Screening Zinc Protoporphyrin-Forming Lactic Acid Bacteria to Replace Nitrite in Meat Products.

Seventeen strains of LAB (lactic acid bacteria) were screened for their ability to form ZnPP (zinc protoporphyrin) by measuring fluorescence intensity. Three strains ( JX11, MDJ8, and Q) exhibited notable ZnPP-forming ability. The ferrochelatase enzyme activity of JX11 was significantly higher than that of the other two strains ( < 0.

A Trustworthy Curriculum Learning Guided Multi-Target Domain Adaptation Network for Autism Spectrum Disorder Classification.

Domain adaptation has demonstrated success in classification of multi-center autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, current domain adaptation methods primarily focus on classifying data in a single target domain with the assistance of one or multiple source domains, lacking the capability to address the clinical scenario of identifying ASD in multiple target domains. In response to this limitation, we propose a Trustworthy Curriculum Learning Guided Multi-Target Domain Adaptation (TCL-MTDA) network for identifying ASD in multiple target domains.

Effect of Sourdough-Yeast Co-Fermentation on Physicochemical Properties of Corn Fagao Batter.

Fagao is one of China's traditional gluten-free staple foods made with rice or corn flour. Corn Fagao prepared by co-fermentation with sourdough and yeast exhibits better quality and less staling compared to traditional yeast-fermented Fagao. The physicochemical properties of corn Fagao batter during sourdough-yeast co-fermentation were investigated.

Couples' preconception urinary essential trace elements concentration and spontaneous abortion risk: A nested case-control study in a community population.

Background: Previous studies have indicated a correlation between maternal imbalances in essential trace elements during pregnancy and the occurrence of spontaneous abortion (SA). Nonetheless, the impact of these elements from both partners and during the preconception period remains unexplored.

Objective: This study sought to evaluate the relationship between preconception essential trace elements and spontaneous abortion (SA) based on husband-wife dyads.

Preconception depression reduces fertility: a couple-based prospective preconception cohort.

Study Question: Is preconception depression associated with time to pregnancy (TTP) and infertility?

Summary Answer: Couples with preconception depression needed a longer time to become pregnant and exhibited an increased risk of infertility.

What Is Known Already: Preconception depression in women contributes to impaired fertility in clinical populations. However, evidence from the general population-especially based on couples-is relatively scant.

Optical coherence tomography biomarkers as outcome predictors to guide dexamethasone implant use in patients with iERM: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: We aimed to investigate the anatomical features of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and vitreous cytokine levels as predictors of outcomes of combined phacovitrectomy with intravitreal dexamethasone (DEX) implants for idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM) treatment.

Methods: A prospective, single-masked, randomized, controlled clinical trial included 48 eyes. They were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to undergo the DEX group (combined phacovitrectomy with ERM peeling and Ozurdex implantation) and control group (phacovitrectomy only).

Degradation and humification of steroidal estrogens in the soil environment: A review.

Emerging pollutants are toxic and harmful chemical substances characterized by environmental persistence, bioaccumulation and biotoxicity, which can harm the ecological environment and even threaten human health. There are four categories of emerging pollutants that are causing widespread concern, namely, persistent organic pollutants, endocrine disruptors, antibiotics, and microplastics. The distribution of emerging pollutants has spatial and temporal heterogeneity, which is influenced by factors such as geographical location, climatic conditions, population density, emission amount, etc.

The Anatomic and Functional Outcomes of Ozurdex-Aided Vitrectomy in Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.

Purpose: To investigate the 3-months outcomes of patients who underwent intraoperative intravitreal injection of Ozurdex for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).

Methods: This is a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial (ChiCTR2100043399). Seventy-one patients with PDR who had indications for surgery without intravitreal injection history within 3 months preoperatively were enrolled.

Effect of Kasai procedure on liver transplantation in children with biliary atresia: a systematic review and updated meta-analysis.

Background: Kasai procedure and liver transplantation are effective ways to save the life of children with biliary atresia (BA). However, with the gradual development of liver transplantation technology, scholars have questioned the necessity of the Kasai procedure. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of previous Kasai procedures on liver transplantation in children with BA.

Biliary atresia: the development, pathological features, and classification of the bile duct.

Biliary atresia is an occlusive biliary disease involving intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts. Its etiology and pathogenesis are unclear. There are many manifestations of bile duct involvement in biliary atresia, but little is known about its occurrence and development.

Association between behavioral patterns and depression symptoms: dyadic interaction between couples.

Background: Behavioral patterns are sometimes associated with depression symptoms; however, few studies have considered the intra-couple effects. This study examined the effect of a spouses' behavioral patterns on depression symptoms within themself and in their spouse.

