Effects of a manganese complex with lysine and glutamic acid on growth performance, manganese deposition and emission, antioxidant capacity and metacarpal strength in weaned piglets.

The present study sought to assess the effects of manganese complexes with lysine and glutamic acid (Mn-LG) as manganese (Mn) sources on growth performance, trace element deposition, antioxidant capacity, and metacarpal strength in weaned piglets. The study involved 288 healthy Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire piglets that were weaned at 25-28 days of age and weighed 8.66±0.96 kg. These piglets were randomly divided into six groups: a control group (Mn-LG-0, receiving a basal diet without Mn supplementation), a Mn sulfate group (basal diet supplemented with 40 mg·kg-1 diet of Mn, Mn-S-40 group), and four Mn-LG groups (Mn-LG-20, Mn-LG-40, Mn-LG-60, Mn-LG-80, supplemented with 20, 40, 60, and 80 mg·kg-1 Mn from Mn-LG in the basal diet). Grouping began at weaning as the 0th day of the experiment. The corn-soybean-based basal diet during the early (d 0-14) and late (d 15-42) phases of the experiment contained 20.88 and 30.12 mg·kg-1 Mn, respectively. Blood samples were collected on days 14 and 42, and pigs were sacrificed for sample collection on day 42. The results indicated no significant differences in average daily gain, average daily feed intake, or feed-to-gain ratio among the groups (P > 0.05). The diarrhea rates of all Mn-LG groups and the Mn-S-40 group were significantly lower in the 0-14 d and during the entire experimental period than in the Mn-LG-0 group (P < 0.001). The Mn-LG-40 group exhibited a significant increase in liver Mn concentration and serum Mn superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) activity on d 42 (P < 0.01), as well as a significant decrease in fecal Mn concentration (P < 0.05), compared to those of the Mn-S-40 group. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were detected in the serum, liver, and fecal Mn concentrations, as well as in the serum and liver Mn-SOD activity, across the different Mn-LG groups. The serum and fecal Mn concentrations and serum Mn-SOD activity increased linearly or quadratically (P < 0.01) with increasing Mn-LG supplementation. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were found in kidney, heart, or metacarpal bone Mn concentrations or in bone strength indices. In summary, compared with the Mn-LG-0 diet, dietary supplementation with Mn-LG enhanced serum Mn deposition and Mn-SOD activity and decreased the incidence of diarrhea. Additionally, the fecal Mn concentration was lower in the Mn-LG group than in the inorganic group at equivalent dosages.

Application and progress of advanced eye movement examinations in cognitive impairment.

The worldwide incidence of cognitive impairment is escalating, yet no effective solutions for these afflictions have been discovered. Consequently, the importance of early identification and immediate intervention is heightened. Advanced eye movements-a form of voluntary eye movements that includes anti-saccades, memory-guided saccades, predictive saccades, pro-saccades and gap/overlap saccades, mediated by the cerebral cortex and subcortical pathways reflect cognitive levels and functions across different domains. In view of their objectivity, reproducibility, and non-invasive characteristics, advanced eye movement examination possesses significant prospective utility across a wide range of cognitive impairment. This paper extensively reviews various models associated with advanced eye movement examinations and their current applications in cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body dementia and frontotemporal dementia. Advanced eye movement examination can serve as a biomarker for early screening diagnosis and research on cognitive impairment. In the future, combining advanced eye movement examination with neuropsychological scale assessment and other diagnostic methods may contribute to further early identification of these types of diseases.

A Swin transformer encoder-based StyleGAN for unbalanced endoscopic image enhancement.

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, automated endoscopy-assisted diagnostic systems have become an effective tool for reducing the diagnostic costs and shortening the treatment cycle of patients. Typically, the performance of these systems depends on deep learning models which are pre-trained with large-scale labeled data, for example, early gastric cancer based on endoscopic images. However, the expensive annotation and the subjectivity of the annotators lead to an insufficient and class-imbalanced endoscopic image dataset, and these datasets are detrimental to the training of deep learning models. Therefore, we proposed a Swin Transformer encoder-based StyleGAN (STE-StyleGAN) for unbalanced endoscopic image enhancement, which is composed of an adversarial learning encoder and generator. Firstly, a pre-trained Swin Transformer is introduced into the encoder to extract multi-scale features layer by layer from endoscopic images. The features are subsequently fed into a mapping block for aggregation and recombination. Secondly, a self-attention mechanism is applied to the generator, which adds detailed information of the image layer by layer through recoded features, enabling the generator to autonomously learn the coupling between different image regions. Finally, we conducted extensive experiments on a private intestinal metaplasia grading dataset from a Grade-A tertiary hospital. The experimental results show that the images generated by STE-StyleGAN are closer to the initial image distribution, achieving a Fréchet Inception Distance (FID) value of 100.4. Then, these generated images are used to enhance the initial dataset to improve the robustness of the classification model, and achieved a top accuracy of 86 %.

