Dynamic observation and quantification of type I/II collagen in chondrogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells by second‐order susceptibility microscopy

Second‐order susceptibility (SOS) microscopy is used to image and characterize chondrogenesis in cultured human mesenchymal stem cells. SOS analysis shows that the SOS tensor ratios can be used to characterize type I and II collagens in living tissues and that both collagen types are produced at the onset of chondrogenesis. Time‐lapse analysis shows a modulation of extracellular matrix results in a higher rate in increase of type II collagen, as compared to type I collagen. With time, type II collagen content stabilizes at the composition of 70% of total collagen content. SOS microscopy can be used to continuously and noninvasively monitor the production of collagens I and II. With additional development, this technique can be developed into an effective quality control tool for monitoring extracellular matrix production in engineered tissues.      

Axial resolution enhancement of light‐sheet microscopy by double scanning of Bessel beam and its complementary beam

The side lobes of Bessel beam will create significant out‐of‐focus background when scanned in light‐sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM), limiting the axial resolution of the imaging system. Here, we propose to overcome this issue by scanning the sample twice with zeroth‐order Bessel beam and another type of propagation‐invariant beam, complementary to the zeroth‐order Bessel beam, which greatly reduces the out‐of‐focus background created in the first scan. The axial resolution can be improved from 1.68 μm of the Bessel light‐sheet to 1.07 μm by subtraction of the two scanned images across a whole field‐of‐view of up to 300 μm × 200 μm × 200 μm. The optimization procedure to create the complementary beam is described in detail and it is experimentally generated with a spatial light modulator. The imaging performance is validated experimentally with fluorescent beads as well as eGFP‐labeled mouse brain neurons.      

变豆菜属15种植物的果实微形态特征及其分类学意义

采用扫描电镜对来自北美和东亚的变豆菜属植物(美国7个种,中国8个种)的果实表面微形态进行观察,结合前人对伞形科其他类群果实微形态特征的研究及近年来分子系统学证据,对变豆菜属的种间分类进行研究。结果显示,变豆菜属植物果实的形态大小、皮刺弯曲程度和果柄蜡质纹饰丰富多样。研究表明变豆菜属是一个自然类群,果实表面钩刺结构有利于该属植物的传播及扩散,果实微形态特征具有分类学价值,可作为种间分类的依据。根据变豆菜属果实表面微形态特征,编制了该属植物分种检索表。     

DDX19 Inhibits Type I Interferon Production by Disrupting TBK1-IKKε-IRF3 Interactions and Promoting TBK1 and IKKε Degradation

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Single-Cell Heterogeneity Analysis and CRISPR Screen Identify Key β-Cell-Specific Disease Genes

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Mapping and analysis of a spatiotemporal H3K27ac and gene expression spectrum in pigs

Science China Life Sciences - The limited knowledge of genomic noncoding and regulatory regions has restricted our ability to decipher the genetic mechanisms underlying complex traits in pigs. In...     

Light from heat lamps affects sow behaviour and piglet salivary melatonin levels

The light environment regulates animal physiology and behaviour. As widely used supplementary heat sources in creep areas, the effect of visible light radiated by infrared heat lamps on pigs is worth investigating. To investigate the effects of light from heat lamps on the behaviour of sows and piglets and possible endocrine mechanisms, 24 primiparous sows were randomly assigned to three supplementary heat source treatments: (1) 250 W non-luminous ceramic heat lamps (CE, n = 8), (2) 175 W red heat lamps (RL, n = 8), and (3) 175 W transparent heat lamps (TL, n = 8). All heat lamps were turned off on Day 15 postpartum. Piglets were weighed on days 3 and 21 postpartum. The number and duration of suckling within 24 h were analysed via video recordings on days 4, 8, and 16 postpartum. Sow posture changes during the day and night were detected using the YOLOv4 target detection network model. One marked piglet from six litters randomly selected from each treatment was used for saliva collection. Saliva samples were collected at 0800, 1400, 2000, and 0200 (+1 d) on days 10 and 20 postpartum. The results showed that the mean postural change frequency of TL sows was higher than that of CE sows (P < 0.05), while that of RL sows was not different from that of CE and TL sows. However, the duration of the sows being in each posture was not affected by the treatment. The total suckling duration of TL piglets was significantly longer than that of CE piglets, but there was no significant difference in the performance of the piglets. The melatonin concentrations in the saliva of piglets at 10 and 20 days of age in the three treatments showed different diurnal rhythms, but there was no significant difference in the levels of melatonin in TL piglets between night and day. Differences in salivary cortisol levels only appeared between the CE and RL groups at 20 days of age. Based on the present results, the illuminance and spectrum of the transparent heat lamps were sufficient to stimulate sow activity and inhibit melatonin levels in piglets. However, the stimulating effect on suckling was not sufficient to significantly improve the performance of piglets. Exposure to red heat lamps, rather than ceramic lamps, resulted in the strongest circadian rhythm of salivary melatonin in piglets.