Fuzzy Clustering Guided by Spectral Rotation and Scaling.

Representing data in different spaces becomes more powerful and suitable for solving downstream learning tasks. The membership degrees obtained through fuzzy C -means (FCM) clustering cannot capture data structures sufficiently, as they represent samples from a single Euclidean geometrical perspective. To address this issue, we propose a novel fuzzy clustering model guided by spectral rotation and scaling (FCSR). In FCSR, both spectral embeddings and membership degrees are considered as new representations of data. They can complement each other from different perspectives which enables the model to engage more structural properties of the data. The process of solving the problem of membership degrees not only inherits the merits of traditional FCM but also preserves data neighborhood structures revealed by the spectral decomposition based on an affinity matrix. Furthermore, to improve the adaptability and extensibility of FCSR, the projected and kernel versions of FCSR (FCSR-P and FCSR-K) are formed. We demonstrate that FCSR-P is suitable for high-dimensional scenarios and FCSR-K can improve the linear separability among data. Extensive experiments conducted on various well-known data sets illustrate the validity of the proposed ideas.

Paospora carinifang n. gen., n. sp. (Microsporidia: Spragueidae), a parasite of the ridgetail white prawn, Palaemon carinicauda.

A new microsporidian disease of the pond-reared ridgetail white prawn, Palaemon carinicauda, was found in China. Light microscopy, pathology, and scanning electron microscopy showed that the parasite infected the host's skeletal muscle tissue and formed spherical sporophorous vesicles (SPOVs). Electron microscopy revealed that its merogonic life stages developed in direct contact with the host cytoplasm. The sporogonic life stages underwent octosporoblastic sporogony with the formation of eight uninucleate spores in each SPOV. Fresh SPOVs were 5.4 ± 0.55 µm in diameter. The octospores were oval and measured 2.3 × 1.5 µm (fresh) and 1.96 × 1.17 µm (fixed). The isofilar polar filament was coiled with 9-10 turns and arranged in two rows. Phylogenetic analysis based on the SSU rRNA gene suggests that this microsporidium has close affinities with members of the genera Potaspora and Apotaspora, but represents an independent generic taxon. We therefore propose the establishment of a new genus and species (Paospora carinifang n. gen., n. sp.) within the family Spragueidae. We also propose a taxonomic revision to transfer Potaspora macrobrachium to this new genus and reclassify it as Paospora macrobrachium comb. nov.

Prevalence and adverse perinatal outcomes of anaemia in the third trimester of pregnancy in Hebei Province, China.

BACKGROUND: Anaemia in pregnancy is one of the most frequent complications related to pregnancy and is a public health concern. This article examines the prevalence of anaemia in the third trimester of pregnancy and the associations between anaemia and adverse perinatal outcomes in Hebei Province, China. METHODS: We used SPSS software to describe the incidence of anaemia in the third trimester of pregnancy in Hebei Province and analysed the clinical characteristics in anaemic patients and the relationship between anaemia and adverse pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of anaemia in the third trimester of pregnancy was 35.0% in Hebei Province. The prevalence of anaemia in the population with a high education level was lower than that in the population with a low education level. The incidence rate in rural areas was higher than that in urban areas. After adjustment for confounding factors, anaemia in the third trimester of pregnancy is an independent risk factor in terms of placenta previa, placental abruption, uterine atony, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, heart disease, postpartum haemorrhage, premature birth, laceration of birth canal, puerperal infection, caesarean section and large for gestational age. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of anaemia in the third trimester of pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. A comprehensive approach to prevent anaemia is needed to improve maternal and child health outcomes.

Remarkable response to PD-1 inhibitor in a patient with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer: a case report and literature review.

We report a case of a 59-year-old male diagnosed with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC). He received first-line platinum doublet chemotherapy and second-line topotecan-based regimen, but experienced disease progression after each line of therapy. He was then treated with Sintilimab, a PD-1 inhibitor, in combination with nab-paclitaxel in the third-line setting, which resulted in significant tumor shrinkage. Restaging scans showed a partial response per RECIST criteria with 62% reduction in tumor burden. This case highlights the application and efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in extensive-stage SCLC.

