Anhui Academy of Medical Sciences

ABSTRACT Quantitative differential phase contrast (qDPC) microscopy enables high‐resolution, label‐free imaging of weakly absorbing samples by combining asymmetrical illumination with phase transfer function (PTF) deconvolution. However, conventional methods are limited by the ill‐posed nature of deconvolution and the band‐limited characteristics of the PTF, leading to poor robustness against noise and background fluctuations, particularly in thick or complex samples. To overcome these challenges, we propose a pupil‐driven differential phase contrast (PD‐DPC) framework that integrates system PTFs into both the data fidelity and regularization terms of the reconstruction model. The proposed model incorporates an edge‐sparsity‐promoting regularization to preserve structural detail and suppress noise, along with a Retinex‐inspired fidelity formulation to mitigate background fluctuations. The resulting non‐convex optimization problem is solved via an efficient Split Bregman algorithm with iterative reweighted soft‐thresholding. Simulations and experiments demonstrate that PD‐DPC outperforms L2‐DPC, Iso‐DPC, TV‐DPC, and Retinex‐DPC in terms of background suppression, phase fidelity, and edge preservation. The framework is compatible with diverse DPC modalities and enables automatic cell contour segmentation as well as high‐resolution imaging of absorbing tissues beyond the weak‐object approximation. By combining physics‐informed priors with a data‐adaptive reconstruction strategy, PD‐DPC offers a robust, broadly applicable solution that substantially enhances the accuracy and applicability of qDPC for biomedical imaging. The MATLAB code is available on GitHub .

ABSTRACT Biofilm‐associated contamination and the presence of multiple pathogenic species on environmental and medical surfaces pose a major challenge in healthcare and hygiene management, contributing significantly to hospital‐acquired infections (HAIs). D7 is a multicomponent disinfectant formulated with hydrogen peroxide, quaternary ammonium compounds, and surfactants, which is hypothesized to exert antimicrobial and anti‐biofilm effects. This study aimed to evaluate the inhibitory and eradication effects of D7 on Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms, as well as its broad‐spectrum antimicrobial activity and long‐term residual efficacy on treated surfaces. Biofilm inhibition and eradication assays were performed using crystal violet staining and WST viability assays. The antimicrobial spectrum was assessed by disk diffusion assay against Gram‐positive, Gram‐negative, and spore‐forming bacterial strains. Residual antimicrobial activity was evaluated under simulated airborne microbial exposure for extended periods. D7 significantly inhibited biofilm formation at dilutions up to 1000‐fold and eradicated established biofilms at dilutions up to 200‐fold. In addition, D7 demonstrated broad‐spectrum antibacterial activity across all tested species, outperforming conventional disinfectants such as hypochlorous acid, benzalkonium chloride, and ethanol, whose efficacy was markedly diminished upon dilution. Notably, D7 exhibited long‐lasting residual antimicrobial activity on treated surfaces for up to 2 months, preventing microbial recolonization. These results indicate that D7 possesses a combination of strong anti‐biofilm activity, broad‐spectrum antimicrobial efficacy, and sustained surface protection. This suggests its potential as an effective disinfectant and functional antimicrobial coating for preventing biofilm‐associated contamination and reducing infection transmission in healthcare and hygiene‐critical environments. Further studies are warranted to validate its safety and clinical applicability.

