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Background: Evaluating the psychological resilience of lung cancer (LC) patients helps understand their mental state and guides future treatment. However, there is limited research on the psychological resilience of LC patients with bone metastases., Aim: To explore the psychological resilience of LC patients with bone metastases and identify factors that may influence psychological resilience., Methods: LC patients with bone metastases who met the inclusion criteria were screened from those admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. The psychological scores of the enrolled patients were collected. They were then grouped based on the mean psychological score: Those with scores lower than the mean value were placed in the low-score group and those with scores equal to or greater than the mean value was placed in the high-score group. The baseline data (age, gender, education level, marital status, residence, monthly income, and religious beliefs), along with self-efficacy and medical coping mode scores, were compared., Results: This study included 142 LC patients with bone metastases admitted to our hospital from June 2022 to December 2023, with an average psychological resilience score of 63.24 ± 9.96 points. After grouping, the low-score group consisted of 69 patients, including 42 males and 27 females, with an average age of 67.38 ± 9.55 years. The high-score group consisted of 73 patients, including 49 males and 24 females, with a mean age of 61.97 ± 5.00 years. χ 2 analysis revealed significant differences between the two groups in education level ( χ 2 = 6.604, P = 0.037), residence ( χ 2 = 12.950, P = 0.002), monthly income ( χ 2 = 9.375, P = 0.009), and medical coping modes ( χ 2 = 19.150, P = 0.000) . Independent sample t -test showed that the high-score group had significantly higher self-efficacy scores ( t = 3.383, P = 0.001) and lower age than the low-score group ( t = 4.256, P < 0.001). Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression hazard analysis confirmed that self-efficacy is an independent protective factor for psychological resilience [odds ratio (OR) = 0.926, P = 0.035, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.862-0.995], while age (OR = 1.099, P = 0.003, 95%CI: 1.034-1.169) and medical coping modes (avoidance vs confrontation: OR = 3.767, P = 0.012, 95%CI: 1.342-10.570; resignation vs confrontation: OR = 5.687, P = 0.001, 95%CI: 1.974-16.385) were identified as independent risk factors. A predictive model based on self-efficacy, age, and medical coping modes was developed. The receiver operating characteristic analysis showed an area under the curve value of 0.778 (95%CI: 0.701-0.856, P < 0.001), indicating that the model has good predictive performance., Conclusion: LC patients with bone metastases are less psychologically resilient than the general population. Factors such as self-efficacy, age, and medical coping modes influence their psychological resilience. Patients with low self-efficacy, old age, and avoidance/resignation coping modes should be closely observed., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) ranks among the most prevalent and lethal malignancies globally. Fatty acids (FAs) play a significant role in diverse physiological and pathological mechanisms, yet their precise involvement in NSCLC remains poorly understood., Methods: This study utilized a large-scale prospective cohort of 249,132 participants, observed over an average of 12 years, to investigate the relationship between different FAs and NSCLC risk. Analytical approaches included Cox proportional hazards regression, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, accelerated failure time (AFT) modeling, and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis., Results: During the follow-up period, 1,460 participants were diagnosed with NSCLC. Cox regression analysis demonstrated that elevated levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), linoleic acid (LA), and omega-3 were inversely associated with NSCLC risk. Kaplan-Meier curves, along with AFT models, corroborated that elevated concentrations of DHA and LA significantly delayed NSCLC onset. Additionally, RCS analysis uncovered nuanced dose-response relationships between these FAs and NSCLC. Stratified analyses highlighted variability based on smoking status, gender, and body mass index subgroups., Conclusion: The concentration of specific FAs exhibits a significant association with NSCLC risk. These results offer a foundation for devising dietary FA composition adjustments aimed at reducing NSCLC risk., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Lin, Lin, Feng, Zheng, Yang and Yuan.)

Incretins are gut-produced peptide-hormones that potentiate insulin secretion, especially after food intake. The concept of incretin was formed more than 100 years ago, even before insulin was isolated and utilized in the treatment of subjects with type 1 diabetes. The first incretin, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), was identified during later 1960's and early 1970's; while the second one, known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), was recognized during 1980's. Today, GLP-1-based therapeutic agents [also known as GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists, GLP-1RAs] are among the first line drugs for type 2 diabetes. In addition to serving as incretin, extra-pancreatic functions of GLP-1RAs have been broadly recognized, including those in the liver, despite the absence of GLP-1R in hepatic tissue. The existence of insulin-independent or gut-pancreas-liver axis-independent hepatic function of GLP-1RAs explains why those therapeutic agents are effective in subjects with insulin resistance and their profound effect on lipid homeostasis. Following a brief review on the discovery of GLP-1, we reviewed literature on the exploration of hepatic function of GLP-1 and GLP-1RAs and discussed recent studies on the role of hepatic hormone fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) in mediating function of GLP-1RAs in animal models. This was followed by presenting our perspective views., Competing Interests: Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest., (© 2024 the author(s), published by De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston.)

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and economic burden of palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) in China. Methods: A population-based retrospective study was conducted using the data from China's Urban Basic Medical Insurance data from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2016. International Classification of Diseases code and diagnoses in Chinese for PPP were used to identify cases and estimate the prevalence, incidence, and cost. Subgroup analyses were performed according to age and sex, and sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate the robustness of the results. Age-adjusted prevalence rates were calculated based on the 2010 national census data. Results: The crude prevalence and incidence rate of PPP in 2016 were 2.730/100 000 (95% CI : 2.218/100 000-3.242/100 000) and 1.556/100 000 (95% CI : 1.154/100 000-1.958/100 000), and the prevalence rate of females (2.910/100 000) was higher than that of males (2.490/100 000, χ 2 =97.48, P =0.001). The incidence rate of females (1.745/100 000) was also higher than that of males (1.418/100 000, χ 2 =85.02, P =0.001). The age peak of incidence and prevalence of patients with PPP was in the 30-39-year age group and a small peak existed in the 0-3-year age group among people under 20 years old. From 2012 to 2016, the average number of visits was (2.44±0.04) per patient, and the total per-capita cost per year was (982.40±39.19) yuan. Conclusion: In 2016, the prevalence and incidence rate of PPP in China were higher in females than in males, and the highest age peak was in the 30-39-year age group.

This study is the first to measure global burden of hip fracture in patients aged 55 years and older across 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019. Our study further proved that the global burden of hip fracture is still large. Hip fractures among males are perhaps underestimated, and older adults should be given more attention., Purpose: Hip fracture is a tremendous universal public health challenge, but no updated comprehensive and comparable assessment of hip fracture incidence and burden exists for most of the world in older adults., Methods: Using data from the Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) 2019, we estimated the number and rates of the incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability (YLD) of hip fracture across 204 countries and territories in patients aged 55 years and older from 1990 to 2019., Results: In 2019, the incidence, prevalence, and YLDs rates of hip fracture in patients aged 55 years and older were 681.35 (95% UI 508.36-892.27) per 100000 population, 1191.39 (95% UI 1083.80-1301.52) per 100000 population, and 130.78 (95% UI 92.26-175.30) per 100000 population. During the three decades, the incidence among people aged below 60 years showed a downward trend, whereas it showed a rapid upward trend among older adults. All the numbers and rates of hip fractures among females were higher than those among males and increased with age, with the highest number and rate in the highest age group. Notably, the male to female ratio of the incidence for people aged over 55 years increased from 0.577 in 1990 to 0.612 in 2019. Falls were the leading cause among both sexes and in all age groups., Conclusions: The incidence and the number of hip fractures among patients aged 55 years and older increased over the past three decades, indicating that the global burden of hip fracture is still large. Hip fractures among males are perhaps underestimated, and older adults should be given more attention., (© 2023. International Osteoporosis Foundation and Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation.)

