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Plumbagin (PLB), a naphthoquinone compound, has been proven to have anti-cancer properties in different types of cancers. However, the anti-tumor actions as well as molecular processes in osteosarcoma (OS) remain unclear. This study investigates the underlying mechanisms of PLB in human OS cells in vitro. Our study showed that PLB significantly inhibited the proliferation of human OS cells in a time- and dosage-dependent manner. RNA sequencing data revealed that the efficacy of PLB is related to cell cycle, cell death, and p38 MAPK signaling pathway in KHOS-240S cells. Further studies indicated that PLB triggers G2/M phase arrest, mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis, as well as ferroptosis in human OS cells. Mechanistically, PLB treatment increased ROS generation that activates the p38 MAPK signaling pathway. BIRB 796, a p38 MAPK inhibitor, partly reversed PLB-induced phase arrest of G2/M and cell death. Furthermore, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a ROS scavenger, significantly decreased G2/M phase arrest and cell death and reversed p38 MAPK activation caused by PLB. In conclusion, PLB induces arrest G2/M arrest, apoptosis as well as ferroptosis in human OS cells via ROS generation and p38 MAPK activation. There is potential for PLB to be an effective treatment for OS.

ObjectivesPolycrystalline diamond (PCD), as a superhard material with high hardness, high wear resistance, and good impact toughness, has a wide range of applications in fields such as cutting tools for superhard materials. However, due to its high hardness, the precision surface processing of PCD has always been a technical challenge. This paper aims to study the influence of lapping pressure on the surface quality of PCD, particularly focusing on the material removal rate, surface roughness, and changes in surface morphology under high-speed grinding conditions.MethodsThe experiment adopts a single-factor test method, keeping the abrasive particle size W5 of the diamond flat grinding disc and the lapping speed of 43.3 m/s constant, while varying the lapping pressure (from 0.10 MPa to 0.18 MPa) to study its impact on the material removal rate, the surface roughness, and the surface morphology of polycrystalline diamond material. The experimental material is a ϕ13 mm × 2 mm polycrystalline diamond composite sheet with a diamond layer thickness of approximately 1 mm. The experimental apparatus is a high-speed grinding testing machine, which uses an electric spindle to drive the diamond flat grinding disc, with a lapping time of 20 minutes. The lapping process is conducted without the use of coolant to avoid its influence on the experimental results.ResultsThe experimental results indicate that the lapping pressure has a significant impact on the material removal rate of PCD. As the lapping pressure increases from 0.10 MPa to 0.18 MPa, the lapping removal rate increases from 0.005 mg/min to 0.030 mg/min, indicating that an increase in lapping pressure significantly improves material removal efficiency. The influence of lapping pressure on the surface roughness of PCD is also significant. With an increase in lapping pressure, the surface roughness gradually decreases, reducing from a higher value at 0.10 MPa to a lower value at 0.18 MPa, with a roughness Ra reduction of approximately 0.020 μm. The impact of lapping pressure on the surface morphology of PCD is manifested by a reduction in surface defects and an expansion of smooth areas. At lower lapping pressures, the surface exhibits numerous pits, interstitial cracks, and mechanical scratches. As the lapping pressure increases, the number of these defects gradually decrease, and smooth areas gradually expand. Scanning electron microscope observations reveal that an increase in grinding pressure helps reduce defects such as intergranular fractures, minute pits, and mechanical scratches, resulting in a smoother surface.ConclusionsThis paper experimentally studies the influence of lapping pressure on the material removal rate, surface roughness, and surface morphology of PCD, and draws the following conclusions. The lapping removal rate of PCD material significantly increases with an increase in lapping pressure, primarily attributed to the high-frequency collisions and frictional heat between diamond abrasive particles and PCD during the lapping process. An increase in lapping pressure significantly reduces the surface roughness of PCD, primarily benefiting from the decreased cutting depth of abrasive particles and increased actual contact area caused by the increased lapping pressure, and the promotion of surface thermochemical reactions and mechanical thermal removal effects by frictional heat. An increase in lapping pressure leads to a reduction in surface defects, an expansion of smooth areas, smaller mechanical scratches, and a significant improvement in the surface quality of PCD.