The Effect of 2016 Chinese second-child policy and different maternal age on pregnancy outcomes in Hebei Province, China.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of the 2016 Chinese second child policy and different maternal ages on adverse perinatal outcomes. METHODS: Clinical data were collected from 22 monitoring hospitals in Hebei Province from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2021. A total of 413,892 parturient were divided into 3 groups based on delivery age: 20-34, 35-39, and 40-55 years old. The clinical data were analyzed to explore the relationship among the 2016 Chinese second-child policy, maternal age, and various pregnancy risks. RESULTS: Pregnancy complications showed an upward trend from 2013 to 2021.The top 10 incidences of pregnancy complications in Hebei Province were anemia, small for gestational age (SGA), large for gestational age (LGA), macrosomia, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), premature delivery, preeclampsia (PE), postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), placenta previa, and placental abruption. The two-child policy was implemented in 2016. The incidence of pregnancy complications, anemia, GDM, PE, placental abruption, cesarean delivery, premature delivery, SGA, LGA, macrosomia in 2016-2021 was significantly higher than that in 2013-2015 (P<0.05), and the proportion of women of advanced maternal age (AMA, ≥ 35 years old) increased from 2013 to 2021. Advanced maternal age was a risk factor for most assessed adverse pregnancy outcomes, including GDM, PE, placenta previa, placenta abruption, cesarean delivery, PPH, premature delivery, SGA, LGA and macrosomia. CONCLUSION: After the adjustment of the "second-child" policy, the incidence of pregnancy complications increased. Moreover, the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in AMA has increased. Early prevention and intervention should be implemented to cope with the occurrence of adverse perinatal outcomes.

Spodoptera litura larvae are attracted by HvAV-3h-infected S. litura larvae-damaged pepper leaves.

BACKGROUND: Herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) are important self-defense outputs of pepper plants to resist insect pests. Ascoviruses are pathogenic to the larvae of most lepidopteran vegetable pests. However, whether Heliothis virescens ascovirus 3h (HvAV-3h)-infected Spodoptera litura larvae can change pepper leaf HIPVs is not well understood. RESULTS: Spodoptera litura larvae preferred S. litura-infested leaves, and this preference was stronger with longer duration of S. litura infestation. In addition, S. litura larvae significantly chose pepper leaves damaged by HvAV-3h-infected S. litura over the healthy pepper leaves. Results also showed that S. litura larvae preferred leaves mechanically damaged and treated with oral secretions from HvAV-3h infected-S. litura larvae in a simulation test. We captured the volatiles emitted by leaves under six treatments. Results showed that the volatile profile changed with the different treatments. Testing of volatile blends, prepared to the proportion released showed that the blend from simulated HvAV-3h-infected S. litura larvae-damaged plants was the most attractive to S. litura larvae. Further, we also found that some of the compounds significantly attracted S. litura larvae at specific concentrations. CONCLUSION: HvAV-3h-infected S. litura can alter the release of HIPVs in pepper plants and thus become more attractive to S. litura larvae. We speculate that this may be due to alterations in the concentration of some compounds (such as geranylacetone and prohydrojasmon) affecting the behavior of S. litura larvae. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Efficiency and Mechanism of O3-SBBR Combined Process for Advanced Treatment of Biochemical Effluent from Printing and Dyeing Industrial Park].

With the aim of addressing the difficult problem of biodegradable organic nitrogen in biochemical effluent of a printing and dyeing industrial park, the combined ozonation-sequencing batch biofilm reactor (O3-SBBR) process was used for advanced treatment. The influencing factors and degradation kinetics were analyzed; quenching experiments were carried out; and the types of free radicals, succinate dehydrogenase activity, and denitrification function genes were determined. The results showed that the suitable ozonation condition was pH 8.0-8.5, O3 concentration was approximately 35.0 mg·L-1, O3 dosage was approximately 100.0 mg·L-1, and reaction time was 90.0-120.0 min. Organic nitrogen in the biochemical effluent by ozonation conformed to the pseudo first-order kinetic model, and the maximum rate constant k was 0.01035 min-1 (experimental conditions:pH 8.0, ozone dosage 150.0 mg·L-1, and ozone concentration 35.0 mg·L-1). Ozonation significantly improved the denitrification performance of the sequencing biofilm batch reactor (SBBR), and the denitrification efficiency increased from 19.8% (SBBR) to 32.9% (O3-SBBR). Ozonation could convert organic nitrogen and organic substances with strong toxicity and difficult biological utilization into small molecular substances with low toxicity and biodegradability. The abundance of functional genes (nirS, nirK, and nor) in the O3-SBBR combined process was significantly higher than that in the single SBBR, which further confirmed that ozonation could improve the nitrogen removal performance of SBBR. The operation cost of the combined process was 0.74-1.07 yuan·m-3, with good technical economy. This study provided a basis for the application of the O3-SBBR combined process in the advanced treatment of biochemical effluent in printing and dyeing industrial parks.

