A robust transformer-based pipeline of 3D cell alignment, denoise and instance segmentation on electron microscopy sequence images

Germline cells are critical for transmitting genetic information to subsequent generations in biological organisms. While their differentiation from somatic cells during embryonic development is well-documented in most animals, the regulatory mechanisms initiating plant germline cells are not well understood. To thoroughly investigate the complex morphological transformations of their ultrastructure over developmental time, nanoscale 3D reconstruction of entire plant tissues is necessary, achievable exclusively through electron microscopy imaging. This paper presents a full-process framework designed for reconstructing large-volume plant tissue from serial electron microscopy images. The framework ensures end-to-end direct output of reconstruction results, including topological networks and morphological analysis. The proposed 3D cell alignment, denoise, and instance segmentation pipeline (3DCADS) leverages deep learning to provide a cell instance segmentation workflow for electron microscopy image series, ensuring accurate and robust 3D cell reconstructions with high computational efficiency. The pipeline involves five stages: the registration of electron microscopy serial images; image enhancement and denoising; semantic segmentation using a Transformer-based neural network; instance segmentation through a supervoxel-based clustering algorithm; and an automated analysis and statistical assessment of the reconstruction results, with the mapping of topological connections. The 3DCADS model's precision was validated on a plant tissue ground-truth dataset, outperforming traditional baseline models and deep learning baselines in overall accuracy. The framework was applied to the reconstruction of early meiosis stages in the anthers of Arabidopsis thaliana, resulting in a topological connectivity network and analysis of morphological parameters and characteristics of cell distribution. The experiment underscores the 3DCADS model's potential for biological tissue identification and its significance in quantitative analysis of plant cell development, crucial for examining samples across different genetic phenotypes and mutations in plant development. Additionally, the paper discusses the regulatory mechanisms of Arabidopsis thaliana's germline cells and the development of stamen cells before meiosis, offering new insights into the transition from somatic to germline cell fate in plants.

Whole-genome analysis of Escherichia coli isolated from wild Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) and North China leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis)

Background

Escherichia coli is an important intestinal flora, of which pathogenic E. coli is capable of causing many enteric and extra-intestinal diseases. Antibiotics are essential for the treatment of bacterial infections caused by pathogenic E. coli; however, with the widespread use of antibiotics, drug resistance in E. coli has become particularly serious, posing a global threat to human, animal, and environmental health. While the drug resistance and pathogenicity of E. coli carried by tigers and leopards in captivity have been studied intensively in recent years, there is an extreme lack of information on E. coli in these top predators in the wild environment.

Methods

Whole genome sequencing data of 32 E. coli strains collected from the feces of wild Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica, n = 24) and North China leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis, n = 8) were analyzed in this article. The multi-locus sequence types, serotypes, virulence and resistance genotypes, plasmid replicon types, and core genomic SNPs phylogeny of these isolates were studied. Additionally, antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was performed on these E. coli isolates.

Results

Among the E. coli isolates studied, 18 different sequence types were identified, with ST939 (21.9%), ST10 (15.6%), and ST3246 (9.4%) being the most prevalent. A total of 111 virulence genes were detected, averaging about 54 virulence genes per sample. They contribute to invasion, adherence, immune evasion, efflux pump, toxin, motility, stress adaption, and other virulence-related functions of E. coli. Sixty-eight AMR genes and point mutations were identified. Among the detected resistance genes, those belonging to the efflux pump family were the most abundant. Thirty-two E. coli isolates showed the highest rate of resistance to tetracycline (14/32; 43.8%), followed by imipenem (4/32; 12.5%), ciprofloxacin (3/32; 9.4%), doxycycline (2/32; 6.3%), and norfloxacin (1/32; 3.1%).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that E. coli isolates carried by wild Amur tigers and North China leopards have potential pathogenicity and drug resistance.

Self-Cross-Linked Chitosan/Albumin-Bound Nanoparticle Hydrogel for Inhibition of Postsurgery Malignant Glioma Recurrence

The development of chemoimmunotherapy with reduced systemic toxicity using local formulations is an effective strategy for combating tumor recurrence. Herein, we reported a localized hydrogel system for antitumor chemoimmunotherapy, formed by doxorubicin (DXR)-loaded bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles self-cross-linked with natural polysaccharide chitosan (CS). The drug-loaded hydrogel (DXR-CBGel) with antiswelling performance and prolonged drug-release profile was combined with antiprogrammed cell death protein 1 (aPD-1) as an in situ vaccine for treating glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) lesions. The antiswelling hydrogel system shows excellent biosafety for volume-sensitive GBM lesions. Both the albumin-bound formulation and the in situ gelation design facilitate the local retention and sustained release of DXR to generate long-term chemoimmunotherapy with reduced systemic toxicity. The chemotherapy-induced immunogenic cell death of DXR with the assistance of immunotherapeutic CS can trigger tumor-specific immune responses, which are further amplified by an immune checkpoint blockade to effectively inhibit cancer recurrence. The strategy of combining albumin-bound drug formulation and biocompatible polymer-based hydrogel for localized chemoimmunotherapy shows great potential against postsurgery glioblastoma recurrence.

