HgBr2: an easily growing wide-spectrum birefringent crystal.

Birefringent materials are of great significance to the development of modern optical technology; however, research on halide birefringent crystals with a wide transparent range remains limited. In this work, mercuric bromide (HgBr2) has been investigated for the first time as a promising birefringent material with a wide transparent window spanning from ultraviolet (UV) to far-infrared (far-IR) spectral regions (0.34-22.9 µm). HgBr2 has an exceptionally large birefringence (Δn, 0.235 @ 546 nm), which is 19.6 times that of commercial MgF2. The ordered linear motif [Br-Hg-Br] with high polarizability anisotropy within the molecule is the inherent source of excellent birefringence, making it an efficient building block for birefringent materials. In addition, HgBr2 can be easily grown under mild conditions and remain stable in air for prolonged periods. Studying the birefringent properties of HgBr2 crystals would provide new ideas for future exploration of wide-spectrum birefringent materials.

Body mass index modified the effectiveness of low dose aspirin treatment on frozen-thawed embryo transfer outcome: a propensity score-matched study.

Background: Low-dose aspirin is one of the widely used adjuvants in assisted reproductive technologies with the hope of improving the live birth rate. However, the studies regarding its effects are conflicting. The study aimed to investigate the association between aspirin administration and live birth following frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) in patients with different body mass index (BMI). Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed on 11,993 patients receiving FET treatments. 644 of which received a low-dose aspirin (100 mg/day) during endometrial preparation until 10 weeks after transfer. Propensity score matching was performed to avoid selection biases and potential confounders. Results: The clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate were similar before matching (54.4% versus 55.4%, RR: 1.02, 95%CI: 0.95-1.09, and 46.3 versus 47.8, RR: 1.03, 95%CI: 0.95-1.12 respectively). A weak association in favor of aspirin administration was found in the matched cohort (49.5% versus 55.4%, RR: 1.12, 95%CI: 1.01-1.24, and 41.9% versus 47.8%, RR: 1.14, 95%CI: 1.01-1.29 respectively). However, when stratified the patients with WHO BMI criteria, a significant increase in live birth rate associated with aspirin treatment was found only in patients with low BMI (<18.5 kg/m2) in either unmatched (46.4% versus 59.8%, RR:1.29, 95%CI:1.07-1.55) or matched cohort (44% versus 59.8%, RR: 1.36, 95%CI: 1.01-1.83) but not in patients with higher BMI categories. With the interaction analysis, less association between aspirin and live birth appeared in patients with normal BMI (Ratio of OR:0.49, 95%CI: 0.29-0.81) and high BMI (Ratio of OR:0.57, 95%CI: 0.27-1.2) compared with patients with low BMI. Conclusion: BMI may be considered when evaluating aspirin's effect in FET cycles.

Gfi-1 modulates HMGB1-Mediated autophagy to overcome oxaliplatin resistance in colorectal cancer.

