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Bran is a by-product primarily derived from the milling of grains, notably wheat and rice. It is rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals yet often remains underutilized in its raw form. This raw material is abundant and readily available, offering significant potential for value-added applications. In its unprocessed state, bran boasts a complex chemical composition that includes proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates. However, it also contains antinutritional components such as phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, which may limit its nutritional efficacy. Through further processing or storage, these components can be transformed to enhance their antioxidant properties and overall nutritional value. Bran is used in both animal feed and human food applications, though its use is often hindered by its high fiber content and antinutritional factors. To maximize its utility, innovative processing techniques are required to improve its digestibility and nutrient availability. Fermentation presents a viable method for enhancing the nutritional profile of bran. This process typically employs microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, or fungi to break down complex compounds, thereby increasing the bioavailability of nutrients. After fermentation, bran exhibits improved chemical composition and nutritional value. The process reduces antinutritional components while enriching the bran with beneficial compounds like amino acids and probiotics. Utilizing fermented bran in animal feed offers numerous advantages, including enhanced digestive health, improved nutrient absorption, and augmented disease resistance. It serves as a sustainable feed alternative that supports livestock growth while aligning with ecological goals. The processing of bran through fermentation not only maximizes its nutritional potential but also contributes to sustainable agricultural practices by reducing waste. Future research should focus on optimizing fermentation techniques and exploring novel applications in both feed and food industries to fully realize the benefits of this versatile by-product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blaps rhynchopetera Fairmaire is a significant medicinal resource in southwestern China. We utilized Nanopore and Hi-C technologies in combination to generate a high-quality, chromosome-level assembly of the B. rhynchopetera genome and described its genetic features. Genome surveys revealed that B. rhynchopetera is a highly heterozygous species. The assembled genome was 379.24 Mb in size, of which 96.03% was assigned to 20 pseudochromosomes. A total of 212.93 Mb of repeat sequences were annotated, and 26,824 protein-coding genes and 837 noncoding RNAs were identified. Phylogenetic analysis indicated the divergence of the ancestors of B. rhynchopetera and its closely related species Tenebrio molitor at about 85.6 million years ago. The colinearity analysis showed that some chromosomes of B. rhynchopetera may have had fission events, and it has a good synteny relationship with Tribolium castaneum. Furthermore, in the enrichment analyses, the gene families related to detoxification and immunity of B. rhynchopetera facilitated the understanding of its environmental adaptations, which will serve as a valuable research resource for pest control strategies and conservation efforts of beneficial insects. This high-quality reference genome will also contribute to the conservation of insect species diversity and genetic resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Novel diabetes phenotypes were proposed by the Europeans through cluster analysis, but Chinese community diabetes populations might exhibit different characteristics. This study aims to explore the clinical characteristics of novel diabetes subgroups under data‐driven analysis in Chinese community diabetes populations. Methods: We used K‐means cluster analysis in 6369 newly diagnosed diabetic patients from eight centers of the REACTION (Risk Evaluation of cAncers in Chinese diabeTic Individuals) study. The cluster analysis was performed based on age, body mass index, glycosylated hemoglobin, homeostatic modeled insulin resistance index, and homeostatic modeled pancreatic β‐cell functionality index. The clinical features were evaluated with the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and chi‐square test. Logistic regression analysis was done to compare chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease risks between subgroups. Results: Overall, 2063 (32.39%), 658 (10.33%), 1769 (27.78%), and 1879 (29.50%) populations were assigned to severe obesity‐related and insulin‐resistant diabetes (SOIRD), severe insulin‐deficient diabetes (SIDD), mild age‐associated diabetes mellitus (MARD), and mild insulin‐deficient diabetes (MIDD) subgroups, respectively. Individuals in the MIDD subgroup had a low