MYB24, MYB144, and MYB168 positively regulate suberin biosynthesis at potato tuber wounds during healing.

The essence of wound healing is the accumulation of suberin at wounds, which is formed by suberin polyphenolic (SPP) and suberin polyaliphatic (SPA). The biosynthesis of SPP and SPA monomers is catalyzed by several enzyme classes related to phenylpropanoid metabolism and fatty acid metabolism, respectively. However, how suberin biosynthesis is regulated at the transcriptional level during potato (Solanum tuberosum) tuber wound healing remains largely unknown. Here, 6 target genes and 15 transcription factors related to suberin biosynthesis in tuber wound healing were identified by RNA-seq technology and qRT-PCR. Dual luciferase and yeast one-hybrid assays showed that StMYB168 activated the target genes StPAL, StOMT, and St4CL in phenylpropanoid metabolism. Meanwhile, StMYB24 and StMYB144 activated the target genes StLTP, StLACS, and StCYP in fatty acid metabolism, and StFHT involved in the assembly of SPP and SPA domains in both native and wound periderms. More importantly, virus-induced gene silencing in S. tuberosum and transient overexpression in Nicotiana benthamiana assays confirmed that StMYB168 regulates the biosynthesis of free phenolic acids, such as ferulic acid. Furthermore, StMYB24/144 regulated the accumulation of suberin monomers, such as ferulates, α, ω-diacids, and ω-hydroxy acids. In conclusion, StMYB24, StMYB144, and StMYB168 have an elaborate division of labor in regulating the synthesis of suberin during tuber wound healing.

Mechanistic and predictive studies on the oxidation of furans by cytochrome P450: A DFT study.

Furan-containing compounds distribute widely in food, herbal medicines, industrial synthetic products, and environmental media. These compounds can undergo oxidative metabolism catalyzed by cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP450) within organisms, which may produce reactive products, possibly reacting with biomolecules to induce toxic effects. In this work, we performed DFT calculations to investigate the CYP450-mediated metabolic mechanism of furan-ring oxidation using 2-methylfuran as a model substrate, meanwhile, we studied the regioselective competition of another hydroxylation reaction involving methyl group of 2-methylfuran. As a result, we found the toxicological-relevant cis-enedione product can be produced from O-addition directly via a concerted manner without formation of an epoxide intermediate as traditionally believed. Moreover, our calculations demonstrate the kinetic and thermodynamic feasibility of both furan-ring oxidation and methyl hydroxylation pathways, although the former pathway is a bit more favorable. We then constructed a linear model to predict the rate-limiting activation energies (ΔE*) of O-addition with 11 diverse furan substates based on their adiabatic ionization potentials (AIPs) and condensation Fukui functions (CFFs). The results show a good predictive ability (R2=0.94, Q2CV=0.87). Therefore, AIP and CFF with clear physichem meanings relevant to the mechanism, emerge as pivotal molecular descriptors to enable the fast prediction of furan-ring oxidation reactivities for quick insight into the toxicological risk of furans, using just ground-state calculations.

PPA1 promotes adipogenesis by regulating the stability of C/EBPs.

Adipogenesis significantly contributes to healthy adipose tissue expansion in obesity. Increasing adipocyte number or function to alleviate adipose tissue overload could serve as a therapeutic strategy for both lipodystrophy and obesity-related metabolic syndrome. Inorganic pyrophosphatase (PPA1) is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of pyrophosphate (PPi) and is involved in many biochemical reactions, but its function in adipose tissue has not been studied previously. In this study, we demonstrated that adipose-specific PPA1 knockout (PPA1AKO) mice showed lipodystrophy and spontaneously developed hepatic steatosis and severe insulin resistance under normal chow diet feeding. PPA1 deficiency suppressed the differentiation of primary adipocyte precursors and 3T3-L1 cells. Notably, PPA1 overexpression can restore inhibited adipogenesis in preadipocytes isolated from db/db mice and type 2 diabetes patients. Mechanistic studies have revealed that PPA1 acts as a positive regulator of early adipocyte differentiation by promoting CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteinß and δ (C/EBPß and δ) protein stability. Moreover, the function of PPA1 in adipogenesis is independent of its PPi catalytic activity. Collectively, our in vivo and in vitro findings demonstrated that PPA1 is a novel critical upstream regulator of adipogenesis, controlling adipose tissue development and whole-body metabolic homeostasis.

