ObjectiveIn nature, objects cast shadows due to illumination, forming the basis for stereoscopic perception. Birds need to adapt to changes in lighting (meaning they can recognize stereoscopic shapes even when shadows look different) to accurately perceive different three-dimensional forms. However, how neurons in the key visual brain area in birds handle these lighting changes remains largely unreported. In this study, pigeons (Columba livia) were used as subjects to investigate how neurons in pigeon’s ventrolateral mesopallium (MVL) represent stereoscopic shapes consistently, regardless of changes in lighting. MethodsVisual cognitive training combined with neuronal recording was employed. Pigeons were first trained to discriminate different stereoscopic shapes (concave/convex). We then tested whether and how light luminance angle and surface appearance of the stereoscopic shapes affect their recognition accuracy, and further verify whether the results rely on specify luminance color. Simultaneously, neuronal firing activity of neurons was recorded with multiple electrode array implanted from the MVL during the presentation of difference shapes. The response was finally analyzed how selectively they responded to different stereoscopic shapes and whether their selectivity was affected by the changes of luminance condition (like lighting angle) or surface look. Support vector machine (SVM) models were trained on neuronal population responses recorded under one condition (light luminance angle of 45°) and used to decode responses under other conditions (light luminance angle of 135°, 225°, 315°) to verify the invariance of responses to different luminance conditions. ResultsBehavioral results from 6 pigeons consistently showed that the pigeons could reliably identify the core 3D shape (over 80% accuracy), and this ability wasn’t affected by changes in light angle or surface appearance. Statistical analysis of 88 recorded neurons from 6 pigeons revealed that 83% (73/88) showed strong selectivity for specific 3D shapes (selectivity index>0.3), and responses to convex shapes were consistently stronger than to concave shapes. These shape-selective responses remained stable across changes in light angle and surface appearance. Neural patterns were consistent under both blue and orange lighting. The decoding accuracy achieves above 70%, suggesting stable responses under different conditions (e.g., different lighting angles or surface appearance). ConclusionNeurons in the pigeon MVL maintain a consistent neural encoding pattern for different stereoscopic shapes, unaffected by illumination or surface appearance. This ensures stable object recognition by pigeons in changing visual environments. Our findings provide new physiological evidence for understanding how birds achieve stable perception (“invariant neural representations”) while coping with variations in the visual field.

ObjectiveThe scale of microalgae farming industry is huge. During farming, it is easy for microalgae to be affected by miscellaneous bacteria and other contaminants. Because of that, periodic test is necessary to ensure the growth of microalgae. Present microscopy imaging and spectral analysis methods have higher requirements for experiment personnel, equipment and sites, for which it is unable to achieve real-time portable detection. For the purpose of real-time portable microalgae detection, a real-time microalgae detection system of low detection requirement and fast detection speed is needed. MethodsThis study has developed a microalgae detection system based on deep learning. A microscopy imaging device based on bright field was constructed. With imaged captured from the device, a neural network based on YOLOv3 was trained and deployed on microcomputer, thus realizing real-time portable microalgae detection. This study has also improved the feature extraction network by introducing cross-region residual connection and attention mechanism and replacing optimizer with Adam optimizer using multistage and multimethod strategy. ResultsWith cross-region residual connection, the mAP value reached 0.92. Compared with manual result, the detection error was 2.47%. ConclusionThe system could achieve real-time portable microalgae detection and provide relatively accurate detection result, so it can be applied to periodic test in microalgae farming.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the lipid-lowering activity of LFBEP-C1 in high glucose-fed Caenorhabditis elegans(C.elegans). Methods In this study,the fermented barley protein LFBEP-C1 was prepared and tested for its potential anti-obesity effects on C.elegans.The worms were fed Escherichia coli OP50(E.coli OP50),glucose,and different concentrations of LFBEP-C1.Body size,lifespan,movement,triglyceride content,and gene expression were analyzed.The results were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey's multiple comparison test. Results Compared with the model group,the head-swing frequency of C.elegans in the group of LFBEP-C1 at 20 μg/mL increased by 33.88%,and the body-bending frequency increased by 27.09%.This indicated that LFBEP-C1 improved the locomotive ability of C.elegans.The average lifespan of C.elegans reached 13.55 days,and the body length and width of the C.elegans decreased after LFBEP-C1 intake.Additionally,LFBEP-C1 reduced the content of lipid accumulation and triglyceride levels.The expression levels of sbp-1,daf-2,and mdt-15 significantly decreased,while those of daf-16,tph-1,mod-1,and ser-4 significantly increased after LFBEP-C1 intake.Changes in these genes explain the signaling pathways that regulate lipid metabolism. Conclusion LFBEP-C1 significantly reduced lipid deposition in C.elegans fed a high-glucose diet and alleviated the adverse effects of a high-glucose diet on the development,lifespan,and exercise behavior of C.elegans.In addition,LFBEP-C1 regulated lipid metabolism mainly by mediating the expression of genes in the sterol regulatory element-binding protein,insulin,and 5-hydroxytryptamine signaling pathways.