Background: Infections with influenza viruses cause severe illness, substantial number of hospitalization and death, especially in older adults. However, few studies have focused on the burden of influenza lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) solely in older adults, particularly in low-resource settings., Aims: We aimed to estimate the mortality and DALYs of influenza LRTIs for people aged 55 years and older in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019., Methods: The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 study was used to obtain data on mortality and DALYs of influenza LRTIs at the global, regional, and country levels., Results: In 2019, the global rates for mortality and DALYs of influenza LRTIs were 6.46 per 100,000 [95% uncertainty interval (UI): 2.37-12.62] and 97.39 per 100,000 (95% UI: 34.70-187.03). Although the rates for mortality and DALYs in people aged 55 years and older decreased from 1990 to 2019, the absolute numbers for both increased by 85.84% and 66.56%, respectively. Both the absolute numbers and rates of deaths and DALYs of influenza LRTIs were higher in male than in female in all age groups. Although low-socio-demographic index (SDI) regions experienced the largest declines for the rates of mortality and DALYs of influenza LRTIs over the past three decades, they still had the highest rates for mortality and DALYs in all age groups. Moreover, the absolute numbers and rates of deaths and DALYs of influenza LRTIs showed an increasing trend with age, reaching the peak in the people over 85 years old., Discussion: Burden of influenza LRTIs in older adults is still high and could continue to grow along with global aging., Conclusion: Efforts to improve vaccination for influenza are needed for preparedness of another influenza pandemic, especially in low-SDI regions., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Immunogenomic loci remain poorly understood because of their genetic complexity and size. Here, we report the de novo assembly of a cattle genome and provide a detailed annotation of the immunogenomic loci. The assembled genome contains 143 contigs (N50 ~ 74.0 Mb). In contrast to the current reference genome (ARS-UCD1.2), 156 gaps are closed and 467 scaffolds are located in our assembly. Importantly, the immunogenomic regions, including three immunoglobulin (IG) loci, four T-cell receptor (TR) loci, and the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) locus, are seamlessly assembled and precisely annotated. With the characterization of 258 IG genes and 657 TR genes distributed across seven genomic loci, we present a detailed depiction of immune gene diversity in cattle. Moreover, the MHC gene structures are integrally revealed with properly phased haplotypes. Together, our work describes a more complete cattle genome, and provides a comprehensive view of its complex immune-genome., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Neohydatothrips stachyurus sp. n. is described from Guizhou, China. Morphologically, this new Sericothripinae species is characterized by the shape of blotch on pronotum and the distribution of microtrichia on abdominal segments. The distribution of Neohydatothrips species from China also is discussed.

Two common features of dietary polyphenols have hampered our mechanistic understanding of their beneficial effects for decades: targeting multiple organs and extremely low bioavailability. We show here that resveratrol intervention (REV-I) in high-fat diet (HFD)-challenged male mice inhibits chylomicron secretion, associated with reduced expression of jejunal but not hepatic scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SR-B1). Intestinal mucosa-specific SR-B1 -/- mice on HFD-challenge exhibit improved lipid homeostasis but show virtually no further response to REV-I. SR-B1 expression in Caco-2 cells cannot be repressed by pure resveratrol compound while fecal-microbiota transplantation from mice on REV-I suppresses jejunal SR-B1 in recipient mice. REV-I reduces fecal levels of bile acids and activity of fecal bile-salt hydrolase. In Caco-2 cells, chenodeoxycholic acid treatment stimulates both FXR and SR-B1. We conclude that gut microbiome is the primary target of REV-I, and REV-I improves lipid homeostasis at least partially via attenuating FXR-stimulated gut SR-B1 elevation., (© 2023. Crown.)

The Siberian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus) is a widely distributed ungulate in northeast China. Due to a series of human disturbance activities such as large-scale forest cutting, deforestation and reclamation, road construction in the past, the appearance and internal structure of forest vegetation in the habitat of Siberian roe have changed significantly. At the same time, Siberian roe population had a series of ecological adaptation responses in the face of such habitat changes. Therefore, two typical vegetation types with differences were selected in the Muling Forest, China. We used nutritional ecology and microbial metagenomic analysis techniques to compare the nutritional selection strategy and the structure and functional characteristics of faecal microbiota of Siberian roe groups in two vegetation types. The results showed that the α diversity of dietary and gut microbes of deer in Natural Forest was higher than that in Plantation Forest. However, the gut microbes of the Plantation Forest group contained more unique enzymes in the functional pathways of carbon metabolism and biosynthesis of amino acids. This study suggests that habitat type is associated with plant community composition, and contributes to changes in the intake proportions of major macronutrients by altering the availability, quality, and composition of certain edible plants. Feeding behaviour may be an important regulatory factor of gut microbiota structure and function of deer. The metabolic function of gut microbiota to different nutrients may affect the microbial community structure. Therefore, our results suggest that the gut microbes of Siberian roe may have coevolved with their diets, and reflect the adaptability of deer populations to environmental changes (e.g., vegetation type). Our study provides new insights into how spatial heterogeneity affects nutrition and microecosystems by describing the interactions among the environment, diet, and symbiotic gut microbes in wild ungulates., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Competing Interests: All co-authors have seen and agree with the contents of the manuscript and there is no financial interest to report.

Metabolic functions of GLP-1 and its analogues have been extensively investigated. In addition to acting as an incretin and reducing body weight, we and others have suggested the existence of GLP-1/fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) axis in which liver mediates certain functions of GLP-1 receptor agonists. In a more recent study, we found with surprise that four-week treatment with liraglutide but not semaglutide stimulated hepatic FGF21 expression in HFD-challenged mice. We wondered whether semaglutide can also improve FGF21 sensitivity or responsiveness and hence triggers the feedback loop in attenuating its stimulation on hepatic FGF21 expression after a long-term treatment. Here, we assessed effect of daily semaglutide treatment in HFD-fed mice for 7 days. HFD challenge attenuated effect of FGF21 treatment on its downstream events in mouse primary hepatocytes, which can be restored by 7-day semaglutide treatment. In mouse liver, 7-day semaglutide treatment stimulated FGF21 as well as genes that encode its receptor (FGFR1) and the obligatory co-receptor (KLB), and a battery of genes that are involved in lipid homeostasis. In epididymal fat tissue, expressions of a battery genes including Klb affected by HFD challenge were reversed by 7-day semaglutide treatment. We suggest that semaglutide treatment improves FGF21 sensitivity which is attenuated by HFD challenge., (© 2023 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society.)

Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a common sleep respiratory disorder characterized by upper respiratory collapse during sleep, with a high prevalence and potentially fatal complications. Currently, maxillary transverse deficiency are considered to be an important pathogenic factor of OSAHS. For patients with poor compliance with positive airway pressure therapy, rapid maxillary expansion can increase the volume and ventilation of the upper respiratory tract, which is an alternative treatment. This paper reviewed the current research on surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion, miniscrew assisted rapid palatal expansion, and distraction osteogenesis maxillary expansion in the treatment of adult OSAHS. By comparing the indications, contraindications, complications, efficacy and long-term stability of the three treatment methods, it provided reference for treatment of patients with OSAHS.

