Culture Time Research Articles

P-375 Long-term cryostorage of donor semen does not affect egg donor cycles outcomes

Abstract Study question Does prolonged donor semen cryopreservation impact in success rates of egg donor (ED) IVF cycles? Summary answer Prolonged donor semen cryopreservation does not affect good quality embryos or pregnancy rates in ED-IVF cycles. What is known already Births from cryopreserved semen stored for over 20 years have been documented. In 2004, a case of an IVF birth with semen frozen for 21 years was reported, and in 2005 another case with an IUI birth using semen frozen for 28 years was published. Recently, in 2019, a child born through IVF with semen frozen for over 26 years was reported in UK. In 2019, a study found that prolonged storage of these samples did not affect the outcomes of IVF with own eggs or IUI. Study design, size, duration We analysed data from 969 ED-IVF cycles performed at our centre between 2007 and 2022. Initially, cycles were classified into two independent groups of study to eliminate the impact of differences in embryo culture time. Group 1 or short culture (until Day 3) included 511 cycles from 2007 to 2013, and Group 2 or long culture (until Day5/6) included 458 cycles from 2014 to 2022. Participants/materials, setting, methods Donor oocytes were inseminated by ICSI using donor sperm from our bank. We analysed the relationship between the years of semen cryopreservation and the number of good quality embryos in both groups using Pearson correlation coefficient. Afterwards, the groups were divided into three subgroups based on the years of cryopreservation: 0-<3, ≥3-5, ≥5. Pregnancy and term pregnancy rates were calculated, and their relationship with time of semen cryopreservation were analysed using the Chi-square statistic. Main results and the role of chance No relationship was found between the years of cryopreservation and the number of good quality embryos in either group (Group 1 r=-0.05 and Group 2 r = 0.04). Pregnancy rates for the three subgroups 0-<3, ≥3-5, ≥5 were as follows: 219/454(48.24%),17/ 39(43.59%) and 6/18(33.3%) respectively in Group 1 and 141/213 (66.2%), 62/104 (59.62%), and 85/141 (60.28%) in Group 2. No statistically significant relationship was found in either group (Group 1 p-value=0.41 and Group 2 p-value=0.38). Term pregnancy rates for the three subgroups 0-<3, ≥3-5, ≥5 were as follows: 139/219 (63.47%), 10/17 (58.82%) and 4/6 (66.67%) respectively in Group 1 and 89/141 (63.12%), 39/62 (63.12%) and 56/85 (65.88%) in Group 2. No statistically significant relationship was found in either group (Group 1 p-value=0.91 and Group 2 p-value=0.90). The findings of this study indicate that prolonged donor semen cryopreservation does not appear to have a negative impact on success rates in ED-IVF cycles, both in terms of embryo development, and pregnancy and term pregnancy rates. Limitations, reasons for caution In Group 1 there was a big difference in sample size between subgroups, but it was due to the nature of the study. Wider implications of the findings Despite it seems that prolonged cryopreservation of semen does not affect embryonic viability, there is a lack of many molecular studies to ensure that this does not impact in cellular mechanisms or epigenetics. Trial registration number Not Applicable

Multiparameter imaging flow cytometry-based cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay: Reduction of culture time and blood volume for improved efficiency

In the event of a large-scale incident involving radiological or nuclear exposures, there is a potential for large numbers of individuals to have received doses of radiation sufficient to cause adverse health effects. It is imperative to quickly identify these individuals in order to provide information to the medical community to assist in making decisions about their treatment. The cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay is a well-established method for performing biodosimetry. This assay has previously been adapted to imaging flow cytometry and has been validated as a high-throughput option for providing dose estimates in the range of 0–10 Gy. The goal of this study was to test the ability to further optimize the assay by reducing the time of culture to 48 h from 68 h as well as reducing the volume of blood required for the analysis to 200 μL from 2 mL. These modifications would provide efficiencies in time and ease of processing impacting the ability to manage large numbers of samples and provide dose estimates in a timely manner. Results demonstrated that either the blood volume or the culture time could be reduced while maintaining dose estimates with sufficient accuracy for triage analysis. Reducing both the blood volume and culture time, however, resulted in poor dose estimates. In conclusion, depending on the needs of the scenario, either culture time or the blood volume could be reduced to improve the efficiency of analysis for mass casualty scenarios.

