The metabolic slowdown caused by the deletion of pspA accelerates protein aggregation during stationary phase facilitating antibiotic persistence.

Entering a dormant state is a prevailing mechanism used by bacterial cells to transiently evade antibiotic attacks and become persisters. The dynamic progression of bacterial dormancy depths driven by protein aggregation has been found to be critical for antibiotic persistence in recent years. However, our current understanding of the endogenous genes that affects dormancy depth remains limited. Here, we discovered a novel role of phage shock protein A (pspA) gene in modulating bacterial dormancy depth. Deletion of pspA of Escherichia coli resulted in increased bacterial dormancy depths and prolonged lag times for resuscitation during the stationary phase. ∆pspA exhibited a higher persister ratio compared to the wild type when challenged with various antibiotics. Microscopic images revealed that ∆pspA showed accelerated formation of protein aggresomes, which were collections of endogenous protein aggregates. Time-lapse imaging established the positive correlation between protein aggregation and antibiotic persistence of ∆pspA at the single-cell level. To investigate the molecular mechanism underlying accelerated protein aggregation, we performed transcriptome profiling and found the increased abundance of chaperons and a general metabolic slowdown in the absence of pspA. Consistent with the transcriptomic results, the ∆pspA strain showed a decreased cellular ATP level, which could be rescued by glucose supplementation. Then, we verified that replenishment of cellular ATP levels by adding glucose could inhibit protein aggregation and reduce persister formation in ∆pspA. This study highlights the novel role of pspA in maintaining proteostasis, regulating dormancy depth, and affecting antibiotic persistence during stationary phase.

OsGELP77, a QTL for broad-spectrum disease resistance and yield in rice, encodes a GDSL-type lipase.

Lipids and lipid metabolites have essential roles in plant-pathogen interactions. GDSL-type lipases are involved in lipid metabolism modulating lipid homeostasis. Some plant GDSLs modulate lipid metabolism altering hormone signal transduction to regulate host-defence immunity. Here, we functionally characterized a rice lipase, OsGELP77, promoting both immunity and yield. OsGELP77 expression was induced by pathogen infection and jasmonic acid (JA) treatment. Overexpression of OsGELP77 enhanced rice resistance to both bacterial and fungal pathogens, while loss-of-function of osgelp77 showed susceptibility. OsGELP77 localizes to endoplasmic reticulum and is a functional lipase hydrolysing universal lipid substrates. Lipidomics analyses demonstrate that OsGELP77 is crucial for lipid metabolism and lipid-derived JA homeostasis. Genetic analyses confirm that OsGELP77-modulated resistance depends on JA signal transduction. Moreover, population genetic analyses indicate that OsGELP77 expression level is positively correlated with rice resistance against pathogens. Three haplotypes were classified based on nucleotide polymorphisms in the OsGELP77 promoter where OsGELP77Hap3 is an elite haplotype. Three OsGELP77 haplotypes are differentially distributed in wild and cultivated rice, while OsGELP77Hap3 has been broadly pyramided for hybrid rice development. Furthermore, quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and resistance evaluation of the constructed near-isogenic line validated OsGELP77, a QTL for broad-spectrum disease resistance. In addition, OsGELP77-modulated lipid metabolism promotes JA accumulation facilitating grain yield. Notably, the hub defence regulator OsWRKY45 acts upstream of OsGELP77 by initiating the JA-dependent signalling to trigger immunity. Together, OsGELP77, a QTL contributing to immunity and yield, is a candidate for breeding broad-spectrum resistant and high-yielding rice.

Serum Uric Acid Combined with Homocysteine as a Predictive Biomarker of Lupus Nephritis.

