Fetal Aortic Blood Flow Velocity and Power Doppler Profiles in the First Trimester: A Comprehensive Study Using High-Definition Flow Imaging.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to establish reference values for fetal aortic isthmus blood flow velocity and associated indices during the first trimester, utilizing a novel ultrasonographic technique known as high-definition flow imaging (HDFI). Additionally, the correlation between Doppler profiles of aortic blood flow and key fetal parameters, including nuchal thickness (NT), crown-rump length (CRL), and fetal heartbeat (FHB), was investigated. METHODS: A total of 262 fetuses were included in the analysis between December 2022 and December 2023. Utilizing 2D power Doppler ultrasound images, aortic blood flow parameters were assessed, including aortic peak systolic velocity (PS), aortic end-diastolic velocity (ED), aortic time average maximal velocity (TAMV), and various indices such as aortic systolic velocity/diastolic velocity (S/D), aortic pulsatile index (PI), aortic resistance index (RI), aortic isthmus flow velocity index (IFI), and aortic isthmic systolic index (ISI). Concurrently, fetal FHB, NT, and CRL were evaluated during early trimester Down syndrome screening. RESULTS: Significant findings include a positive correlation between gestational age (GA) and PS (PS = 3.75 × (GA) - 15.4, r2 = 0.13, p < 0.01), ED (ED = 0.42 × (GA) - 0.61, r2 = 0.04, p < 0.01), PI (PI = 0.07 × (GA) + 1.03, r2 = 0.04, p < 0.01), and TAMV (TAMV = 1.23 × (GA) - 1.66, r2 = 0.08, p < 0.01). In contrast, aortic ISI demonstrated a significant decrease (ISI = -0.03 × (GA) + 0.57, r2 = 0.05, p < 0.05) with gestational age. No significant correlation was observed for aortic RI (p = 0.33), S/D (p = 0.39), and IFI (p = 0.29) with gestational age. Aortic PS exhibited positive correlations with NT (0.217, p = 0.001) and CRL (0.360, p = 0.000) but a negative correlation with FHB (-0.214, p = 0.001). Aortic PI demonstrated positive correlations with CRL (0.208, p = 0.001) and negative correlations with FHB (-0.176, p = 0.005). Aortic TAMV showed positive correlations with NT (0.233, p = 0.000) and CRL (0.290, p = 0.000) while exhibiting a negative correlation with FHB (-0.141, p = 0.026). Aortic ISI demonstrated negative correlations with NT (-0.128, p = 0.045) and CRL (-0.218, p = 0.001) but a positive correlation with FHB (0.163, p = 0.010). CONCLUSIONS: Power Doppler angiography with Doppler ultrasound demonstrates the ability to establish accurate reference values for fetal aortic blood flow during the first trimester of pregnancy. Notably, aortic PS, TAMV, and ISI exhibit significant correlations with NT, CRL, and FHB, with ISI appearing more relevant than IFI, PS, TAMV, and FHB. The utilization of HDFI technology proves advantageous in efficiently detecting the site of the aortic isthmus compared to traditional color Doppler mode in early second trimesters.

Recycling and Reutilization of Waste Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics: Current Status and Prospects.

The extensive use of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) in aerospace, civil engineering, and other fields has resulted in a significant amount of waste, leading to serious environmental issues. Finding appropriate methods for recycling CFRP waste and effectively reusing recycled carbon fibers (rCFs) has become a challenging task. This paper presents an overview of the current status of CFRP waste and provides a systematic review and analysis of recycling technologies. In addition to discussing mechanical recycling, thermal decomposition, and chemical solvent degradation methods, the organic alkali/organic solvent method for recycling resins is also elucidated. By introducing the recycling conditions and outcomes of the organic alkali/organic solvent method, the study highlights its significance as a reference for carbon fiber recycling. Furthermore, the paper reviews the current state of rCFs utilization based on its application domains, focusing on research advancements in fiber composites and cementitious composites. Based on these findings, the paper summarizes the existing research limitations and identifies specific areas that require further attention in recycling techniques and rCFs utilization. Lastly, this review provides a prospect on the future of recycling and reusing CFRP waste.

Integrated omics approach to unveil antifungal bacterial polyynes as acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase inhibitors.