Effects of poly‐γ‐glutamic acid addition on the transformation and distribution of soil nitrogen under different water conditions

AbstractThe impact of external poly‐γ‐glutamic acid (γ‐PGA) on soil nitrogen (N) transformation and distribution remains unclear, despite its contrasting effects on N use efficiency. Therefore, soil culture and soil column experiments were conducted using three different γ‐PGA addition rates (0%, 4% and 8% of dry soil weight, w/w) under different soil water contents (40%, 60% and 80% of field water capacity) and dry–wet cycles (0, 2, 4 and 8 times cycles; a single dry–wet cycle involved reducing soil water content from 80% to 40% of field water capacity) in sandy loam soil. The results of soil culture experiment showed that the γ‐PGA significantly increased soil –N and –N contents, as well as nitrification and transformation rates. However, these effects were observed to be influenced by both the culture time and soil water content. In addition, the results of soil column experiment showed that γ‐PGA not only significantly enhanced the soil inorganic nitrogen content within the 0–20 cm soil layer, but also improved water retention capacity. However, the differences between the γ‐PGA treatments gradually diminished with an increase in dry–wet cycle times. These results indicate that γ‐PGA addition enhanced soil inorganic N content and soil water retention by influencing soil N transformation and water distribution. However, the impact of γ‐PGA addition on soil improvement was regulated by soil water content, which should be taken into full consideration in agricultural practices.

Cutibacterium species: An Underestimated Pathogen in Chronic Infections

Cutibacterium speciesis a member of the skin micro biota, found predominantly in regions rich in sebaceous glands, involved in various chronic infections that led to its emergence as an opportunistic pathogen. The present study is a retrospective study to determine the prevalence and antibiotic sensitivity pattern of Cutibacterium species recovered from chronic infections over a period of 4.5 years. The identification of the colonies grew on the Robertson’s Cooked Meat media plate was done using VITEK 2. The antibiotic sensitivity tests were put by pour plate method using Epsilometer strips (E-strip).Out of 400, 17.75% (n=71) were confirmed as anaerobic bacteria by VITEK 2. Out of 71 positive anaerobic organisms, 21% (n=15/71) were confirmed as Cutibacteriumspecies.Cutibacterium species recorded prevalenceof 3.75% (15/400) among clinical specimens. High sensitivity was observed with beta lactam group of drugs whereas metronidazole drug was found ineffective against Cutibacteriumspecies. Due to prolonged culture time for anaerobic bacteria there is a high need in new diagnostic methods. In the recent times Cutibacterium species has been reported from various clinical samples which depicts shift of Cutibacterium species as a potential pathogen in the upcoming time.

Studying on Antifungal Activities of Streptomyces Isolated from Soil and Its Biocontrol Potential Against Fusarium of Chili’s Root Rot Disease

Seven Streptomyces strains from chili farm soil, including Strep-1, Strep-2, Strep-4, Strep-5, Strep-6, Strep-8, and Strep-10, were screened for their antifungal activities against Fusarium sp. of chili's root rot disease. The results showed that Streptomyces sp. Strep-4 and Streptomyces sp. Strep-8 performed potential abilities to control the pathogenic Fusarium of which means of antifungal efficacies were 43,88 ± 3,21% and 51,8 ± 2,54%, in turn. Extensive researches on the effects of inoculum factors on antifungal activity of Streptomyces sp. Strep-8 resulted that this strain spontaneously synthesized the antifungal compounds to control Fusarium in the culture condition with pH 7, 40oC of culture temperature, and 7 days of culture time. The results proved that Streptomyces sp. Strep-8 with its thermophilic ability not only provided significant inhibitory activity against pathogenic Fusarium sp. in vitro also promised to be a potential biological control agent to eliminate this fungus on fields. Moreover, using Streptomyces sp. Strep-8 as a biological control agent helps reduce the use of fungicides which contributes to boosting the sustainability of agricultural ecosystems worldwide.

Yb3+/Er3+ co-doped Mg-substituted tricalcium phosphate upconversion materials for bioimaging

Yb3+ and Er3+ co-doped Mg-substituted tricalcium phosphate (Mg-TCP) upconversion particles were synthesized using a two-step process: Single-phase Mg-TCP-Yb3+/Er3+ materials with an average particle size ∼ 130.2 nm can be obtained by the hydrothermal reaction at 180 °C for 24 h, followed by heat treatment at 800 °C for 4 h, which demonstrated excellent upconversion green luminescence around the 520/550 nm wavelength. The culture of MC3T3-E1 cells with the extraction medium from Mg-TCP-8%Yb3+/Er3+@800°C materials showed obvious proliferation with increase of culture time and noncytotoxicity. Additionally, the intracellular imaging of Mg-TCP-8%Yb3+/Er3+@800°C through endocytosis by cells demonstrated that the particles can be significantly degraded within 24 h, which showed great potential for bioimaging applications.