Serum uric acid (UA) and homocysteine (Hcy) are potential biomarkers of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In this study, the expressions of UA and Hcy in SLE patients and the predictive value of these two parameters for lupus nephritis (LN) were studied. A total of 476 SLE patients were recruited to this case-control study, of which 176 SLE patients diagnosed with LN and 300 without LN. Serum UA and Hcy levels were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between serum UA and Hcy and LN. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to predict the role of combination of serum UA and Hcy in LN. We found that serum UA and Hcy levels in SLE patients with LN were significantly higher than those in controls (p<0.05). Multivariate logistic regressions showed that serum UA (OR+=+1.003, 95+% CI: 1.001-1.006, p+=+0.003), apolipoprotein B (Apo B) (OR+=+21.361, 95+% CI: 2.312-195.373, p+=+0.007) and Hcy (OR+=+1.042, 95+% CI: 1.011-1.080, p+=+0.014) were independent markers of LN. Combined serum UA and Hcy revealed a better result (AUC+=+0.718, 95+% CI: 0.670-0.676, p<0.001) in prediction of LN compared to that of the serum UA (AUC+=+0.710) and Hcy (AUC+=+0.657) independently. In conclusion, serum UA and Hcy could be predictive biomarkers of LN, and joint detection of serum UA and Hcy might be useful in the clinical setting.

Effects of two fillers and process conditions on the water treatment efficiency of a continuous packed bed biofilm reactor.

This study evaluated the treatment efficiency of two selected fillers and their combination for improving the water quality of aquaculture wastewater using a packed bed biofilm reactor (PBBR) under various process conditions. The fillers used were nanosheet (NS), activated carbon (AC), and a combination of both. The results indicated that the use of combined fillers and the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 4 h significantly enhanced water quality in the PBBR. The removal rates of chemical oxygen demand, NO2-─N, total suspended solids（TSS）, and chlorophyll a were 63.55%, 74.25%, 62.75%, and 92.85%, respectively. The microbiota analysis revealed that the presence of NS increased the abundance of microbial phyla associated with nitrogen removal, such as Nitrospirae and Proteobacteria. The difference between the M1 and M2 communities was minimal. Additionally, the microbiota in different PBBR samples displayed similar preferences for carbon sources, and carbohydrates and amino acids were the most commonly utilized carbon sources by microbiota. These results indicated that the combination of NS and AC fillers in a PBBR effectively enhanced the treatment efficiency of aquaculture wastewater when operated at an HRT of 4 h. The findings provide valuable insights into optimizing the design of aquaculture wastewater treatment systems.

High-Throughput CD36 Phenotyping on Human Platelets Based on Sandwich ELISA and Mutant Gene Analysis.

Background: CD36 deficiency is closely associated with fetal/neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia, platelet transfusion refractoriness, and other hemorrhage disorders, particularly in Asian and African populations. There is a clinical need for rapid and high-throughput methods of platelet CD36 (pCD36) phenotyping to improve the availability of CD36 typing of donors and assist clinical blood transfusions for patients with anti-CD36 antibodies. Such methods can also support the establishment of databases of pCD36-negative phenotypes. Study Design and Methods: A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for CD36 phenotyping of human platelets was developed using anti-CD36 monoclonal antibodies. The reliability of the assay was evaluated by calculating the intra-assay and inter-assay coefficients of variation (CV). A total of 1,691 anticoagulant whole blood samples from healthy blood donors were randomly selected. PCD36 expression was measured using a sandwich ELISA. PCD36 deficiency was confirmed by flow cytometry (FC). Mutations underlying pCD36 deficiency were identified using polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT). Results: The sandwich ELISA for pCD36 phenotyping had high reliability (intra-assay CV, 2.1-4.8%; inter-assay CV, 2.3-5.2%). The sandwich ELISA was used to screen for CD36 expression on platelets isolated from 1,691 healthy blood donors. Of these, 36 samples were pCD36-negative. FC demonstrated absence of CD36 expression on monocytes in three of the 36 cases. In the present study population, the frequency of CD36 deficiency was 2.13% (36/1,691), of which 0.18% (3/1,691) was type I deficiency and 1.95% (33/1,691) was type II deficiency. In addition, we used PCR-SBT to characterize the gene mutations in exons 3-14 of the CD36 gene in 27 cases of CD36 deficiency and discovered 10 types of mutations in 13 pCD36-negative samples. Conclusion: The present study describes the development and characterization of a highly reliable sandwich ELISA for high-throughput screening for pCD36 expression. This novel method is feasible for clinical applications and provides a useful tool for the establishment of databases of pCD36-negative phenotype donors.

