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The pericarp of Zanthoxylum bungeanum maxim (PZM) is a commonly used spice and herbal medicine in China. In the present study, the structural characteristics of PPZM were investigated by saccharide mapping after enzymatic digestion by using high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) and polysaccharide analysis by using carbohydrate gel electrophoresis (PACE). The mechanisms of protective effects of PPZM on Aβ25–35-induced oxidative damage were explored in PC12 cells. The results showed that PPZM contained 1,4-α-D-galactosidic, 1,4-α-D-galactosiduronic, and (1→4)-β-D-glucosidic linkages. Pretreatment with PPZM significantly increased the cell viability of Aβ25–35-injured PC12 cells. Flow cytometry and Hoechst/PI staining indicated that PPZM gradually relieved the apoptosis of the Aβ25–25-treated cells. PPZM markedly decreased the ROS level of PC12 cells and suppressed Aβ25–35-induced oxidative stress by increasing the SOD level, and decreasing the level of MDA and LDH. The mRNA expressions of caspase-3 and Bax were significantly downregulated, and Bcl-2 expression was upregulated by treatment with PPZM. PPZM significantly increased the mRNA expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 in Aβ25–35 treated cells. The results indicated that PPZM alleviated apoptosis and oxidative stress induced by Aβ25–25 through the inhibition of mitochondrial dependent apoptosis and activation of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. PPZM can be used as a potential protective agent against Aβ25–25-induced neurotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-Mg andesites (HMAs) are crucial for the reconstruction of plate tectonics, continental margin formation and lithospheric evolution. In this study, we present new fossil age, whole-rock geochemical and Sr–Nd isotope data on the newly discovered Dundunshan Group HMAs in the Dundunshan area of the Beishan orogen (central-southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt). The Dundunshan HMA samples are characterized by high MgO (6.47–7.02 wt%) contents and high Mg# values (67.27–68.77), with SiO2 (58.57–62.13 wt%), Al2O3 (14.49–16.07 wt%) and CaO (5.05–6.24 wt%) resembling typical HMAs. The Dundunshan HMA samples are calc-alkaline and strongly enriched in light rare earth elements (LREEs) and large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs), with slightly negative Eu anomaly and high-field-strength element (HFSE) depletions. Their (87Sr/86Sr)i ratios (0.7041–0.7057) and ϵNd(t) (3.73–5.59) indicate that the Dundunshan HMAs were mainly formed by the interactions between subducted oceanic sediment-derived melts and mantle peridotites. Fossil evidence and published radiometric age data constrain the formation of the Dundunshan HMAs to early Late Devonian time. Sedimentological features of the Middle Devonian Sangejing Formation and regional tectonic correlation suggest that the Hongliuhe–Niujuanzi–Xichangjing Ocean in the Dundunshan area was likely closed during late Middle Devonian time, and that the Dundunshan HMAs were formed in a post-collision extensional setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two corticolous species of Ramalina are described as new to science from China. Ramalina ailaoshanensis is described from Mt. Ailaoshan in southwest China. It is characterized by dichotomous narrow branches with sparse raised or tuberculate pseudocyphellae, without warts, absence of chrondroid tissue in the cortex, the tips of branchlets becoming thin, terete and curled backwards, and lacking soredia and isidia. Ramalina qinlingensis is described from Mt. Qinling in northwest China. It is characterized by broad branches with distinct pseudocyphellae, many warts and branchlets, the discontinuous chrondroid tissue in the cortex, and lacking soredia and isidia. Both species were recovered as monophyletic and well-supported in a maximum-likelihood phylogeny inferred from ITS sequence data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest stands of Pinus yunnanensis Franch in southwestern China are seriously damaged by several bark living insect pests. These pests commonly exist in the same host tree and exploit limited phloem resources. In this study, we hypothesized that sympatric pests would occupy different ecological niches to reduce interspecific competition, and their coordinated attack would aggravate the tree vigor decline of P. yunnanensis. To