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Objective: To investigate the mechanism of JAK2 / STAT3 / SOCS1 signaling pathway in electroacupuncture of different acupoints on acute colitis rats. Methods: 36 SPF SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, with 6 rats in each group. The rat model of acute colitis was prepared by enema with glacial acetic acid solution. After the model was established, electroacupuncture was given to each acupoint group, with density wave, frequency 2Hz-50 Hz, intensity 2 mA, muscle tremor as the degree 20 min/time, 1 time/day, for 3 consecutive days. Observe the general condition of rats ; the pathological changes of colonic mucosa in rats were observed by HE method. The contents of serum interleukin-4 ( IL-4 ) and interleukin-8 ( IL-8 ) were detected by ELISA. Western blot and RT-PCR were used to detect the expression of JAK2, STAT3, SOCS1 protein and mRNA in rat colon tissue. Results: In contrast to the normal group, the overall condition of the model group was worse, the colonic mucosa was severely damaged, even necrotic, and the ulcer surface was obvious. The content of IL-4 in serum was obviously reduced, and the content of IL-8 was obviously go up ( P < 0.01 ). The protein content of JAK2, STAT3 and the expression of JAK2, STAT3 mRNA in colon tissue of rats were obviously go up, while the protein content of SOCS1 and the expression of SOCS1 mRNA were obviously reduced ( P < 0.01 ). In contrast to the model group, the general condition of rats in each acupoint group was significantly improved, the damage and necrosis of colonic mucosa and ulcer surface were obviously alleviated, the content of IL-4 in serum was obviously go up, and the content of IL-8 was significantly decreased ( P < 0.01 ). The protein content of JAK2, STAT3 and the expression of JAK2, STAT3 mRNA in colon tissue of rats were obviously reduced, while the protein content of SOCS1 and the expression of SOCS1 mRNA were obviously go up ( P < 0.05, P < 0.01 ). Comparison of different acupoint groups, the colonic mucosal injury in the Zusanli group was significantly reduced, the content of serum IL-4 was significantly increased, and the content of IL-8 was significantly decreased ( P < 0.05, P < 0.01 ). The protein content and mRNA expression of JAK2 and STAT3 in colon tissue were significantly down-regulated, while the protein content and mRNA expression of SOCS1 were significantly go up ( P < 0.05, P < 0.01 ). Conclusion: Electroacupuncture at each acupoint can improve the damage of colonic mucosa and reduce the inflammatory response. The therapeutic effect of Zusanli (ST36) is better than that of Tianshu (ST25), Dachangshu (BL25) and Shangjuxu (ST37). The mechanism may be related to the regulation of JAK2 / STAT3 / SOCS1 signaling pathway related proteins and inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and IL-8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable fisheries management seeks to balance fisheries' conservation with fishers' economic well‐being. Marine protected areas are increasingly used as a component of management frameworks to improve the resilience of, or maintain, marine resources. However, any spatial management measures need to consider the seasonal distribution of key species at key life stages, such as the recruitment stage.Trichiurus japonicus (hairtail) is the highest yielding single fish species in China, but it is showing signs of miniaturization and early maturity, which are indicators of overfishing. Thus, it is a suitable model species for studies aiming to find a solution to the challenge of balancing fishing activities with resource protection.The potentially important seasonal nursery grounds of T. japonicus in the East China Sea were identified using a model combining data for the variability in abundance and the probability of occurrence of T. japonicus recruits. Based on fishery‐independent survey data, a Bayesian hierarchical species distribution model revealed that the locations and sizes of core nursery grounds of T. japonicus varied seasonally and that the main drivers were depth, sea bottom temperature and sea bottom salinity.The possible seasonal interactions between fishing effort and nursery grounds at different levels of importance were evaluated by analysing the spatial overlap between fishery hot spots and T. japonicus core nursery grounds. The results showed that the proportion of overlap was highest in spring and lowest in summer.These findings highlight the urgent need to develop fleet‐adapted management measures for different levels of overlap and suggest that the eastern and southern areas of the East China Sea hairtail national aquatic germplasm resources conservation zone (TCZ) should be included in conservation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physiological mechanisms of drought-stress response in Quercus acutissima were explored with the aim to develop potentially valuable drought-resistant species that are adapted to arid regions and barren mountains. Potting experiments of Q. acutissima that simulated drought-stress conditions, and morphological, physiological, photosynthetic, and ultrastructural changes were investigated at different stages of drought stress, including after rehydration and recovery. During drought stress and rewatering, the leaves exhibited yellowing and abscission, followed by the sprouting of new leaf buds. The relative water content (RWC) changed under the drought-rewatering treatment, with a decreasing and then increasing trend, while the relative electrical conductivity (REC) had a more gradual increasing and then decreasing trend. