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BACKGROUND: Reproductive diapause serves as a valuable strategy enabling insects to survive unfavorable seasonal conditions. However, forcing insects into diapause when the environment is conducive to their well‐being can cause them to miss out on seasonal opportunities for reproduction. This outcome not only reduces insect populations but also minimizes crop losses caused by insect feeding. Therefore, altering the timing of diapause initiation presents a potential strategy for managing pests. In this study, we examined the possible role of the Insulin Receptor 1 (InR1) in controlling reproductive diapause entry in the male cabbage beetle, Colaphellus bowringi. RESULTS: Compared to short‐day (SD) conditions, long‐day (LD) conditions led to reproductive diapause of C. bowringi males, characterized by arrested gonad development, increased Triglyceride (TG) accumulation, and upregulated expression of diapause protein 1 and genes associated with lipogenesis and stress tolerance. Upon employing RNA interference to knock down InR1 under SD conditions, males destined for reproduction were compelled into diapause, evidenced by arrested gonadal development, accumulation of TG, and elevated expression of diapause‐related genes. Intriguingly, despite the common association of the absence of juvenile hormone (JH) with reproductive diapause in females, the knockdown of InR1 in males did not significant affect the expression of JH biosynthesis and JH response gene. CONCLUSION: The study highlight InR1 is a key factor involved in regulating male reproductive diapause in C. bowringi. Consequently, targeting insulin signaling could be a viable approach to perturb diapause timing, offering a promising strategy for managing pests with reproductive diapause capabilities. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The cabbage beetle Colaphellus bowringi is a highly destructive cruciferous vegetable pest in Asia. This beetle is predominantly controlled by synthetic chemical pesticides, which leave pesticide residues on food and constitute a major hidden danger to human health. Based on preliminary research, we hypothesized that the coat protein II (COPII) complex, a primary coated vesicle that exports cargo molecules from the endoplasmic reticulum, is a promising novel target for the control of Colaphellus bowringi. RESULTS: This study investigated whether disrupting COPII using RNA interference (RNAi) affects the growth and development of Colaphellus bowringi adults. The results showed that five COPII assembly genes, Sar1, Sec23, Sec24, Sec13, and Sec31, were uniformly expressed in multiple tissues of adult female Colaphellus bowringi. Injecting double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) against each gene induced a high RNAi efficiency by approximately 55–99%, and considerably inhibited yolk deposition and ovarian growth. Moreover, knockdown of Sar1, Sec23 and Sec24 suppressed feeding and increased mortality to 26.67%, 46.67%, and 42.22%, respectively. This was partially due to the down‐regulation of insulin/mTOR‐associated nutritional pathways. The results indicate that silencing any of the five genes responsible for COPII complex assembly represses Juvenile hormone and ecdysone signaling pathways, suggesting that vesicle transport plays a vital role in the endocrine regulation of Colaphellus bowringi females. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the COPII complex could be a promising RNAi target for the management of Colaphellus bowringi, which would reduce our dependence on chemical pesticides for pest control. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This retrospective study was designed to explore whether neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a prognostic factor in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). A cohort of patients with COVID‐19 admitted to the Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University from 11 January 2020 to 3 March 2020 was retrospectively analyzed. Patients with hematologic malignancy were excluded. The NLR was calculated by dividing the neutrophil count by the lymphocyte count. NLR values were measured at the time of admission. The primary outcome was all‐cause in‐hospital mortality. A multivariate logistic analysis was performed. A total of 1004 patients with COVID‐19 were included in this study. The mortality rate was 4.0% (40 cases). The median age of nonsurvivors (68 years) was significantly older than survivors (62 years). Male sex was more predominant in nonsurvival group (27; 67.5%) than in the survival group (466; 48.3%). NLR value of nonsurvival group (median: 49.06; interquartile range [IQR]: 25.71‐69.70) was higher than that of survival group (median: 4.11; IQR: 2.44‐8.12; P <.001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for confounding factors, NLR more than 11.75 was significantly correlated with all‐cause in‐hospital mortality (odds ratio = 44.351; 95% confidence interval = 4.627‐425.088). These results