Bone Health Screening Prior to Medicare Eligibility-Osteoporosis Screening and Fracture Prevention After Distal Radius Fractures in Patients Aged 50-59.

PURPOSE: Current guidelines recommend bone mineral density (BMD) testing after fragility fractures in patients aged 50 years or older. This study aimed to assess BMD testing and subsequent fragility fractures after low-energy distal radius fractures (DRFs) among patients aged 50-59 years. METHODS: We used the 2010-2020 MarketScan dataset to identify patients with initial DRFs with ages ranging between 50 and 59 years. We assessed the 1-year BMD testing rate and 3-year non-DRF fragility fracture rate. We created Kaplan-Meier plots to depict fragility fracture-free probabilities over time and used log-rank tests to compare the Kaplan-Meier curves. RESULTS: Among 78,389 patients aged 50-59 years with DRFs, 24,589 patients met our inclusion criteria, and most patients were women (N = 17,580, 71.5%). The BMD testing rate within 1 year after the initial DRF was 12.7% (95% CI, 12.3% to 13.2%). In addition, 1-year BMD testing rates for the age groups of 50-54 and 55-59 years were 10.4% (95% CI, 9.9% to 11.0%) and 14.9% (95% CI, 14.2% to 15.6%), respectively. Only 1.8% (95% CI, 1.5% to 2.1%) of men, compared with 17.1% (95% CI, 16.5% to 17.7%) of women, underwent BMD testing within 1 year after the initial fracture. The overall 3-year fragility fracture rate was 6.0% (95% CI, 5.6% to 6.3%). The subsequent fragility fracture rate was lower for those with any BMD testing (4.4%; 95% CI, 3.7% to 5.2%), compared with those without BMD testing (6.2%; 95% CI, 5.9% to 6.6%; P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: We report a low BMD testing rate for patients aged between 50 and 59 years after initial isolated DRFs, especially for men and patients aged between 50 and 54 years. Patients who received BMD testing had a lower rate of subsequent fracture within 3 years. We recommend that providers follow published guidelines and initiate an osteoporosis work-up for patients with low-energy DRFs to ensure early diagnosis. This provides an opportunity to initiate treatment that may prevent subsequent fractures. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognosis II.

Many Roads Lead to Rome: Differential Learning Processes for the Same Perceptual Improvement.

Repeatedly exercising a perceptual ability usually leads to improvement, yet it is unclear whether the mechanisms supporting the same perceptual learning could be flexibly adjusted according to the training settings. Here, we trained adult observers in an orientation-discrimination task at either a single (focused) retinal location or multiple (distributed) retinal locations. We examined the observers' discriminability (N = 52) and bias (N = 20) in orientation perception at the trained and untrained locations. The focused and distributed training enhanced orientation discriminability by the same amount and induced a bias in perceived orientation at the trained locations. Nevertheless, the distributed training promoted location generalization of both practice effects, whereas the focused training resulted in specificity. The two training tactics also differed in long-term retention of the training effects. Our results suggest that, depending on the training settings of the same task, the same discrimination learning could differentially engage location-specific and location-invariant representations of the learned stimulus feature.

Dynamics of Bacterial Composition and Association with Quality Formation and Biogenic Amines Accumulation during Fish Sauce Spontaneous Fermentation.