Three new species of the genus Belisana Thorell, 1898 are described from karst caves in Guangxi, China: Belisana langping Zhang, Li & Yao, sp. nov. (♂♀), B. lingui Zhang, Li & Yao, sp. nov. (♂♀), and B. tianyang Zhang, Li & Yao, sp. nov. (♂♀). In addition, a list of all Belisana species from Guangxi is also provided.

Four new species of the genus Camptoscaphiella Caporiacco, 1934 are described from Xizang, China, i.e., C. metok Tong & Li, sp. nov. (♂), C. shannan Tong & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), C. trifoliata Tong & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀) and C. zayu Tong & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀). Morphological descriptions, photographic illustrations and a distribution map of the four new species are given.

The genus Khorata Huber, 2005 contains 51 species. It is distributed in the Indo-Malayan Region. Nine species have been recorded from Vietnam.Khorata ninhbinh sp. nov. is described as a new species from Vietnam. In addition, a list of all Khorata species from Vietnam is also provided.

A new species of the genus Bannana Tong & Li, 2015 and a new species of the genus Trilacuna Tong & Li, 2007 are recorded from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province: Bannana zhengguoi Tong & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀) and Trilacuna aoxian Tong & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀). An identification key to species of the genus Bannana from Xishuangbanna is provided. Detailed diagnoses, descriptions, and photomicroscopy images of new species are provided.

Only two Otacilia Thorell, 1897 species with troglobitic characteristics have been recorded from Laos and no records of troglobitic Otacilia species from China.A new troglobitic species is reported from Guangxi, China: Otacilia khezu Lin & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀). Photos and morphological descriptions of the new species are presented; the type specimens of the new species are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IZCAS), Beijing.

Five new species of the genus Bifurcia are described: B. kangding sp. nov. (♂♀), B. labahe sp. nov. (♂), B. luding sp. nov. (♂♀), B. shuangqiao sp. nov. (♂♀), and B. xiaojin sp. nov. (♂♀) from western Sichuan, China. A distribution map of the species and illustrations of genital characters are provided in this paper.

In this study, eight new species are described from the subtropical parts of Yunnan Province in southwestern China: Belisana honghe Zhang, Li & Yao, sp. nov. (♂♀), B. jiuxiang Zhang, Li & Yao, sp. nov. (♂♀), B. lincang Zhang, Li & Yao, sp. nov. (♂♀), B. luxi Zhang, Li & Yao, sp. nov. (♂♀), B. tengchong Zhang, Li & Yao, sp. nov. (♂♀), B. tongi Zhang, Li & Yao, sp. nov. (♂♀), B. yongsheng Zhang, Li & Yao, sp. nov. (♂), and B. yunnan Zhang, Li & Yao, sp. nov. (♂♀). They add up to a total of 31 Belisana species from Yunnan in an updated list provided in this paper.

Five species of the genus Opopaea Simon, 1892 from southern China are recognised, including four new species: Opopaea mangun Tong & Li, sp. nov., Opopaea taibao Tong & Yang, sp. nov., Opopaea wenshan Tong & Zhang, sp. nov. and Opopaea yuhuang Tong & Li, sp. nov. from Yunnan and one newly-recorded species: Opopaea foveolata Roewer, 1963 from Hainan. Detailed diagnoses, descriptions and photomicroscopy images of new species are provided, based on specimens of both sexes. A key to species of the genus Opopaea from China is provided.