quantify the ecological niches, we used a sampling method involving three dimensional divisions of tree resource states: (a) sample plot dimension (to evaluate the extent of pest colonization at plot scale), (b) trunk height dimension, and (c) tree vigor dimension. Those attacked pine canopies and colonized trunks were analysed in the field study. The results showed that Tomicus minor and Tomicus yunnanensis both widely and uniformly distributed in lightly, moderately and heavily damaged canopies while they aggregated on particular trunks of dying and withered trees. Lower and middle trunk sections (1–4 m) were mainly occupied by Monochamus alternatus and T. minor, yet T. yunnanensis dominated the upper parts (5–6 m). There was an overlap of the pine shoot beetles in the middle sections (2–4 m), whereas all three species were ecologically segregated in other trunk sections. During the shoot feeding phase, tree vigor declined with pine shoot beetles' increasing shoot feeding density. They coexisted in the same host tree, while M. alternatus only attacked dying and withered tree trunks, causing a greater infestation. Colonization of pine shoot beetle then followed by M. alternatus could be the major causes of tree mortality. This study highlights the resource utilization pattern of sympatric bark living insect pests corresponding with tree vitality. Those findings would help to understand the mechanisms of pest outbreak in P. yunnanensis ecosystem and provide potential guidance for developing an early monitoring pest warning system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The barbel chub ( Squaliobarbus curriculus), a kind of small commercial fish, is widespread in China. In this study, we sequenced the mitochondrial genome of the barbel chub from the Xiangjiang River. The total length of the mitochondrial genome is 16,619 bp, with the base composition of 31.19% A, 25.01% T, 27.68% C, and 16.12% G. The organization and arrangement of these genes are the same as that found in the teleosts, including 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and a major noncoding control region (D-loop region). Compared with the S. curriculus collected from Jiangsu province, there were 29 mutation sites in the mitogenome sequence of Xiangjiang S. curriculus. All the mutation sites were transitions and mainly occurred in protein-coding genes (21/29), two mutation sites occurred in transfer RNA, two occurred in ribosomal RNA, and four occurred in D-loop region. Among the 21 mutation sites in protein-coding genes, 6 mutation sites resulted in amino acid mutation in ND2, ATPase6, COX3, ND4, and Cytb genes, while the others were synonymous substitutions. These results indicated that there was genetic variation in different geographical populations of S. curriculus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bombyx Batryticatus (BB) is a known traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) utilized to treat convulsions, epilepsy, cough, asthma, headaches, etc. in China for thousands of years. This study is aimed at investigating optimum extraction of protein-rich extracts from BB (BBPs) using response surface methodology (RSM) and exploring the protective effects of BBPs against nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced PC12 cells injured by glutamate (Glu) and their underlying mechanisms. The results indicated optimum process of extraction was as follows: extraction time 1.00 h, ratio of liquid to the raw material 3.80 mL/g and ultrasonic power 230.0 W. The cell viability of PC12 cells stimulated by Glu was determined by CCK-8 assay. The levels of γ-aminobutyric (GABA), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-4 (IL-4), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and glucocorticoid receptor alpha (GR) in PC12 cells were assayed by ELISA. Furthermore, the Ca2+ levels in PC12 cells were determined by flow cytometry analysis. Protein and mRNA expressions of GABAA-Rα1, NMDAR1, GAD 65, GAD 67, GAT 1 and GAT 3 in PC12 cells were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting assays. Results revealed that BBPs decreased toxic effects due to Glu treatment and decreased Ca2+ levels in PC12 cells. After BBPs treatments, levels of GABA and 5-HT were increased and contents of TNF-α, IL-4 and IL-1β were decreased in NGF-induced PC12 cells injured by Glu. Moreover, BBPs up-regulated the expressions of GABAA-Rα1, GAD 65 and GAD 67, whereas down-regulated that