Rapid synthesis of high-purity molybdenum carbide with controlled crystal phases.

The synthesis of phase-pure carbide nanomaterials is crucial for understanding their structure-performance relationships, and for advancing their application in catalysis. Molybdenum carbides, in particular, have garnered increasing interest due to their Pt-like surface electronic properties and high catalytic activity. Traditional methods for synthesizing molybdenum carbide are often lengthy and energy-intensive, leading to an uncontrolled phase, low purity, and excessive carbon coverage, which hinder their catalytic performance improvement. This work introduces a novel pulsed Joule heating (PJH) technique that overcomes these limitations, enabling the controlled synthesis of high-purity molybdenum carbides (ß-Mo2C, η-MoC1-x, and α-MoC1-x) within seconds by using MoOx/4-Cl-o-phenylenediamine as the hybrid precursor. The PJH method allows precise control over the diffusion of carbon species in the Mo-C system, resulting in a significantly improved phase purity of up to 96.89 wt%. Moreover, the electronic structure of platinum catalysts on molybdenum carbide was modulated through electron metal-support interaction (EMSI) between Pt and MoxC, and contributed to enhanced catalytic performance compared to carbon-supported Pt catalysts during the hydrogen evolution reaction. Overall, this work paves the way for efficient production of high-quality molybdenum carbide nanomaterials, and thus is expected to accelerate their industrial deployments in practical catalytic reactions.

Choroidal manifestations of non-ocular sarcoidosis: an enhanced depth imaging OCT study.

BACKGROUND: Although choroidal thickening was reported as a sign of active inflammation in ocular sarcoidosis, there has been no research on the choroidal changes in non-ocular sarcoidosis (defined as systemic sarcoidosis without overt clinical signs of ocular involvement). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate choroidal structural changes in patients with non-ocular sarcoidosis. METHODS: This retrospective case-control study was conducted at Asan Medical Center, a tertiary referral center. We evaluated 30 eyes with non-ocular sarcoidosis and their age- and spherical equivalent-matched healthy control eyes. The subfoveal choroidal thickness, area ratio (Sattler layer-choriocapillaris complex [SLCC] area to Haller layer [HL] area), and choroidal vascularity index (CVI, luminal area to choroidal area) were analyzed using enhanced depth imaging in optical coherence tomography. Systemic and ocular factors associated with the choroidal thickness were investigated. RESULTS: Compared with the healthy control group, the non-ocular sarcoidosis group had significantly thicker subfoveal choroid (total and all sublayers [SLCC and HL]) and lower area ratio. There were no significant differences in the CVIs at all sublayers between groups. In the non-ocular sarcoidosis group, eyes under oral steroid treatment had thinner choroid than eyes under observation. In the control group, eyes with older age and more myopic spherical equivalent had thinner choroidal thickness. CONCLUSION: Total and all sublayers of the subfoveal choroid were significantly thicker without significant vascularity changes in non-ocular sarcoidosis eyes than in healthy control eyes. The degree of choroidal thickening was disproportionally greater at HL than at SLCC. These characteristic choroidal changes may be the subclinical manifestations in non-ocular sarcoidosis.

CD163+ macrophage density in perimysial connective tissue associated with prognosis in IMNM.

OBJECTIVE: The pathological features of immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) are dominated by the infiltration of macrophages. We aimed to perform a histopathologic semiquantitative analysis to investigate the relationship between macrophage markers and prognosis. METHODS: Semiquantitative analysis of histologic features was performed in 62 samples of IMNM. Independent risk factors were identified through univariate and multivariate regression analysis. Cluster analysis was performed using the partitioning around the medoids (PAM) method. Decision tree modeling was utilized to efficiently determine cluster labels for IMNM patients. The validity of the developmental cohort was assessed by accuracy in comparison with the validation cohort. RESULTS: The most enriched groups in patients with IMNM were macrophages expressing CD206 and CD163. In the multivariate logistic regression model, the high density of CD163+ macrophages in perimysial connective tissue increased the risk of unfavorable prognosis (p = 0.025, OR = 1.463, 95% CI: 1.049-2.041). In cluster analysis, patients in Cluster 1, with lower CD163+ macrophage density and inflammatory burden, had a more favorable prognosis. Conversely, patients in Cluster 3, which were enriched for CD163+ macrophages in the perimysial connective tissue, had the most severe clinical features and the worst prognosis. Correlations were found between the density of CD163+ macrophages in connective tissue and symptom duration (R2 = 0.166, p < 0.001), dysphagia (p = 0.004), cardiac involvement (p = 0.021), CK (R2 = 0.067, p = 0.042), CRP (R2 = 0.117, p < 0.001), and ESR (R2 = 0.171, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The density of CD163+ macrophages in perimysial connective tissue may serve as a potential marker for the prediction of IMNM prognosis.

