Egg Yolk Selenopeptides: Preparation, Characterization, and Immunomodulatory Activity.

In this study, egg yolk selenium peptides (Se-EYP) were prepared using double-enzyme hydrolysis combined with a shearing pretreatment. The properties of the selenopeptides formed were then characterized, including their yield, composition, molecular weight distribution, antioxidant activity, in vitro digestion, and immunomodulatory activity. The peptide yield obtained after enzymatic hydrolysis using a combination of alkaline protease and neutral protease was 74.5%, of which 82.6% had a molecular weight <1000 Da. The selenium content of the lyophilized solid product was 4.01 µg/g. Chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis showed that 88.6% of selenium in Se-EYP was in the organic form, of which SeMet accounted for 60.3%, SeCys2 for 21.8%, and MeSeCys for 17.9%. After being exposed to in vitro simulated digestion, Se-EYP still had 65.1% of oligopeptides present, and the in vitro antioxidant activity was enhanced. Moreover, Se-EYP exhibited superior immune detection indices, including immune organ index, level of immune factors in the serum, histopathological changes in the spleen, and selenium content in the liver. Our results suggest that Se-EYP may be used as selenium-enriched ingredients in functional food products.

Combined passivators regulate physiological, antioxidant potential and metals accumulation in potato grown in metals contaminated soil.

To solve the problem of excessive heavy metals in farmland soil, there is a dire need for research effort to screen for the soil passivator materials. This study aimed to develop a practical novel approach for improving the potato growth and remedial effectiveness of the metals by optimal combination and dosage of various passivators. Experimental treatments were comprised of various levels of passivating agents (sepiolite, quicklime and calcium magnesium phosphate) in individual and combined form. Results showed that application of passivating agents significantly enhanced growth by optimizing photosynthetic attributes, enzymatic antioxidants, and soil health. Balanced application of passivators effectively reduce the bioavailability of metals, curbing their uptake by potato plants. Sole application of all the agents results statistically similar outcomes as compared with combined form. Additionally, passivators indirectly enhance the activity of essential antioxidant enzymes. Synergistic effect of all the agents significantly improved the tuber quality by decreasing the accumulation of proline, malondialdehyde content, and bioaccumulation of Cu, Pb, Cd, and As in potato parts. In crux, combined usage of passivating agents proved to be of better growth, improvement in antioxidative defense system, and better quality of potato. By mitigating heavy metal contamination, passivators not only enhance crop quality and yield but also ensure heavy metal-free potatoes that meet stringent food safety standards.

Impact of dormancy periods on some physiological and biochemical indices of potato tubers.

Background: Storage of potato tubers is an essential stage of the supply chain, from farm to consumer, to efficiently match supply and demand. However, the quality and yield of potatoes are influenced by physiological changes during storage. Methods: This study tested the physiological and biochemical indices in three potato varieties (YunSu 108, YunSu 304 and YunSu 306) during their dormancy periods. Results: Three potato varieties with different dormancy periods were used to follow changes in starch, protein and several enzymes during storage. The starch and sugar content of the long-dormant variety (YunSu 108, LDV) were stable, whereas those of the short-dormant variety (YunSu 306, SDV) were variable. Starch synthase activity in the three varieties was initially high, then decreased; the starch content of LDV was relatively stable, that of the medium-dormant variety (YunSu 304, MDV) increased with storage time and peaked at sprouting, and that of SDV was low but variable. The sucrose synthase activity of LDV was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than MDV and SDV in the middle storage period. Two spikes were observed in the invertase activity of SDV, whereas those of MDV and LDV were stable. The reducing sugar content of LDV increased significantly before sprouting, that of MDV slowly decreased and that of SDV dropped sharply. During the whole storage period, pectinase activity in LDV did not change significantly, whereas pectinase in MDV and SDV decreased. The cellulase and protein contents initially increased and then decreased in LDV, and steadily decreased in MDV and SDV. Conclusion: The metabolic indices related to starch and sugar in the LDV were relatively stable during storage, whereas those of the SDV varied greatly. SDV showed increased sucrose, reducing sugars and cellulose; LDV PCA plots clustered in the positive quadrant of PC1 and the negative quadrant of PC2, with increased protein, sucrose synthase and starch; MDV had increased soluble starch synthase.