Background: Resistance to oxaliplatin (L-OHP) is a major barrier in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). Autophagy is the main cause of L-OHP tolerance in CRC cells. Method: The human colon cancer cell lines HCT116 and SW480 were treated with L-OHP to obtain the drug-resistant cell lines HCT116/L-OHP and SW480/L-OHP, respectively. To probe the relationship between autophagy and L-OHP tolerance of growth factor independent 1 (Gfi-1) and high-mobility group protein 1 (HMGB1) in CRC cells, gene knockout or overexpression was performed, and Western blotting was used to determine the levels of drug tolerance interrelated proteins. Transwell and CCK-8 assays were employed to analyze the proliferation of cancer cells. Immunofluorescence detection of LC3 reflected autophagy levels. Finally, the relationship between Gfi-1 and HMGB1 was detected by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Result: Compared to normal CRC cells, L-OHP-tolerant CRC cells exhibited greater autophagy (8.2 times greater in HCT116/L-OHP cells and 7.4 times greater in SW480/L-OHP cells). In addition, we detected low levels of Gfi-1 (0.6-fold for HCT116/L-OHP cells and 0.4-fold for SW480/L-OHP cells), and OE-Gfi-1 decreased HMGB1 levels (0.6-fold for HCT116/L-OHP + OE-Gfi-1 cells and 0.5-fold for SW480/L-OHP + OE-Gfi-1 cells). The inhibition of Gfi-1 further enhanced cell viability (1.7 times in HCT116+sh-Gfi-1 cells and 1.2 times in SW480+sh-Gfi-1 cells) and invasion (1.8 times in HCT116+sh-Gfi-1 cells and 2.1 times in SW480+sh-Gfi-1 cells) in CRC cells, thus promoting oxaliplatin resistance in these cells. The autophagy inhibitor 3-MA reversed the above effects. Furthermore, we noted that Gfi-1 can restrain HMGB1 expression by binding to its promoter (0.5 times in HCT116+OE-Gfi-1 cells and 0.5 times in SW480+OE-Gfi-1 cells). The inhibitory influence of 3-MA on HMGB1 reversed the influence of Gfi-1 on autophagy and malignant progression in CRC cells. Conclusion: Our study suggested that Gfi-1 inhibited HMGB1 to reduce CRC autophagy levels, increasing CRC sensitivity to L-OHP.

Developing a High-Umami, Low-Salt Soy Sauce through Accelerated Moromi Fermentation with Corynebacterium and Lactiplantibacillus Strains.

The traditional fermentation process of soy sauce employs a hyperhaline model and has a long fermentation period. A hyperhaline model can improve fermentation speed, but easily leads to the contamination of miscellaneous bacteria and fermentation failure. In this study, after the conventional koji and moromi fermentation, the fermentation broth was pasteurized and diluted, and then inoculated with three selected microorganisms including Corynebacterium glutamicum, Corynebacterium ammoniagenes, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum for secondary fermentation. During this ten-day fermentation, the pH, free amino acids, organic acids, nucleotide acids, fatty acids, and volatile compounds were analyzed. The fermentation group inoculated with C. glutamicum accumulated the high content of amino acid nitrogen of 0.92 g/100 mL and glutamic acid of 509.4 mg/100 mL. The C. ammoniagenes group and L. plantarum group were rich in nucleotide and organic acid, respectively. The fermentation group inoculated with three microorganisms exhibited the best sensory attributes, showing the potential to develop a suitable fermentation method. The brewing speed of the proposed process in this study was faster than that of the traditional method, and the umami substances could be significantly accumulated in this low-salt fermented model (7% w/v NaCl). This study provides a reference for the low-salt and rapid fermentation of seasoning.

DP-GAN+B: A lightweight generative adversarial network based on depthwise separable convolutions for generating CT volumes.

X-rays, commonly used in clinical settings, offer advantages such as low radiation and cost-efficiency. However, their limitation lies in the inability to distinctly visualize overlapping organs. In contrast, Computed Tomography (CT) scans provide a three-dimensional view, overcoming this drawback but at the expense of higher radiation doses and increased costs. Hence, from both the patient's and hospital's standpoints, there is substantial medical and practical value in attempting the reconstruction from two-dimensional X-ray images to three-dimensional CT images. In this paper, we introduce DP-GAN+B as a pioneering approach for transforming two-dimensional frontal and lateral lung X-rays into three-dimensional lung CT volumes. Our method innovatively employs depthwise separable convolutions instead of traditional convolutions and introduces vector and fusion loss for superior performance. Compared to prior models, DP-GAN+B significantly reduces the generator network parameters by 21.104 M and the discriminator network parameters by 10.82 M, resulting in a total reduction of 31.924 M (44.17%). Experimental results demonstrate that our network can effectively generate clinically relevant, high-quality CT images from X-ray data, presenting a promising solution for enhancing diagnostic imaging while mitigating cost and radiation concerns.

A review on Gaucher disease: therapeutic potential of ß-glucocerebrosidase-targeted mRNA/saRNA approach.