Effect of resuscitation of cryopreserved porcine adrenal glands at 26 °C on their recovery and functioning under xenotransplantation.

The study is devoted to the effect of lowered resuscitation temperature (26 °C) on cryopreserved porcine adrenal glands functional activity in vitro and in vivo under xenotransplantation. The adrenals were collected from newborn pigs, cryopreserved with 5 % DMSO at a rate of 1 °C/min, resuscitated at 26 or 37 °C for 48 h (5 % CO2, DMEM), embedded into small intestinal submucosa, and transplanted to bilaterally adrenalectomized rats. It has been shown that the glands resuscitated at 26 °C have suppressed free-radical processes and can produce cortisol and aldosterone in vitro, and may lead to elevated blood levels of these hormones. Moreover, the adrenal grafts maintain blood glucose levels and promote the formation of glycogen stores. Thus, the resuscitation at 26 °C can improve the quality of grafts and favor the introduction and application of the cryopreserved organs and tissues for transplantation in clinical and experimental practice.

Research on the Application of Molecular Image Processing in Rice Quality Inspection.

Objective: With the improvement of living standards, consumers are paying more and more attention to the quality of rice. Traditional rice quality detection relies on human sensory judgment, which is inaccurate and inefficient. With the continuous development of molecular imaging technology, more and more scholars at home and abroad have begun to pay attention to its application in the nondestructive testing of agricultural products. Molecular imaging technology combines the advantages of spectral technology and image technology, which can achieve rapid, nondestructive and accurate detection of rice quality. In this paper, taking rice as the research object, we carried out nondestructive detection research on rice varieties, moisture and starch content using molecular imaging technology. We proposed a rapid detection method based on molecular imaging technology for rice variety identification, moisture content and starch content. Molecular images of the rice samples from four origins were obtained using a molecular imaging system, the regions of interest of the rice were identified and, spectral data, textural features and morphological features of the rice were extracted. Spectral, textural and morphological features were selected by principal component analysis (PCA), and nine feature wavelengths were obtained and an optimal model was established with an accuracy of 91.67%, which demonstrated the feasibility of molecular imaging. By comparing the models, the BCC-LS-SVR model based on the RB function had the highest accuracy with R2 of 0.989, RMSEP of 0.767%, R2 of 0.985, and RMSEC of 0.591%. Moreover, starchy rice was detected using molecular imaging. The PCA-SVR model based on the RBF kernel function had the highest accuracy with R2 of 0.989, RMSEC of 0.445%, R2 of 0.991, and RMSEP of 0.669%. Our models demonstrated high accuracy in identifying rice varieties, as well as quantifying moisture and starch content, showcasing the feasibility of molecular imaging technology in rice quality assessment. This research offers a rapid, nondestructive, and accurate method for rice quality assessment, promising significant benefits for agricultural producers and consumers.

Co-occurring EGFR p.E709X mutation Mediates Primary Resistance to the Third-generation EGFR-TKIs in EGFR p.G719X-mutant Patients with Advanced NSCLC.