Unified Model for Children's Brain Image Segmentation with Co-Registration Framework Guided by Longitudinal MRI.

Accurate segmentation of brain structures is crucial for analyzing longitudinal changes in children's brains. However, existing methods are mostly based on models established at a single time-point due to difficulty in obtaining annotated data and dynamic variation of tissue intensity. The main problem with such approaches is that, when conducting longitudinal analysis, images from different time points are segmented by different models, leading to significant variation in estimating development trends. In this paper, we propose a novel unified model with co-registration framework to segment children's brain images covering neonates to preschoolers, which is formulated as two stages. First, to overcome the shortage of annotated data, we propose building gold-standard segmentation with co-registration framework guided by longitudinal data. Second, we construct a unified segmentation model tailored to brain images at 0-6 years old through the introduction of a convolutional network (named SE-VB-Net), which combines our previously proposed VB-Net with Squeeze-and-Excitation (SE) block. Moreover, different from existing methods that only require both T1- and T2-weighted MR images as inputs, our designed model also allows a single T1-weighted MR image as input. The proposed method is evaluated on the main dataset (320 longitudinal subjects with average 2 time-points) and two external datasets (10 cases with 6-month-old and 40 cases with 20-45 weeks, respectively). Results demonstrate that our proposed method achieves a high performance (>92%), even over a single time-point. This means that it is suitable for brain image analysis with large appearance variation, and largely broadens the application scenarios.

Engineering RuBisCO-based shunt for improved cadaverine production in Escherichia coli.

The process of biological fermentation is often accompanied by the release of CO2, resulting in low yield and environmental pollution. Refixing CO2 to the product synthesis pathway is an attractive approach to improve the product yield. Cadaverine is an important diamine used for the synthesis of bio-based polyurethane or polyamide. Here, aiming to increase its final production, a RuBisCO-based shunt consisting of the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) and phosphoribulate kinase (PRK) was expressed in cadaverine-producing E. coli. This shunt was calculated capable of increasing the maximum theoretical cadaverine yield based on flux model analysis. When a functional RuBisCO-based shunt was established and optimized in E. coli, the cadaverine production and yield of the final engineered strain reached the highest level, which were 84.1 g/L and 0.37 g/g Glucose, respectively. Thus, the design of in situ CO2 fixation provides a green and efficient industrial production process.

Characterization of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels in oligodendrocytes.

Mature oligodendrocytes (OLG) are the myelin-forming cells of the central nervous system. Recent work has shown a dynamic role for these cells in the plasticity of neural circuits, leading to a renewed interest in voltage-sensitive currents in OLG. Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels and their respective current (Ih) were recently identified in mature OLG and shown to play a role in regulating myelin length. Here we provide a biochemical and electrophysiological characterization of HCN channels in cells of the oligodendrocyte lineage. We observed that mice with a nonsense mutation in the Hcn2 gene (Hcn2ap/ap) have less white matter than their wild type counterparts with fewer OLG and fewer oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). Hcn2ap/ap mice have severe motor impairments, although these deficits were not observed in mice with HCN2 conditionally eliminated only in oligodendrocytes (Cnpcre/+; Hcn2F/F). However, Cnpcre/+; Hcn2F/F mice develop motor impairments more rapidly in response to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). We conclude that HCN2 channels in OLG may play a role in regulating metabolism.

Exploring Mechanisms of Antifungal Lipopeptide Iturin A from Bacillus against Aspergillus niger.