Bacterial polyynes are highly active natural products with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities. However, their detailed mechanism of action remains unclear. By integrating comparative genomics, transcriptomics, functional genetics, and metabolomics analysis, we identified a unique polyyne resistance gene, masL (encoding acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase), in the biosynthesis gene cluster of antifungal polyynes (massilin A 1, massilin B 2, collimonin C 3, and collimonin D 4) of Massilia sp. YMA4. Crystallographic analysis indicated that bacterial polyynes serve as covalent inhibitors of acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase. Moreover, we confirmed that the bacterial polyynes disrupted cell membrane integrity and inhibited the cell viability of Candida albicans by targeting ERG10, the homolog of MasL. Thus, this study demonstrated that acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase is a potential target for developing antifungal agents.

A Polysaccharide Derived from a Trichosporon sp. Culture Strongly Primes Plant Resistance to Viruses.

Plant viruses cause devastating diseases in plants, yet no effective viricide is available for agricultural application. We screened cultured filtrates derived from various soil microorganisms cultured in vegetable broth that enhanced plant viral resistance. A cultured filtrate, designated F8 culture filtrate, derived from a fungus belonging to the genus Trichosporon, induced strong resistance to various viruses on different plants. Our inoculation assay found the infection rate of Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)-inoculated Nicotiana benthamiana with F8 culture filtrate pretreatment may decrease to 0%, whereas salicylic acid (SA)-pretreated N. benthamiana attenuated TMV-caused symptoms but remained 100% infected. Tracking Tobacco mosaic virus tagged with green fluorescence protein in plants revealed pretreatment with F8 culture filtrate affected the initial establishment of the virus infection. From F8 culture filtrate, we identified a previously unknown polysaccharide composed of D-mannose, D-galactose, and D-glucose in the ratio 1.0:1.2:10.0 with a α-D-1,4-glucan linkage to be responsible for the induction of plant resistance against viruses through priming of SA-governed immune-responsive genes. Notably, F8 culture filtrate only triggered local defense but was much more effective than conventional SA-mediated systematic acquired resistance. Our finding revealed that microbial cultured metabolites provided a rich source for identification of potent elicitors in plant defense.

Exploration of Fungal Metabolic Interactions Using Imaging Mass Spectrometry on Nanostructured Silicon.

Application of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry to microbiology and natural product research has opened the door to the exploration of microbial interactions and the consequent discovery of new natural products and their functions in the interactions. However, several drawbacks of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry have limited its application especially to complicated and uneven microbial samples. Here, we applied nanostructured silicon as a substrate for surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry for microbial imaging mass spectrometry to explore fungal metabolic interactions. We chose Phellinus noxius and Aspergillus strains to evaluate the potential of microbial imaging mass spectrometry on nanostructured silicon because both fungi produce a dense mass of aerial mycelia, which is known to complicate the collection of high-quality imaging mass spectrometry data. Our simple and straightforward sample imprinting method and low background interference resulted in an efficient analysis of small metabolites from the complex microbial interaction samples.

Biological control of potato common scab by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Ba01.

Potato common scab, which is caused by soil-borne Streptomyces species, is a severe plant disease that results in a significant reduction in the economic value of potatoes worldwide. Due to the lack of efficacious pesticides, crop rotations, and resistant potato cultivars against the disease, we investigated whether biological control can serve as an alternative approach. In this study, multiple Bacillus species were isolated from healthy potato tubers, and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Ba01 was chosen for further analyses based on its potency against the potato common scab pathogen Streptomyces scabies. Ba01 inhibited the growth and sporulation of S. scabies and secreted secondary metabolites such as surfactin, iturin A, and fengycin with potential activity against S. scabies as determined by imaging mass spectrometry. In pot assays, the disease severity of potato common scab decreased from 55.6 ± 11.1% (inoculated with S. scabies only) to 4.2 ± 1.4% (inoculated with S. scabies and Ba01). In the field trial, the disease severity of potato common scab was reduced from 14.4 ± 2.9% (naturally occurring) to 5.6 ± 1.1% after Ba01 treatment, representing evidence that Bacillus species control potato common scab in nature.

A piezo-ring-on-chip microfluidic device for simple and low-cost mass spectrometry interfacing.