High-Precision Ultra-Long Air Slit Fabrication Based on MEMS Technology for Imaging Spectrometers

The increasing demand for accurate imaging spectral information in remote sensing detection has driven the development of hyperspectral remote sensing instruments towards a larger view field and higher resolution. As the core component of the spectrometer slit, the designed length reaches tens of millimeters while the precision maintained within the μm level. Such precision requirements pose challenges to traditional machining and laser processing. In this paper, a high-precision air slit was created with a large aspect ratio through MEMS technology on SOI silicon wafers. In particular, a MEMS slit was prepared with a width of 15 μm and an aspect ratio exceeding 4000:1, and a spectral spectroscopy system was created and tested with a Hg-Cd light source. As a result, the spectral spectrum was linear within the visible range, and a spectral resolution of less than 1 nm was obtained. The standard deviation of resolution is only one-fourth of that is seen in machined slits across various view fields. This research provided a reliable and novel manufacturing technique for high-precision air slits, offering technical assistance in developing high-resolution wide-coverage imaging spectrometers.

Diabetic Plantar Foot Segmentation in Active Thermography Using a Two-Stage Adaptive Gamma Transform and a Deep Neural Network

Pathological conditions in diabetic feet cause surface temperature variations, which can be captured quantitatively using infrared thermography. Thermal images captured during recovery of diabetic feet after active cooling may reveal richer information than those from passive thermography, but diseased foot regions may exhibit very small temperature differences compared with the surrounding area, complicating plantar foot segmentation in such cold-stressed active thermography. In this study, we investigate new plantar foot segmentation methods for thermal images obtained via cold-stressed active thermography without the complementary information from color or depth channels. To better deal with the temporal variations in thermal image contrast when planar feet are recovering from cold immersion, we propose an image pre-processing method using a two-stage adaptive gamma transform to alleviate the impact of such contrast variations. To improve upon existing deep neural networks for segmenting planar feet from cold-stressed infrared thermograms, a new deep neural network, the Plantar Foot Segmentation Network (PFSNet), is proposed to better extract foot contours. It combines the fundamental U-shaped network structure, a multi-scale feature extraction module, and a convolutional block attention module with a feature fusion network. The PFSNet, in combination with the two-stage adaptive gamma transform, outperforms multiple existing deep neural networks in plantar foot segmentation for single-channel infrared images from cold-stressed infrared thermography, achieving an accuracy of 97.3% and 95.4% as measured by Intersection over Union (IOU) and Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) respectively.

A graphene oxide-loaded processed pyritum composite hydrogel for accelerated bone regeneration via mediation of M2 macrophage polarization

A coordinated interaction between osteogenesis and the osteoimmune microenvironment plays a vital role in regulating bone healing. However, disturbances in the pro- and anti-inflammatory balance hinder the therapeutic advantages of biomaterials. In this study, a novel composite hydrogel was successfully fabricated using graphene oxide (GO)-loaded processed pyritum (PP) in combination with poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC). Subsequently, the immunomodulatory effects and bone regenerative potential of PP/GO@PEGDA/CMC were investigated. The results demonstrated that the PP/GO@PEGDA/CMC hydrogel possessed excellent mechanical properties, swelling capacity, and stability. Moreover, PP/GO@PEGDA/CMC prominently promoted M2 polarization and increased the levels of anti-inflammatory factors (interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, and transforming growth factor-β). These beneficial effects facilitated the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in vitro. Additionally, the in vivo results further verified that the implantation of PP/GO@PEGDA/CMC markedly reduced local inflammation while enhancing bone regeneration at 8 weeks post-implantation. Therefore, the results of this study provide potential therapeutic strategies for bone tissue repair and regeneration by modulating the immune microenvironment.

[Analysis of respiratory syncytial virus nonstructural protein 1 amino acid variation and clinical characteristics]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between amino acid variations of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) nonstructural protein (NS) 1 and the clinical characteristics. Method: A retrospective case review was conducted. From December 2018 to January 2020, a total of 81 cases of hospitalized children who were tested only positive for RSV by RT-PCR or PCR at the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were included in the study. The NS1 genes of RSV subtype A and subtype B were amplified by PCR and sequenced. The amino acid sequences were analyzed. The Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney rank sum test were used to compare the clinical characteristics and type Ⅰ interferon levels of children with or without NS1 variation in the variation and non-variation groups. Results: Among 81 cases, there were 58 males and 23 females. There were 11 cases in the variation group, the age of onset was 2.0 (1.0, 11.0) months, included 4 cases of subtype A (variant sites were: 2 cases for Lys33Gln, one case for Gly2Asp, Pro67Ser, Leu137Phe, respectively) and 7 cases of subtype B (variant sites were: two cases for Val121Ile, one case for Tyr30Cys, Val65Met, Asn85Ser, Ser118Asn, Asp124Asn, respectively). These variant sites all appeared at a very low frequency 0.08 (0.04, 0.29) % in the NCBI PROTEIN database. There were 70 cases in non-variation group, the onset age was 3.5 (1.0, 7.0) months. The proportion of dyspnea in the variation group was higher than that in the non-variation group (10/11 vs. 47% (33/70), χ²=7.31, P<0.01). Conclusions: There are some variant sites in nonstructural protein NS1 of RSV. Children may be prone to have dyspnea with NS1 variations.