The control of Aspergillus niger (A. niger) is of great significance for the agricultural economy and food safety. In this study, the antifungal effect and mechanism of iturin A from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (CGMCC No. 8473) against A. niger (ATCC 16404) were investigated using biochemical analyses and proteomics. Changes in a mycelium treated with iturin A were observed using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, including mycelial twisting and collapse, organelle disintegration, and intracellular vacuolization. The cytomembrane integrity of A. niger was affected by iturin A, as detected by propidium iodide staining. In addition, the generation of excess reactive oxygen species, the hyperpolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential and malondialdehyde accumulation also indicated that iturin A induced apoptosis in A. niger through the oxidative stress pathway. Proteomics results showed that 310 proteins were differentially expressed in the A. niger mycelium exposed to iturin A, including 159 upregulated proteins and 151 downregulated proteins, which were mainly associated with energy metabolism of A. niger. We propose that iturin A might inhibit the growth of A. niger by disrupting cytomembrane integrity, via oxidative stress, and by interfering with glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Overall, iturin A is a promising antifungal agent that provides a rationale for controlling A. niger contamination in food.

Evaluate the Structural and Physicochemical Properties of Exopolysaccharides Produced by Bacillus halotolerans Isolated from Locally Sourced Vegetables.

In this study, a Bacillus halotolerans (B. halotolerans) strain DT1 capable of producing exopolysaccharides (EPS) was isolated from dried cabbages of Tianjin, a local fermented vegetable product. Three distinct polysaccharide fractions were isolated from the fermentation broth of DT1, namely, DT1-0, DT1-2, and DT1-5. The structural composition and properties of these fractions were investigated. The predominant EPS, DT1-0, was identified as a novel heteropolysaccharide composed of fructose and glucose with branched structures. The repeating unit was determined to be [4)-α-D-Glcp-(1→6)-α-D-Glcp-(1→6)-ß-D-Fruf-(2→6)-ß-D-Fruf-(2→6-)-ß-D-Fruf-(2→], with fructose and glucose connected by ß-(2→1) and α-(1→4) glycosidic linkages between the third fructose and the first glucose, respectively. The molecular weight (Mw) was estimated to be 4.253 × 103 Da. DT1-0 presented a smooth and porous surface structure as observed through SEM and exhibited a water-holding capacity of 504 ± 5.3%, maximum thermal stability at 245 °C, and an oil-holding capacity of 387 ± 1.9% for coconut oil. DT1-2 was identified as a fructooligosaccharide. DT1-5 was characterized as a polysaccharide composed of glucose and fructose. In conclusion, these findings provide substantial support for the further application of B. subtilis strain DT1 and its EPS fractions, DT1-0, DT1-2, and DT1-5, as potential alternatives for functional food additives or ingredients.

TNF-α promotes expression of inflammatory factors by upregulating nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase-2 expression in human gingival fibroblasts.

Background/purpose: Periodontitis is a chronic infectious disease. The oxidative stress environment can cause or exacerbate the inflammation in periodontitis. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NOX) may be the most important source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in periodontal tissues. The pathological mechanism of periodontitis may be related to the increased ROS caused by enhanced NOX activity. The purpose was to investigate the effect of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) on inflammatory cytokines and ROS, and the role of NOX-2 in human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs). Materials and methods: HGFs were cultured and divided into the normal control group (NC group) and the inflammatory model group (TNF-α group) induced by 10 ng/ml TNF-α. Thereafter, NOX-2 siRNA was used to knock down NOX-2 gene expression. Quantitative real-time PCR was applied to detect IL-6, MCP-1, and NOX-2 mRNA levels. The levels of IL-6 and MCP-1 protein were examined by ELISA. The level of NOX-2 was evaluated by Western blot. ROS expression was measured by the fluorescence microplate. Results: The mRNA and protein expression levels of IL-6, MCP-1, and NOX-2 were significantly increased, and the expression of ROS was significantly elevated in response to 10 ng/ml TNF-α. Compared with the si-NC group, the mRNA and protein expression levels of IL-6 and MCP-1 were significantly down-regulated and ROS expression was significantly decreased in the si-NOX2 group stimulated by 10 ng/ml TNF-α. Conclusion: TNF-α promotes the expression of NOX-2 in human gingival fibroblasts and enhances the expression of inflammatory factors and ROS in human gingival fibroblasts through the upregulation of NOX-2 partly.