risk burden equivalent to prediabetes, but with reduced insulin secretion. Individuals in the SOIRD subgroup were obese, had insulin resistance, and a high prevalence of fatty liver, tumors, family history of diabetes, and tumors. Individuals in the SIDD subgroup had severe insulin deficiency, the poorest glycemic control, and the highest prevalence of dyslipidemia and diabetic nephropathy. Individuals in MARD subgroup were the oldest, had moderate metabolic dysregulation and the highest risk of cardiovascular disease. Conclusion: The data‐driven approach to differentiating the status of new‐onset diabetes in the Chinese community was feasible. Patients in different clusters presented different characteristics and risks of complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image composition involves the placement of foreground objects at an appropriate scale within a background image to create a visually realistic composite image. However, manual operations for this task are time-consuming and labor-intensive. In this study, we propose an efficient method for foreground object placement, comprising a background feature extraction module (BFEM) designed for background images and a foreground–background cross-attention feature fusion module (FBCAFFM). The BFEM is capable of extracting precise and comprehensive information from the background image. The fused features enable the network to learn additional information related to foreground–background matching, aiding in the prediction of foreground object placement and size. Our experiments are conducted using the publicly available object placement assessment (OPA) dataset. Both quantitative and visual results demonstrate that FTOPNet effectively performs the foreground object placement task and offers a practical solution for image composition tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Immunotherapy has transformed cancer treatment patterns for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC) in recent years. Therefore, the identification of predictive biomarkers has important clinical implications. Methods: We collected medical records from 117 aHCC patients treated with anti-PD-1 antibody. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard regression were used to evaluate the association between peripheral blood biomarkers and overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Finally, the prognostic nomogram was constructed. Results: The mPFS and mOS were 7.0 months and 18.7 months, respectively. According to Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression analysis, we regarded the treatment regimen (p = 0.020), hemoglobin (Hb) at 6-week (p = 0.042), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) at 6-week (p < 0.001), system immune inflammation index (SII) at 6-week (p = 0.125) as predictors of PFS, and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) (p = 0.035), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) (p = 0.012), Hb at 6-week (p = 0.010) and NLR at 6-week (p = 0.020) as predictors of OS. Furthermore, the results suggest that the OS and PFS nomogram model were in agreement with actual observations. Conclusion: Biomarkers in peripheral blood can predict the prognosis of patients with aHCC treated with anti-PD-1 antibody. The development of nomogram models can help us to screen potential patients who can benefit from immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species delimitation is critical to our understanding of evolution, biodiversity, and conservation. However, delimiting species boundaries can be challenging, especially when intraspecific divergence is high (and interspecific divergence is low), and gene flow and incomplete lineage sorting are present. Mygalomorph spiders have become models for examining a variety of evolutionary and biogeographical questions. However, their extreme morphological homogeneity and high genetic structuring make delimiting mygalomorph species especially challenging. Integrative approaches to species delimitation, which combine multiple lines of evidence, have been used to infer the limits of many mygalomorph groups in an independent and reproducible way. Yet molecular species delimitation and phylogenetic relationships of the purseweb spider family Atypidae remain scarce. In this study, we explored the phylogeny and species delimitation of Calommata spiders from southern China using data sets including three mitochondrial (COI, 16S, and 12S) and two nuclear (28S, H3) markers. Our phylogenetic analyses yielded a well‐supported clade containing all southern Chinese Calommata and a sister relationship between C. signata and three new species within it. Based on the single‐locus and multilocus species delimitation analyses, we delimited four Calommata species from southern China: one known species (C. signata) and three new species (C. yuanjiangica sp. n., C. hangzhica sp. n. and C. jinggangica sp. n.). This study thus provides a framework