Induction chemotherapy with sequential nimotuzumab plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A retrospective real-world study.

Many locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients develop local recurrence or distant metastasis. Our retrospective real-world study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of curative sequential approach with induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiation + nimotuzumab as first-line therapy in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. From 2015 to 2021, the clinic data of 117 patients with advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (stage III-IV a) who were treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University were retrospectively reviewed. Fifty-four patients in observation group received taxanes, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil/taxanes and cisplatin induction chemotherapy and nimotuzumab (200 mg, weekly) combined with concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (cisplatin: 40 mg/m2 weekly; intensity-modulated radiation therapy); 63 patients in control group received same therapy without nimotuzumab. There was no significant difference in patients' characteristic baseline between 2 groups (P > .05). The complete response rate and objective response rate of the observational group was significantly higher than control group (46.30% vs 17.64%, P = .01; 96.30% vs 82.54%, P = .02). The median follow-up time was 24.77 (3.53-65.97) months. Both of the median progress free survival time and overall survival time were not reached. The 5-year progression-free survival rate of observation group was greater than control group (84.40% vs 63.70%, hazard ratios 0.365, 95% confidence intervals 0.147-0.909, P = .03). The 5-year overall survival rate of observation group and control group were 91.70% and 84.60%, respectively (P = .20). None of the patients withdrew from the study due to adverse events. Nimotuzumab combined with concurrent chemoradiotherapy as first-line therapy in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma can improve objective response rate and 5-year progress free survival rate with good safety profile.

Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel bifunctional cellobiohydrolase/ß-xylosidase from a metagenomic library of mangrove soil.

A metagenomic library of mangrove soil samples consisting of approximately 11,000 clones was constructed, and a rare bifunctional cellobiohydrolase/ß-xylosidase Cbh2124 was identified by functional screening. Cbh2124 displayed the highest homology (56.43%) with a protein of the glycoside hydrolase 10 (GH10) family from Proteobacteria. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that Cbh2124 belongs to the GH10 family. The recombinant enzyme showed a strong cellobiohydrolase activity and a relatively high ß-xylosidase activity, and its catalytic efficiency to the cellobiose substrate was as high as 1.27 × 105 s-1·mM-1, the highest efficiency among reported cellobiohydrolases. Of particular interest, some enzymatic properties of the ß-xylosidase activity of Cbh2124 were significantly different from those of the cellobiohydrolase activity. The optimal pH and temperature of the cellobiohydrolase activity of Cbh2124 was 6.4 and 36 °C, and the activity was essentially lost after treatment at 45 °C for 1 h. The optimal pH and temperature of the ß-xylosidase activity of Cbh2124 was 8.0 and 60 °C, and the residual activity was still over 90% after treatment at 80 °C for 6 h. The molecular docking results of the ß-xylosidase activity of Cbh2124 revealed the additional presence of catalytic amino acids Ser175 and Lys420, thus increasing the number of hydrogen bonds involved in the catalytic process, which possibly let to the improved thermostability compared with that of the cellobiohydrolase activity.

Exploration of centralized closed-loop management mode for gynecological day surgery / 中华医院管理杂志

Day surgery can effectively improve the utilization of medical resources. In October 2015, an obstetrics and gynecology hospital established a gynecological day surgery center to centrally manage gynecological day surgery and continuously optimize the management process. In July 2019, the hospital established an intelligent information platform for gynecological daytime surgery managemen. Based on this platform, the " evaluation-appointment-hospitalization-follow-up-chronic disease management" information management process was implemented, the " pre hospital-in hospital-post hospital" full process medical quality and safety monitoring was carried out to form a centralized closed-loop management mode for gynecological day surgery led by gynecologists. Under this management mode, the number of gynecological day surgeries in the hospital has increased from 2 866 cases in 2019 to 4 065 cases in 2021, providing convenient medical services and personalized chronic disease management services, and ensuring the quality and safety of gynecological day medical care, for reference for promoting the high-quality development of day surgeries in specialized hospitals.