Background/objective: As the pivotal cellular mediators of bone resorption and pathological bone remodeling, osteoclasts have emerged as a prominent target for anti-resorptive interventions. Pinocembrin (PIN), a predominant flavonoid found in damiana, honey, fingerroot, and propolis, has been recognized for its potential therapeutic effects in osteolysis. The purpose of our project is to investigate the potential of PIN to prevent bone resorption in ovariectomized (OVX) mice by suppressing osteoclast production through its underlying mechanisms. Methods: The study commenced by employing protein-ligand molecular docking to ascertain the specific interaction between PIN and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) ligand (RANKL). Subsequently, PIN was introduced to bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) under the stimulation of RANKL. The impact of PIN on osteoclastic activity was assessed through the utilization of a positive TRAcP staining kit and a hydroxyapatite resorption assay. Furthermore, the study investigated the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in osteoclasts induced by RANKL using H2DCFDA. To delve deeper into the underlying mechanisms, molecular cascades triggered by RANKL, including NF-κB, ROS, calcium oscillations, and NFATc1-mediated signaling pathways, were explored using Luciferase gene report, western blot analysis, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Moreover, an estrogen-deficient osteoporosis murine model was established to evaluate the therapeutic effects of PIN in vivo. Results: In this study, we elucidated the profound inhibitory effects of PIN on osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption, achieved through repression of NF-κB and NFATc1-mediated signaling pathways. Notably, PIN also exhibited potent anti-oxidative properties by mitigating RANKL-induced ROS generation and augmenting activities of ROS-scavenging enzymes, ultimately leading to a reduction in intracellular ROS levels. Moreover, PIN effectively abrogated the expression of osteoclast-specific marker genes (Acp5, Cathepsin K, Atp6v0d2, Nfatc1, c-fos, and Mmp9), further underscoring its inhibitory impact on osteoclast differentiation and function. Additionally, employing an in vivo mouse model, we demonstrated that PIN effectively prevented osteoclast-induced bone loss resultant from estrogen deficiency. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the potent inhibitory effects of PIN on osteoclastogenesis, bone resorption, and RANKL-induced signaling pathways, thereby establishing PIN as a promising therapeutic candidate for the prevention and management of osteolytic bone diseases. The translational potential of this article: PIN serves as a promising therapeutic agent for the prevention and management of osteolytic bone diseases and holds promise for future clinical applications in addressing conditions characterized by excessive bone resorption. PIN is a natural compound found in various sources, including damiana, honey, fingerroot, and propolis. Its widespread availability and potential for therapeutic use make it an attractive candidate for further investigation and development as a clinical intervention.

Five new species and three known species of the genus Orchestina Simon, 1882 are recorded from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province: O. clavulata Tong & Li, 2011 (♂), O. colubrina Liu, Henrard & Xu, 2019 (♂♀), O. concava Tong & Li, sp. nov. (♂), O. menglun Tong & Li, sp. nov. (♂), O. subclavulata Tong & Li, sp. nov. (♂), O. truncatula Tong & Li, 2011 (♂♀), O. wengnan Tong & Li, sp. nov. (♂) and O. xui Tong & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀). The males of O. colubrina Liu, Henrard & Xu, 2019 is described for the first time. An identification key to species of the genus Orchestina from Xishuangbanna is provided.

Ten new species of jumping spiders are described from China, including Attulus jimani sp. nov. (♂♀) from Yunnan, Colaxes cibagou sp. nov. (♂♀), Epeus pengi sp. nov. (♂♀), Evarcha zayu sp. nov. (♂♀), Icius zang sp. nov. (♂♀), Pancorius nyingchi sp. nov. (♂♀), Stertinius liqingae sp. nov. (♂♀), and Synagelides medog sp. nov. (♀) from Xizang, S. tianquan sp. nov. (♂♀), and Yaginumaella erlang sp. nov. (♂♀) from Sichuan. The hitherto unknown female of Phintella longapophysis Lei & Peng, 2013 is described for the first time. Diagnostic photos and the distributional maps for all species are provided. Four new combinations are proposed: Epeus dilucidus (Próchniewicz, 1990), comb. nov., and E. guangxi (Peng & Li, 2002), comb. nov. transferred from Plexippoides Prószyński, 1984, Phintella sufflava (Jastrzębski, 2009), comb. nov. transferred from Carrhotus Thorell, 1891, and Yaginumaella armata (Jastrzębski, 2011), comb. nov. transferred from Pancorius Simon, 1902.

Abstract Single-cell transcriptomics has become the definitive method for classifying cell types and states, and can be augmented with genotype information to improve cell lineage identification. Due to constraints of short-read sequencing, current methods to detect natural genetic barcodes often require cumbersome primer panels and early commitment to targets. Here we devise a flexible long-read sequencing workflow and analysis pipeline, termed nanoranger, that starts from intermediate single-cell cDNA libraries to detect cell lineage-defining features, including single-nucleotide variants, fusion genes, isoforms, sequences of chimeric antigen and TCRs. Through systematic analysis of these classes of natural ‘barcodes’, we define the optimal targets for nanoranger, namely those loci close to the 5’ end of highly expressed genes with transcript lengths shorter than 4 kB. As proof-of-concept, we apply nanoranger to longitudinal tracking of subclones of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and describe the heterogeneous isoform landscape of thousands of marrow-infiltrating immune cells. We propose that enhanced cellular genotyping using nanoranger can improve the tracking of single-cell tumor and immune cell co-evolution.

