Identification of Active Components for Sports Supplements: Machine Learning-Driven Classification and Cell-Based Validation.

The identification of active components is critical for the development of sports supplements. However, high-throughput screening of active components remains a challenge. This study sought to construct prediction models to screen active components from herbal medicines via machine learning and validate the screening by using cell-based assays. The six constructed models had an accuracy of >0.88. Twelve randomly selected active components from the screening were tested for their active potency on C2C12 cells, and 11 components induced a significant increase in myotube diameters and protein synthesis. The effect and mechanism of luteolin among the 11 active components as potential sports supplements were then investigated by using immunofluorescence staining and high-content imaging analysis. It showed that luteolin increased the skeletal muscle performance via the activation of PGC-1α and MAPK signaling pathways. Thus, high-throughput prediction models can be effectively used to screen active components as sports supplements.

Xylooligosaccharides ameliorate insulin resistance by increasing Akkermansia muciniphila and improving intestinal barrier dysfunction in gestational diabetes mellitus mice.

Little is known regarding the effects of xylooligosaccharides (XOS) on insulin resistance (IR) in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We aimed to investigate this issue and its mechanism. Sixty female mice were randomly allotted to 4 groups (n = 15): control, high fat diet (HFD), GDM, and GDM + XOS. The control mice were fed an AIN-93 diet, while the mice in the other groups were fed 45% HFD. After pregnancy, mice in GDM and GDM + XOS groups were intraperitoneally injected with 30 mg kg-1 streptozocin for 3 days from the first day of pregnancy. Mice in the GDM + XOS group were then fed an HFD containing 2% XOS. Fasting glucose and insulin levels were monitored. The fecal Akkermansia muciniphila (Akk. muciniphila) and Bifidobacterium were measured by qPCR. The Chiu scores were calculated from hematoxylin-eosin (HE)-stained ileal tissues. Phosphorylated Akt in the liver and occludin and ZO-1 in the intestinal tissues were determined by western blotting. XOS reduced (p < 0.05) fasting blood glucose and insulin and HOMA-IR, and increased (p < 0.05) Akt phosphorylation in the livers of GDM mice. Moreover, XOS decreased (p < 0.05) TNFα, IL-1ß, IL-15 and LPS in the serum, increased (p < 0.05) fecal Akk. muciniphila abundance, lowered (p < 0.05) Chiu's scores, and enhanced (p < 0.05) occludin and ZO-1 expression. XOS ameliorate IR by increasing Akk. muciniphila and improving intestinal barrier dysfunction in GDM mice.

Assessment of osteopontin as an early nephrotoxicity indicator in human renal proximal tubule cells and its application in evaluating lanthanum-induced nephrotoxicity.

Nephrotoxicity is a common adverse effect induced by various chemicals, necessitating the development of reliable toxicity screening models for nephrotoxicity assessment. In this study, we assessed a group of nephrotoxicity indicators derived from different toxicity pathways, including conventional endpoints and kidney tubular injury biomarkers such as clusterin (CLU), kidney injury molecule-I (KIM-1), osteopontin (OPN), and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), using HK-2 and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)-derived renal proximal tubular epithelial-like cells (PTLs). Among the biomarkers tested, OPN emerged as the most discerning and precise marker. The predictive potential of OPN was tested using a panel of 10 nephrotoxic and 5 non-nephrotoxic compounds. The results demonstrated that combining OPN with the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) enhanced the diagnostic accuracy in both cellular models. Additionally, PTLs cells showed superior predictive efficacy for nephrotoxicity compared to HK-2 cells in this investigation. The two cellular models were utilized to evaluate the nephrotoxicity of lanthanum. The findings indicated that lanthanum possesses nephrotoxic properties; however, the degree of nephrotoxicity was relatively low, consistent with the outcomes of in vivo experiments.

Soluble E-cadherin participates in BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis by promoting EMT and lung fibroblast migration.