Objective Recombinase-aided polymerase chain reaction(RAP)is a sensitive,single-tube,two-stage nucleic acid amplification method.This study aimed to develop an assay that can be used for the early diagnosis of three types of bacteremia caused by Staphylococcus aureus(SA),Pseudomonas aeruginosa(PA),and Acinetobacter baumannii(AB)in the bloodstream based on recombinant human mannan-binding lectin protein(M1 protein)-conjugated magnetic bead(M1 bead)enrichment of pathogens combined with RAP. Methods Recombinant plasmids were used to evaluate the assay sensitivity.Common blood influenza bacteria were used for the specific detection.Simulated and clinical plasma samples were enriched with M1 beads and then subjected to multiple recombinase-aided PCR(M-RAP)and quantitative PCR(qPCR)assays.Kappa analysis was used to evaluate the consistency between the two assays. Results The M-RAP method had sensitivity rates of 1,10,and 1 copies/μL for the detection of SA,PA,and AB plasmids,respectively,without cross-reaction to other bacterial species.The M-RAP assay obtained results for<10 CFU/mL pathogens in the blood within 4 h,with higher sensitivity than qPCR.M-RAP and qPCR for SA,PA,and AB yielded Kappa values of 0.839,0.815,and 0.856,respectively(P<0.05). Conclusion An M-RAP assay for SA,PA,and AB in blood samples utilizing M1 bead enrichment has been developed and can be potentially used for the early detection of bacteremia.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of Tongdu Huoxue decoction in the treatment of acute lumbar disc herniation （LDH）. MethodA total of 316 patients with acute LDH admitted to the orthopedic outpatient department of Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Honghu City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2020 to June 2023 were randomly divided into two groups. 156 cases in the control group （two cases with stopped follow-up） were treated with meloxicam tablets， while 153 cases in the observation group （five cases with stopped follow-up） were treated with Tongdu Huoxue decoction. Both groups were treated for three months. The clinical efficacy， McGill Pain Score Scale （SF-MPQ）， Oswestry Dysfunction Index （ODI） score， and the Japanese Orthopaedic Association （JOA） scores of the two groups before and after treatment were compared. The serum levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） of the patients before and after treatment were determined by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The NDI-092 type electromyography-evoked potential instrument was adopted to measure the motor conduction velocity and clinical efficacy of the tibial and common peroneal nerves in patients of the two groups before and after treatment， and the clinical safety of the two groups of patients was compared. ResultAfter treatment， the total effective rate in the observation group was 95.4% （146/153）， significantly higher than that in the control group of 76.3% （119/156） （χ² =23.18， P<0.05）. After treatment， both groups showed significant reductions in SF-MPQ and ODI scores， as well as the levels of IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α （P<0.05）， with the observation group showing a more significant reduction （P<0.05）. Both groups showed a significant increase in JOA scores and motor conduction velocities of the tibial and common peroneal nerves after treatment （P<0.05）， with the observation group showing a more significant increase （P<0.05）. ConclusionTongdu Huoxue decoction can alleviate lumbar and leg pain in acute LDH， improve lumbar spine function， and suppress inflammatory reactions. It is highly safe and is worthy of clinical promotion.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of Tuoli Xiaodusan(MDX)on ischemia-reperfusion injury of rat skin flaps and its potential mechanism.METHODS Rats were randomly divided into sham operation group(Sham group),Model group,MDX high-dose group(MDX-H group)and MDX low-dose group(MDX-L group),with 10 rats in each group.After the rat back skin flap model was successfully constructed,the drug was administered by gavage immediately,once a day for 14 consecutive days.The changes of rat skin flaps in each group after surgery were observed,and the survival rate of rat skin flaps in each group was measured on the 14th day after surgery;the histopathological changes of rat skin flaps were observed by HE staining;the protein expression of p-p65 and p-IκBα in the rat skin flap tissue was detected by Western blot;ELISA method