Search

Pseudocapritermes Kemner is a termite group that constructs subterranean gallery systems in topsoil. This genus is distributed in the Oriental region and contains 18 species. Dependence on the morphological measurements of soldiers makes the taxonomy of Pseudocapritermes difficult. In this study, we compared morphological characters of soldiers and adults of P. largus and P. sowerbyi. In addition, three fulllength mitochondrial genes (COI, COII, and 16S rRNA) were sequenced from a total of eight P. largus and P. sowerbyi colonies. Morphological comparison of soldiers showed that P. largus is larger than P. sowerbyi, but there was overlap in some measurements. In adults, the morphological characters of P. largus were congruent with those of P. sowerbyi. Sequence alignments of COI, COII, and 16S rRNA revealed a high pairwise genetic identity (ranging from 99.64 to 100%) between the two species, which suggested that P. largus and P. sowerbyi are the same species. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on COII revealed that Pseudocapritermes belongs to the Termes group having soldiers with asymmetrical snapping mandibles and is more closely related to Sinocapritermes than to other Termes group genera distributed in China. Morphological similarity and genetic identity indicate that P. largus is a junior synonym of P. sowerbyi.

The hydrophobicity of ultrafiltration membranes is the main cause of membrane fouling and reduced permeability, so it is necessary to improve the hydrophilicity and anti-fouling performance of ultrafiltration membrane materials. MoS2 nanoparticles that were modified with polydopamine (PDA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI), named MoS2-PDA-PEI, were added to fabricate a polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membrane (PES/MoS2-PDA-PEI) for the first time. The effects of modified MoS2 nanoparticles on membrane performance were clarified. The results indicated that the permeability, rejection, and anti-fouling capability of the hybrid PES/MoS2-PDA-PEI membrane have been improved compared with the pristine PES membrane. When the content of MoS2-PDA-PEI nanoparticles in the membrane is 0.5%, the pure water flux of the hybrid membrane reaches 364.03 L m−2 h−1, and the rejection rate of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and humic acid (HA) is 96.5% and 93.2% respectively. The flux recovery rate of HA reached 97.06%. As expected, the addition of MoS2-PDA-PEI nanoparticles promotes the formation of the porous structure and improves the hydrophilicity of the membrane, thereby improving its antifouling performance.

Biotic and abiotic stresses, especially heavy metal toxicity, are becoming a big problem in agriculture, which pose serious threats to crop production. Plant hormones have recently been used to develop stress tolerance in a variety of plants. Brassinosteroids (BRs) are the sixth class of plant steroid hormones, with pleiotropic effects on plants. Exogenous application of BRs to boost plant tolerance mechanisms to various stresses has been a major research focus. Numerous studies have revealed the role of these steroidal hormones in the up-regulation of stress-related resistance genes, as well as their interactions with other metabolic pathways. BRs interact with other phytohormones such as auxin, cytokinin, ethylene, gibberellin, jasmonic acid, abscisic acid, salicylic acid, and polyamines to regulate a variety of physiological and developmental processes in plants. BRs regulate expressions of many BR-inducible genes by activating the brassinazole-resistant 1 (BZR1)/BRI1-EMS suppressor 1 (BES1) complex. Moreover, to improve plant development under a variety of stresses, BRs regulate antioxidant enzyme activity, chlorophyll concentration, photosynthetic capability, and glucose metabolism. This review will provide insights into the mechanistic role and actions of brassinosteroids in plants in response to various stresses.

This study evaluated the effects of endoplasmic reticulum autophagy (ER-phagy) and globular adiponectin (gAPN) on chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH)-induced H9C2 cardiomyocytes injury while investigating potential mechanisms of action. The CIH model of H9C2 cardiomyocytes was established in this study. CCK-8 assay was used to determine cell viability post-exposure to various CIH times and gAPN concentrations. Flow cytometry was used to observe H9C2 cardiomyocytes apoptosis and immunofluorescence was used to measure ER-phagy and SEC62 activation. Western blot was used to observe ER stress and AMPK pathway. Results indicated that ER stress was activated in H9C2 cardiomyocytes exposed to CIH. Inhibition of ER stress reduced CIH-induced cell apoptosis. gAPN attenuated CIH-induced ER stress and H9C2 cardiomyocytes apoptosis. ER-phagy and SEC62 protein level were induced by CIH, while gAPN highly enhanced these changes. Inhibition of SEC62 expression reduced ER-phagy and increased ER stress and H9C2 cardiomyocytes apoptosis. Moreover, gAPN induced AMPK expression. Inhibition of AMPK expression reduced SEC62-mediated ER-phagy and increased the H9C2 cardiomyocytes apoptosis. Altogether, our study suggested that gAPN upregulated SEC62-mediated ER-phagy to extenuate ER stress, and mitigated H9C2 cardiomyocytes apoptosis induced by CIH through AMPK activation.