Soluble E-cadherin (sE-cad) is an 80 kDa fragment derived from E-cadherin that is shed from the cell surface through proteolytic cleavage and is a biomarker in various cancers that promotes invasion and migration. Alveolar epithelial destruction, aberrant lung fibroblast migration and inflammation contribute to pulmonary fibrosis. Here, we hypothesized that E-cadherin plays an important role in lung fibrosis. In this study, we found that E-cadherin was markedly increased in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum of mice with pulmonary fibrosis and that blocking sE-cad with HECD-1, a neutralizing antibody targeting the ectodomain of E-cadherin, effectively inhibited myofibroblast accumulation and collagen deposition in the lungs after bleomycin (BLM) exposure. Moreover, transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß1) induced the shedding of sE-cad from A549 cells, and treatment with HECD-1 inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) stimulated by TGF-ß1. Fc-E-cadherin (Fc-Ecad), which is an exogenous form of sE-cad, robustly promoted lung fibroblast migration. E-cadherin participates in bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung fibrosis by promoting EMT in the alveolar epithelium and fibroblast activation. E-cadherin may be a novel therapeutic target for lung fibrosis.

Curcumin-mediated photodynamic treatment extends the shelf life of salmon (Salmo salar) sashimi during chilled storage: Comparisons of preservation effects with five natural preservatives.

The impact of curcumin-mediated photodynamic treatment (PDT) on the microbiological, physicochemical and sensory qualities of salmon sashimi has not been explored. Herein, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of PDT on the shelf-life quality of ready-to-eat salmon fillets during chilled storage (4 °C) in comparison with five widely investigated natural extracts, including cinnamic aldehyde, rosmarinic acid, chlorogenic acid, dihydromyricetin and nisin. From a microbial perspective, PDT exhibited outstanding bacterial inhibition, the results of total viable counts, total coliform bacteria, psychrotrophic bacteria, Pseudomonas spp., Enterobacteriaceae family, and H2S-producing bacteria were notably inactivated (p < 0.05) to meet the acceptable limits by PDT in comparison with those of the control group and natural origin groups, which could extend the shelf-life of salmon fillets from<6 days to 10 days. In the alteration of physicochemical indicators, PDT and natural extracts were able to maintain the pH value and retard lipid oxidation in salmon fillets, while apparently slowing the accumulation (p < 0.05) of total volatile basic nitrogen and biogenic amines, especially the allergen histamine, which contrary to with the variation trend of spoilage microbiota. In parallel, PDT worked effectively (p < 0.05) on the breakdown of adenosine triphosphate and adenosine diphosphate to maintain salmon fillet freshness. Additionally, the physical indicators of texture profile and color did not have obvious changes (p < 0.05) after treated by PDT during the shelf life. Besides, the sensory scores of salmon samples were also significantly improved. In general, PDT not only has a positive effect on organoleptic indicators but is also a potential antimicrobial strategy for improving the quality of salmon sashimi.

Effects of different drop height training on lower limb explosive and change of direction performance in collegiate Sanda athletes.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of 6 weeks of 40-, 60-, or 80-cm drop jump (DJ) training on lower limb explosive and change of direction (CoD) performance in collegiate Sanda athletes. Repeated-measure ANOVA revealed that there was a significant group × time interaction for standing long jump test (p = 0.006), counter movement jump test (p = 0.026), Illinois agility test (p = 0.003), square test (p = 0.018), Nebraska test (p = 0.027), t test (p = 0.032), and hexagon test (p = 0.012) due to the best performance observed at post-test compared with pre-test for DJ60 (effect size = 0.89-2.89), and the improvement was higher than that of the other groups. These findings suggest that 6 weeks of DJ training could improve the lower limb explosive and CoD performance in collegiate Sanda athletes and that 60 cm may be the optimal drop height.

New trends in the development of photodynamic inactivation against planktonic microorganisms and their biofilms in food system.

The photodynamic inactivation (PDI) is a novel and effective nonthermal inactivation technology. This review provides a comprehensive overview on the bactericidal ability of endogenous photosensitizers (PSs)-mediated and exogenous PSs-mediated PDI against planktonic bacteria and their biofilms, as well as fungi. In general, the PDI exhibited a broad-spectrum ability in inactivating planktonic bacteria and fungi, but its potency was usually weakened in vivo and for eradicating biofilms. On this basis, new strategies have been proposed to strengthen the PDI potency in food system, mainly including the physical and chemical modification of PSs, the combination of PDI with multiple adjuvants, adjusting the working conditions of PDI, improving the targeting ability of PSs, and the emerging aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens). Meanwhile, the mechanisms of PDI on eradicating mono-/mixed-species biofilms and preserving foods were also summarized. Notably, the PDI-mediated antimicrobial packaging film was proposed and introduced. This review gives a new insight to develop the potent PDI system to combat microbial contamination and hazard in food industry.

