Low Density Group Research Articles

Testing the New Parameters affecting The Outcome of Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy for Upper Ureteric Stones

Background: Extracorporeal Shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is widely used in treating patients with ureteralstones because it is effective, safe, and noninvasive. Based on factors such as size and the location of stones,there is a significant variation in the overall stone-free rate (SFR).Aim of the study: To evaluate the effect of ureteral wall thickness (UWT), stone attenuation, the time fromfirst attack of pain till first session of ESWL and stone/ rib density on the outcome of SWL in the treatmentof upper ureteral stones (UUS).Patient and methods: A prospective study when 127 patients with radio-opaque UUS ranging from 7 to 20mm and treated by ESWL were included in this study. The effect of (stone/ 12th rib) density by KUB, ureteralwall thickness by NCCT and the time from first attack of pain till first ESWL session was studied.Results: The overall successful fragmentation was 75.5%, with the overall success rates in the low density(LD) and high density (HD) groups were 83.8% and 52.94%, respectively. The average number of SWLsessions needed in the two groups for success was 1.9 compared with 2.7 sessions (p<0.05). For stones <10 mm; those with ureteral wall thickness <3.25 mm have success rate about 90.3% VS 69.7% with uretericwall thickness > 3.25 mm which is highly significant. Early ESWL within the first 24 hours of acute attackof first pain has successful fragmentation of 85.45%. With significant effect on number of ESWL sessions.The stone free rate reaches 91.1% for stones <10 mm.Conclusions: The stone free rate is inversely affected by stone /12th rib density ; ureteral wall thickness andthe time from first attack of pain till first session of ESWL, were important predictors of successful ESWL.

Using hydrogen peroxide to control cyanobacterial blooms: A mesocosm study focused on the effects of algal density in Lake Chaohu, China.

The application of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to control harmful algal blooms is affected by algal density and species. In the present study, a simulation field study was carried out to evaluate the removal of cyanobacteria with high algal density (chlorophyll a of approximately 220-250μg/L) and low algal density (chlorophyll a of approximately 30-50μg/L) using 10, 20mg/L H2O2 and 5mg/L H2O2. The dynamics of algal biomass, nutrients, microcystins, phytoplankton, and zooplankton were measured within 7d. The results showed that 5mg/L H2O2 effectively eliminated algal biomass (measured as chlorophyll a and phycocyanin) and inhibited 50% of the photosynthetic activity of the cyanobacteria at 7d in the low algal cell density group, while the same inhibition rate was observed in the high algal cell density group when the H2O2 was 20mg/L. However, using a high dosage of H2O2, such as 10mg/L, to suppress cyanobacteria with high biomass could result in a dramatic increase in nutrients and microcystins in the water column. The portion of eukaryotic algae, such as Chlorophyta, Bacillariophyta and Euglenophyta, in the phytoplankton community increased with increasing H2O2 concentrations; moreover, the dominant species of cyanobacteria changed from the nontoxic genus Dactylococcopsis to the toxic genus Oscillatoria, which may result in acute toxicity to zooplankton. Our results demonstrated that the application of H2O2 to control cyanobacterial blooms at the early stage when algal cell density was low posed less potential ecological risks and may have increased the diversity of the phytoplankton community.

Prognostic Analysis of NSCLC Based on the Tumor-associated Macrophages, Tumor Neo-vessels and PD-L1 Expression in Tumor Microenvironment

