Ultrasound-assisted deep eutectic solvents extraction of polysaccharides from Loquat leaf: Process optimization and bioactivity study.

Loquat leaves are the by-product of loquat fruit production. Polysaccharides are one of the main active ingredients in loquat leaves. In this study, polysaccharides were extracted from loquat leaves by ultrasonic-assisted deep eutectic solvents (DESs) extraction method. Further, the extracted crude loquat leaf polysaccharides (CLLP) were purified and separated via S-8 resin and DEAE-52 cellulose column chromatography, respectively. Additionally, the effects of polysaccharides on activity of sperm in boar semen preserved in medium at 17 °C, were evaluated preliminarily. DES, composed of choline chloride/ethylene glycol (1:6, molar ratio), was proved to be the suitable solvent for LLP extraction. The optimized extraction conditions were water content 44 %, liquid-solid ratio 1:29 (g/g), extraction temperature 61 °C and extraction time 98 min. Under these conditions, the LLP yield was 57.82 ± 1.50 mg/g. A homogeneous polysaccharide (LLP1-2, Mw: 2.17 × 104 Da) was isolated from CLLP. Its total sugar, uronic acid and protein contents were 76.31 ± 1.25 %, 14.19 ± 0.67 % and 3.28 ± 0.42 %, respectively. Further, 800 µg/mL LLP1-2 could effectively enhance the antioxidant activity of sperm. This study laid a foundation for DESs and column chromatography in the field of polysaccharide extraction and separation, proving that LLP can be used as a natural antioxidant for sperm preservation.

Association between hemoglobin A1c trajectory during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes among non-gestational diabetic women.

AIMS: Previous studies have shown that higher hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels within the normal range during pregnancy can increase the risk of adverse birth outcomes. However, the effects of the longitudinal HbA1c trajectory during pregnancy on adverse birth outcomes among non-gestational diabetic women are poorly characterized. We aimed to identify HbA1c trajectory during pregnancy among non-gestational diabetic women and to estimate their associations with adverse birth outcomes. METHODS: Data was extracted from the Information System of Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, China, from January 2017 to July 2022. This study involved 13,979 women who did not have gestational diabetes mellitus and underwent repeated HbA1c measurements during pregnancy. Latent mixture modeling was used to identify HbA1c trajectory groups. Logistic regression was applied to explore the associations between HbA1c trajectory groups and adverse birth outcomes, including preterm delivery, low birth weight, macrosomia, small for gestational age, and large for gestational age (LGA). RESULTS: Three HbA1c trajectory groups were identified: low-stable (range 4.0% [20 mmol/mol]-4.4% [25 mmol/mol]), moderate-stable (range 4.6% [27 mmol/mol]-5.1% [32 mmol/mol]), and elevated-increasing (range 5.0% [31 mmol/mol]-5.6% [38 mmol/mol]). Compared with the low-stable HbA1c group, the elevated-increasing group had a higher risk of preterm delivery and LGA. The adjusted OR (95% CIs) were 1.67 (1.13, 2.49) and 1.47 (1.01, 2.12) for preterm delivery and LGA, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Among non-gestational diabetic women, the elevated-increasing HbA1c trajectory group was associated with a higher risk of preterm delivery and LGA. This finding emphasizes the importance of maintaining optimal HbA1c levels throughout pregnancy.

Analysis of morphology, histology characteristics, and circadian clock gene expression of Onychostoma macrolepis at the overwintering period and the breeding period.