for determining the limits of C. signata sensu lato species and calls for further study of systematics and evolutionary relationships within Calommata and other atypid lineages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Combination therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and antiangiogenic agents is generally effective and well tolerated and might be effective for metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC). However, ICI treatment is often associated with unique responses, such as pseudoprogression and ICI-related pneumonitis (CIP), which may influence clinical decision making and affect treatment. Although there have been many studies on the mechanism of pseudoprogression and CIP, the characteristics and relationship of these special events in a clinical setting remain rarely reported. Case Presentation: Here, we present a patient with lung metastatic UC who underwent surgery and two lines of chemotherapy. The programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor nivolumab and antiangiogenics agent bevacizumab were used as maintenance treatments. The patient experienced pseudoprogression after 2 PD-1 inhibitor cycles. The lesions in both lungs were enlarged on computed tomography (CT) imaging, and treatments were continued for another two cycles, after which the tumor size decreased to below baseline, followed by a durable response. However, after 4 months of pseudoprogression, the patient then developed CIP. The CIP was responsive to glucocorticoid therapy but recurred during ICI rechallenge, leading to the termination of immune therapy. Ultimately, the patient achieved durable, stable disease for over 18 months without further anticancer treatment. Conclusions: Our case shows that pseudoprogression can occur in UC during immunotherapy even when combined with an effective antiangiogenic agent. In addition, pseudoprogression may be correlated with future adverse effects and a durable response. In the management of CIP, early rechallenge with ICIs may lead to CIP recurrence, which could be more severe and needs to be treated early and with appropriate drugs. Clinicians should be aware of atypical responses to ICIs and adjust the treatment plan accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objective: This study evaluated the prognostic value of the newly-built Immunoscore (neo-Immunoscore) in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Methods: Eighty-two patients with RCC were enrolled in this study. Their 3- and 5-year survival rates and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. The clinicopathologic data of the 82 patients were collected and analyzed. CD3, CD4, CD8, CD45RO, Foxp3, tumor necrosis factor receptor type II (TNFR2), programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1), CD68, programmed death-1 (PD-1), cytokeratin (CK), and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) were separated into two panels and stained using multiplex fluorescent immunohistochemistry methods. An immunologic prediction model of RCC patients, the neo-Immunoscore (neo-IS), was constructed using a Cox regression model. For the prognostic prediction of RCC, the neo-IS with the immunoscore (IS) proposed by the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) were compared by receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Survivals between the neo-ISlow and neo-IShigh groups were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Multivariate Cox regression survival analysis was applied to analyze independent indicators. Results: The Cox regression model allowed the establishment of a neo-IS based on three features: CD 3 CT + , CD4+Foxp3+CD45RO CT + , and CD8+PD- 1 IM + . Compared to that of the IS proposed by the SITC, the neo-IS obtained a better prediction. The 3- and 5-year survival rates in neo-IShigh RCC patients were significantly higher than those in neo-ISlow RCC patients (94.7 vs. 77.4%, P = 0.035 and 94.7 vs. 64.5%, P = 0.002, respectively). The OS in the neo-ISlow group was significantly shorter than that in the neo-IShigh group (73 vs. 97 months, P = 0.000). In comparisons of the neo-IS with clinical pathological factors, we found that the risk stratification and neo-IS were independent factors for the prognosis of patients with RCC. Moreover, the OS rate of neo-IShigh RCC patients with low- and intermediate- risk was higher than that of neo-ISlow patients. Conclusion: The newly-constructed IS model more precisely predicted the survival of patients with RCC and may supplement the prognostic value of risk stratification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of Orchestina , O.dapojing Tong & Yang, sp. nov. (♂♀) and O.hyperofrontata Tong & Yang, sp. nov. (♂) are described from Yunnan, China. Descriptions, diagnoses and photographs of habitus and copulatory organs are provided., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Xiaohan Wang, Dongju Bian, Yanfeng Tong, Zizhong Yang.)