背景与目的肿瘤微环境是肿瘤细胞赖以生存的复杂环境。其中肿瘤相关巨噬细胞（tumor-associated macrophages, TAMs）、肿瘤新生血管及程序性死亡受体1/程序性死亡受体-配体1（programmed cell death protein 1/programmed cell death ligand 1, PD-1/PD-L1）作为关键部分，在肿瘤发生、发展过程中起重要作用，影响患者预后。本研究旨在阐明TAMs、肿瘤新生血管和PD-L1的表达与非小细胞肺癌（non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC）临床病理特征的相关性，并探讨它们对NSCLC预后的影响。方法收集92例NSCLC患者的临床病理资料及手术标本，采用免疫组化法检测癌组织和癌旁组织中TAMs、肿瘤新生血管和PD-L1的表达，采用配备有Olympus-DP72图像采集系统的Olympus-BX51正置显微镜进行拍照并用Image-pro Plus 6.0软件进行半定量分析。结果癌组织与癌旁组织中TAMs、肿瘤新生血管和PD-L1的表达差异无统计学意义（P > 0.05）。根据肿瘤微环境中各组分的定量表达，可将其分为低、中、高表达组。癌组织中TAMs的低、中和高密度组的中位总生存（overall survival, OS）分别是36个月（95%CI: 25.3-46.7）、26个月（95%CI: 12.2-39.8）和16个月（95%CI: 9.4-22.6），差异具有统计学意义（P=0.016）；肿瘤新生血管的低、中和高密度组的中位OS分别为30个月（95%CI: 22.5-37.5）、28个月（95%CI: 18.1-37.9）和25个月（95%CI: 14.6-35.4），差异无统计学意义（P=0.626）；PD-L1的低、中和高表达组的中位OS分别为35个月（95%CI: 29.4-40.6），28个月（95%CI: 13.6-42.4）和17个月（95%CI: 10.5-23.5），差异具有统计学意义（P=0.002）。联合低、中和高表达组的中位OS分别为36个月（95%CI: 30.6-41.4）、26个月（95%CI: 19.2-32.8）和9个月（95%CI: 4.4-13.6），差异具有统计学意义（P=0.001）。Cox回归分析结果显示，病理分型、TAMs和PD-L1均为肺癌患者的独立预后因素。结论肿瘤微环境关键成分PD-L1及TAMs的表达与NSCLC患者的预后密切相关。

Effect of hypertriglyceridemia in dyslipidemia-induced impaired glucose tolerance and sex differences in dietary features associated with hypertriglyceridemia among the Japanese population: The Gifu Diabetes Study.

Aims/IntroductionThe mechanisms underlying hypertriglyceridemia‐induced impaired glucose tolerance in Japanese individuals remain unclear. We aimed to evaluate the effect of hypertriglyceridemia on glucose metabolism in comparison with that of increased low‐density lipoprotein or decreased high‐density lipoprotein levels and to elucidate the sex differences in hypertriglyceridemia‐related dietary intake among Japanese individuals.Materials and MethodsWe randomly selected 898 (384 men and 514 women) participants aged 40–78 years in the Gifu Diabetes Study; those taking medication for dyslipidemia or diabetes mellitus were excluded. Serum levels of glucose metabolism parameters and the food frequency were measured cross‐sectionally. The glycated hemoglobin was measured again after 5 years.ResultsGlucose metabolism parameters and the percentage of individuals with impaired glucose tolerance were significantly higher in the high triglyceride group in men and women. Similar trends were observed in the low high‐density lipoprotein group, but only in men. Meanwhile, only the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance was higher in the high low‐density lipoprotein group. In non‐obese men, the percentage of energy intake from alcohol per total daily energy intake was significantly greater in the high triglyceride group. In obese women, the total energy intake was significantly greater in the high triglyceride group. At the 5‐year follow up, the risk of elevated glycated hemoglobin levels with hypertriglyceridemia was increased in men.ConclusionsHypertriglyceridemia is a stronger risk factor for impaired glucose tolerance than increased low‐density lipoprotein or decreased high‐density lipoprotein. For dietary habits, increased daily alcohol energy intake in non‐obese men and increased total energy intake in obese women were associated with hypertriglyceridemia.

Clinical relevance of low-density Plasmodium falciparum parasitemia in untreated febrile children: A cohort study.