Cinnamon essential oil vapor alleviates the reduction of aroma-related volatiles in cold-stored "Feicheng" peach using HS-GC-IMS

"Feicheng" peach is popular for its unique aroma, but its defect of being highly sensitive to chilling injury (CI) often leads to aroma loss and internal browning. Essential oils (EOs) are often used to enhance the antioxidant capacity of plants and fruits, as well as to trigger their defense against biotic/abiotic stresses. This study aimed to examine the effect of cinnamon essential oil (CEO) vapor treatment on the aroma quality of peach fruit during cold storage using HS-GC-IMS. The results showed that 50 μL/L CEO vapor reduced the severity of internal browning (IB) in peaches at the stage of 7 ~ 21 d during refrigeration (Significantly, the L* value was higher and the IB index was lower than that of control, p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the evident reduction or loss of aroma content caused by CI was restored to a higher level than the control (p < 0.05). Furthermore, CEO treatment promoted the release of aroma-related volatiles as evidenced by more propyl acetate, and the dimer of amyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, butyl acetate detected than that on harvest day and no-treated group after 21 d of cold storage plus 2 d of shelf life. Genes of PpLOX1, PpLOX2, PpHPL1 and PpADH1 associated with aroma-related volatile biosynthesis revealed higher transcript abundance in peach fruits treated with CEO than the control (p < 0.05). Overall, our study demonstrated that CEO in vapor phase may be beneficial to alleviate the quality deterioration in aroma and flesh color of "Feicheng" peaches caused by CI, which lays a theoretical reference for maintaining postharvest quality of peach fruits.

Improved performance of InGaAs/AlGaAs quantum well lasers on silicon using InAlAs trapping layers

InGaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well lasers grown on silicon (001) by molecular beam epitaxy have been demonstrated. By inserting InAlAs trapping layers into AlGaAs cladding layers, misfit dislocations easily located in the active region can be effectively transferred out of the active region. For comparison, the same laser structure without the InAlAs trapping layers was also grown. All these as-grown materials were fabricated into Fabry-Perot lasers with the same cavity size of 20 × 1000 µm². The laser with trapping layers achieved a 2.7-fold reduction in threshold current density under pulsed operation (5 µs-pulsed width, 1%-duty cycle) compared to the counterpart, and further realized a room-temperature continuous-wave lasing with a threshold current of 537 mA which corresponds to a threshold current density of 2.7 kA/cm². When the injection current reached 1000 mA, the single-facet maximum output power and slope efficiency were 45.3 mW and 0.143 W/A, respectively. This work demonstrates significantly improved performances of InGaAs/AlGaAs quantum well lasers monolithically grown on silicon, providing a feasible solution to optimize the InGaAs quantum well structure.

Inhibitory effect and underlying mechanism of cinnamon and clove essential oils on Botryosphaeria dothidea and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides causing rots in postharvest bagging-free apple fruits

Bagging-free apple is more vulnerable to postharvest disease, which severely limits the cultivation pattern transformation of the apple industry in China. This study aimed to ascertain the dominant pathogens in postharvest bagging-free apples, to evaluate the efficacy of essential oil (EO) on inhibition of fungal growth, and to further clarify the molecular mechanism of this action. By morphological characteristics and rDNA sequence analyses, Botryosphaeria dothidea (B. dothidea) and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (C. gloeosporioides) were identified as the main pathogens isolated from decayed bagging-free apples. Cinnamon and clove EO exhibited high inhibitory activities against mycelial growth both in vapor and contact phases under in vitro conditions. EO vapor at a concentration of 60 μL L^-1 significantly reduced the incidence and lesion diameter of inoculated decay in vivo. Observations using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) revealed that EO changed the mycelial morphology and cellular ultrastructure and destroyed the integrity and structure of cell membranes and major organelles. Using RNA sequencing and bioinformatics, it was demonstrated that clove EO treatment impaired the cell membrane integrity and biological function via downregulating the genes involved in the membrane component and transmembrane transport. Simultaneously, a stronger binding affinity of trans-cinnamaldehyde and eugenol with CYP51 was assessed by in silico analysis, attenuating the activity of this ergosterol synthesis enzyme. Moreover, pronounced alternations in the oxidation/reduction reaction and critical materials metabolism of clove EO-treated C. gloeosporioides were also observed from transcriptomic data. Altogether, these findings contributed novel antimicrobial cellular and molecular mechanisms of EO, suggesting its potential use as a natural and useful preservative for controlling postharvest spoilage in bagging-free apples.