Gaucher disease (GD), a rare hereditary lysosomal storage disorder, occurs due to a deficiency in the enzyme ß-glucocerebrosidase (GCase). This deficiency leads to the buildup of substrate glucosylceramide (GlcCer) in macrophages, eventually resulting in various complications. Among its three types, GD2 is particularly severe with neurological involvements. Current treatments, such as enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), are not effective for GD2 and GD3 due to their inability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Other treatment approaches, such as gene or chaperone therapies are still in experimental stages. Additionally, GD treatments are costly and can have certain side effects. The successful use of messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccines for COVID-19 in 2020 has sparked interest in nucleic acid-based therapies. Remarkably, mRNA technology also offers a novel approach for protein replacement purposes. Additionally, self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) technology shows promise, potentially producing more protein at lower doses. This review aims to explore the potential of a cost-effective mRNA/saRNA-based approach for GD therapy. The use of GCase-mRNA/saRNA as a protein replacement therapy could offer a new and promising direction for improving the quality of life and extending the lifespan of individuals with GD.

Disentangling the effects of geographic distance, environment and history on beta diversity of freshwater fish at a biogeographical crossroads.

Examining assemblage turnover and variation along geographic and environmental distances is a useful approach to evaluate beta diversity patterns and associated driving mechanisms. However, such studies are relatively limited in freshwater systems. Here, we compared the relationships between freshwater fish beta diversity and geographic distances among 165 hydrological units (HUs) in four zoogeographical regions (PA, Palearctic Region; CA, High Central Asia; EA, East Asia, SA, South Asia) across China and adjacent areas. This area can be considered a biogeographical crossroads, where faunal composition shares elements with different biogeographic and evolutionary origins. We found a considerably high level of between-HU overall dissimilarity (ßsor, range from ca. 0.60 to 0.85) in all four regions, mainly due to the turnover component (the relative contribution of ßsim to ßsor ranged from 60% to 90%). In general, ßsor and ßsim both significantly increased with geographic distance (except in PA), whereas the nestedness-resultant component (ßsne) decreased with geographic distance. The intercepts and slopes of the relationships between dissimilarities and distance (RDDs) both varied significantly among the four regions. The intercepts of ßsor and ßsim were both highest in SA, followed by CA, PA and EA, implying different levels of fish faunal heterogeneity at short distances. In contrast, the slopes of these two dissimilarities followed the decreasing trend from EA > CA > SA > PA, suggesting different environmental suitability and dispersal ability of fish species among regions. Variation partitioning in distance-based redundancy analysis showed that the spatial and historical factors were more important than area-heterogeneity and energy factors across all HUs and within three individual ecoregions (EA, SA and CA), but spatial factors were non-significant in PA. Our study highlighted the usefulness of RDDs in understanding biogeographical patterns and enhancing the biodiversity conservation of freshwater fishes.

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 dephosphorylates and inhibits TERT for tumor suppression.

Telomere dysfunction is intricately linked to the aging process and stands out as a prominent cancer hallmark. Here we demonstrate that telomerase activity is differentially regulated in cancer and normal cells depending on the expression status of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 (FBP1). In FBP1-expressing cells, FBP1 directly interacts with and dephosphorylates telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) at Ser227. Dephosphorylated TERT fails to translocate into the nucleus, leading to the inhibition of telomerase activity, reduction in telomere lengths, enhanced senescence and suppressed tumor cell proliferation and growth in mice. Lipid nanoparticle-mediated delivery of FBP1 mRNA inhibits liver tumor growth. Additionally, FBP1 expression levels inversely correlate with TERT pSer227 levels in renal and hepatocellular carcinoma specimens and with poor prognosis of the patients. These findings demonstrate that FBP1 governs cell immortality through its protein phosphatase activity and uncover a unique telomerase regulation in tumor cells attributed to the downregulation or deficiency of FBP1 expression.