High-throughput sequencing and high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods were used to investigate the influences of microbial dynamics on the quality and biogenic amine (BA) content during fish sauce fermentation. The homogeneity of total viable bacteria and lactic acid bacteria in fish sauce becomes higher as fermentation progresses. Tetragenococcus was the key genus of fish sauce fermentation. Carnobacterium (38.43%) and Lentibacillus (41.01%) were the dominant genera in the samples fermented for 3 months and 18 months, respectively. These three bacterial genera were significantly related to the physicochemical characteristics and characteristic flavors of the sauces. Tetragenococcus was significantly positively correlated with nitrogen oxides, the main characteristic flavor components in fish sauce. The BA content in fish sauce fermentation increased from 106.88 to 376.03 mg/kg, and the content of histamine reached 115.30 mg/kg at the end of fermentation, indicating that fish sauce has health risks. About 66.67% of Lentibacillus isolates were able to produce a large amount of BA, suggesting that Lentibacillus was the key genus for BA accumulation in fish sauce fermentation. Research on reducing the content of BA in fish sauce by intervening with regard to the fermentation temperature showed that a safe fish sauce product could be obtained at the fermentation temperature of about 25°C. These results help us to understand the contribution of microbial community composition to fish sauce fermentation and provide a basis for improving the quality and safety of fermented fish sauce. IMPORTANCE Traditional fermentation of fish sauce is mainly carried out by complex microbial communities from raw anchovies and processing environments. However, it is still unclear how the environmental microbiota influences the quality and the safety of fish sauce products. Therefore, this study comprehensively explained the influence of microorganisms on the quality and safety of fish sauce during the fermentation process in terms of physicochemical characters, flavors, and BA. Additionally, the accumulation of BA in fish sauce fermentation was controlled by intervening in the fermentation temperature. This finding contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of environmental microbiota during fermentation and provides data support for improving the safety of fish sauce.

Construction of an S-Scheme Ag2MoO4/ZnFe2O4 Nanofiber Heterojunction for Enhanced Photoelectrocatalytic Activity under Visible Light Irradiation.

The removal of organic dyes and pathogenic bacteria from contaminated water remains a significant challenge. In the present study, S-type heterojunction Ag2MoO4/ZnFe2O4 (AMO/ZFO) composite nanofibers were synthesized by electrospinning and co-precipitation and fabricated into photoanodes. It is found that the constructed S-type heterojunction of AMO/ZFO composites effectively inhibits the recombination of photogenerated carriers, in addition to the benefits of more exposed active sites and a greater specific surface area. When several properties are improved, AMO/ZFO composites exhibit excellent photoelectrocatalytic performance. The results demonstrate that under visible light irradiation, the photoelectrocatalytic degradation rate of AMO/ZFO-3 to methylene blue reached 76.2% within 50 min, and the killing rate of Salmonella was 83.6% within 80 min. The enhanced photoelectrocatalytic activity was due to the synergy of both electrochemical and photocatalytic effects. More importantly, after four testing cycles, AMO/ZFO-3 still has a better ability to kill pathogenic bacteria and degrade organic dyes due to its high stability. This work provides a feasible method for oxidizing organic dyes and pathogenic bacteria.

Prevalence of pelvic floor disorders, associations of endocrine therapy, and surgical intervention among breast cancer survivors.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: To evaluate prevalence of pelvic floor disorders, association of endocrine therapy with pelvic floor disorders, and rates of pelvic floor surgery among breast cancer survivors compared to matched controls without history of cancer. METHODS: This is a retrospective, cohort study using electronic medical record data from a ten-hospital regional healthcare system. A total of 19,483 women diagnosed with breast cancer between January 2008 and April 2020 were propensity score matched to 19,483 women without a history of cancer. Medical charts were abstracted for ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes for pelvic floor disorders, use of endocrine therapy, and CPT codes for pelvic floor surgeries and procedures. RESULTS: Overall, the prevalence of pelvic floor disorders was lower among breast cancer survivors (8.8% vs. 22.6%, p < 0.001), and mean time to development of pelvic floor disorders among breast cancer survivors was 3 years. Selective estrogen receptor modulators and aromatase inhibitors were associated with pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence, while estrogen antagonists were associated with urge urinary incontinence and lower urinary tract symptoms. Women with breast cancer had similar or higher rates of pelvic floor surgery compared to matched controls. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of pelvic floor disorders were lower among breast cancer survivors compared to controls but rates of surgical intervention did not differ and were higher for some conditions among breast cancer survivors. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Screening for these disorders should be considered as part of routine survivorship care.

Surprise Out-of-Network Bills for Hand and Upper Extremity Trauma Patients.