Background Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women in Nepal. The prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 and or HPV 18 among women with cervical pre-cancer and cancer is higher than the incidence of HPV in the world population. The population-based epidemiological data of HPV in the general population in most parts of the country remains unknown. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and type distribution of HPV infection and association of abnormal cytology with high risk HPV infection among women in mid-western rural, Nepal. Methods A population-based cross sectional study was conducted in Jumla, one of the most remote districts in Nepal. A total of 1050 cervical samples were collected from married and non- pregnant women aged 20–65 years during mobile Cervical Cancer Screening Clinics conducted from May 2016 to January 2017. The presence of HPV DNA was firstly confirmed by HPV consensus PCR using PGMY09/PGMY11 designed primers, then HPV positive samples were further genotyped by the membrane hybridization method to detect the 21 high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) and low-risk HPV types. The prevalence of HR-HPV among women with normal and abnormal cytology was calculated. Data were analyzed using SPSS software for Windows. P

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, which is characterized by loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Accumulated evidences have suggested that oxidative stress is closely associated with the dopaminergic neurodegeneration of PD that can be protected by antioxidants. Biochanin A that is an O-methylated isoflavone in chickpea is investigated to explore its protective mechanism on dopaminergic neurons of the unilateral lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-injected rat. The results showed that biochanin A significantly improved the animal model's behavioral symptoms, prevented the loss of dopaminergic neurons and inhibited the deleterious microglia activation in the LPS-induced rats. Moreover, biochanin A inhibited nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NADPH oxidase) activation and malondialdehyde (MDA) production, increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities in the rat brain. These results suggested that biochanin A might be a natural candidate with protective properties on dopaminergic neurons against the PD.

The cross compatibility within and between Yulania Spach and Michelia L. (Magnoliaceae) is relatively good and various such hybrids, obtained by conventional artificial hybridization, are available. The aim of the present study was to determine the extent of genome differentiation between the species involved in these crosses through the observation of chromosome pairing during meiosis in pollen mother cells (PMCs) of the hybrids. Chromosome pairing behavior was studied in five species (2n = 38) and two interspecific hybrids of Michelia, eight species (2n = 38, 76 and 114) and 10 interspecific hybrids of Yulania, and three intergeneric hybrids between Michelia and Yulania. The results showed that chromosome pairing was normal with bivalent formation in diploid parental species and in interspecific hybrids. In addition to bivalents, multivalents were encountered in polyploid parental species and polyploid interspecific hybrids. In the intergeneric hybrids between a tetraploid Yulania and two diploid Michelia, 19 chromosomes, most likely originating from Michelia, were unable to synapse from zygotene to metaphase I. Meiotic chromosome pairing indicated a high degree of homology between species within Michelia and Yulania and less homology between the genomes of these two genera. The differentiation of morphological characters and the distinctness of natural distribution also support the conclusion that these two genera are likely independent monophyletic groups. This suggests that the two genera were split at early evolution of Magnoliaceae and the overlapping characteristics in external morphology and internal structures of the two genera may be the result of parallel evolution or ancient common ancestry.

Chromosomal abnormalities including cytomixis occurred in meiotic process of pollen mother cells of many angiosperm species at high frequency, but similar phenomenon was rarely reported in low vascular plants. This study we investigated the microsporogenesis of Isoetes sinensis Palmer, a quillwort of ancient heterosporous lycopsids Isoetaceae plants. Irregular chromosomal behavior especially cytomixis was emphasized. It appeared in each stage of meiotic division from prophase I to telophase II. The cytoplasmic channels between microspore mother cells were narrow and stretched. The genetic material connection was maintained mainly by visible chroma- tin fiber. The cytomixis was just occurred between two adjacent microspore mother cells of same stages. A variety of other abnormal chromosomal behaviors including chromosomal stickiness, fragmentation, bridge, laggards, micronucleus, were observed, albeit with low frequency. All sorts of chromosomal abnormalities were counted at two stages, anaphase I and anaphase II. They were approximately 24.4% and 26.9% respectively. This number was slightly higher than that of microspore abortion which was about 14.8%. I. sinensis was listed as a critical endangered species due to habitat fragmentalization, water pollution and wetland degradation. Human being activities are without doubt the immediate forces resulting in the population decreasing of I. sinensis. Whether the individual numbers dropping or habitat withdraw has consequently caused the producing of the overall high abnormalities of chromosomal behaviours is not determined yet. However, cytomixis and other irregular chromo- somal phenomenon seemed not to be a natural process.