Background: Few studies have reported the burden of generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP), a severe and potentially life-threatening skin disease, especially at a national level., Objectives: The aim of this study is to estimate the nationwide burden of GPP in China and make a systemic review of the published data., Methods: We conducted a population-based study using Urban Basic Medical Insurance in China from 2012 to 2016. GPP cases were identified by primary diagnoses including the international classification of Diseases codes (ICD-10: L40.1 and ICD-9: 694.3). A systematic review was conducted using relevant databases up to January 2022., Results: The crude prevalence and incidence of GPP in 2016 were 1.403 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.115-1.691) and 0.629 (95% CI: 0.483-0.775) per 100,000 person-years, respectively. The rates were higher in males than in females for both prevalence (1.429 vs. 1.135) and incidence (0.635 vs. 0.520). The prevalence and incidence showed a bimodal age distribution, with the first peak occurring in the 0- to 3-year age-group and the second peak occurring in the 30- to 39-year age-group. The per capita total cost per year for 1 patient with GPP was 609.26 (± 45.77) US dollars. Seven studies were identified in a systematic review, according to which the prevalence (per 100,000) of GPP tended to be higher in Asian countries (0.746-8.178 in Japan and 12.230 in Korea) than in France (0.176), Sweden (6.25), and Brazil (0.7)., Conclusions: This is the largest study concerning the disease burden of GPP, and in this study, the prevalence seemed to be higher in Asia. Although the direct economic burden of GPP did not seem high during the study period, the future usage of biologics and the humanistic burden should also be considered for policy-related decision-making., (© 2023 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Cancer is one of the main causes of death in humans worldwide, the development of more effective anticancer drugs that can inhibit the malignant progression of cancer cells is of great significance. Aiphanol is a natural product identified from the seeds of Arecaceae and the rhizome of Smilax glabra Roxb . Our preliminary studies revealed that it had potential antiangiogenic and antilymphangiogenic activity by directly targeting VEGFR2/3 and COX2 in endothelial cells. However, the influence of aiphanol on cancer cells per se remains largely undefined. In this study, the effects and related mechanisms of aiphanol on cancer growth and metastasis were evaluated in vitro and in vivo . Acute toxicity assay and pharmacokinetic analysis were utilized to investigate the safety profile and metabolism characteristics of aiphanol. We revealed that aiphanol inhibited the proliferation of various types of cancer cells and the growth of xenograft tumors in mice and zebrafish models. The possible mechanism was associated with the inactivation of multiple kinases, including FAK, AKT and ERK, and the upregulation of BAX and cleaved caspase-3 to promote cancer cell apoptosis. Aiphanol significantly inhibited cancer cell migration and invasion, which was related to the inhibition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and F-actin aggregation. Aiphanol effectively attenuated the metastasis of several types of cancer cells in vivo . In addition, aiphanol exerted no significant toxicity and had fast metabolism. Collectively, we demonstrated the anticancer effects of aiphanol and suggested that aiphanol has potential as a safe and effective therapeutic agent to treat cancer., Competing Interests: None., (AJCR Copyright © 2022.)

Since 2005, GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists (GLP-1RAs) have been developed as therapeutic agents for type 2 diabetes (T2D). GLP-1R is not only expressed in pancreatic islets but also other organs, especially the lung. However, controversy on extra-pancreatic GLP-1R expression still needs to be further resolved, utilizing different tools including the use of more reliable GLP-1R antibodies in immune-staining and co-immune-staining. Extra-pancreatic expression of GLP-1R has triggered extensive investigations on extra-pancreatic functions of GLP-1RAs, aiming to repurpose them into therapeutic agents for other disorders. Extensive studies have demonstrated promising anti-inflammatory features of GLP-1RAs. Whether those features are directly mediated by GLP-1R expressed in immune cells also remains controversial. Following a brief review on GLP-1 as an incretin hormone and the development of GLP-1RAs as therapeutic agents for T2D, we have summarized our current understanding of the anti-inflammatory features of GLP-1RAs and commented on the controversy on extra-pancreatic GLP-1R expression. The main part of this review is a literature discussion on GLP-1RA utilization in animal models with chronic airway diseases and acute lung injuries, including studies on the combined use of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) based therapy. This is followed by a brief summary., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2022 Chinese Pharmaceutical Association and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is an extremely rare condition. Information regarding the disease burden of PMP in developing countries is limited. This study aimed to determine the epidemiology of PMP in China., Methods: PMP data were extracted from the national databases of Urban Basic Medical Insurance. All cases were identified using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes and Chinese diagnostic terms. The national prevalence from 2012 to 2016 and incidence in 2016 were estimated., Results: In total, 153 patients with PMP were identified. The crude prevalence of PMP in 2016 was 2.47 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.71 to 3.23) per million person-year, with a higher prevalence in females than males. Prevalence increased with age, with the first peak in those aged 15-29 years and the highest in those aged >80 years. The crude incidence of PMP in 2016 was 1.19 (95% CI 0.59 to 1.78) per million person-years. Similar to the prevalence, the rates were higher in women than in men. The incidence also increased with age, with the highest prevalence in those aged >80 years. Besides, the most frequent comorbidities before and after the first diagnosis of PMP were unspecified secondary malignancies and malignancies of unspecified sites, followed by abdominal malignant tumours., Conclusions: The rate of PMP was lower in mainland China than in European countries and increased with advancing age. Women were more likely to have PMP than men. Furthermore, an insufficient understanding of this rare disease presents a major challenge in accurately evaluating the disease burden., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Although canonical Wnt signaling pathway activation was shown to negatively regulate adipogenesis, recent investigations suggest that Wnt pathway effectors TCF7L2 and β-catenin (β-cat) in adipose tissues are also involved in energy homeostasis during adulthood. In assessing the metabolic beneficial effect of GLP-1-based diabetes drugs in high-fat diet (HFD)-challenged mice, we observed that liraglutide treatment affected the expression of a battery of adipose tissue-specific genes, including those that encode adiponectin and leptin, mainly in epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT). Fourteen-week HFD challenge repressed TCF7L2 and β-cat S675 phosphorylation in eWAT, while such repression was reversed by liraglutide treatment (150 µg/kg body weight daily) during weeks 10-14. In Glp1r-/-mice, liraglutide failed in stimulating TCF7L2 or β-cat in eWAT. We detected Glp1r expression in mouse eWAT and its level is enriched in its stromal vascular fraction (SVF). Mouse eWAT-SVF showed reduced expression of Tcf7l2 and its Tcf7l2 level could not be stimulated by liraglutide treatment; while following adipogenic differentiation, rat eWAT-SVF showed elevated Tcf7l2 expression. Direct in vitro liraglutide treatment in eWAT-SVF stimulated CREB S133, β-cat S675 phosphorylation, and cellular cAMP level. Thus, cAMP/β-cat signaling cascade can be stimulated by liraglutide in eWAT via GLP-1R expressed in eWAT-SVF.

As an important precursor for DNA synthesis, the four deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates (dATP, dTTP, dGTP, and dCTP) are necessary raw materials for DNA replication, recombination, and repair in cells. The correct synthesis and integrity of DNA are important manifestations of the genome stability, so the stability of the dNTP library state is essential to maintain the stability of the genome and the cell. In terms of the quality of the dNTP library, the incorporation of some heterogeneous dNTPs, such as oxidized dNTPs, into DNA can easily cause base substitutions and even DNA breaks and rearrangements, which will greatly damage the stability of the genome. At the same time, the cell has also evolved the corresponding NTP pyrophosphatase to remove it, and to correct the damaged DNA and repair the DNA gap by forming a DNA damage repair network. In terms of the number of dNTP libraries, the imbalance of the dNTP concentration and ratio will also cause base and frameshift mutations, which will also cause genome instability. As a result, cells have evolved a huge enzyme-controlled network to carry them out under precise control. This article mainly reviews the potential harm of damage to dNTP library components in cells, the clearance of damaged dNTPs, the regulation on the balance between dNTP library components, and finally discusses clinical diseases related to dNTP library homeostasis. It provides insights on the research of the correlation between the stability of the cellular dNTP library and the genome, and finally provides some theoretical basis for the treatment of related diseases.

