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Abstract: Apis mellifera plays crucial roles in maintaining the balance of global ecosystems and stability of agricultural systems by helping pollination of flowering plants, including many crops. In recent years, this balance has been disrupted greatly by some pesticides, which results in great losses of honeybees worldwide. Previous studies have found that pesticide‐caused memory loss might be one of the major reasons for colony loss. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) are chemical compounds that inhibit the activity of histone deacetylases and are known to cause hyperacetylation of histone cores and influence gene expression. In our study, the HDACi sodium butyrate was applied to honeybees as a dietary supplement. The effect of sodium butyrate on the expression profiles of memory‐related genes was analysed by quantitative reverse transcription PCR. The results revealed that this HDACi had up‐regulation effects on most of the memory‐related genes in bees, even in bees treated with imidacloprid. In addition, using the proboscis extension reflex to evaluate olfactory learning in bees, we found that this HDACi boosted the memory formation of bees after impairment owing to imidacloprid exposure. This study investigated the association between gene expression and memory formation from an epigenetic perspective. Additionally, we further demonstrate the possibility of enhancing bee learning using HDACis and provide initial data for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The relation between hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and fatty liver has been addressed by several observational studies, but their results remain controversial. To date, no study has precisely investigated the association of current and past HBV infection with the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the Chinese population. Therefore, we conducted a hospital‐based case‐control study in southwestern China to clarify this issue. A total of 631 newly ultrasound‐diagnosed NAFLD cases and 2357 controls were selected from 123 243 consecutive patients admitted to a tertiary‐care hospital between January 2015 and December 2016. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to calculate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A propensity score was developed for adjustment and matching. Subgroup analysis was conducted to identify potential effect modifiers. Current and past HBV infection had an overall prevalence of 9.7% and 55.2%, respectively. In the fully adjusted model, current HBV infection was associated with a decreased risk of NAFLD (OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.42‐0.95). A similar inverse association was observed in both propensity‐score‐adjusted (OR 0.58; 95% CI 0.40‐0.86) and propensity‐score‐matched analyses (OR 0.61; 95% CI 0.40‐0.92).The inverse association was stronger in patients with hypertension than in those without (Pinteraction = .018).No significant association between past HBV infection and NAFLD risk was found. In conclusion, current but not past HBV infection is associated with a decreased risk of NAFLD in the Chinese population. The corresponding biological mechanisms remain to be elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphology and structure of as-prepared aluminum silicon carbide (Al4SiC4) were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-vis spectra. The Al4SiC4 nanoparticles modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was further investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Based on this, this kind of new electrode was used for the detection of trace Cu2+ by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) for the first time. The electrochemical parameters influencing on deposition and stripping of metal ions, such as supporting electrolytes, pH value, deposition potential and deposition time, were also optimized. The results showed that the Al4SiC4 modified GCE exhibited excellent stripping response of Cu2+ and the stripping peaks response increased linearly with increasing concentration of Cu2+ in the ranges of 400 to 2200 nM. Under the optimized conditions the favorable sensitivity of the Al4SiC4 modified GCE toward trace Cu2+ was 1.49 μA μM−1 and the limit of detection (S/N=3) was estimated to be 2.76 nM. More importantly, Al4SiC4 modified GCE had an excellent stability and negligible interference from other coexisting metal ions in the electrochemical determination of Cu2+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new four‐dimensional hyperchaotic oscillator is proposed. Non‐linear dynamic analysis of the hyperchaotic oscillator is presented. Furthermore, an analogue circuit of the hyperchaotic oscillator is implemented on a chip for some relevant engineering applications such as information encryption. The entire chip area occupies 0.69 × 0.84 mm in 0.35 μm CMOS process with power dissipation of 475 mW from a 3.3 V supply voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contents The study was designed to examine the effects of calcitonin ( CT) on the development of murine pre-implantation embryos and possible molecular mechanisms involved in the process. In the present