Background: Camptoscaphiella Caporiacco, 1934 is a small genus of oonopid spiders that currently contains 20 species, of which five have been recorded in Yunnan, China., New Information: Three new species of Camptoscaphiella , C.hudie Tong & Yang, sp. nov. (female), C.yinglefeng Tong & Yang, sp. nov. (female, male) and C.yujufeng Tong & Yang, sp. nov. (male) are described from Yunnan, China. Descriptions, diagnoses and photographs are provided., (Xiaohan Wang, Zengxue Wang, Yanfeng Tong, Dongju Bian, Zizhong Yang.)

Three new species of the genus Trilacuna Tong & Li, 2007, T.cangshan Tong, Yang & Zhang, sp. nov. (♂), T.wumanshan Tong, Yang & Zhang, sp. nov. (♂), and T.xiaoheishan Tong, Yang & Zhang, sp. nov. (♂♀) are described from Yunnan, China. Descriptions, diagnoses, and photographs are provided., Competing Interests: No conflict of interest was declared., (Jimeng Ma, Dongju Bian, Yanfeng Tong, Zizhong Yang, Zhisheng Zhang.)

Background: The family Macrothelidae Simon, 1892 belongs to the infraorder Mygalomorphae, currently contains two genera and 47 described species, from South Europe, South, and East Southeast Asia, Central, West, and North Africa., New Information: Two new species of the funnel-web spider genus Macrothele Ausserer, 1871 from Yunnan Province, China are described: Macrothelewashanensis Wu & Yang, sp. n. (♂♀), and M.wuliangensis Wu & Yang, sp. n. (♂♀). Detailed descriptions, diagnostic illustrations and distribution map are provided. All specimens are deposited in the Institute of Entomoceutics Research, Dali University (DUIER)., (Yaying Wu, Zhimin Li, Yan Yang, Zizhong Yang.)

Sensitive and specific imaging of microRNA (miRNA) in living cells is of great value for disease diagnosis and monitoring. Hybridization chain reaction (HCR) and DNAzyme-based methods have been considered as powerful tools for miRNA detection, with low efficient intracellular delivery and limited amplification efficiency. Herein, we propose a Hairpins@MnO 2 nanosystem for intracellular enzyme-free exponential amplification for miRNA imaging. The enzyme-free exponential amplification is based on the synergistic cross-activation between HCR and DNAzymes. The MnO 2 nanosheets were employed as the carrier of three kinds of hairpin DNA probes and further provided appropriate Mn 2+ as DNAzyme cofactors in the living cell. Upon entering cells and in the presence of highly expressed glutathione (GSH) in tumors, MnO 2 is reduced to release Mn 2+ and the three kinds of hairpin DNA probes. In the presence of target miRNA, the released hairpin DNA H1 and H2 probes self-assemble via HCR into the wire-shaped active Mn 2+ -based DNAzymes which further catalyze the cleavage of H3 to generate numerous new triggers to reversely stimulate HCR amplifiers, thus offering tremendously amplified Förster resonance energy transfer readout. The method has a detection limit of 33 fM, which is 2.4 × 10 4 times lower than that of the traditional HCR system. The developed method also has a high specificity; even miRNAs with a single base difference can be distinguished. Live cell imaging experiments confirmed that this Hairpins@MnO 2 nanosystem allows accurate differentiation of miRNA expression of cancer cells and normal cells. The method holds great potential in biological research of nucleic acids.

This paper deals with three species of Capnogryllacris from Yunnan, China. One new species, one new recorded species and the female sex of Capnogryllacris rufonotata (Li, Liu Li, 2014) are described. All the examined specimens deposited in the Guangxi Normal University and Institute of Entomoceutics, Research, Dali University.

Development of versatile sensing methods for sensitive and specific detection of clinically relevant nucleic acids and proteins is of great value for disease monitoring and diagnosis. In this work, we propose a novel isothermal Self-primer EXPonential Amplification Reaction (SPEXPAR) strategy based on a rationally engineered structure-switchable Metastable Hairpin template (MH-template). The MH-template initially keeps inactive with its self-primer overhanging a part of target recognition region to inhibit polymerization. The present targets can specifically compel the MH-template to transform into an "activate" conformation that primes a target-recyclable EXPAR. The method is simple and sensitive, can accurately and facilely detect long-chain single-stranded nucleic acids or proteins without the need of exogenous primer probes, and has a high amplification efficiency theoretically more than 2 n . For a proof-of-concept demonstration, the SPEXPAR method was used to sensitively detect the characteristic sequence of the typical swine fever virus (CSFV) RNA and thrombin, as nucleic acid and protein models, with limits of detection down to 43 aM and 39 fM, respectively, and even the CSFV RNA in attenuated vaccine samples and thrombin in diluted serum samples. The SPEXPAR method may serve as a powerful technique for the biological research of single-stranded nucleic acids and proteins.