PURPOSE: Current NCCN guidelines recommend afatinib or osimertinib as the preferred first-line treatment strategy for patients with advanced NSCLC harboring EGFR p.G719X mutation. However, in the absence of head-to-head trials comparing afatinib with osimertinib in EGFR p.G719X mutant patients, it is unclear which regimen is the preferred treatment option. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: A large cohort of 4228 treatment-naïve patients with lung cancer who underwent targeted NGS testing was screened for EGFR p.G719X mutation. A multicenter cohort involving 68 EGFR p.G719X-mutant patients with advanced NSCLC and NGS profiling was retrospectively enrolled to evaluate clinical responses to afatinib(n=37) and the third-generation EGFR-TKIs(n=31). Ba/F3 cells stably expressing the EGFR p.G719A mutation were created to investigate the response to EGFR-TKIs in vitro. RESULTS: Concurrent EGFR p.E709X mutations, being the most frequent co-occurring EGFR mutation in EGFR p.G719X-mutant NSCLC(~30%), exerted a detrimental effect on outcomes in patients treated with third-generation EGFR-TKI(G719X/E709X vs. G719X; ORR:0.00% vs. 47.62%, P<0.001; mPFS:7.18 vs. 14.2 months, P=0.04; respectively). Conversely, no significant difference was found in the treatment efficacy of afatinib between EGFR p.G719X/E709X and EGFR p.G719X patients(G719X/E709X vs. G719X; ORR:71.43% vs. 56.67%, P=0.99; mPFS:14.7 vs. 15.8 months, P=0.69; respectively). In vitro experiments elucidated a resistant drug sensitivity and poor inhibition of EGFR phosphorylation in Ba/F3 cells expressing EGFR p.G719A/E709K mutation upon the third-generation EGFR-TKIs treatment. CONCLUSION: Co-occurring EGFR p.E709X mutation mediates primary resistance to the third-generation EGFR-TKIs in EGFR p.G719X-mutant patients but remained sensitive to afatinib. A personalized treatment strategy should be undertaken based on the co-existing EGFR p.E709X mutation status.

A Dual-mode platform for the rapid detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 based on CRISPR/Cas12a and RPA.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7) is a foodborne pathogenic microorganism that is commonly found in the environment and poses a significant threat to human health, public safety, and economic stability worldwide. Thus, early detection is essential for E. coli O157:H7 control. In recent years, a series of E. coli O157:H7 detection methods have been developed, but the sensitivity and portability of the methods still need improvement. Therefore, in this study, a rapid and efficient testing platform based on the CRISPR/Cas12a cleavage reaction was constructed. Through the integration of recombinant polymerase amplification and lateral flow chromatography, we established a dual-interpretation-mode detection platform based on CRISPR/Cas12a-derived fluorescence and lateral flow chromatography for the detection of E. coli O157:H7. For the fluorescence detection method, the limits of detection (LODs) of genomic DNA and E. coli O157:H7 were 1.8 fg/µL and 2.4 CFU/mL, respectively, within 40 min. Conversely, for the lateral flow detection method, LODs of 1.8 fg/µL and 2.4 × 102 CFU/mL were achieved for genomic DNA and E. coli O157:H7, respectively, within 45 min. This detection strategy offered higher sensitivity and lower equipment requirements than industry standards. In conclusion, the established platform showed excellent specificity and strong universality. Modifying the target gene and its primers can broaden the platform's applicability to detect various other foodborne pathogens.

Baicalein triggers ferroptosis in colorectal cancer cells via blocking the JAK2/STAT3/GPX4 axis.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent form of gastrointestinal malignancy with challenges in chemotherapy resistance and side effects. Effective and low toxic drugs for CRC treatment are urgently needed. Ferroptosis is a novel mode of cell death, which has garnered attention for its therapeutic potential against cancer. Baicalein (5, 6, 7-trihydroxyflavone) is the primary flavone extracted from the dried roots of Scutellaria baicalensis that exhibits anticancer effects against several malignancies including CRC. In this study, we investigated whether baicalein induced ferroptosis in CRC cells. We showed that baicalein (1-64 µM) dose-dependently inhibited the viability of human CRC lines HCT116 and DLD1. Co-treatment with the ferroptosis inhibitor liproxstatin-1 (1 µM) significantly mitigated baicalein-induced CRC cell death, whereas autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (25 µM), necroptosis inhibitor necrostatin-1 (10 µM), or pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK (10 µM) did not rescue baicalein-induced CRC cell death. RNA-seq analysis confirmed that the inhibitory effect of baicalein on CRC cells is associated with ferroptosis induction. We revealed that baicalein (7.5-30 µM) dose-dependently decreased the expression levels of GPX4, key regulator of ferroptosis, in HCT116 and DLD1 cells by blocking janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/STAT3 signaling pathway via direct interaction with JAK2, ultimately leading to ferroptosis in CRC cells. In a CRC xenograft mouse model, administration of baicalein (10, 20 mg/kg, i.g., every two days for two weeks) dose-dependently inhibited the tumor growth with significant ferroptosis induced by inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3/GPX4 axis in tumor tissue. This study demonstrates that ferroptosis contributes to baicalein-induced anti-CRC activity through blockade of the JAK2/STAT3/GPX4 signaling pathway, which provides evidence for the therapeutic application of baicalein against CRC.

