Optimal Culture Capacity of White Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and Razor Clam (Sinonovacula constricta) in a New Series-Connection Culture Model

To construct an effective circular mix-culture model and investigate its culture capacity,we established one small and one large systems,with white shrimp(Litopenaeus vannamei)and razor clam(Sinonovacula constricta)cultured in separate ponds.The culture water from the L.vannamei was pumped to the S.constricta,and the culture water from the S.constricta overflowed back into the L.vannamei via gravity.In trial I,we tested four culture densities(groups 1–4),and monitored water quality,growth indices,and digestive and immune enzyme activities.From the results,the nitrogen and phosphorus levels generally increased then declined after 56 days,and were lower in groups 1 and 2.The specific growth rate of group 2 was the highest.After 56 days,activities of four digestive enzymes were increased in group 2,and lysozyme activity was significantly decreased in S.constricta in groups 1–4;Alkaline phosphatase activity of L.vannamei was increased in group 3,but decreased in S.constricta in groups 2–4;Acid phosphatase activity was significantly higher in groups 1–3(P<0.05),while SOD and CAT activities were significantly elevated in group 2(P<0.05).Thus,we applied group 2 density for trial II.In trial II,nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations declined significantly during the latter stages,and growth indices were higher than the control(P<0.05).The yields of L.vannamei and S.constricta were significantly higher than the control(P<0.05).The results revealed a good circular mix-culture system with the optimal culture capacity for L.vannamei(40 ind m^(−2))and S.constricta(300 ind m^(−2)),which provided a reference for the future culture of them.

Evaluation of Nutrient Components and Nutritive Quality of Larimichthys crocea(Big Yellow Croaker)in Different Aquaculture Models

To ascertain the nutrient components and nutritive quality of the flesh of big yellow croaker in three culture conditions （ traditional cage, offshore cage and cage-free）, basic nutritional components,amino acid,fatty acid and mineral elements were determined. The results indicated that crude protein in flesh of the big yellow croaker in cage-free culture was higher than that in offshore cage and much higher than that in traditional cage （ P 〈0.05）. Crude fat of the croaker cul- tured in the traditional cage was twice as high as that in cage-free culture, while that in the offshore cage was in the middle. Proline content in the cage-free culture was much higher than that in the offshore cage, and also than that in the traditional cage （P 〈 0.05 ）. There was no significant difference in the content of alanine, methionine and tryptophan （ P 〈 0.05）. Contents of other amino acids had no significant difference between the cage-free culture and offshore cage, but were much lower in the traditional cage （P 〈 0.05 ）. Top six fatty acids were 9-Hexadecenoic acid, palmitic acid,9-Octadecenoic acid, Octadecauoic acid, DHA and EPA. The palmitic acid content was the highest in cage-free culture and in traditional cage, 9-Octadeeenoic acid content was the highest in offshore cage. Content of unsaturat- ed fatty acids in cage-free culture, offshore cage and traditional cage was 63.60,66.32,57.67, respectively, and polyunsaturated fatty acid was 29.10, 28.57, and 24.40. Content of DHA in cage-free culture was significantly higher than that in the offshore and traditional cage. Content of zinc had no significant difference in three culture models. Content of phosphorus had no significant difference between that in cage-free culture and offshore cage, was lower in the traditional cage. The cage-free cultured croakers had the highest content of calcium and phosphorus. Content of selenium was about the same between the offshore cage and the traditional cage stocking, higher in the cage-free culture. This research has considerable application value for identifying quality and sources of the big yellow croakers.

A Modified Integrated Model of the Internal Structure of Chinese Cultured Pearls

Optical and micro-infrared microscope were used to observe the internal structure and mineral composition of high and low quality Chinese seawater and freshwater cultured pearls.Results clearly reveal that aragonite and calcite are found in seawater cultured pearls,but vaterite is not found.In contrast,vaterite and aragonite are found in freshwater cultured pearls,but calcite is not found.Based on our analysis and observations of the internal structure of high and low quality cultured pearls,a modified integrated model of the internal structure of Chinese cultured pearls was established.Our revisions to the previous model focus on significant differences within the prismatic layer of Chinese cultured pearls.