Fish typically adapt to their environment through evolutionary traits, and this adaptive strategy plays a critical role in promoting species diversity. Onychostoma macrolepis is a rare and endangered wild species that exhibits a life history of overwintering in caves and breeding in mountain streams. We analyzed the morphological characteristics, histological structure, and expression of circadian clock genes in O. macrolepis to elucidate its adaptive strategies to environmental changes in this study. The results showed that the relative values of O. macrolepis eye diameter, body height, and caudal peduncle height enlarged significantly during the breeding period. The outer layer of the heart was dense; the ventricular myocardial wall was thickened; the fat was accumulated in the liver cells; the red and white pulp structures of the spleen, renal tubules, and glomeruli were increased; and the goblet cells of the intestine were decreased in the breeding period. In addition, the spermatogenic cyst contained mature sperm, and the ovaries were filled with eggs at various stages of development. Throughout the overwintering period, the melano-macrophage center is located between the spleen and kidney, and the melano-macrophage center in the cytoplasm has the ability to synthesize melanin, and is arranged in clusters to form cell clusters or white pulp scattered in it. Circadian clock genes were identified in all organs, exhibiting significant differences between the before/after overwintering period and the breeding period. These findings indicate that the environment plays an important role in shaping the behavior of O. macrolepis, helping the animals to build self-defense mechanisms during cyclical habitat changes. Studying the morphological, histological structure and circadian clock gene expression of O. macrolepis during the overwintering and breeding periods is beneficial for understanding its unique hibernation behavior in caves. Additionally, it provides an excellent biological sample for investigating the environmental adaptability of atypical cavefish species.

Exploring novel function of Gpx5 antioxidant activity: Assisting epididymal cells secrete functional extracellular vesicles.

Glutathione peroxisomal-5 (Gpx5) promotes the elimination of H2O2 or organic hydrogen peroxide, and plays an important role in the physiological process of resistance to oxidative stress (OS). To directly and better understand the protection of Gpx5 against OS in epididymal cells and sperm, we studied its mechanism of antioxidant protection from multiple aspects. To more directly investigate the role of Gpx5 in combating oxidative damage, we started with epididymal tissue morphology and Gpx5 expression profiles in combination with the mouse epididymal epithelial cell line PC1 (proximal caput 1) expressing recombinant Gpx5. The Gpx5 is highly expressed in adult male epididymal caput, and its protein signal can be detected in the sperm of the whole epididymis. Gpx5 has been shown to alleviate OS damage induced by 3-Nitropropionic Acid (3-NPA), including enhancing antioxidant activity, reducing mitochondrial damage, and suppressing cell apoptosis. Gpx5 reduces OS damage in PC1 and maintains the well-functioning extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by PC1, and the additional epididymal EVs play a role in the response of sperm to OS damage, including reducing plasma membrane oxidation and death, and increasing sperm motility and sperm-egg binding ability. Our study suggests that GPX5 plays an important role as an antioxidant in the antioxidant processes of epididymal cells and sperm, including plasma membrane oxidation, mitochondrial oxidation, apoptosis, sperm motility, and sperm-egg binding ability.

Exosomes from porcine serum as endogenous additive maintain function of boar sperm during liquid preservation at 17 °C in vitro.

The supplementation of sperm culture media with serum is quite common, and improves both sperm survival and motility. However, the link between serum and sperm remains poorly understood. The present study is the first investigation of the effects on sperm quality and function of endogenous porcine serum exosomes in medium used for culturing boar sperm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed that serum-derived exosomes from both castrated boars (cbsExos) and sows (ssExos) exhibited typical nanostructural morphology and expressed CD63, CD9, and Alix, as shown by Western blotting. At 17 °C, the progressive motility and membrane integrity of sperm were significantly increased after incubation of fresh boar semen for 7 days with cbsExos-4 (8 × 1010 particles/mL) or ssExos-16 (32 × 1010 particles/mL). Moreover, cbsExos-4 and ssExos-16 were found to be effective sperm additives, improving mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨm) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content, total antioxidant activity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity while reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content following preservation at 17 °C after a 5-day incubation. Both fluorescence and SEM showed that the serum exosomes bound directly to the sperm membrane, suggesting an interaction that could influence sperm-zona pellucida binding. Overall, this study provides new insights into the potential benefits of adding cbsExos and ssExos to enhance the quality of boar sperm during ambient temperature preservation, which may lead to advancements in sperm preservation strategies.