Background: Cixiidae are small strictly phytophagous hemipteran insects worldwide distributed. Ecology and systematics of Chinese fauna remains poorly investigated. For instance, does their distribution follows the patterns of biogeogaphical distribution established for their host plants or other related-taxa because they are all obligatory phytophagous taxa? Do they follow the usual distributional Chinese realms and boundaries already recognized? Which zoogeographical Chinese regions and connections between them do they depict. To investigate these issues, we provide here a referenced and comprehensive checklist of the 250 cixiid species currently reported from China (77 new records), with their precise distribution at the regional level. In the 8 Chinese main zoogeographical regions usually recognized and 2 adjacent areas, we analyzed further their diversity at the tribal, generic, and specific levels using a non-metric multidimensional scaling and an unweighted pairwise group analysis using an arithmetic mean cluster analyses. The observed distribution patterns shown that an intercalary Sino-Japanese realm is recognisable between the Palaearctic and Oriental realms. At the regional level, the South China region clusters more closely with the Southwest, Central and North China regions. Taiwan, clearly separated from the South China region and mainland China, is more closely related to the Qinghai-Tibet region and Indochina countries. Although Central and South China regions remain close to each other, the Qinghai-Tibet region appears singularly different., New Information: An updated checklist of the 250 Cixiidae species, known to occur in China and counting for 10% of the Chinese planthopper fauna, is presented based on literature, recent collections, and museum records. More than 400 records distributed among the 28 provinces and 8 regions in China are extensively provided, including 77 new records. Of these, more than 80% of the species (205 species, 82%) have been only reported from China, and most of them are endemic species, which could reflects the great diversity degree of the Chinese regions and local biotypes highlights the uniqueness of this fauna. These species are found in 8 Chinese zoogeographical regions: The Taiwan region is the most diversified with 161 species and the highest rate of endemic species (69.57%), followed by South China (78 species, 17.95%), Central China (60 species, 33.33%), Southwest China (43 species, 39.53%), North China (29 species, 34.48%), Qinghai-Tibet region (10 species, 20%), Northeast China (8 species, 12.5%), and 5 species found in the Inner Mongolia-Xinjiang region that are not endemic ones. Endemism was analyzed for each region and repeated for species distribution patterns across them, 9 being bi-regionally and tri-regionally distributed. The South China-Taiwan pattern is the most richest one, followed by the Central-South China-Taiwan pattern. Semonini and Pentastirini tribes are widespread among all the zoological regions, representing respectively 21.20% and 17.20% of all the species, while Cixiini being is the most common tribe with 45.20%, remains absent from the North-Eastern China region. Andini with only 5.20% of the species is distributed in the Sino-Japanese - Oriental Region; Eucarpini (6.40%) and Borysthenini (2.00%) are mainly concentrated in the south of the Qingling Mountain-Huai River. The remaining four tribes, Bennini (0.40%), Briixini (0.80%), Oecleini (1.20%) and Stenophlepsiini (0.40%) are relatively rare and restricted to Taiwan. At the generic level, Kuvera (7.2%) is the most widely distributed genus in China while Cixius , Betacixius , Kuvera , Oecleopsis and Andes are the more diversified. One genus ( Oliparisca) is distributed only in the Tibet region, while 10 genera are distributed only in the Taiwan region. In addition, nearly half of the genera (16 genera, 48.48%) are distributed south of the Palearctic/Oriental boundary. A non-metric multidimensional scaling and an unweighted pairwise group method analysis using arithmetic mean clustering based on the Jaccard similarity coefficient matrix support a Palaearctic/Sino-Japanese boundary and a South China region closer to the Southwest, Central and North China regions. The Taiwan region appears clearly separated from the South China region and to mainland China, and more closely related to the Qinghai-Tibet region and Indochina countries. The Central and South China regions appear close to each other, but the Qinghai-Tibet region is singularly isolated., (Yang Luo, Thierry Bourgoin, Jia-Lin Zhang, Ji-Nian Feng.)

The Chinese soft scale species in the genus Coccus Linnaeus, 1758 (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) were studied. Coccus cambodiensis Takahashi and the Malaysian species C. cameronensis Takahashi are considered to be non-congeneric with Coccus hesperidum Linnaeus, 1758, the type species of Coccus, and are transferred to Prococcus Avasthi, 1993, as Prococcus cambodiensis (Takahashi, 1942), comb. n. and Prococcus cameronensis (Takahashi, 1952), comb. n. The generic diagnosis of Prococcus is revised. In the genus Coccus, two new species are described and illustrated based on adult females: Coccus nanningensis Cao Feng, sp. n. from Guangxi, China, on Ficus carica (Moraceae), and Coccus cephalotaxus Cao Feng, sp. n. from Shannxi, China, on Cephalotaxus sinensis (Taxaceae). Identification keys to separate adult females of Prococcus from Coccus, the 14 species of Coccus found in China, and all three species of Prococcus are provided.

Objective: To establish a detection method based on Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) that can sensitively detect the second messenger cyclic AMP (cAMP) in the cytoplasm. Methods: The eukaryotic expression vectors of CFTR and YFP-H148Q / I152L were constructed respectively. FRT cells co-expressing CFTR and YFP-H148Q / I152L were obtained by liposome transfection. The expression of CFTR and YFP-H148Q / I152L in FRT cells was observed by an inverted fluorescence microscopy, and flow cytometry was used to detect the purity of cells; The cell model was identified by the fluorescence quenching kinetics test. The validation of the cell model which could screen CFTR modulators was verified by the fluorescence quenching kinetics experiments. The radioimmunoassay was used to detect the cAMP concentration in cytoplasm after adding CFTR activator. Results: The results of the inverted fluorescence microscope showed that CFTR was expressed in the cell membrane and YFP-H148Q / I152L was expressed in the cytoplasm of FRT cells. The FRT cell model stably co-expressing ANO1 and YFP-H148Q / I152L was successfully constructed. The model could screen CFTR modulators, and the slope of fluorescence change and the concentration of CFTR modulators were in a dose-dependent manner. The slope of the fluorescence could reflect the cAMP concentration in the cytoplasm. The cell model could sensitively detect the intracellular cAMP concentration. Conclusion: The cell model could efficiently and sensitively detect the second messenger cAMP concentration in the cytoplasm, and it provided a simple and efficient method for the study of other targets associated cAMP signal.