Mechanism of nuclear protein 1 in the resistance to axitinib in clear cell renal cell carcinoma / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the potential mechanism of resistance to axitinib in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), with a view to expanding the understanding of axitinib resistance, facilitating the design of more specific treatment options, and improving the treatment effectiveness and survival prognosis of patients.@*METHODS@#By exploring the half maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) of axitinib on ccRCC cell lines 786-O and Caki-1, cell lines resistant to axitinib were constructed by repeatedly stimulated with axitinib at this concentration for 30 cycles in vitro. Cell lines that were not treated by axitinib were sensitive cell lines. The phenotypic differences of cell proliferation and apoptosis levels between drug resistant and sensitive lines were tested. Genes that might be involved in the drug resistance process were screened from the differentially expressed genes that were co-upregulated in the two drug resistant lines by transcriptome sequencing. The expression level of the target gene in the drug resistant lines was verified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot (WB). The expression differences of the target gene in ccRCC tumor tissues and adjacent tissues were analyzed in the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) public database, and the impact of the target gene on the prognosis of ccRCC patients was analyzed in the Kaplan-Meier Plotter (K-M Plotter) database. After knocking down the target gene in the drug resistant lines using RNA interference by lentivirus vector, the phenotypic differences of the cell lines were tested again. WB was used to detect the levels of apoptosis-related proteins in the different treated cell lines to find molecular pathways that might lead to drug resistance.@*RESULTS@#Cell lines 786-O-R and Caki-1-R resistant to axitinib were successfully constructed in vitro, and their IC50 were significantly higher than those of the sensitive cell lines (10.99 μmol/L, P < 0.01; 11.96 μmol/L, P < 0.01, respectively). Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation, and 5-ethynyl-2 '-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay showed that compared with the sensitive lines, the proliferative ability of the resistant lines decreased, but apoptosis staining showed a significant decrease in the level of cell apoptosis of the resistant lines (P < 0.01). Although resistant to axitinib, the resistant lines had no obvious new replicated cells in the environment of 20 μmol/L axitinib. Nuclear protein 1 (NUPR1) gene was screened by transcriptome sequencing, and its RNA (P < 0.0001) and protein expression levels significantly increased in the resistant lines. Database analysis showed that NUPR1 was significantly overexpressed in ccRCC tumor tissue (P < 0.05); the ccRCC patients with higher expression ofNUPR1had a worse survival prognosis (P < 0.001). Apoptosis staining results showed that knockdown ofNUPR1inhibited the anti-apoptotic ability of the resistant lines to axitinib (786-O, P < 0.01; Caki-1, P < 0.05). WB results showed that knocking downNUPR1decreased the protein level of B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2), increased the protein level of BCL2-associated X protein (BAX), decreased the protein level of pro-caspase3, and increased the level of cleaved-caspase3 in the resistant lines after being treated with axitinib.@*CONCLUSION@#ccRCC cell lines reduce apoptosis through theNUPR1 -BAX/ BCL2 -caspase3 pathway, which is involved in the process of resistance to axitinib.

Effects of Cytokines on Early Death in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effect of cytokine levels on early death and coagulation function of patients with newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).@*METHODS@#Routine examination was performed on 69 newly diagnosed APL patients at admission. Meanwhile, 4 ml fasting venous blood was extracted from the patients. And then the supernatant was taken after centrifugation. The concentrations of cytokines, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and ferritin were detected by using the corresponding kits.@*RESULTS@#It was confirmed that cerebral hemorrhage was a major cause of early death in APL patients. Elevated LDH, decreased platelets (PLT) count and prolonged prothrombin time (PT) were high risk factors for early death (P <0.05). The increases of IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p70 and IL-17A were closely related to the early death of newly diagnosed APL patients, and the increases of IL-5 and IL-17A also induced coagulation disorder in APL patients by prolonging PT (P <0.05). In newly diagnosed APL patients, ferritin and LDH showed a positive effect on the expression of IL-5, IL-10 and IL-17A, especially ferritin had a highly positive correlation with IL-5 (r =0.867) and IL-17A (r =0.841). Moreover, there was a certain correlation between these five high-risk cytokines, among which IL-5 and IL-17A (r =0.827), IL-6 and IL-10 (r =0.823) were highly positively correlated.@*CONCLUSION@#Elevated cytokine levels in newly diagnosed APL patients increase the risk of early bleeding and death. In addition to the interaction between cytokines themselves, ferritin and LDH positively affect the expression of cytokines, thus affecting the prognosis of APL patients.