Adapting to Changes in Communication: The Orbitofrontal Cortex in Language and Speech Processing.

Despite most studies on the neurobiology of language demonstrating the central part of the perisylvian network involved in language and speech function, this review attempts to complement this view by focusing on the role of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). This region is primarily involved in goal-directed adaptive behavior. Recently, there has been increasing evidence that the OFC is involved in language and speech tasks. This review demonstrates that not only the linguistic tasks that involve the processing of socially, pragmatically and emotionally relevant information engage OFC and its neurobiological mechanisms, but also specific receptive and expressive language performances rely on specific neurophysiological properties of this region (e.g., the gray matter volume and the functional activation of OFC and the uncinate fasciculus that connects OFC), which in many cases, demand executive functions. These findings highlight: (1) The OFC plays a relevant role in the adaptive neurobiological function of language; (2) the neurobiological mechanisms beyond linguistic and speech processes complement and interplay with the language-unique processes to achieve successful comprehension and production in the changing communicative contexts.

Indications affect neonatal outcomes following early rescue ICSI: a retrospective study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the impact of heterogeneity in patient indications or insemination protocols on neonatal outcomes of singletons following early rescue ICSI (rICSI) treatments. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted. Propensity score matching and multivariable logistic regression were used to adjust for confounders and biases. RESULTS: A total of 9095 IVF patients, 2063 ICSI patients, and 642 early rICSI patients were included in the study. No differences were detected in neonatal outcomes except small for gestational age (SGA) which increased in early rICSI patients compared with both unmatched and matched IVF groups with the risk ratio (RR) of 1.31 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.64) and 1.49 (95% CI: 1.05, 2.12). Further analysis showed that SGA increased significantly in partial fertilization failure (PFF) cycles with RRs of 1.56 (95% CI: 1.08, 2.27) and 1.78 (95% CI: 1.22, 2.59) compared with both unmatched and matched IVF patients but not in TFF patients. A positive association between fertilization rate via IVF and birth weight z-score was revealed in the PFF patients. CONCLUSION: Early rICSI in patients with total fertilization failure (TFF) appeared to be safe in terms of neonatal outcomes. However, when expanding the indications of rICSI to PFF patients, the SGA in the offspring increased, suggesting a potential effect on long-term health. Since other treatment options, such as using only the IVF-origin embryos still exist for these patients, further studies were needed to confirm the optimal decision for these patients.

Correlation investigation between core microbe inoculation and the evolution of flavor characteristics during the storage of sturgeon caviar (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii).

The volatile and non-volatile compounds were monitored to investigate the microbial evolution associated with the characteristic flavors for sturgeon caviar during refrigeration. The results revealed that the composition of volatile compounds changed significantly with prolonged refrigeration time, especially hexanal, nonanal, phenylacetaldehyde, 3-methyl butyraldehyde, and 1-octen-3-ol. The nonvolatile metabolites were mainly represented by the increase of bitter amino acids (Thr. Ser, Gly, Ala, and Pro) and a decrease in polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially an 18.63 % decrease in 5 months of storage. A total of 332 differential metabolites were mainly involved in the biosynthetic metabolic pathways of α-linolenic acid, linoleic acid, and arachidonic acid. The precursors associated with flavor evolution were mainly phospholipids, including oleic, linoleic, arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic (EPA), and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids. The most abundant at the genus level was Serratia, followed by Arsenophnus, Rhodococcus, and Pseudomonas, as obtained by high-throughput sequencing. Furthermore, seven core microorganisms were isolated and characterized from refrigerated caviar. Among them, inoculation with Mammalian coccus and Bacillus chrysosporium restored the flavor profile of caviar and enhanced the content of nonvolatile precursors, contributing to the characteristic aroma attributes of sturgeon caviar. The study presents a theoretical basis for the exploitation of technologies for quality stabilization and control of sturgeon caviar during storage.

Different responses of taxonomic and functional trait structure of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages to eutrophication in a large Chinese freshwater lake.

