Impaired Meningeal Lymphatics and Glymphatic Pathway in Patients with White Matter Hyperintensity.

White matter hyperintensity (WMH) represents a critical global medical concern linked to cognitive decline and dementia, yet its underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, humans are directly demonstrated that high WMH burden correlates with delayed drainage of meningeal lymphatic vessels (mLVs) and glymphatic pathway. Additionally, a longitudinal cohort study reveals that glymphatic dysfunction predicts WMH progression. Next, in a rat model of WMH, the presence of impaired lymphangiogenesis and glymphatic drainage is confirmed, followed by elevated microglial activation and white matter demyelination. Notably, enhancing meningeal lymphangiogenesis through adeno-associated virus delivery of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) mitigates microglial gliosis and white matter demyelination. Conversely, blocking the growth of mLVs with a VEGF-C trap strategy exacerbates these changes. The findings highlight the role of mLVs and glymphatic pathway dysfunction in aggravating brain white matter injury, providing a potential novel strategy for WMH prevention and treatment.

DJ-1 preserves ischemic postconditioning-induced cardioprotection in STZ-induced type 1 diabetic rats: role of PTEN and DJ-1 subcellular translocation.

BACKGROUND: Ischemic postconditioning (IPostC) has been reported as a promising method for protecting against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MI/R) injury. Our previous study found that the infarct-limiting effect of IPostC is abolished in the heart of diabetes whose cardiac expression of DJ-1 (also called PARK7, Parkinsonism associated deglycase) is reduced. However, the role and in particular the underlying mechanism of DJ-1 in the loss of sensitivity to IPostC-induced cardioprotection in diabetic hearts remains unclear. METHODS: Streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetic rats were subjected to MI/R injury by occluding the left anterior descending artery (LAD) and followed by reperfusion. IPostC was induced by three cycles of 10s of reperfusion and ischemia at the onset of reperfusion. AAV9-CMV-DJ-1, AAV9-CMV-C106S-DJ-1 or AAV9-DJ-1 siRNA were injected via tail vein to either over-express or knock-down DJ-1 three weeks before inducing MI/R. RESULTS: Diabetic rats subjected to MI/R exhibited larger infarct area, more severe oxidative injury concomitant with significantly reduced cardiac DJ-1 expression and increased PTEN expression as compared to non-diabetic rats. AAV9-mediated cardiac DJ-1 overexpression, but not the cardiac overexpression of DJ-1 mutant C106S, restored IPostC-induced cardioprotection and this effect was accompanied by increased cytoplasmic DJ-1 translocation toward nuclear and mitochondrial, reduced PTEN expression, and increased Nrf-2/HO-1 transcription. Our further study showed that AAV9-mediated targeted DJ-1 gene knockdown aggravated MI/R injury in diabetic hearts, and this exacerbation of MI/R injury was partially reversed by IPostC in the presence of PTEN inhibition or Nrf-2 activation. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that DJ-1 preserves the cardioprotective effect of IPostC against MI/R injury in diabetic rats through nuclear and mitochondrial DJ-1 translocation and that inhibition of cardiac PTEN and activation of Nrf-2/HO-1 may represent the major downstream mechanisms whereby DJ-1 preserves the cardioprotective effect of IPostC in diabetes.

Insulin interacts with PPARγ agonists to promote bovine adipocyte differentiation.

Insulin is a potent adipogenic hormone that triggers a series of transcription factors that regulate the differentiation of preadipocytes into mature adipocytes. Ciglitazone specifically binds to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), thereby promoting adipocyte differentiation. As a natural ligand of PPARγ, oleic acid (OA) can promote the translocation of PPARγ into the nucleus, regulate the expression of downstream genes, and promote adipocyte differentiation. We hypothesized that ciglitazone and oleic acid interact with insulin to enhance bovine preadipocyte differentiation. Preadipocytes were cultured 96 h in differentiation medium containing 10 mg/L insulin (I), 10 mg/L insulin + 10 µM cycloglitazone (IC), 10 mg/L insulin + 100 µM oleic acid (IO), or 10 mg/L insulin + 10 µM cycloglitazone+100 µM oleic acid (ICO). Control preadipocytes (CON) were cultured in differentiation medium (containing 5% fetal calf serum). The effects on the differentiation of Yanbian cattle preadipocytes were examined using molecular and transcriptomic techniques, including differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. I, IC, IO, and ICO treatments produced higher concentrations of triglycerides (TAG) and lipid droplet accumulation in preadipocytes compared with CON treatment (P < 0.05). Co-treatment of insulin and PPARγ agonists significantly increased the expression of genes involved in regulating adipogenesis and fatty acid synthesis. (P < 0.05). Differential expression analysis identified 1488, 1764, 1974 and 1368 DEGs in the I, IC, IO and ICO groups, respectively. KEGG pathway analysis revealed DEGs mainly enriched in PPAR signalling, FOXO signaling pathway and fatty acid metabolism. These results indicate that OA, as PPARγ agonist, can more effectively promote the expression of bovine lipogenesis genes and the content of TAG and adiponectin when working together with insulin, and stimulate the differentiation of bovine preadipocytes. These findings provide a basis for further screening of relevant genes and transcription factors in intramuscular fat deposition and meat quality to enhance breeding programs.

