A neomorphic ossification connecting the braincase, squamosal, and quadrate in choristoderan reptiles: insights from µCT data

Choristoderes are extinct semi-aquatic to aquatic diapsid reptiles, occupying a similar niche as modern crocodilians from the Jurassic to the Miocene. Distinct from other diapsids, choristoderes have a neomorphic ossification between the braincase, squamosal, and quadrate. This neomorphic bone is described as thin and plate-like in long-snouted choristoderes (Neochoristodera), yet little is known about its presence and morphology in short-snouted non-neochoristoderes that are sister groups to Neochoristodera. Using X-ray micro-CT scanning, this study describes in detail the neomorph of two non-neochoristoderes, Coeruleodraco jurassicus and Philydrosaurus proseilus. The neomorph of both species is found between the parietal, quadrate, and squamosal. The shape of the neomorph resembles a pyramid in three-dimensions, with a triangular dorsal surface and a prominent ventral process. This confirms the neomorph is shared among early and late branching choristoderes; therefore, presence of the neomorph is a potential synapomorphy of Choristodera. In addition, the pterygoquadrate foramen is identified in non-neochoristoderes for the first time, located between the neomorph and quadrate in C. jurassicus. In the holotype of P. proseilus, the neomorph and quadrate were dislocated, but a possible pterygoquadrate foramen is identified between the two bones. Although the neomorph and pterygoquadrate foramen have been suggested to be homologous with the stapes and stapedial foramen in Champsosaurus, more evidences are required to confirm this homology in non-neochoristoderes, because 1) the neomorph is long and plate-like in neochoristoderes, but pyramid-shaped in non-neochoristoderes; 2) in Champsosaurus, the neomorph is situated lateral to the prootic and opisthotic; in C. jurassicus and P. proseilus, articulation between the neomorph and prootic (or opisthotic) cannot be confirmed due to damage to the braincase during preservation. To understand the origin of the neomorph, more intact specimens are needed to assess contact relationships between the neomorph and otic region in non-neochoristoderes

Dual adversarial models with cross-coordination consistency constraint for domain adaption in brain tumor segmentation

The brain tumor segmentation task with different domains remains a major challenge because tumors of different grades and severities may show different distributions, limiting the ability of a single segmentation model to label such tumors. Semi-supervised models (e.g., mean teacher) are strong unsupervised domain-adaptation learners. However, one of the main drawbacks of using a mean teacher is that given a large number of iterations, the teacher model weights converge to those of the student model, and any biased and unstable predictions are carried over to the student. In this article, we proposed a novel unsupervised domain-adaptation framework for the brain tumor segmentation task, which uses dual student and adversarial training techniques to effectively tackle domain shift with MR images. In this study, the adversarial strategy and consistency constraint for each student can align the feature representation on the source and target domains. Furthermore, we introduced the cross-coordination constraint for the target domain data to constrain the models to produce more confident predictions. We validated our framework on the cross-subtype and cross-modality tasks in brain tumor segmentation and achieved better performance than the current unsupervised domain-adaptation and semi-supervised frameworks

Prognostic Value of Gamma-Glutamyl Transpeptidase to Lymphocyte Count Ratio in Patients With Single Tumor Size ≤ 5 cm Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Radical Resection

Prediction of prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has shown an important role in improving treatment outcomes and preventing disease progression, however, the prognostic indicator of HCC is still lacking. The purpose of this study is to investigate the predictive value of GLR (gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase to lymphocyte count ratio) in single HCC with a tumor size (TS) ≤ 5 cm. A retrospective analysis was performed on 272 patients with TS ≤ 5 cm who underwent radical resection. The Pearson χ2 test was applied to discuss the relationship between HCC and GLR, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Then univariate and multivariate analysis was utilized to predict the risk factors for survival prognosis in patients. In this study, GLR showed a positive relation with tumor size, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, microvascular invasion, early recurrence, and serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level, while the AFP value only correlated with drinking. Elevated GLR value had poor overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of TS ≤ 5 cm HCC patients, GLR level and tumor size were closely related to the prognosis of small HCC patients compared with AFP. GLR may serve as a prognostic marker for dynamic monitoring of HCC patients with single TS ≤ 5 cm after radical resection

SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 disease severity are associated with genetic variants affecting gene expression in a variety of tissues

Variability in SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 disease severity between individuals is partly due to genetic factors. Here, we identify 4 genomic loci with suggestive associations for SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and 19 for COVID-19 disease severity. Four of these 23 loci likely have an ethnicity-specific component. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) signals in 11 loci colocalize with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) associated with the expression of 20 genes in 62 tissues/cell types (range: 1:43 tissues/gene), including lung, brain, heart, muscle, and skin as well as the digestive system and immune system. We perform genetic fine mapping to compute 99% credible SNP sets, which identify 10 GWAS loci that have eight or fewer SNPs in the credible set, including three loci with one single likely causal SNP. Our study suggests that the diverse symptoms and disease severity of COVID-19 observed between individuals is associated with variants across the genome, affecting gene expression levels in a wide variety of tissue types