Upregulation of CYR61 by TGF-ß and YAP signaling exerts a counter-suppression of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) and Hippo signaling are two critical pathways engaged in cancer progression by regulating both oncogenes and tumor suppressors, yet how the two pathways coordinately exert their functions in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains elusive. In this study, we firstly conducted an integrated analysis of public liver cancer databases and our experimental TGF-ß target genes, identifying CYR61 as a pivotal candidate gene relating to HCC development. The expression of CYR61 is downregulated in clinical HCC tissues and cell lines than that in the normal counterparts. Evidence revealed that CYR61 is a direct target gene of TGF-ß in liver cancer cells. In addition, TGF-ß-stimulated Smad2/3 and the Hippo pathway downstream effectors YAP and TEAD4 can form a protein complex on the promoter of CYR61, thereby activating the promoter activity and stimulating CYR61 gene transcription in a collaborative manner. Functionally, depletion of CYR61 enhanced TGF-ß- or YAP-mediated growth and migration of liver cancer cells. Consistently, ectopic expression of CYR61 was capable of impeding TGF-ß- or YAP-induced malignant transformation of HCC cells in vitro and attenuating HCC xenograft growth in nude mice. Finally, transcriptomic analysis indicates that CYR61 can elicit an antitumor program in liver cancer cells. Together, these results add new evidence for the crosstalk between TGF-ß and Hippo signaling and unveil an important tumor suppressor function of CYR61 in liver cancer.

Selenium nanoparticles in aquaculture: Unique advantages in the production of Se-enriched grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella).

The production of selenium-enriched fish can contribute to alleviating selenium deficiency in human diets. However, it is still unclear which selenium source, as an additive, can efficiently and cost-effectively produce high-quality selenium-enriched fish. This study evaluated the effects of selenium nanoparticles (SeNP), selenite, and selenomethionine (SeMet) on the growth, antioxidant capacity, selenium content, selenium speciation, and meat quality of grass carp. Ten diets were prepared, including a basal diet (BD) and three concentrations (0.1, 0.3, and 0.9 mg/kg) of SeNP, selenite, and SeMet. A total of 600 fish (250.79 ± 1.57 g) were randomly assigned to 30 tanks (3 tanks/group). Fish were fed the experimental diet three times daily for 60 d. In this study, SeNP most significantly promoted the growth and antioxidant capacity of grass carp, with 0.3 mg/kg SeNP identified as the optimal additive concentration. Additionally, SeNP demonstrated equally excellent bioavailability as SeMet and significantly increased the content of SeMet in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) muscle. Furthermore, compared to SeMet and selenite, dietary SeNP could more significantly enhance the content of selenocysteine (SeCys2) and methylselenocysteine (MeSeCys) in grass carp muscle tissue. In addition, we have demonstrated that SeCys2 and MeSeCys promote apoptosis of cancer cells (HeLa) through the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway (involving Bax and Bcl-2). Furthermore, as an additive, 0.3 mg/kg SeNP significantly improved the flesh quality of grass carp by reducing crude fat and heavy metal content, as well as increasing the levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and the ratio of n-3/n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). In summary, SeNP is the most suitable additive for producing selenium-enriched fish.

Comprehensive Bile Acid Profiling of ABCB4-mutated Patients and the Prognostic Role of Taurine-conjugated 3α,6α,7α,12α-Tetrahydroxylated Bile Acid in Cholestasis.

Background and Aims: We asked if comprehensive bile acid profiling could provide insights into the physiopathology of ABCB4-mutated patients and evaluated the prognostic value of taurine-conjugated tetrahydroxylated bile acid (tauro-THBA) in cholestasis. Methods: Serum bile acid profiles were evaluated in 13 ABCB4-mutated patients with 65 healthy controls by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/multiple-reaction monitoring-mass spectrometry (UPLC/MRM-MS). The concentration of tauro-THBA was compared between ABCB4-mutated patients with different prognoses. The areas under the curve (AUCs) of tauro-THBA were compared between ABCB11-mutated patients with native liver survival and those who died or underwent liver transplantation before 3 years of age by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), with another patient cohort for further verification. Results: The overall hydrophobicity indices of bile acids in ABCB4-mutated patients (12.99±3.25 m) were significantly lower than those of healthy controls (14.02±1.74 m, p<0.000). That was due to markedly increased bile acid modifications including conjugation, sulfation, and ketonization. Differences in the tauro-THBA concentration in ABCB4-mutated patients with different prognoses were not significant. ROC analysis indicated that levels of tauro-THBA of <60 nM yielded an AUC of 0.900 with a sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 87.5% for ABCB11-mutated patients with different prognoses (p=0.0192). Of the 15 patients with good prognosis, 14 were classified correctly and four of the five patients with a poor prognosis were classified correctly (14:15 vs. 1:5, p=0.005) with tauro-THBA as a classifier. Conclusions: Tauro-THBA concentration may be a biomarker for predicting the clinical outcome in low gamma-glutamyl transferase intrahepatic cholestasis patients.