was used to detect the expression of TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 cytokines;Ki67 and CD31 immunohistochemical staining were used to observe epidermal basal layer cell prolifera-tion and vascular regeneration.RESULTS Compared with Model group,MDX-H group and MDX-L group had a small amount of e-dema and inflammatory fluid exudation after surgery,and the scab removal time was advanced;the ischemic necrosis of the skin flap was significantly improved,the area of skin flap necrosis was significantly decreased,and the survival rate of rat skin flaps was signifi-cantly increased(P<0.01).In addition,MDX could significantly improve the pathological morphology of ischemia-reperfusion injury in rat back skin flaps,reduce the expression of p-p65 and p-IκBα proteins(P<0.001),and decrease the levels of TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6 inflammatory factor levels(P<0.05,P<0.01,P<0.001,P<0.000 1).The differences in Ki67 and CD31 also suggested that treatment with MDX accelerate re-epithelialization and blood vessel formation after ischemic flap injury.CONCLUSION MDX plays a role in improving ischemia-reperfusion injury of skin flaps by regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway and accelerating epithelializa-tion and angiogenesis.

Objective:To construct a double-layer bone-on-a-chip containing bone matrix, with which the process of osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation in vitro is stimulated, aiming to provide a new platform for the development of osteoporosis medications. Methods:Software WorkSoild was used to design the double-layer and double-channel bone-on-a-chip and the template was fabricated by photolithography. With polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as the raw material, the main body of the chip was prepared by mold fabrication. The inlets and outlets of the four channels of the culture room were separated with bovine cortex bones and sealed with liquid storage columns. In the chip verification experiment, chips were divided into osteogenic and osteoclastic induction groups and osteogenic and osteoclastic control groups. In the osteogenic and osteoclastic induction groups, precursor cells of mouse embryonic osteoblast, MC3T3-E1 and mouse macrophage RAW264.7 were inoculated on the chip separately. Osteogenic induction lasted 14 days and osteoclastic induction 7 days. MC3T3-E1 cells and RAW264.7 cells were not induced in the osteogenic and osteoclastic control groups. The following indicators were observed: (1) Appearance and sealing performance of the chip: After the chip was prepared, photos were taken to observe its appearance and sealing tests were conducted to observe its sealing performance. (2) Biocompatibility: At 3 days after MC3T3-E1 cells were inoculated onto the chip and cultured and at 1, 3 and 5 days after RAW264.7 cells were inoculated onto the chip and cultured, the cell survival was observed with calcein acetoxymethyl ester/propidium iodide (AM/PI) staining and Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK-8). (3) Osteogenic differentiation: Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and alizarin red staining were performed on the cells in the osteogenic induction group to observe the osteogenic induction. RNA was collected from the osteogenic induction group and the osteogenic control group, the expression of osteoblast marker Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), osteocalcin (OCN) and type I collagen (COL1A1) was detected by real-time florescent quantitative PCR (qPCR), and the differentiation degree and osteogenic ability of osteoblasts were observed. (4) Osteoclast differentiation: tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining was performed on cells in the osteoclastic induction group to observe osteoclast differentiation. RNA was extracted from the osteoclastic induction group and the osteoclastic control group for qPCR of osteoclast differentiation-related genes, and the expression levels of the osteoclast marker gene TRAP, cathepsin K (CTSK) and dendritic cell specific transmembrane protein (DC-STAMP) were detected.Results:The double-layer bone-on-a-chip containing bone matrix was 3 cm×3 cm in size and transparent as a whole. The structure of the system on the chip system was compact and had no seepage. It was shown by calcein AM/PI staining that at 3 days after MC3T3-E1 cells and RAW264.7 cells were cultured, very few red fluorescent dead cells were found. CCK-8 