[Metagenomic sequencing for diagnosis of sparganosis mansoni: a case report]

The patient was found to develop a migrating mass in the lower abdomen without any known cause in 2000, and the cause had not been identified following multiple diagnoses since then. The mass was found to migrate to the left anterior axillary regions on August 11, 2020. Then, three segments of incomplete white worms were resected through minimally invasive surgery, and metagenomic sequencing revealed sparganosis mansoni. After surgical resection of complete worms was performed on October 21, 2021, the case was cured and discharged from the hospital. Follow-up revealed satisfactory outcomes and no new mass was found throughout the body.

Joint reconstruction of neuron and ultrastructure via connectivity consensus in electron microscope volumes

Background

Nanoscale connectomics, which aims to map the fine connections between neurons with synaptic-level detail, has attracted increasing attention in recent years. Currently, the automated reconstruction algorithms in electron microscope volumes are in great demand. Most existing reconstruction methodologies for cellular and subcellular structures are independent, and exploring the inter-relationships between structures will contribute to image analysis. The primary goal of this research is to construct a joint optimization framework to improve the accuracy and efficiency of neural structure reconstruction algorithms.

Results

In this investigation, we introduce the concept of connectivity consensus between cellular and subcellular structures based on biological domain knowledge for neural structure agglomeration problems. We propose a joint graph partitioning model for solving ultrastructural and neuronal connections to overcome the limitations of connectivity cues at different levels. The advantage of the optimization model is the simultaneous reconstruction of multiple structures in one optimization step. The experimental results on several public datasets demonstrate that the joint optimization model outperforms existing hierarchical agglomeration algorithms.

Conclusions

We present a joint optimization model by connectivity consensus to solve the neural structure agglomeration problem and demonstrate its superiority to existing methods. The intention of introducing connectivity consensus between different structures is to build a suitable optimization model that makes the reconstruction goals more consistent with biological plausible and domain knowledge. This idea can inspire other researchers to optimize existing reconstruction algorithms and other areas of biological data analysis.

Fear memory-associated synaptic and mitochondrial changes revealed by deep learning-based processing of electron microscopy data

Serial section electron microscopy (ssEM) can provide comprehensive 3D ultrastructural information of the brain with exceptional computational cost. Targeted reconstruction of subcellular structures from ssEM datasets is less computationally demanding but still highly informative. We thus developed a region-CNN-based deep learning method to identify, segment, and reconstruct synapses and mitochondria to explore the structural plasticity of synapses and mitochondria in the auditory cortex of mice subjected to fear conditioning. Upon reconstructing over 135,000 mitochondria and 160,000 synapses, we find that fear conditioning significantly increases the number of mitochondria but decreases their size and promotes formation of multi-contact synapses, comprising a single axonal bouton and multiple postsynaptic sites from different dendrites. Modeling indicates that such multi-contact configuration increases the information storage capacity of new synapses by over 50%. With high accuracy and speed in reconstruction, our method yields structural and functional insight into cellular plasticity associated with fear learning.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the common Pochard (Aythya ferina) from Ningxia Hui autonomous region, China

We determined the whole mtDNA genome of the Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China. The complete mitochondrial genome is 16,599 bp in length and consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 1 control region (D-loop). The nucleotide composition is 29.34% A, 22.23% T, 15.66% G, and 32.77% C. Phylogenetic analysis results showed close genetic relationship between A. ferina and Aythya americana.

Chromosome-level genome assembly of burbot (Lota lota) provides insights into the evolutionary adaptations in freshwater

The burbot (Lota lota) is the only member of the order Gadiformes adapted solely to freshwater. This species has the widest longitudinal range among freshwater fish worldwide. Burbot serves as a good model for studies on adaptive genome evolution from marine to freshwater environments. However, a high-quality reference genome of burbot has not yet been released. Here, the first chromosome-level genome of burbot was constructed using PacBio long sequencing and Hi-C technology. A total of 95.24 Gb polished PacBio sequences were generated, and the preliminary genome assembly was 575.83 Mb in size with a contig N50 size of 2.15 Mb. The assembled sequences were anchored to 22 pseudochromosomes by using Hi-C data. The final assembled genome after Hi-C correction was 575.92 Mb, with a contig N50 of 2.01 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 22.10 Mb. A total of 22,067 protein-coding genes were predicted, 94.82% of which were functionally annotated. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that burbot diverged with the Atlantic cod approximately 43.8 million years ago. In addition, 377 putative genes that appear to be under positive selection in burbot were identified. These positively selected genes might be involved in the adaptation to the freshwater environment. These genome data provide an invaluable resource for the ecological and evolutionary study of the order Gadiformes.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) from Ningxia, China

The Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) is a diving duck that is widely distributed in Asia, Africa, and Europe. We determined the complete mitogenome of the Ferruginous Duck gathered at Ningxia, China. The total length of the complete mitochondrial genome is 16,623 bp and it consists of 13 protein-coding, 22 tRNA, 2 rRNA genes, and 1 control region (CR). Only one overlap among the 13 protein-coding genes was found: ND4L/ND4. The CR is 1068 bp in length. The nucleotide composition is 29.66% A, 22.28% T, 15.35% G, 32.71% C. The result of phylogenetic analysis showed that there is close genetic relationship among Aythya nyroca and three ducks in the Genus Aythya.