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT), and the proline (Pro) and soluble sugar (SS) contents increased and then decreased. The change in soluble protein (SP) content showed an N-shaped trend of increasing, decreasing, and then increasing again. The malondialdehyde (MDA) content decreased and then slowly increased. From the drought to recovery phase of the experiment, the net photosynthesis (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), and transpiration rate (Tr) decreased gradually at first, and then the Pn increased significantly, while the Gs and Tr increased slowly. During this period, the internal CO2 concentration (Ci) did not decrease significantly until the last stage of the drought treatment, and then it increased slowly thereafter. The open stomata count in the Q. acutissima leaves was reduced significantly as drought stress increased, but after rewatering, the stomata recovered rapidly, with their opening size increasing. The number of leaf epidermal trichomes gradually declined to a low count in response to drought stress, but it rapidly recovered and increased within a short period of time after rehydration. Q. acutissima was found to have a strong drought tolerance and recovery ability after exposure to drought stress, and it may be an effective pioneer species for reforestation in barren lands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichiurus japonicus is an economically important fish that ranks 11th in global marine fish capture production. However, the reproductive characteristics of this fish have undergone notable changes in recent decades, potentially affecting the quality of offspring and sustainable utilization. To improve our understanding of the physiological regulation of maturation in T. japonicus, untargeted liquid chromatography mass spectrometry was utilized to identify the small molecules that characterize the comprehensive metabolic profiles of ovaries during ovary development from stage II to stage IV. According to the results of OPLS-DA, the ovarian metabolite profiles of the three developmental stages were separated. The concentrations of 124 and 100 metabolites were significantly altered between stage II vs. III and III vs. IV, respectively. Lipids and lipid-like molecules accounted for the largest proportion of the altered metabolites, followed by amino acids, peptides, and analogues. The significantly altered metabolites-enriched pathways differed slightly between stages II and III and stages III and IV. Steroid-related pathways were heavily affected during stages II to III, while significantly altered metabolites from stages III to IV were involved in oocyte-maturation-related pathways. Through metabonomics analysis, potentially important metabolic pathways and metabolites between different ovarian stages were detected, providing basic information for further investigation of maturation mechanisms in wild fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many cells in vivo have their inherent motions, which involve numerous biochemical and biophysical signals synergistically regulating cell behavior and function. However, existing methods offer little information about the concurrently chemical and physical responses of dynamically pulsing cells. Here, we report a soft electrode with an electrospun poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)‐based nanomesh to fully comply with spontaneous motions of cells. Moreover, this electrode demonstrated excellent electrical conductivity, electrochemical performance and cellular biocompatibility. Cardiomyocytes cultured thereon exhibited autonomous and rhythmic contractility, and synchronously induced mechanical deformation of the underlying electrode, which allowed real‐time monitoring of nitric oxide release and electrophysiological activity of cardiomyocytes. This work provides a promising way toward recording chemical and electrical signals of biological systems with their natural motions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many cells in vivo have their inherent motions, which involve numerous biochemical and biophysical signals synergistically regulating cell behavior and function. However, existing methods offer little information about the concurrently chemical and physical responses of dynamically pulsing cells. Here, we report a soft electrode with an electrospun poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)‐based nanomesh to fully comply with spontaneous motions of cells. Moreover, this electrode demonstrated excellent electrical conductivity, electrochemical performance and cellular biocompatibility. Cardiomyocytes cultured thereon exhibited autonomous and rhythmic contractility, and synchronously induced mechanical deformation of the underlying electrode, which allowed real‐time monitoring of nitric oxide release and electrophysiological activity of cardiomyocytes. This work provides a promising way toward recording chemical and electrical signals of biological systems with their natural motions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitogenomes have been widely used for phylogenetic reconstruction of various Dipteran groups, but specifically for chironomid, they have not been carried out to resolve the relationships. Diamesinae (Diptera: Chironomidae) are important bioindicators for freshwater ecosystem monitoring, but its evolutionary history remains uncertain for lack of information. Here, coupled with one previously published and 30 new mitogenomes of Diamesinae, we carried out comparative mitogenomic analysis and phylogenetic analysis. Mitogenomes of