. Here, we solve this issue by combining experiments, simulations and theory. We find a nonmonotonic dependence of translational diffusion on rod length, characterized by length commensuration-governed unconventionally fast dynamics which is in striking contrast to the monotonic dependence for thin rods. Our results clarify that such a fast diffusion of thick rods with length of integral multiple of mesh size follows sliding dynamics and demonstrate it to be anomalous yet Brownian. Moreover, good agreement between theoretical analysis and simulations corroborates that the sliding dynamics is an intermediate regime between hopping and Brownian dynamics, and provides a mechanistic interpretation based on the rod-length dependent entropic free energy barrier. The findings yield a principle, that is, length commensuration, for optimal design of rodlike particles with highly efficient transport in confined environments of macromolecular networks, and might enrich the physics of the diffusion dynamics in heterogeneous media.

Mechanism Insights of Antibacterial Surfaces Coated with Dead Probiotics

To understand the antimicrobial effect of surfaces fabricated with dead probiotics, we prepared surfaces decorated with dead probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) with varied inactivation methods and explored their inhibitory interactions with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAO1). By combining several techniques, i.e., digital holographic microscopy (DHM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), RNA sequencing, and metabolomic analysis, we studied the three-dimensional (3D) swimming behaviors, surface adhesion, biofilm formation, and adaptive responses of PAO1 near such surfaces. The results show that planktonic PAO1 decreases their flick and reverse motions by downregulating the chemotaxis pathway and accelerates with less accumulation near dead LGG surfaces by upregulating the flagellar assembly pathway and decreasing cyclic adenosine monophosphate. Distinct from live siblings, the surfaces decorated with dead LGG show a significant reduction in adhesion strength with PAO1 and inhibit biofilm formation with more downregulated genes in the Pseudomonas quinolone signal and biofilm formation pathway. We demonstrate that the antibacterial ability of such surfaces stems from the gradually released lysate from the dead LGG that is unfavorable to PAO1 in close proximity. The releasing rate and order depend on the cell membrane integrity, which closely relates to the inactivation methods.

Fluorescent Visualization of Chemical Profiles across the Air-Water Interface

Chemical transfer across the air-water interface is one of the most important geochemical processes of global significance. Quantifying such a process has remained extremely challenging due to the lack of suitable technologies to measure chemical diffusion across the air-water microlayer. Herein, we present a fluorescence optical system capable of visualizing the formation of the air-water microlayer with a spatial resolution of 10 μm and quantifying air-water diffusion fluxes using pyrene as a target chemical. We show for the first time that the air-water microlayer is composed of the surface microlayer in water (∼290 ± 40 μm) and a diffusion layer in air (∼350 ± 40 μm) with 1 μg L-1 of pyrene. The diffusion flux of pyrene across the air-water interface is derived from its high-resolution concentration profile without any pre-emptive assumption, which is 2 orders of magnitude lower than those from the conventional method. This system can be expanded to visualize diffusion dynamics of other fluorescent chemicals across the air-water interface and provides a powerful tool for furthering our understanding of air-water mass transfer of organic chemicals related to their global cycling.

Role of Surface Coverage of Sessile Probiotics in Their Interplay with Pathogen Bacteria Investigated by Digital Holographic Microscopy

The adhesion of probiotics plays an important role in the gastrointestinal tract. Understanding the effect of the coverage of colonized probiotics on enteric pathogens is critical for the design of effective probiotic therapies. In the present work, we have investigated the adaptive behaviors of the intestinal pathogenic bacteria Enterobacter sakazakii (ES) near the surfaces coated with a probiotic─Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) as a function of surface coverage ratio (CRLGG) by using a home-setup digital holographic microscopy. It shows that ES cells can adaptively sense LGG within a distance of 4.2 μm, even at CRLGG values as low as 0.05%. The growth inhibition of ES cells slightly varies with CRLGG, but the near-surface acceleration and accumulation of ES cells have much dependence on CRLGG. As CRLGG increases from 0.05 to 24.6%, the percentage of actively swimming ES, the motion bias, the acceleration, and the interplay duration do not linearly vary with CRLGG. Instead, each of them shows an extreme at CRLGG of 13.4%, corresponding to the chemotaxis behaviors of ES cells induced by diffusing stimuli (organic acids, bacteriocins, etc.) released from LGG, which showed an extreme concentration gradient at CRLGG = 13.4% by simulations. Our study clearly demonstrates that surface coverage of sessile probiotics profoundly influences their interplay with pathogen bacteria, which should be taken into account in designing probiotic therapies.

[Influencing factors for electronic cigarette use among Chinese adolescent students: a Meta-analysis]

Objective: To explore the influencing factors of electronic cigarette use among adolescent students in China. Methods: We searched CNKI, Database of Chinese sci-tech periodicals (VIP), Wan-fang database, PubMed, Web of Science and ScienceDirect for potentially relevant articles published from the inception to March 20th, 2023. The Metagen package in R was used for Meta-analysis. Results: A total of 19 publications with a sample size of 5 336 017 were identified. The results showed that electronic cigarette use among Chinese adolescent students was associated with gender (OR=2.41, 95%CI: 2.03-2.86), close friends smoking (OR=3.02, 95%CI: 2.08-4.39), current smoking (OR=11.26, 95%CI: 4.35-29.18), friends using electronic cigarettes (OR=5.19, 95%CI: 2.01-13.38), thinking smoking makes young people look more attractive (OR=2.00, 95%CI: 1.35-2.97), type of school (OR=2.10, 95%CI: 1.59-2.78), thinking smoking makes people feel more comfortable in social situations (OR=3.58, 95%CI: 2.99-4.28), other tobacco use (OR=5.53, 95%CI: 3.33-9.20), and ever experimented with cigarette use (OR=9.32, 95%CI: 4.38-19.80). Conclusion: The influencing factors for electronic cigarette use among adolescent students in China include gender, close friends smoking, current smoking, friends using electronic cigarettes, thinking smoking makes young people look more attractive, type of school, thinking smoking makes people feel more comfortable in social situations, other tobacco use, and ever experimented with cigarette use.