New role of platelets in schizophrenia: predicting drug response.

Background: Elevated platelet count (PLTc) is associated with first-episode schizophrenia and adverse outcomes in individuals with precursory psychosis. However, the impact of antipsychotic medications on PLTc and its association with symptom improvement remain unclear. Aims: We aimed to investigate changes in PLTc levels following antipsychotic treatment and assess whether PLTc can predict antipsychotic responses and metabolic changes after accounting for other related variables. Methods: A total of 2985 patients with schizophrenia were randomised into seven groups. Each group received one of seven antipsychotic treatments and was assessed at 2, 4 and 6 weeks. Clinical symptoms were evaluated using the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS). Additionally, we measured blood cell counts and metabolic parameters, such as blood lipids. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to examine the effect of antipsychotics on PLTc changes, while structural equation modelling was used to assess the predictive value of PLTc on PANSS changes. Results: PLTc significantly increased in patients treated with aripiprazole (F=6.00, p=0.003), ziprasidone (F=7.10, p<0.001) and haloperidol (F=3.59, p=0.029). It exhibited a positive association with white blood cell count and metabolic indicators. Higher baseline PLTc was observed in non-responders, particularly in those defined by the PANSS-negative subscale. In the structural equation model, PLTc, white blood cell count and a latent metabolic variable predicted the rate of change in the PANSS-negative subscale scores. Moreover, higher baseline PLTc was observed in individuals with less metabolic change, although this association was no longer significant after accounting for baseline metabolic values. Conclusions: Platelet parameters, specifically PLTc, are influenced by antipsychotic treatment and could potentially elevate the risk of venous thromboembolism in patients with schizophrenia. Elevated PLTc levels and associated factors may impede symptom improvement by promoting inflammation. Given PLTc's easy measurement and clinical relevance, it warrants increased attention from psychiatrists. Trial registration number: ChiCTR-TRC-10000934.

Rational Conversion of Imine linkages to Amide Linkages in Covalent Organic Frameworks for Photocatalytic Oxidation with Enhanced Photostability.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and their applications in photocatalysis have been extensively studied, but the instability of imine-linked COFs is an important factor limiting their performance. In this work, two imine-linked COFs were successfully converted to amide-linked COFs through post synthetic modification (PSM). The oxidized COFs presented lower binding energy to O2, exhibited higher photocatalytic activity for oxidation of thioethers and coupling of benzylamines with excellent stability. The present work can serve as a reliable reference for the development of novel highly active and stable COF-based photocatalysts.