PURPOSE: Patients may receive surprise out-of-network bills even when they present to in-network facilities. Surprise bills are common following emergency care. We sought to characterize and determine risk factors for surprise billing in hand and upper extremity trauma patients in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: We used IBM MarketScan data to evaluate hand and upper extremity trauma patients who received care in the ED from 2010 to 2017. Our primary outcome was the surprise billing incidence, defined as encounters in in-network EDs with out-of-network claims. We used descriptive and bivariate analyses to characterize surprise billing and used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate independent factors associated with surprise billing. RESULTS: Of 710,974 ED encounters, 97,667 (14%) involved surprise billing. The incidence decreased from 26% in 2010 to 11% in 2017. Mean coinsurance payments were higher for surprise billing encounters and had double the growth from 2010 to 2017 compared to those without surprise billing. Receiving care from different provider types-especially therapists, radiologists, and pathologists, as well as hand surgeons-was associated with significantly higher odds of surprise billing. Transfer to another facility was not significantly associated with surprise billing. CONCLUSIONS: Although the incidence of surprise billing decreased, more than 10% of patients treated in an ED for hand trauma remain at risk. Coinsurance for surprise billing encounters increased by twice as much as encounters without surprise billing. Patients requiring services from therapists, radiologists, pathologists, and hand surgeons were at greater risk for surprise bills. The federal No Surprises Act, passed in 2020, targets surprise billing and may help address some of these issues. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Many hand and upper extremity patients requiring ED care receive surprise bills from various sources that result in higher out-of-pocket costs.

Preoperative Patient-Reported Data Indicate the Risk of Prolonged Opioid Use After Hand and Upper Extremity Surgeries.

PURPOSE: Opioids play an important role in pain management after surgery but also increase the risk of prolonged opioid use in patients. The identification of patients who are more likely to use opioids after intended short-term treatment is critical for employing alternative management approaches or targeted interventions for the prevention of opioid-related problems. We used patient-reported data (PRD) and electronic health record information to identify factors predictive of prolonged opioid use after surgery. METHODS: We used our institutional registry containing data on all patients who underwent elective upper extremity surgeries. We evaluated factors associated with prolonged opioid use in the cohort from the year 2018 to 2019. We then validated our results using the 2020 cohort. The predictive variables included preoperative PRD and electronic health record data. Opioid use was determined based on patient reports and/or filled opioid prescriptions 3 months after surgery. We conducted bivariate regression, followed by multivariable regression analyses, and model validation using area under the receiver operating curve. RESULTS: We included 2,114 patients. In our final model on the 2018-2019 electronic health records and PRD data (n = 1,589), including numerous patient-reported outcome questionnaire scores, patients who were underweight and had undergone trauma-related surgery had higher odds of being on opioids at 3 months. Additionally, each 5-unit decrease in the preoperative Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Global Physical Health score was associated with a 30% increased odds of being on opioids at 3 months. The area under the receiver operating curve of our model was 70.4%. On validation using data from the 2020 cohort, the area under the receiver operating curve was 60.3%. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test indicated a good fit. CONCLUSIONS: We found that preoperative questionnaire scores were associated with prolonged postoperative opioid use, independent of other variables. Furthermore, PRD may provide unique patient-level insights, alongside other factors, to improve our understanding of postsurgical pain management. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic II.

Risk Factors for Preventable Emergency Department Use After Outpatient Hand Surgery.