Chitosan-Se Engineered Nanomaterial Mitigates Salt Stress in Plants by Scavenging Reactive Oxygen Species.

Soil salinity seriously hinders the sustainable development of green agriculture. The emergence of engineered nanomaterials has revolutionized agricultural research, providing a new means to overcome the limitations associated with current abiotic stress management and achieve highly productive agriculture. Herein, we synthesized a brand-new engineered nanomaterial (Cs-Se NMs) through the Schiff base reaction of oxidized chitosan with selenocystamine hydrochloride to alleviate salt stress in plants. After the addition of 300 mg/L Cs-Se NMs, the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase in rice shoots increased to 3.19, 1.79, and 1.85 times those observed in the NaCl group, respectively. Meanwhile, the MDA levels decreased by 63.9%. Notably, Cs-Se NMs also raised the transcription of genes correlated with the oxidative stress response and MAPK signaling in the transcriptomic analysis. In addition, Cs-Se NMs augmented the abundance and variety of rhizobacteria and remodeled the microbial community structure. These results provide insights into applying engineered nanomaterials in sustainable agriculture.

Mechanical properties and tissue damage caused by staples in gastrointestinal anastomosis.

Gastrointestinal surgery using a stapler is usually associated with tissue damage, anastomosis leakage, bleeding, and other complications, which is one of the effective methods for treating digestive tract cancer. The cutting properties of staples and the tissue damage occurring in the process of stapling porcine esophageal and gastric tissues have been evaluated and a new type of stapler has been designed. Since different structural and mechanical properties esophageal and gastric tissues layers, the puncturing force exhibits a fluctuating trend. Compressive stress caused by the bending of the staple legs can lead to the destruction of the vascular network inside the tissue, tissue deforms and tears. Finally, a staple with an internal incision arc (IIA) tip is designed, which meeting the performance requirements.

Strategies to improve the therapeutic efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicle (MSC-EV): a promising cell-free therapy for liver disease.

Liver disease has emerged as a significant worldwide health challenge due to its diverse causative factors and therapeutic complexities. The majority of liver diseases ultimately progress to end-stage liver disease and liver transplantation remains the only effective therapy with the limitations of donor organ shortage, lifelong immunosuppressants and expensive treatment costs. Numerous pre-clinical studies have revealed that extracellular vesicles released by mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-EV) exhibited considerable potential in treating liver diseases. Although natural MSC-EV has many potential advantages, some characteristics of MSC-EV, such as heterogeneity, uneven therapeutic effect, and rapid clearance in vivo constrain its clinical translation. In recent years, researchers have explored plenty of ways to improve the therapeutic efficacy and rotation rate of MSC-EV in the treatment of liver disease. In this review, we summarized current strategies to enhance the therapeutic potency of MSC-EV, mainly including optimization culture conditions in MSC or modifications of MSC-EV, aiming to facilitate the development and clinical application of MSC-EV in treating liver disease.

Orientation of internet use, government trust, and public environmental satisfaction an empirical study in Mainland China.

Public environmental satisfaction is related to the healthy living standard of human beings and sustainable development of an economic society. In the context of the continuous updating of Internet technologies, it is necessary to study the correlation between Internet use and public environmental satisfaction, but few studies have focused on the effect of the orientation of Internet use on public environmental satisfaction, and its mediating mechanisms. This study considered survey data from the China Social Survey 2019 which were conducted in a sample of 5,112 residents, SPSS 16.0 and ordinary least squares regression model was used to analyze the relationship between orientation of Internet use, government trust and public environmental satisfaction. The results showed politically-oriented Internet use was positively correlated with public environmental satisfaction, and entertainment-oriented Internet use did not correlate with public environmental satisfaction. Furthermore, government trust partially mediated the relation between politically-oriented Internet use and public environmental satisfaction. Several implication policies are suggested for improving public environmental satisfaction. This study takes into account individual initiative and government's control of information during Internet use, emphasizes the impact of different individual Internet use preferences on environmental satisfaction in the web environment with strong government control. By incorporating individual factors at the micro level and social factors at the macro level, this paper is in order to improve public environmental satisfaction.

