Clinical study on microscopic syndrome differentiation and traditional Chinese medicine treatment for liver stomach disharmony in chronic gastritis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic gastritis (CG) is a common gastrointestinal disorder characterized by inflammation of the stomach lining. Liver-stomach disharmony (LSD) syndrome is believed to contribute to CG symptoms. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of microcosmic syndrome differentiation and Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) treatment in patients with CG and LSD syndrome. METHODS: Sixty-four patients with CG and LSD syndrome were randomly divided into two groups: The treatment group received CHM based on microcosmic syndrome differentiation and the control group received conventional Western medicine. The treatment course lasted 12 wk. The primary outcome was improvement in dyspeptic symptoms, measured using the Nepean Dyspepsia Index. The secondary outcomes included the improvement rate of endoscopic findings, histopathological findings, and microcosmic syndrome scores and the incidence of adverse events. RESULTS: After 12 wk of treatment, the treatment group showed significantly greater improvement in dyspeptic symptoms than the control group (93.75% vs 65.63%, P < 0.01). The treatment group also showed a significantly higher improvement rate in endoscopic findings than the control group (81.25% vs 53.13%, P < 0.05). The improvement rates of histopathological findings and microcosmic syndrome scores were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). No serious adverse events were observed in either group. CONCLUSION: Microcosmic syndrome differentiation and CHM treatment can effectively improve dyspeptic symptoms and endoscopic findings in patients with CG and LSD syndrome and have a good safety profile. Further studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are required to confirm the long-term efficacy and mechanism of action of this treatment.

Whole genome sequencing identified genomic diversity and candidated genes associated with economic traits in Northeasern Merino in China.

Introduction: Northeast Merino (NMS) is a breed developed in Northeast China during the 1960s for wool and meat production. It exhibits excellent traits such as high wool yield, superior meat quality, rapid growth rate, robust disease resistance, and adaptability to cold climates. However, no studies have used whole-genome sequencing data to investigate the superior traits of NMS. Methods: In this study, we investigated the population structure, genetic diversity, and selection signals of NMS using whole-genome sequencing data from 20 individuals. Two methods (integrated haplotype score and composite likelihood ratio) were used for selection signal analysis, and the Fixation Index was used to explore the selection signals of NMS and the other two breeds, Mongolian sheep and South African meat Merino. Results: The results showed that NMS had low inbreeding levels, high genomic diversity, and a pedigree of both Merino breeds and Chinese local breeds. A total length of 14.09 Mb genomic region containing 287 genes was detected using the two methods. Further exploration of the functions of these genes revealed that they are mainly concentrated in wool production performance (IRF2BP2, MAP3K7, and WNT3), meat production performance (NDUFA9, SETBP1, ZBTB38, and FTO), cold resistance (DNAJC13, LPGAT1, and PRDM16), and immune response (PRDM2, GALNT8, and HCAR2). The selection signals of NMS and the other two breeds annotated 87 and 23 genes, respectively. These genes were also mainly focused on wool and meat production performance. Conclusion: These results provide a basis for further breeding improvement, comprehensive use of this breed, and a reference for research on other breeds.

Genome-wide association studies for the number of piglets born alive and dead in Dongliao black pigs.

Litter size (total number born) trait has a great impact on the economic success of pork production. The total number born consists of the number of piglets born alive and dead. To clarify the genetic background of litter size, genome-wide association studies were undertaken in the present study. Samples of DNA were collected and genotyped using the Porcine 50K BeadChip from 723 Dongliao Black sows. Using three different models (BLINK, FarmCPU, and MLM), a total of 155 significant SNPs were discovered, six of which had been reported in previous pig reproduction association studies. We suggest that rs81318434, located in the GLI3 gene, might be the promising candidate affecting litter size trait. Our findings may provide insights for uncovering the genetic mechanisms for the litter size of pigs.

Stereochemically Active Tin(II)-Induced Enhancement of Birefringence in SnII SnIV (PO4 )2 and SrSn(PO4 )PO2 (OH)2.

Two new tin(II) phosphates, SnII SnIV (PO4 )2 and SrSn(PO4 )PO2 (OH)2 , were synthesized by the high-temperature solution method and hydrothermal method, respectively. Theoretical study indicates that by introducing tin(II) with stereochemical activity lone pairs (SCALP) in metal phosphates, the birefringence was enhanced, 0.048@1064 nm for SnII SnIV (PO4 )2 and 0.080@1064 nm for SrSn(PO4 )PO2 (OH)2 .

