Temporal dynamics of chloroplast biogenesis revealed initiation of photosynthesis-related gene expression and protein complexes during alfalfa seed germination.

The chloroplast biogenesis occurs in cotyledon during alfalfa seed germination before true leaf formation, and is extremely important for the followed plant development and growth. In this study, we conducted a simulation of alfalfa seed germination in the soil by using tin foil and focused on 10 pivotal time points of chloroplast biogenesis in cotyledons before and after light exposure, which showed significant differences in multispectral images, and covered the whole process of chloroplast biogenesis from proplastid, etioplast to mature chloroplast. We revealed three phases that referred to the programmed involvements of photosynthesis promotion, ultrastructure maturity, transcriptomic expression, and protein complex construction, and observed distinct transcriptional expressions of genes from nuclear and chloroplast genomes. In phase I at dark germination before light exposure, chloroplast-encoded genes showed up-regulated expressions together with the importation of chloroplast proteins. In phase II for the first day after light exposure, nuclear-encoded genes' expressions were initiated at 2 h after light exposure (E2h), followed by swift assembly of chloroplast thylakoid membrane protein complexes, and roaring Fv/Fm and contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoid. The initiation at E2h was pronounced by the observation of gradual accumulation of single lamella, and facilitated the formation of granum stacks (thylakoid) at E8h in phase II. In phase III from the second day after light exposure, chloroplast became gradually complete with the fully established photosynthetic capacity. Altogether, our results layed a theoretical foundation for enhancing potential photosynthetic efficiency in alfalfa and related species.

Smooth-Guided Implicit Data Augmentation for Domain Generalization.

The training process of a domain generalization (DG) model involves utilizing one or more interrelated source domains to attain optimal performance on an unseen target domain. Existing DG methods often use auxiliary networks or require high computational costs to improve the model's generalization ability by incorporating a diverse set of source domains. In contrast, this work proposes a method called Smooth-Guided Implicit Data Augmentation (SGIDA) that operates in the feature space to capture the diversity of source domains. To amplify the model's generalization capacity, a distance metric learning (DML) loss function is incorporated. Additionally, rather than depending on deep features, the suggested approach employs logits produced from cross entropy (CE) losses with infinite augmentations. A theoretical analysis shows that logits are effective in estimating distances defined on original features, and the proposed approach is thoroughly analyzed to provide a better understanding of why logits are beneficial for DG. Moreover, to increase the diversity of the source domain, a sampling-based method called smooth is introduced to obtain semantic directions from interclass relations. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated through extensive experiments on widely used DG, object detection, and remote sensing datasets, where it achieves significant improvements over existing state-of-the-art methods across various backbone networks.

Gut microbiota intervention alleviates pulmonary inflammation in broilers exposed to fine particulate matter from broiler house.

The gut microbiota of poultry is influenced by a variety of factors, including feed, drinking water, airborne dust, and footpads, among others. Gut microbiota can affect the immune reaction and inflammation in the lungs. To investigate the effect of gut microbiota variation on lung inflammation induced by PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) in broilers, 36 Arbor Acres (AA) broilers were randomly assigned to three groups: control group (CON), PM2.5 exposure group (PM), and PM2.5 exposure plus oral antibiotics group (PMA). We used non-absorbable antibiotics (ABX: neomycin and amikacin) to modify the microbiota composition in the PMA group. The intervention was conducted from the 18th to the 28th day of age. Broilers in the PM and PMA groups were exposed to PM by a systemic exposure method from 21 to 28 days old, and the concentration of PM2.5 was controlled at 2 mg/m3. At 28 days old, the lung injury score, relative mRNA expression of inflammatory factors, T-cell differentiation, and dendritic cell function were significantly increased in the PM group compared to the CON group, and those of the PMA group were significantly decreased compared to the PM group. There were significant differences in both α and ß diversity of cecal microbiota among these three groups. Numerous bacterial genera showed significant differences in relative abundance among the three groups. In conclusion, gut microbiota could affect PM2.5-induced lung inflammation in broilers by adjusting the capacity of antigen-presenting cells to activate T-cell differentiation. IMPORTANCE: Gut microbes can influence the development of lung inflammation, and fine particulate matter collected from broiler houses can lead to lung inflammation in broilers. In this study, we explored the effect of gut microbes modified by intestinal non-absorbable antibiotics on particulate matter-induced lung inflammation. The results showed that modification in the composition of gut microbiota could alleviate lung inflammation by attenuating the ability of dendritic cells to stimulate T-cell differentiation, which provides a new way to protect lung health in poultry farms.