Repellence or attraction: secondary metabolites in pepper mediate attraction and defense against Spodoptera litura.

BACKGROUND: Resistance to insect pests is an important self-defense characteristic of pepper plants. However, the resistance of different pepper cultivars to Spodoptera litura larvae, one of the main insect pest species on pepper, is not well understood. RESULTS: Among seven pepper cultivars evaluated, cayenne pepper 'FXBX' showed the highest repellency to third instar S. litura larvae, Chao tian chili pepper 'BLTY2' showed the lowest repellency. Plant volatiles (1-hexene, hexanal, ß-ionone, (E,E)-2,6-nonadienal, and methyl salicylate) affected host selection by S. litura. Among these, 1-hexene, hexanal, and ß-ionone at concentrations naturally-released by pepper leaves were found to repel S. litura. Interestingly, S. litura larvae fed on the larva-attracting pepper cultivar, (BLTY2) had an extended developmental period, which was about 13 days longer than larvae fed on FXBX. Besides, the survival rate of larvae fed on BLTY2 was 22.5 ± 0.0%, indicating that the leaves of BLTY2 can kill S. litura larvae. Correlation analysis showed that larval survival rate, emergence rate, female adult longevity, and pupal weight were positively correlated with the vitamin C, amino acids, protein, cellulose, and soluble sugar contents, but were negatively correlated with wax and flavonoids contents. CONCLUSION: We identified two different modes of direct defense exhibited by pepper cultivars against S. litura. One involves the release of repellent volatiles to avoid been fed on (FXBX cultivar). The other involves the inhibition of the growth and development or the direct killing of S. litura larvae which feeds on it (BLTY2 cultivar). © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Chinese Cabbage Changes Its Release of Volatiles to Defend against Spodoptera litura.

Plants respond to herbivorous insect attacks by releasing volatiles that directly harm the herbivore or that indirectly harm the herbivore by attracting its natural enemies. Although the larvae of Spodoptera litura (the tobacco cutworm) are known to induce the release of host plant volatiles, the effects of such volatiles on host location by S. litura and by the parasitoid Microplitis similis, a natural enemy of S. litura larvae, are poorly understood. Here, we found that both the regurgitate of S. litura larvae and S. litura-infested cabbage leaves attracted M. similis. S. litura had a reduced preference for cabbage plants that had been infested with S. litura for 24 or 48 h. M. similis selection of plants was positively correlated with the release of limonene; linalool and hexadecane, and was negatively correlated with the release of (E)-2-hexenal and 1-Butene, 4-isothiocyanato. S. litura selection of plants was positively correlated with the release of (E)-2-hexenal, 1-Butene, 4-isothiocyanato, and decanal, and was negatively correlated with the release of limonene, nonanal, hexadecane, heptadecane, and octadecane. Our results indicate that host plant volatiles can regulate the behavior of S. litura and M. similis.

The ctDNA-based postoperative molecular residual disease status in different subtypes of early-stage breast cancer.

Background: Breast cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease. Early-stage, non-metastatic breast cancer is considered curable after definitive treatment. Early detection of tumor recurrence and metastasis through sensitive biomarkers is helpful for guiding clinical decision-making and early intervention in second-line treatment, which could improve patient prognosis and survival. Methods: In this real-world study, we retrospectively analyzed 82 patients with stages I to III breast cancer who had been analyzed by molecular residual disease (MRD) assay. A total of 82 tumor tissues and 224 peripheral blood samples were collected and detected by next-generation sequencing (NGS) based on a 1,021-gene panel in this study. Results: MRD positivity was detected in 18 of 82 patients (22.0%). The hormone receptor-/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2+ (HR-/HER2+) subgroup had the highest postoperative MRD detection rate at 30.8% (4/13). The BRCA2 and SLX4 genes were significantly enriched in all patients in the MRD positive group and FGFR1 amplification was significantly enriched in the MRD negative group with HR+/HER2-. The number of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in tissue samples of MRD-positive patients was higher than that of MRD-negative patients (11.94 vs. 8.50 SNVs/sample). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis showed that there was a similar biological function of the tumor-mutated genes in the 2 MRD status groups. Conclusions: This real-world study confirmed that patient samples of primary tumor tissue with different MRD status and molecular subtypes had differential genetic features, which may be used to predict patients at high risk for recurrence.