The morphology and ultrastructure of the compound eye of the predatory bug, Montandoniola moraguesi (Puton, 1986) was investigated using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Its compound eyes, which contain ∼195 ommatidia per eye, have the following characteristics: each ommatidium possesses a laminated corneal lens measuring ∼9 μm in diameter and ∼7 μm in thickness, a tetrapartite eucone crystalline cone, which is approximately 5.5 μm long, like a dumbbell with the distal end larger than the proximal end, eight clustered retinula cells ∼25.6 μm in length, two primary pigment cells and eight secondary primary pigment cells. The rhabdomeres of the eight retinula cells form a circular, tiered rhabdom of two elongated and six peripheral retinula cells. The rhabdomeres of cells R7 and R8 are distributed along the basolateral surface of the cone and form a centrally-fused rhabdom that spans nearly the full length of the ommatidium. The microvilli of the peripheral rhabdom (R1-R6) are radially arranged and form a bilobed, V-like shape in the central rhabdom. Based on the similarity of the compound eye of M. moraguesi to the eyes of other predatory insect species, the evolution and function of eyes in predators are briefly discussed., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

e23sFv is a HER2-targeted single-chain variable fragment (scFV) that was characterized as the targeting portion of a HER2-targeted tumour proapoptotic molecule in our previous study. In vitro antibody affinity maturation is a method to enhance antibody affinity either by complementarity-determining region (CDR) mutagenesis or by framework region (FR) engraftment. In the present study, the affinity of e23sFv was enhanced using two strategies. In one approach, site-directed mutations were introduced into the FRs of e23sFv (designated EMEY), and in the other approach e23sFv FRs were substituted with FRs from the most homologous screened antibodies (designated EX1 and EX2). Notably, EX1 derived from the FR engraftment strategy demonstrated a 4-fold higher affinity for HER2 compared with e23sFv and was internalized into HER2-overexpressing cells; however, EMEY and EX2 exhibited reduced affinity for HER2 and decreased internalization potential compared with EX1. The 3D structure of EX1 and the HER2-EX1 complex was acquired using molecular homology modelling and docking and the HER2 epitopes of EX1 and the molecular interaction energy of the EX1-HER2 complex were predicted. In the present study, it was demonstrated that scFv affinity improvement based on sequence alignment was feasible and effective. Moreover, the FR grafting strategy was indicated to be more effective and simple compared with site-directed mutagenesis to improve e23sFv affinity. In conclusion, it was indicated that the affinity-improved candidate EX1 may present a great potential for the diagnosis and treatment of HER2-overexpressing tumours., (Copyright: © Ou-Yang et al.)

Cognitive impairment is common in bipolar disorder and is emerging as a therapeutic target to enhance quality of life and function. A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, PsycInfo, Cochrane, clinicaltrials.gov, and Embase databases for blinded or open-label randomized controlled trials evaluating the pro-cognitive effects of pharmacological, neurostimulation, or psychological interventions for bipolar disorder. Twenty-two trials were identified, evaluating a total of 16 different pro-cognitive interventions. The methodological quality of the identified trials were assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Currently, no intervention (i.e., pharmacologic, neurostimulation, cognitive remediation) has demonstrated robust and independent pro-cognitive effects in adults with bipolar disorder. Findings are preliminary and methodological limitations limit the interpretation of results. Methodological considerations including, but not limited to, the enrichment with populations with pre-treatment cognitive impairment, as well as the inclusion of individuals who are in remission are encouraged. Future trials may also consider targeting interventions to specific cognitive subgroups and the use of biomarkers of cognitive function.

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological features of patients with plasma cell leukemia (PCL) and calculate the prevalence of PCL in urban China in 2016. Methods: Calculation in this study was based on China's urban basic medical insurance from 23 provinces between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016. The identification of the patients with PCL was based on the disease names and codes in the claim data. Subgroup analyses were carried out by sex, region, and age. To test the robustness of the results, we performed sensitivity analyses. Age-adjusted prevalence was calculated, based on the 2010 Chinese census data. Results: The prevalence of PCL in urban China in 2016 was 0.11 per 100 000 population (95% CI 0.05-0.19) , and the male prevalence and female prevalence were 0.12 per 100 000 population (95% CI 0.06-0.21) and 0.10 per 100 000 population (95% CI 0.04-0.19) , respectively. The prevalence of PCL peaked at 70-79 years old. Sensitivity analyses proved the robustness of the primary result. The age-adjusted prevalence based on 2010 Chinese census data was 0.12 per 100 000 population (95% CI 0.11-0.13) . Conclusion: This study firstly analyzed the epidemiological characteristics of PCL in China, which can provide evidence for the research and policies regarding PCL.

Objective: To systematically review the diagnostic accuracy of Xpert ® Mycobacterium tuberculosis /rifampicin (Xpert ® MTB/RIF) for the detection of active tuberculosis (TB) and rifampicin-resistance TB in Chinese patients., Methods: Four Chinese databases (SinoMed, CNKI, WanFang database, and VIP) and three English databases (PubMed, Embase, and The Cochrane Library) were searched from January 1, 2000 to September 15, 2017, to identify diagnostic tests about the accuracy of Xpert ® MTB/RIF in Chinese patients. Two investigators screened the articles and extracted the information independently, and then the quality of each included study was evaluated by Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS)-2. Bivariate random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to pool the sensitivity and specificity. In addition, subgroup analyses were performed based on patient type (TB patient and TB suspected patient), sample type (sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and others). All statistical analyses were conducted with Stata version 13.0., Results: A total of 47 articles were included in this systematic review. Most of them (38 articles) were in Chinese and only 9 articles were in English. All the articles were published during 2014 to 2017, and the sample size ranged from 31 to 3 151. Forty articles including 42 comparisons about TB were finally included with the pooled sensitivity of 0.94 (95% CI : 0.92, 0.95) and the pooled specificity of 0.87 (95% CI : 0.84, 0.91). Subgroup analysis showed that different patient and specimen types had no significant differences on sensitivity, but the specificity of sputum group was higher than that of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. As for the detection of rifampicin-resistant TB, 33 articles (38 comparisons) were analyzed, the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.92 (95% CI : 0.89, 0.94) and 0.98 (95% CI : 0.97, 0.99) respectively. There were no significant differences between the patient and specimen in the subgroup analyses. The Deeks funnel plot showed a possible publication bias for detecting active tuberculosis ( P =0.08) and no publication bias for rifampicin-resistant TB ( P =0.24). The likelihood ratio scatter gram showed that in clinical applications, Xpert ® MTB/RIF had a good diagnostic ability for detecting active tuberculosis, and it had good clinical diagnostic value in detecting rifampicin-resistant TB., Conclusion: Xpert ® MTB/RIF has good sensitivity and specificity in detecting TB and rifampicin-resistant TB in Chinese people. In particular, it has good clinical value in diagnosing rifampicin-resistance TB.

Objective: To study the reference ranges of platelet and related parameters within 24 hours after birth in preterm infants with different gestational ages., Methods: According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a retrospective analysis was performed for the chart review data of 1 070 preterm infants with a gestational age of 23-36 +6 weeks who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit from January to December in 2018. The reference ranges of platelet parameters were calculated for the preterm infants within 24 hours after birth., Results: There were no significant differences in platelet count (PLT) and plateletcrit (PCT) among the preterm infants with different gestational ages (P>0.05). The late preterm infants (34-36 +6 weeks; n=667) had significantly lower mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet distribution width (PDW) than the extremely preterm infants (23-27 +6 weeks; n=36) and the early preterm infants (28-33 +6 weeks; n=367) (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in these platelet parameters between the preterm infants with different sexes (P>0.05). The reference ranges of platelet parameters in preterm infants were calculated based on gestational age. The reference ranges of PLT and PCT were (92-376)×10 9 /L and 0.1%-0.394% respectively, for the preterm infants with a gestational age of 23-36 +6 weeks. The reference ranges of MPV and PDW were 9.208-12.172 fl and 8.390%-16.407% respectively, for the preterm infants with a gestational age of 23-36 +6 weeks; the reference ranges of MPV and PDW were 9.19-11.95 fl and 9.046%-15.116% respectively, for the preterm infants with a gestational age of 34-36 +6 weeks., Conclusions: The MPV and PDW of preterm infants with different gestational age are different within 24 hours after birth, and it is more helpful for clinical practice to formulate the reference range of MPV and PDW according to gestational age.