Experimental Validation of a Kinetic Ballooning Mode in High-Performance High-Bootstrap Current Fraction Fusion Plasmas

We report the observation of a set of coherent high frequency electromagnetic fluctuations that leads to a turbulence induced self-regulating phenomenon in the DIII-D high bootstrap current fraction plasma. The fluctuations have frequency of 130-220  kHz, the poloidal wavelength and phase velocity are 16-30  m^{-1} and ∼30  km/s, respectively, in the outboard midplane with the estimated toroidal mode number n∼5-9. The fluctuations are located in the internal transport barrier (ITB) region at large radius and are experimentally validated to be kinetic ballooning modes (KBM). Quasilinear estimation predicts the KBM to be able to drive experimental particle flux and non-negligible thermal flux, suggesting its significant role in regulating the ITB saturation.

NIR light-driven pure organic Janus-like nanoparticles for thermophoresis-enhanced photothermal therapy

Photothermal therapy (PTT) represents a promising noninvasive tumor therapeutic modality, but the current strategies for enhancing photothermal effect have been mainly based on promoting thermal relaxation or suppressing radiative dissipation process of excited energy, leaving little room for further improvement in photothermal effect. Herein, as a proof of concept, we report the thermophoresis-enhanced photothermal effect with pure organic Janus-like nanoparticles (Janus-like NPs) for PTT. The Janus-like NPs are eccentrically loaded with compactly J-aggregated photothermal molecules (DMA-BDTO), which show red-shifted absorption wavelength and inhibited radiative decay as compared to individual molecules. Under NIR irradiation, the asymmetric heat generation at particle surface endows Janus-like NPs the active thermophoresis, which further increases collisions and converts kinetic energy into thermal energy, and Janus-like NPs exhibit significantly elevated temperature as compared to conventional NPs with homogenously distributed DMA-BDTO. Both in vitro and in vivo results confirm such thermophoresis-enhanced photothermal effect for improved PTT. Our new strategy of thermophoresis-enhanced photothermal effect shall open new insights for improving photothermal-related tumor therapy.

Refining the TNM M1 Subcategory for De Novo Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

To refine oligometastatic disease (OMD) and construct M1 categories for de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (dmNPC) MATERIALS/METHODS: We included 504 patients who received chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy between 2010-2019 from two centers (training and validation cohort). Multivariable analyses were used to evaluate the prognostic value of OMD and metastatic organs, which were then used to construct M1 categories RESULTS: The median follow-up for the training and validation cohorts were 46 and 57 months, respectively. OMD (≤ 2 metastatic organs and ≤ 5 metastatic lesions) had the highest C-index compared to the other models in both cohorts. Multivariable analyses, in which both OMD and liver metastases did not coexist, revealed that OMD (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.110 and 1.598) and liver metastases (HR = 1.572 and 1.452) were prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) in both cohorts. Based on OMD and liver metastases, patients with dmNPC were divided into M1a (OMD without liver metastases) and M1b (OMD with liver metastases or polymetastatic disease). The 3-year OS of the M1a patients was better than that of the M1b patients in both cohorts (both p < 0.001). In the anti-PD1 mAb and chemotherapy cohorts, patients with M1ahad a significantly better median progression-free survival than those with M1b (p < 0.001) CONCLUSION: OMD with ≤ 2 metastatic organs and ≤ 5 metastatic lesions is an appropriate definition for dmNPC. M1 subcategories constructed based on OMD and liver metastases improved prognostic evaluation for patients with dmNPC who received chemotherapy or antiPD1 mAb treatment.

Effects of Yi Jin Jing on juvenile cervical spondylopathy in China: A parallel, randomized, assessor-blinded clinical trial

Background

Cervical spondylopathy is a common musculo-articular disorder, multiple exercises are recommended. Chinese fitness exercises are prevalent and used to treat various diseases.

Aim

To explore the efficacy of Chinese fitness exercise Yi Jin Jing exercise in intervening the cervical spondylopathy in adolescents.

Patients and Methods

The study was conducted in 60 adolescent patients with cervical spondylopathy, with 30 patients in each group.

Methods

The study was conducted in 60 adolescent patients with cervical spondylopathy, with 30 patients in each group. The observation group was required to take Yi Jin Jing exercise, and the control group took the brisk walking exercise. The first week was the preparatory period for the patients, and then the participants were required to do exercises three times a week for at least 30 minutes in the later 3 weeks. Before and after treatment, Neck Disability Index (NDI) scores, pain visual analog scale (VAS) scores, and cervical curvature in both groups were observed, and the incidence of adverse events in both groups was recorded during the trial.

Results

The NDI and VAS scores in both groups statistically decreased after intervention and mildly increased at follow-up, while the reduction in scores of the Yi Jin Jing group was more significant. Cervical curvature in both groups improved on day 28 compared to day 0. There were no adverse reactions during the evaluation period.

Conclusion

The Chinese health-care qigong Yi Jin Jing exercise is more effective than brisk walking in improving the cervical range of motion and relieving pain in adolescents with cervical spondylopathy. Trial registration/Protocol registration: Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2000030723).

[Drug resistance and molecular typing of diarrheagenic escherichia coli from the diarrhea clinics in Qingpu District, Shanghai City from 2015 to 2019]

Objective: To analyze the drug resistance and multilocus sequence typing of five types of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) isolated from diarrhea outpatients of diarrhea comprehensive monitoring designated hospital in Qingpu District, Shanghai City from 2015 to 2019. Methods: From January 2015 to December 2019, five types of DEC, isolated and identified from diarrhea outpatient cases' anal swabs of the Qingpu branch of Zhongshan Hospital were collected to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration by using the micro broth dilution susceptibility test. The strains, resistant to the third-generation cephalosporins or carbapenems, or producing ESBLs, were selected based on the results of sensitivity tests and determined by WGS. The MLST typing of DEC was analyzed based on the WGS technology and the minimum spanning tree was constructed by BioNumerics 7.6 software to analyze the local dominant flora. Results: A total of 513 strains of DEC were detected and isolated from 4 494 anal swabs, with a detection rate of 11.42%. About 500 strains were tested for drug sensitivity to nine antibiotics in four classes, including 330 strains of enterotoxigenic E.coli (ETEC), 72 strains of enteroaggregative E.coli (EAEC), 95 strains of enteropathogenic E.coli (EPEC), 1 strain of enterohemorrhagic E.coli (EHEC), and 2 strains of enteroinvasive E.coli (EIEC). From 2015 to 2019, the resistance rate of cefotaxime-clavulanic acid was significantly different (P<0.05). The resistance rate of virulence types of DEC to nalixic acid was significantly different (P<0.05). About 71 strains of DEC were determined by WGS, and 77 drug-resistant genes were detected. Strains were classified into 32 ST subtypes, with the dominant genotypes being ST-1491 (29.6%, 21/71) and ST-10 Complex (23.9%, 17/71). All ST-1491 produced ESBLs, which were blaCTX-M gene mutant strains. The dominant type of ST-10 complex was ST-218 (35.3%, 6/17). In addition, 8 strains of EAEC, 14 strains of EPEC and 49 strains of ETEC were classified into 7, 14 and 18 ST subtypes, respectively. Conclusion: The drug resistance of DEC strains from the diarrhea outpatient case of Qingpu District is serious. The ST types of EAEC and EPEC are highly polymorphic. The dominant ST types of DEC are basically consistent with the common genotypes in southeast China.