Early efficacy of three dimensional printed anatomical biomimetic cervical artificial disc replacement in the treatment of cervical degenerative diseases / 中华外科杂志

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of a new cervical artificial disc prosthesis in the treatment of cervical degenerative diseases. Methods: The clinical data of 18 patients with single-level cervical degenerative diseases who underwent three dimensional printed anatomical bionic cervical disc replacement at Department of Spinal Surgery,Honghui Hospital,Xi'an Jiaotong University from May 2019 to July 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 7 males and 11 females,aged (45±8) years old(range:28 to 58 years).The surgical segment was located at C3－4 level in 2 cases, C4－5 level in 5 cases, C5－6 level in 9 cases, and C6－7 level in 2 cases.The clinical and radiographic outcomes were recorded and compared at preoperative,postoperative times of one month and twelve months.The clinical assessments contained Japanese orthopedic association (JOA) score,neck disability index (NDI) and visual analogue scale (VAS).Imaging assessments included range of motion (ROM) of cervical spine, prosthesis subsidence and prosthesis anteroposterior migration.Repeated measurement variance analysis was used for comparison between groups,and paired t test was used for pairwise comparison. Results: All patients underwent the operation successfully and were followed up for more than 12 months.Compared with preoperative score,the JOA score,NDI and VAS were significantly improved after surgery (all P<0.01).There was no significant difference in postoperative ROM compared with 1-and 12-month preoperative ROM (t=1.570,P=0.135;t=1.744,P=0.099). The prosthesis subsidence was (0.29±0.13) mm (range: 0.18 to 0.50 mm) at 12-month postoperatively.The migration of prosthesis at 12-months postoperatively were (0.71±0.20) mm (range: 0.44 to 1.08 mm).There was no prosthesis subsidence or migration>2 mm at 12-month postoperatively. Conclusion: Three dimensional printed anatomical biomimetic cervical artificial disc replacement has a good early clinical effect in the treatment of cervical degenerative diseases, good mobility can be obtained while maintaining stability.

Effect of porous zirconia ceramics on proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of porous surface morphology of zirconia on the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts.@*METHODS@#According to different manufacturing and pore-forming methods, the zirconia specimens were divided into 4 groups, including milled sintering group (M-Ctrl), milled porous group (M-Porous), 3D printed sintering group (3D-Ctrl) and 3D printed porous group (3D-Porous). The surface micromorphology, surface roughness, contact angle and surface elements of specimens in each group were detected by scanning electron microscope (SEM), 3D laser microscope, contact angle measuring device and energy-dispersion X-ray analysis, respectively. MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured on 4 groups of zirconia discs. The cell morphology of MC3T3-E1 cells on zirconia discs was eva-luated on 1 and 7 days by SEM. The cell proliferation was detected on 1, 3 and 5 days by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8). After osteogenic induction for 14 days, the relative mRNA expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), type Ⅰ collagen (Colla1), Runt-related transcription factor-2 (Runx2) and osteocalcin (OCN) in MC3T3-E1 cells were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.@*RESULTS@#The pore size [(419.72±6.99) μm] and pore depth [(560.38±8.55) μm] of 3D-Porous group were significantly larger than the pore size [(300.55±155.65) μm] and pore depth [(69.97±31.38) μm] of M-Porous group (P < 0.05). The surface of 3D-Porous group appeared with more regular round pores than that of M-Porous group. The contact angles of all the groups were less than 90°. The contact angles of 3D-Ctrl (73.83°±5.34°) and M-Porous group (72.7°±2.72°) were the largest, with no significant difference between them (P>0.05). Cells adhered inside the pores in M-Porous and 3D-Porous groups, and the proliferation activities of them were significantly higher than those of M-Ctrl and 3D-Ctrl groups after 3 and 5 days' culture (P < 0.05). After 14 days' incubation, ALP, Colla1, Runx2 and OCN mRNA expression in 3D-Porous groups were significantly lower than those of M-Ctrl and 3D-Ctrl groups (P < 0.05). Colla1, Runx2 and OCN mRNA expressions in M-Porous group were higher than those of 3D-Porous group (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The porous surface morphology of zirconia can promote the proliferation and adhesion but inhibit the differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells.