Mass spectrometry (MS) interfacing technology provides the means for incorporating microfluidic processing with post MS analysis. In this study, we propose a simple piezo-ring-on-chip microfluidic device for the controlled spraying of MALDI-MS targets. This device uses a low-cost, commercially-available ring-shaped piezoelectric acoustic atomizer (piezo-ring) directly integrated into a polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic device to spray the sample onto the MS target substrate. The piezo-ring-on-chip microfluidic device's design, fabrication, and actuation, and its pulsatile pumping effects were evaluated. The spraying performance was examined by depositing organic matrix samples onto the MS target substrate by using both an automatic linear motion motor, and manual deposition. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) was performed to analyze the peptide samples on the MALDI target substrates. Using our technique, model peptides with 10-6 M concentration can be successfully detected. The results also indicate that the piezo-ring-on-chip approach forms finer matrix crystals and presents better MS signal uniformity with little sample consumption compared to the conventional pipetting method.

Clarification of the Antagonistic Effect of the Lipopeptides Produced by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BPD1 against Pyricularia oryzae via In Situ MALDI-TOF IMS Analysis.

This study tried to clarify the antagonistic effect of the lipopeptides secreted by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain BPD1 (Ba-BPD1) against Pyricularia oryzae Cavara (PO). To determine the major antifungal lipopeptides effective against PO, single and dual cultures were carried out in solid-state media. The matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF IMS) was used to identify the most effective lipopeptide in situ. Meanwhile, the morphology of pathogen fungi treated with lipopeptides was observed via the SEM. Of the three lipopeptide families, surfactin, iturin, and fengycin, the last was identified as the most effective for inhibiting mycelium growth and conidial germination of PO. The conidia and hyphae of fengycin-treated PO were shown to become deformed and tumorous under exposure. This study provides insights into the antagonistic effect of Ba-BPD1 against fungal phytopathogens. Such insights are helpful in the development of reagents for biological control applications.

Involvement of type VI secretion system in secretion of iron chelator pyoverdine in Pseudomonas taiwanensis.

Rice bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is one of the most destructive rice diseases worldwide. Therefore, in addition to breeding disease-resistant rice cultivars, it is desirable to develop effective biocontrol agents against Xoo. Here, we report that a soil bacterium Pseudomonas taiwanensis displayed strong antagonistic activity against Xoo. Using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry, we identified an iron chelator, pyoverdine, secreted by P. taiwanensis that could inhibit the growth of Xoo. Through Tn5 mutagenesis of P. taiwanensis, we showed that mutations in genes that encode components of the type VI secretion system (T6SS) as well as biosynthesis and maturation of pyoverdine resulted in reduced toxicity against Xoo. Our results indicated that T6SS is involved in the secretion of endogenous pyoverdine. Mutations in T6SS component genes affected the secretion of mature pyoverdine from the periplasmic space into the extracellular medium after pyoverdine precursor is transferred to the periplasm by the inner membrane transporter PvdE. In addition, we also showed that other export systems, i.e., the PvdRT-OpmQ and MexAB-OprM efflux systems (for which there have been previous suggestions of involvement) and the type II secretion system (T2SS), are not involved in pyoverdine secretion.

Nanoscale silicon surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry: environment stability and activation by simple vacuum oven desiccation.

Nanoscale silicon surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (SALDI-MS) is an emerging matrix-free, highly sensitive MS analysis method. An important challenge in using nanoscale silicon SALDI-MS analysis is the aging and stability of silicon after storage in various environments. No proper nanoscale silicon SALDI-MS activation procedure has been reported to solve this issue. This study investigated the sensitivity, wettability, and surface oxidation behavior of nanoscale silicon surface SALDI-MS in a room, an inert gas atmosphere, and a vacuum environment. A simple vacuum oven desiccation was proposed to activate the SALDI-MS surface, and the limit of detection was further enhanced 1000 times to a 500 attomole level using this approach. The long-term stability and desorption/ionization mechanism were also investigated.

Inverse correlation of phospho-KDR/Flk-1 expression and stage of colorectal cancer: implication of the significance of neoangiogenesis in activated VEGFR-2 expressing early stage colorectal adenocarcinomas.