Hsa_circ_0011946 promotes the migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma by inducing EMT process

OBJECTIVE

Recently, the vital role of circular RNAs is discovered in many diseases including tumor progression and metastasis. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most ordinary malignant tumors. The purpose of our study is to detect the potential function of hsa_circ_0011946 in HCC to offer new biomarkers and targets.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The level of hsa_circ_0011946 in HCC tissues and cell lines was monitored by Real Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR). Pearson's Chi-square test was used to determine the association between hsa_circ_0011946 expression and several clinicopathological factors. Then, hsa_circ_0011946 was knocked down in HCC cells to uncover its function in metastasis of HCC. Cell migrated and invaded ability was measured through transwell assay, Matrigel assay and wound healing assay. Western blot assay was performed to analyze the effect of hsa_circ_0011946 on the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process.

RESULTS

In this research, the expression level of hsa_circ_0011946 was significantly increased in HCC tissues compared to that in adjacent samples. The expression of hsa_circ_0011946 was also increased in HCC cell lines. The hsa_circ_0011946 expression was associated with lymphatic metastasis in HCC patients. Knockdown of hsa_circ_0011946 led to the inhibition of cell migration and invasion in HCC. In addition, results of further experiments revealed that the EMT-related proteins were regulated via the knockdown of hsa_circ_0011946 in HCC.

CONCLUSIONS

The hsa_circ_0011946 could enhance cell migration and invasion of HCC by inducing the EMT process.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the gray-headed lapwing (Vanellus cinereus) from Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China

We determined the whole mtDNA genome of the gray-headed lapwing (Vanellus cinereus) in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China. The complete mitochondrial genome is 17,078 bp in length and consists of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 1 control region (D-loop). The nucleotide composition is 31.65% A, 23.50% T, 13.76% G, and 31.09% C. The result of phylogenetic analysis showed that there was close genetic relationship between V. cinereus and V. vanellus.

MicroRNA-based regulatory mechanisms underlying the synergistic antioxidant action of quercetin and catechin in H2O2-stimulated HepG2 cells: Roles of BACH1 in Nrf2-dependent pathways

The microRNA-based mechanisms underlying the antioxidant action(s) of co-existing flavonoids in response to oxidative stress are of high interest. This study aimed to extend the existing knowledge and provide insights into the potential regulatory network in response to oxidative stress and the co-presence of quercetin and catechin antioxidants, via a preclinical approach using H₂O₂-stimulated HepG2 cells. It was confirmed that BACH1 serves as an essential and direct negative regulator of the Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway and the antioxidant synergism between quercetin and catechin. BACH1 promoted reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation while inhibiting cell growth, which could be reversed by the synergistic action of let-7a-5p and miR-25-3p in the co-presence of quercetin and catechin. Both let-7a-5p and miR-25-3p could directly regulate the expression and function of BACH1 (e.g. upregulation of the two miRNAs could rescue largely overexpression of BACH1). Although these molecular interactions likely represented only some aspects of the overall regulatory network, this research confirms the feasibility of the combined uses of dietary flavonoids with chemopreventive properties in synergy during multiple-target interactions and multiple-pathway regulation.

Multi-focus image fusion method using energy of Laplacian and a deep neural network

Multi-focus image fusion consists in the integration of the focus regions of multiple source images into a single image. At present, there are still some common problems in image fusion methods, such as block artifacts, artificial edges, halo effects, and contrast reduction. To address these problems, a novel, to the best of our knowledge, multi-focus image fusion method using energy of Laplacian and a deep neural network (DNN) is proposed in this paper. The DNN is composed of multiple denoising autoencoders and a classifier. The Laplacian energy operator can effectively extract the focus information of source images, and the trained DNN model can establish a valid mapping relationship between source images and a focus map according to the extracted focus information. First, the Laplacian energy operator is used to perform focus measurement for two source images to obtain the corresponding focus information maps. Then, the sliding window technology is used to sequentially obtain the windows from the corresponding focus information map, and all of the windows are fed back to the trained DNN model to obtain a focus map. After binary segmentation and small region filtering, a final decision map with good consistency is obtained. Finally, according to the weights provided by the final decision map, multiple source images are fused to obtain a final fusion image. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed fusion method is superior to other existing ones in terms of subjective visual effects and objective quantitative evaluation.

Antifungal Effects and Potential Mechanism of Essential Oils on Collelotrichum gloeosporioides In Vitro and In Vivo

The development of natural essential oil as an alternative to synthetic chemicals in the control of postharvest decay is currently in the spotlight. In the present study, the efficacy of seven essential oils in suppressing Collelotrichum gloeosporioides identified from sweet cherry was evaluated in vitro and clove oil was proved to be the most promising inhibitor. Thus, the antifungal properties and potential mechanisms of clove oil in vitro and in vivo by fumigation and contact treatments were intensively investigated. For C. gloeosporioides, the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of clove oil in air and contact phase were 80 and 300 μL/L in vitro testing, respectively. Based on the radial growth of C. gloeosporioides mycelium in medium, the fumgitoxic ability of essential oil was observed in a dose-dependent manner, which was not as dramatic as that under in vivo conditions. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy of C. gloeosporioides exposed to clove oil exhibited obviously deleterious morphological and ultrastructural alterations confirming the disruption of fungal cell wall and endomembrane system, which resulted in increasing in permeability and causing the loss of intracellular constituents. In future, essential oils, combined with nano-emulsification approaches, could be good candidates as safe and effective antifungal agents for fungal spoilage of fresh commodities.