suggest that the NLR at hospital admission is associated with in‐hospital mortality among patients with COVID‐19. Therefore, the NLR appears to be a significant prognostic biomarker of outcomes in critically ill patients with COVID‐19. However, further investigation is needed to validate this relationship with data collected prospectively. Highlights: NLR is a significant prognostic biomarker of outcomes in critically ill patients with COVID‐19.COVID‐19 is more likely to infected those elder men with chronic comorbidities.NLR may also help in the early identification of older patients at higher risk of COVID‐19.Close monitoring and timely intervention are needed for elderly patients with COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Chrysomya megacephala is a saprophagous fly whose larvae can compost manure and yield biomass and bio‐fertilizer simultaneously. However, there are concerns for the safety of the composting system, that is risk of diseases spread by way of manure pathogens, residue of harmful metals and emission of greenhouse gases. Microbiota analysis and heavy metal speciation by European Communities Bureau of Reference were evaluated in raw, C. megacephala‐composted and natural stacked swine manure to survey pathogenic bacterial changes and mobility of lead and cadmium in manure after C. megacephala feeding; the emission rate of CH4 and N2O from manure during C. megacephala composting and natural stacking was also measured. C. megacephala composting altered manure microbiota, reduced the risk of pathogenic bacteria and maintained the stability, and microbiota changes might be associated with heavy metal fractions, especially in Pseudomonas and Prevotella. In addition, C. megacephala‐composting significantly reduced the emission rate of CH4 and N2O in comparing with natural stacking situation and the first two days should be the crucial period for CH4 and N2O emission measurement for manure treatment by C. megacephala. Moreover, OTU26 and Betaproteobacteria were changed after C. megacephala composting which might play a role in emission of CH4 and N2O, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A (XPA) gene is a key member of nucleotide excision repair pathway. It was reported that XPA rs1800975 polymorphism was associated with susceptibility to lung cancer. However, the conclusions were controversial. Methods: We conducted a computer retrieval of PubMed, EMbase, CNKI, CBM, and WanFang infrastructure platform from 1980 to 2014. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to estimate the association strength. Publication bias was detected by means of a funnel plot. Results: A total of 11 articles (12 studies) involving 4257 cases and 5294 controls were included. Significant associations could be found between rs1800975 and lung cancer risk in these three models (codominant model AG vs. AA, overdominant genetic model AG vs. AA + GG, dominant model AG + GG vs. AA) in overall. In the stratified analysis by ethnicity, we found similar results as above in the Asian population. In the smoking population, the G allele carriers were associated with a significantly reduced risk of lung cancer (AG + GG vs. AA) compared with the AA carriers．Stratified analysis showed the AG genotype and G allele carriers (AG + GG) might be a protective factor compared with the AA gene for squamous carcinoma (AG vs. AA, AG + GG vs. AA). Conclusions: This meta‐analysis suggested that the XPA gene rs1800975 Polymorphism was associated with lung cancer susceptibility. By performing multiple separate pairwise comparisons, carriers with AG genotype under the codominant genetic model (AG vs. AA) might play actually the leading role in associating with lung cancer susceptibility in overall and in Asians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastric aspiration lung injury is one of the most common clinical events. This study investigated the effects of bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells ( BMSCs) on combined acid plus small non-acidified particle ( CASP)-induced aspiration lung injury. Enhanced green fluorescent protein ( EGFP+) or EGFP− BMSCs or 15d- PGJ2 were injected via the tail vein into rats immediately after CASP-induced aspiration lung injury. Pathological changes in lung tissues, blood gas analysis, the wet/dry weight ratio (W/D) of the lung, levels of total proteins and number of total cells and neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid ( BALF) were determined. The cytokine levels were measured using ELISA. Protein expression was determined by Western blot. Bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells treatment significantly reduced alveolar oedema, exudation and lung inflammation; increased the arterial partial pressure of oxygen; and decreased the W/D of the lung, the levels of total proteins and the number of total cells and neutrophils in BALF in the rats with CASP-induced lung injury. Bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells treatment decreased the levels of tumour necrosis factor-α and Cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC)-1 and the expression of p-p65 and increased the levels of interleukin-10 and 15d- PGJ2 and the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ in the lung tissue in CASP-induced rats. Tumour necrosis factor-α stimulated BMSCs to secrete 15d- PGJ2. A tracking experiment showed that EGFP+ BMSCs were able to migrate to local lung tissues. Treatment with 15d- PGJ2 also significantly inhibited CASP-induced lung inflammation and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Our results show that BMSCs can protect lung tissues from gastric aspiration injury and inhibit lung inflammation in rats. A beneficial effect might be achieved through BMSC-derived 15d- PGJ2 activation of the PPAR-γ receptor, reducing the production of proinflammatory cytokines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) has been proposed to be a new screening method to discover lung cancers in an early stage, especially those patients who are in a high risk of lung cancer. The primary objective of this meta-analysis is to systematically review the effect of LDCT on screening for lung cancers among the risky population who are older than 49 years old and with smoking exposure. Methods: We searched randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) about comparing LDCT and chest X-ray or usual caring from MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library, Web of Knowledge and Springerlink databases (January 1994 to September 2013). Results: Nine RCTs met criteria for inclusion. Screening for lung cancer using LDCT resulted in a significantly higher number of stage I lung cancers [odds ratio (OR) 2.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.88-2.47], higher number of total lung cancers (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.20-1.43) than the control. Four of the nine studies indicated that the screening method did not decrease all-cause mortality (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.90-1.02), but decreased lung cancer-specific mortality (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.74-0.96). Five studies showed that LDCT had higher false-positive rates (OR 8.7, 95% CI 7.43-10.19) than the group of control. Conclusion: Among the risky population, LDCT screening find out more stage I lung cancers and total lung cancers compared with chest X-ray or no screening, and also shows advantages in decreasing lung cancer-specific mortality, but the screening method does not decrease all-cause mortality and have a higher false-positive rates in diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body size of insects with flexible life cycles is expected to conform to the saw-tooth model, a model in which the relationship between size and developmental time depends on length of the growing season. In species with high variability in terms of voltinism, however, more complex patterns can be expected. Few empirical studies have demonstrated the existence of such relationships, or whether climatic factors contribute to these relationships. In this study, we investigated the geographic variation in body size of the Chinese cockroach, Eupolyphaga sinensis Walker ( Blattaria: Polyphagidae), which has a variable life cycle length. The sizes of adults - collected from 14 localities ranging from temperate to subtropical zones in China - were measured, using body length, body width, and pronotum width as parameters. The relationship between size, latitude, and climate factors (encompassing 10 variables) was then investigated. We found that the body size of E. sinensis varied considerably with latitude: cockroaches were larger at low and high latitudes, but smaller at intermediate latitudes. Thus, the relationship between climate and body size conformed to a saw-tooth pattern. Results indicate that two factors were significantly associated with body size clines: season length and variability in life cycle length. Our results also demonstrated that climatic factors contribute to latitudinal clines in body size, which has important ecological and evolutionary implications. It can be expected that global climate change may alter latitudinal clines in body size of E. sinensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier), is one of the most serious stored grain pests around the world. In attempts to reduce the losses caused by the moth and to suppress its populations, the fumigant activities, behavioral influence and ovipositional inhibition of garlic ( Allium sativum) essential oil and its two major components, diallyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide, were investigated against the adult grain moth. Their effects on reduction in survival of first instar larvae to adult emergence were also evaluated. Results showed that these three materials (garlic essential oil, diallyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide) had significant fumigant activity with 50% lethal concentration values at 1.33, 0.99, and 1.02 μL/L air space, respectively; meanwhile, the three