ABSTRACT Fourier ptychographic microscopy (FPM) is an emerging computational imaging technique that breaks through the optical diffraction limitations, enabling large‐field, high‐resolution observation of biological samples. However, traditional FPM iterative reconstruction algorithms suffer from high computational complexity and poor real‐time performance. Additionally, existing data‐driven FPM models exhibit limited generalization due to simulation‐dominated training data. To overcome these challenges, the FPM‐BioCell dataset of multi‐source biological samples is constructed based on the previously proposed forward wavelet‐transform model family (WL‐FPM). Furthermore, a generative adversarial network integrating wavelet transform blocks and mamba‐inspired linear attention models, termed WM‐FPM, is proposed for FPM reconstruction. Through multi‐scale feature extraction, long sequence modeling, and adversarial training, WM‐FPM breaks the speed‐accuracy trade‐off in FPM reconstruction. It outperforms state‐of‐the‐art deep learning models on the FPM‐BioCell dataset with SSIM (0.71), MS‐SSIM (0.87), PSNR (28.55), FID (35.35), and LPIPS (0.27). Crucially, when validated against an independent optical ground truth, WM‐FPM not only generalizes effectively to unseen samples but also achieves a speedup of over 100× compared to the physics‐based WL‐FPM, reconstructing a full‐field 12288 × 12288‐pixel image in merely 5.63 s from a single 2048 × 2048‐pixel input, without compromising fidelity. The code and dataset are open‐sourced to facilitate the rapid deployment of FPM in biomedicine.

<p><strong>Background:</strong> The Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway is a critical antioxidative stress and cytoprotective pathway, and oxidative stress plays a significant role in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI). Liquiritigenin, a flavonoid compound derived from licorice, is hypothesized to alleviate MIRI, though its specific mechanism remains unclear. <strong>Methods:</strong> Following a 15-min pretreatment with liquiritigenin, animals underwent myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury induction comprising 30-min coronary occlusion and 2-h reperfusion. Continuous cardiac monitoring incorporated both electrocardiography (ECG) and ventricular pressure dynamics, specifically tracking systolic pressure (LVSP), end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), and ventricular contractility indices (±dp/dtmax). Post-experimental biospecimen analysis included: Myocardial injury evaluation: Serum quantification of lactate dehydrogenase and CK-MB isoenzyme levels. Redox status assessment: Measurement of antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, GSH) and lipid peroxidation biomarker MDA concentration Histopathological damage: Evaluated via hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Apoptosis: Detected by TUNEL assay. Protein expression: Western blot analysis of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway components (Nrf2, Keap1, HO-1). <strong>Conclusion:</strong> Liquiritigenin exerts cardioprotective effects against MIRI by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, thereby attenuating post-reperfusion oxidative stress. This study elucidates the central role of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway interactions in MIRI and identifies liquiritigenin as a potential therapeutic candidate for targeting this pathway.</p>

This study evaluates and analyzes the influencing factors of ecological spatial configuration optimization in the Greater Huangshan Region. By identifying and assessing these factors, it aims to reveal the mechanisms underlying ecological space optimization in the area. The findings provide a theoretical foundation for promoting high-quality development and optimizing ecological spatial governance policies in the Greater Huangshan Region.An index system for ecological space configuration optimization in the Greater Huangshan Region was constructed based on the DPSIR model, and the Entropy Weight-TOPSIS method was applied to evaluate the ecological space from 2018 to 2023. From a temporal dimension, the configuration optimization of ecological space in the Greater Huangshan Region showed an upward trend from 2018 to 2023, with a significant improvement in ES levels. From a spatial dimension, there are certain differences in the group optimization level of ecological space among cities in the region, with the spatial distribution generally showing the characteristics of Anqing > Huangshan > Xuancheng > Chizhou. Although the group optimization of ES in the Greater Huangshan Region has significantly strengthened from 2018 to 2023, the ecological situation remains severe. It is necessary to accelerate socioeconomic development while actively implementing various ecological protection policies, comprehensively improving the group optimization level of ecological space in each city, and thus promoting high-quality development in the Greater Huangshan Region.