Hyperplastic Human Macromass Cartilage for Joint Regeneration.

Cartilage damage affects millions of people worldwide. Tissue engineering strategies hold the promise to provide off-the-shelf cartilage analogs for tissue transplantation in cartilage repair. However, current strategies hardly generate sufficient grafts, as tissues cannot maintain size growth and cartilaginous phenotypes simultaneously. Herein, a step-wise strategy is developed for fabricating expandable human macromass cartilage (macro-cartilage) in a 3D condition by employing human polydactyly chondrocytes and a screen-defined serum-free customized culture (CC). CC-induced chondrocytes demonstrate improved cell plasticity, expressing chondrogenic biomarkers after a 14.59-times expansion. Crucially, CC-chondrocytes form large-size cartilage tissues with average diameters of 3.25 ± 0.05 mm, exhibiting abundant homogenous matrix and intact structure without a necrotic core. Compared with typical culture, the cell yield in CC increases 2.57 times, and the expression of cartilage marker collagen type II increases 4.70 times. Transcriptomics reveal that this step-wise culture drives a proliferation-to-differentiation process through an intermediate plastic stage, and CC-chondrocytes undergo a chondral lineage-specific differentiation with an activated metabolism. Animal studies show that CC macro-cartilage maintains a hyaline-like cartilage phenotype in vivo and significantly promotes the healing of large cartilage defects. Overall, an efficient expansion of human macro-cartilage with superior regenerative plasticity is achieved, providing a promising strategy for joint regeneration.

Periodontitis-induced neuroinflammation impacts dendritic spine immaturity and cognitive impairment.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the spinal changes in ligature-induced periodontitis and the role of periodontitis in cognitive impairment. METHODS: Twenty mice were randomized into the control and chronic periodontitis (CP) groups, with the latter receiving ligature-induced periodontitis. Cognitive performance was assessed by fear conditioning test. Periodontal inflammation and alveolar bone resorption were evaluated by micro-computed tomography and histopathology. The hippocampal microglial activation was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The expressions of hippocampal cytokines (TNF-α, iNOS, IL-1ß, IL-4, IL-10, and TREM2) were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The morphology and density of the dendritic spines were determined by Golgi-Cox staining. RESULTS: The CP mice reported significant inflammatory cell infiltration and alveolar bone resorption, with marked increases in cytokine levels (TNF-α, iNOS, IL-1ß, and TREM2) in the brain. Moreover, the CP mice showed significantly reduced freezing to the conditioned stimulus in the cued and contextual tests, indicating impaired memory. Further analyses revealed, in the hippocampus of the CP mice, enhanced microglial activation, decreased dendritic spine density, and increased proportion of thin dendritic spines. CONCLUSIONS: Periodontitis-induced neuroinflammation may impair the cognitive function by activating hippocampal microglia and inducing dendritic spine immaturity.

Artificial intelligence for detecting temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis using radiographic image data: A systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy.

In this review, we assessed the diagnostic efficiency of artificial intelligence (AI) models in detecting temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) using radiographic imaging data. Based upon the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review of studies published between January 2010 and January 2023 was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase. Articles on the accuracy of AI to detect TMJOA or degenerative changes by radiographic imaging were selected. The characteristics and diagnostic information of each article were extracted. The quality of studies was assessed by the QUADAS-2 tool. Pooled data for sensitivity, specificity, and summary receiver operating characteristic curve (SROC) were calculated. Of 513 records identified through a database search, six met the inclusion criteria and were collected. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) were 80%, 90%, and 92%, respectively. Substantial heterogeneity between AI models mainly arose from imaging modality, ethnicity, sex, techniques of AI, and sample size. This article confirmed AI models have enormous potential for diagnosing TMJOA automatically through radiographic imaging. Therefore, AI models appear to have enormous potential to diagnose TMJOA automatically using radiographic images. However, further studies are needed to evaluate AI more thoroughly.

Dual-guide template-guided socket-shield preparation and immediate implantation in maxillary anterior region implant surgery.