Production of functional sperm from in vitro-cultured premeiotic spermatogonia in a marine fish

In vitro production of functional gametes can revolutionize reproduction by reducing generation intervals and accelerating genetic breeding in aquaculture,especially in fish with relatively long generations.Nevertheless,functional sperm production from in vitro-cultured spermatogonia remains a challenge in most aquaculture fish.In this study,we isolated and characterized premeiotic spermatogonia from marine four-eyed sleepers(Bostrychus sinensis),which are prone to ovotesticular or sterile testicular development,and induced the differentiation of the spermatogonia into flagellated sperm in a three-dimensional(3D)culture system.Artificial insemination indicated that the in vitro-derived sperm were capable of fertilizing mature oocytes to develop into normal larvae.Furthermore,melatonin significantly promoted spermatogonia proliferation and differentiation through the ERK1/2 signaling pathway,and thus increased the efficiency in functional sperm production.The 3D culture system and resulting functional sperm hold great promise for improving the genetic breeding of aquaculture fish.

Culture of Rat Retinal Ganglion Cells

This study aimed to modify the mixed and purified culture of rat retinal ganglion cells（RGCs） in vitro.The retinae of 1-3 day old Sprague-Dawley（SD） rats were separated bluntly into two layers：inner layer and outer layer,under a surgical microscope.Retinal cells isolated from different layers（inner layer,outer layer and whole retinal tissue） by using enzyme dissociation method were cultured in F12/DMEM medium containing 15% FBS.After 3-day culture,the RGCs in the retinal cells obtained from mixed culture of inner,outer,and whole retinal tissue were identified by immunocytochemical staining of Thy-1.1,and the rate of RGCs to retinal cells（RGCs%） was calculated.Two monoclonal antibodies,anti-macrophages/granulocytes（OX-41） against rat macrophage and antibody against rat Thy-1.1（OX-7）,were used to purify RGCs by either a conventional or modified two-stepped immunopanning procedure（purification in situ）.Purified RGCs were seeded at different cell density and cultured in F12/DMEM medium containing 15% FBS.Immunocytochemical staining for Thy-1.1,MTT,and PI-Hoechst33342 fluorescence imaging were used to identify the purity and the viability of RGCs in purified culture of RGCs.The results showed：（1） Immunocytochemistry of different retinal tissue layers culture revealed that the RGCs% was（19.9±1.2）%,（0.5±0.2）%,and（6.2±1.7）% respectively in the mixed culture of inner,outer,and whole retinal tissue,with differences being significant（P0.05）;（2） fluorescent double staining of Hoechst33342 and PI indicated that with the same RGCs%,RGCs obtained from purification in situ grew well with more neurite outgrowth than those by the conventional two-stepped immunopanning method;（3） the viability of purified RGCs seeded at high density was in-creased and the cells developed complex intercellular networks.The viability of RGCs was declined with the decreasing seeding density,and most cells presented round or oval in shape with thin neurites.It was concluded that：（1） RGCs% in the inner layer retina was higher than that in the outer layer retina;（2） RGCs obtained by in situ purification had more neurite outgrowth and lower mortality than those by conventional two-stepped immunopanning procedure;（3） the viability of purified RGCs could be increased by increasing cell seeding density to some extent.

Effects of Acute Temperature Stress on mRNA Expression of Transferrin in the Yellow Pond Turtle Mauremys mutica

The yellow pond turtle Mauremys mutica is widely cultured using both greenhouse-reared and outdoor pond-reared models.Individuals from the two models often show different tolerances to dramatic temperature changes caused by extreme weather events.However,the mechanism underlying the difference is unclear.In this study,we found that for greenhouse-reared turtles(GRTs),the expression levels of an immune-related gene for transferrin were significantly different(P<0.05)between the control group and the acute cold stress(ACS)group for most time points(3 h,6 h and 48 h),while at two time points(6 h and 12 h)there was a significant difference(P<0.05)between the control group and the acute heat stress(AHS)group.However,for the outdoor pond-reared turtles(OPTs),we found the opposite pattern:the ACS group showed no significant difference(P>0.05)from the control group for all time points(3 h,6 h,12 h,24 h and 48 h),whereas two time points(12 h and 24 h)were significantly different(P<0.05)for the AHS group.Our results indicate that ACS may influence the immunity of GRTs and have no influence on OPTs,whereas AHS may largely affect the immunity of OPTs and have little influence on GRTs.The findings provide insights into the mechanism underlying the different morbidity and mortality rates of turtles from different culture models after extreme weather events.