Diamesinae were conserved in structure, and all genes arranged in the same order as the ancestral insect mitogenome. All protein‐coding genes in Diamesinae were under stronger purifying selection than those of other nonbiting midge species, which may exhibit signs of adaptation to life at cold living conditions. Phylogenetic analyses strongly supported the monophyly of Diamesinae, with Boreheptagyiini deeply nested within Diamesini. In addition, phylogenetic relationship of selected six genera was resolved, except Sympotthastia remained unstable. Our study revealed that the mitogenomes of Diamesinae are highly conserved, and they are practically useful for phylogenetic inference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolutionary analysis of Prodiamesinae has long been impeded by lack of information, and its phylogenetic relationship with Orthocladiinae remains questionable. Here, ten complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of Orthocladiinae sensu lato were newly sequenced, including three Prodiamesinae species and seven Orthocladiinae species. Coupled with published mitogenomes, a total of 12 mitogenomes of Orthocladiinae sensu lato were selected for a comparative mitogenomic analysis and phylogenetic reconstruction. Mitogenomes of Orthocladiinae sensu lato are conserved in structure, and all genes arrange the same gene order as the ancestral insect mitogenome. Nucleotide composition is highly biased, and the control region displayed the highest A + T content. All protein‐coding genes are under purifying selection, and the ATP8 evolves at the fastest rate. In addition, the mitogenomes of Orthocladiinae sensu lato are highly conserved, and they are practically useful for phylogenetic inference, suggesting a re‐classification of Orthocladiinae by sinking Prodiamesinae as a subgroup of Orthocladiinae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early maturity of economically important fish has become a global issue, which might affect the reproductive potential of fish stocks. We used the samples that were collected in a fisheries‐independent survey in the East China Sea annually around the end of August from 2002 to 2017 to investigate the maturation progress of female Hairtail Trichiurus japonicus in response to (1) spatial variation, (2) environmental variation, and (3) CPUE. The preliminary analysis indicated that the gonads of Hairtail in the southern area and the northern area began to develop at similar anal length (around 140–150 mm), but the development was faster in the southern area than in the northern area. The proportion of matured fish was significantly higher in the southern area than in the northern area in the group of fish with 170–210 mm anal length. Based on generalized additive models, we found that temperature and CPUE could affect the maturation schedules of female Hairtail in the East China Sea. The relationship between sea surface temperature and the probability of maturity was close to an s‐curve, while the stock density had an approximately negative effect on the degree of precocious puberty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the mixed‐ligand method, a novel coordination polymer containing Co(II) of [Co(ditb)(tdc)]n·5nH2O (1) was prepared by reacting rigid 2,5‐thiophenedicarboxylic acid with flexible 1,4‐di(1H‐1,2,4‐triazol‐1‐yl)butane using the slow evaporation method. Active samples of 1 (1a for short) showed good stability and the ability to capture CO2. It can be used as a potential heterogeneous catalyst for chemical immobilization of epoxide and CO2 to form cyclic carbonates. In addition, catalyst 1a retained its original structure after four times of reuse. Its biological properties were assessed against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.TB) both in vivo and in vitro. First, the bactericidal ability of the compound against M.TB was measured by a sterilization curve. Then, the expression of pckA gene related to M.TB survival was detected using reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction. For the in vivo study, the colony‐forming unit determination was performed for evaluating the anti‐bacterial effect of the compound, and the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay was used for the inflammatory cytokine measurement in vivo. Through molecular docking simulations, all three types of polar atoms on the complex were confirmed to have chances of interacting with the protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is accompanied by widespread abnormal spontaneous regional activity related to cognitive deficits. However, little is known about the topological properties of the functional brain connectome of patients with OSA. This study aimed to use the graph theory approaches to investigate the topological properties and functional connectivity (FC) of the functional connectome in patients with OSA, based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Methods: Forty-five male patients with newly diagnosed untreated severe OSA and 45 male good sleepers (GSs) underwent a polysomnography (PSG), clinical evaluations, and rs-fMRI scans. The automated anatomical labeling (AAL) atlas was used to construct the functional brain connectome. The topological organization and FC of brain functional networks in patients with OSA were characterized using graph theory methods and investigated the relationship between functional network topology and clinical variables. Results: Both the patients with OSA and the GSs exhibited high-efficiency “small-world” network attributes. However, the patients with OSA exhibited decreased σ, γ, Eglob; increased Lp, λ; and abnormal nodal centralities in several default-mode network (DMN), salience network (SN), and central executive network (CEN) regions. However, the patients with OSA exhibited abnormal functional connections between the DMN, SN, and CEN. The disrupted FC was significantly positive correlations with the global network metrics γ and σ. The global network metrics were significantly correlated with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score, and oxygen desaturation index. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the functional connectome of patients with OSA exhibited disrupted functional integration and segregation, and functional disconnections of the DMN, SN, and CEN. The aberrant topological attributes may be associated with disrupted FC and cognitive functions. These topological abnormalities and disconnections might be potential biomarkers of cognitive impairments in patients with OSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qinghai Lake is a major migratory-bird breeding site that has experienced several highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (AIV) epizootics. Plateau pikas ( Ochotona curzoniae) have previously been implicated in the ecology of avian influenza virus in this region. We first isolated an H9N2 AIV (A/Pika/Menyuan/01/2008) from plateau pikas between November 2008 and October 2009. Sequence analysis showed that the A/Pika/Menyuan/01/2008 AIV was closely related to the H9N2 AIV strain (A/Turkey/Wisconsin/ 1/1966). Our findings suggested that plateau pikas may contribute to AIV epidemiology in the Qinghai Lake region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The feeding habits of the mud shrimp Solenocera melantho were studied in the East China Sea by analysing 720 stomach contents and comparing diet composition and prey diversity among seasons, sexes and size classes. Feeding activity was linked to season and ovarian condition. The stomach fullness was high during spring and summer and low in fall. Females with advanced ovaries also displayed low stomach fullness, which suggests that feeding activity is affected by the reproductive cycle. The diet of S. melantho consisted of 42 different prey categories, primarily smaller crustaceans, Foraminifera, polychaetes, mollusks and fishes (larvae and eggs). Crustacea,Foraminifera and polychaetes together constituted the dominant prey groups, accounting for 75% of total prey abundance and >50% of total prey occurrence. Diet composition differed among seasons between sexes and size classes. Females and males consumed the same prey items but with different orders of importance. In terms of body size, the small shrimps preferred relatively small food items, such as Foraminifera and algae, whereas larger shrimps preferred polychaetes and crustaceans. Trophic diversity varied among the seasons within both sexes and size classes, with the highest values being observed in fall. Niche overlap was high within both sexes and size classes among seasons (0.6051-0.8740). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the past decades, networked control systems (NCSs), as an interdisciplinary subject, have been one of the main research highlights and many fruitful results from different aspects have been achieved. With these growing research trends, it is significant to consolidate the latest knowledge and information to keep up with the research needs. In this paper, the results of different aspects of NCSs, such as quantization, estimation, fault detection and networked predictive control, are summarized. In addition, with the development of cloud technique, cloud control systems are proposed for the further development of NCSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the vehicle-track coupling dynamics theory, a new spatial dynamic numerical model of vehicle-track-subgrade coupling system was established considering the interaction among different structural layers in the subgrade system. The dynamic responses of the coupled system were analyzed when the speed of train was 350 km/h and the transition was filled with graded broken stones mixed with 5% cement. The results indicate that the setting form of bridge-approach embankment section has little effect on the dynamic responses, thus designers can choose it on account of the practical circumstances. Because the location about 5 m from the bridge abutment has the greatest deformation, the stiffness within 0-5 m zone behind the abutment should be specially designed. The results of the study from vehicle-track dynamics show that the maximum allowable track deflection angle should be 0.09% and the coefficient of subgrade reaction ( K) is greater than 190 MPa within the 0-5 m zone behind the abutment and greater than 150 MPa in other zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycinebetaine is an important quaternary ammonium compound generated in response to salt and other osmotic stresses in many organisms. Its synthesis requires the catalysis of betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase encoded by a Betaine Aldehyde Dehydrogenase ( BADH) gene that converts betaine aldehyde into glycinebetaine in some halotolerant plants. In this study, a BADH gene was over expressed in transgenic alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L) plants using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Transgenic alfalfa plants grown under 9‰ NaCl grew well; while non-transgenic control plants turned yellowish in color, wilted, and eventually died. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Northern blot hybridization analyses demonstrated that the BADH gene was transferred into the T2 generation and segregated in a Mendelian fashion. Transgenic alfalfa plants expressing BADH showed significantly higher BADH enzyme activity and betaine contents when grown under 6‰ NaCl. Moreover, proline content in T2 lines were higher while electrolyte leakage and malonaldehyde content were lower in T2 lines compared with non-transgenic plants. These findings indicated that transgenic plants expressing BADH transgene exhibited higher salt tolerance than non-transgenic plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puerarin, a major isoflavonoid compound from the Chinese herb, Ge-gen ( Pueraria lobata), has effective treatment on myocardial and cerebral ischemia, glaucoma and sudden deafness in clinical setting in China. Our present work showed that puerarin (50, 150, 450 μM) concentration-dependently inhibited phenylephrine or KCl-induced contraction only in endothelium-intact rat aortic rings. In Ca2+-free solution, the antivasoconstriction of puerarin on phenylephrine was totally deprived. NG-nitro- l-arginine methyl ester, 1 H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one, indomethacin and the three K+ channel blockers, glibenclamide, tetraethylammonium and Ba2+ displayed significant inhibitory effects on the antivasoconstriction of puerarin. 8-bromo-cGMP significantly strengthened the action of puerarin. Puerarin (10–160 μM) concentration-dependently induced the NO production in the rat aortic cells. These findings suggested that the antivasoconstriction elicited by puerarin is endothelium-dependent. NO/NO–cGMP pathway, PGI2 and the opening of K+ channels sensitive to glibenclamide, tetraethylammonium, and Ba2+, which might be triggered by the extracellular Ca2+ influx in the endothelium, appear to contribute to the antivasoconstriction of puerarin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plantaginis Semen (PS) is well recognized in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and health products. Crude PS (CPS) and salt-processed CPS (SPS) are the two most commonly used decoction pieces of PS, and are included in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Although they all have multiple effects, the mechanisms for treating diseases are different and remain unclear, the processing mechanism of SPS is also indeterminate, which hinders their clinical application to a certain extent. In order to solve these problems and further develop PS in the clinical application. Here, we used saline-loaded model rats for experiments, and utilized an integrated approach consisting of pharmacological methods and metabolomics, which could assess the diuretic impact of CPS and SPS ethanol extracts on saline-loaded rats and elucidate the underlying mechanism. The results showed that CPS and SPS both produced increased urine volume excretion and urine electrolyte excretion, but the levels of aldosterone (ALD) and aquaporin 2 (AQP2) were decreased. And 30 differential metabolites such as linoleic acid, lysoPC(O-18:0), sphingosine-1-phosphate, lysoPC(18:0) were found, mainly involving three metabolic pathways. In conclusion, CPS and SPS both have a diuretic effect, and that of SPS is better. This work investigated the possible diuretic mechanisms of CPS and SPS which may also be the mechanism of PS for anti-hypertension. In addition, a holistic approach provided novel and helpful insights into the underlying processing mechanisms of TCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Asthma is a common complex chronic, inflammatory polygenic disease with heterogeneous manifestations, affecting individuals of all age groups and posing an immense burden on healthcare resources. A number of studies have identified the association between a disintegrin and metalloprotease 33 (ADAM33) polymorphisms and asthma risk, however, the results still remain inconclusive. The objective of the present study was to identify the effect of ADAM33 variants in asthma susceptibility.Methods: Eligible case-control studies published between January 2000 and June 2018 was searched and retrieved from online electronic databases. The odds ratio (OR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was employed to calculate the effect.Results: A total of 63 case-control studies were finally screened out, including 13,280 asthma patients and 13,340 controls. Eleven SNPs of ADAM33 gene were identified. Our results detected a significant association between ADAM33 T2, Q1, F + 1 and AA genotype of T + 1 polymorphisms and asthma risk in total population. Subgroup analysis by ethnicities showed that the alleles and genotypes of T2, Q1 and F + 1 polymorphisms were associated with asthma susceptibility among Asian populations, while V4 polymorphism was associated with asthma among Caucasian populations. Subgroup analysis by ages showed that T2, F + 1 and ST + 4 polymorphisms were associated with childhood asthma, while Q1 and V4 polymorphisms were associated with asthma risk in adults. Subgroup analysis by asthma severity showed that only the G allele of ADAM33 T1 polymorphism was associated with the severity of asthma when compared with the controls. In addition, T2, Q1 and F + 1 polymorphisms of ADAM33 were significantly associated with increased the asthma risk in Chinese asthma patients.Conclusions: Our results found that T2, Q1 and F + 1 polymorphisms of ADAM33 gene might contribute to asthma risk. Future well-designed case-control studies with large population and more ethnicities are still needed to estimate the association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]