For immediate implants in the anterior region, the socket-shield technique has received much attention in recent years. However, this technique is technically sensitive and root preparation is difficult. It is also difficult to obtain the ideal three-dimensional position for implant placement in the anterior region. This paper reports a clinical case in which socket-shield preparation and implant cavity preparation were performed with the aid of a dual guide in implant surgery. The dual guide surgical preparation technique was used to reduce the difficulty of socket-shield preparation and to achieve restoration-orientated implant placement with satisfactory clinical results.

An emerging role of inflammasomes in spinal cord injury and spinal cord tumor.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) and spinal cord tumor are devastating events causing structural and functional impairment of the spinal cord and resulting in high morbidity and mortality; these lead to a psychological burden and financial pressure on the patient. These spinal cord damages likely disrupt sensory, motor, and autonomic functions. Unfortunately, the optimal treatment of and spinal cord tumors is limited, and the molecular mechanisms underlying these disorders are unclear. The role of the inflammasome in neuroinflammation in diverse diseases is becoming increasingly important. The inflammasome is an intracellular multiprotein complex and participates in the activation of caspase-1 and the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-18. The inflammasome in the spinal cord is involved in the stimulation of immune-inflammatory responses through the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, thereby mediating further spinal cord damage. In this review, we highlight the role of inflammasomes in SCI and spinal cord tumors. Targeting inflammasomes is a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of SCI and spinal cord tumors.

Hyperoside attenuates Cd-induced kidney injury via inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation and ROS/MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway in vivo and in vitro.

Cadmium accumulates in the kidney and causes inflammation. The NLRP3 inflammasome has been linked to the pathogenesis of inflammation. Hyperoside (HYP) possesses potent nephroprotective properties against of kidney injury. This study aimed to research the effects and related mechanism of HYP on Cd-induced kidney damage. Wide-type and NLRP3-/- mice were used to determine the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in Cd-induced renal dysfunction. Female C57BL/6 were treated with Cd (50 m,g/L) and HYP (25, 50 mg/kg) for 12 weeks. In vitro experiments, the human renal proximal-tubule epithelial cells (RPTEC/TERT1) were pretreated with HYP (50-200 µM) before exposure to Cd. NLRP3 deficiency attenuated Cd-induced NLRP3 activation, inflammation and kidney injury in mice. HYP treatment significantly alleviated Cd-induced kidney injury by decreasing indexes of kidney function, reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines release, decreasing ROS production and suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Moreover, treatment with siRNA targeting NLRP3 blocked the anti-inflammatory protective effect of HYP in Cd-treated cells. Additionally, HYP markedly inhibited Cd-induced MAPK/NF-κB pathway stimulation in vitro and in vivo. The findings indicated HYP conferred protection against Cd-induced kidney inflammation via suppression of NLRP3 inflammasome mediated by ROS/MAPK/NF-κB signaling. Our results thus support the notion of developing HYP as promising therapeutic candidate for Cd-induced kidney injury.

circHIPK3 prevents cardiac senescence by acting as a scaffold to recruit ubiquitin ligase to degrade HuR.

Rational: Senescence is a major aging process that contributes to the development of cardiovascular diseases, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. One reason is due to the lack of suitable animal models. We aimed to generate a cardiomyocyte (CM)-specific senescent animal model, uncover the underlying mechanisms, and develop new therapies for aging associated cardiac dysfunction. Methods: The gain/loss of circHIPK3 approach was used to explore the role of circHIPK3 in cardiomyocyte (CM) senescence. To investigate the mechanisms of circHIPK3 function in cardiac senescence, we generated CM-specific tamoxifen-induced circHIPK3 knockout (CKO) mice. We also applied various analyses including PCR, Western blot, nuclear and cytoplasmic protein extraction, immunofluorescence, echocardiography, RNA immunoprecipitation assay, RNA-pulldown assay, and co-immunoprecipitation. Results: Our novel CKO mice exhibited worse cardiac function, decreased circHIPK3 expression and telomere length shortening in the heart. The level of the senescence-inducer p21 in the hearts of CKO mice was significantly increased and survival was poor compared with control mice. In vitro, the level of p21 in CMs was significantly decreased by circHIPK3 overexpression, but increased by circHIPK3 silencing. We showed that circHIPK3 was a scaffold for p21 mRNA-binding protein HuR and E3 ubiquitin ligase ß-TrCP. circHIPK3 silencing weakened the interaction between HuR and ß-TrCP, reduced HuR ubiquitination, and enhanced the interaction between HuR and p21 mRNA. Moreover, we found that mice injected with human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (UMSC-Exos) showed increased circHIPK3 levels, decreased levels of p21, longer telomere length, and good cardiac function. However, these beneficial effects exerted by UMSC-Exos were inhibited by silencing circHIPK3. Conclusions: We successfully generated CM-specific CKO mice for aging research. Our results showed that deletion of circHIPK3 led to exaggerated CM senescence and decreased cardiac function. As a scaffold, circHIPK3 enhanced the binding of E3 ubiquitin ligase ß-TrCP and HuR in the cytoplasm, leading to the ubiquitination and degradation of HuR and reduced p21 activity. In addition, UMSC-Exos exerted an anti-senescence and cardio-protective effect by delivering circHIPK3. These findings pave the way to the development of new therapies for aging associated cardiac dysfunction.