A first update on mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19

peer reviewe

Optical Trapping, Sensing, and Imaging by Photonic Nanojets

The optical trapping, sensing, and imaging of nanostructures and biological samples are research hotspots in the fields of biomedicine and nanophotonics. However, because of the diffraction limit of light, traditional optical tweezers and microscopy are difficult to use to trap and observe objects smaller than 200 nm. Near-field scanning probes, metamaterial superlenses, and photonic crystals have been designed to overcome the diffraction limit, and thus are used for nanoscale optical trapping, sensing, and imaging. Additionally, photonic nanojets that are simply generated by dielectric microspheres can break the diffraction limit and enhance optical forces, detection signals, and imaging resolution. In this review, we summarize the current types of microsphere lenses, as well as their principles and applications in nano-optical trapping, signal enhancement, and super-resolution imaging, with particular attention paid to research progress in photonic nanojets for the trapping, sensing, and imaging of biological cells and tissues

Effects of Purified β-Glucosidases from <i>Issatchenkia terricola</i>, <i>Pichia kudriavzevii</i>, <i>Metschnikowia pulcherrima</i> on the Flavor Complexity and Typicality of Wines

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of purified β-glucosidases from Issatchenkia terricola SLY-4, Pichia kudriavzevii F2-24, and Metschnikowia pulcherrima HX-13 (named as SLY-4E, F2-24E, and HX-13E, respectively) on the flavor complexity and typicality of wines. Cabernet Sauvignon wines were fermented by Saccharomycescerevisiae with the addition of SLY-4E, F2-24E, and HX-13E; the fermentation process and characteristics of wines were analyzed. The addition of SLY-4E, F2-24E, and HX-13E into must improved the contents of terpenes, higher alcohols, and esters, and decreased the contents of C6 compounds and fatty acids, which enhanced the fruity, floral, and taste aspects, reducing the unpleasant green of wines with no significant difference in their appearance. β-glucosidases from different yeast species produced different aroma compound profiles which presented different flavor and quality. F2-24EW had the best effect on flavor and quality of wine followed by SLY-4EW and HX-13EW. These research results can provide references for the use of β-glucosidases from non-Saccharomyces yeasts to improve the flavor complexity, typicality, and quality of wines

Enhanced Azo-Dyes Degradation Performance of Fe-Si-B-P Nanoporous Architecture

Nanoporous structures were fabricated from Fe76Si9B10P5 amorphous alloy annealed at 773 K by dealloying in 0.05 M H2SO4 solution, as a result of preferential dissolution of α-Fe grains in form of the micro-coupling cells between α-Fe and cathodic residual phases. Nanoporous Fe-Si-B-P powders exhibit much better degradation performance to methyl orange and direct blue azo dyes compared with gas-atomized Fe76Si9B10P5 amorphous powders and commercial Fe powders. The degradation reaction rate constants of nanoporous powders are almost one order higher than those of the amorphous counterpart powders and Fe powders, accompanying with lower activation energies of 19.5 and 26.8 kJ mol−1 for the degradation reactions of methyl orange and direct blue azo dyes, respectively. The large surface area of the nanoporous structure, and the existence of metalloids as well as residual amorphous phase with high catalytic activity are responsible for the enhanced azo-dyes degradation performance of the nanoporous Fe-Si-B-P powders

A facile and comprehensive algorithm for electrical response identification in mouse retinal ganglion cells.

Retinal prostheses can restore the basic visual function of patients with retinal degeneration, which relies on effective electrical stimulation to evoke the physiological activities of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Current electrical stimulation strategies have defects such as unstable effects and insufficient stimulation positions, therefore, it is crucial to determine the optimal pulse parameters for precise and safe electrical stimulation. Biphasic voltages (cathode-first) with a pulse width of 25 ms and different amplitudes were used to ex vivo stimulate RGCs of three wild-type (WT) mice using a commercial microelectrode array (MEA) recording system. An algorithm is developed to automatically realize both spike-sorting and electrical response identification for the spike signals recorded. Measured from three WT mouse retinas, the total numbers of RGC units and responsive RGC units were 1193 and 151, respectively. In addition, the optimal pulse amplitude range for electrical stimulation was determined to be 0.43 V-1.3 V. The processing results of the automatic algorithm we proposed shows high consistency with those using traditional manual processing. We anticipate the new algorithm can not only speed up the elaborate electrophysiological data processing, but also optimize pulse parameters for the electrical stimulation strategy of neural prostheses