BackgroundPneumoconiosis is the most important occupational disease all over the world, with high prevalence and mortality. At present, the monitoring of workers exposed to dust and the diagnosis of pneumoconiosis rely on manual interpretation of chest radiographs, which is subjective and low efficiency. With the development of artificial intelligence technology, a more objective and efficient computer aided system for pneumoconiosis diagnosis can be realized. Therefore, the present study reported a novel deep learning (DL) artificial intelligence (AI) system for detecting pneumoconiosis in digital frontal chest radiographs, based on which we aimed to provide references for radiologists.MethodsWe annotated 49,872 chest radiographs from patients with pneumoconiosis and workers exposed to dust using a self-developed tool. Next, we used the labeled images to train a convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm developed for pneumoconiosis screening. Finally, the performance of the trained pneumoconiosis screening model was validated using a validation set containing 495 chest radiographs.ResultsApproximately, 51% (25,435/49,872) of the chest radiographs were labeled as normal. Pneumoconiosis was detected in 49% (24,437/49,872) of the labeled radiographs, among which category-1, category-2, and category-3 pneumoconiosis accounted for 53.1% (12,967/24,437), 20.4% (4,987/24,437), and 26.5% (6,483/24,437) of the patients, respectively. The CNN DL algorithm was trained using these data. The validation set of 495 digital radiography chest radiographs included 261 cases of pneumoconiosis and 234 cases of non-pneumoconiosis. As a result, the accuracy of the AI system for pneumoconiosis identification was 95%, the area under the curve was 94.7%, and the sensitivity was 100%.ConclusionDL algorithm based on CNN helped screen pneumoconiosis in the chest radiographs with high performance; thus, it could be suitable for diagnosing pneumoconiosis automatically and improve the efficiency of radiologists.

Abstract Background Achieving a pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) is considered to be a critical factor for a favourable prognosis in breast cancer. However, discordant pathological complete response (DpCR), characterised by isolated responses in the breast or axillary, represents an intermediate pathological response category between no response and complete response. This study aims to investigate predictive factors and develop models based on peripheral blood inflammatory indexes to more accurately predict NAT outcomes. Method A total of 789 eligible patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. The patients were randomized into training and validation cohort according to a 7:3 ratio. Lasso and uni/multivariable logistic regression analysis were applied to identify the predictor variables. Two Nomograms combining clinico-pathologic features and peripheral blood inflammatory indexes were developed. Result Molecular Subtype, HALP, P53, and FAR were used to construct the predictive models for traditional non pCR (T-NpCR) and total-pCR (TpCR). The T-NpCR group was divided into DpCR and non pCR (NpCR) subgroups to construct a new model to more accurately predict NAT outcomes. cN, HALP, FAR, Molecular Subtype, and RMC were used to construct the predictive models for NpCR and DpCR. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves indicate that the model exhibits robust predictive capacity. Clinical Impact Curves (CIC) and Decision Curve Analysis (DCA) indicate that the models present a superior clinical utility. Conclusion HALP and FAR were identified as peripheral blood inflammatory index predictors for accurately predicting NAT outcomes.

Abstract Musk is an important animal product, but the musk secretion mechanism of forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii) is still unclear. The musk synthesis process in forest musk deer is extremely complex, and many raw materials are directly or indirectly derived from forest musk deer blood. In this study, metabolomics was used to analyze the blood of forest musk deer in secretory and non-secretory phases for the first time, aim at explaining the secretion mechanism from the perspective of blood metabolism. We found that P450-related, choline-related, axonal regeneration and other pathways and related metabolites were significantly enriched during the musk secretion of forest musk deer. These pathways and metabolites related to P450 and choline in blood may have important implications for the mechanism of musk secretion in forest musk deer, because blood components were closely related to musk components and could provide raw materials for musk synthesis in musk gland cells.