[Changes of parameters associated with anemia of inflammation in patients with stage â ¢ periodontitis before and after periodontal initial therapy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the differences and similarities of parameters associated with anemia of inflammation between patients with stage Ⅲ periodontitis and periodontally healthy volunteers, and to explore the influence of periodontal initial therapy on those indicators. METHODS: Patients with stage Ⅲ periodontitis and periodontally healthy volunteers seeking periodontal treatment or prophylaxis at Department of Periodontology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology from February 2020 to February 2023 were enrolled. Their demographic characteristics, periodontal parameters (including probing depth, clinical attachment loss, bleeding index), and fasting blood were gathered before periodontal initial therapy. Three months after periodontal initial therapy, the periodontal parameters of the patients with stage Ⅲ periodontitis were re-evaluated and their fasting blood was collected again. Blood routine examinations (including white blood cells, red blood cells, hemoglobin, packed cell volume, mean corpuscular volume of erythrocytes, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration) were performed. And ferritin, hepcidin, erythropoietin (EPO) were detected with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All data analysis was done with SPSS 21.0, independent sample t test, paired t test, and analysis of covariance were used for comparison between the groups. RESULTS: A total of 25 patients with stage Ⅲ periodontitis and 25 periodontally healthy volunteers were included in this study. The patients with stage Ⅲ periodontitis were significantly older than those in periodontally healthy status [(36.72±7.64) years vs. (31.44±7.52) years, P=0.017]. The patients with stage Ⅲ periodontitis showed lower serum hemoglobin [(134.92±12.71) g/L vs. (146.52±12.51) g/L, P=0.002] and higher serum ferritin [(225.08±103.36) µg/L vs. (155.19±115.38) µg/L, P=0.029], EPO [(41.28±12.58) IU/L vs. (28.38±10.52) IU/L, P < 0.001], and hepcidin [(48.03±34.44) µg/L vs. (27.42±15.00) µg/L, P=0.009] compared with periodontally healthy volunteers. After adjusting the age with the covariance analysis, these parameters (hemoglobin, ferritin, EPO, and hepcidin) showed the same trends as independent-sample t test with statistical significance. Three months after periodontal initial therapy, all the periodontal parameters showed statistically significant improvement. The serum hemoglobin raised [(146.05±15.48) g/L vs. (133.77± 13.15) g/L, P < 0.001], while the serum ferritin [(128.52±90.95) µg/L vs. (221.22±102.15) µg/L, P < 0.001], EPO [(27.66±19.67) IU/L vs. (39.63± 12.48) IU/L, P=0.004], and hepcidin [(32.54±18.67) µg/L vs. (48.18±36.74) µg/L, P=0.033] decreased compared with baseline. CONCLUSION: Tendency of iron metabolism disorder and anemia of inflammation was observed in patients with stage Ⅲ periodontitis, which can be attenuated by periodontal initial therapy.

Semi-Coherent Heterointerface Engineering via In Situ Phase Transition for Enhanced Sodium/Lithium-Ions Storage.

To improve ion transport kinetics and electronic conductivity between the different phases in sodium/lithium-ion battery (LIB/SIB) anodes, heterointerface engineering is considered as a promising strategy due to the strong built-in electric field. However, the lattice mismatch and defects in the interphase structure can lead to large grain boundary resistance, reducing the ion transport kinetics and electronic conductivity. Herein, monometallic selenide Fe3 Se4 -Fe7 Se8 semi-coherent heterointerface embedded in 3D connected Nitrogen-doped carbon yolk-shell matrix (Fe3 Se4 -Fe7 Se8 @NC) is obtained via an in situ phase transition process. Such semi-coherent heterointerface between Fe3 Se4 and Fe7 Se8 shows the matched interfacial lattice and strong built-in electric field, resulting in the low interface impedance and fast reaction kinetics. Moreover, the yolk-shell structure is designed to confine all monometallic selenide Fe3 Se4 -Fe7 Se8 semi-coherent heterointerface nanoparticles, improving the structural stability and inhibiting the volume expansion effect. In particular, the 3D carbon bridge between multi-yolks shell structure improves the electronic conductivity and shortens the ion transport path. Therefore, the efficient reversible pseudocapacitance and electrochemical conversion reaction are enabled by the Fe3 Se4 -Fe7 Se8 @NC, leading to the high specific capacity of 439 mAh g-1 for SIB and 1010 mAh g-1 for LIB. This work provides a new strategy for constructing heterointerface of the anode for secondary batteries.