Integrated microbiome-metabolome-genome axis data of Laiwu and Lulai pigs.

Excessive fat deposition can trigger metabolic diseases, and it is crucial to identify factors that can break the link between fat deposition and metabolic diseases. Healthy obese Laiwu pigs (LW) are high in fat content but resistant to metabolic diseases. In this study, we compared the fecal microbiome, fecal and blood metabolome, and genome of LW and Lulai pigs (LU) to identify factors that can block the link between fat deposition and metabolic diseases. Our results show significant differences in Spirochetes and Treponema, which are involved in carbohydrate metabolism, between LW and LU. The fecal and blood metabolome composition was similar, and some anti-metabolic disease components of blood metabolites were different between the two breeds of pigs. The predicted differential RNA is mainly enriched in lipid metabolism and glucose metabolism, which is consistent with the functions of differential microbiota and metabolites. The down-regulated gene RGP1 is strongly negatively correlated with Treponema. Our omics data would provide valuable resources for further scientific research on healthy obesity in both human and porcine.

PC-DOT: Improving genomic prediction ability of principal component regression by DOT product.

Principal component regression (PC regression) is a useful method developed for prediction based on a dimension-reducing strategy. Generally, the principal components (PCs) are added to the regression model one by one based on the eigenvalue (PC-Eigen). Considering that some PCs with large eigenvalues may be poorly associated with the response variable, the PC-Eigen may not be the best framework. Researchers previously tried to add PCs to the model based on their contribution to the sum of squares of the regression (PC-SS) and they found that the performance of PC-SS is generally lower than that of the PC-Eigen. A standard approach for selecting the optimal set of PCs remains a challenge. Here, from the cosine similarity theory, we postulated that we could rank the PCs by dot product, and this framework (we called PC-DOT) could help to preferentially extract PCs that are highly correlated with the response variable and meanwhile have a large eigenvalue. Based on one simulated and three real genomic datasets (a total of 15 traits), we tested the prediction ability of different frameworks. In general, the PC-DOT method showed a better performance than both PC-Eigen and PC-SS. To facilitate the application of PC, we attached a series of R codes for different frameworks (https://github.com/SUNHAO-JLU/Genome_Prediction-PC_DOT). In addition, the HAT matrix was used to reduce the compute complex in reference data during the cross-validation process. Our work may help researchers to better understand and carry out the PC regression model.

Chronic intermittent hypoxia induces the pyroptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells by activating the NLRP3 inflammasome.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a respiratory disorder and chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) is an important pathological characteristic of OSAS. Injuries on renal tubular epithelial cells were observed under the condition of CIH. Pyroptosis is a programmed mode of cell death following cell apoptosis and cell necrosis, which is mediated by NLRP3 signaling. The present study aims to investigate the effects of CIH on the pyroptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells and the underlying mechanism. Firstly, CIH was induced in two renal tubular epithelial cell lines, HK-2 cells and TCMK-1 cells. As the aggravation of hypoxia, an increasing trend of elevated apoptotic rate was observed in HK-2 cells and TCMK-1 cells, accompanied by the excessive release of ROS and LDH, and upregulation of NLRP3. Subsequently, the CIH model was established on rats. The pathological analysis results indicated that in CIH rats, the glomerular bottom membrane and mesangium were slightly thickened and edema was observed in the renal tubule epithelium. More serious injury was observed in the moderate intermittent hypoxia group. The expression level of IL-1ß and IL-18 was promoted as the aggravation of hypoxia, accompanied by the elevated production of LDH and ROS. The expression level of cleaved Caspase-1, Caspase-1, GSDMD, TLR4, MyD88, NF-κB, p-NF-κB, and NLRP3 was found significantly upregulated as the aggravation of hypoxia. Lastly, the pathological changes in rats induced by CIH were dramatically abolished by MCC950, a specific inhibitor of NLRP3. Collectively, CIH triggered the pyroptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells by activating the NLRP3 inflammasome.

Identification and Functional Analysis of the Regulatory Elements in the pHSPA6 Promoter.