Identification and Immunomodulatory Effect on Immunosuppressed Mice of Selenium-Enriched Peptides of Egg White.

Selenium-enriched egg white peptides (Se-EWP) were prepared by pre-heat treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis in this study. In addition, their selenopeptide sequence identification and immunomodulatory effect were investigated. Results showed that the yield of Se-EWP obtained from alkaline-neutral protease treatment reached 76.90%, and peptides with a molecular weight of 200-1000 Da accounted for 98.33%. Four characteristic selenopeptides, including SeCys-Trp-Leu-Glu, Trp-Ser-SeCys, SeMet-Ala-Pro, and SeMet-Leu, were identified by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS, which were rich in hydrophobic and branched-chain amino acids. Se-EWP (750 mg/kg/d) could effectively retard the decrease of immune organ index in immunosuppressed mice induced by cyclophosphamide. Moreover, supplementation of Se-EWP could promote a higher content of Se in liver, the number of white blood cells, and the levels of serum cytokines (IL-6, IL-2, and TNF-α) as compared with EWP groups, indicating that Se-EWP could effectively alleviate immunosuppression induced by cyclophosphamide. These findings suggested that Se-EWP exhibited great potential as functional foods for immunomodulatory effect.

Integrated volatile metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis provides insights into the regulation of floral scents between two contrasting varieties of Lonicera japonica.

Lonicera japonica Thunb., belonging to the Caprifoliaceae family, is an important traditional Chinese medicinal plant. The L. japonica flower (LJF) is widely used in medicine, cosmetics, drinks, and food due to its medicinal and sweet-smelling properties. Considerable efforts have been devoted to investigating the pharmacological activities of LJF; however, the regulatory mechanism of the floral scents remains unknown. We previously selected and bred an elite variety of L. japonica var. chinensis Thunb. called 'Yujin2', which has a strong aroma and is used in functional drinks and cosmetics. In order to reveal the regulatory mechanism of the floral scents of LJF, volatile metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses of the LJF at the silver flowering stage of 'Yujin2' (strong aroma) and 'Fengjin1' (bland odor) were performed. Our results revealed that a total of 153 metabolites and 9,523 genes were differentially regulated in LJF between 'Yujin2' and 'Fengjin1'. The integrated analysis of omics data indicated that the biosynthetic pathways of terpenoids (i.e., monoterpenoids, including geraniol and alpha-terpineol; sesquiterpenoids, including farnesol, farnesal, and alpha-farnesene; triterpenoid squalene), tryptophan and its derivatives (methyl anthranilate), and fatty acid derivatives, were major contributors to the stronger aroma of 'Yujin2' compared to 'Fengjin1'. Moreover, several genes involved in the terpenoid biosynthetic pathway were characterized using quantitative real-time PCR. These results provide insights into the metabolic mechanisms and molecular basis of floral scents in LJF, enabling future screening of genes related to the floral scent regulation, such as alpha-terpineol synthase, geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase, farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase, anthranilate synthase, as well as transcription factors such as MYB, WRKY, and LFY. The knowledge from this study will facilitate the breeding of quality-improved and more fragrant variety of L. japonica for ornamental purpose and functional beverages and cosmetics.

Commercial organic fertilizer substitution increases wheat yield by improving soil quality.