Long Non-coding RNA Neat1, NLRP3 Inflammasome, and Acute Kidney Injury.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in hospitalized patients and is associated with high mortality. Inflammation plays a key role in the pathophysiology of AKI. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are increasingly recognized as regulators of the inflammatory and immune response, but its role in AKI remains unclear. METHODS: We explored the role of lncRNA Neat1 in (1) a cross-sectional and a longitudinal cohort of AKI in human; (2) three murine models of septic and aseptic AKI and (3) cultured C1.1 mouse kidney tubular cells. RESULTS: In human, hospitalized patients with AKI (n=66) demonstrated significantly increased lncRNA Neat1 levels in urinary sediment cells and buffy coat versus control participants (n=152) from a primary care clinic; and among 6 kidney transplant recipients, Neat1 levels were highest immediately after transplant surgery followed by a prompt decline to normal levels in parallel with recovery of kidney function. In mice with AKI induced by sepsis (via LPS injection or cecal ligation and puncture) and renal ischemia-reperfusion, kidney tubular Neat1 was increased versus sham-operated mice. Knockdown of Neat1 in the kidney using short hairpin RNA preserved kidney function, suppressed overexpression of the AKI biomarker NGAL, leukocyte infiltration and both intrarenal and systemic inflammatory cytokines IL-6, CCL-2 and IL-1ß. In LPS-treated C1.1 cells, Neat1 was overexpressed via TLR4/NF-κB signaling, and translocated from the cell nucleus into the cytoplasm where it promoted activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes via binding with the scaffold protein Rack1. Silencing Neat1 ameliorated LPS-induced cell inflammation, whereas its overexpression upregulated IL-6 and CCL-2 expression even without LPS stimulation. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate a pathogenic role of Neat1 induction in human and mice during AKI with alleviation of kidney injury in 3 experimental models of septic and aseptic AKI after knockdown of Neat1. LPS/TLR4-induced Neat1 overexpression in tubular epithelial cells increases the inflammatory response by binding with the scaffold protein, Rack1, to activate NLRP3 inflammasomes.

Subjective sleep more predictive of global cognitive function than objective sleep in older adults: A specification curve analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Sleep is associated with cognitive function in older adults. In the current study, we examined this relationship from subjective and objective perspectives, and determined the robustness and dimensional specificity of the associations using a comprehensive modelling approach. METHODS: Multiple dimensions of subjective (sleep quality and daytime sleepiness) and objective sleep (sleep stages, sleep parameters, sleep spindles, and slow oscillations), as well as subjectively reported and objectively measured cognitive function were collected from 55 older adults. Specification curve analysis was used to examine the robustness of correlations for the effects of sleep on cognitive function. RESULTS: Robust associations were found between sleep and objectively measured cognitive function, but not with subjective cognitive complaints. In addition, subjective sleep showed robust and consistent associations with global cognitive function, whereas objective sleep showed a more domain-specific association with episodic memory. Specifically, subjective sleep quality and daytime sleepiness correlated with global cognitive function, and objective sleep parameters correlated with episodic memory. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, associations between sleep and cognitive function in older adults depend on how they are measured and which specific dimensions of sleep and domains of cognitive function are considered. It highlights the importance of focusing on specific associations to ameliorate the detrimental effects of sleep disturbance on cognitive function in later life.

Selenomethionine preconditioned mesenchymal stem cells derived extracellular vesicles exert enhanced therapeutic efficacy in intervertebral disc degeneration.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) have shown promising therapeutic potential for multiple diseases, including intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Nevertheless, the limited production and unstable quality of EVs hindered the clinical application of EVs in IDD. Selenomethionine (Se-Met), the major form of organic selenium present in the cereal diet, showed various beneficial effects, including antioxidant, immunomodulatory and anti-apoptotic effects. In the current study, Se-Met was employed to treat MSCs to investigate whether Se-Met can facilitate the secretion of EVs by MSCs and optimize their therapeutic effects on IDD. On the one hand, Se-Met promoted the production of EVs by enhancing the autophagy activity of MSCs. On the other hand, Se-Met pretreated MSC-derived EVs (Se-EVs) exhibited an enhanced protective effects on alleviating nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) senescence and attenuating IDD compared with EVs isolated from control MSCs (C-EVs) in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we performed a miRNA microarray sequencing analysis on EVs to explore the potential mechanism of the protective effects of EVs. The result indicated that miR-125a-5p is markedly enriched in Se-EVs compared to C-EVs. Further in vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that knockdown of miR-125a-5p in Se-EVs (miRKD-Se-EVs) impeded the protective effects of Se-EVs, while overexpression of miR-125a-5p (miROE-Se-EVs) boosted the protective effects. In conclusion, Se-Met facilitated the MSC-derived EVs production and increased miR-125a-5p delivery in Se-EVs, thereby improving the protective effects of MSC-derived EVs on alleviating NPCs senescence and attenuating IDD.