Smart G-quadruplex hydrogels: From preparations to comprehensive applications.

In recent years, the accelerated development of G-quadruplexes and hydrogels has driven the development of intelligent biomaterials. Based on the excellent biocompatibility and special biological functions of G-quadruplexes, and the hydrophilicity, high-water retention, high water content, flexibility and excellent biodegradability of hydrogels, G-quadruplex hydrogels are widely used in various fields by combining the dual advantages of G-quadruplexes and hydrogels. Here, we provide a systematic and comprehensive classification of G-quadruplex hydrogels in terms of preparation strategies and applications. This paper reveals how G-quadruplex hydrogels skillfully utilize the special biological functions of G-quadruplexes and the skeleton structure of hydrogels, and expounds its applications in the fields of biomedicine, biocatalysis, biosensing and biomaterials. In addition, we deeply analyze the challenges in preparation, applications, stability and safety of G-quadruplex hydrogels, as well as potential future development directions.

Effect of longitudinal-bending elliptical ultrasonic vibration assistance on electrosurgical cutting and hemostasis.

Electrosurgical devices are widely used for tissue cutting and hemostasis in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for their high precision and low trauma. However, tissue adhesion and the resulting thermal injury can cause infection and impede the wound-healing process. This paper proposes a longitudinal-bending elliptical ultrasonic vibration-assisted (EUV-A) electrosurgical cutting system that incorporates an ultrasonic vibration in the direction of the cut by introducing an elliptical motion of the surgical tip. Compared with a solely longitudinal ultrasonic vibration-assisted (UV-A) electrosurgical device, the EUV-A electrode contacts the tissue intermittently, thus allowing for a cooler cut and preventing tissue accumulation. The experimental results reveal that the EUV-A electrode demonstrates better performance than the UV-A electrode for both anti-adhesion and thermal injury through in vitro experiments in porcine samples. The tissue removal mechanism of EUV-A electrosurgical cutting is modeled to investigate its anti-adhesion effect. In addition, lower adhesion, lower temperature, and faster cutting are demonstrated through in vivo experiments in rabbit samples. Results show that the EUV-A electrode causes lower thermal injury, indicative of faster postoperative healing. Finally, efficacy of the hemostatic effect of the EUV-A electrode is demonstrated in vivo for vessels up to 3.5 mm (equivalent to that of electrocautery). The study reveals that the EUV-A electrosurgical cutting system can achieve safe tissue incision and hemostasis.

Selenium nanoparticles improve fish sperm quality by enhancing glucose uptake capacity via AMPK activation.

Appropriate additives can provide a suitable physiological environment for storage of fish sperm and facilitate the large-scale breeding of endangered species and commercial fish. Suitable additives for fish sperm storage in vitro are required for artificial insemination. This study evaluate the effects of 0.1, 0.5, 1.5, and 4.5 mg/L selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) on the quality of Schizothorax prenanti and Onychostoma macrolepis sperm storage in vitro at 4 °C for 72 h. We found that 0.5 mg/L SeNPs was a suitable concentration for maintaining the normal physiological state of O. macrolepis sperm during storage at 4 °C (p < 0.05). Higher adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content of O. macrolepis sperm before and after activation was present at that concentration. To further explore the potential mechanism of action of SeNPs on O. macrolepis sperm, western blotting and glucose uptake analyses were performed. The results implied that after 24 h of in vitro preservation, 0.5 mg/L SeNPs significantly improved p-AMPK levels and glucose uptake capacity of O. macrolepis sperm, while compound C (CC), the inhibitor of activated AMP-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK), significantly restricted the function of SeNPs on stored sperm. Similar effects of 0.5 mg/L SeNPs were found on Schizothorax prenanti sperm. Our study demonstrates that SeNPs maintained ATP content and O. macrolepis and Schizothorax prenanti sperm function during storage in vitro for 72 h, possibly because SeNPs enhanced the glucose uptake capacity of sperm by maintaining the level of p-AMPK.