Traditional organic fertilizer substitution is an effective measure for increasing crop yield and soil quality while reducing chemical fertilizer input. However, the effects of commercial organic fertilizer substitution (COFS) on soil quality and wheat yield, and the underlying mechanisms, are unknown. In this study, agricultural fields with low fertility (LF) and high (HF) fertility soils were selected for a two-year (2018-2019) field experiment in the oasis region of Northwest China. Three fertilization treatments with three replications (no fertilization, CK; local conventional chemical fertilizer application, LCF; and 20 % of inorganic nitrogen (N) was substituted by commercial organic fertilizer, COFS) were established to study the effects of COFS on wheat growth, yield, nutrient-use efficiency and soil quality. The results showed that compared with LCF in 2018 and 2019, COFS in LF and HF promoted wheat growth, improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and phosphorus use efficiency (PUE), and increased yield (by 1.52 %-3.05 % and 1.16 %-1.39 %) and soil quality (by 15.09 %-28.63 % and 22.53 %-64.82 %) by improving most soil indicators (e.g., soil organic matter (SOM) and available nutrients). Moreover, SOM and available nutrients significantly affect soil quality and wheat yield, which can monitor changes in soil quality and wheat yield. In conclusion, our study revealed that the mechanism of COFS in HF and LF increased wheat yield by improving soil quality. COFS is recommended for agricultural production, but its continuous application requires monitoring changes in SOM and available nutrients to adjust fertilization to guarantee soil quality and crop yield. This study provides guidance for the scientific application of COFS to improve farmland productivity and soil quality and helps to promote healthy and sustainable agricultural development.

Schaftoside inhibits 3CLpro and PLpro of SARS-CoV-2 virus and regulates immune response and inflammation of host cells for the treatment of COVID-19.

It is an urgent demand worldwide to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus. The 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) and papain-like protease (PLpro) are key targets to discover SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors. After screening 12 Chinese herbal medicines and 125 compounds from licorice, we found that a popular natural product schaftoside inhibited 3CLpro and PLpro with IC50 values of 1.73 ± 0.22 and 3.91 ± 0.19 µmol/L, respectively, and inhibited SARS-CoV-2 virus in Vero E6 cells with EC50 of 11.83 ± 3.23 µmol/L. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry analysis, quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations, together with site-directed mutagenesis indicated the antiviral activities of schaftoside were related with non-covalent interactions with H41, G143 and R188 of 3CLpro, and K157, E167 and A246 of PLpro. Moreover, proteomics analysis and cytokine assay revealed that schaftoside also regulated immune response and inflammation of the host cells. The anti-inflammatory activities of schaftoside were confirmed on lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury mice. Schaftoside showed good safety and pharmacokinetic property, and could be a promising drug candidate for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

A reactive oxygen species-replenishing coordination polymer nanomedicine disrupts redox homeostasis and induces concurrent apoptosis-ferroptosis for combinational cancer therapy.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important signal molecules and imbalanced ROS level could lead to cell death. Elevated ROS levels in tumor tissues offer an opportunity to design ROS-responsive drug delivery systems (DDSs) or ROS-based cancer therapies such as chemodynamic therapy. However, their anticancer efficacies are hampered by the ROS-consuming nature of these DDSs as well as the high concentration of reductive agents like glutathione (GSH). Here we developed a doxorubicin (DOX)-incorporated iron coordination polymer nanoparticle (PCFD) for efficient chemo-chemodynamic cancer therapy by using a cinnamaldehyde (CA)-based ROS-replenishing organic ligand (TCA). TCA can ROS-responsively release CA to supplement intracellular ROS and deplete GSH by a thiol-Michael addition reaction, which together with DOX-triggered ROS upregulation and Fe3+-enabled GSH depletion facilitated efficient DOX release and enhanced Fenton reaction, thereby inducing redox dyshomeostasis and cancer cell death in a concurrent apoptosis-ferroptosis way. Both in vitro and in vivo studies revealed that ROS-replenishing PCFD exhibited much better anticancer effect than ROS-consuming control nanoparticle PAFD. The ingenious ROS-replenishing strategy could be expanded to construct versatile ROS-responsive DDSs and ROS-based nanomedicines with potentiated anticancer activity. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: We develop a doxorubicin (DOX)-incorporated iron coordination polymer nanoparticle (PCFD) for efficient chemo-chemodynamic cancer therapy by using a cinnamaldehyde-based reactive oxygen species (ROS)-replenishing organic ligand. This functional ligand can ROS-responsively release cinnamaldehyde to supplement intracellular H2O2 and deplete glutathione (GSH) by a thiol-Michael addition reaction, which together with DOX-triggered ROS upregulation and Fe3+-enabled GSH depletion facilitates efficient DOX release and enhanced Fenton reaction, thereby inducing redox dyshomeostasis and cancer cell death in a concurrent apoptosis-ferroptosis way. Both in vitro and in vivo studies reveal that ROS-replenishing PCFD exhibit much better anticancer effect than ROS consuming counterpart. This study provides a facile and straightforward strategy to design ROS amplifying nanoplatforms for cancer treatment.