Applying narrative medicine to prepare empathetic healthcare providers in undergraduate pharmacy education in Singapore: a mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: Narrative medicine demonstrated positive impact on empathy in medicine and nursing students. However, this pedagogical approach had not been evaluated in pharmacy education. This study sought to apply and evaluate the narrative medicine approach in extending empathy in Asian undergraduate pharmacy students. METHODS: Narrative medicine was applied through workshops which used narratives of people with different experiences and perspectives. First-year undergraduate pharmacy students who volunteered and attended these workshops formed the intervention group (N = 31) and the remaining first-year cohort formed the control group (N = 112). A sequential explanatory mixed methods approach was adopted in which quantitative methods were first used to measure impact on pharmacy students' empathy using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy- Health Professions Student (JSE-HPS), and qualitative methods (i.e. group interviews) were then used to assess pharmacy students' emotional responses to narratives, and the perspectives of pharmacy students and faculty of this pedagogical approach. RESULTS: There was no difference in JSE-HPS scores between intervention and control groups across baseline (i.e. upon matriculation), pre-intervention, and post-intervention timepoints. Pharmacy students in the intervention group had lower scores in Factor 3 ("Standing in People's Shoes") following the intervention. Five themes, guided by internal and external factors in cognition, emerged from the Group Interviews: (1) incongruence between students' motivation and faculty's perception, (2) learning context, (3) academic context, (4) cognitive system, and (5) affective system. Themes 1, 4 and 5 referred to internal factors such as students' motivation, perceived learnings, and feelings. Themes 2 and 3 referred to external factors including workshop materials, activities, content, and facilitation. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to demonstrate that pharmacy students engaged with the narrative medicine approach as narratives elicited emotional responses, exposed them to diverse perspectives, and deepened their appreciation of the importance of empathy and complexities of understanding patients' perspectives. Scaffolded educational interventions using narratives and real-life patient encounters, alongside longitudinal measurements of empathy, are necessary to bring about meaningful and sustained improvements in empathy.

Far-Infrared Therapy Based on Graphene Ameliorates High-Fat Diet-Induced Anxiety-Like Behavior in Obese Mice via Alleviating Intestinal Barrier Damage and Neuroinflammation.

The consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) has been implicated in the etiology of obesity and various neuropsychiatric disturbances, including anxiety and depression. Compelling evidence suggests that far-infrared ray (FIR) possesses beneficial effects on emotional disorders. However, the efficacy of FIR therapy in addressing HFD-induced anxiety and the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Here, we postulate that FIR emitted from a graphene-based therapeutic device may mitigate HFD-induced anxiety behaviors. The graphene-FIR modify the gut microbiota in HFD-mice, particularly by an enriched abundance of beneficial bacteria Clostridiaceae and Erysipelotrichaceae, coupled with a diminution of harmful bacteria Lachnospiraceae, Anaerovoracaceae, Holdemania and Marvinbryantia. Graphene-FIR also improved intestinal barrier function, as evidenced by the augmented expression of the tight junction protein occludin and G protein-coupled receptor 43 (GPR43). In serum level, we observed the decreased free fatty acids (FFA), lipopolysaccharides (LPS), diamine oxidase (DAO) and D-lactate, and increased the glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) levels in graphene-FIR mice. Simultaneously, inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α manifested a decrease subsequent to graphene-FIR treatment in both peripheral and central system. Notably, graphene-FIR inhibited over expression of astrocytes and microglia. We further noticed that the elevated the BDNF and decreased TLR4 and NF-κB expression in graphene-FIR group. Overall, our study reveals that graphene-FIR rescued HFD-induced anxiety via improving the intestine permeability and the integrity of blood-brain barrier, and reduced inflammatory response by down regulating TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory pathway.

Large viewing angle integral imaging 3D display system based on a symmetrical compound lens array.

We propose a large viewing angle integral imaging 3D display system based on a symmetrical compound lens array (SCLA). The display system comprises a high-resolution 2D display panel, an SCLA, and a light shaping diffuser. The high-resolution 2D display panel presents an elemental image array, the SCLA modulates the light rays emitted from the 2D display panel to form 3D images in space, and the light shaping diffuser eliminates the gaps between 3D pixels of the 3D images. We find that the lateral aberration is a crucial factor that affects the resolution of the reconstructed 3D image. The symmetrical structure of the SCLA enables a reduced focal length and the elimination of lateral aberration, improving the viewing angle and the 3D image resolution simultaneously. The experimental results confirm that the proposed display system increases the viewing angle to 68.6°, achieving a comparable resolution of the full field of view while maintaining a simple structure.

