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Introduction: Honey bees provides valuable pollination services for world food crops and wild flowering plants which are habitats of many animal species and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, a powerful tool in the fight against climate change. Nevertheless, the honey bee population has been declining and the majority of colony losses occur during the winter. Objectives: The goal of this study was to understand the mechanisms underlying overwinter colony losses and develop novel therapeutic strategies for improving bee health. Methods: First, pathogen prevalence in overwintering bees were screened between 2015 and 2018. Second, RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) for transcriptional profiling of overwintering honey bees was conducted and qRT-PCR was performed to confirm the results of the differential expression of selected genes. Lastly, laboratory bioassays were conducted to measure the effects of cold challenges on bee survivorship and stress responses and to assess the effect of a novel medication for alleviating cold stress in honey bees. Results: We identified that sirtuin signaling pathway is the most significantly enriched pathway among the down-regulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in overwintering diseased bees. Moreover, we showed that the expression of SIRT1 gene, a major sirtuin that regulates energy and immune metabolism, was significantly downregulated in bees merely exposed to cold challenges, linking cold stress with altered gene expression of SIRT1. Furthermore, we demonstrated that activation of SIRT1 gene expression by SRT1720, an activator of SIRT1 expression, could improve the physiology and extend the lifespan of cold-stressed bees. Conclusion: Our study suggests that increased energy consumption of overwintering bees for maintaining hive temperature reduces the allocation of energy toward immune functions, thus making the overwintering bees more susceptible to disease infections and leading to high winter colony losses. The novel information gained from this study provides a promising avenue for the development of therapeutic strategies for mitigating colony losses, both overwinter and annually.

The sublethal effects of pesticide poisoning will have significant negative impacts on the foraging and learning of bees and bumblebees, so it has received widespread attention. However, little is known about the physiological effects of sublethal spinetoram and glyphosate exposure on bumblebees. We continuously exposed Bombus terrestris to sublethal (2.5 mg/L) spinetoram or glyphosate under controlled conditions for 10 days. The superoxide dismutase, glutathione-S-transferase, carboxylesterase, prophenoloxidase, α-amylase and protease activities, and changes in gut microbes were measured to understand the effects of sublethal pesticide exposure on the physiology and gut microbes of bumblebees. Sublethal pesticide exposure to significantly increased superoxide dismutase activity and significantly decreased gut α-amylase activity in bumblebees but had no significant effect on glutathione-S-transferase, carboxylesterase or gut protease activities. In addition, glyphosate increased the activity of prophenoloxidase. Interestingly, we observed that neither of the two pesticides had a significant effect on dominant gut bacteria, but glyphosate significantly altered the structure of the dominant gut fungal community, and reduced the relative abundance of Zygosaccharomyces associated with fat accumulation. These results suggest that sublethal spinetoram and glyphosate do not significantly affect the detoxification system of bumblebees, but may affect bumblebee health by inhibiting energy acquisition. Our results provide information on the sublethal effects of exposure to low concentrations of glyphosate and spinetoram on bumblebees in terms of physiology and gut microbes.

This article examines the use of axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel), a CAR T-cell therapy, as a second-line treatment for large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) in a real-world setting. The study analyzes data from patients who received axi-cel at a single center and evaluates various outcomes such as survival rates, response rates, and side effects. The results indicate that axi-cel is effective and well-tolerated, providing valuable insights for its use in clinical practice. However, larger studies with longer follow-up are needed to further validate its efficacy and practicality. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract Background This study aimed to investigate fetal and maternal outcomes in women with active lupus nephritis (LN). Specifically, we compared women who had new-onset LN and those with pre-existing LN during pregnancy. Methods Patients with active LN during pregnancy were divided into the new-onset group (LN first occurred during pregnancy) and the pre-existing group (a history of LN) on the basis of the onset time of LN. Data on clinical features, laboratory findings, and pregnancy outcome were collected and analyzed between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to compare the effects of active LN on adverse pregnancy outcomes. Results We studied 73 pregnancies in 69 women between 2010 and 2019. Of these, 38 pregnancies were in the pre-existing LN group and 35 were in the new-onset group. Patients with pre-existing LN had a higher risk of composite adverse fetal outcomes than those with new-onset LN [adjusted odds ratio (ORs), 44.59; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.21–1664.82; P = 0.039]. However, the two groups had similar adverse maternal outcomes (ORs, 1.24; 95% CI, 0.36–4.29). Serum albumin and proteinuria significantly improved after pregnancy (P < 0.001). Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that the long-term renal outcome was similar between the two groups. Conclusions Pregnant patients with pre-existing LN were associated with a higher risk of composite adverse fetal outcomes than those with new-onset LN. However, these two groups of patients had similar adverse maternal outcomes. The long-term renal outcomes were not different after pregnancy between these two groups.