A phase IIb, open-label, randomized controlled dose ranging multi-centre trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and exposure-response relationship of different doses of delpazolid in combination with bedaquiline delamanid moxifloxacin in adult subjects with newly diagnosed, uncomplicated, smear-positive, drug-sensitive pulmonary tuberculosis

BACKGROUND

Linezolid is an effective, but toxic anti-tuberculosis drug that is currently recommended for the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis. Improved oxazolidinones should have a better safety profile, while preserving efficacy. Delpazolid is a novel oxazolidinone developed by LegoChem Biosciences Inc. that has been evaluated up to phase 2a clinical trials. Since oxazolidinone toxicity can occur late in treatment, LegoChem Biosciences Inc. and the PanACEA Consortium designed DECODE to be an innovative dose-ranging study with long-term follow-up for determining the exposure-response and exposure-toxicity relationship of delpazolid to support dose selection for later studies. Delpazolid is administered in combination with bedaquiline, delamanid and moxifloxacin.

METHODS

Seventy-five participants with drug-sensitive, pulmonary tuberculosis will receive bedaquiline, delamanid and moxifloxacin, and will be randomized to delpazolid dosages of 0 mg, 400 mg, 800 mg, 1200 mg once daily, or 800 mg twice daily, for 16 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint will be the rate of decline of bacterial load on treatment, measured by MGIT liquid culture time to detection from weekly sputum cultures. The primary safety endpoint will be the proportion of oxazolidinone class toxicities; neuropathy, myelosuppression, or tyramine pressor response. Participants who convert to negative liquid media culture by week 8 will stop treatment after the end of their 16-week course and will be observed for relapse until week 52. Participants who do not convert to negative culture will receive continuation phase treatment with rifampicin and isoniazid to complete a six-month treatment course.

DISCUSSION

DECODE is an innovative dose-finding trial, designed to support exposure-response modelling for safe and effective dose selection. The trial design allows assessment of occurrence of late toxicities as observed with linezolid, which is necessary in clinical evaluation of novel oxazolidinones. The primary efficacy endpoint is the change in bacterial load, an endpoint conventionally used in shorter dose-finding trials. Long-term follow-up after shortened treatment is possible through a safety rule excluding slow-and non-responders from potentially poorly performing dosages.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

DECODE was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov before recruitment start on 22 October 2021 (NCT04550832).

pH Window for High Selectivity of Ionizable Antimicrobial Polymers toward Bacteria

Antimicrobial polymers exhibit great potential for treating drug-resistant bacteria; however, designing antimicrobial polymers that can selectively kill bacteria and cause relatively low toxicity to normal tissues/cells remains a key challenge. Here, we report a pH window for ionizable polymers that exhibit high selectivity toward bacteria. Ionizable polymer PC6A showed the greatest selectivity (131.6) at pH 7.4, exhibiting low hemolytic activity and high antimicrobial activity against bacteria, whereas a very high or low protonation degree (PD) produced relatively low selectivity (≤35.6). Bactericidal mechanism of PC6A primarily comprised membrane lysis without inducing drug resistance even after consecutive incubation for 32 passages. Furthermore, PC6A demonstrated synergistic effects in combination with antibiotics at pH 7.4. Hence, this study provides a strategy for designing selective antimicrobial polymers.

Osteoblastic RAR Inhibition Causes VAD-Like Craniofacial Skeletal Deformity

Retinoid signaling disorders cause craniofacial deformity, among which infants with maternal vitamin A deficiency (VAD) exhibited malformation of the eye, nose, palate, and parietal and jaw bone. Previous research uncovered the pathogenesis of eye defect and cleft palate of VAD in mice, but the studies on craniofacial skeletal deformity met obstacles, and the cell/lineage and underlying mechanism remain unclear. The retinoic acid receptor (RAR) is the key transcription factor in retinoid signaling, but individual knockout cannot simulate pathway inhibition. Here, we conditionally expressed dominant-negative RARα mutation (dnRARα) in osteoblasts to specifically inhibit the transcription activity of RAR in mice, which mimics the craniofacial deformities caused by VAD in clinical cases: hypomineralization of cranial bones, mandibular deformity, and clavicular hypoplasia. Furthermore, we performed 3-dimensional reconstruction based on micro-computed tomography and confirmed the abnormalities in the shape, size, and ossification of craniofacial bones due to osteoblastic RAR inhibition. Histological analysis indicated that inhibition of RAR in osteoblasts impaired both bone formation and bone resorption, which was confirmed by transcriptome sequencing of the calvaria. Furthermore, mechanism investigation showed that inhibition of RAR in osteoblasts directly decreased osteoblast differentiation in a cell-autonomous manner by impairing osteogenic gene transcription and also inhibited osteoclast differentiation via osteoblast-osteoclast crosstalk by impairing Rankl transcription. In summary, osteoblastic RAR activity is critical to craniofacial skeletal development, and its dysfunction leads to skeletal deformities mimicking VAD craniofacial defects, providing a new insight for VAD pathogenesis.

[A convenient and time-saving method for primary culture of mature white adipocytes from mice]

OBJECTIVE

To establish a simple, low-cost and time-saving method for primary culture of mature white adipocytes from mice.

METHODS

Mature white adipocytes were isolated from the epididymis and perirenal area of mice for primary culture using a modified mature adipocyte culture method or the ceiling culture method. The morphology of the cultured mature adipocytes was observed using Oil Red O staining, and the cell viability was assessed with CCK8 method. The expression of PPARγ protein in the cells was detected with Western blotting, and the mRNA expressions of CD36, FAS, CPT1A and FABP4 were detected using RT-qPCR.