Functional and expressional research of heat shock protein A6 (HSPA6) suggests that the gene is of great value for neurodegenerative diseases, biosensors, cancer, etc. Based on the important value of pigs in agriculture and biomedicine and to advance knowledge of this little-studied HSPA member, the stress-sensitive sites in porcine HSPA6 (pHSPA6) were investigated following different stresses. Here, two heat shock elements (HSEs) and a conserved region (CR) were identified in the pHSPA6 promoter by a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated precise gene editing strategy. Gene expression data showed that sequence disruption of these regions could significantly reduce the expression of pHSPA6 under heat stress. Stimulation studies indicated that these regions responded not only to heat stress but also to copper sulfate, MG132, and curcumin. Further mechanism studies showed that downregulated pHSPA6 could significantly affect some important members of the HSP family that are involved in HSP40, HSP70, and HSP90. Overall, our results provide a new approach for investigating gene expression and regulation that may contribute to gene regulatory mechanisms, drug target selection, and breeding stock selection.

Detection of selection signatures in South African Mutton Merino sheep using whole-genome sequencing data.

The South African Mutton Merino (SAMM), a dual-purpose (meat and wool) sheep breed, is characterized by its excellent performance on growth, carcass traits and meat quality compared to other fine-wool Merino breeds. Nowadays, the SAMM breed has been widely used to cross with commercial and indigenous fine-wool or coarse-wool breeds to improve the growth and meat performance in many countries. To date, however, little is known about the genetic basis for its prominent characteristics. In this study, whole-genome sequences of 10 SAMM were sequenced and the selection signatures were analyzed together with those of 39 Australian Merino and Chinese Merino (wool-type Merino) by FST , iHS, and XP-EHH methods. In total, 313 genes in 277 regions were identified by at least 2 methods with the signal of selection and 21 of them were identified by all three methods. We highlighted a list of interesting genes, including GHR, LCORL, SMO, NCAPG, DCC, IBSP, PPARGC1A, PACRGL, PRDM5, XYLB, AHCYL2, TEFM, AFG1L, and FAM184B, which have been shown to be involved in growth, carcass traits, and meat quality by previous studies. Herein, GHR, encoding a transmembrane receptor for growth hormone, is the most notable one. We report the first study on selection signatures analysis of SAMM at whole-genome sequence level. These results provide new insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying the growth and carcass traits in SAMM.

Circular polarization analyzer based on surface plasmon polariton interference.

The determination of chirality of circularly polarized light (CPL) is of great significance to the development of various optical techniques. In this paper, a miniature circular polarization analyzer (CPA) based on surface plasmon polariton (SPP) interference is proposed. The proposed CPA consists of a micron scale long sub-wavelength slit and two groups of spatially arranged periodic sub-wavelength rectangular groove pairs, which are etched in a metal layer. Under the illumination of a CPL with a given chirality, the proposed CPA is capable of forming SPP-mediated interference fringes with different periods in far field. The chirality of CPL can be directly and quantitatively differentiated by the frequency value of the far field SPP-mediated interference fringes. Different from the existing SPP-based CPAs, the proposed CPA can directly image the chirality information in far field, avoiding near-field imaging of the SPP field.

Chlorogenic Acid Ameliorates Damage Induced by Fluorene-9-Bisphenol in Porcine Sertoli Cells.

4,4'-(9-Fluorenylidene) diphenol (BPFL, also known as BHPF and fluorene-9-bisphenol) is a novel bisphenol A substitute that is used in the plastics industry as an organic synthesis intermediate and is a potential endocrine disruptor. However, the deleterious effects of BPFL on porcine Sertoli cells (SCs) and the possible underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Chlorogenic acid (CA) is a free radical scavenger in the cellular antioxidant system that prevents oxidative damage and apoptosis. In the present research, we found that BPFL induced impairments in porcine SCs in a dose-dependent manner and that CA protected porcine SCs against BPFL exposure-induced impairments. Cell viability, proliferation and apoptosis assay results revealed that BPFL exposure could inhibit porcine SC proliferation and induce apoptosis, while CA supplementation ameliorated the effects of BPFL. Further analysis revealed that BPFL exposure induced oxidative stress, mitochondrial membrane potential dysfunction and DNA damage accumulation. Transcriptome analysis and further real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot results showed that BPFL exposure induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis. Supplementation with CA dramatically ameliorated these phenotypes in BPFL-exposed porcine SCs. Overall, the present research reveals the possible underlying mechanisms by which BPFL exposure induced impairments and CA supplementation protected against these impairments in porcine SCs.

Melatonin ameliorates cypermethrin-induced impairments by regulating oxidative stress, DNA damage and apoptosis in porcine Sertoli cells.