GINS1 promotes ZEB1-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition and tumor metastasis via ß-catenin signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma.

GINS1 regulates DNA replication in the initiation and elongation phases and plays an important role in the progression of various malignant tumors. However, the role of GINS1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely unclear. In this study, we investigated the role and underlying mechanisms of GINS1 in contributing to HCC metastasis. We found that GINS1 was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines, especially in HCC tissues with vascular invasion and HCC cell lines with highly metastatic properties. Additionally, high expression of GINS1 was positively correlated with the progressive clinical features of HCC patients, including tumor number (multiple), tumor size (>5 cm), advanced tumor stage, vascular invasion and early recurrence, suggesting that GINS1 upregulation was greatly involved in HCC metastasis. Moreover, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that high GINS1 expression predicted a poor prognosis. Both in vitro and in vivo, silencing of GINS1 inhibited proliferation, migration, invasion and metastasis, while overexpression of GINS1 induced opposite effects. Mechanistically, we found that ZEB1 was a crucial regulator of GINS1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and GINS1 promoted EMT and tumor metastasis through ß-catenin signaling. Overall, the present study demonstrated that GINS1 promoted ZEB1-mediated EMT and tumor metastasis via ß-catenin signaling in HCC.

Broadband Photodetection of Centimeter-Scale T-Phase Gallium Telluride Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy.

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors have recently attracted considerable attention due to their promising applications in future integrated electronic and optoelectronic devices. Large-scale synthesis of high-quality 2D semiconductors is an increasingly essential requirement for practical applications, such as sensing, imaging, and communications. In this work, homogeneous 2D GaTe films on a centimeter scale are epitaxially grown on fluorphlogopite mica substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The epitaxial GaTe thin films showed an atomically 2D layered lattice structure with a T phase, which has not been discovered in the GaTe geometric isomer. Furthermore, semiconducting behavior and high mobility above room temperature were found in T-GaTe epitaxial films, which are essential for application in semiconducting devices. The T-GaTe-based photodetectors demonstrated respectable photodetection performance with a responsivity of 13 mA/W and a fast response speed. By introducing monolayer graphene as the substrate, we successfully realized high-quality GaTe/graphene heterostructures. The performance has been significantly improved, such as the responsivity was enhanced more than 20 times. These results highlight a feasible scheme for exploring the crystal phase of 2D GaTe and realizing the controlled growth of GaTe films on large substrates, which could promote the development of broadband, high-performance, and large-scale photodetection applications.

Nanotechnology-based optical sensors for Baijiu quality and safety control.

Baijiu quality and safety have received considerable attention owing to the gradual increase in its consumption. However, owing to the unique and complex process of Baijiu production, issues leading to quality and safety concerns may occur during the manufacturing process. Therefore, establishing appropriate analytical methods is necessary for Baijiu quality assurance and process control. Nanomaterial (NM)-based optical sensing techniques have garnered widespread interest because of their unique advantages. However, comprehensive studies on nano-optical sensing technology for quality and safety control of Baijiu are lacking. In this review, we systematically summarize NM-based optical sensor applications for the accurate detection and quantification of analytes closely related to Baijiu quality and safety. Furthermore, we evaluate the sensing mechanisms for each application. Finally, we discuss the challenges nanotechnology poses for Baijiu analysis and future trends. Overall, nanotechnological approaches provide a potentially useful alternative for simplifying Baijiu analysis and improving final product quality and safety.

The cGAS-STING pathway in viral infections: a promising link between inflammation, oxidative stress and autophagy.

The host defence responses play vital roles in viral infection and are regulated by complex interactive networks. The host immune system recognizes viral pathogens through the interaction of pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) with pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). As a PRR mainly in the cytoplasm, cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) senses and binds virus DNA and subsequently activates stimulator of interferon genes (STING) to trigger a series of intracellular signalling cascades to defend against invading pathogenic microorganisms. Integrated omic and functional analyses identify the cGAS-STING pathway regulating various host cellular responses and controlling viral infections. Aside from its most common function in regulating inflammation and type I interferon, a growing body of evidence suggests that the cGAS-STING signalling axis is closely associated with a series of cellular responses, such as oxidative stress, autophagy, and endoplasmic reticulum stress, which have major impacts on physiological homeostasis. Interestingly, these host cellular responses play dual roles in the regulation of the cGAS-STING signalling axis and the clearance of viruses. Here, we outline recent insights into cGAS-STING in regulating type I interferon, inflammation, oxidative stress, autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum stress and discuss their interactions with viral infections. A detailed understanding of the cGAS-STING-mediated potential antiviral effects contributes to revealing the pathogenesis of certain viruses and sheds light on effective solutions for antiviral therapy.