Conceptual Metaphors of Happiness between English and Chinese

The Conceptual metaphors of Happiness between English and Chinese are contrasted from a cognitive perspective based on corpus.After data analysis,some similarities and differences between English Happiness metaphors and Chinese Happiness metaphors are found.The conclusion is that the similarity between them is based on the same bodily experience,while the differences lie on different cultural models.

Organoids as a model to study the human endometrium

The endometrium is composed of glandular and luminal epithelia supported by stromal connective tissue and multiple other cell types.It is a dynamic organ that undergoes physiological and functional alteration during the menstrual cycle.Organoids resemble the primary tissue of origin to recapitulate their corresponding biological and pathological characteristics.They are known for their ability to undergo extensive expansion while maintaining their genomic stability,facilitating their long-term storage and high-throughput screening.The development of the three-dimensional endometrial organoid system,which recapitulates the structural and functional characteristics of the endometrial glands,provides a powerful tool to study the normal endometrium and its related diseases.The Web of Science was searched for relevant literature using the keywords"endometrium","endometrial gland","organoid",and"culture model";a total of 134 articles were selected.In this review,the characteristics,applications,and limitations of endometrial epithelial organoids are discussed.

Performance Evaluation of Machine Learning Methods in Cultural Modeling

Cultural modeling （CM） is an emergent and promising research area in social computing. It aims to develop behavioral models of human groups and analyze the impact of culture factors on human group behavior using computational methods. Machine learning methods, in particular classification, play a critical role in such applications. Since various cultural-related data sets possess different characteristics, it is important to gain a computational understanding of performance characteristics of various machine learning methods. In this paper, we investigate the performance of seven representative classification algorithms using a benchmark cultural modeling data set and analyze the experimental results as to group behavior forecasting.

Organ-on-a-chip platforms for accelerating the evaluation of nanomedicine

Nanomedicine involves the use of engineered nanoscale materials in an extensive range of diagnostic and therapeutic applications and can be applied to the treatment of many diseases.Despite the rapid progress and tremendous potential of nanomedicine in the past decades,the clinical translational process is still quite slow,owing to the difficulty in understanding,evaluating,and predicting nanomaterial behaviors within the complex environment of human beings.Microfluidics-based organ-on-a-chip(Organ Chip)techniques offer a promising way to resolve these challenges.Sophisticatedly designed Organ Chip enable in vitro simulation of the in vivo microenvironments,thus providing robust platforms for evaluating nanomedicine.Herein,we review recent developments and achievements in Organ Chip models for nanomedicine evaluations,categorized into seven broad sections based on the target organ systems:respiratory,digestive,lymphatic,excretory,nervous,and vascular,as well as coverage on applications relating to cancer.We conclude by providing our perspectives on the challenges and potential future directions for applications of Organ Chip in nanomedicine.

From Discovery to Cure, A Great Journey of the Hepatitis C Virus Study

Hepatitis C virus(HCV)causes chronic infection in over 75%of the HCV-infected individuals,resulting in liver cancer in substantial patients.Since its discovery in 1989,HCV experiences a journey from discovery to cure,largely due to the virology studies and success of direct antiviral agent(DAA)development.We reviewed the HCV research journey,from the discovery of this virus to the development of DAAs for cure.Learning the methodology used in HCV studies and the knowledge of developing DAAs against HCV may inspire the studies of other difficult-to-culture viruses,such as hepatitis E virus and norovirus,as well as the development of DAAs for other single-stranded positive-sense RNA viruses,including the pandemic-causing SARS-CoV-2 virus,which shares the common replication strategy of forming a membrane-bound viral replicase.