test showed that within 5 days after being cultured, the cell viability was all above 90%, indicating that the biocompatibility of the chip was good and the cells could survive and proliferate normally. The results of ALP and alizarin red staining showed that MC3T3-E1 cells successfully differentiated into osteoblasts and produced calcified nodules in the osteogenic induction group at 14 days after the induction. The qPCR results showed that the relative expression level of RUNX2 in MC3T3-E1 cells in the osteogenic induction group was 4.98±0.74, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (0.99±0.03) ( P<0.01). The relative expression level of OCN in MC3T3-E1 cells was 7.98±0.76, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (1.00±0.06) ( P<0.01). The relative expression level of COL1A1 in MC3T3-E1 cells was 7.07±0.56, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (0.97±0.03) ( P<0.01). The TRAP staining results showed that the RAW264.7 cells in the osteoclastic induction group differentiated to giant multinucleated osteoclasts, and TRAP protein was expressed in large quantity in the osteoclasts. The results of qPCR showed that the relative expression level of TRAP in RAW264.7 cells in the osteoclastic induction group was 3.35±0.37, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (1.01±0.06) ( P<0.01). The relative expression level of CTSK in RAW264.7 cells was 3.46±0.79, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (1.01±0.05) ( P<0.01). The relative expression level of DC-STAMP in RAW264.7 cells was 1.92±0.12, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (0.98±0.08) ( P<0.01). Conclusions:The double-layer bone-on-a-chip containing bone matrix is compact in structure, can be cultured in vitro for a long time, has good biocompatibility and can be used for inducing osteogenic and osteoclast differentiation. Therefore, it is expected to provide a new research platform for exploring the mechanism of osteoporosis and medication screening.

Objective:To investigate the indications and effects of arthroscopic all-inside reconstruction in the treatment of isolated posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 47 patients with isolated PCL injury, who underwent arthroscopic all-inside reconstruction in the Third Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital from January 2016 to January 2020. There were 39 males and 8 females, aged 27.14±7.70 years old (range 16-40 years old). The preoperative kneeling-position stress X-ray showed that the degree of tibial posterior displacement was 8-10 mm, which was a complete and isolated Grade II PCL injury. The tibial and femoral tunnels were created through posterior-medial, anteromedial, and anterolateral portals, while the lateral portal to the medial femoral condyle was enlarged to position the tibial tunnel and protect the anterior cruciate ligament. The autologous graft tendon was pulled through the femoral and tibial tunnels secured with an adjustable loop plate. The efficacy was evaluated by evaluating and comparing preoperative and postoperative Lachman test, posterior drawer test, knee range of motion and relaxation, pain visual analogue scale (VAS) and Lysholm score.Results:43 patients were followed up for 35.21±3.88 months (range 12-40 months). The symptoms of knee instability all improved after surgery. At the follow-up of 1 year after surgery, 41 (95%) and 40 (93%) patients showed normal or I-degree laxity in Lachman test and posterior drawer test, respectively. The active range of motion and passive flexion of the knee joint were increased to 90°-110° and 110°-130°, respectively. The Lysholm score was 86.44±4.08 at the first year of follow-up and 90.12±3.33 at the last follow-up with significant difference compared with pre-operations ( P<0.05). The VAS score was 2.07±0.94 at the first year of follow-up and 1.28±0.83 at the last follow-up with significant difference compared with pre-operations ( P<0.05). The Lysholm score and VAS were 90.12±3.33 and 1.28±0.83, which were significantly improved compared to 1-year-follow-up ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Routine kneeling stress X-rays can evaluate the degree of tibial posterior displacement in isolated PCL injuries. With tibial posterior displacement equal to or greater than 10 mm, surgical reconstruction was required. All-inside reconstruction of isolated PCL injury was a safe and minimally invasive surgery to improve symptoms and restore knee functions.