Optical coherence tomography angiography for the assessment of retinal microvasculature characteristics in preterm-born children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in assessing retinal microvascular structural changes in preterm-born children and compare them with those in term-born children. The Web of Science Library, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and Sino Med databases were searched systematically to extract studies published till April 25, 2023. Two independent reviewers searched all the literature and completed the data extraction and quality assessment. Mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the continuous estimates. STATA software (v15.1; StataCorp, College Station, TX) was used to analyze the data. Twelve published studies were eligible for inclusion in this study. The meta-analysis revealed that the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area of preterm-born children was remarkably smaller than that of term-born children, with the laser photocoagulation (LP)-ROP group showing the most pronounced reduction. The foveal superficial capillary plexus vessel density (SCP-VD) and deep capillary plexus vessel density (DCP-VD) were remarkably higher in the preterm-born group than in the control group, with variations in subgroups (LP-ROP, anti-VEGF-ROP, SR-ROP, and Pre-T-ROP). The parafoveal SCP-VD was remarkably lower in preterm-born children compared to that of the controls, while no significant difference was identified in the parafoveal DCP-VD. Preterm-born children had a smaller FAZ area, higher foveal SCP-VD and DCP-VD, and lower parafoveal SCP-VD compared to their term-born counterparts. The parafoveal DCP-VD did not differ substantially between preterm- and term-born children. OCTA is an effective modality for assessing alterations in the retinal microvasculature in preterm children.

Characteristics of cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal band in anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody associated disease.

Objective: To analyze the immune parameters of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and oligoclonal band (OCB) type in patients with anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated diseases (MOGAD). Methods: Patients who were seropositive for MOG-IgG and diagnosed with MOGAD according to the diagnosis criteria in the Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University from December 2020 to June 2022 were retrospectively included in this study. Complete clinical data, blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples were collected from all the participants. Paired serum and CSF MOG-IgG and autoimmune encephalitis antibody were assayed by Cell Based Assay (CBA) based on transfected target antigens. Paired serum and CSF albumin and IgG were detected by turbidimetric scattering method, and OCB was detected by standard operation procedure as described. Results: A total of 86 patients (44 males and 42 females) with MOGAD were included in this study, with a median age of 30 years (range: 5-82 years). Among all the patients, 73 patients showed OCB type I, 12 patients showed OCB type II, and one patient showed OCB type III. The overall positive rate of CSF-OCB in MOGAD patients was 15.1 %. The 24-h intrathecal synthesis rate of CSF in the OCB-positive group (n = 13) was higher than that in the OCB-negative group [n = 73, 0.62 (0.26) vs 5.11 (13.67), P = 0.003]. Subgroup analysis revealed that the positive rates of CSF-OCB in the single MOG group (n = 61) and the group combined with other antibodies (n = 25) were 14.8 % and 16.0 %, respectively. The incidence of meningoencephalitis (13/61 vs 13/25, P = 0.011) was significantly different between the two groups. The proportion of patients with high (≥1:32) or low (≤1:10) CSF MOG-IgG also showed significant difference in the group combined with other antibodies (P = 0.032). Optic neuritis was more common in the relapse course group (n = 49) than the monophasic course group (n = 37, P < 0.001) No significant diferences of CSF immune parameters were found in the MOG-IgGserum+/CSF- group and the MOG-IgGserum+/CSF + group, and the titer of MOG-IgG in the serum or CSF did not influence CSF immune parameters in different subgroups. Conclusion: The overall positive rate of CSF-OCB in MOGAD patients was 15.1 %. The 24-h intrathecal synthesis rate of cerebrospinal fluid in the OCB-positive group was higher than that in the OCB-negative group. This study illustrated OCB characterization in MOGAD patients, and will shed light on the standardization of OCB test in the study of immune diseases.