Cypermethrin (CYP) is a widely used insecticide that may be harmful to nontarget species. However, the toxicity of CYP to porcine Sertoli cells (SCs) and its associated mechanism is not known. We investigated the toxicity of CYP and showed that CYP induced cytotoxicity in porcine SCs in a dose-dependent manner. Mechanistic investigations revealed that CYP induced oxidative stress and DNA damage in porcine SCs, which provoked mitochondria-associated apoptosis. CYP also stimulated the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) to induce porcine SC apoptosis and inhibited cell proliferation via the inhibition of nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) expression. The natural antioxidant melatonin had an obvious protective effect against CYP-induced porcine SC toxicity. Overall, our results reveal that the mechanism underlying CYP-induced toxicity in porcine SCs involves oxidative stress, DNA damage, and apoptosis and suggest that melatonin may be used as a highly effective protective agent against oxidative stress.

Glycine alleviates fluoride-induced oxidative stress, apoptosis and senescence in a porcine testicular Sertoli cell line.

Glycine is a well-known free radical scavenger in the cellular antioxidant system that prevents oxidative damage and apoptosis. Excessive fluoride exposure is associated with multiple types of cellular damage in humans and animals. The objective of the present study was to investigate the protective effects of glycine on sodium fluoride (NaF) exposure and the possible underlying mechanisms in a porcine testicular Sertoli cell line model. Cellular viability and proliferation were examined following NaF exposure and glycine supplementation, and glycine dramatically ameliorated the decreases in NaF-induced porcine testicular Sertoli cell viability and proliferation. Further investigations revealed that glycine decreased NaF-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species production, DNA fragment accumulation and the apoptosis incidence in the porcine testicular Sertoli cell line; in addition, glycine improved mitochondrial function and ATP production. Notably, results of the SPiDER-ß-Gal analysis suggested that glycine alleviated NaF-induced cellular senescence and downregulated P53, P21, HMGA2 and P16INK4a gene expression in the porcine testicular Sertoli cell line. Collectively, the beneficial effects of glycine alleviate NaF-induced oxidative stress, apoptosis and senescence, and together with our previous findings, support the hypothesis that glycine plays an important role in protecting against NaF exposure-induced impairments in the porcine testicular Sertoli cell line.

Dynamic tailoring of an optical skyrmion lattice in surface plasmon polaritons: reply.

This is a Reply to the Comment by Meiler, Frank, and Giessen directed to a recent paper "Dynamic tailoring of an optical skyrmion lattice in surface plasmon polaritons" [Opt. Express28, 10320 (2020)10.1364/OE.384718] regarding to the existence of Bloch-type skyrmions in the magnetic field of surface plasmon polaritons.

Dynamical generation of multiple focal spot pairs with controllable position and polarization.

We report a flexible method to dynamically generate multiple sub-wavelength focal spot pairs with adjustable polarization, position and number at the focal plane of a high numerical aperture (NA) objective lens. The desired incident field on the pupil plane can be analytically derived by employing the time-reversed method combined with the dipole antenna radiation theory. The numerical simulations of the corresponding tightly focused field are conducted using the Richards-Wolf vectorial diffraction theory. The validity of the presented method is demonstrated through experimental generation of several designed pupil fields with a versatile vectorial optical field generator and characterization of the produced focused fields with Stokes parameter measurements.

Polarization Insensitive, Broadband, Near Diffraction-Limited Metalens in Ultraviolet Region.

Metasurfaces in the ultraviolet spectrum have stirred up prevalent research interest due to the increasing demand for ultra-compact and wearable UV optical systems. The limitations of conventional plasmonic metasurfaces operating in transmission mode can be overcome by using a suitable dielectric material. A metalens holds promising wavefront engineering for various applications. Metalenses have developed a breakthrough technology in the advancement of integrated and miniaturized optical devices. However, metalenses utilizing the Pancharatnam-Berry (PB) phase or resonance tuning methodology are restricted to polarization dependence and for various applications, polarization-insensitive metalenses are highly desirable. We propose the design of a high-efficiency dielectric polarization-insensitive UV metalens utilizing cylindrical nanopillars with strong focusing ability, providing full phase delay in a broadband range of Ultraviolet light (270-380 nm). The designed metalens comprises Silicon nitride cylindrical nanopillars with spatially varying radii and offers outstanding polarization-insensitive operation in the broadband UV spectrum. It will significantly promote and boost the integration and miniaturization of the UV photonic devices by overcoming the use of Plasmonics structures that are vulnerable to the absorption and ohmic losses of the metals. The focusing efficiency of the designed metalens is as high as 40%.