PURPOSE: Emergency department (ED) visits for postoperative concerns that could be safely addressed in outpatient clinics have an impact on cost, quality measures, and care workflows. Patient-reported data (PRD) may give unique insights into individual-level factors that predict overuse of health care resources, and guide opportunities for intervention and prevention. We investigated the relationship between preoperative PRD and preventable ED use after outpatient hand surgery to determine whether the preoperative PRD can be used to identify patients at higher odds of having preventable ED visits. METHODS: All adult patients undergoing outpatient surgery at our hand center between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2019, were included. Questionnaires, including the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) upper extremity (UE) and pain interference (PI) scales, were completed before surgery. We used our regional health information exchange to identify ED visits within 90 days of surgery. RESULTS: Our cohort included 2,819 patients. Within 90 days after surgery, 106 (3.8%) had preventable ED visits. Race, insurance status, and transportation issues increased odds of a preventable ED visit. Multivariable models found that each 1-point increase in the preoperative PROMIS UE score was associated with 4% decreased odds of ED presentation (odds ratio, 0.96; 95% confidence interval, 0.94-0.99), and each 1-point increase in the preoperative PROMIS PI score was associated with 4% increased odds of ED presentation (odds ratio, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-1.1). Any PROMIS UE or PI scores ≥1SDs worse than population norms increased the probability of a preventable ED visit, independent of other factors. CONCLUSIONS: Worse preoperative PROMIS UE and PI scores were associated with increased odds of preventable ED visits. Preoperative PRD may allow for identification of outliers at higher risk for preventable ED use, and facilitate preventative interventions. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic IV.

Antimicrobial mechanism of 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid on Listeria monocytogenes membrane and virulence.

4-Hydroxyphenylacetic acid (4-HPCA) is the major intestinal metabolite of kaempferol and polymeric proanthocyanidins whereas the effect of 4-HPCA on Listeria monocytogenes remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect and mechanism of action of 4-HPCA on the highly lethal foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. Our results indicated that 4-HPCA inhibited L. monocytogenes growth and proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. In particular, L. monocytogenes displayed negligible growth or proliferation after 4-HPCA treatment (15.61 mM) for 24 h. The impact of 4-HPCA on cell membrane structure and function was investigated in terms of fluorometric cell membrane integrity, zeta potential and relative electrical conductivity. We observed an approximately 15 % fluorescence reduction in the cell membrane after MIC treatment. The zeta potential of the bacteria shifted significantly from -49.74 to -43.70 mV, -36.65 mV and -37.97 mV after treatment with 4-HPCA at the MIC for 0 h, 3 h and 12 h, respectively. The absolute value of the relative electrical conductivities increased significantly following 3 h, 6 h, 9 h and 15 h of 4-HPCA treatment at the MIC level. The results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that cells treated with 4-HPCA displayed a wrinkled morphology and irregular shapes. Moreover, 4-HPCA obviously decreased the expression of three virulence genes (hlyA, prfA, and inlA) in L. monocytogenes after 12 h of treatment. All these results verified that 4-HPCA, as an effective antibacterial compound against L. monocytogenes, could cause cell death through cell membrane damage and decrease the expression of three virulence factors.

Bacteriostatic effects of benzyl isothiocyanate on Vibrio parahaemolyticus: Transcriptomic analysis and morphological verification.

BACKGROUND: Foodborne illness caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V. parahaemolyticus) is generally associated with the consumption of seafood. Fish and other seafood can be contaminated with V. parahaemolyticus, natural inhabitants of the marine, estuarine, and freshwater environment. In this study, the antibacterial activities of benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) against V. parahaemolyticus were investigated by both transcriptomic analysis and morphological verification. RESULTS: Treatment with 1/8 minimum inhibitory concentration (1/8 MIC) BITC resulted in 234 upregulated genes and 273 downregulated genes. The results validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) revealed that the relative expression levels of the six genes VP0820, VP0548, VP2233, VPA2362, fliA and fliG were only 31.0%, 31.1%, 55.8%, 57.0%, 75.3%, and 79.9% of the control group, respectively. Among them, genes VP2233, fliA and fliG are related to flagella and VP2362 can regulate a protein relevant to biofilm formation. Morphologically, we verified that the swimming diffusion diameter of V. parahaemolyticus was significantly reduced by 14.9% by bacterial swimming ability, and biofilm formation was significantly inhibited by treatment with 1/8 MIC BITC by crystal violet quantification assay. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated that 1/8 MIC BITC had antibacterial effect on V. parahaemolyticus by inhibiting virulence gene expression related to flagella and biofilm.