Rapid Self-Assembly Mini-Livers Protect Mice Against Severe Hepatectomy-Induced Liver Failure.

The construction of bioartificial livers, such as liver organoids, offers significant promise for disease modeling, drug development, and regenerative medicine. However, existing methods for generating liver organoids have limitations, including lengthy and complex processes (taking 6-8 weeks or longer), safety concerns associated with pluripotency, limited functionality of pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes, and small, highly variable sizes (typically ≈50-500 µm in diameter). Prolonged culture also leads to the formation of necrotic cores, further restricting size and function. In this study, a straightforward and time-efficient approach is developed for creating rapid self-assembly mini-livers (RSALs) within 12 h. Additionally, primary hepatocytes are significantly expanded in vitro for use as seeding cells. RSALs exhibit consistent larger sizes (5.5 mm in diameter), improved cell viability (99%), and enhanced liver functionality. Notably, RSALs are functionally vascularized within 2 weeks post-transplantation into the mesentery of mice. These authentic hepatocyte-based RSALs effectively protect mice from 90%-hepatectomy-induced liver failure, demonstrating the potential of bioartificial liver-based therapy.

Backward bifurcation of a plant virus dynamics model with nonlinear continuous and impulsive control.

Roguing and elimination of vectors are the most commonly seen biological control strategies regarding the spread of plant viruses. It is practically significant to establish the mathematical models of plant virus transmission and regard the effect of removing infected plants as well as eliminating vector strategies on plant virus eradication. We proposed the mathematical models of plant virus transmission with nonlinear continuous and pulse removal of infected plants and vectors. In terms of the nonlinear continuous control strategy, the threshold values of the existence and stability of multiple equilibria have been provided. Moreover, the conditions for the occurrence of backward bifurcation were also provided. Regarding the nonlinear impulsive control strategy, the stability of the disease-free periodic solution and the threshold of the persistence of the disease were given. With the application of the fixed point theory, the conditions for the existence of forward and backward bifurcations of the model were presented. Our results demonstrated that there was a backward bifurcation phenomenon in continuous systems, and there was also a backward bifurcation phenomenon in impulsive control systems. Moreover, we found that removing healthy plants increased the threshold $ R_{1}. $ Finally, numerical simulation was employed to verify our conclusions.

Biotransformation of Pb and As from sewage sludge and food waste by black soldier fly larvae: Migration mechanism of bacterial community and metalloregulatory protein scales.

The accumulation and transformation of lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) during the digestion of sewage sludge (SS) by black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) remain unclear. In this study, we used 16 s rRNA and metagenomic sequencing techniques to investigate the correlation between the microbial community, metalloregulatory proteins (MRPs), and Pb and As migration and transformation. During the 15-day test period, BSFL were able to absorb 34-48 % of Pb and 32-45 % of As into their body. Changes in bacterial community abundance, upregulation of MRPs, and redundancy analysis (RDA) results confirmed that ZntA, EfeO, CadC, ArsR, ArsB, ArsD, and ArsA play major roles in the adsorption and stabilization of Pb and As, which is mainly due to the high contribution rates of Lactobacillus (48-59 %) and Enterococcus (21-23 %). Owing to the redox reaction, the regulation of the MRPs, and the change in pH, the Pb and As in the BSFL residue were mainly the residual fraction (F4). The RDA results showed that Lactobacillus and L.koreensis could significantly (P < 0.01) reduce the reducible fraction (F2) and F4 of Pb, whereas Firmicutes and L.fermentum can significantly (P < 0.05) promote the transformation of As to F4, thus realizing the passivation Pb and As. This study contributes to the understanding of Pb and As in SS adsorbed by BSFL and provides important insights into the factors that arise during the BSFL-mediated migration of Pb and As.

The Effect of Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound via Vessels and Surgical Drains Guidance Percutaneous Catheter Drainage in the Treatment of Pyogenic Liver Abscess.