Exploring the Catalytic Flexibility and Reversibility of Plant Glycosyltransferase HtUGT72AS1 for Glycodiversification of Phenolic Compounds.

Plant bioactive metabolites such as flavonoids are usually present in glycosylated forms by the attachment of various sugar groups. In this study, a catalytically flexible and reversible glycosyltransferase (HtUGT72AS1) was cloned and characterized from Helleborus thibetanus. HtUGT72AS1 could directly accept six sugar donors (UDP-glucose/-arabinose/-galactose/-xylose/-N-acetylglucosamine/-rhamnose) to catalyze the 3-OH glycosylation of flavonols. It also catalyzed the 4' and 7-OH glycosylation of other types of flavonoids, which lacked the 3-OH group. Additionally, the HtUGT72AS1-catalyzed reaction was highly reversible when using 2-chloro-4-nitrophenyl glycosides as substrates, which could be used for one-pot or coupled production of bioactive glycosides. It is the first reported UGT for the synthesis of arabinosides and galactosides using a transglycosylation platform. Based on structural modeling and mutagenetic analysis, the mutation of Tyr377 to Ara enhanced the catalytic efficiency of HtUGT72AS1 toward UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, and the V146S mutant gained an improvement in the regioselectivity toward 7-OH of flavonoids.

Feasibility for the application of expanded endoscopic resection criteria in mucosal undifferentiated gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND & AIM: The indication of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for mucosal undifferentiated early gastric cancer (EGC) remains controversial because of risk of lymph node metastasis (LNM). The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for lymph node metastasis (LNM) in mucosal undifferentiated EGC, and further to confirm feasibility of the ESD for the treatment of mucosal undifferentiated EGC. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data of patients who underwent surgical resection with lymph node dissection of T1a stage primary gastric adenocarcinoma at three medical centers between 2012 and 2022. We evaluated the frequency of lymph node metastasis and the associated risk factors, as well as the lymph node metastasis rate in the expanded indication of mucosal undifferentiated EGC. RESULTS: A total of 100 surgically treated patients with mucosal undifferentiated EGC were enrolled. LNM was irrelevant to the age, tumor size, location, and macroscopic type (all P > 0.05), while it was significantly associated with lymphovascular invasion (LVI, P ＜0.001). And logistic regression analysis showed that the LVI was the only significant risk factors for LNM (OR: 0.34, 95%CI: 0.06-0.204; P ＜0.001). Of 44 mucosal undifferentiated EGC patients satisfying the expanded indication of ESD, 3 patients (6.8%) showed LN metastasis, all of them with undifferentiated cancer without ulceration, less than 2.0 cm in size. CONCLUSIONS: Because LNM is present in mucosal undifferentiated EGC patients who satisfied the expanded indication of ESD, ESD cannot be considered a better choice than surgery for all undifferentiated EGC patients. LVI was significant risk factors for LNM in patients with mucosal undifferentiated EGC.

Metformin improves fish sperm quality by regulating glucose uptake capacity during in vitro storage.

A suitable additive for fish sperm storage in vitro is necessary for artificial reproduction. In this study, we evaluated the effects of different concentrations (100, 200, 400, and 800 µmol/L) of metformin (Met) on Schizothorax prenanti and Onychostoma macrolepis sperm under storage in vitro for 72 h. Compared with the control group, 400 µmol/L Met was more effective at improving the quality and fertilization capacity of S. prenanti sperm by increasing the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content within the sperm. Further study found that Met stabilized the ATP level by enhancing the glucose uptake in S. prenanti sperm, and this effect might be associated with the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in sperm. In this study, we also found that glucose could be absorbed by the sperm of S. prenanti, which was mainly accumulated in the midpiece of S. prenanti sperm, where mitochondria were located. In addition, Compound C significantly inhibited the beneficial effects of Met on the quality and glucose uptake capacity of S. prenanti sperm by inhibiting AMPK phosphorylation. These results revealed that AMPK played an important role in vitro sperm storage, and Met maintained ATP content and increased the storage time of S. prenanti sperm in vitro for 72 h, possibly due to Met enhanced glucose uptake capacity of sperm by activating AMPK. Similarly, the beneficial effects of Met on S. prenanti sperm were also found in O. macrolepis sperm, suggesting that Met may hold great promise for the practice of storing fish in vitro.