White rice ethanol extract is qualitatively, but not quantitatively, equivalent to that of brown rice as an antioxidant source.

The purpose of this study is to compare the potentials to exhibit biologically active antioxidant actions between white rice (WR) and brown rice (BR) in in vitro assays and a cellular model. The Trolox equivalent (TE) per 1 mg ethanol extract of WR for the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay was slightly higher than that of BR, whereas the TE per 1 g whole WR was much lower than that for BR. This tendency was very comparable to those for the oxygen radical absorbance capacity and total polyphenol content. Both of the ethanol extracts also similarly suppressed the hydrogen peroxide-induced cytotoxicity and enhanced the gene expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes. Based on the α-tocopherol quantity, its contribution to the cytoprotective effect of the rice extracts is very limited. Taken together, the ethanol extract of WR might be a qualitatively, but not quantitatively, equivalent source of antioxidative phytochemicals to that of BR.

A novel label-free photoelectrochemical immunosensor based on CdSe quantum dots sensitized Ho3+/Yb3+-TiO2 for the detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

A novel photoelectrochemical (PEC) immunosensor based on CdSe quantum dots (QDs) sensitized Ho3+/Yb3+-TiO2 for the detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VP) was assembled. The working electrode was constructed via the layer-by-layer (LBL) method with the Ho3+/Yb3+-TiO2, CdSe QDs, NHS/EDC, antibody of VP (anti-VP), bovine serum albumin (BSA) modified on the surface of the FTO in sequence. Ascorbic acid (AA) acts as an electron donor to combine photogenerated holes in order to provide a stable current system. Ho3+ and Yb3+ co-doping TiO2 broadened the spectral response range of TiO2 to the infrared region and improved the photocurrent responsiveness of TiO2. The PEC immunosensor, with Ho3+/Yb3+ ratio of 1:5, Ho3+/Yb3+-TiO2 of 2 mg/mL and PBS solution of pH 7.4, had an optimal photocurrent responsiveness. Immobilization of anti-VP was by classical NHS/EDC coupling reactions between COOH groups of CdSe QDs and NH2 groups of the anti-VP. The results indicated that PEC immunosensors had a low detection limit of 25 CFU/mL, a wide detection range of 102-108 CFU/mL, high stability, low price, and short detection time. This method could be promising for the rapid and ultrasensitive detection of pathogenic microorganisms in the food.

Effect of quorum sensing and quorum sensing inhibitors on the expression of serine protease gene in Hafnia alvei H4.

The serp gene codes for a protease that is considered to be an important factor associated with quorum sensing (QS)-based food spoilage caused by microorganisms. In this study, we evaluated the effect of temperature (4-37 °C) and QS inhibitors on the production of N-acyl-L-homoserine lactones (AHLs) and relative expression of the luxR/I, as well as serp in Hafnia alvei H4. Production of AHLs and expression of luxR/I were found to reach maximum levels at 10 °C, suggesting that the QS system of H. alvei H4 might have higher activity at low temperatures; similar result was also obtained for serp expression. Mutants of H. alvei H4 deficient in QS were used to identify the regulation of QS on serp expression. Significant reduction (P < 0.05) in serp expression was found in the mutants ∆luxR, ∆luxI, and ∆luxR/I, with ∆luxI and ∆luxR/I showing greater reduction than ∆luxR. Minimum inhibition concentrations (MIC) of Benzyl isothiocyanate and 3-Methylthiopropyl isothiocyanate for H. alvei H4 were determined to be 7.813 and 15.625 mM, respectively. Furthermore, the expression of serp, as well as that of luxR and luxI, was significantly repressed (P < 0.05) by the two QS inhibitors at 1/8 MIC and 1/16 MIC, indicating that these inhibitors might repress serp expression through affecting luxR and luxI expression in H. alvei H4. The findings of this study, therefore, suggested that food spoilage caused by H. alvei could be controlled through the application of QS inhibitors.