Is lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol associated with lower androgen and erectile dysfunction in men?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Therapeutic possibilities now exist to lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) to very low levels. However, substantial controversy remains in clinical practice with regard to its safety, and the question of whether low LDL-C levels per se may provoke adverse effects in humans arises. We aimed to explore the association of LDL-C with androgen and erectile dysfunction (ED) in a general population of men.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 4203 men without hormone replacement therapy were enrolled from 22 sites in East China. Total testosterone (T) and Free T were assessed. Free androgen index (FAI) was calculated. The IIEF-5 questionnaire was used to assess ED. We found that free T and FAI gradually and markedly increased with increasing LDL-C levels. Using linear regression, after adjusting for age, educational level, economic status, smoking status, drinking status, BMI, diabetes, and use of lipid-lowering medication, LDL-C was positively associated with free T (B = 0.175, 95% CI: 0.084, 0.266) and FAI (B = 0.064, 95% CI: 0.016, 0.112). Meanwhile, there was a U-shaped curvilinear relationship between LDL-C and prevalence of ED. In the logistic regression analysis, compared to those with LDL-C among the 10th-90th percentile, the ORs of ED in men in the lowest and highest deciles were 1.938 (95% CI: 1.121, 3.349) and 1.804 (95% CI: 1.117, 2.916), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Lower LDL-C levels were significantly associated with lower free T and lower FAI in a general population of men. Moreover, both low and high levels of LDL-C might be risk factors for ED.

Health condition assessment for vegetation exposed to heavy metal pollution through airborne hyperspectral data

Recent advancements in hyperspectral remote sensing technology now provide improved diagnostic capabilities to assess vegetation health conditions. This paper uses a set of 13 vegetation health indices related to chlorophyll, xanthophyll, blue/green/red ratio and structure from airborne hyperspectral reflectance data collected around a derelict mining area in Yerranderie, New South Wales, Australia. The studied area has ten historic mine shafts with a legacy of heavy metals and acidic contamination in a pristine ecosystem now recognised as Great Blue Mountain World Heritage Area. The forest is predominantly comprised of different species of Eucalyptus trees. In addition to the airborne survey, ground-based spectra of the tree leaves were collected along the two accessible heavy metal contaminated pathways. The stream networks in the area were classified and the geospatial patterns of vegetation health were analysed along the Tonalli River, a major water tributary flowing through the National Park. Despite the inflow of contaminated water from the near-mine streams, the measured vegetation health indices along Tonalli River were found to remain unchanged. The responses of the vegetation health indices between the near-mine and away-mine streams were found similar. Based on the along-stream and inter-stream analysis of the spectral indices of vegetation health, no significant impact of the heavy metal pollution could be noticed. The results indicate the possibility of the vegetation having developed immunity towards the high levels of heavy metal pollution over a century of exposure.

Abstract P1-03-10: HER2 expression in clinical breast cancer samples: A novel detection methodology for HER2 protein quantitation using fluorescent nanoparticles

Background: The human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) is a member of a family of transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptors that play an important role in regulated normal cell growth and differentiation. The over-expression of HER2 in a subset of 15-20% of invasive breast cancers has an important bearing on prognosis, as HER2-positive tumors are associated with an aggressive clinical course and poor outcome. Targeting HER2-overexpression has been shown to be a remarkably effective therapeutic modality; however testing of tumor samples to assess the HER2 status of the patient's breast cancer is required. Clinical assays to assess the HER2 status in patients being considered for targeted therapy include immunohistochemistry (IHC), which detects protein over-expression, or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), which detects gene amplification. Both the IHC and FISH methodologies have limitations. Given that the target of the currently approved drugs is the receptor protein, novel detections systems that could more accurately and quantitatively detect HER2 protein in clinical samples over a broad dynamic range would be advantageous and may be clinically helpful.

Material and Methods: A novel detection technology using streptavidin-coated Phosphor Integrated Dot fluorescent nanoparticles (PID) has been developed that can be visualized by fluorescence microscopy and used for quantitative immunofluorescence detection of protein in clinical samples using computer assisted image analysis. In the current study, PID- nanoparticles were used to analyze HER2 protein expression in breast cancer cell lines and 120 well characterized breast cancer samples. These results have been compared with HER2 IHC and HER2 FISH analysis.