An uncharacterized protein from the metagenome with no obvious homology to known lipases shows excellent alkaline lipase properties and potential applications in the detergent industry.

A novel lipase, Lip486, which has no obvious homology with known lipases, was discovered using functional metagenomics technology. Phylogenetic tree analysis suggested that the enzyme belongs to a new subfamily called lipolytic enzyme family II. To explore the enzymatic properties, lip486 was expressed heterologously and efficiently in Escherichia coli. The recombinant enzyme displayed the highest activity on the substrate p-nitrophenyl caprate with a carbon chain length of 10, and its optimum temperature and pH were 53 °C and 8.0, respectively. The recombinant Lip486 showed good activity and stability in strong alkaline and medium-low-temperature environments. The results of compatibility and soaking tests showed that the enzyme had good compatibility with 4 kinds of commercial detergents, and an appropriate soaking time could further improve the enzyme activity. Oil stain removal test results for a cotton cloth indicated that the washing performance of commercial laundry detergent supplemented with Lip486 was further improved. In addition, as one of the smallest lipases found to date, Lip486 also has the advantages of high yield, good stability and easy molecular modification. These characteristics reflect the good application prospects for Lip486 in the detergent and other industries in the future.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Lyssa zampa (Lepidoptera: Uraniidae).

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Lyssa zampa was first reported. It is 15,314 bp in length (GenBank accession number: MW435592) and consists of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. The nucleotide composition is A (41.5%), C (11.1%), G (7.4%), and T (40.0%). Based on the sequences of complete mitogenome from 12 geometroid species and three drepanoid species as ingroups, and two noctuoid species as outgroups, the phylogenetic tree was constructed. The results showed that the closest relationship between Uraniidae and Epicopeiidae was strongly supported by Bayesian posterior probabilities values of 0.99.

Effects of microplastics (MPs) and tributyltin (TBT) alone and in combination on bile acids and gut microbiota crosstalk in mice.

Microplastics (MPs) and tributyltin (TBT) are both potential environmental pollutants that enter organisms through the food chain and affect bodily functions. However, the effects and mechanisms of MPs and TBT exposure (especially the co-exposure of both pollutants) on mammals remain unclear. In this study, Ф5µm MPs (5MP) was administered alone or in combination with TBT to investigate the health risk of oral exposure in mice. All three treatments induced inflammation in the liver, altered gut microbiota composition and disturbed fecal bile acids profiles. In addition to decreasing triglyceride (TG) and increasing aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and macrophage-expressed gene 1 (Mpeg1), 5MP induced hepatic cholestasis by stimulating the expression of the cholesterol hydroxylase enzymes CYP8B1 and CYP27A1, and inhibiting multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 and 3 (MRP2, MRP3), and bile-salt export pump (BSEP) to prevent bile acids for entering the blood and bile. Correspondingly, 5MP treatment decreased 7-ketolithocholic acid (7-ketoLCA) and taurocholic acid (TCA), which were positively correlated with decreased Bacteroides and Marvinbryantia and negatively correlated with increased Bifidobacterium. In addition, TBT increased interferon γ (IFNγ) and Mpeg1 levels to induce inflammation, accompanied by decreased 7-ketoLCA, tauro-alpha-muricholic acid (T-alpha-MCA) and alpha-muricholic acid (alpha-MCA) levels, which were negatively related to Coriobacteriaceae_UCG-002 and Bifidobacterium. Co-exposure to 5MP and TBT also decreased TG and induced bile acids accumulation in the liver due to inhibited BSEP, which might be attributed to the co-regulation of decreased T-alpha-MCA and Harryflintia. In conclusion, the administration of 5MP and TBT alone and in combination could cause gut microbiome dysbiosis and subsequently alter bile acids profiles, while the combined exposure of 5MP and TBT weakened the toxic effects of 5MP and TBT alone.