Chromosome behavior during meiosis of the tetraploid Isoetes sinensis was observed to be similar to that of basic diploid Isoetes species. This observation was consistent with the previous report that polyploid species of Isoetes are allopolyploids. Meiosis was generally similar in both megaspore and microspore mother cells, but differences were observed. Due to the smaller size of the microspore mother cells, during prophase I, chromosomes are not as dispersed as those in megaspore mother cells. Cytomixis was observed in all stages of meiosis in microspore mother cells, but it was not seen at any stage of meiosis in megaspore mother cells. Cytomixis, lagging chromosomes, chromosome bridges, chromosome fragments, and micronuclei, observed during meiosis in I. sinensis, can affect sexual reproduction, but it does not appear to be a major cause of population decline in this species. The major cause of decline is habitat degradation from human disturbance. The few remaining populations of the Chines...

Davidia involucrata Baill. and Camptotheca acuminata Decne were investigated and compared karyomorphologically. Their idiogrammatic formulae are, respectively, 2n = 42 = 20m (2SAT) + 16sm + 4st + 2t and 2n = 42 = 22m (2SAT) + 14sm + 4st + 2t. The plants are very similar: both belong to the 2B asymmetry karyotype (the karyotypes are reported here for the first time) and in both the prophase chromosomes are of the interstitial type. Davidia is believed to be closely related to Camptotheca. We do not consider it appropriate to remove Davidia from Camptotheca into a different family or subfamily. The cytological data support Davidia and Camptotheca forming a subfamily (Davidioideae) of the broadly circumscribed Cornaceae. © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2004, 144, 193-198.

Inflammation in the brain, characterized by the activation of microglia, is believed to participate in the patho- genesis of Parkinson's disease. Biochanin A, an O-methylated isoflavone, is a natural organic compound and is classified as a phytoestrogen. In this study, using murine BV2 microg- lial cells, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of biochanin A and the possible mechanisms involved. BV2 microglial cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce pro-inflammatory responses and the cells were then treated with biochanin A. Cell viability was examined by MTT assay. The production of nitric oxide (NO) was examined using Griess reagent and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS production) was measured by DCFH-DA assay. The mRNA expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was examined by RT-PCR. The expression of p-ERK, p-JNK, p-p38 and iNOS was measured by western blot analysis. In addition, the protein and mRNA and phosphorylation levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were determined by western blot analysis and RT-PCR, respectively. The results revealed that biochanin A attenuated LPS-induced microglial activation and the production of TNF-α, IL-1β, nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species in a dose-dependent manner. Biochanin A significantly decreased the LPS-induced mRNA expression of TNF-α and IL-1β, and inhibited iNOS mRNA and protein expression. Furthermore, biochanin A significantly inhibited the LPS-induced phosphorylation of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38. These findings suggest that the inhibitory effects of biochanin A on LPS-induced proinflammatory responses may be associated with the inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways in BV2 microglial cells.

The kinetics for complete iron release showing biphasic behavior from pig spleen ferritin-Fe (PSFF) was measured by spectrophotometry. The native core within the PSFF shell consisted of 1682 hydroxide Fe3+ and 13 phosphate molecules. Inhibition kinetics for complete iron release was measure by differential spectrophotometry in the presence of phosphate; the process was clearly divided into two phases involving a first-order reaction at an increasing rate of 46.5 Fe3+/PSFF/min on the surface of the iron core and a zero-order reaction at a decreasing rate of 6.67 Fe3+/PSFF/min inside the core. The kinetic equation [C(PSFF-Fe3+)max - C(PSFF-Fe3+)t](1/2) = Tmax - Tt gives the transition time between the two rates and represents the complex kinetic characteristics. The rate was directly accelerated twofold by a mixed reducer of dithionite and ascorbic acid. These results suggest that the channel of the PSFF shell may carry out multiple functions for iron metabolism and storage and that the phosphate strongly affects the rate of iron release.