Association of Combined Healthy Lifestyle Factors With Incident Dementia in Participants With and Without Multimorbidity: A Large Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The effect of a healthy lifestyle on dementia associated with multimorbidity is not well understood. Our objective is to examine whether the adoption of a healthy lifestyle could potentially reduce the elevated risk of dementia in individuals with and without multimorbidity. METHODS: We utilized data from the UK Biobank cohort. A comprehensive healthy lifestyle score, ranging from 0 to 6, was generated. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the associations between multimorbidity, the healthy lifestyle score, and the incidence risk of dementia. RESULTS: Over a median follow-up period of 12.5 years, 5 852 all-cause dementia were recorded. Multimorbidity including cardiovascular, metabolic, neuropsychiatric, and inflammation-related diseases was associated with a higher risk of subsequent dementia. Each additional chronic disease was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.38 (95% CI: 1.33, 1.44). Compared to individuals without multimorbidity and a healthy lifestyle score of 5-6, patients with multimorbidity and a lifestyle score of 0-1 had a significantly higher risk of dementia (HR: 3.13; 95% CI: 2.64, 3.72), but the risk was markedly attenuated among those with multimorbidity and a lifestyle score of 5-6. Among patients with 3 or more diseases, the HR for dementia was 0.53 (95%CI: 0.42, 0.68) when comparing a lifestyle score of 5-6 to 0-1. And we observed more pronounced association between them among people younger than 60 years old. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to a combination of healthy lifestyle factors, especially at a young age, was associated with a significantly lower risk of dementia among participants with multimorbidity.

Physicochemical, microbiological and metabolomics changes in yogurt supplemented with lactosucrose.

Lactosucrose (LS) is a known prebiotic that has gained recognition for its low caloric content and various health benefits. However, its potential in food applications remains largely unexplored. In this study the effects of adding LS to milk at concentrations (0 %, 2 %, 5 % and 8 % w/v) for yogurt production, and the relevant changes in yogurt texture, microbial composition and metabolomics were investigated. Our findings revealed that LS played a role in promoting the formation of a structured gel during fermentation, resulting in increased elasticity and viscosity while reducing fluidity. Additionally incorporating high doses of LS into yogurt led to reduced post-acidification, enhanced survival of starter bacteria, improved water retention capacity and overall texture throughout a refrigerated storage period of 21 days. Notably higher concentrations of LS (8 % w/v) exhibited effects on enhancing yogurt quality. Furthermore, untargeted metabolomics analysis using UPLC Q TOF MS/MS revealed 45 differentially expressed metabolites, including up-regulated L-arginine, L-proline and L-glutamic acid along with the down-regulated glutathione, L-tyrosine, L-phenylalanyl and L-proline. These differential metabolites were primarily associated with amino acid metabolism such as thiamine metabolism, nicotinic acid salt and nicotinamide metabolism, and pyrimidine metabolism. As a result, the inclusion of LS in yogurt had an impact on the production of various beneficial metabolites in yogurt, highlighting the importance of combining prebiotic LS with probiotics to obtain desired physiological benefits of yogurt.

Safety and effcacy of remimazolam tosilate for sedation during combined spinal-epidural anesthesia for orthopedic procedures: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of Remimazolam in the context of combined spinal-epidural anesthesia for sedation during orthopedic surgery. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial enrolled patients scheduled for orthopedic surgery under combined spinal-epidural anesthesia (N = 80), who were randomly allocated to receive either dexmedetomidine (Group-D) or remimazolam (Group-R). The target sedation range aimed for a Ramsay score of 2-5 or a BIS value of 60-80 to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of remimazolam during sedation. RESULTS: The time taken to achieve the desired level of sedation was significantly shorter in the remimazolam group compared to the dexmedetomidine group (3.69 ± 0.75 vs. 9.59 ± 1.03; P < 0.0001). Patients in the remimazolam group exhibited quicker recovery, fewer intraoperative adverse events, more consistent vital signs, and greater satisfaction at various time points throughout the surgery. CONCLUSION: This preliminary study demonstrates that remimazolam tosilate serves as a safe and effective sedative for orthopedic surgery performed under combined spinal-epidural anesthesia, in comparison with dexmedetomidine.

Evaluation of Modified Autocidal Gravid Ovitraps for Control of Aedes Aegypti in St. Augustine, Florida.