RESULTS

Oil Red O staining showed a good and uniform morphology of the adipocytes in primary culture using the modified culture method, while the cells cultured using the ceiling culture method exhibited obvious morphological changes. CCK8 assay showed no significant difference in cell viability between freshly isolated mature white adipocytes and the cells obtained with the modified culture method. Western blotting showed that the freshly isolated adipocytes and the cells cultured for 72 h did not differ significantly in the expression levels of PPARγ protein (P=0.759), which was significantly lowered in response to treatment with GW9662 (P < 0.001). GW9662 treatment of the cells upregulated mRNA expressions of CD36 (P < 0.001) and CPT1A (P=0.003) and down-regulated those of FAS (P=0.001) and FABP4 (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

We established a convenient and time-saving method for primary culture mature white adipocytes from mice to facilitate further functional studies of mature adipocytes.

X-Ray Diffraction of Ramp-Compressed Silicon to 390 GPa

Silicon (Si) exhibits a rich collection of phase transitions under ambient-temperature isothermal and shock compression. This report describes in situ diffraction measurements of ramp-compressed Si between 40 and 389 GPa. Angle-dispersive x-ray scattering reveals that Si assumes an hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structure between 40 and 93 GPa and, at higher pressure, a face-centered cubic structure that persists to at least 389 GPa, the highest pressure for which the crystal structure of Si has been investigated. The range of hcp stability extends to higher pressures and temperatures than predicted by theory.

BMI growth trajectory from birth to 5 years and its sex-specific association with prepregnant BMI and gestational weight gain

Objective

The purpose of the study was to identify the latent body mass index (BMI) z-score trajectories of children from birth to 5 years of age and evaluate their sex-specific association with prepregnant BMI and gestational weight gain (GWG).

Methods

This was a retrospective longitudinal cohort study performed in China. In total, three distinct BMI-z trajectories from birth to 5 years of age were determined for both genders using the latent class growth modeling. The logistic regression model was used to assess the associations of maternal prepregnant BMI and GWG with childhood BMI-z growth trajectories.

Results

Excessive GWG increased the risks of children falling into high-BMI-z trajectory relative to adequate GWG (OR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.29, 3.20) in boys; girls born to mothers with prepregnancy underweight had a higher risk of low-BMI-z trajectory than girls born to mothers with prepregnancy adequate weight (OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.22, 2.79).

Conclusion

BMI-z growth trajectories of children from 0 to 5 years of age have population heterogeneity. Prepregnant BMI and GWG are associated with child BMI-z trajectories. It is necessary to monitor weight status before and during pregnancy to promote maternal and child health.

Ionic-Wind-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy without Enhancement Substrates

Raman spectra are often masked by strong fluorescence, which severely hinders the applications of Raman spectroscopy. Herein, for the first time, we report ionic-wind-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (IWERS) incorporated with photobleaching (PB) as a noninvasive approach to detect fluorescent and vulnerable samples without a substrate. In this study, ionic wind (IW) generated by needle-net electrodes transfers charges to the sample surface in air on the scale of millimeters rather than nanometers in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the ionic particles in IW increase the susceptibility of the sample molecules, thus enhancing the Raman signals. Meanwhile, the incorporation of IW with PB yields a synergistic effect to quench fluorescence. Therefore, this approach can improve the signal-to-noise ratio of Raman peaks up to three times higher than that with only PB. At the same time, IWERS can avoid sample pollution and destruction without substrates as well as high laser power. For archeological samples and a red rock as an analogue to Mars geological samples, IWERS successfully identified weak but key Raman peaks, which were masked by strong florescence. It suggests that IWERS is a promising tool for characterizations in the fields of archeology, planetary science, biomedicine, and soft matter.

New Ameloblastoma Cell Lines Enable Preclinical Study of Targeted Therapies

Ameloblastoma (AB) is an odontogenic tumor that arises from ameloblast-lineage cells. Although relatively uncommon and rarely metastatic, AB tumors are locally invasive and destructive to the jawbone and surrounding structures. Standard-of-care surgical resection often leads to disfigurement, and many tumors will locally recur, necessitating increasingly challenging surgeries. Recent genomic studies of AB have uncovered oncogenic driver mutations, including in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and Hedgehog signaling pathways. Medical therapies targeting those drivers would be a highly desirable alternative or addition to surgery; however, a paucity of existing AB cell lines has stymied clinical translation. To bridge this gap, here we report the establishment of 6 new AB cell lines-generated by "conditional reprogramming"-and their genomic characterization that reveals driver mutations in FGFR2, KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA, and SMO. Furthermore, in proof-of-principle studies, we use the new cell lines to investigate AB oncogene dependency and drug sensitivity. Among our findings, AB cells with KRAS or NRAS mutation (MAPK pathway) are exquisitely sensitive to MEK inhibition, which propels ameloblast differentiation. AB cells with activating SMO-L412F mutation (Hedgehog pathway) are insensitive to vismodegib; however, a distinct small-molecule SMO inhibitor, BMS-833923, significantly reduces both downstream Hedgehog signaling and tumor cell viability. The novel cell line resource enables preclinical studies and promises to speed the translation of new molecularly targeted therapies for the management of ameloblastoma and related odontogenic neoplasms.

Perinatal and neurodevelopmental outcome in complicated monochorionic pregnancy after selective fetal reduction: radiofrequency ablation vs microwave ablation

OBJECTIVES

To summarize our experience in the application of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA) for selective fetal reduction in complicated monochorionic pregnancies and compare the perinatal outcome of the two techniques.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of data from a consecutive cohort of all monochorionic twin pregnancies that underwent selective fetal reduction with RFA or MWA at Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China from January 2012 to December 2018. All surviving cotwins were followed up to assess their neurodevelopment using the Age &amp; Stage Questionnaire, Chinese version. Perinatal and neurodevelopmental outcomes were compared between the RFA and MWA groups. We also fitted multivariable models to test the association between procedure-related factors and the main perinatal outcomes, including preterm birth (PTB) &lt; 37 weeks' gestation, intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) of the cotwin, adverse outcome (defined as occurrence of IUFD of the cotwin, termination of pregnancy or PTB &lt; 28 weeks) and overall survival.