Shift of the surface plasmon polariton interference pattern in symmetrical arc slit structures and its application to Rayleigh metallic particle trapping.

In symmetric nano/micro metal slit structures, interference patterns are produced by counter-propagating surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) in the the center of structures, which can be employed to improve the resolution of microscopy and surface etching and to realize particle trapping. This paper focuses on the shift of the SPP interference patterns in the symmetric arc slit structures. The excitation models with one incident beam and two incident beams are established and analyzed respectively, and methods to shift the SPP interference patterns via adjusting the tilt angle and initial phase of the excitation beams are compared. The FDTD simulation results show that these methods can precisely shift the SPP interference patterns in the symmetrical arc slits. Compared to the linear slits, the SPP waves arising from arc slits are more strongly focused, resulting in a stronger gradient force. The characteristics of stronger focus and dynamic shifting of the focal spot give the symmetric arc slit structure unique advantages in the capture and transfer of the Rayleigh metallic particle.

Dynamic tailoring of an optical skyrmion lattice in surface plasmon polaritons.

A skyrmion is a topologically protected soliton with a spin structure on the micro/nano scale that has promising applications in magnetic information storage and spintronics devices. This study focuses on the optical skyrmion lattice structures created in the surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) field. Both the Néel-type optical skyrmion lattice formed by the electric field vector and Bloch-type optical skyrmion lattice formed by the magnetic field vector are generated via exciting a hexagonal grating structure on the metal surface with six Gaussian optical spots. Such a multiple-spot excitation can be realized through tightly focusing a specially designed complex field with a high NA lens. Through introducing the phase difference of the excitation beams to shift the SPP standing waves, the shape and position of the optical skyrmion lattice can be dynamically controlled. Both the electric field vector and magnetic field vector are evaluated quantitatively based on the electric and magnetic field obtained by finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation to demonstrate the validity and capability of the proposed technique.

High-Efficiency, Broadband, Near Diffraction-Limited, Dielectric Metalens in Ultraviolet Spectrum.

Ultraviolet (UV) optical devices have plenteous applications in the fields of nanofabrication, military, medical, sterilization, and others. Traditional optical components utilize gradual phase accumulation phenomena to alter the wave-front of the light, making them bulky, expensive, and inefficient. A dielectric metasurface could provide an auspicious approach to precisely control the amplitude, phase, and polarization of the incident light by abrupt, discrete phase changing with high efficiency due to low absorption losses. Metalenses, being one of the most attainable applications of metasurfaces, can extremely reduce the size and complexity of the optical systems. We present the design of a high-efficiency transmissive UV metalens operating in a broadband range of UV light (250-400 nm) with outstanding focusing characteristics. The polarization conversion efficiency of the nano-rod unit and the focusing efficiency of the metasurface are optimized to be as high as 96% and 77%, respectively. The off-axis focusing characteristics at different incident angles are also investigated. The designed metalens that is composed of silicon nitride nanorods will significantly uphold the advancement of UV photonic devices and can provide opportunities for the miniaturization and integration of the UV nanophotonics and its applications.

Asiatic acid supplementation during the in vitro culture period improves early embryonic development of porcine embryos produced by parthenogenetic activation, somatic cell nuclear transfer and in vitro fertilization.

Asiatic acid is a pentacyclic triterpene enriched in the medicinal herb Centella asiatica, and it has been suggested to possess free radical scavenging and anti-apoptotic properties. The purpose of the current study was to explore the effects of asiatic acid on porcine early-stage embryonic development and the potential mechanisms for any observed effects. The results showed that 10 µM asiatic acid supplementation during the in vitro culture period dramatically improved developmental competence in porcine embryos derived from parthenogenetic activation (PA), somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and in vitro fertilization (IVF). Further analysis revealed that asiatic acid attenuated H2O2-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Notably, asiatic acid not only enhanced intracellular GSH levels but also attenuated mitochondrial dysfunction. Gene expression analysis revealed that asiatic acid upregulated expression of the antioxidant-related gene Sod-1 and the blastocyst formation related gene Cox-2, while downregulating expression of the apoptosis-related gene Caspase-9 in SCNT blastocysts. These results suggest that asiatic acid exerts beneficial effects on early embryonic development in porcine embryos and that asiatic acid may be useful for improving the in vitro production of porcine embryos.