Low-density (LD) Plasmodium infections are missed by standard malaria rapid diagnostic tests (standard mRDT) when the blood antigen concentration is below the detection threshold. The clinical impact of these LD infections is unknown. This study investigates the clinical presentation and outcome of untreated febrile children with LD infections attending primary care facilities in a moderately endemic area of Tanzania. This cohort study includes 2,801 febrile pediatric outpatients (median age 13.5 months [range 2-59], female:male ratio 0.8:1.0) recruited in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania between 01 December 2014 and 28 February 2016. Treatment decisions were guided by a clinical decision support algorithm run on a mobile app, which also collected clinical data. Only standard mRDT+ cases received antimalarials. Outcomes (clinical failure, secondary hospitalization, and death) were collected in follow-up visits or interviews on days 3, 7, and 28. After patient recruitment had ended, frozen blood from all 2,801 patients was tested for Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) by ultrasensitive-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), standard mRDT, and "ultrasensitive" mRDT. As the latter did not improve sensitivity beyond standard mRDT, it is hereafter excluded. Clinical features and outcomes in LD patients (standard mRDT-/ultrasensitive-qPCR+, not given antimalarials) were compared with those with no detectable (ND) parasitemia (standard mRDT-/ultrasensitive-qPCR-) or high-density (HD) infections (standard mRDT+/ultrasensitive-qPCR+, antimalarial-treated). Pf positivity rate was 7.1% (n = 199/2,801) and 9.8% (n = 274/2,801) by standard mRDT and ultrasensitive qPCR, respectively. Thus, 28.0% (n = 76/274) of ultrasensitive qPCR+ cases were not detected by standard mRDT and labeled "LD". LD patients were, on average, 10.6 months younger than those with HD infections (95% CI 7.0-14.3 months, p < 0.001). Compared with ND, LD patients more frequently had the diagnosis of undifferentiated fever of presumed viral origin (risk ratio [RR] = 2.0, 95% CI 1.3-3.1, p = 0.003) and were more often suffering from severe malnutrition (RR = 3.2, 95% CI 1.1-7.5, p = 0.03). Despite not receiving antimalarials, outcomes for the LD group did not differ from ND regarding clinical failures (2.6% [n = 2/76] versus 4.0% [n = 101/2,527], RR = 0.7, 95% CI 0.2-3.5, p = 0.7) or secondary hospitalizations (2.6% [n = 2/76] versus 2.8% [n = 72/2,527], RR = 0.7,95% CI 0.2-3.2, p = 0.9), and no deaths were reported in any Pf-positive groups. HD patients experienced more secondary hospitalizations (10.1% [n = 20/198], RR = 0.3, 95% CI 0.1-1.0, p = 0.005) than LD patients. All the patients in this cohort were febrile children; thus, the association between parasitemia and fever cannot be investigated, nor can the conclusions be extrapolated to neonates and adults. During a 28-day follow-up period, we did not find evidence of a difference in negative outcomes between febrile children with untreated LD Pf parasitemia and those without Pf parasitemia. These findings suggest LD parasitemia may either be a self-resolving fever or an incidental finding in children with other infections, including those of viral origin. These findings do not support a clinical benefit nor additional risk (e.g. because of missed bacterial infections) to using ultrasensitive malaria diagnostics at a primary care level.

Moonshine worms (Diopatra aciculata: Onuphidae, Annelida) in the Knysna Estuary, South Africa; taxonomy and distribution

AbstractMoonshine worms are a popular bait species used for fishing. The taxon was not detected during surveys of the macrobenthos conducted in Knysna in the 1940s and 1990s, and was first reported as a harvested bait species in the mid-2000s, suggesting that it appeared for the first time in the estuary in the last three decades. A previous molecular analysis identified the worms asDiopatra aciculata, a species first described from Australia. This study provides an updated detailed morphological description ofD. aciculatain South Africa to facilitate future identifications and also investigates the species' distribution and population size in the Knysna Estuary. Specimens were examined by scanning electron, stereo- and compound microscopes.Diopatra aciculatahas tubes that protrude from the sediment in sandy areas, often decorated with algae and shell fragments; a large body size, up to 600 mm long and 11.5 mm wide. It has 10–18 rings on ceratophores; 5–10 teeth on pectinate chaetae; uni- and bidentate pseudo-compound falcigers and dorsal cirri approximately as long as branchiae.Diopatra aciculatawas detected up to 12 km from the mouth of the Knysna Estuary with densities measured at 18 sampled sites. Statistical analysis retrieved high and low density groups that were significantly different from one another (Kruskal-Wallis H(14, 800)= 376.55;P= 0.01), but distribution of high density sites was patchy. We estimate that the population comprises 20–24 million individuals. Given the size of individual worms and the population estimate, this species can be expected to have significant ecological impacts in the estuary.

The Petri Dish-N2B27 Culture Condition Maintains RPE Phenotype by Inhibiting Cell Proliferation and mTOR Activation.