Investigation of supplementation with a combination of fermented bean dregs and wheat bran for improving the growth performance of the sow.

To investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with a fermented mixture of bean dregs and wheat bran (FBW) on sow performance. FBW was given to sows during late gestation and lactation; in total, 24 sows were randomly assigned to 4 groups (control diet; 3% FBW diet; 6% FBW diet; 9% FBW diet, n = 6). The weight ratio of bean dregs (wet) to wheat bran was 4:6. Sows were fed different diets from 85 d of gestation until weaning. The results showed that supplementation with FBW increased average daily feed intake (ADFI) during lactation (p < 0.05). FBW supplementation also increased litter weight and milk yield (p < 0.05). The contents of Escherichia coli in the feces of the treatment groups were significantly reduced by FBW supplementation (p < 0.01). FBW supplementation significantly improved the fecal morphology (p < 0.05), alleviating sows' constipation. In conclusion, FBW could increase the ADFI, improve lactation and piglet litter weight in sows and reduce the pathogenic bacterial content in sow feces and constipation.

Multivariate analysis for data mining to characterize poultry house environment in winter.

The processing and analysis of massive high-dimensional datasets are important issues in precision livestock farming (PLF). This study explored the use of multivariate analysis tools to analyze environmental data from multiple sensors located throughout a broiler house. An experiment was conducted to collect a comprehensive set of environmental data including particulate matter (TSP, PM10, and PM2.5), ammonia, carbon dioxide, air temperature, relative humidity, and in-cage and aisle wind speeds from 60 locations in a typical commercial broiler house. The dataset was divided into 3 growth phases (wk 1-3, 4-6, and 7-9). Spearman's correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to investigate the latent associations between environmental variables resulting in the identification of variables that played important roles in indoor air quality. Three cluster analysis methods; k-means, k-medoids, and fuzzy c-means cluster analysis (FCM), were used to group the measured parameters based on their environmental impact in the broiler house. In general, the Spearman and PCA results showed that the in-cage wind speed, aisle wind speed, and relative humidity played critical roles in indoor air quality distribution during broiler rearing. All 3 clustering methods were found to be suitable for grouping data, with FCM outperforming the other 2. Using data clustering, the broiler house spaces were divided into 3, 2, and 2 subspaces (clusters) for wk 1 to 3, 4 to 6, and 7 to 9, respectively. The subspace in the center of the house had a poorer air quality than other subspaces.

Low-dose TNF-α promotes angiogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells via TNFR2/Akt/mTOR axis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the role of TNF-α/TNFR2 axis on promoting angiogenesis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells and uncover the underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression of TNFR2 and CD31 in OSCC tissues was examined; gene expression relationship between TNF-α/TNFR2 and angiogenic markers or signaling molecules was analyzed; the expression of angiogenic markers, signaling molecules, TNFR1, and TNFR2 in TNF-α-stimulated OSCC cells treated with or without TNFR2 neutralizing antibody (TNFR2 Nab) were assessed; the concentration of angiogenic markers in the supernatant of OSCC cells was detected; conditioned mediums of OSCC cells treated with TNF-α or TNF-α + TNFR2 Nab were applied to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), followed by tube formation and cell migration assays. RESULTS: Significantly elevated expression of TNFR2 and CD31 in OSCC tissues was observed. A positive gene expression correlation was identified between TNF-α/TNFR2 and angiogenic markers or signaling molecules. TNFR2 Nab inhibited the effects of TNF-α on enhancing the expression of angiogenic factors and TNFR2, the phosphorylation of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, HUVECs migration, and tube formation. CONCLUSIONS: TNFR2 Nab counteracts the effect of TNF-α on OSCC cells through the TNFR2/Akt/mTOR axis, indicating that blocking TNFR2 might be a promising strategy against cancer.

Mogroside V ameliorates broiler pulmonary inflammation via modulating lung microbiota and rectifying Th17/Treg dysregulation in lipopolysaccharides-induced lung injury.