Functional trait measures have the potential to represent local habitat conditions and are considered promising tools for biomonitoring and bioassessment programs. Macroinvertebrates are an ecologically significant group in freshwater ecosystems and possess a range of functional traits which are employed to assess ecological quality. Nevertheless, the relationships between macroinvertebrate functional structure and anthropogenic disturbances remain poorly understood. In this study, we conducted a comparison of how functional trait-based and taxonomy-based composition of macroinvertebrate assemblages responded to eutrophication in Lake Taihu, a typical large eutrophic freshwater lake in China. Specifically, we examined both the taxonomy-based and trait-based compositions of benthic macroinvertebrates varied along the eutrophication gradient. Eutrophication was associated with remarkable decreases in the abundance of gastropod taxa and increases in Oligochaeta and Chironomidae. Ten categories belonging to six traits were significantly different among three site groups. The eutrophic and transition sites showed higher abundance of Size2, burrowers, and integument-respiration organisms than macrophytic sites, whereas abundance of Size1, conical-shaped, sprawlers, scrapers, and lung-respiration were higher in macrophytic sites. Both taxonomic (36.8%) and functional compositions (39.8%) of macroinvertebrate assemblages were influenced by the same variables: CODMn and transparency. Our study showed that macroinvertebrate trait-based approaches can be considered a useful supplement to traditional taxonomic approach for biomonitoring programs in freshwater lakes.

A single post-exposure oxime RS194B treatment rapidly reactivates acetylcholinesterase and reverses acute symptoms in macaques exposed to diethylphosphorothioate parathion and chlorpyrifos insecticides.

Millions of individuals globally suffer from inadvertent, occupational or self-harm exposures from organophosphate (OP) insecticides, significantly impacting human health. Similar to nerve agents, insecticides are neurotoxins that target and inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in central and peripheral synapses in the cholinergic nervous system. Post-exposure therapeutic countermeasures generally include administration of atropine with an oxime to reactivate the OP-inhibited AChE. However, animal model studies and recent clinical trials using insecticide-poisoned individuals have shown minimal clinical benefits of the currently approved oximes and their efficacy as antidotes has been debated. Currently used oximes either reactivate poorly, do not readily cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), or are rapidly cleared from the circulation and must be repeatedly administered. Zwitterionic oximes of unbranched and simplified structure, for example RS194B, have been developed that efficiently cross the BBB resulting in reactivation of OP-inhibited AChE and dramatic reversal of severe clinical symptoms in mice and macaques exposed to OP insecticides or nerve agents. Thus, a single IM injection of RS194B has been shown to rapidly restore blood AChE and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activity, reverse cholinergic symptoms, and prevent death in macaques following lethal inhaled sarin and paraoxon exposure. The present macaque studies extend these findings and assess the ability of post-exposure RS194B treatment to counteract oral poisoning by highly toxic diethylphosphorothioate insecticides such as parathion and chlorpyrifos. These OPs require conversion by P450 in the liver of the inactive thions to the active toxic oxon forms, and once again demonstrated RS194B efficacy to reactivate and alleviate clinical symptoms within 60 mins of a single IM administration. Furthermore, when delivered orally, the Tmax of RS194B at 1-2 h was in the same range as those administered IM but were maintained in the circulation for longer periods greatly facilitating the use of RS194B as a non-invasive treatment, especially in isolated rural settings.

Pretreatment prediction for IVF outcomes: generalized applicable model or centre-specific model?