Objective To develop a method for the rapid isolation of rat RPE cells with high yield and maintain its epithelial state in modified culture system. Methods The eyeballs were incubated with dispase. The retina was isolated with RPE attached and cut into several pieces. Following a brief incubation in growth medium, large RPE sheets can be harvested rapidly. RPE cells were divided into four groups and cultured for several weeks, that is, (1) in cell culture dishes with 10% FBS containing medium (CC dish-FBS), (2) in petri dishes with 10% FBS containing medium (Petri dish-FBS), (3) in cell culture dishes with N2 and B27 containing medium (CC dish-N2B27), and (4) in petri dishes with N2 and B27 containing medium (Petri dish-N2B27). Morphological and biological characteristics were investigated using light microscopy, Q-PCR, and western blot. Results The retina would curl inwardly during the growth medium incubation period, releasing RPE sheets in the medium. Compared with low density group (5,000 cells/cm2), RPE cells plated at high density (15,000 cells/cm2) can maintain RPE morphology for a more extended period. Meanwhile, plating RPE cells at low density significantly reduced the expression of RPE cell type-specific genes (RPE65, CRALBP, and bestrophin) and increased the expression of EMT-related genes (N-cadherin, fibronectin, and α-SMA), in comparison with the samples from the high density group. The petri dish culture condition reduced cell adhesion and thus inhibited RPE cell proliferation. As compared with other culture conditions, RPE cells in the petri dish-N2B27 condition could maintain RPE phenotype with increased expression of RPE-specific genes and decreased expression of EMT-related genes. The AKT/mTOR pathway was also decreased in petri dish-N2B27 condition. Conclusion The current study provided an alternative method for easy isolation of RPE cells with high yield and maintenance of its epithelial morphology in the petri dish-N2B27 condition.

The role of neutrophil density in neutrophils-mediated inflammatory response induced by monosodium urate crystals

Objective: To study the role of neutrophil density and molecular mechanism in neutrophils-mediated inflammatory response induced by monosodium urate (MSU) crystals. Methods: Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) isolated from healthy human peripheral blood were treated with MSU crystals at different density (5×10(6)/ml, 20×10(6)/ml, 100×10(6)/ml) in vitro. The mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of PMNs and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected by flow cytometry. The distribution of MSU crystals was observed by polarized light microscopy. The neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation was detected by immune fluorescence. The cytokines in cell supernatant were measured by beads assay including interleukin 1β (IL-1β) , tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) , interleukin 8 (IL-8) , interferon inducible protein 10 (IP-10) , macrophage inflammatory protein 1 (MIP-1) , monokine induced by interferon-γ (MIG) , macrophage inflammatory protein 1α (MIP-1α) , macrophage inflammatory protein 1β (MIP-1β) . Results: (1) After MSU crystal intervention, the side scatters (SSC) of neutrophils with medium-cell density (20×10(6)/ml) and high-cell density (100×10(6)/ml) were 128±13 and 93±9 respectively, both significantly lower than 170±19 in low-cell density (5×10(6)/ml) group.(2) Similarly, compared with low-cell density group, the MFI (lucifer yellow) of PMNs with high-cell density was 1.8±0.2, also significantly decreased (P<0.05). When co-treated with oxygenated adenosine triphosphate (oxATP), MFI of PMNs were all enhanced consistently. (3) In MSU crystals stimulated PMNs, after adding 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate, the MFI values were 0.85±0.32, 2.49±0.78, 4.54±1.02 in low cell density groups, medium cell density groups, and high cell density groups respectively, indicating that the generation of ROS was positively correlated with the increase of PMN density (P<0.05). After the intervention of oxATP, the ROS production was significantly reduced. (4) MSU crystal induced NETs formation, especially at high cell density. NETs formation promotes MSU crystal aggregation, which could be partially overcome by oxATP pretreatment. (5) The expression of cytokines were all significantly decreased in the supernatant of PMNs at high cell density exposed to MSU crystals compared with PMNs at medium cell density (P<0.05) . Conclusion: The PMN-mediated inflammation induced by MSU crystals is cell density dependent, and ATP may play a role in partially overcoming the process.

Transcriptomic Profiling of the Immune Response to Crowding Stress in Juvenile Turbot (Scophthalmus maximus)

In this study, juvenile turbot Scophthalmus maximus were vaccinated with attenuated Edwardsiella tarda (EIBAV1) and reared at two different densities, low density (LD), (5.25±0.02)kgm−2, as control group and high density (HD), (20.53±0.05) kg m−2, as experimental group. Only density was considered as the variable. Five weeks after vaccination, the transcriptomes of spleen and head kidney from the turbot in two groups were analyzed with RNA-Seq technology. A total of 447 million reads were assembled into 41136 genes with an average length of 1274 bp and a N50 size of 2295 bp. A comparison of gene expression between HD and LD groups revealed 1155 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Enrichment and pathway analysis of the 10 immune-related DEGs showed the centrality of toll-like receptor signaling pathway, cytosolic DNA-sensing pathway and platelet activation in the host immune responses. The 5 overexpressed inflammatory cytokines and 5 downregulated signal-regulated cytokines genes are covered by these immune-related DEGs. It was inferred that cells suffer damage and the immune response is restrained in turbot under crowding stress.