The dysbiosis of lung microbiota and inflammatory factors play a crucial role in the occurrence of lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced lung injury. Recently, mogroside V (MGV) has received increasing attention due to its potential health benefits in pneumonia, but its complex mechanism needs further experimental elucidation. In this study, we established an LPS-induced chicken lung injury model to investigate the protective effect of MGV on LPS-induced acute lung injury in broiler and its related mechanisms. A total of 192 one-day-old white-finned broilers were randomly assigned into 4 groups with 6 replicates: 1) control group: basal diet (d 1-44), saline (d 43); 2) LPS group: basal diet (d 1-44), LPS (d 43); 3) MGV group: basal diet + 0.2% MGV (d 1-44), saline (d 43); 4) MGV-LPS group: basal diet + 0.2% MGV (d 1-44), LPS (d 43). The results showed that pathological examination showed that lung tissue inflammation infiltration was reduced after MGV treatment. In addition, MGV can promote the balance of Th17 and Treg cell cytokines, significantly inhibit the expression of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß (P < 0.01), IL-6 (P < 0.001), IL-17F (P < 0.05)), and decrease immunosuppressive target expression (PD-L1 (P < 0.01), PD-1 (P < 0.001), RORα (P < 0.001)), activating the immune system. Furthermore, 16S rRNA sequencing analysis showed that MGV treatment could increase the abundance of beneficial bacteria in the lung and reduce the abundance of bacteria associated with inflammation. Generally, MGV intervention has a preventive effect on the pathological damage induced by lipopolysaccharides. Its mechanism is related to inhibiting the inflammatory response, regulating the Th17/Treg balance, and maintaining the stability of lung microbiota.

Pulmonary microbiota intervention alleviates fine particulate matter-induced lung inflammation in broilers.

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) released during the livestock industry endangers the respiratory health of animals. Our previous findings suggested that broilers exposed to PM2.5 exhibited lung inflammation and changes in the pulmonary microbiome. Therefore, this study was to investigate whether the pulmonary microbiota plays a causal role in the pathogenesis of PM2.5-induced lung inflammation. We first used antibiotics to establish a pulmonary microbiota intervention broiler model, which showed a significantly reduced total bacterial load in the lungs without affecting the microbiota composition or structure. Based on it, 45 AA broilers of similar body weight were randomly assigned to three groups: control (CON), PM2.5 (PM), and pulmonary microbiota intervention (ABX-PM). From 21 d of age, broilers in the ABX-PM group were intratracheally instilled with antibiotics once a day for 3 d. Meanwhile, broilers in the other two groups were simultaneously instilled with sterile saline. On 24 and 26 d of age, broilers in the PM and ABX-PM groups were intratracheally instilled with PM2.5 suspension to induce lung inflammation, and broilers in the CON group were simultaneously instilled with sterile saline. The lung histomorphology, inflammatory cytokines' expression levels, lung microbiome, and microbial growth conditions were analyzed to determine the effect of the pulmonary microbiota on PM2.5-induced lung inflammation. Broilers in the PM group showed lung histological injury, while broilers in the ABX-PM group had normal lung histomorphology. Furthermore, microbiota intervention significantly reduced mRNA expression levels of interleukin-1ß, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, toll-like receptor 4 and nuclear factor kappa-B. PM2.5 induced significant changes in the ß diversity and structure of the pulmonary microbiota in the PM group. However, no significant changes in microbiota structure were observed in the ABX-PM group. Moreover, the relative abundance of Enterococcus cecorum in the PM group was significantly higher than that in the CON and ABX-PM groups. And sterile bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from the PM group significantly promoted the growth of E. cecorum, indicating that PM2.5 altered the microbiota's growth condition. In conclusion, pulmonary microbiota can affect PM2.5-induced lung inflammation in broilers. PM2.5 can alter the bacterial growth environment and promote dysbiosis, potentially exacerbating inflammation.

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in broiler houses has a negative impact on broiler respiratory tracts, and PM2.5 exposure can induce lung inflammation and cause microbiota dysbiosis. The pulmonary microbiota is involved in maintaining immune homeostasis in the lungs, and a variety of lung diseases exhibit microbiota disturbances. However, the correlation between the pulmonary microbiota and PM2.5-induced lung inflammation is poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate whether the pulmonary microbiota influenced PM2.5-induced lung inflammation. We use antibiotics to reduce the quantity of bacteria in the lungs without destroying their composition. PM2.5 was then used to induce lung inflammation in both untreated and intervened pulmonary microbiota broilers. Compared to untreated microbiota broilers, intervened microbiota broilers had less morphological lung tissue injury and lower inflammatory factor expression levels after PM2.5 exposure. Furthermore, the intervened microbiota broilers' microbiota structure remained normal, while the untreated microbiota broilers showed dysbiosis. This dysbiosis is closely linked to changes in the microbial growth environment due to the inflammatory response. This suggested that the pulmonary microbiota affects PM2.5-induced lung inflammation in broilers. Dysbiosis caused by inflammation that alters the conditions for bacterial growth may exacerbate inflammation.