BACKGROUND: Pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) is a purulent disease caused by microbial contamination of liver parenchyma and includes amoebic liver abscess, fungal liver abscess, and the most common bacterial liver abscess. OBJECTIVE: Explore the efficacy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) via vessels and surgical drain guidance percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) in the treatment of pyogenic liver abscesses (PLA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 86 PLA patients who underwent PCD treatment in our hospital from May 2018 to February 2023 were retrospectively selected. Of them, 41 patients were treated under intravenous CEUS guidance (Control group), and 45 patients were treated under CEUS via vessels and surgical drain guidance (study group). Perioperative characteristics, treatment effectiveness, and incidence of complications were analyzed and compared between groups. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The duration of surgery, drainage, white blood cell recovery, body temperature recovery, and hospitalization in the study group were longer than those in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate of the study group (95.56%) was higher than that of the control group (80.49%) (P<0.05). The incidence of complications in the study group (4.44%) was lower than that in the control group (19.51%) (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared with intravenous CEUS alone, treatment under CEUS via vessels and surgical drains-guided PCD was associated with shorter surgical time, faster recovery, better treatment effect, lower risk of complications, and ensured treatment safety in PLA patients.

Evaluation and optimization of FTIR spectroscopy to quantify PHA production by municipal wastewater sludge.

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) is a family of naturally-occurring biopolymers synthesized by more than 300 microorganisms in the environment. These biopolymers have been investigated as a source material to substitute fossil fuel-based polymers; hence the synthesis of biopolymers and their characterization is a critical step in optimizing the process. Because of this, the biological production of PHA using PHA-producing microorganisms is currently the dominating process; however, the use of microbial mixed culture (MMC), such as wastewater sludge, is gaining attention. Different than pure cultures, MMC has higher culturing condition tolerance since the complex species composition and is easily obtained from wastewater treatment plants, which shortens the culturing time, lowers the cost, and promotes the application. The main constraint in MMC-based PHA is the extraction and quantification of PHA from the more complex matrix. In this paper, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is evaluated to be used as a quantification method of PHA in MMC systems. Firstly, commercially available analytical standards, which consist of PHA/PHB, and two different solvents (chloroform and dichloromethane), were used and tested by this method, with KBr card and liquid cell methods, and the results are validated by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The method was then tested using 12 samples from wastewater treatment plants. The PHA content in biomass varied from 3.42 w/w% to 1.22 w/w% following extraction with chloroform as solvent as determined by this method. In the four different combination standards, the best one is consisted of PHB and chloroform, and FTIR-liquid cell showed higher promise for PHA quantification in complex matrices.

Subsequent surgical treatment or maintenance immunotherapy in stage III lung cancer patients achieving a favorable response following neoadjuvant immunotherapy: A matched retrospective cohort study from the surgical perspective.

BACKGROUND: Current treatment strategies for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are highly individualized and subject to ongoing debates. In the era of immunotherapy, surgery assumes a critical role. The aim of this study was to investigate if subsequent surgical intervention, following a favorable response to immunotherapy and chemotherapy, could yield a more favorable prognosis for patients with advanced stage III NSCLC compared to the continuation of immunotherapy and chemotherapy. METHODS: We included patients whose tumors exhibited a favorable response (including partial response [PR] and complete response [CR]) to immunotherapy and chemotherapy. These patients were categorized into two groups based on their subsequent treatment plans: surgical and nonsurgical (continuation of maintenance immunotherapy and chemotherapy). The efficacy and long-term prognosis of these groups were compared after matching them in a 1:1 ratio using propensity scores. RESULTS: In total, 186 patients (93 in each group) were included in this study after matching via propensity scores. The 1- and 3-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 96.0%, 88.5%, and 93.1%, 80.7% in the surgical group, and 93.2%, 83.1%, and 57.7%, 50.4% in the nonsurgical group, respectively. Patients in the surgical group exhibited significantly superior PFS and OS compared to those in the nonsurgical group (p = 0.025 and p = 0.00086). Univariate and multivariate analyses confirmed ΔBMI, Δtumor size reduction, tumor response, earlier clinical stage (IIIb vs. IIIa), and surgery as independent protective factor for patient prognosis. We further selected 101 patients with CR (39 in the surgical group and 62 in the nonsurgical group) and found that patients in the surgical group were significantly better in both PFS and OS. Our subgroup analysis in postoperative patients demonstrated that different surgical strategies did not significantly affect the long-term prognosis of patients (PFS and OS) but could impact their perioperative experience. CONCLUSION: Patients with advanced stage III NSCLC, whose tumors achieved PR and CR after 2-4 cycles of immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy, experience a more promising prognosis with subsequent surgical intervention compared with the continued immunotherapy. Despite encountering formidable obstacles, such as protracted surgical procedures and associated trauma, we must rise to the challenge and unleash the power of surgery after immunotherapy in advanced NSCLC.