STUDY QUESTION: What was the performance of different pretreatment prediction models for IVF, which were developed based on UK/US population (McLernon 2016 model, Luke model, Dhillon model, and McLernon 2022 model), in wider populations? SUMMARY ANSWER: For a patient in China, the published pretreatment prediction models based on the UK/US population provide similar discriminatory power with reasonable AUCs and underestimated predictions. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Several pretreatment prediction models for IVF allow patients and clinicians to estimate the cumulative probability of live birth in a cycle before the treatment, but they are mostly based on the population of Europe or the USA, and their performance and applicability in the countries and regions beyond these regions are largely unknown. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: A total of 26 382 Chinese patients underwent oocyte pick-up cycles between January 2013 and December 2020. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: UK/US model performance was externally validated according to the coefficients and intercepts they provided. Centre-specific models were established with XGboost, Lasso, and generalized linear model algorithms. Discriminatory power and calibration of the models were compared as the forms of the AUC of the Receiver Operator Characteristic and calibration curves. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: The AUCs for McLernon 2016 model, Luke model, Dhillon model, and McLernon 2022 model were 0.69 (95% CI 0.68-0.69), 0.67 (95% CI 0.67-0.68), 0.69 (95% CI 0.68-0.69), and 0.67 (95% CI 0.67-0.68), respectively. The centre-specific yielded an AUC of 0.71 (95% CI 0.71-0.72) with key predictors including age, duration of infertility, and endocrine parameters. All external models suggested underestimation. Among the external models, the rescaled McLernon 2022 model demonstrated the best calibration (Slope 1.12, intercept 0.06). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: The study is limited by its single-centre design and may not be representative elsewhere. Only per-complete cycle validation was carried out to provide a similar framework to compare different models in the sample population. Newer predictors, such as AMH, were not used. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Existing pretreatment prediction models for IVF may be used to provide useful discriminatory power in populations different from those on which they were developed. However, models based on newer more relevant datasets may provide better calibrations. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 22176159], the Xiamen Medical Advantage Subspecialty Construction Project [grant number 2018296], and the Special Fund for Clinical and Scientific Research of Chinese Medical Association [grant number 18010360765]. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

Excellent Nonlinear Optical M[M4 Cl][Ga11 S20 ] (M = A/Ba, A = K, Rb) Achieved by Unusual Cationic Substitution Strategy.

The typical chalcopyrite AgGaQ2 (Q = S, Se) are commercial infrared (IR) second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) materials; however, they suffer from unexpected laser-induced damage thresholds (LIDTs) primairy due to their narrow band gaps. Herein, what sets this apart from previously reported chemical substitutions is the utilization of an unusual cationic substitution strategy, represented by [[SZn4 ]S12 + [S4 Zn13 ]S24 + 11ZnS4 ⇒ MS12 + [M4 Cl]S24 + 11GaS4 ], in which the covalent Sx Zny units in the diamond-like sphalerite ZnS are synergistically replaced by cationic Mx Cly units, resulting in two novel salt-inclusion sulfides, M[M4 Cl][Ga11 S20 ] (M = A/Ba, A = K, 1; Rb, 2). As expected, the introduction of mixed cations in the GaS4 anionic frameworks of 1 and 2 leads to wide band gaps (3.04 and 3.01 eV), which exceeds the value of AgGaS2 , facilitating the improvement of high LIDTs (9.4 and 10.3 × AgGaS2 @1.06 µm, respectively). Furthermore, compounds 1 and 2 exhibit moderate second-harmonic generation intensities (0.84 and 0.78 × AgGaS2 @2.9 µm, respectively), mainly originating from the orderly packing tetrahedral GaS4 units. Importantly, this study demonstrates the successful application of the cationic substitution strategy based on diamond-like structures to provide a feasible chemical design insight for constructing high-performance NLO materials.

Effect of enzymatic Maillard reaction conditions on physicochemical properties, nutrition, fatty acids composition and key aroma compounds of fragrant rapeseed oil.