Generally, what matters most to fish sperm is a good storage condition in vitro that can both ensure its high motility after fresh water activation and avoid the damage of the nonactivated state. An appropriate additive can provide suitable storage conditions for sperm. Therefore, a suitable additive of fish sperm is necessary for fish to promote effective artificial reproduction. In this study, we evaluated the effects of different concentrations of metformin (Met) on fish sperm under storage in vitro. Compared with the control group, Met was more effective at improving the quality and fertilization capacity of fish by increasing the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content within the sperm. Further study found that Met stabilized the ATP level by enhancing the glucose uptake in fish sperm, and this effect might be associated with the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in sperm. The beneficial effects of Met on fish sperm suggest that Met may hold great promise for the practice of storing fish in future vitro storage.

Evaluation of Doppler indices (MCA & UA) and fetal outcomes: a retrospective case-control study in women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) is associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes. The fetal middle cerebral artery (MCA) and umbilical artery (UA) blood flow detected by ultrasound are recommended to evaluate the oxygenation of the fetus. It is necessary to analyze the relationship between MCA & UA doppler indices or cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) and fetal outcomes and describe MCA and UA blood flow values across gestation. METHODS: Hospital-based retrospective case-control study during 2016 to 2020. 800 singleton pregnant women: 400 normotensive control, 219 gestational hypertension (GH), and 181 preeclampsia (PE)/eclampsia (EC). An analysis of the outcomes of mothers and neonates was performed. The fetal MCA and UA blood flow values across gestation were established, and MCA-resistance index (RI) and CPR were used to predict fetal distress and small for gestational age (SGA). RESULTS: In the normotensive control, GH and PE/EC groups, the mean gestational age (GA) was 38.9 ± 1.2 weeks, 39.0 ± 1.0 weeks, and 38.6 ± 1.3 weeks respectively, and the mean birth weight (BW) was 3.195 ± 0.387 kilograms, 3.198 ± 0.428 kilograms, and 2.987 ± 0.544 kilograms respectively. There were differences in GA, BW, fetal distress, SGA and intraventricular hemorrhage I-II between the hypertension group and normotensive control group (p < 0.05). The MCA-RI (sensitivity: 70.1%, specificity: 64.3%) and MCA-RI (sensitivity: 52.4%, specificity: 84.6%) were the best indices to predict fetal distress and SGA, respectively during GA of 35-40 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Fetal MCA blood flow values and CPR are of great benefit for obstetricians to evaluate the status of fetus evidentially in singleton pregnancy.

Novel Microneedle Patch-Based Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Sensor for the Detection of Pesticide Residues.

Pesticide residues are a global threat to human health, and conventional sensors fail to simultaneously detect pesticide residues on the surface and inside agricultural products. In this work, we present a new microneedle (MN) patch-based surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensor. The needles and the basement of MNs can simultaneously detect pesticide residues on the surface and inside agricultural products. The Ag nanoparticles and sodium hyaluronate/poly(vinyl alcohol) (HA/PVA) hydrogel used in this MN patch-based sensor efficiently amplify the Raman signals of the pesticide residues. In addition, the HA/PVA hydrogel can effectively and quickly collect the residues, allowing this sensor to detect pesticide residues more conveniently. Furthermore, the stepped structure of the MNs increases the sensor's surface area. Experimental results show that the sensor can detect thiram and thiabendazole (TBZ) pesticide residues with detection limits of 10-7 and 10-8 M, respectively. The detection process is minimally invasive and not harmful to agricultural products. The application of this MN patch-based SERS sensor can be extended to the safety and health monitoring of other plants and animals.