3D imaging and analysis to unveil the impact of microparticles on the pellet morphology of filamentous fungi.

Controlling the morphology of filamentous fungi is crucial to improve the performance of fungal bioprocesses. Microparticle-enhanced cultivation (MPEC) increases productivity, most likely by changing the fungal morphology. However, due to a lack of appropriate methods, the exact impact of the added microparticles on the structural development of fungal pellets is mostly unexplored. In this study synchrotron radiation-based microcomputed tomography and three-dimensional (3D) image analysis were applied to unveil the detailed 3D incorporation of glass microparticles in nondestructed pellets of Aspergillus niger from MPEC. The developed method enabled the 3D analysis based on 375 pellets from various MPEC experiments. The total and locally resolved volume fractions of glass microparticles and hyphae were quantified for the first time. At increasing microparticle concentrations in the culture medium, pellets with lower hyphal fraction were obtained. However, the total volume of incorporated glass microparticles within the pellets did not necessarily increase. Furthermore, larger microparticles were less effective than smaller ones in reducing pellet density. However, the total volume of incorporated glass was larger for large microparticles. In addition, analysis of MPEC pellets from different times of cultivation indicated that spore agglomeration is decisive for the development of MPEC pellets. The developed 3D morphometric analysis method and the presented results will promote the general understanding and further development of MPEC for industrial application.

Can gestures communicate the time of described events? The perception of temporal gestures executed by a companion robot

In this paper, we investigate whether temporal gestures indicating different events in time can convey information about the relative timing of these events. We depart from the assertion, that in many cultures time is metaphorically represented as an axis, oriented from left to right, i.e. recent or future events have rightmost position, as compared to the events of the past. We test the hypothesis that temporal gestures, referring to the events on the axis, may communicate to the addressee the temporal reference of the described events. The hypothesis was tested in an experiment (N = 22 people, average age 21.6 years, 17 female) where two companion robots told stories, accompanied by left-oriented, symmetric or right oriented gestures. Each story included events from two different cases – recent and past, and each statement was accompanied by (a) left-oriented or symmetric gesture (first condition), or (b) right-oriented or symmetric gesture (second condition). The task of the subjects was to correlate the described events with time, assigning each statement with recent or past event. As a result of this study, the hypothesis that the orientation of temporal gestures can communicate the time of the designated events was partially confirmed. The results correspond to the concept of time oriented for the narrator from left to right, where the events of the past are in the center, and later events (recent events, or ‘today’) are located on the right. This conceptual orientation in the experiment was interpreted by the human listeners, although from their point of view, “recent events” are located on the left side of the metaphoric axis.

Optimization of polysaccharide conditions and analysis of antioxidant capacity in the co-culture of Sanghuangporus vaninii and Pleurotus sapidus

Fungal polysaccharides are commonly utilized in the food industry and biomedical fields as a natural and safe immune modulator. Co-culturing is a valuable method for enhancing the production of secondary metabolites. This study used intracellular polysaccharide (IPS) content as a screening index, co-culturing seven different fungi with Sanghuangporus vaninii. The seed pre-culture liquid culture time was selected through screening, and conditions were assessed using single factor experimentation, a Plackett-Burman (PB) design, and response surface methodology (RSM) optimization. RSM optimization was conducted, leading to the measurement of antioxidant capacity. Results indicated that the co-culture of S. vaninii and Pleurotus sapidus exhibited the most effective outcome. Specifically, pre-culturing S. vaninii and P. sapidus seed cultures for 2 days and 0 days, respectively, followed by co-culturing, significantly increased IPS content compared to single-strain culturing. Further optimization of co-culture conditions revealed that yeast extract concentration, liquid volume, and S. vaninii inoculum ratio notably influenced IPS content in the order of yeast extract concentration > liquid volume > S. vaninii inoculum ratio. Under the optimal conditions, IPS content reached 69.9626 mg/g, a 17.04% increase from pre-optimization co-culture conditions. Antioxidant capacity testing demonstrated that co-cultured IPS exhibited greater scavenging abilities for DPPH and ABTS free radicals compared to single strain cultures. These findings highlight the potential of co-culturing S. vaninii and P. sapidus to enhance IPS content and improve antioxidant capacity, presenting an effective strategy for increasing fungal polysaccharide production.