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a commonly used organic solvent in industry. Our previous studies have found that TCE can cause liver injury accompanied by macrophage polarization, but the specific mechanism is unclear. The epigenetic regulation of macrophage polarization is mainly focused on histone modification. Histone lysine demethylase 4A (KDM4A) is involved in the activation of macrophages. In this study, we used a mouse model we investigated the role of KDM4A in the livers of TCE-drinking mice and found that the expression of KDM4A, M1-type polarization indicators, and related inflammatory factors in the livers of TCE-drinking mice. In the study, BALB/c mice were randomly divided into four groups: 2.5 mg/mL TCE dose group and 5.0 mg/mL TCE dose group, the vehicle control group, and the blank control group. We found that TCE triggered M1 polarization of mouse macrophages, characterized by the expression of CD11c and robust production of inflammatory cytokines. Notably, exposure to TCE resulted in markedly increased expression of KDM4A in macrophages. Functionally, the increased expression of KDM4A significantly impaired the expression of H3K9me3 and H3K9me2 and increased the expression of H3K9me1. In addition, KDM4A potentially represents a novel epigenetic modulator, with its upregulation connected to β-catenin activation, a signal critical for the pro-inflammatory activation of macrophages. Furthermore, KDM4A inhibitor JIB-04 treatment resulted in a decrease in β-catenin expression and prevented TCE-induced M1 polarization and the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β. These results suggest that the association of KDM4A and Wnt/β-catenin cooperatively establishes the activation and polarization of macrophages and global changes in H3K9me3/me2/me1. Our findings identify KDM4A as an essential regulator of the polarization of macrophages and the expression of inflammatory cytokines, which might serve as a potential target for preventing and treating liver injury caused by TCE.

Emerging evidence indicates the critical roles of circular RNAs in the development of multiple cancers, containing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Herein, our present research reported the biological function and mechanism of circ_0027791 in HCC progression. Circ_0027791, microRNA-496 (miR-496), programmed cell death ligand 1 (PDL1), and methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) levels were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Cell viability, proliferation, invasion, and sphere formation ability were detected using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine, transwell, and sphere formation assays. Macrophage polarization was detected using flow cytometry assay. To understand the role of circ_0027791 during the immune escape, HCC cells were cocultured with peripheral blood mononuclear cells or cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells in vitro. A xenograft mouse model was applied to assess the function of circ_0027791 in vivo. After prediction using circinteractome and miRDB, the binding between miR-496 and circ_0027791 or PDL1 was validated based on a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Interaction between METTL3 and circ_0027791 was determined using methylated RNA immunoprecipitation (MeRIP)-qPCR, RIP-qPCR, and RNA pull-down assays. Circ_0027791, PDL1, and METTL3 expression were upregulated, and miR-496 was decreased in HCC patients and cells. Moreover, circ_0027791 knockdown might repress proliferation, invasion, sphere formation, M2 macrophage polarization, and antitumor immune response. Circ_0027791 knockdown repressed HCC tumor growth in vivo. In mechanism, circ_0027791 functioned as a sponge for miR-496 to increase PDL1 expression. In addition, METTL3 mediated the m6A methylation of circ_0027791 and stabilized its expression. METTL3-induced circ_0027791 facilitated HCC cell progression partly regulating the miR-496/PDL1 axis, which provided a new prognostic and therapeutic marker for HCC.

Abstract Changes in the waxing and waning of carbon pools in forest ecosystems have a profound impact on the global carbon cycle. The study takes forests in a city as an example, uses sample plot survey data and Sentinel-2 and GF-1 satellite remote sensing data as data sources, and after multiple feature extraction, the RBF neural network optimized by the PSO algorithm is used for modeling the dynamic estimation of carbon storage, assessing the accuracy of the model and inverting the estimation of carbon storage in the sample area. The results show that the PSO-RBF model in this paper has the best fit and prediction accuracy for carbon storage estimation, with the highest R² of 0.644 and the smallest RRMSE and MAE of 0.287 and 15.368 in the combination of the two data sources, and the estimated value of forest carbon storage in 2022 in the sample area is 6809451.80t, which differs from the actual value by 0.04% and the difference of predicted and actual values in each subarea is 0.04%. The predicted and measured values in subregions had a difference of less than 0.34%. The forest carbon storage model that utilizes PSO-RBF has a good estimation effect overall. The technical support provided by this study enables accurate monitoring of carbon storage in forest ecosystems.