Effect of different loads on facet joint motion during lumbar lateral bending in sitting position.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of weight-bearing on lumbar facet joint during lateral bending in sitting position. METHODS: Ten normal healthy people (5 males and 5 females) aged 25-39 years (mean 32 ± 4.29 years) were recruited. CT scanning was used to reconstruct the lumbar spine model, and then dual fluoroscopic image system (DFIS) was used to restore the lumbar facet joint movement in sitting position. Finally, the lumbar facet joint translation distance and rotation angle were measured. RESULTS: In L3-4 level, the displacement of right facet joint in Y-axis was the smallest at 0.05 ± 0.40 mm, the displacement of 0 kg left facet joint in X-axis was the largest at 1.68 ± 0.85 mm, and the rotation angle was - 0.57 ± 1.43° to 5.66 ± 2.70° at 10 kg; in L4-5 level, the displacement of right facet joint in Y-axis was the smallest at 10 kg, - 0.13 ± 0.91 mm, and the displacement of left facet joint in Z-axis was the largest at - 2.11 ± 0.88 mm, and the rotation angle was 0.21 ± 2.14° to 7.89 ± 2.59° at 10 kg; in L5-S1 level, the displacement of right facet joint in Y-axis was the smallest at 10 kg, - 0.17 ± 1.10 mm, and the displacement of 0 kg left facet joint in X-axis was the largest at 2.19 ± 2.28 mm, and the rotation angle was 0.03 ± 2.02° to 3.98 ± 0.37°. CONCLUSION: In sitting position, weight-bearing has certain influence on the displacement of facet joints during lumbar lateral bending movement, and this influence occurs simultaneously in translation and rotation; the left and right facet joints are not symmetrical during lumbar lateral bending movement.

Insight into the inhibitory activity and mechanism of bovine cathelicidin BMAP 27 against Salmonella Typhimurium.

This study synthesized an antimicrobial peptide based on the bovine cathelicidin BMAP 27 sequence. It was found to have a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity, with exceptionally high activity against Salmonella. However, the antibacterial mechanism of BMAP 27 against Salmonella remains unclear. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of BMAP 27 against Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium were determined to be 2 µM and 4 µM, respectively. After treatment with 2 MIC of BMAP 27, the absorbance of DNA in centrifugal supernatant increased from 0.244 to 1.464, and that of protein rose from 0.174 to 0.774, respectively. BMAP 27 has compromised the cell membrane as observed through field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and confirmed by the propidium iodide (PI) test. The alkaline phosphatase (AKP) enzyme activity in the supernatant of the 2 MIC treatment group was 2.15 times higher than the control group, indicating extracellular membrane damage. BMAP 27 treatment increased intracellular ROS levels as tested by dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH) staining. DNA interaction analysis revealed that BMAP 27 has a binding affinity towards DNA, causing its characteristic bands to disappear and peak intensity at 260 nm to reduce. Molecular docking identified its potential binding mode with DNA. The crystal violet biofilm staining results demonstrated that BMAP 27 inhibited S. Typhimurium biofilm formation by 43.1 % and cleared mature biofilms by 53.62 %. Confocal Laser scanning electron microscopy (CLSM) observed that BMAP 27 could kill bacteria within the biofilm and dislodge bacteria from the surface of glasses. Swimming tests identified that the motor capacity of S. Typhimurium was diminished by BMAP 27. By counting the total bacteria, BMAP 27 was revealed to exert bacteriostatic effects in chilled pork and orange juice, which might provide a basis for its application in the inhibition of Salmonella.

Euclidean and Shape-Based Analysis of the Dynamic Mitral Annulus in Children using a Novel Open-Source Framework.