Pectin alleviates the pulmonary inflammatory response induced by PM2.5 from a pig house by modulating intestinal microbiota.

This study aimed to investigate whether dietary fiber pectin can alleviate PM2.5-induced pulmonary inflammation and the potential mechanism. PM2.5 samples were collected from a nursery pig house. The mice were divided into three groups: the control group, PM2.5 group and PM2.5 + pectin group. The mice in the PM2.5 group were intratracheally instilled with PM2.5 suspension twice a week for four consecutive weeks, and those in the PM2.5 + pectin group were subject to the same PM2.5 exposure, but fed with a basal diet supplemented with 5% pectin. The results showed that body weight and feed intake were not different among the treatments (p > 0.05). However, supplementation with pectin relieved PM2.5-induced pulmonary inflammation, presenting as slightly restored lung morphology, decreased mRNA expression levels of IL-1ß, IL-6 and IL-17 in the lung, decreased MPO content in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BLAF), and even decreased protein levels of IL-1ß and IL-6 in the serum (p < 0.05). Dietary pectin altered the composition of the intestinal microbiota, increasing the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and decreasing the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes. At the genus level, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria, such as Bacteroides, Anaerotruncus, Prevotella 2, Parabacteroides, Ruminococcus 2 and Butyricimonas, were enriched in the PM2.5 +pectin group. Accordingly, dietary pectin increased the concentrations of SCFAs, including acetate, propionate, butyrate and valerate, in mice. In conclusion, dietary fermentable fiber pectin can relieve PM2.5-induced pulmonary inflammation via alteration of intestinal microbiota composition and SCFA production. This study provides a new insight into reducing the health risk associated with PM2.5 exposure.

Vitreoretinal Surgical Instrument Tracking in Three Dimensions Using Deep Learning.

Purpose: To evaluate the potential for artificial intelligence-based video analysis to determine surgical instrument characteristics when moving in the three-dimensional vitreous space. Methods: We designed and manufactured a model eye in which we recorded choreographed videos of many surgical instruments moving throughout the eye. We labeled each frame of the videos to describe the surgical tool characteristics: tool type, location, depth, and insertional laterality. We trained two different deep learning models to predict each of the tool characteristics and evaluated model performances on a subset of images. Results: The accuracy of the classification model on the training set is 84% for the x-y region, 97% for depth, 100% for instrument type, and 100% for laterality of insertion. The accuracy of the classification model on the validation dataset is 83% for the x-y region, 96% for depth, 100% for instrument type, and 100% for laterality of insertion. The close-up detection model performs at 67 frames per second, with precision for most instruments higher than 75%, achieving a mean average precision of 79.3%. Conclusions: We demonstrated that trained models can track surgical instrument movement in three-dimensional space and determine instrument depth, tip location, instrument insertional laterality, and instrument type. Model performance is nearly instantaneous and justifies further investigation into application to real-world surgical videos. Translational Relevance: Deep learning offers the potential for software-based safety feedback mechanisms during surgery or the ability to extract metrics of surgical technique that can direct research to optimize surgical outcomes.

The entry of unclosed autophagosomes into vacuoles and its physiological relevance.

