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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]

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]

Bot flies (Oestridae) are obligate endoparasites of mammals, and their extraordinary diversification is of great importance in understanding the evolution of parasitism. However, evolutionary analysis of Oestridae has long been impeded by lack of information. Here, the first three mitochondrial genomes of nasal bot flies (Cephalopina titillator , Cephenemyia trompe and Rhinoestrus usbekistanicus) and a comparative mitochondrial genomic analysis between subfamilies of Oestridae are presented. Contrasting to many other parasites, mitochondrial genomes of oestrids are conserved in structure, and genes have retained the same order and direction as the ancestral insect mitochondrial genome. Nucleotide composition is highly heterogenous, with Gasterophilinae possessing highest GC content and smallest genomic size. Mitochondrial evolutionary rates vary considerably, with Hypodermatinae and Oestrinae exhibiting a faster average rate than Cuterebrinae and Gasterophilinae. In addition, the first phylogenomic analysis covering all four bot fly subfamilies was conducted, supporting monophyly of Oestridae and a sister-group relationship of Hypodermatinae and Oestrinae. The only topological ambiguity is Cuterebrinae being a sister-group of either (Hypodermatinae + Oestridae) or Gasterophilinae. Thus, we suggest that mitochondrial genomes carry a great potential for phylogenetic analysis of Oestridae, and more information of Cuterebrinae is needed to illuminate the early evolutionary radiation and parasite-host coevolution of bot flies. [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]

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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]

Data sets of 26 fisheries target species from the fishery-dependent and fishery-independent surveys in the overwintering ground of open waters of northern East China Sea (OW-NECS) , combined sea surface temperature ( SST) , were used to examine the links between diversity index, pattern of common variability and climate changes based on the principal component analysis ( PCA) and generalized additive model (GAM). The results showed that the shift from a cold regime to a warm regime was detected in SST during the 1970s-2011 with step changes around 1982/1983. SST increased during the cold regime and the warm regime before 1998 (warming trend period, 1972-1998) , and decreased during the warm regime after 1998 (cooling trend period, 1999-2011). Shannon diversity index was largely dependent on the filefish, which contributed up to 50% of the total production as a single species, with low diversity in the waters of the OW-NECS, during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Excluding the filefish, the diversity index linearly increased and decreased during 1972-1998 and 1999-2011, respectively. The variation pattern generally corresponds with the trend in water temperature, strongly suggesting the effect of the SST on the diversity. The first two components (PC1 and PC2) of PCA for target species, which accounted for 32.43% of the total variance, showed evident decadal variation patterns with a step change during 1992-1999 and inter-annual variability with short-period fluctuation, respectively. It seems that PC1 was associated with large scale climatic change, while PC2 was related to inter-annual oceanographic variability such as ENSO events. Linear fitting results showed winEOF1 had significant effect on PC1, and GAM analysis for PC1 showed that winter EOF1 (winEOF1) and summer EOF2 (sumEOF2) can explain 88.9% of the total variance. Nonlinear effect was also found between PC2 and winEOF1, indicating that the fish community structure, which had predominantly decadal/inter-annual variation patterns, was influenced by inter-annual variations in oceanographic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple hypotheses are available to explain recruitment rate. Model selection methods can be used to identify the best model that supports a particular hypothesis. However, using a single model for estimating recruitment success is often inadequate for overexploited population because of high model uncertainty. In this study, stock-recruitment data of small yellow croaker in the East China Sea collected from fishery dependent and independent surveys between 1992 and 2012 were used to examine density-dependent effects on recruitment success. Model selection methods based on frequentist (AIC, maximum adjusted R2 and P-values) and Bayesian ( Bayesian model averaging, RMA) methods were applied to identify the relationship between recruitment and environment conditions. Interannual variability of the East China Sea environment was indicated by sea surface temperature ( SST) , meridional wind stress (MWS) , zonal wind stress (ZWS) , sea surface pressure ( SPP) and runoff of Changjiang River ( RCR). Mean absolute error, mean squared predictive error and continuous ranked probability score were calculated to evaluate the predictive performance of recruitment success. The results showed that models structures were not consistent based on three kinds of model selection methods, predictive variables