The association between dyslipidemia and the incidence of chronic kidney disease in the general Zhejiang population: a retrospective study

BackgroundAccording to the “lipid nephrotoxicity hypothesis”, there is now significant research being conducted in this area. By studying the role of hyperlipidemia in chronic kidney disease in the general Zhejiang population, we aimed to explore the correlation between changes in blood lipid levels and chronic kidney disease.MethodsWe collected and analyzed clinical data from ordinary residents who participated in the annual comprehensive physical examination with no overt kidney disease in Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, China from January 2011 to December 2016. According to triglyceride, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels, participants were respectively divided into 4 groups. Statistical methods were used to evaluate the correlation between different blood lipid profiles and chronic kidney disease.ResultsFive thousand one hundred eighty-three participants were included in our study. During the six-year follow-up period, 227 participants (4.4%) developed chronic kidney disease. The odds ratio for incident chronic kidney disease was 3.14 (95%CI: 1.53–6.43) in Q3, 3.84 (95%CI: 1.90–7.76) in Q4 according to the total cholesterol group and 1.17 (95%CI: 1.04–1.32) in Q3, 1.40 (95%CI: 1.11–2.48) in Q4 according to the low-density lipoprotein group, respectively, after multivariable-adjusted analyses. According to the triglyceride grouping, the odds ratio for incident chronic kidney disease was 2.88 (95%CI: 1.29–6.43) in Q2, 2.92 (95%CI: 1.44–6.57) in Q3 and 3.08 (95%CI: 1.11–6.69) in Q4, after multivariable-adjusted analyses.ConclusionIncreased triglycerides and high levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein were independently associated with an increased likelihood of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline and development of incident chronic kidney disease in the general Zhejiang population.

A Room Monitoring System Using Deep Learning and Perspective Correction Techniques

Studies on room monitoring have only focused on objects in a singular and uniform posture or low-density groups. Considering the wide use of convolutional neural networks for object detection, especially person detection, we use deep learning and perspective correction techniques to propose a room monitoring system that can detect persons with different motion states, high-density groups, and small-sized persons owing to the distance from the camera. This system uses consecutive frames from the monitoring camera as input images. Two approaches are used: perspective correction and person detection. First, perspective correction is used to transform an input image into a 2D top-view image. This allows users to observe the system more easily with different views (2D and 3D views). Second, the proposed person detection scheme combines the Mask region-based convolutional neural network (R-CNN) scheme and the tile technique for person detection, especially for detecting small-sized persons. All results are stored in a cloud database. Moreover, new person coordinates in 2D images are generated from the final bounding boxes and heat maps are created according to the 2D images; these enable users to examine the system quickly in different views. Additionally, a system prototype is developed to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed system. Experimental results prove that our proposed system outperforms existing schemes in terms of accuracy, mean absolute error (MAE), and root mean squared error (RMSE).

Effect of body site on hair follicle density in Inner Mongolia cashmere goat (Capra hircus)

Abstract In this study, hair follicle density (HFD) was compared among different body sites in Inner Mongolia cashmere goat (Capra hirus). Skin samples from 14 different body sites of 11 Inner Mongolia cashmere goats were collected. A total of 154 skin samples were processed for paraffin embedment, sectioning and H&E staining. Images of 9.26 mm2 were captured by a microscope camera, and primary hair follicle density (PHFD), secondary hair follicle density (SHFD), the ratio of second to primary hair follicle density (S/P) and total hair follicle density (THFD) were calculated. The results showed that there was no significant difference in HFD between females and males. The 14 body sites were clustered into three categories according to the HFD. The THFD of high-density, medium-density and low-density groups was 50.0 ± 8.5, 41.6 ± 7.1 and 26.6 ± 6.2 follicles/mm2 of stained skin section, respectively, and the significant differences (P

Response of egg parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae and Trichogrammatidae) to the density of Dalbulus maidis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) eggs in maize habitats