RESULTS

In total, 45 cases (42 twin and three triplet pregnancies) underwent RFA and 126 cases (105 twin and 21 triplet pregnancies) underwent MWA. The overall survival rates in monochorionic diamniotic twin pregnancies were similar between the RFA and MWA groups (61.0% vs 67.0%; P = 0.494). However, pregnancies whose indication for fetal reduction was selective intrauterine growth restriction or twin reversed arterial perfusion had higher overall survival rates (75.5% and 82.6%, respectively) compared with those in other indication groups. A total of 104 children were followed up (20 in the RFA group and 84 in the MWA group); four (20.0%) and eight (9.5%) children were assessed as having overall developmental delay in the RFA and MWA groups, respectively, with no significant difference between the two groups. Multivariable analyses showed that procedure indication, number of ablation cycles and gestational age at procedure were associated significantly with the main perinatal outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

RFA and MWA for selective fetal reduction in complicated monochorionic pregnancies can achieve similar overall survival rate and neurodevelopmental outcome, but MWA is associated with a lower risk of preterm birth. Moreover, procedure-related factors are associated significantly with perinatal outcome. © 2022 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Logistic regression analysis of risk factors for intra-abdominal hypertension after giant ventral hernia repair: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) is a classical complication after giant ventral hernia surgery and may lead to abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS). Assessment of risk factors and prevention of IAH/ACS are essential for hernia surgeons.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective study including 58 giant ventral hernia patients in our center between Jan 1, 2017, and Mar 1, 2022, we recorded age, gender, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), coronary heart disease (CHD), hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypoproteinemia, body mass index (BMI), the ratio of hernia sac volume to abdominal cavity volume (HSV/ACV), defect width, tension reduction procedure (TRP), positive fluid balance (PFB) and IAH of these patients and analyzed the data using univariate and multivariate logistic regression to screen the risk factors for IAH after surgery.

RESULTS

The multivariate analysis showed that HSV/ACV ≥ 25%, hypoproteinemia, and PFB were independent risk factors for the occurrence of IAH after giant ventral hernia repair (P = 0.025, 0.016, 0.017, respectively). We did not find any correlation between postoperative IAH and the patient's age, gender, COPD, CHD, hypertension, T2DM, BMI, defect width, TRP, and PFB.

CONCLUSION

Identifying risk factors is of great significance for the early identification and prevention of IAH/ACS. We found that HSV/ACV ≥ 25%, hypoproteinemia, and PFB were independent risk factors for IAH after giant ventral hernia repair.

Quantitative Collateral Assessment on CTP in the Prediction of Stroke Etiology

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Patients with stroke etiology of large-artery atherosclerosis were thought to have better collateral circulation compared with patients with other stroke etiologies. We aimed to investigate the association between stroke etiology and collateral circulation with a new quantitative collateral assessment method.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study reviewed data from consecutive patients with proximal anterior artery occlusion who underwent CTP before reperfusion therapy. CBF maps were derived from CTP. A new indicator, maximum CBF of collateral vessels within the Sylvian fissure (cCBF_max), was applied to quantitatively assess the collateral status. The relationship between collateral status and stroke etiology was investigated.

RESULTS

A total of 296 patients were finally analyzed. The median cCBF_max was significantly higher in patients with large-artery atherosclerosis than in those without it (92 [interquartile range, 65-123] mL/100 g/min versus 62 [interquartile range, 46-82] mL/100 g/min; P < .001). Multivariable analysis revealed that a higher cCBF_max score was independently associated with large-artery atherosclerosis etiology (OR, 1.010; 95% CI, 1.002-1.018; P = .017) after adjustment. The area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity of the final model in predicting the etiology of large-artery atherosclerosis were 0.870, 89.7%, and 75.2%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with large-artery atherosclerosis had a more adequate collateral perfusion supply with the new quantitative collateral assessment. The new quantitative collateral measurement might contribute to the prediction of stroke etiology in the acute clinical scenario for patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Gadolinium deposition in the brain is related to various contrast agents: a matched case-control study

AIM

To assess the relationship between gadolinium deposition in the brain and various gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) and to explore confounding variables.

METHODS

The study group included 87 patients with multiple enhanced brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations of which 48 patients were in the linear GBCA group (33 patients in gadopentetate dimeglumine group and 15 patients in gadobenate dimeglumine group) and 39 patients in the macrocyclic GBCA group (22 patients in gadobutrol group and 17 patients in gadoterate meglumine group). The control group included 87 normal participants who were matched regarding age, sex, MRI machine and imaging sequences to the study cohort. T1 signal intensity (SI) ratios of the dentate nucleus to the pons (DN/pons) and of the globus pallidus to the frontal white matter (GP/FWM) in both groups were calculated and compared. The relationships between SI ratios and confounding variables were analysed.

RESULTS

Significant differences were detected between two linear GBCA groups and control groups in T1 SI ratios of the DN/pons and GP/FWM (all p<0.001). There were no differences for two the macrocyclic GBCA groups compared with matching control groups (all p>0.05). T1 SI ratios of the linear GBCA group were significantly higher than those of the macrocyclic GBCA group (p<0.001). In the linear GBCA group, the T1 SI ratios of the DN/pons correlated moderately positively with the number of GBCA administrations (r=0.643, p<0.001), and MRI machine and sequence used.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased T1 SI could be observed after repeated administrations of linear GBCA. T1 SI of the DN correlated with the number of linear GBCA administrations, and detection might be affected by MRI machine and sequence.

[Application of machine learning in orthodontics]

With the increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with other fields, machine learning, one of the major methods in AI, has been extensively applied in dentistry in the stage of diagnosis, therapy and prognosis evaluation. Nowadays, numerous studies have reported the applications of machine learning in orthodontics in two major aspects, including image identification and clinical decision support system. Herein, we reviewed the application progress of machine learning in orthodontics in order to provide new insight for the future precision medicine.

Atomistic modelling of the immiscible Fe-Bi system from a constructed bond order potential

An analytical bond-order potential (BOP) of Fe-Bi has been constructed and has been validated to have a better performance than the Fe-Bi potentials already published in the literature. Molecular dynamics simulations based on this BOP has been then conducted to investigate the ground-state properties of Bi, structural stability of the Fe-Bi binary system, and the effect of Bi on mechanical properties of BCC Fe. It is found that the present BOP could accurately predict the ground-state A7 structure of Bi and its structural parameters, and that a uniform amorphous structure of Fe_100-xBi_xcould be formed when Bi is located in the composition range of 26 ⩽x< 70. In addition, simulations also reveal that the addition of a very small percentage of Bi would cause a considerable decrease of tensile strength and critical strain of BCC Fe upon uniaxial tensile loading. The obtained results are in nice agreement with similar experimental observations in the literature.