One-Pot Controllable Assembly of a Baicalin-Condensed Aptamer Nanodrug for Synergistic Anti-Obesity.

The rapid, simple and low-cost preparation of DNA micro-nano-architectures remain challenging in biosensing and therapy. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-driven DNA micro-nano-flowers are used to construct a nanosized baicalin-compressed-aptamer-nanodrug (bcaND) via one-pot assembly for targeted and synergistic anti-obesity. In the design, the tailored Adipo-8 (tAdi-8) overhang in the PCR amplicon displays anti-obesity targeting activity, while the baicalin loaded in the bcaND by embedding the amplicon plays a three-fold role as a lipid-lowering factor, bcaND size compressor, and uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1)-raised thermogenic activator. The ingenious bcaND represents an advanced multifunctional nanomaterial capable of adjusting the morphology at an optimal 400/1 molar ratio of Mg2+ to phosphate groups, compressing the size from 2.699 µm to 214.76 nm using 1 mg/mL baicalin at a temperature of 70 °C, an effective payload with amplicons of up to 98.94%, and a maximum baicalin load of 86.21 g/g DNA. Responsive release in acidic conditions (pH 5.0) occurs within 72 h, accelerating thermogenesis via UCP1 up-regulation by 2.5-fold in 3T3-L1-preadipocytes and 13.7-fold in the white-adipose-tissue (WAT) of mice, targeting adipocytes and visceral white adipose tissue. It plays an efficient synergistic role in obesity therapy in vitro and in vivo, providing a new direction for DNA self-assembly nanotechnology.

Complete genome analysis of Pseudomonas furukawaii ZS1 isolated from grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) culture water.

Pseudomonas furukawaii ZS1, isolated from grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) culture water, exhibits efficient aerobic nitrate reduction without nitrite accumulation; however, the molecular pathway underlying this aerobic nitrate reduction remains unclear. In this study, we constructed a complete genome map of P. furukawaii ZS1 and performed a comparative genomic analysis with a reference strain. The results showed that P. furukawaii ZS1 genome was 6 026 050 bp in size and contained 5427 predicted protein-coding sequences. The genome contained all the necessary genes for the dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia pathway but lacked those for the assimilatory nitrate reduction pathway; additionally, genes that convert ammonia to organic nitrogen were also identified. The presence of putative genes associated with the nitrogen and oxidative phosphorylation pathways implied that ZS1 can perform respiration and nitrate reduction simultaneously under aerobic conditions, so that nitrite is rapidly consumed for detoxication by denitrification. The aim of this study is to indicate the great potential of strain ZS1 for future full-scale applications in aquaculture. This work provided insights at the molecular level on the nitrogen metabolic pathways in Pseudomonas species. The understanding of nitrogen metabolic pathways also provides significant molecular information for further Pseudomonas species modification and development.

Quorum-quenching potential of recombinant PvdQ-engineered bacteria for biofilm formation.