The incidence of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) continues to rise, and there are no effective drugs to treat it. The immune microenvironment plays an important role in the development of ICC and is currently a research hotspot. Icaritin (ICA) is an innovative traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. It is considered to have potential immunoregulatory and anti-tumor effects, which is potentially consistent with the understanding of "Fuzheng" in the treatment of tumor in traditional Chinese medicine. However, whether ICA can be used to treat ICC has not been reported. Therefore, in this study, sgp19/kRas, an in situ ICC mouse model with intact immune system, was selected to evaluate the efficacy of ICA in the treatment of ICC in vivo for the first time, and the effects of ICA on the tumor immune microenvironment of ICC mice were analyzed by flow cytometry. This experiment was approved by the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Capital Medical University (approval number: AEEI-2023-138). In this study, sgp19/kRas ICC mouse model was treated with oral gavage of 100 mg·kg^-1 ICA. We found that ICA significantly inhibited tumor growth and tumor cell proliferation in the sgp19/kRas ICC mouse model after 3 weeks of treatment. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that ICA treatment markedly reduced the proportion of M2 macrophages and increased the number of CD3⁺CD4⁺ T cells. In vitro experiments demonstrated that ICA promoted macrophage polarization towards the M1 phenotype while inhibiting polarization towards the M2 phenotype. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis suggested that ICA enhanced Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) expression, influencing macrophage nitric oxide metabolism synthesis pathways and receptor-related activities, thereby regulating macrophage polarization. In summary, this study demonstrates that ICA treatment significantly delays tumor progression in sgp19/kRas ICC mouse models. Mechanistically, ICA may achieve its anti-ICC effects by upregulating TLR9 receptor expression levels, promoting macrophage polarization towards the M1 phenotype, and altering the tumor immune microenvironment.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of hypomethylating agents (HMA) in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) .Methods:A total of 409 MDS patients from 45 hospitals in Zhejiang province who received at least four consecutive cycles of HMA monotherapy as initial therapy were enrolled to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HMA. Mann-Whitney U or Chi-square tests were used to compare the differences in the clinical data. Logistic regression and Cox regression were used to analyze the factors affecting efficacy and survival. Kaplan-Meier was used for survival analysis. Results:Patients received HMA treatment for a median of 6 cycles (range, 4-25 cycles) . The complete remission (CR) rate was 33.98% and the overall response rate (ORR) was 77.02%. Multivariate analysis revealed that complex karyotype ( P=0.02, OR=0.39, 95% CI 0.18-0.84) was an independent favorable factor for CR rate. TP53 mutation ( P=0.02, OR=0.22, 95% CI 0.06-0.77) was a predictive factor for a higher ORR. The median OS for the HMA-treated patients was 25.67 (95% CI 21.14-30.19) months. HMA response ( P=0.036, HR=0.47, 95% CI 0.23-0.95) was an independent favorable prognostic factor, whereas complex karyotype ( P=0.024, HR=2.14, 95% CI 1.10-4.15) , leukemia transformation ( P<0.001, HR=2.839, 95% CI 1.64-4.92) , and TP53 mutation ( P=0.012, HR=2.19, 95% CI 1.19-4.07) were independent adverse prognostic factors. There was no significant difference in efficacy and survival between the reduced and standard doses of HMA. The CR rate and ORR of MDS patients treated with decitabine and azacitidine were not significantly different. The median OS of patients treated with decitabine was longer compared with that of patients treated with azacitidine (29.53 months vs 20.17 months, P=0.007) . The incidence of bone marrow suppression and pneumonia in the decitabine group was higher compared with that in the azacitidine group. Conclusion:Continuous and regular use of appropriate doses of hypomethylating agents may benefit MDS patients to the greatest extent if it is tolerated.