Results: The expression levels of HER2 protein from 8 breast cancer cell lines was evaluated by antibody-binding capacity with FACS analysis. Formalin fixed paraffin embedded cell pellets for these cell lines were prepared and used for quantitative HER2 analysis by PID. The PID score/cell for each of these cell lines showed a strong linear correlation with antibody-binding capacity sites/cell by FACS analysis (R2 = 0.94). For the 120 breast cancer samples, PID score/cell was measured and compared against HER2 IHC membrane intensity measure by image analysis (Aperio) and HER2 FISH results. The HER2 PID score/cell showed a correlation coefficient of R2=0.72 versus the average HER2 copy number per cell by FISH, compared with a correlation coefficient of R2=0.41 for HER2 IHC membrane intensity measured by Aperio. For the HER2/CEP17 ratio, the correlation coefficient for the PID score/cell was R2=0.79 compared with a correlation coefficient of R2=0.32 for the HER2 IHC membrane intensity.

Conclusions: PID-nanoparticles demonstrate great potential for the quantitative measurement of protein of clinical interest in routine clinical samples with morphologic confirmation of the tissue being studied. Further studies looking for PID-score thresholds for HER2 gene amplification and correlations with clinical outcome data are warranted and ongoing.

Citation Format: Hicks DG, Goda H, Zhai H, Okada H, McMahon L, Sullivan N, Tang P, Nakano Y. HER2 expression in clinical breast cancer samples: A novel detection methodology for HER2 protein quantitation using fluorescent nanoparticles [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-03-10.

Structure and Optimum Luminescence for Nearly Block-Like LaOCl:Eu3+ Nanoparticles

In this work, we report a simple method for the synthesis of block-like Eu3+ doping LaOCl nanophosphors with different doping content. It was found that the average grain diameter of Eu3+ doping LaOCl samples decreased with increasing Eu3+ doping concentration. The lattice volume shrinked due to different response for different axial under high pressure that led to lower lattice symmetry of LaOCl:Eu3+. The emission of LaOCI:Eu3+ increased with the increasing Eu3+ concentration due to the lower local symmetry, which also led to a gradual reduction in lifetime.

True digestible phosphorus requirement for forty- to eighty-kilogram pigs

The objective of this study was to determine the true digestible P requirement of 40- to 60-kg (Exp. 1) and 60- to 80-kg (Exp. 2) pigs by broken-line analysis of growth performance data using 6 levels of true digestible P. In each 3-wk experiment, 108 barrows and gilts were used, and 6 levels of monocalcium phosphate were added to a corn-soybean meal-based diet to establish 6 graded levels of true total tract digestible P ranging from 1.26 to 3.98 g/kg of diet in Exp. 1 or from 1.21 to 3.31 g/kg in Exp. 2. The true digestible P content was calculated using true total tract digestibility of 40.53%, 35.96%, and 84.31% for P in corn, soybean meal, and monocalcium phosphate, respectively. Limestone was added accordingly to maintain a constant Ca level across all diets of each experiment. The results of Exp. 1 showed that with graded supplementation of monocalcium phosphate, ADG linearly increased ( < 0.001) in wk 1 and both linearly and quadratically increased ( < 0.01) in wk 2, wk 3, and wk 0 to 3, and G:F linearly improved ( < 0.001) in wk 1, quadratically improved ( < 0.05) in wk 3, and both linearly and quadratically improved ( < 0.05) in wk 2 and wk 0 to 3 ( < 0.05). In Exp. 2, ADG linearly increased ( < 0.001) in wk 1 and both linearly and quadratically increased ( < 0.05) in wk 2, wk 3, and wk 0 to 3, with the graded supplementation of monocalcium phosphate, and G:F linearly improved ( < 0.01) in wk 1 and wk 3 and both linearly and quadratically improved ( < 0.001) in wk 2 and wk 0 to 3. In Exp. 1, the true digestible P requirement was estimated to be 2.66, 2.79, and 2.51 g/kg of diet (884 g DM/kg) for pigs of mixed sex, barrows, and gilts, respectively, on the basis of broken-line regression of ADG data for wk 0 to 3 against 6 true digestible P levels. Using G:F, the P requirement estimate was correspondingly 2.67, 2.51, and 2.93 g/kg of diet. In Exp. 2, the true digestible P requirement was estimated to be 2.29, 2.20, and 2.39 g/kg of diet (884 g DM/kg) using ADG data for wk 0 to 3 as the response variable and to be 2.33, 2.19, and 2.47 g/kg using wk 0 to 3 G:F data for pigs of mixed sex, barrows, and gilts, respectively. In conclusion, the mean TTTD-based P requirement was 2.66 and 2.31 g/kg of diet (884 g DM/kg) for 40- to 60-kg and 60- to 80-kg pigs, respectively.

Development of secondary mutations in wild-type and mutant EZH2 alleles cooperates to confer resistance to EZH2 inhibitors

The histone methyltransferase Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2) is frequently dysregulated in cancers, and gain-of-function (GOF) EZH2 mutations have been identified in non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Small-molecule inhibitors against EZH2 demonstrated anti-tumor activity in EZH2-mutated lymphomas and entered clinical trials. Here, we developed models of acquired resistance to EZH2 inhibitor EI1 with EZH2-mutated lymphoma cells. Resistance was generated by secondary mutations in both wild-type (WT) and GOF Y641N EZH2 alleles. These EZH2 mutants retained the substrate specificity of their predecessor complexes but became refractory to biochemical inhibition by EZH2 inhibitors. Resistant cells were able to maintain a high level of H3K27Me3 in the presence of inhibitors. Interestingly, mutation of EZH2 WT alone generated an intermediate resistance phenotype, which is consistent with a previously proposed model of cooperation between EZH2 WT and Y641N mutants to promote tumorigenesis. In addition, the findings presented here have implications for the clinical translation of EZH2 inhibitors and underscore the need to develop novel EZH2 inhibitors to target potential resistance emerging in clinical settings.