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of patients with progressive muscular atrophy (PMA) and calculate the prevalence of PMA in China in 2016., Methods: A retrospective analysis based on China's urban employee basic medical insurance data and the urban residence basic medical insu-rance data from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016 was carried out. Children under 18 years old were excluded. Patients with progressive muscular atrophy were identified by disease names and codes. Subgroup analyses by gender, region and age were carried out to calculate the gender-specific, region-specific and age-specific prevalences. Age-adjusted national prevalence was estimated based on 2010 Chinese census data. Sensitivity analyses were done by only considering the observed cases and by excluding the top 10% provinces regarding the missing rate of diagnostic information, respectively., Results: A total of 996.09 million person-years were included in this study, with 518.41 million person-years in males and 477.67 million person-years in females. The age and gender distribution of the study population was similar to that of the 2010 Chinese census data, therefore the study population was nationally representative. The prevalence of PMA in China in 2016 was 0.28 per 100 000 person-years (95% CI : 0.24-0.33), with 0.21 per 100 000 person-years (95% CI : 0.16-0.26) and 0.35 per 100 000 person-years (95% CI : 0.28-0.42) for females and males, respectively. Regional disparity existed in the Chinese PMA prevalence, with the lowest prevalence in Southwest region (0.11 per 100 000 person-years, 95% CI : 0.07-0.15) and the highest prevalence in Northwest region (3.47 per 100 000 person-years, 95% CI : 0.80-7.99). Age trend in the PMA prevalence was not obvious, but the prevalence among those aged 70 years and older was relatively higher. The age-adjusted prevalence based on 2010 Chinese census data was 0.29 per 100 000 person-years (95% CI : 0.27-0.31). The national prevalences calculated by only considering the observed cases and by excluding the top 10% provinces regar-ding the missing rate of diagnostic information were 0.17 per 100 000 person-years (95% CI : 0.14-0.20) and 0.24 per 100 000 person-years (95% CI : 0.20-0.28), respectively., Conclusion: This study is to calculate the prevalence of PMA among adults in urban China, which can provide basic statistics for the enactment of PMA related medical policies, and clues for the studies on the mechanisms of PMA.

Objective: The aim of this study is to analyze the distribution features of patients with solitary plasmacytoma and calculate the prevalence of solitary plasmacytoma in China in the year 2016. Methods: This study was based on China's urban employees' basic medical insurance and the urban residences' basic medical insurance from 21 provinces from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016. Patients with solitary plasmacytoma were identified by disease names and codes. Subgroup analyses were carried out by sex, region, and age. Furthermore, sensitivity analyses were performed to test the robustness of the results. Age-adjusted prevalence was calculated based on the 2010 Chinese census data, the 2013 Revised European Standard Population, the 2010 US population, and the 2011 Australian population. Results: In 2016, the prevalence of solitary plasmacytoma in China was 1.18 per 100 000 population (95% CI , 1.06-1.31) , with 1.26 per 100 000 population (95% CI , 1.10-1.43) and 1.10 per 100 000 population (95% CI , 0.93-1.29) for males and females, respectively. The age-adjusted prevalence based on the 2010 Chinese census data was 0.85 per 100 000 population (95% CI , 0.82-0.88) . Conclusion: This study estimated the prevalence of solitary plasmacytoma in China on the basis of the national urban medical insurance, which can provide clues for the enactment of solitary plasmacytoma-related medical policies and basic studies about solitary plasmacytoma.

A new species of soft scale insect (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) in the genus Pulvinaria Targioni Tozzetti, 1866 is recorded from Yunnan, China on Pistacia chinensis Bunge. Pulvinaria pistaciae Cao Feng sp. n. is described and illustrated, based on adult female morphology. Pulvinaria decorata Borchsenius, 1957 is recorded for the first time from China (Henan and Shaanxi). A key to the adult females of Pulvinaria species known to occur in China is provided, and a table to show their distributions in various zoogeographical regions in China.

Objective: To understand the current status of rare disease related health information release in WeChat official accounts in China. Methods: We used a series of key words containing "rare diseases" and the names of the top 30 rare diseases in hospitalizations in China to search WeChat official accounts. Eligible articles were selected by systematic sampling. All including WeChat official accounts and articles were evaluated to extract the basic information. Results: No relevant WeChat official accounts were found for 14 rare diseases (46.67 % ). Most of the WeChat official accounts (52.17 % ) were initiated by patients and patient groups. No significant difference was detected in the total number of articles between the official accounts related with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and non-TCM related ones, however, the frequency of the monthly information release was significantly higher in TCM related official accounts ( P <0.001), while the average reading number of articles was significantly higher in non-TCM related official accounts ( P <0.001). Nearly 80 % of the WeChat official accounts had navigation menu, and the average reading number of official accounts with menus was larger than those without menus. The top three topics were rare disease diagnosis and treatment knowledge (46.00 % ), public welfare activity for rare diseases (12.81 % ) and uncorrelated things (8.65 % ), while the first three leading topics were cutting-edge information, public welfare activity and patient story, respectively. Conclusions: The scale for rare disease related health information release based on WeChat official accounts in China has been basically formed, but it is still in development stage. Many improvements should be made in their coverage of rare diseases, release frequency, topic and form. It is urgent to establish or recreate some high-quality WeChat official accounts in order to provide precise information and effectively facilitate the prevention and treatment of rare diseases.

Many studies have examined the acute toxicity of nanoparticles (NPs) towards model bacteria. In this study, we report the time-dependent effects of ZnO NPs on native, selected Zn-resistant and dominant bacteria in estuarine waters. An initial inhibition of bacterial growth followed by a recovery at 24 h was observed, and this rebound phenomenon was particularly notable when the raw water samples were treated with relatively high ZnO NP concentrations (1 and 10 mg/L).By comparing the groups treated with Zn 2+ , Zn 2+ was shown to largely explain the acute cytotoxic effect of ZnO NPs on bacteria in raw waters. Furthermore, similar to the native bacteria, especially the dominant bacteria, the viability of Escherichia coli (E. coli) decreased with the increasing treatments time and the concentrations of ZnO NPs in water with different salinities. Moreover, the expression of Zn-resistance genes including zntA and zntR in E. coli suggested that the Zn-resistance system in E. coli can be activated to defend against the stress of Zn 2+ released from ZnO NPs, and salinity may promote this process in estuarine aquatic systems. Thus, the effect of ZnO NPs on bacteria in estuarine water bodies is likely determined by the synergistic effect of environmental salinity and dissolved Zn ions. As such, our findings are of high relevance and importance for understanding the ecological disturbances caused by anthropogenic NPs in estuarine environments., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Medical claims database is an important source of data for studying the characteristics, and burden of diseases, to provide a basis for the development of policy on management. The database is usually used to identify patients through International Classification of Diseases and free text-building algorithms, thus it is crucial to validate whether the algorithm is correctly identifing the targeted population. This paper introduces both traditional and emerging validation methods including machine learning, natural language processing and database linkage etc .. We also have tried to present a suitable validation method for the current situation in China, so as to promote the application of big data in medical areas and to provide reference for epidemiology studies, based on medical claims database in this country.

Two new species ( Kuverahuoditangensis sp. n. and Kuveralongwangshanensis sp. n. ) in the family Cixiidae from China are described and illustrated. The generic characteristics are redefined. A checklist to all species of Kuvera worldwide and an identification key to the Chinese species are provided. A map of the geographic distribution of Kuvera species is also provided.