of NMDAR1 GAT 1 and GAT 3. These findings suggested that BBPs possessed protective effects on NGF-induced PC12 cells injured by Glu via γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) signaling pathways, which demonstrated that BBPs has potential anti-epileptic effect in vitro. These findings may be useful in the development of novel medicine for the treatment of epilepsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by the novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is the most severe emerging infectious disease in the current century. The discovery of SARS-CoV-2-related coronaviruses (SARSr-CoV-2) in bats and pangolins in South Asian countries indicates that SARS-CoV-2 likely originated from wildlife. To date, two SARSr-CoV-2 strains have been isolated from pangolins seized in Guangxi and Guangdong by the customs agency of China, respectively. However, it remains unclear whether these viruses cause disease in animal models and whether they pose a transmission risk to humans. In this study, we investigated the biological features of a SARSr-CoV-2 strain isolated from a smuggled Malayan pangolin (Manis javanica) captured by the Guangxi customs agency, termed MpCoV-GX, in terms of receptor usage, cell tropism, and pathogenicity in wild-type BALB/c mice, human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)-transgenic mice, and human ACE2 knock-in mice. We found that MpCoV-GX can utilize ACE2 from humans, pangolins, civets, bats, pigs, and mice for cell entry and infect cell lines derived from humans, monkeys, bats, minks, and pigs. The virus could infect three mouse models but showed limited pathogenicity, with mild peribronchial and perivascular inflammatory cell infiltration observed in lungs. Our results suggest that this SARSr-CoV-2 virus from pangolins has the potential for interspecies infection, but its pathogenicity is mild in mice. Future surveillance among these wildlife hosts of SARSr-CoV-2 is needed to monitor variants that may have higher pathogenicity and higher spillover risk. IMPORTANCE SARS-CoV-2, which likely spilled over from wildlife, is the third highly pathogenic human coronavirus. Being highly transmissible, it is perpetuating a pandemic and continuously posing a severe threat to global public health. Several SARS-CoV-2-related coronaviruses (SARSr-CoV-2) in bats and pangolins have been identified since the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. It is therefore important to assess their potential of crossing species barriers for better understanding of their risk of future emergence. In this work, we investigated the biological features and pathogenicity of a SARSr-CoV-2 strain isolated from a smuggled Malayan pangolin, named MpCoV-GX. We found that MpCoV-GX can utilize ACE2 from 7 species for cell entry and infect cell lines derived from a variety of mammalian species. MpCoV-GX can infect mice expressing human ACE2 without causing severe disease. These findings suggest the potential of cross-species transmission of MpCoV-GX, and highlight the need of further surveillance of SARSr-CoV-2 in pangolins and other potential animal hosts.

During faunal studies of psammophilic ciliates along the coast of Qingdao, China, several marine karyorelictean species were isolated. Among them, four species within the genus Remanella were investigated, including two species new to science: i.e., R. rugosa , Remanella elongata sp. nov. , Remanella aposinica sp. nov. , and R. unicorpusculata. Remanella rugosa has been reported several times, but this study is the first to provide detailed morphological characters and phylogenetics. Remanella elongata sp. nov. can be distinguished from its congeners by the presence of complex cortical granules, fewer macronuclei, and longer body size. Remanella aposinica sp. nov. differs from its congeners by having 14-17 right lateral ciliary rows and 24-37 dikinetids of intrabuccal kinety. Poorly known Remanella rugosa var. unicorpusculata (Kahl, 1933) Foissner, 1996 should be elevated from subspecies to species level, Remanella unicorpusculata (Foissner, 1996) stat. nov. , based on detailed redescriptions with statistical data, living morphology, infraciliature, and species definitions. Small subunit (SSU) rDNA was sequenced for the four species, and phylogenetic analysis revealed that all known taxa in Remanella formed the outline branch to the genus Loxodes with moderate to high bootstrap support among Remanella lineages.