Improved retention ratio and bioaccessibility of lutein loaded in emulsions stabilized by egg yolk granules-lecithin complex.

BACKGROUND: Egg yolk granules (EYGs)-soy lecithin (SL) complex is a newly developed delivery system that is effective for improving the storage stability of hydrophobic bioactive compounds. However, the formation mechanism of EYGs and SL complex and its effect on the gastrointestinal fate of lutein-loaded emulsions needs to be investigated further. RESULTS: Adding SL greatly improved the surface activity of the EYGs, as evidenced by reduced surface tension and an increased adsorption rate to the oil/water interface. Hydrophobic interaction was the dominant force in the formation of EYG-SL complex, with hydrogen and ionic bonds playing complementary roles. Using the EYG-SL complex, stable oil-in-water emulsions were formed and exhibited an enhanced retention ratio and bioaccessibility of lutein after simulated digestion. Correlation analysis demonstrated that the additional anti-oxidant activity as a result of EYGs was responsible for the high retention of lutein, whereas low surface tension facilitated the micellization of bioaccessible lutein. CONCLUSION: The present study shows that the EYG and SL have a synergistic effect with respect to improving the retention ratio and bioaccessibility of lutein in emulsions stabilized by EYG-SL complex after digestion and this will guide the development of value-added oil-in-water emulsion products using protein-lecithin complex as a promising nutrient delivery vehicle. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Natural triterpenoids from licorice potently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Introduction: The COVID-19 global epidemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is a great public health emergency. Discovering antiviral drug candidates is urgent for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Objectives: This work aims to discover natural SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors from the traditional Chinese herbal medicine licorice. Methods: We screened 125 small molecules from Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. (licorice, Gan-Cao) by virtual ligand screening targeting the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Potential hit compounds were further evaluated by ELISA, SPR, luciferase assay, antiviral assay and pharmacokinetic study. Results: The triterpenoids licorice-saponin A3 (A3) and glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) could potently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection, with EC50 of 75 nM and 3.17 µM, respectively. Moreover, we reveal that A3 mainly targets the nsp7 protein, and GA binds to the spike protein RBD of SARS-CoV-2. Conclusion: In this work, we found GA and A3 from licorice potently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection by affecting entry and replication of the virus. Our findings indicate that these triterpenoids may contribute to the clinical efficacy of licorice for COVID-19 and could be promising candidates for antiviral drug development.

Combined berberine and probiotic treatment as an effective regimen for improving postprandial hyperlipidemia in type 2 diabetes patients: a double blinded placebo controlled randomized study.

Non-fasting lipidemia (nFL), mainly contributed by postprandial lipidemia (PL), has recently been recognized as an important cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk as fasting lipidemia (FL). PL serves as a common feature of dyslipidemia in Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), albeit effective therapies targeting on PL were limited. In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether the therapy combining probiotics (Prob) and berberine (BBR), a proven antidiabetic and hypolipidemic regimen via altering gut microbiome, could effectively reduce PL in T2D and to explore the underlying mechanism. Blood PL (120 min after taking 100 g standard carbohydrate meal) was examined in 365 participants with T2D from the Probiotics and BBR on the Efficacy and Change of Gut Microbiota in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes (PREMOTE study), a random, placebo-controlled, and multicenter clinical trial. Prob+BBR was superior to BBR or Prob alone in improving postprandial total cholesterol (pTC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (pLDLc) levels with decrement of multiple species of postprandial lipidomic metabolites after 3 months follow-up. This effect was linked to the changes of fecal Bifidobacterium breve level responding to BBR alone or Prob+BBR treatment. Four fadD genes encoding long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase were identified in the genome of this B. breve strain, and transcriptionally activated by BBR. In vitro BBR treatment further decreased the concentration of FFA in the culture medium of B. breve compared to vehicle. Thus, the activation of fadD by BBR could enhance FFA import and mobilization in B. breve and diliminish the intraluminal lipids for absorption to mediate the effect of Prob+BBR on PL. Our study confirmed that BBR and Prob (B. breve) could exert a synergistic hypolipidemic effect on PL, acting as a gut lipid sink to achieve better lipidemia and CVD risk control in T2D.