Gastroretentive extended-release floating granules prepared using a novel fluidized hot melt granulation (FHMG) technique

The objective of this work was to investigate the feasibility of using a novel granulation technique, namely, fluidized hot melt granulation (FHMG), to prepare gastroretentive extended-release floating granules. In this study we have utilized FHMG, a solvent free process in which granulation is achieved with the aid of low melting point materials, using Compritol 888 ATO and Gelucire 50/13 as meltable binders, in place of conventional liquid binders. The physicochemical properties, morphology, floating properties, and drug release of the manufactured granules were investigated. Granules prepared by this method were spherical in shape and showed good flowability. The floating granules exhibited sustained release exceeding 10 h. Granule buoyancy (floating time and strength) and drug release properties were significantly influenced by formulation variables such as excipient type and concentration, and the physical characteristics (particle size, hydrophilicity) of the excipients. Drug release rate was increased by increasing the concentration of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) and Gelucire 50/13, or by decreasing the particle size of HPC. Floating strength was improved through the incorporation of sodium bicarbonate and citric acid. Furthermore, floating strength was influenced by the concentration of HPC within the formulation. Granules prepared in this way show good physical characteristics, floating ability, and drug release properties when placed in simulated gastric fluid. Moreover, the drug release and floating properties can be controlled by modification of the ratio or physical characteristics of the excipients used in the formulation.

First Report of Fusarium equiseti Causing a Sheath Rot of Corn in China

Corn is the most important cereal crop in China. Over 34.94 million ha of corn is cultivated in the country annually. However, fungal diseases are a major limiting factor in corn production. In August 2008, 50 ha in several corn fields in Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang provinces were observed to be severely affected by a disease causing a yield loss of 30%. Results from field surveys suggested an epidemic during late corn growth stages that affected corn sheaths, causing irregularly circular spots with grayish brown to dark brown lesions. Lesions ranged from 2.5 to 3 × 3 to 5 cm. To isolate the causal agent, tissue was removed from the border of lesions and surface sterilized in 75% ethanol for 30 sec and 0.1% HgCl₂ for 1 min. The sample was then triple rinsed in sterile distilled water. The isolate was purified and subcultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 25 ± 2°C. The initial color of the mycelium was white, turning brown after being cultured for 7 days. A pale brown to dark brown pigment developed in the agar beneath the colony. Chlamydospores, solitary but also in short chains, measuring 7.2 to 15.3 μm, were produced on carnation leaf agar (CLA) after 10 days and became verrucose 20 days later. Macroconidia were produced on CLA in orange sporodochia from monophialides on branched conidiophores, usually 5- to 7-septate, and apical cells were tapered and elongate. Basal cells were prominent, foot-shaped, and elongated in appearance. Microconidia were not observed (1). These morphological characteristics matched the description of Fusarium equiseti reported by Leslie and Summerell (1). A pathogenicity test was conducted with an isolate from each of the 36 corn plants by spraying 2 ml of spore suspension (10⁶ conidia/ml) on 45-day-old corn sheaths (cv. Huang Zao). For the control treatment, 36 corn plants were sprayed with an equal volume of sterilized water. Inoculated plants were placed in a greenhouse at 32 to 34°C and 95% relative humidity. Typical irregularly circular lesions were observed 7 days after inoculation, except in the control samples. Each treatment was replicated three times. The suspected pathogen was consistently re-isolated from diseased tissue according to Koch's postulates, and was found to be morphologically similar to F. equiseti. Preliminary morphological identification of the fungus was confirmed by a PCR assay using genomic DNA extracted from the mycelia of a 7-day-old culture on PDA at 25 ± 2°C. A 750-bp amplified region of the transcription elongation factor (TEF) of rDNA was generated using TEF1 (5'-ATGGGTAAGGAGGACAAGAC-3') and TEF2 (5'-GGAAGTACCAGTGATCATGTT-3') primers. The TEF region (GenBank Accession No. KF754798) was sequenced by Sangon Biotech Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China) and displayed 99% nucleotide similarity with the rDNA-TEF of F. equiseti (JN127347.1) separately after a BLASTn search in GenBank. Based on the symptoms, fungal morphology, TEF sequence, and pathogenicity testing, this fungus was identified as F. equiseti. To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. equiseti on corn sheaths in China. This report will establish a foundation for further study of F. equiseti to address the disease effectively and to determine the severity of damage caused by F. equiseti. Reference: (1) J. F. Leslie and B. A. Summerell. The Fusarium Laboratory Manual. Blackwell, Ames, IA, 2006.