The activation of vascular endothelial cell growth factor receptors (VEGFRs) plays an essential role in cancer progression. In this study, we investigated the expression of phosphorylated VEGFR-2 (or phospho-KDR/Flk-1), the activated form of VEGFR-2, in human colorectal adenomas and colorectal adenocarcinomas. Phospho-KDR/Flk-1 showed weak expression in the normal colorectal tissue. Phospho-KDR/Flk-1 was mainly stained in the cytoplasm of colorectal adenomas, and was stained in both the cytoplasm and nuclei colorectal adenocarcinomas. There was no indication of increased phospho-KDR/Flk-1 expression in the colorectal adenocarcinomas, as compared to that of colorectal adenomas. Furthermore, there was an inverse relationship of phospho-KDR/Flk-1 expression with cancer stage (p < 0.0001), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.011), and distant metastasis (p = 0.021) of the colorectal adenocarcinomas. Our results indicate that early stage colorectal adenocarcinomas with highly activated (phosphorylated) VEGFR-2 expression may indicate the significance of neoangiogenesis of the tumors.

Bringing microbial interactions to light using imaging mass spectrometry.

Covering: up to the end of September 2013 Microorganisms are a plentiful resource for natural products research. Traditionally, natural products discovery from microbial sources depends on the screening of target-mediated inhibition. The natural products identified through this strategy usually correlate to significant microbial phenotypes. However, the target-mediated transcriptions deduced from low concentrations of natural products sometimes do not generate an obvious phenotype. The better understanding of the true biological roles of those microbial natural products will permit the application of rational approaches to the more effective exploitation of their use. Imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) has been developed and applied in many fields for decades. However, the applications of IMS on microbial natural products research have just been recently reported. IMS is one of few tools capable of revealing both phenotype and relevant and irrelevant chemotypes of microorganisms. In this review, we summarize the latest applications of IMS technologies. The challenges and prospect of improvement and application of IMS to microbial natural products research are discussed as well.

Isolation and synthesis of a bioactive benzenoid derivative from the fruiting bodies of Antrodia camphorata.

A new enynyl-benzenoid, antrocamphin O (1,4,7-dimethoxy-5-methyl-6-(3'-methylbut-3-en-1-ynyl)benzo[d][1,3]dioxide), and the known benzenoids antrocamphin A and 7-dimethoxy-5-methyl-1,3-benzodioxole, were isolated from the fruiting bodies of Antrodia camphorata (Taiwanofungus camphoratus). The structure of antrocamphin O was unambiguously assigned by the analysis of spectral data (including 1D and 2D NMR, high-resolution MS, IR, and UV) and total synthesis. Compound 1 was prepared through the Sonogashira reaction of 5-iodo-4,7-dimethoxy-6-methylbenzene and 2-methylbut-1-en-3-yne as the key step. The benzenoids were tested for cytotoxicity against the HT29, HTC15, DLD-1, and COLO 205 colon cancer cell lines, and activities are reported herein.

Regulated expressions of MMP-2, -9 by diterpenoids from Euphorbia formosana Hayata.

Two new abietane type diterpenoids, namely seco-helioscopinolide (1) and 3b,7b-dihydroxy-ent-abieta-8,13-diene-12,16-olide (2) were isolated from the aerial parts of Euphorbia formosana Hayata together with helioscopinolide A (3), helioscopinolide B (4), helioscopinolide C (5) and ent-(5b,8a,9b,10a,12a)-12-hydroxyatis-16-ene-3,14-dione (6). The structures of compounds 1-6 were elucidated by analyzing their spectroscopic data and comparison with the literature. Further biological tests by gelatin zymographic analysis revealed that 3-5 significantly up-regulated the expressions and activation of MMP-2 and -9 in human fibrosarcoma cell line HT1080.

Cytotoxic steroidal saponins from Agave sisalana.

Two new steroidal saponins, 8 and 10, along with 7 known steroidal sapogenins and saponins (1-7) and a furostanol saponin (9) were isolated from Agave sisalana Perrine ex Engelm. The structures of these two new compounds were identified and characterized by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. In addition, acid hydrolysis and GC-FID were used to confirm the sugar moieties of 8 and 10. The cytotoxic effects of 1-10 on MCF-7, NCI-H460, and SF-268 cancer cells were evaluated, and among them, compound 10 proved to be the most cytotoxic with IC50 values of 1.2, 3.8, and 1.5 µM, respectively.

Constituents of Polyalthia longifolia var. pendula.