study, the 2-cell embryos were treated with different concentration of CT in vitro for the indicated time and the results demonstrated that CT promoted the development of the pre-implantation embryos in a dosage-dependent manner by increasing the intracellular Ca2+ level. Furthermore, the present study showed that CT significantly increased the expression of phospho- P38 MAPK (Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase) of the pre-implantation embryos by Western blots and pre-treatment of specific P38 MAPK inhibitor significantly reduced the promotion effects of CT on the embryonic development in vitro culture. Moreover, the results of intrauterine horn injection showed that the average number of embryos implanted in CT-antibody or specific P38 MAPK inhibitor-treated uterus was significantly lower than that of the corresponding control, respectively. And the observation of tissue specimen suggested that some embryos were degenerated in CT-antibody or specific P38 MAPK inhibitor-treated uterus, and adipose vacuoles were present in the decidual cells. In conclusion, CT promoted the development of pre-implantation embryos and the intracellular Ca2+-dependent P38 MAPK signal molecule was involved in the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hashimoto disease ( HD) is an autoimmune thyroid disease resulting from complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors. The human leukocyte antigen ( HLA) gene has been established to be involved in the susceptibility to HD. We aim to investigate the associations between HLA-B alleles and Han Chinese children with HD by both case-control and family-based studies. A total of 108 unrelated children with HD, 380 unrelated healthy controls, 58 trios of affected patients and their parents, and 75 trios of unaffected siblings and their parents were recruited. HLA-B genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction and detected with a sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes system. We found that B*46:01 allele ( OR = 2.31, 95% CI 1.60-3.34, Pc = 9.99 × 10−5) and carrier ( OR = 3.28, 95% CI 2.10-5.11, Pc = 1.35 × 10−6) were associated with HD risk. Transmission/disequilibrium test further confirmed an overtransmission of the B*46:01 ( OR 2.55, 95% CI 1.36-6.10, P = 6.5 × 10−3). The findings were similar in females when stratified by gender. In conclusion, our results clearly identify that HLA-B*46:01 confers susceptibility to HD in Han Chinese children. Further studies with larger children cohort are required to confirm the role of B*46:01 in the development of HD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graves disease ( GD) is an autoimmune thyroid disease with a female preponderance and a wide range of ages at onset, and human leukocyte antigen ( HLA) gene plays a primary role in the susceptibility to GD. We aim to investigate the associations between HLA-DRB1 alleles and Taiwanese children with GD by both case-control and family-based studies. A total of 241 unrelated children with GD, 539 healthy controls, 115 trios of affected patients and their parents, and 121 trios of unaffected siblings and their parents were recruited. HLA-DRB1 genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction and sequence-based typing assays. We found that DRB1*09:01 ( OR = 2.60, 95% CI 2.02-3.35, Pc = 6.55 × 10−13) was associated with GD risk, while DRB1*12:02 ( OR = 0.32, 95% CI 0.20-0.53, Pc = 4.55 × 10−5) was protective against GD. Transmission/disequilibrium test further confirmed an overtransmission of the DRB1*09:01 ( OR 3.37, 95% CI 2.13-6.22, Pc = 1.0 × 10−5) and an undertransmission of the DRB1*12:02 ( OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.05-0.42, Pc = 1.7 × 10−3). The findings were similar in females when stratified by gender. In conclusion, our results clearly identify that HLA-DRB1*09:01 confers susceptibility to GD and DRB1*12:02 exerts protection against GD development in Taiwanese children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate potential interactions between bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and Wnt signalling on differentiating mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC). Materials and methods: Mouse embryonic stem cells were cultured with differing combinations of Wnt3a, BMP4 and inhibitors of Wnt, BMP, PI-3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase), p38, ERK1/2 (extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2) and JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) pathways. Results: We found that Wnt3a synergized with BMP4 to promote mESC proliferation. Furthermore, the relative ratio of Wnt3a to BMP4 doses was critical to their synergistic effects, which could be abolished by using Dkk-1, noggin or the inhibitors of PI-3K, p38, ERK1/2 and JNK pathways. We also demonstrated that combination of Wnt3a and BMP4 could suppress ectodermal differentiation of mESCs. Moreover, inhibitors of PI-3K, p38, ERK1/2 and JNK pathways could negate this effect. Conclusion: Relative ratio of Wnt3a to BMP4 doses is critical to their synergistic effect on differentiating mESC proliferation, which may work through PI-3K, p38, ERK1/2 and JNK pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]