Lentibacillus panjinensis sp. nov., Isolated from Shrimp Paste, a Traditional Chinese Fermented Seafood.

A Gram-positive, aerobic, motile and short rod-shaped bacterium, designated as strain G56T, was isolated from shrimp paste produced in Panjin, China. Grows in the presence of 1.0-25.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum at 10%), pH 5.0-9.5 (optimally at 7.0) and 10-50 °C (optimally at 37 °C). Positive for catalase and oxidase activities, but lack the ability to reduce nitrate. Acids produce from D-ribose, D-xylose, D-galactose, glycerol and D-trehalose, but no acid is produced when salicin, D-mannose, D-cellobiose and L-sorbose are provided as substrates. The polar lipid extract is found to contain diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, an unknown glycolipid, and unidentified phospholipids. Fatty acids are mainly defined as anteiso-C15:0 (69.7%) and anteiso-C17:0 (23.3%). The G+C content of its DNA is 44.7 mol%. The draft genome of strain G56T is 3,209,087 bp in length and the average nucleotide identity value (ANI) and the digital DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH) values between strain G56T and L. juripiscarius JCM 12147T is 78.41% and 22.0%, respectively. Polyphasic taxonomic analysis classified strain G56T as a novel species in the genus Lentibacillus, and therefore, we named it as Lentibacillus panjinensis sp. nov..

Transcriptomic Analysis, Motility and Biofilm Formation Characteristics of Salmonella typhimurium Exposed to Benzyl Isothiocyanate Treatment.

Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium) is a common foodborne pathogen that not only causes diseases and contaminates food, but also causes considerable economic losses. Therefore, it is necessary to find effective and feasible methods to control S. typhimurium. In this study, changes in S. typhimurium after treatment with benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) were detected by transcriptomics to explore the antibacterial effect of BITC at subinhibitory concentration. The results showed that, in contrast to the control group (SC), the BITC-treated group (SQ_BITC) had 197 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), of which 115 were downregulated and 82 were upregulated. We screened out eight significantly downregulated virulence-related genes and verified gene expression by quantitative Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). We also selected motility and biofilm formation to observe the effects of BITC on the other virulence related factors of S. typhimurium. The results showed that both swimming and swarming were significantly inhibited. BITC also had a significant inhibitory effect on biofilm formation, and showed an effect on bacterial morphology. These results will be helpful for understanding the mechanism of the antibacterial action of BITC against S. typhimurium and other foodborne pathogens.

Bottom-up and top-down factors of motion direction learning transfer.

Perceptual learning of motion discrimination has long been believed to be motion direction specific. However, recent studies using a double-training paradigm, in which the to-be-transferred condition was experienced through practicing an irrelevant task, found that perceptual learning in various visual tasks, including motion direction discrimination, can transfer completely to new conditions. This transfer occurred when the transfer stimulus was subconsciously presented, or when top-down attention was allocated to the transfer stimulus (which was absent). In the current study, observers were exposed subconsciously, or directed top-down attention, to the transfer motion direction, either simultaneously or successively with training. Data showed that motion direction learning transferred to the transfer direction, and suggest that motion direction learning specificity may result from under-activations of untrained visual neurons due to insufficient bottom-up stimulation and/or lack of top-down attention during training. These results shed new light on the neural mechanisms underlying motion perceptual learning and provide a constraint for models of motion perceptual learning.