Effect of mushroom crop residue on growth performance, carcass traits, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance, ingestive behavior, ruminal and blood parameters of lambs

Using agricultural wastes as substrates of mushroom cultivation can minimize environmental pollution and provide a high-quality substrate that might be used for animal feeding after cultivation, which is beneficial for ruminants. Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the nutritional value of cultivated mushroom residue in lamb diets. Seven inoculation times (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 days of cultivation) of mushroom substrates by Pleurotus ostreatus were evaluated in a completely randomized design with five replications to characterize the mushroom crop substrate. Within 30 days of cultivation, the mushroom crop residue (MCR) was sun-dried and tested on the lambs’ diet. The first experiment involved 40 uncastrated crossbred lambs (Santa Ines × Dorper), with a mean body weight (BW) of 27.8 ± 2.37 kg (mean ± SD), which were randomly assigned to five groups of six lambs each. They received five levels of MCR replacing Tifton-85 hay: 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 % on dry matter basis (DM) to evaluate performance, carcass traits, ingestive behavior, and blood parameters. In the second experiment, 25 lambs (40.0 ± 3.0 kg BW) were distributed in metabolic cages in a completely randomized design with the same five treatments of experiment 1 (MRC replacing Tifton-85 hay) and six replications to determine nutrient digestibility and nitrogen balance. To evaluate ruminal parameters, a third experiment was conducted with five Santa Ines × Dorper crossbreed rumen-cannulated sheep weighing 42.0 ± 4.0 kg, which were distributed in a 5 × 5 Latin square. After 30 days of cultivation of the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus, there was a reduction in the MCR contents of DM, ether extract (EE), and non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC). In contrast, ash, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber expressed exclusive of residual ash (aNDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and in vitro DM digestibility coefficient (IVDMD) increased (P ≤ 0.05) over the cultivation time. The intake of DM, CP, aNDF and NFC quadratically increased (P ≤ 0.05) with the addition of dehydrated MCR in the lambs’ diet. The effective consumed CP composition and the digestibility coefficient of DM, CP, and aNDF decreased linearly (P ≤ 0.05) due dehydrated MCR addition in the lambs’ diet. The time spent eating and idling, and the rumination efficiency rates (g DM and NDF/h) increased linearly (P ≤ 0.05) with the replacement of Tifton-85 hay by the dehydrated MCR. The time spent on rumination and chewing, the nº of boli chewed, and the DM intake efficiency rate reduced linearly (P ≤ 0.05). There was a linear (P ≤ 0.05) increase in N-intake, N-fecal, and N-retention and linear reduction (P ≤ 0.05) in N-urinary excretion and rumen protozoa count due to the inclusion of MCR in the lambs’ diet. Growth performance, carcass traits, rumen pH, ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), and blood parameters were not changed by the replacement of hay with MCR. Dehydrated mushroom crop residue inclusion at 75 % of total DM replacing Tifton-85 hay in lambs’ diet is recommended because it improves rumination efficiency, and N-retention without any negative effect on rumen pH, blood metabolites, and carcass traits.

Effect of Concentration of Starter Culture and Incubation Time on Sensory Attributes of RTE Functional Greek Yoghurt

Effect of Concentration of Starter Culture and Incubation Time on Sensory Attributes of RTE Functional Greek Yoghurt

The promotion of vascular reconstruction by hierarchical structures in biodegradable small-diameter vascular scaffolds