Two new species of the family Cixiidae, Indolipa fopingensis, sp. nov. and Indolipa huapingensis, sp. nov., from China, are described and illustrated. A checklist to all species of this genus in the world and an identification key to Chinese species are provided. Host plants and a map of their geographic distribution are also provided.

In the contaminated coastal sediments, variations of microbial community can reflect the impact of anthropogenic activities. The identification, evaluation and monitoring of the potential bio-indicator species and biomarker communities are vital for the ecological studies in sedimentary environments. Based on the high-throughput sequencing, the microbial communities were characterized in the sediments along the Yangtze Estuary and its coastal area. The results showed that the structure and composition of microbial communities varied greatly among different sampling sites at the phyla level, especially for Euryarchaeota. Metabolic pathway and quantitative PCR analyses suggested that the methane metabolism-related microbes were mainly included in the phylum of Euryarchaeota. Elevated abundances of methane metabolism-related microbes were found at Shidongkou (SDK) and Wusongkou (WSK), where microbes were seriously impacted by the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent and urban runoff. By comparing with the Euryarchaeota in WWTP sludge, the relatively high abundance of Euryarchaeota in sediment at SDK may be mainly related to the massive growth of indigenous species, promoted by anthropogenic nutrients. Moreover, redundancy discriminant analysis and correlation analysis revealed that methanogens and methanotrophs mainly respond to the nutrients and metals, such as total organic carbon, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, SO 4 2- , NO 2 - , NH 4 + , Cr, and Zn, which were often related to human activities. Network analyses showed that the species related to the metabolism of methane may play a vital role in the interassociation among different microbial communities. Therefore, methanogens, methanotrophs and their community compositions could be considered as potential bio-indicator species and biomarker communities, indicating anthropogenic activities in the sediments along the Yangtze Estuary and its coastal area., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Lepidopteran larvae upon infection by baculovirus show positive photo-tactic movement during tree-top disease. In light of many insects exploiting specific spectral information for the different behavioral decision, each spectral wavelength of light is an individual parsimonious candidate for such behavior stimulation. Here, we investigated the responses of third instar Helicoverpa armigera larvae infected by Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearNPV) to white (broad-spectrum), blue (450⁻490 nm), UVA (320⁻400 nm), and UVB (290⁻320 nm) lights for the tree-top disease. Our findings suggest that tree-top phenomenon is induced only when the light is applied from above. Blue, white and UVA lights from above induced tree-top disease, causing infected larvae to die in an elevated position compared to those larvae living in the complete dark. In contrast, UVB from above did not induce tree-top disease. Blue light exerted the maximum photo-tactic response, significantly ( p < 0.01) higher than white light. The magnitude of the response decreased with decreasing wavelength to UVA, and no response at UVB. Our results suggested that the spectral wavelength of the light has a significant effect on the induction of the tree-top disease in H. armigera third instar larvae infected with HearNPV.

The adult female of a new species of soft scale Saissetiapuerensis Zhang & Feng, sp. n. is described and illustrated from the genus Saissetia Deplanche, 1859. This species was collected on Lithocarpusuvariifolius (Hance) in Yunnan province, China. A key is provided to separate adult females of all Saissetia species known from China. A table is provided showing the distribution of Saissetia in various zoogeographical regions throughout the world.

Ubiquitous in the aquatic environment, sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are considered one of the dominant microorganisms involved in the degradation of sulphate. This study focused on the spatial and temporal distributions of SRB in the Scirpus triquter rhizosphere sediments with a comparison to non-rhizosphere sediments and evaluated the implication of SRB to the bioavailability of metals in the Yangtze Estuary. The results showed that taking dsrB as the target gene, SRB abundances in rhizosphere sediments were significantly higher than those in non-rhizosphere sediments (P<0.01). SRB abundances were relatively higher in April and January than other seasons. Moreover, redundancy discriminate analysis (RDA) results indicated that sulphate, pH and TOC were the major environmental factors affecting the SRB abundance in rhizosphere sediments. The concentrations of most metals were significantly related to SRB abundance, and sulphide concentrations showed a significantly positive correlation to metal concentrations, indicating metal sulphide/metal associated sulphide could be regulated by SRB. Furthermore, electron microscope analysis found that nano-sized metal sulphide particles were ubiquitous in rhizosphere sediments and could be further taken up by plants. This study provides new insights into the immobilization and removal of heavy metals and the ecological value of the sulphate-reducing bacteria in the Yangtze Estuary., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

As HER2 is frequently overexpressed in various malignancies, targeting HER2 is considered an efficient, highly selective antitumor therapy. HER2-targeted immunoconjugates are being developed and result in persistent remission of HER2-overexpressing tumors. However, many of the antibodies used as the targeting moiety are of murine origin and exhibit risk of inducing immunogenicity, limiting their antitumor therapeutic efficacy. Here, we humanized e23sFv, an HER2-targeting murine scFv with excellent affinity and specificity, using a human antibody consensus sequence engraftment strategy. The affinity of the initially humanized e23sFv was then rescued and improved by selective mutagenesis followed by phage-display-based affinity panning of the mutant pool. The resulting humanized e23sFv candidates (husFvs) exhibited up-to-94-fold increased affinity to recombinant HER2. The immunogenicity of e23sFv was dramatically alleviated after humanization, as indicated by the impaired production of cytokines by husFv-stimulated human PBMCs. Two internalizable husFvs with optimal affinity were applied to generate humanized immunoapoptotins by infusion with the translocation domain Fdt and the proapoptotic domain truncated Bid. The husFv-immunoapoptotins demonstrated improved HER2-targeting and tumor-killing capacities in vitro and in vivo compared with the e23sFv-immunoapoptotins and would enable the administration of multiple treatment cycles to patients, resulting in improved antitumor efficacy. Furthermore, the husFvs recognized distinct HER2 epitopes and could thus be used in combination with trastuzumab or pertuzumab to achieve robust synergistic antitumor effects in HER2-positive malignancies., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are prominent proteins that greatly contribute to insect survival under stress conditions. In this study, we cloned two Hsp transcripts (Aohsp70 and Aohsp90) from the grass thrip, Anaphothrips obscurus (Müller) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), which is a polymorphic winged pest of corn and wheat. The cDNA sequences of Aohsp70 and Aohsp90 are 2382 and 2504 bp long, and encode proteins with calculated molecular weights of 70.02 kDa and 83.40 kDa, respectively. Aohsp90 was highly expressed in adults of both brachypters and macropters. Aohsp70 had different expression patterns in brachypters and macropters and was also highly expressed in the pupae of macropters. After adults were exposed to an ascending series of heat shocks, the expression of both Aohsp70 and Aohsp90 were up-regulated. In macropters and brachypters, the maximum induced levels of Aohsp70 (approximately 90-fold and 280-fold, respectively) were higher than Aohsp90 (approximately 2.4-fold and 1.8-fold, respectively). In addition, the up-regulation of Aohsp70 was significantly higher in brachypters than in macropters. Brachypters had a significantly higher Ltem50 (43.2°C) than macropters (42.5°C), which implied that brachypters are more tolerant to thermal stress than macropters. This study has shown that the expression patterns of Aohsp70 and Aohsp90 are variable among different life stages and thermal stress induced different levels of expressions in macropterous and brachypterous adults.