Downregulated Expression of Virulence Factors Induced by Benzyl Isothiocyanate in Staphylococcus Aureus: A Transcriptomic Analysis.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a common foodborne pathogen that leads to various diseases; therefore, we urgently need to identify different means to control this harmful pathogen in food. In this study, we monitored the transcriptional changes of S. aureus by RNA-seq analysis to better understand the effect of benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) on the virulence inhibition of S. aureus and determined the bacteriostatic effect of BITC at subinhibitory concentrations. Our results revealed that, compared with the control group (SAC), the BITC-treated experimental group (SAQ_BITC) had 708 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), of which 333 genes were downregulated and the capsular polysaccharide (cp) was significantly downregulated. Furthermore, we screened five of the most virulent factors of S. aureus, including the capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis protein (cp5D), capsular polysaccharide synthesis enzyme (cp8F), thermonuclease (nuc), clumping factor (clf), and protein A (spa), and verified the accuracy of these significantly downregulated genes by qRT-PCR. At the same time, we used light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and inverted fluorescence microscopy (IFM) to observe changes in biofilm associated with the cp5D and cp8F. Therefore, these results will help to further study the basis of BITC for the antibacterial action of foodborne pathogenic bacteria.

Transcriptomic Analysis of Vibrio parahaemolyticus Reveals Different Virulence Gene Expression in Response to Benzyl Isothiocyanate.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from seafood is a pathogenic microorganism that leads to several acute diseases that are harmful to our health and is frequently transmitted by food. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the control and suppression of this pathogen. In this paper, transcriptional analysis was used to determine the effect of treatment with benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) extracted from cruciferous vegetables on V. parahaemolyticus and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the response to BITC. Treatment with BITC resulted in 332 differentially expressed genes, among which 137 genes were downregulated, while 195 genes were upregulated. Moreover, six differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in RNA sequencing studies were further verified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Genes found to regulate virulence encoded an l-threonine 3-dehydrogenase, a GGDEF family protein, the outer membrane protein OmpV, a flagellum-specific adenosine triphosphate synthase, TolQ protein and VirK protein. Hence, the results allow us to speculate that BITC may be an effective control strategy for inhibiting microorganisms growing in foods.

Influence of Oxygen-Containing Sulfur Flavor Molecules on the Stability of ß-Carotene under UVA Irradiation.

The influence of 11 kinds of oxygen-containing sulfur flavor molecules was examined on ß-carotene stability under UVA irradiation in ethanol system. Both the effects of sulfides on dynamic degradation of ß-carotene and the relation between structure and effect were investigated. The oxidation products of ß-carotene accelerated by sulfides under UVA irradiation were also identified. The results indicated that the disulfides had more obvious accelerative effects on the photodegradation of ß-carotene than mono sulfides. The degradation of ß-carotene after methyl (2-methyl-3-furyl) disulfide (MMFDS), methyl furfuryl disulfide (MFDS) and bis(2-methyl-3-furyl) disulfide (BMFDS) exposure followed first-order kinetics. Furan-containing sulfides such as MMFDS and BMFDS showed more pronounced accelerative effects than their corresponding isomers. The oxidation products were identified as 13-cis-ß-carotene, 9,13-di-cis-ß-carotene and all-trans-5,6-epoxy-ß-carotene. These results suggest that both the sulfur atom numbers and the furan group in oxygen-containing sulfides play a critical role in the photooxidation of ß-carotene.

A consumer-grade LCD monitor for precise visual stimulation.

Because they were used for decades to present visual stimuli in psychophysical and psychophysiological studies, cathode ray tubes (CRTs) used to be the gold standard for stimulus presentation in vision research. Recently, as CRTs have become increasingly rare in the market, researchers have started using various types of liquid-crystal display (LCD) monitors as a replacement for CRTs. However, LCDs are typically not cost-effective when used in vision research and often cannot reach the full capacity of a high refresh rate. In this study we measured the temporal and spatial characteristics of a consumer-grade LCD, and the results suggested that a consumer-grade LCD can successfully meet all the technical demands in vision research. The tested LCD, working in a flash style like that of CRTs, demonstrated perfect consistency for initial latencies across locations, yet showed poor spatial uniformity and sluggishness in reaching the requested luminance within the first frame. After these drawbacks were addressed through software corrections, the candidate monitor showed performance comparable or superior to that of CRTs in terms of both spatial and temporal homogeneity. The proposed solution can be used as a replacement for CRTs in vision research.