Aedes aegypti is an anthropophilic mosquito that vectors dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever viruses. The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s autocidal gravid ovitraps (AGOs) may facilitate the control of container-inhabiting Aedes mosquitoes and curb arbovirus outbreaks by taking advantage of oviposition-seeking behavior using pesticide-free technology. The AGOs, manufactured by SpringStar Inc., were tested during the summer of 2018 in St. Augustine, FL. A total of 1,718 AGOs were deployed for study in 3 different 40-acre (∼18.2 ha) plots at a density of 5-7 AGOs per house and a coverage of >90% for all AGO test sites. The AGOs were modified using tap water instead of infusion water to reduce the capture of nontarget organisms. Each intervention and reference area was monitored weekly using BioGents Sentinel traps and Sentinel AGOs. Generalized linear mixed models showed that changes to Aedes mosquito populations were more seasonal than treatment driven. Homeowners expressed positivity about traps and believed the traps were both effective and had directly contributed to increased quality of life.

Insights and Challenges for the Development of Mosquito Control Action Thresholds Using Historical Mosquito Surveillance and Climate Datasets.

Strategies to advance action threshold development can benefit both civilian and military vector control operations. The Anastasia Mosquito Control District (AMCD) has curated an extensive record database of surveillance programs and operational control activities in St. Johns County, Florida, since 2004. A thorough exploratory data analysis was performed on historical mosquito surveillance and county-wide climate data to identify climate predictors that could be used in constructing proactive threshold models for initiating control of Aedes, Culex, and Anopheles vector mosquitoes. Species counts pulled from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) light trap (2004-2019) and BG trap (2014-2019) collection records and climate parameters of temperature (minimum, maximum, average), rainfall, and relative humidity were used in two iterations of generalized linear models. Climate readings were incorporated into models 1) in the form of continuous measurements, or 2) for categorization into number of "hot," "wet," or "humid" days by exceedance of selected biological index threshold values. Models were validated with tests of residual error, comparison of model effects, and predictive capability on testing data from the two recent surveillance seasons 2020 and 2021. Two iterations of negative binomial regression models were constructed for 6 species groups: container Aedes (Ae. aegypti, Ae. albopictus), standing water Culex (Cx. nigripalpus, Cx. quinquefasciatus), floodwater Aedes (Ae. atlanticus, Ae. infirmatus), salt-marsh Aedes (Ae. taeniorhyncus, Ae. sollicitans), swamp water Anopheles (An. crucians), and a combined Total Mosquitoes group. Final significant climate predictors varied substantially between species groups. Validation of models with testing data displayed limited predictive abilities of both model iterations. The most significant climate predictors for floodwater Aedes, the dominant and operationally influential species group in the county, were either total precipitation or frequency of precipitation events (number of "wet" days) at two to four weeks before trap collection week. Challenges hindering the construction of threshold models were discussed. Insights gained from these models provide initial feedback for streamlining the AMCD mosquito control program and analytical recommendations for future modelling efforts of interested mosquito control programs, in addition to generalized guidance for deployed armed forces personnel with needs of mosquito control but lacking active surveillance programs.

EVALUTION OF MODIFIED AUTOCIDAL GRAVID OVITRAPS FOR CONTROL OF AEDES AEGYPTI IN ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA.

Aedes aegypti is an anthropophilic mosquito that vectors dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever viruses. The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s autocidal gravid ovitraps (AGOs) may facilitate the control of container-inhabiting Aedes mosquitoes and curb arbovirus outbreaks by taking advantage of oviposition-seeking behavior using pesticide-free technology. The AGOs, manufactured by SpringStar Inc., were tested during the summer of 2018 in St. Augustine, FL. A total of 1,718 AGOs were deployed for study in 3 different 40-acre (∼18.2 ha) plots at a density of 5-7 AGOs per house and a coverage of >90% for all AGO test sites. The AGOs were modified using tap water instead of infusion water to reduce the capture of nontarget organisms. Each intervention and reference area was monitored weekly using BioGents Sentinel traps and Sentinel AGOs. Generalized linear mixed models showed that changes to Aedes mosquito populations were more seasonal than treatment driven. Homeowners expressed positivity about traps and believed the traps were both effective and had directly contributed to increased quality of life.

Changes of physicochemical and functional properties of processed cheese made with natural cheddar and mozzarella cheeses during refrigerated storage.