BACKGROUND: A new enzymatic hydrolysis-based process inspired by the Maillard reaction can produce strong flavored, high-value rapeseed oil that meets safety requirements. In the present study, the effect of reaction time (10-30 min) and temperature (130-160 °C) on the physicochemical properties, nutritional status, fatty acids composition and key aroma compounds of fragrant rapeseed oil (FRO) was investigated. RESULTS: An increasing reaction time and temperature substantially decreased the total tocopherol, polyphenol and sterol contents of FRO, but increased benzo[a]pyrene content, as well as the acid and peroxide values, which did not exceed the European Union legislation limit. Among the volatile components, 2,5-dimethyl was the main substance contributing to the barbecue flavor of FRO. The 150 °C for 30 min reaction conditions produced a FRO with a strong, fragrant flavor, with high total tocopherol (560.15 mg kg-1 ), polyphenol (6.82 mg kg-1 ) and sterol (790.65 mg kg-1 ) contents; acceptable acid (1.60 mg g-1 ) and peroxide values (4.78 mg g-1 ); and low benzo[a]pyrene (1.39 mg g-1 ) content. These were the optimal conditions for the enzymatic Maillard reaction, according to the principal component analysis. Furthermore, hierarchical cluster analysis showed that reaction temperature had a stronger effect on FRO than reaction time. CONCLUSION: The optimal enzymatic Maillard reaction conditions for the production of FRO are heating at 150 °C for 30 min. These findings provide new foundations for better understanding the composition and flavor profile of FRO, toward guiding its industrial production. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comprehensive investigation into the effects of yeast dietary fiber and temperature on konjac glucomannan/kappa-carrageenan for the development of fat analogs.

In this study, yeast dietary fiber (YDF) was incorporated into konjac glucomannan/kappa-carrageenan (KGM/κ-KC) for the development of fat analogs, and the impact of YDF on the gelation properties and behavior of KGM/κ-KC composite gels was assessed. YDF improved the composite gel whiteness value, and affected the mechanical properties of the composite gel, especially enhancing its hardness, and decreasing its chewiness, elasticity, and gel strength, making it more similar to porcine back fat. When the yeast dietary fiber content was 0.033 g/mL and the heating temperature was 80 °C (T80-2), the textural properties of the composite gel were closest to porcine back fat. The frequency sweep results suggested that YDF incorporation led to enhancement of the intermolecular interaction and intermixing and interaction among more easily at higher processing temperatures (80 °C and 90 °C). By scanning electron microscopy, the fatty surface of porcine back fat was flat and covered with a large amount of oil, while KGM/κ-KC/YDF composite gels developed a dense, stacked network structure. YDF caused more fragmented, folded, and uneven structures to emerge. Overall, YDF could influence the gel behavior of KGM/κ-KC composite gels, and change their colors and mechanical properties. This work could serve as a guide for preparing fat analogs with KGM/κ-KC composite gels.

Does cleavage stage morphology increase the discriminatory power of prediction in blastocyst transfer outcome?

PURPOSE: To evaluate the contribution of the cleavage stage morphological parameters to the prediction of blastocyst transfer outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 8383 single-blastocyst transfer cycles including 2246 fresh and 6137 vitrified-warmed cycles. XGboost, LASSO, and GLM algorithms were employed to establish models for assessing the predictive value of the cleavage stage morphological parameters in transfer outcomes. Four models were developed using each algorithm: all-in model with or without day 3 morphology and embryo quality-only model with or without day 3 morphology. RESULTS: The live birth rate was 48.04% in the overall cohort. The AUCs of the models with the algorithm of XGboost were 0.83, 0.82, 0.63, and 0.60; with LASSO were 0.66, 0.66, 0.61, and 0.60; and with GLM were 0.66, 0.66, 0.61, and 0.60 respectively. In models 1 and 2, female age, basal FSH, peak E2, endometrial thickness, and female BMI were the top five critical features for predicting live birth; In models 3 and 4, the most crucial factor was blastocyst formation on D5 rather than D6. In model 3, incorporating cleavage stage morphology, including early cleavage, D3 cell number, and fragmentation, was significantly associated with successful live birth. Additionally, the live birth rates for blastocysts derived from on-time, slow, and fast D3 embryos were 49.7%, 39.5%, and 52%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The value of cleavage stage morphological parameters in predicting the live birth outcome of single blastocyst transfer is limited.