Preoperative Management of MGD with Vectored Thermal Pulsation before Cataract Surgery: A Prospective, Controlled Clinical Trial.

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of preoperative monocular treatment in elderly cataract patients with Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) utilizing vectored thermal pulsation treatment.Materials and Methods: This study was a prospective, examiner-masked contralateral eye clinical trial. Patients previously diagnosed with MGD undergoing uncomplicated cataract surgery in two eyes were enrolled. The eye perceived by the patient to be more symptomatic of MGD received a 12 min vectored thermal pulsation treatment using the LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation System, and was referred to as the LipiFlow-surgery eye. The contralateral eye then served as the nonLipiFlow-surgery eye. Patients with MGD not undergoing cataract surgery were enrolled as the control group. Within the control group, the eye that received LipiFlow treatment was considered the LipiFlow-nonsurgery eye, while the contralateral eye served as the nonLipiFlow-nonsurgery eye. All patients were examined before treatment and at one-week, one-month, and three-month intervals after treatment. Clinical parameters included dry eye symptoms, average lipid layer thickness (LLT-ave), tear breakup time (TBUT), corneal staining, Schirmer I tests, Meibomian glands yielding liquid secretion (MGYLS), and meibomian gland dropout.Results: A total of 32 patients (64 eyes) were examined during the three-month follow-up. There was a significant reduction in dry eye symptoms in non-surgery patients with monocular treatment of MGD, while no change in surgery patients was observed. Significant improvement of MGYLS in LipiFlow-surgery and LipiFlow-nonsurgery eyes during the follow-up time (p < .001) was reported, while no difference was observed in nonLipiFlow-surgery and nonLipiFlow-nonsurgery eyes. A statistically significant difference was seen in TBUT between LipiFlow-surgery and nonLipiFlow-surgery eyes at one-week and one-month intervals (p = .019 and 0.019, respectively). Differences in other clinical parameters were not statistically significant.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that although subjective symptoms were not alleviated, a single application of LipiFlow treatment before cataract surgery is effective in alleviating blockage of meibomian glands and preventing the decline of TBUT after cataract surgery.

Enhancing the oxidative stability of algal oil powders stabilized by egg yolk granules/lecithin composites.

This study reported a powder formulation containing omega-3-rich algal oil emulsions stabilized by egg yolk granules (EYGs)/lecithin composites. The improved physical stability of the algal oil samples due to increasing pH and lecithin addition was beneficial to the oxidative stability through analysis of free radical scavenging activities, metal ion chelating activities, and the release of primary and secondary oxidation products during accelerated storage (12 days, 60 °C). In addition, the effect of three antioxidants, i.e. ascorbic acid (VC), ascorbyl palmitate (AP), and α-tocopherol (VE), on lipid oxidation was investigated. Results showed that antioxidant partitioning at different regions of the emulsion system influenced its ability to prevent oxidation with the effectiveness of AP (at the O/W interface) > VE (in the oil phase) > VC (in the aqueous phase). This study developed a new powder-based emulsion formulation for algal oils with superior oxidative stability as an alternative source of omega-3.