Associations of long-term cadmium exposure with peripheral white blood cell subtype counts and indices in residents of cadmium-polluted areas.

BACKGROUND: Experimental evidence suggests that exposure to cadmium (Cd) could affect immune cells in vivo and in vitro. However, the associations of long-term Cd exposure with white blood cell (WBC) subtype counts and hemogram-derived indices have been rarely investigated. Therefore, we evaluated these relationships in residents of cadmium-polluted areas. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 431 participants aged 45-75 years without occupational exposure histories from Cd-contaminated areas of southern China. We detected WBC, neutrophil, lymphocyte, and monocyte counts using routine blood tests and calculated neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), and lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR). Urinary Cd (U-Cd) was measured with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and adjusted for creatinine. To evaluate the associations of U-Cd with peripheral WBC subtype counts and indices, we performed multivariate linear regression, logistic regression and subgroup analyses using U-Cd categorized into quartiles. RESULTS: In models adjusted for all potential confounders, U-Cd was negatively associated with WBC, neutrophil, and monocyte counts in Q2, compared with Q1 of U-Cd (p < 0.05). A similar relationship was observed between U-Cd and NLR and SIRI, whereas the corresponding association for LMR was positive (p < 0.05). In subgroup analyses, U-Cd was negatively associated with neutrophil count, except for never smokers, after full adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: U-Cd was negatively associated with WBC count, neutrophil count, monocyte count, NLR, and SIRI, and positively associated with LMR. Therefore, neutrophil count could be a potential indicator of long-term Cd exposure-associated immunosuppressive effect.

A high-resolution route map reveals distinct stages of chondrocyte dedifferentiation for cartilage regeneration.

Articular cartilage damage is a universal health problem. Despite recent progress, chondrocyte dedifferentiation has severely compromised the clinical outcomes of cell-based cartilage regeneration. Loss-of-function changes are frequently observed in chondrocyte expansion and other pathological conditions, but the characteristics and intermediate molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrate a time-lapse atlas of chondrocyte dedifferentiation to provide molecular details and informative biomarkers associated with clinical chondrocyte evaluation. We performed various assays, such as single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), live-cell metabolic assays, and assays for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq), to develop a biphasic dedifferentiation model consisting of early and late dedifferentiation stages. Early-stage chondrocytes exhibited a glycolytic phenotype with increased expression of genes involved in metabolism and antioxidation, whereas late-stage chondrocytes exhibited ultrastructural changes involving mitochondrial damage and stress-associated chromatin remodeling. Using the chemical inhibitor BTB06584, we revealed that early and late dedifferentiated chondrocytes possessed distinct recovery potentials from functional phenotype loss. Notably, this two-stage transition was also validated in human chondrocytes. An image-based approach was established for clinical use to efficiently predict chondrocyte plasticity using stage-specific biomarkers. Overall, this study lays a foundation to improve the quality of chondrocytes in clinical use and provides deep insights into chondrocyte dedifferentiation.