of models were spawning abundance and MWS by AIC, spawning abundance by P-values, spawning abundance, MWS and RCR by maximum adjusted R2.The recruitment success decreased linearly with stock abundance ( P<0.01) , suggesting overcompensation effect in the recruitment success might be due to cannibalism or food competition. Meridional wind intensity showed marginally significant and positive effects on the recruitment success ( P = 0.06) , while runoff of Changjiang River showed a marginally negative effect (P = 0.07). Based on mean absolute error and continuous ranked probability score, predictive error associated with models obtained from RMA was the smallest amongst different approaches, while that from models selected based on the P-value of the independent variables was the highest. However, mean squared predictive error from models selected based on the maximum adjusted R2 was highest. We found that RMA method could improve the prediction of recruitment success, derive more accurate prediction interval and quantitatively evaluate model uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using the 2008 -2010 investigation data about the body condition of small yellow croaker in the offshore waters of southern Yellow Sea (SYS), open waters of northern East China Sea (NECS), and offshore waters of middle East China Sea (MECS), this paper analyzed the spatial heterogeneity of body length-body mass of juvenile and adult small yellow croakers by the statistical approaches of mean regression model and quantile regression model. The results showed that the residual standard errors from the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and the linear mixed-effects model were similar, and those from the simple linear regression were the highest. For the juvenile small yellow croakers, their mean body mass in SYS and NECS estimated by the mixed-effects mean regression model was higher than the overall average mass across the three regions, while the mean body mass in MECS was below the overall average. For the adult small yellow croakers, their mean body mass in NECS was higher than the overall average, while the mean body mass in SYS and MECS was below the overall average. The results from quantile regression indicated the substantial differences in the allometric relationships of juvenile small yellow croakers between SYS, NECS, and MECS, with the estimated mean exponent of the allometric relationship in SYS being 2. 85, and the interquartile range being from 2. 63 to 2. 96, which indicated the heterogeneity of body form. The results from ANCOVA showed that the allometric body length-body mass relationships were significantly different between the 25th and 75th percentile exponent values (F =6. 38, df =1737, P< 0. 01) and the 25th percentile and median exponent values (F =2. 35, df =1737,P =0. 039). The relationship was marginally different between the median and 75th percentile exponent values (F = 2. 21, df =1737, P =0. 051). The estimated body length-body mass exponent of adult small yellow croakers in SYS was 3. 01 (10th and 95th percentiles=2. 77 and 3. 1, respectively). The estimated body length-body mass relationships were significantly different from the lower and upper quantiles of the exponent (F =3. 31, df =2793, P =0. 01) and the median and upper quantiles (F =3. 56, df =2793, P<0. 01), while no significant difference was observed between the lower and median quantiles (F =0. 98, df =2793, P =0. 43). [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]

Highlights: [ • ] Electron-induced polymer charging is described by contour maps for the first time. [ • ] Leakage current and surface potential are highly correlated in contour features. [ • ] The total charge has the local maximum with respect to sample thickness. [•] Sample thickness normally affects charging effects more than electron mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Au nanoparticles dispersed cobalt monoxide (CoO) composite films were fabricated via a chemical solution approach combined with a spin-coating processing. Au particles were spherical approximately and uniformly dispersed in the amorphous CoO matrix. The mean diameters of Au particles in the Au/CoO thin films with 40mol% Au are about 30nm. The optical absorption peaks due to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Au particles were observed in the UV–vis absorption spectra in the wavelength range of 550–650nm. The SPR peaks exhibit a red shift and intensify with increasing Au content from 10 to 40mol%, but show a blue shift and weaken from 40 to 60mol%. The band gap E g decreases with increasing Au contents from 10 to 40mol% but increases by further increasing Au content. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, causes an acute infection of the central nervous system resulting in encephalitis of humans and many kinds of animals. NS5, the largest and most conserved flavivirus protein, is homologous to methyltransferase and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. RNA interference is an effective anti-viral strategy to inhibit viral replication in vitro. In this study, four short hairpin RNA (shRNA) expression vectors (pS4.1-NS5-201, pS4.1-NS5-455, pS4.1-NS5-699, and pS4.1-NS5-804) targeting the NS5 gene of JEV were employed to target and destroy JEV transcripts. The four shRNAs expression plasmids were individually co-transfected into 293T cells with the plasmid pNS5-EGFP expressing NS5 fused to enhanced green fluorescent protein. The expression level of NS5 was evaluated by fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, real time RT-PCR, and Western blot. The four shRNA expression plasmids were also transfected into BHK-21 cells to examine their inhibition of viral replication by indirect immunofluorescence, real time RT-PCR, and Western blot. The results provided strong evidence that shRNAs targeting the NS5 gene could specifically and efficiently inhibit JEV replication. Three out of four plasmids were highly efficient at inhibiting viral replication, including pS4.1-NS5-455, pS4.1-NS5-699, and pS4.1-NS5-804. This was especially true for pS4.1-NS5-699, which reduced the levels of virus RNA and protein the most. Our data suggest that shRNAs could be used as a tool to inhibit JEV replication in vivo. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Understanding fish's spatial behaviors are important for conservation biology under global warming, as one of the direct responses of fish to climate change is the alterations in distribution. We chose Trichiurus japonicus , which is an ecologically and economically important species in the East China Sea (ECS), to study the vicennial responses of demersal fish to climate change. Eight environmental variables (sea bottom temperature, sea bottom salinity, chlorophyll-a concentration, sea surface height, bathymetry, distance to the coast, slope data, and Terrain ruggedness index) combined with the annual survey data were fitted using integrated nested Laplace approximations and stochastic partial differential equations approach under the Bayesian framework to investigate its distribution shifts in spring during 1999–2019. Based on the distribution model, three spatial behavior indicators (center of gravity, Inertia, and Isotropy) were calculated and correlated with six regional climate indicators (Kuroshio index, Taiwan Warm Current Water index, meridional wind, zonal wind, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and El Niño/Southern Oscillation) to study the potential cause of its spatial behaviors. During the study periods, the biomass of T. japonicus declined gradually, with a brief increase in 2003, 2007–2008, and 2015–2017. T. japonicus preferred high salinity, warm and deep-water area. The relatively persistent hotspots of T. japonicus in spring were in the offshore waters of eastern Zhejiang Province. The change in the center of gravity during the study periods was not obvious, which implied that the distribution shifts were not necessarily vulnerable for T. japonicus in response to climate change and it has strong adaptability to the environment. We also found that strong Kuroshio Current and Taiwan Warm Current Water as well as cold phased of El Niño/Southern Oscillation were accompanied by weakened spatial aggregation of T. japonicus. Overall, for these types of fish with relatively persistent hotspots, the establishment of seasonally protected areas will contribute to the sustainable utilization of the species. • 20-year-long and almost uninterrupted temporal data were used to develop a distribution model for Trichiurus japonicus in the East China Sea. • T.japonicus preferred high salinity, warm and deep-water area in Spring. • Three spatial indicators showed the spatial behaviors of T.japonicus in spring were mainly affected by wind field, TWC, KI, and ENSO. • T. japonicus has strong adaptability to the environment and its the responses to climate change especially in distribution shifts are not necessarily vulnerable. • Our results have important implications for future fisheries management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Pandemic strains of influenza A virus might arise by genetic reassortment between viruses from different hosts. Pigs are susceptible to both human and avian influenza viruses and have been proposed to be intermediate hosts or mixing vessels, for the generation of pandemic influenza viruses through reassortment or adaptation to the mammalian host. In this study, we summarize and report for the first time the coexistence of 10 (A–J) genotypes in pigs in China by analyzing the eight genes of 28 swine H9N2 viruses isolated in China from 1998 to 2007. Swine H9N2 viruses in genotype A and B were completely derived from Y280-like and Shanghai/F/98-like viruses, respectively, which indicated avian-to-pig interspecies transmission of H9N2 viruses did exist in China. The other eight genotype (C–J) viruses might be double-reassortant viruses, in which six genotype (E–J) viruses possessed 1–4 H5-like gene segments indicating they were reassortants of H9 and H5 viruses. In conclusion, genetic diversity of H9N2 influenza viruses from pigs in China provides further evidence that avian to pig interspecies transmission of H9N2 viruses did occur and might result in the generation of new reassortant viruses by genetic reassortment with swine H1N1, H1N2 and H3N2 influenza viruses, therefore, these swine H9N2 influenza viruses might be a potential threat to human health and continuing to carry out swine influenza virus surveillance in China is of great significance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cu/SiO2 nano-composite thin films were prepared by a sol–gel method. The structure and optical property of the films were investigated with a special emphasis on the influences of Cu content. Cu particles were basically spherical and dispersed in the SiO2 matrix. The optical absorption peaks due to the surface plasmon resonance of Cu particles were observed in the wavelength range of 550–600nm. The absorption property is enhanced with increasing Cu content, showing a maximum value in the films with 30at.