Quorum sensing (QS) is a core mechanism for bacteria to regulate biofilm formation, and therefore, QS inhibition or quorum quenching (QQ) is used as an effective and economically feasible strategy against biofilms. In this study, the PvdQ gene encoding AHL acylase was introduced into Escherichia coli (DE3), and a PvdQ-engineered bacterium with highly efficient QQ activity was obtained and used to inhibit biofilm formation. Gene sequencing and western blot analysis showed that the recombinant pET-PvdQ strain was successfully constructed. The color reaction of Agrobacterium tumefaciens A136 indicated that PvdQ engineering bacteria had shown strong AHL signal molecule quenching activity and significantly inhibited the adhesion (motility) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and biofilm formation of activated sludge bacteria in Membrane Bio-Reactor (MBR; inhibition rate 51-85%, p < 0.05). In addition, qRT-PCR testing revealed that recombinant PvdQ acylase significantly reduced the transcription level of QS biofilm formation-related genes (cdrA, pqsA, and lasR; p < 0.05). In this study, QQ genetically engineered bacteria enhanced by genetic engineering could effectively inhibit the QS signal transduction mechanism and have the potential to control biofilm formation of pathogenic bacteria in the aquaculture environment, providing an environmentally friendly and alternative antibiotic strategy to suppress biofilm contamination.

Digital droplet immunoassay based on a microfluidic chip with magnetic beads for the detection of prostate-specific antigen.

Sensitive biomarker detection techniques are beneficial for both disease diagnosis and postoperative examinations. In this study, we report an integrated microfluidic chip designed for the immunodetection of prostate-specific antigens (PSAs). The microfluidic chip is based on the three-dimensional structure of quartz capillaries. The outlet channel extends to 1.8 cm, effectively facilitating the generation of uniform droplets ranging in size from 3 to 50 µm. Furthermore, we successfully immobilized the captured antibodies onto the surface of magnetic beads using an activator, and we constructed an immunosandwich complex by employing biotinylated antibodies. A key feature of this microfluidic chip is its integration of microfluidic droplet technology advantages, such as high-throughput parallelism, enzymatic signal amplification, and small droplet size. This integration results in an exceptionally sensitive PSA detection capability, with the detection limit reduced to 7.00 ± 0.62 pg/mL.

ABC transporter-mediated MXR mechanism in fish embryos and its potential role in the efflux of nanoparticles.

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are believed to protect aquatic organisms by pumping xenobiotics out, and recent investigation has suggested their involvement in the detoxification and efflux of nanoparticles (NPs), but their roles in fish embryos are poorly understood. In this regard, this paper summarizes the recent advances in research pertaining to the development of ABC transporter-mediated multi-xenobiotic resistance (MXR) mechanism in fish embryos and the potential interaction between ABC transporters and NPs. The paper focuses on: (1) Expression, function, and modulation mechanism of ABC proteins in fish embryos; (2) Potential interaction between ABC transporters and NPs in cell models and fish embryos. ABC transporters could be maternally transferred to fish embryos and thus play an important role in the detoxification of various chemical pollutants and NPs. There is a need to understand the specific mechanism to benefit the protection of aquatic resources.

Application of Single-Cell and Spatial Omics in Musculoskeletal Disorder Research.

Musculoskeletal disorders, including fractures, scoliosis, heterotopic ossification, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, disc degeneration, and muscular injury, etc., can occur at any stage of human life. Understanding the occurrence and development mechanism of musculoskeletal disorders, as well as the changes in tissues and cells during therapy, might help us find targeted treatment methods. Single-cell techniques provide excellent tools for studying alterations at the cellular level of disorders. However, the application of these techniques in research on musculoskeletal disorders is still limited. This review summarizes the current single-cell and spatial omics used in musculoskeletal disorders. Cell isolation, experimental methods, and feasible experimental designs for single-cell studies of musculoskeletal system diseases have been reviewed based on tissue characteristics. Then, the paper summarizes the latest findings of single-cell studies in musculoskeletal disorders from three aspects: bone and ossification, joint, and muscle and tendon disorders. Recent discoveries about the cell populations involved in these diseases are highlighted. Furthermore, the therapeutic responses of musculoskeletal disorders, especially single-cell changes after the treatments of implants, stem cell therapies, and drugs are described. Finally, the application potential and future development directions of single-cell and spatial omics in research on musculoskeletal diseases are discussed.

Enhanced Antibacterial Ability of Electrospun PCL Scaffolds Incorporating ZnO Nanowires.