Bumble bees are vital to our agro-ecological system, with approximately 250 species reported around the world in the single genus Bombus. However, the health of bumble bees is threatened by multiple factors: habitat loss, climate change, pesticide use, and disease caused by pathogens and parasites. It is therefore vitally important to have a fully developed phylogeny for bumble bee species as part of our conservation efforts. The purpose of this study was to explore the phylogenetic relationships of the dominant bumble bees on the Tibetan plateau and in northern China as well as their placement and classification within the genus Bombus. The study used combined gene analysis consisting of sequence fragments from six genes, 16S rRNA, COI, EF-1α, Argk, Opsin and PEPCK, and the phylogenetic relationships of 209 Bombus species were explored. Twenty-six species, including 152 gene sequences, were collected from different regions throughout China, and 1037 gene sequences representing 183 species were obtained from GenBank or BOLD. The results suggest that the 209 analyzed species belong to fifteen subgenera and that most of the subgenera in Bombus are monophyletic, which is in accordance with conventional morphology-based classifications. The phylogenetic trees also show that nearly all subgenera easily fall into two distinct clades: short-faced and long-faced. The study is the first to investigate the phylogenetic placement of Bombus turneri (Richards), Bombus opulentus Smith, Bombus pyrosoma Morawitz, Bombus longipennis Friese, Bombus minshanensis Bischoff, and Bombus lantschouensis Vogt, all of which are widely distributed throughout different regions of China. The knowledge and understanding gained from the findings can provide a molecular basis to accurately classify Bombus in China and to define strategies to conserve biodiversity and promote pollinator populations.

Abstract. Background:. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have played important roles in the regulation of gene expression in many cancers, but their roles in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) are still unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the potential ESCC-specific key miRNAs from a large sample dataset in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Methods:. Integrative bioinformatics analysis was used to identify key ESCC-specific miRNAs related to the ESCC patients’ tumor histological grade and lymphatic metastasis from TCGA. Next, these key miRNA potential gene regulatory functions and relationships with ESCC patients’ clinical characteristics and overall survival were analyzed. Finally, three key miRNAs were selected randomly and quantificational real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to validate in 51 newly diagnosed ESCC patients’ tissues samples (collected from Nov. 2017 to Feb. 2019, in Wuwei, China) whether the bioinformatics analyses results were reliable and valid. Two-tailed Student's t test, Pearson Chi-squared test and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used in this study. Results:. Thirty-five ESCC-specific miRNAs from TCGA database were investigated (fold-change > 2.0, P

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of temperature-controlled radiofrequency thermocoagulation for the treatment of upper extremity cancer pain, and to evaluate its impact on upper extremity motor function. Methods A total of 56 patients with upper extremity cancer pain who were mainly involved in brachial plexus were treated with radiofrequency thermocoagulation (N = 36) and nerve block (N = 20). Before and 1 d, 3 d and 7 d after treatment, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to assess the degree of pain, upper extremity strength and complications were recorded. Results Compared with nerve block group, patients in radiofrequency thermocoagulation group had lower VAS scores (F = 64.406, P = 0.000) and higher muscle strength (F = 64.405, P = 0.000). Compared with before treatment, patients in radiofrequency thermocoagulation group had lower VAS scores at 1, 3 and 7 d after surgery (t = 25.931, P = 0.000; t = 19.600, P = 0.000; t = 24.817, P = 0.000). There was no significant difference in muscle strength at each time point (P > 0.05, for all). The VAS scores of patients in nerve block group decreased at 1 and 3 d after surgery (t = 19.298, P = 0.000; t = 14.918, P = 0.000), while returned to preoperative level at 7 d after surgery (P > 0.05); muscle strength decreased 1 d after surgery (t = 13.069, P = 0.000), and returned to preoperative level 3 and 7 d after surgery (P > 0.05, for all). No one suffered from complications such as infection or pneumothorax in 2 groups. Conclusions Radiofrequency thermocoagulation is safe and effective in the treatment of upper extremity cancer pain, and has little effect on upper extremity motor function. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2018.10.007

Abstract Background Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive and incurable lymphoma. Standard of care for younger patients with MCL is induction chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (auto-HCT). Rituximab maintenance after auto-HCT has been shown to improve progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in MCL. Bortezomib maintenance therapy has also been shown to be tolerable and feasible in this setting. However, the combination of bortezomib and rituximab as maintenance therapy post-auto-HCT has not been studied. Methods We conducted a multicenter, phase II trial of bortezomib given in combination with rituximab as maintenance in MCL patients after consolidative auto-HCT. Enrolled patients (n = 23) received bortezomib 1.3 mg/m2 subcutaneously weekly for 4 weeks every 3 months (up to 24 months) and rituximab 375 mg/m2 intravenously weekly for 4 weeks every 6 months (up to 24 months) for a total duration of 2 years. The primary study endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS). Results With a median follow-up of 35.9 months, the 2-year DFS probability was 90.2% (95% CI 66–97), and 2-year OS was 94.7% (95% CI 68–99). The most frequent grade 3/4 toxic events were neutropenia (in 74% of patients) and lymphopenia (in 35%). The incidence of peripheral neuropathy was 48% for grade 1, 9% for grade 2, and 0% for grade 3/4. We also examined the role of quantitative cyclin D1 (CCND1) mRNA in monitoring minimal residual disease. Conclusion Combined bortezomib and rituximab as maintenance therapy in MCL patients following auto-HCT is an active and well-tolerated regimen. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01267812, registered Dec 29, 2010.

This study was based on the collection of the complete genome of Lepidium perfoliatum chloroplast (cp). The full cp genome is 154,264 bp long, containing 130 genes, in which 8 genes are specified for ribosomal RNA (rRNA), while 85 and 37 genes for protein-coding and transfer RNA (tRNA) respectively. Phylogenetic analyss revealed the closed cluster of Lepidium perfoliatum with other Lepidium species such as Lepidium apetalum, Lepidium sativum, Lepidium meyenii and Lepidium virginicum, which helps for the evaluation of how Lepidium perfoliatum is phylogenetically related to other species.