% Cu. Increasing Cu content above 30at.% results in a decrease in absorption intensity. The absorption peak shows a red-shift trend with increasing Cu content from 5 to 30at.% and then turns to blue-shift by further increasing the Cu content from 30 to 35at.%. The band gap Eg decreases with increasing Cu content from 10 to 30at.% but increases by further increasing Cu content. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Since April 2006, swine herds have experienced the outbreaks of a highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) in China. To explore the possible mechanism of the emergence of the highly pathogenic PRRS and more fully understand the extent of genetic diversity of PRRSV in China, we analyzed the ORF5 gene sequences of 159 representative PRRSV isolates in 16 provinces from 2006 to 2008. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses showed that all these 159 isolates belonged to the North American genotype and were further divided into six subgenotypes; 140 of 159 isolates were closely related to the highly pathogenic PRRSV with 98.5–100% nucleotide and 98.3–100% amino acid sequence identities and belonged to Subgenotype I; and 3, 8, 4, 3, 1 of 159 isolates were part of Subgenotypes II–VI, respectively. Amino acid analysis of the GP5 protein revealed that all the isolates in Subgenotypes I–III were found to be highly variable in the primary neutralizing epitope; most of the isolates in Subgenotypes I and IV had more glycosylation sites than those in Subgenotypes II, III, V and VI; and 1, 5, and 9 unique amino acid mutations were observed in Subgenotypes I, IV and VI, respectively. In conclusion, our study provides the evidence of coexistence of six different subgenotype isolates in pigs in China from 2006 to 2008, and emphasizes the importance of reinforcing PRRSV surveillance, especially after the emergence of highly pathogenic PRRS in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As pigs are susceptible to both human and avian influenza viruses, they have been proposed to be intermediate hosts or mixing vessels for the generation of pandemic influenza viruses through reassortment or adaptation to the mammalian host. In this study, we reported avian-like H1N1 and novel ressortant H1N2 influenza viruses from pigs in China. Homology and phylogenetic analyses showed that the H1N1 virus (A/swine/Zhejiang/1/07) was closely to avian-like H1N1 viruses and seemed to be derived from the European swine H1N1 viruses, which was for the first time reported in China; and the two H1N2 viruses (A/swine/Shanghai/1/07 and A/swine/Guangxi/13/06) were novel ressortant H1N2 influenza viruses containing genes from the classical swine (HA, NP, M and NS), human (NA and PB1) and avian (PB2 and PA) lineages, which indicted that the reassortment among human, avian, and swine influenza viruses had taken place in pigs in China and resulted in the generation of new viruses. The isolation of avian-like H1N1 influenza virus originated from the European swine H1N1 viruses, especially the emergence of two novel ressortant H1N2 influenza viruses provides further evidence that pigs serve as intermediate hosts or “mixing vessels”, and swine influenza virus surveillance in China should be given a high priority. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Classical swine and avian-like H1N1 influenza viruses were reported widely in swine population worldwide, but human-like H1N1 swine viruses were reported occasionally. In 2006, a human-like H1N1 swine virus (A/swine/Guangdong/96/06) was isolated from pigs in Guangdong province, which was reported in China for the first time. To get further evidence for infection of pigs with human-like H1N1 influenza viruses, we analyzed eight gene segments of three human-like swine H1N1 viruses (A/swine/Guangdong/96/06, A/swine/Tianjin/01/04 and A/swine/Henan/01/06) isolated in China. All the eight genes of the three viruses are highly homologous to recent (about 2000) and early (1980s) human H1N1 influenza viruses, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that A/Swine/Guangdong/96/06 was directly derived from about 2000 human H1N1 influenza viruses, while A/swine/Tianjin/01/04 and A/swine/Henan/01/06 seemed to be descendants of human H1N1 viruses circulating in 1980s. Seroprevalence of our isolate (A/swine/Guangdong/96/06) confirmed the presence of human-like H1N1 virus in pigs in China. Existence of these influenza viruses, especially older viruses (A/swine/Tianjin/01/04 and A/swine/Henan/01/06), indicates that human-like H1N1 influenza viruses may remain invariant for long periods in pigs and provides the evidence that pigs serve as reservoirs of older influenza viruses for human pandemics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]