Arable land soil is one of the most precious natural resources of Earth, it provides the fundamental material and numerous resources essential for the development of human society. To determine the pollution of potential toxic factors in the surface soil of cultivated land and its risks to human health, concentrations of five different potentially toxic elements (PTEs) were detected in 1109 soil samples collected in Xiangzhou, China, in 2019. In this study, health risk assessment was used to judge the degree of pollution in the study area, the result of Geographic Information System (GIS) was as used to research the spatial distribution characteristics of PTEs, and random forest (RF) was used to assess the natural and man-made influencing factors. We investigated the sources of PTEs through quantifying the indicators, which gave further insights. The main results are: (1) In arable land soil, the average content of PTEs is 0.14 mg/kg cadmium (Cd), 0.05 mg/kg mercury (Hg), 12.89 mg/kg arsenic (As), 29.23 mg/kg lead (Pb), and 78.58 mg/kg chromium (Cr), respectively. The content of As and Pb outpaced the background value of Hubei soil. (2) The human health risk assessment in Xiangzhou indicates that the most important exposure pathway is soil ingestion, occupied about 99% to health risks of PTEs; non-carcinogenic risk from exposure to As, Pb and Cr in soil was higher than the limit (overall potential risk index, HI > 1) for both children and adults. Moreover, carcinogenic risk postured by Cd, Cr, and As was higher than the limit (10 -4 ) through soil exposure for both children and adults, indicating that Cd, As, Pb and Cr in soil have significant effect on people's health through exposure. (3) We found that the increased PTEs in the arable land soil mainly originated from potential water sources, air and soil pollution sources, breeding farms, and mining areas.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate Chinese old adults' different body compositions in response to various levels of physical activity (PA). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate the dose-response relationship between PA and body composition in old adults., Methods: 2664 participants older than 60 years (males: n = 984, females: n = 1680) were recruited for this cross-sectional health survey. PA was assessed by the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and the body composition was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) instruments. The differences of separate body composition indices (lean body mass, LBM; bone mass, BM; and fat mass, FM) of older participants with different PA levels (below PA recommendation and over PA recommendation) were examined using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). To compare the differences of three body composition indices with six different multiples of PA recommendation (0-1 REC, 1-2 REC, 2-4 REC, 4-6 REC, >6 REC), the one-way ANOVA and Turkey's test was used for the post hoc analysis to identify the upper PA-benefit threshold in different indices of body composition., Results: The LBM and BM are significantly higher and the FM are significantly lower in old adults performing more PA volume than the WHO recommendation, compared with individuals performing less PA volume than the WHO recommendation. There were significant increases in LBM for males in "1-2 REC", "2-4 REC", and ">6 REC" groups, compared with the "0-1 REC" group; and there were significant increases in BM for males in "1-2 REC", "2-4 REC", compared with the "0-1 REC" group. The best PA volume for LBM and BM in females was the PA volume of "2-4 REC". Additionally, whether males or females, there was no significant difference in FM between the "0-1 REC" group and other separate groups., Conclusion: The PA volume that causes best benefit for body composition of the elderly occurs at 1 to 2 times the recommended minimum PA for males, while it occurs at 2 to 4 times that recommended for females. No additional harms for old adults' body composition occurs at six or more times the recommended minimum PA.