The infection of implanted biomaterial scaffolds presents a major challenge. Existing therapeutic solutions, such as antibiotic treatment and silver nanoparticle-containing scaffolds are becoming increasingly impractical because of the growth of antibiotic resistance and the toxicity of silver nanoparticles. We present here a novel concept to overcome these limitations, an electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold functionalised with zinc oxide nanowires (ZnO NWs). This study assessed the antibacterial capabilities and biocompatibility of PCL/ZnO scaffolds. The fabricated scaffolds were characterised by SEM and EDX, which showed that the ZnO NWs were successfully incorporated and distributed in the electrospun PCL scaffolds. The antibacterial properties were investigated by co-culturing PCL/ZnO scaffolds with Staphylococcus aureus. Bacterial colonisation was reduced to 51.3% compared to a PCL-only scaffold. The biocompatibility of the PCL/ZnO scaffolds was assessed by culturing them with HaCaT cells. The PCL scaffolds exhibited no changes in cell metabolic activity with the addition of the ZnO nanowires. The antibacterial and biocompatibility properties make PCL/ZnO a good choice for implanted scaffolds, and this work lays a foundation for ZnO NWs-infused PCL scaffolds in the potential clinical application of tissue engineering.

Hif1α/Dhrs3a Pathway Participates in Lipid Droplet Accumulation via Retinol and Ppar-γ in Fish Hepatocytes.

Excessive hepatic lipid accumulation is a common phenomenon in cultured fish; however, its underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Lipid droplet (LD)-related proteins play vital roles in LD accumulation. Herein, using a zebrafish liver cell line (ZFL), we show that LD accumulation is accompanied by differential expression of seven LD-annotated genes, among which the expression of dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR family) member 3 a/b (dhrs3a/b) increased synchronously. RNAi-mediated knockdown of dhrs3a delayed LD accumulation and downregulated the mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (pparg) in cells incubated with fatty acids. Notably, Dhrs3 catalyzed retinene to retinol, the content of which increased in LD-enriched cells. The addition of exogenous retinyl acetate maintained LD accumulation only in cells incubated in a lipid-rich medium. Correspondingly, exogenous retinyl acetate significantly increased pparg mRNA expression levels and altered the lipidome of the cells by increasing the phosphatidylcholine and triacylglycerol contents and decreasing the cardiolipin, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylserine contents. Administration of LW6, an hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) inhibitor, reduced the size and number of LDs in ZFL cells and attenuated hif1αa, hif1αb, dhrs3a, and pparg mRNA expression levels. We propose that the Hif-1α/Dhrs3a pathway participates in LD accumulation in hepatocytes, which induces retinol formation and the Ppar-γ pathway.

Polycomb proteins control floral determinacy by H3K27me3-mediated repression of pluripotency genes in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Polycomb group (PcG) protein-mediated histone methylation (H3K27me3) controls the correct spatiotemporal expression of numerous developmental regulators in Arabidopsis. Epigenetic silencing of the stem cell factor gene WUSCHEL (WUS) in floral meristems (FMs) depends on H3K27me3 deposition by PcG proteins. However, the role of H3K27me3 in silencing of other meristematic regulator and pluripotency genes during FM determinacy has not yet been studied. To this end, we report the genome-wide dynamics of H3K27me3 levels during FM arrest and the consequences of strongly depleted PcG activity on early flower morphogenesis including enlarged and indeterminate FMs. Strong depletion of H3K27me3 levels results in misexpression of the FM identity gene AGL24, which partially causes floral reversion leading to ap1-like flowers and indeterminate FMs ectopically expressing WUS and SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM). Loss of STM can rescue supernumerary floral organs and FM indeterminacy in H3K27me3-deficient flowers, indicating that the hyperactivity of the FMs is at least partially a result of ectopic STM expression. Nonetheless, WUS remained essential for the FM activity. Our results demonstrate that PcG proteins promote FM determinacy at multiple levels of the floral gene regulatory network, silencing initially floral regulators such as AGL24 that promotes FM indeterminacy and, subsequently, meristematic pluripotency genes such as WUS and STM during FM arrest.