Comparative Evaluation in Intense Pulsed Light Therapy Combined with or without Meibomian Gland Expression for the Treatment of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the combination of meibomian gland expression (MGX) with intense-pulsed light (IPL) has a better efficacy to treat meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) than IPL alone. METHODS: One hundred patients with MGD were randomly divided into three groups: MGX, IPL, and IPL+ MGX. Clinical parameters included the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), tear meniscus height (TMH), noninvasive keratograph tear breakup time (NIBUT), redness, meibomian gland dropout, tear breakup time (TBUT), corneal fluorescent staining (CFS), eyelid margin score, meibomian gland secretion function, and Schirmer I tests were collected before treatment and at 1 and 3 months after treatment. Compare the indexes of each group before and after treatment and also compare the differences of each group on follow-up. RESULTS: Compared to the baseline, OSDI, TBUT, and meibomian gland secretion function in IPL group improved throughout the follow-up period (all P < .05) and part of the meibomian gland secretion function increased continuously. OSDI, TBUT, lower eyelid margin scores, and meibomian gland secretion function in IPL + MGX group improved at the both follow-up visits (all P < .05), and continued improvement in meibomian gland secretion function can be observed. Lower meibomian gland dropout and CFS reduced at 1 month and 3 months respectively in IPL ± MGX group (P = .001,P = .001).Compared to IPL group, only CFS has reduction in IPL + MGX group at 1-month (P < .001), CFS, upper and lower MGYCS were improved at the 3 months (P = .037,P = .014, P = .049). CONCLUSIONS: MGX may have synergistic effect when combined with IPL therapy, and the effect can last at least 3 months.

Effects of choral singing versus health education on cognitive decline and aging: a randomized controlled trial.

We conducted a randomized controlled trial to examine choral singing's effect on cognitive decline in aging. Older Singaporeans who were at high risk of future dementia were recruited: 47 were assigned to choral singing intervention (CSI) and 46 were assigned to health education program (HEP). Participants attended weekly one-hour choral singing or weekly one-hour health education for two years. Change in cognitive function was measured by a composite cognitive test score (CCTS) derived from raw scores of neuropsychological tests; biomarkers included brain magnetic resonance imaging, oxidative damage and immunosenescence. The average age of the participants were 70 years and 73/93 (78.5%) were female. The change of CCTS from baseline to 24 months was 0.05 among participants in the CSI group and -0.1 among participants in the HEP group. The between-group difference (0.15, p=0.042) became smaller (0.12, p=0.09) after adjusting for baseline CCTS. No between-group differences on biomarkers were observed. Our data support the role of choral singing in improving cognitive health in aging. The beneficial effect is at least comparable than that of health education in preventing cognitive decline in a community of elderly people. Biological mechanisms underlying the observed efficacy should be further studied.

Gut microbiome-related effects of berberine and probiotics on type 2 diabetes (the PREMOTE study).

Human gut microbiome is a promising target for managing type 2 diabetes (T2D). Measures altering gut microbiota like oral intake of probiotics or berberine (BBR), a bacteriostatic agent, merit metabolic homoeostasis. We hence conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with newly diagnosed T2D patients from 20 centres in China. Four-hundred-nine eligible participants were enroled, randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) and completed a 12-week treatment of either BBR-alone, probiotics+BBR, probiotics-alone, or placebo, after a one-week run-in of gentamycin pretreatment. The changes in glycated haemoglobin, as the primary outcome, in the probiotics+BBR (least-squares mean [95% CI], -1.04[-1.19, -0.89]%) and BBR-alone group (-0.99[-1.16, -0.83]%) were significantly greater than that in the placebo and probiotics-alone groups (-0.59[-0.75, -0.44]%, -0.53[-0.68, -0.37]%, P < 0.001). BBR treatment induced more gastrointestinal side effects. Further metagenomics and metabolomic studies found that the hypoglycaemic effect of BBR is mediated by the inhibition of DCA biotransformation by Ruminococcus bromii. Therefore, our study reports a human microbial related mechanism underlying the antidiabetic effect of BBR on T2D. (Clinicaltrial.gov Identifier: NCT02861261).

Comparison of two intense pulsed light patterns for treating patients with meibomian gland dysfunction.