BACKGROUND: The dynamic shape of the normal adult mitral annulus has been shown to be important to mitral valve function. However, annular dynamics of the healthy mitral valve in children have yet to be explored. The aim of this study was to model and quantify the shape and major modes of variation of pediatric mitral valve annuli in four phases of the cardiac cycle using transthoracic echocardiography. METHODS: The mitral valve annuli of 100 children and young adults with normal findings on three-dimensional echocardiography were modeled in four different cardiac phases using the SlicerHeart extension for 3D Slicer. Annular metrics were quantified using SlicerHeart, and optimal normalization to body surface area was explored. Mean annular shapes and the principal components of variation were computed using custom code implemented in a new SlicerHeart module (Annulus Shape Analyzer). Shape was regressed over metrics of age and body surface area, and mean shapes for five age-stratified groups were generated. RESULTS: The ratio of annular height to commissural width of the mitral valve ("saddle shape") changed significantly throughout age for systolic phases (P < .001) but within a narrow range (median range, 0.20-0.25). Annular metrics changed statistically significantly between the diastolic and systolic phases of the cardiac cycle. Visually, the annular shape was maintained with respect to age and body surface area. Principal-component analysis revealed that the pediatric mitral annulus varies primarily in size (mode 1), ratio of annular height to commissural width (mode 2), and sphericity (mode 3). CONCLUSIONS: The saddle-shaped mitral annulus is maintained throughout childhood but varies significantly throughout the cardiac cycle. The major modes of variation in the pediatric mitral annulus are due to size, ratio of annular height to commissural width, and sphericity. The generation of age- and size-specific mitral annular shapes may inform the development of appropriately scaled absorbable or expandable mitral annuloplasty rings for children.

Clinical manifestations and associated factors of uveitis in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis: a case control study.

Sarcoidosis, an idiopathic and inflammatory disease, affects various organs and can manifest as uveitis. Due to limited evidence, researchers investigated the risk factors associated with uveitis in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis. A retrospective study was conducted on 71 pulmonary sarcoidosis patients, including 19 with uveitis and 52 without. Data on involved organs, imaging findings, spirometry, and analyses from blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were collected. Logistic regression models were used for multivariate analysis. Among the 71 newly diagnosed pulmonary sarcoidosis patients, uveitis was observed in 19 patients (26.8%). No significant differences were found in clinical characteristics between patients with and without uveitis. Fewer patients with uveitis presented lung parenchymal lesions (P = 0.043). In multivariate analysis, skin lesions (aOR 7.619, 95% CI 1.277-45.472, P = 0.026) and ophthalmic symptoms (aOR 4.065, 95% CI 1.192-13.863, P = 0.025) were associated with uveitis. Absence of uveitis was related to lung parenchymal lesions (aOR 0.233, 95% CI 0.062-0.883, P = 0.032). Approximately one-quarter of patients with an initial diagnosis of pulmonary sarcoidosis were diagnosed with uveitis. Presence of skin lesions, ophthalmic symptoms, and absence of lung parenchymal lesions were related to uveitis. These results need to be clarified by further studies to confirm the clinical role of early ophthalmologic screening for pulmonary sarcoidosis patients with these factors.

Effects of neoadjuvant stereotactic body radiotherapy plus adebrelimab and chemotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer: A pilot study.

Background: Emerging data have supported the immunostimulatory role of radiotherapy, which could exert a synergistic effect with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). With proven effective but suboptimal effect of ICI and chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), we designed a pilot study to explore the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) plus adebrelimab and chemotherapy in TNBC patients. Methods: Treatment-naïve TNBC patients received two cycles of intravenous adebrelimab (20 mg/kg, every 3 weeks), and SBRT (24 Gy/3 f, every other day) started at the second cycle, then followed by six cycles of adebrelimab plus nab-paclitaxel (125 mg/m² on days 1 and 8) and carboplatin (area under the curve 6 mg/mL per min on day 1) every 3 weeks. The surgery was performed within 3-5 weeks after the end of neoadjuvant therapy. Primary endpoint was pathological complete response (pCR, ypT0/is ypN0). Secondary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR), residual cancer burden (RCB) 0-I, and safety. Results: 13 patients were enrolled and received at least one dose of therapy. 10 (76.9%) patients completed SBRT and were included in efficacy analysis. 90% (9/10) of patients achieved pCR, both RCB 0-I and ORR reached 100% with three patients achieved complete remission. Adverse events (AEs) of all-grade and grade 3-4 occurred in 92.3% and 53.8%, respectively. One (7.7%) patient had treatment-related serious AEs. No radiation-related dermatitis or death occurred. Conclusions: Adding SBRT to adebrelimab and neoadjuvant chemotherapy led to a substantial proportion of pCR with acceptable toxicities, supporting further exploration of this combination in TNBC patients. Funding: None. Clinical trial number: NCT05132790.