It is widely stated in the literature that closed mature autophagosomes (APs) fuse with lysosomes/vacuoles during macroautophagy/autophagy. Previously, we showed that unclosed APs accumulated as clusters outside vacuoles in Vps21/Rab5 and ESCRT mutants after a short period of nitrogen starvation. However, the fate of such unclosed APs remains unclear. In this study, we used a combination of cellular and biochemical approaches to show that unclosed double-membrane APs entered vacuoles and formed unclosed single-membrane autophagic bodies after prolonged nitrogen starvation or rapamycin treatment. Vacuolar hydrolases, vacuolar transport chaperon (VTC) proteins, Ypt7, and Vam3 were all involved in the entry of unclosed double-membrane APs into vacuoles in Vps21-mutant cells. Overexpression of the vacuolar hydrolases, Pep4 or Prb1, or depletion of most VTC proteins promoted the entry of unclosed APs into vacuoles in Vps21-mutant cells, whereas depletion of Pep4 and/or Prb1 delayed the entry into vacuoles. In contrast to the complete infertility of diploid cells of typical autophagy mutants, diploid cells of Vps21 mutant progressed through meiosis to sporulation, benefiting from the entry of unclosed APs into vacuoles after prolonged nitrogen starvation. Overall, these data represent a new observation that unclosed double-membrane APs can enter vacuoles after prolonged autophagy induction, most likely as a survival strategy.

Enhanced spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) using in situ ultrasonic virtual tunable optical waveguides.

A conventional optical lens can enhance lateral resolution in optical coherence tomography (OCT) by focusing the input light onto the sample. However, the typical Gaussian beam profile of such a lens will impose a tradeoff between the depth of focus (DOF) and the lateral resolution. The lateral resolution is often compromised to achieve a mm-scale DOF. We have experimentally shown that using a cascade system of an ultrasonic virtual tunable optical waveguide (UVTOW) and a short focal-length lens can provide a large DOF without severely compromising the lateral resolution compared to an external lens with the same effective focal length. In addition, leveraging the reconfigurability of UVTOW, we show that the focal length of the cascade system can be tuned without the need for mechanical translation of the optical lens. We compare the performance of the cascade system with a conventional optical lens to demonstrate enhanced DOF without compromising the lateral resolution as well as reconfigurability of UVTOW for OCT imaging.

Antibiotic resistance of fecal carriage of Escherichia coli from pig farms in China: a meta-analysis.

Fecal carriage of bacteria is a major source of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and a public health risk, but the antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in Chinese pig farms remains a major gap in the available literature. Our goal was to conduct a meta-analysis of studies reporting antibiotic resistance of fecal carriage of E. coli from pig farms in China, calculating the pooled resistance rates and summarizing factors associated with it. We searched PubMed and Web of Science for studies published in English up to February 28, 2021. We also searched bibliographic indices and corresponded with the authors. We chose ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, tetracycline, ampicillin, and florfenicol from five major types of antibiotics to comprehensively evaluate the resistance rate of E. coli. We used a random-effects model and Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation to calculate the resistance rate and 95% confidence interval. Among the 120 retrieved manuscripts, 16 studies (1985 E. coli isolates) were deemed eligible for our analysis. The combined resistance rate of E. coli from feces was 58.8% (95% CI: 45.3-71.7%) to ciprofloxacin, 54.3% (95% CI: 35.3-72.6%) to gentamicin, 91.0% (95% CI: 83.1-96.7%) to tetracycline, 81.4% (95% CI: 62.0-95.1%) to ampicillin, and 65.4% (95% CI: 33.9-90.9%) to florfenicol. In conclusion, fecal carriage of E. coli in Chinese pig farms shows high resistance to ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, tetracycline, ampicillin, and florfenicol. Subgroup analysis showed that the resistance of E. coli to antibiotics was closely related to the sample size and the health condition of the pigs. Specifically, ESBL-producing E. coli has a higher ratio of resistance to other antibiotics. Future collection of antibiotic resistance and other information in pig farms should be more precise and depend on local surveys.

Magneto- and opto-stimuli responsive nanofibers as a controlled drug delivery system.

The drawbacks of conventional drug administration include repeated administration, non-specific biodistribution in the body's systems, the long-term unsustainability of drug molecules, and high global cytotoxicity, posing a challenge for the efficient treatment of chronic diseases that require varying drug dosages over time for optimal therapeutic efficacy. Most controlled-release methods encapsulate drug molecules in biodegradable materials that dissolve over time to release the drug, making it difficult to deliver drugs on a schedule. To address these limitations, we developed a magneto-, opto-stimuli responsive drug delivery system based on functionalized electrospun nanofibers loaded with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs). We exploited the Néel relaxation effect of SPIONs, where heat generated from vibrating SPIONs under exogenously applied magnetic fields or laser illumination induced structural changes of the thermo-sensitive nanofibers that encapsulate the particles. We showed that this structural change of nanofibers is the governing factor in controlling the release of dye molecules, used as a model drug and co-encapsulated within the nanofibers. We also showed that the degree of nanofiber structural change depends on SPION loading and duration of stimulation, demonstrating the tunability of the drug release profile. Overall, we demonstrated the potential of SPION-embedded thermoplastic nanofibers as an attractive platform for on-demand drug delivery.