Three new clerodane-type diterpenes, 6alpha,16-dihydroxycleroda-3,13-dien-15-oic acid (1), 6alpha,16-dihydroxycleroda-4(18),13-dien-15-oic acid (2), and 4alpha,18beta-epoxy-16-hydroxyclerod-13-en-15-oic acid (3), and four new protoberberine alkaloids, (-)-8-oxo-10-hydroxy-2,3,9-trimethoxyberberine (4), (-)-8-oxo-2,11-dihydroxy-3,10-dimethoxyberberine (5), (-)-8-oxo-11-hydroxy-2,3,9,10-tetramethoxyberberine (6), and (-)-8-oxo-2,10-dihydroxy-3,9,11-trimethoxyberberine (7), together with 11 known substances, were isolated from a methanol extract of the stems of Polyalthia longifolia var. pendula. The structures of 1-7 were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data analysis. Compounds were evaluated for their antiproliferative activities against A549 and MCF-7 cancer cells, and among the substances tested, only 16-oxo-cleroda-3,13-dien-15-oic acid (8) exhibited cytotoxicity.

Antioxidant activity of some plant extracts towards xanthine oxidase, lipoxygenase and tyrosinase.

Natural products have the potential to be developed into new drugs for the treatment of various diseases. The aim of the present study was to screen the antioxidant activities of some common edible fruits, garden plants and medicinal plants indigenous to Taiwan. This was performed by assessing the activities of lipoxygenase, xanthine oxidase and tyrosinase following incubation with extracts from these plants. A further aim was to use HPLC-DAD and tyrosinase to chromatographically identify the antioxidative constituents obtained from an extract exhibiting strong antioxidative properties. The acetone extracts of 27 cultivated plant species from Taiwan were tested for antioxidant activities towards xanthine oxidase, tyrosinase and lipoxygenase using spectrophotometric assays. Koelreuteria henryi, Prunus campanulata, and Rhodiola rosea showed the highest xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities. Camellia sinensis, Rhodiola rosea, and Koelreuteria henryi exhibited good tyrosinase inhibitory activities and potent anti-lipoxygenase activities. As Koelreuteria henryi had notable significant inhibitory activities towards xanthine oxidase, tyrosinase, and lipoxygenase, it was further tested with tyrosinase and HPLC-DAD. The results from this part of the study revealed that the more powerful the antioxidant capability of the extracted component, the greater the decrease in peak height obtained after reacting with tyrosinase. Additional studies are warranted to further characterize the compounds responsible for the antioxidant properties of the examined extracts.

Isolation and immunomodulatory effect of homoisoflavones and flavones from Agave sisalana Perrine ex Engelm.

Three known flavones and seven known homoisoflavonoids were isolated from the methanolic extract of the leaves of Agave sisalanaPerrine ex Engelm. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. The isolated compounds were also evaluated for immunopharmacological activity. PBMC were used as target cells, and cell proliferation was determined by (3)H-thymidine uptake. (+/-)-3,9-Dihydroeucomin (4), dihydrobonducellin (5), and 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(4'-hydroxybenzyl)-4-chromanone (7) showed inhibitory effects on PBMC proliferation activated by PHA with IC(50) values 19.4, 73.8, and 58.8 microM, respectively. All three compounds significantly inhibited the production of IL-2 and IFN-gamma in activated PBMC in a concentration-dependent manner.

A new flavonol galloylrhamnoside and a new lignan glucoside from the leaves of Koelreuteria henryi Dummer.

A new flavonol galloylrhamnoside, kaempferol 3-O-(2'',3''-di-O-galloyl)-alpha-L: -rhamnopyranoside, and a new lignan glycoside, hinokinin 7-O-beta-D: -glucopyranoside were isolated from the leaves of Koelreuteria henryi, along with 18 known compounds, including six flavonol glycosides (3-8), three lignans (9-11), four chlorophyll derivatives (12-15), two steroids (16, 17), and three aromatic compounds (18-20). The structures were determined on the basis of spectral analysis and chemical evidence. The scavenging effect of 1-8 and 20 on the stable free radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl was examined. Compounds 1, 5, 6, and 20 showed more potent activity than that of trolox.

Malignant ganglioneuroma arising from mediastinal mixed germ cell tumor.

Mixed germ cell tumors with non-germ cell malignant components rarely occur in the anterior mediastinum. We report a case of a 34-year-old man who presented with an anterior mediastinum mass. Mixed germ cell tumor was initially diagnosed based on the pathologic findings of germinoma on thoracoscopic biopsy and clinical findings of elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin. The patient received preoperative chemotherapy and subsequent complete resection of the residual tumor. Pathologic examination of the excised specimen showed predominantly malignant ganglioneuroma and small residual foci of teratoma. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a malignant ganglioneuroma arising from mediastinal mixed germ cell tumor.