This paper describes three new species from Yunnan Province and provides morphological characters of Anelytra multicurvus Shi Qiu, 2009 and Anelytra (Euanelytra) adjacens soror Gorochov, 1994. And two mitogenomes of Anelytra are reported. All the specimens are deposited in Guangxi Normal University and Institute of Entomoceutics Research, Dali University.

This paper lists all known Chinese Raspy Crickets (Gryllacrididae) following the scheme proposed by Cadena-Castañeda. A total of 23 genera, 104 species, 3 new combinations, 4 new synonyms, and 1 new replacement name are recorded. Based on these known species, keys to genera (or subgenera) and species with the diagnosis of each genus are also given. Also we provide the Chinese name of all categories.

Collagen XI, a member of the collagen family, is present in the extracellular matrix (ECM), and high collagen XI/αI (COL11A1) expression in tumor tissue is reportedly correlated with the clinicopathological parameters of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, the function of COL11A1 in the development of pancreatic cancer cells remains unclear. In the current study, we assessed mRNA expression of COL11A1 and its receptors and created a testing-model of both a COL11A1-overexpressing tumor microenvironment and/or altered-COL11A1 expression in pancreatic cancer cell lines. Next, we investigated the mechanism by which COL11A1 affects growth, gemcitabine (GEM) resistance and apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells. We demonstrated that COL11A1 phosphorylated Akt Ser473 , promoting proliferation of cancer cells and inhibiting their apoptosis. Additionally, our data showed that COL11A1/Akt/CREB altered the balance between BCL-2 and BAX and mediated their mitochondrial translocation in pancreatic cancer cells. The COL11A1/Akt axis induced disruption of mitochondrial transmembrane function, enabling mitochondria-mediated apoptotic evasion to promote chemoresistance. We also explored the regulatory effect of COL11A1/Akt on molecular signaling in the mitochondria-mediated apoptotic program. COL11A1/Akt disturbed the BCL-2/BAX balance, inhibiting cytochrome c (Cyt-C) release and binding of Apaf-1/procaspase-9/Cyt-C, which suppressed the apoptotic program and induced GEM resistance in pancreatic cancer cells. In conclusion, COL11A1 modulates apoptotic inhibition and chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer cells by activating the Akt/CREB/BCL-2/BAX signaling pathway. COL11A1 may represent a distinct prognostic indicator and may be an attractive therapeutic target for PDAC., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

One new species of Eremus Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1888 is reported from Southwest China, Yunnan. The morphological features are described, and provided with colored charts of classification features. Up to now, only two species have been described in the Chinese fauna. Type specimen is deposited in the Institute of Entomoceutics Research, Dali University (DUIER).

The genus Rapisma McLachlan, 1866 (Insecta: Neuroptera: Ithonidae) is a rare and poorly known lacewing group endemic to Asia. Previously, there were five species recorded from China. Here we describe a new species of Rapisma from Mt. Gaoligongshan, southwestern Yunnan, China, namely Rapisma gaoligongensis sp. nov. The new species appears to be closely related to Rapisma corundum Barnard, 1981 from eastern Myanmar and Rapisma daianum Yang, 1993 from southern Yunnan, China, and it belongs to a group of Rapisma species with pectinate male antennae and posteriorly bilobed male gonocoxites 9.

Here male specimens of the trapdoor spider family Halonoproctidae collected from Yunnan Province, China are diagnosed and described as new to science based on their genital morphology. Specimens are identified as two new species of Conothele Thorell, 1878: C. cangshan sp. nov. and C. deqin sp. nov.