Reduced porin expression with EnvZ-OmpR, PhoPQ, BaeSR two-component system down-regulation in carbapenem resistance of Klebsiella Pneumoniae based on proteomic analysis.

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) has proven to be an urgent threat to human health. Proteomics (TMT/LC-MS/MS) and bioinformatics approaches were employed to explore the potential mechanisms underlying carbapenem resistance. Proteomic profiling of CRKP and susceptible KP (sKP) isolates revealed the involvement of outer membrane, beta-lactam resistance pathway, and two-component systems (TCSs) in carbapenem resistance. 27 CRKP strains and 27 susceptible Klebsiella pneumoniae strains were isolated from inpatients at the Second Xiangya Hospital, China to verify the mechanisms. Modified carbapenem inactivation method (mCIM) and PCR of common carbapenem resistance genes confirmed that 77.8% (21/27) of CRKP isolates were carbapenemase-producing. Porin decrease in CRKP isolates was found by SDS-PAGE and mRNA levels of major porins (OmpK35 and OmpK36). RT-qPCR detection of two-component systems (envZ, ompR, phoP, phoQ, baeS and baeR) revealed down-regulation of EnvZ-OmpR, PhoPQ, BaeSR TCSs. Expression of the TCSs, except ompR, were closely correlated with OMPs with the R-value >0.7. Together, this study reaffirmed the significance of the ß-lactam resistance pathway in CRKP based on proteomic analysis. OmpK35/36 porin reduction and the controversial downregulation of EnvZ-OmpR, PhoPQ, and BaeSR TCSs were confirmed in carbapenem resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae.

PPARγ regulates fabp4 expression to increase DHA content in golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) hepatocytes.

N-3 long-chain (≥C20) PUFA (LC-PUFA) are vital fatty acids for fish and humans. As a main source of n-3 LC-PUFA for human consumers, the n-3 LC-PUFA content of farmed fish is important. Previously, we identified fatty acid-binding protein (fabp)-4 as a candidate gene for regulating the n-3 LC-PUFA content. Herein, we further assessed the role of fabp4 in this process. First, a 2059 bp promoter sequence of fabp4 in Trachinotus ovatus was cloned and, using progressive deletion, determined -2006 bp to -1521 bp to be the core promoter sequence. The PPAR-γ binding sites were predicted to occur in this region. A luciferase reporter assay showed that the promoter activity of fabp4 decreased following mutation of the PPARγ binding site and that PPARγ increased the fabp4 promoter activity in a dose-dependent manner, implying that T. ovatus fabp4 is a target of PPARγ. The overexpression of fabp4 or PPARγ increased the DHA content in hepatocytes, whereas suppression of their expression diminished this effect, suggesting that both fabp4 and PPARγ play an active role in regulating DHA content. Moreover, the inhibition of fabp4 attenuated the increase in PPARγ-mediated DHA content, and the overexpression of fabp4 alleviated this effect. Collectively, our findings indicated that fabp4, which is controlled by PPARγ, plays an important role in DHA content regulation. The new regulation axis can be considered a promising novel target for increasing the n-3 LC-PUFA content in T. ovatus.

Nano-gold-enhanced LAMP method for qualitative visual detection of Salmonella in milk.

Since Salmonella can cause foodborne disease and public health safety issues and requires a robust, rapid, on-site detection method, a novel visual qualitative method with nano-gold-enhanced loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) reaction was established for detecting Salmonella in an integrated tube. During the experiment, nano-gold were used to enhance LAMP amplification, improving amplification efficiency and shortening the reaction time to within 30 min. Visual qualitative detection is achieved via negative staining, involving the addition of CuSO4 to the final products of the LAMP reaction. Ring-like white accumulation occurs in the absence of Salmonella targets but not when they are present. After completing the LAMP reaction, the integration tube was shaken gently for 1 min to observe the liquid phase system changes, realizing the closed tube detection of Salmonella. The process resolved the challenge presented by cross-contamination, false positives, and nonspecific amplification during the LAMP reaction. This method was used to detect Salmonella in milk, further highlighting its prospects in the field of rapid food safety detection.