Tissue engineering of small-diameter vessels remains challenging due to the inadequate ability to promote endothelialization and infiltration of smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Ideal vascular graft is expected to provide the ability to support endothelial monolayer formation and SMCs infiltration. To achieve this, vascular scaffolds with both orientation and dimension hierarchies were prepared, including hierarchically random vascular scaffold (RVS) and aligned vascular scaffold (AVS), by utilizing degradable poly(ε-caprolactone)-co-poly(ethylene glycol) (PCE) and the blend of PCE/gelatin (PCEG) as raw materials. In addition to the orientation hierarchy, dimension hierarchy with small pores in the inner layer and large pores in the outer layer was also constructed in both RVS and AVS to further investigate the promotion of vascular reconstruction by hierarchical structures in vascular scaffolds. The results show that the AVS with an orientation hierarchy that consists with the natural vascular structure had better mechanical properties and promotion effect on the proliferation of vascular cells than RVS, and also exhibited excellent contact guidance effects on cells. While the dimension hierarchy in both RVS and AVS was favorable to the rapid infiltration of SMCs in a short culture time in vitro. Besides, the results of subcutaneous implantation further demonstrate that AVS achieved a fully infiltrated outer layer with wavy elastic fibers-mimic strips formation by day 14, ascribing to hierarchies of aligned orientation and porous dimension. The results further indicate that the scaffolds with both orientation and dimension hierarchical structures have great potential in the application of promoting the vascular reconstruction.

An in vitro testicular organoid model for the study of testis morphogenesis, somatic cell maturation, endocrine function, and toxicological assessment of endocrine disruptors

Male reproductive capacity has fallen considerably in recent decades; in addition, the incidence of testicular cancer has increased in many developed countries. The cause of this phenomenon is unknown, but environmental toxicants are considered a major contributing factor. To study potential reproductive toxicants, robust in vitro testis models are needed. We have recently established a porcine testis organoid system with a high resemblance to the architectures of innate testis tissue. Here, we further investigated the testis morphogenesis, cell maturation, and endocrine function of the testis organoids. We also challenged this system with abiraterone, a steroidogenic inhibitor, to validate its suitability as an in vitro platform for endocrine toxicology tests. Our results showed that the testis cells in the organoids reorganize into testis cordal structures, and the cordal relative areas increase in the organoids over time of culture. Moreover, the diameters and cell numbers per cross-section of the cordal structures increased over time. Interestingly, Sertoli cells in the organoids gradually underwent maturational changes by showing increased expression of androgen receptors, decreased expression of the anti-müllerian hormone, and formation of the blood-testis barrier. Next, we confirmed that the organoids respond to hormonal stimulation and release multiple sex hormones, including testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone. Finally, we showed that the production of testosterone and estradiol in this system can be inhibited in response to the steroidogenic inhibitor. Taken together, our organoid system provides a promising in vitro platform for male reproductive toxicology studies on testis morphogenesis, somatic cell maturation, and endocrine production.

Production of polysaccharides from Angelica sinensis by microbial fermentation

Angelica sinensis polysaccharides are important active ingredients and biological resources in traditional Chinese medicine. Properly changing the fermentation conditions of microorganisms may alter the yield of fermentation products. Based on single factor test results, three factors with great influence on the yield of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides produced by Aspergillus niger were optimized: initial pH value, fermentation time, and culture temperature. According to the box Behnken central combination principle, a response surface analysis scheme with three factors and three levels was designed, and the yields of active polysaccharide of Angelica sinensis were taken as the response value to optimize the fermentation process. The results of response surface analysis showed that under the optimized fermentation temperature of 30 °C, cultivation time of 8 days, and initial pH value of 5, the predicted yield of active polysaccharides from Angelica sinensis was 15.5%, while the actual value was 15.35%, which was 0.11% lower than the predicted value. This indicated that using response surface analysis to optimize the fermentation conditions of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides was reasonable and feasible. This method can effectively improve the biological resource utilization rate of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides.

Significant reduction of the culturing time required for bacterial identification and antibiotic susceptibility determination by infrared spectroscopy.

Rapid testing of bacteria for antibiotic susceptibility is essential for effective treatment and curbing the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria. The misuse of antibiotics, coupled with the time-consuming classical testing methods, intensifies the threat of antibiotic resistance, a major global health concern. In this study, employing infrared spectroscopy-based machine learning techniques, we significantly shortened the time required for susceptibility testing to 10 hours, a significant improvement from the 24 hours in our previous studies as well as the conventional methods that typically take at least 48 hours. This remarkable reduction in turnaround time (from 48 hours to 10 hours), achieved by minimizing the culturing period, offers a game-changing advantage for clinical applications. Our study involves a dataset comprising 400 bacterial samples (200 E. coli, 100 Klebsiella pneumoniae, and 100 Pseudomonas aeruginosa) with an impressive 96% accuracy in the taxonomic classification at the species level and up to 82% accuracy in bacterial susceptibility to various antibiotics.