Formation of 3D Self-Organized Neuron-Glial Interface Derived from Neural Stem Cells via Mechano-Electrical Stimulation.

Due to dissimilarities in genetics and metabolism, current animal models cannot accurately depict human neurological diseases. To develop patient-specific in vitro neural models, a functional material-based technology that offers multi-potent stimuli for enhanced neural tissue development is devised. An electrospun piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) nanofibrous scaffold is systematically optimized to maximize its piezoelectric properties while accommodating the cellular behaviors of neural stem cells. Hydro-acoustic actuation is elegantly utilized to remotely activate the piezoelectric effect of P(VDF-TrFE) scaffolds in a physiologically-safe manner for the generation of cell-relevant electric potentials. This mechano-electrical stimulation, which arose from the deflection of the scaffold and its consequent generation of electric charges on the scaffold surface under hydro-acoustic actuation, induces the multi-phenotypic differentiation of neural stem cells simultaneously toward neuronal, oligodendrocytic, and astrocytic phenotypes. As compared to the traditional biochemically-mediated differentiation, the 3D neuron-glial interface induced by the mechano-electrical stimulation results in enhanced interactions among cellular components, leading to superior neural connectivity and functionality. These results demonstrate the potential of piezoelectric material-based technology for developing functional neural tissues in vitro via effective neural stem cell modulation with multi-faceted regenerative stimuli.

The ESCRT-III complex contributes to macromitophagy in yeast.

Mitochondria play important roles in energy generation and homeostasis maintenance in eukaryotic cells. The damaged or superfluous mitochondria can be nonselectively or selectively removed through the autophagy/lysosome pathway, which was referred as mitophagy. According to the molecular machinery for degrading mitochondria, the selectively removed mitochondria can occur through macromitophagy or micromitophagy. In this study, we show that the endosomal sorting complex required for transport III (ESCRT-III) in budding yeast regulates macromitophagy induced by nitrogen starvation, but not by the post-logarithmic phase growth in lactate medium by monitoring a mitochondrial marker, Om45. Firstly, loss of ESCRT-III subunit Snf7 or Vps4-Vta1 complex subunit Vps4, two representative subunits of the ESCRT complex, suppresses the delivery and degradation of Om45-GFP to vacuoles. Secondly, we show that the mitochondrial marker Om45 and mitophagy receptor Atg32 accumulate on autophagosomes marked with Atg8 (mitophagosomes, MPs) in ESCRT mutants. Moreover, the protease-protection assay indicates that Snf7 and Vps4 are involved in MP closure. Finally, Snf7 interacts with Atg11, which was detected by two ways, glutathione-S-transferase (GST) pulldown and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assay, and this BiFC interaction happens on mitochondrial reticulum. Therefore, we proposed that the ESCRT-III machinery mediates nitrogen starvation-induced macromitophagy by the interaction between Snf7 and Atg11 so that Snf7 is recruited to Atg32-marked MPs by the known Atg11-Atg32 interaction to seal them. These results reveal that the ESCRT-III complex plays a new role in yeast on macromitophagy.

Distribution characteristics of bioaerosols inside pig houses and the respiratory tract of pigs.

Particulate matter (PM) is a carrier of many substances. Microorganisms are vital constituents contained in PM, and their varieties and concentrations are closely connected to human health and animal production. This study aimed to investigate the distribution characteristics of bioaerosols inside a pig house and in the respiratory tract of pigs. Environmental indices inside a nursery pig house were monitored in winter, including temperature, relative humidity, total suspended particulate (TSP), PM10, PM2.5, NH3, CO2, CO and NO. The concentrations of airborne culturable bacteria, fungi and Escherichia coli were detected. Then, 16S rRNA sequencing technology was applied to identify different-sized bioaerosols and bacteria in the respiratory tract of piglets. The results showed that the concentration of airborne culturable bacteria inside the pig house was significantly higher than that outside, and no significant difference was found among culturable fungi and Escherichia coli. The 16S rRNA results showed that the bacterial aerosols presented high similarity to the bacteria in the respiratory tract of piglets. The airborne bacterial aerosols within the size range of 1.1-3.3 µm showed high similarity to the bacteria in the lower respiratory tract (bronchus and lung) of piglets. In addition, four potential pathogenic bacterial genera (Escherichia-Shigella, Streptococcus, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas) were identified both in the bacterial aerosols and the respiratory tract of piglets. These results will provide a significant scientific basis for exploring the potential risk of aerosols from animal houses to human and animal health.