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Calculus bovis (C. bovis), a widespread known traditional animal drug in China and Japan, has been widely used for a long time to treat various diseases, including high fever, convulsion and stroke. The aim of the present paper is to comprehensively review knowledge about C. bovis in terms of traditional usages, origin, chemical constituents, pharmacological activities and toxicology to seek an applicable substitute for NCB and provide potential new strategies utilizing C. bovis. Additionally, directions and perspectives for future investigations regarding C. bovis are also discussed., Materials and Methods: In this paper, the traditional usages, origin, chemical constituents, pharmacology, and toxicology of C. bovis are comprehensively and systematically summarized by searching scientific databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Springer, CNKI, Baidu Scholar and others. Additionally, some classic books of Chinese herbal medicine, academic papers authored by individuals with MSc and PhD degrees, local government reports as well as the state of local drug standards are also retrieved., Results: Currently, C. bovis mainly derives from four sources: natural Calculus bovis (NCB), Calculus bovis sativus (CBS), Cultured calculus bovis (CCB) and Calculus bovis artifactus (CBA). Owing to their different formation processes, the chemical constituents of the four kinds of C. bovis show certain differences. Additionally, over 44 chemical constituents have been isolated and identified from C. bovis, mainly including bile pigments, bile acids, cholesterols and amino acids. Further investigations have revealed a wide range of pharmacological effects of C. bovis, with effects on the nervous system, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, digestive system, immune system and others. Furthermore, NCB and CBA show hypotoxicity, but high concentrations of bilirubin can cause neurotoxicity and hearing impairment. Additionally, pharmacokinetic data for C. bovis are still lacking., Conclusion: CBS contains analogous types and amounts of constituents and exerts similar therapeutic effects to NCB. Thus, CBS might be used as a sustainable substitute for NCB. Furthermore, the configuration and concentration of bile acids and bilirubin in C. bovis are responsible for the difference in pharmacological effects in the four types C. bovis. Further studies should focus on the structure-function relationship of bile acids and bilirubin in C. bovis by employing pharmacokinetics., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare there are no conflicts of interest. This manuscript has not been published or accepted elsewhere. It is not being submitted to any other journal. We declare that the present study was performed according to international, national and institutional rules considering animal experiments, clinical studies and biodiversity rights., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In order to study the effects of soil amendments on greenhouse gas emissions, five different fertilization treatments (no fertilization, conventional fertilization, conventional fertilization+bentonite, conventional fertilization+biochar, and conventional fertilization+potassium polyacrylate, labeled as NF, CK, B, C, and PAM) were applied on corn fields in the Hetao irrigation district during the maize growing seasons of 2015 and 2016, and the samples were analyzed by static chamber-gas chromatography. The results showed that N 2 O had a bimodal emission pattern in the Hetao Irrigation Area, and the N 2 O emission peak appeared five to seven days after topdressing and irrigating (d.p.ti). The CH 4 emission had no apparent pattern. While the CH 4 emission peak appeared with a few treatments after 6 d.p.ti, the rest of the period indicated the CH 4 absorption in the soil. CO 2 had a unimodal emission pattern, and the CO 2 emission peak appeared during the jointing stage of maize growth. In addition, the correlation analysis indicated that an increase in soil temperature could significantly increase the N 2 O and CO 2 emission rates. Moreover, compared with the CK treatment, the B and PAM treatments could significantly decrease the cumulative emission of N 2 O ( P <0.05), with a decline of 38.59% and 45.35%, respectively. The B and C treatments could significantly enhance the soil uptake of CH 4 ( P <0.05), and the cumulative absorption of CH 4 increased 144.44% and 172.22%, respectively. The B and C treatment results were significantly different from the CK treatment based on the cumulative emission of CO 2 ( P <0.05), with a decrease of 25.40% and 22.21%, respectively. In general, compared with the CK treatment, the comprehensive warming potential of the B, C, and PAM treatments declined by 27.77%, 19.61%, and 12.16%, respectively. The greenhouse gas emission intensity of the B, C, and PAM treatments decreased by 35.20%, 26.65%, and 13.36%, respectively. The maize yield with the B and C treatments was significantly increased by 11.33% and 9.59%, respectively; and the economic budget of net ecosystem was increased by 16.15% and 12.65%, respectively ( P <0.05). In summary, adding extra bentonite and biocarbon to the conventional fertilization was an effective agricultural measure for improving crop yield and reducing the global warming potential for the corn planting system in the Hetao irrigation area.