[Changes in the related indicators of bone formation and bone resorption in severely burned rats]

Objective: To observe the changes in the related indicators of bone formation and bone resorption in severely burned rats. Methods: The experimental research method was adopted. Thirty female Sprague-Dawley rats aged 6 to 8 weeks were divided into sham injury group, 12% total body surface area (TBSA) full-thickness burn group, and 24%TBSA full-thickness burn group according to the random number table, with 10 rats in each group. The rats were treated on the back correspondingly, after which, the burned rats were rehydrated by intraperitoneal injection according to the Parkland formula, and the wound was coated with 20 g/L iodophor until wound healing. On post injury day (PID) 28, the tibia tissue of rats in each group was collected. The new bone tissue and the number of osteoclasts were observed after staining with Masson and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase, respectively. The abdominal aortic blood of rats in each group was harvested for serum preparation. The bone metabolism indexes of serum calcium ion and phosphorus ion concentration were determined by the methyl thymol blue colorimetric method and phosphomolybdic acid method, respectively. The serum levels of bone formation marker of aminoterminal propeptide of type 1 procollagen (P1NP) and bone resorption marker of beta-carboxy-terminated peptide of type Ⅰ collagen (β-CTX) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The first lumbar spine tissue of rats in each group was collected, and the mRNA expression levels of osteoprotegerin, receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL), tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF-6), nuclear factor of activated T cell 1 (NFATC1), c-Fos, and c-Src were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Data were statistically analyzed with one-way analysis of variance, Bonferroni method, Welch test, Games-Howell test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Bonferroni correction. Results: On PID 28, compared with that in sham injury group, the formation of new bone tissue in the tibia tissue of rats in the two burn groups was decreased, and the larger the burn area, the more obvious the decrease. The numbers of osteoclasts in the tibia tissue of rats in the two burn groups were similar, both significantly more than the number in sham injury group. On PID 28, the serum calcium ion concentration and serum level of β-CTX of rats in the three groups were similar (P>0.05). The serum phosphorus ion concentration of rats in 24%TBSA full-thickness burn group was significantly higher than that in 12%TBSA full-thickness burn group (P<0.05), and the serum phosphorus ion concentrations in the two burn groups were significantly higher than the concentration in sham injury group (P<0.01). The serum level of P1NP of rats in 24%TBSA full-thickness burn group was significantly lower than that in sham injury group (P<0.01). On PID 28, the mRNA expression levels of osteoprotegerin in the first lumbar spine tissue of rats in sham injury group, 12%TBSA full-thickness burn group, and 24%TBSA full-thickness burn group were 1.01±0.20, 1.71±0.83, and 2.24±0.51, respectively, and that in 24%TBSA full-thickness burn group was significantly higher than that in sham injury group (P<0.01). The mRNA expression level of RANKL in the first lumbar spine tissue of rats in 24%TBSA full-thickness burn group was 1.31±0.17, which was significantly higher than 1.00±0.14 in sham injury group and 0.97±0.10 in 12%TBSA full-thickness burn group (P<0.01). The mRNA expression levels of TRAF-6, NFATC1 (Z=3.141, 3.782), and c-Src in the first lumbar tissue of rats in 12%TBSA full-thickness burn group and 24%TBSA full-thickness burn group and the mRNA expression level of c-Fos in the first lumbar tissue of rats in 12%TBSA full-thickness burn group were significantly higher than those in sham injury group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The mRNA expression levels of c-Fos and c-Src in the first lumbar spine tissue of rats in 12%TBSA full-thickness burn group were significantly higher than those in 24%TBSA full-thickness burn group (P<0.01). Conclusions: Severe burns can cause a decrease in the generation of new bone tissue, an increase in the number of osteoclasts and the serum phosphorus ion concentration, and a decrease in the serum level of P1NP in rats. The level of osteoprotegerin, RANKL, TRAF-6, NFATC1, c-Fos, and c-Src in bone tissue showed an increasing trend while the level of NFATC1, c-Fos, and c-Src showed a decreasing trend with the increase of burn area.

P–129 Follicular extracellular vesicles of women with polycystic ovarian syndrome inhibit oocyte maturation

Study question

Does follicular extracellular vesicles of women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS-EVs) interfere with the quality of oocytes?

Summary answer

PCOS-EVs induced oxidative stress in the oocytes and inhibited oocyte maturation by increasing the abnormal mitochondria distribution and abnormal spindle rates.

What is known already

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age, with a prevalence up to 10%. Women with PCOS are characterized by a clustering of features, including hyperandrogenism, polycystic ovarian morphology, and notably, anovulation. Although international guidelines recommend assisted reproduction techniques to be an effective resort for PCOS patients to conceive. However, even after overcoming ovulatory dysfunction via ovulation induction, the pregnancy outcomes of patients with PCOS were far from satisfying with lower fertilization, cleavage, and implantation rates, implicating that theoocyte quality of these patients are affected. Whereas the mechanisms have not been elucidated yet.

Study design, size, duration

Follicular fluid of PCOS patients (n = 10) and healthy controls (n = 10) were collected and used for extracellular vesicles (EVs) isolation via ultracentrifugation. Germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes collected from female ICR mice were cocultured with RIF-EVs or FER-EVs, respectively, and PBS served as a blank control. GV breakdown (GVBD) rate and maturation rate were calculated at two-hour and fourteen-hour of co-culture, respectively. Besides, oocyte mitochondria distribution, meiosis spindle morphology, and oxidative status were assessed in different groups.

Participants/materials, setting, methods

EVs were determined by western blotting, nanoparticle tracking analysis, and transmission electron microscopy. Fluorescence labeled EVs were used to visualize internalization by oocytes. Oocytes mitochondria and mitosis spindles were stained with fluorescence, and abnormal mitochondria rate or abnormal spindle rate was calculated. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was detected in the differently treated oocytes. Moreover, the expression of CAT, GSS, and SOD was determined in the oocytes using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.