Does the incorporation of strontium into calcium phosphate improve bone repair? A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The application of calcium phosphate (CaP)-based bone substitutes plays an important role in periodontal regeneration, implant dentistry and alveolar bone reconstruction. The incorporation of strontium (Sr) into CaP-based bone substitutes appears to improve their biological properties, but the reported in vivo bone repair performance is inconsistent among studies. Herein, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the in vivo performance of Sr-doped materials. METHODS: We searched PubMed, EMBASE (via OVIDSP), and reference lists to identify relevant animal studies. The search, study selection, and data extraction were performed independently by two investigators. Meta-analyses and sub-group analyses were conducted using Revman version 5.4.1. The heterogeneity between studies were assessed by I2. Publication bias was investigated through a funnel plot. RESULTS: Thirty-five studies were finally enrolled, of which 16 articles that reported on new bone formation (NBF) were included in the meta-analysis, covering 31 comparisons and 445 defects. The overall effect for NBF was 2.25 (95% CI 1.61-2.90, p < 0.00001, I2 = 80%). Eight comparisons from 6 studies reported the outcomes of bone volume/tissue volume (BV/TV), with an overall effect of 1.42 (95% CI 0.65-2.18, p = 0.0003, I2 = 75%). Fourteen comparisons reported on the material remaining (RM), with the overall effect being -2.26 (95% CI - 4.02 to - 0.50, p = 0.0009, I2 = 86%). CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that Sr-doped calcium phosphate bone substitutes improved in vivo performance of bone repair. However, more studies are also recommended to further verify this conclusion.

Sex-specific differences in ossification patterns of the atlas and axis: a computed tomography study.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the sex-specific differences in ossification patterns of the first two cervical vertebrae in Chinese children. METHODS: A retrospective computed tomography (CT) study was performed between June 2016 and December 2020. Patients younger than 16 years with cervical CT images acquired ≤ 1.5 mm slice thickness were included. All eligible patients were stratified into 2 sex groups and 16 age groups based on 1-year intervals. The ossification status of each synchondrosis and ossification variants were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 910 subjects (518 males and 392 females) were included in the study. For the C1 vertebra, the neurocentral synchondroses closed at a median age of 8 years in males and 6.3 years in females, and the posterior synchondrosis fused at 5.4 years in males and at 4.4 years in females. Multifocal anterior arch ossification centers were present in 74 of 411 (18%) subjects, whereas posterior arch variants were observed in 18 of 258 (7%) subjects. For the C2 vertebra, the sequence of complete fusion was as follows: posterior synchondrosis, neurocentral synchondroses, and dentoneural synchondrosis. Uniquely, a fusion line was observed in the dentocentral synchondrosis through adolescence. Anterior arch variants of the C2 vertebra occurred in 17 of 248 (6.9%) subjects. There was no significant difference between the sexes in ossification variants. CONCLUSIONS: All synchondroses of the first two cervical vertebrae fuse slightly earlier in females. The sequence of fusion follows a posterior-to-anterior and caudal-to-cephalad pattern in both sexes. Congenital variants are not rare and should not be confused with trauma.

Gene mining, codon optimization and analysis of binding mechanism of an aldo-keto reductase with high activity, better substrate specificity and excellent solvent tolerance.

The biosynthesis of chiral alcohols has important value and high attention. Aldo-keto reductases (AKRs) mediated reduction of prochiral carbonyl compounds is an interesting way of synthesizing single enantiomers of chiral alcohols due to the high enantio-, chemo- and regioselectivity of the enzymes. However, relatively little research has been done on characterization and apply of AKRs to asymmetric synthesis of chiral alcohols. In this study, the AKR from Candida tropicalis MYA-3404 (C. tropicalis MYA-3404), was mined and characterized. The AKR shown wider optimum temperature and pH. The AKR exhibited varying degrees of catalytic activity for different substrates, suggesting that the AKR can catalyze a variety of substrates. It is worth mentioning that the AKR could catalytic reduction of keto compounds with benzene rings, such as cetophenone and phenoxyacetone. The AKR exhibited activity on N,N-dimethyl-3-keto-3-(2-thienyl)-1-propanamine (DKTP), a key intermediate for biosynthesis of the antidepressant drug duloxetine. Besides, the AKR still has high activity whether in a reaction system containing 10%-30% V/V organic solvent. What's more, the AKR showed the strongest stability in six common organic solvents, DMSO, acetonitrile, ethyl acetate, isopropanol, ethanol, and methanol. And, it retains more that 70% enzyme activity after 6 hours, suggesting that the AKR has strong solvent tolerance. Furthermore, the protein sequences of the AKR and its homology were compared, and a 3D model of the AKR docking with coenzyme NADPH were constructed. And the important catalytic and binding sites were identified to explore the binding mechanism of the enzyme and its coenzyme. These properties, predominant organic solvents resistance and extensive substrate spectrum, of the AKR making it has potential applications in the pharmaceutical field.