Drag Reduction by Dried Malted Rice Solutions in Pipe Flow

In this study, the friction factor of a turbulent pipe flow for dried rice malt extract solutions was experimentally reduced to that of a Newtonian fluid. The friction factor was measured for four types of solutions at different culture times and concentrations. The results indicate that the experimental data points of the test solutions diverged from the maximum drag reduction asymptote at and above Re√f ≅ 200~250 and aligned parallel to those of Newtonian fluids. This drag reduction phenomenon differed from that observed in artificial high-molecular-weight polymer solutions, called Type A drag reduction, in which the drag reduction level is dependent on the Reynolds number in the intermediate region. This is classified as a Type B drag reduction phenomenon in biopolymer solutions and fine solid particle suspensions. The order of drag reduction corresponded to approximately 5–50 ppm xanthan gum solutions, as reported previously. Furthermore, the velocity profile in a turbulent pipe flow was predicted using a semi-theoretical equation in which the friction factors were determined using the difference between the experimental results of the tested solutions and Newtonian fluids. The results indicate considerable thickening of the viscous sublayer in the turbulent pipe flow of the test solutions compared with that of Newtonian fluids.

Application of LAMP assay for detection of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex in ICU admitted sepsis patients: A rapid and cost-effective diagnostic tool

Carbapenem-resistant significant members of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus–Acinetobacter baumannii (CR-SM-ACB) complex have emerged as an important cause of sepsis, especially in ICUs. This study demonstrates the application of loop-mediated-isothermal-amplification (LAMP) assay for detection of CR-SM-ACB-complex from patients with sepsis.Whole-blood and culture-broths(CB) collected from patients with culture-positive sepsis were subjected to LAMP and compared with PCR, and RealAmp. Vitek-2 system and conventional PCR results were used as confirmatory references.The sensitivity and specificity of LAMP(97 % & 100 %) and RealAmp(100 % & 100 %) for detection of CR-SM-ACB-complex from CB were better than PCR(87 % & 100 %). Diagnostic accuracy of LAMP, RealAmp, and PCR for detection of SM-ACB-complex from CB was 98.5 %, 100 %, and 88.5 % respectively. Turnaround time of Culture, LAMP, PCR, and RealAmp was 28-53, 6-20, 9-23, and 6-20hours, respectively.LAMP is a simple, inexpensive tool that can be applied directly to positive CB and may be customized to detect emerging pathogens and locally-prevalent resistance genes and to optimize antimicrobial use.

Remediation of heavy metal cadmium polluted water by a variety of garden plant schemes

With the advancement of urbanization and industrialization in China, more and more urban and rural areas are experiencing varying degrees of cadmium (Cd) pollution in water and soil. Biological treatment is one way to eliminate Cd pollution in water bodies, and plants such as Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum, Triarrhena lutarioriparia L. Liu var. lutarioriparia, and Phalaris arundinacea var. picta can purify heavy metal pollution. So this study attempts to select six common garden plants and conduct experiments to analyze the absorption effect on Cd in this polluted water body. The aim is to find a planting plan for garden plants that has a stronger purification effect on Cd polluted water bodies. The experimental results showed that in a water environment with a Cd concentration of 50 mg/L, the enrichment coefficients of Cd in the roots of Polygonum chinense L., Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum, Triarrhena lutarioriparia L. Liu var. lutarioriparia, Phalaris arundinacea var. picta, and Euonymus japonicus Thunb. were 0.735, 0.938, 0.784, 0.827, 3.168, and 0.597, respectively. In a water environment with a Cd concentration of 10 mg/L, the enrichment coefficients of Cd in the roots of Polygonum chinense L., Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum, Triarrhena lutarioriparia L. Liu var. lutarioriparia, Phalaris arundinacea var. picta, and Euonymus japonicus Thunb. were 1.549, 0.729, 1.081, 0.924, 1.420, and 0.690, respectively. In a water environment with a Cd concentration of 5 mg/L, the enrichment coefficients of Cd in the roots of Polygonum chinense L., Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum, Triarrhena lutarioriparia L. Liu var. lutarioriparia, Phalaris arundinacea var. picta, and Euonymus japonicus Thunb. were 1.238, 0.473, 0.566, 0.695, 0.431, and 1.236, respectively. In a water environment with a Cd concentration of 0 mg/L, the enrichment coefficients of Cd in the roots of Polygonum chinense L., Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum, Triarrhena lutarioriparia L. Liu var. lutarioriparia, Phalaris arundinacea var. picta, and Euonymus japonicus Thunb. were 1.030, 0.452, 0.954, 0.695, 0.826, and 0.958, respectively. Due to the significant decrease of Cd in the roots and significant increase of Cd in the stems and leaves of Polygonum chinense L. in the water with a Cd of 50 mg/L, the cultivation time increased from 10d to 30d. The plant species Polygonum chinense L. exhibited a notably high Cd enrichment potential, as evidenced by its substantial enrichment and transport coefficients. In the experiments, the plant's ability to accumulate and transport Cd was demonstrated quantitatively. Under controlled conditions, the highest Cd enrichment coefficients in root, stem, and leaf were 0.735, 2.900, and 1.581, respectively. These results indicated the plant's capacity for efficient Cd uptake and translocation, making it a promising candidate for phytoremediation efforts in Cd-contaminated environments. However, in the high Cd environment, the root enrichment coefficient of Phalaris arundinacea var. picta was the highest, making it more suitable as a container for collecting Cd ions in Cd contaminated water. Under other concentration conditions, the average Cd enrichment coefficient of various parts of Polygonum chinense L was still the highest. The experimental results prove that Polygonum chinense L. has the ability to treat Cd polluted water bodies through absorption.