The present study aimed to investigate changes of physicochemical and functional properties of the processed cheeses (PCs) made with Cheddar (PC1), Mozzarella (PC2) and both of them at a ratio of 1:1 (PC3) during storage at 4 °C for 4 months. The results showed that the type of natural cheese used affected the composition of PCs with lower fat content in PC2 due to the lower fat content of Mozzarella cheese used. PC2 with lower fat content showed decreased meltability and oil leakage compared with PC1 and PC3. The stretchability of all the samples significantly (P < 0.05) decreased during storage, and PC1 showed lower stretchability. This was confirmed by increased protein hydrolysis of all the samples during the storage with a higher level of proteolysis in PC1, leading to decreased stretchability of PCs. Further low-field nuclear magnetic resonance analysis indicated more entrapped water in cheese due to moisture migration into the cheese matrix that might squeeze the fat globules to aggregate, causing more fat leakage during later stages of storage. This was evidenced by microstructural analysis showing different extents of increase in fat particle sizes and decrease in free serum in all the PC samples over the storage time. Therefore, the present study provides further understanding of the mechanism of quality change of PC during refrigerated storage as affected by proteolytic properties and composition of natural cheese used.

[Quality evaluation of salt-fired Eucommiae Cortex based on HPLC fingerprint, multi-component content determination, and chemometrics].

This study established an HPLC fingerprint and multi-component content determination method for salt-fired Eucommiae Cortex, and evaluated the quality of salt-fired Eucommiae Cortex from different sources using fingerprint similarity evaluation, cluster analysis(CA), principal component analysis(PCA), and orthogonal partial least square discriminate analysis(OPLS-DA). HPLC was launched on a Cosmosil 5C_(18)-MS-Ⅱ column(4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 µm) by gradient elution with a mobile phase of methanol-0.2% phosphoric acid aqueous solution at a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min~(-1), detection wavelength of 238 nm, column temperature of 30 ℃, and an injection volume of 10 µL. The results of fingerprint similarity evaluation for 20 batches of salt-fired Eucommiae Cortex indicated that, except for batch S3 with a similarity of 0.893, the similarity of the other 19 batches was of ≥ 0.919, suggesting good similarity. Fourteen common peaks were calibrated and seven common peaks were identified including geniposidic acid. The mass fractions of geniposidic acid, chlorogenic acid, geniposide, genipin, pinoresinol diglucoside, liriodendrin, and pinoresinol-4-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside were 0.062 0%-0.426 9%, 0.024 9%-0.116 5%, 0.009 5%-0.052 9%, 0.005 5%-0.034 8%, 0.115 9%-0.317 8%, 0.016 4%-0.108 8%, and 0.026 4%-0.039 8%, respectively. Using CA, PCA, and OPLS-DA, the 20 batches of salt-fired Eucommiae Cortex were classified into three categories. Additionally, through the analysis of variable importance in projection(VIP) under OPLS-DA, two differential quality markers, geniposidic acid and chlorogenic acid, were identified. The established HPLC fingerprint and multi-component content determination method is stable and reliable, providing a reference for quality control of salt-fired Eucommiae Cortex.

Presence of Residual Cardiac Thrombus Predicts Poor Outcome in Cardioembolic Stroke After Reperfusion Therapy.

BACKGROUND: In patients with acute cardiogenic cerebral embolism, a residual thrombus may still be present in the cardiac cavity even after reperfusion therapy. We aimed to investigate the occurrence of a residual cardiac thrombus in cardioembolic stroke after reperfusion therapy and analyze its impact on clinical outcome. METHODS AND RESULTS: We enrolled patients with cardioembolic stroke from our prospectively collected database who underwent 2-phase cardiac computed tomography within 7 days after reperfusion therapy. Residual cardiac thrombus was defined as a filling defect on both early- and late-phase images, whereas circulatory stasis was defined as a filling defect only on the early-phase images in the left atrial appendage. The primary outcome was a poor clinical outcome (modified Rankin Scale score, 3-6) at 90 days. The secondary outcome was a composite end point event (cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke) at 90 days. A total of 303 patients were included, of whom 94 (31.0%) had a residual cardiac thrombus. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of a residual cardiac thrombus was associated with a poor clinical outcome (odds ratio, 1.951 [95% CI, 1.027-3.707]; P=0.041) but not circulatory stasis in the left atrial appendage (odds ratio, 1.096 [95% CI, 0.542-2.217]; P=0.798). Furthermore, there was no correlation between a residual cardiac thrombus and the composite end point event (30.0% versus 31.1%; P=1.000). CONCLUSIONS: Residual cardiac thrombus occurs in approximately one-third of patients with cardioembolic stroke after reperfusion therapy and is often indicative of a poor clinical outcome.