materials possessed high behavioral deterrent activities against adults in the Y-tube olfactometer. When applied to rice grains, these materials reduced adult longevity and inhibited oviposition, with ovipositional inhibition above 70% at a concentration of 1.5 μL/25 g in either no-choice or two-choice tests. In short, the study showed that both diallyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide, like garlic essential oil, acted as fumigants, produced behavioral deterrence and inhibited oviposition against angoumois grain moth. Our work here indicates that diallyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide may serve as potential alternatives for grain protectants since both of them can be prepared easily from readily available chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helicoverpa armigera adults display a conspicuous positive phototactic behavior to light stimuli, and are especially sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light. The effects of UV-A (longwave) exposures on adult longevity and reproduction in H. armigera were investigated, as well as the development of the F1 generation. Paired adults were exposed to UV-A for various time periods (0, 1, 5 and 9 h/day), until the end of adult life. The results showed that adult longevity decreased with increasing exposure time for both sexes, and a significant decrease was observed after exposure for 5 and 9 h/day. Fecundity increased when adults were exposed for 1 and 5 h/day, and a significant difference was observed in the 5 h/day group. Oviposition rates of females in all treatments were significantly higher than in the control. Exposure to UV-A for longer periods (5 and 9 h/day) caused a decline in cumulative survival of F1 immature stages, but no significant differences were found in egg hatch, pupation and eclosion. The developmental periods of F1 larvae were significantly prolonged after exposure to UV-A for 5 and 9 h/day. UV-A radiation had no significant effects on F1 pupal period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nodulation is the predominant cellular defense reaction to bacterial challenges in insects. In this study, third instar larvae of Chrysomya megacephala were injected with bacteria, Escherichia coli K 12 (106 CFU/mL, 2 μL), immediately prior to injection of inhibitors of eicosanoid biosynthesis, which sharply reduced nodulation response. Test larvae were treated with specific inhibitors of phospholipase A2 (dexamethasone), cyclo-oxygenase (indomethacin, ibuprofen and piroxicam), dual cyclo-oxygenase/lipoxygenase (phenidone) and lipoxygenase (esculetin) and these reduced nodulation except esculetin. The influence of bacteria was obvious within 2 h of injection (5 nodules/larva), and increased to a maximum after 8 h (with 15 nodules/larva), and then significantly reduced over 24 h (9 nodules/larva). The inhibitory influence of dexamethasone was apparent within 2 h of injection (4 vs. 5 nodules/larva), and nodulation was significantly reduced, compared to control, over 24 h (5 vs. 8 nodules/larva). Increased dosages of ibuprofen, indomethacin, piroxicam and phenidone led to decreased numbers of nodules. Nodules continued to exist during the pupal stage. However, the effects of dexamethasone were reversed by treating bacteria-injected insects with an eicosanoid-precursor polyunsaturated fatty acid, arachidonic acid. These findings approved our view that eicosanoid can mediate cellular defense mechanisms in response to bacterial infections in another Dipteran insect C. megacephala. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chrysomya megacephala is a saprophagous fly whose larvae can compost manure and yield biomass and bio-fertilizer simultaneously. However, there are concerns for the safety of the composting system, that is risk of diseases spread by way of manure pathogens, residue of harmful metals and emission of greenhouse gases. Microbiota analysis and heavy metal speciation by European Communities Bureau of Reference were evaluated in raw, C. megacephala-composted and natural stacked swine manure to survey pathogenic bacterial changes and mobility of lead and cadmium in manure after C. megacephala feeding; the emission rate of CH 4 and N 2 O from manure during C. megacephala composting and natural stacking was also measured. C. megacephala composting altered manure microbiota, reduced the risk of pathogenic bacteria and maintained the stability, and microbiota changes might be associated with heavy metal fractions, especially in Pseudomonas and Prevotella. In addition, C. megacephala-composting significantly reduced the emission rate of CH 4 and N 2 O in comparing with natural stacking situation and the first two days should be the crucial period for CH 4 and N 2 O emission measurement for manure treatment by C. megacephala. Moreover, OTU26 and Betaproteobacteria were changed after C. megacephala composting which might play a role in emission of CH 4 and N 2 O, respectively., (© 2018 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.)