PURPOSE: The objective of this was to determine the efficacy of different patterns of intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy in patients with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). MATERIALS AND METHOD: IPL treatment was administered in 124 eyes of 62 patients with MGD-associated dry eye disease (DED). These patients were divided randomly into two groups treated with different IPL patterns. The first group was treated with "Optimal Pulse Technology" (OPT) (n = 29) and received three consecutive treatments (10-14 J/cm2) with three weeks between treatments. The other group was treated with "Intense Regulated Pulsed Light" (IRPL) (n = 33) and received four treatments (9-13 J/cm2) on days (D)1, D15, D45, and D75. The Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), fluorescein breakup time (FTBUT), first and the average of noninvasive keratograph tear breakup times (NIKBUT), Schirmer I tests, conjunctival hyperemia, corneal fluorescent staining (CFS), tear meniscus height (TMH), MG secretion, and dropout were examined before each treatment and at one and three months after treatment. RESULTS: Compared to baseline, the clinical symptoms and signs in both groups were significantly improved at one and three months after IPL treatment. However, compared to the IRPL group, the OPT-treated group showed significant improvement in the clarity of MG secretions (P = 0.001), the number of MGs yielding clear or cloudy liquid secretions (P < 0.001), the total MG secretion score (P < 0.001) in lower eyelid, the lid margin score in upper (P < 0.001) and lower eyelids (P = 0.013), the first NIKBUT (P = 0.009), and FTBUT (P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that IPL has significant clinical value in treating patients with MGD. OPT IPL treatment was more effective in improving MG function in lower eyelids and partial tear film signs than IRPL IPL treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov, and the clinical trial accession number is NCT02481167.

Habitual tea drinking modulates brain efficiency: evidence from brain connectivity evaluation.

The majority of tea studies have relied on neuropsychological measures, and much fewer on neuroimaging measures, especially for interregional connections. To date, there has been no exploration of the effect of tea on system-level brain networks. We recruited healthy older participants to two groups according to their history of tea drinking frequency and investigated both functional and structural networks to reveal the role of tea drinking on brain organization. The results showed that tea drinking gave rise to the more efficient structural organization, but had no significant beneficial effect on the global functional organization. The suppression of hemispheric asymmetry in the structural connectivity network was observed as a result of tea drinking. We did not observe any significant effects of tea drinking on the hemispheric asymmetry of the functional connectivity network. In addition, functional connectivity strength within the default mode network (DMN) was greater for the tea-drinking group, and coexistence of increasing and decreasing connective strengths was observed in the structural connectivity of the DMN. Our study offers the first evidence of the positive contribution of tea drinking to brain structure and suggests a protective effect on age-related decline in brain organisation.

A cytogenetic analysis of male meiosis in Asparagus officinalis.

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) has several traits that make it a useful model for cytogenetic studies, however, few studies of the meiosis process have been made in asparagus. Here, we present in detail an atlas of male meiosis in asparagus, from preleptotene to telophase II. The meiosis process in asparagus is largely similar to those of the well-characterized model plants Arabidopsis thaliana, Zea mays, and Oryza sativa. However, most asparagus prophase I meiotic chromosomes show a strongly aggregated morphology, and this phenotype persists through the pachytene stage, highlighting a property in the control of chromosome migration and distribution in asparagus. Further, we observed no obvious banding of autofluorescent dots between divided nuclei of asparagus meiocytes, as one would expect in Arabidopsis. This description of wild-type asparagus meiosis will serve as a reference for the analyses of meiotic mutants, as well as for comparative studies among difference species. Abbreviations: DAPI: 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole; FISH: fluorescence in situ hybridization; PBS: phosphate-buffered saline; PMC: pollen mother cell; SEM: Scanning Electron Microscope.

Analyses of gut microbiota and plasma bile acids enable stratification of patients for antidiabetic treatment.

Antidiabetic medication may modulate the gut microbiota and thereby alter plasma and faecal bile acid (BA) composition, which may improve metabolic health. Here we show that treatment with Acarbose, but not Glipizide, increases the ratio between primary BAs and secondary BAs and plasma levels of unconjugated BAs in treatment-naive type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients, which may beneficially affect metabolism. Acarbose increases the relative abundances of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in the gut microbiota and depletes Bacteroides, thereby changing the relative abundance of microbial genes involved in BA metabolism. Treatment outcomes of Acarbose are dependent on gut microbiota compositions prior to treatment. Compared to patients with a gut microbiota dominated by Prevotella, those with a high abundance of Bacteroides exhibit more changes in plasma BAs and greater improvement in metabolic parameters after Acarbose treatment. Our work highlights the potential for stratification of T2D patients based on their gut microbiota prior to treatment.