Main results and the role of chance

Both PCOS-EVs and CTRL-EVs are bilayered vesicles, ranging from 100 to 150 nm, and enriched in Alix, TSG101, and CD9. EVs could be internalized by oocytes within one hour. After coculture, the GVBD rate was similar among the three groups; whereas the maturation rate was significantly decreased in the PCOS-EV group compared with CTRL-EV group or PBS group. In addition, the abnormal mitochondria distribution rate or abnormal spindle rate were significantly increased in the PCOS-EV group compared with PBS or CTRL-EV group. The ROS level was increased in the PCOS-EV group compared with CTRL-EV group, and the expression of CAT, GSS, and SOD was increased in the PCOS-EV-treated oocytes.

Limitations, reasons for caution

Our study did not identify the contents of PCOS-EVs and CTRL-EVs, and the molecular mechanisms of dysregulations induced by PCOS-EVs need further researches to investigate.

Wider implications of the findings: This work confirmed that EV-conducted cellular communication played an important role in oocyte development in women with PCOS. The dysregulation of oocytes induced by PCOS-EVs might be related to the poor oocyte quality of women with PCOS, which may provide a novel target to improve pregnancy outcomes of these patients.

Trial registration number

Not applicable

FOXO3 Mediates Tooth Movement by Regulating Force-Induced Osteogenesis

The high prevalence of malocclusion and dentofacial malformations means that the demand for orthodontic treatments has been increasing rapidly. As the biological basis of orthodontic treatment, the mechanism of mechanical force-induced alveolar bone remodeling during orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) has become the key scientific issue of orthodontics. It has been demonstrated that bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are crucial for bone remodeling and exhibit mechanical sensing properties. Mechanical force can promote osteoblastic differentiation of BMSCs and osteogenesis, but the key factor that mediates mechanical force-induced osteogenesis during OTM remains unclear. In this study, by performing reverse-phase protein arrays on BMSCs exposed to mechanical force, we found that the expression level of forkhead box O3 (FOXO3) was significantly upregulated during the mechanical force-induced osteoblastic differentiation of BMSCs. The number of FOXO3-positive cells was consistently higher on the OTM side as compared with the control side and accompanied by the enhancement of osteogenesis. Remarkably, inhibiting FOXO3 with repaglinide delayed OTM by severely impairing mechanical force-induced bone formation in vivo. Moreover, knockdown of FOXO3 effectively inhibited the mechanical force-induced osteoblastic differentiation of BMSCs, whereas the overexpression of FOXO3 enhanced this effect. Mechanistically, we revealed a novel regulatory model in which FOXO3 promoted osteocalcin transcription by activating its promoter in cooperation with runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2). We collectively obtained the first evidence that FOXO3 is critical for OTM, where it responds to mechanical force and directly regulates downstream osteoblastic differentiation in an efficient manner.

Cation-amino acid interactions: Implications for protein destabilization

The mechanism for protein stabilization or destabilization has long been an open quest. In the present study, we have studied the interactions between amino acids and guanidinium (Gdm⁺)/ammonium (NH₄⁺) ions by using low field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR), where Gdm⁺ and NH₄⁺ are denaturant and stabilizer for proteins, respectively. It shows that Gdm⁺ favors to bind to the thiol group or the hydroxyl group on the side chain but weakly interacts with the α-carboxyl group. In contrast, NH₄⁺ prefers to bind to the α-carboxyl group but slightly interacts with the thiol group or the hydroxyl group on the side chain of amino acids. ¹HNMR reveals the hydrogen bonding between NH₄⁺ and the α-carboxyl group, which is not involved in the interactions between Gdm⁺ and cysteine. Our study demonstrates that the strong interactions between the denaturant and the sulfur atom or the disulfide bond promote the direct binding of the denaturant toward proteins, leading to the destabilization.

Oil from transgenic Camelina sativa as a source of EPA and DHA in feed for European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.)

Aquaculture, the fastest growing food production sector cannot continue to rely on finite stocks of marine fish as the primary source of the omega-3 (n-3) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3), for feeds. A four-month feeding trial was conducted to investigate the impact of a de novo oil, with high levels of EPA and DHA, obtained from transgenic Camelina sativa on growth performance, tissue fatty acid profiles, and expression of lipid metabolism genes when used as a replacement for fish oil in feed for European seabass (Dicentrachus labrax). Triplicate groups of 50 juvenile fish (initial weight 16.7 ± 0.92 g) per tank were fed for 4 months with one of three isolipidic and isoproteic experimental diets consisting of a standard diet containing a commercial blend of fish oil and rapeseed oil (CFO), a diet containing transgenic Camelina oil (TCO), or a blend of fish oil and rapeseed oil with enhanced levels of EPA and DHA (EFO) formulated to match the n-3 LC-PUFA profile of the TCO feed. Final weight of fish fed the GM-derived oil was not different to fish fed either CFO or EFO. Slight lower growth performance of fish fed TCO at the beginning of the trial was related to transient reduced feed intake, possibly caused by glucosinolates in the raw Camelina sativa oil. The GM-derived oil improved the nutritional quality of the fish fillet by enhancing total n-3 PUFA levels compared to the fish fed the other two feeds, and maintained flesh EPA and DHA at the same levels as in fish fed the diets containing fish oil. The metabolic response in liver and intestine was generally relatively mild although diets TCO and EFO seemed to trigger a metabolic response consisting of an up-regulation of both β-oxidation (cpt1a) and fatty acid transport (fabp1), possibly reflecting higher levels of LC-PUFA. Overall, the present study indicated that an oil of terrestrial origin, Camelina sativa, when engineered to contain high levels of EPA and DHA can replace fish oil in feeds for European seabass with no detrimental impact on growth or feed efficiency, while also maintaining or increasing tissue n-3 LC-PUFA contents.

Direct Detection of Viable but Non-culturable (VBNC) Salmonella in Real Food System by a Rapid and Accurate PMA-CPA Technique

Salmonella enterica is a typical foodborne pathogen with multiple toxic effects, including invasiveness, endotoxins, and enterotoxins. Viable but nonculturable (VBNC) is a type of dormant form preserving the vitality of microorganisms, but it cannot be cultured by traditional laboratory techniques. The aim of this study is to develop a propidium monoazide-crossing priming amplification (PMA-CPA) method that can successfully detect S. enterica rapidly with high sensitivity and can identify VBNC cells in food samples. Five primers (4s, 5a, 2a/1s, 2a, and 3a) were specially designed for recognizing the specific invA gene. The specificity of the CPA assay was tested by 20 different bacterial strains, including 2 standard S. enterica and 18 non-S. enterica bacteria strains covering Gram-negative and Gram-positive isolates. Except for the two standard S. enterica ATCC14028 and ATCC29629, all strains showed negative results. Moreover, PMA-CPA can detect the VBNC cells both in pure culture and three types of food samples with significant color change. In conclusion, the PMA-CPA assay was successfully applied on detecting S. enterica in VBNC state from food samples.