Understanding the response of egg parasitoids to host density is essential for efficient biological control. However, this response has been little investigated in parasitoids that attack eggs of insect pests that transmit plant pathogens in a persistent-propagative mode. The objective of the present study was to investigate the response of two egg parasitoid communities to high and low densities of eggs of the corn leafhopper Dalbulus maidis, an efficient vector of maize plant pathogens. Five and ten two-week-old female D. maidis (for the low-density and high-density groups, respectively) were allowed to oviposit on landrace maize leaves. The maize plants with the eggs were then transported to a seasonal and a year-round maize habitat in central Mexico, where they were exposed to naturally occurring parasitoids. In total, four treatments were conducted: seasonal maize habitat/low egg density (SL), seasonal maize habitat/high egg density (SH), year-round maize habitat/low egg density (YL), and year-round maize habitat/high egg density (YH). The parasitoids emerging from the eggs included the Mymaridae Anagrus virlai and Anagrus incarnatus, and the Trichogrammatidae Paracentrobia sp., Pseudoligosita sp., and Oligosita sp., with A. virlai as the most abundant species. An inverse density-dependent relationship was found between the number of D. maidis eggs and the rate of parasitism in the SH group. In the SL, YL, and YH groups, an independent relationship was seen between the number of eggs and the parasitism rate. These results suggest that high vs. low egg density affects the density-dependence relationships between egg parasitoids and their hosts.

Important considerations for cell therapy manufacturing of mesenchymal stem cell

Background & Aim Recent advances in cell therapy manufacturing, e.g. microcarrier-based 3D culture and perfusion, have paved the way for cost-effective large-scale expansion of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). In particular, perfusion and enhanced feed boosts allow the culture to reach increasingly high cell densities. Although the high cell density is favorable to customers due to the low cost and high cell dose requirements, we should not overlook its impact on cell quality. Here, we studied the correlation between 3D culture cell density with a variety of commonly used cell quality parameters for both fresh and post-thaw cells. Methods, Results & Conclusion MSC 3D cultures were carried out using different microcarriers (Cultispher-G, dissolvable Corning Synthemax, and Pall SoloHill collagen) and media in spinner flasks and stirred-tank bioreactors. MSCs were able to expand on all microcarriers (Figure1), reaching a final density of 0.6 to 1 million cells/mL. Attachment and proliferation capacities of 3D-expanded MSCs, harvested at different cell densities, were assessed by culturing them post-harvest on 2D flatware. Figure2 shows that MSCs harvested at low cell densities (day4) proliferated significantly higher than MSCs harvested at high cell densities (day5-8). Similar pattern was observed for 3D-cultured MSCs post-thaw. Cell viability was also evaluated for both fresh and post-thaw MSCs harvested at low and high cell densities. For most cases, MSCs harvested at both low and high cell densities, showed above 90% viability over 0-6 hours (Figure3). MSCs expanded using SoloHill microcarriers displayed >90% post-thaw viability for both low and high cell densities. However, dissolvable Corning-Synthemax exhibited up to 12% and 30% drops, and Cultispher-G up to 24% and 51% drops for low and high cell density groups, respectively. Figure3 also shows that the extent of decline in post-thaw vibility was higher for MSCs harvested at high cell densities versus low cell densities. In conclusions, our findings indicated that the extended 3D culture (i.e. harvesting at higher cell densities) led to compromising attachment and proliferation capacities of MSCs, regardless of the choice of microcarrier. For Cultispher-G and dissolvable Coning-Synthemax, we observed 20-30% lower cell viabilities for MSCs harvested at high densities compared to low densities.

Efficient Removal of Dyes from Aqueous Solution by a Porous Sodium Alginate/gelatin/graphene Oxide Triple-network Composite Aerogel

A three-dimensional (3D) robust sodium alginate/gelatin/graphene oxide (SGGO) triple-network composite aerogel was designed using a “hydrophilic assembly–sustained release gelation” two-step method. The resulting SGGO aerogel has an ordered fishing net-like microstructure, low density (16.2 mg/cm3), high porosity (93.5%), and abundant functional groups when only 3 wt% GO was incorporated. The reinforced mechanical strength can reach 0.37 MPa and 0.12 MPa under dry and wet states, respectively, and the dry strength can still reach 0.31 MPa without a significant loss after five compression cycles. A batch adsorption experiment was performed as a function of pH, contact time and initial concentration. Adsorption behavior followed the pseudo second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm, yielding the maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 322.6 mg/g and 196.8 mg/g for Methylene blue (MB) and Congo red (CR), respectively. Moreover, thermodynamic studies indicated a spontaneous and endothermic adsorption process. After five regeneration cycles, the adsorption capacity can reach 88.4% and 86.5% of the initial values for MB and CR, demonstrating a high-performance, recyclable and promising candidate for dye wastewater treatment.