Insulin resistance is a risk factor for obesity and diabetes and predisposes individuals to Staphylococcus aureus colonization; however, the contribution of S. aureus to insulin resistance remains unclear. Here, we show that S. aureus infection causes impaired glucose tolerance via secretion of an insulin-binding protein extracellular domain of LtaS, eLtaS, which blocks insulin-mediated glucose uptake. Notably, eLtaS transgenic mice (eLtaS trans ) exhibited a metabolic syndrome similar to that observed in patients, including increased food and water consumption, impaired glucose tolerance and decreased hepatic glycogen synthesis. Furthermore, transgenic mice showed significant metabolic differences compared to their wild-type counterparts, particularly for the early insulin resistance marker α-hydroxybutyrate. We subsequently developed a full human monoclonal antibody against eLtaS that blocked the interaction between eLtaS and insulin, which effectively restored glucose tolerance in eLtaS trans and S. aureus-challenged mice. Thus, our results reveal a mechanism for S. aureus-induced insulin resistance.

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) in insects are widely known for their role in the detoxification of both endogenous and xenobiotic compounds. Grape phylloxera, Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (Fitch) (Hemiptera: Phylloxeridae) is a serious grape pest, which causes great economic damage in vineyards, and has currently spread throughout the world. In this study, eight putative GST genes were identified by analyzing the transcriptomes of grape phylloxera. Phylogenetic analyses showed that there are seven cytosolic DviGSTs and one microsomal DviGST. These cytosolic DviGSTs are clustered into four different classes including two delta genes, one omega gene, one theta gene, and three sigma genes. Among candidate cytosolic DviGSTs, a conserved N-terminal domain and a less conserved C-terminal domain were identified. For the candidate microsomal DviGST, three transmembrane regions were predicted. Multiple sequence alignment analysis of the candidate microsomal DviGST was conducted with other insect microsomal GSTs and the result showed that there is a conserved sequence pattern. Semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to examine the tissue expression of these transcripts, and the results revealed that DviGSTs were ubiquitously expressed in the head and the body, but DviGSTd1, DviGSTd2, DviGSTs2, and DviGSTs3 were abundantly expressed in the head and body. This is the first study of the molecular characteristics of GST genes in grape phylloxera. Our results will provide a molecular basis for future studies of the detoxification mechanisms in grape phylloxera., (© The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Biofilms are ubiquitous throughout aquatic environments and they are thought to promote the acquisition and dissemination of antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs). This study focused on the occurrence and distribution of five types of ARG in naturally-occurring biofilms, in comparison to associated sediment and water samples, from the Yangtze Estuary, which borders the meta-city of Shanghai, China. The detection frequency and abundances of most ARGs showed the following order: biofilm > sediment > water, which can be attributed to a high level of antibiotics and metals that can accelerate the generation and propagation of ARGs in biofilms. Most of ARG abundances were contributed by extracellular DNA (eDNA) in biofilm and sediment samples. ARGs (sul1, sul2, tetA and tetW) in eDNA were significantly correlated with TOC in both biofilm and sediment samples. Furthermore, both intracellular DNA-associated ARGs per gram of microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and eDNA-associated ARGs per gram of non-MBC and were higher in biofilms than sediments, and the partitioning coefficients of ARGs in eDNA between biofilm and water were higher than those between sediment and water. Our results provide new insight for evaluating the occurrence and abundance of ARGs in aquatic environments, confirming that biofilms are a significant sink for ARGs in the estuarine environment., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study was designed to investigate the characteristics of bacterial communities in intertidal sediments along the Yangtze Estuary and their responses to environmental factors. The results showed that bacterial abundance was significantly correlated with salinity, SO 4 2- and total organic carbon, while bacterial diversity was significantly correlated with SO 4 2- and total nitrogen. At different taxonomic levels, both the dominant taxa and their abundances varied among the eight samples, with Proteobacteria being the most dominant phylum in general. Cluster analysis revealed that the bacterial community structure was influenced by river runoff and sewerage discharge. Moreover, SO 4 2- , salinity and total phosphorus were the vital environmental factors that influenced the bacterial community structure. Quantitative PCR and sequencing of sulphate-reducing bacteria indicated that the sulphate reduction process occurs frequently in intertidal sediments. These findings are important to understand the microbial ecology and biogeochemical cycles in estuarine environments., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this study, the 16S rRNA-based Illumina MiSeq sequencing was used to investigate the bacterial community structure and composition of intertidal biofilm taken along the Yangtze Estuary. The results showed that 680,721 valid sequences of seven samples were assigned to 147,239 operational taxonomic units, which belonged to 49 phyla, 246 family and 314 genera. Compared to other studies on water and sediments in the study area, biofilms showed highest index of bacterial diversity and abundances. At different taxonomic levels, both dominant taxa and their abundances varied among the seven samples, with Proteobacteria as the dominant phylum in general. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis revealed that bacterial communities at WSK differed from those at other sampling sites. Salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH and nutrients were the vital environmental factors to influence the bacterial community structure of biofilms. These results may provide a new insight into the microbial ecology in estuarine environments., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In insects, odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) and chemosensory proteins (CSPs) are primary peripheral olfactory proteins playing critical roles in odorant detection. In this study, we present the first identification of OBPs and CSPs from the transcriptome of grape phylloxera Daktulosphaira vitifoliae Fitch, an important pest that damages both roots and leaves of grapes. The OBPs contained six conserved cysteine residues and the CSPs contained four conserved cysteine residues in this insect. Phylogenetic analysis showed that most of the olfactory proteins were closely related to OBPs and CSPs from other aphids. However, DviOBP7 and DviCSP9 were different because they were classified into different independent branches, respectively. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to examine the tissue expression of these transcripts. DviOBP1, DviOBP6, and DviOBP7 were uniquely or primarily expressed in antennae and not in the body. DviOBP2 was more abundantly expressed in the body than in the antennae. The expression levels of OBPs and CSPs of phylloxera varied depending upon where they were expressed in different body tissues., (© The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA)-based cell differentiation therapy has been successful in treating acute promyelocytic leukemia, a unique subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, other subtypes of AML display resistance to ATRA-based treatment. In this study, we screened natural, plant-derived vibsane-type diterpenoids for their ability to induce differentiation of myeloid leukemia cells, discovering that vibsanin A potently induced differentiation of AML cell lines and primary blasts. The differentiation-inducing activity of vibsanin A was mediated through direct interaction with and activation of protein kinase C (PKC). Consistent with these findings, pharmacological blockade of PKC activity suppressed vibsanin A-induced differentiation. Mechanistically, vibsanin A-mediated activation of PKC led to induction of the ERK pathway and decreased c-Myc expression. In mouse xenograft models of AML, vibsanin A administration prolonged host survival and inhibited PKC-mediated inflammatory responses correlated with promotion of skin tumors in mice. Collectively, our results offer a preclinical proof of concept for vibsanin A as a myeloid differentiation-inducing compound, with potential application as an antileukemic agent. Cancer Res; 76(9); 2698-709. ©2016 AACR., (©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) is the most serious complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Excessive complement activation has been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of IBD. However, its role in the development of CAC is largely unknown. Here, using a CAC model induced by combined administration of azoxymethane (AOM) and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), we demonstrated that complement activation was required for CAC pathogenesis. Deficiency in key components of complement (e.g., C3, C5, or C5a receptor) rendered tumor repression in mice subjected to AOM/DSS. Mechanistic investigation revealed that complement ablation dramatically reduced proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1β levels in the colonic tissues that was mainly produced by infiltrating neutrophils. IL-1β promoted colon carcinogenesis by eliciting IL-17 response in intestinal myeloid cells. Furthermore, complement-activation product C5a represented a potent inducer for IL-1β in neutrophil, accounting for downregulation of IL-1β levels in the employed complement-deficient mice. Overall, our study proposes a protumorigenic role of complement in inflammation-related colorectal cancer and that the therapeutic strategies targeting complement may be beneficial for the treatment of CAC in clinic.