Chronic Brain Imaging Across a Transparent Nanocrystalline Yttria-Stabilized-Zirconia Cranial Implant.

Repeated non-diffuse optical imaging of the brain is difficult. This is due to the fact that the cranial bone is highly scattering and thus a strong optical barrier. Repeated craniotomies increase the risk of complications and may disrupt the biological systems being imaged. We previously introduced a potential solution in the form of a transparent ceramic cranial implant called the Window to the Brain (WttB) implant. This implant is made of nanocrystalline Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia (nc-YSZ), which possesses the requisite mechanical strength to serve as a permanent optical access window in human patients. In this present study, we demonstrate repeated brain imaging of n = 5 mice using both OCT and LSI across the WttB implant over 4 weeks. The main objectives are to determine if the WttB implant allows for chronic OCT imaging, and to shed further light on the question of whether optical access provided by the WttB implant remains stable over this duration in the body. The Window to the Brain implant allowed for stable repeated imaging of the mouse brain with Optical Coherence Tomography over 28 days, without loss of signal intensity. Repeated Laser Speckle Imaging was also possible over this timeframe, but signal to noise ratio and the sharpness of vessels in the images decreased with time. This can be partially explained by elevated blood flow during the first imaging session in response to trauma from the surgery, which was also detected by OCT flow imaging. These results are promising for long-term optical access through the WttB implant, making feasible chronic in vivo studies in multiple neurological models of brain disease.

High-Salt Diet-Induced Gastritis in C57BL/6 Mice is Associated with Microbial Dysbiosis and Alleviated by a Buckwheat Diet.

SCOPE: A high-salt diet is a cause of gastritis, but the associated mechanism remains unclear. Recent studies have shown that gastric flora is associated with a variety of stomach diseases, but it is not known whether gastric flora is involved in gastritis induced by a high-salt diet. METHODS AND RESULTS: Gastritis is successfully induced in C57BL/6 mice fed a high-salt diet (salt: 5% NaCl) for four weeks. Through 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the composition of the stomach microbiota of mice fed normal and high-salt diets are compared, the results of which show that the high-salt diet induces significant changes in the gastric flora. Phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt) is used to predict the function of the microbiota in the stomach of mice, and the results indicate that a high-salt diet leads to a decrease in the ability of the gastric microbiota to metabolize polysaccharides and vitamins. A buckwheat diet is used to treat gastritis. The results show gastritis induced by the high-salt diet is significantly alleviated, and the dysbiosis in the stomach also improved. CONCLUSION: Buckwheat diet may be one of the ways to prevent and treat gastritis caused by a high-salt diet.

Hydrogen sulfide-mediated resistance against water avoidance stress-induced gastritis by maintenance of gastric microbial homeostasis.

Chronic persistent stress is an important cause of gastritis, but the underlying mechanism remains to be further researched, especially the role of the gastric microbiota in this process. Here, we used the water avoidance stress (WAS) test in mouse models for chronic stress-induced gastritis to investigate the underlying mechanisms of this disease. The effect of stress on the gastric microbiota was analyzed based on 16S rRNA sequencing; the changes in hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) and inflammatory cytokine levels in gastric tissues were detected by Western blotting, ELISA, immunofluorescence, and qRT-PCR. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used as an indicator of the gastritis histological score. This finding is consistent with previous studies showing that gastric H2 S is negatively associated with the inflammatory index and might protect the gastrointestinal tract from inflammation. WAS-induced gastritis was associated with a reduction in H2 S release, which appeared to affect the homeostasis of the gastric microbiota of mice. Inflammation and microbial dysbiosis were partially reversed by sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) and vitamin B6 (VB6) supplementation, suggesting the therapeutic potential of VB6 supplementation for the treatment of stress-induced gastritis. Gastritis has a serious impact on health and quality of life. An increasing number of people are suffering from chronic gastritis linked to a high-stress lifestyle, and our research provides clues for the prevention and treatment of stress-induced gastritis.