Degradation Study of Thin-Film Silicon Structures in a Cell Culture Medium.

Thin-film silicon (Si)-based transient electronics represents an emerging technology that enables spontaneous dissolution, absorption and, finally, physical disappearance in a controlled manner under physiological conditions, and has attracted increasing attention in pertinent clinical applications such as biomedical implants for on-body sensing, disease diagnostics, and therapeutics. The degradation behavior of thin-film Si materials and devices is critically dependent on the device structure as well as the environment. In this work, we experimentally investigated the dissolution of planar Si thin films and micropatterned Si pillar arrays in a cell culture medium, and systematically analyzed the evolution of their topographical, physical, and chemical properties during the hydrolysis. We discovered that the cell culture medium significantly accelerates the degradation process, and Si pillar arrays present more prominent degradation effects by creating rougher surfaces, complicating surface states, and decreasing the electrochemical impedance. Additionally, the dissolution process leads to greatly reduced mechanical strength. Finally, in vitro cell culture studies demonstrate desirable biocompatibility of corroded Si pillars. The results provide a guideline for the use of thin-film Si materials and devices as transient implants in biomedicine.

Application of 3D-Printed, PLGA-Based Scaffolds in Bone Tissue Engineering.

Polylactic acid-glycolic acid (PLGA) has been widely used in bone tissue engineering due to its favorable biocompatibility and adjustable biodegradation. 3D printing technology can prepare scaffolds with rich structure and function, and is one of the best methods to obtain scaffolds for bone tissue repair. This review systematically summarizes the research progress of 3D-printed, PLGA-based scaffolds. The properties of the modified components of scaffolds are introduced in detail. The influence of structure and printing method change in printing process is analyzed. The advantages and disadvantages of their applications are illustrated by several examples. Finally, we briefly discuss the limitations and future development direction of current 3D-printed, PLGA-based materials for bone tissue repair.

GWAS of Reproductive Traits in Large White Pigs on Chip and Imputed Whole-Genome Sequencing Data.

Total number born (TNB), number of stillborn (NSB), and gestation length (GL) are economically important traits in pig production, and disentangling the molecular mechanisms associated with traits can provide valuable insights into their genetic structure. Genotype imputation can be used as a practical tool to improve the marker density of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chips based on sequence data, thereby dramatically improving the power of genome-wide association studies (GWAS). In this study, we applied Beagle software to impute the 50 K chip data to the whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data with average imputation accuracy (R2) of 0.876. The target pigs, 2655 Large White pigs introduced from Canadian and French lines, were genotyped by a GeneSeek Porcine 50K chip. The 30 Large White reference pigs were the key ancestral individuals sequenced by whole-genome resequencing. To avoid population stratification, we identified genetic variants associated with reproductive traits by performing within-population GWAS and cross-population meta-analyses with data before and after imputation. Finally, several genes were detected and regarded as potential candidate genes for each of the traits: for the TNB trait: NOTCH2, KLF3, PLXDC2, NDUFV1, TLR10, CDC14A, EPC2, ORC4, ACVR2A, and GSC; for the NSB trait: NUB1, TGFBR3, ZDHHC14, FGF14, BAIAP2L1, EVI5, TAF1B, and BCAR3; for the GL trait: PPP2R2B, AMBP, MALRD1, HOXA11, and BICC1. In conclusion, expanding the size of the reference population and finding an optimal imputation strategy to ensure that more loci are obtained for GWAS under high imputation accuracy will contribute to the identification of causal mutations in pig breeding.