To study the association between known risk factors for cardiovascular disease and intima-media thickness (IMT) in the carotid and popliteal arteries in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults. 686 middle aged and elderly Chinese adults from the China Da Qing Diabetes Prevention Study who had full clinical, laboratory, ultrasound examination results were enrolled in the study. Common carotid artery (CCA) and popliteal artery (PA) IMT were obtained using high resolution ultrasound machine. Pearson's or Spearman's correlation analysis and logistic regression analysis were used to determine association between risk factors [age, gender, tobacco smoking, body mass index (BMI), diabetes mellitus (DM), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), total cholesterol, total triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c)] and CCA- or PA-IMT. The age range of the study population was 45-87 years, 384 of them (56 %) were women. The prevalence of high blood pressure and DM was 60.6 and 68.8 %, respectively. Participants in DM group tended to be older, had greater value for SBP, HbA1c and PA-IMT, but smaller value for DBP than those in control group. Smoke status, BMI, blood lipids and CCA-IMT were not statistically different between groups. Pearson's or Spearman's rank correlation analysis showed that CCA-IMT had a positive correlation with age, gender, DM, SBP, BMI and HbA1c, negative correlation with HDL-C. PA-IMT showed a positive correlation with age, gender and SBP. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that elevation of age, SBP, BMI, HbA1c and having DM were significant predictors of CCA-IMT thickening, so was reduction of HDL-C. Risk factors that predicted significant thickening of PA-IMT were age, gender, tobacco smoking. After adjusted for age and gender, except HDL-C, the other four risk factors (SBP, BMI, HbA1c and having DM) that predicted CCA-IMT thickening remained significant; however none of the risk factors predicted PA-IMT thickening after adjusted for age and gender. The current results provide evidence that CCA-IMT is a superior marker for atherosclerosis compared with PA-IMT. Aggressive control of SBP, HbA1c and proper control of weight may postpone thickening of CCA-IMT.

The Three Rivers Source Area is the largest ecological function region of water source supply and conservation in China. As affected by a variety of driving factors, the ecosystems in this region are seriously degraded, giving definite impacts on the water source supply service. This paper approached the variation patterns of precipitation and runoff coefficient from 1981 to 2010, quantitatively estimated the water source supply of the ecosystems in the region from 1980 to 2005 based on InVEST model, and analyzed the spatiotemporal variation pattern and its causes of the water source supply in different periods. In 1981-2010, the precipitation in the Three Rivers Source Area had a trend of increase after an initial decrease, while the precipitation runoff coefficient presented an obvious decreasing trend, suggesting a reduced capability of runoff water source supply of this region. The potential evapotranspiration had a declining trend, but not obvious, with a rate of -0.226 mm x a(-1). In 1980-2005, the water source supply of the region represented an overall decreasing trend, which was most obvious in the Yellow River Source Area. The spatiotemporal variation of the water source supply in the Three Rivers Source Area was the results of the combined effects of climate and land use change, and the climate factors affected the water source supply mainly through affecting the precipitation and potential evapotranspiration. Climate and land use change induced the ecosystem degradation and underlying surface change, which could be the main driving forces of the declined water source supply in the Three Rivers Source Area.

Objective: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant disease with an estimated worldwide prevalence of 0.2%. It is caused by a multitude of low density lipoprotein receptor gene mutations. It is characterized with high levels of total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and a high incidence of coronary artery disease in young adults. Cord blood cholesterol concentration is used for mass screening of FH. The purpose of this study was to detect the lipid levels of cord blood in newborn infants from China and to determine the cut-off point after 1 to 2 years follow-up., Methods: TC, triglycerides (TG), LDL-C and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were determined in 242 healthy full-term newborn infants., Results: The mean values of TC, TG, LDL-C and HDL-C in cord blood were (1.69 +/- 0.40) mmol/L, (0.23 +/- 0.12) mmol/L, (0.81 +/- 0.21) mmol/L and (0.58 +/- 0.16) mmol/L (mean +/- standard deviation), respectively. The HDL-C concentration in male neonates was lower than that in female neonates (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: After the follow-up of 1 to 2 years for FH, the recommended screening cut-off points were TC > or = 2.47 mmol/L and LDL-C > or = 0.89 mmol/L.