Short-term culture for rapid identification by mass spectrometry and automated antimicrobial susceptibility testing from positive bottles

BackgroundEarly and appropriate antibiotic treatment improves the clinical outcome of patients with sepsis. There is an urgent need for rapid identification (ID) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of bacteria that cause bloodstream infection (BSI). Rapid ID and AST can be achieved by short-term incubation on solid medium of positive blood cultures using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS) and the BD M50 system. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of rapid method compared to traditional method.MethodsA total of 124 mono-microbial samples were collected. Positive blood culture samples were short-term incubated on blood agar plates and chocolate agar plates for 5 ∼ 7 h, and the rapid ID and AST were achieved through Zybio EXS2000 MS and BD M50 System, respectively.ResultsCompared with the traditional 24 h culture for ID, this rapid method can shorten the cultivation time to 5 ∼ 7 h. Accurate organism ID was achieved in 90.6% of Gram-positive bacteria (GP), 98.5% of Gram-negative bacteria (GN), and 100% of fungi. The AST resulted in the 98.5% essential agreement (EA) and 97.1% category agreements (CA) in NMIC-413, 99.4% EA and 98.9% CA in PMIC-92, 100% both EA and CA in SMIC-2. Besides, this method can be used for 67.2% (264/393) of culture bottles during routine work. The mean turn-around time (TAT) for obtaining final results by conventional method is approximately 72.6 ± 10.5 h, which is nearly 24 h longer than the rapid method.ConclusionsThe newly described method is expected to provide faster and reliable ID and AST results, making it an important tool for rapid management of blood cultures (BCs). In addition, this rapid method can be used to process most positive blood cultures, enabling patients to receive rapid and effective treatment.

A biocompatible nanofibers modified by plasma for osteoblast growth differentiation.

This work employs nitrogen plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) to modify electrospinning polylactic acid membranes and immobilizes essential fibroblast growth factors(bFGF) by forming cross-linking bonds. The study investigates the modified membranes' surface characteristics and the stimulatory effects of cross-linked bFGF polylactic acid membranes on osteoblast and fibroblast proliferation. The PIII process occurs under low vacuum conditions and is controlled by processing time and power pulse width. The experimental results indicate that, within a 400-second N2-PIII treatment, the spun fibers remain undamaged, demonstrating an increase in hydrophilicity (from 117° to 38°/36°) and nitrogen content (from 0% to 7.54%/8.05%). XPS analysis suggests the formation of a C-N-C=O cross-linked bond. Cell culture and activity assessments indicate that the PIII-treated and cross-linked bFGF film exhibits significantly higher cell growth activity (P<0.05) than the untreated group. These intergroup differences are attributed to the surface cross-linking bond content. In osteogenic induction, the results for each day show that the treated group performs better. However, the intergroup disparities within the cross-linked bFGF group disappear with prolonged culture time due to the rapid osteogenesis prompted by bFGF. The findings suggest that PIII treatment of electrospinning polylactic acid membranes holds promise in promoting osteogenesis in bone tissue scaffolds.