Tree-Ring Analysis Reveals Density-Dependent Vulnerability to Drought in Planted Mongolian Pines

Population density influences tree responses to environmental stresses, such as drought and high temperature. Prolonged drought negatively affects the health of Mongolian pines in forests planted by the Three-North Shelter Forest Program in North China. To understand the relationship between stand density and drought-induced forest decline, and to generate information regarding the development of future management strategies, we analyzed the vulnerability to drought of planted Mongolian pines at three stand densities. A tree-ring width index for trees from each density was established from tree-ring data covering the period 1988–2018 and was compared for differences in radial growth. Resistance (Rt), recovery (Rc), resilience (Rs), and relative resilience (RRs) in response to drought events were calculated from the smoothed basal area increment (BAI) curves. The high-density (HDT) group showed a consistently lower tree-ring width than the border trees (BT) and low-density (LDT) groups. The BAI curve of the HDT group started to decrease five years earlier than the LDT and BT groups. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the radial growth of all of the groups was related to precipitation, relative humidity (RH), potential evapotranspiration (ET0), and standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) in the previous October and the most recent July, indicating that Mongolian pine trees of different densities had similar growth–climate relationships. Over the three decades, the trees experienced three severe drought events, each causing reduced tree-ring width and BAI. All of the groups showed similar Rc to each drought event, but the HDT group exhibited significantly lower Rt, Rs, and RRs than the BT group, suggesting that the HDT trees were more vulnerable to repeated drought stress. The RRs of the HDT group decreased progressively after each drought event and attained &lt;0 after the third event. All of the groups showed similar trends regarding water consumption under varying weather conditions, but the HDT group showed significantly reduced whole-tree hydraulic capability compared with the other two groups. From these results, HDT trees exhibit ecophysiological memory effects from successive droughts, including sap flux dysfunction and higher competition index, which may prevent recovery of pre-drought growth rates. HDT trees may be at greater risk of mortality under future drought disturbance.

Preoperative Splenic Density for the Prediction of Survival and Adjuvant Chemotherapy Benefits in Gastric Cancer.

Background: We aimed to determine whether splenic features change during tumor progression by evaluating the clinicopathological characteristics relevant to splenic density in patients with gastric cancer (GC) and identify a new predictive indicator of prognosis and chemotherapy benefits.Methods: In the present analysis, 408 patients who underwent gastrectomy were included. Density was expressed in mean spleen Hounsfield units on computed tomography. Other clinical characteristics and detailed follow-up data were collected. The cutoff splenic density was 47.8 by the Xtile software. The R software was used for characteristic differential analysis in patients with different splenic densities. The Cox proportional hazards model and forest plot were used for prognosis and chemotherapy benefit analyses.Results: Patients with low splenic density had significantly worse 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates (high vs low splenic density: DFS, 63.4% vs 44.6%, p<0.001; OS, 69.8% vs 52.4%, p<0.001). Splenic density showed strong negative correlations with age, number of metastasized lymph nodes, tumor size, and depth of tumor invasion. The benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy were better in the low splenic density group (hazard ratio of OS, 0.546; p=0.001) than in the high-density group (hazard ratio of OS, 0.701; p=0.106).Conclusions: Patients with low splenic density tended to have more advanced tumors and poor prognosis, but better chemotherapy benefits. Splenic density can be regarded as a new indicator of chemotherapy benefits and increase the accuracy of preoperative staging evaluation. Moreover, preoperative evaluation of splenic density may help establish individualized treatment strategies.

The correlations between the anchor density and the curve correction of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis surgery

BackgroundThe optimal anchor density in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) surgery to achieve good curve correction remains unclear. The purpose of the study is to analyze the correlations between three-dimensional curve correction and anchor density in the pedicle screw-based posterior fusion of AIS.MethodsOne hundred and twenty-seven AIS patients receiving primary posterior fusion with pedicle screw instrumentation were retrospectively reviewed. Anchor density (AD) was defined as the screws number per fused spinal segment. The correlations between three-dimensional curve correction radiographic parameters and anchor density were analyzed with subgroup analysis based on different curve types, curve magnitudes, and curve flexibilities. The differences of curve correction parameters between the low-density (AD ≤1.4), middle-density (1.4 < AD ≤1.7) and high-density (AD > 1.7) groups were also calculated. Independent t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used for statistical analysis.ResultsThere were no correlations between the anchor density and the coronal curve correction or apical vertebral rotation (AVR) correction. In the sagittal plane, mild positive correlations existed between anchor density and thoracic kyphosis correction in all patients (r = 0.27, p = 0.002). Subgroup analysis revealed similar mild positive correlations in Lenke 1 (r = 0.31, p = 0.02), Lenke 1–3 (r = 0.27, p = 0.01), small curves (40°-60°, r = 0.38, p < 0.001), and flexible curves (flexibility > 40%, r = 0.34, p = 0.01).There were no differences between low-density (mean 1.31), middle-density (mean 1.55), and high-density (mean 1.83) in terms of coronal or axial curve correction parameters. Low-density group has longer fused level (mean difference 2.14, p = 0.001) and smaller thoracic kyphosis correction (mean difference 9.25°, p = 0.004) than high-density group.ConclusionIn our study, the anchor density was not related to coronal or axial curve corrections. Mild positive correlations with anchor density were found in thoracic kyphosis correction, especially in patients with smaller and flexible curves. Low anchor density with longer fusion level achieves similar curve corrections with middle or high anchor density in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis surgery.