Methods: A total of 61,118 childbearing age participants (30,559 husband-wife dyads) were surveyed.

Preconception exposure to environmental antibiotics among childbearing couples in Anhui and health risk assessment: A multicenter population-based representative study.

Only few studies have assessed the health effects due to preconception exposure to antibiotics among childbearing couples. This study investigated the status of preconception exposure to antibiotics among childbearing couples in Anhui, associated with health risks, and influencing factors. Overall, 1500 childbearing couples were randomly selected from the Reproductive Health of Childbearing Couples - Anhui Cohort (RHCC-AC).

Mediating effects of DNA methylation in the association between sleep quality and infertility among women of childbearing age.

Background: This study aims to investigate the association between sleep quality and infertility among women and to explore the mediating effects of DNA methylation in this association.

Methods: This study is a population-based case-control study. The relationship between sleep quality and infertility was investigated in women with anovulatory infertility (n = 43) and healthy controls (n = 43).

ZmAGO18b negatively regulates maize resistance against southern leaf blight.

Here, we report that ZmAGO18b encoding an argonaute protein is a negative regulator of maize resistance against southern leaf blight. Southern leaf blight caused by fungal pathogen Cochliobolus heterostrophus is a destructive disease on maize throughout the world. Argonaute (AGO) proteins, key regulators in small RNA pathway, play important roles in plant defense.

G-Protein β-Subunit Gene Enhances Drought and Salt Resistance in Wheat.

In the hexaploid wheat genome, there are three Gα genes, three Gβ and twelve Gγ genes, but the function of Gβ in wheat has not been explored. In this study, we obtained the overexpression of Arabidopsis plants through inflorescence infection, and the overexpression of wheat lines was obtained by gene bombardment. The results showed that under drought and NaCl treatment, the survival rate of Arabidopsis seedlings' overexpression of was higher than that of the wild type, while the survival rate of the related mutant was lower than that of the wild type.

Low and mismatched socioeconomic status between newlyweds increased their risk of depressive symptoms: A multi-center study.

Background: While there is evidence that low socioeconomic status (SES) increases susceptibility to depression, few studies have focused on the effect of marital SES matching on depression. This study aimed to explore the impact of SES indicator matching on depressive symptoms in newlyweds and clarify the interaction of depressive symptoms between couples.

Methods: We assessed the depressive symptoms of newlyweds ( = 28, 179 couples) using a 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire.

Association between antibiotic exposure and the risk of infertility in women of childbearing age: A case-control study.

Background: Based on self-report questionnaires, two previous epidemiological studies investigated the association between the exposure of women to antibiotics and their fertility. However, biomonitoring studies on low-dose antibiotic exposure, mainly from food and water, and its relation to the risk of infertility are missing.

Methods: Based on a case-control study design, 302 women with infertility (144 primary infertility, 158 secondary infertility) and 302 women with normal fertility, all aged 20-49 years, were recruited from Anhui Province, China, in 2020 and 2021.

Research on Assistant Diagnosis of Fundus Optic Neuropathy Based on Deep Learning.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to use the neural network to distinguish optic edema (ODE), and optic atrophy from normal fundus images and try to use visualization to explain the artificial intelligence methods.

Methods: Three hundred and sixty-seven images of ODE, 206 images of optic atrophy, and 231 images of normal fundus were used, which were provided by two hospitals. A set of image preprocessing and data enhancement methods were created and a variety of different neural network models, such as VGG16, VGG19, Inception V3, and 50-layer Deep Residual Learning (ResNet50) were used.

Impact of dietary sucralose and sucrose-sweetened water intake on lipid and glucose metabolism in male mice.

Aims: Overconsumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is associated with an increased risk of metabolic disorders, including obesity and diabetes. However, accumulating evidence also suggests the potential negative impact of consuming nonnutritive sweeteners (NNSs) on weight and glycaemic control. The metabolic effects of sucralose, the most widely used NNS, remain controversial.

Cloning southern corn rust resistant gene RppK and its cognate gene AvrRppK from Puccinia polysora.

Broad-spectrum resistance has great values for crop breeding. However, its mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we report the cloning of a maize NLR gene, RppK, for resistance against southern corn rust (SCR) and its cognate Avr gene, AvrRppK, from Puccinia polysora (the causal pathogen of SCR).

Association of VEGF Gene Polymorphisms with Susceptibility to Diabetic Retinopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The associations between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene polymorphisms and risk of type 2 diabetic retinopathy (DR) - proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), and nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) - remain unclear. A systematic search and meta-analysis using odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was performed to evaluate the association. Our study concluded 26 studies containing 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).