Development of a new dynamic foveated imager on wide-angle infra-red thermography system to improve local spatial resolution in EAST

A new dynamic foveated imager has been developed and commissioned on the wide-angle infra-red thermography system in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak. This technique improves the local spatial resolution by a factor of 2 while maintaining the wide-angle view to ensure safety operation. Taking advantage of the new foveated imager, heat flux splitting under the application of resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) coils has been clearly observed. The results indicate that the toroidal asymmetric power load pattern is closely related to the perturbation field induced by the RMP coils.

Adaptive behaviors of planktonic Pseudomonas aeruginosa in response to the surface-deposited dead siblings

In this study, the 3D motion behaviors and the underlying adaptation mechanism of planktonic Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAO1) in response to the deposited dead siblings nearby were explored. Utilizing a real-time 3D tracking technique, digital holographic microscopy (DHM), we demonstrate that planktonic cells near the surface covered with dead siblings have a lower density and a reduced 3D velocity compared with those upon viable ones. As a sign of chemosensory responses, bacteria swimming near the dead siblings exhibit increase in frequency of the 'flick' motion. Transcriptomic analysis by RNA-seq reveals an upregulated expression of dgcM and dgcE inhibited the movement of PAO1, accompanied by increased transcriptional levels of the virulence factor-related genes hcp1, clpV1, and vgrG1. Moreover, the decrease in l-glutamate and the increase in succinic acid in the metabolites of the dead bacteria layer promote the dispersion of planktonic bacteria. As a result, the dead siblings on a surface inhibit the bacterial accumulation and activate the adaptive defensive responses of planktonic PAO1 in the vicinity.

Method for 3D tracking behaviors of interplaying bacteria individuals

Behaviors of platonic bacteria individuals are profoundly influenced by their interplay. However, probing such interplay still remains a challenge since identification and tracking of bacterial individuals becomes difficult as they come close and interact with each other. Herein, we report 3D tracking of the motions of multiple bacteria by using digital holographic microscopy (DHM), where the subtle 3D behaviors can be characterized as bacteria approach and run away from each other. An algorithm was developed to identify and recover the gap between 3D trajectory segments raising by the interruption from other bacteria through lateral image recognition and axial loalization utilizing cost function. We value the performance of the algorithm in terms of the statistics in trajectory length and correct rate. The study clearly shows how the interplaying Escherichia coli alter their motions.

[Changes in serum osteoprotegerin/receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand and related indexes of calcium and phosphorus in the early stage of severe burn patients]

Objective: To investigate the early changes in serum osteoprotegerin/receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) and related indexes of calcium and phosphorus in severe burn patients. Methods: Thirty severe burn patients who met the inclusion criteria and were admitted to Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University & Wuhan Third Hospital within 8 hours post injury from June 2017 to December 2018 were recruited into severe burn group (24 males and 6 females, aged (38±13) years). Ten healthy volunteers with normal physical examination results in the Physical Examination Center of the same hospital in the same period of time were recruited into healthy control group (7 males and 3 females, aged (37±8) years). A prospective controlled study was conducted. The fasting venous blood of 5 mL was taken from each patient in severe burn group on post injury day (PID) 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28, respectively, and the fasting venous blood of 5 mL was taken from each volunteer in healthy control group. The serum osteoprotegerin, RANKL, 25 hydroxyvitamin D, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the RANKL/osteoprotegerin ratio was calculated. Serum albumin, serum calcium, and serum phosphorus levels were determined by bromocresol green method, methylthymol blue method, and phosphomolybdic acid method, respectively. Data were statistically analyzed with Fisher's exact probability test, analysis of variance for repeated measurement, Mann-Whitney U test, independent sample t test, and Bonferroni correction. Results: (1) The serum osteoprotegerin levels of patients in severe burn group on PID 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 were 155.11 (102.91, 187.02), 170.07 (84.60, 196.86), 174.95 (59.09, 208.35), 190.01 (47.08, 214.52), and 188.85 (58.73, 223.13) pg/mL, respectively, which were significantly higher than 33.34 (28.59, 45.68) pg/mL of volunteers in healthy control group, Z=-3.436, -4.311, -3.248, -2.811, -4.217, P<0.01. The serum levels of RANKL of patients in severe burn group on PID 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 were (1 869±791), (1 746±857), (1 781±713), (2 015±825), and (2 272±583) pg/mL, respectively, significantly higher than (49±16) pg/mL of volunteers in healthy control group, t=12.600, 10.844, 13.294, 13.041, 20.880, P<0.01. The ratios of RANKL/osteoprotegerin of patients in severe burn group on PID 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 were 12.23 (8.10, 24.73), 11.40 (8.25, 16.96), 11.15 (6.91, 38.32), 12.98 (9.22, 49.68), and 13.91 (10.29, 40.68), respectively, which were significantly higher than 1.17 (0.91, 1.74) of volunteers in healthy control group, Z=-4.560, -4.529, -4.529, -4.560, -4.623, P<0.01. (2) The serum level of 25 hydroxyvitamin D of patients in severe burn group on PID 1 was significantly lower than that of volunteers in healthy control group (Z=-2.749, P<0.01). Compared with those of volunteers in healthy control group, the serum levels of albumin of patients in severe burn group on PID 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 were significantly lower (t=-4.374, -7.689, -8.257, -7.651, -6.259, P<0.01), the serum levels of PTH were significantly elevated (Z=-4.685, -4.685, -4.685, -4.654, -4.685, P<0.01), and the serum levels of phosphorus were not changed significantly. The serum levels of calcium of patients in severe burn group on PID 1, 7, 14, and 21 were significantly lower than the level of volunteers in healthy control group (Z=-2.375, -3.455, -2.442, -2.016, P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusions: The serum osteoprotegerin, RANKL, RANKL/osteoprotegerin ratio, and PTH are increased, and the serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D, albumin, and calcium are decreased in the early stage of severe burn patients, which may be the mechanism leading to bone loss in patients.

Erratum: Evolution of π^{0} Suppression in Au+Au Collisions from sqrt[s_{NN}]=39 to 200 GeV [Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 152301 (2012)]

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.152301.