Bacterial ferritin of Azotobacter vinelandii (AvBF) is directly able to pick electrons up for iron release from or transfer them for storage to a platinum electrode in the absence of mediator or other reducer. The ferritin containing the structure of heme-Co2+ in part shows weakened activity to electrode and decreases the rate of iron release greatly. A reversible reduction process of the ferritin is observed by the spectral change regularly ranging from 310 to 260 nm under mixed gases containing 98% H2 and 2% to O2. The activity of nitrogen fixation from the whole cell of A. vinelandii increases greatly by H2 reduction with potentials ranging from -397 to -425 mV vs. NHE, indicating two important roles of H2-uptake reaction of the ferritin in increasing activity of nitrogen fixation and in supplying iron to synthesize nitrogenase.

Acremoniumterricola milleretal mycelium (AMM) exerts numerous protective effects on organs, and has been used in Chinese herb prescriptions to treat refractory diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of AMM on immunological hepatic fibrosis induced by porcine serum (PS) in rats. Male Sprague Dawley rats were administered 0.5 ml sterile PS by intraperitoneal injections twice a week for 18 weeks. AMM (175, 350 or 700 mg/kg) and colchicine (0.1 mg/kg) were administered intragastrically each day until the rats were sacrificed. PS administration resulted in marked hepatic fibrosis, as assessed by increased oxidative stress and hepatic collagen content, as well as α‑smooth muscle actin (α‑SMA) expression. AMM significantly reduced liver damage and fibrosis. In addition, AMM decreased the elevation in hydroxyproline, hyaluronic acid, laminin and procollagen type III; increased the activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase; decreased α‑SMA expression; and eliminated hepatic collagen deposits. Furthermore, AMM inhibited Smad2/3 phosphorylation and Smad7 expression. These results indicate that AMM is able to reduce oxidative stress, inhibit collagen synthesis and block the transforming growth factor‑β/Smad signaling pathway in a dose‑dependent manner.

In bioelectrochemical studies, redox mediators such as methylene blue, natural red, and thionine are used to studying the redox characteristics of enzymes in the living cell. Here we show that nitrogenase activity in Azotobacter vinelandii is completely inhibited by oxidized methylene blue (MBo) when the concentration of this mediator in the medium is increased up to 72 microM. This activity in A. vinelandii is somewhat inhibited by a coenzyme, ascorbic acid (AA). However, the nitrogenase activity within the A. vinelandii cell is unchanged even for a high concentration of oxidized natural red (NRo) alone. Interestingly, these mediators and AA do not have the capacity to inhibit the H2 uptake activity of the hydrogenase in A. vinelandii. Average active rates of 66 nM H2 evolved/mg cell protein/min from the nitrogenase and 160 nM H2-uptake/mg cell protein/min from the hydrogenase in A. vinelandii are found in aid of the activities of the enzymes for H2 evolution and for H2 uptake are compared. The activities of both enzymes in A. vinelandii are strongly inhibited by thionine having high oxidative potential. Mechanisms of various mediators acting in vivo for both enzymes in A. vinelandii are discussed.

M agnolia sinostellata has been considered a synonym of Magnolia stellata by several taxonomists due to many shared morphological characters. With similar leaves and twigs, Magnolia amoena is distributed in areas near M. sinostellata . These three species were studied by comparing morphological, cytological and palynological characters, creating a maximum parsimony phylogenetic tree based on plastid DNA sequences and studying these taxa in the field. The results are as follows: M. sinostellata is a diploid, 2n=2x=38, and there are heterozygotes with paracentric inversion chromosomes in wild populations. Magnolia stellata is also a diploid, and there are heterozygotes with pericentric inversion chromosomes in wild populations. The abnormal chromosome behaviour in meiosis has serious effects on survival of the two species. Magnolia amoena is diploid with more or less normal meiosis except for a few lagging chromosomes in anaphase I and II. Magnolia stellata has a more complicated exine sculpture than the other two; exine structure is different in all three species. Separate species status for M. sinostellata is also supported by results of the plastid DNA phylogenetic study. Distributions, population descriptions and observations are provided, and based on all the evidence presented we conclude that M. sinostellata is a distinct species in M. subgenus Yulania .