Follow-up study of subventricular zone progenitors with multiple rounds of cell division during sulcogyrogenesis in the ferret cerebral cortex

The subventricular zone (SVZ) of the developing cerebral cortex appears transiently during cortical neurogenesis and is known as the second proliferative zone that contains intermediate progenitor cells and self-renewable neuronal stem cells—the so-called basal radial glia (bRG). The present study attempted to track the differentiation and migration dynamics of SVZ progenitors undergoing multiple cell divisions at the late stage of neurogenesis in a course of sulcogyrogenesis in the ferret, a gyrencephalic mammal. Ferret pups were given a 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) injection on postnatal day (PD) 5 followed by a 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) injection on PD 7. The 48h interval between EdU and BrdU injections covered the minimum times for the first and second S-phase of self-renewing bRG. Two h after BrdU injection, EdU/BrdU-double labeled cells were found in the inner or outer SVZ (iSVZ and oSVZ), more than 80% of which were Sox2-positive. Furthermore, 95.8% of EdU/BrdU-double labeled Sox2-positive progenitors in the iSVZ and 84.2% in the oSVZ were also Pax6-positive, defining these progenitors as bRG. On PD 20, all EdU/BrdU-double labeled cells were NeuN-immunopositive, and more than 60% of these were parvalbumin-immunopositive. EdU/BrdU-double labeled neurons were distributed densely in the superficial portion of the outer cortical stratum. Cluster analysis divided the gyral and sulcal regions into higher and lower density groups, respectively, based on the diversity of the cortical density of EdU/BrdU-double labeled neurons. The higher density group included the gyral and sulcal regions of the prefrontal, parietooccipital and/or cingulate cortex, corresponding to cortical regions associated with evolutionary expansion. Although a limited population of neurons within a narrow time window of cortical neurogenesis was tracked, the present findings suggest that neurons derived from bRG at the late stage of neurogenesis express parvalbumin during corticohistogenesis. Due to the diversity of sulcogyral distributions, neurons derived from bRG may be implicated in evolutionary cortical expansion.

Effects of stocking density during the dry period on dairy cow physiology, metabolism and behaviour.

The effects of high stocking density during the dry period on dairy cow physiology, behaviour and welfare were investigated. Holstein Friesian cows (n = 48, calving over a seven month period) were dried-off 60 ± 4 d before their expected calving date, and allocated to either high (H) or low (L) stocking density groups. Cows were housed in cubicles from dry-off to 21 d before calving and then moved to straw yards until calving. In cubicle pens, H and L cows had 0.5 vs. 1.0 feed yokes/cow and 1.0 vs. 1.5 cubicles/cow, respectively, and in straw yards, 0.3 m vs. 0.6 m linear feed-face space and 6 m2vs. 12 m2 lying space, respectively. Video observations of feeding behaviour during the 3 h after feed delivery (3 d/week) and agonistic interactions at the feed-face during peak feeding (2 d/week) were made. Daily lying proportion was measured using an accelerometer device throughout the dry period. Concentrations of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGCM) at dry-off, d7 and d35 after dry-off and d21 and d7 before calving and the change in energy metabolites (glucose, NEFA, BHB) from dry-off to d7 before calving were measured. H cows were less likely to start feeding within 5 min of feed delivery and spent less time feeding compared to L cows, but they engaged in displacements more frequently and spent more time standing in the feed alley. Irrespective of the treatment groups, FGCM concentrations significantly increased from dry-off to d7 after dry-off and remained higher during the dry period. Stocking density did not affect daily lying proportion, energy metabolites during the dry period and milk yield during subsequent lactation. This study found that whilst high stocking density during the dry period increased competition at the feed-face and altered feeding behaviour, it did not affect stress responses, energy metabolism or subsequent milk yield.